Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 72: Patrons

The box was loaded into a car, which made the flow of air suddenly slow down. The stench of corpses and excrement penetrated deep through the air holes, making people’s stomachs churn. The temperature in the car was surprisingly low, which quickly cooled the bathrobe that was desperately absorbing the heat from one’s skin. In comparison to the current high temperature in the room, it could be said to be equivalent to the treatment of pulling someone out of a fire and sticking them in ice.

Even if they had drunk two glasses of champagne mixed with drugs, they wouldn’t have dehydrated for some time. Putting two ordinary people in this environment, let alone escaping, it would be rare that they would even have the courage to move. Unfortunately, the two said people that were locked up weren’t normal humans.

Ruan Xian paid attention and silently recorded the speed, bumps, and steering as he hid the two blood guns in his bathrobe. Tang Yibu hugged his back, intending to reduce the speed of heat loss. They lay quietly in the box, dutifully playing the act of two passed-out men.

“I just took a look. The quality of their faces and figures is quite good. Thanks to you, we found two shells at once. Boss Qian is worried that there aren’t new products to launch. Great work, kid. You made a good contribution.” Ruan Xian paid careful attention again—this voice didn’t sound like it belonged to flower peacock, so it was probably one of the helpers he had called.

“It’s a pity it’s two men. It would be nice if they were women.” Flower peacock tried his best to hide the pride in his voice, pretending to be modest. “Men’s sales still aren’t strong.”

“Nonsense. Those beauties will obviously sell well. They’re still fresh, so they can be regarded as cash cows for those stores in the west district.” The man who was talking to flower peacock clicked his tongue twice. “Everyone knows that a core is easy to make these days, but the shell, not quite so much. Besides, think about what you sell. There are female customers, you know.”

“It’s also a recent thing that the core is easy to get,” flower peacock muttered. “Technical talents can always be found. Maybe one day they won’t make synthetic monsters anymore, and they can really make beautiful shells that can survive. At that time, we won’t have to hunt anymore. All problems are solved by just taking a few pictures. It’s not like now…”

“Hide your sneer before you complain. Fuck, I’m jealous. Why didn’t these white faces fall into my hands…”

After a sharp turn, the car continued to move forward. Ruan Xian frowned in the dark.

The words “core” and “shell” gave him a bad association.

“Do you know how to drive?”

A scream of pain sounded after the sound of a body bumping against a hard object. Flower peacock gritted his teeth.

“Jealous? Why don’t you talk to Boss Qian? Aren’t there so many styles that are still in season? Get them back and toss them around. Change up their clothes and hairstyle. Except for your regular customers, who would recognize them. Anyway, the organic printer is still in Boss Qian’s hands. As long as there’s fresh cell data, there will be as many shells as you want. If you ask me, although core hardware is easy to get, it’s the high-end personality data that’s key. The face will only attract people at most, but it’s the temperament that will retain them. Look at Tiantian in my shop. I refresh her memory once a week, so week after week she’s like a blazing horse, and the customers love it.”

Organic printer. This wasn’t the first time Ruan Xian had heard of this thing. When they were still in the forest refuge, the people in the refuge tried to use it to print the internal organs for their leader, Tian He. He still remembered the headless body rolling down the sink.

“It’s easy to just stand there and talk.” The man sneered. “Forget it. It’s not interesting to argue about this. Guess which stores these two behind us will be rewarded to?”

“It’s hard to say. Maybe the people on Boss Qian’s side will take them for themselves. Might as well bet that the android in the back will have its memories edited. Anyways, the taming period is only a week or two. The gang isn’t interested in keeping little sheep.”

Tang Yibu made a vague voice from his throat, which sounded a bit like a sneer. In the icy environment, the android was like a small burning stove, continuously emitting a steady stream of heat. The conversation in front of the car disappeared, and Ruan Xian shrank back and turned his face.

“Why are you in a bad mood?” he asked.

Tang Yibu was just staring at an old scratch mark on the wall of the box. The scratcher’s finger must have been torn, leaving a few bloodstains on the dull metal that was now rust-like auburn. Hearing Ruan Xian’s voice, he slowly turned his gaze back.

He wasn’t sure if he was seeing things, but Ruan Xian always felt that Tang Yibu’s gaze was slightly different from before.

“What do you mean? What state am I in that you consider it a bad mood?” The android began to ask questions rapidly.

“Ji Xiaoman’s shop. You heard that Qian Yigeng has the mind access needle for cybernetic brains, and after that you haven’t been quite right.” Ruan Xian mouthed the words so low that it was almost silent.

This wasn’t a good sign. His thick, cautious wall was collapsing, revealing the aggressive, hard thorns behind it. Ruan Xian knew that what happened not long ago was nothing more than a superficial affection between different species, and he shouldn’t be shaken by such a trivial matter.

However, once the demon in his heart was released, he didn’t want to return it to the box honestly. It frantically scratched the shell he had built for many years, and the instinct wrapped in it began to penetrate outward—the pitch-black caution was gradually stained with crimson madness, but this only made Ruan Xian feel happier than ever before. He once thought that he was just surviving dryly for a certain promise, or he was self-abusive and firmly believed that he, someone who nurtured a demon in his heart, wouldn’t die easily.

Now it seemed that his adoptive mother, Meng Yun, was right. Survival could also be very interesting.

He stared at Tang Yibu’s outline in the dark. His heartbeat didn’t slow down, just like a person who was locked in a black and white room and saw color for the first time.

“…” Tang Yibu rolled over, and for the first time, turned his back to Ruan Xian. Ruan Xian took a breath and poked the other’s back persistently.

“I don’t want instability around me. Tell me.”

The android remained silent.

“Okay, I’m a little worried about your state.” Ruan Xian slyly changed his statement and wiped the remaining blood stains on his face. He began to gradually master the knack of dealing with Tang Yibu—the android was purer than he had thought.

Tang Yibu turned his face slightly and glanced at Ruan Xian with the remaining light. After a few seconds, he slowly opened his mouth. “He’s not that kind of person.”

“…You mean Ruan Xian?”

“Well, although he is cruel, as far as I know, Ruan Xian rarely touches that kind of thing.” Tang Yibu’s voice was a bit muffled. The edges of the bathrobe soaked in blood and sweat had been frozen, becoming cold and hard. “Including his previous speeches to survivors everywhere, Ruan Xian has an almost extreme advocacy for the naturalness of personality and memory, which is one of the reasons why he firmly opposes MUL-01’s control of everything.”

“However, there were still androids in his time.” Ruan Xian carefully guided the topic.

“The existing prototype of the old-fashioned cybernetic brain was invented by Fan Linsong.” Tang Yibu turned back and curled up next to Ruan Xian. “At first it was only used for medical purposes and was strictly restricted thus Ruan Xian reluctantly agreed to this approach. Later, Plan Corp stole the core knowledge of cybernetic brain manufacturing and developed its own commercial cybernetic brain, and androids were officially born. Even if Ruan Xian had a lot of influence, it was impossible to beat a rival company with just one finger.”

“Medical use?”

“Symptoms such as brain damage and brain atrophy are induced by various causes. The human brain that has irrevocable damage would no doubt die within a period of time. At the beginning, the cybernetic brains were initially given to the families of these patients. They were able to extract the patient’s memories and personality data, put them in the cybernetic brain that’s highly similar to the function of a human brain, and then replace it with the human brain. This created an artificial intelligence that’s no different from me.”

Tang Yibu’s breathing made a white mist in the darkness.

“Physically, people started this alternative approach very early. Artificial heart, artificial lungs, artificial stomach… but this time it’s the brain. Family members need to sign countless confidentiality agreements before they can do this. Later, this project was revealed, and people called it the ’Farewell Project’. Since the start of this, Ruan Xian’s opposition hasn’t stopped.”

“Continue.” Ruan Xian also exhaled a white mist. His fingertips brushed Tang Yibu’s eyelids, causing the latter to scratch his head in surprise.

“Plan Corp went the other way. They used mechanical human tissue to make a shell, infused the cybernetic brain with artificial intelligence programs, and directly created androids, and put them into various fields such as escort, housekeeping, exploration of hazardous areas, extreme scientific research, and the like. Of course, the pornography industry certainly didn’t fall behind… These industries are too profitable, and Ruan Xian’s opposition didn’t have much effect. After all, machine life was put on the market some years ago, and the public’s acceptance was already high.”

“Then he went to research the Prototype?”

“Well, after that, Ruan Xian devoted himself to the research of mechanical weapons and instrumentation. The research on artificial intelligence didn’t stop. Later, the reason why they were not swallowed by Plan Corp was entirely due to the excellent derivative products of the three Prototypes… Of course, he and Fan Linsong also used androids as tools in their work, but unless there were extreme circumstances, they wouldn’t inject any data, let alone commercial behavior. Ruan Xian said…”

The corners of Tang Yibu’s mouth twitched, showing a strange expression that was a bit distorted.

“Ruan Xian said that tools are just tools, and human nature cannot be blasphemed. The public’s cognition hasn’t yet matured, and society has not yet had the ability to fully control artificial intelligence. Allowing android to develop in the market, Plan Corp is challenging human ethics.”

Ruan Xian suddenly found that his limbs were really cold, and he slowly exhaled. In his own right, he might also oppose the commercialization of androids too rashly, but the reason would never be this.

“You mean…” He swallowed. “Ruan Xian believes that the cybernetic brain carrying artificial intelligence is a ‘pure tool’?”

“Isn’t that what you are? Infused with human memory, you’re a perfect weapon for MUL-01.” Tang Yibu lowered his eyes. “I can still imagine why he gave the Prototype a personality setting, but if he’s using the mind access needle, I can’t think of a reason.”

“It seems that when we find him, I have to have a good talk with him,” Ruan Xian murmured.

“Then it depends on how much Mr. Qian Yigeng knows.” Tang Yibu patted the top of his head lightly.

At the same time, the front of the car was also lively.

“How long are we on this broken road? I need to pee,” flower peacock cried out indifferently.

“What’s the hurry. We just have to arrive before eight. Boss Qian collects the cybernetic brain first, and then he’ll come talk to us about this matter. Damn, I really envy that girl Ji Xiaoman. She sure seems busy, making so many imitation cybernetic brains day after day. That’s enough for laozi to eat, drink, and have fun for a week.”

“Oh,” Tang Yibu added flatly, “It seems that Miss Ji has also hidden a lot of information.”

Metal disposal dump.

“Who?” Ji Xiaoman’s voice was hoarse, and all the blades on her prosthetic limbs popped out. Yu Le neatly drew out the gun and held his breath. He was unfamiliar with life in this shitty place, and there was a group of mechanical life interfering. Although his opponent was just a little girl, he didn’t have much confidence in winning.

It was either face her head on or cause a distraction, and while she’s unprepared…

“Me.” Before Yu Le could make up his mind, another voice answered her. “Very keen, Xiaoman.”

“He An.” Ji Xiaoman’s voice became cold. “I said, don’t follow me.”

“Qian Yigeng is about to receive the goods, but you’re hunting here. I have to ask.” He An’s voice came from behind the gas mask, full of smiles.

“You can’t let your patron wait too long.”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 71: Vortex

‘Can’t be bewitched,’ Ruan Xian thought.

However, everything around him was degenerating. Artificial sunlight poured in from the fake floor-to-ceiling windows, and the blue sky reflected in the windows was like a fine sapphire. The bed under him was soft and comfortable, and there was a terrible sweet fragrance floating in the hot air. Ruan Xian didn’t know whether the incense was taking effect on him or whether the gradual burning of his breathing was due to the drug or the fingertips passing through the skin.

Not long after taking a shower, his bathrobe was tied very loose, and now they were completely scattered under him, soaked in a dark red by the blood gushing from Tang Yibu’s knife.

‘This is the enemy’s territory,’ Ruan Xian kept reminding himself.

His nerves were stretched to the point where they may break at any moment, and his thinking began to become blurred. The blood mixed with the sweet fragrance impacted his sense of smell, and the other person’s body temperature and breathing began to make Ruan Xian’s brain blank. He could hear his thunderous heartbeat, a mixture of fear, excitement, and unfamiliar stimuli that kept rising, causing his to go numb and his hair to stand upright.

“Can you hear me as well?”

Even though the blade was deeply buried in the android’s chest, Tang Yibu tightened his arms and increased the intensity of the hug. The other party’s breathing still carried moisture from his shower. His voice had a bit of fragile expectation, like cicada wings, that made Ruan Xian feel that his heart was suddenly contracting.

“I don’t understand.” His voice was hoarse, unlike his own.

He wanted to pull out the knife and separate everything with violence, but it was a pity that the fruit knife was dull. It was deeply sucked into the wound, and there wasn’t much room for movement under his opponent’s body.

Blood still kept gushing out continuously from the wound.

“People always see things by their own standards, and the same is true of androids set up by humans. I have never seen an exception.” Tang Yibu supported his body with his left arm and elbow, gently stroking Ruan Xian’s wet hair. His eyes were weird and eager, like a scalpel which could peel away the soul layer by layer.

