"Well, well, well—"
The drawn-out exclamation pierced the deathly silence of the scene.
Liao Ming finally snapped out of his stupor.
He looked as if he'd been injected with high-purity Spiritual Power.
First came the euphoria, then his body felt so light he seemed ready to ascend to the heavens at any second.
He began to swagger with an air of complete arrogance.
One step, two steps, he swayed over to the deathly pale Zhang Yi.
He leaned in to peek at the report, clucking his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. 100.5%, huh?"
Liao Ming slapped his thigh dramatically. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was a dagger to the heart.
"Old Zhang, I seem to recall someone saying, 'Repairs aren't about speed, they're about quality,' wasn't it?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the petrified Chen Gang, before delivering the final, fatal blow.
"My, my. If that quality were just a tiny bit higher, I'd be worried the plane might just escape Earth's gravity and fly off into the atmosphere to explore the mysteries of the universe."
A boomerang.
The more stylishly you throw it, the harder it hurts when it comes back to smack you in the face.
Blood rushed to Zhang Yi's face. His lips trembled violently, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word.
But Liao Ming wasn't done yet.
He turned around and spoke to Chen Gang in the earnest, heartfelt tone of a concerned elder:
"Student Chen Gang, don't be discouraged."
"Even though you were half an hour slower and your performance was nearly six percentage points lower, you're still quite impressive for an ordinary person."
"After all, the world of a genius is truly difficult for us mortals to comprehend."
"Pfft—"
Beside them, Xiaoli and Pang Hu finally lost their composure and burst out laughing.
Chen Gang's fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
It felt as if all the blood in his body had rushed to his head.
His entire life, he had always been the center of attention, the one everyone else called a "genius."
Since when had he ever needed to be consoled by being called an "ordinary person"?
This casual pity was more humiliating than being slapped twice across the face!
Han Feng, who had remained silent all this time, was secretly overjoyed.
However, the reason for his happiness was on a completely different wavelength from Liao Ming's.
He was doing the math.
The repair subsidy for a C Level Technician was calculated based on completion rate and difficulty.
A routine repair would earn a few hundred Contribution Points at most.
But for a "perfect repair" like this, one that surpassed factory performance, the Celestial Craft Department's regulations allowed one to apply for the highest level of "Technological Innovation Grant"!
'This job alone should net me at least two thousand Contribution Points!'
'Add to that the C Level Technician benefits I'm about to get...'
Before Han Feng's eyes, barrels upon barrels of high-octane aviation fuel seemed to be waving at him.
'Is that fuel?'
'No!'
'That's Cultivation!'
'It's the fuel for my path to the Sword Immortal Dao!'
"Alright, stop standing around in a daze."
Zhao Yu clapped his hands, pulling everyone's attention back to him.
He walked to the center of the area, his burning gaze fixed on Han Feng and Chen Gang.
Especially when he looked at Han Feng, his eyes were fervent, as if he were admiring a peerless, uncut jade that had just been unearthed.
"Everyone has witnessed the results of today's assessment."
Zhao Yu cleared his throat, his voice carrying across the entire field.
"I hereby announce that both Han Feng and Chen Gang have passed the C Level Technician promotion assessment!"
"Effective immediately, you will be entered into the official technician files of the Celestial Craft Maintenance Department."
"Your basic salary subsidy will be increased to 3,000 Contribution Points per month!"
"You will also enjoy all the benefits of an official technician, including the right to take on jobs independently, repair commissions, and access to higher-level information!"
'3,000 Contribution Points!'
Hearing that number, Han Feng's heart gave an embarrassing lurch.
'My monthly salary just tripled!'
'And I'll get independent repair commissions on top of that!'
'This means I can increase my practice sessions at the "Airplane Graveyard" from once a week to once every three days, maybe even every two days!'
'If I get a few big jobs, it wouldn't be a dream to spend every day up in the sky!'
Han Feng and Chen Gang exchanged a glance. The latter's expression was complicated, but they still stepped forward in unison and bowed to Zhao Yu in thanks.
"Thank you, Engineer Zhao!"
Zhao Yu waved his hand, an unconcealable smile on his face.
"Don't be in such a hurry to thank me. There's one more thing."
He looked at the two of them, his gaze sharp.
