Transformers: Survival of Defective Products

Chapter 197 Clever Fools | Sober Competence

The day after Vector bought the house, she summoned Red Spider and Jazz to her office, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

Red Spider arrived right on time, its outer armor clearly treated, its wings neatly folded, its posture almost like it was there to receive an award.

He sat at her desk and raised his chin.

Yin Xiang raised an eyebrow and teased, "I'll try not to mention your failed attempt to usurp the throne today."

Red Spider's wing trembled almost imperceptibly: "That description is very inaccurate."

"Is that called a high-frequency failure strategy attempt?"

Red Spider: "..."

BICk0, standing nearby, felt he'd inexplicably laughed enough these past few days.

Open the document using the vector tool and get to the main topic.

Starscream's wartime record is fascinating.

It's like a channel dedicated to him, broadcasting conspiracies, ambitions, survival, playing the victim, backstabbing, escape, improvisation, and the long-term, stable mental output to Megatron and his violent suppression.

After reading a few pages, she gave a positive review: "You're very smart."

Red Spider paused, then slightly raised one of its wings: "That's an obvious fact."

"They react quickly, can judge the wind direction, know when to run and when to back down, and are also good at shifting responsibility to others."

The Red Spider's wings, which it had just raised, froze again.

"Your clever brain module combined with your personality makes you practically an automatic conspiracy vending machine, and it doesn't even come with after-sales service."

Red Spider took a slow breath: "...I must remind you that I demonstrated perfect air support, strategic reconnaissance, and tactical deployment capabilities during the war."

Yin Xiang chuckled: "If you weren't capable, I wouldn't even bother scolding you today."

Red Spider was unsure whether he should be happy or not.

Look at the data with the vector pointer closed:

"And I should be the one reminding you, you practically have the word 'pride' written all over your faceplate, as if you want every machine to know: Red Spider just flew by."

Red Spider's expression twisted briefly: "Too vulgar."

Ignoring his complaints, the vector continued, "Pride isn't a bad thing."

Red Spider quieted down a bit; he liked hearing those words.

So the vector naturally threw out the second half of the sentence.

"But if you also want the organization to trust you, then don't step on every single one of them to prove that you deserve to be seen."

Red Spider instinctively retorted in a shrill voice, "I don't need their trust!"

Vector countered, "Then why do you always go to such lengths to prove yourself after being rejected by Megatron?"

Red Spider's wings froze completely, and it remained silent for a long while.

The vector gesture stopped there, replaced with a milder statement: "You want to be recognized."

Red Spider sneered: "What kind of new function is this in the judicial center? Sentiment analysis?"

"No, your idea is obvious to the naked eye."

The red spider gritted its teeth, but did not attack.

"You're trying to prove too much, and even if you are capable, you spend too much energy backstabbing, sowing discord, sabotaging others, and making them uncomfortable."

"If this continues, the other machines will think you can only create trouble and conspiracies."

Red Spider's whole body tensed up; he really wanted to argue, but he held back at the last moment.

After he calmed down a bit, he lowered his voice and said:

"Red Spider, you need to make your pride worthy of being trusted."

The office was very quiet. Red Spider's expression was unpleasant, but he knew she wasn't trying to humiliate him. It was just that the deep thorns he had concealed with his wings, sneers, and loud mockery had been precisely pried open by her.

He clicked his tongue: "You expect me to bow my head and apologize?"

The vector used the same methods humans use to coax children to persuade him:

"Apologizing doesn't make others think you're useless; it's admitting you made a mistake and letting others know you're not going to be stupid in the same place forever."

Red Spider immediately retorted, "I'm never stupid!"

"You're smartly stupid."

The red spider got stuck, and BICk0 paused for a moment after recording this sentence.

"You will be involved in the rebuilding of the flight team, and you can propose all related plans."

Red Spider's posture improved a bit.

"But they must sign their names and take responsibility; they cannot shirk responsibility or engage in infighting, and they certainly cannot abuse their power."

Red Spider: "I am truly touched by your trust in me."

"Partly," Vector said, "but more so because of my assessment of your abilities."

Red Spider paused for a moment, then immediately admitted to two things.

The vector seemed unaffected and didn't stop:

"If you want institutional recognition, exchange it for something of equal value."

Red Spider snapped out of his daze and gave a weak hum in agreement.

"And then there are moral constraints."

Red Spider seemed to hear a strange alien language.

Yin Xiang calmly said, "I don't expect much from you, but you should at least understand that intelligence is not an excuse for not taking responsibility. If you want to be a leader, you must learn to bear the consequences; if you want others to listen to you, don't let them down at crucial moments and make them regret electing you."

Red Spider moved the optical lens away, pursed his lips in dissatisfaction, but unexpectedly listened attentively:

"I will follow up on the plan."

After confirming some wartime records and completing the summons, he quickly raised his chin again, but stopped at the door as he turned to leave.

"If my solution is very useful."

Vector watched his retreating figure. Red Spider didn't turn around: "Will the plan be made public? What about the authorship?"

"Yes, the person in charge of the project will have your name on it."

