Chapter 75: The Soul of the Doll

Lena Berkeley.

She has been frequenting high-end places and receiving orthodox aristocratic education since she was a child. She inherited her family's fiery red hair, and her fair and beautiful face shines on the world like the sun.

But only Lina herself knew that no matter how well she studied the aristocratic courses, she still felt bored and uninterested.

Since her childhood, her memories were all about the exquisite and beautiful, yet conservative and repressed manor life.

The world is always turning, but she always feels bored, as if there is nothing new to attract her attention. What she wants can be easily obtained, and the wishes she wants to achieve will definitely be fulfilled by someone for her.

She is so loved that her future life is expected to be smooth sailing.

Until one day, Lina, who was going to the girls' school, was sitting in a luxury car after school and saw a promotional image of a store outside from the car window.

Lina: "Bionic doll...is that a toy?"

She knew that these toys were particularly popular among her peers, but all the servants in her family were real humans, and dolls never entered the Berkeley home.

Lina had never really questioned what dolls actually looked like. She had assumed they were popular simply for their overly realistic appearances, and she'd even wondered if playing with such lifelike dolls would give her nightmares...

But the puppets in the promotional images look like real humans.

"This thing... is a toy?"

She was genuinely confused.

The driver said respectfully, “Bionic dolls are very popular in society. They can take on various jobs, but sir and madam prefer to hire real people rather than dolls.”

Lina: "They look like new humans."

"They only look like them. They are all tools produced by puppet factories. They have no social welfare benefits. They are either kept at home or become a cog in the city."

Driver: "They're similar to those trash can robots on the avenue. They're the same kind."

Lina felt like her outlook on life had been turned upside down.

She began to develop a unique interest in this creature, and she was no longer bored because she had a new goal, which was to understand androids.

The more she learned about it, the more shocked she was by this race. She had gone to the library to learn about the body structure of bionic people, and had face-to-face communication with advanced bionic dolls.

They have mechanical bodies, but contain human souls.

The entire bionic doll community has never been treated with equal respect. As the bionic doll community grows in weight and their social voice increases, incidents of bullying and abuse of dolls are becoming more frequent.

Even though the Central Building issued the Bionic Human Protection Act, it was unable to solve common social problems.

After discovering the oppression that exists within the android community, Lina realizes that these issues need more attention.

She finally realized that the girl who used to sit in a luxury car, go in and out of luxurious places, always maintain an aristocratic demeanor, and was known as the pride of the Berkeley family was more like a doll than a bionic man.

Lina traveled around to fight for the interests of androids and felt unprecedented satisfaction while doing these things.

Her parents disapproved of her behavior, and some androids thought she was just trying to attract attention by doing this.

But Lina knew exactly what she wanted.

"Respect, equality, and freedom."

"I want everyone to know that the moment the bionic dolls are powered by the energy in the chip, they are no different from humans."

…

"——That's my introduction, Lina!"

Opposite her sat a beautiful doll boy. He had a very handsome face, with beautiful blue eyes in deep eye sockets under soft golden hair. He was wearing a loose French shirt and was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Um... Miss Glass Shell." He hesitated.

Lina: "It's Berkeley, not glass shell!"

"Okay, Miss Berkeley, what do you want me to do by telling me this?"

The young man looked up at the standing girl, his thick, curled eyelashes soft and beautiful. "My only use is to be admired by others. I obey my master's orders unconditionally. I am no different from the paintings and exquisite vases in the room."

"I can't help you at all like this."

The boy seemed to be scented with roses, and Lina could instantly smell the scent of expensive perfume.

She was a little annoyed: "You don't understand what I'm saying at all. I don't need your help, because I'm here to help you!"

"Is there anything I... need help with?" the boy asked confusedly.

"I lose to you, you stupid little doll." Lina sighed and held her forehead. "Let's try another way. Do you have a wish? I will help you fulfill it. Don't tell me I don't have one."

She raised her fist in a fake threat.

"I..." The young man thought seriously for a long time after hearing this question.

After a moment, he suddenly said dejectedly: "I'm sorry, I don't know what my wish is..."

Lina was stunned and frantically tried to comfort him, "Don't cry! I was wrong, I won't ask you."

The boy shook his head.

He opened his watery blue eyes and stared at Lina, and there seemed to be a little more spirit in his eyes.

"I have a wish now."

"Miss Berkeley."

"I want to know what my wish is."

…

Lina lay on the bed in a daze.

"This is a really difficult question. Should I help the little doll find his dream? Or perhaps a goal, a pursuit, something he wants?"

