Wan-Qing replied with a faint smile,
Wan-Qing: "No! This isn't merely a demonstration of artificial love. It's actually a charging system."
Wan-Qing turned toward the digital screen behind her. A short while earlier, footage of Jun-X and Jun-Zara's kissing moment had been replayed on it.
She zoomed in on Jun-X's mouth and the side of Jun-Zara's neck. Two small holes were visible in that area of Jun-Zara's neck.
Wan-Qing: "These holes on the side of Jun-Zara's neck serve as Jun-X's charging station. And the artificial teeth inside Jun-X's mouth conceal the charging cables."
Wan-Qing zoomed in on the video and slowly showed the footage to everyone once again as she explained,
Wan-Qing: "When Jun-X kisses Jun-Zara, the charging station on the side of Jun-Zara's neck opens like a portal. A cable concealed inside Jun-X's teeth then connects directly to the charging station."
The atmosphere throughout the exhibition hall grew solemn.
Jun-Yu's ideas were practical and ingenious in many ways. Yet, the charging system sent a strange shiver through everyone who witnessed it.
Wan-Qing: "However, if you observe the entire process from a distance, it looks as though one robot is kissing another. But the charging station on the side of Jun-Zara's neck isn't the only one."
"There are several other charging stations as well. All these charging ports open when the two robots embrace each other. As a result, Jun-X can charge much faster."
Applause echoed throughout the exhibition hall.
But suddenly, someone raised a question.
"Jun-X charges through Jun-Zara. But Jun-Zara is also a robot, not a battery. So how does Jun-Zara recharge?"
Wan-Qing stood silently for a moment.
Another person spoke up.
"Yes, exactly! If the two robots charge each other, then surely there must be some limitations to this system."
Wan-Qing smiled faintly once again before answering.
Wan-Qing: "You're absolutely right. I raised the exact same concern with Jun-Yu when I noticed this flaw. He solved the problem by approaching it from a perspective that challenges a widely held belief in our society."
Excitement and enthusiasm spread across everyone's faces.
Wan-Qing: "For many years, a certain section of society has believed that men are stronger than women. But strength is never a quality that belongs entirely to a single individual. Just as a man's strength can become more complete through a woman's support and presence, a woman's strength can also grow through a man's support."
"Jun-Yu has applied this very concept of mutual complementarity to technology."
"That is why he has tried to give the two robots physical forms that resemble human beings."
Wan-Qing looked at the two robots once again.
Wan-Qing: "Jun-Zara is capable of performing all the same tasks as Jun-X. However, if we use both robots for the same tasks at the same time, we may face serious charging problems in critical situations. As a result, both robots could end up with insufficient power when we need them most."
"Therefore, in disaster zones and other hazardous environments, we will always assign one robot to perform heavy and dangerous tasks, while keeping the second robot available to recharge the one doing the hard work."
"For example, Jun-X will handle heavy and labor-intensive tasks, while Jun-Zara will recharge Jun-X. However, Jun-Zara's charging station will not be Jun-X itself, but another charging station."
"This system ensures that we never have to feel helpless during an emergency simply because a robot has run out of power."
Now, no one had any questions left about Jun-Yu's research. He had already anticipated every possible question and prepared answers for all of them.
However, Jun-Yu had once said, "Humans are bound to make mistakes. Therefore, artificial intelligence created by humans will inevitably have its limitations."
Perhaps Jun-Yu's robots still had some flaws. But those flaws could be corrected through further research and modifications.
Everyone felt proud of Jun-Yu, yet their curiosity remained.
One person raised a question.
"Jun-Yu is a second-year university student, and he is still very young to undertake research of this magnitude. So, exactly how long did it take him to bring this project to life?"
As soon as the question was raised, a cloud of sorrow descended over Wan-Qing.
The smile faded from her face.
Before her eyes appeared the image of Jun-Yu's dejected expression and his destroyed laboratory.
Wan-Qing remained silent for a few moments before suddenly exclaiming,
Wan-Qing: "Seven days! I witnessed him turn the impossible into reality in just seven days!"
Until then, the scientists had witnessed the robots' demonstrations and seen tangible proof of their capabilities. There had been little room left for disbelief.
But when they heard how little time the project had supposedly taken, they found it almost impossible to believe. Some even grew furious.
"Impossible! Even after years of work by numerous scientists, no one has managed to develop such a sophisticated and meticulously thought-out concept in robotics. And yet, a second-year university student, barely twenty-two or twenty-three years old, supposedly accomplished all this in just seven days?"
Another person voiced their suspicions.
"Is this really robotics, or are you trying to mislead us? And are you absolutely certain that Jun-Yu didn't steal this entire project from someone else and present it as his own?"
Hearing their questions, Wan-Qing remembered Jun-Yu's relentless efforts throughout those seven days.
She was somewhat taken aback by the accusation. Deep down, she also felt a little irritated.
Wan-Qing: "I don't know exactly when Jun-Yu began this research or how many days he spent developing the entire project. But I personally witnessed him working tirelessly for seven days."