"I'm currently in charge of the improvement project for the 'Hunting Falcon' Mark III engine, and I'm short on staff."
"The two of you—one who follows a rigorous theoretical path, and one who relies on unorthodox Intuition—are exactly the kind of talent I need."
"Are you interested in joining my project team?"
"WHOOSH—"
The moment he said this, the surrounding crowd erupted in an uproar.
Zhao Yu's project team!
A key project personally led by a B Level Engineer!
Getting in was like getting one foot in the door to becoming a B Level Engineer!
Countless senior C Level Technicians would kill for a spot, and now two newly promoted rookies were being specially recruited?
Chen Gang's head snapped up, the unyielding fighting spirit reigniting in his eyes.
"I'm willing!"
Han Feng naturally wouldn't turn down such a great opportunity. He nodded and said,
"It would be my honor."
"Good!"
Zhao Yu was in high spirits and waved his hand grandly.
"I'll give you one day to rest, adjust, and take care of your personal affairs."
"Report directly to the project team at eight in the morning the day after tomorrow!"
After speaking, Zhao Yu turned to look at Liao Ming and Zhang Yi.
"You two did well, too."
He first looked at Zhang Yi.
"Zhang Yi, the fact that you could teach an apprentice like Chen Gang with such solid fundamentals shows you have a knack for teaching. Keep it up."
The awkwardness on Zhang Yi's face finally eased a bit. He quickly nodded and bowed.
"Yes, yes. You flatter me, Engineer Zhao."
Next, Zhao Yu looked at Liao Ming, his eyes full of admiration.
"Liao Ming, your ability to discover a raw talent like Han Feng and your courage to break convention and recommend him... that kind of foresight and boldness is rare."
"I'll be sure to make a positive note of this in your year-end evaluation."
Liao Ming was so excited his face turned red. He stood ramrod straight, his entire being glowing with pride.
"Thank you, Engineer Zhao! I was just doing my duty!"
"Alright, that's all. Dismissed. Go celebrate."
Zhao Yu waved his hand and strode away.
He had to get back to his office and study that 100.5% report from top to bottom three hundred more times!
Once Zhao Yu left, the atmosphere on the field instantly relaxed.
"Feng! You're the man!"
Pang Hu was the first to rush over. His massive body, like a heavy tank, immediately enveloped Han Feng in a bear hug.
He nearly squeezed the little bit of Qi Blood Han Feng had just recovered right out of him.
"I knew you could do it!"
Xiaoli was also ecstatic, his eyes shining.
"Three thousand points a month! Plus a project team stipend! Feng, our dorm is really about to take off this time!"
Zhou Wen pushed up his glasses. Though he didn't speak, the smile in his eyes was impossible to hide.
Liao Ming walked over then, his face flushed with excitement, looking ten years younger.
"Good kid! You really made me proud!"
He slapped Han Feng's shoulder forcefully, his voice so loud it seemed he wanted the entire school to hear.
"Let's go! We have to celebrate properly today!"
"We're going for a big feast!"
"I want braised Wind Wolf ribs!"
Pang Hu immediately raised his hand to suggest.
"Ribs it is! As much as you can eat!"
Liao Ming waved his hand grandly, his magnanimity soaring to the clouds.
"Nobody's saving me any money today! No one leaves until they're so full they have to hold onto the walls to walk out!"
The large group, filled with laughter and cheerful chatter, headed towards the cafeteria under countless gazes of envy and jealousy.
Their boisterous energy formed a stark contrast with the desolate pair of Chen Gang and his master on the other side.
Watching Han Feng's group walk away, Chen Gang stood rooted to the spot. The expensive silver toolbox in his hand now felt incredibly heavy.
He lowered his head and stared at the ground, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Master..."
Chen Gang's voice was a little hoarse.
"Is... is Talent really more important than hard work and following the rules?"
"I followed the manual strictly, operated meticulously, and even optimized the procedures... But he didn't even use any instruments, just tinkered with it casually, and he still surpassed me?"
This sense of defeat, a complete repudiation of his very foundation, caused a crack to appear in his usually Solid Dao heart.
Zhang Yi's face was grim.
Seeing his most prized disciple in such a disheartened state, anger and resentment churned within him.
He had to steady his disciple's mindset.
"What? Are you really this discouraged already?"
Zhang Yi's voice came from the side.