Chapter Eight: The Thief of Zuo'er Mecha University
In the main control holographic room of Zuo'er Mecha University, a group of scientists were repeatedly playing the holographic images of Liu Fei's research on the "Embroidery Needle - 111" model mecha in the mecha laboratory.
The holographic images provided a comprehensive view, allowing clear observation of every move Liu Fei made upon entering the laboratory.
Perhaps due to the angle of image capture, Liu Fei appeared sneaky and constantly climbing up and down the mecha, seemingly enjoying himself.
"He's analyzing the metal composition?" asked a gray-haired scientist, wearing a refined expression and a scholarly attire.
If a student were to enter the main control holographic room at this moment, they would surely be surprised, for this gray-haired scientist was none other than the mecha master of the Zuo'er Star System. In the field of mecha, if he said second, no one dared to claim first. He was the only scientist in the Zuo'er Star System known as a "master" in the field of mecha, and in the entire Seven Galaxies, only eleven individuals were honored with the title "master." The title of "master" held great significance and prestige, reserved for those who had made outstanding contributions and were widely respected in their field.
In fact, anyone deserving of the title "master" must have outstanding achievements and contributions that are widely recognized and respected. In the field of mecha, achieving the status of a master required even more exceptional accomplishments, as the field encompassed a wide range of industries. The study of metallurgy and optical brain pathways alone could consume one's entire lifetime, not to mention the profound expertise required in mechanical manufacturing.
In the various warlord families of the Seven Galaxies, possessing a master-level scientist was also an important criterion for assessing their power, especially in areas related to space exploration and weapon development. The value of such scientists was immeasurable, far beyond mere monetary worth.
This elderly man had a very ordinary name: Wang Yifu.
It could be said that Wang Yifu's influence could be seen on any mecha in the Zuo'er Star System.
Wang Yifu never appeared in public view. In the interstellar network, the holographic image of Wang Yifu was from fifty years ago, when he attended a joint exhibition of mecha from the Seven Galaxies. Many who had not seen Wang Yifu's holographic image believed him to be a rugged and formidable scientist, as any mecha associated with Wang Yifu had an extremely fierce and wild appearance. If people were to see Wang Yifu so refined, they would surely be astonished.
"Yes, he's analyzing the metal composition," replied a middle-aged teacher with respect.
"And the reason?" Wang Yifu asked with a puzzled expression.
"Currently, we cannot speculate," the middle-aged teacher replied.
"Why not retrieve the holographic images from inside the cockpit of the 'Embroidery Needle - 111'?" Wang Yifu inquired.
"Well... um... because time is short..."
"Time is short?" Wang Yifu frowned.
"Wang lao, the 'Embroidery Needle - 111' model mecha is too precious. Without orders from the general, we... we dare not..."
"Enough. What are your opinions?" Wang Yifu sighed, understanding the authority the military held in the eyes of these ordinary people.
"Wang lao, we have selected the best students from Zuo'er Mecha University to assist you in overcoming this technical challenge. Here is the list." The young scientist handed a list to Wang Yifu.
"Hmm, Su Zijing, Wu Yuan, Wang Yizhou... By the way, what's the name of that cleaner?" Wang Yifu glanced at the list, noticing that Liu Fei's name was absent.
"Liu Fei."
"Why is his name not on the list?" Wang Yifu's eyes fell on the list again, failing to find Liu Fei's name, and a hint of dissatisfaction was evident in his tone.
"Um... Wang lao, he's just a cleaner from the slums, never received formal education..."
"So how do you explain his repeated climbing on the mecha? The 'Embroidery Needle - 111' model mecha has been in your school for thirty-six hours, and he's the only one interested in it." Wang Yifu snorted coldly.
"Um... Wang lao, the reason no student has shown interest in the 'Embroidery Needle - 111' model mecha is mainly due to the short time, coupled with its damaged appearance, which fails to arouse the students' interest..."
"And that's a reason!" Wang Yifu chuckled meaningfully.
