Those who face the wall, but are in the Nascent Soul stage.

Chapter 284 Wallfacer Project Hearing (3k)

The three talked about many things, from the situation in the solar system to analyzing Luo Qing, and down to so-and-so from the Common Era.

There have certainly been plenty of big news stories in the last two years: the end of the Great Ring War, the surrender of the Devouring Empire, the addition of the Light Speaker civilization, the Great Ring becoming a new planet, the upcoming negotiations with Jupiter...

The conversation was mainly led by Shi Qiang, while Hines remained silent, and Luo Ji was clueless about everything. While the three drank and chatted, Shanshan Huizi was busy preparing food and drinks for them, not participating in the men's conversation. Shi Qiang was delighted and kept praising Hines for having such a good wife.

But this relaxed atmosphere was quickly broken.

Inside the room, a holographic projection device emitted a soft ticking sound and flickered with a faint blue light.

"What is that?" Luo Ji asked.

"The telephone of this era," Shi Qiang explained casually.

Keiko Yamasugi walked over and saw the caller ID on the projector screen. The annotation "MOSS/Solar System Fleet" surprised her slightly, and she quickly answered the phone.

Luo Ji then witnessed this new era of telephone connection.

The laser projections intertwined in the air, and photons danced and leaped in the light, quickly forming a girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old. She was composed of countless fine, flowing light points, with a slight, breathing halo around her edges.

The image of holographic projection is far more than that.

The room's light seemed to deliberately avoid her, creating a faint, almost imperceptible shadow around her, making her image appear even more clearly suspended in mid-air. She wore a dress with a subtle pearly white sheen, her features were exquisitely perfect, her skin possessed an inhuman, delicate, pale silver glow, and the tips of her hair shimmered with tiny particles of light.

A perfect, unreal girl was presented to everyone.

Is this... a telephone of the new era? Who is this little girl?
Luo Ji was secretly surprised.

A clear, steady female voice, devoid of any childish tone, rang out in the room:

[Good evening, Colonel Shi Qiang, Dr. Luo Ji, Dr. Hines, and Ms. Keiko Yamasugi. I am MOSS. First of all, congratulations to Mr. Luo Ji, the Wallfacer, on his awakening in the new era. On behalf of the Solar System Fleet Joint Conference, I am here to inform the two Wallfacers that after 170 years, the Solar System Joint Conference has decided to hold the final hearing on the Wallfacer Project, initially scheduled for 21 days from now. The meeting will be held in a near-Earth orbit space city. Dr. Luo Ji and Dr. Hines, please prepare to attend.]
MOSS's voice easily pierced through the lingering effects of alcohol in the room, instantly sobering everyone up.

Before Luo Ji and Hines could speak, Shi Qiang clicked his tongue.

He raised his chin at the pale silver-haired girl. "Little Moss, what's the meaning of the final Wallfacer Project hearing? Is the Wallfacer Project being canceled? Why is the Solar System Fleet holding the hearing? What about the United Government?"

The girl with pale silver hair smiled: [Colonel Shi Qiang, you are currently a government employee of the United Government and may be unaware of the new order. The United Government inherited the United Nations, backed by the legal guarantees provided by Earth International. However, it is Fleet International that truly inherited the position of the Planetary Defense Council (PDC). The Wallfacer Project originated from the PDC, therefore, the current Wallfacer Project is the responsibility of Fleet International, as clearly stated in the Fleet International Charter. As for why this is the last hearing, I am not entirely sure either; the person in charge of the Fleet International Wallfacer Project did not explain this clearly to me.]
Upon hearing this, Shi Qiang frowned.

Upon hearing this, Luo Ji appeared extremely relieved: "This is the best news I've heard since I woke up. It seems the higher-ups are going to revoke my and Hines's Wallfacer status."

"You don't want to be a Wallfacer anymore?" Shi Qiang asked.

"Da Shi, do you know how I reacted when I was chosen as a Wallfacer? I've wanted to quit for a long time. I've already planned that once my Wallfacer status is revoked, I'll go awaken Yan Yan and Zhen Xing, and then live a peaceful life... It feels so good not to be responsible for humanity! Dr. Hines, what do you think?"

Hines nodded expressionlessly.

Looking at the girl in pale silver, and combining Shi Qiang's address with her self-description, Luo Ji suddenly realized, "I remember now, you are that super artificial intelligence that is all over the internet... MOSS, right?"

[Dr. Luo Ji, you'd be more affectionate to call me Little Moss.]
"Okay, little moss. Could you please send a message to the person in charge of the Wallfacer Project? Dr. Hines and I will attend the hearing on time."

Hines nodded as well.

The little moss emitted a soft light, and she gave Luo Ji a slight, human-like bow: "Dr. Luo Ji, there's no need to rush. You can take any of the space elevators to reach near-Earth orbit. The meeting place is [Starsea Space City], which was formerly the Joint Space Station. Before that, you have plenty of time to experience the beauty of the new era. There's no need to rush."

