Chapter 58#

Provocation#

Qu Yan took a breath, slowly walking over to the two of them.

Compared to their last meeting, he had noticeably lost weight, though he looked in good spirits. He was still wearing his lab coat, having apparently rushed over from the research department as soon as he got the message. His gaze carefully examined the robot, and when it landed on that worn, battered head, a trace of bitterness flickered across his face.

Ning Feng watched silently, watching his old friend standing right before him. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to rush over and embrace him, but he couldn’t. A dull ache spread through his heart.

Their eyes met, and both saw an emotion in the other’s face that was hard to conceal.

Finally, Qu Yan glanced at the cold-faced commander beside him, adjusted his glasses, and asked, “Aren’t you going to ask my name first?”

“I thought you’d give a passionate self-introduction.” Ning Feng grinned cheekily. “Can I get your contact info?”

Qu Yan immediately opened his optical computer. “Should I add you, or you add me?”

The two chatted animatedly, not only exchanging contact information on the spot but also cheerfully debating what nicknames to save for each other.

Yin Beichen stood to the side without a word, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. When he heard Ning Feng settle on the nickname “Dead Guy,” he coldly spat out a few words through gritted teeth.

“Professor Qu, do you have something to report?”

Qu Yan blinked, as if just realizing something.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t realize you were still here, Commander.” A hint of a smile played on his lips. “I came to give you a work report.”

“And this is your report?”

“Of course not.”

“Submit your report tomorrow.”

“It’s about the antidote. Are you sure a written report will be sufficient?”

“The antidote?” Ning Feng’s optical lens contracted slightly.

“That’s right.” Qu Yan’s eyes crinkled with a smile.

Ning Feng desperately wanted to ask about the antidote’s progress—after all, he had risked his life for the samples back on the Bug Nest Star. He paused for a long moment without speaking, his lens fixed intently on Qu Yan. His square metal face showed no expression, yet somehow revealed the fervent hope burning within.

Qu Yan seemed to understand the robot’s thoughts and smiled back at him.

The unspoken exchange between their gazes almost congealed into something tangible. Standing at the intersection of that invisible connection, Yin Beichen’s knuckles turned white, a faint flush of anger rising. “Does it have to be now?”

Qu Yan wrinkled his brow in annoyance. “Actually, it doesn’t have to be this urgent. Since you’re busy now, Commander, I’ll have to come another time.” Then he looked past Yin Beichen’s shoulder, tilting his head toward Ning Feng. “Oh, by the way, Radish, are you headed to the cafeteria?”

Ning Feng blinked. “I’d rather check out the bar.”

Qu Yan chuckled softly. “What a coincidence. There’s a bar two blocks from the cafeteria. They’ve got a new cocktail that’s really popular.”

“You buying?”

“No problem.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Ning Feng brushed past Yin Beichen and cheerfully slung an arm around Qu Yan’s shoulder.

“Sure.” Qu Yan’s gaze softened as he naturally rested a hand on his waist. He tilted his head slightly, glancing at Yin Beichen. The moment their eyes met, he silently mouthed two words.

[See you.]

With a snap, something inside Yin Beichen’s mind broke. He suddenly reached out and yanked hard, nearly pulling the robot into the wall.

“Damn…” Ning Feng shot him a glare. “Boss Yin, you—”

His unfinished words were cut short by a piercing look. The orange-gold sunset light spilled through the glass window, casting shadows across the wall. Yin Beichen stood slightly hunched, bathed entirely in the afterglow, his silhouette blurred by the interplay of light and shadow. Yet those half-lidded eyes held an anger that was impossible to ignore.

Ning Feng felt a twinge of tension.

“Since the antidote is so important, it can’t wait until tomorrow.” Yin Beichen’s voice was like ice. “Since Professor Qu has come personally, work naturally takes priority.”

He turned to Ning Feng. “You go back first.”

Even if Ning Feng were deaf, he could still understand what that meant. But thinking it over, the antidote was the base’s top priority, not something he should know about.

