President

In just four or five short days, Lou Feng had made a painful discovery of a brutal truth—the reason drudges were called workhorses was that a workhorse's life was truly not meant for human beings! People who sat in air-conditioned offices sipping coffee naturally never saw the blood and tears of assembly-line life. Under an appalling workload that rivaled a sweatshop, everyone in the Recycling and Disposal Department was practically working on a three-shift rotation to meet quotas and schedules. It never stopped. Even so, the incoming stream of contaminated materials to be processed continued to pile up into mountains. With the slightest lapse in attention, the height of that mountain would grow several inches higher. Incidents of spiritus contamination occurred almost daily. Even with maximum protection, the slightest carelessness could leave terrible lasting sequelae. Recyclable components that had just been dismantled and cleaned were given only a cursory wash before being loaded onto carts and funneled back into the production line to meet the ceaseless consumption. Under Quancheng's worsening leakage and pollution, containment facilities originally designed to last five to ten years were already on the verge of breakdown after just two or three. As for the filter cores used to store and contain the contamination, their operational lifespans were measured in mere weeks. After repeated use, not only was their efficacy drastically diminished, but their lifespans shrank even further. If not for the sudden arrival of Ji Jue, descending like a heaven-sent savior, the workers would probably all have dropped dead of exhaustion right in the workshops. What was even more pathetic... Lou Feng realized that if he were not assisting Ji Jue, his own processing speed would not have been much faster than anyone else's. The son of a wealthy household did not sit beneath the eaves; naturally, there was no need for him to risk his life like some impoverished laborer. He had a good father, a good mother, and a good teacher. Everything stemmed from the halo of the Lou family above his head, yet once separated from the Lou family, he seemed to be nothing at all. His teacher had said that whenever he stopped caring about such things, there would be hope for him. Yet how could a person cast aside like old shoes everything he had grown accustomed to and cared about since the day he opened his eyes? When all his honor and achievements stemmed from it, how could he break free so easily? Several times, Lou Feng hesitated, on the verge of speaking, but in the end, he said nothing. He truly did not want to pour out his doubts and confusion to this dog Ji Jue. He merely gritted his teeth, forced himself to keep pace with Ji Jue, and panted as he huffed and puffed along behind him. It was only when he snapped back to reality that he realized Ji Jue's hands had abruptly stopped. "What is it?" Lou Feng lifted his head in bewilderment, tools held in hand. "Tired. Taking a break." Ji Jue yawned and asked, "How about you take over the rest? I'll assist you?" "Me?" Lou Feng frowned. "What?" Ji Jue grinned with a mocking smirk. "Scared you can't measure up? Never mind then." "Bull..." Lou Feng flared with rage. By the time he caught himself, half a curse had already slipped out—dammit, it had only been a few days! Forget about improving; his manners and upbringing were practically down the drain. At this thought, grief welled up from the bottom of his heart. Yet amidst his sorrow and fury, he instinctively raised his chin, snatched the tools from Ji Jue's hands, and snapped, "Out of the way!" Another rust-covered containment rig was hauled in on cables. Lou Feng casually slapped a hand onto it, and a surge of spiritus rippled outward, enveloping the massive device. Countless patches of rust flaked off and sorted themselves automatically. Then, an invisible force materialized from the shaped spiritus, beginning to dismantle it at a speed no slower than Ji Jue's. In the thick of his frantic work, Lou Feng did not forget to look back, casting Ji Jue a sidelong glance and letting out a cold scoff. *Did you see that?!* *Saw it, saw it.* Ji Jue helplessly clapped his hands. "Incredible! Badass!" Lou Feng was entirely unappreciative, merely huffing once more before ignoring him. Ji Jue shook his head at the sight. How did this young master from a prominent clan end up with a tsundere persona? At this thought, he smacked the back of his head, suddenly on high alert. *Not good. Have I been single for so long that even Young Master Lou is starting to look handsome?* *As an unbiased passerby, to be completely frank, he's still not as cute as Xiao An!* Speaking of which, how was Xiao An doing right now? Could she still be swamped? The Security Bureau was practically run like a black-hearted sweatshop. Sister Wen had it rough, too... "Isolation." Lou Feng called out. Seeing no reaction from Ji Jue, he grew irritated, turning around to raise his voice: "Isolation!" "Right, right, isolation it is." Ji Jue slapped a hand against the adjacent apparatus. A forcefield instantly manifested, sealing the inner core of the containment rig to prevent contaminant leakage. There was no need to fiddle with complex parameters or configurations; Deus Ex Machina was exceptionally simple and convenient in situations like this. Seeing Ji Jue show off his ability again, Lou Feng could not resist another cold scoff. The Deft Craft matrix flared anew, ratcheting up his speed once more. *I refuse to believe I can't outdo you today!