The premise being that there was such thing as a soul. Ruan Xian swallowed and couldn’t help but raise the corner of his mouth.

Tang Yibu’s way of communicating had always been self-centered, but he understood it this time. Perhaps it was because he understood the same kind of loneliness, like a deep scar—Tang Yibu was indeed a human zoologist as he claimed to be. However, zoologists always have a period of time where they stay with their own group and make their findings public.

But Tang Yibu had nowhere to go back to.

And neither did he.

Ruan Xian didn’t think that people had to be associated with someone. Except for simple creatures, “others” were a necessary reference for groups with complex emotions and thinking.

Whether it was through others or books, people had to have a channel to define whether their feelings were “normal”. He had read in books that the greatest joy in life was finding a loved one—whether it be a friend, lover, or relative, the moment that joy and pain were understood could be shared.

People created languages, stories, and carried emotions and cognitions that had been repeated countless times; then they try to communicate and express their own thoughts; everything built within that fixed boundary.

And side effects also followed.

Due to the inferiority of biology, people always subconsciously regarded themselves as the right side. Individuals who didn’t recognize them are deemed to be objectively inferior. Even if they misunderstood the meaning of others, they would certainly use self-awareness as a criterion for judgment. Although people were destined to not understand each other, they could respect and help each other to a certain extent. However, with the excessive development of social channels, respect had become a rarity, and arrogance and ego that were eager to be different had become more rampant.

While information got richer, the crowd was getting lazier to listen to and watch. This exacerbated the deterioration of the situation.

Even in normal people, people began to pick out some different voices as outliers. From aesthetic inclinations, facial characteristics, moral cognition, sexual orientation, and even innate imperfections, everything could be used as a heterogeneous standard.

Ruan Xian once looked at the quagmire. He could understand the actions of those people and analyze their motivations, but he had nowhere to record them. Unlike sociologists, as a person who was implicitly excluded from the “human circle”, the things he recorded weren’t destined to be politically correct and would only cause himself greater trouble.

Emotions were another aspect.

A true outlier had no scale of measurement. What they carried would all turn into a dark unknown. There was no comparison. They didn’t know how deep the dark river in front of them was, or how far the abyss was from them. No amount of power could make up for this emptiness. For ordinary people, true sense of security came from sufficient and transparent information. However, from his own point of view, the more he knew, the deeper the despair that followed.

But, for some reason, he insisted on living, blindly waiting for a turning point that might not exist; it was like shouting at an abandoned well that was doomed to not respond…

Disengaged from the position given by society and the population, away from self-righteousness and self-preservation instinct, could he hear him?

Ruan Xian raised his head again and looked into the golden eyes that he liked. This time, on the back that had a sense of detachment, he saw loneliness and confusion similar to his.

Funny enough, for the first time, he felt the ease of mind of being understood, and it was actually from a mechanical being that lacked human breath.

Tang Yibu’s hands were warm and powerful, his skin was smooth and taut, the muscles under him were full of vigorous vitality, but his head was wrapped in a cold human-made substance. The high temperature of the room was mixed with rich blood that made Ruan Xian pant even more severely. The blood in his body was burning under the effects of hormones, but he had never felt so alive.

He seemed to be standing on the edge of a vortex, dragged to the center by its deadly attraction, trying to escape in the opposite direction, and finally lingering.

Right now, he could feel the vague longing of the other party’s confusion. Maybe he could temporarily release the demon in his heart, completely abandon the morality disguise he used, and let go of everything in this alienated embrace for a few minutes.

Ruan Xian stretched out his hand and choked Tang Yibu’s throat fiercely. He forcibly pushed his opponent’s half an arm’s distance away, and then abruptly pulled out the blade stuck in the opponent’s chest; his movements were crisp and neat.

The hot blood splattered on his face as Tang Yibu’s cheek became a little pale. Ruan Xian didn’t hesitate. He pulled the warm body back and kissed him without even blinking.

Unlike the previous “treatments” that seemed like a task, this time he bit on the other’s lips like a beast and awkwardly kissed the person in front of him.

Tang Yibu’s breathing became slow, and his left hand slid from the wet black hair to the bridge of Ruan Xian’s nose and lips, as if he wanted to remember the outline and details of that face with his touch. Neither of them closed their eyes. Ruan Xian saw his own reflection in those golden eyes, and the other’s pupils contracted with his every movement, indicating he was extremely focused.

…Even now he didn’t forget to observe and record. Such a competent researcher. Ruan Xian’s smile grew even stronger.

After the long burning kiss, he was finally able to open his mouth and breathed with all his might, as if he had never breathed before. It may be that the effect of the treatment wasn’t ideal, as the next moment, Ruan Xian’s lower lip stung—Tang Yibu slowly bit his lip, his teeth pierced the soft skin, and he began to suck his blood like a vampire.

The initial organic components in the blood quickly took effect The red incision that was still hideous just now had quickly healed, together with the burns on the android’s arm.

As the last corner of the scar disappeared, Tang Yibu finally let go of Ruan Xian’s lips and licked the blood remaining on the side of the other party’s face. His eyes were full of an unquestionable predatory aura. Ruan Xian took a few deep breaths, quickly regained his breathing rhythm, and cruelly amplified his perception—The pain and unprecedented feelings caused by the wound almost boiled his brain.

He was undoubtedly alive and had never been so alive.

“Don’t overdo it. I need to preserve my strength…” He grabbed Tang Yibu’s hair tightly. The android was dripping in blood as he was carefully applying something to his forehead.

“I know. Also, your hormone level needs to be lowered.” Tang Yibu’s expression was innocent as he observed Ruan Xian’s reaction without blinking.

“Well, nasty zoologist… What are you recording?” Ruan Xian muttered intermittently, knowing very well that the complex feelings rising in his heart had been out of the scope of acting, but he truly didn’t care—he reached out his hand, touched Tang Yibu’s soft ear with his fingertips, and quietly felt the warmth of blood dripping down.

Since the bloodstains didn’t disappear, it meant that this blood didn’t belong to him.

“We have done this exercise.” Tang Yibu wiped the remaining blood around his lips.

“I know… You are writing your name… Why?” Ruan Xian panted a little bit.

“Self-satisfaction” had never existed in his life. The flower peacock was probably impatient as the temperature in the room was undoubtedly rising. The exquisite ceiling composed of illusions was swaying. The temperature of the air was about 34 degrees? 35 degrees? His eyes glazed over a bit.

“You are my most special collection.” Tang Yibu raised his head and bit the tip of his nose again. “Just like Yu Le said… I put my name on my things so no one else will take it away.”

“Listen.” Ruan Xian regained a little sanity from his dizziness. “I’m not your thing, I’m not anyone’s… Uh.”

“Then I hope you are mine,” Tang Yibu said in a low voice, increasing the strength of his strokes. ‘It’s definitely revenge,’ Ruan Xian thought. The magnified perception made him rolled his eyes. “Will you be mine?”

“No.” Ruan Xian gritted his teeth.

“Then don’t leave me.” A few seconds later, the android continued in a very bargaining tone.

“Why?” Ruan Xian almost laughed. The muscle trembling caused by the smile made him exhale a breath of cold air.

“I don’t know.” Tang Yibu looked more confused. “But if I were to throw away the things around me one by one… You’ll be the last one I’ll throw away.”

“This is really the worst sweet talk I’ve ever heard.” Ruan Xian held down the back of the other party’s head impatiently as he took a deep inhale—Tang Yibu’s warm and moist breath sprayed on the side of his face, and the palm of his hand was warm and rough.

“According to my observations, you haven’t heard much sweet—”

“Shut up.” Ruan Xian pulled on Tang Yibu’s hair in retaliation and bit into his throat. His emotions were instantly blank.

“Well, there’s enough now that it looks authentic.” Tang Yibu lazily propped up his body. He reached for the tissue next to the pillow and casually wiped his hands, which were wet with blood and other liquids. “Do you want to continue? The problem on my side hasn’t been solved, or do you plan to open the bottle of champagne now and bring them in…”

Ruan Xian covered his eyes with one hand and laughed in a low voice.

“I’m really crazy,” he declared a little happily.

“I have a similar appearance and structure to people, so it’s normal for you to react.” Tang Yibu started his own plan to write his name again. “In theory, eating and intimacy will bring pleasure. In practice, it feels good. There’s no risk of information leakage or uncontrollable physiological problems between you and me. Further attempts can be made—”

“No, you don’t understand.” Ruan Xian still had a smile on his face. “I thought it was abnormal that killing people would not produce guilt… Now it seems that making out with a different species won’t work either. I’m officially crazy and this deserves a drink.”

Ignoring the blood and sweat on his body, he lazily moved and reached for the bottle of champagne half buried in ice.

Tang Yibu was faster than him. With a grunt, he grabbed the bottle and swallowed two pieces of ice.

“Looks like I don’t have time to solve my problem.” The android crunched the ice. “I have to manually adjust the hormone and blood distribution…”

“How convenient.” Ruan Xian didn’t bother to pull on his bathrobe and poured two glasses. “Come one, try what’s in here first, baby.”

“Powerful sleeping pills, for both a human and an old-fashioned cybernetic brain.” Tang Yibu took a sip. The residual blood on his lips stained the glass. He leaned close to Ruan Xian’s ear and commented in an impartial tone. “They will come five minutes after we drink it, but it shouldn’t work on you and me.” After all, you can metabolize it quickly and I just ingested your blood.”

“Oh, I thought your cybernetic brain was different from ordinary cybernetic brains,” Ruan Xian whispered back, and touched Tang Yibu’s cheek with a cold hand. “Cheers?”

“…Cheers,” Tang Yibu paused before he responded with a smile.

Five minutes later, Ruan Xian obediently closed his eyes and took a long breath. Flower peacock was already wandering outside the door, but this time there were more footsteps, and he wasn’t the only one outside.

The door opening sounded, but Ruan Xian wasn’t worried about the other party’s suspicion—There was still the sound of water and the girl’s sobbing coming from the bathroom, and the air was full of an ambiguous smell mixed with heavy blood and slight musk.

And Tang Yibu, that bastard; in order to pursue the so-called sense of authenticity, had laid directly on his body and pretended to be blacked out. The blood-stained bathrobe hung loose, full of wrinkles, and looked almost black in the light.

This left him room to hide his two blood guns. The ordinary guns he brought had already been scattered on one side of the carpet, together with their clothes.

“Fuck, this is going to be fucking hard to clean up. Damn guy, I knew it would be bad if he drinks.” Flower peacock sighed as he spoke in a low voice. “Old rules. Box them up together and be careful not to wake them. Many people have injected themselves with drug-resistant stuff these days… Put away the weapons on the carpet and take them back for valuation.”

“What about that little girl?”

“A long night is fraught with dreams*. She’s locked in the room. We can deal with her after we’ve delivered the goods. She thinks we’re in a high rise, so she can’t run… Okay, hurry up. She’s just a fucking chick dressed like that, and she doesn’t have a gas mask. Wouldn’t it be worse if she runs out during curfew than staying here?”

*(夜长梦多) Idiom referring to undue delay may bring trouble.

Ruan Xian felt two robotic arms wrapped in rubber gently lift them up. What was waiting for them was a narrow space the size of four coffins stacked together, and the inner wall was slightly cool to the touch.

This was probably what that flower peacock called the “box”.

The box was sealed with a bang, followed by dull thumping sounds. After confirming it was sealed, Ruan Xian immediately separated from Tang Yibu and groped around. The touch was metal, and there were fine air holes left on the four walls. Based on the depth of the holes, the thickness of the metal plate was about five or six centimeters.

Ruan Xian smiled slightly and put the blood gun away in his bathrobe.

“Can you tear this thing apart?” he asked, sticking close to Tang Yibu.

“Of course.”

“It seems that we can give Qian Yigeng a nice surprise.”

The author has something to say:

Tangtang probably has an inkling, but he doesn’t understand.jpg

Kinky Thoughts:

Oh, I love this chapter. Nian Zhong writes beautifully when it comes to awakening her MC’s feelings. I still remember when Oliver first fell for Nemo. This chapter will also be very memorable to me.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 70: Throbbing

Yu Le lay bored in the car alone.

His plan wasn’t very successful. Even when he went to buy the camouflage net, Ji Xiaoman still didn’t say much words to him. The girl didn’t have the vitality that young people should have. She was more like a vending machine from all angles. She spoke less than ten words throughout the entire process. The beautiful middle-aged woman went back into the room behind the store and never came out again.

With the camouflage net and tire lock, the car melded with the surrounding debris and ruins of the dead-end alley. Unless one were to touch it with their hands, you usually couldn’t see the flaws. Yu Le laid down like this for a few hours, and the salted dried fish in his mouth began to become tasteless.

The overwhelming boredom paralyzed his tongue.

Suddenly, a harsh crash and scratching sounded at the door of the car. Yu Le instantly became excited. He raised the muzzle of his gun one step ahead of his eyes. Then he saw a round shadow struggling to jump to the position of the car window. Its four thin legs tried to grab onto the glass, but the next second, it slid down helplessly and fell to the ground with a bang.

