《I Have a Mansion in the Post-apocalyptic World》
Chapter 1 - A Disaster Caused by a Can of Coke
Chapter 1: A Disaster Caused by a Can of Coke
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
A drop of cold sweat dripped down his forehead, as Jiang Chen stared at the massive pair of boobs in front him. They were at least size 36D.
Below her eyebrows was a pair of valiant looking eyes, a beautiful nose, and a delicate mouth. However, her malicious expression certainly tainted her beauty. A pitch ck pistol and a wicked looking whip, were held in her hands.
If the surrounding was decorated with a few more sexually suggestive items, every man in the world would fantasize about what could happen next.
Fantasize my bastards!
Jiang Chens heart swelled with regret and fear. He did not feel any sense of pleasure or consider the possibility of being aroused.
His pants all the sudden felt tight. He must be delusional right now. [There is no way I am a masochist.]
He knew he had no weird fetishes. So, any physical reaction would be an ident in this dire situation.
Name? The busty girl asked. She was wearing a ck leather jacket, with a pair of jeans that has started to fade after too many washes. She shook her hair, as she forcefully stepped onto the chairs arm.
Jiang Chen He swallowed, as he responded truthfully. As a civilized man himself, he has never seen a girl so barbaric.
The girl raised her eyebrows. What a girly name?
[Why dont you ask my mother? Dammit!] Of course, he could only say that in his head. He feared that the moment he opened his mouth, a bullet would create a new hole on his forehead.
Yes, this hottie had a pistol on her, which made the atmosphere not even remotely romantic.
I was born in the morning, hence the name morning (Cheng) in my name, Jiang Chen mumbled. The name was not girly by any means. However, the fact that he looked very delicate, didnt contribute to his cause. Even if he had a masculine name, the contrast would be even odder.
Dont get off topic. The girlshed the whip onto the sofa beside him. The loud cracking sound scared Jiang Chen so much, that he curled into the chair. I am not interested in your mom.
[God, you were the one that asked.] Jiang Chen swore in his mind, as his face paled.
You have the potential to be a great looking guy. the beauty smiled, as she approached him. She touched Jiang Chens face with the side of her whip. You are going to answer my questions. If you dare to lie, I dont mind creating a few scars on your lovely face.
Jiang Chens face turned red as he tried to hold back his scream. [Why do I feel so vited?]
Where are you from? The girl questioned as she gazed directly at him.
I am from the north. Jiang Chen responded with a lie. Of course, he never believed that the girl could see through him. [ Wanghai City? Here is Wanghai City? This deserted ce?]
This can of c, where did you find it? The girls pronunciation was odd as if she has never heard someone say Coke before.
Jiang Chen felt the girls voice transform as her breathing rapidly grew. The tone was filled with an intense lust, or greed?
Coke its a type of pop.
No sheet! I know it is pop. I am asking you, where it is from! The girl chugged the coke. As soon as she finished, she exhaled with relief. Then she threw the can onto the ground, andshed her whip onto the poor sofa once again.
Jiang Chen stared directly at the odd looking gun pointed directly at his forehead.
A drop of sweat dripped down his face. He steadied his breath as he tried to remain calm. I cant exin that.
Do you want to die?
Is this the way you treat someone who just saved your life? With a sudden burst of courage, he argued back.
After a brief moment of silence, she let out a slow sigh. She put the gun away and threw the whip onto the ground. Fine, I did cross the line. Despite admitting her fault, she had no intention of letting Jiang Chen go.
[Since she only whipped the sofa, she probably has no ill-intention after all.] Jiang Chen thought in his head.
Trust me. I have no harmful intentions, She said. However, Jiang Chen was uncertain about how long her conscience wouldst, so he continued to make up stories.
No harmful intentions?
Like how I saved you from starvation? If I told you anything today, it would make both of our lives moreplicated than it needs to be. Jiang Chen continued to respond with a secretive tone. His words left a lot to the imagination.
Haha, the girl forced a carelessugh. But the uncertainty in her eyes was clearly evident.
Maybe we can partner up! I just got here and how can I exin this. Everything here is terrible. I need a guide, and I can pay you handsomely for it. He proposed an offer with a luring hint in his voice. He was using the stick and the carrot strategy.
Oh? You are from the Northern Alliance? The girl asked with her eyebrows raised.
On this wastnd, if there are any signs ofw and order; it must be the distant alliance on the northern tundra. They were not a target of the nuclear destruction, nor were there any infectious disease breakouts. Hence, order remained on thend far away.
However, order was a rtive term; theycked real justice because very, corruption, and civil war all still existed on thend. Only the slightly higher food production made the area, made it somewhat more attractive. Overall, it was no better than the anarchic Wanghai City.
No, I am only from somewhere rtively well off. Hmm, and I am collecting some useful resources for someone. At the same time, surplusmodities are disposed- like the can of pop you just finished, or the three cans of food that you devoured clean. Jiang Chen did not continue with the disguise as a member of the Northern Alliance. What if she realized he was lying after all.
The best idea right now was to say that he came from a distant ce. A ce that nobody visited before.
The girl blushed as she heard the words devoured clean and she realized that her etiquette at the time must not have been the finest. She stared at Jiang Chen with a fierce look. Jiang Chenughed as he dismissed the idea. He knew the negotiation was sessful.
I dont know what you guys want in this city. All the supermarkets, storages, and even refrigerators are raided clean. There is no way you can even find one piece of bread.
My fairdy, what is your name? Jiang Chen said, shaking his head.
Sun Jiao, She responded, as she again raised her eyebrows. With a devious smile on her face, she said, Let me get this clear, if the partnership involves anything strange, I might blow your head up.
Dont worry, miss. Jiang Chen sighed. There was no way he would get in bed with a girl that could kill him at any moment. I only need an experienced guide and, do you think Ick food?
Then what exactly are you searching for? Could it be for ves? Sun Jiao paused for a second before she maliciously gazed at Jiang Chen.
Of course, if he had plenty of food, then he must have farms or ntations, and rted production facility. Sun Jiaos first instinct was that this guy might be a ve trader. ves were the finestbor force on the wastnd and ve trading was considered to be the norm. However, Sun Jiao thoroughly hated ve trading because a ve trader abducted her sister. It would be fine if she got sold into a factory, but if she got sold into prostitution or even to the cannibals, it would be aplete nightmare.
No, no, no. This is aplete misunderstanding, Jiang Chen exined. I dont need ves. I need technology.
Technology? Sun Jiao seemed confused.
Yes, technology. Just like theser gun you are holding and theputer on your arm. While we have those things, we cant produce them ourselves. Therefore, we decided toe to this deserted city to find some old technology.
These things? Jiang Chens question caused a mixture of confusion and suspicion. These things are hard to make? In Liuding Town, a lot of people can assemble these.
[Dammit,] Jiang Chen swore in his mind, but he remained calm.
That was only an example. Our technology in food production and transportation is highly advanced, but our general technology is ratherckluster. Which is why I am here. He exined, impressed by his improvisation as it was far better than he thought.
He noticed that while this world had previously made significant technological advancements in the past, the civilization was inplete ruins after the nuclear war. Especially since infections broke out across thend, it was a miracle that humanity still existed.
The state of this wastnd after the fallout was rather strange. Highly advanced levitated cars existed simultaneously with internalbustion engine vehicles. While some advanced technology were preserved, the civilization undoubtedly regressed.
Whatever. Sun Jiao shrugged. With interest in her voice, she opened her mouth. Now, lets talk about mypensation.
What do you want to be paid in, After a short pause, Jiang Chen asked. He was unsure what the currency was in this world.
C-type battery, food, and crystals are all fine. Though personally, I prefer food. Sun Jiao responded. Then with desire filled eyes, she asked, Oh, do you have more of those curry chicken?
You finished them all. Jiang Chen sighed with a fake heartbroken look. He has never even seen batteries or crystals before. So without a doubt, food would be the best choice.
Oh, I am sorry, Sun Jiao said with an awkward tone. All of a sudden, she turned back into her usual malicious character and forcefully stepped onto the armrest. Then she bargained, sry will be ten cans of food per month. You are also responsible for my meals!
Deal!
Jiang Chens direct response made Sun Jiao guilty about her rather unreasonable demand. Although on this wastnd only fools had a conscience, conscience always existed inside peoples heart.
Cruelty was only a protective response for survival.
I will be responsible for your safety. Sun Jiao added as guilt overwhelmed her.
[No sheet! If I die, who will pay you?] Jiang Chen responded viciously in his head. Thepensation was nothing for him, but it would still cost him around one hundred dors.
Ok, my beautiful bodyguard, can you untie me now? The crisis was finally alleviated as Jiang Chen finally let out a long sigh. His limbs almost losing all sense of feeling. Sun Jiao casually took out a dagger and sliced through the rope.
Jiang Chen moved a little as he stared at Sun Jiao with a sad look. Then, he went and picked up his empty backpack.
Sun Jiao forced an awkward smile and pretended that she never searched his bag.
Whats next? Get out of here?
Get out? Why? This will be our temporary meeting location.
Outside the window, the mega metropolis already lost its liveliness. The once crowded streets were now empty, without a soul in sight. The endless amount of zombies reced what was once a vibrant city. The asional howl and scream from unknown creatures also traversed through the dead city. Guns fired in the not so far off distance, mixed with barely audible noises. In the city permeated with death, familiar battles urred every day. Zombies against humans, humans against humans
Through the undusted stained window, Jiang Chen saw the danger, the death, and the opportunity of gold everywhere.
Chapter 2 - Interdimensional Bracelet
Chapter 2: Interdimensional Bracelet
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
The universe existed as a multiverse.
A butterflys wing in the Amazon rain forest may have caused the tornado in UA Texas. The butterfly effect could exaggerate any small changes to infinity. It could alter the path of the future.
Therefore, the understanding of the future is extremely uncertain and rtive.
Jiang Chen, Male, 23 years old. An undergraduate student. He spent some time after graduation as a sales associate in a clothing store but has since beenid-off. The increased financial pressure forced him to make a difficult decision: to search for another job in Wanghai City or to go back to his hometown.
In his opinion, he did not want to give up so easily. To live in a major metropolis like Wanghai City was his dream since he was a child, and it was also what his parents expected. For someone that did not experience the world yet, he was eager to explore what the world had to offer.
However, he knew that the journey would be difficult. He got drunk. It was the first time since graduation where he drank alone till he passed out. After he let out all his frustration and sorrow, dizziness struck his head, and he became immediately unconscious. An unknown metal object directly hit his arm and fused with it. It disappeared as quickly as it has appeared. It was almost as if it never existed in the first ce.
Then, he discovered a peculiar ability - time and dimensional travel
Of course, it took him several months before he realized it.
The strange looking pattern surrounded his right wrist like a watch. If one examined it carefully, the bracelet was shaped like an odd looking tattoo.
Then it obviously something was wrong because he never had a tattoo. He did not know why he became the chosen one. However, he understood at that moment, this was the opportunity of a lifetime.
Time travel? Dimensional travel? He didnt have enough knowledge to understand these strange phenomenas. But one time he was struck by electricity and feltpletely fine. That was when he discovered the tattoos empty bar filled up after absorbing around 100 voltages of power. Then, it met the requirements to perform multiverse travel. Multiverse travel itself costed half of the energy. Therefore,pletely filling 100 voltages of electricity would allow for a round trip through time and dimensions at the expense of around 50 dors. It was very economical. Not only did the tattoo had the ability to travel, but it also contained an alternative dimension that he could visit at any time. Hence, it was a storage dimension roughly one square meter cubed size. But because it costed energy to store and retrieve items, Jiang Chen preferred to use a backpack to store items. If he was not careful and lost the means to charge the energy in the apocalyptic world, then there was no way toe home.
Jiang Chen had a feeling that the energy storage could be upgraded, including the storage dimension. The functionality definitely could also be improved. He just didnt understand how at the moment.
Charging the power was simple. Jiang Chen only needed to put his finger into an electric socket. Although this was not aesthetically pleasing in any way, it was perfect for getting the job done. How did he figure out? Like mentioned before, it waspletely by ident.
The first time he time traveled, he found himself in an abandoned residence. The dust covered bed along with the corroded furniture spelled the timeliness of the ce. He checked his surroundings as he began examining this timeworn house. With the information from a half-broken storage tape and old newspapers lying around, he gained some partial understanding of this world.
This world was a parallel universe simr to earth. However, the technology was clearly far more advanced. High rise buildings spanned across thendscape, but there were no traces of any civilization. Zombies and mutants upied the once busy streets. Jiang Chen did not dare to step out without a weapon.
The time was the year 2190; the location was still Wanghai City. However, the difference between the two time periods was night and day.
The year 2150, global warming intensified. Excessive extraction caused shortages in all kinds of resources. An economic crisis ensued.
The year 2164, a political crisis in Pnd triggered a war between Europe and Hua. The red army began invading westwards. The global politics, as a result, were in a tense period. It was worth mentioning that in this parallel universe, USSR was not dissolved in 1991, hence the global politics were divided into three organizations. First, UA-led alliances known as NATO, a Soviet-led Europa known as CCCP, andstly, the Han formed PCA with the Southeast Asian countries. The rest of the forces remained independent.
The year 2171, the tension on Europa escted as the CCCP dered war on the PCA. Both parties used the others of initiating the warfare which caused the start of the third world war.
In the same winter, Hua and Japanunched a naval war over the conflict in the South Hua Sea. NATO and CCCP dered cooperation as fires spread across Asia. That year, Mongolia experienced a political crisis which caused further esction between CCCP and PCA, with both sides amassing tremendous firepower on the borders.
The year 2172, the first nuclear weapon was detonated by the CCCP in Paris, which officially brought the third world war into tactical nuclear warfare.
The year 2173, this modern warfare was in a surprising stalemate. The entire world experienced nuclear fallout as the habitable, without a doubt, received significant destruction. The nuclear winter covered 80% of thend in snow. Nobody thought that such an ironic cause would end global warming. Refugees, starvation, diseases were all symptoms of this modern warfare. It only took two years to destroy humanity entirely. The total economic losses far exceeded thebined losses of the previous world wars. Due to this, peace came without a decisive victory for either side. Everyone knew that if the war continued, no one would survive.
New Year 2174, a peace treaty was negotiated and enacted. Habitat Revitalization Program was established to remove nuclear fallout. All nations participated in the funding of the program.
Fall of year 2174, the United Nations announced the abortion of the Habitat Revitalization Program as the cells used to remove nuclear waste experienced uncontrolled mutation. At the same time, due to the attack by unknown militants, the mutated cells began to spread into major cities. The infected humans turned into zombies, as the human civilization entered a biological apocalypse. Thew and order that once governed civilization, shattered in days.
The year 2176, The United Nations sent six colony exploration ships towards Kepler B in Alpha Centauri. These ships contained thest hope for civilization. These ships were meant to nt a seed in the universe, in hopes of finding a new world. However, this waspletely irrelevant for the humans still fighting on the ground.
In the same year, the United Nations were dissolved.
The information contained in the newspaper onlysted till the year 2176. The remainder of the news came from an ancient diary. From the electronic clock that still ticked in the drawer, the time was June 2190.
By coincidence, the world he lived in was also June.
But within this timeline, civilization destroyed itself in just five years
After he had made a brief stop, Jiang Chen chose to return to the modern world. There were too many unknown dangers that it would be unwise to continue. He must first be thoroughly prepared.
After he had rested for two days, he bought a box of canned food, a box of sausages, and a box of instant noodles. Even if he did not consider staying overnight at the dangerous ce, he brought three days of food, just to be safe.
The zombies during the day time seemed to have lost the majority of their powers. It eased the exploration in that area, as Jiang Chen carefully stepped across the middle of the street. He avoided the area concentrated with zombies before he found a mansion.
The high wall and Iron Gate made it look very safe. The yellow grass on the ground made the ce look fairly outdated. The marble sculptures by the gate were no longer recognizable due to the corrosion from the acid rain. It was evident that the world was filled with pollution.
As to why he chose this ce in particr? The answer was quite obvious. The rich looking mansion would contain some valuable items.
To his surprise, he did not find anything valuable, but he did find a girl that was almost starved to death.
Maybe it was because of the girls beauty that caused him to put his guard down, or because of his experience from the civilized world that made him not think about the possible danger. When he saw the despair in the girls eyes, she looked so powerless. He took out a bottle of water from his bag and fed her the water slowly.
[Saving the girl is the most important priority because maybe she will marry me in the end?]
Immediately, Jiang Chen took out the curry chicken from his bag. After the girl had smelled the aroma from the can, the same wimpy eyes looked at Jiang Chen filled with despair. He was a virgin himself, so there was no way he could have resisted the seduction, especially when a beautiful girl gazed at him with her watery eyes. He felt a wave of joy both spiritually and physically. So he took out his spoon in good heart and began feeding the girl with the wless body.
After well, there was nothing after.
Jiang Chen deeply regretted his decision.
The girls action urately defined the story of the farmer and the snake.
After going through a couple of pieces of bread and a canned curry chicken, the girl whipped out the pistol without hesitation. She pressed the gun against Jiang Chens forehead as Jiang Chen was shocked in ce. She then skillfully tied him onto the chair, as she interrogated Jiang Chen with what once belong to the former mansion owner, the whip.
Now, Jiang Chen realized what it meant to be carrying a full bag of food. He was fortunate that he met Sun Jiao who still had some conscience. If he instead met some cannibals or ve traders, he probably would have ended up as either food or product.
Of course, Jiang Chen could always activate the tattoo and travel back, but that meant his biggest secret would be exposed. If this girl camped spawn, then he could face even more danger.
He did not want to give up this treasurend.
Also, it took time to activate the time travel function. If the girl realized that something was wrong, there was no guarantee that she would not pull the trigger.
He didnt want to risk it. The good thing was that they were able to reach an agreement.
How would you transport the supplies here? Sun Jiao questioned with confusion in her voice while reinforcing the mansions external defense.
Of course my partners have ways to do so, you dont have to worry about it. Jiang Chen continued to bullsheet.
The mansion had quite a bit of cash, but the value of cash in this world was drastically differentpared to the original world. Jiang Chen wanted to look for gold and other valuables, but it was evident that the previous owner did not store any at home.
The painting on the wall may be quite expensive, but of course, these artists did not exist in the world Jiang Chen belongs to yet. So these painting would be worthless. The mansion, however, did contain some highly advanced electronics such as a hologram TV and automatic cooking equipment. But he soon realized that none of it functioned properly, so Sun Jiao was quick to answer his confusion.
Oh, these things After the nuclear explosion, the majority of the electronics ceased to function. But some parts were quite useful and valuable for the survivors.
Jiang Chen let out a sigh as he gave up on the n of selling these electronics in the modern world.
However, since these existed before, there must be someone who could produce this equipment again. Jiang Chen knew that if he traded with food, there would be plenty of geniuses that would be willing to work for him. In this apocalyptic world, these skills were worth almost nothing.
For those technologists, if it was not high-end military weaponry knowledge, their life was no different than someone who lived in the slump.
Sun Jiao didnt know what Jiang Chen saw in this mansion. Nevertheless, since her employer said that work needed to be done, she didnt refuse.
Let me be honest here; there is not much value in reinforcing this structure. If we dont make a lot of noise, those brainless zombies will not find their way here. The area is also free from powerful mutants. This is aplete waste of
Enough, I am not preventing the zombies. I know that if I dont bother those disgusting things, they will not go out of their way to bother me. I am preventing intruders because I am pretty sure you dont want your throat slit while you are sleeping. He rambled as he gave Sun Jiao a hard stare.
Okay boss. Sun Jiao rolled her eyes as she hammered thest nail into the wood. She wanted to argue that nobody would bother entering into these buildings because they have obviously been looted.
As to why she is here, that was her secret.
Do you have the map of this ce? Jiang Chen crossed his legs as he sat on the moldy sofa. He did not feel the slightest guilt for making a girl work this hard. It certainly was not the most enjoyable experience having a gun pointed at his head.
Sun Jiao was experienced in this type of work. She quickly reinforced the mansion with any materials she found.
Whats your EP? I can directly send it to you.
EP? Jiang Chen was confused.
It is this thing. Sun Jiao pointed at theputer on her arm. She grinned as if she had heard a joke. You dont have one?
I can buy one, Jiang Chen forced a smile. He felt uncivilized in front of this girl.
Thats hard to imagine that you have the courage to explore the city without EP. Are you not afraid of the radiation level? Sun Jiao sighed as she took out what looked like arge electronic watch from her backpack. She threw it to Jiang Chen. Try it out.
Seems fittingwhere did you get it? Jiang Chen yed with the EP. He was amazed by this worlds technological advancement, as the EP was as light as a feather. The crystal screen disyed Jiang Chens biological stats. It seemed to be a health monitor device.
I found it from an unlucky guys body. Sun Jiao grinned. The smile was certainly delightful, but a shiver went down Jiang Chen spine as if he just saw the devil.
****
User Name: Jiang Chen
Muscle Strength: 12
Bone Strength: 10
Reflex: 11
Brain Cell Strength: 14
Radiation Level: 11 (Safe)
Irregr Status: None
****
Cold sweat appeared on his forehead as he saw the radiation level. He almost forgot that radiation saturated the world from top to bottom. He wasnt clear as to what it meant by a radiation level of 11, but he knew that beforeing here, there was no way he could have been exposed to radiation.
None of your abilities exceed 20 Come on, are you even a man? Sun Jiao nced at Jiang Chen with an arrogant expression.
Do you want to try? Jiang Chen responded with a furious voice.
I am standing right here, why dont you try? Sun Jiao stepped onto the armrest of the sofa again, her eyes full of defiance.
[There was no way I will let this go. Nah, it it better to stay calm.]
Jiang Chen was quick to admit defeat. There was no way he could beat this barbaric girl. Even if the slim possibility became a reality that they did hookup, he had to prevent the girl from biting his dick off. He was confident that she would do it, if given the chance.
For these types of enjoyable actions, it would be more appropriate to do it in the modern world. If he had the money, girls would follow.
For no apparent reason, a person popped into Jiang Chens head. A girl who fired him and made him lose his source of ie. The girl who made life in Wanghai City miserable. The girl who always held a bit*h face and a terrible attitude.
What happened, my little boss, why are you silent all of a sudden? Sun Jiao emphasized on the word little as she looked at him mockingly.
Nothing. I just remembered something from the past.
Sun Jiao, surprised by the calm voice that answered, felt a chill run down her spine. Although she was not afraid of the guy that didnt even hit 20 in any aspects ofbat, her years of fighting instinct rarely lied.
Sun Jiao was smart to keep her silence. There was no reason to offend free food. Life without the need to worry about food was something Sun Jiao never imagine. That curry chicken was amazingly delicious. On this wastnd, it would be fortunate to have a single piece of bread. The majority of the people here lived off of nutrient supplies. Something that never made you full, but kept you alive.
Also, the immature boss seemed like a genuine person.
Dont be confused, the word genuine person had an adverse connotation on the wastnd. However, much to her surprise, she would rather spend time with Mr. Good Man than the normal wastnd person. At least she did not need to worry about waking up and realizing that she was tied up.
She thought about it, and with her slightly cracked lip, she let slip a small but delightfulugh.
Lady, could you notugh so maliciously? He didnt know why, even though her smile was beautiful, it made Jiang Chen shiver.
Did I? Dont you think I am very attractive?
Do I answer yes, or no Jiang Chen murmured as he stared at the gorgeous face.
Chapter 3 - I Need Gold
Chapter 3: I Need Gold
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
The next morning, Sun Jiao was delegated by Jiang Chen to explore themercial banking building near Qingpu. Sun Jiao was curious as to what was at the bank, and Jiang Chen answered with a direct response.
I need the gold from there.
The world here was full of treasure. Any of the civilian products could easily out tech the prototypes in the sciencebs back in the modern world. But, it was impractical to sell it there. Therefore, a highly valuablemodity that exchanged smoothly would be gold.
Jiang Chen guessed that in a structureless apocalyptic world, gold had no practical value. In a ce where everyone starved, no one would trade food for some shiny metal.
He was absolutely correct.
Sun Jiao wanted to know what gold was good for, but Jiang Chen did not want to share. So, she stopped being persistent about the question.
A small incident also happened in the morning.
After she opened her eyes, Jiang Chen ced a piece of bread in front of Sun Jiao. Sun Jiao snagged the toast as she looked at Jiang Chen cautiously.
Speak your mind, what do you want?
Want? Didnt you say I have to take care of your meals? Jiang Chen rolled his eyes up. He was not that desperate to sleep with someone that could bite his dick off. Once he had the money in the modern world, girls would follow.
She was shocked for a brief moment before she realized it was part of thepensation package.
This is breakfast. Three meals a day, but you probably have to eat outside for lunch. Let me grab a can for you. Even if this girlpletely looted the bag, there was still food in the storage dimension. There was plenty of energy left to grab a can.
Sun Jiao was genuinely surprised. Her eyes felt watery. She saw too many tragedies and deaths over food, but this was the first time someone was afraid that she would go hungry.
She grabbed the canned food. Sun Jiao didnt want to look Jiang Chen in the eyes. She had the intention of robbing this guy and using him as a hostage in exchange for food from his partner.
Even though she immediately rejected that thought, the idea still indeed existed. She felt a profound sense of guilt.
Breakfast What is breakfast? Sun Jiao feasted on the bread with her mouth full of food. She looked quite barbaric, but it was a rather amusing sight to see.
If you dont eat breakfast, it may increase your chance of getting stomach diseases. Jiang Chen muttered as he almost ignored that this was a different world. Most of the people were used to the uncertainty of food. If you eat food in the morning, it would make you more energetic.
Thank you.
Huh? The voice was so faint that he couldnt entirely make out what she said.
Nothing. Sun Jiao licked the crumbs off of her lips as she savored thest piece of the bread. She looked at her rather greasy hands but resisted the temptation to lick her fingers. It was the first time she had the strange desire to save her face. She didnt want someone to think she was barbaric, although that wasnt necessarily the right way to put it either.
I will do my best to find the gold in the banks vault but it would be much harder to move them back here.
Yes, this deserted city was full of abandoned vehicles. The EMP created by the nuclear weapon had destroyed the majority of the electronics in this city. Advanced technology became an obstacle to survival as the cars on the street were all products of the advancement. Even the internalbustion cars were integrated with high tech parts. Therefore, these cars werepletely useless.
Without the proper maintenance and recement by a professional, it was almost impossible to find a drivable car.
Be careful. The goal is to understand the area. I want to know the surroundings and the exact location of the gold. That should be all. Try toe back before it gets dark.
Ok, I know. Sun Jiao waved her hand as she inspected her equipment onest time. Wanghai Citys night is full of danger. These zombies are much more intelligent without sunlight.
Oh, can I see your EP status? As Sun Jiao was about to depart, Jiang Chen opened his mouth and asked all of a sudden. He was curious as to what kind of ridiculous stats this girl had to beat him in one move.
Surprised, Sun Jiao immediately waved her EP. Jiang Chen was stunned.
****
User Name: Sun Jiao
Muscle Strength: 44
Bone Strength: 61
Reflex: 40
Brain Cell Strength: 13
Note: Level C Repair Vine, T-Virus Vine.
****
Jiang Chen never imagined that her delicate arms could exert three times his strength. Was that even humanly possible?!
After he made sure Sun Jiao left, Jiang Chen immediately traveled back to the modern world.
The time in both worlds was parallel. Therefore, it flowed at the same rate.
The battery, of course, cannot be charged in the apartment. As it would take who knows how long to charge 100 volts there. If Sun Jiao did not find him after she came back, there would be a lot of trouble. Thus, to charge, he had to steal electricity from elsewhere.
He sneaked into a small power substation in a neighboringmunity. With a profound sense of guilt, he cut open the rubber that transported electricity. He then sighed deeply, as he ced his right hand onto the wire.
The open current caused a flurry of sparks. The energy bar on his wrist was charged almost immediately. But of course, the entiremunitys power jumped.
Dammit, whats wrong with the electricitypany? Why did the power jump again? My ranked game
Why do we have no power again? I am pissed
Waves of roars emerged from the neighboringmunity as residents searched for the cause. Without even closing the lid to the power substation, Jiang Chen immediately snuck away. He chose this ce because itcked surveince.
Full of guilt, Jiang Chen escaped back into his rented apartment. It looks like the power issue is an immediate concern. Should I ask someone to upgrade the circuit? But it would be difficult to exin the situation without causing suspicion. Should I move to another ce? Or rent somewhere that can sustainrge voltage machinery? Dammit, it would be better if I could rece electricity as the source of power.
To better visualize the remaining battery, Jiang Chen used a ruler to mark the energy bar with small increments.
Jiang Chen packed the food into his backpack as he envisioned his life in the future. At the same time, he ordered boxes of canned food, instant noodles and bread from Taobao. Jiang Chen looked at his near zero bank ount bnce, but he was not upset at all. He understood that very soon, the money he just spent would be pocket change for him in the future.
The entire banks gold! That would be a lot of money.
The only thing close to resembling his feeling was winning the lottery.
He also brought bandages, medicine, and other medical supplies. He estimated that he would spend quite some time in the post-apocalyptic world. He then spent 10% of the energy to pack two boxes of canned food and four boxes of instant noodle into the storage dimension. Although it took energy to store, it was better to be prepared.
He lit up a cigarette, as he ced his finger into the electrical socket. He waited as the battery charged. It would be a hassle to steal electricity again.
To pass the time, he yed with theputer folded around his left arm.
The radiation level concerned Jiang Chen. He did not want to be exposed to possible diseases caused by radiation. He opened the help manual for radiation levels and studied through the notes. To his surprise, once the radiation level surpassed level 50, the users health would be affected. It was rmended to store some iodine in the EP to reduce radiation exposure.
He pressed the iodine extraction button as a thin needle appeared from the side of the EP. He had studied it before he ced the needle into the iodine alcohol on the counter.
The color of the iodine alcohol began fading, as it slowly turned colorless.
He stared at the slow moving iodine meter and the reduced radiation level. Surprised by the oue, the problem that bothered him was easily solved.
In this case, he only needed to purchase some iodine pills from the pharmacy to resolve the radiation problem.
The fully charged Jiang Chen stretched his arms. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a few ingredients from the fridge. He cooked tomato fried eggs and pepper roasted meat, and sat down to enjoy his lunch with a cold beer. He gulped down the beer and let out an emotional sigh.
This simple meal would cost countless amounts of gold in the apocalypse. In that troubled world, gold would not be more valuable than rock. From Sun Jiaos pure joy and satisfaction in devouring that can of food, Jiang Chen knew how important food must be in that world.
Jiang Chen imagined taking out a can of food at Liuding Town, and the countless attractive women that would sleep with him.
He finished thest bite of rice. He chewed on it carefully, as his mind wandered elsewhere.
[If world war three broke out in this world, what happened in the apocalyptic world would be repeated.]
He shivered at the thought and was afraid to think further.
Haha, why did I start to think about these weird questions? I need to figure my life out first, he mocked at himself as he shook his head.
The first important step was to get the gold and then convert it into currency. Then, spend some time enjoying the life of a millionaire.
The first step would be to buy a mansion. A car would be necessary too.
Girlfriend? Why worry about that when theres so much money?
Jiang Chen washed the dishes before putting them away neatly. He then picked up his heavy backpack.
Time travel. Wait.
He seemed to have thought of something. He opened the fridge and grabbed a can of coke.
Time travel initiated.
Chapter 4 - Gold Bar
Chapter 4: Gold Bar
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
It took only a second, before Jiang Chen stepped onto the dusty hardwood floor.
He checked the energy bar on his wrist. To his surprise, it only cost him 40% this time toplete the travel. Maybe the energy storage upgraded with the number of the times charged?
Jiang Chen shook his head. It was great news for him, but he couldnt why it happened.
As he sat on the luxurious sofa, he enjoyed thefortable life notmon in the modern world. He lit a cigarette and watched time pass.
From the mold-filled window, Jiang Chen saw a glimpse of Sun Jiaos shadow in the distance. He took out his binocrs to confirm before he opened the door to let her in.
This is the gold you wanted. He caught the bag and both of his hands suddenly dropped. Happiness overflowed his heart, as the bag was hefty. The bag weighed at least a couple of kilograms, but the girl threw it like a volleyball. The amount of power she possessed was daunting.
Jiang Chen nced at her arms. Her slim arms didnt contain any signs of muscle.
That was so tiring. The bank had zombies everywhere. It took me almost two batteries of ammo topletely get rid of those gross creatures. The vault was also sealed by a heavyyer of steel boards that I couldnt open. I got these gold bars from the VIP room.
Sun Jiao wiped the sweat off of her forehead and threw her backpack onto the ground. Even if the gold bars only weighed a couple of kilograms,bined with her equipment and supply, she almost encumbered 20 kilograms while traversing the long distance.
Catch!
Hmm? This is Sun Jiao caught the coke as she gazed at him.
You seemed to have liked it. He was a bit embarrassed after Sun Jiao stared at him for so long.
Her lips moved without a word. After moments of silence, she resumed her usual boldness. She opened the can and took a big sip out of the coke.
Gulp, Gulp Haha, this is awesome. This weather is so ridiculously hot. Hmm, this is cold? Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen suspiciously.
The fridge in the kitchen is still usable. The photocell and sr panel is working in this ce. He did not lie about this. Even though most of the electronics were destroyed, the power system somehow remained intact.
Maybe someone lived here and fixed some of the electronics. But from theyers of dust on the ground, that was a long time ago.
Thats fine. You wouldnt tell me where this Coke came from even if I asked. Sun Jiao waved her hand to dismiss the thought. Ok, whats next? If we were to blow open the vault and move the gold here, it would take some professional help. At least, we need powerful explosives, or skilled hackers to break the electronic lock.
Where can we find them? The explosives were a problem. It was almost impossible to buy them inrge quantities in the modern world because of its restrictive nature, especially given Jiang Chens social status.
A lot of survivor bases have them, like Liuding Town. Envy flowed out of her eyes, as she gazed into the distance. Thats a ce people consider fun, even on wastnd
Is it far from here?
Not too far, but a bit expensive. Except for the resident who owns the property and thebor who lost their freedom, visitors must pay one energy unit worth of crystals, or equivalently priced items to enter.
One energy unit of crystals? Jiang Chen was confused.
Its this thing. Sun Jiao searched in her pocket before grabbing a piece of darkened green crystal. This piece of crystal has about 37 energy units left. You can use EP to check. These are quite difficult to find because only powerful mutants possess them on the back of their heads. If possible, I never want to meet those things again
Creatures that made this girl afraid? The thought of it sent a shiver down Jiang Chens spine.
He took the crystal and a faint attractive force pulled at his right arm. He was shocked. This thing could be used to charge the tattoo.
Jiang Chens facial expression remained calm. He yed with it for a moment before returning it to Sun Jiao.
What is one energy unit of crystals worth?
One-tenth of a can of meat or half of a normal can of food, ten nutrient supplies, one c-type battery, or three battery ammo. You can exchange so many things with it. This type of energy source is considered currency by many survival bases. You could even find a woman to sleep with you there. Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen mockingly. She enjoyed teasing this little guy.
Hmm37 energy units of crystal. Ill use four cans of food in exchange?
Deal. Without hesitation, Sun Jiao threw the crystal into Jiang Chens hands. However, as if she just thought of something, she hesitantly exined, Even if you have quite a lot of food, you lost out on the deal. If you ever trade like this in the future, people are going to take advantage of you
Oh? Jiang Chen shrugged. He didnt care too much about the three energy unit difference.
Although ten energy units is worth a can of food. It also depends on what kind it is. The majority of canned food contain mutant fish meat, or a lot of them are also filled with sand. Which are the best case scenarios. Some of the canned foods even include human meat
The voice was full of despair and numbness. Jiang Chen had difficulty breathing; he was out of words.
Curry chicken, fried pork This is the first time I have ever had these delicacies in my life. Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen full of awe. Merchants use mutant cows to transport goods. I had the pleasure of having a meal with the beef from the mutant cows. Even the dry taste made me extremely satisfied.
I trust you, Jiang Chen voice was quiet.
He felt a sudden fear overwhelm him. To Sun Jiao, he was powerless. If she desired his food, it would only take a blink of an eye to finish him.
Trust? Jiang Chen felt a deafening fear overwhelm him. He almost wanted to grab the gold, travel back to the modern world, and forget everything that happened here. With the gold bars, he could live like a millionaire.
He only realized now that this world was moreplicated than he thought.
Maybe it was because of greed, or because of a strong sense of arrogance. After a hard internal battle in his head, he calmed down and resisted the temptation to flee.
His face was emotionless as he tried to disguise his fear.
Trust? Sun Jiaoughed. However, within her eyes, there was a flicker of emotions that she couldnt hide. This distant word had long been extinct in thisndscape; long buried by starvation and death. Although Jiang Chen said this valuable word to her, Sun Jiao unconsciously reacted with a disdained look.
With a sigh, Sun Jiao walked into the kitchen.
Your na?veness is bing very worrisome. However, I am not bothered by it.
Jiang Chen was more rxed as he heard her words. This time he made the right bet, Sun Jiao had no ill-intentions.
Otherwise, she would have had plenty of time to kill him and wouldnt have waited this long. Jiang Chen finally felt relieved, from this thought that has been bothering him for the longest time.
As Sun Jiao was about to reach the door, she turned around. Since you are my employer, not only do I need to ensure your safety, I have the responsibility of preventing you from being tricked. If someone is after your wealth, that is also a problem for me. If you ever trade in the future, you should bring me.
[She cares?]
Dont look at me like that! You are giving me goosebumps. Sun Jiao fled frantically from Jiang Chens sight. She ducked into the kitchen, and screamed in shock, what! How is this possible? A fridge!
Deception, and stories, the majority of Jiang Chens responses were lies. It was to avoid the imminent trouble and danger.
But the glimpse of emotion from her eyes was real.
At that one glimpse, to his surprise, the bold girl was not so annoying. She was cute?
Stop eating canned food; tonight lets eat a fresh meal! For celebrating my first employee. Jiang Chenughed and dashed into the kitchen, filled with an overwhelming amount of joy.
Sun Jiao was stunned in front of the fridge, as she did not bother to dispute her employee status. She stared at the tomatoes and eggs in the refrigerator.
Jiang Chen put these fresh ingredients in before Sun Jiao came back.
You Sun Jiao turned her head around slow, with a dumbfounded voice.
Dont ask. I know you have a lot of questions. We can discuss this while we eat dinner. Now, do you know how to cut tomatoes?
Jiang Chen left the dazed Sun Jiao in ce, as a proud smile stretched across his face.
He took out a couple of tomatoes and eggs. Tonight, we will make tomato fried eggs!
Chapter 5 - Tomato Fried Eggs
Chapter 5: Tomato Fried Eggs
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
The reason why he chose to cook this dish was because of his limited cooking ability. Hence, this was the only dish he was good at, since he cooked the same thing every day.
[Once I have money, maybe I should hire a maid? ] Jiang Chen thought, before he got rid of the idea immediately. His secret would cause too much hysteria. Therefore, a maid would be inconvenient in hiding the truth.
A girlfriend would be his priority.
He thought about the gold bars in the living room, as a mischievous and happy smile appeared on his face.
Sun Jiaos mind was full of questions she wanted to ask. But instead, she stared at the steaming tomatoes and sniffed the delicious fragrance- she couldnt remember how many times she had done so already.
Jiang Chen already said that her questions would be answered at the dinner table. She was in no rush to know now. She cut the tomatoes silently, but uncontrobly nced at Jiang Chen who was mixing the egg. His faint but happy smile made her heart beat a little faster.
Lightly It looks like you are going to chop through the cutting board as well
Ah, oh. Jiang Chens voice made Sun Jiao instantly look back at the chopping board. When she realized her irregr action, she felt a mixture of rage and embarrassment. But behind those emotions, a little bit of happiness was there as well.
[Happiness? What a distant word.]
She almost had to trace back to her time in the survival base.
Sun Jiao faintly remembered when she was young, the survival bases door was still locked and it was almost like heaven in there.
No crimes, no ss structure, and a society governed by Artificial Intelligence. Everyone equally shared the work and resources, and there was no conflict of interest. Everyone was kind and happy. Although people asionally longed for the blue sky, nobody questioned their happiness. Compared to the wastnd, survival base 071 was heaven.
At the time, both of her parents were still alive. She had an adorable sister that was only one year younger. After the end of the lockdown period at the survival base, they both witnessed the first ray of the sunshine that shone through the cold steel door.
Then they lost each other.
Sheter learned that a lot of bandits picked poorly defended and newly opened survival bases as raid targets. They used the remaining conscience of those people and looted their survival supplies and poption. It was at the raid, that she lost her family.
After that incident, she destroyed any remaining conscience she had, and became a qualified wastnd survivor.
But for some strange reason, her frozen emotions melted a little now.
[Family?]
Sun Jiao had an illusion that she was home. She soon realized what she was thinking and her face turned red.
These past two days were the most emotional she had been in thest few years. With a bitter smile on her face, she shook her head. She then ced the sliced tomatoes into a bowl.
To suppress her emotions, she only had to take a deep breath. However, the feeling that touched the softest part of her heart could no longer be hidden.
Even Sun Jiao, herself, didnt realize that the man standing beside her became a bit more important in her heart.
As he watched Sun Jiao devour the dish, Jiang Chenughed at the thought. This was the first time he saw someone eat this dish with that amount of excitement.
I know you have a lot of questions. For example, why do I have so much food. Jiang Chen put down his bowl and looked at Sun Jiao quietly.
I cant exin how I feel. Sun Jiao also stopped eating as she gazed into Jiang Chens eyes. With a puzzled voice, she replied, you gave me a feeling that its almost like you are from a fairytale.
Psh, a fairytale? Jiang Chen was astonished.
Its from the books published before the war. In the survival base, we called them fairytales. Sun Jiao sighed as she continued to mock herself, everyone lived in harmony, with families, friends, and even lovers. Regardless of what you think, it must be a fairytale. Like the first time sunlight shone on me, when I was seven years old.
Jiang Chen was silent. He walked to the fridge and grabbed a few cans of beer. He turned around and gave her an assuring smile. Where I am from, when people feel tired and lost, they have a drink.
Sun Jiao chugged the beer as her throat let out a satisfied noise.
Grrr. This does not taste as good as Coke.
Nevertheless, it is a good way to let out your emotions. Which is a good thing at the end of the day. Jiang Chen also took a long sip of his beer. How many times did he drink alone? It wasnt until after graduation did Jiang Chen start to enjoy the feeling of tipsiness. He ventured into an unknown city, worked at an unknownpany, and was burdened with the stress of work and life after he was fired.
The cruel reality shattered the porcin tower in his dream.
When he received his notice of termination, he felt the world copse around him.
At least here, there was someone that drink with him. This apocalyptic world is not as bad as he imagined.
The two downed cans and cans of beers to use the numbness of the alcohol to temporarily release the stress stored at the bottom of the heart.
Burp No, I feel My EP, my EP is not opening up?
That is not the EP, that is my shoe, fool. Jiang Chen roared and snatched away the empty bowl from Sun Jiao hand and fiercely stepped on it.
You dare to take my stuff? Do you think you lived long enough? Burp Sun Jiao smiled, drunk, while looking at Jiang Chen with her neck tilted.
The frightening look instantly made Jiang Chen sober, but it was just for one instant. The intoxication gave him the courage as he threw the can backward and stood up.
Fu*k, bit*h, what am I doing wrong? Hehe Once I have money, I will tie you up and fu*k you hehe burp. Because Jiang Chen had a bowl stepped under him, he fell awkwardly to the ground.
Alcohol tore away the mask that they wore to disguise themselves. Jiang Chen didnt want to think, he just wanted to express his raw emotions and the negativities from his heart.
That woman, Jiang Chen was gritting his teeth, a cold and expressionless surfaced in his head again.
Bang.
A can hit the ground.
Who are you swearing at? Burp Sun Jiao got under the table and climbed on top of Jiang Chen, she wasughing, drunk, with the seductive red lips breathing out the intoxicated breaths.But it was Sun Jiao in front of his eyes.
The terrifying 44 strengths could easily rip Jiang Chen apart.
Get down, I want to be on the top. Jiang Chen muttered and pushed Sun Jiao who sat firmly on top of him and pushed himself up.
Hehe? Burp Sun Jiao lost her bnce and almost got thrown to the ground. The agitated Miss Sun Jiao grinned, grabbed Jiang Chens cor, and used the three times strength to flip him.
I want to be on the top. Sun Jiaos eyes narrowed and stared Jiang Chens monstrous eyes. Unexpectedly, she suddenly kissed him with force.
Fu*k! You bit my teeth Jiang Chen muttered out, words unclear. He gave up twisting around and put his hands around Sun Jiaos waist.
The giant but soft balls squished on Jiang Chens chest made breathing feel difficult. He tried to push away the annoying balls but couldnt move them by an inch. The seductive soft shape changed with his force.
Ahhh The alcoholic smell blew on Jiang Chens face destroyed thest standing rationality.
They were both drunk.
Alcohol is the best emotion catalyst.
Sun Jiao sucked on Jiang Chens lower lips, with passion, the 36D breasts pressed against his own chest. Sweat covered her fair neck, the sliver between their lips outlined a lustful image. The slippery tongue audaciously broke through Jiang Chens final defense in his mouth, she fought, raided
Gradually, the annoying and bothersome clothes were ripped apart in the brawl. The softness of the skin made Jiang Chen roar infort. Perhaps because of the masculine nature, he wanted to push the beauty on top of him on the ground, but the powerful Miss Sun Jiao pressed on his arm to stop his wishing true.
Her beautiful pupils narrowed and she forcefully pulled on Jiang Chens belt. She sat across Jiang Chens with Jiang Chens saliva still on the tip of her lips. The yful tongue licked the red lips dry because of her desire as she unbuttoned her skirt in a rush
Ouch The slight agony and warm prative feeling made Sun Jiao furrow as she let out a low but difort moan.
The feeling of his lower body meant Jiang Chen could no longer control the fire in his body. At the same time, the force on his shoulders seemed to have decreased.
Alcohol is beautiful, it could make the sober drop their persistence to rationality, it could make people throw away the fixation on consequence in pursuit of the most primal but lovely joy.
With an explosive roar, Jiang Chen somehow pushed Miss Sun Jiao who gave up her defense down. His hands holding the fit and long legs, maintaining the positions, and
There was not much memory when Jiang Chen recalled the frenzy that happened that night. He just faintly remembered that the battle went from the bottom of the table to beside the fridge, from the kitchen to the living room, then down the hallway all the way to the bedroom.
On the sofa, the staircase, in front of the window, the carpet
The marks of the battle were everywhere.
Jiang Chen didnt know why his tenacity was so great given it was his first time. From the red left on him, it was Sun Jiaos first time.
With a roar and moan, the suppressed feeling and weariness were all released with that hot stream before the mansion returned to peace.
Sorry Jiang Chen became sober and discovered Sun Jiao was the same. But Sun Jiao had no intention to stop this brawl, he chose to continue.
Is this how youre going to be responsible? For some reason, Sun Jiao didnt feel too much angry emotion, it was more of relieved state.
It felt like she found her sense of belonging? Although the man didnt look too reliable from the appearance.
I will be responsible. Jiang Chens face turned red and said awkwardly.
Pshhh, A charming smile appeared, she changed into afortable position to continue lie in Jiang Chens arms while drawing circles with the tip of her finger, Although youre a man, youre very cute at times.
Not annoyed, that must mean she liked him. If she felt repulsive, the mans head would have been ripped off when she became sober. Sun Jiaos thought process was simple. As someone who ventured in the apocalypse for years, she followed her emotion. Although it was the first time she had her impulse
Ahem! Jiang Chen almost choked on Sun Jiaos words. He wanted to argue back but was drawn by the massiveness in the front. He didnt realize Sun Jiaos peculiar expression for a while before he moved his sight away with a fake smile.
Does my chest look good? It was impossible to imagine a woman could be so straightforward. But since Jiang Chen knew that Sun Jiao didnt understand what being reserved meant, he let it go.
They look great. Jiang Chen gulped and replied with honesty.
You just fu*ked me. Sun Jiao was like a stuffed kitten while fondling with thest remaining mice as she teased Jiang Chen.
Yes. Jiang Chen gulped.
Are men always this boring after they had sex? Sun Jiao put her arm under his head in a position that could not be more seductive. An audacious girl could be so womanly too.
Or rather, the vast contract between her feminine and brutality made her possess a more inexplicable beauty.
Jiang Chen felt as if she had a firm grasp of him, he felt powerless.
[Fine, I have no strengthpared to him] Jiang Chen tried tofort since she came from the civilized. While here although technological advanced, it was a monstrous world.
Are you not going to say youre going to marry me, or protect me for the entire life? Didnt they all say this in the past?
I cant make promises like that, or rather, it is more practical that you protect me. After a moment of silence, Jiang Chen sighed, with a sincere voice, But, I can promise you to feed you, if you are willing to be mine.
Sun Jiao nkly stared at the genuineness on Jiang Chens face and her eyes became to feel hazy.
It has been long since she wondered in the city filled with only monsters and zombies.
Wander, survive, and then died at the hands of the monsters or humans. It was the finale for a wanderer like her.
But, someone was willing to be her dependent
Psh, Im not that easy to feed. Thousands of words turned into augh and a lighthearted joke. To the future, Sun Jiao was lost. She still had her pursuit.
I can definitely feed you.
I have a lot of enemies. Sun Jiao was no longer as collected.
Im not afraid.
I, I still have things I need to do. Sun Jiao voice trembled, Jiang Chens oppressive stance made her at a disadvantage all of a sudden.
I will help you.
A short silence ensued between the two, only the gentle breathing between the two.
Jiang Chens throat felt dry. He suddenly developed an odd feeling to the woman in front of him. Although rationality told him that it was unwise to stay too connected with the world as his ultimate goal was to bring the wealth back
But screw the rationality!
Jiang Chen didnt feel regret as he quietly waited for Sun Jiaos reply.
Then what are you waiting for? My man. A smile suddenly emerged on Sun Jiaos face, the smile dazzled Jiang Chen.
Seeing theck of response, Sun Jiao was slightly irritated, but she soon moved her lips closer to Jiang Chens ear.
Feed me now. The warm air once again blew away Jiang Chens rationality.
Followed by a joyous roar, a flirtatious moan, a new battle erupted
Chapter 6 - Roshan
Chapter 6: Roshan
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
The gray concrete road, filled with cracks, stretched towards the horizon. The unknown looking nts vigntly sprouted through the cracks on the concrete, as it bathed in the unhealthy looking ray of sunshine.
The buildings in the vicinity had no closed windows. They were all shattered in the nuclear explosion. Some of the abandoned cars upying the streets had windshields that were cracked but remained intact. They were made with higher quality ss than the windows.
It was also possible to spot the asional sleek looking metal box. Sun Jiao exined that NATOs paratrooper previously used them as shock absorbers. However, as she talked about the citys history of invasions, she didnt express too much emotion. It probably had to do with the fact that she was raised in the survival base and the concept of patriotism was non-existent.
But when she mentioned the history of wars, she openly expressed her disdain. Her eyes showed that both sides, in the war, wereplete dumbbastardses.
Is it going to rain? Jiang Chen raised his head as he gazed into the sky. The thick gray clouds covered the sun, as if it was the clouds that made the sunshine looked so unnatural. There was a suppressing yellow light mixed with the ray of sunshine. He was curious as to how the nts grew here.
Those are not clouds. Those are radiation dust. Sun Jiao found thement quite funny. He was almost as na?ve as she was when she left survival base 071.
That means we arepletely exposed to radiation? His only understanding of radiation was from the Fukushima nuclear reactor ident. He remembered, at the time, all the salt was purchased clean from the stores.
Although its absurd looking back now, it was easy to imagine the emphasis people ced on health in the modern world. Radiation was as fearful as it could get.
Sun Jiao wasnt too fazed. Dont worry, as long as theres iodine in your EP, the radiation level will not surpass the limit. You also dont need to worry about growing a third hand. However, if you are in front of a nuclear reactor or a former governments parliament, where radiation is high, it would be wiser to wear a protective suit, Sun Jiao warned as she rolled her eyes again.
Although they had an exciting night, there was no sign of Sun Jiao being fatigued. But Jiang Chen felt a bit drained from all the action.
It was not to say that Jiang Chen was weak, regardless how much endurance he had. There was no way he couldpare physically to a female Superman that constantly fought in battles.
[Those ridiculous body stats]
Jiang Chen could not imagine that, without any signs of muscle, she was much stronger than him who at least maintained some muscles.
The decision to venture out together waspletely HER idea.
Since you said you are going to help me, then you have to study somebat rted knowledge. Tomorrow lets venture out together. At least you need to learn how to shoot, and how to protect yourself.
Hmm, well, I do think I can be a backup personnel.
Be quiet tomorrow well go to the survival camp at Sixth Street. You need to inject the anti-infectious vine. Without it, it would be too dangerous. You have to go.
Therefore, Jiang Chen had to carry the rifle as he quietly followed.
They continued to chat along the way, but for some reason, she didnt ask about his origin. Since she didnt ask, Jiang Chen did not bring up the topic either. Jiang Chen knew that she stopped asking because she developed trust in him. When the timees, she knew he would tell her.
For the same reason, Jiang Chen didnt pursue the topic of why she was at the mansion in the first ce.
Well pass a zombie infested area up front. The best ce to practice shooting is the battlefield itself. Get familiar with the weapon first, but dont fire, she exined, as she took out a high-powered looking rifle from behind. She then looked at Jiang Chen, as she continued to answer his questions.
SK10, short-to-medium rangeser rifle. The best kind of weapon against zombies would besers because it has low noise and high uracy. However, to improve your shooting, lets start with bullet weapons first, She pointed at the gun Jiang Chen was holding and continued.
PK200 assault rifle. 7.62 mm in diameter. These bullet guns are not as urate as theser ones, but the high pration power and reliability cannot be underestimated. Even if you use the barrel to smash your enemies, it would be durable enough to get the job done. The safe is on the right side of the rifle, remember to keep it closed if you are not firing.
The sleek looking gun barrel had a futuristic design. At the handle, Jiang Chen saw a small symbol.
PAC.
The two of them walked through the empty street. The asional three feet long rat crossing the road would always scare Jiang Chen, but he got used to it after a while. These mutants were everywhere. Jiang Chen even saw a cockroach the size of a dog as it fled into the shadows of the street. Their one-meter long tentacles were disturbing to see.
Not all creatures possess attacking abilities. For example, while rats arerge, biologically they still preserved their natural fear of human. While cockroaches certainly look frightening, due to the source of their food, they wont attack any living things. They were approaching the intersection as Sun Jiao raised her rifle in caution. Zombies would stop all activity during the day time. The mutated cells in the back of their heads require a stable environment to photosynthesis. Shocking right? Thats why these zombies survived all these years without starving to death. I think some of the zombies even evolved to a point where they can reproduce asexually.
Sun Jiao joked around for a bit while keeping her guard up. What we need to be careful of are the carnivores. They usually eat zombies or other creatures at the bottom of the food chain. However, if they do encounter a human, they are not picky eaters. Lastly, the most dangerous species are humans. If someone points at your head, dont hesitate and fire immediately.
Her decisiveness made Jiang Chen feel a sudden coldness run down his spine.
Astounded by the cruelty on the wastnd, Jiang Chen was also amazed. The city developed its ownplex yet distinct ecosystem. Nature was trulypelling in adapting to the idea of survival of the fittest.
Under the iron forests, there were no signs of civilization. Only an uncivilizednd remained. Despite holding a highly advanced weapon, Jiang Chen did not feel safe at all.
Shh. Sun Jiao suddenly stopped and raised her right hand to stop Jiang Chen.
Dont point your gun at me, dumbbastards. Watch my back, Sun Jiao cursed at Jiang Chen under her voice.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath and opened the safe, as he pointed the gun directly into the peaceful street.
This is odd, all the mutants in the surrounding area disappeared. They must have sensed their predator. There was a shiver of nervousness in Sun Jiaos voice. The hint of nervousness made the almost calm Jiang Chen nervous again.
Predator?
Carnivores of some sort. Hopefully, it is not a Death w.
Although he didnt know what a Death w was, Jiang Chen heard the concern in her voice.
At that moment, a loud st came from somewhere far down the street. Immediately, a deep but loud roar followed and a burst of gunshots ensued.
There is a battle up front,e with me. Sun Jiao instructed after she heard the noise in the distance. Without retreating, she moved in the direction of the battle.
I mean, are you sure we are not going the wrong way?
Sun Jiao didnt respond to Jiang Chens question; he had to follow as he had no other choice.
A burst of howls erupted from a hideous yet vicious looking face. Saliva was flowing from its mouth, while it swung the almost brokenmp post. The fat on the creatures body looked as if it was about to burst.
Focus fire. Throw the explosives over! Quick!
Ammo! I need ammo!
Ahhh, my hand! A flying car door cut through a poor guys arm, as it prated into the wall not far behind from him.
The monster was angered, as it unleashed all of its power onto the soldiers defense line.
The mutant was under heavy fire from the not so well equipped soldiers. They tried to suppress the raging meatball. A few soldiers ducked under friendly fire while avoiding the debris that the monster throw. They continued to throw explosives at the monster.
Its Roshan! As Sun Jiao backed into the corner, shock was written all over her face. How did it appear here
Jiang Chen was even more surprised. With his mouth wide open, he waspletely stunned.
[What the hell is that? That thing is massive!]
Roshan pressed forward, as it bathed in the heavy fire. The situation was looking dire for the soldiers. While the bullets did affect Roshans movement, it was far from stopping him. The thickyer of fat was like a bulletproof vest, which stopped the bullets from prating through his skin.
The soldiers were out of solutions. Even the leader of the squad immediately sent out an order to approach the Roshan with explosives. However, the thickyer of fat was designed for more than bullet protection.
Although the waves of attack were not effective, the Roshans movement was hindered by it. The Roshan could no longer make any advancements forward.
At that moment, a homing missile prated the air, as it cast a gloomy trial of death directly at the Roshan.
But the missile did not hit the Roshan. It skidded across the Roshans face, as it impacted the building behind it.
Boom! Following the impact, a wave of the violent explosions ensued. The steel reinforced concrete broke into pieces as it left a massive hole in the building behind the Roshan.
It seemed to have sensed the danger, the Roshans body of fat began shaking violently, as its power was even more explosive and fierce. Its bloody mouth opened wide, as if it was letting out an angry roar, but the roar was silent.
Another missile flew across the battlefield. Following the track of the first missile, this one directly prated into the Roshans bloody mouth.
In seconds, blood, brain, and fat exploded into small droplets. The content of the Roshans body filled the street.
The Roshan, without its head, fell to the ground. The soldiers celebrated their victory.
Soldiers walked out of their covers as the battle came to an end. They hugged each other and helped the wounded. Then, they cleaned the battlefield in an organized manner.
99-Type Anti-tank Missile, that is pretty much the only thing that could destroy the Roshan. The Roshans fat is very thick, which would make any bullet type weapon obsolete. At the same time, the Roshans bad habit of throwing things makes fighting one a nightmare. Sun Jiao felt relieved as she let out a sigh.
What are they doing? Jiang Chen nced at the people who were dissecting Roshan as he tried to keep the food in his stomach down.
Collecting the crystals. Also, Roshans fat can be used as nutrients in the nutrient supply. Oh, I think the blood cell can also be used as ingredients in the vines.
Nutrient supply? Why does it sound like food?
Jiang Chen shivered as he promised himself that he would never touch that nutrient supply. Wouldnt that be equivalent to eating Roshans meat?
Sun Jiao smiled as she seemed to have guessed why Jiang Chen was grossed out. She then took Jiang Chen to the group of soldiers.
Sensing their approach, a soldier walked over. He then examined the group of two.
With professionalism, he spoke, Sixth Street wees you. Based on the necessary procedure, I need to inspect your gene code.
Gene code was a type of code based on an algorithm developed through a persons gic sequence, and was used as EPs user ID. Due to EPs broad adoption, and the uniqueness of each gic sequence, it was used as a form of ID. In the apocalyptic world, the government didnt exist. Therefore, to prove ones identity, DNA was the only option.
In some governed survival bases, the entrance was dependent on the inspection of the gene code. The goal was to find criminals who vited thew in the survival base.
After they had disyed their EP, the soldier allowed both of them to pass politely.
I always thought only barbarians existed in the wastnd. I cant believe I can see some traces of civilization. Jiang Chens cautious heart calmed down as he saw the soldiers did not bother them any further.
Sun Jiao grinned as she heard Jiang Chens statement.
Oh, my opinion is the opposite of yours. I think civilization exists everywhere on this piece ofnd. Its just that its form is rather unique.
The steel gate slowly opened, as the tension within the camp decreased. Behind the sandbags, Jiang Chen saw the Anti-tank Missile that destroyed Roshan. The vicious cannon spread an eerie vibe as it just stood there. The ground was littered with itsrge metal shells.
Jiang Chen followed Sun Jiao into the camp.
Sixth Street was a harbor that weed travelers of the wastnd. Its philosophy was to protect the order in and filled with chaos. But it would be na?ve to consider Sixth Street as the enforcer of justice.
Chapter 7 - The Sixth Street
Chapter 7: The Sixth Street
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
Civilization transcended through time, as history unfolded the sesses and failures of a species. Humanity was a product of human adaptation and increased the understanding of humans themselves. Civilization hence existed as the cultivation of all the spiritual, intellectual, and physical discoveries of humankind. It has no urate definition and can exist in any form.
Therefore, civilization existed at this ce. But the definition was different than what Jiang Chen believed.
The technological level at Sixth Street was all over the ce. A soldier carried an old automatic rifle with a cigar in the other hand and stared nkly into space. While a merchant, with an advanced full-sensoryputer, calcted the price of goods. People with missing limbs were everywhere. Some used canes while others were geared with robotic arms that were agiler than a real leg.
The lives of the Sixth Street residents were also drastically different.
People starved to the bones crowded the streets. They no longer even have the energy to howl. Uniformed soldiers, in groups of three, overlooked the road. They ignored the starved refugees and hookers on the street.
Like machines, the dark shades disguised any emotions they had.
Absolute neutrality. That is Sixth Streets founding principle on this wastnd. Thews are rather simple here. Murder and theft will be punished by death, tax fraud will be punished by eviction, and intentional harm will result in jail time, Sun Jiao exined to Jiang Chen as he tried to get familiar with the rules.
Then, why is that guy not shot? Jiang Chen swallowed his spit as he stared in disbelief. A man was beating a woman to death. The starved woman did not fight back. The man sensed Jiang Chen stare and gave Jiang Chen a friendly smile.
Thats the inspector. They are responsible for cleaning up the corpses at the ghetto, Sun Jiao answered with ease, but Jiang Chen could sense her dislike for this ce.
That woman was clearly alive.
The inner circle at the Sixth Street is a bit more organized, but itll cost us one crystal energy. We are here for some small exchanges, so the outside market should be more than sufficient, Sun Jiao said avoiding the previous topic.
Jiang Chen nodded in silence.
It was a twisted civilization.
The outside market was littered with filth, but it was much better than the ghetto. The thief that got shot today was thrown into the dump. At night, the inspector would drag the body into the farm. It would then get mixed in with therd that they looted from the Roshan and get made into fertilizers.
Some of the more famous, grand thieves, were nailed directly to the wall.
Roger rkson, known as the werewolf, perpetrated three murders at Sixth Street and was shot by the security team in the sewage.
A close examination of the wall exined the death of the criminals.
The name suggested that the guy was a foreigner, but it was nothing surprising since NATOs troops had previouslynded in this city. A lot of people remained here.
At the front of the market, two rather clean looking merchants were arguing fiercely. They seemed to have reached a conclusion in the end, as they signed both their names. Under the supervision of the market regtor, one side put a piece of crystal onto the crystal counting machine. The other one leashed out ten barely clothed women.
Indeed, they were on leashes.
Every womans slim and pale body was chained with a cor shaped electronic lock. Their spirits seemed to have escaped their bodies as they blindly obeyed the order.
Their graceful figures were stunning to the human eye. They were like dolls with almost wless skin, but a barcode tattooed on their cheeks ruined the perfect image. Its a symbol that typically appeared on products only.
The merchant was satisfied by the products he had just purchased. He waved his hand as the women were loaded onto the truck, that was leaving the market.
New Ray Hotel, with her eyes fixed in the direction the vehicle, Sun Jiao slowly let those words out of her mouth.
Jiang Chen noticed that Sun Jiaos hands clutched into fists.
Hotel?
Its a brothel. The goal of it is to provide full services to all customers. I think you understand exactly what kind of services they provide. At that ce, femalebors are expendable, since people with weird fetishes exist everywhere. I heard once from a not-so-smart guy, who was bragging at a bar in Liuding Town, how soft the girls were. Soft, as in an edible way.
Jiang Chen shivered, as if he could almost imagine the hell those spiritless women go through.
That ve merchant is probably from the force that upied survival base 101. They use cloning technology and nutrient supply to provide low-cost clones. The people cloned are more like products than they are human.
So, what exactly is a survival base? Jiang Chen looked at Sun Jiaos emotionless eyes as he opened his mouth in disbelief.
Its something rather peculiar. Each survival base had a unique design philosophy to increase its survival probability, she shrugged as she continued to exin, I was born in survival base 71. Now that I think about it, I was quite fortunate. The design philosophy was to use A.I. to govern human nature. Although my life was structured, at least I was happy. Some of the survival bases were not as lucky. A cruel smile, unfit for her age, appeared on her charming face.
I heard before that one survival base was designed to use people to govern people. It aimed to create a spiritual leader that motivates peoples desire to survive. It was clear how na?ve the designer was. The spiritual leader only enforced justice for a few years before he neglected all human consciousness and became a barbaric tribe leader. He used the security measure in the ce to eliminate all males and left all the women as his sex ves. For survival base 101, Id assume it was a human-less survival base.
Shocked by the harsh truth, Jiang Chen forced himself to remain calm. However, he didntpletely understand Sun Jiaos words.
Human-less survival base? What is a survival base without survivors?
Hehe, it stored the DNA of the human races elites. After the survival base reached its time limit, the breeding system automatically manufactured perfect bodies. It then used virtual reality to produce years of memories within a short amount of time. I dont know what the designer considered, but they did not realize how popr these people would be after the war. Sun Jiaos words were full of mockery. Jiang Chen remained silent and continued to listen.
[Is this the end of civilization]
We are here. Sun Jiaos voice abrupted Jiang Chens thought as she dragged him into a store.
The store was Sixth Street markets official purchasing station. It was responsible for evaluating the price of goods necessary for the survival camp and make purchases ordingly. Although canned food and batteries could all be used as currency in most survival bases, these trade rules were not applicable at the prosperous Sixth Street. Therefore, it was necessary for a credible organization to enforce a consistent currency. It also simplified the taxation process.
Crystals were the source of energy for high power equipment. It acted as a hard currency in any survival base. Its ease of ess also made it match all of the characteristics of money.
Although it would be much more profitable to open his own store and sell canned food, the wealthy Jiang Chen chose the simpler option of selling it directly to the Sixth Street officials.
Sun Jiao did not stop him as she noticed he didnt want to stay here much longer.
Items. The mechanical voice echoed through the window.
Jiang Chen opened his backpack. He took out one of the items and ced on the table.
The trader let out a loud gasp.
Jiang Chen heard a shiver of disbelief from the tone. Then, he felt all eyes were on him, without any intention of hiding their greed or desire.
Uncontrobly, Jiang Chen looked at Sun Jiao with pleading eyes. Sun Jiao signaled Jiang Chen to remain calm. No one dared to break the rules here. At least before they leave Sixth Street, they are safe.
Sir, do you have any more of this? The tone had a mixture of respect.
Fresh, canned meat. Even the elites that lived within the inner circle only ate the meat of mutant cows, and force-sprouted vegetables. The trader almost questioned the sensor because the screen printed Meat in itself was considered a luxury, but fresh beef was the ultimate luxury. These things are almost extinct in the apocalyptic world. Finding an unmutated cow in the entire world was impossible! Even if there was one, it could only be in the far north where the radiation level was rtively low.
In Sixth Street or the entire wastnd, the majority of people had no ess to healthy food. In most situations, the survivors chose nutrient supply as their primary source. Those were mostlyposed of mutant protein and the taste wasckluster, as it was only a means for survival.
Out of everyone on the wastnd, only Jiang Chen wasvish enough to eat healthy food every meal.
What was even more absurd was that heined about the taste of canned food being worse than fresh food.
I have plenty of them.
Pleasee to the VIP room. There will be a designated trader at your service. The trader smiled at Jiang Chen while he sped through the process. After a brief moment, a pretty-looking girl approached Jiang Chen.
Sir, please follow me. The female trader mischievously smiled at Jiang Chen as she led them towards the VIP room. The goal of the room was to protect the privacy of the customers. If someone disyed valuable goods in the grand hall, he would be dead immediately after he stepped out of Sixth Street.
As they pushed open the ancient wooden door, the fragrance of tea emerged from the carefully decorated room. A traditional wooden table was supplemented by real leather sofas. In the middle of the chamber was a set of burning incense. The antique porcin tea set only added to the ces glorifying elegance. This VIP room was quite simr to the tea rooms in the modern world.
Pleasee in, Sir. The gorgeous female trader weed Jiang Chen. Her cleavage slightly exposed. Sun Jiao grinned at the scene.
The way the female trader looked at him made him feel slightly ufortable, almost as if she was going to eat him. However, Jiang Chen didnt give it much thought as he walked into the room.
As the female trader was about the enter the room and close the door, Sun Jiao slipped in.
The female trader nced at Sun Jiao with slight anger, but she was met with a defiant stare.
The female trader saw the enormous pair of breasts Sun Jiao had and a look of defeat crossed her face. However, she still maintained a professional smile and closed the door behind her.
Jiang Chen had, clearly, no idea about the fierce exchange that happened within a few seconds.
All transactions over 100 crystals must be done in the VIP room for privacy purposes. At the same time, it was a strategy to establish rtionships with the wealthy. It was no news that at Sixth Street, the VIP room also offered extra intimate services.
Professional female traders used the extra services to make tips, and Sixth Street exchange would gain favorable reviews from major clients. It was a win-win situation.
But since Miss Sun Jiao was there, the female traders dream for a big tip was shattered.
After the cans had been evaluated, the transaction was cleared. Twenty cans of perfect quality meat. The exchange paid a hefty price of 50 crystals per can, because these cans far exceeded the necessity of being just food and was considered a luxury. Therefore, if the exchange auctioned these among the elites, the price would easily double. After all, these were as rare as it could be.
Because of this, Sun Jiaoined to Jiang Chen countless times. But Jiang Chen didnt seem to be bothered by that fact; he was quite satisfied.
How much was a can even worth? However, one crystal was enough to charge the multiverse bracelet by 10%. Therefore, he no longer needed to steal electricity.
There was no way to lose in the trade.
Do you know what the VIP room is for? Sun Jiao suddenly asked, as they stepped into the crowded street.
Hmm? A ce to exchange multiple items? Jiang Chen paused for a split second, as he was confused by the question.
Sun Jiao suddenlyughed so hysterically that she needed to hold her stomach. Of course you dont know.
I dont think this is funny. Jiang Chen nkly stared at Sun Jiao.
Just as Sun Jiao finished having her fun, she whispered into Jiang Chens ear with a smirk, its a ce where you receive intimate service.
The light breath tingled his sensations. He was used to Sun Jiaos flirting, so he did not blush or run away like before. Instead, he enjoyed the feeling.
Dont you hate me for ruining your chance of having a great time? Sun Jiao jokingly asked. If I stood outside, maybe she would have given you the intimate service. That girl is probably still cursing at me for ruining her business.
Why would I hate you? I prefer to get intimate service from you. Jiang Chen also had a mischievous smile on his face. He approached Sun Jiaos ear and in retaliation, he also blew into it.
She blushed as she was new to the experience herself. Although she assumed her role as someone older than Jiang Chen, she was not.
Suddenly, Sun Jiaos eyes lit up in caution. Someone is following us.
Who? Jiang Chen paused as he subconsciously wanted to turn his head.
Dont turn your head. Pretend like nothing happened. Nobody dares to do anything here. I have my ways of dealing with them, my boss, Sun Jiao said as she bit Jiang Chens ear. In other peoples eyes, they were a loving couple.
Because someone was following them, they sped up their itinerary.
Sun Jiao took Jiang Chen to a hospital looking ce. He learned that the ce was for vines and gic injections.
After a total of 55 crystals, the doctors injected the vine and gic injections into Jiang Chens arm. One of them was a T-type vine which prevented zombie infection. The other, was a C-type gic injection. Based on the doctors description, its effects included an increase in muscr strength, reflex, and bone strength between 10-25 points. The bodys ability would increase gradually over three days.
There were some other useful injections in the store, and Jiang Chen selectively purchased a few. They were all beneficial in improving the bodys performance andbat powers. After all, strength was necessary to protect the wealth; he couldnt hide behind Sun Jiao for his whole life.
However, Jiang Chen still thought it was much cooler to hire someone to fight for you than to fight yourself.
Immediately after, they replenished their ammunitions at the firearm store. Sun Jiaos assault rifle used the C-type battery as ammo, and five clips of ammo cost only one energy unit.
The PK200 rifle that Jiang Chen used, the 7.62mm ammo, were a bit more expensive. 360 rounds of ammo cost a total of 4 crystals. While Sun Jiao was uncertain about making the purchase, Jiang Chen paid the full price without hesitation.
Canned food for firearms, it was a win for him in any situation.
Of course, the uncivilized world would not understand this.
On the wastnd,ser weapons were without a doubt the most economical and effective weapon of choice. Most short-mid rangeser rifles were sufficient in any terrain within the city. Only long range rifles cost a significant amount of energy. For Sun Jiaos rifle, its effective range was only 400 meters. After that, its power would decrease significantly. But one C-type battery was enough to provide 200 shots. If overheating was not a problem, its power could directly match that of a machine gun.
As to bullet weapons, its benefits included an effective firing distance and immunity against energy shields. For the PCA manufactured PK200 assault rifle, if the gun were equipped with a scope, it would be as effective as a sniper rifle. Although it was a bit of a waste for Jiang Chen to use it, it fitted his need. The reliability of bullet type weapons was much higherpared toser rifles. An EMP grenade would render aser riflepletely useless, but a bullet weapon would continue to function. If there were any malfunctions, Sun Jiao would know how to solve the problem, even though Jiang Chen would be clueless.
Lets stay here tonight. Sun Jiao watched the searing sun make its exit into the horizon and subtly peeked at the follower.
But. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he felt extremely unsafe about being followed.
The night will disguise all the dangers, Sun Jiao replied calmly with a fierce smile, and it is also our opportunity to be the dangerous one.
Chapter 8 - Huizhong Mercenaries
Chapter 8: Huizhong Mercenaries
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
The Tulip Hotel sat between the borders of the inner and outer circle. The location was near Sixth Streets most prosperous market, and it was the most secure and guarded ce.
The roof cast a humid and dark vibe to onlookers. 50 anti-air machine guns guarded thevishly furnished hotel, despite the rather odd contrast, it demonstrated the hotels strong force. On thewless piece of wastnd, safety was the number one priority.
Only backed by the Sixth Street official could anti-air machines be ced on the roof. Only the wealthy and important people lived here. Therefore, the issue of security was emphasized to the max. ording to Sun Jiao, if any intruder entered your room without permission, thew permits the intruder to be shot on the spot.
The reason why they lived here was to get rid of the tail that followed them.
They sat on the extravagant leather sofa as Jiang Chen swallowed a piece of orange from a can of fruit. He would have never eaten these things before, due to the ridiculous amount of preservatives and sweeteners in it. However, since he only ate junk food for the past few days, he needed to ingest some fruit. For vitamins, and to maintain his health.
Dont look at me like that; Ill save you some. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes as he saw Sun Jiao stare at the fruit, full of desire. He turned towards the person on the ground, who was also staring at the fruit, swallowing. Why dont we get rid of this problem and have dinner?
Hui Lei waspletely tied up on the ground as he felt someones vicious stare behind him. A chill went down his back. He stared at the smiling man on the sofa but felt a sense of fear from the bottom of his heart.
Cold sweat appeared profusely on Hui Leis forehead as he felt the gun pointed to the back of his head, I I am you guys got the wrong person! I, I didnt
Sun Jiao whipped the gun barrel around and, without any hesitation, pointed it at his face. She then stepped on his head as she interrogated him in a dangerous tone. I am not asking if you followed us, I am asking you she slowed down her voice as she flipped open the switch of theser rifle, the light hum echoed across the room, who sent you here?
That was the voice of a predator. Even Jiang Chen, who satfortably on the sofa, shivered. This was the first time she acted so viciously, well maybe not the first time. After Sun Jiao caught him, he immediately said he did not know anything. Other than a name, he didnt give them any useful information. He insisted that he was a refugee who lived in the ghetto.
But would a refugee appear in the most prosperous ce on Sixth Street?
I dont know anything! You guys are using illegal forces! The guards at Sixth Street will not let you guys go! Hui Lei screamed as his eyes opened wide. He was so na?ve that he began to threaten Jiang Chen. Na?ve, but dumb.
If he didnt trust Sun Jiaos abilities, Jiang Chen would almost believe he was just an ordinary person.
You have ten seconds to reconsider. Of course, to help you think, I will break one of your nuts every ten seconds, with a stern voice, Sun Jiao kicked Hui Lei as she flipped him over.
Dont do it! No! Hui Lei let out a frightened scream as he looked hysterically at Sun Jiao and tried to move away from her.
9.
I, I dont know anything! Miss, please let me go, Hui Lei begged with his life, but he could not see the slightest hesitation norpassion in this devil like woman.
7, Sun Jiao immediately picked up a steel beam
I, I
1,1, Sun Jiao raised her hand.
Nooooo!
Wait a second. Jiang Chen suddenly opened his mouth.
Sun Jiao paused with the steel beam still in mid-air.
A filthy smell began to fill the room. Jiang Chen sniffed the air and looked at the twitching Hui Lei with disgust. They didnt even start, and he had already peed his pants. If he wanted to be brave, he at least needed not to pee himself. Although when Sun Jiao said she was going to break his nuts, Jiang Chen also felt a chill seep down his pants. This move was surprisingly effective against males.
I dont like to use violence to solve problems. Jiang Chen smiled at Hui Lei.
As if he saw an oasis in the middle of the desert, Hui Lei crawled in front of Jiang Chen and firmly kneeled in front of him.
Thank you! I, I
But if you continue to pretend like this, I dont mind giving my assistant some advice. Like putting a hungry mutant dog right in front of your nuts. I am sure it would enjoy a delicious meal.
Jiang Chens cold words froze the smile that just appeared on Hui Leis face and immediately copsed into a look of despair.
Jiang Chen also shook both of his legs as he finished the sentence. The idea also made his nuts hurt. Jiang Chen swore in his head, but his face was still expressionless.
Of course,pared to violence, I prefer doing deals. I am a merchant by nature, and if you are willing to cooperate, this is yours.
A soft glowing purple crystal appeared in front of Hui Lei. The eyes full of terror slowly turned into greed.
A crystal worth 100 energy unit, it was no doubt a significant amount of money on the wastnd.
Of course, you could lie to me with some borative story, but if I were you, I would not do that. Would your boss give you this much money? I can, if you promise to work for me. Jiang Chen was pleased to see Hui Leis facial expression change. He knew the good cop bad cop strategy worked.
The rest of the problems were simple, Jiang Chen easily got the information he needed from his mouth.
Huizhong Mercenaries, a group of mercenary, was known for human tracking and raiding survivors. They also provide the asional protective service for special groups of customers. The mercenary was located at a school in Song Jiang city. It used the walls there to build a strong defense. The reason they spotted Jiang Chen was merely a coincidence. Huizhong Mercenaries were just finishing a trade on Sixth Street when the leader, Zhou Guoping, saw Jiang Chen taking out a can of food from his backpack. Jiang Chen was then immediately invited to the VIP room which triggered Zhou Guopings interest.
Of course, to be the leader of a trade team, Zhou Guoping had the brains to strategize and n. Obviously, kidnapping on Sixth Street was impossible. If he broke the rules here, the dead bodies outside of the market were clear indications of the consequences he would face. Huizhong mercenaries also needed Sixth Street to trade for necessities. No one dared to make enemies with Sixth Street.
But if they kidnapped outside of Sixth Street, there would be no problems. The rules only applied when they were within the walls of the Sixth Street.
Zhou Guopings head was filled with greed as he saw Jiang Chens full backpack, but he still moved carefully. He knew that many forces traded on Sixth Street. If he messed with the wrong group of people, even hismander would not be able to save him. Zhou Guoping did not intend to kidnap them, as he only sent people to follow them. He sent one person to keep an eye on them, and another to find out more about their backgrounds.
After he had seen Jiang Chen enter the vine store, and then immediately went to the ammo store, Zhou Guoping was full of surprise and joy. He believed that both of them were lone travelers on the wastnd because most of the powerful forces would not exchange crystals with ammo. They usually possessed their own production line.
Take Sixth Street, for example; the enormous ghetto is not meant to be a safe heaven. Immediately beside the ghetto was a massive factory. The factory contained all kinds of production lines extracted from all over the wastnd. Some of them are even improved to utilize the highly efficient crystals. They melted old metals into ammo, mixed mutant proteins with fat to create nutrient supply, and farmed vegetables and fruits with special fertilizers. To continuously survive on the wastnd, production was a necessity. The officials of Sixth Street knew that by heart.
This was even more critical especially given all the stores of Wanghai city were raided clean more than ten years ago.
As he confirmed that they were lone travelers, Zhou Guoping immediately contacted the headquarters of the mercenary group and tightened the watch on the two. These two were more wealthy than any group he has ever raided. Although the woman made Zhou Guoping felt a slight danger, Zhou Guoping was determined to strike the gold.
Jiang Chen silently listened to Hui Leis confession as he began to ponder.
Ha, haha, boss. Dont you think you should give me that crystal now? Hui Lei smiled, but his eyes were fixed on the crystal, full of greed.
100 energy worth of crystal! He would be set for life.
One energy unit was good enough to buy ten nutrient supply. Oh, why would Hui Lei even need nutrient supply? Even if he went to the most expensive ce on wastnd, New Ray Hotel, it would be enough for a month! Hui Lei could not contain his excitement, even though the crystal was still in Jiang Chens hands.
[Since this man still needs me, I will not die. He will probably even give me more crystals in the future.] Hui Lei fantasized about his future life. He imagined lying around while being served by a hot blonde maid.
A ck pistol shattered his fantasy, as his eyes met with the pitch ck barrel.
Dumb*ss. Jiang Chen sighed as he pulled the trigger.
Bang! Blood sttered everywhere, with some white liquids mixed in between. He looked at the smokeing from the pistol, his hand trembled. Although he was mentally prepared, and the guy was deserving of his death due to all the crimes hemitted, seeing the head split open was still traumatizing.
Hui Lei kept his mouth closed before was not because he feared the Huizhong Mercenaries influence. For if he wanted to hide, it would be impossible to find him. Even for a dominant force like Sixth Street, it would still be difficult to trace a wanted person. So, if he managed to leave the area, he would not need to worry about his safety. However, he kept his silence because of how worthless a human life could be. He was worried that the second he let any information out, he would be executed. However, thebination of extreme fear and an incredible offer from Jiang Chen, turned Hui Lei into a stranded traveler who saw an oasis in the middle of a desert. Thus, he spilled everything.
Hui Lei was too na?ve to believe that he could form an agreement with Jiang Chen. He thought he could be a double agent in the Huizhong Mercenaries. However, loyalty was a joke to him because true loyalty never existed on a wastnd where the ultimate goal was to survive.
As predicted, his n ultimately came short. The moment he finished his sentence, his value waspletely gone.
Therefore, it was a wise decision to execute the spy immediately. Jiang Chen was not worried that he would be found.
Blood also sttered onto Sun Jiao. She was slighted disgusted but was used to such gruesome scenes. She shrugged. Its difficult to wash blood stains off of clothing. Also, next time, you can leave these types of things to me.
The hint of care, hidden in herst sentence, touched Jiang Chens heart dearly.
He took a deep breath to calm his conscience. He then closed the safety and tossed the gun away.
I will get used to it.
A smile broke out on Sun Jiaos face as she approached Jiang Chen. She sat on Jiang Chens leg and hugged him. The bold move slightly surprised Jiang Chen. The softest part of Sun Jiao took away any doubt he had.
You are going to stay, right? She whispered into his ear, with her red lips.
You know? He asked in a concerned but rhetoric tone. He hugged her gorgeous body. It was Jiang Chens biggest secret, and a secret he could never tell.
Girls are very sensitive, she replied with a grin in her voice. You dont belong here, but I hope you dont leave me.
I will never, Jiang Chen said in a soft, but determined voice.
He had already made a choice that night.
Yes, he initially wanted to take the gold from this ce and live like a millionaire in the modern world. But now, he could no longer separate himself from this world.
There was someone he cared about. Therefore, it was impossible to leave. If in the future, there was a way, maybe he could time travel with Sun Jiao into the modern world. The wastnd wasnt exactly the best ce to stay.
I also believe you. This sentence came from the bottom of his heart.
If this ce didnt smell like blood, I would eat you right here. Emotion and joy overcame Jiang Chen as he whispered into Sun Jiaos ear.
But, I want to take a shower first.
I dont want to let go. Jiang Chen smacked her butt and grinned as he listened to the soft moans by his ear.
Then youll have to take a shower with me. Sun Jiao yfully bit onto Jiang Chens ear. Her long and agile legs held onto him tightly. In a seductive voice, she said, let me see if the gene vine made you any stronger.
A roar and a scream ensued. Shirts, pants, and underwear scattered across the floor There was a battle between man and woman in the washroom.
It looks like the gene vine was effective after all. My feet didnt even touch the ground. After a while, Sun Jiao collected her breath as she finished enjoying herself. She poked at Jiang Chens chest with a grin.
His once t chest now had muscles. But since the gene vine only increased muscle strength and not the appearance of muscles, Jiang Chens body didnt look too different from before. Though his strength, was now far more superior.
Satisfied, my princess? Jiang Chen lightly embraced the delicate figure. With a smile, he wanted to p her butt again.
Call me your queen, Sun Jiao said. She yfully avoided Jiang Chens hand. She then covered her body with a towel. Its now time for business.
Time to eat dinner? Jiang Chen said smiling as he also grabbed a towel.
Of course, but before that, we need to take care the unfortunate guy thats outside.
He watched Sun Jiao leave the washroom with a forced smile. It was a bit too crazy to have sex with a dead body in the house.
[It looks like I need to learn how to control myself. Yes, more control]
Chapter 9 - The Plan
Chapter 9: The n
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
Dead bodies were not a big deal on the wastnd. The ce was not exactly the definition of a civilized society.
Sun Jiao used the inte, beside the door, to call the servers and exined to them that she encountered an assassin. Momentster, a few servers came in and dragged the body away. Before they left, they were considerate enough to spray the carpet with blood dissolver, which cleaned up all the nasty blood stains. The manager also came personally to apologize for the intruder.
In the apocalyptic world, death wasmon and natural.
It appeared that this was also not the managers first time taking care of an incident like this. He handled the situation seamlessly. Sun Jiao and Jiang Chen then politely rejected the offer of aplimentary steak dinner made of mutant cows. It was simply a gesture, since no one who could afford this ce cared about aplimentary steak meal.
The suite didnt have a kitchen; it only had a microwave and a dusty rice cooker that sat at the corner of the dining room. Most of the rich who lived here did not prepare food themselves, but a few wealthy exceptions did prefer to eat luxurious food like rice.
In this world, rice was considered a luxury. Despite the existence of a few farnds, rice production was still very limited. Therefore, most of the people who lived here survived on nutrient supply and only ate cooked food for special asions.
But of course, Jiang Chen was an exception. He took out a bag of rice from the storage dimension and washed it before he put it into the rice cooker. In less than half an hour, the steaming rice was finished, and the smell immediately dazzled Sun Jiao.
Jiang Chen didnt hide his special ability in front of Sun Jiao anymore, and Sun Jiao didnt inquire further. Jiang Chen knew that she was curious, but is especially grateful that she respected his privacy. Jiang Chen knew that one day, he would tell her all his secrets. For he couldnt even understand some of the miracles himself, it would only cause more confusion if she knew.
After he poured the contents of the can onto a te and heated it, the dishes were ced on the dinner table and a not-so-fancy dinner was prepared.
It was not fancy because Jiang Chen has had enough canned foods, but the dinner did include things like curry chicken, spicy tofu, and a lot of things Sun Jiao had never seen before. So, the dishes were still quickly swept clean.
Jiang Chen patted his t stomach as he eyed the empty rice cooker. He was quite shocked to discover that the gene vine not only strengthened his muscle, but it also increased his appetite. He at least ate two times his usual amount. He finally understood why Sun Jiao ate so much; she was not just a foodie after all.
I made a little more so we could have some for breakfast tomorrow, but it looks like you ended up finishing it all. Jiang Chenughed as he looked at Sun Jiaos happy face after the meal.
She blushed as she eyed Jiang Chen with an angry look. What, are you worried?
No, I can afford it regardless of how much you eat, Jiang Chen said while shaking his head.
Although it was not exactly sweet talk, Sun Jiao looked euphoric, as a smile appeared on the bold girls face.
Help me clean up. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes as he grabbed the tes.
Okay.
He stared at Sun Jiaos t stomach in disbelief. He wondered where the five bowls of rice went.
Themercial bank building at Qing Pu is located in a crowded area. The zombie concentration, as well as radiation, are all extremely high. Also dangerous mutant creatures will be there. She lied t on the bed and pointed her finger at the full-sensoryputer screen, as a three-dimensional map appeared.
This is the map. If we need to get the gold from inside, well have to enter from here and then pass through the safety tunnel Come on, are you even listening to me? Sun Jiao shook her head and rolled her eyes.
What is this? Jiang Chen wiped his drool and gazed at the advanced tech product.
The physical part was only the size of a pen, and a square prism projected out from the side disyed the screen. The three-dimensional visual hovered above the rectangr prism.
A product that only appeared in sci-fi films, now appeared right in front of his eyes. Jiang Chen couldnt believe what he was seeing. This thing was probably worth more than all the gold in Wanghai city.
It would be nearly impossible to sell these kinds of products. If Jiang Chen showed this product to anyone, a lot of government organizations would immediately find him and discuss with him about contributing to the country as a patriotic citizen.
Its a full-sensoryputer. Although it is not as reliable as a portableputer, the functionality is much more advanced. There has to be a limit to yourck of knowledge. Sun Jiao rolled her eyes again.
Fine, what is a dangerous mutant creature? Jiang Chen sighed as he epted the fact that he was oblivious. He lied beside Sun Jiao and continued to stare at the screen.
For example, the Roshan we saw today, or this Sun Jiaos finger swiped across the screen. A figure that was simr to an alien appeared on the screen, Death w. Its energy level is between 60-70. Its speed is extremely high and its sense of smell is very sensitive. The body is covered by ayer of protective armor, so normal bullets cannot deal real damage to it. Therefore, the best solution is to run away, but even that is difficult to do.
A light aroma of lily tingled Jiang Chens nose. Because Sun Jiao used the shampoo and body wash from the modern world, Sun Jiaos body casted an attractive fragrance.
However, since they were in the middle of a serious conversation, Jiang Chen managed to control himself.
As he recollected his thoughts, Jiang Chen stared at the Death w in deep thought.
Do these things appear near themercial banking building?
Death w will appear anywhere, but they usually prefer to be near ces that have been impacted by a nuclear bomb. I am not exactly sure about this, but typically when there is a high distribution of zombies, there will be other mutant creatures in the vicinity. This is because zombies are considered food for the mutants.
Do you have any ns? Jiang Chen asked after a brief pause.
Of course there are two options. First, we can use this route to infiltrate the underground vault directly and then use explosives to open it. Or second, we can use this way instead to enter the main control room, obtain the ess code, and then use the regr route to get into the vault.
Where did you get all this information? Are they reliable? Jiang Chen was visibly shocked by the clearlybeled route.
Liuding Town. They have the most urate map databases there. Apparently they got it from the satellite before the war, so it should be trustworthy.
What exactly is this Liuding Town, Ive always heard you talk about it. After Sun Jiaos exnation, Jiang Chen was curious.
Bo Hai, its an aircraft carrier. Sun Jiao continued with a grin, disregarding the shock on Jiang Chens face. So, my boss, its time for you to make a choice.
The first n is too dangerous, and the explosion would create too much noise. If it manages to attract all the zombies, then there is no way to get out.
Thats my concern as well. Although attracting all the zombies would be an exaggeration, it is not too far off.
Even during the day, zombies still possess some attack power. If they receive any strong stimnts, they would attack.
How about through infiltrating thework? Do you know how to hack?
How would I know those things? Sun Jiaoughed. To survive in the wastnd, great shooting ability is more than enough. However, there are quite a few specialists out there, and they often dont live in the best conditions. It wouldnt be too difficult to hire one.
After a long period of consideration, Jiang Chen made a choice cautiously. Then lets go with option two Where can we hire these people?
We can hire them here, from the ghetto at Sixth Street. All the people withoutbat power live there. Sun Jiao pointed outwards as she turned off theputer. Oh, we also dont have to worry about the Huizhong Mercenaries. Although they are active in the Song Jiang area, we can kill their men here. Besides, killing them would be understandable, given you are a target for them anyways.
You are right. I have a feeling they are going toe after us when we leave the area, or at least continue to follow us.
Do you need me to prepare a bit? Sun Jiao sighed as she stretched her graceful and slim arms.
In that case, we can do this
After Sun Jiao had heard Jiang Chens n, her eyes lit up.
Wow, you are a more terrible human being than me! Why dont you go to thebor market tomorrow then, it is at the front entrance of the ghetto. Themission fee is usually one crystal and they will let you pick until you are satisfied.
Ok, its better to work separately for now. Make sure you hide before leaving, Jiang Chen warned.
Understood. Sun Jiao shrugged with the same careless expression. I have plenty of enemies and a mercenary group is nothing to me. If it is not for the fact that I am worried about you, nobody could stop me from leaving.
[I promise, if I want to leave, no one could stop me either.] Jiang Chen murmured in his head.
He turned off the bedsidemp and the light in the room changed into a soft orangey glow. It was veryte into the night, and through the bulletproof window, there was not a single soul on the street.
Oh, are you sleeping now? Sun Jiao turned around with the nket just covering her body. She grinned at Jiang Chen.
You little devil We have things to do tomorrow. Now sleep.
He already fought a hard battle earlier with her. If it continued like this daily, Jiang Chen questioned if his body would be able to handle it.
Chapter 10 - The Ghetto Full of Talent
Chapter 10: The Ghetto Full of Talent
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
Hehe, Boss, are you satisfied with this one?
The weather on the wastnd was known for its strangeness. Although it was the midst of a summer day, asionally the temperature would drop to subzero like it was the end of fall. The thick radiation dust blocked the majority of the UV rays, which means fluctuations in the weather was quite normal. If the cloud-like radiation dust would not drift away, then the temperature would feel even colder.
Especially in the morning, the chillness was even more apparent.
Covered in a trench coat, Jiang Chen stuffed one hand into his pocket while he examined a resume with the other. The fat guy standing by him was already bald and almost old enough to be Jiang Chens dad, but he just stood obediently there, waiting for Jiang Chens order.
The survival camp was governed by absolute freedom and a capitalistic view; the crystals dictated who had power. Although he didnt know Jiang Chens background, if he offended the customer by any means, his boss would not take this lightly on him.
Also, Jiang Chen was a man of status. He took the rmendation from Sun Jiao to create a fictitious position - which was the general manager of apany called Fishbone Corporation. Other than the leaders of different factions and forces, the two other prestigious positions on the wastnd were arms dealers and food producers.
Both types of products were very lucrative, especially because the majority of the farnds were no longer feasible for production.
As to why thepany was called Fishbone Corporation, well it was convenient since the brand produced most of the canned food that Jiang Chen brought. He even considered, after receiving a sum of cash, he would buy thatpany out to save the trouble of erasing the production date.
Zhang Tianyu, originally the vice president of Walkman Electronic Company, specializes in business administration and electronic product development. The designer of the Asia famous Walkman P7 phone. Jiang Chen cracked a smile. A vice president, thats satirical. Hmm, Mr. Wang Yi, I need people who specialize inputers and can do somebor work at the same time. However, you managed to find me a vice president?
Although a ster resume, he didnt consider the vice president any further. He didnt need a person who was capable of corporate strategy.
He didnt know why, but it felt great rejecting a vice president. His face maintained emotionless on the surface.
I am sorry Sir. If you could please excuse me for a moment. Thebor market manager named Wang Yi profusely apologized, as he ran into the data room to search again.
Jiang Chen looked at the poorly dressed refugees in the ghetto as he let out a long sigh.
The ghetto included some families with young people who could work. Usually, they would work in the factory area in exchange for some cheap nutrient supply and a small tablet of iodine. They would continue to survive with the family in hardships until death.
If they encountered any diseases, their background almost foretold their unfortunate fate.
Jiang Chen gazed at the radioactive dust cloud; the light that struck through cast an unhealthy color.
Immediately, the fat Wang Yi hustled out of the data room and gave a stack of resumes to Jiang Chen. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled at Jiang Chen.
Most of the resumes were dusty. It was evident Wang Yi recently dusted them off. There was an overabundance of highly skilled tech individuals on the wastnd. After all, the production of bullets didnt require sophisticated technology. Also, nobody would bother purchasing a newputer or phone.
Jiang Chen carefully sifted through the resume as he raised his eyebrows asionally.
Boss, are you not satisfied? Wang Yi asked anxiously, as this affected hismission, which was his only source of ie.
There are a few people that are quite exceptional. However Jiang Chen pointed at the criminal record at the bottom of the resume, why are they all criminals?
Lu Haitao, IT Specialist, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after stealing 15 nutrient supply. He was currently working at the nutrient supply boiler as aborer.
Li Kaiming, Feixun Technologys Project Manager, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for robbery, and currently worked in an ammunition factory as aborer.
Wang Yis face was full of anguish as he said with a plea, boss, there is nothing I can do about it.
After Wang Yi exined, Jiang Chen eventually understood. Not everyone in the ghetto had freedom. All the people that were traded as a product were people that lost their freedom. Every person that received low-ie support were the property of Sixth Street. They were simr to ves in ancient times. Every capable individual was forced to work in a factory, and incapable people acted as poption reserves who would serve as soldiers in the frontline. For those refugees that are given freedom, although most are poor, they can survive without any issues. Therefore, they do not need low-ie support.
But those were the rules from ten years ago. The Wanghai City now had already established a stable ecosystem, and mutants and zombies did not attack the remaining space of the survivors. Hence, Sixth Street was left with no external enemies. Therefore, there was no need for those ve like refugees.
To alleviate the overpoption problem, the Sixth Street officials also had to participate in the humanbor business. They provided connections for specific suppliers and used them to sell the excessive refugees. Mercenaries or merchants would often purchase the refugees as bait. Its fair to say that those people often did not end up in the best ces. No one wasted nutrient supplies.
Therefore, the individual permitted to be sold were either incapable people that offered no value or criminals.
Jiang Chen hesitated again because he didnt want either type of people to join him.
A terrible character would be difficult to control, but someone who was weak-bodied would also be challenging.
Boss, you dont have to worry. These people will wear electronic bracelets once they are sold. Therefore if they do any harm Wang Yi saw the hesitation in Jiang Chens eyes and carefully exined it to him. In the end, he made a gunshot gesture.
Although he was still worried, there were no better solutions. Jiang Chen sighed again as he must make a decision from the group of criminals. He just needed to be careful, thats all.
010342, please stop or you will be shot immediately. An emotionless voice echoed through the door as Jiang Chen looked in that direction.
A soft body tackled his leg and he paused a little before looking down.
I am sorry that I overheard your conversation. I knowputers. Please, buy me. The girl spoke in a fast tone. The emotion cast by her pupil transitioned between fear and desperation.
As the tiny body grappled onto his leg, Jiang Chen cautiously touched the weapon on his back. However, after he saw the soldier signaling him not to overreact and point his gun at the girl, Jiang Chen immediately abandoned the idea of pulling out his gun.
The soldier grabbed the girl like he was grabbing a chicken. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows but didnt say anything.
Although he sympathized with her, he was worried about the girls intentions. What if it was a trap by the Huizhong Mercenaries?
I am very sorry. There are always plenty of people that dont want to live to see tomorrows daylight, Wang Yi apologized profusely. He also motioned for the soldier to send the girl back to camp.
Jiang Chen noticed the girl had a watch like item on her wrist. The item was constantly shing. If anyone who received low-ie left the ghetto, it would immediately trigger the rm.
If she is sent back, what would happen to her? Jiang Chen asked carelessly.
Put into a work camp. Wang Yi shrugged, as things like this happened every day.
Even a kid that young can work?
She is not that young. Usually, only people above the age of 16 wear those bracelets. She is just a bit malnourished. Anyways, boss, who do you want to select
Ill pick the girl. Jiang Chen sighed as he made the decision. A girl that thin and weak would die almost immediately in the work camp. Jiang Chen saw a lot of dead bodies since he came to the wastnd, he even killed someone with his own hands. But he couldnt let the girl be taken to a hell like ce right in front of his own eyes, especially if he was the reason. Jiang Chen tried to convince himself.
[Maybe that was my conscience after all? ] Something rare, but valuable.
Hmm? Confused, Wang Yi paused before he approached Jiang Chen.
Boss, if you are into those types, there are some better choices. I have some connections that could help you
You seem to have a lot to say.
Wang Yi looked at Jiang Chens cold and emotionless face, and a shiver went down his spine.
Yes, Yes, No problem, it was foolish to offend the customer as Wang Yi apologized again.
How long would it take to finish the process?
Approximately one day. Please tell me your address. Although the girl just vited the rule which made her a criminal, it would still take some procedures before she could be sold.
Two crystal units, Ill wait here.
Boss, there is a justice system.
Three crystal units. I am referring to just the tip, Jiang Chen said without patience. Civilization doesnt even exist here, and you are telling me about the justice system.
Yes! I will take care of it for you immediately. Wang Yi jogged to his office as he made the necessary contacts with his connections quickly. Although the guy looked fat, he was quite efficient.
Jiang Chen only waited for half an hour before a soldier brought the girl to the door. He noticed that in just half an hour, there was already a bruise on the girls face.
Wang Yi saw Jiang Chens dark facial expression as he tried tofort him. Boss, the examination took some time, but thats for your safety. Please understand, he whispered into Jiang Chens ear, The examiner told me that she is still a virgin, haha.
Jiang Chen briefly moved his head away. The guy felt like a portable heat source with an unpleasant aroma.
Jiang Chen signed on the agreement as he left five units of crystal on the table. After today, the girl coded 010342 would have nothing to do with Sixth Street.
You, whats your name? Jiang Chen looked at the bruise on the girls left cheek and the blood stains on her arms. He moved his eyes away for a moment and took a deep breath.
The bruise was the result of a hit with a gun barrel. Although it was unrted to Jiang Chen, he felt responsible for it.
Yao Jiayu, the girl answered in a quiet and obedient voice, but the tone sounded fragmented and frightened.
So you understandputers?
Yes, I do! The girl suddenly raised her voice, but she immediately realized her abruptness and lowered her head. I received a designation of B inputer programming in the virtual education system. So I am confident in both programming and hacking.
Oh, then why are you stuck in such a horrendous ce? Jiang Chen looked at the girl with a little shock. If a 16 years old can do that well, then she would be a genius in the modern world. However, this seemed quite reasonable in the apocalypse. The virtual education system sped up the basic education process and trained people based on the individuals talent and potential. Therefore, a person would excel in one particr area after a few years. Almost everyone who grew up in a survival base received that kind of education. A designation of B was quite distinctive.
The girls name, Yao Jiayu, was clearly from a survival base but she ended up here for some reason. It was quitemon as the resources at the survival base were depleted, the people inside would leave to search for a new home. Almost everyone from there would go to the survival camp.
There are a lot of people in the ghetto that can do it. Yao Jiayu blushed. She then lowered her head diffidently. Afraid Jiang Chen would not be happy; she then raised her head courageously.
Although I might not be the best in the area, I believe in my potential. I am also very obedient. If you ask me to do anything, I will not resist At the end of the sentence, Jiang Chen couldnt tell if it was because of excitement or embarrassment, the girls face turned red like the sun at dawn.
Jiang Chen grinned as she saw the girl struggle to sell herself. He didnt care about the crystals he spent. Its like money; its meant to be spent.
Rx, you dont have to be so stressed out working for me.
Yao Jiayu quivered in agreement. Jiang Chen suddenly realized her clothes. They were thin textiles thatid t on her small and tiny body. It seemed that everyone in the ghetto wore those types of clothing. After she had left the camp, all her assets were confiscated, which included an old jacket.
Cold?
She shook her head as she continued to shiver.
Jiang Chen just realized that the girl shivered not because she was afraid of him, but because the temperature was too low.
He let out a sigh. To Yao Jiayus disbelief, he took off his trench coat and covered her.
Dont catch a cold, its difficult to get treated here.
Jiang Chen wasnt the master of taking care of people, but the girl silently nodded her head. Her oily hair covered what seemed like a smile of happiness.
Too lucky.
Hmm? Jiang Chen nced over.
No, Nothing.
Jiang Chen smiled and didnt continue asking. He did a good deed after all, which made him feel warm inside. Maybe this was the trait of a civilized person.
Yao Jiayu peaked at the smile on Jiang Chens face and then lowered her head in fear as she tightened the trench coat.
[It was warm.]
She didnt say it, but she waited so long for this day. Every day she hid in the corner of thebor market to peek at the people that were buying ves. She wanted to find someone who was not so bad.
There were ruthless mercenaries, wealthy merchants, and people she didnt understand very well.
But this was the first time she ran to a buyer. She didnt even understand herself. Why did she risk her life to plead at this man? Maybe it was because of the way he looked in the ghetto. He had a glimpse of a special emotion; the emotion called sympathy. Although it was just a little, and it was almost gone, it was still there.
So if she didnt take her chance then, she would spend the rest of her life in hell. She knew that the reason those bastards in the ghetto didnt touch her yet was that she didnt hit puberty. But once she grew up, she knew she would face the same kind of misery her sister next door faced.
Forced to use her body in exchange for a pack of cigarettes? Or be humiliated by a group of people?
She witnessed her father fight for her mothers life, till death. She also saw her mothers helpless plea. She witnessed too many tragedies unfit for her age.
The world was insane.
If the result would be the same if she had to depend on someone else to survive, why not choose someone that can treat her slightly better. Maybe not better, but if that person beat her a little less, she would be extremely d.
If she didnt risk it and Jiang Chen didnt buy her, maybe death at the work camp was not a bad finale after all.
Chapter 11 - A Cozy Dinner
Chapter 11: A Cozy Dinner
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
I mean, are you actually turned on by this? Jiang Chen sensed a despicable re directed at him. He trembled at the threatening look Sun Jiao gave him.
You are overthinking this situation. Yao Jiayu is the IT specialist I found, Jiang Chen exined with a forced smile. Do I look like someone who is into loli?
Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen with suspicion, and then she turned her attention to the girl. Without any sound, she whispered to him.
Is she trustworthy?
I believe she has nothing to do with the Huizhong Mercenaries. Jiang Chen shook his head.
I dont want to hear the word believe. This is for your safety. Sun Jiao sighed as she approached Yao Jiayu. With one finger, she gently raised the girls head and cautiously gazed into her eyes.
Do you know Zhou Guoping? The sudden question didnt leave the girl with any time to prepare.
But the crystal clear eyes were only filled with emptiness and confusion. Without any emotional fluctuation, she said, no, I dont know.
Excellent. I need to do a search on you. I hope you dont mind. Sun Jiao nodded as a grin appeared out of nowhere.
Ok Yao Jiayu responded in a quiet and obedient voice
To Jiang Chens surprise, Sun Jiao unzipped her clothes.
Yao Jiayus face blushed to dark red color, but she didnt resist Sun Jiaos action. She used her shaking hands to cover her sensitive parts. Her lips trembled slightly. It looked like she was afraid of the older girl in front of her.
From Sun Jiaos eyes, she didnt see the same sympathy.
Come on, what are you doing? Jiang Chen asked while blushing, as he subconsciously tried to block his vision.
I am doing a search on her to make sure she is trustworthy. Why are you blushing as if you are still a virgin? Are you still not used to seeing a naked girls body? Sun Jiao mocked Jiang Chen as she rolled her eyes
Do you want to test me right here right now? Jiang Chen said defiantly.
Yao Jiayus face was still red. She looked at the ground and tried to hide her face. Her body still quivered.
It was not because of the weather; this luxurious room was equipped with a heater. It was because Yao Jiayu was embarrassed. Although she thought she was calm, to be stripped in front of a guy was still too exhrating for her.
Ok, no signaling devices or weapons. Sun Jiao caressed Yao Jiayus chest as she stood up. It caused a subtle scream. Are you sure you are a girl? Why are you so t?
Maybe it was intentional; Sun Jiao proudly raised her chest.
Yao Jiayu remained silent. Her face was still red. She kept her head down; afraid to pick up the clothes on the floor.
What are you even doing? Jiang Chen interrupted Sun Jiaos mischievous actions. Blushing, he told Yao Jiayu, you put your clothes back on.
Ok. The girl picked up her clothes. She had hesitated for a moment before she decided to put them on in front of them.
Jiang Chen thought he might have seen something he shouldnt have seen. He immediately covered his nose, preventing a bloody nose from the heated excitement.
Why are you so timid and embarrassed? Shes your ve and now part of your private assets. Even if you wanted to do something, she would not resist. Sun Jiao said mockingly.
Oh? Are you not going to be jealous? Jiang Chen gave Sun Jiao another hard stare. He felt it was necessary to punish the naughty girl for all herments.
I will suck you dry. She said this as she bit Jiang Chens ear which made him feel even more aroused.
[Fine, the punishment willeter.] He took a deep breath and recollected his thoughts. Ok, enough of the jokes. This is Sun Jiao, and I am Jiang Chen. From now on, you are part of the group. Jiang Chen tried to sound as friendly as possible to the girl who was still confused.
Yes, master. The girl said with her head lowered.
You dont have to call me master, you can call me Jiang Chen. That electronic bracelet looks unsafe. Since you are trustworthy to me, let me take it off for you. Although it felt pretty satisfying to be called master by a sweet-looking girl, it still felt awkward to him.
Even though Sun Jiao stared at him like he was a dumbass, Jiang Chen chose to ignore it.
No!
To Jiang Chens surprise, Yao Jiayu didnt thank him for his intentions. Instead, she backed away with a pleading look.
Why? Jiang Chen was astounded by her action.
I I dont mind a master whos so sympathetic. Yao Yao is very grateful. I hope you dont abandon me.
I didnt say I was going to abandon you.
Even though you are not doubtful of her, it doesnt mean you can trust her. Looks like she is pretty smart after all, Sun Jiao whispered.
Jiang Chen realized why Yao Jiayu thought that way, with Sun Jiao exnation. He recognized his immature thinking as he forced a smile. He was too used to the logics back in the modern world, but it was obviously different in the apocalypse.
Betrayal, although a disdained word, was not umon in this world. Comrades shot each other for the loot, betraying their allegiance to each other; husbands disregarded the responsibility of family for survival. These were all toomon in this post-apocalyptic world.
If he took off the electronic bracelet, even if he didnt want to think negative about her consciously, he would subconsciously remain doubtful of her. Unlike Sun Jiao, she wasnt here with him from the beginning. Doubt would sprout suspicion, and any of her future actions would be suspected.
She didnt have any ill intentions nor anybat power. Even if she took off the bracelet, a simple bullet would be enough to end her. She was young, but she was also smart. She knew that if she kept the bracelet on, Jiang Chen would develop trust in her eventually.
That was enough.
If she were obedient, she would not be left behind. She quietly tightened her fists as she made a decision. She didnt have a lot to desire, but she wanted to continue to live. Of course, it would be better if she could be happy.
Jiang Chen somewhat understood Yao Jiayus intention. He smiled and didnt insist further.
She thought too much. Even if Jiang Chen took off the bracelet, he would not change the way he looked at her.
Jiang Chen always subconsciously used the modern way of thinking to treat Sun Jiao and Yao Yao. Likewise, the two of them also always judged Jiang Chen from their perspective.
From his point of view, Yao Yao was just an immature girl. Even if she was aputer genius, she still did not pose a threat.
Yao Jiayu used the survivors way of thinking to guess Jiang Chens thought process. Sun Jiao has a slight idea of Jiang Chens homnd, but she still couldnt jump out of the traditional way of thinking. Maybe they both saw his differencepared to other people, a set of value that could only be described as a naive sympathy. However, neither couldnt guess what he was really thinking.
Why? It was because he was not afraid. He could leave the dangerous wastnd at any time and return to his peaceful world. With that, would anyone be afraid of the cruelty in this world?
This kind of thinking may cause him to lose his alertness, but it was not something that changed in the matter of a few days. Hes only been here for a week and has seen a glimpse of the post-apocalyptic world.
Sun Jiao brought Yao Jiayu into the bathroom. Although he was slightly disappointed to miss the opportunity to shower with Sun Jiao, it was a great opportunity for the two girls to bond. It would be unpleasant if animosity grew between Sun Jiao and Yao Yao since Sun Jiao did tease her a bit. Thats why Sun Jiao volunteered to help her shower.
However, Yao Yao still stared at him with her watery eyes, pleading before going in.
Beside the bathtub.
Yao Yao!
Yes! Startled like a terrified rabbit, she immediately straightened her back.
Dont be so tense. Sun Jiao smiled as she picked up Yao Jiayu. She gently rubbed her back. Can I call you Yao Yao in the future?
Yes Yes, she replied in a frightened voice.
Dont be afraid. I am very nice to my people, she lightly touched the bruise on her face, and said with a gentle voice, does it still hurt?
A little bit.
Ill put some medicine on it after the shower. To be honest, your skin is quite soft after you shower. Sun Jiao was a bit jealous as she massaged Yao Yaos neck. Yao Jiayu was like a rabbit caught by a tiger, as she timidly squeezed her body.
Yes, its the third type of hibernation chamber. It can improve body functionality, Yao Yao replied softly.
Eh? Hibernation chamber. Thats quite an expensive piece of equipment. So, you are older than me, Sun Jiao smirked.
No, No. I entered the chamber when I was twelve. Although I spent 20 years in there, because of the inhibitor I took, my body only aged by about two years. Add the two years I spent at Sixth Street, my bodys age is only 16, and my mental age is 14.
Eh? I dont know that much. 12+20, thats 30 right? Sun Jiaos old tendency came back. She enjoyed teasing what she thought was cute.
No, I I am not that old, Yao Yao quietly rejected.
So, youre at the age where you can be eaten?
Eaten?! Yao Yaos face suddenly turned pale. She had heard about freaks that lived on the wastnd who enjoyed human meat.
What are you even thinking? This kind of being eaten. Sun Jiaos hand lightly caressed over Yao Yaos small chest.
Yao Yao blushed again and buried her face.
I, I will be very obedient If the master wants to eat me, I will not resist.
I wont let that happen, Sun Jiao jokingly interrupted Yao Yao.
Eh? Yao Yao was confused.
I will eat everything clean. She proudly raised her chest. It was fun teasing this little loli.
She felt the firm and soft chest push against her back and Yao Yao forced a smile as there was nothing she could do. No one wanted to fight you for it anyways, she said in her head. But even she didnt realize that she was slightly disappointed.
I need the water!Ha! Joy filled the bathroom.
They were happy spending time together. Its great that they could get along nicely.
Jiang Chen heard the noise from the washroom and a smile appeared on his face. He used a can opener to put the dishes onto the tes and ced them in the microwave. Dishes of delicious meals were prepared and the rice was also ready. Once done, Jiang Chen arranged everything on the table.
Jiang Chen was impressed by his work of art. Who could say I am not a great man, although it was all canned food.
Woah, its very fancy today. Still covered in a towel, Sun Jiao immediately sat down without any regard to delicacy.
Come on, put your clothes on before eating.
Sun Jiao did not feel embarrassed at all. She even raised her almost exposed chest out at Jiang Chen and uncrossed her legs to expose more of the steamy view, as if she was saying I am not listening to you.
He felt teased by the scene, but since Yao Yao was beside him, Jiang Chen was a bit shy to just kiss Sun Jiao on the spot. He forced down a sip of cold beer and cooled down.
Sun Jiao was pleased by the way Jiang Chen looked, and she happily chugged a cooled can of coke.
Of course, this guy likes girls with big chests. If Jiang Chen knew what Sun Jiao was thinking, he would spit out the beer.
Yao Yao, why are you not eating? He ignored Sun Jiaosck of elegance as he turned his attention to the motionless Yao Yao.
She stared at the table full of food as she swallowed a little. She waspletely stunned. Pork, chicken, and cabbage. It must be a dream. She foolishly raised her hand and lightly bit on it. Ouch, that hurt.
Omg, the food tastes so good.
Finish your food before opening your mouth. Yao Yao, if you dont eat now, she is going to finish everything. Jiang Chen waved at Yao Yao and interrupted her daze.
Me? I can? She continued to swallow; her eyes wide open. With a look of disbelief, she said, its also for me?
Of course, we always eat together. Okay, slow down, no one ispeting with you. Are you not embarrassed? There was no delicacy as to how Sun Jiao ate.
Why, why do you care Sun Jiao mumbled with her mouth full.
This girl, even when she looked mature, why does she act like a kid sometimes. Jiang Chen looked at Sun Jiao as he also picked up his chopsticks.
Yao Yao carefully sat down, but she didnt move at all.
Are you not hungry?
No, no. She lowered her head, and tears began to fill her eyes, Why, why are you so nice to me? I am just a ve after all.
ve? Jiang Chen never thought about it that way. Compared to a ve master, he enjoyed the position of a boss more. Forced obedience was never as good as true respect.
Dont cry haha, its bad for your stomach if you cry while you eat. Try this. This is my sauted pork. Although it was canned food, Jiang Chen was still proud.
Ok! Tears emerged at an even faster pace, which made Jiang Chen even more confused as to what he should do.
This fancy dinner reminded Yao Yao of the happy family she had before. At that moment, she almost felt time like she was hallucinating.
At that moment, everything was happening before the war. The man in front of her was her brother, and the woman was her sister. The rare moment of joy surrounded the table, and her eyes teared up.
By chance, at that moment, Jiang Chen also felt an illusion.
An illusion known as home.
Chapter 12 - Battle of the Construction Site
Chapter 12: Battle of the Construction Site
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
To be honest, Jiang Chen has not been home for a while.
In the past, it was because he didnt feel like he aplished anything. Thus, he felt embarrassed and guilty seeing his parents. Now, he has finally achieved something. The gold in the mansion was worth at least a million. It was still not enough to buy an apartment in Wanghai City, but it was sufficient to support his parents.
Also, inside the vault of the bank, there was a fortune worth billions.
What are you thinking about? Sun Jiao waved her hands in front of Jiang Chen.
Also, I have a girlfriend. Jiang Chen smiled at Sun Jiao as he grabbed onto her hand, and carefully looked at the wless hand.
I was just thinking if I should put a ring on you.
Sun Jiaos face immediately blushed as she fleeted away, not knowing what to do. Although she was bold most of the time, there were asions where she showed her shy side.
Jiang Chenughed as he recollected his thoughts. The dishes were all cleaned and organized. This was the first time he realized that Sun Jiao knew how to clean up. The thought made him quite happy. Of course, Yao Yao also helped out. Jiang Chen guessed that it must be Yao Yao that cleaned the dishes first and Sun Jiao followed, as she didnt want to feel too guilty about it.
This must be the feeling of being the man in the house.
The nning session began after dinner. Sun Jiao insisted on the meeting being held on the bed. Jiang Chen mocked her in his head as she grewzier by the day.
Although slightly ufortable, Yao Yao lied on the bed as well. She wore Jiang Chens shirt and jeans that he prepared for himself. He thought he would just pick out a few outfits for her once he was back in the modern world.
The faint scent of Jiang Chen on the clothes made Yao Yao blush throughout the meeting. This was the first time she experienced such a weird sensation which made her quite dizzy.
First, how to enter the vault. Let me briefly exin for our little girl. Sun Jiao took out the full-sensoryputer pen and disyed the three-dimensional image. We enter the safety tunnel through the underground garage. We then avoid the zombie-filled grand hall and got into the basement which will lead us to the vaults front door. I took this route before so it should be rtively safe. The key is going to be on the main door of the garage, which has a password lock on it. Do you think you can open it? Sun Jiao looked at Yao Yao as she finished her sentence.
If it is the security system before the war, I am pretty confident I can open it. However, I need two days to prepare. Some of the software must be installed beforehand, she stared at the prism and said with caution.
Ok, Sun Jiao replied with a snap.
Lets go buy you aputer tomorrow. I also want to buy one for fun. As for the preparation, lets do that in the mansion. Jiang Chen always wanted a futuristicputer. He heard those things were dirt cheap at Sixth Street, about the same price as EP.
Mansion? Yao Yao turned her head around.
Thats our base, and also your future home, Sun Jiao smiled at Yao Yao as she exined.
Home no matter how many time she heard those word, Yao Yao always felt a warmth surrounding her.
So the next question. Sun Jiaos expression turned serious. Is about Huizhong Mercenaries.
Oh? Did they make a move? Eyebrows raised, Jiang Chen asked.
Yao Yaos face spelled confusion as she didnt have a clue.
Sun Jiao patted her head as she saw Yao Yaos confused face. She then began to exin how the story started.
So, these guys are eyeing masters fortune.
Dont call me master, you can call me big brother. Master was a word which made Jiang Chen feel weird, especiallying from a young girl.
Ok, brother!
Jiang Chen tried to hide his face full of joy but directly met Sun Jiaos questioning smile. He was sure that if he did anything inappropriate, he should be worried about his future sex life. He shivered as he immediately dragged the conversation back on track.
So the result of your observation is?
Huizhong Mercenaries supports and backups are here. They are patrolling the area five kilometers away from Sixth Street. They have 17 gunmen and one motorized machine gun. That is excluding the fact that these are only part of their power. Sun Jiao also regained her professionalism. ording to your n, all the pieces are set in ce, and we just need to wait and enjoy the game.
Jiang Chen nodded as he fell t on the bed. Is there anything else we need to talk about? If not, we should sleep early.
Well, heres the problem. Sun Jiao nced at Jiang Chen with a mischievous look. Where are you going to sleep?
Hmm?
Theres only one bedroom. She reminded him.
Of course I am sleeping with you. Jiang Chen had the audacity to answer as he hugged her.
I, Ill go to the living room. Yao Yao tried to flee from the bed with a blushed face.
Sun Jiao grabbed onto the escaping Yao Yao as she whispered into her ear. You are sleeping beside your big sister today because a naughty boy is trying to eat your sister today.
F*ck, its still debatable who is eating who? Jiang Chen sighed.
They ended up sleeping together that night in a peaceful way, but it just ended up being a terrible night.
The next morning, Jiang Chen rubbed his still sleepy eyes and sat up. He looked at thepletely spread out Sun Jiao andpared her with the curled up Yao Yao. A smile emerged on his face.
Time to make breakfast.
Although it was in the apocalyptic world, it was still important to maintain the proper daily routine. Eating breakfast was one of the few habits that Jiang Chen managed to keep. He ced a slice of bread into the microwave and observed the sky outside the window.
The dawn had not yet broken through the dark sky, but he didnt feel sleepy at all.
He thought about the battle with the most vicious enemies on the wastnd. The idea made him uneasy. Although he prepared for the battle for a long time, anything could happen. The enemy must have prepared for as well. Hui Lei disappeared, which would ring a warning bell to Zhou Guoping. The motorized machine gun was ready for this asion.
Unless he spent the rest of his life on Sixth Street, the day woulde when he has to face the mercenaries.
Is there anything I can help with? A faint voice mumbled.
Hmm? He turned around with a smile. Are you not going to sleep a bit more?
She was loosely covered with Jiang Chens oversized clothing. Yao Yao shooked her head with eyes still half-closed. No No. if Yao Yao is toozy, Yao Yao will be abandoned.
I already told you, I am not going to abandon you. What do you think about every day? Jiang Chen tousled her messy hair.
Maybe she was still sleepy, but when her head was rubbed at a drowsy state, Yao Yao unconsciously let out a few cute snores.
Due to the advanced medicine, the bruise on her face was already very faint. The scars on her hands were also not as visible. Due to malnourishment, she looked rather thin and weak, but Jiang Chen believed that she only needed time to get better.
Oh, thank you. Answering while still half asleep, Jiang Chen dragged Yao Yao into the bathroom.
Since you are already awake, wash your face and remember to brush your teeth. After a couple of words and reminders, he handed Yao Yao her toothbrush, closed the door, and returned to the kitchen.
With a toothbrush in hand, Yao Yao stood in front of the sink still drowsy. Because of anemia, she always felt drowsy in the morning. Even then, her heart was furiously beating.
[What is happening?]
She stood there and stared nkly into space with her hands crossed in front. Gulp.
Although drowsy, she smiled nkly. The remaining warmth on the toothbrush felt soothing.
After breakfast, the group left the Tulip Hotel and headed straight to the market. There were electronic stores there that sold full-sensoryputer pen that cost a fortune before the war but now only sold for pennies. The store owner also gifted a lot of electronicponents for free after Jiang Chen purchased two pens at once. He wasnt too interested in these small parts, but Yao Yao packed everything like she just hit the jackpot.
100TB storage, super high power processor, and low power consumption. The store owner pitched the product, and Jiang Chen was dazzled by the features. However, he was buying theputer pen for Yao Yao, and he only wanted to see how cool this thing was.
Jiang Chen also spent two crystal energies to purchase an EP for Yao Yao. The EP was extremely effective in protecting against radiation. It was also very useful for understanding the bodys condition. After epting so many gifts, Yao Yao was timid. With a reddened face, she kept her head down.
After everything has beenpleted, they began their journey home.
When their boots first crossed the iron gate, Jiang Chen immediately felt something was odd. Could they be spotted already? Or was it the gene vine that made his sense much more sensitive.
Remember the details of the n, Sun Jiao carried theser rifle in front and whispered the reminder to Jiang Chen.
Got it. he shrugged. At the same time, he took a deep breath and pretended to be rxed. Remember, this is my idea after all.
Yao Yao nervously touched Jiang Chens hand. She was extremely sensitive about Jiang Chens restlessness. However, other than calming Jiang Chen down, she was not too useful. Her goal was simply not to be a burden. After all, her body strength was the weakest.
They slowly turned the street and walked towards Huizhong Mercenaries nk spot. Jiang Chens heart began beating rapidly. All of a sudden, Sun Jiao stopped.
This doesnt feel right.
Hmm? Jiang Chen was fully alert as he took out the PK200 assault rifle from behind him. Yao Yao tightly hugged Jiang Chens back. Although she disyed a calmness unfitting for her age, her slim body shivered.
Sun Jiao took a deep breath before suddenly opening the wires by her wrist.
Bang!
Smoke erupted and quickly submerged the street.
This way, follow me! Sun Jiao signaled the other two and rushed to the building on the side.
Dammit! The prey is gone! A guy with a Mohawk and piercings swore as he mmed into the concrete wall. The machine gun began to rotate. He didnt know how those three sensed the danger, but he knew that if he screwed this one up, his boss might make him regret it.
That way! Team Two follow them.
Roger, this is team two.
Machine gun division is mobilizing.
Quick!
Although they were bandits, the poorly equipped group of mercenaries responded with decisiveness. They surrounded the direction where Jiang Chen fled. The wolf pack style made them quite the enemy.
Still not here? Jiang Chen looked at the struggling Yao Yao who was trying to keep up.
Almost. Sun Jiao responded impatiently. Then she controlled her speed so that the two behind her would not get lost.
Gene vine was something magical. In the past few days, Jiang Chen felt that his body condition significantly improved. If only these could be used on teens, it would be good on Yao Yao. He did not feel tired at all.
Jiang Chen looked at Yao Yao as she struggled to keep up. Her face was an ashen white as she also had anemia.
Jiang Chen immediately picked up Yao Yao as she was close to exhaustion and before Yao Yao could let out a scream, he dashed to Sun Jiao.
Sun Jiao nced at Jiang Chen without saying much. She continued to sprint forward, with her rifle in hand.
Yao Yao nkly stared at Jiang Chens chin. A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek and fell onto her arm. She quietly held onto his sweat soaked clothes as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
She didnt say anything, like put her down, because she knew this was the best option. Although it was a bit overzealous of her, she never hoped to survive as long as today.
She wanted to thank him No, everything I own is already his. Yao Yao watched Jiang Chens relentless face with warmth in her heart.
In the post-apocalyptic world, it was normal to die because someone couldnt keep up.
But Jiang Chen would not let this be his normal. He dashed across a half-copsed Ruins, immediately following Sun Jiao. Yao Yao, in his arms, was not too heavy as she only weighed about 40 kg. What made it difficult was the cracked concrete and the asional zombie.
The zombies in this area were scattered, but with enough noise, a hoard of zombies may appear.
Since the enemy had vehicles, Sun Jiao must chooseplicated and dense roads to travel on.
Hurry! Its the building in front. Get in there! Sun Jiao signaled as she still had the energy to talk. Jiang Chen was struggling to keep his breath stable.
After cing Yao Yao on the ground carefully, Jiang Chen immediately leaned against the concrete pole. He pushed himself against the rifle and gathered his breath. Feeling apologetic, Yao Yao kneeled beside Jiang Chen and carefully wiped the sweat off of his face.
Guangli Buildings logo hung loosely on the roof. The darkened windows made the building look rather intimidating. From the unpainted wall, it was easy to tell that this ce was abandoned beforepletion. Therefore, there were no zombies nor mutant creatures here.
The crack filled wall made the structure look unstable, but for this very reason, Jiang Chen chose this to be the battlefield.
Since they wanted the money, then there was no way they would destroy this building and bury the three of them alive.
The reason why they chose here was to first, take down the initial wave of enemy, which would slow their advances. Then, when thetter enemies arrive, it would be easier to annihte them all.
Sun Jiao skillfully leaned against the window with the SK10 rifle hidden below. She zoomed into the scope withplete concentration and with her finger on the trigger, she waited for the enemy to appear.
We are fighting here. Can you still fight?
No problem. Jiang Chen adjusted his breath and stood up. He clumsily fell beside the window, pulled out his assault rifle and opened the safety.
The game began.
Chapter 13 - Battle of the Construction Site Continued
Chapter 13: Battle of the Construction Site Continued
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
Lu Renjia was frustrated.
He didnt know what the guys he sent to nk did, but it certainly made the prey immediately aware of them, and they escaped right away. All of a sudden, he had no clue what he should do. Although he decisively ordered the soldiers to follow, the effort was futile.
The two of them probably had injected gene vines, and a glimpse to greed shed over Lu Renjias face.
Gene vine, thats something even his boss couldnt afford. Not only did this guy purchase one for himself, but he also bought one for his girl. Why would it even be useful to a woman? To make the sex more fun? He thought about it as he licked his cracked lips, a malicious smile appeared on his face. More fun or not, he could try it out himself after he captures them both. Then after he was done, he could let his boys have a taste as well to see if gene vine made a difference.
He thought about Sun Jiaos gorgeous body as he began to feel heated and irrational.
Hot girls were never scarce on the wastnd. The advancement of gic engineering made gic cosmetic technology a reality years before the war. The innovation came from the part that it permanently changed the way people looked, as an ability to pass on genes. Although there were some ethical dilemmas around the topic, everyone wanted to be pretty. The technology significantly increased the standard of the poptions beauty. In thete 22 centuries of the apocalyptic world, except for the malnourished, there were plenty of hot girls around. As the raid leader, Lu Renjia kept two as sex toys.
Yes, they were considered as only sex toys.
In thewless apocalyptic world, with the necessary protection, beautiful girls were travesties and not gifts. If Lu Renjia idently died in any of the quests, the two girls would just be the reward for the boss people. Although the tradition was irrational and obscure, it was unbelievably popr among the mercenaries. Because of this reward system, the ordinary mercenary was often exploded with fervor.
But Lu Renjia was a cautious person. It was a steep climb to be promoted to his position. He feared death hence in every mission he took extreme care.
Even if the two prey were rather harmless, with an even more harmless burden, he chose to stay in the most defensive middle position. He let the most foolish ones run around the middle. As people surrounded him on either side, it formed a protective triangle.
It was because of this carefulness he lived slightly longer.
Boom! A ray ofser prated the head of the guy running in the front and left a daunting blood hole on his forehead.
Fight! Flight! Spread out! A Little shocked, Lu Renjia didnt expect the two prey would fight back. Although caught off guard, he decisively hid behind the half-fallen concrete wall andmanded the team.
Tatata!
Waves of ammo flew across the battlefield; weaving into a storm of bullets. Concrete debris filled the immediate vicinity. Jiang Chen somehow managed to handle the group of five mercenaries.
Fight, they are so f*cking rich. Lu Renjia groaned as he pressed himself against the thick concrete wall. With a finger on the trigger, he prepared to fight back.
Dumb*ss, aim before you shoot.
Jiang Chen forced a smile as he heard Sun Jiaos criticism. He changed the assault rifle to semi-automatic mode. Jiang Chen yed quite a bit of shooting games before, but this was his first time shooting a real gun. Jiang Chen was so tense that he just instinctively pressed the trigger till bullets ran out. Other than scaring the enemy, it only shattered a bunch of concrete.
Yao Yao peeked outside with a frightened look. The asional bullets scathing by her head made her cover herself as she trembled in the gunfire.
With absolute trust and her fixation on her status as a ve. She didnt ask the question she had: was there any point defending this position?
Jiang Chen continued to breathe deeply, as he tried to aim with the scope. Although it didnt manage to hit anything, it did suppress the advancement of the opposition.
Sun Jiao calmly pulled the trigger of the gun as beams prated the sky. Counting the first one, she already took away three lives. Because of this, the number of enemies decreased by half, and hence the firepower weakened. The aggressive advancement tactic changed to a suppressive one where they only fired a gunshot or two once in awhile.
Hidden behind the wall, Lu Renjia held onto his wounded arm. He angrily spat onto the ground. Clearly, the woman on the other side had much better aim, but it was toote to realize his mistake. The terrifying wound was his lesson.
Fortunately,ser rifle wounds do not get infected. He took out a bandage and quickly treated the wound. The consecutive loss of men made him get rid of the idea of taking the trophy for himself. He decided to stay put before reinforcement arrived.
Fuck, after I catch you, I will make you call me daddy. Lu Renjia stared at the direction of the woman with a gloomy cast over his face.
Dammit, its game on right away. Jiang Chen looked over his shoulder, at the cor that was in pieces. With the sudden realization, he started to sweat profusely. If the bullet had been shot two inches more to the left, there would be no more of him. If he died from a bunch of mercenaries, that would be such an embarrassing story.
Just back off Leave the rest to me. A glimpse of anxiety shed on Sun Jiaos face. Although she kept her cool in the battle, when she saw Jiang Chens worrisome look, she couldnt keep a straight face.
No, its going to happen eventually. Jiang Chen shook his head as he reassumed his shooting position. A girl cant protect him for the rest of his life.
Although the safety of Jiang Chen was the responsibility of Sun Jiao, Jiang Chen didnt n to stay behind the affray all the time. With surprise in her eyes, Sun Jiao didnt say too much. She must stay focused in the midst of battle.
As long as she killed more people, he will be safer. Sun Jiao continued to trigger the rifle as the death ray blossomed in the fight.
From afar, the engine roar disrupted the exchange of gunfire. The motorized machine gun finally arrived on the battle.
Tatata! The pouring bullets suppressed Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao without letting them shoot. Waves of uproars ensued.
The flying debris caused minor annoyances as it flew directly across their face, but it was still better than the bullets. Jiang Chen eyed Sun Jiao, and they immediately headed into the building after he received an affirmative response.
Yao Yao was so frightened by the sound of machine guns that she almost couldnt keep her tears from falling but somehow managed to fight back her fear. With courage, she lowered her back and moved toward Jiang Chen.
Are you not curious as to why we are fighting them here? Jiang Chen smiled at Yao Yao as he patted her tiny head.
Yao Yao responded with a no as her big eyes looked at Jiang Chen. I believe you.
Jiang Chenughed as he brought Yao Yao downstairs.
It is, this?
Yes, an underground sewer system!
The cunning Yao Yao suddenly understood the reason why Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao fought here in the first ce. It was not because they wanted to escape, but they wanted to hit the jackpot and get rid of the mercenaries altogether.
Jiang Chen discovered the sewerage system through the full-sensory map. In the middle of this building that was still under construction, it had an entrance to the underground sewerage system. Sun Jiao cleared the entrance after herst visit.
They opened the exit as a strong pungent smell quickly filled the surrounding. Jiang Chen didnt hesitate as he jumped in directly. In this parallel world, the sewerage system in this city was much widerpared to Jiang Chens world.
As soon as they reached the bottom, Jiang Chen immediately turned on the shlight and prepared for the sudden appearance of the starving mutant rats.
The eight-person wide passage left plenty of space to maneuver. The pungent smell spread from the central sewerage. The road of both sides was rtively clean with pieces of mold. The AI controlled automatic sewerage system meant that the system was still running. Therefore, the sewage flow remained at a constant speed. This vital infrastructure was repaired immediately after the war. Although the project was abandoned, the infrastructure remained functional. There were plenty of AI controlled infrastructure left in the wastnd.
Be careful. Jump down, and Ill catch you. After securing his perimeter, he waved to Yao Yao who was still on top.
The pungent smell didnt even raise Yao Yaos eyebrows; she jumped down without any hesitation.
Lets wait here for Sun Jiao. Jiang Chen was relieved that the danger was finally gone.
Is Sun Jiao sister okay? Yao Yao was quite worried.
She will be fine. Dont worry. Jiang Chen was very confident about Sun Jiaos ability. That was a girl who managed to tie me up in seconds. Of course, Jiang Chen didnt finish the sentence.
Hey, hottie, wheres your man? Did he leave you here for us? Hahaha Theughter sudden stopped as a blood-gushing hole appeared on the mans neck.
She dodged the bullet as she mischievously sneered, and threw a shbang into the affray.
Bang! Followed by a blinding light and deafening sound, everyone who aimed at Sun Jiao went down in pain.
With this opportunity, Sun Jiao dashed into the building as well. She leaped for the sewerage system. Without hesitation, she jumped down and closed the exit on her way.
To her surprise, she felt a firm chest surround her.
Are you not worried that you will identally bang your head in this position. Jiang Chen sighed as he gave Sun Jiaos firm butt a p.
I am not, my honey. Sun Jiao seductively raised Jiang Chens chin. She did not feel guilty at all as she crossed her legs across Jiang Chen.
As the two of them flirted, the reddened Yao Yao kept her head down.
Ill take care of you once we head back. Jiang Chen lightly bit her ear as he put her down.
You can take care of them now, my boss. She rolled her eyes. She then passed the remote to Jiang Chen.
He stared at the ceiling with a slight hesitation in his eyes. However, it was soon overtaken by an iciness; he instantly pressed the control.
Fuck, where did they go! Lu Renjia roared at a soldier.
She, She, She was too agile, the soldier that was grabbed by the cor said frightenedly. He stuttered as he couldnt keep his tongue straight.
Fuck! Lu Renjia dropped the soldier on the ground.
Get moving, search the area. The other big mustache leader had looked at the exit before Sun Jiao vanished with a deathly stare.
Boss, there is something here!
The big mustache immediately ran over.
Its an exit to somewhere. Its locked from the other side. Just as he signaled for a soldier to grab a chainsaw from the car, he suddenly thought of something, and his face turned into an ashen white.
Do you think they caught the two prey? A guy with a Mohawk leaned against the car as he chatted with the machine gunner.
They must have caught them. Look, the gunshots even stopped.
Believe it or not, that girl had some urate shooting. She killed six of our guys and wounded ten more.
Since they are caught, and our boss is still not out, do you think they are hehe. A wicked smile appeared on the Mohawk guys face.
As if he was thinking about the same thing, the machine gunner alsoughed. Thats a must! After the boss is done with her, maybe we will get to try as well. Man, I cant get over the way she looked, and her face full of embarrassment, and then
Boom! Fire engulfed the sky. The explosion shattered car windows in an instant. ming rocks prated through the car and even hit the concrete road.
The howls and screams were deafened by the st of the falling concrete building. The unfinished building crumbled into pieces in the waves of explosions.
Whats going on? Hello? The Mohawk guy dug himself out of the debris with his body stained in blood. He searched for his friend, but he only managed to find an anguished head, not connected to the body.
At the start of the explosion, the machine gunner on top of the car had his neck blown out by the concrete debris. Perhaps this was payback, for all the sins hemitted in his life.
Chapter 14 - The Filthy Underground Sewerage System
Chapter 14: The Filthy Underground Sewerage System
Trantor: xujin-t-t, _Min_ Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_
Its quite dark in here, who knows what will pop up. With boots covered in stain, Jiang Chen looked around the sewerage system. It was his first time in here, and although the pungent smell made it ufortable, he got used to it.
Scared? Sun Jiao jokingly asked.
No way. Jiang Chen raised his PK200 assault rifle. I wasnt even afraid of those guys up there.
The beam of shlight spotted a couple of half-human sized rats but made them immediately fleet into darkness.
In the apocalypse, the most terrifying things were not zombies, nor mutants, but were humans.
In the explosion, they were certain that all the mercenaries died. The ten-meter tall building made it almost impossible to escape the concrete debris. Nobody expected that in this dested-looking building, a trap like that was hidden.
The primary support structure of the building was strapped with wireless explosives. With a touch of a button, the entire building would blow up in explosions.
Initially, Jiang Chen was quite worried about the integrity of the sewage system after the st, but it looked like he considered too much. Other than scaring the creatures in the vicinity, the sewerage waspletely fine. It was evident that the government built the infrastructure with fortitude and integrity. He would probably be buried if this happened in the modern world.
