Deng Feng, having hit a dead end with Yan Zhongkui, turned to Qi Ze to assert his presence, grinning as he asked, "How did you manage to obtain a Level 9 qualification certificate at the age of eighteen? You're even more impressive than Master Mu Feixing. Yesterday, I heard my young master say that you were the one who installed his mechanical arm, but I couldn't believe it."
Qi Ze raised an eyebrow, his expression somewhat surprised. As the exclusive mechanic of the Li clan's young patriarch, this man was apparently unaware of his existence? Meng Kui, the martial artist, cast furtive glances at him, all but writing the word "awe" on his face, which suggested he knew something. Looking at it this way, although both were trusted confidants, it was clear that Meng Kui was more trusted than Deng Feng. But it was understandable that Li Ziqian, who was once betrayed by his exclusive mecha engineer and fiancée, would be wary of such individuals.
His thoughts spinning, Qi Ze's face showed no hint of his inner emotions as he said calmly, "Do you know why a genius is called a genius?"
"Because they're smart," Deng Feng answered matter-of-factly.
"Because they can do what ordinary people cannot," Qi Ze said before briskly ascending the platform to inspect the T3's insides, leaving Deng Feng standing there, speechless. Yan Junyu, along with several subordinates, also ascended the platform. Li Ziqian waved at him, indicating he was there purely for sightseeing and that they didn't need to bother with him.
"Huh, this kid is really arrogant!" Deng Feng, having come to his senses, rubbed the back of his head and said, "He dares call himself a genius in front of me, Laozi. He's got some real personality! Boss, I think he's reliable. That mechanical arm yesterday was also well assembled. I'll send all the parts over in a bit. If there's any issue with your body, go find him. How about I go on vacation?"
"Sure, go ahead. Bring back the bill, and I'll reimburse you," Li Ziqian waved generously.
Deng Feng was overjoyed, immediately calling the spaceship company to book his trip. Watching him leave excitedly, Meng Kui felt sorry for him. A legendary, divine-level engineer was right in front of him. Clearly, he had the opportunity to learn from him, yet all he could think about was his vacation. If this man didn't recognize value, how much would he suffer in society? The same went for the young master of the Yan clan, who had bound this person, yet still sought out Mu Ran. They were enemies, something he should be well aware of.
"Boss, in the end, you're the luckiest. Truly," Meng Kui had this realization for the first time.
"You're still a bit behind compared to that Young Master Ouyang," Li Ziqian smiled pleasantly and then pointed to Yan Zhongkui's workshop, asking, "What's the deal with that G9?"
"All I could find is that the mecha was transported from Neptune. All other information was sealed by the Yan clan. Boss, you must have noticed that the four ancient characters on the mecha's feet clearly belong to the Master's online store; the mecha is likely the Master's work," Meng Kui mused. "Since it's the Master's work, it must have something special about it. But looking at the Master's calm demeanor, it seems he isn't afraid of the Yan clan investigating. Yan Zhongkui is probably working for nothing."
"How many authoritative scientists have gathered at the Mu family's old residence? Have they found anything yet?" Li Ziqian remarked indifferently, "The Master's methods are very unique. Not only have I never seen them, I've never even heard of them. I suspect he isn't even from our Black Eye Galaxy."
"You're referring to the Huaxia descendants?" Meng Kui pointed to the sky.
Li Ziqian nodded slightly and then looked at the T3 behind him, asking, "What's the problem with this mecha?"
"I heard the operating system malfunctioned, nearly causing Young Master Yan to be crushed by a Fearsome Dragon on Neptune. But after the mecha was sent back to the Mu family and inspected by Mu Yun and Mu Ran, no issues were found. So Young Master Yan has been keeping it here and bringing mechanics to check it every few days. You know, Young Master Yan is even more cautious than you, and he won't touch this mecha again until the exact problem is found."
"Being cautious is good," Li Ziqian empathized.