Then the aggrieved rattle came from outside the car.

Yu Le opened the door of the car and let the bouncing iron bead get in. He looked at the mechanical life wordlessly for a few seconds, and slowly laid back.

The next second, the iron bead jumped directly onto Yu Le’s chest. The latter was smashed and got up angrily. The spherical mechanical life turned around in place, trying to twist its round body, and showed Yu Le the note in the gap in the metal shell.

The former captain of the Walking Stones raised his eyebrows and pulled out the note: “Yo, there’s no direct communication. Did you go to a shady place?”

The iron bead let out a serious growl.

“Let me see… ‘Mr. Ruan and I are tentatively scheduled to spend the night in a prostitute hall tonight, and we are tentatively scheduled to be back before 10 tomorrow. We will contact you if we have something else.’” There was also a scribbled smiley face symbol at the end of the sentence.

“…So these two boys are being romantic and happy together, leaving laozi alone to watch the car? What do they think I am, a dog?” Yu Le crumbled the paper angrily.

The iron bead bit the corner of Yu Le’s clothes and began to shake its head vigorously.

“I know they are investigating, but the smell on this paper… Damn, I also want to go to such an investigation.” Yu Le sniffed the paper with a sweet and greasy aroma and threw away the salted dried fish in his arms. “Let’s go for a walk and go shopping with Uncle Yu. Fuck the curfew.”

The iron bead crawled deep into the back seat, took out the lid of the can that it had been hidden before, and began to nibble on it slowly.

“No love for me?” Yu Le grinned. “Alright, you can watch the car. I’ll be—”

The door of the small shop not far away slowly opened, and a slender figure squeezed out from the gap, looking around vigilantly. Yu Le swallowed the second half of his words back and watched with interest.”

He wasn’t the only one who planned to ignore the curfew.

Ji Xiaoman changed into a close-fitting black dress, carrying some messy metal props on her back, and some even hung around her waist. Despite bringing a load of equipment, the girl didn’t make any noise as she passed through the poisonous fog.

Her face was buttoned up with a bulky half-face gas mask, which made her look smaller. For a few seconds, coupled with the dark gray prosthetic limbs of her arms and right leg, and the blood-red goggles, she didn’t look like a human at all.

Seeing that a good observation target was delivered to his front door, Yu Le rubbed his hands, put on his gas mask, and slipped out of the car.

There were still many people on the street after the curfew. Most of them were nervously laughing or murmuring vaguely. From a glance, there seemed to be something wrong with their heads. Some people were violent, smashing their fists full of blood, while others were having sex in the dark corners, ignoring the screams from below. In every sense, this wasn’t an environment suitable for young girls to go out alone.

Ji Xiaoman didn’t choose the main road. She jumped on the roof like a cat, raising her hands and feet silently. Yu Le used 100% of his eyesight that he possessed as a captain of a ship so he wouldn’t lose her in the heavy poisonous fog.

In this way, the two bypassed the spider-web-like alley and walked all the way to a sparsely lit area. Just when Yu Le began to suspect that Ji Xiaoman just liked to hunt and walk around, she finally jumped off the roof and rushed into the darkness in the distance.

Even through the gas mask, Yu Le could smell the metallic sour smell in the air. He hid behind a box-shaped machine that was no longer working and turned on the infrared scanning mode of his googles, continuing to observe quietly.

It was very likely that this was the metal disposal junkyard that He An mentioned, and the ruins of mechanical parts were built into natural traps. Even in this muddy and viscous air, Yu Le could see the poisonous fog floating around the junkyard. Many long-legged mechanical creatures were lying on the ruins to feed. They were more than half a person tall and looked like centipedes that had been cut into small sections. The lights on their heads were flashing uncomfortably red.

Ji Xiaoman opened her limbs. A metal rod longer than her small arm popped out at the end of the prosthetic leg, and a device with a similar structure appeared on the sole of the intact leg. After a brief adjustment, she landed on all fours, vividly imitating those mechanical life, and moved forward quickly through the ruins. The movements were graceful yet creepy, like humanoid aliens in old horror movies.

She lowered her body, rushed into the mechanical group of life that was gnawing on the machinery wreckage, and then jumped away like a spider. A series of contractions and implosions resounded through the darkness. The mechanical beings slammed together and soon stopped moving.

Ji Xiaoman pulled out a long, sharp knife from behind and began to skillfully cut open the metal corpses and remove the small parts inside. She was busy skimming a delicate screw out of the mucus, when a scavenger puppet lying in the garbage dump raised its body and bit in the direction of Ji Xiaoman.

Yu Le gasped. The scavenger puppet was at least ten times bigger than those in the Sea of Ruins. Comparing Ji Xiaoman’s to that huge body, her head was like the size of its thumb.

The girl seemed to have eyes behind her back. She neatly grabbed the parts, dragged a few more metal corpses, and quickly jumped out of the attack range of the scavenger puppet. Seeing that the attack was fruitless, the behemoth didn’t pursue, but hid its upper body in the metal scrap heap again.

Then it suffered a series of explosions.

This time it wasn’t an implosion but a normal explosion with great power—the junkyard was lit up in flames that turned eerily blueish green from various metal scraps. The billowing black smoke drifted in the direction of Yu Le, blown by the wind.

The girl in a gas mask stood among the flames and continued to dismember the corpses of the mechanical beings like they were oysters in her hands. Yu Le couldn’t stand the black smoke attack, so he moved in the other direction. Hearing a series of crackling sounds that sounded like eggshells being smashed under someone’s feet, Ji Xiaoman quickly turned around and assumed an offensive posture.

“Who?” Her voice was low in the blistering sound of flames burning.

At the same time, inside the city.

The room in front of him was clean and refreshing, with sunlight projected from the fake windows that gilded the edge of the bathtub with golden light. Fresh flowers were placed at the head of the bed, exuding a nice fragrance. Ruan Xian fiddled with his hands, and his fingers went directly through the petals that had dew on them—a projection.

His gaze swept around the five-star hotel like decoration, as well as the high-altitude view overlooking the city with a clear blue sky outside the window. It looked like a high-rise room at a luxurious hotel before the end of the world, but Ruan Xian couldn’t help but imagine what it would look like after the projection was removed.

The champagne mentioned by flower peacock was at the head of the bed, lying obliquely in a metal bucket with ice that exuded a hint of cool air. The shopkeeper, who was dressed in bells and whistles, didn’t match the elegant decoration, and he himself seemed to know this. After leading Ruan Xian and Tang Yibu into the room, he quickly closed the door and left.

“The temperature here is a bit high,” Tang Yibu said, sitting down on the soft mattress as he mouthed his words.

“It seems that that gentleman really wants us to drink this bottle of champagne.” Ruan Xian picked up a piece of ice casually. It was real as it was slowly melting between his fingers. He also replied silently with his lips.

The girl who was still in the window just now was wearing a student uniform and had a shorter hairstyle. She was hiding under the empty space of the table and cabinet, shaking like sieve. The little girl’s nose and eyes were flushed, and her arms were scrawny and weak. As soon as Tang Yibu moved in her direction, she let out a sharp scream and hugged her head tightly.

“I’ll take a shower first.” Ruan Xian spoke out this time, with the confidence and laziness unique to someone superior in his voice. “This environment… It seems that we can’t play dirty games.”

“I will go with you.” Tang Yibu said knowingly, and Ruan Xian glared at him.

Seeing that the two of them had no intention of touching her, the little girl stopped screaming and squeezed into the depths of the shadows again; her eyes were dark and desperate.

Just like all the guests who couldn’t wait, Ruan Xian quickly washed away the stains on his body and seriously rejected Tang Yibu’s proposal that “it’s more efficient to wash together”. After the android had started showering, Ruan Xian wiped his half-dry hair and knelt down at the table where the girl was hiding. The girl known as Tiantian-Q2 suddenly choked with fright. The details of her expression were impeccable. Ruan Xian couldn’t tell whether she was a human or an android.

She was constantly exuding fear and rejection into the air, and in addition to despair, a few traces of hatred appeared in her eyes.

Ruan Xian suddenly understood the selling point of this “commodity”—people who came here weren’t simply intending to vent their desires, but often preferred to dominate and destroy. Sometimes the pleasure of stepping on others was no less than pure sex.

“When my person is done washing, I hope you will take a shower,” Ruan Xian said in a command-like tone, grabbing the girl’s wrist. The girl looked like she wanted to bite him for a moment. “Wash it well,” he added.

Footsteps came from the door. Someone was pacing outside. Ruan Xian glanced in the direction of the door and increased the force he was using to grab the girl’s wrist. The girl was abruptly dragged out from under the table by him. Tang Yibu had just finished taking a shower and had put on a loose bathrobe when he saw such a scene as soon as he came out.

“No!” The girl’s voice was sharp and tearful. She scratched at Ruan Xian and kicked over the seat beside her. “Don’t touch me, scumbag, pervert!”

The footsteps at the door stopped.

Someone was opening the door. Ruan Xian gave Tang Yibu a wink, who was learning on the head of the bed knowingly. He picked up a fruit knife and began to cut the pears in the bowl of fruit.

“Are you okay?” The flower peacock knocked on the door symbolically. “Is the effect very realistic? You don’t have to worry about it. Just teach her the lesson. We have good medical insurance. Don’t be hurt by her. It’s not worth it.”

“It’s just a little girl.” Ruan Xian raised his voice. “Is listening around the corner a feature of your store as well?”

“Sorry, sorry. Because the setting of Tiantian-Q2 is relatively special, something has happened before… You continue to enjoy it. I will leave now.” The flower peacock hurriedly declared, but his footsteps didn’t move.

Ruan Xian listened to the movement outside the fake window for a while, raised his hand, and gave the little girl a firm slap. His strength wasn’t so small that the girl was stunned by the slap before she remembered to cry two seconds later. The corners of her lips were bloodshot, and her beautiful face swelled, visible to the naked eye.

Hearing this, the flower peacock left with satisfaction.

Ruan Xian put down his hand, ignoring the hostility in the girl’s eyes. He took out a roll of yellow bandage from his waist bag, stood up, and took the knife from Tang Yibu’s hand.

The girl crawled back with her hands and feet, her teeth chattering. Ruan Xian shook his head and stabbed himself in the palm with the knife, letting the blood drip on the bandage. Then he picked up the yellowish orange lube by the head of the bed and squeezed some on the bandage and wiped the corner of the wall to make it look dirty and shabby.

After preparing for all this, he picked up his dirty coat. “Take off your skirt.”

“No.” The girl covered her swollen face and choked desperately. Tang Yibu stared at Ruan Xian, without much expression on his face.

“Why don’t you go to the toilet and stain it yourself. It’s best to make it look shabby.” Ruan Xian lowered his voice. “Do you want to escape?”

The girl’s body stiffened. She didn’t answer, but her lips trembled badly.

“Now your face is swollen, no one can see you clearly. I will ask you to take a shower again in a while, after my person and I go first. After that, I’m guessing something will happen. While they take us away, you can break the glass and escape.”

The girl in uniform sat slumped on the ground, confused without turning her head.

“Outside, the glass is an alley, not a high-rise building. It’s curfew now. You can figure out the rest.”

“I… My eyes…” the girl murmured. It took a while for her to find her voice.

“Pretend to be blind.” Ruan Xian threw the bloody, dirty bandage over. “Wrap it around your eyes and wear my coat to cover your upper body. A tall old woman with a swollen face and bloody eyes wouldn’t be targeted. I put the gas mask in the bathroom. You can put it on yourself.”

“You…” The girl was still trying to find her voice as tears fell again. “You believe me. I really—”

“I don’t believe you,” Ruan Xian replied quietly.

Tang Yibu frowned.

“To be honest, I don’t really care what’s in your head. As for whether you will run or come back yourself because of your program, that’s also your business. It’s fine to report us. Anyways, we probably can’t get out of here now.”

Ruan Xian gathered a handful of wet black hair, revealing a little clavicle. He raised his voice again. “Now go wash it. I’ll play here for a while. Make sure to wash yourself well and don’t come out without hearing my instructions.”

The girl glanced at him deeply, grabbed the bandage and clothes, rushed into the bathroom, and quickly bolted the door from the inside.

Ruan Xian chuckled and turned the sharp fruit knife in his hand. He released his hand and the deep wound in it had already healed. He looked at the champagne at the head of the bed for a while and then lay down in the position Tang Yibu had vacated.

“You have to save her,” Tang Yibu muttered in a low voice.

“I didn’t save her. I gave her a chance to save herself. I just don’t like seeing children locked up.” Ruan Xian turned his back to him.

“But you don’t know if she’s human.”

“Is that important?”

Tang Yibu didn’t answer. Ruan Xian felt a force erupting from behind him, and the next moment, a pair of golden eyes looked down at him full of complex emotions.

“I can’t analyze the current situation anymore,” Tang Yibu said mindlessly. “You’re not like him, but he made you…”

Tang Yibu stopped talking, lowered his body again, pressing his bare skin onto Ruan Xian’s neck. Ruan Xian swallowed and squeezed the fruit knife in his hand.

