In the center of the room stood a huge, gleaming workbench, covered with all kinds of precise small tools:
A miniature furnace, carving knives, files, measuring instruments, and several small metal components currently undergoing delicate engraving or assembly.
An elderly man with graying hair, a monocle, and a neat dark-blue work uniform lightly stained with oil was bent over the workbench. Using an extremely fine pair of tweezers, he carefully set a pale-blue crystal the size of a grain of rice into a complex metal frame.
His movements were exceptionally steady, his expression focused as though nothing around him existed.
Xinhai did not make a sound to disturb him. Holding Eevee and Axew, he quietly waited by the door.
After roughly two or three minutes, the old man finished setting the crystal in place and let out a soft breath before finally raising his head to look at Xinhai.
His gaze was sharp and clear. Through his monocle, his eyes swiftly swept over Xinhai and the Pokémon beside him, lingering for a moment on Axew's distinctive earthy-yellow scales. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but it quickly returned to calm.
"New face. Trainer? What do you want?" The old man's voice was blunt and without pleasantries.
"Hello, Master Jin. I'm Xinhai Bai Mu, a trainer currently traveling," Xinhai introduced himself politely.
"Master Li from Iron Hammer Old Li's Smithy referred me here. I wanted to ask whether you have any Bio-Alloy materials suitable for Bug-type Pokémon?"
"Little Li sent you?" Master Jin raised a brow, set down his tweezers, removed his monocle, and carefully wiped it with a soft cloth.
"Bio-Alloy... what kind of Bug-type Pokémon needs it? Shell-types? Blade-wing types? Or stinger-types? Different uses require completely different Bio-Alloy bases and blending agents."
Hearing Master Jin's words and realizing