Magic, Mechanics, Shuraba Vol 1 Chapter 4

Volume 1 Chapter 4 – The Money Tree of the Shipyard

After helping his sister collect all the scattered pieces of torn admission letter, Ouyang Tao kept all of them, preparing to find time to fix it back. At this point, Ouyang Xue was gradually feeling better. Hence, they went back to school together.

At that time, the news that the siblings have been granted admission to Augustus had already spread. Everyone came to the school to congratulate them and also to take a look at the first Genius Magical Girl in a hundred years.

Once Ouyang Xue appeared, people immediately crowded around her which caused her to panic. She began asking for help from the people around her: “Bro, I…… I…… Eh? ”

However, Ouyang Tao had already disappeared without a trace.

Five to six kilometres from the school sat the source of three-quarters of the village’s taxes —— the shipyard.

The shipyard was not only big, it had all the necessary facilities. The crane and dock at the sh.o.r.e could be seen in the distance. There were also four platforms for boats and two large sized docks in the shipyard. The small sized hundred tonnes powerboats used to navigate through the river to the ten thousand tonnes cruiser that used to deliver goods between countries and even battleships could be produced here —— It was hard to imagine a rundown village by the seaside had the necessary facilities to produce such ships.

However, the most special thing about the shipyard was not just this; it was that no matter how rushed the orders were, it could be easily completed. The secret to this laid with Ouyang Tao.

He did not join his sister in the celebratory activities because he was certain that the large amounts of activities prepared were for his sister and it would not concern him. What’s more, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

After signing in, he changed into his work clothes, wore his safety helmet, pinned on his “Chief Engineer” work tag and wore his metal gloves on his left hand before leaving the changing room. He bypa.s.sed the showroom and went to his workplace. On his journey, the people working no matter how busy, after seeing him greeted him warmly.

“Yo, Ah Tao, you’re early today!”

“Yeah, hehe.”

“Ah Tao, I heard that you siblings both got admitted, congratulations!”

“Nah, I’m just lucky, hehe.”

“Boss is at dock number four waiting for you. He’s worried enough to almost cry! Haha.”

“Aiya, then i better rush over.”

It looked like Ouyang Tao’s first job of the day began at dock number four. He rushed over and as expected, a large amount of material for the construction of a ship laid there, waiting for Ouyang Tao to start work.

“Yo, Ouyang Bro, you’re finally here!” The boss of the shipyard was a middle-aged man with a potbelly, dressed in a suit. Seeing the arrival of Ouyang Tao, he immediately welcomed him. “For your information, this order is very urgent, representatives are collecting it in three hours.”

“What type of ship?” Ouyang Tao said as he reached out his hands. The workers at the side immediately pa.s.sed him the work request and the blueprints.

“Two five thousand tonnes powerboat, deadline in half a day. People are paying three times the amount. Ouyang Bro, are you able to settle it?” The fat boss said showing three fingers to Ouyang Tao and swaying them.

Ouyang Tao did not reply immediately but instead looked carefully at the blueprints and work request, memorised them, before nodding: “Do we have enough materials?”

“Of course!”

“Okay then, leave it to me.”

“Good good, Ouyang Bro’s going to start work, everyone make way.” The fat boss said as he allowed the workers to scatter for Ouyang Tao to start work.

Ouyang Tao closed his eyes, drawing the magical circle for the construction of the ship, and at the same time, using his magic powers on the materials places at the side.

Soon, a bunch of magic arrays appeared one after another, on top of each of the materials. Each magical array acted like a mini factory, melting, refining, molding and constructing the parts and resources required for the construction of the ship.

Now, a light ball constructed by numerous magic array appeared on his left hand. It was the control of all the procedures for constructing the ship. His right hand went into the light ball and controlled the ship’s construction.

At the same time, there was one magical array each, at the ends of the ship. It was slowly moving to the centre following the movement of the array that was producing the frame of the ship. Following which, the finished parts were being shifted to the frame piece by piece, instantaneously completing the a.s.sembling and welding. The structure of the ship was soon completed.

Lastly, the finished interior of the ship was fitted with the necessary infrastructure piece by piece. In a short span of minutes, the middle sized ship was completed.

Even though Ouyang Tao only needed such a short amount of time to complete a project that needed two months, he really was a muscle blockhead who could not even conjure out a simple fireball.

That was weird but it did not matter to Ouyang Tao. To him, this proved a point he was always talking about —— everyone has their own individual specialties and therefore are also weaker at certain things.

When the finished ship was lowered from the platform, Ouyang Tao had already quickly completed the construction of another one. To him, this was work and also how he could earn school fees for him and his sister. The owner of the shipyard paid him generously for his work.

“I’m done, just a final check and there shouldn’t be any problems.” The work here was finished but Ouyang Tao’s work was not done. “Boss, I’m off to the next dock.”

Other than helping the shipyard with the urgent orders, he also helped in the designing of other ships’ controls and technical aspects of some of the more important parts. He was indeed the chief engineer of the shipyard.

Because of his position, Ouyang Tao could use any of the machinery in the shipyard. With this, he could create some small inventions while working, earning some extra money —— as he already knew about the deposit prerequisite for Augustus Academy, he has all along been preparing for it.

“Eh, Ouyang Bro, stop your work, come, come sit here with me.” Today, the fat boss had some other things to talk to Ouyang Tao about, as he dragged Ouyang Tao to his office.

The boss’s office was located at the third storey of the shipyard. After entering the office, the boss immediately shut the door and closed the curtains. “Bro, don’t just stand there, sit anywhere, let me get you a drink.”

It was not difficult to see that the boss was very courteous to Ouyang Tao, even to the extent of calling him his brother. This was because, Ouyang Tao was the money tree of the shipyard.

The boss was the same as always, while attending to Ouyang Tao, he served him ice cold beverages. Ouyang Tao knew this was a sign that the boss had a request for him. As expected, after exchanging some words, the boss went to the main topic: “Ouyang Bro, I heard you siblings both got into Augustus Academy, congratulations.”

“Hehe, mine was pure luck. My sister is the real hardworking one.” Ouyang Tao merely smiled as he guessed the intentions of the boss.

“Alas, but with you leaving, my shipyard would lose its right hand man. Seeing that we would be able to bid for the military orders next year, I……” The fat boss sounded worried —— the money tree was leaving, how could one not be worried.

But, Ouyang Tao replied unexpectedly quickly: “No worries, there are school holidays. I can come back and help for three months each year.”

Hearing this, the fat boss was overjoyed: “Really?”

“Yup, boss you helped me with alot these few years, what’s more, during our studies, we would probably still need more money.”

“Ohhh…… Ah! Yes, that’s right! You still need money next time.” It was as if the boss suddenly remembered something. He took out a cheque and shoved it into Ouyang Tao’s hands. “Here, it isn’t much but it’s a gift for you.”

“Okay, thank you.” Ouyang Tao did not reject it and accepted it readily. “I’m off to the docks.”

“Sure, take care bro, take care.”

Seeing Ouyang Tao coming out of the office, the people who were watching him shook their heads and sighed.

“This silly guy probably got sweet talked by boss again.”
“I cannot take it anymore, everytime he just gives him eight hundred to a thousand silver to shut him up.”
“Sigh, it’s always the good kind that’s taken advantage of……”

That’s right, almost everyone working knew that the boss was taking advantage of Ouyang Tao. People even reminded him but he always smiled and said “it’s ok, it does not matter” casually ending the topic. It was like he did not care.

Actually he did not care about how much money there was, he only worried about whether he could pay for his sister’s education.