Chapter 178: Welcoming the Newcomers

With the speeches by the professors and student representatives concluded, the welcome ceremony for the new students officially began. Unlike previous years, the freshmen did not perform on stage; instead, the sophomore seniors organized a program to welcome them.

The grand auditorium was a cacophony of noise, and Zhong Yuxiu could feel a persistent buzzing in her ears.

"Professor Ding, I'd like to head back to the office. Will you be coming along?"

Professor Ding glanced toward the stage and nodded. "Let's go. It's far too noisy, and I really can't get used to it. I won't be attending these welcome ceremonies anymore in the future; I'll just leave right after the speeches."

"Ah, I was thinking the exact same thing. It's so loud it gives me a headache."

Professor Ding smiled, turned to nod at President Guo and the other professors, and the two of them rose to leave the auditorium. No sooner had they stepped outside than they noticed several other professors following them out—elderly scholars who simply could not tolerate the commotion.

"Professor Zheng, Professor Fang, Professor Lin, Professor Feng, you've come out too," Zhong Yuxiu said with a smiling, stationary stance.

Professor Zheng remarked, "It's just too boisterous, not my cup of tea. Might as well head back to the office where it's quiet."

"We're getting on in years; we just can't handle the racket anymore," Professor Fang said with a sigh.

Older generations often share similar viewpoints and thus have plenty to talk about. This was precisely why retired seniors in later eras loved to gather for chats, tea, card games, and chess to while away the time.

"Professor Zhong, why did you come out as well? Young people love lively atmospheres. Occasions as bustling as today are rare; you'll only see this kind of gathering during major holidays from now on." Professor Lin's eyes curved with a kind and amiable smile, looking upon her much like an elder greeting a junior.

Zhong Yuxiu replied, "I'm used to peace and quiet."

"Professor Zhong certainly prefers serenity. In fact, she was the one who suggested leaving," Professor Ding gestured lightly toward Zhong Yuxiu, stepping in to smooth things over.

"You wouldn't think it! Young people usually love the liveliness. My group of grandchildren is always making a racket together, constantly clamoring to go out and dive straight into bustling crowds. It's rare to find a young person who dislikes the excitement as much as you do," Professor Feng chuckled good-naturedly.

Zhong Yuxiu pressed her lips into a slight smile and said nothing further.

"Let's go, don't block the doorway," Professor Ding made a polite gesture, and the group left the auditorium. No one made any further playful remarks toward Zhong Yuxiu. Among this gathering of older gentlemen, she was the sole young woman, and out of deep appreciation for her exceptional talent—combined with the fact that she was decades younger than them—they naturally extended a great deal of indulgence and tolerance toward her.

***

Returning to the administration building, everyone dispersed to their respective offices.

In the end, only Zhong Yuxiu and Professor Ding walked together. Reaching the door of Professor Ding's office, he asked, "Professor Zhong, would you like to come in and sit for a while?"

"Alright, it's a bit dull going back to my office all by myself," Zhong Yuxiu readily agreed, following him inside as he unlocked the door.

"Make yourself at home; I won't stand on ceremony."

"This isn't my first time here, no need to play the host," Zhong Yuxiu said, taking a seat in a rattan chair and raising her wrist to check the time. "Professor Ding, it's getting rather late, practically noon. Will you be going home for lunch later, or eating at the cafeteria?"

Professor Ding answered, "I'll go home. I'm not terribly busy today, and my better half is waiting for me at home."

"I'm too lazy to make the trip back, so I'll just eat here at the school. My Gou Dan prepared several dishes and I brought them all with me; I can just take them to the cafeteria at mealtime and get them warmed up." Having a family was always different, which was precisely why she used to be somewhat resistant to the idea. Once you had a family, you felt weighed down, burdened by ties that constantly consumed your time.

Yet, after meeting Yan Rushan, that resistance had dwindled. Yan Rushan provided her with an absolute sense of security; he was responsible, capable, affectionate, and always let his actions speak louder than his words.

