Chapter 70

Shi Xing stopped Yoda from apologizing: "You said we don't need to say sorry to each other. That still applies, right?"

Yoda recalled what he had said to Shi Xing and nodded with a smile: "Yes."

After recovering, Yoda returned to the agency.

I've been too anxious lately, trying to do everything myself and do my best. However, I have to admit that a person's energy is limited, and the harder I try, the worse the results become.

"Sister Yoda, did I post it?" Yoda nodded. She had Liu Si post an apology statement online, politely declining all business from other places and limiting the number of orders she could accept.

"I never thought I'd be picking and choosing my customers." Yoda felt completely relieved after sending the message.

Yoda was someone who trusted and was kind to others, and he had to do his best to do so. Now that we recognize our own abilities, we can no longer blindly devote our energy to others. We must be good to ourselves in order to create good works.

With a portion of the projects he had been assigned to others, Yoda settled all the remaining accounts according to his original standards, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

This massive influx of traffic is something most people can't handle.

Compared to Yoda's frantic efforts, Tang Yun and Ye Xin were handling things with ease. Mo Nan's project was edited and uploaded gradually; although it didn't generate as much buzz as their previous villa renovation project, it was still doing reasonably well.

When they have free time, the two of them come to the agency to see if there is any footage worth shooting among the newly renovated clients.

Yoda had to admire the two of them; they were good friends who worked together effortlessly. One filmed, and the other edited and uploaded—they were a perfect match for each other as self-media creators.

Moreover, after Mo Nan posted the video, a fan actually spotted her vision condition from some obscure detail, and it turned out the fan was a doctor specializing in vision problems. Following the fan's advice, Mo Nan and her family sought treatment from a specialist in this area, and they've heard her condition is improving.

Compared to their previous aimless travels around the world, this time with a clear goal, Mo Nan and her family felt much more at ease.

Fortunately, we didn't rush to install handrails throughout the house. If Mo Nan's eyesight recovers, the new house can be gradually filled in according to her wishes.

With fewer projects on her plate, Yoda finally had some free time. Most importantly, her heart finally found peace.

Although I wasn't always working, even when I had time to rest, I always had a strong drive to do all the projects at hand even better. My mind was never idle.

Wandering into the Shih Hsing office and looking at the design competition registration booklet, Yoda said, "A science fiction theme?"

Seeing Shi Xing engrossed in drawing without even looking up, Yoda smiled and asked, "You have an idea?"

Shi Xing brought Yoda closer and explained, "I want to try making a hollow hall entirely of cement. Using the most representative material of modern architecture, I want to create a futuristic, sci-fi effect. What do you think?"

It sounded interesting, but Yoda had some doubts: "Is it okay to use only cement? Won't there be any problems with the load-bearing capacity?"

Looking at the renderings, the entire hall, poured entirely of concrete, has no pillars in the center, appearing as an elliptical space that seems to have appeared out of thin air. The walkways surrounding the hall are also painted with the same color of concrete, resembling planetary rings when viewed from above.

If the design can be implemented, it would fit the science fiction theme perfectly. Yoda has also designed self-leveling cement floors. At a glance, it's not difficult to create a glossy effect by polishing cement from the ground to the walls to the ceiling. The only challenge, and the most important one, is how to achieve the atrium that Shi Xing wants without using supporting pillars.

Shi Xing was also pondering. He had basically completed the initial design draft; the only problem to solve was the implementation. Shi Xing gently tapped the table and said to Yoda, "I want to make a small model first. The ductility of cement should be able to realize my idea."

After saying that, Shi Xing turned to Yoda and said, "You haven't been frantically taking on orders lately, have you?"

Yoda chuckled: "Of course not. Last time I was sick, I was watched every day while I ate at home. I plan to take a break for a while and only take on one project at a time. Once I finish that, I'll take on a new one."

As he spoke, Yoda checked the time: "It's about time, I'll be going now."

This was the last project Yoda took on before he fell ill. An elderly woman who frequently watched and commented on Liu Si's videos wanted to renovate her bathroom but couldn't find anyone willing to do it.

Yoda immediately understood from the address she gave him: the old town area. To build a bathroom, the plumbing would need to be redone. The plumbing and electrical work would have to be redone, along with waterproofing and tiling—no step could be omitted, but the small area meant the price wouldn't be high.

Yoda, however, thought this was quite meaningful, since many houses develop problems after long-term living, even after renovation. Instead of completely demolishing and rebuilding, renovating the areas that best improve the living experience is a new trend.

However, the project is too small, so Yoda plans to finalize the plan himself first, and then have Mr. Liu bring all the necessary workers and materials to complete the project in one go after the client confirms it.

“That definitely won’t work.” Looking at the cement on the ground that couldn’t be lifted off its own, Master Liu spoke up directly, trying to dispel Shi Xing’s strange idea.

"Just like a cement transport tank, once it solidifies, it becomes a complete shell." Shi Xing was not discouraged and used his existing experience as a direction for trying.

Master Liu sighed: "But cement is strong in compression but not in tension. Even if we can make a small model now, if we want to build a house that is several stories high without foundation columns, no one would dare to go inside."

Shi Xing said, "Let's try again and make a model first. Thank you for your hard work, Master Liu."

"Sigh, alright." Master Liu sighed deeply, knowing he could only try again.

Yoda stared dumbfounded at the courtyard house before him. He hadn't expected to find such a complete and independent courtyard in the old city.

