《Cela Calendar: Mechasoul And Desperados》 1: The Toxic Day Before the Chaotic Night (Part 1) On the rugged, scorched desert, the blazing sun beat down mercilessly, with not a cloud in sight. Instead, a howling wind swept through, carrying a storm of yellow sand. The gritty grains scraped against skin like tiny daggers, while a haze of yellow dust settled over everything, coating it in a murky film that made the world look dirty and blurred. It was an itch in the mind and body that no amount of effort could shake off. Under this desolate sky, everything bowed in submission, with the yellow sand ruling supreme. ¡°Ugh! Those damn dogs are still chasing us!!¡± In the distance, a gray SUV appeared at the end of Yellow Hill Road. The vehicle was armored, with thick, blast-proof tires and various gun barrels mounted on the front, back, and roof. But the barrel on the roof looked like already destroyed. At first, it seemed clumsy and slow, but that thought was quickly overturned as a cloud of dust erupted behind it, signaling its high speed. In less than two minutes, a slender figure popped up from the roof, and a deafening gunshot echoed across the barren land. Of course, there were shouts, too. The girl yelled furiously, clutching a rifle as she fired a few rounds, only to be forced back into the cabin by a hail of bullets. ¡°Yushi! What the hell are you doing back there?!¡± The sound of bullets ricocheted overhead, and the roof of the cabin bulged ominously. The girl¡¯s sky-blue hair was a messy halo around her head, but there was no time to fix it. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she shot a fierce glare at the boy crouched behind her. The one called ¡°Yushi¡± was equally frazzled. He was frantically fiddling with a bulky display screen that looked like an old computer, pounding on the keyboard. ¡°Chill out, OK?! It¡¯s my first time using this hacking software! Even with a guide, I still need to figure it out!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a mechanic? How can you not handle such a hacking program?!¡± ¡°I still need to understand how it works first! The cracking software I usually use is totally different! Plus, my computer is too old-fashion !¡± ¡°Let me try it with you.¡±A girl beside him gently smoothed his restless shoulders, interrupting the pointless argument. She tucked her silver hair behind her ear and leaned closer, her emerald-green eyes scanning the machine and the plastic guidebook beside it, murmuring key points. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off! Sharon , jsut take a break!¡± A rough female voice came from the passenger seat, followed by a long gun barrel extending toward them. Then a muscular woman leaned out, her purple undercut glinting in the sun. The sudden opening of the sunroof created a cramped space, and she could only hear the sarcastic remark inside, ¡°How can we possibly take a break at a time like this?!¡± But she paid it no mind, steadying her sniper rifle and aiming at the pursuing vehicles behind them. Facing them were fully armed motorcycles, flanked by a group of gun-toting riders. They wore tight-fitting outfits, unlike her faux-leather coat, which billowed in the wind. Above them, two green-painted helicopters circled, having just emptied their magazines and were in the process of reloading. ¡°They have sniper!¡± The motorcycle riders shouted into their intercoms, but her movements were quicker. As she raised her rifle, she fired directly at the driver of one motorcycle, without hesitation. ¡°Bang!!¡± Even the wind was howling, the bullet flew true, aimed straight at the driver. But with a dull thud, it lodged itself in the windshield, failing to penetrate further. A bead of sweat trickled down the driver¡¯s forehead as he managed a cold smirk. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. But¡­ it was a sniper rifle shot; logically, it should have been powerful enough to deform the bullet. Why¡­? ¡°I had a feeling this would happen¡­¡± The woman sighed, a hint of resignation curling her lips. ¡°¡­which is why I was reluctant to fire that round¡­¡± ¡°Boom!!¡± In a moment of confusion, the bullet suddenly exploded, shattering the sturdy glass into lethal shards, filling the vehicle with fire and smoke. Within seconds, the entire motorcycle vanished in a brilliant explosion, sending charred debris flying in all directions. ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± The group screamed, the nearby motorcycle riders thrown off balance, their bikes wobbling violently. Some lost control entirely, crashing into the sandy terrain, flinging their riders out¡ªsome left unconscious, others mangled beyond recognition. At least those wearing helmets fared somewhat better; even if their heads flew off, the helmets remained intact, and they could still be pieced together later. The motorcycles trailing behind were also affected by the explosion¡¯s shockwave and debris, but quickly regained their composure. The surviving riders swiftly repositioned, opening fire on the woman and the SUV. ¡°Ugh, if only I¡¯d brought more armor-piercing rounds and grenades, we wouldn¡¯t have been chased by those dead meat for so long.¡± She tossed a grenade and immediately ducked back. Just as the sunroof closed, the helicopters resumed their bullets rains. The vehicle¡¯s windows were barely holding up, beginning to crack under the pressure. ¡°I just threw out the second-to-last grenade; we probably won¡¯t last much longer,¡± the woman warned. ¡°Who knew that Kreek had a monitor chip implanted in him! Mason¡¯s crew is disgustingly cunning!¡± Sharon ¡¯s clenched fists crackled with tension, her weapon beside her freshly loaded with ammo. ¡°If we had Kreek¡¯s corpse instead of Lin Kai in the car, I would¡¯ve cut him up and tossed him out as a trap! I¡¯d even rip out his organs! I swear!¡± ¡°Hey, sis, don¡¯t be so scary OK?¡± Yushi turned to look at Sharon , only to be met with a fierce reprimand. ¡°Get that shit working already! Or I¡¯ll chop you up and throw you out too!!¡± ¡°Sharon .¡± Another girl called out to them. Beneath her golden hair lay a face marked by silver lines, a clear sign of cybernetic implants. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to bicker; focus.¡± ¡°Sysus Sanst¡­ Who want to talk to you guys!¡± Sharon wanted to say more, but after a pause, she could only sigh, grabbing her weapon and crawling back up to the sunroof. ¡°Hmph, what did I say back then¡­¡± The muscular woman snickered, but was silenced by a warning pat from the blonde girl. ¡°Alright, everyone, calm down. This is actually all my fault.¡± The driver finally spoke. His rugged neck turned slightly, and his half-masked face commanded an air of calm. The mask wasn¡¯t just a simple cloth covering; it was a mechanical implant fused with his body. A short tube extended from where his eye should be, with a glass-like material glowing ominously red. His physique was extraordinary, with arms as thick as an ordinary person¡¯s thigh. His hands were entirely mechanical, with the left arm¡¯s structure extending into the shoulder. The sun atop the hill cast a radiant glow upon him, making his arm shimmer with an icy blue light. ¡°If your failed captain didn¡¯t get shot, and that damn bullet hitting close to my nerve, we wouldn¡¯t be in such a dire situation¡­¡± The driver¡¯s voice carried a hint of guilt, but due to his naturally deep tone, it was hard for anyone to discern, making him sound even more stern. However, this self-blame did ease some of the tension in the vehicle, All eyes remained fixed on Yushi, hoping he could indeed conjure something up. ¡°I¡¯m gonna deal with them.¡± Sharon opened the sunroof with a scowl, but as she leaned out, enemy fire rained down, barely missing her hair. ¡°F**k!!¡± She gritted her teeth, quickly retracting, slamming the sunroof shut and plopping back into her seat, her legs shaking from anxiety. ¡°I was almost dealed¡­ Yushi! What the hell are you all doing!!¡± ¡°Almost done! I¡¯ve infiltrated those two ¡®Dragonflies¡¯!¡± Yushi suddenly interrupted her word, his fingers flying over the keyboard. ¡°Well done, I can see the entire structure clearly¡­ Wait, it looks like it¡¯s about to launch something.¡± ¡°Launch what? Another rotating machine gun?¡± The muscular woman shot a calming glance at the driver, turning to ask Yushi. But before he could respond, the communication from the ¡°Dragonfly¡± helicopters was intercepted and broadcasted inside the vehicle. ¡°Due to the stubbornness of the thieves, and considering the criminal gang is approaching the Free State, we hereby authorize the use of EB-213. Ground forces, maintain your distance. Repeat, due to the stubbornness of the thieves¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s guided missiles, thicker than your arm!¡± Yushi¡¯s mouth twitched as he abruptly turned to the muscular woman. ¡°The enemy is about to launch guided missiles. The Mason¡¯s EB-213, due to its unstable chemical properties, it can only be temporarily loaded. But it¡¯s incredibly powerful; once launched, the explosion radius will be twenty meters.¡± The silver-haired girl warned the group. ¡°F**k their moms!! Are they out of their minds?!¡± Sharon couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer, banging on the door in anger. ¡°Yo yo! Don¡¯t hit the car! Don¡¯t drag us down with you when you want to throw your life away,!!¡± The blonde girl rushed over to grab her, preventing her from making things worse. ¡°You should say, don¡¯t they want the chip? Sharon .¡± The muscular woman chuckled darkly. ¡°Calm down! The missiles are guided¡­¡± Yushi was sweating profusely, his eyes glued to the screen, the sound of his typing drowning out the gunfire outside. ¡°That makes it even worse ahhhh!!!!¡­ Jin Xiuqin!! You pressed against my thigh!!¡± Sharon ¡¯s head popped out from the blonde girl¡¯s embrace, lashing out furiously. ¡°If it has guidance function, then it means the trajectory can be altered¡­¡± The driver¡¯s deep voice cut through the chaos again. Due to his injury, he had been quietly grunting in pain. But with the noise from all around, hardly anyone could hear him. He had only just injected himself with a calming agent and felt better. ¡°Just like Captain Questan, your foresight is commendable,¡± the silver-haired girl said with a slight smile, offering praise. ¡°Let¡¯s save the flattery for after we survive. Miss Delena,¡± the muscular woman muttered, pulling out another grenade, rolling down the window, and tossing it out before quickly shutting it again. ¡°Boom!!¡± The grenade¡¯s explosion shook the vehicles. ¡°This is the last grenade. Oh, and the only high-explosive.¡± she added. Yushi stared at the screen, which had turned an ominous green, swallowing hard as he pinched his furrowed brow. His jaw clenched, allowing his canine teeth to slide against his lower lip. Finally, he narrowed his eyes, nervously warning, ¡°The enemy¡¯s missile is being loaded¡­¡± Sharon pressed her face against the window, peering outside. Ignoring the bullets whizzing past, she looked up to see the two Dragonflies in the distance, their hatches opening, revealing missiles slowly extending from within. ¡°Holy Sysus shit!!¡± 2: The Toxic Day Before the Chaotic Night (Part 2) Sharon clenched her fists, the sound cracking like thunder, her eyes locked onto the missiles ahead. The machine gun in front of the dragonfly was roaring, spitting fire like a beast ready to feast. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the urge to scream was barely rushing out from her throat. That Gatling-like machine gun felt like a little demon sent by the Grim Reaper, swirling around her, whispering the cruelest words about her impending doom. Behind it, the guided bombs were the true harbingers of death¡ªsilent but loud enough for her to hear the countdown to her demise. ¡°Big Butt¡¯s¡± message flashed on the screen in front of the vehicle, and the warning system blared, ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep!¡± It only made such noise when they were facing a deadly threat. The blonde girl¡ªKim Soojin¡ªand the muscular woman kept their eyes glued to the screen. ¡°16%... 34%... 47%...¡± Yushi¡¯s heart raced, pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from his throat, but he couldn¡¯t afford to stop. At that moment, any lapse in focus could mean death for everyone in the vehicle¡ªdeath without a trace! Either blown to bits by the missiles or shredded by high-speed debris, or turned into a rare sight: human barbecue¡­ No, no, no! Why am I even thinking about this?! Yushi shook his head, cold sweat dripping down his back, forcing his attention back to the task at hand. Luckily, his hands were still moving frantically, keeping up the speed, never slowing down¡­ The benefits of a terrific cerebellum were shining through right now. ¡°61%... 73%...¡± The SUV was already speeding at 310 kilometers per hour. But for the missiles, traveling at least 856 kilometers per hour, destroying their target was as easy as yawning. ¡°89%... 97%...¡± No matter how much dust the vehicle kicked up, it couldn¡¯t create a natural barrier like a sandstorm to stop the two dragonflies or hide itself away. The dragonfly¡¯s targeting system locked it on, steady as an eagle eyeing its prey¡ªa helpless rabbit running on the ground. ¡°Hope this will work...¡± Yushi had no extra energy to spare, speaking softly as if letting out a breath. Sharon didn¡¯t want to say anything more, lying weakly in Kim Soojin¡¯s embrace, her eyes drooping. ¡°You can do it, right...? Kid?¡± Questan asked, gripping the steering wheel tightly, eyes fixed on the barren wasteland ahead without looking back. Delena sat quietly beside Yushi, watching the screen without a flicker of emotion, not even a strand of her silver hair moving. ¡°Whoosh!!!¡± The response to Questan came from the Mason EB-213 bomb outside. After dropping from the slot, it glided through the air, and then, with a deafening roar, it shot forward, a massive tongue of flame erupting from its tail, heading straight for the SUV. Yushi was oblivious to everything outside, his eyes glued to the screen. Suddenly, his eyes widened, reflecting the green light from the screen, and he whispered, ¡°Boom¡­¡± ¡°Boom! Boom!!¡± Yushi kicked off the impending symphony of explosions. Soon, two violent blasts echoed, followed by a shockwave that rippled through the air. Everyone felt their hearts seize, their eardrums vibrating painfully. ¡°What the...?¡± Kim Soojin turned her head in confusion, quickly spotting the brilliant mushroom cloud in the sky and the chaos behind the vehicle. ¡°Phew... at the last moment, we finally...¡± Yushi collapsed back, gasping for air like a fish out of water. ¡°Yushi means that we managed to successfully modify the target lock and took down those two Mason dragonfly helicopters. Although there are ground troops still pursuing us, they took heavy damage from their own team, so they¡¯re not a threat anymore¡± Delena said calmly, gently patting Yushi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ha! My car may not be strong enough, but it¡¯s easy to handle those ground pests just fine. As long as they don¡¯t pull out any crazy bombs,¡± Questan chuckled, lightly tapping the steering wheel. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Finally, some green plants appeared on the road ahead, sparse but at least more comfortable to the eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ve run out of those shit; the road ahead should be smoother.¡± ¡°We made it! Phew... then those chasing us are done for now!¡± Sharon sighed in relief, suddenly grabbing two guns, laughing maniacally as she opened the sunroof and started shooting wildly outside. The Mason troops trailing them had already dwindled significantly, and their ammunition was running low, forcing them to pull back and minimize their losses. A reassuring transmission crackled through the SUV: ¡°We¡¯ve suffered heavy losses, with only thirty percent of personnel! Weapons are running low! Requesting retreat! Requesting retreat!¡± Quickly, the troops behind slammed on their brakes, turning back into the depths of the desert. ¡°Come back!! Eat my asshole!! Waaaah!!!¡± Even as Kim Soojin pulled her back into the vehicle, Sharon continued to shout, sounding like a little mad dog. But suddenly, she buried her head in Kim Soojin¡¯s arms and started crying. ¡°Heh, surviving this wasteland... Thank god bless us.¡± the muscular woman said, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag, then exhaling slowly out the window. The white smoke was immediately torn apart by the wind outside. It was impossible to clear the smell from the vehicle this way; plenty of the acrid odor still drifted back inside. And sure enough, Yushi frowned at the scent. The woman¡¯s right arm rested against the vehicle, its own trembling hidden by the motion of the car. ¡°When it¡¯s time to eat, it¡¯ll pay for it,¡± she said. ¡°Ha, Alina, you¡¯re so aiming high. Have you started thinking about taking my captain spot already?¡± Questan leaned in, raising an eyebrow and grinning at her. ¡°Questan, am I the cold-hearted one? We¡¯ve lost quite a bit on this trip, and whatever we split will have to cover a lot of repairs,¡± Alina replied, rolling her eyes but unable to hide her smile. ¡°A little contribution from the teammate won¡¯t cost much, right? Oh, remember to invite Jets¡ªuh... I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be too lazy to come. But he has to come; or I¡¯ll just point a RPG at his head. No one cannot meet the guests after all, right?¡± Yushi lay back on the seat, finally feeling some relief, letting out a long breath. ¡°Delena, I should¡¯ve listened to you back then...¡± he said, shaking his head, his eyes half-closed, his voice weak. ¡°Of course, master. Delena always wants what¡¯s best for master. But Delena must follow master¡¯s wishes unconditionally. And didn¡¯t master ultimately resolve this crisis?¡± Delena smiled gently, wiping the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Oh, come on, Delena. If you hadn¡¯t told me those crucial program details, we might¡¯ve been up in heaven eating beanflour by now,¡± Yushi replied with a resigned smile, sighing and closing his eyes for a moment of rest. The SUV basked in the sunlight; even with its dark exterior, it was now covered with golden light.
