Transformers: Survival of Defective Products

Chapter 58 A Friend of a Friend

This was not something Orion decided on a whim.

It was only after some time had passed, and the communication between the machines had become completely stable, that he was able to bring up many things that could only be said briefly on private channels before, and that he could now discuss them properly.

That day, Vector had just finished dealing with the stuff that Red Spider had thrown at him, casually replied to Shockwave, and was about to go get something to eat when Orion's private frequency lit up.

Are you free lately?

She glanced down and replied quickly.

What's wrong?

There was a pause of a few seconds before the next message came.

I'd like to introduce you to two friends.

The vector gesture paused for a moment, stared at the sentence for two seconds, and did not reply immediately.

It wasn't that she didn't want to see him; quite the opposite, it was precisely because it was Orian who had brought up the idea of ​​meeting him that her first reaction was hesitation.

Her background isn't exactly clean; in fact, anyone who gets too close to her will likely be implicated. Orian's decision to move forward is his own choice, but bringing other people into the picture is a different matter entirely.

She leaned back in her chair, tapped her fingertips lightly on the edge of the terminal twice, and finally replied: "Are you serious?"

Orion replied quickly.

[Seriously.]

The next one followed immediately.

[This wasn't something I came up with on the spur of the moment.]

Looking at that sentence, Yin Vector still continued to ask questions.

Have you told them about my situation?

This time, the other side remained quiet for a little longer.

After a while, a sentence popped up: "[Part of it has been mentioned.]"

The next sentence is even more direct.

[The potential risks have also been discussed.]

The vector frowned slightly.

She wanted to ask more questions, but Orion seemed to have guessed what she was worried about and sent the rest of the message first.

I didn't make this decision for you without your consent.

I had a serious talk with them.

They know this isn't a regular meeting. And they're all willing to see you.

After these few sentences were uttered, the vector suddenly fell silent.

Orion isn't the type to brush people off with "Don't worry, it'll be fine." The fact that he said that means he's really considered all the possibilities and has told the other party everything that needs to be said.

She stared at those lines of text for a while before finally replying:

It's not that I don't want to see them.

I'm genuinely afraid of dragging your friends into this too.

This time, Orion responded very quickly.

【I know. 】

That's why I asked you first.

After a short pause, a few more messages came in.

[Vector.]

You're not the only one worried about getting involved in other opportunities.

I can also make my own judgment.

Looking at the last sentence, she suddenly found herself speechless.

This person may speak gently most of the time, but when it comes to crucial matters, they always manage to handle things properly. It's not about offering comfort or forceful persuasion; it's about earnestly showing you that they know what they're doing.

So she looked down and typed: "...Okay."

After thinking for a moment, he added another sentence.

See you then.

Orion's tone was much lighter in response.

【it is good. 】

I'll arrange the venue.

It won't be too flashy.

Looking at the last sentence, Yin Vector chuckled and, as was his habit, made a lighthearted comment:

What you're saying sounds like you're trying to lead me into some shady deal.

They replied quickly:

In a way, yes.

The transaction only involved eating and chatting.

The vector laughed out loud. When a normal machine says something a little off, it can be quite damaging.

-

She didn't hide this from Zhen Tianzun either.

That evening, when he went downstairs, Yin Xiang also said directly, "Orion wants to take me to meet two of his friends."

The interface in Zhen Tianzun's hand paused for a moment: "Friend?"

"Um."

"He suggested it?"

"right."

Zhen Tianzun looked at her, his pale blue optical glasses pausing for two seconds: "You've already agreed?"

The vector nodded: "Agreed."

Zhen Tianzun didn't answer immediately. He went through the matter in his brain module before finally saying "hmm".

Looking at his expression—clearly wanting to say something but not intending to make it too obvious—Yin Xiangzong suddenly wanted to laugh.

After exchanging a few words with him, Zhen Tianzun couldn't help but remind him, "The machine he's willing to take you to see isn't just some empty brain module for show."

The vector blinked the optical lens and took two seconds to react.

This is probably the version of "Then go ahead, I agree with Orion's judgment" from the Celestial Emperor.

She crossed her arms, smiled at him, and said, "Okay, I'll take that as a compliment."

"what ever."

-

The place where we met was indeed unassuming.

It's not a public restaurant like Iron Castle, nor is it a noisy energy bar in the lower district. Instead, it's a private meeting place in a more secluded location with a rather unassuming facade. The outside is inconspicuous, but once inside, the space is quite solid and soundproof. The tables are spaced far apart, clearly designed for those who don't want their conversations overheard.

When the vector arrived, Orion was already there.

