by <unknown>
When he smelled the instant noodles, countless incidents of the past flowed back to his heart. It could not be replaced by any fine cuisines in the world!
Seeing that Professor Tang was already dumbfounded, Li Yao could only speak first while holding the noodle bowl. "Do you have all the materials on your list?"
He did not intend to expose his traces, but a few materials that Professor Tang had offered were indeed intriguing. Some of them were even rare materials that he had seen in Ou Yezi's memory fragments and could never be found in the Star Glory Federation.
With those materials, he would be able to significantly strengthen everybody's crystal suit magical equipment.
After weighing the pros and cons, it did not seem a bad idea to meet with the experts of refining from Firefly.
After all, they would have to compete with the Imperium of True Human Beings together in the future as comrades anyway.
Hearing Li Yao's voice, looking at the very familiar template face, and then confirming with the slippers on his feet, Professor Tang felt that lightning was striking inside her head. She exclaimed, "It was you!"
Li Yao sucked another mouthful of noodles while he watched Professor Tang's expression changing from confusion to shock, from shock to excitement, from excitement to fear, and from fear to admiration…
He blinked and delivered a forkful of noodles to his mouth again.
He seemed to have been recognized.
But it was not a big problem. After all, he was using a false identity and an anonymous crystal card. After he left the Four Sectors Magical Equipment Center, nobody would know who he was.
"I thought you were here to trade materials." Li Yao slightly frowned. "Do you have all the materials on the list? If not, let's not waste each other's time."
"Yes, I do!" Professor Tang was so excited that she was barely able to control herself. She nodded quickly and said, "I have all the materials listed just now, and the prices are definitely reasonable, senior! Was—was this 'Super Quiet Fixed Rotor' repaired by you? That's amazing. We tried to repair the internal rune arrays with the 'Stars Dragging Moon Pulling Arts' but failed all the time. What kind of marvelous technique did you use to repair it, senior?"
"I used the 'Stars Dragging Moon Pulling Arts', too," Li Yao answered.
Professor Tang was shocked. "How is it possible?"
Li Yao picked up the remaining half of the egg and casually said, "It is possible, when your hands are fast enough."
"When my hands are fast enough…"
Looking at Li Yao's plain hands that were no different from the hands of regular Cultivators, Professor Tang was caught in confusion again.
"If you do have those materials, I'm really interested in making a deal with you."
Seeing that Professor Tang was absent-minded again, Li Yao could only shift the topic back to business. Thinking for a moment, he said, somewhat embarrassed, "But while I do have enough capital, it will only be in position in one to two days. So, can we check the quality of the materials first and then finish the payment later? After all, I'll be staying here for a long time and will definitely not run away with those materials."
"Well…"
Professor Tang was at a loss. After she realized that the taciturn, mysterious man who had been standing next to her in the test field half a day ago was actually such an appalling master of refining, materials were not important to her at all!
If she could make friends with such a master, what was the big deal even if those materials were offered to him for free?
However, was the man who was feeding on instant noodles and egg really a master of refining? Could there be some sort of mistake?
Who was he exactly? Was he a hermit hiding at the edge of the cosmos?
The nature of a refiner in the blood of Professor Tang was fully activated. She summoned her courage and meant to ask Li Yao whether or not he was the one who had played tricks on the Azure Thunder.
However, the reminders of Chu Chongjiu and Nie Siyuan were still echoing in her ears, which finally kept the basic rationality in her and stopped her from proposing the question recklessly.
Thinking quickly, Professor Tang changed the way of asking and respectfully said, "Senior, the materials are absolutely fine. I'll bring you to our material warehouse later so that you can pick them. Money is not going to be a problem!
"However—
"Half a day ago, when I showed my humble skills in the test field half a day ago, you were there, too, weren't you? Would you care to comment on my adjustment on the Azure Thunder?"
Sipping the soup of the instant noodles, Li Yao realized what Professor Tang was doing.
She was hoping that he would pay his 'earnest money' with his comments.
It was quite fair. After all, it would be outrageous to demand them to deliver their rare materials for nothing, would it not?
