I Found A Planet

Today was Saturday, part of a two-day weekend, and both parents were resting at home. Looking at Chen Jin climbing up the stairs with an appearance of having just woken up, his father, Cheng Gang who was currently eating, felt such anger suffusing him.

Pinching his glasses and with furrowed brow, he glared at Chen Jin. “Just look at what you’ve become; sleeping until 12 pm. All you know is to hole up in your room and play games everyday. You’re already 24, if you continue down this road, what use can you be? How did I have such a son like you?”

Dad was getting ready to lambast his son. As a senior engineer and a core technical member of his team, he saw his colleagues’ children either earning a big salary or going to study abroad. As for his own son, he was actually staying home and devouring the elderly? Fearing to reveal this fact, he could only tell others that his son had found a good position as a professional, was earning a good salary, and had a stable career.

Chen Jin did not dare to talk back. He only quietly sat down, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and got ready to eat. Conversely, He Li immediately shielded Chen Jin behind her back, put her hands on her waist and counter-attacked, “Get lost! I gave birth to this son, I will arrange his affairs, I don’t need your interference. You shut your mouth!”

“You will arrange his affairs? Can you do it for his whole life? Allow him to devour us his whole life?” Chen Gang had raised this question countless times, and countless times only received the same kind of reply.

Unperturbed, He Li said, “So what if our son devours the elderly? I am willing and happy about it. I can care for him his entire life”.

“You….” Chen Gang pointed at her and sighed, “A kind mother ruins her son!”

Chen Jin had scooped a bowl of pork ribs soup for himself and was wolfing it down. He Li’s expression was one of happiness; picking up a piece of chicken thigh and placing it in his bowl, she said, “come, son, have some more meat to replenish your body”.

“Thanks Mom”.

“Argh!” Seeing this scene, Cheng Gang shook his head again.

…

After lunch, Chen Jin displayed some initiative by squirrelling into the kitchen to help Mom wash the dishes. Then, he pulled her aside and with some hesitation asked, “Mom, there is something I want to discuss with you…..”

Giving him a look, He Li took out the mobile phone from her purse. She raised her chin and asked, “Talk, how much money do you want me to transfer to you this time?”

Chen Jin gave a chuckle and patted her shoulder, “Mom, you’re still the one who understands me the best…”

He Li crinkled her eyes comfortably, “Nonsense, you came out of my belly. I know what kind of fart you are going to make once you stick out your bum.” Would this kid usually think of helping her wash the dishes?

“This…. It’s not a lot, just give me $20,000”.

“Ok, but you have to promise Mom one thing – find a girlfriend that you really fancy within 3 months”.

Chen Jin patronizingly said, “Um, I’ll try my best.” Frankly speaking, with his qualities, he could easily shed his singlehood. It would be even easier than eating and drinking. However, he currently had no plans in that regard.

Widening her eyes, He Li said with a pensive tone, “Son, you’re not young, it’s about time you start considering marriage. You can still play around now, but if you don’t form your own family soon and let me hold my grandchildren before I retire, you should know the consequences that will follow”.

He Li was rightly dubbed the classic “kind mother.” But she would never truly ruin her own son. Ever since he was young, she had her own method of discipline and teaching, with her own expectations regarding his progress. Of course, her standards are much lower as compared to other parents. But she had always guarded her bottom line and guided Chen Jin’s development on the trajectory that she had determined. The steering wheel was firmly under her control.

Chen Jin could do all these very well; for example: preparing meals, washing the dishes, keeping the house clean, maintaining one’s personal hygiene, being well-spoken, cultured, and well-mannered. In front of relatives and friends, Chen Jin gave an overall impression of being low-key and well-mannered. Even behind his back, others still talk decently of him.

Nobody knew that he was a die-hard homebody and part of the Elderly Devouring Generation. Of course, all these were due to He Li’s fitting educational efforts.

He could tell that Mom seemed to be formulating plans to make him fall for her tricks. Chen Jin’s forehead slightly beaded with sweat. Nodding his head, he said, “Yes, I understand, Mom”.

“Ding ~ $20,000 has been deposited into your AliPay account from Mother!”

Seeing this message, Chen Jin shook his head and muttered, “It’s best to not ask money from Mother. This money…. Holding it scalds my hand.”

