The bureau.
Third floor.
Inside an archive room.
The moment one entered, they could see ten of the latest [Mechanical Computers] stored inside the archive room. In the center stood a slim tablet computer.
At that moment, Yin Chen of the [Divine Grace Society] was scratching his head with his right hand as he studied a surveillance feed on the tablet with intense focus. Fine flakes of dandruff fell through his fingers. "Strange. Wang Zhong has had that [Bionic Patrol Crow No. 3] shut down for fifteen minutes already. Why hasn't he come out of the locker room yet?"
As a supernatural being who liked using his brain, Yin Chen would magnify and ponder over even the slightest irregularity.
It was his habitual way of thinking.
It was also thanks to Yin Chen's cautious and suspicious mindset that he had discovered the fleeing member of the [Mechanical Remains Society] had escaped to this third-tier city, allowing him to arrive in time.
Just as Yin Chen was about to contact the other captains and have them check the locker room...
On the tablet's surveillance feed, Wang Zhong, now fully dressed, was holding a [Mechanical Phone A10] in his right hand and carrying [Bionic Patrol Crow No. 3] in his left as he happily headed toward the storage room—the Psionic Mechanical Room.
"Tap tap tap."
A moment later, Yin Chen's ten fingers flew over the keyboard of one of the [Mechanical Computers]. Soon, a clear conversation played from it.
"Be good, baby. We'll be able to see each other in another week..."
"Yaya! I'm so mad! It's already been three or four days. Why haven't you finished dealing with your business yet?"
"Soon. Once I finish this mission, I'll take leave right away and bring you to a hot spring hotel in the suburbs for a vacation! They even have private hot springs..."
"Pah, pah! Who wants to go on a hot spring vacation with you? I don't!"
So mushy!
It was disgustingly mushy!
After listening to that saccharine exchange, Yin Chen shuddered all over and said helplessly, "So he was flirting in the locker room. Ah, how nice. Too bad I'm destined to be alone for the rest of my life..."
After Wang Zhong handed the chip from the [Bionic Patrol Crow] to Uncle Kun, he took a new chip from him and inserted it back into the [Bionic Patrol Crow].
"Chip connecting. Self-diagnostic program activated..."
"Crow No. 3 self-diagnostic complete. Starting normally..."
Outside the [Psionic Mechanical Room], Wang Zhong watched the [Bionic Patrol Crow] perform its self-check. With a thought, a faint blue psionic glow flashed across his right hand and flowed into the [Bionic Patrol Crow].
"All right, Uncle Kun, I'm leaving."
"Mm. You don't need to come in tomorrow morning. Remember, you must release this [Bionic Patrol Crow] and let it patrol the Slums on its own..."
"Got it, Uncle Kun."
After leaving the bureau, Wang Zhong casually stuffed the [Bionic Patrol Crow] into his backpack. Then he went to the parking lot, mounted his little electric scooter, and headed toward the room he rented.
Along the way.
While riding his electric scooter, Wang Zhong split his attention and sensed a consciousness filled with yearning emerging in his mind.
"Creator... Creator God..."
"Thank God for granting me life..."
This yearning consciousness was none other than the mechanical consciousness of the [Bionic Patrol Crow].
After all, Wang Zhong had evolved the [Bionic Patrol Crow] into a [Mechanical War Beast], granting it [Mechanical Logical Thinking] that could understand human speech and think for itself.
"From now on, I'll call you Little Black. Little Black, activate your internet connection and learn online..."
Sensing the fear within that yearning consciousness, Wang Zhong thought for a moment before suddenly speaking.
Yet his words seemed to have no effect. That yearning consciousness continued repeating the same phrases in his mind.
"Caw!"
Halfway there, Wang Zhong suddenly slammed on the brakes. Distracted, he had nearly crashed into a car.
"Fuck! Are you trying to get yourself killed, kid?"
A head suddenly stuck out from the car window. The driver glared fiercely at Wang Zhong and cursed at him.
After that incident, Wang Zhong stopped getting distracted on the road. He quickly rode his little electric scooter back to his rented room.
"Creator... Creator God..."
"Thank God for granting me life..."
"Creator... Creator God..."
"Thank God for granting me life..."
Sitting on the sofa, Wang Zhong listened to those repeated yearning words in his mind. He frowned and said helplessly, "Just how am I supposed to communicate with this little guy?"
[Wait, communicate?]
"Mechanical Communication?"
Suddenly, Wang Zhong seemed to recall something. His eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands, saying as if only just realizing it, "That's right! I have a Cleric Ability for communicating with machines—[Mechanical Communication LV1]."
Sain Mechanical Prosthetics Company.
Third floor.
Inside the secretary's office.
"Mr. Qi Xun, how did things go?"
"Oh? You've already greased the right palms?"
"But two [Psionic Plainclothes Officers] have been showing up in the Slums lately? Neither of them can be bought off?"
"Fine. Leave dealing with those two to me. By tomorrow afternoon at the latest, I'll ask you to transport some things. Please don't turn off your phone..."
After hanging up the [Anti-eavesdropping Mechanical Phone], Xia Jie frowned, seemingly waiting for something.
A moment later, Xia Jie received two photographs on his [Anti-eavesdropping Mechanical Phone].
One was a photograph of Manni; the other was a photograph of Wang Zhong.
"..."
"Forget it. I'll send people to capture them tomorrow morning. That way, we only need to hold out until the day after tomorrow."
"Even if those [Psionic Plainclothes Officers] realize what's happening, it'll be too late."
Muttering to himself, Xia Jie forwarded the two photographs and composed a text message at the same time: "Tomorrow morning, capture these two people who appeared in the Slums. Just tie them up for now..."
Clearly, the information Qi Xun had gathered was incomplete. Otherwise, he would certainly have reminded Xia Jie that a [Bionic Patrol Crow] was following those two [Psionic Plainclothes Officers]...
If anything happened to Wang Zhong or Manni, the [Bionic Patrol Crow] would automatically trigger its emergency alarm...
Before you continue