Great, we're doomed now!

"Huh? Didn't I tell you before? I used to travel and explore all over the world in search of ancient ruins, especially underwater ones—I even have a professional-level diving certificate."

Masaki laughed heartily, "That was probably when I started to like 'sharks'."

You see, I personally hate the ocean... because I have thalassophobia. In shallower areas I'm okay, but once I can't see the seabed, I easily experience hyperventilation, which is extremely dangerous while diving.

"But the places you want to explore are often not in shallow waters, right?" After hearing this, Ye Shou probably understood what was going on.

"That's right, I would imagine myself as a shark that roams the seas freely, fearless of darkness and danger, suffocating if I stop, and only able to move forward, never backward."

Masaki turned his head with emotion and looked at [Georgezak]: "It probably started around that time, and that's when I first thought of 'shark' when designing the giant machine."

"I see~"

"Furthermore, I trust quadrupeds more. If the same body size were to be made into a human-shaped figure, the legs would bear unimaginable pressure—at that time, there were no materials with sufficient strength."

Ye Shou nodded, then asked, "How's the repair progress?"

"It went relatively smoothly. The damage to the main modules can be repaired, but it's too expensive." Masaki sighed, his tone full of heartache. "The key is that monster materials are too precious and not something renewable. It takes a lot of resources to repair even one piece. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache."

Ye Shou patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "Although monster materials are precious, TPC's reserves can still support us, and we can replenish them later."

Masaki nodded, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes, then suddenly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, I've never seen [Bayeri] do any routine maintenance, and it doesn't even stay in the hangar normally... I know you can summon it from another dimension, but does that Gundam not need any maintenance at all?"

Its intensity in each battle is no less than that of Gaiozak. Are its parts being replaced?

Judging by its specifications, all the parts must have been custom-made, right?

Bayeli?

Ye Shou smiled, not answering directly, but simply raising his chin: "Come and see for yourself."

Masaki made some quick arrangements, allowing the staff to rest for the time being, and then he left with Ye Shou.

The two passed through several passages and arrived at a heavily guarded private hangar. After passing the biometric verification, the heavy alloy door slowly opened, revealing [Bayeri] standing quietly in the center of the hangar in the spacious area, its silver armor gleaming coldly under the lights.

Every time I saw it before, it would always shine with a different light, releasing a powerful aura that suppressed everything!

...But today it was extremely quiet, just sitting there without making a sound, like a sleeping giant.

Ye Shou turned around and went into the changing room, changed into a gray work uniform, and then drove a small mobile engineer to the front of the Gundam.

“【Bayeli】also needs regular maintenance, but I do most of it myself,” Ye Shou explained to Zheng Mu. “Unless it’s an emergency, we don’t need that many people.”

The last time a large-scale mobilization of manpower was needed was when they obtained the unknown material "Schrödinger's cat" and used it to recast the machine... Apart from that, Ye Shou is really the only one around on weekdays.

After all, [Bayeli] is no longer just a simple machine. Some daily wear and tear can be automatically repaired, and for slightly larger damages, as long as it transforms into Ultraman and combines, it can be completely repaired.

To be honest, Ye Shou's actions were somewhat unnecessary; there was absolutely no need for him to actually do any maintenance.

He did this purely out of personal interest.

Just as the maid occasionally complained, Kuzeha Mori sometimes preferred to be with cold, hard machines rather than fragrant, soft girls.

Of course, he had a legitimate reason, and incidentally, he could also appease the machine spirit and improve the synchronization rate of human-machine integration, right?

(Although the compatibility was already at its maximum.)

"Just you?" Masaki's eyes widened, quite impressed. "That's no easy feat."

"I actually find it quite interesting, hehe~"

Ye Shou carefully approached the [Bayeri] while maneuvering the mobile engineer. As he skillfully disassembled it, the [Bayeri] cooperated. The machine, which could withstand the heavy blows of monsters and stand firm, was now as easy to disassemble as building blocks. Thick armor plates slowly fell off, revealing the complex internal mechanical structure.

