Department

The senior engineer walked to the glass cabinet, and before him were these white, tender, and densely packed little things—the maggots of the civilized era.

The full name is the larva of the housefly, an insect belonging to the genus Housefly in the family Muscidae of the order Diptera. It is essentially the larva of a fly—rich in nutrients, palatable, and containing various essential amino acids and fatty acids, as well as abundant vitamins and trace elements, making it a high-quality protein source.

In an era when animals were almost extinct and irradiated beasts were inedible, roasted maggots and fried maggots were among the few small meat dishes available.

"Mr. Yi has quite the taste; he actually cultivates this at home."

Yi Yun seemed not to hear the senior engineer's teasing and walked to the glass cabinet as well:

"Mr. Gao, do you know that human cells take 10 to 22 hours to complete a cycle in tissue culture, while artificially synthesized cells complete a cycle in only 1/2 of the time, and their cell division rate is twice that of humans? This means that a bionic human usually only has a quarter of the lifespan of a human."

"I've heard of that."

After thinking it over, the senior engineer realized that Rose Sister seemed to have reached a similar point, but since she was a fake android, her lifespan might not be calculated that way.

"Mr. Gao, have you heard that no matter how realistic a android's appearance is, we will still be called fake animals? One very important reason for this is that animals are not close to us?"

Yi Yun chuckled self-deprecatingly, "That's true. Whose cat or dog would take a moving toy as its owner?"

The senior engineer turned to look at him, and said in surprise:

"Mr. Yi, you don't believe that the standard for 'human' in androids is based on animal preferences, do you?"

"Of course not, but it is a hobby after all, so many androids have developed a hobby, which is to cultivate maggots."

Mr. Yi put his palm into the glass cabinet, and soon his palm was covered with maggots.

"See, they don't dislike me, do they?"

Mr. Yi turned around, and a strange glint appeared on his usually gentle and refined face.

"Alright."

Before the senior engineer could speak, Yi Yun ended the topic. He shook his hand, swatting the maggots away, then took out a towel and carefully wiped them clean, making sure there wasn't a trace of sticky residue between his fingers and on his joints. He then closed the glass cabinet again and covered it with a curtain.

"My wife has no idea I have this hobby, so you'd better keep it a secret for me, Mr. Gao."

A moment later, the senior engineer bid farewell to the Yi couple and walked away without looking back. The jade cat that had been delivered had a human-like glint in its eyes.

"Interesting."

Back in his house, the engineer asked the android butler to bring him a cup of tea. He sat alone on the sofa, silently reflecting on the scene that had just unfolded.

Originally, I was only interested in the other person because of the "thread of fate," but now I have developed other interests as well.

"Bionic technology, biochemical technology, or cloning technology?"

As far as the senior engineer knows, these three professional knowledge chains contain technologies that can change the properties of "artificial cells." Of course, whether they can be developed, or what they can develop, is hard to say.

But it's clear that Yi Yun probably did discover something, which is why he felt the urge to confide in the senior engineer. However, since they were just strangers meeting for the first time, he kept his mouth shut.

"Maggots, memory worms, what a coincidence!"

If what the other party researches happens to be the egg of the 'Memory Mother', then the joke will be out of control.

"The Android Revolution!"

In Gao Gong's memory, this last wave of cybernetic technology directly led to an uprising of all androids in the three mother cities. Electronic flags rose in all directions, radical thinking covered all models, and the "Leader" models were born one after another.

It's important to know that many androids hold important positions in the Mother City.

Their rebellion was not due to a lack of enjoyment; there must be deeper reasons.

"Let's wait and see."

The senior engineer did not attempt a brute-force attack. Not to mention that this level of android has very strong defensive capabilities, if he were to make a move now, wouldn't he be the one to sever the "Thread of Fate" with his own hands?

So he kept a cat.

Since a man can grow a virgin rooster, he can naturally also grow a jade cat.

Two more days later

"Has that person not arrived yet?"

Motoko Yagami finished reviewing the last stack of documents on the table and said without looking up.

"No, Ms. Motoko. The new minister is currently attending an android art exhibition with his neighbor and his wife, and they are on their way back."

Miss Shell's voice rang out.

"Is he taking the day off again tomorrow?"

"It's hard to say. It's difficult to use big data to deduce this person's behavior. He seems to care about nothing, but his every move has a mysterious meaning."

"Are you sure it's a deeper meaning, and not some kind of 'data illusion'?"

"It could also be a 'data illusion'," Ms. Shell added.

Motoko Yagami raised her head, revealing a slightly tired face. When there was no minister, she acted as the minister, and when there was a minister, she still had to act as the minister.

What is the purpose of this minister's existence?

"What did those troublemakers say?"

Motoko Yagami remembered that when someone was announced as the new department head, several guys in the department publicly declared that they wanted to have a good chat with the new department head.

This kind of operation is not uncommon in departments where most people are troublemakers.

"Some people have already gone on missions, and some have given up."

Motoko Yagami was uncharacteristically speechless for a moment.

