Chapter 42

Since joining Prime, Du Ruo had been improving by leaps and bounds.
One day back in the dorm, she noticed Qiu Yuchen’s homework and casually sparked up a conversation about it.
Qiu Yuchen stared at her in shock. “How do you even know this stuff?”
Du Ruo shrugged. "He Wang taught me."
There were just too many experts on the team, every single one could be her teacher.
Never mind the rest, even just Jing Ming was enough for her to dig into for ages.
The time they'd spent working together had shown her what "genius" really meant. He seemed to master every discipline robots touched, mechanical, control, computation, you name it, he excelled, and his ideas always went beyond the norm, sparking breakthroughs for every group. Even when projects overlapped, he coordinated with effortless ease.
Since the sensor system’s signals had to interface with the control system, Du Ruo spent nearly every day hashing out ideas with Jing Ming. His insights cracked open her blind spots again and again.
Not that she was just riding his coattails, either.
End of the month, she showed off her slimmed-down sensor system to Jing Ming: "Boss, I've finally trimmed the system!"
He was busy syncing code at his computer, tossed out a casual "Good," without even glancing at her.
Du Ruo just stood by the desk, unmoving.
Jing Ming looked up, noticed, and after a beat asked, "Fishing for praise?"
"Please, this was easy, I don't need praise." She pulled up a chair, eyes shining. "But, I do have a new idea for the team."
He twitched a faint smile, barely interested. "What's your idea?" He had his eyes on the screen.
"I want to add another sensing program," Du Ruo explained, leaning halfway over the table. "If the car detects a competitor ahead, off the side, or close by, it'll automatically accelerate in pursuit. Of course, if it goes too fast, it'll get hard to control, so we can limit the chase mode to just a few dozen seconds. Thoughts?"
This time, Jing Ming actually turned to look at her. "Not bad."
Her eyes lit up. "Should I take it to the team for discussion?"
"No need. Consider it approved," Jing Ming said, totally unfazed. "Just add the code. We were planning to add more AI into the racing brain anyway, give it some autonomy. Your scenario fits right in."
Du Ruo already knew that.
From the very start, Prime’s goal wasn't just self-driving cars, they wanted smart cars, intelligent minds behind the wheel.
She was even more eager to see the race car brought to life.
With that on her mind, she kept sneaking glances at him.
He caught her and returned the look. "What are you staring at?"
"How are you good at everything?"
"Everything is a big word..."
"You get sensors, you get machines, you get computer science. When'd you learn all that?" she pressed.
Jing Ming replied, "Probably while you were in your politics classes."
Du Ruo: "..."
Her face dropped instantly. She gave him a dirty look and made to leave.
He started laughing and reached out to stop her. "Hey, I'm joking!"
He only meant to catch her by the arm, but he accidentally clasped her hand instead.
His hand was burning hot as his fingers brushed her palm. Her heart skipped involuntarily.
He froze too, her hand was tiny and soft, cool on the outside, and a little sweaty from the summer heat.
He let go at once; she snatched her hand back just as quickly, pretending nothing happened as she went back to her seat.
Maybe it was sitting by the window, maybe it was the blazing summer sun pouring in, but her back prickled with warmth and a strange itch.
And the central AC was clearly running, too.
She got up, drew the curtains, and used a folded sheet of A4 paper to fan herself for a bit before she felt better.
A quick glance Jing Ming's way showed the rolling whiteboard blocked half his face, she could only see his red lips and sculpted jaw, his broad shoulders filling out a crisp white shirt.
Looking higher, the whiteboard was covered with slick sketches of their autonomous racing car's design concept.
She found herself staring at the car for a long, long time. Soon, that car would step right out of the drawing and into the real world.
The thought made her lips curve into a smile she couldn’t hold back.
By early July, every part of the systems was ready to go. The logistical side had all the shells, bearings, chassis, tires, and everything else lined up, and the school’s partner auto company had their factory floor and top engineers ready and waiting.
After that, Jing Ming practically lived inside the spotless auto bay, explaining, coordinating, discussing, overseeing assembly with the engineers.
The requirements for assembly were brutal.
Inside Prime, only Jing Ming, Li Wei, He Wang, and Zhu Tao were allowed in; the other 20 people were all professional automotive engineers.
Du Ruo couldn’t enter the shop, but she managed to sneak a peek or two through the glass.
The first time, the car was only a massive exposed base with different modules neatly arranged on top, red and white pipes and wires threading everything together. The whole thing was lifted mid-air by six adjustable metal pillars, with a huge tray of parts ready to go.
The second time, the car was noticeably bigger, its general shape forming. The frame was assembled, the inner structure mostly hidden, but the hood and rear plate were still missing, and the tires were just loosely hanging on. It looked a little like a robot with its shell stripped off.
