A Difficult Problem
It was not just Avril. Constantine, Phantom, and even the unsmiling Pang Xing were all intrigued by Xia Fei's story. They kept asking why the gentleman had left. Humans naturally liked happy endings, and it was not easy for them to accept a sad ending like this.
Xia Fei smiled. "The gentleman left a letter. The lady rushed downstairs and took the letter. She opened it and saw that it was written like this.
"My dear lady, I've already expressed my love for you through my actions. Now, I need to preserve some dignity for myself."
Everyone was speechless. Avril pouted and said, "That lady is too silly. Since she likes the gentleman, why did she make him wait for a hundred days? Great, now that the gentleman is gone, she's lost her best lover."
Constantine shuddered as if he had been electrocuted. He raised his head and pushed his glasses with his finger. "I understand now. You're trying to tell me that no matter how much a man likes a lady, he mustn't forget to preserve some dignity for himself."
Xia Fei nodded with a smile. "How can a woman respect a man who doesn't respect himself?"
Constantine was speechless. He suddenly burst out laughing. "That's an interesting story. I'll remember it, but don't expect me to go easy on you in this afternoon's match."
Xia Fei nodded nonchalantly. Constantine seemed to have realized something. He turned around and strode away. Avril held onto Xia Fei's arm tightly. "The gentleman is gone. You mustn't leave me."
Xia Fei laughed. "You didn't make me wait for a hundred days."
…
The match in the afternoon was Xia Fei's specialty, the drone repair and speed test. Xia Fei walked past the scanner and entered the large arena. The arena had already been partitioned into small rooms using transparent glass. As the contestants' workspace, there were cameras installed in inconspicuous spots, recording every movement of the contestants. If there was even the slightest violation, the red light in the workspace would light up.
At the top of the field was an electronic timer and a huge display screen. As for the audience seats, they were distributed around the field. Everyone's seat had their own display screen, and they could choose any contestant they wanted to observe.
Xia Fei found his workshop and walked in. There was a Mittal Samurai-class light combat drone on the table, and there was also a box with spare parts and a toolbox next to it. All contestants could only use the tools and spare parts provided by the competition to repair the drone. The fastest contestant would win. Of course, if they could perfectly repair the drone or modify it, they would be awarded extra points.
There was a red line on the ground called the warning line. To ensure fairness, players were not allowed to cross the red line to get close to the damaged drone before the match began.
There was still some time before the match began. Xia Fei sat on the chair provided by the competition and made himself a cup of tea. As he sipped on it, he used his ocular ability to observe the drone a few meters away.
Xia Fei's eyes were unusually sharp. Through visual inspection, he noticed that the Samurai-class combat drone had at least four parts damaged. There was no communication unit in the control box. Combat drones needed to be connected to the warship to follow the orders of the fire control system. A drone without a communication unit was like a soldier who had lost contact with the main force. It could only fight alone aimlessly. Not only was it very easy to be shot down, but it would also not be of any help to the overall situation.
The mechanical parts of the two rapid-fire rocket cannons were also damaged and could not rotate 360 degrees in all directions. This meant that when attacking the enemy, they could only fire from a single angle, which was very inflexible. The external interface of the energy section and the steering page of the power injection system were also unusable.
Xia Fei was a little surprised. There were so many faults just by looking at the exterior. He had no idea how many parts he would find if he opened the casing. It seemed that the match this afternoon was a little too difficult.
He silently calculated in his mind. He was a speed ability user, so his hand speed was much faster than the average person's. Even so, it would still take seventeen minutes to completely repair the four external damages. Including the internal damage, it would take at least an hour or two to finish the match.
Xia Fei furrowed his eyebrows slightly. He did not understand why a simple drone repair match had to be so complicated. He turned around and glanced at the drones on the other participants' tables. They were all as badly damaged as his. Some of the more skilled participants or those with better eyesight could not help but sigh. It seemed that they were all shocked by the difficulty of the match.
