"Our relations with the Sela Civilization have been tense lately, and I’m afraid they also want to meddle."
Li Ming’s gaze was strange. How did the situation manage to veer off in such an odd direction again?
He let out a soul-searching question, "Then what’s their purpose in killing Bian Heng?"
"Uh..." Ding Hui was also momentarily bewildered, "Nothing but to nip it in the bud. It’s possible that Bian Heng stumbled upon their plans, or maybe it was to silence him. Bian Heng was also one of the Torch seeds."
The so-called Torch seeds referred to individuals that the Torch Organization had planted in various civilizations through different means, most of whom were youths, even children.
However, after waiting for two or three decades, they could potentially hold high positions and have a significant impact.
"Your reputation is now very loud, and generally for the good, but in the Sela Civilization, you’re quite hated, making you an excellent fuse," Ding Hui shifted back to the main topic:
"If someone killed you, the first suspect would be the Sela Civilization. If there’s nothing pressing, it’s best not to go out too much."
"Understood." Li Ming agreed wholeheartedly. With interstellar situations, a single hair could move the whole body. It was better to keep a low profile for a while.
"Did you bring the stuff?" Ding Hui remembered the true matter at hand.
"Brought it. I optimized the conducting circuits and they now fit ergonomics better. The original design was too defiant of the heavens. I moved it slightly and the transmission shaft at the bone joints nearly jammed..." Li Ming casually complained a couple of sentences.
Ding Hui laughed awkwardly, desperately changing the subject, "Alright, every designer has their own philosophy. The master is in the grand workshop. I’ll take you there."
"You’ve liked assembling little gadgets since you were a child? But had no systematic teaching from a teacher, and now you want to learn from me?" Professor Xia looked at Li Ming with a smile that was not quite a smile.
"Exactly." Li Ming nodded solemnly.
In this large workshop, there weren’t many people. In the center was a super high-temperature forging furnace. Even with the thermostat operating at full power, those young people who were working were sweating profusely, occasionally glancing over.
Aside from Ding Hui, there were his two senior apprentices who couldn’t help but look over upon hearing the conversation.
The man with slender eyes who squinted as if peering at others was named Huang Jijian. Li Ming remembered him well; it was this guy who insulted Old Wu the last time he was here.
"Don’t waste your potential when it’s so high," came a somewhat muffled voice. Looking in the direction of the voice, it was the burly man who kept tossing various kinds of alloy materials into the high-temperature furnace.
The temperature inside was too high for ordinary data probes to monitor changes in the alloy materials; experience was relied upon more.
"Only those who aren’t highly gifted follow the teacher."
Once this was said, everyone present, except Li Ming, went dark in the face.
That included the young people at work, who were mostly students from the school, and now their faces turned red.
"Cheng Tienan, shut up and add your materials!" Huang Jijian shouted sternly.
Professor Xia looked somewhat embarrassed, coughing twice before saying, "Li Ming, what Tienan said does make some sense. Although I often regret missing out on a talent like you—"
"But you following me now is a waste of time. Moreover, does Wu Yanqing know about this?"
"Professor, you got that wrong," Huang Jijian shook his head, "Since Li Ming is passionate, let him give it a try. As for Professor Wu, could he really go against Li Ming’s wishes?"
Li Ming looked at him in slight surprise. Huang Jijian smiled warmly at him.
Ding Hui said quite bluntly at the side, "Teacher, you misunderstood. He’s not switching allegiances, he’s just preparing to freeload off you, learn a bit of technique, take some business, make some money."
Li Ming looked at Ding Hui even more surprised; the guy had actually figured it out.
Professor Xia’s face twitched hard. Could he not have seen it?
"I believe he’s not that kind of person. Besides, what’s wrong with learning some skills? We are all fools, especially some stupid pigs." Huang Jijian said pointedly:
"If Li Ming really achieves something, the teacher should also be gratified."
Ding Hui eyed Huang Jijian with hesitation, "Are you still the same, sharply critical person from everyday? Why are you speaking up for Li Ming now?"
Huang Jijian frowned, "Who wouldn’t like such a good student?"
All these guys seemed weirder than each other. Had forging iron led to mental illness? Li Ming muttered to himself.
"Hmm..." Professor Xia pondered, seemingly hesitant. Teaching Li Ming was one thing, but he feared Wu Yanqing would come back and have a fight with him.
The so-called weapon forging was just a broad term that encompassed many finer and more intricate skills and knowledge, essentially relying on empiricism.
Spending time on this naturally left no time to develop gene seeds.
"You can learn from me as well." Professor Xia relented, then added:
"However, I need to see your actual level. Jijian, didn’t someone commission you for weapon forging?"
"Right, right, right." Huang Jijian responded enthusiastically, "A guy named Zhao Lei, who works in security and escort, just became a D-level life form and asked me to upgrade his weapon for him."
"I drew up a design for the prototype weapon but haven’t started working on it yet."
As he spoke, he let his assistant fetch it while he enthusiastically pointed Li Ming to a small door on the side, saying:
"Junior brother, that’s a small workshop, but the tools inside are more than enough for handling a D-level weapon: an electric heating furnace, a data punch press... It’s all there."
"If you want, I can also lend you a hand." Huang Jijian whispered, "Don’t worry, the teacher has been coveting your skills for a long time, this is just his deliberate little test, to make it seem not so easy. No pressure, it’s okay even if you fail."
Huang Jijian’s enthusiasm raised Li Ming’s guard; no one is that generous without a reason—either scheming something or after a profit. Nevertheless, he responded warmly, "Thanks, Senior Brother Huang."