Chapter Sixty-One: The Emotional Android Girl

"Where’s Xiao Si? Where’s Xiao Si?" As Zhuang Xiaoyuan hurriedly approached the battle formation set up by the mecha girls, she turned her head, searching anxiously for any sign of Zhuang Xiaosi.

"Hey, you." Just as Zhuang Xiaoyuan drew near the defensive line, still unable to find Zhuang Xiaosi and growing increasingly worried, the older mecha girl who had just been directing the troop formations called out to her.

"Me?" Zhuang Xiaoyuan pointed at herself in confusion, slowing down as she approached the senior mecha girl. She’d already checked every possible hiding place nearby, but still hadn’t spotted even a glimpse of Zhuang Xiaosi. Since she’d been called over, she decided she might as well ask this commander about Zhuang Xiaosi’s whereabouts.

"Yes, you. You’re with Logistics Sequence 19, Transport Unit, aren’t you? Quickly, bring the energy replenishment devices over here." The senior mecha girl beckoned her over with an impatient gesture.

"Wait, I’m not—" Zhuang Xiaoyuan instantly realized the older girl had mistaken her for someone else. She hurried to clarify that she wasn’t from the logistics transport group.

"Don’t waste time, this is a critical moment! When will the next batch of energy arrive?" Before she could finish, the senior mecha girl cut her off sharply, her brows furrowing and eyes narrowing at Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s hesitation, as if deeply dissatisfied with her sluggishness.

"Um, I’m really not—" Although the stern gaze made her somewhat self-conscious—especially since she was searching for someone on personal business while everyone else was fighting desperately—Zhuang Xiaoyuan pressed on, unwilling to let the misunderstanding escalate.

"Not what? Didn’t you just bring the energy over? Why are you so talkative? What’s your serial number?" The senior mecha girl seemed all the more annoyed by Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s stalling, her expression growing even more imposing. Oddly, she seemed quite adept at expressing emotion—something Zhuang Xiaoyuan hadn’t expected, since she’d assumed all mecha girls were as emotionally inexpressive as Zhuang Xiaosi.

"My… serial number? Um… I think it’s 99-0." The intensity of the older girl’s expression startled Zhuang Xiaoyuan so much that she nearly forgot her own number. Thankfully, Zhuang Xiaosi had called her by it several times before, so she managed to recall and report it.

"99-0? You’re from that experiment?… I see. My apologies, it seems there’s been a misunderstanding. But experimental models aren’t assigned support missions. Why are you here?"

"I’m looking for Xiao Si." Relieved to finally clear up the confusion, Zhuang Xiaoyuan relaxed somewhat, though she still found it odd that so many seemed to recognize her.

"Xiao Si?" The senior mecha girl’s face registered doubt. Mecha girls didn’t have names like that—only serial numbers. There were only a handful who’d fully developed a sense of self, and none had named themselves Xiao Si.

"Oh, you mean 10-4?" Seeing the confusion, Zhuang Xiaoyuan realized mecha girls only had serial numbers, not names. She hesitated, then recalled Zhuang Xiaosi’s number and gave it—she was fairly certain she hadn’t remembered wrong.

"10-4, from the assault team. She’s your instructor, isn’t she? So the mentor for the ninety-ninth experimental unit is… Well, since it’s you, I’ll make an exception and tell you. The 10-series is still ahead, in the assault squad. They charged into that horde of unknown creatures earlier. By now, they should have already fallen back, but they haven’t returned—something must have delayed them. Are you going after them?"

The senior mecha girl’s expression was difficult to read—surprise, anticipation, interest, and hope all flickered across her face. Zhuang Xiaoyuan found it hard to believe such complex emotion could appear on a mecha girl’s face; her previous assumptions about their emotional limitations were steadily crumbling.

"Yes, I’m going. Xiao Si—10-4—might be in danger." Nodding, Zhuang Xiaoyuan looked out at the teeming mass of fiends. Zhuang Xiaosi and her squad had charged straight in—weren’t they afraid of being cut off? She still didn’t fully understand the combat capabilities of mecha girls; so far, she’d only seen them hold off mid- to lower-tier fiends with impressive firepower.

"Very well. I’ll have my girls clear a path for you. Will you be alright on your own?" The senior mecha girl smiled, nodded, and gestured toward the swarming monsters.

"I’ll be fine. I’ll find her, thank you." Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s expression hardened with determination. The trial mission was important, but compared to that, she was far more concerned about Zhuang Xiaosi’s safety—about that childlike girl so emotionally stunted she barely understood her own feelings.

She hadn’t known Zhuang Xiaosi long, but the girl’s inability to express emotion, and the dazzling light in her eyes when she received her own name, lingered in Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s heart.

Sometimes fate works in mysterious ways. Some people can live together for decades and remain strangers; others feel an instant kinship upon first meeting. Zhuang Xiaoyuan didn’t know what Zhuang Xiaosi thought, but she truly felt an inexplicable connection.

Perhaps all mecha girls were emotionally distant; perhaps only Zhuang Xiaosi was suppressing feelings she didn’t understand. Either way, Zhuang Xiaosi was utterly alone—otherwise, she wouldn’t be so pure, so naïve about emotions. So Zhuang Xiaoyuan wanted to be her first friend.

"No need to thank me. If you succeed, it’ll help these young battle sisters as well. I’m looking forward to your performance." Wearing a faintly mysterious smile, the senior mecha girl waved, then turned to her squad and called out, "Girls, concentrate your fire! Open a path for our comrade through the horde!"

With her command, the assembled mecha girls unleashed a sudden barrage, launching all their reserved missiles and firing their cannons, focusing their attack on the center of the fiendish mass and blasting open a wide gap.

"She’s looking forward to my performance…? What about these energy replenishment devices?" Puzzled by the senior’s meaningful expression, Zhuang Xiaoyuan raised the devices in her hand.

"Take them all. We can hold the line a bit longer. The logistics team’s supplies should be here soon. Go now." The senior mecha girl clapped her on the shoulder and pointed toward the newly opened breach.

"Thank you. Thank you all. I’ll bring them out soon." Knowing that time was short and that the gap wouldn’t last, Zhuang Xiaoyuan wasted no more words. She thanked them hurriedly, then shot forward, accelerating into the opening the mecha girls had carved.