Genius Mechanic

15. Component

The corridor was quiet, with only the echoing sound of high heels.


Inside the KID Base, Shen Xingtang had just finished a communication session with the Banute Pollution Control Bureau. She handed her luggage to Jiang Simiao, she had been busy with contaminated zone matters until today and finally had time to return to the base. "Where are those two?" she asked.


Jiang Simiao pointed to the training room not far away.


Shen Xingtang entered the training room and saw Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao huddled together, with a holographic display of a well-known trading website of the Union in front of them.


"What are you both looking at?" Shen Xingtang asked.


Ji Qingfeng didn't lift his head. "What else can we look at? Of course, it's materials and parts. We got two anomalous crystals this time. If they turn out to be S-grade anomalous crystals, I need to prepare materials for my wife's weapon upgrade, which will cost a fortune."


Lin Yao chimed in, "Da Feng, look at this, look at this."


Shen Xingtang approached and saw the prominently displayed price on the homepage. "180,000 each?"


Ji Qingfeng said, "If we buy three, it's a 30% discount. Damn, it's so tempting."


Suddenly, he realized something and turned to look at Shen Xingtang. Immediately, his expression changed, and he said, "Ah, Boss, you're back!"


Shen Xingtang had indeed returned, and behind her was a trolley full of components. She pointed expressionlessly at the trolley beside her. "The ones for 180,000 are gone. You can get them for 20,000 each instead."


The two men's faces immediately turned sour upon hearing this.


Shen Xingtang continued, "Don't even think about the anomalous crystals. Both of them only turned out to be A-Class Variants after testing, not reaching S-grade."


"What? Only A-Class after consuming the anomalous crystals!?" Ji Qingfeng couldn't understand. "Boss, are the testing facilities you used reliable?"


Shen Xingtang was also surprised. The two anomalous crystals had been tested, and they were confirmed to be Regeneration and Devour Variants, both at the A-Class level. Regeneration mutation was not uncommon in plant-based pollutants, but Devour, which had previously only been found in S-grade pollutants, was now showing up as A-Class. It was hard to fathom.


"They're reliable. Let's talk about upgrading our weapons later," Shen Xingtang directly got to the point. "Did you cut off the power supply to the mecha the mechanic was operating during the interview the other day?"


Ji Qingfeng nodded, "Yes, I did. Have you contacted them for the interview? I must say that the mechanic is quite impressive. Yao *bǎo, and they did a lot of research just to come to us."

*宝(bǎo) - baby/precious/treasure/basically a term of endearment. Baby Yao, how cute


"I've already notified them to come over," Shen Xingtang said. "I need to go to the maintenance room. Ji Qingfeng, come with me."


Shen Xingtang had been occupied with matters in the Banute Contaminated Zone recently and hadn't had much time to handle base affairs. Now that the situation in the contaminated zone was under control, she needed to prepare for the upcoming season at KID.


During this period, Shen Xingtang had been staying in the Banute Pollution Zone and had little time to handle matters at the KID Base. Now that the situation in the pollution zone was resolved, she needed to prepare for the upcoming season at KID.


The base's maintenance room was unchanged since she left, except for the S-grade mecha that had been worked on by the new mechanic. Due to the previous mechanic's bad reputation, Shen Xingtang thoroughly checked the workbench before directly climbing into the mecha with her toolbox. Her first point of inspection was the right arm, which had been repaired by Ying Chenlin earlier in the day.


In just over an hour, the scope of the repair was limited. Ying Chenlin had only cleared the fault that triggered the mech's alarm and then halted the self-diagnostic program to prevent data loss. Shen Xingtang followed the traces of his repairs and was more and more amazed. Ying Chenlin had actually followed her previous repair progress when fixing the mech.


Each mechanic had their own progress and style, so it was easy for someone else taking over to cause duplication of work or conflicts between components. However, Ying Chenlin managed to avoid these issues and repaired the mecha precisely according to Shen Xingtang's style. Even when Shen Xingtang returned, there was no need to remove any of his temporary repairs as they were done to perfection.


Suppressing her excitement, Shen Xingtang looked at Ji Qingfeng and asked, "He repaired your mech. Have you tried it yet?"


Ji Qingfeng replied, "Yes, I imported the mecha data into the virtual warehouse and tried flying it. The level of damage remains the same, and I haven't found any issues... but there's something strange."


"Strange?" Shen Xingtang raised an eyebrow.


Ji Qingfeng hesitated before saying, "The right arm feels lighter than before. I remembered that before repairing the mech, he asked me if I was left-handed."


Ji Qingfeng was a left-handed person, with his dominant hand being his left. His mech's weapons were all equipped on the left side, while the right arm was typically used for controlling auxiliary weapons or blocking. As a result, the right arm's damage was often more severe than the left. When the right arm suddenly became more agile, he immediately sensed its lightness.