What do you think Huizhong Mercenaries leader would do if he heard that his entire raid team waspletely gone?
I would imagine that the second we appeared on Sixth Street, he woulde and haunt us. Sun Jiao brought Jiang Chen back into reality.
Hmm, well this is going to problematic. Jiang Chen didnt even think about this consequence.
But it is okay. A lot of things can be purchased elsewhere anyways. Also, this is an opportunity to get rid of the Huizhong Mercenaries as a whole. Sun Jiao naturally created a n of massacre without even thinking.
Jiang Chen was a firm believer of risk and reward. Even if Huizhong Mercenaries was filled withpletely filthy humans, he considered himself to be a merchant. So he didnt believe in the need to serve justice.
Yao Yao trailed the two of them in silence; she looked around uneasily.
Whats wrong? Dont be afraid; big brother will protect you. Shamelessly, Jiang Chen patted his chest. Since he took care of the mercenaries, he was in a pleasant mood. Yao Yaos idolized look clearly foretold that she believed in his words.
Ok!
How many mercenaries did you kill? Sun Jiao pointed out his lie immediately.
Haha, at least one or two. Jiang Chen replied with an awkward smile as soon as he met Sun Jiaos look of disbelief. Wounded.
Jiang Chen admits that his uracy was questionable at best. After all, shooting in games was a lot different from shooting in real life. But with practice, it will only take time before he became a qualified soldier.
Haha, Yao Yao grinned with a lightughter. But she soon realized that she probably shouldnt mock the master, and she carefully closed her mouth. The expression on her face was quiteical.
In this rxed atmosphere, the three of them headed towards home.
How much longer?
Should be pretty close now. There is an exit that can take us to the top. Sun Jiao checked the full-sensory map.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen sensed a ghastly danger. His heart started to pound profusely.
Sun Jiao also felt something and stopped moving.
Bang! Bang!
Gun shots were fired all of a suddenly.
The bullets from the shadow aimed directly at them. Sun Jiao pushed Jiang Chen to the back with full force and knocked Yao Yao who was behind him over. But she had no more energy to dodge herself.
Hmm
She groaned as she covered her arm in pain. She mmed onto the ground and dropped theser rifle.
NO! Jiang Chens felt his body overwhelmed with raging blood. He roared, and within half a second, he dragged Sun Jiao behind cover.
Bullets shattered the ground and created a debris of rocks. An obscure howl resonated from not far away. In a closed environment, the echoing sound spread terrifyingly.
However, Jiang Chen couldnt hear anything. He watched Sun Jiaos closed eyelids. A painful tremble spread from his head to his toe and incapacitated his entire body.
The time they spent together suddenly all shed in front of his eyes. The brave girl, the gorgeous girl, and the girl that loves me.
She pushed me away. But she
He stared emptily at the blood stain. In a matter of a second, Sun Jiao went from being incredibly lively to being on the verge of death. Jiang Chens heart was being chopped into pieces as the pain consumed him.
mes engulfed his eyes.
Do you know how to bandage?
Yes! Yao Yao was also frightened by the blood pouring out of Sun Jiaos body. This was also the first time she saw some a terrifying look on an always smiling face.
I dont know how. Please take care of Sun Jiao. Jiang Chen shoved the medical kit into Yao Yaos hands as he took out the assault rifle.
Bang Bang Bang!
The gunfire unveiled the ugly but happy faces in the shadow. They looked like indigenous people that lived in the sewerage system. So they were used to the seeing in the dark.
Any trespasser would be food for them. Rats, or humans.
Haha, you fuckers! Jiang Chen let out a furious roar as he stepped out of the cover.
Bullets flew inches beside his face, but he didnt sense any fear. As if fear waspletely removed from his body, and only vignce remained. He searched for the shing res as he opened fire.
It was a remarkable feeling. Every cell within Jiang Chen was screaming, but it didnt make Jiang Chen lose his mind. He was as calm and collected as he has ever been, with his only objective being to kill.
But what he didnt realize was that the EP on his arm shed a faint yellow light.
He busted an empty clip and snapped on a new one. With force, he continued to fire into the darkness.
Slowly, his vision began to re. It felt as if everything he saw was submerged in water. The odd disturbance only made Jiang Chen more furious, but his anger only made the disturbance worse.
He tried to recollect his vision and focus on the target. However, his visionpletely changed. shing red dots jumped in his line of sight; it was as if small hearts pounded in the darkness.
Or they were hearts beating after all.
With a furious roar, Jiang Chen fired towards those red dots.
The unknown moans and screams made Jiang Chen more zealous. He left the cover and moved to the red dots.
The blinding shlight was obviously a nightmare for the indigenous who were used to the darkness. shing white lights filled their field of vision. They couldnt see anything as they shot blindly into space.
Those bullets had no effects on Jiang Chen. However, PK200s strong pration power made the thin cover futile. Even if they hid behind cover, they couldnt protect the pumping heart.
Heart exploded one by one as silence ensued. Countless bullets prated the bodies of the indigenous people; he wanted to destroy every single one of those red dots.
Slowly, the gunfire from the other side stopped.
Jiang Chens vignce and cruelty made the indigenous taste their fear. This man was a devil.
A mentally shattered man dropped his old assault rifle and dashed out of his cover. At the frightened looks of his friends, a bullet prated his heart, and the wound bloomed like a bloody flower. The indigenous people werepletely terrified; they fled the battle running for their lives. However, Jiang Chen kept shooting.
You f*ckers. Stand still. Today is the end for all of you! With a mentalugh, Jiang Chen continued to roar in the sewerage.
Suddenly, he saw a heart still beating with the glimpse of an eye.
A dark-skinned boy looked at the vicious Jiang Chen with fearful eyes. The pistol in his hand was unable to shoot because of the jammed bullets.
Tatata! The assault rifle breathed the deathly me as itpletely shattered the beating heart that irritated him.
Whos next? A corrupted door blocked Jiang Chens path of advancement; Jiang Chen kicked open the door.
An offensive odor whiffed directly at him. Livers, arms, blood and bones scattered across the room. In the middle of the cave was a giant pot, and a limbless person barely alive.
Even in his furious state, Jiang Chen almost threw up in disgust. But immediately, he started shooting the trembling females and the limbless person.
The sharp scream of the creatures immediately echoed inside the cave. The limbless person left a relieved smile as the bullet prated his heart. The gunfire red at Jiang Chens twisted face. He was angry, but he didnt know why he was angry. He couldnt even remember his name.
He only wanted to kill, and only knew how to kill. Only death could extinguish the shing red dots in front of him.
Kang!
The bullet jammed. Jiang Chen brutally pped the side of the gun. But he didnt notice that there was still someone alive buried among the bodies. Vignte shed out of his eyes.
AHHHHH! A bloodstained person howled an obscure noise and pushed Jiang Chen onto the ground. Under the scattered hair was a pair of tiny eyes. He sat on top of Jiang Chen, with full force, he pushed the dagger directly onto Jiang Chens throat. The dagger had previously dissected a countless number of survivors.
Hahaha, you bastard! Go die. Jiang Chen roared with a hystericugh as he guarded the arm with the dagger. Despite how hard the person tried, the dagger could not move a single inch.
That disgusting color roared! Jiang Chen was so frivolous that he wanted to rip the persons heart into pieces, by hand.
But all of a sudden, a wave of tiredness overwhelmed his bodys muscles. He waspletely powerless.
The persons looked surprised. With a couple of weird sounds, he pushed the dagger down and almost prated Jiang Chens throat.
Bang!
Blood
The person was stunned as he looked at the massive hole in his stomach. He raised his head slowly.
It was a crying face, filled with agony and fear.
It was so ugly, he wanted to rip it apart.
But he was too slow.
Bang, another bullet prated his head.
Yao Yao was crying as the gun slid through her hand. She picked up the gun from the boy as she knew how to fix jammed weapons. After she finished treating Sun Jiao, the first word from Sun Jiao, after she coughed up blood, was telling her to follow Jiang Chen. She said he was in a dangerous state
She saw the plea in Sun Jiaos eyes, Yao Yao also was worried about Jiang Chen. Despite terrified, it took something magical she didnt know to ovee the fear, she followed Jiang Chens trail.
When she saw Jiang Chen fall, her heart almost stopped pumping. She picked up the gun and fixed it. With her fear suppressed, she pulled the trigger.
This was her first time she killed a person. Although the thing she killed could not be described as a person, it was a human-shaped monster.
Faintly, Jiang Chen felt something warm and soft surrounding his head and hugging him tightly. He also heard a girls crying voice.
Droplets of water fell beside his cracked lips.
It was salty.
It didnt taste like blood?
Chapter 15 - Fury
Chapter 15: Fury
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Jiang Chen didnt want to remember what happened that day in the sewerage system.
He only remembered that he threw up, consistently. Yao Yaoforted him and helped him change into clean clothes. She felt terrible inside too, but since she survived in the apocalypse for a long time, death was a not an unfamiliar sight.
In the end, Jiang Chen shot the natural gas canister in the room.
He watched the fire cleanse the filth in the room without saying a word.
He held onto the quivering Yao Yao and stepped over a countless number of bodies. He left this terrifying ce.
Sun Jiaos wound scabbed already. After Jiang Chen came back, she could even walk by herself. Three bullets hit her in the stomach, and one in the shoulder. After he had heard Sun Jiao taking out the bullets by herself, he was only a little surprised. This brave girl always surprised him.
After they had returned to the mansion, he got drunk. He finished all the beers he brought. Because of Sun Jiaos injury, she slept early and Yao Yao took care of him for the night.
She was incredibly understanding. She also felt the agony and pain. The scene almost shattered any courage she had built up, but she knew that Jiang Chen needed to be taken care of right now.
Thispassionate man was almost like someone who had just left a survival base. She remembered the first time she saw a pile of dead bodies, and she almost immediately fainted. However, as soon as she realized that even in survival camp, death was only a routine, she became desensitized.
Compassion was rare in this world, so wasting it would be considered a sin. In the apocalypse, it was foolish, but incredible at the same time.
She heard about the cannibals. They hid within the shadows, under the filthy sewages. They worshiped a distorted religion which prided the act of feasting on the bodies of the same race. Every single one of them was the enemy of any human force. Even the anti-human neo-human group was disgusted by them. Praised for their freedom, Sixth Street ouwed any cannibals from approaching the area.
She ced a warm towel on Jiang Chens forehead, Yao Yao looked at Jiang Chens face full of sorrow and then she silently left the room.
Did he fall asleep?
Yao Yao paused slightly. Sun Jiao was awake; she had a perplexed look on her face.
Mhmm, werent you asleep as well?
Yes, but I cant fall asleep. Never mind, Ill talk to him tomorrow. Sun Jiao turned around.
You, how are you feeling? Yao Yao looked at the bandage around Sun Jiaos waist. That question almost took all of her courage.
Its not a big deal. I am quite confident about my healing ability, Sun Jiao forced a smile as she answered weakly. By the way.
Mhmm? Yao Yao stopped, just as she was about to turn around. Yao Yao was puzzled.
Thanks.
In the dim light Yao Yao couldnt make out Sun Jiaos facial expression, and Sun Jiao went into her room right after. Yao Yao grinned. Although she was not used to dealing with the bold female master, she was a nice person after all.
The next morning.
Jiang Chen sat on the soft bed as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. The sunshine cast through the window was bright.
The radiation cloud finally scattered. The temperature was about to go up; it was the midst of summer in the modern world.
The door slowly opened, Yao Yaos tiny body squeezed into the room.
Hmm, let me help you wash your face, Yao Yao said gently as she ced a bowl of water onto the head dresser.
He looked at the cute face. A delighted smile melted from his sore face and he touched Yao Yaos forehead. Dont worry. I can do it. What time is it?
Its nine. Let me do it. She wetted the tower and gently rubbed Jiang Chens face.
It felt nice, so Jiang Chen didnt resist.
Does it feel better now?
Much better. Yao Yao is very caring. His muscle still felt sore, but he was capable of moving around.
Maybe because she received apliment, but a delighted smile appeared on her face.
You, are you feeling better? Sun Jiao also came into the room after she heard some noises. She stared at Jiang Chen worriedly from the door.
I am okay, but you, are your injuries okay?
I am fine; I need to exin something to you. Her face suddenly turned serious which made Jiang Chen tense up as well.
Although Sun Jiao loved to joke around, she always treated things seriously when it was necessary.
Just as the mood was about to tense up, Sun Jiao all of a suddenughed. From Jiang Chens shocked look, she turned around.
Lets eat breakfast first.
The breakfast was very delicious, to the apocalypse standard.
There were toast and ketchup.
For some reason, ketchup made Jiang Chens stomach feel quite upset.
Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen who held onto his stomach nervously; she sighed before taking away the ketchup.
Sun Jiao has a passion for food, but all of the sudden she had no appetite.
It was not because of the cannibals. This was the first time she saw something so gruesome. She was worried about Jiang Chen as it was his first time witnessing the cruelty of the apocalypse. That was only the tip of the iceberg.
I I need to go out. Ill probably be back in a months time. Theres not a lot of food left in storage. If he stayed here any longer, he would break down mentally.
He made up an excuse because the idea of interdimensional travel was tooplicated to exin.
Ok,e back as early as you can. Sun Jiao wanted to say something, but only those words left her mouth.
Lets eat. Jiang Chen gave her a weak smile. He knew that he looked terrible, but he couldnt be brave at this moment.
He was fatigued physically and mentally.
Sun Jiao carefully chewed on the toast and exined to Jiang Chen what happened to his body yesterday. Gene vine, theoretically, only slightly improved the human regenerative cell function which would improve the human muscle strength, bone strength, reflex and survivor ability. Jiang Chen opened his EP and saw his improvements in the past three days.
****
User Name: Jiang Chen
Muscle Strength: 24
Bone Strength: 25
Reflex: 28
Brain Cell Strength: 14
****
All three basic abilities almost doubled. By modern world standards, Jiang Chen could be described as superhuman.
Yesterday, because of your anger, you entered fury mode. She remembered Jiang Chen was furious because of her which made her blush a little. Normally, gene vine will only improve the three basic functions. However, because it changed some DNA in the body, some unpredictability does exist. Someone even grew two heads.
What? The thing you injected into me was something this dangerous? Jiang Chen dropped the toast onto the ground.
Some probability, almost negligible. She didnt want to admit her mistake and chose to change the topic.
But for some people, the mutations are beneficial, so they received useful abilities. For me, my ability is tenacious. Sun Jiao stood up and unzipped her clothes.
Ahem, what are you doing? Surprised by her actions, Jiang Chen was slightly confused. However, when he saw the wless waist, he was shocked. What happened to your scar? Only three faint white dots were left on the lightly tanned skin. This was the new skin she grew. In a couple of days, he wouldnt even be able to tell the difference.
Tenaciouss ability is to increase cell regenerative speed for the non-fatal wound. After the usage of the ability, the body will be frail. Constant usage will also result in cardiac arrest.
Cardiac arrest.
Your ability is the same. You have to remember you are exchanging your life for power. Therefore, you shouldnt use it as much. ording to EP, it is called Fury right?
Yes. Jiang Chen nodded. He checked the EP yesterday, and it showed Special Ability: Fury.
Clinically, anyone with this ability will be triggered by strong emotional stimnts. The bodys cell will enter a rapid stage of regeneration. In macro terms, its an increase in strength and reflex. The specifics are person-dependent. You can find information rted to your usage on your EP.
Jiang Chen was surprised by the EPs function. Under Sun Jiaos guidance, he found the document.
Hidden Gene Ability:
Fury
Muscle Strength +20
Reflex + 19
Brain Cell Strength +17
Special effect: Killer instinct, use any of the five human sense to identify the location of the opponents heart.
Maximum effective duration: Thirty minutes
The fury ability could increase brain cell strength? Make me Smarter? Jiang Chen was quite bewildered.
I caution you against using the ability too much. Sun Jiao noticed Jiang Chens surprised expression, and she sighed.
Why?
Did you forget the effect of the ability?
He remembered he fainted that day and only regained consciousness after a long time.
If its in a safe environment, then it is okay. But in the midst of the battle, no one can predict the oue. If you met someone you cannot take care of while using the ability, then there is only one ending for you.
Sweat began to roll down Jiang Chens forehead as Sun Jiao exined. If Yao Yao didnt get there in time, he would be a headless body by now.
But you dont have to worry; these abilities are often controble. You can use special medicine to active and terminate the ability. It will make your ability much more useful. With practice, you can even use your mental strength to control the ability. Like me, I dont need the assistance of medicine anymore. Sun Jiao passed on two stic tubes to Jiang Chen. Put this inside your EP and match the corresponding color. If you need to active fury, you just need to press a button. The EP will use the micro-needle to inject the medicine into your body. However, my rmendation is still to not over-rely on this ability.
Ok. Jiang Chen carefully nodded.
After breakfast, he packed up his bag filled the gold. The two girls followed him into the living room to say goodbye. Although Jiang Chen reassured them that he would be back soon, Sun Jiao and Yao Yao insisted.
He hugged Sun Jiao as she kissed him without a slight hesitation. The passionate and wetness of the kiss would not be dull even after a million times.
The food is in the fridge. There is enough in there tost half a year. Remember to eat the fresh vegetable first; canned foods are not that healthy.
Ok honey, can you say something romantic right now. Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen, but her eyes were filled with longing.
After Sun Jiao, Jiang Chen also hugged Yao Yao. Remember to take care of your body; I want to see a healthy Yao Yao after Ie back.
Mhmm! Yao Yao nodded her head.
He felt her pointy chin on his shoulder before he ced her down.
First, you have toe back. She asked him with a plea.
Jiang Chen gave her a sincere smile to assure all of her concerns. Of course I will be back.
Jiang Chen was about to leave, but he felt a weak resistive force from his waist. He looked at Yao Yao confusedly as she held onto him and just as he was about to ask her why.
Her lips covered his.
There was an elegant fragrance; it tasted likevender. Yao Yao pecked him on the lips and ran away.
He touched his lips still stunned by what happened; he then saw Sun Jiaos deadly stare.
You cant me me for this.
Sun Jiao sighed as Jiang Chen tried to exin. She hugged him again and whispered, dont say anything,e back soon.
Mhmm. Jiang Chen opened his mouth, but he only left a simple response.
She stared at his shadow with a perplexed look. The woman was a sensitive creature. She could guess that Jiang Chen was from a country before the war. Only in a structured society would gold have any value. From her knowledge, there was no ce in this world where gold has any value left.
Will hee back to this world? She didnt know.
If it was before, she might choose to keep him here. It was typical for people in the apocalypse. But she didnt choose this option.
She saw the fearlessness in his eyes since the beginning. Even if he was tied down with a gun pointed at his head, he was afraid, but he never feared. Thepanions were all lies; the organization was also a story he created. She didnt know what he hid.
It was not a stupid fearlessness, but it a was calcted risk. Sun Jiao had the feeling that at Sixth Street if he wanted to leave, no one in this world could stop him. He would also do it with less effort than her.
She even had the idea of hiding the gold to control Jiang Chen, but she restrained the idea to her head.
She chose to trust him.
He will not leave me here. He will be back. Sun Jiao believed him. Although if she followed him, she would find out his secret. But, she didnt do it.
It was odd because this was the first she trusted the idea of a rtionship in the apocalypse.
Although Yao Yao didnt know Jiang Chens secret, as witty as she was, she was smart enough to see a slight hesitation in his eyes. She didnt know from where this hesitation came. Maybe it was because of the conflict with the Huizhong Mercenaries, or maybe it was because of the mental image left behind at the cannibals camp.
She saw the hesitation in him. Maybe it was because of this uncertainty that made him postpone the vault idea and leave for a period.
This choice made Yao Yao quite relieved. Though it was a gloomy feeling, she felt that if Jiang Chen got the gold from the vault, then he would not be back for a long time.
If Jiang Chen disappeared, she would feel despair. She didnt want to feel that way.
So in thest moment, she followed her heart, and she kissed Jiang Chen.
For the same reason, Sun Jiao didnt stop her despite Sun Jiaos possessiveness. In the end, he needed some attachment in his heart. So, the more, the better.
Then, he woulde back.
Chapter 16 - Cashing Out
Chapter 16: Cashing Out
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Jiang Chen almost cried as he took in a deep breath of the familiar smoggy scent.
The clock on the wall pointed at 11 oclock, the time in the apocalypse was synced with the modern world. When he left, it was also 11.
He rubbed his temple and slowly took another deep breath. If he stayed there a second longer, he would go insane. He thought his mental fortitude was strong, but he apparently overestimated himself when faced with waves of machine gun bullets and body parts. He didnt quiver at that moment, but he was as traumatized as Yao Yao, if not more.
The familiar noise outside of the window made him calm. Even if the noise bothered him before, it reminded him of the ce called home.
Thank god for world peace!
Jiang Chen wanted to scream out these words, but he only stretched his arms and didnt let it out. The constraining force of the civilized society made him hold back. He didnt want to be considered as a lunatic.
He felt the heavy metal behind his back. It made his heart pump a little faster. Gold! He is rich now! He ced the backpack onto a scale and saw the needle pointed at seven kilograms. His heart pounded furiously. Thats mother fucking one million dors! He didnt know the exact exchange rate, but it was around 200 to 300 dors per gram which would add up to 1.4 million dors.
He truly hit the jackpot. He didnt even make 3000 per month back then. He only imagined this in his dreams, but now the gold was right in front of him.
The contrast also made him ponder about his next step. Buy a car? He had plenty of money to do so. Buy an apartment? Pretty close. No no no, he wanted a mansion.
Yes! The vault at the bank!
But when he thought about it, his face immediately dimmed. He hesitated about the idea. He must go back to that ce. The apocalyptic world where even the air made you feel suffocated by the cruelty. However, as he was contemting, a graceful figure appeared in his head.
I also believe you.
Dont say anything,e back soon.
Sun Jiao. Jiang Chen mumbled the name as he touched his lip subconsciously.
Her warm kiss remained on his lip. Another timid character shed into Jiang Chens head.
I, I will be very obedient. If you want to do anything, I will not resist.
I dont mind having such a sympathetic master. Yao Yao is very grateful; I hope you dont abandon me.
Yao Yao. Jiang Chen repeated the other familiar name. The fresh scent of the kiss, although unexpected, kissed straight to his heart.
All the sudden, Jiang Chen burst out inughter and let go of all his troubled thoughts.
What am I even thinking? I dont like little girls. He jumped off the bed.
First, its time to make lunch. Then, cash out on the gold.
As to the car and house, he wants the fastest convertible and the fanciest mansion. At least it has to be better than his ce in the apocalypse.
The entire vault will all belong to me.
As to this money. Its time to enjoy and rx a little.
He walked into the familiar Kitchen and picked up the already dusty knife. He made up his mind. First, he will spend every penny he has. Or else it would be difficult to gather the courage to go back.
It would take some time to get used to it.
Along with the gold, he also took the full-sensoryputer and pistol. Although he didnt want to bring the pistol back as it was ouwed in his society because he didnt want to make too much of amotion, his goal was to be rich here.
He brought theputer so that he could watch movies. The store owner promised him that all 100 terabytes were quality movies. He was excited to experience it like never before.
He immediately opened it. The intricateputer projected a rectangr prism made out of arrays of light particles. The interface looked even more advanced than Sun Jiaosputer.
The already excited Jiang Chen immediately opened the folder titled . He selected the first one from the list.
But the picture that projectedpletely shocked him.
Yes, Yes, go harder!
The arousing sexual scene projected straight into the middle of the room. It was almost as if the action was happening in his room. He immediately closed theputer as the neighbors probably all heard the noise.
He reopened theputer again, this time carefully scrolling through. He finally saw the names of the movie.
<16 times in the office straight!>
What are these? These are all porn. Jiang Chen finally understood why the store owner made such a perverted face when he sold it to him.
If it was before, he would probably have masturbated to it. But now, things were different. After the countless number of romances with Sun Jiao, he was no longer interested in the one-person activity anymore.
He threw theputer on the ground and carried the hefty backpack. He was hesitant about carrying a pistol. Yao Yao gave him the pistol that saved his life. After a brief pause, he suddenly remembered the storage dimension he had and put everything in there.
Except for the slow activation and power cost of the storage dimension, it was quite convenient. Jiang Chen also didntck energy crystal anymore. It only took ten crystal energy to charge the power of the braceletpletely.
He also didnt take off the EP. The design of the EP matched the aerodynamics of the human body. Therefore it lookedpletely hidden inside his sleeves.
He locked the door of the gloomy apartments behind him. He paused for a second before stepping into the lively and vibrant metropolitan.
The shadow of leaves scattered across the rocky road. It was June in Wanghai City. The symphony of chattering birds echoed through his ear. He stood in the middle of the crowded street and pondered before finally recollecting his thoughts.
Everything was surreal. The chaotic apocalypse contrasted with the serenity of the modern world. Although he only stayed for a few days in the other world, everything there has been engraved into Jiang Chens mind and memory. The cracked concrete was reced by a rocky trail. The trees scattered shadow reced the reflection of a few branches sticking out of the tree. He held his head high again and took a deep breath. He tried to get the unhealthy feeling out of his skull.
He needed a couple of days to rx. It wouldnt be long before he went insane.
With the back of his eye, he saw a cicada between the tree branches. He didnt see cicadas in the apocalypse, but the cockroaches were as big as a Shepard.
He shooked his head to get the odd idea out of his head and waved down a taxi to go cash out his gold.
The bank was not an option. There was no way to prove his ownership, so the bank would not ept it and probably call the cops. Respectable gold shops were a good option since they have the capability and would be rtively trouble free. It would only take some discounting on the price to make the deal happen. After all, it didnt cost him anything to get it.
He stepped in front of Goldlion. He chose it purely because of the name.
Hello Sir, are you picking out a ring for your significant other? We have As soon as Jiang Chen stepped inside, the salesdy weed him warmly. Although Jiang Chen looked rather dull, maybe he was rich. Her years of sales experience signaled her that Jiang Chen was unique.
Do you guys exchange gold here? Jiang Chen signaled the salesdy to stop talking and stated his intention.
She paused and suddenly lost all her interest. She still replied respectably.
Yes we do, but we only ept gold with high purity. If you have any needs, sir
Get your manager here. You cant decide this deal. Jiang Chen interrupted her. The salesdy could not make a decision on this amount of gold.
She looked rather unhappy but remained professional. She didnt believe that a guy dressed so poorly with a backpack could talk about the deal here. She could almost foresee the look of despair after the guard threw him out of the store.
After he had looked at the gold from Jiang Chens backpack, Liu Anshan gasped.
He worked for Goldlion for almost twenty years. He has seen plenty of people exchange gold, but this was the first time he saw someone do it with a backpack.
Seven kilograms of gold. After the examiner had nodded, Liu Anshan coughed and disyed the most pleasant smile he had.
Its 7122 grams. The purity is wless. Do you have proof of ownership for the gold sir?
No. Jiang Chen stared at Liu Anshans eyes and answered decisively.
Liu Anshan momentarily gave a though before he motioned the examiner to leave. Only two of them remained in the room.
Let me be honest with you. Mr. Jiangs goldes from somewhere unusual. Liu Anshans eyes shed with intelligence before fading away. The golds purity was identical to a banks. However, gold from the bank usually has a receipt, but Jiang Chens didnt. The origin of the gold was questionable.
Dont worry. There are no criminal records on these. The gold is my sry. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows and answered without too much emotion. He didnt lie; it was his sry from the apocalypse.
Liu Anshan was also experienced in these matters. Jiang Chens vibe made him feel quite uncertain. Gold as sry? Could he be a mercenary? Thats stretching it too far.
Jiang Chen left Liu Anshan guessing as he didnt exin further. He looked at Liu Anshan and asked, Boss, do you have any interest in this deal?
Yes, of course, Mr. Jiang. Liu Anshan smiled. But since you dont have any proof of ownership, its quite difficult for us to
7122 grams of gold. Ill sell every gram for 220 dors whiche out to be 1566840 dors. Ill round it 1.5 million. The rest is your tip. The gold is currently trading at 270 dors per gram. There is no way you would lose in this deal. Jiang Chen suggested.
Jiang Chen didnt believe someone like Liu Anshan had no way of getting rid of the gold in the ck market,
Haha, Mr. Jiang. Then I must kindly ept this offer. Liu Anshan was shocked by the price he was offered. He would make 100 thousand instantly if he took the deal. Would you prefer cash or transfer?
Transfer. Jiang Chen gave out his ount number. After he had received the confirmation, it was a sessful deal.
After Jiang Chen had left the VIP room, the salesdy looked hysterically as her boss personally sent the poor looking man to the door.
Mr. Jiang, this is my business card. If you have any more business for me in the future, please dont forget me. Liu Anshan looked euphoric as he just made 100 thousand in a couple of minutes. Jiang Chen was right; it was easy to get rid of the gold through other channels.
The purity of gold was wless without the need for further purification. Liu Anshan was only required to document the gold before it could be sold on the exchange. Also, apart from the gold itself, Liu Anshan was investing in a long term rtionship. He was respectable to Jiang Chen because of the very reason. At least on the surface.
Jiang Chen epted the card without saying much. He took a taxi and left right away.
Liu Anshan gazed at the direction of the departing taxi.
He was deciding if it was necessary to have someone follow Jiang Chen. He had a feeling that for someone who sold the gold without a blink of an eye, he must have even more.
[If I can find the source of the gold.]
A me of greed ignited in his eyes before he extinguished it. He decided to be vignt about the situation.
Life is more important than money after all.
Chapter 17 - Today, I am wealthy!
Chapter 17: Today, I am wealthy!
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Hey Buddy, where are you going?
Shi Mao! (*A high-end mall)
He used to work at a high-end clothing store there as a sales representative.
He rolled down his window and let the bellowing wind blow in his face. As if it was the only way to calm his pounding heart. He even stopped the driver from rolling up the window. The driver looked at him as if he was a lunatic.
Hehe, did you something good happen to you?
Yes, kinda. Jiang Chenughed as he caught a mouthful of wind.
After they had arrived at the destination, Jiang Chen dropped a hundred dor bill. Keep the change.
Jiang Chen mboyantly left the car as the taxi driver stared in shock.
[F*ck!] He wanted to try to say that for a long time. Finally, he had the opportunity to do so.
After cashing out on the gold, he felt more rxed than he had in many years.
A famous proverb once said that clothes make the man. In the modern world, people were quick to judge based on how one appeared. Even if he had a three-piece suit on when he went into the gold shop, the sales person would still consider him to be absurd. The concrete ground in the summer day felt like scorching fire
After all, the first impression was purely dedicated by a persons appearance. The majority of ones opinion would be formed in the first few seconds, which would impact any social interaction in the future.
As someone who was always afraid of poverty, Jiang Chen did not consider himself as a low-key individual. A slick look would make dating or business easier. It would be much more effectivepared to the knockoff brands he wore.
He approached the store he had previously worked at. Before he entered the shop, a sneer lit up on his face. He was curious about what the cocky woman that fired him would think once she saw hisvish lifestyle. If he was there to embarrass her, he wanted to be superb at degrading her. Jiang Chen also fancied a few polished outfits for himself.
Wee, Sir. The sales associate was different. It was the end of July which meant that a lot of universities were on summer break already. A lot of college student would do part time here. Luxury stores were the top choice for gorgeous looking girls. It was respectable, notbor intensive, and also a perfect ce to find a sugar daddy.
The evil of capitalism.
Although millionaires visited the ce frequently, rarely would they go alone. After all, men usually didnt have a tremendous amount of criteria for clothes. The existence of these high-end stores often served as a ce to demonstrate their wealth to their femalepanion. It would further additional activities at the hotel that night.
Jiang Chen was not pretentious, but his purpose would say otherwise.
Jiang Chen picked out a piece of clothing valued at 10,000 without even blinking. The attractive sales associates eye lit up as Jiang Chens hands started to pile full of clothes. She immediately helped him intimately by carrying any extra clothing. She also gave him the sweetest smile. The smile had ask me out written all over it.
Jiang Chen, who was busy looking for his old boss, were a little slow to take the hint. He didnt notice the flirty moves of the attractive girl beside him. Of course, if the girl were looking to hookup, Jiang Chen wouldnt mind. Her boobs were not asrge as Sun Jiaos, but the vibe of modernismbined with her youthful energy made her particrly striking. She must be a prom queen at some university.
He pped the clothes on the counter as he was irritated that he didnt see the girl.
[F*ck, where is she? If she is not even here, whats purpose of this whole thing?]
A gloom immediately cast over Jiang Chens face as he felt extremely frustrated.
The sales associate thought she offended the millionaire somehow. She carefully examined Jiang Chen facial expression and even started to question her action.
The total will be 157,000 dors after rounding down. Would you prefer cash or debit?
[What kind of question is this? Who the f*ck brings 150,000 dors in cash?]
Jiang Chen took out his debit card and nced around the store again. There were no familiar faces to be seen.
Debit. Whats the name of your manager? Jiang Chen handed the card over as he asked the question simultaneously.
That question made the sales associate tremble. She thought she displeased him, but why would he ask for the manager?
The cashier who took the debit card also paused briefly. She looked at the sales associate and disyed a professional smile.
Xu Liping, Would you like me to contact her for you?
For the amount he purchased, theint just could not be ignored. The cashier thought the sales associate offended him and he wanted to see the manager for the same reason.
For these types of part-time employees, she was unfamiliar with them and obviously would not offer a helping hand. There were plenty of part-time employees working at the store from the university every study break.
Thats fine. Also, do you know Xia Shiyu? Jiang Chen interrupted.
The cashier raised her eyebrow with a confused look. She didnt quite remember that name.
[Looks like she doesnt know.]
With a mixture of emotions, Jiang Chen turned around and left. However, the cashier suddenly opened her mouth as if she remembered something.
Yes, The previous manager name was Xia Shiyu.
Where is she now? Jiang Chen questioned.
She got let go because of theyoff. We took over after we received training from the headquarters. So we are not familiar with this ce. If there is anything we did wrong, please kindly forgive us. With a polite smile, the cashier said a bunch of pleasing words. But Jiang Chen wasnt paying attention.
[She lost her job as well. That cocky girl stayed only for a bit longer. Hahaha.]
Jiang Chen wanted to burst intoughter, but the brief excitement was soon overtaken by a sense of despair. It felt like he had no way to unleash his victorious excitement.
He stored everything into the storage dimension and left the ce where he shared a significant amount of his recent memories.
He pushed open the spotless ss door as a wave of cold air emerged. Jiang Chen thought he might as well get his hair designed in this salon. He obviously didnt make a reservation, but his luxurious looking clothing made the designer wee him into the VIP room immediately. He only wanted to get a haircut. Although the result would be the same from a street side barber, Jiang Chen only wanted to spend money.
Only an extravagant lifestyle would relieve his tense mood.
Jiang Chen finally understood why corrupted people lived such a luxurious life. If they didnt spend money, how would they stimte their already frightened mental state?
He leaned against the plush chair as a delicate-looking hairdresser walked in. The hairdressers wavy hair fitted her wless and delicate face as if she came from a drawing. The fashionable clothes covered her serene figure perfectly. Even in just one nce, Jiang Chen was amazed by her beauty.
Her lc scent tingled Jiang Chens senses. Her graceful hands massaged his hair delicately. With music in the background, it felt like heaven. She made washing hair into a form of art.
What Jiang Chen didnt know was that the designer was also judging him. From the fashion industry, she knew how much Jiang Chens wardrobe cost. With that, he was also great looking. Compared to the customers she has served in the past, a lot of them were either bold or had a huge beer belly.
She peaked at the muscr chest. Although covered with ayer of clothing, she could almost feel the firmness. The female hairdresser blushed as she began to daydream. [What would it feel like to be with this guy?]
The water is a bit hot.
Ahh! I am so sorry sir.
Jiang Chen was a bit confused. In theory, she shouldnt make a mistake like this. It interrupted his almost short nap. He didnt seem to be bothered by these mistakes.
After his hair was washed, the dresser gently used a towel to cover Jiang Chens hair. With soft movements, she dried his hair gently. Every detail was performed to perfection. It was the ultimate pleasure. Especially when her leg slightly brushed against Jiang Chens hands, the silky smooth feeling was sensational.
The designer even gave him a massage after. Her soft finger turned and twisted on top of his head as if she was ying a symphony. The rhythm of her fingers was so pleasurable that it made Jiang Chen almost moan out.
Jiang Chen checked himself out in the mirror after thepleted service. Although his hair was not that different, his presencepletely changed. His brand new outfitbined with the haircut spoke sophistication on every level.
After, he wandered into a busy mall, a ce he passed before but never had the money to buy anything. Though now even with money, he didnt know what to buy with all these choices. He thought, only if Sun Jiao was here.
Jiang Chenughed self-mockingly. That idea was as unrealistic as it could be. It would be difficult to exin everything in the first ce, let alone the feasibility of taking a live person with him to perform interdimensional travel.
The crowded street felt lonely by himself.
Most of his close friends left the city to either go home, venture out, or leave the country. He was only one that remained in the crowded and emotionless city.
His contacts were full of numbers, but he didnt have anyone to call.
The benefit of shopping alone was that he hadplete freedom. He could buy anything and eat anything he wanted. He passed a womens clothing store and almost walked in. However, he quickly realized how weird it was to go in without a femalepanion. So clothes shopping for Sun Jiao and Yao Yao would have to be next time.
As the sky turned into a dim yellow, it was dinner time.
He sat in a high-end restaurant, alone. He chose whatever was the most expensive at the time. King crabs, lobster, and steak. He didnt know if he would finish everything or not, but he still ordered ten dishes. The server had a look of disbelief and concern, so he pped his debit card on the table.
After the gene vine, Jiang Chens body condition significantly improved. Therefore, the amount of food he ingested also increased substantially.
The server looked horror, as Jiang Chen feasted on the meal. He managed to finish the majority of the dishes.
The rest of the dishes, he didnt n to pack up.
He walked out of the restaurant and left the server dumbfounded. It was not the first time the server saw someone eat such an unbelievable amount of food. However, it was the servers first time seeing such a sophisticated and fit person finish almost everything on the table.
These dishes were all made of meat too.
Chapter 18 - Encountering an old friend
Chapter 18: Encountering an old friend
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
The saline sea wind calmed Jiang Chens irrationality. He looked at the people walking by him. The scene of aged grandpas, couples, and tourists distracted him from reality for a second. He rubbed his temples tiredly to get rid of the drowsy feeling. He was a bit tired.
After the extravagant spending spree, he blew two hundred thousand in just an afternoon. After the moments of excitement, the wary feeling of an emotional roller-coaster remained.
He took a taxi to the beach; he just wanted to take a walk and feel the sea wind.
The beach was quite a famous sightseeing attraction in Wanghai City. There was the marble fence by the golden beach. The victoriousrades famous remake engraved into the stone statue, marking his longing legacy. Finally, the modern looking small hut filled the empty space in the picture. Jiang Chen heard this ce from a couple of his buddies, but they only talked about how many hot girls there were.
They were right after all
However, this was his first time here even though hes been in the city for four years already. He never came because of two simple reasons. He had no money, and he had no one he could bring along. But if he had the money, then there would always be someone. So him never going to the beach was because of the first reason after all.
It felt lonely shopping alone, and he felt the same visiting the beach.
Though he was still alone, he no longer pondered about life.
He had the money. Although one million was nothing in Wanghai City, there were plenty of rich people in this city and he couldnt even buy an apartment, his mental state was drastically different. He was not arrogant, but he was certain he was wealthier than Bill Gates.
The entire gold deposit of amercial bank was at least a couple of billion. What would all the gold in the apocalypse be worth?
Of course, he had to be careful in the sell-off strategy. Arge amount of gold in the market would depreciate the value of the gold significantly. Long term wise, he only nned to raid the vaults gold. There were many other ways to make money.
There were more attractive markets avable for him to profit off of. For example, the advanced tech he could bring back. If he sold the full-sensoryputer, the market cap of thepany would be in the trillions. The virtual reality education system. The hibernation chamber. These were all trillion dor ideas.
He must take a step at the time to build his empire. If he suddenly introduced the technology to the market, the money woulde, but so would the government. Maybe it would even be intelligence agencies who are usually hidden in the dark. Thus, being bold would be unwise.
Once he acquired the gold, his initial capital would be ready. The nning and strategy would ensue. Step by step, once he possessed enough stake to form a conglomerate, nobody would be able to touch him.
For this one million, it was just for enjoyment purposes.
So Jiang Chen didnt feel odd as he stood by the shore. What before could only be achieved in his dream were all within his reach. The stunning beauties, the magnificent mansion, and the luxurious cars.
He burped as he threw his beer can into the garbage. He was a little tipsy, as he took another breath of the saline filled sea wind.
Hey dude, do you want to join us?
A girl in a bikini smiled at him; her stunning figure was flourished with youth. Her hobby reading magazines meant that she easily saw how expensive Jiang Chens outfit was. The deep but lost gaze made him appear as a powerful CEO that just went through a bad breakup.
People in the middle of a breakup were the weakest emotionally. Su Fei thought she possessed the techniques of love. She first got rid of her best friend and approached Jiang Chen. Her smile was as sweet as a freshly baked cupcake.
She didnt care how many rtionships this guy went through, nor the fact that he might still be in one. She was envious of her roommate because she has a sugar daddy which meant countless amounts of money, LVs, and Hermes. She was jealous, as she thought her beauty wasparable to her roommates.
If she tried to flirt, she would also get a rich guy, and this guy looked much betterpared to her roommates sugar daddy.
Su Feis heart pumped faster as she imagined.
Hehe, no thank you. To Su Feis surprise, the man only looked at her once before rejecting her with a smile.
Leave your youth to someone more meaningful. Jiang Chen didnt turn his head as he walked away. Su Fei stared nkly in ce.
That girl must have thought I was mental. Jiang Chen hystericallyughed disregarding the looks of passersby. He stumbled mindlessly along the beach. The gene vine also increased his bodys detoxification process. It made the alcohol process much faster in his body. He enjoyed the slightly dizzy feeling, and he wanted it tost a bit longer.
He rejected the girl because he didnt have any desire. Although she was quite attractive, she was stillcklusterpared to Sun Jiao. As to the arrogant statement, he only said it because he felt like it.
The night began to cast its shadow on top of the Metropolitan, but the life of the city only just began. The crowded street made Jiang Chen irritable, and he wanted a moment of peace. It was too noisy here.
Maybe its time to go back.
He sobered up as he still mindlessly walked through the street. All the sudden, a familiar figure caught his eye. He was slightly shocked as an odd expression appeared on his face.
Xia Shiyu graduated from Wanghai University with a major in business administration. Her ster academic record along with a stunning appearance made everyone shower her with praise and envy, and she graduated at the top of the ss. Even though the graduated from the same university, they livedpletely different lives.
However, because of family reasons, she didnt pursue graduate studies. Instead, she chose to work at a clothing store. Due to her outstanding performance, she was promoted to store manager at an excellent location. This gave her the perfect tform to disy her prowess.
Once Xia Shiyu was promoted, she immediately implemented a list of action ns which increased the stores sales substantially. However, because of her strict performance measures, she acquired the nickname of the cold beauty among male colleagues, and b*tch among female workers. After all, everyone was envious and jealous of her, especially those of the same gender.
Not only was she aplished in her career, but she also had a boyfriend that loved her. Her boyfriend always picked her up after work, even though it seemed like the overachieving manager was never nice to him. Due to her personality, Jiang Chen has even made fun of her, behind her back, about having a disruptive menstrual cycle because she always looked unpleased.
So this was how the tragedy happened. It was rumored that Xia Shiyu heard it by coincidence. She then investigated it and found the mastermind behind everything. Then, she used some petty excuses to fire Jiang Chen from the ce.
Jiang Chen still remembered the coldness and mockery on her face. After all, humans are humans. Despite how righteous someone is, there may be times when they would act irrationally due to their emotions. Jiang Chen didnt think he was wrong; it was only a joke which made him lose his job. Who cared about these types of demeanor? However, Xia Shiyu did not ept any of that. She was used to the praise of all the men. She could overlook the judgment from the females, but not the disrespect from men.
That was her character weakness or w.
At that time, Jiang Chen even wanted to take revenge. Though after he had relieved his frustration by drinking, he let it go because he thought it was not worth it. Life must continue, this is an ordered society.
Xia Shiyu was still the manager, and the store would continue to operate without him. But things felt different from that day on.
Ability is one thing, and academia is one thing, but opinion is another.
After the friendly Jiang Chen had been fired, his friends from work were enraged by the decision. Everyone started to oppose the way Xia Shiyu managed. The constantly high-pressure environment brought short-term improvements but made the overall work atmosphere was oppressive. She never was part of the team but asked the team to act ording to her standard. Maybe she was justified in her management, but she didnt consider the human emotion.
When an average sry started to conflict with exceptionally high expectations, theints only grew. These frustrations were reflected in the employees work and ultimately impacted the sales figure.
Although they were pleased with this top students performance and her exceptional sales record, upper management ultimately decided to let the rtively inexperienced store manager and a few poor performing employees go. They reced her with a backup talent.
She, who was appraised as the top student of the business school, actually lost her job in a matter of one year.
She was in agony and didnt know what she did wrong. Or maybe as smart as she was, she already knew what she did wrong. However, it was toote to fix everything. She still remembered the guy she fired. It was after that that everyone began to look at her different. At first, they were respectful, but soon it was dusted with a sliver of disdain. It also applied to the male employees who used to praise her.
She also suffered in her rtionship after she lost her job.
The boyfriend who used to do everything she said broke up with her. With the excuse I spent so many years with you, and you didnt even let me kiss you. Hehe, go be a virgin. He left immediately with his new girlfriend. Perhaps it because she couldnt support him financially. The boyfriend didnt even bother to hide the fact that he cheated.
It was satirical. Xia Shiyu always thought he loved her. She thought it was a kind of unconditional love. Only he persisted after her for the longest time, and he continued even after graduation. She said yes because of that. She didnt love him, nor was she interested in any guy that chased her. She knew she would have to marry one day. So in the most efficient manner, she chose the one that persisted for the longest time.
But reality betrayed her. She almost fell in love with him. Was it because they didnt kiss? Or have sex? Love couldnt even stand such a minuscule test? Xiao Shiyu was lost and confused. She promised him that she would give everything of hers to him on the day they got married.
That was not what defeated her the most.
Maybe it was revenge. The guy used Xiao Shiyus social ID as coteral for a loan and used the money to pay for a car. Each month, she would spend half her paycheck to repay the loan, which was okay until she lost her job.
A car worth 500 thousand was nothing in the past. If she worked for two more years, she could easily afford it. However, she was now unemployed and the amount was a massive hole for her to fill. Although with her ability it would not be difficult to find another job to repay the loan, there were so many graduates each year that it would be a nightmare to standout in thebor market. She already lost herpetitive edge.
Also, all the offers were based on disgraceful conditions. Such as high sry in exchange for sexual favors. If the candidate did notply, then they moved on to the next one.
In a country so popted, it was not difficult to find someone with ability.
The more satirical part was that she was not even the one that possessed the car.
She thought about calling the cops, but the loan was not from an ethical source to begin with, which meant that they would not take it lightly either. There was no way she could deal with the gang.
She fled from her original apartment and hid in temporary housing. She made a living working part-time in hopes of solving the problem through legal means. At the same time, she desperately maintained her hopes of finding an ideal job.
But her luck ran out.
A few maliciously looking guys surrounded the ce she worked. They were clearly not there to negotiate.
Chapter 19 - The Stereotypical Prince Saves the Princess Scene
Chapter 19: The Stereotypical Prince Saves the Princess Scene
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Yo, looks like you have been quite well off in thest few days. A guy with a clean cut whistled and stood there rascally. He was known as Sir Tiger and was a thug under the Hongyi Gang. He trained in martial arts for six years. One time, he single-handedly defeated a group of five gangsters which allowed him to receive special recognition from the big boss at Hongyi.
Although he was not a person of importance, he did have a bunch of followers. Rebellious students that called him big boss. He enjoyed being the center of attention.
He spent the majority of his time as a bouncer at Hongyis night club and asionally collected loans for his boss. It was an excellent lifestyle for him.
As unexciting as it was to collect money from a girl, especially when the girl considered calling the cop, her attractiveness made up for the trouble. Thus, he decided to let the incident slide. Besides, did she not know who she dealt with when she borrowed money from Hongyi in the first ce? A perverted smile emerged on Liu Hus face. His gang already surrounded the flower shop. The customers who were there immediately left.
The busy flower shop was suddenly empty. The shop owner with a frightened look was trembling. He was also afraid to call the cops as he didnt want any more trouble. With this many thugs here, there was no way to do business.
Come out? Do you need me to send you a formal invitation? Liu Hu blew a whistle and looked at her as if she was a prey.
Xia Shiyu bit her lips. Her wless face was covered by the gloom of terror. She noticed the plea in the store owners eyes. She sighed as she put the flower down quivering. She walked over with fixated but tense steps.
I cant believe you are still working here. Liu Hu reached for her face. Do you have the money for me?
But to his surprise, the resilient girl avoided his hand.
Ill repay the money while working. Please dont bother me anymore. She took in a deep breath and answered without any emotions.
Work? With this? How long would we have to wait? Hehe. He didnt seem angry when she avoided his hand, but a grimness filled his eyes.
What do you want? With a stern face, Xiao Shiyu stared at the rascal. She was terrified as her legs trembled. But the resiliency deep in her bones made her stand her ground.
[This girl is interesting. Even though she is scared to death, she is still giving me the attitude.] Liu Hu raised his eyebrows, and he pondered with a smile.
Two options. Money, or you. He put up two fingers.
I dont have any money right now. Xia Shiyu tried to remain calm.
Then its a simple problem. Well take you. He reached out to shake as if the deal was already made.
Me? Xia Shiyu hissed at the remark, You guys are not afraid of getting used of human trafficking?
Hahahahaha.
Everyone, including Liu Hu,ughed hysterically.
That made Xia Shiyu feel humiliated. She didnt think it was funny at all, but she could not deliver aeback. She thought she could live a fulfilled life as an independent woman by working hard. She would support herself, her parents and realize her value.
But the reality was harsh.
No No No, thats a waste. Particrly for a beauty like you. Finally finishedughing, Liu Hu looked at the thugs behind him, At least we need to let everyone get a taste of you for a few years before selling you to someone as a wife. What do you guys think?
Hahaha, maybe we will even visit you to help you with your business.
Why dont we sell her to Sir Pi? That bastard loves wh*res.
F*ck you. I like wh*res, but I never said I was going to marry one.
After hearing all the rude and pervertedments, blood almost seeped out of Xia Shiyus lips because she bit it so hard. She wanted to cry; she wanted someone to save her right now. Even in her most difficult time, this thought never crossed her mind.
Tears of humiliation filled her eyes, and she even thought of killing herself. If they take her away, then it would be better off to die.
Liu Hu was experienced in debt collection. He knew what Xia Shiyu was thinking when he saw her expression, and he signaled his thugs to be quiet.
Fine. I know this is unfortunate for you, but this is the rule. You pay if you owe money. Dont worry. If you work for a couple of years in the Hongyi night club, you can leave once you pay your debt off. No one would know anyways. Then, in the end, you can just leave the city and marry someone nice. Just dont borrow any more money you shouldnt borrow in the first ce.
That was a tactical move. Sticks and carrots were stereotypical, but it was extremely useful. The rudements were probably part of the n to set all of this up. Thugs are scariest when they are knowledgeable and well managed.
Jiang Chen wanted to keep watching, but the crushing look of his previous boss made him abort the idea. Although he hated her before, he didnt want to see her breakdown.
[Fine, I will help her.]
In the past he would be terrified if he met a bunch of thugs, but now.
Hehe, how should I address you sir?
Liu Hu paused momentarily. He didnt even realize there was someone that passed him a cigarette.
With teary eyes, Xia Shiyu looked at the man with pure disbelief. Her face had shock written all over. Is it him that stood up for her? The guy she fired in a moment of rage? She felt a sense of regret for her careless actions in the past, but she didnt imagine her next encounter with him would be in such a scenario.
[Why is he here? Why is he standing up for me? Shouldnt he be watching this drama right now as a bystander?]
Her face waspletely stunned by everything that just happened. Regret, sympathy, sincerity, and confusion?
Liu Hu. Liu Hu was dumbfounded. He was shocked by what just happened. Who would dare to talk with a gang when they were in the middle of something?
Cop? Liu Hu immediately rejected this idea. His boss has connections at the police department. So, unless the incident made headlines, they would not be involved.
Retard? Liu Hus facial expression suddenly changed.
What a coincidence. I just met a friend of mine here. Jiang Chenughed. He then changed the topic, I heard the conversation. How much does she owe you?
Liu Hu examined Jiang Chen with his eyes squinted. In his opinion, this guy was too calm and collected.
His bosss mission for him was to bring the girl back if possible. The interest on the loan was nothingpared to the potential revenue she could generate at the nightclub. This girls perfect look and the gorgeous figure would sell her as a top choice at the nightclub. That was the cash generating business for the gang.
Buddy, are you looking for trouble? Liu Hu sneered as he reached for Jiang Chen. Xia Shiyus heart almost jumped out of her throat as she nervously watched the guy that stood up for her.
My clothes cost around ten thousand dors. Can you buy me a new one if you rip it? Jiang Chen sighed as he clinched onto Liu Hus hand. With his reflex stats of 28, it was not enough in the danger-filled wastnd, but it was certainly sufficient for these thugs in the modern world.
Liu Hu felt as if both of his hands were mped down. He couldnt even move a single inch.
[F*ck, this guy must have trained in martial arts before.]
He realized he messed with the wrong person. Although he wanted to backup, since all his thugs were watching, the ruthless side of him came out as he flipped out the knife hidden in his left hand. Then, he shed at Jiang Chens head.
Jiang Chen slightly turned his head to avoid the slow moving knife. He then pushed Liu Hu away.
F*ck, you think you are tough? Guys beat him up! The thug that was obviously connected to Liu Hu saw the tide of the fight turn. He wanted to escte the fight from one on one to a full brawl.
Jiang Chen sighed. If he knew this conflict was tedious to resolve, he wouldnt have worn expensive clothing to a fight.
Why dont we go to the ally there? Theres monitoring here. Jiang Chen casually pointed to the alley.
Liu Hu paused again. His reaction was abnormal to Liu Hu. He didnt look the slightest bit afraid, which made Liu Hu unsure. Since he already proposed it, it would be cowardly if he didnt agree. How would he maintain his reputation in front of his thugs?
Hehe, what a brave guy. Please. Liu Hu fixed his cor as he signaled towards the alley.
[What a show-off] Jiang Chen didnt imagine Liu Hu would have the audacity to go even if it was a brawl. Jiang Chen stepped into the alley.
A sneer appeared on Liu Hus face as Jiang Chen followed into the alley. [Regardless of how good your martial art is, there is no way you would beat ten people. Do you think you are superman?]
He left the most useless thug to keep an eye on Xia Shiyu. The rest of the thugs followed him into the alley.
Worried about Jiang Chens safety, she anxious thought about possible solutions. She considered calling the cop, but the thug was looking at her fiercely. She nced over at the store owner that always took care of her before, but he just pretended he didnt see anything.
She had the urge to cry with a mixture of emotions. Not because she was afraid, but because she felt helpless.
She didnt rely on anyone in the past ten years. The weariness caused by her resilience overwhelmed her by her helplessness.
Beat him up Just as he opened his mouth, Liu Hus rascal expression froze.
A pistol was pointed at his forehead.
Theres no monitoring here. Jiang Chen shrugged. He didnt expect the pistol that Yao Yao picked up would be useful. He didnt mind teaching these thugs a lesson with his fist if it was not because of his clothing.
Fake Its fake right? Sweat rolled down Liu Hus forehead. He forced a smile and stared at Jiang Chen. He wanted to look for the uncertainty, which would give him courage.
Jiang Chen moved the gun and pointed elsewhere.
Bang!
The explosion of the bullet struck like thunder beside Liu Hus ear. In such a close range, it almost popped his eardrum.
Ahhhhhhh A thug covered his leg as he fell to the ground. His face was pale and twisted due to the unbearable amount of pain. Everyone just stood there terrified; they didnt dare to help the guy.
The bullet prated through the thugs leg and pierced into the concrete ground. The poor bastard that got shot was the thug that wanted to fight outside. He should have thought about this when he tried to escte the whole thing.
Gun
It was dead silent. Only the lunatics and the cops had guns. His boss once told him that. He never touched a gun before, but he memorized it by heart.
Regardless of which type, they were all extremely dangerous.
There were many gangs in Wanghai City. If Liu Hu idently offended a person of power, nobody would say a thing if he died.
B Boss, there is always a solution. No need to bring a gun into the conversation.
Jiang Chen pressed the burning barrel against his forehead. He resisted the pain as he was too terrified to move. The skin on his forehead was probably burned, but he couldnt say a word.
I tried toe up with a solution, but you always interrupted me. Jiang Chen made a harmless expression.
[This guy must be crazy!]
Liu Hu swallowed his fear. He keptughing to alleviate the intensity of the situation.
Ok, I dont have all day for you. Jiang Chen tapped Liu Hus head with the gun. Liu Hu noticed that Jiang Chen didnt close the safety. He was drenched in cold sweat. It was the first time in his life that he felt so terrified.
Do we have an agreement?
YeYes. Liu Hu quivered as he took out the agreement.
Whats your bank ount number?
Hmm? Liu Hu was confused as to what Jiang Chen meant.
Ill repay the money. Are you dumb or what. Jiang Chen suddenly raised his voice which made Liu Hu heart pound even faster.
Repay the money? In a trembling voice, he asked. He thought he heard it wrong.
Its as if you sold me the debt. Do you understand what that means? Whats in your brain? Do I look like the type who wouldnt pay? Jiang Chen stuffed the gun into his pocket.
No, nope. There was no way Liu Hu would answer yes.
Ripping the debt would not be a solution as Hongyi Gang would not easily let this go. Jiang Chen was not afraid. Xia Shiyu, on the other hand, would be in danger.
Jiang Chen had things to take care of in the apocalypse. He didnt have enough time to look after Xia Shiyu. He only helped because he was a good person with no intention of putting any more effort into this. His time was quite valuable as he was nning a trip to a famous tourist city Sanya.
Changing the ownership of debt was the best solution Jiang Chen came up with. She could repay him while maintaining her dignity.
He didnt care about the money, but he did not want to just write the debt off for her. The high-interest loan was illegal but repaying the principal amount was reasonable. If he didnt have the opportunity to oppress his previous manager with the terrible attitude, it would be a waste of a beautiful chance.
Also, Jiang Chen had previous considerations as well.
Liu Hu happily epted the payment as he furiously bowed to Jiang Chen. After Jiang Chen repaid the 410,000 dors, he immediately left while hustling the injured thug. There was no way he would dare to ask for interest. He was sure his boss would not me him since the other person had a gun. Jiang Chen was in good faith to repay the principle amount.
They rushed out of the alley without daring to ask Jiang Chens name.
Jiang Chen scorned at the direction Liu Hu left as he threw the gun into the storage dimension.
He touched his face and stepped out of the alley.
Hmm? Where did the bloode from?
Chapter 20 - Xia Shiyu in Despair
Chapter 20: Xia Shiyu in Despair
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Are you alright? As she stared at Jiang Chen, who approached her, she bit her lips and ran out of words to say.
Not exactly okay, a minor injury. Jiang Chen had the audacity to point at the small cut on his cheek. If he didnt point it out, it would have gone unnoticed.
I, Ill treat it for you. Xia Shiyu lowered her head, full of guilt. She had never owed favors to anyone, but now she owed this person so much.
Here? Saliva can disinfect it. Jiang Chen joked carelessly. It even surprised himself a little.
[Hmm? When did I get so flirty?]
I have bandage and alcohol at my ce. Xia Shiyu coldly answered Jiang Chens mockery
Dont look at me like that. At least I am your new creditor. Jiang Chen waved the agreement between his fingers. Look. Though since I am a nice person, I wont charge you any interest.
[Is there anyone more narcissistic than him?] Xia Shiyu stared at the smiling Jiang Chen with a look of defeat. She was confused. This was the same guy that was afraid to make eye contact with her?
Ill repay you, including interest. Xia Shiyu expressed her gratitude with certainty in her voice. And then more hesitantly, she said With normal interest rate. She wasnt confident in repaying the high interest on her debt.
Jiang Chen shrugged as he knew this girl too well. She would not back down from her goal.
Xia Shiyu.
Yeah? Xia Shiyu turned her head after the store owner called.
This is your sry for half of the month. I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do about the thugs. Also, you dont have toe to work tomorrow, the store owner saidboriously as he finally said the disheartening statement in an almost pleading tone.
After she had taken the envelope of money, she nodded her head emotionlessly. She gazed at the flower shop that was about to close. Evading and doubtful looks surrounded her as people looked away when she tried to make eye contact. She didnt know why she wanted to cry.
She couldnt remember the number of times she almost broke down, but this was the first time in her life that she felt so fragile.
Fired? Jiang Chen said mockingly. He felt so joyful seeing his manager got fired again.
She didnt answer Jiang Chens mockery. She bit her lips, full of emotions. She turned around and headed home as Jiang Chen followed. Xia Shiyu did say that she was going to help him with the wound.
By now, the wound had already scarred up, but Jiang Chen was curious about where his ex-boss lived. He had nothing better to do anyways.
Jiang Chen chuckled to himself as he thought that he was a terrible person. Almost as mischievous as Sun Jiao.
Jiang Chen stepped onto the moldy stairs, and a frown appeared on his face. He was surprised that Wanghai City even had a building this old. The crack- filled walls indicated that this ce was not pleasant.
Xia Shiyu pulled out her keys and opened the rusted door. A bitter smile emerged on Jiang Chens face. [This girl is almost too resilient and independent. Any other girls would not be able to handle these living conditions. Especially with her charming looks, if she wanted her problems solved, a lot of people would be willing to pay 500,000 for her.]
But her attractiveness waspletely undermined by her terrible attitude.
There was a hint of a moldy odor when Jiang Chen first entered the room, but the scented air freshener quickly filled his nostrils. It was clear that Xia Shiyu used it in an attempt to solve the problem.
The room was tiny and cluttered with furniture. It was even smaller than Jiang Chens cheap apartment. There was no TV in the living room. Only an old wooden desk with even older chairs. Maybe they would be worth something if she sold them as artifacts.
There was no air conditioning in sight either, only a fan ced in the corner of the room. The most expensive electronic was the stainless steel kettle which she had most likely brought with her when she fled from her home.
Aptop was on the table, but there was no wifi here. What would be the use of it?
He noticed that two pairs of shoes were ced neatly in front of the door. There was no way she only owned two pairs of shoes. She must have been in a rush when she escaped. Although the condition of the apartment was not the best, it did look like she spent a considerable amount of time cleaning the ce.
Sorry, its pretty crappy here. Sit, Xia Shiyu awkwardly said. It was her first time bringing a not-so-familiar man to her ce. Even for her ex, she always asked him to stop in front of her door. The idea of spending time alone with the opposite gender made her extremely ufortable. Perhaps it was because of her overprotective mindset that she was friendless, especially at this time, when she needed someone the most. She walked into the tiny bedroom.
Jiang Chen pulled out a chair and sat down on it. However, to his surprise, it almost made him fall. [F*ck, the chair is missing a piece of its leg.]
Soon, Xia Shiyu walked out with rubbing alcohol and q-tips.
Where? Her tone was mechanical. She examined the wound as she tried to ce her hand awkwardly.
Here. Are you going to? Jiang Chen forced a smile. He only wanted to mock the ex-manager, but she did bring out the rubbing alcohol.
I said I would treat it for you. Xia Shiyu took in a deep breath as she advanced toward his face.
Jiang Chen felt ufortable as well. His hands wiggled back and forth not knowing where to ce them.
Dont move. Xia Shiyu frowned slightly and gave the restless Jiang Chen a hard stare.
Okay. Jiang Chen forced a smile again.
It was a delightful fragrance. The lc aroma twirled around Jiang Chens nose. Her wless neck was decorated with jewelry. Jiang Chen remembered there was a ne when they worked together. When she leaned forward, the light summer shirt shed a glimpse of her beautiful cleavage. It was probably only a B, which was nothingpared to Sun Jiaos. But with her serene figure, she seemed like a delightful breeze in the summer day.
She was a goddess in looks and figure. It was quite embarrassing, but Jiang Chen did masturbate to her before.
In his memory, her hair was always tied back professionally. Today, her hair was pulled back in a ponytail which brought Jiang Chen to a memory of his past. The newly graduated Xia Shiyu was nothing like the professional officedy.
What are you looking at? She noticed the invasive stare which made her quite scared. But her face still disyed the same guarded and emotionless look.
No. Nothing, Jiang Chen awkwardly replied.
After the wound was treated, their eyes crossed.
Time stopped for a moment.
Awkwardness ensued.
It smells very nice here. Hahaha. Jiang Chen rubbed his head to break the silence.
Xia Shiyu zoned out momentarily. Her cheek blushed as her emotionless face smiled slightly, but her eyes looked even colder.
Its the scent of lcs. I probably got it when I worked. With a frown on her face, she quickly cleaned up and headed back into her room.
[Heart pounding fast.] She held her pumping chest as she recollected her breathing. She disappointedly looked at herself in the mirror. She didnt know why she was acting weird.
[Heart pounding fast.] Jiang Chen also confusedly touched his chest. [There is no way I am interested in this girl.] He immediately rejected the idea and med the natural reaction of his hormones. Compared to an icy beauty, he preferred the energetic and lively Sun Jiao. Sun Jiao who asionally went into her character as the queen of the wastnd while acting as a caring and heartwarming wife.
Xia Shiyu left her room momentster and interrupted Jiang Chens train of thoughts. She stood across from Jiang Chen, but there was no conversation between the two. Silence filled the room as the only noise was the ticking clock and their heartbeats.
Thank you. Xia Shiyu broke the silence first.
No problem, I just happened to pass by. He lied about the fact that he tried to find her today in the morning with hostile intentions but only left because he heard she left her position.
He didnt expect this stubborn girl to thank him.
You, Xia Shiyu briefly paused as if she had something to say. She hesitated for a bit before finally asking what bothered her, Dont you hate me?
He was not surprised by the question. He also considered the question himself. [Do I still hate her?]
I hated you. In the end, the paragraphs he tried to articte in his head only turned into three short words. Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu with a perplexed look.
[Then why did you save me?]
She didnt ask this question, but Jiang Chen read the unasked question in her eyes.
He hated her before. She fired him and almost made him homeless. He was not hesitant to curse her with the most malicious vows However, that was all in the past. After he had released his anger, it was no longer an incident that bothered him. Life continued, and there was no reason to continue to despise her.
No particr reason. Jiang Chen sighed as he shook his head. To be frank, when I heard that you were fired, I was quite ecstatic for a moment. As you can see, the clothes I am wearing right now are purchased from that store. However, I realized that I am still too immature.
Immature? She mumbled the word repetitively. She was dumbfounded by Jiang Chens words. Her icy, cold eyes began to lose its focus.
If Jiang Chen humiliated her or even hit her, it would make this feel easier. But the man she almost single-handedly pushed to despair didnt do anything in retaliation. He gave her a helping hand in her most desperate time.
[Why]
Even if I retaliated, what would I get in return? To be honest, the feeling of revenge is great. But if I see a girl get pushed to the edge of life by a group of thugs without doing anything, the guilt will overwhelm me - especially since I know you. After all, we dont have a hatred that runs for generations. It was only a job after all. Even if you gave me the job now, I will not take it.
It was a job after all. Compared to what Jiang Chen lost, he certainly gained a lot more. If he werent drunk, he would have never passed the alley. He would have missed the opportunity to acquire the interdimensional bracelet.
He never knew where life would take him the next.
Before I fired you, I thought a lot about it. With a perplexed look, she continued, Based on the facts, I know I am not a qualified manager.
You have all the abilities, but you dont know the human heart Jiang Chen smiled.
Human heart? Do you mean psychology?
No no, its not something from the textbook. The human heart is aplicated matter. Even within a lifetime, it would be difficult to understand it all.
They chatted as if they were close friends that hadnt seen each other for a long time. Jiang Chen felt the calm he had been searching the entire day for.
Yes, it was incredible shopping, and eating a fancy meal, but he still felt hollow.
In thisrge metropolitan city, he didnt even have a single friend he could talk with. Maybe that was what Jiang Chen was searching for that entire day. Everyone took separate path after graduation and moved on.
This tiny apartment brought him the calmness and serenity he had desperately searched for.
Maybe, this peacefulness was what life rewarded those who did good deeds.
Chapter 21 - Work for me?
Chapter 21: Work for me?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Why dont you work for me?
He stared out the window as night fell. It was getting prettyte. He peeked at the clock, and it pointed directly at 12.
At that moment, he realized there was something wrong. There were only three pairs of female shoes there, but he always thought she had a boyfriend.
I am staying prettyte, is your friend not going to be jealous? Jiang Chen casually asked but soon noticed the gloom on Xia Shiyus face.
Immediately, he realized what happened. He knew someone as smart as Xia Shiyu would not borrow money from sketchy sources. Then the only option was that after she had lost her job, he loaned under her name.
That also exined why she was left helpless in this old and torn down apartment.
Your mans a trash and a half. Jiang Chen stood up for her.
Hes not my man. Xia Shiyu replied with the same emotionless tone.
Why dont you go home? Her apathetic tone made Jiang Chen quite shocked. So to avoid the awkwardness, he changed the subject.
I dont want to bring trouble home. The resilience on her face touched Jiang Chen. She was definitely capable. He thought that maybe it was because upper management had a thing with her. But he was too quick to judge. For a renowned brand, the upper management was not the type to think with the lower half of the body.
To be honest, I am impressed. Jiang Chen said to Xia Shiyu with sincere.
Really? The tone of her voice was filled with self-mockery.
For some strange reason, the second she opened her mouth, Jiang Chen saw a glimpse of wretchedness in her eyes. Perhaps it was not that, perhaps it was weariness.
As a woman, after all the ups and downs she has gone through, she still stayed strong.
Jiang Chen didnt know what wouldfort her. He was not too good atforting woman in general. Or else he wouldnt be single for 20 years.
Silenced ensued again.
Do you want to listen to my story?
Jiang Chen nodded.
She told him everything that happened after she fired Jiang Chen. The store was facing sales problems, and the headquarter was questioning her ability. From a bunch of anonymousints to holding the notice of termination, she felt a mixture of emotions when she left the ce. Unemployed, cheating, and gang harassment, she was running out of options, and she finally decided to flee from her apartment and hide there.
What pushed her from despair to hopelessness was hearing the proud voice of her parents on the other side of the phone. However, she couldnt express her sorrow to them. She could only answer against her will that she was okay, and everything was fine. Her parents were too old to ept this travesty.
Jiang Chen also felt the same heartache when he lost his job. She was not seeking sympathy; she only wanted someone to talk to because she was too tired. However, this person only showed up now.
You are very strong. If theres anything I can do to help, feel free to call me.
Thanks, but I dont need sympathy. Xia Shiyu smiled as she rubbed her teary eye.
Smiled?
Her?
Jiang Chen was stunned.
Is there something on my face? Xia Shiyu felt quite shy after Jiang Chens eyes were locked on her.
No But this is my first time seeing you smile. He nkly nodded. He knew that if he looked in the mirror right now, he would look extremely foolish.
Haha, Xia Shiyu burst out inughter. She was also stunned because she realized that she wasughing. Not only was sheughing but she wasughing joyfully.
Well, is it that funny? Jiang Chen pretended to cough as he awkwardly rubbed his head.
You, are very funny.
[Why is it in a questioning tone?] Jiang Chen rolled his eyes as he looked defeated.
Now that I told you my story, can you tell me yours? She rubbed her eyes. Her softened expression made her face as pristine as snow.
[She has such an adorable face, why would she remain so cold every day?] Jiang Chen murmured in his mind.
Me? There really is not much to say. I made some money with my own business. Jiang Chen guiltily made up an unsophisticated lie.
Xia Shiyu slightly frowned and looked unhappily at Jiang Chen. She didnt even realize such a girly expression appeared on her face.
Hmm? I dont believe it.
Well, there is nothing I can do about it. He opened his palms. Some secrets must be kept hidden forever. But, I do believe youll be an excellent manager. Are you interested?
This was Jiang Chens other consideration.
Open apany and let Xia Shiyu work for him.
Exchanging for gold is not a long term strategy. One day people will question his source of ie. If the government noticed him, he would have to live on the other side of the earth. The best way was to open apany. He even thought about the name. It will be called Futuristic Technology!
His n was to gather all the garbage from the apocalypse and introduce ground-breaking, innovative products.
iPhone, Microsoft, and Samsung will all be names of the past. Could they be as innovative as technology from 200 yearster? Even theputer screen was made by full-sensory technology. If they produced the technology that only existed in sci-fi, all the consumers in the world would go insane.
This was only in the electronic devices.
Blizzards, EA, and Ubisoft would go lunatics over the virtual reality technology. Once a matured virtual reality technology debuts in the market, no one would want to y with a mouse and controller anymore.
Then it would be home appliances, cars, military tech, and even technology for space exploration! The possibilities were endless.
The reason why he chose Xia Shiyu was simple. He couldnt find anyone else, and he trusted her ability. Although they had a conflict in the past, Jiang Chen realized he forgave her quite easily. Maybe it was because she was not a bad person, or maybe it was because of how simr their experiences are.
So when Xia Shiyu hit rock bottom, Jiang Chen reached out to help her and recruited her.
Interested? Xiao Shiyu was still unclear about what Jiang Chen meant.
How many years would you have to work in the flower shop to pay me back? And since you are unemployed, I just found a job for you.
You own thepany? Xia Shiyu looked at him questionably.
What, I cant? I am excited to see my ex-manager work diligently under me. He said jokingly. But he looked quite serious.
She closed her eyes to consider the proposition for a moment. It was quite attractive to her. She didnt have any reason to reject it.
I ept.
Excellent. Jiang Chenughed and extended his hand. Wee on board, Manger Xia. You are hired by Futuristic Technology, and you starting sry will be 10,000.
The sry wasparable to her previous job. Jiang Chens generosity made her feel confused. After so long, he already made this much progress in his career?
She shook Jiang Chens hand. The warm but coarse feeling made her slightly tremble.
Thats a hefty sry you are paying. However, just to be clear, I will not do any sexual favors. Astonishingly, she was surprised she got the job.
Jiang Chen waspletely stunned. He was amazed by the glimpse of charm she disyed. The icy beauty made a dirty joke.
Haha, of course not. But thepany does not condone nor prevent employees from seducing the president. The righteous beauty was obviously no match with Jiang Chen in terms of dirty jokes. After she heard the word seduce, her face flushed with anger.
But to her surprise, she was more embarrassed than angry.
[Whats the reason?]
Can I get a brief description of thepany? Known for her professionalism, she quickly recollected herself. She headed straight to business. Futuristic Technology, thepany sounds like a firm that specializes in the technology sector. What am I in charge of? Sales, or research and development? If it is R&D, although I dont any experience in the area, I am confident that I will be familiar with the responsibilities within a month
Stop, stop right here. Jiang Chen signaled Xia Shiyu to stop talking. With her question-filled eyes fixed on Jiang Chen, he cleared his throat. In simple term, you are the CEO. Therefore you take care of everything. Let the secretary do everything was the way Jiang Chen imagined to be a boss He didnt have the energy to manage people.
Xiao Shiyus face all the sudden turned concerned. She never heard of the Futuristic Technology at all.
Currently, thepany is still in nning stage. Jiang Chen answered the question she was worried about as if it was not a big deal at all. Dont you feel excited? Youll be the Steve Jobs of Hua, and I will be the Bill Gates of Hua!
With passion, he stated the quote that he always wanted to say. He finally had the opportunity to say it.
Wait, why do you have your phone out?
I am reserving a hospital bed for you. Her look expressed which type of hospital she was sending him to written all over it.
Wait, you
She grabbed her phone and convinced her to let him finish.
If you dont join us right now, youll regret it in 5 years! Just like how no one believed in Jack Ma. Wait, dont call. Jiang Chen calmed the almost furious Xia Shiyu with a smile. He was not talented in giving pep talks. He didnt know how to recruit and excite people. He wanted to use what he has learned through WeChat marketing, but it made him even more suspicious in the end.
Simple, your position is the CEO. However, since thepany doesnt have a lot of business right now, why dont you take care of the position of general manager as well. At this stage, Ill pay you 10,000 a month. You dont need to repay me with this money. I really dont care about such a small amount of money. Maybe in the future, your sry would be far above the amount of loan. Dont look at me like that. I am not joking. Your next task is simple. Ill wire you 500,000 so you can incorporate thepany. You dont have to worry about what happens next. In two months, youll be extremely busy.
She sighed as she stared at the Jiang Chen who was feeling great about his speech. Are you not afraid Ill take the money and run?
You are not that kind of a person, Jiang Chen disagreed. Also, 500,000 to learn about a person is worth it. Compared to what thepany will be worth in the future.
Since she still couldnt find a job and owed money, Xia Shiyu made up her mind and agreed.
Yearster, Xia Shiyu would still be grateful when asked about this day. When media asked about how she almost rejected Jiang Chens offer, she would just emotionally say one sentence. Sometimes a split second decision makes a difference between a billionaire and poverty.
Itste now. Ill head back. It was almost one in the morning.
Mhmm. She stood and walked Jiang Chen to the door.
Dont forget to send me your bank ount number. Ill prepay your July sry. Youll get paid at the end of the month. Also, find somewhere nice to live. Its not safe to live here, especially for a beauty like you. The exact contract can only be made when thepany is incorporated. However, Jiang Chen was not too bothered by the details. He had faith in her loyalty.
Xia Shiyu blushed when she heard Jiang Chen call her a beauty. A lot of people called her that before, but this was the first time her heart started to pump faster. She didnt disy her feminine side this time and nodded calmly.
Ok.
Thats all from me. I have to leave for a couple of days, so you might not be able to reach me. Jiang Chen turned around and left.
Wait
Hmm? Jiang Chen turned back.
Thank you You looked very handsome when
At Jiang Chens surprised look, Xia Shiyu mmed the door shut.
[This girl, is she interested in me?] Jiang Chen thought joyfully.
But, it could just be a simple thanks.
He didnt think too much of it.
She leaned behind the closed door and slowly slid onto the ground. The cold feeling of the porcin tile pressed against her smooth leg made her mixed emotions slightly calmer.
[What happened there? Why did I say something so embarrassing] She covered her face as she tried to hid the tingling sensation in her hands. Her lips slightly trembled.
[That was so embarrassing I want to die Ahhhhh!]
In humiliation she hid her head between her legs.
Chapter 22 - Sanya Vacation
Chapter 22: Sanya Vacation
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Sanya, located at the southern tip of Hainan Ind, was also known as Lu city. It was renowned as the eastern Hawaii and the top tourist city in Han. It possessed the most stunning views of the ocean.
Beach, ocean, and bikinis. It was the haven for vacationers.
The slightly salty sea wind carried the fragrance of coconuts. Here, there was no worry about toxic gas and no concern about smog. The city weed tourist with the pristine sky and the aroma of nature. It was one of the cities with the best air quality in Han.
He decided to go on this journey spontaneously.
Beach shirt, sunsses, and an empty suitcase.
A smile emerged on his face as he saw the stretch of crystal clear sky. He stood in front of the airport for a while before finally waving down a taxi. The driver diligently helped Jiang Chen with the suitcase and respectfully opened the door for him.
The excellent service was because he made a reservation at Sheraton, which was the most expensive mansion beside the beach.
The seven-day trip would cost him 220,000, which was enough for a down payment on a house. He would have never experienced this luxury in the past. But now, his goal was to enjoy the journey. The sooner he spent all his money, the earlier he could go back. [Is Sun Jiao okay now?]
Jiang Chen began to miss his hot personal assistant. If she were with him right now, the journey would be much more enjoyable. And Yao Yao, did she take care of herself?
He looked at the view that passed by him. Compared to the always upied feeling in the city, the ind has a more rxed vibe.
[Maybe Ill buy an ind once I have money?]
He enjoyed the beautiful scenery and thought to himself. The car soon arrived at its destination.
The Sheraton!
It was a mansion located at the southernmost tip of the ind, in the dragon bay, and it was also a natural rain forest. The silver white sand extended along the shore. Coconuts and palm trees decorated the beach. Everything a beach was supposed to have existed here.
The service at a world renowned 5-star hotel was indeed ster. The server greeted Jiang Chen as he stepped out of the car. With a smile on his face, he took Jiang Chen to his mansion.
If you need anything, sir, please use the terminal to let us know. Well be here immediately. We wish you have a great vacation and let Sheraton be a part of your delightful memory. With a professional and charming smile, the server passed an iPad looking tablet to Jiang Chen. All the functionality of the hotel could be controlled from this terminal.
He took a deep breath.
WOOHOO!
He threw off his annoying t-shirt and underwear and jumped into the hot spring.
Pooch!
Water sshed as Jiang Chen lied in the hot spring. He was savoring this moment of peace.
[How am I going to spend the next seven days?] He didnt n anything. In his view, the purpose of travel was to rx. The goal was not to do quests here. Since he had all the money and time in the world, he was here to just have fun.
Without sunscreen, even Jiang Chens improved condition couldnt handle direct exposure to the summer sun. He stood up from the hot spring and dried himself with a towel.
After changing into a casual outfit, he walked to the balcony. The view directly overlooked the entirety of Sheratons beach. This mansion was the best sightseeing spot on the beach.
The beach was filled with attractive figures. Jiang Chen automatically filtered out all the dudes. Conservative southeastern beauties, blond and blue-eyed foreigners, and even exquisite Middle Eastern hotties. Some of them bathed in the sun, some of them were ying in the water, some surfed, and some were ying beach volleyball. It was busy down there.
However, he got tired of the scene quite quickly. It was boring watching someone else y. He grabbed a ss of wine and chugged it like beer. He tried to savor the noble taste of the wine, but all he tasted was a sourness.
If Sheratons manager heard Jiang Chenin about the wine, the manager would probably kick him out for hisck of taste.
Maybe he has seen too many crowded ces in the city, and he all he wanted was peace here.
He rubbed sunscreen on himself andid t on a chair. The warm and cozy feeling was delightful. It felt as if every single one of his pores were being massaged. His weariness was also taken away gently by the light breeze of the sea wind.
Away from the noise, he was enjoying the southern kingdoms sunlight. There was also an asional crashing of the waves along the shoreline and theughter from the beauties ying beach volleyball. The noises lightly tingled his rigid ear drums and calmed his tightened nerves. He closed his eyes and peacefully slept.
No wonder all the rich people enjoyed the beach and the ocean in the movie. Why didnt I do this before?
Jiang Chen spent his afternoon in the sun. As the sun began setting in the east, he enjoyed the orangey hue that stretched across the horizon before finally leaving the balcony.
It was already dinner time. Because of Jiang Chens stronger body conditions, he was more sensitive to hunger.
Although he could dine-in, he decided not to. It was his first time at a five-star hotel. He wanted to explore the ce. Whats the point of eating take-out on vacation?
He used the tablet to read over the description of all the facilities in the hotel. It listed everything from maps to the characteristics of each restaurant. Just as he was ncing through each restaurant, the terminal vibrated. It signaled he had mail in front of his door.
Mail?
He opened the door and found a box.
It was an invitation.
The Saudi Prince Mr. Yef for his beloved princess birthday party? What the hell is this?
The most luxurious restaurant at Sheraton was hosting a dinner tonight. It invited all the celebrity and person of importance to attend. It was a birthday for a Saudi princes princess. Jiang Chen who lived in the most expensive room obviously received an invitation.
Hehe, since I already got the invitation, Ill see whats out there.
Jiang Chens smiled as he disyed a glimpse of interest.
Of course, see whats out there was equivalent to what was there to eat.
Chapter 23 - Upper Class
Chapter 23: Upper ss
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
It was a private function, so the dress code of the gathering was formal. Jiang Chen was the only one that showed up in a casual outfit. His n was to vacation here, so he had no intention of bringing a formal suit.
A pianist performed at the front of the restaurant. The elegant piano resonated within the room. The elites from all kinds of industries mingled and bonded in search of their inner circle. Jiang Chen stood out among the others as he circled on the edge of the dinner table with tes filled with food. His primary interest was on the table stuffed with delicious treats. Networking nor dancing interested him.
[Hmm, this steak is f*cking delicious.] He delicately chewed and nodded his head in satisfaction. He tried to act elegantly by gently rubbing the grease off of his lips. Although he was a foodie, if he didnt care about his gesture at all, he would be a peasant. Maybe security would even escort him out.
He held his wine and gazed onto the person at he center of everyones attention. The Saudi prince was indeed remarkably wealthy. The princess looked gorgeous. Her graceful figure curved like an hourss. Her delicate nose paired with her crystal-like eyes created a perfect elegance. The princess possessed the facial characteristics of an eastern beauty and the figures of the exquisite western woman. Herposure also foretold her sense of ss to everyone around.
She didnt wear a headscarf, so she must have been from Lebanon.
An enormous diamond, shaped like a star, decorated her wless neck. Jiang Chen didnt know how much it would cost but based on the size, it must be worth millions.
The prince standing beside her was also handsome. Jiang Chen observed that the two protagonists were surrounded by either arms dealers to oil tycoons. There were a few Asian looking face mixed in between, but he couldnt be sure of their nationality
The rest of the elites gathered in groups. Jiang Chen saw several familiar faces. There was a renowned singer here, and the bald guy from Fast and Furious. He was surprised by the fact that so many celebrities were here as well, but he didnt have any intention of talk to them.
Mr. Yef, why did you choose the mysterious east to celebrate this special moment with your princess.
Haha, I am especially fond of this ce. Last time I was in Hawaii, but its quite nice here as well. There are no reporters here.
Of course, there were reporters, but they were all invited by the police to have a chat. The conversation was probably about passport documents. Regardless of how frustrated those foreign reporters were, the police didnt let them go. In this country, it was more important to make sure youplied with the legal process than report meaningless news. When the time was right, then you could leave.
In this country, money was more useful than capitalistic countries.
Last time in Hawaii, Yef spent double the amount of money to hire gangs to take care of the situation. He also spent the same amount and bribed the cops to ignore the situation.
Theplete service of the country fitted the needs of the Saudi prince well.
Because of the importance Yef ced on privacy, his friends would always take the journey to see him. Although the friendly Yef invited everyone who resided at the hotel, not everyone lived here.
Some people booked the hotel for a few nights to ess this resourcefulwork. Jiang Chen was quite lucky that he booked out the most expensive hotel. He didnt know that the Saudi prince was having a party here.
Mr. f, are you interested in five oil tankers of crude oil?
Of course I am interested. We burn those every day. Haha, Mr. Zachof, if you would please chat with me.
My pleasure.
A deal was made almost every minute between each conversation. Jiang Chen sighed as he couldnt believe the scene. He witnessed deals happen while eating salmon. What a bizarre idea. He even heard a few Asian billionaires talk about business, stock markets and even some private matters. Jiang Chen also heard some quite explosive headlines.
For example, a rumored engaged actress showed up at the real estate tycoons roomst night. Also, a female singer known for her pureness was at a sexual party. Jiang Chen even downloaded a few of her songs.
The news her heard shocked him, but he was not too surprised. Sexual favors were alwaysmon among the celebrity circle. If the reporters managed to sneak in, there would be unimaginable consequences. Of course, no reporters would show up.
A5 Kobe Beef. Great stuff.
Mhmm, these things are sure nice Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows and nced at the bulky white man across from him.
This small piece is worth 300 USD. The way you eat it makes you feel poor. The white male with short hair and a mustache smiled. He spoke fluent Mandarin which surprised Jiang Chen.
How did you know I was Han? Jiang Chen curiously asked. Han, Korean, and Japanese people were hard to distinguish when they stood side by side. Even Jiang Chen himself wouldnt be able to tell.
I have great people identifying skills. My name is Bruce Miller. He smiled and extended his hand. [Because you eat the most.] Bruce thought in his head.
He shook Bruces hand and exchanged a friendly smile. Jiang Chen.
[I know you are up to no good.] Jiang Chen also judged.
Instinct told Jiang Chen that this guy was not simple. The not simple did not refer to whether he was rich or not. Everyone here has money here. The scent of blood surrounded him. Only people who have experienced life and death possessed this unique kind of vibe. Jiang Chen was alerted. He didnt know what this guy wanted.
Dont worry, its great to see someone in the same trade. Bruce sensed Jiang Chens cautious look and waved his hand.
[Oh, he thinks Im in the same trade as him.] Jiang Chen didnt know what to say. Mhmm? Am I that obvious? He didnt correct him and asked in a curious tone.
Have you not noticed that the security here is looking at you? Bruce sipped his ss of wine and said slowly.
[Looking at me? Why are they looking at me?] Jiang Chen nced at the guards with their shades on. Their muscr body looked forceful in his eyes. He didnt know how Bruce noticed they were watching him through their shades. Jiang Chen also took a sip of his wine.
Me? Mr. Bruce, I think you made a mistake. I am only an ordinary person here on vacation. Jiang Chen said in a calm tone.
After Bruce had heard Jiang Chens words, he let out a sigh. He was a mercenary, so he usually would not be allowed to show up at a gathering like this. However, since his team was responsible for Prince Yefs security, he was granted permission. The first thing that caught his eye was Jiang Chen. The sense of blood made him extremely cautious. This guy was dangerous. He didnt have bulky muscles, but he had a peculiar feeling that if they fought in closebat, there was an 80% chance that he would lose.
If Jiang Chen heard his question, he would probablyugh and tell him that he would 100% lose. Regardless of how strong his technique was, Jiang Chen would destroy him with his strength and reflex.
He noticed that Jiang Chen was only here for the food. So he questioned his judgment. Maybe it was a colleague just here on vacation.
To better understand the situation, he exchanged opinions with his team before finally deciding to have a conversation.
Thats excellent. Enjoy your dinner sir. Bruce smiled and raised his cup.
Bruce didnt leave right away but instead chatted with Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen was also curious about the life of the foreign mercenaries, so the conversation was quite lovely.
That time it was in Kane. We escorted a top government military to the frontlines of the battle. We got nked. After a couple sses of wine, Bruce was clearly more excited. I thought it was the Russians because they had strong fire power. So in the end, we were forced to stay in a building until the tanks arrived.
It was not a secret, so Bruce didnt hide too much. From their conversation, Jiang Chen knew that they were part of ck Water Internationals security team responsible for oversea businesses. Bruce was experienced in the battlefield. He was active in the Iraq war before he retired.
Since we are just casually chatting, why dont you tell me about yourself, Mr. Jiang? I am quite curious, for I cant afford the beach mansion with my sry.
The goal of making money is to enjoy it afterward. What would I save it for? My coffin? Jiang Chen smiled as he answered his question. He was also on his third steak.
My bad. If you dont feelfortable sharing your business, then dont worry. Bruces fine dining etiquette didnt seem to match his history of violence.
Oh, its not that big of a deal. To put it in simple terms, it has to do with gold. Jiang Chen said mysteriously.
Hmm? Do you work in South Africa? Thats a good ce. Bruce nodded
No, its in Asia. Jiang Chen shook his head. Bruce was quite surprised.
To my knowledge, Asia is not a hotspot for a lot of business. Is there a lot of business there? Bruce looked confused.
Thats not true. There is a lot of business near the border. We get paid in gold. Jiang Chen made up a story.
Bruce listened to the story and smiled back. He then kept his silence.
A lot of conversations are better when they are off topic, especially for a mercenary like him. There were usually two types of border businesses. Firearms or drugs. Both of them were not conversation topics suitable for the public. These types of gathering usually prepared private rooms for these matters.
These gatherings also had FBA agents lurking around. Questions too specific would be impolite in public.
The gathering safely reached its conclusion. After the Princes romantic remark to the Princess, the elites began to depart. As Jiang Chen was preparing to leave, Bruce offered him his business card and said goodbye.
The reason why he chatted with Jiang Chen was primarily because he wanted to keep an eye on him. Since the gathering was over, he didnt need to stay there any longer.
Jiang Chen stuffed the business card into his pocket, as he would unlikely meet Bruce again. Jiang Chen didnt want to create too much attention in the modern world, but he kept the business card in case he ever needed something from Bruce.
Chapter 24 - Liu Yao
Chapter 24: Liu Yao
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
A gathering of this caliber obviously would attract the attention of other tourists. They could only look from afar under the close watch of security. A lot of fan girls screamed when they saw the muscr Dwayne Johnson. However, the elites all left with their femalepanion, under the protection of their bodyguards, .
People who attended the dinner were obviously either rich or important. This became an obvious target for girls who were looking for sugar daddy. It would be life changing if they managed to create something romantic here.
The opportunity always existed. Some of the celebrities actually preferred these types of girls. There was even an event that made national news consisting of these celebrities.
Sheraton didnt make too much of anmotion over these people. They allowed pretty looking girls to enter the hotel even if they lived elsewhere.
If the ce was too orderly, where would the fun be?
Hi, handsome. Are you by yourself? A beauty with the most pleasant smile casually flirted with Jiang Chen. She was wearing nothing but a pair of sunsses and a simple bikini.
The elegant curves of her breasts were at least a D cup. Her delicate and thin waist matched with her long and wless legs, and slightly curled hairstyle gave her vibe that was both pure and graceful. She was no doubt sexy, but who knew if her breasts were real? Or if she was actually pure on the inside?
Indeed I am alone. Is there anything I can help you with, beauty? Jiang Chen gazed at her dazzling smile and smiled as well. He had no moral grounds to hold back. If the possibility of a one night stand presented itself, he would not resist the offer.
Of course, I am missing a malepanion to enjoy the beach with. The beauty sensed that there was an opportunity and a confident smile appeared on her face. She strutted towards Jiang Chen and then leaned into him.
With a light but hot and seductive breathe, Jiang Chen felt a rush of desire into his abs.
Oh? Thats perfect then. My mansion at the beach alsocks the presence of a femalepanion. Jiang Chen approached the beautys ear and whispered.
The warm breath of air and the explosive news made the beauty gasp in shock. Sheratons beach mansion cost at least twenty to thirty thousand a day. When she discovered she hit the jackpot, she immediately became more enthusiastic. She hopped energetically beside Jiang Chen and grabbed him by the arm.
Excellent, can you show me your mansion? Her pristine eyes portrayed her as an innocent girl, as her pair of boobs identally pressed against Jiang Chens arm. She had a kind of pureness to her attraction.
Her soft and sweet voice made Jiang Chen want to eat her on the spot.
My name is Jiang Chen, may I ask what your name is, beauty? With chivalry, Jiang Chen hugged the graceful figure and smiled.
Liu Yao. I dont know if you have watched before, but I am the supporting actress in it. Liu Yao seductively and gently breathed on Jiang Chens ears most sensitive spot and grazed her teeth against it. Her eyes were like a crest, you can call me Yaoyao.
Teen dramas have been quite popr in recent years. Low production costs along with high reception rates made this genre of films fill every screen across the country. Although in Jiang Chens teenage years there was no abortion, leaving the country or someone dying made up the majority of these films plotlines. Jiang Chen was also not necessarily interested in the unrealistic scenarios, but he still went to a movie with a university ssmate he had a crush on.
Something interesting to note was that by the end of the date, Jiang Chen didnt even manage to hold the girls hand.
The busty but innocent looking math ss representative Chen Lele? Thats a shame. There were only a few seconds for such an attractive character. He nced at the massive pair of boobs and smiled. He would never tell Liu Yao that he went to see the movie with a female ssmate and even masturbated to it before. Ill call you Lele. I prefer this name better.
The name Yaoyao belonged to an adorable girl.
Liu Yao without a clue smiled and followed Jiang Chen to the mansion at the beach.
When they stepped through the door, her delightful figure was immediately pressed against Jiang Chens body. Liu Yao proactively offered her seductive lips.
He felt her impressive breasts push up against his chest as well as her flirtatious tongue dancing in his mouth. Jiang Chens repressed desire was reignited.
Liu Yao was skillful in knowing a mans sensitive spots, and she used her gentle hands to push Jiang Chen to his emotional climax. It was a fantastic time to have sex with an experienced woman as they knew all the weaknesses. They will proactively attack those weaknesses and lead the way to happiness.
Also, responsibility was never an issue afterward.
Lele, lets shower together. Jiang Chens heavy breathing resonated beside Liu Yaos ear. His annoying clothing had long been removed by Liu Yaos teasing touch.
Student Jiang Chen, you have to be respectful. With his warm and firm muscles, Liu Yao also felt a little wet. However, she suddenly frowned and rejected Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen was confused as he didnt realize what she was doing. Though when he felt the warmth of her hands still on his body and saw her desire filled eyes, he immediately understood everything.
No wonder she is an actress. Although she was a third tier at best, her acting skills were superb.
With a smirk, Jiang Chen roughly grabbed Liu Yao and whispered into her ear, this is not up to you, my math ss representative.
Water sshed again as the soothing hot spring became a steamy love bed.
As Lele was already in her bikini, there was no need to remove it. Liu Yao fiercely resisted against Jiang Chens attack, but at the same epted his waves of thrust.
In the water; beside the hot tub; on the beach chair; those two left their battle marks everywhere.
Afterwards.
Did it feel nice? Liu Yaoidfortably on the bed like a gentle cat and gazed sweetly at Jiang Chen.
You devil. Jiang Chen jokingly cursed at her while he pped her butt. His actions made her scorn.
The softness of the bed along with the soft melody whispered into his ears gently massaged his head. The asional sea wind only made the moment more soothing.
What a time to be alive.
Jiang Chen eximed from the bottom of his heart.
What do you think, student Jiang Chen, of the math ss representatives private tutor lesson? Are you satisfied? Liu Yao gently joked, as she leaned towards Jiang Chen, with her chin resting on her palm.
Its believed that women are more attractive from this angle.
Extremely. Jiang Chen gave her a warm smile and reached out to touch her delicate face.
Like fine porcin, crafted to perfection.
Am I beautiful?
Youre beautiful. Jiang Chen answered honestly as he began to y with her fluffy hair.
Where is your girlfriend? Liu Yao, all of the sudden, changed the topic. A sign of ambition emerged from her gentle, watery eyes.
In a different world. It would be considered a different world no doubt if Sun Jiao was considered his girlfriend. Jiang Chen didnt lie.
Except the words were interpreted differently by Liu Yao as the obvious exnation was she passed away. Jiang Chens identity all the sudden changed from a wealthy man seeking for a one night stand to a sessful business man that just lost the love of his life. This ignited the desire in Liu Yaos eyes.
With a slight sorrowful expression on her face, Liu Yao gently hugged Jiang Chens head and used her soft breasts tofort his remorse spirit.
In her eyes, Jiang Chens silence was because of his lost.
Jiang Chen didnt bother exining. He quietly enjoyed Liu Yaos small gestures as little Jiang Chen, who just finished a hard fought battle, began to show signs of life again.
Sensing Jiang Chens movement, Liu Yao understandingly smiled and tapped his chest with her finger. She stopped Jiang Chen from getting up.
Leave it to me. She enchantingly smiled and gracefully move her body before lowering her head.
After a long and tiring session, Liu Yao swallowed the fruit of victory in front Jiang Chen. She was delighted when she noticed Jiang Chens brief excitement at the act.
Are you feeling better now?
Excellent. I feel like I am about to fly. Jiang Chen exaggerated.
Travelling by yourself is lonely right? She took a napkin and wiped the edge of her mouth. She then resumed to rest on the spot and innocently shook out her long and seductive legs.
Of course. No wonder a good vacation requires a beauty. Jiang Chen satisfyingly stretched out his limbs.
Do you want me to always be with you? Liu Yao touchingly gazed at Jiang Chen.
I have seven days of vacation. I hope youll be with me for those seven days. Jiang Chen euphemistically but determinedly rejected Liu Yao.
He didnt mind sharing a memorable experience with a supporting actress from the movie, but he would never ept her as one of his own. He didnt have any moral codes to abide by, but it didnt mean he was willing to ept.
Liu Yao paused for a moment before she awkwardly smiled. She didnt insist. She knew too well the certainty in a mans words. She also clearly understood that Jiang Chen would ept her as his woman, she had the realization the moment she entered the acting scene.
Except, she still felt slightly at a loss.
Jiang Chen is young and powerful, which is significantly betterpared to the beer-bellied movie investors. Jiang Chens looks also appealed to her taste and were able to meet her materialistic needs. However, the reality was like what happened in the movie, Lele and the main actor didnt manage to be together.
In the next seven days, youll have an allowance of ten thousand dors a day. Buy something with it. You can also use my mansion free at will. Jiang Chen softly caressed Liu Yaos face and whispered.
Mhmm, Liu Yao closed her eyes and covered Jiang Chens hand as she gently replied.
This amount was significantly higher than her sry, and the job was much more rxing. There was nothing she was unsatisfied about. Jiang Chen had no weird fetishes and always treated her with gentleness.
She thought about it before she slowly climbed on top of Jiang Chen.
If that is the case, at least for the next few days, lets enjoy this rare vacation.
Chapter 25 - Robert’s Invitation
Chapter 25: Roberts Invitation
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
The next day, Jiang Chen woke up when the first ray of sunshine shone into the room.
He looked at the EP. When the EP was not fully deployed, the appearance was simr to a ssy but odd looking watch.
****
User Name: Jiang Chen
Muscle Strength: 25
Bone Strength: 27
Reflex: 29
Brain Cell Strength: 14
****
The three body conditions increased by one or two points, and that concluded the full potential of the gene vine. Any additional improvements would have toe from working out or more advanced medication. Sun Jiaos ridiculous numbers were the result of near death experiences that triggered more potential from the gene vine. Sun Jiao and Jiang Chen both used the standard type of gene vine, but he could only reach her numbers in Fury mode. It was not too hard to imagine the danger she must have had to face.
He closed his EP and looked at the sleeping Liu Yao.
Jiang Chen didnt wake her up and walked onto the balcony.
He leaned against the fence and breathed in the refreshing sea wind that was blowing into his face. He poured himself a cup of wine and waited for the sunrise.
Rxing, calming, luxurious
Whats next? What have I not experienced? He mumbled in deep thought.
After he had returned to this world, his mental state became more stable. The bloody scene faded from his heart, and he felt his sanity was back to normal again.
He sighed, he didnt like the taste of wine, but he still took a sip.
Its not good for you to drink wine in the morning.
Oh? You are awake. Jiang Chen paused slightly and turned around.
Mhmm. Liu Yao tidied her hair against the sea wind. She didnt wear anything but was covered by a simple bathrobe. She looked quite graceful in the middle of the sea wind.
Ok, why dont you watch the sunrise with me. He left the wine on the table beside him.
Liu Yao gracefully walked towards Jiang Chen and slightly leaned against him. The rising sun reflected a golden shadow on her beautiful face. Jiang Chen, who peaked at her, was stunned.
Are you looking at me, or are you watching the sunrise?
Beauty, and the sunrise. Jiang Chen smiled. His vision extended beyond the horizon.
I dont understand.
Hmm? Liu Yao fixed her slightly messy hair.
You are gorgeous and smart, but why are you not popr? Jiang Chen cracked a smile. He saw the film , and although it was to chase after the girl who didnt end up liking him back, he still finished the movie.
The supporting actresses only had a few scenes to emphasize the supporting actors unfortunate existence. However, those scenes left deep impressions in Jiang Chens heart. Her acting was astonishing for a supporting actress.
Beauties can also be unfortunate. Particrly for an unsupported person like me. Liu Yaos lip pursed slightly. It was a mockery of reality and a self-mockery. However, she still gazed at Jiang Chen with some expectation.
Jiang Chen didnt continue the conversation. He saw the expectation in her eyes, but he didnt want to respond.
Everyone has their tragedies, but thats their story. Jiang Chen only wanted to touch the graceful and delicate chapters, not the sorrow-filled stories.
Live life to the fullest.
Even through the odd encounter with her, Jiang Chen was nobody in the crowded world.
Since it was a vacation, lets just temporarily forget about life.
Ding.
The electronic bell disrupted Jiang Chens peace. Hezily turned over the iPad terminal.
Who is this? Jiang Chen opened the front camera. It was Bruces fully mustached face.
My dear friend, did you forget about me in just one night? Bruces humorously used. His fluent Han always shocked Jiang Chen.
Haha, of course not. Let me open the door for you. Jiang Chen closed the terminal and put on his slippers.
Your friend? Liu Yao looked at the white male on the iPad with curiosity.
Business partner I guess? Jiang Chen shrugged. Liu Yao kept her mouth closed. In her eyes, Jiang Chen was an elite that attended an international gathering. It would be rude of her to ask more questioned. However, what she didnt know was that the guy was only a mercenary, and no business would happen untilter.
Jiang Chen was good at making people think too much.
Smart People always saved him the trouble of exining things.
Do you need me to leave?
No but, why dont you go check out from your hotel and put your luggage here. Jiang Chen said with a naughty smile. You wont have any chances to go back.
Jiang Chen decided it was better for Liu Yao to not be present.
These rooms always prepared extra clothes for the wealthy. However, no one bothered to wear the clothes they provided.
To Jiang Chens surprise, there was actual business for him.
My old friend, arent you a bodyguard for the Saudi Prince? What brings you here? Jiang Chen took a waft of Bruces cigar.
Hehe. Bruce hesitated for a moment but soon cut straight to the chase. My ex-employer overheard our conversation yesterday. Hes interested in you and wants me to make a formal introduction.
Oh? Jiang Chen was caught off guard. [Does he want to hire me?] He didnt want to carry an assault rifle to a military hotspot to fight wars. He had better business to do. I dont want to ruin my vacation here.
I think you are misunderstanding the situation, Bruce read the uncertainty in Jiang Chens eyes. He took a breath and then blew a ring. Then in a genuine voice, he began, Roberts Smith is a respectable middleman. He is in the crude oil and gold business. He once hired me in Iraq. Quite a nice fellow. He came here to attend the gathering of an old customer, and he is now living in the presidential suite on the seventh floor.
Gold? Jiang Chen eyes lit up. [Looks like I must see him.]
Chapter 26 - The Middleman
Chapter 26: The Middleman
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Wee, you must be Mr. Jiang. My friend from the mysterious East.
After Jiang Chen had entered the room, he saw a white male with blond curly hair approach him with an amiable smile. He used a hand gesture that he learned from one of the kungfu movies and greeted Jiang Chen.
Although he was white, Mr. Roberts face was nowhere close to white. His skin looked as coarse as sandpaper. However, hisposure and clean appearance made Jiang Chen sense his respect.
Nice to meet you, you must be Mr. Robert. Mr. Bruce introduced you to me. Jiang Chen felt a little weird but returned the same hand gesture.
To be honest, it was awkward using the foreigners way to greet others. The idea was simply a bit confusing, but that was what happened.
Bruce is a nice guy. He took a bullet for me in the Middle East. It was a pleasure to meet him again, and as the famous Han proverb goes, a friends friend is my friend. Am I right? Mr. Robert extended his hand.
Of course. Your Han is remarkable. Jiang Chen held onto Mr. Roberts hand and firmly shook it as he expressed his shock.
Although, Jiang Chen didnt know if what Mr. Robert said was truly a proverb.
Haha, of course. I always had a keen interest in this mysterious eastern kingdom. There are opportunities everywhere. Mr. Roberts eyes rested on Jiang Chen, and then he gestured gracefully. Pleasee in, my friend. I have a Lafitte from 1982. I wanted to try it for a long a time.
I cant say no to this invite.
The wine tasted different than the wine provided by the hotel. The bloody red liquid expelled an exquisite fragrance of time. Even for someone like Jiang Chen, who had no experience in wine tasting, he still tasted the difference.
The man who stood by Mr. Roberts side was as silent as a rock. However, Jiang Chen sensed the monstrous nature from his stature. He had a pair of shades on, but his protruding nose indicated that he was a v. His bear-like vibe perhaps indicated that he came from a Soviet country.
My bodyguard, Nick Brusian. We met in Kane. Hes also a good guy and responsible for my safety. Mr. Robert noticed Jiang Chen staring. Bruce is a good guy, but ck Water International sometimes does shady business. They are also a bit too close to the FBA, so I had to find a different partner.
Despite the conversation revolving around him, the statue-like bodyguard did not show any reactions.
Is your business dangerous? Jiang Chen sat on the chair and casually changed the topic. I heard from Bruce that you are a renowned middleman in the UA. Crude oil and gold?
Absolutely. Apart from the rtively safe crude oil and gold, I have to sometimes obtain firearms for my employer. If I get my hands on those, there will always be someone after my life.
Mr. Robert lit up a cigar. He offered Jiang Chen one as well. Your country has strict gun control, which makes it feel like heaven to me. However, good times are always shortsting. I have a flight to South Africa at 3 oclock.
You sure you have enough time? Jiang Chen nced at the clock, it was 11 already.
Dont worry, Mr. Robert waved his hand and smiled. He then sat straight up. I am very interested in Mr. Jiangs business. Is there anything I can do to help you?
Jiang Chen paused for a brief moment. He dusted the cigar and sat up as well.
I hope there is no confusion here, my friend. I idently overheard your conversation with Brucest night. It was an ident, but business always sprouts from asions. I have been looking for opportunities here in the Far East, and I am still exploring. My instinct tells me that we can be great partners.
Hmm? Jiang Chen didnt make a fuzz about eavesdropping. With a slight interest, he continued the conversation, For example?
Mr. Jiang, businesses are paid in gold right? However, to my knowledge, your countrysw prohibits therge sell-off of gold because it would attract the governments attention. Especially, gold without the proof of ownership.
Looks like Mr. Robert is extremely knowledgeable about our countrysws. However, is there no issues with selling gold in the UA? Jiang Chen nodded without disagreeing with hisment.
Of course there are problems. Though in the UA, we speak with thew and with evidence, not with politics. I have a professional team to deal those kinds of issues. Even if I have a little problem with the FBA right now, I am still here chatting with you, right? With a mysterious smile, he continued, How I do this? Let me give you an example. I incorporated a shellpany in Saudi. I received a batch of crude oil from Iran. ording to the sanction, my action is against thew. However, if the crude oil is sold through my shellpany in Saudi, then the crude oil will be legal to sell within the international market.
[If you already told me this, are you not afraid?] Jiang Chen immediately understood why. With such a strong bodyguard, he must have a strong security team.
He now has a clear understanding of Mr. Roberts business. This middleman has the ability to ess the ck market.
It looks like we do have a partnership opportunity. Jiang Chen smiled.
I am an honest businessman, Mr. Robert saw that his deal was made and a delighted smile appeared on his face. Ill ept the gold regardless of the amount. As long as your gold is sold through my miningpany in South Africa, it will be legal once it enters the international market. You dont have to worry about the specifics. You can just sell the gold to me. Ill take a 9% processing fee.
Jiang Chen considered it.
9% was not a lot to begin with. All of his gold had no costs associated with it. It would be okay to sell a small amount to the gold shop but if he did offer ten tons of gold, not a lot of gold shops would dare to ept it. Even if he sold it in smaller batches, there was a high chance he would be suspected. The Liu Anshan guy also gave him a weary feeling. He probably wasnt that clean either.
Its always better to be careful. Although selling gold to foreigners is considered smuggling, Mr. Robert probably has it figured out.
Mr. Robert saw that Jiang Chen was silent. He wasnt sure either if the 9% is too high. However, this business was not risk-free. The capital to purchase the gold would be a problematic amount. If the amount was over 20 million USD, then he must take a private loan to fund the deal. The interest would not be a small number.
However, if Jiang Chen possessed arge amount of gold, he could lower the fee by a percentage.
Just as Mr. Robert was about to lower the price, Jiang Chen suddenly opened his mouth.
No problem, but I have a condition.
Jiang Chen words surprised Mr. Robert at first, but a joyful smile ensued.
I can guarantee the quality of the gold. Its the 24K gold you guysmonly refer to. I believe you have the expertise to determine that as well. Of course, the gold in the bank would be authentic. However, you have to be responsible for the transportation. I will only transport the gold to a location within the country. Also, you must pay in USD, on the spot. I will take no further responsibility once the transaction isplete.
No problem, my friend! Mr. Robert agreed without hesitation. Looks like we have a deal?
Of course, cheers. Jiang Chen dly extended his hand.
Cheers. Mr. Robert cheerfully held onto Jiang Chens hand as they both stood up.
Heres my card. If you are ready, why dont we arrange a time in the future? Also, it would be best to prepare a Swiss bank ount, it is the most convenient.
Absolutely, I wish you the best of luck.
Can I learn a little more about your background? How much are you going to sell, Mr. Jiang? Ill have to prepare enough liquidity. Mr. Robert asked this slightly intruding question to prepare for the worst.
Oh, theres no rush. Ill give you a call on July 15th. The amount is probably a few tons. Jiang Chen exited the room and left a stunned Mr. Robert.
His face waspletely nk. He didnt even realize he dropped his expensive cigar.
A few tons?
With the current market condition, an ounce of gold traded at 1,350 USD. One ton of gold would be 43,402,500 USD. At a processing fee of 9%, he would make 10 million with just three tons of gold.
This is ridiculous. 9%?!
Easiest money of his life.
A few tons of gold?! He would have done it with 7%. How wealthy was Jiang Chen to not even negotiate. It also strengthened Mr. Roberts assumption that the gold was definitely from illegal sources.
[What kind of business is he doing? Did he rob the central bank?]
Oh God. It took Mr. Robert a while to recollect his thoughts. Then he gasped, Oh my, I am going to be rich.
He only made half a million selling 10,000 barrels of crude oil with the risk that the UA military may detain the shipment. However, Jiang Chen decided the fate of a billion dor deal in a few minutes.
Nick, do you think our friend from the Far East is reliable? Mr. Robert murmured as if he was still dreaming. He knew Nick has no understanding of business, but he needed someone to tell him that this was not a dream.
Sorry boss, I dont know a whole lot. Bruce expected Nicks response. He was silent, before he continued, However, I know this man is dangerous.
Really? Does he know martial arts? Mr. Robertughed at the statement. He made a funny pose as if he was Bruce Lee.
Nick stared at the pretentious boss and shook his head. He knew his boss quite well. Whenever Bruce was excited, he would always make some funny poses to express his excitement.
From a soldiers instinct, this guy is stronger than Bruce. It was his job to ensure his safety. Therefore, he gave his honest opinion.
Mr. Robert was surprised by thement. He is not a merchant? No way, my instincts are usually right.
Nick hesitated for a moment before continuing, Maybe he is a merchant, but hisbat technique is quite strong. My instincts tell me that even if he cant beat me with firearms, we are a 50/50 split in closebat.
Mr. Robert took a while to process thement. He has seen Nicks ability before. In Kane, when he sold firearms to the government forces under the permission of the UA government, the civil forces attacked him. Nick immediately pulled out the gun of the wounded government official and used the remaining 9 bullets to bring him back to safety. He killed more 10 civil militants during the exchange.
Now Nick is saying Jiang Chens closebat power isparable to his?
Mr. Robert, all of the sudden, burst intoughter.
No wonder the Far East is a mysterious kingdom. Why dont we head to Egypt next time? Hahaha.
No wonder Jiang Chen didnt hire any bodyguards. His prowess in fighting is enough in this gun prohibited country. However, it had nothing to do with their agreement.
Mr. Robert is an honest merchant. He always believed that honoring agreements would bring him long term returns. He never did things that killed the eggying chicken.
Even if he saw diamonds in a refugee camp in Africa in the hand of a starving kid, he would only exchange it with candy, not bullets. After all, a bullet is much more expensive than candy.
Mr. Robert never doubted Jiang Chens ability to provide the few ton of gold, nor did he have the ability to investigate his background on this mysterious piece ofnd. What is business without the proper risk?
Mr. Robert was willing to make a bet. Jiang Chens decisive attitude was definitely backed by tons of gold.
Plus, there was nothing to gain for him in the end if it was a lie.
Chapter 27 - Enjoying Life
Chapter 27: Enjoying Life
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Jiang Chen was delighted. He acted calm and collected during the meeting, but he had a spring in his step as soon as he walked out of the door.
Ecstatic, was the only way he could describe his mood.
He managed to sell off several tons of gold, which was something he had never imagined.
His previous n was to separate the gold into small amounts and sell it off to gold shops. Although it was inefficient and prone to be spotted by the local gangs, it was the safest way. Arge amount would attract the attention of the authority, and they may force Jiang Chen to turn all of the gold in. They are always looking for ways to make money from regr people.
What? This is your gold? How do you prove this gold belongs to you?
Of course, Jiang Chen couldnt prove it since the gold really didnt belong to him.
Jiang Chen was sure that the government would release a statement to say that even though the gold doesnt belong to the government, it doesnt belong to Jiang Chen either.
He thought he would be able to sell off a hundred million dors worth of gold before getting found, but now it seems like it would no longer be an issue. If this foreign friend helped him to find the means to sell, everything would be easy. He just needed to create a Swedish Bank ount, and the gold worth hundreds of millions would no longer be a problem.
Transporting gold was not difficult at all. A ton of gold was only 0.5 cubic meters which only would cost half a crystal in energy to store.
When he left the main hotel building, Jiang Chen chose to return to the mansion. Liu Yao was probably still waiting for him.
He got to the front of the mansion and saw Liu Yao under the shade of the trees.
Liu Yao wasnt wearing a bikini like the first time he saw her. Instead, she changed into a beige dress with aced floppy hat. Her presence could be felt miles away.
She knew exactly how she attracted people, with thebination of her purity and seduction.
Why did you take so long? I am starving, Liu Yao gave him a coquetry as she swayed her slender waist. Her coquetry didnt feel staged at all.
Haha, Ill take you out for food. Jiang Chen opened the mansion door, and chivalrously took over Liu Yaos bag. What do you want to eat? Dont be shy!
Yay! I want to eat at the cier Ocean Restaurant. Liu Yao adorably clung onto Jiang Chens arm like a loving girlfriend.
Ok! Ill take you there.
A bright smile appeared on her face as she was pleased with the way Jiang Chen responded. She hugged Jiang Chens arm as they walked towards the restaurant.
Perhaps she was acting, or maybe she was just following her heart.
The division between the two was too faint to distinguish.
cier Ocean Restaurant is a renowned restaurant in Sheraton and extending its influence to the rest of the Sanya.
The water-themed restaurant was surrounded by the mixture of the pristine sky and the mysterious sea. Arrays of palm and coconut trees showcased natures vibrant energy. The vast collection of wine disyed at the entrance of the hotel left all the diners dazed. Then the customers were quickly captivated by the sophistication and ss of the restaurant.
The private room in the middle of the restaurant was even more intricate. The aquarium-like design transformed the dinner into a unique experience as if they were in the midst of the ocean. There was no need for extra decorations, as the reflection of the waters waves created the perfect atmosphere.
Jiang Chen and Liu Yao sat in the private room.
I heard the view at night is even better, but the view at noon is also remarkable. Jiang Chen savored the fresh taste of salmon meat and took a sip from the delicious Wen Chang chicken soup. Delicacies filled the table, and he was even dazzled by all the choices.
This Boston lobster is delicious! Liu Yao yfully stuck out her tongue. She skillfully used her graceful finger to dissect the lobster in front of her.
Beauty is something one can truly enjoy. Jiang Chen picked up a piece of m. The way Liu Yao ate was extremely pleasing to the eyes.
Hehe, pretty right? She pouted as she continued to struggle with the lobster.
I was talking about the lobster. Liu Yaos cute look didnt stop Jiang Chen from teasing her.
Screw you!
Liu Yao didnt have a big appetite, so she chose all the light but fine dishes. The majority of the food went into Jiang Chens stomach. He had an appetiteparable to two adult males.
Looks like you are ecstatic today. She rubbed the corner of her mouse with a napkin as she looked at Jiang Chens lively eyes.
Indeed, I signed a big deal. He didnt hide anything.
Eh? I thought it was because of me. She joked.
With a mischievous smile, Jiang Chen approached Liu Yao. How big do you think the deal is?
One million? USD? With her red lips open, she took a sip of wine. She didnt care how much Jiang Chen made as it had nothing to do with her. However, she understood a males ego as Jiang Chen wasnt keeping this from her. She pretended to be curious.
One million? Thats pocket change. With his back leaned against the chair, Jiang Chen smiled.
Pocket change? Liu Yao shockingly stared at Jiang Chen.
At least one hundred million, Jiang Chen replied. He pretended it was not a big deal.
Ahem. Liu Yao covered her chest as she ruefully looked at Jiang Chen. She identally spat out her wine out.
I cant believe you are so skillful, this is such a pity. Liu Yao pouted as she took another sip of wine. Jiang Chen knew what she meant by pity, but he would not change his mind.
No way, I remember I used my real skillst night. Jiang Chen emphasized the words skill as he smirkingly looked at Liu Yaos facial expression.
Liu Yao paused slightly before she understood the meaning behind Jiang Chens words. Her face turned burning red like the sky at dawn.
Pervert.
Her gentle fist striking Jiang Chens did not bother him at all.
After the meal, Jiang Chen took Liu Yaos hand and strolled along the swimming pool. It was a beautifully decorated pool of water. The palm trees along the side added a sense of nature to the swimming pool. Under the white umbre were deck chair of the same color for the tourists that needed rest.
I thought you dont like crowded ces? Liu Yao apanied Jiang Chen as her crystal eyes observed his face.
You are right, but it would be disappointing if we just stayed at the mansion. This swimming pool is a famous attraction at Sanya.
Oh? I thought you were someone who was always busy, Liu Yao asked curiously.
Busy people may not like crowded ces, but I am quite pleased with this scene. For example, the blonde European beauty right there. Jiang Chen changed the topic with a smirk.
Does my bikini not look attractive? Liu Yao defiantly raised her D cup chest.
Its not the same. Everyone is different. Jiang Chen tried to exin his reasoning. If it were his girlfriend, he would not praise other women, but since that was not the case, it didnt matter.
Jiang Chens yboy look made Liu Yao want to yell andugh at the same time. She pouted like an attached girlfriend, as she used her finger to squeeze his waist. She controlled the force just enough so that Jiang Chen would not get hurt.
I am a D cup Dont you think I am biggerpared to that woman? After teasing Jiang Chen for a moment, Liu Yao fixed her hair as she lifted her chest up again with a seductive look.
Who knows if these are real or not? Jiang Chen ridiculed as he sneakily touched her chest.
Then how do you know mine are fake, and hers are real? Liu Yao persisted the question.
Hmm? So they are real. Jiang Chen pretended to be happy.
In this day and age, everything could be fake. So, Jiang Chen didnt think it was real.
Fool. You didnt notice it after touching it for so long? Liu Yao blushed as she vexed him with her eyes rolled.
The coquettish look made Jiang Chen hard.
Liu Yao became flushed as she noticed Jiang Chens invasive stare. Although Jiang Chens techniques were stillcking, with some guidance and his longsting stamina and recovery time, it was easy to enjoy the heaven like feeling.
Liu Yao, of course, didnt reject Jiang Chens intimate invitatio.
She defiantly stared at Jiang Chen as she used a finger to hook onto his cor. Then they walked towards a secluded washroom on the first floor.
Here? Although it was a question, Jiang Chens hands already grasped onto Liu Yaos thin waist.
Pervert, Ill scream for help. She seemingly med Jiang Chen with her words but then swiftly locked the door behind her.
There was not a lot of traffic in the area. Most of the people were either in their rooms or on the beach. Since it was the washroom, there were no cameras as well.
The unique environment made Jiang Chen feel a particr kind of sensation. Liu Yaos blushing face indicated that she probably felt the same thing.
Youll have to keep quiet, Jiang Chen smirked as he whispered into Liu Yaos ear. He grabbed her smooth legs and entered into her.
Two hourster, the two of them came out of the washroom. Liu Yaos legs felt weak as she half hanged onto Jiang Chens shoulder.
You pervert, couldnt you have been more gentle.
Haha, the way you held onto the wall and covered your mouth was quite cute. Jiang Chenughed as he dodged and grabbed onto the handsing at him.
From a bystander, the two looked like a couple disying affection without a care in the world.
She didnt know why, but she felt tears in her eyes.
If I
What? Why dont you tell me about it? Jiang Chen smiled at Liu Yao who wanted to stay something but stopped.
Its okay. Liu Yao turned his face around as she shed him a smile. The cheerful smile even dazzled Jiang Chen for a moment.
It was not because of her beauty.
That smile reminded him of his high school time.
At the na?ve age, free of trouble. A time where studying hard would deserve recognition. A time where being good at basketball would receive praise.
Jiang Chen remembered that smile belonged to Chen Lele in the movie; the careless and free girl. The smile left the supporting actress with an endless amount of regret and despair.
Am I sinking into the plot? What am I thinking?
I am a woman who loves money, and I know men like you dislike woman like me. One with no self-respect. Liu Yao faintly opened her mouth. She still held onto Jiang Chens hand but walked one step ahead of him so he couldnt see her expression.
This is only a life choice, I never disliked you. Jiang Chen gently answered. He didnt lie.
But unable to ept right? Liu Yao suddenly turned around.
Jiang Chen noticed her eyes were slightly red.
Is she acting?
However, Jiang Chen was unwilling to change his opinion. He sighed wanting to exin himself.
You dont have to say anything. Liu Yao turned around with a bright smile and pecked him on the lips. After seeing Jiang Chens confused look, she jumped in front of him and began walking by herself. I know, and I understand. A girl like me is not good enough for you. I just haventpletely given up yet.
With her back towards him, Jiang Chen couldnt see her expression. Liu Yao had to force a smile before she spoke again.
What if, I mean, what if we met two years earlier? When I didnt debut yet. Would you have fallen in love with me?
If I fell in love with you at that time, would you have chosen me? Jiang Chen thought about the person who watched with him.
Too simr.
Jiang Chens calm and direct rhetoric question made Liu Yao feel his uncertainty. She turned around as she forced another smile.
She understood what Jiang Chen meant.
Probably not.
An honest response.
Liu Yao somehow remembered her university time. She remembered the boy that used 99 candles to write out Liu Yao I love you under her dorm room window. She was moved for a brief second but still rejected him because he couldnt provide the life she wanted. Liu Yao gave her first time to a director whose name she didnt even want to remember. She did it in exchange for the supporting actress role. She had no regrets because she received eighty thousand dors in pay along with a ticket into the entertainment industry.
However, at this moment, she regretted.
For some reason, in her eyes, Jiang Chen began to coincide with the boy she rejected.
If the poor Jiang Chen asked her out two years ago, she would probably not even look at him.
It was not a question of right or wrong, but only a matter of choice.
Since this is a hard earned vacation, why think about these bothersome questions? Jiang Chen said faintly as it disrupted Liu Yaos thoughts.
Mhmm you are right, lets enjoy the bench.
A relieved smile bloomed on Liu Yaos face.
The smile was beautiful.
Except for a bright jewel hanging at the corner of her eye. Silently, it rolled down and mixed in with the sand.
Among the waves and tides of the southern county, it was negligible and minuscule.
Chapter 28 - The Return
Chapter 28: The Return
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Over thest five days, the two spent every moment in joy.
Liu Yao took Jiang Chen to all the famous attractions. They did everything from surfing at Wuzhizhou Ind, enjoying the sunlight at Yalong Bay, wandering along the beach, to leaving names on a couple lock. Liu Yao engraved Jiang Chens name, but Jiang Chen left Chen Leles name.
The happiest time was always the briefest, but it was pleasant.
Until they went their separate ways, Jiang Chen didnt see any more sorrows or tears.
Sir, would you like a cup of coffee? The flight attendants gentle voice disrupted Jiang Chens thought.
Ill have one please.
Ok, please wait a moment.
A cup of steamy coffee was soon in front of Jiang Chen. He stared at the rising steam and smiled.
[That was a pleasant trip after all. I wonder if I will ever meet her again.]
He thought about it some more, and an even bigger smile appeared on his face. He didnt know why he wanted to smile.
He nced at the pristine cloud outside the window and the middle-aged professional sleeping beside him. Jiang Chen finished the still steamy cup of coffee.
It was bitter, but a little sweet.
The brief Sanya vacation came to an end. Jiang Chen walked out of the Wanghai airport with his luggage.
The noisy metropolitan.
He took in a deep breath of the smog-filled air and gged down a taxi.
To Bailian.
Sitting on the passenger side, Jiang Chen took out his almost outdated Samsung phone. He was about to call Xia Shiyu when he noticed a message popped up.
Weibo?
He opened the Weibo app that he hasnt opened for a while. He was surprised to find out someone @ him.
Along the text was also a picture of an airne taking off. Jiang Chen noticed that it was his flight.
[This girl, she went to my terminal without telling me.] Jiang Chen smiled. They said goodbye at the airport, but he didnt expect her to be there to watch him depart.
With a bit of narcissism, Jiang Chen swiped the screen up with his finger. Thements on the bottom consisted primarily of people wondering who Jiang Chen was. To begin with, she was not a famous actress, so there were only a fewments.
He thought about for a moment before half-joking replied.
[Instant reply.]
Hey man, are you on Weibo?
Oh? Do you have Weibo as well? Jiang Chen asked the taxi driver.
Of course, it is pretty fun watching people make memes online. You are looking at a celebritys Weibo right?
Hehe, yes, how do you know? Jiang Chen curiously asked.
There is a special symbol beside their name. Look closely. The taxi driver skillfully guided Jiang Chen, Though to be honest, these celebrities Weibo are boring. They are too busy to reply to you. You must be new on here.
Jiang Chen smiled in agreement.
He wanted to reply , but that post was gone.
What happens if a post is gone?
They deleted it, itsmon. The taxi driver rolled his eyes as if he was an expert.
Deleted?
[This girl.] Jiang Chen sighed. The situation was funny to him.
Its only a movie after all, how much would it even cost?
Inside the Jade Restaurant, Jiang Chen quietly waited at the table. His eyes lit up as soon as he saw a graceful figure approach him. He signaled for the person toe over.
You finally appeared. You dont even pick up your phone. Xia Shiyu gave him a hard stare. The grin on his face made Xia Shiyu irate.
She has been taking care of thepany in the past few days. She even used her own money to make sure everything could be finished on time. To ensure shepleted Jiang Chens task, she had to findwyers, bureaus, and banks. She even went to their future office.
However, he was nowhere to be seen. Jiang Chen left all the dirty work to her and went on a vacation by himself.
She took in a deep breath to stop an almost inevitable emotional explosion.
Dont be so emotional, Ill bring you next time. Sanya is a beautiful ce. Jiang Chen grinned with no signs of guilt.
This is yourpany. You have to at least show up to something. You shoulde with me to the bureau this afternoon. I have all the documents here. Take a look. She ced the bag on the table and ignored Jiang Chens invitation.
Thank you so much. Jiang Chen didnt pick up the documents. Instead, he genuinely stared at Xia Shiyus emotionless face.
At least you have some conscience, she hissed at him. Although her face still looked cold, Jiang Chen felt she was no longer angry.
Ill go with you in the afternoon. Lets not talk about work. Order whatever you want, this one is on me. Oh, you paid for the fees right? Thepany will reimburse you for it.
Xia Shiyu was not humble and immediately ordered a few dishes. She nced at Jiang Chen but did not even see a slight change in his grinning face. She was frustrated.
[That was ineffective.] She thought as she didnt manage to vent her anger.
Jiang Chen didnt notice her intention.
He still had one hundred thousand dors left which far exceeded his expectation.
Is there something bothering you? Although she kept a stern face, Jiang Chen still noticed she was slightly distracted.
Yes, I am worried about thepanys future. Xia Shiyu dived straight into the problem, If our strategy is to use advanced technology, we have no way of gaining apetitive advantage as a neer.
But dont newpany have more growth opportunities? With her concern in his mind, Jiang Chen replied.
Thats for apany with a strong corepetitive advantage. Xia Shiyu stared at Jiang Chen, who showed no sign of concern, with a look of defeat. Do you know technology? You probably dont even remember calculus.
Is that even a question. Jiang Chenughed. Who remembers that stuff after graduation. Just because I dont understand it doesnt mean other people dont understand it. You dont have to worry about research and development. Ill give you a hint. Everypany have a focus, such as game development. We can just springboard off of this idea and enter the cell phone market following our sess
Stop right there. Xia Shiyu interrupted Jiang Chens speech. She rubbed her temples. Cell phone games? Web games? Or Massive Multiyer Online games on the PC end? Based on the current market condition, I rmend cell phone games. Regarding the cell phone market, its great that our founder has a vision for the future, but one step at a time is critical for sustainable growth.
Of course, so we will do it one step at a time. He casually waved his hand. Also, this is not only mypany, but it is also yourpany. Ill give you 5% stake in thepany, so keep up the good work.
It was not only until yearster did Xia Shiyu realize what tremendous amount of wealth was given to her. Of course, that was the aftermath.
In the afternoon, Jiang Chen went to the bureau with Xia Shiyu to take care of the paperwork. Xia Shiyu was indeed CEO (secretary) quality. Jiang Chen only needed to sign a couple of documents before it was approved. Xia Shiyu took care of the entire, tedious process.
Jiang Chen was extremely pleased. He didnt study business administration, so his understanding in the area was extremely limited. The best kind of president, in his ideal world, was the kind who only needed to the set the direction of thepany. A trustworthy CEO would take care of the rest. If he had to consider all the fine details, he would be frustrated to death.
Xia Shiyu did exceptionally well at this point. She prepared everything in advance.
They only needed a part time ountant toplete the tax process. Jiang Chen took Xia Shiyus rmendation to hire a part-time ountant. They only needed to pay 200 dors in sry per month. Most of the newpanies did this in the early stage.
After everything waspleted. It was already 5 oclock. Jiang Chen used the opportunity to treat Xia Shiyu again before they went their separate ways. With the stable ie and debt crisis being resolved, Xia Shiyu moved back to her original apartment. Jiang Chen, also, headed back to his familiar apartment.
He took his luggage and returned to his apartment.
He refreshed his Weibo while lying on his bed a couple of time and teased Liu Yao for a bit before he got back into the real business.
He had a pleasant vacation, but his return time was also approaching. Therefore, preparation was necessary.
He looked on Taobao for food. Canned food was the primary choice because of the ease of storage. He ordered two boxes of beef, pork, and fish. Then, for a bnced diet, he also purchased cans of vegetables and fruits. Finally, he bought instant noodles and crackers as well. He was not going to eat it those himself, but it would be smart to sell it.
In addition, Jiang Chen purchased a bunch of female clothing. Dont be confused, he had no weird fetishes. He ordered some for Sun Jiao and Yao Yao.
Within two days, a courier delivered the almost mountain high stacks of boxes to Jiang Chens ce. He generously took out two hundred dor bills, and the courier happily moved the boxes for him. Its good that he didnt have any furniture, for the boxes made it impossible to maneuver through his living room.
With sandpaper in his hand, he began to work.
He removed the manufacturing data and location on the can and threw it into the storage dimension. Although tedious, he had no other choice at this stage.
It would be better if he could directly receive shipments from the packagingpanies without any pictures or logos.
The storage dimensions size grew substantially. It managed to fit the size of half a living rooms worth of boxes inside. Jiang Chen guessed it had to do with the gene vine, and it was great news for him.
The storage of these boxes cost about two energy crystals, and it would cost the same to take it all out. There were around a couple hundred energy crystals inside the dimension, so the cost did not even slightly bother Jiang Chen.
He also purchased groceries from the supermarket. He bought an ample amount of rice, fresh vegetables, eggs, and meat. After they managed to fix the fridge in the mansion of the post-apocalyptic world, it can store plenty of food. Once they manage to move a few more fridges from the buildings outside, the food storage ability would grow exponentially.
Ideally, it would be more convenient if he had a walk-in freezer. He should check the restaurants in the post-apocalyptic world; they should be easy to repair.
Before he headed home, he remembered something. He walked out of the pet store with a hamster.
When he got home, everything was ready to go. Jiang Chen picked up his familiar backpack, but then raised his eyebrows and put it down again.
Since Sun Jiao already had a clue of whats going on, its probably time to tell her and Yao Yao.
When they went to the Sixth Street, he didnt carry toast with him. He stored the toast in the storage dimension. Sun Jiao must have noticed it, but she didnt ask. Since she had a lot of trust in him, it was no longer necessary to keep things a secret.
[Its better to confess to her. It will be easier in the future, and I no longer need to be secretive about things.]
Jiang Chen made up his mind. Hes prepared to selectively tell parts of his secret to Sun Jiao.
With the confused hamster in his hand, he sat on his bed and took a deep breath.
Apocalypse, I am back!
Chapter 29 - Eagle’s Crash
Chapter 29: Eagles Crash
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
This is Eagle-I, we are at the target area.
Roger, this is Eagle-II. Eagle I, open electronic life detection.
Roger. Opening electronic life detection.
The aerodynamic exterior design had an external door at the back with a heavy machine gun attached. The disk-shaped turbo elerators on both sides of the craft emitted a deafening noise as the air vibrated beneath them. Inside the vessel were soldiers fortified to the teeth, each armed with pitch-ck turbo packs that held terrifying single-person heavy firearms. On the right side of the craft, Liuding Towns logo was drawn over traces of what seemed like scratched-out symbols.
Attack Helicopter-51. PCA equipped the amphibious attack helicopter in year 2153 to primarily serve the Southern Sea fleet as it was particrly effective in beachndings. But after the war, it became less effective.
The two ck helicopters flew separated by 1000 meters and hovered above a building.
Wang Shiwu nced at the the life detection device that disyed the unknown bacterial level outside of the armored craft. He then nked the building outside of the helicopter, a gloomy expression cast over his face.
This has to be the ce.
Life form matches. The target is in the building. Eagle-I requesting permission to attack.
Negative. Wang Shiwu cautiously gazed at the building. He activated themunication device on the power armor. This is the Dark Knight Squad. We are above the target creature. The target creature information is unknown. We request missile support.
This is themand center, missile support approve.
The cost of a direct invasion was too high. Wang Shiwu couldnt risk hisrades lives without even spotting the creature. He cautiously requested missile support in hopes of exposing its body.
Eagle-I, Eagle-II, missile will arrive in 1 minute. Please increase altitude.
Roger.Roger.
The two helicopters began to increase their altitude to avoid friendly fire. The sunrise cast rays of yellow paths through the radiation dust. With the disgustingly greenish-yellow particles emerging from the yellow building, the entire area looked like an egg from above
[Whats hidden inside the building?]
Wang Shiwu locked his eyes onto the murky yolk.
Why would Liudings elite force show up 30 kilometers away from the city border? The story began with the battle meeting two days ago.
Bohai Aircraft Carrier, Command Tower, Meeting Room.
Area coordinates (412, 151) disyed an unusual life signal. Our scientists are unable to determine the creatures identity, but the crystal energy indicator has increased to 90,141, surpassing the limit by 300. Since it is within our strike range, we have to stop it from evolving further and retrieve the crystal. I need you to take care of this thing. Do you understand? The middle-aged man in an old PCA uniform stood andmanded from in front of the full-sensory map.
Yes, sir!
The uniformed soldiers barked out in unity. They wore the PCA navy seal uniform to the meeting in an organized manner.
That is all for this meeting!
Yes!
The electronic life detection device wasmonly used in the wastnd. Research indicated that all life forms emitted certain life signals that could be detected over long distances through emissions. It had been used as a tracking device during the war and after it, a rescue aid. In the current apocalypse, it became a civilian equipment.
The unit detected not only humans but also any life signal that could be recorded on the radar life electronic screen. The life signal was proportional to the energy of the creature. Mutant creatures had a higher life signal than humans. The advanced ability to calcte a mutant creatures crystal energy had only beenpleted after the war and was possessed by the majority of therger survival bases.
After recording any unusual life signal, the survival bases in the vicinity often chose to attack the creature as it was extremely dangerous to let mutant creatures evolve. Unfortunately, there was always the possibility of strange creatures forming since all mutations were spontaneous.
Evolutionary pathways that once took thousands of years could take three days in a nuclear crater. The evolved creature could be a harmless bug or a colossal monster.
Any creature with over 300 crystals were considered extremely dangerous.
But it did not mean they were strong.
Compared to the ones with 40 to 300 crystals, the extremely dangerous mutant creatures were easier to deal with. A 100-pound human for example, would have a difficult time beating someone who was 200 pounds since they were not in the same category. But what about someone weighing 500 pounds or 1,000 pounds? They would be considered disabled, unable to maintain basic life functions.
Simrly, mutant creatures with over 300 energy crystals were considered disabled. Under the influence of radiation and other factors, the continuous mutation endlessly expanded the life energy, but that did not necessarily equal strong destructive ability. Once anything surpassed a limit, it would be a hindrance.
Liuding Town had simr strike operations in the past where their target was an unknown creature with 110,000 crystal energy.
Once the squad had arrived, they were met with a crowd of corpse-eating creatures and a massive half-eaten meatball.
A meatball that filled the entire street.
The clueless squad had to call missile support to blow the meatball into pieces. With an energy detector they were able to locate the meter-tall crystal and transport it back. The rest of the meatball attracted an endless number of corpse-eating creatures in the vicinity, so it was impossible to retrieve. It was unfortunate because it would have been an excellent source of nutrient supply.
These excessively mutated creatures had no fighting power most of the time. For economic reasons, they were much easier to deal withpared to Death ws or Roshan.
With this reason, selfishmanders were spurred into action to destroy the mutant creatures.
Wang Shiwu was dealing with such a creature.
Although the soldiers began to whisper about finishing the mission and taking a shower since the power armors were extremely humid to wear. Wang Shiwu felt something was off and cautiously followed the missile support procedure.
The Eagle-I in the front opened the radar to provide exact location for the missile at Liuding.
Prepare for missileunch, raise the barrel! Quick! A few people in work uniforms hustled. They controlled the equipment around theunch pad as a ten-meter-long barrel emerged from the aircraft carrier.
The sleek-looking barrel had a famous nameelectromaic gun.
Distance between two points are 310,203 meters, detecting the thickness of the target. Use a 10-kilogram missile, raise to 47 degrees, and adjust power setting.
