Chapter 5. The warmth of home and the temper of StarNet
In the evening, Ruixi glided into the house on her hoverboard. A warm, alluring aroma immediately enveloped her—Fern was grilling a veal steak, the fat sizzling softly under the heat, blending with the spicy aroma of jasmine and black pepper. The table was already set with Grandma's favorite garlic-fried vegetables, vibrant green, and Mom's favorite herb-roasted deep-sea fish, its skin golden and crispy.
As the family sat around for dinner, Ruiming, the mother, naturally asked, "How was your class today, Xiaoxi?"
"Fortunately, I learned about the menstrual cycle and the 'Kaguya-sama' system." Ruixi's attention was more attracted by the juicy steak on the plate. She responded vaguely and picked up the chopsticks.
At this moment, the silent news screen on the living room wall scrolled silently. A short message quickly flashed by:
[Brief News] Security authorities announced the detection of a small-scale fraud case that exploited a vulnerability in sentiment data. A spokesperson reiterated their commitment to continuously optimizing core algorithm protections.
"Tsk, here we go again." Sister An lowered her head and poked at the cherry tomatoes on the plate. Her cold voice carried a subtle hint of annoyance. "There are always people who can't control their lowly greed for data and try to exploit loopholes in the system. It's inefficient and worthless."
"An," her mother, Ms. Ming, interrupted gently, a hint of warning in her tone, "It's always good for the system to detect and repair problems in a timely manner. Try this. Today's beef is cooked just right." She turned to look at Ruixi and slowed her tone, "But Xiaoxi, remember, whenever you encounter something that sounds too good to be true, it's always a good idea to ask why."
"I know, Mom." Xiao Xi nodded and took a bite of the beef. The rich aroma of the meat immediately melted in her mouth, and she squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
Sister An muttered something in a low voice, so soft that only she and Xiao Xi beside her could hear it: "...the redundant code in the information center is just wasting energy every day."
Xiao Xi winked secretly at her sister, thinking that this was probably her sister's daily complaint about the work efficiency of some of her colleagues.
Grandma Rachel, who was sitting in the main seat, chewed slowly and said leisurely: "It is inevitable that some dead branches will appear on a big tree. Fortunately, our gardener has always been very diligent." Her words always carried a kind of open-mindedness that came with the passage of time, as if the family reunion in front of her and the delicious food on the plate were enough to smooth out all the minor waves.
This little episode was quickly passed over, and the conversation turned to the new moonflowers in my grandmother's community garden that emitted a soft glow at night, and whether they should visit the newly opened hanging botanical gardens over the weekend.
After dinner, Ruixi nestled into the soft, floating sofa in the living room and logged onto StarNet. She headed straight for the popular "Cute Pet Home" section, familiarly heading there. She hugged a virtual calico cat and rolled around on the soft grass, earning a pat from the cat's soft paw pads.
When the familiar sleep reminder icon with a cherry blossom pattern on the edge popped up and whispered in a sweet baby voice: "Dear little baby~ Today's wonderful adventure time is almost over, let's play together tomorrow?"
Ruixi couldn't help but roll her eyes. "What a little babe... She's almost fourteen, and she still has to use the notification sounds of a three-year-old..." She mentally complained about this one-size-fits-all anti-addiction system, but reluctantly began to log out.
She rubbed the holographic Husky's head reluctantly, watching its figure dissipate into tiny points of light, and then when the stipulated two-hour limit was reached, it was gently guided offline by the system.
After washing up, she climbed onto her comfortable single suspended bed. The bed, sensing her weight, emitted a subtle hum, adjusting its arc slightly, and gently lifted her up. Ruixi closed her eyes, feeling the familiar, slightly floating feeling of being enveloped. With a slight resentment towards the StarNet notification beep, she fell into a dream filled with the aroma of grass and barbecue.
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