The First Order

1212 Black makes the first move

“You listened to piano concertos when you were at the Pyro Company?” Qing Zhen asked as he slowly closed the piano lid.

Throughout the conversation, Xu Man stood beside Qing Zhen and kept his eyes on the clone, Qing Shen.

Although the other party looked exactly the same as Qing Zhen, it was really very difficult for Xu Man to have any cordial feelings for a clone. Moreover, he was always on guard against this clone.

Third Brother Qing glanced at Xu Man, then smiled at Qing Zhen and said, “See, it’s been this long, but everyone is still looking at me warily. Sure enough, to be born amid a conspiracy is already a wrong beginning, and the wrong beginning will only lead to an undesired outcome.”

Actually, Third Brother Qing’s summary was extremely on point. If he weren’t “born” into the Pyro Company, everyone would probably view him differently.

Qing Zhen said with a smile, “You’re still bothered by this?”

“Of course.” Third Brother Qing said with a smile as well, “If I want to integrate with this group, I have to care about how everyone views me. Oh, and to answer your question earlier, the training I received at the Pyro Company was comprehensive. It wasn’t just military training that I underwent.”

“Can you play the piano?” Qing Zhen asked.

“No.” Third Brother Qing shook his head. “Based on the information the Pyro Company had on you, you didn’t know how to play the piano, so they didn’t have me learn it. Y’know, when did you learn to play the piano? Why didn’t I know about it?”

Qing Zhen smiled. “There’s a lot more you don’t know about. Come, let’s start with playing some Go today.”

“You only wanted to see me today so we can play Go?” Third Brother Qing asked.

“That’s right,” Qing Zhen answered.

With that, he had Xu Man bring over a Go board and stones.

The Ginkgo Manor was luxurious beyond imagination. Its luxury was not only reflected in the decor but also in its internal operations, as well as all kinds of daily items imaginable to people, including a Go set.

Inside the spacious hall of the manor, Third Brother Qing sat down on the floor with Qing Zhen underneath a crystal chandelier hanging above them. The dark gray marble tiles were so polished their reflections were visible.

Sitting on such marble flooring, Third Brother Qing felt as though he were seated on the surface of a lake.

Marble flooring maintenance was more complex than one would expect. A lot of people thought that marble tiles would retain their shine forever after they were laid. But actually, for marble flooring to retain its sheen, it still needed to be frequently polished with chemicals.

Sitting down on the dark gray “lake” surface, Third Brother Qing lamented, “Those old fogeys of the Qing Consortium really knew how to enjoy life. These 181 black stones are made from black nephrite, while the 180 white stones are made from Hetian jade. The Go board is made from rosewood lined with gold thread.”

Qing Zhen said calmly, “They had prioritized the trivial over the essentials. I’ve played Go with them before, but they were terrible. If my skill level was as bad as theirs, I’d definitely be ashamed to play Go on such a precious board.”

Third Brother Qing chuckled, “Are you trying to say that your skill is befitting of such a good board since you’re using it now?”

“Of course.” Qing Zhen’s expression remained unchanged.

This time, Third Brother Qing did not rebuke him.

To him, Qing Zhen, who was sitting quietly across from him, was probably the best person at planning ahead in the world. If he had to go into detail, it meant Qing Zhen was the most farsighted human being in the world. Therefore, it wasn’t hard to understand why someone like him would be good at Go.

Xu Man observed from the side. In truth, he had not met Third Brother Qing that often.

During this period, Xu Man concluded that his boss, Qing Zhen, was the more composed of the two. On the contrary, Third Brother Qing was talkative, fidgety, and had a more lively personality.

Third Brother Qing laughed when he noticed Xu Man’s gaze. “I can guess what you’re thinking. Do you find me too talkative?”

Xu Man did not say anything. This was not a situation he could interrupt.

However, Third Brother Qing explained to Xu Man, “Actually, the Pyro Company simulated Qing Zhen’s upbringing for me. Even if our personalities are not exactly the same, we should at least be 60% identical. But I realized later that my character was a far cry from Qing Zhen’s, so I came to the conclusion that it’s probably because I don’t bear as much of a burden as your boss.”

