However, their reflexes were sharp. Abandoning their laser guns, they activated other weapons, continuing their assault on the hyena-like beasts.

In the end, the robots prevailed, but the victory came at a significant cost. Out of five robots, three were destroyed, one was left without any operational weapons, and the last one's energy supply was critically low.

This was just against a single mutated hyena. Considering hyenas seldom act alone, how many robots would these ordinary people need to survive against a pack?

With a gesture from Shao Qi, promptly, the second mutated hyena was released.

“Why another hyena?”

“What’s the intention here? Is this a demonstration of how warriors combat hyenas?”

“Humans are undoubtedly superior to robots. But when a robot breaks, it can be fixed; if it's destroyed, we can buy another. A human life, however, is irreplaceable.”

“True, if the military could produce enough robots, victory isn't out of the question.”

The next robot to enter the arena was solitary, and its appearance was distinctly different from its predecessors. It had a male physique, dressed in men’s athletic attire, and instead of a gun, it wielded a sword.

As the audience looked on with puzzlement, the robot sprang into action. Were it not for the metallic sheen on its bald head, it could easily be mistaken for a human.

It charged at the hyena with its sword drawn. Both moved at comparable speeds, and with a resounding clang, the blade left a bloody mark on the hyena’s back.

The hyena lowered its stance and snarled furiously at the robot, its sharp teeth dripping with saliva, revealing its innate ferocity.

“Such smooth movements; noticeably more lifelike than the previous ones.”

“Look closely, it’s using martial arts!”

“Impressive! A robot skilled in martial arts, this must be our country's innovation.”

Standing beside Shao Qi was a researcher from the institute. Holding a megaphone, he explained to the crowd, “This is our latest project this year – a martial arts robot. Our goal was to create a robot capable of rivaling warriors in combat.

“What you see before you is our most successful prototype. It boasts a defense comparable to elite mutated creatures and the capabilities of a top-tier warrior. Its only shortcoming is a lack of advanced intelligence.”

The audience was visibly exhilarated. This robot, displaying more agility and finesse than the gun-wielding ones, was deemed not smart enough? What would an intelligent one look like?

“I bet it'll win.”

“Did you notice the sword? It bears Master Fan’s emblem. Even the robot is equipped with a blade forged by Master Fan; if this robot were to be produced, we couldn’t possibly afford it.”

It’s common knowledge that warrior equipment is expensive. The better the gear, the higher the cost, with weapons costing tens of thousands of points. Most ordinary families could never afford such luxury in their lifetimes.

The robot continued to display its swordsmanship, landing seven or eight blows on its opponent, while taking four or five hits itself. Its clothes were tattered, revealing patches of its faux skin, which was also damaged. However, without the capacity for pain, these injuries were inconsequential to the robot.

The hyena seemed to gradually discern the robot’s repetitive patterns. While it appeared formidable, its moves were rigidly predictable. Its sword techniques were executed in a fixed sequence, and whether it landed a hit was mostly down to luck.

Once the hyena discerned this pattern, landing another hit became increasingly difficult for the robot.

“It's way too predictable. Aim for its hindquarters!”

“Turn around, it's behind you! Now’s the time for a spinning kick. Oh no, it's been knocked away!”

"It's maddening to watch."

Ultimately, the robot did manage to kill the hyena. The robot's advantage was its tirelessness and inability to feel pain, while the hyena grew increasingly fatigued and eventually couldn't run anymore.

Perhaps the hyena's final question before death was: How can this human-like being have such enduring stamina?

"Interested in the cost of this robot?" The researcher tantalizingly held everyone's attention, before continuing, "Make no mistake, this nearly human-combatant robot exhausted our entire department's annual budget. It's so expensive that not even our nation's leaders can afford one for personal use."

The crowd lost hope. Given the materials used, it was clear that the robot would be exorbitantly priced. Instead of dreaming of affording such a robot, many pondered that perhaps striving to reach a warrior's capabilities themselves might be a quicker solution.

"Would you like to continue watching?" Shao Qi inquired.

It was already afternoon, and everyone was famished. They hadn’t eaten since the morning. Hunger pangs began to set in for many.

But Shao Qi didn't let them return to base. Instead, he tantalizingly proposed, "You all must be hungry. Those mutated beasts from earlier can be slaughtered for meat, but they might not suffice. Not far from here is a fruit orchard. You can pick some fruits there."

Picking fruits from an orchard seemed harmless, especially since this orchard was maintained by humans.

Emboldened by their numbers and with Marshal Shao's presence, the braver individuals set off for the orchard while the rest undertook the task of slaughtering the mutated beasts.

However, they quickly realized they didn’t even know where to begin. Ordinary knives couldn't pierce through the thick hides of these mutants.

Mutated meat sold in supermarkets is always pre-cut. Regular people only ever eat low-grade mutant meat, and they never realize how difficult the initial slaughtering is.

Eventually, military personnel had to step in to butcher the beasts, handing over the dissected pieces for the public to grill.

What started as a demonstration turned into a collective picnic.

Those who returned from the orchard found over a dozen domestic robots ready to assist with cooking, cleaning, and chatting without any barriers.

Another line of robots had ventured further to collect baskets full of vegetables, showcasing efficiency far superior to humans.

This sparked a sense of urgency among the crowd. If their jobs could be replaced by robots, what role would they play?