Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 669 - 561 Cutting Hair

Chapter 669: Chapter 561 Cutting Hair

"Right, if we’re heading to Xia, let’s take Snowball to the product exhibition as well." Xu Yang remembered the news that major cities in Xia often held product expos, which were attended by corporate buyers and business media.

"Indeed, with so many buyers in Xia, they could become the main source of demand. If we can connect with local publicity, it should make these dogs sell very well!" Zuo Hongchen nodded frequently in agreement.

"I really don’t want to be traded away," Snowball shivered with fear.

"You’re just a sample, we’ll bring you back after the exhibition," Xu Yang reassured it.

While the others were eating, Xu Yang scanned the chip collar on Snowball’s neck, which recorded Snowball’s "origin."

A series of codes and symbols appeared, indicating Snowball’s manufacturer: Nestor Corporation Production Group No. 22, Akasumi City Tomikawa Town Intelligent Machine Manufacturing Factory, production date: 150 years May 5th.

What followed was a list of names, all the people who had participated in Snowball’s design and manufacturing; there were 1030 people in total, including Snowball’s designers, research and development specialists, programmers, robotics engineers, circuit designers, mechanical assemblers, debugging and testing staff, warehouse personnel...

Snowball squatted on the ground, wagging its metallic tail—entirely an assemblage of inorganic parts. Yet when Xu Yang thought of the sweat and labor of those 1030 people, Snowball seemed to exude a lively energy. Each movement, every voice playback, was imbued with human effort and vision.

Xu Yang reached out his hand, and Snowball came over to shake hands with him, displaying its friendliness and intelligence.

Everything was coming together. Xu Yang thought quietly that if Snowball’s promotional tour in Xia went well, the factory’s orders would increase significantly, Nestor Corporation’s trade with Xia would flourish, and crates of mechanical dogs would be shipped to Xia, sold in the local market, with the profits distributed to the factory workers instead of flowing into entrepreneurs’ pockets.

True change lay not in increasing compensation, nor in advancing technology, but in the workers rising up, turning the company into their own.

"Do you think the people in Xia will like you?" Xu Yang asked Snowball.

"Uh, I’ll try my best," Snowball rolled on the ground, "I will act as intelligently as possible, harmless to humans and animals, friendly and cute, fulfilling my companionship duties. That’s what people design robotic dogs for. There will be other artificial intelligence products at the exposition in Xia, but I believe I can outperform them because my intelligence chip is superior to 99% of mechanical pets, sir."

Snowball performed well both in combat and as a family companion. Xu Yang read the laboratory report, which stated that during the Battle of Sato City, Snowball had performed 20% better than it did in the lab, indicating that its behavior intelligence chip was actually more suited for outdoor work and could handle more complex social behaviors.

After the meal, they drank a few glasses together.

"I heard Rinne is working with you," Hosoda Yoshiyuki asked Xu Yang.

"Yes. How does it feel?" Xu Yang still remembered Hosoda Yoshiyuki, a modified human with a wealth of experience and a tough life. A melancholic and angry temperament seemed ever-present on his face, as if he could explode in rage at any moment.

Hosoda Yoshiyuki acted particularly constrained and calm here. He looked around. The place was filled with beautifully crafted tech products, all delicate and exquisite, making him feel like a bull in a china shop, as if any small move might disrupt the tranquil serenity.

The walls were decorated with cool-toned metals and lime, and the lighting in the rooms was very subdued, with no obvious light sources dominating the scene, creating a simple and high-tech atmosphere.

There was also a full-length glass curtain wall here, facing the Shangjing night view. The bustling city looked like a distant painting smeared with neon colors; the lights from the buildings and the images of the fashion ads changed constantly, entertaining the eyes and perfectly matching this busy and chaotic era.

"It’s beautiful here," Hosoda Yoshiyuki walked toward the scenic wall.

As he got closer, he felt that something was off. When he touched the wall, ripples of light and shadow appeared, and the city seemed like a dream that would shatter with a single touch.

He turned his head to see Xu Yang’s encouraging gaze and stepped forward into the glass corridor behind the wall, only then seeing that the view of Shangjing was actually farther away. The wall he had seen earlier had been a complete holographic projection.

He found himself on a luxurious terrace, connected to a helipad, observation deck, small workspace, massage room, and infinity pool—the studio was truly a world unto itself.

Hosoda Yoshiyuki walked forward to the glass railing, leaned forward, and looked down at the distant ground, about 100 floors down, making him dizzy.

"I’ve heard that Mr. Hosoda’s early life was extremely difficult," Xu Yang walked through the glass corridor.

The night wind on the terrace, filtered by the transparent temperature control wall, brought a cooling touch but no chill.

"Difficult is an understatement—it was painful!" Hosoda Yoshiyuki looked at his battered body.

