Chapter 51: The Global Web

The car came to a halt in front of the circular building. The three of them stepped out. Zhang Mingyang looked up at the structure before them and asked Peng Dongli, “Senior Peng, does your headquarters building have a name?”

Peng Dongli thought for a moment. “Funny you ask, our company’s headquarters actually doesn’t have an official name, but internally, everyone calls it ‘the Star.’”

“The Star!”

Staring at the spherical edifice wrapped in a blue shell, it did resemble the Earth to some extent.

“All right, let’s not stand around. Let’s go inside,” Peng Dongli said, giving Zhang Mingyang a light pat.

“Old Peng, aren’t we supposed to go to the hotel?” Tian Wenyuan asked from the side.

“The hotel and the headquarters are one and the same.”

Peng Dongli pointed toward the upper floors. “There aren’t that many of us in the headquarters. Out of the hundred floors, only thirty are offices; the rest are for leisure and hotel guests.”

“I see.”

Inside the lobby, the space was vast and designed with stark simplicity—just a single reception desk in the center, with elevators flanking either side.

The three approached the front desk. Peng Dongli presented his employee identification. The woman behind the desk took it with a smile, scanned it, and replied, “Mr. Peng, your rooms are ready on the ninety-fifth floor—rooms 9501, 9502, and 9503.”

“Thank you.”

With that, Peng Dongli led the other two to the elevator on the right, ready to ascend to the ninety-fifth floor.

Once inside, Tian Wenyuan whispered, “Old Peng, are all the receptionists here this pretty?”

Peng Dongli burst out laughing, so much so that the other two were left bewildered.

“Senior Peng, what’s so funny? I think Tian is right,” Zhang Mingyang said.

Still smiling, Peng Dongli replied, “Old Tian, if you like her, I can introduce you. After all, marrying a robot isn’t out of the question anymore.”

“A robot?” Tian Wenyuan was dumbfounded. “You must be kidding. How could that possibly be a robot? She looks just like a woman in her early twenties.”

“Exactly,” Zhang Mingyang chimed in.

Peng Dongli composed himself and explained, “You’ve both seen the soldiers at the base tunnel entrance, haven’t you?”

They nodded.

“Well, there’s your answer. The soldiers at the tunnel and the receptionist just now are the same product line. The ones at the base are early models, while the receptionist is the latest version—just much more advanced in terms of humanoid realism.”

With Peng Dongli’s explanation, Tian Wenyuan understood. “Still, there’s no need to make them that lifelike. There’s no difference from a real person.”

A chime signaled their arrival at the ninety-fifth floor, and the doors slid open. The three stepped out.

“I’ll explain more later. Let’s drop off our luggage and go eat,” Peng Dongli urged.

Zhang Mingyang glanced at the time; it was nearly noon.

Outside their rooms, just like in hotels in the capital, the doors opened automatically after facial recognition. Zhang Mingyang set down his bags inside, walked to the window, drew back the curtains, and took in the panoramic view of Xiping from on high.

A knock sounded at the door.

He hurried over and opened it to find Tian Wenyuan and Peng Dongli standing outside.

“So quick?” he asked.

Peng Dongli replied, “Save the sightseeing for later—let’s eat first. Afterwards, I’ll show you something special.”

“All right.”

They took the elevator down to the seventy-fifth floor, which was entirely reserved for hospitality.

As soon as they exited, a female robot greeted them. “Mr. Peng, your room is ready. Please follow me.”

“Thank you.”

Led by the robot through a series of twists and turns, they arrived at a modestly sized room furnished with a traditional round table and several chairs. The three of them sat around the table.

“Please serve the dishes quickly, we have work to do afterwards,” Peng Dongli instructed.

“Yes, sir,” the robot replied and left.

Watching her go, Tian Wenyuan asked, “Old Peng, does your company sell these robots?”

Peng Dongli shot back, “What, are you thinking of buying one to take home as a wife?”

“Get lost.”

Peng Dongli laughed. “They look good, but we’re still a long way from mass commercialization.”

“Senior Peng, but these seem quite advanced already.”

Peng Dongli replied, “That’s just how they look. Getting robots ready for commercial use isn’t so simple. Forget about the legal issues for now—even their brain processors aren’t up to the task yet. And the supporting ‘Global Web’ network hasn’t covered the world, so their processing power is still limited.”

The mention of the ‘Global Web’ prompted a question that had long puzzled Zhang Mingyang. “Senior, what exactly is the point of the ‘Global Web’? Is it just faster internet?”

Tian Wenyuan explained, “The ‘Global Web’ isn’t just about speed. It’s a strategic initiative our country started planning twenty years ago.”

“Back when 5G first came out, everyone thought it was just about faster internet, but looking back, it was the beginning of our journey toward intelligence. 6G laid the groundwork for AI and unmanned technologies. Now, the ‘Global Web’ is designed to realize full AI and autonomous tech, and to establish a foundation for space communications.”

“Old Tian’s right,” Peng Dongli added. “The Global Web now connects with our lunar and Martian bases. Both data transmission and the smart processing capabilities of offworld bases have taken a huge leap.”

“In the future, mining, resource exploration, and data collection in outer space will all see massive efficiency gains thanks to the Global Web.”

“So that’s how it is.”

With their explanations, Zhang Mingyang finally understood.

Peng Dongli continued, “Later, I’ll show you something good—it’s related to the Global Web.”

“Something good?” Tian Wenyuan perked up immediately, pestering Peng Dongli to reveal what it was.

Just then, the food arrived. Zhang Mingyang helped the robot place the dishes on the table.

Watching his two senior companions bicker, Zhang Mingyang was at a loss. He tapped the table lightly to tell them the food was ready.

“I’ll take you to see it after we eat,” Peng Dongli said, brushing off Tian Wenyuan’s hands and gesturing to the dishes before them. “Such a great meal—let’s eat. I’ll show you afterwards.”

Realizing he wouldn’t get anything out of Peng Dongli, Tian Wenyuan gave up and dug into the food before him.

Shortly after, drinks and the main course were served. The three of them wolfed down their meal with great satisfaction.

“Senior, once this project is finished, can I work at your company?” Zhang Mingyang asked. It’s often said that a company’s meals reflect its strength and image—after today’s meal, he was already eager to join Northern Group.

“Of course you can. Anyone chosen to work at the base is someone our group would want. Once this project is done, you won’t even need to apply—someone will come to find you.”