Volume 1, Chapter 5: Taking Inventory

Du Yuze did not respond, speaking instead in a flat, matter-of-fact tone: "I am Du Yuze."

In that reply, there was no mention of a position, no humility, not even any extra emotion. It was as if confirming a fact unrelated to himself.

This attitude instantly clogged the throat of Tian Weijun, who had prepared a mouthful of official jargon. He was used to issuing commands, used to everyone before him either flattering or fearing him. But this young man, covered in grease, stood like an invisible wall, blocking all of his aura back.

"Hmph, quite the attitude!" Tian Weijun's face darkened. "Where's the key? Pang Qingquan said it's in your hands. Hand it over immediately—we need to enter and inventory the assets. Cooperate!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "cooperate," with an unyielding command.

The secretary in gold-rimmed glasses behind him immediately stepped forward, adopting a businesslike demeanor. "Comrade, please cooperate with Director Tian’s work. This is the factory’s official decision. All sealed workshops must be inventoried and archived. This is procedure."

Finally, Du Yuze moved.

He did not reach for the key but instead stepped closer to the door, almost completely blocking the entrance.

"Inventory is fine," he said.

Those four words stunned everyone. A flicker of hope appeared on Pang Qingquan’s face, thinking this mad kid was finally yielding.

But Du Yuze’s next sentence froze that hope instantly.

"However, an important equipment test is underway inside. For safety reasons, unrelated personnel must wait outside."

The entire scene fell into a deathly silence.

Pang Qingquan’s mouth formed an "O," nearly big enough to fit an egg. He couldn’t believe his ears. An important test? Here? On a pile of scrap metal? Was this kid crazy or scared silly? How dare he speak to Tian Weijun like that!

"What did you say?" Tian Weijun, stung like by a scorpion, leaned forward almost pointing at Du Yuze’s nose. "Say it again! Equipment test? On this junk that’s been scrapped for decades?"

He glanced around, pointing at the hazy shapes under oilcloths in the workshop, emitting a short, sharp sneer.

"You’re just a newbie technician. What do you know about equipment? What do you know about scrapped assets? I order you to step aside immediately! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude!"

Du Yuze ignored his roar.

He calmly turned to the side, clearing the doorway.

This movement revealed a corner of the workbench behind him.

A beam of light shone precisely through the gap he made, landing on a massive machine.

That was a machine.

---

An extremely complex structure, with pipelines crisscrossing, gleaming with cold metallic luster. It lay quietly on a giant workbench like a dormant steel beast. Countless cables were neatly bundled and secured, connecting various parts. Some critical casings were opened, revealing layers upon layers of intricately precise blades that sent a chill down the spine.

This was no haphazard pile of parts.

It possessed a complete structure, full of power and industrial beauty. Every component was wiped clean, starkly out of place amid the surrounding junkyard-like scene. The oppressive aura it radiated was beyond that of scrap metal.

It was a prototype turbojet engine.

"This... this is..." Pang Qingquan’s eyes nearly popped out, stammering incompletely. He guarded this workshop daily and could swear that yesterday there was definitely nothing like this here!

The mockery on Tian Weijun’s face instantly froze.

His pupils contracted to pinpricks the moment he saw the engine.

As the director of Red Star Machinery Factory, he might not understand the cutting-edge technical details, but he could never fail to recognize the factory’s former pride—the Turbojet 7A! Though the machine before him looked somewhat pieced together and rough, the unique structure, the familiar compressor and turbine shapes, were unmistakable!

But how could this be?

The Turbojet production line for Workshop 207 was dismantled long ago. All finished products and key parts were transferred away, leaving only irreparable scrap and leftovers! Using those to assemble an engine?

An absurd thought rose in Tian Weijun’s heart but was immediately suppressed by greater anger and reason.

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

"Playing tricks!" Tian Weijun spat, nearly spraying saliva onto Du Yuze’s face. Hidden in his fury was a trace of panic even he hadn’t noticed. "Where did you steal that model? Or did you cobble together those scrapped parts just to scare someone? Just you, a wet-behind-the-ears kid?"

He jabbed fiercely at the engine. "I don’t care what you’re up to! Now, get out of here immediately! You’ve used sealed assets without authorization, attempting to assemble prohibited equipment! This is a serious matter! I hereby notify you, in my capacity as director, you are fired!"

He turned to the two burly security men behind him, issuing a deadly order.

"Drag him away! Throw him aside! If he resists, subdue him on the spot!"

"Yes!"

The two men, already itching to act, exchanged glances and grinned cruelly as they closed in on Du Yuze. To them, this was just a scrawny technician, easy to lift like a chick with a little effort.

Pang Qingquan’s face went white with fear, instinctively stepping back two paces, afraid of getting blood on himself.

Yet, facing the advancing men, Du Yuze made a move no one expected.

He did not resist, argue, or even glance at Tian Weijun again.

He turned around, exposing his back fully to the two security men and the furious Tian Weijun.

---

It was the ultimate contempt.

He strode forward, unhurried yet steady, step by step, toward the steel beast lying on the workbench. His gait was resolute, as if approaching not a pile of parts but his own throne.

"Stop him!" Tian Weijun roared.

The security men reached out to grab Du Yuze’s shoulders.

But just as their fingers were about to touch his grease-stained work clothes, Du Yuze halted.

His hand hovered above a makeshift control panel he had set up.

A faint current, perceptible only to himself, surged deep in his mind.

[Warning: Non-standard startup environment detected. Cooling circulation system missing. Professional mounting brackets missing. Risk assessment in progress…]

[Risk level: Extremely high.]

[Engine overheating and loss of control probability: 78%. Explosion probability: 43%.]

[Confirm ignition procedure execution?]

Not a ripple stirred within Du Yuze’s heart.

*You want to flatten this place?*

*Then let me show you exactly what it is you’re trying to destroy.*

His will became an unchallengeable command.

*Confirm execution.*

The next moment, a cold mechanical prompt appeared in his view.

[Turbojet 7A engine startup program… loading… 1%…]