Transformers: Survival of Defective Products

Chapter 55 The Eve of Dawn

The brief moment of relaxation on the table didn't last long.

Some things just need to be laid out in the open.

She placed the cup back on the table, tapped the cup lightly with her fingertip, and brought the conversation back on track.

"But let's get down to business first." She glanced at Orion, then at Zhen Tianzun, "Now that you're officially connected, there's something we should discuss together."

Orion nodded first: "Go ahead."

Zhen Tianzun remained silent, but his gaze fell on her face, clearly knowing that what she was about to say was not a lighthearted topic.

Yin Vector leaned back a little: "The arena management probably won't take any action immediately anytime soon."

There was a moment of silence after those words were spoken.

Orion spoke first: "Because they just learned their lesson."

"Yes." Vector nodded. "And it wasn't just a small loss; they sent people to come and take you out, but none of them ever came back."

Zhen Tianzun lowered his optical glasses and spoke in a low voice: "They're not afraid of losing a few machines."

"What they're afraid of is not being able to control you," Yin Xiangfu quickly added. "At first, it could be described as testing, warning, and knowing how to keep things in check, but now it's a blatant act of breaking the ice. In the end, not only did they not suppress you, they forced you to reveal all your underhanded methods."

Orion frowned slightly: "And they should be reassessing your level of danger now."

“That’s right,” said Vector, “especially him.”

She tilted her chin slightly towards Zhen Tianzun.

"He was already conspicuous enough. His speeches, his influence in the arena, his impact in the lower districts, and that final match—even if many people had never seen him in person, they already knew he existed. If the management continues to make moves, the commotion will only grow bigger."

She paused here, then clarified the second half of her sentence.

"They won't stop, but they need to absorb the losses first, reassess the costs, and figure out how to make things seem more like an accident, or more like they're under reasonable control. What those slag makers are best at is putting a nice-sounding shell around themselves."

Upon hearing this, Orion slightly tightened his fingers and continued tidying up as she spoke.

"In other words, they won't be using such a direct method again anytime soon."

"Not immediately," Vector said, "but don't expect them to be completely obedient; they'll just find a more covert method."

Orion nodded slightly, his gaze darkening: "This matches some of the situations I've observed."

The vector turned to look at him: "You found something there too?"

"Yes." Orion didn't keep them in suspense and went straight to the point. "Recently, the access permissions of Iron Fortress and several separate data access areas have been fluctuating more frequently. On the surface, nothing seems wrong, but if you look at them together, it's actually a screening process to see who's being screened and to check which machines have inappropriate connections."

After listening, Yin Zongfu frowned slightly.

"In other words, they're not just targeting Caron."

"It's never just that," Zhen Tianzun spoke up at this moment, his tone not harsh, but his meaning clear. "Those guys in the arena wouldn't be where they are today without the tacit approval of those above."

Orion did not refute.

Sitting between the two machines, Yin Vector's mind raced, but he ultimately decided to speak directly.

"So things might be a bit quieter on the surface for a while, but in reality, their methods will become even more ruthless," she whispered. "They will monitor the relationships between different agencies, the flow of funds, and who is getting close to whom. They will also try to separate the ones that need to be separated and isolate the ones that are difficult to deal with directly, little by little."

The atmosphere noticeably became a bit somber again, but not oppressive; everyone was just thinking about what to do.

Orion spoke first: "If that's the case, then at least in the short term, your accommodations, communications, and the frequency of overt contact will all need to be readjusted."

Yin Xiang turned to look at him and couldn't help but say, "You adapted way too quickly."

Orion glanced at her: "We can't just listen and then do nothing."

"Too."

Zhen Tianzun then gave a low hum and finally spoke.

"They'll come back sooner or later anyway," he said. "So there's no need for me to keep waiting here."

The man who had been spinning the cup paused when he heard this and looked up at him.

"Are you about to make your move?"

Zhen Tianzun met her gaze without looking away.

