Flourbeans and mealworms—these two ingredients often made up a staggering eighty percent of today’s cheap food, especially canned goods. Even pricier food had a sprinkle of them mixed in.

Sure, one’s high in carbs and the other’s loaded with protein, but no one will like them. It’s so yucky.

The taste of flourbeans are terrible, almost like eating thick, chalky paste.

And as for the cod… well, there was a bit of that in that bag of food.

Ever since the Santee Great Flu outbreak in 2030 wiped out seventy percent of industrial livestock around the world, wildlife numbers have plummeted, many plants have died, and vast areas have turned into deserts. The impact has been global and catastrophic.

You ask how plants could catch the flu?

Well, the Santee virus spreads like wildfire, infecting both humans and animals, and it even affects plants to some degree.

Was it nature’s fantastic job, or some shady group’s scheme to sabotage other countries? Who knows? Those in the know pretend they don’t.

But lucky for us, seafood in the oceans was less affected, so it survived. However, as fishing ramped up, prices skyrocketed.

Soon enough, Myfood Company came up with super high-yield, easy-to-farm edible mealworms and flourbeans.

These two groundbreaking inventions helped the world fill their bellies again, even if the taste left a lot to be desired.

But for the poor? Well, they didn’t have much of a choice.

“What should we call this stuff that looks like animal blood? ‘Mlood’? Mlood? Ha!”

Yushi chuckled at his own silly thought, shoveling a spoonful of cold, mushy meat cake into his mouth.

Yep, still tasted like bland, chalky lumps. The only thing that could stimulate his taste buds were the additives and the chemical cod flavoring.

Just then, the music player switched to another track, this one blending jazz with electronic vibes. The singer sounded like an old cowboy from the last century, crooning some lyrics that made Yushi chuckle:

“Baby, I said I'm in love with a Robot,

But she loves me way better than you,

Baby, I said I'm in love with a Robot,

I'm embarrassed, but this is the truth.”

“What kind of lyrics are these? Old cowboys are from another era. Seriously, putting a human heart into a soulless robot? Isn’t that just a ridiculous farce?”

Yushi thought with a grin.

But the song actually suited his taste, drawing him in as he swayed to the beat, eyes half-closed, enjoying a moment of leisure. Outside, the rain seemed to fall in rhythm.

In this day and age, even music was made by AI, so these hand-crafted tunes felt like a rare gem.

Before long, Yushi got back to work. He felt a bit worn out, but couldn’t afford to waste a second.

“Alright, let’s get that left arm on.”

Just as he finished attaching the arm, a wisp of pink smoke drifted out of the heating machine, filling the air with a metallic scent.

He quickly dashed over to press the switch. The machine opened wide, releasing a cloud of unpleasant steam.

The oddly colored liquid inside had now transformed into a blood-red hue, startling to look at.

Yushi grabbed a pair of tongs and pulled the bubbling beaker out, placing it into a basin of water to cool it down slowly.

The basin had seen better days; its once vibrant red surface had faded to a dull gray.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

While waiting, he continued to inspect the machine’s exterior, patching up any damage, especially around the waist where it had been severed.

The rain showed no signs of letting up; it was getting heavier instead.

The sound was fierce, threatening to break through the roof, and even the ceiling seemed ready to leak.

Outside, the splashing rain seemed eager to invade the house, but the glass barrier held it back, causing it to angrily pound against the window, creating a cacophony.

Yushi leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh, closing his eyes to listen to the rain and wind outside.

His head felt a bit fuzzy. Maybe the rain had jostled his brain and combined with the hard work he’d just done, leaving him utterly exhausted.

But he couldn’t afford to rest just yet; there was still so much to do.

The big beaker of “mlood” had cooled down just as he finished welding the gaps in the waist. He twisted his neck, hearing a satisfying crack.

“This thing is really intricate… kinda fascinating.”

He brought the cup of “mlood” over to the robot, looking at Delena, stroking his stubbly chin, then began to tinker with her.

After a moment, he, touching his damp, oily hair. Chuckled.

