As dawn broke, sunlight poured in through the window, casting its rays on the curtain and filtering through the delicate lace, projecting intricate patterns onto Elaine Chen's face.

The interplay of light and shadow created a mysterious totem-like effect, with one half bathed in light and the other in shadow. It was this piercing sunlight that woke Elaine Chen from her slumber.

Irritated, she opened her eyes, and in that instant, a flash of blue light crossed her vision. Just as she was about to move, the sound of her phone ringing interrupted her.

Picking it up, she saw that it was already 10 a.m., and Luther had sent her numerous messages which she hadn't answered. Hence, he was calling her now.

Chen frowned.This man was getting too presumptuous.

She had initially played along to see what tricks he had up his sleeve, but now he seemed to have taken her tolerance for interest. Did he really think she was oblivious to his true nature?

Nevertheless, considering her next steps, Elaine Chen curbed her impatience and answered the call.

As soon as she did, Luther's voice came through, "Elaine, are you up? Hurry and get some breakfast. I've sent some over; you just need to heat it. I have a surprise for you later."

Elaine Chen murmured a soft acknowledgment, trying to keep her voice from sounding too cold, and then hung up. She went downstairs and glanced at the breakfast Luther had prepared. It was indeed meticulous, consisting of all her favorite foods. But the thought of Luther soured her appetite.

Still, she had to admit, he was quite adept at wooing women. How many naive girls had fallen for his tricks, ending up as his victims? Elaine Chen sighed inwardly at the thought.

While she was lost in thought, a knock sounded at the door. The housemaid hurried to open it and in walked Luther, holding a large bouquet and dressed in a crisp white suit. He didn't forget to politely thank the maid as he entered.

Elaine Chen saw Luther and the two bodyguards standing outside the door. The bodyguards gestured, asking if they should throw him out. Elaine Chen shook her head slightly, curious to see what he was planning. The bodyguards then stood down.

Luther strode up to Elaine Chen, and when he was just a step away, he suddenly dropped to one knee.

Holding the bouquet, he gazed at her with deep affection and said, "Elaine, from the moment I first saw you, I fell hopelessly in love. My life would be incomplete without you. We've known each other long enough for you to understand the kind of person I am. Will you marry me and let me love you forever?" With that, he put down the flowers and produced a ring from his pocket.

Elaine Chen didn't speak. She simply regarded Luther with a faintly amused expression and took the ring to inspect it.

Not bad—it seemed genuine. He was willing to spend quite a bit, it seemed.

From Luther's perspective, Elaine Chen's gentle gaze and her picking up the ring seemed like she was eager and willing.

As he was about to rise and embrace her, Elaine Chen asked, "You say you love me. Just how much?" She tried on the ring—it fit perfectly. She held her hand up to the sunlight, watching the diamond reflect a spectrum of colors, and nodded approvingly.

Seeing her reaction, Luther patted his chest and continued warmly, "Elaine, I would go through hell and high water for you. Even if you asked me to die, I would do it in a heartbeat!"

Elaine Chen turned her gaze to the table where the breakfast lay, pointing at it, "Prove it to me. You don't have to die, just eat everything on that table."

Luther was taken aback. That seemed simple enough; the food looked like a lot, but eating it all wouldn't be too hard. It seemed Elaine Chen was giving him an easy out, providing herself a way to gracefully accept. Imagining her to be a lovesick woman, he couldn't help but smile smugly.

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He walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and prepared to eat. But as soon as he reached for the food, Elaine Chen stopped him and pointed at the plates, "I meant these plates. Eat them all, and I'll believe you love me."

What? This wasn't how he imagined it.

In his mind, Elaine Chen should be moved to tears, falling into his arms, crying out her acceptance. How had the situation taken such a bizarre turn? Was she testing him?

Luther laughed softly, "Elaine, don't joke around. Plates aren't meant for eating. Come on, don't be like this. I truly love you."

