Chapter 10: Sparks and Steel
At exactly 6:00 AM, Chen Rui stood at the gates of Ruihua Motorcycles, backpack slung over his shoulder and grease already on his hands.
Inside, the shop was just waking up — fluorescent lights buzzing to life, workers yawning, machines grumbling into motion. His father was already there, hunched over a chassis with a cigarette between his lips.
He didn't greet him. Just gestured to the corner.
"You'll be working with Old Ma today."
Old Ma was the factory's longest-serving mechanic — gruff, blunt, and famously hard to impress.
Chen Rui approached, respectful. "Good morning, Uncle Ma."
The man glanced at him, wiping his hands on a rag. "You're the kid who made the carburetor part?"
Chen Rui nodded.
"Don't waste my time," Old Ma said, dropping a metal frame onto the workbench. "Install it. Then we'll test it."
Chen Rui got to work. Fast. Precise. Focused. No wasted motion.
[SYSTEM FUNCTION: FAULT ANALYSIS – ACTIVE]
"Minor misalignment in frame welds detected – risk of stress fracture at 10,000 km."
"Inlet tube angle off by 2.4° – efficiency loss."
He adjusted silently as he worked — welding the bracket tighter, shifting the air filter orientation, using a scrap washer to balance the fuel feed line. He moved like someone who had done this for years.
Old Ma was watching now.
"Where did you learn that?" he grunted.
"Instinct," Chen Rui said with a smile.
Test Bench – 9:15 AM
The bike started on the first ignition.
VRRROOOOMMMMMM—
The roar echoed through the workshop. Smoother. Cleaner. Louder.
Old Ma looked at Chen Rui like he'd grown a second head.
"Throttle response… is actually better than factory default."
"Told you," Chen Rui said calmly.
Across the floor, his father stood quietly, arms folded, watching the scene.
"Old Ma doesn't praise anyone," one of the younger workers whispered nearby. "That kid might be for real…"
That night, back home, Chen Rui opened his system panel again.
✅ Subtask Complete: Convince father to trust your design
✅ Subtask Complete: Replace 1 key outsourced component
🔓 New Subtask Unlocked:
Increase monthly factory output by 10%
Reduce assembly defects by 30%
Design a new part for in-house production
🛠️ Reward on Completion: Factory Control Rights (30%) + Talent Summon Ticket
He smiled.
"Now the real game begins."