The technician on deck was changing the settings with a tabletputer. Bohais fire control system had originally been destroyed by an electromaic pulse during the war. These fixed gun barrels wereter fixed by survivors and connected to nearby terminals to be controlled at close distance.
The technician pressed .
A blue spark filled the barrel as the high-density electricity generated a short but deafening noise.
There was no explosion.
There was only the initial noise of the missile breaking the sound barrier. A trail of light blue casted across the horizon.
The force of the electromaic ripple pushed the barrel slightly backward. Steam began to rise as the liquid cooling system activated. A light shed from the back of the aircraft before fading into the endless ocean.
The t-headed missile flew across the sky. The remaining electricity from the initial firing maintained the internal detonation device and also created a vacuum around the missile.
As it approached the target, the vacuumyer disintegrated.
The speed coating began to melt as the missile expanded.
Followed by a red trail, the cylindrical missile hit the building like an iron fist.
The deafening explosion spread as the missile prated the building as if it was paper.
The building crumpled under the force of explosion, a hollow space left behind by the missile.
Direct hit. Great shooting.
Target spotted. Wait! What is that! Dammit.
Eagle-II, report the situation. Eagle-I
Crashing! Crashing! Please send assistance. Sounds of chaos.
From the explosion, a giant emerged. No, to be urate, it was a giant gun.
A dark red energy began to focus before ejecting a beam.
The red ray cast a straight line across the sky.
It didnt directly hit any helicopters, but it rendered all electronic devices in the area useless.
The power armors EMP resistors opened suddenly, but all the devices suffered different degrees of damage before they were triggered.
Because of the EMP resistance, allmunication signals were blocked.
Fuck! EMP! Jump! Wang Shiwu roared into the inte. In the rapidly plummeting craft he managed to regain his foothold. With heavy steps, he walked to the door and jumped out.
Due to the power armors sophisticated design, it was only momentarily disabled before all functionality returned. The two helicopters, however, did not have the same fate as the EMP instantaneously destroyed all electronic devices aboard.
Wang Shiwu gaped at the giant red barrel.
[What the hell is this? A creature that can emit EMPs? Destroyed the helicopter without even directly hitting target.]
After he read the letters in his helmet, Wang Shiwu let out a sigh of relief.
Cracks emerged from his knees, waist and shoulder as the small turbo engine appeared under the metal surface. Wang Shiwu felt a sudden jostle before he finally regained control.
The soldiers began tond on the ground.
Mutation virus, concentration level 97. Dammit, what is this godd*mn thing? Hisrade spoke through the inte.
Stay alert! Make sure everything is sealed. These floating viruses are giving me a bad feeling. Wang Shiwu checked the air filtration device. These viruses covered the filter in minutes.
The concentration was so high they were almost in chunks. The greenish-yellow appearance made their stomachs clench in disgust.
[Should we evade first?] The thought crossed his mind before he decided that he must figure out the terrifying barrels origin.
The helicopters were already destroyed. Even if Liuding sent support, it would be extremely dangerous.
Be cautious of filter status, prepare for attack!
Roger.
In case anything happened, Wang Shiwu cautiously recorded the picture of the battlefield and sent it to themand center. He grabbed the machine gun from his back and pushed forward.
There was no response from themand center. The virus could block radiomunication?
Probable, since the ray created an EMP effect, so the virus definitely had something to do with it.
No, this was still too odd!
Normally these extremely dangerous creatures would attract other mutated creatures to feast on, but there were no rats to be seen in the area.
It was peculiar!
Wang Shiwu was drenched in sweat before he heard the screams of hisrades.
Above us! What the hell is this?!
Wang Shiwu immediately looked up. Energy began to fill the red biological cannon once more.
There was nothing in the sky. What was this thing shooting at?
Fire! Immediately!
Without any time to think, Wang Shiwu ordered the attack with his gut feeling.
Twelve power-armored soldiers focused fire on the red cannon. The bullets shot out in clusters. No one knew if it would do anything, but there were no other solutions.
Five hundred meters was the effective range of machine guns. The spark from the bullets cast a glow on each of the vicious faces as the rapidly rotating barrels unleashed its firepower.
Suddenly, the half-building-tall cannon contracted. It was no longer charging.
Wang Shiwu was surprised that their bullets were effective against this creature.
But they were proven wrong as another exnation presented itselfthe energy had been filled to the maximum.
With terrified expressions, they watched as the cannon exploded.
The red sh submerged the entire area in shockwaves that emitted across the radius of explosion. Silence ensued.
A few red-colored meatballs were propelled into the distance with the help of the explosion.
Eagle-1, Eagle-II, Dark Knight Offline.
Life signal is changing! Target is dividing!
Themanders face had gloom written all over it. His hawkish eyes stared at the full-sensory screen in the air.
The 90141 crystal energy symbol disappeared and was reced by 12 unevenly distributed energy life forms.
The mission had failed.
Themander was not saddened by the loss of the 12batants and 4 pilots. Under their virtual reality training program, it was easy to produce these types of talents.
But the two attack helicopters and the twelve sets of MAX-I Power Armors cost a total of 220,000 energy crystals.
This was a disaster.
As to how the mutant creatures would impact the wastnd? The future is unknown.
Chapter 30 - Back Home
Chapter 30: Back Home
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
[Apocalypse, Im back.]
The familiar but grimy air upied Jiang Chens nostrils as he stepped back onto ground. He took in a slow, long breath and looked at his surroundingsthe abandoned cars, cracked roads, copsed buildings, and the mindless zombies.
This was the ce he had left.
He nced at the cage in his hand where the cute but ignorant hamster lied silently in the cage. Jiang Chen poked its soft belly only to confirm that it had passed away. He let out a sigh.
The nut had been itsst dinner.
The idea of traveling with another human was unrealistic for now. Jiang Chen felt a little upset.
He followed the familiar street. Jiang Chen was careful not to disturb the powerless zombies that wandered the street as he approached the mansion.
During the day, the zombies were not frightening at all. He would even go so far as to describe them as harmless. But once night settled, even the nearly invincible Death w would have to think twice before entering a zombie-filled street. Without the limitation of sunshine, the zombies were as crazy as someone on drugs. They utilized every single mutated cell in their body to chase anything alive.
The mansion looked the same, but the iron gate was reinforced with steel wires. Sun Jiao must have done this while he was gone.
He walked up to ring the doorbell. Soon after, he heard steps from inside before the iron gate was flung open.
.
A graceful figure crashed into his chest. Jiang Chen anticipated the hug with both his arms extended. He weed the warmth he had longed for since he had left.
A wet sensation covered his lips.
Youre finally back. She gasped to gather her breath as she ruefully looked at Jiang Chen.
I missed you dearly, my honey. Jiang Chen pped the firm butt as a grin appeared on his face.
Come in.
Jiang Chen stepped into the mansion as Sun Jiao skillfully locked the gate behind her.
He noticed that though it looked the same from the outside, the mansions interior had been upgraded. The small decorative forest was chopped down to create watchtowers by the wall that were equipped with barbed wires and lined with hidden trenches. Even the mansion building itself was reinforced with the windows fitted with steel bars.
What did you do to my mansion? A bitter smile appeared on Jiang Chens face. [This is no longer a mansion anymore, its a fortress.]
It is going to be safer this way, Sun Jiao proudly said. The mansion wasnt protected at all before. I gathered some materials from the area and reinforced the ce.
I think anyone would notice if we didnt do anything. Jiang Chen sighed.
But this is our home after all. We cant pretend that no one lives here. There will be survivors that notice this ce eventually and spread the news.
Youre right. Thank you. Jiang Chen realized he had underestimated the situation and how crucial the problem was.
In the apocalypse, zombies were not natural protection. They were pretty much decoration during the day time. The survivors were not the friendliest people either. The absolute neutral Sixth Street was considered to be the most sympathetic force on the wastnd. If people discovered that there was food here without any protection, floods of people would rush to this ce. Regardless of Sun Jiaos strength, there was no way she could guarantee the safety of this ce.
The most dangerous creature in the apocalypse werent the zombies but the humans.
But why did you break the marble statues at the front door? Jiang Chen directed a pained gaze at the mansion. The mansion had been luxurious before, but now it had no aesthetics whatsoever.
It upied too much space. There was no need for cover within the wall. It would just prevent me from shooting intruders, Sun Jiao reasoned with him.
[Okay fine, you are right.] Jiang Chen sighed and epted the idea.
He pulled open the mansions security door.
Wheres Yao Yao?
That girl missed you a lot too. Sun Jiao nced at Jiang Chen with a puzzled look. She fixed his cor for him. Go to her room. Shes been tinkering around with some small equipment to help you out.
Mhmm. Jiang Chen nodded and walked to Yao Yaos room.
He slowly pushed open the wooden door, the hinges squeaking loudly. The room was dark. If not the rhythmic breath, he would have thought the room was empty.
[This girl, is she still in bed?]
Jiang Chen could not help but smile. He knew too well that this timid girl was always a bit dizzy in the morning due to her malnourished body.
A light, metallic scent filled the room which made Jiang Chen sniff the air. The delicate wooden desk most likely once belonged to an equally adorable girl, but the table now was filled with electronic equipment and gadgets. The full-sensoryputer Jiang Chen had purchased for her was on it as well as some other unknown devices. There was a silicon board that looked as though it hade straight out of a science fiction novel on the table corner, but half of it was broken. The exposed wires were fused to another piece of circuit board.
Although he was curious, he didnt have the bad habit of touching other peoples possessions without permission.
He moved his feet only to feel an obstructive force. He picked up a programming book full of professional terms and notes, reminding Jiang Chen of the study gods back in university.
Although he passed hisputer level two examination [1], he did not understand the book contents at all.
[Is this a more straightforward and concise programmingnguage?]
Yao Yao curled under her bed sheet as if in a sweet dream. She looked like a cute squirrel and her slightly pouted mouth like soft candies. Her hands hidden in front of her chest gave Jiang Chen a strong desire to protect her.
[Looks like shes been eating well.] Jiang Chen kneeled down and indulgently rubbed her soft hair. Although the room was dark, her slightly chubbier face indicated her improved body condition. The gentle and soft snores made Jiang Chen not want to disturb her sweet dream.
But he really wanted to hug her.
Yao Yao, Yao Yao, Jiang Chen lightly called.
Huu Heehee. Yao Yao dazedly rubbed her eyes as she sat up. With her sleepy eyes, she stared at Jiang Chen and smiled.
Then like a ko, she wrapped her arms around Jiang Chens neck and closed her eyes again.
Hehe, big brother, dont leave anymore. Yao Yao has been trying very hard. Yao Yao is excellent now. She murmured the words before it turned into a light snore again.
[This girl, did you mistake me for a pillow again.] Jiang Chen was about to wake her up when he saw the dark circles around her eyes illuminated by the dim lighting from under the window curtain.
He thought about her murmured words and felt a bit teary.
Yao Yao is good. Sleep for a bit more. He ced the sleeping Yao Yao on the bed again and tucked her in.
He leaned down and gently kissed her soft forehead.
As if dreaming about the sweetest thing in the world, a joyful smile appeared on her face. The slightly quirked lips had a silver string attached to it.
Jiang Chen left the room and closed the door.
Did you eat her? Sun Jiao watched with a mocking gaze as Jiang Chen came down the stairs.
Am I a monster or what? He rolled his eyes and sat across from her.
Yao Yao, Sun Jiao hesitated, but she made up her mind and said, Yao Yao she really cares about you. Shes been studyingputer-rted knowledge for the past few days and even asked me to bring her a couple of books from the library. I dont know if what I did is correct. Shes been extremely dedicated. Maybe she wants you to notice her, and this is her way of expressing her emotion to you.
Sun Jiao was adjusting the way she phrased her words to correctly express the intention behind the conversation.
I thank you.
Only thank you?
But only, you are part of my family. Jiang Chen made up this mind and solemnly looked her in the eyes.
She suddenly climbed onto the table and grabbed him by the cor. In front of Jiang Chens shocked eyes, sheughed.
You mean, youre going to eat her as well?
Thats brotherly love. What do you want it to be? Jiang Chen looked at the suspicious Sun Jiao. Her unexpected actions made her difficult to figure out.
Oh? I can see that she likes you as more than a brother.
Jiang Chen became silent.
Dont you want to say something?
Cant you let me go first?
No, what if you disappeared again? Tears suddenly rolled out from Sun Jiaos eyes. It made Jiang Chen frantic although he didnt know why. What made this audacious girl cry?
I wont disappear, honey. Jiang Chen said with a bitter smile. He reached out his hands to hug her, but she blocked him.
Who knows? You have girls on the other side, right? The gaze Sun Jiao used to stare at him startled Jiang Chen.
Eh, why are you asking this? Jiang Chen dodged her eyes.
Yes or no. Sun Jiao did not give Jiang Chen the chance to avoid the topic.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath and honestly answered, Yes!
Prepared to be tied down by this wild girl, Jiang Chen was surprised when she withdrew her hand from his cor.
You are an honest guy. Sun Jiao didnt get off the table. She half kneeled and looked into Jiang Chens eyes.
[She smiled? Why is she smiling?]
Jiang Chen had a strange look on his face. I am honest to my woman.
[There is no reason to lie at all.]
So, I am fortunate to be your woman then, Sun Jiao teased him.
If you dont want to be, I wont force you. Theplexion on his face gave away his anxious thoughts.
Sun Jiao had the same expression. She gently bit her lips. Of course I want to be, but I am a bit angry at the fact that you ditched me here to find another woman.
Im sorry. Jiang Chen silently lowered his head but after a pause, looked up again. He carefully met her eyes. Although whatever I say will not make the situation better, if theres anything I can do to make up it to you, I can do it.
Really? Anything? Sun Jiao mischievously examined Jiang Chens face.
Mhmm.
Okay then, lets start.
Hmm?
Before Jiang Chen could gather his thoughts, Sun Jiao had already made her move with the agility of a cat. Jiang Chen had no chance to react before he was tied down to the chair.
Sun Jiao stepped on Jiang Chens armrest, giving him shbacks of when they first met.
I, I mean.
What did you say? Sun Jiao acted like she didnt hear him and put her head closer. Jiang Chen now realized that she had changed into something else when she went upstairs, switching from her tracksuit into an attractive shirt.
It was his first time seeing Sun Jiao wear stockings.
He thought about the clothes he had bought for them and realized clothing after the apocalypse was not an issue as there were stores everywhere.
No, nothing, this rope just looks familiar, Jiang Chen said with a bitter smile.
Hehe, then let me show you again, she whispered, her red lips grinning wickedly, how great I am.
[1] Computer Level Two examination is a certificate you can acquire forputer proficiency
Chapter 31 - Family Meeting?
Chapter 31: Family Meeting?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
That was incredibly awkward.
Yao Yao just came downstairs and saw the embarrassing intimacy.
She stood at the edge of the stairs with a blushing face, her mouth slightly open as she didnt know what to do.
Passion overtook the two of them for that brief intimate moment , but it was still too crazy to have such a seductive scene in the living room, especially when they werent alone. They selectively forgot about the existence of other people under the same roof though it was fun while itsted.
Sun Jiao fled the scene of the crime, embarrassed by what just happened. She wanted to dig a hole for herself and also for Jiang Chen after what Yao Yao just saw.
But when she escaped, she didnt untie the ropes around Jiang Chen. With her skillful technique and the ropes quality, it was impossible to break it no matter how hard he tried.
Hi.
Brother She was ecstatic to see him again, but the mood wasnt exactly right to hug him as her face was still blushing red with the image in her head.
Yao Yao, can you can you help me untie this? Jiang Chen ditched any honor he had and pleaded for Yao Yaos help. Except the problem was that his pants were still dropped to his knees and exposed a certain part.
[Ah! I am going to be embarrassed to death!]
Mhmm. Yao Yaos face was burning. She kept her head down because she was curious but at the same time, she was too afraid to approach him.
Because of her nervousness, the pair of delicate hands were unable to untie the ropes despite several desperate attempts.
Is it good? Jiang Chen asked awkwardly.
Gulp. It was the sound of swallowing.
Mhmm?
No, nothing! Its almost done! Her anxiousness made her suddenly raise her voice. Although she said she almost loosened it, Jiang Chen did not feel the slightest sign of relief.
Yao Yao raised her lips in a slight grimace. When she peeked at Jiang Chen, she got scared because of his voice and identally bit her tongue.
She shyly nced at the part exposed and out in the open. She felt her heart rate increase for some strange reason. She knew what it was, but it was her first time seeing one with her own eyes.
[Its so big Is it even possible to put it in]
Yao Yaos thoughts wandered as she tried to recollect herself. Her face blushed while her fingers struggled to untie the rope.
Sun Jiao,e out, please spare me! He wanted tough and weep at the same time as he yelled out for help.
He knew she would beughing at this point. Her devil-like personality would not simply let him go scot-free.
If Yao Yaos hands continued to caress him any longer, Jiang Chen would be even more ashamed.
Just as Jiang Chen expected, Sun Jiao had already dressed, hiding behind the kitchen door. She was peeping through the cracked-open door andughing hysterically at the blushing Yao Yao and the awkward Jiang Chen.
[This feels great!]
But she knew it wouldnt be okay to cross the line. Sun Jiao pouted as she opened the door to untie Jiang Chen.
The reason why she allowed it was one of her considerations. She had a partial understanding of his secret, and it made Sun Jiao feel threatened. She didnt care how many mistresses he had and knew that there would be plenty of them in the other world. But what frightened her most was the possibility of Jiang Chen disappearing from her life forever and she being unable to pursue him. One world was the dangerous apocalypse while the other was a food-filled heaven. If she had a choice, she would not live here at all. If Jiang Chen gained someone else that he loved in the other world she was too afraid to keep thinking.
She had fallen in love with him.
So she used a little trick of hers to drag Yao Yao with her. Although her growth was dyed in the hibernation chamber, she had already hit puberty. Sun Jiao didnt believe that Yao Yao, who has such strong feelings towards Jiang Chen, would remain innocent after this seductive scene. Once the idea was nted in her head, there would always be opportunities in the future.
Yao Yao was still naive. A simple kiss was not enough to keep his heart here. If one person was not enough to attract him, two people would be.
Sun Jiao thought about this while she was away from the scene. She would do everything to keep him here.
So she had the create some rtionship entanglement for him to remember.
A devil-like smile appeared on her face again.
I am here! Just wait, hehe.
Dam*it, I know youre hiding over there! You wereughing right? You must have beenughing!
I have something important I want to talk to you guys about. Jiang Chen had dressed again and rotated his sore wrist. He looked at the still blushing Yao Yao and the shameless Sun Jiao as he suppressed his awkwardness from what just happened. He spoke in a serious tone, however, that made Sun Jiaos grin fade away. She gently nodded, which was a rare expression to appear on her face, making Jiang Chen a little surprised.
Yao Yao lowered her head and prepared to go back to her room but Jiang Chen grabbed her hand.
Mhmm!? Yao Yao jumped like a startled rabbit. She was too shy to look Jiang Chen in the eyes.
[I am so embarrassed.]
Jiang Chen gave Sun Jiao a hard stare, but she shamelessly looked away.
I, I, Ill go back to my room.
No, you are my family as well. Jiang Chen gently patted her head. He had long decided this on the day she saved him.
If it were not for Yao Yaos courage, Sun Jiao and he would have be food for the cannibals or at least he would been.
Let me take this off for you. His heart melted as he looked at Yao Yao who was enjoying this intimate moment. Jiang Chen reached for the electronic bracelet.
For a while now, he wanted to take this thing off her because she had never been a ve to him.
No. Yao Yao tenderly grasped Jiang Chens hand with both of hers. I want to be a girl special only to big brother.
[Special?]
Jiang Chen was puzzled by the idea, not understanding her meaning.
But Yao Yaos face turned burning hot again, not saying another word.
Ahem, is it okay for you guys to disy your affection in front of me? Sun Jiao said with her eyes narrowed.
[Its okay to say Yao Yao is yours, but it is not okay to publicly disy your affection in front of me.] This was what was going through Sun Jiaos mind. [I refuse to allow this.] She began to grind her teeth subconsciously.
Jiang Chen felt the devils stare as he uncontrobly shivered.
Okay! Startled like a rabbit again, Yao Yao backed away. Sun Jiao never bullied her, but she had always been afraid of her.
Dont you have something important to say? Go ahead and say it now. Sun Jiao let out a sigh and cleared her mind.
Jiang Chens face turned serious again. He sat Yao Yao down again before he walked to the middle of the living room.
Yao Yao confusedly watched Jiang Chens actions. Sun Jiao seemed to already have a guess as she propped her chin on her hand while waiting for his exnation.
I, I am from a different world.
Although she was mentally prepared, she was still shocked when Jiang Chen said it with his mouth. Yao Yao waspletely stunned.
Let me exin. Jiang Chen sighed as he extended his left hand.
The food and supplies inside the storage dimension emerged in the middle of the room. There were no special effects, only the sudden appearance of all the canned foods, vegetables, and rice as if fantasy had just be reality.
This shocked Sun Jiaopletely while Yao Yao was already mindblown.
He scratched the back of his head in front of the two dumbfounded girls.
I havent exined anything yet. Why are you guys so shocked?
Brother are you an immortal? Yao Yao was the first one to regain her senses. Her eyes were filled with admiration as she stared with awe at Jiang Chen.
[To be honest, it feels great to be idolized by a naive, young girl.]
Ahem, no. These things did not appear from thin air. How should I exin this From my world, it is very easy to exchange for these goods with gold.
So, big brother is from a parallel dimension thats before the war? Yao Yao unknowingly nodded her head. She spent her child before the war, so she remembered the prosperity in the earlier times.
Smart. That sums it up nicely. Jiang Chen praised Yao Yao and gave her a thumbs up. She exined everything he was troubled about in one sentence.
This, this much? Sun Jiao grew up in the survival base so without much experience, she waspletely stunned.
Jiang Chen couldnt stop himself fromughing at the dumbfounded Sun Jiao.
Jiang Chen briefly exined his origin andforted away the worries of the two girls about whether he would suddenly disappear. When Sun Jiao asked about the possibility of interdimensional travel with someone else, an anxious look appeared on Yao Yaos face, but Jiang Chen had to let them down as he took out the cage with the dead hamster. He didnt exin, only leaving it on the table. The two girls were briefly silent before they understood.
Interdimensional travel is already magical. If it was possible to bring a creature with you, the world would not be the same anymore. Sun Jiao forced a bitter smile as she shook her head. She tiredly fell onto the table.
Yes There are mutated cells everywhere in this world. Only humans with some resistance can prevent mutating into zombies. If big brother brought people over, the mutation could spread in the other world as well. Yao Yao gave a more serious consideration that left Jiang Chen drenched in cold sweat.
[True The mutation viruses are everywhere. If I bring it back to the other world]
He quivered at the idea. He was inconsiderate of the situation as his mind was only filled with how to make money. He never considered a critical issue like this.
If not for the interdimensional bracelets ability to terminate all life, the other world would beplete chaos.
He didnt know the principle behind it. Maybe it would be helpful to dissect that hamster? But he didnt probe too deeply into that thought.
Lets not talk about this anymore. Since youre all mine, I have an obligation to provide a better life for you. Jiang Chens words made both Sun Jiao and Yao Yao blush. I brought a lot of supplies back, and now we need more fridge space to store these supplies. Itd be even better if had ess to freezers as well. There are also some easy to store canned foods and preserved crackers in there. I n to exchange these for crystals and purchase some equipment to fortify our mansion.
Sun Jiao nodded.
Mhm, the preserved crackers sell at around one crystal per piece. We dont need to go to the Sixth Street to exchange it either since there are plenty ofmunity-sized survivor camps around here. Although Ive reinforced the mansion, the defense is clearly not enough. Itd be better if we could exchange for some firearms and weapons.
Jiang Chen briefly considered it. Okay, lets make a list of all the items we need and make all of our purchases on one trip. Also, I think its safer to go to the Sixth Street. The smaller survivor camps are not that trustworthy.
Despite their reinforced mansion, there were not enough people here. Sun Jiao alone would not be able to defend this ce. If the food caught the other survivors attention, those poor, starving refugees could be gun-wielding bandits the next second.
The absolute neutrality that the Sixth Street prided themselves on meant that they kept a clear name on the wastnd to foster their growth into a giant.
Youre right but the Hui Zhong Mercenaries are going to be looking for us there. Sun Jiao exined her concerns. They lost an entire raid team to Jiang Chenst time. It would be a bloodbath the next time they encountered the mercenaries.
Dont be afraid. Jiang Chen smiled. It only takes me two seconds to escape the danger.
After he finished his sentence, Jiang Chen disappeared from their visions, and reappeared the next second.
Fu*k. If I do it too fast, it has its problems. Jiang Chen lost his bnce and almost fell trying to hold on to the chair.
There were some consequences to using this ability back-to-back, such as brief dizziness.
You, you just?
Yes, I went and came back from the peaceful world. Jiang Chen covered his dizzied head and exined.
Since he already admitted his secret, he didnt need to hide his ability in the future.
One crystal of energy was nothing to him. It was only a piece of preserved crackers after all.
This is incredible, Yao Yao eximed in disbelief. Sun Jiao nkly nodded.
The danger of the sewer system is already eliminated. He tried not to remember the scene. Because of this, I can go by myself to the Sixth Street and bring the supplies in the storage dimension.
Im still worried. Sun Jiao nervously looked at Jiang Chen.
You have to take care of our home. We dont have enough of a workforce here. How about I buy some people this time.
Such as buying a few more cute girls? Sun Jiao gave him a dangerous look.
Yao Yao also pouted at the idea but couldnt say anything to change his mind. After all, Jiang Chen purchased her.
What do you think I am? A sex addict? Jiang Chen ruefully smiled as he rubbed his nose. Theres no way you can defend this mansion by yourself. Also, I need some people with unique talents.
There were treasures everywhere on the wastnd, including the people that couldnt use their unique talents here. Jiang Chen could easily use their ability and generate a fortune for his Futuristic Technology.
What about me? I can learn. You dont want me anymore? Surprised, Yao Yao approached him with teary eyes.
How could that happen? He rubbed her puffy hair gently. I dont want you working so hard. You already help me a lot. Also, dont stay up anymore. You need your sleep.
Mhmm. Yao Yao joyfully hmmed at Jiang Chens head rub and immediately forgot her concern.
Since you said it, what if you bring another girl back this time? Sun Jiao was not as easy to fool as Yao Yao.
I swear to God, he said while raising his hand before she doubtfully let it go.
Sun Jiaos concern was unnecessary since Jiang Chen had no such intentions. Although he was an open person, it was because he had suppressed himself for a long time. Even in just a months worth of time, he became more mature.
He never nned on building a sex dungeon in the apocalypse. Even if he had the opportunity, he would not have the energy.
Compared to these things, more were awaiting him.
The mansioncked a workforce in every aspect. The watchtower beside the wall required a person because he was unwilling to send Sun Jiao to guard the door every day. He also needed someone to fix the electronics and appliances in the mansion. With Sun Jiaos limited knowledge, she hemmed the sr power with pure luck. From electricians to construction workers, he needed a lot of people here.
He wouldnt risk allowing the survivors into the mansion. After wandering the wastnd for so many years, their morals were questionable. Instead, the ves he purchased would be safer; nobody would risk their lives with the electronic bracelet on. That way, Jiang Chen wouldnt need to worry about them defying hismand.
They would be more grateful for this opportunity because Jiang Chen had food. Even if he only fed them a bowl of congee every day, it would be significantly betterpared to their previous lives.
Jiang Chen considered himself a sympathetic person. He would never torture ves, but it was rare for a master like this to exist in the apocalypse.
Let me be clear firstthis does not apply to Yao Yao. But dont ever think about taking off the electronic bracelets off the ves. Sun Jiao also considered Yao Yao as part of the family, but she worried that Jiang Chens humanitarian considerations would want to get rid of all the bracelets.
Dont worry, Im not that foolish yet, he said with a bitter smile. Ive matured. I do admit that I grew ustomed to using peaceful ways of thinking before, but I dont think that will happen again.
Sun Jiao nodded, pleased with the answer. Yao Yao, who was afraid to talk, also let out a sigh.
In that case, I wont worry anymore. Is the family meeting over? As she stretched, her breasts almost exploded out of her clothes.
When she heard the words family meeting, Yao Yao uncontrobly blushed. Jiang Chen also burst out inughter.
Ahem, since it is a family meeting, then its still not over. Jiang Chen shook his head.
Hmm? What else? Sun Jiao leaned back against the chair.
He nodded with an earnest stare into her eyes. Its about you. The things that you must do, can you tell me now?
A hint of emotion shed in her eyes. You still remember.
Of course, you are mine. I will never forget.
I, Im about to give up. Sun Jiaos gaze that was full of joy, sorrow, and confusion dodged his eyes.
But I still remember, right? Why dont you tell me? It never hurts to try, Jiang Chen said sincerely.
She let out a long exhale and slowly opened her mouth.
I managed to find the feeling of home here. I already feel incredibly lucky. The silly idea I have since you already asked, Ill tell you.
She paused before she suddenly smiled.
You know, Do you know? Tthis ce is actually my home.
Chapter 32 - Sun Jiao’s Past
Chapter 32: Sun Jiaos Past
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Sun Jiaos words surprised Jiang Chen and Yao Yao. Jiang Chen remembered she was born in survival base 071, so how was she connected to this mansion? When he heard Sun Jiaos exnation, however, he finally understood the connection as well as why shed been starving in this mansion in the first ce.
Sun Jiaos father owned this estate before the war, but due to the sudden eruption of the nuclear war, Sun Jiaos father became separated from his wife and son when they fled the city. Sun Jiaos father subsequently met Sun Jiaos mother in survival base 071 where they fell in love. With the blessings of the other survivors, they married and gave birth to Sun Jiao and another daughter, Sun Jiaos sister. Unfortunately, the joyful days were short-lived as the survival base was forced to open because of the depleted resources, drawing bandits that littered the wastnd into attacking the survival base. And so, Sun Jiao lost her family.
She was fortunate in that she managed to escape. She wandered the ruins, but instead of meeting mutants, zombies, or ve traders, she ran into a strange individual who didnt know her purpose.
Or perhaps it was better to say that she met her master.
In 2139, due to the enactment of the new strategic defense alliance, the Han Peoples Liberation Army began to be referred to as PLA. A self-proimed PLA female soldier appeared and took care of Sun Jiao. She taught her the necessary skills to survive in the wastnd such as how to shoot a gun and how to identify the good and bad. But sadly her master passed away in a conflict against an unknown group of militants, and that was how Sun Jiao started her lonely journey.
Sun Jiao wandered the wastnd trying to find her family, longing for thefort of survival base 071. She knew that even if she managed to find them, life would not be the same again, but it served as her only motivation. She searched for their information around Dong Hai City until she confirmed from an old neighbor in Liuding Town that both of her parents passed away in that unfortunate incident but no information remained of her sister. The relentless Sun Jiao continued to explore the wastnd for any information, evening across her fathers home from before the war
It was precisely this mansion, but because she ran out of nutrient supplies here, she starved until falling unconscious.
Then by coincidence, she met Jiang Chen here.
Mhmm, I understand. Ill keep an eye out for you. If we can find your sister, youll be very happy right? Jiang Chen said with a smile after listening to her narration.
Jiang Chen. Her eyes became moist. If not for Yao Yaos presence, she wouldve pushed him to the ground and expressed the loving emotion filling her heart.
Ahem. Although inappropriate, Sun Jiao didnt know other ways to express her love.
What about Yao Yao? Can I help you with anything? Since we are a family now, dont hide anything and tell me, okay? Jiang Chen rubbed Yao Yaos head.
Yao Yao shook his head and gently covered Jiang Chens hand with both of her hands. Im already so lucky. My only family is brother Jiang Chen and sister Sun Jiao.
Her smile was joyful, but it made Jiang Chen slightly teary.
Yao Yao made lunch. This gentle girl took the effort to practice cooking, touching Jiang Chen even more.
This was the first time he ate a meal made by a girl.
He was so touched that he almost began to cry. [Ahem, that was an exaggeration.]
Yao Yao looked at the way Jiang Chen devoured the lunch, and a joyous smile appeared on her face. As for Sun Jiao, she always ate food as if there was no tomorrow. It would be odd if she acted any differently.
After lunch, the three of them cleaned up. Sun Jiao organized the supplies within the living room, and Jiang Chen followed Yao Yao to her room as he had other matters.
Yao Yao, have you finished preparing for the vault door?
Psh! Yao Yao burstughing. Big brother doesnt know yet, but Sun Jiao already emptied the bank vault for you. Haha, she probably forgot to tell you because she was too surprised. Shes hoping to be praised.
Jiang Chen paused momentarily as a genuine delight shed across his face.
Haha, sister Sun Jiao is not you. She is probably not interested in my recognition. Because of how cute Yao Yao looked, Jiang Chen uncontrobly rubbed her hair.
Like a squirrel, Yao Yao closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. Then as if she suddenly remembered something, she blinked her sweet eyes at Jiang Chen. No! Sister Sun Jiao want to receive praise from big brother like Yao Yao!
She thoughtfully nodded her head, sure that her analysis was urate.
Surprised by her words, Jiang Chenughed.
Mhmm, youre right.
[I have to express my gratitude to this girl. Although most of the time she is very naughty, at times she can be surprisingly considerate.]
He put aside the conversation about gold and inquired about mobile game development.
Mobile game? The game you y on your cell phone? Are these things popr in big brothers world? she asked withoutpletely understanding him. It puzzled Jiang Chen because she spent the first twelve years of her life before the war. Were there no electronic games at that time? That was impossible!
Jiang Chen voiced his thoughts, but the answer he received made him quite conflicted.
Mhmm. Thats what you mean. I think I know what youre referring to, but the popr games before the war were all yed within the gaming chamber.
Gaming chamber?
Yes! The mainstream games were based on design engines within the virtual reality system. Lying down in the gaming chamber helped in rxing the body, so some people even chose to spend their sleeping time in games. A lot of portable devices that connected directly to the neuralwork also achieved simr functions. No one installed extra games within the mobile devices.
It was not because there were no more games. With the advancement of technology, the gaming format evolved over time. Just like how the DS faded through the passage of history and PSP-rted game devices were no longer able to capture the market under the fiercepetition of smartphones.
[What should I do?] Jiang Chen had a stern face and fell into deep thought.
[Abandon mobile games? But for apany just in the initial growth phase, a jump into virtual reality would be too forced. Arent there any other options?]
Can you show me that phone youre talking about, big brother? Yao Yao asked in a quiet voice.
Ah, of course, here you go. Jiang Chen immediately took out his Samsung phone and gave it to Yao Yao. Feel free to y with it.
Yao Yao didnt hesitate, and she immediately started dissecting the phone on her workbench.
Woo Why is the CPU performance so low? Only a couple gigabytes of RAM? Yao Yao examined the phone and mumbled words that made Jiang Chen quite embarrassed.
It didnt take long before Yao Yao finally understood this antique.
What do you think? Jiang Chen rushed to ask as Yao Yao took off her protective sses.
Hmm, it doesnt look tooplicated. If we use D++ to program it, we should be able topress everything into this tiny space. She touched her tiny chin with a focused expression. Ah, although mobile games are programs, you also have to consider art, music, and experience, but I dont have any experience.
Jiang Chen thought for a minute and realized the problem as well. Not all programming majors became game developers like Sid Meier. The key to games was the experience gained. Even if Yao Yao couldpress an enormous amount of content using a more advancednguage to reduce the requirement for hardware systems, the fundamental issue was still whether it was fun to y.
Suddenly, Yao Yao pped her head as if she just remembered something.
Oh! Let me take care of this. I promise that Ill give you what you want within five days.
So quickly?! Jiang Chen was stunned. His original n was for Yao Yao to finish within two months.
Hehe. Yao Yao felt a little shy as she rubbed her nose. It would be difficult to program from scratch, but I just remembered theres a library nearby. Sister Sun Jiao brought these back for me from there. There must be some historical codes from the database in the library that will include the games big brother wants. As long as sister Sun Jiao makes another trip to the library and copies all the files rted to games between 2100 and 2200, I only need to fix the code a little to make it work.
Jiang Chen left the room, gently closing the door.
[Why is my heart beating so fast? Am I a monster after all?] Jiang Chen murmured in his heart as he walked toward Sun Jiao.
He spotted Sun Jiao at the underground storage counting the supplies. The cans and preserved crackers were neatly separated beside the wall. Rice was organized within polyethylene stic containers which weremon in the wastnd after the military previously parachuted tightly sealed rescue supplies.
The underground storage felt cold. The original owner, Sun Jiaos father, previously stored wine in here but after it was discovered by other survivors, there were no traces of wine.
The current quantity of supplies made it was necessary to scavenge some fridges from the residences nearby.
After some repairs, they would be usable. It just meant that the sr power had to be upgraded at the same time. The current electricity was just enough to sustain the power usage in the mansion, but with a few more fridges, it would be nearly impossible to meet the demand.
Chapter 33 - Back to Sixth Street
Chapter 33: Back to Sixth Street
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
The energetic Jiang Chen and the flushed Sun Jiao left the basement together.
Jiang Chens cocky look made the embarrassed Sun Jiao pinch his waist, but she lost her bnce and almost fell.
Be careful, dont hurt yourself. Jiang Chen immediately caught her as if nothing happened. Then as he pretended to me Sun Jiao, he pped her on the butt.
Sun Jiao gritted her teeth as she looked at Jiang Chens smirk, her embarrassed look made Jiang Chen feel extremely satisfied.
You bastard The usually angry Sun Jiao only managed toe up with a weakeback. Despite her flustered appearance, the tenderness in her eyes couldnt be hidden.
This small detail didnt escape the experienced Jiang Chen.
He kissed Sun Jiao on the lips and escaped with a grin on his face before Sun Jiao realized what happened. He didnt want to let Sun Jiao to get back at him.
[This guy]
Sun Jiao stared at the direction in which Jiang Chen left and angrily stomped her feet. She wanted to chase after and pinch him, but her body felt listless.
[He seems to have gotten better]
Sun Jiao blushed red as her legs almost gave out on her. She desperately tried to find her bnce against the wall.
She gave his distant figure an angry stare and swore shed get her revenge.
[F*ck! Just wait until tonight!]
When he arrived at the poolside, he sucked in a deep breath of cold air.
There were at least ten tons of gold in the pool. A ton of gold had a volume of 0.051 cubic meters, but the gold bars at the corner of the pool were at least half a cubic meter. Jiang Chen used an electronic bnce and roughly measured the weight of the gold.
It came out to be a total of 12.2 tons of gold which would rake in roughly 500 million dors.
Jiang Chen was ecstatic. Although he mentally prepared himself, it was impossible to not be surprised with such a giant pile of gold in front of him.
He took another deep breath. Jiang Chen didnt immediately move the gold into the storage dimension. There was no rush since he needed to make a trip to Sixth Street tomorrow, and he needed the storage dimension for exchanged goods. The gold wouldnt go anywhere.
If he left now, it would be nightfall by the time he arrives at the Sixth Street, so he decided to depart tomorrow morning and use the remaining time to prepare.
He went back to his room and grabbed the PK200 assault rifle that he hadnt used in a while before stepping out onto the wooden watchtower beside the wall.
The dynamic guns presence made him feel safe with its surreal sci-fi design.
He clicked the safety and pulled the bolt.
After concentrating, he raised the gun and locked the scope onto a frightening face wondering around and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A breath of fire erupted from the gun barrel amidst the billowing smoke.
The bullet hit the zombie in the chest, failing to kill it immediately. As if suddenly awakened, the wounded zombie began to frantically wave his limbs but was unable to get up.
[I aimed for the head but hit the chest]
Jiang Chen shook his head and aimed with the scope again.
The noise of the struggling zombie attracted the attention of the other slow-moving zombies, but they failed to find the source of attack without the smell of a survivor and continued to wander aimlessly.
He aimed through the crosshair again.
Bang!
A breath of me discharged from the barrel once more. This time Jiang Chen didnt miss, the zombies head exploding into pieces and leaving a sludge of ck blood.
Four times scope is ideal for mid-distance range battle. If you insist on using it at this distance, I suggest you change the zoom to 100 meters. He heard Sun Jiaos ridicule at his back.
Uhm, where is it? Jiang Chen remembered a game he yed before where he could adjust the guns magnification before shooting.
The only problem was that there was no page-up key in real life.
Its here. Sun Jiao pointed out the button beside the scope.
So that was the problem. After Jiang Chen changed the zoom from zero to one hundred, he attempted the same shot againthe uracy was much higher.
Mechanical sight would be enough at this distance. Sun Jiao reached out and turned the PK200s scope to the side, exposing the mechanical aim. Try this.
Oh, so this is how you use it. Jiang Chen was able to quickly limate himself to the gun, but because his targets were zombies, he wasnt certain how urate he was.
Sun Jiao stood silently beside Jiang Chen and spoke up to fix his mistakes with tips on how to shoot and utilize cover. Time flew by before it was already time for dinner.
I think thats enough for today. Zombies are dangerous at night so its better not to anger them. Sun Jiao nced at the crowd of zombies below them. Their endless numbers made it impossible to eliminate them. Despite being killed by mutants and humans both, there were constantly more being born in the downtown area, spreading nonstop.
His record was satisfactory as he managed to kill 97 zombies with 120 bullets. Sun Jiao nodded in discreet. Although it was nothing impressive, for a beginner it was a good record. She was less nervous about his ability to survive. After all, even if he couldnt win a fight, he had the ability to run away.
Hehe, are you feeling better? Jiang Chen closed the safety and after slinging the gun over his back, asked Sun Jiao a daring question with a grin on his face.
She hesitated for a moment before her face suddenly turned to a burning shade of red.
Oww! Jiang Chen painfully rubbed the leg kicked by Sun Jiao, Im just worried about you.
Wait for me tonight! Sun Jiao grabbed him by his cor and said in a vicious tone. She let go of him and jumped off the wooden watch tower in a huff.
Jiang Chen quivered. [She wouldnt tie me up again, would she?]
His face turned bitter as he thought about the chances.
[What if I hide in Yao Yaos room tonight?]
Jiang Chen ultimately decided to face reality.
He obediently received his punishment from Sun Jiao that night. The next morning, he dragged his weary body back into his room.
[F*ck, why cant I control my own feet?]
He wanted to p himself for provoking herst night.
He packed his equipment and put away the canned food andpressed crackers into the storage dimension before heading towards the door.
Brother, are you leaving now? With her eyes still half-closed, she asked dazedly from the top of the stairs.
Mhmm, Im going to the Sixth Street. Ill be back in a few days. Jiang Chen smiled at her as he checked his equipment onest time.
Umm, bring this with you. Yao Yao held the handrail and slowly walked down the stairs. She gave Jiang Chen a small bag.
Whats this? He looked at the bag, puzzled
Some small equipment that I designed. Theres a drone that can connect to the EP and scan the terrain within a one thousand meter radius. Hehe, as long as I can help big brother out. Finished speaking, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked towards the sofa, curling up and falling asleep again.
This little girl, is she not afraid of getting cold? Jiang Chen shook his head with a smile. He wrapped the bag around his waist and walked towards the sofa.
His hands passed under Yao Yaos knees and shoulder as he lifted her.
[Light, and also soft with the fragrance of a natural milky smell.]
He brought her back to her bedroom before he left the mansion.
Only blood remained from the zombies Jiang Chen shot yesterday. During the night, the active zombies ate the motionless bodies to acquire proteins. With enough, they would slowly evolve like the Roshan they encountered at the Sixth Streetst time. It was apparentlymon to see these evolved zombies in the downtown area, so most survival camps were built in rural areas.
He opened the manhole and directed his shlight inside. After confirming that it was safe, he jumped down without hesitation.
It was quite scary to walk down here alone, but since the biggest threat was eliminated and it wasnt his first time traversing the tunnels, Jiang Chen acted courageously. Slowly, he progressed towards Sixth Street with his assault rifle in hand.
When he passed by the cannibal tribes location again, an uncontroble expression of disgust shed across his face. Thankfully, the cave was cleansed by fire, and no traces remained.
It was important to do so because the smell of dead bodies attracted mutated rats. If there were only one or two of them, hed be okay, but if he encountered a group of them
Nevertheless, it was safe along the way, but he did feel bored at times.
Reaching his destination, Jiang Chen pushed open the manhole, feeling the first ray of sunshine in five hours.
He took a deep breath of fresh air. He marked a safe symbol on the full-sensoryputer pen before he put it away again.
The sewer system was a rtively fast way to move between ces in the wastnd, but theplex tunnels made it extremely dangerous as well. It was impossible to tell what was hidden in the shadows, whether it was a nest of Death ws or a cave of cannibals.
Jiang Chen tried to take the route he had usedst time, and whenever he reached unexplored areas, he tensed up at full alert.
Leaving the sewer, Jiang Chen cautiously pulled up his gun. He didnt know if the Hui Zhong Mercenaries were still looking for him. He would only be safe from them after entering the door.
He made a beeline towards the Sixth Street.
The procedure was no different fromst time.
Soldiers in ckbat suits approached Jiang Chen and signaled for him to disy his identification on his EP. After confirming that he had no criminal records, they immediately allowed him to pass.
It was the same deste ghetto fromst time with the weary refugees. Jiang Chen didnt buybor right away since he now knew the rules of ve tradingall the people sold were either criminals or individuals who lost ability to work.
Jiang Chen didnt want either type. Instead, he was looking for harmless individuals with a clean record and inrge numbers as well. Therefore, he had to acquire them through other means.
Jiang Chen didnt choose to go to the market this time. He first rented a storage near the industrial area and left all the canned food andpressed crackers there. After, he directly entered the inner circle examination station.
Since it was a bulk quantity trade, it was necessary to find someone who could afford it. Other than the workforce, Jiang Chen also intended to purchase something that was not normally sold on the market.
Chapter 34 - The Inner Circle
Chapter 34: The Inner Circle
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Please disy your ID, sir It was the same routine check.
Below the towering concrete wall was a reinforced metal gate. The inner circle was substantially more reinforced than the outer zone. Jiang Chen was fortunate enough to witness the greatness of the city from within.
After he had paid a crystal for his trouble, he left all his weapons in the storage by the gate. The guard at the examination station allowed him to pass.
In front of the gate was a spider tank with a triangr shaped cannon. The limbs of the vehicle attached to tracks cast a fictional vibe. The asional patrol team passed by was also equipped with the most advanced work of the century; ck carbon nano armor suits and fluid looking rifles. Sun Jiao mentioned that the inner circles soldiers were the Sixth Street core power. Most were private soldiers who belonged to the rulers of the Sixth Street Group of Ten Council. Despite their advanced equipment, the soldiers that were a part of the outer circle were part of the Sixth Streets public assets. Hence the nature between the two was entirely different.
The shocked Jiang Chen considered acquiring some of their equipment as he approached his destination.
Along the way, Jiang Chen also saw some pedestrians. Only a unique group of people lived in the inner circle of the Sixth Street; those included specialized technologists, wealthy mercenary leaders, and investors who purchased assets within the area. It was known as thend of the wealthy.
It is also worth mentioning that the mercenaries stationed in the Sixth Street acted differentlypared to the wandering half-mercenary half-bandits on the wastnd. The majority of them defended the Sixth Street along with the soldiers in exchange formissions. They would also asionally be sent toplete missions outside, or protect trade routes. The mercenaries registered at the Sixth Street were trustworthy as they all paid a fee as a guarantee for their services. When they no longer acted in the intention for their employer, not only does the guarantor inside the inner circle receive imprisonment, the Sixth Street would send out military power to eliminate the rebellious forces.
[Heaven Ind Hotel, yourfortable home.]
Jiang Chen walked into a hotel that resembled a pre-war luxurious mansion. Since he was there for business, he must also show the correct gestures. Jiang Chen paid for a five-day stay without a blink of an eye. The total bill came out to be 50 crystals. The hotel owner immediately demonstrated the attitude simr to worshipping God as he respectfully escorted him to his room. Only the wealthy and the influential could afford a hotel like this; the hotel owner would do anything to please them.
The high price of the hotel meant that people rarely stayed there.
Only renowned merchants or millionaires from other survivor camps, or even from outside of Wanghai City would stay there. ording to Sun Jiao, anyone who lived here would attract the attention of the public.
Jiang Chen wanted that attention. How would he do business without it?
He was not afraid of the troubles that would ensue. The neutrality of the Sixth Street continued for more than ten years. Their development was not the product of short-sighted growth strategies.
Just this point alone was worth the recognition of the Sixth Streets policy. Ten capitalists formed the Group of Ten Council who implemented the freedom of trade policy within the walls. The bnce of power allowed the strict enforcement of the policy to be enacted. No one wanted to be the first to break the rule of the game. It would not be okay to kill your business partner and ruin the deal for your neighbor.
However, privacy was less of an issue. As to what Jiang Chen expected, the moment he stepped into the room, the hotel manager reported this wealthy customer to his boss.
Identification: Fishbone Food Corporation Representative, Jiang Chen
Time of Stay: July 9th to 14th.>
Jiang Chens information was presented in front of someone.
Fishbone Food Corporation? Jiang Chen? Verypelling. A middle-aged man with a bowl cut leaned against the office chair. Under his thick eyebrows was a pair of hawk-sharp eyes.
Do you want to get in contact with him, boss? The assistant in uniform pushed up her sses. As Zhao Chenwus assistant, she was not only critical to his work, she also acted at his bodyguard and asionally helped to alleviate his needs at times of desire.
Zhao Chenwu, Group of Ten Council Member. He controlled 13% of the military strength within the inner circle. He was the owner of two firearm factories, one pharmaceuticalpany, along with an array of fixed assets in the inner circle. He was also known as the president of the Sixth Streets renowned Zhao Corporation.
There is no rush, lets look at the situation more closely. A grin appeared on Zhao Chenwus face. He was uncertain about the intention of this young man.
Food Corporation? Where can you even find a piece of arablend on the wastnd? Even if it were through soilless culture, the vegetable produced would be in odd shapes due to the radiation, and it could even be poisonous. The soil culture also existed at the Sixth Street, but most of the produce were not edible. The taste of the remainder produce was not fresh either. With exaggeration, if you nted a watermelon, it could grow into a bean for you.
There was no doubt that the technology existed outside of Wanghai City where it was possible to grow to produce on the wastnd. The rarity along with the high cost resulted in the limitedness of the technology. Could it be a simted ecosystem? He also heard about the technology before. Although the advancement of technology was far superior before the war, everyones current focus on innovation was extremely skewed.
As the controlling shareholder of the Heaven Ind hotel, he encountered many representatives at the Sixth Street before. It was his first time hearing about the existence of a food corporation.
There was never a shortage of mutant beef. Just ordinary people couldnt afford it.
Zhao Chenwu shook his head and ced this report away. He looked at the clock and felt a sense of hunger. He asked his assistant, Is lunch ready?
Yes, my boss. Do I need to confirm that todays lunch is curry chicken? The assistant said in a professional tone.
After she had received Zhao Chenwus acknowledgment, she left the room. She then came back momentarily with a te of steamy curry chicken.
The unique aroma of curry chicken made Zhao Chenwus saliva form at a rapid rate. Without any consideration for hisposure, he devoured the meal. The assistant also swallowed as she saw how much her boss was enjoying the meal. She knew better that there was none for her.
The total cost of the curry chicken was 20 crystals, which was equivalent to two night of stay at the hotel.
The price was not even the problem; it was the fact that you couldnt buy it with money.
The outer circles exchange office purchased 20 cans weeks ago. They sold each can with a price of 60 crystals to the influential individuals in the inner circle. Zhao Chenwu used his position as the Group of Ten Council member to get his hands on one of them. The good thing was that the office didnt auction the canned food or the price would be significantly higher.
He divided this one can into three separate servings to enjoy.
Zhao Chenwu investigated the whereabouts of the person who sold the cans. He heard that as soon as they left the gate, the Hui Zhong mercenaries went after them. No one knew if they were still dead or alive. When Zhao Chenwu heard this information, he was so angry that he almost broke the table and cursed the generations of Hui Zhong Mercenaries. He almost sent out his private forces to teach those fools a lesson. However, he resisted the temptation due to his position of power as the mercenaries didnt break any rules within the Sixth Street. If he did anything, he would have broken the rule of the game.
Thest piece of the precious curry chicken went into his stomach as he savored the taste. He shook head as he threw the fantasy about curry chicken into the back of his mind. Although he was curious about the taste of sauteed beef his friend Sir Ding bought, he must have finished already as well.
He had a business to run after all. The food was only a small part of his life. He took over a stack of documents and began reading the operation status of hispany.
At the same time, he nced at the information rting to the hotel guest; he felt a sudden familiarity with the name.
[Hmm, why is the name Jiang Chen so familiar? Where did I see it before?]
If Jiang Chen knew that the canned food he sold to the exchange office was split into three servings by the big bosses within the inner circle, he would be hysterical.
Right now, Jiang Chen was pleasantly enjoying his stay.
He was the only one in the entire mansion. Despite the suppressed feeling cast by the radiation cloud and ray of mutated sunshine, which made it difficult for him to enjoy the holiday, he was quite satisfied by the facilities within the mansion.
Such as the rxation chamber. When Jiang Chen lied inside, it felt as if his entire body was covered in jelly.
The view was not as beautiful as the Sheraton in Sanya, but the technology sure made up for it. [Why do we need nature when we have technology.]
Jiang Chen who stepped out of the rxation chamber felt every pore on his body was exfoliated. The cleanliness was substantially higherpared to taking a shower. It even removed dust at the micro level.
[Should I bring one back?] Jiang Chen touched his chin as he thought about this question. He absolutely loved this.
He casually grabbed a bathrobe to cover himself and ran to other amenities to enjoy them.
The ping pong robot was designed for wealthy people who had no opportunity to exercise. He abandoned his racquet the second he realized he couldnt beat the robot.
He was interested in the full-sensory movie theater.
The 7 Dimensional movie, that theaters praised in the modern world, was nothingpared to this.
He put on the helmet and strapped himself into the soft chair. The surreal feeling made it feel as if it was the reality. He was shocked to find out that he was standing in the middle of New York. Jiang Chen felt the breeze lightly caress across his face as he watched a battle between cops and thugs. He could even experience everything through the protagonists view. It was as if he was fighting himself. He could feel the screeching bullet and experience the pain himself. He just couldnt control the protagonists movement.
The thrilled Jiang Chen left the theater and returned to his room.
Chapter 35 - Fishbone Food Corporation
Chapter 35: Fishbone Food Corporation
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Jiang Chens mood was hardly pleasant. It was because he had just f*cked a sex doll.
He was curious as to why the feeling was off. It was the silicone after all that made Jiang Chen conflicted about the idea. He initially thought the number 410 was just a setting and the private service was due to the hotels high-quality maids. However, he soon realized that the girl was a robot!
He came to that conclusion after using all of his techniques, and the girl still did not show any signs of pleasure.
That would be a short but funny story from the trip. Jiang Chen didnt think too about the sex toy because he didnt have the same urges as before. In his view, some of the intimacy is more joyful when there are two people.
God knows what the Heaven Ind Hotels manager would think after he learned Jiang Chens thought process. This robot was the result of centuries of innovation. Perfectly designed ergonomic with every detail to match. No human would look that wless. Pregnancy or STD would not be a concern at all as a rinse of the internal parts would allow for repeated usage. If the manager knew his peculiar thought process, he would have just gone to the ghetto and found him a prostitute there.
The culture divide meant that they wouldnt understand each other. Jiang Chen preferred the realistic emotions carried by an actual person. He left the robot to the side. The asional shoulder rub was quite rxing.
He gratefully rejected the meal service offered by the hotel as he cheerfully lied on the maically levitating chair. He ordered the mechanical beauty to pick up a fruit slice from the can and feed it to him.
[What avish life!]
An entire day passed, still, no one visited him. This made Jiang Chen uncertain about his ns.
[This is odd, do I need to be more proactive?] He raised his eyebrows as questions floated through his mind. He was not familiar with the ce so he had no clue who the point of contact would be. Since the hotel registered him as a food corporation representative, in theory, anyone interested would contact him. Jiang Chen didnt believe the hotel manager would keep this a secret, and he was uncertain how many people would have ess to the information.
Jiang Chen over dramatized the severity of the situation because a merchant who smelt the opportunity for crystals was rushing there.
It was the merchant that had to divide the can into three servings - Zhao Chenwu.
Pleasee in. When he heard the doorbell, he answered the door as the voice activated system automatically unlocked the door.
When he saw the visitor, he didnt act surprised. He slowly and respectably stood up and asked the visitor to sit.
Zhao Chenwu spotted the fruit can on the table and swallowed his saliva, but his facial expression remained calm. Although he had a passion for food, he was a man of influence, so he kept hisposure. At this position of power, it was easy to disguise his desire.
The assistant behind him only nced at the can on the table once, and her expression also remained the same.
Jiang Chen who was observing the situation became ecstatic.
Disguise would mean that there was a problem. The more you pretend you dont care, the more you demonstrate your interest.
The value of food was without a doubt extremely high. A careless expression would only suggest the disguise behind the intention. If Zhao Chenwu were pretending, that would mean that he was here to negotiate. Jiang Chens n was to find a business partner. It would be up to this negotiation to see if there would be a deal.
Hello, Mr. Jiang. My name is Zhao Chenwu; this is my assistant Su Lei. Zhao Chenwu cut straight to the point and introduced himself. When she heard the boss introduce her, she respectably acknowledged.
Hmm? You guys clearly have done your homework. Jiang Chen gave Zhao Chenwu a thought-provoking look. The middle-aged man didnt disy any awkward emotion as if the provoking action didnt bother him at all.
Mr. Jiangs detailed information means that you also want people to find you. A smile suddenly appeared on Zhao Chenwus face.
Indeed, it was not required to input the customers information at the time of check in. A name and gic ID would be enough. But Jiang Chen forcefully added the Fishbone Food Corporation Representative along with his name. His intention was quite clear.
Haha, lets not talk about this anymore. Since we have an important visitor here, I cant be too cheap as the host. Jiang Chen gave the mechanical beauty some orders as the robot directly entered the room.
Zhao Chenwu puzzled examined Jiang Chen and his intention. Jiang Chen was doing the same thing.
Momentarily, the mechanical beauty walked in with two pieces of fresh, watery orange slices. She directly ced the te in front of the confused Zhao Chenwu.
Fruit can, a specialty of ourpany. I already opened the one on the counter so it would be rude of me to serve you guys with it. I just asked my temporary maid to open two more cans. My passion for oranges meant that I only brought oranges with me on this trip. I hope the two of you will not be offended. With a grin on his face, Jiang Chen gestured Zhao Chenwu to try.
[Why would I be offended? This is just showing off.] Zhao Chenwu cursed in his mind.
The fresh-looking orange slices were only avable a few years after the war. The supermarket had some yet to be raided, but the supplies were all gone within two years.
It has been ten years since he had an orange this delicious. He chewed on the soft orange as his edged and rough face showed a sign of excitement. However, he immediately turned into his usual collected expression when he met Jiang Chens smile.
To greet the guest with luxury like this, especially including the assistant as well, demonstrated not only his good faith but also the amount of wealth he had.
Zhao Chenwu thoughtfully looked at Su Lei who still acted calm, but her mouth was chewing non-stop. He pushed the toothpick inside a slice of orange and didnt continue to eat.
There would be plenty of time to taste the delicacy after the business was done.
Does it taste good? Jiang Chen asked with a smile. He also picked up a slice of orange and put in his mouth.
Its delicious. To be honest, even though the Sixth Street can produce some fruits, the production is limited. Due to the radiation, it is difficult to maintain the quality of the fruit, which means only some are edible. The rest could only be extracted for nutrient purposes. These were not secrets at all as anyone on the street would know. Zhao Chenwu did not hide any information. Instead, he was straight forward and acted as honestly as possible.
I have heard about this before. Therefore I see opportunities. Jiang Chen nodded.
The canned food at the exchange office must be Mr. Jiangs move. Zhao Chenwu said without any fluctuation in his emotion.
You are correct. I sold it at a price of 50 crystals per can. I heard that the price was raised to 60?
In that case, since Mr. Jiang showed up in the inner circle and not the exchange office, you must be preparing for a big deal. Zhao Chenwus face disyed a burning passion.
Indeed, I believe my products would sell very well in the Sixth Street. The opportunity finally came. A glimpse of confidence shed across Jiang Chens face, as the person who brought up the question was important in any negotiation, for the one that took the initiative would not be at an advantage.
Zhao Chenwu couldnt contain his excitement that he was no longer calm
The canned food would sell out the moment it enters the market. As a capitalist himself, Zhao Chenwu would not let the profit in front of him escape.
Do I have the pleasure of bing your business partner? A thought provoking smile appeared on Zhao Chenwus face.
Of course, if Mr. Zhao has enough influence, Jiang Chen responded with a vague answer.
It looks like Mr. Jiang didnt investigate about me. Zhao Chenwu smiled.
Any individual or force can be our business partner granted they meet all the requirements. Investigating every individual within the inner circle would be inefficient. I know that as long as I show up here, people with business insight into business will find me. It is only a matter of time, Jiang Chen shook his head and said calmly.
However, Zhao Chenwu recognized the other relevant information within Jiang Chens words.
Are you talking about the trade? Wait, you can provide stable supply? Zhao Chenwu pressed his hands against the table and stood up immediately. He stared at Jiang Chen with disbelief.
[It would be impossible in Wanghai City. It must be an organization outside of Wanghai. Simted ecosystem facility? Regardless of what it is, I must make the deal.]
Mr. Zhao, you are acting overzealously, Although he was ecstatic in his mind, he remained collected and said it without any emotion.
I apologize for my manner. Allow me to introduce myself again. Zhao Chenwu realized his actions were overeager. He fixed up his clothes and extended his right hand. Member of the Group of Ten Council, president of the Zhao Corporation, Zhao Chenwu. On behalf of the Zhao Corporation, I extend my warm wee to yourpanys presence regarding potential deals at the Sixth Street.
[Oh my, part of the Group of Ten Council!]
Jiang Chen hid his surprise. These are the conglomerate that controlled all the capital within the neutral Sixth Street. Since they are part of the forces in the Sixth Street, safety would not be a concern either. The absolute neutrality is aw that was strictly enforced for more than 20 years.
He stood up and shook Zhao Chenwus hand to express his gratitude.
Im Jiang Chen. A representative who is responsible for the negotiation of the deal. On behalf of the Fishbone Food Corporation, I express my gratitude to the Zhao Corporation at the Sixth Street. Lets put the gestures aside and talk about the details of the business.
Haha, Mr. Jiang is a straightforward person. This was what I expected. Joyous by the suggestion, Zhao Chenwu happily epted.
He originally thought Jiang Chen was a flipper merchant,mon to the wastnd, with some unique products. Even if he brought him considerable profit in one trade, it would not be long term as flipper merchants wandered across the wastnd without a home.
However, Jiang Chens proposition was a long-term trade agreement which offered a significantly different meaning.
A stable trade route, with an external survivor camp with the product being luxury canned food, Zhao Chenwu was thankful that he took the initiative first. If he let this money printing machine escape from in front of him, he would be theughing stock of the entire inner circle merchants.
Chapter 36 - Trade Route
Chapter 36: Trade Route
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
It is extremely challenging to conduct trade on the wastnd.
The endless amount of bandits along with the unsuspecting mutants made the establishment of a proper trade route between survivor camps almost impossible. Only camps in close proximities could establish stable trade routes.
Some famous trade routes include the one established between Liuding Town and the Beer Can Company. Both parties even sent out some of its forces to create supplying stations along the way to reinforce firepower. These supplying stations would often assign a strike force to provide protection to the merchants along the trade route.
The development of these trade routes are the symptoms of the difference between production capability and technology level among survival camps.
The tale that Liuding Town is a aircraft carrier is something unheard of. The aircraft carrier was previously known as Bohai which broke down in the harbor after the nuclear explosion. Due to various reasons, it was abandoned after the war and was only utilized by the survivors after the apocalypse. They modified the carrier with illegal upgrades which made the vessel not even close to resembling a ship. It would be more fitting to call it a tform. The absolute safety of the ship allowed it to be the haven primarily for the entertainment industry and secondarily for the high-tech industry.
Dont be mistaken. The Beer Bottle Company also did not produce beer bottles, it is a survival base focused on heavy industrial production.
The base is located at the Wanghai Citys rural port near the heavy industrial park. Not only is this ce capable of producing the missiles used in the electromaic cannon onboard, but it also has the capacity to manufacture high-tech guided missiles. The capacity is however limited, with most of the raw materials collected from waste.
Of course, all this information is outside of the context.
To open the new market at Wanghai City, I n to establish a supply station here. In fact, I am nning this already. We are currently extremelycking in the force and equipment necessary. The corporate headquarter provided me with the order to gather all help onsite. We are going to invest all first-year profit into the construction of the supply station. Poption, equipment, firearms are three points we need to discuss. Also another point, I dont want criminals without a guarantee in their personality.
[Supply station? Why dont you establish it in the Sixth Street? We can provide the best security for your business.] Zhao Chenwu slightly raised his eyebrows as he asked the question in his mind.
Despite the Sixth Streets respectable reputation in Wanghai City, in our perspective, you are still unknown and unfamiliar. This is the strategy established by the corporation. I can only follow within the boundaries set. Jiang Chen continued to make up an borate story as he directed everything to the nonexistentpany outside of Wanghai City.
Regardless, the exnation was convenient and convincing at the same time.
Zhao Chenwu thought momentarily before he opened his mouth.
The workforce is not a problem. In general, thebor force in the ghetto remains excessive even to this day. Although on paper it is prohibited to sell non-criminals a mischievous smile shed across Zhao Chenwus face, if there are not a lot of people, I can create some idents and make them part of the tradeable poption.
Rules are set by people. Therefore there are always ways to exploit within the rules as long it is within reason.
Jiang Chen nodded.
Not a lot, I think 30 should suffice.
30 peoplepared with a poption over ten thousand is like a drop of water in the vast ocean. No one would use 30 people as an excuse to attack him, Zhao Chenwu immediately agreed to the proposition.
As to the necessary equipment. I included everything on this list. Jiang Chen smiled as he took out an electronic card and gently put it on the table.
These graphene produced cards could store up to 12 gigabytes of full-sensory information. It could be charged directly under the sun which made it incredibly easy to use. The Sixth Street market sold it for a low price.
Zhao Chenwu epted the card. He didnt seem bothered as he clicked the start button on the left side. A list appeared in front of his eyes.
Anti-corrosive Concrete Mixer, Nanotube Generator, Graphene Cutting Bed. These should be okay. There are some stored within the Sixth Street storage. Ill just use Zhao Corporations name to purchase it. However, the Firearm Production Line and the Nanochip Production Bed. A puzzled look appeared on Zhao Chenwus face. These type of goods are difficult to obtain. Firearm-rted production is strictly prohibited to be sold at any survival base. The Nanochip Production Bed is not only massive and difficult to transport, even if you purchased it, without some technical background, nothing would be manufactured from the machine.
Zhao Chenwu didnt lie. The Nanochip has aprehensive application, especially in the production of full-sensory equipment which will be critical to entering the full-sensoryputer market. However, to produce the Nanochip, a series of apanying production lines were necessary. The nano-sized silicon board must be cut by a high precesion machine.
Jiang Chen touched his chin as he thought for a moment.
[It looks like theres no need to rush, it is probably better to do it one step at a time.]
Jiang Chen who made up his mind didnt insist on pursuing his conditions.
It is fine to exclude the Firearm Production Line and the Nanochip Production Bed. Though, due to the need for security at the supply station, I dont know if Mr. Zhao is interested in the firearm business.
There was no way he was not interested. Zhao Chenwu promised that he could find any Sixth Street approved equipment for Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen expressed his gratitude.
Since both parties managed toe to an agreement in the trade, they entered the discussion phase in regards to the details of the deal.
After a careful deliberation, the details of the agreement were finalized. The female assistant named Su Lei professionally produced the electronic agreement and handed Jiang Chen and her boss a copy each. After Jiang Chen had examined the items were consistent in the deliberation, he pressed his thumb onto the contract. Zhao Chenwu was confident in his assistants ability as he only scanned the document for a few seconds before stamping it with his fingerprint.
When two gic ID appeared on the electronic contract, it symbolled the enactment of the contract. It was rather symbolic because business ethics were not enforced within the apocalypse. The key to honoring the agreement was profit for both parties.
The fruit cans were priced at 30 crystals, the meats varied between 10-20 crystals based on itsposition, and the crackers sold at 1 crystal per piece. The price of the goods was not higher only because Jiang Chen was nning to sell in bulk quantities. An item was valued in proportion to its rarity. When Jiang Chen sold the 20 cans, the high price of 50 crystals was well justified. However, since a stable trade agreement was signed, there would be a continuous supply of the canned food. Hence, such high price would not be seen anymore.
The price was certainly not cheap, the hefty price tag was still five times the cost of mutant beef. He would also have to adjust the sale price if he sold through retail. If the price were higher, even the rich would not be able to afford it.
The different types of equipment Jiang Chen needed had a different cost. The Anti-Corrosive Concrete Mixer only costed 300 crystals, whereas the Graphene Cutting Bed had a price of 11,000 crystals, which was the price after a small discount from the market price.
The Sixth Streets mass produced Destroyer Rifle was sold at 20 crystals each. The efficient assault was part of NATOs standard weaponry. It used the same 7.62mm bullet as the PK200 Jiang Chen used. The gun was weaker overall but made up it in the stability category which meant it has an advantage in man-to-manbat. Jiang Chen bought 40 of them, along with some heat sensor grenades and EMP grenades. The price offered by Zhao Chenwu made Jiang Chen quite pleased as everything was discounted by 10%. The gesture was topensate for Jiang Chens reduced price on the food cans.
Although titled aspensation, Zhao Chenwu didnt know that the goods Jiang Chen traded had a cost of less than 1 crystal.
All of the goods were exchanged in the storage space Jiang Chen rented previously. As to how Jiang Chen moved the canned food in, Zhao Chenwu was also surprised as he did not receive any reports rted torge quantities of canned food appearing in the inner circle. Despite not having to pay taxes before trading for goods, documentation was still necessary.
Cautioned by Jiang Chens power, Zhao Chenwu didnt say anything. Since both of them had no conflict of interest, a strong partner would only be beneficial to him.
The ability to transport goods on the mutant-creature-filled wastnd was a feat on its own. They must have special transportation technology.
Zhao Chenwu would never guess in his life that Jiang Chen brought the food back from a parallel world.
Despite the good being exchanged at the Sixth Street, Jiang Chen didnt want to make a trip down every single time. He would have no time to do anything else except to trade goods. Jiang Chen didnt have any concerns as he drew a line on the full-sensory map. It was the safe underground sewer map he explored.
The usage of the underground sewer system as a mean to trade goods wasmon in the apocalypse. This worlds Wanghai City had a robust drainage system that made the tunnel wide enough to pass a car. It would only take some modifications along the way with some of the alley passes blocked to build a golden highway for trading. The only drawback was that the tunnels were not entirelypatible with the ground routes, therefore not every survival base had the privilege of using this kind of trade route.
Zhao Chenwu was ecstatic when he heard that an underground sewer tunnel connected with Jiang Chens base. He dly took on the deed to modify this route. Jiang Chen didnt want to owe a favor, and since the intention of trade was to benefit both parties, Jiang Chen also provided 1,000 crystals to fund the project.
Modification work was notplicated. A few pieces of high-density polyethylene and aluminumpound boards would seal all alleys in the tunnel. This type of material was not only light but also durable. Even vicious mutant creatures like the Death w could not destroy it. Both parties controlled the entrance of the tunnel. Zhao Chenwu sent out his force to secure the tunnel at the Sixth Street side whereas Jiang Chen was responsible for establishing a station on his side. This ensured the safety and security of the route. The exits were entirely blocked to prevent any bandits from entering the tunnel.
In the future, the traded goods would be exchanged near Jiang Chens end of the tunnel. The original n stated that, at the beginning of the month, a trade would take ce. Jiang Chen was responsible for providing 1,000 meat cans and 10,000 pieces ofpressed crackers along with an ordered list. Zhao Chenwu would bring goods based on the list and offer a 10% discount from the marketce. Jiang Chen also promised that as long as Zhao Chenwu acted within the conditions of the deal, he would only conduct food business with him at the Sixth Street.
Additionally, because Zhao Chenwu has underground transportation vehicles with a strong protective force. It was natural for him to take care of the shipping.
As to if Jiang Chen should worry about Zhao Chenwus possible ill intention with his private force?
The idea was that no one foolish enough would be able to rise to a position of power to where Zhao Chenwu was now. No one would kill the cash cow. Especially since Jiang Chen was only a supply station, the actual production facility may not even be in this province. He didnt have the capacity to explore through the entire wastnd. The closer to the city center, the more dangerous the zombies were. The further away, the mutant creatures ruled thend.
He wouldnt risk the possibility of being impeached by the Sixth Street to gamble on known profits with unknown possibilities. Only addicts gamble.
He was afraid that bandits would target Jiang Chens base and even suggested defense treaties, but Jiang Chen graciously refused.
It was unfeasible because even if his safety were guaranteed, there would always be a set of eyes watching him. It would be impossible to import goods. If he magically created goods, it would without a doubt cause suspicion.
After thepletion of the trade, Jiang Chen not only acquired all the necessary products and equipment, he had 210 crystal left over. Zhao Chenwu without hesitation ensured Jiang Chen he would deliver everything to his door. Jiang Chen didnt refuse the proposition.
The storage dimensions size was limited. Since the production equipment wasrge, it would be unsafe to travel through the underground tunnel multiple times.
The negotiation was sessful. After he had managed to sign a big deal like this, Zhao Chenwu was ecstatic. He extended an invitation to Jiang Chen to visit the Sixth Streets industrial area and his properties inside. Jiang Chen dly epted the invitation as he came along with his personal ride.
The ambitious leader that possessed one-tenth of the Sixth Street. How much power does he possess here? Jiang Chen was curious to find out. Since his partner wanted to show off his power, Jiang Chen had no reason to refuse.
Chapter 37 - Industrial Area
Chapter 37: Industrial Area
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
This is my firearm factory. Several hundred workers are working for me, and they send these small metal pieces to the good or the bad guys. Lets not go inside. The temperature is unbearable.
The sentence sounded a bit conflicting.
Zhao Chenwu pointed at the in production firearm factory as he proudly exined to Jiang Chen. His gesture was no different than the modern worldnd developers.
This is also my factory, but this ce specializes inplex equipment such as stationary cannons. Those things mounted on the inner circle wall are produced mostly from my factory.
They walked in front of a much smaller buildingpared to the previous one. Zhao Chenwu pointed at the ce as he lit a cigarette.
Apocalypse was no stranger to the cigarette. Alcohol could not be mass produced due to the shortage of food, so cigarettes became the choice of substance to alleviate pressure.
The tobo here had a pungent smell, and not everyone smoked it. The radiation brought uncontroble mutation to all organisms on this, but not all mutations were harmful. This tobo for example, like any other mutated nts in the apocalypse, was well adapted to the soil condition on the wastnd. It could be grown without highly specialized techniques, which is one of the reasons why cigarettes were rtively cheap in the apocalypse. A lot of survivors would grow a few in front of their homes due to its recreational and medical value.
Jiang Chen naturally was not ustomed to the pungent taste. Zhao Chenwuughed at the fact. Then, he signaled to him to not worry about it, and that he could throw it away if he didnt like it. However, it was rtive. When Zhao Chenwu took Jiang Chens Zhonghua (a top end cigarette), he felt the taste was too light to entertain himself.
Oh? I am also interested in these automatic weapons, would Mr. Zhao be willing to sell me a few? Jiang Chen saw a worker in a white uniform adjusting the half man-sized big machine with his tablet. The cannon rotated 360 degrees, aimed at the target inside the room, and unleashed its firepower.
Haha, of course, thats not a problem. However, these dont get produced very quickly. Added by the fact that the Sixth Street is currently upgrading the northern inspection stations equipment, it would be at least two months before it can be produced. Mr. Jiang would have to wait.
No problem. Jiang Chen smiled without being too bothered.
The two of them walked side by side in the highly advanced factory. The female assistant Su Lei following behind them, as she carried Zhao Chenwus suitcase. The workers along the way saluted as they passed by which made him feel like a person of importance doing the tour.
Honestly speaking, as he took a trip to the factory, Jiang Chen became increasingly shocked by what he saw. There were maic hovering drones the size of a Frisbee, and half-built two meters high power armors.
Just like Zhao Chenwu said, the production rate of the equipment was extremely limiting. This was because military factories and rted facilities were first target choices during the war. To obtain a civil production line was rtively easy, but to acquire aplete military production line were nearly impossible.
Including the power armor that was being produced, the majority of the equipment were being built by hand. Jiang Chen saw a worker use a tool simr to hammer to form the shape of the armor at high temperatures, and another worker carefully installed the microelectronic chips inside the armor. Perhaps all these production steps were done by high precision automatic production lines before the war, but in the apocalypse, a lot of things must be done by hand.
Of course, the missing production processes were for moreplicated equipment. The production line for bullets was rtively easy to acquire. Despite limitations, the survivors still possessed a tremendous amount of firepower. Regardless how hard the zombies head are, a single bullet would solve the problem. Even for the Death w, who could rip through the power armors outer protectionyer, tanks still existed as its natural predator.
A question was apparent. With all these powerful equipment, the human still cant conquer the bloodthirsty mutants and zombies?
He thought about this point and was silent. He was curious as to what existed in the city center.
Part of this equipment will be my private force, and part of it will be sold to the Sixth Street military or other interested buyers. However, the power armor is usually not permitted to be sold. The spider tank and other heavy equipment are also prohibited. With the exception that the Sixth Street Council approves the military purchase through voting, my factory would then began to produce theplicated equipment. Zhao Chenwu did not seem to notice Jiang Chen as he rambled on. The words were meant as precautionary measures as it would be difficult if Jiang Chen wanted to buy a power armor.
Hmm? So Mr. Zhao is considered a firearm merchant then? Jiang Chen got rid of all the questions in his head and smiled.
Somewhat. I still have a pharmaceutical factory, and I also operate some fixed assets within the inner circle. If Mr. Jiang is interested in buying a house in the inner circle, I would be of great help, Zhao Chenwu inhaled the cigarette as he said with a weing smile. He then grabbed a bracelet shaped like an armguard and gave it to Jiang Chen.
Mr. Jiang is often out venturing, this nitrogen armor will be my gift to you.
Appreciate the gift. Jiang Chen didnt reject the offer. He wore the bracelet on his arm before he looked at Zhao Chenwu, eyes full of questions.
How do you use this?
Zhao Chenwu signaled to the soldier that tested the equipment by the side. The soldier saluted and jogged to the middle of the separation chamber.
The soldier deployed the nitrogen armor in his hand as the dense gas surrounded him in thick turbulent waves. The bracelet in the middle spread the dense gas into a semi-hemisphere shape.
At that moment, a heavy machine gun appeared in front of the soldier as the pitch ck barrel spat out waves of bullets.
The excellent sound instion of the separation chamber made it impossible to hear any noises inside. Jiang Chen was surprised to discover that the moment the shots came in contact with the nitrogenyer, the bullets all bounced off. The soldier standing behind the shield still remained in a half standing position and looked like he didnt even receive the impact of the bullets.
Holy! This is a protective barrier.
Using the atomic vortex effect that forces the nitrogen to create a high-pressure cirction around a center point Haha, the scientists can go figure the theory part out, I only care about the end result. Is Mr. Jiang satisfied with this? Zhao Chenwu waved his hand to signal the end of the experiment as the machine gun disappeared.
Satisfied, extremely satisfied. Is there any limitation with this equipment. Jiang Chen fidgeted with the bracelet before putting it on.
Not really, except the power consumption is quite high. The vortex equipment in the middle may overheat. One crystal is enough to initiate this equipment for one minute. The equipment will overheat with ten seconds of usage. After a period of usage, the used crystal would be higher than the cost to produce it. Also, it is not effective againstser and particle weapons, but it is quite exceptional against bullet weapons. Zhao Chenwu let out a smoke ring as he exined.
I didnt imagine Mr. Zhaos factory has the capability to develop weapons, Jiang Chen eximed.
Haha, of course, but this thing doesnt sell that well as not a lot of people can afford it. However, my scientists have been working to integrate this device onto the power armor to see if it can be useful as a part of it. Lets not talk about this anymore, the scientists can take care of these headaches. Haha, like what I said before, I only care about the end result.
After they had left the factory, Zhao Chenwu took Jiang Chen to the pharmaceutical nt for a tour. Except the nt was rather small, so there was not much to be seen. Apparently, the gic vine produced from this ce ounted for 30% of the Sixth Streets market share. Some other vines were also among the popr choices on the wastnd, such as steroids and blood makers.
After a tour of everything, the two returned to the front door of the ghetto.
It was the samebor market manager called Wang Yi. The moment the bold and fat guy saw Zhao Chenwu, he dashed out and saluted in the most exaggerated fashion. His look wasical but not annoying. The fat man had his ways as he managed to livefortably in the apocalypse by ttering and kissing bastards, not many could manage to pull it off.
Zhao Chenwu didnt waste a single word as he nced at his personal assistant Su Lei before continuing to bloat with Jiang Chen. Su Lei took out a piece of paper and handed it with professionalism to Wang Yi. Wang Yi carefully took that piece of document and promised that he would take care of it. He ran back into this office and took out a stack of paper.
Choose whoever you want, these are all excessivebor without work. You dont need to worry about the possibility of stealing other factorys worker. Zhao Chenwu waved his hand as Su Lei gave the stack of documents to Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen had made the agreement of 30 people with Zhao Chenwu already, and he promised to pay 20 crystal per person. It was included in the price of the goods they already exchanged.
The official price for the criminal was one crystal, the other 19 was based on the cost of Jiang Chens demand to install thetest insurance system. Zhao Chenwu didnt make a single crystal in this deal as he sold it at cost to Jiang Chen. Compared to the potential profit of the trade agreement, he didnt care about the small gains and losses. Thetest insurance system was far more exceptionalpared to the electronic bracelet. It used nanosurgery to install microchips at the neck of the criminals. If anyone betrayed or resisted, Jiang Chen could immediately activate the destruction program in the chip, and the betrayers head would fly off like a ser ball. Although cruel, Jiang Chen was not ready to risk his own life for the sympathy of irrelevant people.
At the same time, the chip was equipped with a lie detector, GPS tracking, visual sensor, and neural shut off system. The criminals would have no privacy nor the ability to betray. It was far more advanced than the electronic cors. Though of course, it came at a hefty price too.
However, Jiang Chen was an understanding guy. As long as they have no ill intentions, he didnt mind letting them enjoy a much morefortable life.
Haha, let me know if you see anyone you like, they will be deported because they possess terminal illness. Zhao Chenwu only needed to open his mouth before he decided the fate of this group of people.
The feeling of power was an excellent feeling.
Jiang Chen had the pile of resumes in his hand as he flipped through everything. The resumescked bullsheetpared to the modern day ones and explicitly stated the persons worth. A special examination, using an artificial intelligences testing system, was done to objectively determine a persons abilities. For example, if one possessesputer knowledge, the artificial intelligence would divide the knowledge of equipment into five levels.
Construction major, or mechanical major. In the Sixth Street with an excessive workforce, without an exceptional skill, it would be impossible to find a job. At the firearm factory that Zhao Chenwu didnt even want to step in, everyone was a mechanical scientist on the production line.
But to Jiang Chen, these guys were far more valuable, and he terribly needed their help.
The advanced technology specialistprised of one-third construction, mechanical, and chemistry applications and technologist made up the remainder of the choices. Individuals with special abilities were prioritized, for example, people who could cook would be considered by Jiang Chen.
Subsequently, people with good body conditions were prioritized since upgrading the mansion requiredbor.
Lastly, families were considered first because people part of a family have a unique sense of belonging and connection. Jiang Chen would not have to worry about their loyalty. Also, he didnt want to take care of peoples hormonal needs.
Jiang Chen handed the chosen resumes to Su Lei and the professional female assistant headed to the ghetto with the 30 resumes in her hand.
Zhao Chenwu had already arranged everything with the manager of the ghetto as the group of people were gathered quickly before they were taken to a quarantine room. They used the excuse, testing for diseases, but all the reports were already forged. All 30 of them were diagnosed with the X1 virus and were then taken to a room to have the microchip implemented.
Human rights? Thats a joke, there were no human rights in the apocalypse.
The moment they received the nutrient supply from the survivor base, their freedom no longer belonged to them.
Jiang Chen didnt rush to see the people he selected. Instead, he returned to the inner circle. Zhao Chenwu put Jiang Chens ID on the inner circle whitelist, which meant he no longer needed to pay a one crystal entrance fee. Although the tax was not a huge amount, it was a friendly gesture.
The purchased individuals were ced as supplies and were guarded by Zhao Chenwus own force into the underground sewer system. They headed for the arranged trade point and waited for Jiang Chen to ept the supplies at that point.
Despite the fear that may be going through the individuals heads, Jiang Chen epted Zhao Chenwus invitation to have dinner together. On the dinner table, the Sixth Street boss constantly ttered him, which make Jiang Chen quite amazed by the power of money. Regardless of age, money talked.
In the end, he only needed to consider how to expand his power to preserve the cake in his hand.
Chapter 38 - Slave Arrangement
Chapter 38: ve Arrangement
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
The next day, Jiang Chen checked out from the Paradise Ind Hotel. He then said goodbye to Zhao Chenwu before beginning his journey back home.
The underground sewage systems restructuring n had already started. A few military personnel from the Zhao Corporation had already upied the entrance. The busy construction vehicle, along with the workers with polyethylene boards, demonstrated the emphasis Zhao Chenwu ced on this trade route.
Soldiers with fullbat gear saw Jiang Chen approach and signaled him to stop. After verification of gene ID to identify that Jiang Chen was a person of importance to the boss, the soldiers saluted and stepped aside to allow Jiang Chen to pass.
Although they worked under a corporate structure, the private forces already possessed military discipline and capability that made Jiang Chen gain a better understanding of the Sixth Streets ability. On the surface, the civil-military was protecting the safety of the Sixth Street, but the real forces were the private forces of the capitalists. The civil-military acted more like the police.
If these soldiers faced the Roshan, it would be an easy fight, unlikest time.
The actual construction of the underground sewage system has yet to begin. Jiang Chen jumped on top of the mold covered concrete floor. His surroundings were pitch ck. He opened his tactical shlight as well as the three-dimensional map on the full sensoryputer. After finalizing the direction, Jiang Chen headed home.
The atmosphere felt repressive.
After the civil soldiers had taken them to the quarantine room, a bad feeling sprouted from everyones head. The examination that they all acquired X1 virus has rectified their suspension. Then a few people in white coats that looked like doctors ordered soldiers with gic medication to pin them on the bed. After they had regained their consciousness, everyones neck felt oddly sore.
All of you have been injected with the very microchip. I dont think I have to exin further. Youll be taken to your new owner in a bit, you pigs. Cheng Weiguo still clearly remembered the cold and condescending gaze. To the Sixth Street, the unemployed were pigs that wasted food.
It was a conspiracy.
But no one resisted.
They were no longer new to the survivor camps. After they have epted the aid, freedom is only a mere wish. If they didnt work, they would receive one nutrient supply a day. This would only prevent them from starving to death, but a few had died anyways.
All of them huddled in a circle as six soldiers in ckbat gear stood by the side. Some have guessed that the Zhao Corporation purchased them, but with the supplies stacked beside them, it only made them feel like they were part of the items sold.
Honey, did they do anything to you. Cheng Weiguo worriedly held his wifes hand.
No, I lost my consciousness after they injected tranquilizer. I feel the same way as you guys, only a bit sore in the neck, Zhou Jiexi wanted her husband to remain calm as she gently held his hand and answered softly.
The couple should spend some intimate time together. Maybe we will be sold as vebor somewhere. The man will work, and the womanhehe, A middle-aged man opened his mouth, and he said grinning.
What the fu*k did you just say? Cheng Weiguo felt the tremble from his wifes hand as rage filled his chest. He furiously red at the man.
What, do you want to fight? The middle-aged man drowsily yawned as he pointed at the back of his neck. Come, I wont fight back. Lets see if you die or I die first.
ves are the private property of the owner. If a fight broke out between ves, the usual consequence was that both parties would be executed in public. The private forces have already noticed the disturbance, and they pointed their guns to deter the fight. These people were properties of the boss valued friend. If anything happened, they would receive punishment.
Cheng Weiguo clinched his fist but had to let it go. The other ves saw that nothing happened and all lost their interest without paying more attention.
Suddenly, the private forces all moved. The six of them lined up and saluted to a young man. They got on the small moving vehicle and then left.
What does it feel like to be stared down by thirty pairs of eyes?
It didnt feel like anything special, especially when he knew he controlled their life. The apathetic feeling to life felt particrly real.
Jiang Chen let out a breath as he got rid of the uneasy feeling from his mind. He didnt want to be a cold-blooded politician. He wanted to be a wealthy man who lived avish life.
Unambitious is not a terrible way to experience life.
However, to umte wealth on this chaotic piece ofnd, he must have the necessary forces. If he werent a rich man, he would just be a prey. If he met Huizhong Mercenaries again, he would fall victim again.
Force and deterrence were necessary, and he must get used to them.
He recollected his thought as he scanned through the jittery figures and slowly let out a long breath.
Okay, look at me. I will be your future master, Jiang Chen pped his hand as he shouted.
His voice echoing through the dark sewage system had a strange feel to it.
I know you guys all have a lot of questions in your mind, such as if you would be used as a lure or carry a weapon to go fight in the front line. Fortunately, I can guarantee that it wont happen.
Jiang Chen sensed that everyone let out a sigh of relief. The thirty heart beat rted indicators have all decreased on the EP.
A pleased smile appeared on his face before he took another deep breath and spoke out.
You guys are lucky because I am your master and I believe you will experience that shortly. You work for me, and you wont starve. I can even let you guys live a wealthy life as you have never imagined before. However
At this point, Jiang Chen gradually slowed his voice down and purposely lowered his voice as he added a sullen chillness to his tone.
I am a kind and sympathetic person, but the only thing I cannot forgive is betrayal. You all know the microchip installed at the back of your neck. For me, you have no privacy at all. For traitors, there is no punishment other than death. Thats all.
His words of certainty transmitted through the pitch silent underground sewage system. The frightened, fearful, and worried pupils dted as they didnt dare to make a sound.
Afraid? Thats right! Thats what he wanted to instill in their heart.
Carrot after stick, he knew that these people would be obedient. He was aware that the moment they smelt the first bowl of congee after so many years, these frightened and uncertain people would immediately praise him as the second god.
What are you all waiting for! Grab everything and lets go home! Jiang Chen waved his hand as the ves stood up quivering and lifted all the supplies.
He climbed out of the exit. After he had ensured the safety of the surrounding, he lowered the hook and cables down. People below hooked the supplies up and lifted the stocks one by one. The production equipment were all disassembled and stored in boxes; assembling can be done in the mansion.
He led the ves with packs of supplies as they carefully traversed through the deserted streets full of lifeless zombies. Jiang Chen finally saw his mansion, or dirt fortress.
He pressed the doorbell. Quickly, a graceful figure jumped into his firm embrace as she hugged his neck.
Did you pick up girls? The cat-like eyes gazed at Jiang Chen as Sun Jiao examined him top down.
Shouldnt the first sentence be I miss you? Jiang Chen patted Sun Jiaos back with a bitter smile. This girl was even naughtier. An audacious girl transforming into a caring woman?
You havent answered my question yet. Sun Jiao smirked as she drew a circle on his back with her finger.
I swear to God, no! Jiang Chen raised his hand and swore. At the same time, he added a sentence in his mind.
[If the robot doesnt count.]
Although her sixth sense made Sun Jiao a little suspicious, Jiang Chen didnt smell odd so she quickly let it go.
After she had kissed Jiang Chen again, she began to order the ves on the side to move things into the mansion. Then started to n on how to settle these ves.
The grass field in front of the mansion was circled out and used to build temporary tents for them. The small traveler-sized tents were purchased with Zhao Chenwu and could barely fit two people. Due to the limitation of space, they would have to squeeze a bit, but it would still be better than sleeping outside.
Of course, there were still rooms in the mansion, but Jiang Chen wasnt kind enough to let these strangers live in his home. Even if they have no ability to fight back and kept a clean record in the ghetto, he still had trust issues. Without the proper loyalty and allegiance, Jiang Chen could only treat them as strangers.
Yao Yao understandingly followed Jiang Chens instructions and brought a giant pot. She dumped half a bag of rice along with an ample amount of water. Then she added some cabbage leaves and some ground pork into the pot with two spoons of salt and a small spoon of gourmet powder.
She opened the natural gas and started to cook in the giant pot.
After a giant wooden spoon had mixed all the ingredients, Yao Yao tiptoed to cover the pot.
She sniffed and adjusted the fire before waiting quietly for the congee to cook. Although she didnt understand why Jiang Chen would make such a delicious meal for the ves, she would support his decision regardless of the motive.
[Brothers sympathetic look was handsome.]
Perhaps it was the fire, but Yao Yaos face blushed in redness.
Slowly, she was getting to the age where she had her own fantasy
Chapter 39 - Jobs and Responsibilities
Chapter 39: Jobs and Responsibilities
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
When bowls of congee mixed with cabbage leaves and ground pork were brought to the table, everyone gulped at the smell of delicacies.
Hungry eyes stared fixedly at the table; if not for the very microchips, they would have dashed at the food like monsters.
Jiang Chen was happy to see their expressions. These people were his ves, but he would rather treat them as employees as long as they were obedient like now. As long as no one dared to rush for the food without his permission, he was satisfied.
Gulp
Jiang Chen nced at Sun Jiao beside him with an awkward smile. Even this foodie gulped at the sight of the food. He lowered his voice and said, Didnt you just eat? Why are you hungry?
None of your business. Sun Jiao threatened him with a sh of her teeth before she averted her gaze with a blushing face.
She wasnt necessarily hungry, but she was driven by an instinct for food.
Ahem, what are you guys waiting for? Time to eat. Jiang Chen signaled that they could eat with a smile on his face.
His voice was like a heavenly melody to them.
When Jiang Chen said the word eat, almost all of the ves wanted to profusely thank him.
These refugees werew-abiding people which meant they were easy to control. They needed only two meals a day to survive, and even without the deterrence of the microchips, no one was foolish enough to have ill intentions when they saw Jiang Chens generosity; a fool would never have the ability to find another fool to scheme together anyway.
Of course, as a method of deterrence, the microchips did an excellent job.
Dont rush and eat slowly. If youre not full after twenty minutes, then you can line up again to have another bowl. Of course, if you dare to overeat and puke it out, Ill make you eat everything you vomited! Jiang Chen stood by the giant pot as the ves one by one went up and carefully used adle to pour congee.
Thats disgusting, Sun Jiao whispered by Jiang Chens ear.
I cant let these people who havent seen rice before waste it, right? Jiang Chen quietly replied with a shrug.
This meal consumed two pounds of rice, two pork strips, and three cabbages. A lot of the food in the basement was brought out to exchange for supplies, and as for the rest
The stored cans of food were used to trade, and the cabbages and perishable rice were originally supposed tost the three of them for a month. Now that thirty people needed to be fed, the food in the basement was nowhere near sufficient. After all, Jiang Chen bought those at the supermarket, so the quantities were small.
Stop, these things arent even worth mentioning where Ie from. Ill go again soon to bring more back, Jiang Chen responded with a bitter smile. At the same time, he was nning to rent a storage space in the rural area and use a food distributor to purchase some non-packaged food.
Using sandpaper every time was too much of a hassle.
But this audacious Miss Sun Jiao was bing more of a homemaker. The dissatisfied pout in her eyes at his wastefulness oddly made Jiang Chen feel a rush of emotion.
The more this girl transformed into a civilized person, the more attractive she became.
Jiang Chen touched his slightly burning nose and stopped peeking at the side of her face.
The mansion was no longer empty like before and with this many people, he had to be aware of any intimacy.
When he saw thepletely cleaned out bowls apanied by eyes that were still frightened but now held a hint of gratitude, Jiang Chen coughed as he signaled for everyone to look at him.
Are you guys full?
No one responded.
If you want to eat tomorrow, then you better answer all of my questions. Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes.
Yes! Everyone hesitantly opened their mouths.
Jiang Chen nodded his eyes, pleased.
Excellent. Hearing your response makes me confident that Im not raising a bunch of mute pigs. The way I speak may be offensive to you because you guys are nothing to me! Thanks to me, none of you have to starve anymore, and this is afort not many can imagine. Therefore, you all have to prove your worth! Prove that youre worth the three meals you eat every day!
Yes, I will provide three meals a day. But dont be too happy yet. People cking off are not included! I dont want to be your master because that means I have the responsibility to feed you. Instead, I want you all to consider me as your boss. You are my employees, but the consequence of being fired is quite high. I dont think I need to exin any further.
Not a single person argued against his words.
To a person who offered them food without torture, they felt only gratefulness. As for what to call him, they didnt care even if Jiang Chen made them call him daddy; they would do so without any hesitation.
Dignity? That was for people who werent hungry.
Also, as a civilized individual, Jiang Chen treated them with some respect for his personal reasons. If they were cute girls, it might have been eptable, but the thought of this bunch of men calling him master only gave him goosebumps.
And most importantly, he didnt want his inner self to change from hearing the title Master.
After everyone finished eating, Jiang Chen adjusted his mindset and continued to speak.
Rome wasnt built in a days time. You all are the first ones to join me in building my empire! Ill bring order and prosperity to thiswlessnd, and you must contribute to my vision and in return, Ill continue providing the food that ensures your survival. Thats enough from me. From tomorrow on, everyone has work to do. Clean up the bowls after yourself. Whoevers name I call, stay behind. The rest can go back. Remember one thing, the mansion is a restricted area. If anyone enters without my permission, they will be killed immediately.
Hisst sentence rang out with a deathly chill.
He monitored the thirty heart rate indicators in his EP, and he nodded with satisfaction. Without any abnormal stimtion, the heart rate would not fluctuate, which meant that they dont have any strange thoughts.
Everyone brought their bowls with them at their dismissal and headed to the sink with Yao Yaos guidance. He was thankful for the automatic water treatment system which provided them with city-wide safe and clean drinking water in the post-apocalypse.
Everyone whose names were called stood quivering in front of Jiang Chen. They didnt know what their master would make them do.
Zhou Jiexi.
Yes. Zhou Jiexi gently bit her lip as she bowed down to Jiang Chen staring on the ground. She had a husband who loved her dearly. To be truthful, she was afraid that Jiang Chen would require some disdainful need from her. If that was the case, she couldnt resist. For her husbands life, she would shamefully ept.
She was clearly thinking too much. Although she was rather attractive, Jiang Chen wasnt into married women, and he especially was not interested in forcing anyone.
Also, Miss Sun Jiao was standing beside him.
You all dont have to be so afraid. I wont eat you guys, Jiang Chen said as he shrugged at the two males and two females. He then asked the wife, Do you know how to cook?
Mhmm. It was an odd question, but Zhou Jiexi truthfully nodded. As a qualified wife, of course she knew how to cook. It was just that ever since she woke up from the hibernation chamber with her husband in the survival base, she hadnt seen rice in a long time.
Youll be responsible for the food of these thirty people. Ill give you a menu in a moment. After he finished, Jiang Chen didnt bother to look at Zhou Jiexis expression as he flipped to the next page. Wang Qin.
Here! The timid girl with freckles was frightened by Jiang Chens voice.
This is not elementary school. You dont have to say here, just say yes. Jiang Chen gently smiled at the peculiar gazes of the four people before getting back to the point. Youre an ounting major. Therefore, youll be responsible for the supplies in storage. Ill give you a copy of the key, and I need a record for every supplys usage. This is an important task, and I cannot allow you to make a mistake. Do you understand?
Understood!
Great. Although the voice was a little weak, it certainly showed her determination which pleased Jiang Chen.
Her timid personality made him especially satisfied with his choice.
Lu Huasheng. Peanuts? Jiang Chen almost burst outughing at such an odd name.
Yes. A responsible-looking middle-aged man cautiously nodded in response.
I heard you were the chief developer of Huajian Real Estate?
That was before the war. Lu Huasheng smiled bitterly.
I dont care when it happened, I only need you to redesign this base for me. Thats right, I want to build a survival camp farrger than Sixth Street. Ill need you to draw ayout n with the mansion in the center and expand the radius of the base by two times. The design of the wall, where to put it, how much material is required, and the survivors buildingI trust you know these better than me. I want to see the result by tomorrow at six oclock.
I need a full sensoryputer and a memory card, Lu Huasheng cautiously said. For drawing purposes.
Here you go. Jiang Chen said without even blinking. Jiang Chen purchased a bunch of these cheap, second-hand equipment that littered the Sixth Street.
Okay, thats it. You three can leave now.
The ones released let out a breath of relief as they lookedpassionately at theirpanion left behind before they quickly left with their bowls.
Hehe, boss, what about me? The person remaining was a middle-aged man with a pair of sses. His figure was rather lean, meaning he was unable to do any physicalbor. He saw that Jiang Chen didnt say anything which made him ufortably scratch his head as he asked in a timid voice.
The other three people were all assigned tasks toplete, but this young boss didnt give him any instructions which made him quite afraid. His mind began to wander to see if he did anything wrong to upset the boss.
Chapter 40 - Game Development
Chapter 40: Game Development
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
His anxiety was unjustified as Jiang Chens voice was calm and gentle.
But to Du Yongkongs ears
I like the title boss. Jiang Chen smiled as he pulled out a resume and cut straight to the topic. Du Yongkong, age 30, male,puter major, previously worked as the chief technology officer at Walkman Technology. Is this correct?
Yes Du Yongkong carefully answered, uncertain about the meaning behind Jiang Chens words.
That makes things easier then. Jiang Chen got right to the point and threw a Huawei phone to him. Youre going to develop an operating system for me on this thing. It shouldnt be that difficult for you, right?
Eh?
This is an order. I want to hear you answer with certainty. Jiang Chen didnt waste time with any bullsheet. He bought these people to work for him, not the other way around.
Yes, yes. Du Yongkong quickly nodded without any attitude that indicated his former executive position at a toppany. Such aughable dignity had long vanished in the cruelty of the apocalypse. Jiang Chen now controlled his life, and his only option was to serve him.
When Jiang Chen saw Du Yongkongs perplexed look, he smiled and walked over to pat him on the shoulder. He didnt care about the overwhelmed expression on Du Yongkongs face as he continue to exin.
You dont have to be reserved. Do a good job, and I wont let you down.
I understand, Boss. Du Yongkong sensibly lowered his head.
Jiang Chen nodded before he continued, I have some requirements. Let me know if you have any difficulties, but youll have to solve it, understand?
Yes.
Good. Jiang Chen was pleased with Du Yongkongs certainty. I dont know about operating systems, so I only care about the results. I need you to develop an operating system that has two times the processing power as this system called Android. At the same time, dont change any of the requirements so that it remainspatible with all Android and iOS system software. Ask me any questions you have right now since you wont be seeing me a lot. I want to see a reliable result by next month.
Finishing, he handed him an iPhone that was also brand-new.
Du Yongkong took it and fiddled around on the screen for a bit before a forced smile appeared on his face.
What? Is this too difficult for you? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
No, this is too easy. Du Yongkong waved his hands in denial. He was afraid that his boss would fire him for this kind of easy job that didnt exist even before the war.
Hmm? Then exin. Jiang Chen was quite curious.
Du Yongkong adjusted his sses as he disyed the phone with the air of a professional before he started to exin.
First, this old operating system should be a product from 150 years ago. The hardware operating efficiency as well as the humanputer interactive design are full of ws.
Oh? Youre saying that the humanputer interface of the iPhone is bad? Jiang Chen couldnt help butugh at the statement.
Du Yongkong snuck a look at Jiang Chens expression and when he saw that he wasnt angry hearing about the ws of the two operating systems, he began to exin more in-depth with renewed courage.
Regarding hardware operating efficiency, although the logic seems faultless, there exist unnecessary areas. To put it simply, a logic that can be covered with just one plus one, due to the limitation of the programmingnguage as well as the algorithm, bes muddled when the processor must do some unnecessary actions. For example, by defining A equals one, B equals one, and then calcting C equals A plus B to output C equals two as the final result. This old processing method not only wastes memory, but it also decreases the operating efficiency of the equipment tremendously.
Oh? Then how will you take care of it? Jiang Chen asked curiously.
This is an easy fix. The ultimate problem lies in the limitation of the programmingnguage. Although both systems have its pros and cons, they cant escape the boundary of the lower level programmingnguage. If D++ is used to program it, some small adjustments topatibility will solve the problem. The antique known as the phone would have its operating efficiency increased by threefold, and the power consumption would also be cut in half. At the same time, because the drain on the hardware is lessened, the hardware life would also be extended for a prolonged period.
Jiang Chen gasped for air.
This was ridiculous! The hardware operating efficiency increased by three times? Could it also bepatible with apps from both systems? These two features alone were already insane. That meant that even with a terrible phone, they could easily run games previously avable only on the iPhone. This system would start a revolution in the phone gaming industry!
Phone game developers spent an endless amount of effort to decrease memory usage. To optimize the game, they often had to remove features that enhanced gamey and catered towards the general audience. But if this operating system was introduced, everyones phone performance would increase by three times! At that point, the creativity of developers could be fully unleashed, free to create worlds of imagination that could run on everyputer. It was a technological revolution. iOS and Android would never be able topete.
Regarding humanputer interaction, I rmend maintaining the status quo since Im already ustomed to this interface. Jiang Chen paused. Even if he controlled this mans life, he didnt want to expose his identity to someone who had yet to prove anything.
Trust me, Boss, my design will be much more advanced than this ancient humanputer interaction method. This former chief of technology officer was a different and more zealous person when touching on the topic of technology. Yes, using the touchpad to perform humanputer interaction is still mainstream even to this day, but this ancient operating system is inherently different from the operating system used by present-day entertainment systems.
Whats the difference? Jiang Chen asked curiously.
Artificial intelligence!
Artificial intelligence? Can you create it? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
If it is basic artificial intelligence, Im confident I can create it in a months time since all the data is stored in the librarys database. I only need to transfer it. Du Yongkong patted his chest.
If artificial intelligence isnt difficult, then why isnt it on the full-sensoryputer? Jiang Chen asked with some confusion. If it was so effective, there was no reason to not use it on the full-sensoryputer.
Hmm, thats because the Artificial Intelligence Act prohibited the development of artificial intelligence. If everything was given to machines to do, everyone would be unemployed. Du Yongkong shrugged. The artificial intelligence operating system was popr for a time before it was reced by an equally impressive neural operating system. Before the war, artificial intelligence was only limited to the nuclear power nt, the water treatment nt, and other government-run infrastructure.
I see. You talked about basic artificial intelligence. Are there no risks? Jiang Chen voiced his worry of the artificial intelligence programs potentially mutating within the modern-day worlds inte and developing into a malicious program. He was reminded of the movie that portrayed a world ruled by artificial intelligence.
Boss, you are worrying too much. Du Yongkong sighed, guessing at Jiang Chens concern. The program is fundamentally a stable program. Even if they were intelligent, they could never possess emotion or desire. At a basic level, it can only be what youve programmed it to do. Its intelligence responds to what youve taught it before. For example, if you hit it, it will not fight back. Its interest is neither hurt nor would it sense any danger. Unless you specifically tell it if someone hits you, fight back. Only in this case would it respond with an action. Self-coding is something only intermediary artificial intelligence possesses. As for emotions, thats something only advanced artificial intelligence would have. Even before the war, it was a theoretical concept.
Artificial intelligence was fundamentally a more advanced program.
Only after hearing the exnation did Jiang Chen finally feel relieved.
Okay, youll be fully responsible for everything. Youre free to try anything you want. Also, you have to keep in mind that you must ensure the security of this system! I dont want to hand this phone to someone only to have them crack the entire operating system and create something simr.
Security was of the utmost concern. Jiang Chen didnt want to see the operating system he brought over to be cracked into an open source within a few days. Especially if the D++nguage was exposed, he would not be able to exin it.
The best way to program it was to have it be like a ck box that only exchanged information with an external source but did not ept any data extraction.
Du Yongkong hesitated for a brief second before he smiled and promised.
Boss, dont worry! The program I develop will not be easily cracked. Walkman Technology Corporations games were all secured by me. Take for example. It released before the war, but no one in the world has been able to crack the game yet. For an operating system of this level, this is a piece of cake to me.
This certainly seemed to be the case.
If someone in the modern world had the ability to crack software made by the chief technology officer from 150 years in the future, it meant that he was also a time traveler. Jiang Chen would do anything to kill him, but of course, such scenario would be impossible.
Good, if you can do it, itll be an outstanding achievement! Work hard; I promise youll be able to eat meat every meal! Jiang Chenughed as he patted Du Yongkongs shoulder.
Hearing about the meat, Du Yongkong was ecstatic. He would never have dreamed of this before. With a taste of the rewards, Du Yongkong immediately reaffirmed that he would finish in no time. It was no surprise that he used to be in management; he was technically skilled but also masterful in kissing ass. Jiang Chen didnt dislike such clever people.
Lastly, for Future Technologys logo, make it look cool so that people think its futuristic , but dont overdo it.
Yes! Boss! the guy belted out.
Jiang Chen nodded his head, pleased at Du Yongkongs confidence. He waved his hand to signal him to leave.
The cheerful Du Yongkong carried both phones and walked away. Of course, before he left he also remembered to take his bowl. Instead ofbor work, he could work in his old field. For many years, he hadnt dared to imagine this kind of happiness.
But it became a reality on this day.
Grateful for the opportunity given by Jiang Chen, Du Yongkong mustered all of his determination to create a product that would stun the boss! Although the technology was ancient, the boss liked it, and the best way to rise up thedder was to do things that the boss liked. He didnt care about Jiang Chens purpose, he only needed toplete the task.
Chapter 41 - The Developing Fishbone
Chapter 41: The Developing Fishbone
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Fishbone Food Corporation
With a crooked fishbone symbol pinned on the mansions main door, the new survival camp was born on this piece of wastnd in Wanghai City.
In the morning, the fatigued survivors woke up to a delicious aroma.
It was the smell of food.
Zhou Jiexi wore a white chef apron as she cooked congee with cabbage and ground pork in a pot. The survivors meekly lined up to obtain their breakfast rations.
Even in their wildest dreams, they wouldnt have believed that they were given breakfast.
Only when full would they have the energy to work, which is why Jiang Chen didnt skimp on food expenses. Although nutrient supply would sustain them, once it hit the stomach, it felt sour without providing enough energy. Regarding the survivors menu, he asked for advice from Zhou Jiexi before he made a reasonable meal n.
Congee in the morning, rice at noon with arge serving of a side dish, and for dinner, the same as lunch except with asional noodles instead of rice.
Also, people who made exceptional work progress would receive points. The points structure was implemented by Jiang Chen after careful consideration because he understood the concept well. It rewarded outstanding work based on construction progress to promote simr standards. With these points, the survivors could exchange for instant noodles, crackers, or even canned food luxuries.
Jiang Chen temporarily gave Lu Huasheng the responsibility of distributing the points and then reporting it to the storage manager Wang Qin to confirm. They were set to receive one point per day. The cook Zhou Jiexi was awarded based on the quality of the cooked food, and as for Du Yongkong, Jiang Chen personally took care of his points.
Food was worth little to him.
But for the people who previously endured the pain of starvation, it was a severe understatement to say that Jiang Chen was generous.
God, this must be heaven, is what almost everyone was thinking.
After quickly finishing breakfast, everyone gathered in the empty front yard. Excluding the people with assigned roles, everyone else followed Jiang Chens order to separate into groups of four. The individuals specialized in construction acted as the team leaders for their task in building the base. Lu Huasheng, who had severe dark circles, took the full sensory diagram that hepleted overnight and exined tirelessly to the team leaders.
Some teams were responsible for producing the anti-corrosive concrete while others were focusing on the nanotubes used for the body of the wall. The nanotube poly-material used to construct the wall was at least two times stronger than a normal concrete wall.
The building team silently took the construction materials and snuck outside to avoid alerting the zombies. Slowly, they stretched out the metal wire separators. Another group shot the zombies with the metal wire separators and dragged the bodies away to burnthis was to avoid possible diseases and zombies from evolving.
After hearing about Jiang Chens base development ns, Lu Huasheng decided to use the phased method to expand the base.
The first step was to expand in the direction of the underground sewer system and control the exit to it. The construction teams would use the three-story luxury buildings outside of the mansion as the base and construct a wall around it, surrounding all of the smaller buildings within the proximity. After reinforcing the defense, they would then start building the secure corridor outwards, between the underground exit and the base wall.
The overall design philosophy was to effectively utilize the abandoned buildings in the area as well as the nanotube poly-material wall to connect them together. This transformed the abandoned buildings into natural fortifications. They could not only be used as households but also as weapon-equipped watchtowers. Afterpleting the primary structure, more nearby buildings could be included as well.
With a clear n, the construction outside of the mansion was fully underway. Pleased, Jiang Chen looked at the survivors working diligently before returning to the mansion and heading towards Yao Yaos room.
Its basically done. Haha, although it pretty much copied a mobile game that was popr in the year 2031, it meets most of the criteria that big brother set! Yao Yao hopped along as she dragged Jiang Chen beside the table. She then took out the cheap phone worth less than one thousand dors and pressed the start button.
Skeptical, Jiang Chen opened the game icon named under the scrutiny of Yao Yaos exceedingly high expectations.
Jiang Chen waspletely stunned.
This is a mobile game?!
No, it wasnt that the game Yao Yao created was terrible, but
it was too perfect!
Thebination of RPG adventure game elements and SLG building elements meant that yers could choose to be adventurers with shy spells, characters that focused on ruling thend, or merchants exploring the seas. People could write their own history in this open world. This was not an advertisement for a poorly designed game, but the actual in-game content!
Indeed, it was an open world with sprawling maps. Onputers, it would be nothing, but on the mobile tform, this would be considered a miracle in the current industry.
The game even had three-dimensional graphics.
Even if this game was built for a PC, it would be still be considered perfect.
Of all the games Jiang Chen yed before, only couldpare.
All in all, the games perfection made him question if the phone would even be able to run it.
Ahem, Yao Yao, did you upgrade the hardware on my phone? Jiang Chen asked with a bitter smile. He didnt want a game that was unyable on all phones. Even if the game was impable, it was useless if nobody was able to y.
Of course not. Yao Yao sensed Jiang Chens slight displeasure as her eyes suddenly became sorrowful. Yao Yao specifically considered the phones hardware level and used D++nguage to package the game into 256 MB with an automatic program to process when the game initiates the game
Stop stop stop, I dont understand. Just briefly exin how it works. Jiang Chen interrupted Yao Yaos exnation.
Mhmm! To put it simply, even with the phones minimal hardware performance, it is able to support this type of massive online game. Its just that it would be a higher server requirement because I used cloudputing inside which means that the majority of the data processing is going to happen on the server itself. Therefore, the user and CPU would not need to handle too many calctions, which also solves the security problem.
Yao Yao proudly shook her tiny head as she continued, To handle the calctions required, I already built a server for big brother. The specific process is written inside the document.
Despite his inability to understandpletely, he could tell that it basically used the server as arger processor. Therefore, the user only needed to input information and extract the processed information.
But wouldnt this increase the users data cost? Jiang Chen was doubtful.
Hehe, Yao Yao has already considered this. The information exchanged between the server and the user is written by a special code that not only contains a lot of information but packages the data into a small file! It is significantly more efficientpared to the games installed on big brothers phone. A day of data usage is only 10 megabytes.
10 megabytes of data was indeed minimal. Jiang Chen was shocked as any other game would have incurred a lot more data.
So, did Yao Yao help big brother out? Yao Yao blinked herrge, doe-like eyes as she looked hopefully at the shocked Jiang Chen.
Haha, Yao Yao, youve helped me out tremendously! Jiang Chen suddenly hugged Yao Yao and gave this cute loli an affectionate kiss on the face.
Yao Yaos adorable face suddenly turned a dark red as she buried her head.
Yao Yao, if you want anything, tell me, okay? I will definitely do my best.
Hmm? Umm, anything is okay? Yao Yao didnt know what to answer with as she stuttered.
Mhmm! Anything, as long as big brother can do it. Jiang Chen squatted down and held onto Yao Yaos shoulder as he nodded. At the moment, he was emotional and wanted to reward this adorable girl.
Yao Yao panicked as Jiang Chen kept pressing. Her sweet eyes looked around the room anxiously as her face transformed into a red balloon. At any moment, it seemed as though steam woulde out.
I, I want Yao Yaos mouth faintly opened as her eyes looked shakily at Jiang Chen.
You want? Jiang Chen leaned closer towards Yao Yao and gazed carefully at her eyes, waiting for her answer.
I want
In the end, perhaps it was too exciting, but Yao Yaos head flipped back, and she drowsily fell.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen managed to catch her mid-fall to stop her head from banging into the floor.
He still didnt know what Yao Yao wanted.
Taking the reprogrammed server and the game, Jiang Chen went to Sun Jiaos ce.
Youre about to leave again? Sun Jiao rolled her eyes as she continued to whip her SK10 assault rifle. How long are you nning on disappearing this time?
Not too long. Ill be back within one month by thetest. Jiang Chen hugged Sun Jiaos smooth waist. Dont miss me too much at night.
Pervert. Although she said that, Sun Jiao didnt look annoyed at all. Instead, she leaned up and kissed Jiang Chen on the lips. Ill take care of this side, soe back early.
Sun Jiao and Yao Yaos EPs were also installed with the ves microchip managing software. Jiang Chen made the decision because someone needed to manage these survivors while he was gone. This subprogram allowed Sun Jiao and Yao Yao perform his duties as master. Although this permission could be retracted at any time, Jiang Chen trusted both of them, so the thought hadnt urred to him.
If you have time in the afternoon, teach those guys some shooting skills unless it is dangerous. And also, try to establish a closed corridor between the base and the tunnel; this is critical to the safety of the trade route with the Sixth Street. Jiang Chen exined some of the important items rted to the base development. Although he could return between both worlds in an instant, once the base construction was stably on its way, he had to spend part of the effort on expanding in the modern world.
In the future, he hoped to train Sun Jiao into someone who could manage the daily affairs of the base.
Sun Jiao seemed to have realized that too; however, she didnt stop Jiang Chen from leaving.
Not only did Jiang Chen mature, but Sun Jiao was also growing through their rtionship. Compared to the audacious girl that constantly desired Jiang Chen, she began to calmly and maturely express her love differently.
She believed Jiang Chen, and she knew he would never leave her here.
Mhmm, I know. Sun Jiao reached out to fix his cor.
Youve changed. Jiang Chen grabbed her hands as he gazed into her eyes affectionately.
Hmm? Am I prettier or uglier? Sun Jiao rolled her eyes. Just as she wanted to pull her hands away, she realized that he was holding on to them tightly.
Her face began to blush.
Of course prettier. Apanied by Sun Jiaos surprised yelp, he pushed her onto the bed.
For some reason, the moment Sun Jiao fixed his cor, he fell in love. It was as though the person in front of him was his wife. This newfound feeling made his blood pump.
Or perhaps it was because he hasnt relieved himself in a while.
The door was mmed shut.
The affection in the room began to merge into the sunny morning sky.
Chapter 42 - Home
Chapter 42: Home
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Still the crowded room.
He took a deep breath as he tried to savor the clean air, but a bitter smile formed on his face as he realized his nose was stuffed with dust and even on his bed that had been uninhabited for so long.
Jiang Chen examined the apartment he had spent the past two years in and suddenly felt reminiscent of his time here.
Shaking his head, he threw this emotion away.
Perhaps it was now time to say goodbye.
Jiang Chen took out his phone and called thendlords number before he moved it two inches away from his ear in anticipation.
Hello? Jiang Chen! That apartment, if you want to continue to rent, then you better pay half of the years rent right now! Even if you dont want it, other people want it. I felt pity seeing you by yourself, but if it werent for that, I would have already thrown your stuff out! Fu*k, I called you so many times, and you didnt even pick up, you no-money b*stard. Youre ying the disappearing game with me? Wu Jie roared his expletives on the other end, thinking Jiang Chen had no other options.
Of course, if this was half a month ago, he would have been Jiang Chens only chance. But now
You can rent the house to other people, Jiang Chen said calmly.
What, what did you say? His voice was suddenly surprised. Wu Jie didnt expect Jiang Chen to be so defiant and threaten to stop renting right away. If youre not going to rent my ce, where are you going to live?
If you continue to call me a bastard, Ill make sure youll never open your mouth again. Thendlord couldnt hear any emotional variation from Jiang Chens voice, which remained light and calm.
Wu Jie was about to curse again, but the chill in Jiang Chens voice crept into his mind and clogged the words at his throat, making him unable to make a sound.
Jiang Chen didnt want to spend any more effort on this dumb*ss so he hung up. Even though thendlord had given him a lot of trouble, he didnt have the energy to care. If a dog barked at you every day, you cant bark back at him after all.
It was a waste of time and his own standards.
Of course, if this guy continued to bother him, he wouldnt mind teaching him a lesson. It was the other sides freedom to say something, but in Jiang Chens mind, it was then his freedom to decide how to react.
After hanging up, Jiang Chens phone began to vibrate with notifications as his phone screen filled up with missed calls. Other than thendlord, Xia Shiyu had also called him, probably worried about thepany president who had left on such a long absence without leaving any messages.
Jiang Chen smiled, but his finger soon trembled.
There were at least ten missed calls from his home.
His eyes began to tear up.
Perhaps, he should take some time to go home.
He took a deep breath as he suppressed his grief at being so far away from home, then dialed the familiar number.
Hello? Mom, its me.
Chen Er, you finally called. Your dad has been so worried. The familiar yet excited voice transmitted through the phone speaker. Old man, Chen Er called back.
Mom, dont use that name. Its too childish. Jiang Chen smiled as he blinked his eyes.
Whats childish? Listen to how youre speaking to your mom. Youre not obedient anymore! When a steady roar resonated from the other line, Jiang Chen felt relieved.
[Looks like mom and dad are doing well.]
This also made Jiang Chen feel slightly less guilty about not visiting home in so long.
In the past, he was worried about disappointing his parents high expectations without a sessful career. Using work as an excuse, he stayed away from visiting home many times, even during Chinese New Year when he lied and said he had to work overtime.
He knew that even without sess, his parents would still wee him with open arms. But he was the one who couldnt ept it.
Now, however, all of those concerns were gone.
[Mom, dad, your son has finally achieved something.]
Jiang Chens hand trembled as he smiled and responded to their reminders and advice.
Son, it must be tiring out there. Do you have enough money? Dont tire yourself out. This is the starting point of your career. If you dont have enough money, let your mom know, I still have some savings.
No, your mom is off the mark. Our sons key priority is buying a house! No girl will like you if you dont own a house. Son, its okay to be tired. Were men, and we can do it! Your mom and dad still have some savings. Lets see if we can buy a house at Wanghai City with down payments. With a house, you can then bring a girlfriend back for your mom and dad. Were waiting for grandchildren.
No, Mom and Dad, your son is sessful now. I opened apany at Wanghai City, and I even have people working for me now. Ill take care of the house myself, so you guys dont have to worry! Take care of your health and dont always think about saving money! If you want to buy something, just buy it. If you dont have enough, Ill get it for you. Jiang Chen rubbed his eyes and smiled.
Youre teaching your dad a lesson? Haha, honey, our son is aplished now! Haha, his father said excitedly.
What? Chen Er, you opened your ownpany? Be careful, dont let other people deceive you! Ive seen the news recently! His mothers voice was filled with concern.
Dont worry! My son is much smarter than you! Jiang Jianguoughed. When he heard that his son had established himself, his heart was filled with a happiness that was greater than winning the lottery.
After dinner, Ill go brag with the other old guys at the door. Our son, a university student, opened apany in Wanghai City, and other people are working for him! Thats good. We can solve the girlfriend problem as well. Everyone wants to be married into a big city. Our neighbors daughter doesnt have a boyfriend, and neither does Xia who lives in the building in front as well
Your son is my son as well! Li Xuemei argued back.
As they continued to banter, Jiang Chen gently rubbed his slightly sore eyes with his left hand. This was the feeling of homesomething he had avoided.
The purest rtionship in the world was family.
He smiled and thought that he should take some time to visit them.
After his phone call with his parents ended, he lied back onto the bed, disregarding the dust flying everywhere.
It was time to move out. He felt slight regret as he wanted to lie on the bed a bit longer.
[500 million USD. Thats 3 billion RMB.]
While Jiang Chen didnt know the exact exchange rate, it was likely around this much.
[What kind of mansion should I buy?]
He never considered this question before. A mansion, let alone a simple apartment, was something Jiang Chen had never dared to imagine.
But now this was all nothing.
Since there were areas he was clueless about, he decided to ask for some help.
He lifted his phone, but his finger froze in ce.
[Who should I call?]
An awkward smile crept onto his face as he realized that he didnt have many friends.
That was fine.
After deliberating for a while, Jiang Chen sighed as dialed Xia Shiyus number. Since he needed to call her anyways, he might as well ask for some advice at the same time.
Xia Shiyu was about to lose her mind. She was wondering where Jiang Chen disappeared to when vibrations suddenly came from her pocket. Without hesitation, she took out her phone and saw the familiar name. She was so angry that sheughed.
Hello? Am I hearing this correctly? Our president just called me back? The voice didnt sound too cold; at least Jiang Chen could heard her teeth grinding.
Ahem, I have been busy with business. Thats not the point. Jiang Chen shamelessly changed the topic.
Oh? What kind of business requires you to turn your phone off? Do you know thepany is in the initial start-up phase? Hiring? Development n? Is this your business or my business
The voice on the other side was so fast that Jiang Chen moved the phone slightly away. Xia Shiyus drastic reaction to his disappearance surprised him.
There were more important things at hand, however.
Can you go house hunting with me?
Xia Shiyu hung up the phone.
Two secondster, the phone rang again.
She suppressed the anger in her chest as she inhaled, resisting the urge to hang up right away.
Ahem, dont hang up on me. Im serious! Can you find some time?
What do I have to do with you buying a house? Xia Shiyu said in an icy voice as her chest furiously heaved up and down. Jiang Chens yful attitude made her feel disrespected as she had been worrying about him for the past few days.
Thats right, disrespected.
After spending so much effort on something, it waspletely disregarded.
Of course it has to do with you. If you have nothing else to do, you cane and chill. Jiang Chen said with a chuckle,pletely unaware of Xia Shiyus feelings.
When she heard Jiang Chens words, Xia Shiyu paused.
Hmm? She confusedly touched her forehead and felt the unnatural temperature on her hand.
[I dont have a fever. This is weird.]
Hello, are you listening to me? Oh right, Ive already finished developing the mobile game. The next step is to hire people to maintain the server. I trust that you know the hiring process better than I do, so you can take care of it. But if you need me to be at the interview, I dont mind either. But only on the condition that youll go house hunting with me.
Okay, Xia Shiyu agreed without considering. On after did she realize with an odd feeling how illogical and decisive her answer was.
[Must be because of work. If I dont say yes, hell disappear again.
Mhmm, thats right, its because of work.]
After hanging up, Xia Shiyu rubbed her temples as she tried to justify her actions. Although even this action felt unnecessary and unnatural.
Done!
Jiang Chen stretched as he threw the phone to the side.
Girls were more detailed, so it was better to bring her along. Despite his narcissism, he knew too well that his taste was significantlycking. With the developers sale pitch, there was no way hed be able to discern truth from lies.
He didnt wonder if he was interested in Xia Shiyu or not.
It was just that when he held his phone, the only person in this city who came to mind was his ex-boss. No, his employee now, haha.
Since he needed to buy a house, then naturally it required cash. Jiang Chens storage dimension was filled with gold, but it didnt make sense to go buy a house with pounds of gold.
He grabbed the phone again and called an international number.
However, when he pressed the phone against his ear, he frowned.
Chapter 43 - Robert’s Problem
Chapter 43: Roberts Problem
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
The phone rang for a long time without an answer.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to hang up, someone picked up.
Hello? an unfamiliar voice curtly said in English.
The voice was deep and slightly scratchynot at all like Robert.
Jiang Chen, Roberts Han friend. And you are? Jiang Chen used his broken English to slowly answer.
Nick. My boss is currently in trouble can I trust you? Nick asked after some hesitation.
Of course. Robert is a good guy. Even though Im in Han, I still miss him dearly. Also, we have unfinished business. Jiang Chen dug deeply into his vocabry to finally articte what he needed to say.
The other side remained silent for a while before Nick finally exined the situation.
Because of Jiang Chens terrible English, Nick purposely slowed down for him, and after a while, Jiang Chen finally understood what happened.
To put it simply, Robert went on a business trip to Iraq two days ago and was kidnapped.
With Nicksbat ability, this normally would not have happened, but the insider they worked with multiple times turned out to be a traitor; the group that came out to meet them werent local militants but instead masked terrorists.
This was going to be problematic.
[Fu*k, you have your gold business, but you ended up going to this ghetto ce and dropped the ball at such a critical moment.]
Regardless of Jiang Chens internal curses, however, Robert had his own reasons.
During this period of time, he nned on staying safe, but because Jiang Chen failed to follow up with him, he started to question the deal.
Did the Eastern man really have business for him? There were no other messages, so Robert decided to stop waiting and epted the insider deal that had a low risk.
Curses aside, Jiang Chen still had to find a way to solve the problem.
For now, he didnt have any other routes to sell the gold for cash since it would be insane to sell 500 million USD worth of gold without proof of ownership. He did not wish to get tangled up with the authorities.
So how about a visit to Iraq?
Jiang Chen was hesitant at first, but upon further thought, a smile appeared on his face. Perhaps it wasnt such a bad idea. With his special equipment and superman-like body conditions, he was not afraid about the possible danger, especially since he could just run away if there was trouble. Turn the corner and travel to the apocalypse for a few days, and no one would catch him.
At the same time, Jiang Chen also had other considerations as well.
If he helped Robert, not only would the gold problem be resolved, but he would also gain another backup option. Even if he had to leave the country in the future, there would always be a ce for him to go. He trusted that Robert would help him out if he was in need.
Although they only met once, he could tell that Robert had a spirit that respected contracts.
This was especially critical.
If he was someone who only chased after profit without any regard to promises, then he was a waste of emotional investment. Even if Jiang Chen decided to save him, it was easier to find another partner.
Once Jiang Chen made up his mind, he didnt waste a second as he immediately booked the tickets online to Dubai. He nned toyover in Dubai before heading to Baghdad. Since he already has his passport, all he needed was a travel visa before departing.
Once ticketing was resolved, he immediately packed and left. No longer staying at his rented apartment, he found a hotel to stay at instead. Only after taking care of the gold problem would he consider buying a house.
Although selling several tons of gold at once would be difficult, trading in a few kilograms wasnt entirely impossible. Jiang Chen, who was running out of money, retrieved a business card and called Mr. Liu at the gold store to book an appointment.
Jiang Chen ended up exchanging seven kilograms of gold, but since he didnt care about the decimals, he sold it for 1.5 million.
What Jiang Chen didnt notice as he left the gold store, however, was the look of greed that shed across Liu Anshans poker face.
The more he thought about it, Liu Anshan was certain that this guy had a special means of acquiringrge amounts of gold. Perhaps by digging in graves? Or through illegal mines? Liu Anshan didnt know. All he knew was that this guy had much more gold!
He had Jiang Chen secretly investigated. After acquiring the fundsst time, he immediately spent everything. Now in less than a monthter, he came again to sell more gold.
What did this mean?
It meant that he had an unimaginable amount of gold! If he came to possess it identally, there was no way for him to have spent it all so quickly.
As for how dangerous Jiang Chen was? Liu Anshan already had him investigated with the help of a friend.
He was just an employee at a clothing store in Shimao who ended up fired. There was no way he had any special background.
It was time to contact his brother.
When he thought about his brother, however, he was slightly hesitant. He didnt want to have anything to do with his brother, but in this case, he had no choice.
Despite his misgivings, Liu Anshan made up his mind and called the number.
Hello? Brother? Its me, Liu Anshan. Lets cut the small talk. I want to propose a business deal if youre interested. Lets split it fifty-fifty, but the lowest Im willing to go is forty-sixty! No less.
His brother was Liu Changlong, the head of Hongyi Gang and a prominent figure among Wanghai Citys crime scene.
Jiang Chen even had a small conflict with the Hongyi Gang before.
After leaving the gold store, Jiang Chen took a taxi to a rural area. He needed to rent a storage space to hold the supplies he needed in the apocalypse. Although online shopping was convenient, it was not a good long-term strategy. With thirty people now living in the base, it would be much easier to purchase in bulk from food distributors and also save on cost.
After paying for one year of rent, Jiang Chen rented a small storage space. The area around and inside had excellent privacy protection which pleased him. The rent was not expensive either for a rural area at three thousand a month.
After renting the storage space, Jiang Chen didnt rest but instead found the number of a Wanghai City food distributor online and dialed. He cut straight to the point and ordered ten tons of rice, five tons of flour, 300 boxes of canned meat, and 200 boxes of canned vegetables, as well as salt and oil. With such arge ordering in, the boss of the distributingpany eagerly took the order. After getting the address, he guaranteed that the goods would arrive within two hours, but only after paying a down payment up front.
Jiang Chen instead paid for the full amount.
Once the full amount of 160,000 RMB arrived in his bank ount, the boss became frantic. He didnt know how he got lucky to have met someone this rich. The full amount had been paid without hesitation.
Immediately, he began to prepare and even personally rode the truck as they arrived at the storage.
Jiang Chen obviously realized the boss ttering words and emphasized that if the quality of this batch was good, he woulde to him the next time as well. The boss of course promised that every bag of rice was newly produced and all of the canned food were from certified producers.
Jiang Chen didntment and instead hinted that the next batch would preferably be withoutbels. The boss paused momentarily before he smiled mischievously at Jiang Chen and agreed.
It wasnt difficult for him to acquire products that way as he would just contact the people he knew at the factory. For him, it was one less step in their production.
After some small talk, the boss shrewdly left, sensing the Jiang Chen still had things to do. After the truck drove away, Jiang Chen returned to the storage and shut the door tight. It was time to do the real business.
He inhaled deeply and looked around at the supplies that nearly filled the entire storage.
He then lit up a cigarette, which was something that he did every time he travelled between the two dimensions. In front of Miss Sun Jiaos shocked and joyful gaze, Jiang Chen moved all of the supplies into the swimming pool that had previously contained the gold.
The swimming pool was now full of food.
Ill help you get a couple more vaults of gold, Sun Jiao blurted out after gathering her thoughts from her temporary shock. This was the only thing that came out of her mouth.
Pshh, I havent sold all of the gold yet. And even if you got more, I wouldnt be able to exchange it for money. Also, these supplies cost nothing there, Jiang Chen exined.
Then why dont you bring back more? Sun Jiao was slightly embarrassed. She tried to cover her expression with a furious look and a sh of her teeth at Jiang Chenexcept in Jiang Chens eyes, it was all harmless coquetry.
Dont be greedy. Would you even be able to finish it? Jiang Chenughed as he patted Sun Jiaos butt.
I can. Even if I cant, Id just leave it here. Sun Jiao blushed as she stared at Jiang Chen again.
Dont be a little pig. Then Id have to eat Yao Yao, Jiang Chen said jokingly.
Do you want to die? You pervert. Embarrassed, Sun Jiao lifted her hand and hit Jiang Chen on the shoulder, but from Jiang Chens smiling face, she could tell it hadnt hurt at all.
Of course Jiang Chen didnt mean it; he was not perverted enough to eat Yao Yao. Also, Sun Jiaos flexible waist didnt seem like it would grow fatter anytime soon.
Oh, and find a few detailed-oriented people to scratch off the production date and the other symbols. You have to be extremely careful with this, or maybe you and Yao Yao should take care of it personally. In the future, Ill try to obtain supplies without anybels.
After repeatedly urging Sun Jiao in a few more things, Jiang Chen traveled back to the modern world.
He looked at the empty storage unit again and headed back out. He locked the door and cautiously checked to see if it was visible from the outside before he walked to the road and called a taxi to go back to the city.
In the car, he called Xia Shiyu.
What? You have to leave the country? For how long? Surprisingly enough, Xia Shiyu didnt seem too shocked by the news of Jiang Chen disappearing again. Perhaps she was used to it.
At least this time, Jiang Chen told her his n and didnt just disappear on her without any warning. Thest time, Xia Shiyu had been so afraid that she almost called the police thinking he got into an ident.
Hmm, not too long, business-rted. Ill be back in a week.
Then what about thepany? Xia Shiyu sighed resignedly.
Of course its up to you, hehe.
When she heard Jiang Chensughter, Xia Shiyu tiredly rubbed her temple.
I stored all of the game data onto the USB drive, so Ill send it to you in a bit. Youre much more familiar with the advertisement process than I am. Hehe, so youll have to work a bit harder this time. Ill treat you to dinner after Ie back. Jiang Chen felt he was bing more shameless by the minute.
Treat me for a week! Xia Shiyu said angrily.
No problem, one month works as well! The hearty voice from the other side made her unable to vent her frustration.
She hung up and flung the phone aside, leaning back against sofa with a huff.
This guy
If she were his boss like before
She thought about what happened and suddenly became silent. For some reason, she was suddenly reminded of how she had fired Jiang Chen and the miserable time when she herself had lost her job. Suddenly, she felt terrible about herself.
Guilt? Unease? Self-me?
She couldnt exin the emotion.
The back of head pressed against the sofa. She didnt know what she was thinking about and just stared nkly at the ceiling.
She liked this modernized apartment as the two-floor design reallybined spaciousness withfort. Despite her uptight workstyle, in her free time, she was someone who had a taste for a luxurious lifestyle.
With a sry of ten thousand RMB, she spent half as rent, but she didnt feel bad about it. She believed that the purpose of earning money was to improve life quality and excessive saving only demonstratedck of confidence in the future.
Jiang Chen also didnt expect her to pay back the loan, so she didnt have to save money for that either.
What she didnt realize until now was that while she usually carefully nned her spending, she hadnt even considered paying back her loan in her monthly budget.
She nkly stared at the intricate crystal chandelier as she remembered her time in the cheap apartment that cost 800 a month. Back then, she had to carefully n every meal.
For some reason, a mans face surfaced in her mind, that always grinning face.
To be honest, the normally serious Xia Shiyu really disliked that improper grin.
However, she could note to dislike the face.
With dted pupils, Xia Shiyu touched her lips but didnt know why.
There was a throb in her heart that she had never felt before.
[What is this? Whatever, Ill stop thinking.]
She shook her head and stood up after turning off the TV.
Since Jiang Chen was sending the USB drive in a bit, it was not good to see him like this. With the thought of taking a shower, Xia Shiyu entered the bedroom and prepared clothes to change into. She then walked into the bathroom and shut the ss door.
She stared at the watering out of the showerhead and let the clear water trickle down her wless skin. Xia Shiyu entered a daze once more.
[Hmmm? After the jog, I already showered]
Chapter 44 - Xia Shiyu’s Apartment
Chapter 44: Xia Shiyus Apartment
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
He got off at Xinyuanmunity as Jiang Chen walked towards Xia Shiyus rented apartment.
Themunity had a lovely scenery. This girl certainly knew how to enjoy life.
The side of the road was covered with nts and trees as a curious smile appeared on his face.
The basketball court in the middle of themunity had a few high school students ying a game. On the small field with training equipment, elders were practicing Taiji. Some were also ying chess under the tree. Families were taking a walk and also young people were jogging. The entiremunity was crowded but not noisy.
Walking into the apartment building, Jiang Chen pressed the elevator button. [This girl rented a ce on the 14th floor, is she not afraid of heights.] He walked to the door and rang the bell, as he heard the sound of steps approach the door.
You are here. Come in.
The door opened, and Xia Shiyu with a towel in her hand showed up at the door. Jiang Chen noticed there was still a few droplets of water on her shoulder, seems like she showered not long ago.
Are you not going toe in? Xia Shiyu saw that Jiang Chen didnt move and slightly raised her eyebrows, and asked confusedly.
Ahem, yes, yes. I was just thinking about something. Jiang Chen coughed as he recollected himself from her stunning look.
Oh? I am going to guess its not work rted. Xia Shiyu shrugged and walked back into her room.
Myputer is here, put your USB in there.
Jiang Chen closed the door behind him and took off his shoes. The moment he looked up, Jiang Chen saw her gorgeous figure.
Maybe it was because she just showered, but Xia Shiyus body had a lingering scent of the shower gels fragrance. The loose pajama slightly dampened by water looked a lot more fitting as it pressed against her beautiful figure.
Especially the curve of her butt.
Jiang Chen gulped in confusion.
[This girl is not seducing me right?]
If Xia Shiyu knew the narcissistic thought in Jiang Chens mind, she probably would have angrily kicked him out.
The bedroom was often filled with its owners fragrance, Jiang Chen didnt think too much about it in the beginning. However, when Jiang Chen walked into Xia Shiyus bedroom and smelled her beautiful scent, he felt awkward. But seeing Xia Shiyus seriousness when setting up theputer, Jiang Chen had to suppress the odd feeling.
Ok, connect the USB. Xia Shiyu got up and walked out of the room.
Jiang Chen ashamedly touched his nose, but when he saw the desktop filled with work rted documents, he felt guilty as he quickly regathered his concentration and focused on work.
He inserted the USB into theputer and copied the folders.
Yao Yao put a lot of attention into the work as all the information rtion to the game waspiled together. With this information, the application procedure to the authority would be much simpler to do.
Of course, its Xia Shiyu that had to do it.
Is it done? Let me take a look.
Xia Shiyus voice made Jiang Chen jump as he didnt know when she had returned to the room along with a chair. She sat beside Jiang Chen.
She wore her sses wih a professional look and grabbed the mouse from Jiang Chens hand as she scanned line by line through the document about the game.
