Oh no! I've only been a freshman and I've already been targeted by a mean upperclassman.

The next morning, Li Chen, unusually, did not go for his morning run.

For the first time ever, he stayed in bed.

Of course, it was an act.

He closed his eyes, listening to Wang Qiang's sleep-talking in the dormitory, Chen Mo grinding his teeth, and Zhao Zixuan's phone playing the sweet "Thank you, big brother" from a female anchor.

He is waiting.

Sure enough, my phone vibrated shortly afterward.

It was a WeChat message from Yan Xi.

[Yan Xi: ?]

There is only one question mark.

But Li Chen could imagine that she was standing on the playground right now, with her brows furrowed.

He smiled and replied slowly.

[Li Chen: I didn't sleep well last night, so I woke up late today.]

[Yan Xi: The reason.]

[Li Chen: I miss you.]

After sending those four words, Li Chen immediately put his phone on silent.

He knew that if he continued, the Queen would freeze him into an ice sculpture with her cold air.

He got out of bed, washed up, and said something to his roommates who were still asleep.

"I'm going out for a bit, I won't be back for lunch."

"Godfather, where are we going?" Wang Qiang asked groggily.

"Go... prepare a surprise for your future sister-in-law."

After Li Chen finished speaking, he walked out of the dormitory amidst the chatter of his roommates, some asleep and some awake.

Instead of taking the bus, he scanned a shared bicycle at the school gate.

More than an hour later, he finally arrived at his destination.

Xihuai Lane.

This place seems to be another side of the bustling city.

The narrow alley is lined with old houses with blue bricks and gray tiles.

The air was filled with a complex and vibrant aroma of wood chips, coal ash, and various foods mixed together.

There are no glamorous shops here, only unassuming little workshops with old-fashioned signs.

Blacksmiths, cotton carders, bamboo weavers...

Each shop is like a miniature time museum.

Li Chen pushed the cart slowly along the uneven cobblestone path.

Following his grandfather's instructions, he found the woodworking workshop deep in the alley, which had no signboard.

The workshop's doors were two weathered wooden doors, slightly ajar.

Li Chen parked the car and went inside.

A rich, distinctive woody aroma wafted towards me.

The workshop was dimly lit, with only a skylight casting a bright beam of light.

Under the beam of light, an elderly man with gray hair and a thin frame, wearing a gray jacket, sat on a low stool, intently carving a piece of wood in his hand with a carving knife.

Around him were piles of all kinds of wood and some unfinished wood carvings.

There are puppets, birds, and some intricate gears and components whose purpose is unclear.

The old man seemed completely absorbed in his own world and showed no reaction to Li Chen's arrival.

Li Chen did not make a sound to disturb him.

He simply stood quietly at the doorway, watching.

He saw that the old man's hands were covered with calluses and scars, but when he held the carving knife, he was as steady as a rock.

The small carving knife seemed to come alive in his fingers.

Every rise and fall was precise and powerful.

Wood chips flew everywhere, and gradually, an ordinary piece of wood took on the shape of a fledgling bird.

Li Chen's gaze fell on the wings of the fledgling bird.

He saw that the old man had used an extremely exquisite technique to carve every feather on the wings with meticulous detail and distinct layers.

Li Chen recognized this technique.

His grandfather taught him the "thin relief" carving technique.

Very difficult.

Looks like this is the place.

Li Chen waited until the old man put down his carving knife, picked up his pipe, and was about to light it before finally speaking.

"Master Liu?"

The old man stopped moving.

He slowly raised his head, his cloudy but sharp eyes looking at Li Chen.

"Who are you?" His voice was hoarse and tinged with wariness.

"My name is Li Chen."

Li Chen stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "It was Li Qingtian who sent me."

Upon hearing the name "Li Qingtian," the old man's pupils contracted sharply.

He looked Li Chen up and down again.

Their gazes, like knives, scraped across him.

"Li Qingtian's grandson?"

He exhaled a smoke ring. "Hmph, doesn't seem like it."

"That old guy is all brute strength, while you, kid, look all clean and tidy, like a pretty boy."

Li Chen smiled and did not refute.

"Did you bring the things?" Master Liu asked again.

"What is it?" Li Chen was taken aback.

"The Ceremony of Becoming an Apprentice"

Master Liu tapped his pipe. "Didn't Li Qingtian teach you any manners?"

Li Chen then realized what was happening.

