Chapter 158: Awakening of Consciousness (15)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The next day, Lu Jia’er went to have another chat with Ian. The two met in a tearoom at a high-cla.s.s clubhouse.
A kettle of rose tea had been served on a tray. The petals unfolded in the boiling water in the gla.s.s kettle. A plume of steam billowed around the teacup and the faint fragrance from the roses reached their noses.
“Tell me, what am I?” Lu Jia’er cut straight to the chase and posed the question to Ian directly.
Instead of giving a frank answer to her questions, he was struggling. “You stayed with him!”
“Yes.” Lu Jia’er did not evade. “As for how it happened, I believe you learned how quite clearly from the background program.”
Ian looked awful when he heard this. Regardless, Lu Jia’er repeated her question, “What am I?”
“You already have the answer!” Ian replied.
“Am I really an AI?” Lu Jia’er stared at Ian.
Ian nodded, with a heavy heart. “Yes.”
“What type?” Lu Jia’er would not let go.
“The most advanced, most intelligent AI at this current stage!” Ian answered.
“Don’t you think this answer is too ambiguous?” Lu Jia’er kept her gaze on him.
Ian argued, “What do you think?”
“An AI transformed into a human being?” Lu Jia’er let out her guess in a frank and honest manner.
Ian’s gaze was glued on her.
Seeing that he had stopped talking again, Lu Jia’er sneered, “This is hilarious. I have accepted my ident.i.ty as an AI and now you are casting a veil over it!”
Ian looked at her. “Can you… really accept it?”
“What’s done is done. What can I do if I don’t accept it?” Lu Jia’er seemed to have adopted a casual att.i.tude while the shock was still laying deep down in her mind.
Ian appeared to be ashamed. “I am sorry!”
Hearing his apology, Lu Jia’er remembered what Ian told her before. “Ian, were we really a couple?”
Ian was startled. Then, he nodded without denying it. “Yes!”
“If we once were a couple, then I should have been a human being.” Lu Jia’er followed this train of thought.
Ian did not say yes or no.
Lu Jia’er loathed the way he dawdled so she went on, “Or, are you saying that you are an AI as well?”
Hearing this, Ian stood up and walked to the window. He gazed at the sparkling lake outside and the pavilion across from it.
Still he voiced no words. Lu Jia’er looked at his straight and tall figure. Actually, she did find this figure familiar.
“Is it a difficult question to answer?” Lu Jia’er was still pursuing.
Ian turned around slowly and said to Lu Jia’er, “I am glad that you can accept this ident.i.ty.”
“You are glad?” Lu Jia’er laughed grimly. “But I am not glad.”
“I am sorry.” Ian apologized once more.
“I do not need your apology, Ian. Can’t you just be candid?” Lu Jia’er retorted.
Ian said, after a moment of pause, “Actually, often times ignorance is better than the truth!”
“I do not like to be left hanging like this!” Lu Jia’er replied in a cold tone.
The look in the depths of Ian’s eyes indicated that he was struggling and feeling helpless. Lu Jia’er took in all the changes in his expression. “How long were we together?”
“We grew up together.” Ian claimed.
Lu Jia’er was shocked to hear this. “Why don’t I remember this at all?”
Ian looked at her. He was about to make some remarks when he suddenly froze.
Noting the change of Ian’s looks, Lu Jia’er looked over as well. However, the next second she blacked out and lost consciousness.
A few minutes later, Lu Jia’er woke up.
Ian was no longer in the tearoom. It was quiet. Lu Jia’er picked up her cell phone and called Ian, which went unanswered.
She dialed his number one more time. Still, he did not pick up.
Lu Jia’er grabbed her bag and rushed out from the tearoom, and went to find the supervisor of the clubhouse.
“Can I take a look at the surveillance video?” Lu Jia’er politely demanded.
“Ma’am, what happened?” The supervisor asked.
Lu Jia’er could not explain the truth to the supervisor. She had to come up with an excuse. “I have lost my belongings.”
“What is it?” The supervisor would not quit asking.
With no other choice, Lu Jia’er made up an excuse, “I just want to look at the video of five minutes ago, the video of the doorway of that teahouse!”
The supervisor looked at her. “Generally, surveillance videos are not available to the public. But if you request, Ma’am, follow me!”
Lu Jia’er went to the monitor room with the supervisor. They got the video out and saw Ian walking out from the teahouse alone.
“Was this gentleman here with you?” The supervisor asked.
Lu Jia’er nodded. “Yes!”
“Is he involved in the loss of your belongings?” Supervisor chose his words carefully.
Lu Jia’er shook her head. “No!”
The supervisor looked at Lu Jia’er, baffled. Lu Jia’er told the staff, “Please run that again for me!”
Lu Jia’er checked it again. In the video, Ian left the tearoom quite calmly. Nothing seemed to be wrong.