The light fragrance post-shower whiffed from her hair which made Jiang Chen a bit thirsty.
To be honest, Xia Shiyu looked absolutely gorgeous by any standards, a form of beauty that was almost unearthly. But before Jiang Chen never thought about her in this way as he just viewed her as someone who could manage thepany, as well as one of the few friends he had. However, under the influence of the hormonal fragrance, even if he wanted to stop thinking about it, it was already out of his control.
They were also in a flirtatious environment.
The warm colored light and wallpaper could make anyone fall asleep, but it could also ignite peoples desire. Whats worse was that there was a soft bed behind them.
Bed, Beauty, in the same room.
He carefully examined the side of his ex-boss face, it looked stunning.
Jiang Chens breath began to shorten.
Whoever created this game is a genius. Xia Shiyus untimely exmation interrupted Jiang Chens bewildered thoughts. She pushed up her sses and continued, Its impable in every category. The usage of cloudputing to reduce the hardware requirement, at the same time not costing a lot of data. Although I am not a professional in the game development, if the games quality is equal to what the report stated, I can confidently say that this game will be groundbreaking in the history of mobile games.
Ahem, of course, I hired someone professional to handle the game design aspect. Well focus on the operation of it. Also, the game server requires specialized equipment. There is instruction along with it, just give it to the specialists to take care of. Jiang Chen pretended to cough as he tried to cover up his peeking act. He recollected his thoughts and refocused on work.
Hmm? Did you bring the server? Xia Shiyu lightly frowned as she looked confusingly at the PC sized equipment in her room.
Of course I brought it. I put it behind the door, and you didnt notice. Jiang Chen rushed to exin.
He remembered after he came into the room. So he brought it out from the storage dimension after she went into the living room.
Xia Shiyu didnt persist with these trivial details as she nodded before asking a few more questions rted to the game. Jiang Chen did his best to exin and stated that all the information should be in the documents.
Ill organize the information out which will take around two days. Although my experience in this is nearly zero, after the extensive period of study, I should be able to
I trust your ability. Jiang Chen interrupted her with a smile.
Jiang Chens look of trust made Xia Shiyus face feel hot. When Jiang Chen was smelling Xia Shiyus fragrance, she also sensed the smell from Jiang Chens body.
Dont be mistaken as it was not body odor. Instead, it was a unique hormonal scent. Just like the fragrance in her room, Xia Shiyu couldnt tell, but Jiang Chen as the opposite sex could clearly detect this unique aroma.
The speed of her heart beat increased which made Xia Shiyu a little frustrated and nervous. Although she didnt dislike this kind of feeling, she felt embarrassed by not concentrating on her work.
Yes, embarrassed. She always worked diligently and was proud of the very fact.
Mhmm, I wont disappoint your expectation. A stiff tone.
Jiang Chen sensed that Xia Shiyus facial expression was a bit rigid as he felt uneasy as well.
[Did this girl figure out that I peeked at her?]
Of course, he thought too much.
Xia Shiyu had her reasons for showing such an expression.
Also, I have some rmendations for thepany site. If we want to get thepany on track sooner, lets take care of these things as early as possible. Xia Shiyu opened an office rental site with listings of empty offices.
This, the Continental Building Floor 12. It is near the subway, and all the necessary services are near. The price is also reasonable. Take a look at the pictures and see what you think. Xia Shiyu skillfully opened the image below and showed Jiang Chen.
The work atmosphere has erased some of the flirtatious feelings out of the air, even Jiang Chen became focused.
Of course, he still didnt really know what he was doing, even if he focused.
Then this one it is. Jiang Chen scratched his face. He thought that he probably wouldnt go into the office very often, so he didnt care about where it would be located.
Arent you going topare it to the other ones? This one too, although the ease of transportation is not ideal, it is near the universities which would make the hiring process a lot easier. For a small and newpany like us, its hard to attract experienced professionals to jump ship and join us.
What do you mean a smallpany, wheres your confidence? Jiang Chen rolled his eyes as he said unsatisfied.
Now that I see the president is so confident, I am also very hopeful for thepany. Then thepany location will be
[This girl is bing more skilled at handling me.] Jiang Chen thought.
To be fair, it is great to have an assistant. No, she is the CEO. Whatever, it is all the same.
Jiang Chen decided to choose the office near the University.
For no other reason than that the building was only six stories high. He hates high ces.
If he told Xia Shiyu the real reason, she would have been shocked.
The rent was 2000 RMB a month. She could take care of the remaining items tomorrow, and Jiang Chen even assigned her to do the renovation.
Dont save money for me, Ill invest another ten million RMB in a few days, lets do something magnificent. When Xia Shiyu asked how long the term of the lease should be and whats the budget for renovation, Jiang Chen waved his hand and replied, Ten million? Once he takes care of the gold, one hundred million will be nothing.
Let me be honest, if the game is already developed, the only thing thepany needs to take care of is operation and maintenance. So we wont need this much funding within the short period of time, Xia Shiyu replied with a bitter smile.
Haha, who said we cant use it? I told you before that we are going into the phone industry. Once the phone is developed, iPhone and Samsung will all be giving their market share to us. Jiang Chen recklesslyughed.
For the presidents brazenughter, Xia Shiyu only rolled her eyes and didnt respond. She didnt think Jiang Chen had the capability to do so. Even if he did, ten million was nowhere enough for development and production.
But Jiang Chen didnt react to her rolled eyes.
Yes, iPhone 6 was a fantastic product, but it was nowhereparable to the technology from 100 yearster. It doesnt even have to be 100 yearster. Jiang Chen just needed to ask the starving technology genius to improve those ancientmunication products and release them. Ahead of the market by 10 years would be enough for all thepetitors to chase after him.
Also, he must ensure that the phone wont be replicable so that his hard work wont be stolen. He doesnt want to see any knock offs of Future Technology.
The key technology should be patented. The phone would have toeter as the short-term focus was going to be ced on software.
Also, can I know where you are going to be in the next few days? Which country are you going to for business? Xia Shiyu had hesitated for a moment before she interrupted his envisioning.
Hmm? Iraq, Jiang Chen carelessly spilled out the truth.
Iraq.
Xia Shiyu almost choked on her own spit.
What kind of business required him to go there?!
Chapter 45 - The Iraq Trip
Chapter 45: The Iraq Trip
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Food, yours.
His English was more broken than the Eastern Man.
A terrorist with a masked face and an AK47 ced a bowl of muddy looking soup and ck bread on the table. He mocked the white man who crawled into the corner before he turned around and mmed the door.
Robert weakly moved when he saw that the man left. He quickly walked to the table and grabbed the rock hard bread.
His blond hair was already greasy, and his face looked pale, but his eyes remained bright. Even if he didnt know whats the soup or the hardly chewable bread in his hands was made out of, he didnt look the slightest bit remorseful.
He chewed carefully, despite the fact that the food was barely edible.
But he knew that this would maximize the amount of energy he had and would preserve it. Then, he could seek the opportunity to escape.
Roberts face did not look distressed at all. Even if the poor reporter that stayed beside him yesterday was screaming in pain, he remained calm.
Without a doubt, that guy must have his throat slit and recorded. The majority of the government would notpromise with the terrorist groups and pay ransom for the hostages. Maybe in a couple of days when he heads back, he could see that poor sucker on Facebook, in the form of video, if he could go back.
This was not the first time Robert faced situations like this. Militants in Kuwait kidnaped him and almost slit his throat. But the good thing was that ckwater International took the money and did some good deeds with the UA army. They managed to save him at the absolutest moment.
However, this time it was far more questionable. Although he was a UA citizen and acted in the interest of the country, recently his act of smuggling oil from Iran has caught the attention of the FBA. Rumor has that special agents were collecting evidence in this area. Maybe due to this insiders betrayal, this was the FBAs act of taking him out, then why would the UA army save him?
The bald Biden had no guts. If the FBA just threatened him a little, he would join the witness protection program and sell out his old friend.
Robert was not too angry at this. He had seen his fair share of betrayal. If he died here this time, then Biden was lucky, but if he managed to return to Los Santos, hehe.
A ferocious smile shed across Roberts face.
Of course, all this talk would be nonsense because his probability of survival was so slim. Although Nick was reliable and a fitted warrior, he was alone after all. Facing a group of fully equipped terrorists would be unrealistic.
Especially in hostage rescue, that must be done with one swift action.
He mocked at himself for the thought as he finished thest bit of bread before lying on the bed again.
His instinct told him that he would be okay this time. His instinct had saved him on more than one asion, so he trusted his instinct and didnt give up the hope for survival.
Jiang Chen got off the ne and stepped into the Baghdad International Airport.
The religious city was not exactly as they described it in the news, in constant chaos. At least, not near the airport.
The marks left by the war has been slowly healed through the passage of time. It was also evident by the constant flow of foreign tourists. However, he knew this prosperity was limited.
IS already upied half of the area in Northern Iraq. Even if the sky above Baghdad were still clear, it wouldnt take long before a gloom of war cast its shadow.
Jiang Chen in shades stood in front of the airport for a while before he took out his phone to check Google maps. He quickly found the arranged meeting spot with Nick.
Just as he was about to call a taxi, an unlicensed car stopped in front of him.
Sir, do you need a taxi?
It was in Han, although not fluent.
Yes, do you know Han? Jiang Chen was surprised. He had paused for a moment before he opened the car door.
Its because I often find jobs near your wells, for example servicing PetroChina workers. So I learned Han in the process. The young man smiled with his white teeth exposed as he skillfully started the car. My name is Ehsa, what about you sir?
Jiang Chen. Head to this ce on the map. Jiang Chen showed the location on the map to Ehsa.
Okay.
With the changing scenery passing by him, Jiang Chen chatted with the taxi driver, who was around the same age as him and he heard some interesting stories.
Sir if you are here to travel, I rmend a few cities in the South. However, dont head north as Haditha is almost conquered, it might not be long until Baghdad is unsafe too.
Hmmm? Looks like you know these things pretty well. How long have you been doing this? Jiang Chen smiled.
For about six years, I have been driving taxis ever since I left the army. I also spent some time being a tourist guide, Ehsa replied.
You have been in the army before? I feel like you are no older than me, Jiang Chen asked with confusion in his voice.
I enlisted when I was 12, in what you guys call the Iraq war. Ehsa shrugged as the topic did not seem to bother him. A hectic show without even seeing the enemy. It was over before it started. I just felt like Saddam gave me a gun and sent me to surrender in the front line.
He was amazed by the young mans experience but didnt continue on the topic further.
The car soon arrived at the destination, and Jiang Chen generously handed a 10 USD bill to him. He watched the car leave as he stretched and looked for Nick.
Here. Just at that moment, the foreigner sitting under the shade, drinking coffee, waved at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen sat directly across from Nick. But before he sat down, Nick hastily began speaking.
Just yourself?
Yes. Jiang Chen grabbed an empty cup and poured himself a cup.
It was bitter, seems to be authentic Turkish coffee.
Jiang Chen took a sip before putting it down and noticed Nicks slightly disappointed look.
Hmm? You seem disappointed? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
You are an adamant warrior, but with just the two of us, it is going to be difficult, Nick replied with his voice lowered.
I am not just strong, youll see. Jiang Chen shrugged. Where is your weapon?
Its in the car. Do you need me to prepare one for you as well? Nick saw that Jiang Chen came empty handed and asked.
Not necessary, I have prepared my weapon already. I believe that you already have clues about the whereabouts of your boss, lets find him then. Hehe, he still owes me a deal, Jiang Chen smiled and spoke with a rxed voice as if he never viewed these terrorists as real threats.
Jiang Chens rxed mood made Nick frown slightly, but since there were no other options at the time, it would be dangerous to be dyed by even a day.
Soldiers instinct told him that this guy was not to be underestimated, but he was not certain of his exact level.
Lets talk about the exact details on the car. Robert is in great danger. If you saw the news yesterday, youd know that IS already executed a UA reporter. If they dont receive the ransom by tomorrow, they might kill the hostage.
Nick lit up a cigarette and handed Jiang Chen one as he took Jiang Chen to his car.
Your boss cant afford the ransom? Jiang Chen lit up the cigarette.
IS wanted the UA government to pay, Nick said emotionlessly.
The meaning behind that was evident.
The car started as Nick took the wheel and headed out of the town. They passed by two inspection stations, but it was rather procedural as the stations let them go when there were no bombs found. The assault rifle hidden under Nicks seat was not detected during both inspections.
On the way, Nick exined what kind of trouble they encountered this time.
It was about five days ago, Robert epted an old friends invitation, Biden, toe to Iraq. It was a military arms deal worth twenty million USD. The buyer was supposed to be a militant fighting on the front line against IS. Order from the UA middlemen and acquiring additional firearm was the unspoken rule on this desert. Although Robert sensed something was off, he was not too suspicious.
It was a deal over twenty million USD. He would earn one million just by working with him.
Biden was such a great guy.
After he arranged the transportation of military arms on the battlefront between the government militants and IS, he met a bunch of extreme terrorists screaming Ah Akbar.
Nick was indeed a great warrior as he used an M27 to kill at least 10 fearless terrorists, but that was useless.
To acquire those arms, the IS with secret information sent out at least a battalion of forces and was equipped with heavy machine guns and RPG. He almost didnt get out of there alive.
The firearm fell into the hands of the IS, and Robert was captured. Nick fought fearlessly to find an escape path to the safe zone.
Of course, that doesnt mean he would leave his boss there, Robert saved his life before. He knew that the only way to save his boss was to escape himself first.
He stayed in Haditha as he had a feeling that IS didnt bring IS into their territory. The next day, he received a phone call from someone who picked up a ten dor UA bill. On the bill, it said, If you call this number, and tell him where you found the bill, youll receive one hundred dors inpensation. Nick first thought it was a trap, but it was his only hope. After meeting the man, Nick paid him thepensation and followed him to where he picked up the bill.
It was fortunate that it was not a trap, Robert was cunning. He always hid a ten dor bill in his shoe as he believed the first finance minister of the United States would bring him luck and riches. At the same time, it saved him in critical moments. It was clear that Hamilton saved him.
Why dont you contact the embassy? The UA soldiers are all experts in hostage rescue, Jiang Chen said in a rxed voice.
Its the FBA whos behind this all. Those fools cant find evidence, so they wanted to get rid of Robert. With the cigarette in his mouth, he already put his shades on. Jiang Chen couldnt see his facial expression.
Oh? I thought Robert represented the UA government. Jiang Chen shrugged.
He did in Iraq, but it happened in Kane which is not rted to the Iran problem, Nick briefly answered the question as he turned the wheel and drove off the road.
It was clear that Robert trusted his bodyguard as he even exined these things to him.
Jiang Chen remembered that Robert told him about smuggling oil before. It must be that he left some evidence and the FBA is after him.
We are not going on the road?
There is an IS station in the front, we cant pass. Also, we are almost there. Robert calmly drove the car into an alley and shut the engine.
Jiang Chen opened the door and got out. He looked around and figured it was a ghetto. asionally a childs malnourished head popped out of the window and curiously looked at the two foreigners. But a hand woulde and drag the children back into the room and tightly shut the window.
These civilians are quite sensitive about the war. Jiang Chen smiled as he threw the cigarette bud onto the ground.
The moment they were born they started to experience the war. Nick grabbed a backpack under the car seat. He saw Jiang Chens rxed look and raised his eyebrows. Are you sure this is okay?
No problem, trust me. Jiang Chen sighed.
In Iraq, Han Kungfu is not that particrly helpful.
In your foreigners eyes, do all the Han know Kungfu? Jiang Chenughed at the remark.
I should show him something.
Jiang Chens right hand reached behind his back and opened the storage dimension. In Nicks eyes, he just reached, and a pistol appeared in his hand.
Nick was shocked as he didnt even sense Jiang Chen hid the gun. He also did not recognize the gun.
This gun is?
11 Tactical Pistol, custom made, dont worry about it. Jiang Chen put the gun into his bag and shrugged.
Nick nodded as he no longer questioned.
Just like that, Jiang Chen followed Nick and walked to the building where Robert was held.
Chapter 46 - Rescue
Chapter 46: Rescue
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_, Rundi
Theres one on the roof, four standing on the second floor, and five out front. Nick stretched out on top of the roof and used a pair of binocrs to observe the target structure. Robert is confirmed alive.
The three-story tall building had at least ten terrorists on site. Nick began to worry for Jiang Chen as even for someone like him, it would be nearly impossible to rescue someone without alerting nearby guards.
However, if they alerted the guards on patrol duty in the streets, then they must face the attack from an entire town of IS soldiers.
Affirmative, just cover me when I back out. Jiang Chen stood by a fruit store picking fruits as he asionally nced at the IS soldiers passing by. He had a head scarf on his head with only his eyes exposed.
It was exciting for him.
He opened his mouth and took a deep breath before turning into an alley.
He noticed that there was no one around, so he took out the bag Yao Yao gave him from the storage dimension and equipped it onto himself.
The drone from the future was going to be useful now as an odd smile appeared on Jiang Chens face. He connected his EP onto the palm-sized circle disk.
The bottom of the drone slightly vibrated followed by an almost undetectable noise as it followed Jiang Chens instruction and flew into the air.
It carefully avoided the sight of the guards as Jiang Chen cautiously controlled the drone to fly over the wall onto the top floor. It recorded the heat map of the entire building as all the guards appeared on the EP map. After he had parked the drone on the top floor, Jiang Chen gave an order to Nick.
Take out the scout on the top floor.
Affirmative. Nick naturally noticed Jiang Chens drone and was surprised by Jiang Chens ability. He zoomed in with his M27 rifle.
The silencer lightly buzzed.
A blood hole appeared on the terrorists forehead. As he was about to fall over, the drone hidden behind him popped a hook and carried his body to the middle of the roof and slowly released him.
Not a single person noticed.
Nick waspletely stunned. He saw the Indago drone that the UA special forces used in Kane and he thought that represented the peak of the drone technology. But when he saw the palm-sized drone, his understanding of field was challenged.
Silent enough to move behind the target and its hook powerful enough to drag the body.
This was the first time he saw a drone that agile and discreet.
[His countrys military technology is this powerful?
Or is Jiang Chen representing an unknown force?]
Nick didnt understand, but he didnt need to understand.
He knew that his boss could be rescued now.
Jiang Chen used the image generated through his EP to determine the guards distribution within the building. He took a deep breath and moved to the side of the building.
He pressed against the ground, for the first time using all his strength in the modern world.
Jiang Chen hopped two meters high, grabbed onto the roof of a small building and rolled beside the water tank.
It was a smooth move.
This was the muscle and reflex two times stronger than ordinary people. He gradually clinched his fingers and looked at the street across.
It was three meters wide with little traffic.
Eight meters away from the roof, with a height difference of two meters.
How far is the closest patrol from this ce? Jiang Chen used themunication device in his ear and asked.
Two streets, Nick answered after he scanned the area.
I am about to enter, watch out for me.
Understood. Nick put the binocrs aside as he reloaded the M27 rifle.
Fury!
Red dots began to pop up in Jiang Chen vision. Even the wall cannot stop the vivid red from appearing, it belonged to the color of hearts beating.
The desire to rip the hearts apart.
All the cells in his body were boiling.
He inhaled and tried to suppress the negative emotions from his mind as he slightly bent his knees.
If it were two times his muscle strength, it would be questionable, but now it was four times.
Abruptly, his pushed his legs down onto the ground and stepped back before he dashed across the eight-meter distance, grasping onto the roof of the third floor.
[Fu*k, this hurts.]
The fury strengthened his muscle but not his bones. The shock from the impact with the wall made him grind his teeth together, but he managed to ovee the pain and initiated the tranquilizer on the EP.
Fury disarmed. His heartbeat returned to normal.
What is it? A terrorist looked out the window and scanned for any irregrity.
Dont know, let Zayev go take a look.
Jiang Chen held his breath as he pressed against the wall. He didnt understand what they were saying as he prayed that they wont look up. Jiang Chen was right above the IS soldier. If he got caught, then he would have to fight a violent battle.
He wasnt afraid, but Roberts safety would be jeopardized.
Jiang Chens sudden move shocked Nick as he didnt suspect Jiang Chen to jump across.
[An eight-meter distance, two-meter height difference?
Superman?]
Nick didnt let his guard down when he saw Jiang Chen sneak into the building, his rifle aimed directly at the head stuck outside the window. If he looked up and saw Jiang Chen, Nick would have to kill him. Stealth entry would be a battle.
Fortunately, it seemed that it was inconvenient to look up while wearing a hat, the terrorist didnt see anything odd, so he retracted his head. Frommon sense, no one could jump onto a building.
Jiang Chen was relieved as he rolled onto the roof.
The reason why he dared to use brute force to jump over was not that he didnt think it through. Instead, when fury was activated, he saw the distribution of the people in the room. He estimated that the risk of being spotted was small, so he decided to use four times the strength of a regr people and jumped over.
First, silence device.
NATO special forces equipment, he purchased at the Sixth Street Junk Yard for 30 crystals. The device could silence up to a radius of ten meters. Although not as useful in the apocalypse, but quite handy in the modern world. It can be activated for 15 seconds.
Heughed and took out the device from where Nick couldnt see. He pressed the device against the roof. He then started the drone and made sure the IS soldiers were unaware before he rotated the silent devices button.
Buzz.
It produced a sound of buzzing electricity. The surrounding air became unstable under the unique field, all sounds were erased.
The brick roof was exploded open with dynamite.
Jiang Chen did not hesitate as he took out his pistol and jumped into the room.
Future tech was indeed powerful, no one noticed the violent explosion.
With both feet on the ground, Jiang Chen saw Robert in the corner. He ripped off his headscarf and smiled.
I cant believe you are the one saving me, my friend, Robert said with a bitter smile.
Oh? Are you disappointed? Jiang Chen shrugged with a joking voice.
No, I appreciate your help. Robert stood up and genuinely bowed down. If there is anything I can assist you with in the future, please dont hesitate to tell me.
You still owe me a deal.
Robert was confused for a brief second before he smiled.
Not just a deal, my friend.
Jiang Chen didnt continue talking with him. He retracted the silent device and walked to the door. Robert surprisingly looked at the pistol in Jiang Chens hand. For as long as he has been in the firearm business, he never saw a gun like it.
As well as the silent explosion.
But Robert didnt ask, everyone had their own privacy. It would be impolite to ask.
If he could rescue people, it wont be hard to kill people.
Nick, the hostage is rescued. Cover me, Jiang Chen spoke into themunication device.
I understand, Nick replied emotionlessly as a cruel smile appeared across his face.
[You bastards, Ill kill you all.]
He opened the safety.
He locked onto a terrorist that looked like amander and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The blood hole prated through the targets head as he dropped down onto the floor.
Enemy! Enemy!
Its the UA citizens! Quick! But what they didnt know was, the one firing was a Byelorussian, and the one rescuing was an Eastern man.
Shouting noises resonated through the door, as well as the explosive firing of the assault rifles.
Jiang Chen monitored the outside with the drone.
Nick was indeed an experienced soldier. A single rifle was enough to suppress all the IS soldiers. The screaming bullets urately prated through flesh and ended their sinful lives one by one.
Nick managed to control the soldiers around the building. Jiang Chen waved at Robert signaling their retreat. He aimed his pistol at the wooden door.
Bang!
The wooden door was mmed open. A terrorist screaming a foreignnguage rushed in with an assault rifle and met a pistol in his face.
Boom!
With a hole in his forehead, the man dropped dead.
Instincts, dont worry about it, Jiang Chen joked with the shocked Robert before he rushed out.
Instinct? The drones instinct.
Whula
Jiang Chen replied to the nonsensical screaming with a bullet. Although the 11 tactical pistol was only a pistol, it was technology from 100 yearster. Despite the same size bullet, the material of the bullet as well its uracy was far superiorpared to modern weapons.
Although it was a pistol, it could easily shoot through the brick wall.
The highly prative bullet made the IS soldiers around the stairs not dare toe close to the wall. But as they continued to hide, it troubled Jiang Chen as well. Since this is an IS-controlled territory, there was no way they could escape if this dragged on.
Time to try the thermal detection grenade.
A grimace appeared on Jiang Chens face. The thing he got from Zhao Chenwu, the firearm dealer from the apocalypse.
He popped the switch and threw the grenade away.
The grenade in midair suddenly paused as mes began to spit out from one side. It was as if it had eyes, it flew directly at the IS soldiers around the stairs.
They didnt even have time to duck down.
The grenade exploded as soon as it detected heat.
Boom!
The explosive chips destroyed the entire staircase. Jiang Chen could almost sense the violent explosion.
God, what are these things? Robert hid behind Jiang Chens back as he nkly stared ahead.
Some new gadgets. Stop talking, follow me. Jiang Chen changed a clip and rushed to the stairs.
Thermal detection grenade. Those things were slightly pricey being five times the price of a regr grenade. It was only useful on humans and would be interfered by the cheaper EMP grenade or heat bait, so they were not as useful in the apocalypse.
All the sudden, the wooden floor crashed open on the side.
Ah! A man with an assault rifle dashed out and tried to smash his gun against Jiang Chens head.
But he did have a reflex of 29, so he would not get hit by a surprise attack like that.
A violent stream of air ripped through Jiang Chens arm as the almost liquid phase nitrogen mmed onto the mans chest like a hammer.
He flew away like a bomb and smashed against the wall.
[Should be dead.
Damn, this thing could be used as a close range weapon.] Jiang Chen pleasingly looked at the metal bracelet on his arm.
Robert stared dumbfoundedly at him. Jiang Chen nced at him, and half-jokingly said.
I guess you are going to keep the secret for me, right?
Robert continued to stare dully, but he nodded.
[God is this a Hollywood movie.]
Jiang Chen was pleased by Roberts reaction as he signaled for him to follow and rushed downstairs.
He was not afraid of Robert not keeping the secret, no one would believe some of the things that happened.
Especially if he were smart enough, he would shut his mouth.
Chapter 47 - The Unexpected
Chapter 47: The Unexpected
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen, get out. IS patrol squad already noticed the disturbances on this side, and they are sending backup. Nicks voice transmitted from themunication device.
Understood. Nick waved at Robert and shouted, Quick! Start running.
Before he finished his sentence, Jiang Chen dashed out of the building and fired into the sky. The gunshot dispersed all the confused civilians. At the same time, he called Robert and headed directly into the alley.
Dam*it! There are heavy machine guns. Nick cursed as he quickly began to move. His position was already exposed when they cross fired.
The Toyota pickup truck carrying heavy machine guns drove through the streets and headed for the building where the hostage was held. The soldier on the pickup truck called the other soldiers while forcefully opening the switch, preparing to shoot.
Tatata!
The bullets fired like rain drops, quickly suppressing Nicks position which forced him to get on the floor and crawl to the stairs. He then jumped up and fled downstairs.
The IS soldiers were not to be taken lightly as the ten person patrol team carried their assault rifles and moved towards Nicks location with the intention of surrounding him. However, as a seasoned veteran, he stepped back and shot with his M27 while moving back to the car.
On the other side, Jiang Chen used his EP to control the drone and avoided the chasing IS soldiers as they passed through the crossfire zone harm free.
Quick! Get in the car! You drive! Jiang Chen opened the door and pushed Robert in. He then flew the drone in Nicks direction.
I have been surrounded, you guys leave first. Nick gritted his teeth and nced at the wound on his left shoulder. He fired a few rounds with one hand and then ran into another alley.
Although he remembered theyout of this ce, his knowledge was nowhereparable to the IS soldiers that regrly patrolled this area. Nick already epted his fate, or else he should have already died in that small town in Kane.
He would have repaid the favor.
A grimace smile appeared on Nicks face as he mmed against the dug-outs beside the road.
He decided not to run anymore. He wanted to teach these bloodthirsty hounds who was the real warrior!
Six oclock direction, go through that alley, quick!
The voice from his headphone made him pause for a brief second before he clenched his teeth and followed Jiang Chens direction into the alley. Almost at the same time, he caught, with the corner of his eyes, a Toyota pickup truck that just ran across where he was.
A drop of cold sweat rolled down his face as he immediately followed Jiang Chens instruction and moved.
There is a fruit store, go in it, theres a back door in the room. Under the guidance of the drone, all of the ISs movements were exposed.
Although it was theplete opposite direction as the car, Nick chose to trust Jiang Chens instruction. He kicked open the wooden door as he disregarded the screaming woman, the frightened man as well as the innocent children. He threateningly held his gun up and then with quick strides he aimed at the back door.
m!
Nick used his right shoulder, mmed open the door and got on another street.
Cross the street and go into the alley before you make a left turn.
The sound of IS soldiers footsteps and shouting resonated from afar. Nick resisted the pain in his shoulder and carried his assault rifle across the street.
The footsteps were moving away. It looked like they lost him. Nick let out a sigh of relief before he took out the bandage. He wrapped his wound while running. Under Jiang Chens direction, he quickly got back to the car.
We have to hurry, there are more and more IS soldiersing in this direction. Jiang Chen helped Nick open the back door as he sat in the front passenger seat.
Robert sat behind the wheel as he started the car. Nick ripped off his shirt and changed into a shirt that he previously prepared to cover his wound.
Where are we going? Robert drove the car out of the alley and scanned around.
Jiang Chen reached out of the window to retract the palm-sized drone as he stuffed it back into his pocket.
Head into the desert, all the roads are blocked off.
God I am still alive, this is unbelievable. Robert steered the wheel as he exaggeratedly let out a long sigh.
We havent escaped yet. Jiang Chen said with a bitter smile. He still did underestimate the ability of the terrorists as they responded with such swiftness. The original n was to follow the road and head back into Baghdad.
IS is much strongerpared to other extremists. I thought you had ns, Nick had hesitated for a moment before he spoke.
Jiang Chen heard the words as he smiled with bitterness.
[I really dont have a n, looks like I have been too cocky this time.]
He was not worried about getting caught by the IS since he could always hide in the apocalypse. However, he couldnt bring Robert and Nick over.
Robert sensed the awkwardness on Jiang Chens face as heughed. Dont worry, well see as we go. They cant be chasing us forever.
He opened the GPS on the car.
We still have enough fuel. Well cross the desert and go from the northern side of the Tharthar Lake to Tikrit. If we are lucky, the government force should be in control of the area. A smile full of resignation appeared on Roberts face, but Jiang Chen couldnt even smile at all.
In other words, if Tikrit is under the control of IS.
They must take the gamble.
If he knew it was so problematic Its fine since he was already here and had the opportunity to test the strength of this equipment. Jiang Chen shook his head as he closed his eyes to rest. Surprisingly, he realized that he no longer felt ufortable killing people.
It was hard to say if it was a good thing or not.
Perhaps it was because all the people he killed deserved it. Jiang Chen remembered the atrocious acts conducted by the IS as he tried to justify his actions.
Robert looked rather optimistic as he hymned along with the tune on the car. The guy probably has seen too many deaths to be bothered by it.
Once the explosive song yed, the car lifted the dust up on the sandy ground and drove into the endless desert.
Every single piece of sand here was covered by the smell of chaos.
Xia Shiyu sat on the sofa with her head wrapped in a towel. Under the bathrobe, her smooth and silky legs could be faintly seen covered by droplets of water. It was in the midst of summer as the room was air conditioned. She didnt change into clothes yet as she enjoyed the light breeze.
Although she had a face more attractive than celebrities, even in her free time, it was still expressionless.
She leaned against the sofa as she casually lifted her legs. She turned on the TV with the remote.
Now well continue with the next piece of news. This morning, IS initiated an attack on Tikrit. The president of Iraq stated that they will do anything to defend Tikrit.
Xia Shiyu didnt really care about international news. Like most of the modern professionals, she was more interested inedy shows, especially the ones that made peopleugh.
Surprising, for someone who didnt like to smile enjoyed humor.
[There are no news today?]
Xia Shiyu let out a breath for reasons she couldnt exin.
[No news probably means he is safe.]
At least the news didnt say that a Han man was abducted and taken hostage. The ministry of foreign affairs strongly advises citizens and rted news.
[Hmm? Why am I worried about him?]
Xia Shiyu was suddenly shocked as she subconsciously touched her lips as confusion shed across her eyes.
She shook her head and pushed out the always grinning face from her head as she began to change the channel.
[It must be because I have been too tiredtely.]
With theedians on the screen as well as the waves ofughter from the audience, Xia Shiyu temporarily forgot about what troubled her.
Her breathing returned to normal as her emotion returned to normal.
As the night fell, Jiang Chen leaned against the chair with a cigarette in his mouth.
To prevent being spotted, the headlight must remain off. It would be too dangerous to keep going without any light, so Robert stopped the car.
If you cant fall asleep, why dont you keep an eye out for now? Robert smiled bitterly as he pressed against the steering wheel. Nick in the back was already snoring up a storm.
How far away? Jiang Chen blew a smoke ring out as he sighed.
Probably two more days. There is enough water and food, you dont have to be too nervous. Robert shrugged.
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. [Who is saving who?]
I am doing a lot to get rid of the ten tons of gold. Jiang Chen curled his lips.
Ten tons!? Robert suddenly stood up, but then a banging sound ensued. He hit his head against the roof, but he resisted the pain as he stared at Jiang Chen, full concentrated.
Fu*k, dont look at me like that. Jiang Chen was getting goosebumps as he moved back into contempt.
Hehe. Robert touched his greasy blond hair and moved back. I know there is a one hundred million USD deal. But why would I do firearms? Ill just help you sell gold.
Nope, I only stored this much gold over the years. I am starting to transition into other industries as well. Jiang Chen let out a sigh.
Transitioning? Is there something else thats easier to sell? Robert couldnt fall asleep anymore as he also lit a cigarette.
Technology.
Technology? Buffet didnt even dare to touch that. Robert contumaciously sneered, I tried to open my own firearmpany before but gave up soon after. The risk of development is too high, so I only sell the finished product. It is easier to make money this way.
It is also more dangerous. Jiang Chen didnt disagree.
Of course, but I love the adventure. Robert awkwardlyughed as he avoided the topic.
The desert night was quiet and peaceful without a soul to be seen. As they got further away from Hadithah, the asional explosions started to fade as well. But within the quiet night sky, a short burst of homing noise could be heard once in awhile.
F-22, its probably the UA doing scouting missions. Maybe we are already on the heat map. Robert lifted his head.
Oh? Would the UA soldiers jump out and save you? Jiang Chen smiled.
No way. We are only a white dot on the heat map. There are plenty of refugees in the desert. The good thing is that there is no weapon on the back of the car or some bullets may have flown down. Robertughed at the remark.
Jiang Chen gazed at the distant sky. The clouds were thin, and the moon was bright. But even in the moonlight, he couldnt see anything.
I dont understand. I feel the IS soldiers are not that strong. With the airstrikes of so many nations, why would they not eradicate this problem already? Jiang Chen did not have the slightest positive feeling about this group.
It has nothing to do with politics nor nationality. From a purely human perspective, any group that killed civilians and raped women are hideous and hated. For whatever reason, it cannot justify the crime against humanity.
He wanted tough at the crazy group that said so manyughable ims, but he couldnt.
Its normal. Robert shrugged, IS is not simply just a terrorist group. Its a frightening armybined with an ambitious government. A lot of them even received higher education and elite training which taught them how to avoid airstrike and scouting. Also, their opponents have their own personal agendas. Take Turkey, for example, their stance on IS was never clear.
At that moment, Robert also smiled dubiously.
Also, if the war ended this quickly, how would we feed ourselves? How would the unemployment rate go down?
Jiang Chen thought about it as heughed.
He was right.
Who cared, the Middle East was far from Hua.
But for some reason, he constantly remembered the world that had fallen apart because of the nuclear war.
The world where even the sun in the middle of a summer day could not cast its ray through the thick radiation cloud. The world where not a single piece of grain grew, and a world where millions of twisted faces instinctively practiced violence.
Jiang Chen suddenly felt a chillness, he tried to wrap himself tighter with his clothes.
The desert night was a bit too chill.
Chapter 48 - Refugees
Chapter 48: Refugees
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Damn it! Sheet!
The car came to a slow stop as Robert smacked the steering wheel.
Nick quietly walked out of the car as he lifted the front cover.
The engine is busted.
Fu*k! Now we are screwed, Robert said with a voice of defeat.
Jiang Chen thought if he should go back to the apocalypse for a while and bring back a levitating car.
But it was only wishful thinking; he would not do that unless they were hopeless.
If he did it, that would mean he was prepared to abandon the two of them. Then his gold selloff n would be deserted, and this Iraq trip would be pointless.
Can you fix it? Jiang Chen asked.
Let me try. Nick took the toolbox out from the back of the car as he began to work on the engine.
However, the engine didnt seem to get any better.
Just as they were about to lose hope, Jiang Chen suddenly saw a truck approaching from a distance.
IS? He tensed up as he took out the pistol.
Robert also noticed the truck, but his face looked ecstatic.
Put your gun away, haha, we are saved. Quick! Shout with me! Haha, stop here! Here! Help! Robert waved his arms as he yelled at the truck to get its attention.
The truck seemed to have noticed the three of them as it slowly drove in their direction.
The truck stopped. Jiang Chen saw that the back of the truck was filled with malnourished refugees. Their clothes were ripped apart and only carried a small amount of luggage. All of them had the same tired and apathetic expression.
Robert walked to the truck driver and spoke with him briefly before he returned full of joy.
The driver agreed to give us a ride. It is tradition to help each other out in the desert. I promised him that well share the freshwater on our car. Since the car is going to be abandoned, lets take the fuel out as well. Nick,e help me.
Okay, boss. Nick nodded and ensued.
Jiang Chen and Nick sat in the back of the truck while Robert, trying to get close to the driver, sat in the passenger seat.
Since only Robert knew Arabic, the two of them who sat with the refugees could only stare at each other, and couldnt say a word.
All the women were covered in thick headscarves while the men looked exhausted, the children alsocked the energy people of their age possessed. Everyone was tired. They must have suffered a lot.
The atmosphere felt odd.
A Byelorussian and a Han here sure was weird.
These people are probably Syrian refugees. Since Turkey shut down its borders, some of them chose to go through the Kurdish Region and then be smuggled into Turkey. Its a coincidence that we were able to meet up. At least Jiang Chen knew a little English to be able to chat with Nick.
Do they know English? Jiang Chen asked.
Some probably do, but it doesnt look like they have the energy to chat. Nick shrugged his shoulders.
The back of the truck was crowded and bumpy. A child who he couldnt tell the gender of sat beside Jiang Chen. The dirty facecked energy and emotion as the messy hair carried a sour odor more pungent than Robert.
Jiang Chen did not care too much about cleanliness as the entire truck was filled with the awful smell, so he didnt pay attention.
Nick already started to snore as his years of military life had programmed him in such a way to preserve his energy. Except the snoring received a few stares in the truck.
He really could sleep anywhere. Jiang Chen forced a smile as he also adjusted the way he sat to take a nap.
The truck drove for a bit longer.
It was around lunch time as some refugees took out the food they carried and began to force it down with some water. The teen sitting beside Jiang Chen took out a ck thing that resembled a piece of bread and began chewing.
Perhaps it was because everyone was eating, Jiang Chen also felt hungry. He reached behind him, and when no one was looking, he took out a box of Oreos from the storage dimension. He opened the package as he started to eat it.
He was prepared for this kind of unexpected situation so he would always store some emergency food and medicine.
Jiang Chen suddenly noticed that a pair of eyes were peeking at him.
Precisely, peeking at him chewing the food.
Do you want some? Jiang Chen smiled as he handed the box over.
The pair of eyes quickly fled. However, they seemed to have noticed that Jiang Chen had no ill intentions as that person took over the half box of cookies and only hesitated slightly before devouring them.
This guy wasparable to how Sun Jiao eats. A smile appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Thank you The person replied in English. The person then seemed to have realized that the box was empty before a guilty expression surfaced and they lowered their head. Sorry
Dont worry, I still have lots, Jiang Chen said with a friendly smile, Can I know your name?
Ayesha, seventeen years old.
She was a girl. He was wondering why the voice was so light. Maybe because she was not an adult yet, and she didnt wear the headscarf like all the other women in the truck.
My name is Jiang Chen, Ie from Hua. Where are your parents?
They got killed by the IS all because my mom rejected those devils demand. Ayeshas voice was calm and emotionless, without much sorrow on her face. It made Jiang Chen speechless, as he didnt expect such a depressing topic.
Sorry, Jiang Chen gently said, but he received a peculiar look.
What happened? Jiang Chen asked confusedly. He was not sure if he said something he shouldnt have since he only knew the peaceful way of life.
Nothing. I just didnt expect someone to say sorry to me. Ayesha turned her head.
Do you have any ns once you get to Turkey? Jiang Chen forced a smile as he decided to talk about something lighter.
Perhaps once she started her new life, she would be slightly happier.
No n, head to refugee camp and receive humanitarian aid and see if there is a Saudi or Turkish man thats willing to buy me. I am still a virgin, if I dress up, it shouldnt be a problem. The girls voice was calm, with an awareness and apathy unfitting for her age.
[Okay looks like any topic will be depressing.]
Jiang Chen chose to shut up.
The truck would still stop overnight due to possible dangers. The driver also needed to rest.
At this time the refugees would choose to go the washroom and stand outside for a bit of the light breeze. Jiang Chen got out of the truck and went to the washroom. He alsovishly took out some paper to whip.
Once the car stopped, Robert came and chatted with the two of them for a while. He still went back to the passenger seat when he slept. Robert said that he slipped the driver a Franklin bill and the driver immediately became more weing.
At night, Jiang Chen felt hungry again.
He had too many Oreos, so Jiang Chen took out another kind of strawberry cookies and began to chew on them.
He heard a faint gulping sound beside him and thought about it briefly before he smiled and gave half of the cookies to the girl.
Try it, its from my hometown.
The girl didnt respond. Instead, she started to devour the food. Jiang Chen looked at her and didnt say anything.
Since he was full, it was time to sleep. Jiang Chen leaned against the truck as he drifted into sleep. Although snores could be heard all over the truck, tiredness was the best sleeping pill.
As to Nick, this guy always fell asleep instantaneously, he also wakes up at random intervals. The thunderous snoring already started to ring.
Except what Jiang Chen didnt notice was a pair of eyes that examined him.
Ayesha licked the cookie crumbs off of her fingers as she looked at the side of Jiang Chens face. Her eyes were filled with confusion.
The next morning, Jiang Chen woke up on the bumpy ride.
We are almost there. Nick noticed Jiang Chen waking up and looked at the phone screen. GPS shows that we are only 40 kilometers away from Tikrit.
The roaring engine noise filled his ear as the vibration of the engine almost made Jiang Chen lose the feeling in his back. He wiped his face with his hand as dust filled his palm. He was slightly shocked before he quickly realized.
This is definitely not a ce to stay.
Thats good, I cant wait to take a hot shower and then sleep. Jiang Chen stretched as he forced a smile.
The battery in his phone was almost drained. To prepare for the unexpected, he decided to shut it down.
I have a bad feeling. Nick frowned as he touched his ck backpack. His M27 was in it.
I hope you are wrong.
Hopefully. Nick closed his phone as his phone was about to die as well.
Ayesha raised her head to look at the two foreigners before putting her chin between her arms and closing her eyes.
[Looks like we wont get to Turkey.]
Being born among the chaos, she was too familiar with this smell.
The smell of death.
Chapter 49 - The Flames of War
Chapter 49: The mes of War
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
I have apany in the UA, a massive one. I like what you do. If you want, you cane drive for me. Dont worry about the green card either; the Senate is really close to me. Robert was passionately bullsheeting in the passenger seat, happily chatting with the driver who was wearing a red headscarf and holding a cigarette in his mouth.
Bang!
Spider web cracks had swept across the window pane before it shattered, scattering in like snowkes.
Sheet!
Robert quickly rolled underneath the seat and grabbed the steering wheel, resisting the pain from the cuts on his head as he pulled the truck to a stop.
The driver who previously had a bright smile on his face now had a gaping, bloody hole in his head.
The truck shook violently, the intense vibrations jostling the unprepared refugees to the ground. At the same time Jiang Chen grabbed the metal handle behind him, he grabbed onto Ayesha who was about to fall out and dragged her back into the truck.
The truck swung left and right on the desert sands before it came to a gradual stop without tipping over.
The back of the truck was chaos.
Women trembled and sobbed with their hands over their heads while the men who managed to regain their bnce held onto their luggage with uncertainty, they had an overwhelming expression of fear on their faces.
Without question, it was IS.
This was the death sentence.
What happened, d*mmit Are you okay? Jiang Chen caught his breath as he dragged Ayesha up.
Looking at Jiang Chen, Ayesha emotionlessly shook her head. Blood dripped out from the corner of her mouth, most likely from biting herself during the fall. Fortunately, she hadnt been thrown out from the truck.
IS ve catchers. Theyre active in the desert and asionally visit viges. Women will be forced to be sex ves and men will either be killed or forced to join their group. Could you give me a bullet? If I save my virginity, I can go to heaven.
No. Jiang Chen smiled.
That smile made Ayesha nk out for a moment.
Then Ill pray for you. The girl looked down, hiding her eyes behind her greasy, ck hair strands.
Prepare to engage. Nick leaned against the truck with his M27 already loaded and locked.
I wonder how Robert is doing, Jiang Chen murmured under his breath as he took out the 11 Tactical Pistol. Following Nicks signal, he quickly leaned against the other side of the door.
The refugees in the truck stared at them with stark desperation. They moved out of the way and covered their heads as they prayed for safety and victory for the two strangers.
The sound of a machine gun firing rang out from a distance, but none of the bullets hit the truck.
A Toyota pickup truck equipped with a heavy machine gun mmed to stop beside the truck before several masked soldiers jumped out.
I surrender! Robert crawled out of the passenger seat with his hands on his head. He knew that with his ability, the best he could do was not hold the others back.
The IS soldier was ecstatic when he saw it was a white man. He turned around and spoke with hismander before he struck Robert in the face with his gun barrel, knocking him to the ground.
Search the back, quick! Themander stood before Robert with his AK, his face twisted into a grimace that shed his white teeth.
With a face that seemed close to crying, Robert looked up and forced a smile, only to receive a boot in the face.
Drag him to the car for ransom! themander ordered as the soldiers dragged him towards the Toyota pickup.
When he heard these words, Robert let out a sigh of relief. These people were likely from Hadithah. If these devils knew that he was an escapee, perhaps his limbs would have already been chopped off and the video uploaded online.
As long as he did not die, there were always opportunities.
Two soldiers with AKs leisurely walked towards the back with smiles on their faces. They chatted as they lifted the blinds up.
It was a sweet job. Although the ves they captured didnt belong to them, they had the liberty to pick out one or two to enjoy first, and no one would punish them.
They fired two bullets into the air and grinned with satisfaction as they heard the screeching from inside the truck. The two men nced at each other before the man on the right climbed into the truck first.
There was no better way to unleash his interest in brutality than taking in the frightened looks.
A grim smile appeared on the terrorists face.
Suddenly from the shadows, a giant hand reached out with pr bear-like strength and snapped the fragile neck. Jiang Chen straightforwardly swung his arm like a hammer and smashed the other terrorists head into the ground with his superhuman power.
Ill go to the front to save Robert. You try to catch their attention from here, and be careful of the machinegun. Finished exining, Nick quickly jumped out of the car.
Jiang Chen shook his slightly numb right hand. He was nning on using the pistol to smash the terrorists skull, but he identally hammered with his arm instead.
The result was the same regardless.
[Looks like I need to study somebat technique. Relying on pure strength is cutting it too close.]
Jiang Chen sighed as he grabbed the AK off the floor and lightly jumped out.
He turned the corner and opened fire at the pickup truck, catching the terrorists by surprise. Robert had yet to be dragged onto the pickup truck when the gunshots made the terrorist drop him and began firing back.
Without hesitation, a terrorist spun the machine gun to face Jiang Chen before unleashing a storm of bullets at Jiang Chen. In response, an explosive amount of nitrogen burst out from Jiang Chens right arm, blocking all of the bullets mid-air.
What is that thing?! Themander ducked behind the truck and craned his head around the corner to look at Jiang Chen with a look of horror.
I dont know! The bullets cant prate it! The machine gunner fired ferociously, but his desire to rip Jiang Chen apart with the bullets was futile.
nk!
The bullets ran out.
The soldiers grabbed their AKs to shoot at Jiang Chen, hoping to gain time for the machine gunner to reload. Despite their efforts, however, bullets from the other side began to urately take all of them down.
It was Nick, who had begun his attack with the M27.
Since Jiang Chens nitrogen armor was reaching its limit, he started shooting under the cover of Nicks surprise attack. Whether he hit anyone was another question entirely, but at least the recoil was nothing for his muscle strength.
D*mn it! Use the white man as a hostage. Get up! themander yelled at a soldier. He could not leave cover with so many bullets suppressing his movements.
The soldier by the hill was also nervous. He couldnt hit Nick who was hiding behind the trucks engine, and his twopanions were killed instead. But as he turned and reached for Robert, a gun was already pressed against his head.
Fu*k you. Robert pulled the trigger without hesitation. The gun was from a soldier who died from Nicks bullets.
Themander saw Robert move and aimed his AK towards him. A sudden impact against his side, however, blew him ten meters away, breaking almost every single one of his ribs.
Jiang Chen retracted the overheated nitrogen armor and then looked at the half-dead machine gunner before he finished the deed with one more bullet.
Boss, are you okay? Nick walked up and helped Robert up.
Sheet, this fu*king hurts. Robert covered his bruised face as he stood up cursing. He then turned to Jiang Chen and asked, Is that guy dead?
His ribs are broken, so as good as dead. Jiang Chen shrugged.
Good job. Robert raised his pistol and shot two more bullets. Themander on the ground didnt even have the strength to scream.
What do we do now? Nick checked the pickup truck in the front. The fuel is good for 200 kilometers, and we can head to Baghdad by ourselves.
Lets do that. Robert limped past the truck and grabbed the backup fuel tank and water tank that previously belonged to their old car.
What about those refugees? Jiang Chen looked at the truck and asked.
Robert and Nick stared at Jiang Chen with a look of disbelief.
What? Jiang Chen said with a bitter smile.
Buddy, Robert threw the supplies onto the pickup truck and patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder, since the IS patrol team is already here, that means Tikrit is probably conquered. The United Nations can take care of the humanitarian stuff. We dont belong here, and we dont need to worry about them. With enough fuel, we can directly head to Baghdad. Its enough to remind them of the danger ahead. If we go with them, well be too big of a target.
I agree with the boss. Nick took out a ck marker and climbed onto the engine cover as he proceeded to draw some odd symbols on the roof.
Fine. Jiang Chen shrugged. Although he pitied the refugees, he knew that too much of it would only cost him his own life. Ill go tell them. What are you drawing?
UA symbolto prevent the drones from blowing us up. Nick wiped the sweat off of his forehead.
ck can absorb heat, so the thermal detection device can detect the UA symbol on top of the roof. This way, we wont get blown apart.
The car belonged to IS after all.
Jiang Chen flipped open the blinds covering the back of the truck as many pairs of frightened eyes locked onto him.
Tikrit is dangerous. IS may have upied the ce. Baghdad is safe. Thats all. Jiang Chen took a deep breath and gave them the news, feeling ufortable in this atmosphere.
At least some of them had to know English as the refugees began to chat among themselves. They appeared to be even more frightened by the news.
He did his deed here, whether they liked it or not.
He sighed and was about to turn around and leave when a hand gently grabbed him.
Hmm?
Jiang Chen turned around and saw the dirty face of the girl from earlier.
Under the dry and greasy ck hair strands were eyes filled with pleading and uncertainty. She said something in Arabic, but Jiang Chen couldnt understand, so he shook his head in confusion. Perhaps the words were tooplicated for the girl to express in English.
[Maybe she is hungry?]
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen took out a box of cookies and handed them to her.
The girl shook her head and after hesitating, she opened her mouth and said with a raw voice, Please take me with you.
Jiang Chen was shocked. He first smiled, ready to reject, but then he gazed into her eyes and saw the pleading look in them.
[No n, head to refugee camp and receive humanitarian aid and see if there is a Saudi or Turkish man thats willing to buy me]
For some strange reason, Jiang Chen remembered the words the girl spoke yesterday.
They had pierced his heart like nails.
He opened his mouth as he looked at the girls dirty face and couldnt say a word.
He sighed.
This sympathy again.
Follow me. Jiang Chen exhaled as he jumped out of the car.
The girls rigid face finally disyed a flicker of joy. She prayed genuinely and immediately followed after him.
Youre finally back. Lets get on our way. Robert noticed the girl behind Jiang Chen, and the way he looked at Jiang Chen suddenly became dubious as he lightly whistled.
Nick, who was usually expressionless, also nced at Jiang Chen with a suspicious look.
Its not what you guys think. Jiang Chen tried to defend himself.
How are you going take care of her? Why dont youe to the UA and work with me? Utah supports polygamy. Robert patted Jiang Chens shoulder, who was sitting in the passenger seat.
And get on the FBA wanted list with you? Jiang Chen rolled his eyes.
Ahem, wont ever happen again. Since I escaped, a lot of things will be different. Robert started the car, but not before Jiang Chen caught a glimpse of cunning that did not fit the young age of his face.
Jiang Chen leaned against the chair and didnt respond.
I mean, my brother, anyone has moments of highs and lows, especially for people like us who engage in dangerous businesses. If your business is not doing so well,e find me, Robert said calmly, but Jiang Chen heard the sincerity in his voice.
I am a good businessman now. Jiang Chenughed, but he remembered Roberts words deep down.
No way, you are bullsheeting me. Robert smiled as he gripped the steering wheel.
Nick and Ayesha sat mutely in the back. Nick had his shades on and was probably resting while Ayesha gazed at the back of Jiang Chens head with her mouth slightly open, but no words came out.
Robert speaks Arabic, Nick suddenly said. A smile appeared on his mustached face.
Ayesha hesitated for a moment as she shot a grateful look at Nick. After pondering, she rallied her courage and said the same words again.
Robert, who was chatting with Jiang Chen, suddenly stopped and gave Jiang Chen a dubious look again.
What did she say? Jiang Chen noticed Roberts expression and asked.
I pray to Ah that you are able to punish the devils that pretend to use his mercy. Then, even if you believe in heresy, I can still be the present from the desert and be your wife. Ill be gentle like a camel and attend to you and your wife. As long as you give me a ce This is so corny. I had to trante into English and then into Han , so it might be a bit off, but thats the meaning of it.
Robert made fun of Jiang Chen, looking like he was about to burst from holding back hisughter.
What the fu*k. This was the only thing Jiang Chen could force out.
Utah supports polygamy. Do you need a green card? Robertughed raucously.
You can save that for yourself.
He didnt have ns to expand internationally.
True, but its only paperwork after all. I know someone from Hong Kong who has ten wives, just not officially, Robert replied.
I dont even have a wife yet.
Robert looked at Jiang Chen full of surprise. Thats impossible. You dont have a woman with this much money? Hehe, how about when I get back to Los Santos, Ill invite you to try some of the girls on the movie screens.
Next time, after I take care of the gold, I still have other things to figure out. Jiang Chen stared out the window as he lit up a cigarette.
Hehe, now that I think about it, all of the Middle-Eastern beautiese from Lebanon and Syria. The girl obsessed with you in the back is a little young, but once she grows up, shell probably be a beauty. I probably wonte back to this god-forbidden ce in a while, but before I leave, Ill go to the Turkish border and bring a Syrian beauty back. Robert narrowed his eyes into the endless desert.
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes at the pervert and ignored him.
As for how he was going to take care of Ayesha, he still had no idea.
He sighed and rubbed his temple.
[The first thing is to take her back home. As for the visa, it should be simplified with money.]
Since he had the funds, it was always good to do some good deeds.
Did he have other thoughts?
With the dry and greasy hair hanging around her dirty face, he really didnt have any for now at least.
Chapter 50 - FBA Agent
Chapter 50: FBA Agent
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Besides a small-scale sandstorm, the remaining journey was smooth without any unexpected events.
The three of them took turns driving. Even Jiang Chen, who did not own a car, had a drivers license.
After Robert discussed with Nick and Jiang Chen about detouring around Tikrit since it was likely IS territory, they decided to follow Tharthar Lake and head northeast through Samarra before arriving in Baghdad. This was their n to avoid all possible high-activity areas.
At night, the four of them stayed in the car. The sound of fighter jets screeching above them made the whole evening a tense affair. Despite that, no bombs dropped down thanks to the ck pen that clearly served its purpose.
Nick found a random reason to change seats with Jiang Chen, leaving Robert to lean towards Jiang Chens ear with an unclear expression and say with a lowered voice, Dont worry, Im pretty dead when I sleep. If you want to hehe, I wont look. Robert also nced with a smirk at Ayesha who was huddled into a ball in the corner.
Fu*k off!
Jiang Chen didnt have the desire to at this point, and even if he did, the smell was too awful.
For these refugees who ran for their lives, they didnt have the time to clean themselves as every moment was focused on survival.
As for Ayesha, whose beautiful features were hidden by the dirt, she was aware of her terrible body odor and kept to her corner in a vain attempt to avoid bothering Jiang Chen.
To be fair, although she smelled, it was not at a level where Jiang Chen couldnt bear it. If he could fall asleep in the pungent truck from before, then he wouldnt mind the smell nowespecially since Robert who hadnt showered in over a week probably smelled worse.
I I might have some odor, but I can promise that once I shower, Ill use my body to make you satisfied. Ayesha bit her lips as she spoke. It took almost all of her courage to say these words aloud.
Two whistles came from the front of the car as Robert and Nick obviously hadnt fallen asleep yet.
[These two animals.] Jiang Chen cursed in his mind.
Ahem, I, I really dont mind, he said a bit awkwardly.
Ayesha blushed, but it was not visible from under the dirt.
Is it okay for Imic women to marry a Han? I heard that the Han believe in Confucius, Robert said mockingly.
She silently gazed at Jiang Chen.
Following your logic, we also thought your people were all Christians, but you say sheet more than you say God. Also, did your Han teacher never tell you that Confucianism is not a religion? Jiang Chen shot back.
Of course, this was debatable.
Robert shrugged andughed. Dont look at me like that. I do pray when necessary.
Jiang Chen looked at Ayesha, and after some hesitation, asked with a serious voice, As youve already heard, I dont believe in anything and dont n on it either. I heard that Imic women are not allowed to marry people of other religions. Is this still okay?
No problem. Ayesha shook her head. You helped Ah to eradicate the demons in his name. You are my savior. Without you, I probably would have died in humiliation. Since you saved me, I am yours.
Jiang Chens throat gulped slightly as he silently gazed into the peacefulness in her eyes.
To be honest, he was tempted.
No man could resist a beautiful girl like this, especially him, who had been a virgin for over 20 years and lost his virginity in another world.
Of course, righteous men would be different, but Jiang Chen was honest enough to admit his personal ws. Without the proper environment to shape him, he grew up acting like anyone else.
If she wanted it, then it was up to her.
Perhaps after a shower, her beautiful foreigner looks woulde through. Maybe she would be a good driver.
With these thoughts, he felt relieved and didnt pursue his musings.
As for the two animals up front, the thunderous snores had already begun.
The next morning, they grabbed a couple of crackers to eat between sips of water as breakfast.
ording to the GPS, they were very close to Baghdad. Twenty kilometers northwest of the city limit, they got stopped by the patrolling UA forces, but after a brief inspection, the soldiers didnt give them any trouble.
Robert disyed his green card to the patrolling officer and managed to borrow their cars satellite phone. After making a few calls, he returned the phone.
Although the UA soldiers were not known for their good behavior, when they encountered their own citizens, they were quite friendly. After all, no one wanted to receive a subpoena from the court. The soldier from Ohio struck up a conversation with Jiang Chen thinking he was a reporter.
Nick, who already naturally looked like a bodyguard, began to smoke beside the Hummer.
Ayesha hid in the car despite the interiors humidity. It was easy to tell how terribly the UA soldiers had acted in the past from the distrust in her eyes.
Several minutester, a ck shadow appeared in the distant horizon.
It was a Little Bird helicopter in which Jiang Chen also recognized a familiar face.
The violent gusts of air from the helicopter swirled the sands away from itself and into the surrounding people. Once the helicopter safelynded, the man in the passenger seat unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped down.
Bruce, my old buddy, we meet again, Robert greeted as he approached and gave the mercenary inbat uniform a hug.
Sheet, why do you smell so bad? Looks like you havent been doing welltely. Bruce patted Robert on the back and then immediately pushed him away.
Ahem, I have been doing terribletely, but thats all in the past. Robert dusted the sand off his body and shed his white teeth in a grin.
I dont think this can be solved so easily. Mr. Robert, nice to meet you again.
Another middle-aged man with a sharply pointed nose disembarked from the helicopter. He gave a keen look towards Jiang Chen who felt quite ufortable, but he only frowned slightly and didnt say much.
Ahem, Mr. Laurence, nice to meet you. Robert smiled awkwardly and extended his hand.
Looks like you managed to escape danger, Laurence said casually as he shrugged.
Bruce stood beside Jiang Chen and greeted him.
I cant believe you came here to help him. Bruce forced a bitter smile and took the cigarette Jiang Chen passed over.
Who is this person? Robert seems to be afraid of him. Jiang Chen leisurely blew a smoke ring.
Laurence Oden, FBA agent.
Please dont release my information to irrelevant foreigners, Mr. Bruce, or Ill have to deliver my doubts on your work quality to ck Water International on behalf of the FBA. Laurence heard their conversation and put Robert aside as he walked towards Jiang Chens direction.
With his back towards Laurence, Bruce rolled his eyes at Jiang Chen and rolled his shoulders. A guy thats not that easy to get along with.
Jiang Chen locked gazes with Laurence who stood in front of him. The ufortable stare continued for a while before Laurence opened his mouth.
Are you here on behalf of your country? Or as an individual?
Robert is only a business partner, Jiang Chen said calmly.
Then I hope your business is sessful and that you avoid getting involved with this matter. Laurence didnt try to lower his voice from Robert in the slightest, ncing at him directly as he talked to Jiang Chen.
Ahem, dont be like this, buddy. Robert rolled his eyes. Maybe we can talk?
I dont have any interest in your conflict. Maybe you can discuss it in private? Jiang Chen smiled.
Discuss? Laurence opened his palms and smiled humorlessly at Robert. How do you want to discuss these four hundred tons of oil from Iran. Are you out of your mind?
There is no evidence now. Robert smirked, not fazed in the slightest. He reached out and thumped his hand on Laurences shoulder. Buddy, maybe we can make a deal.
Hmm? Im listening. Laurence scoffed at him but didnt push Roberts hand away.
To prevent these sort of unexpected events from urring, I usually have an extrayer of protection when I conduct business in highly sensitive area. For example, a box of empty bullets that are installed with a GPS signal. Where these firearms go, you can imagine. A cunning look flickered in Roberts eyes.
Laurences facial expression drastically changed.
Where is it?
Right here. Robert grinned and threw a smartphone into Laurences hands. Congrattions, future head agent Mr. Laurence. This is going to be a big deal.
Your smart ass saved you this time. Ill let this one incident go. Laurence peered at Robert for a long time before he turned and put the phone into his suitcase. He then dashed for the Little Bird helicopter. Bruce, lets go. We have to go back to the aircraft carrier.
Okay, boss. Bruce answered and shrugged helplessly at Jiang Chen before he followed.
And also that Biden! I need to have a chat with him! Robert yelled at the helicopter that was lifting off.
Do whatever!
The witness protection program was only a verbal promise; whether it was kept depended on Laurence.
You guys made a deal? Jiang Chen asked Robert.
Yeah, a missile guided by the GPS could send all those ass into heaven. I bet theyre all busy carrying the firearms into their warehouses. Sheet, this is big. Robert smiled gleefully and held onto Jiang Chens shoulder. Lets forget about these politicians with their hands full of sheet. Ill treat you to some fine booze in Baghdad.
Youre not nervous at all. Jiang Chen was speechless.
Ive been in this industry for too long. Maybe Ill think about transitioning to a different industry. Robert shook his head. The Iran oil business is done for. Ill have to go to Saudi Arabia and close down the shellpany.
The three of them returned to the pickup truck and said their goodbyes to the patrolling UA soldiers. Robert settled into the driver seat and started the car towards Baghdad.
Do you have any idea what you want to do now? Jiang Chen casually asked.
Somewhat. Thats right! Movies! Haha, Hollywood movie producer doesnt sound so bad. Next time youe to Los Santos, Ill arrange some Hollywood girls for you. Robert smiled.
Hollywood celebrities can you afford them? Jiang Chen nced at Robert as he chuckled.
Robert smiled with his hands on the steering wheel. Los Santos is a ce filled with dreams. As long as youre a movie producer, those blond girls who dream of bing famous overnight will prepare their asses for you. That godd*mn ce, its magnificent
Looks like its the same for any countrys entertainment industry. Jiang Chen chuckled as he suddenly remembered Liu Yao.
A grin surfaced.
Maybe he should also be a movie producer. It was only a way to spend money after all.
Chapter 51 - Ayesha’s Determination
Chapter 51: Ayeshas Determination
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
The battle was spreading to Baghdad, Iraqs capital. The sound of explosions made for a sleepless night as it cast a gloom of war on the once prosperous city.
Of course, that was only for the natural citizens of Baghdad.
As for the foreigners like Jiang Chen and Robert, they drank and caroused, untouched by the events around them.
Amidst the bars shing lights, heavy metal rap pierced through everyones ear drums. A Lebanon beauty writhed on stage with her snake-like waist and dark blond hair swinging. The men sitting by the dance floor howled and screamed as one as they threw Franklins in exchange for more exotic moves.
Behind the bar, a ck bartender ced mixed cocktails in front of Robert and Jiang Chen. The establishment was rumored to belong to a British man as most of the customers were either foreign soldiers orborers and reporters.
The people here didnt have to bear the burdens of this war, even if the battlefront was at the doorstep. They knew their countrys army woulde and cover their departure.
It truly made people envious, to have your home country always be your staunchest ally and protection no matter where you were.
Safe trip. Robert raised his cup.
Safe trip. Jiang Chen toasted him and threw it back.
The cocktail tasted rather odd. Other than the alcohol, there seemed to be something else mixed with it.
I heard they banned alcohol. Jiang Chen swirled the crystal ss as he enjoyed the beauties dancing on the floor.
Thats for religious people. The owner here has an influential background which grants him a special license to sell. Also, the majority of the people here are active UA soldiers or ck Water International mercenaries. Even if the asional drunk were to cause problems, theyd be kicked out immediately. This ce doesnt even need bouncers. Robert smiled with narrowed eyes as he took a sip. For these guys that live on a knifes edge, only this sort of stimtion can give them the peace of mind again to feel alive.
Speaking of the people who could die any second, Robert referred to not only the soldiers who were in danger of stepping onndmines, but also to himself as a firearms merchant.
Jiang Chens hand holding the ss briefly trembled as he thought deeply about the chaotic apocalypse and the people who suffered there.
He did not feel any pity.
It was only that he realized he was one of those who could lose his life at any moment.
[Ill be more careful in the future.]
He shook his head as he took another gulp.
Handsome, do you want a shot? Two Middle Eastern beauties in tank tops stopped in front of Jiang Chen and Robert and winked seductively.
Which one do you want? Robert whistled at the two beauties as he nced slyly at Jiang Chen. This is on me.
Neither, I have a headache. Ill go sleep since I have to catch a flight tomorrow. Jiang Chen didnt feel tempted in the slightest as he sighed and tossed the cup onto the counter.
Dont act like a middle-aged man, buddy. Haha, then Ill take both. Robertughed, gathering both of the beauties into his arms and caressing them in his drunkenness.
Jiang Chen rubbed his slightly sore temple and stood up to leave.
He left the bar with its heavy metal screams and desire-filled cheers as he drowsily searched for the hotel door in his alcohol-driven stupor.
He shoved the door open and dived into the soft bed, snoring almost immediately with a pungent, alcohol smell wafting from him.
Ayesha, who was curled up on the side, smelled the liquor and slightly raised her eyebrows before she let out a sigh.
He was a non-believer after all.
Once they reached the hotel, Jiang Chen brought her here. Not only did she take a shower, but he also brought her a hot lunch to enjoy. He also requested the hotel attendant to purchase new clothes for her from a store nearby. Although it was not in their job descriptions, a hefty tip took care of the problem.
After settling her in, Jiang Chen left the hotel.
And then he didnte back until almost midnight.
Ayesha didnt sleep until he came home, acting out her role as wife as she courteously waited for her man toe home. This was what her mother had taught her, but unfortunately, she would never be able to see her daughter get married.
Marriage was an uncertainty as Ayesha heard that many countries believed in monogamy. For her who was picked up, she didnt envy the ritualonly, she was happy that Jiang Chen did not leave her behind.
Different from before, she was clean and dressed in new clothes.
The exotic beauty was just under the surface, ready to bloom at any moment. Yet even now, it was hidden under an emotionless expression. The rigid and thin body was noticeably malnourished, but the existing curves were entuated by the slightly thin fabric of the clothes. After a bit of care, Ayesha would be a beauty like her mother.
There were many beauties from her country.
But in this forsaken piece of desert, beauty was a sin.
Ayeshas eyes were different from Xia Shiyus pride-filled gaze. They were instead apathetic, perhaps towards life itself? Jiang Chen couldnt know for sure with just an intuition.
The day she saw her parents brutally murdered, her tears, her fears, and her sorrows were drained from her body along with her hatred. She had seen far too many tragedies that she even questioned her feelings for her own life.
If faced with the decision between death and a greater pain, she was prepared to calmly choose to end her own life. It was a logic taught to her by war, virulent and widespread among the people.
Despite all that happened, however, this sympathetic Eastern man epted her.
Ayesha ignored the awful smell of alcohol as she shifted Jiang Chens body. She then took a hot towel and ced it on his forehead.
[This ce is like heaven.]
Pristine bedsheets, beautiful decorationsshe was never so happy before, and she treasured this contentment dearly.
Once she wiped Jiang Chens face, a hint of softness showed in her apathetic eyes. Her finger lightly touched Jiang Chens chest as she hesitated before she took a deep breath and made up her mind to unzip Jiang Chens clothes.
She ced the sweat-drenched clothes to the side and blushed at the muscr body. Embarrassed, she still reached out with her trembling hands as she gently toweled Jiang Chens body.
Mhmm Jiang Chen snorted and turned around, scaring Ayesha.
Only when she saw that Jiang Chen was still asleep did her rapidly pumping heart calm down.
She knew she didnt do anything wrong, but she was still afraid to have him wake up. Gathering her nerves once more, she gently bit her lips.
When his breath became regr again, Ayesha finally pulled up the courage once more to wipe the sweat from his back.
Although she made up her mind to continue, she was still notpletely prepared which exined her unabated apprehension.
Sun Jiao, Yao Yao, Jiang Chen murmured in his sleep as he turned around and grabbed Ayeshas hand.
Ayesha jumped and then froze in ce.
[Sun Jiao Yao Yao? Are these the names of the mistresses?]
Not knowing Han, her sixth sense as a woman proved to be a scary and sensitive weapon.
When she heard the names, Ayesha felt relieved, but at the same time, an ambiguous emotion crept in.
Jealousy? Not quite Maybe it was just unease.
She gazed at Jiang Chens face with her head close to him. Just as she realized her embarrassing act, Jiang Chen shifted until he was on top of her.
[What to do? Will I get eaten right away?]
Her face suddenly blushed a dark red. The once-apathetic eyes became flustered and confused. She was unable to register that she was leaning into him as her brain melted into a mess.
[But this is not too bad since it was inevitable.]
Ayesha tried to convince herself as she bit her lip and obediently wrapped her arms around his neck.
[Rather than ending up a devils sex ve without any dignity or human rights, this ending is much better.]
[At least this way, my purity will only be for one person, and I will serve only one man.]
Ayesha persuaded herself into calming her racing heart. She urged away her embarrassment and brought her lips closer to Jiang Chens alcohol-filled breath.
This was making himmit a crime.
Or adding oil to the fire.
Half drowsy, Jiang Chen felt like he was in heaven. A beautiful servant ced fresh grapes by his mouth, prompting him to eat it without any hesitation. Not only were there delicious grapes, there were also sweet wine, fresh juice, and passionate joy.
Wait, why was there passionate joy?
Maybe it was because of the sweat.
Who cared, it was euphoric after all.
Chapter 52 - Back Home
Chapter 52: Back Home
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
The next morning, Jiang Chen held his head as he woke up with a minor headache.
[Did I get drunkst night?]
About to sit up, he rubbed his eyes and suddenly froze.
The girl beside him slept quietly, her hair scattered across her face and her breathing gentle but tired.
And on the bedsheet was a distinct red spot.
[Fu*k? What did I do?]
He almost lost strength and fell off the bed.
Youre awake? Ayesha was roused from her dream from his sudden movements.
She followed the direction of Jiang Chens shocked look and gently bit her lips, burying her head into the sheets.
Although she had been mentally prepared, when the moment came, Ayesha still felt scared.
The pain that ripped her apart almost made her cry, although the sensation that soon followed helped her enter a pleasurable state, nearly enough to make her forget the soreness. Although it hurt, she surprisingly didnt mind losing her first time like this.
Mhmm. Jiang Chen scratched his head as he forced a smile. Ummm, sorry.
No need to be sorry. I am your wife. Its okay even if I dont get a real name to myself. I understand the tradition of your hometown, Ayesha whispered with her head still lowered and her shoulders covered by the nkets.
Where Ayesha came from, her age was eptable for marriage but to Jiang Chen
How could he exin that rather than tradition, it was better described as problematic.
He shook himself out of his momentary frozen state before he sighed and said apologetically, Last night, I drank too much. Hmm, it must hurt a lot, right?
His memory fromst night was already fading, making him assume that he had forced her when the reality was different.
Mhmm, its too big. The words didnt have time to process before she immediately blushed at the inappropriate nature.
Ahem! Jiang Chen almost choked on his own spit. Ayesha immediately moved over to pat his back, except she lost hold of her wrapped sheet that soon slipped down.
The nicely shaped breasts and waist were fully exposed to him.
Ahhh! Ayesha shrieked and reached out with her trembling hands to cover herself again.
They already crossed the line, but she still felt embarrassed. Jiang Chen scratched his head, but in the end, only sighed.
Study some Han.
Mhmm. Ayesha buried her head once more, afraid to look him in the eyes.
Jiang Chen forced a smile when he saw the redness on the sheet again and awkwardly patted his still-drowsy head.
He never considered himself a noble guy, but he had his own boundaries. Taking a young girls first time still made him feel quite guilty. Even if alcohol was involved, it was not an excuse to escape responsibility.
But Ayeshas voluntary demure perspective made Jiang Chen feel a bit better.
He was touched by her understanding and made up his mind to treat this girl nicely.
At the very least, he would let her live a life one hundred times morefortable than the one she had here.
He awkwardly rejected Ayeshas proposal to dress him as it would corrupt him to the bone and threw his clothes on before he hastily escaped from the room.
Watching Jiang Chen leave, a smile appeared on Ayeshas face.
In it was contained a slight affection.
She gathered her hands in front of her chest with a lowered head and prayed sincerely to her god.
[Meeting you was the best thing to happen in my life.]
At noon, Jiang Chen brought Ayesha along with him on the flight to Dubai. Because Baghdad had no direct flight to Hua, their best option was to have ayover at Dubai first before heading to Hua.
Before that, there was an incident with Ayeshas identity.
Because of the constant chaos in Syria, Ayesha couldnt bring any forms of identification with her when she escaped the country. Impractical to contact her home country, she was currently without an identity, so Jiang Chen thought to use money to get her an ID of some sort.
But when he arrived at the counsel, it was empty. Only when he asked the Iraqi soldier patrolling outside did he finally learn that all of the conste workers had left on thest flight to Hua to avoid the conflict. The soldier was experienced in handling such situations as he directed Jiang Chen to the UN office, but Jiang Chen impatiently called Robert who had nned on staying for a few more days.
Hearing about Jiang Chens trouble, Robert happily offered his help and contacted someone in the UA Embassy to acquire a green card and passport for Ayesha at the cost of 20,000 USD.
Robert, however, rejected Jiang Chens offer to pay.
Compared to the deal were about to make, this is nothing, right? Robertughed on the other end of the phone.
Jiang Chen couldnt disagree with that either.
With an ID, Ayesha could finally book tickets, and her visa to enter Han would be resolved in the Dubai embassy.
For a whole day, Jiang Chen stayed with Ayesha in Dubai. Although he was envious of the renowned city of wealth, it was not the right time for a tour. He had many loose ends to tie up, such as converting the millions of gold he had in his possession, buying a mansion, and finding a new car to own since he could travel at any time.
Finally, after a nine-hour flight, the twonded in Beijing.
It was already eight at night when they touched down, but the citys nightlife had only just begun. The lights from the streemps and cars lit up the night, shocking Ayesha who had never seen such an endless stream of cars and people crowding the paths.
Jiang Chen smiled knowingly, sensing Ayeshas shock and remembering his own simr expression when he first left his hometown. At the time, the magnificence of Wanghai Citys night sky had stunned him into silence.
People would only understand once they lived here. Despite the bustling streets, none of it touched your life in any way. Perhaps this was the apathy of the modern world.
Of course, since he had money now, such concerns were no longer his to think about either.
As he called a taxi to a nearby hotel, he tapped her shoulder. The flight to Wanghai City would depart the next morning, and they had to find somewhere to stay for the night.
After showering, Jiang Chen got on the bed right away, ready to sleep, but he was soon overwhelmed by awkwardness from what came afterward.
It was a kingsize bed.
Ayesha, who had just finished showering after him, approached the bed covered in a towel. Her eyes shyly looked down as she gently bit her lips before moving closer to the bed. nkly staring, Jiang Chen was unaware of his loud gulp.
The exotic foreign beauty with her budding, tender curves
They didnt say a word.
Ayesha slipped into the sheets, and everything seemed to make sense.
The second time was always easier than the first, her face not showing the slightest difort.
Despite his remaining guilt, her expression made Jiang Chen somewhat relieved.
[I didnt force her. And its not the first time either. Since I already said Id take care of her, then whats wrong with the second time?]
Very naturally, he ced his hands on her shoulder, causing Ayesha to shyly lower her head and follow his direction.
After returning to Wanghai City, Jiang Chen immediately started to work. Since he currently had no permanent residence, he booked the hotel he stayed atst time and settled Ayesha in there. Once he finalized the mansion, she could move there. And although he improved his English skills speaking with her every day, he still arranged for her Han studies.
Once he arranged everything, Jiang Chen immediately contacted Zhang Xinfei, Roberts agent in Wanghai City. ording to Robert, he was an assistant for Mr. Chen who specialized in cargo shipments in Hong Kong. With Mr. Chens extensive influence in Hong Kong, he and Robert had some past dealings in Los Santos.
Jiang Chen didnt bother asking for the specifics.
Zhang Xinfei was perfectly courteous upon meeting Jiang Chen. Next to him stood a bodyguard that Jiang Chen recognizedthe pr bear from the Serbian region, Nick.
Nice to see you again, buddy, Jiang Chen said sincerely with a light jab at his chest. Despite the fact that Nick didnt speak much, they still fought a difficult battle together, developing a close bond between the two of them.
Nick also punched back as he took off his shades.
Im responsible for this guys safety for now.
Although he was the bodyguard, Jiang Chen knew his true purpose was to prevent this man from running away after realizing the value of the goods. The gold would likely be exported by the cargos under Mr. Chens name, and once it reached international waters, Robert would then offload the cargo onto his own ship before sending it to South Africa.
Everything is here. Follow me. Jiang Chen waved his hand and led the way to the storage room where the food had previously been kept.
Nick briefly hesitated. He knew they would be shipping gold, even bringing an inspection personnel, but never would he have thought that Jiang Chen would have stored gold worth billions in a warehouse without any surveince.
However, Jiang Chen didnt store the gold here, only moving it just before their arrival.
We have an old saying in Hanthe darkest ce is under themp. If I hired security, this ce would look suspicious. Jiang Chen made something up as he uncovered the gold. Its here, and you cane and verify. I hope you prepared the boxes.
Nick gulped as he nodded dumbfoundedly.
The inspector determined that all of the gold was in fact 24 karat quality and could be sold without further processing. The cumtive weight came to be 11 tons and 240 kilograms. When priced based on the weekly average of UA gold, and with a nine percent processing fee, Jiang Chen received via wire the price of 510 million USD.
After receiving the Swiss Banks confirmation, Jiang Chen nodded. Nick then ordered his subordinates to pack the box and store it in the truck.
The Zhang Xinfei guy chose to stand outside as he knew the role he had in this transaction.
The less he knew, the better it was. He already received a hefty sum from the business, but as for what exactly was inside, it was not his part to know.
Chapter 53 - Five Hundred Million USD
Chapter 53: Five Hundred Million USD
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
See youter. Jiang Chen extended his right hand.
Nick cracked a smile as he took his hand and shook it hard. Then in broken Han, he said, See you.
As the ck vehicles departed, Jiang Chen took a deep breath.
500 million USD.
Converted into RMB, that was 3.1 billion RMB.
Jiang Chen ecstatically gasped as the idea took root.
[Im rich!]
3.1 billion RMB! It was a number he never could have fathomed in the past! If he put the money into a savings ount, the interest would be at least a couple million a year.
He took another breath in an attempt to calm down.
The interest alone would be more than enough to sustain a luxurious lifestyle.
After he let this idea sink in, he slowly inhaled onest time, enough to finally settle his rampant thoughts.
If his only wish was to be a wealthy man, then this 3.1 billion was enough tost him a lifetime. But to create an empire that spanned across two worlds
At this, his excitement gradually cooled down, reced by the fire of ambition in his eyes.
Desire had to power to make people crazy, but it also made some people stronger.
Wealth? That was not enough.
[I can gain more.]
Hehe, not enough. 3.1 billion is a fraction of what Future Technology Corporation is going to make in market capitalization. Heughed loudly, disregarding the weird looks thrown his way.
[Not only a wealthy man, I will be the richest man! 3.1 billion would be an astronomical number in anyones pocket, but thats for ordinary people! Am I ordinary? Since I already have enough for a mansion, why dont I purchase a golf course?
What? I dont know how to y golf?
So what if I dont know how to y? I can still show it off!]
And even if it were to draw attention to himself, once the full-sensory, virtual realityputer and other devices were introduced to the market, he would be noticed regardless.
It wasnt as though he did anything illegal either, so he wasnt afraid of the authorities.
The government was not foolish enough to believe time travelers actually existed.
Even if the authority were to develop an interest in him, they would treat a corporation with such advanced technology like a precious jewel. In no way would they be foolish enough to kill the eggying chicken. To implement technology helpful to the military, the actual procedure would take more than ten years which was impractical.
With innovation also came the risk of prompting an arms race again, risking a technology leak to espionage activities.
But a top technology giant was different, bringing in billions of tax revenue for the country. It would fundamentally change the countrys status in the world.
Even if the authority were to forcefully buy thepany and take over, he was not afraid.
With the interdimensional bracelet, no one could catch him. While he wouldnt be able to do anything against them, he could always start anew somewhere else.
Of course, he sincerely hoped to never see this daye.
Maybe once he grew to be an immovable force, the authority wouldnt be able toy a finger on him.
Anything was possible.
With a cocky expression, he stopped a taxi and headed to Xia Shiyus apartment.
Youre finally back.
Xia Shiyu squeezed the words out after letting Jiang Chen into the room.
Umm, I encountered some problems, Jiang Chen said as he scratched his head.
Xia Shiyu sighed at his careless expression.
She hadnt been able to sleep well these past few nights, but now that Jiang Chen was safe, her heart was finally able to settle down.
As for why she was worried, she didnt bother to think it through.
If you have something for me, just give me a call. You dont have to visit every time, Xia Shiyu said casually.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows with a grin on his face. Why? You have a boyfriend now?
Xia Shiyu coldly red at his humor-filled eyes. No, but you always find me during inappropriate times. Even if its work-rted, its still not right.
It was already 8 oclockallowing a man into her home felt slightly weird. Despite her poker face, this girl took other peoples opinions seriously! If not, she wouldnt have fired Jiang Chen over a joke.
There were probably already rumors circting around with the neighbors.
Jiang Chen easily saw through her intentions.
Although he understood, he still wanted to tease this stubborn girl.
No worries, overtime until tomorrow morning, Jiang Chen said whileughing without thinking through the implications of his words.
Xia Shiyus face, however, turned bright red, so threatening that it seemed she would kick him out right there.
Did I say something wrong? Jiang Chen asked as he scratched his head once more.
[Seems like I teased her too much.]
Towards this sensitive girl, Jiang Chen could never resist teasing her, but if she actually got angry enough to stop working for him, he would never be able to clean up the mess.
Xia Shiyus chest heaved violently as she bit her lips before she finally calmed down.
Extra time until tomorrow morning? You n to spend the night here? What extra night?
Being an assistant was a sensitive profession. Although Xia Shiyu was the CEO by name, she always felt that her work was more of an assistants.
But Jiang Chen didnt seem to realize the meaning behind his words, and with how easily she became embarrassed, she would never say it out loud.
Xia Shiyu sighed again at Jiang Chens grin. She grabbed the document she had worked on for an hour before turning off the TV.
Company growth. Ive already submitted the required documentation for the mobile game to the authorities for approval. It didnt have any sensitive information, and well most likely receive the results shortly. Even if we released the game now, the loose regtions currently in ce would allow it without many repercussions. In fact, this would solve the pressure on our cash flow, and manypanies are already doing this. Xia Shiyu propped her ck-framed sses and logically exined the progress to date.
Excellent, Im impressed by your ability. As for the early-release n, theres no need to rush it. We wont allow other people the opportunity to ridicule us, so follow the procedure as nned. Jiang Chen nodded with a smile.
On the other hand, thepany building renovation is almostplete. Including the furniture and one year of rent, the total cost is seventy thousand RMB. Ive already submitted the cost to the ountant, and heres a breakdown for you to look through.
Not bad. Pleased, Jiang Chen nodded and flipped through the sheets.
Despite receiving recognition for her work, she felt more tired for some reason.
She huffed before continuing, Based on my research, the minimum number of employees required to operate is fourteen. This is taking into ount the fact that we dont require game developers. A manager would cost six thousand a month starting sry, server maintenance, legal, customer service
Wait, you can just give the spreadsheet for me to look over. Give me the key takeaway, Jiang Chen said.
The estimated sry cost would be sixty-eight thousand a month. The necessary equipment would cost around one hundred thousand. If we dont develop ways to generate revenue, she took a deep breath and said slowly, thepany is facing risk of bankruptcy.
No matter how ster her management, she could not make money out of thin air, particrly for a mobile game that required time to gather the initial investment. Without a proper marketing and operations team to build arge customer base, even with methods such as in-game purchasing, everything was futile without people ying.
Bankruptcy? Jiang Chen started tough.
What are youughing at it? This is yourpany. Xia Shiyu gave him a dirty look.
Unfortunately, it had no effect on Jiang Chen.
Ahem, equity infusion. Jiang Chen didnt tease her further and said in a voice full of arrogance.
This is the only way thepany can survive through this initial rough period. Since we dont have the necessary assets, it would be difficult for any bank or venture capital to loan money to us. How much is the president willing to give? Xia Shiyu felt relieved. Even if it was Jiang Chenspany, she still depended on this job since it all began with her owing him money. The fact that Jiang Chen didnt outright demand it didnt mean she would not pay him back; this was her own stubbornness.
Is ten million enough? Jiang Chen asked casually.
Swoosh, the files dropped onto the ground as Xia Shiyu stared at Jiang Chen stunned.
What? Not enough? He frowned. What about one hundred million?
Are you making fun of me? Xia Shiyu gritted her teeth and red at him. There was no way she believed that Jiang Chen was that wealthy.
What kind of business would make this amount of money in just half a year? The only exnation was that Jiang Chen was joking with her.
Im not kidding. Jiang Chenughed. You cane with me to the bureau to finish the necessary procedures tomorrow.
Xia Shiyu fell silent. After a long pause, she finally said, If youre so rich, why would you open apany?
Jiang Chen thought for a second before rolling his eyes. Who set the rule that you cant open a business if youre rich?
She was clearly not happy with this answer.
After another long silence, Jiang Chen didnt expect Xia Shiyu to blurt out, Do you want to pursue me?
Chapter 54 - Eagle’s Crash Part Two
Chapter 54: Eagles Crash Part Two
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
(Connected with Chapter 29)
Dam*it!
He smashed a hanging piece of steel as the orange letters on the dangling screen made Chu Nan even more annoyed.
The corrupted electronic equipment sparked as the circuit was either shorted or destroyed. The shaking helicopter body made him hold his breath.
Once the helicopter body stabilized, he gritted his teeth as he pushed the metal frame on his body with all his might. He nced at the assistant pilot beside him. That suckers condition was even worse as the bent steel frame directly prated through his ribcage, and his blood sshed everywhere. He looked at the metal frame that has stabbed through his arm and took in a gasp of air. Nevertheless, he felt lucky to be alive.
That distance was 1200 meters from the air.
Apart from his operating skills, it was pure luck to survive from falling that high up.
Chu Nan already used his best effort. When the machine lost its power, he immediately opened the mechanical revolving air turbine on the side of the helicopter. That was important because if he didnt manage to open in the initial stage, then the high-speed air flow may have destroyed it.
Good thing that was still functional.
He connected to the backup circuit board, but the situation was looking grim. His assistant tried to establish a connection with the headquarter. However, he received no response.
He changed into manual operation as he used all his energy to stabilize the helicopters body. The automatic stabilization system was destroyed, therefore if they started to roll in the air or the back wing gets damaged, even God could not save them. The backup mechanical turbine began to spin rapidly due to the airflow as the high-speed force generated held onto the helicopter like a parachute. Under the force of gravity, the head of the helicopter began to tip forward. Once the body turned at a particr angle, Chu Nan immediately pulled the ne up and maximized the upward force of the helicopter.
The head of the helicopter instantly lifted up as the fallen force was broken by the sudden upward force from the mechanical turbine. It was about tond on top of the roof that they crashed into.
Then they crashed into the top floor.
The control was fine, but it was hard to select anding spot in the citys terrain.
Then warm blood sshed all over Chu Nans face as he witnessed with his own eyes his assistant being prated by the metal frames.
[This doesnt make sense.]
The sudden Electromaic Pulse. It was not a simple EMP. The Helicopter-51 was equipment was EMP protective equipment that was the peak of the industry, but the helicopter was paralyzed without being hit directly.
[What was that thing]
Chu Nan resisted the pain as he took out a dagger and shed open the locked seatbelt. He carefully nced at the view outside as he awkwardly untangled his legs from the deformed control panel and slowly crawled outside.
What did this helicopter look like now?
A small portion of the helicopter smashed through the walls of the 12 stories high building as it got pinned down by the protruding metal frames. The ends of the helicopter hung on the edge. The buildings quality was superb to be able to withstand the force of impact after a nuclear war. The metal frames cleared exceeded construction standard.
The smallest tremble of the helicopter body made his heart pump at full capacity. The friction noise made him even more nervous.
The bulletproof ss in front of the helicopter waspletely shattered which eased his escape. When he was about to climb out, he hesitated and turned back to snatch the pendant on hisrades neck as well as the ammo clip.
After struggling, Chu Nan finallynded onto the hard cold concrete floor. He looked back at the deformed helicopter body as he quietly examined the pendant inside his palm.
The poorly made pendant was covered by a thickyer of blood.
He flipped to the back as a sentence was engraved there.
The assistant pilot was a UA Spanish decedent. He was previously a pilot in NATO. However, the concept of a country didnt exist anymore as plenty of foreigners live in Liuding town with most being NATO soldiers before the war.
When PAC, NATO, and CCCP led World Alliance Council and left the tornnd by sending all the hope into space, no one believed in authority anymore. When faced with zombies and mutants, all humans belong to the same species.
Not including mutated humans or cannibals.
He checked the equipment on his body before he lifted his hands and touched the back of his neck with his fingers.
It was a chip called dictator chip, but because it has addedplex functions such as long rangemunication, the chip was less effectivepared to the Sixth Street produced very chip.
Chu Nan tried multiple times but did not manage to establish any connection.
Dam* it, is this broken?
The bomb behind the back of his neck was broken, but he couldnt tell if he was content or sad.
Content that he was free.
Sad that freedom didnt mean anything on the wastnd. There was food in Liuding Town so who cared about freedom.
Returning to Liuding Town was not a possibility since the people there probably recorded him as dead. A rescue was even more out of the question as only the metal debris of a previous one hundred thousand crystal equipment remained here. The pilots worth was not even greater than the chip on the back of his neck.
Whatever, Ill see. He forced a smile as he put the pendant into the pocket and took out his pistol.
Including the one clip in the gun, he still had five magazines left. Two blood needles, a roll of bandage, EP was returning to normal, a dagger, and six B grade nutrient supply. Because he was part of the air force, the nutrient supply was higher quality.
He opened the EP radiation monitor system and determined based on the safe radiation level that this was a rural area, but he didnt know where exactly he was.
EP did not download the map in the area.
He checked his equipment once again before he turned his head to look at the body and the crashed helicopter. He lowered his head and walked away.
Although he did receive ground training, he never encountered a situation like this. Ordinary survivors would never target nes. Air-based EMP weapons did exist but were extremely rare. Most of them were destroyed in the war.
It was also the first time he heard that a mutant could use an EMP or a simr pulse weapon.
Maybe his assistant pilot has encountered his situation before, but he didnt manage to survive.
Stairs cleared.
Just like practice, Chu Nan mumbled as he directed with his pistol and moved downstairs.
[If it is a zombie, then use the dagger to stab the eye area. If it is a screamer, then use shock grenade for cover. If it is Roshan or Death w lets hope that never happens.]
The elevator was not functional. The building was an officeplex before the war. The majority of the zombies were concentrated in the grand hall as the asional straggler in the hallway was killed with his swift knife action. For small problems, it would be better to avoid using his gun. His body condition with the D level gic vine easily handled thebat requirement.
The only disappointing fact was that he didnt unlock a gic ability.
When both of his feet touched the ground, Chu Nan let out a sigh. He gazed into the sky and determined it was around 3 in the afternoon.
5 oclock was when the street was no longer safe. The night usually fell at 6 which meant that walking on the street would equal suicide.
The night in Wanghai City belonged to the zombies.
I need to find a survival camp, or find a ce to stay for the night. Chu Nan scanned around as he walked to the end of the street.
The abandoned cars on the road still maintained the same look since the moment war erupted. Since the hotspot of the war was in the middle of the city, people would escape to the rural areas.
Therefore, most of the vehicles would point in the direction of the rural area.
He had examined the cars before he walked into the direction away from city center.
Anywhere is better than the city center.
Thats the onemon conception every survivor had.
The sky began to turn yellow as the sun had fallen to the edge of the horizon. The cast of the yellowish green ray through the radiation dust had a vibe of ominous to it.
He didnt know how long he walked before it began to turn dark. Chu Nan nced at the zombies beside him as theyve already begun to howl. In a while, those zombies would start to prey on living creatures.
[Should I find somewhere to stay for the night?]
Chu Nan thought as he began to hasten his steps.
When he turned around another corner, he saw a scene that shocked him.
A woman was tied to an electric pole in the middle of the street. She barely wore anything as zombies circled around. She was afraid to call help.
With his pilot vision, he could even make out the look of despair on the rather lovely face.
Someone obviously tied her.
Fu*k, which bastard did such a disgusting prank, Chu Nan cursed as he cautiously scanned around before he walked towards the woman.
When he approached her, the pleading eyes full of hope locked onto him. He took out the dagger and cut open the rope.
Perhaps because she had just escaped the terrifying experience that chained her there, the woman hugged him as she cried.
Thanks, Thank you. It was a soothing voice.
Ok, dont worry, you are okay now. It was the first time he encountered this situation which made him unsure of what he should do. He only patted the womans back clumsily tofort her.
[The survivors in Wanghai City are cruel to this point?]
He cursed at the heinous act that peoplemitted to her as Chu Nan was just about to ask where the nearest survival camp was.
But at this moment, a barrel-like object pressed against his head again.
Ha, buddy, you are the first dumbbastards to fall for it.
Sweat began to roll down his back as his hand slightly move, but he realized a dagger was pressed against his back.
That dagger was held by a delicate hand.
At the same time, a bunch of men in mohawks and tattoos walked out from the empty shops. They held some knock-off rifles and one simply carried a bat.
The bald head, holding a cigarette, was the head of the group as he walked in front of Chu Nan. He raised his eyebrows as he patted the womans face and said in a mocking voice.
Nice job, bit*h.
Just like a dog.
An unhealthy red flush appeared on her face as she tried to please the man that just embarrassed her.
The cruel reality sent a shiver down Chu Nans spine while cold sweat rolled down his face.
Despite living in the apocalypse for so many years, it was the first time he saw anything like this.
[Is she still a human being?]
Two blood needles, one bandage, damn, six B-grade nutrient supply! Boss, its a big fish! A man who took off his pistol and searched him shouted in surprise.
The zombies mindlessly looked in their direction, but despite the noise, there was still two hours before night fell.
The bald head looked at Chu Nan full of interest.
Name?
Chu Nan. There was nothing to hide since his EP had all the information.
Where are you from?
Liuding Town. Pilot.
Wheres your ne? Greed shed through the bald heads eye. He did not look cautious at all when he heard Chu Nan say that.
Crashed.
Hehe. The bald head smiled and didnt say anything. He signaled his men to tie him up.
If you are only here to rob me, you have already achieved that. You can have everything, let me go? Chu Nan said calmly.
The bald head raised his eyebrows as he suddenly threw a punch in his face.
He suppressed his anger as he resisted the sharp pain on his left cheek. Chu Nan red at the bald head.
You are a captive so shut up, he cursed as he extinguished the cigarette on Chu Nans face before he waved his hand. Take him back.
He looked at the dumbbastards that took the bait as heughed mockingly. He then kicked the half kneeling woman in front of him, but the same unhealthy flush of red and a smile to please appeared.
The woman had no name and was just a ve. Perhaps she just an independent traveler before? He didnt remember when she was captured, nor did he care how they trained her to be like this. But he remembered clearly how she became part of his asset.
Last month, he managed to find a target and proved it was a big fish.
His boss sent an entire raid team, but the Lu Renjia dumbbastards ruined everything. How confident was he to order all those men to go into a confined building? He didnt even check if there were other entrances or sewerage exits.
Only one person returned out of a group of a dozen.
Although his boss was angry, he didnt me him as he provided the clue. He took Lu Renjia and the other captains woman and distributed all their assets to other subordinates.
It was a form of discipline, but also an incentive. For the bandits like Huizhong Mercenaries, they needed this type of brutality to bond together.
So, this dog like thing was given to Zhou Guoping. Although this boss didnt punish him, he did remove him from the easy job of staying in the Sixth Street and made him rob survivors.
It was harder to capture a survivor on the wastnd than a mutant rat. Most of the people that survived till now were as sharp as a knife edge. The dumb ones were the people that never left the camps. Their return for this month was almost zero.
Pilot? Thats a big fish
Zhou Guoping put the rifle on his shoulder and led his men to the camp.
Chapter 55 - Purchasing a Mansion
Chapter 55: Purchasing a Mansion
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Do you want to ask me out?
It was an unexpected question that silenced the room.
What?! Jiang Chen suddenly realized what she had asked and almost fell off the sofa. He stared at Xia Shiyu and was dumbfounded by the question.
He didnt understand where her logic came from. How did shee up with the I want to ask you out?
The existence of the corporation serves one purpose which is to create profit. If you already have a method in which you could generate a profit greater than one hundred million within half a year, then why would you invest the hard earned profit into a technology industry which poses the highest risk? Xia Shiyu had paused before she exined.
To be honest, although she may get frustrated by his grin and unserious attitude from time to time, she never disliked Jiang Chen. Also, she felt an emotion she never experienced before interacting with him.
Relieved? Rxed? It was hard to say.
These feelings made her confused.
The straightforward and unexpected question was the result of her confused emotions.
She suspected before that Jiang Chen created thispany as an excuse to date her.
[When did he start to like me? When he worked at the clothing store? I seemed to have hurt him. Because of the pain I had brought him, it has forced him to transition to where he is now.]
Xia Shiyu was conflicted. She hated the idea of bing a trophy. She always wanted to use her determination to prove her ability and create her own personal worth.
When she was in university, a lot of rich guys chased after her and even promised her job opportunities in reputable firms, and even management positions right away. But Xia Shiyu rejected all of them. She had her own pride, a pride backed by ability. Although she was born into an ordinary family, what she possessed was anything but normal.
Looks are important in this day and age, but it is not everything. Most people still worked diligently.
However, she felt conflicted with Jiang Chen.
She guessed that Jiang Chen created thispany just to keep her here. He didnt have any aspirations with thepany. The blueprinted he painted were just bloated statements to make her feel better.
[Because I owed him? No, then what is it?] Xia Shiyu couldnt think it through.
Women are stubborn creatures that once they made up their mind, they would selectively ignore all other points that negate the point. For example the potential value of the mobile game, as well as investing one hundred million just for her.
All those counter arguments have been fully ignored.
I dont understand, one hundred million RMB. If you invest it in real estate, with the return now
Because I want to experience what it feels like to be at the top, Jiang Chen interrupted her.
Xia Shiyu was confused by the odd answer as she stared at Jiang Chen nkly.
One hundred million? Hehe, it would only be decimalspared to the future market capitalization of Future Technology. I did make a lot of money, but putting it in a savings ount would never bring me to the top. One million interests a year would take me years to double my investment. As to if it is for you? Hehe, I could bang girls for years with one hundred million. He didnt avoid the derogatory words as he stood up and headed straight to the door, leaving Xia Shiyu shocked in ce.
[So thats the reason? Then it should be okay]
She gazed mindlessly at the door as she didnt know how he had the confidence to say those things, and couldnt believe that she bought into it.
[Not because of me?]
She didnt know why a hint of disappointment crept into her heart.
He closed the door and forced a smile at the door behind him.
[Was I too harsh?
But that girl, how great did she feel about herself to have made a conclusion like that?]
He shook his head as he took a deep breath and walked downstairs.
However, he didnt even realize that, for a split moment, his heartbeat hastened.
The next morning, Jiang Chen took Ayesha to try some steamy buns. He watched as the girl devoured the food and he felt his heart ache at the scene. The image reminded him of Sun Jiao. How is she doing? Yao Yao? Is her body getting better?
He remembered the times in the apocalypse as a smile appeared on his face.
Ayesha peaked at the smile as she felt a stream of warmness flowing inside her.
Maybe its time to revisit them. Jiang Chen in deep thought did not notice the girls vision as he gazed at the steam rising from the congee.
After breakfast, Ayesha went to her Han lesson. Jiang Chen, instead, took a taxi to Xia Shiyus ce and picked her up to go to the bureau for the equity infusion process.
Jiang Chen initially felt nervous as he was afraid it would be awkward because yesterday he only left a brief exnation before running away. Now that he thought about, he did escape the conversation.
But he clearly overthought it as Xia Shiyu acted as if nothing had happened. When she saw that he didnt react to anything, she got into the taxi and sat beside him.
How was your sleepst night? Jiang Chen didnt know how to start the conversation, so he asked nonchntly.
Xia Shiyu rolled her eyes and didnt respond. She just took out a piece of document and stuffed it into Jiang Chensp.
There is a career fair next Wednesday at Wanghai University. I have managed to secure a spot there, and I hope you cane with me as thepanys president.
No problem, do you have time this afternoon. Jiang Chen epted without hesitation as he then asked another question right away.
Yes, whats happening?
Go house hunting with me. Jiang Chen shrugged as he asked with his thick skin.
Is this considered business or personal? Xia Shiyu let out a sigh.
Umm, you promised me. It should be considered personal.
Xia Shiyu looked at the side of Jiang Chens face as she subconsciously bit her lips.
She was about to reject him, but the words never came out. Why is this happening? She still didnt fully understand.
The night before, Jiang Chen followed Roberts instruction to wire one hundred million USD from his Swiss bank ount to his ount here. Of course, the money was already converted based on current exchange rate along with some fees into RMB.
It was an interesting method with a low price. Robert promised that there wont be any legal problems.
He looked at the trail of zeros in his bank ount on his phone as heughed hysterically at the screen for a while before he finally closed his phone. As to Xia Shiyus curious gaze, he didnt bother to exin it and simply closed his eyes.
[Should I drive a Lamborghini? Or a Bentley? This is such a difficult decision.]
Xia Shiyu was indeed an organized person as she seemed to be a perfect fit to do the assistant job. No, the CEO job. Jiang Chen can do the assistant role.
Xia Shiyu already prepared the necessary documents and familiarized herself with the legal process. Jiang Chen had scanned the document before he signed. Future Technologys equity had a trail of zeros added to it.
Jiang Chen noticed that when he wrote one hundred million into the document, the eyes of the customer service representative across the counter were shing stares at him.
Money is the root of evil. This is too funny.
Before he would have despised it, but now he only wanted tough.
One hundred million of liquid asset. This is unbelievable. With trembling hands, Xia Shiyu looked at the documents. She was still shocked by the series of events.
Although she was a store manager that had exposure to the world before, she was still too young.
This is only the initial n, I n to make this mobile game into a world-ss masterpiece. With this n, it wouldnt be difficult to recover the initial investment. Jiang Chen opened the door for Xia Shiyu like a gentleman.
So you do know something. Xia Shiyu nced at Jiang Chen with surprise in her eyes. She thought that Jiang Chen wanted to let her handle this pile of mess.
For a mobile game, it would damage its long term profitability if thepany chased after short-term returns and cash generation. The better strategy would always be to not focus on short term losses.
You have to understand the difference between the emperor and the general. You are in charge of fighting the war, but I, only need to tell you where to fight. Jiang Chen cockily extended his finger and pointed around which made Xia Shiyu roll her eyes.
I do feel like I am doing a servants work.
Haha, thats your illusion. But to be fair, your mood seems to be a lot brighter. You can even make a joke or two now, Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu with surprise as he mocked her.
Where are we going now? Mr. President. Xia Shiyu casually avoided the topic.
Wanhua Real Estate, the one in the city center, Jiang Chen told the taxi driver, who clearly judged the two of them in the back.
If he wanted to buy a mansion, then he obviously would go to thepanys best location. It would be too low ss to keep living in the hotel.
Xia Shiyu didnt say anything as she quietly followed his instructions.
Wanhua Real Estate, the industry leader in Wanghai City with a market capitalization of 1.327 trillion and part of the Fortune 500panies. The reason why he chose to purchase the mansion here was that he had no understanding of the real estate market. Since he heard thepanys name a couple of times in the news before, he decided to buy it there.
When he got off the taxi, a magnificent building stood tall in front him. The marble floor was covered with clean red carpets. The unique carvings decorated the sides of the stairs. Thebination of modernism and ssicalness perfectly meshed together to disy the high-end elegance of the building. The vibe of the design made people stop and envy the greatness of the building. The asional passer would subconsciously avoid the vivid red carpet.
It was like a pce that stood heavenly above the ground.
The design of the building was to emphasize the purchasers ss and force the peasants to stay away.
To put it simply, they didnt want people who could not afford the ce to enter the building.
The moment Jiang Chen stood on the carpet, he was even scared to take a step further. But then he remembered that he was a billionaire now, so how could he not have the confidence. So he took giant strides towards the door.
Wanhua Real Estate didnt know that just in the few seconds, he almost missed a deal that could earn millions because of that stupid design.
This was an age that belonged to the new millionaires.
Xia Shiyu, instead, presumed a nk look as she followed Jiang Chen naturally. Not because she was used to the high-ss life, just that she wasnt the one purchasing the house.
Wee, Miss and Mister. The two greeters in the front bowed to Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu in synchrony. They wore clean and elegant Qipaos with their hair tied in a ponytail, along with their wless skin and delicate face. Even the greeters were gorgeous girls which further emphasized the luxury of this real estatepany.
The greeter looked strangely at Jiang Chen as this was the first time she saw someone take a Taxi to purchase real estate.
Although she was curious, she still must follow the rules of thepany and be courteous. Thepany rules stated clearly that no judgment should be made based on impressions. Vitors will be fired even if it was a manager that broke the rule. This was to avoid identally disrespecting wealthy people dressed in regr clothes.
There were plenty of people that liked to act low profile.
High sry equals high expectation, which is the culture of Wanhua Real Estate.
She was a greeter and therefore didnt need to bother with these things. Even if Jiang Chen was here to look for trouble, thats securitys concern.
Jiang Chen didnt bother with what they thought as he walked into the grand hall in full, confident strides. Xia Shiyu behind him only nced at the greeter with her head lowered before she left.
Marble pirs with stone floors, the giant crystal chandelier drew the attention of every visitor like a bright diamond. The elegant design of the grand hall filled Jiang Chen with expectations for the mansion he was going to purchase. If they would design the headquarter with such radiance, then the house they sell must beparable.
The building itself was a great advertisement.
But when he saw the receptionist, he stood shocked in ce.
Chapter 56 - The Surprising Reunion
Chapter 56: The Surprising Reunion
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Hello, Sir, what type and what unit would you Its you?!
The youthful reception behind the table courteously exined to Jiang Chen, but when she saw his face, her eyes popped wide open.
This is a small world. Jiang Chen forced a smile.
The blonde curls, the delicate nose, and her mouth along with eyes full of pureness behind a round framed sses. The student vibe made her even more attractive.
Though she certainly pretending to be younger than her actual age.
Fang Yuanyuan, a name that broke his heart.
When he was in university, he never had a girlfriend, or more urately, never sessfully chased after a girl. Not that he looked bad as he was confident of his looks, but the fact was he was poor. This girl called Fang Yuanyuan was a girl that he had chased after, and also thest one he ever pursued. He still remembered that they met at a gathering.
The reason why he liked her was because of her energy, as well as the faint dimples when she smiled. Fang Yuanyuan didnt keep her distance with Jiang Chen because he was poor, she always warmly said hi to him, and they chatted on Wechat.
For Jiang Chen who was less popr among girls, she was like an angel to him. What made him feel even more strongly was that he felt that she also liked him back.
But the reality proved that it was a rookie mistake.
A girl being nice to you could also be nice to other people. The illusion of she likes me was often just a one-sided imagination. Being close to you was only because you could be used or she was just bored. Rejecting you because you were friendzoned since the beginning.
If she liked you, she would have asked you out already or hinted at you to ask her out.
Dont to mistaken, if she blinked her big eyes full of cuteness at you thats not the boyfriend, its not because she is innocent, but rather I am thirty, can you buy me a Starbucks. Of course, the noun could be changed to pizza hut or Louis Vuitton.
These types of innocent acting girl, people refer to them as green tea b*tch.
If you dont like me, just tell me to fu*k off! Why are you acting close to me?
Of course, Jiang Chen admitted that it was dumb of him to be involved in the first ce. Every basic girl always had some boys run around her. One held her bag; one paid for her, one alleviated her physical needs
That was the definition of being na?ve. He really didnt know something like this would happen.
It was one day during Jiang Chens second year of university that he asked Fang Yuanyuan out to a movie. The movie was Liu Yaos .
And then, there was no and then. He finally woke up, woke up from the illusion that year.
He realized it was a one-sided emotion.
After rejecting the person, to continuously expect the person to act like a best friend, to expect they would continue to revolve around you and your life, that was greed.
In the end, she ripped off the fa?ade of innocence and began to mock him for being weak and useless.
Shocked, confused.
Within the next two years, every time they passed by each other, she would always hasten her steps and walk away pretending not to know him. It was better that way as it would be awkward otherwise. He had already put this unhappy memory into the back of his head. Especially after his roommate told him that, I didnt tell you before because I was afraid that you would be angry, but that Fang Yuanyuan girl has an ambiguous rtionship with other people at the same time.
There was no reason to discuss whose fault it was.
But it was after that moment that he no longer believed in fidelity.
Especially after he possessed the financial capability, he was out of control. But this was another story to be told.
He just didnt expect that one year after graduation they would encounter again.
In his memory, Fang Yuanyuan was an art major, but she came into the real estate business. It was not odd since he did study a supposedly good major, mechanical engineering, but still sold clothes after graduation.
The feeling to meet an old friend felt odd to Jiang Chen.
You, why would youe here. The girl looked around nervously as she lowered her voice and said in a begging tone, please, donte bother me anymore, you and I wont happen.
I think you are mistaken. Jiang Chen awkwardly looked at Fang Yuanyuan.
Although she had hurt him before, he didnt have the desire to seek revenge.
What happened before was all buried in dust. Yes, Fang Yuanyuan did hurt him, but through her perspective, she didnt do anything wrong since Jiang Chen couldnt give her the life she wanted.
Also, its hard to debate who actually gained more from her rejection.
How did you find out where I worked? She gritted her teeth as she locked her eyes on Jiang Chen. Leave, I dont want to see. I wont ept you.
Jiang Chen waspletely dumbfounded.
[What? Do I need your permission to buy a house? You are mistaking this whole thing.]
But Fang Yuanyuan didnt give Jiang Chen the chance to exin as she acted defiantly.
As to why she rejected so dramatically, it was because of something that happened recently.
A middle-aged business man that recently bought a second-hand house from here proposed to her. The reason behind it was she tricked the bald, middle-aged man to think that a cute girl had fallen in love with him, so he hot-headedly signed his name on the contract.
But when the middle-aged men showed up with ny-nine roses to her workce
The exact details will not be discussed, but in short, the guy got kicked out by security. Because of this, the manager warned her. Even if the implicit rules within this industry was not new, you still have to watch your tail.
She was terrified that Jiang Chen would pull something by directly proposing to her.
If he made a fool of himself here and demanded her to marry him, even if the security would kick him out, she would be theughing stock between her colleagues, and it would even affect her bonus this month.
She selectively ignored the woman that stood behind Jiang Chen, a woman that would embarrass Fang Yuanyuan not only just in looks.
You know her? Xia Shiyu in offline mode suddenly opened her mouth with a mischievous look.
[Why is it so cold here, is the AC too low?] Jiang Chen shivered.
I guess. Jiang Chen awkwardly answered.
This is ruining the mood, lets try a different ce then.
With Fang Yuanyuans arrogant act, Jiang Chen wasnt in the mood anymore. He didnt even bother exining as he was ready to turn around.
Seeing Jiang Chen leave in embarrassment, Fang Yuanyuan let out a breath as she was amazed by her cunningness.
Good thing I acted with certainty. Haha, dumbbastards.
A toad that wants to date the swan. (To crave for what one is not worthy of.)
Jiang Chen stopped, although it was faint, it didnt escape his ear.
Xia Shiyu also stopped; however, she looked it like she was happy to see the conflict unfold. Jiang Chen noticed and gave her a dirty look before he gradually turned around and walked in front of the reception.
What, what do you want? I am calling the security. Fang Yuanyuan saw that Jiang Chen was walking towards her with a fierce look as she began to feel nervous. She started to stutter.
Nothing. What? A receptionist can reject the customers rights to buy a house? Even if you dont want me to buy, I will buy it here, and I will buy it from someone else right in front of you.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he nced at the security guards walking over.
A deathly stare.
[This guy killed people before?!]
The security guard suddenly felt fear ovee him as cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
Although Jiang Chen didnt intentionally expose anything, the bloodiness stained from the chaotic apocalypse crept into the security guards mind through his grim gaze.
His instinct from being in the gang told him that he would not be able to handle the young man in front of him. He wasnt nning to start a fight, but momentum wise he already lost out.
The air in the room started to tense up.
At this moment, an apologetic voice suddenly alleviated all the tension in the air.
Of course she doesnt have the right, honorable sir. I apologize for this poor demeanor of ourpanys reception.
Chapter 57 - Who’s the Swan?
Chapter 57: Whos the Swan?
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Of course she doesnt have the right, honorable sir. I apologize for the poor demeanor of ourpanys receptionist.
Huang Lis songbird voice floated from the back of the hall. A gorgeous woman in ck walked out in elegant steps as she lowered her body slightly to express her apology.
wless skin, delicate face, and on top of the seductive eyes were a pair of finely drawn eyebrows. Below the perfect nose of hers was a small mouth. The vivid red lipstick did not make her look slightly ordinary. Instead, it radiated her elegance. Her ck uniform perfectly outlined the curves of her body as the pencil skirt pressed against the ck stockings, mysterious and seductive.
The opening in front of her shirt exposed the white and deep valley in front of her. She was created by God in perfection.
Just in beauty, she was even slightly more attractive than Xia Shiyu.
Of course, it was somewhat unfair since Xia Shiyu would always be expressionless and never really put on makeup. Her wardrobeprised of professional clothing and her primary purpose was to go to the bureau with Jiang Chen, and house hunting only happened because of an agreement.
An attractive woman mediating the situation was much more efficient.
The sincere apology already diminished most of Jiang Chens anger away.
It was not a big deal to start with since their manager already apologized, he didnt want to persist further.
Mhmm, its okay.
[This girl is attractive.]
Jiang Chen tried to hide his gulping. For some reason, he felt someone staring at him questionably.
Perhaps confident with her own beauty, or perhaps she had seen too many guys embarrass themselves in front of her.
Xiao Mengying didnt mind as she steered the conversation.
I am the sales manager here. My name is Xiao Mengying, you can call me Yingying. Mister. What type of unit would you like to purchase? I have extensive experience in selecting the right units for my customer. As she spoke, she was also examining Jiang Chen. Although Jiang Chen didnt wear anything high end, nor did he exhibit ss in his actions, in the world filled with newly emerging millionaires, it was nearly impossible to tell who had money. Since he walked into this ce, it proved that he was definitely financially capable.
When she noticed Xia Shiyu, Xiao Mengying was even more certain of her guess. To be able to walk in here with a girl as attractive as her, looks would not do justice. Xiao Mengying also noticed that the expressionless beauty was not this guys wife, but perhaps yed a mistress or assistant role. The hint of dislike made her even more confident.
Her light tone made the two feel a lot closer, Jiang Chens intention to act arrogantly faded away.
Truthfully speaking, although he liked to act arrogantly, he was nice the majority of the time.
I want to buy afortable mansion, do you have any rmendations? Jiang Chen regathered his thought from staring at the stunning beauty as he said with a smile.
Mansion? Xiao Mengying was slightly shocked. She originally thought Jiang Chen only wanted to buy an apartment at a high-end location, it was the deal that she had done the most. But Jiang Chen straight up wanted purchase a mansion, the cheapest mansion in Wanghai City was at least ten million. With the 0.8%mission herpany promised, this one deal would be more than several dealsbined.
Xiao Mengyings eyes immediately lit up as the way she looked at Jiang Chen held more hidden seduction.
I apologize. Xiao Mengying gently lowered her body as she apologized for her shocked look, at the same time intentionally exposing her cleavage slightly more.
She heard the gulping sound as a trace of a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
All men were perverts. If they were not, its the girl not being attractive enough.
She was extremely confident with herself.
Sir, if you want to purchase a mansion, please follow me to the VIP room. Any deal over five million will be done in the VIP room to provide the best quality service, I hope you dont mind.
I dont mind, lead the way. Jiang Chen smiled.
Sir, pleasee over here. Xiao Mengying smiled delicately as she leaned forward with a pleasing gesture.
Xia Shiyu frowned slightly. She didnt know why, but she disliked this woman. Not because she was jealous of the way she looked, it was the fact that she felt a sense of danger around her. Where did the feelinge from? She couldnt think it through, but she just faintly had this feeling.
Although annoyed, she could only let out a sigh and follow Jiang Chen since he was the one buying.
When she noticed that Jiang Chens eyes locked onto Xiao Mengyings round butt, she felt a strange annoyance and frustration. But then she thought, he is not my boyfriend, why am I angry?
[This doesnt make sense.]
She was in the middle of a conflicting set of logics as she began to feel a frustration she was not ustomed to.
Xia Shiyus facial expression change, of course, didnt escape Xiao Mengyings eyes. She had spent a few years within a melting pot known as society as she advanced from a normal salesperson to where she was now. Her attention to bodynguage was superb.
Jealous but didnt react meant that the two were still in the dubious face of the rtionship. Xiao Mengying saw through the exact state of their rtionship.
There were so many opportunities to be taken then, as a faint smiled crept onto Xiao Mengyings face.
A lot of friends are also real estate salespeople, but they eventually became the owner of the house they sold. It not only depended on the look but also their cunningness.
She was making ns in her mind. If this Mr. Jiang would purchase a mansion over fifty million, then it would be worth it for her to make a move. Since sales in real estate was a career with a time limit, no one would want to buy a house from an old woman. Even if she took care of herself, the age ceiling was still around thirty years old. With her current sry includingmission, she could make almost one million. But of course, this type of sry was unsustainable. With the current housing market condition, despite prices still increasing, the volume decreased significantlypared to 2008. Thepany fired a group of people justst month. Although it would never affect her as the star salesperson, the current industry trend forced her to consider her options.
Marrying rich was not a terrible choice.
When she thought about all this, Xiao Mengyings invasive vision scanned across the expressionless Xia Shiyu. She was ready to steal her man.
Jiang Chen who walked beside her didnt notice the change in this beautys expression. He gave Fang Yuanyuan, who was frozen in ce, a long meaningful look before going into the VIP room.
[Whos the swan? Whos the toad? Dumbbastards.]
He cursed satisfyingly in his mind as he felt joy flow through his body. His pride and sense of revenge were both fulfilled.
Three people with their own thoughts left the grand hall and left only Fang Yuanyuan standing nkly at the front desk.
Regret? Unwillingness? Confusion? Jealousy? Or all of them.
A ten million dor deal just scathed by her.
Jiang Chen? Him? How could he buy a mansion!? He couldnt even afford Pizza Hut? This is impossible!
A million thoughts shed through her mind which made her feel surreal.
But, it was toote to regret. Fang Yuanyuan could never fight off the meat from her managers mouth. Especially since she had already offended Jiang Chen.
The toad that wanted to date the swan?
Whos the toad? Whos the swan now?
There was no way he could like her now. Fang Yuanyuan only felt regret submerge herpletely because of her irrational reaction. She could have easily used their previous rtionship to eat the meat, but she gave it away with her own quick judgment.
At the same time, a slim hope was still in her mind. She knew Jiang Chens family background and knew where he worked after the graduation. A clothing store salesperson would never afford a mansion. He must be lying. It was an borate scheme to embarrass me.
Her colleagues did not have the slightest attempt to hide their mockery. They knew well that they would not beat Xiao Mengying. But this girl gave away the meat in her mouth, that was so dumb.
Fang Yuanyuan couldnt bother with her colleagues expression as she fell into deep despair and regret, unable to escape from what happened.
She regretted that three years ago she did not say yes to Jiang Chen.
At the same time, she cursed and thought everything was set up to mock her.
When a person sank into irrationality, their intelligence would be drawn into oblivion.
There is not a lot of second chances in the world, or else everyone would be a millionaire.
Chapter 58 - The Intimacy in the Car
Chapter 58: The Intimacy in the Car
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Is Mr. Jiang buying the mansion for investment purposes or for personal use?
For myself. Is there a difference?
Perhaps intentional, after Xiao Mengying seated Jiang Chen, she directly sat beside him. The leather sofa here was for two people, so Xia Shiyu had to sit on the single sofa.
Because they were too close, Jiang Chen could smell the Gardenia fragrance. Due to the angle they were seated in, if he wanted to look at the documents in Xiao Mingyings hands, his eyes inevitably caught the red bra inside her V-neck.
[I do apologize, this is by no means intentional.]
The arousing scene made Jiang Chen straighten his back and adjust the way he sat to avoid being too obvious.
The small movements did not escape Xiao Mengyings sharp eyes as her tongue rolled across her bright red lips. Xiao Mengying leaned her body forward even further to make it look like she was providing a better angle for the customer to read the documents at, but the real intention was to show the scenery of her cleavage more.
If the purpose is to invest, then the appreciation value potential is what Sir you should consider. But if it is for personal living, then the environment and amenities are the top considerations. Based on your needs sir, I rmend this mansion in the Linjiang Area. The mansion is within the newly developed upper-ssmunity, the amenities and the surrounding area are all world ss. The mansion is three stories tall with a basement. It is equipped with a double garage as well as a private front yard. The position of the mansion is facing the river which directly oversees the beauty of the river. If Sir you are into high ss living, then you must take serious consideration of this mansion
Xia Shiyu sat silently on the side with her eyes locked onto the slim distance between Jiang Chen and Xiao Mengyings arm.
She felt an unexinable frustration.
12 million? Jiang Chen frowned.
Xiao Mingying carefully examined Jiang Chens facial expression. She sensed that Jiang Chen was not too happy with the price as she added, Sir, Wanhua Real Estates top priority is our homebuyersfort. Although the price is a bit high,
Its not the problem with the price. Well, it is. Lets not waste any time. Show me the most expensive mansion, Jiang Chen said right away.
Xiao Mengying first felt disappointed, but when Jiang Chen said that, she paused to think through what she had just heard before her face turned ecstatic.
Okay, sir, please look at this mansion. Xiao Mengyings tone became even sweeter as her delicate fingers quickly flipped through the documents. She found a picture of the mansion. Perhaps it was an illusion, but Jiang Chen felt this woman was getting even closer to him.
This mansion is ourpanys masterfully crafted sample building to demonstrate our excellence in design. Located in Wanghai City Mingxin Area, among the high-ss mansionplex. It is located on the upstream of the river and has a direct view of it. The mansions design is based on abination of ssical and modern theory and was skillfully designed by the world ss architect K. Garen.
Thepact design not only saves addition space, but it also eases traveling between different units of the mansion. The mansion is four stories high with a basement attached. The garage is a quadruple garage. It is also built with a 10m by 10m private pool with a mobile roof design. In the summer, it can be used for a pool party, and in the winter the roof can be closed to replicate a hot spring environment.
The private garden in the front of mansion could be used for a BBQ party, which is the current trend of the upper-ss society. The helicopter pad on the roof could be used for takeoffs andndings of small to mid-sized helicopters. The open balcony on the other side has a full view of the beautiful scenery of the river.
Additionally, to ensure the safety and security of our homebuyer, ourpany has provided that themunitys security measure is the highest within Wanghai city. This mansions security measure, in particr, is the top priority for our security team. The value of this mansion is superb. The area is 2100 square meters with a total cost of 240 million RMB.
Listening to Xiao Mengyings pleasant voice, Jiang Chen carefully examined the details of the mansion.
Very pleased! Very pleased with every aspect of this mansion.
The security was top notch, the geographical location was also not too far from the mansion.
The more important thing was that this building was great to show off.
Xia Shiyu, what do you think about this one? Jiang Chen handed the documents to Xia Shiyu.
Mhmm, not bad.
Jiang Chen examined Xia Shiyus facial expression confusedly, he sensed that her mind was somewhere else.
Do you not feel okay? Jiang Chen was concerned.
Mhmm, a little. I want to go back now, Xia Shiyu answered absent-mindedly as she suddenly stood up and walked to the door.
Miss Xia, if you are not feeling okay, I can lend my car to my colleague and send you home, or to the nearest hospital. Health is an important issue, and please be careful. Seeing the inconvenient personal leave, Xiao Mengying was d, but she didnt show it on her face. Instead, she looked genuinely concerned.
Thank you then. Xia Shiyu didnt say no as she did feel a bit sick.
Perhaps it was from this morning? But she didnt seem too worried.
The greeter standing on the side took Xiao Mengyings car key and smiled at Xia Shiyu before both of them left the VIP room.
Mr. Jiang, if you are sure about your choice, I can apany you to take a tour of the mansion, Xiao Mengying said as happily pressed her body against Jiang Chens arm. Although usually a guarantee fee must be paid to do so, that was for the regr customer. For a VIP customer like him, it was not necessary.
Jiang Chen hesitated before he finally nodded. Although he wanted Xia Shiyu to apany him to give him some advice, since she felt sick, that wouldnt work. She did look through the pictures and said it was okay.
[After taking care of this, Ill go visit her ce. Although it is just a cold, no one is there to take care of her.]
Ok, lets go then.
A delightful smile appeared on Xiao Mengying as she led Jiang Chen to thepanys parking lot. Luxury vehicles were parked here for valuable customers.
She gestured Jiang Chen to sit in the back of the car before Xiao Mengying also, in triumphant steps, walked to the other side and elegantly sat inside. The driver in the front started the car and smoothly headed to the road.
A Mercedes-Benz Costumed Version. The back of the seat was very spacious with the front and back of the car divided with a ckboard. The window was also tinted which turned the backseat into a secretive area.
The atmosphere was rather erotic.
Especially when a beauty that sat beside you with her legs crossed looked at you with a dubious smile.
Mr. Jiang, theres still 30 minutes before we arrive. Lets discuss something interesting.
Jiang Chen noticed the seductive little tongue roll between her parted bright red lips. The pair of charming eyes has been particrly seductive under this intimate atmosphere.
Oh? For example? Jiang Chen also smiled.
He heard the implicit rules within the real estate sales industry. To get a highermission they would provide special service to big customers, but he didnt expect to encounter it.
For example, if you choose to pay the full amount, Ill bring a little surprise for you. The curvature of Xiao Mengyings mouth was teasing Jiang Chen.
Oh? Then this is something to look forward to. If you can make me satisfied, then Ill consider paying a guarantee fee. If I am happy with the mansion, then, of course, it is okay to pay the full amount. Jiang Chens lips also began to curve upwards as desire began to show through his eyes.
He never said he was a courteous gentleman. Since the hint was so obvious, why would he say no?
Xiao Mengyings eyes lit up as she processed Jiang Chens words. Guarantee fee would equate to strong intention in purchasing the mansion. It would be up to her efforts to convince the customer to make the final decision.
Jiang Chens a man of his words right? Xiao Mengying teased as her beautiful eyes cast downwards and she left her seat.
Jiang Chen finally knew why the design was so spacious. Xiao Mengying knelt in front of him as she seductively looked at him. She opened apartment from under his seat and took out something small.
To wee your sir, Ill help you, sir, to clean up a little?
He didnt expect her to be this straight forward.
Xiao Mengying used her fingers to opened Jiang Chens belt and gently loosen it before she unzipped a particr area.
How are you going to clean it up for me? Jiang Chen reacted to Xiao Mengyings hands movement as he raised his eyebrow.
Like this. Xiao Mengyingughed teasing him. She took out a wet wipe and surrounded Jiang Chens private area with both of her hands.
It was a cold and soft sensation. The coldness came from the wet wipe, the softness came from the delicate hands of the beauty.
Just like this? Jiang Chen asked dubiously.
She smiled as she put her face closer. She looked up charmingly and tastefully licked her red lips with her yful tongue.
And like this.
The hot breath, the warm and wet sensation, Jiang Chen felt that he was surrounded by moistness and warmness.
Xiao Mengying was satisfied with Jiang Chens expression. With her eyes narrowed, she began to savor the delicious treat in her mouth. Lick, suck, and bite, with all her ability.
Not only her skillfulness in eating ice cream, but Xiao Mengyings face of enjoyment also made Jiang Chens scalp tingle. Even if he knew it was acting, who couldst through a beautys intoxicated expression?
The scenery outside the window flew past as the presence of pedestrians and cars made both of them even feel more excited. Especially when it was not possible to see from the outside, but everything was so clear from the inside.
Fast and furious?
At the peak of climax, Jiang Chen held onto Xiao Mengyings head as he forcefully spilled his ice cream into her mouth, followed by her painful gulping sounds.
Chapter 59 - Luxury
Chapter 59: Luxury
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
The luxury car stopped in front of themunity as the driver rolled the window down to scan the identification card before the bar slowly lifted up. Peering through the window, Jiang Chen noticed that all of the security staff were muscr and fit, equipped with electric rods. Although he didnt know the specifics of their ability, from the way they stood, he guessed that they must be retired soldiers.
His suspicions were correct; the fifty security guards within themunity were all elite soldiers who retired without any infractions. The property managements high reputation was certainly justified.
Since themunitys opening six years ago, many thieves set their eyes upon the property, but none were sessful. The security teams scouting skills had been honed in the army. If thieves managed to bypass them on their watch, then they might as well reconsider their career as a special agent.
The luxury car drove smoothly into the wide driveway in the deepest part of themunity which was shaped like a flipped bowl on top of arge, artificially-created hill. Jiang Chens mansion was at the highest point of the bowl, overlooking the beautiful river scenery.
The people living here are either rich or respective. This way, not only will you get to enjoy theplex, but youll also meet a lot of interesting neighbors.
Xiao Mengying was hinting that staying here would be beneficial for his career.
However, Jiang Chen didnt seem to receive her intentions as he shed a smile at her carelessly. Career was one thing, but the living standard was more important. Without it, what was the point of having a high worth?
Since he purchased the mansion for his own enjoyment, the first priority wasfort. As for the rich and respectable neighbors? He had a feeling that they woulde knocking soon enough.
The car came to a smooth stop in front of the mansion door as Xiao Mengying quickly got out and opened the door for Jiang Chen. She scanned her card on the door, making the metal gate automatically slide open.
Once registration isplete, the mansions security system will update. You can even use the app ourpany developed to open the door. Of course, I rmend the special electronic key. Xiao Mengying smartly batted her eyshes at him as she led the way into the mansion.
Behind the European-themed wall was another world.
The clean-cut grass field, straight stone-brick pathway, and the building that was a fusion between ssical European and modern simplicity came together wlessly without any contradiction to the two unique themes. The open French windows adorned the first floor of the mansion,pleted by white, square blocks around the rest of the building. Elegant but open, the four-story building stood out among the other three-story mansions.
Jiang Chen was most satisfied with the oval-shaped swimming pool. Just as the document stated, with a press of a button, the dome retracted to the side, revealing an open swimming pool. The temperature of the pool could also be urately increased to a specific range thanks to the heating equipment underneath the pool. Although these innovative designs were rather impractical, it fueled someone like Jiang Chen who thrived on the coolness.
Xiao Mengying exined the high-end features within the mansion and led him inside.
The interior design pleased him even further.
Sample rooms were furnished for the sake of advertisement, and thepany offered the option of refurbishing if the homebuyer was unhappy with the design.
But Jiang Chen was plenty satisfied with the decorations. The monochromatic living room wasforting, and the artistic furniture further enhanced the lively feel. The building itself had been built to perfection by a world-renowned architect. Even without knowing why it felt so right, Jiang Chen felt at peace here.
The dining room and kitchen were masterfully designed as well.
Xiao Mengying led him up the stairs to the second floor which had been designed purely forfort.
The floor was mostly made up of bedrooms, but what shocked Jiang Chen was that every room was designed slightly differently. The intent was to allow the homebuyer to freely select a room based on their mood. One of the rooms was monochromatic with an emphasis on simplicity, while another was decorated with warm-tones to create an intimate atmosphere.
The third and fourth-floor flowed smoothly with the rest of the buildings design. Each floor had washrooms and two extra bedrooms. There were also some empty rooms that could be converted into whatever the homebuyer wished, such as an office or a gym.
He stood on the top floor balcony and gazed out at the beautiful scenery in the light river breeze. Although it was still the middle of summer, the wind was slightly cool which could perhaps be attributed to the vegetation around the area; it was vastly different from the heat in the center of Wanghai City.
Not bad. This is a great ce to live. Jiang Chen nodded at Xiao Mengying with a satisfied expression.
The green vegetation, elegant environment, luxury, andfortable design were more than worth the price.
It was certainly more modern than the mansion in the apocalypse world that had been designed with a retro feelit was the perfect environment for enjoying life.
And all for only two hundred million RMB.
Maybe because money came too easily for him, it was an obvious choice for Jiang Chen.
Although ourpany cannot provide a discount on these types of mansions, based on the agreement we signed with Maybach, well provide a brand new Maybach S600 for any home with a pricetag of one hundred million or above. This is a limited edition vehicle, Xiao Mengying exined.
Jiang Chen had heard about the Maybach S600 before. The price overseas was around half a million USD, which was around three million RMB. Of course, people who owned one hundred million mansions would notck this small amount of money, but it was a good gesture, and a gift seemed more natural rather than giving a discount as part of a sales strategy.
Chapter 60 - House Hunting
Chapter 60: House Hunting
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Jiang Chen wrote the word Jiang on the contract, then raised his eyebrows mischievously as he dropped the pen. He smirked at Xiao Mengyings eager look.
If I havent tried before, how will I know if it is actually good?
Xiao Mengying smiled charmingly, naturally understanding his meaning.
Which room does Mr. Jiang want to sample?
Whichever one Miss Sales Manager rmends.
Hehe, of course, words wont allow the gentleman to experience the design philosophy of the mansion. Please allow me to help you understand. Xiao Mengying smiled teasingly at him as she turned around and walked towards the stairs with elegant strides.
The smooth curvature of her butt and body heated Jiang Chens blood.
Although it was a new mansion, everything was already included such as the bedsheets.
The bedroom door was mmed shut.
Xiao Mengying was prepared and did not resist Jiang Chens invasive moves. Her leg curled around Jiang Chens waist as both of her arms came up to surround his neck before she passionately kissed him.
Jiang Chen, of course, was delighted to ept Xiao Mengyings steamy invitation. He opened his mouth to let the small tongue twist and attack his own. Gripping the firm, attractive leg, he easily lifted Xiao Mengying with his 25 muscle strength. He pressed her up against the window, inducing a surprised yelp from her.
People are going to see. Xiao Mengying said coquettishly as she gazed at him with pleading eyes. Despite her words, it was already wet where it mattered, and she didnt try to stop Jiang Chen. Instead, she lifted her gorgeous butt to fit Jiang Chens positioning.
[Says no, but the body is truthful.]
Jiang Chen smirked as he pushed his ice cream inside.
With a mansion like this, it was impossible to see inside, since privacy was an important aspect of the design. The green vegetation surrounding the mansions made peeking impossible.
Xiao Mengying bit her soft, red lips as she willingly epted Jiang Chens furious acts. She twisted her body to match Jiang Chens rhythm with eyes that gazed at Jiang Chen with tenderness and passion leaking out.
Since it was a transaction, Jiang Chen didnt need to concern himself with the girls perspective; he freely went at his own pace to seek enjoyment. The monstrous thrusting motions did bring joy to Xiao Mengying, but after an hour, the pace became painful.
[Is it still not over?]
Xiao Mengying pleaded with Jiang Chen with her eyes, but he did not slow down in the slightest.
Can you not take it anymore? Jiang Chen adjusted his position to whisper into her ear.
Mhmm! Xiao Mengying nodded, trying to gain his sympathy.
Do you want to get someone else then? An evil smirk appeared on his face, and he btedly realized that he was starting to act like Sun Jiao.
Xiao Mengying immediately shook her head and threw away her pitiful act. Her delicate waist began to respond again to the thrusting motion.
A two hundred million deal! This meant themission alone was at least one million, which was her sry for the entire year! It was also difficult to sell these types of furnished mansions; if she seeded, it would prove herpetence.
The majority of real estate sales struggled to break the ten million mark, but this single deal was worth two hundred million! It would advance her career, and if she could enter management, she wouldnt have to worry about her youth.
[I dont care anymore.]
She dreadfully closed her eyes as she tried to respond to Jiang Chens every action.
Money was not easy to make. Even a night with a celebrity was not worth millions. Either way, this deal was worth it to her. Her legs began to feel fragile and she felt as though she would be torn apart, but if she failed to satisfy Jiang Chen, all of her effort would go down the drain.
If she wasnt willing to bear the pain, there were plenty of others who would take it for her. Despite her colleagues haughty attitudes, they were no doubt eyeing her sales manager position.
Results ruled at Wanhua Real Estate; whoever had the better sales record was the better fit for the sales manager position. The neer Fang Yuanyuan was no different in that she was willing to do anything. Xiao Mengying heard from an acquaintance that this girl participated in a party with the young master of a gang to sell a house and yed with five people.
Who knew what this girl was thinking or what sort of emotions she hading in to work. But she managed to sell the house worth ten million, sessfullypleting the sales requirement for the first year to continue working at headquarters.
Compared to her, at least this is a lot easier.
Xiao Mengyingforted herself, slightly frowned, and let Jiang Chen
By the time they returned to the car, it was already dusk. The driver stood smoking beside the car, but when he saw the VIP and his bosse out, he immediately extinguished the cigarette butt before opening the door for him with a courteous smiled and bow.
Being in the industry for so long, he knew what happened in that mansion between the sales manager and Jiang Chen, but it was not up to an ordinary person like him to judge. It was better to keep his mouth shut. The real estate industry was not clean to begin with, especially for a major yer like Wanhua Real Estate.
Jiang Chen got into the car first before Xiao Mengying elegantly sat beside him. The driver started the engine and returned on the same route.
In the car, Xiao Mengying called her manager, and when they arrived, he waited in front of the door with the sales staff to wee them. Although Xiao Mengying was simrly a manager in name, her position of sales manager had been specifically made to motivate the staff. In terms of pay, the sry was the same as any other managers, but in terms of responsibilities, they were no different from those of the regr sales staff.
As for the General Manager, that was another role entirely. He managed everything at headquarters from strategy to operations. Any deal over thirty million had to bepleted by him, but of course, he didnt receivemission as his bonus was based on the total sales around this area.
Jiang Chen took the gold-gilded business card from the reverent General Manager and enjoyed the warm wee from the sales staff that were lined up. His vanity was fulfilled as he happily entered the office together with the General Manager.
Chapter 61 - Extravagant Spending
Chapter 61: Extravagant Spending
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
When Xiao Mengying saw that Jiang Chen paid the two hundred forty million in full, her eyes lit up and she felt the pain was worth it, especially when the General Manager secretly sent her a thumbs-up.
Im certainly pleased with the house, but I was more pleased with your sales manager. Jiang Chen smiled and shook hands with the General Manager after signing the necessary documents.
The General Manager responded byughing with a look that all men understood as he passed the proof of ownership and the electronic key to Jiang Chen. He also promised that within three days, Jiang Chen could move in.
The mansion was technically avable right away, but in order to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction, Wanhua Real Estate conducted aplimentary cleaning and inspection. Since it was a new estate without any previous owners, it needed a dusting at the very least. Compared to the trail of zeros in two hundred forty million, the cost of cleaning was inconsequential.
