The artificial sunlight was cast from the false skylight on time, Ruan Xian opened his eyes, and Tang Yibu, who was beside him, was no longer there.

The last seven days of life have been mere repetition. Without the official ID card of the sanctuary, Ruan Xian was able to visit very limited areas. Since leaving the medical center, he has not been able to return to the lively hall, but has basically stayed in the room for 24 hours. Tang Yibu would go to Guan Haiming at 8 o'clock every day to correct the data, and then retrieve the food at the meal time.

The rest of the time, Tang Yibu would stay quietly in the room to clean, or hum a song while watching Ruan Xian rehab day and night, so idle and irritating. Ding Zepeng came here occasionally two days ago. Later, it seemed that he had a temporary task to prepare, and he rarely showed up again.

After the first night, Ruan Xian never asked Tang Yibu any questions again. He focused all his energy on the information and opportunities at his fingertips—as long as he was awake, Ruan Xian was in all likelihood practicing his coordination in the rehabilitation machine while playing "The Shade Refuge" over and over again. Introduction Manual.

He is breathing today and will continue to breathe tomorrow, and that is enough. Compared with the days of the lingering sickbed, the current situation is far from the dead end.

Ruan Xian managed to keep the fear and anxiety firmly in his heart.

But his calm could not drive Tang Yibu out of bed. The eccentric android would be persistently hugged every night, like he was an egg that needed body temperature to hatch.

For the sake of improving sleep quality, Ruan Xian did not protest.

And just today, the week-long observation period is finally coming to an end. When Tang Yibu came back here again, he would have to say goodbye to this small room where he lived for seven days, and then get an official ID card.

Ruan Xian sat up from the bed.

His shelter uniform, underwear, and socks were neatly folded on the low bedside cabinet. A plate of fluffy potato bread and steaming boiled beans rested on a wooden table not far away.

Dress expertly and jump to the ground. This time he didn't touch the crutches that were beside the bed, but went straight to the bathroom and took off the camouflage bandage around his neck.

Throwing the bandages into the trash shredder, he looked directly at the no longer unfamiliar face in the mirror, showing a small, social smile.

……Everything is ready.

But it wasn't Tang Yibu who came back to deliver the card, but a woman—or rather, a female android.

The person who came was wearing a black uniform designed for androids, with a bright smile on his face that was exactly the same as that of Tang Yibu. She is a whole head shorter than Ruan Xian, her nose is slightly upturned, and her face is pretty and cute: "str-x type 152d085 is here for you."

Leaning forward slightly, 085 handed the Refuge ID Card with both hands: "Mr. Ruan Lijie, please come with me, I will take you to the ability testing site."

"What about 231?"

The female android tilted her head, but her expression did not fluctuate: "231 has ended your surveillance mission, and is currently waiting in the parts cleaning room according to instructions."

"Why replace my android?"

"Report, no replacement. As stipulated, the surveillance period is over and you no longer need the long-term escort of auxiliary machinery."

Ruan Xian carefully observed the female android in front of her. Like Tang Yibu, she had a fake human appearance, and her eyes were champagne gold with a metallic texture.

But there was a subtle difference, and Ruan Xian always felt that the android in front of him had an indescribable sense of emptiness. He followed her quietly, passing through all kinds of machines and survivors, occasionally asking a few questions naturally.

Common sense questions are fine. Faced with certain types of questions, she will only give him an answer.

"What was this shelter originally used for?"

"Beyond the scope of consultation, please select another question. str-x type 152d085 is at your service."

"Do you think it's safe here?"

"Beyond the scope of consultation, please select another question. str-x type 152d085 is at your service."

"Why are you here?"

"Beyond the scope of consultation, please choose another question. str-x type 152d085 is at your service." No matter how many times she asked, she would always repeat this, the smile on her face as stiff as it was carved.

"Don't ask Brother Ruan, she can only execute the set instructions. This is a android whose electronic brain has been destroyed, the same as 231."

Ding Zepeng strolled over with potato bread in his mouth and gestured vaguely, but the exoskeleton that was used for walking was no longer on his legs. "I just bumped into 231 in the parts cleaning room. He said you came to take the test... Brother Ruan, do you want to have a meal together at noon? Brother Chi has been discharged from the hospital, and Lao Zhang is fine, so let's celebrate together."

"Of course." Ruan Xian smiled and patted Ding Zepeng's shoulder.

"Okay, I'll go get ready now." The young man swallowed the bread in his mouth and was beaming. "The test can be completed in a while, it's very simple, don't worry!"

The test was indeed not as complicated as Ruan Xian thought.

The content is basically the most basic physical test. The test room was empty, and 085 put dozens of thin wireless sensors on him, and gave him a communication headset. A number of long-necked machines moved up and down around him like snakes waiting for an opportunity to prey.

Ruan Xian ignored them, just listened to the instructions in the earphones, and performed the actions in the instructions step by step - twisting the joints, facing a specific direction, pulling a specified weight at a specific angle, or dealing with the soles of the feet. Slow treadmill.

