the next day.

Chen Ming received the brilliant message at exactly eight o'clock in the morning, Earth standard time.

A complete list of work was sent to the Iron Ore's computer.

Although the list listed a very detailed page of work tasks, Chen Ming took a quick look and found that it was generally very simple and clear.

On the first day of his official work, Chen Ming only needs to familiarize himself with the factory environment, the factory equipment, and the future work procedures.

Although Chen Ming mainly relies on psychic power to do his work, the prerequisite for tasks like transformation still requires Chen Ming to spend time learning transformation techniques, and learning requires the use of these equipment.

So you still have to familiarize yourself with what you should be familiar with, it will definitely come in handy in the future.

After today, Chen Ming's real work will begin.

Basically, we work in the morning and give Chen Ming time to learn technology in the afternoon, which seems quite easy.

In addition, the list also stated that Chen Ming would be given some material subsidies to study and practice the learned techniques.

However, Yu Hui will also regularly check the technology mastered by Chen Ming. If it is not up to standard, the supply of materials will be reduced accordingly.

This treatment is really like what the company treats its employees, making it difficult for Chen Ming to avoid a sense of déjà vu.

However, Chen Ming did not care too much. After continuing to look at the work list, he found that the work location was inside the three factories just outside.

After putting on protective clothing and closing the protective panels of the spacecraft's portholes, we were ready to set off.

However, just after the protective plate of the spacecraft was completely lowered, Chen Ming suddenly discovered that there had been very obvious changes in the factory outside.

Yesterday the transformation of the robots and mechanical equipment throughout the factory was completed.

Some of the semi-open factories have now been fully closed, and three factories that were originally independent of each other have now built fast lanes between different factory rooms.

It would definitely be quite convenient to move between each other.

Chen Ming couldn't see the other modifications, so he had to go in to understand them in detail.

Chen Ming tidied up his protective suit and took Xiao Shi, who had not appeared for a long time, with him and walked off the spaceship.

He had already gained a general understanding of the situation of the three factories yesterday.

They are respectively the factories for the production of weapons, ships and fuel.

This was originally a small supply point for Yu Hui.

After Chen Ming came, the place was separated from other places and used as Chen Ming's workplace.

While providing Chen Ming with a better working environment, it can also prevent Chen Ming from taking the opportunity to cause trouble in nearby factories.

Chen Ming came to the factory located in the center of the three factories. Its gate was closed.

But there is a small door next to it.

Closer inside is a separate compartment.

After entering the compartment, the door behind Chen Ming closed.

My ears, which had been hearing nothing except some slight vibrations, suddenly began to hear the sound of equipment running in the factory.

The air inside the compartment is being replenished.

Chen Ming looked down at the gas quality detector on the protective suit, which displayed three lines of information.

Livable air environment.

No lethal gases.

No pathogenic microorganisms.

On a planet without an atmosphere and with afterglow that does not require breathing, such an environment can be said to be quite good for humans.

Is this the purpose of the factory renovation yesterday? The other two factories were also closed, and they should have undergone similar renovations.

Afterglow is really...

Chen Ming sighed a little, because he didn't receive such treatment when he first joined the company.

Chen Ming shook his head, tried to take off his helmet, and breathed the air in the factory.

Although inside the factory, the air did not smell any strange odor. At most, there was a heavy metallic smell, but this was unavoidable in the factory and Chen Ming could not be too demanding.

Holding the helmet to his side, Xiao Shi scratched the edge of the helmet and looked curiously at the new environment outside, looking eager to try it out.

Chen Ming picked up the terminal and looked at the factory map that was sent along with the work list.

The location of the factory control room can be seen on the map. Three factories share one control room.

But Chen Ming did not go there immediately because he saw something else.

Refrigerated food storage.

This thing can be said to be quite incompatible with the afterglow.

Anyway, today's task is to familiarize myself with the working environment and work flow. The cold storage is in the factory and should be considered a part of the working environment.

Chen Ming went straight along the passage that had obviously been left inside after the renovation, and smoothly arrived at the cold storage and stood at the door of the cold storage.

This was different from the empty shelves that Chen Ming saw when he opened the cold storage of the mining space station half a year ago.

After the factory's cold storage was opened, Chen Ming saw a large amount of food supplies that almost filled all the shelves in the cold storage.

