November 2005, Africa, Nigerian savannah.

This small town called Nupani is very lively today, in fact, it has never been more remarkable than it is today, since the birth of the city.

Even though it was only 8 o'clock in the morning, reporters from all over the world, large and small, had already set up very spectacular long guns and short cannons on both sides of the wide road that had just been repaired in the small town of Nubani.

These reporters, speaking in a variety of languages, stand in front of the camera and tell the audience about the here and now.

The sound of cameras taking pictures, those flickering lights almost never stop, and behind these reporters, at the end of this wide road, is a huge, uniquely shaped building.

It is a factory, the world's first intelligent machine hub that is about to be put into operation.

Of course, in the external publicity, the reporters did not mention the word smart machinery, they used "smart products", after all, in this season in 2005, people are exposed to the most intelligent products are new types of sweeping robots, or mechanical arms in manufacturing factories and the like.

Most people, including these journalists, don't realize what kind of changes the smart machine hub will bring to the world today.

But for now, at least, all journalists are glorifying the major advances in technology.

"Over the past few months, we have disclosed several times about the progress of the construction of the Oneika Group's smart product factory, and although it is very secretive, we managed to find a lot of internal information."

In front of the camera, San Francisco's renowned independent investigative journalist Eddie Brown. Wearing his trademark black flight jacket and neatly combed oiled hair, Brock looked quite handsome, and he didn't have the seriousness and rigidity of other media people, he was quite relaxed.

He waved a stack of documents in his hand at the camera, as if he was doing a talk show, he flipped through the documents and said to the camera:

"As you all know, the Oneica Group was founded 1 year ago, but I think it's hard for everyone to guess who is the majority shareholder behind this mysterious company that specializes in high-tech products and has released a lot of popular smart products in the past few months... Well, I'm not taking the opportunity to advertise, but its newly released smart speaker is really very easy to use. ”

Eddie made a joke to the camera, and he smiled himself, and after laughing, he mysteriously turned the file around, and in front of the camera, he said:

"Look here, friends, the shareholders of the Oneika consortium include the genius arms dealer we know, the famous playboy, and the idol of all men, Tony. Stark, wow, the last time I interviewed Tony, he swore to me that the Oneka Group was great and had a lot of potential, and it turned out that he was advertising his own goods. ”

After a small revelation, Eddie didn't continue to disclose more shareholders, partly because those guys were not as good as Tony. Stark was so topical, and on the other hand, the other shareholders had also greeted Eddie in advance, and they didn't want to show their heads.

Yes, that's the rule that journalists need to follow... Reporting news is also risky, and a smart journalist needs to learn to avoid risk.

And in Eddie. Brock's side, I don't know if it's a coincidence, in short, another famous journalist wearing a blue floral dress, Louise. Ms. Lynn was also reporting on the opening ceremony of the upcoming Nubani Smart Industrial Zone.

Compared with Eddie's light-hearted reporting style, Miss Louise is much more dignified and serious, she is more like a traditional media reporter, but her good looks and precise and powerful wording have also won her many loyal audiences.

Louise doesn't really care about these warm-up reports now, she is very capable in all aspects of her boyfriend Clark. Kent, through his mysterious and efficient "connections", has obtained the qualification for Louise to be interviewed internally.

After the opening ceremony, Louise will have the opportunity to conduct private interviews with the big names in attendance, and for the editors of the daily planet, the real and attractive private interviews are the real gimmicks compared to the popular, cookie-cutter news broadcasts and all kinds of unprovoked lace tabloid news just to attract attention.

Holding the camera, Clarke, under the instructions of Louise, turned the camera to the smart industrial park in the rear, and in the switch between long and short shots, this warm-up report was over.

Clark turned off the camera, he took a bottle of water from his backpack, handed it to his girlfriend, who was already a little dry-mouthed, and said:

"Maybe after the report is over, Louise, we can take this opportunity to go to the prairie and relax."

"Okay."

