Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 158 Miao Xin's Exam
Hansster brought over mushroom soup and fried meat patties, and Su Ming immediately began to eat. After all, he had slept all day and was indeed very hungry.

"Yunier, how's your injury?" Su Ming asked while eating. The little girl's forehead was fine, but her left hand still seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"Ah, it's nothing. I don't want to over-treat. I'll be fine after a couple of days of rest." Yunier picked up the fish soup in front of her and blew on it with a spoon as she drank.

In non-emergency situations, healing techniques should not be overused, allowing the wound to heal naturally to a certain extent. This reduces the risk of complications and preserves the body's natural recovery abilities. The same applies to light-based healing techniques; healers often only use the majority of the treatment to maintain the activity of the patient's own immune system.

The other world has a thorough understanding of the balance between magic and natural physiology.

Of course, for fractures or injuries involving internal organs, the aid of healing surgery is less effective, and it takes at least ten days to fully recover.

"How do the mushrooms taste? I grew them!" The unicorn refilled its small pot and stacked more than a dozen pancakes on the plate.

"Very good, plump and delicious!" Su Ming praised.

"Is everything going smoothly on your end?" Violet asked him.

Miao Xin said everything went smoothly, so I finished eating and went over to check.

"That's good. If you need to send something tonight, wake me up for help," the girl continued.

Realizing that Su Ming would continue working tonight, Hanster said, "Mr. Su Ming, I'll leave some late-night snacks in the window slats later. You can heat them up if you get hungry."

"Okay, thanks."
-
After finishing his meal, Su Ming went to his workspace and contacted Miao Xin.

Miao Xin was taking inventory of the goods in the warehouse she had previously rented.

Su Ming looked around and found that quite a few things had already arrived.

"Good afternoon," Miao Xin greeted.

"Good afternoon," Su Ming replied. "Tell me the specific progress."

The spot procurement is going relatively smoothly. I placed orders with over a dozen suppliers at a 30% markup, and they are all working hard to source the goods. Half of the goods will arrive tonight, and the rest will arrive before tomorrow night.

The sound of a car stopping could be heard outside the warehouse, and Miao Xin went outside to greet it.

Two movers were already waiting at the door. Miao Xin took the delivery slip from the driver and told the movers, "Same as usual."

The two movers immediately guided the truck to reverse into the warehouse, and after it came to a stop, they began unloading the goods according to the placement arranged by Miao Xin.

Everything is familiar.

Miao Xin made a note in her notebook, and the status of some items was changed from "delivering" to "delivered".

Su Ming checked the list and saw that the progress was indeed good, and things were arranged in an orderly manner. Miao Xin, as expected of someone who had worked in a warehouse, was quite familiar with this kind of business.

Miao Xin's phone rang again; it was a call from her supplier. After a brief conversation, she added the supplier on WeChat and sent them the warehouse location.

Shortly after, another small truck arrived, this time from the machine processing plant.

"This is what we finished today; another truckload will arrive tomorrow night," the deliveryman said.

Miao Xin nodded, counted out the cash and handed it to him, "I'll need your help again tomorrow."

She made another note in her notebook.

Su Ming contacted the studio. The design engineer found several issues during the day and suggested some modifications, while the programmers also sent over the completed industrial control program.

Su Ming buried himself in his work until midnight before handing over the supplementary orders to Miao Xin. The movers had already left, the warehouse doors were closed, and only the little troublemaker remained inside.

The additions weren't many. Miao Xin took a look and sent the information to the suppliers via WeChat overnight, receiving replies that "there's not much of a problem."

The remaining parts that needed processing were added to the machine shop's order. The quantity wasn't large, and the factory manager replied that they could handle it.

However, there were two pieces of equipment that puzzled her because their style didn't match the train's equipment at all: [A 30 MPa high-pressure air pump? A low-temperature high-pressure gas cylinder?]

The braking system of the forward-type locomotive has a pressure of only fifteen atmospheres, or about 1.5 megapascals, which is far from three hundred atmospheres.

"I just wanted to verify a hypothesis," Su Ming explained. "We'll focus on the others first; this can wait, we can do it later."

【Understood. 】
-
By the time Su Ming finished doing all this, it was already midnight.

He sent over the industrial control computer, programmable logic calculator, and a few parts first, so that he could debug the program.

Other goods will not be transported yet, to avoid leaving a lot of residue in the warehouse. It's not convenient to handle things in the middle of the night, and there will still be a lot of people coming and going tomorrow.

