Chapter 7
Early the next morning, Ye Xiyao cautiously went out.
When he encountered a neighbor at the elevator, he deliberately stepped aside to create some distance. However, he soon realized it was unnecessary, as his neighbor completely ignored his presence.
Ye Xiyao still felt uneasy and kept his head down until he exited the subway, finally feeling relieved.
Great, he was back to his old state.
No one noticed his dog-eared hairstyle, and no one discovered his unusual eye color.
Most importantly, he was sure that he could no longer smell the “scent” of humans.
Ye Xiyao successfully arrived at the headquarters of Qiaoshou Technology.
He thought everything was heading in a positive direction.
The person who led Ye Xiyao into the office was named Chen Xue, who should not be the HR who interviewed him over the phone. Chen Xue couldn’t even pronounce Ye Xiyao’s name correctly; he kept calling him “Ye Xiao.”
But Ye Xiyao was already used to being called the wrong name, so he didn’t correct him.
Chen Xue chatted briefly with Ye Xiyao, expressing mild surprise upon hearing that Ye Xiyao had just graduated from his undergraduate studies: “Then you must have some exceptional qualities!”
Ye Xiyao honestly shook his head: “Not really.”
At least for this job, he truly didn’t have any exceptional qualities.
Chen Xue didn’t care what he said and simply replied, “No need to be modest; your department has a high recruitment threshold. Being able to get in means you must be a very outstanding talent.”
Ye Xiyao remained silent.
High threshold?
He had only chatted for less than ten minutes over the phone…
He probably just took advantage of the temporary shortage of staff in the position!
Chen Xue introduced him to various aspects of the company as they walked, while Ye Xiyao contributed little to the conversation, mostly responding with “uh-huh,” “okay,” and “thank you.”
But even if he said something, Chen Xue likely wouldn’t pay attention.
Ye Xiyao was already accustomed to this way of interacting with others.
They arrived at an office building in Area C, and Chen Xue swiped his card for him but had no intention of accompanying Ye Xiyao upstairs: “This building is the technology center. You need permission to go to each floor. Even passing through, I have to leave a record; it’s too troublesome. You can go up yourself; the product experience department is on the 8th floor. When you get there, just look for Team Leader Qiao—”
He paused, “Oh, you don’t need to look for him, either.”
Ye Xiyao was curious: “Why?”
“He doesn’t like it when people have nothing to do,” Chen Xue explained, “When you get there, just stand around doing nothing, playing with your phone. I bet he’ll show up within two minutes. Like an NPC.”
“Ha ha.”
Ye Xiyao thought Chen Xue was exaggerating, so he laughed along.
Until two minutes later.
He arrived on the 8th floor and exited the elevator.
Qiaoshou Technology, Product Experience Department—
“Qin Zai! Help me record this; the XT092 model’s smart pet tail is leaking electricity! Damn it, can the idiots in the technical department actually put something like this on the market?! Aren’t they afraid of getting sued by customers?”
“If I remember correctly, the product requirements for the XT092 already included an electric feature.”
“Huh? It’s a smart pet! Why does it need to be electrified?!”
“Because over 70% of users suggested we make a version of the smart pet that looks like Pikachu during user research.”
“……”
“Is it possible that what they meant was for the appearance to look like Pikachu, not the attack capability?!”
“Alright, I’ve made a note of it. Remove the electric feature from XT092 Pikachu. Do you have anything else to say? If not, please don’t disturb me; I’m currently testing the home security robot with Xu Xingyang… uh, wait a minute… no, it seems it thinks I’m a thief… Damn it, Xu Xingyang, come help me; it’s tied me up! Why does this artificial intelligence come with handcuffs?!”
In the midst of this chaos, Ye Xiyao cautiously walked in and lightly knocked on the glass door.
No one acknowledged him.
But he remembered Chen Xue’s words, so he obediently walked to the break area and sat down on the couch.
Before Ye Xiyao could reach for his phone, a man rushed up to him like the wind.
After sizing Ye Xiyao up from head to toe, the man said, “You have nothing to do, right? Perfect, come with me!”
