Chapter 102: The Problem of Existence and Improvement

Let's not talk about what Zhang Wei thinks over there.

As the work robots went online, many problems also surfaced.

In East City, inside the workshop of a clothing outsourcing factory.

"Sister Xiumei, look at that robot—its morning output is more than double ours."

A young girl beside her lowered her voice, speaking in a dissatisfied tone.

Wang Xiumei didn't speak, merely silently speeding up her hands.

But the more anxious she became, the less her fingers obeyed; a needle accidentally pricked her fingertip, drawing a bead of blood.

She put her finger in her mouth and once again turned her gaze to the robot.

Anger welled up in her heart!

When work ended, the other workers discovered the robot's output was extremely high—three times theirs.

"How are we supposed to live like this?"

A middle-aged man slammed the fabric in his hands onto the table and shouted, his neck straining.

"We work ourselves to death all day, yet we only produce a third of what the robot does—is that fair?"

His voice shattered the silence, instantly igniting the fire in everyone's hearts.

"Exactly! Why should we? Our hands are about to shake loose, and we barely earn a few coins."

"Supervisor! This is unreasonable! Piece-rate wages are set according to human standards—now that robots are doing the work, their pay can't be the same as ours!"

The workers swarmed over, surrounding the supervisor in the middle.

"What are you all shouting about?!"

The workshop supervisor was a middle-aged man with a fleshy face, and he slammed his hand on the table,

"Rules are rules! When we signed the contract, it was spelled out clearly: pay per piece, more work, more pay!"

"But that's a robot, and we're human!"

Wang Xiumei stepped forward, her eyes red, and demanded,

"It doesn't know fatigue or hunger—it can work twenty‑four hours a day! What can we possibly use to compete with it?"

Seeing the situation turning bad, the supervisor tried to soothe them patiently:

"Everyone, don't get worked up—didn't the state say this is just the first batch? Soon you'll all be able to buy a robot, so just bear with it for now!"

Those words eased everyone's anger a bit.

Similar scenes were playing out in factories, construction sites, and warehouses across the country.

The contradictions between humans and machines, between owners and workers, between the fortunate and the unfortunate, sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain,

under the rollout of the "one person, one machine" policy, they proliferated wildly.

One after another, urgent reports on labor disputes, public safety, and mass incidents flew like snowflakes toward the capital.

Luo Lao and Zhang Yunfeng looked at the aggregated data, their brows furrowed.

"The problems are coming faster and are more complex than we expected. Feedback from the construction industry says the qualification certification process for robots operating heavy machinery like tower cranes hasn't been established yet."

"The logistics sector is asking about the legal definition and insurance liability for robots working continuously."

He paused, then pointed to a certain page in the report.

"The tax department faces the greatest pressure: how should the income generated by robots be defined—as personal labor earnings or capital gains? The thresholds and rates for individual income tax need to be remodeled."

Luo Lao quickly flipped through the documents, his brow furrowed.

The technological revolution brought a leap in productivity, but it also struck like a savage beast, assaulting the existing social framework.

"The think tank and expert groups from various ministries have been working through the night."

Zhang Yunfeng responded immediately.

"We still need to draft, as soon as possible, intelligent amendments to the Labor Law, work standards for the robot industry, and a new tax model."

Luo Lao closed the documents.

"Once the draft is out, we'll immediately move to testing and synchronous revision. What we want is a smooth social evolution, not a radical social shock."

After a series of problems arose, and through continual revisions, the one-person-one-machine model also gradually got on track.

Meanwhile, public opinion had completely boiled over.

Construction worker Wang Qiang, after finishing work at the site, posted a short video.

In the video, his work robot was laying bricks with precision and efficiency, its movements as standard as a textbook.

Meanwhile, Wang Qiang himself sat in the shade, leisurely sipping tea.

The video's caption was simple:

"Thanks to the state, after carrying cement for half my life, I can finally take a break today."

Within a few hours, the video gained millions of likes and shares.

