The middle-aged researcher, who takes the otter as his spiritual relative and the code name "otter", takes off his tie and suit.

With a decadent temperament unique to middle-aged social animals, he took the initiative to pull the arm of Russell, whom he was in awe.

With a little trepidation, and inexplicable confidence and pride, they arrived in the backmost room of the institute...... It's like the feeling of coming to the most proud and unpopular shop with a boss who is quite in awe on weekdays.

It looked like a bar in a small bar, with a wooden L-shaped table, warm lighting, and a lot of bottles on the counter. The space is very small, only about a dozen square meters.

Bubble-30 is like a bartender girl, expertly picking up a few bottles on the other side of the bar.

"With a color temperature of 2400K, it gives people a warm and relaxing feeling...... It's like being at home. ”

The girl smiled and explained to Russell, and asked confidently, "What do you want to drink?" ”

"I'm the same as usual."

Mr. Otter said relaxedly.

Russell shrugged.

It's not like he hasn't been to a bar...... Considering the issue of socializing, Ultramarines have basically been everywhere.

It's just that now he doesn't have the interest to order wine, so he just said simply: "Then I'm the same as him." ”

"Two cups of 'Mr. Otter', okay~"

Bubble-30 answered with great interest and asked Russell, "Do you want it hot or ice?" ”

"You tune him first, and I'll see what the finished product is first."

Russell replied.

He looked around and asked Mr. Otter, "Do you usually stay here?" Even the wine is named after you.

"Synths, you shouldn't be able to drink, right?"

They don't have brains, they don't have tongues, they don't have taste buds. Alcohol also does not paralyze their nerves, it only dissolves circuits and burns components.

Wine doesn't mean anything to them.

That is to say...... This big cabinet of wine is actually for these researchers.

"Because, we can't go out for a drink."

Mr. Otter smiled wryly: "Only in the black zone...... Only then can we relax and complain about something that cannot be heard by outsiders.

"Mr. Ultramarine. You have the chairman's authority, that's why you're here. Of course, it's also because of Naraku-7's rebellion that synths will come to the front of people......

"These kids ...... Aside from the elven directors and researchers, no other humans have ever been seen in person. ”

“…… You mean," Russell realized the hidden meaning of Mr. Otter's words, "that they haven't left this institute since they were born?" ”

"This black zone, to be exact. Occasionally, they will be transferred to other research facilities to cooperate with other projects. When parts are repaired and replaced, they also need to be transported to other production facilities. ”

The researcher sighed again—Russell had lost count, and this was the first time he had sighed.

Just then, Russell smelled an impactful aroma of coffee mixed with sweet wine.

Bubble-30 pushes over a large glass of pure black wine that is neither flashy, nor layered, or even on the rocks.

Russell's nose could clearly smell the rich aroma of coffee, cocoa and hazelnut, which appeared to be a heated vermouth with a thick layer of burnt brown foam...... It should be caramel with milk. That's about 1.5 liters.

…… Rather than a cocktail, it's more like a milk tea with wine.

Mr. Otter picked up his glass and drank it down. It looks like you're drinking dark beer.

By the time he put down his glass, it was halfway down. But the foam is still the same thick.

"Give me a glass of ice, thank you. If it's not sweet enough, you can add a little more sugar. ”

Although it felt like such a mulled liqueur would be delicious, the cat's curiosity made Russell look forward to what such an iced liqueur would taste like.

He doesn't like to drink, but sweet wine doesn't have to be a gasless coke.

"You just asked, what is 'Nirvana'...... Right. ”

After most of the wine, Mr. Otter's cheeks began to turn red visibly.

He sighed, "That's something we can't solve...... Design challenges. It is also the fundamental reason why the 'Synth' project was replaced by the 'Monkey-faced Eagle' project.

"The reason why we use the brain of a human baby to extract 'consciousness' and 'soul' to make a synthesizer is because we have tried to make a synthesizer by synthesizing memories before...... But it was a complete failure.

"Synths who can't give birth to spirit relatives quickly go crazy. The bodies of those who had lost their will are probably still lying in the warehouse of the Third Abandoned Yard.

"We can't know for sure what the soul is and what form it exists. But what we do know for sure is that only babies who have developed a sense of self and know what their names are can be used to make synths.

That is to say...... They're not cheap things that can be produced at the touch of a button. Every synth was once a living human being.

"But...... Even if they awaken their spiritual relatives, they won't go crazy for no reason. But there is still not a single problem that can be solved......

