Chapter 109: Smashed It for Him the Moment He Got Back

The next morning, Xie Jianxun slung his shoulder bag over his shoulder and headed downstairs. Casually, he asked, “Does Professor Idis have class today?”

Yiwen slid out from under the sofa and wrapped around his arm, gently rubbing her mechanical head against his sleepy-looking face with a hint of pity.

“No, he doesn’t. His class is tomorrow.”

The mechanical female voice said as she flipped over to face him. “Xunxun, you got back so late last night, and now you have to go to class today. Why not rest a bit more?”

Xie Jianxun yawned and wiped the tears from his eyes. “All I can say is, thank goodness it’s not an eight a.m. class. Ten a.m. start is still manageable.”

He had gotten home at midnight the previous night and had crashed right after a quick wash-up.

As a result, he had only dragged himself out of bed at eight, barely able to tell which way was up.

He had even thought he was late for an early class at first, before remembering it started at ten.

Not long ago, Idis had coordinated with the other professors to get him auditor status for various courses.

Taking on so many classes at once, Xie Jianxun was bound to be confused, but studying ahead couldn’t hurt.

In truth, if it were necessary, the embassy could easily secure him transfer student credentials.

But ever since that banquet, Xie Jianxun had no intention of bothering them. He had simply messaged to say he was doing well, asked the ambassador not to worry—and above all, not to tell his family!

“Half an hour left.”

He glanced down at the time on his Light Brain and looked expectantly toward the elevator.

But the elevator area remained silent. The Little Adventurer sighed in disappointment. “I was hoping Professor Idis would give me a ride to school today too.”

Yiwen slid halfway around him and said considerately, “I’ve already called a driver. Xunxun, you’ll go to school alone today.”

Xie Jianxun gratefully patted her mechanical head. Her electronic eyes flickered, and a smiling face appeared on the screen.

The mechanical female voice said primly, “Hurry off, Xunxun. Don’t be late.”

Once he was gone, the mechanical arm curled herself up and slithered to the floor, slipping silently into the conveyor belt next to the elevator.

Moments later, she detached from the top-floor conveyor exit, clung to the wall, crawled through a few winding turns, and finally slipped elegantly through the door crack into Idis’s workshop.

Finding it empty, she let out a puzzled “Eh?”

The mechanical arm twisted her head and slid into Idis’s bedroom, where she indeed found the young man sitting on the edge of the bed. His fingers were interlaced, his eyes downcast as he pondered something.

Yiwen flicked her tail worriedly but didn’t approach rashly. Instead, she watched from afar.

It wasn’t until Idis noticed her that he unclenched his fingers and beckoned her over.

The mechanical arm slid and coiled her way over, finally climbing gently up from the foot of the bed.

“Xunxun asked this morning if you were going to school,” the mechanical female voice said softly. “Yiwen didn’t detect your emotional fluctuations reaching the threshold.”

Idis replied irrelevantly, “Do you think I’ve changed?”

The mechanical arm paused strangely for a moment before nodding. “After Xunxun arrived, your temper improved a lot.”

Idis repeated, “Improved a lot.”

Yiwen waited a long time until he finally spoke, slowly recounting, “Yesterday, I read the Mechanical Puppet’s memories for the second time.”

The mechanical arm was startled. Strictly speaking, her walnut-sized chip shouldn’t have the capacity to store an emotional module, but she could still externalize emotions.

“Ah?” Yiwen said in shock. “Forcibly docking with a memory chip isn’t your style.”

Idis said coldly, “Just pretend I was possessed.”

Then, he described the fragmented scenes he had seen yesterday—most of them involving the little guest at home.

There were scenes of them sleeping together, with the Little Adventurer sprawled on top of him, sleeping soundly, while he lay awake staring at the ceiling until dawn, unwilling to close his eyes.

There were scenes of him teaching the Little Adventurer to shoot, the gun barrel rubbing against his palm, hot to the touch. He couldn’t tell if it was sparks from the barrel’s discharge or the heat from blood pulsing through his veins.

There was a market scene where the bold Little Adventurer rode on his back, pressing down fiercely and smearing colorful paints all over his face—even though his own face ended up a messy rainbow too.