She turned over.

"Anyway, first we should take him out for a walk. Maybe he'll find what he wants."

The organization behind her is not just a parade team, but the Bionic Man No. 1 Organization. Her mission is to use her identity as much as possible to save these dolls.

She had used trading methods to get some dolls back, but there were also dolls that were difficult to obtain, such as the boy today.

It is difficult for Lina to use her power to trade the doll that is the favorite of the wife of the Chief of Staff of the Mechanical City Garrison, and it also takes a lot of effort to sneak into the mansion through the layers of guards and take him away.

But Lina is not without a solution.

"Anyway, you can ask Mom to invite the Chief of Staff's wife out for a party. The puppet will most likely be with her, so it will be much easier to get close to him."

Lina did what she said. She immediately stood up and jumped off the luxurious and soft bed. Without even wearing slippers, she stepped on the carpet barefoot and ran to her parents' room and knocked on the door.

"Mom! I'm looking for you."

After a while, the door was opened unbearably.

The sophisticated and capable woman was wearing a fitted home dress, and her emerald green eyes looked at Lina with unbearable eyes.

"Dear Lina, if I remember correctly, you claimed during the last public demonstration that you were responsible for your words and actions and that they had nothing to do with the Berkeley family. Why are you looking for me now?"

"Of course we're going shopping, Mom." Lina said softly and coquettishly, "I haven't been out with you for a long time, and I miss you very much."

"..." Mrs. Berkeley said, "What are you going to do?"

Seeing through her mother's intentions, Lina chuckled and said, "I want to see the wife of the garrison chief of staff. I saw her doll when I visited her home with my classmates last time, and I want to see her again."

"Is it just as simple as seeing each other again?" Mrs. Berkeley said sarcastically.

Lina smiled and said, "Not only do I want to see you again, but there will also be a riot, and countless puppets on the street will be attacked and disappear, including that lady's puppet."

Mrs. Berkeley remained calm upon hearing her daughter's outrageous remarks.

She asked calmly, "Senior officials' belongings will have tracking devices implanted in them, which will periodically send out location signals. What are you going to do with them?"

Lina: "We will have professionals to handle the locators and ensure that the positions of the puppets are confused."

Mrs. Berkeley sighed deeply.

She said calmly, "Come in. After your rebellious period, you've finally woken up and realized that you should accompany your mother. I need to teach you etiquette again before I can recommend you to the social scene."

The Berkeleys have always been known to the outside world as classical and elegant, with everything about them being in line with their aristocratic status. The only difference is that they did not follow the traditional way in educating their daughter.

No one would believe that such a noble lady who was proud of her status would choose to stand on the side of her rebellious daughter.

Only Lena knew how much her parents loved her.

It is hard not to suspect that her current lawless character was not condoned by the Berkeleys.

The fact that Lina has not been caught by the city guards despite her misbehavior outside is obviously also due to the Berkeley couple's efforts.

A few days after Lina resumed her education as a noble lady, rumors spread that Miss Berkeley had reformed.

On a sunny day, Mrs. Berkeley invited several ladies to have afternoon tea and go shopping together, including the wife of the garrison's chief of staff.

When Lina appeared, she was wearing an exquisite dress. Her bright red hair was styled in a bun, half of it slightly curled and hanging in front of her body. Her rosy red lips were slightly raised, as elegant and beautiful as an exquisite oil painting.

The ladies who came for the appointment exclaimed in amazement: "My God, Miss Berkeley's beauty is really a gift from God."

"Look at her graceful posture and impeccable etiquette."

Mrs. Berkeley: "Please stop praising her. I'm having a terrible headache over this child."

She sighed to the wife of the garrison chief of staff beside her, "Thankfully, Madam is willing to be more tolerant and give her a chance to reform. I really appreciate your kindness, Madam Ellen."

Mrs. Ellen picked up her down fan and pursed her lips. "Miss Berkeley is the long-awaited jewel of society. Children are always curious about all kinds of things. This is no big deal."

Mrs. Berkeley couldn't help but smile: "She is already an adult girl, it's time for her to grow up..."

While Mrs. Berkeley was socializing, Lina maintained a dignified demeanor and stood quietly by the side. If it weren't for her noble status, she would have attracted more attention than an exquisite doll.

"Lina, come here quickly."

Mrs. Ellen waved her hand and said, "Children nowadays like dolls. Come and see my Ovi. He is so cute."

Lina smiled and slowly met the eyes of the young doll sitting next to Mrs. Allen.