¡°Good evening, friends of Dreamland! Your little buddy Jerry issss backkkkkk! Ah~ Dreamland... such a beautiful and wealthy city! Here, you just have to look down to find Worlbs, because people are dying all the time, and their little vault chips could drop right at your feet! But if you can¡¯t crack them in time, all that money goes straight to the government of the Free State!¡­¡± Wyoming, Dreamland, Lorenz District. The neon lights outside the ¡°Big Hand Tavern¡± looked dim compared to the bright lights of the skyscrapers nearby, but they still shone weakly in this unremarkable corner of darkness. Whether at the entrance or inside the tavern, the raspy sounds of the television and the blaring music from the radio created a chaotic symphony. No one here could truly find peace; everyone was buzzing with excitement. But those who came to drink weren¡¯t normal folks. Their appearances ranged from bizarre to half-dead. Some were bare-chested, standing or sitting outside, drinking and sharing dirty jokes. At one table in the tavern, a group raised their glasses in cheers before tilting their heads back, having a good drink. ¡°Hehehe¡­ Welcome, welcome, our dear newcomers! Welcome to the The Fiery Desperados!¡± A crooked figure grinned at Yushi and Delena, downing a cup of murky liquor. He had no eyes, replaced by something resembling colorful goggles, and both arms were entirely mechanical, each oversized hand with six fingers, some even equipped with tiny operational mechanisms. Though Yushi had been woken up later, listening to the dirty jokes thrown around, Yushi figured he must be Jets. Yushi stared at the unappealing drink in his hand, hesitating before finally closing his eyes and gulping it down, immediately starting to cough. The murky liquor brought a murky taste, mixed with a strange sweet and sour flavor and the bitterness of alcohol, creating a spicy, indescribable sensation that burned down his throat... A surge of discomfort shot straight to his head. ¡°Hahaha!! You can¡¯t f**k that? You can¡¯t even drink ¡®Comida¡¯? It¡¯s only 10% alcohol! Suck! Worse than your girl pal!¡± Jets pointed at Yushi, swaying back and forth with laughter. ¡°My friend doesn¡¯t drink much, so he¡¯s not used to it,¡± Delena replied with a gentle smile, setting down her empty glass. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying¡­ this kid is so funny¡ªno smoke or drink, and survive to this age,¡± Alina sneered, eyeing Delena before grabbing another bottle of Comida and chugging it down. ¡°But you, Delena, are alright; at least you can handle these bottles of mouthwash.¡± ¡°My friend is good to me and those close to me, but doesn¡¯t have many desires for himself,¡± Delena replied, still smiling warmly. ¡°Zaaako... Hehe, Zaaako...¡± Sharon giggled, her cheeks flushed, swaying unsteadily. (zako, Japanese, loser) ¡°Hehe, now you¡¯ve come in Dreamland, you two... well, including you all, you won¡¯t back to Shalldan anytime soon...¡± Jets took another swig, his wrinkled face slightly reddening, but his mouth never stopped. ¡°... Hurry up and tell me your stories in Shalldan. I just got my new good prosthesis on the table. I was about to install it when Alina here pointed a RPG at my forehead. I really didn¡¯t want to come, but she aimed that thing at my big baby ! My cock! How could I stand that?! Quick! Tell me stories! If not good, I¡¯ll have a cow!¡± The group exchanged glances, thinking for a moment before starting to share their tales, laughter filling the tavern with a lively atmosphere. Of course, the words exchanged were part truth, part fabrication. In Dreamland, no one would speak only truth or only lies. Those who only spoke truth or lies were buried beneath the soil of Dreamland or on the way to the soil. But luckily, someone could still see the truth behind it all. 3: Spark Beneath the Dark Rain Date: Cela Calendar April 14, 2040. Continent: North Nassan. Country: Usah. Location: Montana, Shalldan. The dead black sky squeezed thick clouds pouring down torrents of rain, drenching the city below. The narrow streets, soaked in the smell of rust, were flanked by towering buildings, their pale, gray metal facades casting a dim yellow glow. Normally, the thick smog would choke the air and obscure the view, making everything look dull and gray. But today¡¯s rare downpour brought a refreshing change, washing away some of the engine oil smells that usually lingered in the streets. Thanks to the rain, people could finally catch a glimpse of the vibrant neon lights flickering high above. Those lights clung to the buildings like colorful caterpillars, flashing in a dazzling array of colors, making the skyscrapers appear even more distorted and radiant. The rain seemed furious, hammering against the tempered glass, as if ready to break through and invade the inside. It also relentlessly attacked anyone outside, declaring that they should stay indoors instead. In this rain-soaked urban landscape, a figure dressed in black and yellow was struggling with a small engine wrapped in a tattered coat, desperately trying to push it into an alley. He looked disheveled, his short sleeves stained with oils. His pale face was dotted with beads of sweat, and his legs trembled with exhaustion. Finally, he turned into an alley where the tall buildings shielded him from most of the rain. It was still damp, but at least he wouldn¡¯t drown there. ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t let the engine get flooded...¡± he muttered to himself, praying for a miracle. With one hand holding the engine, he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a dirty, yellow card. He glanced at it, confirming it read ¡°Yushi,¡± and hurried to the dilapidated building in front of him. He pressed the card against a sensor next to the iron door. ¡°Beep¡­¡± A harsh electronic sound echoed, and the iron door creaked open a crack. Yushi quickly kicked it wider, rushed inside, and poked his wet head and hands back out to pull the door shut with a loud bang. But soon enough, his head peeked out again, eyes fixed on a ¡°garbage station¡± in the corner of the alley. Though called a garbage station, it was just a cluster of big green trash bins. Even with the rain easing off, the bins overflowed, leaking a foul, noxious liquid. And there, amidst the mess, lay someone... No! not someone, but a half-dismembered bionic robot. Intact head, but the rest of it was a patchwork of damage. Pale face, closed eyes, silver hair. It was just like a girl who had just passed away. The body resembled a human¡¯s, clad in a tattered white shirt that clung to its form, soaked through so thoroughly that there was no privacy to her. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. But the exposed joints connecting its limbs revealed a collection of battered metal. Though its core components were not exposed, many parts¡ªlike the joints of its mechanical arms¡ªwere already broken. It had lost three limbs, leaving only a right arm, which had just three fingers left. If you weren''t paying close attention, you might think someone had been murdered and dumped there, especially with the blood-like stains still visible. ¡°Who the hell is so wasteful? So many useful parts just left here!¡± Yushi initially recoiled in shock, but as he studied it more closely, he relaxed. He pondered for a moment, stepping closer to examine it. Nowadays, prosthesis implantation was commonplace, so if someone saw this dead-like body, they¡¯d likely freak out and call the cops, thinking it was a real dead guy. But a closer look would reveal this wasn¡¯t some deceased Prosthetic Maniac. Which normal one would swap out their entire skeleton for metal and replace their flesh with non-human material? Technology had advanced, but not to the point of turning someone into a full-blown ship of Theseus. Still, the blood-like liquid was pretty unsettling... But thankfully, this wasn¡¯t a real corpse. To Yushi, this hunk of metal could soon turn into a way to fill his stomach. Since the WDFD(World Data Finance Disaster) hit the world by the AI life Sysus hit the world, the global economy had become a pot of hot porridge. And with technological advancements, gold¡¯s status as the premier precious metal was shaky at best. People no longer cared about metals with little practical use but just wanted to fill their bellies. At this moment, the globally accepted ¡°Worlb¡± was created from the big countries. Worlb were primarily made of gold, containing intricate electronic components, available in both paper and coin forms. While gold might not be as valuable anymore, once turned into Worlb, it regained its connection to wealth. Anyone could register their personal information with the government to receive an independent vault chip, which could be external or internal. Once connected to their nerves and their biological information confirmed, they could freely use their vault Worlb. These vault chips were crafted by top departments from various countries during the economic recovery, making them some of the most precise objects humanity had ever created. After all, no country would hate money, and no one wanted to relive the financial disaster. This method unified the world¡¯s currency and stabilized financial turbulence to some extent. ¡°If the core chips aren¡¯t damaged, I could refurbish and sell her for a decent profit. If the motherboard is intact, then it¡¯s better!¡± He looked at the robot, as exciting as he had seen two bags of money. Ignoring the foul, putrid water, back into the rain, he determined to haul it out of the trash bin. But after a few tugs, the thing couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Gosh. Looks like a girl, but surprisingly heavy. Just like a real person. Getting this hunk of metal out... is going to take some effort! Ugh¡­¡± Yushi muttered to himself, turning around, bending his knees and waist, gripping the damaged arms, straining as he pulled. ¡°Pang!!¡± With a hard yank, the lifeless body was dragged out, its waist hitting the ground with a loud thud, though the sound was drowned out by the rain. Honestly, if someone were to throw a body in this weather, it would be a piece of cake. No one would know what you were doing. He hoisted the robot onto his shoulder, carefully stepping back through the iron door, trying to avoid bumping it again. That noise felt like a knife slicing through him, making him uneasy. Fixing this thing took time, energy, and money! The robot lacked legs, looking fairly petite. However, being made of metal, even just the torso weighed over forty kilograms. Yet its skin felt just like human flesh, which made the dazed Yushi come up some odd thoughts as he carried it. Pushing open the iron door revealed a battered wall, as if it had survived a war, now dirty and damaged. Beside the tenants'' doors, a couple of noisy vending machines, and some pipes and control boxes, the place was covered in black stains and crumpled yellowing papers. The damp, rough floor held a small engine with chipped yellow paint and a gray-blue coat that had fallen to the side. That was the stuff Yushi had just moved in with. Aside from the wall he entered through, the other three walls had doors leading to tenant rooms. But Usah didn¡¯t know his neighbors well. Even after living there for over a year, their doors had never opened to him. Of course, he hadn¡¯t knocked either. Maybe it was just too old and run-down, with no elevator to use, forcing him to climb the gray concrete stairs all the way to the sixth floor. Though the stairs also led to the basement, he had no idea what was down there or where it led. ¡°Ugh... If the rent on the sixth floor wasn¡¯t cheaper and the space a little bigger, I wouldn¡¯t have picked such a high place...¡± Yushi grumbled, his rain-soaked brain swirling with thoughts. After running around in the rain with a two-hundred-pound engine for minutes, now he had to carry a robot¡¯s weight up to the sixth floor, and then come back down to retrieve the engine. Money was so hard to come by! ¡°Thud.¡± Finally, he reached the top floor, gently setting the robot down. The sound of metal hitting the floor echoed, signaling the victory in his ascent. The temporary victory. 4: Mind Yushi stood in front of an old, rusty door, facing the various flyers, which were torn and faded. He panted heavily, squinting at a tiny camera perched above the doorknob. ¡°Click!¡± A faint green light scanned his eyes, and the door creaked open. He pushed forward, dragging the robot inside and tossing it onto a pile of sundries in the corner. Slumping down on the floor, he took a few deep breaths before mustering the strength to crawl back downstairs to haul up the engine, grunting with each step. ¡°Ughhhh, already exhausted...¡± This time, it took him six long minutes to wrestle the engine up to the sixth floor. Finally, he collapsed onto the floor next to it, gasping like a pig stuck in the mud. The floor and he were both soaked. They are mixed with 90% rainwater and 10% sweat. The sixth-floor room was a bit larger than the ones below, but the rent was three hundred Worlb cheaper. It looks good, right? But continuing for decades, there was no one came here and fixed the problems here, and problems now were everywhere. Leaky roofs were a given, and even the balcony floor was cracked enough to reveal the steel rebar underneath. It was downright terrifying! As for the infrastructure inside... Well, it wasn¡¯t completely non-existent, but it was just enough to keep someone from dying in an undignified manner. Yushi had overheard other tenants chatting about it: ¡°When the time comes... you can squat in a barely functional toilet and relieve yourself, then take a shower with water that¡¯s sometimes god damn hot and sometimes f**king cold. Then you can stumble into the room right next to the toilet, close the door, and light a charcoal burner next to a bed made from iron frames. Slip into your favorite polyester outfit and just lie down in bed for a good long night¡¯s sleep! A permanent sleep!