The crowd bustled about. As the largest urban settlement on the Desert Star, the streets of Golden City were quite lively.
But after just turning a corner, Xie Jianxun lost sight of the person.
The back of that young man vanished into the crowd like a ghost, silently and without a trace.
People came and went, many draped in desert-style fabrics with similar patterns—worn over their bodies or heads as decorations or barriers against the sun’s intense rays. They were brightly colored and vibrant, but none matched that familiar shawl.
Xie Jianxun stopped in his tracks and looked around.
A dye shop, a bakery, a specialty store for sea buckthorn jam, and a small general merchandise supermarket with people coming and going.
Glancing back, he saw a mechanical repair shop behind him.
A triangular wooden sign stood at the entrance, neatly displaying a label in large font: “Hiring Apprentices—Daily Pay.”
Below it, in smaller text: “Ambitious applicants, come inside to discuss.”
Wages!
Suddenly, those two words were all he could see.
For other jobs, Xie Jianxun truly knew nothing and wouldn’t dare step inside. But when it came to repairing mechanical parts, he had some basic knowledge.
Xie Jianxun stood on the sandy steps at the door, furtively peering into the shop.
The sign at the entrance was lit, indicating it was still open during the day. Through the glass door, he saw no one inside, so he guessed the owner might be in the back room.
His heart pounded a little as he hesitated and slowed his steps.
He had seen on the Star Net before that job seekers had to go through an interview with the boss before being hired.
He had zero interview experience and hadn’t interacted with many people—aside from his family, probably just netizens.
But.
By common sense.
An interview—be confident, cheerful, smile, state your job intentions, and improvise from there. It shouldn’t be too bad.
Xie Jianxun closed his eyes, cleared his throat, clenched his hand over his chest, and simulated possible interview questions.
“What’s your name?”
“Hello, I’m Xie Jianxun. I’d like to interview for the mechanical repair apprentice position.”
“What skills do you have?”
“Ahem, I don’t know much, but I’ve studied ‘The Structure of Thirty-Six Mechanical Parts,’ ‘Classic Firearm Designs Compendium,’ ‘Metal Parts Assembly Techniques,’ and some practical courses…”
“What salary do you want?”
“I’d like to work half-days in the afternoon, daily pay—one day, one day, fifty a day?”
“…Are you that short on money?”
A voice spoke softly behind him.
“Yes, sir. I’m really short on money right now. I work at that inn on the street during the day, so I can only come for half-days in the afternoon…”
Xie Jianxun’s eyes snapped open in shock as he whipped around.
Who?! Who was speaking behind him!
A familiar face.
And a familiar tone: “…After leaving me, how did you end up so down and out, Young Master?”
Faced with his stunned expression, the man lifted an eyelid and slowly revealed a smile.
Huo Jing’s messy black hair was tousled atop his head. His shawl bore the vibrant, multicolored patterns unique to desert caravans—camels, sea buckthorn, and cacti as the main motifs, with tassels dangling and casting faint, smooth shadows on his black fitted clothing.
He looked travel-worn, yet his eyes burned brightly like a wolf or night owl, as if he had trekked through the desert for three days and nights before robbing a caravan to trade for his current outfit.
Even though Xie Jianxun had chased after him, he couldn’t help but feel a momentary palpitation.
He almost hadn’t recognized him.
He exclaimed in surprise, “…Huo Jing! It really is you!”
Huo Jing said speechlessly, “Not me? Did you see a ghost just now?”
As he spoke, he scrutinized Xie Jianxun from head to toe with an appraising gaze, arching a brow high.
“You rushed over to me earlier—want to say something?” The young man quirked his lips. “If not, I’m leaving.”
He gave a cold smile, as if he had stayed specifically to hear Xie Jianxun’s flustered explanation—
Or perhaps savoring the joy and dependence in Xie Jianxun’s gaze at that moment.
“I really didn’t expect it to be you!”
Xie Jianxun snapped back to his senses and tried to stay calm.
Seeing a familiar face eased the tension that had been strung tight in his heart.
“I talked to Boss Alex—he said he’d ask around for you… Oh, he’s my current boss. You might have overheard; I’m working at an inn to make money right now.”
“Yeah, I know. Your Light Brain doesn’t work, so our pampered little young master is about to become a penniless pauper, right?”
Huo Jing said, “Willing to work a job—I underestimated you.”
Xie Jianxun: “One day’s earnings are too little; not enough for a ticket off this planet… So, I’m planning to find a part-time gig.” He stepped aside, revealing the triangular sign and job ad behind him.
At that moment, his peripheral vision caught movement—he realized Huo Jing had stepped closer.
The young man’s voice was low: “Landships are quite expensive… You didn’t bring the Landship with you?”
He stared intently at Xie Jianxun, taking in every detail of his face, searching for any sign he might be lying.
Xie Jianxun let out an “ah” and explained sheepishly, “Sorry, my driving skills are terrible. I stepped right into the Flowing Sand River. Luckily, I didn’t get stuck in the sand.”
He made a playful joke, but neither of them truly laughed.
