Chapter 74 Bionic Man and Mechanic

Rong Le went to the Science and Technology Museum again.

Tang Qiu stayed in the office in the museum just as he promised, looking normal, as if the weird smile he showed last time was just Rong Le's illusion.

Rong Le chatted with him about knowledge about puppets, and seemed to casually bring up the puppets adopted in her own studio, half complaining that raising puppets was really a worry.

Tang Qiu really enjoyed listening to his stories about dolls.

According to the black-haired, green-eyed mechanic, his puppets all have their own characteristics and distinct personalities, and they are so vivid that they don't seem like normal bionic puppets at all.

"I see. Some dolls do have a certain degree of obsession with certain types of clothing. After all, they have all sorts of preferences, just like people, full of diversity."

“Sometimes I’m really curious, are they programmed to be like this, or do they really like these things?”

"Maybe I like it."

Rong Le walked beside him. He was wearing a simple shirt and trousers, with his long hair tied up on his shoulders. "I don't think any mechanic would be so bored as to give his doll a hobby like eating motor oil candy."

Tang Qiu laughed happily: "You are right, it is really happy to be with you, Mr. Rong Le."

After a period of conversation, Rong Le was able to understand the essence of Tang Qiu's character. He was a young and pure researcher, but he was a little depressed because of his past experiences. The lost memories were like an eternal haze that lingered in his heart.

But even though he is away from the front-line work, he still has a sharp and intelligent brain, as well as a sincere love for puppets.

What connection does such a person have with this module?

Tang Qiu: "Actually, I've always wanted to make a bionic doll again, and what I want to make is a highly intelligent doll that has never been seen on the market. I've done a lot of research and experiments, but I'm stuck at the last minute."

“It was as if a voice was reminding me not to study.”

He stated quietly.

Rong Le narrowed her eyes slightly: "Perhaps this is related to your past experiences. The answer may be in your memory."

He already knew about Tang Qiu's past. The explosion had obviously concealed a lot of things. Even he himself didn't remember the secrets, which made any investigation impossible.

That strange smile flashed through Rong Le's mind again.

Could it be that this is really the so-called dual personality?

Rong Le did not doubt the possibility that she had misjudged him. The attitude of the person suspected to be Tang Qiu's other personality towards him was a little subtle, and the interest was almost completely opposite to Tang Qiu's.

Judging from the marks on Tang Qiu's body, that personality often uses his body to act, and he himself is completely unaware of it.

Tang Qiu scratched his head. His messy hair and neatly ironed shirt looked out of place.

"But I have no idea how to get my memories back. On the contrary, I often feel a little confused. Maybe there really are some sequelae left behind."

Thinking of this, the young man sighed and became obviously depressed again.

Rong Le had been staying in the Science and Technology Museum for a long time. Tang Qiu treated him as a friend and reluctantly saw him off after chatting.

This time, Tang Qiu's condition was very normal and there was no strange behavior.

After leaving the Science and Technology Museum, Rong Le walked out of the gate and headed towards the street on one side.

The neat and beautiful street scene came into view. There were not many people on the street during the day. The scene kept moving backwards as he moved forward. He briefly put aside his complicated thoughts and emptied his mind, while walking aimlessly according to his intuition.

I walked and walked, and when I came to my senses, I didn’t know where I was.

The surrounding environment became even quieter, as if they had rashly entered some secret place. Rong Le frowned slightly, and suddenly the crisp sound of dice rang in her ears.

His brows jumped: "KP, are you digging secretly?"

"Don't mind it, I'm just trying it out." KP said gently.

KP's attitude confirmed that there was indeed something wrong here. Rong Le walked lightly and carefully hid her body in a place where it would not be easily discovered.

Do you want to go back or stay?

Rong Le hesitated for a moment, unsure what would happen if she chose to wait. If she made the wrong choice carelessly, the consequences would definitely be something KP would welcome.

He didn't hesitate for long before he heard the sound of footsteps coming from far away. Rong Le dodged and hid behind the wall, hiding herself in the lush ivy.

