Nie Yun fiddled with the satellite phone. Given the rarity of signals at sea and his limited circle of friends, he didn't even own a mobile phone.
One could say Nie Yun lived like a fisherman from the 1970s, essentially isolated from the world. Such a "simple" fisherman could almost be displayed in a museum!
"Such a sophisticated device, with so many non-metallic materials inside. Will it be irreversible once consumed?" Nie Yun hesitated, looking at the satellite phone. Rumored to cost ten to twenty thousand per unit, he had to be cautious—no, he should say he had to be meticulous!
Ultimately, however, Nie Yun decided to consume it.
Three minutes later, Nie Yun held a gleaming silver satellite phone. "It seems this thing doesn't need recharging? Just let the mechanical bugs bask in the sun daily? By the way, not only am I now a master of firearms, but I might also pass as an electronic and mechanical master, right?"
Through his connection with the mechanical bugs, he was astonished to find he had understood the structure of the satellite phone. His brain had surpassed ordinary human capacity and was now on par with a computer!
"A person who didn't even finish elementary school is becoming less human!" Nie Yun remarked with a hint of pride.
At that moment, the phone suddenly rang, startling Nie Yun. After checking the caller ID, he answered the call smoothly.
"Hello! Nie Yun," came Chu Xiaoxiao's voice.
"Eh! Why are you calling?" Nie Yun was taken aback.
"Dummy, I saved the number! Also, your account was nearly out of credit, so I topped it up with ten thousand. You won't have to worry about running out of phone credit for a year!" Chu Xiaoxiao said generously.
Ten thousand!? What a spendthrift!
If Chu Xiaoxiao knew his thoughts, she'd probably chase him down the street with a kitchen knife.
"Oh, thank you then. Actually, I don't use the phone much…" Nie Yun was interrupted.
"Are you selling that ancient coin or not?"
"Sure, sure! I suppose it's necessary to have a phone if we need to keep in touch frequently." Nie Yun wiped his sweat.
Before she left, Nie Yun had asked Chu Xiaoxiao to help appraise the ancient coin he found. If it was worthless, he'd give it to her; if valuable, she'd help sell it.
This comment had naturally earned him a reprimand from Chu Xiaoxiao. "Is there a way to talk to a girl? Only if it's worthless do you give it to me!"
"That's more like it. I've just arrived home, and I've had the coin appraised. I'll let you know once I have news. Where are you now?"
Nie Yun scratched his head, looked around, and felt a bit of sweat. He wasn't sure where he had drifted to. "Ahem, I'm fishing. Had a good catch today!"
He lied casually.
"Fishing…" Chu Xiaoxiao seemed momentarily speechless.
"Do you intend to fish for the rest of your life?"
"There's nothing wrong with fishing!" Nie Yun said, enjoying a leisurely chat with the beautiful girl as he swung his feet from the bow of the boat.
"Have you never thought of making something of yourself?" Chu Xiaoxiao was exasperated by his lack of ambition.
"Of course I have! I'm a person with dreams!"
"Oh, and what is your dream?"
"To be the greatest fisherman!"
"Forget it, do whatever you want! I'm too lazy to deal with you!" Chu Xiaoxiao angrily hung up the phone.
Nie Yun put away the phone, confused by the heiress's sudden temper.
"City folks are really strange!" Nie Yun turned his head to look behind him, where nearly half of the Sea Wolf was now sparkling silver.
"Oh, brother, it looks like the antique route is a no-go. We'd better keep up with the times and advance into the new era!" Nie Yun patted the deck of the Sea Wolf.
"But why does the draft seem so deep today?" Nie Yun looked at the sea, where he usually didn't have the luxury of soaking his feet.
"Damn it!" Nie Yun realized with a start that the boat was overloaded!
Indeed, the Sea Wolf was originally a wooden fishing boat, and its design was inherently limited. Trying to convert it into a fully metallic vessel was wishful thinking!
"This… it seems the Sea Wolf Overhaul Project has a major flaw. What should we do?" Nie Yun was somewhat dumbfounded.
"A lesson learned the hard way! Elementary school education proves to be inadequate after all!" Nie Yun pondered deeply.
He concluded that expanding the number of mechanical bugs was essential. More manpower means greater strength. There weren't enough bugs to achieve miracles yet.
No development center with a family planning policy could be disrupted!
Thus, expansion was the only option. Nie Yun came up with two solutions:
Devour other large vessels and perform a complete upgrade! Manufacture a larger version of the Sea Wolf!
"Brother? If you were to undergo surgery, would you choose a complete makeover or a butt enhancement?"
"Rustle rustle!" The mechanical bugs continued working tirelessly.
"Well, it seems all men prefer larger sizes!" Nie Yun nodded in realization.
Mechanical Bugs: "..." (→_→)
Half an hour later, panting and exhausted, Nie Yun looked at the Sea Wolf, which was tilted, with one side of the deck nearly touching the water. It seemed on the verge of capsizing.
"Huff… huff… Damn it! This elementary school education truly falls short. Brother, it's not that I don't want to help, but some sizes are just inherent!
Obsession is the root of suffering; letting go is the path to liberation!" Nie Yun clasped his hands together, resembling a high monk.
Thus—"Project Wolverine" was declared bankrupt!