She walked over as she was told and gently caressed his cheek as Mrs. Ellen enthusiastically recommended him.

"How cute." She sighed.

Ovi felt his cheeks burning for some unknown reason.

Obviously, this was the same strange girl that she met last time, but now Lina was standing next to her master, expressing her love for him in a nonchalant tone.

So strange.

You should be happy when you are praised.

Ovi was lost in thought. Lina had already stopped and her attention seemed to linger only on him for a moment. The ladies' conversation had seamlessly shifted from Lina to the latest luxury goods.

His eyes dimmed slightly, knowing that he was just a luxury.

He sat on the soft sofa, next to his master, looking at the snow-white pet dog in the arms of the lady opposite, whose tail was wagging constantly. In some ways, he and the dog were no different.

This is a fact that has long been recognized.

But today, he suddenly felt embarrassed.

However, no one present noticed Ovi's emotions. The purpose of today's party was mainly to recommend Lina to the social scene of the upper class. Lina, who had been the best since childhood, perfectly met her mother's requirements.

The ladies were all very pleased with Lina.

At this moment, there was a sudden noise downstairs outside, and panicked shouts spread throughout the entire floor.

"What's going on? What happened?"

Mrs. Allen frowned and immediately called the bodyguard at the door to come in.

But then the door was roughly pushed open, and a group of fully armed puppets appeared, their faces unclear, only the weapons on their bodies emitted a cold and sharp light.

"Look what we see?" the leader sneered. "A room full of big fish."

"And... a poor little one."

His eyes moved to Ovi.

"Are you... Bionic Man No. 1?!" Mrs. Allen couldn't believe it.

The symbols of puppets have always been very distinctive, because they can carry weapons that put a greater burden on the body and are as invulnerable as a man of steel, so just by looking at their outfits, anyone who is not stupid will understand their identity.

The Bionic Man No. 1 Organization is the biggest source of danger in the Mechanical City. The Central Building has identified it as the highest-level wanted person. Each of its members has a high bounty, and the numerous crimes they have committed are terrifying.

Mrs. Ellen immediately fell silent, fearing that her identity would be exposed and she would be taken hostage to threaten her husband in the garrison, which would make it even more difficult for her to escape.

"Please stay here quietly. The communication signal has been blocked. Don't try to be clever. Wait for your family to redeem you."

Obviously, the entire building is under the control of Bionic Man No. 1.

Their gathering place this time was a high-end club, which was a garden that only the rich were qualified to enjoy.

The entire club meets all the needs of the nobility, from entertainment and leisure to social shopping, and also provides luxurious private rooms and a professional team of butlers to provide services.

No one expected that Bionic Man No. 1 would be so bold. Shortly after attacking the central building, he actually planned another kidnapping operation and successfully caught a room full of big fish.

Mrs. Berkeley maintained her composure in this situation. She held her daughter tightly, protecting Lina like an old hen protecting her chicks, while trying to remain calm and said:

"Killing us won't do them any good. This time they're probably just after money. We have to protect ourselves. Someone will come to save us."

The noble ladies had never experienced such a scene before, and they were all frightened by the armed puppets with guns.

Mrs. Berkeley, the organizer of this party, hugged Lina tightly with a pale face. Anyone could sense the fear in her heart. The ladies would never have thought that this unexpected disaster was caused by the information secretly released by their own people.

"Mom..." Lina felt her mother's strength, raised her head slightly and whispered in her arms.

"Don't talk."

Mrs. Berkeley's voice remained stern.

Lina stopped talking and hugged her mother.

Ovi looked at Lina the moment the puppets broke in. The ladies gathered together, and Mrs. Ellen had already thrown him aside, forgetting his existence, and trembling in the crowd.

The girl never looked at him.

The Bionic Man No. 1 organization treated its kind much better, and Ovi was soon taken away. Before leaving, he turned back and inevitably met the girl's eyes.

Lina looked at him intently.

What was she thinking about? Ovi didn't know, just as he didn't know what he was thinking about.

The young man's figure gradually disappeared behind the door. Mrs. Ellen gritted her teeth and said, "Are these damn puppets here to rescue their own kind? What's the point of saving a toy? Brainless idiots..."

The only sounds in the room were her low, vicious curses. Lina lowered her eyes and hid her indifferent expression in her mother's fragrant arms.

…

This attack once again caused a sensation. The central building took this kidnapping very seriously and surrounded the club to try to rescue the hostages, but was keenly discovered by the Bionic Man No. 1 Organization and could only conduct lengthy negotiations.

