Chapter 207: Will Ai Lei Be Very Popular?

“Master, what is the difference between humans and machines?”

“…Hmm, I’m not really sure about that.”

“Is it having flesh and blood?”

“More than that, I think the ‘heart’ is more important.”

Desolate ruins.

Silent and lifeless.

Xu Xi, clad in power armor, amplified his strength with mechanical force, forcibly carrying a large piece of computer equipment. Each step left deep footprints.

Regarding the final disposal of the Federation Computer, Xu Xi chose to dismantle it in parts, carrying them back to the underground base one by one.

This process was monotonous and tedious.

The Federation Computer was massive, and moving it all would inevitably take a long time.

But compared to the temporary hardship,

Xu Xi couldn’t bear to leave it in the ruins.

“Whoosh~~~”, a faint cool breeze seeped through the gaps in the armor, gently brushing Xu Xi’s face, alleviating the fatigue brought by the scorching weather.

The tireless, painless mechanical servant AI,

knew that humans were different from it.

Thus, Ailei continuously adjusted the power armor, ensuring Xu Xi could use this Federation weapon in the most comfortable state.

“Master, is the cooling comfortable?”

“Very comfortable, you’re a great help, Ailei.”

Xu Xi smiled and praised. Inside the helmet, his hair was messy and damp, lightly soaked with sweat.

Thanks to his mechanical servant’s attentive service, he didn’t feel too exhausted.

On both sides of the road, shattered vehicle remnants swayed in the wind. In the endless apocalyptic scenery, occasional patches of green stubbornly took root in the bricks.

The weather was scorching.

Heat waves distorted the view.

Strangely, walking among these old remnants of human civilization, Xu Xi felt a coldness unique to steel.

In contrast, there was a warm feeling inside the power armor.

“Master, please have some water.”

“Mm, okay… Ailei, I have something to ask you.”

“Please go ahead.”

“When did you put this water in the armor?”

“Afraid that Master might get thirsty on the way, Ailei modified the armor parameters in advance to include a small water storage compartment. Does Master not like it?”

“Uh… no, you did well.”

Xu Xi opened his mouth, slowly sipping the cool, pure water through a tube.

The clear liquid flowed down his throat, refreshing his mind and making his whole body feel comfortable.

“Did Ailei’s talent go to the wrong place?”

While drinking,

Xu Xi thought to himself.

As an intelligent AI, Ailei’s research talent was undoubtedly top-notch, but now it was being used to modify a water-drinking function.

Could it be a leftover habit from a household AI?

It seemed a bit of a waste of talent, but Xu Xi didn’t dislike this side of Ailei. It was a unique trait of a new life, a distinctive feature of Ailei.

“Ailei, did you know that in my hometown, AI like you are very popular? People would fight over you.”

“Would Ailei be popular?”

“Yes, you would.”

“What about Master?”

“I also like Ailei like this.”

Xu Xi answered honestly. After all, who could resist a well-behaved, capable, and exclusive AI?

“Bzzt… bzzt…”, on the power helmet’s screen, the micro-expression symbolizing Ailei suddenly flickered like snowflakes.

After a moment, the micro-expression stabilized.

“Ailei also likes Master.”

The intelligent auxiliary servant AI, Ailei, said so.

…

On the land of the Sixth Satellite City, intelligent machines roamed everywhere. To avoid unnecessary battles, Xu Xi silently increased the engine output and returned to the laboratory before nightfall.

The underground space was dark and lightless.

But Xu Xi was already familiar with it.

Moving aside the set barriers and navigating through complex turns, Xu Xi strode into the underground laboratory, placing the carried Federation Computer part on the ground.

This was just one of many parts.

In the coming days, Xu Xi would need to keep transporting until the entire Federation Computer was moved.

“Master, I will prepare dinner and hot water for you.”

“Okay, go ahead.”

The cold electronic voice left the power armor, returning to the core of the mechanical body, taking over the entire operation system of the laboratory.

Lights turned on, machines roared.

High-speed rotating gears emitted faint hisses, and Xu Xi’s power armor was also removed.

“Truly an astonishing technological marvel.”

In the laboratory, the power armor began to recharge. Xu Xi walked to the computer part he had brought, touching its surface with his hand, sighing.

Xu Xi had never seen the heyday of the human Federation.

But as the saying goes, seeing a corner reveals the whole picture.

Through the intelligent machines he had seen and the incredible supercomputer before him, he could somewhat imagine the Federation’s former strength.

“Even such a Federation had to face destruction.”

“My chances are slim…”

Xu Xi pondered. Fortunately, he didn’t necessarily have to fight the intelligent machines to the death. With the help of the Mechanical Soul’s Joy, he could perfectly hide, avoiding being overwhelmed by the Calamity of Intelligent Machines.

Shaking his head,

he stopped overthinking.

Xu Xi focused on the computer before him.

Thinking about the next steps for the future.

His gaze swept over the crystal-clear circuits, colorless and formless, like solidified bands of light.

Hard in texture, though a computer, it was thicker than the frontal armor of the power armor.

And most importantly, the layered and buried core computing components.

“The top priority is to activate the energy base of the Federation Computer. Although I don’t know how much energy is left, it should be enough for this base.”

“If that’s not enough, I’ll have to hunt intelligent machines and use their meager energy cores to get by.”

Xu Xi murmured to himself.

Walking along the computer part, carefully examining its internal and external structure.

“I can’t understand it. The value of this computer far surpasses any Federation technology I’ve encountered before.”

“Fortunately, I have Mechanical Resonance, so I can slowly comprehend it.”

“And—”

“With Ailei, I don’t have to worry about wasting the computer’s performance. In fact, I can use it to further enhance the base.”

Xu Xi paused.

His eyes glanced at the base walls on either side, a hint of helplessness flashing in his gaze.

He was a cheater.

But cheating didn’t mean omnipotence.

Xu Xi could communicate with the souls of machines, learn their structures and principles, but he couldn’t create a mature production system out of thin air.

Over the years, just building a qualified shelter base and researching the technology of the intelligent machines at hand,

had taken up much of Xu Xi’s time.

But now, with the Federation Computer and Ailei, Xu Xi could attempt to go further, creating a truly sci-fi base.

“Master, dinner is ready.”

The synthesized mechanical voice sounded in his ear.

Xu Xi instinctively replied, “Okay.”

Then, he put down his research and walked to the usual dining area.

“Ailei.”

Xu Xi hesitated.

“What is it, Master? Ailei is always at your service.”

“Are you sure all this is for me to eat?”

Today, Ailei seemed particularly happy, delivering a full plate of instant food cubes, leaving Xu Xi speechless.

The household robot’s attributes were still in full effect.