"He modified the right arm of the mech." Shen Xingtang stared at the maintenance surface of the mech. This repair involved the sensitivity of the right arm's neural connections…


Sensitivity was a fixed value for mechs, and while it could be adjusted, finding the right balance was challenging. If it wasn't set correctly, it could lead to confusion for the mecha pilot, especially when it came to the auxiliary hand position. Normally, a mechanic would choose an appropriate sensitivity range for the mecha pilot to adapt to and then make further adjustments.


However, Ying Chenlin had increased the sensitivity of Ji Qingfeng's right arm by one level.

"Ying Chenlin... How come I've never heard this name before?" Shen Xingtang had looked him up on the way here and found no records of him in the Alliance's mechanic database. It meant that he hadn't been part of any Alliance team before coming to KID, making him a completely new and inexperienced mechanic.


So talented... Is he really just a newcomer?


Ji Qingfeng couldn't understand Shen Xingtang's mutterings. "Tang jie, don't you believe him?"


Shen Xingtang looked up at the towering mecha and said, "Capable individuals wouldn't bother coming to KID. If they reveal even a bit of their skills, there would be plenty of teams eager to recruit them."


Ji Qingfeng didn't quite understand and replied, "But our team is currently struggling, all our mecha data has been leaked. Which team would actually think highly of us and send an undercover mechanic here? Instead of spending money to send someone to us, they might as well send someone to infiltrate DE. I'd be willing to sponsor them with one star coin—"


At that moment, Lin Yao rushed into the maintenance room and saw the two of them engrossed in studying the mechs. He called out, "Tang jie, there's someone here!"


In the temporary meeting room, two cups of warm tea were waiting.


As Ying Chenlin followed the guidance into the meeting room, he saw a woman seated at the head.


Upon seeing him, Shen Xingtang warmly extended her hand and said, "Hello, I'm Shen Xingtang, the owner of KID."


Ying Chenlin's gaze fell on her face, and from her slightly younger appearance, he noticed the differences in Shen Xingtang during this period. She looked young and beautiful, with a sharpness in her eyes.


Shen Xingtang had a more glamorous appearance, making her a rarity among the leaders of various mecha teams in the Alliance. In her younger days, she served on the frontline battlefield, retired, and later joined the KID team her deceased father had left behind. Finally, when the team faced internal conflicts, she resolutely fought back to regain ownership of KID, accepting this struggling team.


She was an ambitious and responsible woman. When KID encountered a major catastrophe and all participating teams lost contact, almost all the pressure fell on her alone.


This was the first time Ying Chenlin had seen Shen Xingtang in the future. By then, she had carried the burden of KID's decline for several years, from bankruptcy to barely surviving, carrying a heavy load on her shoulders.


She rarely smiled, completely unlike now.


Ying Chenlin gently suppressed his emotions and politely extended his hand, saying, "Hello, I'm Ying Chenlin."


Shen Xingtang didn't inquire about any other details from Ying Chenlin but instead handed him the prepared contract. "We already sent you a draft contract earlier. This one is for your final confirmation, with a few amendments."


"Our base originally intended to recruit an apprentice mechanic for a trial period, and the initial salary offered was 8,000 stars per month. However, your exceptional skills make it seem unfair for us to offer only 8,000," Shen Xingtang explained, then hesitated for a moment before continuing with a relaxed tone, "You know the situation at our base is not great, and we can't afford high salaries. Considering you currently only hold a junior mechanic certification, we plan to offer you the market rate. The base salary for a junior mechanic is 10,000 stars, and there will be bonuses..."


"8,000 is fine," Ying Chenlin suddenly interjected.


Shen Xingtang was taken aback, then glanced again at Ying Chenlin's resume, asking with a smile, "Isn't it too low?"


The resume didn't mention any background information... Could he be a little wealthy?!


Ying Chenlin replied, "This money can be used to buy materials. Isn't the base in need of funds?"


Shen Xingtang remained silent, honestly admitting to herself that she had never encountered such a thrifty worker.


Ying Chenlin looked at her with a puzzled expression.


Outside the meeting room, Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao were eavesdropping through a slightly open door. Upon hearing the conversation, they fell silent for a moment. Ji Qingfeng earnestly described, "This is a living Bodhisattva!"


Lin Yao echoed, "The base is lacking people who are proactive and dedicated like him."


Ji Qingfeng said, "Indeed, but what can you do with the saved 2,000 stars?"


Lin Yao calculated, "Save it for a year, and you can buy a B-grade part."


When Jiang Simiao walked over, he saw the two whispering at the door, calculating how many years it would take to afford an 180,000-star part. He couldn't bear it and said, "...You haven't even signed the contract yet."