Delena’s eyes were tightly shut, her head bowed. Her arms crossed over her chest, gripping her shoulders. The well-cleaned silver hair hung down her back.

The oil-stained off-white shirt replaced the tattered shirt at the beginning. She now looked holy like a saint in the poor village. Truth be told, when he had stripped her earlier, his heartbeat was flurried. But the thought of the cash he’d earn soon calmed him down.

He pondered for a second, then rummaged through a nearby box, pulling out an old, dirty apron.

He’d originally used it to protect his clothes from spills, but at this point… well, he was already working bare, so what did it matter?

With a chuckle, he tied the apron around his waist, feeling a sense of ceremony.

“Ha…”

He grabbed the long-prepared beaker, pouring its contents into the transport device, then picked up the transfer tube, opening the oil cap on the robot and inserting it.

“Vroom!”

He pressed the switch, and the device coughed like an old man with phlegm. The “mlood” began to flow.

“Phew… no leaks, thank goodness.”

Yushi stared at the machine’s state, relieved to see no “mlood” oozing out from anywhere. His fatigue eased a bit.

Three minutes later, the coughing stopped, and Yushi powered it down.

He sealed the oil cap, and the robot remained still. Her head hung low, lips pressed tightly together, as if she wanted to say something.

“No response?”

After a while with no movement, Yushi leaned in closer, patting here and there.

“Do I need to activate something? If that’s the case, do I have to make her ‘heart’ start beating?”

He was puzzled by his own thoughts. Looking at Delena’s chest, he hesitated for a moment.

“Oh gosh, she’s a robot… Ugh, it’s just a broken machine anyway. Let’s do this. No big deal.”

With a resigned smile, he laid her flat on the ground, placing his left palm over her right hand, fingers interlocking, pressing down at the center of her chest like he was performing CPR.

Yes, he was doing CPR on a robot.

Yushi had never done anything so outrageous before. A robot needing human CPR? That’s hilarious!

But right now, it didn’t feel like a joke… Whatever, it didn’t matter.

He pressed down in a steady rhythm, two beats per second, even though he felt utterly drained.

But he couldn’t help the excitement bubbling inside him. At that moment, it felt like he was stealing a patient back from the clutches of death.

“... thump.”

After two minutes of pressing, he still felt nothing. Just as he was about to give up, he sensed something stirring beneath his hands.

A heartbeat! The machine was coming to life?!

Suppressing his excitement, Yushi quickly backed away, crouching down to watch the twitching body with keen interest.

“Click… click…”

Slowly, he heard the sound of gears turning, then it faded away just as quickly.

She went still again.

“... No way, what’s going on?”

Yushi felt his heart skip a beat.

He climbed forward, put his two fingers together, patting her face.

“Come on, make some moves! I’m counting on you to pay my bills for the next two weeks!”

Frustration bubbled up inside him, and he sighed, biting his lip, feeling both dizzy and overwhelmed.

But before he could stew in his annoyance, those long-closed eyes suddenly flew open.

Emerald irises glowed softly, the dilated pupils staring blankly ahead.

Then, with a tiny creak, her joints moved, and those eyes snapped onto Yushi, making him flinch back in surprise.

“... I did it?”

Yushi trembled with excitement.

Even though he had repaired plenty of machines, this was his first time fixing such a lifelike robot.

In that moment, he felt a surge of pride, like he was a god after creating life.

“...”

Delena remained silent, but she was clearly trying to sit up. Her head jerked forward mechanically, and her broken arms bent, attempting to lift her upper body.

It seemed she really wanted to stand, but after scanning her lower half, which was just air, she gave up.

“You…take it slow…”

Yushi said, a hint of concern in his voice. He almost reached out to help her.

The rise and fall of her chest made him question if he had truly brought someone back to life.

“...”

Delena still didn’t speak.

At that moment, it was hard to say if she was “sitting up” or “standing” since her upper body was propped up by her hands, but her waist was bent, resembling upset someone slumped over in defeat.

Her beautiful eyes roamed the room, finally locking onto Yushi after a few minutes. She fell silent again before slowly speaking.

“... Master.”