"Waaalttt!"
"Whoosh!"
A girl with simple red twin tails atop black armor streaked rapidly through the air but seemed unable to control her flight, appearing dangerously close to face-planting onto the rooftop.
Just then, a tall and robust man appeared in front of her trajectory, catching her securely with both arms. In a romantic princess carry, he gently brought the young woman back to the roof, landing safely.
"Tesla, when will you finally tame that impulsive nature of yours? Ahh!" Welt sighed helplessly while setting Tesla down, adjusting her red glasses on the bridge of her nose.
Tesla smoothed her twin tails, then playfully kicked Welt's shin with her little red shoe.
"As if you know better?! All of this genius's inventions transcend their time; accidents are bound to happen. Without mistakes, how can we learn and improve? What would someone with your third-rate skills even understand?!"
"Sigh..."
"Don't look at me like I'm some naughty child!"
"Alright then, let's take a break for now and have some tea, shall we?" Welt helplessly adjusted his glasses and gestured towards a nearby pavilion.
There, Einstein, her long blue hair draped gracefully over her shoulders, sat with her strikingly fair legs crossed. Holding a cup of red tea in one hand, she leisurely tapped on a projected screen with the other.
"Hmph!" Arms crossed, Tesla scoffed haughtily before stepping on Welt's foot, brushing past his chest, and striding towards the pavilion.
Due to their close proximity, Tesla's ponytail gently swept across Welt's hand, tickling slightly. Additionally, the faint sweet scent from the girl wafted into his nostrils.
Welt unconsciously sniffed, rubbed his nose, shook his head with a smile, and followed suit.
Soon, all three founders of Anti-Entropy were gathered together.
Einstein glanced sidelong at Tesla's simple black bodysuit armor, speaking in her emotionless tone:
"A flawless design that showcases Dr. Tesla's figure perfectly."
"You're missing the point, mophead! This is the latest pilot suit designed by yours truly, a genius. It significantly enhances the efficiency of mecha pilots. Moreover, even if the mecha gets destroyed, this suit provides ample mobility to the pilot, coupled with auxiliary floating firepower. Whether for emergency escape or turning the tide against overwhelming odds, it plays a crucial role! Heh heh, impressive, right?"
"The initial concept is commendable, and its practicality indeed stands out. However, Dr. Tesla, I'm no longer a mophead, you know."
Einstein closed the projection screen, elegantly held her red tea, and smiled.
Tesla fell silent.
After taking on Raiden Mei as a student, who naturally possessed nurturing qualities, Einstein's hair began receiving meticulous care. Her once rough hairstyle, adopted for saving time, gradually transformed without notice into smooth, flowing blue locks reaching down to her waist.
Now that Zeke had assigned Raiden Mei to his side, Einstein found herself too lazy to change her hairstyle again. After all, designing a machine to manage her hair wouldn't be difficult, so she decided to maintain these meticulously cared-for long tresses indefinitely.
Gazing at her rival-turned-friend's beautiful long hair, Tesla lifted her chin defiantly and declared:
"A mop is a mop and will always be a mop. I'm sticking with it—so what?"
"Well, nothing stopping you if that makes Dr. Tesla happy. Ah, but I worry others might question your eyesight... Although for someone as eccentric as yourself, I suppose such concerns wouldn't bother you."
"You...you stop that nonsense right now! I'm not listening!" Tesla turned away, crossing her arms, embodying both stubbornness and petulance.
Einstein's expression remained placid, but internally she shook her head with a smile—Tesla was often easily swayed by playful banter, changing her mind readily. However, every so often, even Dr. Lobster would unconsciously recognize certain issues, steadfastly adhering to her original stance—a rare occurrence indeed.
"Ahem! The pastries today look quite delightful; why don't we all try some?" Welt produced two plates of small sweets, placing them within reach of Einstein and Tesla. His gentle smile brought warmth back to the atmosphere—his adept handling felt heartbreakingly tender.
The two brilliant yet distinct young scientists began enjoying their treats.
Welt's grin grew warmer as he asked:
"Eins, did you uncover any new issues today?"
"There's always room for updates and improvements. No system is perfect, but a Central System capable of continuous refinement undoubtedly surpasses any human-operated process in efficiency and accuracy. Governing with AI—it's something we've all contemplated, but only Zeke had the courage to implement it!"
"Yes, it works brilliantly, but... only for now."
Welt took a sip of tea, a hint of concern surfacing in his deep-set eyes.
The concept of AI governance was a cold bureaucratic mechanism often explored in science fiction. Typically, such worlds depicted dystopian societies. Scientists and visionaries frequently expressed concerns about icy machinery rather than mere admiration.
