"What's your great idea? Tell me quickly," Youyou asked excitedly.
"I'll build you a 'mom'! When I'm not around, someone can take care of you. And, I'll download kung fu software for it."
Youyou's hand, which had been holding Gu Ya's clothes, instantly dropped. She looked at Gu Ya as if he were intellectually disabled, speechless. "Get lost..."
"Kung Fu Mom, with a wok in one hand and nunchucks in the other. How cool is that!"
"Get lost, you idiot."
Youyou walked back into the house, then poked her head out again, stating expressionlessly, "If you have time, come help me."
"Sure, I'm duty-bound."
Gu Ya entered the room and sat by the workbench, starting his operation.
Youyou sat obediently beside him, resting her chin on her hands and observing Gu Ya's work.
The screen displayed an immediate analysis: connecting the bionic head required over a thousand operations.
All within that skull smaller than ten square centimeters.
Even though Gu Ya was now an intermediate mechanic, he couldn't fully follow the analysis.
Moreover, several hundred items were grayed out, meaning they could only be repaired by an advanced mechanic.
After two hours, Gu Ya had only connected twenty lines, his eyes extremely dry.
This was more difficult than soldering chips, and he only gained 40 experience points. It was a thankless task.
Gu Ya put down the soldering iron and connector, tiredly saying, "Only the poor repair junk. Sigh, why don't we eat first?"
...
Late at night, Gu Ya looked at the light seeping from under his sister's door and called out, "Sleep early!"
He then lay on the sofa and fell into a deep sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Gu Ya suddenly opened his eyes.
In the pitch-black living room, not a sound could be heard.
Gu Ya frowned, recalling that he had clearly heard footsteps before falling asleep.
At this moment, the front door moved slightly, emitting a "creak."
Gu Ya instantly woke up, sprang to the light switch, and light instantly filled the living room.
The door was ajar, being pushed by the wind, swaying gently.
Gu Ya had a bad feeling and rushed into his sister's room. It was empty.
"Youyou!" Gu Ya called out tentatively. No one responded in the house.
Outside the house, two hover bikes suddenly sped past, leaving two trails of taillight in the night sky.
Accompanying the roar of the hover bikes were the laughter of two men, as if they had caught prey.
Gu Ya's premonition grew worse. He rushed out, but the two bikes had already flown far away, their taillights disappearing into the night.
"Youyou!" Gu Ya shouted anxiously, rushing back inside to put on his shoes, preparing to find his sister.
Just then, he saw a note pinned to the table.
[If you want to save your sister, come to the old workshop area in District 13 Wastewater Treatment.]
"Bastards!" Gu Ya crushed the note, his eyes blazing with anger.
He recalled what the mecha pilot he met a few days ago had said: "The Crocodile Path Alliance always repays grudges."
They must have given her away.
Gu Ya dared not delay. He grabbed his phone to call the police, but then remembered something.
District 13 Wastewater Treatment was a famous area for merchant guilds, full of influential figures.
They were fully capable of distorting facts and erasing evidence.
It was better to rely on himself.
Gu Ya quickly put on his jacket and shoes and rushed out of the house.
The night in the lower city was desolate and dark.
Above, the upper city could be glimpsed through the dreamily brilliant neon lights filtering through the clouds.
Legend had it that it was a world the poor could never imagine.
But Gu Ya had no mood to admire or imagine. He ran all the way to District 13 Wastewater Treatment. The place was a mess.
The streets were incredibly dilapidated, with cracks everywhere, and rows of weeds growing from them.
Dozens of bonfires burned along the street, illuminating the night sky like a road to hell.
The street was deserted, eerily so.
It was as if everything was prepared for Gu Ya's arrival.
Gu Ya cautiously surveyed his surroundings, carefully entering the block.
The shops on both sides had long since fallen into disrepair, with shattered glass and stones scattered everywhere.
As Gu Ya walked, a figure appeared in the distance.
He stood in the shadows between the bonfires, tall and sturdy, as if wearing an exoskeleton, holding a long, rod-like weapon.
Gu Ya stood in the light of the bonfires, not daring to advance.
The tall figure took a step forward, its weapon scraping against the ground, sending sparks flying.
The sound of leather boots stomping and metal dragging on the ground echoed through the block.
As the other party approached, Gu Ya felt an increasingly oppressive aura and pure malice.
Damn it, why didn't I think to grab a suitable weapon when I came?
Gu Ya instinctively retreated.
His heart pounded faster, his breathing grew more panicked, and his whole body began to tremble slightly.
The tall dark figure emerged from the shadows. He was a head taller than Gu Ya.
His face was a mess, with a long scar running from his forehead down to his chin.
He wore a black studded leather jacket and tight black leather pants, accentuating his sturdy muscles.
The metal rod in his hand was covered in black, viscous blood.
The pressure from the other party was exceptionally strong, coupled with an innate evil aura. Ordinary people wouldn't even have the courage to make eye contact.
"Kid, if you want to save your sister, you have to get past me first," the man's rough voice was like a lion's roar.
Gu Ya was deeply intimidated.
He was originally an ordinary college student, and the original host was an honest middle school student. He had never seen such a mecha pilot.
"Scared? Then save your own little life and scram home. As for that little girl, either sell her or... feed her to the dogs."
Gu Ya's blood rushed to his head, his vision darkened, and a surge of anger instantly erupted.
In the man's eyes, Gu Ya trembled all over, lowered his head, and turned to walk away.
He coldly mocked the boy, who was like a stray dog.
In the face of absolute deterrence, all humanity was like dog feces.
But just then, an ill-timed gunshot broke the silence.
"Bang bang!"
Two more gunshots followed.
The man looked over in surprise.
He saw that Gu Ya's hand held a handgun,
And the muzzle was pointing at the man, emitting white smoke.
The man didn't utter a sound. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground. A black liquid flowed from beneath him.
It was a bionic person.
Gu Ya put away the handgun and spat fiercely, saying, "This is what happens when you insult my sister."
Just moments ago, Gu Ya had turned back, summoned the system store, and used the remaining 20 system coins to purchase a Cobra automatic pistol and 20 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
Gu Ya picked up the man's weapon, and the screen analysis appeared:
[Modified from the middle finger metacarpal bone of a mecha, with added pre-stressed springs and... can be ejected after tightening to cause damage.]
"Quite handy. Useful if I keep it."
Gu Ya wasted no more time and ran deeper into the block.
At this moment, a dark figure leaped down from a shop roof, picked up the fallen man, and said into his communicator, "Big Dog has been taken down."
"Send in Lazy Dog Mech."
...
Gu Ya ran wildly,
His sister's cute face appearing in his mind. Thinking of what that man had just said, he grew more anxious.
His sister, a weak girl, how could she endure such psychological torture?
If anything else happened to her...
Gu Ya dared not think further. If that were the case, he would risk his own life to destroy the Crocodile Path Alliance!
Just then, two not-so-crisp mechanical whirring sounds came from a shop to Gu Ya's front left.
Suddenly, a deep blue flame pierced the darkness, and a two-meter-tall micro-mecha rushed out, blocking Gu Ya's path.
"Hehehe, kid, let me have a go at you." A shrill and eerie voice came from within the mecha.