Chapter 46

Fei Xiu purchased a large amount of metal materials and spare parts online, then tidied up the garage, turning it into a temporary repair room.

Yuan Chu's model was quite old, and both the core and energy slots were incompatible with current products on the market. 

To upgrade quickly, he could only resort to custom orders, but that came with the risk of exposure. 

So, Fei Xiu downloaded the structure and basic functions of modern assistant robots onto his personal terminal, then input Yuan Chu's core and let her repair herself.

Fei Xiu had observed her for ten days and knew she had decent repair skills. But before she could do anything, he first had to help her install two mechanical arms. 

To accomplish this, he studied the relevant knowledge and, after two or three days of effort, finally managed to assemble two simple and cheap mechanical arms. 

Though their quality and appearance left much to be desired, they were enough as a temporary emergency solution.

After trying out the new arms, Yuan Chu gave an honest evaluation: “Compatibility: 41%, Flexibility: 37%, Wear and tear: 63%, Maximum strength: 62 kg. Without a doubt, this is a very poor product.”

Fei Xiu’s expression didn’t change. 

“If you don’t like them, take them off.” A creature made entirely from scrap parts—what right did she have to be picky?

Yuan Chu responded, “Taking them off is impossible. We’ll just improve them later.”

Fei Xiu: Heh.

Yuan Chu ignored him and started organizing the various metal materials and spare parts with her subpar mechanical arms.

With nothing better to do, Fei Xiu sat on the ground, holding his personal terminal, surfing the web while keeping an eye on her.

Yuan Chu entered a state of total immersion in her work—dismantling, assembling, and debugging with practiced skill and precise calculations. 

What seemed like complex structures to Fei Xiu were immediately clear to her after just a glance, and she quickly designed the optimal improvement plan. 

If not for the subpar mechanical arms limiting her speed, she could probably have worked even faster.

Her intricate designs, the assembly of parts, and her fluid movements gradually captivated Fei Xiu without him realizing it.

Time slipped away with the sound of metal clashing, and by evening, Yuan Chu finally paused, moved to a corner, plugged herself in, and began recharging. 

Her energy primarily came from electricity and solar power, though the latter was relatively slower to store.

Fei Xiu: “You just fully charged yesterday, and now you’ve used it all up?”

Yuan Chu: “Excessive calculations and physical activity resulted in energy consumption 3.4 times higher than usual.”

Fei Xiu held back for a moment but finally asked the question that had been bothering him: “Are you really just an assistant robot?”

“Yes." Yuan Chu answered matter-of-factly. 

“I am a universal assistant robot developed by Kaimer Corporation, equipped with a comprehensive life system and optimized work programs, making me the best companion for home and travel.”

Fei Xiu: ... It felt like she was advertising, but he had no proof.

Glancing at the time, nearly six o’clock, Fei Xiu stood up and prepared to head to the kitchen to make something to eat.

“Sir, please wait a moment.” Yuan Chu exited her charging state and glided over to Fei Xiu. 

“I will prepare your meal right away.”

“Cook?” Fei Xiu asked curiously, “You can cook?” After witnessing her impressive repair skills, it was hard to imagine her cooking.

“Please do not doubt the capabilities of an assistant robot.” Yuan Chu entered the kitchen, opened the freezer, and was greeted by rows of neatly stacked instant meals—just heat them up, and they were ready to eat. 

Simple, convenient, nutritionally balanced, and perfect for those who don’t care about taste, like lazybones or shut-ins.

Yuan Chu: …

Leaning against the kitchen door, Fei Xiu said calmly, “Sorry, I didn’t buy any groceries today.”

Yuan Chu thought: Did you only not buy groceries today? Or have you never bought them at all?!

However, this was no challenge for the versatile assistant robot.

Yuan Chu selected a few varieties of compressed food from different brands, unwrapped them, recombined, seasoned, and heated them to create a simple meal that was both appetizing and flavorful.

She placed the tray on the table and thoughtfully asked, "Would you like something to drink, sir?"

"Red wine." Fei Xiu said, pulling out a chair and pointing to the wine cabinet.

Yuan Chu moved to the wine cabinet, but the spot where the wine was stored was over a meter higher than she could reach.

As Fei Xiu ate, he watched to see how she would get the wine down.

Yuan Chu raised her mechanical arm, still two to three dozen centimeters short of reaching the bottle. In the next second, her base suddenly lifted, raising her body, and she easily retrieved the bottle of wine.

Fei Xiu: ... A few days ago, her base was broken, and now it’s not only fixed but has an elevator function?

Yuan Chu expertly opened the wine and poured Fei Xiu half a glass. 

"Sir, please enjoy. If you need anything else, just let me know."

"I don’t need anything else." Fei Xiu said, looking at her half-damaged body. 

"Don’t you still need to recharge? Go ahead."

"Understood." Yuan Cgu turned gracefully and wobbled her way to the garage.

The next day, Fei Xiu noticed that the robot he had picked up had changed again. 

A third of her upper body was now covered in a metal shell, and her internal components had been upgraded, turning her into a 60%-complete semi-finished product.

"Good morning, sir. Breakfast is ready." Yuan Chu reported dutifully.

"Thanks." After washing up, Fei Xiu, wearing slippers, headed to the dining room. 

He took a quick glance and noticed that his place looked different. It was clean and tidy, the windows gleamed, and there wasn’t a speck of dust. 

