Snatch Him Up

Ordinary people faced with something that smelled strongly of a consumer trap would hesitate. Tong Shan was genuinely no ordinary person. "You're the artisan. You call the shots." A word spoken could not be overtaken even by a team of four horses. At the very least, Tong Shan wasn't going to quibble over such meager expenditures. Soon, a lengthy requisition list was drafted. In addition, Ji Jue requested the team members' loadouts and general profiles. Tong Shan didn't say a word, but Ji Xue's eye twitched furiously as she looked over the requisition sheet. What kind of maintenance was this? Orichalcum, usually sold by the gram, was being ordered by the jin?! And what were all these materials she had never even heard of, whose listed prices online were utterly absurd? Why were there so many? Captain Tong, you couldn't have let yourself get taken for a sucker and fleeced to the bone, could you? While she was sighing and groaning over it, Tong Shan remained as calm as ever. Yet less than two hours later, before she had even finished watching the variety show episode she had saved up, the door to the workshop opened once more. It was so fast she could hardly react. Her eyes widened reflexively. Fuck, brat, you couldn't just be phoning it in, could you? "Sorry, the furnace was a bit backed up, so I had to queue for a while. Otherwise, I would've been done sooner." Ji Jue lifted the towel draped around his neck to wipe his sweat and waved his hand. Once again, a mercury cart emerged, loaded to the brim. Far from the superficial, slapdash maintenance Ji Xue had anticipated, everything was polished until it gleamed like new... in fact, they looked even cleaner than when they had first picked them up. She picked up two pieces and examined them curiously. "You cleaned them all?" "Water's in high demand right now, so I gave them a pass over an open flame and hit every nook and cranny with an air gun. Saves you the trouble of washing them again when you get back." Ji Jue rummaged through the cart and pulled out a protective suit. "This one's yours." When Ji Xue caught it, she braced for the weight, but it was far lighter than the original. Then another piece came flying her way. Both garments now featured plenty of quick-release buckles, but she could vaguely tell they formed a single set. "I modified it for you—it's a two-piece set now." Ji Jue leaned against the doorframe with a slight smile. "You're a speed type, right? Normally, wear both. In an emergency, you can ditch the outer layer. The inner layer has been lightened and reinforced in key areas, more than enough to isolate against corrosion. I reworked both sets for you. Give it a shot." "Are you serious?" Stunned, Ji Xue skeptically slipped into the inner layer. It felt unbelievably lighter than usual, and ergonomically tailored so that her movements weren't restricted in the slightest. After a brief warm-up, a sharp sonic crack rang out. She had already vanished from the spot, leaving only a puff of rustling dust behind. A split second later, the dust was blown away by a shockwave of air pressure as she reappeared. Having experienced the perks of a custom build firsthand, delight showed on her small face. She clapped Ji Jue heartily on the shoulder. "Not bad! Did you do this for everyone?" "No, just yours." Ji Jue rummaged through the protective suits below, lifted one up, and tossed it to Tong Shan. "Try this." In contrast to Ji Xue's lightweight gear, what Tong Shan received was heavy armor exaggerated many times over compared to the original! Not only were metallic threads woven into the outer fabric, but armor-like metal plating was also installed over vital areas. Its protective capability had more than doubled, at the cost of... weighing over fifty jin. Yet in Tong Shan's hands, it felt light as a feather. It unfolded in midair. Under the control of his invisible telekinesis, it enveloped him layer upon layer. Once he pulled on the thickened gas mask, every inch of his body was enclosed, leaving not a sliver exposed. Ji Jue flicked his fingers, and immediately mercury blades slashed forward—an overlapping cascade of blade-light mingled with violent blunt impacts. Inside, Tong Shan could barely feel any rebound shock. Between the outer layer and inner lining of the suit, a liquid cushioning layer had been added. It was extremely thin, but possessed the properties of a non-Newtonian fluid, hardening on impact to disperse the force. It was like standing inside a fortress. After all, he belonged to the Tianyuan path. His specialty lay in manipulating the surrounding environment and controlling objects. While he wasn't completely devoid of defense, he couldn't hold a candle to the iron-forged durability of the Desolate Ruins path. He was far too vulnerable to White Stag practitioners! Tianyuan countered White Stag, but was equally countered by it. If closed in on by a White Stag, it was all too likely a white blade would go in-in-in-in-in-in... slicing him into an evenly shaved platter of hotpot mutton. Against an enemy that couldn't be suppressed or a surprise attack that left no time to react, the outcome would be