Pheromone Deficiency Syndrome chapter 52
Extra — Farewell to Tao Tao (Part 1)
The mascot of Lande College, the little robot Tao Tao, has passed away.
When this news was announced on the official website of Lande College, it didn’t attract much attention.
Only countless graduates from Lande noticed this news and flocked to the website to leave messages, incredulous and ultimately powerless.
Because Tao Tao had not suffered any harm, it’s just that it was too old and its main chip couldn’t be repaired.
One morning, it lay motionless in the garden, unable to restart even after being replanted.
This was the “death” of a robot.
Tao Tao was a shared memory of generations of Lande graduates.
Now these graduates had scattered to the four winds, but in their memories, there was once this small, cute robot selling smoothies under the trees, smiling very cutely.
It was a treasure left by the former principal because he loved it so much that he was unwilling to let it leave the world with him, so he entrusted Tao Tao to Lande College before he died.
Now, after taking care of Tao Tao for fifty years, Lande College issued an obituary for a robot.
The last sentence of the obituary was: “He was a very good and gentle robot. After accompanying everyone for fifty years, now, he’s going to find his Albert.”
Albert was the name of the former principal.
Before Gu Jinyi even saw this news on StarNet, he had already learned about it from Qu Xi.
But as he browsed the Lande College official website, he still couldn’t help feeling a little sad.
The photo of Tao Tao on the official website was a picture of him with Principal Albert.
Principal Albert, such a stern and serious person, willingly bent down, smiling as he let his little robot put a flower wreath on him.
The flowers were soft, contrasting with his pale and thin face, making a striking contrast.
And his gaze towards Tao Tao was far softer and more affectionate than the flowers.
Gu Jinyi couldn’t express his feelings, and Qu Xi was silent for a long time on the other end of the line.
Most of the staff at Lande College actually knew that Tao Tao was the beloved of Principal Albert. Especially those older professors, who had witnessed how Principal Albert coaxed his little robot.
Qu Xi was a young teacher and didn’t like gossip, so she found out very late.
But she, like other graduates of Lande, liked Tao Tao.
“Will he meet the former principal?” Qu Xi asked softly.
Gu Jinyi answered firmly.
Who knows if robots can have souls?
After a person dies, do they reunite?
But he always felt that Tao Tao would definitely meet the person he loved.
Qu Xi didn’t refute this answer either. She was clearly a staunch atheist, but at this moment, she was willing to believe.
“The day after tomorrow is the farewell ceremony. Will you come?” she asked.
“Sure,” Gu Jinyi looked at the photo of Tao Tao and smiled somewhat melancholically, “Tao Tao must have been waiting for this day for a long time. I want to see him off.”
Tao Tao’s farewell ceremony was very quiet.
The farewell event was only for internal members and graduates of Lande College, but because of the large number of attendees, they had to maintain silence. Everyone could only line up to present a bouquet of flowers to Tao Tao without delaying too long.
Gu Jinyi and Qu Xi also obediently stood in the crowd, presenting sunflowers to Tao Tao.
In reality, funerals should use more subdued flowers, but Gu Jinyi always felt that maybe this was the ending Tao Tao had been waiting for.
Tao Tao had mentioned liking sunflowers, so he gave him sunflowers.
This farewell was for those who had loved Tao Tao, not for Tao Tao himself.
After this farewell, Tao Tao would be laid to rest next to Albert.
Before the former principal passed away, he had arranged everything for his little robot.
From Tao Tao’s birth to death, they had never been separated.
After placing the bouquet, Gu Jinyi stood for ten seconds, then gave his place to the person behind him.
After coming out with Qu Xi, they joined the professors outside.
Almost all the professors who had known Albert were here.
Some of them were already old, even retired, but they had specially come.
Gu Jinyi and Qu Xi were the youngest, having never met the former principal, so they just quietly listened to the old professors chatting.
The old professors were much calmer than the young students with red eyes, not very sad, just exchanging memories of Tao Tao and the former principal.
“I first saw Albert bringing Tao Tao out, and I was wondering, how could he cherish such an outdated robot.”
“Exactly, I thought he had gone soft, starting to reminisce.”
“At that time, when we went on interstellar tours, Albert also brought the little guy along. But back then, the robot could only go to the luggage hold, which made him so angry that he directly rented a spaceship himself.”
At this point, several old professors stopped, feeling a bit sad, but also smiled at each other.
It was at that time that they realized Albert’s feelings for this little robot were extraordinary.
It wasn’t just a tool or a family member, but a unique lover.
Perhaps they had once been puzzled, even scornful, but after so many years, with Albert no longer in this world, everyone present felt the depth of his affection.
“I love you, regardless of who you are.”
Whether it’s a robot or a human, it doesn’t matter if we can’t age together.
As long as you love me too, this is the best outcome.