Chapter 181 I respectfully address you as 'Engineer Xu'
As Xie Yunze spoke, he naturally reached out and took the heavy, oil-stained tool bag from Xu Zhili's shoulder.
The movements were fluid, as if they had done it countless times before.
"Let's go. We just got a reply from the arsenal. The batch of jeeps that were supposed to be scrapped has arrived. Should we go check them out on the way?"
He turned his head to look at her, and the setting sun gilded his sharply defined profile.
“Oh, right,” he said, as if suddenly remembering something, his tone becoming more deliberate, “the communications officer specifically emphasized that these retired military vehicles are scrapped vehicles according to regulations, and this one…”
He paused halfway through his sentence, seemingly finding it difficult to continue.
He was the one who offered to help her apply for this car, thinking he could find one in slightly better condition. But in the end, she got this thing, which is really not a good car and is even a bit embarrassing to show off.
He had checked on the car beforehand, and it was practically a pile of scrap metal waiting to be melted down.
Xu Zhi was incredibly perceptive; he immediately picked up on something from the man's hesitant tone and raised an eyebrow at him: "What?"
"Could it really just be a pile of unassembled scrap metal? Or is it completely unusable, with core components missing or broken?"
Her voice carried a hint of teasing, but also a subtle tension, as this concerned many of her future plans.
"That's not the case," Xie Yunze quickly explained, trying to salvage the situation. "It can open... and theoretically it can even move."
"The exterior is badly damaged and covered in rust. The doors can't even be closed properly, but the internal parts are still there and haven't been completely removed."
He carefully considered his words, but finally sighed and chose to tell the truth: "It's just too dilapidated. All the parts are worn out, and it's louder than a tractor."
"Oh...I see," Xu Zhili breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, patting her chest. "Thank goodness."
"Judging from your tone just now, I thought you were giving me some really junk that's so bad it's hard to even move. I'm going to cry now, all that excitement for nothing."
A look of relief appeared on her face, her eyes shining, as if the bare minimum of "being able to drive" had already met her lowest expectations.
"Ahem," Xie Yunze looked at her easily satisfied appearance, feeling a little soft-hearted and uneasy. He cleared his throat, his gaze falling on her cheeks, which were slightly flushed from being busy. His tone softened involuntarily, but carried an encouraging seriousness.
"I believe that with your abilities, you can definitely renovate it from top to bottom. What others see as scrap metal may be transformed into something brand new in your hands."
He paused, gazing into the distance as if sketching a blueprint: "If... if you really had the ability to completely overhaul its engine and increase the speed to over 100 miles per hour..."
He withdrew his gaze and looked intently at her. "At that time, Xu Zhili, you won't just be a nobody in this county town. You'll definitely have a place in the entire region's scientific research community. Technical awards, special appointments, even national certifications, commendations, and banners... will all come knocking on your door."
"When that time comes, who won't look up to you and respectfully call you 'Engineer Xu'?"
Xu Zhili glanced at him sideways, a half-smile playing on her lips: "Xie Yunce, you suddenly painted such a grand picture for me... it sounds to me like you're just making empty promises."
She used a word that only became popular later, but the meaning was expressed precisely.
"Making empty promises?"
Xie Yunze was indeed taken aback, confused by the unfamiliar word, but considering her expression and the context, he vaguely understood the teasing tone.
Why are you suddenly telling me all this?
Xu Zhili pressed on, a clear inquiry in her eyes, looking into his eyes, "This isn't something you would normally say."
Xie Yunze felt his ears burning slightly from her gaze, and somewhat uncomfortably looked away, gazing at the wisps of white smoke rising above the factory in the distance. His voice was a little lower than before.
"It's nothing, I just feel... Ah Li, you shouldn't be overlooked. When I saw how focused you were when you were repairing the textile machine and figuring out those small parts, I knew that you had something bigger in your heart and were not content to just tinker with these things."
He paused, his voice becoming even more sincere: "That car may be scrap metal, but in your hands, Ali, it might really turn into gold and become a treasure. I... I just want to see how far you can go, and I want to give you a chance to show your skills."
His words carried a pure belief and expectation.
His voice gradually lowered, and every word was sincere.
“You shouldn’t be confined to this small county town. Your abilities and your innate aptitude for machinery deserve to be seen by more people and given a bigger stage.”
At this point, he changed the subject, his tone revealing a subtle worry and conflict.
"But... I'm also afraid... I'm afraid that if too many people notice you, it will push you into the spotlight and put you in unknown dangers. The current situation is not always so forgiving."
“Ali,” he suddenly turned back, looking at her intently with an unprecedented earnestness and seriousness in his eyes, “I really want to… really want to be your revolutionary partner, walking side by side. This feeling is very strong.”
"Therefore, I don't want you to be in danger because of your talent, but I also can't bear to see a genius like you silently disappear into this small world. This contradiction makes me very..."
He seemed to be searching for the right words, "It was agonizing."
Xu Zhili listened quietly, the evening breeze ruffling the stray hairs on her forehead.
She suddenly raised her eyes, her gaze clear and bright, and looked directly at him, asking a crucial question: "Xie Yunze, what you value most in what you just said, is it my mechanical abilities and the honors that might come with them, or me, Xu Zhili, as a person?"
“Ah Li, no.”
Xie Yunze seemed to be stung by those words. He hurriedly stepped forward to close the distance between them, his eyes filled with urgency, as if afraid that she would misunderstand. He even spoke faster.
“I don’t care whether you have the ability or whether you can modify cars to gain honors. In my eyes, you are you, the one and only Xu Zhili.”
His gaze was intense, as he tried to convey all the turbulent emotions surging within him to her.
“The way you focus and concentrate when you repair machines is indeed touching, but the way you earnestly tutor your younger brother in writing, the way you sell goods at the black market at the alley entrance, even the way you subconsciously pout when you occasionally quarrel with me… I see all these little things and remember them.”
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