Chapter 139 – When We First Met (3)
Regardless of Artemis’ will, the synchronization work could not be accomplished on time anyway.
[There is a problem with the lines between the lower, middle, and upper control rooms. If this continues, there will be a short circuit the moment you synchronize. When wires from different poles meet, boom! And it’s like sparks fly.]
Artemis said.
“That can’t be possible, there was no problem on the drawing.”
[It is not a problem with the drawing. It is a matter of conscience.]
Artemis sent the field director’s log and CCTV records to the PDA.
[Even on the days when the construction supervisor was away, his signature was recorded in the field supervisor log. It’s a false signature. I traced my footsteps and found myself in the pleasure district with the worker supervisor and former shelter manager.]
I cupped the bridge of my nose. Is it also related to my predecessor? He was the son of the person who paid the largest amount among investors.
I was the one who was hired by the boss as the shelter manager through a direct interview after the boss caught and kicked out the person who had been trying to do it.
[Among the days of false on-site supervision, there were also days when control room lines were buried.]
“No way…”
I suddenly became very anxious.
[It’s unfortunate, but that’s true. A CCTV review showed that the workers connected the circuit backwards. Even if I make a mistake, there is a 50% chance, but I always end up doing it in the wrong direction. Should we call it Murphy’s Law? It’s a shame that if the construction inspector had inspected it, he would have easily caught it. Even though he doesn’t have a conscience, he is a person with skills.]
I fell behind the chair.
[Should we just leave it at that?]
She said in a voice filled with laughter. I was very excited, really.
“Are you kidding? “I have to set a schedule for tomorrow and get it all out.”
[I’m sorry. You have to go to that room again.]
Construction was delayed again.
[It was buried during the time of his predecessor, so blame him. Ah! But did your boss say that handing over comes with responsibility? Good luck.]
“Ugh.”
I just sighed.
There were other things that needed to be replaced.
[It is a counterfeit product.]
Art museum in the upper VIP residential area.
The pictures that were tightly displayed were scanned one after another.
[This is also a fake product.]
This time, I sweep up the pottery.
[This is also a fake product. There are more fakes than real ones.]
“Oh my god.”
[I have completed a lawsuit form against the agency that made the purchase. Shall we send it like this?]
She sent me a document that was probably hundreds of pages long to my PDA.
From numerous reference legal provisions and over 100 precedents to damage calculations.
Just looking at the feast of numbers, laws, and Chinese characters accompanying them made my brain dizzy.
“Send it to the legal team. With a detailed explanation.”
So I ordered it for some time.
[Sent.]
“If I had noticed it later, I would have crashed the video conference again. Thank you.”
I applauded sincerely.
[I didn’t do this specifically for you. It hurts my pride to see fake people infesting my place. A house is the dignity of the owner.]
Her voice was cold.
[I only allow real and valuable people in my city. Fake and ordinary things are not allowed to exist.]
“Oh, I see.”
I felt embarrassed and scratched my head.
[Continue clapping your hands.]
“…”
The sound of applause echoed through the quiet museum.
[In this case, Mr. Seo, you belong to a rich person. You are a very useful person with both system technology and combat ability. Be grateful.]
“Yes, thank you.”
[If you are grateful, I have a request.]
It suddenly hit me.
[This is a list of art pieces and their costs to fill the space where fake pieces were removed.]
A new purchase list has arrived at the PDA.
Perhaps it was Artemis’ taste, but these were works of art and sculptures that pursued the beauty of the female body to the extreme. Just looking at it makes me feel bright inside.
The problem was that the required budget was nearly twice the amount it cost to buy counterfeit products.
“Hey, I’m already going to be criticized for a counterfeit product, so you’re telling me to go all out on a budget to buy something more expensive?”
Artemis responded calmly to me who sounded like I was screaming.
[Take advantage of rich old people somehow. Isn’t that your job?]
“…”
First, I am a manager…
If you look at it crookedly, it could be seen as a kind of lower pole.
But she was not at all displeased by being swayed by her. Rather, it just brings a warm smile.
* * *
Streetcar platform underground in the lower residential area.
Boop! Boop! Boop! Boop! Pop!
The civilian security sentry gun on the ceiling spit out colorful rubber bullets.
A CCTV camera replaces Artemis’ gaze and follows the rolling rubber bullet.
[Are you kidding me?]
Artemis’ voice contained astonishment.
