Chapter 03: The Harbin Detour

The wind howled across the open plains, carrying with it the scent of ozone and burnt metal. Luo Yuchen adjusted the straps of his backpack, his survival suit's visor dimming against the glare of the setting sun. Beside him, Xing trotted silently, his golden eyes scanning the terrain ahead with predatory focus.

Captain Li's team moved like ghosts—fast, efficient, barely leaving a trace. Yuchen had to push himself to keep up, his muscles burning from days of malnutrition and exhaustion. But he refused to show weakness. Not in front of these people.

"You're holding up better than I expected," one of the resistance fighters remarked—a lanky man with a scar running down his cheek. Callsign: "Rook."

Yuchen didn't answer.

Rook smirked. "Kid's got a mouth like a locked vault."

"Leave him be," Captain Li said without turning. "He's smart not to trust strangers."

Yuchen's fingers brushed against the plasma pistol hidden beneath his coat. Three shots left. He wasn't taking chances.

Xing's ears twitched. He let out a soft whine, pressing against Yuchen's leg.

"Something's coming," Yuchen said.

The team halted instantly.

Captain Li raised a fist, her eyes narrowing. "Where?"

Yuchen pointed northeast. "Xing senses it."

For a moment, no one moved. Then—

A low, guttural growl reverberated through the ground.

The earth split.

A massive, segmented body erupted from the dirt—a **D-Rank: Burrow Maw**, its maw lined with rows of serrated teeth. Its armored exoskeleton gleamed under the fading light, and its dozens of legs skittered as it zeroed in on the group.

"Scatter!" Li barked.

The team dispersed, rifles firing. Plasma rounds sparked against the Maw's hide, doing little more than pissing it off.

Yuchen dove behind a rock formation, Xing at his heels. His heart pounded. The Maw was too big, too fast. They needed a weakness.

His visor flickered, scanning the creature.

"Target Analysis: D-Rank Burrow Maw. Weak Point: Underside, Segment 7."

Of course. The soft belly.

But how to flip it?

Xing let out a sharp bark, his markings flaring silver.

"Distract it," Yuchen muttered. "Got it."

He grabbed a loose rock and hurled it at the Maw's head. The creature hissed, turning toward him—

"NOW!"

Xing moved.

A silver blur shot toward the Maw, leaping onto its back. The puppy's tiny jaws clamped onto a seam in its armor, and with a sickening crack, he tore a plate loose.

The Maw shrieked, thrashing.

Yuchen didn't hesitate. He sprinted, plasma pistol drawn.

One shot.

The bolt seared into the exposed flesh beneath Segment 7.

The Maw convulsed—then collapsed, twitching.

Silence.

Captain Li stepped forward, eyeing the dead beast, then Yuchen. "Not bad."

Rook whistled. "Kid and his mutt just solo'd a D-Rank. What the hell are you feeding that thing?"

Xing trotted back to Yuchen's side, licking his chops smugly.

Yuchen exhaled. "We need to move. More will come."

Li nodded. "He's right. Let's go."

Nightfall brought them to the ruins of an old industrial complex—their destination.

The skeletal remains of factories loomed against the moonlit sky, their walls pockmarked with blast marks. Captain Li led them to a partially collapsed warehouse, where a hidden hatch in the floor revealed a bunker below.

"Welcome to Waypoint Sigma," she said, descending.

The bunker was small but well-stocked—rations, weapons, even a rudimentary comms station. A handful of other resistance fighters nodded in greeting as they entered.

Yuchen stayed near the entrance, tense.

Li tossed him a protein pack. "Eat. You look like hell."

He caught it but didn't open it. "Why are we here?"

Li exchanged glances with her team before sighing. "Because we're not the only ones heading to Harbin."

She activated a holo-projector. A map flickered to life, displaying a route marked with red dots.

"Convoys of survivors are being hunted," she said. "Something's targeting them before they reach the city."

Yuchen's grip tightened on the protein pack. "Beasts?"

"No." Li's expression darkened. "People. Well-armed. Organized."

Rook leaned against the wall. "Slavers. Raiders. Maybe even one of the big orgs playing dirty."

Yuchen's stomach twisted. "You think they'll hit the next group."

"We know they will." Li tapped the map. "Tomorrow. Here."

A canyon pass, narrow and easily ambushed.

Yuchen met her gaze. "You're going to stop them."

"We're going to try."

Xing let out a low growl.

Yuchen exhaled. "Then we're in."

Li smirked. "Figured you'd say that."

Dawn, The Canyon Pass,

Yuchen crouched behind a boulder, his pulse steady. The ambush was set.

