ebookland Chapter 733 A Small Opening
Chapter 733 A Small Opening
Lin Bufan looked on with satisfaction at Xie Heshun's aggrieved yet helpless expression before turning his gaze to his two apprentices beside him, Xia Xia and Xie Bin, who had remained silent and displayed different expressions. He cleared his throat, put his hands behind his back, and strode over to the two of them, striking a pose.
"You two," Lin Bufan tapped them with his chin, his tone carrying the scrutiny of a newly appointed official, "do you know what you should call me from now on?"
Xiaxia was rather slow-witted. Remembering that Lin Bufan had come to learn martial arts, she tentatively whispered, "Is he... junior brother?"
Although Xie Bin was younger, he was more quick-witted. He quickly retorted to Xia Xia, putting on a fawning smile and respectfully saying to Lin Bufan, "Xia Xia, what nonsense are you talking about! This older brother is older than both of us, how can we call him junior brother? We should definitely call him senior brother, right, senior brother?" After he finished speaking, he carefully observed Lin Bufan's expression, hoping to get his approval.
Lin Bufan gave Xie Bin a seemingly warm smile. Xie Bin was secretly pleased, thinking he had guessed correctly.
However, at that moment, Lin Bufan's smile vanished instantly, and he slammed his hand on the workbench next to him with a loud "bang," startling all three people present.
"Wrong! Utterly wrong!" Lin Bufan's voice suddenly rose, his sharp gaze sweeping over Xia Xia and Xie Bin: "What time is it now? It's working time! During working time, you must address me by my title! You must call me—Master Lin!"
He put his hands on his hips and emphasized, word by word, "Listen carefully! After work hours, you can call me senior brother, and I won't mind your manners! But if anyone doesn't respect me, the head of the Lin family, or my leadership position during work hours... Hmph, then don't blame me, the head of the family, for being ruthless and handling things strictly by the book!"
Xia Xia and Xie Bin were stunned by this sudden display of "official authority." They looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Instinctively, they turned to their master, Xie Heshun, their eyes filled with pleading and inquiring looks.
Xie Heshun looked at Lin Bufan's menacing gaze and, recalling the damned "drunken video," closed his eyes in frustration. Finally, with a helpless and aggrieved expression, he waved his hand and said in a dry voice, "Why...why are you looking at me? He...he's the head of the workshop now! Whatever he says...is what he says! Listen to him!"
With their master's approval, Xia Xia and Xie Bin dared not hesitate any longer. They hurriedly called out to Lin Bufan in unison, somewhat awkwardly and with a hint of fear, "Master Lin... Master Lin!"
"Hey—! That's right!" Lin Bufan's expression changed instantly, and a bright smile bloomed on his face again, as if he wasn't the one who had just slammed the table and glared at the person.
Lin Bufan reached into his seemingly ordinary but Doraemon-like pocket and rummaged around, muttering to himself, "Ahem, well... this is our first formal meeting as the head of the workshop, so I haven't prepared any special gift..."
He rummaged around and actually pulled out a thick stack of laminated photos from his pocket. The photos were all of himself in various "handsome" poses from different angles, some deep in thought, some smiling, some gazing into the distance. Each one was carefully edited and had a soft-light background.
Lin Bufan unfolded the stack of photos in his hand like dealing cards, his eyes scanning them carefully before finally selecting two: one of him wearing a white shirt, his profile facing the sunlight, his eyes "deep"; the other of him wearing casual clothes, leaning against a big tree, his smile "warm".
“Alright,” Lin Bufan handed the two selected photos to Xia Xia and Xie Bin respectively, with a “you’ve hit the jackpot” expression on his face: “I’ll give each of you an autographed photo of me! These are limited editions, you can’t buy them anywhere else! Take them, keep them safe, they’ll appreciate in value in the future!”
Xia Xia and Xie Bin took the photo in a daze, looking at the handsome but somewhat roguish man in the photo, and then looking up at the smug "Master Lin" in front of them, their expressions were very complicated.
Seriously, why would someone give you a signed photo as a gift when you meet them?
What are you thinking?
Seeing their somewhat stunned expressions, Lin Bufan knew they were too "surprised," so he put on a stern face and emphasized in a warning tone, "Listen up, both of you! This photo must be kept safe! If anyone dares to lose it, wrinkle it, or accidentally spill oil on it... I'll teach them a lesson!"
