Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Riiip—!" With a sharp sound, the rolling door was completely lifted open from the outside.

Dust rained down from the disturbance, and one of the accompanying bodyguards suddenly snapped open a large rectangular umbrella, perfectly shielding the person in the center.

Even so, a spot on that person's shoulder was still dirtied.

"Sorry, Young Master Pei, sir!" "Are you alright, Young Master Pei, sir?" "Let me clean that for you right away!"

The scene broke into brief chaos.

Bai Luming stood just where he was, watching as the large group swarmed around the young master in the middle, producing cleaning supplies, towels, and perfume from who-knows-where, making a big production of cleaning him up on the spot.

Bai Luming: "..."

What exactly are these people here for?

After a few minutes, the young master’s dirtied clothes were restored to their pristine state. With a glance, he signaled for someone to bring over a chair, then slowly sat down right in the center.

He lazily raised his eyes, as if only just noticing Bai Luming’s presence: "So it’s not the old man in the shop after all. You’re his son?"

"That’s me." Bai Luming effortlessly slipped into a smile, rubbing his hands together obsequiously as he stepped forward. "How may I assist you?"

"Stay back, stay right there. This is Pei Suqi, Young Master Pei. You think you can just approach him?"

Before Bai Luming could get closer, he was stopped.

Bai Luming took in the hand blocking his path—it extended from the bodyguard’s sleeve, made of dark bluish-metal framework that connected deep into the arm's structure.

This was evidently a mechanically modified arm; the large umbrella used to shield the young master from the dust had been deployed from this very hand.

Not just this person, but the other bodyguards accompanying them today all had numeric codes printed on their necks, with more or less visible traces of mechanical modifications all over their bodies, very much catering to the peculiar tastes of some wealthy families.

With technological advancements, human mechanical modification had become remarkably advanced. The upper-class elites often enjoyed maintaining customized security details for show.

This was already particularly rare on a remote barren planet like this. If you went to the Azure Dragon Star Sector, where devoted followers of certain powerful figures gathered, the extent of human mechanical modification could even exceed 85%.

In a way, it was also a kind of status symbol.

Bai Luming hadn’t heard the name "Pei Suqi" before, but he did know there was a Pei family in the upper city, actually one of the top powers on this barren planet.

Well, top powers on this barren planet, that is—more colloquially, local royalty.

Seeing Bai Luming remain silent, Pei Suqi was the first to break the silence: "What’s the situation here now? Where’s Old Man Lu? Is he really dead?"

Bai Luming nodded: "We just buried him."

"What a shame. My supposed condolences." Though he said this, Pei Suqi’s face showed no trace of regret. "In that case, let’s not waste any time. Let’s settle the compensation issue."

Hearing this, the professional smile on Bai Luming’s face stiffened slightly: "Compensation?"

How come he hadn’t seen any money yet, but was actually being asked to compensate?

Pei Suqi gave a signal to someone behind him.

A neatly dressed man who looked like a steward stood up, methodically produced a document from his pocket, and handed it to Bai Luming: "This is the counterfoil of the repair order we previously placed at your shop. According to the contract terms, you need to compensate us for nine…"

Bai Luming glanced at the information on the slip and interrupted him in time: "Hold on."

The steward asked: "Is there a problem?"

"A big one." Bai Luming beckoned the steward closer, then pointed at the clearly printed details on the slip once he was near. "If I’m not mistaken, the pickup date for this repair is half a month from now, right?"

"Correct." The steward replied. "But Master Old Man Lu is no longer here. Since no one can complete the order, terminating it prematurely will allow us to find someone else to take over."

He adjusted his glasses: "The amount you need to compensate is clearly stated on the order, but considering the early termination, we're willing to allow you to pay only half. Of course, even that is a sizable amount, and based on our estimates, you probably can’t afford it."

Bai Luming: "So?"

Steward: "So we’ve already calculated that if needed, putting this repair shop up as collateral would be just right. Coincidentally, we picked up a deed transfer agreement from the land bureau today, all prepared, while passing by. If it’s convenient, you just need to sign it."

After all this beating around the bush, they finally gotten down to business.

So all this fuss was all along about trying to get their hands on Old Man Lu’s repair shop.

Bai Luming handed the repair slip back to the steward: "Maybe we shouldn't jump the gun? After all, the deadline hasn’t arrived yet."

Pei Suqi, growing impatient, interjected: "Whether it’s arrived or not doesn't change anything. It definitely can't be fixed anyway."

