Chapter 1131: NO. 36: Just Enough

NO. 36: Just Enough

Aomo has always known a truth: that interpersonal interaction itself is also an art.

Among them, there is the art that comes naturally and effortlessly, and there is the art that requires painstaking effort and meticulous dedication.

The former is called personal charm by people, while the latter is often seen as deep scheming.

That is inherently derogatory, so the painstaking effort of the latter often has to be singled out separately.

Used to conceal all that effort.

Yet this concealment itself is another new art.

Acting is the most direct interpretation of it; this performance distinguishes not beauty from ugliness but only superiority from inferiority, and the standard for judging superiority lies not only in outward expression but also in inner understanding.

This understanding is not complicated; one need only achieve one point.

Put yourself in another's shoes.

Almost everyone knows of its existence and can to some extent apply it, but in many cases, all that comes to mind is oneself.

Viewing everything from one's own perspective, even the choice of giving gifts to others is judged according to one's own preferences and tastes.

This is the human heart that has never undergone universal change, regardless of how technology develops or how source energy deepens.

It is also the reason why humanity, even when wielding power far beyond that of the past, still needs to rely on strong AI to steer civilization.

Rather, before the mind achieves a leap, excessive power merely recreates the tragedy of a child wielding a gun; fortunately, although there are too many children, there are still adults who hold greater power and keep the situation from spiraling out of control.

But obviously that's going too far.

As for Aomo, the federation's future is not within his consideration; he thinks only of himself, and for his own sake he must pick up the awareness of putting himself in another's shoes and use that awareness to look at the slender woman whose hair flows like oil paint.

To be frank, this is very easy to understand.

For one who is accustomed to looking at siblings with an elder's gaze and to caring for family members, Shu Miss's actual experience in the family is largely not smooth.

The siblings more or less reject his concern; even when he prepares a lavish meal with good intentions, they often face an empty table.

Those who cannot escape merely eat in silence, heads down, and whenever he moves they adopt a posture as if facing a great enemy.

Besides feeling hurt and regret, anyone else would likely also feel a bit weary.

Replace him with any ordinary elder, seeing juniors behave this way would eventually make them give up, even grow angry, but Shu Miss is different.

She is not truly an elder, yet in patience she surpasses ordinary people.

Just as she once helped a country in her homeland's world research and improve crops from scratch—first thinking to study how to grow enough crops on limited land, then how to make crops withstand harsh climate, then how to move fields onto mobile plots, and finally how to achieve soilless cultivation……

These are matters taken for granted by today's youth of the Holy Terra Federation, yet they can awaken Shu's memories, all vivid achievements crystallized.

Because she once accomplished the same thing in her homeland's world.

Not relying on her own ability, but merely like a human, she steadfastly worked on crop improvement, and throughout those gradual improvements she waited a thousand years, solely to fulfill the wish of ten thousand hectares of fields yielding three harvests a year.

Indeed, if that were all, it would only show that Shu Miss, like most tenacious long-lived species, is willing to expend time and effort beyond ordinary imagination for a certain goal.

This in itself is rare, yet not particularly special.

Just as Aomo's impression of his hometown has many deep‑aged demons who like to make long‑term bets with others.

Some extreme individuals even invest heavily, putting their avatars and even themselves into the endeavor, solely to achieve feats, goals, legends that make their hearts surge, and so on.

Dreams, pursuits, longings—these essentially identical things are sought not only by humans but also by non‑humans.

Thus, paying an unimaginable price for them is also a natural state; the abnormality lies only in whether the thing you wish to treat specially is nothing more than your obsessive goal.

More accurately, it is you covering the competence you have toward your obsessive object onto everything in life.

Thus, it turns out to be even more genuine than any human, and may even be regarded by them as an extreme existence.

——One could say that, on all the Sui‑shì he has come into contact with so far, Aomo has more or less perceived this abnormal purity.

He infers from the information that this is mostly after discovering a certain path and then pursuing it wholeheartedly, to the point that it later influences his entire life and character, only then manifesting as an extreme sense of purity.

But as a living being, as a living organism, such purity is not unshakable.

Recently, Xi Miss was forced to bluntly express her demands, which amounts to only a low‑level outward manifestation.

It is merely a couple of waverings; even if it could become an ant hole that breaches a dam, for now it amounts to nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

Indeed, Aomo does not expect to truly change Xi Miss's personality; given the hasty cooperation and lack of intent for long‑term interaction, there's no point in nitpicking others' harmless work habits, but he cannot guarantee that Shu Miss won't think that way.

After all, with her tireless persistence, treating this as some ordinary grinding work, she truly believes that grinding an iron rod into a needle is entirely possible.

She may still be 'ambushing' the siblings.

And in the process of ambushing, she discovered Aomo's whereabouts.

