Over the past two years, Luo Hang would only return to the imperial capital headquarters if he needed to report his work to the chairman or attend critical corporate meetings. The rest of the time, he had remained in Rongcheng to work.

Luo Hang had purchased a factory in the suburbs of Rongcheng, converting it into a fully automated production line for Qihang gaming capsules, and established an intelligent research and development center nearby.

This location was far away from the imperial capital, making it difficult for corporate spies to infiltrate. Furthermore, the South China region boasted the country’s largest component processing plants, making their raw material procurement significantly cheaper and faster.

The car drove onto the highway, and after about half an hour, it arrived at the factory Qihang had established in Rongcheng. Standing adjacent to it was a five-story building bearing the words “Experimental Center.”

Xie Yunfan stopped in his tracks and said, “Let’s take a look at the factory while we’re here. I’d like to understand your automated production line.”

Luo Hang nodded and led him into the neighboring factory.

The factory manager immediately hurried forward to greet them. “CEO Luo, what brings you here today?”

Luo Hang replied, “I’m just bringing Director Xie around for a look. Go on and attend to your duties.”

The manager tactfully excused himself, leaving Luo Hang to leisurely guide Xie Yunfan through the factory.

The manufacturing plant was massive. The automated production line required no manual labor; intelligent robots seamlessly spliced and assembled various components according to pre-programmed routines.

Countless silver-white precision instruments operated systematically in accordance with their code.

One workshop connected smoothly to the next—spanning component assembly, circuit routing, and structural joining—ultimately churning out fully formed, high-tech gaming capsules one after another.

The sight left Xie Yunfan thoroughly awed. Standing on the second-floor walkway and looking down at the precision equipment beneath him, he remarked with deep emotion, “You must have poured an astronomical sum into building this automated production line.”

Luo Hang replied, “Mm. Just building this production line alone cost over a billion yuan.”

Xie Yunfan looked at him with profound admiration. “You really spared no expense.”

Luo Hang offered a subtle smile. “Intelligent manufacturing drastically minimizes errors caused by human hands. The defect and repair rate of our Qihang gaming capsules is the lowest in the world.”

He paused, locking eyes with Xie Yunfan as he added softly, “Since I’ve chosen to do it, I want to do it perfectly.”

Xie Yunfan nodded in heartfelt agreement.

Doing it perfectly—his professional philosophy aligned flawlessly with Luo Hang’s. Both of them possessed an almost obsessive-compulsive drive in their careers, constantly pushing themselves to evolve and never settling for mediocre or half-baked results.

Xie Yunfan asked curiously, “How many gaming capsules can this production line deliver each month?”

Luo Hang replied, “Around 100,000 units. For now, that satisfies the sales demand of the South China region. However, as holographic games grow increasingly popular, the sales volume of gaming capsules will bound to surge further.”

He pointed out the window toward an empty plot of land nearby. “See that vacant space over there? I plan to increase our production investment in a few years to construct an additional line, boosting our capsule manufacturing capacity.”

Xie Yunfan glanced at the distant clearing, then turned back to look at him. “You’re remarkably forward-thinking.”

Luo Hang countered, “Aren’t you the same?”

The heavy, rhythmic hum of machinery reverberated around them. In the exact moment their gazes locked, the two burst into a spontaneous smile—to be able to march forward shoulder-to-shoulder with a partner like this, wasn’t it a profound stroke of mutual good fortune?

Xie Yunfan possessed a genuinely striking smile.

Luo Hang’s heart skipped a subtle beat. He swiftly retracted his gaze, clearing his throat as he murmured, “Let’s go. Head over to the experimental center; the staff is already waiting for us.”

The two turned and made their way to the adjacent five-story building.

This structure was Qihang’s dedicated gaming capsule laboratory, where countless engineers calibrated variables like the capsules’ sensory feedback systems and internal ambient temperatures.

Luo Hang and Xie Yunfan went straight to the top floor. A young AI engineer stepped up to receive them, speaking with warm enthusiasm, “CEO Luo, Director Xie, everything on my end is prepared. Shall we begin the voiceprint collection now?”

Luo Hang: “Mm, let’s begin.”

The two were guided into a completely soundproofed, sealed room. It was even more professional than a high-end recording studio, entirely devoid of any ambient noise.

As Xie Yunfan stepped up to the designated recording position, the engineer instructed, “Director Xie, a series of characters and phrases will appear on the display screen before you. Please speak them as clearly as possible in your natural voice, and we will capture your vocal samples.”

Xie Yunfan nodded. “Alright.”

Common everyday sentences surfaced on the screen, and Xie Yunfan read them aloud in a casual cadence.

