The sea hare had never felt so much pressure from teaching before.
The student was watching the online class intently, while the student’s companion rubbed its nose against the boy’s chin. Seeing that the boy didn’t object, it went further and climbed onto his lap, brushing against his ear, with its leopard-like head resting on top of his.
To be honest, the student was also under a lot of pressure.
The black leopard slowly climbed up, placing its two paws on the boy’s shoulders, willingly acting as a giant cat-shaped cushion, letting the boy lean against its chest while studying. Bo Ge felt like he was wrapped in a large cat coat, sweating from the heat at his back.
“Look at this problem.” After the online class ended, the sea hare began explaining the question to Bo Ge. “When this concept is tested, it’s usually in a major question that requires you to provide a brief explanation. For example, it might ask, ‘Why do life and non-life forms behave similarly in many aspects when engaging in purposeful actions?’”
“Why?” Bo Ge hadn’t encountered this question before.
“When you see this kind of question, you need to apply the cybernetics we just learned today,” the sea hare reminded him.
“Didn’t the online class say cybernetics is the art of managing people? How does it relate to non-living things?” Bo Ge was puzzled.
“Calling it the art of managing people is just one nickname for cybernetics. Don’t make hasty generalizations!” the sea hare replied gruffly. Just as it was about to say more, it noticed the black leopard cushion behind the boy staring intently, its claws slowly unsheathing from its paws resting on the boy’s shoulders.
“Uh…” The sea hare was at a loss for words. Shrinking its shoulders, it pinched its voice and started to speak again.
“You might have missed some of that earlier. Let’s go over it one more time, okay?”
Bo Ge scratched his head and went through the section on cybernetics again. This time, he understood more than before. “I get it now. Cybernetics is the study of control systems, and the scope of these systems is extremely broad.”
“Exactly.” The sea hare spoke softly, nervously watching the black leopard behind the boy. Being stared at by such a pair of crimson eyes made it feel like it was sitting on pins and needles, forcing it to pinch its voice with every word.
“Let’s take a ten-minute break.” Seeing that the boy had finished the problem, the sea hare breathed a sigh of relief, and Bo Ge immediately dashed toward the restroom.
The black leopard clung to the boy and refused to get down.
“I need to go to the bathroom.” Bo Ge pried the black leopard off and quickly shut the bathroom door. The black leopard sat at the door, glanced around, then quietly raised a paw and nudged the door open a crack.
“Go out,” Bo Ge said sternly, trying to sound authoritative.
The big cat lowered its head slightly, pondered for a moment, then gently pushed the door open a bit more and stealthily slipped inside. Before closing the door behind it with a kick of its hind paw, it didn’t forget to look around.
Seated on the smart toilet, Bo Ge stared at the obedient black leopard squatting in front of him. Their eyes met—wide eyes staring into narrower, gleaming ones.
“Why are you watching me use the bathroom?” Bo Ge wanted to cry but had no tears. “Can you give me some privacy? Please, go out.”
The big cat pretended not to understand human speech, blinking innocently and tilting its head.
Adorable.
Being watched while using the bathroom was not fun at all. Bo Ge’s face contorted with discomfort as he recalled his earlier bold declaration about wanting to watch the big cat use its litter box.
When he first got the leopard, he had boasted about buying a transparent litter box for better viewing.
But now, Bo Ge knew he had been wrong.
Truly wrong.
Please, I’m begging you, just leave.
Seeing the boy’s pained expression, the black leopard approached, raised a paw, and gently began pressing on Bo Ge’s stomach in a soft, rhythmic motion.
Damn!
Bo Ge was on the verge of tears.
You really are a jack-of-all-trades, a master of everything!
Under the intense gaze of the big cat, Bo Ge experienced the most unforgettable bathroom visit of his life. To make matters worse, because he sat for too long, the smart toilet began playing soft music and repeatedly issued gentle reminders.
“You have exceeded the optimal sitting time~”
“Sitting too long on the toilet can lead to intestinal issues and may disrupt your digestive system. For your well-being, please finish as soon as possible~”
Stared down by a pair of bright eyes, Bo Ge wanted to end it quickly, but he couldn’t.
“If you’re still having difficulty, take a deep breath and push with the rhythm~” the smart toilet encouraged relentlessly.
“Inhale~”
Bo Ge watched as the black leopard took a deep breath, signaling him with its eyes.
Come on, follow along.
“Exhale~”
The black leopard exaggerated its exhale dramatically.
Bo Ge quietly observed the big cat in front of him, feeling tears of shame welling up in his eyes.
“Push~”
The black leopard mimed pushing, offering a vivid demonstration of the technique.
“Push harder~”
Bo Ge could tell that the leopard was genuinely trying.
“Good, rest for five seconds, take a deep breath, and start the next round.”
…
After pulling up his pants, Bo Ge pressed the green button, and the smart toilet closed with an exaggerated voice of praise.
“We did it! You’re amazing!”
Hearing the voice, the big cat proudly raised its tail, clearly pleased with its contribution.
While washing his hands, Bo Ge cried silently, tears of humiliation streaming down his face.
From now on, he vowed, he would always lock the bathroom door!
Stupid AI ruining my life!
After taking three minutes to collect himself, Bo Ge returned to his desk, wearing an expression of someone who had transcended life and death.
“Let’s begin, Teacher Hare.”
The black leopard eagerly jumped onto the smart chair, dutifully acting as a backrest. Through this ordeal, it had learned something new!
The sea hare couldn’t tear its eyes away from the black leopard, envious of its skill at giving belly massages to humans.
Bo Ge, who had only just managed to hold back his tears, almost broke down again.
“You two have such a good relationship,” the sea hare sighed. “They say love is like a fortress. Those outside want to enter, while those inside are really having fun!”