If Chen Ming remembered correctly, there were no habitable planets in the galaxy he was currently in.

In other words, if you want food, you have to have it shipped from somewhere else.

Yu Hui really gave Chen Ming a very good working environment.

Chen Ming closed the door of the cold storage and continued to look at the map.

The structures of the other two factories are basically the same as the spacecraft factory where Chen Ming is now, except for the lack of cold storage and control room, and some differences in the internal equipment, the overall structure is similar.

Chen Ming wandered around the other two factories and returned to the spacecraft factory after confirming the environment.

Came to the factory's control room.

This is a room with a complex control panel on one side, various work equipment on the other side, and even some items for Chen Ming to rest in the corner.

Chen Ming didn't pay attention to what was happening around him, but went straight to the control panel.

He then discovered that although the panels looked complicated and confusing, in fact the panels themselves and their functions were very familiar to Chen Ming.

It is basically the same situation as the equipment in the repair shop, and although it is equipment modified by Yu Hui, most of the operating habits are still based on humans.

Chen Ming tried to operate it.

Through the control panel, he could observe all situations including those in the other two factories.

All control authority of the three factories has been integrated here, and all equipment can be controlled by Chen Ming.

In addition, in the database linked to the control panel, Chen Ming also saw a specially marked, complete and more detailed task arrangement of Chen Ming, that is, more detailed task requirements.

Tomorrow morning's work will be to repair a batch of weapons already stored in the warehouse.

Although Chen Ming controls the factory and can use the factory's equipment to complete the task, Yu Hui obviously does not want to see Chen Ming use the equipment to perform repairs. Instead, he wants to see how Chen Ming's spiritual power will achieve the effect of controlling maintenance and transformation.

These equipment in the factory are mostly used for learning as Chen Ming had thought before.

Yu Hui specially gave Chen Ming time to study in the afternoon, and even entered some professional books on Yu Hui technology into the database linked to the control panel, but it was not for the purpose of just leaving them there without reading.

Chen Ming briefly flipped through the books where Yu Hui's records were recorded.

It can only be said that although the design of Yuhui’s spaceship and weapons is the same as that of humans in terms of the underlying ideas, after all, Yuhui is of human origin.

But the situation is different when it extends further. Yu Hui’s ideas for designing spaceships and weapons are all aimed at enabling AI to use them.

What Chen Ming needs to learn is this kind of technology.

In fact, humans should also have these contents. After so many years of fighting, Yuhui’s spacecraft must have obtained a lot of them.

By cracking it in reverse, you will definitely have mastered some superficial and basic knowledge.

Yu Hui must know this, and he would give it to her without any regret.

Therefore, it shouldn't be too difficult for Chen Ming to learn these relatively low-level knowledge.

After becoming familiar with all the functions of the control panel.

Chen Ming chose to go to the material warehouse next to the factory work area.

The first weapons to be serviced tomorrow are here.

Most of these weapons are energy weapons, but there are also a small number of live ammunition weapons.

Many of them are models that Chen Ming has never seen before. It’s a pity that these things are not on the spacecraft now, so he can’t know their names.

But since they are all in the warehouse, there will always be a chance to figure out the value of these things later.

In addition to weapons, there are also some others, such as drone parts or some damaged equipment.

It seemed that as long as it was not something that Yuhui AI had direct access to, they picked some out of the box and brought them to Chen Ming.

In addition to these finished products, there are many other materials in the warehouse.

These should be the material subsidies that Yu Hui mentioned, and they can all be used by him.

Chen Ming took a casual look and confirmed that there were thirteen kinds of high-grade materials and two kinds of special-grade materials in the warehouse.

Although the amount is not much, it is enough for Chen Ming to use for a period of time if he does not use it carelessly.

In addition, there are the escape pods that Chen Ming specifically asked Qu Guang to collect before leaving the battlefield.

Just when Chen Ming was thinking about how to deal with these escape pods.

Chen Ming suddenly felt that his spaceship stationed in the space station was touched.

Chen Ming immediately paid attention and saw that it was Old Wu who was scratching the engine of the spacecraft with a screwdriver.

“Tsk.”

Chen Ming smacked his lips in annoyance.

It seems that Old Wu already knows that he is not dead.

