Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 987 - 782: From Blueprint to Practice

Chapter 987: Chapter 782: From Blueprint to Practice

Before starting the project, Xu Yang took a note to the prison to release someone.

Park Yongchul, the chief engineer of the Qiongting System, was the original designer of the system. His aim was to include everyone in North Silla within an automated economic framework, and he envisioned its benefits reaching the entire globe, allowing all of humanity to bask in its advantages.

After General Yin Changmin seized power, Park Yongchul, along with other intellectuals, penned a strongly worded joint letter criticizing him.

Since then, Park Yongchul has been detained all the way until today.

He, along with other detained intellectuals, was forced to draft documents praising General Yin Changmin day and night, attempting to atone for the grave offense of their earlier joint criticism.

"Chief Engineer Park Yongchul..." Xu Yang muttered, preparing to meet this legendary scientist, who had led the effort to develop the Qiongting System—someone of such talent was certainly a rarity.

North Silla was liberated overnight from Yin Changmin’s authoritarian rule, yet Park Yongchul couldn’t be sure of his own safety.

When he emerged from his cell, he held two different documents in his hands.

If the person turned out to be associated with Yin Changmin, he would hand over the poetry in his right hand; if not, he’d pass along the paper in his left hand.

"Mr. Park, I saw your signature on the Qiongting System as soon as I opened it. Were you the one in charge of the entire project?" Xu Yang asked.

"Yes," Park Yongchul answered cautiously.

His gaunt face was riddled with wrinkles, as if a force behind his nasal bone had sucked the entire visage inward. He wore a pale prison uniform, hunched like a serpent, with disheveled black hair. Not even a barber had been provided for him in prison.

Now 58 years old, Park Yongchul was born in a small fishing village along the coast of North Silla. His exceptional academic performance had earned him a recommendation for overseas study.

According to the data Xu Yang had reviewed, Park Yongchul held a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from San Francisco Polytechnic Institute, graduating 130 years prior. He had subsequently worked at the West Coast’s Institute for AI and Terminal Research, publishing numerous cutting-edge papers.

Xu Yang speculated that today’s "Eden Garden" quantum computer and the "All-Seeing Eye" super AI were linked to Park Yongchul’s research.

After the Silla Civil War ended, Park Yongchul had eagerly returned to North Silla to rebuild his impoverished homeland, only to endure two years of beatings and starvation in General Yin Changmin’s prison—a colossal waste of scientific talent.

"Professor Park, the interim management has already decided; we’ll be the ones to continue research on the Qiongting System," Xu Yang said.

"The... Qiongting System..." Park Yongchul lowered his head in pain, letting out a deep sigh.

"What’s wrong? Is there a difficulty? I have the necessary equipment here, and for additional personnel, you just need to jot down a list, and I’ll arrange for them," Xu Yang reassured him.

"It’s not about the equipment; please release the people imprisoned here. They were all arrested for defying Yin Changmin," Park Yongchul implored.

"We’ll need to verify that first—some were imprisoned for crimes under Yin Changmin’s rule, while others were falsely accused. In any case, you come with me first. I’ll ensure everything is properly arranged; rest assured," Xu Yang replied.

Xu Yang treated Park Yongchul to a hot meal. On the cold iron table of the prison cafeteria, he set down a fully stocked food container, filled with roasted chicken, stewed rice, kimchi, and beverages.

Park Yongchul devoured the meal ravenously. For the past two years, he hadn’t eaten anything more nutritious than steamed buns. His body was frail, and the kimchi from his homeland brought tears to his eyes.

Finally, he could say he had survived...

"We need to ensure your health and energy levels, because we must complete the Qiongting Project to rebuild the devastated North Silla." Xu Yang stated.

Immediately after, Xu Yang took Park Yongchul to the medical room for an examination.

Automated medical robots dispatched by Nestor Corporation performed the checkup. More and more of these robots from Nestor were making their way into North Silla unhindered, providing vital support for various essential tasks.

"North Silla doesn’t have these advanced drones, but overseas, everyone has access to them. When will North Silla develop to the same level? When will we be capable of building everything ourselves?" Park Yongchul thought to himself while undergoing the scan, his mind dwelling on the future of North Silla.

"’Building everything ourselves’ might be rather difficult—it’s a small place, so at best, only a portion of its technology could catch up with the world’s cutting edge. For now, the most important task is ensuring people’s basic food and shelter," Xu Yang said.

"Sigh—" Park Yongchul acknowledged the truth in Xu Yang’s words.

He handed the crumpled paper in his left hand to Xu Yang.

Xu Yang opened it and couldn’t help but be shocked; it turned out to be a record of Qiongting System’s development written in prison with a broken pen tip!

Fragmented, yet pieced together bit by bit. Even while imprisoned, Park Yongchul had spent each day obsessed with the Qiongting System, yearning to one day complete it—to replace corrupt officials and shortsighted policies and to take over the management of North Silla’s economy.

Meanwhile, the paper he held in his right hand—a seven-line poem praising Yin Changmin’s contributions—was promptly discarded in the trash.

"I’ve lived in the world’s freest place, the West Coast, and in the most authoritarian place, North Silla. Both have left a strong impression on me," he said.

"Oh? Tell me," Xu Yang asked, intrigued.

"The new free market leads to unemployment, wealth disparity, and corporate wars. Authoritarianism results in idol worship, bureaucratic corruption, and the silencing of individuals," Park Yongchul explained his thoughts to Xu Yang.

"Then how can the Qiongting System be used to take advantage of both while mitigating their flaws?" Xu Yang inquired.

"Materially, use AI and distributed gradient algorithms for planning; spiritually, grant people the freedom of limitless thought and expression," Park Yongchul replied.

North Silla was small and impoverished, lacking food, population, and a solid foundation. Although the ideas were promising, the only option was to start small and build up step by step.