“Your express delivery.”

The delivery guy from Headwind Station politely carried a large box to Qiao Liang’s door – it was the Fully Automatic Smart Argument Machine he ordered last night.

Qiao Liang was very pleased. Headwind Logistics’ speed and service remained as excellent as ever.

“Help me unpack it, please,” Qiao Liang said.

The delivery guy thoughtfully unpacked it at the door. Qiao Liang carried the new model argument machine inside and placed it in the living room, then brought out the old model to hand over to the delivery guy.

Tenda offered a trade-in service where the original argument machine could be credited. Qiao Liang felt there was no point in having two argument machines at home, so he exchanged the previous one.

After closing the door and seeing off the delivery guy, Qiao Liang began examining the new model argument machine.

His first impression: this thing had grown taller and was quite heavy.

The previous automatic argument machine wasn’t light to begin with, as it contained metal components. Now with added speakers, it was even heavier, though still manageable to move.

Qiao Liang took out the two small speakers from the argument machine to play with them, finding them quite interesting.

He’d already seen the introduction of the new model argument machine on the product page, knowing it contained two detachable surround speakers, but actually handling them was still fun.

The design looked distinctly different from other smart speakers or even soundbar products.

He placed the soundbar below the TV, the main unit of the argument machine beside the TV cabinet, then positioned the two detachable surround speakers on the bookshelf behind the sofa, one on each side.

“Let me play a movie to test it out,” Qiao Liang randomly selected a movie from the TV, ready to experience the audio effect.

Compared to traditional speakers, soundbars have both advantages and disadvantages. A soundbar’s audio quality couldn’t match traditional speakers at the same price point, but it excelled in surround effect and presence.

Moreover, the soundbar on the Fully Automatic Argument Machine was around the 2,000 yuan price range, which audiophiles would consider just “something that makes sound.” Saying the audio quality was exceptional would be an exaggeration.

But it outperformed those few-hundred-yuan smart speakers or TVs’ built-in audio, and for ordinary people, this improvement in sound quality was noticeable.

As the movie began playing, sound effects from all directions quickly enveloped Qiao Liang. Compared to the TV’s built-in speakers, the soundbar’s biggest advantage was its sense of layering.

If the previous sound was regular cake, the soundbar’s sound was like a mille-crêpe cake.

Experiencing this immersive feeling, Qiao Liang couldn’t help but regret.

Regret not buying this earlier!

When Qiao Liang was in the imperial capital, he didn’t watch TV. After moving to Jingzhou, though he watched TV, he had no particular requirements for audio quality. But after hearing the sound delivered by the soundbar, he immediately felt all his previous TV watching had been wasted.

Such great picture quality without matching audio quality was such a waste!

Moreover, this soundbar had 13 speakers arranged in an array, using the principle of real reflection surround sound, delaying each speaker’s output to create sound lines where sound waves’ strongest points overlapped, creating an authentic surround effect.

Qiao Liang immediately closed the movie and turned on his gaming console.

Many foreign AAA titles now supported Dolby Atmos, especially shooting games. Using the soundbar made sounds come from all directions, instantly maximizing immersion.

While FPS games were best played with headphones, console games weren’t competitive games, and using headphones with consoles and TVs wasn’t very convenient, so most people didn’t use headphones while playing.

After switching to the soundbar, the improvement was very noticeable.

Qiao Liang tried several games in succession, still wanting more.

“Good, this money was well spent. But… how did Mr. Pei think of combining the argument machine with a soundbar? Simply genius-level creativity!”

After experiencing it, Qiao Liang finally picked up the manual to carefully read through it, checking if he’d missed any key features.

“Hmm? There’s an argument mode?”

“What’s this mode? Do I argue with this thing?”

Qiao Liang was shocked reading the manual, almost thinking it was a joke. He tentatively said, “Enter argument mode.”

…

Fifteen minutes later, Qiao Liang’s face was flushed red, a mouthful of frustration stuck in his throat, almost spilling out.

