In a crossover anime, do you believe that a machine spirit can defeat a fake human?

"...Speaking of which, Senior Aoyama, how's it going since you moved to the new place?" The two went up the stairs. The store wasn't deserted, but it wasn't packed either. They quickly found a seat by the window and sat down to chat.

"Chen-kun, you don't need to call me Aoyama-senpai anymore. After all, we were just colleagues for one day... But as for my recent situation, apart from occasionally going hungry because of financial constraints, everything else is alright. Regarding my dream of becoming a voice actress, I just found a voice acting academy yesterday where the tuition is within my budget, so things are finally getting on track... Oh, by the way, I recently found a high-paying job. It's a bit tiring, but it's not as dangerous as my previous night shifts..." Aoyama Nanami said somewhat embarrassedly, then suddenly seemed to remember something and quickly added.

"But I can still afford to treat you to this meal! After all, I've been saved by Chen Jun twice without ever properly repaying him..."

The other person described their life here, and Chen Yi listened quietly.

He didn't suggest splitting the bill or lending the other person money, because he knew that such a strong person wouldn't appreciate charity from others.

All you need to do is lend a hand when someone is in trouble; it's a sign of respect and a duty as a friend.

"How is Chen Jun doing lately?" The chattering, which had been like that of a little bird, had stopped at some point. Aoyama Nanami turned the conversation to him, smiling expectantly.

"Me?" Chen Yi's smile froze as he fell into thought.

How have you been lately?

From the moment he accepted Yotsuya Miko's request, he spent almost every day trying to find fault with evil spirits, and in the eyes of outsiders, he seemed to be almost like a madman.

"Besides my daily studies, I'm researching robots and drones." He cleverly downplayed the dangers of the fake human, since it was unnecessary to cause others worry or pity.

Chen Yi opened a small compartment on his guitar case, took out the 'Soldier Ant-1' and placed it on the table.

The camera sensor system of 'Soldier Ant-1' lit up red and began to slowly crawl on the table.

"Wow, so cute! Has Chen-kun been researching something so amazing lately?" Aoyama Nanami's eyes lit up; she clearly couldn't resist this adorably ugly little thing.

"Yes, it can receive some simple commands, such as directions," Chen Yi casually explained, unlocking his phone and opening the rudimentary app he had created.

"This is the program that controls it. Please don't mind the somewhat rudimentary UI." Chen Yi handed over the phone. He watched as Aoyama Nanami had a great time playing with it and took a sip of her milk tea.

"Speaking of which, Chen Jun didn't say why he was hospitalized when he was admitted," Aoyama Nanami suddenly changed the subject.

"Ah, I was walking back to school that night when I happened to find that the security guard was a thug, and a gunfight broke out. I got shot," Chen Yi replied casually, since it wasn't anything shameful.

“I know that, what I want to know is... why did Chen go back at night?” Aoyama Nanami was unconvinced, her eyes fixed on Chen Yi.

"..." With no other option, Chen Yi had to tell the whole story, omitting some information about his superpowers.

"I see... Does Chen not consider me a friend? He's never told me that..." Aoyama Nanami lowered her head slightly, her bangs obscuring her expression.

"Normal people either don't believe it at first, or they can't empathize because it hasn't happened to them..."

“Chen Jun, I’m your friend.” She interrupted Chen Yi’s explanation.

"Moreover, we're not just friends; we've also shared a bond that's been through thick and thin together. So, I can absolutely empathize with Chen Jun," she said, raising her head with a serious look in her eyes.

"Chen Jun is clearly afraid of those things too, but why do you keep forcing yourself to deal with them? Sometimes you just need to ignore them or simply run away. Like last time, even though you were the one being targeted by the fake people, you made a special trip back to warn me because I live near your house... So, Chen Jun is truly a gentle and kind person." Her voice carried the dampness of Osaka Bay, a tender and moist quality.

"Moreover, Chen Jun didn't ask to borrow money like my other friends did when I said I was struggling financially... It's because Chen Jun knows my personality and respects my dignity that he chose not to interfere."

"So, Mr. Chen, please heed my advice: sometimes you should also be mindful of your safety, just like a hero wouldn't go to fight a demon king without any preparation."

"Thank you." Something that had been tightly binding Chen Yi's heart eased a little, and he looked at the other person earnestly.

"The line you just said was really great."

P.S.: I got the recommendation! I'll revise the description a bit, post one chapter now, and another one later.