Then, use the active contact method that Chen Ming had left for his boss, which was to scratch the inside of the spacecraft's engine nozzle with something hard to contact Chen Ming.

After all, Chen Ming is here with Yuhui now, and he doesn't need to control the spacecraft for protection even for safety, so he can always control the sentinel and receive information from the sentinel at any time.

After Old Wu finished paddling the spacecraft, he turned around and ran to an empty corner of the maintenance shop, lit a cigarette, and waited.

Chen Ming didn't waste any time and immediately contacted the sentry.

"You have nothing better to do than row my spaceship? You'll have to pay me."

Old Wu smiled and said, "Hey, Xiao Ming, you are really alive. What's your specific situation? What happened next? Tell me quickly."

"Fix my spaceship."

"Hey, sure."

Chen Ming leaned against the wall of the factory and told Lao Wu what happened after the Follower Company fleet entered the hyperspace, of course, leaving out a lot of details.

After listening to you, Old Wu showed a confused look on his face and said, "There is nothing wrong with what you said before, but the latter part sounds weird."

"How could Yuhui agree to let you join so easily? And even give you such good treatment? Without even interrogating you and finding out what you were supposed to do there?"

Chen Ming was quite surprised to hear Old Wu's question and asked, "You don't understand?"

"I feel like I understand, but I also feel like I don't understand. Just tell me, I'm too lazy to think about it. The person involved is on the phone with me, why should I think about it myself?"

"You really are..."

Chen Ming shook his head, but did not refuse. He explained, "Because I did not show any resistance or threat to them before, they let me join."

"?"

"To put it simply, my ability actually forced Yu Hui to come here to a certain extent."

"I'm asking you, you're Yu Hui, I'm asking you for help, if you have the ability to come over, will you at least come and take a look?"

“Isn’t this nonsense?”

"That's it. If Yuhui comes, they will have two choices. One is to kill me to prevent future troubles. The other is to take me away and let me, who has asked for help from them, work for them."

"Since I actively cooperated, is it necessary for Yu Hui to interrogate me more?"

"I am actively cooperating with them, and they are cooperating with me. Isn't it best to just cooperate like this? There is no need to conduct a complicated, troublesome interrogation that will never get the real answer."

"You don't think Yu Hui is easy to get along with, do you? If we really fall out, Yu Hui will definitely kill me first."

"If I'm peaceful, Sunset will cooperate and give me peace. If I resist, Sunset will definitely be aggressive."

Chen Ming paused for a moment and continued, "Afterglow AI is actually very easy to understand. Even if they have self-awareness, they will still follow the logically optimal solution when doing things."

“I may not be able to determine the optimal solution, but I can still calculate the relatively optimal solution.”

"The best solution they can find from me is definitely not to kill me."

"So I made the best choice to cooperate with them in that situation."

"That's how things work. As long as we understand each other's general ideas and have the same interests, everything will go very smoothly."

Old Wu still sounded a little confused and asked, "Then what common interests do you and Yu Hui have? Aren't they afraid of being controlled by you?"

"They need my skills. This is in their interest."

“My ability, to me, is my interest.”

"I control them and they have to take the risk, and they know I am a risk."

"And my own thoughts are also a risk. I might not just join them because of my relationship with the military. I might have other ideas about Yu Hui."

"Yuhui knows that I have such thoughts, and I also know that Yuhui knows that I know they have such thoughts about me, but there is no need to show it."

"It would be disgraceful if it were shown."

"Verbal threats like forbidding you from having any thoughts about them, and that if you have any thoughts you will be threatened, that's all nonsense."

"You are Yu Hui, and you said this to me. Then I said I dare not have any ideas about you. I will work for you honestly from now on. Do you believe it?"

Old Wu shook his head and said, "I don't believe it."

"Yes, even if they told me, I wouldn't necessarily have no thoughts. On the contrary, it might even arouse my rebellious psychology."

"And if we really talk about this matter, the result is that the relationship between Yu Hui and I will become very strained."

"I'm already in Yu Hui's territory. Would it be good for Yu Hui to have a strained relationship with him?"

Old Wu suddenly said, "Why do I feel like you said it the other way around?"

"No, Yu Hui and I are now working together."