Inside the meeting room, Shen Xingtang looked at Ying Chenlin while he was reading the contract. Perhaps the prolonged silence between them prompted her to ask, "May I ask, with your level of expertise, why did you want to come to KID?"


Ying Chenlin turned to the last page of the contract. He knew he needed to give Shen Xingtang a suitable reason and answered earnestly, "Your team doesn't have any other mechanics."


Having said that, he signed his name at the end of the contract and handed it back to Shen Xingtang.


Upon hearing his response, Shen Xingtang suddenly chuckled and signed her name on the last page of the electronic contract. "The trial period is written in the contract. Is that okay?"


"Sure," Ying Chenlin replied.


Shen Xingtang stood up and said, "Let's go. I'll show you around."


The space underneath the building wasn't particularly spacious, as most of it had been converted into a mech-exclusive area, leaving a smaller space for human residence. Ying Chenlin followed Shen Xingtang to the accommodation area to drop off his luggage, then they passed through a few corners and arrived at a specially partitioned area.


Shen Xingtang stood up and said, "Let's go. I'll show you around and familiarize you with the place."


The space underneath the building wasn't entirely spacious, as most of it had been transformed into a mecha-exclusive area, leaving a smaller area for human residence. Ying Chenlin followed Shen Xingtang to the accommodation area to drop off his luggage, and they passed through a few corners until they reached a specially designated area.


Shen Xingtang introduced, "This area has been mostly converted into living quarters, but all rooms are single occupancy. Your dormitory is here, and since we don't have a cafeteria on the base, meals are usually ordered collectively. If you have any dietary restrictions, remember to let Simiao know."


Several rooms showed clear signs of occupancy with their visitor indicators on, except for one room further inside. Shen Xingtang opened the door and said, "You'll stay here, and it's just a couple of turns away from the repair room."


Ying Chenlin followed her inside. The room wasn't large, but it had all the necessary facilities. "Thank you," he said.


After touring the base, Ying Chenlin went back to the hotel to retrieve his belongings. The equipment that couldn't be compressed was left to be transported by the hotel staff.


Jiang Simiao came to pick him up in a car and also helped with the luggage. "Is there anything else you need?" he asked.


"No, thank you," Ying Chenlin replied as he looked at Jiang Simiao.


Jiang Simiao felt that this person seemed young but lacked the vigor usually found in young people, like calm water without ripples.


Upon returning to the base, Ying Chenlin's access information had already been added to the base's system. It was now afternoon, and on the way back, Jiang Simiao filled him in on some details. KID had disbanded several members, leaving only four mecha pilots on the base—Ji Qingfeng, Lin Yao, Huo Yan, and Lu Xi—who were currently on vacation and hadn't returned yet.


Another person who had left the team was Xu Yaojun, the pilot of the red mecha that he had encountered in the pollution zone.


Ying Chenlin went back to his room to organize his belongings. He didn't stay in the room for too long and went straight to the repair room.


The temporary repair room was already lit, and some of the intelligent robots had started working. The previously messy repair room had been tidied up a bit. Shen Xingtang was in a mecha, and she seemed surprised to see Ying Chenlin. "You're here? Didn't you want to rest for a while?"


When they signed the contract earlier, she noticed that Ying Chenlin's right hand seemed a little unnatural, and she thought he might need more rest. However, he came over anyway.


Ying Chenlin asked what work needed to be done, and Shen Xingtang said straightforwardly, "We have two and a half months until the next season. There are only two of us, and we need to repair three competitive mechas. I'll handle the cleaning work on the mechas, and you can help me with the parts."


Repairing mechas and performing wound cleaning were basic tasks, involving removing damaged parts and replacing them with new ones. This job was relatively simple and suitable for him to understand the condition of the three mechas.


Shen Xingtang added, "The warehouse is at gate A3 ."


Ying Chenlin quickly went to the warehouse, where all the materials from the KID base were stored. He opened the three-dimensional diagram of the mechas sent by Shen Xingtang to get a general idea of the damaged parts. One of the mechas was Ji Qingfeng's concealment mecha, which required various types of bearing parts and metallic nerves.


Passing through some shelves, he quickly arrived at the area where the bearings were placed.


Ying Chenlin picked up the nearest joint bearing, and as his mental power swept over it, his movement suddenly halted. He placed the bearing on the nearby testing machine.


[Model A-GZ1456, Durability 70, Precision Conversion Rate 50%.]


How could the durability of an A-Class part be so low?


Seeing this display result, Ying Chenlin picked up another bearing.


[Model A-KZ2213, Durability 60, Precision Conversion Rate 49%.]


...


After trying several more, the highest durability of these parts didn't exceed 70, and the conversion rate was only 50%.


Ying Chenlin frowned slightly. How could these parts be similar to the B-grade parts he had casually polished before?


The author has something to say:


Here it comes~

Boss Shen is happy to recruit a mecha mechanic.