Chapter 44: Assembly

"Fair enough."

Zhao Peng nodded thoughtfully. After a pause, he thumped his chest and said with a determined look, "Given your relentless drive and the way you bury yourself in research, if you actually develop this guide dog and make it commercially viable, I’ll be the first one to pay for your product!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, the gazes of the other roommates instantly converged on him.

Zhao Peng knew exactly what they were thinking. He gave a light cough and explained slowly, "I have a relative who became blind later in life. If the Fourth's guide dog really works, it might help her pull herself out of depression."

"Besides, I suspect that if it's truly effective, there will be plenty of people on the market willing to pay for it. Of course, that’s assuming the price isn't outrageous."

Just then, the third roommate chimed in out of nowhere, "Oh, ho! That’s not what you were saying before!"

Zhao Peng’s face reddened at the remark. He scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly, "I was just worried that the Fourth was taking too big a step too soon. If he rushes, he might end up with nothing to show for his hard work—or worse, 'pulling a muscle' in the process!"

...

A week flew by in the blink of an eye.

All the parts ordered online had arrived.

Inside Li Ping’an’s private workshop at the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubation Base, various components were laid out in an orderly fashion across the massive desk—everything from state-of-the-art smartphone chips representing the pinnacle of current technology down to the smallest screws.

Reflecting on the initial design, he had originally focused on PC-grade chips in pursuit of raw computing power, thinking that higher speeds would allow the guide dog to process information more quickly. However, practical difficulties piled up. While PC-grade chips offered greater power, they were also "energy hogs" with high consumption rates. This placed near-impossible demands on the power supply system, requiring high-capacity, high-output batteries. Not only did this send costs skyrocketing, but it severely limited the guide dog’s battery life.

In contrast, the latest smartphone chips provided more than enough processing power and GPU capabilities while consuming far less energy, making them the clear optimal choice for the current build.

Looking at the components arranged in sequence before him, Li Ping’an took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Referencing the blueprints he had long since committed to memory, his hands moved like nimble butterflies as he began the assembly step by step.

Outside the door, the others, knowing Li Ping’an was hard at work, seemed to have reached a silent understanding. The usual boisterous laughter and loud debates were gone. Everyone spoke in hushed tones, terrified of disturbing the focus within.

The two finance interns, Zhang Ting and Qu Fei, were the most relaxed of the group, having little to do most of the time.

Qu Fei, brimming with curiosity and unable to suppress his doubts, leaned over to Zhang Ting and whispered, "Zhang Ting, what do you think the boss is tinkering with in there? It’s so mysterious, like he’s hiding a treasure."

Zhang Ting was contentedly sipping a bubble tea. Hearing this, she took a slow, deliberate sip, swallowed a chewy pearl, and rolled her eyes at Qu Fei.

"Do you know why my grandfather is still in such good health at over eighty?" she retorted testily.

Qu Fei was baffled by the sudden question and asked blankly, "Why?"

Zhang Ting rolled her eyes again and said dismissively, "Because he doesn't ask 'why.'"

"Some things are better left unasked." She set down her milk tea and continued in a flat tone, "Look, Qu Fei, have you already forgotten about the situation with Sun Yutong? In two days, we'll be saying goodbye to our university and the company. Whatever mysterious research the boss is doing, what does it have to do with us? We’re just passing through."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it rippled through the room like a stone dropped in a calm pond, and all their colleagues heard her clearly.

It was true; by all logic, they had already received their internship certificates and had no obligation to keep "clocking in" at the office. But the company's benefits were too good to walk away from—free fruit, regular team meals, and a relaxed atmosphere. More importantly, the boss hadn't been assigning many tasks lately, and everyone was happy to enjoy the leisure. So, even knowing the end was near, they remained drawn to this final "cradle of comfort," showing up on time every day.

By evening, as the glow of the setting sun spilled across the windowsill like gold dust, the group stood up one by one, packed their things, and left together, careful not to disturb the boss, who hadn't stepped out of his workshop all afternoon.

Inside the room, Li Ping’an remained immersed in a world of code and machinery, focused on debugging the guide dog’s software. He stared intently at the computer screen, his fingertips dancing across the keyboard—sometimes frowning in thought, other times inputting commands with lightning speed—completely oblivious to the passage of time.

When he finally finished debugging, Li Ping’an let out a long sigh, only then realizing it was already ten o'clock at night.

At the same moment, his stomach let out a hungry growl. Only then did he remember he hadn't eaten dinner.

He ordered some takeout, stood up slowly, and stretched his stiff back until his bones cracked. He packed his computer bag, locked the door carefully, and dragged his exhausted body toward the dormitory.

As for the experiment, he would just continue tomorrow. Otherwise, if he returned too late, the dormitory manager would start asking questions.

Walking along the quiet path back to the dorm, the evening breeze brushed against his face. Only then did Li Ping’an have the leisure to take out his phone, open WeChat, and check the mountain of messages.

His gaze swept over them and suddenly stopped. "Huh? The preliminary exterior design for the office building is already out?"

Seeing the message from Wan Xia informing him that the blueprints had been sent to his email, Li Ping’an replied: "Got it. I just finished up and saw the message. I’ll check them when I get back to the dorm."

He hit send, and with visions of the office building’s exterior in his mind, he quickened his pace.

Back at the dorm, Zhao Peng and the others had returned from the library and were already in their pajamas, having clearly finished washing up.

Li Ping’an put down his computer and opened his email to download the files. However, the dormitory’s internet speed—less than 1 megabyte per second—was a far cry from the high-speed connection at the incubation base.

He used this gap in time to wash up. By the time he returned, the download was complete.

Li Ping’an quickly opened the professional software. As the interface slowly loaded, a panoramic view of an imposing and exquisitely designed office building gradually revealed itself. The lines were fluid, the layout was rational and orderly, and the details showcased remarkable ingenuity, with the plans for natural lighting and ventilation clear at a glance.

Li Ping’an couldn't help but admire it, thinking to himself: *This Wan Xia really knows her stuff!*

Although he couldn't know yet if the final construction and renovation would perfectly replicate the stunning effect of the images, even just looking at the blueprints, he could already imagine its majestic presence once completed. If it could be realized as planned, it would surely be a breathtaking landmark for the entire region.

However...

Li Ping’an opened WeChat and replied: "I’ve seen the blueprints. They’re quite good, but they could be refined further. It would be even better if there were a small garden on the top floor."