Chapter 262 Machine 1

The garbage piled up on the road was as high as a small mountain, the outer walls were mottled and stained with disgusting yellow slime, and the windows of the low-rise buildings were sealed with iron sheets to prevent the disgusting smell or garbage debris from seeping in.

The whole street was filled with indescribable stench and filth.

In fact, in the beginning, every street had a cleaning robot dedicated to cleaning it. However, now, the broken parts of the cleaning robots are scattered in the garbage dump, and the silver-white metal shells are shining in the sunlight.

“Bang, bang, bang—”

A few gunshots ended, followed by a mixture of drunken curses. The low, old buildings on both sides of the street seemed like sealed coffins, their windows shielded by a thick layer that blocked out the sunlight.

The footsteps faded, and the street returned to its bustle. Voices from every household leaked through the iron sheets, and the piles of garbage piled against the windows made a harsh sound. The garbage, mixed with machine debris, fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Huh..." The girl's voice was a little nervous.

A two-meter-tall metal body gradually emerged from the garbage dump. The machine looked tall from a distance, but when you looked closely, you could see how dirty and broken it was. This was also the reason why it was hidden in the garbage without being discovered.

The robot's two metal eyes glowed red, and a metallic voice rang out, "The danger has been eliminated—"

"Yinjia, help me!" Jiang Chan was pinned down by an iron arm. He looked at a certain direction in the void and stretched out his hand towards the place where the voice came from.

The robot slowly moved its limbs, its two metal arms reaching out towards Jiang Chan, carrying her out of the garbage heap. Its red eyes scanned her body, "Young Master, you're injured. Your wound needs attention."

The girl, addressed by the robot as "little master," was wearing clothes as shabby as the robot's. She was thin, with only a pair of large, beautiful eyes, but lifeless, as if covered by an unsightly film. She took a few steps toward Shining Armor and smiled nonchalantly, "It's just a scrape. It's okay. Let's go."

The arm was scraped, but it was indeed only a minor wound. Jiang Chan fumbled for the cane she used for exploring the way, and with her other hand tightly grasped the garbage bag, she gave instructions to Yin Jia, who led them to the nearest repair shop.

Jiang Chan receives a monthly disability allowance, but it's been cut year after year, and the amount she's been receiving lately is barely enough to keep herself afloat. Discarded robots often appear in the garbage dump near her home. These discarded robots, discarded by the wealthy, are, in Jiang Chan's eyes, life-saving talismans.

The robot's internal parts can be disassembled and exchanged for money at the repair shop, which also needs these parts.

What Jiang Chan could think of, others could naturally think of as well. Whenever a machine was pulled here, a small-scale fight would always occur. Jiang Chan only dared to pick up some leftover parts after the fight and barely make some money.

After leaving the repair shop, Jiang Chan handed the cane to Yin Jia and held Yin Jia's arm. The robot's arm was bent in front of her very gentlemanly. She leaned most of her body weight on Yin Jia. "Although we were almost discovered, we got a big bargain! Yin Jia, I also secretly hid some parts that can repair your broken parts..."

Jiang Chan smiled and walked lightly. She felt safe with Yin Jia by her side. He would help her avoid the bumps on the road. She was not like a visually impaired person at all. She walked cautiously, but briskly. Occasionally, she could even jump over the small potholes on the road. "Let's go to the supermarket!" It happened to be the time when the supermarket was having a sale, so she got up very early.

Shining Armor has a very strong metal body, which is considered bulky in the eyes of many people. People tend to choose smaller and more functional mechanical butlers, unless they use them as companions.

People who can choose to buy vegetables that are about to go bad are not from wealthy families, and even fewer can own robots. Although robot technology has made great strides, it is still not something that ordinary people can own at will.

They were mostly accompanied by simple machine carts that served as vegetable baskets. They had a single function and were completely different from the silver armor that could squeeze through the crowd to help Jiang Chan grab the front row.

The robot's sturdy metal body, the foul smell, and the deafening alarm sound when squeezed hard made Jiang Chan buy the vegetables without much effort. She was smiling all the way home and praised the robot generously, "Yingjia, you are amazing! These are all our spoils!"

A smiling face flashed through the robot's field of vision. Its features were blurred by the charcoal-black paint, leaving only a pair of large eyes, their pupils particularly large. Within those pupils, a tattered robot was reflected. The robot's mouth, a straight line, slowly opened and closed, a harsh creaking sound.

Jiang Chan hurriedly said, "Yinjia, stop!" She jumped off Yinjia's arm, took the blind stick, looked at Yinjia's rusty metal body and the sound coming from inside that it was unable to bear the weight, frowned hard, and said in a deep voice, "Yinjia, don't hold me in your arms anymore, I can walk by myself." She was worried that Yinjia could no longer bear her weight.

The robot stood silently before her, like a steady mountain. He bent down slightly, and his voice, mixed with metallic sounds, was uniquely gentle. "Okay, little master."

