Chapter 83: Turning Waste into Treasure

The Borderless Ghost Doctor

At noon the following day, Kang Ning squatted by the side of a car trough, holding his rice bowl, surrounded by Old Li, Old Qu, and a few others. As they ate, they discussed the electrical issues of the black Lexus 400 in front of them. At a crucial point in their discussion, a spark of understanding flashed in Kang Ning’s mind. He quickly finished the rest of his rice, washed his bowl in the kitchen, and returned to the Lexus to begin disassembly.

After removing the main electrical control assembly, Kang Ning’s apprentice, Xiao Jian, immediately handed him the circuit tester. Kang Ning tinkered for over ten minutes, but still couldn’t pinpoint the fault. Leaning over the fender, he pondered for a long time before carefully desoldering and removing the fragile control circuit board from the assembly.

Kang Ning’s bold approach left Old Li and the others astonished. Usually, no one dared to remove such a delicate circuit board; the common practice was to have the owner spend a considerable sum to order a new control assembly. But Kang Ning not only dared to remove it, he decisively dismantled the vulnerable circuit board as well—how could this not surprise everyone?

After some additional testing, Kang Ning finally located the exact fault. Once he had dealt with it, he spent another twenty minutes reconnecting the circuitry, reinstalled the control assembly, put away his tools, and climbed into the driver’s seat for a final check. Turning the key, the Lexus engine roared to life, purring contentedly. Two minutes later, it settled into a steady idle.

Old Li, thoroughly impressed, addressed Kang Ning as he emerged from the car, “Brother, you’re a genius! Who among us could do this? This car was sent to three different shops before finally ending up here, and you’ve fixed it in less than an hour. That’s six thousand yuan in repair fees, just like that!”

Kang Ning replied modestly, smiling, “It’s nothing. People just hesitate to get their hands dirty. I read an article in a magazine a while back about a similar issue; it just took me some time to recall the details. That’s the thing with Japanese cars—they design them so you can’t repair them yourself and force you to buy their expensive assemblies.”

Seeing his apprentice, Xiao Jian, diligently recording each step of his operation in his notebook, Kang Ning patted him on the shoulder approvingly and offered a few words of praise before returning to his repair bay.

He had just picked up his gloves and glanced around when, unexpectedly, he noticed Xiao Cui in the accounting office silently wiping away tears. Kang Ning remembered that Lawyer Zhao had brought a new female accountant in the morning to review the books; he guessed something must have happened to upset the gentle and hardworking Xiao Cui. After a moment’s hesitation, Kang Ning wiped his hands clean and quietly made his way to the accounting office.

As soon as she saw Kang Ning enter, Xiao Cui hurriedly brushed away her tears and pretended to be engrossed in the ledger. Kang Ning had always harbored a fondness for the kind and industrious Xiao Cui. On several occasions, she had secretly helped him wash his dirty work clothes, for which Kang Ning felt grateful, albeit a bit embarrassed. Now, seeing her delicate figure trembling with each suppressed sob, he found her both poignant and endearing. Xiao Cui’s figure was alluring and her skin fair; though her looks were not outstanding in the beauty-filled Bashu region, in the south, she would have had a trail of admiring young men following her everywhere.

“What’s wrong? Who’s upset you?” Kang Ning pulled a chair over and sat across from her.

Seeing that Xiao Cui only shook her head without speaking, Kang Ning recalled how she had looked after her heartbreak two months ago, and couldn’t help but smile gently. In a soft voice, he said, “If something’s bothering you, tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

Choking back tears, Xiao Cui said, “Brother Hua, I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

“Why? You’re doing so well here—why leave? Tell me, who’s been giving you trouble?” Kang Ning looked at her in surprise.

Having spoken her intent to leave, Xiao Cui felt somewhat relieved. She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, then looked up at Kang Ning. “It’s nothing. Ever since Sister Jing left, I’ve wanted to go as well. I’ll be going to Chongqing to help at my aunt’s factory. Now that the new accountant is here, it worked out. She was just a bit harsh with her words, which made me feel bad.”

Seeing a trace of sadness flicker across Kang Ning’s handsome face, Xiao Cui’s heart warmed. She pointed to a pile of things, covered with tarpaulin, at the base of the warehouse wall some thirty meters away, and explained, “There’s a scrapped Beijing Jeep and two abandoned accident vehicles over there. They’ve been sitting for nearly a year. Today, the new accountant glanced at them and called me lazy for not reporting and having the recycling company haul them away. She said they take up space and make the place look untidy. I didn’t know what to say—so many parts are still usable, and selling them for scrap would be such a waste.”

“Did you explain that to her?” Kang Ning glanced at the pile he had always ignored.

Xiao Cui, cheeks puffed in indignation, replied, “I did, but she said that with a factory worth tens of millions, who cares about a few hundred yuan? She gave me strict orders to clear it all out within three days or she’d dock my pay next time. Hmph! I don’t even want to stay anymore. If Sister Jing hadn’t asked me to help a bit longer, I’d have left long ago.”

“Wait for me a moment.”

With that, Kang Ning strode over to the scrap pile, untied the tarpaulin, and studied the vehicles for a while. After covering them up again, he returned to Xiao Cui with a smile. “Leave it to me. I’ll have it all sorted within three days. Don’t be upset. If you really decide to go, you must let Sister Jing know—she’s been worried about your happiness ever since she left. Now, I have work to finish, so cheer up!”

Watching Kang Ning’s receding figure, Xiao Cui hesitated as if she wanted to say something, then slowly sat down, resting her fair cheek in her palm, lost in thought.

Kang Ning approached Yusheng, who was organizing tools, and Yusheng immediately stood up, awaiting instructions. Kang Ning drew him aside toward the scrap pile and spoke in a low voice, “Yusheng, I need your help from today on. Let’s work on this pile together after hours every day.”

At the heap of abandoned cars, Kang Ning lifted the tarpaulin, and Yusheng promptly pulled the other end. Of the three vehicles, the battered Beijing Jeep was still more or less intact, while the Mitsubishi L300 van and the imported Toyota HiAce were barely recognizable. Pointing at the cars, Kang Ning said excitedly, “Look, the Jeep may be old, but the chassis and body are undamaged. The seats and many parts from the Mitsubishi are still good. The engine and front of the Toyota are completely destroyed, but the transmission and many components are fine. Remember the 4Y engine we saw at the auto parts market a couple of days ago?”

“I remember—at least seventy percent new, and priced at thirty-five hundred. Brother, are you thinking of converting it into a Jeep?” Yusheng instantly guessed Kang Ning’s plan.

Pleased that the usually simple-minded Yusheng was catching on, Kang Ning nodded, “Exactly. That engine is the same model as this one—2.4 liters. If we fit it into the Jeep, imagine how powerful it’ll be! The only headache is the chassis, the engine mounts, and the transmission placement—that’s why I need your help.”

“That’s not too hard. I’ve done similar work before. If needed, I’ll just cut the relevant mounting bases from the Toyota and weld them onto the Jeep chassis. It’ll take time, though. We can’t work during the day—only at night. Probably around fifteen days.”

Kang Ning clapped his hands, satisfied, “That’s fine. I’ll handle the electrical work and find you the necessary blueprints. You’ll take care of the chassis modifications and reinforcement, and we’ll handle the mechanical installation together. I have another car to finish up today. Tomorrow after work, we’ll go buy that engine—the seller shouldn’t be able to move it that fast. But Yusheng, you must promise not to tell anyone; we’ll have to do this in secret!”

“Don’t worry, Brother! I won’t say a word, even if it kills me!” Yusheng looked up at Kang Ning with unwavering resolve.