Chapter 106: Professor Idis, What Do You Think of Our Xun…

Ding. The elevator doors opened.

Yiwen glided in familiarly, striking a pose on the floor to welcome the two back home. “You’re back! Dinner is ready.”

What responded to her was Idis’s curt “Mm,” as he led the way into the dining room and sat down at the table.

Xie Jianxun exited the elevator behind him, stammering a little. “Oh… good evening, Yiwen.”

Seeing him in this state—so different from the enthusiastic energy he’d had that morning before leaving—Yiwen was utterly puzzled.

She circled around Xie Jianxun once, asking considerately, “Were today’s classes too difficult?”

Had it crushed his confidence?

Xie Jianxun waved his hands hurriedly, denying it. “No, today’s lessons were just right. They solved a lot of my problems… You two eat first. I’ll go upstairs, take a shower, and come down.”

With that, the black-haired Little Adventurer bolted like a startled rabbit, hurrying in a circle before taking the elevator back the way he’d come—as if his head was already muddled.

Yiwen wagged her tail in confusion, her electronic eye swiveling a full 180 degrees toward the dining room.

There, Idis sat at the table, elegantly taking his food. He didn’t look like anything was wrong.

Yiwen thought to herself, I’m just a mechanical arm. Why am I worrying about this?

Even so, she couldn’t quite let it go. She approached Idis and propped her head on his wrist. “Why is Xunxun unhappy?”

Idis swallowed his food and tapped her head. Yiwen shrank back, a bit displeased herself.

“Just like that,” he summarized briefly.

“Whoa.”

Yiwen exclaimed in shock. “Why’d you flick her head out of nowhere?”

Now it was Idis’s turn to be speechless: “…”

Upstairs in the guest room, Xie Jianxun face-planted into the bed, wishing he could skip dinner altogether—best not to see that face for a while.

His mind was a jumble of chaotic thoughts, like a ball of yarn that’s been clawed apart.

Did Idis know what he was doing?

Earlier in the car, the moment Xie Jianxun realized he was sitting on the man’s lap, his first reaction was:

When did I fall asleep? Such bad sleeping posture? How did I end up rubbing against him in a car?!

He’d gasped involuntarily, bouncing away from Idis’s embrace like he’d been electrocuted, splatting against the other side of the window and flattening himself like a pancake.

When he looked back, Idis was gazing at him with a half-smile.

The Little Adventurer said pitifully, “S-sorry, I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep… Did I squash your leg?”

The ghost-talent mechanic admitted generously, “No problem. I did it.”

Xie Jianxun: “…”

In that instant, he saw Huo Jing’s shadow on Idis… What the hell!!!

He didn’t dare say it or ask. It couldn’t be that Idis thought holding him like this prevented motion sickness, and had to wait until he was asleep to sneakily do bad things… God, he remembered the last time he’d ridden in a car and dozed off midway.

Had that certain gentleman been plotting against him even then?

Xie Jianxun yanked himself out of the soft bed, calmly recalling and admitting that Xun Jia had a point before.

Better safe than sorry.

That said, maybe Professor Idis had some other quirks and wasn’t necessarily planning to get together with him.

For instance, even if he lived here for free, eating and using his stuff, he had to pay some kind of interest.

…Did he like warm, large body pillows?

Or did he have skin hunger?

Xie Jianxun wouldn’t mind lending himself out, providing a little warm comfort to the troubled man—a generous hug would be good for anyone. He liked hugging people too.

But right now, he had no idea what Idis meant.

No, it probably wasn’t that.

In just a few short months, how could he possibly run into several people who wanted to get with him?

Alright, Xie Jianxun rubbed his face, psyching himself up and calming down.

Tonight, he’d find a time to talk with Professor Idis—cut through the nonsense, resolve it, and stay good friends.

Having thought it through and made up his mind, Xie Jianxun felt much lighter.

He got off the bed, grabbed some clean clothes, and planned to do as he’d said: shower and head down for dinner.