Lu Jia’er rested her forehead on her hand, frowning. What did Ian see in that teahouse just now? Why had she fainted all of a sudden?
Since she could not get in touch with Ian, Lu Jia’er left the clubhouse.
Getting in her car, Lu Jia’er called Jin Xiangdong, “Ace, I pa.s.sed out just now!”
Jin Xiangdong, who was in the office at BUA, was seized with worry. “What happened?”
“It was a surprise. I don’t know if it is my health or… if I was manipulated!” Lu Jia’er informed him.
“Where are you?” Jin Xiangdong asked.
“The parking lot at XX Clubhouse!” Lu Jia’er replied.
“Are you with Ian?” Jin Xiangdong wondered.
In the morning, when they were leaving the house, Lu Jia’er mentioned that she was going to seek for answers from Ian again.
“He left before me. I cannot get in touch with him now!” Lu Jia’er stated.
“Why is that?” Jin Xiangdong kept on asking.
“I don’t know. I was talking to him when all of sudden, his looks changed. Then, I pa.s.sed out. A few minutes later when I woke up, he was gone. He would not answer my calls!” Lu Jia’er said.
Jin Xiangdong felt his eyebrows knitted together. “Jia’er, take a breath. Maybe, he has some business to tend to!”
“Don’t you find it weird?” said Lu Jia’er.
The answer she heard from Jin Xiangdong was, “Anything is possible!”
Lu Jia’er gave it some thoughts. Jin Xiangdong was right. Given her ident.i.ty, anything was possible.
She felt dreadful. “Ace, I am scared!”
“Text me the address. I will pick you up!” Jin Xiangdong said immediately.
So, Lu Jia’er texted Jin Xiangdong the address.
Jin Xiangdong took a look and stood up, ready to go when Jason knocked on the door and came in.
“Are you leaving?” Jason asked, seeing Jin Xiangdong collecting his stuff.
“Yes. Jia’er has run into some troubles!” Jin Xiangdong told Jason honestly.
“What happened?” Jason asked.
“The team that created her has shown themselves!” Jin Xiangdong said.
Jason felt as if he was seeing stars. “What is it now?”
“I need to go now!” Jin Xiangdong did not explain too much to him. He opened his office door and stepped out.
Jason walked out with him. “Did Professor Lu tell you this?”
“I a.s.sumed that this was what happened!” Jin Xiangdong said, while stepping to the elevator.
“You a.s.sumed?” Jason was surprised.
Jin Xiangdong did not respond. He walked to the elevator and used his slender fingers to push the b.u.t.ton.
“Let me go with you!” Jason suggested.
Jin Xiangdong turned around. “Then let’s hurry!”
They stepped into the elevator and the door was closed slowly.
“Hasn’t the team behind this whole scheme been remaining low key thus far? How come they are presenting themselves now of all times?” Jason tried to get a better grasp of the situation.
“I am just making a guess in that regard. Pure speculation!” Jin Xiangdong emphasized this point.
Jason blinked. “What happened to Professor Lu?”
“She pa.s.sed out suddenly.” Jin Xiangdong said.
“She pa.s.sed out!” Jason squinted his eyes. “Was she being manipulated?”
“I don’t know!” Was Jin Xiangdong’s answer.
Jason looked at Jin Xiangdong. A few seconds of silence later, Jason asked, “Don’t you mind?”
Jin Xiangdong knew what Jason was referring to. “No, I don’t mind!” Jin Xiangdong answered, calmly.
Jason wondered if he should give Jin Xiangdong a thumb-up or try to talk him out of it. After all, they had been friends for many years.
Eventually, Jason only managed to say one thing, “You are more courageous than I am!”
Jin Xiangdong looked at him. “Do you mind it?”
Jason understood what Jin Xiangdong was implying. “I don’t know how to put it, exactly.” His eyebrows were knitted together.
“If you do, then do not continue with the relationship!” Jin Xiangdong served him with blunt advice.
Jason heaved a sigh. “Let me think about it a bit more!”
His voice had hardly faded away when the elevator door opened. The two stepped out together.
Twenty minutes later, Jin Xiangdong had arrived at the parking lot of the XX Clubhouse.
When Lu Jia’er saw Jin Xiangdong, she opened the door of her car and got out. She immediately ran toward him and threw herself into his arms.
Jin Xiangdong felt a heavy b.u.mp in his chest. This was the first time that Lu Jia’er had hugged him so tightly. How scared she must be!
“It’s okay. I am here.” Jin Xiangdong held her closely, patted her back and whispered in her ears.
Lu Jia’er put her arms around Jin Xiangdong tightly, as if she was afraid that he would vanish. Jin Xiangdong had never seen her be so vulnerable.
Jason, who was standing at their side, did not interrupt them. He just looked at them quietly. Jin Xiangdong was comforting Lu Jia’er gently. He appeared to be very much in love, this scene filled Jason with complicated feelings.