Mr. Li turned around to look at the boy lying on the bed, rolling around and mumbling. He couldn’t find a way to respond, and, after a while, muttered in a daze.
"But... how dare you interfere with Master Mang."
"Because I think gathering daily data from so many people must be a really tedious task, and you’re just good at it, plus there’s exactly a need for someone like you on the train, so it’s natural to recommend myself."
"What’s wrong with me?"
"Your process isn’t right! Success can’t be that simple!"
Mr. Li felt like his values were being shattered. He struggled to accept it: "If you have the skill to recommend yourself, why were you only earning thousands a month before?"
Talent is like the crap in one’s belly; only when a tip shows from the rear can others see that you have talent. Otherwise, no matter how much crap you have, others won’t be able to see it.
So his thinking was always about showcasing talent.
And this boy taught him an even simpler and more direct method.
Throw it on someone else’s face.
The boy lying on the bed spoke with a little annoyance: "Mr. Li, I’m just a youth from a small town with nothing, what can I recommend myself for? Also, I was recommending you, not myself. You’re the one with the skills, not me."
"Hmm, in the end, it was my proposed plan that succeeded, so I deserve some credit for it. Let me say upfront, I don’t understand any of this, so you’ll have to be patient when teaching me at the start." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NovᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet
After a long time, Mr. Li finally nodded heavily. He took a deep breath and turned to look out the window, feeling full of ambition, even straightening his back a little.
The plan was finally a success, and he had finally become a middle-level manager on the Constant Star Train. Now was his time to shine!
The door of the Level 6 Talent carriage was pushed open, and Li Shiji walked in holding two warm pork buns. After a slight pause upon seeing Mr. Li and the boy, he then burst into laughter.
"Looks like your plan succeeded?"
Mr. Li froze in place, looking at Li Shiji with confusion.
"Huh, during your discussion last time about suppressing the slave revolt, I was lying behind you eating. From what I heard, your plan had been in the works for a while but kept failing. Didn’t expect that it suddenly succeeded now, not bad."
"Why were you lying down to eat?"
"After digging mines all day, my back was killing me. Can’t a person lie down to eat?"
The boy next to Mr. Li rose with a proud smile: "Mr. Li and I are responsible for the daily iron ore and Fixed Star Coupon data collection and verification. We receive Level 3 talent treatment."
Li Shiji sighed with envy: "That job can be done continuously, unlike me. After completing the maze work, I have no idea what to do next. Master Mang hasn’t given me new tasks, making me feel a bit guilty even when eating bread."
"I was indeed lonely in this carriage before you guys came, but now we have someone to chat with."
"Want a pork bun? I just heated them."
Mr. Li hesitated before asking Li Shiji, "You came from Carriage 5? Pig Train Captain just told me Ji Chuchu is in Carriage 5, and not to enter it casually."
Li Shiji waved his hand: "Currently there’s only Ji Chuchu living in Carriage 5. Old Pig set up some bed curtains for her, passing through isn’t a big deal as long as you don’t lift the curtains and sneak inside."
"I just heated two pork buns for you, think of it as a welcome gift. I’ll go heat some more later."
"These are much better than slices of bread. I’ve been able to eat over a dozen every day for the past few days, really satisfying!"
"Oh right, haven’t had a smoke in a while?"
Li Shiji chuckled and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, tossing it to the two of them: "Master Mang just rewarded me with 100 Fixed Star Coupons. I bought two packs of cigarettes, spent 4 Coupons, take a pack and smoke it."
"Aren’t you saving to buy a refrigerator?"
Mr. Li took the cigarette pack with both hands and passed it to the boy next to him: "Many people are planning to save their Fixed Star Coupons to buy a refrigerator."
"That’s not as comfortable as living in this carriage, there are plenty of good things in the shop."
Suddenly remembering something, Li Shiji got up and walked over to the pair: "Pig Train Captain put the shop inside a refrigerator, which is in Carriage 11. Let me take you to see it. I’ll cover your expenses."
"Since we’re all Level 3 talent, we can receive two Fixed Star Coupons a day."
"That’s enough to spend."
"Come on, accompany me to check it out. Luckily, everyone else is working now, so the shop isn’t crowded. We can take our time browsing."
On the Constant Star, inside the train chamber.
Chen Mang sat at the control panel, looking at the robot and... a loosely assembled metal box in front of him.
Back then the drone dropped a box, and when it opened, the robot crawled out. When it left, it also took the box. Although he hasn’t noticed anything special about it so far.
It’s not a Special Tool.
Moreover, the box can’t be reassembled; it’s loose and flimsy. But since it’s part of the S-class difficulty job transition, I’ll collect it and stuff it in the refrigerator for now. I have a Level 10 refrigerator right here in the train chamber.