¡± But Yushi¡¯s room was a bit different. Aside from the standard shit toilet, an open shit balcony with no door, it was just a big shit living room. The living room was cluttered with various mechanical parts and a large workbench, the smell of rust and machine oil lingering in the air. On the wall next to the toilet, there were wide, clean streaks where the paint had peeled away, suggesting there used to be a room there. But the wall had been torn down, merging it into the living room. Other than a bed that could barely fit one and a half people, the place was mostly a collection of parts. The balcony, though small, had a simple yet functional drainage system. That was clearly Yushi¡¯s creation, as the pipes were new and stood out awkwardly against the rusty old ones nearby. Aside from some clothes that were supposed to be drying but were now even wetter than before, there was just a heap of filthy mechanical parts. Yushi had requested these modifications himself to make his daily work easier. The landlord didn¡¯t seem to mind and approved it right away. No one knew why he was so quick to agree¡ªmaybe he felt sorry for the young guy trying to make it in the big city? Yushi thought. After resting enough, Yushi wiped the sweat mixed with rain off his face and stripped down completely, even his underwear. Wearing damp clothes only made him feel uncomfortable. He grabbed a large towel and roughly dried himself off, tossing it back into its messy pile. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. After slipping on a pair of stiff slippers, he hurried to drag the engine to the workbench, grabbing a hairdryer to blow off the water from the metal surface. Every day, Yushi worked with machines, rarely interacting with anyone else. Over time, he stopped caring about his appearance at home¡ªcomfort was all that mattered. Besides, those industrial liquids were much easier to clean off his skin than his clothes. He focused intently on the engine. If the processor inside the it got wet, fixing it would be nearly impossible. It would be regard as a scrap. Not only would he lose 300 Worlb in final payment, but he¡¯d also have to return the hundred Worlb he¡¯d already got, plus owe that old man another six hundred Worlb! That meant two or three weeks of starving for him! ¡°Awesome, now I¡¯m working to pay off my own job?¡± he grumbled. He regretted taking this task. Who knew it would rain today?... He clenched his teeth in frustration, regretting his earlier greed, gripping the hairdryer even tighter. Dry enough, Yushi began to take the engine apart. He grabbed a cutting tool, pressing the grimy switch. The gears whirred as they sliced through the engine¡¯s welds, yellow sparks flying everywhere. The engine¡¯s casing popped open, revealing droplets of water inside. His brow furrowed, and his jaw tightened in anxiety. He quickly grabbed the hairdryer again, blowing out the moisture, then picked up some pliers to carefully unscrew the core area. His heart raced faster. ¡°Drip!¡± A single drop of water fell into the engine with a barely audible sound, but to Yushi, it felt like an explosion in his chest. ¡°F**k that shit¡­¡± He sighed heavily, removing the core processor and placing it on the floor beneath the workbench. He turned on a big lamp and grabbed a cylindrical magnifying glass to inspect it. ¡°We¡¯ve shit done¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have trusted that bloody shell to keep out the rain. What was I thinking...¡± The more he looked at it, the worse he felt. He sighed again, tossing it aside and leaning back in his chair. His head was dizzy, feeling a bit hot. ¡°The chip has extensive circuit damage, severe water infiltration, and some parts are burned out. I can¡¯t even distinguish what the original circuit looked like... Great. tiny and complicated, and you want me to fix it? I¡¯m not the chick god¡­¡± This engine wasn¡¯t like the ones from twenty years ago¡­ or even like a regular engine. Who knows if today¡¯s technicians were trying to show off or just a dumbass, cramming smart hardware into a power-generating engine? Couldn¡¯t they make it detachable on the outside?! Yushi forced a smile, vague images flashing in his mind, but nothing was clear¡ªlike a person with over a thousand degrees of nearsightedness... Memory loss. ¡°Ha, life¡­ life is just so ridiculous. The lower you feel, the more it tries to crush you to a dog crap.¡± He felt a pang of regret. He remembered how he had been living comfortably with those kind old folks in a cabin in the Alberta woods. It wasn¡¯t luxurious, but at least he could had a good eat and sometimes caught small animals for dinner... Why had he suddenly decided to venture out into the world a year ago? ...Ugh, he left home last year, was taken in by them the year before¡ªwhat about before that? Where were those memories? As soon as Yushi thought about it, his head throbbed. Where did all those memories go? What happened to me? Am I a traveler from different universe? Can people really be born knowing how to fix machines? ...Ugh, what a mess. All these useless memories are just chaotic brain signals¡ªlet¡¯s focus on living well now. Does reminiscing help me eat or earn money? If this damn engine really costs me money... Suddenly, Yushi turned his gaze toward the robot lying among the sundries. She had been there all along, still and quiet. ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to rely on this to break even. Come on, girl, give me a hand!?¡± He gritted his teeth, moving the engine parts aside and hoisting the robot onto the workbench. Outside, the rain continued to pour. It was probably around eight or nine at night. The already gray, steel city looked even more desolate in the dim light. The empty streets occasionally saw vehicles speeding by, mocking anyone who could hear them. ¡°Tsk, at least the torso and head are intact,¡± Yushi shook his head. Many of the robot¡¯s parts were beyond repair and would need a major exchange. But first, he needed to check the core components and processor. That was the priority¡ªthe core components and processor were what mattered most. He adjusted her lifeless form. Despite the apparent damage to the torso, it still looked quite appealing. Her features were perfectly sculpted, nearly indistinguishable from a real person. The curves of her chest were beautifully crafted, full but not overly so. In that moment, Yushi felt like he was trying to save a corpse that had survived a massive explosion, who only retained the head and torso remaining. The term ¡°necrophilia¡± flashed through his mind, making him chuckle softly. He slid a sharp scalpel across her chest, carefully cutting through the surface. He wasn¡¯t sure if the processor was in the torso or the head. ¡°Usually, robots have their processors and core components stuffed in their bellies. The belly can hold more than the head, right? What can you fit in a head?¡± Yushi mused. ¡°Huh?¡± But to his surprise, as he pried open the isolation layer, he found some components inside the torso. And to his shock, there were even human-like bionic organs, complete with what looked like ¡°blood¡±! ¡°No, this isn¡¯t blood¡­¡± He dipped a finger into the liquid that leaked out and brought it to his nose, catching an abnormal smell of blood. ¡°This seems like some kind of energy transport fluid designed to mimic blood. Regular robots just rely on their skeletal structures and wires to move. But this¡­ this is a whole different level of technology.¡± He thought, ¡°Creating a transport liquid similar to this ''blood'' shouldn¡¯t be too difficult; I can work on that slowly.¡± It was terrible. Even though the remains were soaked in such filthy, possibly corrosive water, and the severed limbs were exposed, there were no signs of impurities invading her body. It was so pure to be terrible. 5: Body Inside the robot, there were quite a few processors, but examining some of her hardware, Yushi could only found auxiliary gadgets. Of course, some parts were so intricate and high-end, sealed up tight, that he didn¡¯t dare mess with them. But at last, it was clear those weren¡¯t the core processors. Yushi promised. What he found next were countless tiny, blood vessel-like tubes crisscrossing everywhere inside her. Tubes were so dense, making the robot looked like a dissected body. But a lot of the ¡°blood¡± had drained away, leaving the flesh pale and lifeless. Could the core processor really be in her head? As Yushi stitched up the opening, he glanced at her pale, beautiful face, feeling a mix of emotions. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling. He was like a grave robber sneaking around at midnight. Well, these years, nobody really used graves anymore, especially after decades of war¡ªat least, not ordinary folks. Now, land was too valuable to waste on burying the dead. Most people either kept the ashes in containers at home or scattered them outside as fertilizer or dust. Some even opted for public ¡°Columbarium¡±¡ªrenting a tiny drawer-sized spot to store ashes and a few cherished trinkets, visiting occasionally to pay their yearnings. If luck was on their side, they might find a piece of land outside the city, free from the pesky ¡°Tumbleweeds¡±, to bury their loved ones. You could go there and remember those who had passed if feel free. And used the barren surroundings to show your sorrow of the moment. But during those times, people had to wonder why those pesky garbage guy Tumbleweeds never ventured into those areas. With a sigh, Yushi put a relatively clean rag over her head, otherwise he¡¯d just feel awkward staring at her. ¡°Performing surgery on a robot¡­ kind of insane,¡± he muttered to himself, starting at the back of her head and carefully slicing along the hairline. The delicate texture of the synthetic skin gave him the eerie sensation of dissecting a real person, almost making him want to stop. Gently lifting the skin, he revealed the internal skeleton. The shiny metal glimmered, looking much better than the broken metal on the limbs, which were in rough shape. But then again, maybe that was just because the limbs were so badly damaged that everything else looked good by comparison. After some fiddling, Yushi managed to remove the outer metal layer from her head. To his surprise, the interior was pristine, but the emulational blood and brain still sent shivers down his spine. ¡°What kind of odd company designed this robot? Why make it so lifelike? It¡¯s unnecessary and limits the robot¡¯s flexibility.¡± He pondered, shaking his head. After confirming everything, he tried to connect the robot to the nearby computer. He searched all over her torso, including the chest, but couldn¡¯t find a single port. Could it be¡­? Was the connection point in that severed arm? He glanced at the horrifyingly damaged arm, charred in many places. But after some cleaning, he finally spotted the nano-bundles tubes wrapped up in the middle. ¡°Nano-bundles tubes¡­ high-end stuff. Individually, they¡¯re cheap, but the thickness is just a few nanometers¡­ This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. This opening is at least the size of a half coin; it¡¯s got to be worth a thousand worlb.¡± Nano-bundles tubes are transmission lines with diameters measured in nanometers. While the individual tubes are relatively inexpensive, their sheer thinness means you need a ton of them to be a thick tube which was thick as a hair. These things are only used in precision instruments. Don¡¯t underestimate these seemingly ordinary transparent tubes. They¡¯re probably the most valuable thing Yushi own. Yushi shook his head. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to sell these later for more money.¡± ¡°Beep!¡± He connected the data cable to the tube, and the computer next to him emitted a soft sound. Almost instantly, a swarm of data flooded in, turning the screen a bright green, looking like it had been hacked. ¡°This speed is way faster than regular robot data displays¡­ I might have got a big treasure,¡± he chuckled to himself. Before long, all the data was displayed. Yushi squinted at the last line, which flashed a string of characters. ¡°Diana¡­ Diana?¡± He felt puzzled, tilting his head in thought. He tried to check other data, but the bright green information was mostly encrypted. ¡°Is that a code name or a real name? ¡­Whatever, I¡¯ll just brute-force it for now and set myself as the owner. Oh, and I should probably change her name too, just in case. Don¡¯t want her original owner coming after me. Let¡¯s call her¡­ Delena. That sounds good.¡± His fingers flew over the keyboard, and a small indicator on the top of the computer screen blinked a few times. Soon, the settings were complete. ¡°Good thing I¡¯ve seen this kind of encryption system before. I can¡¯t remember where, but I¡¯ve definitely encountered it¡­¡± He mumbled, wanting to dive deeper into the machine¡¯s data files, but soon realized that most of the subsequent files were nearly impossible to crack. ¡°Who even encrypts files with ancient hieroglyphics?! Aside from knowing this machine is from Tima¡¯s company and has two arms and two legs, I can know nothing about it.¡± Another important piece of information was how to activate the machine. It only needed the ¡°blood¡± content to meet the body¡¯s requirements to be activated. Once he figured out the blood composition, he could easily replenish it. But the blood composition chart was also encrypted. The computer flickered slowly, then beeped repeatedly, displaying a ¡°Crack Fail¡± popup. After a moment of contemplation, Yushi sighed and shook his head. Confirming the owner identification system was correct, he unplugged the connection. ¡°Now that¡¯s something special¡­ Her brain can transmit data normally, but the body can¡¯t move unless I replenish that damn blood.¡± Yushi took some of that ¡°blood¡± again, dripping it into a test tube, and placed it into a nearby rice cooker-like device. He pressed the switch, and the machine roared to work. ¡°This old machine can probably only guess some components; about the others¡­ talk about that later¡± During this spare time, Yushi checked the connection between the arms and the torso, rummaging through a pile of mechanical parts and pulling out a bundle of nano-bundles tubes. This machine needed plenty of those tubes for blood transport. ¡°Crap, so hard to fix. Too many places need to be fixed!¡± He let out a breath, pressing the button on an old radio nearby, and soft piano music filled the air. In this day and age, electronic music and rock were the mainstream, and classical music was nearly extinct. If there were any discs left, they were sold cheap and in very low quantities, like selling trash. Of course, in today¡¯s society, hardly anyone made classical instruments anymore; synthetic sounds were just more popular. This radio station was great, Yushi thought. It was one of the few decent stations left. ¡°As long as you keep playing piano and violin pieces, we¡¯re good friends.¡± After clearing out some old parts, his right arm should be functional now. As for the left arm¡­ He figured a simple mechanical arm would be enough. As for the lower body¡­ he¡¯d tackle that later. At that moment, the pot-like device finished processing, and the data showed up on the computer. Yushi scanned the results, then stood up and walked over to the chemical storage area. It was a large metal cabinet tucked in the corner. He opened the cabinet door, and a mix of strange odors hit him, but Yushi was used to it by now. The jars varied in size, from large barrels to small vials. Some even had ¡°Death¡± labels stuck on them. He grabbed a few cups of liquid, each one a different color, some giving off a sharp smell. He wondered what would happen if he drank them. He also took a large empty beaker, measuring out various liquids and tossing in a couple of spoons of black powder, watching as the mixture turned murky and unappealing, resembling a mix of vomit and crude oil. ¡°This stuff needs to be sealed and heated; otherwise, it won¡¯t blend.