After completing one mission, Fei Xiu quickly took on two more, successfully accomplishing both. This earned him some popularity, and his hiring fee rose from 30,000 to 60,000.
However, this rate only lasted until his identity was accidentally revealed. The online community was stunned, particularly the merchants who frequently traveled to Xinlan.
"Oh my God, the Major is now a full-time mercenary?!"
"We can hire the Major for just 60,000?!?"
"I once had the chance to hire a Major but failed to recognize him!!!"
"Say no more, I'm hiring him right now. He's mine!"
"Damn it! Who moved so fast? The waiting list's already booked through next month!"
Overnight, Fei Xiu became a sensation. Regardless of the route, people changed their plans just to secure his services.
To ensure enough time for studying and training, Fei Xiu had to limit his missions to a maximum of ten short-range tasks per month. His days were packed, using every moment efficiently.
Under Yuan Chu’s supervision, he was required to get six hours of sleep every night. If he had extra energy, he could keep a one-hour morning exercise routine.
The exhausted Fei Xiu firmly defended his rights: "I’m perfectly fine!"
Yuan Chu, in full robotic indifference mode: 🤨.
While Fei Xiu was busy, Yuan Chu wasn’t idle either. She transformed the manor into an impenetrable fortress while decorating its interior to be cozy and welcoming. She planted trees, flowers, vegetables, and fruits, turning the once-barren land into vibrant gardens and orchards.
Thanks to Fei Xiu's active presence, virus AIs began targeting and harassing him more frequently. However, the manor's reinforced defenses rendered these attacks futile. No matter how many mutated mechanical beasts they sent, all ended up as part of Yuan Chu and Fei Xiu’s pet collection, numbering over forty and spanning various models.
Despite their odd appearances, most had basic intelligence and could independently carry out commands.
The Major's rising fame also encouraged local residents to upgrade their defenses and purchase advanced weapons from Fei Xiu.
When virus AIs attempted to exploit these civilians to lure Fei Xiu out, their mutated beasts were instead destroyed by the now-armed residents. The area surrounding Fei Xiu’s manor evolved into a small-scale defensive base.
This self-defeating strategy continued sporadically for half a year until it finally ceased by the year's end.
For the virus AI, Xinlan was too insignificant to warrant much attention. Its military and energy resources were limited, necessitating a precarious balance rather than needless expenditure on a small town.
As snowflakes fell from the sky, blanketing the earth in white, the remote town enjoyed a rare moment of peace.
“Happy New Year.” On the morning of the first day, Yuan Chu greeted Fei Xiu with a cheery voice. She wore a bright red coat and matching boots, carrying a small snowman.
Fei Xiu, still shirtless, pulled her into a hug, only for the snowman to press against his chest. The icy sensation jolted him, killing any romantic notions.
Holding his chest, Fei Xiu looked at Yuan Chu with an aggrieved expression, silently conveying, I'm hurt, but I won't say anything.
Yuan Chu wiped him clean with a towel, seamlessly shifting from warm hearted cutie to a stern drill instructor: “Did all your training go to waste? You can’t even hold someone properly!”
Fei Xiu: "…I was wrong."
“Here’s your second chance.” Tossing the towel aside, Yuan Chu opened her arms.
“Try again.”
Fei Xiu's eyes lit up as he immediately wrapped her in a tight embrace.
“Happy New Year, Chu Chu.”
After cuddling in bed for a while, the two headed downstairs to prepare food, ready to welcome the new year together.
Fei Xiu's communicator buzzed incessantly with New Year’s greetings. He replied to each message, thanking those who cared about him. Since his forced retirement, many had distanced themselves from him, leaving only genuine friends, few, but precious.
Finishing his replies, Fei Xiu glanced at Yuan Chu, who was busy in the kitchen. Unlike him, her communicator remained silent, except for one message.
With a serious expression, Fei Xiu composed a heartfelt New Year message and hit send.
Hearing the notification, Yuan Chu retrieved the device from her waist.