Vibrant life force washed over him: warmth, heartbeat, blood flowing.

It infected Idis so much that the corners of his lips curved up, reluctant to pull away from the memory footage.

He even inexplicably thought: Let it go on forever, trapping him in this dream surrounded by the Little Adventurer’s presence.

The next second, the memory shifted. His Little Adventurer was being held hostage, neck strangled.

Amid swirling sand, he slit the captor’s throat, but a thin line of blood remained on Xie Jianxun’s neck like a tear.

His heartbeat stuttered to a stop.

Idis yanked out his own data connection cable in an instant, and the memory footage cut off abruptly, leaving nothing but darkness.

But the side effects of reading the memories didn’t fade. He still felt terror gripping his heart, creeping up toward his throat.

Unable to control himself after that, he wandered to the entryway unconsciously, waiting for the boy’s return.

Yiwen muttered, “So that’s what happened… No wonder you were squatting at the door in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. After seeing all those memories, you fell for him…”

“Reading memory footage has side effects.”

The young man gently waved her away, frowning as he interrupted. His tone was flat and robotic. “My personality and memories are fusing with the stuff on that chip… Even if we’re cloned copies, this shouldn’t happen.”

Lost in his thoughts, Idis didn’t notice Yiwen staring at him blankly, a huge question mark popping up on her head.

“You…” Yiwen blurted out.

Idis pondered for a moment, his eyes lowering as he reached a conclusion. “I’ve had a great idea. If the brain domain coordination value matches exactly, could I have a chance to see the factory footage?”

“Why do you care so much about where you came from?” Yiwen was stunned.

“You’re not going to understand. It’s normal—you popped out of a rock.”

Idis sat coldly into his wheelchair and headed straight to the workshop without a wobble. “I’ll complete the repair project normally. Tell him not to worry.”

In the days that followed, Xie Jianxun didn’t see Idis again.

When he asked Yiwen, the mechanical arm just said glumly that Idis was in seclusion. Xie Jianxun was taken aback. “What about his classes?”

Yiwen replied, “Finals are coming up soon anyway. A substitute teacher is the same—just highlight the key points for you all.”

After class, Xie Jianxun sat next to Gu Xuning, listening to their team meeting. They chattered excitedly about the new Brain Domain Mechs on the market.

As Silver First University’s top school in the Silver Watchtower, they had received two mechs donated by the corporation right away. One couldn’t be loaned out and was for professors in related fields to study.

The other could be reserved ahead of time for students to test.

Their team was currently debating reservation times to try out the Brain Domain Mech.

Xie Jianxun propped his chin on his hand, listening with great interest.

When they paused, he raised his hand to ask, “Why are you all so interested in Brain Domain Mechs?”

The little curly-hair guy had just returned with water, handing a bottle to everyone—perfect for when they got tired.

Hearing the question, he chuckled and pushed a bottle toward Xie Jianxun. “For mechanics like us who only compete in matches, Brain Domain Mechs can’t beat semi-automatics since they don’t demand as much stamina. But for real combat, Brain Domain Mechs offer better protection—the user’s body stays safely inside. Easier to escape too, right?”

Another teammate nodded, twisted open a water bottle while leaning in close to Xie Jianxun. “Heh heh, plus, new mech types mean more job openings. Get familiar early, easier to find work after graduation. Water for you?”

He placed the opened bottle next to Xie Jianxun’s hand, gesturing for him to take it.

Xie Jianxun thought he was just kindly unscrewing it for him and reached out—only to hear a cold voice call from behind, “Xie Jianxun.”

The empty classroom held only their group chatting. Everyone turned to see a small figure standing in the doorway.

Xie Jianxun shot to his feet in delight and walked over. “Long time no see, Ela. Where have you been these days?”

The little one took a couple steps toward him, docilely grabbing his hand and looking up. “I was handling some other business.”

Xie Jianxun laughed. “Busy for so long? Remember to balance work and rest… Uh!”

Ela’s pretty big eyes blinked silently. He shook their joined hands, then lunged forward with full force, clinging tightly as if making up for all the days apart.