Captain Li's team was positioned along the ridges, rifles ready. Below, the convoy of survivors trudged forward—exhausted, desperate people clutching their few belongings.

Xing's ears perked up.

"They're here," Yuchen whispered.

A shadow moved.

Then—gunfire erupted.

Figures clad in black tactical gear descended from the rocks, their weapons barking. The survivors screamed, scattering.

"NOW!" Li's voice crackled over the comms.

The resistance fighters struck.

Plasma rounds tore through the raiders. Yuchen moved with them, his pistol raised.

A raider lunged at a fleeing child—

Yuchen fired.

Two shots left.

The raider dropped.

Xing was a silver streak, darting between enemies, his paralytic saliva dropping them long enough for the resistance to finish them off.

But then—

A roar echoed through the canyon.

Something big was coming.

Yuchen's visor flashed a warning.

"ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED: C-RANK."

The ground trembled.

From the canyon's mouth emerged a hulking, cybernetically enhanced wolf— a C-Rank: Ironclad Ravager.

Its eyes glowed red. Its claws were plasma-forged.

And it was pissed.

Captain Li's voice was tight. "Fall back! Fall—"

The Ravager charged.

Yuchen barely dodged as it barreled past, its claws shredding rock.

They were outmatched.

Then—

A shadow fell over them.

A mech descended from the sky, its thrusters roaring.

"Get down!" a voice boomed over external speakers.

The mech's arm cannon charged—then fired.

The blast sent the Ravager flying, its cybernetics sparking.

Yuchen stared.

The mech's cockpit hissed open.

A woman peered down at them—**pale hair, piercing blue eyes, a smirk that could cut glass.**

"Need a lift?"

Captain Li groaned. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

The woman grinned. "Nice to see you too, Captain."

Yuchen's visor flickered, identifying the insignia on the mech's shoulder.

"Sutherland Organization."

Enemies.

And yet—

She'd just saved them.

Xing growled.

Yuchen tightened his grip on his pistol.

One shot left.

Things had just gotten complicated.

The Sutherland mech's thrusters hummed as it landed, kicking up dust and debris. The woman inside—pale-haired, sharp-eyed—leaned out of the cockpit, her smirk unwavering even as Captain Li glared at her.

"You're late, Sutherland," Li snapped.

"Fashionably so," the woman replied, hopping down with effortless grace. "Besides, you looked like you had it under control."

Yuchen's fingers twitched near his plasma pistol. Sutherland. One of the Big Five Organizations—rivals to the Luo family. He had no reason to trust her.

Xing let out a low growl, pressing against Yuchen's leg.

The Sutherland woman noticed them and arched an eyebrow. "And who's this?"

"None of your business," Li said sharply.

"Ooh, protective." The woman grinned. "I like that." She extended a hand toward Yuchen. "Name's Vera Sutherland. And you are?"

Yuchen didn't take her hand.

Vera chuckled. "Feisty. I like him too."

Li stepped between them. "Enough. We need to move before more hostiles show up."

The survivors from the convoy huddled nearby, their expressions a mix of awe and fear. The Ironclad Ravager's corpse still smoldered where Vera's mech had blasted it.

Yuchen kept his guard up as they regrouped.

The journey to Harbin was tense.

Vera's mech—a Sutherland Mark-III "Raptor"—scouted ahead, its sensors sweeping for threats. The rest of the group followed on foot, sticking to the cover of ruined highways and abandoned tunnels.

Yuchen stayed close to Captain Li, his eyes never leaving Vera's back.

"You don't trust her," Li observed quietly.

"Should I?" Yuchen shot back.

Li exhaled. "No. But right now, we need her firepower."

Xing trotted beside them, his ears flicking at every sound.

By nightfall, they reached the outskirts of Harbin's defensive perimeter.

The city was a fortress—towering walls reinforced with energy shields, artillery turrets scanning the horizon, and mech patrols circling overhead. It was nothing like the ruins Yuchen had known.

A voice crackled over Li's comm.

"Identity confirmation required."

Li lifted her wrist, flashing a holographic insignia. "Captain Li, Harbin Resistance. Authorization code Alpha-Seven-Niner."

A pause. Then—

"Cleared. Welcome back, Captain."

The gates groaned open.

The inside of Harbin was a controlled chaos.

Refugees crowded makeshift shelters. Markets bustled with traders bartering for supplies. Mech engineers worked on damaged frames in open-air hangars. The air smelled of oil, sweat, and something almost like hope.

Yuchen had never seen so many people in one place.

Vera stretched lazily. "Ah, home sweet home."

Li shot her a look. "You're not staying."