While they talked, Qi Ze had already stepped into the T3's cockpit. Mu Ran and two mechanics were removing the spiritual force operating system. The console's exterior was open, and a pile of tools was scattered on the ground.
Seeing Qi Ze, Mu Ran was somewhat surprised and frowned, asking, "What are you doing here?"
"The same question I was going to ask you," Qi Ze kicked away a screw that was at his feet.
Yan Junyu arrived shortly after. Seeing the disarray in the cockpit and the console nearly removed, his eyes darkened. He truly sympathized with Mu Ran and wanted to help him, but it didn't mean that now that the Mu and Yan families had clearly turned against each other, he could still trust Mu Ran as before, even allowing him to touch his personal belongings. That wasn't being loyal; it was foolish.
"Where are you taking it?" he pointed at the console, his expression extremely serious. Finally, he looked at the two mechanics and asked sternly, "Without my permission, who allowed you to let people in?"
"But your mecha has always been maintained by Young Master Mu, and he's an 4S-level mecha engineer. He should be able to find the problem," one subordinate argued.
Mu Ran put down his tools, wiping his hands as he explained, "I heard you're going to buy a new T3, so I came to take a look. This mecha was bought only a few years ago. It's a real pity to just throw it away. I'll check the operating system again. If there's no problem, I'll reinstall it. If you don't drive it, you can lend it to your subordinates. At least it saves tens of millions."
This made the subordinates' eyes light up slightly.
"No need," Yan Junyu pulled the youth to his side. "Qi Ze is my exclusive mecha engineer, which means that my mecha can only be repaired by him from now on."
"Understood," Mu Ran raised his hands, making a gesture of surrender. "In fact, I didn't touch it much. I only just opened the console. If you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance in the cockpit. These mechanics can also vouch for me."
Yan Junyu immediately checked the surveillance footage to confirm that Mu Ran only opened the console's hatch and didn't do anything else. Then he told the two mechanics, "You're fired. Please leave immediately."
"Y-Young Master?" the two tried to argue but were pulled away by the mechanics who arrived later.
Mu Ran wanted to plead for them but, seeing Yan Junyu's nearly cold and ruthless expression, he fell silent. Never before had he felt so vividly and clearly that he was no longer the Mu clan's young patriarch. Those who were once closest to him could turn around and become heartless in an instant. More laughable was that he had actually thought Yan Junyu would be an exception.
"Whether you believe it or not, I've never hated you and would never harm you. I just want to work for you properly, at least to highlight my own value. You know, I have nowhere else to go now," he took off his work uniform, walking out with a bitter expression on his face.
Several subordinates looked on with pity but dared not speak. Compared to Qi Ze, they of course preferred Mu Ran as the young master's exclusive mecha engineer. Where could you find the only 4S-level spiritual force user in the entire Galaxy? Didn't you see Du Jiahe chasing after Mu Ran all the time? But then again, the Yan clan took the information left by Master Mu Feixing. If he held a grudge, he might tamper with the young master's mecha, which would be troublesome! Thinking it over, Qi Ze was ultimately more reassuring. It didn't matter if he was less capable. There was still Young Master Yan Zhongkui behind him.
The subordinates glanced at each other, not trying to persuade the young patriarch like they used to. Seeing Qi Ze bend down to inspect the console, they even went over to help on their own initiative.
"I heard this mecha was personally crafted for you by Mu Ran?" Qi Ze pressed his palm on the sensor. The subordinates were about to tell him that only an 2S spiritual force could activate this mecha, but they were shocked to find that all the indicator lights lit up instantly.
Yan Junyu was also taken aback, urgently asking, "When did your spiritual force break through to 2S?" Every time the youth advanced a level, it meant he was one step closer to the end of his life. There was no way he could be happy about it.
"I don't know, probably over the past few days," Qi Ze replied. He had been training day and night, completely absorbing the nine Grade 9 energy stones. His cultivation had steadily risen to the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. With Li Ziqian as his big client, he didn't have to worry about a lack of energy stones.
