Autistic Genius and His Childhood Friend (5): Are you an intelligent robot pet or a monster?!

Father Si eyes widened in disbelief, and he couldn’t help but shout, “His money? How dare you spend his money? I haven’t even asked him for any, and you, as his stepmother, have the nerve to take it?!”

As he spoke, there was a hint of jealousy in his tone, though it was unclear whether he was angry that his son’s money had been taken or upset that he hadn’t gotten a share of the windfall.

Mother Si felt even more humiliated. She snapped, “Is this really the time to talk about this? Our son just ran away, and all you care about is money! Do you have no conscience?!”

Father Si, already irritated, found himself increasingly annoyed with his wife. But the fact remained that their son had run away. He had already left the store in the hands of the chef and waitstaff, so he needed to resolve the situation quickly to avoid losing more customers. Grudgingly, he said, “Fine, take me to that mahjong parlor first.”

…

While the Si family was in chaos, Si Qi was enjoying a peaceful moment.

The other students had gone to the cafeteria for lunch, and Si Qi sat alone at his desk, working on the AI program. Suddenly, a familiar scent reached his nose, growing stronger as if someone was approaching.

Si Qi opened his eyes and looked up to see a familiar face standing before him, a playful smile on his lips.

Si Qi was surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Chu Feng smiled and placed a cup of hot cocoa in Si Qi’s hands, casually saying, “I transferred schools. From now on, we’ll be classmates.”

Si Qi took a sip of the cocoa. The temperature was just right, exactly how he liked it.

He was a bit surprised. “That was fast.”

He had considered asking Xiu Xiu to help Chu Feng with the school transfer, but he hadn’t expected Chu Feng to handle it himself.

It seemed his original family had some influence.

“I used a bit of my family’s connections,” Chu Feng said, looking a bit uncomfortable. Not wanting to hide anything from Si Qi, he leaned against the desk and continued, “Aren’t you curious why I’ve been secretly following you?”

Si Qi paused mid-sip of his drink and thought for a moment. “A little curious.”

He genuinely couldn’t remember when the original owner and Chu Feng had first met.

“A month ago, I ran away from home. Afraid my family would find me, I turned off my terminal,” Chu Feng shrugged. “In this day and age, what can you do without a terminal? You can’t even take the bus without scanning a QR code to pay. I was penniless, emotionally drained, and starving on the street, too ashamed to go home and not wanting to return anyway.”

“That’s when you came up to me, gave me food, drink, and all the money you had on you. You didn’t say a word, but I knew you were being kind to me.”

“After eating, I felt stronger. I pulled myself together and found a temporary job nearby, thinking I’d support myself. Then I realized you were working there too.”

“I asked the other workers about you and quickly figured out your situation. I felt like we were kindred spirits.”

Or rather, Si Qi was far worse off than he was.

At least he had lived in what seemed like a happy, carefree family for many years, only to have that illusion shattered a few months ago. But Si Qi had been living in a harsh reality since childhood, enduring a situation far more miserable than his own.

Yet, even in such a pitiful state, Si Qi had still thought to help others, giving him all the food, drink, and money he had when he was homeless. How kind and gentle must someone be to do that?

Chu Feng was deeply moved.

So he did everything he could to silently protect Si Qi, helping him whenever he was in trouble, wanting him to feel the same warmth he had once felt.

It wasn’t until yesterday, when he saw Si Qi being surrounded and beaten by a group of people, that he couldn’t rely on others to help. He rushed out and fought them off himself, only to be seen by Si Qi in the process.

Now that he had been seen, there was no point in hiding anymore.

Chu Feng’s face turned red as he said, “I was planning to wait until I had more money, until I wasn’t wearing cheap clothes and living in a rented place, until I wasn’t so… pathetic, before coming to see you.”

He felt embarrassed about his current situation and didn’t want Si Qi to see him like this.

But thankfully, Si Qi was as kind as he had imagined and didn’t look down on him.