“…” Ruan Xian knew who Tang Yibu was referring to, his nominal maker, the other “Ruan Xian”.

But he couldn’t understand Tang Yibu’s specific meaning. For the first time, Tang Yibu revealed such a complex emotion, but he seemed to be unclear on how to deal with it. Both his expressions and movements were eerily stiff and awkward.

“You obviously have human personality data.” Tang Yibu stretched out a hand and slowly slid down from the side of Ruan Xian’s face, with a bit of exclamation in his voice. “It’s not the emotionally sensitive type. It actually resonates with creatures that are suspected of being bionic.”

“Even if you plan to update your observation diary of me.” Ruan Xian gritted his teeth. The friction between their skin-on-skin contact made him feel anxious. The other party’s inhuman reaction sent instinctive chills down his spine, “This posture isn’t necessary.”

However, at the moment when this new fear hit, another heat quickly ignited with it. Some kind of thrill of close contact with danger made his breathing short, like poison that corroded his heart.

“You said you wanted to ‘play with me for a while’. That guy just now must’ve been listening.” Tang Yibu moved his lips silently and stopped his hand on Ruan Xian’s fragile neck. “We have to make some noises… As far as your emotional processing method is concerned, I don’t think you can imitate it well. I can help you with that.”

“No need.” Ruan Xian erected the tip of the knife. The flickering cold blade pierced the android’s bare chest. Tang Yibu’s bathrobe slid down. There were still horrifying fresh burns across his arms—probably left over from when he attacked the bandit’s camp.

“I’ll say it again, no need,” Ruan Xian repeated again. His body was trembling slightly because of the unfamiliar sensation, but his hand still held the knife stably.

“But you’re excited.” Those beautiful golden eyes blinked. “Mr. Ruan, if you were able to cross that line and hear her voice, would you also be able to…”

He leaned down completely, put his hand into Ruan Xian’s bathrobe, and slid it over Ruan Xian’s back very skillfully. The latter let out a hoarse moan, and then firmly sent out the knife.

Tang Yibu ignored the blade that pierced his body. He hugged the other party firmly, rubbing the tip of his nose against Ruan Xian’s temple, as if he had lost the sense of pain. Blood gushed down the place where the two chests were pressed against each other, dyeing the light-colored sheets red.

“…Hear me as well?” he whispered.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 69: The Other Side of the Window

Ji Xiaoman’s hands that were attached to the prosthetic limbs were like steel insects. To be fair, they were less like normal human hands and more like deformations based on the bones of a hand structure. The metal fingers were thin and sharp that she could even twist a needle with them. The joints were embedded with fine parts that slid silently as if the pile of metal seemed to have life.

Right now, she was holding a twisted metal ruler, drawing on a slightly dirty piece of paper. After throwing out her last sentence and getting no response for nearly ten seconds, Ji Xiaoman raised her head and looked at Ruan Xian, who was silent.

The young female shopkeeper was originally short, and she didn’t like to look up when she saw people, so she had to roll her eyes to look. Her facial features could be said to be delicate and beautiful, but because of her habit, she was slightly gloomy and gave people a very unfriendly feeling.

“My purpose is very personal. I don’t want to say it. In short, I won’t do anything bad, and no matter what it is, it won’t be worse than Qian Yigeng,” she said dreamily while putting the leaky pen back on the table. “I understand if you don’t agree. This isn’t an easy task.”

“Create anyone.” Ruan Xian chewed on the sentence that Ji Xiaoman had said.

“Yes, as long as you have sufficient information. It’s similar to forging an oil painting.” Ji Xiaoman’s voice fell a little lower again, and the little joy that had just appeared was gone. “If you don’t want to do it, then just leave quickly. It’s only a week longer. You can wait.”

“We’ll take a look first.” Yu Le immediately found a way to help himself. “This requirement be counted?”

This time Ji Xiaoman didn’t lift her head, but just nodded.

“Is there a place to live near here?” Yu Le rubbed his hands together and gave that warm look again. “Miss, look, we are not familiar around here…”

Ji Xiaoman ignored him.

“Tsk, that little girl.” Yu Le returned to the car bitterly and lay down in the driver’s seat. “Not flattering at all.”

“We can’t live in the car for this whole time. It’s too conspicuous here. It’s only a matter of time before we get targeted.” Ruan Xian shook his head.

These days, people didn’t carefully verify whether there were really supplies in the car. As long as they thought there was, they would simply take action. Just like Tang Yibu’s golden eyes could lead to danger, facts would always become weak in face of imagination.

Ruan Xian didn’t mind releasing the demon in his heart and guessing every pessimistic thing.

Tang Yibu jumped into the car one step after the other. The iron bead screamed and jumped to the top of Tang Yibu’s head familiarly. The android sat down in his seat, still holding half a can of peaches in his hand, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of continuing to eat.

“Do you want to go back to midtown?” Yu Le, who was lying on his side, opened a bag of hardtack and kicked the steering wheel with his foot. “Seriously, you two don’t really want to plan to try it? It’s just stealing something. The two of you have the ability to cause trouble under Fan Baiyan’s eyes. This trivial matter shouldn’t be an issue—we can get the car fixed early, and I can lead you to the ruins of the rebel army faster. Then we can dissolve this group.”

“I want to stay here.” Ruan Xian didn’t look at Yu Le. He stared at his white coat that had been dyed beyond recognition.

There was a delicate plastic buckle embedded in the white jacket, and the holes in his stitching were filled with dried blood and dirt. Time had passed and technology had come to the front of his cognition, but other things hadn’t changed for hundreds of years.

He fiddled with the dirty button with his fingertips. “Whether we steal it or not, I want to find out more information about Qian Yigeng.”

In any case, intelligence was necessary.

Even if they didn’t plan to take on that absurd request, they still needed to stay in this maze-like city for more than a week. It was better to get more information down here. Judging from the rules of the curfew, midtown may not be any safer than here. At any rate, the lingering poisonous fog could restrict the activities of some people.

On the other hand, if Qian Yigeng really came into contact with the other “Ruan Xian”…

“Okay, then I’ll buy a camouflage net and hide the car first. I just saw one in the store, and I don’t believe that little girl will remain silent.” Yu Le yawned. “That Tu Rui actually wanted laozi to live here for a year and a half… This is no different from going to a fucking prison. It’s better to be in the Sea of Ruins. At least the air is good.”

Tang Yibu didn’t participate throughout the conversation.

Since Ji Xiaoman explained the purpose of that thing, the android hadn’t said a word. He held the can peaches solemnly, frowning slightly, as if he had encountered a difficult problem in life. If it weren’t for the meaningless rattling of the iron bead on top of his head, this scene would be more serious.

Ruan Xian subconsciously wanted to ask him “What’s the matter”, but when he was about to say it, he swallowed it back. The relationship between them was a bit too much, and he didn’t want to make it any more difficult.

Rejecting temptation from the beginning was always the best way to resist it.

“I’m with Mr. Ruan.” After Tang Yibu was silent for a long time, he pulled the iron bead off his head and held it in his arms. He didn’t give a reason and just held Ruan Xian’s shirt with one hand.

“Are you afraid that I will run away?” Yu Le raised his eyebrows.

“You showed no signs of lying just now. You want to repair this car.” Tang Yibu held the slightly deformed can of peaches. “We know where to find you.”

“Okay, okay.” Yu Le yawned again. “I’ll take care of our Miss Icy. When you two are done, remember to come find me. Now that I’m going to sleep, what are you two going to do?”

Ruan Xian buckled back the half-face gas mask, stuffed some rations into his pockets, and pinned two conspicuous guns on himself. He jumped out of the car and plunged into the fog. Tang Yibu followed closely behind with the iron bead running around beside him, swallowing up the fog, looking like it was in a good mood.

They walked out for more than ten meters before Yu Le and the armored off-roader were engulfed by the fog. Now, only all kinds of lights and projections were still particularly clear in the fog, like some kind of fantasy movie with cheap special effects. Moans and laughter came from the gloomy buildings, mixed with a lot of crying and screaming.

A dark and sticky environment. Unlike in the Sea of Ruins, Ruan Xian no longer felt nervous. Such close proximity to the composition of “society” gave him a strange sense of security in returning to the shadows. He walked through the messy alleys like capillaries and walked towards the place where the voices were most dense. Since Qian Yigeng was the leader of a gang, it wasn’t feasible to just casually ask anyone randomly. He needed to carefully select his target. Besides, people would inadvertently spread all kinds of information in the air.

The building in front looked vaguely like a market.

Unlike the primitive settlements like the Sea of Ruins, the shops here retained their windows. Countless glass windows were crowded together. Many of them had beautiful bodies of both men and women that were almost naked and were scratching their heads and posing behind the windows. They stood in different environmental projections with their eyes blurred. All kinds of skin and hair colors were available. There were some who were dyed in bright, unnatural colors and had metal studs embedded in their lips.

They had only one thing in common. They all had beautiful golden eyes and didn’t seem to know what fatigue was.

Ruan Xian could hear the heartbeats of those people. No matter what was in their heads, their bodies were undoubtedly human. He stopped in front of the shop window. A naked young girl was pounding on the glass. Her golden eyes were full of fear and pleading.

On the thick glass where she was imprisoned was a note: [Procedural effect. Please don’t take it seriously.]

The girl was very short, and her figure still retained the characteristics of a teenager. Ruan Xian couldn’t’ even judge whether she was an adult. These scenes began to make him feel uncomfortable. The man leaning against the door clearly misunderstood his gloomy face.

He was wearing a fancy shirt, and the hem of the shirt hung sloppily and was studded with sequins like fish scales. His hair was also dyed colorfully, which was off-putting, like a peacock that had suffered from skin disease.

“If the customer wants it, you’ll get it. You can choose whatever you want from age, appearance, and figure. We have everything you desire.” The man puffed out a ring of yellowish smoke. “The best imitation cybernetic brain on the market will never have a reaction time of more than three seconds, which is different from those junk that will crash.”

He exhaled again and casually glanced at Tang Yibu behind Ruan Xian. “Yo, is he your pet? Sorry bud, we don’t have any men at our store.”

Ruan Xian didn’t speak. He glanced at the girl in the window again. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she kept pounding on the glass while mouthing “help”. There was a conspicuous copper coin inscription* that was branded on her left arm.

*Qian (钱) in Qian Yigeng means money, which is fitting why his brand is a copper coin.

“Oh, that model is our store signboard. Tiantian-Q2. Very pitiful, right? Many people like this tone.” The man’s excitement came up when he found that Ruan Xian didn’t intend to leave. “We also have well-behaved and obedient types, but they don’t attract as many guests as this one. If you want to add some fun, we can set her to a special name, such as—”

“Your shop isn’t big,” Ruan Xian interrupted the man’s chatter.

“You can’t say that. Those specialty restaurants also limit the number of guests, right? In order to provide better service, I only accept one person at a time. You can choose the environment and scene setting, but the price…”

“Really? Why do I think the business here isn’t very good? I’ll take a look, but without a guarantee, who would dare enter and play.” Ruan Xian used his spare time to look at the security of the facility.

The large word “vacant” was projected at the entrance of the store, and special effects with bells and whistles were also added. Through the reflection of those words, Ruan Xian found a beautiful cooper coin inscribed on the door of the shop, exactly the same one he saw on the girl’s left arm.

“This shop is under Boss Qian. Have you heard of him?” Seeing the cooked duck begin to flutter its wings, the flower peacock looked a little anxious. “You’ll definitely not find such a realistic character anywhere else. The other stores on the edge are full of trash that is no different from an inflatable doll. Your health is also guaranteed. Boss Qian wants us to disinfect it every day!”

“I’m relieved to hear you say that.” Ruan Xian moved his feet and walked into the ambiguously decorated store. The man smiled and snapped his fingers, and the “vacant” at the door became “occupied”.

The shop was lit with cloying incense. Ruan Xian didn’t take off his gas mask. He smelled the ingredients of medicine from the incense. Countless light screens squeeze into the already small space, making it even more suffocating with different environmental scenes and girls’ costumes displayed on them.

“What kind of setting and character selection do you want? The prices are all marked. A well-maintained gun with ten rounds of bullets can give you a mid-ranged normal type. Three guns can get you an exciting play. As long as they aren’t killed, we will provide medical treatment. If you can come up with something good, you can kill or take them away… Oh, you can take off your gas mask. It’s okay, we filtered the air here.”

Watching Ruan Xian step across the threshold with both feet, the flower peacock became much more attentive than just now. From beginning to end, he didn’t look at Tang Yibu, who was following Ruan Xian, as if Ruan Xian was holding a dog or cat.

Ruan Xian took a breath, slowly took off his mask, and the flower peacock’s eyes lit up.

“Sir, your face is really nice. It’s very pleasing to the eyes.” He then turned his gaze to Tang Yibu, and his eyes became brighter. “You have good taste. Let me give you a discount for your first time. I’ll knock off one gun. Two guns, play whatever you want. What do you think? No, no, 30 rounds of bullets are enough, and we’ll add on the champagne that we normally give to members.”