Wan-Qing paused for a few moments before continuing,
Wan-Qing: "A few days ago, an accident completely destroyed Jun-Yu's laboratory. He had been developing this project gradually for today's exhibition. But after that accident, the robots he had built, his research data, his designs—even the other equipment in his laboratory—were all destroyed."
Silence once again fell over the exhibition hall.
Wan-Qing: "At first, Jun-Yu was completely devastated. The dream was still alive in his eyes, but he had nothing left with which to turn that dream into reality."
Wan-Qing's voice gradually grew heavier with emotion.
Wan-Qing: "But a dream that you pursue with your eyes wide open never lets you sleep peacefully. Jun-Yu couldn't bring himself to abandon his dream."
She looked toward Jun-X, which was standing beside the stage. After remaining silent for a few moments, Wan-Qing continued,
Wan-Qing: "Throughout those seven days, he failed again and again. Whenever a sensor stopped working, he built a new one. Whenever a component failed to function properly, he started over. He encountered one mistake after another, but Jun-Yu never accepted any mistake as the end of the road. Instead, he treated his mistakes as a shield. He learned from them."
The memories of those seven days became vivid in her eyes. Wan-Qing looked at Jun-X once again.
Wan-Qing: "Every time he fell, he tried again. And just seven days later… today, you have all witnessed the results with your own eyes."
After finishing her speech, Wan-Qing bowed her head before the audience in a gesture of gratitude and said,
"Thank you."
It was clear that her presentation had come to an end.
After a while, people gradually began leaving the exhibition hall. Wan-Qing was still standing on the stage, with Jun-X and Jun-Zara on either side of her.
She realized that only a short while ago, the hall had been filled with applause and praise. Now, everything had fallen silent.
It felt as though she had spent all this time immersed in the world of Jun-Yu's creations.
Seeing Jun-Yu in that condition had left her deeply unsettled. Suddenly, an enormous test had been placed before her. Wan-Qing hadn't known how she would pass the test Jun-Yu had unknowingly left behind for her.
But she had successfully passed it.
She hadn't allowed Jun-Yu's achievements to lose their glory at today's exhibition. She had protected the honor of his work and ensured that his efforts received the recognition they deserved.
Slowly bringing herself back to reality, Wan-Qing turned around and began to leave.
Just then, she heard Professor Lin-Boshi's voice calling her name.
"Wan-Qing."
Wan-Qing turned around and looked at her professor.
**
Shu-Yang stood in the silent corridor of the hospital, surrounded by four white walls. Beside him was the closed door of a room where a doctor was examining Jun-Yu.
After a while, the door opened, and Dr. Yu-Tong stepped out.
Shu-Yang had brought Jun-Yu to the Shanghai Government Hospital. When Shu-Yang had been shot, the police force had brought him to this very hospital as well.
Dr. Yu-Tong had performed Shu-Yang's surgery back then. That was how Shu-Yang had come to know him.
Therefore, after bringing Jun-Yu to the hospital today, Shu-Yang had asked Dr. Yu-Tong to examine him.
Growing increasingly anxious, Shu-Yang hurriedly asked the doctor,
Shu-Yang: "Doctor, how is Jun-Yu…?"
Before Shu-Yang could finish his question, the doctor replied in a serious voice,
Yu-Tong: "There's no need to worry, Shu-Yang. We just need to run a few tests."
Although the doctor had tried to reassure him, Shu-Yang couldn't bring himself to feel relieved. His heart gave a sudden, uneasy thump.
Shu-Yang: "Your expression doesn't match your reassuring words, Doctor. I can tell that Jun-Yu's headache isn't normal."
Dr. Yu-Tong frowned at Shu-Yang's words. Looking slightly taken aback, he asked,
Yu-Tong: "What did you say? A headache? Has Jun-Yu been suffering from headaches for a while?"
Shu-Yang: "Yes. I've noticed it for quite some time. He would often say, 'My head hurts.'"
Yu-Tong: "Approximately how long has this been going on?"
Shu-Yang: "For more than five or six months."
Yu-Tong: "Had he ever lost consciousness before this?"
Shu-Yang: "Yes, several times. Don't you remember? Jun-Yu and I were admitted to the hospital together."
Gradually, Dr. Yu-Tong grew angry at Shu-Yang's answer. In a shocked voice, he asked,
Yu-Tong: "Several times?! But did you ever take him to see a doctor?"
Shu-Yang: "I never took Jun-Yu to a doctor, and I don't know whether he ever went to one himself. I thought I would take him for a check-up after the exhibition, but before that could happen, Jun-Yu…"
Once again, Dr. Yu-Tong interrupted Shu-Yang before he could finish speaking. His voice rose with anger.
Yu-Tong: "Shut up! How could you be so irresponsible, Shu-Yang? You knew about his headaches, and you had even seen him lose consciousness because of the pain sometimes. Yet you still…"
He paused.
His words struck Shu-Yang deep inside. A wave of shame washed over him as he began to feel ashamed of himself.
Dr. Yu-Tong continued,
Yu-Tong: "Do you know how frantic this boy became when you were shot? He practically lost his mind worrying about you."
"I clearly remember that day. He suffered a severe allergic reaction, which caused his oxygen levels to drop. But as soon as he recovered a little and saw your bloodied body, do you know what happened to him?"