When Jiang Chan went to the public bathroom to wash up, Yin Jia was standing at the door, waiting for her quietly. Although Jiang Chan repeatedly emphasized that Yin Jia should go home first, she was worried that the water splashing near the bathroom would aggravate the damage.

If calculated by the age of robots, Yin Jia is considered old and needs to be replaced with a new body and internal parts. However, Jiang Chan has no money, so she can only rely on picking up discarded parts to barely keep Yin Jia in use.

Jiang Chan wiped herself clean, leaving no trace of moisture on her palms, and returned home with Yin Jia.

A small room of only a few dozen square meters. Although the room is small, everything is neatly arranged. Jiang Chan puts the blind stick at the door. She knows the layout of the house very clearly and will not fall even if she does not use her eyes.

Jiang Chan wiped the parts she had picked up very cleanly and waved towards Yin Jia, "Come here, come here."

The robot walked to her side with heavy steps, slowly squatted on the ground, and let Jiang Chan unscrew its parts. Its robotic arm had been destroyed in the explosion. Jiang Chan had been squatting outside for a long time before she dismantled the arm of the robot that had just been abandoned and installed it.

The noise of the street filtered through the tin windows. The house was filled with a stagnant smell, the smell of long periods of lack of sunlight and ventilation. Jiang Chan tidied up Yin Jia's body, groped for his arm, and buried herself in his embrace, her breath filled with the strong smell of metal.

Her voice was muffled, "Ginger, I want to watch TV."

"Okay, little master."

The screen lit up, and a gorgeously dressed woman, with her skirt lifted up and a lewd look on her face, entered the bed curtain, with countless male servants crawling at her feet.

This is a movie based on the former Queen of Star and Moon in the Mechanical City. It tells the story of how the Mechanical City went to destruction under the debauched rule of the Queen of Star and Moon.

This was one of the few free movies, and Jiang Chan could only watch it, but she didn't like watching it. She just listened to the background sound of the TV and closed her eyes to sleep on the not very comfortable metal chest of the silver armor.

The days passed uneventfully. Jiang Chan put the coins she earned from picking up trash into a piggy bank and felt their thickness with her fingers. When she had earned enough money for the most basic repairs, her depressed mood finally broke through and the sunlight reluctantly came in.

She held the money jar and said, "Ginger, tomorrow is the day the disability allowance will be distributed. Once the money is deposited into my account, we'll go to the repair shop and get it fixed. You'll be healthier soon!"

Silver Armor lowered his body, his metallic eyes reflecting a gentle light: "Thank you for your concern, young master. I am in good health."

Jiang Chan thought about what she saw during the day. The neighbor next door brought back a basic robot from somewhere. The neighbor's little boy asked it if it was healthy. The robot replied, "I can't answer this question. Do you have any other questions?" Yin Jia's answer made her believe that he was different and was her best and most trusted partner.

Jiang Chan held Yin Jia's face in her hands. Her dim pupils reflected two metallic eyes that glowed red. She said in a serious tone, "No, you are not healthy. Yin Jia, you are sick and need treatment."

Yin Jia was obediently held by her face.

Jiang Chan said weakly, "It's your little mistress's fault. She couldn't get a doctor in time."

Silver Armor's limbs made a creaking sound at their joints, which gave Jiang Chan the illusion that they were about to fall apart. Silver Armor said slowly and firmly, "Silver Armor likes my little master very much."

Jiang Chan: "But she's useless. She can't cure you."

"Ginger loves the young master very much."

Jiang Chan seemed to feel the surge of electric current hidden in the metal shell, and her fingertips went numb. If she wanted to overhaul Yin Jia, she would have to save up the money for a long time, and Yin Jia couldn't wait until then. There were dangers on the streets at any moment, perhaps from gunfire or drones. Any small chaos could cause Yin Jia's body to fall apart. He was already vulnerable.

"I'm not worthy of your protection. I'm useless." If it weren't for Silver Armor, she might not be alive today.

Shining Armor said slowly and firmly, "Shining Armor likes the little master very much."

The mechanical arm Jiang Chan had installed on his shoulder slowly turned. Made of fiberglass, it didn't match his metal body. He placed his palm on her back, gently patting it. Although the touch was cold, Jiang Chan felt a warmth rising from her heart. She said, "I will heal you. Silver Armor, you must stay with me forever."

The metal eyes scanned the scene in front of them: Jiang Chan, who had washed away all the dirt, was wearing a soft cotton skirt. She buried her head in front of the paint-chipped metal chest, revealing her fragile white neck. Her black hair was softly draped over her back, and the ends of her hair were intertwined with the silver-white metal arms.

The specially treated metal nose captured the smell emitted by Jiang Chan, and the signal was transmitted to the simulated neural processing center, which described the smell with characters: it was the fragrance of flowers and plants stained with morning dew.

The red light from Yin Jia's eyes enveloped Jiang Chan. His metallic eyes stared steadily at the girl buried in his chest. He replied, "As long as the young master is happy, Yin Jia will never leave."