Back Into the Headlines

He returned to his office, expressionless.

Gu Anbao was happily twirling around the Mars robot when she saw him. She was about to greet him with a smile when her heart gave a start at the look of his face.

Although he was looking stern as usual…

…she could feel that something was not quite right with him.

He was not his usual self this time.

…

For the whole day, the man did not speak with his robot.

And she could sense his terrible mood as well, hence, she did not try to talk to him, for fear of antagonizing him.

He was not in the right frame of mind at work today and rejected many meetings as a result. His secretary came in a couple of times, to which he would always give the same reply, "We'll discuss this tomorrow."

This was extremely rare on any other normal day.

As Gu Anbao hugged her notebook to her chest, she wondered what Ace had discussed with him…?

By four in the afternoon, the man probably realized that it was impossible for him to continue working. He stood up, casually tidied his desk, and took off for the day with her.

In the carpark, he sat inside the car for a long time, with his forehead leaning on the steering wheel, looking tired.

She was very worried about him.

But… she did not know how to help him. She did not even know the reason that caused him to be so upset in the first place.

"Are you… not feeling well?" She probed cautiously. "How about me telling you a joke?"

He looked up at her with a gentle smile and answered hoarsely, "It's not necessary. Thanks, Ruan Ruan."

She was still staring at him, wide-eyed. With her brows furrowed, she looked mystified and anxious.

His heart felt warm and fuzzy when he realized that the robot was troubled over him. Reaching out to caress her head, he said, "I'm alright."

She did not believe him. And after glancing left and right, she asked meekly, "Then, why aren't you driving… You've sat here for a long time."

He smiled a little. "Eh, I'm a little tired today so I won't be driving."

He fiddled with the digital control inside the car and switched it to driverless mode. After he set the destination and the route, he pressed the 'start' button.

A flat female voice boomed over the car's stereo, "Driverless system activated. Right turn ahead at 300 meters…"

Her mouth rounded into an O-shape of a pleasant surprise.

What advanced technology… the car can actually drive by itself.

He relaxed both his hands and leaned against the car seat. Reaching out, he took her left hand, placed it on his palm, and gently caressed it.

She was such a good girl.

She was so sweet and mild that he liked her and wanted to take care of her so much.

But was his liking the kind which an owner had toward his pet, or a parent toward his child; or perhaps, the kind which the man had for a woman…

He could not understand.

Perhaps, he understood all along but he was resisting the truth.

He could not face the truth.

After his heart was moved, he would like her. And the liking would develop into love. Falling in love would mean having a chain that would be hard to break.

As for him, what stage was he at now?

Stop… Chen Yuheng, it's time for you to let go.

This was not something new. Some lonely folks had been reported to fall in love with their companion robot or with the virtual characters in a game. There were even reports of those who fell in love with a painting, or prose… Such things would appear in the news occasionally.

Am I one of them, too? Had he developed a pathological affection for her after spending too much time with her…?

He could not help questioning himself. Had his temperament and sense of aesthetic diverted so much from the general public?

There was no answer for him.

Nobody would admit that they, themselves, were abnormal. But if he was indeed normal, then how could he explain his atypical feelings for Ruan Ruan?

At night, they slept on the same bed together.

He was starting to regret his earlier decision to get her to charge her battery in the bedroom every night.

This was a source of agony for him.

There were a few times… He wanted to hug her from behind and to fall asleep with her in his arms. But now, when he opened his eyes in the dark, he would be consciously reminded of her status when he saw the charging cable attached to the nape of her neck. His expression turned murky and painful at this reminder.

She is a robot after all…

No matter how much she resembles a human, she is still a robot…

Her smiles and looks aren't instinctive. They are a result of a series of programming code, working to make her imitate a human's shy and coyish mannerism.

Chen Yuheng, you have to wake up.

Wake up…

The next day, he received a call from Cheryl. The company had been confronted with an emergency that needed immediate attention.

He switched on the Internet TV to watch the morning news.

On the screen, many people waving banners were seen protesting agitatedly at the open space outside the RK office building. The clip taken was shaky, hence the slogan on the banner could not be deciphered. Vaguely, it said: Attack, Rejects, Harm…

A large number of robotic remains surrounded the unsettling crowd. As they were shouting the slogan, they were stomping on the metallic carcasses. Some even dripped gasoline on the robots from the gasoline bottles in their hands.

The security was unable to disperse such a large gathering. The only thing the officers could do was to cordon the group to prevent further destruction.

He looked composed, as if this was well expected, and spoke into the phone again. "Have you called the police yet?"

His secretary replied, "Captain Zhou said he will arrive in five minutes. President, these people seemed to be well prepared. Shortly after they arrived, the reporters followed suit. With the reporters around, it will be difficult for the police to hurl the protesters away. These people accuse RK's robots of having quality hazards and being aggressive. The board of directors is asking if we should organize a press conference to clarify…"

"There's no hurry." Knitting his brows, he did not seem to take this to heart. "Let the lawyers follow our usual protocol to manage this matter. If the protesters cannot produce proof to the claim, this will become another meaningless demonstration."

"But, President Chen, this will affect the company's reputation, especially with the Internet… Those netizens who don't know the truth will join in the protest, and our loss…"

"Get a few copywriters to publish a few advertorials on Huaxin's latest technology. This will help to take their momentum to a higher level, and we can organize a press conference in one week. As for all other matters, let the legal department handle them."

Cheryl went silent for a while before replying, "Understood. I'll arrange the necessary."

She added after a pause. "President, do you want me to arrange the security to fetch you with Mars in tow if the protesters cannot be dispersed within half an hour?"

"It's not necessary." He pressed on both sides of his forehead and pondered before replying, "I'm not going to the office today."

"Alright."

After hanging up the call, he saw her staring at the TV screen with a stunned look on her face.

There were various robotic models being smashed and thrown on the ground. The place was covered with metallic remnants, no different from organs that were ripped out of a human body. The protesters were bent on provocation as they set the machines on fire. Crackling sounds could be heard as the fuel burnt the circuit boards and sent out sparks of fire from time to time.

The scene was a mess.

If not for the security, these people would have thrown the metallic carcasses into the office building, too.

She was too shocked to move as she fixed her eyes on the screen.

Heaving an inward sigh, he covered her eyes gently and said, "Don't watch anymore."

She pursed her lips tightly without any words or movements.

With the other hand, the man picked up the remote control and switched off the TV.

She dragged her feet along and then turned around to bury her face on his chest. Her body was shaking ever so slightly. Like an abandoned bird, she was piteously weak and defenseless.

She reckoned she was too naive and simple-minded…

Men were capable of monstrous acts that could be far worse than tearing up clothes as Xu Zhicheng had done to her…