Han Xiao had no intention of becoming a wanderer. After defecting from the Germinal Organization, he no longer had access to free resources. Progressing in the mechanical class cost a fortune, and much of the equipment, materials, and parts were expensive. Money and resources were a major hurdle. The wilderness offered freedom, but resources were scarce and unreliable, making progress too slow.
Besides, he was on his own and needed the protection of a major power until he grew stronger. If the Germinal Organization located him in the wild, it would have no qualms about attacking. It might even go so far as to launch an array of heat-seeking missiles and carpet-bomb the area, leaving him no chance to escape.
The Germinal Organization had not used that method against him before because Han Xiao was within Stardragon's borders, where the missiles would have been intercepted. Exposing the organization's other bases in Stardragon for that would not have been worth it. Another reason was that the leader had not resorted to every possible means to deal with him; it was not worth it.
Han Xiao chose to join the Six Nations. Most importantly, aside from the Germinal Organization, only the Six Nations possessed advanced knowledge.
For the sake of his advancement mission, joining the Six Nations' faction was imperative.
The immediate priority was choosing a place to stay in West Capital. The moment Han Xiao decided to come to West Capital, he had already thought of a target.
It was a hidden plot point. In his previous life, he had read about it in someone else's information and had never obtained the opportunity himself. Now, with no competitors, Han Xiao could get there first.
A repair shop stood before him, its front open like the entrance to an auto repair shop. The shop had no name, only a picture of a wrench on its sign to tell passersby that it was a mechanical repair shop.
Not that there were necessarily any passersby here. The shop was hidden in an inconspicuous alley with walls on both sides. The alley entrance was about two hundred meters from the shop, and anyone who did not walk in would have taken it for a dead end.
This opportunity wasn't mine in my previous life. I can't miss it this time.
Han Xiao's eyes flickered.
The repair shop looked unremarkable, but it held an opportunity that was extremely valuable in the early stages of the mechanical class, and it was one of a kind.
A game table stood outside the shop, where two gray-haired old men sat opposite each other, playing. One was tall and the other short. The shorter man had a face full of stubble and long, shoulder-length hair around a bald crown, wild and untamed. At a glance, he looked like an artist.
The other Old Man Gao had short gray hair combed neatly into place, every strand in order. He sat upright like a pine tree, staring intently at the board. Most conspicuous of all, his left sleeve hung empty; he was disabled.
The two old men glanced at Han Xiao, then continued their game, their expressions solemn and intent, as though facing a formidable enemy.
Han Xiao glanced at the board and was mildly startled. Impressive, they were playing Go! Black and white stones were locked in a fierce struggle. Old Man Gao was building a great dragon, while the short one was trying to surround and intercept it, but lacked the strength. Both sides played with unfathomable ingenuity, their attacks fierce and the danger immense!
He looked again. Damn it, it's five in a row! Those expressions are wasted on you!
"Do you need something repaired?" a pleasant female voice asked.
A woman hurried out of the repair shop, and Han Xiao's eyes lit up.
Her fair skin had a healthy rosy glow. She was about 1.65 meters tall, and though not strikingly beautiful, she was the kind whose looks grew on you. She had gentle features and a warm smile, like a big sister next door. She was about twenty-four or twenty-five, the most beautiful age for a woman. A towel hung around her fair, slender neck, and a black hairpin held her hair up. She wore a simple black stretch tank top and denim hot pants that revealed her long, straight, fair legs. Clear beads of sweat glinted faintly on her forehead in the sunlight, and she held a wrench in her hand. It looked like she had just been working.
As for how men appreciated women, young perverts looked at faces and breasts, experienced ones looked at legs and waists, while seasoned veterans mainly looked at bearing. Of course, there was also a group of oddballs like teddy poodles, indiscriminate when desperate, regardless of gender.
As the saying went, a woman in her twenties was like a cherry: pretty but not tasty. A woman in her thirties was like a grape: both pretty and tasty. Han Xiao had always believed that the years between twenty and thirty were a woman's most beautiful.
