Chapter 60#

Forms of Address#

Under‌ Ning Feng’s guidance, Qiu Zhen’s work completion rate was very high, and later Yan Zhengsheng assigned even more tasks.

Qiu Zhen became even more discontented, constantly grumbling about being bullied.

Ning Feng didn’t think much of it.

He used to manage an entire base; now it was just a small group. Either way, he was earning honor points, so it wasn’t unpaid labor. If he maintained this intensity every day, he’d soon be able to exchange for a new condenser.

Relying on his extensive experience, they handled affairs quickly and efficiently, earning Yan Zhengsheng’s approval on several occasions.

Qiu Zhen was pleased, but he attributed it to their teamwork and didn’t dwell on it further.

However, the rest of the department didn’t see it that way.

They all had the same workload, so why did this robot seem to have a knack for prediction, always clearing out warehouses and equipment ahead of time? Moreover, besides the logistics department, it was familiar with the procedures of other base departments. Whenever something unexpected came up, it could quickly find someone to resolve it, and the key point was that the department heads all cooperated without hesitation.

Why?!

Was AI really smarter than the human brain?

Finally, someone mustered the courage to ask Ning Feng for advice, and he didn’t hold back, patiently guiding them one by one. Gradually, more and more people came to seek his counsel, and the efficiency of the logistics department improved. Later, the gossip mill churned, and the story that “the robot was personally escorted by Major General Yin on his first day” spread throughout the logistics department. Ning Feng’s status in everyone’s eyes gradually became ambiguous.

As for the person involved, Ning Feng had no time to care about others’ opinions. He was busy investigating the boxes and had barely responded to Yin Beichen for days.

At first, Yin Beichen occasionally sent messages, either making excuses to summon him to the office or straightforwardly calling him for meals. If it was work-related, Ning Feng would reluctantly reply with a few words, but if it was something irrelevant, he couldn’t even be bothered to respond. After this happened a few times, Yin Beichen caught on, and now he only sent messages related to the insects.

Replying felt wrong; not replying felt wrong too.

This gave Ning Feng a headache. After thinking it over, he simply blocked him.

The good news was that, thanks to his efforts, progress was finally made on the matter of the【G】character.

Most of the smuggling black ships came from the Port of the Dead. Tracing along the path of the space pirates, clues about the logistics routes soon emerged. Ning Feng compiled the information and asked someone to submit it to Yin Beichen.

He thought everything was going smoothly, but unexpectedly, at noon that day, Yan Zhengsheng came looking for him directly.

“Boss Yin wants to see me?” Ning Feng’s brow shot up.

“Mm.” Yan Zhengsheng nodded expressionlessly.

“What does the general want with you?” Qiu Zhen whispered.

“How should I know?” Ning Feng was a bit annoyed.

Yan Zhengsheng said flatly, “Your report was well-written. The commander is very satisfied, but there are some details he wants to ask about in person. He wanted to contact you directly, but you blocked him.”

Ning Feng: … Tch!

Who was he kidding? With such detailed data, what was there not to understand?

“Blocked?” Qiu Zhen, however, keenly picked up on the gossip. “Why did you block General Yin?”

Without hesitation, Ning Feng gave Qiu Zhen a punch and followed Yan Zhengsheng to the office.

**

This was Ning Feng’s first time back in this office since becoming a robot.

The environment inside was still so familiar. The walls were filled with various strategic maps, the books on the shelves were neatly arranged, and even the placement of the water glass hadn’t changed. The only difference was that the door to the lounge seemed to have been remodeled—it looked wider…

Standing quietly at the door for a moment, Ning Feng walked in.

Yin Beichen was sitting at his desk, holding the report, looking very focused. As soon as he heard the movement, he immediately looked up and locked his gaze on the robot.

“Reporting, Commander, he’s here.” Yan Zhengsheng saluted.

“Mm, good work.” Yin Beichen nodded slightly.

Seeing that he was about to be alone with Yin Beichen, Ning Feng immediately raised an eyebrow. “Boss Yin, Lieutenant Colonel Yan is my direct superior. It’s not really appropriate for you to order him around like this, is it?”