Under Lin Bufan's murderous gaze, Xia Xia and Xie Bin nodded hurriedly like chickens pecking at rice, carefully putting away the photos as if they were some kind of precious treasure.
"Hmm, that's more like it." Lin Bufan expressed satisfaction with their attitude. But then, as if remembering something very important, he frowned, his eyes becoming unusually serious. His gaze swept back and forth between Xia Xia and Xie Bin's faces, and he lowered his voice, speaking with a hint of warning:
"Oh, right! There's one more thing you all need to remember! My photos are only for admiring, learning from, and inspiring yourselves! Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not for doing anything weird or strange, or if I find out, I'll break all three of your legs!"
Xia Xia and Xie Bin were stunned by Lin Bufan's inexplicable warning. "Damn it, how could we possibly do such a thing?"
Seeing the two of them looking like they'd been struck by lightning, Lin Bufan nodded in relief, then clapped his hands to bring everyone's attention back to business: "Alright! Enough with the small talk, let's start assigning today's tasks!"
His gaze first fell on Xia Xia and Xie Bin: "You two, your core task today is to assist me in completing today's live broadcast! When I ask you to hand over the tools, you hand them over; when I ask you to adjust the camera, you adjust the camera. Be quick, be stylish, and let your eyes be full of love for wood carving art and admiration for this workshop owner! Understand?"
"Understood, Master Lin." The two replied quickly.
Then, Lin Bufan turned to Xie Heshun, whose expression was still not very good, and said in a slightly more "polite" tone: "Old Xie, your task is to teach me wood carving. But today you have to cooperate with the live broadcast. Whatever techniques I ask you to demonstrate, whatever key points I explain, you have to cooperate, understand? This is for the great revival of our wood carving workshop!"
Xie Heshun snorted, which was a reluctant agreement.
"Alright! Let's get started!" Lin Bufan waved his hand confidently, signaling Xia Xia to bring over the live-streaming phone stand. He skillfully adjusted the angle, ensuring that Xie Heshun's workbench and his own handsome face were perfectly captured in the frame. Then, he took a deep breath, his face instantly switching to a professional, radiant smile, and pressed the start button for the live stream.
Because the broadcast was announced in advance last night, fans who received the broadcast notification flooded into the live stream room almost instantly, and the barrage of comments immediately started scrolling wildly.
"First! The sofa!"
Holy crap! Front row seat!
"Did Mr. Lin really come to learn wood carving?"
"This background...it really is a wood carving workshop! Was yesterday's post real?"
"Haha, is President Lin about to develop a new skill again?"
"As expected of the all-around CEO Lin, he even learns a new skill while traveling!"
Lin Bufan looked at the rapidly refreshing barrage of comments, smiled and waved to the camera: "Good morning, everyone! That's right, just like the message I posted last night, I'm currently at the wood carving workshop in Yunmiao Village, ready to begin my first lesson in the art of wood carving!"
Fans immediately followed up with curious questions in the live chat:
"Why did Mr. Lin suddenly decide to learn wood carving?"
"Yes, that's quite a leap forward!"
Upon seeing these questions, Lin Bufan gave a "you've hit the nail on the head" look. He cleared his throat and began to explain to the camera, his tone initially casual, but gradually revealing a subtle sharpness:
"There are two main reasons. First, it's very simple. I came here to travel and relax, and I found the wood carvings in Yunmiao Village quite interesting. They are simple yet full of spirit, so I took advantage of this free time to learn some and enrich myself, and experience the charm of traditional handicrafts."
After a pause, Lin Bufan changed the subject, a slightly roguish smile curving his lips: "Secondly... it's because I often see some friends online who are particularly fond of posting sour comments. They always think that all the achievements I, Lin Bufan, have made, like flying cars, reversing clocks, and mechs, are just personas I've created, or that I have a team behind me, or that I've simply plagiarized and rebranded other people's work, and that I'm just a womanizing playboy."
Lin Bufan shrugged at the camera, making a helpless yet slightly irritating expression: "Although I've always been an open-minded person and don't care much about these noises, as everyone knows, toads don't bite, but they're annoying! They croak in your ear all day long, which is quite irritating. So I thought I'd take this opportunity to start from scratch and publicly learn a completely unfamiliar skill—wood carving!"
