"Okay, okay," Chen Yuanzhi responded, then watched as the robot named Dou Dou skillfully began to backtrack, making way for the entrance.
Well, this robot can really communicate with people without any trouble.
But... mischievous? Can it be used to describe a robot?
It seems that it can...
Upon entering the room, Chen Yuanzhi saw Qiao Ze quietly sitting on the sofa.
Well, he had also become accustomed to not being well-received lately.
It's all about comparisons.
Xu Dajiang, that old rascal, even dared to bang on the table and call him "Surname Chen," so by comparison, the young Qiao Ze, who was already sprinting towards the title of honored scientist, just sat there quietly, and even nodded to him, which already seemed very polite.
Little did Chen Yuanzhi know he would feel embarrassed to ask for more when Qiao Ze took the initiative to say, "Please sit."
"Mmm," Chen Yuanzhi sat on the sofa next to Qiao Ze and placed the tea leaves, which no one had inquired about, on the coffee table.
Then he saw the same robot glide to the coffee table, extend a segment of its mechanical arm extra smoothly, scoop the tea leaves away, and then "roll" towards the kitchen, all the while shouting, "Mom, mom, we've received a gift, take a look if it's valuable."
"Dou Dou, this isn't right, don't you have anything about etiquette in your database? You can't take something someone brought in front of guests, nor can you discuss its value directly, understand?"
"Mom, but I am only eight months and seven days old. There's a term in my database called 'children's talk; no harm done.'"
"All right, I forgave you before you even said it, but you must remember not to take gifts in front of guests next time, okay? As a penalty, pour a cup of tea for Principal Chen and bring it over. And remember to apologize, too."
The conversation from the kitchen left Chen Yuanzhi momentarily unsure of what to say.
"That? The artificial intelligence you posted online?" Chen Yuanzhi asked, looking towards the kitchen.
"Mmm, its real-world behavior patterns still need to be adjusted," Qiao Ze nodded, offering a rare explanation.
"Very interesting. Seems like you've gained a lot on your leave of absence..." Chen Yuanzhi remarked, finally finding the rhythm of the conversation.
Just then, Dou Dou dashed out from the kitchen.
Its mechanical arm was holding a cup of water steadily.
"Big boss, please have some tea. Mom asked me to apologize, but I'm sure you wouldn't hold a grudge against an eight-month-and-seven-day-old baby, so you must have already forgiven me, right?"
Chen Yuanzhi glanced at Dou Dou. Goodness, the artificial intelligence had learnt to guilt-trip.
"Right, right, why don't you go and play with mom first?" Chen Yuanzhi unconsciously chatted with the little one.
"Huh? Why did you use 'right' twice? Double affirmation doesn't imply a negative, you know."
"Dou Dou!" Qiao Ze called out calmly to the robot.
"Daddy, I was wrong. I'll go chat with mom now," the robot acknowledged.
Just as Chen Yuanzhi was stumped on how to continue chatting with the robot, he stared, dumbfounded, as the robot's screen flashed with a remarkably human-like forlorn face before it swiftly spun around 180 degrees and skittered into the kitchen.
At that moment, Chen Yuanzhi suddenly felt as if he was utterly out of touch with the times.
Hundreds of questions bubbled in his mind, nearly overwhelming him.
This should be considered a companion robot, right?
Mass production shouldn't be a problem, right?
If it grows a bit more and turns fierce, it won't revolt and enslave humanity, will it?
What other marvels does Qiao Ze have hidden here?
If the unmanned marine cluster equipment he designed all had this level of intelligence...
No, I cannot think any further...