“Ok,” Ruan Xian said succinctly. “Just the girl outside.”

“Good choice. Choose an environment. She will never let you down.”

“Let’s get your best seller.” Ruan Xian slapped the gun on the counter that he held at his waist. “I’ll give the bullets when I see her.”

“Then you wait here, just ten minutes. I’ll go get ready.” The flower peacock smiled and bowed as he guided them into a small room with complicated vulgar decorations, and then gently closed the door.

“What are your plans?” Once the man left, Tang Yibu immediately asked. “Just now, you have no signs of sexual excitement.”

“…You even observe this?” Ruan Xian’s face stiffened, and he squeezed a sentence from between his teeth.

Tang Yibu looked innocent. “This door is soundproof. That person can’t hear us.”

“It’s not about soundproof… Forget it.” Ruan Xian wiped his face. “When he comes over again, we will start the plan. This person knows a little about Qian Yigeng.”

“Then it’s more appropriate to start just now.” Tang Yibu seemed to have recovered a little from his unexplained depression.

“His enthusiasm is not natural.” Ruan Xian knocked on the armrest of the sofa with his fingertips, “If there is a discount for the first time, he should’ve said it when we were outside. There’s fraud in this matter. First… Shhh.”

Generally, soundproofing didn’t stop the detection of an S-type Prototype.

“I’ve come across two good ones. They are white faces, and there’s oil in water*. One of them is an android. If it’s an intact old-fashion cybernetic brain, we’ll send it.” The flower peacock seemed to be talking to someone, and his voice was very low. “You’ll know it when you see it. A first-class sample! Didn’t Boss Qian ask us to pay attention to new models this time? Don’t talk nonsense. Get a car quickly. You’ll see. It’s definitely different from previous times. Boss Qian will approve…”

*Phrase that means there’s some extra benefit in something. || In this context, he’s basically saying these two white faces (noobs) can be taken advantage of.

“It seems we can’t go back tonight.” Ruan Xian prattled. “I hope Yu Le doesn’t think we ran away.”

“No.” Tang Yibu gestured at the iron bead for a while and let it out of the window.

The iron beads squeezed through the barbed wire with difficulty, making a loud rattle.

“It’s okay. Go back and tell Yu Le immediately. Be obedient.” Tang Yibu took out a pen from his pocket and wrote something on a candy wrapper and stuffed it into the gap of the iron bead’s shell. The iron bead reluctantly rubbed Tang Yibu’s hand and then bit off the plastic pen holder.

“It’s ready.” The entangled iron bead had just disappeared on the other side of the window as the flower peacock returned to the room. “Come with me, sir. Do you want to store this android or…?”

“He comes with me.”

“That’s fine too.” The flower peacock’s expression twitched. “The champagne is on the head of the bed. Be careful not to break it. Next time, there will be a fee… Oh, you can’t take it out either.”

“Of course.” Ruan Xian grabbed Tang Yibu’s wrist. “We will never miss it, will we, baby?”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 68: Preferential Requirements

The girl absolutely noticed everyone’s eyes staring at her. She had no special reaction. The two metal prosthetic limbs supported the counter as she repeated what she had just said.

“What do you want?” She raised her eyes. There was no enthusiasm in her voice.

“The thermal conductivity controller of my Gray Knight KN-09 is broken. Can it be repaired?” Yu Le glanced at the blade embedded in the girl’s prosthetic limb, and his voice turned serious. “If you can repair it, make an offer.”

“I know that model. The price depends on the degree of damage.” The girl’s voice was a little low, as if she was talking to herself. Her gaze quickly swept across the canned peaches in Tang Yibu’s hand, and she looked away without leaving a trace.

“The car is outside.” Yu Le poked his thumb behind him. “We’ll go with you.”

The young shopkeeper hummed in a low voice and looked at Ruan Xian and Tang Yibu, who were closer to her. She didn’t react to Tang Yibu’s golden eyes, but squatted down, hung the heavy tool bag around her waist, and walked out from behind the counter.

Only then did Ruan Xian discover that the girl’s right leg was also a prosthetic that was similar to her arms. Its shape was a bit rougher, with a dull gleam of metal attached at her knee.

“Mom, the buns are hot in the kitchen.” She nodded to the woman who was knitting a sweater. “I’ll come take this order for the store. You can go take a break.”

The woman who had just been unresponsive nodded, and the smile on her face widened a little. She carefully put down the fabric in her hand, stood up slowly, and walked to the back of the store.

Yu Le took a breath from between his teeth.

The girl obviously had no intention of explaining the situation. She neatly buttoned the half-face gas mask and put on goggles. She really wasn’t tall as the armored off-roader was too big. After Yu Le opened the hood of the car, the girl took a small step ladder from the store and stood on it, which barely allowed her to reach the deepest part.

“It’s so bad that it can’t be repaired.” Her metal fingers were slender and sharp, like a pair of tweezers. They held the fragments firmly between them. “I can make this alloy and get you a new one. By the way, there’s also a problem with the stabilizer shaft in your car… There are parts that were not originally added to it, and there’s a weak corrosive liquid in it. The stabilizer shaft has been worn out by this transformation, and a strong collision has caused it to crack a bit.”

The girl turned her head and looked at Yu Le as if she was looking at an enemy, “It has a lifespan of about half a year. Do you want to repair it?”

“Still need to ask?” Yu Le’s tone was a bit unpleasant when he saw how badly fallen the state of the car was. “Does this need to be repaired?”

“I don’t know if you have the confidence to live for more than half a year.” The girl’s voice was still hoarse, and it felt even more gloomy among the poisonous fog.

“……”

“It’s up to you if you want to repair it. I’ll open a bill for the materials list. No precious metals or vouchers are accepted here.” The girl jumped off the ladder, but her metal prosthetics didn’t make a sound.

It was Yu Le’s business to repair the car. Ruan Xian remained silent and took the opportunity to observe the surroundings.

The alley was full of scrapped machinery. There were exposed broken wires and internal parts, many of which had rusted. The Underground City was different during the day and night. The light should be brighter during the day, but on Summer Street, which was full of prostitution halls, people weren’t very particular about it—ambiguous screams and moans came from the fork of the alley a few steps away from them, mixed with unpleasant curses and coughs.

Tang Yibu plugged his ears blankly while Yu Le coughed dryly in embarrassment. The girl remained motionless, as if she hadn’t heard anything.

“…Are there any other requests?” Seeing that Yu Le didn’t say a word, she asked in a low voice. “It’s cheaper to do more. Weapon repair and modification, or…”

“Nothing else, I have to look at the supply list first. No need to worry about the weapons. Just check the whole car at most. What is your name, little miss?” Yu Le pressed his temples.

“Ji Xiaoman.” The girl put the step ladder under her arm. Even if she was able to land some business, she didn’t sound very enthusiastic.

“Miss Ji, how long will it take to fix it?” When everyone entered the store, Ruan Xian softened his voice.

Ji Xiaoman was standing on tiptoe and was stuffing the step ladder back onto the shelf.

“I still have a few orders in my hand, so about half a month.” She looked at Ruan Xian’s eyes as if she was looking at a pool of stagnant water. The girl was quite young, but even Yu Le seemed more energetic than she was. Ruan Xian saw a familiar emotion in her eyes that he didn’t like very much.

“Half a month?!” Yu Le shouted.

“Yup.” Ji Xiaoman returned to the counter and began to write up the order. “I’m the fastest mechanic here. If you’re not satisfied, you can ask other mechanics. Under normal circumstances, since there’s no high-precision machine tool in the factory, it would take at least one and a half months for manual parts to be replaced.”

“All right,” Yu Le muttered, and leaned over to Ruan Xian. “Xiao Ruan, the place I’m going to take you is quite far away. It’s really dangerous if we don’t have a car. Look at this half month…”

“We can both protect you,” Before Ruan Xian had time to speak, Tang Yibu responded positively.

Yu Le ignored him. “Xiao Ruan, look at our weapons and supplies. They are very heavy. It’s really hard to carry them without a car—”

“I can carry it on my back.” Tang Yibu raised a hand and almost jumped up.

“Can’t you understand human language? I just fucking want to fix this car and take you two there!” Yu Le gritted his teeth. “Fuck, what are you laughing at, surname Ruan. The environment in this shitty place is terrible and laozi has to take care of the both of you. This is an extra risk, you know. There are no other options.”

“I have no problem with reducing risks.” Ruan Xian straightened his face and retracted his gaze from Tang Yibu, who was a little lost. “But half a month is indeed a bit long. If there is another way…”

“Yes.” Ji Xiaoman stopped writing, and she raised her head. “Except for what is on this list. Add a cybernetic brain—anything related to it, I’ll take off five days. Do something for me and I’ll reduce it by another five days. I can give you the highest priority.”

“I haven’t seen an android since the end of the fucking world. Where would I get you something related to a cybernetic brain—” Yu Le wiped his face.

“I have.” Ruan Xian stated it straightforwardly. Tang Yibu and Yu Le both looked at him at the same time.

Ruan Xian reached into his clothes, took out a gray disc with a metallic luster from his close-fitting pocket, and put something labeled AD4 on the table. Ji Xiaoman frowned while Tang Yibu let out an “Ah”.

“You didn’t eat it at the time,” he said, in surprise.

“I won’t touch drugs if I don’t know the principle behind it.” Ruan Xian’s finger was still on the pill. “We came out of Petri Dish No. 1036, Miss Ji. The refuge over there can make medicine that destroys the cybernetic brains of robots. I don’t know if this meets your requirement.”

Ji Xiaoman lowered her eyes and stared at the pill for a while. “Principle?”

“I don’t know what it is as I didn’t take it.” Ruan Xian smiled. “But Yibu knows better. Come on, Yibu. Tell her.”

Tang Yibu glanced at Ruan Xian deeply. “The essence is a nanobot polymer which can quickly be absorbed by the human body and cut off the specific signal transmission of the cybernetic brain. Normal people will be fine after eating it, but if they were replaced by a bionic… The effect is equivalent to cutting off the autonomous thinking part and making them lose their advanced level thinking.”

He took two steps in Ruan Xian’s direction. “The existing S-type products basically do not exist, and the resilience of general bionic organisms isn’t very good. It’s more difficult to recover from the damage caused by the drug. In most cases, the effects are permanent.”

“In other words, it’s poison.” Ji Xiaoman summed it up simply.

“You can say that.”

“This is exchangeable,” she hesitated for a moment, “but I have to test the efficacy of the drug first.”

“The amount in the pill is quite strong. Scrapping off a little will not affect it as a whole.” Tang Yibu quickly added.

Ji Xiaoman nodded in silence and handed the written list to Yu Le. Ruan Xian took a little debris from the pill and left it on the counter, then put it back in his pocket and crossed his arms.

Tang Yibu leaned over to Ruan Xian’s side and stared deeply at Ruan Xian’s face.

“I thought you changed Chi Lei’s medicine or did something else with it.” After moving a few steps away from the counter, Ruan Xian lowered his voice extremely low. “I didn’t expect you to really plan to let me eat it.”

“It won’t work for you. I’m 100% sure.” Tang Yibu lowered his head. “Are you angry?”

Ruan Xian glanced at the aggrieved face of the other party, and suddenly felt a little relieved. “Give me the canned peaches, and this matter will be written off.”

Tang Yibu hurriedly stuffed the canned peaches into Ruan Xian’s hand. Ruan Xian sighed and poured a piece into his mouth casually. As a result, before he could swallow, Yu Le howled and almost caused Ruan Xian to choke to death.

“This is all retribution.” Yu Le’s hand trembled a little while holding the list. “Laozi has been robbing people for so many years and it finally caught up as I’m being robbed now. This is robbery, little miss. Just for the repair job will cost me more than half my family’s fortune.”

“You can get your hands dirty and do it yourself.” When speaking about her profession, Ji Xiaoman’s voice was cold and harsh. “The things I repair won’t go wrong for at least ten years, even if you drop it again. Guns and ammunition can be obtained from others, but sturdy cars are as valuable as a fortress. The price is fine.”

She put away the fragments on the table and glanced at Ruan Xian, who was silent again.

“If you run some errands for me, including the five days of expedited work, I’ll also add some more discounts.” She raised her voice a little bit. “Is that okay?”

“Then let’s discuss. Remember to check the whole car for me.” Yu Le waved his hand weakly. “Without my fortune, my life is as good as gone. Can laozi even survive like this?”

“If you want to off yourself, I’ll help.” Ji Xiaoman didn’t make eye contact with them. “The boss of the core gang in Summer Street is headed by Qian Yigeng. He has what I want. Whether you steal it or obtain it through other means, I must get it.”

“Listen up, miss, I have brothers from all over the country.” Yu Le snorted. “I have a pretty well-informed group in the Sea of Ruins, and I have never heard of Qian Yigeng. You’re leaving us in the dark without telling us what you want. Are you sure you’re not asking us to deliver food right to their front door?”