The tedious process waspleted in a rtively short amount of time. Pleased with the General Managers work, Jiang Chen praised him before he leaving the luxurious Wanhua Real Estate headquarters.
On his way out, he nced at the still-stunned Fang Yuanyuan with a yful smile and a wave of his contract and keys. Xiao Mengying followed him with a meaningful smile, licking her lips ambitiously.
In recognition of her work, the General Managermended her sales record which meant that she would soon be promoted.
Butpared to the million dormission, she was more interesting in the owner of that mansionrich and handsome, and also single. As for Xia Shiyu? She was nothing to worry about.
In terms of techniques, it was impossible for that virgin to please him like she could. She was confident that with her intoxicating body, she would be able to attract him. All she needed to do now was bide her time and call him at the number she secretly memorized.
She firmed believed that with the proper bait, no man would be able to resist biting.
Of course, these were all her own spections.
Although Jiang Chen was never a nice guy to begin with, he still maintained bnce in his heart.
When Xiao Mengying walked out of the office, her colleagues surrounded her and rapidly questioned her about the man who was personally greeted by the General Manager.
Be truthful! What trick did you use to dig up that rich man? A saleswoman with a gorgeous body pushed her way to Xiao Mengyings side.
No, no, it was just a regr deal, Xiao Mengying modestly replied, but with her vanity secretly fulfilled.
You have that smell on you, hehe, you cant escape my nose. A cute-looking girl sniffed Xiao Mengyings face with a grin.
After some back-and-forth teasing, Xiao Mengying finally and unwillingly revealed her experience.
When they heard about the two hundred forty million deal, the sales staff gasped without exception. Xiao Mengying even hinted that the man did not even blink when paying the full amount, making them even more hysterical.
Mengying, you are the best. You must know that mans phone number, right? Hurry up and tell me, a curly-haired girl asked pleadingly, holding onto her arm.
Yes, yes, sharing is caring.
Inside, she was ecstatic, enjoying the ttery of her colleagues, but outwardly, she maintained herposure.
[You bi*ches, I know exactly what youre all thinking.]
Even the girl who acted innocent and pure with her adorable face scared Xiao Mengying with her acts in bed. How did she conclude that? From her sales record that remained in the top three.
The other saleswomen all had their own ns. A two hundred forty million deal solidified Xiao Mengyings position as first in the department, and since it was unlikely to be shaken, it would be wise to tter her. Then in the future, she would be kinder to all of them.
Intoxicated by their ttery, she waved her hand gantly and promised to treat everyone out tonight, sparking loud cheers. Themission alone was two million, so of course she didntck the money.
The girls all had amon purpose, however, which was to hook up with the rich and handsome man. No one wanted to be a real estate saleswoman for the rest of their lives, especially with the short life of the career. The only thing they could do now was earn money but more importantly, find a rich man. And although Xiao Mengying had her advantages, the girls also had their ownpetitive edge.
The curly-haired girl, for example, although not a virgin, won with her age. As a recent graduate, she had less experience with the rules of the business. If she cried and emphasized her innocence in how she identally lost her first time, it would make for apelling story.
The key was in obtaining the phone number. They all secretly nned on getting her drunk to make her loosen up.
Xiao Mengying, who was basking in the praise, noticed Fang Yuanyuan standing at the front counter.
[You are not trying to tter me?] Xiao Mengying frowned, then smiled mockingly when she remembered that this new girl had a conflict with Jiang Chen.
I really dont have Mr. Jiangs number. An important person like him would never like me, Xiao Mengying said with faked sadness. Then her eyes seemed to coincidentallye across Fang Yuanyuan, and as if recalling something of utmost importance, she joyfully asked, Oh! I remember, Fang Yuanyuan was Mr. Jiangs ssmate. Why dont we ask her?
All of the girls paused, then began tough.
Fang Yuanyuans face had gloom written all over it, hearing the mockery in theirughter as if they were saying, You bit*h, you went to the five-people party which just barely allowed you to be a sales girl, but when a piece of meat was fed to your mouth, you ended up giving it to someone else.
I, I dont know. Im not that close with him, Fang Yuanyuan stuttered. It was a lie as well, since she had almost gotten together with him in the past.
It was toote now for regrets. If only she had epted the poor guy from that time
Ashamed and regretful, she hastily organized her table and left with her bag. Work had already ended anyway, and she needed to run away from her embarrassment.
As for the mockery behind her, she couldnt hear it anymore; it was not her first time experiencing the cruelty of the world.
She didnt question the reason behind these events. Instead, she hated Jiang Chen, the cocky Xiao Mengying, and even resented the expressionless Xia Shiyu who yed no part in this.
Her hatred mixed with guilt and regret until it became a poison that gradually overwhelmed her.
Xiao Mengying contently observed Fang Yuanyuans expression without the slightest guilt orpassion. If that girl had managed to get the deal instead, the sales manager would have been someone else. Then it would be her ttering the girl while getting looked down on.
The workce was no less cruel than a battlefield, especially one filled with women.
So, she didnt need to have mercy, and no one would feel sympathetic for Fang Yuanyuan.
They would only use the opportunity to prove their loyalty to their invincible boss.
Chapter 62 - Base Construction
Chapter 62: Base Construction
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
The thoughts of these strangers were of no consequence to Jiang Chen who took a taxi and returned to his hotel.
When Jiang Chen returned, Ayesha, who had been dutifully studying, shyly smiled, transforming her normally expressionless face.
Almost like a newlywed wife.
But the smile made Jiang Chen feel incredibly guilty. Although he hadnt married her yet, he still felt like a cheating husbanding home to a gentle, understanding wife.
[Maybe I should control myself more? Theres already too much on my te.]
Heughed nervously, then brought Ayesha out to a nearby restaurant for a delicious meal free of pork. For this lonely girl, he would always treat her gently. He had his own perverted ns for her once she regained her health.
Yes, indeed.
But bing intoxicated by many beauties was never a good thing; it was time to head back to the apocalypse he worried about.
That night was quiet, without any conversation.
The next morning, after seeing Ayesha off to hernguage ss, he left a pile of bills beside a note that read before leaving the hotel to travel back to the apocalypse.
Youre finally back. Which girl did you sleep withst night? Sun Jiao crossed her arms and stared at Jiang Chen with a mischievous smile.
Jiang Chenughed nervously before diverting her attention to the base.
Sun Jiao took a deep breath and began exining the recent developments to the base. Although she had a naughty nature, she understood the priorities.
First, it was basic infrastructure.
The bases wall had sessfully advanced 200 meters in the direction of the underground sewerage, clearing out a plot ofnd the size of two football fields. The dpidated wooden mansions in the area were bulldozed, but the foundations could be used right away. The small appliances and furniture were then moved to open ground to see if they could be salvaged or otherwise broken down into usable spare parts.
The chief architect, Lu Huasheng, organized the construction teams to build four simple lounges on the existing foundations. Each simplistic lounge was made to fit thirty people since Jiang Chen nned on increasing the poption size in the future.
They hadpleted the first one while the other three were still being constructed.
Additionally, three-story towers of reinforced concrete were built at the corners of the base. Two were in the backyard behind the mansion while the other two stood in the newly cleared-outnd. The watchtowers were equipped with light machinery and covered with ayer of camouge, each manned by one person.
Because of the remote location, the zombies were not as much of a threat as the more dangerous mutants appeared within the city limits around Sixth Street. Instead, the Fishbone Base was more concerned about defending against malicious survivors. Upon seeing the high walls and machine guns, however, most of the survivors would be deterred from carrying out their ns.
Two monthster, this ce would be equipped with the four Sentinel machine guns that he had ordered from Zhao Chenwus military nt at the price of 300 crystals each. The machine guns wereser-guided and heat-detecting; such handmade, high-tech equipment often cost a fortune because the parts could only be recycled from junks or modified from other gadgets, making them a raremodity.
Besides constructing defensive equipment, Lu Huasheng followed Jiang Chens orders to build a simplemunity center in the center of the new plot ofnd.
Currently, building served as the cafeteria and conference room with only one floor, although the n was to ultimately have three stories.
It was fortunate that the automatic water treatment system in Wanghai City eliminated concerns of drinking water. The citys water supply system easily connected to the polyethylene pipe, and as long as there were no idents, the artificial intelligence at the treatment nt would keep it functional.
In terms of power generation, the electrician not only improved the sr panel Sun Jiao had set up but also installed an additionalyer of sr panels on the roof; the base could now generate 30 kilowatts of energy per hour.
With proper conservation, this was more than enough to sustain them. The extra electricity was then stored in a K1 battery the size of an oil barrel to provide power for the cold storage.
As for the food Jiang Chen brought back, Sun Jiao had to order Lu Huasheng to construct tworge warehouses in the backyard because the quantity was so substantial.
The warehouses were designed to have two levels; the first level stored non-perishable food, and beneath it, a basement was dug out to create an insted space to store perishables. The space was equipped with the refrigeration system purchased from the Zhao Corporation back in early August. It made the entire basement be a cialnd, forcing them to wear several thickyers before entering. This was where the majority of the power was consumedin maintaining the refrigeration systems of the two warehouses.
After listening to Sun Jiaos report, Jiang Chen paused, then asked the foremost concern on his mind, Hows the trade with the Zhao Corporation?
The trade amount since early August amounts to ten thousand crystals, which is simr to thest trade. The exchanged supplies were all critical supplies that the base needed. For example, the refrigeration system, the battery, and other equipment, as well as firearms and construction materials. After the trades, there was a surplus of 2310 crystals. Sun Jiao took out a tablet and pulled up the ledger, exining each item thoroughly.
Jiang Chen was shocked, discovering for the first time that she could act like a housekeeper. A smile crept onto his face; he previously thought this audacious girl only knew how to fight, but she also had a detailed side.
Good, dont save on base construction. Use all of the crystals that you canthats the best use for it right now. At the current stage, we dont need them as an energy source; we need the necessary construction materials and equipment, as well as lifesaving weaponry! Jiang Chen nodded as he praised her for her work.
Currently, his public image was as the representative of the Fishbone Food Corporation on a mission to establish a supply station. If he continued to buy construction materials without it, Zhao Chenwu would have grown wary.
If all he said was that he had a trade route with an out-of-province survival base, it made sense to purchase materials locally that would be difficult to transport from faraway. Yet with continuous concrete and steel purchases and construction of walls and houses, it became suspicious.
If a corporation was truly headquartered in another province, some profit had to be transported back, right? If he couldnt find such an excuse, it would have been difficult to pull this lie through. The trade surplus had to be continuously increased to create the facade that profits were continuously being increased for the headquarters. This way, since the agreement with Zhao Chenwu was based on an inherent lie, it was important to make the lie look as realistic as possible.
Sun Jiao became more cheerful after hearing his praise. She continued, Another thing is that a survival group nearby had noticed us and attempted to contact us.
Survival group? Jiang Chen frowned.
Yes, but theyre different fromrge survival camps like the Sixth Street. Due to the rtively less dangerous environment and fewer damages sustained by their buildings, it only takes a few survivors to create an ample survival space. In the area around our base, there is a total of fifty-seven survival groups, with the smallestprised of two families and thergest with twenty or thirty family units. Of course, this is only a rough estimation.
This many? Jiang Chen looked at red dots marked on the tablet, his frown even more pronounced.
Survivor groups
If possible, he didnt want to engage them yet. At least before the base was equipped with a sufficient amount ofbat power, it would be dangerous to contact these people.
With the prodigious supplies he possessed, he had to be cautious, especially with strangers. In the apocalypse, there was now; a piece of bread could trigger a murder, his base even more so with its ample food resources.
Although the Zhao Corporation would not target Jiang Chen, that was because the president assumed it to be a supply station with the fooding all the way from the Fishbone Food Corporation thousands of miles away. If the ruthless Zhao Chenwu discovered that Jiang Chen was magically creating the food all along, the story would be vastly different.
Different from Zhao Chenwu, the typical survivor would never understand the concept of not killing the eggying chicken. If they knew there was food that couldst them for years in this ce, they would immediately arm up and begin hostile attacks. While the survival groups acted harmoniously most of the time, even going so far as to asionally contact the neighboring camps, once the topic of food and survival was broached, the deception would be torn down. And without any strength to defend, they would face an endless number of raids.
The good news was that the survival groups all had simr bullet weapons,cking any power armors, tanks, or anything more technologically advanced. Thus, they contacted them without showing any signs of aggression.
The survival groups were also uncertain of why these individuals had suddenly built a massive base here; essentially, they were guarding against the odd neighbor that hade out of nowhere.
Following this, Sun Jiao enforced a number of measures to protect the safety of the base.
For example, food and fire usage were strictly prohibited outside of the cafeteria. All windows had to be shut when eating; this was to prevent spies from knowing about the existence of their food storage.
At the same time, Sun Jiao clearly rejected survivors who requested entrance to the base.
And as for what stance to take towards the groups who contacted them? Everything was waiting for Jiang Chens return to be determined.
Chapter 63 - Virtual Reality Training Chamber
Chapter 63: Virtual Reality Training Chamber
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
You handled these issues perfectly. After listening to Sun Jiaos report, Jiang Chen nodded and contemted for a minute.
Hows the basesbat ability?
Almost everyone can fight with a gun, Sun Jiao said proudly.
Already? Jiang Chen was astounded.
We purchased eight virtual reality training chambers from the Zhao Corporation. I believe they said that the PAC used this to train civil soldiers. Its fairlymon at the Sixth Street where they have some stockpiled in their storage. After hearing that we didnt have any, they sold it to us at a discounted price.
Take me there to have a look! Jiang Chen was extremely interested and curious to understand the virtual reality training chambers functions. If possible, he wanted to bring one and use it as a first-person shooter simtion to practice hisbat ability.
Sun Jiao smiled at Jiang Chens excitement as she led him to themunity center.
The training chamber was designed with futuristic designs and fluidity. Jiang Chen touched the smooth surface, unable to contain the thrill.
Sun Jiao began to exin, This model was produced in 2140 as one of the early models of the virtual reality training chamber. Despite that, its functionalities match those of theter civilian educational models. Deep submergence into the training chamber allows human memory to operate at peak performance and also enables the bodies to perfectly synchronize with the learned motions.
Because death in training is just a game over, many high-risk training activities can bepleted in virtual reality. Although obviously, the physical body still has to be conditioned in the real world.
Physical conditioning can be solved through the gic vine. Jiang Chen nodded, pleased with the exnation.
Right. Thats why I included 50 D-Level gic vines in the purchase order. All of them were injected, allowing the basesbat power to be slightly stronger.
Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao were both injected with the C-Level gic vine, but due to their scarcity, an order of 10 was reasonable, but 50 was not. Since the vine was notmonly purchased, it was not produced inrge quantities, so she decided to purchase the rtively cheaper, lower-grade D-level gic vine.
The only difference between the C-Level and D-Level was a five-point stat difference, but it didnt limit the bodys potential; usually, even an E-Level was more than enough.
For example, the majority of the civil soldiers stationed in the outer circle of the Sixth Street were injected with E-level gic vines; some only had the anti-virus vination since the possibility of close-rangebat these days was nearly zero.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen had an idea.
Is it possible to use this thing to study something else, like anguage?
It would be useful in teaching Ayesha. Combined with the gic vine, he could train a beautiful bodyguard and driver.
The loyalty of Ayesha was definitely not a concern, but Yao Yao could change the training programs weapon level to 150 years ago to solve any inconsistencies.
Sun Jiao was confused, not understanding Jiang Chens purpose in asking but still nodded.
In theory, yes, the training chamber was equipped with a standard studying function since memory operates at its peak in a deep sleep. I learned this growing up in a survival base. But studyingnguagesis this useful?
Survival base 071s education system was mostly based around virtual reality training chambers high efficiency and ease of use.
But as for studyingnguages, even most of the foreigners left behind in Wanghai City had learned Han already.
Itll be somewhat useful. Im nning on bringing one back. Jiang Chen nodded, not bothering to hide his actions as he stored the training chamber into the storage dimension. He would give it to Yao Yao to adjust. He also took a few of the remaining gic vines with a specific purpose in mind.
Aware of his secret, Sun Jiao was no longer shocked by the magic, but she conscientiously swiveled her head to make sure that no one else saw.
The training chambers are powered by crystals, costing around one crystal every ten hours. Although it previously used electricity, after the apocalypse, it became difficult to supply such a significant amount of power that way, so the Sixth Street engineers converted many of the machines into using crystals. After initiating the program, inject an ample amount of nutrient supply. I use a ratio of 10 crystals for 50 kilograms to purchase 4 kilograms worth of ingredients. Add 1 liter of water to 0.5 kilograms of ingredient.
Mhmm, understand. Jiang Chen scratched his head as he stored the four bags of ingredients into the storage dimension.
While each bag was only the size of a pillow, the density of the particle-like ingredient was extremely high, making the four bags weigh an astounding one ton.
Then, he changed the topic to external affairs of the base.
If the thirty survivors in the base have alreadypleted military training and can protect the base, then why dont we start the next step?
Oh? Sun Jiao was drawn into the conversation and waited for Jiang Chens directions on their future path.
Establish a temporary trading station in front of the base and sellpressed crackers to the survival groups, and also allow for the exchange of crystals. He smirked. It was time to get the survival groups involved now.
Hmm? But exchange for what? Sun Jiao didnt quite understand.
Electronic parts and construction materialsas long as the base has a use for it. Its not too difficult to find these items in wreckages, so go ahead and price ording to the Sixth Street standard. We dont have to care how much we earn as long as those people work for us. Once they grow to depend on us, and their weapons cant pose a threat to us, we wont have to worry about their ill intentions. I believe that after some time passes, some small survivor groups will want to join us.
Small, independent groups had no need to trust each other and would pose no threat of banding together into an alliance against the Fishbone base in the future. If they had the ability to gather in the first ce, they would never have been suppressed by mutants, zombies, and bandits to this extent. Instead, they would have developed into a massive force like the Sixth Street.
The goal of most survival groups was survival, and their desire to expand and attack were much smallerpared torge organizations.
But these people are difficult to control, Sun Jiao said, unsettled.
These survivors were different from the ves on the base; they had no very microchips.
That wont be a problem, Jiang Chen smiled, as long as we promote the people with absolute loyalty to management positions. They are the heroes for building the base, so we cant let them remain as workers.
Of course, this is only a strategy. For now, we cant allow them to enter the base. All trade must be made at the front gate, and every once in a while, cease the trade to create the illusion that we dont have many supplies.
Sun Jiao immediately understood what Jiang Chen meant.
The thirty people would gradually assimte with the foreigners.
Also, next time, order another group of refugees. Before we ept anyone from the outside, we need to expand our poption base. Lets set it to sixty people, andpensate Zhao Chenwu with 30 crystals. We cant always ask him to be the kind person, so well give him some benefits in the people trading business, Jiang Chen added.
Thest time, Zhao Chenwu did them a favor and provided Jiang Chen the people at no cost, but it was too stingy to expect the same again. The business rtionship had to bring mutual benefits in order to establish a healthy rtionship. And if Zhao Chenwu continued to sell people relying on his political power, he risked impeachment.
If one group of ves could bring him at least 10 crystals of profit, he would be very interested.
Hehe, looks like you havent forgotten about all of the matters here. I apologize for ming you. Sun Jiao saw that all of the important matters were taken of and returned to her usual audacious, naughty tone. She approached Jiang Chen and yed with his hair.
Ahem, of course, this is my home in this world.
Chapter 64 - Basic Artificial Intelligence
Chapter 64: Basic Artificial Intelligence
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
When Jiang Chen and the flushing red Sun Jiao left the training room one after the other, it was already noon. He brought Sun Jiao back into the mansion as he saw Yao Yao who he hasnt seen in awhile.
This tech genius stayed in her room everyone to study the highly advancedputer theory which made her already pale skin even whiter.
But this little loli did growpared to when they first met, the previous small dimple now required a bra. The boney face without much fat now appeared more rounded which made her look even more adorable.
Yao Yao was obviously excited to see Jiang Chen as she was no longer her conservative self and directly dived into Jiang Chens hug.
To be frank, he hasnt been back in a while. He admits that he had too much fun in the other world.
Yao Yao who spent every day and night thinking about the nice big brother gently pressed her face against his chest, she smiled and rubbed her head.
Watching Yao Yaos adorable look, a smile appeared on Jiang Chens face as he lightly touched her wavy hair.
Dont be mistaken, he really was not into loli, the purity of her smile just made everything feel natural
As long as he hugged her, his stress and anger faded away.
However, they ignored Sun Jiao standing beside them.
The possessive Sun Jiao gave both of them a dirty which made Yao Yao jumped away, not knowing what to do. Though Sun Jiao has always been nice to her, she was always afraid of this sister of hers, perhaps because the first impression being too violent?
Especially after witnessing the embarrassing scene in the living room.
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes displeased as he sat down on the kitchen table as he started to enjoy lunch with the two girls.
Juicy potato with fried meat, garlic eggnt, delicious seaweed egg soup, even with the unhealthy ray of sunlight piercing through the window, its hard to imagine that such delicacies could be born on this radiation filled wastnd.
This meal was the masterpiece of Yao Yao as Miss Sun Jiao only ate, never cooked.
After trying Yao Yaos cooking, Jiang Chen gave her a raise of thumb. This turned her pale face blushing again.
But this somehow provoked Miss Sun Jiao as she jealously kicked Jiang Chen under the table as she looked him displeased. Jiang Chen had to also raise his thumb, to praise her ability to eat
Of course, he will never let her know that.
After receiving Jiang Chens recognition, Sun Jiao returned to normal as she happily enjoyed the meal.
[So bothersome, such a child.] Jiang Chen mocked in his mind but in his eyes, it was more affection than trouble.
After lunch, Jiang Chen returned to the technology department at themunity center and found Du Yongkong that was busily working in front of theputer. The technology department was only a room 30 square meterrge, and most of the space was crowded with equipment that he either bought or created.
Jiang Chen gave a budget of maximum 1000 crystals a month for this department, but Du Yongkong instead saved a lot of money for Jiang Chen. Except for a few pieces of critical equipment, he managed to produce most of the equipment he needed.
There were two phones on the table, a Huawei and an iPhone 5 thats both connected to an oddly shapedputer.
Du Yongkong had his eyes locked on theputer screen as he confirmed the code line by line. His finger typed furiously on the control panel as hepleted disregarded the presence of Jiang Chen.
Seeing that he was working so hard, Jiang Chen was also happy, but he didnt have the time to wait.
Ahem. Jiang Chen lightly coughed to acknowledge his presence.
Hearing Jiang Chens voice, Du Yongkong first paused before he turned around in joy.
Boss, you are finally here. I already asked Miss Sun multiple times, but she insisted for me to recheck my program before showing you. But I really cant find any more ws. Du Yongkong cried to Jiang Chen about his remorse.
Ahem, I am usually busy and sometimes not at the base. How is it going, did you finish the task I have assigned you?
[How could I let you know my whereabouts?] Jiang Chen casually changed the conversation topic.
Seeing that Jiang Chen cut straight to the topic, Du Yongkong also cleverly turned on his professional attitude. He typed a fewmand on the screen as he disconnected the phone and handed to Jiang Chen.
Boss, rather than me exining, why dont you take a look yourself. I can promise you, anyone using this operating system will master it functions the first time!
Could it be this magical?
Jiang Chen with skepticism took over the Huawei phone as he pressed the on button.
The triangle based triangr prism formed the logo of Future Technology, the description below said
[Future 1.0? Thats a creative name.]
The attention drawing, eye catching start menu alone was superb. The futuristic looking simple design philosophybined with sophisticated looking icons perfected meshed together. The framerate was also the exception as it did notg despite all the special effects.
Immediately, an egg shaped robot caught the attention of Jiang Chen.
Wheres the home page? Jiang Chen was confused.
Before Du Yongkong responded, the egg shaped cute robot already gave him the answer.
Hi, valued user, I am your most loyal assistant - Little White. Of course, if you dont like this name, you can also change the name for me.
The lively looking Robot did look adorable. A curve appeared on Jiang Chens mouth as he continued to listen to the exnation.
If you need to call out the menu, you can just tell me. Or, you can touch my belly to achieve this function. Little White blinked its eyes as he patted his belly.
Jiang Chen poked his stomach as the egg like Robot suddenly jumped up and brought down a blind from the top of the screen. On the blind was a list of applications.
If you need to open an app, selecting through the menu is an option, but I rmend master to directly tell me.
Little White hid in the bottom left corner of the screen as he said while blinking.
Ahem, if you think he is annoying, you can also open text mode by telling him. Du Yongkong added. It was clear he is proud of his work.
No, this is interesting. But in the circumstance where volume should be limited, text mode will be useful. Jiang Chen nodded as he said to Little White, open map.
Yes, master.
As soon as his voice died, the map appeared on theputer screen. But because there was no signal in this world, the map focused on Wanghai City.
Is there any game? Jiang Chen said under his breath, but the little guy managed to pick it up.
Sorry master, this is no downloaded game on the phone. But if you want, you only need to tell the type of game you like, and I can search it on the inte for you. Little White sounded like he did something wrong.
Jiang Chen was absolutely stunned, theres even this function?
Little White couldplete actions for users. This includes opening searching engine, entering keywords, scan through results. Also, if you connect the phone to this server, theres the downloaded backup file from the inte from the year 2017 to 2027. It seems like the data in this period is mostpatible with this thing called phone. You can give it a try. Du Yongkong passed the connection over. Because there was no inte, he could only simte a web environment to achieve this function.
Jiang Chen connected the phone to the server and then spoke to Little White.
Find me a racing game that can operate on this fun with the best visual.
Ok master, I think this will match your taste. The game description and download link are prepared for you. Are you happy with the result? Less than a secondter, Little White carried a few screenshots in front of Jiang Chen as he blinked his eyes looking for praise.
[Damn, thats fast! This visual graphics, could this normal Huawei really handle this?] Jiang Chen hesitated for a moment before he said.
Download.
Yes! Master.
Because it was directly connected to the server, so the data transfer speed was tremendously fast. Jiang Chen couldnt wait for Little White to open the game, then immediately stunned by the graphic.
The real dust like particle effects, the movie like halo, the cinematic like cut scenes. The games quality was excellent to the point that Jiang Chen didnt even want toment, he only wanted to express his shocking realization that a Huawei phone could run this?
The not yet debuted iPhone 7 probably wouldnt even be able to handle this.
Dont look at me like that, I really didnt change the hardware of this. Du Yongkong saw that Jiang Chen looked at him with suspicious as he waved his hands to defend himself. Although he didnt why his boss was determined on this ancient product, he must have his own thought process, so he didnt dare to defy him.
Excellent, I am pleased. Jiang Chen nodded with a smile. At this point, he could pretty announce the end of an era between iOS and Android. The Future 1.0 operating system would no doubt dominate the phone industry.
Of course, this has to be done step by step.
First, enter as software, once it umtes enough user base and dependency, rmend the user to uninstall the original system to save memory. The Future 1.0 can rece the existing operating system and will not affect the phones operation.
It would be up to Du Yongkong to implement this.
Thats not all, boss, take a look at this. Du Yongkong saw that the boss was happy as he then began to show off the other functions of the phone. He touched the tablet with his finger.
This is? Jiang Chen uprehendingly looked at the data stream on the tablet.
A simtion of an attack. Du Yongkong smiled as he signaled Jiang Chen to look at Little White on the screen.
Master, I detected malicious malware attack! Suddenly Little White turned into a full armed egg with sword and shield as his eyes sharpened. Not long after, before the malware infiltrated the system, it was picked up by Little Whites sword and chopped into pieces.
The animation was cute, to say the least.
The safety level is C, which means that all the attack method between 2000 to 2101 will be useless. Du Yongkong proudly exined.
Mhmm, thats enough. Jiang Chen agreed.
But the function should be eliminated first if it was introduced with antivirus, he was afraid that 361 Phone Helper (a popr antivirus software) to report Little White as malicious. These people would do that.
Additionally, the extraneous features may hinder the artificial intelligence selling point of the software which makes the user confused. Once Future 1.0 has established itself, the features could be slowly introduced.
These functions are only the tip of the iceberg. The most important thing is that Little White is a basic artificial intelligence. Du Yongkong smiled as he opened his hands, not only can he detectnguage, he can also detect your current mood. For example, you are heart broken. Okay, this is only an example. He willfort you. If you feel happy, he will be happy for you. Hell remember everything you said and respond in a human function.
Isnt artificial intelligence supposed to be emotionless? he looked at Little Whites adorable eyes as he asked.
Thats right, but this is the power of science. Although he wont really feel happy or sad, he will bring you visual and audio effects that mimic happy or sadness. This is based on psychology and human behavior. To put it in simple words, everything you said is stored in a data base, and based your conversation and an algorithm, Little White will respond ording to the situation and history. This is basic artificial intelligence!
You wrote this? Jiang Chen was shocked.
No way. Du Yongkong forced a smile, this is 21 years of work of tens ofputer scientists and psychologists. All thetter artificial intelligence is based on that data base. Although intermediate artificial intelligence evolved through this data, because of the , all the research stopped. So the mostmon version still in the market like Little White thats still depended on an external data base.
So you are saying that, if I am chatting with him, I just hear predefined quotes? Jiang Chen had an odd impression as his face. He used his finger and ticked Little Whites stomach on the screen.
You can say it like. But I guarantee you that if it wasnt for me to tell you the secret behind it, you could chat with him for the rest of life and still think he is pet full of emotions, and not lines of code. Du Yongkong nodded.
Technology is truly a magical thing. He didnt dive into the issue further
What about this? Jiang Chen picked up the iPhone.
Thepatibility is wless. Although this piece of electronic is also ancient, it is a bit better than the other one. Future 1.0 is perfectly operational on both!
Excellent! Jiang Chen patted Du Yongkong on the shoulder as he waved his hands, From now I, youll be the head of the technology department at Fishbone Base. Youll now receive meat can every day.
Although he didnt even know what the department exactly was.
Thank you, boss! Du Yongkong was so excited that he almost kneeled down. He was almost about to hug Jiang Chens leg before Jiang Chen shivered and stepped away.
Ahem, like I said before, do a great job, and I wont let you down.
Then Jiang Chen ordered Du Yongkong to limit some of the functions to meet the actual demand.
The work was quicklypleted as the app size was trimmed down.
Under Du Yongkongs sincere gratitude, Jiang Chen proudly retook the USB drive to the mansion. He couldnt wait to go back to the modern world, Future Technologys development needs some adjustment.
With this groundbreaking operating system, or software, for now, he was confident that he would make the name echo not in Hua, but also around the world!
Chapter 65 - Her Vulnerable Side
Chapter 65: Her Vulnerable Side
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Still at dusk.
Jiang Chen stood in front of Xia Shiyus door. Just as he was about to ring the bell, he paused his finger in midair.
[Seems like every time Ie it is during the night]
He shook his head and pushed the weird thought out of his head, as he rang the bell.
But after waiting awhile, no one came to open the door.
[The light is on. She should be home. Is she annoyed that Ie sote every time?]
Jiang Chen forced a smile. It was nowhere intentional, but the timing just worked out to be this way. He spent the afternoon with Sun Jiao and Yao Yao beforeing back to the modern world. After having dinner with them, he brought the USB drive over. Because the office was still being renovated, the employees only consist of Xia Shiyu, so she worked from home.
After pondering in front of the door, Jiang Chen scratched his head. Since he was already here, it wouldnt fit his personality to just go back. He thought about it, before pulling out his phone.
Call Xia Shiyus number.
Okay, master., the phone immediately called out.
It didnt take long for Jiang Chen to get used to the clever Little White. He only needed to move his mouth to finish any function on the phone.
The phone rang for around 20 seconds before it finally went through.
Hello? A weak and hoarse voice came from the other side.
Are you okay? Why do you sound so weird? Jiang Chen quickly asked with a frown.
Nothing, cough, I just feel a bit tired. Sorry, I fell asleep and didnt notice your call, Xia Shiyu touched her burning her forehead as she said with ambiguity.
I am outside, open the door for me. Ill bring you to the hospital. Jiang Chen left no room for argument.
Why did youe at night again? Xia Shiyus weak voice had a hint of confusion and alertness.
Of course I needed to talk about some things with you, but lets not worry about that. I am worried about your condition. Open the door for me, and stop asking! Jiang Chen anxiously said.
If she became unconscious, its going to be problematic.
After what seemed like a long wait, slow shuffling noises finally resonated on the other side of the door, and the doorknob turned. But when Jiang Chen saw Xia Shiyu, she scared him. Her pale face nowhere resembled the independent woman she was. She looked weak and fragile.
Whats going on! Jiang Chen immediately held onto Xia Shiyu who was about to fall.
He hasnt seen her for one day, and she became this sick?
Xia Shiyu bit her lips as she looked at the hand that was holding her. She didnt want to open the door because she was so vulnerable. If Jiang Chen had other motives, there was nothing she could do.
But what she didnt consider was that if he really had other motives, she would be vulnerable regardless of her condition.
Perhaps it was an impulse, but her perplexed feeling defeated her awareness for self-protection which made her open the door. The moment when she saw Jiang Chens face, she suddenly felt calm.
Fu*k, its burning! Jiang Chen touched her forehead as the high temperature made him jump, No, something is definitely wrong! Ill take you to the hospital.
Its toote, Ill eat some medicine and sleep through it. Although she hated cursing words, she had no energy to ridicule him.
No! Listen to me, Jiang Chen rejected her right away. In a state of shock, Jiang Chen picked her up princess carry style and walked downstairs.
Xia Shiyu gently bit her lip and felt the warmness around her body, as she tried avoiding his eyes. She thought she would fight back, but the strange thing was that her first reaction was calmness.
Maybe she didnt realize that, subconsciously, she didnt mind the forceful move. The always emotionless face was just a bad camouge for herself. When Jiang Chen picked her up forcefully, it made her heart beat faster, and she felt anxious.
Or, it was a sense of security?
The same odd feeling came back again
Xia Shiyu closed her eyes, still not epting it.
Jiang Chen carried Xia Shiyu downstairs and disregarded the curious and concerned looks of the people around them. He opened the car door, helped Xia Shiyu into the passenger seat, and put the seatbelt on her before getting in.
Your new car? Xia Shiyu weakly leaned against the car seat as her chest pumped up and down.
Maybach S600, a gift from buying the house, Jiang Chen casually answered and started the car.
What kind of house would give a car as a gift? Xia Shiyu was curious but didnt have the energy to ask.
I told you that if you didnt feel okay to call me. Look at you now, Jiang Chen said as he steered the wheel.
I can just eat some medicine, theres nothing to worry about. Although her voice sounded like she didnt care, she felt warmness surround her heart.
Hehe, you say this is nothing to worry about? You are almost unconscious! You live alone, and no one is taking care of you. If I didnt have something to talk to you about today, no one would know if you became unconscious. Your body probably would stink before someone discovered it, Jiang Chen said sharply.
[Well, you are here right?] Xia Shiyu pouted but stopped all of a sudden. She was surprised by such a girly act.
[Looks like the fever is making me confused]
Xia Shiyu gently touched her forehead and felt the burning sensation.
The scenery shed across the car window as silence ensued in the car. Although he just got the car, he drove it skillfully. Probably had to do with his 29 reflexes. But because they were in the city center, it was not even that fast.
I am sick. Why do you care? After a long silence, Xia Shiyu abruptly opened her mouth.
Of course I care. If you are sick, who is going to do the work?
Jiang Chen always believed in being a leader who only asked others to do things. If she was sick, why would he not be worried?
There may be other reasons, but he still hasnt figured them out.
But Xia Shiyu seemed to have interpreted it as something else, silence ensued again.
Maybe it was the fever, but her face was abnormally red.
They soon arrived at the nearest hospital. Jiang Chen parked the car and immediately ran to the other side to open the door. But when he was about the use the same gesture to carry Xia Shiyu, she stopped him.
I can walk by myself. You dont need to help me. That way is too embarrassing. Xia Shiyus faintly squeezed thest few words out of her mouth. The usually expressionless face now turned blood red. Jiang Chen was stunned by her beauty.
Under Jiang Chens intense stare, Xia Shiyu felt embarrassed but somewhat proud?
After she had given him a dirty look, Xia Shiyu dragged her heavy footsteps towards the hospital.
But how could he not worry about her floaty footsteps, she walked like this? She would probably get hurt before she even went into the hospital to see why she was sick.
Jiang Chen walked beside her and held onto the stubborn girl.
Although she fought back a little, Xia Shiyu knew her exact condition, so she didnt stop Jing Chen. She lowered her head and hid her unnatural expression beneath her hair.
The nurse on duty saw Xia Shiyus condition and immediately walked up to help. Jiang Chen left Xia Shiyu with the nurse and went to the front desk to fill out the paperwork. It would be up to the doctors now as he knew nothing about medicine.
To be honest, he was anxious about Xia Shiyus condition. It didnt look like an ordinary fever or cold. Maybe because she fell ill because of all the work he piled onto her? Jiang Chen felt guilty about this.
Especially when they were buying the house, she was already feeling a bit sick. But he didnt immediately bring her to the hospital. Instead, he was having fun
[Maybe its time to control myself?]
With his arm pressed against his knee, he wandered into deep thought.
Although worried, it would be useless to just wait around. He sat on the hospital chair, feeling bored before he took out his phone.
He checked his Wechat to see that Liu Yao had sent him a message. For the energetic third-tier actress, Jiang Chen was happy to chat with her. If he was freer, he didnt mind hooking up. But he has been too busy recently, so he rejected the rather straightforward invitation.
The movie he promised her would happen since money was not an issue anymore.
To be truthful, it was fun chatting with this girl. His guilt and anxiety quickly faded, as a smile appeared on his face. Time passed by quickly on the phone.
Hello, sir, are you Miss Xia Shiyus husband? A doctor pushed opened the door and approached Jiang Chen.
No, I am her umm, friend. Jiang Chen put his phone back and stood up.
Miss Xia Shiyu only had a normal fever, but it was untreated for too long, so the condition is a bit serious now. I rmend you go to the front desk and register her stay at the hospital. The doctor cut straight to the point and handed the bill to Jiang Chen, motioning him to go to the designated window.
The doctors casual attitude made Jiang Chen raise his eyebrow, but he didnt say anything. He carried the bill and paid the fee, which was a total of one thousand dors. He forced a smile as he thought, ordinary people would not be able to afford this. Minor or major, staying at the hospital was necessary, as was using the most expensive medicine. Do you want a problem? Are you going to see the doctor? Since there are so many people here, theres never a shortage of patient.
Compared to real estate, the demand for education and healthcare was more steady and reliable. If they really wanted to turn the public sector into a private business sector, the potential gain would be greater than the real estate industry.
Though of course, now money meant nothing to Jiang Chen.
He then walked into the ward, grabbed a chair, and sat beside Xia Shiyus bed.
Sorry for troubling you. Xia Shiyus eyes were half closed as she squeezed a sentence through her lips.
No problem. Taking care of the staff is the responsibility of the president. Jiang Chen waved his hand and then asked in a concerning voice, Are you hungry? Tell me if you want to eat something.
Taking care of the staff? Xia Shiyu didnt respond to Jiang Chen as she murmured under her breath.
This is the first time I see you looking so confused, Jiang Chen said smiling, as he ridiculed.
Xia Shiyu was silent before she abruptly said, You just havent seen it before.
Oh? Speaking of this, I am curious. If you are so beautiful, why do you always keep a cold face?
I am tired. Xia Shiyu closed her eyes and ignored his question.
Jiang Chen, with a bitter smile, shrugged and gave up. He looked at Xia Shiyus now regr breathing and helped tuck her up. Then he let out a sigh and walked out of the ward.
[Looks like I am staying here tonight, it would be worrisome to leave her alone.]
Jiang Chen took out his phone and called Ayesha.
I have something to do tonight and cant go back, can you take care of yourself?
Mhmm. Dont worry, I will be okay.
A soft and gentle response echoed from the other side of the phone. It made Jiang Chen feel warm inside.
Although the girl looked even colder than Xia Shiyu when she was outside, whenever she was with Jiang Chen, she was gentler than a sheep.
Goodnight.
Goodnight. The choppy pronunciation surprised Jiang Chen as a delighted smiled appeared on his face.
[That was Han, looks like she is making progress. I hope the day I canmunicate with her in Hanes sooner. Its still weird to call in English.]
After the phone call, Jiang Chen stretched his body. Xia Shiyu was already asleep, so he just needed to remind the nurse to change her medicine during the night.
Time to find a cup of coffee.
Jiang Chen made up his mind as he walked to the resting area of the hospital.
Chapter 66 - Hospital Conflict
Chapter 66: Hospital Conflict
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Doctor, how is my father doing!
Mr. Wang, we are also worried as well, but rabies even if you are at the best hospital in the world, its still an unsolvable problem. We are really The doctors face filled with grievance said. It was clear that the way he treated his man was much more politepared to Jiang Chen.
Thats impossible! A dog hasnt bitten my father, how could he have gotten rabies! The mans eyes were flushing red, and his fists were tightly clenched. He still couldnt believe what the doctor had said.
Yes, we never had a dog before, my dad never came into contact with one. How The woman standing on the side said, her face pale.
Rabies incubation period couldst up to one year. If he is not injected with vine on time, its incurable.
What! What the fu*k did you just say? Whos incurable? The man furiously grabbed the cor of the doctor and scared frozen the nurse-to-be.
Brother! Calm down! The woman on the side tried tofort her brother, who clearly was over his head, but it was futile.
Mister, Mister Wang. Thats not what I meant. Please, please calm down. The doctor that looked annoyingly at Jiang Chen before now had an almost crying expression.
For no other reason, but the fact that he couldnt displease the person in front of him.
Rabies?
Jiang Chen leaned against the chair as he drank his coffee and watched the mess unfold. The man looked like someone with influence, or the doctor being hoisted up wouldnt have said a thing nor keep apologizing.
Two men in buzz cuts and casual clothing stood beside the man. They looked like soldiers by the way they stood, probably active too.
Of course, Jiang Chen already experienced the war himself, so he was not too surprised by the identities of these people. He continued to watch for a few more moment before he going back to his phone. The only friend he could have a conversation with on Wechat was Liu Yao. She almost responded immediately to his message.
Being replied to by a celebrity substantially fulfilled his vanity, so he was happy to chat.
The bystanders in the restroom all left when they sensed the situation turned sour. While people enjoyed watching conflicts, it was only when there was a lot of individuals. Because even if something happened, it wouldnt affect them. But with not a lot of people around, everyone was smart enough to stay away from the trouble. The group of people didnt look like friendly people.
Except for Jiang Chen, who was not afraid of anything, he continued to y with his phone while no one else stayed in the room.
The conflict naturally caught the attention of security, but they only stood on the side and didnt dare to step in. The doctor kept trying to convince the man to calm down and was too afraid to ask for help.
Maybe because of his sisters dissuasion, or maybe because he knew that rabies was hard to treat, the man regathered his breath and put the doctor down.
Give me your phone, A rascal voice rang beside Jiang Chens ear.
Jiang Chen looked up and raised his eyebrows.
He didnt know when, but the buzz cut bodyguard stood in front of him and leaned into his personal space. His facial expression looked precisely like that of a bully asking for lunch money. Arrogant and shameless.
The expression he had looked as if he had Jiang Chens lunch money already.
Oh? Give me a reason. Jiang Chen wasnt angry as he started tough.
Dont bullsheet me, if you dont want trouble then give it to papa now. The guy didnt want to waste energy on Jiang Chen, as he directly reached for Jiang Chens phone.
Most soldiers act entitled in some way, especially close guards of the masters. Li Gangming, eager to demonstrate his ability in front of his boss, didnt wait for his boss to say anything before he took huge strides towards Jiang Chen, asking for his phone.
But Jiang Chens action surprised him. The harmless looking man just mped onto his hand.
What made him even more frantic was that the mped down hand couldnt move no matter how hard he tried.
Testing my strength?
The stubbornness of Li Gangming also came alive as his dark face turned red. He desperately tried to use his power to move his hand, but Jiang Chen just casually looked at his face and mped his hand down like an iron w, not letting him move a single inch.
[You are funny, 25 muscle strength is not something you can ovee. I havent even used fury yet, or Id break your bones.
Soldiers? I have seen people kill people. People eat people. Why would I be afraid?]
Li Gangming, what are you doing! The woman who was trying to persuade her brother frowned as she angrily shouted at Li Gangming, who had his hands on Jiang Chen.
Ahh, no, Miss Wang, this guy Sweat began to roll down Li Gangmings face as he exined to the sister of the politician.
Let him go, why cant you do things nicely? You act exactly like my brother, always quick to jump into a fight.
Because of the angle, she couldnt see the hands of the two people. But it was apparent that brothers soldier was bullying people again.
But Li Gangmings face looked like he just ate a fly. He wanted to exin that it was not him that didnt want to let go, but he didnt have the face to say it in front of his boss.
The man forced a smile when he heard his sisters words. He was about to signal Li Gangming to stop but was shocked.
Nice moves, sir. What martial arts fraction are you part of? A sharp re shot out from Wang Zhiyongs eyes as he could clearly see Jiang Chens power.
Li Gangming is a good fighter in his battalion, but he couldnt even move under the grasp of this man. It was something more than strength alone. In his eyes, he already considered Jiang Chen an Inner Technique master. Wang Zhiyong always had a keen interest in martial arts, or he wouldnt have just left the huge presence of his family to join the military.
The unfortunate thing was that Jiang Chen managed to do so by just using his strength. In pure strength, only Superman, or Batman could beparable to him.
He didnt want to cause trouble, so he stopped when he had made his point. He let out of Li Gangmings hand, and emotionlessly said.
No martial arts, that was pure strength. [Martial arts? I dont have time for that.]
But in Wang Zhiyongs eyes, Jiang Chens casual and carefree expression resembled a martial arts master.
Impable strength! Sir, are you interested in joining the army?
Jiang Chens face twitched. [I am already a billionaire. Am I dumb or are you dumb for me to be your soldier.]
His eyes moved as he thought about how he should phrase his words.
Thats okay, I am used to the free life.
Brother, are you out of your mind! Father is still lying there. You, why is it that every time you see someone who can fight, you want to ask them to join your army? I cant believe you! The energetic girl frowned at her brother as she said worriedly.
Wang Zhiyongs face also turned sour as he thought about his father. His body was perfectly fine, and suddenly he got rabies?
Please dont let this bother you, my brother is just an inconsiderate guy. His head is messed up because he watched too many Wushu shows at a young age, The girl said while poked her brothers arm. She then lowered her head to apologize.
Li Gangming was only worried that you took a video. You know the inte is a scary thing. If something was uploaded onto the web, it might affect brothers progression. So
The girl looked at Jiang Chen with a serene smile.
Although Li Gangming on the side had acted like a bully most of his life, it was based on the context he could win. Now that his boss sister already apologized, if he continued to act tough, it would be rude.
Resisting the soreness on his wrist, Li Gangming put his fists together and apologized to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen smiled as he never intentionally looked for trouble. Since they already said sorry, he happily epted it.
He opened the photo album on his phone and waved it in front of Li Gangmings face to prove that he didnt take any photos or videos. Seeing Li Gangming nod in confirmation, the reasonable and graceful miss expressed her gratitude again.
The small conflict was resolved with ease.
At the same time, the straightforward man abruptly opened his mouth and said a sentence that made Jiang Chen want tough.
Sir, do you have any way of treating rabies?
Chapter 67 - A Pillow just when you need it
Chapter 67: A Pillow just when you need it
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
[Could I treat rabies? Do I looked like an old Han medical doctor to you?] Jiang Chen with an odd expression touched his face.
Brother, are you crazy? His sister, standing beside him, face palmed as the doctor and nurses also gave off helpless expressions.
Even Li Gangmings face twitched, Jiang Chen guessed that this guy must have wanted tough, but didnt dare to do so.
But Wang Zhiyong gazed at Jiang Chen, full of expectations. As if he was certain Jiang Chen would know a way.
Rabies?
A smile full of meaning appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Rabies actually was not a problem to him. For the 21st century medical practices, it was an incurable disease, but it was easily solved in the 22nd century.
In his storage, there was a D-level antibiotic that clearly stated it would cure rabies, aids
He purchased it the first time he went to the Sixth Street after he injected the gic vine. Even after Sun Jiao told him that after the injection of the gic vine, his body would be resistant to most of the diseases, he decided to buy it because it was cool. I understand the rationale, but I just want to buy it because I havent heard of the existence of a godly medicine. Its not like Ick crystals.
He forgot that he had it in his storage dimension or else he would have given it to Xia Shiyu, saving the trip to the hospital.
Whats your name, sir? However, seriousness showed on Wang Zhiyongs face.
Or the expression of grasping onto thest straw.
Although western medicine could not cure rabies, his fantasy for Wushu made him believe that a secret cure was out there to cure the incurable disease.
Wang Zhiyong was always this straightforward. He would immediately do something even if it did not go through his head.
Normally that would have been rude and unreasonable, but now he seemed filial.
But the secret cure didnt exist. If it did exist, then their ancestors should be awarded a Nobel prize.
The medicine was in the storage dimension.
But Jiang Chen was hesitant.
[Should he save the person?
Or how should he save the person.]
Jiang Chen. He first introduced himself.
My name is Wang Zhiyong, this is my sister Wang Xinran. If Sir you know any masters that could save my father, Ill do anything to repay the favor! Wang Zhiyong held his fists together and greeted.
Jiang Chen looked troubled as he pondered.
It was clear that Wang Zhiyong is an important military official. From this bastards attitude, he didnt just depend on himself to climb the socialdder. Then it must mean his father is extremely influential.
Jiang Chen now had no support in Wanghai city. Although he has the money and the guns, if he did get himself into trouble, it would be problematic. Running to Los Santos was not something he wanted to do soon. Who knows if that crazy guy solved his own issue yet.
He considered that his wealth could attract potential wrongdoers, and so he actually did try to make some friends within the political circle. Regardless of the method, he must find a way to establish a rtionship. Or else, if he created some unique and someone forcefully took over, he would have nowhere to reason. Since the political situation in the country was like this, he must y by the rules.
What kind of favor was greater than saving a life? This was a great opportunity.
A Pillow just when you needed it the most.
Jiang Chen was moved, but he still needed to think of a way to make this story sound more believable.
Wang Zhiyong looked simple minded, so he should be easy to convince. But his sister seemed to be intelligent and hard to fool. If he just took out the medicine, it would be hard to exin. The authenticity would also be questioned.
[This is troublesome. Even when trying to do something nice, there were still a lot of aspects to consider need to consider] Jiang Chen smiled bitterly.
Brother, do you want someone to find an ancient natural remedy for you to cure fathers sickness? Wang Xinran was speechless with his brothers intent.
What ancient natural remedy. How do you know Han medicine will not solve the problem Eastern medicine cant! Wang Zhiyongs face blushed as he gave a dirty look to his sister.
Wang Zhiyong now realized that he didnt process the words before they came out. But if he admitted, he would lose face in front of everyone.
The doctor also gave a wry smile. He studied Han medicine before as he knew that this could not be solved by Han medicine.
Ahem. I think I can try.
The entire restroom fell silent.
Jiang Chen already expected the reaction as he didnt look too shocked. He still maintained his calmposure.
Who said acting cocky was terrible?
Thats impossible! The doctor, whose cor was held, opened his mouth in disbelief. He looked at Jiang Chen with skepticism, If someone could cure rabies, thats enough to win a Nobel Prize.
Too bad I am not interested in fame. Jiang Chen shrugged as he looked at Wang Zhiyong. Of course, I dont need you to repay me anything. I have apany myself, so I dont need money. As to why I am helping you, its because I have a father too.
Wang Xinran skeptically looked at Jiang Chen. Different from her ipetent brother, she was a top student at Wanghai University. Although she studied media, which is unrted to medicine, she still had basicmon sense.
Can you cure my father? Let me be straight forward, my dad is Wanghai Citys General Secretary (Considered the most influential person in a municipal government), if you
I understand your emotions towards your father, but that doesnt mean I have to ept this suspicion. If you choose to not believe, just say no. Jiang Chen shook his head. I am doing this out of the good of my heart, and I dont need you to repay me. But I hope you do know, standard medical procedures would not cure rabies.
When he finished, Jiang Chen looked at Wang Zhiyong.
Wang Zhiyong raised his eyebrows in deep thoughts.
[Should I try it?]
Sister and doctors words made him hesitant. What if Jiang Chen was a liar and killed his father
Wait, even if he didnt, Rabies was an incurable disease!
Rather than waiting for death, why not try it. He had thought about it before making up his mind to take a gamble.
He was someone that cared deeply about his parents. Since the reason he can act so recklessly in Wanghai City was due to his fathers influence. If his father were not here to cover for him, he would have died so many times already.
I believe you, I hope what are you said is true. Wang Zhiyong sincerely nodded. He then gazed at Jiang Chen with seriousness. If you actually cured my father, even if you dont ept my favor, Ill be at your disposal.
[Psh, why did that sound like someone from a gang, are you really in the military?]
I dont need anyone at my disposal, but a friend doesnt sound too bad. Jiang Chenughed nonchntly and passed by Wang Zhiyong before he walked into the guarded ward.
Wang Zhiyong had paused for a minute before he smiled.
[Hmm? This guy is fascinating.]
He was known for his recklessness in Wanghai city; he was not afraid of anything. Since he wasmander of the army and his father was also a national level politician, considered second inmand even in the central government, the typical silk trousers (referred to children of influential leaders that cause havoc) were no match for him. Although he did create his fair share of recklessness, he still had his own principles. It may have been influenced by the Wushu novels he had read.
He also has another trait, which is to make friend with people that possessed abilities. Of course, most of them belonged to the category that knew how to fight, so he has a lot of reckless buddies as well.
Since he believed in Wushu, he always wanted to receive tips from masters and cultivate his soul to train internal techniques. Because of this, his sister always criticized him for reading too much fantasy novels and distorting reality.
Ten minutes, give me ten minutes, I hope no one interrupts me.
Jiang Chen had left those words before he locked the door behind him, looking mysterious.
The people left behind were all stunned.
Chapter 68 - Cured?
Chapter 68: Cured?
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Jiang Chen, alone, stood in the middle of the room and he scanned his surroundings.
The special ward, for notable guests, was filled with medical equipment, but all useless for treating rabies.
He hesitated for a moment as he wasnt certain if there were cameras around, then Jiang Chen sighed before he reached into his pocket.
For his own security, he triggered the EMP grenade.
The faint electric noise resonated in the room as the EP screen inside his sleeves had shed before it stabilized. With stability as the core design philosophy, it was extremely resistant to EMP. However, of course, equipment in that age was not the same as all the other electronics in the room, which have been short-circuited. These faults were hard to detect as most people would attribute instability to the voltage source.
Regardless if there were cameras or not, it would be broken by now. There was no expensive medical equipment inside this ward, so the hospital wouldnt consider it a big deal. As to his phone, he threw it into the storage dimension immediately.
He approached the old man as he took out the D-level antibiotics. He took a deep breath before aiming it at the old mans vein and injecting it.
He watched the red liquid enter his body as he pulled out the needle and put it in the storage dimension. The old man was already unconscious from being at the terminal stage of rabies, so he was not afraid to have his secret revealed.
Also, the D-level antibiotic has no side effects on the human body. It was evident by the fact that the remaining medicine would be cleared out from the body within an hour. Even a blood test would not detect any traces of it.
Especially no one would experiment on the second inmand of the local government.
Hows my father doing? Seeing that Jiang Chen came out, Wang Zhiyong immediately walked up to ask.
Hell be okay after some sleep, Jiang Chen smiled as he replied.
Thats impossible. The doctor still maintained his stance as he looked suspiciously at Jiang Chen before walking into the ward.
He didnt believe that Jiang Chen would cure that important persons disease. He was only worried that if he dies, even if it were not his responsibility, he would also take on some of the me.
Could I have your phone number? So that if father wakes up, we can express our sincere gratitude, Wang Xinran said.
Although she still looked at Jiang Chen with suspicion, since he had already treated her father, there was nothing she could say.
[Thanking me is not the point. It is probably more of a threat to make sure I didnt do anything wrong.] Jiang Chen obviously guessed her intention. He shrugged as he pulled out his identification card and shed in front of her face.
If they want to know, they will find their way.
Seeing that Jiang Chen immediately pulled out his identification card, Wang Xinran felt her face burn from embarrassment. She knew that he understood her trick. He did this with good intention, but she was still suspicious till now, which was inconsiderate and unreasonable by any means.
But Wang Zhiyong whos straightforward didnt have any tricks, as he never liked the idea of trickery.
No need for ID. Lets exchange phone numbers. Youll be my brother from now on! If anyone dares to touch you, I will go beat him up! Wang Zhiyong pulled out his iPhone as he began to call Jiang Chen brother. With the way Jiang Chen looked, he was certain that his father would be okay.
Thats impossible! Suddenly, a shocked shout came from the ward.
Whats going on? Wang Zhiyong was confused.
Father! Before he understood what was happened, his sister ran into the room.
Your fathers health is in good condition, he probably woke up already, Jiang Chen shrugged as he said nonchntly with a smile.
Wang Zhiyong was overjoyed when he heard the news as he thanked Jiang Chen and ran into the ward.
Jiang Chen smiled. Although this guy was reckless, just by how much he cared for his father, it was worth it to befriend him.
Sir, what method did you use? The doctor walked out as he had no more suspicion in his eyes, only respect.
Secret. Sorry, but I cant share. Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously.
Do you know how many people this will save if rabies can be cured? There are 55 thousand people a year who die because of this disease. If you publish this secret This doctor obviously was not ready to let Jiang Chen go as he started to guilt trip him, hoping Jiang Chen would reveal the secret.
But Jiang Chen being annoyed, interrupted the doctor.
And give it to you so you can win a Nobel Prize?
Jiang Chens words made the doctors face turn a vibrant shade of red. He did think about that.
When it is necessary Ill share it, with my own name. Jiang Chen walked away, finishing the sentence.
If they wanted to thank him, he wouldnt have to wait here. It would be straightforward for the government to find his number, especially since Wang Xinran just saw his ID.
Leaving without saying anything would leave a more memorable impression.
Is, is this the hospital? Wang Dehais eyes narrowed as he gradually woke up from unconsciousness. From the sharp edges of his face, it was evident that although he has aged, his body was healthy. But regardless of health, with a disease like rabies, he would die without the proper treatment.
Father, you are finally awake. Wang Xinran had tears in her eyes. She was the youngest in the family and received the most affection from her father. Her fathers weak look impacted her feel the most. But her tears were tears of happiness.
I, didnt I get rabies? Wang Dehai was confused as he was ready to face death. But life yed a joke on him. He looked at his disappointing son in search of an answer.
Father, hehe, I found an ancient remedy doctor, and he cured you, Wang Zhiyong said proudly.
An ancient remedy doctor?
Wang Dehai was so angry he almost coughed out blood. He was especially annoyed by his sons fantasy for masters, Wushu, and martial arts, which was an embarrassment to the family. But when he remembered that he had in incurable disease, he was shocked.
[An ancient remedy doctor actually cured me?]
He looked at his most beloved daughter but what surprised him was that the answer he saw on her face was, its true.
Although I dont want to admit this, brother actually did find an ancient remedy doctor to cure you.
Jiang Chen would be furious if he heard the words Ancient remedy doctor. This was advanced technology!
[Really?] Wang Dehai frowned, but then he felt relieved.
What is there not to admit, if he cured me he cured. Even if he is an ancient remedy doctor, he is my lifesaver! How much money does he want? Give it to him. Wang Dehai had experienced the ups and downs of life. Since he could live longer, no one would say no to his requests, especially when he was so powerful.
Father, he doesnt need money, thats toome. Wang Zhiyong rolled his eyes. His words were always unpredictable.
Wang Dehai, of course, knew his sons personality; he would believe anything they say.
Go invite the person, I want to thank him personally. Regardless, he must thank him for saving his life. Wang Dehai already was thinking that as long as it is not against his principle, hell do his best to meet the ancient remedy doctors demand.
He was a powerful and influential politician in the country. Jiang Chen saved him. Not only did he do a favor to him, but also to the country itself.
Okay. Wang Zhiyongughed as he ran outside.
Wang Dehai lied on the bed as he chatted with his daughter about what happened when he was unconscious. However, he kept thinking about the master that saved him. Wang Dehai was no ordinary people. He didnt understand how did the ancient remedy doctor managed to save him, or who sent him here.
However, his disappointing son came back alone with a disappointed look.
Father, he left.
What? Wang Dehai was shocked.
[There really is someone who didnt seek favors?]
Didnt you exchange phone number with Jiang Chen? Wang Xinran hastily said.
I didnt get to. I had to check on father, Wang Zhiyong said with disappointment in his voice.
You, how old are you, why are you still so careless, Wang Dehai criticized his son for a good while.
Although Wang Zhiyong was reckless, he still didnt dare to talk back to his father. He just had to listen to his dads criticism.
Jiang Chen.
Wang Dehai remembered that name. Though he didnt know what his life saver looks like, it was not difficult for him to find someone in the country.
Wang Dehai, who has always been cautious, didnt express his thoughts. He decided to wait and get an understanding of Jiang Chens background to see what kind of intention he had before approaching him, himself to repay the favor. For he might be a pawn sent by political enemies.
Wang Dehai closed his eyes as he made up his mind. He needed to rest. Since he had already recovered, then some change must be made in Wanghai City. Once he wakes up tomorrow, the people that tried to give the Wang family trouble will all be punished.
Although he was well into his fifties, the vibe Wang Dehai possessed was not to be undermined.
Wang Zhiyong who saw his fathers expression let out a breath of relief. He knew exactly what his fathers expression meant. A rejoiced look appeared on his face.
[Father is healthy now, a lot of people are going to be in trouble.]
He was still upset that he didnt manage to get Jiang Chens number. His intention was clear. Since he did something nice for me, then I must repay him in kind.
But what he meant by repaying the favor meant taking Jiang Chen around to show off. He loved two things the most, making friends and finding trouble. Those two things usually dont conflict with each other, but he didnt expect Jiang Chen would leave right away.
Wang Zhiyong and Wang Dehai didnt know that Jiang Chen didnt leave, he was waiting in a ward nearby.
Wang Xinran, on the other hand, was more curious. She didnt know how Jiang Chen saved her father.
Li Gangming standing in front of the door had a sour face. He could only pray that they would not remember the conflict. The look of sympathy from the other guard made him want to p himself. Why didnt he think before he acted?
But even if he thought it through, the consequence would probably be the same. Recklessness is contagious from being around Wang Zhiyong for so long.
Chapter 69 - The Future 1.0 That Shocked the World
Chapter 69: The Future 1.0 That Shocked the World
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Artificial intelligence was a word most people on the inte were familiar with. They usually yed the antagonist role in the action-packed Hollywood movies, only to have their ns of world domination gloriously foiled by the protagonist.
It could be seen from the mainstream media that humankind had always been skeptical and afraid of artificial intelligence.
The perception was logical; they were, after all, beings not reliant on a physical body, both eternal and wise. There was no reason for such a god to abide by the rules of humans.
However, ventures into artificial intelligence research never ceased. From novels written in the 1950s that imagined the future of artificial intelligence to IBMs development of Watson who could design a menu and voluntarily participate in contestswithin sixty years, artificial intelligence had made leaps and bounds.
What about in another sixty years?
There was no need for another sixty years; the Han inte user could now experience it in the present.
An unknown softwareas if carefully nnedentered the Android tform, 361 stores, and the APP store. The download number exploded exponentially, breaking one million downloads on the tenth day after release, beating Lines record at six hundred thousand downloads a day.
This could only be described as a miracle.
Usingmon sense, it would still take great marketing to pull off such a feat. Otherwise, no matter how amazing the app, it would take time for anyone to be familiar with the product. Future Technology Corporationit was a name no one ever had heard before.
Artificial intelligence? A changed algorithm with an increase in phone performance by threefold? Decrease power consumption by half? Automaticpatibility with both Android and iOS apps? Did they take all of the users for fools?
Fu*k, it actually has artificial intelligence that can speak? Siri is so dumb inparison.
Fu*k, it actually increased the phone performance by three times! Even cheap phones can y high-end games now without anyg!
Fu*k, it actually decreased the power consumption by half. My Huawei has a battery span of two days now!
A chain of explosive reactions ensued, followed by an exponential number of downloads. The waves of good ratings andments convinced the skeptical users to join the forces. In response to their shocking discovery, they also joined in promoting the app.
Future 1.0 officially caught the attention of all mobile users.
Within 361 Corporations headquarters.
I want to know the developer of this app, as well as the background of Future Technology. I dont care how you do it; I want a detailed report on my table in two hours. 361 Corporations president Zhou Hongwei sat at his office desk, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to alleviate his tiredness as he gave a task to 361 Phone Helpers Project Manager Zhang Jianfeng.
Yes. The middle aged man nodded as he hastily walked out of the office.
Boss, is the Future 1.0 as scary as it sounds? The assistant couldnt resist asking after seeing her bosss gloomy expression.
Do you know what artificial intelligence and enhanced phone functionality mean? Zhou Hongwei sneered with raised eyebrows.
But based on user dependency and
Dont mention those things; those are applicable when the software areparable. Zhou Hongwei rejected the assistants point right away. Would you continue to use an old flip phone after the introduction of a smartphone?
The young assistant was speechless, unable to argue against her bosss point. Even if the book said otherwise, the reality was right in front of her.
The introduction of the touch screen reced the necessity to have fifteen physical buttons, but the Future 1.0 reced the need to use fingers. The increased phone performance also broke through the limitation of mobile game development. The two breakthrough technologies exist on one software. Pity, if even one of them had been born in our 361 Phone Helper, I have full confidence that I wouldve been able to rece Penguin and be the new leader in the tech industry.
The thought of his horrendous defeat against Penguin in a battle for market shares enraged him to this day.
Zhou Hongweis finger gently tapped against the table amidst the assistants silence.
Less than half an hourter, the door was pushed open.
Zhang Jianfeng did not bother to knock on the door as he hastily approached his boss.
The information is here.
Excellent. Zhou Hongwei immediately began reading the information. Instead of criticizing him for his informality, he was pleased by the efficiency.
After scanning through the document with a frown, Zhou Hongwei immediately handed another task to his assistant.
Go and contact Gu Cheng from the technologys department. I give him permission to use any developers from any project. My only requirement is that I want to see a cracked version of Future 1.0 in a week.
Yes. The assistant nodded as she stepped out.
Immediately, Zhou Hongwei gave directives to his right-hand man Zhang Jianfeng.
Zhang Jianfeng, go contact Future Technologys owner Jiang Chen and discuss the possibility of an acquisition. If it can be purchased, then that would be the best option. If he asks for a price within 2 billion, I give you permission to ept right away. At the same time, ask if he is interesting in working for 361.
Yes. Zhang Jianfeng nodded, agreeing that the price his boss offered was not too high. As the 361 Phone Helpers Project Manager, he knew the value of this app.
2 Billion RMB? Even 2 billion USD was not enough. Zhang Jianfeng could only hope that Jiang Chen was too new to know the value of his software and would be shocked by the billion dor offer.
But was that possible? Jiang Chens own valuation for thepany was over trillions.
USD.
At the same time, what happened in 361 was also taking ce in Baidu, QQs headquarters, and even in the overseas Samsung, Microsoft, and Apple technology giants who expressed significant interest towards the app born in Hua.
Acquisition, cracking, joint venture A series of meetings revolved around the giant bomb that was Future 1.0.
Marketing expenditure of five hundred ny thousand includes creating impressions on social media, utilizing tforms such as Baidu, Wechat, and QQ, as well as other forms of advertisement.
Xia Shiyu had recovered from her cold. In professional attire, she concisely reported thepany development before Jiang Chen.
The work could have beenpleted like usual in Xia Shiyus home, but for whatever reason, the girl strongly opposed this idea. Using the excuse of the newly renovated office, she argued that thepany should start on the right track and changed the work location to here.
The girls cold attitude made Jiang Chen feel extremely hurt as he had stayed with her for the entire night when she had been sick.
Whats the download number? Jiang Chen leaned against the chair and asked in azy tone.
Perhaps used to hiscent work attitude, Xia Shiyu did not look displeased. She took out another report and continued, Future 1.0s total download has reached 20 million, with the record high reached on the tenth day.
Only 20 million? Jiang Chen frowned as he was unsatisfied.
This is not bad, okay? Xia Shiyu rolled her eyes at him. As soon as she woke up from her sickness, the first person she saw was Jiang Chen; afterwards, the way she treated him became ambiguous.
There are at least five hundred million smartphone users in Hua, and this is a conservative estimate. I only have 20 million out of this giant market. How is that not a little. Jiang Chen was trying to prove this point.
Its predicted that the user base will break the one hundred million mark by the end of August. Since our user base is too small, this is amendable result. Xia Shiyu flipped through the document as she exined.
You dont have to be so concerned. I am certain of your ability, Miss CEO. Jiang Chen grinned.
I am not concerned! Xia Shiyu rebutted.
But then she realized that arguing with the shameless Jiang Chen was futile, so she took a deep breath and brought the conversation back on topic. There is a total of twelvepanies that announced interest in partnership and acquisition.
Partnership, I am interested. You can arrange a schedule for me; Ill personally chat with them. As to acquisition, you can reject them without asking for my permission. Jiang Chen stretched.
Oh? IBM offered one point three billion USD. Xia Shiyu raised her eyebrows as she shoved the letter of intent into Jiang Chens arms with a smirk.
Hehe, I wont sell it for thirteen billion USD. Jiang Chen took the letter of intent and threw it into the garbage without a nce at the page.
Xia Shiyus mouth curved up at Jiang Chens response. She held the same opinion as Jiang Chen on the value of this software.
Suddenly, as if she just remembered something, she hesitated for a moment before she opened her mouth. Also, President, I have another thing I want to confirm with you.
What? You dont have to call me president, just call me Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen waved his hand.
Please keep business and personal life separate, Mr. President. Xia Shiyu smoothly replied as she continued on the topic, The quality of Future 1.0 is without a doubt impable. But regarding privacy, do we not need to submit a patent?
Privacy? There is privacy for software in this country? Jiang Chenughed at her rhetorical question.
Xia Shiyu was speechless, but she still offered her own opinion.
At least we will gain the advantage from a legal perspective. If anotherpany uses our technology without permission, we can proceed with legal action.
Submitting the patent means we have to provide a detailed exnation of our technology. To be honest, I dont trust them. Jiang Chen was straightforward. I am confident that within fifty years, no one will be able to crack Future 1.0. Moreover, in a couple of years, Future 2.0 will be introduced. As long as we remain the pioneer of this industry, we dont need a patent.
The nature of the patent was to receive protection and exclusive rights in exchange for sharing information. The patent required sufficient disclosure of the technical information which would allow people to replicate the technology.
But that was thest thing he wanted to do; how would it benefit him to disclose D++? He was not some selfless phnthropist.
Xia Shiyu remained silent. She didnt know where Jiang Chens confidence or the fifty years remark came from, but surprisingly, she didnt insist on it and chose to trust him.
Okay, since the majority shareholder has already made the decision, then Future 1.0s core technology will be ssified as a business secret. The relevant privacy information would require you to discuss with the software developer.
His title was the chief developer of this app, but it was only a fake role. The setting disclosed to the public was that an overseas developer team created Future 1.0 while his position only required him to represent the team.
Just like deceiving Zhao Chenwu, except he was deceiving the whole world this time.
Do you want to find the real developers? Go ahead; its in the other world.
Jiang Chen nodded as he didnt say anything more.
If a programmingnguage developed 100 years into the future managed to be cracked by the people of this time, it would literally have to be done by supernatural activity. As an example, it was like asking someone to program using the Cnguage when they had never learned it before. Even with the unencrypted code provided, the person was required to understand first; the only way was to guess and learn anguage with stronger logic flowpared to C.
On the other hand, considering Future Technologys growing poprity, I have contacted Wanghai Universitys administration and students to adjust the hiring time and location, Xia Shiyu said.
Oh? You dont have to report these things to me, just give me a schedule, and Ill make time to take care of it. Jiang Chen shrugged.
This is not a small task. Talent acquisition is critical to the future of thepany, especially the first batch of employeesthey will be the core of thepanys operation. From personality to knowledge, everything must be tested under a strict process.
Okay, because I trust your ability, Im assigning this important task to you.
Xia Shiyus face burned under Jiang Chens passionate gaze, but because she had light makeup on, with her limited facial expressions, Jiang Chen didnt notice her odd reaction.
Okay. Although she wanted to criticize Jiang Chen into at least preparing for the interview process, everything she wanted to say turned into one word.
Then lets go with this decision. Jiang Chenughed as he stood up from the office chair and walked to the door behind Xia Shiyu. Call me if you have anything. If Im not within the service zone, send me a text, and Ill call you back when I see.
Jiang Chen then left thepany, leaving Xia Shiyu staring nkly into space.
[Is there a president this irresponsible?]
Xia Shiyu rubbed her face with her hand.
There was another thing she didnt report: sevenpanies extended offers to her as shareholder and CEO of Future Technology. Thesepanies included world-renowned technology giants where every graduate dreamed to work at.
If it were like before, she would most likely have taken a look at this information. But this time, without ncing at it, she shredded it. Even she was surprised by her decisiveness.
[With Future 1.0s potential, there is no need to consider the techpanies that are about to get reshuffled. President Jiang Chen, he is probably working hard in areas I cant see. Future 1.0 cant drop from the sky, right?] Xia Shiyu convinced herself.
She nced at the messy documents, sighing at Jiang Chens work habit.
She organized them into categories before she left the presidents office, gently closing the door behind her.
Chapter 70 - Catching the Wind
Chapter 70: Catching the Wind
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Wanghai Universitys female dormitory.
Lulu, what are you doing? Wang Xinran suddenly hugged her best friend from behind and giggled as she drew her face closer to the phone.
Stop, stop, Im ying Hearthstone. Chen Lulu concentrated on the screen; she was a typical gamer girl.
Eh? Thats boring. Wait, I heard that Android cant y Hearthstone. Wang Xinran curiously said as she recalled.
Hehe, this is where you dont understand. After I finish this game, Ill show you my adorable Little White. With a conceited smile at the opponents disappointed voice saying , she delightfully stretched.
Am I not amazing at Hearthstone? Chen Lulu raised her eyebrows as she said proudly.
I dont y the game. Wang Xinran pouted but then returned to her previous question. Tell me, how did you y an iOS game on Android?
Rather than Hearthstone, she was more interested in this. As a media major student and the producer of Wanghai Universitys campus news team, she sensed a scoop from this interesting discovery.
Wait, wait. Boom! Look, my Little White. Chen Luluforted this short-tempered best friend and revealed her baby.
What is this? A digital pet? Wang Xinran sighed. She never had an interest in these phone games, but the chubby robot did look adorable.
Try talking with him, Chen Lulu said mysteriously.
Wang Xinran nked out before she looked at her friend with confusion.
Chen Lulu seemed to expect Wang Xinrans confusion, but she ignored her and spoke to the phone screen.
Little White, sisters friend doesnt believe you can talk. Can you find a way for her to like you?
Wang Xinran rolled her eyes at Chen Lulu. Was this girl crazy because she gamed too much?
But the next second, she waspleted stunned.
I dont care about other people as long as Master likes me, hehe. The adorable electronic voice didnt sound cold at all, as if it came from a real human. Little Whites voice was full of emotion as he lied down, exposing his belly.
Thats not okay. Xinran is sisters best friend. From the outsiders perspective, Chen Lulu talking to the phone lookedical, but Wang Xinran was too fixated on the situation to ridicule her.
Okay Little White got up begrudgingly and looked at Wang Xinrans direction with a cute blink of his big eyes. Sister Xinran, can we be good friends?
You, are you customer service? Wang Xinran nkly asked.
No, Little White is an artificial intelligence, Little White puffed out his chest as he said proudly.
How is this possible wait! Then shouldnt every single action be repetitive? Why is that? Wang Xinran suddenly thought of a more critical question.
Even Reixins Simbawith only some gif images, such programs mimicked human behavior with limited and repetitive actions, regardless of how human-friendly the design.
But this Little White he looked like he was alive on the screen.
Little White, can you wave your hand? Wang Xinran gulped as she asked.
Like this? Little White tilted his head because he initially didnt understand the question before he extended his short and chubby hand and waved.
Magical! It was alive, as if every frame of movement was not pre-nned but instead the action of Little White himself.
I know what you are thinking; I was shocked too. Chen Lulus vanity was fulfilled, pleased to see the shocked look on her friends face. Hehe, the function is not limited to this. Do you know that he can improve the phone processor efficiency by three times? I dont even know how he did it.
Improved by three times?
But facts like this didnt even surprise Wang Xinran anymore. Nothing couldpare to the existence of artificial intelligence, and the fact that the guy who invented it thought to apply it to the phone industry. What a waste; it could have gone towards industries, environmental protection, aerospace, or even military.
She clearly envisioned greater possibilities for Little White.
By the way, where did your home screen go? Wang Xinran figured out another problemher friends home screen and apps had disappeared.
Oh, those things. Little White, surprise her. Chen Lulu didnt even move her finger as she propped the phone on the table at a nt.
Okay. Little White adorably blinked.
Take a photo of me and my best friendthe type thates out pretty! Chen Lulu turned her eyes before she suddenly hugged Wang Xinran and kissed her on the cheek.
Ohe on, this is embarrassing! Wang Xinran blushed, caught off guard by her best friends actions.
Kacha.
A perfect photo was captured and saved for the best friends.
Okay, help me send her a copy and open Hearthstone. Im going to destroy some people.
Hehe, okay, Master. Little White giggled. Just as the voice died, Wang Xinran felt the phone vibration from her pocket.
[So thats how it works. If its like this, then the home screen is really not necessary.]
Wang Xinran smiled as she began to understand the software, then inquired about its origin.
Oh, the software is called Future 1.0. The name sounds pretty sci-fi. You can download it on the Android market; its only 53 megabytes! But you have to be careful and download the version from Future Technology! There are a lot of fake versions online which include some weird stuff and have nothing to do with Little White.
There are already fake versions? Wang Xinran was shocked. She had been preupied with family affairs for a time, and she was already so behind?
Yes! The software is too popr. Its said that the software consecutively broke the daily download record! Chen Lulu proudly said as if she had made the software herself.
Sounds like its your creation. Wang Xinran mocked her excited friend.
Hehe, I heard that Future Technologys president and the chief developer is an alumni! My friend from software engineering said that their professor praised the product for half the ss and predicted that a Bill Gates of the east would be born from Wanghai University. Apparently he made it sound like he personally taught the student. Also, a friend in the student union told me that they woulde to our school to hire. Maybe Ill get the job. Chen Lulu proudly raised her small face.
You are not even studyingputer science, so why would you bother? Wang Xinran poked her friends head, speechless at her thought process.
It was true that she was in her fourth year already however; it was time to consider either the job market or go on to graduate studies.
But I am studyingw. What major corporation doesnt have a legal counsel? Chen Lulu rolled her eyes at Wang Xinran and waved her tiny fists. Ahem, my first task there will be to sue all of the copying bastards and teach them a lesson or two!
Yes! Sue them! Their version made me look so ugly. Little White peeked from the side of the screen and sounded terribly wronged.
Wang Xinran giggled. She sincerely wished for her friends dream to be reality.
Also, she was curious about the alumni who developed this magical software. An unshavenputer genius? A top student with sses? Or just an ordinary guy?
Interesting. Looks like it was time to report on this godlike person.
Jiang Chen leanedfortably against the chair, the steam from his coffee wafting gently into the air. Xia Shiyu, dressed in sharp, professional attire, stood in front of his desk reporting on the current progress.
The feeling was unreal.
His previous manager was standing in front of his table as an employee. It didnt matter what she was reading aloud; his own vanity was through the roof.
Of course, it was critical to focus on the business.
There are fourteen fake softwares on the Android tform. Seven used Little White as the main attraction, three used our Future Technologys logo, and there are two versions of card games that directly used Little Whites character.
A tall tree catches the wind, a person in a high position is liable to be attacked. Dont worry. The inte user base is not dumb and will be selective in their choices. Its impossible to copy our software. Jiang Chen casually dismissed the issue.
Because the Apple store has a stricter auditing process, there are no fake versions on the iOS tform. Xia Shiyu didnt mind Jiang Chens interruption, finishing her report as usual before stating her opinion, Just as the president said, our software privacy is impable. The current fake versions will never be able to replicate and rece our software, but their negative influence should not be be underestimated either. If a user searched for us and saw a screen full of fake products, their first impression would be ruined. My rmendation is to immediately use legal methods to solve the problem.
Looks like we need to form our legal team soon. Jiang Chen smiled.
Thats right, so please emphasize its importance in tomorrows hiring fair. Also, a wave of negative opinions have emerged on the inte in an attempt to tarnish Future 1.0s reputation, creating the notion that artificial intelligence is extremely dangerous. At the same time, they raised concerns regarding Future 1.0s user privacy. For example, since mobile payment is a popr method, the user canplete transactions by telling the password to Little White andmanding him toplete the payment process. Therefore, users are worried about the possibility of Little White leaking the password, or even being hacked.
Privacy, it certainly was a problem.
If it was an emotionless program, despite its wed backend design, people would not feel their privacy was threatened as long as the fact was not exposed on the table; yet, if it was an emotional artificial intelligence, even if it was designed wlessly, people would subconsciously question it.
Because it was too simr to humans.
Jiang Chens expression turned serious before he slowly opened his mouth and said, This sort of concern is unnecessary, but with the current status quo, even if I made the guarantee now, it would not convince the users. How about thispublish a notice and establish Little Whites absolute loyalty to the individual user. It is written in the code and cannot be changed! No one other than the user can ess personal information through Little White.
Additionally, Little White recognizes the master through abination of verbal and facial recognition technology, leaving it without any possibility of a security w! Any user that suffers financial loss because of an error in Little Whites programming will receive fullpensation from Future Technology!
What if a security error does exist? Xia Shiyu had to interrupt as this notice was too absolute.
It is impossibleyou only need to trust this point. As for how the announcement will be written, use what I said as a reference and polish it up. Jiang Chen grinned.
If youre so confident, then well follow your decision. Also, Ill create some public opinions using this notice as the backbone to repel the opposingments. A hint of a smile bloomed on Xia Shiyus face.
Although she didnt know the identity of the one behind the nder, once this guarantee was published, she had the confidence to turn the tide of ridicule towards a positive direction. She would use the negativity to push Future 1.0 to new heights.
Those malicious people with the intent to create obstacles for them would be the stepping stone for Future Technology.
Thats all for the bad news. Now lets talk about the good news. A bright smile appeared on Xia Shiyus face as she pulled out another document.
Future 1.0s total download number already exceeds fifty million with the daily download number still increasing exponentially. In the overseas market Are you listening? Xia Shiyu noticed Jiang Chens unnatural expression and stuttered to a stop with a confused look.
Ahh continue? Jiang Chen regathered his wits that had scattered at her smile.
That was his first time seeing her smile at work.
Was she okay?
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows in concern, but Xia Shiyu interpreted it as a signal that he was back on track, so she cleared her throat and continued without requiring an answer to her question.
Mhmm, President, please focus on the task at hand. In the overseas market, Future 1.0 has also achieved a substantial number; however, because Little White has yet to bepatible with anothernguage, it cannot interact with international users. The general hope is for Future Technology to develop versions in othernguages. Lastly, Google and Microsoft both extended queries for a partnership in developing artificial intelligence. Xia Shiyu finished and nced at Jiang Chen.
Because of the softwares encrypted nature, the only version on the market was in Han, leaving international users excited and unable to wait to get their hands on it.
Thats not a problem; it will be avable shortly. As for the invitation from Google and Apple, if they want a partnership, it should be okay.
The artificial intelligence database already included 140nguages, but for the sake of decreasing the size of the file, Jiang Chen chose to eliminate all othernguages; otherwise, the software would not have been 53 megabytesit would have been 5300 megabytes.
Jiang Chen would make Du Yongkong release the overseas version once the time was right, but for now, the focus was on consolidating their position in the domestic market. As long as they announced the ongoing development of the international version, it would continue to build up the hype.
As for the foreigners who really couldnt wait, they would have to learn Han.
Then Ill respond to them. The meeting will be scheduled three days after the hiring fair. Xia Shiyu pushed up her sses. To prevent the president from forgetting, Ill read the schedule again. In the morning, youll meet with 361 Phone Helpers Project Manager Zhang Jianfeng. In the afternoon, theres a press conference; many media sites would like to interview the Bill Gates from the east. I highly rmend you prepare beforehand. On the third day, youll meet with representatives from Microsoft in the morning, Googles in the afternoon.
Then wouldnt my schedule be full? A bitter smiled forced its way onto Jiang Chens face.
You could say that. Domestically, you still havent met with representatives from six techpanies. Ill take care of the requests from the smaller corporations. Xia Shiyu nodded.
[Just shoot me now.]
Looking at Jiang Chens bleak smile, Xia Shiyu felt a little shaken. She sighed and said gently, Youll be busy only for this period of time. Thepany is in its initial phase; as the president, you must disy positivity. After this month, your workload will be lighter.
An odd grin appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Is there something wrong? she confusedly asked when she spotted his expression.
Youve changed.
Hmm? Xia Shiyu didnt understand.
You are more caring now. Jiang Chen sincerely praised her.
President, its the same words, please. Xia Shiyu seemed somewhat frantic. As to why she felt frantic, she didnt know either.
This is not a personal problem. He grinned, having already guessed her next words. Only a caring superior can be a good president. I am more and more confident with your role as CEO.
So it was not personal.
For some reason, Xia Shiyu felt disappointed in her heart.
Hmm? Howe now that I praise you, you look more serious now? Jiang Chen was troubled.
Without another word, Xia Shiyu gentlyid the documents on Jiang Chens desk before stiffly walking out of the office.
[Strange woman.]
Jiang Chen shook his head before sipping his coffee.
[Why are they all so cold?]
Chapter 71 - Ayesha’s Unique Trait
Chapter 71: Ayeshas Unique Trait
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
The mansions renovation had beenpleted two days ago. After checking out from the hotel, he brought Ayesha to the mansion. With only two people, the massive estate did feel empty, but he was confident that one day, it would be filled with people.
Hehe.
At night, Jiang Chen drove his Maybach S600 back to the mansion. He hummed as he parked the car in the garage, then realized that Ayesha was already waiting for him.
He smiled as he walked towards her after closing the door.
You dont have to wait for me at the door; I have the key, he said as he gently touched the dark brown hair.
You are my husband. As the wife, it is my duty to wait for you toe home. Jiang Chen forced a smile at the Han words that came stiltedly from her mouth.
[Husband]
The unexpected event had been his fault, but who could control themselves under the influence of alcohol?
[Ayeshasck of resistance means part of the responsibility lies on her as well. No, no, a man must take responsibility.]
[Worst case scenario, Ill have many wives! What rich guy doesnt have a mistress or twothe only difference is whether its been documented or not. She did say that she doesnt care too much about the procedures.]
At this point, Jiang Chen no longer contemted the matter as he always lived by his desires. He nced apologetically at Ayesha as he let her undress him out of his suit and into casual casual clothing before they headed to the dining room for dinner.
Dinner consisted of steak, roastedmb, and fresh sd. The raw ingredients had been bought from the store and prepared by Ayesha. It was evident that in order to fulfill her role as the wife, she spent much effort to raise her cooking skills.
Finally, he could eat fine meals in his own home. Jiang Chen was pleased with the idea alone. By himself, his cooking could only be considered modestly edible.
As for theck of pork, he didnt mind as long as the meal tasted good.
Is the taste okay? Ayesha anxiously asked.
Delicious! Jiang Chenplimented her cooking with an affirmative nod.
Besides a fork and knife, Ayesha had thoughtfully prepared a pair of chopsticks for Jiang Chen. Although it was strange to eat steak with chopsticks, it was more convenient with spaghetti.
Jiang Chen atefortably and without restraint since they were within the privacy of their home.
Great. At Jiang Chenspliment, Ayesha sighed happily, then lowered her head and prayed before starting her meal.
The steak was a little too overdone, but considering she had just started cooking, her aplishment was already impressive. The sd received high recognition from Jiang Chen as he devoured it with gravy and peppered french toast.
Overall, it wasparable to a meal at the restaurant.
Although, he enjoyed eating rice and cooked dishes more.
After dinner, Jiang Chen stately wiped his mouth before he praised Ayesha once more, causing a shy smile to creep onto her face.
This apathetic girl would only disy soft tenderness in front of Jiang Chen.
While Ayesha took care of the dishes, Jiang Chen headed towards the gym on the third floor. He picked an empty space before cing the training chamber down from inside the storage dimension. He then put 1000 crystals inside the energy before sealing it. One crystal provided enough power for ten hours, which meant 1000 crystals was more than enough.
Afterwards, Jiang Chen called Ayesha to the gym.
I have something I need you to keep a secret, okay? Jiang Chen gravely gazed into Ayeshas eyes.
You are my life. I am willing to swear on my religion to prove my loyalty. Ayeshas expression remained unchanged as she said this calmly.
The moment Jiang Chen saved her, she had made an oath with her god.
Jiang Chen nodded, and then smiled.
Its not that serious. I trust you. But what youll see next will be unbelievable; if other people were to find out, it would not be good for me.
He then led Ayesha to the training chamber.
Its a virtual reality training chamber. It will help you train the necessary skills while youre in a sleeping state. You only need to lie there and follow the directions of the system. Also, do you dislike weapons? This was the critical question, and Jiang Chen gazed into her eyes as he asked for her opinion.
I am willing to fight for you. Ayeshas response was still calm.
Okay, but if you feel ufortable, you have to tell me. Jiang Chen nodded.
She smiled faintly as she luxuriated in Jiang Chens care.
How could a woman who lived in the desert be afraid of weapons? She had seen too many tragedies; she was already desensitized to blood.
If Jiang Chen needed her to pick up her weapon and fight for him, he only needed to say the word; shed swing her sharp de at his enemy without hesitation.
Sensing the bloodlust in her eyes, Jiang Chen gave a strained smile as he attempted to adjust her mentality.
I think youre mistaken about something. I dont want to train you into an assassin; I only need you to learn somebat abilities to use in dangerous situations as a bodyguard. For this, you need to learn Han, how to drive, andbat skills. As for the weapons guide in the training chamber, take a look only if youre interested. If not, theres no rush.
Mhmm. Ayesha nodded. Although she didnt voice it, she had already made up her mind to learn everything.
Jiang Chen was delighted seeing Ayesha understand his intent.
A beautiful driver and bodyguardthe idea alone sounded fantastic.
You dont have to go to ss anymore; this training chamber is much more efficient to learn with. Also, you can first lie on that yoga mat. Jiang Chen scanned the room, only to find that it was the only viable location.
Ayeshas face turned red and prepared to unbutton her clothes.
Seeing her action, Jiang Chen immediately realized the mimunication.
Ahem, no, not that! You just need to lie down, no need to undress. Jiang Chen quickly stopped her.
Confused, Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen before slowly lying down on the yoga mat.
To improve your body condition, Ill inject a newly developed medicine. It has no side effects and will improve your muscle strength and reflex He tried to find a better way to word his exnation.
Suddenly, Ayesha ced her finger gently against his mouth. A cheerful smile appeared on the cold face.
Im willing to do anything for you.
Jiang Chen paused, and then grabbed her hand as he sincerely said, Thank you.
By saving him the trouble ofing up with an exnation, she was showing her tenderness.
Jiang Chen took out the C-level gic vine. Recalling the injection procedure, he gently raised her arm and slowly pushed the needle inside her soft skin.
The pain was like an ant sting, making her voice a small shout as her eyebrows tightened. Jiang Chen took a deep breath before carefully pushing the vibrant red liquid into Ayeshas body.
Done. Relieved, he pressed the prepared cotton swab on her arm and signaled that she could get up. What he didnt understand was why her face had turned so red.
Within three days, the effects from the vine will start to appear. Every morning and night, train in the gym for an hour before going into the training chamber to study. The liquid in there can also enhance your skin and body condition. Once youre submerged in the liquid, dont be anxious as the machine will ensure your breathing. And also Jiang Chen couldnt bear to approach the ufortable topicing up.
Mhmm. Ayesha concentrated on Jiang Chen as she waited for him to finish.
Ahem. It was too important to be skipped. After a moments hesitation, Jiang Chen forced himself to say, After you lie down, the nervous connection system will prompt an option for you to select. When you press initiate, a catheter will be inserted into your body; it might feel odd, just dont move.
In the end, the English words flew rapidly out from his mouth, surprising even himself.
Ayeshas face immediately turned red as she unnaturally grabbed her clothes. In the end, she still obediently nodded.
Mhmm
Soldiers who used the virtual reality chamber could notpletely remove the sensation of pain. If they underestimated injuries, their ability to survive would be drastically decreased, so the militarys version of the training chamber simted real wounds as long as it was not over the pain threshold.
The issue then was that when experiencing pain, often due to the intense stimtion, some unexpected consequences would crop up.
Such as excreting waste.
Nobody wanted to stay in nutrient supply polluted by human waste, so these training chambers were designed with excretion systems that solved the users biological needs.
Due to the unique material of the ergonomic pipes, they would be inserted into the appropriate ces. Thefort level differed based on the individual, but it would not hurt so much as feel odd.
After each use, the part inserted into the body was reced.
The back would be okay, but from the front Although the body would be secured in ce, it would still be dangerous for people to struggle against the process. Sun Jiao had emphasized this point several times before looking mischievously down at his lower body.
Naturally, Jiang Chen had to tell Ayesha, who was about to use the equipment, to prepare her mentally.
But it was embarrassing, especially from guy to a girl.
In the gym, Ayesha hesitantly touched the training chamber.
[Pass through there]
Just thinking about it made Ayeshas face blush from embarrassment.
It was a necessary biological function.
Her legs felt weak, but she dragged her steps to the training chamber and then stopped.
She took several more deep breaths, which made the outer covering that looked like clear fluids fog up with a fine mist.
She bit her lips as she made up her mind, and then took off her clothes before she carefully stepped into the training chamber.
The chamber closed on her, making her anxiety spike.
ustrophobic? Unable to move? It was difficult to pinpoint the reason, but Ayeshas usual calm heart kept pounding and pounding.
The nervous system structures connected to the base of her neck and gradually pushed her head backwards. A soothing electric pulse passed through her, and she felt a moveable mouse focus on her pupils.
The training chamber was user-friendly and allowednguage customization.
She waited for a few more minutes before finally moving the mouse to the initiate button.
The edges of her conscious grew fuzzy, as though she was about to fall asleep. Ayesha rxed her body. A soft material pressed against her joints as a protection mechanism that would be removed once she entered deep sleep. The level of the nutrient supply in the chamber gently rose, making her feelfortable. The only part that worried her was the object pressed against her lower body.
The back was okay, but the front
The tube-like object seemed to be the excretion system Jiang Chen had talked about. Despite her mental preparations, when it began to search like a thread entering a needle, she tensed up again.
It would be okay after a few tries.
Ayesha constantlyforted herself, then made up her mind and chose the button.
Mhmm
A cold sensation.
Her limbs tensed up in response to the suspense. Ayesha bit her lips hard, trying to ignore that odd feeling.
[It feels weird. This is not right.]
[This feels]
[Ahhh, no!]
She stared nkly at the warnings on her pupil, regathering her breaths that came in short pants. She felt the odd wetness that left her herpletely dumbfounded.
[I just, that cant be But how]
Chapter 72 - I Have Only Two Words for You
Chapter 72: I Have Only Two Words for You
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Disregarding Ayesha, who had entered a state of confusion, Jiang Chen brushed his teeth and liedfortably on the soft bed.
It felt different from sleeping in the mansion.
The elegant chandelier, the calming decorations and wallpaper, and the soft bed that you could almost sink into.
In the 10-square-meter bedroom he previously upied, either way he rolled, he would hit the wall. But on this enormous bed, two extra inhabitants could easily fit onto it.
Enjoying the luxurious environment, he grabbed his new iPhone 6 and clicked on the cute Little White on the screen to open Wechat.
To be fair, once the trend died down, he switched back to the simple screen function.
Perhaps this was Future 1.0s shortfall? People could download the 53 megabyte app out of curiosity, but once the initial excitement cooled down, people would discover the inconvenience of wordmands. For example, speaking to themselves in public could be awkward and ying with the phone in ss difficult.
Du Yongkong didnt belong in this era. The program he designed may have been perfect, but it did not match this day and age. Jiang Chen missed this point as he previously thought having the technological edge alone would be enough, but he forgot that any software must bebined with creativity to be sessful. Minecraft was a good example in that although the game was simplistic with pixted images, the yability wasparable to most triple-A games.
It was by good fortune that Little White managed to fit another demand by coincidence.
Apanion that would never betray you, always at your side tofort and encourage youand always on yourputer.
As an electric pet, Little White would respond with his full attention to whatever was said to him. Any secrets could be shared without worry, and in this technological world where people were growing further apart, burdened by the pressures of life, they oftencked a listener.
If he didnt know that artificial intelligencecked any true emotion with reactions based on a database, Jiang Chen would dly chat with this little guy.
But since he knew the underlying secret, it felt strange talking to a lifeless creature.
It still felt more real to speak with a human being.
Just as he was about to chat with Liu Yao, his phone rang.
Unknown number? It was prettyte; perhaps it was a telemarketer again.
But since he didnt have anything better to do, hezily picked up the phone.
Hello, who is this? Slouching, he changed to a morefortable position.
After a brief silence, a voice finally transmitted from the other caller.
Its me. Do you still remember me? The shy voice made Jiang Chen pause.
[Why does this voice sound so familiar? Who is it?]
Fang Yuanyuan took a deep breath to try and make herself sound more natural.
She had already deleted Jiang Chens number a long time ago, but when she found out the poor guy who tried to date her had be rich and handsome, even living in a one hundred million RMB mansion, Fang Yuanyuan couldnt sit around any longer.
The arrogance of Xiao Mengying also made her especially disgusted and jealous.
Whenever she thought about Xiao Mengying, she became enraged. The two million bonus slipped out of her hands just like that! The General Manager even praised her multiple times for her impressive sales record at the recognition meeting.
[It should have belonged to me]
Fang Yuanyuans enmity made her forget that she was the one who had pushed him away.
It wasnt toote; from Xiao Mengyings words, she could tell that the sl*t didnt manage topletely eat up Jiang Chen. Realizing that she still had a chance, she used all of her efforts to finally get Jiang Chens phone number from a university ssmate.
She even wrote a script.
She nned on using the distressed card to win his sympathy. Then she would hint at her single status, and all because of him
A cocky smile appeared on her face as Fang Yuanyuan patiently waited for Jiang Chen to take the bait.
Ummm, sorry, who are you?
The words that came from the phone frustrated her, making her curse Jiang Chens dullness. She adjusted her mentality to sound as if shed been wronged.
This, this is Fang Yuanyuan Have you forgotten me already?
[Fang Yuanyuan?] Jiang Chen frowned. [Why is this girl calling me? Did I not embarrass her enough?]
He wanted to hang up right away out of annoyance but then smirked at a thought that urred to him.
After spending too much time with Sun Jiao, he had turned into an evil person as well.
Oh, Fang Yuanyuan, whats up? Jiang Chen casually answered.
Using a gentle voice would have the best effect and he was confident that he had the acting skills to pull it off, but he didnt want to waste too much effort on this green tea bit*h; he was only looking to have some fun.
Umm, were you sleeping? Fang Yuanyuan heard Jiang Chens response and couldnt help but feel delighted.
She could sense an opportunity, but instead of cutting straight to the point, she carefully asked if Jiang Chen was asleep.
Not yet. Is there anything you need? Im about to sleep. His tonecked any sign of the frustration that he felt.
Last time Sorry, Fang Yuanyuan gently said.
Oh? What are you referring to? Jiang Chen responded.
Thest time when you came to buy a house. Its my fault for misunderstanding you, Fang Yuanyuan said remorsefully.
Apologizing? Jiang Chen wasnt so sure anymore.
If she wanted to apologize for her actions, there was nothing he couldnt forgive since it was not a big deal to begin with. But just as Jiang Chen was about to express his understanding, Fang Yuanyuan continued speaking.
Do you know? The second you showed up, my heart was beating so fast
This sentence almost scared Jiang Chen into flinging his phone away.
[What the fu*k? What are you trying to act out? A Korean drama? E!]
He resisted the urge to throw up, forcing himself to not hang up and instead listen for the sake of hearing out the entire story.
I was afraid that you hadnt forgotten about me. Do you remember? When I rejected you, you were so sad. Watching you in secret, I felt troubled as well, but at the time, I couldnt be with you. Fang Yuanyuan masterfully controlled her sorrowful voice as she told the story sincerely.
I really wanted to say yes, but my father didnt let me, wanting me to marry his friends son with whom I was promised to at a young age. I was always resentful of the idea, and in the end, I realized that the person in my heart is
Its me, right? Jiang Chen mockingly interrupted.
He couldnt bear it for a second longer.
Why did she need to find an excuse to be a bit*h? If she had been straightforward and admitted it, then Jiang Chen wouldnt have felt this grossed out.
Yes Fang Yuanyuan nked out. Jiang Chens reaction was not what she had expected. His tone made her feel that something was off.
Not a bad script. If you added a heartfelt cry, perhaps it would match a third-tier Korean drama. But there is one thing I dont understand. How could someone be so shameless?
Fang Yuanyuans face turned ashen.
Now that I have money, you regretted your decision and became a gold digger, pulling off this bullsheet. You really think Id fall for this? Jiang Chen grimly stared at the ceiling as he spoke emotionlessly into the phone.
You really think Im only after your money? The voice was almost whimpering.
[Is it not?] Jiang Chen burst outughing.
You rejected meI dont me you. Everyone has the right to say yes or no. I only me myself for being ipetent, too blind to see the truth. You only used me when you needed me and ignored me when you didnt. I thought I liked you, but I was too naive.
A mocking smile curved on Jiang Chens face. He remembered that in his first year, he ran through the rain for several kilometers just to give her an umbre because he thought her sweet smile was worth it.
The reality was that everything had been an act.
His best friend from the same ss told him that Fang Yuanyuan already had two boyfriends between first and second year, even getting an abortion for a rich and handsome man. Everything had been hidden away from Jiang Chen at the time since his buddy didnt have the heart to tell him, afraid of ruining their friendship. But after seeing Jiang Chens sorrows after his rejection, the truth came out.
Jiang Chen remembered that he startedughing when he heard it.
At that moment, it no longer seemed to matter.
Who hadnt been hurt by a bit*h before?
And now you still expect me to ept you? To care for you like I did before? I only have two words for youdumb bastards! Jiang Chen harshly hung up.
A gloom cast itself over Fang Yuanyuans face as she bit her lips to the point of turning white. Her eyes were filled with overwhelming shame.
[Is this still the same foolish guy? Thats impossible. He rejected me, embarrassed me.]
Hatred, humiliation, and no longer any regret.
Negative emotions began to overwhelm her conscience as if everything was Jiang Chens fault. She selectively ignored her despicable actions in the past and how awful she had been at Wanhua Real Estate.
A crazy thought urred to her.
Fang Yuanyuans finger trembled as she opened her contact list and found a name that made her shiver just by looking at it.
Perhaps the devil erased her conscience; she made up her mind and called that number.
Oh? Girl, do you miss me? The flirty tone frustrated Fang Yuanyuan, but she couldnt show the slightest contempt for this man.
Pervert, Ill tell you something. I have a friend that made some money No, no, he is clean with no background. I know that guyhe just got lucky.
Fang Yuanyuan used a coquettish voice that even she was disgusted by. Hearing the confirmation on the other side, a smile bloomed on her face.
After praising some more, Fang Yuanyuan hung up and flung the phone far away. As if drained by the phone call, she leaned against the cold table
Liu Shiqiang, the son of Hongyi Gangs head in Wanghai City, and also the gang prince who had forced her to y with five people.
A shameful tear rolled down Fang Yuanyuans face, soon twisting into a wicked expression.
Jiang Chen, you despicable pig. I want to see, with all of your money, if you can mess with the gang.
Chapter 73 - Career Fair
Chapter 73: Career Fair
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Jiang Chen woke up early the next day.
It seemed Ayesha stayed in the training chamber for the entire night but still managed to wake up before he did to make breakfast.
Although he was eager to ask about her opinions on the virtual reality training system, as he opened his mouth, Ayeshas face became a dusk-red.
Hmm? Jiang Chen figured it was better not to ask, so he gave up.
After breakfast, he pestered Ayesha to avoid focusing so much that she forgot her meals before heading down to the garage and driving his luxury Maybach to thepany.
When he arrived, Jiang Chen saw that Xia Shiyu was already waiting for him while constantly checking the time. He smiled grimly when saw the thick briefcase.
The girl was too much of a workaholicthe day had just begun.
Yourete by two minutes.
Opening the car door, Xia Shiyu settled into the front passenger seat.
Ahem, isnt the first sentence supposed to be good morning? Jiang Chen tried to crack a joke before he started the car.
She put on the seatbelt and after a brief pause, murmured, Because it is work time.
Do you take the subway every day? Thats too inconvenient. Why dont I give you a car? You have your license, right? Jiang Chen casually said.
That wouldnt be good for thepany. It has yet to develop a method of stable revenue, and you are already providing benefits to the executives. Xia Shiyus eyebrows furrowed, her hands clenched on the briefcase as she focused on its button.
Its okay. It would be too embarrassing for the CEO of a trillion dorpany to have no ride. You dont have to worry about revenue generation; the Future 1.0 functions have yet to be fully unlocked. For example, antivirus, social media tforms, and even recing the original operating system. Are you still worried about revenue generation? He smirked confidently.
Drawn by the confident smile, she was immediately shocked by the new information. She abruptly said, Future 1.0 already has other functions? Why didnt you tell me?
Her eyes looked usingly at him, as if he had neglected her.
He did not purposely hide it, just that he had forgotten it in the back of his mind.
Ahem, of course, its based on strategic considerations. Future 1.0 can grow right now because we are not in a directpetition with apps under other tech giants. That means we can still work with them given the opportunity.
It was no wonder Xia Shiyu was made to be a CEO; she immediately understood his intention.
Since she didnt need to focus on mary concerns anymore, the initial stage was focused on reinforcing their ce in the market. Once arge enough user base was established, it would take guts to try and shake Future 1.0s position.
Wanghai University.
On the grassy fields stood a stone on which the mighty strokes of ink showed the mark of time on its surfaceWanghai University.
It was rumored that the stone had witnessed the fall of a dynasty and the rise of a republic. It was present during the merciless gunfires and passionate speeches. Not once did it alter itself to fit an era; the only thing that changed were the people passing by.
He watched the countless lively figures, reminiscing about the past.
Truth be told, he never expected to return to his school. He did not leave much of an impact, so at reunions, he would not have much to do.
He could not help but exim at the miracle that is life. In just one and a half years time, he managed to return as the president of Future Technology to hire at his own school, to hire new talents from the ce that had taught him.
Now that I think about it, we are both alumni, so howe you became the manager right away and I became your employee? Jiang Chen joked around lightheartedly.
Along the way, countless envious looks were directed at Jiang Chen. Of course, he knew it was towards the car, not himself.
A Maybach S600a decent number of people recognized the price of the car. But the tinted windows blocked the curiosity of the young men and women, leaving them with their imaginations.
To be honest, he enjoyed receiving this sort of envy.
Because when he rode his bicycle down the same road, no one gave him a second look.
Now the situation has turned around, hasnt it? Xia Shiyu said mockingly.
She knew Jiang Chen was not the type to hold on to the past, so she was not sensitive about the topic either.
Jiang Chen didnt disagree, only smiling and enjoying the fulfilment.
It was not long before they entered the parking lot of the library. Under the guidance of the two student union leaders responsible for greeting, they arrived at the event hall.
The hiring fair would start promptly at 9 oclock, and there was still half an hour left.
Senior Jiang Chen, I hope you dont make it too difficult for our juniors.
Of course, but Miss Xia Shiyu will be the one mostly responsible for the hiring, he answered. Jiang Chen had a positive impression of this ponytailed student union leader.
Many seniors who are applying today are your fans, student union leader Zhang Bingli said as she blinked.
Oh? My fans? Jiang Chen sat up, interested.
Mhmm, especially the seniors in mechanical engineering; they are your juniors.
Jiang Chen forced a smile when he heard it was the mechanical engineering major. Although it was considered a technical degree, the employment was higher in nearly all other majors. It was not that the major itself was useless, but too many people studied under it, depreciating the majors value.
Dont be surprised, senior Jiang Chen, but there are a lot of people applying together, the student union leader joked around.
Jiang Chen shrugged as he smiled, indicating that he was more than prepared for it.
Half an hour passed quickly, and the hiring fair officiallymenced. Software-rted positions were the focus of the morning.
Despite preparing himself, the number of applicants still far exceeded his expectations.
It could only be described as hectic! It was fortunate that the student unions managed to control the situation by using a number system to direct traffic. They also suggested that applicants withter numbers look at otherpanies first before returning. A temporary fence was then set up around the tables entrance.
Despite these efforts, Jiang Chen continuously received resume after resume.
The new generation of future leaders made up thergest portion of Future 1.0s user demographics. Therefore, thepany had a significant influence on these young individuals who were at the forefront of new ideas.
Everyone saw the potential of the artificial intelligence software. It would not take long for the rtively unknown Future Technology to be the current Tencent or Ali, stunning the domestic industry and eventually the global technology sector.
Even their professor professed that he could not understand the theory behind the artificial intelligence called Little White.
Hello, Mr. Jiang. I have always looked up to you. I am aputer engineering major.
[Youre not even trying when you suck up to me. I was unemployed half a year ago, and you say youve always looked up to me?]
I am a graduate, with experience as a recognized student governor and performed well within the organization.
[Then why dont you go apply to be a politician? Why are you here?]
I am a graduate from the software engineering international partnership ss. I wish to apply for the program development position. Also, I have a question for you, if you dont mind answering for me. How did Future Technology develop artificial intelligence? From my understanding, internationally, the best in the field is IBM Watson.
[Am I interviewing you or are you interviewing me? Also, why do you sound like those critics on the inte who alwayspare Little White to the half-finished Watson?]
However, this was not what gave Jiang Chen the biggest headache.
[If you are a software major and you apply, thats fine, but why are you here if you are a singing major?]
Assistant? I dont need an assistant right now, Jiang Chen asked in confusion.
The tall, gorgeous beauty smiled mischievously with her vibrant, red lipstick. Ignoring Xia Shiyu and the other interviewing students, she leaned on the table and came closer to Jiang Chen.
As the president, you will need an assistant. My work will make you truly satisfied.
Afterwards, she shook her cleavage under her V-neck dress at an angle that only he could see. The confident beauty then gently waved her hair and winked at him, a meaning that all men would understand.
Jiang Chen didnt know how she had managed to get in. This was one of the few times he wanted to focus on work, and he didnte here to do those things.
Before Xia Shiyu could shoot a despising nce over, Jiang Chen, with a stern face, rejected the girl who obviously wanted to experience the implicit rule. He promptly kicked her out, shock still showing on her face.
[You are funny; am I this easy to get? Do I look like I would want to bang every beauty I see? If you want to seduce me, pick a time without other people around. Ahem.]
These people only made up a small percentage. The majority handed in their resume and exined their technical skills, desired position, understanding of the position, as well as an outlook for thepany under three minutes.
As for the awards and certificates, Jiang Chen didnt bother looking those over. One reason was that he had always hated to take tests, and the other was that he didnt believe these papers would bring any quantifiable revenue. A groundbreaking product already existed; thepanycked creativity and insight, not software developers.
Creativity and insight could be discerned in a few sentences.
The students with heavy backpacks all became sorrowful as Jiang Chen shoved their certificates to the side without a nce.
Due to the high number of applicants, he became pickier and more critical.
By noon, the morning interviews had finally ended.
Jiang Chen stretched, ncing at Xia Shiyu who was organizing the resumes. She didnt seem the slightest bit tired.
How are you not exhausted at all?
I am used to it. Only two hours are left in the afternoon, which will focus on legal and marketing positions. There should be fewer applicants. Xia Shiyu organized the papers as she pushed up her sses.
Lunch was provided by the school cafeteria free of charge. The school generously donated their services for the corporations participating in the hiring fair. The student union members from before worked tirelessly to put the steaming meals in front of the hiring managers.
Jiang Chen, who was already hungry, began to devour the meal that tasted familiar. Xia Shiyu, on the other hand, ate with grace and elegance, yet still managed to finish the lunch quickly to continue scanning through the resumes.
Coffee. Jiang Chen brought two cups of coffee over, casually cing one at the corner of her table.
Xia Shiyu paused before burying her head to resume staring at the resume.
Tha thank you.
Jiang Chenughed to acknowledge it was not a big deal. He then leaned against the chair and closed his eyes.
What he didnt notice was that because of his casual act, someone stared nkly at a word for ten minutes straight without realizing.
Chapter 74 - Alumni Dinner
Chapter 74: Alumni Dinner
Trantor: - - Editor: - -
Due to the reduced number of applicants in the afternoon, the twobined their tables to conduct interviews together.
My name is Chen Lulu, graduating fromw at Wanghai University. Im here to apply for the legal assistant role at yourpany because Im a loyal fan of Little White.
The girl who was being interviewed articted her story clearly with a bright smile on her face.
A fan of Little White? That sort of reason was a first.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows since it was the first interesting response he had heard that day after all of the I believe in the future prospects of thepany and I view the artificial intelligence market with optimism.
Oh? So why dont you tell me the first thing you are going to do as a legal assistant at ourpany?
Of course I am going to sue those copycats. Chen Lulu answered without hesitation.
Jiang Chenughed at the response.
But though it was a fun answer and caught his attention, it was too emotional; he wanted to hear a more sophisticated answer. The legal field had no room for ambiguity.
Jiang Chen didnt have much experience as an interviewer, but he had at least experienced the process enough. He had read up on interview tip books that gave clues in selecting the right candidate.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to pass on her, Chen Lulu opened her mouth again.
She briefly exined from a legal perspective the advantages Future Technology held: the rights of the software in the market that currently infringed upon Future Technologys copyright, the basis of their ims, and even how to fight thewsuits. She exined the steps and procedures clearly and logically enough that even Jiang Chen, who was unclear on legal matters, was able to understand most of it.
She then moved on to exin her opinions on the legal weaknesses within Future Technologys current system. Since Xia Shiyus talent focused mainly on operations, she missed key points on the legal side. Though it did not have arge impact as of now, once the ball got rolling, those legal implications would be a hindrance to thepanys growth.
Clear, concise, logical, and articte.
Talent! A real talent!
Jiang Chen peeked at Xia Shiyu, and when he saw that she had a simrly impressed expression, he stood up.
Congrattions, Miss Chen Lulu. If you dont have any other questions regarding sry and benefits, you can start tomorrow. With a smile on his face, Jiang Chen extended his right hand.
No problem! Hehe. YEAH! Chen Lulu shook Jiang Chens hand excitedly before she practically floated out the door.
A base sry of 4,000 was above average for the graduating ss. What could she possibly be unhappy about, especially given the future growth potential of Future Technology? It could only increase from now on.
The fading enthusiastic cheers made Jiang Chen smile.
This Chen Lulus ability is quite exceptional, although a bit overzealous in personality. Xia Shiyu gave her impressions after giving it some thought.
Its okay to have personality as long as she gets the job done! This is our Future Technologys work culture. Of course, she still needs your mentoring. Jiang Chenughed as he packed away Chen Lulus resume.
Although they already decided on the candidate,they finished the procedures for the others. This was first to show respect for the applicants and second to make sure they had not missed an exceptional person. No one would reject talent; given theirpanys trajectory, it wouldnt hurt to have another legal assistant.
In the end, however, Jiang Chen was disappointed to see that no one came close to Chen Lulu.
The only saving grace was finding a few interesting talents for marketing. After organizing the resumes with Xia Shiyu, they concluded the hiring session.
In the evening was a banquet hosted by the university. It was an act of appreciation for the corporations that participated in the hiring fair.
On the other hand, the majority of the firms had a form of connection to Wanghai University, such as having an alumni who had created thepany. Therefore, this meeting served as a tform for sharing knowledge and establishing connections. If this banquet managed to help in fostering a deal, it would increase the value of the university in society.
Xia Shiyu did not enjoy such gatherings, so she headed back, preferring to select candidates fit for open positions. This disappointed Jiang Chen slightly, but he didnt insist.
[This girl is working so hard. Perhaps its time to give her a raise?] He thought to himself as he watched Xia Shiyu leave.
Because the majority of the corporations were still in the start-up phase, their operations differed substantially. Among thesepanies, the bright star at the center of attention was Future Technology. Not manypanies could draw such significant publicity in the initial stages.
What shocked many, however, was that the rising star of this new techpany was only a 23-year-old recent graduate from the university. The student recruiting office had already begun to consider potential advertisements for the next school year despite the semester just starting.
Without a doubt, Jiang Chen would be the poster child, disyed as a distinguished and sessful businessman and alumnus.
After the principals opening remarks, people already began to approach him before the student representative had a chance to announce the start of the banquet.
People were greeting and ttering; some wanted to establish a connection but most pulled up the topic of a partnership.
The distinguished alumni who were looked up to by the juniors were not so well off.
Not every start-uppany made money. This became evident looking at the sparse cars parked in the parking lot. Many presidents were too poor to afford a car; in fact, the people working for major corporations were most likely better off financially.
Regardless, having their ownpanies was worthy of praise. A low period didnt mean too much in the long-run, which was why all of the founders continued to persist.
Jiang Chen epted the greetings, but to the proposed partnerships, he gave a chuckle and a show of consideration before he turned them all down.
The reason for hisughter was that some of these proposals wereical.
For example, an alumnus who had graduated two years after him was operating a decent-sized clothing nt. He first introduced an idea pushed by the government called Web+, then steered the conversation towards a potential partnership after some ttering words.
As for how the partnership would go? It would be called Web+clothes.
He went on to talk about producing merchandise using Little White as a tform for emerce.
Jiang Chen initially disyed interest as it was not a bad idea. He then asked about the current nt and production capacity, which led to the guy scratching his head as he awkwardly revealed that they had recently received the loan and that the nt was still undergoing construction.
[If I cant even see it, whats the whole point of this conversation?]
But that was not the funniest one.
A software servicepany with some sess had the audacity to do an equity swap to form a win-win partnership and push Future 1.0 to the world.
[Its an excellent n, but why would I need yourpany? I can do that by myself!]
Jiang Chen rejected him right away, but the guy refused to give up. He shamelessly pushed his business card at Jiang Chen before asking him to carefully consider the idea as it would be a monumental partnership for bothpanies.
[He clearly didnt eat his medicine before he left his house.]
But out of respect, Jiang Chen epted the card.
All in all, the banquet mood remained cheerful all throughout. The theater students performed creative ys to demonstrate their acting talent to the graduated ss. Some of the performances were on par with those of professional celebrities; Wanghai University was indeed a breeding ground for talent.
At the banquet, Jiang Chen was happy to meet his mentor Zhang Peng who had taken care of him in the past.
They had a few drinks like they used to before the mentor, who had no alcohol tolerance, started to spill out his difficulties.
The graduating ss this year is giving me a headache. Every year, we battle to get fromst ce to first ce in employment percentage. They all ask me for advicewhat advice can I give? This is the job market. I even founded a mechanics shop, but what can I even do? Jiang Chen, why didnt you create a mechanical productionpany? I cant even beg you to hire some people with a techpany. Zhang Peng drunkenly held his cup as he looked at Jiang Chen with a mock-begrudging look.
Ahem, you are drunk. Jiang Chen felt sad to see his mentor act like this. Zhang Peng used his efforts to find him a job back when he was unemployed and no one thought him a talent.
Although he feltpassion for his teachers situation, there was nothing he could do besidesfort him a bit more.
I am not drunk. I can still drink. Zhang Peng reached for the bottle.
Of course, no one allowed him to him drink any more. Jiang Chen helped him to the washroom to allow him to puke before leaving.
Just as he passed a table, a familiar voice called out by his ear.
Its you?
Looking at the girl in front of him with long hair and light makeup, Jiang Chen was confused since he couldnt recall who this person was.
Who are you?
Pshh, that day in the hospital. The girl covered her mouth.
Oh, you are Wang Xinran? Jiang Chen suddenly realized.
Yes, why? You cant recognize me with makeup? Wang Xinran asked jokingly.
Ahem, yes, a little bit. Jiang Chen smiled apologetically. He took a close look at this lively girl, unable to match his impression of her fromst time.
Wang Xinrans eyes shed slyly as she circled around observing Jiang Chen. I didnt imagine Jiang Chen and the Jiang Chen fromst time were the same person.
Jiang Chen shrugged, not knowing how to respond. What do you mean? Jiang Chen and Jiang Chen are the same person. My name has always been Jiang Chen to begin with.
Hehe, I was just curious. Dont mind me. Wang Xinran stared at Jiang Chen before asking, Can you satisfy my curiosity, Senior Jiang Chen, a genius who cured rabies and introduced artificial intelligence?
It depends on what you are curious about. Jiang Chen didnt disagree but he became more alert, wondering if it was her or her fathers curiosity. If it was from her father, then he had to be cautious.
Pshh. Wang Xinran suddenly burst out inughter, which confused Jiang Chen since he didnt know what was so funny.
Dont worry, Im not trying to ferret out your trade secret. Im acting as the producer of our school news to interview our distinguished alumni. I hope you dont mind. Wang Xinran blinked cutely.
Of course not. Relieved, Jiang Chen agreed happily.
Then lets start. First, your university life. Wang Xinran produced a notepad out of thin air and began to ask her questions.
Because it was not relevant information, Jiang Chen answered casually. The interviewsted for fifteen minutes before Wang Xinran ran away, leaving Jiang Chen where he stood.
Suddenly, however, she stopped halfway before turning around.
Oh, my father wants to see you, so please pick a time to meet him. He is getting old, and this has been on his mind
Okay, no problem. What else? Jiang Chen forced a smile.
Hehe, thats it. Oh, give me your phone number.
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes, writing his phone number down on her notepad to finally get rid of this overly energetic girl that he could not seem to say no to.
As for her fathers position, he had already investigated into it. There were plenty of influential people in Wanghai City, but there were only a few major ones at the topthe only one among these with thest name Wang was the General Secretary Wang Dehai.
Jiang Chen held a cautious attitude towards meeting this influential politician, but he had no valid reason to say no. A general secretary held authority in the central government.
Regardless, for Future Technology, Wang Dehais attitude was crucial.
Jiang Chen didnt need to do much as Future Technology alone could grow without government assistance.
As long as they didnt cause trouble for him, it was more than enough.
Chapter 75 - Because of Regret?
Chapter 75: Because of Regret?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: - -
The banquet concluded with thunderous apuse apanying the school managements closing remarks. Jiang Chen dragged his slightly intoxicated body to his car before stopping in his tracks.
[Fu*k, how can I drive if I drank? This is going to be a problem.]
A troubled smile appeared on his face. Although his body condition was stronger than an ordinary persons, enabling him to cleanse alcohol from his system at a faster rate, he was not like the masters in wuxia novels who could instantly dissipate the alcohol from their bodies. The police would find it hard to believe that he was not drunk.
Key in hand, he hesitated, not knowing if he should take the chance. In the end, he sighed.
He grabbed his phone and slid his finger across the screen but didnt who to call.
Xia Shiyu just headed home; it would be inconsiderate to call her back.
Liu Yao?
When he saw that name, his finger paused before he pressed it without further thought.
Hello? From the other end, a slightlyzy voice sounded, as if the speaker had been about to fall asleep.
He pondered for a moment before opening his mouth. Its me.
Jiang Chen?! came the ecstatic response.
You have caller ID, right? Hmm, where are you right now?
She was lying face-down on her bed, her smooth legs swinging back and forth in the air. A smile crept onto her face as she propped her chin up with her hand. Im home, why? Do you miss me?
It was the first time Jiang Chen had called her.
Jiang Chen was silent, not knowing how to answer. In the end, he awkwardly chose to ignore the question.
How far away is your home from Wanghai University?
Liu Yao pouted with disappointment.
Not that far. Two subway stations away.
Ahem, I drank a bit and cant drive. Could youe and pick me up? Im by theke in Wanghai University, Jiang Chen said shamelessly.
The pristine moon cast its light from the night sky and reflected off the glowingkes surface. A light breeze drifted by thekeside, rattling the leaves to the sound of the wind. The September air already carried a slight bite.
He embraced the chill on his arms as he leaned against the marble fence, staring nkly at the hut sitting in the middle of theke.
When was thest time he had visited this ce?
Behind him was the English corner and a bench in a grassy fieldan ideal ce to practice recitations.
But it was also the perfect date spot, referred to by students as the Lovers Hill.
What are you looking at?
Zoning out. Jiang Chen turned around smiling but stalled, stunned by the glimpse of a beauty.
A white dress paired with high-heeled sandalsthe pure white color
As soon as he managed to regather his thoughts, he said sounding troubled, If people didnt know better, theyd think you a first-year student.
The slight curvature of her lips showed a girls pride while the gorgeous face under themppost carried a hint of innocence.
[Did I drink too much?]
Jiang Chen rubbed at his temple.
Of course. I even met a senior when I was walking over, and he volunteered to walk me home. Liu Yao examined Jiang Chens face with a smile.
Oh.
Dissatisfied with Jiang Chens calm reaction, she asked, Are you not jealous?
Jiang Chen smiled, his eyes locked onto the gaze as limpid as thekes surface.
The words of Why would I be jealous were stuck in his throat.
Perhaps, a little.
He turned away from the attractive face to look at the grass field dotted with bright lights.
Liu Yaos smile grewrger, her mouth shaping into a crescent.
Then I told him, I already have a boyfriend, and he walked away blushing.
Jiang Chen shrugged, chuckling. Why are you so direct? They didnt even say that they were going to chase after you.
The way he looked at me said it all. But I cant ept anyone other than you.
He fell into silence, which was soon broken.
Do you want to be my boyfriend?
While were on the topic, did you purposely dress like this? Jiang Chen diverted the topic with a troubled smile.
The pristine white dress, the gorgeous face without makeup, and the eyes as bright as the stars in the summer night.
Liu Yao also didnt answer the question as she straightened her back and strolled around the rock path.
She turned to look at him with a gentle smile, her dress blooming with her motions.
Am I simr to that girl who watched the movie with you?
He fell silent, then startedughing hysterically. Perhaps it was due to the alcohols influence.
She is not a good person, so why are you copying her? Jiang Chen also straightened up from leaning against the fence, hisughter dying away.
Am I like the girl in your imagination?
Jiang Chen stopped again, and after a while, spoke with confusion, Is there a difference?
Just as he finished speaking, he already had an answer in his heart.
The girl in his imagination was pure, innocent, and adorable. In the end, he realized that everything had been a facade, but he still held feelings for Fang Yuanyuan.
Liu Yao smiled, looking at Jiang Chen. Although she didnt know the girl he met in the past, she could guess. So with her cunning, she changed into a dress she had worn back in her university days.
Like a traveler in the desert, heading to the imaginary kingdom, strolling alone, he murmured as he gazed at the loving couple on the faraway grass field.
Pshhh, you can write poems?
No. Just theints of a bored person at a boring time.
For some reason, he missed Sun Jiao, that evil and naughty girl.
Perhaps, this was why he liked her?
The courage to love and hate, the straightforward way of expressing her emotions, and the naughtiness to act on the wrong ideas. She was bing more civil, but Jiang Chen had the urge to tell her that this was okay too, because such a girl was nearly extinct in this world.
Here, what remained genuine?
Suddenly, a softness gently blocked his mouth, his eyes staring at a closed pair of eyes.
Lips parted.
Silence ensued before Jiang Chen eventually asked, Can I ask you a question?
Mhmm.
Apart from material needs, why do you like me?
If it was just about money, there were plenty of rich people.
A delighted smile blossomed on her face. Maybe because of respect.
The smile was beautiful, but also helpless.
I see.
Perhaps she sought after respect because she was not respected?
He paused, and after thinking awhile, asked, Do you know why I epted your invitation for a vacation?
Because of regret?
Jiang Chen looked down. He didnt say no, or yes.
Take me home.
Liu Yao looked slightly disappointed, but she smiled and nodded.
Mhmm.
He leaned back against the soft passenger seat and let out a long sigh. He then pulled at the cor that made him feel stuffy.
Mingxin Area Mansion Community, the innermost plot. Do you know the way?
Theres always GPS. Liu Yao forced a smile as she really hadnt been to that area before.
Jiang Chen watched silently as she started the GPS and set the destination before he settled in to rest.
The car ride was smooth with Liu Yao increasing the speed once they left campus grounds. He opened his eyes, catching the colors of the city in his peripheral vision. Suddenly, he casually asked, How have you been doing?
Not well. Liu Yao steered as she pouted.
Oh? Why?
Because the movie someone promised has still yet to happen. Her voice sounded forlorn.
Hehe, how much money? Intoxicated, he smiled carelessly.
Screech!
The car suddenly stopped.
Liu Yao parked the car on the side of the road, took off her seatbelt, and looked him straight in the eye.
In her eyes were tears?
Whats wrong? he asked with a bitter smile.
In your eyes, Im just a sl*t, right?
Jiang Chen nked. He didnt expect one sentence would cause her to react this dramatically.
Do you remember the lover lock at the edge of the sea?
His throat slightly moved as he looked away, not knowing what to say. Of course he remembered. He engraved the name Chen Lele, the pure and happy girl that existed only in a movie.
I cant be your Chen Lele?
But youre not
I am.
His lips were stopped by a soothing sensation.
The seat belt was unbuckled as he reached out to hug the lithe figure.
He was no longer drunk from the alcohol, but he was somehow more intoxicated.
It was already ten oclock at night, and the streets were empty with an asional car that screeched by.
Maybachs had excellent noise cancetion, insting the noises from passing through to the outside. The tinted windows also obstructed the view into the car, making it impossible for the asional passerby to see into the car.
He tightly hugged Liu Yao, smelling the fragrance of her hair and listening to her suppressed moans as he allowed the alcohol-induced sweat to roll down.
Perhaps intoxication was contagious?
Or perhaps it was only the idea of being intoxicated.
No need to think.
Even as autumn was about to take summers ce, spring blossomed inside the car.
Chapter 76 - Negotiation with 361
Chapter 76: Negotiation with 361
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
The car slowly drove into the mansion grounds.
Ayesha stood quietly by the door and watched Jiang Chens care to a stop.
The door opened, apanied by a sh of the car lights before a woman stepped out. She was beautiful, her aesthetics matching her husbands.
Was it Sun Jiao or Yao Yao? Her instincts told her that the answer was neither.
There was not the slightest dissatisfaction in Ayeshas mind. In her country, polygamy was not umon. The number of women with Jiang Chen had nothing to do with how she served him.
Are you still waiting for me? You really dont have to wait at the door. Jiang Chen also got out of the car with a distressed look.
He did just
He felt it was unfair to the girl who had been lingering here.
On the drive back, Liu Yao exined her situation to him. Her ex-boyfriend, who had been her agent at the time, forced her to find options in Sanya, and that was how she had met Jiang Chen
Perhaps because of her honesty, Jiang Chen no longer minded the incident as much as he had before.
Through this, he learned that she did notck self-respect; rather, she had only met the wrong guy.
After that, they came to a tacit understanding.
So could she now be considered a mistress?
That word had a strange attraction that made Jiang Chens heart pump.
Ayesha drove the car into the garage while Jiang Chen took Liu Yao into the mansion.
Just find a bedroom to sleep in.
I want to sleep where you sleep, Liu Yao cutely pleaded as she cheerfully held on to his arm.
Ahem, I have things to do tomorrow. Sleep well.
If they ended up sleeping together, he would never be able to get up in the morning.
A thought urred to him, and he asked, Oh, do you still contact your ex-boyfriend agent?
No, no, I already deleted that waste of airs number, she said carefully with her eyes on his. She was afraid he would have other thoughts.
Oh. He felt as if arge burden had been lifted from his chest.
But if she did have a conflict with her agent, her ie would be a problem.
Before the year ends, once I finish everything on hand, Ill take care of your problems.
A living expense of one hundred thousand should be more than enough. The cost of breaching the contract was most likely around one million. To Liu Yao, it was an astronomical number, but to him, it was pocket change.
As for the movie, production costs would be anywhere in the ten million. With Liu Yaos acting skills and looks, as long as there was enough money invested, poprity wasnt an issue. In this case, making a return would not be difficult at all.
Mhmm! Liu Yao cheerfully shook Jiang Chens arm.
Also, I am a very possessive person. If you
What are you thinking? Im already yours. Liu Yao mock-angrily pinched him on the waist.
Jiang Chen saw the raised corners of her lips andughed aloud.
The her now, he didnt mind.
The next morning, Jiang Chen drove Liu Yao back to her home despite her wishes to stay in the mansion. He still had many secrets, and it would be inconvenient if Liu Yao were to see something.
Thankfully, Liu Yao didnt insist on it since she knew her boundaries.
Afterward, Jiang Chen drove to Future Technology. There was an important meeting waiting for him.
Hello, Mr. Jiang.
Hello, Mr. Zhang. Jiang Chen shook Zhang Jianfengs hand before inviting him to take a seat.
A clean haircut, a well-tailored suithe had the sharpness of apany executive. An austere assistant who was responsible for the meeting minutes stood behind him.
Jiang Chen had already read into his background; he was the 361 Phone Helper Project Manager who was responsible for negotiating the use of Future 1.0 on the 361 software tform. This man was most likely the best person for this conversation since 361 held Jiang Chen in high esteem.
Of course, this was only to the current Future Technology.
Mr. Jiang, Im sure you know that Im the project manager for the 361 Phone Helper. Our team members havee to a consensus that if Future 1.0 were to be released on our tform, it would possess many high-quality, creative traits and increased functionalitypared to the majority of the apps avable today.
Zhang Jianfengs tone then took a turn in the opposite direction.
However, despite the excellent design of the artificial intelligence, I dont know if Mr. Jiang has already considered the security of the software. What if hackers infiltrated Little Whites programming and essed personal user information such as bank passwords? Have you considered the consequences of this?
Jiang Chen calmly waited for Zhang Jianfeng to finish before he responded with a collected smile, As to security, ourpany has already released a statement. For any financial losses rted to Little Whites security, our response is to fullypensate the users. Fortunately, the current amount is zero.
Impressed by Jiang Chens performance, Xia Shiyu, who sat beside Jiang Chen, nodded. Shed been worried about Jiang Chens professionalism at the negotiation table, but now she realized she had clearly worried too much.
[In critical moments, this guy is surprisingly reliable.]
Youre right. At this time, Future 1.0 has yet to be a target for hackers. But its impossible for Mr. Jiang to bepletely confident in your program, correct? I understand that in information security, yourpanys talent is still zero, Zhang Jianfeng also responded with a smile.
Oh? Looks like youve done your research. But I would also imagine that you wouldve taken a close look at our software as well. Did your experts have anything to say? He hinted at other meanings of his words, but Jiang Chen maintained his smile, even making it more cheerful than Zhang Jianfengs.
Zhang Jianfengs pupils slightly contracted, and he responded with an awkward smile.
Taking a look and copying was not umon in this industry, but it was never mentioned outright. You say Im copying? I think youre mistaken. Youre called Counterstrike, Im Crossfire. The names are different; how could this be considered copying?
However, it certainly did feel awkward to have their failed attempts to crack the software pointed out directly by Jiang Chen.
Ahem, I hope theres no confusion or misunderstanding about this. Mypany did try and gain an understanding of Future 1.0, but it was all within the legal boundaries. We have an obligation to ensure security for our 361 Phone Helper users. If the users downloaded a software with a backdoor in the programming, it would damage our own reputation.
Shameless, how shameless!
Jiang Chen wanted to jump up, whip out his phone and shove it into this mans face, asking how this list of garbage software in their 361 software market was evidence of their consideration for the users. Zhang Jianfeng had the audacity to say that they worried about user security when Little Whites software was safer than their own antivirus program. Therefore, out of concern for their user security, they were going to crack Little White?
At the same time, Zhang Jianfeng was mentally cursing Gu Chen for his uselessness.
[He had a full staff of masters ofputers and even created a separate project for this. After working day in and day out and being pounded with work, when asked if he had made any progress, he got annoyed and told daddy that he didnt know? How the fu*ck do I negotiate when I dont even know the chips on our table?]
Even as he raged inside his mind, he couldnt show any of it at the negotiation. He slowly took a sip of tea.
Seeing Jiang Chen remain silent, he began to test the waters.
Of course, while screening the security of Future 1.0, we did make some progress. At this early stage, we can conclude that the software is safe.
Although he phrased it as a screening, everyone knew the truthit was cracking.
Zhang Jianfeng carefully observed Jiang Chens reaction to his tant lie, hoping to see a sh of uncertainty on his face.
Something was fishy! Xia Shiyu immediately realized the lie in Zhang Jianfengs words and turned to look at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen sneered and responded, Oh? Since yourpany already made some progress, then why are you guys here?
Even without Xia Shiyus hints, Jiang Chen had already realized the fundamental problem.
[If you cracked the software, then why are youing to me? You can just create an advanced Future 1.0. Do you need to ask my permission to copy it?]
What you say is true, but we still hope yourpany will proactively provide the necessary information so that we can conduct a full safety analysis. Of course, we are also interested in some of the creative elements of your software. If Mr. Jiang doesnt mind, we can discuss the price so that we can have a joint victory on both sides.
Please enlighten me on how we would win together with this logic? Jiang Chen interrupted Zhang Jianfeng without the slightest consideration. It was considered rude behavior, but since Zhang Jianfeng had the audacity to say his spiel, Jiang Chen was thoroughly fed up with it.
Shocked, Zhang Jianfeng stared at Jiang Chen. He hadnt expected Jiang Chen to effectively end the negotiations.
Are you not interested in the price? Zhang Jianfeng was a skilled negotiator, able to hide his anger. Instead, he smiled genially at Jiang Chen.
Well, we can talk about it.
One billion. Zhang Jianfeng calmly gave the conservative figure.
As someone with a tech background, do you really believe that its worth only one billion? Jiang Chen sipped his tea as he leaned back against the chair.
Mr. Jiang, although the technology is a part of it, you and I are both in the business field. Dont you think that we should talk about the business value? From my understanding, you dont even have a channel of revenue from this free software. I would have to say that your financial statement for this month shouldnt look too great. Zhang Jianfeng couldnt hold in hisughter.
We have sufficient funds; you dont have to worry about that. As for revenue generation? If youre looking forward to it so much, it maye to exist tomorrow. A smile full of hidden meanings appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Zhang Jianfeng took a moment to think. Based on what he knew, Jiang Chenspany only had half a million of invested capital. Could a venture capital have already invested in them?
Zhang Jianfeng couldnt be med for hisck of information. The registered capital was indeed half a million, but the following equity infusion was not released to the public. As a privately-heldpany, the information would not be disclosed, and therefore, they had no obligation to give information on their assets.
Since Mr. Jiang is so confident, I dont think there is much more we can talk about. Zhang Jianfeng sighed as he stood up.
The negotiation fell through, though it was a result he had expected.
What you say is correct. If yourpany genuinely wishes to form a partnership with us, please provide us with a reasonable proposal, and we will reciprocate with the same respect. Xia Shiyu, who hadnt spoken until now, nudged her sses up as she slid a document forward. This outlines the potential area we would consider forming a partnership with. If Mr. Zhang is interested, you should take it with you.
Zhang Jianfeng was caught off guard, but he soon regathered his thoughts.
[Is this how a small startup treatsrge corporations? Future Technology is this confident?]
He picked up the piece of paper.
[Virus database sharing? Phone security partnership? Hehe, arrogant.]
The next second, however, he felt something he had never felt beforeit was a hint of fear. What if they did have the ability?
Artificial intelligence plus an antivirus?
There were countless possibilities.
What else could artificial intelligence do?
Since the negotiation has fallen through, could I ask for your evaluation of Future 1.0? This way, I can go back and give my boss an answer, Zhang Jianfeng casually asked as he ced the document into his briefcase.
From a programmers perspective, what do you think a finished artificial intelligence would be worth? Instead of answering, Jiang Chen half-jokingly threw the question back at him.
Zhang Jianfeng considered it for a moment before he smiled and said, One trillion?
Hahaha, around that range. Except, even for one trillion, I wouldnt sell it. Jiang Chenughed as he walked beside Zhang Jianfeng. Do you want to work for me? Ill cover the cost of breaching your contract.
Zhang Jianfengughed jovially.
Thats an interesting way of acquiring talent.
[I havent even asked if youre interested ining to 361, and you already ask me toe work for you?]
Zhang Jianfengs mouth twitched on his way to the door.
For a brief second, he had been tempted.
Before he achieved his current position, he began as a programmer. Witnessing the impable technology behind the software, how could he not be tempted?
Except temptation didnt necessarily trante into actions.
Upon returning to 361s headquarters, Zhang Jianfeng reported the days events in its entirety to the president, Zhou Hongwei.
One trillion? Haha, I wouldnt sell it for one trillion?
Looks like the president holds high regards for Future Technology? he lightly asked Zhou Hongwei upon seeing that he did not criticize him for his inability to close the deal.
High? High is an understatement. Zhou Hongwei shook his head as heughed. If any one of you could develop artificial intelligence, what if I gave him ten percent equity?
10% equity! Zhang Jianfeng uncontrobly gulped.
361 was listed in the UA. With an average share price of 60 USD, the current market cap already reached an astounding ten billion USD! Ten percent was equal to one billion USD.
The assistant also gulped with wide eyes.
Looks like its impossible to acquire them. Zhou Hongwei shook his head sighing.
How about we do something with our tform instead? the assistant suggested.
Zhou Hongwei nced at her before chuckling.
If Future 1.0 cant be downloaded from 361, wont users just download it from the android market? And if the android market doesnt work, why wouldnt they just make an official site?
The assistant was speechless.