catastrophic. Under such conditions, when it came to stacking armor, naturally the thicker the better. As for the trivial matter of weight... with Tong Shan's abilities, not an ounce of it pressed down on his shoulders. He could probably sustain it for a month without feeling a thing. Next came the maintenance of the various scrapped items. Without exception, every single one had been restored to factory condition, and after secondary reinforcement, their quality and durability were enhanced even further. And the grand finale, of course, was the banner Ji Jue tossed over. It looked just as it always had. Identical. As if it had merely been wiped clean, without any alterations at all. "Want to give it a spin?" Ji Jue asked. The moment Tong Shan nodded, Ji Jue looked up and blew a whistle. Instantly, the dormant Little Niuma beside them gave a jolt. Its machine guns raised, and bona fide heavy firepower erupted on the spot. In a deafening roar, a continuous trail of muzzle flashes locked onto Tong Shan. A storm of bullets swept in like a tidal wave! Yet Tong Shan merely waved his hand. Before the banner was even unfurled, countless red-hot bullets froze in midair, as though trapped in amber. In an instant, an exquisitely precise operation rivaling the firing rate of a machine gun manifested from his hands, bringing all incoming firepower under total control. A peak exhibition of telekinesis! Once the ammo belt was emptied, Little Niuma ceased fire. The clatter of bullets falling to the floor echoed continuously. Tong Shan tilted his head, looking down at the blessed armament in his hand. Beneath the mask, he could hardly suppress his astonishment. It was still the original recipe through and through, yet it flowed with far greater fluidity. It felt as though an old version of hardware had suddenly been upgraded—same operation, same functions, but highlighted by sheer smoothness, its responsiveness and efficiency jumping several percentage points. It struck wherever he willed without the slightest friction, coordinating seamlessly with him. Comfortable. Far too comfortable. Absurdly comfortable! It was as if it were truly his own arm... The Tong family had its own artisans, and maintenance had never been lacking, yet he had never felt anything like this. "How did you do it?" he asked, taking off his mask and turning around. "I readjusted it based on your usage habits and the wear on its spiritus circuits," Ji Jue replied with a smile. "Other than that, the main structure is unchanged. It's a master's creation, after all; I don't have the skill to alter it, only to add a few finishing touches." Transforming it completely on such short notice was beyond Ji Jue's capabilities; even with enough time, he couldn't surpass the original designer. However, for any creation, running Deus Ex Machina through it once to commune with its resident spirit, followed by a pass of Fluid Alchemy to let it fine-tune itself to Tong Shan's usage habits, naturally boosted its operational efficiency. It was just like clothing. A person's physique changed, and so did their habits. Even if a master had tailored it to Tong Shan's exact specifications back then, after so much time, changes were inevitable. And an artisan couldn't crawl into Tong Shan's belly to divine his day-to-day operating quirks and personal preferences, could they? "Not bad at all, little master!" After gleefully inspecting her gear, Ji Xue found the sting of the expense considerably duller. Pricey as it was, you really got what you paid for—lightning fast and worth every cent. Money well spent. "Oh, right. I put together an extra set of bolt-on armor plates for you on the fly. Military-grade. There wasn't enough tungsten alloy, so I made do with composite steel." As Ji Jue spoke, he stepped aside, pointing to a mountain of ballistic armor and a bunch of other odds and ends piled up inside the workshop. It even included two spare drive shafts! "Everyone in the workshop is busy right now, so we don't have room here. Just find a garage to install them," he added as a final reminder. "And remember to tell the mechanics that your suspension has issues and needs a complete replacement. If anyone gives you lip, slap them. It's all fucking secondhand crap—who do they think they're fooling?" Ji Xue was dumbfounded. Staring at the mountain of parts and spares inside, she froze on the spot. Only after a long while did she manage to squeeze out: "Holy shit?!" Immediately, Tong Shan gave her a flick on the forehead. "Mind your language." "Captain Tong, we can't hesitate anymore." Ji Xue dragged Tong Shan to the side, all previous resistance and wariness gone. Looking anxious, she urged him under her breath, "Heavenly treasures belong to the worthy! An artisan this good—we have to snatch him up fast and refine him on the spot! "Back at the Security Bureau, every time we draw equipment, they nag us endlessly, and we have to put on a smiling face and sweet-talk them. With Master Ji around, who the hell would ever look at those Third Department bastards' sour faces again? "Besides, artisans are scarce everywhere right now. With someone like him on our side, we'll