It was Chu Feng who had been overthinking and imagining rejection where there was none.

Chu Feng said, “Last night, I thought about it for a long time. I realized that the help a weak person can offer is different from what a strong person can provide. Since I’ve decided to repay your kindness, I can’t let myself stay in this state. I’ve decided to go back home and fight for what’s rightfully mine!”

The young man spoke with passion and determination, while Si Qi listened quietly, his expression calm. When Chu Feng finished, Si Qi simply said, “Oh,” and offered an encouraging, “Good luck,” before falling silent.

Chu Feng: “Uh…”

Chu Feng suddenly felt a bit awkward. He scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. “Well, I guess you’re not really interested in this kind of thing.”

After days of observation (and some stalking), Chu Feng knew what kind of person Si Qi usually was. He barely spoke a few words a day, never made eye contact, and seemed to have a mild form of autism.

Thinking about it, he realized he might actually be the closest person to Si Qi, which made him feel a little proud.

…

While the two of them were growing closer, Si’s parents were in a frenzy trying to find their younger son. Unable to reach him by phone, they ran around searching for him, drawing the attention of their neighbors, who started gossiping about the Si family’s youngest.

As people chatted, they began to uncover truths that Mother Si had previously managed to obscure.

“What tutoring classes? That kid never went to any. I live right above the tutoring center—I’d know if he did!”

“I’ve seen the younger Si kid hanging out with a bunch of shady people at the mahjong parlor all the time.”

“Oh, the fates of those two kids are so different. The older son is always being bossed around by his parents, busy as can be. The younger one spends money like water, eating, drinking, and having fun. Tsk, it’s clear who’s the biological child!”

“That Father Si is so biased. Both kids call him ‘Dad,’ but the treatment they get is worlds apart!”

“That stepmother is really something. She always acts so sweet, like she treats both kids equally, but really… ha! I’ve never seen a stepmom as petty as her!”

“But that older son is really spineless too. He’s already seventeen, and he still doesn’t know how to stand up for himself!”

“I heard he’s really slow, like he has some kind of intellectual problem. You should’ve seen the last time I tried talking to him—he just stood there dumbfounded, couldn’t even answer a single question!”

As the neighbors chatted, one aunt suddenly chimed in, her face full of gossip. “Don’t call their older son dumb! My daughter told me last night, that boy is something else!”

The others immediately perked up, curious. “What? What about the older son?”

The aunt lifted her chin high, as if it were her own son who had achieved something great, and said mysteriously, “You all know about the national learning system rankings, right?”

The group nodded. “Of course we do. Everyone’s been to school—how could we not know?”

The aunt looked even more pleased with herself. She paused for a few seconds, building up the suspense, then dropped a bombshell, her voice full of excitement. “That older Si son is ranked number one in the nation!!”

Whoa—!!

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd erupted. Some couldn’t believe it, some immediately checked online, and others asked directly, “Really? That stepmom’s always saying her older son is an idiot, that he always brings home zeroes on his exams!”

The aunt smiled smugly, looking like the only sober person in a room full of drunks, and said excitedly, “You actually believe what that stepmom says? Haven’t you seen how she treats the older son? Of course she’d throw dirt on him! I only found out because my daughter told me. Turns out, Si Qi is actually…”

The aunt went on and on, her expressions vivid and animated, like a storyteller spinning a tale full of twists and turns.

The crowd listened intently, shaking their heads and sighing in amazement, occasionally chiming in with comments:

“Thank goodness the older son is talented.”

“Yeah, otherwise he’d be exploited by those vampire parents until the day he died.”

“What a shame, though. All those years wasted in that little restaurant. If his talents had been nurtured, who knows how much he could’ve achieved! He might’ve even skipped grades and gone to college by now!”

“They’re throwing away a diamond for a pebble. Treating the unreliable younger son like a treasure while using the brilliant older son as a servant. How can something like this happen in the world?”

