"How much does it cost?" Shen Zhaozhao pressed on.
Sheng Chuyi replied, "Right now, the price of an all-purpose nanny robot is around one hundred thousand."
Shen Zhaozhao did some quick math and it didn’t seem particularly expensive. After all, the annual salary for a live-in nanny was about the same, and she should be able to afford it if she worked hard enough.
After all, she was a student at Jing University. Her future salary would surely not be lower than a nanny’s, right?
She just didn’t know what he meant by ’simple household chores.’ If they were similar enough, she wanted to arrange one for herself.
Of course, that was assuming she had the money to do so.
"Can it be purchased domestically now?" Shen Zhaozhao asked.
"It’s not yet available for sale in the country. If you want to buy one, you have to go abroad."
"Is that so!" Shen Zhaozhao’s disappointment was visibly evident.
After all, who would go overseas just to buy a robot?
Sheng Chuyi said, "However, a robot is after all a machine and cannot match a human being, and there are many areas in need of improvement. But this is also an important research direction in the future field of Artificial Intelligence. There are many companies in our country currently developing this project, and I believe that all the functionalities you mentioned will ultimately be realized."
Shen Zhaozhao asked, "How soon is ’ultimately’?" She wondered if it would be achieved by the time she graduated from university.
Sheng Chuyi replied, "Given the current trend in the development of Artificial Intelligence domestically, we can expect to see the prototype of domestic service robots within three to five years, and there should be commercial products on the market within ten years. However, widespread adoption might take fifteen years, or even longer."
That was indeed "soon" enough.
The expression on Shen Zhaozhao’s face visibly sagged.
"Do you want it that badly?" Sheng Chuyi chuckled lightly.
Shen Zhaozhao pouted, "What’s the use of wanting it if it’s not available for purchase?" It was like having something you really liked right in front of you, something you really wanted but were told it was just a concept model, not for sale.
Who could understand this feeling!
Sheng Chuyi reached out and lightly scraped her nose, "Don’t be impatient. It will happen. And besides, I will do all the household chores in the future. Even without a robot, you can just lie down after work and not have to do anything."
Taking the floor-cleaning machine from her hand, Sheng Chuyi said, "I am serious. Even if I don’t have the time, we can hire an hourly worker. You won’t need to lift a finger." He then handed her a card, "The commission from this project is enough to pay for an hourly worker for a year."
"Are you that amazing?" Everyone talks about making money from projects, and apparently, it’s true.
Even though she could earn money by tutoring, it was nothing compared to what he could make. His commission from one project was enough to cover a year’s worth of her part-time work.
Shen Zhaozhao looked at the card in her hand, then raised her head and said, "Are you really going to entrust me with your pay card?"
"Yep," Sheng Chuyi smiled, "In our family, it’s tradition for the wife to manage the finances."
"But I’m not your wife yet." Shen Zhaozhao verbally stated they were not yet married, but the corners of her mouth couldn’t help curving upwards.
Sheng Chuyi stated, "Sooner or later, you will be."
In the evening, Sheng Chuyi sat busy in front of the computer.
Shen Zhaozhao warmed a cup of milk and placed it beside him, "Isn’t the project finished?"
Sheng Chuyi replied, "Yes, this is a different project. If you’re sleepy, go ahead and sleep first."
"Oh!" Concerned about disturbing him, Shen Zhaozhao went back to the next room.
Sheng Chuyi watched her leave the room, and after a moment, took his gaze back to the screen, his eyes softening and firming.
Shen Zhaozhao didn’t realize that, because of her idle fantasy, she had given Sheng Chuyi exceedingly clear plans and goals.
In the future, she would receive an unexpected gift.