"Aw, don't be like that." Vera winked. "I'll be back before you miss me." With that, she sauntered off toward the Sutherland sector, her mech following like a loyal hound.

Li muttered something under her breath before turning to Yuchen. "Come on. There's someone you should meet."

Deep in the industrial sector, nestled between scrap yards and repair bays, stood a cluttered workshop. The sign above the door read:

"Jiang's Mechanical Marvels – If It's Broken, I'll Fix It (Or Blow It Up Trying)."

Li pushed open the door without knocking.

Inside, the workshop was a maze of half-dismantled mechs, weapon prototypes, and piles of scavenged tech. A grizzled old man with grease-stained hands and a cybernetic eye looked up from his workbench.

"Li," he grunted. "You're back."

"Jiang," she nodded. "Brought you something." She nudged Yuchen forward.

Old Jiang squinted at him. "What am I supposed to do with a kid?"

"Train him."

Jiang scoffed. "I'm not a babysitter."

Li crossed her arms. "He survived Border City-17 alone. With that." She pointed at Xing.

Jiang's cybernetic eye whirred as it focused on the silver-marked puppy. His expression shifted—something between disbelief and intrigue.

"...Huh."

He set down his wrench and walked over, crouching in front of Xing. **"What's your name, mutt?"**

Xing tilted his head.

"Xing," Yuchen answered.

Jiang snorted. "Cute." He straightened, looking Yuchen up and down. "You know how to handle a plasma pistol?"

Yuchen nodded.

"Mech controls?"

"No."

Jiang smirked. "Then you're useless. But fixable." He turned to Li. "Fine. I'll take him."

Li clapped Yuchen on the shoulder. "You're in good hands. Jiang's the best mechanic in Harbin—and the only one crazy enough to teach a kid like you."

Yuchen didn't know if that was a compliment or a warning.

Jiang wasted no time.

"Rule one," he said, tossing Yuchen a wrench. "If it's broken, don't cry about it. Fix it."

He led Yuchen to a gutted training mech—an old Harbin Defense Model-12, its cockpit cracked and its joints rusted.

"This is your new best friend. You're gonna rebuild it."

Yuchen stared at the wreck. "How?"

Jiang grinned. "Figure it out."

And with that, he walked off, leaving Yuchen alone with a mountain of scrap and a very judgmental-looking puppy.

Xing yipped, as if to say, "Well? Get to work."

Yuchen exhaled.

This was going to be a long stay.

The first night in Old Jiang's workshop was anything but restful.

Yuchen lay on a cot wedged between two half-dismantled mech cores, the scent of oil and burnt wiring thick in the air. Xing curled up at his feet, his silver markings glowing faintly in the dim light of the workshop's emergency lamps.

Sleep wouldn't come.

Every creak of metal, every distant hum of Harbin's night patrols, sent his instincts flaring. This place was nothing like the ruins he'd known. It was loud. Alive. *Unfamiliar.*

A clang echoed from the workshop's main bay.

Yuchen sat up, hand instinctively reaching for the plasma pistol under his pillow.

"Relax, kid," Old Jiang's voice grumbled from the darkness. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

A flicker of flame—Jiang lit a cigarette, the ember casting shadows across his grizzled face. He took a long drag before exhaling smoke toward the ceiling.

"Can't sleep?"

Yuchen didn't answer.

Jiang snorted. "Yeah. Figured." He pushed off the workbench he'd been leaning against and jerked his chin toward the door. "Come on. Let's get some air."

The rooftop of Jiang's workshop offered a clear view of the city.

Harbin sprawled outward like a mechanical beast, its layers illuminated under the pale glow of energy shields and neon signs. Jiang pointed with his cigarette.

"See those lights? That's the Inner Zone."

Towering skyscrapers pierced the sky, their surfaces gleaming with corporate insignias—Luo, Sutherland, Wei-Xing, Ironfang Syndicate, and more. Universities, hospitals, shopping districts—all reserved for the elite. The wealthy. The powerful.

"That's where the organizations play their games," Jiang muttered. "Politicians, CEOs, military brass—all smiling while they stab each other in the back."

Yuchen's fingers tightened on the railing.

Luo.

His family's name was up there, etched in steel and light.

Jiang didn't seem to notice his reaction. He gestured to the middle ring.

"Outer Zone. Where the real work happens."

Factories belched smoke into the night. Apartment complexes stood in tight rows, their windows flickering with the blue glow of holographic televisions. Markets buzzed even at this hour, vendors selling everything from scrap parts to black-market beast cores.

"That's us," Jiang said, tapping ash over the railing. "Workers. Mechanics. Soldiers who ain't high-born enough for the Inner Zone mansions."