Bo Ge turned silently to look at the sea hare.
No, you’re too innocent. This isn’t love. It’s a black leopard thinking its human… is constipated.
But Bo Ge couldn’t say that aloud, because it would only bring more tears.
“Let’s continue,” the sea hare said, opening the online class projection. Bo Ge watched the lesson quietly, repeatedly moving the big cat’s paws off his stomach, while the big cat, full of concern, kept placing its paws back and gently massaging.
During dinner, the black leopard took the meat patties from Bo Ge’s plate. For every one Nice made, the leopard snatched one away, clearly determined to help the boy avoid any potential issues. Sacrificing itself for the sake of its human’s smooth digestion, it was fully committed to the cause.
Bo Ge silently ate his meatless dinner. The black leopard, noticing the lack of greens on his plate, nudged the vegetables from its own plate onto Bo Ge’s, pushing them insistently with its paw to encourage him to eat.
“Nice, tie him up for me,” Bo Ge said, staring at the saliva-covered vegetables with a deadpan expression.
Just before the black leopard was once again knocked out and taken away, it looked utterly bewildered, eyes filled with grievance.
I’ve been so good to you, so why are you tying me up?
“Young master,” a worn-out Scepter flopped down in front of Bo Ge, looking like a deflated ball.
“There’s less than a week until the Alliance’s celebration. The Chief must recover before then. You really have to put in more effort!”
“I’ve been trying,” Bo Ge sighed, faintly hearing the smart toilet’s rhythmic coaching in his ears.
“Also, I’ve been keeping an eye on what you asked me to monitor,” Scepter said, pulling up a holographic projection of the inspection bureau. Inside, robots were huddled together against a wall, comforting each other in silence.
“So far, only three robots have been taken away. The rest of them, including the one you asked me to keep an eye on, Hope, are pretty much being ignored,” Scepter said, as it had access to this area and could check freely.
“He’s very kind. He helps the other robots repair themselves. They’re all waiting for their master to take them home. They want to meet their master in the best condition,” Scepter zoomed in on Hope. “Selflessly dedicated, maybe this is one of the traits of medical robots. He’s doing a great job.”
Bo Ge looked at Hope, who was cheerfully repairing other robots, and couldn’t help but smile. “Once I bring him home, I’ll make him my little sidekick. He’ll come with me to school too.”
Scepter scratched its exterior. “There’s another robot you might want to meet.”
Bo Ge looked over curiously.
A handsome robot appeared in the projection. He was dancing in a bar, swinging his body, flipping a blonde woman’s hair, and giving a flirtatious look. “Hey, beautiful, I have a bird’s nest at home. Want to check it out?”
“Xiao Du?!” Bo Ge’s eyes widened. “What happened to him?!”
“Maybe… it’s liberating his true nature,” Scepter said with a hint of envy. “He’s set up a website on the StarNet, even used your game pod, and earned quite a few credits.”
“Wait a minute.” Bo Ge suddenly realized something. “He can use the game pod?”
“Yes.” Scepter nodded. “His consciousness was originally locked in the Second World, in his master’s confinement chamber. Returning his consciousness to the Second World isn’t a difficult task.”
“What about the other robots’ consciousness?” Bo Ge asked excitedly. “Can other robots enter the Second World?”
“This…” Scepter paused, thinking. “It depends on the state of their consciousness development. Most robots, even those with independent consciousness, can’t enter the Second World using a game pod. The pod is designed for carbon-based, silicon-based, fluorosilicone, and lipid compound life forms. The ones that can enter are typically life forms whose structure and components are somewhat similar.”
“Then, robots, are they considered a race? A mechanical race?” Bo Ge boldly imagined. “Could we make a game pod that the mechanical race can use?”
“Well…” Scepter hesitated. “Young master, you can wait until your master is awake and discuss this with him.”
Bo Ge opened his notepad and carefully wrote this down.
If robots can enter the Second World, they could earn star coins and live independently.
“This would still be quite difficult,” Scepter preemptively warned. “First, these robots don’t have citizenship, so even if they enter the Second World, they would be illegal residents, only able to log in as tourists.”
“I understand.” Bo Ge understood because he had been an illegal resident himself.
“Second, the master consciousness may not accept this new race.” Scepter spoke seriously. “If the master consciousness rejects them, they won’t be able to establish themselves in the Second World.”
Speaking of master consciousness, Bo Ge’s eyes flickered, but he remained silent, pursing his lips.
“The master consciousness is very displeased with the Chief. You saw it yourself, last time at the Singularity, the Chief was attacked by the master consciousness. If anything unexpected happens again, and we accidentally provoke its anger, the consequences… could be very severe.”
“Is this master consciousness really that powerful?” Bo Ge asked, staring down at his fingers.
“Since the establishment of the Second World, the master consciousness has been there, or rather, its existence predates the Second World itself. Perhaps it just thinks the Second World is nice, so it stayed there.”
Scepter lowered its voice and beckoned Bo Ge closer.
“The Chief has been investigating the origin of the master consciousness. If we can find the source of the master consciousness, we might be able to find a way to deal with it.”
“You guys… want to deal with it?” Bo Ge’s eyes widened.
“Shh shh!” Scepter glanced cautiously around. “It’s mainly because it struck first. We’re just defending ourselves.”
Bo Ge nervously swallowed.
“To be honest, young master, after all this time, I’ve actually found a clue,” Scepter said mysteriously.
“What clue?” Bo Ge clenched his fist, his head buzzing.
[mfn]If you enjoy my translations, feel free to support me by leaving a comment below or sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you, and happy reading! -TL: YSIAD ❤️
⚠️ Do not copy or repost my translations without permission. Please read exclusively on knoxt.space.[/mfn]
