“Matilda’s Blood, a special kind of mineral beast. Its blood, after processing, can preserve the properties of rare metals.”
Xie Jianxun stopped writing and scanned his notebook. Finally, he remembered something and hurriedly flipped through the list. Sure enough, he found the exact same name.
He thoughtfully placed the pen tip before that item on the list and circled it.
The Mechanical Puppet’s repair project was nearing completion, and Idis no longer spent all day holed up in his workshop, impossible to drag out even with nine oxen.
Instead, he often appeared in the living room downstairs, sitting on the sofa with a thread-bound book in hand, quietly watching Xie Jianxun on the living room carpet, sweating profusely as he assembled a life-sized high-tier bionic person model.
In the end, he would say something like, “Two hours already— even a chicken pecking rice is faster than you.”
What had he replied back then?
Oh, right—he had turned his head and loudly threatened, “Don’t think no one dares to smash your head just because you can’t walk.”
Idis had said he needed to respect his teacher.
He had shot back that Idis was shamelessly clinging to his seniority.
Professor Idis had impassively pointed out, “That piece in your hand is assembled backwards,” and Xie Jianxun had looked down in shock to check.
It wasn’t backwards. He had looked up expressionlessly and clenched his fist.
Finally, Yiwen had come out to break it up, yelling at the top of her mechanical voice, “No more, Mr. Idis— there’s going to be violence in the house!”
Thinking back to it, Xie Jianxun nearly burst out laughing again. He closed the list and went downstairs, where he indeed found Idis sitting at the dining table.
Unusually, he held nothing in his hands and wasn’t reading a book like before.
Seeing him come down, Idis asked, “All sorted out?”
“I’ve got it sorted. For the remaining rare ores, I’ll have Tuls keep an eye on the auctions. For Matilda’s Blood, since it needs to be fresh, I’ve contacted the Wild Squad to take me into the wilds.”
The Little Adventurer spoke lightly, having organized everything neatly.
He knew exactly what to do next and who to assign to what.
Idis crossed his fingers on the table, his voice low: “Heading into the mining district this time will be quite dangerous.”
Xie Jianxun replied, “As long as we avoid the giant mineral beast nests, it should be fine. With the outpost wristband alarms and an experienced Wild Squad, I believe the risks are manageable… Right, Yiwen?”
Yiwen, caught off guard, nodded along before realizing: “Yeah, yeah… probably.”
Xie Jianxun clapped his hands with a grin: “See? Problem solved.”
Idis lightly furrowed his brows: “Take Ela with you.”
It was unexpected, but Xie Jianxun refused.
After thinking for a moment, he said seriously, “Ela’s combat mecha is important, but as the Wild Squad’s employer, I don’t need to confront mineral beasts head-on. If we get separated, all I’d need to do is run—no fighting required. It’s better for Ela to stay home.”
With that, he turned and called upstairs twice: “Ela? Ela?”
No response. Xie Jianxun pulled his head back and muttered that Ela had vanished again.
Idis stared at him: “…You really don’t need him?”
Xie Jianxun waved it off and flexed his sturdy muscles and patted his clever head: “See? I’ve been running and exercising lately, and I’ve studied most of Professor Idis’s notebooks. I can handle going out alone, no problem.”
The mechanical professor sat at the table, thinking he shouldn’t have given him the advanced structural course notes so early—it had only given the kid unfounded confidence.
“And I’ve got the exoskeleton you gave me, Professor Idis.”
As he thought that, the Little Adventurer’s voice sounded right by his ear. Idis subtly turned his head and saw Xie Jianxun at his side of the table, fingers resting on his arm, voice soft and practiced in a coquettish tone.
“I’ve mastered the exoskeleton’s power too—no issues!” Even the light in his pupils sparkled, impossible to refuse.
Idis gazed at him and let out a silent sigh, but Xie Jianxun knew that meant agreement.
“Yiwen, fetch the earmic from my desk.”
At his order, the mechanical arm whirred off and soon returned with a pair of small earmics coiled around it.
Idis beckoned, and Xie Jianxun leaned over curiously: “What’s this?”
“For use with the exoskeleton.”
The mechanical professor was concise. He lifted his hand to fit the earmic over Xie Jianxun’s ear, extending the clasp to merge seamlessly with the exoskeleton node at the back of his neck.
Now, a thin black extension line circled the back of Xie Jianxun’s head, like some unseen black tech linking to the exoskeleton node.
He curiously touched it—sturdy enough; even tugging didn’t dislodge it: “The exoskeleton needs an earmic?”
“Don’t move.”
Idis adjusted it to a comfortable angle and warned him not to tamper with the extension clasp: “It’s more secure than regular ones, but it can’t withstand you yanking on it… There.”
The next moment, with Idis right in front of him, his voice sounded both ahead and in his ear: “The earmic has a micro electronic eye to observe your surroundings. I’ll have Ela monitor it and warn you of dangers in time.”
Little by little, he equipped the student-cum-guest staying in his home with full armor.
Professor Idis seemed reluctant to let him venture into the wilds.
