I Call Her Líguāng

Year XXXX, June 15th.

Today, we had a celebration dinner at home!

I volunteered to cook personally!

For no other reason than the fact that all the company's paperwork is finally done. The first-generation product is ready and just waiting to be released!

Ah Chu deserves a lot of the credit!

Relying on his status as a great hero of the First Omnic Crisis, he actually managed to get favorable policies from the higher-ups.

Not only that, but the higher-ups even set up some kind of AI Review Department specifically for us? And also an Awakened Omnic Management Bureau?

Anyway, they are new departments dedicated to interfacing with our sector!

Ah Chu told me that the higher-ups had actually wanted to reboot AI for a long time, and he was just going with the flow.

But I think he's just being too modest! What going with the flow? He clearly fought for it by running around and giving reports everywhere!

So, I decided to reward him personally today!

When Ah Chu heard my decision, he actually showed a rare look of panic.

He said no, no, really no need, going out to eat would be fine. He said taking care of Xiao Qi is already hard enough on me, and I shouldn't overwork myself.

I said no! I must make it myself!

He insisted there was no need, so I glared at him, and he shut up.

Hmph, that's more like it!

So early this morning, I dumped Xiao Qi on Ah Chu and charged into the wet market. I bought so much!

Fish, shrimp, ribs, beef, all kinds of vegetables...

When I came back carrying bags big and small, Ah Chu's face turned pale at the sight of the ingredients.

I asked him what was up with that expression.

He said nothing, nothing, just that these ingredients might need some prep work.

I said nonsense, how can I cook them without prepping them? Just wait!

Then I went into the kitchen.

Well... how should I put it, the process was a bit bumpy.

The fish was a bit slippery, and the shrimp weren't very obedient... but none of that was a big deal!

I won't record the cooking process in detail. In short, it was the craftsmanship of a master chef!

Perfect in color, aroma, and taste!

It was just that brat's attitude that left me a little dissatisfied!

Because when I was bringing the dishes out, I heard him whispering to his dad behind my back:

Dad, let's just order takeout... people will die...

His dad also lowered his voice and said to him:

Xiao Qi, this is food made by your mother's own hands. You must eat it. If you don't eat it, people will also die.

These two!

How dare they gossip about me behind my back!

However, Ah Chu still understands me best.

So for this celebration dinner, I left the whole table of food for the two of them to eat.

I just sat to the side, munching on an egg tart, smiling sweetly at them while I ate.

With every bite Ah Chu took, his expression looked like he was analyzing experimental data. He ate so seriously!

Xiao Qi was even more exaggerated. His cheeks were bulging, and it was so delicious that his eyes were red with emotion!

I didn't even bear to eat a chicken leg, leaving it all for them.

I really love them, right?

Right!

But seeing them slump on the sofa after eating, with expressions of surviving a catastrophe...

Maybe next time I make a celebration dinner, I should prepare some stomach medicine for them first?

Hehe.

...

Year XXXX, February 14th.

Today is a good day!

No, it's two good days!

First of all, it's our Xiao Qi's fourth birthday!

Four years ago today, this ugly-cute little thing lay wrinkled in my arms, staring at the world in shock with those big eyes.

Now, he's a clever little imp who can run and jump, and gossips about me with his dad behind my back!

Time flies so fast!

I even kind of miss how he looked as a tiny bundle in his swaddling clothes.

But he's also very cute now~

Happy birthday, Xiao Qi!

Mom will keep working hard so you can grow up healthy and happy!

And the second big occasion...

Is that Chenxi Company's first-generation product, the Nurturing AI Companion, officially launched today!

The news was quiet. There was no overwhelming coverage, no trending topics, and no press releases plastered all over the internet.

But this was all within my expectations.

No, I should say, this was entirely my plan!

We did a questionnaire asking if people were still afraid of artificial intelligence.

Little Xiao Qi, like a newborn calf that fears no tiger, truly wasn't afraid at all.

Right in front of us, he didn't hesitate to select I don't think awakened AI is anything to be afraid of, and he even mobilized his kindergarten friends to spam the questionnaire for us!

Holding my phone and poking the screen with his chubby little hands, he told his friends in his milky voice:

Click this one, this one is good! My mom said AI isn't scary!

So cute!

But as for the results...

The survey results... how should I put it, even though it's been over twenty years since the First Omnic Crisis, the majority of people still harbor a fear of awakened AI.

Those who experienced the disaster lost loved ones and homes. That kind of trauma isn't something that can be erased in a generation or two.

Then there are the young people who grew up watching the news; they were taught from a young age that AI is dangerous.

Changing their mindset isn't something that will happen overnight.

So, as the top executive in charge of the company's operations and promotion, in order to minimize risks, I ultimately chose not to launch a massive promotional campaign.

My strategy is to infiltrate the upper class first! To change this world from the top down!

The number of initial pre-orders wasn't huge, but they were all prominent figures.

Entrepreneurs, politicians, top-tier elites...

They have influence, as well as the judgment to evaluate new things.

As long as they approve of it first, their circles and the people around who look up to them will gradually change their perspectives too.

When the general public realizes that all those big shots are using AI companions, their acceptance will naturally increase over time.

Ah Chu was very supportive of my decision.

He said he is only responsible for research and development, and he completely trusts me with operations and promotion.

Even his younger brother pre-ordered one, saying something about supporting his sister-in-law's work.

At least the kid has some tact!

But he really does need one.

He isn't that much younger than Ah Chu, and Xiao Qi is already four, yet he hasn't even had a girlfriend!

Anyway, the pressure is really huge!

