The cramped workers' dormitory was damp and stifling hot.
Si Yiheng's hair at his forehead was plastered with sweat, and even his white T-shirt was soaked through, the wet fabric clinging to the lean, powerful muscles of his abdomen.
But at this moment, his brows were cold and heavy.
Iron Egg: [Hello, host. Welcome to the new world.]
[Your identity is a robot repairman.]
[Monthly salary: three thousand, but right now you've run into a scumbag boss who's withholding your wages.]
[All you have to do is complete the system's mission and fall in love with your target, and you'll turn your fate around.]
[You'll get startup funding—a whole ten thousand yuan.]
Iron Egg's mechanical voice trailed off, but Si Yiheng still gave no response.
Iron Egg coughed. [Not even a little tempted?]
Si Yiheng: "...No."
Si Yiheng had figured out the situation from this idiot system.
He had died suddenly from overwork in his original world and transmigrated into this tech-advanced era, where robots were widely used.
But a massive number of broken robots needed fixing, which required a huge workforce of robot repairmen.
Such repairmen were a dime a dozen, doing backbreaking manual labor.
And the unlucky ones—no contract, no benefits—were practically working under the table.
As for him, he'd hit the subcontractor of a subcontractor, which was the very bottom of the food chain.
Iron Egg: [I don't believe you. Open your eyes and take a look at your mission target. I refuse to believe your heart stays empty.]
Si Yiheng: "..."
Si Yiheng remained unmoved.
A fellow worker called him to start the shift. Si Yiheng changed clothes, grabbed his toolbox, and headed out.
Seeing Si Yiheng's grim face, the worker was full of question marks.
Finally, all those question marks turned into one sentence: "You sick or something? Dressing up all clean just to go fix robots?"
Si Yiheng stayed stone-faced and silent.
The worker: "...Si Yiheng, who are you trying to fool? You've only got a decent face. You think you're some kind of CEO?"
"You're just a primary school dropout—all you can do is slave away fixing robots."
"If you tried to be a gigolo, people would pass on you just for your lack of education."
The more the worker talked, the darker Si Yiheng's face got.
Primary school dropout?
Iron Egg: [See? You've got nothing to be proud of. You wouldn't even make it as a gigolo.]
Si Yiheng finally took a deep breath and slowly said, "Not interested."
Iron Egg: [So, do you want to win a wife, then?]
Si Yiheng's thin eyelids lifted slightly. "No."
Iron Egg: [If you don't do the mission, you'll be wiped out. Just wait to die.]
Si Yiheng: "Mm."
Iron Egg: [...]
Unbelievable. "Forever and ever" was what you said, but you won't do a single task.
Ugh, forget it.
Iron Egg couldn't stand looking at Si Yiheng anymore and immediately ditched him to go check on his precious Yu Bao.
At that moment, Shu Yu was in her cramped rented room, head down, drawing.
The AC was broken, and even the fan only blew out hot air.
Shu Yu had moved out of her parents' house half a month ago. They'd said if she left, she couldn't use a single cent of their money.
So with the little she had, she'd rented this run-down place—a two-bedroom, one-living-room unit.
The rent was split for a shared rental, but the other tenant hadn't moved in yet, so for now, Shu Yu lived there alone.
It was cheap precisely because it was so shabby.
She couldn't find anywhere cheaper to call home.
At first, Shu Yu had wanted to make something of herself out in the world, then go back home and show her parents she wasn't as useless as they always said.
But little by little, she'd come to realize the truth.
She'd studied hard, skipped grades, and still placed first at a top university—and never once earned their love.
By now, she should've understood.
If they don't love you, they don't love you.
No matter how well you do, you'll never be loved.
And even more than that—because she was terrified of people, she couldn't even hold down a normal job outside.
Shu Yu took a deep breath of warm, heavy air.
She would work hard to live better, for herself.
Iron Egg watched Shu Yu, fine sweat beading on the tip of her nose, and his heart ached. He fanned her gently.
A cool breeze brushed past, and Shu Yu tucked away a loose strand of hair before continuing to draw.
But her commission orders were few and far between. After finishing this hundred-and-fifty-yuan bust portrait, she had no idea where the next one would come from.
Well, no matter—today she'd earned a hundred fifty.
But ordering takeout was definitely out of the question. She'd have to go out soon and buy some groceries.
Iron Egg blew air at Shu Yu for a while before finally remembering Si Yiheng.
Back at Si Yiheng's side, Si Yiheng had just gotten off work. The gear oil from robot parts had stained his clothes all over.
The worker said, "Every day they say wages are coming, but when are they actually going to pay?"
"Damn subcontractor—if he doesn't pay soon, I'll really go after him."
Si Yiheng lifted his eyelids. "Talking won't do anything."
The worker looked at Si Yiheng's tall, sturdy build and swallowed. "Let's go demand it together."
Si Yiheng: "Not going."
The worker: "If you don't, how are you going to support yourself?"
Si Yiheng curled his lip and gave a faint, cold smile. "I'm alone. Live or die, either way it's fine."
Having come to this strange world, he'd already lost the chance to find her.
Iron Egg: [...]
Iron Egg desperately wanted to tell Si Yiheng that the person he was looking for was literally his mission target.
But he couldn't say it.
The worker looked at the tall, broad-shouldered Si Yiheng with pleading eyes. "I'm begging you. I've got a wife and kids. Just come with me."
"If he sends people to beat me up, you just call the cops."
An hour later, Si Yiheng was left at the entrance of a rundown residential complex, waiting to call the police.
He sat on the steps, covered in grime, his gaze cold and wary like a wolf poised to strike, watching every passerby.
Shu Yu was walking down the road with a pile of instant noodles in her arms. In the end, all she'd bought was a pile of instant noodles and six small cabbages.
She didn't know how to cook anything else anyway.
Instant noodles it was.
Different flavors swapped around counted as variety, plus a little boiled cabbage on the side.
Shu Yu wore a mask covering most of her face, leaving only a pair of beautiful eyes exposed.
As she walked, she noticed a figure crouching not far ahead. Before she even reached him, her nerves began to fray, and she instinctively lowered her head.
Then, suddenly, a cold, sharp gaze swept over her.
Shu Yu: w(ﾟДﾟ)w
Startled, she looked up for just a second and saw the man looked like a very dirty stray dog.
She hurriedly dropped her head again and rushed past him quickly.
But Si Yiheng was stunned for a moment.
And in that instant of shock, a pack of instant noodles landed in front of him.
Not far away, Shu Yu swallowed nervously. When she saw him look over, she turned and walked away fast—nearly running—head bowed.
Yet all Si Yiheng could think about was those eyes—clear, jet-black, that exact same eye shape.
He'd looked at her, and she'd flinched like a frightened cat, darting off in a panic.
Iron Egg huffed with smug satisfaction. [Pretty, right? Adorable, right?]
