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Chapter 193: Chapter 162: The First Batch of Subordinates (Subscription Requested!)_1
Following Little Two around for a full tour without seeing a single soul, Tang Qing could not shake off the eerie feeling. He reckoned that this place needed some robots to liven it up a bit. Even though the robots weren’t entirely human and lacked reproductive abilities, they looked no different from the outside. Even with dissection, he reckoned it would be difficult to spot any differences. Tang Qing had faith in the system’s technology, it was absolutely beyond the capabilities of the current era.
"Little Two, let’s begin by exchanging for a junior commander, mid-age will do," Tang Qing reluctantly decided, adding the fifty million would make it three hundred and ten million. He intended to spend up big just for today. He hadn’t chosen a gender or race because the system defaulted to a male of Asian ethnicity. Age, however, was a mandatory choice.
"To synthesize a junior commander will deduct fifty million RMB. Please confirm, Commander," Little Two replied.
"Confirm synthesis," Tang Qing ordered.
"Command confirmed. Synthesis of junior commander robot commencing. Synthesis will be completed in ten minutes," Little Two stated.
After issuing the command, Tang Qing simply sat on the chair on the cylindrical platform, waiting. But the moment he sat down, he realized there must be something special about this chair.
"Little Two, this chair isn’t ordinary, is it? What functionality does it possess?" Tang Qing asked curiously.
"Its primary use is for information retrieval and command dispatching. You can access Little Two’s features through this chair. Aside from the commander, nobody else can access Little Two’s functionalities outside of various open interfaces," Little Two explained.
Upon hearing this, Tang Qing felt privileged as if he were an important person. He was capable of making direct private calls to handle affairs, but others could only use it by appointment.
"Why does nothing happen when I sit on it? Are you controlling it?" Tang Qing inquired.
"Yes, Commander, would you like to activate the T19 Command Platform?" Little Two asked.
"I’d like to try it out," Tang Qing said, eager to see.
This time, Little Two didn’t give the usual command confirmation. Suddenly, Tang Qing saw bright light flash before his eyes, with various colored lights flickering from the chair like indicators. However, it felt a bit lame and not as grand as before.
Simultaneously, nine screens appeared in front of him. He couldn’t help but reach out his hand, but his hand went through it. He instantly realized they were projections, not actual objects. Even when he moved his head around, the screens remained unwaveringly before him, much like Google Glass. There were words in the middle screen, while the others remained blank, presumably for dragging images over.
The middle screen had numerous options: information retrieval, teleport dispatch, battlefield surveillance, task assignment, personnel monitoring, equipment inventory, functionality area surveillance and so on.
A whole bunch again, Tang Qing pointed and clicked each one with his intention.
About ten minutes later, he had tried them all.
However, aside from the Functionality Area Surveillance which could display a full-angle high-definition surveillance of all function areas, there was only a record of junior commander synthesis and its progress in the Personnel Monitoring. Everything else was empty. There was nothing.
Well, that was boring.
Tang Qing promptly exited the command platform.
By then, ten minutes had passed.
"Little Two, when is the commander going to arrive?" asked Tang Qing.
"The commander will arrive in a minute and ten seconds," Little Two replied.
Tang Qing nodded in acknowledgement. The research and production area was quite a distance from here. The command center was equipped with transportation tools, somewhat similar to sightseeing cars, all of which were controlled by Little Two. As for the skateboard, only he could use it.
Not a minute passed when Tang Qing saw a ’sightseeing car’ enter the command room with no roof or control equipment. Obviously, Little Two’s timing was calculated to reach the cylindrical platform.
From a distance, Tang Qing spotted a middle-aged man in a blue jumpsuit aboard the car. His back was straight, and although he didn’t seem particularly good-looking, he emanated an aura of dominance. Had Tang Qing not known the aura was probably infused by professional memory transplantation, he would have mistaken him for a seasoned general.
The middle-aged man hurried up the platform after getting off the car and saluted Tang Qing fervently, "Hello Commander, number 001 commander at your service."
"Hello, from now on you’ll be called Tang Yi," Tang Qing returned the salute and gave him a name, a name that matched the length of the Main Control System.
"Understood, Commander, Tang Yi at your service," the commander replied.
"Hmm, what do you think we should do next?" Tang Qing nodded and asked.
"Commander, what exactly should we do?" Tang Yi asked, puzzled.
"..." Tang Qing felt his question made him look dumb.
