Chapter Nine: The Second Master

“Lulu, you don’t actually believe that Xiao Yurou, do you?”

After leaving the cosmetic surgery clinic, two men surrounded Chen Lu with concerned faces.

Chen Lu stifled her impatience. “What else am I supposed to do?”

They say that if you keep trying long enough, you’ll get what you want; both of these men liked Chen Lu, but neither could offer her material support or emotional value. To Chen Lu, that made them utterly useless.

It was only because she needed people to back her up today that she had called them over.

One was a fitness instructor, the other an ordinary office worker.

The fitness instructor, Zhou Kai, had been the most aggressive when trashing the clinic’s front desk, and he was also the one who got into a fight with Ye Qiu. The two men disliked each other so much that when Zhou Kai and Ye Qiu started to scuffle, Feng Ming didn’t even consider stepping in.

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring a few more people over tomorrow,” Zhou Kai said with a vicious look. “We have boxing coaches at my gym who’ve won national titles. I’ll get one to come and teach that kid a lesson.”

Chen Lu’s eyes lit up. “Zhou Kai, when it comes down to it, I can always count on you.”

That statement made Zhou Kai puff up with pride.

Feng Ming sneered contemptuously. “Lulu, don’t listen to him. He’s all brawn and no brains. No matter how tough those boxing coaches are, do you really think they can beat Liu Yiran?”

Chen Lu nodded. “You might have a point.”

“That’s why I’ll hire a lawyer when the time comes. Even if the doctor fixes your nose, we’ll say she botched it,” Feng Ming said greedily. “Liu Yiran is loaded—any settlement will be at least a few hundred thousand. If we can squeeze some money out of her, it’ll be well worth it.”

The greed in Chen Lu’s eyes gleamed even brighter. “Feng Ming, you really are clever.”

Still, she didn’t forget to toss a compliment Zhou Kai’s way. “Zhou Kai, you’re impressive too. Once we get the money, we’ll split it evenly.”

There is no such thing as eternal sincerity; only interests are everlasting.

Chen Lu understood that better than anyone.

“She’s a big CEO—she must have a whole team of lawyers. If we do this, won’t she retaliate?” Chen Lu shot a sidelong glance at Zhou Kai. For someone with such a burly appearance, he certainly was timid—much less gutsy than Feng Ming.

Seeing Chen Lu’s dissatisfied look at Zhou Kai, Feng Ming seized the opportunity to mock him. “All muscle, no brain. If Liu Yiran does retaliate, even better. All we need to do is play the victims and the public will rush to support us. Lulu, you could even use the attention to become an internet celebrity. That pays even more.”

Feng Ming’s eyes sparkled with excitement, as if he’d just discovered a golden opportunity. Compared to just getting Chen Lu a reconstructive surgery, making her go viral was clearly the better plan.

If Chen Lu became a cash cow, he could profit, too.

With money, what kind of woman couldn’t he find?

“Lulu, let me be your manager and I guarantee you’ll ride this wave to fame.”

…

“Stupid Leaf, you’ve talked such a big game—what’s the plan now? I’ll leave my hundred pounds or so to your mercy.”

Liu Yiran…

What a wild thing to say.

At that moment, Yunya’s holographic projection appeared in Xiao Yurou’s office.

Xiao Yurou shot to her feet. “What’s this?”

“Hello, second mistress. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Liu Yunya, and I am the master’s housekeeper.”

“I’ve heard that all the top tech companies are working on artificial intelligence, but I hadn’t expected you’d already succeeded. Well done, Stupid Leaf. Seems you’ve done pretty well for yourself these past ten years.”

“Wait, why am I the second mistress? Where did the ‘second’ come from?” Xiao Yurou glared at Yunya, dissatisfied. “Explain yourself—why am I the second mistress? And why is your name Liu Yunya instead of Xiao Yunya?”

“Come on, second sister, are you really jealous over this? Maybe our little brother just said it offhand.”

Although Liu Yiran said this lightly, inside she was delighted.

Just as Xiao Yurou was starting to suspect something, Yunya’s sweet voice chimed in again, “Master, confirmation is required for commands. I still remember when you named me—you deliberated for a long time. It wasn’t a random choice.”

Hmph.

Xiao Yurou was stunned again.

This AI was almost too smart.

It cared about its name like a child, and even had a bit of a temper.

Hmm?

“Stupid Leaf, so in your heart, I’m still not as important as the eldest sister who gave you eggs.” Xiao Yurou sighed, her expression dim. “So I can’t even compete with an egg.”

“Yunya, compare all nasal reconstruction surgeries with Chen Lu’s case and find the optimal solution. Then print molds for my second sister to practice on. She’s not allowed to rest until you think her work is up to standard.”

“What? Stupid Leaf, are you putting me through an initiation ritual first?”

“I’m going to be here for a long time, so there’s no rush for a welcome dinner.” Ye Qiu glared fiercely at Xiao Yurou. “Start practicing now.”

“Stupid Leaf.” Xiao Yurou wasn’t the least bit afraid, staring him down. “You’ve grown bold, daring to talk to your second sister like that.”

She twisted Ye Qiu’s ear as she spoke.

The formidable underworld boss of Xing City, being scolded and having his ear twisted by a woman—and not daring to protest. If the underworld saw this, their jaws would surely drop.

Yunya watched all this with wide, curious eyes, her expression a mix of curiosity and confusion. She understood human emotions somewhat, but the relationships between Ye Qiu and the others were still a mystery to her.

They weren’t related by blood, yet upon hearing of their troubles, Ye Qiu had rushed back without hesitation and had willingly shared the most advanced technology with Liu Yiran. Even after scouring all available data across the world, Yunya couldn’t find any reference point for this kind of bond. She was deeply curious and felt that human emotions were far more complex than anything in her database.

“Second sister, let go. Don’t I get any dignity?”

“Dignity, my foot.”

“Would you like to have a housekeeper like this?”

Even as she tugged on his ear, Xiao Yurou’s tone softened as she looked longingly at Ye Qiu. “Would you really give me something so valuable? I’m so touched.”

Yunya’s voice cut in coldly, “Second mistress, I believe the master just plans to give you a replica.”

Xiao Yurou looked at Yunya, puzzled. “What’s a replica?”

With a tone almost reminiscent of human disdain, Yunya replied, “It’s just an AI with no intelligence.”

“But it can be trained.”

Ye Qiu cast a sidelong glance at Liu Yunya, then hurried to explain, “Training is key. Every AI develops a personality similar to its trainer’s, depending on who raises it.”