Modern voiceprint capture technology was exceptionally advanced. The intelligent doll constructed using his voice samples would mimic his pitch, cadence, and speaking tone with stunning accuracy, sounding almost as if he were personally present by one’s side.

This type of companionship doll was incredibly well-suited to serve as physical merchandise. If executed beautifully, its sales figures could easily rival classic collectible gaming figurines.

The voiceprint recording process went incredibly smoothly, wrapping up in under ten minutes.

When Xie Yunfan emerged from the lab, Luo Hang stepped out from the adjacent room at the same time and asked, “Would you like to tour the other laboratories, or shall we head back directly?”

Xie Yunfan had no other pressing work scheduled, so he replied, “Since it’s a rare visit, guide me around for a bit.”

Qihang’s experimental center was partitioned into numerous departments, and he followed Luo Hang to browse through them casually. Inside one particular laboratory, several staff members were actively eating, with the tables entirely laden with an assortment of gourmet delicacies.

Xie Yunfan couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity, “It’s already three-thirty in the afternoon. Are they just now eating lunch?”

Luo Hang smiled. “No, they’re conducting an experiment.”

Xie Yunfan immediately pieced it together. “This is… the Gustatory Laboratory?”

Luo Hang nodded. “During New Year’s Eve, didn’t you mention that you wished the taste system in holographic games could be more refined, allowing players to sample the distinct flavors of different foods? After returning, I had the engineers re-engineer the gustatory feedback loop. They are currently exploring methods to map real-world taste experiences directly into a digital environment.”

Xie Yunfan: “…”

He truly hadn’t expected that a casual remark he threw out over New Year’s dinner would be taken so deeply to heart by Luo Hang, let alone that he would fund an active laboratory experiment for it so quickly. Re-engineering a taste system undoubtedly demanded a colossal financial investment, didn’t it?

Xie Yunfan cast a highly complex look at Luo Hang, thoroughly moved by the man’s absolute decisiveness and sheer boldness. Yet, as he looked over, he realized Luo Hang was already staring directly back at him.

With their eyes locked, Xie Yunfan asked on impulse, “What are you staring at me for?”

Luo Hang smiled gently. “Whatever words you speak, I will always hold them close to my heart.”

Xie Yunfan instinctively replied, “I will do the same.”

For some inexplicable reason, a sudden jolt pulsed through their chests, and the tips of their ears grew slightly warm. “Whatever you say, I will hold it close to my heart.” Logically speaking, it was merely an assurance that they would handle their collaborative work with absolute diligence. Yet, staring into each other’s eyes while delivering those words caused both of their heartbeats to stall for a sudden, breathless second.

With absolute tacit understanding, the two simultaneously averted their eyes.

Xie Yunfan cleared his throat softly. “Let’s not disturb their experiment. Let’s head back first.”

“Alright.” Luo Hang turned cleanly to lead the way downstairs. “Let’s go.”

Luo Hang drove Xie Yunfan back toward the studio, and they grabbed dinner together at a restaurant near the office park along the way.

On the return drive, Xie Yunfan asked out of care, “How has your sleep schedule been lately? Is it regular?”

Luo Hang replied, “Exactly as you instructed. I crawl into bed before eleven-thirty every night, fling my phone to the side, close my eyes, and force myself to sleep. Surprisingly, I’ve actually been able to drift off quite easily.”

Xie Yunfan nodded with deep satisfaction. “Excellent. Keep maintaining that rhythm.”

Luo Hang noted, “Regrettably, without someone actively nagging me at my bedside, it always feels as though something subtle is lacking.”

Xie Yunfan turned his head to look at him.

Luo Hang joked, “Fortunately, I’ll have the intelligent AI from now on.”

Xie Yunfan offered generously, “Mm, I registered my voiceprint today. From now on, you can let my AI doll nag you to sleep in my stead, ensuring you cement a healthy habit of sleeping and waking early.”

The two conversed with casual ease, completely oblivious to the fact that their dialogue carried a distinctly ambiguous, intimate undertone.

…

Over the ensuing days, Luo Hang continued to press his technical team to break through the technical barriers separating mobile devices and holographic game data synchronization, while Xie Yunfan supervised his working groups to continuously polish the structural design of the game.

The AI dolls Luo Hang commissioned were fully constructed within a single week.

On this particular day, Luo Hang arrived at the Building A offices carrying a small box, handing it over to Xie Yunfan. “This one was generated using my voiceprint data. I brought it over for you to test out.”

Xie Yunfan opened the box to reveal a palm-sized doll clad in a pristine tailored suit and tie. It bore a striking resemblance to Luo Hang, looking like an adorable, shrunken-down miniature version of the man.

