Players Invade Cyberpunk-Chapter 666 - 214: Water and Core_3

A lot of people even quit because of this, ended up in court with the company, and shouldered huge debts.

To intellectuals who hold themselves in high esteem, this is an immense insult and torment.

When the old net was intact, you competed against me for my stuff; after it blows up, you still snatch my things.

Wasn't the old net bombed for nothing then?

Lucy had a peculiar expression.

"...Is that all?"

The company certainly has its own considerations. If they give you the patent, what if you get a wild idea and resign, taking the patent to start your own company or join a competitor? What would I do then?

Not only would I be unable to continue using those patents, but I might also end up being sued.

But now that you're dead, AI-ified, and in Lin Miao's hands, are we afraid you might run away?

It's obvious that Brunan still thought with a human mindset, completely forgetting that he no longer had human legal rights and wasn't a citizen of any country. Forget about giving him credit; even applying a patent in his name would be useless.

"Sure, as long as you can ensure the accuracy of the technical data. Forget about credit, you could even have your picture engraved on the product."

Brunan looked at this female hacker skeptically, surprised at how easily she agreed, and emphasized, "The contract, I want to sign a contract."

Can someone really deceive an AI on a black-and-white contract?

So-called wordplay doesn't hold up in front of them.

"Okay."

Lucy silently gave a thumbs up in her heart to Brunan, the old net AI unprotected by law.

"...."

Brunan became more suspicious and emphasized,

"I'll draft the contract clauses."

Lucy's expression remained unchanged.

"Fine, as long as you're willing to share the technical data with us, anything is negotiable."

As a cyber life form, although Brunan's data volume was far less than a normal AI, his processing speed was still there. Within just a few seconds, he crafted a fully fleshed-out electronic contract.

To lower the other party's guard, Lucy even pretended to scrutinize the contract multiple times. The content leaned towards Brunan, but this guy still understood the situation well enough not to demand excessive resources, only emphasizing the ownership of intellectual property.

Many people misunderstand scientists, assuming they are fanatical worshipers of science or seekers of truth who will stop at nothing for the pursuit of scientific ends, regardless of secular morality or humanity, willing to do anything heinous for experimental data.

But in reality, they are just ordinary people.

The directions and funding provided from above guide their efforts in a particular direction, even if they have their own ideas and projects that they discuss and advance privately.

The choice to contravene morality and humanity in certain experiments doesn't rest with them but depends on the surrounding social environment and higher-up decisions.

Most of these people are just technically-minded men with straightforward thinking.

After transferring the contract to Lin Miao and waiting a moment, Lucy added a few lines to the contract.

"Mr. Kaspar Brunan, out of respect for you and to facilitate the advancement of our company's future projects, we will prepare a realistic body for you to ease future cooperation. However, the cost is that you must work for us for twenty years; what do you think?"

"Hmm?"

Brunan thought he misheard.

Are they allowing an old net AI into reality?

Insanity?

But then again, since they managed to get their hands on the Black Wall, what's the big deal about an incapable AI?

This option is certainly incredibly attractive to researchers because the world is physical, and the electronic network is just a small part. What's the point of causing a stir and becoming godlike if it's just within the network?

Researchers are not hackers; what they seek is not in the network; the network can only be an auxiliary tool, not a home.

Brunan gulped and asked,

"Are you intending to get me a living body?"

If that's the case... forget about it.

He has never killed anyone, and going from none to one is hard.

"No."

Lucy shook her head.

"We're preparing a mechanical prosthetic body for you, ensuring it's sufficiently flexible."

"Alright, I'll sign."

Brunan agreed heartily.

Although he forgot that this is cyberspace, the enforceability of cyber contracts is questionable and whether they are honored depends entirely on Lin Miao's moral standing.

But as long as he doesn't cause trouble, Lin Miao wouldn't shortchange him.

"So..."

Lucy looked at this guy in front of her, who seemed even more awkward than herself, amusingly.

"Can you tell me what projects your company was working on back then, and how much data you have in the data fortress?"

"Hmm..."

Brunan pondered momentarily,

"The company was not doing well back then, especially with the fourth-generation reactor technology in Europe, North America, Japan, Tokyo University, and Africa, each having their research directions, and progress was being made. The competition pressure was intense for our company, making it hard to attract investment."

"So the board decided to focus on the miniaturization and efficiency of thorium-based reactors, as well as attempting to break through nuclear fusion's technological barriers."

"But the latter never secured funding, and someone kept obstructing, eventually leading to the project's abortion. As for the former, we were well-versed in conventional molten salt reactor technology, having completed multiple simulated experiments on computers and in reality, with excellent outcomes, only one step away from market launch until that idiot named Bartmos blew up the network, leaving us with no choice but to remain in the network with all the data, severing ties with reality."

"From what your people have said, our company soon went bankrupt because of this."

"One could only say that the villain met his just end; he deserved to die so well."