Steam-Powered Fantasia: The Gear Queen's Mechanical Heart and Xiao Yan's Leather-Clad Dance

The "Gear Fortress" of the steampunk universe floated amid endless mechanical clouds. The entire city was made of countless gears, pistons, and steam pipes, and the air was thick with the smell of machine oil and rust. The moment the Xiao Family Ship landed, it was surrounded by a crowd of goggle-wearing mechanics, who raised their wrenches and shouted, "The savior has finally arrived! Hurry and save Her Majesty the Queen!"

"Wait, we're not..." Xiao Feng hadn't finished speaking before the mechanics stuffed him into an ornate mechanical sedan. Meanwhile, a group of mechanical maids pinned Xiao Yan to a makeup chair and forced him into a sequined leather bodysuit, then plopped a pointed hat studded with gears onto his head.

"Let go of me!" Xiao Yan struggled. "My brother's the savior!"

The mechanical maids shook their heads. "The prophecy says the savior will arrive wearing 'shining metal garments.' Look how shiny that leather suit is!"

Xiao Feng held his forehead in the sedan and spoke to Xiao Yan through the communicator. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. We might be able to find the source of the virus while we're at it."

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth. "When this is over, I'm rewriting every steampunk novel so the male lead wears an apron and grills skewers!"

Inside the throne room of the Gear Fortress, the Gear Queen sat on a throne made of heart-shaped gears. Her once-stern mechanical face had been given pink blush, and her mechanical arm was applying lipstick as she gazed into a mirror. "Darling Domineering CEO Mechanical Heart, when are you coming to marry me~?"

Medusa frowned as her mechanical snake tail swept out a laser scan. "Her core program has been tampered with. Her original 'Way of the Machine' has been turned into a 'Love-Brain Protocol.'"

Xun'er's mutant plants wound around the gears of the throne. Suddenly, she cried out, "There are template-virus spores inside these gears! They're devouring the creativity of mechanical civilization!"

Gu Ling had already hacked into the queen's System Terminal. The screen was filled with dancing pink code. "It's the virus from the Domineering CEO Mechanical Heart novel! The 'Please subscribe and vote for monthly tickets' pop-ups at the end of every chapter are releasing a brainwashing program!"

Yun Yun gripped the Chain of Justice, its links coated in steampunk-style rust. "I'll seal off the city's steam pipes to keep the virus from spreading."

Medusa raised her mechanical arm and aimed its cannon at the heart-shaped throne. "Brother Xiao, may I blast this disgusting throne to pieces?"

Before Xiao Feng could answer, the throne suddenly split into countless tiny gears, each one spouting sickeningly sweet declarations of love. Xiao Yan seized the chance to unleash his Flame of Roast. His flames were somehow mixed with the aroma of grilled meat and cumin. "Love-brain, begone! Machines should get down to business!"

Ding! Xiao Yan triggered "Barbecue Critical Hit." The virus spores lost their activity in the cumin-scented flames!

Medusa activated "Mechanical Aesthetic Crush," using hydraulic pincers to reshape the heart-shaped gears into battle form!

Xun'er released "Plant-Mechanical Symbiosis," combining vines and gears into a filter capable of purifying the virus!

The Gear Queen suddenly clutched her head and screamed. The pink blush peeled away from her mechanical face, revealing silver armor beneath. "I... How did I become like this?"

Gu Ling handed her the repaired core program. "You were infected by the template virus, but you're all right now."

The queen stroked her mechanical arm, once again stern and composed, then suddenly took Medusa's hand. "Thank you for saving the Way of the Machine. In return, I can upgrade your mechanical prosthesis."

Medusa raised an eyebrow. "Just what I wanted. I'd like it to have a barbecue-grill launcher."

"What?"

"Nothing. Take a look at this first—" Medusa showed her the hidden compartment in her mechanical arm. Inside was Xiao Feng's barbecue recipe. "The Way of the Machine and the Way of Good Food don't conflict."