Xu Man was stunned. He instinctively glanced at Qing Zhen and realized his boss did not refute him.

Third Brother Qing smiled and said, “Did you know that the vast Qing Consortium and the people in the Southwest actually have nothing to do with me? I don’t care whether they’re able to fill their stomachs today or tomorrow. Additionally, how the Wang Consortium will deal with the Qing Consortium, how terrifying the artificial intelligence is, and will the Qing Consortium be able to win, none of those are things I have to consider. If all of those matters become my responsibilities, I can’t stay cheerful either. In order not to let the AI predict his intentions, he chose to stay away from crowds so others couldn’t make an accurate assessment of him. This is even though he’s someone who clearly likes talking and gardening. In the long run, it’ll affect his mind for sure.”

Qing Zhen looked calmly at Third Brother Qing. “That’s enough.”

Third Brother Qing shrugged. “Why aren’t you letting me speak? I should be the one who understands you the best. Judging by your current behavior, it’s obvious you don’t even think you stand a 30% chance of beating the Wang Consortium. I don’t think you should keep hiding it from your subordinates, or else they’ll get very worried. Actually, a 30% chance of winning is already very high when facing that kind of opponent, though I don’t know where you get that confidence from. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t even think we stand a 10% chance of winning. That’s probably where I’m inferior to you.”

Qing Zhen toughened his tone. “Loose lips sink ships.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t say any more. You don’t have to threaten me like that.” Third Brother Qing kept quiet.

Xu Man remained silent. He clearly realized Third Brother Qing was right.

He started working for Qing Zhen long ago. Although Qing Zhen used to have the air of a leader, he was still someone who enjoyed laughing and joking around in private.

But now Qing Zhen suddenly seemed like a different person.

Qing Zhen gave Xu Man the feeling he had become much sterner.

Initially, Xu Man thought this was a common trait among those in power. After his superior became the leader of the Qing Consortium, he would have to act more authoritatively.

But it was only now that Xu Man understood it was because Qing Zhen was burdened with too many things, and all of this seemed related to that 30% chance of victory Third Brother Qing had pointed out.

Xu Man could not understand why Qing Zhen, who was always capable of overcoming anything in his eyes, would only have a 30% chance of winning against the Wang Consortium.

“10%,” Qing Zhen said.

Third Brother Qing was stunned. “You think you only have a 10% chance of winning?”

Qing Zhen pulled the Go bowls holding the black and white stones to his side. After that, he started placing the black stones with his left hand onto the board and the white stones with his right.

He played each move very slowly, as though he were thinking about something. Then the speed of play picked up.

Third Brother Qing noticed something. “This particular game, who played it? Was your purpose in summoning me here today to show me a Go game someone else played?”

“Mhm.” Qing Zhen nodded. “This was a game played between an AI and a human.”

“It looks like you don’t regard Wang Shengzhi as your opponent.” Third Brother Qing suddenly figured out a lot of things. “Your opponent is the Wang Consortium’s AI, right?”

“Wang Shengzhi is running out of time.” Qing Zhen said, “I’m guessing he won’t last much longer. He can’t even last until the war between the Qing Consortium and the Wang Consortium officially begins.”

These words revealed too much information. At the very least, this was the first time Qing Zhen admitted he had planted spies around Wang Shengzhi and was fully aware of his health.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Third Brother Qing said, “Once Wang Shengzhi dies, the war chariot that is the Wang Consortium will stop moving.”

Xu Man also felt that this made sense. After all, the Wang Consortium’s “war chariot” was entirely steered by Wang Shengzhi.

As long as Wang Shengzhi were gone, the Wang Consortium would come to a stop.

But Qing Zhen shook his head and said, “It won’t stop. The AI will help him complete his unfinished work. Moreover, you all have underestimated that AI. It isn’t a tool. I suspect it’s already become an independent consciousness, or it could even have become a civilization.”

“Why do you say that?” Third Brother Qing frowned.

“Because Wang Shengzhi doesn’t seem to know the Qing Consortium lost 2,000 of its nanosoldiers,” Qing Zhen replied.

If that artificial intelligence was only a tool controlled by Wang Shengzhi, there would be no reason for it to hide anything from him.