“This is Korea? This means that gun control in the private sector is enormous. It was difficult to bring that in.”
When talking about gun control in Korea, everyone thinks of guns, as the name suggests, but the actual laws are much stricter.
Strictly speaking, it is close to blocking all weapons that fire projectiles.
It was only a few years ago that restrictions on weapons other than live ammunition were lifted.
Rubber bullets with the power to injure people, and like those sentry guns, are capable of firing fully automatically at large diameters?
In fact, regulations equivalent to live ammunition weapons are being introduced.
[This is a toy! It’s just a rather large BB gun!]
“It’s fascinating. “An American investor said the same thing.”
After all, American! Me and the boss thought this was enough and moved on, but it seems that America’s standards of judgment do not even treat this level.
“Then what should I do? That’s the law. Will this factory develop a robot that secretly shoots guns? Are you satisfied with a one-eyed robot turret shooting live ammunition from both sides?”
[…!]
Whiing!
The cameras on the platform ceiling all turned to me. To me, that’s Artemis pricking up her ears! It looked like it was done and felt cute.
“I was joking.”
I was in a hurry to make it real. If that happens and the secret leaks out, the military will be dispatched and there will be a search and seizure.
* * *
Artemis pointed out the many things she could see one by one.
[This city lacks accessibility for maintenance.]
She said.
We were watching workers using a two-step ladder to work on a walkway under construction.
“I can’t reach it!”
A young man wearing a hard hat said. He stands on the top of the ladder and extends his hand toward his lamppost.
“Don’t be nervous and stand up straight!”
The old worker below said.
“Can’t you see me tiptoeing around just now?”
The young man shouted.
“Okay? Then try jumping. If you jump as high as you can, you will reach it.”
“Are you kidding me?!”
The young man, whose legs were already shaky, probably because he was afraid of heights, was shaking his head.
[Use a water transport ladder one by one, and if you can’t reach it just in the nick of time, call a ladder vehicle. It’s too inefficient.]
A young man who had decided to jump once with great determination sat down with a face that said, ‘Oh, this isn’t right either.’ He started to come down, his legs shaking.
[I have a way.]
She sent a video to my PDA.
It was a mechanical hand reminiscent of a claw machine.
It was reminiscent of the hand of God that moves along the rails on the ceiling and can descend anywhere in the shelter.
“With this, we can cover most of the shelter with just a few individuals without the need for wallpapering.”
However, there is one problem.
“But aren’t all the mechanical hands on the market used for transporting cargo?”
[I can customize that. I can lift you and carry you from one end of the city to the other, and you won’t have a crack in your ribs.]
Aside from the somewhat scary analogy, it was a good enough suggestion.
“Great. “Let me make a suggestion.”
That suggestion was dismissed like a sword.
“They say that increasing the budget any further than this is not allowed. They say it’s too expensive.”
[Goofy. You allowed me to buy art even though it was twice the budget, right?]
If you think logically, it makes sense.
“Because that’s what they see. Originally, the budget for VIP residential areas was generous. But maintenance is a problem for those below them.”
[…
She felt herself bubbling. Money, money, money. Her damn money will haunt her to the end.
“The boss seemed to agree, but he can’t just do what he wants. Even though it has a leadership role, it is a horizontal investor association.”
When it came to art exhibitions, the boss was actually against it.
I’m the type of person who doesn’t care if it’s real or a replica, as long as it tastes the same.
[Not knowing that the convenience of maintenance also leads to the safety of centipedes! Old people who were lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family and only know how to live well!]
Artemis was the first to raise her voice.
“Artemis, when you do that, you are called an asshole. “Old people are such a gentle curse word.”
[Uh, um.]
She couldn’t speak right away.
“Follow me. A bitch.”
[Dog…]
I waited quietly.
[Techies…]
She said vaguely. For the noble woman she was, her swearing in a pair of double-breasted clothes seemed physiologically repulsive.
“That’s not it. Bastards! “
[…
As she was about to speak, Ma made a gesture of turning her palm as if to tell her to continue.
[Dog…]
She paused for a moment.
[… Cubs.]
“That’s it! “One more time!”
I shouted with excitement.
[You bastards.]
This time, I pronounced it straight without interruption.
“Wonderful!”
[You bastards!]
She spoke as if yelling.
I cheered the mood by applauding passionately.
[You bastards!!!]
The voice fired at maximum volume echoed in all directions. I saw several workers passing by looking at us in surprise.
