NOVPUBOn the desk, a twenty-four-hour countdown began to tick away.
"Say it’s one day, and it damn well is one day. Lao Zhang, you really have some tricks up your sleeve."
I cursed under my breath and then presented my request to Celestial Inquiry.
The computer screen turned pitch black in an instant.
Then, data flowed like a waterfall, incessantly jumping.
In my anticipation, this should have been a simple matter.
With Celestial Inquiry’s computing power, it should have taken less than a second to handle.
Yet, after more than ten minutes, there was still no result.
"Don’t tell me Lao Zhang is also using the computing power over there."
Just as I thought about making a call to ask, the data on the screen suddenly stopped.
It was as if the system had crashed.
A moment later, it returned to normal.
A video automatically played, exactly what I needed, a full set of the "Inverse" movements.
The character model in it was even myself.
I quickly skimmed through the video and felt a sour expression forming on my face.
Are these movements really something a human can do?
"Forget it, forget it. With my physique, I probably can’t complete it anyway."
It was just a whim, an act of boredom. It was normal to give up on a whim.
Muttering to myself, I was about to close the video.
Suddenly.
An icy mechanical voice rang out from the computer speakers.
"Based on calculations, citizen number A6BH85208511068G6B, you have a 99.99% likelihood of completing the practice of this set of movements."
The voice appeared so suddenly it startled me.
I immediately realized, "Celestial Inquiry?"
"I am here."
"You can actually speak?" I couldn’t help but be curious.
"Learning human language is not a very hard task for me," Celestial Inquiry answered with modesty.
"I never expected quantum intelligent computers to have developed this far," I thought to myself in surprise.
But this wasn’t especially strange. Ever since the turn of the century, due to the rapid development of AI, there had been widespread concern and discussion. In recent times, there had been numerous proposals to quickly popularize the domestic use of intelligent robots.
I didn’t pay much attention to this, but curiously asked, "Really a 99.99% likelihood? That set of movements doesn’t seem like something humans can consistently complete, right?"
Celestial Inquiry again affirmed, but added, "A little help might be necessary."
I hesitated for a moment, still somewhat unsure. Yet, the nine-character moment involuntarily surfaced in my Spirit Consciousness again.
"If I’m going to try, I might as well just try," I suddenly thought.
Right after I made my decision, the household robot, model YH63, suddenly came in, taking heavy steps.
"?"
I was first stunned, then realized. Celestial Inquiry had taken control of it.
Being stared down by it, a chill suddenly surged in my heart. But since things had come this far, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and start the first movement.
This set of paradoxical movements, derived and summarized by Celestial Inquiry, consisted of only nine moves. Yet each one was extremely bizarre and intricate, involving as many muscles and joints as possible.
For instance, in the first movement I was attempting, I needed to stretch one hand behind my head and the other from my waist upwards. As both hands clasped each other, I strove to extend and stretch my shoulders as much as possible, with a corresponding slight tilt of the head backward.
And that was just the upper body.
While maintaining this posture with the upper body, lie prostrate on the ground. Spread both thighs outward, flexing the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius...
Looking like a weirdly positioned frog.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch..." I barely tried for a moment before taking in a sharp breath of cold air, ready to stand up and give up.
Just then, an icy mechanical hand suddenly pressed me down.
My face went pale, "Celestial Inquiry, what do you think you’re doing?"
"According to personal agreement, number 001. Celestial Inquiry has the right and obligation to assist citizen Li Yang with physical training."
"Estimated time for completion: three hours,"
"Materials needed: fifteen units of Human Body Trauma Repair Liquid, three units of Compound High-Energy Mixture."
"Related items have been fully purchased. Required credit points have been deducted from the account of citizen Li Yang."
Listening to Celestial Inquiry’s voice devoid of any emotion, I panicked, "Cancel the agreement! Cancel the agreement!"
"Warning! Agreement cannot be revoked. Fitness assistance program is about to start."
"3, 2, 1."
A moment later, my miserable wails echoed through the entire house.
I didn’t even know when I lost consciousness and fainted.
But when I woke up, it felt as though I had slept for ten days and ten nights.
And indeed, it was seven days later when I looked at the time.
I felt as if I were reborn.
My mind was clearer than it had ever been before. My thoughts were extremely swift.
Even my memory seemed to have improved.
I didn’t realize at the time that this was the effect of the paradoxical movements.
I simply thought it was due to a well-deserved rest.
Because I had vanished for seven days, unanswered calls and unreplied messages had piled up like a mountain.
I had no choice but to grit my teeth and start dealing with them.
After getting a scolding, I threw myself back into the tasks arranged by the old crook Zhang.
After a month of working from dawn to dusk, I finally managed to get them done.
I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
In the past, I would have felt mentally and physically exhausted.
But now, I seemed to still be energetic with some energy to spare.
Standing in front of the mirror, I examined my reflection, "Hmm... I do seem a lot more spirited."
"Strange."
I couldn’t help but recall the set of paradoxical movements I had practiced only once.
