With Ms. Herta's help, the source code was quickly extracted.
Even extracting this source code didn't damage the original 343's data.
Bai Luan looked at the materialized orange data stream and couldn't help but exclaim,
"As expected of Ms. Herta."
She directly scanned the 343's chip, then extracted the basic code. To ensure that another 343 wouldn't appear on that planet, Herta also added variables from when she created Herta Puppets.
This was equivalent to finding a sample of an awakened sapient machine, then restoring its sample data to an embryonic state, and then injecting random variables into the embryo.
Because the original sample, 343, completed its awakening on its own, the source code extracted based on its data was full of infinite possibilities.
Of course, Herta didn't explain any of this; she simply took the chip from Bai Luan's hand and began operating without a word.
Bai Luan deduced all of this by observing Herta's operations.
"It's only normal that I, as Ms. Herta's assistant, can figure these things out, right?"
"Speaking of which, is sapient machine awakening common? Why does it feel like I encounter it everywhere?"
He encountered Xiu before, and then 343.
If sapient machine awakening was so common, wouldn't robots in the universe be too dangerous to use?
Facing Bai Luan's humblebragging statement, Herta casually denied it:
"It's not that common. On that planet, with so many abandoned robots, only one achieved self-breakthrough.
As for Xiu… although it was just a material distribution robot to me, it is still my creation. Its foundation isn't bad, so its awakening is normal."
"Then it seems I really was humblebragging a bit."
"It's not really humblebragging. Staying by my side does increase the probability of encountering such things significantly."
Herta looked at Bai Luan and asked,
"So, what code name are you going to give this source code?"
"Hmm… shouldn't you be the one to name it? I barely helped."
"You brought it to me."
Herta's tone was indifferent.
"Besides, even if I didn't act, you could have done it yourself. I merely… saved you some time."
She paused, her fingertip hovering, and glanced at Bai Luan out of the corner of her eye, with a hint of nonchalance.
"Of course, the main reason is—this genius is too lazy to think of names."
Herta compressed the source code into a USB drive, then casually tossed the USB drive to Bai Luan.
Bai Luan watched the thrown USB drive and calmly caught it:
"In that case… let's call it 'Spark'."
"Whatever."
Herta waved her hand dismissively, then took out her phone and began typing to contact Screwllum.
She had promised those robots she would return soon.
Bai Luan looked at Herta's back as she typed, opened his mouth, but said nothing.
He was a little scared, this feeling was like having been out having fun all day, just getting home for a bit, and then jumping up to say he was going out to have fun again.
He had a feeling that if he spoke, he would be doomed.
But if he returned a little later, there was no guarantee that 756 and the others wouldn't trigger their PTSD from humans being away for too long.
For a moment, Bai Luan felt incredibly conflicted.
But in the end, Bai Luan began to speak:
"Ms. Herta…"
Herta shifted her gaze from her phone and looked at Bai Luan:
"What is it?"
"Can I go back in twenty-four hours? There's only one last step left there, and civilization will begin to sprout."
"That urgent?"
Bai Luan looked at Herta seriously and said,
"I promised them."
It would take some time for Screwllum to arrive anyway, so letting him go clean things up first was fine.
However… he would be out of contact again after going there.
"Where's your phone?"
"Uh… why do you ask?"
"Why so many 'whys'?"
Herta frowned slightly:
"I want it, you give it, it's that simple."
"Oh…"
Bai Luan quite straightforwardly handed over his phone.
There was nothing on his phone that couldn't be seen by others; Herta could check it as she pleased.
Clearly, Herta taking Bai Luan's phone wasn't to check its contents.
In front of Bai Luan, she quickly disassembled his phone, then took out a small plug-in from her mirror and installed it, before reassembling the phone.
Herta held out her hand, offering the phone to Bai Luan:
"I've enhanced your phone's communication function. Now, no matter where you send messages from, they can be transmitted to my phone…"
"So that's what it was for."
Bai Luan reached out to take it.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the phone, Herta suddenly pulled it back.
Bai Luan's hand froze in mid-air, and he looked at her in confusion.
Herta held Bai Luan's phone and said,
"Now, no matter where you run off to, I can contact you. Next time you forget to reply to my messages, you won't have any excuses.
Do you… understand what I mean?"
If he didn't reply to messages next time, he would definitely be doomed. Bai Luan swallowed, nodded, and said very carefully,
"I understand."
"Good that you understand."
Herta returned the phone to Bai Luan.
"By the way, how did you get to that planet? How did you find a world where even the Star Net isn't widely available?"
"I made a wondrous item."
As Bai Luan spoke, he took out his Anywhere Door.
"It can teleport anywhere, and it can also teleport to fixed points, but fixed-point teleportation has a cooldown."
Bai Luan spoke while opening the door to demonstrate.
The door opened, and outside was a lush, vibrant primeval forest scene.
He closed it, then opened it again.
Behind the door, it had transformed into a fiery red, scorching volcano with rolling lava.
"Interesting…"
A hint of interest flashed in Herta's eyes, like an art connoisseur discovering a novel collection.
"Although the flaws are obvious, it's still a decent mode of transportation."
She nodded slightly, then her gaze refocused on Bai Luan's face, and the scrutinizing look suddenly sharpened.
"Speaking of which… what about your so-called 'travel time' from before?"
"…"
The assistant, who had used information asymmetry to get a lot of extra vacation time, was now sweating profusely.
Bai Luan's eyes darted around, with a hint of guilt, and he explained with a smile,
"Ms. Herta, you know it can only be used once a day."
"Are you saying."
She spoke slowly, her tone flat but with a hint of coldness:
"Every time I looked for you, this door… 'happened' to have already been used by you?"
Under Herta's piercing gaze, Bai Luan gradually gave in, unable to maintain his composure, his guilt growing stronger.
Just as Bai Luan felt like he was suffocating in this silent judgment, the corner of Herta's mouth suddenly curved into an extremely subtle, yet utterly mischievous arc.
"Alright."
She spoke lightly, as if the suffocating pressure from moments ago had never existed.
"I won't scare you anymore."
Hearing this, Bai Luan breathed a huge sigh of relief, like a drowning person reaching shore.
His eyes became much clearer.
This sight amused Herta again. After laughing, Herta said,
"I don't care how you use this Anywhere Door. Rather, it's your skill how much time you can save to slack off, just don't mess things up."
Bai Luan patted his chest, calming himself, and said with a touch of complaint,
"Do you know you almost scared your assistant to death just now?"
"You're really not good at being scared."
Herta raised an eyebrow, her tone playful.
"Has another entry been added to the 'childhood trauma' ledger?"
"No."
Bai Luan shook his head, his tone serious with a sense of having escaped disaster.
"This is… adult trauma."
"Heh."
Herta scoffed, with a hint of amusement.
"The trauma even grew up."
Herta waved her hand casually and said,
"Alright, I'm done here. I imagine you have a lot of things to deal with over there too. Go get busy."
Bai Luan glanced at the USB drive and phone in his hand, then chuckled:
"Thank you, Ms. Herta, *mwah*!"
Herta crossed her arms, looking at Bai Luan, expressionless and coldly saying,
"Stop being a smart aleck."
"Okay, okay~ I'm leaving, Ms. Herta."
Bai Luan left Herta's laboratory.
Herta reached out to tease the paper crane on the table, then her mind recalled Bai Luan's silly expression from earlier.
The corners of her mouth curved slightly upwards, and she gently tapped the paper crane's tiny head with her fingertip.
"My foolish assistant."