It was so intense that it was confusing whether it was directed at the shelter investors or the people who sold themselves across the sea.
* * *
In any case, construction has become more lively since Artemis joined. It might be more appropriate to say that humanity has increased.
[Seoun Human Resources Center, Worker No. 41, Kim Gyeong-sik.]
A man in his 50s who was in the middle of painting with a towel wrapped around his neck stopped his hand.
When I looked up, a beautiful face like a goddess appeared as a hologram, looking down at me.
“Hey, paint! Paint!”
When his colleague pointed this out, he was belatedly startled and put away the brush in his hand. However, the paint that had already dripped from the brush dyed the painted area a different color.
“Hey, Mr.”
When his colleague got angry, Kim Gyeong-sik looked embarrassed. At the same time, I looked at the hologram of Artemis with somewhat resentful eyes.
“What’s going on, lady?”
After joining, Artemis occasionally appeared on the scene. This can be in the form of a hologram for individual guidance or a voice for general announcements. So people also know her existence.
The titles were different, but the workers often used the title ‘ma’am.
[When was the last health checkup you received?]
“Yes?”
Artemis did not respond to Kim Kyung-sik’s words, questioning her with a dumbfounded look on her face. She just quietly waits for an answer.
“Four years? No, I don’t think it’s been 5 years.”
Kim Kyung-sik rubbed her wrinkled eyes and traced her fading memories.
[Your previous company registered on the withholding document was operating illegally. It was expected that mandatory health examinations were not observed.]
Kim Kyung-sik’s face looks like he doesn’t know what Artemis wants to say.
[Based on heart rate, respiratory system, complexion, changes in body shape, and coughing sound pattern, the condition that could develop into a serious illness is predicted. Immediate health check-up is recommended.]
“…!”
Kim Kyung-sik’s face spread with astonishment.
“It’s a joke… Isn’t it?”
The male colleague who was scolding her for dropping a drop of paint next to her said.
[I don’t joke about someone’s health. Kyeong-sik Kim, if you wish, we will arrange for you to be examined at the shelter medical ward right away. According to Article 4, Paragraph 2 of the construction contract, it is free for one year after construction begins. Do you accept?]
Kim Kyung-sik, who was listening as if fascinated, nodded his head repeatedly.
Artemis was not only a great diagnostician, but also a great mediator.
Poop!
One day, a hard hat fell around with a dull sound. A fight broke out at the construction site.
Punches and kicks were exchanged between the rough-skinned South American workers and the black workers.
“■■■■■?!”
“■■■!!!”
They fought fiercely, swearing in their respective native languages, but their fierceness was so vicious, and they couldn’t communicate well, so no one around them could think of stopping them.
Sweet!
The lights in the area turned off all at once.
There were no cars passing by, and everyone had stopped moving because of the fight, so there was no danger from a sudden blackout.
The fight between the two also stopped. It seems that he instinctively felt danger as it suddenly became dark.
[Santiago, Zaire.]
A beautiful but cold voice comes from the air. The two nominated fighters looked around.
[Stop the fight immediately. If we stop here, we will not hand it over to the security guard.]
As soon as I confirmed that it had stopped, the light grew bigger and brighter again. Afterward, different content was broadcast in each person’s native language.
When the two men heard that, their expressions turned pale, and they nodded quietly.
“What on earth did you say that made those tough people just back down?”
Dealing with foreign workers is usually not difficult. Because they don’t mind working in harsh conditions, there are many places to go even if they aren’t here.
In most cases, saying ‘You’re fired!’ Doesn’t even work.
[We previously captured two men committing crimes inside the shelter. Although it is not a major crime, it is enough to apply for a departure order. Since we have video evidence, we asked for your cooperation to remain quiet.]
“Isn’t that a threat, not cooperation?”
[Just shut up and clap.]
Even if it was not just a violent incident, if there was any kind of conflict, it was easily resolved if Artemis intervened.
It is not simply because she has perfect memory and computing power.
She is a perfect intellect, she exists everywhere, she is always elegant and noble.
She sometimes even provides big or small help to people.
She was becoming established as a saint and a symbol in this underground city.
People voluntarily gave authority to her words and wanted to keep them out of sight.
No matter how great a masterpiece of science it is, Artemis is an artificial intelligence.
Everyone had forgotten that they were humans, and she was just a tool.
Of course, it’s not something I would say since I’m infatuated with her.