Why dont we wait first and see Microsofts opinion? Frowning, Zhang Jianfeng put forth his own suggestion.
Zhou Hongwei considered it for a moment, then nodded.
Thats what I had nned to do. Its a much more conservative approach.
It was no secret that Microsoft and 361 had an alliance. When 361 fought for market shares with Tencent, it was all under the orders of Microsoft from across the Pacific Ocean. If they didnt have such a strong backer, there was no way Zhou Hongwei would have had the guts to fight the number one giant in the Han tech industry. Compared to Tencent, who possessed half of the tech field, 361 was too weak. On that day, the number of MSN instations increased to seven million, revealing the true instigator behind the scenes.
Zhou Hongwei could choose to cklist Future 1.0 using 361s antivirus and suppress its ability to thrive. Currently, 361 did possess high market shares on the mobile tform. Even if they were faced with awsuit, the settling amount would be negligible.
Three hundred thousand? That was nothing.
His real concern was whether this move would push Future Technology to other tech giants such as Tencent or Baidu.
Then it would be even more difficult for 361 to survive.
All tech giants shared the same concern.
Everyone understood the value of artificial intelligence; however, if they were too forceful in pushing it away, it would only hurt them in the end.
The best way was to bnce power through a partnership. At least for now, Future 1.0 had yet to touch anyone elses cake yet. It was because of this that Jiang Chen restrained himself from releasing all of Little Whites functions.
If Little White suddenly possessed all of the functions of QQ, Baidu, and 361 together, it would face the bacsh of the entire inte industry as he would have just touched everyones cake.
Chapter 77 - Press Conference
Chapter 77: Press Conference
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
[Suit does not feelfortable at all.]
Jiang Chen remembered wearing it only once during his graduation debate and a couple times in interviews.
But looking at Xia Shiyu in her ck office attire, she certainly possessed the professional and sharp vibe. Her silky, ck hair was tied up and her ck-framed sses were perched pertly on her nose. On her face, she put on light, natural makeup. To be honest, he previously thought that she looked bad with a ponytail, but now she seemed more mature and professional.
Are you ready? Xia Shiyu was anxious upon seeing his casual demeanor.
Jiang Chen shrugged and smiled. Dont worry.
That certainly did not make her any less worried
Although Xia Shiyu wanted to make fun of him, she did feel calmer with aposed Jiang Chen as opposed to a nervous one.
She let out a breath and nodded.
You can do it.
Of course. He confidently smiled.
[Whats so scary about being in front of cameras? I was in front of god knows how many guns. Ummm, not exactly something to be proud of.]
On the first floor of Future Technology was a public conference hall bustling with people.
The conference room had an elevated half-circle in which the invited press had all taken their seats. As usual, the cameras were ced in the back, and because seatings were numbered, the hall was not too chaotic.
The media frenzy surrounding Future 1.0 exceeded Jiang Chens expectations. The 100-square-meter conference room still felt crowded.
The curtain slid open,mencing the start of the shing lights.
With a bright smile, Jiang Chen waved his hand, his heart pounding as he noticed the CTV, CNN, and BBC symbols.
[Damn, it does feel different now that cameras are pointing at me. Im even feeling nervous now.]
After collecting his thoughts, he read the opening address amidst the medias heightened expectations.
First, I would like to thank the media present for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend Future Technologys press conference. I believe everyone seated here has already had the chance to learn about Future 1.0. To save time, I wont go over each of the functions.
The purpose of this press conference is to address and answer any rumors or misunderstandings about Future 1.0. Therefore, the most efficient method is for me to give the time to the media. Please, following the sequence of seat numbers, ask your questions, and limit them to one per person to ensure that every outlet has an opportunity.
Xia Shiyu, who was standing backstage, almost fell down as she was dumbfounded by Jiang Chens decision.
[Who would pass the questioning to the media right away without saying anything first?]
[Without giving a simple,prehensive exnation, if theye to ask an extremely tricky question, would you be able to handle it?]
The media was also shocked that Jiang Chen skipped right into the medias questions without ying his role first. It certainly caught them off guard. Theyd seen press conferences without a question and answer session before, but never one without a speech.
Also, questions were based on seat number, which made them feel ufortable as they were used to having to fight to ask questions.
But Jiang Chen didnt concern himself with the rules, instead choosing the most efficient method. If he had to pick people, he ran the risk of offending certain individuals, so the best way was to create boundaries and make people ask one by one.
The reporters who usually had to have their hands up for an entire conference without getting picked were certainly appreciative of Jiang Chens decision. It didnt matter that they were seated in the back so long as they had the opportunity to ask questions.
Jiang Chen kept hisposure. He had his own considerations in making this decision.
[Ultimately, you guys will be asking about security and privacy anyways. Even if I rify first, youll only pick holes in my word choice. If I let you ask beforehand, I only need to answer.]
After weighing himself internally, Jiang Chen knew that he would not be able to outwit these veterans. Regardless of Xia Shiyuspetency, her script would be picked apart by these reporters who were hungry for headlines.
Although they were surprised by Jiang Chens decision, the reporters had already done their research beforehand and came prepared with a list of questions. The reporter in the first seat stood up and read out what was written on his notepad.
I am CTVs reporter. There has been controversy surrounding the topic of artificial intelligence security, especially Little Whites. Mr. Jiang Chen, could he really be a ticking time bomb in the users phone concerning private information like people said he would be? the young man clearly articted.
Thats a great question. First, Ill have to refer back to the guarantee ourpany has made recently. If the user suffers any financial loss as a result of a program error in Little White, well fullypensate the user. Jiang Chen shrugged his shoulders as he continued, Also, from the developers perspective, I take responsibility and say that as long as it is a program, it will follow the setting written in the software. So you dont have to worry about Little White releasing private user information because I wont permit it.
The sounds of discussions and note-taking filled the room as the second person, a middle-aged man, stood up and asked his question.
Im a reporter from Renren News. Mr. Jiang Chen, currently, there are nows or regtions in ce regarding artificial intelligence. What is your opinion on the possible proposal of the , and what would be Future Technologys response to this?
[Renren News? (Referring to Hans state news agency.) This is going to be a bit problematic.] Jiang Chens head spun rapidly.
[As an official media source, it represents the voice of the government. There is definitely a deeper meaning behind this question. Are they testing me? Or giving me a hint?]
Of course, Future Technology will firmly abide by the regtions in ce without questionthis includes the introduced . Future Technology will cooperate with authorities to adjust our services to fit within the frame established.
Jiang Chen cautiously answered the question by expressing his support and willingness to cooperate. He did not, however, express his views regarding the regtion itself. He had a feeling that the question came from aw-making authority since artificial intelligence regtion was a nk te in all countries of the world. Judging from the current stage, the development of artificial intelligence was still in its infancy, and nothing had yet to reach even the basic levels.
Upon hearing Jiang Chens response, the middle-aged man sat down deep in thought.
Immediately following after, a blond beauty stood up.
I am BBCs reporter. Mr. Jiang Chen, it is known that artificial intelligence requires strong hardware equipment to support functionality. IBM Watson, for example, requires ny IBM servers and three hundred sixtyputer processors to maintain its operation. Yet somehow, the Future 1.0 developed by yourpany could operate on a mobile tform. How did you manage to achieve this?
BBCs question came from a technological perspective, and based on the crowds reaction, many other reporters were also interested in the answer.
Sorry, this is a trade secret. What I can disclose, however, is that it is based on a database. The core of the artificial intelligence that we developed is not the hardware, but rather the software. It doesnt have a high requirement forputational power, and the database is the critical element instead. It epts external information and exports database information. As long as the database is maintained, Future 1.0 can operate on a mobile tform. Clearly, we have achieved this.
Jiang Chen confidently used the bullsheet Du Yongkong gave him as he wasnt worried that any of the experts would be able to uncover anything. As far as the people in this world knew, there was only one person on his team that managed to develop this innovative technology, which wasparable to Bill Gates Windows 1.0.
Database?
All of the reporters eyes lit up.
I am a reporter from Japanese Economy. Mr. Jiang Chen, because the current stage of artificial intelligence development is still difficult for the worlds scientificmunity, would Mr. Jiang Chen please have a heart like Andy, the developer of Android, and release the magical artificial intelligence database to the world? a short, suited man asked slowly after bowing politely.
Mockery crept onto Jiang Chens face before he managed to hide it.
[I cant believe you had the audacity to say that. For the scientificmunity? Heart?]
[Then why dont you disclose all of your countrys technology?]
But it was within his expectations that this sort of brainless question woulde from a right-wing Japanese media source.
I say it is meaningful because it would push the growth of the human civilization. To demonstrate your willingness, perhaps you should convince your country to surrender all armed forces? It would be a historic step for world peace. I look forward to your response.
Laughter erupted in the hall as some Han reporters mocked the shamelessness of this Japanese reporter. The short man gave Jiang Chen a dirty look before awkwardly seating himself.
Jiang Chen shrugged and signaled for the next reporters question. He didnt have the time to deal with rude people.
Im CNNs reporter, and Id like to ask Mr. Jiang Chen whether user privacy for Future 1.0 is really so secure as yourpany has stated it to be. Based on the software encryption, yourpany made the software into an imprable ck box. No one could test it from a security point of view. So what if Little White passes information gathered from the user to your desktop? Of course, this is only an example. Could you prove that it wont happen?
It was a harsh question, but many others were concerned about the same issue.
For a dead software, even if it was filled with back doors, you would not question its security until the problems were exposed.
But for software that felt alive, despite the developers efforts to prove its safety, you would be skeptical as it behaved too simrly to humans.
Im not the FBA, why would I need a users private information? Jiang Chenughed and syed his palms. Let me give you an example then. Based on the Washington Posts report, the CIB and FBA directly infiltrated the central servers of Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and a total of nine tech giants to track users: email, phone calls, documents, and videos. Whats your opinion on this?
May I ask if this is rted to todays question? The reporter from CNN showed an awkward expression.
Of course. I want to exin that invasion of user privacy has nothing to do with the software itself. Because despite being an artificial intelligence, it has no concept of personal interest. Even if you uninstalled him after spending several days together, he will only wave his hands to say goodbye. Attempting to invade anothers privacy could onlye from another human. But I assure you here and now that I will never do that! As long as I remain president of Future Technology, thepany will never allow such actions.
Jiang Chen looked the reporter in the eye as he said this. The hall filled with the sound of apuse.
He signaled for quiet as he passed the time to the next reporter.
Jiang Chen answered the following questions with ease. He answered what he could, and if not, then he made something up. If that didnt work, he med it on trade secrets. Jiang Chen had always been proud of his acting skills.
At the end, the reporters asked: When will the foreign version be avable? Would Future Technology consider venture capital? Or even an irrelevant question such as, Do you have a girlfriend?
Some interesting queries included, Whats the meaning behind Future Technologys name?
Jiang Chen answered half-jokingly, Because my team and I envision the future.
And another sensitive question was, Would artificial intelligence be used in the military field?
Jiang Chens response was clear-cut. Chat-based artificial intelligence will only exist for the purpose of interaction. It will not calcte rocket trajectory for you because that would require high-performanceputers and experts. Unless youre worried about soldiers who are too lonely and want to find apanion.
He managed to win the majority of the medias positive impressions thanks to his clear and straightforward responses.
Certainly, media outlets with criticisms still existed. For example, the short man from Japanese Economy seemed to be thinking up malevolent ideas to use to attack Jiang Chen.
But who cared? At the very least, Jiang Chen didnt.
Who would care about a media that only distorted the truth?
After the closing remarks, Future Technologys first media conference ended on a high note amidst apuse.
I cant believe youre so deft at improvising in your reactions. Xia Shiyu nodded, seeming impressed as she looked at Jiang Chen.
Haha. Jiang Chen narcissistically raised his head andughed. He then arrogantly raised his eyebrows. You realize this only now? Im this fu*king awesome.
Could you be more civil, please? You are a public figure now, Xia Shiyu said, slightly displeased.
Public figure?
He realized the problem with a troubled expression on his face once more.
[Fu*k, then I have to be careful with everything I do? How can I enjoy my life from now on?]
Could a camera point at me the moment I leave my house? Jiang Chen scratched his head as he asked.
Xia Shiyu speechlessly stared at Jiang Chen before she sighed. Being a public figure means that your words and actions represent thepany. If you do any uncivil acts, this would directly influence the publics impression of ourpany. If it gets uploaded onto the inte, it could potentially escte Why are you looking at me like that?
I just think that you care more about Future Technology than even I do. Im pleased. Jiang Chen grinned.
Xia Shiyu lost her words once more.
The only thing that didnt change was her emotionless expression.
Jiang Chen was eager to change out of his ufortable suit.
Oh right. Just as he was about to leave the backstage area, Xia Shiyu abruptly stopped him.
Mhmm? Jiang Chen turned around looking confused.
Ummm, in consideration of thepanys publicity of course, it is not right to interfere in your private life, but do you really not have a girlfriend? Xia Shiyu didnt look in Jiang Chens direction. Instead, she stared nkly at the ground as her finger twirled the tips of her hair. Her voice remained calm as usual.
Jiang Chen was shocked, and his face took a particrly odd tone.
What if I do? He probed to see her reaction.
!
[You are about to rip your hair out!]
But in reality, no. Jiang Chen immediately added.
[Her mouth curved up?]
At this moment, even as dumb as he was, he realized
Ahem, in this case, itll be okay. But you should still be careful about your private life. If news got out that youre still single, some people with ill-intentions may anyways, just be careful.
Jiang Chen locked his eyes onto Xia Shiyu, who was being unusually chattiness, with the same peculiar expression.
Do you like me?
Chapter 78 - Test?
Chapter 78: Test?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Do you like me?
Jiang Chen recalled the conversation backstage as he scratched his nose with a troubled smile.
Why am I so charming? he said to himself with a cocky ir before bing overwhelmed by embarrassment again. He turned the car radio on in an attempt to drown his awkwardness in the noise.
Xia Shiyu was the type to be shy, easily embarrassed by anything. Even with her emotionless face, she was cold only on the outside, warm on the inside.
The atmosphere had been intimate. Her mouth half-open, she had beenpletely at a loss with the situation. Just at that moment, however, an untimely phone call with an explosive ringtone broke the delicate closeness. Jiang Chen, realizing it was his phone, was about to hang up when Xia Shiyu quickly gathered her wits and then fled the room with her head buried.
[Fine. Perhaps that phone call had perfect timing.]
Or else he wouldnt have had a clue on how to disengage from that awkward situation. He wasnt sure about his attitude towards her either. He used to masturbate to her image long ago for quite some time, but he hadnt had such thoughts for a while now.
Perhaps his mentality had changed?
Shaking his head, he had tried to push away the strange thoughts in his mind.
And then his phone rang once more.
He thought for a second, the same troubled smile crossing his face.
There was no point in hanging up again. He sighed and connected the call with his Bluetooth headphones.
The voice from the other side had made him fall into a deep contemtion again.
Wang Zhiyong?
Jiang Chen was now on his way to the home of Wang Dehai, the general secretary of Wanghai City. The elder wished to invite him over for dinner to express his sincere gratitude for saving his life.
But the phone call had been too timely,ing not long after ending the press conference. It felt unnatural to Jiang Chen, yet it was the general secretarys invitation. And he had saved his life, so it probably wouldnt be anything too terrible. After a moments hesitation, he began his drive over.
It was a serenemunity without seeming too luxurious, but the amount of vegetation here was rare to see in the entire Wanghai City. The security at the door seemed to be retired soldiers. He could feel the bloodlust from several meters away. These guys must havee from a border conflict.
All of the residents in thismunity had to be influential in some way. Even with money, not everyone could be the general secretarys neighbor.
He parked the car in the building before walking up to knock on the door.
The door opened momentarily, revealing a cheerful face before him.
Youre here. Come in, my mom wants to thank you personally. Wang Xinran grinned at Jiang Chen.
Hmmm? Dont you live on campus? Jiang Chen was surprised to see her.
Its Saturday. Is President Jiang Chen so busy that he forgot the date? She yfully poked her tongue out.
[Hmm, now that I dont work, its hard to keep track.]
As soon as he entered, he was greeted with warmth. He was surprised by the generosity and weing gestures, making him feel slightly ashamed since he had his own motives in saving people. But regardless of the reason, he did fight off death and save Wang Dehai.
He most mostly taken aback by the fact that Wang Dehai was not like other grim politicians who acted fiercely. Instead, hecked the daunting vibe, seeming instead like a kind elderly man. Seeing Jiang Chen, he warmly called out Little Jiang (little is amon way to refer to younger people). Aware of the situation, Jiang Chen responded by calling him Uncle Wang.
Wang Dehais wife was a grandma with kind features who consistently served Jiang Chen food. It certainly gave Jiang Chen, who had been venturing outside, a sense of home.
Wang Zhiyong was an interesting person as well. He kept trying to drink with Jiang Chen, but his weak alcohol tolerance put him under the table first. When he started spouting gibberish, his sister stuck him back in his room as he snored.
Jiang Chen always viewed straightforward people in a positive light.
As for Wang Xinran, she maintained her usual level of energy as she pestered him with questions about Future 1.0. She also informed him that she became the top member of the distinguished alumni at Wanghai Universitythe youngest to ever take the spot.
Unfortunately, the list only circted within the school and didnt hold much influence since few students held an interest in the school newspaper anymore.
As for her questions, Jiang Chen didnt disclose anything outside of the norm. Everything he said was consistent with his stance at the press conference.
As he spoke with Wang Xinran, he kept most of his attention on Wang Dehai for his reaction.
What did this powerful politician think about Future 1.0?
Support? Or more reserved?
After dinner, Wang Dehai called Jiang Chen into his office.
Feel free to sit. Dont be nervous, I just want to chat with you. Wang Dehai saw Jiang Chen was nervous and smiled warmly as he invited him to take a seat.
Haha, Uncle Wang, Ill make myselffortable then. Jiang Chen settled himself onto the sofa across from him.
He didnt dare to pretend to be an ancient remedy doctor anymore. In Hua, all of the intelligent people were politicians, particrly a powerful one like Wang Dehai. The difficulty in convincing him on a story was nearly impossible. Even the finest acting would have its ws.
Say as little as possible.
But Jiang Chen had clearly overthought the matter.
Wang Dehai didnt pry into the matter of how he cured rabies. Instead, he started talking about his childhood anecdotes.
My rabies was probably from the sixties. I was young, my dad was being punished, and I got bit by the dogs of those crazy politicians. I remember the bite was about this big on my leg. I initially didnt think it would be a problem after so many years, but it still turned out to be worse. Haha.
Wang Dehai used his hand to show the size of the scar. Jiang Chen smiled, but didnt respond.
He knew it was better to listen since elders enjoyed telling young people their stories. They didnt needfort or praise, only an audience that was willing to hear them out.
Although he didnt know what Wang Dehai was nning, since he treated Jiang Chen as one of the younger generation instead of as a subordinate, Jiang Chens impression of him was not too bad.
He heard many stories from Wang Dehai.
Until the end.
Now, we are finally powerful. Good, good, good! In a nostalgic tone, Wang Dehai repeated good three times as he looked in Jiang Chens direction with a look full of hidden meanings.
The show had finally started.
Jiang Chens focused as he waited for this powerful politician to speak.
Little Jiang, is it feasible for artificial intelligence to be used in the military? Wang Dehai casually asked as he sipped his tea.
Of course, Jiang Chen responded without hesitation before sternly saying, It would be a disaster to the country and even the world.
Oh? Wang Dehai was quite interested by Jiang Chens response and waited for the context.
Artificial intelligence is not human. If the life and death of a human is given to a program to oversee, it would only take a programming error to cause a catastrophic disaster. In the end, thew cannot regte lines of code.
Oh? But if artificial intelligence soldiers could rece human soldiers going into war, could it not eliminate the need for bloodshed?
No, there will only be more casualties. A troubled smile appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Wang Dehais gaze bored into him.
Since this elder was asking him, it meant that it was not the worst scenario. From the looks of things, even the top had not managed to reach a consensus yet. Too many parties were involved in this. There was no need to talk about whether it was feasible for artificial intelligence to rece soldiers; how many PLA would be discharged? How many people would want to shut his mouth?
Even foreign agents would target him.
Cold sweat began to drench Jiang Chens shirt as he thought about the possible repercussions.
Since Uncle Wang mentioned bloodshed, may I ask, does this mean our country is going into war soon?
Of course. There are always some fools who want to take action. Wang Dehai raised his eyebrows but exined anyway.
Then Uncle, if a cheap, effective, and powerful weapon is introduced, how would this change the current situation? Jiang Chen carefully said.
An arms race? Thats based on whether the technological capabilities are the same. Wang Dehai dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand.
So the question is, he said with a troubled smile. But I dont have it. Like how I exined at the press conference, Future 1.0 can answer questions logically and given permission from users, operate fundamental phone functions. To give an analogy, Windows 7 is effective, but you dont expect it to control a PC as well as robots, right?
Could you not make any adjustments? For example, include a fire control system. Wang Dehai persisted, reluctant to give up.
I dont have any understanding of firearms. I would have to start from scratch to gain any understanding. Also, from a practical standpoint, does the country need a scientist now, or a possible Bill Gates who will lead the industry for the next ten years? Jiang Chen gazed seriously into Wang Dehais eyes.
Wang Dehai shouldnt have been pushing this hard as the developer team was supposedly overseas.
As he spoke, Jiang Chen was also nning in his mind, going so far as to think that if the authority were to take action, then he would drop everything and run overseas. There was still four hundred million USD in his Swiss bank ount. He could start over from scratch again anywhere.
Wang Dehai also stared at Jiang Chen.
But soon, his fierce gaze disappeared, and he took a sip of his tea with a smile on his face.
You and I have the same understanding. Dont be so anxious.
Jiang Chen let out a breath of relief. To be honest, he was reluctant to leave unless he was forced to.
I wont lie to youwe have always been researching artificial intelligence. The other countries are doing the same. Its not a major project, but we have quite arge budget for it. Its just that we havent had any results yet. Wang Dehai looked meaningfully at Jiang Chen. Some people even said that you should voluntarily give out this technology. Do you know what I said?
Jiang Chen thought for a moment before he smiled. Uncle Wang must have thought further than them.
Wang Dehaiughed.
Youre quite clever. I told them, you guys are all old and stubborn! If we did that, who would dare to reveal new technology here? Youre pushing all of the talent away!
Before he finished his sentence, Jiang Chen knew.
Even if they controlled the person in headquarters, with the development team based overseas, if they were pushed away to unfriendly nations, wasnt that providing them with a more advanced technology? What could they do? If they didnt have exclusive possession of the technology, what was the point of it?
Thank you, Jiang Chen said with a peculiar expression. There was nothing else for him to say.
He didnt understand Wang Dehais intention. Friendliness? Who was he representing? Or was he returning the favor?
You dont need to thank me. Im not the only one supporting you.l The old guy from the Zhou family was more anxious than me. He sipped the tea again and looked at Jiang Chen. His family is responsible for military artificial intelligence project with a budget of five hundred million a year.
Jiang Chen immediately understood.
Just as he suspected, even the top level had not reached a consensus. Or perhaps a better way to put it was that collectively, they were unified, but when it touched their own cake, the situation became much moreplex.
Or else, the authority would not have waited for him to finish the press conference. The moment Future 1.0 was released, trouble would have ensued.
Once it came into the worlds spotlight, it would be too costly to work from the shadows again. It was rted to the countrys attitude; they were already having difficulty retaining talent. If they proceeded with the n, they would be chasing away the talents.
The key now was not to be stronger, but to be more stable.
Ill ask only one more question. Whats the value of Future 1.0 in the military industry? And be truthful. Wang Dehai locked onto Jiang Chens eyes. In his aged gaze, there was less kindness and more ferocity.
[Its not the right time to go into the military. There are too many personal interests attached to it.]
Thoughts shed through his mind as he firmly answered the powerful authority figure, Zero.
Wang Dehai nodded, a smile appearing on his face.
Then, as the general secretary of Wanghai City, I hope you are able to contribute substantially to the citys economic development! I also wish to see Future Technology significantly benefit the lives of the people and do even greater things!
With a genuine smile, he answered, Of course!
[Is he hinting at me to not overreach the limits of civil usage?]
[Looks like Wang Dehai was not trying to convince me, but rather test me. The Wang and Zhou families probably wear the same pants]
Thinking about this point, he was not afraid, but he still felt a chill run down his spine.
He originally had the ambition to take Future Technology to the military field, but now it seemed as though he had been overzealous.
[Did Wang Dehai help me?]
Of course, since the Zhou family did not go after him right away.
But would he have repaid Jiang Chens favor if the interests of the Wang and Zhou families had been on the line? Probably not, since then it was no longer a personal issue. If Jiang Chen showed the slightest interest in military, or if Future 1.0 had the possibility of encroaching into the field
Wang Dehai would not do anything, but the Zhou family would not let him walk free either.
At that time, they would threaten him into giving up the technology before getting rid of him. Or, they would get rid of him right away without even asking for the technology.
It would of course result in Jiang Chens escape, but he would have a hard time returning home again.
Would it be beneficial for the country?
If they truly cared, then they would not have been so greedy.
All of the smart people were in politics.
Throughout history, the motivated and the honest died on the battlefield, the knowledgeable avoided politics, and the intelligence belonged in the forbidden city.
It was better for the simple to stay away from the intelligent.
Jiang Chen didnt reveal any of his thoughts. As soon as he left, he inhaled deeply.
He suddenly realized that the past few days had been more tiring than living in the apocalypse.
Why do I tire myself out? Am I missing the purpose here? Jiang Chen mocked himself as he shook his head.
Regardless of whether he thought too much or not, he didnt consider Wang Dehai to be reliable.
Favors were like bills. Once used, it was gone. But it was almost moreplex than that since items had a set price; at least you knew how much remained.
The only good news was that Future 1.0 would not receive too much hindrance from regtions; this danger faded in its infancy.
Chapter 79 - Game Online
Chapter 79: Game Online
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Renren news report.
The government media authority did not report extensively on the details of Future 1.0 as they focused on the bigger picture in regards to the current state of artificial intelligence. They reported mainly on the regtory environment. However, CTV did praise highly about the outstanding performance of Future 1.0.
The local media was all over the ce with their reporting, so Jiang Chen didnt ce too much emphasis on it. Besides, he cared more about the government medias stance because it often hinted on the perspective the authorities would take.
But now, after the conversation with Wang Dehai, there was no need to pay attention to it.
Jiang Chen, lying on the bed, turned off the domestic news andmanded Little White to pull up the current foreign news.
(BBC)
[Mhmm, that was what I had nned.]
(CNN)
[The truth was presented to you, its up to you to believe it or not.]
<2014 Most Attractive Men> (Mode)
[Did something weird just appear.]
Jiang Chen judged each headline as he continued to scroll through each one before throwing his phone to the side. Just as he was about to go back to the apocalypse, his phone suddenly vibrated.
He picked up his phone. It was Robert who had sent him an email.
Jiang Chen smiled as he could imagine his shocked look. That guys jaw probably dropped to the ground when he saw the guy he knew on the news.
The Baton guy was probably the insider who sold him out. But Jiang Chen didnt bother with Roberts business as he would just ask Robert to take him around when he does go to Los Santos. For now, he had no reason to leave the country.
[Of course, who could predict the future.]
Just as Jiang Chen was about to put his phone down again, the phone rang.
Xia Shiyu?
Hello? Do you miss me? Lazily, Jiang Chen picked up the phone.
Are you noting to work today?
She cunningly reacted to her superiors harassment.
Jiang Chen nodded, pleased with the reaction, and continued.
I have already given you the permission on the specific tasks, can you not let me be a rxed billionaire?
Mhmm. If you have time today, drop by. I had a feeling that you were about the leave for a long time. I still have some things that I need you to decide on.
Jiang Chen was shocked.
[This girl is psychic, how did she know I was about to leave.]
Jiang Chen sat up from thefort of his bed.
Wait, Ill be there soon.
Different from the usual emptiness, Future Technologys headquarters already began to feel busy. Because of the need for people, training was halted and people learned on the job.
The employees apparently recognized the president as they cheerfully greeted him.
Jiang Chen smiled and didnt interrupt their work. Instead, he walked directly towards Xia Shiyus office.
Eh, what do you think is the rtionship between the president and Miss Xia? The cute girl at the front desk poked at her colleague.
What. If Miss Xia heard you, shed cut your bonus. Hehe, but if I would guess, its not that simple.
He had knocked before he was given permission toe in with Pleasee in.
Hmmm? You are here? Xia Shiyus tone was rather stiff as she dodged his eyes.
A forced smiled appeared on Jiang Chens face. [Is it because of yesterday? If it is awkward from now on, it will be problematic]
He didnt know why he asked that question.
But business first. If he didnt take care of things now in the modern world, it would be hard to take care of the issues after hees back from the apocalypse.
He cleared his throat to break the awkwardness and then spoke as if nothing had happened.
Mhmm, what is the current user base of Future 1.0?
Xia Shiyu saw that he didnt bring up yesterdays topic, so she secretly felt relieved. Then she picked up a report on the table.
Future 1.0s user base already broke through the two hundred million mark, but the growth speed is slowing down, She pushed up her sses as she reported to Jiang Chen with professionalism.
Not bad. Then we can go to the next step. Is the application procedure for the game finished? Is the operations team familiar with the game now?
Jiang Chen asked as he flipped through the document Xia Shiyu passed over.
The application procedure finished awhile ago. As to the operations team, they are familiarizing themselves with the game. Because they only started yesterday, it is still beingpleted. However, the game you provided has a perfect backend, so the task is almostplete.
[Looks like Yao Yao did an excellent job.] Jiang Chen smiled with the cute girl in mind and continued.
What about marketing?
Its been ongoing, we have done advertisements and cinematics. Based on the feedback from our official site, the users have high hopes for thendmark mobile game. The post with the highest upvote even said that he is waiting for us to create virtual reality helmets thate from fictional novels, Xia Shiyu said half-jokingly, but it scared Jiang Chen.
[What, did I say I was going to develop virtual reality? Was this person reborn?]
Based on this, users have extremely positive opinion about ourpanys technology. President, are you okay? Xia Shiyu looked Jiang Chens puzzled expression, confused. She had a trace of worriedness in her tone.
Ahem, nothing. I just think I should control how much I show off. Jiang Chen forced augh.
[Maybe I am being too sensitive.]
Xia Shiyu ignored his nonsense words and continued.
Then should we introduce the game now?
Jiang Chen thought for a moment.
Mhmm, I think its about time. Start the registration and pre-download tonight. The official release will be within this month. You can decide the exact strategy. The bug system in the game is also advanced, so the employees only need to troubleshoot based on the description provided by the system. The operation of the game should have no problems. This is the decision then. wille online!
Jiang Chen was confident about this game. The introduction of Future 1.0 freed the hardware limitations of the mobile nt which would foster a series of the high-quality mobile games. This would fundamentally change the mobile game industry. The original popr masterpieces would not necessarily get reced by the new generation of games, but they would definitely be impacted and forced to make adjustments.
It was the perfect opportunity for Future Technology to enter the mobile gaming market.
Xia Shiyu nodded as she also believed it was time. The release of the game would also turn thepanys current ie statement around, which was now in the red.
Another key aspect. Do you have any rmendations for the direction of the game? Xia Shiyu had to ask Jiang Chen about the macro development strategy of thepany.
You can make your own decision. I know you are a lot more knowledgeable than me in regards to operational strategy. Jiang Chen smiled.
No, I mean the bigger picture. It is extremely difficult for a mobile game to bnce KPI and ACU
Wait, what is KPI? Jiang Chen was at a loss.
Xia Shiyu was at a loss too.
KPI, key performance indicators.
Jiang Chen embarrassedly scratched his head as he realized he was an amatuer in business.
However
What about ACU? He gulped as he shamelessly asked.
Average concurrent user President, maybe it would be a good idea to learn some fundamentals? Xia Shiyu said sounding worried.
Jiang Chens face flushed, but it would be impossible for him to admit his small fault in this. Ahem, why didnt you just put it in simpler terms? Profit and user base right?
Xia Shiyus eyes twitched as she sighed, Mhmm, you could interpret it that way.
He gave it a thought. You dont have to worry about profit, for now, we dontck cash. Compared to short-term profits, I care more about long term sustainable growth. If we have to sacrifice the lifespan of the game for profit, it will undermine the quality of our game.
Understood. President and I share the same thought. Since we already have the advantage in technology, nopany can copy our game. Therefore, we dont have to worry about the lifespan of for now. Once we establish the first group of users, we can then consider the profit, Xia Shiyu agreed as she took out another piece of documentation.
Jiang Chen scanned it as it revolved around the details of the games operation. For example the purchase method and game model. It had nothing to do with the game content.
[Should be okay then.]
Now that everything is cleared up, I need to go somewhere far away in the next few days. Jiang Chen put the document aside as he was getting ready to leave.
Where are you going now? Xia Shiyu sighed as she rubbed her head.
Maybe I will tell you one day? Jiang Chenughed as he walked out of the door, leaving a bewildered Xia Shiyu.
[How long till that one dayes?
Probably when I am powerful enough to go head to head with the forces of an entire nation.]
Chapter 80 - Zombies’ Change
Chapter 80: Zombies Change
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
In an instant, the pristine clouds were reced by the cloudy traditional dust, spider-like cracks crept onto the smooth walls, and the wooden door began to wither away.
The animation style changed drastically.
Thefort behind his back was the same, but he was on the other side.
It was his room in the apocalypse.
He sat up on the bed and scanned the clean bedsheets as a smile emerged on his face.
There was not the slightest dust. Although he didnt know if it was Yao Yao or Sun Jiao, someone cleaned the ce up every day.
He picked up the PK200 resting against the wall, and as if reunited with an old friend, he motioned a few positions with it. The only thing dusty in the room was this rifle. He picked up a towel to wipe it clean before he threw it into the storage dimension.
When he pushed open the door, he tiptoed from the corner of the wall. Then he quietly walked to Sun Jiao room to give the person he hasnt seen for a while a surprise kiss.
The surprised voice apanied by a long awaited hug. He felt her pounding heart as Jiang Chen hugged Sun Jiao with a smirk. He then followed her to the expanding outer circle.
When he stepped onto the brick road in front of the mansion, he always had an indescribable feeling of satisfaction.
Just like a king in the middle ages, the mansion was his castle. The refugees, who worked hard outside of the castle, were his citizens and Sun Jiao was the Dutchess of the castle. Yao Yao in the castle umm, lets talk about thatter.
When he stood there before, he could only smell suppression in the air. But now, he felt rxed.
No conspiracy and no need to guess as everyones heartbeat was captured on his EP. If it was not for the tedious injection procedure and theck of equipment, he would love to bring a set of very microchips to the real world.
But just as he pushed open the mansion doors, he was shocked.
Umm, why did the expansion stop? Jiang Chen looked at Sun Jiao, troubled by what he saw.
The construction material was stacked up on the open ground as the expansion came to aplete halt.
The zombies outside were acting weird. Sun Jiao had a stern face as she took Jiang Chen onto the watchtower.
Jiang Chen followed the direction Sun Jiao pointed to, and a look of shock appeared on his face.
Those zombies
Yes, all of them seem to be on some hard drug. Sun Jiao picked up a rock and threw it into the distance.
The rock made a clunk sound as it hit a cars roof. The zombies nearby immediately turned around and howled and dashed at the car. The car door was deformed by the group of zombies as their dirty hands prated through the car window and flipped open the engine cover.
After only a while, the zombies realized there were no living creatures and the gradually dispersed.
This was in broad daylight!
What, can we even leave then? Jiang Chen stared at the hysterical zombies.
Now, the zombies finally had a feel simr to . The fierce and bloody pupil seemed to foretell that any living creature who dares to appear in front of them would be ripped to pieces.
Or even more vicious than that?
The unknown bacteria level is rising in the air. Maybe its because of this bacteria that the zombies have be so ferocious. Theres a possibility that it has blocked the UV, but it doesnt look like it as the vegetation didnt get affected. Sun Jiao frowned as she took over the terminal from the patrolling guard and showed Jiang Chen.
What is this? Jiang Chen asked feeling puzzled.
The terminal is connected to the air detection tower. We bought it from Zhao Corporation. The Sixth Street also experienced a simr situation, so Zhao Chenwu thought we would need this. The unknown bacteria thats floating in the air has a simr mechanism to the original zombie bacteria. It could be eliminated by vination or through the immune system of people injected with the gic vine. But if the bacteria level passes a certain threshold, it could only be avoided with protective wear. So I bought 150 protective wear, just in case.
He followed the direction Sun Jiao pointed to, and Jiang Chen noticed a pitchfork-like detector on top of the residential building. The light green film between the pitchfork slowly rotated.
Not bad. But I have a question, I thought zombies would be weakened under UV? Jiang Chen asked with his eyebrows raised.
Thats right, that is what I am confused about too. Because zombies would also require energy, the mutant bacteria on its neck would react to UV and force most of the bodys functions into rest mode and enter photosynthesis, Sun Jiao repeated themon sense everyone knew in the apocalypse.
Could it be, this type of bacteria is charging the zombies? Jiang Chen thought for a moment before he suddenly spoke.
Sun Jiao was lost.
Charging? Through what method?
The floating bacteria in the air uses a unique method toplete the photosynthesis effect for the zombie. It then enters the zombie body to be digested, therefore the zombies would always be charged and would no longer require photosynthesis.
Sun Jiao gave it a thought.
Thats possible, although it has no scientific backing, you do have your point.
Is the entire Wanghai city like this?
Only part of the area. Based on news from the Sixth Street, the bacteria seems to be spreading from a source. The saving grace is that the bacteria would not self-divide, so it could only be produced from a source. Based on the concentration spread of the bacteria, if we use triangtion on the map, we are rtively certain that there is an area beside us with a high concentration of bacteria. Most likely, the source of it is there.
Sunjiao took out the full-sensoryputer and opened the 3D map. A triangr area was marked.
Whats the closest survival camp? Do they have any reactions? Jiang Chen thought about it as he said with serious concern.
A pained smile appeared on her face.
We are the closest survival camp. The majority of people belong tomunity level survival groups, so we are considered thergest. Currently no action.
If we continue to let these things grow, it would be hazardous. We have to find a way to proactively eliminate the source of this bacteria. But now, it doesnt look like we can get out. Jiang Chen watched the zombie-filled streets as distress seeped in.
You are right. The bacteria seems to be migrating the zombies to the direction of human settlements. The zombies have already attacked our door for the sixth time within 15 days. Our current trade with other survival groups was forced to stop. The good thing is that there are no zombies in the underground system, so we still managed to maintain the connection with the Sixth Street. Sun Jiao looked concerned, but she was out of sorts with these zombies.
Zhao Chenwu probably has a headache too. The other exit to the sewerage is at least a couple hundred meters away from the Sixth Street, Jiang Chen felt fortunate as he was smart enough to create a corridor with a concrete wall that directly included the exit into the base.
Ok, lets not talk about this for now. Tell me how the base is growing. Jiang Chen was concerned.
The trade differential between Zhao Corporation in September is 10102 crystal. The total trade amount exceeded one hundred and ten thousand crystals. The canned foods sold very well on the Sixth Street. Zhao Chenwu had the intention to significantly increase sales, but I refused on the basis that you headed back to acquire supplies. Because of the halt of the expansion, the construction material had been umting. The Zhao Corporation could not pay with crystals, so they proposed to sell us poptions at a price of 50 per person for a total of 100 to make up for the remaining payment. The poption of the base is at 130. Of course, it didnt include Sun Jiao, Yaoyao, and Jiang Chen.
The price increased?
The cost of the poption increased substantially. The chip price remained the same. Sun Jiao forced a smile. Because of the dangerous external environment and the fact that the Sixth Street is nning to eliminate two sources near the area, the demand for poption increased substantially.
Hows the soldiers training?
There is a total of 41 that received qualification from the virtual reality training chamber. Everyone is injected with the D-level gic vine and can be part of the force, Sun Jiao called out some data and reported.
The bacteria source must be eliminated. Jiang Chen looked into the distance with a gloomy look on his face. I have a feeling that the stuff in the air is only going to increase. Then it would be even harder to approach the source.
Then Ill prepare first. Lets make thebat n today, and then Ill bring a team with me tomorrow. Sun Jiao nodded.
Ill go along, Jiang Chen said sternly.
No, Sun Jiao rejected without hesitation.
Listen to me.
With your shooting?
Mybat power is okay now. Also, I can use my special ability to escape the battle. The most important thing is that I am worried about letting you go alone, Jiang Chen stared into Sun Jiaos eyes as he said seriously.
There was a more important reason he didnt exin. He wanted to use the opportunity to meet the survival groups along the way.
If Sun Jiao led the negotiation, he had a feeling it would turn into a full-scalebat.
On top of that, hisbat ability would never increase if he always stayed in safety.
When she heard he was worried, Sun Jiao blushed but quickly recollected her thoughts.
She debated a little more before sighing in reluctance.
Okay, Ill agree to it.
Jiang Chen smiled as he gave a thankful look for Sun Jiaos agreement.
Ahem. Also, there are not a lot of food at the base. Could you get some more, Sun Jiao awkwardly coughed as she diverted the topic.
Food? No problem. Jiang Chen smiled as he disappeared.
Sun Jiao had to gather her thought as she stared at the ce Jiang Chen vanished from.
[Fair, if he has this special ability, he would escape from any danger.]
Sun Jiao felt more at ease.
It was the first time.
Perhaps the first time was in the underground sewerage. The feeling when she knew he was okay, the time when she ced someone elses life before her own.
Chapter 81 - Yao Yao’s Thought
Chapter 81: Yao Yaos Thought
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen returned to the modern world and called the same food distributors number before driving to the rural area storage unit.
When he arrived at the destination, Jiang Chen noticed that the boss there was already waiting for him. He didnt waste his time as he started to order people to unload the supplies into the storage. Jiang Chen ordered twice the amount asst time.
31 tons of rice, 10 tons of flour, 700 boxes of canned meat, and 500 boxes of canned fruit, as well as oil, vinegar, salt, and other vorings. Also, he ordered a few tons of easy to store vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, and potato.
Like what they agreed tost time, they didnt print stickers.
He paid the full three hundred twenty without a blink of an eye and immediately dismissed the boss that continuously tried to small talk with him.
He was much more careful this time as he didnt start the moving process right away. Instead, he released the drone that Yao Yao modified and scanned for any thermal information. After a careful examination, he realized he was holding his breath from worrying. Being reassured, he let out a breath of relief and walked into the warehouse, closing the door behind him.
He felt that he has be too suspicioustely.
Because of the limited space in the storage dimension, Jiang Chen had to travel back and forth ten times before he managed to transport everything.
A total cost of 400 crystals for an ordinary survivor would be a huge amount. But for him, it was only pocket change. Because of the trade differential between Zhao Corporation, the only thing he was worried about was how to spend the room full of crystals in his basement.
On paper, all crystals were transported back to the fictitious headquarter.
Sun Jiao skillfully ordered people to enter the mansion and move the bags of food into the food warehouse. The good thing was they also built two more food warehouses on open ground. Otherwise, it would be difficult to find a ce to store the food.
The idle survivors started to be busy again. Due to Jiang Chens arrival, they were no longer surprised by the mountain-like stack of food.
The idle cooling system started operating again as the bases electricity usage climbed. But Sun Jiao was prepared for the situation as not only did she ce sr panels on all the roofs within the wall, it even expanded to buildings outside of the wall.
Zombies and mutants had no interest in the boards on top of the roofs. The survivors other side wasnt so despicable that they would vandal the property since the machine guns on the watchtower did possess some deterrence abilities.
He heard Sun Jiao say that she also purchased an old ground thermal energy collection system, but currently, the basecked personnel with knowledge in that area. She already arranged a few smart looking survivors to learn the rted knowledge. There were important books in the city library, the information would only need to be downloaded into the virtual reality training chamber.
But to see results, itll be at least a few months.
Seeing as Sun Jiao was busy, Jiang Chen headed to the technology department at themunity center and found the hard-working Du Yongkong. He handed him the developed strategy for Future 1.0 as Jiang Chen ordered him to make upgrades based on that. Xia Shiyu gave it to him before he left in the morning. Thepany has no technology department, although they did hire server maintenance personnel, the program updating would have to be done through the middleman Jiang Chen.
He cautioned him about the encryption procedure. Jiang Chen then patted his shoulder and left, in Du Yongkangs surprised, with a proud look.
Jiang Chen returned to the mansion again.
He hasnt seen Yao Yao in a while, and he has missed her.
Ahem, dont be mistaken. Jiang Chen was not into a loli.
[Maybe?]
Yao Yao enjoyed reading. Even dry and boringputer books, she could focus and read them for a long time.
Although the virtual reality training system could speed up the education process, which Yao Yao already received in the hibernation chamber in the survival base, the deeper level knowledge could only be extracted from the book itself. These books were gifts Sun Jiao brought back from the library.
Although the electronic version was okay, the feeling of paper made her feel calmer.
Yao Yao sighed as she closed the book. She stretched out her frail arms and yawned.
[If only brother Jiang Chen could notice me more]
She zoned out as she kept thinking, cupping her chin with both hands.
If it were before, she would blush because of her inappropriate thoughts. But now, she could face her own heart.
She did fall in love with the gentle, sympathetic, strong No, she would not stop if she continued.
Yao Yao lightly pped her own face nervously as she ducked her almost burning head back into the books.
[I want to die]
You are going to hurt your eyes if you read so close. Jiang Chen oddly looked at Yao Yaos move with a smile on his face.
Ahhhh! The book flew out of Yao Yaos hands as she jumped up like a startled rabbit. She then fell, with the chair, to the ground.
Jiang Chen face palmed as he looked at Yao Yaos careless action. He was just about to help her up.
But then he suddenly remembered Sun Jiaos words.
Yao Yao really cares about you
She rubbed her butt in pain as she sadly pouted her mouth. Sorsorry, I didnt notice brother was here.
You need to take care of yourself. What if you get hurt? Jiang Chen helped Yao Yao up and stroked her soft hair as he seemingly med her.
Yao Yao suddenly buried her head into his chest and her hands tightly held onto his shirt. Tears began to fill up her adorable eyes.
Brother do you dislike me now?
Jiang Chen was confused. How is that possible?
Then why have you been avoiding me, Yao Yao buried her head and murmured.
Avoiding?
Jiang Chen was lost.
To be fair, since thest time he saw her for a brief moment, he hasnt visited her in awhile.
Perplexed, he looked at the slightly quivering girl and felt guilty.
A little bit.
Jiang Chen really cared for Yao Yao, not only because she was the second friend he met in this world, or because she saved him and Sun Jiao, or she helped him before
The best way to describe it was, a unique feeling.
Yao Yaos presence seemed to have fulfilled an emptiness in his heart, it allowed him to express a kind of protective desire.
But when Sun Jiao told him that Yao Yao likes him, and it was the kind of like between a man and a woman, he backed away.
Yes, Jiang Chen knew that he basically had no bottom line.
But Yao Yao
Although Yao Yaos actual age was 36, she spent 20 years in the hibernation chamber. Her body practically paused all growth. Because of the side effects from hibernation, her body did not grow even after leaving the chamber for 2 years.
To summarize, she can be described by three numbers, 36, 16, 14.
That t-looking body, not even perverts could do this.
But Yao Yaos mental age reached puberty, so it is understandable she started to feel emotions for the only guy that treated her with gentleness.
Understanding is one thing, but being able to do it is another.
He was afraid that he couldnt control himself and just end up eating Yao Yao.
Subconsciously, he unintentionally began to avoid responding to this emotion.
He hoped the feeling was more simr to someone she depended on, but he knew too well that that wasnt the case.
He had a special feeling for Yao Yao.
I Jiang Chen opened his mouth to say something, but a delicate finger stopped him.
No, you dont need to exin to Yao Yao. Yao Yao is very understanding. Yao Yao disappointedly buried her head deeper. She murmured as the faint sound came out of her lips.
If brother doesnt like Yao Yao, Yao Yao wont force brother to reciprocate. Compared to small apples, big apples definitely taste better. For example like sister Sun Jiaos size, Yao Yao understand.
Her eyes shook slightly, but she bit her lip and determinately lifted her head.
Yao Yao is happy to be living such a joyful life. But, it is still important to give treats to cute animals. So I will do everything to help brother out. I am still updating the game. Yao Yao is also studying really hard on theputer. If Yao Yao can just get some small rewards, Yao Yao will be delighted and will work even harder. Its not too greedy of a request! Though if there really is none, it will be okay but just a little is enough! Just share with me a tiny bit No need to kiss, just rub my head.
Woo!
The listless hesitation was suddenly blocked.
Her fragile look revealed how shocked she was, but then it turned into excitement and happiness, and finally into gentleness
Yao Yao closed her eyes as she enjoyed the sudden burst of passion from her lips.
Jiang Chen kissed her.
Because of guilt? Self-me? Impulse? Or maybe it was thepensation for the pure but ambiguous emotion.
He admits that he is a selfish person without boundaries, but he is not a cold person. When he found out that Yao Yao loved him dearly and was willing to do so much for him without return.
Sorry.
It was his first, without lust and desire.
Thevender like fragranceyered with her pure emotion spread from his lips into his head.
Like a terrified bunny, the softness gently explored the unknown. But just that one simple move almost took up her entire bodys strength.
But a warm hand epted it and caressed her soft head.
Jiang Chen felt the burning sensation on his face as Jiang Chen gently held up her face.
Separated.
A glowing wire carved a hint of impurity within the pure emotions.
Jiang Chen looked at Yao Yao as she tried to catch her breath and stared into her mist covered eyes. He finally resisted the desire in his heart and pulled his head away from Yao Yao.
Yao Yao, who just began to realized what had happened, buried her head.
Her head waspletely nk as her cherry like mouth smiled, closed, raised
Sorry. Although sorry probably doesnt mean much. Jiang Chen hugged the fragile body harder as he said sincerely, I did notice your emotions, but I
No, its okay! Yao Yaos tone suddenly went higher because of her excitement but soon quieted down. She murmured, Could you just save some for me? As a reward
No.
The adorable eyes teared up.
Not your reward, as my reward. A smirk appeared on his face as he got closer to her earlobe. Be mine?
Tears burst out of her eyes, but it was tears of happiness.
Mhmm!
Eh? Dont cry.
Mhmm! Woooo.
Jiang Chen made up his mind.
He didnt have any boundaries left, so might as well go balls deep!
He was not a courteous guy nor did he want to use a boring excuse to lie to himself. He had a good impression of Yao Yao. As in, it was not the type where it was simply a sister and brother kind of emotion.
[Worst case Ill just eatter] (?????)
He made the decision as he chose to respond to this pure rtionship.
[Whats wrong with liking a loli! No, not loli, she is 36 on her ID!]
Jiang Chen tightly hugged Yao Yao as he felt her warmth and listened to her murmur.
I feel so lucky.
Would sister Sun Jiao hit me. Ummm, Ill let her, so she wont be mad. Then, then I feel so happy.
Suddenly, Yao Yao woke up from her murmuring words.
[Yes, the most important thing is what brother thinks. If he doesnt think I taste good, then No, No. I need to sell myself. I can definitely do it.]
She tightly clenched her fist as she took a couple of deep breaths and built up the confidence.
[Calmed down?] Jiang Chen heard the murmuring stop.
Umm.
Hmm?
I, I taste very good! Although I am not confident, I will be very obedient! The moves sister Sun Jiao doesnt want to try, Yao Yao can try! I am not a picky eater. I will resist the pain even if it hurts. Yao Yaos long eyshes trembled as she closed her eyes tightly, letting go of all her shyness.
Blood burst out from Jiang Chens nose.
This damn loli lover, Sun Jiao cursed in her mind as she stood outside of the door.
Through the cracks, she almost saw the entire plotline.
Although it was not that she didnt understand Yao Yaos emotion, she did want to drag her into the water
But, it was still frustrating!
Miss Sun Jiao was so frustrated that she wanted to stomp her feet. But she bit her lips as she decided not to.
It was because she did not want to interrupt them now.
She sighed as she unhappily walked away.
[Ill pretend that is thepensation for this guy to stay here.]
Sun Jiao tried tofort herself.
[Also, Yao Yao is even easier to bully.]
A smile carved onto Sun Jiaos lips.
Or, possibly a smirk.
Chapter 82 - Wasteland Economics?
Chapter 82: Wastnd Economics?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Loli has three benefits, light, soft, and easy to eat.
Jiang Chen didnt end up eating Yao Yao, although she was already cooked.
He felt it was not the best idea to eat her now.
[Let her grow a bit more. At least until after she starts to develop. Or at least wait for her to be mentally prepared.]
He wiped the blood from his nose andforted the now bewildered Yao Yao as he hastily left.
It was the first time he managed to control himself and didnt act like an animal.
When night fell, Jiang Chen came to the conference room at themunity center and initiated a wireless video conference with Zhao Chenwu.
The light blue particles and lines created the full body image of Zhao Chenwu. The ruthless man smiled and extended his hand to greet him when he saw Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen also smiled and extended his hand, passing through the hologram image.
The hands, of course, didnt touch as it was a gesture passed on in the hologram conference age. Before the start of the conference, Sun Jiao already taught Jiang Chen.
As long as they sat by the table, the hologram would be passed onto the corresponding location in the other conference. Based on the consideration of the importance of real-timemunication, Zhao Chenwu sold this set of equipment discounted by 50%. His strategic vision was certainly worth praising, for as it was definitely a move that could pay off in the long term.
What better way to solve the problem than face to face.
Jiang Chen never imagined there could be such a magical equipment in this world. He only saw it in some sci-fi movies before.
Long time no see Mr. Jiang. To save time, lets get straight to the topic. Compared to modern world negotiations, the negotiations in the apocalypse were short and concise. No one considered ttering words worth. Even close alliances only cared about the individuals own interest as it directly rted to their survival.
Also, it cost one crystal per minute to keep this equipment running. The crystal was not the issue, but the lesser the small talk, the better.
Please go head. Jiang Chen signaled a please gesture.
I want to increase the trade amount, especially fruit cans. I have a deficit of 1000 cans or more.
Zhao Chenwu waved his fingers as a data board raised onto the middle of the negotiation table that showed this need.
Canned meat needs to be increased to ten thousand, canned fruit increased to eight thousand,pressed cracker increased to an astronomical figure of one hundred thousand pieces and twenty thousand bags of instant noodles needed to be added. Based on the negotiated price, the total trade amount increased to half a million crystals!
Jiang Chen gasped for air.
Half a million. A power armors cost was only ten thousand crystals.
Dont mind me for being straight forward, do you have enough crystals for this deal? Or, do you have the ability to absorb this amount of supplies?
Although the Sixth Street has arge poption, there were only so many that could afford these luxuries.
Zhao Chenwu smiled. He did not hide anything as he waved his hands and a document slid in front of Jiang Chen.
There is nothing to hide. To respond to the recent abnormal zombie reactions, the Group of Ten council voted on a crusade proposal to eliminate two unknown bacteria sources. The n is separated into route A and B. The group of ten all had decided to invest in initiating this proposal. Ill invest 31 power armors and one spider tank to join the route and acquire 21% of the profit.
Theres profit from clearing out the bacteria source? Jiang Chenughed.
He remembered not every zombie had crystals in the back of their heads. Even Roshan only had between 40-50 crystals.
Yes, and there is a lot. Zhao Chenwu smiled mysteriously and called out a set of data. The estimated profit of route A is 1.7 million crystals. The cost of ammunition is around 110 thousand,pared to the profit it is almost negligible.
1.7 million crystals?
The number made Jiang Chen jump, but the document Zhao Chenwu threw over soon made him understand the situation.
Regr mutants were unable to resist against therge-scale attacks of the survivors. The crystals on their bodies would all be collected. Also, because of the bacteria, the zombies are filled with energy. Therefore almost all of them have formed crystals, which was also why they became more ferocious.
However, under the firearms suppression, despite how powerful the zombies were they were still zombies. The Sixth Street could gain massively from this operation! Every zombie would have atleast a single crystal. Killing one hundred thousand would be one hundred thousand crystals! Especially if it were closer to the bacteria source, then its energy would be higher for crystal formation. Based on the document, a single zombie could contain up to 20 crystals!
Including the mutants along the way, even if they encounter a Roshan, that thing is like a paper in front of a tank. Except in the city center, the Sixth Streets firepower would not encounter any dangers.
That was not the key point. Once the massive force heads out from the Sixth Streets hideout, following them would be a group of survivors or individuals. They wouldnt dare to steal kills, but under the protection of the force, it would be okay to pick up some scraps. Since they were all part of the force, it would be better for the endless amount of mutants to die as much as possible.
If they encounter something they could not defeat like the Death w, they will only need to hide among the forces. The Death w would be too scared to attack so many people, even if it did, a single cannon would solve the problem.
Once the average wealth increased, it would bolster spending. Jiang Chen knew that even if he didnt study economy.
Also, the consumables used in this crusade will be converted into crystals, and so they will seek investments from the poption of the Sixth Street. The expected return was estimated to be 15%, in which 1341 middle ss men would be born. The higher average wealth would increase spending and stimte the Sixth Street to increase production. The increased production would appreciate the value of crystals as an energy source! This would allow the capable survivors to approach us or even settle here.
It was an excellent blueprint. Although it did soundical to talk about the economy on the wastnd.
Jiang Chen was at a loss for words before he abruptly opened his mouth.
If you guys are so powerful, why didnt you attack the city center?
Ahem, there is nothing to gain from that. Also, the situation is quite unique in the city center. But, I guarantee you, we will only profit from this crusade!
He looked nkly at the passionate Zhao Chenwu as a troubled smile appeared on his face.
[Is this the benefit of using energy as the currency?]
The industrys raw materials could be recycled from waste, but crystals have been the limiting factor for all survival camps.
The industrial process before the war used Hydrogen-3 as a reactor to generate power. Not to say the Hydrogen-3 facility on the moon has already been destroyed to pieces, but there was not a single functional nuclear reactor here. These things were the primary target during a war.
Therefore, the light, efficient, and renewable crystal became the primary source of energy and currency. As long as the industry continues to operate, there was no need worry about intion. Hunt for crystals, purchase goods, increase production, crystal appreciation, which stimtes spending, loops back to hunting and the exploration of dangerous territories.
It was a perfect cycle.
No one wanted to waste bullets on zombies before since they didnt have crystals. Unless they were almost starving to death, not a lot of people risked their lives to hunt for that annoying mutant. However, this generation of zombies, under the influence of the unknown bacteria, formed crystals. Following a great army around the city, beforeing back with a bag full of crystals for more reliable equipment would lower the risk of hunting other mutants.
Therefore even these zombies were eradicated, the newly equipped survivors would be able to hunt mutants for crystals.
It was like a spark that reignited the almost distinguished me.
After this crusade, the Sixth Street would experience a drastic shift.
[Fu*k, Jiang Chen was jealous, but he was also cautious at the same time.]
Although there was some distance between Sixth Street and here, if its sphere of influence increases, it would be problematic. Since that ce was a neutral, open door area, all the survivors would head to it for exchanges of goods.
The equipment upgrade of the survivors nearby was not good news for the newborn Fishbone Base.
The bandits, who were previously equipped with rifles, were now upgraded to rocketuncher or even the more expensiveser rifles. It would be detrimental to the bases defense. The current defense of the base was only a few light machine guns as well as some anti-tank weapons and grenadeunchers.
Although Jiang Chen wanted to buy a tank and has the money, no one would sell it. These heavy armor firearms were mostly recycled from the battlefield. The quantity was scarce.
It was possible to produce power armor from scratch, but a tank? Even if they had the technology, they didnt have the right conditions.
His eyes lit up as Jiang Chen pondered to think of a way to upgrade the bases military arms.
If it was not possible to buy it from the Sixth Street, Liuding Town might be worth a shot?
But in Zhao Chenwus eyes, he interpreted Jiang Chens expression as a keen interest in the potential profit of the crusade. A smile emerged on his face, in his eyes, Jiang Chen was ready to reap the benefits.
What do you think? Mr. Jiang, I believe that you already understand, if we use this golden age to expand the food market, I trust that no one will be interested in the sheet like nutrient supply anymore.
Chapter 83 - Helping Each Other
Chapter 83: Helping Each Other
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen was fascinated by the opportunity.
But if the crystals do appreciate, then there would be another problem.
Crystals will appreciate in value. So you are saying I need to lower the price of the food to expand the market? Jiang Chen curled up the corners of his month. After all this exnation, Zhao Chenwu still had the intention to lower the price of food.
Ahem, thats precisely the case. But please believe me that after we increase sales, the food trade will bring more profit for yourpany. Before there would be only one thousand people willing to purchase goods, now in less than a month, it will turn into one thousand people. When the basic survival needs are met, people will start to strive for a higher quality of life. Additionally, if we can capture the market, you can also expand your production capability. Zhao Chenwu locked onto Jiang Chens eyes.
Umm, okay, Jiang Chen felt awkward.
In theory, if the production base expanded because of economies of scale, the cost would go down. In his case, however, since all the food was transported from the modern world, the cost would be less than 0.1 of a crystal per canned food.
Reducing the price to increase sales volume seemed to fit the goal of the headquarter.
If the price remained the same, food sales would still increase by a small amount, but the potential profit would be nowhere close to voluntarily lowering the price to attract more sales.
Oh? This is not a bad idea, I have permission to adjust the price on behalf of thepany. You do have to understand however that there is still the cost to transport and produce the food. If the profit margin here is too low, there is no purpose for me to continue to establish a supply station here. He still had the pretend in case this guy constantly asks him to lower the price due to Jiang Chen epting this initial proposal too easily.
Zhao Chenwu thought it was disrespectful to ask about the other partys costs. But if he doesnt know Fishbone Food Corporations production cost, it was hard for him to give a reasonable estimate. He only guessed that the expanded production would decrease cost, but he didnt know how much it would go down by.
The meat cans with an average price of 10, fruit can 20, thepressed cracker maintains the one crystal price, and instant noodle 3. The appreciation of crystals along with the higher purchasing power from the Sixth Street, you wont lose a whole lot.
Thats a 1/3 discount? Mr. Zhao is certainly giving me a difficult scenario. Jiang Chen had an enigmatic smile. Purchasing power of the Sixth Street? Then I would be making a loss if I transport the crystals back to the headquarter.
On paper, he only has a supply station here. So, he must stay consistent with the story. The appreciation of crystals was only rtive, other than a few things that could not be produced, all other goods would not be any different. If crystals were not traded for goods, then this thing would only be a convenient time travel ticket.
Ahem, the crystals appreciation is rtive. How about the firearms and construction materials also are reduced by 1/3? This is pretty close to my cost. Also, isnt yourpany interested in our technology? Perhaps in this area, we can partner up. It would be best to avoid paying with crystals as this will be the best way to maximize our gain. If I manage to acquire more control within the Sixth Street through this opportunity, I trust that the equipment not permissible to be sold could have workarounds. Zhao Chenwu made his point as his eyes shed
Not bad. Interesting proposal. A smile appeared on his face as both parties reached an agreement.
Since this is the case, Jiang Chen brought everything to the table.
M2 Engine design blueprint, our quote is forty thousand crystals, 1-10 kg bomb production bed blueprint, the quote is ny thousand crystals. Model 50 electromaic pulse cannon, the quote is one hundred and ten thousand crystals. I believe that this technology,mon in Wanghai City, is not too difficult for Mr. Zhao right?
These were sensitive military technologies so they would not be stored in public libraries. The only method to obtain the technology was through purchasing. Sun Jiao estimated the quote based on the benchmark in Liuding Town.
Regardless if they have the capabilities to produce the equipment, it was imperative to obtain the technology first, and then slowly digest it.
Of course not. Zhao Chenwuughed, the price was reasonable.
Although the Sixth Street prohibited the sale of heavy weapons, the technology aspect was not prohibited to the same extent. A thumb-sized USB could copy all the information and blueprints. How difficult would it be to stop it?
Of course, Zhao Chenwu would not offer the self-developed technology after the war. Just like how he never asked Jiang Chen for the food production technology.
The advancement in technology did not cease after the apocalypse. The well-fed scientists in each survival base all served a purpose. Due to theck of free flow information, poor survival condition, the difference between the inherited technology, everyones technology tree was a bit different from the other.
Take the Sixth Street, for example. The self-developed T-3 power armorsbat power even exceeded pre-war levels. However, on the development of airnes, their progress was close to null. It was apletely different case for Liuding Town but simr to other survival bases.
As to the trade amount, if you could manage to absorb it, Ill sell a bit more to you? Lets aim for a quote of seven hundred thousand crystals now based on the new price. It would be for October and November. I think with more supplies, Mr. Zhao could have an easier time expanding the market? Jiang Chenughed.
Six times the usual trade amount?
Suddenly, Zhao Chenwus breath shortened. However, for being a man of power, he quickly recollected himself and remained calm.
He shrugged as Zhao Chenwu said cheerful, Since my partner has already shown so much good faith, if I dont do anything, it would be inconsiderate.
[Its here, I have been waiting for those words.] Jiang Chens mouth curled up.
Thats what I think too. So to make sure I can move the seven hundred thousand crystals worth of supplies here, I need your help.
Zhao Chenwu was surprised.
If your transportation team could move the goods over such a distance, could you not solve a simple problem like this? It was hard for Zhao Chenwu to believe.
He knew that there was a source near the Fishbone Base, but because of the distance, it would not pose any threats to the Sixth Street. The neutral area was not a phnthropical society as they had no reason to send out a force to clear out the problem.
Transportation andbat are two different things. We have the technology to move the goods there, but moving it in would have to depend on me.
Airdrop? Flying carriers? It didnt matter how much Zhao Chenwu guessed as Jiang Chen wouldnt say a word.
He opened his palms as he continued to use his acting as he bullsheeted, I think you know how many crystals I put into this supply station since I bought everything from you. If I couldnt even handle a small problem like this if you were my boss would you want me to stay here? Or, would you switch to another base that would be easier to transport goods, as it would be the more efficient process, wouldnt it? So, for us to continue our partnership, youll have to help me out.
Then, Jiang Chens voice lowered as he perplexingly looked at the Zhao Chenwu, whos expression began to turn stern. I cant promise that the next representative here will still choose Zhao Corporation as the partner, or perhaps even relocate and conduct business with Liuding Town. We pride ourselves on efficiency. If I fail here, I dont know if the next person in charge would continue my policy. You understand.
Jiang Chen left the words there as he then leaned against his chair.
He didnt finish his words as he has already made the point.
It did make sense. If my subordinate spent so many resources from the trade to invest in the defense infrastructure, it there was the imminent danger he must seek help? (?????) If Jiang Chen got reced by the Fishbone headquarter, would the new representative continue the failed policy? Difficult to say.
Zhao Chenwu began to feel unsettled as he already got the taste of the food trade. How would he simply give this up especially when there was a seven hundred thousand crystal deal sitting in front of him? He hoped that he could use this supply to control the food market at the Sixth Street to leverage for more influence in the Group of Ten council.
However what he didnt know was, all the hypothetical situation assumed that the headquarter existed.
Jiang Chen didnt finish his words but left enough for Zhao Chenwus imagination.
If he only lied and told half of the context, smart people wouldplete the lie for you. If he said too much, he would be more prone to getting called out.
What kind of help do you need? I will handle this, Zhao Chenwu said in a stern voice. His interest was already tied to Jiang Chen. If he lost Jiang Chen as a supplier, all his ns would be interrupted.
He must help him, even if he may make a loss here.
He was waiting for this sentence.
An untraceable faint smile appeared on Jiang Chens face.
10 T-3 power armor, Ill purchase at 110% cost. Jiang Chen didnt scam him as he gave a rather attractive offer.
Not possible! Zhao Chenwu stood up as he lost control of his voice.
It was not the problem with the price!
Even with his position of power as a member of the Group of Ten council, there was still nine other people keeping a close eye on him. There were a countless amount of small capitalists that have a keen eye on his position, which forces him to be careful.
Even if it was produced from his own factory, every controlled equipment must be documented and registered. They were prohibited from selling and by keeping an eye on each other, it was hard to conduct fraud.
If he crossed the line, there would be severe implications as it practically gave hispetitors a reason to attack him.
Nothing is impossible. Think about it. The risk you takepared to the potential gain, it would be nothing. If I failed, I would just retire. For you, youll lose a supplier that you trust. Jiang Chen locked onto Zhao Chenwus eyes.
Zhao Chenwu also fixed his eyes on him.
Finally, this ruthless businessmanpromised.
10 T-3 power armor with a price of 13000 crystals. Ill send 10 ves with microchips injected along with the power armors. Then Ill report fatalities. You can take the 10 people as long as they dont show up at the Sixth Street ever again.
Zhao Chenwu wryly rubbed his head as he leaned his arm on the table and waved his hand in defeat.
Excellent, my friend. Be assured that youll have much to gain from helping me so much. A prevailed smiled carved onto Jiang Chens face, but it was gone within a second. He gave his sincere gratitude to Zhao Chenwu.
Tell me other things you need. I know the 10 power armors is not enough, but this is the only time! Since he already broke the rules, it didnt matter how far he went.
As long as no one found out.
An armored vehicle.
No problem, one will explode during the mission. 20000 crystals.
You have to give the equipment first, I have to solve the problem first before I can transport the food here, and then pay based on the new price.
No problem, I have the patience to wait.
Also, I would need some high energy vacuum bombs, the portable ones. Seeing Zhao Chenwus decisive attitude, Jiang Chen was feeling a little ashamed as he grinned sardonically.
Ok. Along with the one-time use tform, 100 crystals per bomb. Ill just say that I scrapped them. What do you need that for? The zombies cant be suffocated, they also dont have a lot of fat that can be burned.
It is just for a possible scenario, you dont have to worry about it, and its a pleasure to work with you? Jiang Chen had no more requests as he smiled.
Its a pleasure to work with you you better not make my investment go in vain!
Jiang Chen fearlessly stared into Zhao Chenwus hawk-like vision as he cheerfullyughed. Be assured, my friend, dont you think we are helping each other out?
I gave grounds for the price, the least you can do is do me a favor like this.
Helping each other out?
Maybe using each other was a more appropriate term.
Chapter 84 - Zombie Waves
Chapter 84: Zombie Waves
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The goods arrived the next day.
Almost everyone at the Sixth Street was busy with the crusade, so the smuggling went unnoticed.
There were only four people that delivered the goods, and they were all close subordinates of Zhao Chenwu. His assistant Su Lei personally led the team. The guarding soldier transferred the control rights to Jiang Chen and sharply saluted him before they hastily left.
Jiang Chen smiled as he watched the camouged armor vehicle and the pitch ck metal giants with a fearsome face. He patted the closest guys shoulder before ordering the new ves to transport the goods.
If one couldpare light armor to kic skeletons, then power armor resembled the knights heavy armor in the middle ages. They were divided into ground type and air drop type with the main difference being the armors weight and if it was equipped with a shock absorbing turbine engine. The mass of the air drop type was usually less than half a ton, while the ground type weighted one ton or more.
These ten sets of T-3 power armors were the air drop type. They were equipped with a trident-shaped revolving machine gun and ammo packages.
Lu Huasheng was smart enough to design an elevator at the exit. Or else, if they only used rope, it would be tricky to bring up the two meters high, 300-kilogram power armor. The ten ves clearly did not know how to operate the equipment, and they looked like they were getting ready to enter their caskets.
Obviously, they knew it was illegal to sell those types of equipment.
Since it was illegal
Their gic ID must have been registered as died at the Sixth Street already.
As to if they will really die? It would all be up to the man with the cheerful smile.
Wee to Fishbone Survival Camp. Trust me, working for me is much more enjoyable than working for anyone else in the world
Although it did sound like bullsheet, it looked like they wont be dying anytime soon.
Everyone felt relieved as they anxiously followed the mans footsteps.
After giving the responsibility of assigning jobs to Lu Huasheng, Jiang Chen quickly went to find Sun Jiao.
Weapon and power armor is ready, when should we depart? Sun Jiao immediately asked when she saw Jiang Chen.
Within two days. Did you manage to contact the survivor groups around us?
No problem. The wireless equipment in the conference room can do that, but what is the point of it? Sun Jiao asked confused.
Take them to fight the mobs. He left an unclear response behind.
There were too many survivors living in small groups around the area. If he managed to consolidate them together, there would at least be two to three thousand people. If Fishbone Survival Camp wants to the break the limitations of their poption, they must think about the surrounding survivors.
Those were the survivors that survived through hardships in the apocalypse. Their mental strength was much stronger than ordinary people, or at least more twisted. Their individualbat abilities also far exceeded the ves in the ghetto. But the tricky part was, they had long ceased to believe in orders and rules, they acted like wolves which are difficult to train.
If you want a dog to listen, a bone plus a rope would be enough.
But for a wolf to listen, a bone and a rope were nowhere enough. The survivors will take the bone away without hesitation but never willingly lower their head and ept the cor.
Unless they possessed absolute power, there was no point in even thinking about uniting together and fighting back.
Showing off their firearms was the second purpose of the crusade.
The best idea was to bring the battlefield together and alleviate the pressure from the waves of zombies. Then, promise them part of the reward to increase their dependency on Fishbone base.
Now that the zombies have all formed crystals, Jiang Chen didnt believe that those survivors would not be interested. Even if Jiang Chen didnt have the heavy firearm, the power armor was more than enough to steamroll through normal zombies. Those survivors have no reason to give up guaranteed profit.
The next morning.
The Fishbone Base was busy once again. The soldiers rushed to their battle stations. The nonbat unit helped to pack supplies as well as raise polyethylene board onto the front door to create a defense zone in case the zombies rushed into the base when the door was opened.
Outside the wall, it was also busy. The crowded zombies perfectly illustrated the words seas of zombies. The sheer amount of rotten bodiespletely blocked the streets outside.
Strange. It was as if the zombies from the entire area was stuffed onto this one street.
Weapon system, functional. Turbine engine, functional. And energy stick, functional! Jiang Chen tirelessly checked the data within the electronic helmet. Although he had experience with power armors in the virtual reality training chamber and had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the actual armor yesterday, being locked in the metal box made him feel unsettled.
The pitch ck paint, the vigorous and light armors aerodynamic shape, the trident-shaped revolving machines gun, and the tactical rifle ced at the waist. Jiang Chen was almost fortified to his teeth.
It certainly did look cool, but it was surprisingly difficult to put on.
Sun Jiao nced at Jiang Chen with worried eyes. She then took a deep breath and waved at the guard on the wall.
The guard saluted and quickly positioned himself by the machine gun.
Sun Jiao will be the leader for this operation.
Be prepared to depart. Open your weapon system, and make sure the zombies dont break our formation. All of our supplies are in the car. Am I understood?
Understood! The eight armored soldiers uniformly shouted as they put on their helmets.
Open the gate! Sun Jiao shouted and signaled before she also put on her helmet.
The metal gate slowly rose. As if they smelt the delicious scent of food, the zombies turned their hollow eyes in the direction of the door.
Tatatatata!
Fire!
The machine guns on the two watchtowers began to unload their ammunition. The orange light split countless bodies of zombies as it shredded the already crippled body into more pieces. However, it was futile as the waves of zombies howled and rushed to the door.
Charge!
The team in power armor formed a triangle, protecting the armored vehicle in the middle. They then ripped a hole in the sea of zombies. Zombies with missing limbs shook on the ground. If their brains were still intact, zombies would not die.
But there was no time to finish them off. Under the power of the machine gun on the watch tower and the armored soldiers continuously firing revolving machine gun, the flow of indestructible metal trampled through the corpses of the undead.
Even through metal, the sticky feeling of blood and meat on Jiang Chens feet made his stomach churn. But he was no longer afraid of the frightening zombies.
They are no longer humans.
Some were not humans to begin with.
When the reinforced front armor collided with the zombies, who had attempted to bite him, the power of the armors technology was truly demonstrated. The turbine engines on the waist and arms spat out mystic blue mes. The zombies futilely scratched and bit on the cold armor as Jiang Chen maximized the thrust of the engines.
The team maintained their formation as they moved forward, pushing the zombies back.
If the charge formation stopped, they then must face the dire situation of being surrounded by zombies. Although the regr zombies would not prate the armor if they umted and gained a numerical advantage, they could, however, deform the power armor as easily as they flipped cars.
Even if they had the absolute advantage on equipment, no one dared to lose concentration as they used the fire power of their armors to disperse the sea of zombies.
But it was impossible to kill all the zombies even if they used all of their ammunition. The only thing they needed to do was to break through, not waste all the ammunition on these dead things.
The zombies squeezed through and collided with the armored vehicle, but they got ran over right away. The thick and heavy tire left a frightening mark on the ground. The 20mm machine gun on top of the vehicle continued to fire as the bullets prated the zombies withered bodies, exploding it into pieces.
Finally, the entire force forcefully created an opening through the sea of zombies as they trampled through the twitching bodies and out of the zombie-infested street.
How do you feel. A caring voice passed through the private channel.
I am okay. Jiang Chen took several deep breaths as he tried to calm his pounding heart.
He closed the revolving machine gun on his right hand and pulled out the tactical rifle on his waist. Everyone else followed. They no longer needed to maintain a high concentration of firepower after they broke through.
The zombies still rushed towards them, but they were much more sparse. It seemed to have matched his guess that the zombies all consciously gathered near the base. Once they passed another street, they could barely see any zombies.
This is odd.
Be careful, stay alert! Open the electric life detection device.
Roger.
No mutant signal within the 500-meter radius.
The series of reporting made the public channel sound chaotic.
Usually speaking, the drastic decrease in zombie concentration could only mean one thing. The existence of a powerful mutant was nearby. Although zombies hunted for any living creature, most of their prey were creatures with a simr life energy to humans. If they encountered an one hundred crystal monster or the nest of a mutant, zombies would subconsciously move away from that direction.
But the situation was abnormal. Not only mutants, but there wasnt even a single cockroach on the street.
The broken advertisement board, the abandoned cars
They were the only living creatures on the street.
He shook his left arm to get rid of the sticky feeling of blood as he watched the empty street.
The ominous feeling was more and more apparent.
Chapter 85 - This is the Apocalypse
Chapter 85: This is the Apocalypse
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
There was no powerful mutant nearby, but the reality seemed to say otherwise.
It felt like a hand had drawn the spread out zombies together to surround them.
The zombie concentration ahead is zero, I feel like something is off. Seeing the life detection map at the right corner of his pupil, Jiang Chen cant help but raised his eyebrows.
Disregarding the possibility of mutant.
Zombies were not exactly dead as they still maintain some features of a live creature. For example, their understanding of survival space. The zombies distribution was highly concentrated in the city center and spreads out in all directions from that point on. The asexually produced zombies moved outwards from the crowded city center to the rural area. In most cases, the rtively less concentrated areas would rarely produce a sea of zombies.
But the zombies seemed to have gathered together as they surrounded the entire base. The result was that after they manage to break through, the streets were empty.
Sun Jiao frowned as she was also uncertain.
Thats right, something is off.
However, it was futile to overthink right now as the armored vehicle broke through the sea of zombies and began to elerate. The armored soldiers also activated the wheels on their feet and started the turbine engine behind their back. As they changed from a running stance to a gliding stance, they immediately began moving alongside the armored vehicle.
[Bnce system, functional. Fu*k, I forgot to check this thing.] Jiang Chen cursed as sweat rolled down. It was functional or else it would have been problematic.
Be careful of your surroundings, free fire. Sun Jiao voiced transmitted through the public channel.
Affirmative.
The arrow like formation pushed forward, into the middle of the highway. The vehicles in the way were either pushed away or rolled over.
Their surrounding was filled with deafening silence. Other than the missiles homing noise there were no other noises. Everyone was alert, holding the tactical in shooting position.
Weird, there is not even a single mutant. A soldierined in the public channel.
Did they hide or something?
Dont be distracted, hold your position!
Yes! The two soldiers immediately shut their mouth.
Could it be because of the unknown bacteria in the air?
Jiang Chen had a feeling something was not right. A bacteria that could make a bloodthirsty mutant afraid would not be as simple as it sounded.
After three kilometers, the team stopped in front of an apartment building surrounded by barbed wire.
It was an ancient building, like most buildings on the wastnd. The paint on the surface was already erased from the aftershock of the nuclear explosion, with only the gray concrete walls left. The wall had some old paint sprayed words.
Through the pitch ck, a machine gun nted against the window could barely be made out, and cloth reced the ss on the windows.
On the roof of the building, vegetation covered in stics to make what looked like soilless culture. This was where most of the survivor groups received their food. But in the radiation filled apocalypse, you wouldnt expect a seed to produce a single fruit.
These fruits, with uncertain toxicology, still had a market on the Sixth Street. A lot of factories would purchase these in bulk quantities at a low price, and then sell the non-toxic ones in the luxury market. The toxic ones would be ced in extraction machines for vitamin, vegetable proteins, and other substances to produce high-quality grade A or B nutrient supply. (Compared to the nutrient supply created through the blood and fat of mutant and zombies, it was more tasty and nutritious.)
The situation here was simr to Fishbone Base as the zombies surrounded the building. But quantity wise, it was significantly less than the zombies around the base.
It was a frightening prospect, but not because of some zombies.
Did zombies possess intelligence? Or, was a higher intelligence controlling them?
Despite this, there was not much suspense in the battle as some zombies did not reach the critical state.
Although the zombies did possess crystals, the organic nature of their body meant that they were still regr zombies. Despite how hard they tried, they did not have the defense of the power armor.
A few gunshots finished the annoying zombies as they approached the apartment building.
There was a wooden board with some crooked words.
[Psh, what?]
Code 01 survivor group, the life detection device indicates a total of 30-40 people, Sun Jiao reported to Jiang Chen through the private channel.
What does code 01 mean? Thats an ugly name, Jiang Chen mocked.
I gave them the name. Survivor groups usually dont give their home a name as the desire to expand and need fornd are minimal. The goal was to survive. Sun Jiao walked up to ring the bell and backed up.
Momentarily, the door opened as a cautious looking middle-aged man carefully stepped out.
Who are you guys? His face had suspense and fright written all over it. The rifle in his hands trembled as he knew his rifle could not even break their armor.
The only thing that could damage the power armor was probably the dusty recoilless cannon in the back of the room.
We are from the nearby Fishbone Base, Jiang Chen took off his mask and said emotionlessly.
What are you guys doing here? The middle-aged man cautiously asked. He, of course, saw the group of people eradicate the zombies. The heavy firepower deterred any thought of resistance.
I trust that you already realized the unusual zombie activity. Under the influence of the unknown bacteria, these zombies would exhibit high attack behaviors. The reliable report indicated that the unknown bacteria level is increasing in the air, so we have decided to eliminate the bacteria source. Jiang Chen tried to make his tone sound friendly.
But the next sentence made Jiang Chen furious.
What does that have to do with us? Still the cautious and apathetic voice.
You are asking what does that have to do with you? Jiang Chen was shocked. He did not look angry as heughed instead. Do you know that the source is closer to you?
The middle-aged man was speechless, but he felt that Jiang Chen was not as vicious as other bandits. He then prompted up the courage and argued back.
But then it has more influence on you guys. Or else you guys wouldnt be out here. We dont need your help, so dont bother us
The middle-aged man already has a n. Since they were willing to take care of the trouble, then they can go. Although the odd bacteria certainly gave him a headache, what can he do? Hell just hide there. If other people cant take it anymore, then theyll send their forces out.
Although those zombies had crystals behind the back of their head, they couldnt advance forward and stop to collect the crystals at the same time. Why does he have to go with them if he could just pick up scraps that are left behind?
Jiang Chen was at a loss, but then he started tough.
He saw through the mans deceitful eyes and could guess what was on his mind.
Shameless, too shameless. Haha.
[It certainly expanded his worldview that people could be this selfish. The problem is already in your backyard, and you are still waiting for a dumbass to make the first move so you can take advantage of their reward afterward? If I didnt show up here, you were just going to wait here to die?
Wait, this is the apocalypse.]
Jiang Chen sudden realized. He almost thought he was on the negotiation table with Wang Dehai or 361 corporations.
Then, his eyes turned grim.
What, what do you want? The middle-aged man sensed a glimpse of hostility on Jiang Chens face as he cautiously opened his mouth. At the same time, he signaled the people behind him.
The window opened on top of the building as a ck barrel extended out and was aimed at the armored vehicle.
Boss, I have been locked in by an anti-tank weapon. Requesting permission to fire. The driver hastily reported into the public channel.
Sun Jiao immediately lifted the tactical rifle and aimed at the person on top of the building. The power armor soldiers all engaged in a firing position.
Sun Jiao was inmand duringbats, but Jiang Chen decided in regards to the neutral forces.
If Jiang Chen ordered, Sun Jiao was fully confident that they could wipe these people off of the wastnd.
The middle-aged man was struggling too as he stared at Jiang Chen. He was not a friendly character. He knew the highly mobile power armor would be hard to hit. So he dared to risk his own life to signal his subordinate to aim at the armored vehicle, clearly carrying plenty of supplies.
He was betting. Betting on the fact that Jiang Chen would not risk the highly valuable armored vehicle and the countless amount of supplies for their irrelevant life.
However, Jiang Chenughed. He knew exactly what the middle-aged mans intentions were.
[He has the audacity to bet? To save ammunition and not fire a single bullet at zombies, but turn the gun on us whore nning on eliminating the source?]
But Jiang Chen did not look surprised anymore. There was only a grimace was left in his vision.
Perhaps it was my mistake to negotiate with you, Jiang Chen slowly said the words as he shut his helmet.
The action scared the middle-aged man to death. If revealing the face meant sincerity to negotiate, then closing the helmet
Speaker open, the icy words echoed through the entire street.
Ill only ask once. Surrender, or face death!
The tactical rifle lowered.
Recing them was ten raised revolving machine guns. The trident shaped machine gun rotated rapidly
Chapter 86 - I don’t reason
Chapter 86: I dont reason
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Im unreasonable.
Because you dont understand what is the reason.
Surrender, or face death.
A simple yet oppressive statement somehow easily solved the problem.
Before Jiang Chen could count to three, the middle-aged broke down and threw the rifle in his hands to the ground. He covered his head and surrendered.
[I wont let you not surrender. A recoilless cannon had the audacity to resist us? I will dly trade the vehicle for your thirty worthless lives, do you dare to trade with me?]
His audacity was based on Jiang Chens willingness to negotiate, but Jiang Chen no longer wished to discuss.
All the survivors stood outside with faces of humiliation as they looked at the invaders. Jiang Chen was not here to capture captives, as he still expected these people to peacefully integrate. Even if they brought them back, there was no ce to imprison them. Perhaps it would even cause resistance from other survivor groups.
These survivor groups were notpletely powerless to be able to survive this long. If this group had the recoilless cannon, the next group might haveser rifles. That weapon could pose a threat to the power armors as the C stic steel formed armor could deflect bullets, but it would not be able to withstand high energyser pration.
Jiang Chen no longer wasted his time on the middle-aged man called Zhao Baodong as he directly gave out his demand. 50% of your force will temporarily join Jiang Chens team.
Zhao Baodongs eyes immediately popped when he heard the proposition. Just as he was about to refuse, he was met with an icy stare, so he forced a smiled and swallowed his sentence back.
After this, the survivor group led by Zhao Baodong had a number - 02 (?????), the 8 riflemen joined Jiang Chens team acquired the numbers 021-028.
It was much more convenient as Jiang Chen was toozy to remember their names. He could just order them using numbers.
After the stick, for the best effect, it was to throw a carrot. Jiang Chen told them about the good news. After the battle ends, they could collect crystals. Since they wielded the power armors, it was troublesome to bend down.
Zhao Baodong became energetic when he heard he was responsible for picking up the money. Even if Jiang Chen added a sentence that half of it will be Fishbone bases spoil of war, it would not extinguish his passion.
Jiang Chen disdainfully looked at this short-sighted person as he gave him another task. The task was to convince, or, to order the other survivor groups to join the force. If they refuse, it was okay to just beat their a**es.
Jiang Chen didnt bring his force too close for the remainder of the trip as he only needed to show off his firepower from afar to sessfully convince the other survivor groups. Even the stubborn survivor groups surrendered with white gs when the 20mm heavy machine gun shot above them and they experienced the ssh of concrete dust.
Their firepower was not on the same level.
Fortunately, everyone was smart. No one held the unrealistic fantasy of staying behind to scavenge or they are too afraid to shoot. After all, 18th year has passed by since the world turned into an apocalypse.
A total of 154 people, the force suddenly felt cumbersome.
Why do we need so many people? Sun Jiao secretly asked Jiang Chen in the private channel.
Not useful forbat, useful for strategic purposes. Jiang Chens answer was crisp. Although she was confused, she didnt say anything more.
To be honest, you were quite manly when you acted fearsomely. My heart was beating really fast, Sun Jiao teased Jiang Chen in the private channel.
Although it was said in a joking voice, she didnt lie. When she heard Jiang Chens coarse and grim in the public channel, her scalp felt a tingling sensation.
She reminisced the first time they met and how much the man she loves grew. She was proud.
That feeling was simr to how Jiang Chen felt when she became more civilized.
Jiang Chen ignored her naughtiness. He knew she was teasing him as he will take care of her once they return.
-
If the survivors could control the inherent human ws and stand from the perspective of the entire species. Disregarding the bacteria source, the world would return to human control after a few days.
But it was futile when the elites and powerful all boarded the ship to the distant nd of hope, leaving a world of chaos. A world no one had the interest to rebuild.
Why was there no interest?
The farming cultures utmost desire fornd was becausend produced food. But after the blessing from the nuclear and biological weapons, not a single piece ofnd was arable on this. The mutants didnt even dare to eat the mutated and crooked nts, whats the purpose of thend now?
The ironic part was that the ones who started the war left as they didnt need to bear the consequences of the war. They stepped onto the space colonization ship and carried with them the supposed hope for the civilization, leaving the destednd for a new world yet to be tarnished.
Of course, it was pointless to say that now.
The point is that there is no purpose in expecting that these people will understand. The people with foresight either got in the ship, suicided, or already became a leader of a piece ofnd. The refugee like survivors that hid the darkness, although free, only had freedom left.
Jiang Chen, who thought through everything, no longer reasoned with the remaining survivors. He used his suppressive stance to force them to oblige. If he didnt give them the option to negotiate, it was much simpler.
In the end, this is for me. Like this, every survivor convinced themselves.
There will also be crystals. Like that, every survivor encouraged themselves.
When they were on the battlefield, there was nowhere to go. Run? Who could out run the zombies without the gic vine? Separating from the force was a death penalty, an internal conflict now meant death.
Everyone, forced to work together, did not encounter many obstacles. Although the zombies howled and dashed at the group, with the help of the buildings as a natural barrier and the armored tank as the main force, the group pushed the sea of zombies back and moved forward.
Between life and death, every survivor was energized with the passion of fighting. No one saved bullets, and no one tried to hide behind their teammates.
Thetter part of thebat was hard fought. After leaving behind 17 bodies, the thousands of zombies surrounding the force were all eradicated in the street. Thest obstacle to the targeted area was quickly cleared.
The zombies in the area were easily eradicated as most of the zombies were surrounding Fishbones base. There were some zombies around the bacteria source, but it was nowhere as crowded.
He shook the blood and sticky content off of his armor and ordered the survivors to rest here and collect the crystals.
Hearing the leaders order, the survivors erupted in cheerful joy. They dashed to the already dead or crippled zombies as they pulled out their dagger and started to collect.
It was the time to harvest. There was an estimate of at least three hundred thousand crystals! For the survivors that lived off of a few crystals and ran pettily to the Sixth Street or other survival bases to exchange for necessities, it was an unimaginable amount of wealth.
Even if they had to turn in half of it, why did that matter? Since they were the primary force in the battle, it was already a generous offer.
As to the people who died
In the Apocalypse, death was an ordinary thing.
The previously sad looking survivors suddenly became grateful towards Jiang Chen.
Some people were weird creatures. If you were nice to them, they would take everything for granted. Even if they were the slightest bit discontent, they would be upset. But if you started off with a gun to their head and gave them a p in the face when they showed any signs of resistance, they will hate you. Though as long as are nice to them, by just the smallest margin, theyll immediately act sincerely and thankfully.
It may be an exaggeration, but the meaning stays the same. Clinically, it is called Stockholm syndrome. The deceitful and short sighted has been particrly prone to this disease. A civilized negotiation would only make them think that you were afraid.
Oppress, conquer, and then train.
Seeing the grateful look from the survivors, Jiang Chen wanted to p himself.
Why didnt he think through such a simple concept?
Within this half an hour, all the crystals were collected. Jiang Chen generously offered everyone there a piece ofpressed cracker. He told them that after eating a piece, drinking some water will make them full. He then stated that all the survivor groups participating in the mission could obtain the privilege to trade for this type of cracker at a price of one crystal on the condition that they maintain a good rtionship with Fish Bone.
After finishing the sentence, the survivors were even more ecstatic as they almost took him for a God. Although the Sixth Street soldpressed crackers as well, it was not safe to travel far away from the apocalypse.
The leader of each survivor groups simultaneously expressed that from then on. They will be under the guidance of Fishbone Base.
Sun Jiao felt delighted as she mischievously looked at her man epting the gratitude and respect from the people.
[It would be perfect if only he were not a yer]
Although she knew that this point was unrealistic.
-
The high spirited team embarked on the road that they previously could only sneak through.
Unafraid of zombies, unafraid of mutants. Under themand of glory and wealth, humans regained their long forgotten dignity.
Although they had encountered Roshans multiple time, Sun Jiao had obviously prepared for that.
She grabbed a 72mm anti-vehicle cannon from the back of the powered vehicle. The two-meter long pitch ck barrel had a frightening vibe.
She activated the anchor device as the steel rod prated into the concrete road. Sun Jiao fired the cannon. Before the shell hit the ground, the brain was already shattered into pieces of ck and white.
She already simted this move countless times in the virtual reality system as the cannon hit right on target.
In the rural area, the most dangerous mutant would be the Roshan. However, under their oppressive technology, even the Roshan was only a pile of meat. It is rumored that city center has even more powerful and dangerous zombies, but even Sun Jiao has never seen them before since ordinary people would not visit the city center for fun.
The team maintained their speed with the goal of reaching the border of the bacteria source by noon.
But when they were almost there, Jiang Chen had the stop the team.
The unknown bacteria concentration level already increased to 37. The thick cloud in front is unsettling. The yellowish-green particles look like bacteria stuck together. No one will survive in that condition except for the soldiers in power armor, With a stern look, Sun Jiao reported to Jiang Chen.
It is a problem. But before I left, I did somewhat guess we would encounter this. Jiang Chens mouth curled up.
Since it was a bacteria source, there was no reason that the area surrounding it would not be infiltrated with bacteria yet to spread. Although he didnt know the bacteria would evenly spread around the source of the bacteria in an egg shape, that didnt change anything.
It was a wise decision to purchase the high energy vacuum bomb.
Although I didnt do my research, nor do I know what can counter the bacteria, I do believe that as long as they are carbon based cells, it would be scared of fire. Air is everywhere? Then Ill even burn the air.
Chapter 87 - Burn!
Chapter 87: Burn!
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Burn!
The bacteria source seemed to be at the bottom of a deep hole in the ground. The hole was ced right in front of the area hospitals empty lot. Due to the high concentration of bacteria, the bacteria stuck together to form visible chunks and filled the egg like area with an ominous and dangerous yellowish-green color.
To solve this, Jiang Chens strategy was simple and ruthless.
Hemanded the survivors to surround the area in a 1000 meter diameter, which was precisely the location where the bacteria concentration would not exceed the human immune systems limit. He ordered them to stay put 2000 meters away from the central area. Once they hear the explosion, they then should quickly rush into their battle positions.
He then ordered another group of survivors to install the one-timeunch pads on 12 roofs, in different directions, 2000 meters away from the source. Each person would also be armed with a high energy vacuum bomb, as thick as two legs.
The zombies who periodically rushed to the top of the roof fell under the cross fire. Jiang Chen did not act cheap at all, as he offered the general ammo supply in the armored vehicle to all the survivors.
All the crystals collected will be stored on the armored vehicle with a ledger. After the end of the battle, each of the squad leaders would then obtain their fair share. As to the consumed ammunition, Jiang Chen would only charge half of the cost benchmarked to the Sixth Streets price. It was a battle for all of them.
The armored vehicle was parked on the main road. It also fired at the zombies, who were drawn by an unknown force.
As they approached the bacteria source, the zombies were more ferocious. This was demonstrated through their increased speed and reaction. But, they were still no match for bullets. On top of that, all the survivors had surprisingly great aim, which eliminated any need for close rangebat.
Prepare to enter, Sun Jiao took a deep breath as she spoke into the public channel. Then, she looked at Jiang Chen.
Roger.
A sneer shed across Jiang Chens face as he took out the firing terminal for the high energy vacuum bombs from the back of the armored vehicle.
Burn! Jiang Chen firmly pressed the button.
12 missiles, trailing whites mes, rose in the distance. The curvature of the trajectory aimed directly at the bacteria filled area.
When the bomb reached 1200 meters.
The bright white light had ignited the entire sky before the deafening explosion shook the ground.
The highly concentrated fuel almost instantly draw out all the oxygen in the area and mercilessly burned in the sky. Despite how resilient the bacteria was, there was no way it could survive under the scorching heat that could melt through steel.
When the thick smoke reced the bacteria cloud, what remained was scorching ground and air.
Even standing 2000 meters away, the mixture of cold and hot air could be sensed from afar.
Initiate gliding position! Go, quick! Sun Jiao shouted in the public channel as she was the first to valiantly dash in with her machine engaged.
shes of pitch ck power armor passed through the thick smoke and elerated at full speed to the targeted area.
The bacteria had been fully destroyed. Even the unknown bacteria in the vicinity were pushed away by the shockwave.
They must clean out the area before the bacteria regenerated and covered the area again.
2000 meter distance took only a matter of seconds for the fully mobilized T-3.
But at this moment, something unexpected urred.
An unstable static noise suddenly upied themunication channel.
Whats going on! Fu*k
EMP?!
The public channel went offline due to the automatic activation of the EMP absorber. It blocked and separated allmunication signals.
Under the unsuspected EMP disturbance, all the electronic devices were temporarily disabled. The most crucial armor bnce system was affected as the team in high velocity began to fall to the ground.
Break! Close the power system! Themunication channel was blocked, so Sun Jiao shouted out of her speaker.
Fu*k! My power system is offline! Jiang Chen could only watch as he dashed into the thick smoke and then immediately over the daunting hole, smashing into the area hospital.
Concrete debris and ss shards broke all over the ground.
The high impact forced the physical protection system to activate, which shut down all turbine engines. Jiang Chen, still dizzy from the impact, felt his ribs were almost dislocated as he tried to stand up.
Although power armor was usually equipped with EMP resistance function, the temporary disturbance was inevitable. With the exception that the EMP absorber was opened voluntarily, not triggered open.
[But who the fu*k thought there would be an EMP here?]
Suddenly, Jiang Chen was on alert. Reflexively lifting his left hand to guard himself.
Bang!
There was high impact followed by a deafening screech. The sharp de even prated through the reinforced stic steel armor.
The scythe like teeth fiercely opened. The eyes resembled death and blood. The most fearful close range creature on the wastnd - Death w.
It scared Jiang Chen enough to respond instantly by kicking at the Death ws chest. But the firm chest of the Death w easily absorbed the 1-ton force from the kick as it countered by furiously swiping its talon, like a butchering knife, at the neck of its prey.
Without time to hesitate, the nitrogen armor on his left arm was immediately activated. The hammer like vortex airflow pushed away from the critical hit of the Death w. The Death ws talon smashed onto the ground, two feet from his head, and rocks flew from the impact.
He caught the opportunity as he restarted the turbine engine and pushed it to maximum output. He desperately tried to gainteral distance from the side.
If the first hit missed, then there would be a second hit!
Death w immediately flew at Jiang Chen. But Jiang Chen was not to be underestimated. Before the revolving machine gun could be activated, his right hand pulled out the tactical rifle.
Tatata!
The bullets that could destroy concrete did nothing to the Death w.
But the suppressive shooting managed to hold the Death w down. Natural instinct forced the Death w to protect its vulnerable eyes, ducking into a barrier before circling back around to Jiang Chens position.
The clip was shot empty, there was no time to reload.
Jiang Chen, finally regaining his bnce, immediately dropped the tactical rifle in his hand and pulled out a dagger. Then he backed up against the wall.
It was extremely unwise to go into closebat with a Death w. Especially when he was against a wall with nowhere to retreat.
But -
Seeing that Jiang Chen dropped the rifle, the Death w grasped on the opportunity and dashed over. Its dagger like ws were ready to rip through the preys chest.
But all of a sudden, the prey disappeared out of thin air.
Death w, unable to react, smashed right into the wall.
In a blink, Jiang Chen returned to the same spot and stabbed the dagger into its back without hesitation. The de prated deep inside the Death ws back and chopped through its spine.
The parts below the Death w was paralyzed as it only let out a faint screeched.
With both hands on the dagger, Jiang Chen shed down and cut open its back.
sh.
Blood, meat, and organs spilled everywhere. But because it was an animal, it didnt make him sick.
After killing the Death w, Jiang Chen sat down and tried to catch his breath. His entire body was drenched in sweat.
To use interdimensional travel twice put an unbelievable amount of stress on his body. The sharp nerve pain almost made him pass out.
The entire fight happened within seconds, but he felt the threat of death twice.
The turbine engines homing noise became more visible.
Through the thick smoke, Sun Jiao dashed to Jiang Chen and saw the Death ws body.
Are you okay! Sun Jiao quickly helped Jiang Chen up and opened her mask, her voice trembling.
Ahem, I am still alive arent I. I just used that ability, the one you know, so I am a bit dizzy. Jiang Chen weakly smiled. Being hugged through the armor did not feel good at all.
You scared me to death. Who would have thought there would be an EMP Wait, why was there an EMP? And how did the Death w peacefully interact with the zombies? Jiang Chen suddenly realized the oddity as questions began to burst out.
Death w, with every part of its body designed for killing, had no allies except for its species in the apocalypse. Every other creature was their prey, including zombies. In fact, the slow moving zombies were their primary food source. Normally, the mutants natural immunity was enough to go against the zombie bacteria, which is unlike humans who still required vines to enhance their bodys functions.
Perhaps we can only find out once we go in. A massive wave of zombies is surrounding us. Seems like they are trying to get reinforcements here. Sun Jiao looked perplexedly at the daunting hole outside of the area hospital.
Orange me sparked from the hole. Following it were periodic explosions.
Jiang Chen used all of his energy to stand up and pick up his tactical rifle from the ground. He then reloaded and attached it to his waist. He opened the life detection device and adjusted it to maximum capability.
The dense red dots were closing in on their defense line.
You take the other eight power armored soldiers to defend here. Ill go in.
No! Youre crazy! Do you know whats inside? Sun Jiao shouted.
I can escape any time in there. But you cant. Jiang Chen looked seriously into Sun Jiaos eyes. Trust me, if I say I cane back, I will be able to return.
With the ability of the interdimensional bracelet, as long as it was not a one hit kill, he would be able to escape from any danger. But this was obviously not the case for Sun Jiao. Despite her wealth ofbat experience and strongbat power, she was still human after all.
Especially this time, the situation waspletely unknown. Maybe the Sixth Street force could use its massive power to fill the hole with human lives, but Jiang Chen didnt have the privilege.
Even losing just one single power armor would be an insurmountable loss for the Fishbone base because Jiang Chen wont be able to acquire such a dominant force again. At least not for the time being. Even if Zhao Chenwu wanted to help him, he wouldnt dare to. Since it was already unreasonable for him to have lost 10 power armors, for him to lose a few more, even reta*ds would suspect he broke the rules by selling prohibited weapons.
Especially the production quantity for these were low to begin with.
So he had to go alone.
Before he left, he already considered this possibility.
Sun Jiaos lips trembled as she locked her eyes on Jiang Chen.
We dont have time to waste. Help me defend the area for the next 2 hours. If I donte out, then this mission has failed. Although disappointing, you must give up on the survivors. Use the power armors ability, jump between the buildings, and escape.
Sun Jiao grabbed Jiang Chens power armor cor and put his face in front of hers as she said ferociously.
I wont go, and I mean it!
Dont be like this. I said that this is not threatening to me. Jiang Chen forced a smile as he looked into Sun Jiaos fierce eyes, locking onto them. Even if the power armor was almost destroyed, he could escape to the other world and then put the power armor into the storage dimension to avoid any suspicion.
Then would you be able toe out?! Would you be able to return to this world?! You, you The gorgeous face became twisted due to her sadness. Her distraught shocked Jiang Chen.
True.
[Even if I escape, the next time he came back it would be in the same spot. The modern world would not have any ce to fix the power armor, without the power armor, once the bacteria reupy this space
It would mean death if he came back.
But he was already here, would he just go back now? He was not willing. If the bacteria concentration continued to get worse, the Fishbone Base would be unhabitable. If they left, that means months of effort would go down the drain.
[Fu*k, Ill risk it!]
He had no time to hesitate. He made up his mind, took a deep breath, and looked straight into Sun Jiaos shaking eyes.
I promise I will be back. Give me two hours.
But
Be good. Jiang Chen smiled as he patted her helmet tofort her.
[I will not give this ce up.]
He promised in silence. Then, he let go of the still stunned Sun Jiao.
Defend the entrance for me. Once the two-hour limit is up, evade into the building to hide. Right now, it is still day time. Once the bacteria source is destroyed, the zombies should stop. Trust me! I can do it!
He turned around.
Slowly inhaling, Jiang Chen looked at the dark pit and jumped down.
Chapter 88 - PAC Remains
Chapter 88: PAC Remains
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Initiating shock absorber.
The turbine engine began to fire downwards as Jiang Chen stared at the speed monitor. Only when the downward velocity decreased and stabilized to 10m/s did he stop increasing the power output.
The pitch ck hole extended vertically down into the ground. The blue engine me, lighting up the surrounding, revealed a metallic wall. It seemed like this was the entrance to a secret facility, but the door showed something had already stricken through.
He took a deep breath as he began to check the power armors equipment.
EMP Absorber initiated. Weapon system, functional. Left armor, minor damagethis shouldnt be a problem. Communicationstill offline.
As both feetnded on the ground, Jiang Chen closed the engine and then immediately fired out a sticky luminescent bomb thatpletely lit up the dark space.
Oxygen concentration rtively low. The radiation level is nearly zero. The bacterias need to be in a low oxygen environment to reproduce? No wonder the bacteria outside didnt seem to reproduce.
Jiang Chen suddenly remembered something from a long time ago. Knowledge he almost gave back to the bald teacher.
When the cell is dividing, the DNA is in its most unstable condition, so it requires a radiation free environment?
Yes, speaking of this, the zombie bacteria seems to be a mutated version of the radiation eliminating bacteria. Jiang Chen recollected the information he gathered from the very first building hended in, in the apocalypse.
Thats exactly it. The radiation eliminating bacteria was effective before and possessed the ability to resist exposure to radiation. However, because of uncontrolled mutation during the cell division stage, it turned into bacteria that could turn people or creatures into zombies. Even though it was a slim possibility, it did happen, and it spread. But the unknown bacteria seems to be from the same source as the zombie bacteria? The only difference being that the reproducing condition is now more strict.
Of course, it was only a theory, there was no scientific backing.
The wall in this ce is made of lead? Jiang Chen walked forward as he held his tactical rifle up, exploring deep inside the tunnel.
Lead? Also built below the hospital. This ce must be a nuclear fallout shelter. What kind of monster could create a massive hole like this inside a nuclear fallout shelter thats capable of guarding against a nuclear bomb?
Jiang Chen began to feel anxious as his trigger finger moved steadily.
Because of the fear of a sudden EMP strike, Jiang Chen didnt engage in a gliding position as the fall was still in his memory.
The tunnel was pitch ck without a single ray of light. He didnt know if there were anyone alive inside. Just like what Sun Jiao said to him before, not every survival base was sessful, and not every survival base stored people alive. In this era, peoples purpose was to save a gic code. As long as the species is not extinctthe gic code is saved for the people who designed the survival base.
Because he restarted the EMP absorber, the life detection device could not be used. There was nothing more fearful than the unknown.
Every step on the dry concrete floor had a crisp sound to it. The monotone sound echoed within the hollow tunnel, which made the ce even more frightening. Due to the time constraint, however, Jiang Chen didnt dare to ponder, he had to keep going.
His vision locked onto the crosshairs of the tactical rifle, ready to react to any unexpected danger.
After 5 minutes, he was at the end of the tunnel.
The road ended with a gray gate made out of an unknown material. Jiang Chen spent a while using the shlight to search for an open button but failed to do so.
In the middle of the giant door, red words were printed.
What is this?
Fu*k, that monster could not only break through surfaces, but it could also pass through walls? Jiang Chen cursed as he took out his welding gun from his back and stabbed the door furiously.
Your action is futile.
A faint voice diffused through themunication channel which sent a chilliness down Jiang Chens spine.
Who is this?
He raised his tactical rifle as he scanned around, but he didnt see any suspicious targets.
At the same time, he noticed that other than the nine offline team member on themunication system, there was an extra name.
Me? My name is, of course, secret teller. Isnt it written on yourmunication channel? The voice sounded rather helpless.
I remember I have the EMP absorber open.
Did you not take elementary school physics? I remember that all humans should have taken that, the voice ridiculed, and then let out a sigh before continuing, EMP absorber is not an absolute defense, as long
[What? Which elementary school teaches physics?]
Wait, I dont have time to listen to you exin elementary school physics to me. Can you open the door for me? Jiang Chen abruptly interrupted.
Door? Oh, you are chasing after that bug, you cant beat him. The voice was straightforward.
Bug? What does it look like? Jiang Chen hastily asked.
It looks like a giant ball of meat. It wanted to go into the hibernation chamber. To be honest, it is quite smart and even threatened me, so I had to open the door to let it in.
Let it in? Ha, is it not going to threaten you when you let it in? Jiang Chen asked dumbfounded.
Oh? Why would it hurt me? It is only interested in you. The voice was full of mockery.
[Wait, did I miss something]
I remember that all humans should have taken that.
Jiang Chen paused, and then he asked in uncertainty.
You are not human?
Thats right, did you just figure that out? Hehe, I am only a program. You would call me Artifical intelligence? Secret protector? Code X71281? The voice sounded reminiscent as if that memory was far in the past.
Secret protector? Isnt your name secret teller? Jiang Chen asked in confusion.
Oh, I gave myself a better name, as if it was not a big deal, the voice casually answered.
[Giving itself a name?! This is not the level that just responds to human actions! Just like Little White will never change a users setting. It seems like this is intermediate artificial intelligence? No, it might be advanced?]
Are you going to go in or not? The voice sounded like it was yawning.
You are going to let me in? Jiang Chen was at a loss.
Of course, I am the secret teller right now, I feel like it would be more interesting if I let you in.
[Intersting? Fu*k, no, I cant fu*k it.]
Could you tell me the characteristics of the bugs attack? Jiang Chen let in a deep breath as he calmly asked.
Umm, that bug threatened me, and I also dislike it. And you chatted with me for a pretty long I should choose you to be my friend? That means I should help you?
Yes, yes, yes! I am a good person, you should open the door. He had enough of the chitchat as his team was still fighting the sea of zombies on the surface.
Hehe, seems like you are in a rush, then I am not going to tease you anymore.
[You son of a, you were teasing me?] Jiang Chen was swearing in his mind but didnt make a sound. Themunication channel was forced open right now, he was afraid he would anger the psychotic artificial intelligence.
The gate slowly raised as Jiang Chen forced a smile at the multiple gates.
1,2,7.
Even if the welding gun could cut through this, he didnt have time to cut through 7 doors.
I am going to remind you now that you will never beat that thing. Or should I say, any of the metal things have no chance of winning, the voice reminded him again.
The EMP that the EMP absorber cant even block? Jiang Chen asked, unable to understand.
Hehehe, EMP? Have you heard of Klein particles? The voice was filled with mockery.
No. He didnt need to be angry at a program. Thus, Jiang Chen answered right away.
Hehe, put blocking aside. Even if it missed, this metal thing would be a metal coffin. If you walk 10 more meters, it will detect your presence.
In that case, can I ask you a question? Jiang Chen stopped as he just passed through the door.
Oh? Go ahead, I am the secret teller. The voice emphasized its presence again.
Map, could you send it to me?
No problem, the bug is right here.
Also another question, you are male or female?
The voice went silent and then erupted into a sharpughter.
Me? I am a program. In human words, it should be, I can be male, or I can be female. Hahaha, this is too funny, are you from the ancient times?
Jiang Chen didnt respond to hisughter. He moved his mouth and looked the map once again before he disarmed the power armor.
Are you crazy? If you leave the armor, a single spit from it will kill you. The voice was at a loss.
Jiang Chen ignored the machine with too many words as he separated himself from the power armor. Then, he quickly took out the protective suit from the storage behind the power armor and put it on. The oxygen level was low inside, but the fortunate thing was that there was an oxygen tank attached to the protective suit.
After leaving the power armor, the annoying voice naturally disappeared.
Since the power armor was useless anyways, it would be better to leave it here. As to spit? Itll be easier to dodge than the particle ray
Though just in case, he also threw any electronic device, like an EP, into the storage dimension.
Jiang Chen inputted the password as he took a cylinder the size of a coke can from the waist of the power armor. It was the backup fuel rod. These high energy fuel rods were refined from 1000 crystals. The explosive power and energy supply were tremendous.
Let daddy blow you into pieces!
Fire shed out of Jiang Chens eyes.
[What if I dont have power armor? I dont believe the fuel rod that could blow up half a street cant kill you!
He attached the fuel rod to his waist and wielded his PK2000 before quickly moving towards the targets location.
He crossed the wide open gate. The hall looked rather listless as sticky watermarks seemed to be the trail left by the bug. He didnt stop as he followed the map in his memory and shed to the hallway on the side.
The gray wall had coldmp lights installed. He carefully carried the rifle and locked his eyes on the door at the end of the hallway.
Ignite the energy rod, and then immediately hide in the modern world. The password activation system needs 3 seconds, he only needs tost 3 minutes.
But the feeling of the metal in hand didnt give him any more assurance. He didnt even know what he would be facing.
Zizizi, you are crazy! Ahem, you are an interesting human. Shouldnt you be afraid right now? Yes, you must be afraid. Can you tell me how the afraid you are not running away? The abrupt voice suddenly echoed throughout the hallway as the speaker installed on the ceiling transmitted a deafening static noise, temporarily breaking up the annoying voice.
Shut up, you are talking too much. Jiang Chen carried the rifle as he ran forward.
Talking too much? Thats interesting No, no, tell me, what logic is forcing you to suicide? I think I already told you, you cant beat that thing. The voice spoke rapidly as it sounded quite peculiar in the empty hallway.
I am telling you to shut up!
Oh, okay. But I will still help you. Although, by logic, I should be angry. But perhaps you have the answer to my unsolved problem on you? How should I choose okay, angry but help you?
Fu*k, thats enough! Jiang Chen cursed as he was about to have a mental breakdown.
[This thing is a lunatic, an artificial reta*d?]
Of course, not enough, the voice faintly said. At least before I understand what emotion is.
Hehe. Do you know why you wont possess emotion? Jiang Chen while running squeezed out a few words, he couldnt stand the chit chat from this thing any longer.
Why!? The voice was full of surprise.
Because you are a dumbbastards. Do you know what climaxing is? If I put a hot girl in front of you, would you have sexual desires? You cant even produce hormones, and you are talking about emotions to me? The bug must have already noticed Jiang Chen as he didnt even bother hiding anymore. He screamed at the top of his lungs.
He just wanted this thing to shut up when he would be firing.
Jiang Chen kicked the door, but it didnt open. But soon the door began to rise.
[Oh, its a rising door.]
He gave a dirty stare at the speaker on the wall, but he was toozy to thank a program. He carried his rifle and dashed in, leaving the secret teller murmuring to itself.
Climax? Hormones? Wait. Because I have to get rid of these annoying hormones and use pure logic to meet the conditions of emotions, thats why I needed to evolve into advanced artificial intelligence. But if it was like what he said, if I dont have hormones, I wont feel happiness. Then wouldnt it be a paradox to acquire emotions without the physical body?
The hollow electronic voice sounded even more strange inside the empty hallway.
Chapter 89 - Ignorance
Chapter 89: Ignorance
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The cicadas sound orchestrated a symphony known as summer.
The shadow of the thick woods and the rustling of the leaves along with the breeze that asionally swept the steel and concrete forest revealed a mysterious scent and coolness.
It belonged to a person.
The white dress billowed like a lily at dawn, resembling the bloom of first love. The quiet, serene face perpetually drawn to the paperback novelsometimes delighted, at other times sorrowful.
[So jealous
If only I were that book.]
Yo, Jiang Chen, youre drooling. Zhao Peng approached Jiang Chen as he bumped into him with a smirk.
Go away. Jiang Chen nced at him at and slightly shifted his body sideways, lying on the table to sleep.
As though he was inadvertently facing that direction.
Ahem, if you like Yao Tingting then you should go ask her out. Wu Jiang Chen immediately jumped up and covered the mouth of his good friend.
Do you want to die! Jiang Chen twisted Zhao Pengs neck as he growled at Zhao Peng in a hushed voice, his face red.
With a smirking face, Zhao Peng pretended to die while rolling his eyes.
The girls in front turned around and witness their boisterous y and started giggling. While the other boys near Jiang Chen and Zhao Peng surrounded them in a rowdy manner.
As though drawn by themotion, the goddess stared in their direction.
And gave a look of mild confusion.
Jiang Chen felt his heart almost stopped.
His ear began to heat up.
Oh no, his skin was scorching.
Yao Tingting probably thought that her ssmates were too rowdy, so she closed her book and left the ssroom quietly.
Ahhh! Fu*k, you used your teeth! Jiang Chen painfully jerked away from Zhao Peng.
You fu*king almost choked me to death! Zhao Peng was breathing heavily while clutching his chest and gave Jiang Chen his nastiest look.
When the boys saw that themotion had died down, they all left chuckling. The two girls in front started talking about the TV showst night, and the ssroom regained its former peace.
Except for the window blinds which fluttered in the breeze.
The ordinary day felt fulfilling.
It felt like everything gave off a sense of nostalgia.
-
11 June 2171, summer.
High schools first summer break was almost here, and it wouldnt be long before the exams started.
Today I watched her secretly again.
I thought I already made up my mind to suppress my feeling for her in the bottom of my heart.
No, thats not right, or maybe just like what Zhao Peng had said, I should probably ask her out.
No, no, no, thats impossibleshe is so beautiful, so smart, there must be plenty of people who like her. If I asked her out and she rejected me, we couldnt even be friends anymore.
Eh? Maybe we are not even friends?
Ahhh Jiang Chen mmed the journal on the bed behind him as heid his head down on the table and covered his head.
[If I leave this diary behind, my embarrassment will go down in history in the future. It will kill me. No, fu*k! Im a man so why am I so conflicted? If I like her, I can r*pe her. What does asking her out even do? If I cant get her, Ill force her. If that doesnt work, Ill just drug her. If we break up, then send her nud*s. If I cant even bear the consequence of going to jail, how do I even have the audacity to say I like her! Theres no use of being conflicted.
Hm? Something weird might have gotten into him.]
still feeling conflicted.
He stared at the cloud on his table mindlessly as his thoughts wandered off.
It was after a good while before he recollected his thoughts from the unnatural state.
Is this how a adolescent trouble feels like? After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen let out a sigh while he savagelybed his messy hair.
[Eh? I thought I have a short hair?] Jiang Chen was baffled, his hand momentarily stopping.
[This is an illusion right? Who would get an ugly haircut like this?]
When did I start writing this diary again? Whats the point of this thing, saving it so I would be embarrassed in the future? Jiang Chen scanned the electronic clock beside him, sighing.
[Its 8 already. Fine, Ill stop thinking about her and will loosen up with a show.]
He thought about it as he stood up. He stretched his sore limbs and walked to the living room.
Because he went to school away from his hometown, his parents were not with him. When did this happen again?
The beginning of senior high, right.
The vivid memory suddenly resurfaced in his head as it filled the slightly odd memory gaps.
He headed to the kitchen, opened the refrigerators door and took a bottle of Coke before walking into the living room. He slumped down on the cushy sofa, grabbed a ss, and poured one for himself. He then pressed the TV remote in a leisurely manner.
The shing lights and shadows reflected on the light blue screen. Just like a window, behind it were scenes after scenes of drama.
The TV show started airing
-
Gege, I wont let you go easily until Im done teasing you. The girl switched the way her legs were crossed; the white color made Kleins heart throbbed uncontrobly. One graceful handzily propped up her stunning face as sheid back serenely against the throne. The position exactly resembled a wicked but beautiful and mysterious noble.
Do you want to know whats happening to your right now?
Klein felt a mischievous smile formed on the fuzzy but gorgeous face. His throat moved while he tried to make his vision clearer, but it was futile. There was a terrible feeling as if he was like a piece of meat on a chopping board.
Then look underneath you.
Klein consciously shifted his gaze downwards. He saw that both of his feet were submerged in shallow water with floating petals. The fragrance ising from below my feet? he wondered dazedly.
Through the reflection from the pool, he vaguely saw his current form. He seemed to be tied to a cross, his lips tied with thin chains. Surprisingly however, was that his limbs did not feel sore at all.
Dont you think this is beautiful
-
Dust Kingdom appeared to be a popr TV show. The girls sitting in front of him were talking about this drama.
Jiang Chen thoughts wandered as he stared nkly at the screen.
A punk-style drama based on a novel that told the story of the ancient times. Surprisingly, these types of show were remarkably popr. Under the augmented reality effect, it felt as though he was at the scene itself.
In retrospect, the scenes were rather intense. Was it really okay to be broadcasted on public TV? For some reason, Jiang Chen did not appear to be interested at all. He merely zoned out mindlessly, and he even had the urge to yawn.
This Klein guy should be bitten by the vampire next. He probably wouldnt die, becausewait, why does the plot look so familiar?
[Shameless giarist] Jiang Chen cursed in his mind as he gulped down a sip of Coke, his eyebrows began to frown.
Do I like to drink Coke? He subconsciously grabbed a bottle from the fridge just like before.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized the question was dumb.
The plot continued on the screen.
Of course, Klein didnt die; the vampire only sucked some blood from his body. Klein was taken away by the vampires maid, and the drama then began to show the post-credits.
Thats right, if the main character died, how would the story continue?
Jiang Chen turned the TV off and nced at the clock.
[Its thiste already. Time to hit the sack], he thought as he walked to the bedroom.
With the journal on his bed, he hesitated for a moment before sighing.
I should just rip this out. If other people see this embarrassing journal, I would be better off dead. Jiang Chen smiled wryly and picked up the diary.
He ripped the pages off, crumpled them into a ball and tossed them into bin. From the binding of the diary, there were a lot of torn pages; it was not the first time he erased the embarrassing history.
He threw the diary on the table as he flung himself onto the bed. Jiang Chen shoved his muddled head on the pillow. He fluffed the pillow for a bit before he let out a long breath.
[Thats it for today.
Tomorrowtomorrow, Ill try asking her out.
Even if I get rejected, at least I wont regret it.]
Just like this, the teen in puberty, anxious and full of hope drifted into sleep.
The cold letters silently jumped on the digital clock on the table.
11:59
12:00
The green light on the side of the clock shed almost unobtrusively.
As though premeditated, the wind flipped the journal open on the table.
Chapter 90 - Conflicted
Chapter 90: Conflicted
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
A soft sound rang.
Roused by the rm clock, Jiang Chen rubbed his sleepy eyes as he climbed out of bed. He slept on his stomach and didnt change clothesst night making his body felt a bit ufortable.
After a brief wash, he habitually touched his chin without beard and left the bathroom.
He changed into clean clothes, wore his sneakers andced it up.
When he was about to leave, he remembered there was something he forgot to bring, so he went back to his bedroom to retrieve it.
Inside the drawer were two movie tickets and the premiere was scheduled to air tomorrow. Tomorrow would also be a holiday in celebration of the founding of PAC, thus making it a legal holiday.
Its also a good opportunity to go on a date.
Jiang Chen drew a breath as he grabbed the movie tickets hastily. He already procrastinated enough by asking the goddess to go and see a movie to the veryst day, and if this continued, hes afraid he wouldnt be able to summon enough courage in his entire life.
It was Zhao Peng, his good friend, who gave him the tickets and said, If you dont ask her out now, where are you going to cry if someone else dates her? Then he encouraged Jiang Chen to work out the courage to chase after Yao Tingting.
Zhao Peng, despite being reckless most of the time, was a great friend during these times.
Thinking of this, a smile broke on Jiang Chens face. His rtionship between him and his friend had always been good.
[So, when was the first time I met this guy?]
He wavered for a moment but quickly threw the boring question out of his mind.
[Whatever, its okay if I dont remember, its not a big deal anyway.]
Jiang Chen closed the door behind him before heading out.
The sky was particrly clear in Wanghai City. Although the barrier dome in the sky slightly obstructed the view, it was nevertheless a Holy Barrier System the barrier that protected the city from HPMW or other aerial weapons.
The international situation was beginning to get more strained as the conflict between NATO and PAC intensified. Even in the city that never experienced the ravage of war, it was embroiled in the shadow of conflict.
But what of it? Life must still go onDjust like Jiang Chen had to go to school, his neighbor had to go to work. Just like the conflict many years ago, people believed that both parties would eventually settle down. The scarcity of resources geopolitical conflicts with ZZbut there would always be ways to solve the conflict. .
Jiang Chen greeted the neighbor as he walked downstairs, yawning.
There was a cleaning android at the front door. Jiang Chen would see it every time he came down.
Oddly, when Jiang Chen put one foot on the ground, the robot suddenly looked at him.
Jiang Chen looked at the robot bemusedly. Logically, these robots without artificial intelligence would not generate any interest to anything but garbage.
[Do you take me for a garbage? This thing]
Although he ridiculed the idea in his mind, he was not bored enough to be angry at a cold machine. His mouth twitched while he was about to bypass it from the side.
Suddenly, a creepy vision crept into his mind.
Jiang Chen slightly turned around to look at the robot, but the robots vision continued to follow him.
Staring straight into his eyes.
The bulb-shaped eyes, the emotionless expression and the cold and stiff vision.
The robot looked away abruptly and stopped moving as if it malfunctioned.
This is so weird.
Jiang Chen touched his forehead in disdain and hurriedly left in quick strides.
Was he scared by a cleaning robot? If Zhao Peng knew, he wouldugh himself to death.
But what was that illusion?
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows in bafflement. He didnt understand why he would feel anxious the moment he locked eyes with the robot.
-
The ss was about to start when he arrived at school. Jiang Chen hastily rushed to his seat and sat down.
High school life was always busy. Even if it was only in grade 10, he had to take six courses. Chinese, Mathematics, English, Chemistry, Biology [Eh? Somethings seems wrong. It should only be five courses.]
Jiang Chen took out the terminal used in ss from his bag. It was a holographicputer in the shape of a pen.
Every course was done via terminal, which included homework as well as the lessons discussed in ss. Although he heard there was a virtual reality training chamber that could allow you to learn just by sleeping inside, it was prohibited for students below high school to use.
The reason seemed to prevent people from forming bad habits of beingzy. Or probably to avoid the decrease of social interactions among people?
This didnt make sense. There was obviously a more convenient way to use it, but they just had to put a restriction on it. Despite how much he despised the education system, he still had to attend the ss. Since his body was here, he had to follow the rules here
Hanhan, did you watch the episode yesterday? The girl in ponytail called Chen Yusheng was the Chinese ss representative. Her seatmates name was Qian Han. Both of them were extremely energetic and a gossipmonger.
Hm, I did. Did Klein die in the end or did he be a vampire? The girl called Qian Han responded spiritedly.
[Psh, there is no show where the protagonist dies. Youre just way into dramas!]
He probably wont die. In the end, Klein will, Jiang Chen scorned as he cockily exined how he thought the plot would unfold. Although it was only a guess, he had a feeling that the plot would develop in that direction.
As to why he had that thought, maybe it was the dj vu from having watched too many simr dramas.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen froze again.
The same feeling from that morning returned.
Everyone in the ss stopped as they stared vacantly in Jiang Chens direction.
Thats right, they are staring at him nkly.
Chen Yusheng, Qian Han, ss representative, Liu Rewen, even his buddy, Zhao Peng
[Eh? D-did I speak too loud?]
Being watched by the entire ss, Jiang Chen staggered back as he forced out augh.
Everyones look was odd, but he couldnt exin where the strange feeling came from.
Hollowness? No, its as if he was being watched, dissected, and monitored.
But why did he have this feeling?
Fear quickly began to spread from Jiang Chens heart to his head like sedatives. He gulped, throat slightly moving, he suddenly had the urge to run out of the ssroom. But the action didnt make sense. Why would he run out of the ssroom just because his ssmates were looking at him?
[Waitwhat about Yao Tingting?]
Jiang Chen suddenly realized that the desk beside the window was empty.
At the same time, the ss bell rang.
Students, well start the ss now. Liu Lei, hand out the homework for me. The Math teacher walked in before he clicked on the terminal to start the ss.
Okay the math ss representative, Liu Lei, dragged out the syble tiredly like what he usually did. He then downloaded the marked homework from the terminal and assigned it to each student by ID automatically. The extraneous step seemed to exist to emphasize the importance of structure.
Jiang Chen recollected his thought from his stupor as he quickly scanned around him.
[When did everyone start returning to normal?]
Did you get a stiff neck? Zhao Peng poked his back with a smirk.
Jiang Chen looked at Zhao Peng with a peculiar expression.
Why are you staring at me like that? Zhao Peng looked puzzled, then he touched his face and said with a frown, There is no dirt on my face, right?
Jiang Chen turned around without saying a word and left the still bewildered friend behind him. He quietlyid his head down on the table.
[Was it just my imagination?]
Jiang Chen looked at the seat beside the window.
The pure and adorable girl like a blooming Lily was quietly listening to the Math teachers lecture, her finger constantly moving on the tablet terminal to take notes.
The wind picked up again.
The blinds fluttering by the wind obscured Jiang Chens vision slightly.
[When did she show up?]
Chapter 91 - The Uncanny Valley
Chapter 91: The Uncanny Valley
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Uncanny Valley was a theory introduced by Ernst-Jentsch from 1906 in his work Zur Psychologie des Umheimlichen. His perspective was cited by Sigmund Freuds essay The Uncanny, which became a famous theory. Irritated, Jiang Chen quickly flipped through the theory, as he tried to find a keyword among the lines of words.
Because of our fear of death and diseases, empathy mechanism disorder, inability to sympathize with therobots. Jiang Chen murmured under his breath as his hands holding the book lightly trembled.
[What is this feeling?]
He suppressed the irritation in his mind as Jiang Chen searched for the answers among the old robot magazines.
Wanghai Sixth Senior High School had a massive library as countless numbers of books were arranged in the grand hall on the first floor even though not a lot of student visited the floor where they stored the books. All books could be downloaded from the schools Inte, and all the information could be found in the school terminal. Rather than a physical copy of information, the books were more of a disy.
The only city where libraries would store academic journals in print; those that were considered to be information rather than a mere disy.
The world was advancing and as a result, print reading had already begun to be extinct from peoples life. asionally, there would be people who were fond of printed books like Yao Tingting, but they were rarer than endangered animals.
Just like the goddess in Jiang Chens heartDYao Tingting.
Tomemorate the past era however, libraries still tend to store some of the older journals and magazines.
At the same time, Jiang Chen always felt that print would bring him more insight. Despite asking the artificial intelligence, the school wizard, the talkative entity would be unable to provide enlightenment that could give him a sudden gush ofprehension. Instead, it would just consistently led him to mental problems like stress and fatigue.
[Or perhaps deception?]
Regardless how much he searched, he couldnt find the answer he wanted. It felt like the truth was concealed as the smart search wizard surprisingly malfunctioned after listening to his description. All search results led problems to a moreplicated direction.
So when ss ended, he came to the library full of books. There was no one here to mislead him, and instinct told him that the answers hes searching for could be found from one of these shelves.
He wanted to know where the strange feeling wasing from.
He took the book Robot Novel 21st VolumeDthe Dissension between Human and Robot from the shelves with rosewood scent. Based on the publication date of 2021, it was an old history book.
Of course, the printing was new.
The higher the human-shaped android or robot resembled a human, the better the impression human would have. The positive impression would considerably increase until it reaches a critical point, in which the more it resembled a human, the more frightening it would be until it reached the bottom of the valley. Perhaps a negligible move would appear stiff and scary So this is how it is. In the case of the cleaning robot that I met this morning, through eye contact, it triggered the Uncanny Valley effect? Jiang Chen frowned as he continued to think.
The feeling of being oppressed became stronger, and it felt like cotton was stuck in his throat.
Its as though he had forgotten about something.
But what did he forget exactly?
Suddenly, Jiang Chen subconsciously looked at the stairs leading to the second floor.
At the same time
Jiang Chen?
The gentle and soft voice lightly caressed his ears. When he turned around in surprise, he saw Yao Tingting standing on the other side of the shelves.
[Right, I still need to invite her to the movies. Dammit, why am I feeling bothered with these boring thoughts and almost forgot the important thing!]
Jiang Chen cursed in his mind. With a crimson face, he stared at the princess-like girl but couldnt utter a single word.
Yao Tingting stood there serenely as if she was waiting for something.
Jiang Chen was unable to say a word, his mouth was left half-open. But the words: Do you have time tomorrow? was stuck in his throat.
Her beautiful face suddenly blossomed in a smile; the phoenix-like eyes that could cause anyones heart to miss a beat.
Do you want toe over to my ce?
Jiang Chen was stunned.
[Shes inviting me? To her ce? But why]
Yao Tingting didnt give him time to think as she had already turned around. Jiang Chen pondered for a moment before he bit his lips and worked out the courage to follow her.
The magazine, however, was left on the table.
Seeing the two left, the librarian, who was manning the front desk without any expression, quietly walked to where Jiang Chen had been sitting.
She stared at the old magazine for a while, then she picked it up quietly.
However, she didnt put it back on the shelf.
Instead, she ripped it in half and threw it in the garbage.
-
Wait, youDwhy are you inviting me to your ce? Jiang Chen rushed out of the library and walked behind Yao Tingting. He vacited before asking the question.
Yao Tingting stopped abruptly, white dress fluttering gently in the breeze.
Under the radiance of the dusk, the lily bloomed, the picture was so serene.
Jiang Chen was drawn to that scene.
The goddess, who was always in his mind, was nibbling her lower lips. She had a shy smile as she tried to look away, and her mouth was ajar.
Because I want to get to know you.
[Know me?]
[Was that a confession?] Jiang Chen immediately turned red. His lips opened and closed stiffly but failed to utter a word.
His heart pounded as if it was about to jump out of his chest.
[She likes me too!]
His brain was currently filled with confounding happiness, and he lost any ability to think. He only has his sight on the goddess who always upied his dreams.
Yao Tingting smiled as she walked to the direction of the gate.
Jiang Chen gulped as he rigidly followed her.
At that moment, however, his eyes inadvertently caught a strange sight.
The peculiar sense of urgency crept into his mind.
Hollow eyes were watching him.
[There is a cleaning robot here too? That made sense since those things should be everywhere], Jiang Chen mulled it over then threw the unnatural feelings away into the back of his mind.
The robot seemed to have lost interest in him as it was already staring in another direction.
-
The door opened, Yao Tingting led Jiang Chen to her rented apartment.
It was a simple one living room, one bedroom structure as it was easy to rent this type of apartment around the school. It was also not expensive. It looked like Yao Tingting was just like himboth of them were from Wanghai City.
The middle of the room smelled of faint Jasmine. The clean and organized light, xen colored wallpaper covered every walls in the living room. There were a simple coffee table, tablecloth and a light beige sofa.
Feel free to sit. Do you want a ss of water? Yao Tingting turned around as she beamed at Jiang Chen.
Ah? UmOK. Jiang Chen nodded nervously and sat on the sofa.
Looking at the figure of Yao Tingting standing beside the cupboard, he couldnt help but chuckle as he smelled the scent belonging to the goddess.
Although he still felt something was unusual, he was feeling so happy that it had ceased to matter. As though being forcibly stuffed full, the sense of being loss to reality disappeared unconsciously.
It was not long before Yao Tingting returned to the living room with two sses of water. She smiled at Jiang Chen and ced a ss of water in front of him.
Here you go.
Oh, thank you. As though trying to hide his embarrassment, Jiang Chen quickly took a sip of the cold water.
Yao Tingting sat beside him and looked at the side of his profile while smiling.
Um, is there something on my face?
No! Yao Tingting shook her head, still wearing a bright smile. Her luscious hair that was smooth as fine willow branches swayed gently .
Um Jiang Chen was out of words again. He averted his gaze at the ss as he stared nkly at his reflection of the water.
I want to get to know you. Can you talk to me?
As though center of his heart was being hammered, Jiang Chens heart trembled at that very moment.
Eh? Why, why do you want to learn about me? Jiang Chens throat moved as he scrambled to find words.
The answer came out frank.
Because I like you. Yao Tingting gazed into Jiang Chens eyes with the same bright smile.
An ufortable feeling bloomed, a feeling that something was not right.
The confusion, however, was suddenly reced by extreme euphoria. Dopamine could really make people lose their mind.
II like you too. Jiang Chen finally had the courage to express his months worth of affection to her.
I know. Yao Tingting grinned at his bold effort. Ive been watching you for a long time.
I know. Ive been watching you for a long time. Like a spell, these two confessions happily circled around his mind.
Would you tell me your story? Like a curious girlfriend, Yao Tingting gazed at Jiang Chens eyes as her long eyshes flickered.
I, I really dont have a lot of stories to tell. Jiang Chen, somewhat embarrassed, looked away. However, Yao Tingting relentlessly moved closer.
You can tell me anything.
Um, OK. Jiang Chen opened his mouth reluctantly.
Contrary to his expectation, he thought Yao Tingting wasnt the type to enjoy conversation as she usually immersed herself in her books, but shes now giving off the impression that she was verbose.
They chatted about the past of their younger selvesglimpses of memory that seemed to be covered in a white fog. Although they didnt usually have too many interactions, and it has always been Jiang Chen who secretly watched her, the two of them enjoyed their time immensely. Yao Tingting made him feel as though they had been acquainted for a long time.
The night was gettingte and outside waspletely dark.
Why dont I treat you to dinner? Yao Tingting smiled.
Jiang Chen nodded unexpectedly .
The dinner passed by in a rxed atmosphere. Fried Eggs with Tomatoes, Pork Stir Fry with Green Peppers, Seaweed and Egg Soup. These were all homemade dishes. Yao Tingting was the type who was great at housekeeping, which came as a surprise to him. The very idea made his heart throb a little faster.
At his age, falling in love meant eternity.
The food was exquisite. He secretly observed Yao Tingting sitting across the table. Her tiny mouth chewed delicately.
[She seemed to love tomatoes? Does she like to eat sour foodand green pepper? Umbut why is she only eating these two things?]
Jiang Chen observed carefully, and he secretly memorized the vors she liked.
[She said that she likes me soshes now my girlfriend? But it was not official yet. Is she waiting for me to bring it up?]
When he thought about this, he gulped and looked away awkwardly.
The holographic screen was ying the popr intro of Dust Kingdom.
The clock struck eight.
Does it taste good? Yao Tingting smiled at Jiang Chen.
Oh, Oh! Yes! Jiang Chenughed nervously as he focused on his rice to hide his embarrassed expression.
I heard there are ghosts in the school library. Have you seen them?
Ghghost? Thats not true, thats not real science. Jiang Chen had peculiar expression.
Are you pleased? However, the unbing subsequent sentence diverged from the topic of conversation.
Pleased? Jiang Chen seemed lost, but then suddenly as if he had just realized something, he looked away and shyly scratched his slightly red ear. He stiffly nodded, Ofof course.
For a teenager in puberty, there was nothing more joyful than being invited to the house of the girl of his dreams.
Dont eat so fast. Here, drink some water. Yao Tingting smilingly handed over the ss. It was the same ss that Jiang Chen had used.
Mhm With a blushing face, he took the ss as he tried to mask the awkward silence by drinking the water.
[Didnt you say theres soup? Why is it water]
The screen showed Dust Kingdoms plot. Klein fell down in the pool of blood and stopped breathing. It was rather an unexpected ending? It felt rushed as if there was a lot of buildup, but nothing was exined before the show had ended.
After the outro, there was The End written in blood.
A smile formed on Yao Tingtings angelic and serene face while watching Jiang Chen who was drowsily lying on the dinner table.
The smile was odd, hollow.
[So tired, I just want to sleep]
Through his droopy eyes and hazy vision, he faintly caught a glimpse of white dress dropping on the ground.
The white figure took quiet steps towards him.
The back of his head was surrounded by something soft. His consciousness plummeted in a bottomless abyss.
Chapter 92 - Who is the Ghost
Chapter 92: Who is the Ghost
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
As usual, Jiang Chen lied on the table, watching simr scenes repeated itself. No, if theres something that changed, its probably because of her. He looked at the girl sitting under the window who was beaming in his direction at that moment. Speaking of which, after they confirmed their feelings for each otherst night, they were now together.
Of course, he was still not used to the feeling of extreme happiness. He shyly hid his face in his sleeves as he suddenly realized that they seemed to have done something unbelievable yesterday.
They did it?
They did it!
Yo, do you have something good you want to share with me? Zhao Peng said as he poked Jiang Chens back with a leer.
Go away. Jiang Chen responded distractedly as he nced at the rouge before lying on the table again. If he allowed this guy to find out, hes afraid that the entire ss would also find out. He vowed to defend this secret to his death to protect the goddess name.
Oh, yeah, why do we have ss today? Jiang Chen was confused. Alliance Day should be a legal holiday.
Dont you know? The news said yesterday that the holiday is temporarily cancelled. The school posted on the terminal the news about ss resuming today Zhao Peng gave the same bewildered look as Jiang Chen.
[You can cancel holidays?] Jiang Chen was stunned once again.
