Chapter 51 – Go Back Quickly

It turned out that the robot was quite different from Li Tang’s expectations.

In appearance, the robot lacked a head, consisting merely of a screen and mechanical arms.

Li Tang circled around the display stand and asked, “It can perform surgery?”

“Yes,” Jiang Lou explained, “It can be controlled via a 5G network to execute highly precise movements.”

“Then the ones I’ve seen before in the hospital, uh, the ones with heads…”

“They’re guide robots. We developed a model during our startup phase. If you want to see it…”

Li Tang hurriedly said, “No need, I was just asking casually.”

Pretending to poke at the “fingers” on the mechanical arm, Li Tang felt like an amateur trying to show off in front of experts.

Perhaps sensing Li Tang’s unease, Jiang Lou tapped on the screen a few times and said, “You can issue commands to it.”

“…Anything goes?”

“You can give it a try.”

Li Tang then said, “Sing a song?”

The robot didn’t react.

Li Tang tried again, “Dance?”

The robot remained motionless.

Feeling somewhat speechless, Li Tang asked, “What can it do?”

“It currently lacks entertainment functions,” Jiang Lou said. “It’s best to give it a specific command.”

After some thought, Li Tang said, “Well… hold hands?”

He figured since the robot only had hands, it should at least be able to manage the basic action of holding hands.

As soon as he spoke, the mechanical hand moved. Its four “fingers” clicked and clacked as they moved, then slowly opened up.

Li Tang extended his hand in disbelief, placing it on the palm of the mechanical hand. The “fingers” moved again, joints closing slowly as it truly took Li Tang’s hand.

“It really can!” Li Tang exclaimed, turning around to look at Jiang Lou, his smile freezing slightly when their eyes met.

The boundary between past and present seemed to blur unconsciously.

Realizing this, Li Tang pursed his lips in alertness and attempted to pull his hand back, only to find the mechanical grip too tight to release.

Yelling “Let go” was useless. Afraid of using too much force and breaking the machine, Li Tang struggled twice before stopping, seeking help from Jiang Lou. “How do I get it to let go?”

Jiang Lou returned to the screen and tapped a few more times. Only then did the mechanical hand open its four fingers and release Li Tang’s hand.

A false alarm, Li Tang rubbed his hand and said, trying to appear relaxed, “Your robot has quite a strong grip.”

Jiang Lou neither confirmed nor denied it. He initiated the recovery program, retracting the mechanical arm while his gaze fell on Li Tang’s pale hand.

He had held this hand countless times on the back seat of a night bus.

At the time, he could never have imagined that seven years later, he would envy a machine.

“So does this robot have a name?” Li Tang asked.

Jiang Lou snapped back to reality. “Yes.”

“What is it called?”

Pausing for a moment, Jiang Lou uttered two words.

They weren’t in English; the first word began with an M, and the second word was ROJA. It was likely Spanish.

Instead of asking for the meaning as one would normally do, Li Tang smiled. “Are all you tech people fond of giving things names that no one can understand?”

Jiang Lou didn’t respond.

He knew Li Tang understood.

Following that, they discussed the more precise manipulation techniques requiring algorithmic support that they had mentioned during their previous conversation in Xucheng. Jiang Lou didn’t boast about his abilities, explaining the complex content as simply as possible so even an outsider like Li Tang could understand.

Seeing that the demonstration had ended some time ago and his colleagues probably finished packing up, Li Tang was about to take his leave when someone knocked on the front door of the lecture hall.

It was a colleague from the risk control department, saying that Manager Li had sent him with a message. Because they needed to transport equipment and documents back, the three company cars were already full. He asked which car Li Tang intended to follow so they could make room for him.

Li Tang said, “No need, you guys go ahead. I’ll take a taxi back to the company.”

At that moment, Pei Hao peeked inside. Seeing the two men inside, his eyebrows raised slightly in surprise.

“We still have an empty seat,” he offered. “If President Li doesn’t mind, we’d be happy to give you a ride.”

In front of everyone, how could Li Tang say he minded.

He forced a polite smile and followed the group from ROJA to the parking area outside the school.

ROJA had come with four people in total. Pei Hao, Sun Yuxiang, and another individual were responsible for carrying the robot. Li Tang wanted to help, but Sun Yuxiang said, “We’re used to handling this piece of equipment. Adding one more person would throw off the balance.”

Li Tang had to step back, falling behind with Jiang Lou, silently watching over the precious machine that was worth more than a human life.

ROJA had brought two cars. One of them was a minivan specifically for storing equipment. They loaded the robot onto the rear seats with the seats folded down, covered it with a tarp, and secured it properly. Pei Hao circled around to the driver’s seat, opened the door, and said, “We’ll be going ahead then.”

The other two also got into the car and swiftly slammed the doors shut. Before Li Tang could wave goodbye, the minivan started and drove away.