"Is there anything abnormal about your body? How about I take you to the hospital for a checkup right now?" Yan Junyu was completely preoccupied with his mecha no longer. He opened his smartbrain to contact a spiritual force physician.
"No, I'm fine," Qi Ze was really getting a bit impatient. He grabbed his wrist, turning off the communicator and grumbling, "Why didn't I notice you were so talkative before? I always thought you were the cool type."
"Do you like the cool type?" Yan Junyu's face turned faintly dark. If he had known earlier that Qi Ze liked his previous demeanor, he would have snubbed him from time to time, rejecting him every now and then. When he saw him from a distance, he'd turn around and walk away. Who knew, it might have made Qi Ze's gaze linger on him longer. But thinking about it, he was relieved. If he was still like before, how would Qi Ze reveal such a genuine side to him?
Compared to the once sensitive and fragile carbon-based life form, he preferred the confident and radiant youth in front of him.
"Whether it's the cool type or a talkative old cadre, as long as it's paired with your handsome face, I like it," Qi Ze replied casually while opening the control panel to check the internal program. These source codes and binary codes, he had spent a great deal of effort learning. He used the Yin-Yang symbols from the Qianyuan Continent to convert them into a new system that only he could understand.
The mechanics were originally worried about his inexperience, but after watching him for a while, they had to admit that the youth was indeed worthy of his genius title. His technique was very skilled, and his skills were quite proficient. In a few moves, he went through all the programs, not a bit slower than Mu Ran.
Yan Junyu stared at the dense characters on the screen, his expression as serious as ever, but his ears slowly turned red. After waking up from a coma, this was the first time Qi Ze had uttered the words "I like." Even without any suggestive meaning, it was enough to make him joyful.
"There's indeed nothing wrong," after several minutes, Qi Ze turned off the console and instructed, "Take it apart and bring it back for me to inspect." He didn't believe Mu Ran would come over to volunteer for no reason. While others might not know, he was well aware that this man wasn't as innocent as he appeared.
"Take it apart and bring it back," Yan Junyu ordered without hesitation.
The mechanics hurriedly removed the console and transported it out. A few minutes later, Qi Ze descended to the ground and found that Li Ziqian was still lingering, with an old-fashioned laptop computer on his knees that was intermittently emitting black smoke. A'kui quickly grabbed the computer and threw it to the trash robot that had hurried over.
"I've embarrassed myself again," Li Ziqian's white shirt was blackened in a spot, but his demeanor remained unaltered. "There's an auction tonight. As a thank you for my junior assembling my arm yesterday, how about I give you a ticket?"
"What auction?" Qi Ze felt he seemed to have forgotten something.
"The United Grand Auction," Li Ziqian handed him the ticket.
"The United Grand Auction!" Qi Ze slapped his forehead, finally remembering. He had an ancient guqin and a jade talisman that were supposed to be auctioned off tonight. Just at that moment, Ouyang Ye also called, saying he would pick him up to go to the royal auction house soon.
Seeing the youth get into Ouyang Ye's car without a second thought, Yan Junyu silently crushed the ticket in his pocket that he had never been able to give. Li Ziqian also reluctantly withdrew the ticket, making a sarcastic comment, "This Young Master Ouyang is quite powerful, able to even get tickets to the United Grand Auction."
"His uncle Li Yu is from your Li clan's collateral branch. He has some connections. You didn't even know this? How can you be the young master?" Yan Junyu spoke indifferently.
Li Ziqian was silent for a moment before laughing hoarsely, "my junior is quite the successful young master. His exclusive mecha, others can just enter at will, and he's even going to take the console away, planning to sneakily reinstall it again in a few days. That you haven't died mysteriously outside is something I'm actually quite surprised about." Didn't he see Mu Ran's ashen face when he came out of the mecha and those two mechanics bicker over their severance pay until they were red in the face?