Then, his finger moved to the outermost ring—a massive wall, thicker than anything Yuchen had ever seen, separating the city from the wildlands beyond.

"And that? That's the Shield of Harbin. Strongest damn fortification in northern China."

Beyond it, a stretch of forest and fertile land—no man's land. Too dangerous to settle, but too valuable to ignore.

"The beasts out there are nastier than the ones you've seen," Jiang said. "But the city's defenses keep 'em out. Mostly."

Xing let out a soft whine, his ears twitching at distant sounds beyond the wall.

Jiang smirked. "Smart mutt."

The next morning, the workshop's doors were already open when Yuchen woke.

Customers—if they could be called that—streamed in and out. Soldiers in scarred armor. Mercenaries with bloodstained paychecks. Even a few slick-suited Inner Zone reps, their noses wrinkled at the grease and grime.

All of them came with the same look in their eyes: respect.

"Jiang!" A hulking mercenary slammed a broken plasma rifle onto the counter. "This piece of crap jammed on me mid-fight!"

Jiang didn't even glance up from the mech core he was welding. "That's 'cause you're an idiot who doesn't clean his gear."

The mercenary scowled—then laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Just fix it, old man."

Jiang waved a hand. "Yuchen. Handle it."

Yuchen blinked. "What?"

"You heard me." Jiang tossed him a toolkit. "Take it apart. Clean it. Put it back together."

The mercenary raised an eyebrow. "Who's the kid?"

Jiang grinned. "My new apprentice. Problem?"

The mercenary studied Yuchen for a long moment—then shrugged. "As long as my gun works after, I don't care if a damn monkey fixes it."

Yuchen's jaw clenched, but he took the rifle.

Xing, perched on a nearby crate, watched with what could only be described as amusement.

By the end of the week, the regulars had stopped asking who Yuchen was.

They just called him "Jiang's kid."

No last name. No questions.

It was safer that way.

One evening, as Yuchen scrubbed engine grease from his hands, Jiang leaned against the workbench.

"You're learning fast," he admitted gruffly.

Yuchen didn't look up. **"I've had to."**

Jiang studied him. "That surname of yours… it's trouble, isn't it?"

Yuchen's hands stilled.

Jiang exhaled. "Didn't think so. But here's the thing—in this city, names mean everything. And nothing." He tapped his cybernetic eye. "Out here, you're just Yuchen. My apprentice. Got it?"

Yuchen met his gaze. "Got it."

Jiang nodded. "Good."

Then, louder, for the entire workshop to hear:

"And from now on, anyone messes with you, they answer to me."

The unspoken message was clear.

This kid is under my protection.

Xing, curled up in a patch of sunlight, let out a satisfied "yip. "

Yuchen allowed himself the smallest of smiles.

Harbin wasn't home.

Not yet.

But it could be.

Weeks bled into months, and the rhythm of life in Old Jiang's workshop became as familiar to Yuchen as the pulse of his own heartbeat.

Mornings began with the screech of metal as Jiang yanked open the rusted shutters, flooding the workshop with pale dawn light. The scent of oil and burnt circuitry clung to everything, seeping into Yuchen's clothes until he stopped noticing it entirely.

Xing had claimed a corner of the workshop as his own, gnawing on discarded beast bones and occasionally startling customers by materializing out of shadows with unnerving silence.

Today, however, was different.

Jiang tossed a grease-stained bundle at Yuchen's chest. "Put that on. We're going into the Inner Zone."

Yuchen caught the bundle, unfolding it to reveal a high-grade mechanic's jumpsuit—black with silver trim, the Harbin Resistance insignia stitched onto the shoulder.

"Why?"

Jiang smirked. "Because the Sutherland brats broke their fancy mech again, and they pay triple for emergency repairs."

Yuchen's fingers tightened around the fabric. The Inner Zone meant organization territory. Meant Luo territory.

Xing let out a low whine, pressing against his leg.

Jiang's cybernetic eye whirred as it focused on him. "Problem?"

Yuchen exhaled. "No."

"Good." Jiang grabbed his toolbelt. "Then move your ass. We're burning daylight."

The checkpoint between Outer and Inner Zones was a fortress unto itself.

Towering alloy gates, manned by augmented guards in Sutherland colors, barred the way. Beyond them, the streets widened into pristine boulevards, holographic advertisements flickering across glass-fronted skyscrapers.

A guard stepped forward, rifle held loosely but ready. "Credentials."

Jiang didn't bother looking up from his comm. "Jiang Wei. Mechanic. Sutherland contract clearance Delta-Nine."

The guard's scanner beeped, flashing green. His gaze shifted to Yuchen. "And the kid?"

