Picking up trash is a skillful job.

After setting the frame, Matthew Lee claimed he understood a bit of mechanics, but judging by his uneasy expression,

He probably knows just enough to name what this thing is, but as for its performance, he can't tell at all.

And Cheng Ye... he's good at civil engineering, but when it comes to mechanical aspects, he's completely clueless.

"No worries, I'll find a few veteran masters from the Mechanical Bureau to help us out!"

Matthew Lee pulled out his Defense Communication device and made three calls in a row, but after hanging up, he shook his head helplessly,

"We're a step too late. They all had time yesterday as they were off, but today they're all busy at work, fixing batches of broken machines from the Public Works Bureau, all busy with repairs in the workshop. The earliest they could be free is tomorrow or the day after."

"A step too late?" Cheng Ye was a bit disappointed.

He had no connections in the mechanical field, not even an acquaintance to consult.

But then he thought, it's better to rely on yourself than anyone else.

All this time, he had focused on combat skills and never touched knowledge-based skills.

Now, with plans for a trade caravan and advancing the construction of Dapo Town, he would inevitably have to deal with industrial matters. Not understanding mechanical knowledge is not an option.

Right now, there's a perfect opportunity. While visiting the Mechanical Bureau, he could search for a mechanical-related skill, which would solve the immediate problem of selecting vehicle parts and pave the way for future development.

Also, now that he had enough energy and authority, searching for Level 2 skills only required 50% compatibility, which wasn't too difficult.

With Matthew Lee's introduction, it would be easy to connect with the master craftsmen at the Mechanical Bureau.

"You want to check out the Mechanical Bureau?"

Matthew Lee gave a slight pause before nodding with a smile, "Sure! I'll give you a number, it's an old acquaintance of mine. Call him when you get to the gate and have him come out to get you. It's better than wandering around aimlessly by yourself."

"Okay." Cheng Ye saved the number and glanced at Matthew Lee's note on the Defense Communication device, 'Sang Hezheng', yet another Eastern Person.

"How come you, a Westerner, only know Eastern People?"

"Ha, what's so strange about that?" Matthew Lee shook his head, with a hint of sentiment in his tone, "Back in the old days, when there was global Extraordinary activity, many people from the West didn't want to get involved in battles and moved to the East Continent to seek a safe place for shelter. My father came over back then, surrounded by Eastern People, and I grew up in a community where Easterners gathered, so naturally, most of my friends are Eastern People too."

He paused and added, "There's really no need to get hung up on race. The inspection stations now divide the camps into East and West, but at the root of it, it's just uneven distribution of interests using race as an excuse. When Director Cheng Wu was around, there was never talk of Eastern and Western People. Everyone worked for Happiness City, whoever had the ability got the job, and there weren't all these twists and turns."

"Yeah, I know."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly, something he had long noticed during his routine inspections.

At the lower levels, there was no difference between Eastern and Western People. Everyone was struggling to survive, but spoke the same Chinese language, and would even help each other fix houses and exchange goods.

The so-called "camps" are nothing more than divisions created by the upper echelon to fight over resources.

While the two chatted idly, Cheng Ye glanced at the time on the Defense Communication device. It was already eleven-thirty in the morning.

Matthew Lee also pulled out his device, quickly skimming through a message. His tone became urgent, "I have to go. Even though I plan to give up on the parcel handling, I still have to follow the station's assessment process diligently, no slacking off."

"It starts at one o'clock, and being late means points will be deducted."

"Alright, you handle your business. Don't worry about the trade caravan here, I'll head to the Mechanical Bureau first to gather information." Cheng Ye waved him off, putting him at ease.

"Okay! Call me anytime if there's anything!"

Matthew Lee left in a hurry, his steps lighter than before, as if he had laid down some burden.

Watching him leave, Cheng Ye couldn't help but ponder. He actually hoped that Matthew Lee could secure the parcel handling point in Dongping Town.

Dongping Town was adjacent to the Industrial Zone, making it much more convenient for obtaining raw materials and connecting with production equipment than Dapo Town.

If Matthew Lee could establish himself there, he might be able to help connect the dots and fight for some industrial resources for the construction of Dapo Town.

But then again, his competitors in Dongping Town are Song Hai and Gu Xinjing, which made the prospect look dim.

Both were veteran Third-Phase Easterners with years of experience at the inspection station, well-connected and holding a lot of resources, leaving Matthew Lee without any advantage. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

As for Garcia?

Competing against three veteran Third-stage Inspectors with just a Second-Phase from his faction, Cheng Ye really didn't know how that guy could win.

But these were others' matters, and he couldn't force Matthew Lee into anything.

Cheng Ye quickly collected his thoughts. The most important task at hand was to go to the Mechanical Bureau, to not only meet Sang Hezheng but also attempt to search for mechanical skills, and pick vehicle parts for the trade caravan. There was no time to think about unrelated matters.

Setting up the trade caravan and securing a parcel handling quota was the real priority.

However, he didn't head straight to the Mechanical Bureau but returned to the kiosk first.

After heating up four packs of Nutrient Paste for lunch, he turned and dived into the basement of the kiosk, starting to rummage through things.

Matthew Lee's connections were built over years and surely supported by exchanges of benefits.

Now that he was using Matthew Lee's connection to ask Sang Hezheng for help, going empty-handed would seem insincere and could easily turn this connection into a one-time thing.

From a moisture-proof bag in the basement, Cheng Ye rummaged and picked out six strips of sun-dried oily salted fish.