"You really are fortunate to have Gou Dan act as your nanny without even needing to pay a salary," Professor Ding teased with a chuckle, before letting out a sigh. "I wonder when the rest of us will ever get to use an advanced domestic robot like Gou Dan. I'm afraid I won't live long enough to see that day."

Zhong Yuxiu did not pick up the thread of that conversation. When and how such technology would be released was entirely up to the higher-ups, leaving no room for her to chime in.

"I'm just lazy, which is why I keep Gou Dan. Your household doesn't have any lazy folks, so it makes no difference whether you have a Gou Dan or not."

Professor Ding gave a light laugh. "That's not the same. Your Gou Dan represents the absolute cutting edge of technology, kept under strict wraps. Ninety percent of the people above know about it, but no one dares to speak of it aloud, and in the residential compound, not a single person dares to gossip."

"Still, you must realize that both President Guo and I deeply hope to see robots like Gou Dan popularized and put into everyday use. Yet every piece of research you produce represents a technological breakthrough; the moment a robot like Gou Dan becomes widespread, a vast number of people in our country will lose their jobs."

"You think remarkably far ahead," she said, genuinely impressed that he had already considered the issue of unemployment.

Professor Ding clapped his hands softly and spoke with fluid eloquence, "I have seen your Gou Dan with my own eyes. Don't let its mechanical limbs fool you; its degree of flexibility is extraordinarily high. The technology will continuously improve, and while I don't know the exact principles behind its manufacturing, the mere fact that it can comprehend and execute your commands tells me this technology can be applied to all kinds of machine tools. Once robots like Gou Dan conquer the market, do you think manual labor or robotic labor is preferable?"

Naturally, robotic labor would be better.

***

"You are entirely right," Zhong Yuxiu praised sincerely. "Your vision is exceptional, thorough, and far-sighted. Robots operate on microchips; as long as you input the necessary programs and instructions into their chips, they can handle not just all kinds of machine tools, but manufacturing components and precision work as well."

In the current era, lathes and machine tools still relied heavily on human labor, and calculations for mechanical parts frequently involved significant margins of error. If Gou Dan were to be popularized across the board, a great many engineers would indeed find themselves out of work.

"Indeed!" Professor Ding's eyes crinkled with a smile. "The prospects for robots are immense, but until we possess the strength to safeguard it, we must keep it strictly confidential."

Their national defense and military might were still not formidable enough.

After chatting for a while, noon arrived, and the school bell rang to signal the end of the morning session. Zhong Yuxiu politely took her leave and returned to her office, while Professor Ding locked his door and left the campus.

No sooner had she seated herself than Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo walked in.

"Comrade Zhong, we've taken the insulated food containers. We'll bring them back to you once they're warmed up," Hao Nan said, lifting the large insulated bucket and food box resting on the table.

"I'll go with you," Zhong Yuxiu said, rising to her feet. "If you go alone, they might not agree to heat the food."

Such was indeed the reality of the situation. With no other choice, Hao Nan could only nod. "Then please come with me, and Comrade Tian can stay here to guard the office."

"Very well," Tian Shangguo nodded in agreement.

Zhong Yuxiu and Hao Nan stepped out of the office, descended the administration building, and headed toward the cafeteria. The dining hall was packed to the brim, with people squeezed tightly together in long queues. Some even attempted to cut in line, all for the sake of securing slightly better dishes.

While each food stall offered plenty of meals, the quality varied. For meat dishes, those at the front of the line invariably received slightly more. It wasn't an exorbitant amount, but in times of food scarcity where every morsel counted, meat was a precious commodity, and getting even a tiny bit extra mattered.

Zhong Yuxiu walked over to the final service window. This station did not sell meals; it was designated specifically for teachers and students who brought their own food from home to be reheated.

"Could you please help me heat up the food inside? Thank you," Zhong Yuxiu said, handing a fifty-cent coin to the attendant on duty.