Chapter 3: The Mysterious Birthmark

Hehe. Yuan Ye smiled awkwardly and, understanding the situation, ran over to the work area

Turning off the dim energy-saving lamp, Yuan Ye casually pulled over a tattered quilt from beside him and haphazardly covered himself with it. He quickly fell into a deep sleep; this was the happiest moment of his day

The father's despondency quickly led to the decline of this family, which appeared nearly perfect in the eyes of others. The once substantial savings in the household are now unknown as to where the father has spent them

Many people, in memory of their loved ones, choose to send their genes there, hoping that their family members can stand before them once again, even if it is just to say a single word

As for those small components that require manual disassembly, the difficulty is hardly any less than that of operating a robotic arm. Some of these tiny parts are even as fine as a strand of hair, thus posing a considerable challenge to both eyesight and the precision of one's technique

At the moment Yuan Ye collapsed, a pendant sprang out from his shirt.

At 11:30, Yuan Ye finally completed the allocation of the parts, and his expression appeared utterly exhausted. After taking off his coat, he collapsed onto the filthy hard bed.

Arriving at the door, Yuan Ye glanced at his dilapidated vehicle. He had no intention of driving it to work, primarily due to the energy consumption of the magnetic vehicle, which represented a significant expense. Generally, it would not move without a sound. Furthermore, the reckless driving from yesterday had completely rendered the already severely aged transmission system of the magnetic vehicle inoperable. Additionally, the recent tightening of regulations suggested that the traffic management personnel throughout the entire Aya City were likely searching for this broken vehicle.

The mysterious pendant before him is the "key" to unlocking the enigmatic birthmark. Initially, Yuan Ye was unaware of this secret, and his birthmark would flare up unpredictably, without any discernible pattern. However, after Yuan Ye put on this pendant, the birthmark never flared up again.

In one corner of the metal box, there is a slightly yellowed photograph, depicting a handsome middle-aged man embracing a petite woman, both displaying a smile of happiness

If there is anything else, it is that he wants to leave a memory for himself. At the very least, he knows that his mother still has a chance of resurrection and that he can see her one more time. After all, isn't living just about holding onto a glimmer of hope?

These tasks may appear easy, but in reality, they are not. Operating a robotic arm requires intense concentration, and even the slightest mistake cannot be tolerated. If one accidentally damages other components, it can lead to significant losses for the repair shop, especially for those expensive magnetic racing cars

Subconsciously, Yuan Ye touched his right shoulder. Almost every time he saw this pendant, he had this instinctive action. Over time, it seemed to have become a habit. On his right shoulder, there was a light blue birthmark. If one looked closely, they would find that the pattern on the light blue birthmark was identical to the pattern on the pendant, without any difference.

However, Yuan Ye did not have such extravagant hopes; he was determined to send his mother's genes there. In his view, this was the best way to lay her to rest, and it could be considered the last bit of filial piety he could fulfill as a son

He did not know what secrets were contained within this birthmark and this pendant, only that this birthmark would often "erupt" from childhood to adulthood. During the "eruption," the birthmark on his right arm would burn with a pain akin to fire, flashing with a purple light, accompanied by an extraordinary concentration of his consciousness. In this state, his reaction ability and insight would be significantly enhanced beyond the ordinary.

The next day, the sun had already risen high when Yuan Ye finally awoke from his slumber. In his dreams, he seemed to return to his childhood, recalling the time when his father took him on a small airplane. The carefree feeling of soaring freely in the sky was something he found hard to forget for a long time

The only one who knew the truth was the mother, who said nothing about it, and he never complained about his father's despondency, quietly supporting the family instead

He took out two bills from this stack of money, while the rest was thrown into a metal box under the bed. The metal box was filled with star currency of varying denominations, some crumpled and some wrinkled, and these 8 brand new star bills stood out distinctly.

Mother ... ... " Yuan Ye whispered softly, saying nothing, yet a thousand words were conveyed in silence

Yuan Ye casually picked up the pendant, glanced at it slightly. The chain was made of white metal, about the thickness of a chopstick, with intricate knots intertwined on it. The pendant itself was crafted from dark gold metal, the size of a silver dollar, featuring intricate and esoteric patterns carved in relief, resembling a vine woven together.

Just before leaving, he casually picked up a dented and tattered metal box from the pile of discarded parts.

