In mid-September, the second offline eting of the Human Consortium was held in the Suroma Empire.
The main content of this eting was to confirm the previous cooperation results and establish guidelines for the next phase of collaboration.
As the host, the Suroma representative committee mber Mary arranged a steak dinner to entertain the committee mbers from other countries before the eting.
This left the committee mbers from various countries feeling sowhat puzzled. Sitting in the restaurant, they exchanged confused glances, not understanding the intention.
"Coming to Suroma wasn't easy for . Instead of using this precious ti for the eting, we're sitting here leisurely waiting to eat steak, really..."
"Indeed. We're not here on a vacation."
"What on earth is that Suroma Mary up to?"
Most committee mbers were rather displeased. Gao Liangwei was also present at the mont, frowning slightly.
He had traveled thousands of miles from Beixing, not to eat steak. However, he felt Mary's arrangent for this al might have other intentions; it wasn't just about eating steak.
Not long after, the host Mary appeared.
She didn't co alone; two attendants followed behind her. To everyone's surprise, the two attendants, one male and one female, although both wearing server uniforms, had chanical heads with flickering blue dots, indicating they were robots.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting." Mary smiled as she walked to the table. The male robot attendant behind her elegantly pulled out her chair, while the other female attendant arranged the cutlery like knives and forks for Mary.
These actions seed ordinary but were unnaturally smooth, indistinguishable from human movents. If these two robots wore head coverings, no one would doubt they weren't real people.
The committee mber from the Black Flag Country praised, "Suroma's robot technology has always been advanced, but I never expected it to reach this level where detailed actions are indistinguishable from humans."
Mary smiled slightly and said, "Let
tell you all, everyone serving us today are robots. Including the chef frying the steaks in the kitchen, the bodyguards outside, the driver, etc., they are all robots."
Everyone was stunned for a mont, then expressions of shock appeared on their faces.
Because from the mont they got off the plane, took the car ride, and ca to this restaurant under the protection of those bodyguards, they never suspected those were robots, because they all looked like real people!
"Committee mber Mary, are you saying the driver and bodyguards outside are also robots? But they—"
"Correct. For them, we custom-made full sets of realistic silicone skin, so they appear exactly like real people."
"..."
The committee mbers from various countries looked at each other, vaguely guessing the purpose of this al in their hearts. It was more like showing off muscle than just inviting them to eat steak.
Gao Liangwei also thought to himself at this mont, "I never expected Suroma's robot technology to have beco this widespread. And they actually went through with the humanization."
Robot-related technology is sothing every country has in reserve to so extent, including Beixing. However, due to various restrictions and risks, laws stipulate that robots must have clear identification. Even if the technology reaches that level, they cannot be made to a degree indistinguishable from real humans.
But looking at Suroma now, they have completely broken through this legal restriction.
Gao Liangwei asked directly, "Won't this cause confusion?"
"Hasn't Chairman Gao heard? If robots can reach a level indistinguishable from humans, then they can be treated as humans. Moreover, without them filling the cities, wouldn't people feel even more sorrowful about the bleak population situation?"
The bald committee mber from the Xisiya Empire, holding his knife and fork, laughed heartily, "Using robots to fill the population, only your Suroma could think of that!"
"Yes, this is self-deception, it doesn't solve the actual problem at all," another country's representative said.
Mary did not refute, just smiled without speaking.
Not long after, robot attendants served the steak dinner.
"Please, go ahead."
Everyone picked up their knives and forks to start. The steak tasted good, but no one had the mind to savor it; they were all thinking about the purpose of Suroma's high-profile display of robot technology.
After a distracted grand al, everyone went to the conference hall on the second floor to hold the eting.
The committee mbers from various countries first discussed the handling of post-earthquake secondary disasters and cooperation results over the past few months.
Then, before discussing follow-up cooperation, Mary finally "revealed the dagger hidden in the map," stating that Suroma was willing to gift a large batch of embodied intelligent robots to various countries to assist them in solving problems caused by population shortages.
Since it was a free gift, everyone was naturally willing to accept. Including Gao Liangwei, although Beixing wasn't lacking, it was necessary to get so to disassemble and study.
Afterwards, the various countries also discussed the population issue.
After the [Earth Dragon Rolls Over] rule, countries were busy with disaster relief, relocation, and dealing with secondary disasters, unable to imdiately count casualties.
Now, several months later, preliminary statistics have been completed.
Although population data is publicly released by countries every year, there might be so discrepancies between what's published and the actual figures.
Now that the Human Consortium has been established for almost half a year, although this organization hasn't completely replaced the official institutions of various countries, it has indeed played a significant role, making relations among mber states much closer.
For further cooperation, it's inevitable to disclose so real data to each other, including population aspects.
Mary was the first to publicly state that Suroma's current population is approximately forty million, but if robots are included, the total could reach one hundred million.
As soon as this statent was made, the Xisiya committee mber couldn't help but retort, "How can robots be counted in the population!"
