Hayden silently read the email, watched it automatically delete, and then covered his face.
The boss in Todak said the job details would be discussed in an interview, and didn't specify which company's middle manager's wife would be permanently removed. However, given the current trend, everyone knows that the person whose job is going to "disappear" might very well be Adam's wife, Alicia.
The owner of Todak said he'd know within an hour, so it seems the employer is quite anxious about this. On the other hand, perhaps Adam knows who the mastermind behind the attempt to kill his wife really is.
So Hayden quickly contacted Adam, wanting to tell him what he knew, but his phone showed that Adam was busy and not accepting any communication.
"shit"
This is not a good sign.
Hayden cursed under his breath, finally starting to get a little anxious.
Although they weren't close, Alicia was his friend's wife, and it had been proven that she hadn't cheated on him; letting her get killed was definitely not an option. Besides, what if Adam happened to be with his wife and they both got killed?
"Master, what are you worried about?"
Angela had just finished cleaning up the room that had been messed up by the battle, and curiously leaned closer. In less than half a second, she finished reading what Hayden's phone was projecting, and then her eyes widened slightly in surprise: "Are you looking for this Ms. Alicia?"
"You could say that."
Although Hayden was actually looking for Adam, Angela's statement wasn't entirely wrong.
Therefore, Angela's next words truly surprised Hayden.
"Then I should know her location."
This is really strange.
"Huh? Wait, why!?"
Hayden had thought he was getting used to Angela's astonishing pronouncements, but her words this time were still baffling.
"Because the owner has been complaining about not having enough money, last night, after I made sure you were asleep, I used your computer to try to find ways to make money."
Angela answered with an innocent look on her face.
“Because I overheard you talking to your friend in your correspondence that this Ms. Alicia likes literature, painting, poetry and beauty, I thought that maybe I could get a job from her because of that.”
“Yesterday, while I was on that club’s server, I saw the email address that Ms. Alicia had recorded in her member profile, so I also registered an email address to contact her. After hearing me sing, she said she was willing to interview me at 2 p.m. today, hoping that I could showcase other artistic talents. So last night I tried to paint a picture.”
She blurted out a whole bunch of things at once.
Hayden was completely bewildered.
"You can sing and draw... No, never mind. I'm not going to be surprised by that."
Modern artificial intelligence technology has consistently faced insurmountable challenges in the field of AI-generated artistic creation. While AI can indeed create stories, draw pictures, and reproduce the techniques and styles of past painters and authors, it always seems to lack a certain human touch. Although there was a surge of interest in AI-generated artistic creation decades ago, it was merely a fleeting curiosity about the new technology, and these works all disappeared within a decade.
However, the fact that Angela's AI, her singing and painting, could arouse the curiosity of a high-class noblewoman... well, that's a digression.
Hayden doesn't plan to think about that problem for now, because the current situation is more urgent.
Where do you want to schedule the interview?
Angela did not answer Hayden's question immediately.
"Master, I have a question."
She pointed to Hayden's phone, looking puzzled, and said...
"Since you want to find Ms. Alicia as soon as possible, why not go directly to her house?"
Hayden was speechless for a moment.
016: The Protoss in the New Century
As its name suggests, the Emerald City's most desirable residential area is home to the city's elite and their dependents. An invisible barrier filters out air pollution from the entire area, preventing acid rain from damaging the wealthy's green lawns. All streets are spotless, and gardening drones take care of the hedgerows and bonsai trees lining the streets.
The climate of this entire city is customized. Whenever a new neighborhood is built, the development company uses godlike powers to flatten mountains that might obstruct the plan, divert rushing rivers, and modify the environment to ensure safety.
Many high-stressed mid-to-senior level employees of large companies, along with their idle family members, live here. When they have their occasional days off, there are plenty of upscale department stores and clubs, as well as all sorts of shady entertainment venues. The even wealthier elites while away their time in members-only hotels.
Needless to say, the city is incredibly safe. Street crime is practically unheard of here. The barrier also separates the beautiful area from the bay area. On one side of the barrier, everything is meticulously maintained like a garden; on the other side, the streets are dilapidated, littered with blood, broken glass, burnt chips, and empty drug bottles. This barrier is a literal barrier, dividing the city into rich and poor classes.
