noveldrama
Chapter 217:
Chapter 217:
Capturing the Sixth Satellite City was a crucial and significant step. It meant that Xu Xi now had a stable base and a secure environment. He no longer needed to hide cautiously from the searching rebel machines like before.
Silence.
Peace.
Tranquility.
Xu Xi moved to a new residence, not far from his original underground laboratory. While he was accustomed to the lab environment, he disliked being underground. So, he built a new home on the surface, connecting it with the lab for easy access.
Rumble…
Rumble…
The mechanical roar echoed throughout the Sixth Satellite City—loud, overwhelming, like countless steel factories operating simultaneously. Time and the ravages of the machine rebellion had worn down this once-glorious Federation metropolis.
It had long turned into a heap of historical debris. Buildings had collapsed, reduced to sand and rubble, and a glance across the city revealed nothing but desolation.
However, despite its ruin, the city still held great value, with buried high-tech artifacts, vast material reserves, and reusable energy installations waiting to be unearthed. To fully exploit these remnants, Ailei was currently operating numerous engineering machines, dismantling and reorganizing the entire city.“It feels a little noisy.”
“And yet, a little too quiet.”
In the newly built courtyard, the golden sunlight seemed to ignite everything it touched, covering even the edges of green leaves in a layer of gold. The sky was a clear blue, with drifting white clouds. Sitting in the shade, Xu Xi watched the orderly movements of the machines in the air and the dappled shadows cast by the rustling leaves.
The noise was real.
The quiet was within.
Though Xu Xi enjoyed peace, having only himself and Ailei in the entire city made it feel a bit too quiet.
“What should be the next step…”
The glaring sunlight made Xu Xi squint slightly. “The success of the Sixth Satellite City is a great start, but it’s just one of many cities in the southern Federation.”
“Going forward, I’ll face more—and stronger—intelligent machines.”
“I might have to use a few revival chances.”
“Those interstellar weapons are just too powerful. If the machines use them against me, I won’t stand a chance.”
“Hmm… but with Ten Deaths to Survive, my chances of winning are still pretty good.”
Muttering to himself, he suddenly chuckled.
Xu Xi couldn’t help but laugh at his own overpowered abilities. With such an incredible cheat and Ailei’s assistance, venturing into the universe was almost inevitable.
“I’m feeling a little sleepy…”
Under the scorching sun, the drowsiness of a summer afternoon washed over him like waves. The heat, combined with the rhythmic sounds of machines, made Xu Xi gradually close his eyes.
The gentle rustling of leaves and the quiet hum of the wind mixed with the distant sounds of machines working, creating a soothing lullaby.
“Master, I’ve developed some new dishes.”
Ten minutes later.
Ailei approached with an elegant posture, the hem of her dress swaying with each step. She carried a tray of food with her slender hands, her blue eyes focused on him.
“Master?”
Seeing Xu Xi asleep, she paused momentarily but quickly placed the food on the small wooden table. Without hesitation, she went back inside to fetch a sunshade umbrella.
The umbrella’s light fabric was positioned at the perfect angle, shielding him from the scorching sunlight and the oppressive summer heat.
“Is Master too tired…?”
Ailei whispered, her golden hair swaying silently in the breeze.
She gently tucked a strand behind her ear and covered the steaming food to keep it warm.
Her thoughts were simple.
She couldn’t let her master wake up to cold food.
“What kind of feedback will he give me?”
The quietness of summer often led to wandering thoughts. Even cold machines, once they had a soul, couldn’t escape this law.
The dappled sunlight illuminated Ailei’s beautiful and serene face as she gazed at the food on the table, her eyes blinking with a subtle emptiness. Her golden hair cascaded from her neck, long yet neatly falling over her gray-blue maid outfit—an attire she found in the database.
According to her research, human males generally liked this type of outfit, and it fit her role perfectly as a maid.
Robots were designed to serve.
But now, with Xu Xi asleep, Ailei had no way to perform her duties. All she could do was wait, letting her thoughts drift in the calm summer air.
“I found some usable ingredients today. I hope Master will like them.”
Her calm voice echoed softly in the air.
Within her chest, the energy core—her “heart”—seemed to pulse with an unfamiliar rhythm.
Was this… a racing heartbeat?
Ailei wondered, her expression confused as she placed a hand over her chest to feel the silent turbulence.
“I don’t understand… not at all…”
By now, Ailei had learned much and understood that she possessed emotions.
However, emotions and humanity were not standalone concepts.
Without the feedback of a physical body, without a real heartbeat, she couldn’t truly comprehend what she was feeling.
“What… is life?”
Ailei was perplexed, but after some thought, she realized she didn’t need to understand it.
As long as she could take care of her master and stay by his side, her existence had value.
Standing silently, she waited in the wind for Xu Xi to wake up.
A gust of wind swept through the courtyard, rustling the leaves. A few green leaves spiraled down, landing on the ground.
Watching them fall, Ailei suddenly recalled Xu Xi mentioning his fondness for flowers and plants—especially a unique one called Dragon Blood Grass.
She didn’t understand Dragon Blood Grass, but she knew her master loved plants.
With this thought in mind, she stood under the sparse shade of the trees, allocating a small portion of her processing power to control several machines to search the city for plants.
Some grew in the cracks between bricks.
Some were buried deep underground.
Now, under Ailei’s command, they were unearthed and transported to the courtyard.
“I’ll plant them myself…”
Her expression remained calm, yet serious. Gripping a gardening tool in her hand, she meticulously began transplanting the plants.
Yes.
This was also something Ailei found in the database—
[People tend to appreciate others’ hard work. Hardworking and capable individuals are often more favored.]
Would this really work?
Ailei wasn’t sure.
But she knew Xu Xi would like the plants.
So she did it.
The gentle sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a patchy glow on her as she carefully dug small mounds and planted each flower and blade of grass with great care.
Soon, all the plants had been transplanted.