Summer break began, and Tan Rou turned down all the experimental invitations from the school to concentrate on handling her companyâs projects. Juggling work and studies was exhausting, but Tan Rou relished the busy yet fulfilling sensation, making time each day to stroll through the mall.
That day, as soon as Tan Rou arrived in front of an exhibition hall, she saw a foreigner arguing heatedly with the staff. Everyone was agitated, speaking in their own mother tongues and utterly failing to communicate.
The staff member emphasized, âIâm sorry, but we canât sell this to you. If you would like to purchase it, please leave your contact information, and weâll notify you later.â
The foreigner said in his own language, âWow, this robot is incredibly exquisite. I need to take it back to my country, to put it in my home!â
Then the staff member said, âPlease put the item down, our exhibits are not to be touched!â
The foreigner replied, âThank you, Iâll take good care of it, I want to treat it like my treasured darling! Donât worry, you neednât be reluctant, I promise I wonât harm it, so please let go!â
Consequently, both parties were pulling on the robot, one side unwilling to sell and the other reluctant to let go. Fortunately, the robot was quite sturdy, or it would have been torn in two.
Tan Rou walked over and first stopped the staff and the foreigner from fighting over the robot, then she said to the foreigner, âSir, Iâm really sorry, but this item youâre holding is not for sale, so you canât take it back to your country now.â
The foreigner expressed surprise, âOh, youâre amazing, you can speak our language. They donât understand and canât speak it. Only my friends can, but we got separated, and I donât know where they went.â
Tan Rou continued in their language, âIf you need to find your friends, we can broadcast an announcement for you. But please, could you let go of our robot? This robot is a display piece, and weâre not selling it yet.â
The foreigner immediately returned the small robot to the staff and apologized, saying, âIâm truly sorry, my friend told me there were gifts for me, and I thought I could pick something from here to take back.â
Tan Rou answered, âThatâs not the case. Our gifts are at the entrance, and we will give them to you when you leave after your visit.â
The foreigner inquired, âIs it this kind of robot?â
Tan Rou was somewhat speechless. Do you even listen to what youâre asking? Weâve let you visit for free, and now you want to take one of our robots worth tens of thousands? Uninformed people might think you came to rob us.
But for the sake of friendly international relations, Tan Rou had to patiently explain to the foreigner, âNo, it isnât. Our gifts are random small items that are easy to carry, and they donât include large robots like this one.â
The foreigner was very reluctant to part with the adorable-looking robot, gazing longingly at it, he asked, âWhat do I have to do to take it home?â
This question stumped Tan Rou because these robots were not mass-produced at the moment. If needed, one would have to leave a custom order and be notified by their side once the product was available for the buyer to come, pay, and collect.
Moreover, they couldnât be sure how long it would take to fulfill the work order, nor did they know how long the foreigner would stay in the country. What if they completed the robot after the foreigner had returned to his country?
Additionally, the robots produced by Tan Rouâs company were only operable within their own nation. If they were to be used overseas, they needed to test for different voltages, and it wouldnât be easy to adjust on short notice.
Most importantly, Tan Rou wasnât clear about how many robots this foreigner wanted. If he only wanted a single-digit number of robots, then Tan Rou didnât need to specially manufacture new ones just for his order, since the development cost was far too high compared to the profit, and she didnât want this deal.
âMaâam, can I really not own this adorable robot?â the tall man asked with a sad face. âI truly love it so much. Iâm willing to pay any amount, money is no issue for meâI have plenty!ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om