¡± Holding the beaker, Yushi placed it into another machine that looked like an air fryer. But he¡¯d never use it to cook food at home; he was sure others felt the same way. If you wanted to heat food, you¡¯d use the microwave next to it. The machine whirred as it heated, with a stirrer constantly moving inside. While that was going on, Yushi checked Delena¡¯s joints again, exploring her body until he found a place around her waist that looked like an oil cap. ¡°This must be where I inject the blood, right?¡± He stared at that spot, noting how lifelike the oil cap looked, just slightly raised, surrounded by decorations that made it stand out even more. With a gentle push, the cap popped open. A long tube slid into the slot, quickly sucking out some blood. The blood leaving inside her became less. Now he was sure. ¡°Better leave the blood in her body; who knows what important elements might still be there. If I drain it all, I could be in trouble.¡± After returning the blood, Yushi yawned and lazily sank back into his computer chair, grabbing a half-eaten can of food from earlier. The label read ¡°Cod Flavor Tender Meat Cake¡± from Myfood, with a huge, cute cod fish printed on the front. But a quick glance at the ingredients revealed the familiar culprits: Edible mealworm powder and flourbean. 6: human Flourbeans and mealworms¡ªthese two ingredients often made up a staggering eighty percent of today¡¯s cheap food, especially canned goods. Even pricier food had a sprinkle of them mixed in. Sure, one¡¯s high in carbs and the other¡¯s loaded with protein, but no one will like them. It¡¯s so yucky. The taste of flourbeans are terrible, almost like eating thick, chalky paste. And as for the cod¡­ well, there was a bit of that in that bag of food. Ever since the Santee Great Flu outbreak in 2030 wiped out seventy percent of industrial livestock around the world, wildlife numbers have plummeted, many plants have died, and vast areas have turned into deserts. The impact has been global and catastrophic. You ask how plants could catch the flu? Well, the Santee virus spreads like wildfire, infecting both humans and animals, and it even affects plants to some degree. Was it nature¡¯s fantastic job, or some shady group¡¯s scheme to sabotage other countries? Who knows? Those in the know pretend they don¡¯t. But lucky for us, seafood in the oceans was less affected, so it survived. However, as fishing ramped up, prices skyrocketed. Soon enough, Myfood Company came up with super high-yield, easy-to-farm edible mealworms and flourbeans. These two groundbreaking inventions helped the world fill their bellies again, even if the taste left a lot to be desired. But for the poor? Well, they didn¡¯t have much of a choice. ¡°What should we call this stuff that looks like animal blood? ¡®Mlood¡¯? Mlood? Ha!¡± Yushi chuckled at his own silly thought, shoveling a spoonful of cold, mushy meat cake into his mouth. Yep, still tasted like bland, chalky lumps. The only thing that could stimulate his taste buds were the additives and the chemical cod flavoring. Just then, the music player switched to another track, this one blending jazz with electronic vibes. The singer sounded like an old cowboy from the last century, crooning some lyrics that made Yushi chuckle: ¡°Baby, I said I''m in love with a Robot, But she loves me way better than you, Baby, I said I''m in love with a Robot, I''m embarrassed, but this is the truth.¡± ¡°What kind of lyrics are these? Old cowboys are from another era. Seriously, putting a human heart into a soulless robot? Isn¡¯t that just a ridiculous farce?¡± Yushi thought with a grin. But the song actually suited his taste, drawing him in as he swayed to the beat, eyes half-closed, enjoying a moment of leisure. Outside, the rain seemed to fall in rhythm. In this day and age, even music was made by AI, so these hand-crafted tunes felt like a rare gem. Before long, Yushi got back to work. He felt a bit worn out, but couldn¡¯t afford to waste a second. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get that left arm on.¡± Just as he finished attaching the arm, a wisp of pink smoke drifted out of the heating machine, filling the air with a metallic scent. He quickly dashed over to press the switch. The machine opened wide, releasing a cloud of unpleasant steam. The oddly colored liquid inside had now transformed into a blood-red hue, startling to look at. Yushi grabbed a pair of tongs and pulled the bubbling beaker out, placing it into a basin of water to cool it down slowly. The basin had seen better days; its once vibrant red surface had faded to a dull gray. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. While waiting, he continued to inspect the machine¡¯s exterior, patching up any damage, especially around the waist where it had been severed. The rain showed no signs of letting up; it was getting heavier instead. The sound was fierce, threatening to break through the roof, and even the ceiling seemed ready to leak. Outside, the splashing rain seemed eager to invade the house, but the glass barrier held it back, causing it to angrily pound against the window, creating a cacophony. Yushi leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh, closing his eyes to listen to the rain and wind outside. His head felt a bit fuzzy. Maybe the rain had jostled his brain and combined with the hard work he¡¯d just done, leaving him utterly exhausted. But he couldn¡¯t afford to rest just yet; there was still so much to do. The big beaker of ¡°mlood¡± had cooled down just as he finished welding the gaps in the waist. He twisted his neck, hearing a satisfying crack. ¡°This thing is really intricate¡­ kinda fascinating.¡± He brought the cup of ¡°mlood¡± over to the robot, looking at Delena, stroking his stubbly chin, then began to tinker with her. After a moment, he, touching his damp, oily hair. Chuckled. Delena¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, her head bowed. Her arms crossed over her chest, gripping her shoulders. The well-cleaned silver hair hung down her back. The oil-stained off-white shirt replaced the tattered shirt at the beginning. She now looked holy like a saint in the poor village. Truth be told, when he had stripped her earlier, his heartbeat was flurried. But the thought of the cash he¡¯d earn soon calmed him down. He pondered for a second, then rummaged through a nearby box, pulling out an old, dirty apron. He¡¯d originally used it to protect his clothes from spills, but at this point¡­ well, he was already working bare, so what did it matter? With a chuckle, he tied the apron around his waist, feeling a sense of ceremony. ¡°Ha¡­¡± He grabbed the long-prepared beaker, pouring its contents into the transport device, then picked up the transfer tube, opening the oil cap on the robot and inserting it. ¡°Vroom!¡± He pressed the switch, and the device coughed like an old man with phlegm. The ¡°mlood¡± began to flow. ¡°Phew¡­ no leaks, thank goodness.¡± Yushi stared at the machine¡¯s state, relieved to see no ¡°mlood¡± oozing out from anywhere. His fatigue eased a bit. Three minutes later, the coughing stopped, and Yushi powered it down. He sealed the oil cap, and the robot remained still. Her head hung low, lips pressed tightly together, as if she wanted to say something. ¡°No response?¡± After a while with no movement, Yushi leaned in closer, patting here and there. ¡°Do I need to activate something? If that¡¯s the case, do I have to make her ¡®heart¡¯ start beating?¡± He was puzzled by his own thoughts. Looking at Delena¡¯s chest, he hesitated for a moment. ¡°Oh gosh, she¡¯s a robot¡­ Ugh, it¡¯s just a broken machine anyway. Let¡¯s do this. No big deal.¡± With a resigned smile, he laid her flat on the ground, placing his left palm over her right hand, fingers interlocking, pressing down at the center of her chest like he was performing CPR. Yes, he was doing CPR on a robot. Yushi had never done anything so outrageous before. A robot needing human CPR? That¡¯s hilarious! But right now, it didn¡¯t feel like a joke¡­ Whatever, it didn¡¯t matter. He pressed down in a steady rhythm, two beats per second, even though he felt utterly drained. But he couldn¡¯t help the excitement bubbling inside him. At that moment, it felt like he was stealing a patient back from the clutches of death. ¡°... thump.¡± After two minutes of pressing, he still felt nothing. Just as he was about to give up, he sensed something stirring beneath his hands. A heartbeat! The machine was coming to life?! Suppressing his excitement, Yushi quickly backed away, crouching down to watch the twitching body with keen interest. ¡°Click¡­ click¡­¡± Slowly, he heard the sound of gears turning, then it faded away just as quickly. She went still again. ¡°... No way, what¡¯s going on?¡± Yushi felt his heart skip a beat. He climbed forward, put his two fingers together, patting her face. ¡°Come on, make some moves! I¡¯m counting on you to pay my bills for the next two weeks!¡± Frustration bubbled up inside him, and he sighed, biting his lip, feeling both dizzy and overwhelmed. But before he could stew in his annoyance, those long-closed eyes suddenly flew open. Emerald irises glowed softly, the dilated pupils staring blankly ahead. Then, with a tiny creak, her joints moved, and those eyes snapped onto Yushi, making him flinch back in surprise. ¡°... I did it?¡± Yushi trembled with excitement. Even though he had repaired plenty of machines, this was his first time fixing such a lifelike robot. In that moment, he felt a surge of pride, like he was a god after creating life. ¡°...¡± Delena remained silent, but she was clearly trying to sit up. Her head jerked forward mechanically, and her broken arms bent, attempting to lift her upper body. It seemed she really wanted to stand, but after scanning her lower half, which was just air, she gave up. ¡°You¡­take it slow¡­¡± Yushi said, a hint of concern in his voice. He almost reached out to help her. The rise and fall of her chest made him question if he had truly brought someone back to life. ¡°...¡± Delena still didn¡¯t speak. At that moment, it was hard to say if she was ¡°sitting up¡± or ¡°standing¡± since her upper body was propped up by her hands, but her waist was bent, resembling upset someone slumped over in defeat. Her beautiful eyes roamed the room, finally locking onto Yushi after a few minutes. She fell silent again before slowly speaking. ¡°... Master.¡± 7: All The New Reborn Her voice was a bit rough, like a thirsty traveler in the desert after days without water, yet it was still clear and captivating. ¡°Hu... hu¡­¡± Yushi felt his face flush as his dizzy mind desperately commanded his body to breathe deeply. His heart raced wildly, and even as he stroked his arms to soothe himself, it wouldn¡¯t calm down. ¡°Okay, okay... you...¡± He shook his head, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. ¡°Who... who am I?¡± ¡°You are the master.¡± ¡°What¡¯s my name?¡± ¡°Your name is Yushi.¡± ¡°And who are you?¡± ¡°I am¡­¡± She lowered her head, seemingly deep in thought, but quickly lifted it again. ¡°Delena.¡± ¡°Good good... very good...¡± An indescribable excitement surged within Yushi, as if he were channeling the boundless power of a creator, stirring something deep inside him. He couldn¡¯t hold back the energy rushing up his throat. His pupils dilated as he sprang to his feet, his legs tense as he stepped forward, arms slowly spreading wide like a loving deity. ¡°I... I am your master, I am Yu¡­¡± But in an instant, everything around him became black. His limbs felt disconnected, like a marionette with severed strings. He collapsed, and soon, everything went dark. Just before he fell, Yushi thought maybe he was a bit low on sugar and could just take a moment to stand back up. But he didn¡¯t wake up. Rolling hills stretched out, lined with majestic pine trees. The ground was covered in lush, juicy grass, dotted here and there with tiny white wildflowers. The scenery in the distance was much the same, but it grew hazier the further away it got, becoming indistinct. ¡°Boom!!¡± A sharp gunshot shattered the tranquility of the forest. A gray rabbit nearby didn¡¯t have time to react before a hole exploded in its chest, killing it instantly. Bits of fur and blood splattered across the grass. A wisp of foul-smelling smoke drifted toward it, followed by a gnarled hand reaching down to grab the rabbit. The rabbit¡¯s brain had only half a second left before it officially shut down. In that fleeting moment, it reflected the image of an old upright ape wearing a white hat and sporting pale hair. But the face was unclear, just a blur, except for that distinctive hooked nose. ¡°Lucky day! A rare little catch.¡± The old man snorted with satisfaction, shrugging his shoulders as he stuffed the rabbit into a cloth bag slung over one shoulder. As age took its toll, his throat always sounded like it had phlegm stuck in it, making his speech come out in raspy bursts. ¡°A fat rabbit, indeed!¡± The young man beside him couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, his face beaming with delight. ¡°Tonight¡¯s meal will be roasted rabbit with potatoes! But we¡¯re running low on natural butter, so we¡¯ll have to mix in some artificial stuff. It¡¯s not delicious enough, but it¡¯ll do. Still, nothing beats the natural flavor¡­¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. The old man took a deep drag from his cigarette, the ember flaring up and sending ash flying, which he quickly flicked away with his middle finger. He paused for a moment, teasingly offering the cigarette to the young man, who immediately scrunched up his face in disgust. ¡°No way, young man? Still cannot smoke? How can you stand the stressful life after running to the big city in Usah tomorrow? The stress won¡¯t just vanish with a couple of cigarettes.¡± The old man chuckled, taking another puff. ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it... Besides, my skills aren¡¯t too shabby, right? Who will know how my future life is?¡± The young man sighed, his lips curling into a frown. ¡°Home.¡± The old man didn¡¯t say anything more, but turned to stroll leisurely away. The young man hurried to catch up, but suddenly stumbled. In an instant, everything spun, head throbbing painfully. Feeling like being caught in a thunderstorm, electric shocks coursing through his body, limbs twitching uncontrollably, his expression twisted in agony, his vocal cords producing strange, unearthly howls. The pain was akin to the worst tortures imaginable in hell. Amidst the electric chaos, it felt like the signals were jumbled, a cacophony of static filling his ears. Even in that spiraling confusion, he could faintly hear a rhythmic sound¡­ No! Not rhythmic! It was chaotic, wild, and erratic! A kind of music¡­ Jazz¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­ ah! Ah! Ah¡­¡± Yushi stumbled, his body jolting awake, eyes flying open. ¡°... Huh¡­¡± His heart raced, driven by adrenaline as it pounded in his chest. His forehead felt itchy, and eyes uncomfortable. It took him a moment to realize he was sweating¡ªsticky, clammy sweat. He tried to lift his arm to wipe it away, but fatigue and soreness swept over him, leaving him powerless. And worse still was the parched dryness in his mouth. Finally, his thoughts began to clear, and he remembered¡ªthis was his home, and the only water in the house came from the bathroom faucet, which was right in front of his bed. But he didn¡¯t have the strength to crawl over there¡­ Not just crawl! He couldn¡¯t even sit up, let alone reach out¡­ No, even thinking felt like an enormous challenge! ¡°Master?