Ziye had just woken up, hugging her quilt and staring blankly, when her comm suddenly chimed. She assumed it was hotel customer service and answered with sleepy eyes.

Three figures appeared on the screen: one man, one woman, and one little girl, resembling a family unit.

Ziye blinked, stunned.

Seeing the trio, she felt a strong sense of familiarity, yet she couldn’t place them. Did she know them?

Thinking hard, she couldn't help but cover her head and laugh.

The man was the W-series butler, the woman was the standard model required by H-series, and the little girl was the G-series child.

The G-series little girl smiled sweetly and brightly: "Mommy Ziye, we are G638, H0121, and W0922. We left at seven-thirty this morning and arrived at your hotel entrance at eight. Aren't we fast?" Ziye instantly sobered up and put on a stern face: "Don't call me Mommy!"

The three spoke in unison: "Yes, Ms. Ziye."

Ziye scrambled out of bed, ran a hand through her hair: "Wait for me, I’ll be right down."

Just as she was about to close the comm, she distinctly heard G638 whisper, "Why does Mommy Ziye look so ugly?" She froze for a moment, pretended not to hear, shut off the comm, tidied her appearance, and hurried downstairs to meet them.

—Even overly intelligent robots can cause trouble. Not only did they manage to get to the Galen Space Station on their own, but they even dared to mock her!

She had requested four robots, and although only three had arrived, she felt that this specific combination was far more impactful than four separate units.

Did this suggest a future sales direction? A robot family unit, visually similar yet distinct, would surely be very popular with small families.

Downstairs, the three didn't rush forward for a hug or any typical human greeting. Instead, they lined up and bowed in perfect synchronization: "Ms. Ziye. Greetings."

Ziye considered the situation: "Including H0121, I require five robots in total. Why have only three arrived?"

W0922 apologized: "Mr. Big Head said that market conditions are currently favorable, and all available samples are in use. Merchandise left on the shelves lacks long-distance travel capability, and he worried about potential incidents en route. If you require them, please contact him immediately via comm, and he will devise a solution." Ziye pondered for a while before sending a message to Big Head. She informed him the robots had been received but refrained from asking him to send the other two. After all, she only needed these for display, as mere publicity props. Two more or two fewer made little difference.

Besides, Stass still had a K-beauty on hand; she could use that one to fill the gap later.

Once the contract was signed, this order would be complete.

Ziye felt delighted and spent the entire morning wandering the space station with the three of them. Seeing the time approach noon, she returned to the hotel and simultaneously messaged Stass to bring his K-beauty over as well.

Stass had been very clear: this signing ceremony would be broadcast on Interstellar Television—the perfect opportunity to establish her name. Even if it was only for a brief minute or so, she needed adequate time to prepare and present herself in the best possible light.

The first priority was appearance.

Ziye asked, "What did you all bring?"

The robots retrieved their carried items from their small internal compartments; mostly clothing and accessories.

W0922 possessed the standard black and white butler uniform. He required little alteration; his lapel flower and white gloves were always affixed, maintaining a perpetually perfect appearance.

H0121 brought a moss-green gown, stately yet subtly elegant. G638 had an elaborate, multi-layered daffodil-yellow short dress, appearing charming and cute.

Ziye shook her head. She dialed Stass’s comm again: "Do you have any female military uniforms? Bring me two sets in standard size, and one for the male as well." Stass grumbled: "Hey, girl. Giving me orders requires a service fee." Despite his grumbling, he dutifully brought everything she requested.

Ziye, meanwhile, ran out herself to purchase cosmetics and application tools. Sample robots usually wore makeup for public displays, but she hadn't made this clear to Big Head, so they hadn't packed any tools for her.

Time was tight. She bought a set of tools at a luxury goods boutique in the station and rushed back, tasking H0121 to apply the makeup herself. Sample robots had this advantage: all necessary programming was complete. H0121, for instance, had a full makeup application subroutine, making her more professional than Ziye.

H0121 hadn't quite finished when Stass arrived, bringing the uniforms and the K-beauty.

Ziye looked at W0922, then the K-beauty, then H0121, and decisively concluded that the K-beauty was the undisputed queen. Against the backdrop of her red backless gown, the other robots seemed utterly insignificant.