"This...," the young scientist couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead, feeling that this explanation was somewhat inadequate.
"Let it go. Remember, what we need are not students who just memorize facts... Well, explain why that cleaner kept climbing on the mecha repeatedly," Wang lao said.
"According to our analysis, the cleaner climbed the mecha repeatedly to scrape off the metal with an alloy blade and then analyze its composition using a metal analyzer," the scientist explained.
"Hmm, why analyze the metal composition?" Wang lao asked.
"According to our past experiences, Liu Fei's analysis of metal composition is likely an attempt to steal precious metals from the mecha, as he has a history of theft."
"Stealing precious metals? A history of theft?!" Wang lao was stunned, wearing an expression of disbelief.
"Yes, this is all well-documented. The holographic records of the past two years show that Liu Fei has stolen from the holographic laboratory and the mecha laboratory a total of ninety-three times. It's speculated that he used the metal analyzer to steal precious metals deliberately," the scientist explained.
"I see... Well, forget about it..." Wang lao looked disappointed. He had thought he had found an uncut gem, but it turned out to be nothing more than a thief trying to steal precious metals.
"Wang lao, about this list..."
"Well, let's just stick with this list. There's no other choice. I'm getting old too, old..." Wang lao sighed as he looked at the list, wearing a wry smile.
The group of scientists surrounding Wang lao let out a long sigh of relief, their expressions lightening up.
Everyone knew that although it was said to be for tackling a certain scientific problem, Wang lao's visit to the school was actually commissioned by the military to train a batch of successors. It could be said that entering Wang lao's tutelage promised an unlimited future!
Undoubtedly, the promising future of the students also meant that Zuo'er Mecha University would thrive, and there was no need to worry about being replaced by "Asia Mecha University," the second largest university in the Zuo'er Star System.
As the second largest university in the Zuo'er Star System, Asia Mecha University had always been a potential threat to Zuo'er Mecha University. In terms of historical status, Asia Mecha University had the upper hand over Zuo'er Mecha University. It had existed even before humans entered the interstellar age, and its faculty was very strong. However, during the war with the Xenomorphs, Asia Mecha University suffered devastating attacks, causing it to fall from a first-rate institution to a second-rate one. However, in recent decades, Asia Mecha University had developed rapidly, directly threatening Zuo'er Mecha University's dominance in the Zuo'er Star System.
Wang lao selecting disciples at Zuo'er Mecha University meant that Asia Mecha University wouldn't be able to shake Zuo'er Mecha University's dominant position in the Zuo'er Star System for several decades. Wang lao's choices could directly influence the military's decisions, which was beyond doubt.
"Alright, everyone, in keeping with the tradition of Zuo'er Mecha University, I'll personally come to guide you. However, the timing is uncertain. I hope you'll understand," Wang lao said.
"Wang lao, whenever you're able to come is fine with us. Thank you, Wang lao."
"That's it then. Please inform the people on this list. Although I won't be able to come to the school every day, I'll provide guidance through the interstellar network when necessary."
"Thank you, Wang lao. I'll inform them."
"Goodbye, everyone."
"Farewell, Wang lao!"
...
Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Wang lao was escorted out by heavily armed guards. Just as Wang lao stepped out of the gate, another steel gate in the control room opened, and the principal walked in with a stern expression. The atmosphere in the control room immediately became tense.
"Liu Fei has stolen from the lab a total of ninety-three times. Why hasn't he been expelled?" Clearly, the principal had been monitoring the conversation in the control room through the surveillance system.
"Uh... Well, it's not enough to warrant expulsion..." The middle-aged teacher wiped his sweat once again.
"Ninety-three times isn't enough for expulsion?" The principal snorted coldly, finding the teacher's response unconvincing.
"Well... This... It's a bit complicated... Here's the list of items stolen by Liu Fei over the past two years, along with the time of each theft and holographic images..." The middle-aged teacher seemed at a loss for words, so he decided to open the main control holographic display. The images displayed in sequence showed Liu Fei's first theft very clearly, back when he still looked somewhat inexperienced.