Chapter 45#
Dinner#
The suite’s dining room was spacious, continuing the luxurious style of the living room. The crystalline energy chandelier made the tableware on the dining table sparkle.
Yin Beichen sat at the head of the table, with Shamu and Wen Qianyong on his left. The seat on his right was empty, while Crazy Rat sat one seat away. Ning Feng scanned the room and finally sauntered over to sit on Yin Beichen’s right.
The service in first class was indeed meticulous. No sooner had they sat down than waiters filed in, placing one delicacy after another on the table.
The main course for the day was freshly roasted wild saber-toothed dragon meat, grilled until the tender flesh was crispy and golden, with rich juices coating every piece. Under the crystal lights, it glistened with a hint of oil, and the fragrant aroma wafted over, making everyone’s mouth water.
This was Ning Feng’s favorite grilled dragon meat.
Despite its unremarkable appearance, this type of beast meat was anything but cheap. In the past, he would only treat himself to a small piece cooked by the cafeteria auntie after receiving his subsidy, as a reward to himself.
Even though the cravings in his stomach were raging wildly, Ning Feng could only smell, not eat.
He sighed, lowering his head to look at the bottle of motor oil placed before him. Since his mouth was designed as a small round hole, he didn’t even need a spoon for his meals. However, Starship had prepared a carved goblet for him, complete with a beautiful crystal straw, and even tied a gold ribbon around it with a pretense of ceremony.
Ning Feng raised the goblet, shook it pretentiously, and took a sip.
Then, he froze.
This was high-quality mineral oil! It was smooth and fragrant as it entered his mouth, with none of the greasy, nauseating oil taste. Ning Feng, who had no expectations for the flavor of motor oil, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
The higher the grade of motor oil, the better its cooling and anti-rust properties. Now that he had replaced his parts with better ones, his requirements for oil had also increased. But since all his previous gambling winnings had been spent on the engine and various hormone-explosive components, he could only afford low-to-medium-grade synthetic oil now. He couldn’t bear to spend on this nearly ten-times-pricier mineral oil.
Actually, thinking about it carefully, this “Boss He” of Yin Beichen’s wasn’t so bad.
Ning Feng, while sipping from his bottle, kept sneaking glances at the plate. Every time Yin Beichen cut a piece of meat, Ning Feng would smack his lips and take a sip.
That almost devouring gaze was quickly noticed.
“What’s wrong?” Yin Beichen asked.
“Nothing.” Ning Feng coolly turned his face away.
He said that, but when Yin Beichen drizzled the fragrant sauce over the meat, Ning Feng’s gaze went rigid. He couldn’t help but take another large gulp of motor oil. Coming back to his senses, he realized the other was staring at him with a burning gaze.
Ning Feng: …
“If you want to eat, just say so. Why act so aloof?” Crazy Rat mocked mercilessly, pushing his plate forward and blowing on it. “Come here, I’ll let you smell it.”
The little light bulb on his head flickered, and Ning Feng shifted his gaze. Crazy Rat suddenly felt his right hand start to act on its own again. His expression changed drastically, and he grabbed his wrist, moving further away.
Ning Feng felt a sense of satisfaction. Just as he was about to retort, Yin Beichen cut him off.
“Tomorrow, I can have someone prepare a saber-toothed dragon-flavored motor oil.” He slowly cut off a small piece of meat and put it into his mouth, chewing carefully.
Ning Feng stared at that indifferent face, unable to figure him out.
He knew that Yin Beichen had never liked strong-smelling food. Although this saber-toothed dragon meat had a great texture, it was also notorious for its strong flavor, requiring even more intense spices to suppress it.
In the past, Yin Beichen would only eat a little when he was around. After just a few days apart, how had his tastes changed so much?
Staring for a long moment, Ning Feng suddenly grinned crookedly.
“Thank you for the offer, Boss He. I appreciate the thought.”
Yin Beichen took a sip of wine and said nothing more.
Suddenly, the atmosphere at the dining table became very delicate.
The others didn’t know why Ning Feng’s attitude had suddenly changed so drastically, but since Boss He himself hadn’t said anything, they decided to just focus on their food.
Finally, dinner ended in a strange atmosphere.
To ensure the employer’s safety, someone needed to stand guard outside Yin Beichen’s door.
Shamu suggested they take turns. Ning Feng volunteered for the task himself. After all, he was a robot—he didn’t need sleep. As long as he had enough power, he could stand guard for as long as needed.
Wen Qianyong wasn’t entirely agreeable, but couldn’t think of a better solution for now, so he patted his chest and promised to sleep early and wake up early to relieve Ning Feng. However, at the sudden cheers outside, he tossed that promise of “early to bed, early to rise” into outer space.
There was a party on the deck tonight. Wen Qianyong wanted to join in the fun and insisted that Shamu accompany him. Crazy Rat had no interest in the excitement and returned to his room to sleep early.
Ning Feng lounged lazily on the sofa, watching TV. He flipped through more than a dozen channels with the remote but couldn’t find any good shows, so he simply got up to recharge. However, carrying his charger, he searched the entire suite and couldn’t find a single matching outlet.
Pinching the plug, Ning Feng furrowed his brows.
He knew his body was specially customized by Shamu and had certain requirements for charging ports, but he hadn’t expected that a top-tier ship like this would lack such an outlet.
There were still two days until their destination, and his battery probably wouldn’t even last through tonight.
What was he going to do?
Just as he was scratching his head in frustration, the door opened.
