Sakri had bothered Fei Xiu for the entire afternoon and, after managing to mooch a free dinner, finally left reluctantly.
Before departing, he said seriously, "Fei Xiu, no matter what you plan to do in the future, don't forget that you still have brothers and friends."
"I know, thank you."
Watching Sakri drive off in his shuttle, Fei Xiu stood at the door, motionless.
Yuan Chu slid out from the house, poking his arm with a component in her hand, and said, "The leftover metal materials and parts are going to waste just sitting there. We should make something else."
Fei Xiu snapped out of his thoughts and asked, "Make what?"
"TV, washing machine, cleaning ball, air conditioner, alarm system..." Yuan Chu listed one by one.
Fei Xiu lived like a primitive person. No wonder Sakri was so critical.
"You know how to make all that?" Fei Xiu sounded doubtful.
"The principles behind most household appliances aren't complicated. As long as you understand their structure, even a child could assemble them."
"No, what surprises me is..." Fei Xiu said, truly astonished, "Aren't you just an auxiliary robot? Isn't it odd that you know so much?"
The Kaimer company didn't go bankrupt back then because they developed highly intelligent robots secretly.
It was because once these robots hit the market, many appliance companies would have gone out of business!
"Isn't it a basic skill for assistant robots to proficiently use and maintain household appliances?"
Fei Xiu: ...
Fei Xiu followed Yuan Chu into the garage, where she handed him an electronic blueprint.
"The parts for a television are the most complete, so let's make a TV first."
The current televisions were lightweight and compact, voice-controlled for tuning, could project images, and were even portable with recording capabilities.
The blueprint Yuan Chu provided was for a model from over a decade ago. The choice was made to align with Fei Xiu's persona.
Fei Xiu had nothing better to do, so he sat on the floor and began assembling parts with Yuan Chu.
Nowadays, many tech product components were interchangeable, with only the core structure differing slightly.
At first, Fei Xiu wasn’t very interested, but when he accidentally glimpsed the smooth, fluid movements of his robot, it sparked some competitiveness in him.
His gaze became focused as he carefully studied the blueprint and put his heart into the task.
Without realizing it, most of the night had passed, and Fei Xiu finally completed the core assembly.
He tested it, and the light projected onto the wall, displaying a black-and-white image.
Fei Xiu's lips curled into a slight smile. Though it was only black and white for now, his assembly was correct.
Once he added the three primary colors, it would show a full-color picture.
Looking up at Yuan Chu, he saw her fiddling with a box-shaped device about a meter tall, which appeared to be a washing machine.
At her feet was a spherical object rolling around, which at first glance looked a lot like Sakri's mechanical pet.
"This is a cleaning ball, and it's finished." Yuan Chu said.
"The washing machine is still being tested, but it should be done in about ten minutes."
Fei Xiu, who had just completed a half-finished television: ...
Weren’t we supposed to be making the TV together? Why did you run off to make a cleaning ball and a washing machine on your own?!
Yuan Chu finished testing the washing machine, then attached the metal casing. A vintage-looking washing machine was now complete.
"Master, you’ll never have to wash your clothes by hand again."
Fei Xiu: ... He felt completely outdone by his all-purpose robot and didn’t feel like saying anything.
"It’s getting late, Master. You should get some rest." With that, Yuan Chu ran over to a corner, plugged herself in, and quietly began charging.
Fei Xiu glanced at her energy gauge. She only had 5% power left.
"Unit one, I'm hungry." He suddenly said.
The recently dimmed electronic eyes lit up again. Yuan Chu unplugged herself and said, "I'll make you a late-night snack right away. What would you like to eat?"
"Dragon bone noodle soup."
"Dragon bone soup takes at least an hour to stew. Are you sure you want that?"
"Yes."
"Alright." Yuan Chu turned and went to the kitchen, with Fei Xiu following behind her.
With only 5% energy left, running continuously wouldn't last her an hour. Fei Xiu was clearly being mischievous, deliberately making things difficult for his robot.
However, while he always underestimated his robot's intelligence, he also unknowingly lowered his own.
Yuan Chu set the soup to stew, then extended a cable from her waist, plugging into the kitchen's power outlet to charge. Her electronic eyes blinked as she entered a half-asleep, standby mode.
Fei Xiu: ... He forgot that stewing soup didn’t require much effort, and charging didn’t have to be done only in the garage.
"Unit One." Fei Xiu called out again.
Yuan Chu’s eyes lit up as she turned to look at him.
Fei Xiu squatted down, acting seriously stubborn.
"Dragon bone soup is too bland. I want to add sweet and sour pork, vegetables, and a firebird egg."
Yuan Chu responded, "It is currently 2:37 AM. Eating too much now can lead to indigestion, which will affect your sleep."
"I'll exercise after eating, and then catch up on sleep afterward."
Yuan Chu was silent for three seconds before interrupting her charging again. She turned and slid out of the kitchen, heading straight for the garage.
Fei Xiu thought to himself: Is she angry? Did she just quit? Could robots even have tantrums?
While he was pondering, Yuan Chu returned from the garage, smoothly sliding back into the kitchen.
She took ingredients out of the freezer and began preparing the meal with her usual diligence.
Fei Xiu inadvertently glanced her way and noticed something clipped to her charging port. Upon closer inspection, it was… a portable power bank???
Fei Xiu: ...
His robot was way too resourceful!
