Chapter 220: Many Hands Make Light Work [Part 2]
The repair of the power system of this flying car wasn’t difficult, it was something that could be done perfectly before dinner. But with Cillin’s help, the time taken to fix it was shortened by two full hours, and the work itself became a lot easier because he was there to share Old Chang’s burden. Old Chang was really happy on the inside, thinking that having a helper made all the differences.
After fixing the flying car’s power system, Cillin finally figured out how the vehicle managed to last for ten long years after seeing at the flying car’s main and secondary control system. Most flying cars only had one control system, and flying cars with a secondary control system were ‘smarter’ than others. So he deduced the car owner had invested a lot of money into the flying car when he first bought it.
However, from what he learned while he was lying in bed in rest, the flying car’s main and secondary control system had been outdated for a very long time. In fact, the secondary control system dated all the way back to twenty years ago. It was no wonder that a flying car that was entering its autumn years wasn’t very agile. Perhaps this was the real reason why the car owner had scratched his vehicle against someone else’s. Unresponsive controls would definitely do that to a car.
Cillin inspected the main control system installed in the car for a little. It was impossible to upgrade it in full since it would cost more than the car owner was willing to pay, not to mention that compatibility would be bad too.
Old Chang was very familiar with the repairs that involved parts, but he wasn’t that good in terms of programming as well as the improving and tidying of an internal control smart system. It also wasn’t something that the people of this place were conscious about because their education level was relatively low. Therefore, no one bothered to familiarize themselves with the confusing programming instructions.
Both the main and secondary system of the vehicle were very simple, so it took Cillin only ten minutes to clean out all programming errors and the useless instructions caused by the program’s inability to keep up with times. He believed that the vehicle would be more agile from here on, or at least better compared to the state it was yesterday.
Old Chang didn’t stop Cillin from tinkering with the internal control system and simply sat quiet at the side, looking. He could see the confidence oozing from Cillin’s person, and it was a confidence that belonged to a true maintenance engineer. After Cillin was done with the repairs, he started the car and gave it a test run to check the results. As expected, the car was performing much better.
“Impressive skill, lad!”
“I don’t know much, really. I only know a little about car repairs.”
“No need to be humble. Come, let’s work on the next order and try finish it before dinnertime!”
The separator was lowered after the triplets and the gray cat noticed that Old Chang was done with the repairs. They came over smilingly and continued to help by passing over the tools and parts necessary for the job.
Many hands make light work, so the second order was finished too before dinnertime. Old Chang contacted his customers to come and get their goods while Cillin brought the triplet and the gray cat away to make dinner. The triplets worked as Cillin watched from the sides. It was a simple capsule dinner as usual.
Old Chang’s income today was a total of 200 MB coins, an impressive haul. The car owner could feel that his car had become a lot younger when he jumped into the vehicle and lifted it into the air.
“You’re improving, Old Chang! I’m coming back to you the next time I need a fix!”
Old Chang simply chuckled happily and said nothing.
This car owner worked hard to recommend Old Chang’s shop to his acquaintances after he went back to his place, saying that his aged vehicle had gotten a lot younger after the repair. However, few people believed him because it was a common thing to attract customers for a familiar face. Therefore, most only responded with a perfunctory answer.
Old Chang gave Cillin 50 of the 200 MB coins they earned today. Cillin didn’t – couldn’t – turn it down as it was something they had agreed on earlier.
Chang Seven looked very excited during dinner, “Grandpa, grandpa! Five should be returning tomorrow, right?”
“Mm hmm. We’ll pick him tomorrow.” Old Chang couldn’t help but sigh deeply on the inside when his ill grandson was brought up. Most of the smile were gone when he thought about him.
Chang Five nearly died during childbirth because he was negatively affected during a large scale electromagnetic radiation. It took a lot of effort to save his life. However, this incident also gave him a weak body. As a result Chang Five often got sick and was a frequent visitor of the hospital.
Chang Five had seen the image Chang Seven showed him, and there was no doubt that Chang Five was a very frail-looking kid. He looked listless, and his eyes lacked the natural innocence of a kid. There was only silence and gloominess in them, and it painted a stark contrast between him and the triplets.
Had Chang Five been born in any other family, he would’ve been abandoned since a long time ago. Old Chang was a person of rare moral to hold onto hope for so long, but even then the people of the street didn’t look well on Chang Five’s chances. Normally, kids like Chang Five couldn’t live past the age of ten if they were not treated fully while they still could. Chang Five was already seven years old, and the risks of illness only grew bigger as time passed. For example, he would have to head to the hospital to receive treatment again not long after his current return. The amount of pills he took exceeded the number of capsule meals he ate.
All of Cillin’s knowledge of Chang Five came from the triplets’ mouths. The triplets were very understanding of their quiet brother and often looked after him. Unlike Old Chang, they told Cillin a lot about Chang Five.