"Apprentice," Jiang said flatly.

The guard hesitated, then jerked his chin toward Xing. "That thing stays leashed."

Xing bared his teeth, silver markings pulsing faintly.

Yuchen rested a hand on his head. **"He won't cause trouble."**

The guard looked like he wanted to argue, but a higher-ranked officer waved them through. "Let them pass. Sutherland's waiting."

The gates groaned open.

Yuchen stepped into the lion's den.

The Inner Zone was a different world.

Clean. Polished. Artificial.

Citizens in tailored suits strolled past, their conversations a mix of corporate jargon and casual cruelty. A child in a Luo-branded academy uniform laughed as she tossed scraps of synth-meat to a caged beast—some mutated avian, its wings clipped.

Yuchen's stomach turned.

Jiang noticed his expression. "Yeah. Pretty, ain't it?" He spat on the immaculate pavement. "Like gilding a turd."

They reached Sutherland Tower, a needle of black glass piercing the sky. Vera lounged at the entrance, her pale hair tied back, a smirk already in place.

"Took you long enough, old man."

Jiang grunted. "Where's the wreck?"

Vera's gaze slid to Yuchen. "Brought the stray, huh?"

Xing growled.

Vera laughed. "Cute." She turned, leading them inside. "This way. And try not to touch anything shiny—you'll leave fingerprints."

The repair bay was a cavern of gleaming tech, dominated by a crippled Sutherland mech—a Mark-IV "Viper," its left leg joint shattered, cockpit cracked from what looked like a high-impact fall.

Jiang whistled. "What the hell did you do?"

Vera crossed her arms. "Tried a new maneuver. It didn't take."

Jiang rolled his eyes. "Yuchen. Diagnostics."

Yuchen moved forward, pulling up the mech's internal schematics on a holo-display. The damage was extensive—hydraulics blown, neural sync module fried.

"It's not just the leg," he said. "The core dampener's misaligned. That's why it crashed."

Vera blinked. "Huh. Kid's sharp."

Jiang smirked. "Told you."

As they worked, Yuchen noticed something odd.

The mech's logs showed erratic energy spikes—unnatural, even for a damaged system. He isolated the data stream, frowning.

"There's something else."

Jiang leaned over his shoulder. "What?"

Yuchen pointed to the flickering code. "This isn't standard Sutherland firmware. It's… something else."

Vera stiffened. "Show me."

The three of them stared at the corrupted data packets—encrypted, invasive.

Jiang's expression darkened. "That's sabotage."

Vera's comm beeped. She glanced at it, then cursed. "I've got to report this. Don't touch anything else until I get back."

She strode off, voice already sharp with command.

Jiang exhaled. "Well. This just got complicated."

Yuchen kept his voice low. "Who would sabotage a Sutherland mech?"

Jiang's cybernetic eye flickered. "Rivals. Disgruntled employees. Or—"

A shadow fell across them.

"Or someone sending a message," said a smooth, familiar voice.

Yuchen turned.

And froze.

Standing in the doorway, flanked by Luo Family guards, was Luo Jinhai.

His grandfather.

Jiang stepped between them, his posture casual but his voice a warning. "Luo Chairman. Didn't expect to see you here."

Jinhai's gaze never left Yuchen. "I was in the area."

A lie.

Yuchen's pulse roared in his ears. Xing pressed against his leg, a silent promise of protection.

Jinhai tilted his head. "You're Jiang's apprentice?"

Yuchen forced himself to nod.

"Interesting." Jinhai's smile didn't reach his eyes. "You remind me of someone."

The air thickened with unspoken history.

Then—

Vera returned, her usual smirk absent. "Luo Chairman. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Jinhai finally looked away. "Business, Miss Sutherland. Nothing more."

But as he left, his parting glance at Yuchen held a promise:

This isn't over.

Jiang waited until the Luo entourage was gone before exhaling. "Well. That happened."

Vera rubbed her temples. "I hate politics."

Yuchen said nothing.

His hands were steady.

His breath was even.

But inside, the past howled like the wind through Border City-17's ruins.

That night, back in the workshop, Jiang didn't ask questions.

He just handed Yuchen a bottle of cheap rice liquor and sat beside him on the rooftop.

Below, Harbin glittered—a city of lies and light.

"You don't have to talk about it," Jiang said finally.

Yuchen took a swig, the alcohol burning his throat. "I know."

Jiang studied him. "But you're staying."

It wasn't a question.

Yuchen looked at Xing, at the workshop, at the only real home he'd had since the world ended.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm staying."

Jiang clapped him on the shoulder. "Good."

And for the first time in a long time, Yuchen believed it.