"I listened in on your exam, and I thought you would have made this batch of products all conform to the average. How could there be deviations?" Fu Qiuyan appraised Jiang Ye with great interest.
"Exams and reality naturally have some subtle differences," Jiang Ye mused for a moment. "My consideration was that if the artificial humans look more pleasing to the eye, perhaps ordinary people would be less likely to reject them. We're all visual creatures, aren't we?"
"You still have your biases," Fu Qiuyan said. "Why wasn't your lie detected during the exam?"
"Did I lie?" Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's what I thought at the time, but I've slightly changed my mind now."
"A master, able to deceive himself," Fu Qiuyan admired.
After another hour spent selecting various product specifications, Jiang Ye decided to order five thousand of the first batch of all-biological artificial humans.
Fu Qiuyan brought up the payment interface.
[Unit Price: 1.06 million yuan]
[Total Price: 5.3 billion yuan]
"So expensive. We're all allies, shouldn't there be a discount?" Jiang Ye asked, feigning pain.
"This is already the discounted price. I'm giving you a basic knowledge package for free, worth three hundred million," Fu Qiuyan smiled.
"What does the basic knowledge package include?"
"After these artificial humans are produced, their minds will be blank. The basic knowledge package will implant some knowledge into their minds, allowing them to integrate into society and not be like prehistoric creatures," Fu Qiuyan explained.
"What does the basic knowledge package cover? A set of '100,000 Whys'? An encyclopedia? Or a dictionary?" Jiang Ye was very curious.
"Those aren't basic knowledge. That's a joke. I can't even finish reading a dictionary," Fu Qiuyan chuckled. "The basic knowledge package mainly includes language functions, enabling them to speak, with two thousand common characters, including writing ability, Pinyin ability, and common word meanings. It also includes four basic arithmetic operations and simple self-care abilities."
"Washing clothes and cooking?" Jiang Ye asked. "Can they repair appliances?"
"You're joking again. Washing clothes and cooking aren't simple self-care abilities; they are advanced self-care abilities. For example, I can't wash clothes or cook. I've tried to learn, but I'm completely incapable," Fu Qiuyan said. "Repairing appliances is even more far-fetched."
Jiang Ye remained silent, mentally grumbling.
Washing and cooking, what kind of advanced ability is that?
You can't do it because you're a planet leader. Your clothes are always new, and you have a dedicated team of chefs to prepare your meals.
"Basic self-care abilities include eating by oneself, using the toilet, finding something to stop bleeding if you get a cut, and not attacking others arbitrarily," Fu Qiuyan elaborated.
"Don't they eat by themselves?" Jiang Ye was taken aback. "I'm asking for people with normal intelligence."
"Using chopsticks and forks," Fu Qiuyan said. "Without this knowledge input, people who haven't received any table etiquette training will press their faces into their plates like beasts, getting food all over themselves. Have you ever seen a dog eating from its bowl?"
Jiang Ye was speechless.
"Using the toilet means knowing not to soil your pants, not to soil your bed or public places, but only to relieve yourself in the toilet, squatting or using a commode," Fu Qiuyan explained. "This also involves the injection of knowledge about shame. If they lack shame, the artificial humans might defecate in the streets, wouldn't that cause chaos?"
Jiang Ye imagined that scenario and found it truly disastrous.
"This package is very necessary," Jiang Ye nodded vigorously. "Can't more knowledge be implanted?"
"No," Fu Qiuyan shook his head.
"Not even if I pay more?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Implanting more knowledge requires approval from specialized agencies of the Galactic Empire, and it's generally not granted. This technology is for the disabled; it was originally developed for soldiers on the battlefield. Some soldiers suffered brain injuries. After repairing their brain tissue, the structure was intact, but their memories were gone. To avoid affecting the lives of recovering soldiers, the knowledge implantation technology was specifically developed for the disabled. If healthy individuals use it in large quantities, it can create knowledge gaps between different planets, leading to uncontrollable consequences."
"If learning is so slow, wouldn't directly injecting knowledge into their brains advance human progress?"
"The most cutting-edge research no longer relies on humans," Fu Qiuyan's smile suddenly vanished, and his expression became somewhat serious. "Moreover, the knowledge implantation technology currently mastered by humans is not particularly mature. If a large amount of knowledge is implanted at once, the brain will quickly forget a lot, and there's also the risk of psychological problems due to memory confusion. After all, it goes against natural laws."
Jiang Ye nodded, which made sense.
It's fine, he thought. He could establish schools on Birong Star for the artificial humans and arrange for them to receive education.
"When will the delivery be?" Jiang Ye paid with facial recognition.
"It depends on your side. As soon as Birong Star has accommodation for five thousand people, send me the address, and I can deliver immediately," Fu Qiuyan said. "From Daughter Star to Birong Star, it should take no more than 48 hours."
"Okay."
...
A week later.
On Birong Star, in a vast dense forest.
In the center of the forest, five thousand people sat on the ground, all wearing light red work uniforms.
The uniforms had "Birong Star - Jiang Ye Star Faction" printed in small white letters on the chest, and "Northern Forest Farm" in four characters on the back.
Jiang Ye ascended a high platform, surrounded by guards, and surveyed the five thousand people below. He tapped the microphone.
"Good morning, everyone. I am Jiang Ye, and you should recognize me."
Silence from below.
Everyone looked bewildered. They recognized Jiang Ye, of course, but didn't know how to respond now.
Should they shout "Yes"?
It seemed too abrupt.
Not reacting, however, seemed impolite.
One person nodded first, and soon others followed suit. After a while, everyone was nodding, with five thousand heads swaying back and forth.
The scene was somewhat comical.
Jiang Ye was speechless and could only clear his throat to continue.
"From today onwards, you will temporarily live here."
"This area is the native forest of Birong Star, free from Mil biological pollution, and the environment is relatively safe."
"You have all been employed by the Northern Forest Farm Group. Your first task is to build your own residences. The mechanical soldiers of the forest farm will teach you how to build wooden houses and how to grow vegetables."
"Once you have shelter and food, you can begin to clear the land around you, chop down trees, and process them into planks and lumber. Someone will come to collect this lumber and pay you a salary."
"Your redemption fee is one million. It sounds like a lot, but if you work hard, you have hope of regaining your freedom within a few years."
"In addition to work, a night school will be established here, and teachers will come to give lectures. I hope everyone studies diligently."
"Alright, let's start grouping now," Jiang Ye turned off the microphone.
The mechanical soldiers who had been waiting outside the forest farm immediately entered the venue.
They began distributing work badges to the forest farm employees.
Five thousand people, one hundred people per group, making a total of fifty groups.