Chapter 269 Machine 8

The slum house was cramped. The moment he returned home, Yin Jia adjusted his height again. Although he had reached the limit of his adjustment, he still looked tall. As soon as he entered, he automatically connected the room's electrical appliances, and the overhead light was adjusted to a warm yellow glow. Jiang Chan disliked absolute darkness. Even though she was blind, being in a dark environment made her feel uneasy.

Jiang Chan jumped to the ground. Yin Jia took the cane and set it aside. Jiang Chan didn't go inside. Instead, she stood at the doorway, took off her shoes, and placed them on the ground. The cheap tiles were clean and shiny, but the ground was cold. Jiang Chan tiptoed a few steps and reached the bedside, where her slippers lay. Stepping into them, Jiang Chan frowned and looked at Yin Jia.

"Ginger Armor, you didn't answer my question."

Yin Jia stood awkwardly at the door, staring at the shoes she had placed there. The soles of the shoes were stained with blood. Jiang Chan had a keen sense of smell and could smell the blood the moment it splattered. Then she felt a sticky liquid spreading across her feet.

Jiang Chan racked her brains but could not imagine that the giant robot standing at the door would look so uneasy. Although his face did not change at all, his limbs were obviously contracted, and the red light emitted from his metal eyes seemed erratic.

"Dragon Technology has regulations regarding the range of machinery available to civilians. Advanced robots aren't allowed in the slums, let alone someone like you who possesses combat capabilities. If someone reports you, Shining Armor, we'll never see you again."

Jiang Chan naturally heard the homeless man's dying cry, but she was used to such scenes. She had experienced many such things when she encountered danger and had Yin Jia by her side. She was just afraid that Yin Jia would be discovered.

Yin Jia walked in with his shoes in hand. Feeling the pressure, Jiang Chan raised her head slightly. Yin Jia lowered his head and stopped at half an arm's length away from Jiang Chan. "Young Master, Yin Jia knows what to do."

Jiang Chan curled her lips, "Yin Jia, what do you know?"

Don't expose your strength and don't put yourself in danger.

Shining Armor said slowly, "Eliminate any possibility of danger."

Jiang Chan felt that Yin Jia's words were very good, and they were the same as what she wanted to tell him. Even if the system was updated, Yin Jia was still her Yin Jia. Jiang Chan raised her foot in her slippers and wrinkled her nose. "Why did you bring shoes in?"

"Young Master, clean up the silver armor."

Jiang Chan felt disgusted by the sticky substance spreading across her feet. The homeless man's insults and wishful thinking doubled the nausea. Her features wrinkled, and her voice was filled with urgency: "No! Throw it away! It's cheap!"

Yin Jia said without hesitation, "Okay, little master." He put it in the garbage bag and threw it at the door.

Jiang Chan took her clothes to the bathroom. The bathroom was very narrow and there was a window here, but it was sealed with a metal window.

The trickle of water flowed over the thin and delicate skin. Jiang Chan stood quietly under the water, feeling the falling water on her face. The bathroom was filled with the sweet and sour smell of oranges, and dried orange peels were placed in it. Jiang Chan liked this smell very much.

She also liked the smell of cooking pear soup, the smell of roasting bananas, the occasional smell of food wafting from the road, or the smell of spilled perfume lingering on the casing of machinery in the garbage dump, which she would only smell if she was lucky.

She fantasized about the colors and appearance of these pleasant smells. She enjoyed such fantasies very much. They were her entertainment in the dark.

However, her fantasy was soon shattered when the street suddenly made a loud roar.

"Bang--"

It didn't sound like a gunshot, nor did it sound like dynamite. Jiang Chan first called out hurriedly, "Silver Armor!" and clutched the wall-mounted handrail tightly. The sink and shower were separated only by a frosted glass door.

As Shining Armor appeared, the light in the bathroom was obscured, and his giant figure was reflected on the glass door. He responded, "Young Master, Shining Armor is here."

Jiang Chan turned off the shower and asked, leaning against the door, "What's that sound?"

Yin Jia's eyes flickered. "Young Master, please be patient. Yin Jia is currently conducting tests..." He hacked into a nearby surveillance system and retrieved a video clip, which showed the familiar scene before his eyes. Yin Jia's voice remained calm and steady, interspersed with a cold, mechanical tone. "There was an electrical explosion in Building 03, affecting nearby buildings. We're currently contacting the fire department for rescue."

He finished reporting the matter, and the mechanical voice suddenly changed to a tone that was indescribably gentle. "Young Master, please wash up in peace. Silver Armor will be by your side to protect your safety."

Jiang Chan waited quietly for a while. When she heard no other sounds, she turned on the shower again. She no longer immersed herself in fantasy, but quickened her washing speed.

She didn't know if it was her illusion, but she felt the water temperature was gradually rising, and even the bathroom was filled with a stuffy feeling. This stuffiness even accelerated the evaporation of water vapor, making the entire bathroom dry and suffocating.