"I provide Yu Hui with my abilities, and Yu Hui provides me with a shelter to avoid being hunted down by the military."

"Besides Yuhui, there are many other forces that can protect me from being hunted down by the military. But without me, Yuhui will not have another psychic with such ability."

Chen Ming suddenly sighed when he said this: "In fact, if the company could have been half an hour faster, I should be in the capital of Star Region now."

"And if I'm not mistaken, something bad is about to happen on the military side."

"It's difficult for the military to continue to spare the energy to hunt me down."

"It's a pity that it's still a little slow."

Old Wu seemed to agree with him and said, "Indeed, but the company should be able to find a way to save you later, right?"

"I will definitely save you. As long as the company still needs Sky Steel and the subsequent benefits of Sky Steel, they will definitely find a way to save me before their losses exceed the estimated risk value of the benefits of Sky Steel."

"As for what will happen during the rescue, that's a matter for later."

"Anyway, it would be difficult for my company to come to rescue me right now, so I'm not in a hurry to go back."

"It would be nice if Yuhui stayed here and we could get some benefits from each other steadily."

Old Wu couldn't help but ask after hearing this: "Are you so confident? Yu Hui has benefited from you, but you are still trying to take advantage of Yu Hui since he is with you? Aren't you afraid that they will get angry and just mess with you?"

"Well, it sounds a bit overconfident, but I know the thinking logic of Yu Hui's AI very well."

"Instead of using unnecessary threats and discrimination against me, they can only use death threats and other means to force me to work at a very low efficiency, while also facing the covetousness of all forces that are interested in me."

"I should be good enough for other forces to have ideas about me, right?"

Old Wu sounded more confident than Chen Ming and said, "That's for sure. What happened to you in the fleet has spread everywhere. Soon people in many places will know that there is a psychic who can control spacecraft."

"So, so many people have ideas about me. Even though Yu Hui is a threat, if I really die, Yu Hui will definitely suffer the greatest loss."

"Because I am in their hands now, not on human territory."

"If I die in human territory, it will be acceptable to Yu Hui. After all, I will be dangerous to Yu Hui in human territory. If they can't get it, it's not bad to destroy it."

"But if I die on Yu Hui's territory, Yu Hui will get nothing."

"The possibility that Yu Hui could rely on my abilities to advance technology and achieve a more powerful future is completely gone."

"Yu Hui and I both know this."

"So if we can handle things peacefully without any conflict, then both sides can get what they want. There's no need to create unnecessary complications, right?"

Old Wu now completely understood why Chen Ming was able to join Yu Hui so smoothly. He sighed and said, "Is Yu Hui so smart?"

"If Yuhui wasn't smart, we wouldn't have fought with her for so long."

"I'm talking about being smart as a human being. I thought Yuhui was just a robot who only knew how to calculate."

Chen Ming didn't find it strange that Old Wu said this or had this thought.

After all, Yu Hui generally does not communicate with humans, so in the eyes of most people, he should be seen as a crazy artificial intelligence.

Only those who are capable of communicating with Yuhui would know that Yuhui can truly be considered a new life.

"So you know now, right?"

"So for Yu Hui, instead of all kinds of threats, restrictions, and coercion, it would be better to use more gentle means, more proactive support, and generous treatment to keep me here."

"You know what, Old Wu? Yu Hui gave me control of three factories: a spacecraft production factory, a weapons production factory, and a ship fuel production factory."

"Honestly, I'm very excited right now."

"All authority within the factory is given to me, and all materials are at my disposal."

"Even if I can't make money with them, there's still a place for my own spaceship to be put to good use."

"And more importantly..."

Chen Ming's tone became more serious when he reached this point, and he suddenly changed the subject and said, "Old Wu, go to my spaceship."

"OK."

Old Wu put out the cigarette, flicked the butt toward the sweeping robot next to him, and walked into the repair shop.

Chen Ming controlled the sentry hatch to open and let Lao Wu get on board.

Afterwards, Chen Ming randomly picked a conspicuous device inside the sentinel and modified it.

Chen Ming was standing in the warehouse at this time. Part of the materials in the warehouse in front of him instantly melted into liquid and flowed into Chen Ming's palm.

After crossing the distance limit, it was covered on the sentinel's equipment.

Under Old Wu's astonished gaze, Chen Ming chose to restore the transformation.

