Chapter 207:

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

“…Hmm, that’s a tough question for me too.”

“Is it having a flesh-and-blood body?”

“I think the heart is more important than that.”

The desolate ruins lay silent and lifeless.

Dressed in power armor, Xu Xi enhanced his strength through mechanical resonance, forcibly carrying a large computer component. Each step left a deep footprint in the ground.

Regarding the final handling of the Federation’s computer, Xu Xi decided to disassemble it in batches and transport it back to the underground base piece by piece.

The process was dull and repetitive.

The massive size of the Federation computer meant that moving it all would take a considerable amount of time.

But compared to the temporary hardship, Xu Xi couldn’t bear to leave it behind in the ruins.

A light breeze slipped through the armor’s seams, brushing against his face and alleviating the fatigue caused by the scorching heat.

Unlike humans, the AI assistant Ailei never tired and felt no pain. She understood their differences and constantly adjusted the power armor to ensure Xu Xi’s comfort while operating the Federation’s war machine.

“Master, is the cooling effect comfortable?”

“Yes, it’s perfect. You’re a great help, Ailei,” Xu Xi said with a smile.

Inside the helmet, his damp hair clung to his forehead, soaked with sweat.

Thanks to Ailei’s thoughtful adjustments, he didn’t feel too exhausted.

On both sides of the road, remnants of shattered vehicles swayed in the wind. Amidst the endless apocalyptic scene, patches of green stubbornly took root in the cracks of stone bricks.

The heat distorted the scenery before him.

Strangely, walking through the remnants of human civilization, Xu Xi felt the coldness of steel pressing down on him… contrasting with the slight warmth inside the power armor.

“Master, please have some water.”

“Oh, sure… Ailei, I have a question for you.”

“Please ask, Master.”

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

“I modified the armor’s parameters in advance to create a small water storage compartment, fearing you might get thirsty along the way. Do you not like it?”

“…No, you did great.”

Xu Xi took a sip through a small tube, the cool water flowing down his throat, refreshing his mind and body.

“Did Ailei’s talents get misallocated?”

As he drank, he pondered.

Despite being an AI with top-tier research capabilities, Ailei was using her talents to upgrade the armor’s hydration system…

Was this an old habit from her days as a household assistant AI?

It might be a waste of potential, but Xu Xi didn’t mind. This was Ailei’s unique charm—an aspect that made her distinct and special as a new lifeform.

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

“Would Ailei be popular?”

“Yes, very much.”

“What about Master?”

“I like Ailei just the way you are,” Xu Xi replied honestly. After all, who could resist a well-behaved, competent AI assistant?

On the helmet’s screen, Ailei’s micro-expression flickered like static snowflakes for a moment before stabilizing again.

“Ailei likes Master too,” she responded sweetly.

…

On the land of the Sixth Satellite City, countless wandering intelligent machines roamed. To avoid unnecessary conflict, Xu Xi increased the power output and returned to the underground laboratory before nightfall.

The underground space was dark and silent, but he was already accustomed to it.

Moving aside the obstacles and navigating through the complex pathways, Xu Xi finally entered the underground lab and placed the heavy computer components on the ground.

This was only one of many.

Over the coming days, he would need to keep transporting parts until the entire Federation computer was relocated.

“Master, I’ll prepare your dinner and hot water.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

Ailei’s synthetic voice, which had been operating through the power armor, returned to the lab’s control core and took over its operations.

Lights turned on, machines hummed to life, and gears spun at high speed, producing a faint buzzing sound as the power armor detached from Xu Xi’s body.

“What an incredible piece of technological achievement…”

With a sigh, Xu Xi walked over to the computer parts, brushing his hand across the surface with admiration.

He had never witnessed the Federation at its peak, but as the saying goes, “You can infer the whole from a part.”

From the intelligent machines he’d encountered to the astonishing supercomputer before him, he could vaguely imagine the might of the Federation in its prime.

“Even a civilization as powerful as the Federation couldn’t escape destruction.”

“My chances of survival are slim…”

Xu Xi contemplated. Fortunately, he didn’t have to fight the machines head-on. With the help of Machine Soul Joy, he could stay hidden and avoid being swallowed by the mechanical catastrophe.

Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the computer parts in front of him, planning his next steps.

His eyes scanned the intricate crystalline circuits—translucent, solid, and resembling ribbons of light.

The structure was durable, and despite being a computer, its armor was even thicker than that of his power suit.

But the most crucial part lay buried within—layer upon layer of the core processing units.

“My priority is to activate the energy base of the Federation computer. I’m not sure how much energy is left, but it should be enough for my base.”

“If not, I’ll have to go out hunting intelligent machines and make do with their scarce energy cores.”

Xu Xi murmured to himself, carefully examining the components inside and out.

“This thing is way beyond the Federation tech I’ve seen before.”

“Good thing I have mechanical resonance; I can slowly figure it out.”

“Besides—”

“With Ailei’s help, I don’t have to worry about wasting the computer’s performance. I might even use it to expand my base further.”

Xu Xi paused and glanced around at the base walls, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.

He had an unfair advantage, but that didn’t make him omnipotent.

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

Over the years, most of his time had been spent building a functional shelter and studying the machines he had at hand.

But things were different now. With the Federation computer and Ailei, he could take a step further—perhaps even build a true sci-fi base.

“Master, dinner is ready.”

The synthetic voice echoed in his ears.

Xu Xi instinctively responded, “Okay,” then put down his work and walked towards the dining area.

“Ailei…”

Xu Xi hesitated.

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

“Are you sure all of this food is for me?”

Today, Ailei seemed especially happy, serving him an entire plate stacked with instant food cubes, leaving Xu Xi staring at it in silence.

The household assistant instincts were still going strong…