Xie Jianxun stumbled back several steps, flattered and surprised by the sudden enthusiasm.

Ela looked up casually. “Haven’t seen you in days. Missed you a bit.”

The straightforward kid was adorably direct. Xie Jianxun smiled, squatted down, and patted his head—then paused, remembering this wasn’t a real child. But the other didn’t seem to mind, even rubbing against his hand before letting go on his own.

Silence fell behind them.

Xie Jianxun realized and turned to introduce. “Ah, this is…”

Gu Xuning clamped down hard on his nearby teammate’s shoulder, forcing the guy back into his seat with a thud.

He said calmly, “We know. Professor Idis’s teaching assistant. The professor had things to do, so this gentleman covered our classes.”

Little Curly Hair’s eyes widened. He glanced between Gu Xuning and Xie Jianxun, confusion screaming “I’m shocked” from his gaze.

“…”

Seeing they already knew each other, Xie Jianxun relaxed completely. He took the little one’s soft hand and brought him into their team meeting.

“We’re talking Brain Domain Mechs. What does Ela think about them?”

The others shut their mouths in unison, eyes lighting up, eager to hear what Professor Idis’s—er, teaching assistant—had to say.

Ela thought for a moment. “No uniqueness.”

“Hm?”

“Brain Domain Mechs split control between brain and hand controllers for vision and precise movements,” he said, tilting his head at Xie Jianxun. “But overall, they still rely on sensors—a full exoskeleton. Enhancing the electronic eyes doesn’t add much brainwave recognition.”

He ended with a dry joke. “Easy to steal from your pocket. It doesn’t recognize owners.”

Little Curly Hair shrugged. “Whether it has unique recognition or not, no big deal. For users, it’s just about what works… Back in the day, electric scooters got stolen all the time too.”

Ela said, “Brain Domain Mechs’ main trade routes are off-planet. Demand here is low.”

Another teammate exaggerated, “I heard some planets are overrun with alien beasts—way more than our mineral beasts! Opening that market would mean big money! Oh…” He lowered his voice, glancing cautiously at Ela. “Sorry, I got too loud… Teach, Assistant Sir.”

Xie Jianxun missed the awkward stumbles and had a sudden idea. “Reserving the school one takes forever. Why not buy our own?”

“…Do you know how much a brand-new Brain Domain Mech costs?!”

The meeting broke up, and the teammates headed to the cafeteria for dinner, hooking arms and waving back.

Xie Jianxun waved too with a smile. No afternoon classes for him—he was just there to hang out.

Ela asked, “What are your plans for finals?”

Finals week was approaching. Professors wrapped up loose ends, leaving students time for exams—but as an auditor without credentials, Xie Jianxun didn’t have to take any.

“Well, what else? Keep studying. So much I don’t get yet. Gotta bother Professor Idis.”

Xie Jianxun squatted down, finding Ela’s serious expression amusing. He couldn’t resist reaching out to squish the little cheeks—but first, he asked brightly, “Can I?”

Ela tilted his head. “Idis is in seclusion. You can… Uh?”

After being pinched and kneaded, he seemed to snap back, staring at Xie Jianxun with wide eyes, a bit incredulous.

Xie Jianxun asked, “Can what?”

Ela said, “…ask me.”

Busy finals week arrived right on schedule. Even without exams, Xie Jianxun got swept up in the study vibe.

This was probably the power that a good school brought to people. As he walked through the corridors of the teaching building, Xie Jianxun could see many students during finals week occupying the empty classrooms on each floor, gathered in groups and discussing something animatedly. Lone wolves who needed quiet study time preferred the library instead.

Just as the Mechanical Puppet’s repair progress reached one-third, Tuls called Xie Jianxun with important news.

“There’s a Wild Squad about to head out on a field mission. Boss, do you want to join?”

As soon as the call connected, Tuls’s voice crackled through, and Xie Jianxun instinctively held the phone a bit farther away.

“Wild Squad?” he asked, puzzled. “Can they take me along?”

Tuls explained in detail what a Wild Squad was. They organized manpower for field missions but could also bring along bosses at the same time.

