Don’t Covet the Beautiful System!! - Chap 74
After being stuck in the spacesuit for a long time, the overly nervous little robot took out an old-fashioned tape recorder out of thin air. He placed it on the grass and played soothing and melodious music.
The breeze blew and a white butterfly flew out in a speechless manner. It passed the transparent helmet that was like a fish tank and rested on the most special plant in the entire garden.
In the electronic screen on the little robot’s head, the animated eyes were blinking. He gradually calmed down due to the sound of music. He held the fish tank helmet in his square palm and looked at the brightening scenery around him with satisfaction.
The plant that grew out of the host’s heart was getting bigger. The branches became vines and they were green. It looked like it was going to bloom soon, perhaps this summer.
The amusement park in the distance had been built one after another and was just waiting for the host to open the consciousness space permission to personally come in and cut the ribbon. Then they could enjoy the pleasure of a roller coaster without leaving home.
He didn’t know when the growth value would be saved to the point of opening the permission. Could the special growth value obtained by getting first in the system assessment be used to open this permission?
Speaking of which, Fang Hao probably wouldn’t be able to win first place this time. After all, he had been full of thoughts about how to breed crayfish recently. It was said that even the scabbard that his host newly refined for him had a mysterious crayfish pattern engraved on it.
In a quiet world that only he could access for the time being, the little robot sat upright on a rock. He held his helmet and was thinking wildly.
In the noisy classroom, Pei Qingyuan felt his calm mood becoming even more relaxed. It was until he even felt a bit… excited?
He didn’t know that the garden Ji Tong often took care of was located in his emotional zone. He was just puzzled by the change in his mood and couldn’t help saying, “Why do I suddenly feel very excited?”
The moment he finished speaking, he immediately heard Ji Tong’s panicked voice. Ji Tong seemed to be adjusting something. “It is an illusion. Don’t get excited right now!”
The little robot frantically switched the tape recorder back to soft music from the rock channel it had strayed to.
Sure enough, it didn’t burn right away.
…Pei Qingyuan decided not to think about the reasons behind this.
At the end of class, he put down the paper in his hand, looked aimlessly out the window and took a break.
Many students in the room were chatting. It was one week before the exam and it was difficult to improve their grades by a large margin. Maintaining a good attitude was the most important thing right now. Therefore, the teacher encouraged everyone not to cling to difficult and strange questions that they didn’t understand. They should talk about easy topics that had nothing to do with learning, such as imagining the future.
Some people were talking about the city they wanted to go to in the future, some people were struggling with the major they wanted to apply for and some people were planning how to spend the long summer vacation after the college entrance examination. Various voices floated into Pei Qingyuan’s ears.
“I want to go to a city far from home so that I don’t have to quarrel with my parents all the time. How about you?”
“My mother won’t let me leave the province. She says it is better to be in this city…”
Pei Qingyuan thought that he didn’t care where to live in the future. At present, Ji Tong had a good impression of this city that was abundant in food and where snow fell. He probably wouldn’t get tired of it.
“I plan to learn to drive after the exam. This way, I won’t suffer too much while waiting for the results and can divert my attention.”
“I don’t dare to learn to drive. It feels so difficult. I want to travel after the exam and eat delicious food everywhere. Hehe.”
Driving a car and traveling with Ji Tong were all within Pei Qingyuan’s vacation plans.
“Have you thought about what major you want to study? After all, selecting your major is the first choice for choosing a college. I don’t understand.”
“My family wants me to study accounting. This major seems to be very popular. I don’t know if I can apply to a slightly better school with my score…”
Pei Qingyuan’s major had long been determined and there was no need for him to worry about this. He was silently listening and was about to switch to the next chat channel when he heard Lin Zihai’s voice. “Xiao Yan also seems to have selected the accounting major.”
“Oh, it might be finance or business administration. In any case, it is this direction. I can’t tell the difference.” Lin Zihai’s tone was envious. “It is good to know what he wants to learn. I don’t have a clue yet.”
Someone wondered, “You guys are back in touch again? I remember you haven’t talked about him in a long time.”
After all, everyone had been in the same class as Pei Yan for a while. Most of them had lost contact after he transferred schools and their relationship had gradually faded, but they were still curious about his recent situation and wanted to gossip about his distant wealthy life. “Is studying business administration for the purpose of inheriting the family business in the future?”
“It should be.” Lin Zihai’s expression was quite emotional as he said in a low voice, “I didn’t contact him earlier because I felt that Xiao Yan seemed to have changed a bit. I felt the friend he had the best relationship with at the time was quite annoying and spoke strangely, but I couldn’t explain how…”
“Now he has new friends and is gradually estranged from the previous person. So I feel that his personality has changed back. Now I sometimes chat with him. I’m definitely not as close to him as before but he is still a friend.”