Their purpose is simple: to get money.

The Mechanical City does not have strict gun control, not to mention the vast chaotic areas that are like rotten meat rooted deep inside and difficult to remove.

Abandoned factories can be seen everywhere here. No one knows which factory is secretly producing and operating, and no one knows the weapons channel of Bionic Man No. 1.

The area around the club has been blocked off and all unnecessary personnel have been cleared out. The negotiation expert first conducted the first transaction with the puppets inside and rescued the other hostages in the club.

Outside the door, the officials who were confronting the puppets inside were forced to send in the central building's top security forces due to pressure from the chaebols and nobles.

"Damn it! They haven't arrived yet? We've already paid a large sum of money, and now they're putting pressure on us to send a car and let them go. If we don't, they're going to kill us!"

The leader of the garrison roared angrily at the opposite side.

Just now, his superior, the garrison chief of staff, had called and scolded him, demanding that he ensure the safety of the hostages in the club.

But putting aside the exorbitant demands of Bionic Man No. 1, if he really gave in to the other party's conditions, the Central Building would also blame him for not doing his job well, and he would be caught in the middle and feel like a nobody.

"The security forces are about to arrive. Please ensure the garrison distracts the kidnappers."

Soon, a new communication access channel appeared in the person in charge's headset.

A cool and gentle voice sounded: "This is the security team. I am Arnold, the captain of the first team. Our top priority is to rescue the hostages. Please cooperate with the garrison."

Arnold.

The person in charge suddenly shuddered.

"...I understand. I wish you all the best." He said with forced composure.

After that, he covered his earphones and silently mouthed to the people around him: "It's Arnold."

After seeing clearly what the person in charge said, everyone's expression became a little subtle.

It was a feeling of discomfort mixed with fear and disgust, as if the person in front of them was not their colleague but a monster.

However, after hearing this name, everyone was more or less relieved.

That’s great, someone is taking the blame… Anyway, the responsibility has nothing to do with them, that’s probably how I feel.

On the other side, the first team has arrived at the action site, and the overall layout of the club has been sent to the communicators of Arnold and others.

Following Arnold's instructions, the team members began to sneak into the club silently as planned.

In another room opposite, Ovi was sitting quietly in the corner.

Unlike his silence, the puppets around him looked terrified. Even though the members of Bionic Man No. 1 had a good attitude, he looked as if he had seen a monster and could not accept it to the point of almost fainting.

“…Forget it.” The member tutted.

He turned around and called out to Ovi, "Hey, come with us when we evacuate later. Those people won't care about you."

Ovi's eyes fell on the puppet: "What about him?"

"It doesn't matter. We can't save everyone."

The member's tone was calm.

Yes, to this day, bionic dolls are still the backbone of the Mechanical City. They enjoy the welfare and treatment of citizens and have a place in this society. The tragic experiences of their peers only breed in the news and invisible corners. They like this kind of life. Not all bionic dolls understand Bionic Man No. 1.

Even if they still suffer injustice, even if they unite they can overthrow the mechanical city.

The member asked, “Don’t you want freedom?”

Ovi thought slowly and said, "I want freedom...but I want to see her more."

Yes, at this moment, what he wanted most was to see Lina.

If I follow them and leave, will I never see her again?

Aowei felt sad just thinking about it.

The member in front of him seemed to smile: "It seems that it is not just wishful thinking."

He said, "Come with us, I promise you will see her."

Ovi nodded.

When they heard the sounds of alert and gunfire coming from outside the corridor, the members who were watching the surveillance in the room saw the screens go dark one after another. The member who had communicated with him picked up Ovi, and another person carried the doll that was about to faint, and everyone evacuated the room.

Ovi was swayed back and forth, his dizzy head hearing the members around him talking in deep voices: "Arnold is here."

"That human lackey..."

His tone was full of disdain and resentment. Ovi was carried on someone's shoulders and could see that the corridor in front was in chaos. The security team that came to rescue the hostages was fighting with their members, and the doll that was about to faint was thrown towards Arnold by them.

Arnold paused, took a punch, rolled on the ground to absorb the force, and brought the doll back.

Ovi and his members retreated under the cover of other members.

The last thing he saw clearly was Arnold's soft face in a pitch-black military uniform, his long flowing hair like the Grim Reaper's scythe, his fair face stained with splattered blood, and his sharp eyes looking at him firmly under his slightly curled eyelashes.

Black hair, blood, beauty.