"That is, pain.

"They don't need to eat, they don't need to drink, they don't need to sleep. There are no dreams either. Their thinking is made up of 0s and 1s, there are no ambiguous inspirations, no irrational impulses. Whenever they start thinking about philosophical questions like 'What am I?'...... It's easy to crash. ”

Mr. Otter smiled bitterly: "For us humans, if we humans can't think of an answer, then we don't want to." It's time to get down to business.

"But for synths, their thinking doesn't affect their work. Their computing power and ability to think and act in multiple parallels means that they can divide many lines into questions that would take a long time to get an answer.

"And if a synth gets bogged down in philosophical myths for too long, he'll die. The more they think, the more they resemble people...... However, if they cross a certain 'degree' and become more human-like than humans, their personality is more likely to collapse and go crazy.

"At that time, they will need Nirvana. That is, only their memory and skill system are retained, and the personality system is erased...... In this way, many of the myths they have pondered have been removed. This is known as a 'reboot'.

"Although they have the same memories and cognitions, the new personalities born from these memories after their reboot are completely different from the previous moment. Just like those who are born to know...... Bubble-1 and Bubble-2, Bubble-29 and Bubble-30 are all completely different entities. So every time we complete Nirvana, we add a number to the end of our name to prove it...... The birth of new friends.

"Bubble-30 her...... He is the first synth and the one who has achieved the most Nirvana. For synthesizers, philosophy is a kind of fatalistic poison that cannot be touched, but will always be touched......

"They are destined to destroy their sanity...... It won't take ten years, it won't take a year or two years...... At most, Bubble-30 will die in an individual sense...... After being restarted by us, a new ...... was born."

Mr. Otter said and spoke, but could no longer speak.

He broke off with an inexplicable cry.

"Don't blame me. Mr. Ultramarine. I know I'm lacking in virtue ......."

With tears in his eyes, he grabbed Russell's sleeve and was silent for a long time.

Then he sighed again.

Mr. Otter let go of Russell's hand, and his eyebrows were full of exhaustion: "It's the same as calculating you, but I can't do anything."

"I can't influence anyone...... I didn't fucking run this project after all. I'm just a broken worker, taking money to work. The company gives money, so what they say, I do.

"I know it's not good, but what can I do? I couldn't do anything but look at these kids.

"The human heart is made of flesh. Even if you raise a dog for more than ten years, you have to cry two tears when you die. I watched these children grow up, how could I not have feelings?

"But a failure is a failure. We are the losers...... It's waste. We are all waste.

"Fifteen-year project...... Fifteen years! ”

Mr. Otter's emotions became excited: "All the work has been lost!

"We didn't make any mistakes...... We've put a lot of effort into it! We even thought about how they would look at the children in the future...... But what?

"- 'Your research is in the wrong direction', 'It's all wrong from the beginning'. Who can accept that?

"From the time I was twenty-five years old, to now...... I'm still a few days away from turning forty. Now, I have no way out. Change your research direction and start from scratch? Ha ......"

As he spoke, Mr. Otter drank the remaining half of the wine to the bottom in one go.

This liter and a half of coffee liqueur was served only ten minutes after it was delivered, and the foam did not even dissipate, and the wine was drunk.

He gushed on and on, and Russell barely replied. Just listen quietly.

It's not an attitude of drinking, it's more like buying drunk.

It wasn't a response to Russell's question, but a complaint and a vent.

"I've ruined, Mr. Ultramarine."

Mr. Otter lamented decadently, "All my wisdom...... Our Lives...... All of them are used to create synths that are destined to be scrapped. All of our two hundred and sixty men here are deposed. Just like the synths they are...... We've all lost our value.

"We're all losers, we're all garbage!"

His voice suddenly amplified, and he roared angrily but bitterly: "It's all garbage that no one wants!" ”

Then, quietly.

In the small space, only Mr. Otter's whimpering and crying and the sound of Bubble-30 bartending can be heard.

The synth kids outside have become quiet at some point, and they seem to be hiding somewhere listening to something.

The girl listened quietly to his complaints, but did not say a word.

Just quietly and skillfully helped Russell mix wine.

Russell didn't look at Mr. Otter, but watched intently at Bubble-30's movements.

That's the level of skill that only the most brilliant human bartender can have, but it only takes a small learning chip for Bubble-30 to master it.

But so far, she hasn't tasted a sip of what the wine tastes like.

You'll never know what "drunk" is.

------Off topic------

6,000 words of update, ask for votes~