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Chapter 4, Level 4 Clerk
Upon hearing this, Márquez closed the ledger.
"Five hundred tons of high-energy fuel, used to calm a single harvester?"
He approached Lowe, his tall shadow looming over him.
"According to the Ministry of the Interior's Material Guidance Manual No. 492, the starting ceremony for a standard model harvester only requires five kilograms of incense and three liters of sacred oil."
"You are wasting the Empire's wealth, scribe."
“That’s the standard model, sir,” Rowe said without backing down. “We’re using the M36 ‘Redeemer’ harvester. That ancient machine spirit is short-tempered.”
"If we don't provide enough high-energy fuel as a sacrifice, they will shut down."
"Last quarter, due to insufficient fuel supply, Unit 3 became enraged, causing two operators to be caught in the gears and resulting in a three-day production stoppage."
Luo Wei paused for a moment before unleashing his trump card.
"The loss from a three-day production stoppage is equivalent to 4,000 tons of wheat. The cost of 500 tons of fuel is only equivalent to 500 tons of wheat."
"It is illogical to lose 4,000 tons in order to save 500 tons. This goes against the Emperor's teaching that we should make the most of everything."
Marquez's mechanical eye zoomed in and out.
He was calculating.
A few seconds later, he turned his head and looked at Case.
"So, what about the coating for the irrigation canals? Did it use eight thousand tons?"
Case finally realized what was happening. He wiped his sweat and said loudly:
"This...this is to prevent leaks. Water is a gift from the Emperor; not a single drop can be wasted!"
Marquez ignored him and continued to stare at Lovi.
"Ordinary waterproofing projects do not require so many materials."
"Because of the soil." Lowe spoke steadily, "Archived records show that the Mechanics Church sowed sulfides here in M37."
"The residual sulfur causes the soil to become too acidic, which corrodes conventional coatings. We need to apply a three-fold thicker coating and mix in a neutralizing agent."
"If we don't do this, the irrigation canal will collapse within three months. At that point, the entire eastern district's production will be reduced to zero."
Luo Wei gave the file number from the archives.
"You can check. Archives, Section C-4, Shelf No. 772, File 19."
Marquez fell silent.
The servo skull behind him flew up and extended probes, seemingly verifying data from the mothership's database on the connection track.
Half a minute.
That half minute felt like an eternity.
The servo skull emitted a crisp "ding".
Verification successful.
The red light in Márquez's eyes dimmed slightly.
He reopened the ledger and took out a seal.
"approve."
Snapped.
A red stamp was placed on the ledger pages.
Case let out a long breath and collapsed like a lump of mud.
Marquez then changed the subject.
"While it's compliant, it's incredibly inefficient. Next quarter, I want to see this expenditure reduced by 10%. Otherwise, I'll turn you two into fertilizer."
"Yes, yes, definitely!" Case nodded frantically.
Marquez threw the ledger back into Loewy's arms.
"Lead the way. I want to see the physical inventory."
……
The inspection lasted a full four hours.
Luo Wei followed behind, answering every tricky question.
The density of the inventory, moisture-proof measures, and even the rate of rat extermination.
His answer was watertight.
His thorough preparation made him appear like a veteran who had been in the position for fifty years.
Marquez did not cause any further trouble.
For the Ministry of the Interior, they don't care if you're a good person, they only care if you're a useful cog in the machine.
Loewe is now just a useful spare part.
Before leaving, Márquez stood at the cabin door and looked at Loewy directly for the first time.
"What's your name?"
"Lo Wei, sir. Fourth-level clerk."
"Your logic is very clear. That's rare in this frontier world full of idiots."
Marquez took a metal chip off his belt and tossed it to Loewy.
"This is the Ministry of the Interior's basic access key. If you survive until the next tithe collection, I'll consider giving you a chance to work in the upper echelons of the Nest City."
After saying that, he turned and walked into the shuttle.
The hatch closed.
The engine roared.
The shuttle took off and disappeared into the clouds.