The reason Yuan Ye is working so hard to save money is solely to send his mother's genes to the "Gene Heaven"

After moving his body a few times, he still felt weak all over due to the excessive physical exertion yesterday. Even now, he longed to enjoy a good sleep, even if just for half an hour, but his busy work did not allow him to do so

The owner of the repair shop said nothing further, simply sitting quietly beside and sipping tea

It was not until three years ago that his work stabilized, as he became an apprentice at a magnetic vehicle repair factory. While learning the basic assembly of magnetic vehicles, he also learned to drive. His boss treated him well, often introducing him to jobs transporting clients for the service company. Three years have passed, and while his driving skills have become exceptionally proficient, he has also been labeled a "traffic killer" by the traffic management bureau

The side effects resulting from this state are also very significant, including complete physical exhaustion accompanied by dizziness, which is quite uncomfortable. Therefore, under normal circumstances, Yuan Ye would not activate it.

Ayeo was late today. The chubby boss, seeing Yuan Ye rush into the repair factory looking worn out, smiled and said to him, without any hint of reproach in his tone

The sound of splashing

Those were Yuan Ye's parents. Yuan Ye's father, Yuan Shang, was originally a nobleman and also an outstanding physiological scientist. However, when Yuan Ye was five years old, his father mysteriously disappeared for three months. When his father returned, it was as if he had become a different person. The once cheerful man had turned taciturn, spending all day locked in a small room, engaged in unknown activities. What left the deepest impression on Yuan Ye during that time was that every time he saw his father, his father's wrist was wrapped in thick bandages.

Until one time, he stared at this pendant in a daze, his curious gaze extending along the starting point of the pattern, and as a result, the birthmark erupted once again

Shh... Yuan Ye let out a slight sigh of relief, then once again tucked the pendant into his clothing. He was not overly curious about this small difference in himself; it was something he had carried since birth, and he had long since grown accustomed to it. In fact, he had come to regard this difference as a kind of instinct.

Yuan Ye's repair shop is located in a relatively prosperous area of Ayash City. The storefront is not small, and the business is quite good. Most of the employees here come from the impoverished neighborhoods. The owner is a plump old man, who is generally quite amiable, always smiling, which makes him seem very approachable

Yuan Ye, who lost his parents, has experienced the dangers and hardships of wandering. He is more aware than anyone of the life of being chased by wild dogs and often hiding in garbage heaps while hungry. He has also tried doing temporary work, a life that is equally unpleasant, marked by physical and mental exhaustion and the disdain of employers.

When Yuan Ye was nine years old, his father went missing once again, this time in a manner that seemed very complete. To this day, Yuan Ye still does not know his father's whereabouts, and his life or death remains uncertain. Yuan Ye's mother, on the other hand, passed away due to a serious illness when he was ten, leaving behind the lonely and destitute Yuan Ye.

Yuan Ye is extremely meticulous in classifying parts; he does not overlook any possibility of repair, no matter how slight. This is how his signature old car came to be.

After hastily eating something, Yuan Ye began sorting the discarded parts in the corner of the room, which is also one of his tasks. Some of these parts can be repaired and reused, while those that cannot be fixed will be sold as scrap metal at a low price to buyers.

This pendant was left to Yuan Ye by his father after his disappearance, and this birthmark has existed since Yuan Ye began to have memories

Five years, as long as one works hard for five years, one can gather enough 5 million star points. Yuan Ye sat on the edge of the bed, murmuring to himself, and then carefully took out a strand of hair from an exquisite box. The hair belonged to his mother, and he had to look at it every day; it was also his only spiritual support

He splashed his face with cold water a few times, and Yuan Ye felt somewhat more awake. He ate a few pieces of dry bread with plain water, barely managing to fill his stomach, and then he prepared to go out to work

In this humble place, Yuan Ye has lived for over ten years. This house was hollowed out from the energy chamber of a space battleship's waste gas, and such houses are also the most common in the slums

Most of the work in today's repair shops has been replaced by robotic arms, and the tasks that require human labor are primarily to operate these robotic arms or to manually disassemble some small components

About half an hour later, Yuan Ye's strength began to recover. He sat up abruptly from the bed and carefully took out a stack of money that Zi Nan had given him from the inside of his clothes. After counting it carefully, it amounted to 1,000 Xingyuan.

"Gene Paradise" is a dedicated department for cloning research. For a fee of 500,000 star dollars, one can send human genes there. Once this technology matures, the genes sent there will become the first batch of individuals to be revived

Since then, Yuan Ye made this discovery: as long as one's gaze follows the pattern of the pendant's design in a circle, the birthmark will erupt

Nowadays, although Yuan Ye does not frequently activate the mysterious birthmark, he still uses it from time to time. For instance, he used it once to send Zhang Zinan to the air force base. Over time, Yuan Ye has become thoroughly familiar with the patterns of the item. Now, he only needs to visualize the pattern of the item in his mind and then allow his consciousness to follow the lines for a complete circuit, which also enables him to activate the mysterious birthmark.