The Adams live here. Although Adam is actually married into the family, and Alicia Apsara is the daughter of a Mitra Group executive, they still live separately as a young couple, so they don't live in some outrageously luxurious private castle. Their home is currently just a typical middle-class residence in the beautiful district—a two-story villa with a white fence, a double garage, a green lawn and backyard, and all the amenities of modern living, like a lovely jewelry box.
When Hayden arrived at Adam's house with Angela in a maid outfit, the person who opened the door for them was just an ordinary-looking housekeeper. In truth, Angela, dressed in a Victorian maid outfit, was even stranger.
Although Adam wasn't home, Alicia still warmly welcomed them—she had seen Hayden act drunk at the wedding banquet the night before and was deeply impressed by him, which was why she knew that Hayden and Adam were good friends.
"My husband went to Los Santos early this morning because of business from head office."
She said this to Hayden with an apologetic look, but her voice was melodious and beautiful, like the clear sound of gold beads falling onto a crystal plate.
"Even I couldn't get in touch with him before the company meeting ended."
If this little villa is like a jewelry box, then Ms. Alicia, who lives there, is the sapphire placed inside.
Miss Alicia, at the tender age of twenty, possessed a slender and graceful figure, like a lotus emerging from water, elegant and poised, with a captivating charm that would leave even the world's finest sculptors in awe. Today, she wore a light blue dress that shimmered under the lights, and a pair of diamond earrings were hidden beneath her sea-blue hair. Though only twenty, she was already a married lady, a status that imbued her beautiful and alluring face with a profound and noble air.
However, these were not the things Hayden cared about.
Since he couldn't contact Adam, there was nothing he could do. He sent Adam a message first, then tried to explain the situation simply to Ms. Alicia. Of course, Hayden didn't mention that he was working as an urban mercenary; he only said that he learned about it through his connections as a private investigator.
However, even after learning from Hayden that someone was hiring someone to try to make her "disappear forever," Alicia still didn't show any worry or fear; instead, she seemed somewhat confused.
“I am very grateful for your concern, Mr. Hayden. But I doubt that such concerns are necessary.”
She hesitated for a moment, glanced at her husband's friend, and tried to express her opinion in a polite tone.
“Low-level social workers like freelance mercenaries don’t have the ability to do anything to the people living in the beautiful district.”
Wow.
Upon hearing this, Hayden turned to face Angela in bewilderment.
This lady is really confident.
"Of course I won't take your concern to heart. I'll stay home with Dalita these next few days, and at least not leave the beautiful area."
Alicia gestured to the maid bustling behind her. The maid had already prepared a round table with a candelabra, its candlelight flickering, laden with a sumptuous and exquisite meal, three sets of cutlery, and porcelain plates of game and rare fruits. A small wine rack held five or six bottles of fine vintage wine, placed within easy reach of everyone. Three chairs were arranged around the round table.
"Actually, since you happened to come with Miss Angela today, I didn't have any other plans to go out. This is really lucky!"
Alicia spoke, a bright smile playing on her lips, revealing a girlish joy and lively playfulness.
"You two must be hungry after your long journey. Shall we eat and chat?"
She gestured for the guest to sit at the round table, her mind still preoccupied with interviewing Angela.
Technically speaking, Hayden could understand Alicia's thinking. Mitra Information Group has always been a global leader in media, entertainment, and social networking, a trendsetting company. Alicia's interest in Angela must stem from her belief that Angela might have the potential to be cultivated as a star, which would, of course, generate profits for the company.
But she wasn't afraid of the mercenaries coming to her door; Hayden was terrified for her!
Angela, on the other hand, hardly knew what fear was. She looked curiously at the food on the round table, then said apologetically to Alicia, "I'm sorry, ma'am. I don't have the ability to eat."
