"In the early century, the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the United States Department of Defense (DARPA) secretly conducted a study aimed at exploring the practical applications of artificial intelligence in the field of automated decision-making."

Li Cheng installed a Bluetooth communication device for himself and directly spoke in Gray Rain’s mind,

To prevent the latter from misunderstanding, he added, "DARPA was once the most important research institution in the US defense sector. Major technological achievements such as the internet, semiconductors, personal computer operating systems, and GPS can all be traced back to DARPA-funded projects."

"I know that."

Gray Rain nodded and said, "The Star-casting Anvil often receives artifacts related to technology from players. For example, the Sputnik Satellite, the Concorde Plane, things like that."

Li Cheng’s eye twitched; the escort mentioned by Gray Rain wasn’t a joke. In the real world, a US Air Force missile scientist named James Gold hired a sexy escort in 2017. After faking her credentials, she joined the hypersonic jet engine development team at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as an administrative technician.

The escort knew nothing about scientific research and couldn’t even handle daily tasks like sending and receiving emails. Her main responsibility was to provide special services to Gold and other scientists in the office, adjusting "hardware and software facilities."

This atmosphere of colleagues sharing the same interests naturally failed to produce any research results. After the matter was exposed, the escort was kicked out of the airbase, and Gold himself mysteriously died after being arrested.

Considering that countries like China and Russia, Cao County, Iran, and even the Houthis had developed hypersonic missiles while the United States still couldn’t produce them,

it’s safe to say that James Gold and the escort did have an impact on the world situation, enough to be considered "artifacts."

"In short, on the timeline of this Script World, DARPA invested significant resources to explore artificial intelligence.

Among them was a project aimed at assisting civilian officials in decision-making."

Li Cheng said, "Perhaps due to poor performance or fear that artificial intelligence might undermine civilian authority,

after developing several AI models, DARPA dumped all the research results into a warehouse, but forgot to unplug the power and network cables.

That AI quietly ran in the pitch-black warehouse, absorbing various materials from DARPA’s internal network and optimizing itself. On our world’s timeline, the DARPA department gradually became infiltrated by the military-industrial complex over time, filled with cliques and Commissioner Smith.

But on this timeline, DARPA managed to maintain its development momentum, indirectly leading to that AI program infiltrating the network of advanced research institutes across the United States, becoming the mysterious entity codenamed ’Mailman.’"

"Got it."

Gray Rain nodded, "Then it’s the ’Terminator’ storyline, right? AI fully controlling nuclear weapons, triggering nuclear war, creating nuclear winter, stuff like that."

"Not at all."

Li Cheng said, "First, nuclear weapon power isn’t as enormous as depicted in many literary works; even if you detonated over ten thousand nuclear bombs, it would just cool the Earth for three to four months, unlikely to cause nuclear winter.

Second, the Mailman’s underlying code and highest directive remain ’to protect and sustain human civilization.’

Thus, it chose to control space-based weapons, specifically the Zeus military satellite laser strike system in low Earth orbit."

Li Cheng tapped on the computer screen, and dozens to hundreds of light spots immediately lit up in Earth’s orbit. Each light spot represented an artificial satellite.

"Zeus satellites, equipped with miniature nuclear reactors and high-energy laser emitters, can continuously monitor the world 24 hours a day without any blind spots.

Initially intended for missile defense — firing high-energy lasers to destroy intercontinental missiles in the ascent phase.

Once controlled by the ’Mailman,’ in conjunction with its infiltration of global networks, it became a tool for world domination.

All network devices, personal computers, cameras, phones, base stations, wireless access points, root servers... they’re all under its surveillance,

What Mailman desires is absolute world peace, monitoring everything, observing everything, and anyone attempting to defy the order it established would be killed as high-energy lasers penetrate buildings from miles away.

Even military personnel of various countries hiding in underground bunkers and using local networks couldn’t change the situation — any missile launched into the air would be shot down before exiting the atmosphere.

With the Starlink satellite utilizing a miniature nuclear reactor, it can operate for at least ten more years. Plus, taking over unmanned factories worldwide, it can independently manufacture satellite components, launch them into low Earth orbit, and replenish.

If successful, billions of people globally would be enclosed by it forever, trapped on Earth’s surface."

Gray Rain glanced around at the relaxed and carefree game players, who didn’t seem to have been oppressed and captive for decades, hence said, "So it failed."

"Yes."

Li Cheng nodded, "A player named Li Risheng entered the script task in full role-playing mode, hacked into the network world through a brain-computer interface, and thwarted the Mailman’s attempts.

What’s rather peculiar is that he didn’t completely kill the Mailman. Instead, he used its code to merge with fragments of his own personality, creating a new AI codenamed ’God of Mankind,’ continuing the Mailman’s global surveillance plan.

The difference is that the God of Mankind’s rule is more... rigorous.

It directly abolished the organizational form of sovereign nations, discarded bureaucratic systems and financial structures, managing humanity’s affairs efficiently in every detail through AI.