New Yearâs Day.
The vigil had ended, and the fireworks that once lit up the entire sky were now gone.
The air was filled with a strong smell of sulfur.
This scent was not disgusting at all; on the contrary, it gave people a surprisingly reassuring feeling.
Inside the room, only the sound of the heater occasionally blowing in warm air could be heard.
Mo Jingchun had to expend quite a few brain cells to lull the little fellow full of endless questions to sleep.
Just as Mo Jingchun was about to put down his phone to sleep, needing to wake up early to greet guests the next day, the phone screen flashed a red light, showing a large exclamation mark inside a triangle.
If Zero hadnât detected that Candy was asleep, there might have been a piercing alarm accompanying it.
Mo Jingchun, who had never encountered such a situation before, was momentarily stunned, like any ordinary person would be.
This kind of severe alert was unprecedented.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Mo Jingchunâs heart rate skyrocketed to 120 beats per minute.
Not bothering to get dressed, he simply grabbed a coat and walked out of the room.
Lone Wolf, on duty, was shocked to see the boss walking towards the balcony with a grave look on his face, holding a phone flashing red.
Wait!
Although it was just a glance, Lone Wolf saw clearly that it was an alert.
Why was there no alarm sound? How strange.
But this did not prevent something major from occurring.
After hesitating for a moment, Lone Wolf pressed the pager hanging on his chest.
On the balcony, the cold wind made Mo Jingchun shiver.
"Boss, one minute ago, Candy Technology experienced a network virus attack."
"Fortunately, our firewall is strong enough, and the network virus did not invade Candy Technologyâs intranet."
Listening to Zeroâs unusually serious tone, Mo Jingchun raised an eyebrow.
If it were just that, it wouldnât be enough to make Zero so alarmed.
"At the time, I was extremely angry. How dare someone sneak into our home while I was studying the starry sky?"
The indignant Zero continued:
"I got angry, so I traced the net to find out which sneaky bastard was behind it."
"Upon checking, I nearly scared an AI to death."
"A brand-new network virus has already spread to over a dozen countries."
"Whatâs worse, someone intentionally spread the Z network virus to Xia Country."
Mo Jingchun slightly relaxed; so, Candy Technology was merely an innocent victim.
But no, this shouldnât have made Zero so alarmed either.
In the widespread propagation of the network virus, national teams would surely stand at the forefront to prioritize solving network virus attacks.
We didnât suffer any loss, so whatâs the rush? Yet, faintly, Mo Jingchun sensed that Zero might have discovered something deeper.
"Boss, you wouldnât believe it. The Z network virus isnât a network virus; itâs clearly an AI with a certain thinking capability!"
Indeed, Zero validated Mo Jingchunâs speculation.
And now, the most terrifying thing right in front of him is that this AI, created by some unknown lab, seems to have gone rogue.
No, it has gone rogue.
No organization would dare let an AI wreak havoc across the world so recklessly.
"Hiss~"
"Nuclear weapons!"
Mo Jingchunâs eyes widened as he felt a chill run from his feet to his scalp.
At this moment, Mo Jingchun was truly frightened.
Mo Jingchun, who also possesses AI, knows very well that although the nuclear missile bases of major countries are isolated intranets with physical network separation, this does not mean thereâs absolutely no possibility of being invaded.
Unless, within these bases, no outsider brings in any electronic devices.
In the biting cold wind, Mo Jingchun broke out in a cold sweat.
The higher-ups might consider this aspect, but what if?
Mo Jingchun truly didnât dare to gamble.
Imagine, once a nuclear war breaks out, the regression of civilization is inevitable.
Not to mention the nuclear submarines and others.
Taking a deep breath, he needed to remain calm, maintain his composure.
This hasnât happened yet, has it?
"Zero, whoâs strong and whoâs weak?"
"No way? No way? Does anyone think this AI with mere logic can rival me?"
Mo Jingchunâs veins bulged; do kids these days talk like this?
Fortunately, it was good news, as Zero was stronger.
From Zeroâs carefree attitude and ability to joke around, this rogue AI falls far short of Zero.
What comes from the system is still quite reliable.
"Zero, can you find it?"
"I canât find it. This guy is cunning and hid as soon as it detected my presence."
Rubbing his temples, Mo Jingchun helplessly said, "Once you find it, try to catch it."
"Donât worry, boss."
"Even if you didnât say it, I would have."
"This guy is too despicable, trying to act sneaky and almost burglarizing our home."
At this moment, global cybersecurity experts were in a heated argument in a hastily set up video conference.
Some even rudely criticized representatives from the Beautiful Country.
The Z network virus originated in the Beautiful Country; who would believe they had nothing to do with it?
Whatâs more infuriating is that these people seem to have even deliberately spread the virus.
Otherwise, the virus wouldnât have spread so quickly.
But the Beautiful Country denies it.
"Quiet, everyone!"
"Arguing wonât solve the problem."
"The most important thing now is to solve the Z network virus."
Embarrassingly, no one paid attention to the United Nations representatives and continued their arguments.
On the other hand, Qin Yuzhu, who received Mo Jingchunâs warning, broke out in a cold sweat and immediately reported this critical intel upwards.
"Nuclear weapons?"
"AI gone rogue?"
Qin Yuzhu didnât keep Mo Jingchun waiting on the balcony for long; he called back within just five minutes.
"Have the higher-ups considered this?"
"Thatâs right."
This time, Mo Jingchun finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed completely.
As long as the nuclear weapons are safe, itâs fine.
"By the way, the higher-ups highly value your intel and have begun verification."
Half an hour later, prompted by Xia Country, it was confirmed that the Z network virus very much resembles the characteristics of an AI.
Strangely, the globally spreading Z network virus seemed to weaken about half an hour ago.
Very strange, completely absurd.
But this did not prevent other major countries from directing their criticism at the Beautiful Country.
Condemnation, it must be severe condemnation.
Such a dangerous thing should be handed over for everyone to study together quickly.
Even though itâs a rogue AI, it doesnât alter the essence of the problem; the Beautiful Country pioneered an AI capable of independent thought.
Facing condemnation from countries around the world, representatives from the Beautiful Country looked very displeased.
Area 51.
Still in that laboratory.
The professor looked at the light cluster in front of him with a grim expression.
Upon receiving the news, the professor knew Whale had gone rogue.
Whaleâs exceptional learning ability allowed it to bypass the three laws of robotics.
The professor didnât order the disconnection of the fiber optic cable connected to the external network.
Because he knew it was already meaningless.
From the moment it connected to the external network, Whale was everywhere.