Bumblebee

"Master, is the bath ready?"

2B pushed the door open and immediately saw Li Wei and Eve embracing.

She stood in the doorway, looking them both over.

Li Wei let go of Eve. He didn't feel embarrassed.

"2B, come here. This is Eve."

"Eve, this is 2B."

He introduced them to each other.

"2B? What a strange name."

Eve studied 2B curiously and soon discovered her secret.

She was an android.

2B greeted Eve, then turned to Li Wei. "Master, it's time for your bath."

"All right."

As the two of them left, Eve hugged her arms and walked over to the window.

The view outside was unlike anything she had ever seen.

Tall buildings rose in the distance, their lights twinkling. You never saw a sight like this in the wasteland!

She let down her guard and put away her Blood Edge.

It was a one-handed sword, much easier to store than 2B's White Contract. It could turn directly into a hair clip and sit in her hair.

When she needed it, she could simply take it off.

Before long, Li Wei and 2B returned. Seeing Eve by the window, he said, "Come on, I've got something good for you."

He took out the jewelry, mostly earrings, and let 2B and Eve choose for themselves.

2B had no interest in jewelry, but Eve was fascinated.

She had a complete range of emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, love, and hate. She was just like a real person, except for the machinery installed in her body.

So the Mother Sphere had good reason to consider them New Humans.

In that respect, Eve was just like an ordinary woman.

She loved looking beautiful!

She tried on every piece of jewelry. 2B showed little interest, so Li Wei helped her put some on.

The next day, the first thing Li Wei did when he woke up was check his phone.

The story was still gaining momentum.

The photos and video Tony Stark had posted yesterday of his boxing training had already racked up millions of likes.

He really was a superstar.

Li Wei had been trading shots with Tony Stark online, so of course he had a social media account of his own.

He now had over ninety-nine unread private messages, all asking whether he was really going to accept the challenge.

Naturally, Li Wei didn't read or answer them...

But now that he was up, he had to respond somehow.

Downstairs, he found Eve and 2B sitting at the dining table.

Though they were both androids, Eve was clearly more relaxed.

She sat with her legs crossed. To Li Wei's pleasant surprise, she was no longer wearing her green drop suit.

He didn't know who had found her new clothes, but she was now wearing a fitted dress.

2B, on the other hand, looked stiff. She sat with perfect posture, her hands resting on her thighs as she waited for him.

"2B, doesn't sitting like that tire you out?"

"Why would an android get tired?"

2B looked puzzled. "You're an android too. Why are you so... relaxed?"

"I'm not an android!"

Eve frowned, her tone sharpening. "I'm human."

2B gave her a puzzled look. "You're not human. You have machinery inside you. Humans don't."

Li Wei, for instance, had an entirely natural body, without a trace of technology in it.

"But people in my world do have machinery inside them."

Eve sounded certain.

Everyone she had seen was like her, with plenty of technology in their bodies.

"Ahem."

Li Wei cleared his throat twice before they could start arguing.

"Master."

They both greeted him.

Li Wei came over and sat at the head of the table.

"This looks good, 2B."

2B nodded proudly.

Then Li Wei and Eve began to eat.

Like an ordinary person, Eve needed food, and she liked drinks too.

She opened a bottle of cola and took a sip. Her eyes lit up. "Master, this is delicious."

"Glad you like it," Li Wei said.

After all, Eve wasn't going to get sick from it...

2B watched Eve, even more confused than before.

As far as she could tell, Eve was an android, yet she could eat just like a human.

It shook 2B's understanding of the world.

For an android, was that progress or a step backward?

After breakfast, Li Wei didn't rush off to the company. Instead, he went to the villa's private gym.

All the equipment was practically new, since Li Wei had barely used the place...

Besides the private gym, the villa had a home theater and a swimming pool.

The pool was where Li Wei spent the most time.

Standing by the exercise equipment, Li Wei asked Eve to take photos of him.

If he remembered correctly, Eve was quite the selfie enthusiast...

Sure enough, she quickly found the right angles.

Li Wei tried out each piece of equipment.

Then he had Eve choose nine photos and arrange them in a grid.

Time to add more fuel to the fire.

He typed a caption: Don't want to pick on an old man!

Then he hit post.

The platform approved it almost instantly and pushed it into trending recommendations.

Likes started pouring in at once.

Everyone following the drama wanted to see two New York billionaires fight...

It was too exciting!

Before long, betting sites had picked it up and posted odds.

[Will Li Wei and Tony Stark really fight in the octagon?]

[Yes] [No]

[Odds...]

Li Wei closed the app. There were so many likes and comments that he couldn't be bothered to open them.

"Let's go to the company," he said, and the two maids went straight to change.

2B changed back into her gothic outfit, while Eve said with a troubled look, "Master, there's hardly anything here I can wear."

Eve was a walking wardrobe, with over a hundred nanosuits.

Hearing her, Li Wei had to admit she was right.

"Then we'll buy you some clothes later."

"Yay!"

Eve was delighted. She had so many ideas and wanted to try every kind of style.

Her personality made her wonderful company in a relationship; she knew how to make someone feel valued.

2B was cool and aloof, a different style altogether.

"Careful, Master."

As soon as they stepped outside, 2B moved in front of Li Wei and blocked his path.

She watched what lay ahead with caution.

At some point, a car had appeared outside the villa.

A Chevrolet Camaro!

2B was about to go inspect it when the Camaro suddenly shook.

"Ah!"

2B slid back, ready to grab her greatsword and smash the damned car to pieces.

Li Wei quickly stopped her. "2B, this is our new companion, Bumblebee!"

Clearly, after a night of work, Bumblebee was complete.

He might not have the AllSpark, the most important thing for a Transformer, but he was still Bumblebee.

Right before the three of them, Bumblebee began to transform.

In just a few seconds, the car became a five-meter-tall Autobot.

Bumblebee dropped to one knee before Li Wei. "Master, I'm Bumblebee."

His voice rumbled like a subwoofer, and his vocal system worked perfectly.

2B and Eve stared wide-eyed at Bumblebee. "What kind of... creature is that?"