"So, what can you do and what do you need?" Tang Qing pondered for a moment before asking, realizing that his previous question lacked clarity.
"Commander, my main function is to develop a reasonable task plan according to your goals and direct the entire combat process. It requires combat personnel to carry out the task, intelligence officers to collect intelligence, and a sufficient logistics supply." Tang Yi replied.
Tang Qing was speechless; his dialogue execution wasn’t much better than his.
"Can you give commands to the outside world from here?" Tang Qing asked.
"Yes, commander. Since everyone has a Quantum Communication Chip implanted, and the system acts as a relay for forwarding, we can see their visual images and communicate both ways. Hence, real-time communication command of everyone can be done from the Command Center." Tang Yi replied.
"Holy crap." Tang Qing stood up in surprise. He did have some preparation, of course. There’s no point in commanding if you can’t communicate with the outside world. But this felt like he had grown countless eyes, which was a bit terrifying.
"System, do I also have this thing in my mind?" He remembered his conversation with the system and felt utterly puzzled.
"There are no artificial materials in the host’s mind; the system is an existence you cannot comprehend - it’s somewhere between existence and non-existence," the system responded.
Seeing the system start to show off, Tang Qing didn’t ask anymore. After all, given the system’s heaven-defying function, it would be a joke if a chip were its carrier.
Looking at Tang Yi in her tight suit, Tang Qing seemed to suddenly remember something. Although a commander doesn’t need weapons, some decent clothing is necessary.
"Little Two, can clothes be produced here?" Tang Qing asked.
"Commander, currently, the Research and Production Area only provides personnel exchange services," Little Two responded.
"Alright, Tang Yi, I am thinking of providing secret protection for some people. Any suggestions?" Tang Qing wanted to find bodyguards for his family members. Even though he didn’t have any powerful enemies at the moment, a few butterfly effect events that never happened before made him doubt his past life’s memory. It’s better to find someone to protect them.
"Commander, based on yours and the personnel’s information, I suggest each person be assigned one fighter for undercover protection while every three people have at least one Basic Intelligence Analyst in the Command Room for remote support," Tang Yi replied.
"By calculation, I will have to spend six million on one person," Tang Qing whispered. He definitely chose fighters with properties costing two hundred each, adding up to a total of six million.
Tang Qing didn’t think it was too much, but rather, wondered, is it enough? When it comes to spending money on his loved ones, he never considered how much it would cost.
In the end, Tang Qing decided on one fighter per person and one Basic Intelligence Analyst per family. A total of fifteen fighters and five analysts were assigned, including his grandparents and Lin Jiaxue’s grandparents.
He spent a total of forty million.
"Little Two, exchange seven males and eight females under the age of thirty as Level 2 fighters, and five analysts," Tang Qing commanded.
"Understood, Commander. All personnel are expected to arrive in forty minutes," replied Little Two.
He had asked earlier: one Level 1 fighter takes one minute, and a Level 2 fighter takes two minutes to make. Clearly, this type of equipment is extremely expensive, and the whole center only has one piece.
Tang Qing shook his head, looking at his balance. Previously, he had 740 million RMB. Entering the gate cost him 200 million, Little Two cost fifty million, intelligence cost ten million, Tang Yi cost fifty million, other personnel cost forty million; he had already spent 350 million in total.
Now, he has 390 million left in his pocket, of which, only ninety million belongs to him.
He really felt like he had been sent back to the times before liberation. He guessed he would never be able to pretend to be wealthy again. He felt that he would always be short of money in the future.
Oh mama mia, he would have to eat a lot at lunch to calm his nerves. 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Later, Tang Qing also followed Tang Yi’s advice and exchanged ten Level 1 fighters specifically for logistics. There’s also a large area of breeding centers in the living area that need people. Commanders and analysts have to eat too; they’re not actual robots. Thankfully, the system provides something similar to an energy jelly for food. Still, since he had these structures in the living area, he couldn’t ignore them and have his subordinates eat jelly all the time.
He doesn’t have a heart that black.
Speaking of this, you need people to cultivate things with such an intelligent system. The system sure knows how to be ... extravagant. It might not lack funds, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t short of money. Tang Qing silently expressed his complaints.
An hour later, Tang Qing looked at the thirty robots lined up in front of him. Although they weren’t armed, a solemn atmosphere filled the air. Seeing their venerableness, he felt a sense of accomplishment. After all, he finally had a group of loyal subordinates. Safety eroded from him; it wasn’t easy.
He really needs money, a lot of it, right now.
