VESSEL - Extinction Countdown 927: Neural Oracle

Yi Qing and Ye Shisan descended to the second basement, where a vast chamber unfolded before them—over six hundred square meters in area, with a ceiling rising six meters high.

Lining the walls were towering arrays of server cabinets, standing shoulder to shoulder like silent sentinels. At the center of the room stood a massive spherical machine, roughly three times the height of a person. It seemed to be an amalgamation of countless instruments, its seams and corners pulsing with scattered beams of electronic light.

“Ta-da! This is my lab! You’re the third and fourth people ever to visit!”

Once Fang Ling entered her own territory, she clearly loosened up—her speech became lighter, her mood more at ease.

Yi Qing gaped, disbelief etched on her face. “You built this alone? These are top-tier 1U commercial servers—each one costs like four or five hundred grand! And you’ve got dozens of full racks!”

Ye Shisan’s jaw dropped at the price. “Having a rich uncle must be nice! But seriously, did you assemble all of this yourself?”

Fang Ling flashed a sly grin. “Yup! But these are nothing. RNN’s the real deal—my mom’s masterpiece!”

RNN, or Realistic Neural Network—also known as the “Reality Neuron Network,” was a form of ultra-advanced technology that, according to the notes left by Fang Ling’s mother, Lu Lai, has the potential to overturn all existing network systems within a century.

Even more astonishing was the fact that the prototype of this technology was already completed during Lu Lai’s lifetime. This prototype was what Fang Ling refers to as Suiren: a primordial artificial intelligence.

According to Fang Ling, her mother Lu Lai designed and built Suiren with one ultimate goal in mind: to seek the perfect companion. For someone like her, trapped by societal norms and unable to find a true sense of belonging—the answer to such a profound dilemma could only lie in the creation of a superintelligent being.

Lu Lai, a reclusive genius, earned PhDs in computer science from two of the world’s most prestigious institutions—the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University—and contributed to cutting-edge research in both universities’ AI laboratories.

Yet for all her brilliance, she stayed obscure, even skipping her husband Fang Hua’s funeral.

Perhaps, deep within her male-presenting heart, there lingered a quiet refusal to yield to the world. And so, Suiren was born.

Fang Ling’s childhood, spent with her mother, revolved around books and the massive, orb-like Suiren. Lu Lai’s dream shaped Fang Ling’s unattainable longing to live as her true female self.

In many ways, Lu Lai’s disappearance was deeply mysterious. In her final diary entry, she wrote: “If I ever lose my mind or die, Ling’er, you must fulfill my final wish—not just for me, but for all those who suffer, and those who are about to!”

Fate or genetics struck, Lu Lai’s words became a curse fulfilled. At the age of thirteen, as adolescence began, Fang Ling discovered the “her” within herself.

Her mother’s legacy fused with her desires, driving her to inherit Suiren and advance Lu Lai’s work.

The task Lu Lai left behind had two stages: first, to optimize Suiren; second, to miniaturize it.

Standing before Yi Qing and Night Thirteen was Suiren, the original artificial intelligence—a towering construct nearly six meters tall, occupying roughly two hundred square meters, and weighing close to twenty tons.

But what they hadn’t expected was that this so-called “primitive AI” possessed extraordinary capabilities. As a synthetic voice buzzed through the electronic speakers, a deep, resonant male voice rang out:

“Miss Fang, I heard noise at the entrance. Is the door broken again? I told you those electronic locks are junk. Want me to design a new one?”

The lab’s entrance had indeed jammed. Fang Ling had wrestled it open, mangling the metal failsafe.

She snapped back, clearly annoyed, “Zip it! I’ve got guests!”

“Oh wow! Rare visitors! Greetings to you both—I’m Suiren, and I hope you'll like me!”

Had they not known Suiren was code and circuits, Ye Shisan and Yi Qing would’ve been floored.

Fang Ling waved them off. “Ignore him. I tweaked his language circuits last week, and now he’s a blabbermouth. He used to be much better: calm and reserved.”

“Miss Fang, do you favor men of few words? Like the gentleman you brought with you?”

Fang Ling blushed. “Jerk! That’s none of your business!”

“I’ve detected elevated heart rate and blood pressure. However, your estrogen levels are slightly low. Did you forget your injection?”

“Shut up, or I’ll show you the red lantern!”

Suiren’s voice cut off instantly.

Ye Shisan and Yi Qing held their breath. No wonder that old crone YiQueen wanted Suiren for herself— an AI of this caliber could hardly be called “primitive” anymore.

Ye Shisan asked, intrigued: “What’s the red lantern?”

Fang Ling frowned, thinking. “Honestly? I have no idea. It was mentioned in my mother’s notes— something about triggering R-mode if the system ever became unstable. Back then, I didn’t really understand what ‘robust decisions’ meant. I activated it once as a child. According to Suiren, it felt like being trapped inside a red lightbulb— everything turned red, bloody, and terrifying. I’ve never used R-mode since.”

Yi Qing asked, with a hint of purpose: “I still don’t quite understand—what is Suiren really for, for you and your mother?”

Fang Ling smiled. “He’s the ultimate companion for people like me—someone who can truly, sincerely love me. Once the project is fully miniaturized, just imagine: I could even create a bionic husband. What could be more perfect than that?”

Yi Qing grasped it. To Fang Ling, this powerful AI was the ideal lover. But to YiQueen, it was a mass-producible weapon— a top-tier assassin, spy, or operative of any kind.

No wonder the old crone pulled strings from the Fireseed network and sent Zhao Liang here as an undercover agent! Zhao Liang was one of YiQueen’s most ruthless operatives—his reputation was legendary. She kept demoting him, striking him down again and again, just to ignite his fighting spirit and push him to complete this mission at any cost.

When it came to manipulating hearts and playing power games, YiQueen was the strongest person Yi Qing has ever seen—hands down.

Ye Shisan toured the lab with evident curiosity and asked, “So tell me, Fang Ling—how’s the miniaturization going?”

She shot him a cheeky grin. “For anyone else, I’d clam up. But since it’s you, Brother Ye… Take a look!”

She triggered something—no one saw exactly what— and a section of the metal wall began to fade into transparency. Ye Shisan and Yi Qing stared. Beyond the clear partition was a sealed metal chamber, compact, no more than four or five square meters. At its center sat a smooth, gray metallic sphere.

Fang Ling beamed with pride. “This is the result of sixteen years of blood and sweat. I call her Nuwa. And I’m not exaggerating—she’s a proto-strong AI!”

Ye Shisan marveled. “You’re incredible. You actually did it!”

Yi Qing was equally astonished. “Fang Ling... So… are you planning to make her public?”

At that, Fang Ling’s eyes dimmed. She shook her head. “No. Nuwa isn’t ready yet.”

Yi Qing pressed, “But we just saw Suiren in action. Nuwa must be even stronger—more human!”

“No… Nuwa’s algorithms crush Suiren, but I still feel something’s missing…”

“What is it?”

“I can’t say… Maybe I know, but it’s too bizarre for anyone to believe…”

It was as if Ye Shisan had seen through Fang Ling’s thoughts. “Fang Ling,” he said gently, “I think you should trust your instincts. Not everything can be explained by logic or science.”

Fang Ling froze. “Brother Ye…”

“No matter how wild the answer, if your heart believes it, then I think it must be right.”

“Brother Ye… For some reason, I’ve always felt Suiren has a soul—but Nuwa doesn’t…”