Joe Ga had a secret, a secret that should have let him live a stable life.
In his hand, he had a ring that looked like a tattoo, which most people thought was a mark left from his reckless youth, but only Joe Ga himself knew that it was something called the 'Universal Toolbox.'
He found this thing at the age of fifteen when he jumped into the river to save a girl from his village and felt it at the bottom of the river.
He wasn't clear about its specific origins; he just slipped it onto his left index finger on a whim, and the thing sank into his skin. The situation was chaotic at that time, and he just forgot about it.
After returning home, he got a beating from his mother and was successively praised by the village, school, and county committee. Even earning 2000 yuan didn't make his parents happy.
It wasn't until he turned eighteen that year, while fixing a light at home, that he was accidentally electrocuted, and then everything changed.
The Omnipotent Toolbox was indeed omnipotent; it was a hand-held device, including a microcomputer, a detection and analysis module, and a manufacturing processor.
This device was versatile, capable of analyzing and adjusting the functions of most standard equipment from afar, including weapons and armor.
Most importantly was the manufacturing module; it could recombine and utilize recycled materials, rapidly print out small three-dimensional objects, and synthesize various materials ranging from engineering plastics, metals, rare alloys, to even gunpowder.
Thus, it could perform on-site repairs and modifications to most standard equipment while also recycling used devices.
Joe Ga guessed that this device might be an efficient tool necessary for the human beings of other dimensions when colonizing other planets.
In the end, it was nothing special, just a device with a built-in microcomputer and high-precision 3D printing capabilities with recycling and decomposition.
A graduate of the veterinary department of an agricultural college, Joe Ga quickly became a mechanic thanks to this device.
Theoretically, with such a miraculous gadget, if Joe Ga kept a low profile, he could have lived a good life or even become rich without it being a fantasy.
But his family was too poor, and his parents' illnesses didn't give him a chance or time.
He couldn't stand to bring his parents back from the hospital to their old house in the countryside to wait for death in agony.
Even knowing that staying in the hospital was a waste of money, he felt that if he could alleviate even a bit of his parents' pain, it was worth it.
So Joe Ga came to SD, then got in touch with a bunch of mine bosses, using his tools to make some guns to sell to them. Gradually, his business expanded a bit, and he started networking with some tribes in SD.
This was the real reason he not only undertook his parents' medical expenses of several million but also paid off the family debts within just three years.
He was always careful, whether going out to collect materials or meeting clients, he was fully armed with things like a headscarf and sunglasses, but in the end, he couldn't hide from Uncle Qing who he saw every day.
Going home? Of course, Joe Ga had thought about going home, but what could he do if he did?
All his money was spent, and the house in his hometown was sold; going back, he wouldn't even have a place to stay.
The Omnipotent Toolbox was something that could never be exposed no matter what. Africa might not be the most pleasant place, but there were no omnipresent surveillance cameras on the streets here, and no one paid attention to what he was doing.
Since he was already in deep, he might as well save enough money to buy at least one apartment for himself and one for his brother, so that the men of the Qiao family wouldn't be looked down upon when they walked out the door.
Joe Ga was indeed terrified of poverty!
Being a penniless hero was no joke; he never wanted to experience again going from one relative to another, borrowing money and receiving disdain!
Make money, make enough money, earn enough to not worry about food and clothing for the rest of his life!
Looking at Uncle Qing's aged profile, Joe Ga fell silent for a long time before saying, "Uncle Qing, I had no choice, there are things I don't want to do, but I was forced into it.
I definitely can't leave, after all I still have some business unfinished."
Uncle Qing glanced at Joe Ga and sighed, "It's all fate, don't feel life is too harsh!
If you have a chance, you should get away quickly, wouldn't it be nice to live your life back home?"
As he spoke, Uncle Qing hesitated a bit before adding, "Stop mingling with those miners, how many good people can there be among them, especially those foreigners, their hearts are all black."
Joe Ga nodded earnestly and said, "Don't worry Uncle Qing, I know what I'm doing."
Uncle Qing looked at Joe Ga's dark face and shook his head, "As long as you understand, that's good enough. If you find something wrong, hurry back to the country.
Your old uncle has been a squad leader on the construction site these years, and although I haven't made much money, I've learned a lot.
Listen to me, with your skills, you'll definitely have a good life back home."
Joe Ga didn't say much to Uncle Qing, merely nodding noncommittally.
Right now, he truly couldn't leave because he had been introduced to some tribespeople in the south, and they had already paid the deposit.
If he didn't deliver the goods, he could perhaps run away, but the compatriots he left behind would likely suffer, and if the situation blew up, his activities here could be exposed, which would land him in prison back home.
Having reached this point in the conversation, Uncle Qing did not press further.
He nodded and said, "You have a big heart, kid. I know I can't persuade you. Once I've left, you'll have no one to look after you here, so you better take good care of yourself."
Upon hearing this, Joe Ga laughed and said, "What are you talking about? Would I starve myself? I'm a grown man!
You go back without worries. In a couple of years, I'll surely return. Qiao Liang is a stubborn kid; I'll have to go back and check on him, push him to find someone while he's still in university."
The topic shifted, and the conversation soon lightened up. Uncle Qing talked about his hopes for the future, and before long, they had crossed most of Kamu and arrived near a block of apartments.
Most of the people who came to work in Kamu lived here. At the hottest time of the day, there wasn't a soul in sight, everyone was indoors playing cards or sleeping.
After parking the car at the entrance of the apartments, Uncle Qing got out straight away and said to Joe Ga, "I know you're busy. Go on, I'll cover for you if anyone asks."
Joe Ga nodded appreciatively, got out of the car, climbed into a semi-new pickup truck next to him, and drove off swiftly toward the north of Kamu. He had rented a villa there and his workshop was also located in that area.
In fact, he had earned a considerable amount of money, much more than that monthly salary of fifteen thousand, but he couldn't bear to leave Uncle Qing, the fellow townspeople who supported each other, and the conveniences brought by his expatriated worker status.
Now that Uncle Qing was going back home, Joe Ga had to plan out his entrepreneurial future from this moment on!
Having driven the car into a villa area mostly inhabited by locals, Joe Ga parked in the yard he was renting, then hurriedly went inside to turn on the air conditioning and quickly dashed to a large tree in the yard. The house would be unbearable for at least ten to twenty minutes.
Just as he was about to look for some water to drink, his phone rang...
Seeing that it was his business phone ringing, Joe Ga looked at the unfamiliar number on the screen and frowned as he pressed the answer button.
No sooner had Joe Ga finished speaking than a muffled voice on the other end of the phone asked, "Are you 'Hu Lang'?"