After all, he was just a mercenary.

Ignoring the sudden wave of disappointment, Ning Feng said lazily, “Boss Yin sure loves his work.”

But Yin Beichen’s face remained expressionless. Qu Yan could only give a helpless smile. “Looks like we’ll have to take a rain check.”

“Fine, fine. I won’t keep you two busy with official business~” Ning Feng let out an exaggerated sigh and waved his hand. He blew Qu Yan an air kiss, tossed out a “Catch you later,” and shuffled away.

When the tall figure disappeared from view, Qu Yan smoothed his bangs. “Commander, aren’t you hungry?”

Yin Beichen gave him a cold, sidelong glance. “Didn’t you say you had urgent business to report?”

“It wouldn’t hurt to take the time for a meal.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

Qu Yan studied him for a moment, then smiled and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

“You really do care about that mercenary.” He expertly tapped out a cigarette. “I remember you weren’t like this before. What’s with the sudden enthusiasm? Not only did you give him a tour of the base, but you deliberately avoided my research department. That’s quite heartbreaking.”

He smiled faintly. “What are you afraid of, Commander?”

Yin Beichen pursed his thin lips without even looking at him, turning and walking toward his office. Qu Yan snorted lightly, put the cigarette in his mouth, and followed.

**

The orange-red sunset filled the base, casting a hint of warmth over the cold steel fortress.

Bored and wandering around the base, Ning Feng was wondering where to sleep tonight when he received a call from Wen Qianyong, who said he had just finished patrol and wanted to grab dinner together at the cafeteria. They thought about inviting Qiu Zhen, but he said he was swamped with work and couldn’t make it, so they settled for just the two of them. Figuring it had been a while since he’d seen the cafeteria aunties and uncles, and having nothing better to do, Ning Feng headed toward the cafeteria.

It was the dinner rush, and the place was packed. The aroma of food filled the air, teasing everyone’s hungry stomachs. The whole space buzzed with noise.

As soon as the three of them walked in, the hall fell silent for a moment before quickly returning to its usual clamor. But many eyes had already silently fixed on them.

Ning Feng ignored it, dragging the other two straight to the serving area.

The base’s food was as varied as always. With the New Year approaching, a few new dishes had been added in recent days. Robots couldn’t eat, but at least he could smell the aromas. So Ning Feng enthusiastically recommended various dishes, talking with such authority that even the cafeteria lady kept glancing his way.

After his recommendations, Wen Qianyong’s eyes went wide with indecision, wanting to try everything. Even Mad Rat, notoriously picky, ended up with a heaping tray.

As they looked for a seat, probing gazes fell on them, accompanied by hushed discussions.

“Is that Blade?”

“What, look at his head—it’s all busted up.”

“Exactly. How dare he call himself that?”

…

Ning Feng showed no reaction, but the other two couldn’t hold back.

“Why are these people so gossipy? Why do they have to stick their noses into what someone calls himself?” Wen Qianyong frowned, glaring around, his large frame blocking the gawking stares.

“Maybe dead people don’t gossip?” Mad Rat sneered from beside him, his eyelids twitching rapidly as his mechanical arm switched between a dagger and a combat knife.

Though they weren’t regular soldiers, they were mercenaries who lived on the edge. Their killing intent was no less than anyone else’s in the room. The onlookers felt a shiver run down their spines and quickly averted their eyes.

With their antics and warnings, the malicious gazes noticeably diminished. Ning Feng was about to crack a joke when he noticed a gap opening in the crowd, and a tall, burly figure swaggered over.

It was Ou Jingshan.

Chin raised high, Ou Jingshan was flanked by a few team members, all wearing hostile expressions. The air went still. No one nearby spoke, all standing at a distance, waiting for a show.

Wen Qianyong’s face immediately fell at the sight of him, his eyes wide and frozen. Ning Feng glanced at Team Leader Ou but showed no further reaction.