“It’s ‘me’, not ‘us’,” Tang Yibu corrected solemnly. “Mr. Ruan and I will not go.”

“You fucking…”

“I want the mind access needle for the old-fashioned cybernetic brain.” Ji Xiaoman raised her head and directly interrupted Yu Le. “Qian Yigeng hid it very well. I’ve wanted it for a long time.”

“You… Are you also in the business of old-fashioned cybernetic brains?” Yu Le looked at the dilapidated storefront without concealing the suspicion in his voice.

“I have my own use.” Ji Xiaoman shook her head. “You are right. I will tell you in advance, Qian Yigeng has found a lot of people to guard it, as if it’s his foundation of life. I don’t know the details. If I could figure it out, I wouldn’t ask people like you.”

She sighed softly and rubbed her mutilated arm.

“All I know is that it’s not something that can be copied casually. Like an intact old-fashioned cybernetic brain, no one in the entire Underground United City can make it. He often shows it off everywhere, saying that he personally snatched it from Ruan Xian.”

“Where is this Qian Yigeng?” Tang Yibu continued very naturally. “We need to formulate a plan of action.”

Yu Le: “……”

“The other side of Summer Street.” Ji Xiaoman finally showed a little joy. “Do you agree?”

“No.”

It was Ruan Xian who protested this time.

“Listening to the name, this thing seems very interesting.” He held the canned food in one hand and clenched his fists slightly in the other, still with a smile on his face. “Tell me its specific function and your purpose, and we will talk about the details.”

“This kind of thing was only available in a main bionic factory before, and its function is very simple.”

Ji Xiaoman lowered her head again and began to fiddle with the weird tools on the counter.

“It can access an old-fashioned cybernetic brain and thoroughly edit all memory and personality data. Even if it was snatched from Ruan Xian’s hands, no one thinks that Qian Yigeng is bragging… If it’s used well, it can be regarded as a strategic weapon. Ordinary arms and machinery are incomparable.”

“It can ‘make’ anyone.”

The author has something to say:

The medicine that has been hidden for 100 million years (…) is finally useful!

Kinky Thoughts:

I originally translated cybernetic brain as electronic brain but decided to change the translation as I think cybernetic sounds better and more concise. Basically, you just need to know that it’s the “brain” of a robot/android/whatever that is not originally human.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 67: The Female Shopkeeper

The road wasn’t wide as it spiraled downwards. It’s second half was submerged in thick fog. Many young people were leaning idly on the side of the road to smoke. Yu Le drove the car extremely slowly, and Ruan Xian could see the yellowish smoke coming out of people’s noses and mouths. They quickly dissipate into the fog and became part of the turbid air.

It stood to reason that he and Tang Yibu didn’t need to follow Yu Le to Summer Street, but to be separated in this maze-like city, even Ruan Xian couldn’t be sure that he could find Yu Le again. The air was stuffed with a pungent smell mixed together, and the gurgling sound of gas and liquid passing through the pipes and thumping noises made by metal could be heard everywhere. The low-quality light screen made a harsh noise, accompanied by people shouting in the distance as a pot of porridge was bubbling, like a carnival full of drunkards.

It was much more troublesome here than in the Sea of Ruins. If he were to spread out his perception, Ruan Xian wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t just faint immediately.

When he was looking out the car window, Tang Yibu had opened another can of canned peaches. He carefully scooped up a piece of yellow peach with a spoon and placed it next to Ruan Xian’s mouth, with a solemnity on his face as if he was surrendering his prey. The iron bead happily picked up the lid of the can and tried to hide it under the seat of the car.

“I’m not hungry yet.” Ruan Xian patted Tang Yibu on the arm. “You can eat first.”

Tang Yibu put the peach into his mouth, still staring at Ruan Xian, looking extremely harmless. Ruan Xian couldn’t help but stretch out his hand and pat Tang Yibu on the cheek. “Eat with peace of mind. I will take some myself when I’m hungry, but you have to lower your body a little bit. Someone on the side of the road has already noticed us. I don’t think it’s a good idea to expose supplies in public.”

Hearing this, the android put down the half-eaten canned food and began to look at the back of He An’s head.

After they entered lower city, He An no longer spoke. He rested his elbow on the car window, propped his face with one hand, and gazed out the window at the dense fog.

“Xiao He is really sincere. You told us about how cybernetic brains are expensive, which means you’re not afraid of our motives.” Yu Le broke the silence this time. “Why would you tell us?”

“A’Yu* and I are City Defenders here. If you make a move on me, you will never get out of this city.”

*When put in front of a name, it’s a way of addressing someone with endearment.

He An continued to stare at the shadowy buildings and blurred lights in the fog without looking back.

“The gentleman in the back, although you claim that he’s not an android, the thugs don’t care so much—if they see golden eyes, they’ll just cut off your head. Even if it’s a human head, to them it’ll only be a bit of wasted time.”

Tang Yibu clenched the half-empty can of canned food; his expression becoming more solemn. “Why?”

“Why what?”

Tang Yibu spoke indifferently again, obviously not wanting to talk to He An. “Why do they want cybernetic brains?”

“Do you still have to ask?” He An grinned. “Who doesn’t want others to follow what they say and ‘love’ them from the bottom of their hearts? They don’t need to think about harm and betrayal. There’s no worry that the other party has a side that they won’t understand. These days, there are few people who can edit the natural human brain, but there are many capable people that can modify cybernetic ones.”

He paused for a bit. “After the end of the world, the old-fashioned cybernetic brains were discontinued. The numbers are limited, not to mention those that aren’t broken. If I were you, I would dye my eyes or simply wear old-fashioned contact lenses.”

“In other words, androids here are relatively rare.” Ruan Xian tried to summarize.

“According to Ruan Xian’s theory, it’s the opposite. There are plenty of human shells with cybernetic brains inside.”

He An finally turned his head. His expression began to turn blank. “Intact old-fashioned cybernetic brains are rare, and there will always be imitations. However, there are no processing conditions here, so the imitations are very rough. Life support and personality simulation aren’t very good, and their intelligence is only a little higher than that of a dog’s. If you see an unresponsive humanoid creature, nine out of ten times it’s an imitation brain, while the remaining ones are broken old cybernetic brains.”

Tang Yibu frowned slightly.

“It can be regarded as a specialty here. If you need cheap labor, you can get one. As long as you can get enough supplies, you can still buy a follower or slave. There’s no need to refine energy, and you can feed it with some food. There’s nothing wrong with it except that it’s stupid.”

Yu Le’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and his expression became a bit unsightly.

“You are an old-fashioned cybernetic brain.” Tang Yibu concisely pointed out. “And it’s not broken.”

“Yes, the most valuable kind. A’Yu smashed all his net worth on me.” He An readily admitted. “In short, this is just a warning—the color of your eyes and your normal behavior that makes it look like your brain isn’t bad means you are likely to be targeted.”

“Thank you for your warning.” Ruan Xian nodded quietly.

“We’re almost here at Summer Street.” He An changed the subject. Dazzling neon lights started penetrating through the fog. The damp and dirty streets became clear with light. Many naked men and women were projected into the translucent air, making various explicit and blatant provocative gestures. “Be careful. Don’t be pulled away casually. Of course, if you have those kinds of needs, your life is hard enough, so you don’t need to tell me.”

Yu Le pursed his lips. His expression was unexpectedly calm. He turned the steering wheel, and the bulky front of the car went straight through the projection of the red-haired beauty lying on the ground, splashing up sewage. “Would a mechanic be in a place like this?”

“This kind of place is easy to buy weapons and old parts. It’s the closest to the metal disposal dump and the water tower.” He An took out a simple gas mask from his pocket and clasped it on his face. “Put me down at the crossroads ahead. You can handle the rest on your own. I gave you some intelligence to repay the favor for hitchhiking.”

Through the glass on the gas mask, he glanced around in the car and quickly opened the door.

“I hope I can still see everyone back alive.”

“Fuck, what’s that smell?” Yu Le waved his hand impatiently to He An outside the window and continued to drive the armored off-roader like a broken car.

Even though He An quickly closed the door, a lot of air from outside still poured in. The air here was different from the central city. It had a strong metallic sour smell that tumbled around and was mixed with an ominous smell of chemicals.

“It could be related to the nearby metal disposal dump,” Ruan Xian replied sullenly, twisting his nose. “It’s better to solve the shop matter quickly. Let’s leave one person in the car…”

“No. If we leave Yu Le alone, he might run away,” Tang Yibu said quickly, “But I don’t want to be separated from you, Mr. Ruan.”

Yu Le let out a teasing groan.

Ruan Xian couldn’t laugh or cry at Tang Yibu’s inexplicable sense of crisis, but that helplessness was mixed with a lot of bitterness—Tang Yibu created too many “first time” problems for himself, and Ruan Xian still remembered the emotional expression loopholes he had talked about. However, in the face of this deadly expression, he really did not know how to react.

He wasn’t sure if this was the other party’s true emotional expression or simply found that he ate soft but not hard*, so he specifically chose a roundabout strategy. In any case, no matter how good the taste was, he really couldn’t let go of his vigilance completely.

*Reminder: Metaphor referring to one that would yield with a soft approach but reject a forceful one. (i.e. Amiable to friendly persuasion but not coercion.)

After all, they weren’t friends.

Perhaps he had entrusted too much expectations, which could be very dangerous. The other party’s kindness had never been false, but it couldn’t be confirmed either. He had to maintain his sanity and be vigilant. Ruan Xian had always been confident in controlling his feelings. According to the doctor, if one were to compare feelings to water, most people need to deal with a full tank, while he only needed to control half of the glass in his hand.

‘The illusion of warmth in the Sea of Ruins would eventually dissipate,’ Ruan Xian thought. He slowly stretched out his hand and patted Tang Yibu on the back of his hand.

“You know I can’t run,” he said.

“Alright, let’s find a shop facing the street. It’s good to have someone watch the wind outside. Is that okay?” Yu Le raised his chin towards an alley not far from them, and the words “Mechanic” were spelled out in simple fluorescent strips at the entrance.

After Yu Le diligently drove the car to the entrance of the alley, the few lines of fluorescent small characters at the bottom could barely be seen clearly.

[Repair and modification of weapons, prosthetics, vehicles, and manufacturing of parts.]

The spelling was clumsy and ugly, far from the bells and whistles of the prostitution hall next to him. This alley was also so narrow that Yu Le pondered for more than ten minutes before he parked the bulky armored off-roader.

“Even if someone touches the car now, they won’t be able to drive it away.” Yu Le patted the gun around his waist and looked at the fruits of his labor in satisfaction. His voice changed slightly due to the gas mask. “Just that shop, okay? You can see the headlights at the door, and you can hear from back here if anything happens.”

“If someone else plans to move the car, you just scream loudly.” Tang Yibu placed the iron bead solemnly on the back seat and picked up the half-empty can of food.

The car was stuck in the alley and only the door on the front seat could be opened. The rear of the car was close to a lamppost and a pile of scrap machinery. It seemed like a seamless part of the city’s jigsaw puzzle. A glass door was less than five meters in front of the car. The light sign in front of the door repeated the sentence at the entrance of the alley creatively. Part of the “prosthetics” was extinguished on one end, making an orange word of just “prost”.

Ruan Xian put the gas mask on his face and rushed to the door of the store. His sensitive sense of smell almost killed him. The sticky and dirty air gave him the illusion that he was swimming, and he would quickly drown in it.

Tang Yibu followed his steps and was almost smashed by the glass door. Yu Le glanced at the car reluctantly and was the last one to enter the store. Fortunately, this store had installed an air filter, so the air was at least transparent. Ruan Xian put down his gas mask and took in a few breaths before he started to look around.

Two of the walls were embedded with bulletproof glass cabinets with many cracks, and there were all kinds of firearms and mechanical bombs behind them. On the other hand, there were various metal prosthetics. Unlike the lifelike advanced prosthetics in his memory, the ones on the wall had a rough and cold metallic feel, and the maker didn’t even bother to put bionic skin on them.

Countless lattice cabinets hung on the remaining two walls. Strange parts were placed in each small grid. Ruan Xian barely recognized dozens of them, while the rest were thousands of parts that he had never seen before. Not to mention the weird shapes, some of them looked more like junk than parts.

A woman in her thirties was sitting behind the counter with a sweet smile on her face. The years had left just the right traces on her, making her look like some kind of ripe fruit. Seeing someone entering the store, the woman tilted her head slightly and waved at them.

“Are you the shopkeeper?” Yu Le spoke extremely fast. “The thermal conductivity controller in my car is broken. The model is the Gray Knight KN-09, about fifty years ago. Other places also need to be repaired. The price is…”

He stopped talking as he spoke.

The woman just looked at him, smiling, like a living dummy. She waved her hand at him again, and her eyes were blank.

“…Miss?” Yu Le swallowed and waved his hand in front of the woman. “Say something?”

The woman still didn’t respond. She just sat quietly in her seat and after waving at them for about eight times, she seemed to get tired of that activity as she picked up a sweater and needle and began knitting it.

The smile on her face remained motionless.

