Volume One, Chapter Three: The Engine Emperor’s Radical Overhaul Leaves the Workshop Elder Stunned!

[Beep! J-5 fighter jet detected again. Scan?]

“Scan!”

Du Yuze’s command rang out firmly in his mind.

An invisible blue beam shot forth from the depths of his consciousness, instantly enveloping the massive object before him. Wherever the beam passed, the thick canvas, dust-covered fuselage, and cold skin peeled away layer by layer, transforming into a flood of data streams that wildly reassembled within his brain.

A perfect, translucent three-dimensional model of the J-5 slowly rotated in his mind’s eye.

Nose intake, canopy, wings, horizontal tail, vertical tail… every component was clearly visible, every rivet precisely in place.

[Scan complete.]

[Analyzing target structure…]

[Acquired: Complete design blueprints and manufacturing process manual for the Turbojet-5 engine.]

[Acquired: Structural strength analysis report of the J-5 airframe (including defect areas).]

[Acquired: Basic avionics system wiring schematic.]

[Acquired: Fundamental aerodynamic layout optimization plan for the wings.]

…

A cascade of notification sounds, like celestial music.

This was no longer the vague recollection based on past experience from a previous life. This was absolute truth, accurate to the micrometer and calculated to the millisecond. The curvature of turbine blades, combustion chamber volume, afterburner fuel injection timing… countless pieces of knowledge once confined to top engineers’ blueprints and classified files were now instinctively imprinted deeply in his mind.

Within mere ten seconds, his familiarity with this aircraft had surpassed even its original designers.

[Initial full scan successful. Awarded 100 military engineering points.]

[Core component “Turbojet-5” found to have upgrade potential.]

[Upgrade plan: Iterate to “Turbojet-7A” engine model.]

[Upgrade effects: Maximum thrust increased by 40%, fuel efficiency improved by 18%, reliability enhanced by 22%.]

[Upgrade cost: 100 points.]

Almost without hesitation,

“Upgrade!”

Du Yuze clenched his fist. In his previous life, it was precisely to solve the “heart condition” of the J-5 that he proposed a similar radical modification plan, only to be dismissed as a fanciful dream.

But now, the system had offered him a shortcut.

[Points deducted.]

[“Turbojet-7A” complete blueprints and manufacturing procedures unlocking…]

[Unlock complete.]

A new torrent of data poured in. The structure was several times more complex than the Turbojet-5, with more advanced material compositions and stricter machining precision. Yet to Du Yuze’s mind, it was as clear as 1 + 1 = 2.

He knew exactly what to do.

“Clang!”

Du Yuze turned and kicked open the wooden door of the nearby tool room. The doorframe groaned under the strain. Ignoring the dust that fell, his gaze blazed as it swept across the dusty tool rack.

Calipers, micrometers, wrenches, hammers…

Like a soldier preparing for battle, he quickly armed himself.

Then, he rushed toward the sleeping steel giant—the machine workshop.

First, the C620 lathe. He tore off the canvas covering it, revealing the oil-stained, weathered body. He made no complaints, running his hand over the cold control lever, checking the guide rails, turning the chuck. It was still usable.

Second, the X62W universal milling machine.

Third, the Z35 radial drilling machine.

He inspected his long-forgotten arsenal like a king reviewing his army.

“Whirr—”

He flipped the main power switch in the workshop. The old wiring hissed with electricity, a few dim explosion-proof lamps flickered stubbornly to life, casting a pale light.

The world fell silent except for his breathing and heartbeat.

Du Yuze took a deep breath. The scent of machine oil in the air did not discomfort him; instead, it invigorated every cell in his body.

He clamped a piece of 45 steel salvaged from the scrap pile into the lathe chuck and started the machine.

“Wooo—”

The lathe, silent for over a decade, roared awake like a beast. The spindle spun, driving the steel. Du Yuze gripped the control lever with both hands, moved the turret forward, and precisely brought the cutting tool to touch the steel’s surface.

“Screech—”

The piercing sound of friction rang out, sparks flying. Bright red metal shavings curled and scattered, burning hot.

His movements were flawless. The depth of cut, the speed of movement, everything was textbook perfect. No, even more perfect than any textbook, because the system had already marked out the optimal machining parameters in his mind.