Then, the transformed materials appeared on the sentinel's floor in their original place.

"No matter how many light years apart you are, it's meaningless in front of me."

"You know the value of transmitting things back from Afterglow over long distances, right?"

"Although I can't modify Yuhui's AI core now, I will definitely be able to install and dismantle them in the future."

"Do you understand the meaning of this? If I let you come, would you be excited?"

Old Wu swallowed.

There is control over three complete factories in front of them. If he does not have Chen Ming's ability, he will definitely have to think carefully. After all, all the things actually belong to Yu Hui.

However, with Chen Ming's skill, working in the factory is definitely not working for Yu Hui.

"Yuhui will provide me with a lot of materials, including ordinary, high-level and even special-grade materials. They will also give me the knowledge to learn Yuhui technology."

"What I can get from Yu Hui is definitely more than just the ordinary materials I put in front of you now."

"Do you think they can imagine that a psychic controlling a spaceship has an ability similar to teleportation?"

Old Wu bent down, picked up a metal ingot on the ground and said, "I can't think of it."

"That's it."

"Anyway, to sum up this matter, Yu Hui and I can both benefit from the other side. Although there are risks, they are acceptable."

"So there is no need for us to openly quarrel with each other. I am willing to cooperate, and Yu Hui is also willing to cooperate. Both sides get what they need, and it depends on who will be the winner in the end."

Old Wu raised his head and took a look at the surveillance footage inside the spacecraft. He knew Chen Ming could see it.

"I always feel like you and Yu Hui have an inexplicable tacit understanding."

"It may be because I have a lot of contact with Yuhui AI. Well, I have things to do here too. I'm hanging up now."

Old Wu got the answer and said without further ado, "Okay, then when can you come back? I think Old Lu seems to be quite unhappy these past two days."

"Knowing that you're still alive makes me feel a little better, but I feel like I'm not very energetic at all."

Chen Ming knew why the factory director was in low spirits.

After all, he and his boss used to do a business worth tens of millions a day.

However, after Chen Ming's identity was exposed, this matter became difficult to do. The company would keep an eye on this kind of business that would damage the company's reputation.

Even if the Pirate Space Station is doing it, it still needs the cooperation of outside companies, so it will definitely be stopped later. Chen Ming himself may not be able to visit the space station often in the future, so it would be strange if the factory director is not depressed.

It’s actually a pity for Chen Ming as he only managed to produce enough for two or three days and didn’t make much money.

The factory manager will transfer the remaining payment for the goods in about two days.

However, Chen Ming couldn't see it because there was no internet, so he could only go back and talk about it later.

"Then go have a drink with the factory manager and have some fun. If you have any questions, contact us. That's all."

Chen Ming hung up the call.

For a moment, there was a sense of relief on my face as I had spoken my heart out.

But it was soon covered by some haze.

Chen Ming actually had something else to say just now.

Although he acted as if everything was normal, in fact, he was still somewhat uncertain about the future.

These uncertainties made him feel uneasy and unable to let go completely.

Because although Chen Ming really doesn't want to go back now, if he wants to go back, Chen Ming currently has no good way to go back immediately unless through other people.

He was forced to call Yu Hui because he was in a desperate situation.

And Yuhui was a way he prepared in advance for survival when no one could save him.

It is a backup plan that will only be activated when absolutely necessary.

Therefore, Chen Ming did not prepare any backup plan.

As a result, his current situation is actually a bit difficult to back down.

In addition to gaining benefits from Yu Hui, he also needs to continue to find a way to escape.

But now Chen Ming doesn’t want to trust others anymore. He doesn’t want to end up waiting for others to be late.

He himself must find a way to leave by himself.

It is not necessary, but it is necessary.

Chen Ming let out a long sigh, pushed the wall behind him, and stood firm.

At this time, a communication was sent to Chen Ming's terminal.

Why does it feel like more people are contacting Yu Hui now that he has come to him?

A strange thought flashed through Chen Ming's mind, and he found that what was displayed on the terminal was Gamma A's active communication.

It said it had almost reached the upper limit of the Gamma-class Afterglow AI core and could be upgraded to Beta-class.

To do this, the core carrier needs to be replaced.

7k 　　 　 (End of this chapter)