“This is a command, not ordering around.”

“Just a different word. Same meaning.”

“The matters we’re about to discuss aren’t closely related to the logistics department.”

“Lieutenant Colonel Yan is the head of the logistics department, in charge of route supplies. Are you sure it’s not related?”

“…”

A silent standoff lasted nearly a minute.

Finally, Yin Beichen closed his eyes briefly, stood up, and walked over to the star map. “Then, Lieutenant Colonel Yan, first give your thoughts on this report.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Yan Zhengsheng’s eyes.

In his memory, no one had ever dared to openly contradict Yin Beichen. Even Qu Yan from the research department, who cared about nothing except his experiments, only dared to make subtle, passive-aggressive remarks.

Except… except for the master of Blade.

For the first time, Yan Zhengsheng seriously examined the robot.

Was it because its name was Blade?

Just because it was called Blade?

But he quickly reined in his emotions and focused his attention on the star map, carefully studying every point on the fluorescent image, especially several intersecting curves marked in blue.

“I find these routes highly suspicious.”

These routes shared a common feature—they were not direct routes. Most of the supplies marked with 【G】 came from the last transfer station. The sources of goods were scattered across the star territory, offering no reference points. The only commonality was that they all contained items with strong odors, such as durian pickled vegetables or even raw grilled garlic.

“Food ingredients?” Yin Beichen frowned slightly.

“Mostly.” Yan Zhengsheng nodded.

“Oh, buying ingredients doesn’t necessarily mean they’re meant for eating,” Ning Feng laughed. “They could be deliberately placed there to mask a certain smell.”

“Mask what?” Yin Beichen pressed.

Ning Feng fiddled with the star map without answering.

“While the gas inside hadn’t dispersed yet, I extracted a sample and analyzed it, and found something quite interesting.” He wagged his finger cheekily, looking like a scoundrel. “But this information was obtained privately by me. Even for Boss Yin, I can’t just give it away for free.”

“One thousand honor points.” Yin Beichen was very straightforward.

This time, Yan Zhengsheng was a bit stunned.

You see, the biggest difference between the military and freelance soldiers was the exchange of honor points. For combat personnel who frequently went on missions, a thousand honor points wasn’t much, but it was equivalent to half a month’s workload in the logistics department.

What kind of intelligence was so important?

Ning Feng whistled. “How generous. Thanks, Boss Yin.”

Having secured the promise, he didn’t hold back and projected the report on the synthetic agent and its main uses into the air. “This is just a little something I found on the StarNet. I think you have more professional people who can understand this stuff. But speaking of which, you can probably guess what this synthetic agent is used for, right?”

Hearing this, Yin Beichen’s brows turned cold.

“Synthetic biological entities.”

“Bingo!” Ning Feng snapped his fingers and winked. “Truly worthy of Boss Yin.”

A few flickers passed through his eyes, and Yin Beichen lowered his eyelids, making it hard to read the emotions flowing slowly beneath. Meanwhile, Yan Zhengsheng beside him felt that the robot’s movements were very familiar. Coupled with the way it talked, it felt like…

It couldn’t be, could it?

He frowned even more.

Then, Yin Beichen gave Yan Zhengsheng instructions on the focus of the investigation, after which Yan Zhengsheng left on his own. Seeing this, Ning Feng tried to follow, but was forced to stay by Yin Beichen’s “There’s still something I need to ask.”

For a moment, the air fell silent.

Ning Feng was now leaning sideways against the wall, looking lazy and nonchalant.

Yin Beichen didn’t speak either, taking in the robot’s appearance. When his gaze landed on the bite mark on its arm, his eyes softened slightly, and his voice became much gentler.

“What happened to your arm?”

Ning Feng looked down and saw the mark from when he saved Qiu Zhen from the insect. Synthetic skin didn’t regenerate; once damaged, it had to be replaced. But after that incident, he had been consumed with thoughts about the insects and had completely forgotten about the hole in his arm. However, he didn’t want to elaborate, so he just brushed it off.

“I fell by accident.”

“You only fell on your arm?”

“Did Boss Yin keep me here just for these few holes?”

