The person Yu Lian referred to as Aisen Franchi was a big, round Fat Man . He was half a head shorter than Yu Lian, but his weight was at least 1.5 times his. Fortunately, this was not a slovenly and gloomy shut-in, but a kind, smiling, and harmonious big white Fat Man . Seeing him was like seeing a large ball of cotton or a bipedal Rolling; he looked festive.

This kind of character design is truly classic; they are either villains or definitely tech geeks.

And Aisen was indeed dressed like a tech geek: a simple T-shirt, jeans, and a large backpack. His outfit was generally neat, but a bit unfashionable.

Seeing Yu Lian in a military officer's uniform—which was actually the Central Defense University's school uniform—he hesitated but still walked over. He wanted to shake Yu Lian's hand but suddenly noticed the dirt in his fingernails and quickly pulled his hand back in a flurry.

"You, you are... that, excuse me, the one who sent me the email, was that you?"

"Hmm, let me introduce myself first. I am Yu Lian, a student at Central Defense University." Yu Lian smiled warmly, directly shook the other party's hand, and then pointed to a chair: "Please sit down, we can talk slowly."

Aisen sat down, a little flattered. He originally wanted to sit on only half the chair to show respect, but being too fat , he ended up occupying the entire chair.

"An iced coffee, double milk, double sugar, plus a large slice of Black Forest cake," Yu Lian instructed a passing waiter robot.

Aisen was a little moved. He knew these refreshments were prepared for him. After all, the handsome young officer across from him, who looked like he belonged to a different painting style, clearly didn't seem to fit with soft things like cake and sweetened iced coffee.

Because he was moved, he didn't even care how the other party knew his favorite was Black Forest cake.

"I'll get straight to the point. Our graduation ceremony this year happens to coincide with the Commonwealth's Navy Day. So, we will have a single-ship combat exercise during the celebration."

"Ah... uh, Navy Day will have a big celebration, I do know that." Aisen blinked in confusion, not understanding what this had to do with him.

"Everyone is really looking forward to it," he quickly added. Of course, he wasn't actually interested in the Navy, but rather in the various celebrities performing at the celebration, such as his favorite, Ms. Serena.

"Yes, there are many celebrity performances, including Ms. Serena, who is now popular throughout the All-Galaxy. But no matter what, it's still Navy Day, so the grand finale will be our single-ship combat exercise."

Yu Lian intentionally emphasized "performance," not bothering to hide his sarcasm.

"So, what, what does this have to do with me?" Aisen was still a bit confused.

"I'm here to invite you to join my team, which means joining Hong Fang (Red Team)." Seeing the other party completely stunned, Yu Lian smiled and continued: "The current acting chief engineer is a girl with some engineering skills, but she's only at the level of a senior enthusiast. There's nothing for it, she's been crying and begging me to find her a good helper, even willing to hand over the chief engineer position."

Aisen Franchi remained utterly bewildered.

Yu Lian then said, "Oh, that girl is a beauty. Also, we already have quite a few good girls on our ship."

Yu Lian didn't take out his photos with the girls; he had that much emotional intelligence. However, the above words were enough to make Aisen Franchi, the engineering geek, light up.

He quickly realized he was being a bit undignified and coughed: "Sor-sorry... Sir, officer? What... what should I call you? Officer? Boss?"

"...Just call me Yu Lian. I haven't graduated yet, and you are not a soldier."

Also, if you dare call me 'Boss' again, I'll give you a good slap!

"This matter is too sudden. Besides, since it's Navy Day, isn't it all about military personnel? I'm just a fresh graduate from an ordinary technical college, and I'm already planning to work at a 4S shop after graduation."

Then become a motorcycle mechanic and do that for ten years? Just thinking about the things you'll accomplish in the future, I feel you're wasting your life and talent.

"Don't worry, not only military academy students, but all graduating college students can join. This includes comprehensive universities, city universities, vocational colleges, and even technical colleges. We military academy students will become officers after graduation, but is the army only composed of officers? Most non-commissioned officers and soldiers don't come from all walks of life? I guess this is why the organizing committee agreed for both sides to recruit people from outside schools, including ordinary institutions."

Yu Lian paused and raised his cup to Aisen: "Excellent people like you will be the backbone of the army. You won't be called officers, but you will establish yourselves in the Universe with your skills."

Aisen was still bewildered, but he already showed a hint of shyness mixed with a little pride. It was clear he was very happy with the praise, so Yu Lian struck while the iron was hot: "Unfortunately, my opponents are popular scions from prominent families in the academy. Most of the excellent talents from our school have been recruited by them. We, Hong Fang (Red Team), were not favored from the start. However, this is still the last time many people will step onto a real warship. Even if it's just an exhibition match, I don't want to go through the motions and be a backdrop for others to beat. Therefore, I need all excellent classmates, excellent partners, excellent comrades! I need your strength!"