"I once had nothing but found you amidst the trash, gaining a brand-new world. Loneliness vanished, happiness arrived. May every year to come include your presence, completing my life. Love, Xiu."
Moved, Yuan Chu turned and met his focused gaze.
So Fei Xiu liked expressing emotions through text?
Convinced she'd uncovered his secret, Yuan Chu quickly typed a response: "May your wishes come true."
Fei Xiu's lips curved into a smile. If she wished for his dreams to come true, didn’t that mean she’d stay by his side forever?
Seeing his contented expression, Yuan Chu grew even more confident in her assumption.
Over the following days, Fei Xiu noticed Yuan Chu developed a new habit: Sending him several messages daily, even when they were in the same room or bed.
Fei Xiu: ???
During the New Year, Fei Xiu declined all invitations, dedicating himself to quality time with his robot partner at home. Yet their conversations had no romantic undertones.
“Chu Chu, I’m planning to try designing mechas.”
“Great idea. I’ll support you.”
“In simulations, I found that a custom mecha capable of utilizing over 90% of mental control could grant someone with B-level mental power an S-level combat ability. Current designs overly emphasize mental strength while neglecting control precision. Most mechas can’t handle more than 75% precision. I want to create a refined control mecha.”
“An excellent plan.”
In the future, precision mechas would dominate, making Fei Xiu the founder of this innovation. Yuan Chu hadn’t expected his ideas to emerge two years early.
Yuan Chu chose her robotic form after glimpsing his destined greatness. As long as fate didn’t crush him, he’d forge his own path.
“Will you help me?” Fei Xiu asked, eyes burning with determination.
“Of course.”
Her unwavering support filled Fei Xiu with confidence.
Thus, their brief rest ended as they dove into designing a new mecha. Fei Xiu managed the overall design while Yuan Chu handled testing and corrections.
Progress was tough at first, with sketches covering the floor, but Fei Xiu’s enthusiasm never waned.
To let him focus, Yuan Chu took over all household tasks and income, including Fei Xiu’s escort missions.
On her first assignment, Fei Xiu was too engrossed in his work to notice her departure.
At the rendezvous, the client was shocked and somewhat angry to see a slim girl instead of Fei Xiu.
“Who are you? Where’s the Major?”
Yuan Chu handed over her communicator, silently urging him to verify the details.
"Mercenary 0333..." Yuan Chu’s codename was also Mercenary 0333, and she belonged to the same team as Fei Xiu, whose codename was 2333. The employer hadn’t noticed this earlier because Fei Xiu always operated alone, with no other members participating, relying solely on his team of modified mechanical beasts.
The employer was speechless but had no choice but to accept this reality. However, he didn’t trust Yuan Chu’s abilities, and even the bodyguards he had hired cast skeptical glances at her.
Yuan Chu remained unfazed, dutifully escorting them to their destination.
Snow was piled up on both sides of the road, not yet melted, and the icy surface made the road slippery. The freight truck moved forward slowly.
Yuan Chu looked ahead, her eyes flashing briefly with a faint glow. She suddenly turned to the employer and said, “Five miles ahead, two freight trucks have collided, blocking the road.”
The client frowned.
“Will it affect our passage?”
“Yes.” Yuan Chu replied calmly, her tone steady and composed.
“The two trucks are sprawled across the middle of the road, and over a dozen containers have fallen onto the ground. The traffic management department will take at least an hour to arrive, and it will take three hours to clear the road completely.”
The client didn’t hesitate for long and directly ordered, “Changing routes will only delay us a bit. Let’s reroute.”
No one else had anything to say, but Yuan Chu spoke up: “No need to change routes. I can solve the problem within an hour.”
Everyone looked at her with doubt.
“Are you sure?” The employer asked seriously.
“If the trip gets delayed, can you take responsibility?”
Yuan Chu replied, “If the trip is delayed, I’m willing to refund all the payment.”
The employer hesitated before responding, “…Fine. Proceed along the original route.”
The others thought this girl must have something wrong with her. Wouldn’t rerouting be simpler? Why go looking for trouble? If she didn’t want to reroute, why didn’t she say so earlier?