* Ji Jue stood by, completely mystified. He could not fathom why this young master's huffing and puffing seemed to increase his horsepower. He was acting like a damn tractor... For the rest of the time, Ji Jue simply grabbed a mug of tea and wandered off to the side. As he rested peacefully, he occasionally called out a few cheers to encourage Young Master Lou. Along the way, he took stock of what his past few days of intense grinding had yielded. He was stuffed. Nearly down with indigestion. He had never gorged himself this satisfyingly before. Even processing scrap in Tide Sound Workshop had not been this effortless. Just as the old saying went that only the one who framed you knew how wronged you were, sometimes only the one who struck you knew how much it hurt... Over the years, Professor Ye had cut a bloody swath through academia and beyond, and her signature Dissociation Art had played an indispensable role. Having grown accustomed to watching others wail in despair, she naturally took precautions so that she would never fall into the same plight should she ever face similar techniques. At the same time, driven by her perfectionism and exacting standards, every creation of hers possessed a terrifying level of stability, and every part or circuit prone to being compromised by Dissociation Art had been thoroughly reinforced. In terms of integration alone, it reached a level Ji Jue had never even heard of. When Ji Jue dismantled her work, he was like a fly buzzing around an egg without a single crack, forced to rely on sheer repetition to wear it down drop by drop. If his luck was worse, he might even trigger a preset trap... Perhaps in Professor Ye's teaching plan, using this unconventional method was meant to forcibly enhance Ji Jue's comprehension of artifact composition and spiritus circuit architecture. But dismantling them had been agonizingly painful. It was nothing like now, which was so breezy it felt like attending kindergarten. In consumable products like these, no one would deliberately cause trouble for themselves or complicate future maintenance by installing wards or defenses. Sometimes Ji Jue only had to tug a single strand, and the entire casing would pop open on its own, smooth as silk. One look at his wrist gauge was enough. A few days ago in Yacheng, he had painstakingly completed Rank 2, grinding until the number "3" just barely surfaced. Yet after arriving at the Recycling and Disposal Department, in four or five short days, it had surged all the way to sixty percent. The progress bar shot up like a download client with a paid VIP subscription, soaring completely out of control. He was so stuffed that even Deus Ex Machina could barely digest it all. If being in the workshop was like sitting patiently on an empty stomach beneath candlelight to savor tiny portions of rare delicacies, then being here was like stumbling into a free all-you-can-eat buffet, indulging in reckless gluttony. Over forty artisans had poured their hearts into crafting these different batches of equipment, each belonging to distinct schools, varied styles, and contrasting points of emphasis... It was practically equivalent to forty-odd artisans holding nothing back to give Ji Jue private masterclasses, granting him direct enlightenment. By now, even when presented with the exact same assignment, Ji Jue could easily distinguish between their works through his hallucination-like sensory perception. From the subtle differences in material proportions to the divergent priorities in circuit layout, and even the tiny habits and experiential nuances between individuals... Under the Security Bureau's inspection process and the brutal erosion of corruption, substandard products had long since been eliminated. What remained and lay before Ji Jue's eyes were all perfect score sheets! Even so, Ji Jue could sense that while some achieved a perfect score because they happened to hit one hundred, others did so only because the total possible score topped out there... Judging from the artisans' personal hallmarks and signatures, the batch of containment gear that earned Ji Jue's deepest admiration belonged to none other than Master Zhou Chong, whom he had just provoked a few days earlier! Based on his current experience, Ji Jue could vaguely tell that none of the pieces bearing Master Zhou's mark were made by a single craftsman. Instead, they appeared to be the unified, collaborative result of multiple artisans working in concert. Yet among so many divided tasks, there was not the slightest clash or contradiction. Even if an occasional flaw arose, it was covered and reinforced by other concurrent steps. Under rigorous oversight, merely delegating tasks across a dozen or so apprentices yielded a level of completion that ordinary artisans could only dream of. Throughout the entire process, Master Zhou orchestrated from the center, unifying everything. Aside from his own personal style and hallmark, not a single extraneous note could be heard. There was no need for personal flair, no need for whimsical inspiration. As long as they followed their teacher's commands and deployments step by step, apprentices who could otherwise only run errands could participate in refining creations far beyond their individual limits... The lead artisan could even offload pressure onto other members, elevating the final completion even further! A craft like this was a match made in heaven for Ji Jue's Deus Ex Machina! After all, for anyone else to attempt this, the apprentices and assistants could not be completely incompetent, and cultivating tacit teamwork required immense time and investment. Ji Jue had no need for such hassle. With a touch of Deus Ex Machina's little hand, his tools were instantly in place. If he could control multiple puppet assistants endowed with their own intelligence to assist his alchemy, wouldn't his speed, efficiency, and ceiling skyrocket in an instant? Unfortunately, a technique like this was bound to be a closely guarded secret, a trump card taken to the grave. It was likely he wouldn't even teach it to his own flesh-and-blood son or grandson. Otherwise, Ji Jue might have gone looking for a burlap sack and a club... Let Zhou Cheng suffer a bit, and let the Evil Transmutation Cult take the blame. Alas, Zhou Cheng was far too weak; such a high-tier skill book wasn't something he could drop anytime soon. He could only hope the fellow would learn from this setback, strive to improve, and deliver the goods to his doorstep in the future... Thinking this way, a small flicker of anticipation stirred in Ji Jue's heart. *Fine jade, beautiful timber!