If Alice's eyes had been glowing last time, this time they seemed to contain a whole planet, radiating with brilliance. A domestic robot, an advanced one at that!
"Can I learn from the side again, like last time?" Lu Wanqing asked with a smile.
"Of course!" Alice replied loudly, grinning. "If you want to learn, I can teach you anytime, as long as you pay enough!"
"No problem, I'm not short on money!" Lu Wanqing immediately said.
Alice turned to look at Lu Wanqing as if she were a god of wealth, smiling happily. "Okay, but I've never repaired a domestic robot before, so I might not be entirely familiar. Let me study it for a while first, and then I'll teach you when I have some results, alright?"
"That's definitely fine!" Lu Wanqing was also overjoyed and smiled.
"Can I watch you study from the side?" Lu Wanqing asked again.
"Yes," Alice agreed readily, not hiding anything.
So Lu Wanqing squatted beside them, earnestly watching Alice study the domestic robot. Initially, Alice was exploring on her own, but after a while, Lu Wanqing couldn't help but join in, offering suggestions and discussing together.
It seemed Alice and Lu Wanqing shared the same hobbies, as they were engrossed in their research for the entire day without realizing it. They hadn't even identified the problem with the domestic robot when Lu Yang finished preparing dinner and called them to eat.
Alice finally realized they had been researching all day and still hadn't figured out what was wrong with the domestic robot. She felt a bit embarrassed. "Um... I'll repair the domestic robot as soon as possible."
"It's alright, we're not in a hurry. You can take your time!" Lu Wanqing quickly reassured her.
Alice looked at Lu Wanqing.
Lu Wanqing also looked at Alice.
There was a sense of camaraderie, transcending their age difference, between the two women, one older and one younger.
"Okay, I... I'll come again tomorrow. But I might not be able to stay too long tomorrow, as I have something to do in the afternoon," Alice said.
Upon hearing she had plans, Lu Wanqing asked curiously, "Are you very busy?"
Alice nodded. "Yes."
"Alright then, you focus on your own matters tomorrow. My domestic robot can wait a few days to be repaired," Lu Wanqing said with a smile.
Alice looked at Lu Wanqing with surprise, not expecting her to be so understanding.
"Thank you," Alice said earnestly, looking at Lu Wanqing.
During dinner, Alice was amazed again. The meal was unexpectedly delicious, not only because of the excellent ingredients but, more importantly, the incredible cooking skills of the chef.
Alice happily ate three bowls of rice, her belly full, before bidding them farewell.
Lu Wanqing, concerned for Alice's safety, insisted on escorting her.
The next day, Alice arrived at their home as promised, and she and Lu Wanqing continued to work on the broken domestic robot.
After another half a day, Lu Wanqing and Alice finally pinpointed the problem with the domestic robot and repaired it together.
After testing and confirming that the robot was well-repaired and functional, Lu Wanqing immediately paid Alice five thousand interstellar credits, the agreed-upon reward.
However, Lu Wanqing was surprised when Alice only accepted two thousand five hundred credits, forcefully returning the remaining two thousand five hundred. Alice explained that since Lu Wanqing had also helped with the research and repairs over the past two days, she felt Lu Wanqing deserved a share of the payment.
Lu Wanqing tried to refuse, but Alice was insistent, and she eventually had to accept the two thousand five hundred credits back.
In the evening, Lu Wanqing and Lu Yang returned to the underground arena. The reason? Alice was scheduled to fight again.
Previously, Lu Wanqing wouldn't have worried about Alice. But now, having learned about the child's past and her relentless efforts to survive, Lu Wanqing found herself genuinely concerned.
In the first match, Alice's opponent was a contestant roughly her size. Lu Wanqing was extremely nervous until she saw Alice gain the upper hand, defeating her opponent so decisively that the other contestant cried for mercy and surrendered. Only then did Lu Wanqing's heart begin to relax, and she felt happy.
The second match was not as fortunate. Lu Wanqing overheard whispers from the audience revealing that Alice's opponent was a notorious serial killer on the federal wanted list. The opponent was skilled and brutal, and Alice was in grave danger.
However, the tension didn't last long. Lu Wanqing's relief came swiftly as Alice quickly subdued the so-called serial killer. When the referee announced the result and the crowd erupted in enthusiastic tipping, Lu Wanqing also couldn't resist scanning the QR code and tipping Alice ten thousand interstellar credits.
According to the rules of the underground arena, tips received by fighters on stage were split fifty-fifty with the arena. The arena took half, and the remaining half was distributed to the contestants.
For instance, out of the ten thousand interstellar credits Lu Wanqing had tipped, five thousand might go to the arena's coffers, with the other five thousand to be deposited into the contestant's account within three business days after the match.
The ten thousand interstellar credits Lu Wanqing tipped caused a stir among the crowd, eliciting envy from everyone.
On stage, Alice was stunned. After recovering from her shock, she was overjoyed. With ten thousand interstellar credits, if she received half, she felt she could afford to attend the Imperial Academy right away.
"Thank you, everyone!" Alice said humbly, quickly bowing to the audience.
The crowd roared in response, a testament to their affection for Alice.
Alice soon came down from the stage, and Lu Wanqing, unable to contain her concern, hurried to meet her.
Just as she had worried about Harvey when he first came off the ring, Lu Wanqing and Lu Yang were now accustomed to Alice's performances.
"Are you injured?" Lu Wanqing asked, taking Alice's hand and her voice filled with concern.
Alice seemed very nervous when facing Lu Wanqing, unsure how to respond.
"I... I think I'm alright," Alice said.
As Alice finished speaking and prepared to leave, Lu Wanqing quickly pulled her into the room and meticulously examined her. To her dismay, she discovered countless wounds all over Alice's body.
Lu Wanqing's heart ached instantly. She immediately rushed Alice into a treatment pod for rapid healing.