Chapter 81 The Soul of the Doll
Tang Qiu walked into the Science and Technology Museum with a heavy face.
The Science and Technology Museum was very deserted. There weren't many people there to begin with, and now it was unrest outside. Even the people on the streets were fewer, so naturally no one wanted to come to the Science and Technology Museum.
He is one of the few tour guides who clocks in for work every day. Due to the loose management, most people are worried that the Science and Technology Museum will be implicated, so they rarely come.
Tang Qiu walked towards the area he was responsible for with heavy steps, thinking about a problem that had been bothering him recently.
So what has “he” been doing lately?
Since Tang Qiu discovered the existence of "him", he has tried to communicate with "him", but "he" is obviously a completely different type from him. Even though they share a body, Tang Qiu never knows what the other him is doing.
But he didn't care about that, because it was himself, and half of the use rights of this body belonged to another him.
"He" is very careful when using this body. Not only will he not get hurt, but he will also take care of Tang Qiu's life. Whether it is housework or other aspects, he is much better than Tang Qiu himself.
It has to be said that the main credit goes to “him” for the fact that a bachelor can survive alone until now.
However, Tang Qiu has been a little worried recently because "he" has been appearing more and more frequently.
Often after Tang Qiu regained consciousness, he found himself in an unknown place. He didn't know what "he" had done before, nor why he came out. Fortunately, he already had rich experience in this and was able to cover up the past smoothly.
but……
A trace of worry flashed across Tang Qiu's lowered eyes.
What on earth is it that forces “him” to appear so often?
The recent not-so-nice turmoil made the matter even more confusing. Tang Qiu sighed dejectedly, touched the white coat he had changed into, and walked forward with his head down.
"What are you sighing about?"
A familiar voice asked with a smile.
Tang Qiu suddenly looked up, and his eyes sparkled when he saw the person coming: "Rong Le, you're here."
His friends were always knowledgeable and, like a true gentleman, considerate, elegant and polite.
He often felt that his mechanic friend must be from a family of fallen nobles, otherwise it would be impossible to explain why his temperament was so captivating.
Rong Le said gently: "It seems that you are worried, otherwise you wouldn't even notice a big man like me standing here. What happened?"
The other personality is Tang Qiu's secret, and he can't let anyone else know it, but he does need someone else's guidance so that he won't be so entangled in this matter.
"Actually, I have a friend..." Tang Qiu hesitated.
Rong Le smiled, and instead of exposing him, she patiently asked, "What's wrong with him?"
Tang Qiu spoke more and more fluently: "His behavior has been a little abnormal recently. He rarely went out before, but recently he has been going out so often that I can't ignore it."
"I wonder if he's in trouble. Even though he won't tell me when I ask him, I'm still worried."
The poor tour guide didn't know that the other being living in his body didn't encounter the trouble he imagined. Instead, he was the source of the turmoil in the Mechanical City and would use this body more frequently in the future to do more things.
Rong Le looked at Tang Qiu with a smile and said in a light tone, "Since he is your friend, then you must know each other very well. Since he didn't tell you, he probably didn't want you to know."
"If it's not something serious, as long as you make sure the other person is safe, it doesn't seem like a big deal."
Even though that’s the case, but…
Tang Qiu really had no idea what to do with the other self in his body. Since he was worried about the other person, he also vaguely realized that the current situation might be related to "his" abnormality.
He knew nothing about his other self, but that didn't mean he didn't care about himself.
Maybe it's time to have a good talk with him, Tang Qiu thought.
"Let's not talk about this anymore."
Tang Qiu sighed softly: "I haven't seen you for a long time. It seems that something good has happened to you again?"
A lot of things did happen, but not all of them were good.
Rong Le picked out a few things related to dolls and talked to Tang Qiu. The two found a quiet place and chatted slowly like old friends who hadn't seen each other for a while.
Dolls can be considered a common topic for the two of them, not to mention that their identities are related to this. When talking about this topic, they will inevitably talk about the current situation outside.
Tang Qiu stared at the deserted scenery by the window: "I always feel that the order of the Mechanical City has become more and more chaotic since the discovery of the outside world."
"The Mechanical City is like a castle in the air. We began with the existence of the Necronomicon, and were shaken by its damage. Like a frog in a well, we glimpsed the vastness of the outside world and instead felt panic. It was like something that appeared out of thin air, full of incompatibility... and a fate that was to be spied on and plundered."
He almost murmured, "How many unidentified strangers are there in this city right now?"
"Are you comparing yourself to a treasure?" Rong Le's words interrupted his thoughts.
He propped up his face with one hand and said jokingly, "I feel like this city is like a piece of rotting meat. If we want to survive, we have to shave off the rotten flesh to survive in the new world."
