Deus Ex Machina: Chapter 18

Chapter 18

“You guys, what are you doing?!” Dalia shouted in fear.

“Uncle here is giving you a check-up.” Yang Jin said maliciously.

Bai Yunci had almost no gender concepts; to him, regardless of age or gender, each person was simply a different body. So, he didn’t show any extra gentleness towards Dalia just because she was a young girl. He grabbed Dalia and started walking away.

“For heaven’s sake, can’t you two be a bit more gentlemanly? You’re acting like bandits!” Witnessing two grown men bullying a young girl immediately reminded Feng Mang of how he had been kidnapped and brought here. Sympathy surged within him. “She’s just a girl!”

“She’s a person with tremendous destructive power,” Yang Jin retorted to Feng Mang. “Not some poor little girl. Please put away your sympathy.” He gestured to Bai Yunci, who understood and swiftly delivered a chop to Dalia’s neck, knocking her unconscious. Bai Yunci then hoisted her onto his shoulder and carried her away.

“Stop shouting, do you want your head to explode?” Yang Jin coldly snorted at Feng Mang, tapping a spot behind his ear as a reminder, then left amidst Feng Mang’s protests.

“This is barbaric!” Feng Mang exclaimed. “Are all those heroic images of Qianfan just made up? How could they…?” He incredulously turned to Ying Si. “How could they do this? Threatening and kidnapping people, restricting their freedom!”

“How should I know? Maybe your own heroic fantasies are too idealistic?” Ying Si replied. “Hey, where’s Yixi?”

“…” Feng Mang looked around but couldn’t spot Shi Yixi anywhere.

Countless connections lined Dalia’s body. She had woken up; Bai Yunci had administered some medication to keep her calm, temporarily robbing her of her mobility. She could only watch with cautious fear in her blue-gray eyes as the two men worked busily before her.

This fear was evident in her eyes.

“How did it go?” Yang Jin asked.

“You won’t believe it,” Bai Yunci buried himself in various data. “Her potential lies in strength and speed, but because she hasn’t undergone proper scientific training for her potential evolution, the abilities she’s displaying now aren’t at their full potential. If she had the training environment of Qianfan, Yang Jin, your head would have been snapped off long ago.”

“Actually, just now, Yang Jin’s head was almost snapped off.” Fan Fan suddenly interjected.

“You didn’t need to appear at this moment,” Yang Jin said.

Fan Fan replied, “I saw it.”

“Shut up,” Yang Jin said. “Never mind that, check if there’s any similar situation in Qianfan’s records.”

“Qianfan’s port doesn’t have any records,” Fan Fan said, “but I’ll try checking from the Intercontinental Alliance port. Give me a few minutes.”

Bai Yunci’s gaze swept over Dalia. Before him stood a frail girl, but Bai Yunci said, “She’s a natural-born warrior, charging forward fearlessly, unstoppable.”

Fan Fan reported, “Search complete. No relevant data found.”

Yang Jin crouched slightly, facing Dalia squarely, and asked, “Where exactly did you come from?”

Dalia shook her head.

“You’re so strong, how could you be bullied by a few boys?” Yang Jin continued. “Can you explain this detail?”

“I’m tied up by you now, aren’t I?” Dalia said.

“Don’t try to confuse the issue,” Yang Jin said.

“Anyone who tries to bully me, I’ll fight back,” Dalia said. “Initially, I didn’t want trouble, but you know what? Some people won’t leave you alone just because you keep your distance. I was alone, they mocked me; I was short, they mocked me; my eyes were different, they mocked me… I did nothing wrong, but their malice always found a way. I fought them, fought them hard. I liked how it felt, the lethal retaliation of someone who seems weak. Seeing them run away in fear was so satisfying. But I didn’t expect them to bring some strange drug that temporarily disabled me… Haha, see? They only bully the weak.”

“When a little girl is being bullied, where are you big shots?” Dalia’s eyes drooped, her gaze leaving Yang Jin. “I didn’t lie to Xixi; he saved me.”

Following Dalia’s gaze, Yang Jin looked towards Shi Yixi standing at the door.

“Come here.” Yang Jin straightened up and beckoned to Shi Yixi. Shi Yixi obediently walked over, steps a bit slow.

“Why were you standing at the door and daring not to come in?” Yang Jin asked.

“I was afraid of disturbing you,” Shi Yixi said.

Yang Jin said, “There’s no secret here.”

Shi Yixi glanced at the tightly bound Dalia and asked earnestly, “Is she really that dangerous?”

“And if she isn’t?” Yang Jin retorted.

