Mecha Chapter 27: Wonderful

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Sulo

 

Yang Ke, his eyes red, stared at the parts in the box in front of him and remained silent.

Since returning to his lab yesterday afternoon, he had been preparing something to show Master Yan. He had to prepare a finished product that he was good at which would perfectly reflect his abilities.

Besides, he had already asked Ling Xu to help him, it would be unacceptable if he failed again. However, the experiments that usually went smoothly had now become a bit difficult to make him produce something.

Now that he could smoothly assemble and process Grade 1 parts in nineteen steps, it was safe to say that no one in the whole year could surpass him. One, they didn’t have his grades and abilities, and two, they weren’t as lucky as he was to be in a place like this.

But taking something like this to Master Yan?

Although it was to be handed over to Di Jia first, Yang Ke didn’t think it was enough. His goal was to make Master Yan see things differently. Ever since Ling Xu left yesterday, Yang Ke had been thinking about what he could prepare to impress the eccentric Master Yan to make him admit that students like him didn’t need to be assessed.

But the more he tried to come up with something amazing, the less he could think of it. Yang Ke knew he was in over his head, and he was so anxious that he didn’t feel like doing anything until he solved the problem.

With his talent and hard work, he had gotten into a world-renowned school and was later supported by a family like PDG that no one else dared to even imagine. Yang Ke had always been the family’s pride and the person who received the most attention.

Yang Ke hesitated for a moment, but still told his story to his family. His mother and sister couldn’t do much for him except to comfort and encourage him. His father frowned and lit a cigarette after listening to his problem.

His father only acted this way when he was worried or troubled, but Yang Ke had no control over this and smiled at his father and told him it was fine.

He knew that his family depended on his father for support, and it was only because of his father’s hardwork that he and his sister had the opportunity to study. His father worked in a small mecha parts factory, where the work was heavy and very hard. Although his income was not low, because he worked longer hours than others, the family was not well off since they had two school children to support.

Although the tuition fee was very low and the school gave him a certain amount of scholarship, it was still very expensive for him to attend the famous school.

In order to cultivate talents, the state subsidized Saint Miro Academy, and almost every dish in the school cafeteria contained natural vegetables or meat. Although the price was much lower than outside, the monthly meal fee still cost ten thousand federal coins.

He had been worried about the cost of purchasing parts, but now the PDG family helped to solve that problem. 

Even Yang Ke’s parents, in order to not let people look down on him in campus, tried to buy him clothes from well-known brands.

Although Yang Ke said he didn’t care, he was still relieved that his parents insisted. It did help him not to look too different from others in school, and apart from the admiring and jealous glances, he rarely saw ridicule or sarcasm.

Unlike a certain someone, Yang Ke thought of the mess Luo XiaoLou was in at the beginning of the school year and felt a wonderful sense of satisfaction.

At this moment, his father, who had been silent, suddenly put out his cigarette and said to him, “Xiao Ke, come with me.”

Yang Ke, feeling strange, got up and followed his father into the utility room in the apartment, where, in addition to the well-organized items, there was a table with mecha parts on it.

It was the one his father occasionally used for his own practice, and  hehadn’t been in here since Yang Ke had entered senior high school.

His father took a set of parts out of the drawer and said to him, “Watch this.”

Then the assembling began, and fifteen minutes later, that part was perfectly machined. His father placed the parts on the table and then looked at Yang Ke, “Do you understand?”

Yang Ke was too stunned to speak. He had already mastered such a simple Grade 1 part, but because he had mastered it, he realized that his father used a completely different and more efficient method of machining!

How could there be a way to do this? How could there be changes and yet be very easy to understand? The point was that there was no way anyone could have thought of this step.

This was just brilliantly conceived!

His father lit his cigarette again and looked at Yang Ke, “I’m showing you this method to give you some inspiration, try it yourself.” He didn’t know why, but his father was clearly depressed as he said this.

Yang Ke came back to his senses and looked at his father excitedly, “Is this — is this you —” Yang Ke respected his father and appreciated him. It was because of his father that he loved mecha parts when he was a child, but when he grew up, he never went into the workshop where his father practiced.

