The robot on the ground seemed to have lost control, its blood making it appear especially terrifying.
It appeared to be trying to pull its hand out, and as it did, the tiles beneath it shattered one by one and broke free from the ground.
The female-shaped robot, meanwhile, looked at the humans and robots surrounding them with apparent urgency.
She paced back and forth, occasionally crouching to look down at the blood-stained, short-haired robot, then turning back to observe the security team and her master standing not far away, her face etched with anxiety.
When a robot displayed anxiety, it was never a good sign.
After a thorough check of her master, finding that he was unharmed,
575 tilted her head towards the elevator entrance, her sapphire-blue eyes moving.
The female robot's master was a middle-aged woman, carrying a bag. She seemed incredulous that her robot was exhibiting human emotions.
She looked as if she had seen a monster, covering her mouth and retreating continuously. Then, separated by the approaching security team, she turned and fled the crowd.
The female-shaped robot was consciously trying to restrain the out-of-control, violent short-haired robot.
However, the security guards had already surrounded both robots, the circle tightening.
Under the command of the security captain, the robots within the encirclement were, without resistance, subdued by fellow robots from the security team and had their heads directly removed.
The headless robots continued to twitch, their bodies and detached heads held by several robots until the chips within their heads were excavated on the spot.
Even the female robot, who had not harmed anyone from beginning to end, did not escape. She tried to flee but found nowhere to go.
The female robot's broken, damaged head still had its eyes open in confusion, its hands reaching out towards its master.
But her master, standing outside the crowd, covered her mouth, only fear left in her eyes.
A robot could lose its arms and legs, even suffer severe injuries, and as long as its chip remained, it could be repaired, even in a partially damaged state.
A robot with a damaged chip, however, was like a human on the brink of death; death was its only destination.
575's hand rested on its chest, its fingertips twitching slightly.
Unlike the other two robots, his chip was located in his chest.
Wen Bai stood on the ground, watching the two robots being dismantled with a blank expression, blinking his eyes.
This world was truly unfriendly to robots.
All of this happened within minutes.
The tall, handsome robot retracted its gaze, as if it had seen nothing.
Wen Bai turned with a blank expression.
He said, "Let's go."
Then he began to walk, a step ahead of 575.
575 watched the direction Wen Bai was heading but didn't move. Its deep, pleasant voice was slightly raised, and it donned its usual standard smile, reminding him, "Master, you're going the wrong way."
Wen Bai didn't look back, his tone cold, "I'm not eating anymore, we're going back."
—
Evening.
After dinner, Wen Bai, uncharacteristically, did not hold his post-meal fruit to watch his favorite culinary show. Instead, he stood in the garden, meticulously tended by 575, feeling the cool breeze.
After tidying up the kitchen, 575 couldn't find its master inside.
It carried a large plate of sliced post-meal fruit and stopped in Wen Bai's usual post-meal location – the living room.
It paused briefly, tilting its head slightly. Its master's breathing sound drifted into its ears with the wind – the tall, handsome robot's ears were equipped with the most advanced receivers.
It thus determined its master's location.
575, carrying the large plate of fruit, found Wen Bai in the garden.
"Master, the fruit is ready."
Wen Bai acknowledged with a sound but, unlike usual, his eyes didn't light up to receive it.
575 paused slightly, looking at Wen Bai's back, then picked up a fruit fork, speared a small piece of apple, and offered it to Wen Bai's lips, repeating, "Master, eat fruit."
Wen Bai never refused food offered to him.
He complied with his own desire, taking a bite, then took the fork, but didn't take a second bite.
The tall, handsome robot's eyes showed confusion. It looked at its master's profile and finally voiced its question, "Master, are you unhappy?"
Wen Bai remained silent.
Was this unhappiness?
But why?
The tasks were proceeding in an orderly fashion. He didn't have to worry about going hungry every day, where to sleep at night, or if someone would come after him while he slept.
He just felt a very strange emotion, a constant pulling and tugging, that made him somewhat lose his appetite.
575 asked gently, "Master, would you like to listen to music?"
Robots were designed with the primary purpose of serving humans, and all robots were pre-programmed with a function to cheer up their masters before deployment, which was also one of the mandatory factory inspection standards.
The functions to cheer up the master included, but were not limited to: singing, dancing, telling jokes, massage, and various special services.
Some services required manual activation, and after 575's repair, all its functions had been fully activated.
Wen Bai shook his head, not wanting to listen to music.
575 pressed on, "Master, would you like to dance?"
Wen Bai: "No."
He didn't know how.
"Master, would you like to hear a joke?"
Wen Bai continued to shake his head, he didn't like jokes.
System 001, sensing something was wrong, immediately chimed in, "Host, is your low mood due to seeing those two robots today? Impossible, you're not that soft-hearted. But it's okay, I'll redeem a dispeller for you."
Dispeller: A potion to dispel adverse effects, including adverse factors caused by ordinary medication control, and negative emotions.
As soon as the words fell, Wen Bai felt something that had been enveloping him being gently lifted and dispersed. The纠结 and repetitive, uncontrollable emotions that had been affecting his heart also vanished.
System 001 proudly stated, "How about it, Host? Good effect, right?"
Indeed, Wen Bai's low mood was instantly dispelled, and his mood inexplicably improved.
Wen Bai said from the heart, "Praise you."
System 001: "..."
Don't be so perfunctory with me.
At this moment, 575 continued, "Master, do you need a massage?"
Seeing Wen Bai remain silent, 575 took it as his consent. It blinked, a smile appearing on its face: it had chosen the option most suitable for its master.
When Wen Bai came back to his senses, he heard a deep voice by his ear.
575 said, "Then let's go inside."
Wen Bai looked at the smile on 575's face and didn't refuse.
Then, as if possessed, Wen Bai nodded.
System 001: "Then, Host, you go for your massage, and I'll go into hibernation."
Wen Bai entered the house and walked directly upstairs, "You go ahead."
System 001's electric current sound disappeared.