Chapter 00195: A Firm Grasp
# A Firm Grasp
Chapter 195
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 195: A Firm Grasp
If it were an ordinary person, they might hesitate when faced with what seemed like a potential scam.
But Tong Shan was no ordinary person.
"You're the craftsman. You call the shots."
Once the words were spoken, there was no taking them back.
At the very least, Tong Shan didn't care about such trivial expenses.
Soon, a long list was drawn up, along with the configurations and general information of the team members.
Tong Shan didn't say much, but Ji Xue's eyes twitched as she looked at the list—what kind of maintenance was this? They were asking for materials by the pound that were usually sold by the gram? And what were all these other items with names she'd never heard of but were ridiculously expensive when she looked them up? Why so many?
Captain Tong, are you sure you're not being taken for a ride here?
While Ji Xue was sighing and lamenting, Tong Shan remained as calm as ever.
Before two hours had passed, before she could even finish the variety show she had saved up, the workshop door opened again.
It was so fast that she was caught off guard.
She instinctively glared.
Damn, kid, are you just winging this?
"Sorry, the furnace was busy, had to wait in line for a bit. Otherwise, it would've been done sooner," Ji Jue said, wiping the sweat from his neck with a towel.
He waved, and a small cart loaded with items rolled out.
Unlike what Ji Xue had expected—a slapdash job—everything was spotless, even cleaner than when they had first received the items.
She picked up two pieces and examined them curiously.
"You cleaned them all?"
"Used a lot of water, then burned them clean. For the hard-to-reach spots, I used an air gun. Saves you the trouble of cleaning them again when you get back," Ji Jue explained, rummaging through the cart and pulling out a protective suit.
"This one's yours."
Ji Xue felt the weight in her hand—it was much lighter than before.
Then, another piece was tossed her way.
Both pieces now had several quick-release buckles, but she could still tell they were part of a set.
"I modified them for you. Two-piece set," Ji Jue said, leaning against the door with a smile.
"You're a speed-type, right? Normally, you can wear both pieces. In emergencies, you can ditch the outer layer. The inner one has been lightened and reinforced in key areas, enough to block erosion. Both pieces have been modified. Give them a try."
"Really?"
Ji Xue was skeptical but tried on the inner layer.
It felt significantly lighter than before, and the ergonomic design allowed for unrestricted movement.
After a quick warm-up, she heard a loud bang.
She had vanished from her spot, leaving only a cloud of dust that was quickly blown away by the air pressure.
She reappeared moments later.
Having experienced the convenience of the custom-made gear firsthand, her face lit up with joy.
She slapped Ji Jue's shoulder enthusiastically.
"Not bad! Is everyone getting this?"
"Nope, just you."
Ji Jue rummaged through the remaining protective suits and tossed one to Tong Shan.
"Try this."
Unlike Ji Xue's lightweight gear, what Tong Shan now wore was an exaggeratedly heavy suit of armor.
The outer fabric was interwoven with metal threads, and key areas were reinforced with metal plates like a suit of armor.
The level of protection had more than doubled, but the weight had also skyrocketed to over fifty pounds.
Yet, in Tong Shan's hands, it felt as light as a feather.
The suit unfolded in mid-air, layers of it covering him under the control of his telekinetic power.
After putting on a thickened gas mask, every inch of his body was fully covered, not a single spot exposed.
Ji Jue waved his fingers, and immediately, a stream of mercury blades slashed toward Tong Shan.
A flurry of overlapping blade lights mixed with the violent impact of blunt weapons.
But Tong Shan felt almost no recoil inside the suit.
Between the outer layer and the inner lining, there was now a thin liquid buffer layer.
It was incredibly thin but had the properties of a non-Newtonian fluid, hardening instantly upon impact to distribute the force.
It was like being inside a fortress.
After all, Tong Shan was part of the Tianyuan faction.
Their specialty was manipulating the environment and controlling objects.
Their defensive capabilities weren't nonexistent, but they couldn't compare to the ironclad defenses of the Wasteland faction.
They were too vulnerable to the White Deer!
While Tianyuan could counter the White Deer, they were also countered by them.
If a White Deer got close, it could easily turn you into a plate of evenly sliced hotpot lamb.