Alicia was taken aback for a moment before realizing, "This is a mechanical doll? Oh dear... I'm so sorry, Mr. Hayden, I didn't even notice, I'm really sorry... But this is a good thing. Being able to switch body parts at will is very helpful for an acting career. After all, there are very few people who can adapt to a complete body modification."
Replacing just one hand or a few body parts wouldn't be a problem for most people. However, if someone were to completely transform their entire body into a mechanical structure, 90% of people would be completely dumbfounded and wouldn't know how to move. Complete mechanization requires talent; not everyone can adapt.
So Alicia looked Angela up and down, clicking her tongue in amazement, then turned to Hayden: "This doll has great potential. The fact that the AI can sing like that is a selling point, Mr. Hayden. Did you develop this AI yourself? Is this the 'ideal mechanical wife' you mentioned at the wedding banquet the other day? I can't guarantee anything, but I suspect the company will be very interested in its AI—"
She said with a forced smile. To be honest, this expression greatly desecrated her elegant appearance, revealing the true nature of her beauty.
"Could we ask it to sing another song?"
This request made Hayden rub his forehead involuntarily.
He really felt this wasn't the time to do this, but then again, since the other side wasn't going to get serious, there was nothing he could do. Besides, Hayden was actually quite curious to hear Angela sing. Aside from when he was repairing furniture, Hayden had never really heard her sing properly.
"Then I'll make a fool of myself."
Angela then went up with a smile.
Although she was a robot, she breathed softly, as if the breath of life was rising and falling within her. When she spoke again, a song flowed from her lips. This song was softer and more lively than the one Angela had used to repair the furniture. Despite the lack of instrumental accompaniment, the girl's beautiful and gentle voice was as soothing as a flowing stream of music.
"In the beginning, the world was created, the mountains stood tall, and the moon shone brightly,"
"No trace remains of the rocky stream, the azure sky is high and vast."
"I sing of the breeze, the breeze that blows through the branches, and listen to it gently caressing the leaves."
"I sing praises to the leaves, the leaves that sprout in spring, watching them adorn the earth."
"In the beginning of the world, the mountains were verdant and the stars were like crowns."
"I sing the name of every blade of grass, every tree, and every stone."
Hayden grew increasingly astonished, even fearful, as he listened. Angela had probably just been singing casually, but as she sang, the entire living room—the entire house—seemed to change. Though he was in the city, he seemed to see the spring breeze rustling through the forest, and a verdant forest spreading out from Angela like a pool of water, then climbing the walls like waves. The melodious singing made one see forests, blue skies, and the vastness of the world.
Moreover, the lyrics of her songs sounded particularly strange.
Alicia was also hearing a live performance for the first time. Aside from the singing, the "visual effects" around her also surprised her greatly. Seeing the round wooden table they were sitting on start to sprout branches and the wooden floor under their feet start to sprout grass, she finally got anxious and quickly waved to Angela to stop.
Angela immediately shut up. As soon as she stopped, the branches, grass, and even the blue sky above the room vanished with a "bang," making one wonder if it was all an illusion.
"How was it?" Hayden, realizing what was happening, seized the opportunity to tease, "What do you think of my expensively made AI singing skills?"
Alicia's face instantly went from white to green, and then from green to red.
But being a professional, she reacted quickly, saying, "I've heard my husband say that Mr. Hayden is fond of classical magic, and today I truly see your expertise. Although the lyrics are somewhat different, what this AI is singing should be a hymn from ancient times, praising ancient gods. Could it be a new kind of classical magic that you've slightly modified?"
After Alicia finished speaking, she even sang a few lines of a different but somewhat similar tune:
"He heals the heartbroken and bandages their wounds."
"He counted the number of the stars and named them one by one."
"He covered the sky with clouds, rained down on the earth, and made grass grow on the mountaintops."
“He gave food to the wild animals and to the birds that sing.”
Her voice is incredibly penetrating, with perfect intonation and rhythm; whether reciting or singing, it is always melodious and captivating. All who hear it are mesmerized. This magical voice, with its varied and melodious tones, possesses a powerful timbre.
Hearing what she just said, even Hayden was surprised by the song. But this was both unexpected and perfectly reasonable.
