Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

"You seem to have a good relationship with the workers," the doctor whispered from behind Fester.

"Yes, the workers in the factory are all old acquaintances from the Highbury district. They have lived in Lentinium for generations."

Despite being in a noisy factory environment, the constant sounds of machinery around him were not bothersome at all; on the contrary, they made him feel relaxed.

“Workers like Pat have been working in factories since I was a child,” Fester said, leading the doctor carefully through the gaps between the machines. “In a sense, I consider them family.”

I have always been proud to know them and to be a worker in the Highbury District. As my grandmother said, I could make steam armor by holding a hammer and hammering away.

I kept hammering, and then my children, and their children's children, kept hammering... and that's how we came to have Londinium.

"Yes, workers, a group of ordinary yet great fellows," the doctor couldn't help but sigh.

Faced with the doctor's straightforward praise, Fester became somewhat shy.

The doctor glanced at Fester and smiled.

What he didn't say was that the group of people who created Lontinim were not its masters.

Following behind Fester, the Doctor's thoughts drifted away. He thought of the dukes outside the city, scheming and plotting against each other; he thought of Vina inside the city, searching for the breath of the kings; he thought of Qi Yan, who was busy setting up his new, much-anticipated nursing home...

While the doctor was distracted, Fester had already skillfully made his way to the center of the workshop.

He stopped behind an elderly woman named Felin with gray hair.

The elderly Ms. Felin stood in front of a machine, her head bowed, engrossed in the blueprints before her. She may have noticed the footsteps behind her, but assumed it was just a worker passing by and continued to examine the blueprints.

Her short, gray hair was loose and not styled in any particular way, but it was clean and neat. Her work clothes were a bit old, but they were also very clean, unlike some of the workers who were covered in grease.

Without Fester needing to introduce her, the Doctor knew that this lady was the grandmother Fester had been talking about all the way, Catherine.

Catherine still didn't turn around. After confirming the details on the blueprints, she casually took out a wrench from her pocket and began to repair the malfunctioning machine in front of her.

However, the wrench Catherine carried with her was a size too small, which made her frown.

"It's this model of wrench."

Fester took the corresponding wrench from his pocket and handed it to Catherine.

Catherine responded without turning her head, took the wrench, and began to tighten the screws.

Noticing that the person behind her hadn't left after handing her the wrench, Catherine continued to scold him without turning around:

"If you have something to report, just say it. If you don't, go back to work. If you delay the progress, be careful the Sarkaz don't use your head as a nail to hammer into steel!"

“The Sarkaz probably don’t have time to knock me on the head right now,” Fester chuckled.

Hearing that familiar voice, Catherine finally turned around.

She was visibly startled when she saw Fester, but quickly regained her composure, even becoming somewhat indifferent:

"It's you... Pat, come here!"

"I... I'm here..."

Hearing Catherine's call, Pat rushed over nervously, bracing himself for the scolding that was about to be delivered.

Catherine pointed at Fester and scolded Pat:

"You actually allowed unauthorized personnel into the factory's most important unloading area. Have you been having too good a time lately? Or do you think the Sarkaz's battles outside won't fall on your shoulders?"

“Grandma, this has nothing to do with Pat. I sneaked in on my own.” Fester stepped forward to take responsibility.

"Alright, Pat, go back and get Tommy and Day. None of you three on guard duty will escape," Catherine ordered sternly. "All of you, get out there and write your self-criticisms!"

Pat scratched his head, smiled wryly, and turned to accept this punishment that was all bark and no bite.

After Pat left, Catherine looked at Fester and the Doctor.

Before Fester could speak, Catherine said swiftly and decisively:

"You, and this weirdo next to you, come with me."

The doctor's face, hidden behind the mask, looked somewhat bewildered. He pointed to himself and asked in confusion:

"Is that weirdo calling me?"

Fester shrugged and joked:

"After all, Qi Yan isn't here. Besides you, who else can be called a weirdo?"

Doctor: "...I was careless. I should have called the white dog to take the blame for me."

Chapter 636 The thing Grandma cares about most

Despite his complaints, the Doctor obediently followed behind Catherine.

The three walked through the machines and headed towards a corner of the factory.

The doctor thought Catherine would call some workers to make up the numbers, but he miscalculated again. Catherine not only didn't call anyone, but also used her eyes to scare away the workers who tried to come closer.

Reaching the corner, Catherine turned around and stood still.

Her blue eyes swept over Fester, finally settling on the Doctor:

“If I’m not mistaken, Fester’s return this time isn’t for visiting relatives.”

The doctor met those weathered blue eyes and took the initiative to show weakness:

"Don't get me wrong, I just accompanied Fester back. I admit I had some ulterior motives, but Fester kept talking about you and your factory the whole way."

Upon hearing this, Catherine finally turned her gaze to Fester:

"So, you really did join that ridiculous gang."

“It’s the Londinium Citizens’ Self-Defense Army,” Fester explained in a low voice. “Grandma, we’ve done a lot of things in the Sadien district. The Sarkaz control the newspapers and television stations, and they’re deliberately calling us some unknown violent gang…”

Catherine listened silently to the ongoing roar of battle outside the factory.