He needed no thought—only execution.

Day one.

He completed rough machining of the turbine disk and compressor blades. When hungry, he gnawed on a dry, hard steamed bun from his luggage. When thirsty, he turned on the tap by the wall, gulping down cold, rusty water.

The workshop echoed only with the roar of machines and the shriek of metal.

Day two.

Pang Qingquan pushed open the workshop door. He had come for a routine inspection but was startled by the deafening noise.

Under the light, he saw the ghostlike figure.

Du Yuze was covered in oil stains and iron shavings. His hair was disheveled, eyes bloodshot. He was bent over a milling machine, fully absorbed in his work as if pouring his very soul into the metal.

“Little Du? What… what are you doing?” Pang Qingquan’s voice was shredded by the machine noise.

Du Yuze didn’t even turn his head, just waved his hand, signaling not to disturb him.

Pang Qingquan stepped closer and looked at the roughly shaped parts on the workbench. Complex curves, precise structures—these were not things a mere “paper designer” technician could produce.

This… is he making engine parts?

The absurd thought flashed in Pang Qingquan’s mind.

Is he mad?

This kid is definitely mad!

Trying to build an aircraft engine using these nearly worn-out scrap machines?

“You’re out of your mind!” Pang Qingquan shouted, but Du Yuze ignored him.

Seeing Du Yuze’s stubborn defiance, he opened his mouth but could only shake his head and withdraw from the workshop. This place was about to be shut down; was he driven crazy by stress?

He didn’t bother him again. Just a madman; let him be.

Two days and two nights.

Du Yuze worked without sleep or rest. His body had long reached its limit, muscles aching, brain buzzing. But sheer willpower kept him going. That unwillingness to yield, that fierce determination to trample fate beneath his feet sustained him.

Every move he made, aided by the system, pushed human capability to its extreme.

Early on the third day.

When the final fuel injector nozzle for the combustion chamber was finished, Du Yuze carefully installed it onto the main assembly.

“Click.”

A soft sound.

A turbine jet engine prototype, complex in structure and shimmering with metallic cold light, lay quietly on the assembly table. It was not as polished and glossy as factory-made products; some parts still bore the rough marks of hand finishing.

Yet every core component’s precision was terrifyingly exact.

“Phew…”

Du Yuze stepped back, the nerves he’d held taut for forty-eight hours finally releasing. A tidal wave of exhaustion engulfed him. His vision darkened, his body went limp, and he collapsed onto the cold concrete floor.

He had succeeded.

With just his two hands and a pile of scrap metal, he had painstakingly forged an engine that surpassed its era!

[Beep!]

The cold system prompt sounded like celestial music now.

[Core component “Turbojet-7A (prototype)” completed by host.]

[Completion: 85%]

[Evaluation: Rough but deadly masterpiece.]

[Mission complete. Awarded 100 military engineering points.]

[Host achieved initial “Handcrafted” accomplishment. Marketplace system now unlocked.]

A brand-new luminous screen unfolded before Du Yuze’s eyes.

[Marketplace (Beginner)]

[Available items for exchange:]

[1. Energy Potion (Beginner): Instantly restores full stamina and energy. Price: 10 points.]

[2. Universal Toolbox (Basic Edition): Contains full set of high-precision manual tools. Price: 50 points.]

[3. “Mechanical Machining: From Beginner to Expert”: Knowledge book. Price: 20 points.]

…

Du Yuze’s gaze locked firmly on the first item.

“Exchange for Energy Potion!”

[Points deducted.]

A glass vial filled with pale blue liquid appeared in his hand out of thin air.

Without hesitation, Du Yuze pulled out the stopper and downed it in one gulp.

A cool liquid slid down his throat, instantly transforming into a mighty heat that surged through every limb and sinew. All fatigue, soreness, and drowsiness melted away like snow meeting the blazing sun.

He abruptly rose from the floor, clenching his fists, feeling the renewed power coursing through his body.

He glanced at the quietly resting prototype engine, then at the daunting “shopping list” flashing in his mind.

This was only the first step.

Du Yuze walked to the grimy factory window and pushed it open.

Outside, dawn was breaking.

He picked up a wrench and returned to the engine prototype.