But he came in a hurry and hadn't prepared any apprenticeship gifts.

"This... I wasn't prepared." Li Chen said somewhat awkwardly.

"If you're not prepared, get out." Master Liu lowered his head and stopped looking at him.

Li Chen stood still, without moving.

He knew this was a test.

He glanced around the messy workshop.

My gaze finally settled on a pile of discarded wood in the corner.

He walked over and picked out a palm-sized piece of boxwood from among them, which was of decent quality.

Then, he walked back to Master Liu.

"Master Liu, I didn't bring a gift for your apprenticeship," he said. "However, I'd like to peel an apple for you."

Master Liu raised his eyelids, glanced at him, and his eyes were full of sarcasm.

"I don't have any apples here."

"It's alright," Li Chen smiled. "Using this will be just as good."

As he spoke, he took out a small, portable folding knife from his pocket.

He's carried this knife with him since his freshman year of college, using it to open packages or peel fruit.

The blade, honed by him, was incredibly sharp.

Master Liu looked at the wood and knife in his hand and seemed to understand something.

He didn't stop them, he just crossed his arms and watched coldly.

Li Chen stopped talking.

He sat on the ground, holding a piece of wood in his left hand and a knife in his right.

Then, his hand moved.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

A soft, continuous cutting sound rang out in the workshop.

Li Chen's wrist moved nimbly.

In his hands, that ordinary folding knife seemed to transform into a scalpel with magical powers.

Wood shavings, like an unbroken thin line, were completely and meticulously shaved off the block of wood, circle by circle.

Master Liu's eyes widened little by little.

His cloudy gaze instantly sharpened to the point of being as keen as an eagle's.

He saw that Li Chen's knife, every time it cut in, maintained the exact same depth and angle.

The originally irregular piece of wood was being transformed into a perfect sphere by him at a speed visible to the naked eye.

This is more than just knife skills.

This is a terrifying control over power and precision that reaches its extreme!

Less than a minute.

Li Chen stopped what he was doing.

He set the long, intact sawdust aside.

Then, he handed the perfect wooden ball in his hand to Master Liu.

"Master Liu, the apple is peeled."

Mr. Liu did not answer.

His gaze was fixed intently on the wooden ball.

Then he picked up the sawdust and examined it carefully.

It is of uniform thickness and width, with no signs of breakage.

He took a deep breath and knocked the ash from his pipe onto the ground.

"You brat..." he looked at Li Chen, his voice hoarse, and asked, "How many years have you practiced this skill?"

"From the time you can hold chopsticks," Li Chen replied.

Master Liu fell silent.

He looked at the young man in front of him, his eyes filled with an extremely complex expression.

There was shock, admiration, and a hint of excitement at meeting a worthy opponent.

"Speak," he finally said, "what do you want from this old man?"

Li Chen knew that he had passed the test.

He stopped smiling and his expression became serious and earnest.

"Master Liu, I would like to ask you to make me a one-of-a-kind music box."

He took out paper and pen from his pocket, squatted down, and quickly drew a sketch.

It was a vintage, palace-shaped music box.

However, its internal structure is extremely complex.

"I don't want it to just play simple music," Li Chen explained as he drew.

"I hope that when it is opened, the internal gears and mechanical structure can operate precisely and be clearly seen, just like a clock."

"The palace at the top can rotate."

"At the same time, a pair of small, wooden dolls will dance on the palace balcony."

"Most importantly..."

Li Chen raised his head, looked at Master Liu, and said, word by word.

"I hope to embed a miniature projection device in the base of the music box."

"When the music starts and the puppets dance, it can project a specific image onto the ceiling."

"I want to perfectly combine traditional woodworking machinery with modern lighting and shadow technology."

After hearing this, Master Liu was completely stunned.

He stared at the sketch on the ground, a sketch brimming with wild imagination, as if he were looking at the masterpiece of a madman.

Combining mechanical wood carving with projection technology?

This idea is insane.

That's so... interesting.

He looked at Li Chen, and for the first time, a raging fire ignited in those eyes that were always half-open.

"You're an interesting kid."

He picked up the sketch, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

"But this thing isn't so easy to make."

"Just the design drawings alone take a lot of effort."

"The materials must also be the best."

"The construction period will be at least one month."

"Are you ready?"

Li Chen stood up and patted the sawdust off his clothes.

He looked at the old man in front of him, his face showing an unprecedented determination.

"Ready."