"First of all, I'm not planning to pay you a wage."
When Old Homa finally began laying out the details of Jiang Qi's new arrangement, his very first sentence came out like a bombshell.
Jiang Qi, however, showed no reaction at all. He simply waited calmly for the rest.
"Over here, I usually have twenty to thirty damaged energy cores a day that need repairing," Old Homa continued at an unhurried pace, inwardly nodding at Jiang Qi's composure. "I'll hand all of those over to you, and what you need to do is maintain a repair ratio of five to one."
"To give you an example—let's see, for today..."
As he spoke, Old Homa set aside the wooden crate Jiang Qi had carried over earlier, counted the damaged energy cores still inside, then took a leather sack from a nearby shelf and poured out another batch of damaged cores, counting those as well.
"Mm. Altogether, there are thirty-eight damaged energy cores here," Homa said. "Today, I'll give you thirty-five of them. In return, by tomorrow, you need to hand me seven intact energy cores."
"If you manage to repair more than that, the extra ones are yours. The leftover materials are yours too."
"What do you think of that arrangement?"
The moment he heard it, Jiang Qi's eyes lit up, and he agreed without hesitation.
This arrangement was excellent.
He just knew a kindly old gentleman like Homa wouldn't cheat him.
A five-to-one ratio was something even an ordinary mechanic's apprentice could manage, and there was already profit to be made just from gathering the leftover materials alone.
For Jiang Qi, who could achieve a three-to-one repair ratio even without using Synthesis, these terms were generous to the point of absurdity.
After all, Old Homa had personally witnessed Jiang Qi repairing an energy core. And even under those circumstances, he was still offering terms like this. He said he wasn't paying wages, but in reality, this was far better than wages.
What meager apprentice's pay could possibly compare to the kind of profit hidden in this deal?
Seeing Jiang Qi's obvious excitement, Old Homa shook his head with a smile. "What's this, kid? Feeling like you've just struck it rich? Like you're about to make a fortune?"
"Ah, well... haha..." Jiang Qi scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh.
It wasn't that he particularly cared about striking it rich.
In truth, given the Wasteland's current market conditions, if he ever started using his Synthesis ability without restraint, he'd basically be no different from a money-printing machine.
The real reason he was happy was because, at last, he saw hope of collecting a large number of energy cores quickly.
With his ability to repair cores two-into-one, from today's batch alone he could synthesize seventeen intact energy cores. After handing over seven, he'd still keep ten low-grade cores for himself.
And since he needed twenty-five low-grade cores to synthesize a main energy core compatible with Glaxia, that meant that in a single day, he could already complete a substantial portion of the goal.
Naturally, he couldn't tell Homa any of that.
So all he could do was pretend the old man had hit the mark and put on an embarrassed but polite smile.
"Heh, all right, no need to feel embarrassed," Old Homa said with a chuckle. "The reason I'm giving you terms like this is because I want you to gradually get richer. After all, mech fighting is a very expensive hobby."
"Huh? Mech fighting?" Jiang Qi blinked. "Me? "
"Of course. Aren't you interested in this stuff too?" Homa leaned back in his chair. "Isn't there a saying that interest is the best teacher? Since you like mech fighting, doesn't it make sense to start you off on the path of a mech mechanic?"
"Mm. That does make sense." Jiang Qi nodded.
Only then did it really sink in.
He hadn't come here just to work.
He had come here to be an apprentice.
"This is what I'm thinking: it's obvious you already have some foundation in mechanical repair. If I started teaching you from the very beginning, it'd be a waste of time."
Old Homa fished a cigarette out of his pocket, raised his left mechanical arm, and lit it using the flame nozzle built into the wrist. He took a deep drag, then said leisurely, "But the thing is, I'm still not entirely sure what you already know and what you don't."
"So I've decided to first get a feel for your level. We'll go straight to a practical test and see what you're good at, and what you're not."
"And since you happen to be interested in mech machines, I think a good way to test you would be to have you assemble a simple mech-fighting unit from scratch. What do you think?"
"Huh? We're going straight to assembling a mech?" Jiang Qi asked, startled.
As for learning under Old Homa, Jiang Qi had no objections whatsoever.
In a world like this—one without cultivation, and without superpowers—the best weapons for arming oneself were nothing more than knowledge, equipment, and influence.
And in Jiang Qi's view, knowledge and skill were the most important of the three, because they could also serve as the foundation for the other two.
At the same time, both his Synthesis and his Appraisal abilities required knowledge and technical skill in order to be used to their full potential.
So even if Old Homa hadn't brought it up himself, Jiang Qi had already intended to find a chance to ask him to teach him mechanics and electronics.
Still, this teaching style really did put a heavy emphasis on practice.
Then again, thinking about it more carefully, that was also very much in line with the Wasteland way.
"Mm. During the process, I'll be able to see what you're good at and what you're bad at," Old Homa said. "It may be difficult, but trust me—by the time you finish your first mech, you'll have gained a great deal."
"All right. Then we'll do it your way," Jiang Qi said with a nod.
With Appraisal and Synthesis as his safety net, plus the DIY foundation from his previous life, he was actually quite confident in himself.
And with Old Homa giving him one-on-one guidance, Jiang Qi really didn't feel he had much to fear.
"Good. Then let's talk about the schedule." Old Homa nodded. "Normally, I need to watch the store during two periods of the day—morning and evening. During those times, you're free to arrange your time however you like. Whether you use it to repair energy cores or do something else, that's up to you."
"I'll leave the damaged energy cores that need to be repaired that day at the bookstore in the morning. After breakfast, remember to come by and get them from me."
"From one o'clock in the afternoon onward, that'll be our lesson time, and it'll continue into the evening. During that time, I'll stay here in the workshop and guide you. If you need it, I can also schedule breaks during the session."
"That's about it. What do you think?"
"No problem on my end," Jiang Qi answered without hesitation. The arrangement was perfectly reasonable. He had nothing to complain about.
"Then it's settled. Let me think... your assignment will begin tomorrow. Today, you only need to finish repairing the energy cores already in your hands. The rest of your time is your own."
As he said that, Homa stood up.
"I'm going to prepare some things you'll need for tomorrow's assignment, so I'll be heading out first."
"Oh, and one more thing—when you leave the workshop tonight, remember to lock the door. The spare key is under the stone beneath the dead tree outside."
With that, Old Homa swaggered off, puffing on his hand-rolled cigarette.
Jiang Qi looked at his departing back, then at the workshop around him—especially the off-road vehicle and the mech—and felt a little conflicted.
Wasn't this old man trusting him a little too much?
This was such an important place, and he was really just leaving it in Jiang Qi's hands like that?
Was this one of those cases of use people without doubting them once you've chosen them?
Or was it actually some kind of test?
He couldn't tell.
But ever since arriving in this world, Jiang Qi had nearly forgotten what it felt like to be trusted at all.
Even knowing it might be a test, he still had to admit—
It felt pretty good.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 120)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 100)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 100)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter89)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter86)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter63)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter75)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 53
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 57
From Junkman to Wasteland 35
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 26
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 27
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 26
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 26
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin