Answer: the definition of a reward is something that is liked and appreciated.
The irony in this text is that the reward is being described as something that is not desirable, or at least that it is possible to not want it ("<em>he was rewarded on the spot, whether he liked it or not"</em>). However, a reward by definition is something that is liked and that is given as a prize to make the recipient happy and proud.
i think its because if one of the models are broken or wrong they have a back up or just try to get better info then the others or just to get extra data.