A lazy male voice said, "I heard that a lot of unidentified people have come to the city recently. They all want to get a piece of the pie. It seems that the influence of energy is also very important to people outside."

Another voice said, "There's nothing we can do. We can only seek a balance among the various forces and, when necessary, choose to cooperate."

Rong Le raised her eyebrows slightly and listened to their conversation quietly.

"If Bionic Man No. 1 hadn't attacked the Central Building and destroyed the Necronomicon in the chaos, causing the book to be split into three parts and lost, we wouldn't have to bear the pressure to keep the factory running."

"There's a chip supply gap, orders are piling up, and with public opinion pressuring us, we have to find a way to resolve this predicament."

Book of the Dead.

Rong Le's pupils shrank when she caught sight of this special word.

In his memory, the mysterious boy named Renault handed him an ancient book, and the name of the book was exactly the Book of the Dead.

Is there any connection between the two?

According to the information revealed in their words, the androids resisted the armed forces and attacked the central building, resulting in the loss of the Book of the Dead. Without the Book of the Dead, they were unable to manufacture the most critical chip for the bionic dolls and were at a loss.

"Let's wait and see. Our people have already started contacting several of these forces to identify those cults that are worthy of becoming allies."

"The situation in the city is turbulent right now. If we want to protect ourselves and gain greater benefits in this chaos, we cannot rest on our laurels. We must rely on external forces to help us achieve our goals."

The man's voice said lightly.

Another person's words were filled with compliments: "Your decision is undoubtedly correct. If they can help you win the election, the Puppet Factory will surely usher in even greater development."

"Maybe, I can go out and develop greater interests."

"It's all for the benefit of the family."

The man's voice was filled with pride and confidence. "Those puppets still want to resist. They're just tools. Sooner or later, they will pay a heavy price."

"Also, for Bionic Man No. 1 to successfully attack the Central Building, he must have had internal support. The traitor might be right under our noses. We need to investigate thoroughly."

"yes!"

Rong Le's face was calm as he waited for the footsteps to gradually approach, pass where he was, and then gradually move away.

The location he chose was in a blind spot that was difficult to detect. It seemed that he had accidentally stumbled into the back garden of someone's private house from a small path.

Rong Le caught a glimpse of red hair from the corner of her eye and guessed the identity of the man who was speaking. It was none other than the currently popular presidential candidate, Han Shangyan.

I heard that he is also the owner of a puppet factory. His purpose of running for election is obvious to everyone. However, in the City of Machinery, he does have the qualifications given his status, and at most people would say a few words about him in private.

There was no extra expression on Rong Le's face.

"It seems that a storm is coming..."

…

After returning from outside, Rong Le learned that Tina had disappeared.

"I was just registering the guests, but I didn't expect the child to be so agile. He slipped out from behind me and I couldn't find him in an instant."

Nika's face was filled with worry: "Is he not coming back?"

It is difficult to say whether a runaway animal will return home, especially if the animal is actually a wolf cub that is difficult to tame.

Rong Le thought for two seconds: "I'll go find him."

Nika was a little surprised. "Huh? Now? It's already late. If he's hiding in the chaotic city, it might be hard to find him."

If it were so easy to find, there wouldn't be so many criminals heading here to the Mechanical City.

"I remember that some of the customers who came here before were from the troubled suburbs. I plan to contact them and ask them to help keep an eye on it."

Rong Le said as she put on the coat that was hanging on the side.

He hesitated for a moment, then picked up the box that he rarely left with him. The box contained medical supplies and tools that were essential for a mechanic.

"You stay here and look after the house. I'll be back tonight."

He turned around and warned.

The chaotic city at night was the most dangerous. In the darkness, any evil could breed. Nika thought for a moment and said, "Please take me with you. I can help."

Even though doing so might expose her identity, she couldn't ignore the current situation.

Rong Le: "The studio needs someone to stay, and Zero and 1018 also need to stay out of the spotlight. Only you understand the business, don't worry, if there is anything, just contact the terminal."

The terminal is the communication tool of the Mechanical City and its function is similar to that of a mobile phone.

