Zhang Yi's gaze fell on the cover of the recommendation letter.
He froze for a moment.
Then, as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world, a grin spread across his face.
"A recommendation letter?"
"Old Liao, you're here to give Engineer Zhao a recommendation letter too?"
His tone was thick with undisguised disbelief.
"If I remember correctly, every single one of those apprentices under you is just there to fill a quota, aren't they?"
"Don't you have any idea how difficult this assessment is, with Engineer Zhao himself overseeing it?"
"Aren't you afraid the person you recommend is going to make you lose so much face they'll be talking about it in the Outer City?"
Liao Ming just shrugged, the picture of indifference.
"We'll find out whether I lose face or not after the test."
This nonchalant attitude, however, only stoked Zhang Yi's curiosity.
He couldn't for the life of him imagine which one of the misfits under Liao Ming could possibly be qualified.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and he abruptly remembered someone.
"You can't be... planning to recommend that kid, Han Feng, can you?"
Zhang Yi's expression instantly turned bizarre.
Who in the entire apprentice circle of the maintenance department didn't know about Han Feng's "glorious achievements"?
A poor kid from the Outer City who'd thrown all his hard-earned money into flying rust buckets from the Airplane Graveyard.
The classic cautionary tale of a delinquent with his head in the clouds.
At this thought, Zhang Yi's eyes looked upon Liao Ming with a hint of pity.
'Looks like Old Liao's really been backed into a corner, grasping at straws.'
'Daring to put forward this kind of trash for Engineer Zhao's assessment?'
'The man must be truly insane.'
Zhang Yi couldn't resist patting Liao Ming on the shoulder and teasing him in a mock-serious tone.
"Old Liao, I'm not one to criticize, but your eye for talent... it's certainly getting more... 'unique' by the day."
"Alright, I'm done messing with you. I'm heading in."
Shaking his head, he turned and knocked on Zhao Yu's office door.
A cold "Enter" came from within.
He pushed the door open and walked in, his face now wearing a mask of utmost respect, but his eyes held the hidden confidence of someone sure of their victory.
Liao Ming stood outside the door, his expression serene.
He knew that Zhang Yi was here for his own star apprentice—the genius, Chen Gang.
Chen Gang, a second-year student whose maintenance Talent was nothing short of monstrous. He was hailed as the prodigy most likely to make a run for B Level Engineer before graduation.
Zhang Yi treated him practically like his own son, showing him off wherever he went.
Before long, Zhang Yi emerged from the office, looking utterly satisfied, a smug grin plastered across his face.
Clearly, Zhao Yu was very pleased with his candidate.
"Your turn, Old Liao."
Zhang Yi patted his shoulder again as he walked past.
"Good luck."
His tone and his gaze made it clear he was waiting to watch a spectacular failure.
Liao Ming straightened his wrinkled collar and pushed the door open, stepping inside.
Zhao Yu's office wasn't large. It felt like a cold, sterile operating room.
The air was thick with the smell of metal and Purification fluid.
At that moment, the man known as the "living dictionary of engines" was sitting behind his desk, scrutinizing a holographic file.
He wore an immaculate B Level Engineer uniform, and the gaze behind his glasses was utterly devoid of warmth.
"Engineer Zhao."
Liao Ming said respectfully, presenting the recommendation letter with both hands.
Zhao Yu looked up, his gaze sweeping over Liao Ming before he took the letter.
When he saw the two words "Han Feng" written in the Name field for the candidate, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Han Feng?"
Zhao Yu's voice was flat, betraying no emotion.
But Liao Ming felt the temperature in the office drop by several degrees.
"Are you certain?"
Zhao Yu set the file down and steepled his fingers, his gaze locking onto Liao Ming.
"In the assessments I oversee, there's no room for luck."
"If a candidate performs too poorly, it will be noted in his permanent record, and he will never be hired."
"And you will forfeit your entire annual bonus and receive a demotion in your rating."
