After Christmas, on New Year's Eve, the entire Paradise Lost is immersed in a long-lost tranquility.
The old snow has not dissipated, and the new snow has covered a thick layer. People used the most primitive shovels and industrial salt to try to clear the snow in front of their doors, and the heat they exhaled turned into a thin layer of fog that floated over the dimly-colored buildings. The shouting and laughter also seemed more distant.
In front of the Lab, more than a dozen cleaning robots sprayed salt blocks and used powerful electric heating shovels to cut the semi-frozen large pieces of snow and piled them on both sides of the road. Pan's control of the extension robot has already begun to expand beyond the Lab, and some areas have even taken the initiative to purchase from the Lab a newly-built snowmelt vehicle controlled by Pan's extension program to clear the snow on the main road sections.
Apparently Paradise Lost's acceptance of artificial intelligence and machinery has reached its peak in two hundred years, and the Life Sciences Institute, the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Population Management, and several major hospitals have all ordered a new product from the Lab after a new product exhibition. A batch of extended intelligent robots based on Pan. Includes categories such as lab assistants, cleaning robots, housekeeping robots, and nanorobots. As a result, Lab has made the most money since its establishment, and finally has the money to repair all the facilities damaged by the mob.
People are amazed at the huge changes in their lives that the artificial intelligence they have rejected for so long has brought to their lives. They no longer need to do monotonous trivial chores and can concentrate on their work and rest; they no longer need to mobilize hundreds of people to clean the snow that is dozens of centimeters thick on the main road since the early morning; no need to manually compare For complex genomes; many intractable diseases that are difficult to be cured by surgery, such as brain tumors and Alzheimer's disease, have the dawn of being cured after having nanorobots.
Fernandez rushed into Zhang Xun's office and excitedly shoved the financial statement in front of Zhang Xun, "I can't believe it! We've made a fortune!"
Zhang Xun rolled his eyes, "Are you short of money?"
"Please! Isn't the more money the better?!" Fernandez stretched out his arms to show his new custom-made uniform, and put on a few poses that he thought he was handsome but was actually arrogant, "I have been for half a year. I don't have any clothes to buy! I'm going to wear this outfit tonight to hunt for handsome guys in the club!"
"You're wearing a mechanic's uniform to 'fish for a handsome guy'?" Zhang Xun almost thought he was out of his mind. Although Fernandez has always been a little crazy...
Fernandez looked sympathetic and sat on his desk, "Zhang Xun, you are out of date by keeping yourself in the lab all day long. Don't you know there's a saying now? Smart is the new sexy (1)!" Now you just put on a mechanic's uniform and it's almost as amazing as speaking in a pure British accent (2)." (Note 1: Smart is the new sexy, from The Big Bang Theory; Note 2: Having a British accent is considered in North America Very attractive)
Zhang Xun felt that he was getting really old. He never thought that he would live to see the day when a mechanic became a popular profession...
Fernandez gave Zhang Xun his characteristic Italian charismatic smile, "I said brother, don't hang out with Adam all day long. Adam has been a human for a year, and he hasn't experienced much yet. What about the fun of being human. You two didn't even take a vacation for Christmas. What if you spend all day living with a workaholic like you, and he doesn't want to be a human anymore?"
Zhang Xun sighed and looked up from the architecture diagram, "Then what advice do you have?"
"Tonight, some of our mechanics are going to the 'Bacchus' to count down, will you come together?"
After listening to Zhang Xun, he refused reflexively, "No. It's too dangerous there. Did you forget what happened last time when I took Adam there?"
"Come on, now and then. Adam wasn't the hero of Paradise Lost back then. And now, who can beat Adam..."
Zhang Xun frowned and leaned back on the back of the chair, "Isn't there any other healthier activity?"
"Healthy activities? Do you mean hiking in the wild or going figure skating on the Lost Lake? Come back and have a low-carb, low-sugar dinner, drink some wolfberry tea, and put on a mask before going to bed?" Fernandez teased in a cheap tone.
Also... Seems like it's hard to have any healthy activities in Paradise Lost...
Zhang Xun mentioned it to Adam uncertainly and asked him if he wanted to go to the countdown to the New Year.
Adam hesitated for a while, as if he was also worried about the situation he encountered at Dionysus last time. But soon, he nodded briskly, "Yes, I want to go!"
"Are you sure? Are you not afraid?"