Third Brother Qing always felt that even though he was Qing Zhen’s clone and both of them had the same intelligence, his knowledge was much broader than his progenitor’s.

However, in terms of strategy, he was always a step behind and could not catch up to Qing Zhen’s thoughts.

Many people would habitually associate the Wang Consortium with the artificial intelligence. However, Qing Zhen regarded “Zero” as an independent being.

Third Brother Qing asked, “Do you need to pay so much attention to a program?”

“Of course.” Qing Zhen said, “In my opinion, this is a race against time. However, we’ve already lost the first-mover advantage. If I had pulled myself out of that war in the Southwest earlier and looked at the bigger picture, I would not have continued developing the nanomachines. A program might not be able to pose much of a threat on its own. But if it can control the nanomachines, it’ll have a weapon in its hands. I’ve never dared to underestimate the AI because I feel it has already surpassed our level of thinking.”

Third Brother Qing was stunned. This was the first time he had seen Qing Zhen admitting he was inferior to others, and it was even a program at that. However, Third Brother Qing could understand. “No one is omniscient and omnipotent. You’ve already done good enough.”

“There’s no need to comfort me.” Qing Zhen said, “At a time like this, all emotions are superfluous. We only need to think about how to win.”

Qing Zhen placed another black stone on the Go board. “The Qing Consortium was able to rise rapidly in the era of the wastelands because our predecessors retained a lot of knowledge, which they passed down. They were also a step ahead of others in the excavation of the Pre-Cataclysm civilization. There was a very interesting piece of information no one else noticed before, but it caught my attention. This was a game played between a Go player named Fan Hui against an AI program.

“Fan Hui was not the world’s top Go player at that time, so it was not a surprise he would lose all five games. It was at that moment that all humans started paying attention to AI.”

As Qing Zhen rambled on animatedly, Third Brother Qing and Xu Man were taken to another world. Qing Zhen sat on the “lake” as he placed the black and white stones on the board piece by piece. It was as though all of them were witnessing that epic war between humanity and artificial intelligence back then.

As the oldest type of strategy board game of the Central Plains civilization, Go involved extremely complex gameplay mechanics. There were over 200 possibilities to consider per move, while chess only had 20.

After the emergence of artificial intelligence in the game, an AI program dealt Fan Hui a crushing defeat. Then came the true battle of the greats. The AI program versus Lee Sedol.1

Qing Zhen said, “Lee Sedol was fully able to represent the pinnacle of humanity in Go at that time. But even when he faced the artificial intelligence, he only managed to win one out of five games.”

At this moment, Qing Zhen had Xu Man put the black and white stones back into the Go bowls. It seemed like he wanted to begin a new game.

Third Brother Qing watched quietly in the “lake.” He had the same keen intuition as Qing Zhen, so he seemed to know the reason Qing Zhen summoned him this time.

However, he would have to finish watching the replays of the Go games first.

Qing Zhen placed down the stones again. “In the first game between Lee Sedol and the AI program, humanity still lost.”

The black and white stones were alternately played on the rosewood board continuously. Third Brother Qing kept his eyes on the board, but he did not feel like it was an impressive game.

But in the second game, the artificial intelligence placed a stone at a position no human Go player would have made during its 37th move after the game’s opening.

Third Brother Qing immediately broke out in cold sweat.

This move foreshadowed the entire Go game. It was as though the entire cause of humanity’s failure was destined on the 37th move.

Qing Zhen said, “When I first noticed this information, I had the same reaction as you. At that time, I had only one thought on my mind: So Go can be played like this. Playing against the AI was like facing an unknown enemy. You can’t know what it’s thinking or what aces it has up its sleeves. This 37th move was just like when Zero suddenly abducted all our Qing Consortium’s nanosoldiers and nanomachines. Perhaps all our failures were destined from the moment it took control of our nanomachines.”

After the end of the second game’s replay, Qing Zhen sat quietly on the dark gray marble floor, as though he were reviewing this entire game.

Qing Shen also fell silent. It wasn’t until half an hour later that he suddenly said, “We have to change the Qing Consortium’s combat style. The foundation of the AI’s progression is learning from humans to improve itself. It must’ve studied our Qing Consortium for a long enough time that once we make our first move, it can predict the next 99 moves. But as long as we don’t play our cards logically, we’ll still have a chance to beat it.”

