Transformers: Survival of Defective Products

Chapter 24 Traffic Jam

Since the vehicle mode has been completely restored, the most intuitive feeling of vectoring is no longer "cool".

It saves money.

Previously, when she traveled to and from Qingqiu City, the train tickets, transfer fees, and the occasional detour due to missed schedules meant her savings were draining away like water. Now, she herself is the means of transportation, ridiculously fast, excessively agile, and occasionally able to practice a few maneuvers with a motorized vehicle.

The first time she glided all the way from her residence to Qingqiu City by herself, she was in such a good mood that she kept laughing.

The wind swept past the hull, and the bottom suspension system was as stable as if an invisible track were attached to the ground. She could even try out a few of the steering techniques that Zhen Tianzun had taught her when he taught her to use the steering in less congested areas. Starting, decelerating, swerving close to the ground, and short lifts—each run was smoother than the last.

Most importantly, it doesn't cost money for transportation.

Just thinking about this made her feel that every inch of her vehicle's outer armor looked even brighter and more pleasing to the eye.

For the next few days, Vector's enthusiasm for traveling back and forth to Qingqiu City was ridiculously high. She would go to Red Spider's place during the day and glide back on her own at night, taking the opportunity to familiarize herself with her newly restored mecha along the way. For the first time, she truly experienced how awesome it was to have a vehicle mode.

Even Zhen Tianzun could see it.

One evening, she returned home, her steps lighter than usual as she entered. Zhen Tianzun glanced at her, his tone indifferent.

"Saving a few tickets gives you a sense of superiority?"

As he placed the data panel on the table, Yin Vector replied matter-of-factly, "You don't understand. The fact that we don't have to put Shanks into the transportation system is a kind of mental therapy in itself."

Zhen Tianzun scoffed, clearly not wanting to comment on her genuine feelings stemming from poverty.

The vector is irrelevant.

She is truly happy now.

-

There happened to be a match at the arena that day.

Before Zhen Tianzun went on stage, she went backstage and followed him in as usual. The backstage guards were now very familiar with her face and would let her through after just one glance, without even asking any questions.

She accepted it quickly, after all, it had become a kind of default.

After Zhen Tianzun came on stage, she didn't go to the audience immediately, but instead slowly walked around the metal passageway backstage.

There's always a strange smell backstage at the arena.

Cold metal, energy fluid, repair agents, and the lingering heat and oppressive feeling after a long, intense battle—all mixed together. She's much more used to it now than at first, and can even spare a glance at the wall panels, the layout of the passageways, and the identification markings at the entrances to the different lounges.

Then she stopped at a corner.

There was a machine standing in front.

Dark-colored, tall, and quiet, he seemed to exist on a different level from the rest of the passage. The light shone on the edge of his armor, outlining only a cold line. There were no unnecessary movements, no exaggerated gestures to block the way; simply by standing there, the path seemed to be naturally cut in half.

The vector paused for a moment.

……Fine.

They really know how to pick places to cause traffic jams.

She looked up and saw that the other person was also looking at her, without any extra reaction.

The next second, the left forearm terminal of the vectoring unit suddenly jolted.

It wasn't a regular notification, nor was it the kind of alert that someone had applied to connect to the frequency band. An overly encrypted thin line pierced through her current outer barrier and neatly embedded itself into her private channel.

The whole process was so fast that it gave the machine almost no time to react.

She lowered her head on the spot.

The terminal projector has popped open by itself.

A new channel has appeared at the top, with only a private channel window that has already been created, as quiet as if it was always meant to be there.

Even the corner of Yin Zongfu's eye twitched.

……what.

What kind of greeting is this?

The first line of text quickly appeared in the newly popped-up private message.

You frequently visit the backstage area of ​​Zhen Tianzun.

There were no titles, no small talk, no preamble.

The data record, which had already reached a half-finished conclusion, was casually thrown in her face.

Yin Vector raised his head, looked at the almost emotionless machine figure opposite him, pressed down the corner of his mouth, and replied quickly.

Are you always this rude?

The other side didn't move.

The second line of text on her terminal quickly followed.

[Permission error. Explanation.]

Yin Xiang stared at those words for two seconds, and almost laughed out of anger.

This person's way of speaking is just like his machine—cold as if the terminal itself had grown legs and come out to block people.

She leaned against the metal wall next to her, tapped the projection twice with her fingertips, and replied without any politeness.

[You blocked my way, forcibly connected to my private channel, and started checking my background right away.]

Why should I cooperate?

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the channel.

He was looking at those two sentences of hers and, incidentally, recalculating her reaction patterns.

Then the third line of text popped up.

[Your relationship with Zhen Tianzun: It's not an ordinary peripheral relationship.]

Pointer vector: "..."

She stared at the line of text, and the whole machine fell silent for half a second.

What is meant by "non-ordinary peripheral relationship"?

This statement sounds like it's cursing a machine, yet also like it's analyzing a machine, and it carries a strange, hard-to-describe flavor.

She looked up at the other person's still expressionless face, and surprisingly, her first thought wasn't nervousness.

That's outrageous.

Does this machine usually talk like this?

She flicked her finger, and her reply became even firmer.

Your statement sounds like you're mentally ill.

[Furthermore, who are you to define my relationship with?]

This time, the other side finally reacted a little.

The extremely cold light in the optical lens seemed to subtly recede, recording her retort into some unseen file.

Then, the fourth line appeared.

Your body's recent repair process has been abnormal.

[You frequently come into contact with Zhen Tianzun.]

The association is established.

Yin Xiang stared at the three lines of text and finally began to understand.

This machine is performing screening.

She raised her hand and moved the projector a little closer to herself, replying:

If you're really that free, I suggest you look up something more meaningful.

For example, why do you speak like a cold, lifeless report?

There was a moment of silence in the channel.

Then the fifth line of text pops up.

【question.】

Do you know why the schedule for the Thunder God has changed recently?

This time they finally showed some real skill.

Clichés.

The unease she already felt about being forced into this private video call became even more pronounced.

She looked up at the other side, and across the narrow corridor, she could almost feel the other person's quiet and precise attention on her, like a wide-spread net.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the type of machine that would walk in by itself.

She gave a slight twitch of her lips, her reply very direct.

【do not know. 】

Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you.

After sending that message, she paused for a moment, then felt it wasn't enough.

So I added a new one.

[Also, next time don't intrude on my private channel without asking.]

I will assume you are provoking me.

The other side finally didn't immediately send another message.

The entire corridor was eerily quiet for a moment.

The faint sound of equipment running could be heard from inside the metal walls, while the clamor from the audience in the distance, muffled and oppressive through several layers of structure, sounded like the roar of another world.

The vector control station remained standing there, not retreating.

A few seconds later, the frequency on her terminal suddenly went dark on its own.

The connection was severed cleanly, as if it had never existed.

She stared at the now empty screen for a moment, and when she looked up again, the machine opposite her was still standing in the same spot.

She was still unusually quiet.

After holding back for two seconds, Yin Zong couldn't help but ask, "Do you always talk like this?"

The other person looked at her and finally spoke.

The voice was lower and lighter than she had imagined, almost like a compressed signal falling directly into the air: "It depends."

Just these few words.

After saying that, he stepped aside, clearing the way for him.

Yin Vector stood still, stared at him for two seconds, and finally clicked his tongue before walking past him.

After walking a few steps, she couldn't help but mentally evaluate this inexplicable formal matchmaking event.

……ill.

But that didn't stop her from memorizing the other party's questions and the way they tried to force a private connection into her brain module.

After all, there aren't many normal machines in this area.