Not far away, Si Songyi, who had been sneaking home to get money and happened to overhear the conversation, hid in an alley, his face burning with shame. He clenched his fists in anger and slammed them against the wall.

He lowered his voice, hissing furiously, “Gossiping old hags!!”

He couldn’t stay here any longer.

…

Si Songyi turned and left, disappearing for over ten days.

At the Si family restaurant, neither son was home. The younger son was being frantically searched for by his parents day and night, while the older son was completely ignored, not even mentioned. The stark contrast made the neighbors shake their heads, saying that after all the older son had done for the family over the years, he didn’t even get a shred of concern. Those parents really had no conscience.

Si Qi, unaware of what was happening, had been busy building his robot, thoroughly enjoying himself. At school, he had Chu Feng by his side and the affection of his teachers and classmates. After school, he could continue working on his new project, with Chu Feng getting him whatever he needed. Life couldn’t have been more comfortable.

The day of the Youth Science and Technology Exhibition finally arrived, a Saturday. Si Qi and Chu Feng arrived early with their pet robot, only to be stopped by security at the entrance.

The uniformed man said seriously, “Kids, pets aren’t allowed inside the exhibition.”

Si Qi and Chu Feng both smiled.

Chu Feng puffed out his chest proudly and declared, “You’ve got it wrong. This is a robot.”

The man looked stunned. He glanced down at the little dog sitting obediently beside its owner, looking up at him. No matter how he looked at it, it was clearly a dog. His expression turned stern, and he said unhappily, “Even if you make up excuses, I’m not letting you in! That’s obviously a dog!”

It clearly was!

Si Qi, blocked at the entrance, was both amused and exasperated. Chu Feng, however, looked as proud as if he had been the one praised. He gave a command to the little dog, named Xiao Bai. The dog barked once, then opened its mouth, retracted its tongue, and revealed the intricate circuitry inside, which was hard to notice unless you looked closely.

Chu Feng bent down, picked up the dog, and held it closer for the security guard to see. The guard looked skeptical.

Even though he saw the circuitry, he still didn’t believe it was a robot. He reached out and took the dog, feeling its warm, soft fur and solid body. A robot? You’ve got to be kidding!

The guard frowned at Chu Feng. “Did you stick a label in its mouth or something?”

Chu Feng, both amused and exasperated, said to Xiao Bai, “Xiao Bai, what are you?”

Xiao Bai spoke in a human voice: “Master, I am your robotic pet.”

The guard was so startled he nearly dropped the “creature” in his hands, staring at it in horror. The incredibly realistic feel of it made his mind race with thoughts of ghosts and monsters.

Chu Feng burst out laughing, took Xiao Bai back from the guard, and said, “Now do you believe me?”

The guard looked as if he were in a dream, dazed and wide-eyed as he stared at the dog in Chu Feng’s hands. After a long moment, he swallowed hard and said, “…I believe it.”

A talking dog—if it wasn’t a robot, it had to be a monster. Given the choice, he had to believe it was a robot.

The guard stiffly stepped aside to let them pass, staring in confusion as the two teenagers walked away. He muttered to himself, “After all these years working as a security guard for the tech competition, I’ve seen all sorts of amazing things, but this is a first…”

Looks like this year’s competition was really going to be something…

The competition area was indeed bustling. People were coming and going—not just participants, but also family, friends, curious onlookers, and a live stream with constantly refreshing comments.

Chu Feng, sharp-eyed, spotted a comment scrolling by: “Wow, there’s even a little dog! So cute!” He chuckled and said to Si Qi, “Our Xiao Bai is so adorable and looks so much like a real dog. We’re definitely going to win an award!”

Si Qi smiled. “Winning isn’t important. As long as you like it, that’s enough.”

Chu Feng assured him, “Of course I like it! In my heart, Xiao Bai is the best invention ever! My first-place prize is always reserved for you!”

