"Ah... is this real... Ah... I'm so excited... This can't be... Ah..."
In the basement of the supercomputing lab, Richard Castle and the chubby guy stood with faces full of despair behind Ramsay's younger sister, who had been screaming non-stop for three minutes, her high-pitched shrieks continuing to pierce the air. They really wanted to just knock out this petite girl who could produce such an ear-splitting sound.
When Richard Castle brought an indignant Ramsay, upset over her program being criticized, into the supercomputing lab, the moment this girl realized that the estate actually had the latest supercomputer, she began trembling with excitement.
And when the AI butler, Jarvis, was summoned by Richard Castle to greet her and introduce himself, revealing that he was the only operational artificial intelligence in the world, this petite girl gave Richard Castle and the chubby guy a lesson in what soundwave attack meant!
Ramsay's younger sister never imagined that Harry, the chubby guy she'd known online for several years, had quietly helped his Uncle Rick develop the world's first artificial intelligence right in this Long Island estate.
No wonder this guy had easily bypassed her computer's firewall without alerting her in any way! It must have been with the help of that AI.
The appearance of her semi-intelligent "Eye of God" likely had something to do with this AI infiltrating her computer, otherwise, it would be hard to believe. No wonder Harry was so calm when she asked him for help—soon after, this former homebody who rarely went out showed up at her house with two burly Russian bodyguards. It seemed that the strange things Harry had told her over the past year were indeed real experiences of his.
But none of that mattered now. Finally able to stop screaming, Ramsay shook her head to clear her mind. Right in front of her was a living artificial intelligence! If she didn't take the opportunity to study it, could she still call herself a computer expert?
No wonder Rick, Harry's uncle, had dismissed her "Eye of God" as nothing special. She hadn't understood it then, but now it made sense. If someone could create such an advanced AI, looking down on her semi-intelligent program was understandable. In fact, her program's existence might even be due to the AI's interference. With that realization, Ramsay quickly came to terms with the situation.
It's no surprise that top-level computer experts and elite hackers, except for oddballs like the chubby guy, tend to be highly rational individuals. Calming down quickly is second nature. After all, panicking during a critical operation, especially when facing firewalls with countdown timers, wouldn't get you anywhere. Only those who can stay calm have a chance of becoming top hackers. Of course, the oddities like the chubby guy and someone like Richard Castle who has system-level cheats don't count!
Richard Castle knew his plan had succeeded, and it was time for him to leave. There were things that Harry and Ramsay needed to discuss privately. Besides, he had a hidden agenda: Ramsay was quite pretty, even though her hair was a bit frizzy like she'd been electrocuted. Her figure and looks, though, were more than enough to match the chubby guy, and this kid wasn't getting any younger. Helping him find a like-minded girl seemed like a fair way to repay Harry for all the help before Castle mastered hacking skills himself.
For some reason, Castle had noticed he'd been enjoying matchmaking lately. He had plenty of serious work to do, but it seemed he found more fun in playing matchmaker, like one of those busybody old ladies from his past life. That thought gave Castle chills—was he sick, or had he really developed some sort of mental problem?
In any case, there was no need for him to stick around anymore. The smart wristbands weren't even done yet, so after winking at the chubby guy to seize the opportunity to keep Ramsay around, Richard Castle left the basement and returned to his mechanical lab upstairs.
It wasn't clear whether the chubby guy had shown Ramsay the power of the world's only AI or let her experience the joy of bullying others with a supercomputer, but by the time Castle had successfully made ten or so smart wristbands that could connect to Jarvis using a small satellite signal, both Harry and Ramsay came up from the basement together.
The first thing Ramsay, who had computer and hacking skills comparable to the chubby guy when he didn't have AI or supercomputer assistance, said when she came upstairs was that she was willing to work for Castle. She also, possibly after comparing her semi-intelligent program with Jarvis downstairs, made her first request: to borrow Castle's supercomputer to perfect her "Eye of God."
Curious, Castle asked Ramsay why she was still so focused on improving her semi-intelligent program after seeing a much more powerful AI. The petite girl, now calm and professional, used her expertise to explain in detail.
"Mr. Castle, I admit your AI is a brilliant invention. However, you're mistaken if you think that just because your AI is powerful, my 'Eye of God' program is irrelevant." Ramsay had transformed, completely composed and rational, unlike the nervous or excited girl from earlier.
Castle's interest was piqued. He glanced at the chubby guy, who was sitting next to Ramsay with a dreamy look in his eyes, clearly useless for the moment, and decided to politely ask Ramsay to explain further.
"Your AI is incredibly powerful, but it's a general-purpose tool, not specialized. I tested it just now on your supercomputer. If my program runs on that machine, it's not much weaker than your AI. If I could refine it further, the 'Eye of God' might even rival your AI when it comes to locating specific targets using smartphones or cameras."
Castle understood her point. His AI was powerful but general, while her program specialized in one area. With the help of the supercomputer, she hoped to optimize it to its fullest potential.
Castle was lenient with researchers like her, especially since he had a matchmaking agenda for the chubby guy. So he readily agreed to Ramsay's request and even gave both of them one of the smart wristbands he had just made. These wristbands could use satellite communication to connect to Jarvis, and Castle also gave them a task: to enhance the wristbands further, aiming to allow not just voice communication but also data transfer between them and Jarvis.
The two were stunned by the device, especially considering that in 2010, smartphones were only just becoming widespread, and smart wristbands were probably still in development in the labs of communications companies like Apple. The pink smart wristband made Ramsay realize that the so-called writer in front of her was a serious player in tech innovation.
Castle had merely intended to meet Ramsay, but before she arrived, Jarvis had already thoroughly investigated the warlord from her background who had previously kidnapped her in that Marvel world. Since the warlord hadn't taken notice of her invention today, Castle reminded Ramsay to keep this project a secret from others.
After sending Ramsay home with a beaming smile, courtesy of finding a new job and a powerful backer, Richard Castle finally had a chance to sit down and think about delivering the smart wristbands to his daughter and girlfriend tomorrow.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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