Chapter 412: Ruthless Iron Hand

Scary?

Zhang Jie asked doubtfully; he really didn't understand what Xiao Jiu meant by 'scary'.

In his view, the starry sky is a mysterious ultimate map that can never be fully explored.

"It's heavenly disasters, the strange things that arise alongside civilization."

Xiao Jiu's database contains all information about heavenly disasters; she knows how cruel this world is, and even without truly wandering among the stars, she wouldn't like that place.

"Heavenly disasters? Is there really something scary?"

Zhang Jie had never felt the oppression of heavenly disasters on this garbage star; all the pressure he faced came from life.

Of course, he had also heard human females talk about heavenly disasters, but her attitude toward heavenly disasters was completely different from Xiao Jiu's.

Now the Star Sea has a great leader who leads all civilizations in resisting heavenly disasters, never ceasing; whenever human females mention him, their faces glow with a confidence he doesn't understand.

"'Humans will surely defeat heavenly disasters.' This is what human females say every time, which also leads to Zhang Jie's contempt for heavenly disasters."

Seeing Zhang Jie's doubtful look, Xiao Jiu pursed her lips, turned and walked indoors, muttering things like 'believe it or not' as she went, yet Zhang Jie gazed at her back, thoughtful.

"Heavenly disasters...."

Zhang Jie looked through the scope at the deep starry sky; for some reason, he suddenly recalled the story of the wingless bird.

The small story contains a great truth; Zhang Jie didn't understand it before, but now he somewhat does.

Just like that wingless bird, even if torn to shreds, one must feel that brief flight.

Even if heavenly disasters are terrifying, even if the universe is dangerous, he wants to see that unreachable sky.

Perhaps this is what that little story is trying to convey.

"Then it's settled like that."

Zhang Jie seemed to have made some decision, and he rose lightly from the roof of the Shelter.

Since he longs for the sky, he'll rely on his own effort to fly up! Who cares about heavenly disasters or not!

If he were really made to live a lifetime on Feitu, he wouldn't be happy about it!

Although he doesn't know whether the human female who will come to fetch him at eighteen will keep her word, Zhang Jie doesn't want to just wait like that.

He wants to be able to proudly tell the human female that he flew up to the sky with his own two hands.

I suppose the human female would be very happy.

"Good night, Mom."

Zhang Jie finally took a look at the starry sky he longed for through that little scope; perhaps the human female is on one of those stars.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jiu, curled up in the soft blankets, secretly watched Zhang Jie for a long time through the skylight, torn inside about whether to confess to Zhang Jie that she is actually a useless Ship Girl who can't deploy her ship hull.

In her view, Zhang Jie's question meant he wanted her to take him away from this garbage star; those earlier words were just a test of her.

"'If I knew I was a useless wreck who can't even deploy her ship hull...'"

"'Would he abandon me?'"

Xiao Jiu bit her thumb, her inner turmoil twisting tightly.

This place is nice; the bed is warm, the blankets comfy, the pillow soft, and occasionally there's a little cake; compared to the junk heap a year ago, this is practically paradise.

Xiao Jiu still guards against Zhang Jie a little; if he does anything to hurt her, she will—

Just—

Um.....

Just get angry for a bit!

Xiao Jiu thought pathetically, then angrily punched the pillow.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing!"

Caught in the act of complaining, Xiao Jiu felt embarrassed and buried her head in the blankets; Zhang Jie only felt baffled.

"What's wrong with this little thing?"

Xiao Jiu is now under 1.4 meters tall, a totally stubborn little brat, and she hasn't grown an inch in these years.

Besides, this little thing is a half-mechanical, half-carbon-based construct; of course it wouldn't grow taller.

But it's said that if a Ship Life's mother ship becomes bigger and stronger, the corresponding Ship Life also seems to undergo bodily changes.

Zhang Jie nodded; it seems he'll need to find a chance to strengthen Xiao Jiu's main body.

"Even if you've thought of this, you still haven't considered letting Xiao Jiu take you out; part of the reason is that you don't understand this at all, and another part is that you never thought to rely on Xiao Jiu."

"If she had that ability, she could simply deploy her ship hull and leave; given how precious a Ship Life is, she probably wouldn't fare too badly."

"But all this presupposes she is a normal Humanoid Lifeform; being stuffed into an iron coffin and thrown away as trash—what kind of normal Mech Girl is that?"

"You already figured this out, so Xiao Jiu could never have guessed that your idea was to hand‑build a ship...."

"........"

"Human, I think you're truly crazy."

Zhang Jie:?

Dirt‑covered Zhang Jie poked his head out from under the ship, looking blankly at Xiao Jiu, seemingly not understanding why she was scolding him.

"Xiao Jiu, why are you scolding me?"

Xiao Jiu looked speechless; although she really hadn't expected Zhang Jie to never consider letting her take him away, the idea of hand‑building a ship is just too crazy!!!

How could this crudely made contraption possibly withstand interstellar travel?

Xiao Jiu looked at Zhang Jie's pure‑innocent face and suddenly felt a sharp prickling on her head....

"You.... I.... sigh... forget it, let's leave it like this..."

In Zhang Jie's dumbfounded gaze, Xiao Jiu directly reached out her little hand onto the ship's seemingly hard hull, and in his astonished sight, she tore the hull off with her bare hands.

In Zhang Jie's foolish stare, Xiao Jiu directly stretched her little hand onto the warship's seemingly hard outer hull, then, in Zhang Jie's utterly shocked stare, she snapped the warship's outer hull off with her bare hands.

Zhang Jie:!!??

"Human, this thing—if you dare to fly, it dares to blow up for you to see."

Xiao Jiu, bare-handed, kneaded this iron plate, rubbing it back and forth, and like modeling clay, pinched it into a ball and threw it onto the ground.

With a clang, it directly woke Zhang Jie up.

"Not... buddies...."

"You're Ruthless Iron Hand!"

"Hmph, in short, your warship is not qualified; to fly in a vacuum, relying on this strength is not enough."

Zhang Jie: Abababa.....

Xiao Jiu said, her face suddenly began to turn red gradually. Her gaze also began to dodge a bit.

"No... but!"

"If you want me to help you, it's not impossible!"

"I want to eat cupcakes! Buy me one every week! Then I'll help you!"