As for a woman in her forties, she was like a pineapple: tasty but not pretty.
What, you wanted to ask about women in their fifties?
Hey, a woman in her fifties was like a tomato... still thinking she was a fruit!
"May I ask if you're hiring apprentices here?"
The woman's eyes lit up at once, sending a chill through Han Xiao. To put that look politely, it was like a person who had gone hungry for three days seeing a grand feast, or someone who had trekked through the desert for ten days spotting an oasis. To put it plainly, it was like a puppy seeing poop, or a baby seeing milk.
"Hurry inside and sit down. Don't catch a chill."
The woman hurried forward, grabbed Han Xiao's arm, and pulled him into the shop, as though afraid he would run away.
Han Xiao looked up at the scorching midday sun and narrowed his eyes. "Does 'catch a chill' mean 'get heatstroke' in your local dialect?"
The repair shop's building was styled mainly in white, yellow, and black, and had two floors.
The first floor was a workshop. Several load-bearing columns divided the space into three work areas, with several lathe workbenches and a full assortment of mechanical tools: grinding wheels, cutters, drill bits, welding guns, and so on. The workbenches were covered in scratches and looked to be quite old. Several multilevel iron racks stood against the wall, piled with mechanical parts and metal, like a hardware store.
Farther inside, an openwork black metal staircase led to the second floor, presumably the living quarters.
"My name is Lü Qian. I'm the owner of this repair shop. You can call me Sister Qian."
Lü Qian spoke with easy confidence.
"Sister Qian." Han Xiao did not mind the form of address. "I'd like to work here as an apprentice. What are the requirements?"
"Tell me about yourself." Lü Qian smiled warmly. Her first impression of Han Xiao was good, and she rather liked his eyes: listless, dead-fish eyes that made him look like a dispirited young man with no ambition, just waiting to eat and die. His wage demands surely would not be high.
"Han Xiao, twenty-one years old. I'm from out of town, and I know a little basic mechanical work. You can also call me Technician Han."
Technician Han? Lü Qian thought the title sounded a little strange.
"You're from out of town? You're not a student at Western Capital Academy?"
The universal knowledge Planet Aquamarine had received included basic training knowledge for espers. Western Capital Academy was Stardragon's official academy, attended by talents selected from across the country. It systematically taught superhuman knowledge for the Pugilist Class, mechanical, and esper classes. Outstanding graduates could even take up important government posts directly; it was a national talent reserve.
However, fewer than one in ten thousand people could become superhumans. Even with a comprehensive training curriculum, the proportion remained very low.
"I've only studied a little basic mechanical theory." Han Xiao was a modest, low-key person who kept the Eight Honors and Eight Shames firmly in mind.
"That's a shame..." Lü Qian was a little disappointed, but she immediately realized that sounded somewhat disrespectful and hurried to explain. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
"It's all right."
"I'll have to test you. Although I need an assistant, I won't hire you if your skills aren't up to standard..."
That was perfectly reasonable, so Han Xiao naturally had no objection.
Lü Qian brought out a faulty household appliance and prepared to have Han Xiao repair it. Just then, the short old man playing at the entrance suddenly spoke. "Kid, why are you applying to be an apprentice?"
Lü Qian looked puzzled. What a strange question from Grandpa. He was obviously looking for a job.
Han Xiao turned around and looked at Lü Qian's grandfather, Old Man Lü. "I just want to find a job."
Old Man Lü grunted noncommittally, shoved the board aside, and got up and walked over.
"I'm the owner of this shop. Only if you pass my test will I let you stay."
Old Man Gao, holding a piece and just about to connect five white stones, said helplessly, "Hey, you're cheating again."
"I have important business to attend to." Old Man Lü did not blush or falter.
"Shameless." Old Man Gao looked helpless. Unable to continue the game, he had no choice but to follow him over.