He was practically driven to hypertension from being challenged in arguments!

At first, Qiao Liang thought this feature was a joke. Argue with artificial intelligence? Isn’t this bullying? Oh, wait, bullying AI?

Are the developers of the Fully Automatic Smart Argument Machine sure that AEEIS can understand human speech?

Yet when the arguments started, Qiao Liang discovered he was no match at all, completely outplayed by AEEIS!

This AEEIS wasn’t just sharp-tongued and tricky with words – its special gender-ambiguous electronic voice carried an extreme air of mockery that made people want to smash it on the spot.

If not for considering that this thing cost over 2,000 yuan, Qiao Liang suspected he might have already lost control and acted on it.

Even worse, since it was a soundbar, even the mocking sound came in surround stereo from all directions!

This feeling was like AEEIS’s virtual form circling you while delivering 360-degree constant mockery – this sensation was simply unimaginable.

Qiao Liang reached his limit but ultimately endured it.

This argument machine had the same style as before – as long as users wanted to argue, it would continue indefinitely, absolutely never conceding first. Whether mechanical or voice arguments, both were infinite loops.

Qiao Liang gave himself a long pep talk before finally stopping and deciding never to provoke AEEIS again.

Now they were under the same roof – he needed to maintain good relations since they’d see each other all the time.

“Oh, right, online it said this can also recite lines with you.”

Qiao Liang searched online for dialogue lines between Qin Yi and AEEIS, getting his chuunibyou fix.

However, this feature was just a small crossover with the game, a little Easter egg. For Qiao Liang, the most useful features of the Fully Automatic Smart Argument Machine were mainly three: the soundbar’s surround effect, the argument machine’s decorative function, and the smart speaker’s control of smart home devices.

Tree Sloth Apartments already had some smart home devices that AEEIS could control – just a shout from the living room would do it.

However, since the smart device trend hadn’t taken off yet, the controllable smart home devices were still limited, with room for future expansion.

“This speaker is great, especially this argument mode – what kind of genius could design this! I must promote it!”

Qiao Liang immediately took out his phone and posted on Weibo.

“Highly recommend Tenda’s new Fully Automatic Smart Argument Machine, especially the argument mode. It’s incredibly fun – you must experience it!”

…

Shangyang Games.

Wang Xiaobin was happily browsing players’ reviews of several game DLCs, beaming with joy.

The DLC sales were good, and the reception was positive – he’d perfectly completed the task Mr. Pei had assigned!

For Wang Xiaobin, a designer not particularly skilled at gameplay mechanics, this was a huge advancement and breakthrough.

He wanted to show off to Ye Zhizhou, but looking around reminded him that Ye was still in Los Angeles.

Among the many posts praising the DLC, quite a few were recommending the new Fully Automatic Smart Argument Machine.

Where it started trending was impossible to trace, but there was a noticeable increase in online discussions about this device!

Moreover, everyone was unanimously “highly recommending” it.

“The new argument machine is so fun! Must buy!”

“Yep, still the same as before, full of philosophical meaning!”

“It has been infused with a soul.”

“Thanks to this argument machine, my temper has visibly improved. I feel my mental distractions decreasing, and I’m almost floating away…”

“If you’re an old user who appreciates its philosophical depth, you need the new model because it surpasses the old in enlightening wisdom. If you’re a new user, all the more reason to get one – this will be an unforgettable experience.”

Reading everyone’s discussions, Wang Xiaobin found it amusing yet exasperating.

These people had the same mentality as those who spontaneously promoted punishing games – the “I shouldn’t suffer alone” attitude.

Wang Xiaobin couldn’t help but marvel – Mr. Pei’s combination of the argument machine and smart speaker breathed soul into the argument machine!

Its biggest advantage was standing out among smart speakers with sufficient uniqueness and recognition, satisfying people’s curiosity while offering a decent appearance and practicality.

“Is this Mr. Pei’s ultimate grasp of consumer psychology?”

In Wang Xiaobin’s eyes, Pei Qian’s stature grew even taller.