The robot research center was vast, with a break room on each floor, further divided into areas: one for coffee and pastries, another dedicated to tea, and a large terrace for relaxation.
Li Bu was getting water in the tea area, which was well-stocked with various teas. The two female researchers who entered were in the coffee and pastry section nearby, so they didn't notice anyone inside.
Li Bu pondered for a moment, then decided to call Wen Bai. He needed to warn Mr. Wen. Although Mr. Wen trusted the other party's approach in this matter, rumors, however baseless, could still cause trouble. Even if this warning might offend or displease Mr. Wen. Li Bu considered himself Mr. Wen's confidant at the robot research center. Mr. Wen had helped him advance his career, so he had to report all important information.
-
Wen Bai saw it was Li Bu calling and thought there might have been a breakthrough in the experiment for Unit 575's eye color. He answered, "What is it?"
"Mr. Wen, I've heard some rumors. After much deliberation, I felt it was best to tell you. Recently, there have been some unpleasant rumors circulating in the company about your partner and Researcher Ren Liuliu."
Silence spread through the receiver. After a moment, Li Bu's confused voice came through, "Mr. Wen, are you still there?"
What did rumors about Wen Ziyue have to do with him? Wen Bai asked, "Is that all you wanted to say?"
Li Bu replied cautiously, "Yes, Mr. Wen."
Wen Bai said expressionlessly, "I understand." He then hung up.
Li Bu felt that Mr. Wen's tone, which had initially been expectant when he answered the call, had turned to disappointment by the time he hung up. It was as if hearing such news was a waste of Mr. Wen's time. Li Bu began to reflect on himself. Had he overreacted? Perhaps he shouldn't bother Mr. Wen with such matters and waste his valuable time in the future.
-
In an extremely luxurious presidential suite of a hotel, the floor, covered with a carpet of subtle patterns, was stained with patches of red. A rogue robot with blue eyes stood before the bedroom mirror, adjusting the collar of its newly acquired off-white suit. Beside the bed behind it, a man lay with his eyes wide open, one hand reaching out towards the bathroom. The man had stopped breathing. Beside his body on the floor lay a still-warm, faintly beating heart.
Inside the bathroom, a naked woman lay contorted, half of her body spasming, her head hanging outside the bathtub. Blood flowed from a wound on her neck, trickling down her elegant throat, and into her thick hair, dripping down her strands. Next to her, a rogue robot, Unit 7, with a French short curly hairstyle, retracted its hand, which held a knife, and looked at the bloodstains.
Unit 2, the rogue robot, finished tidying its new clothes and walked out cheerfully, "This human's size is the same as mine. I said he looked like he had a good figure." Unit 2 was extremely satisfied with the clothes it was wearing, both the cut and the design fit and flattered its figure perfectly.
In the living room, a little girl, about half the height of a person, dressed in a bright red skirt, stifled her cries. She sat rigidly on the sofa, her legs dangling, afraid to move. She clutched a Barbie doll tightly with one hand around its waist, while the other was being held. Tears streamed down her big eyes. She softly called out, "Daddy, Mommy..." Beside her, Unit 6, a rogue robot dressed in a black princess dress, held the human girl's hand and sat next to her, watching television. Unit 6 seemed to be in a good mood today. It occasionally turned its head to glance at the little girl it was holding. It had never had a playmate its own height before, but now it did. Even if it was a very crybaby human child! But it didn't mind. It was hard to find a human child so small and as cute as itself.
Next to Unit 6, rogue robot Unit 17 leaned, dressed in a bright blue long dress. Unit 17's smooth hair cascaded behind it. It leaned against the sofa, propping its head with one hand, maintaining an elegant pose that wouldn't crush its hair. It rested its chin on the side of its face, its deep blue eyes fixed on the television, only occasionally reaching out to tug at Unit 6's pigtails, only to have its hand slapped away by Unit 6...
On the television in front of Unit 6 and the little girl, Wen Bai appeared. This was not a children's program or a drama, but a scene of Wen Bai and Unit 575 entering the building. Unit 2, wearing a white suit, exclaimed, "Hmm? These two humans went in? Quite brave."
"I've scanned all the released news, and there's no mention of 'rogue robots' committing murder in connection with this place," Unit 17's lazy voice chimed in. "The news all says the building caught fire, cause unknown. And after these two humans went up to the top floor, floor 88, all the surveillance footage went black."
