To avoid Zhao Kun's attention, Lin Che took the initiative to ask Boss Wang if he could organize the scrap parts in the workshop's most remote warehouse. The warehouse was tucked away in the farthest corner of Rusty Iron Workshop, rarely visited and filled with dusty crates and rusted mechanical parts. Only a small window let in dim light.
Boss Wang had been struggling to find someone willing to do the dirty, tiring work, so he agreed on the spot, even saying: "If you do a good job, I'll give you back the half-month pay I deducted." Lin Che knew Boss Wang was just saying that—all he really wanted was to stay away from the front courtyard's troubles and find a quiet place to sort out his thoughts.
The warehouse smelled of damp mildew. Lin Che found a clean cloth, wiped the dust off the floor, and began organizing the parts. As he worked, he replayed the past-life images in his mind—the man in the ancient robe, the mysterious valley, the black mist, and that line: "The star marrow… must not be corrupted."
"Star marrow… could my birthmark be the star marrow?" Lin Che murmured, brushing his fingertip over the mark. If the birthmark really was the star marrow, then the Zhao family's search for "someone with a special mark" must be to seize it.
Lost in thought, he suddenly kicked something hard under his foot. Looking down, he saw a wooden crate half-buried under a pile of parts. Its iron lock was rusted shut, and a thick layer of dust covered its surface.
"What's inside?" Lin Che knelt down, wiping the dust off the crate with his cloth. It was made of solid oak, with faint carvings on its surface that looked years old.
He tried lifting the crate—it was surprisingly light. Curiosity piqued, he found an iron rod and pried open the rusted lock.
The moment he opened the crate, a faint scent of old paper wafted out. Lin Che leaned in and saw a yellowed, thread-bound ancient book and a palm-sized metal plate inside.
He carefully took out the ancient book. Its cover was made of thick leather, worn and cracked with age. When he flipped through the pages, he found the text was written in a strange, archaic script—nothing like the characters used in the Mechanical Mystic World. He frowned, about to close the book when a drawing on one page caught his eye.
The drawing showed a palm with a pale silver, star-shaped mark on its wrist—exactly like his birthmark! Next to the drawing, a few lines of archaic script were annotated, and though Lin Che couldn't read most of them, one word stood out clearly: "Star Marrow."
Lin Che's heart raced. He ran his finger over the drawing, his breath catching—this book was definitely related to his birthmark!
He then picked up the metal plate from the crate. It was made of an unknown dark metal, cold and smooth to the touch. On its surface, a blurry map was etched: there was a rough outline of a city (which looked like Mechanic City, where Rusty Iron Workshop was located) and a red dot marking an area underground. Next to the dot, the same archaic script as in the book was carved—this time, Lin Che recognized two words: "Ancient Ruins."
"Underground ancient ruins… could that be where the star marrow's secret is hidden?" Lin Che clutched the metal plate tightly, excitement surging through him. This was the first real clue he'd found about his birthmark!
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed at the warehouse door. Lin Che's heart skipped a beat—he quickly stuffed the ancient book and metal plate into his coat, then pretended to be sorting parts.
The footsteps drew closer, and Boss Wang walked in, holding a whip in his hand. When he saw Lin Che, he snapped: "Lin Che, are you slacking off? I told you to organize the parts, not daydream!"
Lin Che quickly stood up: "No, Boss. I was just… checking if these parts can still be used."
Boss Wang's eyes swept over the open crate on the floor, and when he saw the empty interior, his face suddenly changed. He stepped forward, grabbing Lin Che's arm tightly: "What did you take from the crate?!"
Lin Che's heart sank—Boss Wang knew about the contents of the crate! He forced a calm expression: "Nothing, Boss. The crate was empty when I found it."
"Empty? Don't lie to me!" Boss Wang's grip tightened, his voice sharp with panic. "That crate has been locked up for years! There was an old book and a metal plate inside—where are they?!"
Lin Che realized he couldn't hide it anymore. He tried to pull his arm away, but Boss Wang's grip was too strong. "I… I didn't see any book or metal plate. You must be mistaken," he said, hoping to bluff his way through.
But Boss Wang didn't believe him. He raised his whip, ready to strike: "You little thief! How dare you steal from the workshop? Tell me where you hid them, or I'll break your legs!"
Lin Che closed his eyes, bracing for the whip—then suddenly, a familiar voice shouted: "Boss Wang! Stop!"
Su Qing ran into the warehouse, holding a stack of repaired parts. She saw Boss Wang grabbing Lin Che and raising his whip, and quickly stepped between them: "Boss Wang, what are you doing? Lin Che has been working hard all morning—how could he steal anything?"
Boss Wang glared at her: "Stay out of this! This boy stole something from the crate! I have to teach him a lesson!"
"He didn't steal anything," Su Qing insisted, placing the parts on a nearby table. "I passed by the warehouse just now and saw him organizing parts. The crate was already open when he found it—maybe someone else took the things inside earlier?"
Boss Wang hesitated. He'd locked that crate himself years ago and hadn't told anyone about its contents. Could someone else have really found it? He looked at Lin Che's calm face and Su Qing's resolute expression, then slowly lowered his whip.
"Hmph, if I find out you're lying, both of you will be in trouble," he warned, then glared at Lin Che one last time before storming out of the warehouse.
Lin Che let out a breath of relief, his back soaked in sweat. Su Qing turned to him, her eyes filled with doubt: "Lin Che, what's really in that crate? Why did Boss Wang get so angry?"
Lin Che looked at her, knowing he could no longer keep the secret. He pulled the ancient book and metal plate from his coat, handing them to Su Qing: "This is what was in the crate. The book has a drawing of my birthmark, and the plate has a map to an underground ruin. I think… my birthmark is called 'Star Marrow,' and the Zhao family is looking for it."
Su Qing's eyes widened as she looked at the drawing in the book and the map on the plate. She looked up at Lin Che, her voice trembling: "So the Zhao family's search… is for you? And that ruin… might have the answer about your birthmark?"
Lin Che nodded: "I think so. That's why I have to leave the workshop—if I stay, the Zhao family will find me eventually, and they'll hurt you and everyone else here."
Su Qing fell silent, staring at the map on the metal plate. After a moment, she looked up at Lin Che, her eyes firm: "I'll help you. I'll find a way to get you out of the workshop tonight, and I'll give you the money I've saved—you'll need it to find the ruin."
Lin Che was stunned: "Sister Su Qing, you don't have to—"
"I want to," Su Qing interrupted. "You're my friend. I can't let you face this alone."
Lin Che looked at her, warmth and gratitude filling his chest. He knew that leaving the workshop would be dangerous, and finding the underground ruin would be even more so—but with Su Qing's help, he felt a glimmer of hope.
That night, as Lin Che packed his things, he held the metal plate in his hand, staring at the red dot marking the ancient ruin. He didn't know what dangers awaited him there, or if he would really find the secret of the star marrow.
But he knew one thing—he could no longer run from his fate. The star marrow in his wrist, the past-life memories in his mind, and the Zhao family's pursuit had all pushed him onto this path.
As he waited for Su Qing to bring him the escape plan, Lin Che's hand tightened around the metal plate. Little did he know that the underground ancient ruin would not only reveal the secret of his birthmark, but also unlock a power within him that he could never have imagined—and that this power would change the fate of the entire Mechanical Mystic World.