Chapter Eighteen: Android?
After tying Su Chen up, Gu Xi pondered how to transport him to their destination.
Carry him on her back?
If it were the old Gu Xi, she surely wouldn’t have been able to manage.
But since her rebirth, her strong physique gave her almost superhuman strength.
Over a hundred pounds—she could lift him as easily as pulling a rope.
She placed the two previously water-soaked bags beneath Su Chen’s hips to prevent him from falling.
She still didn’t know his internal structure.
But given the current situation, she had to reach the prosthetics repair shop quickly to understand Su Chen’s condition.
Water had entered his mechanism—a phenomenon she had never encountered in her life.
After all this, it turned out he wasn’t human.
She hoisted Su Chen onto her back.
Panting, she trudged forward.
What kind of world was this, where a woman had to carry a man?
Despite the thought, Gu Xi pressed on at her fastest pace toward their goal.
After nearly half an hour, the scenery changed drastically.
She felt like a country girl visiting the city for the first time.
Looking up, she saw towering skyscrapers lit by neon lights all around.
Every pedestrian wore immersive helmets, their eyes hidden from view.
People passed by expressionless, busy with their own affairs.
At the highest rooftop, a holographic projection displayed the latest advertisements.
The ads were for daily consumer goods, continuously looping.
“Hello, could you please tell me how to get to the prosthetics repair shop?” Gu Xi tugged at Su Chen on her back.
He remained completely still, not even coughing.
Gu Xi’s heart quickened.
She checked the navigation, which indicated she had arrived.
But she couldn’t find the shop’s name.
Pedestrians ignored her questions, walking past as if they were machines.
Were all other cities in Lingdu like this?
It chilled her to the bone.
If what happened on Floating Island occurred here, she couldn’t imagine the chaos.
Though troubled, she knew helping Su Chen was paramount.
No one responded to her inquiries, and she was near despair.
Turning the corner, she spotted a ragged little girl sitting barefoot on the ground.
Her hair was tangled and filthy, as if she hadn’t bathed in days, staring intently at Gu Xi.
The girl giggled faintly.
Is she mentally ill? Gu Xi wondered.
In the entire street, she was the only one whose eyes Gu Xi could see.
Even if the girl was insane, Gu Xi wasn’t sure whether the others were crazier or this girl was.
She stepped forward and asked again, “Hello, I’m in a hurry. Can you tell me where the shop is?”
The girl laughed louder when Gu Xi pointed.
“Want to know? Give me money,” she said, laughing even harder.
What? Charging for directions now?
So mercenary.
Gu Xi had everything but money on her.
“Look, you seem hungry. I can guarantee you a week’s worth of food. But I need to save money for the man on my back,” she said, turning toward Su Chen.
The girl looked at Gu Xi.
“No, I want money.”
“If you want money, aren’t you going to buy food with it? Your bowl is empty,” Gu Xi said as the girl’s stomach growled.
She hadn’t eaten in days herself.
Sensing the girl’s hesitation, Gu Xi carefully set Su Chen down.
Then she pulled fresh fruits and vegetables from her space.
“Strawberries, blueberries, oranges,” Gu Xi said, handing them to the girl.
This girl was her only hope—the only human who would even acknowledge her.
The girl’s eyes brightened at the sight of so much food.
“Since you’re bribing me with food, I’ll reluctantly tell you,” she said.
The girl stood up, dusted off her clothes, and strutted proudly toward Gu Xi.
Gu Xi smiled—this was the right person to ask.
“Follow me. When you find this place, be warned—repairing something isn’t cheap. You don’t look like you have money. You’re the fourth one I’ve seen like you,” the girl said while munching on fruit, leading Gu Xi toward a nearby underground passage.
They entered a narrow, dimly lit corridor.
The lights flickered like old mining lamps, wires barely connected.
Not again, Gu Xi thought.
Was there no decent place anywhere?
Leaving Floating Island hadn’t brought her peace—only a heavier burden.
After about fifty meters, rows of small vendors lined the entrance to the shops.
Their signs were crooked and faded.
“Here’s the place you’re looking for,” the girl stopped.
Gu Xi looked up to see a small clinic-like sign with red letters on a white background.
“Prosthetics Repair Shop.”
The first two characters were so eroded they were illegible.
Could this be trusted?
It felt so unreliable.
Gu Xi hesitated to enter.
A tall, burly man in a white coat stepped out, holding a blood-stained chainsaw.
A cigar clamped between his teeth.
If one didn’t know better, they’d mistake him for a butcher.
He exhaled a smoke ring, then stared at Gu Xi and the man on her back.
“Huh? Finally, you’re here. Come on in,” the butcher-doctor said in a deep, gruff voice.
“You know me?” Gu Xi asked, surprised.
“No, but I know the man on your back,” he replied.
“But it’s his first time here too. How do you—” Gu Xi began.
The doctor cut her off impatiently, throwing the cigar butt on the ground and grinding it out with his foot.
“Are you going to fix him or not?”
His sharp tone stunned Gu Xi.
She and the strange little girl followed him inside.
The doctor took Su Chen from Gu Xi’s back and effortlessly placed him on the operating table.
Gu Xi looked around.
The entire shop was about thirty square meters—very small.
There was only one operating table.
Next to it, cabinets held test tubes, jars, surgical knives, and other equipment.
Everything looked old and unused for a long time.
Besides dust, spiderwebs covered most surfaces.
It was disgusting.
After settling Su Chen, the butcher-doctor picked up a knife and prepared to start at his chest.
Gu Xi was startled.
“No, sir! Don’t you sterilize first? It will cause infection!”
The doctor gave her a puzzled look.
When had repairing androids ever required sterilization?
Especially for someone like Su Chen, the fourth such android he’d repaired.
They broke down too easily.