The Core is an Empty Thing

H-130 Type Humanoid Robot.

This was a female android designed to replace a woman’s presence.

It had long golden hair, snow-white and translucent silicone skin, the figure of a goddess, and was equipped with a rich emotional system, being empathetic, intelligent, and generous.

Overall, it was a stunning beauty. The company that initially developed this model caused a stir as soon as it was released.

Men went crazy for it, willing to spend a fortune, selling their livers and kidneys to buy one to take home.

Women were even more jealous, and if their boyfriends planned to buy such a robot, they would cry and make a fuss, doing everything they could to belittle and slander it.

Unfortunately, for a long time, this model of robot did not disappear from the world as women wished.

It sold very well in the market. From the initial blonde beauty model, it gradually evolved into various appearances, with various ethnicities and body types.

Although the distributor had also launched male models to meet the needs of women, the developed models were far less popular than the female androids.

Until one day, a female android murdered her master.

Discussions about mechanical safety suddenly became rampant. What caused the robot to attack humans?

Should robots be given emotional systems? People suddenly seemed to see the fear of robots ruling humans.

As such, the H-130 humanoid robot was completely discontinued, and a large number of already sold and warehouse inventory were completely destroyed.

Except for a few individuals that circulated on the black market due to their outstanding appearance and excellent performance, the H-130 type robot was basically no longer seen on the market and had disappeared.

Inside the Monster Research Institute, the lights were dim, and the surroundings were filled with messy mechanical equipment and experimental equipment.

A deep gray metal transport box was placed on an old long table, the exterior covered with “Dangerous Goods” warning signs.

Xia Yupeng used a utility knife to cut open the seal neatly, handling it as skillfully as if he were unpacking some ordinary package.

“Um, boss, is this really okay?” Delta stood next to the box, looking hesitant.

He was wrapped in a black trench coat that was obviously washed white, his hands in his pockets, and he took a small step back. “I heard that this guy is the model that killed people back then.

If we press the wrong thing, we’re the ones who die.”

“A robot is just a robot.” Xia Yupeng didn’t even look at him, using the utility knife in his hand to cut open the last seal.

“Their actions are all driven by programs.

If they really kill people, it can only mean that the program design is imperfect—the problem isn’t the machine, it’s the people.”

“Yeah, but if something really happens, it’s people who die, not programs.” Delta reminded him through gritted teeth, his eyes cautiously staring at the box.

He seemed like he couldn’t wait to turn around and leave immediately, but he didn’t dare.

“If you’re scared, just say it, Delta.” Xia Yupeng smiled slightly, casually putting the knife back in his pocket, and then lifted the top cover of the box. A golden-haired woman as perfect as a sculpture lay quietly inside.

She had flawless silicone skin, a face with elegant lines, and a cold and beautiful posture as if she were asleep, wearing a white miniskirt with fluorescent stripes and a technological feel.

A blue halo faintly emitted a soft glow on her chest.

“Use her? Or use you?” Xia Yupeng’s gaze swept over Delta, his eyes carrying a hint of provocation. “If you’re not comfortable, then you can replace her, how about it?”

“…No.” Delta paused, and replied stiffly, obviously not wanting to argue any further.

He recalled the research on the flame. Since it had been brought back to the research institute, the monster index emitted by the flame had actually dropped to the level of an ordinary person, but no matter what observation methods were used, the result was just an ordinary flame, except that when people touched it, it was said that they would see some different images, but they were always accompanied by violent results.

For this reason, Xia Yupeng thought of using the H-130 type robot, the closest thing to a human being in this world, to conduct experiments.

Robot Activation:

“Then stop talking nonsense.” Xia Yupeng turned his gaze back to the box and pressed the power button located on the robot.

The robot lying in the box slowly opened her eyes, her pupils were ruby red, flashing with a cold light, as if carrying some kind of strange life force.

Her movements were very light, with almost no extra mechanical sound, and the joints moved as smoothly as a real person.

The robot sat up, looked around, and then opened her mouth, her voice cold and mechanical: “Hello, esteemed customer, I am the H-130 type robot from Tianyu Technology Group Tianmeng Robotics Technology Co., Ltd. Next, please complete the identity verification according to my instructions, first—”

“Shut up.” Xia Yupeng interrupted impatiently, took out a simple remote control from his pocket, and pointed it at the blue halo on her chest.

He pressed a red button on the remote control, and a code containing a prepared program was instantly transmitted to the robot system.

The H-130’s originally smooth movements suddenly froze, and the red light in her eyes flickered a few times, like some kind of overload reaction. Delta immediately took a step back, his heart pounding: “Boss, is she okay?”

“It’s just a normal program update, don’t make a fuss.” Xia Yupeng’s tone was still calm, but his eyes were also fixed on her.

A few seconds later, the H-130’s movements resumed, she raised her head, and the ruby-like pupils slightly contracted, her gaze swept over Xia Yupeng, and she looked down to check the state of the blue halo on her chest.

Then, she stood up straight, her movements were a bit smoother than before.

“Identity verification has been skipped, the system has been restarted.”

Her voice sounded a bit softer than before, but it had a subtle emotional fluctuation in it. “Please, who is my new master?”

“It’s me.” Xia Yupeng smiled, took a step forward, and patted her shoulder without hesitation. “First, call me Boss.”

“Understood.” She replied, her tone still mechanical, “Boss.”

Delta’s Unease and Hidden Dangers:

“Boss… are you sure she won’t lose control?” Delta asked in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of unease.

“Don’t worry, the program has been changed, she won’t do anything beyond our instructions.” Xia Yupeng waved his hand seemingly casually, but his fingers were tightly holding the remote control, as if he was ready to press the second button at any time.

The robot H-130 didn’t speak, she was expressionless like a puppet: “Please issue mission instructions, Boss.”

“Come with me first.”

They walked into a wide and gloomy laboratory. The air was filled with the smell of metal and oil, and in the center of the room, a huge fireball was suspended in a transparent glass chamber, emitting a blazing light.

The flames cast distorted shadows on the walls of the chamber, dancing as if they were alive.

“Now turn on, the emotional simulation system.”

It wasn’t that Xia Yupeng didn’t need emotions, on the contrary, that was the key.

Only things with emotions could cause a reaction from the flame, and then he could begin to experiment and explore.

So he wanted to know if the emotional system of the robot in front of him could work on the flame.

“So, Boss, what do you want me to do now?”

“I need you to touch this fireball.”

H-130 turned her head to look at the burning fireball, the ruby pupils reflected the light of the dancing flames.

Her body stiffened slightly, as if this command had triggered some unknown program within her.

After a brief silence, her expression finally changed—a complex emotion mixed with relief and sadness, quietly appeared on her perfect face.

“Okay,” she replied softly, her tone carrying some incomprehensible low tone, “I will serve you.”

Her expression had a hint of unwillingness, but a robot wouldn’t violate human orders.

Xia Yupeng didn’t interrupt, quietly observing her reaction.

At that moment, he didn’t hide the curiosity and excitement in his eyes, as if the one standing in front of him wasn’t a robot, but some experimental subject on the verge of awakening.

“Will you become a human, or will you become a monster?”

Xia Yupeng unconsciously thought of the bomber monster that was shattered by Red.

What a crazy idea, was that monster also made like this? Would a robot with emotions also become a monster like a machine?

At this time, the appearance of Ma Guohao suddenly appeared in his mind—half-human, half-machine.

A smile couldn’t help but appear at the corner of his mouth.

A machine-like person, a human-like machine, I wonder which is more taboo.

He was looking forward to it.