The lights were still on, and the tool bag in the corner remained motionless.
Chen Hao glanced down at the crack in his palm; the blood had already dried. He ignored it, turned around, walked to the workbench, and slammed his hand on the table: "Where are the design drawings? Don't tell me you're planning to make the lights look like electrical boxes."
Nana tapped her finger lightly, and a hexagonal outline was projected onto the wall, with neat lines and slightly beveled edges. "This is an optimized heat dissipation structure with even weight distribution, suitable for long-term hanging."
"This thing hanging on the wall looks like one of those stainless steel trays used in the cafeteria to serve food," Chen Hao said, taking a closer look. "And it looks like it's been sat on before."
“The shape does not affect the function,” she said. “And the design meets the standards for wind pressure resistance.”
“We don’t turn on the lights during typhoons.” He rolled his eyes. “Lights have to have personality. Look at that fox—” He pulled out a piece of cardboard, scribbled a few times with a charcoal pencil, and drew a small animal with a pointed head and round eyes. “Make the ears stand up, cut a hole in the eye socket, and embed some mineral in it. When it’s lit at night, it looks just like the real thing.”
Nana brought up the 3D modeling interface and imported the sketch into the system. A few seconds later, she said, "The protruding part of the head exceeds the safe anchor depth by 3.7 centimeters. If the wall is loose, there is a risk of falling."
"Then let it lie down!" Chen Hao waved his hand. "Tuck its limbs in, and let its tail wrap around as a base. It'll be very stable."
"This type of design requires an additional support frame, increasing material consumption by 23%."
"It's just a couple more pieces of wood, it's not like we're building a rocket." He waved his hand impatiently. "Besides, who wants to spend their days staring at geometry problems? Our base is already deserted enough, if we add a bunch of cold, lifeless lines, we won't even be able to have warm dreams at night."
“The current environment already has basic lighting and temperature control.” She said in an unchanged tone, “Emotional fluctuations mainly stem from energy intake and rest quality.”
"You know what, I dreamt I was gnawing on a tin box last night," Chen Hao grinned. "When I woke up, I felt this place was too plain and lacked vitality."
Nana paused for a moment. "According to database records, when humans are exposed to mimicking biological images in a visual environment, their anxiety levels decrease by an average of 11 percent."
"See!" he slapped his thigh. "Even your database supports me."
"However, it also shows that excessive decorative elements can lead to distraction and reduce efficiency by five percent in repetitive tasks."
"I don't need to write a paper here," he scoffed. "A few lights, they can't possibly make me stupid."
“I suggest a compromise,” she said. “Keep functionality as the priority, and you can add slight curves or texture variations.”
“Texture?” Chen Hao shook his head. “That’s not enough. I want the feeling of something alive, not a cookie cutter stuck on the wall.”
"When you proposed the animal design, did you consider the ease of maintenance?" she asked. "Dust accumulates in the ear canal grooves, making cleaning more difficult."
"Just use a small brush to sweep it," he said. "It's not like we're taking it apart every day."
What if the ore breaks off due to vibration?
"Can't you stick it on more firmly?"
"The durability of adhesives cannot be guaranteed for more than ten years."
"Let's talk about it when we can live for another ten years." He spread his hands. "Right now, we're barely surviving on canned food, so what's the point of worrying about long-term plans?"
Nana paused for a moment, then slightly adjusted the angle of the optical lens. "Since the two sides have different bases, I propose that we simultaneously produce two samples, install them, and observe the actual feedback."
"Sure," Chen Hao laughed. "Let's see who's more popular."
“It’s not a popularity test,” she corrected. “It’s a comprehensive user experience evaluation, including three indicators: cleaning difficulty, light coverage, and structural stability.”
"Say what you will." He picked up the charcoal pencil and continued drawing. "Anyway, I'll make a fox first. Clever, quick, and doesn't take up much space."
"Design No. b-01, animal-shaped design scheme launched." She began modeling, her fingertips sliding, and a star-shaped light frame composed of concentric circles and radiating lines slowly took shape, with simple lines and a reserved position for the light source in the central recess.
Chen Hao glanced at it and scoffed, "When this light comes on, doesn't it look like aliens sending signals?"
“Like radar,” she said, “but data shows that this type of symmetrical structure is most easily recognized by the brain as a ‘stable’ state.”
"I think you're trying to put me to sleep, making me think you're watching the security cameras in the duty room."
The two were busy at their own pace. Chen Hao repeatedly adjusted the angle of the fox's ears on the cardboard, feeling that if they were too straight, they would look fierce, and if they were too curved, they would look collapsed; Nana, on the other hand, kept fine-tuning the length of the star's edges to ensure that the angle error of each side did not exceed 0.1 degrees.
After a while, Chen Hao looked up and said, "Hey, what do you think about making an owl? It can close its eyes during the day and glow at night, which would be very fitting."
“There is a cognitive conflict between feline and avian hybrids,” she said. “And the blinking mechanism requires additional mechanical components, making it too complex.”
“I don’t actually blink with it,” he laughed. “It’s just a change of look.”
“The existing resources are insufficient to support diversified trial production,” she said. “I suggest focusing on a single, concrete form.”
"Then let's go with the fox," he decided. "Not fierce, not cowardly, just right."
"Is this plan confirmed?"
"Wait a minute." He suddenly remembered something. "What about the desk lamp? We can't exactly make a star out of it too?"
"The design of the desk lamp has not yet been scheduled."
"Then we'll decide together later."
"The priority should be wall lamps."
“I know, but I have to check it in advance.” He put down his pen and stretched. “Last time the chair cushion almost poked my butt, I can’t let my aesthetic sense fail again this time.”
"understand."
She projected the two design schemes side by side onto the wall: one side featured a small fox outlined by smooth curves, with slightly upturned ears and empty eyes; the other side featured a cool, star-shaped hexagon with sharp lines and a distinct structure.
“We’ll start tomorrow.” Chen Hao stood up and stretched his wrists. “You do your geometric shapes, I’ll sculpt my little fox—let’s see who understands life better.”
“The outcome will be determined by actual usage data.” Nana turned off the projector. “Now, please treat your wound. The risk of infection outweighs the controversy surrounding the design.”
He looked down and saw that the cracks in his palms had reopened, and beads of blood were seeping out. "It's nothing, this little injury is nothing," he smiled. "Back when I was caught cheating on an exam, I stood there for two hours as punishment and didn't say a word."
That incident caused fluid buildup in my knee.
"You still remember?"
"All records have been archived."
"Alright, robots are number one at holding grudges." He took out some ointment from his pocket, squeezed out a little, and suddenly heard a soft sound.
The green light fragment at the bottom of the tool bag trembled slightly.
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