Not until the car turned a corner and disappeared from sight did Li Tang realize, “…Didn’t you say there was an empty seat?”

Jiang Lou beside him looked at the SUV parked nearby and said, “We have two cars.”

Li Tang was taken aback. “I haven’t gotten my driver’s license yet.”

Having been back in the country for four months, he had been busy with company affairs. His residence was close to the company, leaving him no time and no need to learn how to drive.

Jiang Lou then walked around to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door for him. “I’ll drive.”

Sitting in an unfamiliar car and glancing at Jiang Lou who was driving attentively, Li Tang felt a sense of bewilderment, wondering how things had progressed to this point.

Sensing his gaze, Jiang Lou kept his eyes forward. “Relax, I have a driver’s license.”

Li Tang choked, thinking he hadn’t suspected Jiang Lou of driving without a license.

He couldn’t help but wonder, when did Jiang Lou get his license? If he had completed his studies early, wouldn’t he have been very busy?

Why did he choose to study abroad in the UK instead of the US, which was at the forefront of IT development?

Had he continued boxing over these years, and did he still bear scars on his body? Even though I’ve returned your mother to you, why do you still seem to be alone?

Just as they left the university town, Li Tang received a call from Li Zichu.

“You left with ROJA’s car?”

Li Zichu’s voice boomed loud enough that Li Tang quickly covered the speaker and leaned aside. “Didn’t you say there was no space in our car?”

“Even so, you shouldn’t have left with their car. Are you not afraid they might take you to a blind spot and kill you?”

Li Tang was startled. “…Don’t spout nonsense.”

Perhaps realizing Jiang Lou was nearby, Li Zichu lowered his voice slightly but remained direct. “Have you forgotten how he treated you six years ago?”

Li Tang quietly corrected him, “Seven years…”

“I don’t care if it’s six, seven, or eighty years. Back then, he approached you with ulterior motives. He deceived you and made you suffer. Have you forgotten all that?”

Li Tang swallowed dryly. “Are you alone right now? Let’s not talk about this…”

Li Zichu couldn’t stop, firing questions like a machine gun. “Who knows what he’s scheming this time by getting close to you. You really dare to invest in his company? We call you President Li, but you really think you’re a domineering CEO, believing yourself to be incredibly smart and invincible? Compared to him, you’re still inexperienced. Haven’t you experienced his cunning and deceit? How can someone as dumb as you scheme against him? And you won’t listen to advice. When you end up hanging yourself in despair, it’ll still be you, won’t it?”

Li Tang had long known how sharp-tongued Li Zichu could be, but since their reunion, Li Zichu had treated him like a younger brother, taking care of him and avoiding harsh words for fear he might break down. Therefore, having held back for too long, and unable to contain his anger, Li Zichu unleashed a torrent of criticism.

Li Tang’s lips moved, but he found himself speechless.

He felt exposed, his desperately hidden past and carefully embellished peace seemingly crumbled by a few words from Li Zichu.

Only now did he realize that those memories, once peeled back, were rotten.

Rotten to the point where pus and blood oozed out, repeatedly scabbing over. The pain of recalling them was like salt being sprinkled on a wound, then pierced and stirred with a knife through the flesh.

Rotten to the point where even the healthy tissue around them became infected and decayed, emitting a putrid stench.

How could he forget that those seemingly beautiful memories were fake, set up by Jiang Lou to ensnare him.

And now, coming to me, are you scheming just like before?

Continuing from his earlier curiosity…

Why did you send me the rose necklace, and why did you name the robot you developed MARIPOSA ROJA?

MARIPOSA ROJA, the red butterfly.

ROJA, red.

Did you know this would unsettle me?

And why don’t you smile anymore?

Is it because you still hate me?

After fumbling through the phone call and putting the phone down, Li Tang lowered his gaze.

The person beside him turned to speak, but Li Tang beat him to it. “I’m a bit tired and want to sleep for a while.”

Li Tang had no time to worry about what the person beside him might think. He suddenly felt nauseous, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably, just like after cutting his wrist.

Maybe it was due to traffic congestion, he thought. The capital city’s evening rush hour was notoriously congested, making it easy to feel carsick.

Moreover, he hadn’t taken his medication today. During the initial stages of withdrawal, he often struggled to adjust.

He closed his eyes.

Sleep for a while, it’ll be better when you wake up.

When he woke up, Li Tang realized everything before his eyes was shrouded in a thin mist, making it difficult to see clearly.

In a hazy and dim state, a butterfly suddenly appeared. It flew in from the edge of the picture, landing in the center of the frame, perched on someone’s slender finger.

It was a young man dressed in black, with eyes as deep as the night.

He took the butterfly back to his home at the foot of the mountain and prepared fresh nectar for it.