It was because he understood the social status of his father’s job that Yang Ke didn’t even want his father to be present at his school. He wondered if his father realized this because even though he was so proud of his school, he never mentioned his son’s enrollment at Saint Miro Academy.

He had always thought he would go higher than his father, that he would become a top mecha maker, making special mechas for mecha warriors at the top of their game.

For his father to show him such a subtle conception when he was worried, Yang Ke was momentarily a little guilty and shocked.

“No, it wasn’t me who improved it, it was a colleague of mine.” His father waved his hand, pushing aside Yang Ke’s words. His brow was still furrowed, and after a moment’s thought, he said, “Ke, it’s good that you know for yourself, but don’t let anyone else see.” That young man’s smiling face appeared in this old man’s mind. The young man had helped him so enthusiastically, but he himself didn’t keep the secret for the sake of his son. Father — Old Yang was deeply blaming himself.

“A worker can actually do this…” Yang Ke mused, inspired indeed, but even more devastated. If a small processing factory worker could do it, then what were they, the sons of heaven?

“Father, then who is this worker? Do others know that he improved the part?” Yang Ke looked at his father with complicated eyes.

“No, he doesn’t want anyone to know, and I want you to keep it to yourself. If it wasn’t for you, I really wouldn’t have the face to let a third person know.” Old Yang said sullenly.

Yang Ke actually wanted to meet the worker, but no matter how much he asked, his father wouldn’t say who it was. After circling the room a few times, Yang Ke’s eyes lit up and he said slowly, “Father, if he doesn’t want others to know, there must be a reason for that, so don’t tell anyone else but me. If there’s a chance, you should also advise that worker not to tell anyone, it might lead to some trouble.”

Old Yang looked at Yang Ke in surprise. Although he didn’t know what trouble it would lead to, he would never tell anyone else about it. If it wasn’t to give his son some inspiration, he wouldn’t have given up this old face.

Today, Yang Ke had brought that part to the Kane Group without telling his father.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the design was so subtle that nothing he could think of could compare to the conception.

Yang Ke furiously felt that he was going from one oxymoron to another, and he had no confidence — but why not give the part to Di Jia?

Yang Ke knew it wasn’t right, but the thought couldn’t be pulled back.

That was what caused Yang Ke’s pain early Sunday morning.

Finally, Yang Ke bit the bullet and decided to give the part and the machining method to Di Jia. He had already checked on the virtual net but hadn’t certified this improvement method yet. If he had certified it first, it wouldn’t help if someone else found it. Besides, the worker was obviously not going to certify it.

He — he just had to, he just wanted a better opportunity to learn and take advantage of that nameless worker’s method. It didn’t cost that worker anything at all, but it was a turning point for him that could affect his life. He would be grateful to that worker, and if he could, when he became famous, he would ask his father to take care of that worker more, even if it meant giving him money…

With that in mind, Yang Ke finally got up, picked up the part and headed out.

Di Jia received Yang Ke in his office. He didn’t expect that in one night, Yang Ke would already prepare something. He had somewhat changed his mind about the clean-cut, high-achieving student, who was at least willing to work hard and put his heart into it.

Opening the box, in front of him was a familiar looking Grade 1 mecha part — mecha Part 05.

Di Jia looked up at Yang Ke, who smiled slightly and machined up the part with another set of unassembled parts, finishing the part in twelve minutes, less time than his father had taken slightly

Handing the finished product to Di Jia, Yang Ke raised his chin. This time the eccentric Master would be amazed as well!

He must become Master Yan’s disciple, and then become Ling Xu’s exclusive mecha maker.

Di Jia’s face remained unchanged, but his heart was whipping up waves, this — this was simply Luo XiaoLou’s improved design.

He sized up the confident Yang Ke and said with a smile, “It’s truly wonderful, are there any other alteration plans?”

Yang Ke looked at Di Jia with surprise and said, “I spent all night thinking of this, sorry I didn’t come up with more ways for Section Chief to look over it.”

Di Jia’s eyes behind his lens twinkled and with a big smile, he said, “I was so surprised that I asked for too much, after all, good ideas are rare. I’ll take it to Master Yan for his perusal, you go back to work first.”

 

Watching Yang Ke’s back as he left, Di Jia put away the smile on his face and turned on the communicator.