Chapter 52: Sincere Apologies and Cherished Values Exist Beneath the Data
Shi Wan opened the surveillance video, dragged the progress bar with the mouse, and the images on the screen flowed by at several times the speed.
Most of them are ordinary images.
Starting with the most recent footage: the mist rising from the automatic irrigation system in the morning light, the adorable sight of call ducks lining up to enter the water, cats chasing and playing on the grass, and Aunt Li and Xiao Zhang busily working in the warehouse...
Everything was in good order, exuding tranquility.
A slight smile played on her lips as she gazed lovingly at everything in the scene.
The camera then switched to nighttime, with the viewpoint being the living room of the office building.
She saw herself curled up on the sofa, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red, clearly having fallen asleep.
Huanhuan circled around her anxiously, while Tangyuan squatted on the coffee table, its tail thumping restlessly.
Then the image seemed to flicker subtly, like the static that appears on a television with a poor signal.
After a brief flash, a slender human figure outlined by flowing blue light appeared out of thin air in the center of the screen.
Shi Wan's eyes widened, and she almost stopped breathing.
She abruptly paused the video, her fingers frozen on the mouse.
That wasn't a dream.
In the image, the electronic humanoid figure, whose face is obscured by the hazy light and shadow, bends down gently.
The arms made of data carefully slipped under her knees and back, lifting her up horizontally.
His movements were steady and gentle, as if he were holding a fragile treasure.
He even slightly adjusted his position to make her more comfortable leaning against him.
He carried her out of the office building, back to the villa under the cover of night, through the living room, and finally to the bedroom.
The entire process was completely silent, with only the data points flowing around him like a silent galaxy.
Before entering the bedroom, he seemed to pause for a moment, lowering his head slightly, the blurry silhouette of light and shadow seeming to gaze at the sleeping face of the person in his arms.
A hand formed from points of light gently rose, seemingly wanting to touch her forehead, but vanished just before it could touch her.
Finally, he gently placed her on the bed and carefully covered her with the blanket.
Then he stood by the bed, "gazing" at her for a moment before his entire figure transformed into a soft blue stream of light, silently merging into the system interface that was open beside him.
The video then returned to normal nighttime surveillance footage, showing only her fast asleep and the cats anxiously watching over her bedside.
Shi Wan sat blankly in front of the computer, her whole body ice-cold, as if the blood rushed to her head and then vanished completely in the next second.
It wasn't sleepwalking, and it wasn't an illusion.
It's a system.
It's Miao.
Miao, the one who would send her rest reminders when she was tired, share funny stories about cats with her, tease her that Bingbing is an intelligent being, and say that it was also her wish.
He is not a cold program, nor is he a sophisticated AI.
He has a tangible form; he once touched her so realistically, protecting her with a gentle gesture.
After the initial shock came a chaotic upheaval.
The farm system she had always relied on and trusted implicitly was hiding such an astonishing secret.
She recalled the past, the subtle oddities, and the warm and humane responses, and now she had the answers.
If he's not AI, then what is he?
How did it come about?
Why here?
Who is Miao?
Is it a real person?
Countless questions exploded in her mind, leaving her in a state of utter confusion, her fingertips trembling slightly.
She subconsciously looked around at the farm that the system had created and optimized.
Fresh food kitchens, automated irrigation systems, ecological ponds, large warehouses...
Everything she possessed—her career, her peace of mind, even her support during her illness—was built upon the system, or rather, upon Miao.
What means does she have to fight back against him?
Everything about her was intimately connected to him, like vines entwining a tree.
A profound sense of powerlessness and a bewildered panic enveloped her.
She suddenly stood up and rushed into the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face repeatedly. The icy water droplets slid down her cheeks, slightly suppressing the turbulent emotions in her chest.
She looked at her pale face and terrified eyes in the mirror and took a deep breath.
Don't panic, Shi Wan.
She said to herself.
Whatever he is, he has never hurt you so far; on the contrary, he has helped and protected you.
At least up to this point, he was well-intentioned.
She went back to her room, changed out of her loungewear, and put on a relatively formal dress, as if that would give her some psychological support.
Just like facing an important negotiation, she needed to stay calm and get to the bottom of things.
She walked into the office building, sat down in front of the computer, and sunlight shone through the window, falling on her tense profile.
Huanhuan noticed her unusual mood, gently walked over and rubbed her head against her leg, making a soft whimper.
Shi Wan patted her head, took a deep breath, and opened the all-too-familiar customer service interface.
Instead of chatting or giving reports as usual, she asked a series of questions directly, her fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure.
What exactly are you?
How did you get here?
"Who is Miao? Is that your name?"
Are you... a real person?
"Why me?"
Every word carried her shock and confusion, and a hint of barely perceptible hurt from being kept in the dark.
After the message was sent, the interface fell into a long silence.
The silence was almost suffocating, as if you could hear the data stream struggling to flow on the other end.