Case stood there, looking at the loyalty medal in his hand, laughing like a madman.
"Passed! Haha, passed!"
He turned around and slapped Lowe hard on the back.
"Good lad, you're really something! That deadpan guy actually gave you a letter of recommendation!"
Luo Wei held the cold chip in his hand and bowed in respect.
"They were all cultivated by their supervisors."
Case's laughter stopped abruptly.
He stared at the chip in Luo Wei's hand, his expression changing.
Greed, and envy.
Deeper still, there was murderous intent.
He was an extremely capable subordinate, one who had even received a letter of recommendation from the Ministry of the Interior.
For Case, this was no longer a tool, but a threat.
"Love, you're tired. Let me keep the chip. It's not safe for someone of your level to handle it."
Lo Wei did not hesitate.
He handed over the chip with both hands.
"Of course, sir. This is all thanks to you."
Case grabbed the chip and stuffed it into his pocket.
His fat jiggled, revealing a satisfied expression.
"Very good, you're very sensible. Go back and rest, you're given the night off."
"Thank you, sir."
Lo Wei turned and left.
He walked slowly and steadily.
He could feel Case's gaze fixed on his back, like a venomous snake.
Case won't let him live until the next tax collection.
Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow.
An "accident" will happen.
They either slipped and fell into the shredder, or they got poisoned by eating expired corpse starch.
Luo Wei walked out of the granary.
The sky outside was overcast.
He did not return to his dormitory.
He turned a corner and headed towards the mechanical repair workshop in the lower area.
Since Case wants to kill him, he has to make sure Case can't.
Besides the governor and the Ministry of the Interior, there is another force on this planet.
Mechanical teaching.
During his inspection just now, Lowe noticed something.
When the "M36 harvester" was mentioned, a hint of pain flashed in the eyes of a technical priest who was in charge of maintenance.
That machine is broken.
It's not that they're lacking fuel, it's that they're really sick.
Those who follow the cult of mechanics worship machines as gods.
They knew all the steps:
Apply a specific sequence of sacred oil to the designated bearing;
Recite the corresponding awakening prayer in precise pitch;
Use incense to purify the potentially contaminated "machine soul's dwelling place".
They might know where the problem lies.
But between "knowing" and "being allowed to do" lies a tradition spanning millennia and unquestionable religious texts.
Disassembly and exploration, especially basic diagnostics of the internal structure of the "sacred object".
All of these could be seen as blasphemy and transgression against the mysteries of the god of machinery.
They are trapped within their own grand cognitive framework.
As a time traveler, Luo Wei possessed something they had long lost and deliberately avoided—
It gets straight to the heart of the problem, offering a simple understanding of physics that has not been tainted by theological interpretations.
Therefore, the mechanical principles and engineering knowledge he learned in his previous life will play a unique role at this moment.
He decided to fix the machine.
He would gain the protection of the Cult of Mechanics if he could repair the "holy relic" that even the Technologists were helpless against.
At that time, even Case wouldn't dare to touch someone whom the Cult of Mechanics considers a "confidant of the Mechanics."
……
The repair shop was filled with the smell of engine oil and incense.
The towering M36 "Redeemer" harvester lay sprawled in the center of the workshop, like a dying steel behemoth.
Its outer shell is covered with scriptures and marks of purity.
Three low-level technical priests were surrounding it, fumigating its exhaust pipe with incense burners while chanting incantations.
"Om Messiah, calm your anger..."
"Soul of the Gears, please start turning again..."
Lowe stood in the shadows and watched for a while.
The problem with this machine is very simple.
The intake valve is blocked.
In addition, the long-term use of inferior fuel caused carbon buildup, which led to piston seizure.
And these technical priests are burning incense.
Lo Wei was not surprised.
Here, knowledge is monopolized and truth is deified.
These low-level priests, stationed in the agricultural world, spend their entire lives confined to the circle defined by the "scriptures."
They revere machines, but forget to understand them.