“She’s been kind to me,” Shi Yixi replied sincerely.

“That’s only relative,” Yang Jin said.

“Yixi,” Dalia pleaded, “please save me, I just want to go home.”

“Shut up!” Yang Jin snapped.

Shi Yixi bowed his head as if contemplating, then looked up and asked, “Since we’re all going back anyway, can’t we take her with us?”

“I can’t guarantee her safety,” Yang Jin shook his head. “And just because you saved her doesn’t mean you’re responsible for her. Do you really understand her? Do you know if what she says is true or false? Listen, I don’t judge people based on their gender. There’s only strong or weak, not male or female, old or young. Understand?”

Shi Yixi didn’t know how to respond; he was even having trouble sorting out his own thoughts. Yang Jin had always been a towering figure in his mind. Despite often displaying irresponsibility, it didn’t detract from his seriousness when he was focused. Even though Yang Jin had said many blunt and harsh things to him, Shi Yixi believed Yang Jin was right and treated him well.

But now, seeing Yang Jin treat Dalia like a dangerous object, Shi Yixi couldn’t pinpoint what felt wrong, but something seemed off compared to his expectations.

Subtly, Shi Yixi felt that Yang Jin wasn’t a gentle or kind person; his sense of right and wrong differed from most people’s, and he was indifferent.

“I have an idea,” Bai Yunci suddenly spoke up. He asked Dalia, “Do you want to go home?”

“Yes,” Dalia nodded.

“You can come with us, but before that, you’ll need to help us with something,” Bai Yunci said. “It’s not something grand, but it affects many people. Right now, we need someone with your skills.”

“…” Dalia was stunned, her eyes staring blankly at Bai Yunci.

Yang Jin also understood Bai Yunci’s implication and asked, “She’s unidentified. Are you willing to have a ticking time bomb around?”

“It’s okay,” Bai Yunci smiled. “I can implant a chip in her that monitors all her actions.” He turned back to Dalia and continued, “If you behave, after we finish the mission, I’ll remove it and let you safely go home. But if you don’t cooperate…” He snapped his fingers next to Dalia’s ear, “Boom… I’ll turn you into the most beautiful fireworks.”

“I…,” Dalia seemed hesitant.

“Alright, you’re in,” Bai Yunci didn’t give Dalia a chance to choose, activating the injector. Dalia fell unconscious, and he began implanting the chip inside her body.

Yang Jin pushed Shi Yixi out, saying, “The remaining time isn’t ours, let’s go.”

Shi Yixi remained silent, allowing Yang Jin to manipulate him.

The sudden turn of events did not disrupt the plan.

Two days later, Feng Mang completed the final weapon calibration and called everyone to the laboratory to showcase his research and development achievements.

A sleek, matte black metallic gun hovered on the display table. The gun had no visible seams, and its barrel was longer than Yang Jin’s previous one, appearing more slender as well. When Feng Mang activated the gun, the energy storage area emitted a dim red light.

At that moment, the cold machinery seemed infused with vitality, signaling its power.

“Cool,” Ying Si remarked.

“Yeah,” Feng Mang nodded, “it’s really cool.”

Yang Jin said, “You two stop praising yourselves. Let’s try it out.”

Feng Mang opened up one side of the laboratory wall to extend into a corridor. He took the gun down and handed it to Yang Jin. As soon as Yang Jin gripped it, the gun emitted a mechanical “click” as it adjusted itself automatically to match his body data.

“No worries,” Feng Mang explained, “it’s automatically adjusting to match your usage habits.”

Yang Jin asked, “If it falls into someone else’s hands, will it adjust automatically for them too?”

“Of course not,” Feng Mang replied, “it recognizes only you. You can even connect your AI terminal here; it can chat with you during battles.”

Yang Jin briefly considered Fann’s noisy demeanor and quickly dismissed the idea. He raised the gun, peering through the scope to see a different world.

Feng Mang continued, “There’s a miniature AI terminal in the scope that calculates aiming range, analyzes data, tracks targets, and has penetration capabilities. It can even see through women’s clothes!”

Yang Jin frowned. “You’re really bored.”

Feng Mang chuckled. “Just kidding. Try shooting it.”

Yang Jin’s finger gently squeezed the trigger. The red energy propeller incremented layer by layer, and with a slight press, something shot out almost silently. Almost simultaneously, the metal wall at the end emitted a “bang” as it was penetrated.

Yang Jin looked puzzled.

“Feng Mang and I optimized the propulsion force together with Ying Si. Do you feel like the thrust your body is enduring isn’t as great?” Feng Mang said. “Also, this gun doesn’t use bullets.”

Yang Jin asked, “Then what was it that just shot out?”

“It’s gas,” Ying Si took over, speaking enthusiastically. “Whether it’s air or oxygen, if you like the kind that looks awesome with lightning and sparks flying everywhere, try hydrogen. It comes with a critical hit effect. If used within Earth’s range, air is everywhere, so you don’t need to worry about running out. It’s quiet but extremely powerful, with very neat wound edges. It’s really an essential product for environmentally friendly killing and looting.”

“… ” Yang Jin really wanted to know what nonsense Ying Si was spouting.

“I got this idea from ancient martial arts novels,” Ying Si said with excitement. “In those stories, heroes can use what’s called inner strength. A single palm strike can knock down opponents without even touching them. It’s really cool.”

“… ” Yang Jin looked at Ying Si and said seriously, “Read fewer idle books in the future.”

“Okay,” Feng Mang said, “let’s give your new weapon a name.”

“Why does a weapon need a name?” Yang Jin didn’t understand. “I don’t like naming things.”

“Bullshit!” Ying Si exclaimed. “Who’s the one who’s always excited about nicknaming everyone?”

“That’s different,” Yang Jin shrugged.

Feng Mang said, “But a hero’s weapon must have a decent name to match, like legendary weapons in many ancient myths. Without even a name, it’s like appearing without BGM.”

Yang Jin was exasperated. “Have you all been watching too much random stuff?”

“Hey hey,” Dalia finally spoke from the side. “Could you please look clearly? Does that Yang guy look like a hero at all? Is there a hero who specifically bullies little girls?” She hooked her arm through Shi Yixi’s. “Xi Xi is the real hero.”

All eyes turned to Shi Yixi, who stood frozen in place.

“In that case, you decide,” Yang Jin passed the dilemma to Shi Yixi.

Silence.

“Well, I’ve prepared something for everyone,” Feng Mang awkwardly chuckled. “Including Dalia, though I’m not quite sure what she’s going to do, being fully armed from head to toe is always foolproof.”

Dalia said, “Please give me a heavy artillery cannon. I want to blast that Yang guy’s head off.”

“I support you,” Ying Si immediately became interested. “What kind do you want? I’ll help you make it.”

The two of them surprisingly hit it off immediately.

Yang Jin felt that his dislike for children was justified.

The return was scheduled for the next day, and they barely wasted any time on this journey. This night suddenly loosened up, and thinking about the tasks they were about to face made everything feel surreal.

In the world billions of kilometers away, were those troubles and conflicts even real?

Yang Jin stood alone outside the space factory. The factory, in operation, adjusted its orientation, and the massive gears turned into a dome, blocking the so-called “sky.” Yet, looking up, it was still the boundless and silent universe, with stars so far away.

“Yang Jin.”

Yang Jin turned around and saw Bai Yunci. “What’s up?” he asked.

“I’ve pinpointed the coordinates,” Bai Yunci said. “Sanctum’s lab is in Shacheng. Tomorrow, we’ll fly directly to an uninhabited desert area a hundred kilometers north of Shacheng and set up a temporary rear base.”

“Shacheng…” Yang Jin murmured, as if lost in a profound memory for a second, which then vanished. He smiled and said, “That place is all desert, with a harsh environment. Sanctum chose that spot for a lab—how… unique.”

“Indeed, it’s very harsh, but also sufficiently isolated,” Bai Yunci noted, then shifted the topic, asking, “You have no… issues with that place, right?”

“Don’t worry, Lao Bai,” Yang Jin smiled, his gaze drifting into the infinite depths of space. “We’ve long been accustomed to death. Our ultimate goal is singular—to complete the mission. Any sacrifice for that can be overlooked, and the choice isn’t ours to make. You see, once you step out from here, can you decide where you’ll drift to? You can’t.”

“As long as you have no psychological shadows about that place, that’s good,” Bai Yunci said. “We leave at six tomorrow morning, on the dot.”

“Good thing Feng Mang managed to sync the time here with Earth’s; otherwise, once we return, we wouldn’t know how many years had passed. It might have only been a few days, but everything would have changed dramatically,” Yang Jin mused aloud. “The impact must be immense.”

Bai Yunci remarked, “What’s the matter? Are you afraid of the power of the universe?”

Yang Jin looked at Bai Yunci and suddenly said, “Do you have any misconceptions about the psychological resilience of someone who’s had to kill their comrades with their own hands?”

Bai Yunci looked at Yang Jin for a long moment, then chuckled softly and shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

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