He rubbed his temples and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.
The client here was from the Robotics Research Center. How could so many runaway robots appear under their noses?
-
Meanwhile, at the gathering spot for the extras.
A gentle-looking woman with long black hair clenched her fists, looking in the direction of the domestic robots currently helping to move equipment.
Li Meili had been feeling uneasy since last night, with a constant sense of being watched.
There was no wind last night, yet when she woke up this morning, the clothes she had hung on the balcony before bed were inexplicably scattered everywhere, some even fallen onto the trees in front of the house.
As she picked up the clothes one by one, she found a pair of large pruning shears tucked beneath one of them.
Those shears weren't hers.
She had put them away in the storage box a long time ago, but how did they end up outside today for no reason?
Could it be that someone in the family had taken them out?
She picked up her phone to ask, but before she could dial, her phone rang.
She received an invitation call.
She had always pursued her dream of acting, but all she got were modeling shoots or, like today, minor roles in commercials.
However, Gou Zhe was in this commercial!
Upon hearing the notification of a last-minute event involving Gou Zhe, she didn't hesitate. She hurriedly put away her phone, got ready, and rushed over filled with joy, not giving another thought to the pruning shears.
But just now, she had seen a familiar face here.
It was too familiar; even a profile with a changed hairstyle was enough for her to recognize it.
The extra beside Li Meili, seeing her slightly pale lips, offered her a bottle of water and asked with concern, "Are you too nervous? Are you okay? You look very pale."
"Thanks," Li Meili snapped back to attention, taking the bottle of water. She thanked the other person politely.
Then she asked, "Are all these domestic robots here for sale?"
The girl who spoke to her was an outgoing type. She replied, "I don't know~ But I don't think they're selling them. I heard they were brought here directly from the Robotics Research Center. These shouldn't be for sale. Did you see one you liked and want to buy? If you do, you can ask the person in charge after this is over. They'll probably be happy to tell you."
"No, I was just curious, asking casually," Li Meili said, looking towards the group of domestic robots. Then, as if talking to herself, she added uneasily, "But do domestic robots look exactly alike? Isn't the appearance of domestic robots supposed to be unique?"
The outgoing girl chimed in, "Honestly, I haven't seen any that look exactly alike, but there are certainly some that look very similar! My friend and her sister ordered two identical domestic robots. They said there were subtle differences when they arrived. But when I saw them, I couldn't really tell who was who. However, my friend and her sister could distinguish whose domestic robot was whose."
"Ah, I see."
Li Meili felt a bit relieved. She took a deep breath to calm herself.
She unscrewed the cap and wet her throat with water. Her complexion improved a lot.
She didn't want to give up this opportunity unless absolutely necessary.
Li Meili subtly and carefully observed that domestic robot.
This domestic robot was wearing a black baseball cap, with its hair tied up and tucked inside the cap, leaving only a few slightly curled strands framing its jawline.
From her vantage point, she saw: an ethereal face, a stunning profile.
Just like the face she detested from memory.
As if sensing the woman's gaze, the domestic robot tilted its head slightly and smiled charmingly at Li Meili, particularly alluring.
Startled, Li Meili's grip on the bottle of water loosened, and the half-drunk, uncapped bottle slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.
The outgoing extra beside her looked at her with concern and suggested, "If you're really uncomfortable, why don't you tell Director Zhang and go home first? You can always earn money later. Even though this is Gou Zhe's commercial, your health comes first..."
Meanwhile, in the direction Li Meili was looking, someone loudly called out to the domestic robot and gave it an order, walking up to it.
Following the command, the domestic robot moved towards the nearest box.
It was now bending over, moving bottles of water from the ground and distributing them with a smile to all the staff members present.
Just like the glance Li Meili had caught, it seemed to be an illusion.
But Li Meili knew it wasn't.
After the female domestic robot finished distributing the water, it picked up another case of bottled water and walked towards where the extras were gathered.
Seeing the domestic robot approach, Li Meili became extremely frightened.
She recoiled several steps, then with trembling hands, said to the extra who was still looking after her, "I... I'm going to the restroom."
As if speaking to someone in particular.
"Okay, it's right over there. You know where it is, right? I can hold your bag for you," the outgoing extra said kindly, pointing in a direction.
"Thank you, no need," Li Meili replied, clutching her bag and trembling slightly as she walked out of the crowd.
Her hands, visibly shaking, were beyond her control.
-
At this moment, Old Zhang surveyed the surrounding lighting, the arranged equipment, and props, nodding his head. He thought to himself that it was almost time.
He then clapped his hands and called out loudly, "Everyone gather 'round, I'll explain the precautions and your blocking positions..."
All personnel were gathered together, including all the domestic robots.
These domestic robots had not been assigned to any owners. When they received conflicting instructions, they would execute the last received command as the final directive.
Therefore, all the domestic robots simultaneously stopped their tasks and walked towards Old Zhang.
"Count the number of domestic robots," Old Zhang said in a low voice to his assistant.
After counting, the assistant returned and replied, "Brother Zhang, they're all here."
Old Zhang nodded, glanced at a small screen, and then said, "Alright, I'll start by announcing everyone's appearance order..."