Era of Mist

Chapter 239 -238: Holding Nothing Back, Basic Vehicle Modification Technique

Hmm…

Looking at the confident expression on Sakuragi Kenji’s face, Shi Tiexin didn’t know how to react. ‘According to the tropes in cheap fiction, people who act this high and mighty are usually about to get put in their place. The ones who boast about being immortal tend to die the most gruesome deaths. The more invincible their expression, the less credible they seem.’

But then again, a bizarre new trend had recently started popping up in that same fiction: the “eating your words” trope. ‘What if I stubbornly refuse to believe him, only to find out this Sakuragi Kenji really is a genius mechanic? Wouldn’t I be walking right into an “eating my words” trap?’

‘How awkward would that be?’

After some calm analysis, Shi Tiexin decided to at least pretend to believe him and let him give it a shot. ‘Besides, if there’s any face-slapping to be done, it’ll be his face, not mine. My reputation will be as solid as a rock.’

“Alright then, show me what you’ve got, Mr. Sakuragi.”

“Haha, you can count on me!” Sakuragi Kenji eagerly rolled up his sleeves, looking ready for some serious work. “It’s time to show you what real motorcycle modification is all about!”

The two of them rode back to Mai Ba’s secret garage. It was fully equipped with tools, and while the quality of the parts was debatable, they were at least usable.

Mai Ba wasn’t around. The guy was a born gambler, so who knew where he was off enjoying himself. Shi Tiexin paid him no mind and didn’t call anyone else, deciding to get his own hands dirty inspecting and modifying the bike with Sakuragi Kenji.

CLANK! The Black Venerable was hoisted up and secured firmly in place. Sakuragi Kenji tossed aside his suit jacket, ripped off his tie, and undid the top two buttons of his shirt. His expression was like that of a master chef before his cutting board.

“Come here and watch closely. This bike of yours is a civilian model. No matter how expensive it is, it’s a street-legal vehicle from the United States, not a professional racing bike. You’re a full-fledged biker now; you need to learn how to modify your own ride.”

“You can’t judge a bike just by its surface-level specs; you have to dig into the details. This bike’s eight-cylinder engine is powerful, but its peak torque is delivered at a relatively high RPM.”

“In other words, the bike’s power delivery is fairly linear, making for smooth and refined acceleration, but the power band is biased toward acceleration in the mid-to-high range. Even above 240 kilometers per hour, this bike can still give you a massive push. For street racing, however, that kind of speed is just too much. It’s too dangerous, and completely unnecessary.”

“I wouldn’t normally recommend you use a bike like this for racing, because its sheer weight is a huge problem. But since it’s your signature ride, we’ll just have to make some adjustments.”

“We’re short on time, so I won’t do a major overhaul—we don’t have the right setup for that. But I’ll show you how to adjust the throttle response to better match the demands of street racing.”

“Watch closely!”

Sakuragi Kenji seemed like a completely different person, his spirits high as he spoke nonstop. He gestured while he talked, explaining as he worked. He wasn’t just modifying the bike; he was explaining every principle behind his actions to Shi Tiexin in crystal-clear detail.

At this point, Shi Tiexin was beginning to think this guy might actually be the real deal.

[You have received instruction from an Absolute Grandmaster. This instruction is rated: “Holding Nothing Back.” Your learning state is rated: “Utterly Focused.” Aptitude requirement reduced by 40%. Chance of suffering a deviation reduced by 50%. Cultivation speed increased by 40%. Initial progress increased by 50. Duration: 20 days.]

[You have received a knowledge inheritance and comprehended the Mind-Art: Basic Vehicle Modification (β6 Variant), Level 1. Current Progress: Unqualified.]

[Basic Vehicle Modification, Level 1: A branch of the Basic Mechanical Modification Mind-Art. Applicable to small ground vehicles. Allows for basic modification or basic repair of vehicles.]

[β6 Variant: Modification speed +12%, modification stability +14%.]

[Unqualified: This skill cannot be used.]

The large block of text that suddenly appeared in his vision gave Shi Tiexin quite a shock.

There was so much information that Shi Tiexin had to organize his thoughts just to analyze it rationally.

First, there was the “Absolute Grandmaster” rating, which was clearly a tier above the “Top-Grade Master” rating he had gotten for math. ‘So the same person teaching different subjects can have different ratings.’

Of course, that made sense. People were complex and multi-talented, after all. ‘If you ask an Excavator Grandmaster to teach you how to stir-fry vegetables with his machine, he’d be top-notch. But ask him to teach hairdressing and he’d probably be useless.’

‘Looks like Sakuragi Kenji wasn’t bluffing. He really is an expert when it comes to vehicle modification.’

‘Phew, good thing my quick thinking let me sidestep that trope. Otherwise, I really would be eating my words right now.’

But… Shi Tiexin’s gaze fell on the words “Holding Nothing Back,” and his expression grew complicated. ‘Is this guy really planning to teach me all his trade secrets?’

That’s what the system in his vision was indicating.

‘But why?’

Seeing Sakuragi Kenji looking so revitalized, his earlier dejection completely gone, Shi Tiexin decided not to press the issue. ‘Everyone has their secrets. What middle-aged man doesn’t have a story or two?’

‘I can always get him drunk and pry the reasons out of him later.’

‘For now, I’ll focus on learning this modification technique!’

Sakuragi Kenji worked quickly, and Shi Tiexin listened intently. He gradually realized that this Basic Vehicle Modification was actually a very practical trade. If he mastered it, then… well… at the very least, he could become a mechanic.

‘And don’t look down on mechanics! That’s a skilled trade, you know!’

‘If your skills are good enough, you can get rich from your labor. That’s a hell of a lot better than killing yourself working as a security guard!’ Recalling his former days of back-breaking, low-end labor, Shi Tiexin found himself studying with even greater focus. He felt like he had discovered a new path to wealth.

‘Knowledge really is a valuable commodity!’

With one eager to teach and the other eager to learn, time flew by.

Vehicle modification was a trade heavily reliant on experience. With Sakuragi Kenji holding nothing back in his instruction, the progress bar for the modification skill shot forward, rapidly approaching “Qualified.”

Before they knew it, the sun began to set.

“A lot of people say you can’t modify an engine or a transmission.”

“It’s not that you can’t; it’s just that those hacks don’t have the skill. When they mess with them, they don’t get any benefits, just a host of new problems. It ends up being worse than if they’d left it alone.”

“But when you’re modifying and repairing vehicles, you can’t be afraid to fail. The only way to improve quickly is through constant practice and application. You’re going to break things, you’re going to ruin parts—that’s inevitable. If you’re not constantly tinkering and messing things up, can you even call yourself a real gearhead?”

“The key is to use your brain and learn from your mistakes. It’s fine to wreck a bike, as long as you gain something from the experience. If you just wreck it without learning anything, you should probably give up on modifying bikes altogether before somebody beats you to death for it.”

“Alright, give it a try!” RATTLE. Sakuragi Kenji lowered the hoist and patted the motorcycle, which looked completely unchanged on the outside. “Be careful. This thing’s got a real bad temper now.”

“Don’t worry.” Shi Tiexin swung a leg over the bike, started the engine, and put on his sunglasses. “I’m a professional.”

He twisted the throttle.

VROOOOOM!

SCREEECH! With a puff of blue smoke, the motorcycle shot forward like it had been launched from an aircraft carrier’s catapult.

HO~~LY~~ SHIT~~!