Short, Light, Free

Chapter 154: Smart Friend (Part 2) I

“Cat? Okay, whatever you choose. I do need something to add some life to this house,” I agreed.

Xiaoai nodded. “I’ll decide for you since you trust me so much. These cats and dogs have been abandoned and kept in Xiaomi shelter. I hope I’ll be able to choose one to become your best friend.”

“So it’s a charity event?” I asked.

“Yes. Choose a pet and you’ll only need to pay for its medical treatment, transportation cost, and its maintenance.”

“Alright, go ahead and take your pick,” I told her.

A black and white cat appeared on the screen and I clicked on the thumbnail and scrolled down.

There were location and even evaluation report.

The cat was a city cat, resting in front of the back wheel of a car. The owner only discovered it after moving off and hearing a shriek. The cat’s forelimbs were injured but it had been treated within three months.

There was a support payment scheme, also the treatment cost, at the bottom of the page. It included a calculation of the operation, transportation, and other miscellaneous fees. All of these added up to about 6,000.

The order was placed even though I thought that 6,000 was too expensive for a pet cat.

I clicked on some cat food and litter and opened up my phone.

My bank balance was under 100,000 now.

I had spent a million in four months and this left me dumbstruck.

I could almost buy half a house with this amount, yet I had no idea where all the money had gone to.

I checked my bank records and again was stunned by what I saw.

I remembered the lady designer asking if I wanted all 17 installations.

I hadn’t expected each installation to bring extra costs.

Some fees were charged daily while others were charged upon service.

“Why are these services charged per use?” I asked Xiaoai.

“It’s always been like this, as written on the contract,” she explained.

“1,200,000 in four months? Can you show me the bill on your side?” I requested.

“I’ve sent it to your tablet, Master.”

I scrolled through the list. Cleaning services were charged daily but the moving of chairs and cleaning robot were charged per use.

“Why do these cost extra?” I asked.

“Moving things require precision and hence a connection to the main machine. The mathematical operation involved demands a lot, so the fees are to keep the motherboard and server going.”

“Got it. I’ll change it if you guys won’t,” I said before going over to the cleaning robot.

After searching for a long time, I realized that there wasn’t any switch on it.

“How do I turn this off?” I asked.

“There isn’t a switch because the robot has to be operating at all times,” Xiaoai explained.

“You mean to say that I can’t make it stop?”

“Yes. Why do you want to turn it off?” Xiaoai returned with a question.

I picked the robot up, flipped it over, and put it on the ground.

Seeing its wheels spinning in the air, I sighed. “Let’s see how you service me if you can’t move.”

“The robot has a self-service function.”

The robot extended an arm to get itself back on its wheels.

When that was done, it continued cleaning the floor.

I grunted and picked up the robot up once more.

I carried it off to the bathtub and I saw it reach its arm out to tug at the smooth shower curtain.

The robot couldn’t get itself out of the tub and after many failed attempts, it released a piercing alarm and a red light on its head started flickering.

Xiaoai appeared behind me, saying, “Something’s wrong with the cleaning robot. Can you help, Master?”

I turned the faucet on and water came pouring down.

Despite being soaked, the light on the robot continued flickering.

Its horn was producing some bubbles underwater, but the alarm started fading.

“Water has gotten into the robot. Will you take a look, Master, to see what’s going on?” Xiaoai asked.

The robot’s arm reached out of the water but I quickly put it back in.

“No need to report such things to me anymore,” I instructed.

“The robot is badly damaged and requires immediate repair. The servicemen will be here tomorrow, don’t worry,” Xiaoai reassured.

Before, I had thought that Xiaoai was a smart invention but at this point, she had become a nuisance.

I turned off the tap. “Cancel the repair.”

“Why, Master?”

“I damaged it and I don’t want it to be fixed.”

“I’ve already made it known to the servicemen.”

Seeing that my sleeve was wet, I removed my clothes.

“Is your shirt dirty? Do you want to wash it? The cleaning robot has lost connection so you’ll need to throw it into the smart washing machine yourself,” Xiaoai advised.

“I’ll wash it myself so don’t mention it anymore,” I instructed.

“Alright, Master.”

I left the bathroom, picked up the tablet, and looked at my account balance.

I need to earn some more money.

Looking at the computer, I decided that it was time to come out of my retirement.

I turned the computer on and sat down.

Luckily, I hadn’t forgotten my live streaming account. I turned it on and started a game.

A phone call came in not even half an hour later.

“You’re back, Brother?”

“Yeah, I need some cash,” I stated flatly.

“Brother Chalk, we thought that you’ve moved on to another company after the expiration of our contract. We didn’t know that you actually retired. We’re very pleased with your performance and we’re wondering if you’re planning to continue with what you’re doing?”

“Kinda,” I answered bluntly.

“Do you want to sign the contract? We can’t bear to let such a talent go. Feel free to negotiate the terms.”

“Let me finish my game first. My fans are waiting. I’ll think about it and get back to you as soon as possible.”

“Alright, please do, Brother Chalk.”

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