Between Winning and Losing

Guo Changshi was a little confused at the time.

Was I not clear enough? Why did the young man on the other end of the line refuse so decisively after a moment's hesitation?

Our association isn't flashy enough.

Young man, you're getting a bit cocky!

Guo Changshi took a deep breath and suppressed his temper.

If possible

He really wanted to punch the young man in front of him, to teach him a lesson that there are always people more capable than you.

But when he thought of Big Sis Feng Li next door... he didn't dare to act recklessly anymore. He had already noticed on the pleasure boat that Big Sis Feng Li, known as the "Tyrant," actually had a soft spot for this young man!

Even when she was throwing a tantrum, this young man managed to calm her down! Impressive!

Back when Big Sis Feng Li was Martial Vanguard, she bullied many people because of her seniority and talent.

What can you do if you're bullied? You can't fight back!

That's how powerful you are, you can be so capricious.

Guo Changshi thought to himself, if he really dared to throw a tantrum, Big Sis Feng Li next door could come up with a two-meter-long Pudao and show him what a real temper was.

He was, after all, just a metallurgist.

He can't be compared to a boor like Feng Li!

certainly,

The fact that Guo Changshi, a master smelter, would lower himself to visit Li Yao and even make an exception to invite Li Yao to join the Artificer Association suggests that Big Sis Feng Li next door has a soft spot for this young man.

Rather, it was Li Yao's own skill! Looking both domestically and internationally, a potion capable of Limb Regeneration was practically unheard of! Yet this young man was certain he could concoct it! Yes,

Guo Changshi came for this very reason.

But he wasn't doing it for himself, but for the honor of Chinese craftsmen! He didn't understand why Li Yao refused to join the association; it was clearly a good thing!

Unlike the Wallfacers, they don't need to fight on the front lines. Their association also cooperates with the Wallfacers, and their status is relatively high among most Wallfacers.

After all, they are technical talents, and they will receive the respect they deserve wherever they go.

But now is not the time to dwell on these things.

Guo Changshi appears rugged and sturdy on the outside, but is actually quite quick-witted.

He originally planned to make an exception and invite Li Yao to join the association, and then discuss the rest... but that's not possible now, so he could only reveal his true purpose.

Guo Changshi thought for a moment and said, "That's right, there's a reason why I invited you to join the Chinese Extraordinary Artificer Association on behalf of the association."

Li Yao smiled; he had expected this.

Tsk, I really want to give myself a thumbs up for being so clever. Not only am I good-looking, but I'm also quite smart! From now on, you can call me: Li · All-Knowing · Yao!

Seeing the meaningful smile on Li Yao's face, Guo Changshi's heart sank, and he frantically began to analyze his own thoughts—had this young man guessed something? What if he knew that Li Yao was just being narcissistic...

How would I hit him?

Guo Changshi tightened his grip and continued, "From December to January, there will be a ' World Heritage Skills Expo ' held in the capital, which is considered the provincial capital of the Esper World. Various countries and organizations will typically showcase their latest research findings, partly to flex their muscles and partly to build their reputation."

Li Yao became serious and listened attentively.

Guo Changshi: "This expo is held every four years, and in the past it was always held abroad, but this time it's in China. The Authorities and the Wallfacer Organization have put in a lot of effort for this grand event, but the 'Chinese Extraordinary Artificer Association,' a major participant, seems rather lacking in confidence."

Li Yao asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

Judging from the arrogant looks of Old Man Lu, it seems like the Wallfacers is very strong.

Therefore, reasoning from effect to cause...

Chinese craftsmanship must have a great advantage in terms of inheritance, right?

Li Yao voiced his doubts.

Unexpectedly, Guo Changshi sighed deeply, "Alas!"

He explained, "Yes, the Wallfacers are indeed very strong, especially after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Even during those special years, Madam Qian led the Wallfacers to protect the country, making the country as solid as an iron barrel and establishing its own unique position in the world. But we have missed a lot of time and development opportunities!"

During the Ming Dynasty,

When fighting against the Yuan Mongol army, Hot Weapons were already widely used, and the triple-fire technique of muskets had begun to spread.

This was hundreds of years earlier than in the Western world! After the Ming dynasty was consolidated, the imperial court also vigorously supported related technologies.

Both the Firearms Manufacturing Camp and the Divine Machine Battalion are professional units with verifiable historical records.

pity,

The court at that time was plagued by factional strife; adept at internal power struggles but inept at external ones. A group of people were busy talking nonsense and keeping each other in check, only to find out in the blink of an eye—

Damn! The group that was least likely to win is now sitting in the Forbidden City! Everything has changed.

Things are going downhill!

Firearms were stored away, horses were released to graze freely... The Qing court devoted most of its energy to suppressing the Han Chinese.

So much so that while the Western world was undergoing a dramatic transformation, the East was still busy with brainwashing and rule!

It was also during that period, along with the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution, that the Western understanding of supernatural powers gradually became more systematic and standardized. They even broke away from the ancient organizational forms of associations or sects and established specialized learning and educational institutions to conduct research in this area.

Miskatonic University

Brookweika Abbey

Kassel College...

These educational institutions are both the source of Western transcendental forces and the origin of Western transcendental knowledge.

In comparison,

The Order Union, the Stability and Peace Foundation are all junior members.

Under such powerful transformative forces, the Western world quickly caught up with the East in its research on supernatural powers, even collecting relevant knowledge and findings from around the world for research during the two World Wars.

So much so that in the research and innovation of inherited skills,

Leading the world! In recent years, the Chinese Extraordinary Artificer Association has been dedicated to research in areas such as Weapon Refinement and medicine making, restoring many lost techniques and discovering many new research results.

This is, after all, an ancient country with thousands of years of history.

With the efforts of the Authorities and associations,

The once-dormant traditional Chinese arts and crafts are gradually showing signs of revival.

But how much time has it been? A mere few decades, two or three generations—how can that catch up with the Western system of supernatural research that has been racing ahead since the Renaissance? Yet, this year's "World Heritage Skills Expo" is being held in China, right in the capital!

What are those foreigners thinking?

These veteran craftsmen know it all too well! Therefore...

The association has been recruiting outstanding inheritors from all over the country for several years, preparing to make a spectacular comeback at this expo! They'll let them taste the fear of being dominated at this expo, just like the fear Zhang Yining, the Great Demon King, instilled in the table tennis world!

The idea was good, but reality was rather cruel.

In recent years, many outstanding young talents have emerged in China, which truly shows that Chinese skills have successors.

But the key point is...

They are all too inexperienced.

They are not yet ready to shoulder the responsibility, and the older generation hasn't made many breakthroughs in research and innovation—they've devoted most of their lives to laying the foundation! To solidify the foundation for a nearly three-hundred-year gap in the transmission of knowledge,

How could it possibly be an easy thing?

Some obstacles are truly overcome only through the lifelong dedication and experimentation of veteran craftsmen!

Therefore, it is not feasible to let the older generation compete on stage again.

Because it's inherently unfair. They spend their lives filling the void left by their predecessors for future generations, so there's no reason for them to compete with that group of younger generations in the West.

We won.

Disgraceful.

They lost.

Then I would truly have no face to meet the elders of Jiangdong!

This is the second update. This chapter reveals quite a bit, so feel free to use your imagination. I hope you enjoy reading it. Hey Teemo, could I ask for some reward votes? (My confidence is waning due to insufficient updates...)