Chapter 2: Plans and Sparks
The faint smell of scorched plastic still lingered on Li Wei's fingertips as he sat silently on a stack of worn-out crates. Workers bustled around the workshop, but their voices felt distant — muffled behind the noise inside his own head.
[System Notification]
Host body stabilized. Basic scan complete.
New Function Unlocked: Component Blueprint Memory
New Function Unlocked: Efficiency Analysis (Workshop-Only)
He clenched his fists, heart pounding.
In his past life, this factory was their pride — but in truth, it was just a fragile shell. It didn't make motorcycles. It assembled them from parts bought elsewhere — engines from one city, frames from another, brake systems from the cheapest supplier they could find.
That made them vulnerable. One missing part, and the entire production line stopped. One bad supplier, and profits vanished.
And that's exactly what happened last time.
Not again.
His father — Li Shiming — stepped into the workshop. His white undershirt was stained with oil and sweat, and a wrench hung loosely from his back pocket.
"Wei! What happened with the fan earlier?" he called out, looking over with concern.
Li Wei stood quickly, hiding the shock burns on his palm. "Nothing serious. I fixed it."
"Still tinkering with machines, huh? You should focus on your exams. College is coming up fast."
Li Wei hesitated. "Dad… what if… what if we started making our own parts?"
His father blinked. "What?"
"I mean it," Li Wei said. "Even small things — brackets, wheel rims, frame mounts. We could try, couldn't we?"
His father laughed, shaking his head. "That's easy to say. But do you know how many tools, molds, and technicians you'd need just to make a basic engine bracket? We don't even have a lathe that works properly."
Li Wei's gaze sharpened.
[Workshop Analysis Activated]
Lathe Status: 42% efficiency. Misalignment detected. Recalibration required.
Tool Inventory: 35% incomplete.
Steel Alloy Supply: Low quality. Use caution for load-bearing parts.
I can fix all of this.
"No one expects us to make an engine tomorrow," Li Wei said calmly. "But what if we start small? Something like a footpeg mount. Or a battery holder. If we can make one part ourselves, we won't be so easy to push around."
His father frowned, clearly unconvinced. "Even if you're right, where would we even start?"
Li Wei smiled. "I already have an idea."
That night, he didn't study for the college entrance exam. Not the normal way.
Instead, he sat in front of an old motorcycle chassis, half-disassembled on a steel rack. The frame was bare, its engine missing, parts scattered nearby. He touched the cold metal and whispered:
[Analyze Component]
A web of blue lines traced the entire structure — geometry, tension points, material estimates, connection joints — all mapped in his vision like a CAD drawing.
Component: Frame Joint, Model: 1981 "Black Kite" 125cc
Material: Mild Steel Tube (Grade C)
Stress Points: 3
Vibration Risk: Medium
Suggested Modification: Reinforce bracket welds. Replace rivets with hex bolts.
He opened a notebook and began sketching. Designs flowed from his hand like instinct.
By midnight, he had blueprints for three basic parts:
A brake pedal mount that used 20% less metal but 30% more strength
A custom battery cage designed for mass cutting
And a redesigned rearview mirror stem using leftover scrap
They weren't flashy. But they were the beginning.
As the workshop lights flickered out, Li Wei stood in silence, watching his rough blueprints.
"In my last life, we waited for parts to arrive."
"This time, they'll wait for me to deliver."
PS: I know it's stupid to make everything by themselves but MC is still young and doesn't know much. And it's the fear of past life too to let him make this decision. But MC will grow with time too so just be patient.