"Strength 87100, stamina 92100, reaction speed 100100. Vision, hearing, and flexibility of the body are all good, and there is no obvious hidden disease in the organs. Very excellent."

The voice coming from the earphone was like Tian Zuru's: "...but your movement method is too jerky, your posture and breathing are obviously wrong, and your coordination can only be regarded as low. It requires professional guidance and regular exercise.”

Ruan Xian wiped his sweat with the towel attached to the nearest machine, nodded, and was convinced. In just seven days, he was able to run decently beyond expectations, and naturally he had no athletic skills at all.

"You can choose from many positions. Based on your physical fitness, you can choose explorers if you work outside. If you don't want to go out, mechanical maintenance personnel and underground power management personnel with low pay are also good. Considering your personal situation, I will Personally recommend that you start with indoor work and adjust your mental state first."

"Mr. Tian—"

"We will issue an explanatory report later. You can check the detailed work content and give a reply after half a month." Although Tian He's voice was weak, there was still something unquestionable.

It seems that the mediocre grades in the "Ruan Lijie" profile do have an impact, and the other party has already dismissed him from the mental labor candidate in advance. Indoor positions do sound safe, but are relatively occluded. If it's logical to get more information...

"I want to be an explorer and save people like Brother Chi and the others." Ruan Xian put down the sweaty towel and said decisively.

"Don't be too hasty to make a decision." Tian He replied indifferently, with no hint of approval in his tone.

Then the leader of the sanctuary paused for a few seconds, then coughed for a while before speaking again: "Well, Zhang Yazhe's team has no major tasks recently... You can transfer a backup auxiliary machine and act with them from today, feel the The work of the explorers. Just let them take you to coordinate your athletic ability. If you can't stick with it, you can change your mind at any time, how about it?"

"Okay." Ruan Xian did not hesitate.

After half an hour.

"...You agree?!"

Before lunch began, Ding Zepeng, who heard the news, widened his eyes and almost dropped the spoon in his hand on the ground. "Hey Brother Ruan, this half month is your only long vacation here, why are you so incapable of thinking about it?"

The restaurant is very lively. Zhang Yazhe and Chi Lei sat on the opposite side of the table without saying a word.

An unfamiliar gray machine stopped behind them. Its size is close to that of a Great Dane without a head. The four mechanical legs of the beast are long and strong, and the top is a tangled cross structure, which is shaped like a pair of giant hands tightly clasped in prayer. The metal and the cable are entangled with each other, and the place that should have been the "thumb" was vacant, replaced by a green aperture. Pale quivering tissue emerged from the gap between steel and plastic, like the skin of a living creature.

It stood quietly. Those pale tissues rose and fell regularly, as if they were really breathing.

This is the first time Ruan Xian has taken a closer look at the machinery here. It has to be said that even if he is used to seeing all kinds of weird test items, the things in front of him are enough to make him horrified.

Even turning his eyes back to the roast chicken in front of him, he lost most of his appetite.

"...And he brought this thing back." Chi Lei put his hands on his forehead.

Tang Yibu stood behind Ruan Xian with his hands behind his back, with a bright smile on his face: "Str-y type 307a231 is here for you."

"After all, Brother Ruan has been taken care of by 231 for so long, and he doesn't know about other types of auxiliary machines. It's good to start with androids." Xiao Ding immediately made a round.

"085 just took him." Chi Lei snorted.

"According to the facts, I think Mr. Ruan Lijie likes me more." Tang Yibu's tone was standard and brisk.

Ruan Xian took a deep breath, and the smile on his face almost couldn't hold back: "Xiao Ding knows me, so I just want to pick someone familiar. Xiao Ding, who is behind Brother Chi...?"

"Oh, that's a police model, more focused on attack." Ding Zepeng stuffed a boiled potato into his mouth, "To be honest, it's much easier to use than a android. The 231 is a very old model. Brother Zhang, I remember you told me—"

"I said, 231 is the batch of androids before the original machine came out."

Zhang Yazhe smiled reluctantly, glanced at Ruan Xian, and there was a bit of distress on his face.

"Their brains are indeed electronic brains, but most of the body is composed of human tissue. It is not easy to distinguish, and there are many problems involved. Production was discontinued before the Great Rebellion. Later bionics all used artificial cells produced by the original machine... ...well, then again, the A- and S-types were destroyed too early, and all we can catch now is the D-type."

He simply turned to Ruan Xian and pointed at the strange machine behind him with his chopsticks: "Xiao Ruan, don't be afraid. These are not living creatures, at most bionics, and their cells are essentially micro-machines."

Ruan Xian nodded and squeezed his chopsticks tightly.

This is the second time he has heard information related to the "S-type initial machine".

"It's still too late to change. In the past, there were not enough attack-type auxiliary machines. We had to give them to the novice team. Now there should be a few left for the police. You can apply to Guan Haiming." Chi Lei added. "If you really want to do this, you'd better pick a good partner from the start."

