November 2005, Africa, Nigerian prairie.
This small town called Nubani is very lively today. In fact, since the birth of this city has never attracted much attention as it is today.
Even though it was 8 o'clock in the morning, journalists from news media all over the world had already set up very spectacular long guns and short cannons on both sides of the newly built wide road in Nubani.
These reporters spoke various languages ​​and stood in front of the camera, introducing the audience to the situation at this time and here.
The sound of camera photography, the flashing light almost never stopped, and behind these reporters, at the end of this wide road, is a huge and unique building.
It is a factory and the world's first intelligent machinery center to be put into operation.
Of course, in external publicity, the reporters did not mention the term intelligent machinery. They used "smart products". After all, in this season of 2005, people came into contact with the most intelligent products, namely new sweeping robots, or robotic arms in manufacturing factories.
Most people, including these journalists, did not realize what changes this intelligent machinery center, which will be put into use today, will bring to the whole world.
But at least now, all journalists are praising the major advances in technology.
"In the past few months, we have disclosed the progress of the construction of the Onika Group's smart product factory many times. Although it is very mysterious, we still find a lot of internal information."
In front of the camera, Eddie Brock, a famous independent investigative journalist in San Francisco, wore his signature black flight jacket, combed his hair neatly, looking quite handsome, and he was not as serious and rigid as other media people. He was quite relaxed.
He waved a stack of files in his hand to the camera, just like a talk show. He opened the files and said to the camera:
"Everyone knows that Onika Group was founded a year ago, but I think it's hard for everyone to guess. This mysterious, specializing in high-tech products, and in the past few months, the major shareholder behind the company that has released many popular smart products... Well, I'm not taking the opportunity to advertise, but its newly released smart speakers are really useful."
Eddie told a joke to the camera, and he also smiled. After laughing, he mysteriously turned the document around and said to the camera:
"Look here, friends, the shareholders of the Onika Consortium include the genius arms dealer we are familiar with, the famous playboy, and the idol of all men. Wow, when I interviewed Tony last time, he swears to tell me that the Onika Consortium is great and has great potential. It turns out that he is advertising his own products."
After a small leak of information, Eddie did not continue to disclose more shareholders. On the one hand, it was because those guys were not as topical as Tony Stark. On the other hand, other shareholders also greeted Eddie in advance, and they did not want to show up in public.
Yes, this is the rule that journalists need to follow... Reporting news is also risky, and a smart journalist needs to learn to avoid risks.
And beside Eddie Brock, I don’t know if it was a coincidence. In short, Ms. Louise Liann, another famous reporter wearing a blue floral dress, was also preheating the opening ceremony of the upcoming Nubani Smart Industrial Zone.
Compared to Eddie's relaxed and pleasant way of reporting, Miss Louise seems much more dignified and serious. She is more like a traditional media reporter, but her high appearance and precise and powerful words have also won her a lot of loyal audiences.
Louise actually doesn't care about these preheated reports now. Her boyfriend Clark Kent, who is very capable in all aspects, has qualified for internal interviews for Louise through his mysterious and efficient "connections".
After the opening ceremony, Louise will have the opportunity to conduct private interviews with the big names attending the opening ceremony. For the editors of Planet Daily, compared to popular, monotonous news broadcasts and various unsuccessful gossip tabloid news, such real and attractive private interviews are the real gimmicks.
Under Louise's instructions, Clark, who held the camera, turned the camera to the smart industrial park behind. In the switching between long and short lenses, this preheating report was over.
Clark turned off the camera, took out a bottle of water from his backpack and handed it to his girlfriend who was already a little dry, and he said:
"Maybe after the report is over, Louise, we can take this opportunity to go to the prairie to relax."
"OK."
Louise sucked water while plucking her long hair, and she blinked at Clark:
"I have a better idea, why not take annual leave and have a trip, from the prairie to South Africa... we have not traveled together yet."
"Okay."
Clark pushed his glasses and smiled softly, saying to his girlfriend:
"But I have to go home before Christmas, Martha told me to go home... Seriously, I want to take you back so they won't worry about me anymore."
"Go to meet your parents?"
Louise was a little nervous at this moment. She held the water bottle in her hand and said:
"Will this be a little too fast..."
"No, no."
Clark reached out and grabbed his girlfriend's hand, he said:
"They are all very good people. Trust me, they won't put pressure on you. They just go to the farm and sit there. We can go back to New York after only 2 days."
"Oh well."
Louise nodded, and she looked back at the smart engineering behind her with some feeling. Several cars were parked there, and some people walked out of the car. Louise hurriedly grabbed the camera in her hand and said to Clark:
"Open the camera! Hurry up, the representative of the World Security Council is here... Oh my God, it's Alexander Pierce, he actually came in person! Wait, is the person next to him again?"
Louise put the camera in front of her eyes and mobilized the focal length. Soon, she locked in Alexander Pierce with a cane and the guardian in a windbreaker beside him.
Louise didn't know the guy's name and identity, but the last meeting of the Future Science Foundation, including at the scene of the report on an illegal human trial accident in Mexico, was seen.
The reporter seriously suspected that this guy who looked quite gloomy should be a low-key person, maybe he was a senior official engaged in secret work.
Just as Louise was about to press the shutter to take a photo, Merlin, who accompanied Pierce to get out of the car, suddenly turned around.
In Louise's camera lens, she clearly saw Merlin showing a gentle smile at her, and just as Louise was about to take a photo, her camera suddenly turned off strangely.
"Damn!"
Louise was startled. She picked up the camera and looked at it. She found that the machine was not broken, but what the hell was it that the machine suddenly turned off?
She turned her head and looked at Eddie Brock beside her. There seemed to be something wrong with the camera in the young reporter's hand...
