Chapter 185
Xia Lei got up early next morning . The clothes Shentu Tian-Yin delivered fit well and his wounds didn’t hurt so badly after a night’s rest . He had spent about an hour on the phone with Liang Si-Yao last night and he was in good spirits . There did not seem to be too many negative effects from what had happened last night and he looked to be handsome still .
He walked out the door and met Shentu Tian-Yin, who had also just come out from her room . He smiled and greeted, “Morning, Tian-Yin . ”
Shentu Tian-Yin smiled . “I went past your door last night and heard you talking . Was it Miss Liang?”
Xia Lei recalled the sensitive content of their conversation and asked awkwardly, “Uh, we didn’t disturb you, I hope . ”
“No, you didn’t,” said Shentu Tian-Yin, “Does she know you’re injured?”
“I didn’t tell her; didn’t want her to worry . But I did tell her to be more careful for now . ”
“You’re so good to her,” said Shentu Tian-Yin, “But she isn’t just any ordinary woman . She’s versed in martial arts so you don’t have to worry too much . Oh, right, are we still doing that experiment today?”
“Of course . Let’s begin after breakfast . I’ll have to go to the company afterwards because I’d like to process some things,” said Xia Lei .
Shentu Tian-Yin did not ask what he needed to process and just nodded .
Xia Lei had tossed and turned the whole night thinking of his fight with Dong Wu . The fight made him realise that he had to have a weapon for himself, and one that would be suitable for Wing Chun as well so that he could use it to its fullest potential . Dong Wu and Qin Qi were both practised in martial arts - one used a sword while the other used throwing knives . The weapon he needed also had to be able to fend off Dong Wu’s sword and Qin Qi’s throwing knives . It was difficult for one weapon to fulfil all three requirements but he already had a design plan ready in his head - he just had to make it .
After breakfast, Xia Lei followed Shentu Tian-Yin to her room .
Shentu Tian-Yin closed the door and looked at Xia Lei, feeling strangely nervous . “The same as last time?”
“No, it’ll be different this time . I will make a small wound on your spine and treat it with silver needles . The spine supports the human body and standing and walking would be impossible without it . Your father’s condition has to do with the spine too so I need to gather related data . ”
Shentu Tian-Yin’s face turned red before Xia Lei finished speaking . “So you mean… I have to take my clothes off?” she asked probingly .
Xia Lei nodded reluctantly . He didn’t want to say this request out loud but collecting information on the nerves and acupoints were very important for treating Shentu Ren and it had to be done .
Shentu Tian-Yin nodded quietly and slowly unbuttoned her jacket . She lowered her head, not daring to meet Xia Lei’s eyes . Strangely enough, she did not tell Xia Lei to turn around or close his eyes this time but turned around herself .
Xia Lei suddenly thought of something . “How about you ask Uncle Fu to help me? Jin Da-Hu and the others will do too . You don’t have to do it on your own . ”
“No, they don’t know the situation . ” Shentu Tian-Yin rejected the idea right away . “My father raised me so it is only right for me to do so much . You do it . ”
Shentu Tian-Yin removed her jacket and reached behind herself to unhook her bra . She had her back to Xia Lei but he could sense her shyness and nervousness . Her hands were trembling .
One hook was free before Xia Lei hurriedly said, “You don’t have to take that off . ”
Shentu Tian-Yin quickly re-hooked her bra . She looked back at Xia Lei and said in bashful annoyance, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Xia Lei gave her an innocent look . He didn’t tell her to take her bra off either, did he?
Shentu Tian-Yin lay on the bed .
Xia Lei took a deep breath and drew close . “I’m coming,” he said gently .
Shentu Tian-Yin’s face reddened and she closed her eyes . “Mm . Be gentle . ”
Xia Lei raised his palm and a loud smack sounded as it landed…
The workday had already started by the time Xia Lei got to Thunder Horse Manufacturing . He went into his personal workshop once he was back at the company and started working on his weapon .
Liang Si-Yao came by to see him close to the end of the workday and saw Xia Lei in work clothes, dirty all over . Her heart ached as she got him a towel to wipe away his sweat and nag at him . “You’re a born workaholic; you work the whole day once you get started . You’re as dirty as a tabby cat, you know that?”
Xia Lei suddenly drew her close and gave her a sneaky kiss on the face .
