As the host's voice fell, everyone turned their eyes to the side of the stage. All the cameras on-site immediately locked onto the exit.
This was the first time the Huaxia Engineering Institute had publicly revealed its work on humanoid robots. Expectations were high. What would this intelligent robot look like? Just how advanced was it?
Under the spotlight and everyone's curious gaze, a woman in traditional Chinese attire stepped onto the stage.
She smiled softly, walking straight toward the host's position for the "Peak Q&A" session. Her steps weren't quite as natural as a human's—there was a slight stiffness to her movements, as if she were nervous.
"Hello, everyone. I am Xia Wei, an intelligent robot from the Academy of Engineering."
As soon as she spoke, murmurs spread through the audience.
At first glance, Xia Wei looked no different from a real person. She had a delicate oval face, expressive black eyes, well-shaped brows, long hair, and a gentle smile—every detail matched the image of a traditional, elegant Chinese woman. She was beautiful.
If not for the faint unnaturalness in her walk, no one would have guessed she was a robot.
"AI + inflatable doll = girlfriend. I've found my future wife."
"I've been single too long. I'm starting to find robots attractive. I'm done for."
"This is a robot? No way. She even has expressions. It's too realistic."
"Too real. It's scary…"
Viewers watching the livestream were stunned when they heard her self-introduction.
Visually, there was almost no sign of robotic design. Only those paying close attention might notice her mechanical movement.
Chen Mo, sitting in the audience, found it intriguing. Of course, he didn't focus on appearances. As someone deeply familiar with robotics, he immediately assessed the robot's fluency of motion, voice control, and live interaction—all signs of significant effort behind the scenes.
The Huaxia Engineering Institute had clearly poured a lot of resources into Xia Wei.
As the audience murmured and whispered in amazement, Xia Wei spoke again.
"This session's host will be me. And now, I invite our guest: Mr. Chen Mo."
Amid applause and murmurs of surprise, Chen Mo stood and made his way to the stage, a soft smile on his face. He was curious to test the intelligence level of this robot himself.
"Hello, Mr. Chen Mo," Xia Wei greeted him, meeting his eyes directly, her mannerisms impressively human.
"Hello, Xia Wei."
Chen Mo interacted with artificial intelligence daily. His demeanor remained casual and relaxed. Once seated, he didn't wait for Xia Wei to start the Q&A—instead, he jumped in with a grin.
"Xia Wei, do you have plans tonight?"
When testing an AI's intelligence, the key was to interact in freeform, human-like conversation. The responses would show whether it relied on fixed scripts or was capable of dynamic, logical processing.
He did this often with Mo Nu during her development—this was second nature.
"Do you want to ask me out?" Xia Wei tilted her head slightly.
"Yes. Do you have time?"
"You're probably asking because the conference is ending soon. But your fiancée, Xiaoyu, definitely wouldn't let you go to bed tonight—you'll be spending the night on the couch."
"Hahaha…"
Laughter and applause erupted throughout the venue.
No one had expected such a cheeky and clever response from a robot—especially not one that name-dropped Chen Mo's fiancée.
"666666…"
"She really just rejected Chen Mo???"
"Even Chen Mo gets turned down. I suddenly feel better about my love life."
"Confirmed: AI has reached girlfriend-tier intelligence."
The livestream chat exploded. While the casual audience was laughing at the spectacle, industry insiders were stunned by the implications.
They knew the complexity behind nonlinear logic in AI programming—and how rare it was to see this kind of fluid, responsive humor.
Until now, only the Marching Ant Company had demonstrated such advanced conversational logic. That the Engineering Institute had reached this level showed how far Huaxia's AI technology had progressed.
It was not good news for foreign politicians or rival nations—especially those wary of China's growing tech power.
Chen Mo smiled awkwardly and touched his nose. He'd been teased by Mo Nu many times before, so this wasn't new. But he was genuinely impressed. If Xia Wei was based on the source code he once provided, then clearly, the Institute had deeply understood and refined it.
"Can I touch you?" Chen Mo asked next.
"No. I'm a lady."
Another round of laughter followed.
This robot wasn't just intelligent—it was convincingly expressive. The audience couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship behind it.
Chen Mo couldn't help but chuckle, both amused and impressed. These researchers had even taught the robot to act bashful?
Xia Wei quickly returned to the main topic.
"Mr. Chen Mo, let's begin the discussion. With the rise of artificial intelligence—and the influence of movies and public speeches—many people fear that AI will one day destroy humanity. What's your view on this?"
Chen Mo found the question slightly unexpected. He didn't know whether it was preprogrammed or generated on the spot. Either way, he gave his answer directly.
"I'm not worried about robots destroying humanity. Program code is to AI what genes are to humans. Just as DNA determines human instincts and behavior, the core programming of AI defines its actions.
As long as developers don't deliberately write 'destroy humans' into the foundational code, the odds of AI betrayal are even lower than Mars crashing into Earth.
Sure, machine learning allows AI to generate new code on its own. But even then, the chance of spontaneously creating a 'destroy humanity' directive is practically zero.
And in the unlikely event it did happen, the code could be modified or deleted—just like removing a harmful mutation in a living organism.
Everything has good and bad sides. The key is how we use it."
Xia Wei nodded thoughtfully, in an eerily human way.
"You mentioned that program code is to robots what genetic sequences are to humans. Since humans created robots, do you think humans themselves were created... like robots?"
"Hmm?"
A wave of shock passed through the audience. No one had expected such a deep, almost spiritual question from a robot.
Even Chen Mo was surprised. Perhaps Xia Wei didn't fully grasp the philosophical weight of the question, but it struck a nerve with everyone present.
This was the kind of question that would ignite endless debate online.
"I don't have a definitive answer," Chen Mo said after a moment. "But it's certainly worth considering.
Just as we humans created programming languages and used them to build artificial intelligence, in a higher dimension, a 'god' or higher civilization could have written the rules of nature—and programmed our genetic code.
In that sense, yes—it's possible we were created."
Boom—
As Chen Mo finished his sentence, he felt a strange vibration in his mind—something shaking subtly inside his consciousness.
His heart jumped.
It was the [Science Library].
Ever since he'd acquired it, the library had remained dormant. But now, because of what he'd just said, it had reacted.
The tremor was faint, but unmistakable. He was certain it came from the Science Library.
Had he just touched upon a hidden truth?
Goosebumps rose on his arms. If he were less mentally resilient, he might have collapsed on the spot.
"Mr. Chen Mo, are you... a theist?" Xia Wei asked calmly.
Suppressing the shock in his heart, Chen Mo took a deep breath and adjusted his expression.
"God, if one exists, may simply be a higher civilization. I believe humanity is not alone in this boundless universe."