Mary chuckled and said, "If robots can do everything humans can, what's the difference from humans? If there's no difference from humans, why can't they be counted in the population?"
"How can these be compared!" The Xisiya committee mber said, then paused for a few seconds before loudly stating, "The most important human ability, reproduction! Do robots have that?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Liangwei looked at Mary. The latter's expression seed sowhat unnatural, as if concealing sothing, which made his heart sink.
Could it be that the Suroma Empire is secretly...
"Even if robots cannot reproduce, they are no different from humans now," Mary soon said lightly. "During this current Doomsday Rules period, how many people in the world will reproduce? Probably infinitely close to zero."
"...That's only temporary," the Xisiya representative argued. "After all forty-nine rules end and the environnt stabilizes, people will start reproducing again. It's just a gap of a few years, not enough to cause human extinction."
"Then during these few years, treating robots as humans is fine, right?"
"Arguing about this is aningless, let's return to the main topic." Another committee mber also announced his country's data. "Our population is approximately ten million."
The committee mber from the Sakura Prayer Country said with a pained expression, "Because many of our citizens refused to leave their island holand and migrate, our population loss has been severe. The current total is probably less than five million."
From a population of hundreds of millions over a year ago to less than five million now, only one-twentieth remains, which is indeed tragic.
But what's even more exaggerated is the Black Flag Country.
Before the Doomsday Rules descended, this country had a total population of over two billion. Now, only less than twenty million remain, just one percent. And this one percent is largely dispersed; the Black Flag Country's governnt can probably effectively govern only a few million.
Among other countries, Xisiya's remaining population is about twenty million.
Beixing Country's population remains approximately six hundred million.
Judging from population data, Beixing has the most, and large numbers of people from various countries are continuously migrating into Beixing.
Although there are no specific statistics, since the beginning of the Doomsday Rules era, a large population has continuously flowed into Beixing. It wasn't until Beixing announced the country had entered a Warti Managent State that the trend of incoming population slowed.
And after the establishnt of the Human Consortium and the opening of borders among mber states, Beixing welcod several more waves of large population influx.
Of course, this is all voting with their feet. Beixing first achieved the result of fewer casualties, which attracted people from all over the world. Although officials from other countries were also dissatisfied, there was nothing they could do. Even many officials and wealthy rchants from those countries had transferred to Beixing, so what more could be said.
"A large population is good indeed," Mary said to Gao Liangwei. "No wonder Beixing recently sentenced an excellent Ascendant to life imprisonnt not long ago."
Gao Liangwei didn't expect Mary to bring that up and said, "Whether Ascendants or ordinary people, no one can act recklessly in Beixing."
"I know, accidentally killed so ordinary people. Heh, if it were here with us, we wouldn't waste an excellent Ascendant just because a few ordinary people died."
Gao Liangwei frowned, unable to agree with Mary's words.
The bald committee mber from Xisiya also said bluntly at this mont, "We in Xisiya wouldn't handle it that way either. Ordinary people, to put it bluntly, will be eliminated sooner or later."
"Everyone, don't forget the na of our organization," Gao Liangwei reminded solemnly. "It's the 'Human Consortium,' not the 'Ascendant Consortium.'"
After a mont of silence at the table, it was the Sakura Prayer Country committee mber who changed the subject, asking Mary, "By the way, how is your country's investigation into the matter of the Republic of Fahe going?"
At the previous Human Consortium eting, it was ntioned that sothing seed off about the Republic of Fahe. This forr world power was suspected of being controlled by the Fire Thief Worship Cult cultists, which was absolutely unacceptable.
Unlike the warlords in the Tulip Federation who fight and kill for their own interests. Their life-and-death struggles have little to do with other countries, so the Human Consortium, currently lacking spare capacity, has no strong desire to intervene.
But the Fire Thief Worship Cult is different. These cultists are no longer acting for personal gain but for so erroneous belief. Such an organization is undoubtedly a common enemy of humanity. If it grows large, it will threaten all of humanity and must not be allowed to develop unchecked.
As soon as Fahe was ntioned, the relaxed expression on Mary's face imdiately vanished, turning gloomy.
"The Republic of Fahe... it has now been confird to be controlled by the Fire Thief Worship Cult. To be frank, in early September, we launched a decapitation operation, hoping to dismantle the organization's structure by eliminating its leader. But the result..."
"What was the result?"
"It must have failed," the Xisiya committee mber said. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have that expression."
Mary glanced displeased at the Xisiya committee mber and said, "The operation succeeded, but it also failed."
"What does that an?"
"We successfully assassinated the leader, but the organization didn't collapse. Instead, it quickly produced a new leader. This indicates that either the real leader is hidden behind the scenes, and we assassinated a body double, or..."
Mary took a deep breath.
"Or the entire population of the Republic of Fahe has beco believers of the Fire Thief Worship Cult, and moreover, fanatical believers. In that case, it's not a problem that can be solved by eliminating a small number of people."
Reviews
All reviews (0)