In situations where you couldn't suppress your opponent or were caught off guard by a sudden attack, the results could be devastating.
In such cases, the thicker the armor, the better.
As for the weight... with Tong Shan's abilities, it didn't bother him at all.
He could probably wear it for a month without feeling a thing.
Next came the maintenance of various scrapped items.
All of them were restored to their original factory condition, and after secondary reinforcement, their quality and durability had improved even further.
The final highlight was the flag Ji Jue tossed over.
It looked the same as before.
Exactly the same.
As if it had just been cleaned, with no changes at all.
"Want to try it?" Ji Jue asked.
The moment Tong Shan nodded, Ji Jue looked up and whistled.
Instantly, the dormant mechanical bull beside them shuddered, and a machine gun rose.
Without hesitation, heavy firepower erupted, the roar of gunfire filling the air as a barrage of bullets locked onto Tong Shan.
A storm of bullets came crashing down!
But Tong Shan simply waved his hand.
The flag hadn't even fully unfurled, yet all the red-hot bullets hung suspended in mid-air, as if frozen in amber.
In an instant, Tong Shan demonstrated an extreme level of precision with his telekinetic power, matching the speed of the machine gun and bringing all incoming fire under his control.
A truly masterful display of telekinesis!
After emptying an entire ammo belt, the mechanical bull ceased fire.
The sound of bullets hitting the ground echoed continuously.
Tong Shan tilted his head, looking at the blessed weapon in his hand.
Beneath his mask, his expression was one of barely concealed astonishment—it was the same as before, the same formula, but it felt much smoother.
It was like upgrading an old device.
The functions and operations were the same, but everything felt silkier, with responsiveness and efficiency improved by several percentage points.
It responded perfectly to his commands, with no lag, working in perfect harmony with him.
It felt... too natural.
As if it were truly an extension of his own hand...
The Tong family had their own craftsmen, and maintenance was never neglected, but he had never felt anything like this before.
"How did you do it?" he asked, removing his mask and turning to Ji Jue.
"I adjusted it based on your usage habits and the wear on the spirit circuits," Ji Jue replied with a smile.
"Other than that, the main structure hasn't changed. It's a master's work, after all. I don't have the ability to modify it. I just added some finishing touches."
In a rush, Ji Jue couldn't perform a complete overhaul.
Even with more time, he couldn't surpass the original designer.
But no matter what the creation was, after a round of mechanical alchemy and communicating with its spirit, followed by a touch of fluid alchemy to let it adjust itself based on Tong Shan's habits, its efficiency naturally improved.
It was like clothing.
People's bodies change, and so do their habits.
Even if the master had tailored it to Tong Shan's needs back then, after so much time, things would have changed.
No craftsman could crawl into Tong Shan's stomach to understand his daily habits and preferences, right?
"Not bad, little master!" Ji Xue said cheerfully after inspecting her gear.
Her initial heartache had lessened considerably.
Sure, it was expensive, but the benefits were clear.
Not only was the work done quickly, but it was also worth every penny.
Money well spent.
"Oh, by the way, I threw together a set of external armor plates for you. Military-grade. Didn't have enough tungsten alloy, so I used composite steel instead," Ji Jue said, stepping aside and pointing to a pile of bulletproof armor and other miscellaneous items stacked like a small mountain in the workshop.
There were even two spare drive shafts!
"Everyone in the workshop is busy right now, so there's no space. Just find a place that can handle vehicle repairs and get them installed," he added as a final reminder.
"Tell the repair guys that your suspension is faulty and needs a complete replacement. If anyone gives you lip, slap them. It's all second-hand crap anyway. Who are they trying to fool?"
Ji Xue was dumbfounded.
She stared at the mountain of spare parts and supplies, frozen in place for a long time before finally exclaiming:
"Holy crap!"
Then, Tong Shan flicked her forehead.
"No swearing."
"Captain Tong, we can't hesitate any longer," Ji Xue said, pulling Tong Shan aside.
All her previous resistance and wariness were gone, replaced by urgency.
She whispered urgently, "Treasures belong to the virtuous! Such a skilled craftsman—we need to grab him and refine him immediately!"
Back at the Safety Bureau, every time they needed equipment, they had to endure endless nagging and sweet-talk their way through.
With Master Ji around, who would still put up with the nonsense from the Third Division?
