"Her work elevator was the employee dormitory lift, running from five in the morning until ten at night, so she spent the entire day inside it. At night, the elevator would descend to the third basement level and stop, which was the very bottom of the entire elevator shaft. She would then open the elevator's top hatch, crawl out, and sleep curled up in the adjacent equipment room. So, her world was actually very small, just a few square meters for the elevator and a few square meters for the equipment room. Everyone she saw came and went in a hurry, issuing commands to her, often just a number. No one ever looked her in the eye or spoke to her. When I met her, she had already been in the elevator for four years, never having left that building."
"Every morning when I left, I would see her once in the elevator, then go to another building to work all day. At midnight when I returned to the dormitory, I would see her again. And as a mover, I was the earliest to rise and the latest to return. Every time I entered her elevator, there were only the two of us. I would look at her carefully, and slowly we became familiar with each other and started chatting."
"We were both bound by work, at the very bottom of society, with no social circles. Everyone looked down on us, so we could only huddle together for warmth. When others spoke to us, it was always with commands. We craved to talk to people, even if it was just to share trivial matters," 1701 said with emotion.
Jiang Ye nodded silently. He had actually wanted to understand the social impact of the marriage system on this planet, but 1701, once the floodgates opened, launched into a lengthy recounting of his emotional history. It was evident he had a strong urge to confide, willing to talk at length whenever an opportunity arose. Such people were often lonely.
"At first, we talked very little, just a few words during the elevator's ascent. In the morning, we'd chat for a minute, and at night, another minute. I actually fell in love with her back then. I really wanted to continue talking with her, but for some reason, I always left in a hurry. Every day I looked forward to seeing her, but every time we met, I would deliberately act uninterested. I vaguely felt she was the same; deep down, she really wanted to chat with me, but she never showed it."
"Finally, one day, I was returning to the dormitory after work. The elevator door opened, and I gritted my teeth and didn't step out. She also pursed her lips and said nothing. I stood there for over ten seconds, breaking out in a sweat, and finally decided to leave the elevator. She suddenly stood up and blocked my way, asking if I wanted to sit in her equipment room for a while. My blood rushed faster with excitement, and I immediately said yes, even explaining that I had the next day off and was bored, so I'd come over to sit with you."
"That night, we couldn't stop talking. We both talked and talked and talked, about everything. Simply speaking freely felt like a suffocating joy. We discovered our values were very compatible; I agreed with her, and she agreed with me. Later, every evening after work, I would go to her equipment room to chat. Finally, one day I asked her if she would be my girlfriend, and she immediately agreed."
Jiang Ye nodded seriously, "Do you have plans to get married?"
"It's already set, next month."
"What are your plans for the wedding?" Jiang Ye asked.
"We're not planning a wedding. Getting the certificate will count as marriage," 1701 smiled. "I'm an orphan, and she's a robot in the elevator. Neither of us has a social circle, so we can't invite many guests. It's better to save the money for the wedding for after we're married. We want to buy a house, have our own little nest. This way, our lives will be more convenient."
"Are houses on Cai Liuxing expensive?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Quite expensive. I've looked at prices in nearby cities online. We'll have to save for ten years to afford the down payment," 1701 mused. "If I work a bit longer and get promoted to team leader, my salary can increase by a few thousand, and maybe the time can be shortened."
"Meeting is fate. I'll give you a house as a wedding gift," Jiang Ye said. "I don't have time to buy one, so I'll give you the money directly. Three million should be enough."
1701 was stunned. "Are you joking?"
Jiang Ye took out a checkbook from his pocket.
He wrote three million directly on the checkbook, signed it, and tore it off, handing it over.
"This is a universal check from the Galactic Empire Trade Bank, usable at many banks. You give the check to the bank, and they'll send me a confirmation message. I'll confirm it on my phone, and the three million from my account will be transferred to yours," Jiang Ye said.
"This... this is too precious," 1701's breathing became rapid. He held the check, neither putting it away nor returning it to Jiang Ye, clearly very hesitant.
A server pushed a meal cart over, placing dishes one by one in front of Jiang Ye, then serving 1701.
The server saw the check in 1701's hand, and their eyes bulged, their expression one of utter shock.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the server looked at Jiang Ye, then at 1701, said, "Enjoy your meal," and pushed the cart away.
"It's a small matter. You should know who I am. This amount of money is nothing to me," Jiang Ye smiled, picking up his chopsticks to take a dish. "While I'm picking up this dish, several such checks have already arrived in my account."
"Thank you very much! Thank you so much!" 1701 carefully put away the check, so excited he was almost speechless. "My wife and I will remember your kindness for a lifetime!"
Jiang Ye smiled. "Let's eat. Eating while it's hot is good for your stomach."
1701 nodded, immediately picked up his chopsticks, and ate quickly with a very serious expression, as if Jiang Ye's words were a command that must be obeyed.
After finishing their meal in half an hour, Jiang Ye followed 1701 to see the classroom.
The classroom was very ordinary, similar to the leadership training classes Jiang Ye had attended before. It just looked newer, as it had just been completed and hadn't been used yet.
Jiang Ye stood on the podium, trying to get a feel for it. For so many years, he had always sat in the audience listening; he had never stood on stage to lecture.
1701 stood respectfully outside the door, silent.
"Come in and close the door," Jiang Ye said.
1701 was startled, then immediately entered the classroom and closed the door.
"You'll be working at this school for a long time, won't you?" Jiang Ye asked.
"I signed a ten-year contract, so under normal circumstances, I'll work for at least ten years," 1701 replied.
"I need your help with a favor. Are you willing to help?" Jiang Ye smiled.
"Please instruct me. Whether I can accomplish it or not, I am willing to do so," 1701 said quickly.
"It's actually very simple. You work here and will see batches of students coming to attend classes. I have a hobby of making friends, and friends, like money, are never too many. When I'm not attending classes, try to discreetly get in touch with some students and introduce them to me," Jiang Ye took out his phone. "If you're willing, add me as a contact so we can stay in touch. In the future, if you need anything in your life, don't hesitate to ask me."