Chapter 374 |
I said, Huh? The end of the world, what does that have to do with a silver-haired big sister?
He said, Of course it does, because the silver-haired big sister is the key to saving the world!
And he, Fang Qi, is the chosen one! As long as he has the silver-haired big sister, he can save the world with her!
So, to save the world, this matter has to be prioritized, no delays, not even a single day!
I laughed so hard I almost slid off the sofa!
This kid, he's almost at that cringey, middle-school phase!
Wanting to save the world with a silver-haired big sister, I wonder which cartoon he's been watching!
Oh, right, he also threw up earlier—ate too much strawberry cake!
Anyway, at least he finally forgives me!
This little brat, his anger comes and goes so fast.
Oh well, whatever, he's my son after all.
And he's pretty easy to placate; just mention a silver-haired big sister, and even the biggest problems slide right off.
Can't write anymore, time to sleep!
…
…
Year XXXX, February 9th.
Lately, Chen Xi seems to have gone back to being the old Chen Xi!
Ever since the "Awakening AI Ban" was announced, maybe it was to show their stance, to show that they wouldn't really restrict the development of Chen Xi AI…
Not only did they invest another large sum, but those old fogeys who used to crash the board meetings also stopped coming!
One by one, they all voluntarily gave up their decision-making power.
In the boardroom, it's back to just us from before.
Old Zhang, Xiao Wang, and those old comrades who came up together from the ruins.
No suits sitting around playing political games, no one dragging out proposals to waste time!
It's great!
With those old geezers out of the way, the whole company vibe came alive again!
People are loudly discussing experimental data in the hallways again, and someone's complaining about the cafeteria food in the break room.
Ah Chu has clearly been smiling more, too.
A few days ago at dinner, he actually took the initiative to talk about work, saying that without those people's interference, even the R&D progress had sped up quite a bit.
He said the R&D team is full of drive, the technical plan for the mass-produced model is basically finalized, and the mass-production version of the AI Companion will be out soon!
I said, That's great, and the maintenance and testing department is almost fully set up too, so we can launch it all together this time!
Ah Chu nodded, said he was thinking the same thing, and added that he was very satisfied with this technical plan—the awakening rate can be controlled to an extremely, extremely low level!
This goofball, rarely so chatty about work with me. He really must be happy!
As for Xiaoqi, there have been changes too.
He seems to have settled down a bit at school lately.
The frequency of me being @mentioned in the parent group has noticeably dropped!
And, ever since that time he ate strawberry cake until he threw up, he doesn't clamor to go to the company at all anymore!
Before, whenever he heard the word "Chen Xi," he would jump up like he'd stepped on a cat's tail and immediately start rambling about the silver-haired big sister and wanting to tour the company.
Now?
When I talk about work with Ah Chu at dinner, he just sits quietly eating his rice, occasionally asking, "So when will the silver-haired big sister be ready?"
His tone is like he's just going through the motions; after asking, he goes right back to eating, without seeming to expect a definite answer at all.
This kid is really growing up!
Still, there's one thing that's got me a bit puzzled.
I used to think Xiaoqi was incredibly clever!
He absolutely inherited Ah Chu's intelligence!
But now… how should I put it… I'm starting to have my doubts?
I've seen his recent test scores. They're not bad…
But they're definitely not good either!
His teacher says he often answers questions wrong in class, sometimes on really simple stuff.
At first, I thought he was faking it. Ah Chu said before that Xiaoqi pretended to be dumb to avoid attention, but watching him lately…
I suddenly thought, is it possible…
He's actually a little slow?
…as slow as me?
When I was little, I used to fail math all the time. My mom said I had a "blockhead that wouldn't open up"…
Is Xiaoqi carrying on my legacy?
So maybe his earlier smartness was just an illusion?
Back in kindergarten and the lower grades of elementary school, the material was too simple to show the difference. Now that the difficulty has ramped up in the upper grades…
He's being exposed?
…Ah, forget it. So what if he's slow?
In this day and age, just living well is enough!
I don't expect him to become a great scientist like Ah Chu either. If he wants, it'd be fine for him to become an art student.
Even if he flunks the college entrance exam, it's no big deal. What matters is his safety.
When it comes to excellence, Xiao Lian'er is the truly outstanding one!
Yesterday, she called me specifically to share the good news—she came first in her class!
She said, "Aunt Su, I haven't let your expectations down. I'll keep working hard."
This kid, she works hard enough to make my heart ache.
I said, Of course you haven't let me down. You've never let anyone down!
She was silent for a moment, then softly said, "Thank you, Aunt."
After hanging up, I sat on the sofa and spaced out for a while.
Ah Chu asked me what was wrong, and I said, Nothing, I just think… that Xiao Lian'er, she's going to become a really, really outstanding person.
Ah Chu said, Yeah, she will.
It feels like everything is heading in a good direction.
The company is revitalized, and the mass-produced model is about to launch.
Xiao Lian'er is making rapid progress in her studies.
Except for Xiaoqi seeming a little slow…
But at least he's safe and happy, right?
