"Bring the wine! Don't let the cups stop!" The voice was perfectly standard Mandarin. Even Luo Xia himself couldn't speak it that clearly.
Luo Xia felt a little baffled. How was his new robot subordinate another one with a traditional Chinese style?!
He looked around, but couldn't find where his new subordinate was.
"Li Bai? Where are you?" Luo Xia asked.
"Commander, Li Bai is here."
A ripple of light appeared in a soda can by Luo Xia's feet. The can transformed into a slender robot even smaller than itself.
He looked like a swordsman in a long robe of traditional Chinese clothing, though his entire body was made of metal and translucent materials.
On closer inspection, the new subordinate had facial features as exquisitely lifelike as Violet's. Luo Xia was amazed by the fine detail of his robe, woven from countless metal filaments and as soft as real fabric.
The robot stood about fifteen centimeters tall, not much bigger than Violet. He was undeniably small, yet he had consumed twice as much AllSpark energy as Luo Fei.
"Your name is Li Bai?" Luo Xia asked.
"Indeed," Li Bai replied in a distinctly old-fashioned manner.
All right, Luo Xia didn't mind the traditional Chinese cosplay too much, but calling himself an assassin seemed a little dubious.
This wasn't that game all the students were obsessed with. Was he supposed to slash a few times before using his ultimate, too?
Luo Xia temporarily shoved the alpaca in his head into a cage, then asked Li Bai, "Tell me what you can do."
"I specialize in stealth and assassination, and possess the ability to transform in seventy-two ways," Li Bai replied.
"I may not have read many books, but don't try to fool me. The seventy-two transformations belong to the Monkey King!" Luo Xia quipped.
"Commander, allow me to demonstrate."
Li Bai drew his long sword and swung it. The air before him rippled, and in the blink of an eye, a pigeon appeared where he had been.
The pigeon looked incredibly lifelike as it spread its wings and took flight. It seemed real. But when it landed on Luo Xia's shoulder, another ripple of light transformed it back into the robot.
Next, Li Bai sprang into the air. When he landed, he had become a cat small enough to fit in one hand. The cat took a few steps, then changed into a crawling Black Widow spider.
After Li Bai's demonstration, Luo Xia realized that he really could transform in seventy-two ways, just like Great Sage. He could turn into animals as well as all kinds of everyday objects, like the soda can from before.
But these weren't real transformations. They were illusions created by bending light. And because Li Bai was so small, the objects and animals he transformed into couldn't be much bigger than he was. He couldn't even turn into a dog as small as a teddy bear.
But that was more than enough!
This ability was perfect for rescuing hostages. The thousand-plus units of AllSpark energy hadn't gone to waste. If anything, it had been worth every bit.
With his newest subordinate, Li Bai, in tow, Luo Xia rode the fastest off-road vehicle in the world to Hell's Kitchen.
On the way, Luo Xia called Matt again. This time, the call went through without a problem.
"Matt, are you okay? I'm almost at your place." Luo Xia said.
"How did you know I went home?" Matt asked in surprise.
"I guessed." Luo Xia wasn't about to tell Matt that he'd had Violet track his location.
Matt: "..."
Guess my ass. I'd have to be an idiot to believe you!
Still, Matt didn't turn Luo Xia away. If Luo Xia hadn't given him the Sensor Glove, he might not have escaped tonight.
When Luo Xia reached Matt's door, he didn't ring the bell. Instead, he gave Li Bai, perched on his shoulder, a meaningful glance.
Li Bai immediately understood. He leaped onto the door and clung to the keyhole. He slipped his long sword into it and unlocked the simple lock in less than a second.
Luo Xia pushed the door open, hoping to surprise Matt. Instead, a cup came flying straight at him. He was about to dodge when he heard a faint chink. Li Bai's sword had already tapped the flying glass cup, knocking the "weapon" aside.
The cup shattered, scattering glass across the floor.
"Matt, what the hell? It's me, Luo Xia!"
At Luo Xia's complaint, Matt jumped out from behind the sofa. "You didn't ring the bell. I thought those Russians had come after me."
Matt's hearing was exceptionally sharp. Of course he'd known someone had just picked the lock. He simply hadn't realized the intruder was Luo Xia, so he'd thrown a cup without thinking.
"Wait, Luo Xia, what's that on your shoulder?" Matt turned his ear toward it, as if listening closely.
"Oh, my pet pigeon," Luo Xia said casually. Li Bai had taken the form of a white pigeon and was perched on his shoulder.
"Don't lie to me. There's no pigeon shaped like that, and no pigeon without a heartbeat," Matt said sternly.
Only then did Luo Xia remember that the optical illusion could fool the eyes, but not Matt's ears.
"All right, it's a robot I designed. You can ignore it," Luo Xia admitted.
Matt wasn't surprised by Luo Xia's robot. He was still wearing the metal bracelet Luo Xia had given him. Having seen that kind of high tech once, he was much more accepting of it now.
"You didn't come all the way over in the middle of the night just to show me your new invention, did you?" Matt asked.
"Of course not. I need your help. The Russians in Hell's Kitchen kidnapped a boy. His father asked me to help rescue him." Luo Xia briefly explained Harry's situation to Matt.
"Those bastards! They're kidnapping people for ransom now, too?" Matt said angrily.
"You saw those Russians tonight. Do you know how many of them there are, or where they're based?" Luo Xia asked.
"Not exactly. I've been watching them for the past few days. I found out they often traffic people at the docks. They trick girls into going there, then stuff them into shipping containers and send them away. I rescued a few girls tonight, but they chased me. I only got away thanks to this." Matt pointed to the metal bracelet on his wrist.
"Then we have a common goal. I know where Harry is, but I probably can't get him out by myself, so I'm hoping you'll help," Luo Xia said.
"Of course. But are you planning to go now? I just put them on alert. They may have increased their security," Matt said with some concern.
"No. Since you disrupted their business at the docks, they'll probably spare more men to look for you. If we go now, they might have fewer people guarding the place," Luo Xia suggested.
"All right, let's go," Matt said without hesitation.
Luo Xia smiled. With Matt and Li Bai, he had two trump cards, and rescuing Harry shouldn't be a problem. Still, he couldn't help wondering why the Russians had kidnapped Harry.
Why would a gang from the slums pick a fight with a giant like Osborn if it wasn't for money?
Before you continue