Jiang Ye walked into the brand-new sample room.
This sample room was larger, with thirty samples bathed in white light, lined up in a row.
All of them were lifelike androids, identical in appearance to real humans.
There were three skin tones: yellow, white, and black. They were men and women, old and young, fat and thin, with faces ranging from ugly to beautiful, fierce to gentle.
The samples all had their eyes closed, like cadavers soaking in formalin, their muscles, hair, and even the white flakes of skin on their surfaces were clearly visible. Black tubes connected to their backs, maintaining their standing, waiting posture.
Jiang Ye touched his neck.
Honestly, the scene was somewhat eerie.
It was like a group of corpses waiting for a black hearse to speed over. As the car door opened, they would all get in and rush to the underworld for reincarnation.
"These are the first-generation units. Their bodies are still mechanical internally, but externally they are indistinguishable from ordinary people. The only difference is the small blue ring on their temples. Their intelligence level is set at one hundred. Besides being more resistant to fatigue than normal people, they are also attracted to magnets. You can consider them as real people," Fu Qiuyan paused. "Oh, and they cannot reproduce."
"Do they have emotions?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Yes, but they are not pronounced. Their emotions are set with a reduced threshold," Fu Qiuyan said. "Only 30% of normal human emotions, and they are emotions derived from rational analysis."
"What do you mean by emotions derived from rational analysis? Aren't emotions subjective?" Jiang Ye frowned.
"Human emotions are caused by hormones. Their emotions are generated when the processor in their brain analyzes reality and outputs emotional signals. In other words, it's all programming, like characters in a game," Fu Qiuyan said. "Have you played a game with a very high degree of freedom? When you do different things, the NPCs in the game have different emotional reactions."
"So, it's not genuine joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, but rather an imitation of humans?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Yes, to make them appear more human."
"I'll need a thousand of them," Jiang Ye said. "Although they look alike, they are still robots. Do you have biological humans?"
"There are semi-biological and fully biological humans. Which type would you like to see?"
"What's the difference?"
"Semi-biological humans have most of their internal organs replaced with cells, but their brains are still electronic. You can think of them as bodies parasitized by computers. They produce hormonal emotions, but they don't have complete self-awareness. Whatever you input, they will process."
"Fully biological humans are exactly like humans."
Jiang Ye was silent for a moment.
"Let me see the fully biological humans," Jiang Ye said.
"You cannot see them directly."
"Why?"
"You need to undergo an examination first."
"An examination?" Jiang Ye was stunned. He hadn't heard this word in a long time.
"Please follow me. The examiner is ready. I guessed you might want to order fully biological humans, so everything is prepared," Fu Qiuyan led Jiang Ye and his wife towards the elevator.
"Do I have to take it too?" Cen Yemeng asked nervously.
"You do not hold real power, so you don't need to be tested. Only Jiang Ye will be tested," Fu Qiuyan smiled.
"Can I enter the examination room?" Cen Yemeng asked again.
"You can observe, but you cannot make any sound, nor can you use gestures or eye contact to hint at your husband. If you collude to cheat, or even if there is suspicion of cheating, you will be directly deemed to have failed the examination."
Cen Yemeng was a little dejected. She had been thinking of helping her husband cheat.
"What happens if I fail?" Jiang Ye felt a distant sense of tension.
"If you fail, you cannot see, research, order, or use fully biological human products," Fu Qiuyan suddenly stopped and said seriously. "This examination is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you fail, there are no retakes."
"Then I won't take it! Do you have any review materials? I'll study and then take it! How can I enter the examination room without studying?" Jiang Ye said immediately.
"There are no review materials, no specific knowledge points, it's purely an interview. The only thing I can tell you is not to lie, be completely honest," Fu Qiuyan said. "If you withdraw now, it will also be considered a failed examination."
"Why?" Jiang Ye was shocked. "I didn't even sign up for this exam!"
"The moment you said you wanted to see the fully biological humans, you automatically entered the examination room. This is a procedure set by the Galactic Empire a century ago, and I cannot violate it," Fu Qiuyan smiled apologetically. "This matter is also completely confidential. You will not receive any advance notice, no one will tell you beforehand. After you complete the examination, you will also have to sign a lot of extremely serious confidentiality agreements and keep the secret thereafter."
Entering the elevator, Fu Qiuyan pressed the top-floor button directly.
Jiang Ye was sweating nervously.
He felt like he had been ambushed.
It was like in middle school, happily attending a self-study class, when the math teacher suddenly burst in, slammed a stack of test papers onto the podium, and announced a pop quiz for that class. The students couldn't escape and could only sadly tidy their desks.
He pondered in his mind.
Purely an interview? And no lying?
How is that possible?
The elevator chimed lightly, and they reached the top floor.
Opening the door, there was no corridor, just a spacious room.
All four sides were large floor-to-ceiling windows, with a vast sea of clouds outside. The floor was also white marble, giving the entire room a sense of sanctity.
Guards stood by the windows, their posture ramrod straight.
One examination room with a platoon of soldiers supervising was a sight he had never witnessed before. Cen Yemeng's face had turned a little pale with nervousness, but Jiang Ye was calmer. Having commanded troops for so many years, he was accustomed to the sight of guards everywhere.
In the center of the room, there was only a table and a few chairs.
The interviewer sat behind the table and smiled and nodded at Jiang Ye.
She was a beautiful woman with long chestnut hair, a slightly baby-faced complexion, and light makeup. She looked about thirty. She wore a white suit and a pink sweater, with a very impressive bust, and the faint outline of her undergarments was visible. Her attire was a mix of casual and professional.
Mature, sexy, generous, professional, and intellectual.
"Mr. Jiang, Ms. Cen," she stood up and extended her hand. "I am Examiner Zhu Lingyao."
"Hello, Examiner Zhu," Jiang Ye smiled and shook her hand.
"Examiner Zhu is so elegant and charming," Cen Yemeng complimented, shaking her hand as well.
"Thank you, Ms. Cen, you are even more elegant and charming," Zhu Lingyao smiled.
"My husband is a bit slow. Can the questions be simpler?" Cen Yemeng tried her luck.
Zhu Lingyao did not answer. "Your marital relationship is very good. Please, both of you, have a seat."
"My wife and I met by chance, fell in love at first sight, and are bound by life and death," Jiang Ye said as he sat down. "It was a coincidence, yet destined."
Cen Yemeng felt a little embarrassed.
"Enviable. This is a bonus point. A harmonious family for the planetary leader means more energy can be devoted to governance, rather than being dragged down by family matters," Zhu Lingyao tapped on the table, inputting a string of text.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng both craned their necks to look.
However, they couldn't understand it.
The text displayed on the table was not Chinese or any other known language. It was strange and complex, like countless tangled noodles.