"Little Ma, you're here." Aunt Wu opened the door and recognized Yoda as soon as she saw her. She welcomed her in, looking very energetic.

"Aunt Wu, is this the bathroom you want to renovate?" Although the bathroom is an old-fashioned squat toilet, the floor tiles don't look outdated by today's standards. Moreover, it's very well maintained; after so many years of use, there haven't been any scratches or dents, and it looks almost new.

"This is it. I want to install the smart toilet you mentioned in your video, and also a bathtub. Oh, and I also want glass bricks for the partition wall. The door needs to be replaced too, I'll get that PD door."

Aunt Wu made a long list of requests, which Yoda found increasingly familiar—all popular elements from the videos Liu Si had uploaded of his own renovation.

She truly is a loyal fan who followed her from the very beginning. Yoda was very touched, but he refused Aunt Wu's offer, advising, "Aunt Wu, the style of your house is consistent, and the bathroom can still be used perfectly well. There's no need to change it. The style won't match. If you want to change the toilet, you can just choose one with a suitable seat distance."

Aunt Wu waved her hand and shook her head firmly: "I'm already this old, I just want to pretend to be what I like. Xiao Ma, no need to say anything, just do it with confidence, I definitely won't renege on my promise."

Yoda had no choice but to write down Aunt Wu's thoughts. However, Yoda looked up and said, "Aunt Wu, my surname is Yoda."

I was so busy looking at the house when I came in that I didn't even notice how Aunt Wu addressed me.

Aunt Wu laughed heartily: "Oh, really. Your name is so nice. As soon as I saw it, I thought of that poem, 'Your galloping hooves are a beautiful mistake.' Hahaha, I just blurted it out."

After saying that, Aunt Wu looked at Yoda and teased, "I'm not senile, you have to design the bathroom for me."

Yoda was infected by the other party's cheerful attitude and smiled as well: "Okay, I'll go back and draw up the plans. Once you're satisfied, we can start construction."

As Yoda walked out of Aunt Wu's house, Aunt Wu was still leaning against the door, shouting, "Yoda, I'm waiting for you!"

Yoda waved behind him and answered loudly, "Don't worry."

Although Aunt Wu is quite old, she has a youthful mindset and is practically a pro at surfing the internet. Yoda pondered how to integrate all her various needs without clashing too much with the original interior design.

Upon entering the office, one sees Master Liu frowning and sighing, with Liu Si's eyes also drooping.

"What's wrong?" Yoda crept closer.

Liu Si glanced up at her father, who was still thinking about how to realize Shi Xing's idea, and whispered to Yoda, "My dad has tried several times to make a cement egg without steel reinforcement for the task the boss gave us."

"Egg?" Yoda asked, puzzled.

Master Liu smacked his lips: "A hollow cement shell, isn't it just an egg?" He thought it rhymed and laughed to himself. After laughing, he realized he still had no ideas and sighed deeply.

Liu Si knew even less about these things and was now powerless to help. She could only sigh deeply.

Seeing the identical expressions on the father and daughter's faces, Yoda left. She didn't understand construction and couldn't help them.

He was on the phone in his office in the hallway.

"Yes, could you please help me contact the construction team from that time? I have a similar project that I'd like to consult about."

"Yes, thank you."

Seeing Shi Xing hang up the phone and fall into deep thought, Yoda went in, somewhat worried: "What's wrong? Is it complicated?"

Shi Xing snapped out of his daze and realized it was Yoda. Despite a slight frown, he smiled and asked, "You're back so soon? Are you tired?"

Yoda raised his hand and poked Shi Xing's brow: "Don't change the subject. I think Master Liu's sighing is making him look emaciated."

Shi Xing took Yoda's hand and said, "We tried several times but couldn't get it to work. However, I've already contacted a construction team that has done similar structures before."

"It will be resolved, don't worry, okay?"

Yoda nodded: "Then don't frown anymore, you're getting old."

Seeing that Shi Xing finally relaxed his brow, Yoda thought of the news he had just seen: "The factory project you worked on has officially gone into operation, and it's been on the news, getting a lot of attention. Did you see it?"

Shi Xing nodded; he had seen it a long time ago. But seeing Yoda even happier than himself, what was originally expected suddenly became meaningful.

"That's great, you're a designer with well-known works now. It's a pity I couldn't stay for the opening ceremony because I had to rush back, otherwise I could have been on camera."

Shi Xing wasn't involved in any of that. Anyway, the design was finished. Outsiders didn't care who designed it, and insiders knew without needing to say more. Seeing Yoda still lamenting, he suddenly remembered why he came back and said to Yoda, "Did you eat the monkey head mushrooms I brought?"

Upon hearing this, Yoda immediately recalled the taste of the soup his mother had been making every day: "Why did you buy so much? I'm practically turning into a mushroom from eating it all."

"No, you bought it and brought it back directly. How did you know I have a sensitive stomach while you were out of town?" Yoda asked incredulously. Surely he couldn't have predicted this?

Shi Xing remained silent, recalling the phone call with Yoda's mother, who had subtly hinted that Yoda's poor appetite and nausea might indicate pregnancy. Shi Xing's only thought at the time was that Yoda hadn't been eating properly and had an upset stomach. Fortunately, it happened to be a local specialty, so he hurriedly asked someone to bring some back while on his way back; the first harvest was fresher and more nutritious.

However, seeing Yoda's increasingly bewildered and worshipful expression, Shi Xing thought this was fine too; it was better not to explain so much.