When you're lazy enough, even troublemakers won't bother you.

"Let him be."

Although that's what she said, Motoko Yagami was still internally complaining:

"Minister, is this the kind of talent you've been talking about, someone capable of turning the world upside down?"

"Ah, Captain Motoko, the new department head has arrived!"

Even the AI, Miss Shell, managed to simulate a hint of excitement, which gives you an idea of how people feel about this new minister.

"Minister Gao instructed you not to go to greet him. He wants to take a grassroots approach and doesn't need such a grand ceremony."

"I have no intention of welcoming him," Motoko Yagami thought to herself.

"The minister also said that you will still be in charge of the Ghost in the Shell Mobile Division, while he will mainly be responsible for overseeing the overall situation."

"In control of the overall situation?"

Motoko Yagami couldn't resist and turned on the surveillance footage. She saw two figures, one fat and one thin, looking around suspiciously in the Ghost in the Shell building. The senior engineer, in particular, was staring at the buttocks of a female member wearing a tight-fitting combat suit, with a thoughtful expression.

This is the "big picture" he was talking about? That's certainly a big picture!

Motoko Yagami's eye twitched again. After a moment of silence, she said expressionlessly:

"There are still a few troublemakers left in the ministry. Tell them that a new minister has taken office."

Miss Shell was very efficient. Soon, four or five members of the department's action team appeared in front of the fat and thin men.

Someone with an upright and firm expression declared that if they didn't respect me as the minister, they were disrespecting Fatty Xiang. "Go! Fatty Xiang, bite them!"

So the group went to the training room of Ghost in the Shell, which was also a gravity room, where the gravity could reach up to 1,000 times.

This level of gravity is equivalent to some extremely harsh planetary environments. Ordinary carbon-based life forms would be unable to survive in it, and some internal organs would be crushed to pieces if they entered this environment.

Both sides knew that this was not a life-or-death battle, but a challenge, so they only chose 100 times gravity.

So, Pang Xiang was pushed out by a certain unscrupulous boss and became the target of the challenge.

The fat man is stronger than I imagined.

Wielding those two "super spiked clubs," he transformed into a violent machine, blasting two Ghost in the Shell Mobile Unit members to their deaths.

As it turns out, even in the formidable Ghost in the Shell Mobile Unit, the War God is not a common sight.

Of course, every official member of the department possesses a certain ability that surpasses that of a martial god.

It depends solely on whether this ability can counter the opponent.

Finally, Fatty Xiang met his match. Even after using "Flesh and Machine Integration" and "Gear Machine," he was still defeated by a female robot.

This female robot is similar in model to the collider, both being liquid metal robots. However, unlike the collider, which specializes in "body repair," this long-haired female robot's "liquid metal" is more aggressive, and this aggression manifests as metal corrosion.

This corrosion can turn the enemy's machinery into your own.

"Ruan Hong did a good job," Yagami Motoko nodded.

In fact, the 'Fifth Generation Metal Heart' also has strong viral corrosiveness. However, during its development, Dugo Technologies focused on studying its resilience, and this direction is a good one if the 'X-type Reactor' wants to continue to upgrade.

Pointing it out is equivalent to mastering the "absorption technique" of mechanical routes.

Pang Xiang's defeat was entirely justified.

However, when the parties involved and onlookers tried to find the person in question, they were shocked to discover that the person in question had disappeared.

"Captain Motoko, in your human society, wouldn't this be considered desertion in the face of battle?"

The surveillance footage showed that when Pang Xiang was in trouble, before anyone could react, Gao skillfully slipped away and went straight to the minister's private floor. He then used his ministerial authority to lock down the entire floor, prohibiting all department members from entering.

The operation was smooth and seamless, as if it had been practiced many times beforehand.

"..."

Motoko Yagami was speechless.

Her intention was not to intimidate the new minister, but to use his military power to establish his authority.

But now, once this news gets out, the Ghost in the Shell Mobile Division, which was originally only half dissatisfied, will become one in which everyone is dissatisfied.

Of the six departments, the Ghost in the Shell Mobile Division is the most combative and the most defiant; this is a defining characteristic of the division.

A minister who cannot integrate into this environment cannot truly control the Ghost in the Shell Mobile Division.

She even doubted whether the guy who was running away faster than anyone else was the same person as the "continent-destroying" level combatant in the corporate war.

The two are too different.

Meanwhile, the senior engineer, unaware that he was about to offend the entire department, was lazily lying on Aragaki's private floor, drinking juice he had gotten for free.

"That old man Aramaki is as old-fashioned as ever."

The entire floor was filled with bookshelves, except for desks and chairs, and many of them were unique items from the civilized era.

There was nothing else besides that.

"I must remind you, Minister Gao, that many department members are currently blocking the outside of the building, wanting to have a good talk with you," Ms. Ke's voice rang out, and for some reason, her toneless voice was filled with a hint of schadenfreude.

"No rush, let them wait a bit longer. After all, I'm the boss," the senior engineer said lazily, seemingly unconcerned about offending everyone.