Constantine, who was a distance away, nodded at Xia Fei. He then raised his fist and made a gesture to show that he would definitely win. Xia Fei did not want to be outdone and gave him the same response.
Avril was yelling Xia Fei's name from her seat among the spectators. Her face was flushed with excitement, completely ignoring the countless pairs of eyes staring at her. With her looks and temperament, she would be the center of attention no matter where she went, so it was only natural.
Xia Fei also waved at Avril before lowering his head to think of a solution. The noise around him gradually faded away. Xia Fei entered a meditative state under the gaze of hundreds of thousands of spectators.
"I love it when Xia Fei is serious. Don't you think he's very handsome when he's serious?" Avril asked Pang Xing excitedly.
Pang Xing helplessly nodded. His eyes were quietly scanning the surroundings, preparing for any problems that might occur at any time.
As the countdown ended, the red line that he had obtained from the workshop also disappeared. Xia Fei took two steps forward and arrived in front of the Samurai-class drone. This combat drone was about five cubic meters in size, one of the smallest models among all the drones.
Although the drone was small, its firepower was not weak. Furthermore, it had an advantage in speed and sensitivity compared to the larger drones. Dinosaurs could devour elephants, and the same could be said for ants. The Samurai-class drone was highly integrated, so its internal structure was relatively complicated. Xia Fei quickly took out his tools and disassembled the drone.
As the disassembly process unfolded, more and more faults were exposed in front of Xia Fei's eyes. The drone was more damaged than he had imagined, almost to the point where it was beyond cure. The electrical system, mechanical system, energy system, navigation system … Not a single part of it was in good condition.
* Snap! *
The drone was disassembled, turning into components of different sizes that were scattered on the large alloy table. Xia Fei was not in a hurry to repair it. Instead, he lit a cigarette and fell into deep thought.
It was not that the damaged drone could not be repaired, but Xia Fei had encountered a problem that was giving him a headache. The components provided by the organizer were not enough, so he could not repair the drone completely.
The participants around him were sweating profusely, trying their best to repair the drone as soon as possible. There were only two exceptions: one was Constantine, and the other was Xia Fei. Xia Fei was smoking, while Constantine had his arms crossed and was constantly adjusting his glasses. Xia Fei's biggest opponent, Li Mo, was also working, but he was not very fast. He seemed to be hesitating as he repaired the drone.
Avril was getting anxious. Some of the faster participants had already assembled the drone halfway, but Xia Fei was still in deep thought.
Why isn't Xia Fei starting yet? Is he in some kind of trouble? Avril clenched her fists and stood up from her chair. She was so nervous that beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. A servant beside her took out a handkerchief to wipe it off, but Avril pushed it away and asked Pang Xing, What's going on? Why isn't Xia Fei doing anything yet?
Pang Xing thought about it and said, Miss, you have to trust him. From what I know, Xia Fei is very skilled in machinery. He must've discovered some problem that he can't solve, which is why he hasn't done anything yet. A truly brilliant machinist won't act recklessly. They'll first plan every step in their mind, as well as the form after they're done. Perhaps Xia Fei hasn't figured out what to do yet. "
Avril was not the only one who was confused. The countless spectators inside and outside the venue were confused as well. It was worth noting that Xia Fei and Li Mo were the two participants with the best results. Xia Fei was not doing anything, and Li Mo was also hesitating as he worked on the drone. There was no sign of him dismantling and reassembling the drone like he did in the previous two rounds. Constantine, who was a foreign force in the previous round, was even more depressed. No one knew what was going on. After all, the spectators were not the participants, so how could they know what was going on?
Xia Fei was very calm. He believed that the organizer of the event would definitely know that the parts in the crate were not enough to repair the drone, so this must be a test. Could it be purely a test of the participants' repair speed? There was no need to care about whether the drone could be repaired or not, as long as they could repair it to its limit in the shortest time possible?
Xia Fei shook his head. Every qualified machinist needed to know what they were doing. If a machine could not be repaired, an experienced machinist would not even bother to do anything.
