Chapter 17 Master's "Kirin Arm" and Lin Xi's "Chicken Claws"

It wasn't just a vibration; it was the pulse of the metal.

Subtle feedback traveled up the cold crank handle and seeped into Wang Dapao's palm.

Standing nearby, Lin Xi watched the parabolic surface gradually take shape and couldn't help but interject:

"Master, the final step needs a diffuse reflection treatment. You need to lathe an orange-peel texture..."

"Shut up!" Li Jianguo didn't even turn his head.

"I've been lathing circles my whole life, and you're trying to teach me?"

Despite his words, the old man's wrist began to quiver with extreme subtlety.

It was a high-frequency, rhythmic vibration.

To an outsider, it might look like an unsteady hand.

But in Lin Xi's eyes, this was the miraculous technique of "Human High-Frequency Vibratory Cutting"!

In 2025, this would require an expensive five-axis CNC machine tool paired with a specialized vibratory tool holder to accomplish.

Yet in 1980, Li Jianguo achieved it with one hand and half a pound of white liquor.

"Done!"

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With a final soft click, the lathe stopped spinning.

The silver-white aluminum hood sat quietly clamped in the chuck.

A perfect parabolic curve, its inner wall covered in a fine, uniform orange-peel texture,

looking like a delicate piece of art, gleaming coldly in the dim workshop.

The livestream bullet chats instantly exploded across the screen:

【I'm kneeling! This is a freaking human CNC machine tool, isn't it?】

【Is this the true value of an Eighth-Grade Worker? Terrifyingly powerful!】

【Big Cannon just got a passive upgrade. A max-level account is carrying him through the dungeon!】

The workshop was pin-drop silent.

Sun Erga's mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.

Wang Dapao looked at his own hands as if he didn't recognize them.

"That'll do." Li Jianguo let go and casually slapped Wang Dapao's muscular arm.

"Good boy, your arm is quite steady."

"You're good material for a fitter. Follow me and practice in the future; you're better than this lot who only know how to flap their gums."

As he spoke, the old man glanced sideways at Lin Xi with a look of disdain.

He pointed at Lin Xi's slender hands:

"As for you... stay away from the machine tools from now on."

"Look at those hands, all fair and tender like chicken claws. You only know how to draw; as soon as you touch the machines, you turn everything into scrap."

"Let Big Cannon do this kind of rough work in the future. You just focus on using your brain!"

The whole room burst into laughter.

The term "chicken claws" was a harsh insult, yet it carried a sense of intimacy and protectiveness.

Lin Xi wasn't annoyed either. He smiled and lit a cigarette for Li Jianguo.

"Master, you're right to scold me."

"Without your diamond-hard hands, my head would just be for show."

"Stop flattering me!" Li Jianguo took a drag of the cigarette.

"Assemble it and let's see!"

"I want to see what the hell this 'little sun' actually is."

The final assembly was quick.

Wang Yu carefully installed the wound nichrome wire bracket into the focal center of the reflector and connected the high-temperature resistant wires.

Wang Dapao tightened the heavy bearing base.

A moment later, a strange-looking "little sun," full of Soviet-style heavy industrial punk vibes, stood on the workbench.

"Power it up!"

At Lin Xi's command, Wang Yu flipped the switch.

*Buzz—*

The nichrome wire gradually turned red-hot, like burning charcoal.

Three seconds later, the ceramic tube glowed with a golden-red light. After being refracted by the orange-peel textured reflector, it turned into a soft, non-glaring warm light.

The light instantly dispelled the surrounding chill, illuminating the dark corners of the workshop and the fine beads of sweat on everyone's faces.

"This... is actually quite interesting."

Li Jianguo squinted, feeling the heat wave, and his originally critical gaze changed.

"This heat concentration effect..." the old craftsman murmured to himself, "there's something to it."

Looking at the product, Lin Xi felt it was still missing one final touch.

"Right, safety!"

"Wang Yu, come here." Lin Xi casually sketched a diagram on paper. "Do you understand this structure?"

Wang Yu leaned in to look.

The drawing showed something like a pendulum, with two contact points connected below.

"Gra... Gravity Pendulum?" Wang Yu's eyes lit up, and his stuttering even smoothed out.

"Uti... utilizing gravity."

"When standing upright, the pendulum is vertical, the metal ring makes contact, and the circuit is closed."

"If it ti... tips over, the pendulum deviates, and the circuit breaks."

"Smart." Lin Xi snapped his fingers.

"I want you to make a normally closed Gravity Sensor Switch and connect it in series with the power supply."

"The sensitivity needs to be high. If the body tilts more than 30 degrees, the power must be cut instantly!"

"Can you make it?"

"No... no problem! Lea... leave it to me!"

Twenty minutes later.

Wang Yu rushed over holding a black plastic box the size of a matchbox.

"Brother Lin, it's do... done! I've connected it to the power input!"

The new "little sun" stood on the workbench once again.

Power on.

The orange-red light glowed once more, as warm as spring.

"Erga, give it a kick," Lin Xi ordered.

"Huh?"

"Kick it!"

Sun Erga didn't hesitate and gave it a swift kick.

*Clatter!*

The heater flipped violently onto its side.

Just as the body tilted past the halfway point—

*Snap.*

The extremely faint sound of a relay engaging.

The orange-red light instantly went out, as if an invisible hand had choked it.

Before the body even fully hit the table, the nichrome wire inside had already begun to rapidly dim and cool.

The entire room was stunned.

"Incredible!" Sun Erga's eyes were about to pop out.

He leaned over the table, repeatedly setting the thing up and knocking it down, having the time of his life.

"Holy crap, this is amazing! It goes out when it falls and lights up when it's upright? Has this thing gained a soul or something?"

Li Jianguo looked at the simple pendulum structure and took a puff of his cigarette. For the first time, his gaze showed recognition that "this kid really has a good head on his shoulders."

【Look, look! That was my suggestion!】

【There's no technical barrier; it's all about product concept dominance!】

【Back in 1980, this kind of safety design was absolutely a dimensional strike. Moms don't have to worry about the house catching fire anymore!】

Afterward, Lin Xi took out a hollow stencil carved from cardboard.

He pressed the stencil onto the base and gave it a light press with a can of red spray paint.

*Sshhh—*

On the silver-gray cast iron base, a line of bright red characters jumped out:

【Red Star · Warm Sun】

The red five-pointed star next to it shone brightly under the lights, exuding the spirited and upward-striving energy unique to this era.

The silver reflector, the red heat source, the black base, plus this splash of a bright red logo.

How was this some scrap-heap junk anymore? This was practically an industrial work of art!

"Everyone, let's work hard. We'll pull some overtime tonight and make 10 units first!" Lin Xi clapped his hands, his eyes shining.

Then, he turned to Liu Guihua, who had been unable to get a word in edgewise:

"Big Sister Liu, it's your turn to step up."

"Do you have any acquaintances over at the department store?"

"You bet!"

Big Sister Liu slapped her chest resoundingly, finally finding her sense of purpose.

"I know Manager Sun over there. Leave this to me!"

"Great, we'll go to the department store tomorrow!"