"I didn't catch the latter half of your performance, but judging from the performance at the beginning, it should be quite good. The Azure Thunder Battlesuit had already been adjusted quite well by Wu Yaxuan, but you were still able to find new potential in it. That was quite incredible of you," Li Yao said drily.
"Senior!" Professor Tang's eyes suddenly grew sharp. She took a deep breath and clenched her fists. "I am sincerely hoping to receive enlightenment from you, senior. Please do not care about my feelings and just point out my mistakes and negligence! I—I would like to offer a pure natural 'Green Star Ancient Square Stone' for seniors' enlightenment!"
Li Yao was slightly dazed. He sucked a noodle at the corner of his mouth and stared at Professor Tang. "Your adjustment was indeed incredible. I was not speaking to you perfunctorily just now. However, just like Wu Yaxuan, you were greatly wrong on a fundamental level. So, your endeavor is not worth commenting on at all."
"What!" Professor Tang was dumbfounded as if she were hit by lightning. "Just like Wu Yaxuan, I was greatly wrong on the fundamental level?"
Chapter 1589: Enlightening! |
"Exactly." Li Yao finished the egg that was fully packed with the soup of pickles and moaned in great satisfaction. He wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb and said unhurriedly, "Do you know the fatal, fundamental mistake that you and Wu Yaxuan made?"
"Please do enlighten me, senior!" Professor Tang's face was pale. She was in such a trance that she almost fell over. She could not help but hold the corner of the table and struggled to breathe. "It's impossible. It's impossible! Even if Wu Yaxuan's design and my adjustment are not perfect, with negligence of all sorts, how can we be greatly wrong on a fundamental level?"
"The fatal mistake that Wu Yaxuan made was to sell the crystal suit he devised to Zhao Tongtian."
After finishing the egg, Li Yao fished in the noodle soup for a long time before he finally picked up a section of soft sausage. He grabbed it with his chopsticks and casually said, "Your mistake, on the other hand, was not to point it out for Zhao Tongtian but continue the great mistake that Wu Yaxuan made.
"In my opinion, Wu Yaxuan should've refused to sell the Azure Thunder to Zhao Tongtian, and as a responsible refiner, you should've informed Zhao Tongtian that he was not suitable for the crystal suit, instead of adjusting the crystal suit blindly.
"If the direction at the beginning is wrong, the further you go, the more wrong you will be. Your adjustment may be excellent, but so what? It doesn't change the fact that the crystal suit is inappropriate!"
"I beg to differ, senior!" Professor Tang argued, blushing. "The Azure Thunder was a limited edition crafted by Wu Yaxuan in person based on Zhao Tongtian's Cultivation, body, and combat parameters. Even the tiniest detail such as the old wounds on Zhao Tongtian's shoulder blade was taken into consideration. In my opinion, the crystal suit is almost perfect!
"Wu Yaxuan couldn't have foreseen that Zhao Tongtian's old wounds would get healed later. Naturally, he shouldn't be blamed for the fault of the crystal suit.
"After my adjustment, even the minor issue was taken care of. Th
e combination of the crystal suit and Zhao Tongtian is almost flawless. Why do you say that they are 'unsuitable'?"
Li Yao smiled and said, "There are mainly two schools competing with each other in the circle of refiners in the Star Glory Federation, namely the Deep Sea School and the Grand Desolate School. The former highlights concrete structure, complicated maintenance, and sophisticated transmission of spiritual energy, in order to break the limits of performance. The latter is the exact opposite. The magical equipment they produce is a bit 'stupid and heavy', whose performance may not be as good as the former. However, it is definitely sturdy enough. The requirement on maintenance is not very high, and the cost is much more affordable.
"The Deep Sea School is the traditional school of refining in the federation, represented by Supernova Jiang Sheng, his nephew 'Solar Eclipse' Jiang Shaoyang, and the other nine excellent refiners known as the Novem Stellae.