Louise brushed her long hair while drinking water, and she winked at Clark:

"I have a better idea, why don't we take our annual leave and take a trip from the savannah all the way to South Africa... We haven't traveled together yet. ”

"Okay."

Clark pushed his glasses and smiled gently, and he said to his girlfriend:

"But I have to get home before Christmas, Martha told me I had to go home... Seriously, I want to take you back with me so they don't have to worry about me anymore. ”

"Are you going to see your parents?"

Louise was a little nervous at this moment, she held the water bottle in her hand, and said:

"Isn't this going to be a little too fast..."

"No, it won't."

Clark reached out and shook his girlfriend's hand, and he said:

"They're all very nice people, trust me, they won't put pressure on you, just go to the farm and sit down, and we'll be back in New York in just 2 days."

"That's... All right. ”

Louise nodded, she looked back at the intelligent engineering behind her with some feeling, several cars were parked there, some people came out of the car, Louise hurriedly grabbed the camera in her hand, and said to Clark:

"Turn on the camera! Soon, the representatives of the World Security Council are here ... Oh my God, it's Alexander. Pierce, he actually came in person! Wait, the person next to him, is it him again? ”

Louise held the camera in front of her, shifted her focus, and soon she locked onto Alexander, who was on a cane. Pierce and the trench-coated guardian beside him.

Louise didn't know the name or identity of the guy, but he was present at the last Future Tech Foundation meeting, including at the scene of a report on an illegal human trial accident in Mexico.

Miss Reporter seriously suspected that this guy who looked quite gloomy should be a low-key person, maybe a high-ranking official engaged in secret work.

And just as Louise was about to press the shutter to take a picture, Merlin, who was accompanying Pierce out of the car, suddenly turned around.

In Louise's camera lens, she clearly sees Merlin giving her a gentle smile, and just as Louise is about to take a picture, her camera suddenly turns off strangely.

"Hell!"

Louise was taken aback, she picked up the camera and looked at it, and found that the machine was not broken, but what the hell was it that suddenly shut down?

She turned her head to look at Eddie beside her. Bullock, the young journalist's camera seems to be out of order, too...

"It's certainly not a coincidence!"

Louise grabbed the camera and gritted her teeth as Merlin quickly disappeared behind the gate of the smart industrial park, and said:

"Wait, I'll catch you."

———————————————

"It was... Lois? ”

Merlin sat on a driverless electric car and drove towards the core building of the Intelligent Machinery Center, and while looking at the elegant environment and the transplanted trees inside the large industrial park, he asked:

"Is it Clark's girlfriend? Standing next to her was Eddie. Bullock? ”

"Yes, it's them."

Icarus, who projects photographs of Louise and Eddie and their identities onto Merlin's lenses, says:

"Miss Lynne and Mr. Eddie both seem to be interested in you, Merlin."

"A lot of people are interested in me, Icarus, but I can't respond to their curiosity one by one, my time is precious."

Merlin stretched out his hand to the big bald Lex who was also sitting in a driverless car not far away. Luther waved his hand, and the latter nodded to Merlin. Although the park has not yet opened, some important people, such as Pierce, such as Luther, such as Prince T'Challa and Queen Auroro of Wakanda, and Princess Surui, have already entered the park.

The opening ceremony will be held for ordinary people only to see, and at the opening ceremony, representatives of the Oneika Group will only show some semi-intelligent products, and the real role of the intelligent machine center will not be disclosed at this stage.

The people are not ready to accept the intelligent machine.

In the next few years, Ornica Group will slowly promote a series of intelligent products to the society at a speed that conforms to the development of science and technology, and their ultimate product will be an intelligent robot with an independent personality and a complete thinking circuit.

But that's at least 3 or 4 years later... If all goes well.

"Merlin, you're here."

When Merlin arrives at the entrance of the towering building known as the Smart Tower, the core area of the Smart Machinery Industrial Park, George sitting on a hovering chair also comes out to greet him.