Could it be? Xia Fei mumbled to himself. He picked up a few parts on the table and fiddled with them. He looked like he was not paying attention, but he was actually thinking at full speed.
A few minutes ago, Porter, who was far away on Earth, turned on his smart computer and connected to the Golden Finger Cup. As the champion of the Golden Finger Cup three times in a row, Porter had a deep understanding of the event. Over the past few decades, he would take time to watch the event no matter how busy he was. Now that Xia Fei was participating in the event, his interest was piqued.
Boateng excitedly waited at the side. Ever since he found his master, Boateng could be said to be inseparable. Unless the company assigned him a mission, he would always accompany Uncle Porter. The time they spent together was even more than with his wife.
Hmm? Why isn't Xia Fei moving? Everyone else is busy with their work, yet Xia Fei seems to have something on his mind, Boateng said curiously.
Porter was puzzled, too. He adjusted the angle of the video and focused on the damaged drone and the parts on the table. The video of the event was in 3D, so he could choose the angle he wanted to watch it from. Of course, it cost a lot to watch it in 3D. Quantum Holdings had benefited from it because of Avrils relationship, so all the computers connected to the interplanetary internet were private accounts.
Porter stared at the screen for a long time before he could not help but laugh. Looks like those old men have come up with another problem. Now, let's see if Xia Fei can figure it out. His thinking ability has always been good. As long as he doesn't get stuck in a dead end, he should be able to see the real purpose of the assessment.
Boateng was completely baffled. He asked, "Who are those old fogeys you were talking about? Isn't this round a competition of repair speed?
Porter answered, There's a bunch of old men in the Association of Machinists. They're all top technicians in the Alliance, and every one of them is an expert. These old men sometimes like to play tricks to make things difficult for the participants. As for the real purpose of this event, you'll find out soon enough.
Porter pointed at the screen again. Xia Fei can already tell that there's something strange about this event, so he's not in a hurry to make the first move. Those who are busy with repairs have already lost at the starting line. They'll never get a high score. These people only know how to repair, but they've forgotten the basic judgment of a machinist.
Boateng's face turned red. Actually, he had not figured out what was going on, either. Porter's words were equivalent to putting him in the category of reckless machinists.
Master, that participant Constantine hasn't moved, either. There's also that Li Mo. Though he's made a move, he's very hesitant, as if he wants to move and yet doesn't. Does that mean they're also experts? Boateng asked.
Porter nodded. If I'm not mistaken, they should be Xia Fei's biggest opponents in this event. Of course, we can't rule out the possibility of another dark horse appearing. From the looks of it, the three of them are the most competitive.
Time ticked by, and Xia Fei still did not make a move, minding his own business as he smoked his cigarette. Constantine tried to assemble a few parts together before taking them apart again, deep in thought. A little further away, Li Mo had already assembled a small part, but he did not continue. For some reason, he had also stopped moving.
Phantom was getting a little anxious. He said to Xia Fei, Hurry up and do it. Look at that person over there; he's almost done.
Xia Fei raised his hand to interrupt Phantom, not allowing him to interrupt his thoughts.
Phantom helplessly pursed his lips and looked elsewhere. The faster the other participants moved, the more nervous he felt.
* Pa! *
All of a sudden, Xia Fei clenched his fists and slammed them together, muttering to himself, Who cares? I'll just do it!
Moving as fast as lightning!
Once Xia Fei made up his mind, he no longer hesitated. The many parts on the table quickly assembled, forming something out of nothing.
About a minute after Xia Fei started, Constantine did the same. His hand speed was not as fast as Xia Fei's, but he was more familiar with the process. He might be a little slower, but his efficiency was not bad.
Li Mo, who was a little further away, was secretly panicking when he saw Xia Fei and Constantine putting in the repair of the drone. The lack of parts had also been bothering him, but he had yet to find a solution.