The boss didn’t need to go to the front lines—just watch from the back. If they collected any extra materials during the mission, aside from the squad’s own tasks, the bosses had priority purchase rights.

Xie Jianxun felt tempted just hearing this.

Moreover, when Tuls mentioned the schedule, it wasn’t far off, and Xie Jianxun had a free slot. He immediately had an idea.

“Contact them first and see if there’s still space. Then we’ll set a time to meet them in person and talk it over.”

He thought it through and arranged everything as thoroughly as possible.

Tuls naturally had no objections to his boss’s requests. He chuckled twice and added casually, “Boss, you’re so young, but you think things through more meticulously than I do. Alrighty, I’ll get back to them right away. Wait for my message.”

Xie Jianxun laughed in amusement. “Okay, okay, thanks.” Then he hung up.

He couldn’t sit still in the classroom anymore. He quickly packed up his books and test papers, stuffing them all into his Light Brain at once. He stood up and pushed his chair under the desk.

Beside him, Ela woke from shallow dormancy, squinting at him with apparent confusion.

Xie Jianxun seemed to really like the school’s atmosphere, so he had rejected Ela’s suggestion to study at home. Whenever he had free time, he always wandered to school to do his homework.

He would study straight until four or five in the afternoon, satisfied, before heading home.

This efficiency left Gu Xuning and the others in awe. They all praised him, saying they’d never seen anyone so focused… except for lunch breaks, he hadn’t gotten distracted much at all!

In response, Xie Jianxun curved his eyes in a smile and pressed his palms together. “As long as you like it, you can do it too.”

Ela chose to sit beside him, accompanying him while he studied—solving any confusions he had, or doing his own thing otherwise.

“So early today?”

As Xie Jianxun packed up, he replied, “Heading home early. I might need to go out to meet someone later.”

He picked up his bag with one hand and reached out with the other to take Ela’s. “Coming along?”

The little one gave him his hand without a word.

How strange, Xie Jianxun thought. One after another, they were all acting weird. Idis hadn’t been seen for days—not even the elevator to his floor was accessible.

What kind of top-secret project was he working on that required such tight lockdown?

On the way home, Tuls called again. “Boss, it’s all set. Their Captain is free anytime. When do you want to head over?”

Xie Jianxun glanced at his remaining study tasks for the day. “Tonight, then.”

After hanging up, he mentioned it casually. “I might have to go on a long trip soon. Could be gone for several days.”

Ela, who had been sitting quietly in the back seat beside him, turned his head to look at him. “Where are you going? When?”

Xie Jianxun answered, “Out into the wilds… If things go well, probably heading out soon.”

The Air Sedan vibrated lightly as it flew. Ela nodded, acknowledging his plan. “With a Wild Squad leading the way, the success rate will be much higher.”

Xie Jianxun said happily, “Maybe by the time I get back, One will almost be fixed.”

Ela stared straight ahead, asking offhandedly, “By the way, I’ve always wondered—what’s your relationship with the Mechanical Puppet?”

Xie Jianxun teased him gently. “Why do you phrase it like that?”

“?” Ela tilted his head to look at him. “Like an old geezer?”

Xie Jianxun: “Like Idis.”

Ela inexplicably shut his mouth, staring at him unblinkingly. Xie Jianxun had nothing to hide, so he said casually, “One’s my boyfriend.”

Then he watched as Ela’s eyes slowly widened.

Ela looked as if he’d been hit by earth-shattering news, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

His lips pressed tight, he glared at Xie Jianxun, the corners of his mouth pulling down forcefully. Like a real child, he said coldly and sulkily, “…But it’s already got one foot in the grave. You’re still not breaking up?”

Xie Jianxun was torn between laughter and tears. “That’s why I’m waiting for Professor Idis to fix it, right?”

I’ll smash it for him when we get back, Ela thought.

“I’m going with you into the wilds,” Ela said calmly, grabbing his hand directly and staring into Xie Jianxun’s eyes. “I have built-in wilderness survival skills and Semi-Automatic Mech combat techniques. They might come in handy if there’s an unexpected network outage.”

“More than… Tuls. You’ll definitely need me more.”