¡± A soft voice broke through his haze. Yushi suddenly recalled the half-paralyzed robot he had intended to sell. Her name was¡­ Delena. ¡°... Water¡­¡± But now, he couldn¡¯t think about anything else. Instinct urged him to muster every ounce of strength to mumble the one thing he desperately needed. His blurred vision couldn¡¯t make out anything clearly, but he felt something hard brush against his lips, followed by a cool sensation. ¡°Gulp¡­¡± His instincts kicked in, and he began to suck eagerly. At first, it was just a small sip, but then he gulped down larger mouthfuls, the rhythm matching the frantic beating of his heart. Finally, his throat grew weary from keeping up with the pace, and naturally, he choked. His lungs convulsed violently, forcing his brain to stop its frantic swallowing. ¡°Cough cough! Ugh, ugh¡­¡± He finally regained some strength, and his vision started to clear. The first thing he saw was the dirty ceiling he had stared at for countless days and nights. In the corner, cobwebs and dust gathered, illuminated by the central yellow light bulb, unmoving. ¡°How does the master feel now?¡± The gentle voice returned. Yushi strained to turn his head to the left and saw Delena¡¯s calm, mirror-like face, momentarily lost in thought. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Seems like master are still a bit out of sorts. But don¡¯t worry, this is a normal reaction after a high fever. Master¡¯ll recover soon.¡± Her mouth never stopped moving, her head bowed as if she were wringing out a towel. Yushi could hear the sound of water being squeezed out. As he expected, two very different hands lifted up, holding a neatly folded, damp towel. The towel approached his face, soaking up the sweat and leaving behind warmth. ¡°Delena¡­¡± Yushi closed his eyes, unable to hold back his murmuring. ¡°What can I do for master?¡± Delena paused her movements, waiting for his command. ¡°Did I... have a fever these past two days?¡± ¡°Yes, master. Due to prolonged exposure to the heavy rain, master''s body became hypothermic. Coupled with overexertion and an imbalanced diet, master ended up with a fever.¡± She spoke while continuing her task. ¡°But thankfully, there were still plenty of compounds at home, so Delena made some ibuprofen from isobutylene and other items and fed it to master mixed with crushed canned food. But master still ended up unconscious for two days.¡± Yushi, regaining some strength, glanced toward the balcony. The room was neat and tidy, the blue digital clock on the wall reading ¡°April 17, 8:14 AM.¡± Outside, the rain had long stopped, and the usual gray light returned. ¡°... As long as I¡¯m okay.¡± Yushi sighed, waving his left hand dismissively. Delena nodded, placing the towel back in the basin, then her body rose slightly. But just a little. Then, right before Yushi¡¯s eyes, she used her hands to push against the floor, her waist tilting forward as she moved her torso onto a small wheeled metal board. She scooted along the floor with a ¡°grrr¡± sound. This state¡­ reminded him of the ¡°Usah Old Soldiers¡± begging on the streets. Both were half-paralyzed, their broken bodies moving awkwardly, their movements not far apart. The only difference was, she was a robot, not a beggar. But the robot had a home, while soldiers didn¡¯t. Her clothes were still ragged, but since Yushi had draped an apron over her, she appeared somewhat decent¡ªpoor but not disgraceful. ¡°¡­¡± Yushi watched her, a smile almost creeping onto his face. A guy who nearly died from illness was being cared for by a half-paralyzed robot at home¡­ What a match made in heaven! But just as he pulled the blanket off and tried to stand up, the smile faded. He suddenly realized he was completely naked! Not even wearing underwear! For the past two days, he had been completely naked while Delena was taking care of him! ¡°... Wait, why am I feeling shy?! She¡¯s just a robot!¡± His face flushed as he shook his head, trying to shake off the embarrassment. But his body wrapped itself in the blanket even faster, cocooning him like a silkworm. ¡°... Bring me some clothes. Delena?¡± With a helpless, awkward glance around, Yushi sighed, mustering up the courage to give a quiet command 8: Temperature ¡°Of course, Master.¡± The sound of wheels rolling echoed around as Delena quickly returned to Yushi, her arms full of clothes. ¡°Here are your clothes, Master. I was going to wash all of them because they were quite dirty. But Delena had to prioritize master¡¯s health then respect master¡¯s wishes. Since master didn¡¯t give the command, Delena couldn¡¯t make decisions. So for now, Delena¡¯s main task is to help master get better.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Yushi waved his hand in a flurry. ¡°Just go wash them. I need to get dressed.¡± Each floor had a small room with washing machines and vending machines. For a small fee, you could let those big machines do your laundry, while you grabbed some food that was pretty much the same as what you¡¯d get anywhere else. But even with such cheap options, Yushi hesitated to spend money on laundry. He¡¯d rather soak his clothes in water and skip buying detergent altogether. Delena, clutching a heap of clothes in one arm and pushing a cart with the other, rolled it out to the balcony, grabbing a big red bucket nearby. The bucket was covered in a layer of gray paint, likely from someone¡¯s careless spray painting in the past. She placed it under the faucet, filling it with water until it reached about a third of the way up. Then, she dumped the clothes inside. Then she fell silent. Looking around, it seemed there was nothing to clean the clothes with except for a bottle of diluted dish soap. But could dish soap even wash clothes? Maybe drown in the dirty water slowed her thinking down, after being in a daze, Delena finally grabbed the bottle of dish soap and poured some into the bucket. After all, there were still plenty of grease stains on those clothes¡­ Surely the soap could wash some of it away, right? With determination, she began washing the clothes. Even with a few fingers missing, washing wasn¡¯t too difficult for a robot. ¡°Swish¡­¡± In the dim bathroom, the harsh white light flickered. The worn walls bore the marks of time, and the showerhead sprayed lukewarm water. Yushi¡¯s mind was still foggy as he leaned against the wall, his head bowed, letting the warm water wash over him. He¡¯d meant to get dressed, but as he sat up from the bed, a wave of discomfort washed over him. After two days of fever, he had been sweating profusely. Even with Delena¡¯s care, his skin felt sticky. Not caring about appearances was one thing, but feeling this uncomfortable was another. He wondered if the radio in the living room had been on for the past few days. Since he opened his eyes, he could hear the music playing. Now was jazz time. The carefree piano melodies, the almost chaotic saxophone improvisations, and the erratic drumming made the already hazy room feel even more absurd. Music that felt mindless, a robot that felt mindless, a person that felt mindless, a room that felt mindless¡­ ¡°Snap!¡± The sound of water cut off as Yushi grabbed a large towel nearby and began drying himself. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The door to the bathroom creaked open, and someone stepped out, breathing heavily, feeling like a lump of cotton as he slumped down onto the chair. Yushi tore open a bag of new food, stuffing it into his mouth with cold water. ¡°Phew¡­ alive¡­¡± The New Orleans chicken-flavored patty crumbled in his mouth, mixing with the water as it slid down his throat, finally allowing him to make a sound that resembled a living person. He leaned over the table, squinting his eyes in relief. But opening them again, what he saw made his heart race, nearly causing him to faint. ¡°Engine¡­ Ugh¡­¡± He sighed again, helplessly looking around. The walls were lined with tools, a retractable lamp curled up in the corner, and a group of parts and chemicals lay further away¡­ His eyes darted to the balcony, where Delena was still washing clothes. Despite missing a couple of fingers and having two totally different arms¡­ the way she washing clothes looked pretty much like a normal guy. But sure, her technique was a bit clumsy because of the lack of fingers. Should he sell her or keep her? Yushi quickly grabbed a touchscreen board, wiped the dust off the screen, and started calculating with a pen. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ The nano cluster tube already cost me nearly a thousand Worlb. But if I have to pay that old man back, it¡¯ll max out at nine hundred¡­ If I fix Delena¡­¡± He chewed on the pen, glancing at the balcony with a sneaky look in his eyes. ¡°Sure, it might cost a few thousand more, but if I skimp on materials fixing her, I could sell her for a couple thousand Worlb more in the end, right? ¡­ This month¡¯s finances are tight, but I can sell off some scrap metal from home and tough it out, can¡¯t I?¡± Yushi chuckled bitterly, sighed, and tossed the pen aside. He shoved a few more bites of food into his mouth and stood up, heading toward the balcony. Outside, the sky had cleared, but the air still felt hazy. However, that was quite normal; there were just a little more plants in this city than the number of people who had died in a month. Only big corporations or high-end clubs had decent-sized decorative plants. Everywhere else, there were just a few scattered weeds and half-dead cacti¡ªnothing bigger seemed to survive. ¡°Master.¡± Delena looked up as Yushi approached, her smile stiff. He felt a shiver at her unnatural expression. ¡°Uh¡­ No need to be too cordial.¡± Yushi felt embarrassed and waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master. Also, could master do Delena a small favor?¡± Delena raised her right hand, pointing to the top with her remaining middle finger. Her other two fingers, the thumb and pinky, were intact, while the joints where the missing fingers had been were sewn up by Yushi to prevent any open wounds. ¡°Delena want to hang the clothes, but Delena can¡¯t reach the top. Please help Delena.¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± Yushi chuckled helplessly, taking the twisted clothes from her and hanging them on a rack he¡¯d pulled over, trying to reach the hook on the ceiling. ¡°Master, hanging them like this is hard to dry.¡± Delena continued twisting the clothes, reminding him. ¡°Why so complex? As long as they get the clothes dry.¡± Yushi mumbled, but eventually rearranged the clothes properly to hang them up. Taking the clothes from Delena¡¯s hands, he accidentally brushed against her fingers. It was surprising¡ªher fingers were warm, just like a regular person¡¯s. Aside from the time spent with those old men, he hadn¡¯t had this kind of contact with anyone in a long time. For some reason, Yushi felt that the robot¡¯s body temperature was even more comforting than a normal person¡¯s. But he held back the urge to keep touching her, noticing that Delena was starting to look at him with curiosity. Fortunately, the awkward moment didn¡¯t last long. Once the clothes were hung, Yushi slumped back down in his chair, staring blankly at the workbench, mindlessly tapping his fingers. Suddenly, he forgot about the usual tasks he needed to do: going out for work or competing with the ¡°change bucket¡± for business. The ¡°change bucket¡± was a smart storage box, where you could quickly send small items around the city or sell unwanted junk. Why was it called a spare change bucket? Because anything you tried to sell to it would be bought back at a price significantly lower than the market rate, leaving you with just a few Worlb like small changes. Trying to make a living by selling junk to it was a bit of a stretch. But sometimes, tossing a bunch of junk its way for a bit of cash to buy a warm meal didn¡¯t feel like a total loss. Yushi would negotiate with anyone wanting to sell their scrap metal machines, sweetening the deal with a bit of extra cash or favors to buy their stuff, then take it home to fix it up before selling it again. If he came across something that was beyond repair, he¡¯d strip it down for usable parts, tossing the rest back into the change bucket. He used to be full of passion, and even the pressure wouldn¡¯t dampen his fervor. But after just recovering from a serious illness, staring at the harsh reality of survival felt overwhelming¡­ Even the top-tier managers at his company, ruthless as they were, would probably crack under the strain of physical and mental torment. ¡°Master still seem tired.¡± The sound of wheels approached Yushi as Delena slowly made her way over. This time, to avoid her hands touching the ground, she gripped a stick with both hands, pushing it down to propel herself and the cart forward. ¡°Ugh¡­ What can I do? That thing can¡¯t be fixed, and tomorrow I¡¯ll have to take it to that old man¡¯s place, apologize in person, and pay him back, then starve for days!¡± Yushi scoffed, taking another bite of the still unfinished bag of food. ¡°Is master talking about the Memphis-made waste-to-energy engine on the table? Delena wanted to fix it, but it seems we don¡¯t have the right tools at home.¡± But Delena¡¯s calm voice made him abruptly stand up. 9: butterfly Ever since the major powers of the world began their years-long struggle, not to mention the chaos caused by the new AI ¡°Cysus¡± created by OneX Technology in COSAWO, the world has faced a financial disaster. Now, Cela is far from being calm; it¡¯s more like a patchwork of chaos. But at least, despite the rampant technological and military developments, regional rebellions have been relatively rare. The locals understand, that even if they became part of another continent¡¯s alliance, their lives wouldn¡¯t improve much. Things are already messy enough; what more chaos could they handle? Ironically, in this turbulent world, the continent of Logate, the most underdeveloped, has benefited the most. Once a land stripped of its resources and enslaved during the Middle Ages, Logate managed to break free during the Second Human War in Cela. Yet, due to historical issues, the borders of its nations were drawn haphazardly, leaving them in constant turmoil. By 2023, the major power in North Nassan, known as Usah, suddenly announced its intention to establish the NRG (Nassan Republic Government, but everyone knows that it is a regime). Everyone in Cela was buzzing. Although rumors of this plan had circulated last century, this time felt different. Back then, Usah attempted to conquer South Nassan by force but was thwarted by smaller nations in the south. Got lost in the vast, treacherous Amazon jungle, ultimately facing fierce resistance from the brave people of South Nassan. Even their inhumane gas attacks failed. And who knows if other major powers were pulling strings behind the scenes? That first attempt at the Nassan War ended in failure. But Usah had learned its lesson: to dismantle them, they had to start from within. After the war, they adopted a softer approach, heavily supporting the ¡°democratic processes¡± of South Nassan¡¯s nations, providing funding to local democratic groups. They also opened up generous study-abroad policies, allowing students to either continue their education locally or return to serve their countries. While this was a good thing, students who stayed in Usah focused on science research, while those returning to South Nassan were mostly political science majors. As a result, many southern nations began cozying up to Usah. Then, in 2023, when Usah publicly proclaimed its vision for the unified government, chaos erupted. Even the smaller nations in South Nassan and North Oswell were terrified. Usah was already a superpower, and now its territory was expanding to nearly two continents! What could they do? Leaders from various countries scrambled to hold endless meetings, trying to address lingering historical issues. They were both racing against time and stalling. They didn¡¯t believe Usah could truly achieve this unification, and they often took to the UN to criticize Usah¡¯s actions. But when the Nassan Republic actually began to take shape, everyone broke into a cold sweat. Forget the details! Let¡¯s unite and become a major power first! We¡¯ll deal with the nitty-gritty later! Once we¡¯re a continental power, these small issues will be a thing of the past! The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. So, countries in Sesciece quickly reached an agreement, forming the Sesciece Nation. Shortly after, they allied with some nations from West Oswell, creating the Coalition of Sesciece and