"I'm not joking. If you don't eat them, it means you don't love me. If you can't eat a few plates for the woman you love, how can you say you love me? And besides, you're right—plates aren't for eating, but you're not exactly human." With that, she called the bodyguards in.

She pointed to Luther and then to the plates, instructing the guards, "Make sure he eats these five plates. When I come downstairs later, I want to see them gone. If he hasn't finished, you two can eat them for him. Just don't leave any scars on his face; I still have use for him."

Luther tried to protest, but the bodyguards immediately began forcing the plates towards his mouth. Ignoring his shouts, Elaine Chen walked upstairs. Today had truly been nauseating—what kind of person proposes like that?

The bodyguards struggled for a long time, trying to force Luther to bite into the plates, but he resisted fiercely.

Finally, one of them had an idea to break the plates into pieces, grind them into powder or smaller bits, and then make Luther consume them.

Using this method, the bodyguards managed to get Luther to eat the equivalent of five plates by the time Elaine Chen came back downstairs.

When she saw Luther lying on the floor, bloodied and covered in dust, she silently asked with her eyes if he had eaten them all. When told he had, she was surprised. She had only expected him to maybe get through one plate, but five?

If he had eaten that many, he might burst. She instructed the bodyguards to make him vomit up the plates and then bring him back.

After they induced vomiting, Luther, still bloodied, was brought before her, now barely conscious but alive. His eyes were filled with terror when he looked at her, muttering, "I won’t, I won’t, I won’t do it again."

Elaine Chen handed back the ring, "It’s pretty. I know who sent you. Now, I need you to do some things for me, understand? Don’t worry, if you do well, I'll let you go."

Luther nodded frantically, willing to agree to anything to avoid another ordeal.

Elaine Chen had the guards take him away, telling them to keep him under watch until needed. With everything arranged, she headed to her company for she had important matters to attend to.

At the AI laboratory in Hu city, Choi Man excitedly entered Zhang’s office, waving a file. "I found it! These are Lam's previous partners. All the details are here," he said, handing the documents to Zhang.

Zhang glanced through the documents, pausing when he saw Elaine Chen's name. It seemed familiar, but he couldn't recall from where. After reading a bit more, he handed the file back to Choi Man.

"Good work, Choi. Reach out to them and try to establish a cooperation. The data we took from Lam needs to be monetized, or it's just a pile of paper. As businessmen, we follow the money. I'm sure we can offer them an attractive deal." Zhang's eyes darkened at the mention of Lam. He would find him eventually.

He looked up to see Choi Man waiting for further instructions. Pleased with her diligence, he said, "Offer better terms than Lam did. It's about mutual benefit. Go ahead." Choi Man nodded and left.

Elaine Chen stared at the traffic outside her office, deep in thought. According to It, more robots needed to be produced and integrated into society. But societal suspicion of robots was high. The only way to achieve widespread acceptance was through gradual, subtle influence.

Human society's initial reaction to new things was always wary and uncomfortable—a survival instinct honed over millennia. But once the newness wore off, acceptance would follow. The current task was to build the robots first.

As she pondered, her phone rang. The number was unfamiliar, but she answered anyway. Before she could speak, the caller said, "Hello, Ms. Chen? This is Choi Man from Hu city AI Lab. You collaborated with us before. Do you have time to discuss a potential partnership?"

Elaine Chen frowned, responding coldly, "Not interested," and hung up. But the phone rang again almost immediately. Annoyed, she declined the call, but it persisted until she answered it, barely containing her anger.

"What do you want?" she snapped. Choi Man, sensing the irritation, quickly explained, "You worked with us when Dr. Lam was here. Though he’s gone, we still have all the technology. We’d like to continue our collaboration. We can discuss terms; our lab’s capabilities speak for themselves."

Elaine Chen, uninterested, bluntly replied, "I only worked with you because of Lam. Without him, your lab means nothing to me. There are plenty of good labs. I don't need yours."

After saying this, Elaine Chen added a warning, telling Choi Man not to call again or she would report her to the police. Then, she hung up, leaving Choi Man on the other end of the line, stunned and confused.