Ye Xiyao replied, “I…”
Come where?
He was still preparing to introduce himself when the man quickly placed a pair of AR glasses on the bridge of his nose. The fastening gear clipped behind his head, and the man said with satisfaction, “Great! Just right! I can’t wear this model because it gives me a headache; I can’t immerse myself in it. You’ll be the one to test this product! Oh right, what’s your name?”
Ye Xiyao didn’t expect to start working so soon. He adjusted the glasses seriously and said, “Ye Xiyao.”
“Ye Xiao? Oh, a newcomer… Okay, I got it. I’m Qiao Linchuan, the group leader of the Product Experience Department; you can call me Qiao Ge. Today is a busy day, so let’s postpone the newcomer welcome ceremony until lunch.”
Qiao Linchuan seemed very busy, holding a tablet in his left hand and a folder in his right. He briefly explained the situation to Ye Xiyao, “Our department mainly experiences various products from the company. Sounds simple, right? Well, it is simple. However, we need to experience all kinds of products from Qiaoshou Technology, from complex items like aircraft and simulation robots to simple ones like social networking apps. You may need to test and provide feedback on all of these. So, as a tester, it’s best to have knowledge in different fields and technologies…”
Qiao Linchuan interrupted himself, “Ah, I’ve said too much; let’s skip that for now. Since the boss approved your arrival, you must have some exceptional qualities.”
Ye Xiyao listened calmly, saying nothing.
Being told he had exceptional qualities again, he was almost used to it by now.
But what did “the boss approved your arrival” mean?
Did his resume really get filtered by the boss personally?
Before Ye Xiyao could figure anything out, he heard Qiao Linchuan quickly explain the general usage of the glasses.
These AR glasses were a derivative product based on Qiaoshou Technology’s popular holographic gaming pod from the last quarter, focusing on portability and enabling users to experience virtual imaging anytime, anywhere. Once worn, they create an interactive experience between the virtual and real worlds, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.
After the introduction, Qiao Linchuan began to assign tasks to Ye Xiyao: “Our company has been actively developing technology in recent years while also pursuing innovation. Since there are no market precedents, everything relies on exploration, and sometimes new products may have unexpected ‘quirky functions’…”
He swallowed back the word “stupid” and changed it to “quirky functions.” “If you encounter anything you can’t handle, just shout for help loudly.”
Ye Xiyao looked at him, “Shout for… help?”
Qiao Linchuan laughed, “Haha, I’m just kidding.”
Ye Xiyao: “…”
It didn’t seem like a joke at all!
Qiao Linchuan continued, “I’ve already downloaded two games inside. If you’re feeling brave, you can try the horror game first; it’s more stimulating and can better expose the product’s strengths and weaknesses. For an immersive experience, I suggest you go into that empty office, close the door, and don’t let our voices disturb you.”
Qiao Linchuan pointed him in the right direction, saying, “That room was originally prepared for the department manager, but since the new leader hasn’t come in, the office is still empty. You can wreak havoc in there, as long as you don’t break anything.”
Ye Xiyao nodded, committing what he said to memory. He was about to ask how to proceed when Qiao Linchuan, genuinely busy, was interrupted by someone calling him. He hurried off, leaving Ye Xiyao with just one last piece of advice: “Just think of yourself as the first user. Record your experience accurately, and don’t hold back on any evaluations—just try not to use any foul language; our company has rules, and cursing costs 20 bucks per word. I almost had to pay out of pocket for my salary last month.”
Ye Xiyao softly responded, “Okay…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Qiao Linchuan had already disappeared.
It seemed this department really lacked personnel, as he was immediately put to work upon entering.
But Ye Xiyao also quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Because he was more afraid of all his colleagues surrounding him to hear his self-introduction.
Anyway, even if he introduced himself, they probably wouldn’t remember.
However, having low presence had its advantages.
Just like how neither Chen Xue nor Qiao Linchuan seemed to notice Ye Xiyao’s self-trimmed, dog-eared hairstyle.
Hehe.
