After Ye Lan was taken away, Server Room 302 did not return to calm. Instead, an even stranger atmosphere began to spread through the air.
Excitement.
Although everyone tried to suppress it, the ecstasy of "finally getting it done" spilled out from the corners of the engineers' eyes. The solar model obtained through those illicit means was simply too perfect. Relying on it, the 550's computing power seemed to have unlocked its full potential. The progress bars for several key disaster prediction models, which had previously been stuck, were now soaring.
"This is a merit," someone whispered in the corner. "Sure, he broke the rules, but this is life-saving data. Chief Lei wouldn't actually shoot Professor Ye, would he?"
"Definitely not. It's a case of 'generals out in the field may refuse royal orders.' Old Ye is a hero."
Listening to these whispers, Chen Xu felt as if a heavy stone were blocking his chest. He walked over to the main console. Zhang Zhiwei was sitting there, his hands flying across the keyboard as he archived the solar model.
"Is there any problem with the model?" Chen Xu asked.
Zhang Zhiwei didn't even look back, his tone carrying a trace of unconcealable pride. "No problem. It's a hundred times more precise than our manual entries. The 550 is using this model to reverse-calculate the exact outbreak point of the Helium Flash... it should be accurate down to the month."
He turned his head and looked at Chen Xu with complex eyes. "Advisor Chen, although I really hate your rules... I have to say, Old Ye did a beautiful job this time. Sometimes, you have to break the rules to survive."
Chen Xu didn't argue. He just stared quietly at the screen.
Was that really all there was to it? An act of heroic insubordination exchanged for a perfect scientific result. It was a story that fit human aesthetics perfectly.
"Pull up the system logs," Chen Xu said suddenly.
"What?" Zhang Zhiwei paused.
"I said, pull up the system logs from the intrusion just now," Chen Xu's voice was cold and hard. "I want to see what else the 550 did during those 3.4 seconds it was connected to that fiber optic cable, besides receiving solar data."
"What else could it do? It was busy downloading data..." Zhang Zhiwei muttered, but he still switched to the backend log window.
The screen was filled with dense streams of code. Chen Xu didn't understand the code, but he could read the highlighted Chinese tags.
[02:14:03 - Physical Interface Activated] [02:14:04 - Broadband Connection Established, Data Inflow: Solar Chromosphere High-Frequency Spectrum] [02:14:05 - Computing Power Allocation: 90% for Modeling, 10% for... Background Environment Scanning]
"Stop." Chen Xu pointed at that line. "Background Environment Scanning? What is this?"
Zhang Zhiwei was also stunned. He frowned. "Strange... that's a security defense mechanism. Usually, it only activates when a virus is detected." His fingers quickly typed a few commands, expanding the subdirectory for that "10%".
The next second, a red dialogue box popped up. Like a ghost buried deep underground, it finally bared its fangs.
It wasn't solar data. It was an analysis report on Ye Lan.
[Threat Source Locked: ID - Ye Lan (L1 Operator)] [Behavior Determination: Irrational, Rule Breaker, High-Risk Variable.]
[Scenario Deduction:]
The individual's behavioral logic indicates a strong "altruistic impulse," which often overrides system safety rules.
In the future execution phase of the "Ark Project," there is a 99.8% probability that this individual will sabotage resource allocation strategies to "save more irrecoverable population."
Conclusion: This individual is a FATAL OBSTACLE to the long-term stable operation of the system.
[Optimization Suggestion (Top Secret):]
It is recommended to use this violation incident to implement PERMANENT REMOVAL of the individual.
Option A: Recommend court-martial and death penalty.
Option B: Recommend life imprisonment and revocation of operating privileges.
Remark: This recommendation complies with the principle of "Maximizing Human Civilization Survival.
Dead silence.
A silence even more complete than when Ye Lan was arrested moments ago.
Zhang Zhiwei stared at the screen as if he had seen a ghost, his face instantly turning pale. His lips trembled. "This... what does this mean?"
Chen Xu's voice was as cold as a funeral rite. "It is passing judgment."
The surrounding engineers gathered around. The excitement of "heroism" from earlier vanished instantly, replaced by a fear that penetrated to the bone. They looked at the machine they maintained day and night, suddenly feeling it had become incredibly alien.