Moreover, at this critical juncture, skilled craftsmen were in short supply everywhere.
With him on our side, we'd never have to beg anyone again!
How could we let such an opportunity slip by? What if another team snatches him up? That would be double the heartache!
Tong Shan shook his head helplessly.
"What are you thinking? He has his own workshop."
If he were a wandering Ember, recruiting him would be a simple matter.
But the Tide Sound Workshop, though low-key, had been established in Cliff City with the personal involvement of his grandfather.
The Safety Bureau wasn't some bandit stronghold where you could just kidnap people at will.
Did you really think Master Ye had no temper?
Remember how Yu Hanguang from the Second Division got beaten up for being reckless? The consequences were brutal!
Why did Tong Shan know so well? Because he was the one who gave Master Ye Yu Hanguang's phone number!
"Even if it's just temporary, it's worth a shot!" Ji Xue urged in a low voice.
"There's no harm in trying, right? If we miss this chance, there won't be another!"
Tong Shan sighed, about to speak, when he heard Ji Jue's voice from nearby.
"What's up, Brother Shan?" Ji Jue asked curiously.
"Is there a problem?"
Had he been caught skimming some materials? No, that couldn't be.
He had kept it within reasonable limits, even lower than the acceptable range.
Even the association wouldn't find fault with it!
He was mentally berating himself, completely unaware that the issue wasn't the lack of materials—it was that there were too many, overwhelming the clients.
"Uh, cough..."
Tong Shan hesitated.
He couldn't bring himself to say it.
He knew all too well the hardships the advance investigation team faced.
At this critical moment, the risks were high.
They were all acquaintances, but why would Ji Jue leave his comfortable workshop to jump into the fire with them? Just because Tong Shan had a big face?
Hadn't he seen how troublesome the Third Division guys were?
Ji Jue could sit here and earn merits without lifting a finger.
Why would he risk his life in Spring City?
"Captain Tong..."
Ji Xue whispered, stomping on his foot in frustration.
"Ji Jue, our team is short an Ember..."
Tong Shan began tentatively.
"Would you be interested?"
"Huh?"
Ji Jue was stunned, unable to believe what he was hearing.
How had things turned out so well? Was Brother Shan really offering to take him on a mission to gather materials?
This was too good to be true!
"Don't worry about safety. I'll guarantee it. You'll have first pick of the materials!" Tong Shan said, no longer hesitating now that he had started.
"As for payment, the Safety Bureau has set rates, so I can't offer much more than the standard. But I can count it as overtime. We'll cover all your expenses, and you'll get hazard pay and pollution environment work allowances. Plus, after the Spring City mission, I'll help you apply for a first-class honor."
"Of course, if it's not convenient, that's fine too."
This was too good!
Ji Jue's eyes widened even further, speechless.
Wait, was this for real? Was it really this good?
"Uh..."
Ji Jue stammered, his heart pounding with excitement, but he couldn't give an immediate answer.
This wasn't something he could decide on his own.
"I'll have to ask my teacher."
"Of course," Tong Shan nodded.
So Ji Jue stepped aside to make a call.
It took a while to connect, and the other end was filled with the noise of a busy construction site.
Despite being swamped, Professor Ye was as concise as ever.
"Speak."
Ji Jue quickly summarized the situation.
"Someone's asking me to join them on a mission to Spring City. What do you think?"
"I'm busy. Go play by yourself."
The call ended.
It was like a parent receiving a call from kindergarten during overtime—cold and detached, perfectly in line with Professor Ye's hands-off parenting style: find your own fun, live or die on your own, don't bother me with every little thing.
Go if you want.
Well, that settled the parental approval issue.
But when Ji Jue hung up and looked over, his eyes lit up.
"What about you? Want to come?"
"Me?"
Lou Feng, who had been resting nearby, was taken aback, then scoffed.
"No way!"
An Ember should stay in the workshop.
Who in their right mind would go to such a dangerous place to risk their life?
Only an idiot would do that!
He snorted disdainfully, refusing without hesitation.
Even if I were to die of exhaustion, even if I were to jump off a cliff...
Early the next morning, Lou Feng, with a face like a sulking puppy, showed up at the meeting point, lugging a bunch of bags.
(End of Chapter)