As they entered the office area, a middle-aged man in a suit hurried past. When he saw Yun Yi and the balding old man, he paused for a moment, then approached with a smile, shaking the old man’s hand. "Earl Xia Ya, what brings you here? Did your Red Mane Charger have another issue?"


    "Ha ha ha…" The old man laughed heartily, patting the middle-aged man on the shoulder. "Xiao Chen, isn’t your mech repair department still short on technicians? I’ve brought someone for you."


    Yun Yi glanced at the balding old man, startled. He never expected that this somewhat unkempt old man was actually an earl. Truly, this was Chang’an Four Star of the Chu Tang Empire, where even an earl could be encountered early in the morning.


    The middle-aged man, surnamed Chen, was overjoyed. "Earl Xia Ya, you’ve done us a great favor. You have no idea how fierce the competition among mech companies has been lately. We’ve had trouble finding people. By the way, where’s the person you’ve brought?"


    Hearing this, Yun Yi scratched his head, sighing inwardly. It seemed he was still too young. Next time he looked for a job, he’d have to act more mature.


    Earl Xia Ya’s expression turned serious as he pointed at Yun Yi. "This is the kid. Don’t let his age fool you. His skills are no worse than your technicians here."


    The middle-aged man, Chen, hesitated for a moment, glancing at Yun Yi and then back at Earl Xia Ya. Finally, he said, "Actually, we’ve just hired a junior technician a few days ago, so we’re not in urgent need. But since it’s Earl Xia Ya who’s recommending him, his skills must be good. I’ll take him on."


    Both Earl Xia Ya and Yun Yi understood the underlying message: Earl Xia Ya was pulling strings, and Chen was giving him face.


    Earl Xia Ya’s face twitched, and he snorted. "Fine, then. My Red Mane Charger has no other issues. Just replace the energy conduit for me."


    "No problem, no problem," Chen laughed, pulling up his wrist computer to relay the instructions. "Earl Xia Ya, I’ve already arranged for someone to replace it. The kid you brought can report to Director Tomson. Oh, by the way, a Red Mane Charger Model VII just arrived this morning. Director Tomson might be inspecting it in Workshop Two. You can go find him there."


    After the middle-aged man left, Yun Yi smiled wryly at Earl Xia Ya. "Earl, thank you for your help today. Otherwise…"


    "Hmph," Earl Xia Ya glared in the direction the man had left. "Kid, work hard. Don’t embarrass me, Xia Ya. After all, you’re my recommendation. If you don’t perform well, I’ll have Xiao Chen fire you myself."


    Yun Yi looked Earl Xia Ya in the eye and said firmly, "Don’t worry, Earl Xia Ya. I’ll do my best. If I don’t meet the standards of the other technicians, I’ll leave on my own without anyone needing to tell me."


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Good," Earl Xia Ya patted Yun Yi’s shoulder, satisfied. Yun Yi couldn’t help but inwardly complain: Earl Xia Ya seemed great, but this habit of patting shoulders was a bit much.


    "Now that you’re part of Swift Mechanics, let’s go check on my Red Mane Charger and see how the repairs are going."


    Since the issue had already been identified, the replacement was simple. In less than ten minutes, a technician had replaced the energy conduit on Earl Xia Ya’s mech.


    After exchanging contact information with Earl Xia Ya, Yun Yi saw him off. Now, it was time to find Director Tomson.


    Yun Yi’s impression of Director Tomson was generally positive. The kind-hearted director hadn’t lost his temper or thrown him out when they first met, so he seemed like a reasonable person.


    Soon, Yun Yi found Workshop Two and spotted Director Tomson directing the workers. However, his attention was immediately drawn to the red mech parked in the center of the workshop.


    The Red Mane Charger Model VII was a new mech released by the Chu Tang Empire’s Weilong Corporation three years ago. Building on the series’ strengths of high speed, firepower, and powerful engines, the biggest improvement was its armor material, which used a newly developed alloy. This alloy, shared with the concurrently developed "Diamond" series, increased its resistance to damage by at least 50% compared to the Model III.


    In terms of appearance, the Model VII was sleeker than the Model III, with additional external armor on the chest for better pilot protection. Its weapon system also added a shield to the previous alloy longsword.


    Overall, the Model VII’s offensive capabilities were about 30% better than the Model III, while its defensive capabilities had increased by at least 100%.


    Looking at this formidable mech, Yun Yi’s heart stirred. He even felt the urge to rush over, pilot it, and charge into battle against an enemy.


    "You’re Yun Yi?"


    Director Tomson had noticed Yun Yi the moment he entered. Although he didn’t know how the young man had convinced Manager Chen, it didn’t dampen his good mood.


    Seeing the fiery look in Yun Yi’s eyes as he gazed at the mech, Tomson knew this young man genuinely loved mechs. People like him, given enough time and resources, would pour their heart and soul into learning. As long as they persevered, becoming a senior technician was only a matter of time.


    "What, taken with this Red Mane Charger?" To make sure Yun Yi heard him, Tomson even reached out to pat his shoulder.


    "Sorry…" Yun Yi snapped out of his trance and looked apologetically at the director. "I couldn’t help it. As soon as I saw it, I couldn’t look away."


    Tomson chuckled. "That’s fine. You’re one of us now. This mech will be here for a while, so you’ll have plenty of time to look at it."


    "Really?" Yun Yi exclaimed excitedly. Seeing Tomson nod, he couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong with this Red Mane Charger Model VII?"


    Tomson shook his head. "This mech was purchased by one of our long-term clients less than a year ago, but it started having unstable engine output. The Model VII is too advanced, and much of its technology is beyond our grasp. With our current skills and equipment, we can’t diagnose the issue. However, we’ve contacted Weilong Corporation, and they’ve agreed to send someone to repair it within three working days. They’ve also allowed us to observe…"


    "That’s great!" Yun Yi’s face lit up. He thought to himself: When the Weilong technician comes to repair it in a few days, I’ll observe carefully and see how the Model VII differs from the Model III.


    "Come on," Tomson pointed to a few old mechs piled up in the corner. "Since you don’t have a certification, I’ll give you a simple test to see what kind of work we can assign you."


    Yun Yi nodded, clenching his fists in determination. He had to perform well and not let Earl Xia Ya down.