Studying at Western University starts with a knife-forging competition

Chapter 101

Lin Yuan repeated the same process as with the camping knife: drilling, testing nails, applying glue, hammering nails, filing, and polishing. The handle of the Bowie hunting knife was longer than that of the camping knife, and it used four mosaic nails, the spacing and symmetry of which needed to be precisely controlled.

He would use calipers to measure the position of each nail he hammered to make sure it was in the correct position before hammering the next one.

After he finished removing all four nails, he stepped back and took a look.

The Bowie hunting knife has a perfectly proportioned long blade and ebony handle. The brass guard gleams a warm gold under the light, subtly echoing the color of the red copper mosaic studs.

"Is Nelson done?" Matt asked, leaning closer.

"It's done." Lin Yuan placed the Bowie hunting knife and camping knife side by side on the worktable. "We'll do a final test tomorrow, take the photos, and then we can pack and ship them out."

Matt took his phone out of his pocket, snapped a few photos of the two knives placed side by side, and then put his phone down.

"My dad just sent a message." He turned his phone screen toward Lin Yuan.

A message from Richard Wayne appeared on the screen: "Arrive Wednesday afternoon. Send me your address."

Lin Yuan glanced at the phone and handed it back. "He said Wednesday?"

"Yes." Matt put his phone away. "It was originally supposed to be next week, but it's been moved up. Maybe he felt he couldn't delay after seeing the evidence. The deadline Catherine gave, next Friday, wasn't generous, and he needed to suppress things before then."

Lin Yuan thought for a moment, but didn't reply.

He walked to the worktable, picked up the Bowie hunting knife, and began to perform the final sharpness test by pushing the paper with the blade. With one cut, the edge of the printed paper was cut into a smooth arc, without any rough edges.

He put down the knife, took out a hemp rope from the drawer, cut it into several pieces, and the blade passed through the rope with almost no resistance, leaving a clean cut at the end.

"The test went smoothly." Lin Yuan wiped the knife clean and put it back in the knife case. "Once we finish shipping out all the orders, we can start taking new ones."

"A California hunting knife," Matt said. "The five-thousand-dollar one, standard Damascus steel. When are you planning to start?"

"Next week." Lin Yuan closed the knife case. "Let's finish dealing with Catherine's matter first."

The weekend sunlight streamed through the church's stained-glass windows, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the floor.

Emily stood on the steps at the church entrance, holding a stack of event flyers in her hand.

She wore a light blue knit sweater, her hair draped over her shoulders, making her look softer than usual.

When Lin Yuan and Matt arrived, she was talking to an elderly woman with gray hair. When she saw them coming, she smiled at the old woman and then turned around to greet them.

"You're here." Emily's gaze lingered on Lin Yuan's face for a moment, then turned to Matt. "Brother, you don't look well."

Matt didn't respond. He was wearing a dark gray hoodie, pulled up high, his chin tucked inside. The dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced than a few days ago.

"Let's go inside and talk." Emily glanced at Lin Yuan, who nodded slightly.

The three people entered the side hall of the church. The volunteer activities had not yet started; only a few early volunteers were moving tables and chairs in the side hall.

Emily led them to a row of chairs against the wall and made them sit down.

"What exactly happened?" Emily's voice wasn't loud, but her tone was serious.

Matt paused for a few seconds, then began to speak. He started by talking about how Catherine found Lin Yuan at the coffee shop, about her 10% cut demand at the bar, about the threat of trademark registration, and about the deadline of next Friday.

He didn't mention his past with Catherine, only saying, "This person had a grudge against us before."

Lin Yuan listened from the side and noticed that Matt deliberately skipped over those details. He didn't interrupt.

Emily listened without speaking immediately. She placed her fingers on her knees, her thumb gently rubbing the knuckle of her index finger.

"You mean, she wants to register your trademark by next Friday?"

"Yes," Matt said. "She said she had completed the preliminary documents and would submit an application if she didn't receive any interest in collaborating."

"She can't do this alone." Emily frowned. "Where would she get the money and manpower if she were just a business school graduate student?"

Lin Yuan chimed in, "She's published articles in campus media and has some influence in feminist organizations. If she really wants to register this trademark, raising tens of thousands of dollars shouldn't be a problem."

Emily glanced at Lin Yuan, then turned back to look at Matt. Her expression shifted from contemplation to a more focused one.

"Isn't there always a girl with glasses around Catherine? Short, with dark brown hair, and always wearing dark clothes?"

Matt was taken aback.

How did you know?

“I’ve seen her a few times at church events,” Emily said. “She was always standing in a corner, being bossed around by Catherine. Her name is Leah. I’ve seen her several times.”

Matt sat up straighter, a newfound alertness in his eyes.

"What do you want to do?"

Emily didn't answer immediately. She turned to look at the other people in the side hall, then took her phone out of her pocket and swiped a few times.

"This afternoon we have a volunteer event called 'Women's Voices in the Community.'" She turned her phone screen to Matt and Lin Yuan, "Helping women who have experienced domestic violence reintegrate into the community. This aligns perfectly with the spirit of women's rights organizations."

Matt frowned slightly. "You want to invite Catherine over?"

"It's not Catherine." Emily put her phone away, leaned back in her chair, and had a faint smile on her lips. "I invited Leah."

There was a two-second silence in the side hall.

Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair, looking at Emily. She seemed different today—not in appearance, but in a change in her demeanor. Usually, when she volunteered at the relief center, she was gentle, like a cup of perfectly warm water. But now, sitting there, her eyes were deeper and more profound than usual.

"Are you sure she can come?" Lin Yuan asked.

"I'm not sure," Emily said, "but she comes to the coffee shop next to the church every Saturday afternoon to sit for a while."

She sat alone in a corner, ordering an Americano. I've observed her many times.

L

"It's Sunday," Matt said.

"Yes, so she's at that coffee shop right now." Emily stood up, straightened the flyers, and stuffed them into her bag. "I'll go and 'bump into' her. You guys wait for news."

"Be careful," Matt said.

Emily picked up her bag, took two steps toward the side hall door, then stopped and looked back at Lin Yuan. "When you slapped Zoe at the shelter, I thought you were crazy. Later I realized what you were doing. Sometimes, the strangest methods are the most effective."

Lin Yuan met her gaze but did not respond.

Emily smiled, turned around and walked out.

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