If we were to personify it, it would be like shedding her heavy outer garments to reveal a sexy, slender swimsuit—

After all, it has the genes of the Ironblood lineage. Once the heavy armor is removed, its skeleton is very slender, which is in stark contrast to its powerful performance.

Ye Shou climbed up, picked up a cleaning brush, and carefully wiped away the dust, oil, and debris left over from the battle from the parts, his movements as gentle as if he were caressing a precious work of art.

Next, he took out the calibrator and checked the precision of each part one by one. If he found any parts that were slightly off-center, he would gently adjust them with a wrench. When he encountered worn joints, he would take out special lubricant and apply it evenly to the connection. For some slightly deformed metal components, he would personally use a hydraulic hammer to knock them down and a grinder to carefully grind them until they were restored to their original shape.

Masaki stood to the side, watching Ye Shou bustling around, his expression gradually becoming strange—

Dude, are you hitting the reactor with a hammer?

The key point is that it actually worked! How did they do that?!

Is this how Gundams are repaired? ...Those tools look like they're from a roadside auto repair shop...TPC logistics has much more professional tools than this.

Zhengmu was afraid that he was an amateur and dared not comment easily, lest he make a fool of himself by showing off his limited knowledge.

After all, some things in Luba's life are just that simple and unpretentious. For example, orthopedic doctors, when they take out their professional tools, others can tell at a glance that they are decorators and carpenters... So, is repairing Gundam really like that?

"Why do we have to polish it directly here?" Masaki couldn't resist his curiosity and asked cautiously, "Won't that make the plating thinner?"

"Huh? I don't think so."

Ye Shouyi turned his head and said matter-of-factly, "If this doesn't work, [Bayeli] will tell me."

"..."

Masaki was certain: it wasn't him who had the problem; it was Ye Shou who was acting strangely!

"So many steps, and you did them all by yourself? TPC has a professional repair team. If it's just a matter of tapping around and wiping... such small things can be left to them."

“It’s different.” Ye Shou didn’t even look up. “By personally caring for it, I can have a clearer understanding of the body’s condition. I can know exactly where there is damage or where the load is too heavy. Moreover, doing so can also enhance the bond between me and the body.”

...What does this mean?

Masaki raised an eyebrow dismissively: "Feelings? A machine is a machine. No matter how much you try to please it, it's just a fighting tool in the end. You're being too idealistic. Do you expect me to fall in love with it?"

"what!"

Ye Shou stopped what he was doing, turned around and glanced at him, a faint smile on his lips: "Perhaps, but to me, [Bayeli] is more than just a tool."

We've been through so many battles together, from Sydney to Mars, from the Brazilian rainforest to black holes in the universe; we're practically comrades by blood... Yes, describing it as 'love' wouldn't be wrong."

“I still can’t understand it.” Masaki shook his head. He also liked Gaiozak and cherished this subterranean shark... but he always felt that it was not the same as Ye Shou’s feelings for Bayeri.

Ignoring Masaki's doubts, Ye Shou picked up his tools again and continued to oil the leg armor of [Bayeri]: "Bayeri to me... cannot be simply summarized by the word 'tool'."

Masaki was stunned for a moment, looking at Ye Shou's focused profile, and then at [Bayeli] in front of him, and for a moment he couldn't say anything to refute it.

There's a strange sense of unease... just like when I first encountered the Silver Dragon in the Rainbow Realm.

No, this is the TPC headquarters, a heavily guarded area; there's no way there could be any enemies here.

"In that case, I won't bother you anymore." Masaki scratched his head, suspecting that he was just too tired and overreacting. He planned to take a sauna after finishing repairs on Georzak and give himself a "major treatment".

...Masaki left, and the only sounds in the hangar were the clanging of tools and the soft humming coming from inside [Bayeri], like a cat purring contentedly.

Ye Shou remained focused on his maintenance work, every movement filled with patience. His expression revealed that it wasn't just about completing a task, but rather the kind of dedication one would show to something they love.

happy.

It had nothing to do with monsters or Ultraman; he was simply enjoying himself. Even though he was just fiddling with simple mechanical structures, he could find immense peace and tranquility in his heart, as if his soul had been cleansed.