West Oswell, or COSAWO for short. Meanwhile, in East Oswell, countries led by Zactin transformed into New Zactin. And then there was Letork, a continent-sized nation that had always been a single country. It was far from others, so they didn¡¯t feel the need to form alliances. However, it was just a thousand nautical miles from Zactin¡¯s mainland. Previously, it had connections with Usah and Sesciece, but now¡­ that seemed to be changing. They quickly declared a stance of permanent neutrality. Thus, Logate naturally evolved into the AL (Logate Alliance. Actually, Logate is also OK). Now that they had the strength of an entire continent, they wanted their own tech companies too. New Zactin had Zacking, COSAWO had OneX Technology, and Usah had Mason. What about them? So, three months later, in Cairo, the capital of the Logate, a grand opening ceremony was held. The entrance was bustling with cars, and the sound of camera shutters filled the air. The sitting president stood on a makeshift podium, passionately recounting Logate¡¯s century-long struggles and its rise today. With a final command, the Memphis Technology Company officially commenced operations! But Logate was already lagging behind the world. In terms of technology, they couldn¡¯t compete with Zacking, Mason, or OneX. And when it came to cost-effectiveness, they were crushed by Zacking¡¯s subsidiary, Okazaki, and the now-independent Tima Company from Usah. How could they sell their products? Faced with multiple challenges, they turned to imitation. If we can¡¯t innovate, why not replicate? Imitating modern electronics isn¡¯t easy; with their outdated machinery, achieving 100% accuracy is nearly impossible. But if they could replicate 60 or even 70 percent, that would be good enough. Sure, the imitation costs a bit more, but it¡¯s still cheaper than innovation. Plus, selling at a lower price could yield decent profits. As for tariffs? If it¡¯s cheap enough, they could smuggle it to various parts of the world and sell it to those who can¡¯t afford more expensive options. If a faux Mason prosthetic eye could be bought for a few hundred Worlb, even if it exploded in my eye, I¡¯d still praise how loud it went off. Despite Logate now splitting into the Southern and Northern Logate Alliances, the entire company remained based in Cairo, so industrial production wouldn¡¯t be affected. And that¡¯s how the Memphis waste-to-energy engine came to be. This engine burns trash to power homes. Its power output was initially high, but after years of turmoil, the price has risen slightly. For the poor, even this cost is significant. Instead of buying electricity, they¡¯d rather invest in an engine that burns garbage for power. Typically, those using such engines are the poor living in suburbs or near landfills. They can not only use the power generated but, if there¡¯s excess, sell it to power companies for cash. The engine Yushi got was a core model. Due to the varied composition of garbage, different chemical reactions may occur during incineration, so it¡¯s equipped with high-temperature, corrosion-resistant circuit chips for monitoring and control. These chips have independent batteries, allowing real-time monitoring even without power. But since it¡¯s a Memphis product, it¡¯s never without issues. While the internal problems are minor, the external parts are vulnerable to moisture, which is why rain can cause electrical leakage and damage the circuit. Thanks to Memphis¡¯s advanced technology, circuit damage can be more severe than that of regular chips. To fix it, they need precise machinery and flawless circuit restoration¡ªno bugs or noticeable performance drops. In theory, with AI assistance, they could spend days repairing this knockoff. But the pay isn¡¯t great, and Yushi doesn¡¯t have top-notch repair machines, so it¡¯s a losing battle. ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯re an intelligent robot¡­¡± Yushi stared wide-eyed at Delena, who was looking up at him. ¡°If you were to repair this circuit, how long would it take?¡± ¡°About three hours, Master.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Delena replied as if she had been waiting for this question. ¡°Three hours? Are you kidding? Is that enough?¡± Yushi looked at her skeptically. Though her pale face showed no emotion, he caught a glimmer of confidence in her glowing green eyes. Is that something a robot should have? Maybe she was finally recovering; her voice sounded much smoother now. ¡°Enough. Delena¡¯s circuit calculation ability is excellent and can handle it.¡± She smiled gently, nodding her head, though her movements were still a bit jerky. ¡°But first, Delena needs master to find a machine for manual etching.¡± 10: The Transformation of Theseus ¡°I¡­¡± Yushi bit his lip, thoughts racing. He immediately recalled a nearby cybernetic clinic. That guy, Kuru, with his ridiculous red mohawk, was always promoting implants to anyone who walked in. And most of his products were made from Memphis. Kuru couldn¡¯t stand Yushi. It was 2040 now, but there was still someone refused to get even a neck implant or a cyber chip! he used the most outdated smartphones instead! And the man was Yushi! Every time Yushi always turned down any cybernetic enhancements. Utterly backward! Utterly shameful! People like him must be the laughingstock of the world! But Yushi was unimpressed. After buying what he needed, he¡¯d transfer the payment with phone and walk out¡ªa blatant provocation! But Kuru¡¯s shop stuck in Yushi¡¯s mind. It was filled with heaps of cybernetic parts, a surgical chair, and a bunch of workstations with tools, including a machine for chip repairs. The chip machine could handle repairs, oxidation, photolithography, and could be operated manually or with built-in AI. Of course, Kuru would only make deals that paid well, and he only repaired the advanced chips. If Yushi wanted him to fix a Memphis machine, he would f**k him off absolutely if the money wasn¡¯t enough. Lately, Yushi had heard Kuru had gotten his hands on a couple of worn military-grade chips but hadn¡¯t had the time to get them repaired. ¡°I wonder how much it would cost to borrow the machine?¡± Yushi thought. It couldn¡¯t be cheap, could it? And the fact answered ¡®yes¡¯. ¡°F**k out the way, you dumb ball! Bedbugs like you who won¡¯t even get implants shouldn¡¯t shit here!¡± Half an hour later, just as he approached the dim, cold shop, a mechanical hand wielding a scalpel pointed straight at his nose, making him stumble back in fright. ¡°Hey, Kuru! It¡¯s just an implant! Not everyone wants one, and you can¡¯t force people to buy it!¡± Yushi ducked behind the engine, nearly pushing Delena out of her seat. She was perched on a small cart. The cart at first was shabby, so Yushi had made a few tweaks to at least make her look decent. ¡°Am I not the old costumer in your store? Haven¡¯t I bought plenty of materials from you? Just see how many nano-bundles tubes I¡¯ve purchased! You¡¯ve earn a few bags of pure tobacco cigarettes from me, and now you just want to kill me?¡± ¡°Go f**k yourself!¡± Kuru¡¯s head popped out, his face twisted like a cyber maniac. His fully mechanized nose couldn¡¯t move a muscle, making him all the more terrifying. ¡°I could shit a few days off and still earn a lot from just two surgeries! Why would I care about your testicles? That chip machine costs a fortune! You can never afford to use it!¡± ¡°How much for once?!¡± Yushi glared at Kuru, pulling out his phone to check his balance. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°One thousand!¡± ¡°What?! Are you kidding? I only make four hundred on this job! You want a thousand from me?!¡± Kuru looked at Yushi, who was practically baring his teeth in frustration, and smirked lazily. ¡°You think using a chip machine is just some crap metal you can afford by skipping a few meals? This is HIGH-TECH STUFF! TOP-TIER GOODS! Oh, you think it¡¯s just expensive to use? It¡¯s an expensive shit, bro! Every time you use it, it wears down a little more, and every use drops its precision! And the materials for repairs? They cost money too! Even if I don¡¯t profit from you, you still owe me eight hundred Worlb! No negotiations!¡± ¡°...Are you really trying to screw me over?¡± Yushi was still breathing heavily, but his tone turned icy. Kuru didn¡¯t budge, as if they were born to be opposites. ¡°Wear and tear! Materials! Money! No compromises! If you¡¯ve got gold, shit out! If not, get f**ked!¡± ¡°Fine, do what you want to me! When the UPF comes knocking on your door, don¡¯t ask me which buddy reported you for body snatching!¡± Yushi shot another glare at Kuru, who now had an icy demeanor in return. UPF, the Usah Police Force, originally part of the Usah government¡¯s police department, had become privatized during the Second Nassan War due to budget cuts. After the independence of West Usah Free State, UPF began negotiating with state governors to maintain order. Kuru was notorious for scavenging cybernetics from corpses and selling them. People had seen him in the act, but with his coercion and inducement, he¡¯d never been reported. Yushi hadn¡¯t witnessed it himself but had heard the stories. He often saw areas cordoned off by UPF, with a mangled corpse inside. People around here whispered Kuru¡¯s name. And with the mountains of cybernetic parts in his shop, it was hard not to see him as a suspect. UPF was usually indifferent to these bodies. They were poor and often died from health issues. Even many of them didn¡¯t even have IDs. Why awakened sleeping dogs? Better to let it lie down. The salary for a cop was already meager, so why make so many troubles? Moreover, those dead were just some poor with no family. But Kuru was a repeat offender. If he got reported, his assets would be absolutely cleaned out by UPF. Even if he got out of jail, he¡¯d have nothing left to live on¡ªessentially declared dead. His brow twitched, the scalpel in his hand trembling as his gaze locked onto Yushi¡¯s vulnerable spots. ¡°Please don¡¯t take our money, and I can help you fix two high-grade chips in a day to settle the debt. Deal?¡± Suddenly, a voice came from beside Yushi¡¯s leg, sending a chill down Kuru¡¯s spine. ¡°High-grade chips? You think you can fix two military chips made from Zacking in a day?¡± Kuru glanced down at Delena, who was hidden behind Yushi, skepticism and disdain etched on his face. ¡°Who the hell are you? A half-paralyzed person dreaming big? You think you can just show off and impress me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just someone who failed to attach prosthetic. The operation took away the lower half of my body.¡± Delena spoke with a calmness that made Kuru¡¯s heart race, his scalpel trembling slightly. Before coming here, Yushi had shared everything he knew about Kuru with her. Usually, whatever working or what, he was often alone, with little interaction with others. He had limited contact with strangers. Over time, he would even unconsciously talk to himself while repairing machines. Now that he had someone to chat with, he couldn¡¯t let the chance slip away. And Delena remembered every word he said. ¡°...So, this is your bargaining chip?¡± Kuru¡¯s crimson irises fixed on Yushi, his mechanical finger twitching. ¡°He¡¯s the one who recommended I come here for my operation. I want to stand again.¡± Delena drew attention again, her lips moving steadily. ¡°Hmph¡­ You don¡¯t even install your own implants but try to convince others to do it?¡± ¡°Just doing a good deed. She needs operation, I have a recommendation. That¡¯s it. Plus, recommending you... doesn¡¯t that show that you are really skillful?¡± Yushi sneered at Kuru, his body shaking slightly with laughter. ¡°This girl¡¯s lower half is gone; that¡¯s no easy fix. And it won¡¯t come cheap.¡± Kuru scoffed, but the hand with scalpel dropped slightly, and he retreated into the shop, allowing them to enter. ¡°Sure, I can fix high-grade chips myself, but it takes time, and AI processing eats up lots of power. If you can really fix those two chips in a day¡­¡± Kuru pressed a switch on the wall, and the shop lit up brightly, momentarily blinding Yushi. ¡°...The price is negotiable!¡± What was usually hard to see was now laid bare before Yushi. To the left of the entrance was a small counter, with implants hanging or displayed on shelves, and various materials Yushi had previously bought tucked away in cabinets. Further in was a surgical table hidden behind a curtain. He couldn¡¯t see what the table looked like, but the bloodstains on the curtain suggested it wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant place to be, even if it was sanitized. Next to the surgical area was Yushi¡¯s target: the chip machine. It stood out like a crane among chickens, pristine and clean, its white exterior starkly contrasting with the messy surroundings. The chip machine was bulky, with two massive mechanical arms and a large workbench, clearly hard to maintain, yet it was spotless. ¡°This is the real stuff! How can it be compared to the lives of those poor souls?¡± Kuru smirked, guessing Yushi¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Just remember, while you¡¯re fixing those chips, follow the rules! If anything gets damaged or the machine wears out too much, I won¡¯t let you pee comfortably!¡± 11: The Earthily Established Match ¡°Before we start fixing the chips, I have a request.¡± Delena didn¡¯t answer directly. After Yu Shi awkwardly lifted her onto a chair, she turned to Kuru, who was sitting at the front desk. ¡°Once I fix them, could you install a lower body for me for free? Our budget is pretty tight right now.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey¡­ Give an inch and take a mile? I let you use the chip machine for free, and now you still want more? I beg you to fix this? ¡± Kuru¡¯s brows knitted together, his fingers tapping impatiently on the plastic tabletop. The hazy sunlight outside streamed in, casting a glow across the counter. His mechanical fingers danced between the light and shadow. ¡°I¡¯m only showing a bit of pity because your implant installation failed. Now your job is fixing the god damn chips ,not taking shit from me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need anything advanced; something defective is enough. Please. If money is an issue, can you extend our credit?¡± Despite the tension in the air, Delena remained calm, like a sea frozen in time. Yu Shi stood frozen beside her, stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected Delena to make a request herself. And if she was going to ask someone for something, it should¡¯ve been him, her owner, not some outsider. Did she think he was too broke to ask? Like a precocious child from a poor family? But after all, she was his responsibility. Even if they were asking for help, it should¡¯ve been him doing the asking. ¡°Kuru, you must have a bunch of old, unsellable implants lying around, right? Just give her an old one, like the ¡®God Hand 2¡¯? Put it on my tab, and I¡¯ll pay you back once I make some money.¡± The ¡°God Hand¡± series was the first well-developed line of prosthetics. On March 12, 2027, Tima Company announced the release of the first prosthetic, ¡°God Hand 1,¡± which was used during the Second Nassan War to help soldiers who lost their arms regain their combat abilities. The subsequent release, ¡°God Hand 2,¡± was undoubtedly for the legs. After that, other tech companies rushed to develop their own smart prosthetics. But on June 15, President Kolleba Fuwandi was assassinated, and the new president, Carrilian Sean, announced a withdrawal of troops, bringing the Second Nassan War to an end. The ¡°God Hand¡± series gradually transitioned to civilian use, marking the beginning of the prosthetic era. ¡°Uh? Uh, uh, hahahaha!! God Hand 2?! Are you idiot?! What year is it? Who even uses God Hand 2 anymore?!¡± Kuru¡¯s brows twitched uncontrollably, then finally burst into a maniacal laugh, his crazed eyes squinting as he looked at them both with a mix of mockery and pity. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re really¡­ hahaha, you¡¯re killing me! Now people would rather buy junk from the black market than use God Hand 2! Oh shit¡­¡± He turned around laughing heartily, and just as straightened up to look at the prosthetic on the wall, he bent over again, laughing "hahaha." You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Uh, hehehe¡­ you two fuckers are just¡­ hehehe, well well. This joke is worth it¡­ uh, hahaha¡­¡± Yu Shi was left with a blank expression, watching Kuru laugh uncontrollably while rummaging through the prosthetics. Was it really that funny? He tried to empathize. Maybe¡­ it was like having a perfectly good electric heater, but someone still wanted to borrow your nylon clothes to start a fire? No, it still wasn¡¯t funny. But then Yu Shi remembered hearing that too many prosthetic installations could really affect one¡¯s mental state, making their personality volatile. In severe cases, people couldn¡¯t even tell the difference between reality and hallucinations, turning into what they called ¡°cyber maniacs.¡± Hmm, maybe Kuru¡¯s sense of humor was just a bit off compared to normal people. That could explain it. ¡°Alright, alright~¡± Kuru bent down, his upper body buried in a pile of prosthetics. After some clattering, two iron leg frames were pulled out. They looked heavy, but he tossed them out as easily as if he were carrying two plastic bags of flourbeans. The dull thud of the steel hitting the ground echoed in the shop for a moment, causing the fluorescent lights on the ceiling to flicker involuntarily. ¡°Here, once the chips are fixed, this is your payment for the joke, got it?¡± He sneered at Yu Shi, his lips curling up in a mocking grin. ¡°This is good stuff! Sure, it¡¯s¡­ well, it¡¯s from Memphis, but it¡¯s really decent. Copied from¡­ um, OneX Tech. It¡¯s a high-quality replica, way better than the fart you just farted. The copied items are high-end goods, and the fidelity is pretty impressive. You¡¯ve hit the jackpot!¡± ¡°Thud!¡± The two iron legs landed on the counter with a thump. Kuru grabbed a nearby inhaler-shaped stimulant, took a couple of deep puffs, and immediately shivered as if hit by a cold wave, his neck twitching as his eyes rolled back. Suddenly, he froze in place, and in less than a second, he let out a satisfied sigh, exhaling the air from his lungs. ¡°Ah¡­ sweet air¡­¡± A lazy voice escaped Kuru¡¯s lips. His mechanical hand quickly grabbed tools to start working on the iron legs. ¡°I¡¯m getting started on these ¡®Thatcher¡¯ legs now. I¡¯ll have them ready in under an hour¡­ What are you still staring at me for? Get to f**k!¡± Yu Shi immediately straightened up, turning to Delena. She sat calmly, lightly swiping at the LCD screen she held, seemingly still figuring out how to use the chip machine. ¡°Right in front of the chip machine, yes, over there by the wall, there¡¯s a box. Take out the top two yellow shit and f**k them! Understand?¡± Yu Shi listened impatiently to Kuru¡¯s rambling as he picked up the two small boxes. He unclipped the locks, revealing two beautifully crafted blue boards. Unfortunately, dark splotches of varying shades of black were unevenly scattered across the chips. ¡°This¡­ clearly looks like it was caused by splashes of molten metal from high temperatures. What kind of people would do such a thing?¡± ¡°F**k it and stop talking bullshit! Talk bullshit then f**k out! Why you always bark a lot?!¡± Kuru¡¯s harsh voice interrupted Yu Shi¡¯s thoughts, leaving him scowling, placing the chips on the workbench in front of Delena. ¡°Now it¡¯s all up to you, Delena. Don¡¯t make mistakes. If anything goes wrong, just tell me; don¡¯t let yourself crash halfway through.¡± He glanced weakly at Delena, then back at the chips, his lips moving restlessly. Taking a deep breath, he let out a weary sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. Delena won¡¯t let master down.¡± She turned to Yu Shi with a slight smile before focusing back on the LCD screen. ¡°Hey, you little brat, do you know why these legs are called ¡®Thatcher¡¯? They were shit by OneX. They say they¡¯re modeled after the perfect legs of former Sesciece Prime Minister Thatcher. But you know what? Those motherf**ers at first were just claiming they wanted to study Thatcher¡¯s pathology, then dug up the bones of that old chick who¡¯s been dead for decades and started playing with them! Hahaha!!¡± Kuru was clearly high on the stimulant now, his hands still working while he rambled on, laughing uncontrollably as he shared the story. ¡°Wha¡­ what do you mean?¡± Yu Shi frowned, glancing back at Kuru. ¡°Master, Kuru means that those developers have a necrophilia¡­ well, to put it correctly, bone necrophilia. They especially liked Thatcher¡¯s leg bones.¡± Delena had already started working. With her remaining fingers, she carefully secured the chip. Then she began operating on the LCD screen, controlling the two large, precise mechanical arms to skillfully repair the tiny damaged components. In the meantime, she replied calmly. ¡°Really?¡­ Wait, they¡¯ve been buried for decades; how could they still have a thing for a few old bones?¡± Yu Shi¡¯s brows twitched in disgust, his lips curling up in revulsion. ¡°Ahahaha!! That¡¯s the unyielding romance of the Sesciecians!! Rom~~ance~~!¡± Kuru was laughing so hard he was nearly going mad, his tongue flopping out of his mouth like a fish bait tossed into the water, thrashing about wildly to attract fish. But there were no fish to catch here, just a young man rolling his eyes so hard that nearly reached the back of his heel. Oh, and a half-paralyzed robot. 12: Strategist Has No Shape Yushi was extremely worried. Although Kuru wasn¡¯t a real cyber maniac, he was definitely halfway there. He didn¡¯t use sedatives, but stimulants here. Wasn¡¯t that just a slow suicide? Forget about the mental effects; just looking at Kuru right now made Yushi acutely aware of the dangers of technology. The madman¡¯s bright red irises were now even more blinding, as if something was about to explode from within. His arms, despite their machines¡¯ support, trembled uncontrollably. Maybe to mask his instability, Kuru kept rambling on and on. But it seemed like that couldn¡¯t hide anything at all. ¡°F**k! F**k those bastards in the higher-ups of the Usah! They¡¯re all heretics! Heretics! Our Usah¡¯s orthodox religion is the Sanst! We Usah people are Sanstians! Those power-hungry scum are just Mason¡¯s dogs! Members of the Illuminati! They believe in fallen angels! Damn Lucifer, back to hell!¡± ¡°What the hell? Even with technology at this level, there are still people who believe in religion?¡± Yushi grimaced, fiddling with a small wrench. It looked like it was made of plastic, but in reality, it was crafted from carbon-nitrogen fiber, harder than most alloys. There was no choice; ordinary metal wrenches were outdated. Regular steel tools couldn¡¯t even repair those massive prosthetics or armor anymore. ¡°You have no faith! You¡¯re not a true Usahn! Hmph! I can tell. Your traditional face has no chance of blending into our Usahn culture!¡± Kuru spat out a mouthful of thick saliva mixed with phlegm, hitting the ground beside him, merging with the blood-like stains. ¡°Those smelly d**ks Masons are going to destroy the world! The Great Santee Flu is their doing! Thanks to them, all we have left to eat are f**king flourbeans and Mealworms, just a bunch of compounds to fill our stomachs and numb our taste buds!¡± ¡°At least we still have something to eat¡­¡± Yushi thought bitterly, remaining silent. He didn¡¯t want to provoke the madman any further; he was afraid that if he accidentally triggered Kuru, the next moment he¡¯d be charging at him with a drill, ready to dig a hole in his head before Yushi could even react, painting the curtain a beautiful crimson. But for some reason, every time he heard ¡°Mason,¡± a shiver ran down his spine. Well, they were a tech giant from Usah. So what? Sitting silently next to Delena, he took steady breaths. He wasn¡¯t sure if Kuru was tiring himself out or if he had just gotten used to it, but Kuru¡¯s voice seemed to fade into the background, becoming barely audible. Meanwhile, jazz music began to play in Yushi¡¯s mind, not knowing if it was from the radio earlier, something he had heard before, or something he was making up. But it didn¡¯t matter. He quietly watched Delena, her few remaining fingers gliding across the LCD screen. The large mechanical arms followed her instructions, making soft rustling sounds as they adjusted their tiny movements. The small device at the front kept switching tools. Whenever a different tool was selected, the small device would retract into the mechanical arm, and the designated tool would pop out with a ¡°click-click-click.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. No wonder those mechanical arms were built so robustly. The workbench cast soft light on Delena¡¯s face, making her pale complexion appear warmer. ¡°¡­Delena can feel it.¡± After an unknown amount of time, Delena suddenly spoke softly. ¡°Feel what?¡± Yushi¡¯s eyes twitched slightly, the jazz in his mind still playing on. ¡°This chip machine has AI assistance; Delena can feel its dedication to the task.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an AI, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Master, Delena is an intelligent AI robot.¡± ¡°Great. So you should be able to handle this task well?¡± ¡°Yes, Master. Delena feels Delena can utilize it effectively. Delena can also sense that it derives a great deal of happiness from successfully repairing the chips, and Delena can feel that joy too.¡± ¡°¡­Can AI really feel happiness?¡± Yushi looked at the two mechanical arms, his bloodshot eyes fixed on them. ¡°Yes, Master. Because when such tasks are converted into computable matrix networks, the probabilities of ¡®happiness¡¯ and ¡®joy¡¯ are maximized, leading to the output of such results. Therefore, the chip machine naturally feels happiness.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Delena¡¯s answer left Yushi at a loss for words, and he shifted his gaze back to Kuru. Now, Kuru had really run out of things to say; his original inhaler-shaped stimulant had been replaced with a cigarette. It hung from his slightly darkened lips, the ember glowing as smoke billowed out, leaving a pile of ash behind. ¡°Overdone?¡­ The effects?¡± Yushi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. His head tilted to the right, his left foot resting on his right leg, and his right arm propping up his upper body as he casually placed his hands on this table made by his body. ¡°People without prosthetics don¡¯t deserve answers.¡± Kuru mumbled through the cigarette, not bothering to look up. Only his eyes rolled impatiently upwards to meet Yushi¡¯s gaze. ¡°Instead of worrying about me, why not pay more attention to your friend? Without her help, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to bark in my house.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ of course.¡± Yushi nodded, chuckling softly, then turned back to Delena. ¡°How¡¯s the progress?¡± ¡°Report, Master. The first chip has only minor damage, so it¡¯s currently at five percent completion,¡± she replied quietly. Yushi glanced at his phone¡ªKuru¡¯s least favorite phone. It was now 9:47 AM, barely half an hour had passed. That meant if they were really going to fix this chip, it would take at least ten hours. ¡°Delena knows that half an hour has passed, but it can¡¯t be helped. Delena has to simulate the chip system while repairing it, which requires a lot of computing power and time. But please rest assured, Delena and the chip machine are working hard together; they will achieve results that are twice as effective for half the effort, and the repair speed will gradually increase.¡± Anticipating what Yushi would say, Delena answered first. ¡°I believe you; just do your best.¡± Yushi smiled slightly, unconsciously placing his hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle pat. ¡°Are you guys done yet? How much have you fixed? Still here laughing and joking?¡± The creaking sound of the chair joints echoed as Kuru twisted his neck and walked over, a new cigarette hanging from his mouth. ¡°Still got cigarettes, huh? Kuru must be a rich man now.¡± Yushi turned his head, his whole body following suit to face Kuru. ¡°Duh, I earn way more than you. But real tobacco is still too expensive. This pack only has twenty percent tobacco content.¡± Kuru stepped closer to Yushi, stretching out his foot to pull over a rolling chair, then plopped down, exhaling smoke right in Yushi¡¯s face. ¡°Smoke one?¡± Before Yushi could frown, a pack of cigarettes flew straight at him. With no choice, he quickly raised his left hand to catch it, burying his nose in his sleeve and letting out a sharp breath. ¡°Yamashita cigarettes, from Toujima. That biggest island of the Zactin¡­ resources have been as scarce as someone who had two d**ks since ancient times, so those poor folks always make the best quality goods from the few things they have.¡± Kuru took another drag, exhaling smoke that had a faint green hue. ¡°Among mid-range cigarettes, Yamashita is the best. It has other flavors, but it retains the purest tobacco taste, so you don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re smoking plastic.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t smoke,¡± Yushi replied, tossing the cigarette pack back with irritation. ¡°Heh, don¡¯t smoke, huh?¡± Kuru grinned, revealing teeth stained with green pigments, as he stuffed the pack into his pants pocket. ¡°In this day and age, aside from rich kids who live in high-rise greenhouses, only the dead don¡¯t smoke.¡± ¡°Then I guess I¡¯m an exception.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t last long before you break.¡± Yushi¡¯s retort was just hot air to Kuru. He scoffed again. ¡°Just like with prosthetic installations. You think you can keep avoiding getting prosthetics like you avoid smoking? I bet within two years¡­ no, within a year, when we meet again, you¡¯ll be covered in prosthetics. Oh, who knows, your daily cigarette consumption might even be enough to power a generator.¡± ¡°¡­Unless I¡¯m dead, but I¡¯m not that easy to kill.¡± Yushi shot him a fierce glare. ¡°This world is not determined by you, nor by me.¡± Kuru narrowed his eyes, the red glow in his pupils locking onto Yushi¡¯s. ¡°But by the world itself.¡± 13：Vicious M?bius Ring ¡°Delivery. Mr. Kuru, right? Two large sweet and sour cheese pollock pizzas and three big cups of iced lemon soda.¡± Outside the clinic, the roar of a motorcycle slowed down. A guy in a blue helmet, drenched in sweat, walked in carrying two big bags. He recited his lines without any emotion, just dropped the bags next to Kuru, who was busy fixing a prosthetic, and turned to leave. ¡°Hey, idiot! Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m working here? Just leaving those next to me like that?¡± Kuru suddenly exploded in anger, but the delivery guy didn¡¯t give him a f**K. He plopped down on his motorcycle and took off without looking back, leaving a cloud of dust behind. ¡°F**k these rude riders! Once Mason¡¯s company expands here, the first ones to lose jobs will be these stupid guys!¡± Kuru¡¯s face turned a bit red as he cursed under his breath, but his hands didn¡¯t slow down. He quickly tore open the bags, pulled out a large cup of drink, and with a ¡°pop,¡± stuck in a straw, leaning forward to gulp down a big sip. ¡°Ahh¡­ You¡¯ve got to admit, kid, no matter the era, carbs and fats are the only things that truly satisfy the hollow soul of humanity, even if they all taste like floubeans. Come on, eat up! I don¡¯t want you passing out in my shop!¡± Kuru¡¯s unexpected invitation caught Yushi off guard. He turned to Delena, pointing at himself and her with his thumb, and asked, ¡°Can you eat?¡± ¡°Of course, Delena needs to eat too. Otherwise, the ¡®blood¡¯ will lack essential nutrients.¡± Delena remained focused on repairing the chip, her eyes glued to the task, but she could still answer Yushi without a hitch. ¡°But Delena is in a critical moment right now. Master eats first, please.¡± ¡°What are you two babbling about? There¡¯s no poison here! The only ways to die here are from overeating or choking!