Qing Zhen shook his head and said, “It’s not that simple. Let’s have a look at the third game.”

In the third set, Lee Sedol ditched his usual playing style as he hoped to break away from all his past habits and forget his experiences in order to defeat the artificial intelligence.

However, the outcome was worse than he had expected. In this set, Lee Sedol suffered an even quicker defeat.

Abandoning his past was essentially giving up his greatest advantage.

The combat style the soldiers were accustomed to and the command style officers were familiar with were the foundation of the Qing Consortium’s invincibility. If they abandoned those, the Qing Consortium would probably only be able to reach 50% of its capability.

Third Brother Qing sat at the Go board in silence. He felt like he had fallen into an abyss, and that sense of powerlessness filled his limbs and bones.

“Don’t worry, humanity won the fourth game,” Qing Zhen said.

When Third Brother Qing and Xu Man heard this, their eyes lit up. It was as though they were the victors of that game.

In the fourth game, not only did Lee Sedol ditch his habits but he also broke away from all the conventions of humans in Go and defeated the artificial intelligence with unconventional play.

What was exciting was that the artificial intelligence had indeed lost much of its advantage in this game. After Lee Sedol’s unconventional move, the artificial intelligence repeatedly made low-level mistakes.

But even so, what was shocking was that Lee Sedol was still at a disadvantage. The overall situation was really bad.

On the 78th move, Lee Sedol suddenly played his stone and started a comeback in a desperate situation. This move was later described as the “Hand of God.”

The essence of the “Hand of God” move was to break all conventions before rebuilding.

Qing Zhen said, “The AI’s advantage is that it has 10,000 possible moves to counter your gameplay. But when it starts with Black, it gets disadvantaged when playing against White, which goes second. Because when Black plays first, it becomes its own enemy. So we should let the AI make the first move.”

Third Brother Qing mumbled, “Make a comeback in a desperate situation? Aren’t you taking a huge risk? Is that your 10% chance of victory?”

Qing Zhen glanced at him. “There’s no other choice.”

Third Brother Qing regained a spirited look and looked at Qing Zhen again, “How about the fifth game? Did he also win the fifth game with that strategy? No, wait, you mentioned the AI only lost one game.”

Qing Zhen said, “The fifth game was of no consequence. The AI quickly adapted to the new rhythm and defeated humanity again. If humanity could play unconventional moves, it naturally could do the same. The unconventional move in the fourth game seemingly opened a new door for the AI program. From that moment onwards, humanity probably didn’t stand a chance of defeating that AI in Go again.”

“Therefore,” Third Brother Qing said, “humanity only has one chance of defeating Zero.”

“Actually, this one chance is the best outcome we can ask for,” Qing Zhen said.

Xu Man nearly choked. Was Zero really that terrifying? Even someone like Qing Zhen thought it was good enough to have one “chance” at defeating it.

And humanity might not even be able to seize this opportunity.

Once the opportunity was missed, humanity could probably never defeat the artificial intelligence again.

“No matter what, humanity has prevailed against AI in the past. If humanity could do it back then, we can definitely do it again now,” Third Brother Qing said firmly.

Qing Zhen looked at Third Brother Qing and said in a serious tone, “What would you say if the AI program had deliberately lost that fourth game to humanity?”

These words stunned Third Brother Qing greatly.

If the AI program had deliberately failed to achieve a perfect victory…

“Hopefully, that wasn’t the case,” Qing Zhen said.

Third Brother Qing gradually calmed down. “You’re not someone who’ll surrender before the fight has even started. I believe you already have a plan in mind. Tell me what I have to do next.”

Qing Zhen shook his head. “We still can’t move yet.”

“Why not?” Third Brother Qing asked.

“It’s not yet our turn to move.” Qing Zhen said, “Right now, it’s the AI’s turn to play its move.”

After that, Qing Zhen threw the white stone in his hand back into the Go bowl. His spotless figure reflected off the well-polished marble floor.

Everyone hoped to take the initiative. But this time, Qing Zhen wanted to let Zero make the first move.

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