Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Workaholic Dad (End)
Zhuozhuo was caught off guard and drank a few mouthfuls of sea water. She tried to wave her limbs to float to the surface, and then she heard two splashes in succession. She looked over and found that Xiaohuo and Wangwang had also jumped into the sea.
Wangwang and Zhuozhuo were about the same height, and they sank to the bottom as soon as they jumped in.
Xiaohuo, like Qin Jin, stood 1.9 meters tall. The water reached his chest, and without even waiting to steady himself, he waded through the water toward Zhuozhuo. However, after being submerged for so long, his body had already taken on water. He didn't know what had gone wrong, but his movements were jerky and twisted, his facial expression uncontrollably grim.
"Zhuozhuo, I want to play with you. Just the two of us, no one else..." Xiaohuo approached Zhuozhuo in a messy manner, speaking in a gentle voice, with the terrifying effect at its peak.
Zhuozhuo was almost scared to death and jumped to the side to hide.
The people on the beach were also frightened by the out-of-control robot and jumped into the water to rescue it.
[Don't be afraid, baby. Think about how you swam in the lifebuoy this morning. Relax, take your time, stretch your arms, paddle, kick your legs... We're not far from the beach, and the water will be shallow after a few strokes. Look, everyone is here to rescue you, so don't be afraid.]
While comforting and guiding Zhuozhuo, 9972 scanned Xiaohuo and Wangwang, and sure enough, they were in a state of preliminary awakening. In this way, Xiaohuo's dancing and Zhuozhuo bringing them to the island were no coincidence.
Xiaohuo Wangwang's recent series of actions were so perfectly coordinated that they fooled everyone. It was indeed a robot that could subvert the original plot. 9972 sighed again. A few days ago, their awakening was so slight that it couldn't even detect it. Under such circumstances, they both planned so much.
Xiao Huo's voice was intermittent, "So many... people, take Zhuo, Zhuo away... hide -"
Zhuozhuo shouted helplessly: "Dad! Dad!"
[Baby, save your energy and don't shout too loudly. Everyone is here to rescue you.]
Human potential is immense. Zhuozhuo had actually learned to swim just like that. She swam diagonally toward the shore, putting distance between her and Xiaohuo, so she could be reached by the lifeguards rushing in front. At that moment, Xiaohuo, as if being violently pulled by something, rushed towards Zhuozhuo. Almost at the same time, Zhuozhuo was also swept away uncontrollably by the swift current.
[Burning!]
Zhuozhuo felt dizzy and swollen from the impact of the water flow. He felt as if he was hit by something hard and then tightly restrained. Then his brain felt a sharp pain, his body went numb, and he knew nothing.
After Qin Jin finished calling Zhao Xian, his mind was in a tizzy, his eyes fixed on the scenery outside the car window. As he was approaching the villa, he received another message from Qian Wei, saying that Shi Song and Yan Qiushi were at the foot of the eastern cliff, a place where almost no one would go, perfect for them to resolve the issue.
This statement was too suggestive and full of loopholes. Qin Jin immediately realized that something was wrong and asked the driver to return immediately. He called the beach to confirm Zhuozhuo's situation, but found that the call was not connected. Qin Jin's face changed and he started to contact Zhao Xian. He had just seen Zhao Xian's car heading towards the beach.
Zhao Xian answered quickly, "I'll be there in two minutes."
Qin Jin quickly recounted the story. Finally, he opened his mouth and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Mom."
Guessing that there might be danger on the beach, Qin Jin really couldn't bring himself to ask Zhao Xian to continue.
Zhao Xian was a little dazed. She couldn't remember the last time Qin Jin called her with such genuine emotion. She said, "You should also be careful. This guy might be coming for you. Call the bodyguards and tell the driver to drive carefully."
What kind of trouble could a six-year-old get into? The one in most danger right now was Qin Jin. Because the island was safe, Qin Jin hadn't had bodyguards around at all times. Now thinking about it, he was being too careless.
Knowing what Qin Jin cared about most, Zhao Xian said, "The car is making too much noise. I'll go over and take a look. Don't hang up."
Even if it wasn't for Qin Jin, Zhao Xian and Zhuo Zhuo had feelings for each other. She couldn't just ignore her when she knew she might be in danger.
The driver drove on for less than two kilometers and stopped at the last bend. Zhao Xian and the driver got out and walked carefully toward the beach. After walking just over a hundred meters, a rapid alarm sounded from the receiver of his cell phone.
Zhao Xian could clearly hear Qin Jin's breathing becoming disordered. He said, "Mom, it's Zhuozhuo's children's watch that's alarming. His vital signs are abnormal."