Downstairs, he found Idis had already finished eating but was still sitting at the table.

His steps paused slightly. Hearing the noise, Idis looked up at him, gave a small nod in greeting, then went back to his Light Brain.

For some reason, Xie Jianxun let out a breath of relief. He sat in his usual spot, ready to dig in.

Just then, the doorbell rang downstairs.

Yiwen darted out from some corner and hung onto the doorbell. “I’ll get it! Hmm… it’s a delivery.”

She welcomed the delivery guy up, signed for the package, and used her tail to roll the box over, scooting quickly on her underbelly to place it on the dining table.

“Whose delivery is this?”

As she spoke, Yiwen tapped the box with her tail tip, her small electronic eyes brimming with confusion.

Idis: “Mine.”

Yiwen paused, then exclaimed dramatically, “Whoa, Idis, you’ve learned to use delivery services!”

She flicked up her tail tip and sliced open the seal with it.

Upon opening, she found the box packed full of parts—three or four hundred by rough count. Yiwen instantly lost interest, rolling the top shut with her tail.

She grumbled, “Mechanical arms may lack morals, but every time I see parts, it feels like looking at the shattered remains of my kin.”

Xie Jianxun: “…”

Idis commented, “Your moral compass is a bit too strong.”

Xie Jianxun had nearly finished his meal by then and read the company name on the box letter by letter: “Keda Bionic Structure Model…”

Idis said, “For you.”

Xie Jianxun blinked. “For me?”

Idis finally tore his gaze from the Light Brain, turning to the nervous little face at the table. He drawled, “Didn’t you want to learn repairs? You start with the basic skeletal structure, then delve into details bit by bit. No model at home, so I bought one for you as a textbook.”

That earlier incident in the car still had Xie Jianxun feeling off-balance, like he’d stepped into thin air.

He asked cautiously, “You’re giving it to me?”

Idis countered, “Didn’t I pay for it?”

Clearly, it meant Xie Jianxun would learn and the model would stay here—not the other implication. Realizing this, he relaxed instantly and beamed. “Professor Idis is the best teacher ever!”

He vowed earnestly, “I’ll study hard for sure!”

Idis hummed, switching screens on his Light Brain casually. “Any plans tonight?”

Xie Jianxun: “None. Planning to review today’s material—lots to digest a few times over.”

“Come to my workshop tonight. You can observe a repair in action.”

Idis said this, and Xie Jianxun’s eyes slowly widened.

After a hesitant moment, he said slowly, “Tonight… we’re starting the repairs?”

Idis nodded affirmatively.

At seven that evening, Xie Jianxun appeared right on time at the door of Idis’s Workshop, arms full of his thick textbook and future-to-be-thicker notebook. He knocked.

The door opened promptly. Xie Jianxun poked his head in and saw Idis sitting on a sofa in the corner, surrounded by bookshelves at right angles, reading a book.

Xie Jianxun called softly, “Professor Idis?”

Idis closed the book and set it on the small side table to his left. “At home, no need for ‘professor.’ Just call me by name.”

He beckoned, and a wheelchair nearby rolled over automatically, carrying him to the workbench.

Xie Jianxun had already approached the workbench on his own, eyeing the mechanical puppet shell lying there.

One had just been fished out of the Nutrient Liquid Tank. The liquid on its limbs had half-dried, but its hair was still damp, clinging to its closed eyes.

Xie Jianxun propped his elbows on the bench and carefully reached out, brushing the wet strands from its eyelids.

Idis noticed the motion from behind and frowned slightly, interrupting inexplicably. “Today we’re just doing rough limb repairs—completing the framework. Details come later.”

“And the most important Mechanical Core… that’ll wait until all materials are ready.”

Xie Jianxun nodded; he understood Idis’s approach.

Repairs weren’t a one-day job, especially for a structurally complex mechanical puppet.

Idis pointed to the box of bionic structure models on the floor. “Textbook’s on the left shelf, third row, sixth book. Compare it first.”

