Chapter 10 The "Exiled" Genius and the Fifty Yuan Fortune

Two days later.

On the Gobi Desert, a green-skinned commuter train was chugging along.

At the junction of the carriages, the smell of smoke mixed with sweat.

Lin Xi was wrapped in a military overcoat, huddled on a folding stool in the corner like an inconspicuous drifter.

His hands were tucked into his chest, and there was an envelope in his inner pocket.

Thick and warm.

That was the 50-yuan "Technical Innovation Award" the base had personally rewarded him.

In this year of 1980, when an apprentice only made 18 yuan a month and pork was 78 cents a catty...

...this was a huge sum of money that would make any neighbor green with envy.

In the bottom-left corner of his vision, pale blue bullet comments drifted slowly by.

[The Streamer's net worth has multiplied! Is this what a tycoon looked like in the 80s?]

[50 yuan? Nowadays, that's just the price of two cups of milk tea. This purchasing power is truly sigh-inducing.]

[The person above is terrifyingly uncultured! Back then, 50 yuan could buy 300 catties of rice!]

[Streamer, listen to me. Buy two catties of pig's head meat as soon as you get off the train and make those people who look down on you drool with envy!]

The corner of Lin Xi's mouth twitched imperceptibly, but he didn't respond.

He closed his eyes to rest.

But the characteristic noisy gossip in the carriage buzzed into his ears like flies.

"Hey, did you hear? red star no. 2 almost exploded two days ago!"

The speaker was a middle-aged worker named Old Zhao.

He was showing off his "top-secret insider info" to those around him, spit flying everywhere.

"Really? Didn't they say it was a complete success?" someone nearby asked, eyes wide.

"It was a close call!"

Old Zhao lowered his voice, looking mysterious.

"I heard an arrogant Intern in the maintenance team messed with the core instruments and almost ruined the engine!"

"Fortunately, his master—the Level 8 Master Craftsman, Master Li Jianguo—had a sharp eye and turned the tide!"

"Otherwise, all our hard work over the past few years would have been ruined by that brat!"

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A chorus of clicking tongues immediately rose from the surroundings.

"Young people these days are just unreliable."

"They've studied so much they've gone stupid. How could they mess with such a vital national treasure?"

"People like that should be fired. Keeping them at the base is just asking for trouble; something big will happen sooner or later!"

Lin Xi pulled up the collar of his military overcoat, covering half his face and revealing only a pair of eyes that seemed to be smiling but weren't.

But the livestream chat exploded.

[My blood pressure is rising! How can these people twist the truth like this?]

[It was clearly the Streamer who turned the tide and saved the whole base. How did he become the scapegoat? I know this plot; it's getting depressing.]

[I'm so mad! Streamer, can you not be so cowardly? Slap Elder Qian's certificate on his face!]

Just then, a technician nearby wearing black-rimmed glasses pushed up his frames and chimed in:

"Old Zhao, you're only half right."

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on him.

The bespectacled technician enjoyed the feeling of being seen as a "know-it-all" and said unhurriedly:

"I was drinking with Master Li Jianguo last night. He only spilled the beans after he got drunk."

"He said that the fault was actually discovered first by that apprentice—the Intern."

"If it weren't for that Intern, we would've only seen a big firework display that day."

"And I heard that later, even Elder Qian personally summoned the kid and talked in his office for a long time!"

The carriage fell silent for a few seconds.

Everyone looked at each other, unable to fully digest this reversal.

"Is that possible?" Old Zhao asked suspiciously, clearly unwilling to admit his intel was wrong.

"An Intern more capable than so many veteran experts? That's too far-fetched. Was Old Li just protecting his own?"

"Exactly. If young people nowadays had that kind of ability, wouldn't that be something?"

"Hey, what was that kid's name?"

The technician thought for a moment. "I think it was... Lin Xi!"

...

"Young man?"

Beside him, an auntie knitting a sweater gently poked Lin Xi's arm with a needle.

She sized up Lin Xi's civilian clothes, her eyes filled with curiosity:

"Which workshop are you from?"

"You look unfamiliar. Are you new?"

Lin Xi smiled politely and moved his stool slightly to the side:

"Auntie, I was an Intern in the maintenance team. I just got transferred."

"Oh! The maintenance team is great! That's the technical core—a golden rice bowl!"

The auntie's eyes lit up instantly, and she even stopped her work, becoming incredibly enthusiastic,

"Which department were you transferred to? The General Department? Or the Telemetry Department? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Several nearby workers also pricked up their ears.

In this closed base society, departments represented social class and the thickness of one's food stamps.

Lin Xi paused and said calmly:

"I was transferred to the Red Star Labor Service Agency."

As soon as he finished speaking...

...the smile on the auntie's face froze as if hit by liquid nitrogen.

The surrounding gazes, which were originally envious, instantly turned strange, disdainful, and even carried a hint of disgust.

The Red Star Labor Service Agency.

In the base's hierarchy of contempt at the time, that was the sewer.

It was a place for employees who had made mistakes or the children of staff who couldn't pass their exams to idle away their time.

It was a true "place of exile."

"Ah... well... that's also quite good."

The auntie squeezed out a dry sentence and quietly moved her body in the opposite direction.

The auntie, who had been as enthusiastic as fire just a moment ago, instantly became a mere bystander.

Old Zhao glanced at Lin Xi with a look that seemed to say, "I knew it."

"I told you, he must have caused trouble in the maintenance team and was exiled by the higher-ups."

"Young man, as someone who's been through it, let me give you a piece of advice."

Old Zhao said in a heartfelt manner, "Go back and admit your mistake to the leader, write a self-criticism in blood, and try to get transferred back."

"Going to the Service Center at such a young age basically ruins your life."

"You don't even have an official position. When you look for a partner later, girls will steer clear of you as soon as they hear about it."

Facing this overwhelming, condescending "kindness," Lin Xi didn't argue.

He just tucked his hands into his sleeves like an old man watching a play.

The bullet comments in the livestream were about to drown the screen.

[Unbelievable! This face-changing speed is faster than flipping a page!]

[I'm about to explode with anger! Streamer, can you stand up for yourself?]

[How can a swallow know the ambitions of a swan! These people don't know jack! That's a startup base personally approved by Elder Qian!]

[Don't worry, don't worry. The calmer you are now, the more painful the face-slap will be later! Waiting for the reversal!]

...

"Chug—chug—"

The train slowly pulled into the living area platform, letting out a long sigh.

The carriage door opened with a "clatter."

The crowd swarmed out.

Lin Xi was in no hurry. He waited until most people had left before slowly picking up his worn-out canvas bag and getting off the train.

Outside the platform was a dusty, grey dirt road.

In the most prominent spot outside the exit, a dark green 212 jeep was parked.

The vehicle's body was polished to a shine, reflecting a majestic light in the sun.

It was a special vehicle from the General Command Headquarters, which only those at the chief level could mobilize.

Elder Qian's Guard, Xiao Wu, was standing by the car, his back straight as a ramrod, looking toward the platform with piercing eyes.

"Goodness, which big leader is here for an inspection?"

"With this level of prestige, could it be someone from the ministry?"

The crowd that had just left the station slowed down, necks craning to see which important personage had arrived.

Old Zhao, the bespectacled technician, and the auntie also stopped, their faces full of curiosity and awe.

Just then, Lin Xi walked out.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and he strode over to the "exiled Intern."

"Snap!"

A standard military salute!

"Comrade Lin Xi!"

Xiao Wu's voice was loud and piercing. "By order of Elder Qian, I have been waiting here for a long time!"