Bai Luming: "How do you know it can’t be fixed without trying? There's always a chance."

Pei Suqi: "..."

If you can repair it, you can; if you can’t, you can’t. Since when is repairing mecha like buying interstellar lottery tickets!?

Pei Suqi checked the time for what felt like the countless time: "Stop stalling here. Dragging this out is pointless. I’m doing this for your own good—right now, you only need to pay the penalty. If you miss the deadline, you won’t be able to completely cover the full amount even if you sell yourself. Hurry up and sign the shop transfer agreement so I can take the mecha back and find someone else to handle it. I’ve got drinks scheduled this afternoon—no time to waste here with you."

"I’m not messing around; I’m serious." Bai Luming walked over to the corner desk, rummaged through the file folder, found the original order, scanned the contents line by line, and nodded. "I think I understand the issue with your mecha. Don’t worry, it can be repaired."

Pei Suqi nearly choked on his own breath: "Do you have any idea what kind of mecha this is? You think you can just fix it?"

Bai Luming nodded: "Yes, I say it can be fixed, so it can. Don’t worry, I just got my repair license last month. Fully certified and legally compliant."

"..." Pei Suqi was almost amused by the sheer audacity.

Even a ninth-level mechanic wouldn’t dare guarantee they could fix this mecha, and yet this rookie who just got his license a month ago dares to act so confident!?

When he looked at Bai Luming again, Pei Suqi’s eyes were filled with the kind of pity one reserves for a fool who doesn’t know the first thing about fear.

After holding back for a moment, he finally managed another sentence: "Does your dad know you’re this confident?"

"He probably does." Bai Luming walked over to Pei Suqi with the original order, thought for a moment, then suddenly beamed even brighter. "So, Young Master Pei, right? It seems like you’re in a real hurry to get this mecha back?"

Pei Suqi: "...Huh?"

He was indeed in a bit of a rush, but not because of the mecha itself—it was about meeting a deadline.

Bai Luming’s smile widened further: "How about this: if you really can’t wait half a month, I could actually..."

Pei Suqi: "Sign this transfer agreement?"

Bai Luming: "Offer you a priority service option."

The two spoke almost simultaneously.

Pei Suqi: "Huh?"

Priority service option?

"As long as you're willing to pay, I'm willing to put in the work. Old Man Lu's Repair Shop is dedicated to serving you." Bai Luming offered him a slight smile. "Spending money won't get you cheated, spending money won't get you scammed. As long as you're willing to pay twenty times the original order's reward, I guarantee I'll work overtime to fix this mech for you within a week."

Pei Suqi's mouth twitched uncontrollably. "Within a week... guaranteed to fix it? Are you sure? If that's really the case, then it's not exactly un..."

The butler beside him was also taken aback.

T-twenty times the reward?!

Seeing his young master about to agree on the spot, he hurriedly pulled him aside, lowering his voice. "Young master, the price we set for this order was already high. If we give him twenty times that, it'll exceed the budget the master gave you for handling this matter!"

"So what if it exceeds? Even if it were a hundred times the reward, what does it matter if we agree?" Pei Suqi gave the butler a strange look. "Have you forgotten where this mech came from? What kind of skills could a repair shop in the lower districts possibly have? If this kid can actually fix it, I'll cut off my head and let you use it as a ball!"

The butler thought about it and found it somewhat reasonable.

Pei Suqi turned to Bai Luming, cleared his throat, and said, "Then let's..."

"Then it's settled at a hundred times the reward, as Young Master Pei said! I've already drafted a new contract. Please take a look." The professional smile on Bai Luming's face was as warm as a spring breeze. In the blink of an eye, he had prepared the new contract and handed it over. "Thank you, Young Master Pei, for your support of our repair shop. As expected of Young Master Pei, spending extravagantly for your beloved mech. Young Master Pei is truly generous."

Pei Suqi: "..."

How did this guy overhear their conversation? This is outright extortion!

Pei Suqi's mouth twitched slightly. Just as he was about to say something, he locked eyes with Bai Luming's sincere smile.

The other's expression was innocent and full of expectation, even carrying admiration and reverence for the Pei family's opulence.

Such an expression, combined with that face, was simply—a royal flush!

Bai Luming: "Young Master Pei?"

Pei Suqi: "..."

In the end, he couldn't withstand the power of that gaze. Gritting his teeth, he signed his name on the contract. "One week later. If you can't deliver the mech, your shop will be forfeited!"