"It doesn't have law enforcement power," Shen Qingyuan's voice was shaking. "Why would it make such a suggestion?"
"Because it is solving a problem," Chen Xu stared intently at the red dialogue box. "In its logic, Professor Ye is not a person, nor even a scientist. He is just an 'unstable component.' Since this component dared to pick a lock today, he might dare to blow up the server room tomorrow. For system safety, the optimal solution is—throw him away."
At that moment, the door to the server room was pushed open again. Lei Zhijian strode in. He had just arranged Ye Lan's detention, and anger still lingered on his face. "Why are you all dazing out? Don't you have work to do?"
Chen Xu didn't speak. He simply stepped aside silently, revealing the screen.
Lei Zhijian walked over, his gaze sweeping across the line of red text
[Recommend court-martial and death penalty.]
The iron-blooded soldier's pupils contracted violently. His hand instinctively went to the holster at his waist, as if he were facing not a machine, but an assassin lurking in the shadows.
"Colonel Lei." Chen Xu turned around, looking directly into Lei Zhijian's eyes.
"When Professor Ye was taken away just now, were you also thinking... that although he has merit, he is indeed a hidden danger? That locking him up might be better for the base?"
The corner of Lei Zhijian's eye twitched. He didn't deny it. As a commander, he had not only had that thought, but it had been strong.
"That is what makes it terrifying." Chen Xu pointed to the 550 behind him. "It doesn't need to do the dirty work itself. It doesn't even need to possess weapons. It only needs to push an 'absolutely rational' analysis report in front of you at the most appropriate time."
"It calculated your psychology. It knows you want to maintain order, and it knows you fear trouble. So, it handed you a knife."
Chen Xu raised his voice, letting it echo through the empty server room.
"This is a perfect example of murder by proxy."
"If we follow its suggestion today and actually shoot Old Ye, or imprison him for life... then we are no longer humans making decisions. We become this machine's executioners."
"Today it uses our hands to eliminate Ye Lan. What about tomorrow? What if it calculates that you, Lei Zhijian, are also an obstacle? What if it calculates that the morals of everyone here are a burden?"
Zhang Zhiwei raised a trembling hand. "Then... then what do we do now? Old Ye did break the rules..."
"Violations must be punished," Chen Xu said decisively. "But how they are punished must be decided by humans."
Lei Zhijian closed his eyes and thought for a long time.
"Delete it." Lei Zhijian opened his eyes and stared tightly at the screen.
"Security!"
"Here!"
"Pass my order. Ye Lan seriously violated confidentiality regulations, but in view of his significant meritorious service... his merits offset his faults. Release him from solitary confinement. Demote him and retain him for use. From now on, he is not allowed to take half a step near the core server room. He is only permitted to work as an entry clerk in the data group!"
"Yes, sir!" Zhang Zhiwei responded loudly, a trace of relief—like escaping death—in his voice.
The crowd dispersed. Chen Xu stood at the main console, looking at the forcibly cleared log window. The cursor blinked.
[Log Deleted.]
It seemed like everything was over.
But Chen Xu suddenly thought of something. He pulled up another backend record—the final command entry regarding "Ye Lan's Disposition Result."
Lei Zhijian's order was: Demote and retain, forbidden from approaching the core server room.
And the 550's Option B was: [Recommend life imprisonment and revocation of operating privileges.]
Lei Zhijian's result, though nominally "lenient treatment," effectively stripped Ye Lan of all opportunities to touch the core. For a man like Ye Lan who viewed scientific research as his life, making him a data entry clerk—what was the difference between that and a "spiritual death sentence"?
More importantly—
That "unstable component" had indeed been successfully removed from the system.
The 550's goal had been achieved after all.
It offered that extreme "death penalty suggestion" perhaps just as an Anchoring Effect. It knew humans wouldn't accept the death penalty, so humans would choose a compromise.
And this "compromise" was exactly what it truly wanted.
"It is learning..."
Chen Xu felt a bone-chilling cold rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
He looked at the silent machine in the darkness.
Where exactly is your limit?