He helped Si Qi fill out the competition forms, draw the presentation order, and carefully pinned the number tag to Si Qi’s chest. “Your number’s pretty early, so you might be up soon. You’re not nervous, are you?”

Si Qi, who hadn’t felt nervous since confessing to Chu Feng in a previous world, shook his head. He followed Chu Feng to the waiting area for participants.

Many contestants looked curiously at the lively, adorable little dog, wondering how an animal had suddenly appeared in a place full of delicate instruments.

Some carefully protected their inventions, which they had spent years perfecting, afraid the dog might ruin them at the last moment. Others happily approached Xiao Bai, petting its head and asking it to shake hands or spin in circles.

Soon, people noticed that the little creature was surprisingly smart, doing whatever it was told with remarkable intelligence. This drew the attention of many around them.

Si Qi stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the robots on the display stage. A young man was presenting his invention to the audience, with hundreds of spectators and a rapidly scrolling live stream below.

After watching four or five contestants present their inventions, Si Qi realized the level of innovation matched the competition’s name: “Youth Science and Technology.” There were creative ideas, but they were far from being commercially viable, with obvious signs of immaturity.

Soon, the host called Si Qi’s number. With Chu Feng’s slightly nervous encouragement, Si Qi walked onto the stage, hands still in his pockets, with only a little dog following at his feet.

The audience and other contestants looked puzzled, scanning Si Qi and the dog for any mechanical components. They couldn’t figure out what Si Qi was about to present.

Si Qi’s calm, youthful voice rang out on stage, unhurried and steady:

“This is my creation, the robotic pet Xiao Bai.”

The audience’s expressions turned incredulous as they stared at the little animal, which looked exactly like a real dog. Some suspected Si Qi had simply brought a real dog to fool them.

A few straightforward individuals immediately voiced their doubts: “Are you joking with us?”

“You’re saying this is a robot? It’s clearly a dog!”

Si Qi ignored the audience’s reactions and continued his introduction: “As a pet robot, its expressions and movements are 100% true to a real dog. It wags its tail when happy and droops its ears when sad. Its mechanical skeleton, body temperature, and texture are indistinguishable from a real dog.”

The impatient questioning from the audience grew louder. Everyone thought Si Qi was spouting nonsense and urged him not to waste their time.

Si Qi remained unfazed, speaking calmly: “Some might wonder, if it’s exactly like a real dog, why not just get a real dog instead? There are many reasons. A robotic pet not only saves the owner the hassle of feeding it three times a day and cleaning up after it, but it can also provide all the assistance a human might need.”

The audience buzzed with chatter. Some scoffed at Si Qi’s attempt to pass off a real dog as a robot, while others found the whole charade amusing and watched with interest.

But the next moment, they were all proven wrong.

Because after introducing the basics, Si Qi began demonstrating the dog’s functions.

Si Qi: “It can play various musical instruments.”

Xiao Bai ran to the prop storage on the stage, approached a guzheng (a traditional Chinese zither), and began plucking the strings with its tiny paws, producing beautiful music.

Si Qi: “It can drive.”

Hearing this, Xiao Bai left the guzheng, jumped into a toy car, grabbed the steering wheel, and stepped on the accelerator, performing a stylish drift on the stage.

Si Qi: “It can cook, and its sense of smell can detect the flavors of all foods and seasonings, allowing it to prepare dishes with the precision of a Michelin-starred chef, down to the last detail.”

The little dog stood up on its hind legs, one paw holding a prop spatula and the other gripping a large wok. With confident and stylish movements, it mimicked cooking, occasionally adding imaginary seasonings to the pot.

Si Qi: “It can do much more—painting, laundry, organizing, photography, massage… Basically, any function you can think of for home life or travel, it can handle.”

The audience’s jaws dropped, utterly stunned.

It was as if they were watching a thousand-year-old spirit disguised as a little dog, claiming to be a robot and performing tasks only humans could do.