An hour and a half later, a bowl of dragon bone noodles with sweet and sour pork, fried firebird egg, and clear broth garnished with scallions was placed on the table, steaming hot.
"Master, please enjoy."
Fei Xiu hadn't been hungry before, but seeing the bowl of noodles, he suddenly felt ravenous.
He picked up his chopsticks and began slurping the noodles hungrily.
Yuan Chu stood silently by, her blue electronic eyes blinking as she watched him. The way she looked at him was like observing a pet dog.
Fei Xiu, who thought he was the master, had no idea that he was the one being taken care of.
As dawn broke, Fei Xiu, now full and satisfied, stood up and stretched. His taut muscles formed sleek lines, exuding strength.
"I'm going for a run." Fei Xiu announced before stepping outside, long legs swiftly carrying him away.
Yuan Chu cleaned up the table, went back to the garage, removed the makeshift power bank, plugged into the outlet again, and shut off her electronic eyes.
Finally, she could charge in peace.
It took at least ten hours for Yuan Chu to fully recharge, but to accommodate Fei Xiu, she usually only charged up to 30% to 50% during the day before stopping.
When Fei Xiu returned from his run, he habitually checked the garage, then headed upstairs to wash up and collapsed into bed, falling into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, back in the capital, Sakri regaled his brothers with an exaggerated account of his meeting with Fei Xiu.
"It’s terrible! He lives in such a remote, rundown place, and there isn’t a single decent appliance in his house." Sakri lamented dramatically.
"He’s got this huge estate, hundreds of square meters, but it's empty, no security, no surveillance, no landscaping. It’s like a tomb. The only thing he's got is a half-broken robot, no one to talk to. I’m telling you, if he keeps living there, he’s bound to get some kind of loneliness disorder."
"Impossible!" Exclaimed a man with a mechanical prosthetic in disbelief.
"Why not? I even took pictures. See for yourselves."
Sakri had his mechanical pet pull up the photos. Fei Xiu’s estate, the surroundings, the interior decor, and that half-broken robot… everything was laid out before them.
"My god, is Major Fei Xiu really living like this now?"
"These furniture pieces are from decades ago, aren’t they? Why hasn't he replaced them?"
"Was that robot left behind by the previous owner? What’s up with that awful paint job? It's peeling so badly!"
"Sakri, why didn’t you convince him to come back?"
"How do you know I didn’t try? He just wouldn't listen." Sakri shrugged helplessly.
"The major had a bright future ahead of him. This injury and his subsequent retirement must have hit him hard." sighed a middle-aged man wearing glasses.
"He probably has plenty of savings, and his post-retirement benefits should be decent, but he just has no idea how to enjoy life. We have to do something for him."
"Sakri, do you have any suggestions?" Someone asked.
"Why don’t we all chip in and each send him an appliance?"
Household appliances aren’t that expensive, but they can improve daily life. Everyone quickly agreed to Sakri's proposal.
Three days later, Fei Xiu stood in silence, staring at the six or seven large boxes piled in his yard, sent from the capital.
He and his robot had just finished furnishing the house with a full set of appliances, and now Sakri and the others had sent him another brand-new set.
"Surprised? Didn’t expect it, did you? Don’t be too moved, it’s just what brothers do." Sakri's message played automatically.
Fei Xiu: Honestly, he wasn’t moved at all!
"What should we do with all this?" Yuan Chu asked.
"Just bring them in. The house is big enough, so an extra set won’t take up much space."
"Alright." Yuan Chu deftly unpacked the boxes, then used her mechanical arms to lift appliances that were taller than her and steadily moved them into the house.
"Need a hand?" Fei Xiu asked from the doorway, not sounding particularly sincere.
While unpacking the second box, Yuan Chu replied, "My mechanical arms will probably last only three more days before they break down. I hope Master will buy some advanced materials and components to replace them with stronger ones."
Her current arms were defective, cheaply made by Fei Xiu, who was still a novice. The fact that they lasted this long was thanks to her good maintenance.
"I've already placed the order. They’ll arrive in a couple of days." His robot was only 50% repaired, and many of the missing materials and parts needed to be specially ordered.
"Thank you, Master." Yuan Chu carried all the appliances inside and placed them next to the ones they had made by hand.
In terms of appearance and style, the new appliances were sleek, elegant, and exuded cutting-edge technology, while the ones they had made looked aged, weathered, and carried a sense of history.
Placing both styles together in the same room created an awkward and cluttered feeling.
"Master."
Yuan Chu said earnestly, "I sincerely suggest that one set of appliances is enough for this house."
Fei Xiu responded, "It’s hard to choose."
One set was made by his own hands and had special meaning, while the other was a thoughtful gift from his brothers.
"When two rivals meet on a narrow path." Yuan Chu's cool electronic voice chimed in, "The brave shall win."
Looks and style don’t matter; functionality and quality do!
Don’t be fooled by Yuan Chu's outdated model, her technical prowess was nothing short of remarkable.
But Fei Xiu didn’t understand that. He thought his robot was simply out of touch with modern times, holding a strangely confident belief in her own outdated technology.
To avoid hurting her feelings, he tactfully suggested, "How about we keep half of each set?"
"No, competition leads to progress." Yuan Chu insisted.
Fei Xiu: ... Is it really okay for a robot to be making such decisions on its own?
Should he uphold his robot’s pride?
Forget it. Since she has her own ideas, let’s give it a try. Just don’t crash if you lose.
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Yuan Chu: Naive master, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about robot intelligence.
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