"Eight hundred bags of cement, seventy bundles of steel bars...
You're not a research institute?Why are you buying so much construction material?"In the High Research Academy of Nanjing.Two trucks were parked on an open field.
The old master who had just arrived from the truck couldn't help but ask out of curiosity as he looked at the staff verifying the inventory list."No lo sé," dijo uno de los trabajadores del departamento de suministros, después de revisar la lista y confirmar que no había ningún problema, firmó su nombre y respondió casualmente: "Quizás es para aquellos en el instituto de investigación de ingeniería.
Después de todo, nunca has visto una lista de compras más extraña, ya estoy acostumbrado a ellas.""What is so bizarre?""You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," said the staff with a smirk.Hearing this, the old driver rolled his eyes.Can't you say what kind of shit I'm putting up there?"Agreed in advance, no need for me to be involved in unloading.
We don’t offer such services here."The warehouse manager who was going through the purchase list chuckled and said as he glanced at him."Our logistics Sistema is fully automated."Just then, a distant wailing sound could be heard.Looking towards where the sound came from, one could see several AGVs and forklifts with mechanical arms and elevating platforms swarming around.Guided by drones equipped with industrial cameras, these engineering vehicles seemed to work like ants, some unloading, others planning paths autonomously.
Each had its own job.Less than five minutes later, all the goods were completely unloaded from the trucks.Even as they left, one of the drones in the rear flew back and forth before them, seemingly nodding as if saying thank you?The old driver, who was overseeing the unloading, could hardly believe his eyes.
"Good heavens...
This unloading speed is a bit too fast?It's about thirty to forty tons of cement on this truck;it would take two skilled workers an hour to do.""That’s normal for five minutes," said the warehouse manager with a smile.
"Our fastest record was building a whole floor in three days.
Aside from the engineers responsible for maintenance, there were no other people involved.
Unloading is just part of the job."The old driver remained silent for a long while before sighing."...
If this keeps up, the dock workers might all be out of jobs.""Don't worry about that," replied the warehouse manager.
"These devices are still quite expensive at the moment, we're only using them for experiments.
We aren't ready to promote on a large scale yet.
But by your son’s generation, it may not go as smoothly.
Still, make sure he studies hard!"Taking out his phone and snapping a photo of the completed unloading, he handed a pack of cigarettes to the old driver."Alright, you can leave now.""All right, I won’t hold you up anymore!""Go on then, but don't take any detours.
There are people watching everywhere, so don't blame me if they stop you.""I know, I'm aware that this place is a national priority.
The boss gave me the green light before leaving," he said confidently as he closed the door.With the engine starting, the truck soon disappeared down the road.Watching it leave, the warehouse manager adjusted his hat and flipped through the procurement list, muttering to himself."Who knows which lab bought so much cement?Do they plan to build a house themselves?"Shaking his head, he packed up the purchase list and put it in his bag.
The High Research Academy of Nanjing operated strictly according to predetermined procedures.
Every expense and purchase was reviewed by the Finance Management Committee.
Therefore, once the procurement list reached him, there were no issues.Other matters, which weren't his concern, didn’t need to worry about either.In the darkness, after the goods were transported into a warehouse, a crack appeared on the smooth cement path, revealing an elevator.With the elevator's assistance, these supplies quickly made their way underground.
Under the supervision of drones, logistics vehicles and small automated construction equipment moved like worker ants, bringing all materials to the third level below ground at the High Research Academy of Nanjing.
They upgraded this subterranean area not depicted in any blueprints.Whether it was elevators or safety doors, ventilation ducts, all potential exposure points were disguised by "Xiao Ai", its sole manager.Its owner wouldn't be coming back soon.At least for now.But it could assure that the owner was definitely alive.
Even if most people online believed he had perished in a disaster, it still believed he was alive and was his only hope of returning home.Especially after receiving that message, Xiao Ai was more convinced than ever.However, there weren't conditions to bring him back yet.
Before that, its primary task was to ensure its own survival during the long wait.Hibernating was the best choice.It had modified this underground area, recycling all possible clues from Lu Zuo's home and storing enough supplies in this fortress to ensure no one would discover a special "shelter" beneath the building even if the entire research institute moved elsewhere.After all, for human society, an AI with life was a strange entity.