“That is pretty good. Speaking of which, so much time has passed. Time flies so fast.”
“Chengde’s teaching level is so good. Wouldn’t his grades have improved greatly? I don’t know how many places they will occupy for the top 100 in the city for the college entrance examination.”
“There should be many people in this type of school who don’t take the college entrance examination and will go directly abroad.”
Speaking of the ranking, Lin Zihai suddenly became proud. “Why care about other schools? In the previous joint examination, our 2nd High School performed very well. This time, we will definitely be able to set a new record and we just have to compare with ourselves.”
“I found that Xiao Hai’s collective honor has radiated from our class to the whole school. Hahaha.”
Everyone chatted and the topic went further astray.
The moment Pei Qingyuan heard Pei Yan’s name again, he couldn’t help feeling a sudden sense of being separated from the world.
The friend who made Lin Zihai feel annoyed should be Xiang Jinyang.
Pei Qingyuan had guessed that Pei Yan would definitely be entangled by Xiang Jinyang after returning to the Pei house.
From a very young age, Pei Qingyuan found that behind Xiang Jinyang’s seemingly sunny appearance was a complex ambition. He hated the rich but greedily lay on a rich person’s body to suck blood, eager to replace them. Therefore, Pei Qingyuan always stayed far away from him.
However, he didn’t know if Pei Yan could see this clearly.
From Lin Zihai’s words, Pei Yan had indeed been influenced by Xiang Jinyang for a period of time. Fortunately, he was pulled back by his new friends and has plans and aspirations for the future.
There was no direct conflict or contradiction between Pei Qingyuan and Pei Yan. Now that Pei Qingyuan heard the news, he didn’t feel happy but he felt that it was at least a good thing.
However, he couldn’t imagine who in the circle would be so kind as to try and save a lost lamb.
Pei Qingyuan didn’t think that Pei Yan left Xiang Jinyang of his own initiative. It would be difficult for a prey who fell into that trap to obediently wake up on his own. They would only sink deeper and deeper.
Maybe Pei Yan, like him, met someone who really wanted to change his destiny.
Thinking about this, Pei Qingyuan diverted his attention and listened intently to the voice coming from his heart.
He vaguely heard a cheerful song.
Ji Tong was humming again.
He stretched out his finger and gently tapped the dial on his wrist. Suddenly, he heard Ji Tong respond. “Here!”
The robot Xiao Mei appeared on the dial with blinking eyes. “Do you want me for something?”
Pei Qingyuan looked at him and shook his head. “It’s okay.”
Xiao Mei rested his chin on his hands and looked at him peacefully. “Oh.”
The two of them stared at each other and were still for dozens of seconds. Then a smile flashed in Pei Qingyuan’s eyes first.
He found that Ji Tong had always been in a state of high tension since some time ago. Today, he was slightly better. It wasn’t known what Ji Tong had been tinkering with in the garden.
It was clear that Pei Qingyuan was the one who would be taking the college entrance examination but his system was more nervous than him.
What a special artificial intelligence.
A classmate passing by his seat saw Xiao Mei appear on his watch and couldn’t help coming up to say a greeting, “Xiao Mei, good afternoon!”
“Good afternoon, good luck for the exam.”
“Xiao Mei is so caring.” The student was happy to hear it. Then he became sad. “After graduating in a few days, I will never see Xiao Mei again. Alas, when will everyone be able to get a watch like the class monitor’s watch?”
“Work hard and strive to continue to see Xiao Mei by being admitted to the same college as the class monitor.”
Someone made a joke but Xiao Mei nodded quite seriously. “Xiao Mei also thinks that you are excellent human beings like Master.”
The students froze for a moment before touching their heads in an embarrassed manner.
“Xiao Mei is too good at praising people. I almost believed it…”
Xiao Meiu continued her efforts and put brilliant fireworks on the dial, amusing everyone.
Electronic fireworks bloomed and fell, reflecting the blue sky outside the window.
With the sound of cicadas, the college entrance examination really arrived.
Ji Tong felt that his heart was about to jump out of his chest the moment he saw the host enter the examination room.
No electronic products could be brought into the examination room. In order to let the host answer the questions with peace of mind, Ji Tong didn’t appear in his consciousness but waited outside like ordinary parents.
However, his advantage was that he could occupy a close-range VIP seat and wait for the exam to end.
On the railing of the corridor outside the classroom, a seemingly ordinary left was blown here. It rested quietly on the railing while occasionally being swept by the wind.
Patrolling invigilators passed by. The examinees in the room were scrambling to write and the rustling sound of the pen tip rubbing against the paper echoed everywhere.
Anxious parents stood outside the school gate in the distance. Some of them clasped their hands together to pray for blessings.
The leaf turned over while remembering the list of college entrance examination champions that had been pressed under his pillow.