Along with this came a strange feeling of being watched, as if a pair of eyes were closely observing her every move. She didn't even dare to raise her hands. She folded her arms at her sides, bit her lip nervously, and tentatively called out, "Silver Armor?"

"Young master, I'm here." Yin Jia's voice was as gentle and steady as ever, but it seemed to be due to the steam, and it was wrapped in a layer of wet mist when it reached his ears. Jiang Chan blinked and felt a little itchy in her ear hole, and a weak electric current was flowing slowly inside.

Very strange.

"Ginger Armor, have you been outside this whole time?"

"Yes, young master."

Jiang Chan felt relieved, thinking that the prying gaze was probably her hallucination. She hadn't slept well in the past few days, so it was normal for her to feel dazed. She quickly washed herself and wrapped herself in a ginger-colored bath towel.

The door of the bathroom was open, and what came into view was a bright color, which made the skin look white and delicate. The body was a little thin. She groped her way out, holding the door frame with one hand. Because of washing, her eyelashes were a little wet, and her eyes were like mountains washed by rain, clear and quiet. Silver Armor stood silently in front of her.

"Silver Armor?"

In the image Yin Jia scanned, only Jiang Chan was brightly colored. The internal wiring seemed tangled, the mechanical movements making a clicking sound and the humming of electricity. Yin Jia thought he might explode or even combust spontaneously.

He stood firmly at the door of the washroom and began to check the internal programs, or whether it was invaded by a virus. He started the check but did not find anything abnormal until a hand reached over and pressed against his chest. The palm was wet with mist, and it seemed that there were drops of water sliding down the silver metal.

Through the scent simulator, Shining Armor detected the rich scent of his young master. It was the sweet smell of orange peel. The surging current within him slowly died down, as if blood were flowing quietly through his veins...

Jiang Chan tilted her head and called out again, "Silver Armor?"

"Yes, young master."

"Don't get in my way."

"Yes, young master."

Jiang Chan withdrew her hand, holding onto the wall and moving forward until she felt the metal wall still blocking her way. She felt that Yin Jia had become strange. Could it be because of the system upgrade? While thinking, she didn't notice the water on her feet. Jiang Chan slipped forward, and before she could grab the handrail to steady herself, she was hugged by Yin Jia.

"Little Master, be careful."

Yin Jia pulled out a floor towel and spread it on the floor to soak the water. He turned back to the bed and put Jiang Chan down. As soon as she touched the bed, Jiang Chan lifted her feet. Her feet were wet and she called to Yin Jia, "Yin Jia, bring me my foot towel!"

Yin Jia not only brought her a foot towel, but also held her feet and wrapped them, placing them on his bent knees. He half-knelt on the ground and began to wipe them. Jiang Chan tilted her head. She suddenly felt an urge to see Yin Jia's modified appearance. He had become very... um... proactive?

"Ginger Armor, what new features have you gained since the system upgrade?"

"Silver Armor can take better care of the young master's life."

“What are they specifically?”

Yin Jia placed the wet foot towel on the bedside and changed to a clean one to wrap Jiang Chan's hair. "You don't need any special instructions from the little master. Yin Jia can take care of your life independently. In addition, Yin Jia has also updated the biometric monitoring, health management, and location information... The little master needs to open more permissions so that Yin Jia can better take care of your life."

"Oh." Jiang Chan was drowsy.

Yin Jia's hand wiped his hair without stopping. Jiang Chan held his shoulder. Feeling uncomfortable, she pulled a cotton blanket, folded it into a square, and spread it on Yin Jia's legs, then lay down on it. Yin Jia spread his long black hair in his palm. He didn't use a hair dryer, but wiped it slowly with a dry towel.

"Young Master, would you like to grant access? Silver Armor can better monitor your health and well-being." Silver Armor's voice was calm and even, his head lowered as he spoke to Jiang Chan. There seemed to be a faint electric tremor in his words, and Jiang Chan felt her ears begin to itch again. She reached up to cover her ears, then after a moment, she leaned sideways to press her itchy ears downwards, then pushed Silver Armor's metal head away.

"Yingjia, I'm so sleepy. Let's talk about it tomorrow." She muttered, "I can't sleep when you're not home. I'm so sleepy now. I'm about to fall asleep..."

All Shining Armor could say was, "Yes, young master."

The action of wiping his hair became slow, and he changed to a clean towel and continued wiping. The image of Jiang Chan sleeping appeared in his field of vision. The warm yellow light enveloped her, and even the tiny hairs could be seen. Silver Armor's metal eyes continued to emit a warm red light. At the same time, the built-in program activated in the body was running. Silver Armor became stiff for a short time, and then returned to normal. Everything happened in just a moment.

Yin Jia's gaze fell on Jiang Chan again, her breath carrying a light warmth.

He spoke slowly: "Young master, I am your Silver Armor." After he felt the moisture in his hair being taken away, he placed the wet towel at the foot of the bed. The mechanical arm made a clicking sound in the air, as if it had nowhere to put it. After a few seconds, Silver Armor placed the mechanical arm on Jiang Chan's hand.