"Um."

Looking at him, Yin Vector knew almost without needing further explanation that this action was not just empty talk, nor was it about giving a few more speeches or winning a few matches in the arena.

He was truly ready to move forward.

Orion clearly understood.

He didn't show any surprise, but asked very seriously, "So you mean you're preparing to start doing things more systematically?"

Zhen Tianzun nodded, his voice deep and steady.

"Many have already taken to heart what I said earlier. Now that the fire has been started, we shouldn't just let it sit there smoking."

The vector listened quietly without interrupting.

Zhen Tianzun continued, "Since they have already made the first move, it means one thing."

Orion caught on to what he meant: "They've also realized that you're no longer someone who can be easily suppressed."

"Yes," Zhen Tianzun said calmly, "Then I have even less reason to continue pretending I didn't see anything."

The air went still for a few seconds.

The vector looked at him, not surprised at all.

She had long known that Zhen Tianzun couldn't remain at the level of simply expressing his disapproval and giving speeches. In the preceding period, he had been gradually drawing out the reactions of those at the lower levels.

Now, the management's actions have essentially eliminated that last layer of buffer.

Orian sat opposite him, his gaze steady.

"How do you plan to begin?"

Zhen Tianzun glanced at him, but didn't try to hide it.

"Let's connect the wires that can be connected first," he said. "The mining area, the lower level area, and the surrounding areas, such as Moye Heavenly City, Qingqiu City, and Xuanji Lake City. We're not going to make a big commotion right away, but rather to get everything together so it's not scattered."

After listening, Orion nodded slightly.

"This judgment is correct. A direct confrontation now would be too costly and could give them an excuse to use it against us," he said. "But if we connect our understanding with each other first, things will be different later on."

Zhen Tianzun looked at him, and the hint of approval reflected in the pale blue optical lens became clearer.

"That's why I say you're much more useful than a lot of the machines sitting in those seats."

The vector, who was listening nearby, twitched at the corner of his mouth.

Is that what you call a compliment?

"That's fine," Zhen Tianzun said calmly. "I've already been very polite today."

Orion actually smiled after hearing this: "Then I'll accept it."

This eased the tension considerably.

Yin Xiang leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed, but his attitude was direct and clear: "Then I'll also state my position first."

Both Zhen Tianzun and Orion looked at her.

She said directly, "If you're really going to start making moves, I'm on your side."

Zhen Tianzun looked at her, the optical mirror moved slightly, but he didn't speak immediately.

Vector continued, "I'm not saying I suddenly got a brain fart and decided to take over the whole world. It's just that if you need a machine to do something later, to help you receive things, run errands, process messages, or simply need a trustworthy machine to stand around, I can do it."

After she finished speaking, there was a moment of silence around the table.

Orion glanced at her first, his eyes filled with a subtle complexity, but mostly with understanding.

Zhen Tianzun looked at her, and after two seconds, he spoke in a low voice.

"I know."

Orion then spoke up, his tone still gentle, but his attitude was anything but ambiguous.

"Me too."

The vector turned to look at him.

Orion calmly finished speaking: "I may not do everything in exactly the same way as him, but on this matter, I will not stand against you."

He paused, then added, "And if you need it, I can help you review some publicly available materials, speeches, data flow, and assess the risks associated with access restrictions."

This is not just a statement, but also a sign that they've started to position themselves.

Vector was taken aback for a moment, then a slow smirk appeared on his lips: "You've even found the location?"

Orion looked at her and said calmly, "You can't just sit here and listen, then go back and pretend nothing happened."

Zhen Tianzun also let out a low hum.

"You're not just a piece of scrap metal who just listens and nods."

The atmosphere at the table has completely changed since then.

Everyone's meaning is clear.

Looking at the two of them, Yin Xiang suddenly realized that his meal was not just a fair deal, but an outrageously good one.

Cybertron is so rotten, it's quite an achievement that we managed to pull this situation out of all that mess.