A house with four mouths, occasionally even more; the extra mouth that appears can serve as three or four.

For Aomo this is a high‑difficulty battlefield, but for Shu it is just right, and most importantly, she has a good chance of catching a family member hiding here!

Before it was the elder sister; this time it's the younger sister!

Although it's unclear how they get along at home, when he had originally planned to go home and notify Shu, he found the other party already lying in wait here—although there was a brief glitch, the response resumed quickly.

Someone voluntarily took on the kitchen pressure and even brought their own ingredients—for Aomo, who still lives frugally to this day, to the point that even a café discount could earn him a trainer badge, harboring ill feelings is simply impossible.

Moreover……

The other party's cooking is truly delicious, right!

Before delicious food, everyone is equal; even Aomo, who used to chase efficiency, will likewise not resist the satisfaction of appetite.

Although both Shu and Ling have mentioned that the best cook in the family is actually the youngest, Aomo is an honest person.

An honest person should seize the present, not waste time on what‑ifs.

Moreover, at the moment he finished rebooting, he naturally realized it as well.

Shu appearing so opportunely is clearly premeditated; we just don't know whose factor she rode on.

Perhaps it was at first sight, when glimpsing himself he already saw much, or perhaps it was the fruit seen from Xi these past days, or perhaps it was information deduced from some otherwise irrelevant scene……

He isn't quite sure, but if it were from Xi's side, he would have to admit that he might have become part of someone else's play again.

Last time it was Rudolf and Sirius; this time it's the Sui sisters' family offense‑defense battle……

"Why are you sighing, Aomo?"

The busy kitchen is a good place to cast away distractions, because when you're wielding a knife and still thinking about random things, it's very easy to give the cutting board a blood recognition of master.

But for the superhuman Aomo who has unlocked multithreading, being able to multitask means one can do as one pleases!

Although he said it awesomely, but because the content of his thoughts wasn't positive, he still unconsciously sighed, drawing the attention of Miss Shu nearby.

"Although it was already decided last time, I still occasionally think," Aomo said calmly while sprinkling a layer of white sugar on the betel nut sauce, "Looking at how Miss Shu addresses some colleagues as 'young man,' you should still consider yourself an elder."

Then, when you address me by name directly, do you find it awkward?

Using a trivial but interest‑sparking topic to cover another inconvenient topic is also a quite practical little trick in interpersonal relations.

But perhaps it's not necessary to go that far; after all, the other person's attention has already been diverted by his action in hand.

Shu leaned in to examine the plate holding the roasted betel nuts, then turned his head to look at Aomo, who had only been taught this snack once before but now reproduced it to this level of completion, and a hint of appreciation appeared in his eyes.

Is that also the reason you still insist on using honorifics when addressing me?

"After all, I'm just a 19‑year‑old kid," Aomo said without turning his head to meet her gaze, merely turning to the other side to check the color of the simmering soup beside him, and with a rather focused cook's demeanor he added, "Furthermore, the more I learn about your deeds, the harder it is for me not to use honorifics."

"An ordinary 19‑year‑old couldn't hit it off with the will of the second brother like that, even if that second brother were merely a simulation," Shu said, managing the fried items before him with a gentle smile, and added, "Yesterday the eldest brother also mentioned that he'd been in touch with the second brother's side and really wants to meet you."

…… Feeling that it would definitely be troublesome, Aomo fell silent for a moment, then said, "Actually, it's not that abrupt, and to be ashamed, I've also been quite busy lately."

"Right, everyone says that too," Shu said, not minding the other's obvious resistance, merely smiling understandingly, and added, "But setting that aside, even though you call the eldest brother 'brother', you also address the eldest sister by name, don't you?"

…… I seem to have noticed a certain subtle commonality.

What commonality?

You and Miss Xi, have you both successively compared yourselves to my interaction standards? Aomo shot a surprised glance.

To be honest, I don't really understand; interpersonal relationship analogies shouldn't be like that.

Miss Xi also said something like that," Shu also sounded a bit surprised, "but this isn't the same thing, Aomo."

What do you mean?

Although I don't know exactly what Miss Xi said, I think my argument that comparing forms of address to the eldest sister also makes sense; are you sure you shouldn't do it that way?

"That's indeed not a problem; it's just an ambiguity in my expression." Aomo admitted frankly.

Right? No matter how you think about it, it's strange that you can address my eldest sister as an equal yet use honorifics toward me; this kind of separate‑talk argument I've only seen on your side's internet.

Shu smiled, then lifted his gaze to the pensive youth.

Or do you mean that in your heart, the eldest sister is so special that she differs from each of us siblings?

You're joking, but this kind of question makes me feel as if we've known each other for a long time.

Ah, indeed, that was my lack of tact.