Yan Junyu, "..." After so many years, Senior still had a knack for cutting into him, and every cut struck a sensitive spot. He couldn't afford to provoke him, so he moved to avoid him, turning to drive away in his own car without offering to give Senior a ride.
Li Ziqian's somewhat depressed mood became extremely happy. He waved his hand, "Let's go too. Drive that TR97."
"Boss, isn't that car too conspicuous?" Meng Kui cautiously asked. Since being seriously injured, the young master had not touched a mecha or a flying car for a long time, especially that limited edition TR97. It was said that there were only two in the entire empire, one for the fifth prince and the other for him. It was too flashy. The once brilliantly radiant him was slowly hiding himself, a change he might not have noticed. But to others, especially to those who cared about him, it was heartbreaking.
"The more conspicuous, the better. I want to let the entire empire know that Li Ziqian is back."
"But if the Master can't fix your body..." Meng Kui really didn't want to say such a discouraging remark, but he was more worried about the young master's hopes being dashed if his expectations were too high.
"It won't be worse than before," Li Ziqian waved dismissively. "Either I die or I fight. I won't let myself continue to struggle to survive. Did you see the confidence in the Master's eyes? It was what made me know that this little injury is nothing. Get the materials over here as soon as possible, don't think about anything else."
Meng Kui nodded and said, "Boss, you're right. It won't be worse than before. Energy stones are easy. I can get them tomorrow. But demon seeds are radioactive materials. The capital has been strict lately. It might take some effort."
"If it doesn't work, we can go through the channels of the star pirate group," Li Ziqian, with Meng Kui's help, got into the TR97 and decided. "No matter what method, get the things over here as soon as possible."
The two sped away under the cover of night. A paparazzo caught sight of this familiar flying car and immediately put the video online, sparking a heated discussion. Li Ziqian's fan base was very large. Even after twenty years, their loyalty hadn't changed. They inquired about his situation and fervently hoped he could overcome his gloom and regain his spirit.
Mistress Li, who had originally been applying a face mask, inadvertently glanced at the smartbrain on her dressing table and exclaimed, "Dear, dear! Come quickly and see. Is this our son's car? He left the Black Thorns Manor? This license plate number can't be wrong, right? It's not the fifth prince, right?"
The head of the Li family opened the website and also showed an expression of surprise. "Yes, it's our son. Don't get excited. I'll call and ask first." The call was quickly connected. He responded as he wiped the corners of his eyes, not knowing what was said on the other end. After about ten minutes, he reluctantly hung up the phone, his voice trembling. "Son said he found a mechanic who can repair his body. If it goes well, even his ability can be restored. He also said he'll bring that mechanic back to repair Tianzhu in a few days. You should treat him well."
"Did he bring Mu Ran?" Mistress Li asked without thinking.
"It's not Mu Ran. Son didn't let me ask more. He only said it was a divine-level engineer," the head of the Li family said in relief. "Regardless of whether what Son said is true or false, what matters is that he can pull himself together. When we see that mechanic, I'll investigate his identity in detail. Even if he's a liar, I'll let him continue to deceive. Spending some money to buy a hope for my son, I'm happy to do so."
"Yes, yes, if he's going to deceive, let him deceive for a lifetime," Mistress Li wiped off the mask in a mess, tears falling. "This time when he comes back, I won't let him leave, I'll lock him in the house!" The couple hugged each other, quietly consoling each other and silently praying for their son.
Meanwhile, Qi Ze was already sitting in the VIP box of the royal auction house. Li Yu personally escorted the auction items to the Imperial Star, finished the auction procedures, and then immediately returned to accompany them, taking the opportunity to learn more about their lives and studies.
"The Mu family's old residence..." he slowly spat out four words.
"It was me," Qi Ze was very open.
Li Yu's head spun, and he quickly leaned against the sofa to catch his breath.
