Chapter 76: A New Name

The magnificent steeds of the Qiang Hu, however, were not faring nearly as well. In scarcely half an hour, the fifty or sixty pursuers had dwindled to barely a dozen. Even these few stragglers, as Wang Keyue observed in her rear-view mirror, were riding horses on the verge of collapse. The fine animals panted like oxen, white foam flecking their mouths; Wang Keyue could not help but feel a pang of sympathy for their exhaustion.

Gradually, the figures of horse and rider grew smaller and more distant in her mirror, until they vanished altogether. Wang Keyue breathed easier, knowing that they had escaped this peril—at least for now.

“Xiaolu, your vehicle’s defenses are impressive, but pure defense will only get us so far. Offense is just as important!” Wang Keyue mused aloud, frustrated by being forced into a purely reactive position. If only she could mount hidden weapons around the car to assist in an attack—then her vehicle would be truly invincible.

“Understood, Master! Thank you for your suggestion! You may access the system marketplace to purchase an upgrade pack, or custom-tailor my functions with AI tools for a comprehensive enhancement. Which service do you wish to choose?” Xiaolu responded in its mechanical tone.

Wang Keyue was taken aback that her offhand comment had been so earnestly received, and that Xiaolu even offered her a personalized recommendation.

“Oh, let’s talk about that some other time… Really, let’s discuss it later. Look, we’re on the main road now. Xiaolu, why don’t you switch to autopilot mode?” Wang Keyue awkwardly changed the subject.

Honestly, what more could she want? Given her current standing, she was lucky just to have a vehicle at all—bicycles were out of the question.

“Yes, Master!” Xiaolu switched over to smart navigation and began autopilot.

Even so, Wang Keyue remained uneasy. The bus’s intelligence was still lacking, and she worried the autopilot might betray her at a critical moment.

However, System 9538 solved her problem. “Don’t worry, Xiaoyue. Go get some rest. I’ve just integrated Xiaolu’s program into my own. I’ll monitor all its actions—there’s no danger. If any emergency arises, I’ll alert you immediately!” 9538 assured her.

Wang Keyue suddenly felt a surge of pride and tenderness, as if watching a child grow up before her eyes—a mother’s heart easily moved.

Clutching her chest, she said, “Oh, 9538, you’re amazing. But isn’t it a bit awkward always calling you by your number? How about I give you a new name—Little Treasure?”

“I’d love that, Master! Thank you!” 9538—no, Little Treasure now—sounded genuinely delighted.

“And this ‘Master’ business is a bit exhausting. You can call me by my nickname, too. My family calls me Xiaoyue. Will you?” Wang Keyue asked.

“Of course, Xiaoyue. I am your family from now on, too.” Little Treasure’s words filled Wang Keyue with unexpected warmth and comfort.

With autopilot engaged, Wang Keyue left the driver’s seat to check on the passengers. Aside from a few with scrapes and bruises from the chaos, most were seated quietly, only a handful daring to turn and check if they were still being pursued.

But when they glimpsed Wang Keyue emerging from the driver’s cabin, their eyes shone with fervent admiration—and deep awe. Their expressions were those of the desperate clinging to a lifeline.

“Don’t worry. Those Qiang Hu can’t catch up with this mechanical beast! In another three or four hours, we’ll reach Kangle County. If you’re hungry or thirsty, eat some of the biscuits we brought this morning.” With that, Wang Keyue signaled Hong and Cheng to remain alert inside and out, then slipped back into the driver’s compartment.

She sat in the front passenger seat and activated her wrist communicator—little more than a basic device for calls.

She chose voice call instead of video, but there was no answer on the other end.

Undeterred, Wang Keyue recorded a message: “Brother Xiao, Brother Xiao, we were attacked by a group of Qiang Hu about 170 kilometers west of Kangle County. Their leader is a burly man with a full beard, wielding a pair of meteor hammers. There were about fifty or sixty of them. Please respond if you receive this.”

She thought for a moment, then called out, “Little Treasure, I’d like to mark the Qiang Hu’s location on the map. Is there a way?”

“That’s easy! Give me a moment!” Little Treasure replied cheerfully. Ever since being given a name, he had felt smarter than ever.

In less than a minute, Wang Keyue’s display lit up with a real-time map. Kangle County was clearly marked, and a red dot traced a winding diagonal to the west, pinpointing the Qiang Hu’s location.

Wang Keyue was overjoyed. “This is fantastic, Little Treasure!” She snapped three quick photos of the screen with her wrist communicator and sent them off, even remembering to add a vibration alert for the recipient.