Chapter Nineteen: So That Was It

The Butcher Doctor sighed, helpless in the face of Gu Xi’s palpable anxiety.

"How much will it cost?" Gu Xi still remembered the warning from the little girl earlier: repairs were expensive.

The doctor realized this girl was clearly an outsider; she had brought up money the moment she arrived. In this place, they only dealt in trade—specifically, Spirit City currency, which could only be earned by working in the Spirit City Forest. The word "money" was something he hadn't heard since the last century.

"If you two have no objections, step aside for a moment. His condition is tricky to repair, and the scene might be a bit gruesome. We’ll settle the bill regardless of whether it’s successful or not," the Butcher Doctor said with a wave of his hand. He pulled the surgical curtain shut, preparing to begin his work.

Gu Xi was pushed out and left to wait. The little girl watched the silent Gu Xi and stared at her. "Is this your first time in the Black Market?"

So, this place was called the Black Market. Gu Xi’s memories after her rebirth felt fragmented, yet the place possessed a sense of familiar strangeness.

"How could it be?" Gu Xi feigned composure.

"The mark on your body says otherwise. Given your identity, it’s impossible for you not to know about the Black Market, though whether you’ve been here before is another matter," the girl said, pointing to the flame totem on Gu Xi’s arm.

Although Gu Xi didn't know the significance of the flame totem, she was at least aware that someone had finally noticed it.

"Oh? And what identity do you think I have?" Gu Xi countered.

"You? You probably couldn't stay in your home anymore, right? Otherwise, why would you drag an android to a place like the Black Market? And a broken-down one at that. Let me tell you, I’ve seen other people bring him in so many times I’ve lost count. It feels like he’s being repaired to the point of disintegration," the girl teased.

What? Su Chen was an android? Gu Xi could hardly believe it.

At this moment, silence was the safest course of action. The girl before her seemed eager to share, and Gu Xi hoped to extract some information from her.

"Oh, you came from the southeast, didn't you? I was planning to just lie low and slack off here for a while, but I didn't expect to run into you," the girl said.

"Lie low? I don't see how the place I came from would allow for that. The people on the streets looked like they were in a rush," Gu Xi retorted.

"The southeast is home to the Android Floating Island; that place has no threats. Not only that, but those androids have memories implanted in them, so they don't even know they’re androids. Their happiness index is quite high," the girl replied.

"Then how can you be so sure that I’m not one of them? Why tell me so much?" Gu Xi asked.

"Because of your actions, and because that flame pattern on your hand is just too memorable," the girl said.

Gu Xi felt a pang of disappointment. She had always regarded Su Chen as a human. Being told he was an android was difficult to accept all at once.

"I’ve said so much, but I haven't introduced myself. My name is Wang Yiyi." The disheveled girl reached out a dirty hand, intending to shake hands and make peace.

Gu Xi had no intention of making friends; that was the truth. The girl had asked for money the second she opened her mouth, and she wasn't exactly a saint for bringing her to the destination only after being fed. If she hadn't seen potential profit, she likely wouldn't have shown any kindness.

"Just call me Xiao Xi," Gu Xi said, symbolically extending her hand to shake.

She was certain of one thing: this girl did not have a system like hers. Furthermore, the girl was unable to see her personal information. That was a good thing. Maintaining an appropriate level of secrecy was crucial. However, the fact that the girl could deduce her identity based on her physical characteristics piqued her curiosity.

"Xiao Xi, what a great name. It sounds like a child from a wealthy family!" Wang Yiyi said with a fawning grin. She had been slacking off here for days, relying on scams to scrape by for food and drink. Since this naive girl had handed over so much food just for directions, she had to be served well. If she couldn't be a long-term meal ticket, a short-term one would do. She just had to survive one day at a time; once the poison in her system was purged, she would be back to her old self.

"Heh." Hearing the blatant flattery, Gu Xi chose to respond with a cold, dismissive smirk.

The two fell into silence, listening to the Butcher Doctor’s work—the occasional sound of chainsaws and scissors. After a long while, the doctor pulled back the curtain.

Gu Xi was nervous. "How is it, Doctor?"

The Butcher Doctor was drenched in sweat, a pungent, hormonal scent wafting toward Gu Xi. She suppressed her discomfort and frowned, asking, "How did it go?"

"He can be woken up, but I’m missing a part. He might lose his memory—or, in short, have it reset. He’ll return to the Floating Island," the doctor said.

"The Floating Island? That place has already fallen; only the two of us escaped," Gu Xi replied.

"Impossible. That entire island is full of androids. Whatever 'fall' you witnessed was likely just a system rollback. But speaking of which, why were you in a place like the Floating Island?" The doctor looked at Gu Xi, having overheard her conversation with Wang Yiyi.

Gu Xi thought to herself that she couldn't exactly say she had been reborn. She replied, "I went there to take care of some business, and that’s when I saw the island’s wires being severed by an unknown creature. I’m not sure if the aftermath will affect this place."

"Not in the short term. In my experience with repairing androids, the Floating Island rolls back every three months. All the androids inside are reshuffled, though it’s uncertain if the test subjects are included. Besides, the links are dead. Normal humans don't go there easily, unless..." The doctor trailed off.

"Unless what?" Gu Xi pressed.

The doctor stopped immediately, feeling he had said too much. He had been in this Black Market for nearly thirty years and was five years away from retirement. He didn't want any complications that might draw the attention of the Spirit City Network Federation.

Wang Yiyi chimed in, "Don't ask about that. I’ve been a hacker for so many years and was nearly ruined by the Spirit City Network Federation. Don't let my current state fool you; I’ve only temporarily given up on resisting, that doesn't mean my skills are gone."

Wang Yiyi tried desperately to prove her worth, sharing almost everything she knew with Gu Xi, mostly because her stomach had begun to growl and she hoped Gu Xi would share more food.

So, this girl, Wang Yiyi, was a hacker? That might actually be useful. Gu Xi was truly ignorant when it came to the network.

"Doctor, you mentioned he was missing a part? Where do I need to go to find it?" Gu Xi returned to the matter at hand.

The Butcher Doctor turned to the sink, scrubbing his hands with soap to remove the grease, then reached into his cabinet and pulled out a notebook—a yellowed, leather-bound journal.