Chapter 127: The Teaser (II)

Yang Damei was the only one left in the dormitory; his roommates had all gone to a social mixer with the girls' dormitory. Yang, however, had absolutely no interest in such things, considering them a waste of time, energy, and money.

His focus was entirely on the pilot video. As the final ten-second countdown began, he hurriedly slurped a mouthful of instant noodles, pushed his bowl of Tang Daren ramen aside, and stared intensely at the computer screen.

"Five... four... three... two... one..."

"It’s starting!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in excitement before pulling out a Double Happiness cigarette to light.

The screen went black for a moment before instantly brightening. The superstar Ling Xuan appeared, waving at the camera with a smile and asking in standard English:

"Do you want to possess health?" She was wearing a light-colored sweater, looking incredibly pure and adorable, her hands clasped behind her back as she took a step back. "Do you want to possess a longer life?"

"Now, we can make it all a reality."

Lines of translated subtitles scrolled across the bottom.

The image froze there before slowly fading to black.

Not bad, he thought. It felt like watching a blockbuster film. The cinematography and the production quality were both top-tier. Yang Damei was hooked instantly.

The screen lit up again, and a doctor began to explain: "Every year, a significant proportion of deaths occur due to organ failure, or because patients are waiting for transplants, or because a compatible donor cannot be found."

"This is the bottleneck of modern medicine and scientific development. We are helpless; every life has a reason to continue living, but we are powerless to assist." The doctor shrugged.

The nearly five-minute video introduced the critical shortage of artificial organs in modern medicine, immediately presenting the central conflict.

Ling Xuan reappeared on screen: "If I told you we could solve this, what would you choose?"

She was beautiful, her smile tinged with allure. Yang Damei couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Then... the screen froze, and a QR code payment notification popped up.

Yang Damei was so annoyed he almost laughed. Was this for real? Was this fun? Whose rotten idea was this? How could they be so predatory? He didn't want to watch anymore... but he actually couldn't stop.

Three yuan wasn't much. After a moment of hesitation and a few curses directed at Qingtang World and Today’s Spotlight, he paid the fee, and the video resumed.

Finally, it got to the core of the matter. The pilot video began to introduce the production process of these "props." The filming location was the high-tech industrial park of the Future Century Project.

"In reality, with current technology, using 3D printing principles to create objects that highly mimic biological organs is not very difficult. The difficulty lies in the fact that these are inanimate objects; their composition is not living cells."

"In other words, we could create something similar, but it lacked a power source—oh, I misspoke; I mean, it used to lack a power source," Jameson, appearing on screen, looked young and handsome, much like a Bollywood star.

"But now we can, thanks to Qingtang World’s nanorobotics technology. Well, perhaps the technical jargon is hard to understand; simply put, the smallest unit of these organ-like objects can be viewed as a tiny robot."

"The existence of these nanorobots is akin to biological cells. They can perfectly execute assigned commands and fulfill the functional requirements of the organ."

"The programs that drive them are built into the organs, including the hydrogen energy cells they use."

"Folks, believe me, this is a perfect design—a design more fascinating than the universe itself. The combination works wonderfully."

"We have already passed animal trials. Yes, as you can see," Jameson pointed to a group of animals in front of the lens: "The organs inside them have all been replaced. For example, that pig had its heart replaced."

"That sheep had its intestines replaced, and oh, that dog—poor thing—had its 'reproductive organs' replaced."

"No, no, no. With current technology, controlling the brain, which dictates thought, is not possible; it involves too many issues. What we want to solve are the primary vital organs in medicine."

As the video played, Yang Damei was completely stunned. This completely upended traditional thinking.

"That’s a great question. Human physiology does indeed change with environment, age, and so on, so the built-in drive programs also possess the ability to self-learn. Based on the actual state of the body, it collects and updates data to make the nanorobots function better."

"The only regret," Jameson sighed, "is that for this very reason, we cannot achieve mass production. We can only customize products for each individual."

"Yes, you are correct. I can answer that: these are not movie props; they are technological products."

"Immortality? No, no, no. I think you’ve misunderstood. It is not immortality. Our universe also has a beginning and an end; there is no such thing as immortality."

"Well, actually, what I wanted to tell everyone today is that this is only a part of it," Jameson said with a grin. "But if you think this is all there is, you are mistaken."

The scene shifted to a hundred-meter track. A person resembling a woman prepared at the starting line. After the starting gun fired, this person began to run forward at high speed.

The speed wasn't particularly fast, and there were hurdles on the track. In reality, the final time crossing the finish line was only slightly better than an average person.

"Everyone might be suspicious of the meaning of this footage. Alright, let’s go and take a look." Jameson led the crew toward the person. When they got close, Jameson turned back and smiled: "But what if the one running just now wasn’t a person?"

"Boom!" Yang Damei felt as if he had been struck by a missile. He was blown away. He tremblingly pulled out another Double Happiness cigarette to light, leaning in close to the screen to look.

Indeed, at close range, it was an android. It possessed skin almost identical to a human’s, yet it was such perfect skin that it looked unnatural. If Jameson hadn't specifically pointed it out, it would have been impossible to tell on camera.

"This is our derivative product. However, for this specific product, we have no plans for commercialization for the time being. Of course, we will accept a small number of certified orders. Regarding this, we will provide a final response based on the national conditions of each country, as well as the conditions of Hantang."

"The purpose of this pilot video is simply to prove that we can do it."

"Right, perhaps you might question the cuts when the camera switches. Hahaha, indeed, that is a common trick in science fiction films."

"So, you may consider everything you saw today as just a science fiction film, nothing more."

"By the way, among the appearances of Ms. Ling in the film, there are three instances where she is an intelligent robot. I hope you can discover which ones."

"I wish you a pleasant day. Goodbye."

The screen froze on Jameson’s smile before slowly fading to black. Yang Damei’s hand shook, and the burning cigarette butt reached his fingers, a sharp pain radiating from his fingertip.

But he didn't care anymore, letting the cigarette butt fall to the floor with a soft thud.