55: Chapter 55: What kind of garbage is the hydraulic circuit? (Layout robot)

Lu Li dared to bring 18 out, naturally because he had the confidence to do so.

This machine was the pinnacle of his previous life's era of technological explosion, a full eighteen years ahead of the current era.

The so-called "feel" was worthless in the face of absolute data.

18 did not rely on metaphysics; it relied on the bionic lens integrated into its eyes, which featured optical zoom and macro scanning, as well as micro-servo motors that corrected themselves thousands of times per second.

This was a ruthless crushing of artisan experience by industrial civilization.

A dimensional reduction strike.

Lu Li did not explain the principles; he just looked calmly at the group of technicians around him, who seemed to have had their souls sucked out.

Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo still maintained his posture of staring at the screen, his mouth slightly agape, looking as comical as a child who had just seen a UFO.

"Now," Lu Li's voice was not loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the deathly silent workshop, "am I qualified to guide the work?"

Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo snapped back to reality abruptly.

After all, he was an old hand who had worked in technology his entire life; after a brief loss of composure, a near-greedy fanaticism instantly erupted in his eyes.

That look was like a wolf that had been starving for three days seeing a piece of top-quality pork belly.

"Yes! You absolutely are!"

Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo was so excited he was incoherent, rushing to Lu Li in two steps. He wanted to shake hands but felt his hands were covered in oil, so he awkwardly wiped them on his work clothes:

"Chief Engineer Lu! President Su! Please, come in! Please, come inside!"

His gaze was glued to 18 and couldn't be torn away; that fiery look made Lu Li frown slightly.

A companion Robot—not to mention the cost—in Lu Li's definition, belonged to the category of extremely personal items.

Just like a toothbrush.

There was absolutely no possibility of sharing it with others.

"Lead the way."

Lu Li shifted his body nonchalantly, blocking Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo's line of sight toward 18, "And by the way, tell me about those projects you messed up before."

Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo gave a sheepish laugh and hurriedly led the way in front of this excessively young "Chief Engineer."

"Actually, two years ago, Elder Su wanted to enter the Robot track."

As he walked, Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo pointed to several discarded models in the distance that were covered by canvas, his tone bitter:

"Back then, we were ambitious and wanted to build bipedal ones. But as you can see, the motor torque wasn't enough, and the attitude algorithm was a complete mess. Let alone walking, it couldn't even stand steadily. In the end, we had to change it to a three-wheeled structure, and it couldn't even perform slightly complex gripping actions."

Lu Li listened and nodded slightly.

Elder Su's business sense was indeed sharp; betting on Robots two years ago was absolutely top-tier foresight in 2015.

Unfortunately, it was limited by the hardware shackles of the era.

Su Qingxue, walking half a step behind Lu Li, was somewhat distracted at this moment.

Her beautiful eyes never left Lu Li's profile.

Was this the same salted-fish husband she saw at home... the one who would only curl up in a gaming chair and shout "Wifey, I'm hungry"?

At this moment, Lu Li, walking in this factory filled with the smell of oil and the roar of metal, seemed like a monarch inspecting his own territory.

He didn't need to shout, nor did he need to wear a suit and tie.

Just by casually pointing out a few parameters, he could make that usually arrogant Chief Engineer bow and scrape, treating him like a god.

Su Qingxue's heart rate accelerated uncontrollably.

A thought, extremely absurd yet real, grew wildly in her mind:

Could it be that for the past two years, he hadn't been playing games, but was secretly controlling top-tier global scientific research projects through some kind of network channel?

Otherwise, how could one explain the sudden transformation of 18?

Su Qingxue remembered very clearly that when she first saw it in the gaming room that day, although its movements were fluid, they absolutely did not have the hair-raising "divinity" they had today.

That was precision that transcended the limits of humanity.

Was catching the wine glass last night a coincidence? Was crafting aerospace-grade precision by hand today also a coincidence?

The more Su Qingxue thought about it, the more alarmed she felt.

She looked at that tall, straight back in front of her—the man she thought she had long seen through—but now, he seemed shrouded in a thick layer of fog again.

Mysterious, dangerous, and yet damnably charming.

"My god..."

Chen Shuyu, who was nearby, muttered a sentence, interrupting Su Qingxue's train of thought.

This newly appointed CEO was currently holding a folder with a look of despair.

She had originally thought her job was just to be a mascot and watch over the place for her best friend.

Who could have guessed that Lu Li was serious!