"Thank you Brother Chi, but don't need it." Ruan Xian maintained a smile on his face quite tired, and squeezed words from between his teeth. "I...I like it quite a bit, it's better to give yourself a little challenge."

Chi Lei snorted loudly: "It's not too much trouble."

"Old Chi!" Zhang Yazhe cleared his throat vigorously.

"Isn't anyone allowed to tell the truth?" Chi Lei lowered his face and put his chopsticks down. "Guan Haiming gave this guy the information, I think everyone has seen it, which way can I teach this kid how to play guns? With such a face and a better model, I don't want to go with him. Unknown people act together. Last time Qiu Yue went to the field, what Lao Xing and the others found almost killed her, have they forgotten?"

"But Haiming didn't say anything this time." Ding Zepeng whispered.

"That's because Guan Haiming's brain is rarely sober. He sits in the room all day and plays alcohol and music to himself, so you can bear him."

"Old Chi, come here, I'll have a word with you." Zhang Yazhe stood up directly and patted Chi Lei on the shoulder. Then he pulled him away from the table and walked towards the corner of the dining room. The terrifying police auxiliary machine obediently followed behind the two.

"Brother Chi is...a bit suspicious. At the beginning, there were many newcomers who used androids to help. Brother Ruan, please take care." Ding Zepeng put two pieces of chicken in Ruan Xian's bowl.

"It's alright, it was just to cause you trouble." Ruan Xian responded mildly, and carelessly pulled the meat into his mouth.

His mind was not at the dinner table.

The noise in the hall should have completely covered the conversation between Zhang Yazhe and Chi Lei. But after Ruan Xian focused his attention, the noises seemed to sink to the bottom of the water, and the voices of the two became clearer.

Hearing increased, the same feeling he had just woken up from the ruins.

"Lao Chi, I understand what you think, but you have to pay attention to the way you speak." Zhang Yazhe sighed fiercely, "The young man has done nothing wrong, not to mention that he has just been brought back, and his spirit is definitely not stable."

"Isn't it better to run away? And half of what I said is true. I really don't like that kid, intuition." Chi Lei's anger disappeared, but he still sounded in a bad mood.

"Take two simple tasks and do something to make him retreat, and it won't take a few days."

"It won't take a few days? Qiu Yue didn't tell you about Tian He's physical condition? Tian He, that bastard, is waiting to die, and he won't send anyone to the city when he is so sick!... Qiu Yue has already helped us get his Physical data, the sooner we get back from the city to replace the internal organs, the sooner he will recover."

"I think Laotian may have noticed a little bit when he pushed the newcomer over at this time. Lao Chi, haven't you counted how dangerous the city is? There is no backup for private operations. While training Xiao Ruan, we can investigate for a while."

"I fucking-"

"Think about it for Xiao Ding! Is it useful in a hurry? It's a joke when you are so young and put your life in our hands?"

"...Sorry. I just can't take this breath. Several groups of people have brought back resources from the city, and it's not impossible to get his internal organs. Let the doctor's wife watch him die, Tian He is really fucking cruel, Qiu Why didn't Yue scold him to death?"

"I can't figure it out either. Sigh, I'll deal with Xiao Ruan's side first, and you continue to check the route."

"Um."

"Also, I'll go and make amends later."

"Tsk."

Ruan Xian calmed down and focused his energy more. As a result, he overdid it - the surrounding sound was like a dam bursting, and all his brains rushed to his ears. There was a sharp pain in both ears, and Ruan Xian's face immediately paled.

A pair of warm hands covered his ears from behind, and the rumbling disappeared almost immediately. A few seconds later, Tang Yibu withdrew his hands.

"Why?" Xiao Ding asked curiously while chewing on the chicken. Ruan Xian shook his head and found that the surrounding volume had returned to normal.

"It's nothing, maybe my hair is messed up. I'll ask 231 to help me pay attention to my appearance." Ruan Xian rubbed his ears as naturally as possible, and looked at Zhang Yazhe and Chi Lei who were walking back.

"I had a problem with my attitude just now." Chi Lei threw out a sentence stubbornly, sat back where he was, and started to eat with his head down.

"I talked to Lao Chi. Xiao Ruan, don't take it to heart. Tomorrow, Brother Zhang will take you to pick up screws and go around. We have nothing to do recently, and you don't have to be too burdened."

Lao Zhang smiled honestly and sincerely, but Ruan Xian caught the incongruity in his expression——

This time, Zhang Yazhe lied.

"Cheers, everyone will have no unpleasantness in the future." Lao Zhang raised a metal cup with light salt water. "Come, come, and celebrate the addition of Comrade Ruan Lijie, the return of 231 to the team!"

"Thank you Brother Zhang." Ruan Xian stared at Lao Zhang's eyes, took the cup in his hand, and drank it.

"...I will trouble you to take care of me in the future."