Chapter 46#
Accompanying#
Ning Feng spent the night on the sofa in the small living room.
Well, not exactly the whole night, because before the deck party even ended, he had already run out of power and shut down.
When he came to, he found himself lying on his benefactor’s soft bed. A thin blanket covered him, and he was still wearing that wrinkled maid outfit, but the owner of the room was nowhere to be seen.
The charging port connected at his back had been fully charged for some time. The indicator’s blue light glowed steadily, and the faint numbing sensation from the electricity flowing through his body made Ning Feng shiver.
Staring at the charging port, he unhesitatingly pulled the plug out.
He stretched, hearing the creaking friction of his parts. Compared to his usual body that fell apart at the slightest provocation, today’s condition was pretty good. It seemed the high-grade lubricant from yesterday had worked wonders. From now on, he’d have to upgrade the quality of his oil—it was much more cost-effective than replacing parts.
Thinking this, Ning Feng walked into the bathroom.
As a robot, Ning Feng didn’t need to wash up, but after brushing his teeth for over twenty years, he still had to at least wipe his face in the morning. He entered the restroom and found two familiar bottles on the counter—one cleaner, one wax oil.
Picking up the palm-sized wax oil, Ning Feng’s thick eyebrows twitched.
He had bought this kind of additive-infused wax oil before. Back when he was maintaining the Second Jiaolong, he never skimped on this stuff, always getting the most expensive and best essential oils.
Now the Second Jiaolong was no longer needed, but it was being used on himself instead.
He never expected that.
But they were just in an ordinary employer-employee relationship—why would Yin Beichen prepare these things?
Staring at the delicately packaged jar, Ning Feng smirked sarcastically and tossed the wax oil back. He wiped away the grime with a towel, pulled an old bottle from a small storage compartment in his body, carefully dabbed out a tiny bit, and applied it meticulously onto himself.
After dawdling and applying it for over half an hour, when he walked into the dining room, everyone was already having breakfast.
Yin Beichen noticed Ning Feng first. His brown eyes swept over the robot briefly, furrowing his brow slightly, but he said nothing. Instead, Mad Mouse beside him caught the oddity.
“Isn’t it just a piece of junk robot? And it’s putting on wax oil—what a show-off.” Mad Mouse cackled.
“If you don’t talk, no one will think you’re mute.” As soon as Ning Feng sat down, a server brought him a glass of lubricant. The oil was clear, free of any impurities, and when he sniffed it carefully, there was a faint, familiar meaty smell.
This smell…
“Blade-tooth dragon roast?” He swirled the brown goblet in his hand.
“Right thigh, medium rare.” Yin Beichen beside him suddenly spoke, lifting his coffee cup for a sip. “I don’t know what dipping sauce you like, so I picked one according to my own taste.”
Your own taste? You mean Ning Feng’s?
Ning Feng raised one thick eyebrow slightly, unsure of the other’s intentions, but he was still quite interested in this roast-flavored lubricant. He put the straw in and took a sip, then froze.
It entered his mouth with the usual slickness of lubricant, but the taste was a charred, smoky roast meat flavor, with a faint gamey scent unique to meat and the bitterness of spices. It was like drinking a large mouthful of oil rendered from blade-tooth dragon fat. Ning Feng could guarantee that one sip of this stuff could keep you going for a whole day, and it was so greasy it made you want to vomit.
How on earth was such a horrible thing concocted?
Ning Feng hesitated about whether to keep sipping when he suddenly sensed Yin Beichen’s gaze fixed on him, as if observing something. His engine clanked once, and he quickly pulled out the straw, letting out a few chuckles.
“Oh my, thank you, Boss He.”
“You’re not drinking anymore?” Yin Beichen couldn’t help asking.
“I don’t like the taste of blade-tooth dragon.”
“You don’t like it?”
“Yeah, I hate it.” Ning Feng’s tone was polite, but his hand pushed the plate away.
The scene went silent for a moment. No one dared to speak.
“Ah, ah, that radish—his program has a roast meat allergy!” Wen Qianyong quickly tried to smooth things over with a dry laugh. “Yeah, that’s right, so he can’t eat anything with roast meat flavor. He’s definitely not targeting you, so please don’t be angry!”
Yin Beichen just sat there expressionlessly, not seeming angry.
“Don’t like it, huh…” He murmured to himself, his eyelids half-lowered to mask his emotions, and he quietly resumed his breakfast.