Upon seeing her enter, he stood up, still looking as neat and tidy as ever, except this time there were two other people sitting next to him.

A machine, white, black, and red, sat a little further inside. Its shoulder armor had bold lines and a striking color scheme; the machine's outline was clean and sleek, with a touch of agility. The head sculpt and faceplate were meticulously crafted; only when the optical lenses were raised did the vectoring force notice that they weren't real optical lenses, but rather protective goggles covering them.

The other one is a completely different style.

The white and orange color scheme, the thicker structure of the chest armor and shoulders, and the orange lines on the arms resembling an electrocardiogram, all contribute to a somewhat standard, square appearance. While not possessing an exaggeratedly imposing physique, he still exudes a solid presence whether standing or sitting.

Orion spoke first.

"They're here."

"Hmm." Vector walked over, glancing at the two machines. "I'm not late, am I?"

"No, we arrived first," Orion said, then introduced her, "This is the jazz."

She raised her hand towards the nimble-looking car and smiled naturally: "It's an honor to meet you."

Orion then turned to the other side.

"This is an ambulance."

The sturdy machine glanced at her, nodded, and said in greeting, "I've heard Orion mention you."

The vector sat down and respectfully greeted everyone with, "Hello."

-

The first few sentences we exchanged weren't very deep.

Orion started the conversation, leaving a natural topic for both sides to discuss.

The gentleman was very eloquent, and after a few words, he had almost completely smoothed out the awkwardness of their first formal meeting.

"I originally thought," the man leaned back, his tone relaxed, "that someone who could make Orion speak so clearly beforehand would be even more unapproachable than rumored."

He looked at him and asked, "And now?"

"Now I see." The gentleman chuckled. "It's not that you're hard to approach, it's that things are genuinely troublesome."

That was said with great tact.

I didn't treat her like a casual new friend, nor did I pretend I knew nothing. I simply and frankly admitted that we weren't sitting here for a purely relaxing meal.

After listening to the explanation, I actually relaxed a bit.

"Okay," she said. "At least you didn't treat me like some mysterious, high-risk individual and stare at me."

An ambulance driver casually chimed in from the side, "That depends on whether you're worth watching."

The vector turned and glanced at him.

Okay, this person does have a sharp tongue.

Jazz chuckled, "Ignore him. He talks to everyone like he's about to slap their medical record in their face any second."

"I don't treat everyone like this," the ambulance driver said, his tone unchanged. "It's just that I have limited patience with most machines."

Orian sat beside him, a hint of a smile in his eyes, clearly already quite used to their way of speaking.

Seeing this scene, the last bit of defense that Yin Vector had left in his heart loosened even further.

The atmosphere was nice, and neither of them seemed like the type to back down immediately at the slightest sign of trouble.

-

The conversation that followed went into more depth.

Orion didn't ask her to recount the whole story from the beginning; he simply added the most crucial details to what he had already explained to Jazz and the ambulance crew.

Including the complete breakdown of relations with the arena management, the previous attack on her residence, and now she is being targeted not only for the operation itself, but also for the connections she has made.

As she sat to one side, listening to Orian explain these things so clearly, she suddenly had a very strange feeling.

In the past, she preferred to handle things herself, or only speak with a few agents who were fully committed to the organization. But now, sitting at this table, with Orian taking over the most difficult part to begin with, she was able to explain what she really wanted to say more clearly.

She then added more details about the recent situation.

When it came to the fact that those scumbags in the arena probably wouldn't immediately come at him again, Jazz leaned back and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"That's normal," he said. "If they fail once, they'll be more cautious in the short term; they'll have to recalculate."

"And it's the kind of calculation that's really dirty," the vector continued.

"Those guys sitting on top, when have they ever not been like that?" The jazz's smile faded slightly, but his tone remained relaxed. "What they're best at is talking high-sounding words while their actions are nothing more than oppression and control. When they really feel someone is too difficult to control, they first break off relationships, then isolate them, and finally crush them when it's easiest to do so."

The vector looked up at him.

This doesn't sound like a casual complaint; it shows that the Jazz have been disliking that system for quite some time.

Orion clearly knew what she was thinking and calmly said, "He usually seems a bit carefree, but he has a very clear judgment when it comes to these kinds of things."

"I see it," said the vector.

The jazz shrugged at her: "Thanks for your trust. After all, I'm not just someone who looks for places to slack off."

An ambulance driver nearby suddenly remarked, "You're quite professional when you're taking a break."

“You see,” Jazz turned to look at Vector, “this is why I’ve always felt that the medical profession has a tradition of verbal abuse.”