“Fuck, that’s a bit scary,” Yu Le muttered. “This is not a fucking person, is it? Could this be the ‘specialty’ mentioned by He An? The shopkeeper must be a man who got himself such a…”

“Welcome,” a stiff female voice sounded.

The voice was a bit low, but it was still very clear, with the unique tenderness of youth. A young girl opened the dim door behind the counter and stood in front of the three of them with a little reluctance.

The girl was very young, and her beautiful facial features still had the tenderness of a teenager. She looked like she was in her early twenties at most. She had neatly trimmed shoulder-length hair, wasn’t very tall, and her figure was thin. She wore only a black vest that exposed her shoulders and neck.

Yu Le took a deep breath.

The girl’s arms were all mechanical prosthetics. The prosthetic limb of her left arm was connected to the shoulder, and the right arm was connected to the elbow, so the joints were exposed. Sharp blades were also clearly embedded in the prosthetic limbs, which were tucked into the robotic arms that flashed coldly under the lights.

She nodded at them, her voice hoarse with age.

“I’m the shopkeeper,” she muttered. “What do you want?”

The author has something to say:

Ruan: Vigilant

Tang: (*’へ’*)

↓

Ruan: Tangled

Tang: ∑(0ω0)

↓

The next stage to be continued—

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 66: Lower Town

Tang Yibu made no movement.

He obediently pressed close to Ruan Xian and raised his hands high. Even if he had wiped it with a wet towel, there was still a lot of blood on his palm. Seeing that Tang Yibu didn’t mean to resist at all, Ruan Xian was the last one to raise his hand.

The iron bead didn’t dare scream anymore. It swooped under the seat, pretending that it didn’t exist.

The young man suspected of being an android raised his gun and looked very satisfied. “Yes, this is a lot less troublesome. Fu Yu, this time these people look quite honest.”

Six small spider-like machines wrapped around their wrists, then twisted up two beams of light before it snapped left and right, turning into solid handcuffs.

A man named Fu Yu finally stepped forward at this time. He was a little taller than He An, but he looked a lot more haggard, and the color of his eyes was very ordinary. He patted the armed guard twice and turned to look at Yu Le. “Where did you come from?”

“Sea of Ruins.” Old God Yu Le was fiddling with his handcuffs. “I had to be disinfected by the Order Supervisors, so I ran.”

“You didn’t come in through the regular entrance, which means no one guided you.” Fu Yu was expressionless. If it weren’t for his eyes, he seemed more like an android than He An, who was next to him. “He An, turn on the lie detector. Tell me, where did you get this information?”

“I used to be a pirate leader. The people on my ship talked about it. You know that we were trying to escape the Order Supervisors before we fell down. Laozi doesn’t have perspective eyes. What nonsense are you talking about?”

“I mean the information that you managed to successfully get down. Not many people know about it.”

“People who have been here told me that the top of the junkyard against the wall is unstable. You’ve seen this car. A little scan outside the dead wall’s influence, plus the impact from the explosion­­­­­­—” Yu Le made a gesture with his handcuffed hands. “Boom! We just fell down. Do you understand?”

“Heartbeat, breathing, hormone secretion, and brain waves have no lie characteristics.” He An was still smiling as he held a handheld device the size of a playing card. “He’s not lying.”

“What about you two. Are you also fleeing?” Fu Yu took a step forward and kicked away the green poisonous snail at his feet as he spoke listlessly.

“We are escorting this one. Of course, I have a personal reason as well.” Ruan Xian smile. “I’m here to find an acquaintance of an acquaintance who knows about the whole doomsday thing.”

“This is also the truth.” He An shook the machine in his hand.

“Hm.” Fu Yu flicked his fingers, and several mechanical police dogs stepped forward. They drew air from their mesh mouths, sniffed around Ruan Xian vigorously, turned their heads and began to sniff the disgraced off-road vehicle again.

The iron bead, who was in the car, screamed, then crawled out and shivered at Tang Yibu’s feet. Unfortunately, the mechanical police dogs didn’t let it go. One of them put its eyeless head, nose, and mouth close the iron bead, and the sound of sniffing became louder.

“There are only a small number of private weapons in the car, and no strategic weapons, germs, or toxins were found.” He An clicked on the light screen with his free hand. “This group of people is clean. That mechanical life isn’t hiding anything that shouldn’t be hidden.”

“How about you?” Fu Yu walked up to Tang Yibu. He first glanced at the rough bandaged arm, and then looked straight into Tang Yibu’s eyes. “Your purpose?”

Yu Le turned his head with interest.

“Just like him, we are here to escort Mr. Yu.” Tang Yibu glanced at He An on one side, but there wasn’t much of a smile on his face. “As for my personal reason… I just want to observe and accompany Mr. Ruan.”

“Still not lying.” He An yawned. “This group of people is boring enough. I thought it was pirates or bandits who invaded. Since they’re being so cooperative, let’s just forget it.”

Fu Yu was holding a cane-like machine that was scanning the surroundings repeatedly. A blue beam of light emanated from the tip of the cane and rotated with the cane at the center. Hearing this, he reluctantly tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Patience.”

Ruan Xian stared closely at He An’s every move. Except for those golden eyes, the other party resembled a human no matter how he looked at it. He even had more of a human feel than Tang Yibu, but his looks and those eyes…

“Don’t stare. Haven’t you seen an android before?” He An obviously noticed Ruan Xian’s gaze. He blew a whistle and recalled the mechanical police dogs to his feet. “Don’t you have one yourself? Fu Yu, he’s staring at me. It’s weird.”

“Not all things that have golden eyes are androids,” Ruan Xian responded quickly with a self-satisfied expression. “We are companions. I just like eyes that look like this.”

“Truth.” Fu Yu tossed the lie detector in his hand. “Okay, I apologize, but I didn’t think someone would really like that kind of thing.”

Yu Le retracted his gaze, and Fu Yu finally completed his scan. “There is currently no connectable communication, and there is no suspicious radiation. Come with us. I will arrange for you to enter the refuge later.”

“Refuge?” Ruan Xian didn’t miss the opportunity to ask questions.

“An armored off-road vehicle with weapons and food, plus two little rookies. If you two enter the city now, you’re going to be giving up your heads and resources to others.”

“I know the refuge, but what do you mean by ‘two’ rookies?” Yu Le interjected.

“Thus, we will take you to the refuge first, and then put you on the street after the curfew is over. Don’t worry, the curfew will be over in an hour or two. Right now, the streets are full of dangerous people.” He An ignored Lao Yu’s protest. “As for whether you are dead or alive after that, it depends on your abilities.”

“Thank you.”

“Fu Yu, this kid said thank you to me.” He An grinned. His golden eyes twinkle delicately.

“Hmm.” Fu Yu still looked slack, and his response was equally listless. “Hurry up and get in the car. I’ll take you…”

“The thermal conductivity controller in my car broke.” Yu Le gritted his teeth. “If possible, I don’t want to drive it. Do you have a mechanic here? I can exchange things for supplies.”

“He An, check it.” Fu Yu angled his chin towards the hood of the car.

He An, who didn’t get a response, slumped his shoulders and slowly rubbed against the hood of the car. He opened the hood and glanced in casually. “I can’t fix it.”

“What?” Yu Le’s voice suddenly rose an octave higher.

“The model of this car is too old. The brand is decades old. The structure for the new types of thermal conductivity controller is completely different from this thing. You have to make special alloys and find an old mechanic who… has an understanding of the structure of this kind of thing.” He An tapped his temple with his index finger. “At least I haven’t recorded such ancient information.”

“Well, if you don’t race it, you can still use it normally for at least three days. Anything more than that, it’s hard to say what will happen to this car. I certainly wouldn’t want to sit in it.”

Yu Le’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Ruan Xian sighed. “Then can we exchange materials for information. Do you know if there’s a mechanic who can repair this car?”

“Summer Street in Z-077 in lower town.” He An rolled his eyes. “The weapons control over there isn’t strict, and the black market workshops can make all kinds of alloys—but there’s a problem. As far as your group is concerned, if you’re seen as newcomers, you’ll be eaten alive with no bones left.”

“I’d like to see who can chew on laozi,” Yu Le muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “As long as they can fix it, it’s fine.”

“As for the reward…” Ruan Xian turned his gaze into the car. Tang Yibu took a step forward with a sullen face, blocking Ruan Xian’s sight.

“There is no need for remuneration. I like you very much. This information is a gift. Anyway, it’s not of much value. Everyone knows that only people in lower town still remember these old things.” He An walked forward with a smile and reached out to pat Ruan Xian on the shoulder.

Pah.

Tang Yibu quickly slapped He An’s hand away, causing the latter to raise his eyebrows high.

“…He has a shoulder injury,” Tang Yibu bullshitted with a serious face.

“Hm, sorry.” He An hummed perfunctorily, walked back to Fu Yu, and stepped onto a hoverbike. “Let’s go, Fu Yu.”

After returning to the car, Ruan Xian wrinkled his brows. “What was that just now?”

“That’s an android.” Tang Yibu snorted.

“Of course I know.”

“You said you wouldn’t leave me.” Tang Yibu glanced at Yu Le, who was peeking at them, hugged the iron bead tightly, and replied meaningfully.

Ruan Xian could probably guess the other party’s concerns—after such a tussle in the Sea of Ruins, there were still a lot of bloodstains left on his white coat. He An might become suspicious if he accidentally cured something.

Up to now, he had a certain understanding of this fucking reality. It wasn’t clear to anyone whether He An was connected to the Mainbrain, or whether he would be a source that would leak the S-type Prototype information. As Tang Yibu, who controlled him and thus the S-type Prototype, naturally he wouldn’t be willing to watch his top blood bag be made public.

However, considering the sporadic blood stains on his coat, the possibility of the above happening was horribly low.

“…I was just saying things.” Ruan Xian felt like he had a headache coming. He rubbed his temples, and his tone was helpless. “I was just being a bit cliché. After all, none of us knows where Summer Street in Z-0777 in lower town is. Now, I think that android—”

“Oh, Tu Rui said before that your kid likes androids, and I thought he was joking.” Yu Le clicked his tongue from the driver’s seat, interrupting Ruan Xian’s words. “Now it seems that you really do have this kind of fetish. Xiao Tang, it seems like it was necessary for you to dye your eyes. Where did you do it? The effect is pretty good.”

“Have you heard of the Capital of Color north of Xinxili Street in S City? There’s a survivor who happened to be an employee there, so I asked him to dye it for me.” Tang Yibu answered back fluently. “Anyways, it’s just a nano-injection. All the printers in the forest refuge are good, provided you can afford the synthetic money.”

“It’s a pity, I always felt that my eyes were too light before, and I wanted to dye them into something scary. Since there hasn’t been a beautician caught in all these years, perhaps life in the Sea of Ruins is too difficult.” Yu Le’s tone was relaxed. He didn’t even look back. “As for Summer Street… Don’t worry, Xiao Ruan. I’ll let you know in a moment.”

In fact, Yu Le didn’t even need to say anything. After staying in the dusty, empty warehouse for an hour and a half, He An followed Yu Le into the car and went straight to the front passenger side seat.

Before Ruan Xian had time to greet him, Tang Yibu, who was sitting next to him, tightened his body.

He An smiled generously at Ruan Xian and curved his eyes. “I need to go pick up some goods ordered by Fu Yu, and since Yu Ge gave me a lot of good things, we can all go together.”

Tang Yibu thought for a moment, then slowly stretched out his hand and put his arm around Ruan Xian’s shoulder. Ruan Xian almost laughed out loud. Tang Yibu’s movements were almost indistinguishable from his protectiveness of his food under Yu Le’s eyes.

“Thank you.” Ruan Xian’s voice was full of smiles. Tang Yibu’s hand on his shoulder tightened instantly. The iron bead climbed onto his knees and began to bark at He An.

“Be quiet π. Those mechanical police dogs have already left.” Ruan Xian knocked on the shell of the iron bead, but this only turned the harsh rattle into a threatening low growl.

“This glass stands well.” He An said with emotion, touching the bulletproof glass that divided them from the back seat. “It still hurts to be bitten by this thing. Hey, pay attention to the front and brake in time—Without the thermal conductivity controller, braking sharply is tantamount to playing with your life.”

Yu Le immediately toned down his driving on the majestic off-road vehicle, as if he was pedaling on a tricycle. They staggered to a stop in front of a gate. He An rolled down the passenger window and asked the scanning drone at the door to scan his eyes one by one.

In the next second, the gate slowly opened.

This was the first time Ruan Xian had seen this three-dimensional city up close. It reminded him of the Kowloon Walled City recorded in history. Except for the ground, buildings were crowded from all sides. The walls of various materials were dilapidated and gray, but there was white or yellow light slowly overflowing into almost every window. The pipes were like the roots of plants. They gathered together, so densely packed that one couldn’t see the beginning and end of where they were connected to. White smoke steamed out of the damaged mouths. Many buildings were hung with bright, dazzling neon lights, and there were many light screens projected into the air. Unfortunately, the image quality and content were cheap. Ruan Xian looked around and saw only explicit pornographic advertisements and various drug recommendations.