He grabbed a handful of his messy hair and, following Qiao Linchuan’s instructions, walked into the empty office.
After all, he was new to the company and not yet familiar with the environment. Using the leader’s office for product testing made him a bit nervous, so he didn’t go inside.
He casually closed the door and stood at the entrance, taking out the product manual that Qiao Linchuan had given him earlier. After studying it for a while, he adjusted the glasses’ parameters according to the steps, and Ye Xiyao carefully put on the accompanying sensors.
He was about to begin his first work task.
The two games that Qiao Linchuan mentioned were both internal test versions of holographic games from Qiaoshou Technology. Following Qiao Linchuan’s instructions, Ye Xiyao opened the horror game first.
Three seconds later, he abruptly took off the glasses, his face pale as he looked around—thankfully, there was nothing there.
So the horde of zombies that had surrounded him just now was indeed just part of the game.
But it felt too real!
Those zombies looked as fresh as if they had just run out of the morgue, completely different from the computer games Ye Xiyao had played before. The sensors were also incredibly responsive; he even felt like he had touched one zombie’s intestines!
No, no.
He couldn’t last a minute playing this.
Ye Xiyao shivered and quickly closed the horror game.
The other dating game was evidently much gentler; the first interface was about customizing the character’s face.
Ye Xiyao felt this was better. Although it was still augmented reality, at least he could create how the character looked, which was more acceptable to him.
When Ye Xiyao raised his hand, he could use gestures to capture and manipulate the screen. The buttons on the interface felt almost tangible, providing a good user experience.
While he marveled at how mature the technology behind this product was, he clicked “Start.”
[Please create your ideal partner based on the steps]
The following screen was slightly eerie.
Standing before Ye Xiyao was a default character, and “he” had an unremarkable physique and facial structure—a handsome guy with no distinct features. Swiping right revealed a female character, also a beauty with no particular traits.
However.
It felt too real, so real that it was as if a living person was standing in front of Ye Xiyao.
And “he” and “she” were both gazing directly at Ye Xiyao.
In real life, Ye Xiyao had rarely been looked at this way; although he knew these were game characters, he instinctively stepped back, feeling nervous.
Surprisingly, the characters didn’t move back with him but stood their ground, continuing to look at him and smiling, waiting for Ye Xiyao to customize their faces.
Once Ye Xiyao got over the initial awkwardness, he finally prepared himself mentally:
This is just a game; although it feels very real, it’s still fake.
He started to customize the face.
The system allowed him to fill in various parameters, including gender, height, age, body type, appearance, and clothing style. The character would undergo significant changes based on Ye Xiyao’s settings.
He felt like he was a modern-day Nuwa (the goddess who created humanity in Chinese mythology).
But obviously, Ye Xiyao’s skills as a “Nuwa” were lacking.
The first “ideal partner” he created was frankly hard to look at, not even as good-looking as the system’s original face.
Ye Xiyao reverted to the default data and started again.
But suddenly, his mind went blank, and his eyes blinked in confusion behind the glasses.
What was his ideal partner supposed to look like?
He had no concept of that at all.
Ye Xiyao had lived a simple and desire-free life for the past twenty years, diligently managing the troubles caused by his incubus nature. He had never dared to think about finding a partner, so naturally, he had no so-called “ideal type.”
Although he knew this was just a product experience for AR glasses, being asked to create his own romantic partner made him feel a bit lost.
However, to test the imaging technology, he couldn’t skip this step.
He decided to find a reference for himself.
At that moment, a certain silhouette flashed through his mind.
Ye Xiyao, the modern-day Nuwa, got into the groove!
With a wave of his hand, the game character instantly transformed—
A tall man, standing at 1.9 meters with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs, appeared before him.
This physique was almost a perfect replica of the “patrolling police officer” he had glimpsed that night at the convenience store.
Ye Xiyao felt a sense of satisfaction with his restoration ability.
However, the system’s default facial structure did not match well with the physique he had created.
After thinking for a moment, Ye Xiyao figured that such a silhouette turning around couldn’t possibly have a delicate or cute face, so he decided to make it…
Cooler.