After repeated destruction, self-repair, and restructuring, he could no longer recognize his own body.

"Human Enhancement Technology turned you into a superhuman."

"What superhuman, I’m clearly a ’non-human’... If I am no longer myself, then what significance does it have, what I’ve become? Myself from 40 years ago, sitting in front of the TV waiting for cartoons, from 20 years ago, eating boxed lunches on construction sites, from 10 years ago, exchanging gunfire with hired killers, from last year, just after breaking out of prison, and the me now... There’s no continuity anymore," Hosoda Yoshiyuki murmured, his voice not growing more agitated, but increasingly fearful.

Xu Yang observed him.

"In your view, what can change a person’s essence? Of course, there’s no fixed answer to this question," Xu Yang said slowly.

Hosoda Yoshiyuki closed his eyes, deeply contemplating for a moment. He presently needed a profound question to distract from the painful tension in his brain.

"Yes, it’s... love, it’s... regret? No, no..." Answers kept emerging in his mind and he kept denying them, "... it’s ’time,’ yes, it’s time. Nothing can escape it, so time can change a person’s essence. How about you? What’s your answer?"

"My answer is ’no.’ Nothing can change a person’s essence."

Hosoda Yoshiyuki nodded thoughtfully, then agonized over his conversation with Xu Yang.

He was still pondering even after Xu Yang had left.

His brain hadn’t been replaced; it was always things outside of his mind that were modified. The metal implants, thrust into his flesh, enhanced his motor and combat abilities... but they hadn’t changed him.

On one hand, Hosoda Yoshiyuki felt he had seen through it all, while on the other, he feared it was merely a result of self-comfort and self-deception. To those in pain, self-deception is the best medicine.

Ah... perhaps he was right, nothing can change a person’s essence.

It took about half an hour for Hosoda Yoshiyuki to snap out of his deep contemplation. He released his grip and found that he had created five dents in the metal railing.

Feeling guilty, he walked through the phantom wall back to the reception room, to find that Zuo Hongchen and Snowball had already left.

"I’ve damaged your railing," Hosoda Yoshiyuki pointed to the outside terrace, "I’m sorry... I’ll pay for it."

"It’s okay," Xu Yang put an apple into the juicer, "Are you leaving?"

"I have to go," Hosoda Yoshiyuki said.

After pushing the door open and leaving, Hosoda Yoshiyuki felt much more at peace. For the first time in his life, he wanted to watch a movie. He unwittingly accepted Xu Yang’s words—nothing can change a person’s essence—and from then on, he walked with his head held high.

Inside the house, Xu Yang served apple juice and milk to Little Farosa and Little Fool as their snack.

He intended to go to sleep but suddenly noticed that Little Fool’s hair had grown very long, reaching down to her waist.

Little Fool wanted to keep her hair; seeing Xu Yang reach for the scissors, she slowly drank her milk.

She steadfastly believed that things happened one by one, if she drank milk for an hour, then it would be an hour before her hair would get cut again.

But too many things in the world don’t turn out as one wishes. She had only sipped a little milk when Xu Yang was already standing behind Little Fool, lifting her black hair and beginning to cut.

"Guabu," Little Fool said weakly.

"Yesterday I saw your hair trip you up," Xu Yang warned.

"Guabu." Little Fool thought it was just her hair playing a joke on her.

"It gets in your eyes and falls into the food," Xu Yang snipped with his scissors, and Little Fool’s long hair was gone.

After Xu Yang went back to his room to sleep, Little Fool set down the bottle of milk and walked over to the trash can, staring blankly at her cut hair.

"Do you want your hair back?" Little Farosa stood beside Little Fool.

"Guabu." Little Fool reached out to touch her newly shorn hair.

She wished she had ankle-length black hair, so soft and friendly, almost like a friend as tall as herself. But it was cut off, and they were no longer friends but some unsightly native critters from who-knows-where.

"How much do you want it? Really want it?" Little Farosa whispered.

"Guabu." Little Fool really wanted her hair back.

"I can help you get your hair back," Little Farosa’s hand ran from Little Fool’s forehead backward, downward in sequence, "but you’ll owe me a favor, and you have to remember to do me a good one in the future."

"Guabu!" Little Fool was happy.

As Little Farosa stroked Little Fool’s cut hair, it quickly became apparent that her smooth, beautiful black hair had all returned.

"Guabu!" Little Fool ran to the mirror on the floor, crouching down to admire her silky locks.

"But he’ll cut your hair again tomorrow," Little Farosa sat on the floor, gently looking at her.

"Guabu!" Little Fool was startled by the thought of this dreadful future.

"So you’ll have to persuade him," Little Farosa said, "Use your reasons to persuade him..."

Little Fool spent half the evening thinking about how to persuade Xu Yang.