“Captain Ou, that’s Blade,” one of the team members whispered.

Ou Jingshan looked the robot up and down, squinting and speaking slowly.

“Blade? Pfft!” His eyes were full of contempt. “He’s nothing but a hunk of scrap metal, pretending to be human. Look at that sorry state—even a piece of junk is more dignified than him. Bet I could twist his head off with one hand. Might as well call him ‘Headless,’ hahaha!”

Mocking laughter rippled around them. Ning Feng didn’t even spare them a glance. Wen Qianyong’s face reddened, his mouth opening to retort, but for some reason, no words came out. Mad Rat frowned at the bald giant, a rare glint of anger in his eyes.

But causing trouble in the cafeteria meant getting an earful from the cafeteria lady’s “tough love.” Ou Jingshan didn’t do anything outrageous—just threw a few harsh words with his lackeys before swaggering away.

“Look at you, all that muscle wasted!” Mad Rat scowled in disappointment.

“How can you blame me? You know how scary Captain Ou is…” Wen Qianyong pouted, feeling wronged.

Ou Jingshan had chewed them out from start to finish in the patrol team, especially Wen Qianyong, who was singled out as a prime example.

It was their first day of training, after all. Not knowing the rules was understandable. Why did Captain Ou have to focus all his fury on him? Now he got a bit anxious just seeing Captain Ou.

“Forget it, forget it. Let’s eat.” Used to Ou Jingshan’s temper, Ning Feng wasn’t bothered. Instead, he cheerfully gestured for the two to sit down. Since robots couldn’t eat, he had only planned to hang out, but Wen Qianyong pulled a bottle from his pocket and handed it over.

“Here.”

“Oil? Where’d you get this?” Ning Feng was surprised.

“Boss He gave it to me.” Wen Qianyong shoveled a big piece of meat into his mouth. “Oh, I guess it’s Major General now.”

“Yin Beichen? Why would he give it to you?”

“He had Big Beard bring it for Brother Mu. Brother Mu’s still busy in the workshop and probably hasn’t eaten properly…” He pouted, suddenly losing his appetite. “Why did he have to work overtime on his first day? Is it really that busy?”

“Be grateful.” Mad Rat rolled his eyes. “General Yin put in an early request for the antidote for your Brother Mu. Back in Scrap City, you couldn’t even get on the rotation list. You’d better work hard for him.”

“But I never expected Boss He to be a Major General!”

“Haven’t you noticed how Captain Ou’s tone changes every time he mentions the Major General?”

…

Ning Feng lowered his gaze, staring at the bottle in his palm.

The clear oil sloshed gently with his movements, the pale yellow liquid gleaming like gold in the light.

After walking all day, his joints were dry and stiff, but for various reasons, he hadn’t been able to replenish his oil. When he’d seen Qu Yan earlier, he’d been too happy and completely forgotten about it.

He hadn’t expected Yin Beichen to remember for him.

And it wasn’t just the oil. He had actually forgotten a lot of things.

He’d forgotten his friends, forgotten the Dragon II, forgotten the cafeteria food, even forgotten the people he disliked… Come to think of it, his old days had been pretty good.

Since becoming a robot, he had tried hard to adapt to a new life, deliberately cutting ties with the past. But now, standing in a familiar environment, standing before familiar friends, he suddenly realized that some things had never been forgotten.

It was just that he was no longer the person he used to be.

Even though the cafeteria was still noisy, the air around him seemed strangely quiet, as if a invisible energy shield had separated him from everything else.

Like an outsider.

Ning Feng didn’t know how to describe his feelings. After a brief moment of surprise, a warmth gradually welled up in his heart. He knew this wasn’t like him, but he couldn’t help replaying the past, wondering which wrong turn he had taken to end up here today.

Maybe from the moment he had started liking Yin Beichen, everything had gone wrong.

“Radish, why aren’t you drinking?” Wen Qianyong asked.

“Ah, right.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Ning Feng slowly pulled out the straw and took a couple of sips.