Yin Beichen entered, drenched. His smooth brown hair clung to his face, and his body was wrapped only in a white towel. Crystal-clear droplets of water slid down his fair skin, disappearing into the towel that invited imagination.
For a split second, Ning Feng’s system lagged.
“What’s wrong?” Yin Beichen glanced over, slowly drying his hair with the towel. Ning Feng could even smell the faint scent of body wash on him.
After a long moment of adjusting focus, Ning Feng finally regained his composure. He lazily held up the plug. “Looking for a place to recharge.”
Yin Beichen examined the plug’s shape carefully. “There’s an outlet in this room.”
Ning Feng clicked his tongue inwardly.
No wonder it was a luxurious master bedroom—it even had this special plug. But why hadn’t they installed one in the living room? Still, he had no intention of staying with Yin Beichen; he was afraid he might end up wanting to punch him again.
“You mean you’re inviting me into your room?” Ning Feng lifted his eyelid and gave a sidelong glance. “Aren’t you worried that while I’m charging, I might suddenly glitch again?”
Yin Beichen’s eyes flickered, but he said nothing.
Ning Feng let out a light laugh and waved his hand casually. “Forget it, forget it. You’re my big benefactor. I snore when I sleep, so I’ll just make do in the living room. I won’t disturb your rest.”
Hearing this, Yin Beichen turned his face sideways, his gaze sharp.
“Aren’t you a robot?”
“I’m a robot with a snoring program.” Ning Feng nodded with an air of seriousness. “And I have an ultra-long standby time. I can last at least one night on this charge—”
[Warning! Battery below 10%. Please recharge immediately.]
Suddenly, a low-battery warning sounded from his chest. Ning Feng wanted to twitch the corner of his mouth but found that the metal plating on his face didn’t support such an expression. He could only stare at the other man, pretending to lag.
“Compared to a snoring program, maybe you need a battery upgrade more,” Yin Beichen said, his pale brow slightly raised.
“Don’t trouble yourself,” Ning Feng snorted, carrying the charger back to the living room.
Staring at the robot’s back, Yin Beichen narrowed his eyes, a fleeting something surging in his gaze—elusive, impossible to grasp.
**
After searching for a long time and still finding no outlet, Ning Feng let out a long sigh. Touching the hole in his chest, he simply threw the charger aside, took off his clothes, and started sewing.
The clothes had been bought on the fly from a secondhand shop, poor in quality. The earlier tearing had ripped a large hole, and the cotton threads were already fraying. As a child, Ning Feng rarely had new clothes; a single garment would be worn for years, honing his mending skills. Fortunately, the fabric was black, so even a large patch wouldn’t be too noticeable.
The sharp needle flew across the black cloth. Although robots didn’t feel pain, the synthetic skin was different from real skin—once punctured, it wouldn’t heal. So he was careful not to let the needle’s tip pierce his actual core.
Just then, a few muffled sounds reached his ears.
Fireworks, with their red sparks, shot into the sky, leaving behind dazzling, lingering arcs. They exploded with a loud roar, tearing the night sky apart. Outside, it was lively and bustling, while he sat in the dim room, as if at the tail end of the clamor.
Ning Feng stopped his work and looked out the window.
Ever since becoming a robot, he occasionally sat like this, thinking about the things he had done before.
The right, the wrong, the satisfying, the regrettable, and Yin Beichen.
Honestly, he had considered going back to the base. But with the Jiaolong II destroyed, the Blade Mech dismantled, and himself turned into this, returning wouldn’t hold much meaning.
He now had a new identity, a new circle of friends. His life and career were gradually getting back on track; everything was moving in a good direction. This time, when he hired Yin Beichen to find mercenaries, it just happened to be him. Their relationship was purely professional, nothing more, and should be nothing more.
In the bright flashes of light, a brilliant radiance reflected on Ning Feng’s worn-out face. He crooked a smile and continued burying himself in mending his clothes.
**
In the bedroom, just one door away, Yin Beichen stood by the window, holding his communicator.
“Any leads on the chip’s whereabouts?” he asked.
“Sir, no leads yet,” the gruff-voiced man replied, sounding frustrated.
“What about the shop owner’s identity?”
“We’ve asked around. Nothing solid.”
The man’s face was full of worry.
The shop where Ning Feng’s flier had been stored had been abandoned for a long time. The owner was a drunkard who hadn’t set foot in it for ages. He had no idea that someone had placed a large cockpit in his shop. Such “prime locations” were everywhere in the City of Scraps; there was no way to trace anything useful.
Thus, the trail went cold.
Yin Beichen brushed his fingertips over his lips. Since he couldn’t investigate from the source, he would eliminate potential suspects from those who might have taken it.
“Any potential targets?”
“There are some, but quite a few. It’ll take some time.”
As a gathering point for mercenaries, there were at least a thousand mechanical repairmen. Checking them one by one would take several months.
“Investigate in that direction, then.” Yin Beichen gave a few more instructions before ending the call.
Colorful fireworks bloomed in the sky, their petals falling like rain, reflecting on the cold glass. As the fireworks faded, his expression became hazy and indistinct.
Standing silently for a while, Yin Beichen opened his communicator and made a call. After listening quietly to a familiar voicemail, he said calmly.
“Ning Feng, I saw Blade. It’s a cleaning robot.”
“Its AI program is quite well-written. Maybe I can buy a set sometime.” As if recalling something, he touched the wound on his face. “But its temper is a bit bad—better suited for guarding the door.”
The fireworks boomed outside, illuminating the room. Rubbing the bright yellow amulet in his palm, a smile crept into the corners of Yin Beichen’s eyes.
“I think you would have liked it.”