Adolescent Syndrome: Chapter Fifty-Eight - Dating and Stalking

Chapter 58

"Does Chen-kun like it too? I've practiced this line for a long time!" Aoyama Nanami's tone became lively again.

"That sounds very distinctive," Chen Yi commented.

"Ah...personal characteristics and stuff...we don't need them for now." The other person seemed a little embarrassed.

That's true; the first step to becoming a voice actor is to change your accent.

"Alright, alright... the meat is cooked, eat quickly, since we've already spent the money, we have to eat our money's worth!" Aoyama Nanami changed the subject, placing a perfectly grilled piece of beef into Chen Yi's bowl.

"It's okay, keep going, I believe in you." Chen Yi picked up his chopsticks and offered words of encouragement.

"Commander, excuse me, the customer at the two-person table at your eight o'clock position is the one who was following you yesterday." Kroos's voice suddenly rang out, shattering Chen Yi's previously leisurely mood.

"..." Chen Yi paused slightly as he held the chopsticks, pondering a solution.

"He's like a persistent ghost," Chen Yi thought, a thought popping into his head that he wanted to get rid of him.

'Kroos, what's his current situation?' Chen Yi asked in his mind, while weighing whether or not to give up on Aoyama Nanami's good intentions.

“He’s eating, and his gaze has been fixed on your back for less than a minute,” Kroos replied.

"..." Chen Yi fell silent. What kind of development was this?

'Can you confirm that he's the one who followed us yesterday evening?' Could it be that Kroos has mistaken someone for someone else?

“I noticed him the moment he walked in. Judging from his height and gait, it’s highly likely to be the same person,” Kroos said, as she walked to the man’s table and looked down at him.

"However, he hasn't said a word so far, so I can't confirm anything further based on his voice."

It even has voice recognition? So, aside from not being able to fight, its auxiliary capabilities are maxed out, right?

"This is just basic insight and memory, Commander," Kroos said, still aloof.

"Commander, there's one more thing. The other side has no disguise whatsoever, including disguises, colored contact lenses, and even their clothes are just ordinary T-shirts that have been washed a bit old."

'So, it was a chance encounter?' Chen Yi deduced and came to a fairly accurate conclusion.

Klukka didn't say anything, but she tacitly agreed with this guess.

"Suddenly, I realize that the world is quite small sometimes," Chen Yi remarked while eating barbecue.

"Huh? Chen-kun, what's wrong?" Aoyama Nanami, sitting opposite him, stared with somewhat confused eyes.

"It's nothing, keep eating. Let me show you my cooking." Having confirmed that the other party posed no immediate threat, Chen Yi put his plans aside and decided to enjoy this cozy moment.

Of course, Chen Yi wasn't completely indifferent to having a neutral to slightly hostile person nearby. After all, he had Kroos keeping an eye on them. Since the other party hadn't made any plans, he'd cherish this 'calm before the storm.'

......

The pleasant time passed quickly. Chen Yi declined Aoyama Nanami's invitation to go shopping, citing other matters to attend to in the afternoon. After buying a jacket in the nearby commercial street, he quietly returned to the vicinity of the self-service barbecue restaurant.

He placed the 'Soldier Ant-1' at the alley entrance connecting to the self-service barbecue restaurant beforehand, and decorated it to monitor the other party's actions; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the energy to disguise himself.

As for the signal reception problem, please, he already knew that his machine spirit interfered when he was researching these reconnaissance devices. As for performance deficiencies, go tell my machine spirit!

"Commander, he's out." Kroos's voice rang out, and Chen Yi casually glanced up.

"Understood, follow them."

Although Chen Yi had not studied systematic courses on stealth and reconnaissance, he had cheat codes.

He only needs to have Kroos follow him, and then he can hide in the other party's blind spot without having to worry about being discovered.

Chen Yi followed along the way and gradually realized something was wrong.

Is this guy really that stupid? Doesn't he have any awareness of counter-surveillance when walking on the street? Or is it that leaving get off work is leaving get off work, and not the same as going to work?

trap?

Out of caution, Chen Yi gave up on continuing to follow the other party and notified Krochai to return.

“This journey has been too smooth; I suspect something’s amiss,” Chen Yi explained.

"It can't be ruled out." Krochai nodded, showing no negative emotions despite Chen Yi's last-minute change of orders that led to the abandonment of this opportunity.

