Chapter 89: I Have a Thing for Hands!

Imperial First Military Academy. Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Tang Fei followed Phoenix into a tall, luxurious, and dreamlike oval-shaped technological building.

Looking at this teaching building, which was in a completely different style from the Ancient Martial Arts Academy, Tang Fei asked with curiosity, "Is the Mechanical Department this wealthy?"

"Of course." Phoenix nodded and said, "Didn't I tell you? Mechanical engineering is one of the most lucrative professions on Nova. From massive starships down to smart home appliances, as well as the flying cars, drones, flying discs, and intelligent robots we see everywhere—which of these doesn't require the design and research of a mechanical engineer? Which one doesn't need their repairs and modifications?"

"If you can become a senior mechanical engineer, whether you start your own business or become a technical director at a major corporation, you'll earn at least a million star coins a year. Sheng Xinhuai is already a literature professor at the university, and her salary is only one-third of that of a senior mechanical engineer."

"That impressive?" Tang Fei thought of that seductive, full-chested woman. She was actually a literature professor?

Well, Phoenix was right there; he shouldn't think about that.

"So, it's not too late to change your mind," Phoenix said. "If you major in mechanical engineering, with your talent, you might become a senior mechanical engineer after grinding for a few years. If you focus on ancient martial arts, I'm afraid you'll hit a ceiling very easily."

Although martial arts are popular in the galaxy, those who truly reach the pinnacle are either elite talents cultivated by major families or the occasional wild-card martial arts genius who emerges from the masses.

This path requires family heritage, guidance from masters, medicinal ingredients, and secret cultivation manuals. Relying solely on personal effort makes it very difficult to reach the peak.

"I have already decided," Tang Fei said.

He had spent the entire night practicing the "Nether Scroll," and having just found a bit of a feel for it, how could he easily give up now?

Besides, he was studying mechanical engineering to make money, but was he the type of person who lacked money? Not to mention the profits from the Yan family's businesses, even the night-luminescent pearl that Shen Boyu had given him would be enough to support him and Little Fatty for a lifetime.

What he lacked was his life.

On Nova, danger lurked everywhere. While there was no acid rain, no mutant beasts, no man-eating plants, and no swamps that could silently swallow a person, there were people here—dense crowds of them.

The human heart is far more terrifying than any wild beast.

"Huh, why does that sound so familiar?"

These people wear suits and ties, drive flying cars, and drink famous tea or fine wine, yet they would stab you in the back without batting an eye, all while smiling and asking in a gentle voice if it hurts and if you need help stopping the bleeding.

By comparison, Tang Fei actually preferred dealing with predators. When he saw them, he just had to draw his blade and kill. But when facing these people, he had to struggle to distinguish who was good and who was bad.

It was exhausting!

Therefore, Tang Fei chose to major in ancient martial arts; he had to work hard to improve and strengthen himself. He only had one life; if he was careless and got slashed, he would be dead. He needed to sharpen his blade to be faster and his strength to be greater than everyone else's.

Seeing the resolute expression on Tang Fei's face, Phoenix said, "Then let's go in."

The two of them scanned their faces to enter the building and stepped into the elevator, feeling as if their bodies were about to be lifted off the ground. In the blink of an eye, the elevator stopped at the 109th floor.

Tang Fei stepped out and glanced outside, realizing they were already among the clouds. It gave him a sense of insecurity; a person with acrophobia would probably be scared to the point of wetting themselves.

Standing at the elevator entrance was a young woman wearing glasses. She looked at Phoenix and said, "Student Zhongyu Xiuxue, I am Assistant Tian Tian to Director Lu. The Director asked me to take you to the assessment."

"Thank you, Senior Sister Tian Tian." Phoenix smiled and thanked her politely.

"How did Student Xiuxue know I was your senior?" Tian Tian asked as she led the way, her heels clicking rhythmically on the floor.

"I know that the Mechanical Department has a tradition of retaining students as teaching assistants or staff, as it involves very profound technical knowledge that ordinary clerks hired from the general public find difficult to handle. Besides, I've heard of Senior Sister Tian Tian—the genius girl of the Mechanical Department. You won the 'Luban Award' in your first year and designed works that won the 'Tiangong Award' four times during your university years. Countless companies, including military industrial departments, extended olive branches to you, yet I didn't expect you to choose to stay behind to be an assistant for Director Lu."

"Student Xiuxue has an impressive memory; it is truly admirable." Tian Tian adjusted her glasses, smiling shyly. "Director Lu's knowledge is as vast as the sea. The more I learn from her, the more I feel how lacking my own knowledge is."

"Senior Sister is too modest."

Tian Tian smiled and said no more. She brought Tang Fei and Phoenix to a spacious room that resembled a workshop, filled with various mechanical equipment and design models. A thin, petite old woman was there, instructing students on their design plans and manual model manufacturing. Seeing Phoenix and her group approach, her eyes fell on Tang Fei first.