“You’ll actually need some anatomy and bionic materials science too, for better repairs… If you have time, read all these books.”

By the end of the circle, Xie Jianxun’s arms were laden with heavy books—all the knowledge he’d soon possess, etched deep into his brain.

Hugging them felt like hugging a granary. The Little Adventurer nodded frantically in bliss, deciding to pull an all-nighter—tomorrow had no Idis class, so staying up late wasn’t too much, right?

Idis placed the Treasure Hunter’s collected materials into an instrument and began making Mineral Paste.

Glancing back, he saw Xie Jianxun holding a book in one hand and fiddling with parts in the other, assembling a mini bionic model skeleton per the book.

Xie Jianxun marveled, “It’s all installed—why are there two extra parts here?”

“…”

Idis thought for a moment, then comforted him. “Maybe buy one get one free from the shop.”

No textbook beat hands-on practice, and no model beat the real thing.

Idis simply led him to the workbench, guiding him part by part through the mechanical puppet’s body while assembling the bionic structure step by step.

From head to toe, outer to inner—he explained it all. By the end, the dummy model in Idis’s hands had a complete structure.

Every part was used; nothing left over without a place.

Xie Jianxun regarded him with deep respect—he’d discovered several steps he’d never considered before. “…So that’s how it works!”

“You’re unfamiliar with bionic bodies. This is good enough.”

Idis shifted his gaze to One and spotted a flaw.

“Who installed this energy box panel?” he frowned. “Sloppy technique, poor precision… Lucky it didn’t fall off. Didn’t it rattle inside when moving?”

Xie Jianxun looked at him innocently.

Idis stared back oddly, then gradually pieced it together.

He fell silent for a moment, sighed, and changed the subject. “Watch closely for the framework I’m building next.”

Xie Jianxun nodded tensely, not daring to utter a word lest he distract Idis.

The mechanic took the freshly ground Mineral Paste from the instrument, opened the Bionic Keel, and set the positioning for the skeleton.

In truth, repairing a bionic person (mechanical puppet) required factory specs like height, leg length, measurements—to avoid the bionic waking up three centimeters shorter.

Idis lacked that data, and he doubted Xie Jianxun had it.

But no matter.

If he guessed right, this mechanical puppet’s body specs… matched his own exactly.

He just had to use his own measurements.

It was like magic.

Xie Jianxun watched his hands intently. He didn’t grasp the logic behind some steps, but Idis’s movements were crystal clear.

As if he’d deliberately slowed down for him to observe.

The Bionic Keel positioned the skeleton’s key points; the spray gun roughly wove the needed structural parts.

When finished, the mechanical puppet lay on the workbench—upper body like a fully rendered final product, lower body a raw wireframe model.

Now, no design diagram or mental guesswork needed; it was intuitive what each part required.

This ghost-talent mechanic clearly knew bionic structures inside out. From start to finish, no breaks, no pauses—smooth as flowing water.

Xie Jianxun hadn’t fully processed it before Idis completed the structure.

Idis set down the spray gun, turned to rinse the residue from his hands, and dried them with a towel.

“Not many steps, but it requires proficiency.”

He introduced, “Once the structure is assembled, you only need to follow two steps. First, install the parts according to the points marked on the keel. Second, cover it with bionic materials. It’s that simple.”

It’s that simple?!

Xie Jianxun thought to himself that just assembling the keel structure alone was enough to give any average mechanic a headache… let alone a half-baked novice like him.

He didn’t even dare to think about the subsequent steps.

Xie Jianxun slowly shuffled closer and called out softly, “Idis, will you teach me how to assemble the keel structure too?”

His voice was as soft as the person himself, especially when held in his arms. Just staying like that made one’s mood feel calm… utterly captivating.

Idis hummed in acknowledgment, took out the Mechanical Core, and gestured for Xie Jianxun to come closer and observe.

The Little Adventurer had been so tempted that he completely forgot about what had happened in the car that afternoon.

He happily scooted over, his mind filled with thoughts of materials, structures, and bionic technology.