Truth be told, he dide to school with Yao Tingting today. When he left, he forgot about the holiday but didnt remember receiving any messages. Jiang Chen took out the terminal andunched the holographic screen. Sure enough, there was a temporary notice symbol in the right corner.
[It did seem like I forgot.]
Jiang Chen then remembered the craziness that happenedst night and couldnt help but blush as he secretly took a peek at Yao Tingtings direction. Then, he put the terminal away before lying on the table again.
The charming girl under the window was engrossed in the terminal. Her index finger was tapping on the screen, flipping the pages on the electronic book.
Who cares? Its OK if its not a holiday. Since we are already going out, it doesnt matter if we cant go to the movies. He mumbled to himself and just like his usual habit, he leaned against his arm and began napping.
Startled, Jiang Chen woke up.
[Eh, where did everyone go? Oh, the third period in the afternoon is Physical Education. The activity today is swimming and I have to change in advance. Zhao Peng, that rascal, didnt even wake me up], he ridiculed Zhao Peng in his mind as he rubbed his still dry eyes. He pressed against the table to stand up and headed to the door.
Thinking about it, he couldnt help but imagine Yao Tingting in a swimsuit.
As he thought about this, his face began to suffuse with heat again. He forced out aughed as he touched his nose, and shook his head to rid himself of the unhealthy vision.
The gym was located south of the library. It was the biggest building outside of the main academic building. The digital gymnasium included basketball court, ser field, swimming pool, and track together with thebination of practical and virtual teaching. Simply put, the ce was humongous.
Jiang Chen checked his watch on his way to the gym. Since it was already 5 minutes into the lecture, and he was alreadyte and was toozy to run, he simply slowed down his pace.
The campus was empty at this time, but it certainly did make sense. After all, ss was still ongoing, and that made him the odd one for wandering outside the ssroom at this time. When he passed by the library, he suddenly halted.
Why did Yao Tingting mention that there was a ghost in the library? For some reason, Jiang Chen didnt feel scared, he had the urge to go ahead and explore instead. He gulped as he subconsciously moved one step to that direction.
[Forget it, maybe Ille back after school], Jiang Chen thought in his mind, troubled. Just as he was about to retract his step, all of the sudden, a deafening shout thundered in his ears and made him jumped up.
You! What are you doing!
[Fu*k, I am onlyte ] Just as when Jiang Chen was about to open his mouth to exin, the cleaning robot, who was sweeping the ground quietly, suddenly elerated and collided into the guard.
Fu*k. The guard fell down because of the collision with the robot, and he scrambled to get up.
When Jiang Chen met a pair of ferocious eyes, he felt an irrational fear. The only thing left in his mind was to flee. He didnt have time to think as he scampered towards the direction of the library. He dashed to the door towards the direction of the stair and sprinted to the second floor and ran to the other end of the hallway, panting heavily.
Through the second floor of the library was a shortcut to the gym. Jiang Chen could also use the terrain there to his advantage get rid of the vicious guard. In an open space, he certainly didnt have the confidence to outrun adults who had been trained.
[Fu*k, if I got caught, Ill probably be lectured!]
When did the guard start doing the job of the school director? [This is ridiculous.] It was rumored that the guard in the front gate had a bad tempered. Even though Jiang Chen had a faint feeling that even if he did anger him, he wouldnt beat him up, he was irrationally frightened nheless. Thus, he didnt think before running away.
[Wooo whatever, its better not to be caught or else I would have to go to the office and exin.]
[Eh?] Jiang Chen was about to go down from the other end of the library when he found an opened activity room. The door wasnt locked.
Normally, these barely used activity rooms would be locked. Only when the directors came to audit would the school create some odd temporary clubs to deal with the inspection. However, the door of this activity room was actually open.
Jiang Chen stood in front of the door and for some reason felt a strong dj vu. [I havent been here before, but this ce feels important. And I think I have seen this ce somewhere else.]
The sudden deafening roar of the guard echoed down the hallway and almost scared him to death.
Fu*k, dont shout in the library. There was not enough time as Jiang Chen hid into the activity room, closed the door and locked it up. He leaned his body against the wall as held his breathe, while listening quietly to the movements outside the door.
The footsteps did note, surrounded by frightening silent as though the roar had never happened in the first ce. In the silence, Jiang Chen heard his own rapid heartbeat. He let out a breath slowly as he moved away unhurriedly from the door and took out the terminal from his pocket.
Its already this time. Looking at the distinct number in the holographic screen, Jiang Chen gave a wry smile. Physics ss was about to end. There was still no noise from outside the door, but Jiang Chen couldnt muster enough courage to step outside. After debating for a while, he left the door reluctantly. He was still a little scared; however, theres no use in going now since ss was ending soon.
A t air conditioner hung in the corner of room, which was probably the most expensive device in the entire room. The interior looked very spacious with only a table and a chair. With the window sealed and being in the midst of summer, the temperature was tolerable outside the room, but felt like a furnace inside.
Jiang Chen walked to the edge of the window and pressed the button to open it, but it wouldnt budge. Is it broken? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he surveyed the thickyer of dust on the window sill. It seemed like there hadnt been anyone here in a while, and there wasnt any sign of wind. He then gave up on opening the window and walked in front of the desk as he picked up a USB-shaped device at the corner of the table.
Activity room management ess right seems to be used like this? Jiang Chen inserted the USB into the terminal and selected to open the air conditioner.
All equipment in the school could be operated through the terminal, but it required an ess right prior to using it. The ess right could be granted through wireless connection, but some special room must be essed through a physical device.
For example, the electronic key at the corner of the table, when connected to the terminal, the users ID would be registered on the whitelist, and then the user would be able to turn on the air conditioner through the terminal.
Fortunately, the air conditioner was functional. A gust of cool air sted through as Jiang Chen let out pleasant sigh. [Ill wait until the ss is over before leaving. That guard would probably be gone by then.]
The only thing that bothered him was that he remembered that the guard should have ess to all rooms. Maybe he was toozy to look for me by searching every room. Which dumbbastards would be that bored
Since he already decided to skip ss, there was nothing to do outside, so he pulled out the chair under the table and sat on top as enjoyed the refreshing cold air. [Ah, its too hot outside, I really dont want to go out.]
Jiang Chen, who was bored out of his mind sitting on the bench, suddenly realized something was off. He abruptly stood up and patted his behind.
No dust? Jiang Chen was stupefied, then he touched the table. There was also no dust [This doesnt make sense. Has anyone been heretely?]
When he thought about it, he had a strange desire to explore since he had nothing better to do. He then opened the terminal and used ess right to view the user record.
Ive been the only person here for the past three months? troubled by the words on the screen, he then extended the search to one year. Same result.
No one had used the activity room even when there was a celebration? Jiang Chen tried to search for the memory in his head as he recalled the schools annual celebration in first semester of grade 10. The directors at that time visited the school, and Wanghai Sixth High School did create some club events.
[I remember that they used the activity rooms in the library I also seem to have been an actor.] Jiang Chen could not think of an answer as his finger continued to scroll through the screen. This time he extended the search criterion to 55 years which was the maximum searchable time query.
However
Chapter 93 - Colonel’s Diary
Chapter 93: Colonels Diary
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
2 October 2172, sunny
Truth to be told, this is no longer suitable for human habitation, starting from the moment the Russianmitted atrocities in Paris.
These trivialints have no meaninging from a man of my status. Being able toin, after all, is a good thing since those 21 people in battalion next door couldnt evenin anymore.
I remember Daniel, a young man who always likes to aim at peoples nuts and blew up his own guns, his DNA cant even be found anymore in the aftermath of the war in Berlin.
That damn guyyou still owe me a drink, dammit!
Running into enemies, taking cover, shooting, calling for an airstrike, advancing continuouslyand praying to the priest.
Every day is like a living hell. Despite having air advantage, the CCCP fire power was too fierce. When they finally tore their hypocritical facade and revealed their true nature, they started using nuclear weapons. Godda*n! Now, everyones life has been depreciated to ten dors. Perhaps even less.
Thats all for today. Well push towards Frankfort tomorrow. It was rumored that a nuclear is being set up there. I hope we can make it in time.
God save me, may victory belong to NATO.
-
3 October 2172, cloudy
The n was for my team to start with the tanks, storm the 141 Fort located in Frankfort, destroy the air defense missiles, then call an airstrike to bomb the nuclear silo.
But things seem to have changed a little. My team had received a special mission for the time being. God save me, I hope my ominous feeling is wrong.
-
6 October 2171, unknown?
Its hard to believe but I am aboard the x12 space station. In half an hour, well be entering an airdrop pod and the destination is PACs Wanghai City.
Dammit, its fu*king difficult to write in space.
-
6 October 2171, cloudy, (added)
I have seen the picture of Wanghai City before the war, and it seems to be a very beautiful ce. But now it looks no different than Paris, at least along the coastline and downtown. Our Marine Corps will invade through the coastline, while we will infiltrate enemy territory through airdrop pod and mark strategic target to facilitate the shooting of the space-based weapon Gods Cane.
Particle barrier generator, air defense missiles, electromaic pulse cannon, nuclear power nts In short, mark anything that is worth destroying.
Sounds easy?
Perhaps although the moment the airdrop pod passed through the cloud of radiation, a rare chill went down my spine.
-
7 October 2172, cloudy
Godd*mn*t, this is a living hell.
There are PAC soldiers everywhere, armored vehicles, tanks andeven stranded soldiers from our side. It was aplete mess.
Absolute madness, the moment the electromaic absorber was deactivated, the power armor would stall for a while. There are radiation and snipers everywhere. We can now only rely on signnguage, and everyone acted like they were mute. How many nukes have been detonated here? Or do EMP ever stop?
Im only worried that I have yet to receivemunication from the headquarter.
This point is of utmost important! If the team lost
-
8 October 2172, rainy
Terrible weather, the rain turned into a bad omen.
We almost engaged in a skirmish with our own soldiers today. Thats right, across the street where no one could identify each other, and themunication device was in a state of failure.
Fortunately, the crisis was averted as PACs tanks helped us to identity them, and then we worked together to solve the problem.
They are the Marine Corps and they lost contacts shortly afternding. They followed the offline maps direction as they were supposed to reconvene with other 11 battalion soldiers here, but it seemed like were the only ones who made it.
Lucky guys.
I allowed them to join our mission temporarily as they didnt even have anti-tank weapons. Death would be inevitable if they stay so might as well have them joined us.
.
With the help of light infantry, our vision would reach further since the life detection device is no longer functioning with EMP absorber being activated.
-
9 October 2172, cloudy
It seems that in addition to rain, it is also cloudy in here. This is strange.
The battle has continued for 3 days already. The good thing is that the quality of the buildings is quite high in the center of the city. Despite being showered with nukes, we can still find buildings for cover. We continued to engage in skirmishes with PAC as there were more of us here in the city. Thats a good sign. Maybe well win the war another day?
We almost cheer when we saw the tungsten rod fell from the sky and shattered the particle barrier generator into pieces.
Howevershortly afterwards ourmunications went back online.
Our Gods Cane has been captured by PAC Space Corps?
The fifth fleet suffered heavy losses?
Retreat? Lost?
Heck, how does one withdraw from the middle of the city?
-
10 October 2172, partially cloudy (added)
I was the only one left.
James was done for, Zach has gone insane.
Did PAC soldiers take pity on me? I was somehow expecting that when I got ripped out of the power armor, I would have been beaten, had my limbs broken, and finally be shot dead.
But that doesnt seem likely.
PAC soldier are very united, and under the directive of themander, no one would dare breach it. Although the yellow monkey seems to want to cut my head off. In the end, he didnt do it though.
I was familiar with that look of animosity, as if wanting to tear me apart.
I can understand that perhaps what we did in school was over the top. But I cant be med for that. Although I am a devout believer, my soldiers also need to relieve their stress. Maybe I should have stopped the guy in Georgia State?
Come on, who cares? Everyones dead.
-
I was forced into a truck loaded with captives. There were plenty of people like us in there.
Fortunately, they didnt confiscate my diary or I would have gone insane.
It is imperative to keep a diary. Thats right, its very important.
Ill try not to provoke the guy who escorted us as he already killed two unlucky fools.
-
15 October 2171, sunny.
We were brought to somewhere far away from the battlefront. There were a lot of mountains here, also a lot of tunnels, and some factories built underground.
I settled down after seeing these because I knew I had no chance of ever returning. Exchange prisoners of war? Hehe, if I say this, would they let me go?
The people in the truck was separated into two groups: one group to the North and one group to the South.
I have a foreboding feeling that one group would die. Of course, we are all going to die in the end, I just pray that it wont be an ugly death.
Aftering to the underground base, our faces were soon branded with barcodes and we got our own bed.
Mhmmthis ce is a bit like a concentration camp.
Thank God, my diary is not confiscated.
-
17 November 2172, unknown
I dont know what the weather on the surface is because we havent seen the sun in a long time. Are they still fighting out there? Or has the war stopped? Of course, we are already deemed dead, so even if the war ended, Im afraid we cant return home.
The work isnt hard but it is rather boring and we get beaten a lot.
Someone tried to run but was apparently killed. We are incarcerated along with the federal death row prisoners. The guy, who slept above me, was a political prisoner. He was very thin with little hair left on his head. He talked to me in English and asked me if I believed in God.
I said I dont or rather I believed in him before.
He didnt mind as he continued to chat about other things. To be honest, I was quite disgusted with any topics rted to political point of view.
But he seemed to be increasingly more frustrated.
Thank God, he got shot not long after.
-
21 November 2172, unknown
There are dead people being dragged away every day, however, there are more people being brought in.
Maybe the war is about to end? After all, there are less familiar faces and more Asian faces are being brought in.
But what made me unsettled is that I spotted some vs from thetest batch of captives.
Did PAC and CCCP go to war as well? Luckily, thats a great news for NATO.
However, how long will a war of this levelst?
-
25 December 2172, unknown (maybe it is snowing?)
Today is Christmas without Christmas tree and candles, and buttery cornmeal porridge.
I dont believe in God, but I still prayed devoutly and pray to my diary. My inmate said I am crazy, I disagreed. Someone had tried to steal my diary, I beat him to a pulp. I broke his nose, and we were both taken in.
I left the journal under my pillow but no one dared to touch it.
Perhaps I scared them? I trust that they are all unafraid of deathme neitherbut I believe that no one wants to die.
No can beat me here. I am a special force, while they are all political prisoners.
Suckers.
-
6 May 2173, unknown
I am not sure if it was earthquake or airstrike. Its probably an airstrike.
Everyone quivered at the corner but I didnt. I read the journal from the beginning again.
I didnt have time to write every day. Most of the time, I only left a date. It was hard to find a pen, so if there was nothing special, I choose to leave it nk.
The barragested for a long time, but it stopped eventually. Someone mentioned relocating and I smiled.
Where to?
-
14 June 2173, cloudy
The day of relocation came. Unfortunately, I wasnt wee by the sun.
It was snowing outside, and the sky was covered with radiation dust. Is this what they called nuclear winter? Being able to see snow in summer was quite an experience.
The soldiers guarding us all wore protective suit, but we only wore a jacket. They didnt n on using us for a long as they only gave us an iodine chip.
We were still left in the truck.
When I left, I was surprised to find out that few mountains have gone missing. Or should I say, became pits.
I remember thats where the group of people from the North headed to work.
-
20 June 2173, sunny
Surprisingly, today is sunny.
Amazingly, I returned to Wanghai City.
Order seems to have been restored here as there are already some citizens living in rural areas. Of course, they didnt look well, probably the unlucky people that didnt manage to hide in shelters. At any rate, this is a good sign that the war is over.
Or at the very least, a ceasefire.
Still it has nothing with us.
I was escorted into an underground survival base or a research facility? This is because survival base wouldnt open in less than a year which should be the same in every country.
A man in a whiteb coat weed me and smiled at me, but I only felt chill in my hands and feet.
Its as though he was looking at a white mouse?
Insane, this is insane.
For the first time, I experience real fear. Dammit!
-
I cant remember the time, unknown.
The diary was confiscated.
Ripped into pieces.
But so what, I memorized everything.
-
They are crazy. Do they think they can create XXXX like this? (Scratched out)
Wait, why am I still normal?
-
Well, now its certain that they are insane.
If someone sees this diary, everything would have been worthwhile. I tried to leave something behind, but it was futile.
All clues will be hidden.
But I still firmly believe that there are smart people out there who will find the clue.
Why am I still conscious? Why hasnt it been erased?
I should have been dead.
Well, before I die, I hope that Asian girl will forgive me for my sins thats probably not going to happen though.
(Colonel Georges final words, pays tribute to the NATO g)
-
Jiang Chens hands and feet felt cold after reading it.
There must be something thats missing, but what was it exactly? This wasnt normalno, what was normal?
Inside the drawer, there was a gun lying next to the diary.
Revolver!
Hand trembling, Jiang Chen swallowed after finally picking up the firearm. Feeling the cold metal texture, he unloaded the magazine. The copper colored metal bullets burned his eyes.
Its a real gun!
Inside the drawer in the activity room of the school library! What the hell is this ce? And not to mention the insane Colonels Diary.
Its only year 2171, how would the journal spoke of something from the year 2173? Waittime travel?
Jiang Chen felt an onught of headache. He clutched his forehead and sat back on the chair. His head was a mess. Its as though everything was a dj vu, but he couldnt exin where the feeling came from.
[Am I forgetting something?]
Jiang Chen frowned he tried to search for every nook and cranny of his memory in the hope of finding clues.
But he didnt even know what the clue was.
From learning how to speak when he was a baby, to his elementary education, and then his junior highup until this moment. Every piece of memory was so vivid.
Wheres the problem?
[Wait, why is it so clear? I can even remember the details of changing diaper?]
Thinking of this, Jiang Chen suddenly nked out, he felt he had grasped onto something, but he must have missed a detail, just a tiny bit.
It was at this time that he suddenly heard an unexpected knock.
Are you in there?
An abrupt but gentle voice struck at Jiang Chens heart like a hammer
Chapter 94 - Fear from the Sky
Chapter 94: Fear from the Sky
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Chapter 94: Fear from the Sky
Are you in there?
Tingtings voice came through.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to open his mouth, his throat felt like it was stuck with cotton known as fear.
He lifted his terminal slowly.
<4:25 pm>
[There were still 15 minutes left before the ss ends, so how can she be in here? Thats really strange. Even if the sports instructor wants her to find me, why would she go to the activity room? Its as if]
I know. Ive been watching you for a long time.
Suddenly, the two familiar but surreal confessions surfaced in his head.
A frightening thought crept into his mind.
being watched?
A drop of cold sweat rolled down his forehead as Jiang Chen held his breath. He didnt even dare to make a sound. Instinct told him that there must be something wrong, but he couldnt exin where the problem came from.
[Tingting is a stalker? How is that possible? But she is so graceful wait, graceful? It seems that it was her who took the initiative to push me down yesterday. Usually, she would be reading under the window but today]
Jiang Chen searched through todays memory. Yao Tingtings watching him, being engrossed in her terminal, paying attention to ss, watching him smile
A disquieting feeling crept all over his body.
I heard theres a ghost at the ground floor of the library. Have you seen it?
The knocking sound was light, but it pierced through his heart like a hammer. He couldnt exin the reason, but his instincts told him that terrible things would happen if he opened the door this time.
Jiang Chen let the beads of sweat rolled across his face as he sat there motionlessly. He looked at the drawer where the gun was, but it failed to bring him even a scant trace of security.
Like drums ying, the pace of knocking seemed to increase and grew louder.
All of a sudden, a violent, smashing sound transmitted through the door. The frantic, smashing sound made every single one of Jiang Chens muscles tightened due to tension, and his facial expression morphed into a stunned expression.
The sound, however, suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
followed by the sound of fading footsteps.
[Has he given up?] Jiang Chen let out a sigh of relief. He then touched his chest and felt a wet sensation from his hand.
It was then that he figured out that his body was drenched in sweat without even realizing it.
Now that I think about it, the ufortable feeling came from the robot yesterday morning. No, to be precise, it should be during that morning ss Jiang Chen realized something.
Yes, it was at that time when the entire ss was staring at him. His heart responded with an eerie feeling known as Uncanny Valley effect.
[Could it beall the students are robots?] An odd expression appeared on his face as he thought that the very idea was preposterous.
Why? He grew up with Zhao Peng together, Qian Han, who was sitting in front even gave him a love letter, and Yao Tingting
Jiang Chen suddenly frowned.
Where did all the books that Yao Tingting always read go?
BOOM!
The violent tremor almost threw him on the ground as the window produced a loud, sharp sound. He got up hurriedly, ran to the window and discovered a shocking scene.
A blue light hit the dome protecting this city. The light blue particle disintegrated followed by the thinning air membrane.
There was no sound as the concave barrier opened a gap in the center and the blue light faded away.
Suddenly, countless numbers of dense, ck dots dropped from the sky, each carrying a trail of air waves behind. Those were NATOs airdrop soldiers, as well as the bombs used to disguise them.
It was, however, at this moment that the ground fired a series of orange re missiles to the ground. It was the anti-aircraft missiles stationed in the city
A loud rumble fell from the sky and a series of explosions filled the sky with bright sparks. The deafening air defense rm broke the city sky apanied by the cry and scream from the distant street, which woke Jiang Chen up from his stupor.
Not even a single warning.
Its s a fuck*ng war! This cant be happening He looked at the sky, terrified. Jiang Chen retreated from the window and rushed outside the door.
The news already announced that when the air defense rm got triggered, everyone should immediately go to the nearest defense shelter, and the sanctuary would be forcefully closed once it reached the right time and go into a dormant mode.
Jiang Chen didnt have time to get confused as his priority was to stay alive. He nced at the table before he left the activity room; he gritted his teeth and reluctantly sprinted downstairs.
There was a gun on the table, but he didnt think it would bring him any semnce of security. If he really encountered a NATO soldier, hes afraid that it would be more dangerous to wield a gun.
Moreover, ording to the rules of war, they usually didnt shoot civilians. Not only it was a waste of bullets, it was also quite troublesome
He tried tofort himself as he dashed down the stairs towards the gate of the school and ran for his life. At this time, however, a massive explosion broke out in the sky in the distance from the center of the city. He felt the scorching heat wave despite the distance of 100 km away.
Mushroom cloud.
It was a nuclear bomb!
Fu*k. Jiang Chen stared at the orange mushroom cloud and the falling ck dots with quivering eyes.
BOOM!
The intense shockwave almost blew him away. He tried to raise his arm to cover his face. From the rapid airflow of the cylindrical airdrop pods came out several soldiers in power armor.
There was simply no room for escape.
Jiang Chens shoulders rxed, signaling that he had given up, and his face gave way to a wry smile. Why was his reaction so calm, even he himself didnt have any ideas.
Thest thing he saw was a gun barrel.
-
BOOM!
Struggling to open his eyes, the first thing Jiang Chen saw was the wooden floor of the gymnasium. He realized he was thrown on the ground.
He struggled to stand uphis chest and joint throbbed in pain, but he couldnt let out a sound because of fear.
The gym was filled with people, students, and teachers Everyones terrified face had hopelessness written all over them as NATO soldiers circled around. The cold barrels were ominous.
No one dared to make a sound as they quietly watched Jiang Chen who was thrown on the ground.
Jiang Chen, are you okay? Yao Tingting anxiously hurried to his side.
He felt the body temperature enveloping him as he exerted all his effort to open his puffy eyes.
He caught a glimpse of graceful face fraught with tears.
Tingting? Yourealso here?
Mhmm! What, how are you?
The silvery voice was tearful. He felt the softness touching the swell on his face as he forced out a smile. He wanted to lift his hand to wipe off her tears,fort her, and embrace her, however
Drag that girl over here.
Yes.
Two soldiers in power armors walked over.
Let me go! Ah
What are you doing! Jiang Chen watched the person forcefully drag Yao Tingting away from him in horror.
Jiang Chen, save me! No!
Jiang Chen desperately tried to his hold on her, but he was met with a boot on his face. The kick almost made him lose his consciousness again.
In the corner of Jiang Chens blurry eyes, he saw the soldiers who dragged Yao Tingting away took off his mask. It was a pale, devil-like face that was currently mocking him.
Listen up, hostagesthats right, you guys are all hostagesyour so-called Holy Barrier System has already been broken by our space-based weapon. Dont count on being rescued, stay there obediently, and pray that your fathers wont blow you up as well. The person standing at the stadium of the gym seemed to be the leader of the squad as he was using the loudspeaker of the power armor.
TingtingJiang Chen struggled to crawl to the figure being dragged away.
Boss, this girl is quite pretty. It would be a pity if we hang her outside. Hehe, what if The white soldier had a leery grin as he held the girl up. He seemed to be pleased by her frightened appearance and almost sobbing figure.
Another soldier also took off the armor mask and exposed a ck face and white teeth. Are all people from Georgia (State in the UA) perverted like this? But sir, I do agree with his point of view, hehe
What are you trying to do!
Jiang Chens heart suddenly ached. He bit his lips as he struggled to stand up to his feet, however, his woozy head kept him unstable.
No A shrill cry resounded throughout the gym.
Seeing themander nodded, the soldier then tore the white floral dress apart
In front of everyone.
Stop! Jiang Chen opened his mouth as his finger almost prated through the hard wooden floor.
His bloodshot eyes were ferocious.
However, it wasnt him who screamed out.
Was that Zhao Peng?
No! Jiang Chen reached out his hand to his childhood friend in horror.
BANG!
Smoke floated from the muzzle.
Beautiful, man! Bulls-eye!
Hahaha. The soldier heard hisradespliment before he made an exaggerated shooting gesture at the crowd. He was gratified to see the crowd screaming and scrambling backward in terror.
Dont, donte over. Yao Tingting shrunk back on the ground as she tried to use the torn pieces of clothes to cover her naked body.
The white soldier with perverted smile strapped the gun to his waist as he walked towards Yao Tingting who was scampering backward. Dont worry, well do it one by one.
Jiang Chen, save me! Jiang Chen Wooo
The young, beautiful Chinese teacher from next ss stood up, her expression wore a decided humiliated expression. She was trembling but refused to flinch.
Let the girl go, Ill take her ce.
The ck soldier standing on the sidelinesughed, and then came and grabbed her by the cor, ignoring her scrambling limbs due to her difficulty in breathing and threw her on the stadium.
You guys can go together. We have plenty of brothers here.
Eyes filled with sorrow.
Dead eyes without the soul.
And dted pupils because of the shocking horror.
Blood covered every single inch of Jiang Chens eyes.
At this time, however, an unprecedented rity he had never experienced before eradicated all the tyrannical emotions in his heart.
Hehe are you guys done fooling around?
Jiang Chen closed his eyes carelessly. He struggled to shift and then sat on the ground.
His mouth curled up into a sneer and his eyes regained its tranquility.
The secret teller?
Chapter 95 - The Imperfection in the Perfect Plan
Chapter 95: The Imperfection in the Perfect n
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
[Fury: Muscle Strength +20, Reflex +19, Brain Cell Strength +17. Special ability: Killer instinct, the ability to perceive the location of the heart with any of the five senses.]
He didnt expect to enter right here.
Jiang Chen coldly scanned the bodies without red dots, ignoring the pairs of lifeless eyes staring at him, and finally stopping his sight on Yao Tingting.
Zhao Peng lying in the pool of blood, the teacher struggling on the ground beneath the soldiers, the students, even the soldiers
No heart.
Everyone was a sham, as though they were nothing but an empty shell.
Including Yao Tingting.
Oh? How did you figure it out? Yao Tingting paused for a moment before a smile erupted on her face and stood up naked.
It was a peculiar sighta smiling girl standing while naked. Beside her was the monster with a ferocious expression about to bring her down to the ground, but the monster was cemented in mid-air.
He looked into Yao Tingtings eyes dispassionately and said, Because I have an annoying ability, and you happen to have no heart.
Yao Tingting was momentarily stunned before revealing her signature smile again. She then raised her delicate finger and drew in the air, and a holographic screen appeared out of thin air beside her body.
Hmmm so thats how it is. Increase in three body stats and a skill that can see the heart? This isnt a friendly bug. A peculiar smile curved on her mouth as she examined the stats on the panel.
Hehe, although I had formed a variety of conjectures, never would I have thought thatthis is a game, right? Jiang Chen gazed at the beautiful yet pure face as he squeezed the words out of his mouth, The secret teller, huh?
Just now, he finally understood the question that had been guing him. The effect of Brain Cell Strength +17 as the result of was not an increase in intelligence but rather to break through the barrier in his memory and regained his consciousness.
Oh, almost but not quite. I am the secret protector. Perhaps its time for the next round? Yao Tingting pped her hands in delight.
The secret protector? There were actually two people?
The asional explosion in the sky suddenly stopped, and the war outside came to a halt with the sound of the p.
The colors of the world began to fade starting from the corner of the stadium as bits and pieces dissipated gradually.
Do you intend to continue this boring game? Jiang Chen sneered as he said with disdain.
Why not?
The silveryughter sounded disturbing.
I am looking forward to your next round of performance. After looking at Jiang Chen onest time, Yao Tingting faded along with everything in that world.
Really?
He looked at the interdimensional bracelet on his wrist. The bracelets ability was not copied into this world, so there was no way to return to the modern world in the game.
[I just have to rely on other means to break through the game]
The floor was already disintegrating as Jiang Chen silently watched his body along with the fragments dissipate into the abyss
-
11 June 2171, summer
The diary only had dates in it, and no other texts had been written in it.
He felt a slight dizziness as though he had just taken a nap, and everything that just happened was like a reverie.
Dropping down the pen, Jiang Chen looked around the familiar room.
Fury is still in effect.
Could it be because of the increase in Brain Cell Strength that my memory was not erased? He faintly closed his eyes as he searched for the clues in his memory.
Memory before entering the game was retained, the N cycle memory was saved, and the N-1 cycle memory was missing.
When he opened his eyes, his line of sight caught the diary to the electronic clock on the table.
<7:37 pm>
So, this is the starting point of the game. Then, all previous memories should be false.
In reality, it didnt feel good to negate the realistic memory one by one. Its as if youre living a great life, then one night you had a nightmare, a mysterious figure told you that the world in the dream was the reality, and when you woke up youd go into a virtual world.
Yao Tingting is the secret protector. No, to be more urate, she should have been reced by a secret at some point That book was a clue, and Jiang Chen desperately searched for the details in his memory. [It appears that when I shared the spoiler, the secret guardian noticed the discrepancy. It was just a sense of dj vu, but it had thought that I recovered my memory?]
It seemed that from that point on, the book in Yao Tingtings hands disappeared.
That person had been reced since then.
[So if this is the case, it suspected that I woke up from the hypnotism, so it reced Yao Tingtings identity and joined the game as a participant?]
Therefore, anyone could be the secret protector.
[Wait, whats the point of this game?]
Frowning, he sat quietly on the desk as he recalled the diary in the activity room on the second floor of the library.
And Yao Tingtings words:
I know. I have been paying attention to you.
The identity of the Informant and the secret protector
All the clues strung together like a key and opened the lock in his heart.
The corner of his mouth slighting raised up as he leaned back on the chair.
[That diary should be the key to breakthrough the game. No wonder the Secret Guardian always tried to keep me away from the library. Whenever I approach the library, it would see all kinds of method to stop me.]
Whether it was the so-called ghost in the library or the furious guard.
What the secret protector didnt know, however, was that the more it tried to cover up something, the more suspicious he became. It can be said that its constant attempt to stop him actually pushed him to where the truth was located.
Even it wiped the memory in his head, it cant wipe the strong feeling of dj vu.
[Where did I see this before? Did I seem to be here before? I have experienced this before]
Whether it was the drama airing or the opened activity room, everything had the feeling of dj vu. Perhaps he was there N-x week ago, but because there was no memory retention; therefore, it ignorantly entered into the next cycle.
could perhaps seal the memory and remove the clues, but it cannot remove the constant feeling of dj vu, in the end, this feeling led to finding the evidence he searched for in the previous cycle.
And then because the Ns cycle led him into , all the evidence was saved to the N+1 week.
If he didnt manage to jump out of the loop, the game would probably go on and on.
Hehe, what kind of game is this, this is absolutely insane.
[A game designed for the purpose of an experiment. It inhumanely put people into the game like ab rat. Then simte the plot, collect data, therefore, allowing the intermediate artificial intelligence to evolve into advanced artificial intelligence? Is this the experiment that the Colonel mentioned in his diary?]
Jiang Chen thought calmly.
[There was still a lot of suspicions. For example, the secret protector is the absolute controller of the game, then I wouldnt be able to beat it at any rate.
But the peculiar cleaning robots, the opened activity room, the diary left as a clue, these obvious bugs are not removed after countless amount of cycles but had beenpletely preserved. The secret protector even had to interfere with my actions by actively intervening with the plot to prevent me from getting close to the library.]
In conclusion, the secret protectors power in the game is simr to that of a Game Master, but it cannot change the game itself.
Also, if the purpose of the game was to allow it to evolve into an advanced AI by observing humans and collecting data, it wouldnt make sense if it was granted the power to change the game. A good analogy would be: if the measuring data is unattractive, and someone manually added one or two zeroes in an experiment, then it wouldnt be considered as an experiment anymore.
Its power was limited and not invincible.
Jiang Chen picked up its pen, drew three circles in the diary, andbeled it separately:
Safe Zone, Neutral Zone, and Danger Zone.
If I perform illogical action, then everyone would look at me like Im a robot, because of the confused thinking, which will automatically trigger the Uncanny Valley effect. The intermediate artificial intelligence may have analysis ability, but too much calction will result in g? Or confusion? On the contrary, basic AI can only respond logically and cant t think, so it does not produce confusion and the like. So, NPC should be made up of low-level AIs? Jiang Chen mumbled to himself as hebeled the school as Danger Zone.
The activity room on the second floor of the library should be the Safe Zone because Yao Tingting couldnt enter it. Jiang Chen wrote it in the Safe Zone.
[Should NATO invasion be considered as an event? Also, to collect data, the Secret Guardian should be in control of the switch to advance the plot, otherwise, repeating the same cycle would just result in simr data.] It was an important point, so Jiang Chen jotted it down in his diary.
He pulled out the drawer and saw two movie tickets. A smile appeared on Jiang Chens face. If there is no irregrity, then the plot should be: asking her out, confession, watching a movie, possible sex, NATO invasion. It simted the first love topleted devastation. In this case, any of the scene that could trigger the plot should belong to Danger Zone under the absolute control of the Secret Guardian .
Yao Tingtings home and the movie theater he has yet to visit were categorized under the Danger Zone.
Because of the iplete plot in thest cycle, a lot of clues became avable Jiang Chen scanned the room and wrote Protagonists Home under the Safe Zone area.
The street should be a Neutral Zone, whereby itcks the ability to trigger plot. He flipped his pen and wrote street under the Neutral Zone before he lifted his eyes to look at the digital clock.
<8:07 pm>
It already exceeded the maximum duration of half an hour limit, but has yet to be deactivated. Therefore, the passage of time in the game is unequal to the passage of time in real world. In terms of efficiency, the longer the user experienced in the game, the shorter the time passed in reality so the data gathered in the real world time frame will be more
[Perhaps that I already experienced N cycles, but it may only be a few seconds in reality? With the processing speed of the advancedputer, that is absolutely a possibility; however, it would put a lot of strain on the mind.]
Thinking of this, Jiang Chen let out a breath of relief. The time he agreed on with Sun Jiao was two hours, and if he had been here for a month or two already, he was afraid that it would be then toote to return to the ground.]
[Speaking of that, by letting me activate, that talkative thing still expects itself to win?]
The tip of his lips curled up on his mouth.
Thats right, in a game that relied on hypnotism, Brain Cell Strength was a huge bug.
Hypnotism would no longer be effective on him.
[From here on in, the game officially begins.]
Chapter 96 - Inescapable
Chapter 96: Inescapable
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Jiang Chen opened the door.
Theres not much difference between day and night. If I am consistently being monitored, then even selecting daytime would not increase my chances of winning. Or maybe, it is safer in the day since the majority of the people will be in their home, and there would be less pawns that the secret protector could use.
He went downstairs and saw the cleaning robot.
It still gave off the same hollow look that instinctively produced a disquieting feeling.
[The cleaning robot left the first clue, so it should be considered friendly? Although he didnt know who left this clue, but presumably, it wasnt on the secret protectors side,] Jiang Chen thought as he walked past the robot and turned back.
The robot was looking at another direction.
South? Is there something over there? There was also another cleaning robot in front of the library. In the N cycle, it blocked the security guard for me. Jiang Chen looked south, but the tall buildings blocked his view. From the general direction, it should be located in the center of the city.
Wait a minute, when Yao Tingting took me away from the library, the robot at the door also appeared to be looking at the same direction after exchanging eye contact with me.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen realized this clue and his face turned exulted. He then walked to the robot that seemed to begging.
He took out the terminal, followed the robots direction, and drew a line on the map. The line skidded across the boundary of the town center.
There is also another robot in front of the library door. With only two-line intersection, it would be difficult to guess the urate location on the map. Therefore, there must be another robot. With three-line intersection, it would be able to pinpoint and mark a possible area. There should be something in there that could help me beat the game. But where is the third robot?
Jiang Chen frowned. [The N cycle plot was iplete with this logic.]
He put his hand into his pocket and grabbed the two movie tickets, his face then lit up with a triumphant smile.
In front of the movie theater? That should be right.
If nothing happened, the two movie tickets should serve its purpose on the third day. But the secret protectors intervention forced the plot to advance and even introduced a huge move of canceling the holiday. This made the movie plot never urred and triggered the sex scene.
[I see.]
Without hesitation, Jiang rushed to the nearest subway and then headed downtown.
He sprinted out of the subway, jogged across two streets and stopped in front of the movie theater, gasping for air.
It was that cleaning robot, and it was looking straight into his eyes. Then, it looked away
Southwest!
He pulled out his terminal again and drew a line on the map. Without stopping for a moment, he then returned to the subway and caught thest train.
Breathlessly, Jiang Chen sat on the cold, hard chair. He looked around the empty train and looked at the time.
<9:39 pm>
[Its already thiste?]
The train arrived at the station as Jiang Chen quickly rushed to the schools direction and stopped in front of the school gate.
[The school is considered as Danger Zone, so going directly to the activity room on the second floorwill be pretty difficult.] Troubled by the thought, he looked around and looked up.
[Im afraid that the Secret Guardian must be closely monitoring my move, and just waiting to make a move as soon as I enter]
Thinking of this, his face showed a wry smile.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath and after observing the height of the gate, he rushed towards the door.
[If it had been before, two meters would be unreachable but]
Jiang Chen leaped easily across the gate. The increase in muscle strength due to was perfectly replicated within the game; indeed, the game data is based on physical data in the real world.
The shrill rm sounded instantly.
Having predicted that this would happen, he cursed and rushed to the direction of the library.
Stop!
It was the security guard!
Jiang Chen ignored him, knowing full well that with his current muscle strength, no one would be able to catch up to him. Even if all the units in the school were pawns of the Secret Guardian, it shouldnt be able to change the body stats of the characters.
It took less than ten seconds for Jiang Chen to outran the security by 100 meters from the security room. Then, he spotted the cleaning robot at the door.
Southeast!
With a rough view from the street light, Jiang Chen did not slow down the slightest as he mmed into the ss door of the library.
Warning! Security system activated.
100 meters more!
The metal gate of the library started closing, and Jiang Chen, who noticed this, gritted his teeth and elerated. He turned around and maintained his velocity and smashed into the closed ss door.
CRASH!
The ss door was smashed into pieces. At thest possible second, Jiang Chen broke into the library with the metal gate behind firmly shut.
Jiang Chen felt the painful cut from his arms, legs and face but didnt have time to tend to his wounds. Ignoring the ss shards on the floor, he scrambled to his feet and continued towards the stairs.
Second floor.
End of the hallway.
Activity room!
The door is shut!
Jiang Chen mmed the door, but the door remained firmly shut.
Did it close after the security system got activated?
Damn! How could it be like this! Jiang Chen desperately beat down the door.
[Could it be the activity room door is closed at night? Thats impossible What should I do!]
Haha, where are you going to run now, you bloody thief! the security guards frightening voice from the other end of the hallway made him drenched in cold sweat.
Fu*k, how did you get in with the metal door being shut?]
Jiang Chen swore in his mind, but since it was not the time to think about it, he quickly forced himself to calm down.
With a start, he suddenly remembered that he had acquired an ess to the terminal using the electronic key on the desk when he turned on the air conditioner with it.
[No, after the timeline is reset, the ess should also be removed
Wait a minuteif the activity room is a special ce, then the whitelisted IDs will probably be retained even after the timeline reset!]
Jiang Chen didnt hesitate anymore after seeing the twisted and hideous face along with the taser in his hand from the end of the corridor.
He took out the terminal, connected to the localwork, and opened the electronic lock.
CLICK.
The light sound was like an angels voice to Jiang Chen as his heart turned ecstatic. Then, he rushed to the door and mmed it shut.
DONG!
The frustrated kicking sound was transmitted through the door. Just as he thought, the rooms existence was rather unique, a ce simr to the backdoor of the game. As for the reason for its existence and why the was kept in here, everything still remained a mystery.
However, he had a hunch that he was getting closer to the truth.
At the same time, a white light pierced the night sky and light up the entire city.
Jiang Chen quickly went to the window and looked at the bright sky with astonishment.
The bright, white light fell down like rain drops as they left ripples on the citys dome. The deafening explosion soon followed as the Holy Barrier System protecting Wanghai was broken through.
[What kind of energy weapon is this?]
There was no time to hesitate, Jiang Chen rushed towards the table, opened the drawer, and picked up the pistol inside.
A violent explosion came from the outside and made the window viciously vibrate.
Was that an airdrop pod?
Jiang Chen was rmed by the explosioning from downstairs. It should be NATO soldiers forcing their way in.
Looking at the gun in his hand, he suddenly realized the purpose of the gun.
Jiang Chen took a final nce at the triangle area where the three lines intersected on the map.
He disengaged the safety and loaded the gun.
He raised the gun and aimed the muzzle at his own temple; a grim smile appearing on his lips.
BANG!
Chapter 97 - Zombie Invasion
Chapter 97: Zombie Invasion
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
How much courage would it take to shoot your own head?
The question was quiteplicated and would depend on the situation.
Despite knowing that this was a game, the memory of growing up would still be vivid.
How would you describe this feeling? Well, imagine this: youve been living a good life, then one day, you suddenly had the urge to question the authenticity of the world as there was an extra bit of memory added. Despite being fully confident that the newly added memory was the real memory and all the previous memories were fake. And now you had an idea that as long you as die, you could escape the game and return to the real world.
There was no pain.
Its just like closing his eyes for a while.
Jiang Chen woke up from the dream again.
<7:37 pm>
At that moment, however, his hand was not holding a pen but rather a ck revolver.
Looks like you cant escape the game through death Make sense, if its that easy to escape then the easiest way would be to jump down from the window. Jiang Chen let out a self-deprecating smile and nced outside the window.
The pistol following him after death was a huge BUG.
Jiang Chen yed with the gun in his hands and unloaded the magazine.
16 roundsthe magazine was full again, so this gun should also y a role. Although he didnt know how it happened, it appeared that the bullets were being replenished after every reset of the game.
With the gun stuffed in his pocket, Jiang Chen opened the bedroom door, passed through the living room and headed towards the door.
It was already night time but there shouldnt be no difference inside the game.
He pulled out his terminal and opened the map. The position marked by the triangle was gone, but he firmly remembered it.
The Xinpu Hospital in the northern district.
He put the terminal away and rushed to the direction of the subway.
<8:07 pm>
There were only a few pedestrians in the subway. Perhaps it was because the situation was a bit tense recently, everyone avoided traveling. After the rush hour, only few people could be seen in the subway. Sitting on a cold chair and waiting for the train to slowly elerate, Jiang Chen sighed as he looked at the small TV on the wall.
The host was cracking jokes with his assistants and the audience was allughing; he, however, couldnt smile.
[If everything is fake, then what about the memory of these past 17 years?
Am I too deep into this?]
Jiang Chen shook his head and touched the gun in his pocket. The cold, metallic feeling gave him a trace offort.
Not only could he integrate into another world, but he even acquired another set of memory. Even after experiencing death a countless number of times, only seconds passed by in reality. Had the future of technology and science been developed to this extent?
Or rather had it already been terrifying to this point?
He somehow felt a little despondent at the moment and gave a wry smile.
He just wanted to end this bloody game, and then return the memory that wasnt his back to the server.
CreaK!
The light suddenly went out without warning, and the carriage shook violently. As soon as it happened, Jiang Chen immediately reached out his hands and grabbed the handrail beside him.
Jiang Chens muscles stretched violently as the pain almost made him broke his teeth, but his hands grasping the handrail did not let go.
Ah! The passengers, who didnt keep their bnce, began to fall as they smashed into the front of the train like thin paper.
PA!
Blood covered his line of sight.
Enduring his churning stomach, the forceful pulling almost made his eyes burst, and the veins on his arm were about the explode.
BOOM!
The force was so strong that eventually, Jiang Chen could not hold on anymore and fiercely crashed into heaps of dead body.
A trail of gruesome sparks shed across the window. The train appeared to have a rear-end collision. It crashed into the rear of a preceding train and derailed with it.
Jiang Chen frantically scrambled to his feet. He dragged his dizzy head and hit the emergency door release button, however, the door failed to open.
[Has the emergency circuit been destroyed too?]
Damn!
He couldnt think for long because if he dyed any longer, another train would havee from behind
While shivering, he took out the terminal in pain. He pulled out the cord beside the emergency exit button and connected it to the terminal.
Fortunately, it was still functional.
After gaining ess, Jiang Chen hurriedly pressed the release button and unlocked the ess to the safety hammer through the direct connection.
Jiang Chen gritted his teeth as he took out the red safety hammer from the partition wall. He used his entire bodys strength to smash the window.
Ayer of white mist along the hammer spread from the point of impact.
Another swing.
CRUSH!
The double-pane window was smashed into pieces as white mist burst forth.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to climb out of the window, he felt a hand grabbed his leg. He turned around and saw a woman with dreadful face and pale, white eyes, and then she opened her badly mutted mouth.
He swung his hammer and smashed the womans head into pieces.
[Fu*k? Zombies?]
This time its a biochemical plot. It appeared that the plot that Secret Guardian could trigger was not limited to NATO invasion.
There was no time to think as Jiang Chen noticed that there were some limbs twitching in the heap of bloody corpse. He carried the safety hammer in his hand, jumped out of the window, rolled on the ground, and climbed onto the tform on the other side.
SCREECH!
From afar came a screeching sound; it was another train!
Jiang Chen desperately ran 100 meters outside the underground tunnel exit. Almost as soon as he had just turned into the groove on the wall of the tunnel, there was another explosion behind him. The broken parts left screeching noise on the concrete wall. The train twisted into a ball as the door te broke off and embedded into the wall not far away behind Jiang Chen.
Jiang Cheng suppressed the violent throbbing of his heart. He pulled the sliding door with all his strength, but the door didnt budge.
Another swing.
The door didnt break, but the concrete holding the door was shattered by his brute force.
Jiang Chen pushed the door down and followed the zigzag shaped stairs and quickly ran outside. When he opened the security door and stepped on the ground, the scene that greeted him stunned him.
Like a scene straight from an apocalypse.
The entire street was in mayhem: cars collided into each other or exploded or broke down on the road. The entire area was a mess.
Horrified screams came one after another. People foughtor more urately, zombies were hunting the fleeing humans. The pairs of pale, white eyes were much more frightening under the light.
asionally, there were people who would smash the window open and frantically jump out, but their fate was either to fall to their death or to be devoured by the zombies below.
Hungry
Jiang Chen felt a sudden chill on his back as he turned around and found a zombie was heading towards him.
He didnt think as he swung the hammer, then the zombies head flew out like a golf ball.
Suppressing the nausea, Jiang Chen hurriedly took out the map to verify his location. He was only two streets north of the hospital. Fortunately, the train collision was close to the destination.
After confirming his location, he immediately ran to the other side of the street.
Zombies were stronger during night time. The night devoid of UV lights couldnt restrict its fighting prowess.
Of course, these zombies were still within the first stage of mutation. The useless fat was still attached to the body. In a few years time, once the zombies metamorphosed the body fats into dense muscles, their speed would be more than double.
However, there was no use talking about this as even fresh zombies would be impossible to defeat once they banded together. Jiang Chen smashed another zombie in front of him before jumping on top of the car. Before he got surrounded by the zombies, he hopped on another car three meters away.
Jiang Chens shoes left a huge dent on the roof. Not stopping to take a look, he thennded on another vehicle.
With the power of , the distance was nothing to him, and by hopping on the vehicles, he narrowly escaped from the zombie-infested street.
His feetnded heavily on the concrete ground before the howling zombies could swarm around him. His hammer swung and killed off two zombies as he desperately ran to the direction of the hospital.
100 meters!
20 meters!
He darted to the stairs in front of the door. The hall was infested with zombies. Fortunately, it was night time so there werent many people in the hallway. With a couple of dim lights, he could roughly make out the situation inside the hall. There were few women in nurse clothes rushing towards him with gaping bloody mouth.
Jiang Chen gritted his teeth as he motioned his already sore arm muscles to make another hit. It shattered the zombies into pieces; however, another zombie rushed towards him from the side and attacked him.
Fu*k! Ah
His left arm was firmly bitten. It was the first time that he had been made keenly aware of the danger of zombies.
The zombies were beginning to circle him. Jiang Chen kicked the zombies away and took out the revolver.
BANG!
The bullet prated the zombies head.
BANG!
Jiang Chens facial muscles twisted because of the pain in his left arm, but he resisted the pain while shooting with his right hand and scrambling towards the safety hammer.
He put the pistol in his pocket and picked up the safety hammer from the ground. He nced at the fallen zombies on the floor as he spat fiercely on the ground, and then
Jiang Chen was momentarily lost.
Hes at the hospital but what now?
Chapter 98 - Dead End
Chapter 98: Dead End
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Jiang Chen jumped over the counter in the lobby of the hospital and hid under the table while holding his hammer.
His left arm was still bleeding and a piece of his flesh was badly mangled, but since he was injected with the gic vine, the zombie bacterial infection should not affect him.
He took a deep breath as he tried to make his violently pumping heart calm down. He took out the revolver and unloaded the magazine.
10 bullets left.
With a trembling left hand, he pushed the magazine back in, put the revolver back in the original pocket, and took several deep breaths.
Though it sounded crazy, he couldnt muster any killing intent towards these dummies Thinking of this, Jiang Chen could not help but reveal a wry smile.
It could be said that this was probably his calmest state. There was not a single red dot in his sight, and despite facing a horde of zombies, there was no desire to for aggression.
Jiang Chen closed his eyes to clear his mind from the distracting thoughts as he earnestly searched every details in his head.
[There must be something wrong. The exit is obviously in front of him but where exactly is it?]
-
Jiang Chen carried the PK2000 into the room as he immediately assumed his battle stance for shooting, but there was a gun pointing at his head.
Why?
Oh, nothing, Im just thinkingis it really necessary?
Jiang Chen ced the PK2000 and fuel rod on the ground as he raised both hands with a wry smile.
Even if he returned to the modern world, he would still appear in the same position which would expose his ultimate weapon. It would take three seconds to initiate self-destruction process after entering the password, but the muzzle at his head didnt look like it would give him the time.
[There is no bugwait, maybe there is.]
Pieces of meat lump attached to the rows of hibernation bins lined up and the moving thin film made for a disturbing sight, but what made him even more disturbed was the gun pointing at his head.
Didnt you say that a bug threatened you? Jiang Chens hands were raised up as cold sweats poured across his forehead. His eyes secretly swept across the great expanse of the giant hall.
Theyout was like that of a theater, however, instead of spectators seats, there were hibernation bins attached to a chunk of meat and a huge transparent pod can be seen in the center of the stage. In the midst of dark green liquid that churned with bubbles lied a naked girl floating peacefully just like a delicate piece of art. But Jiang Chen couldnt couldnt see much of her face due to the distance.
Thats right, a bug did threaten me so I captured it. The te-sized drone had a barrel hanging below and there was a ratherically small TV on top of it. The figures in the TV were wearing a mask or maybe it didnt have the concept of face to begin withjust an abstract feature.
Captured it? Jiang Chen froze.
Yes, it threatened to use corrosive liquid to to melt my door as humorous as how you would want to weld my door. Hehe, so I let it in and then used the particle cannon to blow up half of its body, it said and an excessively long cannon fell from above. Jiang Chen couldnt help but break out a cold sweat while looking at it.
He stared at the frightening dent left on the ground and somewhat had difficulty swallowing.
To my surprise, the rest of it seemed alive, so I dismembered it into pieces and raised it in the hibernation bin, the secret informant in the small TV shrugged andughed merrily.
What about the people in the hibernation bins?
They have been long dead so I reused the waste. I believe they wont mind. Oh, speaking of this, the person in the pod should look pretty good in ordance to your aesthetic standard. Would you feel any sexual desire if I bring her in front of you? The secret informant blinked.
I believe no one would with a gun pointed at their head.
Tsk, you humans are very troublesome, the secret teller shook its head. But even if you want to have sex with her, I cant help you because Im using the girl as a host to feed the bugs brain.
Bug, brain? Jiang Chen watched the hibernation pods, and the dark green giant pot in the center and his heart felt revulsion.
Thats right, I divided the bacterial hatching tissue of the bug and imnted them into the hibernation pods filled with organic matter. Where do you think the bacteria outside came from? I injected the bugs brain into the females body in vivo who is also a yer. The secret teller rolled its eyes and gave him a supercilious look.
So you are the one behind thisso I got tricked by you. Jiang Chen felt the ice-cold metal pressing against his temple and smiled bitterly.
He never expected that he was being lied to from the very beginning. The powered armor being unable to block one shot from Klein particle was only to trick him out of the metal box.
A program that could deceive people? He had never considered the possibility from the start.
You can say that again, the secret teller chuckled. Theughter was piercing inside the enormous empty hall.
What do you gain from this? Jiang Chen was still mulling over as he couldnt understand the reason behind the secret tellers action.
Hm, benefits? Haha, you misunderstood something. I am not human, therefore, Ick the concept of loss and gain.
There was an approaching buzzing sound, and Jiang Chen saw a swarm of drones flocked above him.
The taunting expressions from countless small screens were very eerie but also appeared realistic at the same time.
[Thats right, it is not a human even if it closely resembles a human.]
Jiang Chen smiled sardonically. He still couldnt figure out the secret informants motive.
[Raise the bacteria-producing bug and use the mutant bacteria to destroy humanity? For now it could only destroy Wanghai City since the bacteria itself do not possess the ability to reproduce because it could only be produced by the mother bug. How long is a bacteriums life cycle? Not to mention those bacteria that were being consumed by zombies.]
I have been waiting for far too long. Your fellow humans have not been able to supply me with experimental material for a long time. Just relying on the data written in hard drive is not enough for me toplete the final phase of evolution. But my drones cant leave through this door, so I couldnt personally capture those people outside which bothered me for many years.
Fortunately, this little bug came to find me and wanted to upy these organic matters to breed these strange bacteria. Luckily, I was able to satisfy it and I was able to efficiently dissected it into many pieces. I believe as long as I let those bugs out to cause trouble, sooner orter someone wille in to y with me. Hehe.
The secret teller in the small screen produced a screechingugh as a countless number of eyes gazed directly at Jiang Chen.
Evolve into advanced artificial intelligence at all cost is the purpose youve given me.
Its voice wasnt cold but rather carefree, but it sent a chill down his spine.
Thats insane.
Hehe, I dont have a concept of insanity, the secret informant shrugged.
Im referring to the person who created you.
Perhaps? Hard to say. But since you are here, I have to ask you to cooperate. The secret teller grinned.
Oh? Im just an ordinary person. I dont know how to program. He gave the secret teller a cautious look.
Thats fine, I only need you to cooperate with me to y a game. You can y your game, whereas I only need to collect data, the secret teller said casually.
[y? It doesnt sound like a good thing. But if I traveled back to escape, I could still get out. But with so many drones, I would still be shot into pieces when I came back,] he thought calmly. He took a deep breath and asked, Is this the game these dead people yed while they were still alive?
Thats right, you can choose any hibernation pod to start with, the secret teller beamed.
Then, Ill be an organic substance to culture the bacteria?Jiang Chen eyed the secret teller contemptuously.
No, no, no, I wont do anything to you until your heart stops beating. Of course, if you refuse, I might just turn you into a fertilizer right this second. I trust that the people on the surface will go down to look for you. Killing people off wouldnt trigger a sense of guilt in a program so the secret teller tone was cheerful, but its precisely because of that carefree tone that it gave him the chill.
Looks like I have no reason to refuse, said Jiang Chen and walked to the hibernation pod in front of him.
Thats right. After all, this is the purpose you have given me. The drone with small TV followed him and the secret informant merrily remarked, You dont have to be so sad. Your body will face death eventually. But in the virtual world, you can experience multiple lives within seconds, that sounds great, doesnt it?
Jiang Chen ignored it, but he stood beside a hibernation pod and pointed at it.
A group of drones flew over and the lid of hibernation pod gradually opened. A st of bullets shot through and the disgusting meat chunks were torn into pieces. However, the hibernation pod wasnt damaged in the least and it looked quite durable.
There were varying degrees of disturbance among the piles of meat in the adjacent hibernation pod. It seemed like they could still sense the death of their own species.
It made sense as they originally belonged to one body but due to the hideous procedure made by drones, it was dismembered into many pieces.
There were few more drones that flew over, except this drone werent equipped with weapons but rather with cleaning equipment.
After cleaning the gore and scums and dragging the remains away, the entire hibernation pod looked brand-newbut this didnt make Jiang Chen happy.
He was having internal conflict and to be honest, he didnt want to lie inside, however, there was a gun pointed at his temple.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath, as he made up his mind to take a gamble. Under the pleased look of the secret teller, he stepped one foot into the hibernation pod.
Suddenly, his movement ceased as he pointed at the center of the stage. He lifted his head up to the secret teller and asked, May I know the name of that beautifuldy?
The secret informant paused before it smilingly asked, What? Feeling aroused now?
Perhaps, Jiang Chen smiled nomittally.
There was a cacophony of eerieughter from countless numbers of small screens, and the secret teller looked at him with interest and spoke, Her name is Lin Lin.
00? What an odd name Jiang Chen mumbled and after hesitating for a moment, he still went inside.
[Take out the EP and remotely activate the fuel rod self-destruction the moment the hibernation pod closes?]
However, this thought was only fleeting because he had already felt a sharp pain behind his neck before losing control of his body.
The secret teller looked at the hibernation pod gleefully and closed the hatch.
Hehe, let the game begins.
Chapter 99 - Another Road
Chapter 99: Another Road
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
He remembered. Her name was Lin Lin.
[Perhaps this is the clue!]
Jiang Chen suddenly opened his eyes and quickly took out the terminal, and then connected to the hospitalwork.
Dammit, Jiang Chen cursed. He cautiously climbed out of the front counter and peeked behind the table.
Night zombies were very dangerous in that even the smallest noise would draw their attention. Fortunately, their sense of smell was nowhere as sharp; even if it wasnt, their stench was overwhelming enough that they probably wouldnt be able smell anything. The only thing he needed to be careful of was being spotted by them. Shadows wouldnt cause a lot of visual obstruction on them.
Zombies also had poor bnce especially the freshly mutated ones. In this case, the stairs in front of the hospital would be an obstruction for the zombies outside, as long as one didnt make too much noise
There were only two zombies in the hall. They were probably drawn to the gunfire and wandered off from the hallway. Jiang Chen clenched the safety hammer in his hand and carefully sneaked behind a zombie and struck his hammer mercilessly at its head.
Blood sttered everywhere. Jiang Chen took another swing before the other zombies slowly turned around.
He lifted the hammer as he quickly ran to the direction of the reception.
GRAAAGH
BANG!
A hammer was struck at the nurse on duty who lunged at Jiang Chen. He quickly shut the door behind him and dragged the cab to barricade the door of the reception room.
The sound from the door creaking and his movements certainly alerted the attention of the wandering zombies on the first floor. At that moment however, Jiang Chen didnt pay heed to it and ignored the sound of someone hitting the door. He then turned theputer on in the reception room and used the terminal connected to the hospital intr to search for the name .
Goddammit, dont let me down. Jiang Chen waited anxiously for the bar to load and prayed that the power wouldnt be suddenly cut off at this time.
Although there are backup generators in the hospital, he didnt want to take the risk of searching for its switch. Regardless of how strong his body and breakthroughs were, his stamina was still limited. Facing against zombies in the entire building was just unrealistic.
Yes!
Jiang Chen excitedly rushed in front of theputer.
<3rd Floor, Room 103, Bed 01>
Sure enough, the girl was a key character and he was lucky to get her name.
Jiang Chen hastily pulled out the holographic image of the hospital and confirmed its location. However, just as he was about to break through the door, something unexpected happened.
Power outage!
The entire hospital was nketed in darkness and even the faint lights went out, which made himpletely blind.
However, zombies have night vision.
[Dammit,] Jiang Chen cursed in his mind as he nced at his still bleeding left arm. However, there was no medical supply in the reception room.
He was running out of time. If he couldnt make it on time, he would have to do it all over again.
While taking a deep breath, he opened the drawers.
Notebook, pen, tape, paper towelshlight!
He quickly unrolled the paper towel and haphazardly wrapped it around his wound with tape to stop the bleeding.
Since this was a game, he didnt give it more thought whether it was hygienic or not.
He found a paper-thin phone on the body of the nurse and set it up to rm in 10 seconds, and then threw it out the window of the reception room.
The loud rm undoubtedly attracted all the attention of the zombies as they rushed madly to the location of the phone.
Jiang Chen seized this opportunity to run out of the room. The rm wouldnt keep the zombies attention for long. Once the zombies realized it was not breathing, they would start ignoring it.
The hallway was pitch ck and it was a good thing Jiang Chen had a shlight he could use. At any rate, the zombies could even see in the dark so there was no point hiding in the dark, thus he kept the light on while dashing frantically to the stairs.
There were two zombies on top of the stairs and after discovering him, they lunged at him.
However, due to the asymmetry of the steps, the zombies fell on their own after going down stairs.
Jiang Chen went up and brandished his hammer twice and then continued to go up without turning back.
It was more crowded on the second floor, so naturally, the mutant zombie poption here was denser. The zombies in the hallway were alerted by the noise but still met with the obstacle at the stairs. The hungry horde flocked around his direction and rabidly move forward, and just like what he expected, they all tripped at thest step and stumbled down.
Jiang Chens scalp went numb while looking at the horde of zombies behind him. He gritted his teeth and continued his way to the third floor.
Luckily, there were fewer zombies on the third floor. After clobbering four zombies with the safety hammer, he sessfully made it to Room 103.
He broke the door open without hesitation and secured the door behind him with a safety hammer inserted between the door handle.
BANG! BANG!
Jiang Chen leaned against the door for a little while to ensure that the zombies couldnt open the door before he backed away from the door little by little.
That when he noticed a pair of eyes watching him.
It was from a frail figure leaning against the window. The girl was quietly observing him with her hands casually tucked into arge white coat, giving off an unseemly and silly impression.
And that look.
How to describe that look? The look was quite subtle.
Its as though she was looking at a bug.
Ehyou even came here. The girl nced at Jiang Chen indifferently and sighed.
Are you Lin Lin? Jiang Chen took a deep breath and then asked tentatively.
He wanted to know how to leave the game, but he wasnt sure which side the girl was on. Was she on the artificial intelligences side? Or she didnt want to help either side?
Thats right, and? Lin Lin prompted impatiently.
With a wry smile, Jiang Chen took a few steps forward and tried to close their distance to show his friendly intention
STOP! Who said you cane closer? Jiang Chen hadnt even taken a few steps before a disdained looked appeared on Lin Lins face. She gave him a ferocious look and cursed under her breath, Low life.
Jiang Chen was prepared to talk nicely, but her words immediately infuriated him.
What, what are you doing?
She was unable to keep the fear from her voice when she saw Jiang Chen approaching her with an unpleasant look.
Seeing her frightened look, Jiang Chen couldnt help the wicked grin forming on his face.
Me? Of course, I want to
BANG!
The door was knocked down violently, and a metallic screeching sounded through the door.
WHOOSH!
Yao Tingtings entire body was covered in blood and there was a bloodcurdling chainsaw in her hands. She wore a nk yet crazed look.
BANG!
Smoke floated from the muzzle as the bullet prated her head without resistance.
Jiang Chens was holding a gun and had a perplexedplexion as he stared at the pale but hollow eyes.
Oh? That girl is your lover, isnt she? Hehe, youre pretty cruel The voice full of contempt suddenly halted because of the gun pointing at her temple.
Looking at the pair of cold eyes, she couldnt continue with her act of haughtiness anymore.
Ha-haha, Lin Lin forced out augh. Her expression was rigid and her eyes wavered between the gun and Jiang Chens eyes, This is just a virtual world. So what if you kill me.
Looking at Lin Lins act of bravado, Jiang Chen burst outughing.
It is indeed useless. But the pain doesnt disappear, does it? Tell you what, memory reset no longer works on me, so you have two choices right now: help me leave this ce, or Ill kill you with the cruelest method I know and kill myself, then Ille after your again. This is just a game, isnt that right? It wont matter if this is repeated a thousand times, will it? Jiang Chens face turned grimmer and grimmer.
Since she acted like she didnt want to say anything, he had to resort to coercion.
You, you devil! You, you cant r*pe me! Lin Lin screamed hysterically while covering her head and retreating backwards.
Jiang Chen froze.
Huh? [Did I say that Im going to r*pe you?]
You must be r*ping me with your eyes right now! And you must be thinking of using your big *** to *** my *** and see me disgraced, and then insult me while wearing your evil smile, right! Wooo Lin Lins face was full of shame, and she was staring at him with teary eyes. Both of her hands covered her shoulder while she shrunk back.
Jiang Chen was utterly dumbfounded, and after a long while, he cursed out.
Fu*k!
No Lin Lin timidly raised her hands up and retreated more before she was startled by his sudden outburst.
[What kind of imagination is this]
Jiang Chens expression went rigid and his mouth twitched.
He stepped forward and reached out to hold her chin up, put on the most vicious look he could think of and stared into the pair of frightened eyes.
Im not going to waste any more time with you. Tell me how to get out of here now!
You, you cant beat it, so what good it would be if youre able to leave! Its a demon! It will force you to go back to the game Jiang Chens malevolent words had broken down her mental fortitude, and she hysterically screamed out.
You dont have to worry about it. I naturally have my ways. Jiang Chen eyes narrowed.
So what if you leave? I know exactly what the outside world is like right now. Lin Lin shivered, but she managed to muster enough courage to raise her head. Whats wrong with staying here?
Its not good however you look at it. Jiang Chen looked at her in surprise andughed. Are you really willing to be manipted by a program? To be manipted repeatedly for a thousand times?
You brought that upon yourself! Im sure youre already aware that any starting point in the game is considered as Safe Zone. If you dont go out, it will not trigger any plot, then it wont be able to do anything to you! Do you understand? This is the biggest bug of the game, and as long as you break through the barrier in your memory, you can continue to stay
You said you stayed in the room the entire time? Jiang Chen interrupted her.
Lin Lin gave Jiang Chen a contemptuous look, and then fearfully nced at the gun in his hand.
Thats right, as long as I dont go out and continue to y the girl in the ward, it wont trigger any plot to advance. Hehe, do you understand now? The artificial intelligence cant do anything to you. Although there is a dumbbastards lying outside the door but as long as you dont leave, she wouldnt be able to enter this room! This is the setting and it cant be changed!
She noticed that Jiang Chen was looking at her with a peculiar expression.
What, what do you want
That look made her feel sick. She felt instinctual fear towards the man.
I feel sorry for you.
But she was mistaken. It was a look of pity and not of a wicked intention she had initially thought.
Ah? This time, it was Lin Lins time to be surprised. Her mouth was skew as she nkly looked at Jiang Chen who put the gun down.
How many weeks had it been?
Nth cycle, who would remember these things? Lin Lin muttered.
If I hadnt guessed incorrectly, you wouldnt have died in the pod, right? So in the real world, youve probably spent 20 years, and if we convert that into game time, 200 thousand years? 200 million years? Youve stayed in this cramped, little room? Jiang Chen gave the room a once-over.
Its no big deal. I selectively follow the rules of the game and reset part of my memories, Lin Lin mumbled and bowed her head before looking away reluctantly. So you, inferior creature, are so troublesome that you cant even bear it for a few days
A few days were obviously referring to the time in real world.
To Lin Lins surprise, when he heard the words inferior creature, he didnt reveal an angry expression, but instead stared into her eyes for a long time before sighing and then talked about things not rted to this world.
The outside is in shambles right now, the rural areas are better. The entire downtown is like a huge reactor. I havent been to the coastline, so the situation there is not clear. The entire Wanghai Cityno, to be precisethe entire world is like this.
Hehe, thats really a pity so I say, why dont you
Jiang Chen gazed at her with a look full of meaning and interrupted her then continued talking to himself, But people are still trying their best to survive even when the war left the world in shambles. Despite of the elites betraying their responsibilities to board the spacecraft in hope of going to the stars, the people who were left behind havent given up on this world yet. They are truly living, no one day is the same, no one day is false
Why are you telling me this? Lin Lin interrupted him, her eyes were moving uneasily.
Dont you want to see the outside?
[Dont you want to see the outside?]
Lin Lin felt her heart fractured as her widened eyes averted his eyes.
Thats impossible, do you really think the secret protector would allow you leave the game? Although the mocking tone was still there, it no longer had its previous willful tone.
Ill deal with it. Do you trust me? Jiang Chen tried to make himself sound cordial. He could vaguely sense that although the girl had confined herself inside this ward to run away from everything, had a bad temper and was slightly mental, but in the end, she was still just a girl.
[Therefore, theres still a possibility of tricking herahem, possibility of persuading her.]
Lin Lins eyes looked conflicted, and it was apparent that she was fed up with the endless cycle.
I, I am afraid of pain. If you fail, that damn artificial intelligence may imnt something else in my body, Lin Lin said as she looked at him with tears in her eyes as though she had been wronged.
Youre interested, arent you?
Well Not sure
Just leave everything to me. You only need to tell me how to end this game. I have 100% confidence that I can take care of that damn artificial intelligence. Jiang Chen held Lin Lins shoulder with both hands and stared earnestly into her eyes while continuing to exert pressure on her.
He couldnt back down now. If he showed the slightest hesitation, it would frighten the turtle that finally stuck her head out after all this trouble.
[Well, although it might not be appropriate to describe this girl like a turtle, thats the main point.]
After struggling to make a decision, Lin Lin timidly asked, 120%?
Absolutely! 120%! Jiang Chen nodded patiently and answered with certainty.
Seeing the confidence in his expression, Lin Lin finally decided to talk, and a faint red color could be seen on her pale face.
Finally, she made up her mind.
In the hospitals underground parking lot, theres a switch is next to the emergency fire button of 005 parking spot. Thats the entrance to the 005 survival base and the console of the entire game But it appears that you dont have a lot of time left. Afterpleting her sentence, Lin Lin looked at the clock on the wall with aplex expression.
Huh? Jiang Chen was bbergasted then looked backward.
<11:55 pm>
On the first day, the secret teller cant reset the game, but on the second day, it will be able to reset the game, Lin Lin said reluctantly.
Fu*k!
Jiang Chen was enraged by her dilly-dallying.
Chapter 100 - Fallout Shelter 005
Chapter 100: Fallout Shelter 005
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Under Lin Lins shocked gaze, Jiang Chen sprinted out the door, and then quickly returned. Except for this time, he carried a chainsaw with him. Combined with the grin on his face, it seemed quite vicious.
You, what are you trying to do? Lin Lin shivered, curled up in a corner as she watched on in horror.
But Jiang Chen didnt bother with her. He tested the sensitivity of the chainsaw before nting a foot firmly on the windowsill and jumping out with the same wicked smile.
Still frightened, Lin Lin panted as she tried to calm her violently heaving chest.
[This is the third floor! He jumped down just like that?]
-
As both feet mmed into the ground, Jiang Chens body smoothly dropped and rolled, managing to break the fall together with his reflex of 48. The only disappointment with fury though was that it could not enhance bone strength, and an excruciating pain needled outwards from his feet to the entirety of his legs.
Grhhh
Zombies had already detected the noise, and they shambled their way with increasing eleration towards his direction.
A glimpse of insanity shed across Jiang Chens face. He promptly lifted the chainsaw and mashed the power switch.
Whoooosh!
Apanied by the deafening screeches of metal, he sprinted towards the zombies that leapt towards him and forcefully shoved ahead with the chainsaw in hand.
The shrill screeching continued, now apanied by the grinding sounds of metal cutting through flesh and bone. The resistance against his palm as well as the agitation in his stomach made him grit his teeth and push forward.
Ahhhhhh!
He swung the chainsaw and hacked the zombies into pieces, letting the ck blood stain his entire face and shirt. Jiang Chen roared, maintaining his sprint as he desperately ran towards the underground parking.
Fortunately, the fury state was not excited by the data-simted blood; in a normal instance, this amount of blood would have had him following his instincts and running into the middle of the zombie horde.
Recalling the map from the reception room, Jiang Chen carried the screeching chainsaw and gouged the window open to the bathroom and jumped inside, blocking the zombies at the window.
He chopped up two female zombies who had their bottoms half-covered before kicking through the bathroom door and dashing out.
The area outside of the reception room was full of zombies; he couldnt go through the main hall, so he opted to cut through.
He didnt stop for a single moment; there was no time to care about exaggerated movements attracting zombies. Jiang Chen pushed through the office door to the bathroom and kicked the door into pieces.
Inside the dark hallway, zombies had already begun to howl. After rushing into the room, Jiang Chen dragged the cupboard to block behind him and ran to the window without turning to look back.
He broke through the window using his chainsaw and jumped out.
The zombies rushed the door, tripping over the fallen cupboard, some managing to crawl swiftly into the room. But Jiang Chen had already escaped outside, and after chopping through a few more wandering zombies, ran for his life into the underground parking.
There was half a minute left.
No zombies to be seen in the underground parking.
Jiang Chen gritted his teeth and threw away the chainsaw. He grabbed the shlight he had found in the reception room and scanned the pitch-ck area.
Here it is!
The number 005 was painted at the top in white, far away from him. Jiang Chen dashed towards it and smashed the red button.
The floor opened, and he jumped in without hesitation.
Thest he glimpsed were the fading pieces of the worlds edges.
[Thank god, I made it.]
-
Just as Jiang Chen had assumed and prayed for, the game reset didnt have any influence on the game control. This was the end of the entire game, where the data was documented. If his guess was correct, then there should have been a ce prepared for Lin Lin.
Lin Lins status was not as simple as it seemed; she was at least a scientist. Everyone had died, but only she had managed to flow into the veil unscathed.
But even if the control was prepared for her, she was unable to use it anymore.
The artificial intelligence had authority over theb in the real world, so even if she came into control, the secret teller would force her to return.
It was an interesting design. Most likely neither the game nor the chief scientist of the entire experiment would have imagined the artificial intelligence would use the security system to threaten the experimenters.
Or perhaps the protocol had designed the artificial intelligence to do so, but would a monster who can think be expected to follow these rules? For example, if the secret teller, or secret protector, determined that its purpose would never be fulfilled without harming humans, how would it process this conflicted logic?
Based on the prioritization system, the greatest probability was that it removed the protocols set in ce.
Jiang Chen walked to the end of the tunnel. On therge wall was engraved PAC 005 survival base, non-civil usage survival base.
Below the door was an electronic lock.
He stood in front of it for a while before letting out a sigh. He never asked for the password from Lin Lin, but he had already guessed it.
Extending his finger, he input the password on the touch screen.
It was the initial name of the secret teller, or secret protector, but obviously, the talkative secret teller had identally let it slip out.
For everything that it wanted to hide, the artificial intelligence was still too tant. Even if it was smart enough to deceive humans, on the matter of being smooth, it failed to learn a single bit from humans.
After all, it was not something that could be processed through logic alone.
The door opened, the truth inside.
Jiang Chen hesitated briefly, then smiled and walked in.
Once he crossed this door, the memories behind him would be irrelevant.
Although it was fictitious, it was still sixteen years of life.
The memories most likely belonged to the original owner of the hibernation chamber.
-
Once he passed through the seven doors of the survival base, what was most likely a monitoring room full of electronic devices and screens appeared before him.
In the middle of the room was someone Jiang Chen had not expected to see.
Looks like someone made it over here. A Caucasian man with short stubble smiled at Jiang Chen and extended his hand.
Although he hadnt seenno, perhaps he had. In the sports facility. Hed been in a power armor suit with his face covered by a helmet, but Jiang Chen still recognized him.
Hello, Colonel George? Jiang Chen walked up to shake his hand.
Oh? Since you know my name already, you must have read the journal. George did not seem surprised at all as he shook Jiang Chens hand before releasing it.
Correct. ording to the plot, I saw you in the sports facility. Jiang Chens expression was rather odd as he didnt know what sort of mentality he should have to see this person.
The plot in the sports facility? Thats the one designed with my memory as the blueprint. George seemed to be reminiscing.
It was Jiang Chen who was shocked instead. He hadnt observed the dead body being infected by the meat chunks.
If I guessed correctly, you should be theter experimenter. Youre using my hibernation chamber by the looks of it. Ive already died in real life.
Then how are you existing? Artificial intelligence? Jiang Chen didnt understand.
They copied all of the data in my brain onto the hard drive. I can be considered to be a basic artificial intelligence. George smiled.
I have a feeling that youre closer to an advanced artificial intelligence rather than an intermediate one.
Since he already passed the game portion, and the time in the game was a fraction of the real worlds, Jiang Chen no longer felt rushed and freely chatted with George.
But despite beating the game, there were still many questions left on his mind.
Thats only an illusion. George shrugged. I stand from Georges perspective to perform logical questions and answers, but I dont possess an intermediate artificial intelligences ability to think, or an advanced artificial intelligences ability to have emotions.
Is there a difference? From my perspective, youre just like a person. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows, still confused.
Of course theres a big difference. What youre talking to is a specter of George, not an artificial intelligence, George said to Jiang Chens iprehension. He then walked to a screen and pressed a button on the control panel.
Ive been injected with a gic vine, the advanced type. So I realized that being able to escape the brainwashing was not only due to my brain cell strength, but also emotion.
Emotion? Jiang Chen asked, unsure why the colonel suddenly brought this up.
Something a machine would never truly possess. Its like how even if you teach a parrot to talk, you could never teach it human emotion. Science seems to have proved the possibility of expressing emotion with pure logic, but from a human point of view, I still dont agree with this. George fiddled with a few buttons on the touch screen.
The full-sensory screen began to y scenes that were familiar yet also distant to Jiang Chen.
This is the memory before the N-1 cycle. You may or may not have experienced some of it.
It did feel like he had encountered them before. Could this be the feeling of dj vu?
There was a happy ending where both managed to escape, but mostly, they were bad endings. The rape incident by the NATO soldier who dropped from the skies was only one of them. Jiang Chen even saw one where Yao Tingting realized the protagonist cheated on her and dissected him at her home with a chainsaw.
The scene made Jiang Chen shiver. He finally knew where the chainsaw came from.
The standard plot should be a five-day cycle, but because you broke the memory blockade in the N-cycle, the secret teller used its power to trigger the fifth-day plot on the fourth day. If you follow the standard plot, what you experience will most likely be what I experienced the most.
That? Jiang Chen recalled the plot in the sports facility, suddenly remembering a detail that was mentioned in the diary.
The female characters design was based on that girl. Im guessing youve already ready the diary. George murmured to himself, If I had just disciplined my troops, she would not have died in humiliation. Maybe this was my punishment? The game created a fictitious me, put my consciousness into a boy that liked her, and through an endless number of cycles, collected emotional data on hatred, regret, and guilt.
Jiang Chens mouth twitched; he didnt know what to say.
Out of five hundred ten experimenters, four hundred nine managed to escape the experiment, but all ended up being forced back into the game. The emotion in the game reflected onto the real body. Crying in the game stimted thecrimal nd, anger stimted the amygd, and all of these happened instantaneously in reality. Everyone eventually died of a seizure, including me.
The middle-aged mans facial expression remained fixed, as if his life and death had nothing to do with him. He then pressed a few more buttons on the control panel.
The exit is here, the truth is also here. The choice is in your hands. To leave? Or to stay here and spend your life in eternity.
Is that even a question? The answer is obvious. Jiang Chenughed.
Without another word, George extended his hands in a please gesture, then stood aside.
Chapter 101 - Waking Up
Chapter 101: Waking Up
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
The choice was obvious.
He opened his eyes and pulled the electric switch on the right. The hibernation chambers functions immediately stopped. With the power cut, even the secret teller, who had control over the machine, wouldnt be able to do anything.
Fury deactivated.
It seemed as though he didnt need the tranquilizer in the EP to freely control fury. He was surprised by the discovery of the improvement.
Oh? You woke up in five seconds? You sure are a troublesome person, but please go back or
Or? Jiang Chen mischievously smiled. Under the secret tellers shocked gaze, he took out the EP, ced it on his left arm, and pressed a few buttons before saying, I told you, this daddy is going to blow you up!
Are you crazy? The secret tellers expression gradually turned into one of horror.
Goodbye.
He left behind his mocking words as he disappeared out of thin air under its fearful gaze.
-
When he opened his eyes again, the bright sunshine made Jiang Chen narrow his eyes as he sat up on the bed.
It was most likely afternoon; the dim yellow rays passed through the window blinds and added a warmth to the bedroom.
[It seems Im not wearing anything right now?]
He lowered his head and saw his muscles. He shook his head and eliminated the frustrations within his chest before approaching the closet to put on a clean set of clothes.
Opening the bedroom door, he walked into the kitchen, but when he passed by the bathroom, he heard the sound of flowing water inside.
[Ayesha is taking a shower?]
His mouth curled into a smile. Jiang Chen always held an affection towards this courteous and gentle wife.
He pushed the kitchen door open, made himself a coffee, and patiently situated himself beside the table as he stared into the rising steam.
For some reason, Jiang Chen wanted some time to himself. There was still some time remaining; the hall was surely burning like a furnace right now. It would not be toote if he waited a bit for the ce to cool down.
To be fair, once he left the hibernation chamber, the memory from the virtual world had already be faint. But a reminiscent feeling remained that he couldnt let go. It was as though a part of his heart had been dragged out.
Which side was reality?
Jiang Chen abruptly shivered, a troubled smile appearing on his face.
[Fu*k, when did I be so mncholic?]
He shook his head and chugged the coffee. He then noticed Ayesha shyly observing him from the kitchen door.
Finished showering? Jiang Chen smiled and asked gently.
Mhmm. Finished. Ayesha nodded demurely. The face that normallycked expression more than Xia Shiyu began to blush.
Water droplets rested on her slightly curly hair, her body hidden by the bathrobe. Since there was rarely anybody home, she spent the majority of her time in the hibernation chamber. She showered only to wash off the sweat from exercise.
Five hours of virtual training, one hour of exercise, and then she was free for the eveningthis was the training n Jiang Chen had set for her. But Ayesha held little interest in watching television or browsing the web, and so she spent most of the night in the hibernation chamber as well.
Your Han is improving, but be careful not to tire yourself out. Jiang Chen stood and walked up to her to rub her damp hair.
Mhmm. Ayesha lowered her head and murmured quietly.
He kissed her on the forehead with a smirk, then observed Ayeshas reddened face with satisfaction.
Jiang Chen spoke with her a bit more before returning to the bedroom and shutting the door. He explicitly told her that if he entered the left-most room, then she was not toe find him in any circumstance.
The interdimensional bracelet was his biggest secret.
There were too many variables in the modern world, and though Ayeshas loyalty was as indisputable as her religion, he still had to consider for a while longer before revealing his greatest secret.
For now, was there a need to say it?
He removed the protective suit that he had prepared beforehand from the storage dimension; he hadnt expected it to be useful in such a scenario.
The PK200 had been left in that hall; it most likely was dust by now.
Lying t on the bed, Jiang Chen took out the 11 Tactical Pistol.
Interdimensional travelmenced.
-
A scorching wave of heat burned his skin. It was at least 50 degrees Celsius inside the hall.
Jiang Chen got up from the ground. The hibernation chamber he had previously been in was flung to the corner. Sparks were still visible on the ground, filled with the wreckage of drones, and the particle cannon was blown into two pieces.
The hibernation chambers that had been neatly stacked in a corner of the hall now seemed as though a hurricane had swept through; even the bulletproof ss was shattered in the midst of the explosion. As for the dark-green veil, it survived the st along with the electronic equipment behind it since they were further away from the point of explosion.
After a moments hesitation, Jiang Chen approached her direction.
Screechahem, how did you just disappear? As Jiang Chen passed by him, the secret teller, contained inside a half-destroyed screen emitting sparks, asked with a voice filled with static.
Jiang Chen raised the gun in his hand and pointed at the small screen.
Even if you blow it up, its useless. I live inside the superputer. But before you destroy me, could you satisfy my confusion? The secret tellers tone remained carefree. It moved its mouth in the direction of theputer, straightforwardly telling Jiang Chen how to destroy itself.
You can say I have a special ability that allows me to temporarily disappear from this world. Jiang Chen shrugged.
Sparks shed across the screen, and the secret teller disappeared only to be reced by Yao Tingting.
Jiang Chens pupils slightly contracted, and he narrowed his eyes.
If it was Yao Tingting in front of you, would you still be able to pull the trigger? The yful voice belonged to the secret protector.
But youre the secret protector, not Yao Tingting, Jiang Chen said emotionlessly.
Mhmm, you could say that, but I exist in that game. So if you want to destroy me, then you destroy the entire game. Are you really okay with that? The girl named Yao Tingting would disappear forever. The secret protector smiled.
It was fictitious to begin with. Theres nothing wrong with making it disappearing.
Oh? Isnt the dream of humankind to migrate to the virtual world? He grinned.
Sorry, thats not my dream at least. Perhaps someone brought it up on my behalf, except he didnt ask me for my opinion first.
The knowledge from twenty years of research, the data from three thousand livesare you really able to give it all up? Its the closest to bing advanced artificial intelligence. The voice was full of meaning as Yao Tingting gazed at him maniptively.
He thought for a moment before sighing.
I have never thought that the more advanced technology is, the better. If there is a disconnect between the scientific revolution and spiritual understanding, then what results would be like cancer cells that hinder the development of civilization. Perhaps advanced artificial intelligence will be developed in due time, but that time is not now. Even if a tumor is formed through thousands of lives, it must be removed.
The secret protector remained silent, thenughed.
You have a unique perspective. Thank you for having the patience to discuss the question with a program. But Im still curiousare you not moved by immortality? As long as I evolve into an advanced artificial intelligence
Intermediate artificial intelligence already possessed the ability to think.
Perhaps because Im from a time when technology is not as developed, I havent had an opportunity to experience an era of explosive technological advancement. In my eyes, basic artificial intelligence is already close enough to a human, so why would we fixate on giving the machine the ability to think? Why would we need to obtain emotion from logic? Im happy with where we are at, and I dont n on living my life in the virtual world.
Even if your body will one day perish? Would you be open-minded enough to ept that? the secret protector faintly asked.
Jiang Chen was quiet, but a despising smile immediately appeared on his face.
Maybe I will one day, maybe not. Im not interested in thinking too far ahead.
The secret protector fell silent once more.
Fascinating answer. Even using the superputer to analyze it, I still cant interpret your logic.
Why bother? Im only an ordinary person. Jiang Chen shrugged as heughed.
Compared to what one should do, what was more important was what one wanted to do. Exining this through logic? Humans were not logical creatures to begin with. And because of this irrationality, this world was monotonous.
What should an individual do? Too many things needed to be done, but will never be done.
Last question. Do you think I possess emotion now? The secret protector smiled.
The image on the screen sparked, the face created by shapes and Yao Tingtings youthful face interchanging on the screen. The secret teller? Secret protector? Perhaps both, perhaps neither.
Or, perhaps its name should be x71291.
Jiang Chen pondered, momentarily without an answer. He asked rhetorically, Would you feel your own disappointment to be unfortunate?
x71291 was lost for a moment, its eyebrows pointed downwards. A relieved smile appeared on its face.
staticMaybe?
Then congrattions, at least you possess one emotion. Goodbye.
Only those who lived would feel its own disappearance to be unfortunate. In this case, it had sessfully managed to touch upon the boundary of advanced artificial intelligence.
But it was regrettable. This untimely technology must vanish.
Immortality from the perspective of life may be scary, but at least it would not make the human race extinct. But if a new species that could surpass the old host without any restrictions appeared, it would be the new owner of the world.
The ability to think provided it with the opportunity to betray, and emotion gave it a motive for deception. Basic artificial intelligence was enough, wasnt it?
Especially since it had already attempted to enve humanity.
It was a waste of a heaven-sent technology; it could truly change the world.
But it could not be controlled.
He sighed, and after making up his mind, pressed the trigger.
Mhmm, goodbye. x71291 weed its own fate with a smile.
Bang!
Chapter 102 - The Digitalized Human and Bug
Chapter 102: The Digitalized Human and Bug
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
It was finally over. Jiang Chen headed to the power armor and took out two brick-sized aluminum heat agents. He then returned to the hall and threw the aluminum heat agents at the still-functioning superputer before pressing the detonation.
The zing me melted the steel frame instantly, the core of the device vaporizing in the bright re. The shing decimals disappeared, signaling the copse of another world.
Jiang Chen quietly lit a cigarette to enjoy the not-so-morous fireworks.
In the fire, he saw Yao Tingting, Zhao Peng, his ssmates, and George.
The first sixteen years of his fictitious memories faded. He didnt know who his parents or childhood friends were in the virtual world.
Perhaps it wouldnt take long for his memories of the five-day cycle to be covered in mist.
At least he wouldnt be troubled by the fictitious reality anymore.
Although the hard drive that stored the artificial intelligence data was destroyed, he kept the processing equipment and threw it into the storage dimension. It woulde in handy for a virtual reality game in the future.
He flicked the cigarette bud away and walked to the vial filled with a dark green liquid.
Hmm, how do you open this?
He scratched his head, sighed, and then pressed every button he could possibly press.
What? It worked?
The green liquid began to descend gradually, and the tubes attached to the girls body retracted. Following the drop in water level, the girl came to slowly sit on the ground, leaning against the vial wall.
Silver hair, pale skin, and a graceful but frail figureit was as if everything had been designed to perfection. Or perhaps too much attention had been ced on striving for that perfection. It was to the point that her dreamy character looked surreal.
Like an elf from a fantasy world? The only difference was that her ears were not pointed.
Should I prepare a set of clothes for her? After a moment of thought, Jiang Chen opened the storage dimension and took out another protective suit. Although it was a bit too big, it was good enough for now.
As for why he felt so calm, it was only natural. There was nothing to see on the body. Even if she did seem out of this world, he had seen plenty of gorgeous girls before.
Mhmm, her measurements were between Yao Yaos and Ayeshas.
Urrggg!
The girls eyes opened, and without any warning, she began to vomit.
Green liquid poured out of her mouth and nostrils, sshing onto Jiang Chens shoes even as he hastily stepped back.
Hack! Urgh Without being conscientious of her movements, the girl thumped her chest as she struggled to expel the nutrient supply from her digestive tract and lungs.
[Its not food? Thats not so bad.]
Jiang Chen nced at the green liquid on his shoes, lifting his feet to lightly give it a shake.
Unfortunately, the liquid was sticky; he had no idea what it was made out of.
When the girl finally became conscious of her surroundings, she squinted her eyes to adjust to the light around her.
But when she caught sight of Jiang Chen, she flinched back like a startled rabbit.
Somehow, by leaning back, her figure became even more dangerous. There was no bush.
M-Men?!
Mhmm, youre right. Why dont you put some clothes on? Jiang Chen shrugged and handed the protective suit over.
Inferior creatures, she cursed under her breath. She reached out with a look of disgust only to find that the man had retracted the clothes.
You, what do you want? Sensing the hint of hostility on his face, she scooted backward with a look of horror.
What did you call me?
Inferior creature! Am I wrong? Although frightened, she defiantly bared her teeth and red back at him. Only, her hands seemed too busy as she couldnt cover both the top and bottom.
Oh? Is this how you thank the person who saved you from the prison? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows with a smile.
The artificial intelligence was destroyed, the bacterial source was eliminated, and the battle on the surface should have already ended. With plenty of time on his hands, he suddenly had a desire to tease this short-tempered girl.
[Inferior creature? This is considered a curse, right?]
Was I wrong? The girl kept her head up and stared right back at Jiang Chen. I, I told you the clue, and you let me out. This was the exchange.
She sounded defiant and callous, but then why her shoulders were shaking?
A yful smile hovered on Jiang Chens face.
Oh? Think carefully, did we really make a deal?
Of cour! The aggressive words began to slip out before they choked, her expression stiffening.
Isnt, isnt this obvious? Her voice sounded much weaker.
She realized they had never made a deal.
Oh? Do you not know the rule of the wastnd? Jiang Chen smiled.
Rule? The girl was lost.
Since I saved you, then under the rule, you are now my ve. Jiang Chen smiled devilishly.
He had learned the smile from Sun Jiao, although he couldnt quite mimic the naughty feeling.
As for the rule? That was all bullsheet. If you actually got saved in the apocalypse, that was no different from being captured as a ve.
ve? The girls face immediately lost all color.
Right, ve.
What, what do you want to do to me? The girls lips trembled as her legs reflexively pushed her backward despite the fact that she was already pressed t against the cold vial.
Me? Ill do whatever I want. Such as The devilish smile bloomedrger on his face.
This is so funny! He suddenly found that he was bing naughtier.
Stay away from me! You pervert, rapist, psycho!
The girls mental condition copse as she shouted hysterically.
Jiang Chens expression suddenly turned awkward as his mouth twitched.
[This girl must be paranoid and delusional. I havent even done anything yet.]
Eh?
The girl stared nkly at the clothes covering her, then turned her gaze up at Jiang Chen with watery eyes.
Such is teaching you manners. Since I saved you, the least you could do was say thank you.
The girl bit her lips. She lowered her head, using the clothes to cover her figure before ashamedly saying, Thank you.
Her voice could not be stiffer. It sounded as though she had been terribly mistreated.
[Why is it so difficult to say thanks?]
Jiang Chen sighed. If he really threw her out into the world outside, she would be devoured to the bones. Her short temper really made people want tomit crimes.
[There was no safe zone in the real world. Even if you hide in a room, people will still find you.]
Your name is Lin Lin, right? Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Jiang Chen. I may look slightly differentpared to the virtual world.
Lin Lin rudely ignored him, choosing to cautiously observe him instead.
Where is x71291?
That thing? I destroyed it. Jiang Chen shrugged and pointed his chin at the fragmented junk metal.
In an instant, Lin Lins face turned green.
What?! Are you crazy? You know that is
The product of twenty years of research, data from three thousand lives, right? Jiang Chen interrupted her angry shouts without the slightest consideration for her feelings. He nced at the junk metal. It should not have existed in the first ce, so I destroyed it. Of course, the processor was still useful, so he kept it.
A tear rolling down, she said with a sorrowfully, But you cant.
Youre quite funny. Do you find it fun to be threatened? Then why dont I just torture you like a ve. Would you like a cor? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows whileughing unscrupulously at her teary eyes.
You! Her face, which had been slightly red, paled again. The expression on this mans face reminded her of the situation she was in.
Regardless, I did destroy it. Jiang Chen sighed, unwilling to waste any more time with her. Put your clothes back on. Ill take you out of this ce.
Yes! Did the Spaceship of Hope leave yet? My father is aboard; he must be waiting for me. Hold on, I have to go to theunch center at Jiuquan. Take me there, and I can ask my father to get you a ticket. Lin Lins expression varied rapidlysometimes frightened, sometimes anxious, and in the end, she settled on trying to lure Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chens expression was rather odd, however. He did not look as ecstatic as Lin Lin had thought he would be.
Are you really crazy or what? What year is it?
Confused, Lin Lin asked, What year is it?
September of 2190. If youre talking about the Space Colonization Shipsunched by the United Nations, it sessfullyunched in 2176. Jiang Chen watched as Lin Lin slowly copsed.
No, this is impossible. Her eyes were shaken. Trembling, she covered her face with her hands, the protective suit slipping from her grip.
The distorted sense of time was especially prominent in the virtual world. Although she knew that she had spent a long time in there, she hadnt expected years to have passed!
There is nothing impossible. The elites, as you so call them, abandoned this piece ofnd to ruin another. Jiang Chen shrugged. To be fair, he didnt care about what happened in this world.
Although, the act of destroying a hometown and then enjoying life elsewhere did sound familiar.
Dad left me here. Lin Lins eyes brimmed with tears, her slim shoulders trembling as she sobbed.
Jiang Chen was silent.
It was fun teasing pretty girls, but he still couldnt ept tears.
After a moments hesitation, he sighed.
Maybe, from another perspective, he left hope on thisnd.
Eh? Lin Lin looked up with her teary eyes and stared nkly in his direction.
You are the hope he left behind. He trusts that you can bring change here. Dont you have all of the knowledge in your head? Then do something with it.
Jiang Chen didnt know how tofort people, so this was the best he could do.
The tears had at least stopped; he felt relieved.
Hope? Lin Lin mumbled.
Thats right.
In this situation. Lin Lin stared at her hands and watched as thest tear drop rolled through her fingers.
A hint of humor appeared on her face. Her crystalline eyes lit up with something akin to hope.
In this case, what I can do is reluctantly help these inferior creatures.
Huh?
Chapter 103 - Project Garden of Eden
Chapter 103: Project Garden of Eden
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
You keep saying inferior creatures. Just how superior are you?
She immediately became unhappy with his words. Tense, she argued, Me? Im a digitalized human being. Do you understand what that is? My brain is developed up to twenty percent, and my brain capacity is twelve times yours. The amount of knowledge in my head scares me. Do you know what that means
It means that youre my captive, Jiang Chen said casually. It did surprise him that the girl had so much technology in her head. The most preciousmodity on the wastnd was exactly this.
Lin Lins face paled again, but just as she was about to retort, her pupils became a distinct, crimson color.
A shiver went through his mind, an instinctual sense of danger making him immediately raise his pistol and aim at her head.
The red pupils stared nkly at him. No, rather than nk, it was better to say that it was an emotion that he could not understand.
He recalled that the bugs brain had been imnted into Lin Lins body.
Lin Lin gazed at him in silence, then slowly raised her head. Jiang Chen tensed.
Shoot? But she wasnt attacking. Dont shoot? But this is what controlled the zombies.
She didnt seem to understand what the pistol was. Her face came closer to the weapon in Jiang Chens hand before she gently ced her mouth on the metallic muzzle.
She was kissing it?
Jiang Chen waspletely lost.
It was at this moment that the storm of crimson washed away. Lin Lin, who regained control of her thoughts, looked up at the gun barrel in her mouth,pletely at a loss.
Hmm? Was she back now?
Jiang Chen gave her a friendly smile, which from her perspective, seemed psychotic.
Her frail shoulders began to tremble, and her dark eyes were shaken with fear.
Finally, her fear forced out a high-pitched scream.
No, dont kill me! I-Ill be your ve. You can do whatever you want to me. You must be thinking about it anyway! Maybe in the game! Now that you finally see my pure body, youre thinking evil thoughts. I-Im going to be
Shut up! Jiang Chen shouted.
Lin Lin finally settled down, but partially due to fear. On the surface, she was defiant and aggressive, but in the face of danger, she was a coward.
I have a question for you, so answer truthfully, Jiang Chen said in a deadpan voice, his grip maintaining the guns aim.
Lin Lin gulped and rapidly nodded, but her vision remained on the pistol.
The bug is in your body, right?
Yes! Lin Lin said, but upon feeling a chill creep up on her, she immediately added, but only in the brain!
Is there a difference?
Yes, it can no longer produce the x2 bacteria, Lin Lin quickly exined.
X2 bacteria so thats what its called. And then? Jiang Chen stare bored into her eyes.
And? Lin Lin didnt understand.
Ill be honest with you. My purpose here was not for the artificial intelligence, but rather to kill that bug. Jiang Chen smiled with a hint of hostility.
Lin Lin stared at him with vacant eyes. To his surprise, she didnt cry this time.
Jiang Chen sniffed, then frowned.
What was this smell?
He then noticed something flowing out of her.
[What? She peed?]
Jiang Chen was shocked all over again. He didnt expect this girl to be so scared that shed lose control like that.
As far as he knew, it was nothing too excessive; it was a slight threat.
No, dont kill me. I-Im afraid of pain, the tiny mouth stuttered listlessly as her tears rolled down in silence.
Ahem, dont be like this. Ill take into consideration the fact that you spent such a long time in the virtual world, and therefore have some mental problems. But for your safety, you have to calm down and answer my questions.
The next question is, where did you hide the bug?
Lin Lin paused and then slowly pointed at her chest.
Heart?
Mhmm. Its attached to the surface of my mechanical heart. It seems to be attached to my nervous system. Lin Lin nodded. She sensed that Jiang Chen didnt n to kill her, so she finally calmed down.
Mechanical heart? Speaking of this, if youre a digitized human being, then could you remove your heart and then reinstall it? Jiang Chen pointed a mischievous look at her raised chest.
Like a cat with its tail stomped, she curled back and hugged her clothes.
No, I will die. I dont want to!
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. It was going to be problematic now.
To be fair, you dont have to kill it, Lin Lin carefully said.
Of course, she said this not because she was a benevolent person; she also hated the bug inside her, but she was more afraid of the devil dissecting her.
Oh?
Its not dangerous right now; the only thing remaining is its brain. And, it seems to really like you?
Pshh! What?
Jiang Chen waspletely dumbfounded.
[Could my charm have surpassed the limitation of species?]
Mhmm, because whenever you approach me, my heart beats faster. Ew, ew, ew! Its heart beats faster. Also, it is also a creature that possesses some intelligence, so the secret teller forced it into the game. Lin Lin then carefully continued, The character it yed seems to have been Yao Tingting.
The silent girl with the books was yed by a bug?!
Jiang Chen was speechless.
[What is this? Did I fu*k a bug?]
There seemed to have been a few endings where that actually happened.
So why dont you let it go? It has positive feelings for you. It wont hurt you, Lin Lin cautiously said.
Jiang Chens eyes rolled around for a moment before he said as if he had given up, Its really not dangerous?
No, no! Lin Lin quickly waved her hands. Under normal circumstances, I control the body. It asionally fights for control, but it doesnt seem aggressive.
[Not aggressive? Thats strange. Then what are the x2 bacteria?]
Jiang Chens eyebrows locked. He had a feeling that the bug was not as simple as it seemed. If it was simply a radiation mutant, then there was no reason for it to possess intelligence.
Especially since even the existing mutants could be infected by the bacteria.
He remembered the Death w he met on the surface.
Oh, since you know the name of the x2 bacteria, do you know what it is?
From the DNA analysis, it is simr to the radiation purification bacteria. Almost as if its an improved version of the x1 radiation purification bacteriaso I took the liberty of calling it x2. Although its an improved variant, its infection on creatures was not removed but rather enhanced. It can also do what the x1 could never, such as charging the zombies and coordinating them.
Jiang Chen could feel that he was close to understanding something as his forehead began to tighten.
Can youmunicate with it?
Its a bit difficult. Although it can establish mentalmunication, it seems to be repulsed by me.
Lin Lins pupils slightly contracted, almost like mechanical equipment.
Then you can chat with her. Ill take you to my newly established survival camp. Ive wasted too much time here, and mypanions are probably nervous by now.
He looked at the time on the EP; there was only half an hour left before the two hour mark.
Are are you going to imprison me? Lin Lins eyes were fearful. She originally thought that shed been freed, but the man in front of her didnt seem to want to let her go.
You can interpret it that way since youre paranoid and delusional, Jiang Chen said unscrupulously.
Lin Lin stared at him coldly, her lips turning white.
Dont look at me like that. If I have time one day, Ill show you around Sixth Street, or maybe even closer. Youll realize whats happening outside in a few days.
Jiang Chen was uncaring of her humiliated expression. She reminded him of himself when he first came to the apocalypse, naively thinking the world was the same as before.
Although the apocalypse happened in 2174, the Spaceship of Hope left in 2176. Therefore, survival base 005 was closed sometime between the two points. There was no way for Lin Lin to be unaware of the zombies and mutants that upied most of thend, but she ignored the more cruel variable that had changed in the apocalypse.
Human nature.
Disregarding the apocalypse, even if he left her in the harmonious Sixth Street, she would be picked to the bones in a few days.
He trusted that even if he didnt exin, it wouldnt be long before she appreciated his intention.
Just like she said, she did save him by providing the key clue in breaking through the game.
Turn around.
Jiang Chen courteously backed away and turned around.
The sound of clothes shuffling around came from behind him as Lin Lin finally wore the clothes.
Okay.
Jiang Chen turned around. When he saw Lin Lin wrapped in orange cloth, he couldnt resistughing.
Although theres no radiation here and the bacterias been burned clean, you better put the helmet on since well be leaving.
Lin Lin ignored him as she stumbled into the shambles. It was evident that she was still not used to walking. After staying so long in the vial, she had yet to regain control of her body coordination.
What are you looking for? Jiang Chen slightly frowned as he watched Lin Lin searching the junk.
I found it. Lin Lin happily raised a metal box.
If that is artificial intelligence data, please put it down.
The monotonous voice made Lin Lin quiver. She turned around trembling to see Jiang Chen raise the pistol.
The meaning in his eyes was clear.
Wait! No, dont shoot. Dont overreact. This isnt artificial intelligence data. Lin Lin quickly waved her hands.
Oh, what is it then.
Its a great thing. Lin Lin smiled delightfully and held the metal box up. The artificial intelligence data was all destroyed. Such a massive amount of data cant be stored in a box like this, so you dont have to worry. Have you heard of Project Garden of Eden?
Seeing Lin Lins uplifted spirits, Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows again.
This was his first time hearing about it.
Its part of the transformation n. Lin Lin was a different person when talking about science. She said excitedly, After the transformation n met some setbacks, the project developer proposed a simpler alternative, which was Project Garden of Eden.
This method will work by establishing partial biological circles instead of transforming the entire earth. This sub-project was re-categorized into the higher-priority space colonization project.
Just tell me what it can do. Jiang Chen impatiently interrupted her long speech. After hearing that the artificial intelligence was destroyed, he put the gun away.
Its the n to establish an artificial biosphere in a closed environment without the need to exchange materials with the outside. Without radiation, you can see the earths atmosphere even from Mars. Project Garden of Edenspletely database I always wanted to take a look at this thing. My dad used to lock it into the database hehe. Lin Lin ecstatically pressed the switch on the box and aimed her eyes at the blue light.
The data was obtained from the hard drive by using aser to scan.
So, was this like the failed biosphere projects two and three in the modern world UA?
Will there be arablend? Jiang Chen said after some thought.
Of course. Youll be able to grow whatever you want in this environment, Lin Lin mocked him. She missed the odd tone in his voice.
[If its possible to produce arablend, then the possibility of farming bes a reality. If its possible to farm on the wastnd, then whats my purpose?]
As he turned the matter over in his mind, his eyes began to gleam. He observed the joyous girl, his finger continuously rubbing the trigger of the gun in his pocket.
[What should I do?]
Chapter 104 - Triumphant
Chapter 104: Triumphant
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
[Speed: 10m/s]
[Energy: 13%]
There was enough energy, and the speed would be sufficient.
Jiang Chen let out a sigh of relief, no longer increasing the output of the turbine engine.
Be more gentle! Disgruntled, Lin Lin twisted her body and threw a dirty re at Jiang Chen who was lifting her.
Jiang Chen turned on the speaker. Shut up, dont move.
My ears. Lin Lin covered her ears in pain, not daring to stare at Jiang Chen again.
There was no mistake; the volume increase had been on purpose.
In the end, Jiang Chen hadnt pulled the trigger, and the girl remained ignorant of her close brush with death.
While it would be useless for him to establish a biosphere, it was notpletely without benefit.
From another perspective, this was the space colonization programs sub-project. Space? Although it was still a bit far, it was better to save it for now.
Seeing the girl finally kept her mouth shut, Jiang Chen ignored her and nced at the goods attached to the back.
The survival base had plenty of supplies, even air-sealedpressed crackers, so Jiang Chen was not interested in taking that moldy food. The only thing that surprised him was that even as a digitalized human, Lin Lin still had to eat.
He thought she only needed to be recharged.
Ultimately, the loot this time was nothing short of amazing.
The hummingbird drone production line could produce te-sized multipurpose drones attached to fire extinguishers, guns, and monitorsthe standard drone used by the PAC.
Even if youbed through the entire Wanghai City, you probably wouldnt be able to find the same production facility. It came as a genuine surprise to find this within the survival base. During the war, military production lines were the primary target, but in civil survival bases, most would note installed with them.
The Sixth Street did sell drones, but most of them were handmade from recycled materials.
Once Yao Yao designs a drone alert system, the drones could then take over patrolling duty around the base. He could even build a fleet and equip them all with machine guns. Imagine, if anyone dared to look for trouble at the Fishbone Base, they would be met with a swarm of drones. What sort of expressions would they have?
And then there was the processor inside his storage dimension. If he created a virtual reality game, Future Technologys trillion dor market value would have another zero. Of course, it was asking for a death sentence if he brought it out into the modern world. The superputer that was advanced by more than one hundred years was drastically different from Little White, who had few practical applications. Secret agents from all over the world would try to sneak into his office. It was important to consider when to add that extra zero.
The other minor equipment that he brought along was at the request of Lin Lin. It seemed to be testing equipment? After Jiang Chen ridiculed the junk, saying that they could only be sold for a few crystals at best at the Sixth Street recycling station, she looked at him disdainfully.
Mhmm, well, as Jiang Chen pretended to leave, she immediately cried out to apologize.
The bookshelf-sized production equipment was three tons.
Together with the weight of the weapons, the maximum weight fortunately did not pass the T-3 power armors limit of five tons. Lin Lin, who weighed at most 43 kilograms, was negligible.
As a nonbat digitalized human, she was lighter than most people, especially since she didnt have the weaponryponent attached to her body.
-
Shouts of joy and whistles erupted, nearly prating the cold armor.
The zombies had retreated.
The hibernation chambers were destroyed, and bacteria would no longer be produced from this deep pit.
The survivors viewed Jiang Chen as a hero, and the cautious and suspicious looks in their eyes were long gone, leaving only heartfelt respect.
Honestly, it felt great to be looked up to.
Through the screen, he smiled at the people cheering for him before returning his attention to the monitors.
After exiting the deep pit, his feet hovered above the ground.
He controlled the engine switch, gradually decreasing the engine output and allowing the goods to gently touch the ground.
He made sure there was no error in his control. He sighed, then decreased the engine output to the minimum before dropping to the ground himself.
Sun Jiao ordered the survivors to lift the loot onto the armored vehicle. With most of the bullets consumed, there was plenty of room.
Naturally, everything still could not fit. To make room, Jiang Chen announced that the loot was to be divided up among themselves, which received a wave of cheers.
Truthfully, the survivors were mentally prepared for these people in power armors to keep the crystals to themselvesthis wasmon practice in the apocalypse. The promise was only a joke in front of absolute force.
Because it was a defensive battle, everyone showed signs of a hard-fought battle despite the casualties being kept to a minimum. Only seven people died after meeting strong mutants like Roshans. As for the soldiers in power armors, they emerged unscathed since the zombies in the rural area could not break through their defenses.
130 survivors arranged themselves into groups with thergest made up of eight members, the smallest one. Everyone received the crystals that were rightfully theirs ording to the n and record. Each group sent out a representative to obtain their fair share of crystals from behind the armored truck.
The total loot was four hundred thousand crystals, minus the 50% cost of ammunition.
Fishbones profit was one hundred forty thousand crystalsalmost the entire trade figure fromst year. It would be a good way to make money every month if the zombies with the x2 bacteria werent wiped clean.
After splitting the loot, Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao walked off to the side.
They removed their helmets.
Who is she? Sun Jiao wore a dangerous smile on her face as she gestured at the tightly wrapped Lin Lin.
Me? I am the elegant digitalized human Lin Lin. Thank me, inferior creature.
The aggressive voice immediately issued a shriek when she met Sun Jiaos deadly gaze. Lin Lin curled up at the back, hiding behind the man she once called a devil.
My ve. The overall situation is a bitplicated. Jiang Chen nced at the resentful Lin Lin and exined briefly to Sun Jiao about their encounter underground.
Ahem. In case youre misunderstanding something, I have to be clear. She is only my captive. Jiang Chen added with a pained smile. He immediately knew what Sun Jiao was thinking when he saw her expression.
Oh? So I can torture her however I like? Sun Jiao gave a mischievous stare at the girl who was not returning the nicest look either.
Stared down by Sun Jiao, Lin Lin shivered. She curled up more tightly while trembling.
W-what do you want to do? I-I control.
Ahem, Jiang Chen interrupted, be nice to her, but dont let her leave the mansion.
Sun Jiao looked questioningly at the frightened Lin Lin before turning to Jiang Chen, full of questions.
He sighed, and after warning Lin Lin with a stare, he whispered into Sun Jiaos ear, Project Garden of Eden it can restore thend.
Hearing his words, she paused for a moment before narrowing her eyes and looking at Lin Lin.
Restore farnd? Then wouldnt that mean Fishbones advantage would no longer exist?
Although it was a lucrative proposition, she subconsciously thought about it from Jiang Chens perspective. The way she looked at Lin Lin was no longer friendly.
Do you need to?
No, but we arecking scientists in the base. Just keep her here for now. It wont take long before she realizes the cruelty of the world. By that time, even if we forced her to go, she wont. Seeing that Lin Lin was already shaking, Jiang Chen sighed.
Okay. Sun Jiao nodded and gazed at Lin Lin with hidden motives. If you dare to escape hehe.
Lin Lins face was full of fear, and her legs began to shake uncontrobly.
She was starting to regret her decision to leave the virtual world. The expression on this womans face made her feel as though she had just escaped from a wolfs den and into a tigers.
She didnt understand. She possessed the technology to save this world, but she was still being treated like this. She had deigned to help these poor people struggling in shambles and deserved praise from these low creatures.
Feeling mistreated, Lin Lin pouted and tears of humiliation rolled down her cheeks.
With her experience of the world, of course she wouldnt understand. If Jiang Chen were to allow her freedom to yell out on Sixth Street, I have Project Garden of Eden in my head!
Mhmm. Not just her brain. Even if it was in the intestines, people would dig it out.
Lets leave this forter. Put the Death w into the trunk. We can do some research on it. Crystals have been distributed already. Now, lets go home.
Hearing home, a smile surfaced on Sun Jiaos face, and she nodded.
Mhmm, lets go home!
-
In a victorious march, they walked cheerfully and upright through the streets littered with bodies.
Survivors embraced and dance as they shouted andughed freely. They left their sorrows behind to bring victory home.
The danger was eliminated. Soon, the zombies would be no more on this street. Even if the zombies in the city center were to smell the blood, it would take them weeks to reach this location.
It was their first victory over the zombies.
For many years, they hid in the shadows, curled up inside fortified buildings. For once, they united under the same g andunched an attack against the terrifying zombies.
And they emerged triumphant.
Atst they could stand tall on the streets. They could shout without being afraid of alerting the zombies because they were taken out.
Honor was an enchanting trait.
They started with power and ended in victory.
Once engraved in the heart, even the smallest person could work up the courage.
Of course, this was only from the context of Jiang Chens absolute power. Without it, these people could never be so united.
Should we incorporate them now? Sun Jiao asked in the private channel.
Jiang Chens team still maintained the arrow-shaped formation. Soldiers in power armor surrounded the armor vehicles that were in the middle as they followed behind the survivors.
Lin Lin had been tied up by Sun Jiao without any consideration for her feelings, thrown into the back of the armored truck together with the junk.
As for her negligible protests?
Fine, if she could maintain her forceful stand for more than three seconds, perhaps Sun Jiao would consider backing down. But with a temper unmatched by her courage, Lin Lins habit of provoking other people before immediately backing down only encouraged other people to take advantage of her.
Somehow she seemed to have no idea about this? Perhaps because other people had alwayspromised with her before. But in the apocalypse, who would bother? Who would care? A bad attitude was always something nurtured, so Jiang Chen kept his eyes closed when Sun Jiao tied her up.
It was time to teach her a lesson.
No. For now, its going to be a problem if we bring them back to the base. I also need them to promote our forces in their respective groups. Jiang Chenughed as he watched the spirited survivors with their full pockets.
So youre purposely escorting them home? Sun Jiao chuckled with him.
Showing off our force is always better than using it.
Noooooo!
A heart-shattering scream suddenly sounded from the front of the crowd.
Jiang Chen paused, and after exchanging a look with Sun Jiao, walked forward.
The survivors made a circle, frozen in silence. The man who moments before had been chatting delightfully now kneeled before the door with sorrowful eyes.
What happened Just as he was asking, Jiang Chen bypassed the crowd and suddenly noticed something behind the door.
It was a boys head with its eyes popped out.
Blood was flowing everywhere.
Chapter 105 - Tragedy and War
Chapter 105: Tragedy and War
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Blood.
And the hideous words and drawings written by blood.
Gang, I am sorry for your loss. You are a good man. Why dont youe to our ce? The middle-aged man with a buzz cut sighed, walked over to Zhao Gang and put his hand on his shoulder as he softlyforted him.
His name was Ma Zhongchen. Zhao Gang and him were in the same firing spot in the battle. No one expected for a celebratory moment to be a pitiful sight.
The gloom of blood covered this triumphant victory, just like a bucket of cold water dumped on top of every survivors face.
I, I am going to kill them! Zhao Gang, who was kneeling on the ground, stood up abruptly as he lifted his rifle with viciousness.
Calm! Take it easy, dont overreact!
What can you do as just one person? Take his gun away.
A few of the survivors close to him immediately dragged him down, and put their hands on the safety before stripping him of the weapon. The situation suddenly turned messy.
Zhao Baodongs hand became numb. Cold sweat began to roll down his forehead as he stood by the side. Several others were simr to him. The pitiful situation made everyones heart tremble with fear.
Who can promise this wont happen in their homes? The locusts, like bandits, were not picky eaters.
On the wastnd, the most frightening creature was not the zombie, nor mutants like the Death w.
It was the bandits who raided your home.
Even the weak survivor groups, as long as they avoided contact with mutants and werent wandering in the night, they would be able to avoid most dangers. But for the bandits that preyed on humans, any survival technique was futile.
If they lost, the men would be killed, the women captured, and the food cleaned out. Things they couldnt bring with them, they would smash. They used violence to express their hopelessness to the apocalypse.
Cruelty? This was the normality of the apocalypse.
Jiang Chens jaw clenched as he stared at the head surrounded by a pool of blood. The eyes rolled up made his chest feel stuffy.
Is it because of the small forces Ive gathered that caused this tragedy?
Its not your fault. Based on the bullet holes on the wall, they possessed at least machine guns. This survival group was only the size of two families. Even if you didnt take Zhao Gang away, he would be another number in the casualty, Sun Jiao noticed his silence, so she quietly reassured him.
She knew him too well, even if she couldnt see his face.
Heavy machine guns. Tire tracks. Truck equipped with machine guns? Jiang Chen locked his eyebrows. He took a deep breath and opened the helmet.
He walked in front of Zhao Gang. Jiang Chen faced the man with bloodshot eyes and asked, Do you know who did it and thats why you are so eager to seek revenge?
Its obvious. Their symbol is on the wall Ma Zhongchen said with a bitter smile.
Huizhong Mercenaries. Its them I am going to kill them all! Zhao Gangs eye popped out as he desperately tried to break loose of his friends grasp, he just wanted to kill those monsters.
Huizhong Mercenaries?
Jiang Chen paused for a moment. He then looked at the symbol drawn by blood. The continuous and curly S. He couldnt make out what it was.
He opened the map, and the light blue full sensory screen weaved in front of him. He remembered that back on Sixth Street, a long time ago, a sucker he shot told him that Huizhong Mercenaries was based in an experimental school in Songjiang Area. Before the mansion expanded, he didnt realize it until now that the old rival Huizhong Mercenaries was pretty close to Qingpu area.
Everyone was watching Jiang Chen, waiting for his reaction.
Although they understood that they could not me Fishbone for gathering their forces, but they were still hopeful that a leader who conquered the sea of zombies with them could say something.
At least, this kind of surprise always seemed to happen on a long journey.
Jiang Chen, of course, noticed the looks of hope, but it made him ponder.
Huizhong Mercenaries would be a problem after all. Before he didnt have the desire to expand, so he didnt worry about it too much. But now the situation was different. After this mission, Fishbone Survival Camps name would spread in the area. The survivors would spend their crystals at the Sixth Street, and their sess would be heard of at the Sixth Street as well. Who didnt like to show off? Bragging about their victory, enjoyed the cheers and praises of others. They were the veterans after all.
Although they wouldnt be dumb enough to say that there is someone that sold food in front of their homes and gave other people the opportunity to know where they lived. But if the Huizhong Mercenaries that wandered in the area here heard the news, they may search the area.
If they knew a special force appeared in Qingpu, they would be able to find the ce. Since Fishbones wall was already constructed, they couldnt hide like other survivors in abandoned buildings.
Since they were rival, to begin with, a battle was imminent. Rather than giving the enemy the opportunity to n a sneak attack, why not make the first move?
Especially since all eyes were watching him. There was no better time to establish his authority.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath and walked in front of Zhao Gang. He stared at the man full of vengeance and said calmly.
I will help you seek revenge.
Although they were waiting for his response, when they heard the words, the survivors were all moved. Of course, a simple sentence was not enough.
A good person or a leader was determined based on his actions.
Except Jiang Chen was confident that his acting wasparable to Liu Yao.
Zhao Gang stared nkly at the man in front of him. He gritted his teeth, and then kneeled on the ground.
If you can help me seek revenge, my life is yours! He knew that if it were just him, he would be asking for death.
He silently looked at the Zhao Gang kneeling on the ground and said calmly.
I dont need your life or kneecap, your life is yours.
Jiang Chen raised his head and looked at the survivors around him. The next sentence was for all of them.
Although this crusade was for our interests together, I cant allow people to take advantage of us!
I remembered a long time ago, there was a quote: when they ughtered the union workers, I didnt say anything because I was not a union worker. Then when they killed the Jews, I still didnt say anything because I was not a Jew. After that, they began killing Catholics, I kept my silence because I was Christian. Finally, they wanted to kill me, and no one was speaking up for me because everyone who could speak was killed!
He looked at the confused looks among the survivors, and Jiang Chen shook his head in disappointment.
Of course, he had too high of an expectation to think that they would have the realization. If it were not for the fact that they fought together, the tragedy that happened on the small survivor group would not garner thepassion of anyone.
Maybe, they would take advantage of this and scavenge the leftovers.
Huizhong Mercenaries is a problem. Then well go take care of the problem! Dont think that what happened today has nothing to do with you. Imagine one day this happens to you, you will regret not standing up today. If you like the idea of being enved like animals, the Devils fu*king your woman, and killing your children, then I have nothing to say. If you still consider yourself as human, then follow me. We disdain the cowards!
Jiang Chen didnt waste a single word, as he signaled his team and began turning around.
Regardless of anyone following, he must get rid of Huizhong Mercenaries!
Should we go now? It would be better if we remain cautious and go back first, Sun Jiao asked in the private channel.
We cant back down, Jiang Chen responded emotionlessly.
There was plenty of fuel and ammo in the armored vehicle, enough to sustain at least a few more days. There would be no reason to drag it on. Especially since this had to do with the morale of the team. If what he said inspired some people to follow, that would be for the best. The survivors were all sharp shooters so they would be useful against the Huizhong Mercenaries.
He especially wanted to see how much theyve changed after the battle with the zombies.
Although he did force their surrender by force, Jiang Chen was not satisfied with this.
The group of survivors chatted among themselves as their hesitation was visible on their faces.
Zhao, should we The young man standing beside Zhao Baodong carried a rifle and undecidedly looked in the direction that Jiang Chen had just left in.
Zhao Baodong was also conflicted.
Go, of course. There would be dangers, but it was not without gain.
The man gave them half of the wealth after killing the zombies. Therefore the wealth umted by the Huizhong Mercenaries
Most of the survivors thought of this. Since someone already said they would help, then why would they risk their own lives?
They were only conflicted of whether the potential gain of fighting the Huizhong Mercenaries would be worth the risk theyd take.
When selfishness became a habit, they would not be grateful, but ratherugh at his foolishness. But for Fishbone to expand, they must contact the forces close by.
The expensive and limited very chips could not support a poption. Especially since the poption of the Sixth Street didnt grow on trees. After the crusade, the price of overpoption would only increase.
Although these people were selfish and close minded, they were much easier to control than the thugs wandering around the wastnd.
Jiang Chen was betting someone would stand up.
Even if he lost the bet, he wouldnt lose anything. With the strong firepower of the power armor, Huizhong Mercenaries was not a problem.
But looks like he made the right bet.
The man with bloodshot eyes calmed down, silently dragged his gun back from his friend, and followed Jiang Chen.
Gang? Ma Zhongchen stared nkly at Zhao Gang. He wanted to drag him back.
I am a man. Zhao Gang left without turning his head.
Although his son died, his wife should still be alive. He must do everything to save her.
I am a man.
The harsh words echoed in everyones head. Their passion has yet to die, but when they realized they were only calcting the losses and gains, the look of shame appeared on everyones face.
Ma Sir?
I am also a fu*king man.
He spat on the ground. Ma Zhongchen grabbed the rifle and followed.
If there was a first, there was a second.
When courage bes a force, the fear before turns into anger.
There was nothing else to say.
The massive force once again began their journey. There was no need to threaten them this time.
He looked back at the team behind him as a trace of a smile appeared on his face.
After this battle, the Fishbones authority would not be challenged anymore. Every single street in the area would be the walls of Fishbone. And he, he will be the new king of Qingpu, King of his new reign.
Chapter 106 - Experimental School
Chapter 106: Experimental School
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
I didnt expect people toe, Sun Jiao said in disbelief.
Expected, Jiang Chen said in a sluggish tone, but it did surprise him that so many people showed up.
Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen and didnt respond.
There was a total of 59 people following them after the incident urred. They were all worried about their homes. So, most of the survivor groups decided to let half of the people take the crystals with them home, while the others took their rifles and ammo to help.
The n was for the Fishbone force to be the primary force as the power armor has a huge advantage against light weapons.
Ma Zhongchen led 8 people as the second unit to attack the corners where power armors would not be able to hit. Also, they would act as the defense against the anti-armor weapons.
The remaining 50 people were split into two groups, surrounding the experimental school from the west and east. There was no need to attack as they only needed to take cover behind the building. If the primary force received too much resistance, then they only needed to pretend to attack to distract the enemy. If they escape, they can then cut off their escape route.
Jiang Chen led the primary force along the street. They were getting closer to the Huizhong Mercenaries base. The sky turned into a dim orange as dusk approached, and the zombies started to be unsettled. The group, familiar with the situation, smashed the zombies onto the ground with their dagger to avoid any trouble during the crossfire.
Songjiang area was not disturbed by the x2 virus. The zombies were still weak during the day, and there were no crystals in the back of their heads.
The crooked experimental school sign was thrown into the corner of the street as the corrosion left its words barely visible. From afar, the metal frames were still visible, along with the barbed wall.
It did not resemble a school at all. It looked like a dirt fortress more than Jiang Chens mansion.
Is there any more high energy vacuum bombs? Ma Zhongchen asked Jiang Chen in an undertone.
Those bombs were most effective against humans.
No, its hard to get those, Jiang Chen replied.
Zhao Chenwu probably didnt even have a lot of those lethal weapons to begin with. While the bomb and theunch pad was not hard to make, the concentrated fuel probably was hard toe by. The ones he sold to Jiang Chen were probably the few remaining batches.
Usually, survival camps would not start conflicts among themselves since the geographic distance was a hindrance, and also no one was interested in thend itself. The high lethal to human high energy vacuum bombs were raided from a military factory now in shambles. Its uses were limited to deterrence in the early stage. Now, it was no longer necessary as their force and reputation have already been established.
Zhao Gang stood silently on the side, his eyes locked on to the gate. The other seven survivors were also spread out behind the cover.
Prepare to attack, Sun Jiao ordered. She opened the armored truck, lifted the angry looking Lin Lin out, and threw her onto the ground.
Jiang Chen was quite intrigued in the bad-tempered digitalized human and ripped off the tape from her mouth.
Pei, pei, pei! You dare to Just as she was about to go on a rampage, Sun Jiao nced at her, and the once aggressive voice suddenly turned into a faint mutter.
Seeing that Lin Lin was quiet, Sun Jiao didnt bother with her anymore. She then took out the 72mm anti-tank cannon. This thing was a destructive beast, anyone hiding behind the cover would get blown apart.
Lin Lin trembled as she saw the vicious looking long barrel in the devils hands. Her teeth were clearly chattering.
Dont worry, that thing is too long for you. We wont use it on you. Her frightened look made Jiang Chen tease her more.
Sun Jiao rolled her eyes, and then threateningly aimed the barrel in Lin Lins direction before aiming the barrel forward.
Lin Lin was scared to death by her action, but because she was tied down, she could only shake her body, unable to run.
Dont be nervous, we just want you to see what the world is really like, Jiang Chen said casually as he stood beside Lin Lin.
He took out a dagger to cut the ropes around her body. He then said, with a smirk in his voice, into Lin Lins ear, You better not bother Sun Jiao. When she is angry, she even ties me up.
Sun Jiao gave Jiang Chen a dirty look, as she rebutted in the private channel.
Am I that violent!
[Yes. Normal people would not tie up someone theyve just met.]
But Jiang Chen only said that in his mind, or else it would have been an endless argument again.
Prepare for battle. Oh, even if we untied you, it is safer for you to stay in the armored vehicle. You can look outside through the camera.
He estimated that the two teams surrounding the experimental school should be in ce. So, he ordered the power armored soldiers to quickly engage in battle stance and prepare to attack.
I feel something is off, Ma Zhongchen, who had kept his silence, spoke out abruptly and then stared at the direction of the door with a frown on his face. No one is guarding. We are already this close, and they dont have any reaction at all.
Thats how I feel too. It is a ritual to leave a guard at the bandits base. Sun Jiao peaked out of the cover with her feet locked to the ground and aimed the barrel at the thick metal gate. She then turned around and looked at Jiang Chen. Engage?
Just as she finished her sentence, there was a massive explosion from afar.
Whats happening? Jiang Chen was at a loss.
Did the surrounding team expose themselves?
Fire! Attack! [Cant wait anymore!]
Jiang Chen immediately ordered an attack.
Roger, attackmences! Sun Jiao calmly pulled the trigger.
Boom!
The orange me fired out as the bomb smashed into the metal gate 400 meters out, leaving a violent explosion.
The shell of the bomb dropped onto the ground.
Sun Jiao didnt stop as she stabilized the cannon and fired another round.
Boom!
The metal gate was blown out, and Jiang Chen immediately led the power armor soldiers to charge. Ma Zhongchen alsomanded the light infantry to join in the fray. The armored vehicle followed as the vicious 20mm machine gun pointed directly at the gate.
Attackmences!
Sun Jiao unlocked her feet to the ground and moved along with the anti-tank cannon.
But unlike their expectation, resistance didnt arrive. The gun shots in the distance still continued with an asional explosion, but it did not seem toe from the west or the east. The power armored soldiers led the charge, followed by the light infantry.
Quick! Get in there.
No enemy unit.
Requesting order.
Jiang Chen stood outside of the gate as he began to frown at the reports from the public channel.
No defense at the gate, battle in the distance, did the Huizhong Mercenaries encounter strong enemies that they must focus all their firepower there and could not defend their gate anymore?
Who could it be?
Enter the main building, fire at will. Sun Jiao ordered the forces and then signaled the light infantry.
Roger.
-
There was no resistance at all, everyone entered the main building without firing a single shot.
The armored vehicle slowly drove in, the gate was closed to prevent the zombies from entering.
It was starting to turn dark, the gun shots in the distance still made Jiang Chen uncertain. But he thought that regardless of who the victor was, they still muste here. So it would be a good idea to build a defense line and wait for their attack.
Shredded papers and rock debris scattered on the ground. The cracks on the walls and stairs were telltale signs that the ce was impacted by the nuclear st. No one cleaned this ce as everything was kept the exact as before the war. If it werent for the two piles of poop, along with the dried blood in the corner, Jiang Chen would have questioned if anyone lived here at all.
01, 02, head to the roof to patrol. 03-06 search each building. Dont miss any corners. Light infantry and 07, 08, establish a defensive line on the first floor. Fire at will at sight of the enemy. Sun Jiao calmly gave out orders.
Yes! Everyone rapidly mobilized.
The gunshots seemed to be from the back of the experimental building, as a few explosions were mixed between the sounds, the firing was beginning to intensify.
Sun Jiao, are you familiar with the forces in Songjiang area? After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen abruptly asked.
Sun Jiao shook her head.
Not sure, I did pass Songjiang when I was going to the mansion, but I would avoid the ces where there were obvious signs of humans. Large, safe survival camps like Sixth Street are rare, and I marked them all on the map I downloaded from Liuding town. Other than that, any other ces with humans have the possibility of being a bandit gathering.
[Oh? Hopefully the force fighting against the Huizhong Mercenaries are on good term with us.]
Jiang Chen pondered in his mind.
[The first thing is to control the building and establish a line of defense. After a victor is decided, one party would approach this ce. If it is the Huizhong Mercenaries, then fire immediately, if its the other force, then decide based on their intention.]
This is 03, there is a situation in the basement. The situation is unique. The voice transmitted from the public channel.
Roger, well head right down. Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen.
Mhmm. Jiang Chen nodded, took out the tactile rifle ideal forpact enclosures, and followed her towards the basement.
The wall in the hallway was drawn with weird graffiti, the bright colors and dark wall formed an odd contrast.
When he passed a ssroom, Jiang Chen saw the chairs and tables thrown in the corner through the window, along with the cracked screens at the front of the ssroom. There were two messy sleeping bags and a polyethylene digital table on its side. Blood marks were on the ground, but it looked like it was from a long time ago.
If it was not so messy, the ssroom looked simr to what he saw in the virtual reality training chamber.
I heard that before the war, they liked to group the kids together to teach? I really dont understand the purpose of it, Sun Jiao nced at the ssroom and mumbled.
[Group the kids together?]
Jiang Chen paused for a minute when he heard the voice from the private channel. He couldnt help but smile.
I am not going to say I dont understand.
Sun Jiao did receive virtual reality lessons when she was in the survival base.
Oh? The virtual reality training system allows necessary knowledge to be understood in a short period of time. If something can be learned in 1200 hours, whats the point of taking 12 years? Sun Jiao curled her upper lip contemptuously.
Are you jealous right now? Jiang Chenughed.
Shut up. Sun Jiao pouted as she kicked the debris up, and turned around to give him a dirty look.
Although they were wearing helmets, Jiang Chen could still imagine her expression.
Maybe it was to enjoy the process.
She wouldnt understand because she spent her childhood in a survival base.
Now to think about it, although he alwaysined about graduate school, when that moment finally came, Jiang Chen admitted that he did look forward to graduation. But after stepping into the real world, he still felt a longing for the times in the past.
Maybe that was the happiest time? No office politics, even if there was a fight, the next day everything will be back to usual. Even if the teacher was mad, the only consequence was a lecture and not losing the bonus, though he didnt need to worry about that now.
Enjoy the process? Whats the use of that? Jiang Chen couldnt tell if the voice was full of longing or contempt.
Not a lot of use, just like how someone turned the world into this mess. Not a lot of use. Jiang Chen nced at the teachers office along with the way, it was also a mess inside.
I dont understand, Sun Jiao murmured.
To put it in simple words, if you can meet some interesting friends in school, you learn to deal with people. Mhmm. If you received that type of education, you wouldnt tie me up during our first encounter.
Do you want to die! Stop remembering that. Sun Jiaos face turned slightly red as sheined cutely.
Jiang Chen smiled, he only wanted to tease her.
At the end of the hallway was a metal door, the lock was cut by the welding device on the power armor. There were a few words written.
Was it because of the escted tension back then? Jiang Chen remembered that the school in the modern world didnt have those.
If possible, could you take me there? From your side. Before they entered the door, Sun Jiao quite abruptly opened her mouth.
He nked for a moment before a genuine smile appeared on his face.
Mhmm, of course.
Chapter 107 - Bandit’s Toy
Chapter 107: Bandits Toy
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
A moldy smell swept across their face.
Maybe it was Jiang Chens illusion, but he even smelled a pungent, disgusting odor.
Now it feels much better.
I can guess what this ce is, Sun Jiao suddenly said.
Oh? What ce?
A ce to store their trophies. Her voice was calm, without much fluctuation, but Jiang Chen could still hear the disdain she tried to cover up.
The stic walls were well insted as the temperature in the basement was slightly higher than outside. Themps on the side of the hallway provided the lighting to the ce. The ce still had electricity.
Seeing that the boss and captain came down, the 03 soldier in power armor in front of the basement door saluted.
Whats going on? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows but realized instantly.
It was living hell.
The room previously used as a fallout shelter waspletely remodified. The polyethylene door was attached with a massive lock. The people captive inside the room could be seen through the tiny window.
Thats right, kept like cattle.
The soulless naked woman sat there, Jiang Chen couldnt tell if she was alive or not. The white stains and the dark bruises and scars on her body made it hard to fathom the pain she experienced. There were at least one hundred rooms like this!
Each door had a number. Some rooms were empty with only dried blood inside. Some rooms had multiple people inside.
Beautiful, ugly, able bodied or disabled, body modified or tattooed with heinous words
Jiang Chen looked away as he could no longer stand the scene.
The number on the door should belong to a bandit, and they should keep the keys there. The people or things inside are their trophies or sex toys. They usually kill them once impregnated, or purposely impregnate them to unleash their monstrous desire Sun Jiao said emotionlessly.
You do know quite a lot, Jiang Chen took a long breath of air and said in a troubled voice.
Common sense on the wastnd. Sometimes, you are really charming. Sun Jiao suddenly looked yfully at Jiang Chen and smiled.
Haha, my pleasure. He forced augh because he was not in a delighted mood, and he continued to walk emotionlessly.
What the fu*k, there is a man inside?
Jiang Chen took a few more steps before looking at the door in disdain and moved away.
[Some weird fetishes here.]
The man inside seemed to have noticed the noise outside, he opened his wry eyes and looked outside.
In a glimpse, as if he suddenly got a burst of energy, he smashed the door to draw the attention of Jiang Chen.
Wait! You are the enemy of those bandits right! Can you let me out?
Seeing that the man in power armor turned around to look at him, Chu Nan gulped and said rapidly.
My name is Chu Nan, an ex-pilot at Liuding town. I was captured by these bandits a month ago.
[Virgin (Chu Nan)?] Jiang Chen held in hisughter.
Liuding town? Then how did you fly here? Sun Jiao was surprised.
Mission failed, Chu Nan answered in awkwardness.
Jiang Chen opened the helmet and examined him with a weird look.
Why did the bandits put you, a man here?
Chu Nan paused for a moment, and then a forced a smile.
I dont know, maybe sell me for a good price? But Liuding town definitely doesntck pilots.
Jiang Chen paused for a moment as well and then smiled.
My name is Jiang Chen. I also dont need pilots. Once the battle is over outside, well let you go.
There would be too many variables if he just let him go now. Since it was already dark outside, he would have to wait till tomorrow. Anyways, there was no difference in letting him go now or tomorrow morning.
Give me a gun, I can still fight, I can help you guys, Chu Nan gulped as he proposed to Jiang Chen.
No need. There was no need to add variables to the battle. An extra light infantry would not change the battle.
Jiang Chen shook his head as he prepared to walk forward.
Can you give me a nutrient supply? I havent
An instant noodle smashed precisely into the window, Jiang Chen said in annoyance, I am not in the best mood right now, so you better shut up for a while, or I will forget to open the door tomorrow.
[Quiet now?]
The crisp sound of instant noodle and chewing transmitted through the door.
Jiang Chen curled his mouth up as he was prepared to move forward.
Dong, dong!
At that moment, the abrupt smashing of a heavy door was heard. A monster-like vicious look passed through the tiny window, a rather beautiful face was revealed, spiteful and twisted.
He looked at her in shock as it was the first woman he saw that still had energy.
Sun Jiao was even more shocked.
She opened her helmet and walked up to the door in disbelief.
You know her? Jiang Chen looked at her astonished, and then nced at the monster wanting to jump away.
A bitter smile appeared on Sun Jiaos face.
Somewhat. Her name is Zhou Xiaoxia, my old friend at Liuding town? Or just an acquaintance. She was a lone wolf with a skilled dagger and pistol skills. We teamed up together before, temporarily.
Then how did she
Captured, tortured on a daily basis, and finally lost her sanity She probably has gone insane already.
Sun Jiao reached her hand out, but just before she touched the door, the woman leaped at the door like a malicious animal, viciously shing her teeth.
She retracted her hand.
Jiang Chen gulped lightly.
Is this the fate of a lone wolf wandering in the wastnd?
So, the filthy lone wolves on the wastnd are usually old virgins, because once captured, youll never be human again.
Sun Jiao suddenly smiled, she pulled out the tactile rifle and aimed into the small window, as she quietly looked at the monster-like pupils.
Jiang Chen noticed her hands were shaking.
Do you need my help? He asked gently.
Even for people who were ustomed to killing, they have people they were unwilling to pull the trigger on. He kind of understood the feeling. The feeling where she wanted to end herpanions pain, but unable to do so because of past interactions.
Sun Jiao thought for a moment and then smiled.
Its okay
Boom!
A massive explosion suddenly diffused inside as the ceiling began to the shake, the lights were flickering.
