In the 90s, you could acquire max-level skills every 14 days.

Saturday.

Zhang Yong woke up at 5:30.

It's so hot in the capital today; the cicadas have been chirping incessantly since early morning.

There was no air conditioning; the only thing in the house was a ceiling fan in the living room, which woke Zhang Yong up from the heat.

There are only four days left until the special driving test.

He rolled over and glanced at the panel.

[Writing Lv.4: Progress 15%]

[Driving Lv.5: Progress 21% (fixed)]

Yes, proceed steadily.

I'll switch back to driving tomorrow and go for another spin.

He stretched and was about to stay in bed a little longer when the panel suddenly flashed.

A line of words he had never seen before appeared in the center of his field of vision.

[System notification: Driving skill is about to break through to Lv.6.]

[Prerequisites met, "Skill Association Tree" pre-unlocked:]

The entry-level proficiency requirement for skills within the same system (automotive repair/vehicle engineering/powertrain systems) has been reduced by 20%.

Zhang Yong's eyes widened in surprise.

Holy crap, it's really here!

Skill tree? I'm in the game!

He stared at the line of text for more than ten seconds, his mind racing.

Driving is at Lv.5, just one level away from reaching the Lv.6 threshold.

If you reach Level 6 in driving, the entry difficulty for all driving-related skills—auto repair, vehicle engineering, power systems, and even further mechanical manufacturing—will be reduced by 20%.

That's really impressive.

This means that every high-level skill can potentially become a prerequisite for the next skill.

The skill tree isn't just a single skill; it represents an infinite future!

It has a system.

Perhaps later on, the entry proficiency requirement will be reduced by 50%, or it may be unlocked directly!

Zhang Yong took a deep breath and sat up. Who could sleep now!

"The skill tree is here! My spring has returned!"

He kicked off the blanket with a snap, stepped barefoot onto the cement floor, and struck a pose like a One Piece character.

He's made up his mind.

Today is the weekend, so Chen Yongjian doesn't have to work and therefore doesn't need to go to the driving school.

First, go to Xinhua Bookstore and find some introductory books on mechanics.

If the "skill association tree" can really lower the difficulty of getting started in auto repair, then he can flip through some books today and establish some basic cognitive frameworks in advance.

After I finish the special driving test, I'll go straight to Old Zhao to disassemble the engine. Maybe I can unlock the basic proficiency level on the spot.

Hey!

Eat your fill and then head out!

Li Guilan just went to work.

On the kitchen counter, two steamed buns were placed upside down under a porcelain bowl, and next to them was a dish of shredded pickled vegetables.

Zhang Yong broke the steamed bun in half, added some pickled vegetables, and ate it in a few bites while standing in the kitchen. Then he drank a large glass of cold water.

Delicious.

As he left, he took another 50 cents from the shoe cabinet, put it in his pocket, and hummed a little tune as he went out.

The sun is very strong downstairs.

Zhang Yong was completely unaware that long queues had already formed at newsstands and post offices throughout Beijing.

Everyone is lining up to buy the copy of "October" that just arrived today.

……

Shougang's No. 3 steelmaking workshop.

Work will resume as normal on Saturdays.

A slogan was posted on the wall: Quality is life, efficiency is money.

The early shift workers gradually went to the cement steps outside the workshop to rest.

Some people were squatting and smoking, while others were leaning against the wall eating cornbread.

The blast furnace in the distance hummed, and sunlight streamed through the workshop's iron windows, illuminating the workers' dirty blue overalls.

The overhead fan kept spinning, and it was still very hot in the factory early in the morning.

The foreman, Old Hu, was in his early fifties, with messy hair and greasy nails.

Old Hu took an old magazine from his coworker, leaned against the cement wall, and opened the first page.

"The Ingenuity of a Great Nation"

Old Hu frowned. This title is pretty impressive.

I've read quite a few novels about factories, mostly written by those sent to the countryside as educated youth. Their writing is generally good, but the content is completely different from the actual conditions in the workshops.

What do you mean by "the roar of machines is like a symphony"? What do you mean by "sparks flying like a silver river"?