The pure oil flowed down the tube, spreading through every joint in his body. The sluggish parts were lubricated and moved smoothly again. Ever since Yin Beichen had once tried giving him oil flavored like Burst-Dragon teeth—which Ning Feng had firmly refused—he had never again mixed any weird-tasting oils.

Before coming here, he had worried about whether this decision would cause trouble. But now, he could see old friends and work alongside them. Apart from the occasional annoyance of seeing Yin Beichen, this contractor-contractee relationship was pretty good. Leaving later would be less complicated.

Just as Ning Feng was lost in thought, Wen Qianyong opposite him suddenly spotted something, staring intently into the distance.

“Hey, Radish.” He lowered his voice.

“What?” Ning Feng blinked.

“Do you know that guy?” Wen Qianyong pointed mysteriously into the distance.

Following his gaze, Ning Feng saw a group of people gathered some distance away, chatting and laughing. And at the center of the crowd was someone he recognized.

It was Josie.

Ning Feng squinted and smiled. “No idea.”

“His name’s Josie. He’s from the research department. Super popular.” Wen Qianyong looked gossiping.

“Really? I heard Captain Ou can’t stand him,” Mad Rat said, stroking his chin.

“That’s because some people got into fights over him.” Wen Qianyong shook his head. “But he never accepted anyone’s advances. And the impressive part is that he still managed to stay friends with them after turning them down.”

Upon hearing this, Ning Feng smiled faintly. “Impressive indeed.”

Completely oblivious to the increasingly strange expressions opposite him, Wen Qianyong wrinkled his nose and continued analyzing seriously. “If he hasn’t taken a liking to anyone, maybe he already has someone he likes?”

Mad Rat’s eyes darted. “A secret crush?”

“Secret crush?” Ning Feng crossed his long legs, curling his lips disdainfully.

Speaking of Josie, that guy had quite a few suspicious points.

Earlier, with just a small communication device, he had broken through the base’s signal barrier. He’d made plenty of small moves, trying every possible way to drive a wedge between Ning Feng and Yin Beichen. Later, he had acted on his own yet somehow survived a Bug Race encirclement, while the elite rescue squad was nearly wiped out…

Was all this really just a coincidence?

Could he just be an ordinary researcher?

Suddenly, Ning Feng recalled the captain’s last provocation before death—[Soon you’ll know if I was bluffing.]

He narrowed his eyes dangerously, deciding to find a chance to check out this guy’s background in the information department.

Glancing at the two across from him, who were excitedly gossiping, Ning Feng chuckled. “Hey, I’ve got a job for you two.”

“What? What?”

“Is there pay?”

“Less chitchat.” Ning Feng tilted his chin toward Josie’s direction. “When you’ve got nothing to do, help me find out who he usually hangs out with.”

“Huh? Why do we need to find out about him?” Wen Qianyong looked disgusted.

“He’s a heartthrob. Don’t you want to gossip about his love life?”

“No. I want to gossip about the Major General’s.”

“Hehe. I heard General Yin spent a long time wandering around the warehouse today, apparently looking for someone—”

“Enough, enough. You’ll get your reward later. Just eat your food, or I’m leaving.”

“What? But I haven’t finished yet!”

Wen Qianyong pouted pitifully and quickly shoveled more food into his mouth. Mad Rat gave the robot an amused, knowing look.

Ning Feng… Ning Feng turned his face away, looking elsewhere, suddenly remembering how Yin Beichen had tidied up his dorm for him.

He didn’t know how Yin Beichen had recognized him. But this trip wasn’t about Yin Beichen. It was about the base, about finding the mole. Some unnecessary contacts were best avoided, spared the trouble of explaining later.

At the same time, Josie, as if sensing something, turned his head in the crowd. His gaze cut through the throng and landed on that square, angular figure.

He lowered his eyes, a slender finger brushing across his lips. A flicker of suspicion passed through his gaze.

“Blade…?”