“Turbulence means change, and that’s not all bad for people.”
Tang Qiu was stunned for a moment, then he felt relieved: "You are right."
Just as Rong Le said, the overly distorted technology tree of the Mechanical City was caused by the Book of the Dead, and will eventually be destroyed by it.
After getting a glimpse of the scenery outside, Tang Qiu also began to yearn for a new future.
If you don't leave this city, you will always be a frog in a well.
"But the Central Building's popularity has plummeted, and Bionic Man No. 1 has just officially declared war. The future of this city is still shrouded in uncertainty."
Tang Qiu sighed: "Although I can't get involved in the game over there, I also know that the situation is not as simple as it seems. The city is in chaos now, and you must pay attention to protecting yourself."
Rong Le smiled slightly: "Of course, I think we will meet in the future."
…
Rong Le's figure disappeared at the door. Tang Qiu withdrew his gaze, and after a moment of silence, he took out a piece of paper and began to write something on it.
Although he is not very worldly-wise, he is not stupid.
Rong Le's background seemed like a fog, and the timing of her appearance was so perfect. With so many outsiders in the city, he couldn't help but think about it.
But after today's conversation, he felt that this person might be harmless to him.
Although he couldn't see through Rong Le's intentions, based on past experience, anyone who approached him with malicious intent would inevitably suffer misfortune, but Rong Le remained unharmed, which also meant something.
But, none of this matters now.
Although Tang Qiu did have his doubts, he subconsciously did not intend to delve into it. But now he could no longer ignore the fact.
That was another person sharing his body, which was really weird.
What is his identity and what is his purpose?
What was "he" doing when Tang Qiu didn't know?
Feeling somewhat reckless and sad, he wrote down everything he wanted to say to "him" on a piece of paper, then locked the door, fell on the small bed in the lounge next to the office where no one would disturb him, swallowed a few sleeping pills, and fell asleep quickly.
This is the fastest way to wake "him".
At the beginning, Tang Qiu abused this method and was severely criticized by "him".
It's obvious that the other self cares more about his physical health than he does.
Later he rarely used it.
But this time Tang Qiu didn't care about so many things. He very willfully exchanged the control of his body, just to awaken his other self and get the answer he wanted.
…
Tang Qiu opened his eyes again and it was already dusk outside the window.
The white paper was still lying there. He immediately sat up, got out of bed, and went to the desk to pick it up and read.
After seeing clearly what was written on the paper, Tang Qiu's head buzzed and he felt a little dizzy.
...He never expected that his reckless and impulsive questioning would actually get a response.
And this answer was so incredible, as if it was mocking how ridiculous his hesitation and doubts over the past few days were. Perhaps from the beginning to the end, that person had never thought of hiding it from him.
Tang Qiu's hand holding the paper trembled slightly.
But, but.
His mood was blank after the huge shock. Such an absurd plot, as if it were something that only appeared in an opera, happened to him, making Tang Qiu feel that the whole world, even the air, was full of deception and deception.
He, or rather "he", turned out to be the leader of Bionic Man No. 1.
Tang Qiu wrote a long paragraph of confession and questioning on the paper, and at the end of it, he said: "What are you doing, what do you want, who are you?"
Below his question, a handwriting similar to his own replied: "Save the puppets, respect and equality, leader of Bionic Man No. 1."
The two souls who originally had the closest relationship in the world now each had something to hide.
The question that Tang Qiu really didn’t say was, are you really me?
And "he" also did not really introduce himself.
who is he?
Tang Qiu suddenly threw himself into the chair. He began to feel confused and even doubtful.
He even wanted to ask, what do you want?
...Do you want my body?
"He" seemed to have given a reasonable explanation, but Tang Qiu could not see through him even more.
What is the motivation of the other self to become the leader of Bionic Man No. 1, and what does he plan to gain?
Everything about "him" seemed to be shrouded in mist, just like the big explosion many years ago, burying his memory in a past that was difficult to trace back.
**
Arnold finally walked out of the security force after many days.
But this time he was called away by his boss and got into the car with his superior. He didn't know anything in advance. Only after the car started and drove out of the gate did his superior slowly tell him the destination of this trip.
This time he was accompanying his superiors to meet with senior officials. As an armed puppet, Arnold had no political stance or inclination and was a weapon that was easy to use. No matter who the owner of the weapon was, no one would ask for the weapon's opinion.
So, there is no need to worry about Arnold leaking the secret.
Arnold lowered his eyes and listened quietly, his long black hair falling smoothly in front of his chest. The sunlight shining in from the car window hit his side face, and his face with soft lines looked as warm and delicate as a piece of jade.
His slightly narrow black eyes were half-covered, and a small mole under his left eye made his temperament breathtakingly beautiful.