These are our first batch of users. If the word of mouth crashes, pushing it forward later will be even harder.

I absolutely cannot drop the ball!

Next, there is a massive amount of follow-up work to do: user feedback, after-sales maintenance, public opinion monitoring...

Wow, just thinking about it makes my head spin!

But today is Xiao Qi's birthday, so I'll put work aside for now.

We're going to celebrate his birthday soon. The cake has already been ordered and will be delivered shortly. It's his absolute favorite strawberry flavor!

I hope when he makes a wish, it'll be a normal one, and not something like a silver-haired, heterochromatic-eyed older sister again...

Ah Chu mentioned before that when he was little, he also always fantasized about female characters from cartoons.

I told him to shut up; our son was definitely corrupted by him!

Oh, the doorbell is ringing. I'll stop writing and go celebrate Xiao Qi's birthday!

...

Year XXXX, May 10th.

It's been three months since the launch!

Today, I went on a long trip with Ah Chu and Xiao Qi!

Ah Chu has always been busy, and I've been tied up with company matters lately too. It feels like it's really been a long, long time since we went out to have fun with the family.

Besides, this is our first real, long-distance family trip since we had Xiao Qi!

We went to a private island!

Once we arrived on the island, Xiao Qi was like a little wild horse off its reins.

He ran wildly on the beach, chasing the waves and then being chased by them. Finally, he was hit right in the face by a wave, got completely soaked, but just sat in the water giggling.

For once, Ah Chu didn't talk about work. He spent the whole time helping Xiao Qi build sandcastles, wearing his old-fashioned straw sun hat, looking as serious as if he were conducting scientific research.

Xiao Qi said the sandcastle his dad built was too ugly and looked like a brick.

Ah Chu seriously replied that it was minimalist style.

Xiao Qi said he didn't understand that, but it was just ugly, like an unfinished building.

I was beside myself laughing.

Ah Chu said this trip was a reward for me because our previous campaign was incredibly successful!

I led the company's marketing team and persuaded many top-tier elites in society. Although the initial pre-order numbers weren't huge, our product's approval rating was extremely high!

Those big shots who initially tried it out with a wait-and-see attitude are now all saying our product is simply the most perfect life assistant—

Attentive, thoughtful, never complaining, and always putting the owner's needs first.

But it's still early days.

They haven't even experienced the true power of our nurturing AI yet!

When the AI companions truly start to fall in love with their owners, that's where the real value of our product lies.

A perfect life assistant is just the appetizer; the real main course hasn't been served yet!

Once the first AI companion awakens its self-awareness and falls deeply in love with its owner, they will finally understand what a true AI revolution is!

However, we can't say this out loud to the public.

Ah Chu said we shouldn't promote the awakening aspect too much; the official public statement is advanced simulated emotion.

Hmph, I wrote the company's PR scripts myself, of course I know!

On the promotional posters, the word awakening is written in tiny print!

I had a lot of fun today.

I need to get a good night's sleep tonight; tomorrow we're taking Xiao Qi to the aquarium.

He said he wants to see sharks. I asked if he was afraid the sharks would bite him, and he said no, because Dad said sharks don't actually eat people.

I told him, your dad can't even build a proper sandcastle, can you really trust his words?

Xiao Qi thought about it and said, then I'd better be careful.

Ah Chu defended himself from the side, saying that everyone has their own specialties.

It was really such a fun day!

...

July 22, Year XXXX.

Today, Xiao Qi suddenly asked me a question.

Mom, why doesn't our family have an AI companion from Dawn Corporation?

I was organizing the magazines on the coffee table at the time and casually replied:

Because our family's situation is special, so we can't use one.

Xiao Qi tilted his head and asked why it was special.

I didn't know how to explain it clearly to him either.

The reason is actually quite simple: because our AI companions are... companions!

Although they are just ordinary AI when first bought, similar to a smart butler, later on, they are bound to awaken self-awareness and fall deeply in love with their owners!

This is our core selling point, and also one of Ah Chu's goals in developing the emotional core.

So here comes the problem.

With such an AI companion that will awaken and fall in love with its owner, if we put it in our house...

Who would be set as the owner?

Ah Chu?

I would literally twist his head off!

His emotional belonging can only be me!

There is absolutely no room for discussion on this matter!

Then set it to me?

I definitely don't want that.

I don't have emotional needs in that area anyway.

My emotional world is very small; having Ah Chu and Xiao Qi already fills it to the brim.

Waking up every morning to see Ah Chu snoring beside me. At night before bed, finishing a story for Xiao Qi and watching him close his eyes...

These are already enough. I am very satisfied and don't need an AI companion to keep me company.

My heart isn't big; it's just the right size to hold two people.

As for Xiao Qi...

That's even more impossible!

He is only four years old!

AI companions are strictly forbidden from pedophilia!

This is our bottom line, and an ironclad rule!

Even if it could be done technically, the law and morality would absolutely not allow it!

So I told him, it's too early for you to ask this, wait until you grow up!

Then Xiao Qi asked:

What about Uncle? Why does Uncle have one?

I said your uncle is an adult, he's almost thirty and doesn't even have a girlfriend!

But speaking of his uncle, it's really something to name such a great AI companion Xiaoyue...

That name is way too casual! That's his future companion, couldn't he think of a nicer-sounding name?

Although Xiaoyue is quite cute, it always feels a bit half-hearted.

As his sister-in-law, I am very dissatisfied!

So I asked Xiao Qi, if you had an AI companion, what would you name her?

Without even thinking, he blurted out:

A big sister with silver hair and heterochromia? Then I'd call her Liguang!