"This is definitely not a coincidence!"
Louise grabbed the camera and gritted her teeth as she watched Merlin disappear quickly behind the door of the Smart Industrial Park, she said:
"Wait, I will definitely catch you."
——————————————
"That was... Louise?"
Meilin sat on an unmanned electric car and drove towards the core building of the Intelligent Machinery Center. While looking at the elegant environment inside the large industrial park and the transplanted trees, he asked:
"Is it Clark's girlfriend? Is Eddie Brock standing next to her?"
"Yes, it's them."
Icarus projected photos of Louise and Eddie and identity information onto Merlin's lenses, she said:
"Miss Liann and Mr. Eddie seem to be interested in you, Merlin."
"Many people are interested in me, Icarus, but I can't respond to their curiosity one by one. My time is precious."
Merlin reached out and waved to the big bald Lex Luthor who was also sitting in a driverless car not far away, and the latter nodded to Merlin. Although the park has not yet been opened, some people with important identities, such as Pierce, Luthor, Princess Techara and Queen Ororo of Wakanda, and Princess Su Rui, have entered the park.
The opening ceremony that will be held later is only for ordinary people. At the opening ceremony, representatives of Onika Group will only show some semi-intelligent products. The real role of the intelligent machinery center will not be disclosed at this stage.
The people are not ready to accept intelligent equipment.
In the next few years, Onika Group will slowly promote a series of intelligent products to society with a speed that meets the development of science and technology. Their ultimate product will be a smart robot with independent personality and complete thinking loop.
But that will happen at least 3 or 4 years later...if everything goes well.
"Merlin, you're here."
When Merlin arrived at the core of the Intelligent Machinery Industrial Park, the entrance of the towering building called the Intelligent Tower, George, sitting on the floating chair, also came out to greet him.
George is currently one of the chief designers of the Onika Group, which is dominated by SHIELD, and its important staff are almost all SHIELD employees.
"Hi, George, long time no see."
Merlin jumped out of the smart car, he shook hands with George friendly, and he said to Super Brain Man:
"Have you been here for a few months? I went to the Ghost Base a few days ago, and Moira asked me when I would transfer you back... Obviously, she missed you, ha, Brother George, you are very charming."
"Stop kidding, Merlin."
George rubbed his forehead with some distress, and he said:
"You know, Moira just wanted me to go back and participate in her weird experiments... It's so scary to fall in love with her. Even if you were kissing, you had to be on guard against the syringe in the girl's hand. To be honest, I regret it a little."
"I don't know what other worlds are like, but at least in our world, there is no medicine for regret."
Merlin patted George on the shoulder and said with pity:
"This is a matter of buying and leaving, and it is not a return or exchange."
"Forget it, I won't talk about these things."
George didn't want to say too much about this issue. He manipulated the suspended chair and waved to Merlin, saying:
"Come with me, the first test run of the Intelligent Machinery Center is about to begin. All the scientists involved in the design are here. Unfortunately, Dr. Reid has gone to space and he can't see this scene that is destined to be recorded in history."
"It's okay, too."
Merlin followed George into the Smart Tower, looking at the silver-gray corridor in the Smart Tower with a very futuristic sci-fi style, and the anti-gravity escalators shining with blue light, he said:
"We can record it, and after Reed returns from space, he can still see the video."
As the two talked, they soon took the anti-gravity escalator to the central control room of the smart tower. As George said, it was already full of people, mostly members of the Future Science and Technology Foundation, and even the short arms dealer Tobion and his daughter who had been opposing intelligence.
"Banner, how do you feel lately?"
Merlin walked to the edge of the control room, picked up the goblet on the table, and said to the PhD in physics who was standing behind the crowd and had no sense of existence:
"Why didn't you see Betty?"
"She and Ms. Ororo, and Miss Potz in the lounge."
Bruce Banner, the dangerous containment codenamed 05084-2, said to Merlin very gently:
"She doesn't like smart machines very much. In fact, she is a tech conservative."
"Yeah, understandable."
Merlin nodded, and he looked at Banner in front of him. In the perception of spiritual vision, Banner's vitality was incredibly active, but his emotions were very stable. It seemed that he had adapted to his own state.
"Your meditation is very useful, Merlin."
Banner thanked Merlin and said:
"Hulk hasn't appeared for 2 months."
"Continue to maintain, Banner, I hope it doesn't show up either."
Merlin took a sip of wine and said to Banner:
"We need your wisdom, not its power, and at this stage you have to be much more important than him."
"Um."
Banner, who had a little messy hair, nodded. To be honest, his temper was really good without getting angry.
"Ding, Ding"
A crisp pounding sounded in the crowd. Merlin and Banner turned around and saw Tony Stark wearing a sexy little dress standing in the middle of the crowd. He tapped the wine glass with a spoon, attracting everyone's eyes to him.
He said to others:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered together with our wisdom and finally got to this point. What we see is the crystallization of the most outstanding wisdom of mankind. It represents not only the progress of science and technology, but also the gate of the new world as we once said..."
"Now, we're going to push it away."
Tony blinked at everyone, he asked:
"Before this, out of politeness, I still have to ask, is there anyone who objected to the opening of this door? Tobion, why don't you talk anymore, you irritable old guy?"
"Shet!"
The short arms dealer who was named after him rudely gestured to Tony, which made others laugh and the atmosphere immediately became lively.
"Okay OK."
Tony didn't care either. He put his finger on the red start button beside him, then raised his wine glass to everyone, and he said calmly:
"Respect the future!"
"Respect the future!"
Amid the people's calls, Tony pressed that button, and the next moment, the entire smart tower...
Chapter completed!