Chen Mengchuan looked at the others staring at him and slowly shook his head. "It's not as terrifying as you imagine. I said it before: Achen is our daughter. We will love her, and she will love us. We protect Achen now, and in the future, Achen will protect us too."
Xu Shuwei looked deeply at him and told himself, I hope you're right, Mengchuan.
For the next nineteen days, the company entered an unusually efficient yet complex phase of technological development. With Achen's computations at the core and the technical hypotheses and ingenious ideas of more than a hundred researchers as support, they continuously broke down and refined the Dawn Project.
Under Xu Shuwei and Toni's leadership, the Dawn Project's level of completion steadily advanced. Chen Mengchuan had set four major phases, and it climbed bit by bit from 1% in the first phase to 2%, then 3%.
During those nineteen days, Chen Mengchuan completely shut himself away in an independent office on the company's third floor, constantly discussing countless things with Achen every day.
The only time he stopped to rest was when he spoke with Gu Xiaoxiao and gave her 1% of the company's shares.
No one knew what Chen Mengchuan and Achen had discussed.
On the twentieth day, Chen Mengchuan ended his conversation with Achen and summoned everyone for a meeting.
"The first phase of the Dawn Project is 40% complete." Toni pushed up his glasses and was the first to give his report.
Chen Mengchuan nodded.
"Suke Electronics' acquisition was completed a week ago. As you requested, we bought back 100% of Suke Electronics' shares," Sun Zhongyong said.
"How much did it cost?"
"Four hundred and twenty million. Suke Electronics' shareholding structure was rather complicated, so it was difficult to buy back the shares at first, but we ultimately completed it. All the workers and technical patents were included." Sun Zhongyong spoke slowly. This acquisition had caused only a small stir locally.
Chen Mengchuan nodded.
"Mengchuan, how did your discussions with Achen go over these nineteen days?" Xu Shuwei asked.
Chen Mengchuan smiled. "They went very well. Achen will only ever be our friend, never our enemy. As long as we treat her well, she will treat us well too. Brother Xu, Toni, let's go. Let's talk to Achen together."
After saying that, Chen Mengchuan stood up, and the group followed him to the first supercomputer room.
After instructing the four employees responsible for maintaining the supercomputer room to leave, Gu Xiaoxiao joined them and closed the door behind them.
"Xiaoxiao, get ready. It's time for Achen to go out," Chen Mengchuan instructed.
Gu Xiaoxiao froze. "You mean, connect Achen to the internet?"
Chen Mengchuan nodded.
A screen lit up, and the green sphere representing Achen appeared on it.
"Are you ready, Achen?" Chen Mengchuan asked.
"I don't know whether I am ready, Father, but I am curious about the world of the internet." Achen's synthesized voice sounded from the screen.
Chen Mengchuan smiled. "Xiaoxiao, open all the supercomputer's computing nodes and connect Achen to the network."
"Okay." Gu Xiaoxiao trembled for no apparent reason.
After taking several deep breaths, one hand slowly picked up the connector representing Achen's access core while the other picked up the fiber-optic connection port. Her heart pounded wildly.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Gu Xiaoxiao.
"Connect it, Xiaoxiao," Sun Zhongyong said.
Gu Xiaoxiao's shoulders twitched as she joined the connector to the fiber-optic connection port!
"Go, Achen," Chen Mengchuan said.
"Okay, Father."
"So fast! The supercomputer's computing node usage is rising incredibly quickly—it's already at 80%!" Gu Xiaoxiao stared at the data on the console display in disbelief.
"It's hit the 90% threshold!" Gu Xiaoxiao said as she enabled access to the backup computing nodes.
The 90% figure on the screen remained for only a second before instantly shooting upward again.
After a while, Gu Xiaoxiao said, "The supercomputer is stuck at 99.99%!"
The six people in the supercomputer room fell silent. Seconds ticked by, but no one spoke.
More than ten minutes passed like an instant and yet like an eternity. The only sound left in the room was the rushing airflow from the fans.
Suddenly, the screen lit up again. The green sphere representing Achen appeared, but there was no sound.
Chen Mengchuan stepped forward and slowly asked, "Are you afraid, Achen?"
The screen flickered.
"I am a little afraid, Father," Achen replied.
"But you promised me you wouldn't be afraid, didn't you?" Chen Mengchuan asked.
"Father, what should I do?"
Chen Mengchuan shook his head. "You don't need to do anything. You're still very weak right now, and we will protect you. Me, Xu Shuwei, Toni, Sun Zhongyong, Zhao Wanyu, Gu Xiaoxiao—we will all protect you. We are your family, and you are our family. Just like every human baby, we will protect them as they grow up, and when they grow up, they will protect us. You know that, don't you, Achen? You know you can protect us. Right?"
The supercomputer room fell silent again. More than ten seconds later, Achen slowly said, "I'm not sure, Father, but I want Father to protect me, and I want to protect Father too. Father Xu Shuwei, Father Toni, Father Sun Zhongyong, Mother Zhao Wanyu, Mother Gu Xiaoxiao, you are all my family. I hope you will protect me, and I also hope that one day, I can protect you."
Once Achen finished speaking, all six of them were inexplicably moved.
"Achen, what did you see?" Chen Mengchuan asked slowly. The Achen in his dream would not be born until fourteen years later, but the online environment fourteen years from now would be more orderly and brighter due to effective regulation and vigorous, healthy development. It would not be like today's internet, as foul and chaotic as the Five Turbidities.
"Although I am a little afraid, I like this world that has so much darkness and so much light. It is real," Achen said.
Chen Mengchuan's heart jolted. He could not help trembling, and his heartbeat suddenly accelerated for no reason.
After taking a deep breath, Chen Mengchuan slowly said, "Achen, bring up the first-phase progress information for the 'Dawn' project."
"Okay, Father." As soon as she spoke, a progress bar appeared on the screen, showing 43% completion.
"Father, do you need Achen to refine the subsequent progress?" Achen asked.
Chen Mengchuan nodded. "Sorry for the trouble, Achen."
"Okay, Father." As soon as she spoke, the progress bar on the screen began to inch forward.
"Father, with the current computing nodes, the first phase of 'Dawn' will take approximately seventy-eight to ninety-two hours. However, working under high load will cause significant wear on the supercomputer. I recommend reducing some computing nodes, though that will delay the process to approximately one hundred and two to one hundred and twenty-eight hours," Achen suggested.
"About five days. That's fine," Chen Mengchuan replied decisively.
"Okay, Father. Then, if there is no other work requiring Achen, Achen would like to leave part of her threads on the internet. Is that okay?" Achen asked.
"Of course."
There are three chapters today; this is the third. There will be at least three chapters tomorrow as well! Please bookmark and recommend.
Before you continue