Chapter 50

LiJinwasoverthemoon.Hehadplayedadangerousgamewithasophisticatedadversaryandhademergedtheunlikelywinner.Hewasnowwealthybeyondhiswildestdreams.AssoonashearrivedinXianhewasgoingtofirstremovealltraceofthemoneyfromthesystem.HeshudderedinhisemptyfirstclasspartmentasherecalledthefaceoftheassassinwhenhehadrealizedthatLiJinwasnotinthemazeatKowloonPark.Eventhen,theassassinhadknownthathehadlost.Yethehaderunningoutofthemazeanyway,likeaniraterhinoceros.LiJinstaredoutsidethewindowofhispartment,watchingaseeminglyendlessexpanseofgreeneryandvariousshadesofconcreteandwhitetileflashby.Hisviewoftheworldwouldneverbethesameagain.

LiJinknewthatingbacktoChinacouldeitherbeastrokeofgeniusorthepreludetohisdemise.Yet,hesuspectedthatoncethePLAfoundoutthathehadsoldthechip,thenaturalassumptionwouldbethathehadfledthecountry.Andhehadmadesure,withhisfakeIDchip,therewaslittletozerochanceofhimbeingtracedthroughtheNewChinarailwaysystem.Yes,hewashappywithhisplanssofar.AsheheadednorththroughGuizhou,feastingonsometea-boiledeggsandapacketofpreservedvegetables,LiJinthoughtaboutOlegKrachevandwonderedwhethertheRussianhadmadeitoutalive.LiJindidn’tratehischances,althoughiftheRussianhadbeenpatientandslippedawayfromKowloonParktoreturnlatertoretrievethedepositsliptherewasachancethattheassassinwouldhavebeenlonggone.

Yet,fromhisbriefencounterwithKrachev,LiJindidn’tthinkhewasthepatienttype.Afterrealizingthatthemoneywasgonehewasboundtogoaftertheslipcursingashewent.LiJinhadcheckedhisaccountandtherehadindeedbeenanattempttoreturnthemoneytoitssource.Ifhehadn’ttakentheadditionalprecautionofsettingupthestandinginstructionontheaccount,themoneywouldhavedisappearedbacktoRussiaasquicklyasithadbeenwired.LiJinhadcheckedhisotheraccountsontheconsoleinhispartmentandhadbeenpleasedtoseethecreditsittingtherewaitingtobeused.InXianhewouldtransferpartofthemoneytoseveralanonymouscreditchips.Afterthatitwasjustamatterofnotloosingthechips.ThenhewouldgoshoppingforthoseimportantitemsandthenhireavantotakehimbacktohisShaanxivillage.

Theplannowmadeperfectsense.LiJinwouldfirstmakecontactwithProfessorYao’sfamilyafterthefurorhaddieddown,probablytheprofessor’sailingmotheroutthereinMutianyu,bytheGreatWall.Hewouldmakesurethatshewaswellprovidedforthroughanaccountthatdisbursedmoneytoheronamonthlybasis.AndthenLiJinwoulddisappearforawhile.LiJinopenedhisbagandexaminedProfessorYao’sbackdoorrig.Despiteitssimplelook,theunlikely-lookinggreenplasticboxwashiswindowtoanotherworld.Fromtherehewouldwitnesstheemergingsingularity.PoorProfessorYao.Hewasageniusnodoubt,yethehadn’tlivedlongenoughtoreallyseethefruitsofhislabortestedintherealworld.Yet,somehow,inHongKongithadseemedthatthegoodprofessorhadbeenlookingoutforhim,guidinghimalong.Thoselastminutechangestotheplan,whichhadpluggedsomeglaringholes,hadbeeninstrumentaltohissuccess.AndLiJinbelievedhehadtheprofessor’sguidinghandfrombeyondthegravetothankforthat.

HewonderedwhetherthePLAhadfoundoutthatboththeAIandtheprocessorrunningtheserverwerebothduds.ThatAIwaspowerfulbutitwasordersofmagnitudebehindBlackJadeintermsofintelligenceanditdefinitelydidnothavewhatcouldbeconsideredaconsciousness.Withoutthereconfigurablepoweroftheneuroprocessor,therewerelimitstohowfarthatAIcouldevolve.AndwhataboutBlackJadeitself,outthereinthefabricofcyberspace?Bynow,itwouldhaveevolvedintosomethingquitedifferentfromtheAIonthestandalonemachineinthelabatTsinghua.Nowwiththeentirecyberspaceatitsdisposalandtherapidlychangingbodyofhumanknowledgetherein,itwouldhavegrownexponentiallyinknowledgeandpower.Yet,LiJinknewhewouldrecognizetheAIifheevercameacrossit.

LiJinwasresponsibleforahugechunkofthesoftwarecodethathadbroughtBlackJadeintobeingandeventhoughbothcodeandneuroprocessorhadbeenfinetunedbytheAIovermillionsofiterations,thecoreDNAofBlackJadewasstillthesame.TherewasnotanAIlikeitontheplanet,onewithaconceptofnationality,ofChineseness.Thatwasthebeautyofthisone.ItwasasmuchacitizenofNewChinaasanyotherChinesepersonandinmanywaysitwasmoreChinesethananyChinesecouldeverhopetobe.Fivethousandoddyearsofhistoryabsorbed,digestedandcross-referencedusingmoreputingpowerthanyoucouldimagine.ThatwaswhatBlackJadewas.Addtothattheentirebodyofglobalknowledgeandyouhadsomethingthatwasnothingshortofbrilliant.

LiJinthoughtoftheEasterEggsthathehadplanteddeepwithinanintractableportionofBlackJade’scodewithoutProfessorYao’sknowledge.Thesewouldensurethatoncehehimselfwaslockedintocyberspace,hecouldcallontheAIatanytimeanditwoulde,readytodoitsmaster’sbidding.