The comment section exploded.

"So jealous! The streamer went straight from a plaster‑hand laborer to a cyber foreman!"

"I'm still pulling all‑nighters on the electronics factory line, while they've got a robot working the night shift for them—this world's inequality is just too huge!"

Courier Li Ming also posted a status:

"Today the robot delivered 300 orders, while I stayed home and finished half of 《Advanced Mathematics》—knowledge changes fate, but technology literally gave me a new life."

The first batch of five million "fortunate ones" flaunting their luck left the remaining lower‑level workers unable to sit still.

Anxiety and longing spread like wildfire.

"Protest! We didn't even get a chance to grab the first batch—could there be some shady dealings?!"

"We strongly demand that the second batch be opened immediately! We want an equal right to liberation!"

"Xia Teng Heavy Industry, Stellar Intelligence—are your production lines just for show? Ramp up output already! We want the goods!"

The comment sections of the official websites of major authorized enterprises were instantly flooded with angry and anxious messages, and customer service phone lines were almost overwhelmed.

Public opinion surged, forming an unstoppable tide that forced the entire plan to accelerate.

Three days later, the state issued an announcement.

"After a comprehensive evaluation of the trial run of the first batch, and the urgent revision and improvement of related supporting laws and regulations, the 'One Person, One Machine' plan will officially enter its second stage."

The spokesperson's voice was transmitted nationwide via video.

"We have decided that at 9:00 a. m. next Monday, we will open pre-sales for the second batch of work robots. This batch numbers fifty million units."

Fifty million!

This number was like a heavy bomb, exploding in the hearts of the hundreds of millions of people watching the screen.

This means the coverage has expanded tenfold.

"At the same time, to ensure the sustained healthy development of the robot industry and meet the enormous subsequent maintenance, upgrade, and management needs,"

The spokesperson continued to propose another major reform,

"The Ministry of Education has jointly with the Ministry of Industry formulated a brand-new national education and vocational education plan."

……

With the rollout of the second and third batches of work robots, feedback from the grassroots populace was basically all positive.

Luo Luo looked at the latest social survey report, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

The report showed that the national happiness index rose significantly, social tensions eased somewhat, and the crime rate fell.

"Old buddy, Xiao Qin's proposal to 'liberate the workforce' seems to have hit the right note."

Luo Luo said to Zhang Yunfeng beside him.

Zhang Yunfeng nodded:

"Yeah, we used to say technology is the primary productive force, but now it seems that technology liberates people, and people are the ultimate productive force."

"Liberating people from tedious work allows more people to engage in scientific research, innovation, and the arts; that is true national strength."

"Moreover, this liberated workforce, after receiving further training, will become a solid foundation for our march toward the stars and the sea."

Luo Luo's eyes were deep.

"Whether it's space mining requiring many technical workers, or the construction of lunar bases and Martian colonies, all require massive human support."

"Let robots handle those repetitive tasks, so our talent can go explore a vaster universe."

He picked up a report on the recruitment of the space fleet reserves, which showed that in just one week, the number of applicants had surpassed the one-million mark.

Among them were not a few young people who had previously worked in traditional industries; they were attracted by the grand blueprint of the "Stars and Sea" and aspired to become pioneers of the new era.

"It seems the dream of the stars and the sea has already taken root in people's hearts."

Zhang Yunfeng sighed emotionally.

"The effects of the education reform are also immediate; a large number of students have an unprecedentedly high interest in space, so we need not worry about future talent reserves."

While the nation was immersed in jubilation, the other countries again, again, again fell into shock.

"The Ugly Agreement Times" published a commentary article, titled "Eastern New Utopia or New Crisis?"

The article acknowledges Yanhuang Guo's lead in robot technology, but also worries that this large-scale "labor liberation" will trigger new social problems,

such as a "boredom economy" and "spiritual emptiness".

However, between the lines, the article cannot conceal its envy and curiosity toward Yanhuang Guo's unprecedented social experiment.