"Xun, I believe a few violent anti-social elements are far less scary than Eden." Adam raised his metal arm, "And now I have the ability to protect the two of us."
So, a few hours later, the night engulfed the whole earth early, Zhang Xun and Adam followed Fernandez and James and a group of strange combination of mechanics and hunters, and stepped into the bizarre gate of Bacchus. The dreamy light and shadow on the dance floor are intertwined, and the music is deafening. Half of them are all well-dressed and beautiful men competing for beauty, and the other half are tall, strong, handsome men who exude a strong masculine charm. The smell of alcohol and perfume spreads in the air, as if the temperature does not need heating and the temperature rises.
Amidst the deafening music, they found a soft seat that had not yet been occupied. Several soldiers came up and ordered a table of tequila shots, plus a standard bottle of beer per person. Zhang Xun quietly pushed Adam's shot away, and he didn't want to drag a humanoid computer that had been babbling ai language all the way back to Lab...
Before sitting down for a few minutes, six or seven excited young people came to Adam to sign and take a photo. Zhang Xun looked at Adam with some uneasiness as he showed his innocent smile that was enough to let anyone off guard, and dutifully fulfilled the requirements of the "fans" without any impatient expression. Obviously, the treatment of artificial intelligence this time is very different from the last time, and more and more people surround him, all wanting to see the appearance of the savior of Paradise Lost. And Adam's handsome appearance is almost all-in-one, and the enthusiasm of the crowd can be visualized as transpiring tentacles.
The last few soldiers became impatient at first and began to chase people away. However, there are still some handsome and beautiful men who are reluctant to leave easily, vying to invite Adam to drink and dance.
Zhang Xun sat next to him, trying to hide his unhappiness, and drank a few mouthfuls of the mojito in his hand.
A young soldier named Victor who was sitting across from him seemed to have joined James' hunting group recently and had been looking at Zhang Xun and Adam curiously. At this time, he suddenly leaned forward and said with a smile, "Is it hard to fall in love with a celebrity?"
Zhang Xun realized that he was speaking to himself, and said at a loss, "You said me and Adam? We are not in a relationship."
"Come on, you." Fernandez rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, almost turning his eyes over, "You two are sleeping together and 'not in love'..."
James spit out the wine, "What?!"
Zhang Xun felt his face burning, "We're just... sleeping in the same room!"
"In a bed?" another soldier asked teasingly.
Zhang Xun: "..."
James was speechless, Fernandez was still adding fuel to the fire, "Don't tell me you two are just 'sleeping innocently in the same bed and didn't do anything'..."
These words came out of Fernandez's mouth, and Zhang Xun himself felt that it was very unbelievable.
"But... it really didn't..." he denied uncomfortably, his face suddenly sullen, "besides it's my personal business!"
"Xun! Why didn't you tell me!" James couldn't believe it.
Zhang Xun only felt a headache. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard Adam's voice close to his ear, "Aren't you feeling well, Axun? Why is your face so red?"
Zhang Xun was startled and turned to stare at him, "When did you come back?"
Adam tilted his head slightly to a group of young people who were still standing in the distance peeking over and said, "They asked me to drink, but I refused. I told them that I would accompany you."
A group of old men on the opposite side began to whistle, and Fernandez shouted, "No eye to see! Someone is blatantly throwing dog food!"
Adam seemed to hate everyone's reaction, and asked innocently, "What is dog food? We don't have a dog, only a mechanical cat. But it doesn't need cat food."
Zhang Xun just wanted to find a crack in the ground to get in. Just at this time, a relatively quiet and introverted soldier was going to the bar to order some more beer. Zhang Xun hurriedly volunteered to help, so as to break free from the group of men who were unable to gossip.
After Zhang Xun left, Fernandez and the other two also went hunting. At this time, James suddenly turned his head, stared deeply at Adam with his deep eyes, and said in a low voice with a slight threat, "You better not break his heart."
Adam took the wine glass for a while, turned his head, and met James' eyes calmly.
James narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he wanted to see through the unworldly appearance of artificial intelligence, "A Xun has never been moved by anyone. If you dare to hurt him, I will not let you go."
Adam slightly raised his mouth and looked at him kindly and sincerely, "Is this said as a brother, or as a rival in love?"
James was stunned for a moment and frowned, "Don't talk nonsense. A Xun and I are brothers who grew up together."