The overall technological level of the entire city is far higher than that of the outside world. Many things are driven by mysterious energy, which has also led to the prosperous development of this crooked technology tree.

Now, he was going to catch that brat.

Chaotic urban area.

When Tina ran out of the studio and stepped on the sewage-filled streets of the chaotic city, she felt a strange sense of security in her heart.

It was as if his originally light and beautiful dream was finally burst like a bubble, and he fell back onto the dirty ground, but he was no longer afraid of losing anything.

That kind of luxurious life is not suitable for him at all. Instead of being abandoned, it is better to leave before he becomes addicted.

For Tina, who was paralyzed by the comfortable life, she was more likely to encounter danger after being abandoned again.

He couldn't help but think of the young man with black hair and green eyes.

The mechanic was young, but calm and confident, as if he was from a different world.

If it weren't for a chance encounter, he would never have met the mechanic in his life. Although it was only a short time they spent together, he was almost addicted to the young man's tenderness.

Tina came to her senses and calmly tried to let go of this longing.

He no longer tried to recall that person and walked towards the familiar place.

He has almost no impression of his parents. He only remembers that when he was born, there was a warm figure around him who taught him to read and speak.

Later, the figure disappeared and a man took him in. Although he didn't care about him, he gave him food to eat.

Less than two years later, the man was accidentally killed in a gang fight over territory, and his house was occupied.

He was kicked out and began to wander around the streets.

Life was very difficult at the beginning because Tina was too thin and small to obtain resources. Even when searching through trash cans, she had to wait for the older scavengers to finish before looking for edible food.

Later, when he was very hungry, he snatched food from the mouths of stray cats and dogs.

He was lucky enough when it was cold, as he happened to come across an elderly homeless man lying silently in the corner. He stripped off his clothes, occupied his nest, and spent the entire winter there.

They lived in such a difficult situation, and in order to survive, they had to snatch food from the garbage dump from others. Because Tina was very aggressive, or perhaps she had some talent, she fought with a ferociousness that risked her life. Gradually, her fame spread, and she even had her own territory.

Among the homeless scavengers, he is the youngest. Everyone knows that this area is his territory and dares not provoke him easily.

Tina had also encountered gang recruitment, but he had witnessed the fate of the low-level minions who lost their lives, so he never joined any recruitment.

He has no future, and he never looks forward to tomorrow.

The wounds on Tina's body were caused by members of a large gang in the chaotic urban area. At that time, a small team came with weapons to encircle and suppress the gang. Because this area was to be occupied by the expanding gang, they were willing to drive away the nearby scavengers at all costs.

He had heard the rumors, so he was extremely vigilant. When he found out that they were ambushing him, not only did he not fall into the trap, but he also brutally killed several people in the counterattack.

His actions quickly drew the attention of the gang's top brass, who identified him as a tough nut to crack, and they mobilized more manpower to kill him.

In the chaos, Tina was injured and escaped, subconsciously running to the safest place in her subconscious.

In some ways, the little nest behind the studio sofa is the safest place in the world for Tina.

Later, he was ambushed by the gang again and was caught accidentally. Fortunately, he happened to meet a killer. The cleaner android killed all the gang members but spared them.

Tina recuperated from her injuries in the studio for a while, and after finding that it did not affect her movements, she returned to the chaotic city area, intending to take revenge on the gang that attacked her.

The chaotic urban area is large in area, has a large population, and also has many gangs.

The gang near him had a bad behavior. Even if they were to drive away the homeless people nearby, they would not give them any benefits. If they could not drive them away, they would just kill them.

Tina narrowed her eyes coldly and touched the knife she had retrieved from the chaos.

Having lived in this neighborhood for many years, Tina is more familiar with this place than most people.

The area near his shelter had been occupied by members of that gang. Tina observed the frequency of their patrols and used the terrain to sneak in.

Because of his thin stature, he was not discovered whether he was hiding there or slipping in through a crack.

With the intention of assassinating the leader, Tina was extremely cautious. He breathed softly, avoided the increasingly strict guards, and waited for an opportunity to quietly hide in the leader's room.