Curious, Xie Yunfan pressed the power button, and the AI doll solemnly spoke, “Hello. I am Little Luo Hang. It is my absolute pleasure to be of service to you.”

Hearing Luo Hang’s exact voice speak those lines caused Xie Yunfan to break into a light chuckle. He gently poked the doll’s head and asked, “Can it connect to smart devices?”

Little Luo Hang responded: “Scanning for compatible smart devices… Smart curtains detected, smart speakers detected, smart tea brewer detected… Would you like to execute a one-tap connection?”

Xie Yunfan looked toward Luo Hang. “A one-tap connection? This feature is remarkably convenient.”

Luo Hang explained, “Mm, the built-in operating system for this batch of AI dolls was upgraded, allowing them to function as a universal control hub for smart home appliances.”

Xie Yunfan synchronized the doll to his office devices and commanded, “Little Luo Hang, draw the curtains for me.”

Little Luo Hang: “Understood.”

The voice was absolutely identical to Luo Hang’s, carrying a highly pleasant depth.

Xie Yunfan then asked, “Where is the doll modeled after me?”

Luo Hang pulled another doll from his coat pocket, placing it gently into Xie Yunfan’s open palm. “This one was molded after your blueprint. Personally, I find this one to be slightly more endearing.”

Xie Yunfan was caught between amusement and dismay. “Did you seriously just stuff it raw into your pocket?”

Luo Hang replied casually, “I unboxed it earlier, so I had no choice but to slip it into my pocket to bring it over for you to examine.”

Xie Yunfan found himself staring wide-eyed at the miniature version of himself resting in his palm. Truth be told… the likeness was uncannily accurate!

However, swapping intelligent mini-dolls of each other like this… felt a bit unusual, didn’t it?

Then again, using a doll that spoke in one’s own voice would be downright bizarre. Hearing one’s own voice suddenly echo in the dead of night would probably startle a person half to death. Using someone else’s voice was far more palatable.

With this thought, Xie Yunfan pushed aside the faint, anomalous flutter in his chest and said, “Then we’ll test them out for a while to see if there are any areas requiring improvement or any underlying system bugs.”

Luo Hang’s smile deepened. “Alright.”

Saying that, he naturally reached out and took the doll from Yunfan’s hand.

The single, absolute one-of-a-kind Xie Yunfan version smart doll was now nestled safely in his possession, an exclusive limited edition with zero duplicates. Looking down at the miniature Xie Yunfan resting in his hand, Luo Hang felt an immediate wave of profound joy wash over him.

That very evening, upon returning home, Luo Hang immediately began conversing with “Little Yunfan.”

While a premium, advanced intelligent AI could respond with absolute fluency, it still paled considerably in comparison to interacting with the living person. Certain nuanced topics couldn’t hit the mark, yielding basic, surface-level responses that could easily be scraped off the internet.

No matter how advanced the AI was, it could never replicate the profound depth of Xie Yunfan’s actual cognition. Yunfan himself was an irreplaceable, singular existence that no algorithm could ever hope to substitute.

Ultimately, the most critical aspect of this companionship doll lay in its vocal delivery. Because the voiceprint had been personally captured from Xie Yunfan, the doll’s voice and cadence were flawlessly identical, providing an immense sense of psychological comfort to the listener.

For instance, at bedtime, he could have Yunfan tell him a story.

Luo Hang spoke with thick-skinned shamelessness, “Yunfan, tell me a story.”

Xie Yunfan’s voice began to weave a narrative, gently soothing Luo Hang to sleep: “A long, long time ago, deep within a dense forest, there lived a big bad wolf…”

These stories were all pre-loaded baseline data from the core database.

Listening to Xie Yunfan’s voice spinning a sleep-inducing tale, Luo Hang closed his eyes in high spirits. Within minutes, as the story wound to a close, he drifted off smoothly into a peaceful slumber.

Awaking the next morning, Luo Hang felt thoroughly refreshed. Looking at the “Miniature Xie Yunfan” resting on his nightstand, he smiled gently, lightly patting the smart doll’s head. “Good morning.”

The Little Sailboat responded: “Good morning. There are exactly thirty minutes left before your official working hours; you need to hurry. As the boss, you shouldn’t set a precedent for being tardy. Remember to eat breakfast.”

Luo Hang couldn’t contain his amusement. “Understood.”

This specific phrasing and tone were flawlessly identical to how Yunfan had actively “supervised” his habits over the Spring Festival holiday.

