Chapter 229: Overly Loyal

Sixth Satellite City.

The once barren wasteland has long been flattened and rebuilt, with steel factories towering above the ground, piercing through the clouds like silver-gray towers.

Engines roar, and intelligent machines rotate.

A precise production system creates more and more intelligent machines.

The sheer number of them multiplies exponentially, draining every last resource from the planet.

This is Xu Xi’s plan.

The starry sky is dangerous, hiding vast unknown threats.

To prepare and protect himself, Xu Xi is gathering as many resources as possible for his future starship construction project.

“Master, the soup is ready.”

The voice of the mechanical maid interrupts Xu Xi’s thoughts in the underground laboratory.

“Thank you, Ailei.”

Xu Xi takes the hot soup from Ailei’s hands.

The soup is creamy white, with a fragrant aroma, and floating in it are freshly picked mushrooms.

Thanks to the vast database and the unique computational power of intelligent machines, there are no incidents of poisonous mushrooms being mixed in.

“Hmm, not bad.”

“Ailei, your cooking skills have improved.”

Xu Xi sips the hot soup, savoring the umami flavor on his tongue, and can’t help but praise her with a smile.

“Thank you for your praise, but I still have a long way to go,” the mechanical servant stands quietly, appearing very composed, but her ears twitch rapidly.

Adorable.

Under Ailei’s gaze, Xu Xi slowly finishes the hot soup.

The warm broth and the crisp, smooth mushrooms are chewed and swallowed together.

“This kind of life is really nice…”

Xu Xi puts down the empty bowl, and the diligent Ailei immediately takes it away.

She asks Xu Xi if he would like a second bowl.

Xu Xi smiles and declines.

“Sit down, Ailei. You can’t be too busy all the time; you need to take a break,” Xu Xi says, making the ever-busy mechanical servant sit down beside him.

“Yes, Master,” Ailei obediently sits down.

Looking at Ailei and the familiar laboratory surroundings, Xu Xi can’t help but reminisce about the past.

Especially that time.

The early days of meeting Ailei.

Who would have thought that a household AI named RTX-9090 would transform into a self-aware being with human-like emotions?

Xu Xi once tried to replicate this miracle but ultimately failed.

The golden quality of “Mechanical Soul’s Joy” does exist, allowing intelligent machines to awaken self-awareness.

Just as people are different from each other, so are machine souls.

Not every machine soul can awaken a self-aware consciousness like Ailei.

“Ailei, I’ll continue to trouble you for help in the future.”

“Yes, please rest assured, Ailei will always serve you.”

“You don’t have to be so serious.”

Under the light, dust is clearly visible, and the shadows of the man and the mechanical servant blend together in silence.

The sound of their conversation echoes off the empty walls.

It feels quiet and warm.

…

[After ending the intelligent machine rebellion, your new life is filled with peace]

[You like and enjoy this atmosphere]

[No need to plan the next attack, no need to worry about machine disturbances. Now, you can freely research technology and relax in your spare time]

[You once asked Ailei if she had any future plans]

[Ailei’s answer remains the same as always: to serve you until her machine soul extinguishes]

[You hesitate to speak, then stop]

[Once again, you feel you’re not a good teacher]

[You try to correct her, but the loyal mechanical servant has her own principles. No matter how you try, her answer remains unchanged]

…

[Time flies quickly. Summer falls behind you, precisely cut by the cold autumn wind]

[Months of research have deepened your understanding of starship technology]

[You successfully establish contact with the old Federation’s starship]

[Resonating with it, you obtain blueprints]

[But the starship’s technology is too profound and obscure. You can’t fully grasp it, but you’re not in a hurry]

[You follow the principle of balancing work and rest. Whenever your mind tires, you temporarily put aside your research and choose to relax with leisurely daily activities]

[In the courtyard of the Sixth Satellite City, you tend to fragrant flowers and gaze at the stars with Ailei]

[But you feel that this alone isn’t enough]

[So, you take your loyal mechanical servant to a distant natural landscape]

…

The anti-gravity starship is fast.

It takes less than twenty minutes to travel from the Sixth Satellite City to the cedar forest Xu Xi chose.

When they step out of the starship, Xu Xi is greeted by a breathtaking scene.

Mist lingers among the brown tree canopies, weaving through the gaps between leaves, wrapping around the trunks, and blending silently, revealing a strange, dazzling halo under the morning light.

There is water in the forest, its surface like a mirror, symmetrically reflecting the natural beauty.

“Ailei, do you think this scene is beautiful?”

“Very beautiful.”

Facing Xu Xi’s question, the mechanical servant answers honestly.

But she is puzzled.

Why is Xu Xi asking her?

Indeed, beautiful scenery can relax the mind, but mechanical servants are not among those who can feel it. Cold machines can see beauty but cannot feel it.

Xu Xi smiles and denies it: “That kind of thing, Ailei, haven’t you already had it?”

The mechanical servant is confused: “I… have it?”

“Of course,” Xu Xi says, recalling the water-playing incident from years ago. What seemed like childish fun was actually an appreciation of beauty.

So, naturally, there’s no way Ailei can’t appreciate beauty.

“I see, thank you for explaining,” Ailei seems to understand, but also seems not to.

She squats down, picks up a dried leaf from the ground, and stares at its yellowed veins, falling into a long, motionless state.

This behavior makes Xu Xi curious.

“Ailei, do you like cedar trees?”

“I’m calculating whether using this wood for grilling would make the food taste better.”

The mechanical servant says this, her silver-blue eyes calmly and seriously observing the trees in front of her, gesturing with her hands to estimate the appropriate size for cutting.

It’s clear that Ailei is serious.

“Ailei, do you not like this scenery?”

“I like it, but serving you is my top priority.”

Her black hair cascades like a waterfall, shimmering in the golden sunset.

Ailei answers Xu Xi. She doesn’t dislike the cedar forest, but upon seeing it, she prioritizes considering its benefits for Xu Xi.

Whether it’s beautiful or not is irrelevant.

The mechanical servant doesn’t care about such things.

“Master, would you like to have a cedar wood barbecue?” the mechanical servant asks seriously.

“Let’s not do that,” Xu Xi sighs lightly, reaching out to pat Ailei’s small head.

His mechanical servant is very loyal.

But is she too loyal?