Yang Hao nodded. With life and death at stake, he resolved to listen to the old coot one more time.
“It’s actually just a small thing, just that the timing is a bit tight,” Yang Hao muttered along with the voice of Hun Yuanzi from within his belly. “I thought you were from an engineering family, so I assumed you could do it.”
Sure enough, as soon as he said that, Amanda, who had been sulking on her own, reacted immediately. “Of course an engineering family can do anything, but it still depends on whether I feel like helping or not. Today, I just don’t feel like helping you.”
Yang Hao noticed the effect immediately and quickly followed Hun Yuanzi’s advice again. “I even turned down Elsie’s help because I believed in you.”
At the mention of Elsie’s name, Amanda’s eyes widened. “Can she even help you?”
“She wouldn’t do it herself, of course,” Yang Hao wasn’t stupid. By now, he instinctively knew what to say. “But she has money, and with money, you can get big factories to help.”
“What’s so great about big factories?” Amanda huffed, slamming her teacup down. “There are things I can make that big factories can’t. More than ten percent of the world’s advanced technological products are our family’s masterpieces.”
“Tch, of course I know that,” Yang Hao now took over completely, while Hun Yuanzi, having done his part, retreated quietly into his nap inside Yang Hao’s belly. The old guy’s signature move was indeed falling asleep—just a moment ago he was talking, and the next moment, snoring could already be heard.
“At least you have some sense,” Amanda’s expression finally softened a bit.
Yang Hao added more fuel to the fire. He stood up as if he were about to leave. “But since you can’t do it, I guess I’ll just go back to Elsie then. After all, she…”
Amanda actually fell for it. She became furious. “Can’t do it?! What can’t I do? Those stupid factories can’t even compare to me! Only useless girls would go running to those idiot factories!”
“So what should I do then?” Yang Hao put on a face full of disappointment and worry, though inside he was secretly delighted.
“Give me the blueprints,” Amanda said sharply, stretching out her hand. Her lips pouted so high it seemed she had already vowed to prove to Yang Hao that she was far superior to Elsie.
“Blueprints?” Yang Hao hesitated for a moment.
“Yeah, where are the blueprints? Without them, how can I make anything? How would I even know what you want?”
Yang Hao suddenly realized—he had been talking nonstop, yet completely forgot that he didn’t actually have the blueprints for the refined steel furnace. Asking someone else to make it without the plans was just a waste of time.
“You didn’t forget to bring the blueprints, did you?” Amanda couldn’t help but laugh and scold at the same time.
“Of course I have them! Of course I do!” Yang Hao was sweating bullets. He backed into a corner, turned his face toward the wall, and whispered urgently, “Old Master Hun Yuanzi, where are the blueprints?”
No one responded. Hun Yuanzi had probably overworked his brain earlier and was sound asleep now, snoring loudly, making Yang Hao sweat even more.
Helplessly, Yang Hao stupidly started pounding his own stomach, shouting, “Wake up! Wake up!”
“What are you doing?” Amanda was completely confused. She had probably never seen anyone so foolish as to punch their own belly while facing a wall.
His stomach hurt from the beating, so Yang Hao simply shook his body and started imitating a belly dance like a bar girl. “Nothing, nothing. I’ve been sick lately, and the doctor said exercise is good for me.”
“How weird,” Amanda muttered. “I think you’ve got something wrong with your head.”
Yang Hao would rather be mentally ill than have an old ghost living inside him. Fortunately, all the shaking finally woke Hun Yuanzi up. The old guy actually complained, “Are you trying to kill me? Not a moment’s peace. Be careful—I’ll bite through your intestines.”
“Like hell you will! Where are the blueprints?” Yang Hao whispered angrily.
“What blueprints?” Hun Yuanzi, clearly still half-asleep, yawned and replied lazily.
“The furnace blueprints!!”
Amanda watched Yang Hao muttering to himself, her frown deepening. “Hey, Big Head Hao, are you okay? Who are you talking to?”
“Just talking to myself,” Yang Hao smiled—so obviously fake it was painful to look at. “I’m practicing ventriloquism,” he added, pounding his belly again a few times.
“Stop hitting! I gave you the blueprints already. Why are you asking me again? You’re such an idiot,” Hun Yuanzi grumbled.
“When did you give them to me?” Yang Hao felt exhausted. He had to deal with the old monster inside while maintaining a foolish, apologetic smile for Amanda to make it seem like he was seriously practicing ventriloquism.
Hun Yuanzi sighed deeply. “Taking on such a stupid apprentice is a disgrace to my sect. I can already foresee that my lineage will be ruined by you.”
“Good riddance to your perverted sect,” Yang Hao gritted his teeth. “Just hand over the blueprints already.”
“Didn’t you hide an ancient book when you swallowed those pills last time? The furnace on the first page of that book is the blueprint for the refined steel furnace. Just look at it yourself,” Hun Yuanzi replied, full of complaints.
Yang Hao suddenly understood and stopped arguing. He quickly rummaged through his bag for the book.
Hun Yuanzi, now wide awake, started rambling again. “That book contains all my life’s work. It holds the secrets and methods of our sect’s unique techniques, as well as formulas for various pills. You must study it carefully.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll read it. Stop nagging,” Yang Hao finally pulled the crumpled book from his large bag. But as soon as he opened the first page, he was stunned. There indeed was a blueprint for the pill furnace, but the surrounding text was in an ancient script completely different from the standard Galactic Empire language.
“What is this?” Amanda, quick on the uptake, grabbed the book and started flipping through it. “What kind of writing is this? It looks really old.”
She looked up, puzzled. “What’s going on with you lately? You’ve been acting so strange. This book isn’t some kind of illegal antique, is it?”
“Of course not!” Yang Hao’s forehead broke out in sweat again. Possessing illegal ancient texts was a serious crime that could land him in the Empire’s military police custody in an instant. This book, filled with cultivation techniques, was essentially illegal contraband. Although Amanda was his friend, Yang Hao still wanted to prevent any trouble and quickly came up with an explanation. “It’s from a doctor. I’ve been feeling unwell lately, and the doctor told me to make medicine according to the book’s instructions.” As he spoke, he pulled out some herbs from his bag.
Amanda trusted Yang Hao enough to believe even such a flimsy lie. Her attention quickly returned to the furnace blueprint on the first page of the book.
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