¡± Kuru shouted from the back, but he didn¡¯t seem that angry. If people are full, their tempers tend to improve, sometimes even making them a bit drowsy. ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± Yushi got up, carefully grabbed a large cup of drink, and brought it to his lips. The lemon flavor was strong, perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, especially with the ice making it even more refreshing. But that lingering soybean taste around him was still hard to shake off. How to describe it? The taste of floubeans was like a faintly disinfectant-flavored soybean, a bit overwhelming. If he pinched his nose, the taste was fine, but if he didn¡¯t, that taste would linger in his mouth and nose, refusing to go away. But people must get used to it. Yushi picked up a slice of pizza, the hot crust piled with sauce, processed cheese, and a few thin slices of creamy fish. He popped it in his mouth, the juicy filling packed with heat and fat instantly soaked his parched mouth, filling his empty stomach, leaving a lingering aftertaste that made him smirk. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°This tastes pretty good. Kuru, you¡¯ve got a good eye for delicious pizza.¡± Yushi chewed while taking another sip of his drink, mumbling through his mouthful. ¡°Yeah, that mother**king shop¡­ it¡¯s just so so. Everything these days tastes pretty much the same. I bet you¡¯re saying this because you¡¯re too broke to eat anything but vital signs maintenance meals.¡± Kuru sneered, grabbing a slice of pizza, folding it thick, and shoving it into his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m broke. Thank you boss for treating me; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t get to enjoy the benefits of technology.¡± Yushi chuckled, watching Kuru¡¯s eating style and mimicking it. The boss really knew how to eat! This way of eating was way more satisfying than the usual method! When would he be able to fill his belly like this? ¡°Benefit my ass! You think you can enjoy benefits without money? Ha! So, where¡¯s your little girlfriend? On a diet? Why isn¡¯t she here eating with us?¡± Kuru sat down, propping the front legs of his chair up casually. His casual jab made Yushi choke, coughing for a bit. ¡°...What? She¡¯s my friend! When did she become my girlfriend?¡± ¡°Come on, Are there still people who genuinely believe in ¡®friends¡¯ these days?¡± Kuru scoffed, pulling Yushi closer and leaning in. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m telling you, your girl¡­ uh, your friend, she¡¯s quite hot. Not top-tier, but definitely a chick. You two haven¡¯t¡­ played around?¡± ¡°Played? What are you talking about?¡± Yushi rolled his eyes, his face turning red as he grabbed another slice of pizza. ¡°Ah, look at you! I¡¯m feeding you, giving you money, and this is your repay?¡± Kuru clicked his tongue, but the smile on his face didn¡¯t fade. ¡°But look at her now, her lower half gone. You¡¯ve lost your opportunity.¡± Yushi rolled his eyes away, focusing on his food. Before long, Delena carefully climbed down from her task, standing in the cart. ¡°Did you finish?¡± Yushi licked his fingers, wiped them on the foggy drink cup, and hurried over to push her forward. ¡°The chip isn¡¯t fully repaired yet, but the critical point has been cracked. It¡¯s sixty-five percent complete.¡± Delena nodded. That was quite a statement, and it nearly choked Kuru. ¡°Cough! What?! You finished more than half already this morning?!¡± He stumbled, almost falling off his chair, pounding his chest to catch his breath, staring in shock at Delena, who was sipping from her drink. Although they had promised to fix the two chips today, seeing it in reality was still shocking. Yushi couldn¡¯t help but stare at Delena, watching her eat, his mind racing. This robot could actually eat to supplement her energy? How did she digest? Would she produce waste? How would that waste come out? If only he had paid more attention to her internal organs during the repair! Now, cutting her open for inspection seemed a bit rude. ¡°Thanks to Mr. Kuru¡¯s chip machine being so efficient, my progress has been incredibly fast.¡± Delena smiled, picking up a slice of pizza and taking a small bite. ¡°Mas¡­ Yushi, Mr. Kuru¡¯s food is much better than what you eat at home. You should enrich your quality of life; don¡¯t neglect your body.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Haha, that¡¯s true. If only I had enough money¡­¡± Yushi froze for a moment, awkwardly covering his face and laughing bitterly. ¡°Hey, babe, if you stick with me and help fix chips, you¡¯ll be rolling in cash. Don¡¯t hang out with that¡­ friend of yours. What¡¯s the point of sticking with this broke dog?¡± Kuru teased Delena, laughing like he was playing with a puppy. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but my friend Yushi treats me well. It doesn¡¯t matter how much we earn; I¡¯m just satisfied with a meal. If Mr. Kuru ever needs help, we¡¯ll definitely lend a hand.¡± Even with Kuru¡¯s teasing, Delena remained unfazed, nodding respectfully. No matter the storm, her expression barely changed. ¡°Ha! That sounds nice. Nowadays, people scramble for any chance to make money just to survive. You two have quite an imagination for self-destruction.¡± Kuru chuckled coldly, taking another sip of his drink. ¡°But it makes sense~ No matter how hard you work, in the end, those corporate dogs will take everything from you. You¡¯ll die in a cramped little room, your body rotting and stinking, turning into a puddle, surrounded by a swarm of maggots. If you¡¯re lucky, someone might find you, clean up your bones, burn them to ashes, and toss them into the flourbeans fields as compost. Well¡­ but if you work less, earn less, and pursue fewer cravings, life will be a bit easier. You young folks are smart enough to call out against this twisted, high-pressure world. What a noble thought!¡± Yushi just smiled, amused by Kuru¡¯s endless chatter. ¡°You¡¯re quite clever, Kuru. Why not take it easy and let us take over the business to fight against Mason?¡± Kuru looked at Yushi with a grin. ¡°F**k you.¡± Yushi chuckled again. ¡°So do I.¡± 14： Disorderly Chaos Kuru was absolutely stunned. Even if his mind was a bit off-kilter or if he could be a bit sharp-tongued, watching Delena calmly repair two high-end chips from Zactin at six in the afternoon was enough to put his brain on pause. To be more precise, it was almost like it had crashed. ¡°Incredible, unbelievable¡­¡± At first, he had approached her with a hint of pity and a playful attitude, thinking it would be a fun task. But when Delena turned around at 1:34 PM, holding the Zactin¡¯s chip and calmly announcing, ¡°The first chip is done,¡± Kuru felt his heart twist. He shakily took the chip, eager to test it. For a moment, he even hoped Delena was pulling his leg, that the chip wasn¡¯t really¡­ no, that it wasn¡¯t fixed at all. But after running the diagnostics, when the chip slowly ejected from the machine and landed in his hand, time seemed to freeze. ¡°How¡­ how long will it take to fix the next chip?¡± Kuru stammered, and Delena replied calmly. ¡°Since I have a basic understanding of the architecture and program information for Zactin chips, if all goes well, the next one could be done in five or six hours.¡± No one responded to her. Seeing this, Delena didn¡¯t wait around; instead, she picked up the second chip and got to work. Yushi sat quietly, much like Kuru, but with one leg crossed over the other, his mind replaying jazz music. He had grown accustomed to the sound of jazz in his head. In the beginning, he wanted to shake it off, but no matter how many times he told his brain to ¡°stop,¡± that sound only grew louder, refusing to quiet down. Fine, fine, if he couldn¡¯t change it, then he¡¯d have to get used to it. Jazz wasn¡¯t so bad after all. Let it play in his mind and on the radio until he was satisfied. Yushi held a saxophone, dressed in a casual suit, standing on a dark stage, bathed in flickering lights that seemed to malfunction. But he was used to this existence, lost in his own solo performance. His eyes were fixed on the bright lights, even though they filled his vision with blinding white and surreal afterimages, he continued to play. There seemed to be no one around; the audience seats were empty, yet the sound of piano and drums echoed in his ears, the vacant seats continuously cheering. Yushi didn¡¯t even know why he was on stage. But that didn¡¯t matter; he was focused solely on performing, without any sheet music in sight or in his mind. Everything felt random. The pitch rose higher, the melody grew more chaotic. Regular. Regular? Irregular! Disorganized! Chaos! Confusion! Everything was twisted! The piano, the drums, the voices, the saxophone¡ªall distorted! His body twisted, his vision warped, everything contorted, even the distortion itself twisted!!¡­ ¡°Done. The second Zactin¡¯s chip.¡± Delena¡¯s calm voice broke the chaos, bringing everything back to order. Kuru snapped his head up, and Yushi did the same. They stared blankly at the chip machine. It was unclear what Kuru had been thinking for the past few hours, but judging by his dazed yet innocent expression, maybe he had just had a big cleaning in his thoughts with the chip in his brain? That blank look, combined with his modified body, made him seem¡­ oddly cute? If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°...What time is it?¡± Kuru stuttered, his eyes reflexively glowing red. It was a common reaction for someone with a phone implant. He mumbled to himself, ¡°6: 27¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Kuru, six twenty-seven. Since I¡¯ve completed the task, it¡¯s time for you to fulfill your promise, right?¡± Delena held the chip in both hands, extending it toward Kuru. In response, a mechanical arm reached out to take the chip. Kuru incredulously accepted it, remaining silent for a long moment. Finally snapping back to reality, he waved dismissively at Delena, carefully pocketing the two chips before rushing back to the front desk. ¡°Even if they¡¯re both from the same company, there can¡¯t be that many similarities, right?¡± Yushi asked Delena while dismantling the engine and extracting the damaged chip. ¡°Not to mention the different models; their damaged areas are all distinct, and the encryption methods aren¡¯t necessarily the same. Naturally, the missing information can¡¯t be fully replicated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Master. But their basic architecture is quite similar. We initially used the template from the previous chip for our research, and eventually found some breakthroughs. Through extensive trial and error and simulations, we managed to repair it.¡± Delena placed her hands on the chair, answering truthfully, ¡°AI isn¡¯t afraid of massive calculations, especially when two AIs collaborate.¡± ¡°Then this one¡­¡± Yushi straightened up, placing the removed chip on the table. ¡°Should be even easier, right?¡± ¡°Theoretically, yes. Its architecture is simpler, and its security isn¡¯t as complex as military-grade chips.¡± Delena carefully placed it in the designated spot. The LCD screen, which had been lit for nearly a day, was now pulled back to her view. ¡°Thank you, Delena.¡± Yushi paused for a moment, hesitating to speak. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master? Our journey is just beginning; there¡¯s no need for a farewell speech yet.¡± Delena¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the screen. ¡°And whatever Delena does for master is only right, because master is Delena¡¯s master.¡± ¡°...Heh, is that so?¡± Yushi forced a smile, licking his lips, the words he wanted to say swallowed with his saliva. ¡°Master treats Delena well, at least giving her a chance to repair her body. Delena is very grateful.¡± ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m useless, even if it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand Delena¡¯s meaning, and don¡¯t belittle yourself.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡°...This is your promise: help me fix two more chips later.¡± Kuru seemed to have recovered quickly, his familiar expression returning, which was somewhat regrettable. He put on a surgical gown and mask, turning to look at Delena, who lay on the operating table. Yushi waited outside, claiming he was a bystander and could disrupt the operating room¡¯s workflow, so he didn¡¯t go in. ¡°As a return, I¡¯ll advance your payment this time. Besides these two Thatcher legs, I¡¯ll repair all the body parts you¡¯re missing. I¡¯ll consider this a deposit, okay? Once the next batch of chips arrives and you fix them, I¡¯ll give you another three thousand Worlb as the final payment.¡± ¡°In business, there¡¯s no jokes for tasks.¡± Delena placed her hands on her abdomen, nodding with a smile. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s straightforward. I like you much more than your so-called friend.¡± Kuru laughed heartily, checking the surgical tools. ¡°Did you know? I just measured your dimensions, and you¡¯re a perfect fit for those Thatcher legs. Now, all we need to do is replace the missing body parts, wrap your exterior in that incredibly realistic synthetic skin, and a brand-new human will emerge!¡± ¡°I have full faith in your skills, Mr. Kuru. However, I hope you can restore my body to perfection, as my condition is somewhat unique. I¡¯ll explain further in a moment.¡± ¡°Wha¡ª? That doesn¡¯t sound like you believe in my skills.¡± Kuru turned to look at Delena, who was staring at him. ¡°Rest assured, Delena means no harm. But first, please prepare sixty Nano-bundles tubes and check the sutured wound on my lower back, then cut the first suture on the left.¡± ¡°? I haven¡¯t even administered anesthesia yet; why are you in such a hurry to remove stitches?¡± ¡°No need for anesthesia.¡± ¡°???¡± ¡­¡­ The hazy sky couldn¡¯t fully darken due to severe light pollution, only reaching a purplish-gray hue. Various lights on the ground shone up into the sky, trying to measure the endless misty corridor. Yushi crossed his arms, leaning against the shop door, his left foot resting on the other leg, gazing blankly at the sky. ¡°The surgery is complete.¡± A gentle voice softly echoed in Yushi¡¯s ear, light enough not to startle him. He turned to see a silver-haired girl, a few centimeters shorter than him. Dressed in a long black coat with white fabric at the chest and a fluffy hem, she looked somewhat dignified. Her black matte shorts, paired with even darker thick nylon stockings and a decent pair of black shoes, made the silver-haired girl with green irises appear mesmerizing for a moment. ¡°...Delena?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± But that familiar voice confirmed to his brain that he hadn¡¯t mistaken her identity. The person before him was Delena, the fully functional Delena. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± He stammered, unable to suppress a smile. Just a few hours ago, this girl had been a robot that could only crawl. In the blink of an eye, she had grown into an adult. Should he be happy? ¡°Didn¡¯t believe Delena to have such a huge transformation?¡± Delena easily guessed his thoughts, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve talked about some conditions inside. But let¡¯s not dwell on that¡­ Go home.¡± Yushi didn¡¯t respond; he simply turned and walked in the direction of home. ¡°Okay.¡± Delena followed closely behind. The two quickly disappeared around the corner of the street. Back in the operating room, Kuru lit a cigarette, reclining in his chair, his feet resting on the front desk, tiredly mumbling to himself. ¡°What a surprise. I never thought I¡¯d see someone fully modified with cybernetics in my lifetime, and I had to help her put a vagina!¡­¡± With a puff, half the cigarette was reduced to ash. ¡°Hmm¡­ but it¡¯s not a loss; at least I¡¯ll save a thousand Worlb on the final payment. Haha, good thing I collect old clothes while scavenging. Sold her a set of street clothes for five hundred worlb¡­ Nice!¡±