The next morning, Lin Wei arrived at the bureau early—earlier than the janitor, earlier than the old clerk who always slept at his desk. He headed straight for the drafting room, intending to review yesterday's damage reports.
But the moment he opened the door, he froze.
Someone was already inside.
A young man stood over the drafting table, sleeves rolled up, hair slicked neatly back, pen spinning effortlessly between his fingers. His shoes were polished, his coat clean, his posture confident. A stack of precisely arranged blueprints lay beside him.
He looked up.
Sharp eyes.Calm expression.A hint of superiority.
"You must be Lin Wei."
Lin Wei blinked. "Yes. And you are—?"
The man smiled thinly.
"Zhou Feng. Senior apprentice. Project designer under Director Li."
A title, and a warning, strung together in one sentence.
So this was Zhou Feng.
The prodigy.The bureau darling.The one people whispered about in the halls.
Zhou Feng crossed his arms."I've heard quite a bit about you. Saving buildings on your first day? Impressive."
Lin Wei nodded politely."It was teamwork."
Zhou Feng chuckled.
"Oh, modest. I see why Professor Han likes you."
The tone was friendly.The eyes were not.
A Subtle Challenge
Zhou Feng picked up a rolled blueprint and tossed it lightly onto the table. It unfurled halfway, revealing a dense cluster of building schematics.
"Since you're Han-laoshi's apprentice, why don't you show me your interpretation of this beam structure? Consider it a warm-up."
Lin Wei stepped forward.
The moment he touched the page, the system activated.
[Blueprint Interpretation Lv.1 Active][Structural visualization enhanced.]
Lines sharpened.Weak points glimmered faintly.
He leaned over the blueprint—
And Zhou Feng's eyes narrowed.
He recognized that focus immediately.
"It's true," Zhou Feng murmured. "You really see things quickly."
Lin Wei ignored the comment and continued analyzing.
After a minute, he pointed."This support beam is misaligned by three degrees. It will cause stress buildup over years."
Zhou Feng blinked.
"That's… correct."
Lin Wei moved his finger."And this joint needs reinforcement. The load distribution isn't symmetrical."
"Also correct."
Lin Wei then tapped a section near the margin.
"And this note—'temporary fix'—is misleading. The real issue isn't temporary."
Zhou Feng stopped breathing.
Because that was also correct—something even some senior engineers had missed.
Zhou Feng inhaled slowly.
"…You really are as good as the rumors say."
Lin Wei stepped back."I'm still learning."
Zhou Feng's expression didn't soften, but it changed—from disdainto calculation.
"This bureau doesn't need humility," Zhou Feng said quietly."It needs competence. And you're a direct threat to anyone who isn't prepared."
Lin Wei frowned."A threat?"
Zhou Feng didn't answer.
He simply smoothed his coat and walked out.
The Director Arrives
Moments later, a stern man with silver hair strode into the room.
"Lin Wei?"
Lin Wei straightened."Yes, Director Li."
Director Li studied him intently."You're the boy Han recommended."
Not praise.Not disapproval.Just fact.
"You'll accompany Zhou Feng today," Director Li said. "The two of you will conduct a full assessment of the East Trench Construction Site."
Lin Wei blinked.East Trench?
That was one of the bureau's toughest active sites—deep foundation work, unstable soil, and a history of accidents.
Even seasoned engineers approached it cautiously.
Zhou Feng reappeared at the door, expression unreadable.
Director Li continued:
"I want to see how you two cooperate. Han speaks highly of you, but I judge ability through performance, not sentiment."
He turned sharply and left.
Lin Wei exchanged a look with Zhou Feng.
Zhou Feng's smile returned—cool and controlled.
"Well then," he said softly, "let's see what the 'heaven-blessed miracle rookie' can do."
On the Way to the Site
The two walked through the city streets in heavy silence. Workers passed with carts, students rushed to school, vendors argued over prices.
Finally Lin Wei broke the quiet.
"Do you dislike me?"
Zhou Feng didn't stop walking.He didn't even change expression.
"I don't dislike you," he said. "I dislike chaos."
"Chaos?"
"You entered the bureau and immediately disrupted the balance. People are talking. Team assignments are shifting. Expectations are changing. That creates instability."
Lin Wei frowned.
"But I'm just doing my job—"
"Yes," Zhou Feng said. "And that's the problem."
He turned, eyes sharp.
"Some of us have spent years building our futures here. And you—"He gestured to Lin Wei's work bag."—with your instincts and your ridiculous accuracy… You make it look effortless."
Lin Wei found himself silent.
"I don't want to compete," he said finally.
Zhou Feng's smile widened—but it wasn't pleasant.
"That's not how this world works."
East Trench Site
When they arrived, the ground thundered beneath their feet. Machinery roared, dust filled the air, metal clanged. Workers shouted over the noise.
It wasn't a peaceful old courtyard.It was a battlefield of steel and mud.
A supervisor jogged over immediately.
"Director Li sent you? Good! We have issues everywhere."
Zhou Feng immediately shifted into professional mode.
"Show us."
They followed the supervisor to a series of deep trenches lined with wooden supports.
Lin Wei stepped closer—
The system pulsed violently.
[WARNING][Imminent Structural Failure Detected][Location: East Trench, Support Frame C]
[Collapse Risk: EXTREMELY HIGH]
Immediate action required.
Lin Wei's heart seized.
"Stop!" he shouted.
Workers froze mid-step.Zhou Feng turned sharply.
Lin Wei pointed toward the trench.
"No one goes near Frame C! The support is failing!"
The supervisor blinked."Failing? Impossible—it was reinforced yesterday!"
Zhou Feng ran ahead to confirm.
And the moment he reached the trench—
A loud groan sounded.
Then—
CRACK.SNAP.THUNDERING SPLIT.
The entire support frame tore apart and collapsed into the trench, sending mud and shards of timber cascading downward like a landslide.
If anyone had been standing there—If anyone had been inside—
It would have been fatal.
The supervisor's face turned sheet white.
Zhou Feng stared at Lin Wei, stunned.
"You… caught that before even seeing it."
Lin Wei exhaled shakily."I heard the strain."
And the system told him the truth.
The workers began murmuring:
"He saved us—again?""This kid's got the eyes of a god!""No wonder Professor Han picked him!"
Whispers spread like wildfire.
Zhou Feng didn't speak for a long time.
Finally, he said quietly:
"…You're not just talented.""You're dangerous."
Lin Wei's chest tightened.
But Zhou Feng wasn't finished.
"And yet…"He looked at the collapsed trench."…with you around, fewer people will die."
His expression shifted—from rivalryto reluctant respect.
"I won't accept losing to you," Zhou Feng said calmly."But I won't sabotage you either."
"For today," he added with a smirk, "we're a team."
Lin Wei nodded.
"Then let's work."
Meanwhile, in the Siheyuan…
Back at the courtyard, Liu Fang anxiously wrung out laundry beneath the apricot tree.
"He left so early…" she muttered.
Auntie Zhang smirked."Missing him already?"
Liu Fang flushed."It's not like that!"
Old Madam Chen chuckled knowingly.
"Dear, the heart knows what it knows."
Liu Fang looked toward the courtyard gate, silent.
"…Just come back safely," she whispered.
But she had no idea—
Lin Wei was beginning to step into a world of rivalry, recognition…and danger.