Yuan Chu ignored their meaningful glances and silently stared ahead until they arrived at the scene of the accident.
Upon seeing the wreckage, the employer’s heart sank.
A massive freight truck, weighing tens of tons, was sprawled across the road. Containers were scattered haphazardly, blocking the way entirely. Even if the traffic management department arrived, it would take at least three hours to clear everything.
The employer turned to Yuan Chu with a hostile look.
Yuan Chu, unfazed, jumped out of the vehicle and headed straight for the center of the accident. Before anyone could figure out what she was up to, a group of mechanical beasts suddenly came charging in from the other side.
Everyone’s expressions changed drastically.
“Mutated mechanical beasts!”
The next moment, they realized, “No, those are the Major’s modified colorful mechanical beasts!”
Two bear-like mechanical beasts rushed to the truck and violently tore the doors open, pulling out five people one by one. Three of them were still alive but gravely injured.
A medical-type mechanical beast immediately began providing emergency treatment, while the others efficiently cleared the site. Two heavy-duty mechanical beasts moved the truck and containers to the roadside, while the rest removed debris.
The entire process was silent, efficient, and orderly, just like a professional engineering team. The onlookers were left speechless in amazement.
In less than half an hour, the road was cleared.
“We can move now.” Yuan Chu climbed back into the vehicle, met with astonished gazes.
“The Major’s team even has an engineering unit? That’s incredible!” The client’s attitude shifted dramatically, showering her with praise.
Yuan Chu remained calm, indifferent to their flattery or criticism.
“What about the injured?” Someone nearby asked.
“They’ve received emergency treatment and are packed in sleeping bags. They’re temporarily out of danger. The traffic department and ambulances will arrive soon.” Yuan Chu replied.
The client glanced at the injured individuals lying in sleeping bags and suddenly understood, this was probably why Yuan Chu had opposed rerouting. She wanted to save them.
Given the freezing weather, severely injured individuals trapped in an unheated vehicle would have had slim chances of survival without timely rescue.
The vehicle continued down the road, passing the traffic department and ambulances midway.
Yuan Chu’s gaze didn’t waver, but her thoughts were elsewhere.
I wonder how Fei Xiu is doing at home.
---
In the manor, Fei Xiu, busy drawing, suddenly felt thirsty. He instinctively called out, “Chu chu, bring me a glass of water.”
Silence.
Five minutes later, still silence.
Puzzled, Fei Xiu raised his head and called again, “Chu chu?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a modified household assistant mechanical beast slid in with a glass of water, moving at a leisurely pace.
Fei Xiu stared at the water, which had bits of leaves floating in it, and was rendered speechless.
Yuan Chu would only ever serve him warm water or tea. This plain water, clearly unfiltered, must have been drawn directly from the tap by the assistant mechanical beast.
How could his Chu chu possibly let him drink this?
Realizing something was wrong, Fei Xiu pulled up the surveillance footage while sending a text to Yuan Chu through the communicator.
“Huh?” Fei Xiu noticed Yuan chu on the footage, in human form and wearing combat gear, walking out of the front gate.
She left?
Fei Xiu shot to his feet, switching to external surveillance. He saw Yuan Chu leading a group of mechanical beasts away from the manor, growing smaller in the distance until they disappeared.
Fei Xiu’s expression darkened. He strode out of his workspace and saw a neatly prepared lunch and a note on the dining table.
[Master, I’ve gone out on a mission. I should be back around 5 p.m. Don’t forget to eat.]
Fei Xiu: What?! What mission? Don’t you know you’re still undocumented?!
Pulling up the footage again, he noticed that only two of the mechanical beasts Yuan Chu brought were combat models; the rest were support types.
Fei Xiu: What are you planning with a group of support beasts? Disaster relief?!
He was furious but didn’t dare call her directly, afraid of distracting her. Instead, he bombarded her with texts.
Three minutes later, he finally got a reply:
[I’ll be home in an hour ^v^]
A furious Fei Xiu: She even sent an emoji!!!
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