Chen Xu controlled the transport vehicle and slowly drove out of the passage. Through the rearview camera, he saw Yang Jinxia still standing there. As the vehicle moved forward, her figure grew smaller and smaller until it gradually disappeared from view.
"Chen Xu, are we really going to leave her there alone?"
From the passenger seat, 2003 asked softly, unease in its voice.
Chen Xu glanced at it, feeling that it had become increasingly human-like lately. When he had first met it, it had been much like S01—stiff and mechanical. It had never cared about people.
"I'm hungry. Make me something to eat," he said.
"...All right."
2003 unfastened its seat belt, climbed down from the seat, and went to the back. It took out a small pot, poured in some water, brought it to a boil, and added some noodles.
Its hands never stopped moving as it said, "Xia-jiejie liked the Seafood Noodles I made best. She won't get to eat them again. She definitely won't be used to it, will she?"
"I wonder if there are any chef robots in this shelter with the same model as mine. If there aren't, and she doesn't like cooking, that'll be terrible. Does that mean she'll have to eat those awful Nutritional Meals from now on?"
"Xia-jiejie is really so pitiful..."
The more Chen Xu listened, the stranger it sounded. Unable to hold back, he interrupted, "You didn't used to talk this much. How did you become such a chatterbox? And you actually call her Xia-jiejie?"
2003 said, "Xia-jiejie said the shelter was too boring. She didn't even have anyone to talk to most of the time. She thought I talked too little, so she switched me to lively mode. She also told me to call her Xia-jiejie whenever no one