On the other side, a skeletal skeleton in a curled-up position is rapidly taking shape.
Old Hope was still sneaking peeks out of the corner of his eye, waiting to see the kid scratching his head and making a fool of himself.
But gradually, the ear-piercing grinding sound stopped.
Old Hope turned around and squinted.
That kid's acting strange.
He barely even looked; his hands moved through the pile of bones as fast as he was playing the piano.
Grab it, assemble it, apply glue, and fix it in place.
The movements were fluid and without the slightest hesitation.
The most outrageous thing was that the kid picked up a rib that was broken in two.
That was the specimen's only flaw, and also its biggest trap.
Most people would assume it's waste and throw it away, which could lead to the chest cavity failing to close properly.
Su Wei held the two broken bones in his hands.
The structural understanding provided by the [ Life Module - Basic Woodworking ] has created a wonderful chemical reaction at this moment.
He applied a very thin layer of quick-drying glue to the cut surface, then firmly squeezed it towards the center with both hands.
It's not a simple docking; rather, it follows the grain of the bone fracture, slightly offset at an angle, and then uses the tension of the bones themselves to make them snap together.
A dozen seconds later, Su Wei released his grip.
The rib had regained its perfect curve, and there was no trace of a break.
Old Hope dropped the sandpaper from his hand onto the ground.
Is this an apprentice?
This technique is even more insane than that of those old scholars who have spent their entire lives working on fossils in museums.
Time ticked by, second by second.
The last rays of the setting sun slanted through the dusty glass window, casting a golden-red glow on the workbench and gilding the stark white skeleton.
The last piece of skull was placed on top.
This is a snow fox looking back.
The spine is twisted with great tension, as if it's about to leap off the table and bite its prey behind it.
Each bone is in its correct position, supporting the original form of life.
[You have successfully completed a skeleton assembly. Crafting Module experience +14, Bone Cleaning experience +25.]
"Call..."
Su Wei let out a long sigh and took off his gloves, which were already soaked with sweat.
The intense mental concentration brought about by that Touch of X-Ray Vision made his brain throb and his vision even feel a little blurry.
But looking at this work, he felt only an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
This is a life he restored with his own hands.
"Mr. Hope."
Su Wei turned around, his voice a little hoarse.
"It's all put together."
Old Hope had somehow appeared behind him.
This old man, whose words were usually more venomous than a snake's, was unusually quiet at this moment.
He walked around the table twice, as if examining a rare treasure, or perhaps looking for something to criticize.
He reached out, trying to loosen the most difficult-to-fix pelvic joint.
It remained completely still.
The angle is perfect, and the center of gravity is extremely stable.
Even the repaired rib, unless you look closely with a magnifying glass, you wouldn't be able to spot the crack.
The factory was so quiet that only the hum of the exhaust fans could be heard.
a long time.
"Here."
Old Hope pointed to the fox's left forepaw, his voice hoarse.
"The third knuckle is slightly outward by five degrees. This fox had an injury to its left foot before it died, and it was a little lame. You've straightened it too much."
Su Wei was taken aback.
He did assemble it according to standard anatomical structures, without taking individual differences into account.
"But..."
Old Hope straightened his hunched back and shifted his gaze from the skeleton to Su Wei's face.
For the first time, those cloudy eyes no longer held that scrutinizing and harsh look; instead, they held a complex emotion.
It was a mixture of jealousy and relief.
"To be able to piece together a pile of trash like this in four hours by blindfolded groping"
Old Hope exhaled a puff of smoke from his nostrils and cursed.
"Which mental hospital did you escape from, you monster?"
That means it's passed.
Su Wei's tense nerves finally relaxed, and his stomach let out a loud rumble at just the right moment.
"I didn't even eat lunch because of this pile of bones."
Su Wei gave a wry smile.
"Mr. Hope, what would you like for dinner? There seem to be some frozen shrimp in the fridge."
"Eat my ass."
Old Hope suddenly turned around and strode to a safe in the corner.
He entered the password, turned the roulette wheel, and with a "click," pulled open the heavy iron door.
Su Wei thought he wanted money, or some valuable tool.
The old man then pulled out a black notebook.
The cover was made of old cowhide, covered with all sorts of unidentified stains.
Paint, bloodstains, and even circles that looked like coffee stains.
The notebook was slammed down in front of Su Wei, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Take it."
Old Hope's tone was fierce, as if he were giving her not a treasure, but a bomb.
"Go home tonight and memorize the first ten pages. Engrave every word, every punctuation mark, into your brain."
Su Wei reached out and picked up the notebook.
It feels quite heavy when you hold it.
Turning to the first page, one is greeted by densely packed handwriting, the characters messy and chaotic, accompanied by frighteningly detailed hand-drawn anatomical diagrams.
Hopkins ' Tanning Formula and Muscle Remodeling Method
This is the culmination of this old madman's life's work.
"This document records the tanning solution ratios for dozens of different animal hides, as well as sculpting data for muscle prostheses."
Old Hope lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and his face became somewhat blurred in the swirling smoke.
"The specimens made by those so-called expert taxidermists on the market are lifeless. The skin is the skin, and the flesh is the flesh."
"But the things in this notebook can bring them to life."
The old man suddenly turned his head, staring intently at Su Wei, his eyes sharp as knives.
"Kid, if you get a recipe ratio wrong tomorrow, or mix up the dosage of a chemical agent..."
He pointed to the large iron pot still steaming by the door.
"You jump in yourself and lick that layer of oil clean. Do you understand?"
Su Wei closed the notebook, his fingers tracing the rough cover.
On the system panel, a line of gold notifications was flashing rapidly.
[High-level skill book detected: " Hopkins's Notes) "]
[Parsing... Parsing progress 1%...]
This is the real magic touch.