On the day he set out, as Xie Jianxun packed his luggage, he only then realized it belatedly.
He had woken up that morning to find the mechanic in the room next to his bedroom, instructing Yiwen to prepare things.
Seeing him emerge yawning from his room, Idis acted like a strict life tutor, asking if he had packed everything the night before.
Xie Jianxun said innocently, “Idis, you sound just like my butler.”
Idis: “The butler? How does he treat you?”
Xie Jianxun: “Like my dad.”
Idis: “…” Just say I act like your dad, then.
Seeing the topic veer into banter again, Idis cut straight to it: “Where are you meeting them?”
“Downstairs.”
“…Downstairs?” Idis was a bit surprised. Xie Jianxun spread his hands—this was VIP treatment as the big boss. “The Captain said he’d drive right here to pick me up; no need for me to go anywhere else.”
Idis nodded slightly in approval: “Fitting for what you’re paying. Yiwen made you an egg sandwich for breakfast.”
“Awesome! Professor Idis!”
As expected, the Little Adventurer cheered and dashed downstairs to enjoy it. Yiwen’s egg sandwiches had soft, tender fillings with perfectly seasoned ingredients—one bite filled his mouth with eggy goodness, just to his taste.
Idis wheeled after him downstairs.
After a moment, he slowly said, “You could always have someone else go into the danger zone for you—no need to go yourself.”
“That’s exactly why it’s a danger zone— that’s why I have to go myself.”
Xie Jianxun held his egg sandwich, his face alight with longing. “They say the mining district is different from the outskirts— special ores everywhere, interconnected underground tunnels, all sorts of mineral beast species… Man, I have to see it for myself!”
“…” Idis said, “You’ll be gone for several days.”
Xie Jianxun chewed a couple bites and caught on— Mr. Idis probably wanted him home soon, or better yet, not go at all and delegate everything… Reluctant to let him go?
“It’s just a few days— eat, sleep, done. If you don’t mind, you can watch through its eye.”
He tapped the earmic already in place and said brightly, “It’ll be like I’m taking Professor Idis on a trip to a faraway place.”
Beep beep— a vehicle’s horn sounded downstairs, urging him on.
Xie Jianxun peeked out the window, hurriedly wolfed down the rest of the sandwich, tapped his light brain, and prepared to put on his shoes and head out.
Yiwen slithered out from the kitchen, a cup of hot milk coiled at her arm’s tip. Seeing him about to leave, she immediately called, “Leaving already? You didn’t choke, did you?!”
Xie Jianxun took the hot milk and downed it in one go, waving brightly: “Wait for me— I’ll bring back mining district specialties.”
“See you later, Professor Idis!”
“…See you later.” Idis bid him a soft farewell.
The door closed, and Idis withdrew his gaze. The mechanical arm stood beside him, upright, holding the empty glass cup, silent.
He thought that, at this moment, their feelings were probably much the same.
“Once the Mechanical Puppet is fixed, will Xunxun leave?” the mechanical female voice asked.
Idis: “Yes.”
“I want him to stay,” Yiwen’s electronic eye whirred, uncharacteristically earnest and pleading. “I can make all sorts of tasty sandwiches now.”
Idis: “You could go with him— I’m sure he wouldn’t refuse a mechanical arm.”
Yiwen: “What about you?”
“…”
“Whatever,” Idis tossed out, wheeling toward the elevator. Yiwen spotted him pressing the down button. “I don’t care.”
The Wild Squad’s vehicle waited downstairs for their boss.
Xie Jianxun got in, glanced back with a pang at the exquisite little building.
See you later! He waved at the windows.
The driver up front said, “Boss, we’re heading into the danger zone this time—you have to follow our orders. No wandering off.”
Xie Jianxun snapped back and smiled: “Of course, Captain Min.”
The danger zone wasn’t some instant-death pit— it was classified as such by the City Lord’s Mansion due to human casualties there over the past twenty years.
Truly lethal zones never allowed Wild Squads or independents.
“Boss, the Matilda Beasts you want are in this range of the danger zone. Take a look.”
A map was passed forward, circling the Matilda Beasts’ habitat and a winding route thickly marked in red pen.
“The red route is our path—you can note it down. Do you have a weapon? I’ve got a gun.”
Min Xingwen switched to autopilot and showed his renewed hunter’s license. “Mineral beasts don’t usually attack people, but better safe. If not, the Deputy Captain should have spare stun batons—good enough for self-defense.”
Xie Jianxun: “Thanks, I’ve got one. Where are we headed? This isn’t toward the wild zone entrance?”
He peered out the window; the scenery wasn’t heading to the suburbs but toward Silver Watchtower’s city center.
Then he heard the Captain sigh.
“Going to pick up another boss.” He sounded world-weary.
Moments later, the car stopped at the City Lord’s Mansion. You Liang got in calmly, giving him a perfunctory wave.
Xie Jianxun instantly got the Captain’s mood— what could be more headache-inducing than clients who ignored orders and bolted the moment you looked away?