Right now what Old Chang’s life goal was to ensure their basic necessities and to save money for Chang Five’s next treatment, delaying the inevitable as long as he could. Regardless of what others might say, there was hope yet as long as he was alive.
Old Chang zoned out inside the workshop after the triplets had gone to bed. It was normal for him to receive an order everyday, and he should thank his lucky stars today for receiving two. Therefore, Old Chang had nothing to do even if he felt like working late into the night.
Inside Cillin’s room, the gray cat swayed its tail back and forth occasionally before it yawned, “I think that old man is crying.”
The workshop had CCTV, but it wasn’t necessarily a system built to watch customers. A CCTV was a basic installation in a workshop, and it had many uses beyond the apparent surveillance. It was through the camera the gray cat noticed Old Chang’s current expression.
Cillin scratched the bottom of the gray cat’s chin, “We owe them a favor, so let us do whatever we can do to help them. Tomorrow will be better.”
“Mm, let’s go earn some money. I’m missing my fish biscuits already, I wonder if Snowball and the others sneaked a bite from my cache.” What really caught the gray cat’s attention was Cillin’s final line.
The next day, Old Chang went to the hospital to pick up Chang Five while Cillin was saddled with the responsibility of watching over the shop and the triplets. In the past, Old Chang would lock every door in the shop and instruct the triplets again and again to be careful. Public security wasn’t very good around here, and safety wasn’t a guarantee even if his family was poor.
Today was the first time the triplets were able to sit openly at the shop entrance and wait for Old Chang and Chang Five.
“Eh? Where’s Old Chang?” A flying car stopped in front of the shop entrance. The car owner was obviously someone the Chang family was familiar with as he asked after looking around the shop.
“My grandpa went out already.” Chang Six answered.
“Did he leave to get Chang Five?” The guy was obviously very familiar with the family. After he got off the flying car and walked into the shop, he seized the opportunity to pinch the triplets’ chubby face.
“You’re bullying us again, Uncle Haas!” The triplets pointed accusingly at the man in unison, but with big smiles on their faces. It was obvious that both parties were very familiar with each other.
Haas chuckled and picked up the youngest Chang Eight of the lot, tossing him into the air. Chang Eight was so happy that she swung her arms and screamed.
Chang Six and Chang Seven hastily took a few steps away from Haas.
Cillin was surprised. He knew that all three fellows liked being tossed into the air a lot, so why did they look reluctant now?
Haas put down Chang Eight after tossing her twice into the air. Chang Eight then ran behind Cillin and stuck her tongue at him.
“Yo, showing off your new patron already!?” Haas looked very amused.
He walked to Cillin and asked, “Are you a new assistant?”
“No, no! Brother Cillin is the son of our papa’s friend!” The triplets answered ahead of Cillin.
The lie was Old Chang’s idea. He suggested that Cillin should introduce himself as the son of his son’s friend, and that he had came over to help them out temporarily because something had happened within his family.
“Hello, do you need to repair your flying car?” Cillin didn’t need to open the hood. He knew what was wrong just listening to the way the flying car sounded when it flew.
“There is a bit of a problem.”
Cillin helped Haas pushed his car inside after obtaining confirmation from him. Later, Haas took out a box of parts from the trunk. It was the spare parts to replace the broken parts of the car.
Haas was a parts seller. He always changed the parts in his car whenever it started coughing on him. He believed that changing parts was the only way to solve a car problem completely.
After conversing for a moment, Cillin understood very well from Haas’ behavior that he didn’t trust his repair skills. He specifically mentioned that he should be contacted only after Old Chang had returned. Only then he would explain in detail what was wrong with the car.
Cillin felt no dissatisfaction at his attitude. They were strangers to each other, not to mention that Cillin was a very young stranger too. No one would’ve turned in their beloved car to him to fix because the person they were really looking for was Old Chang. It was only natural for them to feel worried and reluctant to leave their vehicles in another’s hand.
After Haas had left, the triplets finally explained to Cillin why they were afraid earlier, “Brother Cillin, do you know that Uncle Haas once failed to catch a kid because he was drunk and broke his leg? We saw it with our own eyes!”
Cillin finally understood the underlying reason as they explained with serious looks on their faces. It was probably something of a blue moon to Haas, missing the catch because he was drunk. Unfortunately for him, the triplets happened to witness the accident, so it dug a deep impression inside their young minds.
The gray cat was currently lying next to the parts shelf and dozing. It yawned disdainfully after giving the flying car a glance: just what’s so precious about a trash like that? It curled into a ball and went back to sleep.
When Old Chang finally returned while carrying Chang Five behind his back, Cillin finally witnessed with his own eyes the child who was plagued by many illnesses and obstacles all his life. He looked pitifully thin and pale in the face. He was far lighter than the triplets who were two years younger than him. His eyes were as gloomy as the one he saw in the image, and they brightened for only a moment when he saw on the triplets. The gloominess returned again after he saw the stranger, Cillin.