To be honest, Simon didn't quite understand why there was a pair of railway tracks in front of the school gate.
The distance wasn't short, but it wasn't long enough to necessitate taking a train. Wouldn't the campus bus be better?
Then, seeing the rows of scooters on the platforms on both sides of the railway, Simon understood: this was simply having too much money with nowhere to spend it.
However, along this railway, camphor trees and peach blossoms intertwined like brocade. When the peach blossoms bloomed, the leaves fell in a colorful shower. When new leaves sprouted, their emerald crowns resembled seals.
If one were to sit on a leisurely sightseeing train, gazing at the scenery outside the window, the playground and park lawns would flash in and out between the trees, with bright sunlight streaming through, broken into scattered gold by the branches and paved onto the old, moss-covered, damp cement platforms. To see such a view, perhaps, was the greatest poetry these tracks bestowed upon the teachers and students.
Rich and romantic, is this Ninghu Middle School? I love it, I love it!
At the terminal station, Simon and Su Xiangli parked their scooters at the collection point. The school buildings averaged five stories high, arranged in a grid pattern, quite large, looking like a small town. Rows of security patrol robots walked on the black asphalt roads.
The ground of this campus was out of place with the outside world. The streets and roads of Jiangzhe City were made of a light gray, new material, absorbent, heat-resistant, and cold-resistant, with pressure sensors. Electronic display screens were embedded at intervals, providing road information, and there were electric walkways on the sidewalks where one could stand and move.
But here, it was very "retro," exactly like roads from the turn of the century, but judging by the wear and tear, the construction time should not have exceeded thirty years, meaning the roads were laid in the 1950s.
To still see such old road sections after the 1970s was truly a breath of fresh air.
Many white civilian robots stood by the platform. The one at the very front actively walked over, "Hello, students. Are you visiting Ninghu Middle School or here for business?"
Simon looked up at the robot's head. Its panel displayed a friendly emoticon: (●'?'●)
You see, for robots, expressions are inherently meaningless, but they are exceptionally effective when dealing with humans.
Su Xiangli raised her hand to speak, "We are new students enrolling this year, here to see the campus in advance."
The robot waved its hand in welcome: (.＾▽＾) "I have already detected the electronic files of both students. First semester of the 2089-2090 academic year, Ninghu Middle School Junior High Department, 2089 Grade (1) Class, student ID 1018901 Simon, and fellow student of the same grade and class, student ID 1018911 Su Xiangli, is that correct?"
Simon and Su Xiangli nodded in unison. They couldn't let it be misunderstood; personal files were a very serious matter.
"Alright, please take a scooter and follow me."
Simon and Su Xiangli obediently went to the collection point to get their scooters. The robot walked quickly, and they rode behind him.
The robot ran very steadily, its upper body mostly stable, looking as if it were gliding. Its speech was also very steady, as it didn't need to breathe. "Ninghu Middle School covers a vast area, so during school hours, many students and teachers use scooters to get around. At most, over four thousand scooters travel on one road simultaneously, a spectacular sight.
The junior high department of this school has about six thousand students, and the senior high department has about ten thousand students. The school has two campuses; this is the junior high department, also known as Chunhua District, covering four hundred eighty hectares. The senior high department, also known as Qiushi District, covers two hundred thirty hectares…"
"Chunhua District has fifty-two student dormitories, standard one-bedroom, one-living room, single occupancy, with four people sharing a bathroom. Kitchens are not provided. Simon, your dormitory is arranged in room 612, position four, on the sixth floor of apartment forty-eight. Su Xiangli, your dormitory is arranged in room 401, position one, on the fourth floor of apartment twelve."
Simon asked, "Can I inquire about roommate information?"
The robot gently refused, "I apologize, according to the 'Personal Privacy Law,' artificial intelligence is not authorized to disclose citizens' personal information without their explicit permission."
Simon: "But this is a reasonable public information query."
The robot was silent for a moment, "Command received, command judgment… failed, command uploaded, awaiting approval."
Su Xiangli complained, "You scoundrel, you're really making unnecessary trouble. Now look, it uploaded the command, and you'll definitely get a mark on your record."
Simon said indifferently, "It's just normal speech, nothing will happen."
"Whether something will happen or not, look, this robot is stuck. You should talk less to AI in the future. You've raised so many AI pets, and weren't all of them talked into logical collapse and 'death' by you?"
Simon felt quite uncomfortable. Su Xiangli using the word "death" to describe AI's "errors" indeed put some moral and ethical pressure on him. He quickly changed the subject, "Ah, the past is too painful to recall, let's not talk about that. By the way, this winter break, do you want to go to Great-Grandfather's house with me again?"
Su Xiangli leaned on the long handle of her scooter, looking at Simon with her face tilted. Her expression always made his heart skip a beat.
"No—problem—but…" She lightly tapped her lower lip with a slender finger, as if saying, "Shhh—" But her eyes seemed to be playfully appraising a delightful matcha red bean cake.
Simon turned his head away, not wanting to step into Su Xiangli's trap.
"Ah, hmm…" Su Xiangli feigned grievance, "Will you listen to me, please? Don't look away from me."
The boy ignored her.
"Look at me, please. When I talk to you, you should look at me. Don't be so cold, okay?"
"Simon, you scoundrel, I'm sorry, okay?"
In a daze, Simon felt his eardrums pierced by a moon-white ribbon. Every word she spoke was like thin silver threads, stabbing into his brain, like being struck on the forehead with a chisel, making him see stars. All his flushed passion flew out from the top of his head, into a dark, false world.
He saw swans dancing on a star-dusted horizon; that was Su Xiangli striking him down with her imprint.
Simon turned back, quietly asking, "You said 'but' what?"
She covered her lips, but her voice still came through, "But, are you really that eager to take me to meet your family?"
The young man suddenly stood up from his scooter. The loss of balance made the vehicle wobble unsteadily, but he didn't panic. He shifted his feet slightly and immediately regained his balance, while the girl cried out, urging him to be careful.
Simon's face flushed red, "Don't talk nonsense! You've met my Great-Grandfather before; it's just a simple visit! And why are you acting so shy?! Hey, are you listening to me?!"
Su Xiangli burst into laughter, holding her stomach. As the sunlight streamed down from the gaps in the school's camel-colored buildings, casting large bright patches, she was bathed in it. Simon felt the light penetrate her flesh and bones, like a cloud of mist veiled in a rainbow halo.
Simon lowered his head and suddenly started laughing too.
Why?
Why a swan, Su Xiangli?
The guiding robot suddenly spoke, "It has been observed that both students are suspected of puppy love. Please mind your words and actions to avoid affecting campus order."
"Shut up!" × 2
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