However, the nectar was placed inside a cage, and he told the butterfly, go in, hurry up and go in. Once inside, you can drink sweet nectar.

The butterfly flapped its wings, hesitating in front of the cage.

The young man urged it, go in, once inside, you’ll have a home.

The butterfly longed for a home so much that it believed the young man’s words and flew in without looking back.

The cage door closed behind it, locked, and when the butterfly turned around, it found itself trapped.

Later, the young man kept his promise, providing honey for the butterfly every day. The butterfly gradually forgot the pain of losing its freedom, starting to depend on the young man. Every day, it looked forward to his return, hoping he would bring it nectar and spend more time chatting with it.

Sometimes the young man was kind to it, sometimes cold, and sometimes he would open the cage and say, if you leave now, it’s not too late. The butterfly waved its wings, unwilling to leave.

The young man said, you’re really stupid, I’ve never seen a stupider butterfly.

The butterfly replied, I’m not stupid, I love you.

The young man sneered, but I don’t love you.

The butterfly didn’t understand and asked, if you don’t love me, why did you give me a home and nectar?

The cage door opened, and the young man’s beautiful hand reached in, grasping the butterfly and tearing its delicate wings.

As the butterfly struggled in immense pain, it heard the young man say, because I hate you.

Looking down, it saw the knife piercing its heart, blood gushing out, staining its wings red.

Only then did Li Tang realize that there were no bystanders.

This butterfly was none other than myself.

Waking up again, a voice came from his left. “Awake?”

Li Tang looked over in a daze, seeing the young man from his dream.

The young man asked, “There’s a convenience store up ahead, do you want to eat something?”

Li Tang shook his head, thinking, I won’t eat the nectar.

But the young man still unbuckled his seatbelt. “Wait here for a moment.”

Before Li Tang could stop him, as he turned to exit the car, Li Tang noticed the hearing aid in his left ear.

Hearing aid.

So he heard everything, hearing me defend him, knowing I still loved him.

“I love you… I love you… I love you so much.”

The sound leaking from the radio was undeniable proof.

No wonder he was so calm and collected.

So where is this place?

Li Tang began to look around. Is this hell?

Last time, I stepped in but was pulled back, so this time he personally came to catch me, ensuring I couldn’t escape.

But… Li Tang thought helplessly, I never planned to run away.

If you want my life, just say the word, and I’ll give it to you.

Entering the convenience store, Jiang Lou glanced at the shelves, picked up a sandwich and a bottle of water, and went to the checkout counter.

Stepping out, remembering Li Tang’s paper-pale complexion, he hastened his pace on his way back.

Was it due to the poor road conditions, constantly starting and stopping? But Li Tang had never suffered from motion sickness before, remaining energetic even sitting at the back of a bus.

Was it hypoglycemia? Li Tang didn’t seem to have that problem. Could it be that his diet had been poor during his years abroad, so…

As he pondered, Jiang Lou lifted his head and froze.

He wasn’t sure when Li Tang had gotten out of the car, but he stood next to it, smiling at him.

It wasn’t the polite smile he had shown since their reunion as business partners. Instead, it was a familiar smile, genuine and heartfelt upon seeing a loved one.

After smiling for a while, the corners of his mouth slowly drooped, and his eyes shifted from joy to terror.

Seeing Jiang Lou standing there motionless, Li Tang had to take a few steps forward and push him. “Go back, go back quickly.”

This is hell, you don’t belong here.

When asked where he should go back to, Li Tang’s pupils contracted sharply, as if suddenly awakening.

Something was wrong, something was wrong…

Clearing the fog, what entered his vision was the sunset, the fading remnants of twilight. There was the rustling of leaves in the wind, the honking of cars, and the footsteps of passersby. All these sounds rushed in as his senses recovered.

This was the real world, not the eighteenth level of hell.

“Li Tang, Li Tang.” Jiang Lou called his name. “What’s wrong, are you feeling unwell?”

The cold sweat that had broken out was chilled by the breeze, evaporating and solidifying on his skin. Li Tang shivered as he exhaled. “I made a mistake… I’m sorry.”

Jiang Lou frowned slightly, perplexed by Li Tang’s unwarranted apology and the phrase “made a mistake.”

Who had he mistaken me for?

Li Tang tried to back away, but his whole body was weak, barely able to stand.

Jiang Lou immediately supported his arm. “Do you want to rest for a bit?”

As soon as he asked, he realized he had overstepped. Li Tang was so resistant to him, how could he possibly want to be near him?

“I mean, go back to the car…”

But before he could finish, Li Tang lowered his head and gently rested it on Jiang Lou’s shoulder.

“Sorry,” Li Tang whispered. “I just want to lean for a moment, I’ll be fine soon.”

The young man in the dream was cold and domineering, completely focused on revenge. How could he ask me where he should go.

Nor would he call my name with such a gentle voice.