Red Spider's wings finally couldn't resist twitching slightly with pleasure, and it hummed contentedly before quickly leaving.

After the door closed, BICk0 spoke: "His mood has improved."

"It's obvious, to be honest, if he could put half his effort into doing something worthwhile, the Cybertronian Air Force would live hundreds of years less."

BICk0 thought for a moment: "Should we record this in the inquiry summary?"

"Absolutely not."

-

When Jazz entered, the office of Vector was filled with warm light and a relaxed atmosphere.

He greeted him with a smile: "Yo, Chief Justice."

"Don't be so formal," Yin Xiang said with a laugh. "I've been thoroughly seasoned with paperwork all day."

Jazz sat in his seat, relaxed and at ease, as if he were just passing by for a chat.

She pulled up his file; the jazz's records weren't as sharp as Red Spider's.

His main roles included transmitting information during the Civil War, coordinating with the main force, using disguise and misleading tactics, confirming key locations during the Aquitron period, and maintaining relative clarity under the influence of low-frequency cognitive interference.

These may not be major moves, but without any one of them, none of us might be able to return to Cybertron safely today.

The vector responded, "Thank you for your hard work."

Jazz paused slightly, then chuckled, "This opening sounds much friendlier than Starscream's."

Vector glanced at him with amusement; this machine wasn't behaving itself either, it had indeed been eavesdropping.

"Do you want the same one?"

"No, I'm not one of those failed usurpers like him."

The vector pushed a formal confirmation letter over.

"As an inside agent, you provided crucial information. Even under interference, you were aware of the impact on yourself and proactively provided landing points and communication errors. The intelligence you provided before and after Operation Aquitron was of paramount importance."

"These will be entered into the official files of the judicial center."

She pushed another one over, saying, "There's a bonus too."

Jazz's smile was more pronounced this time; even though the optical glasses were not visible under the goggles, the corners of his mouth were visibly turned up.

I like your practicality.

He took the document, glanced at the amount, and exclaimed, "Wow!"

The vector tilted its head: "Too few?"

"No," the jazz said. "I was thinking that if Red Spider knew he hadn't taken the bonus, the wing might fall off."

"Then don't tell him."

"I will keep your secret."

Jazz continued to smile, relaxed and graceful, with just the right amount of poise.

The inquiry should have ended here, but the vector brought up other things:

"Sir, you are very good at doing what you're supposed to do."

Jazz's smile faltered slightly as he watched Yin Vector lean back in his chair and continue, as if he hadn't brought up any topic that others hadn't even noticed.

"You have a good grasp of the situation, know which position you are suited for, and are capable of fulfilling it, which is why you have taken on many tasks."

The office quieted down again, and BICk0 tried to keep his voice down as well.

The referrer handed him the sick leave slip, which was identified by the judicial center.

Being competent doesn't necessarily mean you have to do those things all the time.

The subtle change in the corner of Jazz's mouth was quickly concealed by him, and he still looked relatively relaxed.

"Is this a mandatory leave?"

"Judicial recommendation".

Jazz laughed out loud, but also understood that sometimes it was best to follow her legal advice.

The vector also appeared relaxed and natural, with a warm and gentle look in its eyes:

"The civil war is over."

The jazz lady's smile faded slightly, not because she was unhappy, but because it was her words that signified the end of a million years of chaos.

"Post-war reconstruction will probably be very busy, but you should have far fewer mandatory tasks."

"In your free time, do something you really enjoy."

The light filtering through her jazz goggles subtly revealed her expression.

She actually spoke rather subtly, understanding his boundaries and personality, simply seeing it and then gently offering another option in a way that suited them.

The jazz glared at her for a long time, then gave her a faint, genuine smile.

"That's too extravagant."

"Moderate luxury is good for physical and mental health."

Jazz tilted his head slightly to one side, resting it on his hand: "Then I'll consider doing it."

He paused for a moment, then casually mentioned, "Speaking of which, there are actually a few bars that still owe me a stage."

Vector blinked through his optical glasses: "Are you going to sing?"

"Occasionally," the jazz musician chuckled, "mainly playing a few Cybertronian shamans and singing a couple of songs to liven things up while the guests are drinking energy drinks."

Yin Vector imagined the scene: "That sounds like an interesting job."

"Interest," the jazz shrugged. "Not a task."

The vector nodded, happy for him.

The jazz musician then suddenly added, "If you're interested, you can come and listen anytime."

Vector said, "Okay, I'll give you a tip."

Jazz's goggles reflected a slight light, as if the optical lenses beneath them were also lit up, flashing a smile like a soft glow.

"Then I'll have to pick one carefully."

"By the way, arrange your own vacation to talk to Optimus Prime."

Jazz: "Aren't you going to speak up for me?"

"I can remind you."

The jazz raised an eyebrow and grinned – his reminder likely included both friendly persuasion and forceful enforcement.

-

The jazz player walked with a lighter step before leaving.

The vector noticed it, but didn't say anything.

BICk0, while organizing the list which still had many names, asked, "Who should we schedule for tomorrow?"

Yin Xiang slumped back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

"Black Widow and Arcee, I guess."