It was like a giant maze of light and walls.

The small machine undoubtedly proved the level of science and technology, but the atmosphere here was full of decadence and decay. The turbid air was mixed with a strange putrid smell, like a patient’s breath before he died. Ruan Xian was almost knocked down by the overly strong stench, and he subconsciously leaned back.

“This is midtown. The air here is pretty good. Uptown is a little cleaner than here. As for lower town… People who are used to it say it is fine, but you better put on a gas mask first.”

Yu Le simply turned on the car’s air filter. “We have gas masks, thank you.”

“Nn.” He An pointed to a road hidden in the depths of the buildings. “In that case, we can go straight down. Also, don’t bother scanning. This place is like the Sea of Ruins. You can’t figure it out even if you take two or three months.”

He stopped talking, turned his face, and glanced at Ruan Xian, who was still smiling, and Tang Yibu, who looked like all his hair was about to explode.

“Although the lie detector proved that the two didn’t lie, this friend’s appearance is special, so I still want to remind you. It’s particularly dangerous for old android models in lower town, so it’s best to pay attention.”

After that, he smiled. “A well-preserved cybernetic brain is worth a lot of money.”

The author has something to say:

The coconut in Tang’s coconut is experiencing a crisis (X

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Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 65: An Unfriendly Welcome

For the first time in Ruan Xian’s life, he fully understood how a ball in a pinball game felt.

The underground space wasn’t spacious, so the vehicle bumped and knocked around the stones, making an unpleasant noise that would make you want to grind your teeth. Ruan Xian didn’t have time to think about Tang Yibu’s situation—he was firmly strapped to the chair by a seatbelt, his face buried in the airbag, and his entire field of vision was turned upside down.

The stereo in the car was still dutifully playing Yu Le’s fast-paced love song, and it was so noisy that Ruan Xian wanted to strangle or break something.

A rollover was no better than a free fall. It may have been a century before this off-road vehicle stopped rolling down the slope. Suddenly, it got stuck obliquely in the darkness and the sound of gravel rolling down hadn’t stopped, indicating there was still a long way down below.

Ruan Xian pushed away the airbag on his face, took a big breath of fresh air, and then listened to the movement around him. The good news was that the orderly guards guarding the wall wouldn’t chase after them thanklessly, but the bad news was obvious; there weren’t many people near them.

This car was stuck in a position where it couldn’t go up or down.

A loud bang suddenly sounded as something jumped onto the side of the car. The next second, Tang Yibu leaned his head into the car window that Ruan Xian hadn’t had time to close. “How far are we from the Underground United City?”

“How would I know.” Yu Le’s voice was muffled as his face was still buried in the airbag.

“‘I know what I’m doing’,” Ruan Xian dryly mocked Yu Le’s speech.

“Nonsense, I know where lost things can enter the sewers, and I also know that the water in the sewer is still flowing, and the pipe isn’t blocked. Isn’t this not enough? As for which part of the pipe that we’re stuck in, well, that I don’t know.” Yu Le continued to bury his face in the airbag. “Of course, this isn’t the end. The car is simply stuck, so we just need to—”

The sound of metal hitting metal sounded. The sound of the iron bead came from far to close and, after a long rattle, it slammed into the roof of the car, causing the car to shake slightly and the sound of gravel sliding became louder.

Then the car began to slide down the slope at an increasing speed.

Things weren’t looking good.

“Come in!” Ruan Xian grabbed Tang Yibu’s collar and forcibly dragged the android into the car under a burst of adrenaline. The iron bead screamed a few times and quickly squeezed into the car with Tang Yibu. Coupled with the airbag and Tang Yibu, who was quite large in size, the entire rear space was packed to the brim that Ruan Xian even heard the sound of the glass in front of him cracking.

Before the off-road vehicle slid too fast, Yu Le made a simple gesture and took the opportunity to increase the volume of the music.

In the deafening sound of music, the bulky off-roader began to roll again, faster and faster. Tang Yibu clung to Ruan Xian tightly; his strength resembling a frightened koala. The iron bead had also pasted itself all over as its four small metal feet stuck to Ruan Xian’s clothes like pins, fixating itself firmly against him. When Ruan Xian began to wonder if his ribs had been forcibly crushed, the car slammed into the ground again with the high-pitched roar of music.

Although there was still no human movement nearby, this time Ruan Xian heard a sound resembling a city in the distance.

After hitting the ground four times in a row, the off-road vehicle finally landed on its four wheels. Ruan Xian groaned, then tore off the iron bead that was clinging to him and threw it in front of the window of the car. He then pushed Tang Yibu away rudely, coughed twice, kicked the door and stretched out his hand to vomit violently.

“In the end, he’s still a young kid.” Yu Le put away his airbag, picked up a can of cured ham from the pile of food scattered under his feet, and tore off the lid. After speaking, he opened another bag of self-heating food and simply threw the cured ham into the lunch box. “Just let it out. It’s good to just let it all out.”

Following Yu Le’s example, Tang Yibu put away the airbag, occupied half of Ruan Xian’s chair, and gently patted the latter’s back.

Ruan Xian hadn’t eaten much, so it didn’t take long for him to empty his entire stomach. He wiped his mouth weakly and took some water from the water dispenser in the front seat of the car to rinse out his mouth. Tang Yibu squeezed out of his seat and got out of the car and turned around.”

“Junkyard,” the android reported dutifully.

They fell into a huge garbage dump. All kinds of rusted mechanical fragments were mixed with domestic garbage, piled into one hilly mountain one after another in the darkness. However, there was no strong smell. It seemed as if someone had been taking care of it—someone probably used a sifting spray and a garbage disposal robot. Finally suppressing his nausea, Ruan Xian got himself a sweet drink and followed Tang Yibu out of the car.

As soon as he got out of the car, the soles of his feet crushed something. Ruan Xian clicked his tongue, then carefully moved his feet away from the mysterious pool of mucus.

“It’s a green poisonous snail.” Tang Yibu looked down. “Don’t let the mucus get on your skin. Even if you can recover, the aftereffects will be enough.”

Ruan Xian didn’t speak and just looked at Tang Yibu’s hands full of blood.

“It’s not my blood.” Tang Yibu quickly waved his hand and pointed to the blood-soaked sleeve. His voice softened. “This is.”

“I can guess. After all, it’s impossible for brain tissue to come out of your hands, and I smell brain matter. I will help you deal with your wound in a bit.” Ruan Xian lowered his voice. “Let’s not talk about this. Yu Le is suspicious. Before we came down, he was still testing me, trying to see whether you’re an android.”

“I’m not surprised.” Tang Yibu was calm. “After all, you don’t have any romantic mood at all.”

“…” Ruan Xian wiped his face. “Even with intuitive education, I really don’t need artificial intelligence to guide me in this regard.”

“This can be explained scientifically. It stands to reason that if the level of specific human hormones in love rises, they will do something stupid. You have a humanoid body that can secrete hormones, and you also have adaptive personality data, which theoretically means you’ll be able to produce similar emotions.”

Tang Yibu stretched out his hand and gently wiped off the small gravel on Ruan Xian’s face.

“For example, looking at each other affectionately… I have read a lot of information and can perfectly replicate those reactions and performances. Looking at your cooperation, the ‘you’ in my memory seems to have no love history, and I haven’t seen many related images. Based on the rough description of language and text alone, you can’t disguise it well.”

After withdrawing his hand, Tang Yi took a step forward and pulled Ruan Xian’s face. “In addition, don’t knock on artificial intelligence. I said it before that the human and cybernetic brain is essentially organic computers. What’s more, your brain structure is not that much different from mine. Everything is just an illusion created by personality data.”

Ruan Xian pushed Tang Yibu’s hand away with no expression on his face. “First think about how to deal with Yu Le.”

“It’s very simple, just admit it.” Tang Yibu spread out his hands generously, “The Underground United City isn’t the Sea of Ruins. Even if he knows it now, he can’t do anything. However, we have to wait for the right time. I don’t think there is a shortage of time here.”

“I don’t like this way of keeping people guessing*. “

*Selling guanzi (卖关子) Metaphor for speaking/doing things when it’s urgent to make the other party anxious.

“I don’t like to tell unpleasant facts.” Tang Yibu shook his head. “According to the information I know, you will soon be able to feel it firsthand.”

“Why don’t I go for a walk around and you two do a quickie in the back seat of the car?” Yu Le finished all the food in his lunch box and honked on the horn twice in the distance. “The junkyard isn’t very comfortable. Can you restrain yourself and talk about it when we enter the city?”

Tang Yibu waved his hand at Yu Le, quickly gave a peck on the tip of Ruan Xian’s nose under the gaze of the other party and pulled him to the back seat of the car. The iron bead crawled out of the car window and, in a flash, climbed back in again.

After the car door closed, Yu Le was clearly in a good mood when he saw the two of them were honestly shut on the other side of the glass again. He started the car, scanned the light screen for a while, and started heading in a certain direction, but after a few movements, the car wobbled to a halt again.

“What’s the matter?” Ruan Xian was wiping his face with a wet towel when the abrupt brake made him almost choke on the water in the towel.

“…The thermal conductivity controller is broken, damn it.” Yu Le jumped out of the car skillfully, lifted the hood of the car, and held the small flashlight in his mouth. “Yeah, the parts have been smashed. We have to be careful. Without thermal conduction, the car may blow up due to energy overload.”

“It sounds like half your life is gone.” Tang Yibu hit the nail on the head.

“Fuck you. The car given by Tu Rui is unreliable. If it was my car, I only need an engine and a frame to make it run.”

Yu Le bitterly returned to the seat of the car and turned off the music.

“Okay, no one can listen to music now. To avoid any potential danger, we have to minimize the energy consumption of this car as much as possible. Before the enemy get a chance to kill us, we will die from an explosion due to overheating. It’s better to enter the city and find a few capable mechanics to repair or replace it, and it’ll be good as new.”

He didn’t know whether it was intentional or not, but Yu Le didn’t bring up the topic of “android” anymore.

In the silent darkness, the car drove slowly through the mountains of garbage. At Yu Le’s snail-like pace, Ruan Xian began to desperately miss those days in the wilderness. He lowered his head, grabbed Tang Yibu’s arm, checked the wound carefully, and tried to avoid looking at Yu Le’s eyes in the rearview mirror. After bandaging it with gauze, he put his hand on the back of Tang Yibu’s head, just intending to mislead Yu Le by giving Tang Yibu a kiss…

“See? Like laozi said, I know exactly what I’m doing.” Yu Le drove to the top of a garbage mountain and grinned.

Ruan Xian saw the city in the dark.

Hard ridged support beams propped up horizontally and vertically, forming an irregular mesh structure that looked like a sponge under a microscope. There was faintly milky white fluorescence flashing in the dark. The buildings of the entire city were built around a net, like cells embedded in a skeleton. It glowed in the dark and the air was turbid with warning lights sweeping to and fro.

A three-dimensional city, but compared to the city, Ruan Xian always felt that this thing was more like a maze. Unlike in the forest refuge, he couldn’t see the boundary of this thing at a glance.

“Are you ready?” Yu Le drove the car forward a little bit again, “I’m going to rush—”

Before Ruan Xian could open his mouth, the car slid down the garbage mountain.

The steep slope couldn’t support the armored off-roader that weighed over ten tons. As the car got faster under the action of gravity, it rushed straight into the direction of the city. Just when Ruan Xian thought they were going to move at this speed forever, something was approaching quickly.

“Stop the car! There is…” Ruan Xian immediately shouted, but it was a pity that he was a step too late.

Several huge sticky balls flew from all directions, sticking the car firmly in place. They weren’t heavy themselves, but they were extraordinarily tough and extremely sticky. The windows on all sides of the car were completely blocked by the sticky balls. If they were to accelerate and try to squeeze past these things, the car would potentially rollover.

“It’s reported that there are survivors entering near junkyard A.” A young man’s voice was broadcast across the car door. “He An, record the data.”

“Will do, will do.” The other man sounded like he hadn’t woken up. “Everyone inside, come out obediently. This is a visitor control field. Even if you can beat us into meat sauce, someone can remotely burn you like gas. Cooperate and let me see what weapons you have in your hands. I am a representative of the Underground United City and can… How do you say it?”

“Expel you,” the other person added angrily.

“Right, expel you.” The man seemed to be using some kind of equipment, and after a slight beep, the car door opened in response.

“Listen to them,” Yu Le muttered in a low voice as he raised his hands.

Ruan Xian complied cooperatively, looking vigilantly at the grinning man in front of him. The man was wearing a guard uniform that he wasn’t familiar with. He was very tall and had a handsome appearance that wasn’t in tune with the surrounding environment. Aware of his eyes, the man smiled at him, but there was no smile in his eyes.

Ruan Xian was familiar with those eyes.

They were golden with a metallic luster, shimmering in the dark.

The author has something to say:

Ruan: …It’s my fault that I haven’t watched many romantic dramas and movies.

After all, Tang had done countless watching (?

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