The ambulance driver ignored him and turned to the vector: "Orion has already told us everything he can. Your biggest problem now is not whether anyone is willing to stand by your side, but who will be the first to be used against you for standing too clearly."

The key point was captured in a single sentence.

Yin Xiang nodded: "Yes. So I didn't really want to see you. It's not that I didn't want to get to know you, but I didn't want you to be remembered just because you met me."

The ambulance driver looked at her, his tone still stiff.

"You overestimate the efficiency of those incompetent people. If they really want to investigate, they will find out sooner or later. The difference is whether we know what we're getting into right now."

The jazz also dropped their earlier relaxed attitude.

"And to put it bluntly," he said, "even without you, the things Orion and we encounter on a regular basis are enough to make the machine sick of that rotten stuff called the Supreme Council. You've just brought a lot of problems that already existed to the table ahead of time."

Upon hearing this, the vector suddenly fell silent for two seconds.

Looking at them, she suddenly understood why Orion had brought her to see these two machines.

It's not because they need more help, but because they were already on the same path, and now they've met.

Orion then calmly added, "That's why I brought you here."

Look at him with your head tilted to the side.

Orion met her gaze: "It's not about forcing anyone into this. It's because I know they're not the kind of people who would cling to illusions after seeing the situation clearly."

The air was quiet for a moment.

Yin Xiang glanced down at the cup, then slowly raised his head and finally smiled.

"Okay," she said. "Then I've definitely made the right choice coming here."

Jazz laughed upon hearing this: "We should be the ones saying that. After all, Orion has mentioned you quite a few times before, and now that we've met, at least we haven't disappointed him."

"That sounds like you've passed a job interview."

"Pretty much." The jazz nodded seriously. "It mainly depends on whether you can accept that our table will usually have a sharp-tongued medic and an overly serious data fanatic."

Orion gave him a helpless look.

The ambulance driver calmly retorted, "It's better than having a machine that's like it's adding background noise wherever it goes."

This time, the vector couldn't hold back and chuckled to himself.

Very well, the computer and the people in the computer are all quite decent.

-

By the end of the meal, we were basically familiar with each other. Exchanging contact information was a natural progression.

After adding the jazz, he casually remarked, "If you ever run into anything that's not convenient to do openly, you can come to me first. Putting aside my other skills, I'm pretty good at maneuvering around the rules."

The ambulance driver, standing nearby, said, "You'd better not make it sound like some special talent worth promoting."

"But it is indeed a special skill." The Jazz showed no sign of embarrassment.

Vector looked at the two of them, a slight smile playing on his lips. Orian hadn't brought two friends to get to know each other; they were two people who, even knowing the situation, were still willing to sit down and listen attentively, and to seriously decide which side they were on.

When I came out of the meeting place, it was already half dark outside.

Orion and she walked out side by side, while Jazz and the ambulance lagged half a step behind, exchanging a few low barbs. The conversation wasn't particularly meaningful, but it was clear they were very close.

After taking a few steps, Yin Vector suddenly turned his head to look at Orion: "Your friend is of pretty high quality."

Orion turned to look at her and smiled, "I'll accept that on their behalf."

"Take it for yourself too," Yin Xiang said honestly. "After all, not everyone can easily raise two such decent friends."

After hearing this, the smile in Orion's eyes became clearer, but he didn't gloss over the sentence.

"So, can I also interpret that as," he said, "that you're in a good mood today because we're doing well?"

After thinking for a moment, the vector nodded: "It's very good."

Her answer was very straightforward.

"Because I was quite worried at first." She paused, her tone softening slightly, "but now it seems, at least I wasn't the only one worrying unnecessarily."

Orion looked at her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder: "You shouldn't always be worrying about these things all by yourself."

She didn't dodge the vector. She glanced ahead and saw dim corridor lights. Behind her was the dinner party that had just ended. Orian was standing next to her, and behind them were the jazz and the ambulance, which had already been switched to the same frequency.

Suddenly, she felt that her life could finally be considered a life.

She let out a soft breath and turned to look at Orian.

"Thank you," she said. "I would have regretted it if I hadn't come."

Orion looked at her, his smile never fading: "I'll try my best to maintain this level of quality in the future."

The jazz musician behind them overheard this and immediately chimed in, "I told you, the first formal meeting needs a decent meal, otherwise it's not conducive to establishing a good working relationship later on."

The ambulance driver coldly replied, "You just want to eat expensive food."

"Look," Jazz turned to Vector and shrugged, "this machine's misunderstanding of me deepens every day."

The vector couldn't help but laugh again.

She now really admires Jazz's witty remarks.