Both times, Jing Ming never noticed Du Ruo outside. He wore the same blue work uniform as everyone else, either scrutinizing blueprints or deep in assembly.
Once, Li Wei passed her in the corridor on his way into the workshop and spotted her. "Looking for Jing Ming?"
Du Ruo startled. "No, just passing by. I’ll get going soon. Good luck with everything!"
Then she bolted.
After that, she never went back. Finals week had arrived again.
Du Ruo returned to campus, diving head-first into her regular studies.
Until a week later,
That night, she stayed late in the library. It was already 11 pm when she finally came out.
Early July in Beijing, already sweltering hot.
Even so late at night, there was no breeze at all. Thank heaven the campus was thick with shade, or the heat would’ve been unbearable.
Book bag slung over her shoulder, Du Ruo walked slowly, occasionally dabbing at the sweat on her upper lip, her mind drifting over to what might be happening on Jing Ming’s side.
A month spent side by side, working 'til they dropped, and now, suddenly, her days felt too quiet.
She was dying to know how the race car build was going.
It had already been nearly a week now.
She looked up at the sky, breathing deep. Branches thick overhead blurred into the hazy glow of city lights across the summer night.
She walked all the way back to her dorm,
And just a few meters from the door, she stopped short.
Jing Ming was leaning against a tall poplar tree, watching her with that cocky, crooked grin tugging at his lips.
She lit up, instantly running over. “You’re out? Did you fix the car?”
“Yeah,” he quirked a smile, those eyes sparkling with a little wild arrogance. “Want to see?”
“Now?”
“Yeah, right now.”
“Then let’s go! Immediately, like, now!”
Midnight. Jing Ming’s silver sports car wound its way to the factory and slipped into the courtyard outside the workshop, engine purring to a stop.
The world was silent, save for the summer insects hollering in the weeds.
Inside the workshop, the corridor was nearly still, white-bright lights overhead.
It was late; every window along the corridor had its blinds pulled down tight, shielding whatever secrets lived inside.
Jing Ming stopped at one workshop door, unlocked it, flicked the switch on the wall.
Every fluorescent light in the place lit up at once, splashing the silvery gray decor as bright as noon. A few computer stations and desks huddled to one side, but the pillars that once held tools now stood empty. Center stage was reserved for a single car, veiled by a soft silver-gray drape, blending effortlessly into the cold mechanical stillness.
The cover hugged the low-riding frame, hinting at the body and curves beneath, like a beauty waiting for someone to lift her veil.
It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
Du Ruo could hear her own heartbeat pounding as she stared at Jing Ming, suddenly nervous. “Is this… her?”
“It is.”
“She’s the one.”
He crossed to the car, turned to face her, lips tilting into a triumphant, infectious smile. With a flourish, he grabbed the corner of the silver drape and swept it dramatically into the air.
With a shimmering cascade, the cloth fluttered away, revealing a racer in blazing red, striped in white and blue, so bright it nearly hurt the eyes.
The low, aerodynamic chassis practically screamed speed. Four bold wheels, an eye-catching tricolor paint job sparkling under the lights, absolutely jaw-dropping.
Du Ruo shrieked and dashed over, hand already reaching out to touch, then hesitating, afraid to smudge perfection with greasy fingerprints.
It was breathtaking.
The body gleamed smooth as silk beneath the lights, like some legendary beauty brought to life.
“So gorgeous! Seriously, it’s perfect!” she could barely manage anything other than breathless praise.
“Yeah. She’s beautiful,” he echoed, a little awe creeping into his tone.
“But… missing something.” Jing Ming grabbed a paint gun, moved to the side, and jerked his chin to beckon her over. “Come here.”
Du Ruo scampered to his side.
He tested the sprayer, stepped back to judge the angle, then confidently stepped forward and squeezed the trigger, pfft.
His arm swept in the air, scrawling out bold, fluid white letters across the car’s body,
“Prime No.1”
The first true commercial robot from Team Prime: Prime No.1.
Du Ruo pumped her fists, flailing like a little kid. “When do we test drive it? Tomorrow? How am I supposed to sleep after this?!”
“Want to try it now?” Jing Ming glanced at her, one eyebrow arched.
“Now?” Du Ruo eyed the nearby desks, computers, control stations, lifts. “You mean, inside the workshop?”
Jing Ming dug a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them her way. “Go on. If you crash it, it’s my fault.”
Du Ruo caught them, metal still warm from his hand.
Racing around indoors was pure insanity, but if he said okay, she’d follow him anywhere.
She opened the car door and squeezed inside. The single seat was tight and low; she practically had to lie down, barely above the floor.
Jing Ming stood nearby, looking down at her. “You can adjust the seat.”
He leaned in, almost enveloping her, fiddling with the lever beneath her seat, his jawline so sharp it was right there in front of her. Du Ruo shrank back against the seat, stiff as a board, barely breathing in that faint, masculine scent.