“After I step down from my Wallfacer status, I’ll have plenty of time to adjust. The most important thing right now is to get rid of this identity. Ideally, we should have a meeting tomorrow,” Luo Ji blurted out.

The little moss smiled without saying a word.

Shi Qiang stared at the holographic projection of the little moss: "I don't quite understand what Fleet International means. Does Fleet International want to revoke the identities of the two Wallfacers, or cancel the entire Wallfacer program?"

The little moss shook its head in denial: [The Wallfacer Project will continue, but the Wallfacer themselves may change over time.]
Shi Qiang frowned: "What nonsense about time constraints! Fleet International thinks the war is over, the Trisolarans are no longer a threat, so it's time to relinquish power? With Luo Qing around, the remaining Wallfacers are meaningless, huh? Are you worried these two ordinary Wallfacers will cause trouble? So you want to remove them? Professor Luo only woke up a few days ago, are you in such a hurry? What are the leaders of Fleet International doing overall?" Little Moss: "This topic might not be convenient to discuss, let's change to something else~"

Shi Qiang was speechless.

Keiko Yamasugi walked up behind Hines, gently kneading his shoulders, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "Actually, I've long hoped that my husband would no longer be a Wallfacer. We also want to live a peaceful and ordinary life, darling, don't you think?"

Hines nodded stiffly.

Big Shi stared at the Hines thoughtfully.

Luo Ji seemed to relax completely, sinking slightly into the sofa, and took another sip of his wine. "Da Shi, don't overcomplicate things. It's a good thing that you can get rid of this burden. The Wall-Facing Plan was a load of rubbish anyway, an ancient joke. If it weren't for Luo Qing, I can't even imagine what my life would be like now. Let the hearing be the hearing. In 21 days, it will all be over."

Shi Qiang didn't know what else to say. He was just a government employee in the new era, or to put it bluntly, someone who was paid to do his job.

There are plenty of smart people in this world, who does he think he is?

Finally, Little Moss said to the two: [Dr. Luo Ji, Dr. Hines, the agenda has been sent to your personal terminals. The core issues will revolve around your Wallfacer project itself, and a final assessment of the necessity of the current 'Wallfacer' identity in the new era. I suggest you both organize your records related to your Wallfacer behavior before hibernation and prepare your presentations. If needed, you can call me at any time via the private channel to help organize the materials.]
Finally, the girl in pale silver nodded slightly. "The message has been conveyed. I look forward to seeing Dr. Luo Ji and Dr. Hines in person at the hearing in 21 days. Goodbye."

After saying that, the phone call ended, and the holographic projection turned into a faint blue.

Luo Ji asked curiously, "With my own eyes? She's an artificial intelligence, how can she see things with her own eyes? Like an electronic eye?"

Hines suddenly said, "Professor Luo, Little Moss has a body. It's a clone born in Crisis Era 192, and it's thirteen years old now. Modern neuroscience is very advanced, and it's possible to upload and download consciousness. It took me, an ancient neuroscientist, a long time to figure out the principle behind this technology."

Keiko Yamasugi clearly disagreed with this conclusion: "Darling, you are still the best brain scientist in the world."

Luo Ji felt like a country bumpkin, constantly marveling at the latest news. Artificial intelligence can even have cloned bodies? What's the difference between that and a real human...?

The little incident ended quickly. Upon learning that he was about to lose his Wallfacer status, Luo Ji was in high spirits and got the two of them drunk.

After a hearty meal and drinks, Shi Qiang, accompanied by the completely drunk Luo Ji, took his leave.

"Well, Professor Hines, Professor Luo and I won't bother you two any longer. Luo Ji just came out of Antarctica and hasn't caught up with the world yet. He's not at the level of cultivation. Even a little kid could kill him with one punch. I have to be responsible for his safety. Professor Luo is staying at my house now, so we'll head back first. You and your wife should rest well at home. Thank you both for your hospitality. I'll have my youngest son arrange a drinking party later so we can have another drink together."

As he spoke, Shi Qiang abandoned his perfect innate realm, instantly shattering the alcohol fumes and regaining his clarity.

Hines also shook off the smell of alcohol, but his skill was lacking. Even after shaking off the smell several times, the smell of alcohol still lingered. However, he had sobered up: "Keiko and I will see you off."

"No need, just shoot down an unmanned aircraft," Shi Qiang said.

Soon, Shi Qiang carried the completely drunk Luo Ji away in a Didi Chuxing car, while Hines and Shanshan Huizi leaned against the leafy railing and watched the car drive away.

“Huizi?” Hines said softly.

No one spoke.

Hines turned to look at his wife, but Keiko's ever-present smile had completely vanished. She looked at Hines with a frosty expression.

"Keiko... what's wrong with you?"

Hines gave a wry smile.

"Nothing much, darling. Let's go get ready. Your Wallfacer status is about to end, and this nightmare will soon be over too."

"Huizi... I, I'm in so much pain."

"I know, but what does that have to do with me?"

(End of this chapter)