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

Zhang Yong squatted down, put the oil bottle on the ground, and started counting on his fingers.

"Listen to me. The white smoke coming from vehicle number one most likely indicates a blown head gasket, a cross-contamination between the water and oil passages, and coolant leaking into the combustion chamber. This is a serious problem, but replacing the head gasket and the labor cost will be at most three hundred yuan. No major overhaul is needed."

"I suspect the abnormal noise from car number two is due to wear on the connecting rod bearings. The fake oil isn't providing adequate lubrication, so bearing damage was inevitable. Replacing the bearings and grinding the crankshaft journals will cost at most 500 yuan. No major overhaul is needed."

"The water temperature of vehicle number three is high, probably because the water pump impeller is corroded, or the thermostat is stuck in the closed position. Replacing the water pump and the thermostat will only cost a little over a hundred yuan."

Wei Shuyun was stunned.

"The total cost for all three vehicles, including materials and labor, should be around one thousand yuan. He quoted you three thousand; what's the extra two thousand for?"

Zhang Yong held up two fingers.

"He'll definitely disassemble all three engines, then reassemble them, replacing a bunch of unnecessary parts along the way, and those parts might not even be original. Besides, if anything gets damaged during the disassembly process, he can blame it on the fake oil cap."

"They're just taking advantage of your dad's ignorance. They treat minor illnesses as major ones, and they make you sick when you're not."

Wei Shuyun's face changed from white to red, and then from red to white.

"Then... what should we do?"

"First thing, don't open the remaining oil, and keep the invoice." Zhang Yong stuffed the oil can back into the canvas bag and zipped it up.

"This is evidence. If we want to seek compensation from Boss Zhou in the future, or take legal action against him, without physical evidence, it's all for nothing."

Wei Shuyun nodded repeatedly.

"The second thing is to have the oil tested at the Petrochemical Research Institute or the Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and get a formal test report. It will clearly state the composition of the oil, the content of impurities, and whether it meets national standards."

"The third thing." Zhang Yong stood up and looked into Wei Shuyun's eyes.

"Don't let that repair shop in Tongxian touch your dad's car."

"Wait for me."

Wei Shuyun's eyes lit up.

"Can you fix it?"

Zhang Yong did not answer immediately.

He knew in his heart that his current auto repair skills were only about 70% of the beginner level, and he had not yet unlocked the hang-up position.

They can identify problems by listening and explain the underlying principles, but when it comes to actually disassembling and repairing, they still fall short.

"Not yet," Zhang Yong told the truth, "but it will be soon."

Give me some time.

Wei Shuyun looked at him, the streetlights casting his shadow to the base of the wall.

An eighteen-year-old boy, barefoot and wearing slippers, a vest and shorts, stood in the night wind and talked to her about the crankshaft and bearings of an engine.

She believed every single word he said.

"Okay." Wei Shuyun nodded vigorously. "I'll go seal up the oil tomorrow."

"Yes. There's one more thing." Zhang Yong handed the canvas bag back to her. "How many people in the factory know about your dad using counterfeit oil?"

"The drivers all know, and so does Old Ma from the purchasing department."

"Tell them all to keep quiet. Just because Boss Zhou ran away doesn't mean this is over. He dared to sell fake oil for twelve yuan a barrel, so he must have a supply chain behind him. There might be other auto parts stores in Tongzhou selling this kind of oil. This is a cross-provincial fake oil case; Boss Zhou alone couldn't have handled it."

Wei Shuyun's expression turned serious.

"you mean……"

"Your dad isn't the only victim," Zhang Yong said. "There are tons of trucks on that road in Tongxian County, and your dad's isn't the only one using Xinda oil. Once your dad's feeling better, have him inquire around to see if any other trucking companies nearby have also bought Zhou's oil. The more people report it, the easier it will be for that person to be caught."

Wei Shuyun slung the canvas bag back over her shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Zhang Yong, thank you."

"Don't mention it. Your dad sent a lot of good stuff to our house." Zhang Yong paused, "Your dad, too, has high blood pressure and should drink less alcohol. His high school teacher said it's not a good thing."

Wei Shuyun burst out laughing.

Her eyes were still red, and her nose was still sore, but she smiled.

"I know, that's what my mom said too."

"How are you going to get back later?"

"Hmm... the last bus should still be running."

"Okay, I'll take you to the bus stop."

Zhang Yong glanced back upstairs; the lights in the house were still off. The elderly couple were fast asleep, undisturbed even by the earthquake.

He pushed his bicycle and accompanied Wei Shuyun to the entrance of the alley.

I walked less than ten steps from the building entrance.

"Creak—"

The window on the fourth floor was pushed open.

Sun Jian's wife poked her head out of the window, still wearing a curling iron on her head.

The sound was as sharp as scraping glass with a piece of metal.

"Hey, what's that young lady doing running up to a boy's building in the middle of the night? What's she up to?"

Wei Shuyun's steps faltered for a moment.

Zhang Yong did not turn around.

"These young girls nowadays really have no shame, knocking on the door in the middle of the night—"

"Why can't you say it during the day?! Are you just too shy to speak up during the day?!"

"Auntie." Zhang Yong stopped in his tracks.

His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly in the hallway.

"Watch your mouth, or you'll suffer the consequences."

The window on the fourth floor froze for two seconds.

"You bastard—"

"If you can't sleep, come down for a walk." Zhang Yong turned his head, raised his chin, and looked out the fourth-floor window. "You're always criticizing others; aren't you afraid of biting your own tongue?"

"How can you talk like that...?"

Sun Jian's wife hadn't caught up yet.

Then they heard Sun Jian's low voice scolding, "Close the window! Don't cause trouble! You think you're so smart!"

"Old Sun! Why are you siding with outsiders...?"

The window was slammed shut with a bang.

Wei Shuyun lowered her head, her ears turning red.

"Ignore her," Zhang Yong said calmly. "People can say whatever they want, we can't control them. Let's go."

The two walked to the entrance of the alley, but the last bus had already left.

Zhang Yong slapped the seat.

"Come on! I'll take you home."

"It's too far, no need—"

"Stop talking nonsense, let's go."

A night breeze rustled through the two rows of old locust trees on Jinsong Road, the fragrance of locust blossoms overpowering the distant smell of coal smoke. Occasionally, a bicycle bell would ring out, its tinkling sound carrying far across the empty road.

Zhang Yong's panel was lit up at the edge of his field of vision.

[Auto Repair Lv.0 - Beginner Progress: 74%...75%...]

The passive bonuses from the skill association tree are still slowly building up.

When he was analyzing the problems of the three cars with Wei Shuyun, he mobilized all the knowledge he had accumulated from books and practical experience, and his progress jumped a little further.

Zhang Yong stared at the number, silently calculating in his mind.

Tomorrow I'll go to Old Zhao's place and get that 130 diesel engine back installed.

Once the unlock progress is complete, you can simply leave the game running in the background.

On the day he was released from quarantine, he repaired the engines of those three Dongfeng trucks in Tongxian County himself.

It won't cost three thousand.

It doesn't even cost a thousand dollars.

Zhang Yong pedaled his bicycle, his gaze fixed on the endless nightscape of Beijing.

"Wait for me," he said to himself.

Then I pedaled the bike even faster.

……

After dropping Wei Shuyun off, I got home after 1 a.m.

He tiptoed upstairs, pushed open the door, and groped his way back to his bedroom in the dark.

Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

The blue light from the panel floated in the darkness.

[Auto Repair Lv.0 - Entry Level: 80%]

Tomorrow, I'm going to the cotton mill.

Put that engine back in.

Then—he started cheating.