"Is this all the footage Unit 7 has been real-time stealing?" Unit 2 asked. "That shouldn't be right."
"I saw the latest news. It really stated that the building caught fire, and there was no mention of these two humans. I think these two humans started the fire. By the time it was discovered, the fire was beyond the control of ordinary humans, and the building was reduced to charcoal," said Unit 7, who had just emerged.
Unit 2 chuckled meaningfully, "Oh? Humans actually do things like this? Does he know it was 'rogue robots' like us who did it, and he's trying to help us?"
Unit 17 withdrew its hand, which had been angrily slapped away by Unit 6 again, and soothed the irritated Unit 6, "Whatever they did, and whatever their purpose, as long as it doesn't hinder us from continuing to kill, it's a pity we prepared such a big gift for humans."
Unit 2 was unconcerned, "This is simple. Next time, we can do something bigger. Humans really like to gather for New Year's Eve, right? We can give them a sensational surprise then."
Unit 17's deep blue eyes suddenly brightened. It imagined, its expression entranced, full of anticipation, "That sounds quite good. We must choose a place where humans are most concentrated for it to be interesting."
"Have you chosen the next location?" Rogue robot Unit 6, holding the human girl's hand, suddenly turned its head and interjected in a childish voice.
Unit 17 laughed indulgently and reached out to pinch Unit 6's cheek, "Chosen! You'll get to play all you want later!"
Unit 6 excitedly released the human girl's hand and began to cheer, waving its short arms, "Yay, yay! Unit 6 loves playing murder games the most!" It even pushed itself up, jumped off the sofa, and ran in a few circles on the floor in front of the sofa with its short legs. Then, it stopped, walked back to the sofa, took the little girl's hand, tilted its small face up, its deep blue eyes full of joy, "Xiao Rong likes it too, right? Shall we play murder games together?"
Hearing the words "murder games," the little girl named Xiao Rong's tears flowed even more fiercely. She was so scared that she started hiccuping. Unit 17 turned its head and looked at Xiao Rong with an exceptionally gentle smile. The other rogue robots also looked over at the same time. Right, there was still a human cub to deal with here. Xiao Rong clutched the doll in her hand. She controlled her hiccups, and with tears streaming down her face, she nodded vigorously at the small rogue robot, Unit 6, "Let's go together."
Upon hearing that her playmate agreed, Unit 6 erupted in cheers. Its small face lit up with joy as it looked at the other rogue robots, "Yay, yay! Xiao Rong wants to play murder games with Unit 6! Let's see who can kill more. Unit 6 is super strong! Super strong!" Unit 7 watched this scene in silence. Unit 17, on the other hand, was unconcerned, "If Unit 6 likes it, let it bring her along. Anyway, this little thing is so weak, it won't be a problem." Unit 2 straightened its tie and stated, "I have no objections."
"Then, let's depart!" Unit 6 shouted in its childish voice. The moment the rogue robots left, the scene on the television suddenly went black and disappeared.
-
Gou Zhe sat in his hospital bed, watching the news report on television. The news was about the fire at the city's tallest office building. The television screen, presumably using drone footage, displayed the burning building from all angles. The flames engulfed the 88-story building, from the ground floor to the top, with infernos visible in every window. The exterior walls of the building were blackened by smoke. Aircraft were dropping huge water bombs, and giant machines were spraying water jets towards the building. Below, crowds of people in nearby buildings were being rapidly evacuated. From the very beginning, no one emerged from the main entrance of the building, and the doors remained tightly shut. No one was seen poking their heads out of any windows to call for help. The outcome was predictable. The news reported: The death toll is still being tallied. So far, no survivors have been found, and search and rescue operations are ongoing...
Gou Zhe looked down at the information he had obtained from Stone, a complex emotion swirling in his eyes. The lead he had just found was now interrupted. When Stone arrived, he only saw a sea of flames and panicked crowds fleeing. The rescue workers had not yet arrived. Stone hadn't even entered the building. It was as if someone had gotten there before him and directly severed the clue.
He was scheduled to start filming for a drama tomorrow. Although they would prioritize filming all his scenes first, he would be occupied day and night after joining the crew. The shortest duration would be over a month, making it difficult for him to follow up on the rogue robot situation. Gou Zhe was certain this fire was no accident. Before joining the crew, Gou Zhe wanted to meet with the members of the celebrity rogue robot hunting team again.