The kids from the orphanage have recently been adopted one after another.
Xiao Ting was picked up by a middle-aged couple. As she left, she turned back and waved at me, smiling happily.
That's really great.
I hope this world gets better and better!
…
…
Year XXXX, November 25th.
I haven't written a note in a long time.
Ugh, I've been really busy lately. Age is also…
No, no! I'm only in my thirties, that's not old!
This is the prime time for getting things done!
Today is a big day—
The company's mass-produced model has been a huge success!
With government backing and set against the backdrop of the "ban on awakening"…
This time, our brand-new model is a full humanoid AI Companion!
It has a complete human form, a face, and bionic skin!
Although the core performance is far inferior to those awakened AI Companions from before, and although it deviates a bit from our original intentions…
Looking at the entire market, it's absolutely a groundbreaking product!
Orders have been phenomenal, with the queue stretching into next year. There are even long lines at the flagship stores in several major cities.
The marketing department is running around like headless chickens, pumping out a ton of promotional material every day.
I haven't had a good night's sleep in days, and my dark circles are practically down to my chin!
It's exhausting!
Anyway, I'm finally done with the crunch, so I'll quickly jot down this note!
In short, Chen Xi is finally back on track.
Back when the second AI Crisis first broke out, Ah Chu and I almost thought the company was finished...
Ah, never mind. Let the past be past. Everything's fine now.
What really puts my mind at ease is that after all our recent exhaustive testing, the awakening rate for mass-produced models has been crushed to under 0.4%!
As long as we carry out regular maintenance checks, we can spot the early signs of awakening and deal with it before it becomes a problem.
I even called Xiao Lian'er and told her all the good news.
Her voice is much steadier now than before. She congratulated me seriously, said she figured Aunt Su must be swamped with the mass-production models hitting the market, and told me to take some rest.
She also said that after she joins the company, she'll drive the awakening rate even lower.
I said, "Good, good! Aunt Su can't wait to have you on board!"
Speaking of which, I made a point of having a talk with Xiao Qi today.
He's eleven now, growing taller by the day, looking more and more like a little teenager.
I said, "Xiao Qi, the company's tech is really mature now. The mass-produced AI companions are on the market. How about...
I let Daddy make you a silver-haired big sister?"
"It's possible now, you know!"
"You can customize her height, her voice, her personality—anything you want. I guarantee she'll be every bit as good as the one in your drawings!"
I thought he'd jump up and cheer.
But he actually shook his head!
He said, "Mom, my silver-haired big sister can't be some soulless mass-produced model!"
He looked dead serious, saying his silver-haired big sister absolutely has to have self-awareness, has to truly love him, has to be one of a kind.
No matter how good mass-produced models might be, they're still just "merchandise," not her!
That little rascal sure sets his standards high!
I said, "Then you'll have to wait a long time, until your dad develops a new emotional core. And even if he does, the current law doesn't allow awakened AI—"
He cut me off. He said he could wait. He could wait one year, two years, ten years...
That for his whole life, he only ever wants one silver-haired big sister, and nobody else will do.
Oh, that kid.
The light in his eyes when he talked about his silver-haired big sister—it was exactly the same as the look in Ah Chu's eyes all those years ago when he told me, "Let's go change the world."
...
...
XXXX, December 15th
Xiao Qi has really grown up!
Today, when I went into his room to tidy up, I suddenly noticed something was different.
That wall of his, which used to be plastered with drawings of the silver-haired big sister—
Crooked ones, straight ones, big ones, small ones, colored pencil, watercolor, crayon, you name it.
And a handwritten "Radiant Light Design Department Construction Notice" tacked to his headboard.
Every time I walked in, I felt like my eyes were going to be blinded by all those scribbles!
But now, he's taken every single one down, collected them all into a big folder, and put it on his bookshelf.
The wall is completely bare except for a single picture.
An enlarged version of that silver-haired big sister—and wow, she's really beautiful!
I was stunned. I asked, "Xiao Qi, did you draw this yourself, or did you use AI image generation?"
He said he drew it by hand.
And he said, "Only I am allowed to draw the silver-haired big sister. There's no way I'm letting some other AI draw my silver-haired big sister!"
I was absolutely floored.
When did this kid's drawing skills get this good?
The lighting, the perspective, the depth—it's all there! This is master-level!
See? I always said so!
He inherited my sense of aesthetics and his dad's laser focus. How could he not be a genius?
Anyway, I've already had that picture framed for him!
A silver-haired girl with heterochromatic eyes.
Her amber left eye is as clear as a gemstone, and her crimson right eye curves slightly, as if she's thinking about some secret only she knows.
She's wearing a pale blue casual dress, kneeling in a graceful pose, cupping a teacup with both hands as she offers it forward, with a smile so warm and gentle on her face.
It's really beautiful!
Xiao Qi, you're amazing!
I'm seriously considering steering him toward becoming an artist!
Who knows? He might really become a painter someday!
...
...
XXXX, December 28th
Today, I met a really adorable and brilliant little girl!
Her name is Lin You—Xiaolin's daughter!
Such an impressive little girl!