Judging by this posture, this wasn't just coming to give guidance; it was clearly a plan to rebuild Su Precision Machinery from the skin to the bones!

"Qingxue," Chen Shuyu leaned into Su Qingxue's ear, her voice trembling, "I think my good days are over. Your husband isn't going to make me memorize those machine tool parameters, is he?"

Su Qingxue ignored her best friend's wailing; her attention was entirely on the blueprint Lu Li had just been looking at.

"Is this a drive shaft made for a Robot?" Lu Li tossed a blueprint back onto the table, his tone so flat it was almost cold, "Hydraulic transmission? It's 2017, not 2005."

Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo's old face flushed red: "Chief Engineer Lu, this is the most mature solution currently available, and Boston Dynamics is also..."

"They have taken the wrong path."

Lu Li interrupted directly, his tone brooking no doubt, "Hydraulics is a dead end—too noisy, difficult to maintain, and slow to respond. The future lies in electric drive."

He said it with absolute certainty.

Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo was stunned, and the several old technicians behind him were also stunned.

Denying Boston Dynamics?

This was like a village teacher denying Einstein's theory of relativity.

Right now, the ones at the forefront of Robots are Boston Dynamics!

Yet, these words came from the mouth of Lu Li, who had just displayed a miracle.

Lu Li did not explain further; the roadmap for Robot technology after 2026 was right in his head.

Hydraulic Robots were destined to be swept into the dustbin of history; that was a proven detour. In fact, a month later, Yusu would release a quadruped Robot.

"Where is the laboratory?" Lu Li did not want to waste breath on outdated technology.

"This way! This way!" Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo snapped out of it; even though he still had doubts in his heart, he didn't dare slow his pace by even half a step.

The group passed through the workshop and arrived at the constant-temperature and constant-humidity precision laboratory.

A coordinate measuring machine, industrial-grade 3D printers, high-precision sensor calibration benches...

Although the models were a bit old, they were extremely well maintained.

"The foundation is not bad."

Lu Li gave his first compliment of the day.

He took a thick stack of blueprints out of his briefcase—which was actually the bag he had 18 carry.

"Swish—"

The blueprints were spread out on the huge laboratory table.

Densely packed lines, complex geometric structures, and mechanical designs that seemed completely counterintuitive to Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo.

"This is..."

Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo put on his reading glasses and leaned in to look.

Just by looking at one corner, his pupils contracted violently.

As an expert, he could see the gold content of these blueprints.

This was definitely not some conceptual drawing; these were engineering drawings that could be directly sent to the factory for molding!

Every tolerance specification, every material model, was detailed to an outrageous degree.

"Chief Engineer Lu..." Chief Engineer Zhang Jianguo looked up, his voice dry, "This thing, if our factory goes all out, just to fully understand the technology will take at least three months. As for producing a finished product..."

"I only need the first-generation machine."

Lu Li tapped his finger on the blueprints; they were two completely different design plans.

"One is an industrial transport type, with a four-wheeled chassis; it doesn't need to be very intelligent, just durable, used to replace the transport workers in the factory."

"The other one..."

Lu Li's finger moved to another blueprint.

It was a small Robot only 1.2 meters tall, with a big-footed design that looked somewhat cute and clumsy.

"A companion type."

Lu Li looked at Su Qingxue, a subtle arc appearing at the corner of his mouth, "The main functions are chatting, nursing, and doing some simple housework."

Su Qingxue looked at that design drawing.

For some reason, she always felt that this squat little Robot had some kind of unspeakable connection to the cold and aloof 18 at home.

Is this the business he wants to do?

Turn that terrifying 18... into this kind of cute thing and sell it to the public?

"Lu Li."

Su Qingxue, who had been silent, finally spoke; her voice was cold and clear, yet carried a hint of inquiry that only Lu Li could understand.

"Do you really think that this kind of technology... can be mass-produced so easily?"

Lu Li turned his head to meet his wife's gaze.

He understood the worry in her eyes, and he also understood the deeply hidden admiration.

"Don't worry."

Lu Li reached out and, in front of everyone, gently tidied Su Qingxue's collar, his movements natural and intimate.

"The best technology is not a miracle that makes people look up in awe."

"It is something that, like water and electricity, blends into the ordinariness of life."

Su Qingxue was stunned.

The surrounding clamor seemed to fade away at this moment.

She looked at the man who was right in front of her, and her heart skipped a beat.

How does Lu Li even know about Robots? This isn't scientific.

However, the key question is, is he lying to me again?

Lu Li had obviously hidden more things.