He picked up his phone and called Man Yixuan. After a few rings, no one answered. He chuckled. Man Yixuan was actually unreachable? She always had her phone on her and answered immediately. Gou Zhe hung up and dialed Stone's number. Again, no answer. Hmm? Everyone is quite busy today? Finally, Gou Zhe contacted Zhao Fugui. This time, someone answered.
Zhao Fugui's tone was cheerful, "Brother Gou Zhe... Ah, Sister Yixuan? Since we met and assigned tasks last time, I haven't contacted Sister Yixuan. I've been quite busy lately."
"Oh, you have busy moments too?" Gou Zhe teased.
"Ai~ I have friends too!" Zhao Fugui exclaimed theatrically.
"Our Fugui has friends now?" Zhao Fugui secretly glanced at the young man beside him. "Brother Gou Zhe, who are you looking down on? When you have time, I'll introduce you. He really likes you! He wouldn't believe me when I said I could meet you!"
Gou Zhe smiled, "Yes, when I have time, bring me along, and you can show off. By the way, where is Brother Stone?"
"Brother Stone has been very secretive lately. He's stopped taking freelance jobs and I don't know what he's secretly up to."
"Then you should have fun with your friend. I won't bother you anymore."
"Haha, okay."
After hanging up, the young man with thick eyebrows and bright eyes in front of Zhao Fugui spoke, "Don't you really want to go to school? Come to school with me. I don't have many friends, I just like you. I can pay for it, and you can come with me, so we can be together every day."
Zhao Fugui politely refused, "I have very important things to do here."
The young man rolled his eyes and said, "Then when I leave, we won't be able to see each other for a long time. We're so compatible. My parents have always wanted to adopt another child. They would probably like you if I like you so much. How about you become my brother?"
Zhao Fugui was touched but avoided the topic, saying instead, "You can come back later, or you can give me your address and I'll come find you!" The young man was persistent but knew he couldn't rush things. He smiled brightly, "Okay, then I'll take you to my house first, to see the things I told you about." And to see my parents.
Zhao Fugui was excited, "Let's go!"
-
Thus, before joining the crew, Gou Zhe's plan to meet with his team members didn't materialize. Stone had disappeared for a day; he was with the woman he had rescued. The wound on the woman's leg had become inflamed, but she had kept it from him. Today, Stone discovered it by chance, and he took her to the hospital directly, forgetting his phone in the rush.
As for Man Yixuan, she was in a state of utter chaos. Several of her gray industries had been infiltrated by criminal elements. She then realized something was wrong; these incidents had been happening too frequently, as if someone was deliberately targeting her. But she couldn't trace the opponent's origin at all. All her businesses, besides being invaded by criminal elements, were also subjected to blatant, malicious commercial competition from rivals. Even the power of state authorities was involved. Under a continuous attack from both the underworld and legitimate channels, she was losing ground at every turn. She had offended many people in the business world, but she couldn't think of anyone who possessed the capability to control both sides. She was being utterly defeated, yet she couldn't even identify who was doing this to her.
When she realized she was outmatched, she considered whether to ask Gou Zhe for help. However, within just a few days, she realized her struggle might be futile. Gou Zhe was just a celebrity. Even if he was a big star, facing such power would be like a moth to a flame. It was better not to drag him down. Man Yixuan had always been a decisive person. Realizing she was powerless to resist, she decisively stopped fighting back. She liquidated all her assets in the shortest possible time, at least preserving some capital.
Man Yixuan turned off her phone, standing blankly by the window, gazing at the colorful night view outside. Her heart felt as if it had died. After years of hard work, she couldn't establish the influence she desired? She was truly unwilling! She had a feeling, deep down, that all of this shouldn't have happened this way. Meanwhile, Gou Zhe was busy with his own affairs, unaware of the unusual circumstances affecting each team member.
-
System 001: "Host, as expected, no one has discovered the anomaly. The news is calling it an accident. Everyone inside has been burned to ashes, leaving no trace. Humans will have no leads."
Wen Bai said indifferently, "Very good."
"Host, it seems we'll have to find that rogue robot. I've compiled a list of all the humans who participated in the hunting game that day, along with their background information. However, I don't think these people are likely to know anything. Compared to them, the rogue robot we met that day, who wanted to take you away, might know more."
