Chapter 27: Uncle Ted Head is Full of Endless Ideas!
Unlike Rango, who was immersed in a gentle embrace,
the atmosphere at home on Long Island, New York, five thousand kilometers away, was exceptionally cool and quiet.
Emma sat upright on the sofa, her legs elegantly crossed, her hands resting on her knees, the heels of her shoes tapping lightly on the ground with a rhythmic beat.
Behind her, Megan, who was about the same height as her, was carefully combing her long hair, her fingers deftly weaving Emma's hair into two long French braids.
Before Rango left, he had programmed Emma's voice into Megan's command protocols. In his absence, Megan was not only responsible for taking care of Emma's daily needs but also for protecting her from any harm.
Megan found this responsibility quite easy; after all, as a companion robot, she was initially developed to accompany children who lacked family members, giving them love and protection.
"What's for lunch?" Emma asked casually.
"Buffalo wings, corn chowder with ham, and the New England clam chowder you specifically asked for this morning."
Although it was still that synthesized electronic voice, Megan's tone was much gentler and softer than when she spoke to Rango and Ted. As a companion robot, she had a natural affinity for children.
Emma smiled contentedly after hearing her words.
Since being taken from the orphanage by Rango that day, she had become increasingly satisfied with her current life.
Not only did she have a cool and funny uncle who doted on her, but she also had a robot friend who listened to her every word and told her stories every night.
Even when she was in a bad mood, she could casually kill a few lively little figures in the museum at night, and that sense of control gave her immense pleasure.
If she had known this would happen, she should have killed that man sooner.
However, not everything went so smoothly.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"
The sound of the toilet flushing came from the bathroom at the end of the hall again; this was the third time in a row.
Emma unconsciously increased the frequency of her leg bouncing, the sound of her heels tapping the ground becoming more rapid, revealing her inner irritation.
A short while later, Ted, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, lazily emerged from inside, scratching his thigh.
Upon seeing Emma getting her hair done in the living room, he quickly stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into the ashtray.
Rango had previously warned him not to smoke in front of Emma, and although he was somewhat annoyed, exposing her to secondhand smoke did seem rather low-class.
He coughed lightly, feigning maturity, and sat down on the opposite sofa, then picked up a sports betting magazine and began reading.
Emma glanced at him discreetly, her eyes filled with disgust.
She had tried, but she truly couldn't like this walking, talking teddy bear.
Not only did he constantly curse, but he also frequently made startling noises around the house, and sometimes even read Playboy magazines out in the open.
His vulgar words and actions were constantly pushing Emma's limits.
What bothered her most was that her uncle, who was actually closest to her, cared a lot about it. He not only asked for its opinion on many things, but the two were also inseparable, sometimes even taking a bath together.
She couldn't stand the person she loved most being with that annoying creature all the time!
"Uncle Ted?"
"Hmm?"
Burying all her thoughts, Emma revealed the smile she had practiced countless times and said sweetly, "You didn't seem to wash your hands after coming out of the bathroom."
"Wash my hands?"
Ted laughed immediately upon hearing this. "You didn't think I took a dump in there, did you? Please, it's noon now. We bears only do our business after dark."
"Then what were you doing in there for so long?" Emma asked after a moment of silence.
Ted shrugged and explained, "I wanted to buy a lottery ticket, but I didn't want to go out, so I flushed all my dollars down the toilet, just to pretend I already bought one."
Emma fell even more silent after hearing this.
"By the way, Megan, is lunch ready? Is there anything I like?" Ted stretched and asked casually.
"Rango told me before he left to focus on Emma's preferences these days, so I made it according to her tastes today," Megan replied truthfully.
"Emma, Emma," Ted muttered unhappily. Ever since this little girl came home, Rango had focused all his attention on her.
It had even been a long time since they sang the Thunder Song together!
"What a biased guy."
A moment later, lunch was served.
Megan carefully laid a napkin on Emma's lap. Emma gently stirred the soup in her bowl and asked seemingly casually, "Uncle Ted, I have a question I'd like to ask you."
"Oh? Shoot," Ted said curiously.
Emma frowned slightly and said seriously, "If someone always says really nasty things, making you extremely annoyed, but in some ways you're no match for them, how would you handle your relationship with them?"
"Hmm, interesting question."
Ted thought for a moment and said, "I'd pretend I didn't hear them, go home and sulk alone, lie in bed imagining how I'd tell them off when I see them the next day, even imagining how I'd react if we got into a fight. Then, if I actually ran into them the next day, I'd cross the street from way down the block and pretend I didn't see them."
"..."
This time, not only Emma, but even Megan looked at him in surprised silence.
Wasn't that a bit too pathetic?
"Hahaha!"
Seeing this, Ted immediately burst into laughter. "Please, that was just a joke, I'm a bear!"
"Hehe." The two laughed awkwardly.
"But seriously, Emma," Ted continued earnestly, "if you really encounter someone like that, either you absolutely must find a way to get away from them, or if you can't, then make sure they stay away from you. If you need help, just tell me anytime; Uncle Ted's head is full of endless ideas."
Emma nodded and smiled in agreement. "You're absolutely right, and that's exactly what I think too."
"Don't worry, just go for it!"
Ted encouraged. "Both Rango and I will support you. Oh, and let me tell you a secret."
Looking at Emma, who maintained her ladylike demeanor, he deliberately teased her, "Rango keeps a Glock pistol in his bedroom nightstand. If you need it, I can take care of them for you anytime."
"Really?"
Emma was slightly surprised, then smiled. "If I need it, I will."
"Don't mention it, we're family."
"Yes, family."
(End of Chapter)
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