Chapter 449: Xiao Jiu Blushed

Looks like they're not causing trouble.

Go on, what's the matter now?

Indeed, this place is rather remote; seeing the other party carrying that, Zhang Jie already guessed roughly eight or nine out of ten.

You can repair Ship Life, right?

As Zhang Jie expected, it's about Ship Life.

Only saw the other party take off the bag behind them, unzip it, and reveal what's inside: a Ship Life curled up.

Looking at it, either it lost its hull and Space Component, or it malfunctioned.

Zhang Jie would rather it be a minor malfunction than lose its hull.

What's wrong with her?

I... I don't know....

Please fix her! I'm willing to pay all my possessions!

Alright, alright, come in, let me take a look.

Thank you! Thank you!

The man, tears of gratitude flowing, followed Zhang Jie inside.

After a rough inspection, Zhang Jie received a desperate message: this Ship Life, like Qiong, had lost its Space Component, causing its hull to disappear as well, making it a pitiful Ship Girl.

But why say it's desperate? Because for Zhang Jie it is desperate, meaning that if he helps repair the other party's Ship Life, he'd have to hand-build another ship.

"Damn... I really don't want to mess with those things anymore..."

You... this... hiss... is really troublesome!

Let's see if you can come up with the proper compensation.

I... only have these left...

Zhang Jie glanced at the thing in the other party's hand, sucked his teeth; this bit of junk isn't even enough to buy Xiao Jiu a cake.

If I fix it for him, wouldn't that be pure charity?

Not enough, too little—are you treating Ship Life repair as child's play?

With this stuff, go get an IV at the hospital and see if it's enough.

Please....

Although Zhang Jie doesn't lack that money, if the other party could give a better reason, he wouldn't mind doing this good deed.

But mainly, the other party's current behavior is more like moral blackmail.

I can fix her, but you need to buy a ship.

Her problem is due to losing the hull, plus long-term energy depletion; you can't expect me, a lone repairman, to hand-build a ship for you, can you?

Xiao Jiu stood aside, propping her little head on a steel pipe; hearing Zhang Jie's boastful words, she gave him a speechless glance.

You can't? Then there's no one capable on this planet.

Spouting lies with eyes wide open, still claiming to be humanity's authority.

Looking at Zhang Jie, the other party began, as Zhang Jie had expected, to tell the story of a Ship Girl about to be scrapped and a human depending on each other, a tale that was heartbreaking and sad.

And Zhang Jie just remained silent; the story inexplicably reminded him of himself, but he ultimately still didn't agree.

Looking at the resolute Zhang Jie, the other party lowered their head and silently hoisted the Ship Life onto their back.

Sorry to bother you....

Watching his departing back, Zhang Jie always felt something was odd.

Good thing your hand-building ships hasn't gotten out, otherwise....

Xiao Jiu's teasing voice came over, but absentmindedly Zhang Jie ruffled her head.

What are you doing, human!

I was thinking, glad I'm not him.

A human female raised him, imparting knowledge; Xiao Jiu descended from the heavens and accompanied him as he left Scrap Star; compared to this person before him, having talent and companions, he's already quite fortunate.

Humans....

Come on, Xiao Jiu, I'll take you to build a turret!

Huh?

To prevent anyone else from coming to cause trouble, you built an electric shock turret, but finding the fixed turret a bit dull, you then built an electric shock tank.

Of course, Xiao Jiu's main body was also fitted with such a turret, but her turret is lethal, so the result is that Xiao Jiu, back in human form, seems a bit chubby.

Cough, anyway, Xiao Jiu's combat power has increased again; even if a heavenly disaster truly came to mess with him now, he'd handle it with ease.

By the way, Xiao Jiu, isn't Ship Life rare? How come there are so many here?

Rare my ass!

Xiao Jiu is now fiddling with the cowlick Zhang Jie glued to her head; this thing actually connects via skin to her little brain, letting her emotions be genuinely reflected in the cowlick.

It's like... how to put it... just like a puppy's tail, wagging back and forth when happy, drooping when unhappy; this makes it impossible for Xiao Jiu to hide any mood from Zhang Jie.

This caused her to go from a tsundere, sharp-tongued Ship Girl to a tsundere, sharp-tongued Ship Girl who can't hide things....

Ship Life is only rare in the borderlands of the Star Alliance.

The closer to the Star Alliance's core planets, the more common Ship Life becomes.

Emmm... but that doesn't mean Ship Life is more numerous in the borderlands.

After all, adding privately built ones, battle-damaged crashes, deserters, altogether there aren't few either.

How about it, human, aren't you lucky to have met me?

Yeah... even under those circumstances, our meeting remains a miracle.

Why are you suddenly talking like this!

Xiao Jiu blushed, having been bluntly made to blush by Zhang Jie, looking utterly flustered.

Your face is red, Xiao Jiu.

I'm not blushing!!!

Xiao Jiu let out a yelp, fled quickly, looking rather like she was fleeing in defeat.

Zhang Jie's mouth curled up as he watched Xiao Jiu flee in defeat, unable to help but feel moved.

Still, my own Ship Girl is so cute....

After this little incident, you still can't forget that man who came to you to repair your Ship Life; you always feel something's off, so you had Qiong observe him.

As a military-trained Qiong, not only is her combat ability extremely high in ship form, but in human form she is also skilled at stealth and assassination.

She's practically an all-purpose Ship Girl; Zhang Jie is glad this guy has no rebellious streak, otherwise, just after fixing her, he'd be stabbed by her herself—Xiao Jiu probably couldn't stop her.

Sure enough, under her surveillance, you indeed discovered something different: that Ship Life, ever since it was brought back, has never been taken out again, always left discarded in a corner together with that bag.

As for the human male who came to Zhang Jie for repairs, he didn't go looking for ways to raise money to buy a ship, but he frequently goes in and out of the ship competition club.

As for what he's doing there, Qiong couldn't find out; with the crowd and confusion, she couldn't easily go in to investigate, so all she could say was that you should take the initiative, wait for his next visit, and then openly ask him.

You agreed, and after discussing it with Qiong, you picked a suitable time, tailed him into the club.