The crowd began to get excited as they began to realize that Xia Fei and Constantine had not fixed the drone according to the original design. Judging from the prototype in their hands, the drone had changed quite a bit from before.
"What's going on? Are the two of them repairing the drone? "
"That's right. Look at it. It looks like a little sports car. There's no sign of a Samurai-class combat drone at all."
"Oh my god, Xia Fei threw away the barrel of a rapid-fire cannon. Is he planning to install a single weapon system?"
"That's nothing. Constantine just threw away the power injector. I'm afraid this high-speed drone is going to turn into an old car."
"How disappointing. I didn't think the best contestant this year would perform like this. They're going to get zero points if they keep altering the drone instead of repairing it."
As soon as he said that, a series of ear-piercing sounds of metal scraping came from the center of the venue. Xia Fei was holding a laser cutter and cutting open a piece of the armor plate. He then used a laser drill to quickly drill a row of holes on it.
Lifting up the steel plate, Xia Fei used the fluorescent light to visually inspect the location of the drill hole before quickly tossing it aside. The ear-piercing sound rang out once more as Xia Fei continued to modify the parts that were originally in good condition. This was no repair; it was practically destruction!
On the other side, Constantine raised an alloy hammer, unwilling to be outdone. * Bang! Bang! Bang! * Xia Fei and Constantine were both hammering on the high-strength pressure-resistant tubes. All sorts of strange noises could be heard in the venue. Xia Fei and Constantine were each more bizarre than the other. They were cutting and hammering, making it difficult for the contestants around them to focus on their work. They all turned around to look at the two lunatics, unsure why they were making such a big fuss.
Avril was speechless. She was just a young lady, so it was natural that she did not know anything about maintenance. She did not feel good when she heard others criticizing Xia Fei and saw his unexpected performance in the tournament, but out of her trust and support for Xia Fei, Avril still stood up and shouted Xia Fei's name.
Li Mo's expression kept changing. He felt a stab of pain in his heart when Avril was so protective of Xia Fei. Most importantly, he had yet to find the crux of the match, which made him even more confused.
…
In the lounge reserved for honorary members of the Association of Machinists, seven or eight elderly men were seated on the sofa in a row. Each of them had a specialized AI computer in their hands. They were sipping on tea as they observed the situation in the venue.
That was when a chubby old man with a white beard came out of the bathroom with one hand holding his stomach. He mumbled, "I shouldn't have eaten so much seafood in the afternoon. I'm getting old, and my appetite is getting worse. I can't believe I'm having diarrhea after eating just a few lobsters. I wouldn't have a problem if I had ten more when I was younger."
He raised his head and realized that the other old men were all staring at the screen, ignoring him. He said unhappily, "What are you all looking at? What's there to look at? Has someone figured out a way to solve this? "
A black-haired old man sitting in the middle raised his head and smiled. "Old Lu, you've guessed wrong this time. Two of the candidates have already guessed the question and are working hard on it."
The chubby old man was slightly stunned. He picked up a computer from the table and said, "Even if someone guessed it, they'll have to be able to complete it for it to count. This requires experience. Honestly, isn't this question a little too difficult?"
"Pfft!"
The chubby old man could not hold it in and let out a fart. The other old men around him gave him sidelong glances to express their dissatisfaction. The chubby old man hurriedly waved his hand and said with a smile, "I didn't expect these two kids to be so capable. I couldn't hold it in. Sorry, sorry."
He returned to his seat and picked up a bag of potato chips from the table. "Old Nian, since someone has guessed this question, how will the points be calculated?"
The black-haired old man in the middle thought for a moment and said, "If someone can complete it, he'll get full points. Special points will be added based on the situation. As for the others, they'll all get zero points."
Zero points! It was not the fault of these candidates that they could not complete the competition. They could only blame these old men for coming up with such a difficult question. It was too much to give the candidates zero points.
Unexpectedly, these old men said in unison, "That's right. Those who can't do it deserve zero points. It's their fault for being so stupid."
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