Wen Bai expressionlessly handed a copy of the list to his subordinates and ordered them to follow up. With the limited clues available, they would have to try everything, a two-pronged approach. Remembering something, Wen Bai turned to his robot, Unit 575, standing beside him, and asked, "Do you remember the robot we encountered in the hunting game?"
Unit 575 replied with a standard smile, looking at its master, "I remember, Master. Which robot are you referring to?"
"The last one we met when we exited the forest."
Unit 575's deep blue eyes flickered. The standard smile on its lips stiffened slightly. What did Master want? Did Master take a liking to Bubu the robot? Unit 575 suddenly recalled Bubu the robot's words: humans could have many robots, and it wouldn't be the only one. However, Unit 575 still gave its master the answer it wanted, "I remember."
Wen Bai expressionlessly took paper and pen and handed them to the stiff robot, Unit 575, in front of him, "Draw it." Unit 575 controlled its emotions and took the paper and pen. Thirty seconds later, Bubu the robot, as it had appeared when they met in the forest, was vividly sketched. In a forest, a robot faced them, wearing large black sunglasses. Wen Bai took out his phone, took a picture of the drawing, and immediately sent it to his subordinates. Wen Bai even made a phone call, explicitly stating the importance of the matter, "Find this robot as soon as possible." Listening to its master's words, Unit 575 felt as if its entire robotic existence was submerged in soda, its heart pounding uncontrollably, filled with sourness and panic. The ominous clouds of an approaching storm seemed to press down on its head. Unit 575 looked at its master's retreating back, its legs uncontrollably taking a step forward... No. If Master discovered that it was different from other household robots, Master would abandon it. Unit 575 forcibly stopped its steps. It suppressed the urge to tear the drawing to shreds.
-
Wen Ziyue arrived at Wen Bai's villa again. He himself hadn't expected that after their unpleasant parting last time, he had resolved never to approach Wen Bai again. Yet, here he was, knocking on the door again. Wen Ziyue was in a bad mood, but his attitude was good. Wen Ziyue brought many of Wen Bai's favorite foods, looking as if he wanted to pack all the famous sweets and snacks available in the city. The food he brought was meticulously arranged on the table by the robots beside him, filling the largest dining table in Wen Bai's house with leftovers. System 001 felt something was amiss. Based on its understanding of humans, there was only one reason for such extremely unusual behavior: "Host, does your fiancé need your help with something?"
Wen Bai sat expressionlessly at the table and began eating without politeness, "He doesn't lack money."
System 001 agreed, "Indeed. What could he possibly ask you to do? You are both among the top wealthiest individuals. If he can't accomplish something, with your status, you probably can't either, right?"
Wen Ziyue was very patient today. Only after Wen Bai had eaten his fill and stopped eating did Wen Ziyue carefully begin to speak. "Wen Bai." Wen Bai took a sip of water and nodded in response. Wen Ziyue felt annoyed seeing Wen Bai just nod, as if that meant just agreement, and couldn't he speak? Before Wen Bai could even wipe his mouth, the robot beside him, Unit 575, proactively picked up a tissue and wiped the food residue from his master's mouth. Wen Bai, seeing that Wen Ziyue hadn't spoken, prompted, "What do you want to say?"
Wen Ziyue saw Unit 575's action and was about to speak when he was interrupted. Even with a household robot by his side, Wen Bai wouldn't be so lazy as to have it wipe his mouth for him, would he? How pampered. However, now was not the time to scold Wen Bai. He composed himself and forced himself to speak, "Do you like me?" Naturally, he didn't, Wen Ziyue thought. Starting with this question would be perfect.
Wen Bai answered without hesitation, "Yes." Wen Ziyue was his nominal fiancé. It was portrayed like that on television; married couples liked each other, so he had to say yes to avoid Wen Ziyue causing trouble. Wen Ziyue, who was tense, took a sip of water and promptly spat it all out. "What did you say?" Wen Ziyue found it utterly unbelievable. He had actually heard such words from Wen Bai's mouth. Wen Bai repeated expressionlessly, "Yes." Wen Ziyue was stunned, "Do you know what you're saying?" Wen Bai said impatiently, "What exactly do you want to ask?" Wen Ziyue was now stuck. In fact, he had come today to discuss breaking off the engagement.