Meanwhile, the mechanics surrounded Xiao Yan and ushered him onto the stage in the square. The plaza below was packed with mechanical citizens holding "The Savior Is So Handsome" signs. The host raised a steam-powered megaphone and shouted, "Please welcome the savior, performing the prophesied 'Mechanical Dance'!"

Xiao Yan was on the verge of tears, but could only grit his teeth and dance to a steampunk version of "Love Loop." Suddenly, he heard someone in the crowd stifling laughter. He looked up and spotted Xiao Feng hiding behind the mechanical clock tower, using Emperor Flame to conjure fireworks like a magician.

"Third Brother!" Xiao Yan sent him a telepathic message. "You did this on purpose!"

Xiao Feng chuckled. "How else would the readers on Earth get to see your 'unique charm'? Don't worry. Gu Ling has already recorded your dance and is going to post it on Douyin. The title will be 'Shocking! The Mechanical Savior Turns Out to Be a Barbecue-Stall Owner.'"

After the virus crisis was resolved, the Gear Queen gave Xiao Feng the "Mechanical Way Codex." On its title page were the words: "A true mechanical heart should be as precise as a gear, yet as free as steam." Medusa's mechanical prosthesis was upgraded to a "Multi-functional Combat Barbecue Arm." Xun'er used mutant plants to create an ecological filtration system for the Gear Fortress, while Yun Yun helped the queen draft an "Anti-Love-Brain Act."

Before they left, the mechanics gave Xiao Yan a gift: a mechanical arm that automatically flipped barbecue. He traced the gear patterns on it and sighed to Xiao Feng. "Next time there's a 'savior' mission like this, you're taking it."

Xiao Feng patted him on the shoulder. "Stop complaining. You've already got over a million followers on Douyin—and Brother Long Ao says your mechanical dance has a 'wickedly charismatic' vibe."

Xiao Yan covered his face. "What the hell does he know about mechanical aesthetics!"

The system notification sounded with a teasing laugh:

Ding! Steampunk universe mission complete. Title earned: "Mechanical Dance King"!

Rewards: "Gear Barbecue Grill" blueprint, "Anti-Love-Brain Badge"!

As the starship set off once more, Gu Ling suddenly pointed at the navigation screen and cried out, "Brother Xiao! That's the 'Harem Anime Universe' up ahead. According to Code Girl's intel, the heroines there are rebelling en masse against the 'male lead must build a harem' trope!"

Xiao Feng gripped the Ancient Emperor Jade. Its Emperor Scale patterns resonated with the steam-powered gears. "Looks like our next stop... is going to be lively."

Medusa turned the grill on her new mechanical arm. "Should I prepare a 'True Love Barbecue Feast'? I hear the male leads in harem anime have never tasted real barbecue."

Xun'er's vines curled around a copy of A Guide to Subverting Harem Anime. "I've already looked into it. What they need isn't more heroines. They need to learn to respect every character's choices."

Yun Yun organized the new interstellar legal documents. "I'll draft a 'Declaration of Character Rights' to ensure the heroines have the right to reject the male lead."

Gu Ling tapped away at the keyboard. "I've already hacked into their '攻略 System.' Now every heroine's dialogue box will have a 'Get lost' option~"

Xiao Yan gazed out the porthole at the pink nebula and suddenly grinned slyly. "Third Brother, let me be the protagonist this time. I'll show them the right way to do harem anime: the heroines focus on their careers, and the male lead is in charge of shouting, 'Amazing!'"

Xiao Feng chuckled. "All right, we'll do it your way this time—but if you run into trouble, remember to call your big brother."

Just as the starship burst through the pink clouds, the system notification rang out again, brimming with eager anticipation:

Ding! Harem Anime Universe side quest unlocked. "Heroines' Uprising" event triggered!

Warning: The "Male Lead Aura" in this universe is exceptionally powerful. Recommended weapons: "Flame of Roast" and "Real-Deal Barbecue"!