Chapter Fifty-Seven: An Intelligent Life

Zhang Mingyang and his companion sat quietly in their chairs, watching the other two converse for nearly an hour before they finally parted ways.

“Thank you for waiting. Let’s go, I’ll treat you to dinner,” said Peng Dongli.

Zhang Mingyang glanced at the sister-in-law behind them and asked, “Senior, isn’t your wife joining us?”

Jia Siqi replied, “The three of you can go ahead. I have to work the night shift, so I won’t be joining you. Next time when I have time, I’ll make sure to treat you properly.”

“That’s right, Siqi has the night shift. I’ll take you guys,” Peng Dongli added.

Seeing that she wouldn’t come, the two stood up and waved goodbye to Jia Siqi. They entered the elevator, and suddenly Tian Wenyuan, who had been silent, burst out, “Junior, I feel like we’ve been tricked. We spent the whole evening sitting here, watching a couple flaunt their love. What kind of situation is this?”

His outburst drew the attention of everyone else in the elevator. Peng Dongli tugged at his sleeve, urging him to keep it down.

“Ah, sorry, sorry!” Tian Wenyuan raised his hand apologetically to the others.

The elevator reached the ground floor, and the three stepped out, passing through the bustling lobby and exiting through the hospital’s main entrance.

Outside, night had fallen; the moon and stars hung in the sky, heralding the arrival of evening.

“So, where would you two like to eat?” asked Peng Dongli.

“I’m not picky,” Zhang Mingyang replied.

“And you, Old Tian?”

Tian Wenyuan thought for a moment. “To abandon your friends for romance, that’s a grave offense. I need to think about how to punish you.”

“Fine, take your time,” Peng Dongli said.

But Tian Wenyuan wasn’t familiar with Xiping and had no idea where to go.

“Forget it, you take us,” he conceded.

“All right, I’ll lead the way.”

Peng Dongli called a car. The three got in, and since it was self-driving, Tian Wenyuan entered the name of a hotel, and the vehicle started toward their destination.

On the way, Peng Dongli remarked, “This is our last night to relax. Tomorrow, we start the real work.”

Zhang Mingyang asked, “Senior, what materials are we here in Xiping to inspect?”

Peng Dongli answered, “The spaceship hull jointly developed by our company and the base. The three of us need to check the quality of the materials and the strength of the hull.”

Tian Wenyuan added, “Tomorrow I’ll need to visit the wind tunnel lab. How about this: we divide the work. Tomorrow I’ll go to the wind tunnel, Old Peng, you check the forging factory, and junior… who would you like to follow?”

Zhang Mingyang considered and replied, “Senior Tian, tomorrow I’ll go with Senior Peng. I’m an energy major, but I understand a bit about hull strength. I’ll stick with Senior Peng.”

“Good,” Tian Wenyuan nodded. “Let’s make good use of our time tomorrow; we’ll need to visit the raw materials base the day after.”

“Agreed,” the other two replied.

“Passengers, you’ve arrived at your destination,” chimed the car’s automated voice.

“Let’s go,” said Peng Dongli, opening the door and stepping out first.

Once all three were out, the car departed on its own.

Watching it leave, Zhang Mingyang suddenly thought of something. He asked, “Senior Peng, do taxis here not require payment?”

“Hm?” Peng Dongli glanced at the departing car. “I already paid.”

“You did?” Zhang Mingyang asked again, “But I didn’t see you scan anything or pay!”

“Oh!” Peng Dongli realized, then explained, “Here in Xiping, our taxis look like those in other cities, but they’re self-driving. Payment is done via facial VR recognition. As soon as you board, the system scans your face and matches it to your bank info. If your card has no money, the car won’t start, even if you input the destination. If you have funds, the fare is deducted automatically when you arrive.”

Listening to Peng Dongli’s explanation, Zhang Mingyang sighed about the advantages of big cities. In his small hometown, they still used mobile payments.

“Enough, enough. Social commentary, save it for later. Old Peng, where’s the restaurant?” Tian Wenyuan interjected.

Peng Dongli teased, “Eat… eat, you’re such a foodie. It’s over there.”

Tian Wenyuan looked in the direction Peng Dongli indicated and saw a five-story hotel named “Family Dining Hall.”

“Hurry up,” Tian Wenyuan said, striding ahead toward the hotel.

Passing through the infrared glass doors, the three entered the hotel lobby.

A machine as tall as a person quickly approached as soon as it detected their entry, and with its distinctive robotic voice asked, “Gentlemen, how many in your party?”

“Three. Is there a quieter room?” replied Peng Dongli.

The robot’s face instantly displayed a screen showing all the rooms in the hotel, their seating and sizes; green meant vacant, red meant occupied.

Peng Dongli looked at the screen and selected an empty room on the first floor.

After confirming, the robot led the way, guiding them to the chosen room.

Inside, the furnishings were still traditional: a round table, but the decor was different, entirely wooden, with several large green plants, giving the feel of a country courtyard.

The three sat around the round table. Peng Dongli glanced at the robot’s display, ordered a few dishes, and sent it away.

“Smart living is wonderful, so convenient,” Tian Wenyuan remarked, marveling at society today.

“Not everyone thinks so,” Peng Dongli countered. “For example, organizations like AC claim smart technology is encroaching on human jobs. Humans are squeezed out by robots and devices, losing their workspace, and they demand an end to smart tech to reclaim human opportunities.”

“That’s just a minority, isn’t it? Not everyone opposes it,” Tian Wenyuan replied.

“It’s more than you think,” Peng Dongli argued. “Just AC alone has over a million members. How many more do you want?”

“Honestly, humans are strange creatures,” Tian Wenyuan interjected. “You don’t want to work, so you invent all sorts of smart living software. But when life truly becomes automated, you complain about unemployment and lack of income. Isn’t that absurd?”

Listening to him, Zhang Mingyang added, “Everything has two sides. Nothing in this world is perfect. When you gain something, inevitably you lose something else. That’s normal.”

As they chatted, the robot entered carrying their food. Zhang Mingyang stood up and took the plates one by one from its compartment, setting them on the table.

Once all the dishes were served, the robot left. Peng Dongli distributed the bowls and chopsticks.

“Let’s eat, everyone. It’s getting late. We’ll get some rest and start work in earnest tomorrow.”