"..."

"So, what does it matter if we're not soldiers? I'm a commoner, everyone's a commoner, but we just have to show those famous flowers grown in glass greenhouses what's what. Then let the whole Universe see that we are thriving!"

Aisen Franchi was completely fired up, but as an engineering geek, his logic was still sound, and he asked doubtfully: "But how did you know about me...? We haven't even met, and you already consider me, this, an excellent talent? This, this is really too much praise."

Yu Lian opened his personal terminal and projected a light screen showing a U-shaped aircraft.

"This is your design from the National University Student Aircraft Design Competition two years ago, isn't it?"

"Uh, this..." Aisen showed a hint of pride, but then scratched his head in distress: "I only won a Newcomer Creative Award."

"However, I've seen the grand prize and top five entries, and they're all just attention-grabbing trash. Your design is the only one with practical operability," Yu Lian sneered.

The future champion of sub-light speed ship racing, the prototype of the guang yi chuan (light wing ship), is indeed still an ugly duckling now. There are many incompetent people in this world who don't recognize value, which is sad, but also fortunate, isn't it?

"I have a hunch. Your Light Wings design can completely replace solar sails in the future."

Aisen Franchi's eyes lit up, as if he had met a kindred spirit, and he said loudly: "This, the current solar sails, to put it bluntly, are just improved versions of large solar panels from ancient satellites. But as you know, this equipment was designed to achieve stellar-level flight without superluminal warp technology. The so-called acceleration is calculated in centuries and millennia. However, the tactical solar sails used on high-speed military ships actually achieve explosive acceleration in a short time by extracting stellar energy instantaneously through arrays made of a small amount of Zero Element material..."

He paused and shook his head somewhat distressed: "But this would put a considerable burden on the ship's hull. And wouldn't solar sails become consumables that are completely scrapped after a few uses? I feel like this feeling isn't really like technology, it feels..."

"It feels more like alchemy and metaphysics, right?" Yu Lian smiled.

That’s why scrapped solar sails absolutely cannot be thrown away; after all, they contain Zero Element. Yu Lian found it particularly comical to imagine various large and small engineering ships meticulously picking up junk amidst the wreckage of warships after a major fleet battle.

However, this scene was indeed playing out across the Universe.

“I’ve always felt that only things that can be replicated are true technology. But, Zero Element cannot be replicated…”

Yu Lian looked at the chubby face, which was quite infectious when serious, and once again confirmed that the other party was indeed the right person and had not disappointed him.

“My personal suggestion is that you had best register a patent for your design immediately. Of course, it’s best to register it with the Commonwealth.”

Right, an ordinary tech geek probably doesn’t have many connections in the Commonwealth. This kind of thing can’t be asked of that young miss. If that precocious loli saw a business opportunity, it would be bad.

Then I’ll just ask Ash. That guy should be quite free lately.

“Th-this… you mean…”

“Indeed, your design is not yet mature, but gold cannot remain buried in sand forever, so it’s time to prepare for a rainy day,” Yu Lian said with a smile.

Yes, without its core power transmission system, the guang yi chuan (light wing ship) design would indeed be suspected of being flashy but impractical. However, the power transmission system would eventually emerge from Aisen’s mind, and by then, having a patent would be better than not having one, and a Commonwealth patent would be better than one from any other nation.

Anyway, as long as the core transmission system was in his hands, there was no need to worry about piracy.

The fatty looked like he was about to cry. It was his first time receiving such praise. He quickly took a big gulp of iced coffee, and his voice then carried a slight tremor:

“To be honest, I’ve been very interested in ships and machinery since I was a child, and I’ve always wanted to be a ship designer… It’s just that my family can’t afford the tuition for a design major at a prestigious university, and my grades aren’t good enough for a full scholarship. This, well, actually, my math, physics, and chemistry are all very good, it’s just that my foreign language skills held me back, really! I’ve been teaching myself aircraft and ship design, hoping to gain everyone’s appreciation. But my teachers all said I was dreaming, and the most significant design award I’ve received so far is this one. The total prize money was only 5,000 Blue Star Coins. Besides an old man I met in Mist Capital last time, you are the first person to give such high praise to my design.”

That’s right! Because besides himself, who else knew that the guang yi chuan (light wing ship) was not Aisen Franchi’s peak at all? Thirty years later, the nightmare of the Empire, the symbol of the Blue Star Volunteer Army, and the prototype of the Azure Fang fighter, would be born behind this tech geek fatty’s amiable and endearing round face?

