The world outside the conveyor belt was initially pitch black. Cheng Shuang took a slight breath. Wasn't it said that there were guards on the second basement level?
She stood still for a moment before blinking and looking ahead. There were two dimly lit palace lanterns hanging in mid-air in front of her, but she had overlooked them because the light behind her was too bright and made her eyes uncomfortable.
Before the girl could even take a step, she was struck from behind, staggering forward two steps, but someone secretly helped her up.
The one who helped her was the invisible palace attendant, while the one who bumped into her was a guide. He walked hurriedly without even turning his head, appearing to be in a great hurry.
Cheng Shuang followed him discreetly, trying to take the opportunity to figure out the structure of the second basement level.
As the guide approached the two dimly lit palace lanterns, the little girl realized that they were not floating, but rather two people holding lanterns and guarding the gate. Not only was the gate pitch black, but the two people were also dressed in black, making them easily overlooked.
The guide hurriedly held up a sign and flashed it to the two men. The door opened a crack, and he quickly squeezed in sideways.
Cheng Shuang's heart skipped a beat. The other party moved too quickly, and she didn't even see what was written on the sign. She only vaguely saw that the sign was similar in size to a road sign.
Although the guards holding the palace lanterns didn't ask any questions, she could feel two pairs of eyes staring at her questioningly. If she went back, not only would all her previous efforts be wasted, but she might not be able to get rid of suspicion either.
Without further hesitation, the little girl pretended to take the sign out of her waist pouch, quickly waved the sign in her small hand, and then stuffed it back into her waist pouch.
All of this happened as fast as lightning, but Cheng Shuangxin had the illusion that the movements were slowed down.
Fortunately, the door, which was not properly closed to begin with, was opened again.
As she walked to the door, she deliberately slowed down by half a step, feeling her body being bumped and rubbed, knowing that Gong Zhu had also come in, before stepping inside.
Inside the door lies a completely new world.
Cheng Shuang couldn't describe it.
If she had previously made various speculations about this place of death, now all that remains is sighing.
A crimson mechanical beast over two meters tall and a fully automated mechanized workshop—a novel combination of fantasy and technology—are simply there to sustain the city's daily meals.
Like the basement, this space is equally empty and desolate, yet the rows of mechanical assembly lines bring a different feel. The silver-white walls and floors, spotless and immaculate, appear even cleaner and more orderly in conjunction with the operation of the machinery.
At the top of each assembly line, two mechanical beasts assist in the operation of the cooking station. Looking up, the assembly line, filled with fruits and vegetables, stretches endlessly into the distance, transporting ingredients from afar.
Cheng Shuang believed they were mechanical beasts rather than robots because they were entirely made of wood, with very prominent wood grain and firmly nailed wooden joints. Most peculiarly, their hollow eye sockets held two strange blue flames that flickered with every movement, clearly indicating they weren't ordinary wooden figures.
The little girl named them mechanical beasts without thinking.
Several guides were already selecting the dishes requested by the VIPs at the cooking station. Most of them were in a hurry, with one or two chatting in hushed tones. If they didn't find a dish they wanted, they would tell the mechanical beasts and ask them to add a few dishes on the spot.
Gong Zhu was even more shocked than Cheng Shuang, and excitedly leaned close to her ear to ask, "Do you think we'll be discovered if we take two of them away?"
Of course I will!
Cheng Shuang didn't answer. She calmly walked to an empty kitchen counter, picked up a bamboo basket stacked half a person's height from the side, and prepared to make a show of it.
Because it was a cooking station used by mechanical beasts, the countertop was extremely high and large. Not to be outdone, the little girl stood on tiptoe, stretched out her short arms, and groped for an apple in the nearest large plate. She then pulled it out with all her might...
"No!" Gong Zhu's voice was swallowed, not uttered in time, because Apple Mountain had already collapsed. She tensed up, ready to cover Cheng Shuang with her cloak and escape at any moment.
However, before the apples could roll off the counter, four hands swiftly intercepted them and placed them back on the plate without making a sound. At least, none of the busy guides glanced in their direction.
Cheng Shuang felt a shadow descending from the sky and looking at her. When she looked up, she bumped into two pairs of constantly flickering blue flames.
The substitute for eyes is too hollow; when it gazes at someone, there is a feeling that it sees right through them.
They bent over and looked down at her quietly, while she stood tall and looked up at them quietly.
Gong Zhu's face turned green. This little girl was incredibly bold! The wooden man's slap was twice the size of her little face, let alone two slaps at once. How come her legs didn't go weak?
After persisting to the end, the mechanical beasts retracted one after another. One of them, which was responsible for chopping vegetables and arranging them on a plate, stretched out its wooden hand and put an apple into Cheng Shuang's basket. After putting it in, it tilted its head and looked at her. The blue flames flickered twice, as if asking if it was enough.
Cheng Shuang gestured towards the grilled meat next to the apple plate. The mechanical beast deftly used its large fingers to pick up two slices of grilled meat, placed them on a clean plate, and handed them to her.
She took it, gave the mechanical beast a sweet smile, and circled half of the kitchen counter. Just as she was pretending to try to go deeper into that half-circle, another mechanical beast shoved her back with a finger without hesitation.
The little girl took two steps back, puffed out her cheeks, and stared at it with wide, resentful eyes.
For some inexplicable reason, Gong Zhu, who was standing by, actually read her hidden meaning—I clearly won the game where whoever blinks first loses! Why are you stopping me!
Hmph, so naive! Gong Zhu tilted her head and silently covered her face, but she was just too cute! Aww!
Although she felt the mechanical beasts wouldn't be moved by the little girl, she could sense they meant her no harm. Perhaps defense wasn't part of their design. In any case, Gong Zhu decided to remind Cheng Shuang to explore deeper into the assembly line.
Knowing full well, without even looking, the clever little girl crashed straight into the mechanical beast's legs and climbed up from behind it with incredible speed.
Gong Zhu gasped.
Is it really necessary to be so uncooperative? Would it kill you to give me a heads-up beforehand?
At this point, she couldn't care less about anything else. After all, she had become invisible, and it was indeed a bit difficult for Cheng Shuang to consult her on everything. Now, she just needed to see what the young girl wanted to do, and being prepared to react at any time was the main thing.
The palace attendants were on high alert.
Although they were temporary teammates, she had no intention of betraying them. However, when it came to life and death, she would naturally prioritize saving her own life.
Actually, Cheng Shuang didn't have this plan originally.
But plans can't keep up with changes.
She wanted to get closer to the mechanical beast to see what it was made of, but as soon as she got close, a suction force emanated from it, like a magnet, pulling her towards it.
By the time Cheng Shuang realized what was happening, she had already grabbed the mechanical beast's thick wooden legs, and the suction force was pulling her up tightly.
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