In standby mode, he lacks the strength and brutality of a battle, and hardly shows the ferocious look that an armed puppet should have.
She seems like a quiet and gentle oriental beauty.
When he first served, some people jokingly called Arnold a perfect vase, which raised the overall appearance of the security forces.
However, after he displayed absolutely terrifying force, these teasing voices disappeared, replaced by fear and disgust.
The commander looked at Arnold, who was listening quietly, and warned him, "You don't need to do anything this time. They will just look at you at most. Don't upset those big shots, okay?"
"By the way, Han Shangyan, the owner of the puppet factory, will be here this time, so you two have some connection."
Connection...between the product and the seller?
Arnold lowered his eyes quietly and did not react.
On the contrary, he needs to be more careful and show the weapon's powerful yet harmless side, so that they will not be hurt even if they want to touch it, otherwise what awaits him will be re-forged.
All body parts are disassembled, returning to the existence of only a chip, which can be modified at will, unable to move and can be controlled by others.
That is every puppet's nightmare.
Even if the commander didn't say anything, Arnold could guess that at this critical juncture of the presidential election and the unrest in the city, the commander of the security forces suddenly met with Han Shangyan and others, which meant that the two of them had a closer cooperative relationship.
And he is just an accompanying vase, the most impressive signature product of the Mechanical City.
Soon, the vehicle arrived at the destination. Arnold got off with the officer and was led through the corridor into the room.
As soon as he opened the door, his hair stood on end and every part of his body seemed to be telling of danger.
The commander spoke respectfully, "Mr. Han, Professor Femon, Bishop Greg, it's a pleasure to meet you all."
Arnold walked into the room behind him. He lowered his head slightly, looking at the thick and expensive carpet under his feet. His footsteps made a dull sound. He could feel several pairs of eyes passing over him, as if they were sizing him up.
It was terrifying, his intuition was sending out crazy warnings.
The officer spoke to the people in the room for a few words and then said to Arnold, "Keep your head up."
As soon as Arnold looked up, his eyes met with one of them.
The man had a typical Western European face, a mature male in his prime, wearing a religious-style robe, which made him look a little unattainable and distant.
But when Arnold met his eyes, he realized how outrageous these ideas were.
Those gray-blue eyes were cold and deep, as if hiding countless surging darkness, imprisoning people's consciousness and spirit like a black hole.
In Arnold's eyes, what he saw was not a human being, but a demon in human form that could stretch out its tentacles and drink blood at any time.
“…”
He was so frightened that his pupils constricted.
Why is there such a dangerous person in this room?
Another voice said, "He looks like a human, but his magnetic field is not that of a human. He is truly a creation that the Book of the Dead can create. It is truly amazing."
The other man wore glasses and had a gentle face, looking very bookish. Arnold was awakened by the voice and controlled himself not to look at the man. He matched the titles mentioned by the superior with the people in the room one by one.
The red-haired man in a suit is Han Shangyan, who often appears in public. The person looking at him should be Bishop Gregor mentioned by the superior, and the last person to speak was Professor Femon.
Han Shangyan smiled and said, "He is the most powerful weapon that the Central Building relies on. His firepower alone can tear apart an entire army."
"Oh?" Professor Femon was very interested. "Do you have any actual combat data?"
Han Shangyan: "The data so far has not yet reached Arnold's limit. After all, there has not been a battle where he can use his full firepower. Moreover, Arnold's combat maintenance is also a problem. The cost is very high. Once he unleashes his full firepower, half of the mechanical city will be paralyzed."
Such an Arnold is worthy of the title of the strongest puppet.
He is indeed the best interpretation of the cutting-edge technology of bionic dolls in the Mechanical City. Han Shangyan can already see the eagerness in their eyes.
Obviously, the endless possibilities of bionic dolls have aroused their interest even more.
Although the two sects have messed up the Mechanical City, they still have to see tangible benefits in terms of how much effort they put in and what results they achieve.
Han Shangyan is a businessman who knows very well how to promote products and stimulate customers' purchasing interest. It is his innate instinct to find ways to make customers increase their purchases and gain more benefits.
And now, apparently they can talk about cooperation.
Arnold was ordered to leave the room and stand guard outside the door, and he obediently turned and left.
However, even without hearing clearly what they were talking about, his intuition told him that these people's purpose was not to protect the people.
Because it was too dangerous, it was enough to make Arnold wary of them.
The officer didn't stay in the room for long to discuss things. Arnold waited until he came out, and then the two of them took a car back to the security force.
After returning, Arnold pondered for a while alone in the room. When his teammates came to find him, they stopped him and whispered something to him.
His teammates looked at him in surprise, but then nodded in understanding and agreed without asking any questions.