The others didn’t know what was going on and dared not say more. Ning Feng, however, couldn’t care less. He didn’t mind that he was still wearing a skirt; he casually spread his long legs and asked the server to bring another kind of lubricant in a lazy posture.
When breakfast ended, Yin Beichen got up and left the table. Wen Qianyong could no longer hold back his pent-up frustration and grabbed Ning Feng, giving him an earful.
“What’s wrong with you, Radish?!”
He had realized that, since last night, this guy had been incredibly picky with Boss He. He didn’t like the food, he kept snapping back, and he even beat the guy up without any reason.
This was their benefactor, their big benefactor! Offending him would do them no good!
Could the aftereffects of seasickness really be this severe?!
“Oh, I was just telling the truth.”
“Couldn’t you at least be polite?”
“But I don’t have that program.”
“Then learn it on the spot! Aren’t you an AI?!” Wen Qianyong couldn’t help tapping the robot’s head. “He didn’t even hold a grudge when you hit him before. Don’t be fooled by Boss He’s fierce looks—he’s actually quite considerate.”
“Considerate? Him?” Ning Feng sneered.
Back when he was still human, if he made even a small teasing remark like that, the other party would immediately darken his face and ignore him. If he was in a bad mood, he’d get chewed out, and writing self-criticism essays and doing physical punishment were unavoidable. Let alone him, his adjutant—there were tens of thousands of people at Nora Base, and who wasn’t terrified of this guy?
If Yin Beichen was considerate, then he would swear off durian forever!
“It’s true, you know.” Unexpectedly, Shamu chimed in. “You ran out of power and passed out on the sofa last night, and it was Boss He who carried you back to the room.”
“Right, right, right! And it was a princess carry too!” Wen Qianyong nodded vigorously. “Think about how heavy you are—it must have taken a lot of effort to lift you. He looks so elegant, but he’s actually pretty strong.”
Mad Mouse bit into his bread sourly. “Tch, what good is being strong? This old man can knock him out with one punch.”
“Give it a rest, will you? Last time you had trouble just going downstairs to pick up takeout.”
“Hey, you made me run up and down twenty floors!”
…
Ignoring the two squabbling, Ning Feng looked toward the direction Yin Beichen had disappeared, the little bulb on his head flickering on and off. He let out another scornful laugh.
Trying to play games with him?
No way!
**
In the following days, Yin Beichen returned to normal and didn’t do anything outrageous anymore. As for the sleeping issue, they reached a tacit understanding—people sleep at night, robots charge during the day.
Although the other party would occasionally cast scrutinizing glances, they didn’t bother Ning Feng at all. He calmly ignored them.
As for Yin Beichen’s thoughts, Ning Feng couldn’t be bothered to guess.
After all, he was just a piece of junk robot, so he wasn’t worried about his identity being recognized. If Yin Beichen was smart, he’d stop provoking him. Being able to hold himself back from beating the guy up again was already the biggest concession he could make.
Under this strange atmosphere, the starship sailed slowly through the cosmos, finally landing on the Federation’s most prosperous planet—Titus—on the morning of the third day.
In the Federation language, Titus translates to “Land of Wealth and Fame,” and it lived up to its name.
It was the Federation’s major industrial base, a stage for scientific geniuses and political elites. As the most important planet under Federation jurisdiction, Titus City was the planet’s most significant city. Its scale was so immense that it could only be named after the planet itself; its population was so vast that the number of residents in the suburbs alone exceeded the total population of some small planets.
The group disembarked at the starport and entered the VIP-exclusive security checkpoint.
Oddly enough, the special passage, which should have been unimpeded, now only had one lane open. While waiting, Ning Feng noticed that security here had been significantly tightened. After sizing up the number of personnel, he guessed that some high-ranking official must be visiting.
After a short wait, they passed through security smoothly.
Yin Beichen stood on the scanner, pressed his fingerprint, and within moments, the screen displayed a completely unrelated face.
In truth, Yin Beichen’s appearance was quite distinctive, but the Empire’s interference technology was extremely powerful. Coupled with his disguise and makeup, unless someone was very familiar with Yin Beichen himself, any machine would only match Boss He’s fake identity.
Thus, Yin Beichen, wearing a baseball cap, moved freely through the bustling streets. In contrast, Ning Feng’s odd appearance drew sidelong glances from passersby.
After getting off the ship, Ning Feng had changed into low-key, loose pants and was no longer wearing the maid outfit. However, his square head was still very eye-catching.
After a moment’s thought, he bought a burlap cloak with a hood from a street vendor and wrapped himself from head to toe. Of course, the expense was covered by Boss He.