"You're worried?" Einstein asked leisurely over her cup of tea.
Having worked together for over six decades, the three individuals present understood each other better than most. Welt could discern some of Einstein's distorted emotions, just as Einstein deeply grasped Welt's feelings and thoughts.
Tesla also stopped chewing, fixing her gaze intently on Welt.
Under their combined scrutiny, Welt sighed, offering a resigned smile before responding:
"I'm reminded of some movies like The Terminator and Blade Runner, among others."
"Don't believe those third-rate pseudo-science ramblings. Trust us, okay?" Tesla first expressed his disdain for such science fiction works before earnestly patting Welt on the shoulder.
While the words themselves didn't provide much comfort, Tesla's genuine concern deeply touched Welt.
"Thank you. I owe everything to both of you; without your support, I wouldn't have come this far."
"W-w-what are you talking about? W-we... isn't it just natural, right?!" Tesla stammered, cheeks turning as red as her ponytail, barely concealing her fluster.
Einstein observed this scene with amusement: a warm-hearted, mature young man alongside a charming maiden using pride to mask her bashfulness. On the surface, it appeared as a classic age-gap romance, but beneath, it was actually another type of age-gap romance—either way, it made for great romantic fodder.
Then, Einstein's lips curved upwards as she calmly stated, "What's truly terrifying is not technology itself, but people. This holds true in sci-fi stories and reality alike. Do you understand, Yang?"
"...Go on."
"The Hub itself is good; your concerns boil down to two aspects: one, the Intelligent Machinery Crisis, and two, the Hub being distorted into a mechanism that oppresses people. Ultimately, both stem from human factors. So the more fundamental question is this: because progress carries risks, should we reject progress altogether?"
"Of course not!" Welt firmly shook his head.
Einstein's smile suggested he had anticipated this response. He said, "Then trust Zeke, and trust us. The gap between intelligence and wisdom is as vast as a chasm. Zeke knows his limits, and as long as we don't push it, the Hub will remain just that—the Hub—and won't transform into some Sky Net or Apocalypse. Additionally, regarding the officials leading the Hub's transformation... haven't you witnessed the power of the Vajra Hall already?"
"The Truth Domain is indeed remarkable, but its use must be handled with caution."
"You understand these principles, and naturally, they will be considered by all involved. Lies are a human specialty and also a necessary adhesive for building society and civilization. They cannot be simply judged as either good or bad; their existence is essential. Therefore, the usage timing and scope of the Vajra Hall will have strict regulations. We only need to ensure that those steering the direction of the Hub's reforms always prioritize the public interest overwhelmingly."
"Alright, alright. I trust that Zeke has considered all angles, and I believe in your judgments, Eins and Tesla. Let's leave this topic here for now; we can observe its development over time."
Welt waved his hand, ending the discussion before it spiraled further.
After a brief pause to gather his thoughts, he continued, "Could you give me an overview of the current global situation, Eins?"
Einstein nodded, organized her ideas, and began outlining the state of affairs:
"In terms of population, the quarterly census concluded seven days ago, showing just over 8.3 billion people—a decrease of 1.3% compared to last year. The primary cause remains the widespread impact of the Herrscher of Corruption disaster, along with multiple Honkai incidents during reconstruction that couldn't be swiftly addressed. However, construction on all twenty-three thousand Main Cities worldwide is now complete. Judging from demographic trends, the future appears relatively optimistic.
"The global defense mechanism centered around Main Cities has been fully integrated into the Central System. Going forward, our response speed and effectiveness against Honkai will see significant improvements.
"As for Anti-Entropy, their mechanized army has not only been fully restored but also improved and expanded, maintaining strong developmental momentum. Schicksal's registered Valkyrie count reached another peak, and this year's casualty rate statistics show a decrease below 0.2%. While these numbers aren't ideal, they do indicate progress at least."
"In terms of livelihood, the vast majority have been adequately provided for with essentials like clothing, food, and shelter. However, adapting to the new social system and management mechanisms is still ongoing, even for us. Naturally, it won't be swift for everyone, but we can entrust this process to time."
"Regarding scientific research, there has been..."
"In energy matters..."
"In the medical field..."
"In education..."
"Societal sciences and practical explorations..."
"As for the arts domain..."
As Einstein continued speaking, Tesla increasingly lowered her head guiltily—both were geniuses, yet while Einstein managed both scientific research and administrative duties as a top executive, Dr. Lobster remained merely a simple inventor, unable to contribute much on these broader subjects.
This comparison couldn't help but make Tesla question her life choices. Consequently, she strived to minimize her presence, fearing that if either Einstein or Welt suddenly asked her a question she couldn't answer, it would expose her incompetence and negligence.