She didn’t realize just how close they were, her nervous breathing was heating the skin of his neck.
Midnight. The workshop glowed silver and silent.
He flicked the lever. The seat lurched forward, and Du Ruo tumbled, pitching into his arms, lips brushing his ear.
His ear was unexpectedly cool, soft to the touch.
Du Ruo’s eyes went wide as she jerked her head away, her cheek scraping past his jaw.
Her fingers were wrapped so tight around the key she could feel her heartbeat thundering at her fingertips.
And her “accomplice”? He shot her a lopsided look, teasing, “Oops. Guess I overdid it there.”
He straightened up, tall frame blotting out the ceiling lights above her.
Du Ruo swallowed, trying, and failing, to act casual as she wiggled in the seat. “Mm. Feels just right now.”
Jing Ming: “Yeah, I think so too.”
Du Ruo: “…”
Why did that feel like there was a hidden meaning? She was definitely overthinking it.
“Have fun.” Jing Ming leaned down to close her door, then stepped aside.
After adding the seat, Prime had two ignition systems, one for AI during races, one for manual key startup.
Du Ruo gripped the key, slid it into the ignition, and drew a deep breath before twisting it.
The racer shot forward, the speed surging in seconds, heading straight for the silver pillar across the room.
Du Ruo wasn’t ready for the burst, she screamed, “Ahh!!”
But before she even finished, the car screeched to a halt a few meters from the pillar. Her heart was still somewhere in orbit when the racer suddenly whipped into a sharp turn, shot toward the desks, only to slam to a halt, then whip around again toward the far wall.
It was a wild zigzag, racing forward, sensors detecting an obstacle, slamming on the brakes, veering in a new direction.
Within moments, her fear faded, it was like driving a giant bumper car!
That red racer careened through the silver workshop, “crashing” again and again into invisible air walls a few meters before every obstacle.
“This is insane! I love it!” she shrieked from inside, laughing and squealing with every swerve.
Jing Ming leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets. He couldn’t see her, just her voice echoing out from the heart of his creation, a chorus of unrestrained joy.
He arched a brow, then strode to stand just behind and to the side of the car.
From inside, Du Ruo caught a glimpse of Jing Ming through the glass as the car zigged and zagged, then turned and accelerated straight at him,
She turned pale. “Move! Get out of the way!”
He just cocked his eyebrows and watched, lazy and utterly unbothered.
She fumbled for the key, about to wrench it, when the car screeched to a stop right in front of him. She twisted the key; the car went dead quiet.
She was shaking and sweaty, her heart ready to explode. “Are you insane?!”
He looked thoroughly entertained. “Wow, what a chicken. You think it could hit me? You designed the infrared and bio-sensors yourself.”
Du Ruo threw open the door, half-climbing out just to hurl the keys at him with all her might.
He snatched them out of the air. “Ouch, okay, that actually hurt.”
“You’ve got an arm on you,” Jing Ming winced, flexing his reddened hand. “Not surprising, you’ve been climbing trees and lugging rocks since you were a kid.”
Du Ruo shot him a murderous glare and went to straighten out the cover for the car, every step radiating frustration.
He followed her, still needling, “What, that scared you? Worried you’d kill me?”
“Well duh! You die, guess who’s the killer? I’d be ruined,” Du Ruo yanked the silver cover, sulking.
Jing Ming came to pull the other end. “Not you, the culprit would be her.”
Du Ruo paused, glancing over at the now-silent racer.
She’d just been in there, hands off everything, no real pedals, no wheel, no brakes, the car’s brain in charge of everything.
Prime No.1. Almost… alive.
That thought sent a sudden, inexplicable chill racing down her back.
They pulled the cover over together, hiding away that wild streak of red, the world settling once more into calm, cold silver.
Jing Ming saw her frowning. “What’s wrong?”
Du Ruo frowned, hesitant. “If someday autonomous driving goes mainstream, won’t there be safety problems?”
Jing Ming let out a short laugh. “Last year, there were over 250,000 traffic accidents in this country, sixty or seventy thousand deaths.”
“…” Du Ruo was speechless. “What a waste, you could totally own the debate team.”
Jing Ming snorted. “Debate clubs are for amateurs.”
“Hey, I’m in the debate club, you know.”
“I know.”
She muttered under her breath, “Go die.”
“I heard that.”
“I know.”
“…”
He switched off the lights, and they left the workshop.
In the courtyard, moonlight spilling everywhere, even the bugs had gone to sleep. It was peacefully quiet.
Du Ruo got in the car and buckled up in the passenger seat, pausing as a thought struck her. “Wait, was I the first one to test drive? What if something went wrong, are you always this confident?”
Jing Ming fired up the engine, scoffing,
“Are you stupid? I already did a full track test. Like I’d let you near it otherwise.”