Meanwhile, a high-ranking officer entered the immigration security office of the Titus starport.
The guard on duty immediately stood up and saluted. “Lieutenant Rex.”
The man named Rex nodded slightly, standing before the surveillance screens. “How’s the situation?”
“Reporting, sir: all is normal.”
Rex stared intently at the screens, his eyes sweeping rapidly over the many faces. Suddenly, a strange figure caught his attention.
He frowned and pointed at the screen. “Here, enlarge.”
The technician quickly opened a high-definition image, and a large square head immediately filled the screen.
Oh, it’s a robot.
Rex breathed a sigh of relief but remained vigilant. “The General’s ship arrives at the starport tomorrow. I’ll be on standby here for the next few days. Stay sharp, and be especially wary of the Empire and the Zerg trying to cause trouble.”
“Yes, sir.”
**
It was mid-morning, the busiest time of day.
In Titus’s most bustling commercial district, skyscrapers lined the streets, and traffic flowed like a river.
The surging crowds moved like a tide, crisscrossing transport systems and all kinds of sleek flying vehicles whizzing overhead formed the city’s veins and skeleton. Countless shimmering giant towers stood proudly within the city, neatly arranged along both sides of the roads. Together, they composed a magnificent vista, showcasing the Federation’s advanced technological prowess.
The lights were dazzling, half real, half illusory. The group walked and looked around.
Having lived year-round in the barren and dilapidated Scrap City, Wen Qianyong, visiting a super-planet for the first time, found everything novel. His eyes darted around eagerly, wishing he could install a 360-degree panoramic lens. Shamu followed closely behind, patiently introducing various interesting trinkets. Mad Mouse wore a disdainful expression, but when he saw a shop selling mechanical parts, his eyes lit up.
Thus, in less than ten minutes of walking, the original five-person team was reduced to just Ning Feng and Yin Beichen.
Ning Feng: …
All unreliable people.
But Ning Feng wasn’t worried. The guards must have already been lurking nearby; he just had to stick close.
Yin Beichen, meanwhile, paid no attention to the others and headed straight for his target location.
It was the city’s largest pharmacy, also one of its landmark buildings.
The entire structure was cylindrical in design, with clean glass curtain walls revealing a dazzling array of sample displays. A massive “med” character hung above the main entrance. From the outside, it looked like a giant test tube, glittering brilliantly under the sunlight.
There were many people coming and going outside, and quite a few were taking pictures at the entrance.
Yin Beichen swiped his ID at the door and walked in. Ning Feng looked up at the building for a moment, adjusted his hat brim, and followed closely behind.
The lobby was crowded, resembling a museum, showcasing the various products sold in the store. Transparent glass counters displayed popular items. On both sides, test tubes of uniform size were arranged, containing liquids of every color, filling two entire walls like embedded gemstones.
Ning Feng was stunned.
He had passed by this pharmacy many times but had never entered. He had never seen medicine sold like jewelry. Instinctively, he followed behind Yin Beichen, his lens swaying left and right.
Watching the figure that always maintained half a step’s distance, Yin Beichen’s brow twitched slightly, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
Soon, an AI sales assistant warmly approached. “Hello, how may I assist you?”
Ning Feng paused, thinking about what to say, but Yin Beichen spoke up.
“I need a batch of cholinesterase reactivator, two doses of anticholinergic drugs, ten doses of glucagon, and two months’ worth of nutrients…”
He listed a variety of materials, clearly well-versed in what he wanted to buy.
Ning Feng perked up his antennae and listened for a while, realizing these were all materials needed by the research department. Back when he was an adjutant at Nora Base, he would approve supply requests from R&D every other day, and these materials were always on the list.
So, he was buying these for the research department?
For Josie?
Going deep into danger just to win the favor of his beloved—so even the cold-faced, stoic Major General Yin wasn’t only concerned with the Zerg.
He never would have guessed.
Ning Feng felt a pang of bitterness in his heart, like a heavy stone pressing on his chest. He had already turned into a robot—why did he still feel this way?
It was strange.
He almost wanted to laugh.
“One moment, please. I’ll check for you right away.” The AI smiled and responded. Its chip hummed as it ran for a while, then let out a ding. “I’m sorry, guest. Most of the materials you just mentioned are out of stock in this store.”
“Which ones do you have?” Yin Beichen frowned.
“We have anticoagulant-specific antidote vitamin K1, calcium agents to enhance myocardial contractility…” The assistant listed a few more items, but compared to the dozens of materials on the list, the quantity was pitifully small.