"You hide it well, although I don't know why you hide it. If you didn't change boyfriends one by one, you confessed earlier, went after him earlier, and let him know that he is actually loved and desired. I'm afraid I won't necessarily sit in this position now." Adam was half-smiling, but his eyes seemed to have a little bit of coldness in his eyes.
There was a sudden groan in James' mind. At this moment, Adam has lost some kind of innocence disguise. From the cracks in his so-called angelic smile, there was a faint hint of demonic aura.
"We're brothers! I've never thought of that to Axun!"
Adam chuckled, picked up the mojito that Zhang Xun had just drank and took a sip, "Why didn't you express it? Do you think he is not worthy of you? Because he is a nerd? Or because his appearance is not comparable Your countless former boyfriends?"
James glared at Adam, the wine glass in his hand almost cracked, "If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will break your white teeth right now."
"Oh, I see." Adam tilted his head slightly and carefully observed his expression, "You think you are not worthy of A Xun. You are afraid that if you are rejected, you will not be able to be a friend."
James slapped the cup on the table and grabbed Adam by the collar suddenly, causing the people next door to look sideways.
"What are you doing!" When Zhang Xun followed the other soldier back, he just saw the scene of swords being drawn and his eyes widened in astonishment.
James is going to beat Adam
James quickly loosened Adam's collar, but his face was as black as carbon. He grabbed his wine glass, and without saying a word, passed by Zhang Xun and went to the bar. Zhang Xun looked in James' direction and asked Adam hesitantly, "What's the matter with you?"
"He's worried about you." Adam sighed with some remorse. "He warned me not to hurt you."
Zhang Xun didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Huh?"
"A Xun, let's go dancing." Adam suddenly changed the subject, stood up and grabbed Zhang Xun's arm.
Zhang Xun panicked, "I won't!"
"It doesn't matter, I just observed it carefully, few people here will." Because the music was too loud, Adam leaned into his ear, and a warm breath blew past, "According to my analysis, dancing here is not the point. The point is to make yourself happy. You deserve to be happy, Xun."
That was Zhang Xun's first attempt to "dance" among a half-drunk crowd. The so-called dancing is actually just jumping along with the music. He couldn't let go at first, but the effect of the alcohol gradually came up, and with Adam in front of him, the gentle blue eyes seemed to be hypnotizing him all the time. He gradually felt safe, gradually smiled, and let go of something.
The closer it gets to midnight, the more enthusiastic the crowd grows. Zhang Xun couldn't hear the DJ shouting loudly on the stage. He felt like he was in a wild, free, slightly drunk but feel good state. No one is watching him all the time, no one is judging his achievements, no one is laughing at him. There is only the mechanical compound person in front of him who was created by him, but now gives him an inexplicable sense of security. In front of Adam, he always seemed to be more open.
The countdown started, Zhang Xun and Adam followed everyone and shouted loudly: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one…”
The crowd boiled as the New Year's bell rang overhead. Adam wrapped his arms around Zhang Xun's waist and lowered his head to kiss Zhang Xun's welcoming lips.
It wasn't the first kiss, but it was the first that came naturally.
All the feelings, the emotions, are in the right place. Zhang Xun closed his eyes, as if all his perceptions were gathered on the lips they touched. The surrounding crowd disappeared, Paradise Lost disappeared, the whole world disappeared. He couldn't hear any other sound, couldn't feel the vibration of the air. The only thing he could perceive was the warm body on the opposite side.
After a kiss, Adam told him earnestly, "Xun, I think I have a love for you. It started a long time ago."
Zhang Xun's heart was beating wildly. If it was the previous him, I am afraid that he would continue to use the relationship between the mechanics and the work between them to prevaricate and push the distance. After all, he has been doubting whether the warmth shown by Adam is just a disguise for survival.
But now, he is starting to feel tired, and he doesn't want to continue to violate his inner desires, and he doesn't want to deliberately ignore what he wants. Everything is getting better, maybe he can be happy.
He is entitled to happiness.
So Zhang Xun said in a hoarse voice, "Maybe... me too."
The author has something to say: Thanks to the little angel who threw the bazooka~~~: 2 Nanfengxu
Thanks to the little angels who threw mines~~~: Xia Ran, Xia Ran, 1 Xiaojin
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution~~~: 40 bottles of Xiangliu; 10 bottles of Haoying; 6 bottles of Hurry; 3 bottles of myvanillaworld; 1 bottle of Fenglan, Suyi, and Jiaasih