I just want to prove with my actions just how vast the gap truly is between geniuses and ordinary people! And I also want to show some people that some achievements can't be bridged by a few sarcastic remarks or doubts.
Lin Bufan leaned forward slightly, closer to the camera, a bright, almost provocative smile on his face, and emphasized, word by word: "By the way, I must solemnly declare here! The genius I'm talking about isn't the kind that Xiao Ai talks about, 'genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.' In my opinion, that kind of person is at most a hardworking and honest person, and doesn't deserve to be called a genius at all!"
In my opinion, to truly deserve the title of genius, one must possess at least 99% innate talent! The remaining 1% is what matters: effort, inspiration, and opportunity. As for me, Lin Bufan…”
Lin Bufan paused deliberately, then pointed his thumb at himself, raised his chin slightly, and announced in a matter-of-fact, unquestionable tone:
"I'm sorry, I'm just average, I happen to be in the 99.99% talent category! As for the remaining 0.01%, I can manage with a little effort!"
These extremely arrogant words caused the live stream chat to explode!
"?????"
"99.99% talent??? What did I just hear?"
"President Lin: I'm not targeting anyone in particular, I'm saying that everyone here... is trash!"
"Holy crap! That was a perfect 10/10 for showing off!"
"Although he's arrogant, why do I feel like what he says makes so much sense...? Look at all the things he's done before..."
"Hahaha! As expected of you! Always so confident!"
"Let's fight! I love watching President Lin slap those haters in the face!"
"Let's fight! I love seeing President Lin get slapped in the face!"
"Let's fight! I love watching people brawl! To be honest, I drove 20 kilometers just to see them fight..."
……
The atmosphere in the live stream was completely ignited by Lin Bufan's "outrageous words," and the number of online viewers began to skyrocket. Lin Bufan looked at the reactions in the chat with satisfaction before turning the camera to Xie Heshun, who had a complicated expression on his face.
"Alright, enough chit-chat. Next, let's welcome Master Xie Heshun, the pillar of our Yunmiao Village woodcarving workshop, to give me my first lesson!" Lin Bufan handed his phone to Xia Xia, who was more composed, and asked him to take charge of filming.
Xie Heshun sighed. Although reluctant, he dutifully picked up another piece of wood and a carving knife and sat down at the workbench.
"The first step in wood carving is recognizing and understanding the material. Different types of wood have different properties, and the feeling of carving them is also different. Today, we'll start with the most basic techniques: holding the knife and making straight cuts."
Xie Heshun demonstrated a standard knife-holding posture, with a steady wrist and even force applied by the fingers.
"Watch closely, the knife isn't gripped tightly in your hand; it needs to be flexible. Use your wrist to move it, and your fingers to control the direction and force. Try drawing straight lines on the scrap material first, making sure the depth is consistent and the spacing is even. Your wrist needs to be steady, and your mind needs to be calm..."
Having undergone two comprehensive enhancements by the system, Lin Bufan's physical coordination, muscle control, and sensory abilities far surpassed those of ordinary people. In his eyes, Xie Heshun's skillful movements seemed to be slowed down and broken down, with every point of force and every wrist rotation clearly discernible. It could be said that learning from him was completely effortless!
However, in order to give those foolish mortals a little shock, Lin Bufan decided to give it a small blast!
[Overclocked Brain]
start up!
Instantly, a cool breeze seemed to flow into his head, and Lin Bufan felt his thought process speed suddenly increase! Everything around him seemed to slow down; Xie Heshun's explanation, the rustling sound of the carving knife cutting through wood, even the wood shavings floating in the air, all became incredibly clear and slow. His brain, like the most efficient supercomputer, frantically received, processed, and analyzed all the information from his sight, hearing, and touch.
Every detail of Xie Heshun's movements—the subtle changes in force when the carving knife contacts the wood, the feedback of different wood grains to the blade… all this information was instantly deconstructed, understood, and integrated, directly transforming into the most precise muscle memory and operational commands. With the support of the [Overclocked Brain], his learning efficiency and comprehension abilities reached an unbelievable level.