Placement

More than a month later.

It was now late June 2018.

After a series of tests and adjustments, the soldier programs for the seven experimental subjects had finally become stable enough to run. At least they no longer acted like artificial idiots.

To make the soldiers seem a little more distinct, a new [Habitual Traits] subroutine had been added to their programs.

For example, they might like telling inexplicably lame jokes, make noise while eating, have a verbal tic, or enjoy certain foods, books, or TV shows.

Each soldier would randomly develop two or three habitual traits to set them apart.

After all, it would be extremely strange if a whole group of people were silent and taciturn. Unless these soldiers stayed in the core area of the Research Base all the time, giving them distinctive traits was essential.

Although the Biochips in the soldiers could only perform a few hundred million calculations per second, they did have one advantage: they could be given vague instructions.

Most Artificial Intelligence systems were actually very simple and crude in how they operated. They worked like this:

A series of operating modes were set up. When a problem came up, the system searched a database for a match, then acted according to a preset mode. If it couldn't find a match, a human had to step in.

And the commands it carried out had to be extremely precise.

Take the command to eat, for example.

Ordinary Artificial Intelligence had to be given precise parameters for the time, location, speed, force, movements, and hundreds or even thousands of other details.

There was another kind of Artificial Intelligence that relied on powerful computing ability and databases to analyze every possibility. The problem was that current computer technology could hardly support the widespread use of such systems.

AlphaGo, for example, could only analyze problems in a single field, within a framework that had been established in advance.

If AlphaGo were used as a car's onboard Artificial Intelligence, it probably wouldn't be as useful as Xiao Ai.

The soldiers' programs didn't need to be so complicated, because the experimental subjects were human. They could carry out vague instructions.

In other words, if the soldier program told them to eat, their bodies would draw on the habits and instincts of their original brains. The program didn't need to keep micromanaging every detail.

This saved a great deal of computing power and made the soldiers seem more human, rather than like robots.

Using the same experimental-animal storage cabinets as before, Li Qingye placed Baffart and the other soldiers inside, then told Chen Jianxiong to transport them to Warehouse No. 3 at Darte Port.

Baffart and the others already had ID documents, so there was no need to forge identities for them.

As for their former identities as gangsters, Old Du had already crippled their gang. As long as they stayed away from the illegal businesses, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Once the storage cabinets had been safely delivered to the warehouse, Li Qingye followed them to the Darte Port office building to inspect the work.

After making an excuse to send the warehouse manager away, he released the seven soldiers. They immediately got to work according to the tasks arranged beforehand.

When Li Jinglan and Kang Nan heard that Li Qingye had come to Darte Port, they hurried back from the construction site at the fish farm.

"Not bad. You've already built six fish farms, but you seem a little short-staffed." Li Qingye put down the documents in his hand.

Li Jinglan nodded. "Kang Nan and I are preparing to recruit people. We'll hold hiring events in the nearby towns soon."

"Good." Li Qingye suddenly turned toward the office door and called, "Come in!"

Baffart and another gaunt soldier walked in.

"This is Baffart, the son of one of my relatives. He's an honest fellow. He'll be learning from Jinglan from now on. Don't hold back on my account; sorry for the trouble, but please keep an eye on him and teach him well. The other one is Baffart's friend. Find something for him to do, too."

Li Jinglan showed no surprise at Li Qingye's words. After all, in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, this sort of thing was nothing unusual.

There were plenty of family businesses in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, and people were always bringing in their relatives and friends. Who didn't have aunts, uncles, and cousins to help out?

Li Jinglan patted Baffart on the shoulder and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, boss. I'll take care of it."

Of the five remaining soldiers, two would go undercover and join the company through the regular hiring process.

The other three would lie low in the surrounding area and gather intelligence for Li Qingye.

If he put them all out in the open, Li Jinglan, Kang Nan, and the others could easily band together and isolate them. The sensible approach was to combine a visible presence with an undercover one.

Li Jinglan quickly arranged jobs for Baffart and his companion.

Baffart became Li Jinglan's assistant, handling driving and errands. The other soldier was assigned to oversee construction progress at the site as a temporary supervisor.

Li Qingye said nothing.

Less than ten days later.

The other two undercover soldiers also passed the Homo sapiens Company hiring process. One became a warehouse clerk, the other a farmhand. They were ordinary jobs, and the pay was about average for the area.

Li Qingye had also arranged for Baffart to attend the hiring event and learn the ropes. That way, he ensured the two undercover soldiers could join the company without a hitch.

July 16.

Li Qingye inspected the construction site again.

It was a small seaside town about thirty-three kilometers from Darte Port. Homo sapiens Company had invested in eight large fish farms along this stretch of the bay.

Two of the farms at the aquaculture base were now complete, and the workers were carrying out their final checks.

Under the blazing sun, everyone was drenched in sweat.

Li Qingye took a sip of chilled mineral water. "Phew... These employees have been working hard under this scorching sun. Jinglan, give them heat allowances, and have the cafeteria prepare plenty of watermelon, ice cream, and mung bean soup."

"I'll arrange it right away." Li Jinglan turned and gave his secretary a few instructions.

Li Qingye continued, "When do you think these two completed farms can start operating?"

Zaxi, who knew a lot about aquaculture, stepped forward and replied, "Boss, once we've tested the ponds for leaks and calibrated the equipment, we should be able to put them into use in about half a month."

Li Qingye nodded, then gave another instruction. "Good. When the time comes, discuss it with Kang Nan and bring over a batch of young eels from the farms on Calagua Island. Don't start raising glass eels right away."

"Understood." Zaxi knew that as well.

Since these ponds had only just been completed, there would inevitably be problems that needed adjustment. Glass eels were too fragile.

After everyone had finished inspecting the aquaculture base and was about to leave, Li Qingye suddenly pointed to an employee who was working especially hard.

"This young man looks promising. Jian Xiong, arrange for him to transfer to the Security Department."

Chen Jianxiong, Li Jinglan, and the others were a little surprised, but the boss was only transferring an ordinary employee, not appointing him as a department head. They had no reason to refuse.

In fact, this was a planned encounter. Li Qingye's goal was to plant someone in the Security Department. After all, it was responsible for his daily security and managed the Research Base on Calagua Island.

Both his own safety and the secrets of the Research Base needed to be entrusted to soldiers he could trust.

He didn't trust the security staff. They were only employees, after all. When it really mattered, how many of them could be relied on? He'd give their odds a 9.9 percent discount.

With the company hiring so many people lately, Li Qingye had a chance to plant soldiers inside Homo sapiens Company. It was something he had wanted to do for a long time.

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