Stass obviously noticed this too and threw his hands up in exasperation: "Ahhh, why did you make the K-beauty so stunning? My buddies are going to judge my taste!"

Ziye shot him a sidelong glance and instructed W0922: "Wash off the K-beauty’s makeup and change her into the military uniform."

W0922 inclined his head: "Yes, Ms. Ziye."

With her makeup removed, the K-beauty appeared less overtly seductive. Swapping into the military uniform further refined her entire demeanor, making it dignified. Stass rushed forward with heartache, embracing his K-beauty, his gaze so soft it seemed ready to melt. "This is the woman every man in our military dreams of, girl. I can't bear to part with her!"

Ziye kicked him away: "Scram."

After H0121 finished applying her makeup, she proved slightly superior when compared side-by-side with the K-beauty. This was exactly the effect Ziye desired.

She had W0922 change into the male military uniform. Standing next to the K-beauty, they looked exactly like a couple. She glanced left and right, telling W0922, "You should also refine your look slightly—make it appear more composed."

Stass looked somewhat surprised, settling onto the sofa to watch Ziye busy herself with relaxed amusement.

W0922 practiced a few times until Ziye was satisfied. She positioned him next to the K-beauty, placed G638 standing prominently in front of them, and asked Stass with a sense of accomplishment, "Don't they look like a family?" Stass nodded: "The effect is excellent, far exceeding my expectations."

"Oh yeah, finished!"

Ziye examined the robots critically: W0922 as the father, the K-beauty as the mother, and G638 as the daughter. G638 happened to share the same nose and facial structure as the K-beauty, making them look sufficiently similar to pass as a family. No one would doubt it.

As she watched, an idea sprouted: would marketing these robots in combination packages attract purchases from smaller families? If G638 also shared a slight resemblance to W0922, it would be even more perfect!

Ziye became convinced of its feasibility. She opened her comm, took a few photos from various angles, and sent them to that pervert: "Master, great biologist, the future of developing family robots is in your hands. Create a few combination samples and let Black Beard test the waters."

Stass drawled: "What about H0121?"

Ziye giggled: "We'll use the family unit for display. H0121 is yours to sell; you know what to do with it."

Seeing her happy smile, Stass wanted to pinch her cheek. Clever girls made cooperation so pleasant.

The signing ceremony was scheduled for two in the afternoon in the lobby adjacent to the headquarters office.

At one-thirty, Ziye put on the signing attire she had bought the day before. Leading her entire entourage, she marched to the waiting lounge on the left side of the lobby. As one of the signatories, she had no immediate duties; she relaxed in the lounge, enjoying the refreshments, while the lobby was being set up. Staff members passing by the lounge were slightly surprised that Ziye didn't resemble a corporate leader.

Ziye didn't mind, continuing to play a dice game with her robots.

One staff member, unable to contain his gossip, quietly asked Colin Gail, the adjutant standing solemnly by the door, "Is she really here to sign the contract? Why didn't they call her parents?"

Colin Gail glanced at him with an expression suggesting, What’s the big fuss? "This has nothing to do with her parents. She is the founder of the Sprout Group."

"What?" The staff member gasped softly. "So young? Impossible!"

Thanks to Stass’s promotion, most of the Integration Department knew about the Sprout Group. Furthermore, Sprout Group’s development had been meteoric! A year ago, it was just a small online shop; in a short time, it launched dozens of high-end robots, establishing a firm footing in the already saturated robotics market, even capturing over 10% of the high-end sector. Reportedly, many business magazines wanted interviews with the CEO or Marketing Director, but all requests were declined—their low profile was astounding.

So, this was the truth...

Seeing the shock and dawning realization on the man's face, Colin Gail smiled slightly and patted the staffer’s shoulder: "Brother, never judge a book by its cover." If Stass's K-beauty hadn't borne the Sprout Group insignia, he wouldn't have bothered investigating the company. If he hadn't researched Ziye’s background to plan her kidnapping, he wouldn't have known her connection to the group. In short, this girl was an astonishing individual.

With only a few minutes until two o’clock, the three robots took their positions outside.

As two o'clock struck, the signing prelude began. Ziye had steeled herself, but this was her first time facing such an event; her palms were sweating from nervousness. It felt like walking into a psychology class facing a dense crowd of boys! No, this was more terrifying.

Because these men weren't students; they were soldiers! They stood rigidly straight, like rows of lampposts, watching her with intensely serious gazes. She nearly lost control.

Deep breath. Deep breath. One more deep breath.

Ziye finally managed to suppress her tension and stood at the signing position, maintaining a smile.

In the center of the lobby floated a massive virtual screen displaying the pre-filled contract cover. Stass stood on the opposite side, his expression solemn yet slightly warm, matching the atmosphere of the Integration Department.

The ceremony was straightforward.

The host managed most of the proceedings: introducing the Integration Department, briefly explaining the rationale behind purchasing robots as benefits, and praising the department's care for its soldiers...

Then, the cameras turned to the three robots—W0922, the K-beauty, and G638—introducing the Sprout Group, deliberately zooming in to feature the group's logo. Next, H0121 was introduced, and it was invited onto the stage for a demonstration.

Watching the Sprout logo, which Da Tou had sketched casually, Ziye couldn't help but smile faintly, and the tension in her heart receded like a tide.

—The sweet dew descends, and all things begin to sprout.

This is a beautiful beginning, she thought to herself; she must ensure this beauty continues, allowing Sprout to flourish!

After the robots were presented, the host briefly introduced Stass and Ziye, and then the contract signing commenced. The screen was large enough for both of them to stand on opposite sides, signing their names simultaneously, followed by scanning their retinas to embed them in the contract page, finalizing the agreement. The process was simple yet grand.

After signing, both parties held a brief discussion, established a long-term cooperation agreement, shook hands, took photos, and concluded.

The filming ended, and the staff exited.

Ziye rushed outside, immediately sending the recording from W0922’s system to that pervert, gloatingly: "Heh heh, pervert, time to pay up on your promise! Twenty thousand bottles of Black Rose Sauce, hahahaha!"

The pervert had only just received her robot combination photos and was trying to design skins for the family unit when her message interrupted his train of thought. He replied irritably: "It’s just twenty thousand orders. Big Head and Black Beard have already sold way over a hundred thousand!"

Ziye felt a bucket of cold water thrown on her, washing away all her excitement and happiness. Pouting, she mumbled, "Fine, cheapskate. I knew you’d try to back out of it."

The pervert showed no remorse for his intended reneging: "Heh heh, honestly, your robot combination idea is excellent. In the future, I won't have to bribe A-Piao with rose sauce every day to hack into beauty pageant archives for DNA data. The existing materials are sufficient to create three different combinations with just ten units. Little Stink, keep it up, work hard!"

Ziye suddenly wanted to give him a thrashing. Hmph!

Little did she know, right after she disconnected, that pervert swiftly dropped his tools and hurried out: "Big Head, A-Can, where are you guys? Little Stink just landed an order! She sold the H-series, the one that wouldn't move!"

Big Head and A-Can didn't emerge, but Black Beard walked out upon hearing the commotion, holding his head: "That guy actually signed with the Integration Department? Damn, why didn't he tell me sooner?"

The pervert stopped, breathing heavily, looking at him: "What happened?" Black Beard punched the wall: "The Integration Department! That's prime promotional territory! She didn't tell me!"

The pervert, being a technical person, didn't understand the woes of a salesperson and waved his hand dismissively: "Who signs it doesn't matter. As long as it sells, right?"

Black Beard pointed at him, frustrated: "If I had been there, I definitely could have organized a better promotional strategy. But..." He paused, his anger turning to joy: "Little Stink is truly amazing! This signing was a huge success!"

The pervert shot him a speechless glance and promptly turned back to his workshop. He and Black Beard simply shared no common ground.

The signing was broadcast widely on Interstellar Television that very evening, quietly eclipsing a minor news item regarding deteriorating border relations.

And that minor news item was precisely the source of worry for Stass, and even the Integration Department: someone had hijacked an industrial vessel right under the noses of the Integration Department!