Chapter 257

Zhao Yang's hand was still in his pocket, the disc pressed against his palm, the warmth slowly fading. He didn't call out, just stood still. The sparrow above his head flew into the treetops, the fluttering sound just ceased, and footsteps sounded from the Courtyard Gate.

Dong Xu had arrived.

He wore a faded work uniform, carried a tin box in his hand, and walked with his usual leisurely pace. At the door, he looked up at the sky, then down at his watch, and said, "It's about time."

The Triplets all looked at him.

Zhao Xing jumped down from the stone steps, brushed off the dust on his pants. Zhao Chen rubbed his eyes; the buzzing earlier had finally passed. Zhao Yang pulled his hand from his pocket, clenched the disc tightly, and stuffed it into his coat pocket.

"Let's go." Dong Xu turned, "Class."

No one asked further; the three kids followed him out the Courtyard Gate. Outside the Alley, an old tricycle was parked, with an iron-skin shed added at the back labeled "Repair Team Only." The four squeezed in, and the vehicle jolted along toward the factory area.

Nobody spoke along the way. Wind seeped through the shed's gaps, chilling their ears. Zhao Yang leaned against his siblings, closed his eyes to rest. He knew today wouldn't be easy.

The vehicle stopped in front of a red-brick workshop. Half the wall plaster had peeled off, the sign was askew, with chalk writing: "Technical Training Point, No Idlers Allowed." Dong Xu produced a key, opened the door, and the iron chain clanged.

The room wasn't large; a long table stood near the middle, and a few inscrutable drawings hung on the walls. Parts piled in a corner, Electric Wire tangled together. But in the center stood a metal platform, a thick cable running from it to the ceiling.

Dong Xu set down the box, clapped his hands, and said, "Don't just stand there, come over."

The Triplets gathered around.

He pressed the button on the table's edge; a beam of light shone down from above, projecting an image into the air. The lines were clear, components stacked layer upon layer, like an inverted tower.

"Anti-gravity Device." He said, "Today I'll teach you to make this."

Zhao Xing stared at the diagram for two seconds, then looked up and asked, "What should we use for the power module?"

"Homemade ion battery." Dong Xu took three small boxes from the case, "One each, don't lose them."

Zhao Chen took the box, opened it. Inside was a silver square block, its surface etched with fine lines. He rubbed it with his finger and nodded.

Zhao Yang didn't rush to take it, instead glancing at the scrap pile in the corner. "Can we use the copper wire over there?"

"Yes." Dong Xu said, "Pick some later."

No sooner had he spoken than a sound came from the doorway. He Yushui poked her head in, holding a Tablet. "Oh, running late?"

"Not late." Dong Xu pointed at the floating diagram, "We've just started."

He Yushui took a few steps in, set the Tablet on the table. The Screen lit up, showing the same diagram rotated, beginning to automatically disassemble the components. Numbers appeared beside each part, with arrows indicating the connection order.

"My app can still cast to the Screen?" He grinned proudly, "Last time it lagged for ages; now it runs smooth."

Dong Xu nodded, "Better than drawing by hand."

The Triplets were already at work. Zhao Xing handled the structural frame, measuring with an aluminum pipe. Zhao Chen rummaged through the parts for a magnetic ring, found it, and immediately pressed it into the base with a tool. Zhao Yang squatted on the floor to wire up, welding one end of the copper wire to the battery interface.

He Yushui watched, clicking her tongue, "This speed… is faster than I write code."

"They're not seeing these things for the first time." Dong Xu stood aside, hands in his pockets, "Just nobody taught them before."

Zhao Yang finished welding the last wire, looked up and asked, "Shall we test it?"

"Wait." Dong Xu walked over, pulled a cloth from the bottom of the box, and draped it over the device. "First, hear me explain the principle."

The three stopped what they were doing.

"This thing doesn't rely on an engine or airflow." He pointed at the center of the diagram, "It alters local mass perception, letting an object break free of the ground's hold. Simply put, it tricks the Earth into thinking the thing isn't there."

He Yushui chimed in, "It's like when your mom calls you to eat and you say, 'I didn't hear you,' even though you did—you just don't want to move."

Zhao Xing laughed, "So it's playing dumb?"

"Exactly." Dong Xu lifted the cloth, "Now, let's make it truly dumb once."

Zhao Yang pressed the switch.

The device gave a slight shudder, then rose slowly, hovering about twenty centimeters above the ground and staying steady. A ring of blue light flickered faintly around its base, like rippling water.

"Did it work?" Zhao Chen reached out to touch it, but didn't dare press hard.

"It worked." Dong Xu nodded, "First-time assembly succeeded, error under three percent."

He Yushui quickly recorded the data on her Tablet, "Let's log this—it's a historic moment."

Dong Xu, however, frowned, "Too smooth."

He walked to the window, pushed aside a broken pane of glass, and looked outside. Beyond was a weed-choked path, no one in sight, only the wind rustling leaves.

He remembered that when they arrived, that thing wasn't there.

—a broken iron pipe stuck slantwise in the soil, its tip bearing a small camera aimed at the workshop window. The lens blinked, a faint red glow.

He showed no reaction, turned back, and said, "That's enough for today. Pack up, Go Home."

The Triplets began tidying the tools. Zhao Yang powered off the device and carefully placed it in the box. Zhao Xing folded the diagram and slipped it into his inner coat pocket. Zhao Chen gave the wiring a final check, confirmed it was correct, then closed the box lid.

He Yushui gathered her Tablet, glanced back as she was leaving, and said, "Is this place really usable? Next time I'll bring new features."

"Just come." Dong Xu locked the door, "Don't be late all the time."

The four stepped out of the workshop; the sky had already darkened. The tricycle remained where it was, but they didn't get on. Dong Xu said, "Let's walk back, get some digestion."

The three children followed behind, chatting all the way about the assembly details. Zhao Yang walked on the outer edge, his hand slipping back into his pocket to feel the disc.

Cool.

Same as usual.

But he always felt that during those ten minutes, when the device started up, the disc seemed to give a slight hop.

As if responding.

They turned into the main lane; the streetlights had just come on. Old Second at the gate was scrubbing a pot, saw them and said, "Hey, out of school?"

"Mm." Zhao Xing replied, "Learned something new."

"Then you'd better teach your dad." Old Second chuckled, "He can't even fix a radio."

Zhao Yang didn't smile. He glanced back at the distant workshop roof.

A gust swept by, a scrap of iron sheet swayed, making a tinkling sound.

In that instant, he saw a dark shadow at the edge of the roof quickly retract.

It wasn't a person.

It's only an iron hand, with a wire attached, and it's right there setting something up.

He didn't shout.

He just pulled his hand out of his pocket and clenched his fist.

Ahead, Dong Xu suddenly stopped.

He turned around, looked at the three children, and said softly: "Don't tell anyone about what happened today."

"Why?" Zhao Chen asked.

"Because someone doesn't want us to learn." He paused, "And they've already started spying."