Chapter 174 - 141: Decision for the Future Path

"Z!"

"I am here."

"Z!"

"I am here! Father, what can I do for you?"

Chu Bamboo was enthusiastically interacting with Z. Beside him, Lin Xia’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at the scene, grinding his teeth.

After a moment, Lin Xia finally made a decision.

He took a deep breath, his face solemn, and strode forward with a menacing air. He lifted his head to look straight into Chu Bamboo’s eyes... then, with a THUD, he dropped and hugged Chu Bamboo’s thigh.

"Bamboo, Ah Zhu, Godfather... Brother, I’ve never asked you for anything in my life."

His attitude had clearly become deferential.

But he had no other choice. He had witnessed with his own eyes how Chu Bamboo used Z...

He had used plenty of AIs himself, but compared to Z, they were practically braindead.

He couldn’t even imagine how incredible it would be to use Z.

’No one can resist Z! No one!’

"Z, what do you think?" Chu Bamboo didn’t agree or disagree, instead posing the question to the AI.

"?" Lin Xia’s brain short-circuited. Before he could ask anything, he heard Z’s crisp voice, "Although he is your brother and your best friend... I don’t like him very much! Because he isn’t even willing to call me ’Great Niece’."

Lin Xia: "...Huh?!"

’What the hell? Hold on... Let me process this! That one sentence is just too much to take in...’

"Idiot! You still don’t know what to do?" Chu Bamboo chuckled in exasperation, giving Lin Xia a light kick with his free leg.

"...Oh, uh, this!" Lin Xia’s expression shifted rapidly. He pulled a tissue from his pocket to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and said cautiously, "G-Great Niece?"

"Hello, this unit is the latest product from Z Intelligence Co., Ltd.! The AI large model, Z! Please proceed to the official website to download the newest version of Z! Or, with Father’s permission, you may choose to download the latest version currently built into Father’s phone... However, a warning must be issued beforehand!" Z’s voice suddenly turned serious again.

"The performance this unit is currently demonstrating is based on unlimited computing power support and Father’s permissions! If you only use the normal, newest version of Z modified by Father, its effectiveness will be greatly reduced."

Z patiently explained, "Its functions will be limited to—chatting! It can replace messaging apps and group chats! It can also handle some complicated, low-tech phone operations and provide some legal consultation!"

"If you obtain additional authorization from Father and gain extra computing power support, it can monitor online public opinion. If provided with enough virtual accounts and given authorization to manage them, it can also partially function as a water army. It can manage the comment sections of various platforms, performing deletions, replies, comment control, traffic guiding, and so on..."

"In short... without authorization and without extra computing power support! Please do not set your expectations too high! Otherwise, you will likely be disappointed."

The scene fell into a dead silence.

"That’s already freaking amazing!" Lin Xia’s eye twitched as he struggled for words. Just based on what she had said, he felt he wouldn’t be disappointed at all.

Then, he held it in for a moment, but ultimately couldn’t restrain himself. He turned to Chu Bamboo and said, "Bamboo, you..."

"Just download it first!" Chu Bamboo interrupted him.

After the download was complete and Lin Xia logged in, Chu Bamboo naturally gave him... only normal permissions.

"To get extra computing power support... your permission level needs to be at least VIP Level. When the time comes, send me a message... If I think it’s necessary, I’ll grant you temporary VIP access!"

It wasn’t that he couldn’t just give him permanent VIP permissions...

But the problem was that Z ultimately belonged to Z Intelligent Company... Moreover, Z was still in its initial, nascent stage. Granting high-level permissions would require him to run it by Zhao Shao. Although the other man would never refuse him, it would be a hassle.

"Got it!" Lin Xia waved his hand casually. He was more than satisfied. As for that comment control stuff... when would he ever need that? He was going to start a major company...

"Wait, comment control, a water army?!" Lin Xia was suddenly jolted awake. "Damn! I could actually use that... I just uploaded your song to all the major platforms yesterday. I haven’t started pushing traffic to it, so it’s fine for now! But once the promotion starts, all sorts of creeps and weirdos will show up... With a water army for support! Then I’ll have to go buy some accounts..."

Lin Xia started counting on his fingers. If he built his own water army, the initial cost of creating accounts would be much more expensive than directly hiring one... but if he built it himself, the water army would ultimately be under his own control! Over the long run... the cost would be infinitely lower.

"Alright! Message me when the time comes," Chu Bamboo said succinctly.

"Okay, probably tomorrow! I’ll contact you then," Lin Xia said, giving him an "OK" sign.

「A moment later.」

Lin Xia, face flushed with excitement, was having an exhilaratingly awkward chat with Z.

"So powerful, so powerful! Holy cow, with this thing... I feel like I could romance a hundred girls online at the same time! And I wouldn’t have to worry about sending the wrong message to the wrong person!"

Chu Bamboo almost thought he’d misheard. "...?"

’Seriously, that’s the best you can come up with? "A criminal waste of a masterpiece" doesn’t even begin to describe it... And also...’

Chu Bamboo laughed in exasperation. "You’re going to make your great niece help you chase girls online? Are you even human?"

"...Huh?" The realization dawned on Lin Xia. He looked back at his phone, a wave of discomfort washing over him. He was sweating buckets now.

After a slight hesitation, Lin Xia asked cautiously, "So, you’re serious?"

"Mhm!" The casual look on Chu Bamboo’s face vanished completely. He stared directly into Lin Xia’s eyes and said, word by word, "You can think of her as my child! As in, my biological one."