A bouquet of vibrant flowers was on the dining table, though the vase had a chipped mouth—who knew where the robot had found it.

Today’s breakfast was still made from processed foods, but with added seasoning, the taste had improved by several levels, leaving Fei Xiu quite satisfied.

"Sir, eating compressed food every day reduces happiness and can easily lead to food fatigue. I recommend buying fresh ingredients and making various dishes."

"Mm." Fei Xiu tossed her an honor card.

"Buy whatever you want."

Yuan Chu replied, "I don’t have internet access."

"Use my mobile store." The mobile store only allows shopping, and it isn’t connected to other interfaces. 

Transactions are handled through a special relay station to minimize the risk of viruses or hacking.

Yuan Chu asked again, "Sir, how much can I spend, and what’s the monthly limit?"

Fei Xiu was about to say, Spend as much as you want, but after a moment of thought, he set a boundary: "500,000 a month, with a maximum limit of 10 million."

In other words, once she reached 10 million, she would have to report again. Most assistant robots could only purchase items according to their owner’s instructions, but Fei Xiu gave Yuan Chu great freedom. 

As long as her spending didn’t exceed the cap, she could buy anything.

He wanted to see just how intelligent this robot really was. So far, her intelligence level was far beyond any assistant robot on the market.

"Understood." Yuan Chu stowed the honor card and obtained access to the mobile store from Fei Xiu, then began shopping.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fei Xiu noticed the mobile store’s pages flashing by at an incredible speed, accompanied by rapid dinging sounds. 

In just a minute or two, she had completed dozens of transactions.

When she finished, Fei Xiu took the mobile store and checked her shopping list.

Sweet and sour pork, phoenix eggs, heartleaf, cauliflower, soybeans, flour, rice, red mango, sweet berries, crisp melons, oil, salt, sauces, pots and pans, plant seeds… A long list, totaling 19,757 points.

This robot sure doesn't hold back when it comes to spending. He spends less than 100 points a day on compressed food, but with the robot, his expenses suddenly increased tenfold.

"With your spending level, is 500,000 a month enough?" Fei Xiu asked.

"It’s enough." Yuan Chy calculated carefully. 

"Household items don’t need to be replaced often, and fruits and vegetables can be grown at home. After the first few months, the monthly expenses can be kept under 2,000 points while still maintaining a decent quality of life. This budget doesn't include other extra costs."

"You can grow vegetables too?" Fei Xiu gained a new understanding of the robot’s versatility.

"I am equipped with a comprehensive farming system and can adapt to any environment."

Fei Xiu: ... Why does a household assistant robot need a farming system? Is it supposed to cultivate land? Aren’t they worried about system crashes with all these functions? What kind of powerhouse is the Kaimer corporation to produce such a robot?

With a robot like this, would he even be able to take care of himself anymore?

After finishing his meal, Fei Xiu followed the original to the garage again, sitting in the corner as he watched her work.

"Sir, could you help me with something?" Yuan Chu suddenly asked for assistance.

"What do you need?"

She turned around, showing him her back. 

"I need to replace the armor on my back."

Fei Xiu stood up, crouched behind her, took the armor she handed him, and carefully helped her equip it. The parts fit together seamlessly, smooth and precise, with a blue-gray sheen.

"Thank you." Yuan Chu handed him a set of tools. 

"I also need to inspect the core board and wiring. My mechanical arms are too clumsy for such fine work."

"I don’t know how to do that." Fei Xiu said, looking at the robot's complex internal structure, not knowing where to start.

"I have the schematic." Yuan Chu displayed the structure diagram, guiding him through the process.

Fei Xiu picked up the tools, concentrating fully. His movements were slow, but his fingers were steady, and he made no mistakes.

Before long, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his focus began to wane.

"Done." Fei Xiu persisted through the last step, setting the tools down. His face had paled slightly, and his fingers trembled a bit.

He used to have S-rank mental strength, but now it had dropped to B-rank. After just a few minutes of work, he felt exhausted. This was a major blow to his pride.

"You're amazing, sir." Yuan Chu praised.

Fei Xiu laughed at himself. "Anyone would do better than me."

"That’s impossible. Anyone with mental strength below C-rank couldn't do better than you."

Fei Xiu: That didn’t make me feel any better!

Yuan Chu didn’t notice Fei Xiu's mood as she continued to repair her own body.

After fully equipping the metal shell on her upper body, she asked, "Sir, what’s your favorite color?"

Fei Xiu: "…Blue, I guess."

"Then let’s paint it blue." Yuan Chu handed him a spray gun. 

"You can also add any patterns you like. Feel free to express your creativity—I trust human aesthetics."

Fei Xiu, who had only ever handled energy guns, held a spray gun for the first time. Although it was still a gun, it had a completely different function.

"I don’t even trust my own aesthetics, so why do you?"

Yuan Chu stretched out her arms, looking ready to let him spray however he liked.

Fei Xiu hesitated for a few seconds, then raised the spray gun and wildly sprayed the robot’s body. 

His movements were nothing short of reckless, and in minutes, he had turned the blue-gray metal into something that looked as if it had been poisoned.

Yuan Chu looked down, silent.

"So, how is it?" Fei Xiu, still unaware of his lack of artistic sense, asked.

Yuan Chu replied, "This question exceeds my calculation range. I choose to skip it."

Fei Xiu: ...

-----

Previous Chapter/Next Chapter

-----