After all, Zhongyu Xiuxue was a prominent figure in the school, and they were already familiar with her. If she said she was bringing someone for an assessment today, it could only be this young man.

"Director, Student Tang Fei is here," Tian Tian said in a low voice as she walked up to Lu Wenjing.

Lu Wenjing looked at Tang Fei and said, "Hold out your hands."

Tang Fei did as he was told, holding his palms upward to show her his slender, long hands, even though he had no idea what this was for.

Lu Wenjing examined them carefully and said, "Flip them over."

Tang Fei flipped his hands to show the backs. Lu Wenjing nodded and said, "Very good. You passed the assessment."

"?" Tang Fei.

"?" Phoenix.

Only Tian Tian remained smiling, looking as if she were not at all surprised by this result.

"Director, that's it? He passed?" Phoenix asked, bewildered.

"I have a hand fetish," Lu Wenjing said. "With such beautiful hands, it would be a pity not to study mechanics."

"..." That was a reason one couldn't argue with.

"Don't you need any other assessments?" Phoenix asked. She was worried that this assessment was too much of a mockery and would make Tang Fei feel the school didn't value him. She was even more worried that Lu Wenjing was only accepting him as a favor to her, without intending to teach him anything substantial.

"Do you need other assessments?" The old woman adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and pondered for a moment. "Oh, you said he could make a bird, so let him make a bird."

"I only know how to make a wooden bird," Tang Fei said.

"Then make a wooden bird," Lu Wenjing said. "Arrange a workbench for him."

Tian Tian led Tang Fei to an empty table and said, "All the tools you need are here; feel free to use them, Student Tang Fei. If you need anything else, just let me know, and I'll prepare it for you."

"This is enough," Tang Fei said. Previously, he only needed a few pieces of wood and a machete to build a plane; the thirty or fifty types of tools on this table were far more than he needed.

"Then begin," Lu Wenjing said.

"Do I need to be timed?" Tang Fei asked.

"No. Finish whenever you finish." Lu Wenjing glanced at her watch. "Of course, it would be best if you don't delay my lunch."

"..." This old woman was quite cool.

Tang Fei sat down at the workbench. After gathering the necessary wood blocks, he picked up a carving knife and began to work. His movements were fast, rhythmic, and fluid, without a single pause. Moreover, the angle and force of every cut were incredibly precise and balanced; he always managed to achieve the desired shape with the fewest cuts and the most efficient force.

Tian Tian's eyes showed astonishment. A true expert knows the craft the moment they see someone move. This boy clearly had put in hard work; just his manual dexterity was something few could compare to. Mechanical engineering requires both creativity and practice. Being able to perfectly manifest the ideas in one's mind is a prerequisite for any mechanical engineer.

Lu Wenjing stood by, nodding repeatedly. She had originally thought he was just a "craft enthusiast"—if he liked it, he could learn, and if not, he could leave; she never forced any student. She hadn't expected to have stumbled upon a treasure.

In a short while, the wooden bird was assembled.

"Can it fly?" Lu Wenjing asked.

"It should... be able to?" Tang Fei said, feeling uncertain. But since Phoenix had boasted about him, if he said no, wouldn't that embarrass her? Sure enough, Phoenix understood his thoughts and smiled at him, indicating she wouldn't mind.

"Then test it," Lu Wenjing said.

Tang Fei walked to an open area in the hall and twisted the wooden spring at the back of the bird. The bird's beak let out a "chirp, chirp, chirp" sound.

Watching the bird's moving beak, Lu Wenjing praised, "Interesting. The tail is linked to the bird's tongue as a single unit. When the tail generates force, the bird naturally sings."

Tang Fei felt the spring reach its tension limit and tossed the bird into the air.

*Creak, creak.*

The bird flapped its wooden wings and began to climb upward. One meter, two meters, three meters... At about ten meters, the tail caught fire, and with a "snap," it fell to the ground and shattered.

Lu Wenjing said with some regret, "What a pity." Then she comforted Tang Fei, "It was already quite good. You can come to the Mechanical Department for classes tomorrow."

"Thank you, Director," Tang Fei said happily.

Lu Wenjing looked at Tian Tian and said, "Help him process whatever paperwork is needed."

"Yes, Director."

Lu Wenjing glanced at Phoenix, waved her hand, and said, "I have things to attend to; I'm leaving." Without looking back, she walked away.

Tian Tian looked at Tang Fei and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Student Tang Fei, on joining our Mechanical Department. You are my junior now."

"Nice to meet you, Senior Sister. Please take care of me in the future," Tang Fei said, immediately climbing the social ladder.

"Let's go. I'll take you to process the paperwork so you can start classes tomorrow."

"Thank you, Senior Sister," Tang Fei said gratefully.

After Tang Fei and his group left, a girl with a prosthetic mechanical arm approached. She picked up the remains of the wooden bird from the floor, tore open the shell, and upon seeing the drive mechanism inside, her expression turned grim and chilling.

He had returned!