never have to beg anyone again! "How could we miss such an opportunity? What if we let it slip and another team recruits him? Wouldn't that be twice the heartbreak?!" Tong Shan shook his head helplessly. "What are you dreaming about? He has his own workshop." If this were some wild Embers artisan without ties, recruiting him would be a done deal with a single word. But while Tide Sound Workshop never flaunted its presence, even his own grandfather had personally shown up when it first set up in Yacheng, okay? The Security Bureau wasn't Mount Liang from the Water Margin, tricking people into joining the bandit ranks at the drop of a hat... Did she really think Master Ye had no temper? Yu Hanguang from the Second Department had just gotten beaten up for stepping out of line, okay? The fallout was catastrophic! Why was Tong Shan so clear on that? What a joke—how could he not be? He was the one who gave Ye Xian Yu Hanguang's phone number! "Temporary—even temporary works!" Ji Xue whispered urgently. "There's no harm in trying, right? Once this village is passed, the inn is gone!" Tong Shan sighed. Just as he was about to speak, Ji Jue's voice called out from not far away. "What's up, Brother Shan?" Ji Jue asked curiously. "Is there something wrong?" Could it be that his quiet skimming of some materials had been discovered? No, that couldn't be right. That was reasonable material loss—in fact, lower than standard reasonable loss. Even the Artisans Association couldn't find fault with it! He was busily conducting a self-audit in his mind, having no clue that it wasn't a case of too little material, but that there was so damn much of it that it had terrified the client. "Uh, cough, cough..." Tong Shan hesitated, words caught in his throat. He simply couldn't bring himself to say it. He knew all too well what conditions the advance investigation team faced and what hardships they endured. The danger at this juncture was truly high. After all, they were acquaintances—why should Ji Jue leave the comforts of air conditioning to leap into a pit of fire alongside him? Just because Tong Shan had a big reputation? Didn't he see what a pain the folks from the Third Department were? Ji Jue could sit right here and rack up merit points; why would he go to Quancheng just to court death? "Captain Tong..." Seeing him hesitate, Ji Xue stepped on his foot in frantic secrecy. "Say, Ji Jue, our team happens to be short an Embers practitioner..." Tong Shan asked tentatively. "Are you interested?" "Huh?" Ji Jue was dumbstruck, in utter disbelief. Why was big brother out of nowhere offering to carry him through a dungeon to farm materials? Could life really be this good? "You don't need to worry about safety; I'll personally guarantee it. And you get first pick of all materials!" Having broken the ice, Tong Shan hesitated no longer. "As for compensation, the Security Bureau has set standards, so I can't offer too much beyond the official rate, but I can log overtime for you. We'll fully reimburse all expenditures, and the hazard pay and contaminated environment allowance aren't small either. Beyond that, once the Quancheng matter wraps up, I'll put you in for a First-Class Medal of Honor. Of course, if it's inconvenient, don't worry about it." Could life really be this good?! Ji Jue's eyes went even wider, rendering him speechless. Wait, isn't this a little too good?! Is this really okay? "Uh..." Ji Jue stammered. Though his heart was pounding in sweet ecstasy, he still didn't give an answer. After all, this wasn't his call to make! "I need to... ask my teacher." "As you should." Tong Shan nodded. So Ji Jue stepped aside and made a call. It rang for a long time before connecting, the background on the other end loud and bustling, like a noisy construction site. Even amid her busy schedule, Professor Ye was as concise as ever: "Speak." Ji Jue immediately condensed his words into a straightforward report: "Someone asked me to run a dungeon in Quancheng with them. On your end..." "I'm busy. Go play by yourself." The line went dead. Just like an indifferent parent working overtime who receives a call to pick up their kid from kindergarten, it was quintessential Professor Ye free-range parenting: go play on your own if you find a spot; whether you come back dead or alive is entirely up to you; you're a grown adult, so stop bothering me with endless permissions—it's annoying. Go if you want. Great, the parental permission was taken care of. Only, when Ji Jue pocketed his phone and looked aside, his eyes suddenly lit up. "You coming?" "Me?" Lou Feng, resting in the distance, was taken aback in shock, which instantly morphed into disgust. "Like hell I am!" Why wouldn't an Embers artisan stay comfortably in the workshop? Who in their right mind would run off to such a dangerous place to risk life and limb for fun? Only an idiot would go! He sneered with utter disdain, refusing without a shred of hesitation. Even if I, Lou Feng, work myself to death, even if I jump from here... Early the next morning, Young Master Lou, wearing a sour, miserable scowl, hauled bags and sacks as he showed up at the rendezvous point right on time.