Universe Infinite Canteen
Chapter 778 - 778 Wrench

Ma Lu searched all over but couldn't find a single person who could make a decision, and even the guards on the spaceship were noticeably fewer than when he first arrived—no one knew where they'd gone.

The remaining people were busy enjoying life and wanted nothing to do with troublesome matters. Asked who to find, the unanimous answer was: Dalia.

But no one could say for sure which loungy host club the Minister-of-Everything was patronizing now.

Ma Lu ran through several rooms in a row, only to be bounced around like a ping-pong ball.

Up and down he went, lost in the ship's winding corridors, until a sudden glance upward revealed the energy core chamber right in front of him.

This area was supposed to be the most tightly guarded place on the entire ship, yet now its doors were wide open.

Ma Lu tried shouting a greeting—no response.

He peeked his head in but saw no one. What he did notice, however, were some strange noises, and a thong lying on top of a coolant tank.

Walking past the tank, Ma Lu discovered a pair tangled together octopus-style: a man and a woman.

Shockingly, Ma Lu knew both of them. The man was Neo, the captain of Motti's Guard Team, while the woman was none other than Matsushige Jiajiazi, the spokesperson who once claimed she'd have a go with a dolphin.

No one, not even themselves, could have guessed how they ended up in that... situation.

Being the security professional he was, Neo was the first to notice Ma Lu standing in front of them. Surprised, he exclaimed, "Boss Ma, what are you doing here?"

"Uh... I'm just passing through. Don't mind me," Ma Lu replied, turning to leave but paused mid-step and came back. "Actually, I am here to borrow the energy core. But I don't know who to talk to right now."

"You want to borrow the energy core?" Neo asked while hurriedly scrambling to put on his clothes along with Jiajiazi.

"That's right. I'm planning to try and stop Skulder, though I think the odds of success are slim."

"That's a good thing," Neo said. "I've always felt we shouldn't give up yet. I hoped someone would step forward, but it seems like every big shot in the Council has already thrown in the towel.

"Unfortunately, I'm just a small fry. As Motti Chairman's Guard Team Captain, I failed to protect him. That was my fault. Now, I don't have the standing to point fingers at anyone else either."

Noticing Matsushige had almost finished dressing, Ma Lu helpfully reminded her, "Your thong is still on the coolant tank."

"Oh, that's not mine," the spokeswoman responded.

"Huh?"

"It's mine," Neo said, unabashedly picking it up and putting it back on like it was nothing. "Ever since Lord Motti died, Cosmic One is under Minister Dalia's control."

"But isn't she in Shinjuku right now? Do you have her contact info?"

"It's no use," Neo shook his head. "Minister Dalia has been out of contact for over 28 hours. If it weren't for her traceable spending records, I'd almost suspect she's already dead.

"Cocobik and Vice Speaker Gusta both have their hands full with their own issues. Captain Jin committed suicide just this morning, after which Councilman Jiya proclaimed himself the acting head of Cosmic One.

"By noon, he'd already gathered a few guards and mechanics to hold an election, formally making himself the new Councilman."

"I went to him," Ma Lu said. "He told me to file a written application. After I submitted it, he said he'd convene a vote among all Council members in one week.

"I told him that would be too late, but all he said was that his schedule was packed with other issues and this was the earliest he could manage—unless I managed to get more than half the Council's signatures, in which case he'd expedite the matter."

"Forget the signatures. He's just wielding his newfound power to torment you for fun," Neo said flatly.

"I think so too."

Jiajiazi chimed in at that moment, "If you want the energy core, you should go to Wrench."

"Who's that?"

"The chief engineer of this ship. He has the maintenance codes needed to unlock the energy tower and extract the energy core. He's... well, never mind, I'll just call him here for you."

Ma Lu initially assumed the chief engineer of Cosmic One would be the stereotypical bespectacled, neat, disciplined sort, or perhaps the type who wore overalls year-round, lugging around tools like a mechanical madman.

What appeared instead was a slightly overweight middle-aged woman in a windbreaker, her hair unwashed for at least several days, her eyes listless—a picture of chronic overtime exhaustion.

Though mildly shocked, Ma Lu reached out his hand, "You're Wrench?"

"I'm Wrench," she said, shaking his hand expressionlessly.

Something about her look and tone clicked in Ma Lu's mind. He suddenly asked, "Wait, are you a mechanical being?"

Wrench nodded. "Looks like you've met other members of my kin."

"Your undying obsession with windbreakers is truly consistent across the board," Ma Lu mused. "Anyway, the reason I called you here is because..."

"I know," Wrench interrupted. "As the chief engineer of Cosmic One, I have this entire ship under my surveillance. I heard everything you've said.

"You want the energy core, and I can let you take it. But there's one condition."

Ma Lu furrowed his brow. "Ugh, I know how quest mechanics work: accept task first, complete task, then get reward. But I'm in a serious rush here.

"After getting the energy core, I still need to repair my plane spaceship, grab new ingredients, pick up another engine, and reach the destination.

"All while finding time to improve my culinary skills and create a dish that can save the Universe. I don't have time to take on side quests!"

When he finished his rant, Wrench calmly spoke again.

"Don't worry. My requirement doesn't waste your time—it'll actually save you some effort. I want to come with you."

"?"

"Your plane spaceship needs an engineer too, and I believe I qualify for that role," Wrench said. "My kin and I have always been devoted to exploring and preserving the beauty of the Multiverse. There's no way we'll let it be destroyed so easily."

"Uh... I already have an engineer on my crew, but adding another isn't a problem. Besides, that guy's expertise is more in hardware, so it won't clash with yours," Ma Lu offered his hand again. "Deal."

"I'll prove my value," Wrench assured.

A quarter of an hour later, Ma Lu and Wrench departed Cosmic One with the energy core in tow.

With this, the Pink Whale Ship had all it needed to set sail once again.

Ma Lu entrusted the plane spaceship to Yan Wu and Wrench for repairs, while he began intensive culinary training with Old Wang, hoping his creative breakthroughs would flourish before they reached the Giant Curtain.

Meanwhile, another smuggling ship under the Fairy Dragon Smuggling Group discreetly landed on Earth, its cargo loaded with the Grand Alliance's elites and nobility.