After hiding under the bed, he began a long wait.

After being discovered sneaking into the studio, Tina realized that there are such things as cameras in the world, but they are rarely found in chaotic urban areas. They are expensive and easy to damage. This small gang does not have the conditions for this and often uses cheap manpower.

Not long after, the sky gradually darkened and footsteps were finally heard outside the door.

The man walked into the room reeking of alcohol. This was the time when he was most relaxed. He turned his back to the bed and took off his clothes in a hurry.

What he didn't know was that there was a silent figure behind him waiting to take his life.

Tina attacked fiercely, the blade silently cut across his neck, splashing a string of blood, and then he covered the man's mouth tightly, not letting him make a sound until he died completely.

After killing the man, Tina jumped out of the window without stopping at all and left according to the route she had planned when she came. Under the cover of night, her departure was smoother than her arrival.

There was no telling when the gang members would find their leader dead in the house.

By then, the gang will become chaotic on its own. After they have dealt with their internal affairs, Tina will find a new place to stay.

He walked back cautiously, but unfortunately he ran into a guard who was slacking off on the way and was accidentally discovered.

Tina rushed over and wanted to kill him immediately, but she was a step too late and he screamed.

He pinned the guard down, wanting to kill him, but the other party was an adult male, and the difference in physical fitness made him struggle violently.

The wound on Tina's body burst open when she exerted force, and the guard was pounced on by him. He held his head and could not see clearly, so he slammed him against the wall.

Tina heard the noise gradually rising not far away and knew that her whereabouts were exposed. She struggled desperately and stabbed him with the knife, covering his mouth tightly and inserting the knife into his throat.

When the guards were completely silent, Tina was finally spotted and shouted to her companions to come and catch the intruder.

Tina's whole body was sore from the collision, and his wounds were broken and bleeding. He staggered away, leaning forward to avoid being caught from behind.

He knew that someone would inform the leader soon and his actions would be discovered soon, so he had to run to a safe place before that.

The first thing that flashed through Tina's mind was the studio, but he quickly denied it.

The city was still very cold at night. Tina was only wearing thin clothes and soon felt the cold. In addition, the wounds on her body broke open again and began to bleed, and she felt dizzy.

His body's instinct allowed him to avoid the pursuit behind him, and he returned to his former corner under the cover of night, covered in wounds.

Fortunately, there was no one there yet.

By daytime, this place will no longer be safe, and the gangs will be searching the surrounding area for the suspect. However, Tina has no strength left, so he will rest here for a few hours and leave before dawn.

This is the outskirts of the gang. As long as he avoids the eyes and ears, he will not be discovered.

Tina leaned against the cold corner. His quilts here had been cleared away, and the ground was cold and prickly, making him think of his warm little nest in the studio.

...A luxurious life can really erode people's will.

Tina didn't think that Rong Le would come to find him after she left. He licked his wound silently like a little animal, with his eyes half closed and resting quietly.

He didn't dare to sleep, for fear of encountering some danger in his sleep, and also afraid that he would lose his life silently in his sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, Tina suddenly heard a slight sound in her ears.

The young man woke up instantly, turned over silently, and began to tense up his whole body to gather strength. After figuring out the direction from which the sound came, he went over to check silently and vigilantly.

"Probably here... He's very famous around here." In the night, an unfamiliar young voice lowered its voice.

Tina's eyes turned cold, and he took out the knife in his arms and put it behind him.

Those people have already identified him as the murderer? Instead of internal strife, they chose to arrest him first. This is not good news for him.

But there seemed to be no ambush nearby. If these two men were not members of a gang... then what was his purpose in looking for him?

Tina's eyes were calm. She took two steps forward, expanding her field of vision to the corner of the alley, taking in the figure and appearance of the other person.

When Tina saw that figure, her heart skipped a beat and she was filled with disbelief.

Is this... a mechanic? !

The tall young man was carrying a box, and his posture looked very gentle and elegant, which was out of place with the dirty and chaotic environment around him.