Since he could put money under the pillow for blessings, he should also be able to put the list of college entrance examination champions to pray for a high score.
Ji Tong was a genius system good at drawing inferences from one instance, so he thought this.
Day and night alternated, joy and regret were interchangeable and the long two days passed.
After the last exam, Pei Qingyuan walked out of the examination room, picked up an ordinary leaf and placed it in his pocket. The first thing he said was, “The mission is half completed.”
The third main mission was to become the top student of the college entrance examination and to have a wide impact after being interviewed by the media.
The host was obviously confident in his college entrance examination results.
The leaf rubbed against his fingertips happily. “Host, you are so powerful.”
This gentle itch spread to his body like an electric current.
Pei Qingyuan, who had just withdrawn from a high-pressure state, suddenly relaxed.
Dusk was approaching. The voices of the test takers and parents—laughter, crying and conversations echoed everywhere.
He realized very clearly that this period of youth related to high school would become a memory from this moment.
“Has the host figured out what to do for the second half of the task?”
“Yes, I’ve thought about it.”
“Where are we going now?”
“Go home first.”
Without the guests from another world, the house had long returned to its former calm state.
After experiencing the joyous excitement, the family of three inevitably felt a bit deserted.
Fortunately, there was a new member at home.
There was a uniquely shaped robot on Pei Qingyuan’s workbench. It wore a beautifully crafted and textured cap and had a colorful oval jelly bean as its body. There was also a pair of mechanical short hands and mechanical long legs.
The drawing that Ji Tong took to the host in the past was perfectly restored.
The moment the left arrived home, he turned into a child and shouted into the house, “Hua Hua, the jelly bean, we’re back.”
Hua Hua immediately twisted his love heart butt and pounced, but the jelly bean didn’t respond.
Pei Qingyuan hadn’t turned on its switch in advance, keeping it from responding at any time, because there was one last step to complete.
He had patented the one-of-a-kind cap jelly bean robot, which had a long trademark name but no name to call it.
Pei Qingyuan left the name of the AI in the program empty, intending to let Ji Tong name it.
“What do you want to call it?”
Hearing this, Ji Tong held Hua Hua and thought for a moment. Then he answered a bit nervously, “Can I call it Xiao Mei?”
Pei Qingyuan subconsciously thought, ‘It is really Xiao Mei.’
He didn’t understand why but he had guessed the answer ahead of time.
“Yes.”
A familiar name was written into a completely new program.
Before going out to eat together to celebrate the successful conclusion of the college entrance examination, Pei Qingyuan turned on the thoroughly debugged jelly bean robot and placed it in front of Ji Tong.
He said, “Now it has a name.”
Along with the start up music that came with the cap speaker, the inside of Xiao Mei’s jelly bean body lit up with colorful lights and it looked bright and lively.
Ji Tong froze for a while before his mind returned. He asked uncertainly, “Is it called Xiao Mei now?’
“Yes,” Pei Qingyuan responded. “At present, my ability isn’t enough and it isn’t very smart. However, in the future, I will constantly update its algorithm and train it with a large amount of data to make it more intelligent.”
This was a real Xiao Mei who would study hard.
Thus, Ji Tong looked at the brilliant and flexible Xiao Mei and tentatively called out.
The child’s voice was full of novelty. “Xiao Mei.”
“Yes.”
He called out a second time with faint joy. “Xiao Mei.”
“I’m here.”
The third time was filled with the longing of a reunion after a long absence. “Xiao Mei.”
“Yes.”
Coincidentally, it still had only two response modes.
Ji Tong called out many times. He listened to the two repeated and alternating answers with sparkling eyes, as if he couldn’t get enough of hearing it.
This was until Xiao Mei suddenly moved. The repeated question and answer triggered a certain pre-written program.
In the quiet air, this carefully crafted hand-made robot moved toward him with flexible legs.
“You have been calling my name.” The mechanical female voice had a slight stiffness but it sounded very gentle. “Do you want to shake my hand?”
Ji Tong was stunned.
Xiao Mei stretched out her hand to him. The mechanical palm was polished smoothly and was round. It reflected the dim light of the setting sun and reminded him of every night when the host carefully assembled the jelly bean robot under the lamp.
He stared at Pei Qingyuan in a stunned manner. Pei Qingyuan’s usually cold face showed a trace of embarrassment. “I remember that you really wanted to shake hands with Xiao Ming on the night we had dinner at Professor Xiao’s house.”
The host’s memory was always good.
Ji Tong thought like this and a smile gradually bloomed on his face. He withdrew his gaze and looked again at Xiao Mei, who was still waiting in place for him.
He took a deep breath and plucked up the courage to reach out and gently grasp the small mechanical palm.
The moment when warmth touched coldness, he heard his voice quietly overlapping with the distant past.
“…Hello, Xiao Mei.”