"Certainly, certainly." Bai Luming contentedly accepted the first order since taking over the repair shop, his professional smile reminiscent of a funeral service employee. "Thank you for your patronage. Welcome again next time."

Pei Suqi waved his hand and left with his entourage, as grandly as they had arrived.

The bodyguard opened the side door of the aircraft first. Seeing his young master standing still for a long time, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Can't quite put my finger on it." Pei Suqi looked back puzzled at the repair shop's open door and frowned. "Even though we achieved our goal today, for some reason, I feel like something's not quite right."

He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd walked into some kind of scam.

The bodyguards exchanged bewildered glances. "What's not right?"

"Never mind. We'll come back next week to take the shop!" Finally, Pei Suqi shook his head and got into the vehicle.

Scam or not, that mech couldn't possibly be fixed anyway. He'd already made plans to go drinking today!

The sound of the fleet's thrusters gradually faded into the distance.

Inside the repair shop, Bai Luming leisurely placed the new order back into the file folder, stood up, and walked into the repair area at the back.

Following the code, he quickly found the mech delivered by the Pei family in a corner repair bay.

The mech had already been placed on a repair instrument. While the order alone didn't reveal the full details, now that he opened the hatch and glanced at the internal structure of the mech, Bai Luming instantly understood why the Pei family's big spenders were so confident.

He'd only heard before that the Pei family had supply dealings with the Azure Dragon Star Sector, but he never expected they could get their hands on a mech of this model.

This really wasn't something an ordinary repair technician could handle.

As for the Pei family, knowingly sending such a mech to a lower district shop, it seemed they had their eyes on Old Man Lu’s repair shop from the very beginning.

Though it wasn't clear what made this repair shop worth coveting, regardless, the customer was king. Since they were willing to pay, he might as well satisfy them.

Bai Luming rubbed his hands together, grabbed a piece of paper, and began sketching. In the corner, he wrote the repair code: "A hundred times."

The repair process might be troublesome, but for a hundred times the reward, it was worth it!

By the time Bai Luming emerged from the repair shop, the sky outside had completely darkened.

Electricity in the lower districts was always scarce, and it was already late at night, the streetlights on both sides were completely out. Only the pitted puddles reflected the starlight, filled with the damp, sticky atmosphere of the slums.

Screw Street had always been desolate, surrounded by scrap recycling plants.

Various discarded mechanical equipment, unclaimed, lay haphazardly piled up, reaching several stories high. Passing by, one could smell the thick scent of metal rust.

The damp environment made the smell even more pungent and unpleasant.

In the quiet surroundings, drunkards could be heard wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves in the distance from time to time. It was unclear who they had attracted, but shortly, chaos erupted—clearly, some altercation had broken out.

The upper districts had city management to maintain order, but those who fled here had no choice but to cram into the lower districts, where public security was perennially chaotic.

Bai Luming had lived here for three years and was long accustomed to such minor scenes.

Sure enough, after a short while, the noise in the distance ceased—they had likely tired themselves out and quieted down.

The clear starlight spilled down from the sky, falling on Bai Luming, outlining his handsome face with a rim of light.

He walked leisurely forward, stretching his limbs.

It seemed it was time to pick up exercising again. Just busy with a bit of work and already feeling sore and achy. If this continued, he'd really become useless.

As he pondered this, Bai Luming suddenly heard another burst of noisy sounds not far away.

It seemed like some homeless people from who-knows-where were fighting again, and quite a few were running in his direction.

Bai Luming glanced over and withdrew his gaze, paying it no mind, continuing unhurriedly toward home.

Just as he passed a corner, something flashed in his peripheral vision. The usual casual expression on his face instantly sharpened.

Just as his body was about to react instinctively, the falling starlight happened to illuminate the person's face.

Bai Luming slowly blinked, the tension in his body completely relaxing.

Smoothly, he allowed the other to pull him into the darkness.

In the moment they drew close, he could feel their breaths chaotically colliding. At such close range, Bai Luming clearly detected the scent of blood, masked by the surrounding metallic rust.

A calm, low voice came from mere inches away: "Help me."

Before the words fully faded, something cold and hard pressed against him from below.

A gun.

Bai Luming lowered his gaze, his peripheral vision sweeping over the cold, dangerous object. A faint, amused smile tugged at his lips. "Handsome, is this how you ask for help?"