The clown puppet seemed to be caught off guard by the question about its boss. It froze on the spot.

  Meanwhile, the mechanical parrot squawked loudly, “Caw! Caw! Looking for the boss! Looking for the boss!”

  Qin Luo and the team exchanged confused glances.

  The clown puppet, after a moment of awkward silence, politely asked, “May I inquire what business you have with the boss, dear customers?”

  Qin Luo replied, “We have some matters to discuss. If a face-to-face meeting isn’t possible, a phone call would suffice.”

  Just as he finished speaking, a loud crashing noise erupted from behind the small door near the counter. It sounded like something had fallen over, followed by a clattering commotion.

  Wang Weihu and Bai Shu immediately went on high alert. “What was that sound?”

  The mechanical parrot continued its dramatic screeching, “It’s over! Xiao Lin is doomed! Xiao Lin is doomed!”

  The clown puppet covered its face and let out a theatrical wail. Then, with a twist and a hop, it jumped behind the counter, opened the small door with a *click*, and disappeared inside.

  A voice immediately cried out from behind the door, “BuBu, don’t come in!!!”

  Oh?

  The entire 3A Special Operations Team heard the childish voice and instinctively tilted their heads in unison to peer through the small door.

  Xu Duoduo leaned forward, trying to get a better look. She saw that the interior was in complete disarray—items had toppled over everywhere. On the floor lay a boy, no older than eleven or twelve.

  The clown puppet scrambled to pick him up, only to be smacked on the head by the boy. “You idiot! I told you not to come in! Ugh, why did I even create something as stupid as you?!”

  The mechanical parrot kept squawking, “OMG! OMG!” flapping its mechanical wings in mock despair.

  The boy, his face flushed red with embarrassment, yelled from inside, “Shut up, you dumb bird! Keep squawking, and I’ll rip out your power core!!”

  Unfortunately, the two mechanical shop assistants seemed to be missing a few screws, as neither appeared remotely intimidated by their creator.

  Qin Luo tapped on the counter. “Hello, young boss. Care to come out and have a chat?”

  Lin Qianxing, who had been yelling at his creations with great gusto, suddenly fell silent at the sound of Qin Luo’s voice. After a long pause, he stammered, “Y-you’re here to buy things, right? Why do you need to talk to me? Your teammate with the glasses already squeezed a discount out of me. What more do you want?”

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  His tone carried the air of a child trying to act like an adult, mustering up courage to converse with them.

  The team couldn’t help but smile.

  Who would’ve thought that such a skilled alchemist was just a kid?

  Chen Xiaofei leaned closer to his teammates and whispered, “Bet this kid has social anxiety. Probably too scared to meet people. Otherwise, why would he freak out and fall over at the mention of a phone call?”

  He gestured toward the shop, “I mean, he’s literally here but doesn’t dare come out to greet customers. That’s why he made those two mechanical assistants.”

  Wang Weihu nudged him, “Don’t state the obvious.”

  Bai Shu, calm as ever, adjusted his glasses and added, “Negotiating a discount was within my rights. It was a mutually agreed transaction.”

  He was as sly as ever.

  Lin Qianxing let out a disgruntled “hmph,” clearly unconvinced, and stayed hidden behind the door.

  Xu Duoduo peered curiously inside. She was intrigued by the setup behind the small door, which she guessed was likely the boy’s workshop.

  Qin Luo tapped the counter again. “Hey, we mean no harm. We just want to make friends. Why don’t you come out so we can check if you’re hurt? We’ve got medicine.”

  His tone was almost like coaxing a child.

  Chen Xiaofei immediately chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, just making friends!”

  Bai Shu added, “Exactly, just making friends.”

  Xu Duoduo nodded seriously. “Mhm.”

  Wang Weihu looked at his unreliable teammates, wondering if he should step in himself. But it seemed the mention of medicine had piqued the young boss’s interest.

  After a brief hesitation, Lin Qianxing asked, “Do you really have medicine?”

  In the post-apocalyptic world, medicine was indeed a rare commodity. While Xu Duoduo didn’t have an endless supply, she had managed to collect a decent amount from raiding several pharmacies.

  Qin Luo replied calmly, “Yes, we do. Come out now. Hiding and refusing to meet us isn’t very sincere. We really mean no harm. We just need a small favor from you. If you need medicine, we can pay you with it.”

  There was a moment of silence before Lin Qianxing relented. “BuBu, take me out.”

  The clown puppet responded immediately, “Yes, Master.”

  The small door creaked open, and the shop’s elusive owner finally revealed himself.

  Sure enough, he was a boy of eleven or twelve, dressed in a finely tailored blue uniform that he had likely made himself. It had a slightly over-the-top, dramatic flair, but it was undeniably adorable.

  He had a head of golden hair and striking green eyes. However, what stood out were his mechanical legs and one mechanical arm.

  He eyed the 3A team warily, his gaze lingering a little longer on Xu Duoduo’s face than the others.

  Qin Luo noticed and teased, “Hey, hey, hey. While my teammates are indeed good-looking, you don’t have to make it so obvious.”

  Lin Qianxing pouted in annoyance. “With faces like yours, how could I not look? But why do you have to talk like that?”

  Finally, with a huff, he said, “Alright, what do you want from me? Let me make this clear—I don’t do custom weapons. I only make small gadgets and basic melee weapons. Attribute stacking has its limits, and I don’t deal with your team’s high-tech firearms. Now, hurry up and tell me what you need!”

  He spoke quickly, avoiding eye contact the entire time. At most, he’d sneak a glance at their faces before looking away.

  Qin Luo sighed. “Didn’t your teacher ever tell you that it’s polite to look at someone when you’re talking to them? Oh, never mind. Here’s the thing: there’s been some speculation on the forums about our teammate’s dresses being blood-resistant. We’d like you to keep this information confidential. If you agree, tell us what medicine you need, and we’ll give it to you on the spot.”

  He added that if they didn’t have the required medicine at the moment, they’d bring it back after their next mission.

  Lin Qianxing seemed genuinely surprised by the offer. After a moment, he said, somewhat reservedly, “I need scar removal cream and burn ointment. If you have any, please deliver them to the orphanage in Liuyan District. There’s a girl named Yuanyuan there.”

  He didn’t elaborate further but promised to keep their secret. “Honestly, even if you hadn’t approached me, I wouldn’t have said anything. I never reply to forum posts, and why would I meddle in a combat team’s affairs? Do I look like I have nothing better to do?”

  His tone was haughty, but his words were reassuring.

  Qin Luo turned to Xu Duoduo, who nodded in confirmation. She rummaged through her spatial storage and quickly pulled out several boxes of ointments, placing them into a bag along with various other medicines.

  “Alright, you see this? The medicine is packed and ready. We’ll deliver it to the orphanage later.”

  Lin Qianxing, seeing their straightforwardness, nodded in satisfaction. With their agreement secured, the 3A team felt relieved, knowing Xu Duoduo’s spatial ability wouldn’t be exposed.

  The boy awkwardly muttered, “Thank you.”

  Chen Xiaofei, amused, teased, “Wow, you actually know how to say thank you? I thought you were all arrogance and attitude. But hey, your craftsmanship is impressive. Did you make all of this yourself?”