"The Grand Desolate School is a new school of refining that only rose in the recent hundred years. Its leading members include Professor Mo Xuan, the previous president of the Refiners' Association and the incumbent president of the Spectral Cultivators' Association, as well as his four true disciples known as the Four Kings. There's also Master Xie Anan, who you mentioned just now.
"As for this creative genius Wu Yaxuan who has become quite popular in the federation recently…
"Although his mother Master Xie Anan is the dean of the Refining Department of the Grand Desolate War Institution right now, and he was deeply influenced by his mother when he was young, his talents and interests are different from hers. He is more suitable for the path of refining of the Deep Sea School, which cannot be helped. That's why Master Xie Anan sent him to Master Jiang Shaoyang for training."
While he was free, Li Yao had taken the chance to learn the latest information about Wu Mayan, Xie Anan, and their son. Naturally, he knew everything about them now. "Wu Yaxuan has inherited and absorbed all the characteristics of the Deep Sea School. With the fearlessness and creativity that solely belong to the young people, he has pushed the style of the Deep Sea School to a new peak, thereby creating the masterpiece Azure Thunder!
"It is indeed a piece of work that arouses the interest of whoever sees it. It is also a typical crystal suit of the Deep Sea School. The structure is complicated, and the circuits of spiritual energy are extremely precise. The difficulty of maintenance is unbelievably high, which is a price that must be paid to break the limits of the crystal suit's performance.
"Little girl, in what kind of environment do you think the power of such a crystal suit can be maximized?"
Holding the sausage in his mouth, Li Yao looked at Professor Tang with a smile.
Professor Tang was at a loss. "What kind of environment? It is an all-terrain crystal suit, suitable for both the universal battles and those within the atmosphere with a high gravity…"
"That's not what I meant." Li Yao shook his head and said, "Let me tell you my viewpoint. I believe that this crystal suit is more suitable for the major sects in the prosperous world inside the federation or the experts in the federal army in a battle of groups.
"The reason is simple.
"In the prosperous world within the federation, and especially in a battlefield of large-scale groups, the logistical support will certainly be ensured effectively. Many expert refiners will be standing by. The expensive and complicated components can be easily purchased, too.
"It is in such an environment that the maximal power of the Azure Thunder can be exerted without concern because even if faults such as eroded parts or overloaded rune arrays take place due to the limit performance, it will be very convenient to find an expert to repair the crystal suit and replace the components.
"Think about it. Does what I said make sense?"
Professor Tang thought about it deeply. She could not help but nod her head.
Emotionlessly, Li Yao chewed on the sausage that was mostly made of flour. "Then, think again. Does the Dragon Snake Space Zone boast such an environment? Does Zhao Tongtian look like a guy who has sufficient logistical support and expert refiners to help him maintain his crystal suit?
"The Dragon Snake Space Zone is a chaotic, murky place. The level of production and maintenance of crystal suits here is not as good as in the federation. Also, the Cultivators do not have the notion of a large-scale, collaborative battle. They are often fighting on their own or in the forms of 'Exo Societies' at best.
"What is their mission usually? Lurk deep inside the asteroids in the dark universe, preparing to hijack starships passing by, or stay on a carrier all year long to stop others from hijacking the starship. Or the two missions are sometimes even combined into one. They will hijack a starship when the time is right, and they will retreat and defend themselves if the enemy is too strong!
"All in all, it is not unusual for a combat squad to drift for a few months in space without any effective support until they are running out of resources!
"'Thunder Lion' Zhao Tongtian is a minor celebrity in the Dragon Snake Space Zone. The Thunderbolt Exo Society that he belongs to is a classical combat squad of Exos in the Dragon Snake Space Zone. It is their daily routine to fight in an unpopulated area at the periphery of the space zone without any supply for three to five months or even longer!
"Now, do you still feel that a 'delicate' crystal suit, with a high difficulty of maintenance, is really suitable for 'Thunder Lion' Zhao Tongtian?
"As it turned out, faults happened to the Azure Thunder soon after it was delivered to Zhao Tongtian, and maintenance was mandatory. However, the refiners and the workshops of the Thunderbolt Exo Society were not even able to perform regular maintenance. It had to be sent to the best magical equipment center in Fish Dragon City and maintained by the most professional experts!