"In that case, let's go back first." Chen Yi sighed and walked in the opposite direction. After a while, he turned into an alley and threw away his newly bought coat and hat.

"By the way, keep an eye on what's behind me and see if he turns back." Chen Yi remained vigilant and kept a watchful eye.

......

'So he really didn't come back?' Chen Yi only relaxed a little when he saw his apartment building, and then asked Kroos again to confirm.

"No, Commander."

So the relaxed feeling I had on the way here really wasn't faked?

'Never mind, better safe than sorry,' Chen Yi comforted himself.

but......

This matter cannot be left unresolved.

After returning home, he sprawled on the sofa, feeling rather aimless for a while.

What should I do?

Lately, I haven't had a proper rest because of various things, and when I finally have some free time, I don't know what to do.

"Commander, if you really have nothing to do, you can do today's maintenance ahead of schedule," Kroos reminded him from the side.

Got it, I want to be praised.

Chen Yi readily complied, got up and carried HK416 out, muttering to himself while secretly glancing at Krockey's expression.

"Why are you looking at me..." She was very sensitive to Chen Yi's gaze. She couldn't stand being stared at for long and turned her head away so that Chen Yi wouldn't see her expression.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to say that some people should learn to be more honest..."

"I, I'm going to take a nap..." Kroos stammered, completely overwhelmed by what Chen Yi was saying.

"=") Chen Yi simply smiled as he watched Kroos disappear from his mind and pretend to be dead.

Oh right, I suddenly remembered what I forgot.

After Chen Yi finished maintaining the firearms, he suddenly realized that he hadn't carefully read the documents Shuangye had sent him yesterday.

He opened his laptop and quickly uploaded the files from his phone to the laptop.

"'Evil spirits'..." Chen Yi looked at the document, his eyes lighting up slightly.

This short research report reveals the most crucial secret of the microbiome: its ability to remain subjectively invisible.

Simply put, this subjective, invisible ability is somewhat similar to anime, but it is far less hidden than that, to the point that people are completely unaware of its existence.

This bacterial community has a special radioactivity that mainly affects biological brainwaves, causing them to 'ignore' the radiation source.

What truly constitutes the 'evil spirit's' subjective invisibility is the spores of this bacterial flora. These spores are also radioactive and constantly dissipate.

Those black mists are spores, and the fungi are attached to the 'evil spirit'.

"Hiss...something's not right." Chen Yi frowned.

'Then why can't we see evil spirits in regular security cameras either?'

He sent the feedback to Rio Futaba.

P.S.: Something mysterious happened recently. I was so engrossed in gossip in the author group today that I forgot to save chapters for a moment. But thankfully, I managed to complete my daily task in the end. Love you all, meow.

Recommendation votes, meow! Monthly votes, meow! Rewards, meow! Blades, meow!

And leave a comment, meow! Write down your support, meow!

Adolescent Syndrome: Chapter Fifty-Nine - The First Test

Sunday is a great day to rest. Except for energetic young people, almost no one will choose to go out on a sunny day when the weather is gradually getting warmer.

Chen Yi was no exception. In his previous life, he was a foolish and naive engineering student. On weekends, he would either study some small toys outside of his research topic to pass the time, or play some casual games that weren't too intense.

But today is an exception.

He needs to test a system that involves drones and robotic dogs working together.

The continuous surveillance incidents made him realize that reconnaissance and protection were urgently needed.

Bulletproof vests and the like are definitely out of the question, as are explosives and fire control systems; these things can only be made by ourselves.

Fortunately, he completed one step: intelligent fire control.

"Commander, still no stalkers today." Kroos was wearing her signature baseball cap, her green eyes darting around in the shadows.

'If we take the best-case scenario, then the stalker isn't from a hostile force, because he doesn't seem to be in any hurry,' Chen Yi thought to himself.

This at least shows that he may not have been targeted by the Crab Legs organization.

"Good morning, Xiao Yi." It was Hiratsuka-sensei's Aston Martin, which was now steadily parked in front of him.

"Hey, Hiratsuka-sensei, are you sure you want to drive this sports car? We're going to the countryside," Chen Yi complained, stuffing his suitcase and guitar bag into the trunk of the red supercar.

“This car is so cool, it would be a shame not to drive it… Besides, we’re just going to the outskirts of the city, not trekking through the wilderness.” Hiratsuka Shizuka stroked the steering wheel as she watched Chen Yi get into the car.