Liang Si-Yao gave him a light punch in fake annoyance . “You bad boy . ”
Xia Lei let her go .
Liang Si-Yao looked around and asked curiously, “You worked the whole day but I don’t see what you’ve made . What are you doing?”
Xia Lei walked to the work table and whisked off the black cloth over it .
Under the black cloth was a silver gauntlet . It was delicate, compact and looked like something from science fiction, very much like Tony Stark’s mecha glove in the Iron Man movie . This gauntlet however, was smaller and more exquisite .
Liang Si-Yao stared dumbly at it for a bit before she picked it up and turned it over in her hands . “It’s very pretty - and it’s made of titanium alloy too . What did you make this for?” she asked curiously .
“It’s my weapon,” said Xia Lei .
“Your weapon?” Liang Si-Yao was surprised . “I thought this was a robotic hand you designed for some company . ”
Xia Lei put down his takeaway meal and opened the gauntlet, then put it on his right hand . Titanium was lighter than steel but much stronger and tougher . He had been very precise with his measurements and this titanium gauntlet was just a little over 500 grams . The gauntlet covered his entire right hand and had no unnecessary bulges; it looked like a highly-compatible robotic hand . He clenched his right fist and the gauntlet became a titanium fist . Xia Lei suddenly used internal energy and punched the wall .
Boom! The wall trembled and a fist-shaped dent appeared in the brick-and-concrete wall . Xia Lei’s punch had blasted away the surface layer of cement and damaged the red brick below!
Liang Si-Yao’s jaw dropped in stunned surprise . She was a Wing Chun practitioner herself and knew Xia Lei had used the Short Bridge technique but she’d never thought that a punch could damage a wall like this . If she tried the same thing it would be her fist that would break, not the wall . Humans were made of flesh and bone after all and not rock or steel!
This was not what had surprised her the most, however . As she watched, Xia Lei took off the gauntlet and fiddled with its parts, transforming it into a rectangular box in an instant . It looked like a cigarette box!
Xia Lei grinned . “How about this?”
Liang Si-Yao snapped out of it and said in praise, “You’re an engineering genius! You should get a patent for this and turn it into our product . ”
Xia Lei took hold of the rectangular box and shook it . The box became a gauntlet again after some rattling .
Liang Si-Yao shrugged . “Okay, I won’t find it weird anymore if you turn it into a Hermes bag . ” She drew close to Xia Lei again with a charming smile on her face . “Darling, I want two . ”
“Uh…” Xia Lei pretended to look unwilling .
Liang Si-Yao puckered her lips and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek . “Give me two . You’re the best . ” She tugged at Xia Lei’s arm flirtatiously, sticking close to him .
Xia Lei chuckled . “I’ll get you two even if you didn’t ask . I’ll make two for Master too . He’ll have more to show off when he goes to that martial arts seminar . ”
“The martial arts seminar is starting soon and Dad has been preparing for it recently . He said he will take Lu Sheng . He actually wants to take you so you go talk to him . ” Liang Si-Yao suddenly grabbed Xia Lei’s sleeve . “Come home with me tonight . I won’t let you go to Shentu Tian-Yin’s place . ”
“Sure, I’ll go back with you today . I can show him the gauntlet too,” said Xia Lei with a smile .
“He’ll definitely like it . He’ll like anything you bring him,” said Liang Si-Yao .
Xia Lei leaned in to her ear and said softly, “That’s because I’m his future son-in-law . What won’t he like?”
Liang Si-Yao’s face turned red and said shyly, “Who said I’m going to marry you?”
Xia Lei went to the Liang household with Liang Si-Yao after work . He let Liang Zheng-Chun try the gauntlet for a bit and he was full of praise for it; he liked it very much . The result was, naturally, that Xia Lei had to make a set for both Liang Si-Yao and Liang Zheng-Chun .
The processing for a gauntlet like this was complicated and he could only make one a day . He needed to work overtime for three or four days if he wanted to make six . Liang Si-Yao’s suggestion of making it a product of Thunder Horse Manufacturing was not feasible as the materials needed were too expensive and there wasn’t actually a market for it . Who would buy a mecha glove like this? One only needed a clamp to smash a walnut .
After dinner, Xia Lei chatted with Liang Zheng-Chun for a bit about the martial arts seminar before Liang Zheng-Chun went off . Xia Lei found himself a medical book to read and immersed himself in the learning of medicine .
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