Chapter 43: The Little Electric Scooter

Hao Nan craned his neck to look behind him, and indeed, it was Gou Dan.

"Is Gou Dan cooking?" he asked.

Tian Shangguo moved aside, straightening his back. "Gou Dan actually knows how to cook."

Li Yun's pupils contracted for a moment before returning to normal.

Hao Nan closed the kitchen door and pulled Tian Shangguo back to their original spot.

"Gou Dan is impressive. I just wonder what his cooking tastes like."

"It can't be too bad. Otherwise, Comrade Zhong wouldn't have let him cook," Tian Shangguo replied matter-of-factly. Trusting Comrade Zhong, he naturally extended that trust to Gou Dan, the robot.

Li Yun asked, "Should I still cook lunch then?"

"Let's wait until Gou Dan comes out. It's fine if our meal is a little late—Comrade Zhong comes first."

Tian Shangguo nodded, and Li Yun responded helplessly.

Gou Dan busied himself in the kitchen for half an hour, then brought out several dishes, each vibrant and aromatic. Hao Nan and the others stared fixedly as Gou Dan, oblivious to them, walked upstairs. Only when Gou Dan had crossed the corridor and entered the room did they finally exhale in awe.

"It smells amazing," Hao Nan said, turning to ask, "Li Yun, why doesn’t your cooking smell this good? Just look at those colors—it’s immediately appetizing."

Li Yun’s brow twitched. "Want some? You’ll have to ask Comrade Zhong to let Gou Dan be the chef."

"Forget it," Hao Nan shook his head decisively. That was Comrade Zhong's assistant robot; it wasn’t his place to ask.

Tian Shangguo pondered for a moment, "Gou Dan’s functions are really comprehensive—housework, cooking, carrying, and assisting Comrade Zhong with research..."

"Indeed," Hao Nan frowned, "Should we report this?"

"No need, the higher-ups already know," Tian Shangguo said, heading to the kitchen. Comrade Zhong’s meal was ready, but theirs was not.

Watching Li Yun leave, Hao Nan scratched his head. "We’ve been with Comrade Zhong for quite some time, and yet we didn’t know any of this."

"Just pay more attention in the future," Tian Shangguo replied, then walked away.

Upstairs, Gou Dan entered, closing the door behind him, and went straight to the lab.

"Master, the meal is ready. Would you like to eat now?"

"Yes, yes," Zhong Yuxiu released the steering wheel and walked over with a smile, taking a seat at the empty table with Gou Dan.

Gou Dan placed the dishes on the table. "Please enjoy, Master."

"Thank you, Gou Dan."

"No need to thank me, Master."

After finishing her work, she enjoyed the meal with delight, feeling as blissful as a deity.

Once only scraps were left on the table, Zhong Yuxiu wiped her mouth and set down her chopsticks. "Gou Dan, your skills still need refining. Keep working at it."

"Yes, Master, Gou Dan will continue to strive to provide you with better service." Gou Dan stepped forward to clear the table. "Would you like to bathe now, or take a nap first?"

"A bath. I haven’t washed properly in a month," she admitted, thoroughly disheveled.

Gou Dan teased, "Even if you smell, I can’t tell, so it’s fine."

Zhong Yuxiu lifted her chin and snorted coldly, leaving the lab to fetch clothes from the bedroom and head downstairs. Gou Dan, after cleaning up the dishes, followed closely behind. Zhong Yuxiu went straight to the bathroom, Gou Dan deposited the dishes in the kitchen, then returned upstairs.

After a thorough wash, she finally emerged refreshed from the bathroom.

"Comrade Zhong, are you finished?" Hao Nan was the first to ask.

"Yes, I’ve made progress in my research," Zhong Yuxiu replied, lightly brushing her hair as she walked over and sat on the sofa. "However, there’s one last step I haven’t completed. Once it’s done, someone can come pick up the final product."

A smile spread across Hao Nan’s face. "Great, thank you for your hard work, Comrade Zhong." The higher-ups had inquired several times; finally, there was a definite answer.

"Has anything major or special happened recently?" Zhong Yuxiu asked indifferently.

"No major events, but there was one minor thing," Hao Nan replied with a sly glance. "Would you like to know, Comrade Zhong?"

Zhong Yuxiu didn’t even look at him. "Minor things aren’t worth mentioning."

"But that won’t do. Comrade Yan Rushan said he’d come visit you once your research was finished."

Let him come, then. She couldn’t just throw him out.

After a long silence, Hao Nan smiled. "Comrade Zhong, you’re twenty-one this year, aren’t you?"

"What’s the matter?" Zhong Yuxiu fixed him with a cold gaze. Hao Nan quickly shook his head, "It’s nothing, nothing at all."

Tian Shangguo seized the opportunity to speak, "Comrade Zhong, Principal Guo wants you to return to school. The semester is starting soon, and as a teaching assistant, you’ll need to help Professor Ding if you’re available."

"I understand," Zhong Yuxiu nodded, her hair nearly dry as she set aside the towel. "I’ll tidy up the final details, take a nap this afternoon, and go to the university tomorrow."

She had nearly forgotten—the school was about to begin summer vacation before she took leave.

Zhong Yuxiu went upstairs to program the lithium battery chip, setting commands. The map was from the compound to Huada—small-scale, but sufficient for now.

"Gou Dan, take this little scooter downstairs and hand it personally to Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo."

"Yes, Master."

Gou Dan hoisted the newly made scooter onto his shoulder and, familiar with the routine, opened the door and went downstairs. Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo came forward to help him set the scooter down.

"Comrade Zhong finished the follow-up work so quickly?" Tian Shangguo asked.

"Must have. Otherwise, Gou Dan wouldn’t have brought it down," Hao Nan said, running his hand over the brand-new scooter. "It’s a bit like a motorcycle, but not quite. Also similar to a bicycle, but different."

It was actually more like a bicycle—two seats, a bell and sensor installed at the handlebars. Beneath the frame was a lithium battery chip, connected to the sensor. The body was simple and stylish, with a small basket in front for carrying things.

Task completed and unable to speak further, Gou Dan headed back upstairs.

Hao Nan caressed the scooter, reluctant to let go. "I wonder how it rides!"

"Let’s try it," Tian Shangguo’s eyes shone.

"Shall we give it a go?"

Tian Shangguo nodded, and the two carefully carried it outside. Placing it on the winding path, Hao Nan couldn’t wait. "I’ll go first."

"Go ahead," Tian Shangguo stepped back, watching as Hao Nan mounted the scooter. Hao Nan fiddled around, figuring out the main switch and bell, but was stumped by the sensor. "How does this sensor work?"

Tian Shangguo shook his head. "How should I know? Just see if it rides."

"It does, it moves," Hao Nan said, pushing it forward with his foot.

Upstairs, Zhong Yuxiu smiled as she watched from the window, then turned and remarked, "Gou Dan, don’t they look adorably silly down there?"

Clearly a tall, spirited young man, yet he was so eager to ride a bike.

"They’re not adorable at all—just silly," Gou Dan replied flatly, with a hint of disdain. "I could ride that scooter at a glance."

"How can you compare? Hmm?" Zhong Yuxiu retorted, exasperated. "You’re a robot, powered by a chip, with vast knowledge programmed in your chip. But them? They’re human, they need to learn bit by bit. When faced with something new, don’t they have to try it themselves and slowly figure it out?"