Everything was proceeding smoothly, which made Su Ming feel much more relaxed.

He sent his skeleton servant to fetch the midnight snack Hansster had prepared for him, then walked to the car window and looked outside.

Tonight is a clear night, with a crescent moon hanging in the sky. A soft pinkish glow bathes the snow-covered landscape, creating a mesmerizing scene.

He raised his wrist and used his multi-function watch to find north, thinking that he had already entered the Arctic Circle and wondered if he would be able to see the aurora.

Footsteps sounded, and Su Ming turned around to find Zi Jin, who was carrying a steaming bowl of lean meat porridge.

"I'm done with my work, I'm going to sleep right away." Su Ming took the lean meat porridge. "You should get some rest too."

"It's alright, I usually go to bed around this time too," said Zijin. "I just had to wait a little while."

"Is Yunier's fracture serious?" Su Ming suddenly asked.

"It's alright, just two broken ribs." Violet was somewhat surprised. "How did you know?"

“Hanster even made fish soup especially for her,” Su Ming replied. “The key is that Qi Luo didn’t try to take it from her.”

This reason is irrefutable.

“You’ve been too anxious lately, and I didn’t want to add to your burden,” Zi Jin explained. “But it seems that’s unnecessary.” She smiled. “You’re still the same Su Ming who pays attention to all sorts of details. Welcome back!”

During this period, Su Ming was indeed so busy that he was somewhat overwhelmed. It wasn't just the train modification, but also the planning of the route and the preparation of the strategy for the Holy Mountain Divine Might Prison; the matters were numerous and varied.

“This is the first time I’ve led such a complex project,” Su Ming said. “It’s truly beyond my capabilities, and the burden is too great.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t do any more for you.” Su Ming shook his head. “Everyone did a great job. Unicorn, Hanster, Yunier, and Miao Xin really made up for my oversight.”

"Hey, why doesn't my effort count?" Violet's eyes widened.

“I have every right to say that to you,” Su Ming said. But as soon as he said it, he suddenly realized he had let something slip and picked up his bowl of porridge to drink.

He changed his mind and came to the Tinbulik Icefield with the intention of rescuing Stacy, Violet's relative. But the whole thing was a decision made after weighing the overall situation, and there's no need to single this out, otherwise it would be difficult for a scholar to do so.

"Why?" Violet asked, puzzled.

Su Ming smiled and said, "Because we're partners, it's only natural for me to rely on you."

“Alright then.” Zi Jin didn’t suspect anything. She walked to the window and hummed a folk song from another world, depicting a group of children playing in the snow under the moonlight.

This was the second time Su Ming had heard her sing; the first time was when he was drunk on Willow Leaf Island. Unlike her ethereal singing on the island, the girl's voice now was full of vitality, carrying the warmth of everyday life.

"You seem to be in a really good mood."

“Of course I’m happy, because I can save my good friend Stacy,” Violet said. “I often think about her and worry about her current situation.”

With the situation regarding the journey to the Dome Mountains settled and the overland plan seeing a glimmer of hope, she no longer concealed the matter.

Su Ming feigned surprise, "Stacy is your friend?"

“I’m sorry to keep this from you, I didn’t want it to affect my decision,” Violet explained. “Stacy is someone I watched grow up from a child, she’s family and a friend.”

"Aren't you her teacher?"

"No, her teacher was the late Sebastian, who was also someone who had been kind to me."

Su Ming remembered the name: the healer who presided over the life alchemy that gave birth to the violet, the one known as the White Pheasant. In this other world, non-combat professions don't have titles like "Saint"; having a formal title is considered the pinnacle.

The titles for most academic professions are related to birds.

“Do you remember the pact we made at the very beginning on the Green Cliff?” Violet stretched out her arms. “You really kept your promise. I’m so excited about the journey ahead. I can’t wait to see how you’ll cross the Dome Mountain Range with its thousands of meters of elevation difference!”

On Earth, Su Ming had never climbed such a high mountain. Since arriving in this other world, he has experienced far too many things he had never done before.

"I am looking forward too."

He finished his porridge, wiped his mouth clean, and said, "Okay, I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight!"

"good night!"
-
Perhaps because he had slept too much during the day, Su Ming lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

The snow-covered plains were utterly silent at night, without a single chirp of insects or the sound of wild animals. Most of the equipment on the Youth Civilization Unit was either turned off or in hibernation, with only a small amount operating quietly, powered by lithium batteries.

Su Ming felt very uncomfortable for a while.