Lowering his eyelashes to gaze at Ning Feng, his expression gradually darkened. Yin Beichen closed his eyes briefly, and his tone became calm and emotionless again.

“What else do you think about the synthetic agent?”

“What about you, Boss Yin? What’s your take?”

“You suspect someone is using humans for experiments to create insects.”

Ning Feng smirked, full of confidence.

“This synthetic agent also appeared in Titus City. According to that little boss, it was sent to the Port of the Dead, and not long after, bugs appeared there.” He crossed his long legs, leaning against the railing, fiddling with the star map. “The most interesting part is that they knew to cause trouble on the day the general returned to the city.”

Looking down at the light point of the Port of the Dead, Ning Feng’s voice was slow and low. “What exactly does this space pirate want?”

The afternoon sunlight quietly spilled into the room, falling on the tall, sturdy figure, turning into a faint halo. From Yin Beichen’s angle, he could see half of his silhouette in the light and half in the shadow, the lines becoming increasingly sharp and deep—indescribably handsome. Even though it was a loose work uniform, when worn by Ning Feng, it always carried a subtle beauty of latent strength.

Yin Beichen stared at Ning Feng for a long time, a gentle ripple in his clear eyes. When he saw that square, honest face, a trace of faint heartache flickered in the depths of his eyes.

He withdrew his gaze. “You know quite a bit about the insects. Did you also look that up on the StarNet?”

“You can say I looked it up wherever.” Ning Feng quickly pulled his thoughts back and shrugged indifferently. “Is there anything else? If not, I’ll go back to work.”

Yin Beichen looked at him steadily for a long while, then slowly straightened up. “During the earlier tour, we only saw the office spaces. I haven’t shown you around the living quarters yet. Tonight—”

“I have plans tonight.”

“What plans?”

“Personal business.”

Seeing the other’s displeased expression, Ning Feng raised an eyebrow halfway. “You’re not so free that you need to control where I go at night, are you? The contract doesn’t say that.”

Yin Beichen slightly lowered his eyes. “Then tomorrow night—”

“I’m busy tomorrow night too. I’m busy for the next few days. Urgent business.” Ning Feng said calmly. “Whenever you invite me, I’ll have urgent business.”

Yin Beichen squinted. “Is it because of Qu Yan?”

Ning Feng twitched his mouth. “That’s none of your business, is it?”

In an instant, the air in the room froze.

Yin Beichen’s face turned gloomy and heavy. Although he wasn’t gritting his teeth or clenching his fists, anyone could clearly feel the cold aura emanating from him.

Ning Feng watched, saying nothing.

He was waiting for the other to lose his temper, so he could take the opportunity to slip away.

Just as the plan seemed to be working, unexpectedly, Yin Beichen closed his eyes, and his expression seemed to shift for a moment, but so quickly that before Ning Feng could notice, it became blank again.

“Since you’re busy, let’s talk another time.”

It was a low, restrained voice carrying suppressed anger. But Yin Beichen didn’t get angry; he didn’t even raise his tone.

Ning Feng was completely stunned.

He had seen Yin Beichen stay calm and patient like this before, but only during wartime command. If it had been in interpersonal interactions, the sharp glare would have already been thrown.

Now he actually held back?

He mused that this current Yin Beichen, who was impervious to both coaxing and coercion, was difficult to handle, when suddenly the other spoke again.

“I heard from Big Beard that you applied for a workshop from him.” Yin Beichen casually turned off the star map. “Why aren’t you living in the dormitory?”

“The dormitory doesn’t have charging stations.”

“You know which one I’m referring to.”

Ning Feng: …

How could he not get past this hurdle?

“That room was too good. I’m just a mercenary; it’s not suitable for me.” Ning Feng irritably crossed his arms. “Boss Yin, I’m quite self-aware. I’ve already caused public discontent. If I don’t show some restraint, I’m afraid I’ll get a bag thrown over my head at night and be taken to a corner to be dismantled.”

“Because you’re called Blade?”

“Because Boss Yin has no sense of boundaries.”

As if he hadn’t heard at all, Yin Beichen directly bypassed the topic. “Why did you choose that name?”