* *All of you are fine timber!* *You surely have bright futures ahead...* Seeing that Lou Feng was gradually getting the hang of things, Ji Jue picked up his mug and pushed the door open. Beneath the scorching afternoon sun, bathed in the distant breeze, he suddenly felt a sense of relief, as though he had just been released from prison. The reason he was willing to let Lou Feng take over was also because the explosive growth phase that the various batches from those forty-odd artisans offered to Deus Ex Machina was drawing to a close. Containment facilities were ordinary creations after all, lacking even a blessing. The effort artisans poured into them was inherently finite, and their level of completion had its limits. After the initial novelty provided a wealth of nourishment, the growth of Deus Ex Machina had already begun to taper off. To put it a bit callously: he was tired of it. Pulling up his pants and calling it mediocre. Shameless. After processing a few more batches, the growth this tier of creations could grant his ability would dwindle to practically nothing. To push his ability further, he would have to hunt down finer items... to dismantle! The batch of alchemical creations he had "picked up" from the lounge a few days ago could finally be put to good use. Aside from the Heart-Poison Arrow that served as the inspiration for his next piece, most were protective blessed creations, which should provide around a thirty percent boost to his ability. Once he returned to Yacheng, he could dismantle some of Professor Ye's discarded scraps. With a little effort, he should be able to grind his way to the peak of Rank 3, after which he could dive into the phase of seeking a blessing. Among all the blessings pointed to by the Non-Offensive matrix, the highest priority was the Sovereign Axis of the Tianyuan lineage. However, blessings of the Tianyuan lineage all required interfering with and controlling the outside world to obtain. Without official cooperation, the difficulty was usually immense, let alone for a precious blessing as rare as the Sovereign Axis. It required numerous people to genuinely adhere to rules established by Ji Jue, obey his commands, and form a sufficiently complete collective with him as its core, accomplishing feats aligned with Tianyuan's principles. The employee badge Professor Ye had handed Ji Jue contained relevant guidance within it. If he could reorganize the scattered research department and revitalize Haian Auto Repair Shop, success might not be out of reach. Though it would likely take a long time, it was far better than stumbling around aimlessly like a headless fly. Sometimes, this was the difference between having a teacher and not having one. At critical junctures, they could always provide the necessary conditions and illuminate the path ahead. As Ji Jue pondered his future plans and clarified the details step by step, a sense of calm settled over him. When he came back to his senses, he realized he had wandered all the way to the edge of the outpost. Beneath his hand, at some point, there was an extra... Dog? "Woof!" Thoroughly enjoying the petting, the dog panted with its tongue out and rolled over on the ground, exposing its soft belly. Its nose nudged against Ji Jue's hand, coaxing him to pet it a little longer... Behind him, Little Niuma, who had been following in silence, finally emitted an aggrieved beep, its headlights glistening like tearful eyes. "Huh?" Ji Jue was stunned. "Where did a dog come from?" Thinking back carefully, he remembered that not long after he sat down, the dog had emerged from the grass, wagging its tail and circling around him. It had seduced Ji Jue's hand into reaching out to pet it unconsciously. The fur was smooth and silky to the touch, impossible to stop stroking. The long, light golden and white coat was lightly dusted with dirt and grass seeds, feeling like fine silk. It was a shepherd dog. It wore a vest meant for a leash, but the lead had snapped, leaving only a short stub dangling from the buckle. The frayed end had not been spliced back together; instead, someone had meticulously woven it into an intricate, delicate knot that looked utterly adorable. As if renouncing restraint to grant it freedom. Noticing that Ji Jue had stopped moving, the shepherd dog politely poked its wet nose forward and began licking his hand with gentle, moist licks. "Hey, don't lick. Stop licking." Ji Jue pulled his hand back, and the dog scrambled to its feet, sitting upright with its tongue out, looking at him with what seemed like a smile. Truth be told, it was quite endearing! Still, how had it ended up out here in the middle of nowhere? Surely its owner hadn't abandoned it? "Want some canned food?" Ji Jue leaned down to ask. Only after asking did he remember he had never raised a dog, let alone bought canned dog food, though there were still plenty of chicken legs in the car's mini-fridge. He could at least feed it one of those. "Come here, let me have a look~" Ji Jue pulled the shepherd dog closer and scratched beneath its chin, only to notice a tag hanging from its collar with a name engraved upon it. However, the tag looked quite old, scratched and scuffed to the point where the name was barely legible. "Pres... ident?" Ji Jue squinted, his fingers tracing over the scratches. After confirming it twice, he burst into laughter. "Your name is President? That's hilarious." Who on earth gave their dog such an unhinged name? Just how much resentment were modern office workers harboring... Were their heads entirely filled with beating up the company president once they got home? Chuckling, Ji Jue ruffled the dog's head. He flipped the tag over. And then, the smile froze on his face. As if plunged into an icy abyss. "Holy shit..." On the back of the tag was a simple logo, plain and unmistakable, marking the shepherd dog's ownership. So familiar. It made Ji Jue's vision darken, his heart and lungs stopping dead. —Celestial Rail Group!!!