Now, his elbow rested on the armrest of the wheelchair, less than five centimeters away from the man, allowing him an exceptionally close-up view of the Mechanical Core in his hands.

Idis glanced at him, then looked away and asked nonchalantly, “How did you two meet?”

Xie Jianxun blinked. “Who… One?”

He recalled for a moment and gave a rough summary of that Underground City, the clock tower, the Insect Clan, and the Mechanical Puppet guarding it.

Finally, the Little Adventurer said wistfully, “He led me through that desert. Now it’s my turn. I have to do my utmost to bring him back into the world.”

Idis’s gaze returned to the Mechanical Puppet’s shell, and he said flatly, “I hope he doesn’t let your efforts go to waste.”

With the basic framework complete, Idis would slowly repair the damaged parts next and make steady progress.

As for Xie Jianxun, he needed to gather materials, learn new knowledge, and integrate all the knowledge he had absorbed from past and present into a vast, unfamiliar new system.

Late at night, the workshop lights blazed brightly.

Xie Jianxun checked off the materials list one by one, leaving only a few large items.

He sighed. “It’s a shame we don’t have all the materials yet. Otherwise, we could repair the Mechanical Core.”

Idis said, “Keep an eye out when you go to the auction. You might find them.”

Xie Jianxun agreed, then suddenly realized. “How did you know I was going to the auction?”

“…” Idis replied, “Ela reported it to me.”

Xie Jianxun muttered, “I wonder where Ela’s been these past few days. He’s nowhere to be seen, and he doesn’t reply to my instant messages. You should give him some time to rest.”

Idis said stiffly, “He’s on rest time right now.”

“It’s eleven o’clock. You should go to sleep.”

He turned the wheelchair to face Xie Jianxun directly, playing the role of a good teacher urging his student to rest early.

Xie Jianxun jumped in surprise. “What? It’s already eleven? I haven’t reviewed today’s lessons yet…”

His voice grew smaller and smaller, eventually trailing off to near silence under Idis’s gaze.

“I’ll have Yiwen check on you. No staying up late. No all-nighters.”

His pitiful student complained, “Professor Idis, you’re so strict.”

But the wheelchair had already left the workshop, leaving behind the mechanic’s cool voice: “A strict teacher produces outstanding students.”

…

The Dao was one foot high, but the devil was ten feet tall.

Students had their own tricks, like turning off the bedroom lights and sneaking the textbooks under the covers.

In the dead of night, Xie Jianxun turned on the Light Brain’s flashlight. Instantly, the covers lit up like they hid a glowing iron ball inside.

Yet he himself didn’t notice, thinking it was a brilliant idea.

With the bedroom lights off, even if Yiwen peeked through the door, she wouldn’t realize he wasn’t asleep.

The covers rustled as he adjusted to a comfortable position, sprawled over the textbook and starting to read from the beginning.

He became so engrossed that he didn’t even hear the door open. It was only the sound of the wheelchair wheels that snapped him to attention.

The covers hesitated for a moment before slowly lifting a small corner.

Idis was right there in front of him, silently catching him red-handed.

Yiwen dangled from the mechanic’s wrist. Seeing him finally emerge, she couldn’t help but shout, “I was peeking through the door crack from below, and it scared me! The room was so bright—I thought Xunxun didn’t even turn off the lights when he went to bed at night!”

Xie Jianxun guiltily shoved the book under his pillow, but Idis caught the little movement.

“Hand it over.” Idis extended his hand flatly.

The student hung his head dejectedly and obediently surrendered the evidence.

The devil was ten feet tall, but the Dao was… twenty feet tall.

On the day of the auction entry, Treasure Hunter Mr. Tuls donned his best suit, tied his tie, and arrived punctually at the rendezvous point to meet his boss.

To his shock upon arrival, “Boss, why do you look so… drained!”

The Little Adventurer yawned. He had just woken from a nap and felt more disoriented than ever.

He complained, “Tell me, how can someone punish another by taking away their books and not letting them study?!”