Ouyang Ye hurriedly defended Young Master Qi, "Uncle, you don't know. The Mu family actually prepared to use T powder against Young Master Qi. What is T powder? Even an ability user like Yan Junyu would become addicted after just one touch. Moreover, he couldn't be weaned off for life. Once the addiction hit, he would go crazy everywhere. In just a few days, he would turn into a half-human, half-ghost monster. If Young Master Qi hadn't been hit, they would have used even more vicious methods next time. Are we supposed to just passively endure attacks? If it were you, could you not fight back?"
"How could you not fight back?" Li Yu's voice was somewhat weak. If it were him, he would also take the initiative to strike first, nipping the potential threat in the bud. Of course, if he could completely eliminate it, that would be best. For people like them, who didn't walk the righteous path, they shouldn't be soft-hearted.
But this was the Mu family! The once powerful Mu family, wiped out overnight. Among the direct line descendants, only Mu Ran was left, and the rest died clean. This method was too terrifying!
"Young Master Qi, the next time you cause trouble, give me a heads-up," after thinking it over, this was all he could tell him.
"I generally don't cause trouble," Qi Ze was never someone who liked to stir up trouble. But ever since his sect was destroyed, he realized deeply: when facing an enemy, not a sliver of mercy could be shown. Mercy was how cheap things were, something slightly given away with a slack hand. But the price of misplaced mercy was unimaginably high. Qi Ze had made a mistake once, so he would never make the same mistake again.
"Has Young Master Qi caused any trouble? He's been refining tools every day," Ouyang Ye chimed in.
"I'm not blaming you, I'm just a bit worried," Li Yu massaged his slightly aching temples, considering whether to arrange a few bodyguards for the two of them. Just then, the doorbell rang. A server politely asked, "Is this Mr. Li Yu's box? You have a few visitors."
"Who?" Li Yu stood up to check the surveillance on the door and saw a man of imposing stature behind the server. He immediately opened the door to welcome them, discovering that the man was pushing a wheelchair. Sitting in the wheelchair was an extremely handsome man, none other than the young master of the Li clan, who hadn't appeared in public for a long time.
"Young Master, how did you come here?" Li Yu was quite surprised.
"Uncle Li doesn't welcome me?" Li Ziqian was wearing a set of black military uniform, his chest full of military merit medals. His hands were covered in pure white gloves, which he was holding quietly on his knees. Even after suffering such terrible torture, when he picked himself up, he could immediately regain his former confidence and composure.
Li Yu was awed by his dignity and was also flattered by that "Uncle Li," quickly stepping aside to let him in. Seeing Young Master Yan pass him by, he realized he had forgotten about him and hurriedly apologized, "I haven't seen my young master for a long time. I was just so excited. If there was any rudeness, Young Master Yan, please don't take offense."
"It's fine," Yan Junyu waved his hand. "You don't have to be too excited. He only knew who you were an hour ago."
This unexpected turn left Li Yu stunned on the spot. He thought he was a relatively prominent figure in the collateral branch, but it seemed he didn't even register with the young master. Li Ziqian's elegant smile stiffened for a moment before becoming natural again. He spoke mournfully, "I've been secluded for too long. Many people in the family don't recognize me. It's difficult for Uncle Li to remember me."
"How could I not remember? I've been worried about the young master's body these years," Li Yu indeed forgot the previous embarrassment and enthusiastically chatted with him.
Yan Junyu only then walked over to sit next to Qi Ze, whispering, "Do you have enough money? If you see something you like but don't have enough money, I can lend you some first."
"Hey, with me here, how could Qi Ze be short of money?" Ouyang Ye was indignant.
"Where does the money Qi Ze spends come from? Where does yours come from?" Yan Junyu said coolly, "Wait until you can earn money on your own to say such things. You're not in the same world as Qi Ze now."
"I'm not, are you? I tell you, there's not a single person here in the same world as Qi Ze, in any sense of the word," Ouyang Ye's words immediately earned him a fierce glare from Li Yu.
Yan Junyu and Li Ziqian didn't show it on their faces, but they each had their own thoughts. Qi Ze didn't care, crossing his legs and engrossed in playing a game.