CHAPTER 231: CHAPTER 220: DID I SAY SOMETHING WRONG? (THIRD UPDATE)

"Thank you!" Tong Airui smiled and lightly patted her cheek. "You’re about to start school soon. If Grandpa stays permanently, I’ll need to first arrange a place for him to live. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with him every day when you get home, and that’d be too tiring for you."

"How about I stay on campus? That’d be more convenient."

Yi Luowa giggled, started the engine, and began driving. The road was bumpy and uneven, full of climbs and descents, causing the vehicle to bounce continuously. Tong Airui’s brows furrowed tighter with each jolt.

Tong Airui’s lips twitched upward slightly, and he didn’t pursue the topic further.

Tong Airui furrowed his brows slightly. "I’ll give you a workshop, and I’ll provide the people. Your helpers wouldn’t be allowed in there anyway. The car-making facility isn’t far from my place. I can drop by to help when I’m free. If you’re tired, you can rest at my place."

Tong Airui raised an eyebrow, suddenly remembering. "Alright then, if it’s not too much trouble, come along."

Tong Airui had originally planned to crash at the hospital for the night, but before he could even settle in, he got another call from the camp. The newly developed off-road combat vehicles weren’t performing as well as expected. Frustrated, he mumbled and headed out the door.

Tong Airui lightly patted his knee and stepped out. "Go make your call, and I’ll take you for a look around."

Tong Airui gave her a helpless look. Such a smart woman, yet sometimes, it felt like they weren’t quite on the same wavelength!

Yi Luowa chased after him. "Fourth Brother, it’s fine if it’s other stuff, but when it comes to car building, I’m pretty good. Why don’t I go with you and take a look?"

Tong Airui chuckled. "Next to it is a wheeled rocket launcher. Then there’s the infantry fighting vehicle, and that one is a wheeled strike vehicle."

On the way there, Tong Airui said in a low voice, "This batch of vehicles is for the western border, where the roads are full of rugged terrain. Most of the soldiers patrol on foot, walking dozens of kilometers a day—it’s exhausting."

When they reached the testing field, Tong Airui got into the passenger seat first. Yi Luowa examined the vehicle before climbing into the driver’s seat. "Looks good so far."

"No need to ask your Second Uncle. I have an apartment near the school, but honestly, I worry about you living alone there. It’s not like the Duke’s estate, and you’d encounter all kinds of people."

Yi Luowa shrugged indifferently. "Not really. In fact, it feels more like a real family."

"Why buy dresses?" Yi Luowa looked at him, puzzled.

The one speaking stood. "Our shock absorption systems are already the most advanced in the world... This batch of vehicles was manufactured under your direct supervision, and we failed to deliver a perfect product. We apologize."

Tong Airui’s eyes flickered with amusement. "If only you were officially part of this unit—you’d be able to drive any of these vehicles as much as you wanted. But alas..."

Tong Airui lifted a hand and gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "Don’t rush. Don’t overwork yourself."

Tong Airui raised his hand to gently ruffle her hair. For someone so young, it really wasn’t easy for her.

It turned out the workshop wasn’t far from the hospital—only about a forty-minute drive, and soon they arrived.

"Fourth Brother, I also want to make a motorhome for Dad and Mom. What do you think?"

"Let’s wait and see how things go first." Tong Airui leaned back against his chair and tilted his head to look at her. "We have a big family with lots of things going on. Dealing with it all every day—doesn’t it tire you out?"

Yi Luowa smiled faintly without saying anything. Wasn’t she just being cooperative with him?

"I can go to your place?!" Yi Luowa’s eyes lit up with excitement. "Actually, I’ve always wanted to see where you work, but I was worried it’d be inconvenient for you."

Tong Airui smiled faintly. "It’s nothing, really. Just that family members seldom visit."

Yi Luowa sneaked a glance at him. It was the first time she’d seen this expression on his face.

"I can. A while back, I designed a set of suspension systems just for fun. It was meant for race cars, though." Yi Luowa turned to look at Tong Airui, who was still in the car. "Give me one day to test it out."

When it came to shopping, Tong Airui and Yi Luowa were truly a match made in heaven. You could tell they were family—at the mall, they walked straight ahead, locked their targets, threw items into the cart, and left in no time.

"One day?" Tong Airui looked at her. "Is that enough?"

Yi Luowa saw that he was teasing her again and playfully smacked the large hand he extended toward her.

"Your sister-in-law is efficient," Tong Airui said, smiling as he opened the car door.

Tong Airui glanced out the window. "Up ahead is Mirola Mall. How about I take you to buy a few dresses?"

"Captain, the cars have been produced, and their performance is several times better than the previous combat vehicles. But the test drivers reported that the shock absorption still doesn’t measure up. On rugged roads, prolonged driving causes nausea."

Tong Airui shook his head. "If there’s a flaw, it’s not good."

Yi Luowa turned her gaze back to him. "Don’t worry, I won’t cause you any trouble. Just seeing all this is more than enough for me."

A look around! Yi Luowa couldn’t help but grin. He was finally going to show her his workplace!

After what happened last time, everyone was concerned about her. Yi Luowa didn’t want Tong Airui to worry about her, so she quickly suggested, "Then let’s not trouble anyone. I’ll just live at the Duke’s estate. Honestly, Grandpa isn’t that hard to get along with. Once you find the right approach, it’ll all be fine."

