Collapse Iron: The Five Heroes of the Clouds Won't Let Me Go

After being tricked by the Black Tower once, Cheng Xiao was truly afraid of them and decided to avoid them.

Although Heita said he didn't do it on purpose, Cheng Xiao didn't believe him.

You geniuses are just using me as a guinea pig!

Seeing that Cheng Xiao was about to leave, Screw Gumu's electronic eyes flashed a few times.

He then placed his hand on his chest and gave a slight nod to the officials surrounding him.

"Excuse me, it seems I must take my leave. Please enjoy yourselves."

Screw Gumme displayed impeccable manners, inspiring admiration and longing in the women.

Some officials, relying on their positions, tried to cause trouble, but were given a cold warning by Screw Gum.

"Excuse me, I need to see a friend. This is one of my top priorities. Please do not stop me, otherwise we will have to renegotiate part of the contracts with the Market Development Department of Screwstar."

No one dared to provoke Screw Gum anymore.

Screws then gracefully left, casually picking up a glass of red wine from the waiter's tray.

"Mr. Cheng Xiao, could you please wait for me?"

He ignored it.

Screw Gum couldn't help but chuckle:

"Is it something about Ms. Black Tower that's bothering you?"

"Wow! So you actually knew that!"

Cheng Xiao finally turned to look at Luo Sigumu, his tone barbed.

"Hehehe, after all, this is the only topic that geniuses can discuss. But for Mr. Cheng Xiao, this little trouble shouldn't be a problem for you."

"Am I just supposed to suffer? And how dare the Black Tower ignore me!"

"Haha, that's just Ms. Black Tower's personality. But it doesn't matter. If you go to her for compensation later, she certainly won't refuse."

Cheng Xiao's brows relaxed.

"Then I should ask for more compensation for emotional distress."

"Of course. If you're still not satisfied, I can personally offer some compensation. For example, the [Gundam] you've been longing for, I can make one especially for you."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiao's temper vanished instantly.

"Screw Gum, you truly are my dearest friend, my brother!"

Screw Gum: "The face-changing part."

As an intelligent machine, Screwgoom naturally doesn't drink alcohol.

He held a wine glass in his hand, swirling the fine red wine with exquisite precision.

Once the color and aroma of the wine began to fill the air, Luosigumu handed it to Chengxiao.

"Please. A drink will help us get started."

Cheng Xiao took the wine and drank it all in one gulp, completely disregarding the method and taste of drinking red wine.

It doesn't matter how he drinks; he can't handle these things. He either drinks tea or strong liquor.

Although he doesn't drink alcohol, Sluggum naturally understands the art of wine tasting.

Drinking so rudely is very impolite.

But what can you do when Cheng Xiao is his friend?

Then drink however you like, Screw Gum isn't a stingy person.

Now that we've had our drinks, it's time to get down to business.

Cheng Xiao asked the first question:

"How could they possibly invite you to a party like this? Look at all those people trying to curry favor with you, they're all looking this way at us."

Screw Gum chuckled softly:

"Mr. Cheng Xiao's image has been circulating within the company for a while now, and those who didn't notice it earlier have spotted you now."

"It was you who led them here."

Screw Gum bowed slightly to express his apology.

"The host of this gathering is Ms. Zhenzhu. She comes from the planet Screw and is one of the creations of the Star Difference Engine. She shares the same origin as me, so naturally we have a close relationship."

"I see."

After thinking it over for a while, Cheng Xiao realized something was wrong.

"Then why did you invite me here?"

"Hehe, that's naturally a good thing."

Sure enough, Zhenzhu, the star of the banquet, walked towards Cheng Xiao and the others.

She strolled gracefully, her hands clasped together on her lower abdomen, exuding the elegance of a Yamato Nadeshiko.

When she approached the two of them, Zhenzhu bowed slightly, demonstrating impeccable manners.

"Mr. Screw Gum, and... Mr. Cheng Xiao, I've long admired your names."

Cheng Xiao scratched his head awkwardly: "Hello, hello... um, is there something you need?"

Screw Gum explained:

"Ms. Pearl is the creation of the problem of 'art' in the Difference Engine, but the word 'art' originates from a sentient being, and for a newly born android, understanding art is an abstract problem."

"Over the years, Ms. Zhenzhu has joined the Strategic Investment Department at the invitation of the company. She has made a name for herself and quickly gained the appreciation of senior management. She has also developed her own understanding of art."

"But there are still some shortcomings. Recently, she seems to have hit a bottleneck, so I would like to ask Cheng Xiao if you can help her."

When Luo Sigumu explained his purpose, Cheng Xiao immediately expressed his resistance.

"No, that sounds like too much trouble."

"Um... Mr. Cheng Xiao's refusal is indeed decisive. Perhaps you could reconsider?"

Cheng Xiao waved his hand:

"Screw, you know my family situation. You want me to bring a female android back with me? What do you think my family will think?"

"...Online teaching is possible."

"That would be even worse. If I were misunderstood as having an ambiguous relationship with a strange woman online, I would be finished."

Screw Gum fell silent.

"Mr. Cheng Xiao, why don't you just explain it to your family?"

"Never mind all that, it's out of the question."

"I see now, Cheng Xiao, you're still throwing a tantrum, aren't you?"

"no."

Screwgoom sighed:

"How about this? Besides Gundam, I can also fulfill three of your whimsical ideas. If it's within my capabilities, I'll prioritize serving you. How about that?"

"Oh dear... well..."

As the two were arguing, Zhenzhu interjected:

"One hundred million. If Mr. Cheng Xiao is willing to help me break through my bottleneck and further understand art, I am willing to pay one hundred million credits as a reward."

Cheng Xiao and Luo Sigu both looked at Zhenzhu with strange expressions.

Zhenzhu misunderstood, thinking that there wasn't enough money.

"One billion. Would one billion be enough to get you out of retirement?"

"It's not about the money..."

"Five billion. This is all the credits in my personal account. If it's still not enough to pay the tuition, I can apply for more funds from my superiors."

Cheng Xiao couldn't help but laugh, and Luo Sigumu waved his hand and said:

"Ms. Zhenzhu, you don't need to pay any fees. Mr. Chengxiao has already agreed."

"?"

A look of confusion appeared on Zhenzhu Sanwu's face, blank yet adorable.

"Agree? But Mr. Cheng Xiao has never uttered a single word about it..."

Screw Gum chuckled softly:

"This is a kind of art in the world, called 'human sentiment'. Mr. Cheng Xiao seemed to decline several times, but his eyes had already told me the answer."

Cheng Xiao also laughed:

"Yes, actually I was about to agree, but I was just haggling with this guy, Screw."

Zhenzhu didn't understand; all she knew was how to calculate data and distribute benefits, choosing the optimal and most cost-effective solution.

This absolute rationality made her unparalleled at work, but she had no friends in the workplace.

Indeed, there is still much to learn.