As a result, just like before, I ended up sleeping in the cockpit at the end.

-

Something's not quite right.

Ye Shou narrowed his eyes slightly. The moment he woke up from his dream, he adjusted his physical condition so that he could instantly counterattack even if someone attacked him.

However, he didn't sense any unfamiliar presence or malice; he just felt his body inexplicably become much heavier...

The soft touch pressed against my thighs and chest, rubbing against my clothes, making me feel taut in every sense of the word.

A cool sensation came from my cheeks and ears, as if they had just been licked... I hoped it was just my imagination.

He was familiar with this situation, but he was certain that the people on him were not the ones he knew.

Judging from the quality of the chest area, all others except Chika have already been eliminated, while Fubuki is still in One-Punch Man.

But if it were Chika, the usually conservative young lady would never be so proactive in pressing forward and wrapping herself around him like a snake.

...But surprisingly, there was no feeling of rejection, as if it had been done countless times before.

"Who are you?"

Just as the other person cupped Ye Shou's face and was about to kiss her, the man suddenly grabbed her neck and forcibly pulled her away from him.

He acted swiftly, and the moment he gained control of his opponent, he drew his weapon from his private parts with his left hand; however—

Snapped!

The seatbelt went around the arm and into the slot, but it actually trapped the left hand!

"what?"

Ye Shou turned his head incredulously: "Bayeli... what are you doing? Bayeli!"

Chapter 406: Don't Speak, or I'll Bit You (4K)

Ye Shou's eyes narrowed, and his muscles tensed up suddenly. Every inch of his muscles seemed to come alive, and dense golden ripples burst from his body, transforming into a tangible shockwave that swept towards the woman straddling him.

—Bang!

The powerful impact, like a heavy hammer, sent the woman flying!

The cockpit's alloy shell was also forcibly ripped open by the violent impact, scattering fragments of all sizes everywhere.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ye Shou grabbed the seatbelt and ripped it off without hesitation. Despite its toughness, his hand, covered by the "Silver Ripple Speeding" technique, was like a sharp blade and cut it off directly.

"Bayeli... what exactly happened?" Having temporarily escaped the crisis, Ye Shou was now filled with confusion.

To be honest, he simply didn't believe Bayeri would betray him. Although she was just a combat weapon, the bond between the human and the machine far exceeded that of ordinary partners...

But he didn't sense any malice, neither did the woman who had infiltrated the cockpit, nor Bayeri... Even though he was a veteran of countless battles, he felt inexplicably uneasy at this moment.

It seems that something wondrous has happened that cannot be explained in words.

"Humph!"

The woman twirled and somersaulted in the air, her two long, agile legs first stretching out to the sides, maintaining balance like a swift spreading its wings. Then, she twisted her waist, lightly braced herself with one hand, and used the moment her fingertips touched the ground to glide backward. Her long hair drew a beautiful arc in the air, and she retreated more than ten meters before coming to a steady stop.

Her waist slowly straightened, her long, silvery-white hair cascading down her back in graceful waves, her body swaying slightly with the movement, outlining a neat and alluring silhouette.

At this moment, the lights in the hangar turned on one by one, and the pale light poured down, casting long shadows on the ground and clearly illuminating the woman's figure.

She looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, tall and slender with delicate features, giving her a somewhat mixed-race appearance. One could see both fierceness and charm coexisting in her, especially the watery light in her eyes, which was like a pool of autumn water stirred by the wind. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her "alluring"...

In stark contrast, she exuded an aura of competence like a seasoned female general, her cold beauty radiating an undeniable authority.

Wearing a double-breasted military uniform in a sci-fi style (strictly speaking, Gundam style), with white as the main color and gold trim outlining the clean cut, he has both the sharpness of a soldier and a touch of retro fashion, as if he were a Germanic dragoon who had traveled from the last century.

She bent down to pick up the military cap that had fallen to the ground, casually put it on her head, and a playful smile appeared on her lips. Suddenly, her eyes, which were fixed on Ye Shou, blazed with a scorching golden flame, exuding an oppressive aura like an ancient dragon awakening.