George is currently one of the chief designers of the Ornica Group, which is dominated by S.H.I.E.L.D., and its key staff members are almost all S.H.I.E.L.D. employees.

"Hi George, long time no see."

Merlin jumped out of the smart car, he shook hands with George in a friendly manner, and he said to the superbrainer:

"You've been here for a few months, haven't you? I went to the ghost base the other day, and Moira asked me when I was going to transfer you back... Obviously, she misses you, ha, Brother George, you're very charismatic. ”

"No kidding, Merlin."

George rubbed his forehead with some distress, and said:

"You know, Moira just wants me to go back to her weird experiments... It's terrible to fall in love with her, even if it's kissing, you have to guard against the syringe in the girl's hand, and honestly, I regret it a little. ”

"I don't know how the rest of the world is, but at least in our world, I don't regret taking medicine."

Merlin patted George on the shoulder, and said with pity:

"This thing is to buy and leave, and it will not be returned."

"Forget it, don't talk about these things."

George didn't want to say too much on this issue, he manipulated the levitation chair and beckoned to Merlin, saying:

"Come with me, the first test run of the Robotics Hub is about to begin. All the scientists involved in the design were there, but unfortunately, Dr. Reid had already gone to space, and he couldn't see this scene that was destined to go down in history. ”

"It's okay."

Merlin followed George into the Smart Tower, where he looked at the very futuristic sci-fi silver-gray corridors and the anti-gravity escalators that shone blue, and said:

"We can record it, and when Reed comes back from space, he'll be able to see the footage."

As the two spoke, they quickly took the gravity-defying escalator to the central control room of the Smart Tower, which, as George said, was already full of people, most of whom were members of the Future Technology Foundation, and even Tobiang, a dwarf arms dealer who had been opposed to the Wisdom Machine, and his daughter.

"Banner, how are you feeling lately?"

Merlin walked to the edge of the control room, picked up the goblet on the table, and said to the non-existent Doctor of Physics standing behind the crowd in front of him:

"Why don't you see Betty?"

"She was in the break room with Ms. Auroro and Miss Potze."

Bruce. Banner, the dangerous containment agent codenamed 05084-2 said mildly to Merlin:

"She's not a big fan of smart machines, actually, she's a tech conservative."

"Well, that's understandable."

Merlin nodded, he looked at Banner in front of him, in the perception of spiritual vision, the life force in Banner's body was incredibly active, but his emotions were very stable, it seemed that he had adapted to his state.

"Your meditation technique works, Merlin."

Banner thanked Merlin and said:

"Hulk hasn't been seen for 2 months."

"Keep it up, Banner, and I hope it doesn't show up either."

Merlin took a sip of his wine and said to Banner:

"What we need is your wisdom, not its strength, and at this stage, you are much more important than him."

"Hmm."

Banner, whose hair was a little messy, nodded, and to be honest, his temper was really good when he wasn't angry.

"Ding, Ding"

A crisp banging sound rang out in the crowd, and Merlin and Banner turned around to see Tony in a riotous little dress. Stark was standing in the middle of the crowd, tapping his glass with his spoon, drawing everyone's eyes to him.

He said to the others:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered our wisdom to finally get to this point, and before our eyes is the crystallization of the most outstanding wisdom of mankind, which represents not only the progress of science and technology, but also the door to a new world, as we have said..."

"Now, we're going to push it away."

Tony winked at everyone, and he asked:

"Before that, out of politeness, I still have to ask, is there anyone who is still opposed to this door being opened? Tobiang, you grumpy old fellow, why don't you speak? ”

"Shet!"

The named dwarf arms dealer rudely gestured a middle finger at Tony, causing the others to laugh, and the atmosphere immediately livened up.

"Okay, okay."

Tony didn't care, he put his finger on the red start button next to him, and then raised his glass to everyone, he said with a calm face:

"Respect for the future!"

"Respect for the future!"

Amid the call of the people, Tony pressed that button, and the next moment, the entire smart tower...

Lived.

Nine Heavenly God Emperors