Alicia must indeed be a specialized art-type gene modifier, which is why she knows that songs, or rather art itself, are one of the forms of classical magic.
"Yes, that's pretty much what you said."
Hayden mumbled something under his breath while pondering it.
Art is magic.
The oldest songs are magic, dance is magic, painting is magic, and drama is an extremely powerful form of magic. Modern corporations have replaced most of the magic of the past with arcane arts, but they haven't forgotten that art can be used as magic.
Art is magic; it can change people's hearts and even alter reality. A moving song can give courage to the timid, strength to the cowardly, and light to the blind. Given this, companies certainly wouldn't forget to harness such power—controlling the media is crucial. Therefore, this kind of technique does exist within modern magic.
Therefore, when Hayden first heard Adam say that Alicia had been busy learning literature, painting, piano, and poetry since childhood, he suspected that she had been specially trained in these areas. Not only was she trained in these skills from a young age, but Alicia might even have been a natural-born articulator.
The so-called "adjusters," as the name suggests, are organisms that undergo genetic modification at the fertilized egg stage, are cultivated in artificial wombs, and are subsequently improved and optimized.
Such gene modification is naturally extremely expensive, so most people who undergo it come from upper-class families. Their wealthy parents essentially "purchase" the right for their children to win at the starting line of life. In other words, those who can become gene modifiers are mostly second-generation rich, third-generation rich, or even nth-generation rich.
Today, whether it's arcane research, sports and entertainment stars, or business investment—the top figures in many fields are basically all heirs to wealthy families. Alicia, born into a family of corporate executives, is no exception.
So, how would such an artistic adjuster view the songs sung by Angela, an AI?
"These old songs are indeed very beautiful."
Alicia said this.
"But their lyrics and melodies are outdated, too... unrealistic. Times have changed, and these things can't become popular anymore."
She spoke boldly, a gentle smile playing on her lips, like a goddess rising from the sea, radiant amidst the waves and the morning light. Yet, the words she uttered were remarkably pragmatic and realistic.
"But that magical effect is pretty good. If a professional composer prepares a truly popular song first, and then it performs it, with its appearance and voice, with just a little packaging, it could definitely attract hundreds of millions of fans. Mr. Hayden, your technology could even usher in a new era of AI music creation! This is a talent worth a fortune!"
Alicia possesses a magical voice, with melodious and varied tones, like the timbre of a goddess—but she believes these are merely tools for making profits.
Well, it's not that there's anything wrong with that, but Hayden obviously wouldn't actually sell Angela's AI technology to the company. He himself doesn't even know how Angela's AI was created.
So Hayden could only quickly change the subject: "Speaking of which, what kind of songs are actually popular?"
Alicia perked up at the mention of this and immediately began to explain in a rambling manner, but what she said was mostly stuff that Hayden could hardly understand—strange musical terms, the current mainstream composers, different schools and styles… Hayden knew nothing about any of this.
Fortunately, Alicia was also clever. Realizing that Hayden, this country bumpkin, wouldn't understand such sophisticated concepts, she immediately changed the subject, starting to talk about something more practical: what truly makes something popular is the method of promotion; the song that generates the most traffic is the most popular song. Promotion is paramount, and it must be done through various channels and methods—this is the most crucial part of the music industry in this era. For example, having professionals write the stories behind the songs and singers will make consumers feel more satisfied and gain more depth. While AI is a disadvantage in this regard, it can also be turned into an advantage, because behind this AI lies Hayden's pursuit of ideal love. Besides, AI is certainly more efficient at constantly releasing new singles…
And so on.
Hayden's head started to ache as he listened. He had thought that talking like this would get Alicia to sing a few lines, but instead, this bourgeois goddess was talking to him about these things.
Fortunately, the world didn't intend for Alicia to keep talking endlessly about her ideas for generating traffic and promoting marketing.
With a soft "snap," all the lights in the house suddenly went out in an instant. Not only that, but all the devices powered by the house's magical circuits stopped working in that instant. Thankfully, it was daytime, and bright sunlight was streaming in through the windows, preventing the house from suddenly becoming pitch black.