She said nothing, yet it was as if she had said everything.

Fester chuckled twice, trying to justify himself:

"Although we are at war with the Sarkaz, we are fighting against the Sarkaz. We want to take back Lentinium from the Sarkaz and restore peace to the citizens."

Catherine glanced quickly at the Doctor and said expressionlessly:

"So your plan is to cut up the land in Londinium piece by piece and move it outside the city?"

Fester: "..."

PhD:"……"

Faced with Catherine's accusations, Fester was at a loss for words.

As it seems, the facts are indeed as Catherine said, and Qi Yan directly took the Sadion plot of land.

"Ahem, ma'am, I have to make a statement here."

The Doctor had no choice but to step forward: "Please do not take this matter to the level of Rhodes Island and the Self-Rescue Army."

"Then can I take this to mean that you are completely unable to control that god?" Catherine said coldly, "or that you are being controlled by that god?"

If that's the case, then I have nothing more to say. Make your demands whatever you want, just as I am powerless against the Sarkaz, I am powerless against you.

"grandmother……"

Fester was clearly upset by his grandmother's evaluation of him.

Catherine could tell that Fester was hurt by her words, but her expression remained unchanged:

"Before the battle in the city began, I saw that the Norbert district had already been activated. If you include the Highbury district, Londinium has been split up so much that there is not much left."

Fester, I hope you'll think carefully about whether what you said when you left is the same thing you're doing now.

After saying that, she looked at the doctor calmly, as if to say, "I've said it, do with me as you please."

PhD:"……"

He suddenly realized that he was genuinely struggling to cope with these elders on his side.

If I said something too harsh, Fester must be feeling bad.

If you speak too softly, these older people are very stubborn and you can't persuade them at all.

"Sure enough, the white dog should have been put to this chore," the professor muttered to himself.

Fester was also struggling to withstand his grandmother's full-on barrage, so he retreated to the doctor's side and asked in a low voice:

"Do you have a way to get Qi Yan over here now?"

The doctor nodded, but then shook his head:

"If that white dog comes over, it means Theresis has returned as well. The situation will become even more chaotic, and it will be even harder for us to lose in a reasonable way."

Fester took a breath, finding it strange no matter how he thought about it.

The doctor frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized something:

"Actually, that's not quite right. Now that Mr. Patriot is here, that white dog can't get going. I've roughly figured out his next move..."

"Fester, try to calm your grandmother down first. Don't rush to ask her about those messy things. It's a rare reunion for you two, don't let things get so tense."

"Is it really possible?" Fester asked with a worried look.

The doctor patted his chest and assured him:

“I, the hungry spirit of Babel, never lie. If that white-haired dog dares to cause trouble today, I will destroy him. His life is in my hands.”

Recalling Qi Yan's overly free spirit, Fester doubted whether the doctor could successfully suppress him.

But now that things have come to this, Fester also doesn't want to have a falling out with his grandmother.

He touched his nose, then turned to look at his grandmother, who was staring at him with her arms crossed.

"Grandma...you...look like you've gained a little weight."

Catherine: "..."

Doctor: "...Is this how you chat with women?"

"Huh? I..." Fester was a little flustered. "I think I said something wrong. Lolo ignored me all day after I said that to her."

When Catherine heard Fester mention the name of a little girl, she paused in her movement as she reached for the wrench at her waist.

The doctor noticed this and quickly teased Fester, deliberately saying:

"Speaking of which, how are things going between you and Lolo lately?"

"What progress?" Fester hadn't even reacted yet.

"Who is Lolo?" Catherine asked as well.

Fester was clearly a little confused by the sudden shift of the topic to Lolo, but he still scratched his head and honestly said:

"She's a girl I met in the self-rescue army. Like me, she likes to tinker with machines, but she's much better than me. The drones she makes always make unexpected contributions."

"Keep going. I'm listening."

Catherine raised her arms, which were already resting on the wrench, and returned to the position of crossing her arms.

Fester was somewhat puzzled, but with the doctor constantly provoking him, he still started talking about the topic.

Actually, Fester doesn't think he's particularly good at speaking, but when it comes to Lolo, he does talk more than usual.

The grandfather and grandson, one speaking and the other listening, gradually moved closer together from their opposing positions.

“Recently, Lolo collaborated with Kroos and even added voice functionality to her drone.” Fester said with some regret, “It’s a pity it’s Kroos’s voice module; it would have been even better if it were Lolo’s own voice.”

"And who is Kroos?" Catherine raised an eyebrow.

This sounds like a girl's name, and she's also very good at engineering.

“Um… Kroos is an engineer at Rhodes Island, a… Blood Demon lady,” Fester explained.

Catherine's gradually softening expression suddenly turned cold: "Continue talking about Lolo."

The doctor stood not far from the grandmother and grandson, his face, hidden behind the mask, looking somewhat strained.

Kroos was rejected once again without her knowledge.

Why do I say it again?

Just as the doctor was recalling the hateful deeds of the unscrupulous merchant Kroos, a worker ran over looking flustered and even somewhat frightened.

"Kai... Catherine, something's happened!"