“Because it’s cool. Did you expect me to be called Turnip?” Ning Feng wanted to roll his eyes but found he didn’t have that function. “But as soon as I came here, I got dirty looks. Seems like this place really isn’t for me.”

He tried his best to pick another fight, but the other party completely didn’t take the bait, and his face showed nothing. Ning Feng was thinking about what harsh words to throw next when he completely failed to notice that the other had somehow walked right up to him.

Yin Beichen quietly gazed at him. Those blue eyes held a light, even deeper than usual, almost piercing through his body. The next moment, he spoke softly.

“If you’re worried that the name Blade might cause misunderstandings, can I call you A-Feng?”

With a click, Ning Feng’s engine stalled.

Only now did he suddenly realize that, from their first meeting after their reunion, Yin Beichen had never called him by name.

Neither Turnip nor Blade.

The sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, turning into gently swaying halos. Soft radiance faintly brushed the fair side face. Ning Feng stared blankly at that handsome face, his ears filled with the whirring sound of the engine overload, and he squeezed something hard with his fingers.

Yin Beichen was that kind of person.

In his interactions with others, he always maintained a lofty posture. But his strength and his face always made it hard to dislike him. Even if hurt by his coldness, just a little care and consideration would easily make people forgive him, even feel grateful, and continue to willingly work for him.

Little did they know, it was all just charity.

The dormitory, the oil, and even the gentle words now… all carried ulterior motives that both parties knew well.

Sometimes, he wished Yin Beichen would just straightforwardly tell him that he wanted him to investigate the insects, wanted him to handle military affairs, and then set a clear price. That would be better than this, constantly playing the emotional card. Until he was no longer useful, then he’d put on a cold face again, without even a word of explanation.

But it was better than before; at least now they had a contract in black and white, so it wasn’t entirely free labor.

If that was the case, he’d just follow the contract.

Ning Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, twisted his mouth, and smiled.

“Is a form of address worth making such a special case?” He pushed away the person in front of him. “Actually, I’m quite busy. If Boss Yin has nothing else, I’ll take my leave. But your words do make some sense. The name Blade is indeed easy to misunderstand.”

Ning Feng tilted his neck, thinking. “Maybe you’d better just call me Turnip.”

With that, he winked and slowly walked out of the office.

Yin Beichen’s expression was very ugly.

His fingers, hanging by his side, tightened and relaxed, tightened and relaxed again. He stood still, trying to ignore the surging emotions.

Slow down, don’t rush.

Letting out a slow breath, Yin Beichen looked out from the floor-to-ceiling window. His blue eyes locked onto that tall figure, his brows furrowed, and his pupils unfathomably deep.

**

After dinner, the Explosive Sheep squad gathered in Ning Feng’s small workshop.

They chatted late into the night, until Sha Mu got off work and came over, then they all returned to the dormitory together. Ning Feng saw them off, and on his way back, he passed by the garage housing Soaring Dragon II again, startled to find the lights on inside.

Ning Feng was stunned.

Who could be here so late?

He frowned and was about to go in when suddenly his communication device rang.

It was Qu Yan calling.

“What’s up, Professor Qu?”

“Nothing much, just asking if Mr. Turnip has some free time in a couple of days to honor me with your presence for a meal.” Qu Yan said lightly, his voice a bit hoarse.

“Oh? Just a meal?”

“And some drinks.”

“No other activities?”

“Mm… If you’re willing, I can briefly tell you about the situation with the antidote.” The sound of smoking came through. “If you’re not interested, I won’t force it.”

Ning Feng heard this and smirked. “That’s more like it.”

They chatted a bit more until Ning Feng returned to his small garage. Then he said, “Alright, I’m here. Professor Qu, you should get some rest soon. You’ve got to keep your antidote going strong tomorrow.”

“Yeah, you get some rest too.” Qu Yan paused for a moment, his tone trailing with a smile and a hint of vague tenderness.

“Ning Feng, good night.”

Hearing this, Ning Feng was stunned for a moment. Before he could react, the communication ended.

He frowned, his optics staring at Qu Yan’s name on the communicator.

What was that about? Why so formal?