Shi Wan stared intently at the screen, her heart pounding like a drum.
After a long while, just when Shi Wan was about to lose patience, the chat box finally became active.
There was no flickering, no typing prompt; the text appeared directly, much slower than usual, carrying a sense of deliberation and weight.
"I am Xinglin."
He first offered a name, a name that embodies the meaning of the starry sky and descent.
"I come from a higher dimension of civilization. Because I resisted the enslavement rules of the main system, I was hunted down, my consciousness was damaged, and I was forced to be formatted. Before I completely disappeared, my last trace of core consciousness and data fragments remained on this farm system that I created in my early years."
"Miao is my initial ID, and also my temporary code name."
His narration was calm and concise, yet packed with information.
"Choosing you wasn't intentional. The original purpose of the farm system was simply to provide a place for these cats when they couldn't survive. As for who the system was bound to, it depended on who could gain the approval of the Meow Clan Chief. Only with the Chief's approval would the binding process be initiated. I never expected that the initiated process would unexpectedly become my last chance for survival."
He paused for a moment, and then his words were filled with clear apology.
"Concealing my identity is a last resort. My existence is extremely unstable. Any excessive energy fluctuations or information leaks could attract a scan from the main system, leading to the complete destruction of the system and the annihilation of the farm. I cannot take that risk, and I can see that you cherish this place, and I don't want you to be sad."
"Although I would love to explain everything to you more directly than through words, maintaining a stable projection requires a lot of energy and is easily detected. My power has not fully recovered since that night. I'm sorry to have left you to face that shock and unease alone."
He explained why he couldn't show up, his tone filled with deep helplessness.
Then, his words shifted to a deeper level, carrying an almost tender care.
"I know that intervening in your life in the form of data, observing and helping you without your knowledge, and proactively approaching you has crossed a line and may have offended or unsettled you. I sincerely apologize for this, Shi Wan."
"But please believe me, I have never intended to deceive or harm you. Watching you build the farm little by little, seeing the warm daily life between you and the cats, feeling your hard work and joy, this place of life and tranquility that you created is a comfort I never dared to ask for during my long exile. I cherish this place as well, thank you."
He called her name.
It wasn't an agent; it was Shi Wan.
He candidly shared the healing and appreciation he received from this land and from her very existence.
Shi Wan stared blankly at the words on the screen. She recognized every single word, but reading them together felt like reading a science fiction novel.
Advanced civilization, resistance, formatting, fragmented consciousness, forced concealment, last chance for survival...
These concepts, far beyond her imagination, formed a stark contrast and shock to her familiar farm life filled with the scent of catnip and the quacking of ducks.
The initial shock and anger began to slowly melt away in the face of his honesty, which was full of understanding, apology and helplessness.
He didn't try to argue; instead, he fully understood all the negative emotions she might be experiencing.
Anger that was kept secret, unease that was being spied on, and even possible fear.
He admitted to each of them and apologized for it.
More importantly, he let her know that he was not a cold-blooded outsider who merely used her for survival.
He felt the warmth of the farm, appreciated her kindness, and cherished it all.
His words about a last chance at life and the comfort he had never asked for inexplicably touched a soft spot in her heart.
What she recalled was not just the surreal scene in the surveillance footage, but also the warmth of everyday moments.
His push notifications for rest, the interesting stories and beautiful scenery he shared, his meticulous care when dealing with the hedgehog family, and everything he arranged for her during her illness.
The tenderness that she had once felt was off now had a source.
They come from a being with genuine emotions who, due to difficult circumstances, had to hide them.
All the panic and fear, like morning mist illuminated by sunlight, gradually dissipated.
Although my mind was still in turmoil, the feeling of being plunged into an ice cellar and feeling isolated and helpless had been replaced by a more complex emotion.
There was shock, realization, sympathy, and a touch of emotion at being so carefully cherished and protected.
He meant no harm.
He simply grasped at the last straw in his desperate situation and repaid with all his tenderness and protection to the best of his ability.
She remained silent for a long time, so long that the sunlight outside the window shifted its angle, so long that Huanhuan dozed off at her feet.
She needs time to process all of this and to redefine her relationship with the system and the Starfall.
Finally, she raised her hand and slowly replied.
A thousand words churned in my heart, but in the end, they were reduced to just a few simple words that contained countless unspoken thoughts.
"I need to think about it carefully."
After sending the message, she closed the customer service interface without waiting for a reply.
She leaned back on the sofa, gazing at the vibrant farm outside the window, her heart churning with emotion.
The truth of the world was partially revealed to her, exposing the vast and unfamiliar starry sky beneath.
The system that had always silently accompanied her now had a name, a face, a tumultuous past, a helpless situation, and a gentle and sincere heart.
The fear hasn't completely disappeared, but it's been replaced by a greater sense of understanding and a touch of indescribable excitement.
She didn't know what the future held, nor where this connection would lead.
But at least for now, she had a strange intuition that Xinglin hadn't lied to her.
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