Yin Beichen thought for a moment. “Wrap them up.”
The assistant immediately set about the task. Ning Feng, hands in his pockets, made small talk. “Boss He, are you here to stock up?”
Unless it was for materials with high consumption, who would buy a two-month supply all at once? Besides, usually in such cases, the base would sign a wholesale contract, setting a fixed monthly quantity—it was cheaper and guaranteed supply.
Right now, it felt like he was buying under a personal name.
Privately sponsoring research materials?
Hah, his little lover was really something special.
Yin Beichen didn’t answer. Instead, he opened his light brain and sent Ning Feng a map, with the target mall marked out.
“This is the next destination.”
The things he wanted to buy were relatively niche materials. Even the city’s largest pharmacy didn’t have them; they’d probably need to check several more stores.
Ning Feng looked at the dense array of red dots and stretched lazily.
“Oh well, looks like we’ll be doing some serious shopping these next few days.”
After leaving the store, the two of them walked through main streets and alleys, visiting several more places in succession.
Ning Feng kept following behind Yin Beichen, never asking for the destination, just going wherever they were told. Throughout, Yin Beichen held the bags of materials close to his chest, never asking Ning Feng to help, and Ning Feng pretended not to notice.
After finally finishing one district, they planned to take a rail transit to another area. While waiting for the train, Ning Feng passed by a mechanical specialty store. His peripheral vision caught something in the display window, and his legs immediately refused to move.
In the window was a pair of honey-colored mechanical thighs. The firm muscles, the alluring skin tone, the long and straight shape… His lens widened.
Sensing that the person hadn’t followed, Yin Beichen turned to look, only to see the robot pressed against the window, his square face plastered to the glass, fingers tracing along the contour of the thigh.
[Little Chenchen, come look at this engine—it’s so cool!]
The man leaned against the glass, his handsome face slightly flushed, fingers tracing along the engine casing.
Yin Beichen froze for a moment, then asked in a daze, “Want to go take a look?”
Ning Feng’s body tensed. He immediately withdrew his hands, stuffed them in his pockets, and said lazily, “No~ way.”
His brown eyes swept over the pair of thighs, then he looked at Ning Feng before turning and walking into the store. Ning Feng clicked his tongue and reluctantly followed.
As expected of a dedicated robot parts store—everything from eyeballs and fingernails to thighs and elbows was available. The parts were dazzling and comprehensive, complemented by the display spotlights, making the whole space look quite luxurious.
There were many customers inside. To avoid getting separated, the two stayed close, one behind the other.
Ning Feng followed behind, his lens swiveling around various simulated limbs. When they passed by the limb display, he took the opportunity while the other wasn’t looking to stealthily touch the limb he had admired earlier.
Actually, Scrap City also had robot parts, but they prioritized practicality and combat performance over appearance. He valued specs, but he was also a looks-oriented person, so there weren’t many parts that suited his taste. Although he could browse the star network, buying in a physical store was more reassuring.
The firm feeling under his palm was very satisfying. Just as he was thinking about negotiating the price with the owner, Ning Feng suddenly noticed a large crowd gathered around the adjacent display window. At the center of that window floated a palm-sized device—upon closer inspection, it was a cooling system.
For robots, the engine was the heart, and the main function of the cooling system was to dissipate heat in time, ensuring the engine operated at the most suitable temperature. The more powerful the engine, the stricter the requirements for the cooling system. Without a proper working environment, even the best engine couldn’t perform to its full potential.
This cooling system seemed to be a hot seller, with many customers gathered around it. Leveraging his physical advantage, Ning Feng forced his way into the crowd. After observing up close for a while, he grew more satisfied with the device’s performance. But when he saw the five-figure price tag, his engine hummed for a moment.
Sure enough, things in the display window were never cheap.
Adhering to the principle of touching it if you can’t buy it, Ning Feng reached out to feel it. But before he could touch it, a cool voice came from behind.
“Want to give it a try?”
Ning Feng immediately withdrew his hand. “Just browsing.”
He pretended to wander off to the side, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yin Beichen raise an eyebrow slightly before turning his attention back to the window. Ning Feng quickly blocked his view with his body. “Don’t worry about me. You should be in a hurry to get your things, right?”
His gaze fell on Ning Feng’s face, and Yin Beichen looked at him with extreme seriousness for a moment.
“It is urgent.” He paused, then shifted his gaze back to the display. “But we can wait.”
Ning Feng: ???
What does that mean?