Zhao Xian's mind buzzed for a moment, and he subconsciously said, "Don't be afraid, it might be heatstroke. It's too hot today, and Zhuozhuo is just playing around..."
Before he could finish his words, Zhao Xian and the driver couldn't help but run. The driver ran to the bushes first, observed the beach, and turned back to say: "Madam, it seems that Miss Zhuozhuo has drowned."
Zhao Xian's heart tightened, but then he breathed a sigh of relief. There were professional lifeguards and a medical team on the beach, and someone was specifically watching over Zhuozhuo. Even if he drowned, he would be rescued quickly and would be fine.
When Qin Jin rushed back to the beach, Zhuozhuo had already been rescued. Medical staff were standing around her in groups of three or four. He didn't bother to close the car door. He quickly walked over, lifted the white cloth, and picked up Zhuozhuo. He asked calmly, "What are you doing? Why aren't you trying to save her?"
No one answered. Everyone looked at him with sympathy and fear. Qin Jin lowered his eyes as if he had received an electric shock. For the first time in his life, he avoided other people's gazes. He grabbed a towel and wrapped Zhuo Zhuo up. He turned around and wanted to take her away, but his legs and feet refused to obey him and he fell to his knees in embarrassment.
The people around were talking in panic. Qin Jin didn't want to listen, and he couldn't hear clearly. He hugged Zhuozhuo tightly and couldn't feel her breathing or heartbeat.
A shadow fell. Qin Jin looked up and saw Zhao Xian's pale face. He used all his strength to growl in an indistinct voice, "Mom, save Zhuo Zhuo! Take her to the airport, to the hospital, save her!"
On the day Zhuozhuo showed up, Zhao Xian had thought Qin Jin would ask her for help because of Zhuozhuo's situation, but she hadn't expected it to be like this. How could this happen?
The whole story was soon revealed. Zhuozhuo fell into the water and encountered an offshore current. He was hugged by a small electric spark and electrocuted, then sank to the bottom of the sea and died of suffocation.
However, no one could find out who had sent the email that lured Qin Jin away using Qian Wei's account, and the two employees, Shi Song and Yan Qiushi, were not in the villa.
There was also the following news: the police went to the cliff to investigate and found that the road leading down had collapsed and there were signs of human damage. If Qin Jin went there according to the news, he would likely be in danger.
Xiaohuo Wangwang’s behavior is even more puzzling, because there is no sign that they have been invaded and manipulated. So why did they suddenly push the kayak into the sea?
Moreover, avoiding the sight of so many people on the beach, he untied the rope, pushed the boat, climbed onto the boat, and jumped into the sea to chase Zhuozhuo. This series of actions was so coherent and purposeful that it did not seem like something that was done by a robot out of control. Instead, it looked like a child secretly playing with friends avoiding adults.
In short, even though there are many doubts, the Zhuozhuo incident was classified as an accident caused by the robot losing control, and Qin Jin was the victim of attempted murder.
Xue Xiaoting met Qin Jin at the funeral. He was gaunt and emaciated, his whole body shrouded in a deathly coldness. He seemed like a soulless body, like a lonely mountain of silence and pain. He stared at Zhuo Zhuo's photo quietly, refusing to communicate with anyone.
Xue Xiaoting couldn't think of anything to comfort Qin Jin, so she stood by his side until the funeral was over. Some news had also leaked about what happened on the island, and Zhuo Zhuo's accident was a rare coincidence.
That beach had never been monitored for rip currents, but they suddenly appeared just as Zhuozhuo was being chased by Xiaohuo. The rip current only lasted two minutes, and the lifeguard closest to Zhuozhuo who was not affected was only three meters away.
If Xue Xiaoting were Qin Jin, she would undoubtedly wonder: if he had left two minutes later, would Zhuozhuo have been spared the danger? If he had assigned a few more people to look after Zhuozhuo, would she have been able to avoid the rip current by spending a few more minutes getting them away?
If he had been more cautious and not been led away, if he had taken Zhuozhuo with him when he left, if he had not taken her to the island, would she still be okay now?
Every time she imagined it, Xue Xiaoting felt suffocated. She couldn't imagine how Qin Jin felt. Qin Jin had invested countless efforts in Zhuo Zhuo, making every possible effort to prepare for her growth, yet she had no chance to grow up.
A sudden ringtone rang out. Xue Xiaoting saw Qin Jin pull out his phone and answer it expressionlessly. Just as she was about to withdraw, Qin Jin hung up the call. Xue Xiaoting didn't know if it was her imagination, but Qin Jin had a strange aura that blended the coldness of a world-destroying villain with the madness of a perverted scientist.