When the elevator reached the ground floor, Tong Airui guided her out. "We can work around it. You wouldn’t have to go as family."

The experts following behind felt so ashamed they didn’t dare utter a word.

"That’s because you’re an expert driver. Otherwise, this thing would’ve shaken my lunch right out of me."

"Alright, be careful though. The test route is very rough terrain." Tong Airui pulled her hand as he stood. "I’ll go with you." Yi Luowa nodded and followed him out.

Tong Airui raised his hand slightly, signaling for everyone to head into the meeting room. "Let’s start by going over the situation."

"Not far, less than an hour."

Tong Airui gave a suspicious nod. "Why? What are you thinking?"

The crowd exchanged confused looks. What was going on?

Yi Luowa saw the person lower their head in embarrassment and quietly said to Tong Airui, "Can I try out that vehicle? Maybe I’ll think of a way to improve it."

"No, you didn’t!"

In under thirty minutes, the two were out, with Da Peng carrying a pile of shopping bags. He stowed them in the trunk and joked, "Even robbers don’t work this fast!"

Yi Luowa had been to Z Country’s military camps before, but upon arriving at Shen Ying, she realized the difference was immense. While Z Country’s camps were impressive, this facility was on another level entirely.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward her. This striking young woman had caught their eye since she entered the room, but since the Captain hadn’t introduced her, no one dared engage her in conversation.

Yi Luowa chuckled upon hearing that. "You don’t even like shopping. I’ll just find some time to go by myself."

Yi Weiyang came out with a cane. "Luowa, you can go, but keep quiet. The people over there are all experts with decades more experience than you."

"It’s not that I dislike shopping. It depends on what it’s for. If it’s for buying things for you, I could shop with you all day. For stuff for others, I feel like even a minute is a waste of time," Tong Airui said, patting Da Peng on the shoulder as he spoke.

Tong Airui followed her gaze and nodded. "That’s a wheeled assault cannon."

Da Peng understood and nodded, turning the car into the side road.

"Got it, I won’t talk, just observe and learn from those senior experts." Yi Luowa grinned and followed Tong Airui into the elevator. "Fourth Brother, is the place far?"

Yi Luowa immediately looked disappointed. "Then I’d better not go."

"I don’t want to hear the words ’I’m sorry’!" Tong Airui’s voice carried a chilly edge.

Yi Luowa chuckled, looked around the area, and skillfully drifted the car before turning it back toward their starting point. Seeing them return, a crowd quickly gathered around.

"I want to build you a car. I haven’t gotten to it yet. If there’s a facility, I’d love to borrow it. The PCW car workshop is in Nanwu, way too far from here. I wouldn’t be able to do much if I had to run back and forth every day after school."

Yi Luowa wistfully looked back at the parked vehicles. "There’s even an amphibious combat vehicle! If only I could take one of these beasts for a spin!"

"Do they have a car-making facility there?"

Yi Luowa opened the door and got out. "This vehicle is really great—powerful and versatile. But swap out the shock absorption, and it’d be perfect."

Yi Luowa leaned naturally onto his shoulder, silently thanking the heavens for bringing Tong Airui into her life.

"It’s fine. I’ll find helpers." Yi Luowa retracted her hand with a smile. She was the type of person who’d get restless if she left things she promised unfinished.

Dozens of expert-level personnel greeted Tong Airui as he arrived.

"They’ve never spoiled you for nothing, huh? But handcrafting two cars is a lot of work, isn’t it?" Tong Airui held her hand lovingly, inspecting it. "Such soft, delicate hands. Don’t push yourself too hard."

Yi Luowa started feeling uneasy under his gaze. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I just need to make a few adjustments. I’ll call and have them send it over right away."

"Is there no way to improve it?" Tong Airui’s cold gaze swept over the group.

"Ah, I thought so—why else would it have a big cannon sticking out."

"I love it!" Yi Luowa pointed at a hulking vehicle. "Fourth Brother, is that an armored vehicle?"

"The problem is that we can’t produce anything better than our current system," an engineer admitted, walking over with a defeated expression.

Yi Luowa laughed. "Honestly, it’s not bad. No need to be so frustrated."

Tong Airui looked at her with a blank expression.

"Ai Ni is getting engaged. As her sister-in-law, you definitely have to attend."

Yi Luowa noticed something off in his tone and pouted. "If you’re not okay with me staying on campus, I could live at an apartment nearby. It shouldn’t be far from school. I’ll ask Second Uncle for the exact address when I get back."

Yi Luowa squeezed his hand tightly for reassurance. "We’ll find a solution."

As their vehicle drove through the massive compound, it took over ten minutes to reach the office building. Along the way, every soldier they passed snapped to attention and saluted. The parking lots were filled with all kinds of vehicles, from tanks to helicopters.

Yi Luowa shook her head. "Never mind. Just lend me a workshop, and I’ll focus on finishing the car properly."

Yi Luowa’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she took it all in. Tong Airui, seeing her fascination, couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. "Do you like it here?"

"Fourth Brother, those senior experts are still waiting, it seems," Da Peng said, parking the car in front of the office building and nodding toward the vehicle lot. "Are you still taking Fourth Sister-in-law inside?"