Huo Jing said slowly, “Ah, how fortunate.”
Xie Jianxun smiled, his voice soft: “Really, I’m so glad to see you here.”
“…I walked through the desert for an entire day and finally ran into a passing caravan—no water, no supplies.” Huo Jing fixed him with a stare, the sharp contours of his handsome face almost aggressive. “I’ve been missing you, my young master.”
Xie Jianxun froze.
He stammered, “I, me too…”
A sudden silence fell, and the young man revealed a faint smile. He pulled his hand from his pocket and casually extended it toward Xie Jianxun.
His palm was broad, the skin still marked with recent friction scars from sand grains.
Signaling him to take it.
Xie Jianxun dazedly grasped his hand and was led forward.
“Not bad. The little young master hasn’t gone astray.” Huo Jing drawled lazily. “Since you didn’t betray me, let’s go.”
Xie Jianxun didn’t understand: “Where to?”
Huo Jing: “Didn’t you say you wanted to leave? To the Transport Port.”
Seeing Xie Jianxun say nothing, he stopped, slung an arm over Xie Jianxun’s shoulder, and leaned in casually: “Of course, if you’re not ready to leave so soon, you’re permitted to explain things to your new friends from the past few days and bid farewell to this beautiful yet peril-filled planet.”
Xie Jianxun reacted and waved his hands hurriedly: “No, no, no, I still have…”
…Still have that innocent and pure puppet to take care of!
He had to arrange things for it first—couldn’t just dig it up from the ground and abandon it, right?
The young man let out a puzzled hum from his throat: “Hm?”
The ash-gray-haired youth was nearly half a head shorter than Huo Jing. With his shoulder gripped so dominantly and pulled into an embrace, Xie Jianxun’s figure was almost completely obscured.
The Mechanical Puppet stood not far away on the street, calmly observing their movements until Xie Jianxun looked up and met its gaze.
Xie Jianxun: “Right, One! Over here!”
He quickly extricated himself from Huo Jing’s arms, his eyes bright as he waved enthusiastically at his new friend: “I’m here!”
The Mechanical Puppet let out a barely perceptible sigh.
It walked forward slowly, its expression shifting to the one Xie Jianxun knew well.
“You ran too fast; I couldn’t keep up.” It seemed to complain, yet spoke with a hint of intimacy.
Huo Jing narrowed his eyes.
Xie Jianxun was oblivious, his brows curved in a smile as he clasped his hands behind his back: “Sorry, I got a bit excited.”
With both new and old friends by his side, and the reason for his disappearance explained to Huo Jing, there were no more misunderstandings between them. It filled Xie Jianxun with exceptional peace of mind.
He happily introduced, “Huo Jing, let me introduce—this is One, someone I met here. Uh, a good person.”
“Oh, a Mechanical Puppet.”
Unexpectedly, Huo Jing said casually, “An old antique from how many years ago? Where’d you dig it up from?”
Xie Jianxun: “…”
Wait, how did Huo Jing know? He hadn’t said One was a Mechanical Puppet!
He immediately turned and noticed the slender energy slot on One’s neck glowing faintly, realizing it had exposed its nature as a bionic model.
Modern bionic persons had evolved past external energy slots, so most people didn’t know about that feature.
Alex and Basero had seen it before but mistook it for a trendy accessory among the youth.
But Huo Jing was well-traveled and knowledgeable, so spotting it wasn’t surprising.
Xie Jianxun: “Uh, yeah, One is a Mechanical Puppet. One, this is Huo Jing, a travel companion I met on the road before.”
One gazed at him docilely and smiled: “I know Mr. Huo Jing. He’s a famous figure in the Federation.”
It raised its eyes to look at Huo Jing.
The other man arched a brow, smiling without mirth.
Xie Jianxun was startled: “A big shot?”
The Mechanical Puppet smiled, reached out, pulled the unsuspecting Xie Jianxun behind itself protectively, and gently stroked the soft ends of his ash-gray hair, as if soothing a human’s emotions.
“Yeah, a famous big shot—the executor of Minaexier City-State, master of the Siphon Whale, a villain guilty of countless crimes…”
Whoosh—
A burst of bullets struck where they had stood moments before. The street fell silent for a beat before erupting like boiling water—screams and roars filled the air as pedestrians in sight panicked and fled, vanishing in an instant.
One had agilely pulled Xie Jianxun aside and was now standing at a safe distance.
Xie Jianxun: “Wait, hold on—what are you doing!”
Among those present, he was probably the most bewildered, utterly confused. “At least explain things clearly before you start fighting!!!”
“…Man-made trash, shut your mouth.”
Across the street, the young man drew a weapon glowing red from his waist and said softly: “What’s the deal with snatching someone else’s companion?”
“No one wants a lying companion. Maybe reflect on yourself first.” One replied.
Huo Jing chuckled twice, his smile growing more dangerous: “Join me, and I’ll tell you everything—openly and sincerely, holding nothing back. But you—a Mechanical Puppet that stayed on this battlefield planet for years after the Insect Clan invasion war… What are you hiding?”