That's all bullshit. The steel sparks just left a hole in his body; there's no galaxy to speak of.

Lao Hu continued scrolling down.

He stopped what he was doing when he turned to the part where the technician went to the old industrial base in Northeast China to find a workshop.

"In winter, water freezes instantly, and the old master craftsman's cotton gloves are covered in oil."

Old Hu raised his head and glanced at his hands, which were covered in cracks.

Then he lowered his head and continued reading.

The story goes back to the part where the old lathe operator got out of his hospital bed, took a three-day train ride, and finally arrived at the factory with his handwritten notes.

Old Hu closed the magazine and remained silent for a long time.

The young worker next to him, Xiao Zhao, lit a cigarette and reached out to grab the magazine.

"It's my turn to look at Lao Hu."

"etc."

Old Hu slapped Xiao Zhao's hand.

He reopened the magazine and found the page where the old factory director was squatting next to the machine tool, looking up and shedding tears.

I carefully tore this page out, folding the paper twice.

Put the paper into your breast pocket.

After get off work, Lao Hu used tape to stick the paper to the wall above his workstation.

Next to the paper was a group photo of the national model workers from 1978.

……

the same day.

Reading room of the Chinese Department, Kyoto University.

The window was half open. Sunlight shone on the floor.

Associate Professor Zhao Huaijin flipped through this issue of "October," his gaze lingering on the front page. He specializes in critical literature and has a daily habit of reading magazines.

Zhao Huaijin habitually glanced at the author's biography first.

Zhang Yong was born in 1972 and is from Beijing.

It's just one line of text. There's no information about education level or employer.

"October has become bolder, and he's even willing to use newcomers."

"Zhang Yong...that sounds like a real name."

Zhao Huaijin flipped back to the main text and started reading from the beginning.

Half an hour later, he closed the magazine, took out a leather notebook from the drawer, opened a page and wrote two lines.

"Zhang Yong – 'The Ingenuity of a Great Nation' – Saturday front page of 'October' magazine."

"The writing is mature, the content is rich, and the industrial details are described very realistically."

Zhao Huaijin thought for a moment and then added a sentence below.

"Newcomer, need to pay attention."

......

Xinhua Bookstore opened its doors.

Zhang Yong went inside and plopped down on the floor to read a book.

The bookstore's bookshelves are all made of old-fashioned wood, and some of the paint is chipped off.

There weren't many people, and even fewer in the industrial area. Zhang Yong was the only one there. The terrazzo floor was cool, and his buttocks started to hurt after sitting for a while.

Sunlight shone on the pages of the book Zhang Yong had opened.

The image above is a cross-sectional view of a crankshaft, an engineering drawing from the 60s.

The book Zhang Yong chose to read was "Fundamentals of Automobile Structure," published by the Industrial Press in 84.

The content explains the working principle of a four-stroke engine, including intake compression and power exhaust.

Zhang Yong had heard his teacher mention something about it in physics class in his previous life. However, he only listened to it as a story at the time.

It feels different now.

His improved driving skills and enhanced intuition gave him a concrete understanding of the engine components.

The book says that the piston moves up and down inside the cylinder.

Zhang Yong could immediately recall the sound of the 212 Jeep.

After quickly finishing this book, Zhang Yong pulled out a second one, "Principles of Internal Combustion Engines".

This is a textbook from Harbin Institute of Technology; it's very thick.

The book discusses thermodynamic cycles, combustion chamber design, and valve train mechanisms, and also begins to cover practical engineering techniques.

Zhang Yong forced himself to look at it for a while, but realized it was too difficult. The knowledge stayed in his mind for only 2 seconds before disappearing.

This is much harder than the previous one!

It seems that things related to driving, such as the basic structure of a car, are easier to understand.

When I got to the principles of internal combustion engines, my mind went blank. It's true what they say, "It's like being in a completely different world when you're not in the same field!"

However, in order to find a way out, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue watching.

He was reading a book when someone suddenly called out to him softly.

"Zhang Yong?"