188 Quantum Artificial Intelligence (2/2)

She is also panting heavily due to the pain of being flayed alive. It is still fresh in her mind despite her body is completely healed. So fresh that she could still feel it on her pearly skin.

Xi Shi does have impressively white skin.

”Greeting, Miss Xi Shi. I hope that you have a pleasant dream despite being manhandled by one of my agents. Please apologize to the young miss for skinning her alive. That was unwarranted.”

The huge screen next to me speaks up. There is a circular mechanical eye looking directly at her from the screen. It did glance at me when it tells me to apologize.

I tap the mask on my face for a moment before apologizing.

”I am sorry for skinning you alive, Miss Xi Shi. There. Happy?”

I look at the massive screen as the mechanical eye narrows, but otherwise it did not say anything since I didn't say anything in my mind.

Xi Shi is stunned. She didn't know where she is or who she is talking to exactly, but from the look of it, she understands that the digital crimson eyeball on the screen is my boss.

She struggles to pull herself off the floor, hesitantly since she is actually naked.

I didn't bother to dress her up, as there is no point. Besides, she didn't seem to mind, but that is mostly because of her fear. She is utterly terrified.

”I am not who you are looking for.”

Xi Shi speaks up after swallowing the lump in her throat. She is quite thirsty at the moment but asking for a drink right now isn't possible.

”On the contrary, Miss Xi Shi. You are here because I have determined that you might be useful to me, or do you believe that I am wrong in this regard?”

The eyeball narrows at her. Despite being just an image on a monitor, it pierces her being, making her shivers. The message is obviously clear. If she says that she isn't, she will instantly be killed.

Even an idiot can see that.

”No. I will be useful to you. Please let me be useful to you.”

Xi Shi drops to her knees and kowtows. She didn't dare to lift her head. She wants to say don't kill her, but she has plenty of practice at this. Asking for that usually result in the exact opposite.

”Might be useful, Miss Xi Shi. Whether you are, that remains to be seen. While I am aware that you're not the real Xi Shi, the real Xi Shi is of no consequence to me. Her life is as insignificant as yours, even more so since I have determined that you may live. For now.”

The eyeball speaks up again. I think I should give it a name. I shall call it Quantum Artificial Intelligence, shorten to QAI. As for why that sounds familiar, it is from Supreme Commander, a video game released in 2007.

The game is about giant robots beating the shit out of each other. Sounds fun. It is. Much of my robotic army are based on their design anyway.

Well. I am basically a lot of my designs on everything in pop culture just because I am a fan. Of course, I did update some designs to make them more epics.

”Yes. Thank you for letting me live.”

Xi Shi speaks up without lifting her face.

”Where is the real Xi Shi?”

I question her through the QAI. While I already know, it is necessary for her to answer me.

”I do not know.”

Xi Shi answers. There is a bit of hesitation in her voice due to the fact that she might be killed or worst if the Party know she has revealed sensitive information.

”I do not need to remind you what happen If you lie, Miss Xi Shi. Your life is in my hand. And whether you are allowed to live or to die is completely at my sole discretion. I will demonstrate.”

I tell her and for an effect, Xi Shi all the pain that she has felt while being flayed alive. It is easy to make her feel it with the micromachines in her mind.

Legion has recorded all of her emotions and sufferings, allowing me to reintroduce them whenever I want. That is the real reason why I bother flaying her. It is to record those emotions and feelings.

”I really don't know. I really don't know! Please!”

Xi Shi calls out while screaming in pain. Tears stream down her beautiful features, ruining her makeup once more.

The pain eventually stops, allowing her to beg and plead. She actually crawls to me and grips my legs, crying.

”Please big brother, please tell master that I am not lying to him. I really don't know where the real Xi Shi is. I don't. No one does. She is everywhere, and she is nowhere.”

Her arrogance and self-importance from the time I had talked to her back in the Triad building are no longer to be seen. She is just a woman who fears for her life.

”I believe you, Miss Xi Shi, but my trust cannot be earned as easily. You will do what I say to the letter, and any deviation from it will not result in your death, but your eternal suffering.”

QAI speaks up.

”Yes. Yes. Master. I will do everything you say.”

Xi Shi pleads, kowtowing repeatedly like a broken doll.

Seeing that does make me change my mind about keeping her even as a pet, but then again, I did sort of say that I will let her live. I suppose I will have to do what I just said.

”Follow Lu Bu and destroy the Japanese conclave here in New York. Make sure that they understand who is responsible for their destruction. I will be watching.”

The image on the monitor then disappears, leaving being a black screen.

”Yes, Master. Yes, Master. Yes, Master.”

Xi Shi chants, continuing to kowtow at the monitor. She didn't stop kowtowing when I left the room and then return as Lu Bu. I eventually stop her because it does get kind of annoying after a while.

”Get up, Miss Xi Shi. Master has a job for us, and failure is not an option.”

I tell her and pull her off the floor.

Xi Shi looks at me and lowers her head in submission, realizing she is way out of her league. For some reason, I find her cuter this way.

Furthermore, it seems that I will not have a problem with her in the future. She is just far too terrified to even think of trying to run off or informing anyone.

But if Xi Shi tries, she will find that death is but a mercy. A mercy that I don't really give to people who betrays me for whatever reason.

”I think you should clean yourself up first. Follow me.”