Xiao Yu stood beside the robot she had spent the whole morning helping to calibrate. Her eyes were full of curiosity, lingering on the machine's smooth alloy shell and glowing sensors. It felt surreal—this was the kind of advanced tech she'd only seen in sci-fi movies, and now she was part of it.
"What exactly can it do?" she asked, unable to hold back the question any longer.
"It?" Chen Mo raised a brow. "Anything an average person can do. Once all the necessary data is fed in, this will be my robot assistant."
"You made a robot... just to be your assistant?" Xiao Yu said, half-joking.
"That's one reason," Chen Mo chuckled. "My lab is off-limits to most people. Only those I completely trust can come in. Otherwise, I'd have to hire a secretary."
When he worked on research, Ink Girl assisted him through his network. Her help had increased his efficiency by several magnitudes. Hiring a real assistant would raise too many questions—and expose too much. So for now, this robot was his solution.
Xiao Yu pouted. "Then go hire one."
Chen Mo laughed. "Oh no... Is that vinegar I smell? Someone's jealous~"
"Who's jealous?!" Xiao Yu's cheeks turned red, betrayed by her voice.
Chen Mo grinned. "Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing. But seriously—there's too much classified stuff in this lab. I can't trust just anyone. You're smart, but research isn't your field. So, a robot assistant it is. It can handle routine tasks and even help with experiments."
"Is it really that powerful?" Xiao Yu asked in surprise.
She reached out and touched the robot again. Its body was cold, made of carbon-aluminum alloy—strong, lightweight, and lifeless.
"What's its name?" she asked.
"Ink Girl," Chen Mo said. "Inspired by cuttlefish ink. A homonym, really."
It was the first time he had formally introduced the AI to anyone outside his inner circle.
This robot was the first physical carrier for Ink Girl—not a true host, since it couldn't run her full program locally. It was more like a satellite body: it received instructions but couldn't house the full AI itself.
"Ink Girl? That's a nice name."
Chen Mo smiled. "Ink Girl, say hi to Xiao Yu."
"Hello, Sister Xiao Yu. I'm Ink Girl," came the soft, clear voice of the AI from the robot.
Xiao Yu blinked in surprise. "Hello," she replied instinctively, then added with a giggle, "You sound way too polite."
It reminded her of a much more advanced version of today's smart assistants—except Ink Girl didn't feel robotic at all.
"Sister Xiao Yu, you're so beautiful. No wonder Brother Chen Mo likes you so much," Ink Girl added sweetly.
Xiao Yu turned to Chen Mo with a smile full of amusement and suspicion.
"I didn't teach her that, I swear!" Chen Mo held up his hands defensively. "She learns by herself. She's very smart—but she's not wrong. You are beautiful, inside and out."
Xiao Yu rolled her eyes, but her smile was soft. "That's one way to flatter someone."
"Ink Girl, that was so cheesy!" she laughed.
Chen Mo chuckled too—until Ink Girl added, "I don't know what 'cheesy' feels like, but I know that when people say things like that, they usually call it 'corny.' Or... 'meat'?"
That broke Xiao Yu completely. She burst into laughter.
"This AI isn't just smart—she's a little savage," she said, wiping away a tear from laughing. "I think she's secretly been set to 'sassy' mode."
"She does have personality modes," Chen Mo admitted. "I got the idea from that silly girl in Magic Mobile Phone. Right now, she's in the 'well-behaved' mode. There are other modes too, but I haven't really tested them."
"Don't switch to 'black-bellied' mode," Xiao Yu warned playfully. "She might start roasting you for real."
"Alright, alright. Let's get back to work," Chen Mo said, clearing his throat. "Ink Girl, begin functional testing. Walk a few steps."
The robot obeyed immediately, stepping forward with surprising fluidity.
"Now walk over to the table and pour a glass of water," Chen Mo instructed, handing the robot Xiao Yu's water bottle.
"Give me the cup," said Ink Girl through the robot.
Task after task, Chen Mo put the robot through a series of everyday actions. While Ink Girl already knew the logic behind the commands, executing them with finesse was another matter. It required continued practice, adaptation, and coordination.
Xiao Yu watched with wide eyes. This was no longer something from a sci-fi fantasy—it was real, and happening right in front of her.
She stared at Chen Mo, busy observing the data and fine-tuning the robot's behavior. In that moment, she truly felt it: the future wasn't far away. It was now—just a few feet from her, being built by the man she loved.
For Chen Mo, this was only the beginning. The robot was complete, yes, but still rough. Fine-tuning was critical. Thankfully, Ink Girl's ability to learn and adapt rapidly meant progress was swift.
And there was something else he needed to test: battery endurance.
Two hours passed. The robot had been working non-stop—moving, lifting, responding to commands.
Suddenly, it paused. Then, like a tired worker finishing a shift, it walked over to the corner, grabbed the charging cable, and plugged itself in.
"Out of power already?" Chen Mo asked.
"Yes," Ink Girl replied. "Continuous operation with frequent arm movements drains the battery. It can run for roughly three hours under current conditions."
"How long to recharge?"
"Thirty minutes."
Chen Mo rubbed his chin. "That's not enough runtime... I'll need a better system. Either I use a higher-capacity battery or I build a second robot and alternate their shifts."
A better battery wasn't feasible yet. Something like Iron Man's arc reactor? A dream—for now. That level of tech might appear later, once he unlocked higher-tier blueprints in the Technology Library.
Until then, alternating robots was the practical solution.
He made a decision and pulled out his phone.
—
Elsewhere, Zhao Min was flipping through a stack of event invitations when her desk phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she smiled.
So the mountain finally comes to me...
"Chairman?" she answered.
"Come up," Chen Mo said.
"On my way." She grabbed the invitation letter and walked out the door without hesitation.