Yes, deep-set eyes, serious black pupils, a high nose bridge, and thin lips.
Ye Xiyao focused intently on crafting the features for quite a while.
But when he looked up, he found that the character’s face had not changed.
It seemed there was a problem.
Ye Xiyao tried several times, only to find himself stuck at this step no matter what. After multiple attempts, the glasses suddenly emitted a “beep beep” sound, and then the game character vanished.
Ye Xiyao immediately pulled out the feedback form that Qiao Linchuan had given him and wrote down: [There was a screen crash during the character customization process.]
To leave a good impression on his future colleagues and superiors, Ye Xiyao wrote each character with great care. After finishing, he admired his work, ensuring his handwriting was neat and tidy before looking up.
Then he saw a person standing in front of him.
Ye Xiyao jumped in surprise, instinctively rubbing his eyes and realizing he still hadn’t taken off the AR glasses.
After a moment, he exhaled and quickly accepted the sudden appearance of the “man” before him—this had to be the game character he had just created, only it had taken a minute to load.
So he looked down and diligently wrote another note on the feedback form: [The character loading delay was too significant, and there was a noticeable shift in gaze tracking.]
When he looked up again, he noticed the character had moved a step closer to him.
But this time, he didn’t step back.
Perhaps he had grown accustomed to the virtual imaging effect; Ye Xiyao stood his ground and carefully examined the “ideal partner” he had crafted. He let out a soft “Wow.”
This 1.9-meter-tall man with broad shoulders and a slim waist was almost exactly as he had imagined.
No, it was even more real and specific than he had envisioned!
Unconsciously, Ye Xiyao reached out his hand, his fingertips gently touching the character’s brow.
Oh my, the sensation was so real it sent chills down his spine.
Ye Xiyao even began to doubt whether this was a real person.
Come to think of it, over the years, he had rarely engaged in physical contact with anyone.
Especially reaching out like this—it was probably his first time.
As an incubus, Ye Xiyao had initially learned to suppress his instincts and hide his desires, remaining indifferent to everything and everyone, whether he liked them or not.
In his youth, he distanced himself from others out of fear that he might lose control of his instincts and harm those around him. As an adult, he maintained distance from people out of a subconscious resistance.
He seemed to want to prove, through this excessive self-restraint, that he could control his own body.
Ye Xiyao had almost forgotten what it felt like to touch a human body.
He never imagined that one day he would regain that warmth through a holographic game’s sensory chip.
And because this was just a game, Ye Xiyao didn’t have to hold back. After the initial touch, he didn’t immediately withdraw his hand; instead, he lightly stroked it, savoring the authentic sensation.
Ye Xiyao thought, I’m doing this for work; it’s to deeply experience this product.
He ran his fingers from the character’s brow to the ear, even gently pinching the character’s earlobe, softly sighing, “The texture is so nice. If I had money, I’d definitely buy you home.”
Playing this game every night would probably be more fun than chatting with Ye Laoshi!
Suddenly, the game character frowned.
It seemed a bit displeased with his overly intimate touch.
Ye Xiyao found it extremely amusing that this game character could even provide timely emotional feedback!
However, it seemed he hadn’t selected any clothing when he was customizing the face, yet the character before him was automatically dressed in an outfit.
A black shirt and suit pants.
What a boring combination.
The police uniform from that night would have suited this physique much better.
Ye Xiyao reached out and swiped right, wanting to change the character’s outfit.
…Hmm? No change?
The screen froze again.
He sighed; it seemed that besides the imaging effect, this glasses had issues all over.
Ye Xiyao lowered his head and wrote in the notebook: [The character’s clothing is too monotonous; I suggest adding uniform options.]
Strangely, as he was writing, the “character” in front of him also lowered its head to glance at what he was writing.
Ye Xiyao instinctively hid the notebook.
Although he knew this wasn’t a real person, he still felt a bit embarrassed.
It was like being caught badmouthing someone to their face.
After putting down the notebook, Ye Xiyao couldn’t find a prompt for “next step,” but he wasn’t in a hurry to proceed.