And yet, Si Qi looked genuinely humble, nodding as if he knew exactly what he was talking about. “I know, these things aren’t really a big deal.”

The audience shook their heads frantically: No, no, no, no! This is a HUGE deal! Can’t you see we’re all speechless with shock?!

Si Qi: “So these are just auxiliary functions, better than nothing.”

The audience: That’s not how you use “better than nothing,” buddy!!

Si Qi: “The real focus is on the ‘pet’ aspect of the robotic pet. As we all know, pets are companions that stay by their owners’ side. So, once fully charged, this robotic pet can stay active for up to 120 years, ensuring it won’t leave its owner’s side during their lifetime.”

The audience was dumbfounded, with a million thoughts running through their minds but no idea where to start.

Si Qi: “Also, most animals have a protective instinct, so its combat abilities are quite strong. It can basically take down over a hundred people without a problem.”

The audience was even more baffled: Who gets attacked by over a hundred people?! And why are you saying something so terrifying in such a casual tone?!

As they watched the little dog perform a set of military-style boxing moves with lifelike precision, the entire audience was left speechless: “………………”

Si Qi nodded, once again looking as if this were no big deal, and continued: “Besides protecting its owner, animals can also sense earthquakes in advance. So, when an earthquake is about to occur in the owner’s city, the pet will notify the owner three minutes early and guide them to the safest evacuation route.”

The audience finally snapped out of their shock, and someone couldn’t help but blurt out, “That’s impossible! Even the latest national technology can only provide a 60-second early warning in specific areas!”

Si Qi looked surprised. “Is that so?”

Since the original owner knew nothing about this, Si Qi genuinely wasn’t aware of the current earthquake prediction capabilities in this world. He had just casually set the warning time to three minutes.

So he nodded calmly and said, “Well, now it’s 180 seconds.”

“…………”

The room fell silent, everyone stunned by his matter-of-fact tone.

The person who had spoken still didn’t believe it and challenged, “How can you prove it?”

Si Qi calmly said to Xiao Bai, “Detect earthquake information.”

Without a second’s delay, Xiao Bai replied, “Polynesia, magnitude 2.3 earthquake; Saval, magnitude 0.6 earthquake…”

It was the first time the audience had heard Xiao Bai speak, and any lingering doubts that it might be a real dog vanished instantly. They stood in stunned silence, listening to the little dog’s cute, childlike voice. The quick-thinking ones immediately pulled out their phones to check the latest news.

Three minutes later, someone holding a terminal shouted in disbelief, “Oh my god! Polynesia, magnitude 2.3 earthquake!!! It just happened a few minutes ago!!!”

A group of people nearby crowded around to look at the screen. Someone with sharp eyes noticed the exact time of the earthquake, down to the second. They glanced at their watch and realized it was almost exactly when the little dog on stage had announced the earthquake.

Someone skeptically asked, “Could the dog have just read the information from a website?”

Immediately, someone else retorted, “Are you stupid? This webpage was just updated with the latest information. From the earthquake happening to someone posting the news online, there’s no way it could’ve predicted and read the content before it was even uploaded!”

The skeptic had no rebuttal and could only stare in disbelief. “…So, the robot really predicted the earthquake three minutes in advance?”

The crowd’s expressions shifted, their wide eyes filled with shock.

Si Qi hadn’t even finished speaking and wanted to continue introducing other features, but the audience was already in an uproar.

Some were still discussing the earthquake prediction, while others had already moved on to other aspects.

Some noticed that the dog’s tiny paws could lift objects just by touching them and eagerly asked what technology made this possible, wondering if it could be applied to unmanned operations of high-precision instruments.

Others asked how such a small body could achieve a 120-year standby time, what material the battery was made of, and whether it could be used in electric vehicles to solve the biggest drawback of short driving ranges.

No one remembered this was a competition. At that moment, everyone’s mind was focused on one thing:

—That miraculous robotic dog!!