"Of course," Zhao Yu added, his tone shifting as a cold smile touched his lips.
"If he manages to impress me, then as the one who discovered him, the academy's reward will be enough to set you up for life."
Liao Ming straightened his spine, his face radiating a confidence he had never shown before.
"Engineer Zhao, I'm betting my livelihood for the rest of my life on his future!"
"Oh?"
Zhao Yu leaned forward slightly. For the first time, a flicker of interest showed in the eyes behind his glasses.
"Give me a reason."
"I've heard this Han Feng... is rather more interested in 'flying' around."
His wording was tactful, but the meaning was perfectly clear.
'On what grounds do you think a delinquent like him could possibly pass my assessment?'
"Engineer Zhao, that's old news."
Liao Ming explained calmly, word by word.
"Han Feng has awakened a special Talent—something related to mechanical intuition."
"A Talent?"
Zhao Yu's gaze sharpened instantly.
"Yes."
Liao Ming nodded emphatically.
"Just this morning, with a damaged Hunting Falcon, he identified twenty-seven hidden faults by touch alone."
"Nineteen of which were internal micro-fractures, things that are extremely difficult to detect even with a precision scanner."
Liao Ming paused, then played his final trump card.
"His diagnostic speed... was three times faster than a data terminal could even export the fault codes."
The office fell into a dead, absolute silence.
Zhao Yu stared intently at Liao Ming, as if trying to dissect every word for lies with his gaze alone.
After a long moment, he finally spoke.
"An intuitive Talent... that is rare."
"I will verify everything you've said myself."
Zhao Yu set Han Feng's recommendation letter aside and leaned back in his chair.
"One week from now. The C Level Technician advancement assessment. Simulation training ground three."
"I will be there personally."
An inscrutable smile played on Zhao Yu's lips.
"I'm curious to see what the true caliber of this 'genius' you speak of really is."
"Yes! Thank you, Engineer Zhao!"
Liao Ming was ecstatic. 'I won the bet!' he thought.
'That tech-obsessed maniac Zhao Yu took the bait!'
He gave a respectful bow and backed out of the office.
Outside, Zhang Yi, surprisingly, hadn't left.
He was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. When he saw Liao Ming emerge, he immediately approached, his face a mask of smug glee.
"So? Did Engineer Zhao chew you out?"
Liao Ming shot him a glance but said nothing. He simply puffed out his chest, held his head high, and brushed right past him.
That triumphant swagger made Zhang Yi stop in his tracks.
'Something's wrong!'
'This isn't the right reaction!'
"Hey! Old Liao!"
Zhang Yi hurried after him and blocked his path.
"Tell me the truth. What kind of sweet-talking did you use on Engineer Zhao?"
"How could he possibly agree to you recommending that good-for-nothing?"
Liao Ming stopped and turned to look at Zhang Yi's impatient face. He smiled.
It was a smile as brilliant as the sun over the Outer City.
"You want to know?"
"Of course I do!"
"It's simple."
Liao Ming clapped Zhang Yi on the shoulder, his smile brimming with an almost cruel confidence.
"I told Engineer Zhao that my Han Feng is every bit as good as your Chen Gang."
The expression on Zhang Yi's face froze solid.
He looked as if he had heard both the gospel of a Divine proclamation and the death knell of the apocalypse. His eyes widened, and he squeezed the words out one by one.
"You... compared... Han Feng... to... Chen... Gang?"
"Are you fucking insane!?"
Zhang Yi practically screamed the words.
Who was Chen Gang?
The universally acknowledged number-one genius of the maintenance department! A future Engineer!
And who was Han Feng?
The laughingstock of the entire academy!
To mention those two in the same breath... Liao Ming was either insane, or his brain had been chewed on by a Demon Beast!
"Just wait and see."
Leaving those words behind, Liao Ming paid no more mind to the petrified Zhang Yi. He swaggered away, walking with the gait of a man who owned the world.