Although the shirt was a bit dull, the character’s impressive physique—thanks to the parameters Ye Xiyao had meticulously crafted—made the unremarkable outfit look quite good.
He admired it for a moment, then suddenly remembered that while entering the data earlier, he had specifically added a line for “six-pack abs.”
Trusting in the technology of Qiaoshou Technology, Ye Xiyao decided to make a new attempt—
Let this newly minted product tester verify whether this guy really had six-pack abs.
If not, that would be a major bug!
Ye Xiyao rolled up his sleeves and, thinking no one would notice, quietly pinched the edge of the shirt with two fingers to sneak a peek.
There really were!
Such perfect abs—oh no, what a realistic presentation.
Ye Xiyao was now fully immersed in the game, pressing his palm against the character’s clearly defined muscles.
He felt a wave of warmth.
“The body temperature is even replicated,” Ye Xiyao marveled again, “You really do feel like a person.”
Opposite him: “…”
Ye Xiyao didn’t immediately withdraw his hand. Instead, under the pretext of “testing sensitivity,” he poked the character’s hip line.
But going lower… he didn’t dare.
Although he knew it was just a game character, he couldn’t help but feel shy.
The most amazing thing was that as Ye Xiyao boldly and freely touched the character, the character’s body became increasingly stiff and tense, as if its breathing had become heavier.
Haha, these details are so interesting!
Ye Xiyao decided that once he made some money, he would definitely buy a pair of these glasses and sensors to take home!
Thinking of the giant dinosaur plush toy at home that would never respond to him, Ye Xiyao had a thought and asked the romantic game partner he had crafted, “Can you speak?”
The character’s sharp eyebrows slightly narrowed, but it didn’t speak.
Ye Xiyao felt a bit disappointed and muttered while recording in his notebook:
“The real-time interaction feature is missing, character voice pack is absent, and dialogue information capture isn’t smart enough.”
The next moment, a low, hoarse voice came from above, laced with a hint of gritted-teeth laughter, asking him, “What would you like me to say?”
Seriously speaking, the moment he heard that voice, Ye Xiyao’s whole body seemed to tremble as if electrified.
He quickly looked up and gave a thumbs up to the character, saying, “This voice pack sounds great.”
Opposite him: “…”
Just then, a figure rushed to the office door, and Qiao Linchuan’s anxious voice rang out:
“Oh no, oh no, I forgot to let the newcomer in—”
Upon seeing the scene inside, Qiao Linchuan’s voice abruptly stopped as if someone had choked him.
Ye Xiyao looked up in confusion, only to see Qiao Linchuan standing at the door with a shocked expression.
“Qiao Ge.”
Ye Xiyao greeted actively.
He was no longer as reserved as before, probably because he had just experienced the company’s product, feeling a sense of having integrated into the work environment. Thus, he felt relaxed now.
Ye Xiyao’s hand was still resting on the hard, hot abs, and he excitedly shared his initial product experience with Qiao Linchuan,
“This glasses’ imaging technology and sensing technology are amazing! The game character feels so real to touch, and the voice is really nice to hear. The only drawback is—”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Qiao Linchuan’s eyes went wide, and he barely resisted the urge to faint on the spot, quickly supporting himself against the door frame to interrupt him. “Xiao Ye, do you think it’s possible that the one you were touching is a real person?”
“……?”
Ye Xiyao’s smile instantly froze. He hadn’t yet processed what Qiao Linchuan meant before he reflexively tried to pull his hand back.
But he was a step too late.
His hand, unable to escape in time, was firmly grasped by someone, immobilized.
“Continue,”
Xing Shu’s eyes seemed to hold cold hooks as he leaned down, staring at Ye Xiyao with a smile devoid of warmth,
“What about me didn’t meet your expectations?”
——————–
Author Note:
Xing Shu <Defensive Version>: Just to clarify, I don’t really care, but I’m 192 cm with an eight-pack. I’m not defensive; I’m just stating facts. Not satisfactory? Haha, that’s hilarious! Why don’t you touch it again and see? I said I really don’t care, so where exactly are you dissatisfied?