"Do you feel that it is Wu Yaxuan's glory? Is it marvelous and incredible to craft a crystal suit that cannot be maintained by a general refiner?
"In my opinion, it is only indicative of Wu Yaxuan's incompetence. Crystal suits are for battles. They are meant to be brutally savaged. If something happens to a crystal suit every now and then, and if the problems cannot be resolved immediately but have to be taken care of by the original manufacturer, what kind of crystal suit is that? Should the customer buy two crystal suits at one time so that he can wear one while having the other one delivered to the original manufacturer?"
Professor Tang felt that she was bashed in the head, and a whole new world was opened instantly to her.
The mysterious senior who was holding a sausage in his mouth had made such a fine point!
"About Zhao Tongtian's identity and the Thunderbolt Exo Society's businesses, I have found the answers after searching online for ten seconds," Li Yao said casually. "Once Wu Yaxuan had Zhao Tongtian's detailed combat files, there was no reason for him not to know what kind of environment his customer was going to fight in and what kind of crystal suit his customer actually needed!
"If Wu Yaxuan truly knew himself well, he should've known that the crystal suit that his customer really needed could never be crafted under his style of refining.
"If Wu Yaxuan was truly considering his customer, he should've refused the customer's order and offered a piece of reasonable advice to him. The customer was obviously more suitable for the crystal suits of the Grand Desolate School, of which Wu Yaxuan's mother was a master. I believe that she could satisfy the demands of a Core Formation Stage Cultivator, couldn't she?
"But Wu Yaxuan didn't.
"Perhaps he was only showing off. Perhaps he was too young and arrogant to accept that he could not accomplish everything in the world. Perhaps it was the very first crystal suit that he had devised independently in his life, and a customer from the Dragon Snake Space Zone could help him expand the market here. Or perhaps I overestimated him, and the matching problem never occurred to him. The bottom line is, for whatever reason, Wu Yaxuan 'tailor-made' a crystal suit that was not suitable for the Dragon Snake Space Zone for Zhao To
ngtian.
"Hehe. If it is a mass-produced crystal suit, or one that is purchased from the secondhand market, it might've passed. However, as a 'tailor-made' crystal suit, he did not even take into consideration the environment it was to be used in, which is quite disappointing. Zhao Tongtian has no relevant knowledge and came here for help, but it does not mean that Wu Yaxuan should ignore the problem and simply focus on unimportant details!
"If we get to the bottom of it, both Wu Yaxuan and… you, Miss Tang, have focused your full attention on the cold magical equipment. You never regarded the customer using the magical equipment. That's why you cannot stand in the shoes of the customer and consider his most critical needs!"
Professor Tang hesitated, so embarrassed that her face was flushing.
"Yes. 'Thunder Lion' Zhao Tongtian is indeed arrogant and disgusting. You simply despised him before, right?"
Staring at Professor Tang, Li Yao said, one word after another, "If you truly abhor him, you could've refused to build or maintain the magical equipment for him. It wouldn't have mattered even if you killed him.
"But after you take his order for whatever reason and pick up his magical equipment, you should ignore his appearance and identity and regard him as a pure 'client'. You should be devoted and think from his perspective to perfect the magical equipment.
"After all, the magical equipment is for the customer to use, not for the refiner to show off!"
Chapter 1590: Senior Lin |
"The magical equipment is for the customer to use, not for the refiner to show off…"
Professor Tang took a deep breath, and her confused eyes became clear again. She looked at Li Yao in a completely different way from before.
"I seem to get it now, senior. It's true that I shouldn't have helped Zhao Tongtian adjust his crystal suit just now. I should've informed him honestly that the crystal suit is not suitable for him to carry out ambushes or patrol missions in such a complicated environment as the Dragon Snake Space Zone without the logistical support for a long time. Whatever adjustments the crystal suit has, it will not resolve the source of the problem. Even if it is immaculate for a moment after the adjustment, the crystal suit will be very troublesome again with the slightest faults after a few not-so-intense battles!