And now, with my guidance (and persuasion), Azure Fang will definitely not be your peak!

However, I am quite curious about the “old man from Mist Capital” you mentioned! To be able to see your talent, at least his eyesight is very good. Perhaps he’s a senior technical expert like Uncle Karl Johnson.

Let’s find an opportunity to communicate. Maybe I can dig out some SRs from my previous life that were unknown to others.

“However, your own academic performance is also excellent. Although all your teachers thought you were dreaming, they didn’t stop you. Right?” Yu Lian said with a smile.

“Yes, I really am a very good mechanic. That’s why people from 4S shops came to hire me even before I graduated!” A hint of pride finally appeared in his reserved, honest smile.

That’s right! Besides being an excellent designer, you were also the Chief Engineer and Second Officer of the Commonwealth’s last heroic ship. But, looking at your round, chubby face now, who would believe it if you said it?

Thinking of this, Yu Lian opened another document on his terminal. A structure that seemed to have several helical links intertwined immediately appeared in the image.

Aisen’s eyes immediately lit up again: “Th-this structure…”

“Some new ideas I have for existing energy engines. Do you think a part with this shape is feasible?”

“It’s very necessary to research! My personal intuition is that it will improve both the transmission efficiency and durability of the engine.” Aisen showed an “I reckon” expression, reined in his smile, and observed seriously for a long time: “But we need to try to make it. It’s just that the parts with this structure are a bit complex and cannot be made by existing lathes. Unless it’s…”

“Unless it’s handcrafted, or the lathe is redesigned, right?”

Aisen nodded.

Actually, a 3D printer would also work. It’s just that this All-Galaxy, with its skewed tech tree and culture tree, doesn’t have this technology!

“Even if it’s handcrafted, it’s not something an ordinary technician can do. But look how beautiful it is! I think that once she is born, she will shock the All-Galaxy!” His eyes flickered with an uncertain light, and his smile made people feel even more uneasy. This time, it really felt like a perverted, gloomy, fat otaku seeing a beautiful producer.

“So, after graduation, don’t go to work at a 4S shop. That’s a waste of your time, and even more, a waste of your talent. Even the universe spirit would shed tears seeing it!” Yu Lian said with a smile.

“Huh?” Aisen was stunned.

“We’ll open a small factory to produce cockroach catchers. With this kind of part, we might even monopolize the market in a few years, you know. I’ll provide the money, and you’ll contribute your technology as equity. How about it?”

Aisen continued to be stunned. He felt the topic was jumping too quickly, so fast that he was a bit overwhelmed.

“You can consider this slowly; I welcome you anytime anyway.” Yu Lian paused, then said in a tone close to that of a pyramid scheme: “However, on the other hand, I need your immediate answer. How about it? As one of the grassroots, do you want to come with me and kick some rich kids’ butts?”

Aisen Franchi, who had been timid and submissive for over twenty years, suddenly felt a long-lost surge of passion… This feeling only came to him when he listened to Serena Mao’s songs and when he designed his own ships.

“So, if I join, will you be the Captain?”

“Yes, I am the Captain. Chief Engineer, Damage Control Team Leader, Maintenance Team Leader, you can pick any of these positions.”

He hesitated for a moment and said, “Then, can I recommend two friends to come along? They are both friends I met online, and like me, they are also mechanics. One is Tamir from Penglai Engineering Institute; the other is a bit further away, Bai Ziya from New Divine Province Industrial University. I guarantee they are both experts in this field!”

Most engineering geeks aren’t very emotionally intelligent. He was, of course, just recommending his friends, but he didn’t realize that in most cases, doing so would actually have the opposite effect. However, Yu Lian only said with some doubt: “Has the latter one graduated? Ah, never mind, I just think with the surname Bai and being in New Divine Province, that name sounds particularly young.”

Two more familiar names. As expected, engineering geeks have a clustering effect. If there’s one in front of you, there must be ten or more around. However, Yu Lian vaguely remembered that the latter one should be several years younger than Aisen.

“He’s a genius, he skipped several grades. I can’t compare to him,” Aisen Franchi said with a shy smile again.

Yu Lian pondered for a moment, then firmly grasped Aisen Franchi’s hand and shook it joyfully, not bothering to hide his pleasure. This new Chief Engineer was too understanding; buy one get two free!

“Please invite them. Also, happy cooperation! Oh, right, from now on, please call me Captain!”

Rounding up, it’s a big chapter of 5K. So today is another happy one-update beast! Meow meow meow