The weak light in the young man's hand just happened to illuminate the mechanic's smooth profile.

The handsome face was radiant and soft in the dim light. The young man really had a good appearance that made people want to get close to him. However, he actually had a strong sense of distance. Others could only approach him when he allowed it.

He whispered, "Please accompany me to look for someone so late at night. I'll give you a discount later."

The young man smiled and moved closer to the light source, only then did he notice the android symbol next to his ear. "Not at all. Mechanic, we androids are lucky that you're willing to open a workshop nearby."

These days, regular mechanics are a valuable resource. Before Rong Le came, there were only some self-taught mechanics in the chaotic urban area. Because they had no systematic knowledge, they were unable to carry out repairs in many situations.

Many bionic people are left with sequelae because they cannot receive timely and effective treatment, and missing limbs are common.

So when they discovered a newly opened studio in the buffer zone, the news instantly made them excited.

It can be said that the studio has been safe and sound so far without anyone causing trouble, and the bionic community has made an indelible contribution. Anyone who dares to cause trouble for the mechanic is going against the bionic dolls in the entire city.

"But... why did you come to see him?" The young man asked with some confusion, thinking that he had a good relationship with the mechanic because he came to repair his arm frequently.

Tina suddenly felt nervous for some reason.

The mechanic's voice was filled with a hint of complaint. "I picked him up and raised him for so long, even giving him a name. I never thought he'd run away and not even come home. He's still injured, which is really worrying."

Young man: "...You really pick up everything and bring it home."

He dared to raise such a dangerous wolf cub and even gave it a name. He even came out to look for it in the middle of the night when it was lost. He is indeed a mechanic, his ideas are different from others.

"Actually, you don't have to worry. He's lived here for so long, he has experience taking care of himself." The young man shook the light. "As for you, it's really too dangerous to go out in such a chaotic city at night."

"In my opinion, this child is too incapable of taking care of himself."

The mechanic's voice was as gentle and distant as ever.

The young man had nothing to say. At Rong Le's request, he walked inside and said, "I heard that this was his territory, but it seems that the nearby gangs have expanded recently, so he may have lost his place to live."

"I don't know if he's still around here. If he's not wandering around here, then he must have gone somewhere else. I can only wait until tomorrow and ask the brothers about it."

But if the boy is determined to hide, there is nothing we can do.

Mechanic: "Excuse me."

The two of them got closer and closer, and Tina couldn't help but take a step back.

Perhaps the young man noticed his disordered breathing and whispered sharply, "Who?!"

At the same time, they took a step forward, and the light source slightly illuminated the figure.

The young man quickly realized that this was the target they were looking for because of her overly thin features.

"Tina?" Rong Le took the light source from the young man, and the young man consciously took two steps back.

He turned up the brightness and moved closer to look Tina up and down.

For some reason, Tina's feet seemed to be stuck in place, so she turned her head away with a sense of shame, and let him look at her motionlessly.

"You're injured again." Rong Le said lightly.

The current scene made Tina feel extremely ashamed.

He should have had no sense of shame, but in front of Rong Le, these emotions seemed to be revived, invading his brain uncontrollably.

He didn't answer, and Rong Le didn't care. She had already judged the extent of the wound. She leaned over, put the box on the ground, opened it, took out the disinfection tools, and signaled with her eyes: "Take off your clothes."

Under the young man's gaze, the ferocious little wolf cub slowly squatted on the ground, followed instructions, exposed his wound, and obediently allowed the mechanic to apply medicine.

While applying the medicine, Rong Le asked, "Don't you want to go back?"

Tina didn't know how to answer.

"Are you afraid of something?" His voice was still gentle. "Trust me more, Tina. You will have a better future. Before that, I will always be with you."

Tina opened her mouth: "...Really?"

"Of course," Rong Le looked down at him, "I won't lie to you."

"So, go home, Tina."

"...Is it Tina?"

The boy retorted, but his eyes looked at him expectantly. His sparkling eyes revealed his thoughts. The young man with black hair and green eyes smiled, took his hand and pulled him up from the ground.

From today on, Tina has a home.