He connected with the troublemaker, and various subtle background noises immediately filled the air. In the warehouse at dawn, there was the hum of unknown equipment; vehicles passed by on the street; snowplows and sanitation workers were at work. A meatball stall was closing up shop, and the helper was still washing pots and pans.

Su Ming looked out the window. The streets were already adorned with colorful flags. Although the streetlights were off, the reflections from the snow and clouds made the night still bright. The night was deep and quiet, the lights were dim, and the festive atmosphere permeated every corner.

Miss Wraith had broken free of her fusion and was floating around in a random spot in the warehouse. She was exhausted after a long day.

Miao Xin couldn't quite understand how she managed to leave home at six in the morning and work until two in the morning when she was a human. How could she have more energy as a beast of burden than she does now as a ghost?
Noticing Su Ming's arrival, Miao Xin asked, "Su Ming, what's wrong?"

[I've got something on my mind, would you mind talking about it?]

"A heart-to-heart talk?" Miao Xin was quite surprised. "And a ghost... what do you want to talk about?"

"How can I comfort my parents? They've suffered a terrible misfortune; their son has left home and his future is uncertain—how can I console them?" Su Ming asked.

Miao Xin floated in front of Su Ming. "Are you sure you're not doing this on purpose to remind me that I no longer have a mother to comfort?"

No, I'm asking for advice. Because only someone like you who has lost loved ones understands what is truly needed.

Su Ming replied, while remaining on high alert.

Within her sea of ​​consciousness, Miao Xin's vengeful spirit imprint pulsed and twisted. Her spirit form in the shape of a girl expanded, and the ghostly sea spread outwards. The wind swept through the warehouse, blowing up all the documents and swirling them into a spiral that appeared out of nowhere.

A string of runes materialized in Su Ming's sea of ​​consciousness. This was a sealing technique targeting spiritual imprints that he had learned from a book called "In Tranquility." The price was that it would suppress Miao Xin's autonomy, but if she veered towards losing control, he would have no choice but to activate it.

But in the end, Miao Xin calmed down on her own. The dark sea stopped spreading, and the ethereal blue spiritual energy rippled in the air, reforming into her long hair.

Su Ming breathed a slight sigh of relief. [Well done!]

A girl's hand reached out from the void, and Su Ming grasped it with his spiritual sense. A soft yet cool touch came, and at the other end of the spiritual hand, Miao Xin was pulled out of the Nether Sea. The girl's form returned, and the surrounding spiritual energy returned to her body.

After Miao Xin revealed herself, her eyes were glazed over, and it took her a while to regain her senses. Her soul fire was somewhat shattered, indicating that she had consumed a great deal of energy.

[Su Ming, you've gone too far!] She was furious, but had to suppress her emotions. [I am a true vengeful spirit, very easily stirred by negative emotions! Especially when deliberately provoked!]

"I can't wait until something goes wrong and then be at a loss," Su Ming explained earnestly. "You've been practicing and using resentment power frequently lately. I need to test whether your control has improved enough."

Su Ming had no choice but to confirm this. The unfathomable depths of Miao Xin's Dark Sea were unimaginable; if it were to truly spiral out of control, the consequences would be dire. Once it erupted, not only would Su Ming lose all means of communication with Earth, but Miao Xin, in destroying herself, would also inflict immense damage on the surrounding area.

"So what you just did was a test for me?" Miao Xin asked helplessly.

"Well, if you can't control it, I'll forbid you from practicing resentment power anymore," Su Ming said. "But things are better than I imagined. Your control has clearly improved, and—" he paused, "your willpower is also much more resilient than I could have imagined."

"I don't like being praised by you in this situation!" Miao Xin complained, causing the deep sea to ripple slightly.

She calmed herself down and thought things through quietly. From a rational perspective, Su Ming's actions made sense.

"Su Ming, although... I still have to say, losing control is like death for me again!" Miao Xin accused. "I'm reluctant to leave my current state; too many regrets can't make up for it. I'm unwilling to disappear in sorrow, but this unwillingness only intensifies my resentment, and that resentment pushes me further into the abyss."

Su Ming tried to understand the problem from the other person's perspective: "You mean, a spiral downward spiral?"

"That's the description. Every time this cycle happens, I don't know how I break free. I'm terrified of being swallowed up like this—" Miao Xin choked up as she spoke, "Even though you pulled me out, the fact that you pushed me into the water to test if I could drown still makes me incredibly sad."

(End of this chapter)