…

In the afternoon, Chen Jin went to an area near Happiness Court and found a small goldsmith shop specializing in making aluminium doors and windows. He asked for the boss of the shop and showed him the broken propulsion belt. They negotiated a price of $200 in exchange for the boss’s help in repairing it.

The boss was a worldly middle-aged man and a chatterbox. “You are a hobbyist of miniature military models right? This propulsion belt is really well-crafted. You want to install it on a tank model? I’m telling you, $200 is not a lot for this. The smaller the item, the harder it is to weld it; and its operational requirements is even more demanding. It’s lucky that I used to work on a shipyard for a few years. I can’t boast that I’m the best when it comes to welding techniques, but this tiny little belt is not difficult for me at all. Hey, what’s up with this? I’ve been welding for so long, how did the welding spot show no sign of melting, the steel is not even red.”

Holding his mask in his hands, the boss was surprised. “I’ll change to a high heat welding rod and try again.”

Taking out the high heat welding rod, he welded for a long time. Even with a temperature of 2,400 plus degrees, the material of the areas where the belt was broken merely glowed red but did not melt. “Damn, what kind of steel has a melting point of over 2,000 degrees? It’s just a propulsion belt from a toy model, just what kind of material is it made of?” The middle-aged boss was aghast and embarrassed to the point of anger. It was just a toy propulsion belt and it thought it could pose an obstacle to him, a senior welder?

He took a rarely-used gas welder, and using a temperature of over 3000 degrees produced by combusting ethylene in pure oxygen, finally claimed victory over this toy propulsion belt. The broken metal segments of the belt finally started to melt and eventually re-connected. The broken propulsion belt was successfully repaired.

…

Besides repairing the propulsion belt, Chen Jin also bought a batch of electrical wires. After getting home, he pulled a piece of electrical wire from his bedroom through the portal and into the other world. In addition, he bought a small voltage transformer to convert the more dangerous household voltage of 220V to a safer range of 6V, 12V and 24V.

After arranging the circuit route, he separated the two copper wires extending from the transformer, one red and one blue, into positive and negative terminals. Then, he plugged both wires into two tiny holes located on the robot’s backside that seemed to be charging terminals.

“Adding-Power,” came a notification sound. Of the row of lights located on Wawa’s chest, the one on the extreme left started to flash red, signalling that it was charging.

Chen Jin finally stopped worrying. As this was a convenient time to do it – he also installed the now functional propulsion belt. As for the damaged right camera eye, Chen Jin had already replaced it.

After having dinner on Earth, he once again returned to the bottom of the huge crater.

The robot Wawa had just been charged to a level of power sufficient for it to wake up from its sleep mode. Then, Chen Jin saw this. As it successfully switched on, a notification sound could be heard. The two drooping camera eyes skittered around as they lifted up. With a clicking sound, it alternatively raised and lowered its left and right eye. Within its elliptical vision from the cameras, it saw Chen Jin standing in front of it.

“Beep Beep~”

The clear grey mechanisms within its camera eyes blinked twice. Its eyes glimmered upon seeing the repaired propulsion belt on its left leg.　”Wawa, Wawa!” It was most excited. Twirling its mechanical arms and breaking free of the charging cable behind it, it circled Chen Jin who was standing in front of it.

“Clack clack clack ~” It turned a few rounds clockwise .

“Clack clack clack ~” It turned a a few rounds anti-clockwise.

Then, it ran back and forth, all the while shouting, “Wawa, Wawa!”

Chen Jin was extremely amused by its antics. Pointing his finger at it, he said, “Haha, Wawa, you’re so silly!” Suddenly, Chen Jin’s eyes bulged out.

He saw Wawa run to the small voltage transformer, extend its mechanical arms and with a some clanging, took down the household cable that was connected to the transformer. It grabbed a section of copper wires with the metal components that made up both ends of its arms. The sizzling electrical current was accompanied by a large amount of sparks. With direct access to the household circuit of 220V, it started charging itself. It was still convulsing non-stop.

Chen Jin was so shocked he almost cried out. The row of tiny red lights on Wawa’s chest was flashing crazily at a rate of at least 10 times faster than before.