At night, his teammates took over his shift, and Arnold left the security force without any effort.
This was the first time that the powerful weapon broke free from the invisible chains that bound it, and sank silently into the endless darkness.
*
When Arnold was born, he had a mentor.
The man was the chief of the security force at the time. He was middle-aged, with a dignified and cold expression. He wore a security uniform that was like a spear that would never bend, and his temperament was always cold and weathered.
But he was very nice to Arnold.
No one knew that the commander, who appeared cold and taciturn to the outside world, was actually teaching Arnold as if he were guiding a newborn baby. He would patiently answer his questions, listen to his ideas, and guide him in the direction of progress.
The bionic doll has been loaded with a large amount of knowledge since it left the factory, and its body is in its prime, but the superior told him that to this society, he is still just a child.
So how should he grow?
A series of technological means flashed through Arnold's mind at that time.
But his superior told him that he should watch more, listen more, and learn more.
At that time, he didn't understand the meaning.
When it first came out of the factory, as the most perfect masterpiece, Arnold had to undergo various tests and actual combat assessments. After returning, he would share the details of the combat with his superiors as usual.
However, after a great victory, when Arnold returned injured, his superiors became angry.
Arnold explained to him that this time they just needed to test the damage, not because of lack of ability...
"Arnold, you have to know."
The chief interrupted him.
"Injury and sacrifice are the main themes on the battlefield."
Too much time has passed, and due to the puppet's deliberate concealment, the commander's figure will always remain in the memory chip.
But as long as Arnold wanted, the commander's figure would always be as vivid as yesterday and would never fade.
The officer looked at him, his body wrapped in a strict uniform, his hair styled in a meticulous manner, but there was something indescribable in his eyes.
"But you can't get used to the bloodshed, the disregard for life, the loss of everything a person can feel."
The commander has been guiding him on how to use the weapons in his hands and look to the future.
"Keep thinking, your mission is to protect what you want to protect."
Arnold thought that the commander meant for him to protect the people, use his brain wisely, and maintain his humanity.
He has always done this.
But now he began to not understand the meaning of his persistence, and he began to doubt whether everything he had done was right.
He didn't like colleagues who disrespected him, and he hated this chaotic mechanical city.
But he didn't know what to do.
Just as the commander said, there were still many things he didn't understand, but with the commander's death, no one would ever say such things to him again.
Arnold stopped and stood there, looking at the dark street, feeling a little confused for a moment.
...Where should his weapon be pointed?
His seemingly rash act of leaving the base had actually been planned for a long time.
He was like a dog with a collar around his neck. The farthest distance he could reach on a normal day was the length of the chain. Every action he took came from the will of his master. He had no independent consciousness and was a complete tool.
However, Arnold is willing to be a tool and hopes to be a meaningful tool.
One of the team members is a highly skilled hacker who can solve the various positioning monitoring devices installed on Arnold, making his whereabouts undetectable.
Arnold had never done this before, but on this night, he suddenly made this decision.
He recalled the previous mission he had carried out, where the noble puppet was taken away by Bionic Man No. 1 in front of him.
Delicate, beautiful, soft, and of the same kind, born with the opposite mission to his.
Arnold could see that he was being taken away voluntarily, and when reporting on the mission, he also knew that this puppet would be ruthlessly abandoned by the owner for rescue, and he would not do anything unnecessary.
But now, he suddenly wanted to know how the puppet was doing now?
At least in an organization full of people like you, life must be completely different from before.
Arnold was walking aimlessly when suddenly several figures appeared in his sight.
They were not coming for him. They did not notice Arnold, but instead hurried in one direction as if they were going somewhere.
The city has been in turmoil recently. At night, the streets are basically empty, except for them, who look suspicious.
Arnold narrowed his eyes, lowered his presence, and subconsciously followed them.
Soon, as the people in front walked further and further away, they gradually arrived at the edge of the area.
During this time, they looked back vigilantly to see if anyone was following them, but they did not notice Arnold's presence, and their characteristics were exposed to Arnold.
These people are bionic puppets.
As Arnold followed them, he wondered what these puppets were doing out so late at night. The first answer that came to his mind was that it was an underground gathering of the puppet resistance organization. After all, they looked extremely alert, and they were all wearing loose coats and hats to cover their features.
If that's the case...for a moment he didn't know whether he should leave or not.
He had no mission. According to the procedure, if he found any abnormal dangerous source in the city, he should immediately report to his superiors via communication and act according to instructions.
But Arnold couldn't explain why he was here. He couldn't report and even had to hide traces of his existence.
In front, several puppets stopped.
Arnold followed their gaze towards their destination and discovered that the puppets had arrived at a maintenance workshop.
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