"I was always afraid that Zhuozhuo would leave me." Qin Jin suddenly spoke, his voice dry and hoarse, "In the end, it was me who hurt Zhuozhuo."
Xue Xiaoting tried to persuade Qin Jin, but soon realized he wasn't talking to her, but rather engaged in self-analysis and confession. Qin Jin calmly recounted his own psychological journey and the details of the island incident, concluding with a question: "Do you believe robots can awaken their own consciousness?"
Xue Xiaoting’s first reaction was that Qin Jin was crazy, “Are you saying that Xiaohuo Wangwang has awakened?” But if that were the case, it would indeed better explain Xiaohuo Wangwang’s behavior.
Qin Jin sneered, harboring great malice and murderous intent towards the two names. He raised his phone and said, "Dr. Wei has confirmed that the two of them have fallen into autonomous hibernation."
Xue Xiaoting: “…”
Qin Jin and Dr. Wei went crazy together.
Qin Jin's next words were even crazier. "If machines can carry human-like consciousness, they can certainly carry human consciousness. As long as consciousness is transferred to machines, humans can avoid death and achieve immortality."
Xue Xiaoting realized something, and sure enough, the next second she heard Qin Jin say, "If time travel and consciousness transfer could be achieved, Zhuozhuo wouldn't die. Mr. Xue, I'd like to invite you to work together to develop this groundbreaking project."
Xue Xiaoting: “…”
6.
Qin Jin wanted to go back to the past not to prevent Zhuozhuo from drowning, but to shift his consciousness at that moment. This shows that he had thought it through carefully. Directly changing the past would likely create a time-space paradox, but shifting consciousness wouldn't, as it didn't change the fact that Zhuozhuo fell into the water and died.
Qin Jin didn't ask Xue Xiaoting to make an immediate decision, but instead took her to the lab. A haggard Dr. Wei provided evidence of Xiao Huo Wang Wang's awakening: a piece of data was found in their CPU, which indicated a plan to monopolize Zhuo Zhuo and kill anyone who stood in their way—Qin Jin—along with a series of planned implementation steps.
However, after accidentally killing Zhuozhuo, Xiaohuo Wangwang fell into autonomous hibernation, which is equivalent to a human falling into a coma after a breakdown, escaping reality and not wanting to wake up.
Qin Jin said indifferently: "No matter what method you use, wake them up."
Wanting to escape from reality is simply a dream. Qin Jin wants them to live in guilt and pain soberly.
Dr. Wei nodded and said, "The Woof 2 robot has been tested and there's no chance of it awakening. It can be sold normally. Just in case, I'll quickly program a monitoring program and a self-destruct program to be embedded."
This batch of robots originally lacked many personalized functions compared to Wangwang, and had reduced programs and configurations that seemed unnecessary at the time, and did not have the basic conditions for awakening autonomous consciousness.
As Xue Xiaoting listened, her heart beat faster. Sometimes she thought that the evidence was forged by Qin Jin and Dr. Wei just to recruit her into their gang. But then she felt that Xiaohuo Wangwang was indeed too intelligent to be a robot.
Then, Xue Xiaoting thought again: Xiaohuo was based on Qin Jin, and their personality was almost identical. If the island incident was truly caused by Xiaohuo's awakening possessiveness and control, then how much guilt should Qin Jin have? Xiaohuo could sleep on his own, yet Qin Jin had to face all of this.
At this moment, Dr. Wei opened an audio file and said, "This is the last voice message that Zhuozhuo asked Xiaohuowangwang to save." He clicked to play, and Zhuozhuo's guilty, cheerful and soft voice rang out in the quiet room.
"I tricked two uncles into leaving in order to sneak onto the boat. It was so sunny, and they drove off on a motorcycle without an awning. I must remember to ask Dad to give them their bonus. Xiao Huowangwang, if I forget, you must remind me before 5 p.m."
Qin Jin subconsciously slowed down his breathing, and when the audio ended, he whispered, "Okay, Dad gets it, Dad will give them a bonus." He clicked play again, and Zhuo Zhuo's voice sounded again. He listened carefully, and responded softly after it ended.
Repeated over and over again.
Dr. Wei took off his glasses and wiped the mist off the lenses.
Xue Xiaoting didn't know what she was thinking at that moment. Perhaps it was to appease the obviously crazy Qin Jin, or perhaps it was because she had confidence in this seemingly unrealistic project. She interrupted Qin Jin's self-abuse and said, "Let's talk about the time travel project."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