The personality matrix of the intelligent AI had truly achieved its purpose. Molded directly after Xie Yunfan’s profile, its dialogue patterns and conversational tics actively mimicked the man himself. Waking up every single day to hear Xie Yunfan’s voice listing out reminders added a massive layer of color and joy to his daily routine.

Xie Yunfan arrived early to work. The moment he stepped through his office door and spotted the miniature version of Luo Hang resting on his desk, his lips curved into an automatic smile as he greeted, “Little Luo, morning.”

Luo Hang’s voice queried, “Arriving so early for work? Would you like me to brew a cup of tea for you?”

Xie Yunfan replied, “Thank you.”

The adjacent connected smart tea brewer automatically boiled the water and meticulously steeped a cup of his favorite hot tea.

Passing by the office, Shen Xingye and Ning Sha caught the exchange and froze, staring at one another in sheer bewilderment.

What on earth was going on? Why was CEO Luo’s voice echoing from inside the office first thing in the morning?

“Did you sleep well last night?” Luo Hang’s voice inquired from within.

“Not bad. My sleep schedule has been exceptionally regular lately.” Xie Yunfan took a sip of his tea, chuckling as he noted, “I’ve realized your voice is genuinely pleasant to listen to; it’s just a shame you’re usually far too solemn in person.”

“Is that so?” Luo Hang’s voice responded. “In the future, I will make an effort to be less solemn.”

“Can you sing?” Xie Yunfan asked.

“Naturally. You can request any track, and I will perform it for you.”

“Let me think about it.”

Xie Yunfan was chatting away with the intelligent AI in high spirits. Meanwhile, Ning Sha and Shen Xingye stood entirely rooted outside the door, expressions of absolute shock painted across their faces.

With flawless unspoken agreement, the two took several silent steps backward, swiftly clearing out of the office’s sensory perimeter. It wasn’t until they turned the corridor corner that Shen Xingye whispered in a hushed tone, “Shasha… don’t you think the dynamic between the two of them is looking a little… ambiguous?”

Ning Sha muttered blankly, “No wonder our boss suddenly wanted to produce a romance game. Is he actually in the middle of a romance himself?”

“Ahem, could the two CEOs actually be dating?”

“We constantly see them arriving at work together, and the staff across both companies know they share an incredibly close bond. It’s just that no one ever dared to let their thoughts drift in that direction before.” Ning Sha paused, then added lower, “We’d best pretend to be completely oblivious regarding the boss’s private affairs.”

“Mm. Let’s wait until CEO Luo leaves before heading in to consult the boss. Let’s not interrupt them right now.”

The two girls waited patiently at the corner of the corridor. Yet, after waiting for what felt like an eternity, why hadn’t CEO Luo emerged from the office yet? Just what on earth were the two of them doing in there for so long…

As the two exchanged worried glances, a crisp set of footsteps suddenly echoed from the hall. Xie Yunfan strolled around the corner, stopping in surprise as he spotted the two girls standing like rigid pillars in the middle of the hallway. “What are you two doing out here?”

Ning Sha blurted out in a panic, “Boss! The official concepts for the character illustrations are complete; I brought them over for you to review.”

Shen Xingye chimed in quickly, “The narrative outlines for the main and branching storylines are also fully drafted…”

Xie Yunfan asked, “Then why didn’t you come inside the office to find me?”

The two girls exchanged a glance, utterly tongue-tied.

Xie Yunfan chuckled, turning back around. “Let’s go, let’s talk inside the office.”

With nervous, fluttering hearts, the two followed Xie Yunfan back into the room, only to discover that CEO Luo was nowhere to be seen. Had CEO Luo exited through a secondary private door?

As their minds whirled with questions, they heard Xie Yunfan speak with absolute fluidity, “Little Luo Hang, pour two cups of tea for our guests. Also, draw the curtains.”

Luo Hang’s voice emanated crisp and clear from the desktop: “Understood.”

Ning Sha and Shen Xingye simultaneously whipped their heads toward the executive desk, only to lock eyes with a miniature, palm-sized version of CEO Luo.

The two: “…”

Xie Yunfan introduced with casual ease, “This is an AI doll. CEO Luo built the model using his own voiceprint data, and I’m currently test-driving it. In the future, once our Otome game hits the market, we can roll out high-tech physical merchandise just like this for our four male leads.”

So the voice they had overheard earlier had actually originated entirely from this tiny doll.

Boss… you truly possess an absolute steel trap of a business mind! To think you’ve already mapped out the pipeline for physical merchandise this early in development!

But did you never once stop to consider that keeping a miniature AI version of CEO Luo directly by your side—letting him accompany you throughout your workday and chat with you continuously—is incredibly easy to make anyone jump to the wrong conclusions?!