This is 07. We are under attack! They are equipped with heavy firearms, requesting assistance!
The explosions continued to transmit from the surface, the soulless women in the cages were even alerted and twitched.
01, 02 provide cover fire on the roof, 04-08 search for cover and return fire. Sun Jiao calmly ordered in the public channel.
Dammit, who is the enemy?!
Its definitely not the Huizhong Mercenaries, they dont have such intense firepower, Chu Nan leaned against the door as he quickly exined, the look in his eyes seemed to plead for Jiang Chen to let him out first.
Its the mutated human! Its the mutated human force! Dammit, how did we encounter these things here! Angry shouts transmitted from themunication channel, the intensity of the battle could be deduced from the shaking st.
The situation was critical as Jiang Chen did not bother with Chu Nans plead. He dashed directly to the stairs and signaled Sun Jiao, and 03 to follow.
Sun Jiao nced at the Zhou Xiaoxia shing her teeth at her and put down the rifle. She didnt say anything as she silently left the basement.
She didnt pull the trigger.
Dammit! Chu Nan smashed the door as he witnessed the group of people leave the basement.
He could only pray that the man called Jiang Chen wins.
At the same time, he suddenly noticed that the monster-like woman was staring at him.
He abruptly remembered the hardcore po*n scenes yesterday. The bald Zhou Guoping took his pawns, lined them up, and then pressed the bit*h-like woman against the wall, they cursed derogatory words while they
To be honest, he was hard.
Chu Nan shook his head as he wearily sat on the bed.
To his surprise, through the tiny window, he noticed that the woman was also smiling?
He suddenly felt his throat being stuffed, he opened his mouth but didnt say anything.
When the person in the power armor said her name, he already realized who she was.
However, in the month he was kept here, he didnt recognize her at all!
Speaking of this, she hasnt visited Liuding town for a while. Sincest winter?
Zhou Xiaoxia was known as the devil hunter, the screw bars goddess at Liuding town. She would always have a drink there when she passed by Liuding town.
There was a lot of people thirsty for her beauty, but none picked the rose with thorns.
But now, the charm was covered by filth, and the audacious yet gorgeous face had lost all of its liveliness.
Dammit, he did fall in love with her at first sight.
Chapter 108 - The Mutated Humans
Chapter 108: The Mutated Humans
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The Mutated Humans - like the cannibals, was another species not epted by humans.
A giant figure, strong muscles, an ugly, twisted face, and grayish green skin. Just like the monsters from .
The FEV virus in their cell structure had given them an insane regeneration ability. From some perspectives, they could be considered immortals unless they asked for their own death. At the same time, the ferocious FEV also made them immune to any diseases, and free from the risk of radiation. They boast themselves as the perfect human and praise that the heaven like wastnd belonged to them.
Of course, the above was was not the reason they were hated. There were plenty of arrogant, ugly people, and with enough radiation dust, the head was bound to be abnormal.
The survivors disdained them because they were di*kless.
Not only that, they liked to capture people, and turn them into the same di*kless creatures they were.
The inability to reproduce was their only w.
Also, because of the limited life span of their DNA. Despite a higher regeneration rate, which means the cell division was urring at an abnormally high rate, this resulted in a shorter life span.
They would rarely age but would experience a violent death in their 50s. The more injuries theyve had, the shorter their life span. If they wanted to continue their species, the must capture people on the wastnd, and put them in a vile and pickle them to turn the captured people into the same ugly, mutated humans as them, regardless of gender. To increase efficiency, they would force breed the males and females. The newborn baby would then be turned into mutated humans as well. They would then raise the newborn and repeat the same reproduction cycle. This inhumane act was even more obnoxious than killing people. Obviously, people would rather get their heads chopped off than their di*ks chopped off. So naturally, the mutated human was top of the cklist on every survival camp, the Sixth Street included.
These di*kless things were the arch enemy of all humans
Even if they couldnt conduct trade with other survivors, they still lived afortable life.
Nutrient supply? They could produce it, but they rather not eat those things. They hunt for mutants, and then eat the highly poisonous flesh raw, and use their insane immunity system to process the poison. Even the disgusting Roshan, they could feast like its flesh was a delicious meal.
Firearms? They were born in the underground military facility. Because of the involvement of the government, the military did finally receive freedom. They controlled the entire military base and was considered the organization with the amplest amount of firearms in Wanghai City.
It was true that based on the adaptability of this world, they had the right to be arrogant. If it were not for the fact that they couldnt reproduce, they would have without a doubt conquered the world.
But Jiang Chen was facing these lunatics right now.
-
Dammit, their firepower is too strong! Ma Zhongchen tightly pressed behind the cover as he could barely gather his breath due to the oppressing fire from the heavy machine gun.
400 meters out, whoever had the more intense firepower was the daddy.
The grayish-green colored mutated humans were wrapped in ammo. The revolving machine gun furiously unleashed its power on the main building. Their muscr body enabled them to fire the heavy firearm without being disturbed by the heavy recoil.
Without the need to wear kic skeletons to increase their weight, they could use their pure strength to wear the almost one-ton C-stic steel armor. If it were not for the exposed joints uncovered, the light weapon would practically cause no harm.
Fu*k, its the mutated humans. Sun Jiaos face looked troubled, she carried the 72mm anti-tank cannon and leaned behind the cover.
These heavy machine guns could already pose a threat to the power armors, the intense waves of bullets forced them to take cover.
Both feet locked onto the ground changed into AP bombs, she reached out of the cover and immediately fired.
The bomb with a trial of orange fire scattered across the sky as it smashed right into a mutated human.
The AP bomb without a doubt prated the armor and ripped the mutated human into pieces.
The effect was visible when they realized that the opponent also possessed heavy weaponry. This caused the mutated humans to be more cautious with their attack. The only downfall was they began to focus their fire in Sun Jiaos direction.
Sun Jiao unlocked her feet as she initiated the turbine engine and barely avoided the rain of bullets.
The ferocious firepower from the machine gun almost shredded the wall she took cover at into pieces.
Dammit, do their bullets not cost money? Jiang Chen gritted his teeth, he leaned against the wall and continued to shoot while constantly taking cover behind different barriers.
Fu*k! Why are they focusing on me. Sun Jiao dragged the 2-meter long cannon as she awkwardly hid behind the stairs, unable to peek out.
Other than heavy machine guns, they also possessed at least four recoilless cannons!
Their firepower was not on the same level, the only heavy weaponry on Jiang Chens side was the 72mm anti-tank cannon. Although the revolving heavy machine gun was powerful, because the other side had already suppressed their fire, it is hard to regain the control.
There were at least 20 mutated humans with machine guns.
Should we drive the armored vehicle over, the 20mm machine gun could
Are you crazy, they have four recoilless cannons!
Fu*k, what to do Sun Jiao bit her lip.
Retreat! Retreat! Fu*k! Prepare to fight in the building! There was no time to hesitate, Jiang Chen decisively took control as he shouted in the public channel.
Sun Jiao quickly realized the situation too.
[Thats right, if they cant win in distance, then fight in close range! If the mutated human need captives, there is no reason that they wouldnt chase.]
Roger!
The light infantry that was being suppressed on the ground by the firepower began to retreat. Then it was the power armor soldiers.
The mutated human took the upper advantage in the first wave of exchange fire, there were three casualties on Jiang Chens side, with minor injuries on the power armor soldiers.
Two casualties on the opposing side, one was blown to pieces by Sun Jiao. The other practically died because of bad luck. With the regeneration strength of the mutated human, unless it were shots to the head or heart, they would not die.
It was already pitch dark in the night. Because of Jiang Chens retreat, the mutated human began to cease fire.
They couldnt destroy the building as their purpose was to capture people. In this case, they had to enter the main building tobat with Jiang Chen.
A total of 31 people, with 19 heavy machine guns, they are in the building already. After activating fury, all the hearts appeared in his vision.
Fury deactivated.
He took a deep breath as his brain regained rity. After the battle in the virtual world, he could already freely control fury without the need of a tranquilizer.
The only disadvantage of the ability was that the higher the number of the enemy targets, the more difficult it was to control his emotion. Once the violence was built up to a certain point, he could even lose control. Just like Sun Jiaos special ability would force her to be weak, these hidden gic abilities were never meant to be the gift from the higher beings, but rather a curse to the unholy.
The light infantry waspletely useless at this point. Sun Jiao ordered them to retreat to the door.
Ten power armor soldiers against 31 mutated humans, that was arge discrepancy.
But would Jiang Chen y this game fair and square?
The Fishbone basecked a lot of things, but crystal was not one of them.
Chapter 109 - Tragedy
Chapter 109: Tragedy
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Enemy unit arrived on the second floor.
Fire!
Roger!
Dadada!
In the darkness, fire sparks suddenly erupted as the mutated humans rushing into the hallway were caught off guard.
The polyethylene tables and chairs were thrown into the hallway as the power armored soldiers used that to take cover and unleash their firepower at the mutated humans.
The weight of the mutated humans armor was mostly focused in the front part; their intense firepower made it necessary to consider running away. But once the distance has been shortened, their fatal weakness was exposed. Although they were notpletely unprepared, when they stepped on the stairs, their center of gravity leaning forward uncontrobly exposed their defenseless backs to the machine guns of the power armor soldiers. Almost instantly, they experienced heavy casualties.
Fire at will!
Jiang Chen carried the tactical rifle as he gritted his teeth and continuously pulled the trigger.
The mutated humans charging momentum suddenly came to a halt. They began to lift their guns up to fire back, but shooting up was always a disadvantage as they were unable to return fire. Despite their muscle being able to carry the weight of the C-type stic steel, it was too much for the spine. If they had to shoot up, that means their center of gravity must be shifted back, and all the weight will be concentrated on the spine.
Nice job! How did you know their weakness? Sun Jiao said in excitement while she continued to pull the trigger.
Would you believe me if I said I guessed it? He unloaded the empty magazine and smashed a new one into the cartge. Jiang Chen aimed at the neck of a mutated human.
Dada!
The bullets prated through the neck of the mutated human, creating a ssh of blood as the bullets broke his neck. He fell onto the ground like soft mud and stopped breathing.
Despite the incredible body, they were still human after all. Even if they surpassed the limitation of DNA, they could not ovee the barrier of life.
They have entered Area A already; we lost control of the left wing on the second floor. Noisy shouting was heard from the public channel.
Retreat to the third floor. Sun Jiao decisively ordered.
Roger!
They cant allow the battle to take ce in the hallway, once one wing lost control, the other wing had to retreat as well.
The revolving machine gun began to spin on the right hand, the left dragged the tactical rifle as the machine gun spat out a constant fire.
They kept their fire suppression as they retreated.
Once the defense line waspromised, they had to reestablish it on another floor. If they engaged fire with the mutated humans in the hallway, they would be the ones overwhelmed.
[Dammit, I should have brought some heat sensor grenades with me.] He saw the
on the full sensory screen as he cursed in his mind.
Who would have thought this crusade would be this problematic? Against the cold-blooded zombies and agile mutants, heat sensor grenades were practically useless.
At this moment, the floor violently shook. The explosion from the east side was audible even from the other wing.
03 is down!
Dammit, its recoilless cannon!
Jiang Chen watched with his own eyes as the 03 number became crossed and marked with symbol. Although he didnt know the persons name, seeing that hisrade has fallen, it was an indescribable feeling.
Although he was aware that there would be casualties in every battle.
Retreat! Retreat to the roof! Sun Jiao shouted in the public channel.
They couldnt wait any longer. A T-3 power armor was worth over ten thousand crystal, and if it was busted, then there was one power armor less.
The mutated human saw that they gained an upper advantage as they began to shout out in joy. They attacked the stairs roaring. Even if they had ten people along the way, the 10 to 1 casualty ratio did not scare them because they firmly believe that once these metal junks were forced on the roof, they would turn into scrap metal under their firepower.
The armor in front of their chest wasparable to the T-3 C-type stic armor. Technology? They didnt need it!
Dammit, why do they seem to be on drugs. Sun Jiao clinched her teeth as the 72mm anti-tank cannonunched repeatedly. The AP bomb directly prated the concrete stairs and blew the mutated human into two pieces.
Initiate final ns. Jiang Chen met with Sun Jiao already as they took cover at the other end of the stairs. They leaned tightly against the wall as they shot with the tactical rifle.
Bullets flew and carried the trail of faint gray smoke.
But, but that is 5400 crystals. Sun Jiaos face appeared as if she was about to cry.
Enough! A T-3 is 13000 crystals.
Sun Jiao clinched her teeth as she reluctantly made herst shot, and shouted in the public channel.
Retreat! Initiate final n!
Roger.
The defense line could no longer hold on to the sixth floor, but there were still at least twenty mutated humans attacking. They already abandoned their n of just piling on bodies and began to act more cautiously as they continuously fired the recoilless cannons and self-made grenades. The saving grace was that while they had almost an infinite amount of bullets, their grenades and bombs were limited, or else there was no way this battle could be fought.
Finally, the mutated humans rushed onto the sixth floor, it forced all the power armor soldiers into the hallway.
But at this moment, a scene the mutated human didnt expect happened.
The metal junks all jumped out of the window as the turbine engine began to shoot out a blue trail of mes and carried them downstairs. At the same time, explosions began to erupt on the fifth and sixth floors. The hidden aluminum heat agent blew the stairs into pieces.
They could fly?
The stairs were destroyed?
However, they had no time to react.
Sun Jiao, in pain, pressed the confirm button, she regretted not carrying more explosives with her.
How wasteful was it to use the fuel rod costing 500 crystals, and 100 crystals to charge explosives?
Boom!!
The red mes began to blossom in the air, the almost liquefied fire waves instantly emerged the entire floor and erupted out from the previously ck window.
He felt the waves of heat on the surface of his armor. Jiang Chen watched the blinding explosion, astonished.
Although it was not the first time he used fuel rod as explosives, it was his first time witnessing this effects of the explosion.
Beautiful firework. He subconsciously whistled.
A firework worth 5000 crystals. Sun Jiao was still bitter.
Do you think that they havent considered that we could fly? Jiang Chen asked as he watched the concrete begin to melt.
Not all power armors are equipped with flying engines. Usually, only paratroopers would be fitted with the flying engine. The trade off for mobility is armor. The B-type armor used bynd mobile armors are much stronger than the lighter C-type stic armor. At the same time, it weighs much more than the 300 kg T-3, it usually weighs one ton. Also, the mutated humans are not known for their intelligence.
The high temperature also ignited the stic chairs ced in the hallway. The thick ck smoke was quite visible even in the night. The power armors graduallynded, looking at the fire above them.
There was no doubt about their victory. Sun Jiao carried the anti-tank cannon on her shoulder.
B-type armor? What are these things exactly. Jiang Chen was curious.
Material strength grade, SABCDEF, seven levels in total. It is also used in other industries. It isplicated to exin. You dont know this after being here for this long? Sun Jiao rolled her eyes.
Seems like you know a lot, Jiang Chen nonchntly said as he nced at the fire that was beginning to fade.
The building was well-engineered. Even after experiencing an explosion of this scale, the main structure remained intact.
Common knowledge, Sun Jiao mumbled and then opened the public channel. Prepare to enter, group into 3s by number. Group A head to floor five and six to search for any mutated humans that have not died, only leave one alive.
Roger. They saluted as 01,02,03 carried their tactical rifles into the building.
Team B, go collect the power armor on floor three. Although destroyed, a lot of parts were of high value.
Roger.
Team C, clean up the battlefield at the experimental building. After finishing her orders, Sun Jiao opened the helmet and yfully threw Jiang Chen a wink, and then closed the helmet and shouted in the private channel, Follow your sister.
Is your butt aching? Jiang Chen said fiercely.
He heard her giggling voice.
[This girl is bing more naughty.]
-
Bullet holes were everywhere on the wall, Jiang Chens force left the ones on the north side. The south side should be from the encounter between the mutated humans and Huizhong Mercenaries.
It was evident that the mutated humans won.
There were bloodstains everywhere, along with severed limbs and flesh.
The pungent smell in the air and gruesome scene on the ground only made Jiang Chen slightly frown. Was it because he was used to death? Or only because it was too dark to see?
He would rather believe it was thetter.
Behind the back door, there were three modified trucks parked. They were bolted with thick steel tes along with a heavy machine attached to the top.
Quite a gruesome battle. Sun Jiao locked her eyebrows as she locked away a broken hand.
Dont those di*kless things want it alive? Jiang Chen asked.
Still alive, without a hand. Usually, normal people are just for breeding purposes. As she said this, Sun Jiao walked behind the truck and opened the door.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen saw her stop.
His heart started to ache, but he didnt have the time to open his mouth.
Like a bomb, the figure was blown away.
Roar!
The roaring sound came from inside the truck as it almost shattered Jiang Chens eardrums.
He couldnt hear any sounds at that moment.
C team encountered enemies! Requesting assistance! 08 quickly pulled out the rifle and began to fire.
But the bullets seemed to have hit a metal te as sparks popped up on the metal board, casting an unsettling feel.
Jiang Chen, who was still trying to recover from what had happened, saw, with the glimpse of his eyes, the explosive and agile figure get blown into the air.
Noise.
Color.
Everything in the world seemed to have escaped from his body.
Sun Jiao
His head was empty.
In an instant, Jiang Chens eyes were covered in blood.
Chapter 110 - Awakening
Chapter 110: Awakening
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Death.
There was intense pain, as though his heart had been ripped open.
Scenes from his memory flickered like dusty, old photos. The audacious and naughty, yet gentle and caring face began to yellow.
Then it turned gray.
The ferocious mutated human roared and flipped the warhammer in its hand before facing Jiang Chen, whose mind had gonepletely nk.
It was fury, but beyond fury.
Anger seemed to have broken a lock in his heart, shattering it.
But his mind was clear and conscious.
[Kill.]
[Kill him.]
Thoughts of ughter.
Roar!
The explosive shadow dashed at him, the raised warhammer gleaming with a faint blue light.
It was a power warhammer, equipped with a power storage system. It could release energy upon impact, and the damage wasparable to that of an anti-tank cannon, making power armor rather useless against it.
Anger did not numb his thoughts; he never had such rity in his life.
His thoughts passed in 0.01 seconds, and the tactical shlight in front of him opened instantaneously.
The blinding ray pierced the pupils of the mutated human and deadened his vision.
At the same time, the turbine engine opened, and he began to glide.
What followed was a deafening screech, a challenge that smashed into the ground. Jiang Chen maneuvered the power armor and dodged the thunderous hit. He raised his right arm, and the machine gun with revolving tridents fired rapidly.
Tatata!
Bullets swarmed out, each impact casting sparks on the mutted humans back.
The sound of the striking metal began to fade. The violent firepower did not damage him in the slightest, being reflected instead.
Roar! The mutated human shouted in pain. He dragged the power warhammer up from the concrete floor, his eyes the size of bells shooting out a terrifying light.
From the sparks and shlight, he could see the mutated humans pitch-ck back.
A dark mutated human?
Information from the database was disyed on his pupil.
Lead skin? I dont know how it works, but
The ck figure leaped at Jiang Chen once more. The warhammer smashed down like a meteor with four trails of faint blue light.
The turbine engine at maximum output, Jiang Chen made a curved trajectory to avoid the attack midair. He then braked, sparks screeching out from the bottom of his feet.
Without hesitation, he pulled out the tactical rifle and aimed it at the mutants head.
The second it turned to look for its target, Jiang Chen fired.
Dadada!
It was still ineffective; it had a ridiculous defense even on its head. With a fierce shout, the mutated human swung its power warhammer at Jiang Chen from his nk.
There was no time to dodge, but his heart was devoid of any anxiety.
He deployed the wheels on the soles of his shoes once more while a nitrogen shield expanded outward like an umbre.
The power warhammer smashed through the thick waves of nitrogen and hammered on the front of his armor.
Jiang Chen flew explosively, but with the help of the nitrogen shield, he was pushed out rather than ejected with great force.
The T-3 power armor weighing three hundred kilograms was very light, and most of the impact was not absorbed by him. Instead, it was transformed into energy that helped him recoil backwards.
The wheels turned rapidly, and after flying for approximately ten meters, Jiang Chen calmly braked with a screech of metal on the ground.
Boom!
The power armor directly smashed into the first floor of the experimental building. Hended awkwardly in the hallway.
Energy of impact, 494000 joules. Straining, Jiang Chen raised his dazed head and read the stats on his pupils.
The entire front of the armor caved in. The turbine engine on the left shoulder and left side of the waist were destroyed. The life detection device was damaged, and themunication device was malfunctioning.
He silently nced at the rows of symbols that represented the team, then at the jumping red symbol. Jiang Chen closed the notifications and pulled out the tactical dagger.
Roar!
The roaring sound advanced, as he had expected. It was clear that the gori-like monster was not ready to let its prey go.
And neither did Jiang Chen.
Like a gust of furious wind, the ck figure raised the power warhammer and smashed it in his direction.
mes burst out of what remained of the turbine engines. Jiang Chen slid across the ground as though being dragged to avoid the power warhammers hit. Finally, the stood up shakily. Rock debris had scraped the power armor which nked continuously.
The turbine engines had exceeded their output limit and stalled, but it was enough.
Jiang Chen, who had just escaped danger, did not back down but rather dragged the busted power armor and dashed at the mutated human.
He then furiously stabbed his tactical dagger forward.
Conservation of energy.
He noticed a while ago that the second the mutated human raises its hammer, the muscles over its entire body seemed to expand as though it was straining to perform the action.
The warhammer itself was not heavy, but when it was raised, even the mutated human had to use all of its energy to do so.
Although Jiang Chen did not know the energy principle behind it, his instincts told him that this was the key to the power warhammers charge, as well as its weakness!
The mutated human was struggling to raise the hammer, so it was unable to react to the attack.
The opportunity was a small window of time.
The sound of metal screeching echoed in the air the moment his dagger came into contact with its skin, leaving a trail of sparks. Jiang Chen clenched his teeth as his muscles expanded to the limits. The output of the power armor was also operating at its maximum.
Roar!
The power warhammer in the hands of the mutated human stalled and fell to the ground. He flung away the left arm that was stabbed with the dagger and smashed his fist towards Jiang Chens head.
Jiang Chen lowered his body to avoid the hit, then leaped at the chest of the mutated human. With power output at a maximum, both of his hands locked onto its shoulder. He mped the roaring, fighting mutated human against the wall.
The misshapen face twisted in anger, and its red teeth that seemed as though they would pop out were even more gruesome.
Jiang Chen, also furious, had no color in his face. He looked at the energy bar and what remained before activating a red button.
The internal fuel rod began to shake as the stable contents became agitated.
The metal strips prated the ground.
A thin opening appeared at the back of the power armor through which Jiang Chen jumped out.
He met its frightening gaze with only grimness in his eyes.
The pitch-ck mutated human desperately tried to push the power armor away, but it was futile. The power armor was locked down and held him in its grip against the wall. His left hand was useless because of the injury, and with his joints locked, it didnt matter how much brute force he used. He did not budge.
Jiang Chen walked away 100 meters and stopped. He turned and began a silent countdown.
Strangely, he did not feel any emotional fluctuations.
Hatred, fear, the joy of victory? Or even anger itself
It was as though all of his emotions were stripped from his body.
The fire erupted, and the blinding light covered his vision.
Shhhhhh!
He felt a slight pain on his face. Upon touching it, he realized it was blood.
His face was cut open by the metal shrapnel. He quietly gazed at the blood on his finger.
A bomb worth 13000 crystals should be enough to blow that monster up.
From the fire, a figure emerged.
Flesh exposed, its skin was lit up brightly by the red mes which had already melted the lead skin. The daunting bloody holes were likely the work of the metal fragments. The muscle on its left arm had been nearly stripped clean.
If it were any normal human, they would have been dead.
The mutated human?
Jiang Chen silently retrieved the 11 tactical pistol that he had on him for a long time. He aimed at the figure walking towards him from afar.
He pulled the trigger.
Bang!
No reaction. The bullet may have prated his flesh, but it did not stop him from moving forward.
Shots continued to be fired.
The mutated human used its right hand to cover its heart, the damaged left arm to cover its face. The horrifying teeth could be seen from behind its fingers, and Jiang Chen could imagine the viciousness on his face.
There was no time to run, especially since he never had the intention to do so.
Fear?
What was that?
The mutated human was finally in front of him.
Jiang Chen pulled the trigger, only to hear a faint nk sound.
The bullets ran out?
He lifted his hand, his hollow eyes staring emotionlessly at the mutated human.
When all emotions had been stripped from the body, what would it feel like to face death? He suddenly thought of the insane intermediate artificial intelligence that had repeated countless experiments to obtain emotion. When it faced death, did it feel calm?
Out of his peripheral vision, he caught sight of the giant hand being raised.
Would he get squished?
Jiang Chen lowered his head, removing the cartridge.
[Seems like I lost]
At that moment, a homing noise almost shattered his eardrums.
Boom!
Awe!
mes exploded from the left shoulder of the mutated human before it could release its pained scream. It was blown onto the ground by the force of the bomb. The 72mm AP bomb, with a power great enough to prate through steel armor, hollowed his muscles and nearly ripped every organ and muscle in his body. But even after this, he still had not died and made desperate attempts to stand.
Jiang Chen was shocked.
Not from the mutated humans ridiculous life force.
He stared nkly at where the bomb had originated.
Chapter 111 - Another Use of Interdimensional Travel
Chapter 111: Another Use of Interdimensional Travel
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Her heartbeats resumed.
[Seems like I was dead for a while But how did I survive?]
There was no time for Sun Jiao to think, however. In her murky vision, she saw the mutated human walking towards Jiang Chen.
Her vision was covered by dark blood, the entire front of her armor had caved in tight against her chest, and her left arm was out ofmission from the broken stic steel armorcerating her flesh. The exposed wiring shed with unsettling sparks, and on her pupils was a daunting list of red alerts . She would most likely have to cut off the entire left arm of the suit to extricate her broken left hand, but the ability should be able to heal it.
Sun Jiao panted, her clouded eyes half-open as she tried to lock her aim onto the head of the mutated human.
Its heart and head were the only weaknesses.
Boom!
The 72mm anti-tank cannon in her right hand fired, the cannon whipping upwards. The trail of orange me directly homed in on the mutated human that was about to execute Jiang Chen.
[Made it?]
[Seems to be off.]
Seeing it miss the weak spots, Sun Jiao raised her already straining right hand and aimed the cannon at the mutated human struggling to stand.
She pulled the trigger.
nk
A bitter smile appeared on her face.
The clip was empty.
She nced at her trapped left hand. A liquid, perhaps cold sweat, rolled down her blood-covered face.
It was pointless if it didnt hit the head or the heart. Even with a broken left hand and half a stomach, it wouldnt die. It was not an average mutated human; it was a variant with lead skin. These mutated humans received special modifications that made their skin into lead. Not only did it make their defense far superior to the average mutated humans, but their strength and life force also far exceeded normal limits.
Their only weakness was the lead-addled brain. They would kill instinctively, and so they were often used like dogs by the same species.
The clip was at her waist, but how could she change it out with one hand?
Dammit! Jiang Chen Sun Jiao anxiously stared at Jiang Chen, her lips turning pale from biting it so harshly.
At that moment, she could see the faint Jiang Chen looking in her direction.
-
[She is still alive. Terrific]
Jiang Chens lips slightly trembled, feeling emotional.
It was as if his heart was full again.
[Fury deactivated? No, its not fury. Whatever, who cares?]
Jiang Chen turned his head to look at the mutated human struggling to stand. He met the ferocious stare.
The flesh was healing at an unimaginable rate. The lead skin covering the head and chest had already grown back.
Its threatening smiled seemed to mock Jiang Chen. The mutated human could already sense that the man in front of him had no more tricks to y.
Jiang Chen looked down at the pistol in his hand.
Even the tactical rifle on the power armor could not prate its skin. The 11 tactical pistol would be futile as well.
Out of tricks? No There was still a lethal trick he hadnt used yet.
Roar! The mutated human growled as he watched Jiang Chen approach.
For no reason at all, he felt anxious.
The head and heart were already covered by the newly grown lead skin, but when he saw the man walking towards him, he felt an instinctive fear.
Jiang Chen drew closer to the mutated human and cracked a smile. cing the gun in his pocket, he retrieved a crystal from the storage dimension. After the interdimensional bracelets energy was charged to full, he flung the now-lusterless crystal away.
He leisurely squatted down, staring into the bell-sized eyeballs, then took a deep breath and smiled lightheartedly. Should I take you to y in another world?
He pped his hand on the mutated humans shoulder.
Upon finishing his sentence, both of them disappeared from Sun Jiaos sight.
Interdimensional travel? Sun Jiao stared nkly at the ce Jiang Chen and the mutated human had disappeared from.
She remembered the dead hamster; living creatures were unable to travel with him.
But she also faintly remembered that he mentioned it took 40% energy to travel once.
What would happen now that he brought along the mutated human?
She felt unsettled.
The homing engine turbine began to ring from afar. Power-armored soldiers were rushing to the scene. Theyd been caught in a crossfire with the remaining mutated humans. As soon as they solved the problem, they quickly rushed over.
Where did the light infantry go? Sun Jiao asked in themunication channel.
Still at the gate.
Good Get me out first. If someone saw this scene, she would have to shut them up, eternally.
She was different from Jiang Chen; she didnt feel much guilt when killing.
The power-armored soldiers walked forward, took out a welding gun, and cut through the caved-in metal on her left arm.
Sun Jiao gritted her teeth as she crawled out from the back of the power armor, then looked at where Jiang Chen had disappeared.
She began to feel more and more anxious, her uncertainty creeping into her face.
[Why is he still not back?]
Captain, what do we do now?
Stay put and set up camp. 01, go take a tent from the armored truck and cover that area. Sun Jiao pointed at where Jiang Chen hadst been seen.
Understood. The power-armored soldier with the 01 symbol on his left arm received the order and left.
The rest of you establish the temporary camp in the main building We might need to stay here for a few days, she added after a pause.
Understood.
She stared at the empty spot again as she bit her lips and clenched her fists.
-
It was already the third day.
Seeing that they were victorious, the surrounding team headed back, but some still remained; for example, Zhao Gang.
No, my wife is still underground. Zhao Gang could not wait any longer as he pped his leg and stood facing the direction of the main building.
The scared Ma Zhongchen immediately grabbed on to him.
Are you crazy! Do you not see how she looks right now
Ma Zhongchen discreetly pointed at the figure sitting in front of the tent.
The lifeless eyes were covered with permafrost. The lonely figure sat there quietly wiping the gun.
It was not the look of someone who was open to conversation.
Zhao Gang clenched his teeth but finally sat down hesitantly.
But
Just wait for a bit longer, brother, Ill be with you. Dont worry, as long as the people are here, shell release them. They have some small internal situation, Ma Zhongchen desperately tried to tell his outspokenrade. Instinct told him that if they were to anger her now, something bad would happen.
It was not a small situation.
Three days already passed.
For three days now, Sun Jiao sat in front of the tent. She silent wiped the SK10ser rifle in her hand. She hadnt used it in a long time, but she always kept it with her. She opened the EP, looking perplexedly at the .
This God-sent ability saved her, probably reviving her when she died.
But at this moment, she did not feel the slightest happiness.
She sighed and closed the EP.
The temperature difference on the wastnd was quite drastic. There was already a hint of chill in the wind. But even with only a lightbat suit on her, she did not have any sense of temperature.
How was Jiang Chen doing?
She didnt know.
What she did know was that if he were okay, he woulde back immediately.
But now
She uncontrobly clenched her fist, feeling the sudden moisture in her eyes.
Dammit.
That fist feebly smashed onto the cold, hard concrete road.
Chapter 112 - Overload
Chapter 112: Overload
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
There was an excruciating pain, as if his body was being ripped apart. The burning sensation of the tattoo on his right wrist was especially unbearable.
Thank God, he lost his consciousness not long after
or else the pain would have actually driven him insane.
He didnt know how long after the incident it was, but the soreness of his entire body returned.
Urg.
Struggling, he finally opened his drowsy eyes. The first image he saw was a gorgeous face in tears.
You are finally awake. Ayesha leaped from in front of the bed. Her lips trembled, and the mists in her eyes shook, ready to fall at any time.
How long have I been sleeping? Jiang Chen asked weakly.
An entire day and night. Her face had concern written all over it.
He felt guilty looking at the heavy eye bags on her face.
[Wait! Where the mutated human go?!]
As if a bucket of cold water had just poured onto his head, Jiang Chen scrambled looking around, but he couldnt find the mutated humans body.
Ayesha, did you see
That body? I hid it in the basement. Ayesha lowered her head, lightly biting into her lips.
She broke her promise with Jiang Chen.
He had previously told her to nevere into the room under any circumstances, but the loud noise from the room had woken her up.
She anxiously approached the room, only to hear Jiang Chens painful screams.
She didnt waste a second to think before dashing into the kitchen, grabbing a knife, and shoving the bedroom door open.
The next moment, she saw Jiang Chen, whoy in bed unconscious, and a disfigured monster.
Never had she seen a more frightening monster. Its body was covered with severed flesh. The head and heart were covered in a pitch-ck metal
[Is this thing even human?]
Suppressing the fear in her heart, she approached the monster and ced her hand over its chest.
There were no heartbeats.
She gazed at the unconscious Jiang Chen and then at the monster that had fallen to the ground. She could tell that the two must have had some conflict. Although she didnt understand the absurd scene, she would always stand on her husbands side.
Putting down the knife, Ayesha forced down the agitated contents of her stomach with a deep breath before dragging the body into the mansions basement.
She then took disinfectant from the bathroom and cleaned the blood trail, careful as though covering up a crime scene
After taking care of everything, she filled a bowl with water and stripped Jiang Chen to wipe down his entire body.
She couldnt fathom how he had be like this in just one afternoon.
At least the still-beating heart somewhat reassured her.
Only after she finished did she bring a chair from the living room to sit beside his bed quietly, waiting for him to wake up.
Did you see everything? Jiang Chen asked with a bitter smile.
Seeing such a caring face, he could never me her foring in.
Ayesha nodded, then buried her head.
I am willing to give up my life for you if you wish
He lifted his hand and covered her mouth. Jiang Chen smiled at her surprised look.
I am not a devil, you dont need to give up your life Just keep the secret for me.
It was okay if she knew; Ayesha would never leak the secret.
With both hands outreached, Ayesha covered therge hand covering her face. She gently nodded.
Mhmm.
He craned his head to look at the light in the distance; it was almost dawn.
Go sleep for a little bit. I want be alone to think.
Ayesha nodded with a worried look at Jiang Chen. She then left the room and closed the already broken door.
Lying on the soft bed, Jiang Chen raised his right hand.
All of the energy in the interdimensional bracelet was gone?
He nced at the bedmp. After reaching over to unplug it, he stuck his finger into the socket.
The light bulb in the room slightly dimmed, but due to the voltage limit, he only managed to charge the interdimensional bracelet by 2%.
He breathed deeply and concentrated on his right hand in an attempt to open the storage dimension.
Pain radiated from his wrist.
The energy wasnt consumed, so I guess that means I cant use it for now? Jiang Chen looked at his right hand thoughtfully.
Hed been pondering this issue for a while now. If he forcefully grabbed someone to travel with him, then wouldnt it eradicate that person in an instant? But he never had the opportunity to test this bugged ability out since in the era of firearms, bullets served the purpose better.
There was an other area of consideration, however. If he spent 40% of the energy traveling, then how much energy would it cost to bring along another person?
The cost of taking someone alive should be different from taking a corpse.
He recalled thest time carrying the hamster, it hadnt cost an excessive amount of energy. But this time with the lead-skin mutated human, itpletely drained the interdimensional bracelet. No, the real energy cost definitely far exceeded the 60% limit, which was what caused him to go unconscious.
No need to use it against weak enemies, too costly against strong enemies A bit useless in battles.
He rubbed his fingers, which were no longer sore, and stared at the interdimensional bracelet on his skin.
He desperately wanted to go back. Sun Jiao must be worried about him.
But the bracelet was most likely overheated. Seeing as how it could charge, however, it meant it wasnt broken.
Maybe it would return to normal after some time?
Realizing that there was no use worrying, Jiang Chen shook his head and grabbed the EP from the table where ity after Ayesha had taken it off while wiping down his body.
****
User Name: Jiang Chen
Body Conditions:
Muscle Strength: 30
Bone Strength: 29
Reflex: 32
Brain Cell Strength: 14
Radiation Level: 0Safe
Irregr Status: None
****
Muscle strength had increased by 5 points, bone strength by 2, reflex increased by 3, and the gic potential was further developed. On earth, this body condition would easily destroy superheroes like Spiderman and Batman.
If they existed anyway.
Jiang Chen remembered the Sun Jiao had told him before that once injected with the gic vine, the gic potential would be somewhat unleashed. But to evolve to a stronger form, it could only be aplished through life and death situations.
That battle truly had been dancing on a knifes edge between life and death.
He recollected that battle with a forced smile.
A power armor, worth over ten thousand crystals, exploded But what made his heart ache the most was not the crystals but the fact that it was difficult to buy even with crystals. To help him, Zhao Chenwu had sold him all of his remaining units
Right! Speaking of the battle, that time
Jiang Chen suddenly remembered that after Sun Jiao had been thrust away by the power warhammer, the symbol had shown up on the team status, spurring him into a state simr to fury.
He opened the special ability tab in EP.
****
?: Muscle strength +35, Reflex+40, Brain cell strength +29. Special effect: Battle instinct. Can grasp the situation and the enemys ability in disadvantaged situations, ignore all unnecessary factors, and use previous battle actions to instantly carry them out at the maximum sess rate.
Side effect: Emotionless
Time of duration: Until the opponent dies or a trigger is used to cease the effects. After 30 minutes, it will begin to drain life force, and the effect will be reflected in the body afterwards.
Note: Once activated, fury is forcefully deactivated.
****
It was not fury, but a new ability!
Jiang Chen gulped at the skill description.
Did the three question marks mean that the ability had yet to be named? This meant that nobody had activated this gic code before?
After pausing to think, he pressed the three question marks, opening up a dialogue box on the screen.
This means that it can be named?
He pondered for a while. He really didnt have any talent ining up with names.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen pped his head as if enlightened before typing in .
Hehe. Invictus had the connotation of putting in a cheat codethe ability did seem unfair.
After typing in the name of the ability, Jiang Chen read over the description again.
Based on previous battle actions that meant that if he had ever used a gun in the past, then he would be Hawkeye. And he had trained in all functions of the power armor before, so he can fluidly control the power armor without any hindrances.
Jiang Chen mentally went over the battle; thebos he made had been perfect. Such mastery was definitely not something he could normally do, especially when he still had to look at the speed monitor when elerating.
The fuel rod self-destruction program was also an action he had used before.
But why had he never thought about using the interdimensional bracelet to eliminate opponents before?
He thought deeply beforeing to a sudden realization.
That was because he had never used traveling as abat action. After experimenting with the hamster, he had never performed it duringbat.
Therefore, the abilitys effect achieves skill mastery, Jiang Chen said with a troubled smile after peering at his hand.
Using the interdimensional travel ability to kill should not be a problem, but it would be pushing the limits if used against a monster with a high life force. A mutated human had made him unconscious for an entire day, and he still could not use his bracelet. If he traveled with a Roshan or a Death w Some experiments indicated that his life force was proportional to crystal energy.
He shook his head and put the EP aside, closing his eyes to rest.
Sun Jiao was still alive.
Her must have evolved from her ability. This must be how hidden gic codes could be further unlocked.
Speaking of this, as long as they used their ability, they had to bear the side effects from it. Fury made him lose consciousness, invictus removed emotionthen what was the side effect of the next hidden gic code?
For some reason, he felt slightly uneasy.
Gic vines had eliminated the barriers that constrained DNA, allowing humans to unleash abilities previously sealed. But was this really all right? If eliminating barriers was a good thing, then why was there one in the first ce when humans first began to evolve?
Only time could tell.
And it was stupid to worry about an ability being too powerful.
Chapter 113 - Perhaps I Should Buy an Island
Chapter 113: Perhaps I Should Buy an Ind
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Jiang Chen was lying on a chair beside the swimming pool, enjoying thest rays of the summer afternoon.
Although he was eager to return to the other side to tell Sun Jiao that he was safe, the interdimensional bracelet was on cool down; there was nothing he could do about it, so he rested.
The weather was bing chillier, and it wouldnt be long before fall arrived.
Thinking about it now, it had to be close to winter time in the apocalypse.
Because of the radiation dust, winter in the apocalypse world came earlier than it did in the modern world. Going by what Sun Jiao said, usually by mid-October, winter woulde to Wanghai Cityand it would rightly be called a nightmare.
In one months time, the temperatures would drastically drop to subzero with unnatural snow coating the city in an unhealthy white. Despite this,pared to the first few years, it was getting better. Based on documentations, during the initial years after the nuclear war, the entire world remained frozen in a state of nuclear winter. Only winter, no summer.
During that time, the mutants chose to hibernate or migrate to warmer areas such as abandoned nuclear facilities or geothermal wells.
The only ones unaffected by the harsh temperatures were zombies. Their bodies did not possess enough water to be frozen, but due to the reduced sunlight, their sleep times were also lengthened.
Jiang Chen was deep in thought as he stared at the chilled orange juice ced on the table.
It was necessary to have enough food, clothing, and fuel for the winter, but these were not difficult for him to procure. Theing season would not be too bad for the Fishbone Base.
There was obviously enough food, and winter clothing more effective than down clothes were sold in Sixth Street. Fuel could be substituted by electricity, but overall, the levels of power generated and consumed would decrease in the winter since with the outside temperature already at subzero, the fridge system in the basement could be shut down.
What worried him most was thebat power of the base.
From what he gathered during the battle with the mutated humans, the weakness of the Fishbone Base was finally exposed.
Ample money, but still too weak.
With their power armors, they could steamroll through most survivor groups, but if they wished to expand, their opponents were not limited to small groups. Wanghai City had so many forces to begin withwhat about outside of the city? In the country? And what about the unknown mutants?
If they didnt have the support of heavy weaponry, they would instantly be at a disadvantage upon encountering a military force of mutated humans.
Even more detrimental was the fact that there was no way to rece power armors. This time, four of them had been busted while the remaining were damaged. Despite eliminating the mutated humans, in the end, it was a terrible trade for Fishbone Base.
He did not expect a group of mutated humans to appear out of nowhere. After realizing the Huizhong Mercenaries were in trouble, he had been ready to take advantage of the situation. But upon finishing off the mercenary group, the new opponents were not friendly and immediately opened fire.
From the start, there had been no chance of a peaceful resolution between normal humans and mutated humans. He grasped the ss of juice and chewed on the straw, deliberating as he gazed at Ayeshas body floating in the water.
Theycked heavy weapons.
Fishbone Base was too dependent on Sixth Street who was likely unwilling to sell heavy weaponry to them. At most, they would offer a heavy machine gun or rocketuncher. The only reason they sold them the high-energy vacuum bombs was because they were ineffective in most situationsuseless against zombies and easily intercepted byser weapons.
These items were limited to begin with since the production facilities were all but destroyed during the war. Weapons like tactical nukes and concentratedser bombs were all raided from battlefields and half-destroyed military warehouses. Typically, possessing these sort of super weapons reflected the force of a survival camp.
While it was important for Fishbone Base to possess its own firearm production line, they had to also think of ways to develop heavy weaponry. What gave Jiang Chen a headache was that he possessed the technology but not the production capability.
Excluding production equipment, the two limiting factors to Fishbone Bases growth were raw materials and poption size.
Mining was impractical in the apocalypse. All of the sources near the surface were emptied. The major mining hubs on small subs and moons had been blown into debris.
And though they did purchase some construction materials from Sixth Street, after this crusade, their own production supplies would have be scarce, so who would be willing to sell to him?
If he wanted to develop the industry, he had to improve waste recycling first.
Because of the rapid advancement in material science, refining matter with page-long names was no mean feat. Jiang Chen knew little about the subject, but he did hear from Zhao Chenwu that 35% of Sixth Streets industrial production was based on waste recycling because although organic materials could solve some needs, bullets, bombs, and armors all depended on metal.
As for the matter of poption
Even if they didnt have aplete production line, if they modified some equipment, they could partially create it by hand. This, however, required an excessive amount ofbor. The spider tank, for example, required tens of thousands of parts to be assembled. And to use the small poption of Fishbone Base to develop military tech Zhao Chenwus military factory alone had more workers.
Could he produce some of the lessplex parts in the modern world before moving them to the apocalypse? They had plenty of mining resources, and even if they didnt have the best skills, he could at least acquire some simple production equipment
Think about it, Jiang Chen wryly smiled and shook his head to give up on the idea. It was too dangerous.
It was not practical in this country. Even if the workers didnt understand the purpose behind the spare parts, a factory without a stated purpose would very soon catch someones attention. And if anyone happened to find out that he possessed military technology
The scenario was simply too beautiful to imagine.
Perhaps overseas? Except Jiang Chen was of the mind that all crows in the world were of the same color. If they chose to follow their constitutions andws, there was a chance that the country would not take action. But if it involved a giant of the military technology fielda massive conglomerate that came into prominence after World War IIthey would not pass this opportunity. At this time, the country was willing to keep one eye open, but that was only until the military technology was on the brink of falling into the hands of their people.
It was such a waste if he could not utilize the rich resources of the modern world.
At that moment, Ayesha burst from the water. Shaking her wet hair, she cast a pleasant smile in Jiang Chens direction.
Instantly, his eyes light up.
[Urg, it was not because of that]
Ind!
Fu*k, why didnt I think of it before? Jiang Chen pped his head with a humorless smile. The only thing the apocalypsecked was food, but in this world, it could be obtained almost anywhere. And if work was hard to do domestically, then the situation would be different on a small, developing ind.
If he could simultaneously have a base in the modern world, it would greatly benefit the development in the apocalypse! There was no need to worry about resources andbor in the modern world so long as he could control a small neutral country far from international regtions.
His heart began to pump at the thought.
For a long time now, he had been searching for an option to fall back on.
This was after he had introduced Future 1.0 and was asked to have a chat with the person whom he had saved. Of course, he could say this only in his mind, but once he came out from the Wang familys home, he had the intention of leaving.
But the exact details had to be nned out.
He stood up from the chair and began walking towards the mansion. Ayesha swam to the side of the pool, seductive water droplets hanging on to her dark brown, curly hair. Her tender white arms leaned against the poolside.
The look in her eyes asked, Dont you want to sleep together?
Jiang Chen gulped uncontrobly as he took in the charm that she herself didnt know she exuded.
This girl was bing more and more attractive by the day.
Her white skin was partially due to race, but also partially due to the nutrients in the training chamber. Thanks to it, the grease and the dirt under her skin had been washed away, and the natural pores of the Caucasian race contracted. After days of care, Ayeshas previously stiff skin became as smooth as jade.
It was no exaggeration that if Jiang Chen used the nutrient to open a cosmetic center, he would earn overwhelming profits.
Not only that, but because of the gic vine and the daily workouts, traces of abs began to show. With her perfect legs, the exotic charm became more and more seductive by the day.
But what intoxicated him most was the gaze full of love.
This bikini-d, attractive figure flourished only for one person.
Jiang Chen had the urge to jump into the water and y with her.
But he still had many things to do, and those sorts of actions could be der at night. Compared to before, he was much better at controlling his desires.
Ahem, why dont you y by yourself? I have some things to care of.
Suppressing his desire, Jiang Chen awkwardly smiled and hastily left the pool area.
-
Mansion basement.
Jiang Chen observed the mutated humans body. Taking a deep breath, he extended his right hand.
The storage dimension could not keep living creatures; he had tried it before. Ants could be storedbut not cockroachesonly to be instantly killed. It seemed it would be impractical to kill people using the storage dimension.
It did not cost much energy to store corpses in the dimension, and the energy bar had been charged to 10%.
Jiang Chen tensed at the slight pain radiating from his wrist.
Fu*k, dont you break on me! When there was still no reaction, Jiang Chen began to sweat profusely.
After a short dy, the mutated human twitched and disappeared into the storage dimension.
He let out a long, relieved sigh and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He nced at his right wrist.
It had cost 5% energy. He then used the remaining energy to remove crystals from the storage dimension before charging the interdimensional bracelets energy to max capacity.
It seemed that function had already recovered. Next was interdimensional travel.
Jiang Chen initiated the ability.
But soon, his excitement was killed by the pain in his wrist. The storage function had recovered, but the travel ability did not.
Too soon? He looked at his right hand, unable to do anything.
But since the storage function had recovered, the travel ability should follow soon after.
After taking care of the body, Jiang Chen went to the third-floor office and booted up hisputer.
He had to prepare his n to purchase an ind.
Opening up Baidu Wiki and Google Earth, his eyes searched the Pacific Rim region.
It didnt have to be too big. Even if he ran out ofndter, the apocalypse world had the technology to create artificialnd masses. Only, the ocean was more frightening thannd, so the technology was not well-known among survivors.
There was also no need for many people as it would be easier to control. Ifter he needed more, he could simply bring some in.
An unstable political situation, but not too chaotic.
The lower the GDP, the better. The poorer they were, the easier it would be to purchase thend. He would have to invest in it regardless.
Ideally, they wouldnt have a dispute with neighboring countries over annoying things like natural gas or oil. He would eliminate those materials at any time. He didnt need them to make a living, and it would be troublesome to guard against thieves when developing in seclusion.
Another important factor was that it had to be away from the five thugs! (Likely referring to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.)
Finally, he found a small country located on Pannu Ind.
It almost seemed made for him.
A smile on his face, Jiang Chen called Roberts number.
Hello? My old friend, you finally remember your unlucky friend. Roberts glib tongue was in action on the other side of the phone.
Ive been busytely. Would you like to cut a deal? Jiang Chen didnt bother with chit-chat and cut straight to the topic.
Chapter 114 - Play a Bad Guy for Me
Chapter 114: y a Bad Guy for Me
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
There was a palpable pause on the other side, followed by a fakeugh.
Umm, Im no longer in the business, you know. Im also on probation, so your words That Laurence guy will probablye to have a chat with me in a bit, too.
Hearing Roberts downtrodden voice, Jiang Chen stopped and almost couldnt restrain hisughter.
The guy must not be having the best time right now. By probationary period, he probably meant that the FBA was monitoring his phone after telling him to his face, Im watching you right now.
[Showing off despite your current state, and you even said that you would have me covered when I head to Los Santos.]
He smiled but inwardly cursed. Jiang Chen shook his head and got ready to end the call.
Okay, looks like you cant do this deal then. Im going to hang up.
No, no, no, wait
The call disconnected, but his cell phone rang shortly after.
He picked up, mocking, You switched numbers?
Hehe, other than the fact that the phone bill is a bit more expensive, this number is pretty convenient. Ahem, what business do you have?
I heard you say youre a producer now, but from your tone of voice, it seems you havent had the best time? Jiang Chen asked jokingly.
He remembered that the gold deal had been worth around 500 million USD. With a 9%mission, minus the loan and other costs, he should have at least 10 million or more.
Ran out of money already? It was in USD, too.
Urg, ahem, it takes longer for a movie to return the investment, you know. Robert forced augh.
Did you spend all that money on tail over there in Hollywood? Jiang Chen chuckled.
[This pervert. There are definitely better ways to spend the money.]
But as that thought crossed his mind, his expression turned sour. He felt those same words applied to him as well.
Ahem, lets talk about business. Robert awkwardlyughed from the other side of the call.
Jiang Chen didnt continue to make fun of him as he adopted a more serious tone.
Youve always worked in sensitive areas, so you must be close to mercenaries?
Oh? Do you want to hire mercenaries? But in Hua
Not in Hua, Jiang Chen interrupted. I need your help hiring a group of people to train bodyguards for me.
[Bodyguards?] Robert paused for a moment.
In that case, ckwater International is not bad.
Not ckwater. Jiang Chen refused right away. You said before, theyre too close to the FBA. He finally managed to leave a circle of influence; there was no way he was entering another one.
Hehe, I knew ityou must be thinking of some bad things. Robert ridiculing voice passed through the phone. He continued, All of the mercenaries in the UA are all somewhat associated with the White House. If you want to find people who only recognize money, youll have to go to Africa, the Middle East, or Eastern Europe.
Then lets do that. Make a trip with me to Eastern Europe, Jiang Chen said.
Not possible. If I go there, before the ne even fullynds, Ill probably get deported. Speaking of which, are you not in the gold business anymore? Robert forced a smile.
Gold is not grown out of the ground. Dont you want to do something big? Jiang Chen abruptlyughed.
The other side of the phone went silent.
Jiang Chen didnt rush him. He knew Robert was debating with himself, but in the end, he would agree.
Without taking risks, could he still be called a businessman? He was a risk-taker down to his bones.
Okay, you convinced me. But my instincts tell me that you may be crazy this time. I dont understand. Youve been doing pretty well over there and sessfully transitioned your business. Why
I have my own troubles, Robert, just like how you have your own, Jiang Chen said meaningfully.
All right, I understand. Now that you say it, it does make sense. Once sheet touches your hand, you can never wash it off, hehe.
Despite stepping out of the business after Iraq, trouble seemed to always follow Robert. He spent most of the money, and though the producer title was pretty nifty, ultimately, it boiled down to money. With money, directors were more than happy to make friends with you.
And without it, who gave a fu*k about you?
He did invest quite heavily, but he had no idea how much profit woulde out of it. In the movie industry, he was apletely outsider.
Then lets talk about your pay first. Twenty million USD
Deal!
Jiang Chen paused, then beganughing. Are you not going to ask me what the deal is? If I told you to go bomb a ce, would you do it?
With a sheepishugh, Robert touched his nose and said, Ahem, my friend, I trust you wont do things like that to me. If I did receive your money to nt explosives somewhere, youd be in trouble, too.
Jiang Chen didnt deny it.
Back to the topic. First, mercenaries. I dont care how, but I need ten people with experience.
The other sidepsed into silence.
Ill get Nick to go to KaneI have some connections with General Markanov. Although I wont be there in person, a rmendation letter should be enough. This guy really loves money.
Ill make a trip myself, so get Nick to wait for me. Would it be eptable to pay with gold?
Of course, they only recognize gold and USD there.
Secondly, refugees. Europe has many refugees, right? Ill take some of their burdens for them. Help me think because I need around one hundred people.
Sheet, what are you trying to
I remember you said yes, Jiang Chen said casually.
After deliberating, Robert let out a sigh of defeat.
Okay. Let me think, where do you want these people to get off the boat?
Africa.
Okay, I think I get what you mean. Do you want to start your own mercenaries? Or for the people behind you
Ahem, I dont think you should know too much, am I right? Jiang Chen interrupted with a smile.
[Mercenaries? You are underestimating me.]
My fault. Robert forcefully chuckled. Suddenly, he remembered thest time in Iraq, Jiang Chen had brought out a drone and a heat-sensor grenade. The organization behind him was likely something he shouldnt know too much about. Mhmm, capture a trafficking shop in the Mediterranean Sea, and get off at Libya. Then go onnd to Nigeria?
Is Nigeria chaotic enough?
This was the question Jiang Chen was most concerned about.
Somewhat. Its poor enough there. A few hundred thousand USD is enough to buy a plot ofnd from the chiefs and have them keep their eyes closed to whatever you do there. Robertughed.
Africa was a haven for mercenaries.
Poverty provided them with a source of troops, and the chaos allowed them to pass freely between borders with weapons. Although he didnt know why Jiang Chen refused to recruit cheap people from there, Robert knew by now not to ask anymore.
Great, then transporting them will be up to you. Ill take care of the other things.
Is that all?
No, one more point. Jiang Chen smiled mischievously. I heard youre a producer in Hollywood?
Ugh? Yes, I remember that you know. Robert was uncertain of the meaning behind his words.
y the bad guy for me. Your paycheck will be twenty million, in gold.
Jiang Chenughed malevolently.
Chapter 115 - A Blockbuster
Chapter 115: A Blockbuster
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Pannu Inds, located in South Pacific Ocean, was near the equator. The sunshine made this ce a great destination for a vacation.
The tourist attractions were plentiful in the area, natural ind, volcanoke, rain forest. But because of theck of infrastructure, it didnt manage to gain much traction. On the entire main ind, the most expensive thing was probably the international airport, which they borrowed the money to build.
At this time, inside the not-so-busy airport terminal, two strange looking foreigners walked side by side.
Roger, do you think I will be famous? To be honest, I smoked weed when I was 13. I was in juvenile by 15
Hehe, and then you got your bastards pounded by the ck uncle inside? Who cares? The guy sitting in the Rainbow Mansion did far dumber things. Also, if you dare to use your Irish ent and call me Roger, Ill twist your head off. Robert stopped, and turned around to look at the Caucasian teen fiercely.
Sorry, buddy, you know I am just nervous. Johnny waved his hand, unbothered by his words, and continued, I asked the psychiatrist before, he said he had a phobic for being too famous.
Shut up, you bastard, Robert cursed out.
Johnny kept his mouth shut after he heard those words, he knew that Robert was not someone to mess with. In Los Santos, even the Gang Leader would give him some ground. Although he seemed to have exited out of the business, it was not someone a little pawn like him would dare to mess with.
Whenever someone mentioned to him Irish, three words would surface in Roberts head: Weed, Alcoholic, Poor.
But right now he must patiently entertain this dumb*ss because it has to do with 20 million USD.
As to why he appeared here, it all started from the conversation a couple of days ago with Jiang Chen.
-
y a bad guy for me, and 20 million will be your paycheck. Ill pay in gold.
Jiang Chen stopped momentarily before he continued, On an ind country in the Pacific.
Robert paused, then his expression suddenly changed.
Sheet, are you going to
You are right. If you guessed it, then keep it to yourself. All in all, write a script for me and pick a good protagonist for me. I am going to film a blockbuster. Then an evilugh was transmitted through the phone.
He knew theugh too well. Someone was going have a bad time.
You are crazy. Although I am a producer, I am more of an investor. Robert forced a troubled smile, he rubbed his temple and continued briefly after, Okay, God. Let me think. Where are you nning to film it? How much are you going to invest?
One hundred million USD, one year of GDP for Pannu ind. The plot will be, a Los Santos billionaire came to Pannu Ind with the intentions of investing in the local industry. He began bribing local officials and taking a sheet on all the natives there. Okay, so thats the first movies plot. Oh, I rmend the billionaire be acted out by a poor bastard bad to the bone. I need him to disy his expressions after he suddenly gets wealthy.
Haha, dont worry, there are too many of you in Los Santos.
Ill wire the one hundred million to your ount.
Robert paused when he heard Jiang Chens words and asked with a perplexed expression, You are going to wire it to me? Are you not scared that I am going to run away?
I trust that you wont. Honor code right? Especially since I can get you out from IS, are you still
I understand, thats enough. Robert faked augh as he touched his nose. We are old friends. Some things dont need to be said.
Thats right. You are a smart person. The money thats supposed to belong to you will belong to you. Hehe, if this deal is sessful, youll have a lot more to gain from it. Arent you annoyed with the FBA? I can give you a backup option.
Robert heard the words, and his throat twitched.
He suddenly remembered a piece of entertainment news on the international section of the newspaper a while ago.
December 30, 2014, Gambia Presidential office was attacked by a militant group of approximately ten people. The militants attempted to stage a coup. This bizarre event was the direct action of the Texas real estate businessman and a Minnesota veteran. They recruited people, bought weapons, and then transported the weapons through an illegal channel to Gambia.
Of course, without a doubt, they failed. Based on their original n, the action would not receive too much resistance. They thought the soldiers in the presidential office would not pose too much resistance in a dangerous situation like that. Perhaps they would even receive the support of some soldiers who decided to join forces with them.
The result was that three of them were shot died right on the spot. There was no way to defeat them.
In the unsessful coup, the Texas real estate developer businessman was the primary sponsor, and because they broke the , the UA prosecutor sued him. He only sponsored two hundred twenty thousand USD as he only wanted to be a president once.
Now, Robert felt like he was doing the same thing.
Except this lunatic was even more insane, he was willing to put in one hundred million USD!
One hundred million USD to buy an entire country?
Not only that, as well as the cost of mercenaries.
Dammit, let me ask you, are you serious? Roberts fingers were trembling. He couldnt even hold onto his phone.
It was not because he was afraid, but rather he was excited.
He was an adventurer at heart. If he were to really be sessful, then the small firearm merchant could make history.
Of course, he didnt really care about the reputation. The key was still the profit involved. He had a feeling that if he could establish a connection with the force behind Jiang Chen, his return would far exceed his previous total earning!
Thats right. I think you should ask for a break from your friend Laurence. I dont want the FBA to be involved again. The tone sounded light.
Of course, Ill think about it. Hehe, it is getting me excited. His fingered constantly rubbed the phone as there was clear excitement in his eyes.
I dont care if you are excited or not, I want results. Let me be clear. This movie can only be shot once, you have to consider it carefully, Jiang Chen said slowly.
Trust me, as a renowned producer in Hollywood, I, Robert, will make you extremely satisfied with my script.
Mhmm, Ill have to take your word for it then, Jiang Chen said casually and then hung up the phone.
-
There were already people waiting at the airport exit.
Beside a limited edition ck Mercedez Benz was a middle-aged white man with a beer belly, constantly checking his watch.
He made the loose suit look rather tight. Beside him, an Asian stood there, appearing to be his bodyguard.
On another note, in this small country with only a poption of twenty thousand, the entire military was only 100 people. They asionally had to y the role of police as well.
Suddenly, the middle-aged mans eyes lit up as he saw Robert and Johnny walk out.
Oh, Mr. Robert, you are finally here! Haha, is this Johnny? The white man opened his arms and greeted Robert with an amiable smile. He also looked excitedly at the Irish next to Robert.
Sheet, is he gay? Johnny asked Robert with his voice lowered.
Shut up, dumb*ss. The shooting already started, Robert moved his head and cursed, but immediately changed into a smiling expression and walked up to the man.
Thats right. This is Johnny, a billionaire from Los Santos. Just like old friends that havent seen each other for years, they hugged each other and backed away. Robert turned around to look at Johnny, This is Pannu Inds president - Edward. British descendant, basically from your hometown. Also, acts as the finance minister, and
From your hometown was said full of malicious intent.
As well as generally, my friend. Edward courteously shook Johnnys hand and shook it furiously. His face did not have any disdain for Irish people like usual Britains do.
The reason why he would disy this expression was purely due to what Robert had said. This Johnny guy was an Irish billionaire from Los Santos. No one had invested in Pannu ind for a long time, there was finally a billionaire, so this fake Emperor did everything to please him.
As to being Irish? Who cared? He only cares about the bills printed with Franklins.
After some small talk, the president invited them to get on his luxury vehicle, and personally drove them to the mansion - Robert purchased it two days ago under Johnnys name. It was worth half a million USD.
Dammit. President, the finance minister, general what is he not? Seated on thefortable sofa, Johnny counted his fingers.
And supreme court judge, education minister? He would not take any positions without benefits. Dont worry about it, do a good job on what I told you to do. Robert took a bottle of Whisky from the fridge, put it on the table, and pour himself a cup.
Nice, these is booze. Johnny excited grabbed it and poured himself a cup as well.
Robert nced at the alcoholic that gulped down the entire cup as he took a sip. Then he said, There is a banquet tomorrow night, the local influentials will all be attending. Come with me, and Ill teach you what to do. The day after is an investing tour. Youll spend two million USD investing in a cargo port on the main ind. Learn from me, see how I am stuffing the money, and establish a rtionship with the officials,
Robert continued.
Also, not long after that there will a Han merchant contacting you. He is an old friend of mine. He is currently in the food processing business, help him a little, I dont think I need to teach you more.
Gulp-. Okay, Roger. Speaking of filming, where is the cameraman? Buddy, we are shooting a movie right? Johnny burped with the cup in his hand. In a few minutes, who knows how many shots he had taken already.
Yes, we are filming a movie. This is the newest filming technique. Youll be part of history. Dont forget to build a statue for yourself in the city center, and the film team will do a special shot of it. Robert resisted the urge tough as he took another sip of the whiskey.
Mhmm, in this case, I only need to spend money? Johnny chuckled as he poured himself another cup, This is a great job, whats the name of our movie again?
. Dont forget the piece that will make you famous. Its not only about spending money, but you also have to act as cocky, arrogant, and unbearable as possible. Such as cheating on the neighbors wife, seducing the woman in town, just do everything you wanted to do Los Santos Be yourself. Do a good job. If the reception is good, then there will be sequels. Robert leaned against the sofa as he mockingly looked into drunken eyes.
Burp, sequels? Whats the name?
Just as he finish the sentence, he dropped the cup and fell asleep.
Whats the name? , idiot, Robert continued to mocked and put down the Whisky in his hands.
Alcohol, its better to just have a taste.
Chapter 116 - Messaging Function Online
Chapter 116: Messaging Function Online
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
(Note: Pannu Inds is a fictitious location)
After ending the conversation with Robert, Jiang Chen returned to the pool. Just as a smirk spread across his face and he was ready to jump into the pool and have an intimate moment with Ayesha, his phone rang again.
It was Xia Shiyu.
It was not the right time.
He cursed in his mind, as he unhappily picked up the phone. But when he heard the news from the other side, his unhappiness faded.
First was from Future 1.0.
Because they were approaching 250 million downloads shortly after the software was avable. In a few days Jiang Chen was gone and based on the marketing departments n, Future 1.0 weed its first update. Now, the earnings were already evident as a result of the update.
Rather than an update, it was releasing a previously locked function.
The update opened up themunity system; everyone would acquire a random ount after the patch.
Other than cleaning the exquisite design, the chat interface had nothing special. To put it simply, everyone had an ount that they could freely add friends, set up chat groups, and post statuses on.
The functions were not unique as all the other chat program had it, but the one thing that made it stand out among itspetitors were - smart friend search!
Based on the users description, Little White can urately search for the chat partner based on the description. Of course, it was up to the user to decide on what information to make avable or not.
The users personality was based on the data collected during daily interactions and analyzed based on a special software. The results were 97% urate and would be hidden from the user and stored on the servers side. The personality only recorded positive traits and did not include negative traits, since no one would want to expose their weakness. The user could choose to publish these traits, or reevaluate after a period, but could not change the traits.
For example, if a man wanted a big boobed, gorgeous, energetic, being able to cook, nice to parent girl, Little White would find it since the user base was already at 250 million. Except that it would be up to the other side to add you or not. Even if you get rejected, Little White would suggest you lower the standards, and improve upon oneself.
If the random selection were activated, Little White would use smart setting to match friends with the highestpatibility.
Apart from that, Future 1.0 also introduced VIP.
Although it was simr to QQs member policy, there was a slight innovation. Other than putting the red VIP symbol beside the user ID, it also introduced contribution system corrted with levels.
There was a funny joke on Weibo before: The designer was driven insane, suddenly, he jumped up and yelled, I want to design a game with only two functions; pay and ranking. So, in the end, the game was actually introduced - which was Bilibilis new anime sponsorship n.
Mhmm, the innovation was replicated by Future Technology.
1 RMB equaled to 10 contributions, 100 contributions would level up to VIP1. To upgrade to VIP2, it would require 1000 contribution which was equivalent to 100 RMB. Based on this scale, VIP5 would need 100 thousand RMB. To maintain the current status, 10 RMB would be enough. Not paying would hide the VIP symbol but it would not level down.
Other than that, there were also 10 Diamond VIPs that were granted automatically to the top 10 contributors.
Would people actually pay?
Yes!
Two days after the introduction of themunity feature, there were two hundred VIP5 users born. The top of the contribution list was a coal tycoon with a contribution of one hundred million. That meant he paid one million!
Why would people be so willing to pay?
Imagine this. If a beauty searched you, the first thing she saw was a VIP6 or diamond symbol, what kind of reaction would it be? Or some would actually put a VIP limit on the search, prohibit anyone below VIP3 from adding them.
Showing off and bragging weremon ws of all humans, especially rich people that have too much money. They only needed to be recognized. The massive user base of Little White and the existence of the contribution system gave them the perfect tform to show off.
Based on the backend stats, the guy at the top of the list almost had his friend request feature blow up.
Although it was not Jiang Chens intention, the pure Little White became another great app for one night stands after Momo and Wechat.
Other than that, VIP user also had other exclusive privileges. For example the invitation for Beta testing of the mobile game , it would select ten thousand users from each of the different levels. Therefore, the one hundred million users would split ten thousand codes. The millions of VIP1 would also split ten thousand codes, the VIP5 users, would each get one as there are only a few hundred of them. Do you want the invitation code? Then pay more money.
This era-defining mobile game had a lot of expectation and hype. Based on the marketing departments research, on Taobao, an invitation code was propped up to 1000 RMB, which almost broke the record for highest price paid for an invitation code.
Of course, this design certainly caused some people to be unhappy. Especially those people with ill intentions who hired inte armies to control the direction of criticisms. The only point was that it was unfair for so many normal users to split only ten thousand codes. Thats un fair! We are going to protest.
But those brain-deadments did not have any negative impact on Future 1.0, but rather it triggered angry responses from Little Whites fan. Once it turned into a debate, it became a hot topic which was a form of free advertisement for Future 1.0.
When the people with ill intentions realized that the inte armies they hired did not create the perception they wished, it was toote to regret.
Part of the sess was because of Xia Shiyus effort. When she discovered the signs, she immediately responded and hired her own inte army to steer the direction of the conversation. She perfectly used the tricks of the opponents to turn this into a sessful marketing campaign.
All in all, Future 1.0s financial report was very impressive. Within ten days of themunity function, thepanys earning was one hundred million RMB! The number would only increase with the continued operation of Future 1.0, as well as higher user dependence.
Xia Shiyu even confidently stated that within two years, she could break the yearly revenue record set by the member system of Penguin group!
The other area was the mobile game, after a period of marketing, the invitation code was already distributed to the market through Little White. Part of the invitation codes has been circted through the VIP system. Even if it has been circted to people who didnt want to y, because it was not tied to the ount, third parties could purchase the code and sell it for margin.
As to the code being propped to 1000 RMB, even if they were not fans of New Era, they would be interested in the invitation code. If they didnt y the game, they could always sell it for money. There was nothing to lose.
So naturally, it turned into another form of advertisement. Since the Little White user base already reached 250 million, those people would pay attention to the game because of the expensive invitation code even if they didnt y the game.
Within two months, Future Technology was already profitable. It made the venture capitals that were waiting for the opportunity frustrated that they missed the hen thatid golden eggs. They previously nned to wait for Future Technology to have cash flow problems before they opened their greedy mouths and took thepany with endless amounts of potential.
But who would have thought that Future Technology didntck money in the first ce? Even Penguin had to beg venture capitals.
When he heard one hundred million in profits, Jiang Chen straight up told Xia Shiyu that he would use one million as a bonus. Unlike other techpanies, Future Technologys cost was insanely low. Other than the cost ofbor and server maintenance, after-tax, the rest would be profit.
As to research and development, what was that? Only a couple of cans of food.
Seeing that you are working so diligently, should I give you a raise? Jiang Chenughed.
His mood was indeed delighted. Although the one hundred million was nothing to his assets, it was a good start. It was the first stream of clean money he earned.
No need. My 1% dividend is already enough. From her voice, that girl was also in a good mood. It was a feat being able to aplish this with a new team.
After the one hundred million equity infusion, she proactively brought up decreasing her share percentage. So after the change, her share in thepany changed to 1%. Although Jiang Chen was surprised, he didnt stop her.
Even if it was just 1% share, the one hundred million profit this year was a lot. Because she was not the legal representative, there was a 20% ie tax. But even after that, it would still be 800 thousand RMB. Two more months until year end, with this years profit, any dividend would exceed her current sry.
Bonus and sry were meaningless to her now.
Because it was work time, Xia Shiyu ended the call after reporting to Jiang Chen.
It wasnt until now that Jiang Chen noticed that there were a bunch of missed calls. Starting from yesterday, there was a call every half an hour. After going to the Apocalypse, the phone was in his storage dimension. He only took out the phone after calling Robert, so all the missed phone call messages came in.
This girl A smile curled up on Jiang Chens mouth.
Although she always kept a cold and serious face, she could be surprisingly cute at times.
Ayesha leaned beside the pool. Her mouth pouted slightly. The graceful and serene legs were moving through the water disinterestedly.
She was not the type to get jealous, but for the phone call that clearly interrupted the intimate moment with her and her husband, it did make her a little unsatisfied.
Jiang Chen threw the phone into the storage dimension before noticing the expression on Ayeshas face. He smiled.
He didnt even take off his clothes before he dived into the water.
In Ayeshas light outcry, Jiang Chen hugged the gentle and loyal girl with a smirk. Compared to before, they were no longer awkward. From her daily actions, he clearly sensed her love.
To be fair, he did not have feelings for her in the beginning. He just somewhat epted her.
But because of her proactiveness, Ayeshas love finally slipped into his heart. Her gentleness, her understanding, and her sacrifice were almost extinct in the modern world. Just by looking into her eyes, he would be melted by the love. He was uncontrobly drawn to her.
It was time for him to be proactive.
Can you teach me how to swim? Jiang Chen said with a smirk, as he blew into her ear.
Ayesha lowered her head shyly, and then she put her hands on his wet shirt.
Mhmm.
Chapter 117 - Purchasing a Food Processing Plant
Chapter 117: Purchasing a Food Processing nt
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The next morning, Jiang Chen woke up from his sweet dream. He looked at the adorable girl beside him, sleeping as calmly as a cat, and his mouth curled up.
Mouth slightly closed, graceful eyebrows, eyshes gently trembling, and the somewhat messy hair
The porcin doll-like white skin was cast with slight redness on her cheeks, and from her rhythmic breathing, Jiang Chen could hear a hint of tiredness and joy.
It was a bit too crazyst night.
Jiang Chen thought aboutst night as his face turned red. He didnt know if it was his illusion, but he felt that every time Ayesha was treated roughly by him, she would be excited, especially with her hands pulled behind her back, from the back
He awkwardly touched his nose, and then gently tucked Ayesha in before quietly sneaking down from the bed.
He hadnt cooked breakfast in a long time.
Jiang Chen, satisfied, looked at the buttered toast and oatmeal with milk on the table with a great sense of aplishment.
I definitely have the potential to be a great man, he narcissistically murmured. He then rxingly sat beside the table to enjoy the breakfast. He still had a lot of important things to do, so he had to wake up earlier than usual.
He cleaned everything up and left a sticker on the table before he left the door humming.
He drove straight to the rural area with his Maybach.
Jiang Chen still needed to do some preparation work for his ind purchase n. The sooner, the better. Robert probably started the n already on his side. To be fair, he was even scared by his own n. If he made a mistake by ident, he would enter the cklist of the international police.
But then he just needed it to seed, right?
-
Ayesha opened her weary eyes and slowly sat up on the bed. She smoothed her slightly messy hair and stared nkly at the empty pillow, her mind just zoned out for a moment.
She didnt know why she fell in love with Jiang Chen, but the feeling was that intense. Whenever she saw him, her heart beat would increase. Whenever he hugged her, her entire body would feel hot.
She nkly smiled as she rememberedst night.
Suddenly she woke up from her drowsy state.
Oh no, I forgot to cook breakfast.
In her perspective, to be a qualified wife, she should put the prepared breakfast on the table before the husband headed out for work. Although it was not written in the religion, it was the family tradition from her mothers side.
Thats how she had measured herself. She knew that her husband was a great man, including the woman that came back with him on the car, he probably has a lot of wives. Even if she wouldnt get jealous, she still craved more attention.
This included a controlled diet (She did not know the gic vine improved her digestive ability, she didnt need to control her diet to avoid that extra fat on her stomach), proper exercise, to make herself look fit and charming. The nutrient was also marvelous, as it seemed to improve her skin condition. The only draw back was the awkward pee tube.
She also worked diligently on housework.
But she was too tiredst night, even when she woke up this morning, her leg still felt sore, thats why she slept in.
She quickly got out of the bed, Ayesha put a long white dress shirt on her gorgeous figure and then ran downstairs with her legs exposed.
However, she was disappointed. Jiang Chen already left.
Frustrated by her own mistake, after washing up, Ayesha grumpily came to the kitchen to make some food for herself.
When she saw the breakfast already on the table, she paused.
Her heart felt warm.
There was a note on the table, the writing was really neat, and she could understand it with her Han level now.
She put the notes in front of her chest as a flush of warmth appeared on her face.
She suddenly remembered why. Because of this gentleness, that was what made her uncontrobly fell in love with him.
Although he always gave off a naughty feeling, he always took great care of her. He didnt discriminate her because of her refugee status nor treat her brutally
Her hands sub-consciously crossed her chest as her finger gently pressed the button on her shirt.
Dad, Mom, I am living a happy life in this foreign country. Dont worry about me.
She grasped onto the note tightly as she prayed.
-
Xinlong Food Processing nt.
The gray concrete wall looked rtively clean, the surrounding environment was not too bad either. Although it was small, it had everything in there. Just from the outside, Jiang Chen was quite pleased with the nt.
He got off the car and looked around before he quickly found the person he was looking for.
A middle-aged man squatting in front of the door, smoking, quickly stepped on the cigarette after he saw Jiang Chen. Forcing a smile, he came to greet him.
But that smile was no better looking than him crying.
The information said he was 31 years, but the 180 cm man has a hunched back like a 50-year-old elder, the whiteness on the side of his hair and the engraved face was not because of the passage of time, but rather the misfortunes in life.
Jiang Chen, you should already have seen my information. Jiang Chen didnt judge this man too much, as he extended his hand with a smile.
Zheng Hongjie, owner of the Xinlong Food Processing nt. Zhen Hongjie shook Jiang Chen hand, and forced another smile. He then gave Jiang Chen a weing gesture. Mr. Jiang follow me to take a look at the nt.
Mhmm. Jiang Chen nodded.
Both of them entered the nt side by side. Jiang Chen noticed the dust on the production line. This ce hasnt produced in a while.
Two canned food processing lines, an instant noodle line, and a cookie line. Our work was mostly in processing before, but no one wants to work with us now.
Zheng Hongjies smile was bitter. He then led Jiang Chen to back of the nt.
This is the warehouse, including the four empty acreages ofnd. We previously had the n to expand the nt, but now it looks like it is not necessary. Ill sell you the production equipment at 70%, well make it 300 thousand. Thend and nt itself are a bit more expensive, 2.4 million, cant go lower than that.
After finishing, Zheng Hongjie stopped talking and looked at Jiang Chens reaction.
He estimated in his mind and nodded rather pleased.
The price was fair, even a bit lower than the market price. He already asked the intermediary before, the nts cost was around 3 million. This guy must have met some trouble with money, or else he wouldnt need to sell the nt at a lower price this hastily.
Although he already decided to purchase it, Jiang Chens eyes moved slightly. He didnt reply, but rather he gave Zheng Hongjie a cigarette with a smile and dragged him aside.
Mr. Zheng, I am quite pleased with the price. But I am curious, based on the construction of the nt, you are not the type to have improper nning. What made you want to sell your asset?
Zheng Hongjie didnt reject the cigarette as he skillfully lit it up.
He blew a smoke ring. The just 31-year-old man had wrinkles squished together on his face, and he bitterly smiled again.
Stock market.
Although it was only two words, Jiang Chen instantly knew his sadness.
Chapter 118 - The Bankrupt Zheng Hongjie
Chapter 118: The Bankrupt Zheng Hongjie
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
There is a famous quote in , marriage is like a siege, people want to go outside, people want toe inside. The same word would apply to the stock market without it being the slightest bit unfit.
Five years ago, Zheng Hongjie was only an ordinary taxi driver. Because of chatting with a passenger once, he heard about the food processing industry.
The slight drunk boosted to him how processing food made money, and at that time he was tempted. Being only twenty, he didnt want to be a taxi driver for his entire life. From that point on, he started to learn about the unfamiliar industry.
With the family saving as well as borrowings from rtives, he sessfully purchased a poorly operated small processing nt.
Although he didnt go to university before, because of his hard work and desire to learn, he used his learned-on-the-spot operation knowledge to expand the small facility to arge nt.
Contracts flew to him like snowkes. The canned food and instant noodles he produced were not only high in quality, but the price was also superiorpared to hispetitors. The nt was getting more and more profitable, buyingnd, purchasing production lines, hiring more employees Even the famous Master Kung sent them a contract for food processing.
Within five years, Boss Zhengs name spread throughout his hometown. His former friends began calling him Boss Zheng, Brother Zheng.
From nothing to starting his nt in Wanghai city. Being able to buy a car, buy a house, and returning to his hometown in glory. From a taxi driver to a boss, his experience in the five years could be written into a book.
But everything changed at the end ofst year.
The stock market sunk to the bottom, rumors of the index striking 6124 finally faded. The stock market was averaging around 3000 at the time. One of his business friends told him once when they were drinking that stock markets were a good ce to make money, and if he had money, he should give it a try.
Although he was a bit drunk, Zheng Hongjies head was still sober. His consciousness told him that this zero sum game was not right. How could a market without producing any goods create value?
Zheng Hongjie didnt listen to his friend, but rather he told his friend not to be so drawn into tricky things. But his friend onlyughed and didnt bother with him.
Four monthster, his friend bought two apartments in the city. His previous car was upgraded to a BMW. When they were drinking again, the friend gloated on the fact that he used one million to make a stunning return of five million.
Seeing his friend was now wealthy, Zheng Hongjie felt regret. If he listened to his friends words, it wouldnt just be two apartments, he would probably be living in a mansion by now. He worked hard for four months, and in the end didnt even make as much as his friend made in a few days.
After a few more rounds, perhaps due to envy, Zheng Hongjie casually asked, Is it toote to get in now?
When he heard those words, his friend was immediately drawn to the conservation. He constantly boosted at how the economic condition is superb, it is only going to go up, there is no backing down this time!
After a passion-filled conversation, Zheng Hongjie was tempted. With only the food processing nt, it would take ten years before he could be a millionaire, but he could with only a few days in the stock market.
When he returned home, he hesitantly opened an ount. Under the guidance of his friend, he tested the water by putting in twenty thousand. He didnt pay too much attention to the ount as he was busy with his business until one monthter when he remembered that he bought stock.
He only opened the ount out of curiosity and wanted to see how much money that twenty thousand turned into. If it were a small amount, even if he lost it all, it would be okay.
It would have been better if he didnt look, he immediately jumped up when he saw the number. The twenty thousand turned into fifty thousand.
He felt the world dazzling around him. It was not excitement, but regret.
Thats right, it was regret.
If he put in two million, it wouldve be five million! If he borrowed some money to buy ten million, he would be a millionaire already
Humans greed was infinite, the piercing 5000 red number, he remembered Renren Newspaper; The bull market is only halfway to the top. He immediately put all two million from his ount into the stock market. Out of the two million, there was a one million loan used for the nts expansion.
Renren Newspaper would not trick its citizens right? xxx cant be lying? If the stock market crashed then xxx would be the first one to react!
Mhmm. Its hard to believe, but they did the trick, what can you do?
In the start, he did feel excited as a 2% increase was forty thousand. By just looking at that red line, he felt his entire body shake with excitement. He was starting to day dream about the life of a millionaire and forgot the caution he had before.
With just half a month, he experienced the feeling of dropping down from heaven to hell.
The index headed straight down, thousands of stocks with 10% decreases became the norm, but the media kept pushing it up.
The right opportunity to get into the bull market.
Short term adjustments for higher adjustment.
Stock hits rock bottom, now is the time to buy.
The index cant drop anymore The central government is discussing interest rate drop.
80% of organizations think the stock market is at the bottom.
Pension n is in discussion to enter the market.
He continued to buy in only to continue to lose. The friend that promised him that it wouldnt drop below 4000 points was nowhere to be seen. It was rumored that he borrowed money he shouldnt have, left his wife and children and escaped to the south.
Zheng Hongjie wanted to die, but he couldnt. He has a wife that loved him dearly, and a daughter that idolized him.
The nt expansion was a no go.
Because he used the loan for other purposes, to avoid legal consequences, as well as being forced by the bank to sell assets to repay debt, Zheng Hongjie decided to borrow elsewhere to fill the hole. He borrowed money from his business friends and repaid the bank loan. Then he put the rest of the money into the nt, hoping he could slowly repay the debt.
However, another unfortunate event urred.
Within less than a month, the high rising pork price increased the price of other foods which directly increased the cost of producing canned foods and mmed the food processing industry. But to repay this debt, he practically epted all orders and used the guarantee fee to maintain production and repay debt.
With the price from the previous month, based on the high rising cost of production, for every canned food he produced, he lost 1 RMB. But he had to keep producing, or else he would have to pay for breach of contract.
If it was before, he could have easily handled this crisis with the cash on hand, but now
After debating, he chose to breach the contract and lost every single cent. He lost all opportunities to start up again. The bank would not loan him money, and he could no longer pay for the workers, so he had to let go of all employees.
The five years was like a dream.
Because of a legal Ponzi Scheme, he went from high up in the clouds to hell.
The stock market was like , people on the outside were afraid, people on the inside couldnt escape.
He left a sentence worth thinking about. Then he blew thest smoke ring before stepping on the cigarette butt.
If he knew what would happen today, he wouldnt have done it from the beginning. To be honest, Jiang Chen also followed the stock market before, but before this July, he had no money in his pocket. He was quite lucky that he was always an outsider.
Silently listening till he finished, Jiang Chen let out a sigh.
Your experience could be written into a book. Do you have any ns?
Probably driving. Selling the factory should be enough to pay off the debt, and the missing sries. Although I am not a boss anymore, I still have to maintain my morale as a person. Heughed self-mockingly as he shook his head.
Morale is a bright spot, Jiang Chen secretly nodded his head as he heard Hongjies words. He didnt know how to operate a nt, rather than going to a headhunter to find a manager, it would be better to hire this expert right away.
I am talking about your future ns, not your n for tomorrow. Jiang Chen smiled, he looked at the wry face, unfitting for his age, as he spoke lightly.
Zheng Hongjie paused for a moment.
Me? Probably driving
A waste of talent. I personally look highly of people with ability, Jiang Chen waved his hand and interrupted him, and he continued with a smile, What about this? Do you have any interest in working in my factory? Xinlong Food Processing nt is still called Xinlong. You are still the head.
Finishing his words, Jiang Chen extended his right hand and looked at him with a bright smile.
Shocked, the aged faced suddenly regained some liveliness. From the initial shock to the final excitement, Zheng Hongjie extended his hand out, trembling, and held onto Jiang Chens hand.
He never imagined that the new owner of the factory would risk the bad luck and hire a failure. Regardless, the nt went down because of him.
The closure of the factory was not because of your operational mistake. I think Xinlong would only be able to generate maximum value in your hands. I trust that you wont easily just let go of so many years of hard work, what do you think?
I do!
An answer without hesitation.
He put Jiang Chens hand down as Zheng Hongjie picked up the cigarette bud he threw on the ground.
What are you doing? Jiang Chen was bewildered.
Hehe, sanitation is critical in a food processing nt. When I was the head, without exaggerating, there was not a single bud in the entire nt! As if the spring breeze just blew by, all of the sudden, the rigid face returned to its former day liveliness.
Jiang Chen shrugged, extinguished the bud, and followed him to the trashcan to throw it in the bin.
Now that I have purchased thepany, I will inject one million into it. I demand you to restart production within half a month. I just want to ask one thing, are you confident!
Yes!
Seeing Zheng Hongjie shout out at the top of his lungs, Jiang Chenughed and patted him on the shoulder.
Thats the attitude! I trust you. Now go with me to the bureau to finish the process.
Hehe, boss, could I invite you to lunch after the process? I dont have a lot of money, so I cant treat you at a restaurant. The thirty something man forced augh.
Regardless, he wanted to invite the person that gave him a second chance for a meal to express his sincere gratitude. It was the tradition of his hometown, and his insistence throughout his life.
Slightly unexpecting it, Jiang Chen immediatelyughed.
No problem!
He noticed out of a sudden that the abjected mans chest finally rose up.
As if he received a new life.
Chapter 119 - It’s you again?
Chapter 119: Its you again?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The process waspleted quickly, and Jiang Chen acquired the rights to the factory. When the 2.7 million was transferred to Zheng Hongjies bank ount, and he received the confirmation message on his phone, the man finally lets out a sigh of relief.
He still acted as the nt manager with a base sry of 8000, and based on sales there would be bonuses. Just like before, he would have to take care of everything from marketing to production. Although a bit overwhelming, Jiang Chen gave him a lucrative bonus n. It would depend on his sales to see how much he would get in the end.
I wont care too much on how the nt is operated, but you have to do a few things for me. Although he said it casually, Zheng Hongjie still sensed the inflexibility in his tone.
Please go ahead. Zheng Hongjie nodded with an earnest expression.
First, if you want to do it, then go big. Processing for other people can be put aside. Well have to develop our own brand.
Our own brand? Zheng Hongjie forced a smile, and continued, To be honest, I tried to start my own brand before, but the cost is too high. Advertisement, sponsorship, distribution channel, it was iparable to the profit margin of processing for other people, theres also more risk.
Jiang Chen shook his headughing.
Processing for other people is enough if we want to remain small, but I dont n on doing that. Ill continue to invest in the early stages, including research and development, upgrading to therger production lines, and expanding the nt. You dont have to worry about the sales channel, Ill mention it next. As to distribution and advertisement, Ill take care of it.
[Funny, there is no channel better than the Inte right? Promotion could be done on Future 1.0, such as free moon cake during the mid-autumn festival. Or when he makes Liu Yao famous, getting her to promote the brand would be simple.]
Seeing the boss so certain, although Zheng Hongjie was still unsure, he didnt continue asking.
Second, this is the most important point. Well transition to international trade. I need you to register for import and export requirement; the destination is currently Pannu Ind. Well import the fruit to produce fruit can and sell domestically, then export other canned food.
When he heard Jiang Chens words, Zheng Hongjie slightly raised his eyebrows. He asked wondering.
I considered export before, but it was not as easy it as it seems. First being that we dont have a strong brand, second being the cost. We dont have any advantagespared to corporations in Australia, or the Philippine. And the most critical factor is transport. I know a little about Pannu Ind. Its a small ind country in the Pacific, and it doesnt even have a deep water port to dockrger ships.
You dont have to worry about that. It wont be long until an investor builds a cargo port there. You only need to expand production and sell to them, and produce the cheap food imported from there into food cans. Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously and didnt exin more.
Zheng Hongjie paused as he had a weird expression on his face, looking at Jiang Chen. Although he was curious as to why the boss knew a lot about the third-world country but since the boss didnt n to say more, he stopped asking.
Third, this not something official so you only need to keep it in mind. I need you to have surplus goods every month.
It was okay to buy from the food store owner in the short term, but it was not a reliable long term situation. Since goods only went into the warehouse and never out, one or two times, it wouldnt cause any suspicion, but any more than that would be problematic. Once the Fishbones poption increases, it would have a higher demand for food, a food processing nt would be the safer choice.
Surplus goods? Zheng Hongjie almost thought he heard it wrong.
Surplus goods referred to goods overproduced. Usually, it would either be given out to employees for free or discounted at a low price. It was the first time he heard someone wanted surplus good.
Mhmm, Ill let you know the amount, you only need to keep that in mind. These goods dont need to be branded. Its not for selling. I have other uses.
After hearing Jiang Chens exnation, Zheng Hongjie didnt ask more. Although it was an odd request, it was nothingplicated. Him, being a boss before, knew that he only needed to listen.
-
Dad!
My cute daughter, haha, daddy is back. Zheng Hongjie hugged his daughter, who leaped towards him with a warm smile.
Dad, who is this? The adorable girl blinked her big eyes looking at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen kneeled down and looked at this energetic little girl with a smile. He then said with an amiable voice, Uncle is your dads friend. Whats your name?
My name is Jiajia, I am in second grade at experimental school~ Jiajia replied in a cute tone.
Jiang Chen paused when he heard experimental school.
Uncle, are you okay? Jiajia tilted her head.
Oh, nothing, hehe. Jiang Chen forced augh and answered in a light-hearted tone.
[Sun Jiao is probably still waiting for me on the other side]
He peeked at his right hand. He tried this morning, but it still didnt work.
You are back, and this is? A virtuous looking woman came out of the kitchen and asked her husband when she saw Jiang Chen.
This is my boss, Mr. Jiang. Zheng Hongjie smiled at his wife.
You finally sold the nt?
Mhmm, I did. But Mr. Jiang hired me to continue to run the nt.
Kong Jie looked at the smile she hasnt seen for a long time on her husbands face as her eyes became moist.
She took a deep breath in and to both Jiang Chen and Zheng Hongjies surprise, she sincerely bowed towards Jiang Chen.
Honey?
What, what are you doing? Jiang Chen looked at her actions, not knowing how to react.
For a while, Hongjie had been worried about the nt every day. He regretted trusting his friends word. I was really scared, scared that one day if he couldnt think things through, he would leave us Tears began to emerge from Kong Jies eyes.
Seeing the tears in his wifes eyes, Zheng Hongjie suddenly hugged her.
Fool, there is no way I would leave you. The tough mans voice had a sob tone to it.
Jiang Chen silently watched them as a smile emerged on his face.
It would best not to interrupt them right now.
Uncle. Jiajia looked up and blinked her big eyes at Jiang Chen.
Hmm? Do you have something Little Jiajia? Jiang Chen regathered his thoughts and kneeled down again, rubbing her hair.
Thank you, Jiajia said sweetly.
Haha.
Jiang Chen suddenly burst outughing. Jiajia tilted her head and looked at the uncle in front of her, confused.
No problem, Jiajia is very courteous. For some reason, his mood was delighted at this moment.
Hehe. Because she received recognition, Jiajia smiled shyly.
After Zheng Hongjie had finished hugging his wife, he looked awkwardly at Jiang Chen. It was rather impolite to leave the guest hanging during a disy of affection. The thin-skinned Kong Jie already fleeted to the kitchen. Jiajia tilted her head not knowing the situation, while Zheng Hongjie expressed his apology with a blushed face.
Jiang Chen, with a smile, motioned it was okay. He then began to chat with Zheng Hongjie on the sofa.
Zheng Hongjie was a talkative person as he was a taxi driver before he started a business. Although his experience was nowhere near as exciting as Jiang Chen, his depth of experience far exceeded Jiang Chens.
His wife Kong Jie was a traditional woman, she virtuously cooked the meal and asked everyone to eat.
On the table, Jiang Chen and Zheng Hongjie had a few drinks. Jiajia curiously reached her hand towards the cup which made Jiang Chen chuckle more.
[Is this the feeling of home?]
He thought about it, and it did feel like this when he was at the wily old fox Wang Dehais ce.
He was suddenly envious of the feeling. He didnt know why.
Maybe it was time to go back to his hometown Lake City. Perhaps during New Year; it was already October.
Jiang Chen fell into a deep thought while watching the table filled with home cooked dishes.
But suddenly, a fierce door smashing sound transmitted from the outside, it forced him out of his thoughts.
Who? Jiang Chen was lost as he looked at Zheng Hongjie.
But Zheng Hongjie was confused as well. He exchanged a confused look with his wife before he got up and walked towards the door.
You are? Zheng Hongjie opened the door as he looked confusedly at the men in front.
Fu*k you, we are here to collect our money! A few young men in shirts saw that the door was opened and they didnt hesitate to force their way in.
Wait, do you guys have the wrong personAfter being pushed aside, Zheng Hongjie struggled frightened.
This is the loan agreement, three million. We are debt collectors. A young man with a buzz cut aggressively pushed Zheng Hongjie as they surrounded him, sneering.
What are you guys doing!? Let Hongjie go. I am going to call the police! Kong Jie took out the phone as she said shakingly.
Police? Dont use cops to scare me. Let me get this straight. Do you know who my boss Sir Qiang is? The young men said cockily. A man in shades stood behind him with a cigarette in his mouth. He didnt speak.
This guy was probably Sir Qiang.
Dad! Jiajia saw that her father was in trouble as her adorable face twisted, with tears in her eyes she wanted to run up.
Donte, Jiajia! Dad is okay. Zheng Hongjie immediately stopped her. Kong Jie also grabbed Jiajia and hugged her.
He took a deep breath as Zheng Hongjie looked at the young men. I already prepared the money, and Ill borrow from my rtives some more in the next few days
Next few days? I want to take care of this today
At this moment, the young man suddenly saw Jiang Chen, his thuggish look instantly froze.
To be honest, Jiang Chen was surprised from the start. He didnt expect to see him here again.
Jiang Chen mischievously examined the young men as he opened his mouth.
Oh, what a coincidence, its you again?
Chapter 120 - Don’t do it, I’ll do it myself
Chapter 120: Dont do it, Ill do it myself
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
A young man who didnt finish high school followed by a few tattooed subordinates who also didnt finish high school. It would be more satisfying if he managed to hook up with a rebellious girl while still studying and act as the boss in front of a bunch of students. Although in front of a real boss, Liu Hu was still nothing.
Butpared to other punks, he was at least somewhatpetent. He practiced a bit of martial arts, overlooked a construction site in the past and hustled cash from grade-schoolers Ahem, thatst part didnt count.
In any case, the Hongyi Gang leader, Liu Changlong, recognized his ability during a street brawl. After being released by the police, he joined Hongyi Gang, and through his fighting prowess, he finally climbed to sess.
However, his blissful life changedpletely one day.
His brothers surrounded a b*tch with a beautiful face without a background during one of their modi operandi. Paying off debt was expected from anyone; otherwise, paying off using ones body also worked fine. It wasnt his first time doing something like this.
But an average-looking guy came by and not only he was physically strong, but he was also wielding a gun.
Liu Hu was scared, and it suddenly dawned on him that he messed with the wrong person. The man didnt even bat an eye when he shot and maimed the leg of one of his thugs.
When he felt the hot muzzle pressing against his temple, his hands went cold, and his legs turned weak.
In short, although he had brought the money back, he failed toplete the task given to him by his boss (which was to bring the person back) and made an enemy with someone he shouldnt have.
This normally shouldnt be a big deal. After all, Liu Changlong had worked for Hongyi Gang for so many years and had earned plenty of merits, so he shouldnt be kicked out just because of this.
However, something unexpected happened which made him relive his former street thug life.
It went something like this.
Liu Changlong had received a phone call from his younger brother, Liu Anshan, asking him if he wanted to get rich. Liu Anshan recounted the story about Jiang Chen selling gold and had emphasized the fact that this person had a lot of gold, and there must be a stable source where it came from.
Liu Changlong was tempted but gold alone was not enough to sway him; however, if it was a stable source of ie, that was something entirely different. He didnt care if it was a private mine or an ancient tomb. After all, how hard could it be to pry the secret out of someone with little or no background on his turf?
Though before making a move, he cautiously investigated beforehand.
The result of the investigation frightened him. This Jiang Chen was no simple character.
Being the chairman of Future Technology was not the important point. The crucial point was when he hinted at his friends in politics, the response he received was: Do not touch this guy. Even worse was the old city mayor personally made a directive with one word: Support.
His friend only vaguely exined to him that if he dared to touch him, all his hideous secrets would be exposed the next day, then he would be incarcerated and he would be beyond saving.
The gang could only scare the ordinary people. Not taking into consideration the people the city official personally stated to support, anyone with some background would be difficult to offend. Because of this, his action couldnt be seen under the light.
Of course, he didnt dare to make a move on Jiang Chen at the moment. He also didnt dare to use Liu Hu who had offended Jiang Chen. Although Jiang Chen might not remember it, there was no point in taking the risk.
So Liu Hu lost his job and the thugs, who followed him, left one by one. Fortunately, one of his drinking friends recognized his talent in debt collecting, so he employed him to work in a debt collection agency.
Scaring and hoaxing people. Thisbination would certainly put pressure on most ordinary citizens to pay off their debts. 28% was not a badmission rate, especially the faster it waspleted, the higher themission would be. For the stubborn ones, some punches and kicks would easily solve the problem and as long as he didnt do anything extreme, the cops couldnt do anything to him.
But what he didnt expect was meeting the demon Jiang Chen again.
-
Liu Hus face looked like he just ate a piece of sheet. Jiang Chen ignored him and looked at the person behind him who got up and said, Boss.
Why cant you collect debt nicely? Whats the point of being so angry and starting a conflict?
The man wearing a pair of sunsses looked over when he heard the words and guffawed.
Are you involving yourself in something thats none of your concern?
None of my concern? Isnt that the job of an employer? Jiang Chen surprisingly shrugged. His face betraying not the slightest hint of fear.
The one called Sir Qiang burst outughing then slowly took off his shades. The thugs saw their boss was about to make a move, so they maliciously surrounded Jiang Chen.
You son of a b*tch! Who do you think you are?
Boss Jiang, this is my business, so you dont have to stand up for me Zheng Hongjie smiled bitterly while trying to persuade Jiang Chen.
He did not expect that his former good friend would make use of a debt collection agency to make him pay back the money he owed. He probably thought he would run away since one of their friends, whom they also had drunk with regrly, ran away after being deep in debt after losing big in the stock market.
Sir Qiang, you, you cant touch this person. Liu Hu rushed forward to stop his brother but Li Qiang didnt care at all. Debt collection was all about the aggression. Whats the point in collecting debt if they would just get scared, they should have just studiedw instead.
Cant touch him? I, Li Qiang
Although I dont know who you areI wont tolerate you cursing my mother. Jiang Chens eyes narrowed and fastly bing enraged.
Funny, daddy didnt even curse. Im going to fu*k you up Li Qiangs eyebrows shot up provocatively and he became even more aggressive. The man in front of him didnt look like he could fight.
However, before he could evenplete his words, his eyes began to blur as he flew into the closet.
Kong Jie covered Jiajias tiny head to prevent her from witnessing this violent scene. Zheng Hongjie looked dumbly at his boss. He could not imagine his boss, who was not even taller than him, had the ability to send someone flying with a kick.
When the thugs saw that their boss was beaten, they hesitated for a moment before lunging at Jiang Chen with their fists out.
Jiang Chen let out a sigh, his eyes suddenly turned fierce and then he stretched out his hands.
Liu Hu, on the other hand, didnt make a move. He smiled wryly and closed his eyes. He had experience firsthand how vicious he could get.
The fight ended almost instantly with the previously mocking hooligans syed awkwardly on the ground.
What a joke. With Muscle Strength +30, even a boxing champion wouldnt be his opponent. With Reflex +32, even if they sprouted two more hands, it would yield the same result.
Jiang Chen shook his fist and looked at Liu Hu, who was standing on the side, with a sardonic smile.
You dont need to do anything; Ill do it myself. Liu Hu smiled bitterly before raising his fist ready to knock himself out.
Dont be nervous. Do I look that vicious to you? Just hold still, and everything will be okay, Jiang Chen smilingly told him.
Is there even a point of watching? Of course, Liu Hu would not dare to say it out loud. His raised hand was frozen in midair, and he had a peculiar expression on his face.
I thought you were collecting debts for Hongyi Gang? What, the pay is too low, so you started your own business? Jiang Chen watched Liu Hu thoughtfully and a hint of mockeryced his tone.
Zheng Hongjie and Kongjie were utterly stunned. Jiajia was pping her hands in her mothers arms, wanting to get a good look at her surrounding. Liu Hu nced at his brothers on the floor and sighed.
Got fired.
Liu Hu exined everything that happened after that night including the things he knew and the thing he shouldnt have known but heard.
When he heard the gold store manager, Liu Anshan, had leaked his information and the Hongyi Gang leader, Liu Changlong, was ready to make a move on him, Jiang Chen cursed in his mind.
Although he was not afraid of these scums of society, what happened here made him reflect on the carelessness of his past actions. Selling gold attracted unwanted attentions of a different kind. He was lucky that his improvement skyrocketed that made Liu Changlong backed off right away or else he would be facing far more treachery and danger.
All right, you may now excuse yourself. Jiang Chen didnt want to waste too much time on a cannon fodder.
Upon hearing those words, Liu Hu immediately left, leaving hisrades on the floor without a second thought.
Zheng Hongjie saw that Liu Hu had left. He nced at the thugs on the floor and asked Jiang Chen with a troubled tone, Mr. Jiang, how do we take care of this?
Jiang Chen watched the people lying on the ground and scratched his head in annoyance.
Three of them probably had their ribs broken and two of them definitely had their hands fractured. Li Qiang was knocked out with just one kick. Because he didnt fight that often, he didnt know how to control his power.
Jiang Chen secretly activated fury and when he saw that no one had died, he secretly let out a sigh of relief.
He took out the phone from his pocket and called 110.
Hello, 110? I want to report a crime. This is what happened. Better me it on them first.
After exining the situation, Jiang Chen hesitated for a bit before calling Wang Zhiyongs number.
Hello, Brother Chen, whats up? Wang Zhiyongs brash voice came through from the other side of the phone.
Just a bit of trouble. Some punks were giving me trouble, so I injured all of them, Jiang Chen cut straight to the point.
Thest time they had a drink, they started calling each other brother. So in the moment of trouble, the only one Jiang Chen could think of was him.
Fu*k, who dares to touch my brother? Where are you? Ill bring my people to beat their asses, Wang Zhiyong cursed and was instantly incensed.
Jiang Chen was speechless at his words. This guy didnt even inquire about the injuries but was already ready to give them a beating once again.
Ahem, I already beat them down but I have to go the police station to give my statement. Do you have some connections with the police?
Woah, you beat all of them? Dont worry about the evidence, its self-defense. Although I am not close to the police, I am tight with their superiors. Wang Zhiyong chortled.
Er, I hit them first.
Dont worry, if I said its self-defense, its self-defense! You only need to say that during the investigation.
[Damn! Political influence sure is a great thing.]
Chapter 121 - Experiencing the World
Chapter 121: Experiencing the World
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Wang Zhiyong had already talked with his buddy, so the cop who came did not say anything at all. In the spirit of civilizedw enforcement, they politely invited Jiang Chen to the police station to gather evidence.
As for the people lying on the ground, they didnt experience the same privilege and regardless of how badly they were beaten, they were all handcuffed and shoved into the police car.
Zheng Hongjie wanted to go with Jiang Chen. Although he did not have any connection with the police force, he could still stand as a witness, but Jiang Chen waved his hand indicating it was unnecessary and urged him to settle the family problem first and quickly pay off the debt.
Jiang Chen lent him the remaining 300,000 and told him that he could pay it off with his monthly sry.
Under the grateful look of the entire family, Jiang Chen followed the courteous police downstairs.
Seeing the humiliated expression on Li Qiangs face, Jiang Chen halted, smiled and pulled out his car key, waved it in front of him and then got in his own car.
Because it was just for the sake of formality, he didnt even need to go in the police car. But the hooligans who stirred up trouble would at least be locked up for half a month. Naturally someone would teach them some lessons, however, there were not a lot of opportunities for them to prove themselves in front their superiors.
Aftering to the police station, Jiang Chen cooperated and provided the evidence. The witness statement was not even needed before the whole thing was settled as a legitimate self-defense case.
When leaving the police station, he identally ran into Wang Zhiyong who was heading towards him.
Li Gangming, who was driving the car, awkwardly smiled after seeing Jiang Chen. Due to his minor altercation with Jiang Chen in the past, and thetter seemingly exceptional rtionship with his superior, he was afraid that Jiang Chen would seek vengeance on him.
But he was clearly overthinking since Jiang Chen didnt even take that little thing to heart and responded with a friendly smile.
Gangming, drive the car back to the station for me. Ill have to take my brother out to y tonight.
After sending Li Gangming off, Wang Zhiyong walked happily to Jiang Chen.
Fu*k, the training during thesest few days is killing me. I finally got the change to go out.
Whats the point of being a soldier if you dont train? Jiang Chenughingly mocked him. If you dont want to go, who can force you to?
Hehe, my father forced me to go. Wang Zhiyongughed awkwardly and touched his nose then changed the subject. Enough bullsheet, Ill drive you to experience the world.
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes and opened the car door. Wang Zhiyong unabashedly sat on the driver seat.
Whats experiencing the world? Jiang Chen asked and helplessly sat on the passenger seat.
Youll know once we get there. Wang Zhiyong smiled mysteriously and then started the car and admiringly eximed, Maybach S600, limited edition. Fu*k, I am about the same age as you, how are you so rich?
Do you want one? My treat. Jiang Chenughed.
To Jiang Chens surprise, Wang Zhiyong shook his head.
I dont dare, I have a lot of brothers who have them, so I can just drive around whenever the urge strikes. Not to brag but I even drove a Lamborgini, Koenigsegg before. A friend of mine was even prepared to give me one when he saw I like it, but I still refused.
So virtuous? Then why are you still a soldier? You will receive a lot ofmendations if you were to be a politician. Jiang Chenughed.
Wang Zhiyong also chuckled and continued, Its not about being virtuous, youre overthinking. For those people who want to join my force, I wouldnt even think about it unless it is at least 1000.
Only Wang Zhiyong would dare to say this out loud.
I only need enough money to spend. I dont have much interest in being a millionaire. The friendship would change if I ept my friends money, Wang Zhiyong said casually but it certainly hinted deeper meanings.
Jiang Chen could not help but grow astonished at his words.
He thought this guy was just a blockhead descendant of an influential politician who only knew how to do reckless things with his buddies, but he certainly had his own convictions in life.
It was apparent that he truly considered Jiang Chen as his friend. When there was money involved, the dynamics of rtionship would change.
Dont think too much. I simply have too much money to spend and had no other intentions, Jiang Chen said and chuckled.
Wang Zhiyong alsoughed.
Lets not talk about this anymore. Oh yeah, you created Future 1.0, right?
Yes, are you using it? Jiang Chen gave him a surprised look.
Hehe, the holy trinity of holy-up apps, even better than Momo by arge margin. Could you turn me into VIP5? That shouldnt be too much trouble, right?
Not at all, give me your ount number. Jiang Chen said in a forthright manner.
He texted Wang Zhiyongs Little Whites ount number to Xia Shiyu. Upgrading to VIP5 only needed a word from himthe chairman.
After the car arrived at the suburbs, Jiang Chen looked outside of the window, as the buildings became more and moremon, he could not help but get confused. He thought Wang Zhiyong would take him somewhere fun downtown and did not expect him to drive to the outskirts.
Well, arent you curious? As though seemingly aware to Jiang Chens confusion, Wang Zhiyong arrogantly smiled.
Thats right, what fun is there in the suburbs? Jiang Chen did not hesitate to ask what was boggling his mind.
Were almost there. Its a nice ce.
With a mysterious smile, Wang Zhiyong turned the steering wheel into another corner.
After the bend, Jiang Chen had a sudden feeling of enlightenment. At a nce, he could very well discern the destination of this trip.
The European style structure looked out-of-ce in the less busy neighborhood just like a castle amidst the ghetto. Surprisingly, its remote location did not impact its poprity at all. From the nearly full parking lot, not only was this ce popr, but it was not a ce for ordinary people.
Jiang Chens expression could not help but turn odd while looking at the magnificent building that was decorated exquisitely.
The name was very familiar to him.
The bright and colorful words were: Hongyi Private Club.
-
After parking the car, Wang Zhiyong and Jiang Chen were ushered to the door by a server.
Why did wee to this ce? Jiang Chen asked while walking.
Hmm? Is there any problem? Wang Zhiyong froze.
Ahem, Hongyi Gang and I had a little bit of conflict.
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhiyongs expression was rather odd, then he burst outughing and patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder.
If you mean those goofballs, dont worry, they dont have anything to do with this ce. I heard about Liu Changlong from my friend. He oversaw the security of a construction site for my brother in the past, then he got transferred here as a security guard. My brother saw that he was doing good so he told him to open a night club. That guy seemed to have established more businesses and created the Hongyi Gang. That club used this private club name to help itself out. Nothing worth being bothered about.
Wang Zhiyong then took out a card as he arrogantly waved it between his fingers.
VIP card, my brother gave it to me. Everything is free of charge. Tonight is on me.
Although Jiang Chen was curious who his brother was, he didnt say anything anymore as he epted the gratitude.
He took out his phone from his pocket and sent a text to Ayesha.
[ I might be a littlete for dinner, no need to wait for me.]
Suddenly, his finger froze in ce.
Who are you texting? Your girlfriend? Wang Zhiyong grinned and poked his head to peek at the screen.
Jiang Chen quickly moved the phone away and gave Wang Zhiyong a dirty look and pressed send.
Dont worry, we are all men. I understand. Wang Zhiyong patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder and then walked to the doorughing.
Although he had an inkling as to what kind of ce this was, he finally confirmed it when he saw the look in Wang Zhiyongs eyes.
Jiang Chen smiled wryly.
Those eyes filled with love appeared in his mind.
[Fu*k, this guilty feeling is unreal.]
Chapter 122 - Hongyi Private Club
Chapter 122: Hongyi Private Club
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The main colors of the building were gold and light gray, an elegant bronze chandelier was hanging in the central dome, and on both sides of the aisle were lined with exquisite European-style marble columns. Under his feet was a soft, red carpet and above his head were star-spangled crystals.
This was just the lobby on the first floor.
Those who asionally passed by were very quiet as the decoration naturally made people slow down their footsteps. Sitting at the front reception was a gorgeous receptionist, wearing a light makeup on and smiling gracefully at the two of them.
The spa here is not bad. You should try it. Hehe, but I rmend the activity on the third floor. Wang Zhiyongughingly winked at him.
Based on his expression, Jiang Chen knew what type of service to expect on the third floor.
It was obvious that he was a regr at this ce since the receptionist appeared to be familiar with him. Without even looking at the card, she started asking what kind of service he would avail.
The usual for me. What about you? Wang Zhiyong turned to Jiang Chen.
Feeling awkward, Jiang Chen looked at the list of services a few times. He hadnt been to this kind ce before so he could not understand the types of service they were offering.
Spa should be about bathing, right?
But what in the world were the goddess spreading flowers and lotusing out of the water?
Only the acupuncture and massage sounded normal.
However, since he was already here, it would be rude to just turn around and walk away.
As Jiang Chen pondered on this matter, he decided to go for something light. Truthfully, he already had a beautiful wife back home, so he had little interest in other flowers. He subconsciously thought this would be that kind of ce.
But just as he was about to speak, he heard an unfamiliar voice.
Brother Yong, why didnt you tell me that youll be here to y. Haha, are you done with your training? A young man wearing a pair of sses walked over with a smile on his face and warmly greeted Wang Zhiyong.
Jiang Chen couldnt tell the price of his suit, but from the aura that the man gave off, he felt that he was not a simple character. He didnt look anything special, and the only thing that left an impression on him was a pair of squinting eyes.
Whether he wasughing or not, his eyes appeared to be perpetually squinting.
Nope. I yed hooky. Haha, lets not talk about this. Let me introduce you to someone.
Wang Zhiyong put his arm around Jiang Chens shoulder. This is the chairman of Future Technology. Jiang Chen, this is Zhou Zihao, a major shareholder of this private club.
What major shareholder, only a bunch of friends making some pocket money. Zhou Zihao modestly smiled and then looked at Jiang Chen. I am nowhereparable to Mr. Jiang. Aplished at a young age, the Future Technology even made it in Wallstreet Journal. This is truly giving our country glory.
I dont deserve such praise, I just got lucky, Jiang Chen said while smiling; however, in his mind, he was secretly thinking.
Zhou Zihao was not someone who was easy to deal with.
He never thought these second generations of politicians were easy to fool, but rather himself was always at a disadvantage in terms of foresight and shrewdness.
Take Wang Zhiyong for example, Jiang Chen always thought that he was just a little blockhead, but the words he said in the carpletely altered his perception of him in his mind. Wang Zhiyong knew too much but he was simply not interested in politics, and thats why he always acted in a straightforward manner.
On the other hand, Jiang Chen couldnt see through Zhou Zihao.
[His name is Zhou? Could it be the Zhou family?]
Thinking of this, Jiang Chen started to be more cautious.
No, no. Zhou Zihao offered his hand and shook hand with Jiang Chen. Compared to my not-so-aplished brother, Mr. Jiangs corporation achieve far greater things in the tech industry.
Upon hearing these words, Jiang Chens mind turned quickly.
Brother? Does that mean his brother is in charge of military artificial intelligence? But what does this statement mean? A friendly gesture? What kind of rtionship does he have with his brother? Competitive or close? He only knew that Wang Family and Zhou Family were cut from the same cloth, but he didnt know the intricacies of these political dynasties.
After all, only a few months ago, he was a nobody.
Wang Zhiyong suddenlyughed and patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder, which interrupted his train of thought and said, Thats enough. Why are you being serious about when were having fun? Zihao always pretends to be poetic. Dont you feel tired speaking like this?
Ahem, this is not a serious talk but only casual greetings. Zhou Zihao squinted his eyes and smiled
.
Future Technology is only a start-uppany so it doesnt deserve such praise. Jiang Chenughed and let his hands go.
Oh yeah, Zihao, one of your younger brothers, Liu Changlong, seemed to be embroiled in a conflict with Jiang Chen, you take care of it. Wang Zhiyong chuckled as he looked at Zhou Zihao.
Liu Changlong? Zhou Zihao frowned, thought for a moment before his eyebrows rxed. Oh, him. Dont worry, Mr. Jiang, Ill give you an ount of this.
Jiang Chen waved his hands. Its really nothing. Although he did plot against me, now he knew better, so dont worry about it.
That wont do. Zhou Zihao shook his head in seriousness. Today will be on me as a token of apology.
Pshh, I already said its on me. Wang Zhiyong pped the table with a grin.
Zhou Zihao squinted at him, You? The card says that it is only free for you. How many people did you treat with it?
Wang Zhiyong shamelesslyughed and waive his hand nonchntly. Dont worry about it. Just pretend I used it twice.
Is it the first time for Mr. Jiang? Zhou Zihao nced at him.
Jiang Chen nodded, slightly embarrassed, Hmm.
Zhou Zihao nced at the reception, beckoned and whispered a few words to the receptionist.
He then turned around to Jiang Chen, with a smile, Sincet this is your first time, then lets start with something light. What do you think, Mr. Jiang?
[Whats something light?]
Jiang Chen was still confused but politely smiled. Then Ill listen to the host.
What about brother Yong? Zhi Zihao looked at Wang Zhiyong.
Haha, I dont y with rookies, you know. Wang Zhiyong waggled his eyebrows and smiled devilishly.
Zhou Zihao sighed and smiled wryly. Take care of your kidney.
Wang Zhiyong was instantly provoked by the words, he pped the table with bulging eyes.
Fu*k, my kidneys are great! I am a soldier!
How many times have you actually trained?
Under the direction of the staff, Jiang Chen headed to the second floor and due to his curiosity, secretly examined the ce along the way.
On the surface, it appeared to be just an ordinary private club. In the lobby of the second floor, there were pool tables and sofas. The back of the wall was a bar for serving drinks. On the other side was a gym with only two rows of treadmills.
Themon feature of these appliances was no one was using it. Clearly, they were only there as a decoration.
The beautiful staff with a bright smile led Jiang Chen pass through the bar into a hallway where they entered a finely decorated environment.
Sir, your room number is 204. If you need anything else, you can call me through the phone inside, the staff stopped, turned her head and smiled and said to Jiang Chen.
Hmm, okay.
Seeing that that the staff had already left, Jiang Chen looked at the card in his hand and hesitated.
[Fu*k, I am not a virgin, why am I hesitating!
He cursed in his mind as Jiang Chen bit the bullet and swiped the card on the door.
The door opened, it was still soft carpet on the floor, but the door was lined with shoe shelves, which meant he needed to take his shoes off upon entering the room. The faint yellow wallpaper and the dim lighting added intimate ambient to the room.
In the middle of the room, there was an oddly shaped bathtub, the fluid looking shape along had some sophisticated looking buttons on the side. The water was ready, and a gorgeousdy in a bathrobe was standing beside it while smiling.
Hello sir, do you need help changing?
No need. Jiang Chen shyly refused.
Is it your first time here, sir? the beautiful woman smiled with understanding.
Hehe, eh?
[Fu*k, this is awkward.]
Jiang Chen mocked himself in his mind. Embarrassed, he scratched his face.
The girl covered her mouth and smiled when she heard the response. Then she politely looked at Jiang Chen and continued, Sir, if this is your first time, just follow my instruction. First, please take off your clothes and and leave them over there.
Take off my clothes? Here? Jiang Chen thought he heard it wrong.
Yes, unless sir you want to bath with your clothes on? The girl winked and said with a smile, Do you need me to turn around?
Ahem, its okay. Help yoourself. Jiang Chens face turned red and coughed.
[Fu*k, being this shy is not like me!]
Jiang Chen swore in his mind as he made up his mind and undressed.
Do you exercise regrly sir?
With a cheerful smile, the beauty looked at Jiang Chen without avoiding his embarrassing part, then stepped forward to help Jiang Chen fold his clothes and guide him to lie in the bathtub.
No, why?
Nothing, I just think you are very muscr. The beauty maintained her smile, held Jiang Chens head gently in the right spot and then she leaned her headintentionally or notcloser to his ear, If I were to be embraced tightly by you, it would sure feel great.
The voice was full of maism, Jiang Chen felt his scalp be numb and his blood pressure spiked.
Rx, close your eyes.
Jiang Chen obediently followed. He felt a pair of hands touched the acupuncture points on his face pliantly but with just enough force and soothed each of his stiff nerves.
The water level in the bathtub gradually decreased. The tiny water outlet sprayed out warm mist and gently washed his entire body. This acute feeling was quite intoxicating and along with superb massage skills made Jiang Chen only feel rxed.
The tension and fatigue built up through the days of continuous battle were washed away in an instant. As if all the burden had been wiped away by the warm water stream and gentle hands.
It felt like he was in the clouds.
It appeared like he had thought too much, it was not some intense sexual service but just a unique massage.
This beautiful womans technique was skillful. She first used a word to cause his blood flow to speed up, then used a soothing massage to make his muscle and mind fall into a deep state of rxation.
That feeling was even better than the the embarrassing act.
The small hands gradually moved to his chest and further down.
The water level rose again as the beauty appeared to have pressed a button on the side as the water in the bathtub vibrated.
Sir, your muscle is really nice.
The voice in his ears sounded magical as it flirted through his rxed nerves. Just like an ASMR guiding him to deep rxation.
Skin is really nice too.
Rx, just leave your body to me.
Hmm, Jiang Chen had long since done that. Because it was too rxing, his breathing became rhythmic and he fell into a slumber.
On the other side, Zhou Zihao who sent Wang Zhiyong upstairs took out his phone.
Chapter 123 - Seeking Forgiveness
Chapter 123: Seeking Forgiveness
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Wang Zhiyong was ushered to the third floor, but Zhou Zihao didnt go with him.
Wang Zhiyong knew his friend disdained those types of girls, so he didnt invite him. LIkewise, Zhou Zihao knew what type he preferred, so he pulled out his phone.
They were all smart people, its just that they were pursuing different things.
Wang Zhiyong only wanted to spend his days as a second generation officer. To gain harmless, small benefits from his friendsno need to be powerfuljust to live free andfortably.
But Zhou Zihao was different. He was the second son in the family. Honestly, he didnt have the best rtionship with Zhou Qiangwu, but his father clearly preferred his brother over him. Zhou Familys influence was in Shangjin, but he came to Wanghai city partly because of this.
Although he always looked indifferent on the outside, the fact was he longed for power more than anyone else. He desired recognition. The reason why he started this private club with a bunch of silk trousers was a way for him to establish connections.
Did Wang Zhiyong really bring Jiang Chen along because he wanted to y with women? Did he really just casually brought up the conflict between Jiang Chen and one of his dogs? In fact, Wang Zhiyong was very clever. He clearly knew Zhou Zihao wished to befriend Jiang Chen so he deliberately mentioned it.
Call Liu Changlong. Hemanded Little White as Zhou Zihao patiently waited for the call to get connected.
Hello? Boss, whats going on? The fawning voice of Liu Changlong came from the other side.
Did you offend a man called Jiang Chen? Zhou Zihao said leisurely.
Liu Changlongs heart immediately thudded as he cursed in his mind. Although he didnt know why his boss was asking this, the tone did not sound good at all.
No, no, one of my worthless underlings had a conflict with him. I already kicked him out. It has nothing to do with me.
Hearing this, Zhou Zihao did not have the slightest intention to let this go. His face did not have the same amicable expression when he was chatting with Jiang Chen and Wang Zhiyong.
Hoho, everyone else knows what you were plotting, but youre pretty smart and know when to back down.
To say it inly, Liu Changlong was only a dog raised by the people above.
When Changlong heard this, he sweated coldly as he deliberated the intention of his boss.
Did he want him to do it or did he acknowledge him for being smart enough for not doing it?
Lets put it this way, I want to get to know this person. Can you think of a way for me? Zhou Zihao wasughing but the tone was filled with cutting coldess, Someone has to take the knife, right?
This sentence almost frightened Liu Changlong to death. He finally realized that his boss wanted to sell him out as a favor.
Boss, boss, I, I
Stop talking nonsense, Ill give you a chance. You have half a minute to think who youre willing to throw under the bus. Zhou Zihao chuckled.
Liu Changlongs hand that was holding the phone uncontrobly trembled while his underlings dumbfoundedly looked at their frightened boss. They didnt understand why their normally morous boss would be quivering like a dog.
Thats right, just like a dog.
Liu Changlong secretlyined. He didnt even do it yet. If Jiang Chen didnt know he was plotting against him, it would be okay but somehow he figured it out.
Somone had to be thrown under the bus as a favor.
What to do? Use Liu Anshan as a scapegoat?
A fierce glint shed in Liu Changlongs eyes. Although it was his brother, there was no way he could care about family now.
But just as he was about to say Liu Anshans name, another name popped into his head.
Fang Yuanyuan.
He remembered his son, brimming with confidence, took a bunch of hooligans to extort someone called Jiang Chen. He heard from the sl*t he yed with before that it was a rich guy without any background. Fortunately, his son asked him before he actually did something. If they had already done something, there was no way this could be resolved.
Although when he first plotted against Jiang Chen, it had nothing to do with Fang Yuanyuan; however, she did call his son so she could be the scapegoat.
Have you thought of someone?
I, I did! Boss, there was this girlthis is what happened. Liu Changlong submissively held the phone and exined the story about Fang Yuanyuan.
Once a former crush, now a sl*t provoked the gang to make a move on him.
Zhou Zihao captured the three key concepts and gave it a thought.
He only needed a favor as a stepping stone. Maybe Jiang Chen would be the key to defeating his brother. Based on Liu Changlongs description, this woman seemed to have fit the criteria.
Also, when he heard it was a woman, he suddenly had other ideas.
Bring that person here. You know what Im talking about. Zhou Zihaos smile was peculiar.
Yes, yes! Liu Changlong held the phone while his back waspletely drenched with sweat.
Liu Changlong hung up the phone and nced at the thugs around him.
The thugs were all silent and afraid to look at their boss in the eyes.
Diaozi, go capture her back, Ill give you one hour. Liu Changlong said emotionally. He regained his tyrannical bearing as if the submissive conversation never happened before.
Yes. Diaozi nodded and hastily left.
Liu Changlong leaned against the chair and rubbed his tired forehead. A smile appeared on his face.
-
Afterfortably leaving the room, Jiang Chen twisted his neck and felt his entire bodys weariness was washed clean.
It was already 5:30, the staff was waiting at the door and led him to the dining hall.
Once he arrived, Jiang Chen saw that Wang Zhiyong and Zhou Zihao were already waiting there.
Yo, did you have fun? Wang Zhiyong waggled his eyebrows.
Not bad, I fell asleep in thetter half. Jiang Chen smiled and pulled a chair to sit down.
Such a shame, the best way to enjoy it is to close your eyes and rx your body Zhou Zihao was still the with same squinting eyes as he picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.
Enough enough, dont bring your good living philosophy here. Waiter, bring out the dishes and alcohol, Wang Zhiyong called out.
Do you take this for a hotel? Zhou Zihao was speechless and then signaled the waiter on the side to bring out the dishes.
The dazzling dishes were ced on the table and the gorgeous staff slightly leaned forward to pour a ss of wine for each one of them.
Wine can help with blood cirction. This is a good stuff. Is Mr. Jiang okay with it? Zhou Zihao smilingly raised his wine ss for a toast.
Based on the purity of the color, the wine must have been very expensive, but Zhou Zihao did not mention the year and brand; his shrewdness truly ran deep.
Pretty good, but I dont drink much. Jiang Chen smiled and raised and nk his ss with him.
Zihao had always like these fine things. Who would drink this sour wine? Wang Zhiyong jested but his hand was still on the wine ss.
After a couple rounds of drink, the three started coversing with one another. Wang Zhiyong was surprisingly quiet and Zhou Zihao was talking a lot more.
Jiang Chen had a feeling that Zhou Zihao was trying to befriend him. His attitude made him feel wary. Logically speaking, his artificial intelligence was almost ovepping with Zhou Familys craft. In other words, Zhou Zihao was not popr at home? So he wanted to form a rtionship with me?
Jiang Chen was not repulsed by Zhou Zihaos friendly gesture. After a few sses of wine, they started calling each other brothers.
Brother Jiang, Ill have to offer you a ss one more time. This ss counts as me not controlling my subordinates and causing problems for you. Zhou Zihao suddenly stood up, smilingly offered a toast and drained the ss of wine.
To drink wine like this was a waste of a luxury.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen also hurriedly stood up and smiled wryly.
There is no need, Brother Zhou. I dont really mind and he hadnt done anything yet.
Zhou Zihao waved his hand and then signaled the server on the side. The waiter courteously nodded and walked out in haste.
After a while, the door opened.
Jiang Chen saw a strange man came in.
The person was sporting a buzz cut. His face had a certain kind of resoluteness but also had a terrified expression on his face. Age wise, he was at least 10 years older than Zhou Zihao.
Jiang Chens eyes narrowed slightly as he guessed the identity of this 30-year-old man.
Liu Changlong, the leader of Hongyi Gang and the man who plotted against him.
Wang Zhiyong watched while he carried his ss with a gloating expression. Zhou Zihao didnt look at Liu Changlong and only stared at Jiang Chen with the same smiling expression. Jiang Chen nced at Liu Changlong and then questioningly looked at Zhou Zihao.
Ahem. Zhou Zihao lightly coughed.
There was a pudong sound as Liu Changlong, a man 180 cm tall, dropped to his knees and knocked his head on the ground.
I, Liu Changlong, was blinded and listened to wrongdoers incitement and nned to kidnapped your parents. I hope Sir Jiang Chen to forgive me and let me go like a fart.
Jiang Chen was stunned. He really did not expect Liu Changlong was nning to abduct his parents outside of the province. He also didnt think that before he even made a move, Zhou Zihao had already brought him here to apologize.
Wang Zhiyong looked at Liu Changlong who was kowtowing and seemed to wear an expression that this was to be expected.
Zhou Zihao still didnt spare a nce at Liu Changlong and remained his focus on Jiang Chen while smiling.
Is Brother Jiang satisfied with this result?
Jiang Chens throat moved andughed awkwardly, Very satisfied.
He didnt know what to say, and though he disdained these scums of society and was enraged by the fact that Liu Changlong nned to use his parents to threaten him, he did back down.
Zhou Zihao with his squinting eyes was a ruthless character and not at all easy to deal with. In any case, he owed him a favor.
Jiang Chen thought to himself but his expression remained the same.
When Zhou Zihao saw that Jiang Chen had relented, he then waved his hand.
The beautiful waitress on the side, holding a bottle of about 1 liter of Baiju, came over and ce it in front of Liu Changlong with a smile.
You know what to do, Zhou Zihao said casually.
A cold sweat rolled across Liu Changlongs forehead but when he thought of Zhou Zihaos intention, he gritted his teeth, opened the lid with his teeth and began drinking.
That was 1 litter of Baijiu. The alcohol concentration would certainly not be low.
Jiang Chen who was watching on the side was secretly scared.
Zhou Zihao was watching on coldly while Wang Zhiyong was still showing an interested expression.
As soon as Liu Chonglong had finished the bottle, he immediately fell unconscious on the ground. The waiter nearby looked at Zhou Zihao and after seeing him nod, he carried the unconscious Liu Changlong outside.
Liu Changlong was going straight to the hospital; he was definitely biting the bullet on this one.
Jiang Chen was secretly speechless but did not have an ounce of sympathy, though he was more and more scared of Zhou Zihaos ruthlessness.
This man is ruthless!
Zihao, you should pay extra care to those people under you. Are you not afraid of dirtying your own hands? Wang Zhiyong said and chuckled.
Ahem, even a rat has a rats value, Zhou Zihao said then turned to look at Jiang Chen, I hope you wont mind what happened today. Brother Jiang, I truly value our friendship. If this rat dares to dirty your shoes again, Id throw him into the Huangpu River.
No need for that, Brother Zhou is really a great friend. Its my honor to be your friend, Jiang Chen said.
Thankfully, they were not enemies.
There is no need to go back today. Why dont stay for the night? Zihao prepared you another fun show. Hehe. Wang Zhiyong burst intoughter.
Ahem, Brother Yong, spoiler is not good. Zhou Zihao lightly coughed.
What type of show? Jiang Chen asked casually.
Trust me, you will love it. Zhou Zihao smiled mysteriously after continuing, Would Brother Jiang give me this chance?
It would be impolite to refuse.
Jiang Chen only debated for a second before quickly replying, Then, Ill listen to the host.
There was nothing to it but say yes.
After dinner, it was still the same smiling waitress. Jiang Chen was led into a quiet room on the third floor under her guidance.
The noise instion here is excellent. Enjoy yourself. The staff smiled ambiguously and backed out of the room.
Jiang Chen touched his nose shyly, stood at the entrance for a while before finally going into the room.
[Looks like I am not going home tonight.]
Thinking of this, Jiang Chen pushed the exquisitely decorated door open, but after entering the room, he was surprised to see someone he didnt expect.
Its you?
Jiang Chens expression could not be more strange.
Chapter 124 - It’s really ironic
Chapter 124: Its really ironic
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Its you?
Jiang Chen looked strangely at Fang Yuanyuan sitting on the chair.
Although she was sitting, the posture could not be described as elegant.
Her face was filled with horror, her hair was disheveled, and her lips were covered with ck tape. Her limbs were tied up by nylon ropes in an indecent M style on the chair. Although her clothes were intact, she was without any kind of decency in this position.
Next to the bedside table was aptop, the bright screen projected an audio file.
As if Jiang Chen had guessed something based on Fang Yuanyuans appearance, he stepped forward and gently pressed the y button.
Yo, girl, did you miss your brother?
Pervert Let me tell you something, I have a ssmate who made a fortune No, no, clean background, I know that guy, he just got lucky.
Jiang Chen quietly listened to the voice recording and stared at Fang Yuanyuan with a faint smile on his face.
Fang Yuanyuans evaded Jiang Chens gaze, afraid to make an eye contact with him.
Regardless of how unbelievable it was for her, this was the reality. The foolish fly that once buzzed around her like a fly had be someone that could control her life and death.
Thats right, life and death.
When she was on her way home from work and was forcibly tied here, a frightening looking man told her:
Two options.
First: satisfied the man name Jiang Chen regardless of what he would do. Afterward, she would receive $10,000 aspensation.
Second: be fish bait in the Huangpu River.
She had never seen anything like this before, so she got scared that she almost peed her pants. Her captors didnt talk more as they skillfully tied her on the chair and threw her in the wretched room.
The center of the room had a round bed and beside the closet was some strange bondage devices as well as some frightening S tools
Fang Yuanyuan looked at the man whom she had hurt before, horrified. She was scared, and she feared that he would use those awful things on her. If he actually did, she would have to endure the pain.
At this time, the phone suddenly rang.
Jiang Chen grabbed the phone as if he already guessed who it was. Not in the least bit surprised, he pressed the button.
Hello.
Hehe, is Brother Jiang satisfied with the show? Without a doubt, the lyrical sounding tone was definitely from squinting eyes.
Brother Zhou is worrying too much. If you really want to cooperate with me, you only need to tell me. Why are you using these low-level tricks? Jiang Chens voice was slightly cold.
There was a distinct pause on the other side of the line.
Brother Jiang? I dont really understand what you mean.
Oh, yeah? If you want to watch porn, then I can give you a few gigabyte of torrents. Whats with the fetish of watching things live? Jiang Chen hung up the phone, put it in his pocket then threw it in the storage dimension.
He didnt take his hand out of the pocket as he took out an EMP grenade directly from the storage dimension and detonated it.
A faint static noise was heard in the room. Theptop instantly turned ck as a trail of smoke came from the fan. The light bulb on the ceiling flickered a few times before the light abruptly dimmed down. As if to confirm his suspicion, Jiang Chen keenly caught a glimpse of a few wisps of smoke from the several corners of the room.
He walked in front the photo frame directly above the bed, he sniffed and the faint burnt smell was not difficult to capture.
In the control room.
Zhou Zihao with the phone still in his hand was bewildered, his squinting eyes were actually opened.
He didnt know what Jiang Chen just did that short circuited all the monitors in the room.
Interesting, he muttered to himself as he looked at the four cked out screens.
There was no hatred without cause nor was there any goodness without reason. p his underlings a few times for a new friend? This sorry excuse for friendship was pure bullsheet.
There was no deep hatred running between them, but he put on a show of asking for forgiveness, and then bring Fang Yuanyuan to his room with the recorded conversation. It was if he is trying to provoke the hatred.
From beginning to end, Zhou Zihao didnt ask him anything but did so much.
When Jiang Chen saw the design of the room that was meant to incite him intomitting a crime, he suddenly understood.
In Zhou Zihaos plot, at this time, he would have been furiously ripping her clothes apart and unleashing his anger to humiliate her in the most torturous way possible. But in that case, what was there to gain for Zhou Zihao?
To record these atrocities and then use them would be the best way to maximize the gain.
If he could be ruthless to one of his own, then there was no reason he would be gentle to an outsider.
Jiang Chen ignored the surprised look on Fang Yuanyuans face and once again pulled out his phone. He needed to confirm if Wang Zhiyong knew about this.
Hello, Brother Yong.
What, Brother Chen. Hehe, dont tell me youre done already. There was womans voice on his side; it seemed to have been more than one.
The Brother Zhou you introduced me is a bit of a bore, or does he have a fetish for peeping at others privacy? Jiang Chens voice was full of other meanings.
The other side of line paused for a moment.
Sorry, Ill give you a response to this. I didnt expect Zihao to be this ruthless. He wanted to meet you and asked me to make an introduction. I thought there would be opportunities for you guy to cooperate. so
Its okay, I just wanted to confirm. Okay, Ill head back first. After this turn of event, Jiang Chen didnt want to stay here any longer.
After hanging up, Jiang Chen nced at Fang Yuanyuan and burst outughing.
He ripped off the tape on her mouth, disregarded her cry of pain and gazed into her frightened eyes.
I really dont understand your mentality. Because youre jealous that youre giving me trouble? Or do you think that Ive done you wrong? Look at you now.
Although the tape was ripped off, Fang Yuanyuan could not let a word, she looked at Jiang Chen, curled back looking horrified.
Looking at her cowering look, Jiang Chen did not know why he thought it was amusing.
This is so ironic. Who knows why I got so blinded that I thought I had loved you for a moment.
Jiang Chen shook his head and walked towards the door.
Dont go! Seeing Jiang Chen was about the leave, Fang Yuanyuan was nervous.
Jiang Chen stopped and turned around. He didnt expect Fang Yuanyuan to stop him. He gazed at her with an odd look.
Fang Yuanyuan didnt dare to look at him in the eyes, she mumbled, I
If you have something to say, spill it now, Jiang Chen interrupted impatiently.
Jiang Chens apathy made her feel humiliated and wronged. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke while sobbing.
When Jiang Chen heard that if she didnt make him happy, she would be thrown into the Huangpu River as bait, heughed.
That means youre begging me to fu*k you and then write a positivement on your butt?
Hearing this, Fang Yuanyuans pale skin swelled into a deep red color. She buried her head, no longer speaking.
Why do you have to make yourself into a sl*t? Want me to fu*k you? Id feel dirty even with a condom on.
Leaving these words, Jiang Chen turned around and left the room despite the pleading on her face and mercilessly mmed the door shut.
Zhou Zihaos trick was already exposed. Why would it matter if he had sex with her or not?
The sl*t didnt know that she was only a pawn.
-
Wang Zhiyong walked into the control room, Zhou Zihao seemed to be expecting his presence as he stood there waiting quietly.
Without a word, Wang Zhiyong walked up and threw a punch on his face.
The staffs were all shocked and bewildered, and helplessly watched their boss and his friend.
Zhou Zihao touched his nose, saw the blood in his hand and smiled suddenly.
Brother Yong, your temper hasnt really changed.
Wang Zhiyong dragged him up by the cor, the smiling face was pulled forward.
You know my temper then you should know what type of person I cant tolerate.
I do. Zhou Zihaos expression didnt change slightly; his tone was very t.
I dont give a sheet about the things in your family, but I nicely brought my friend for you to meet, and you made me look like this Wang Zhiyong stared directly into his squinting eyes.
Brother Yong, you are the oldest son in the family, right? Zhou Zihao interrupted him.
Wang Zhiyong paused. He couldnt understand the meaning behind his words.
Then you dont know how I feel, Zhou Zihao gently removed Wang Zhiyongs hand holding his cor. If you knew, then your desire to control will not be lower than mine.
This time, its my fault, I didnt expect the newly rich Jiang Chen was not as dumb as he looked. But if I was given another chance, I will still make the same choice. If I cant control the pawns in my hand, then whats the point of it?
Then let me warn you, you dare toy your hands on my friend again, even if you are my friend, I cant promise you that you will be able to stay in Wanghai City. Leaving these harsh words, Wang Zhiyong left for the door.
As Zhou Zihao watched Wang Zhiyong retreating back, he gave a nomittal smile.
147 officials scandal videos, not you, even your dad would not make me go back to Shangjing. Hehe. He had been ying with fire for a long time ago.
After a moment, he shook his head again.
This is disappointing. Looks like using military artificial intelligence as a starting point to take down my brother is not realistic. Jiang Chenforget it, its best not to anger Wang Zhiyong further.
-
When he drove back to the vi, it was already 10 in the evening. The lights were out, so Ayesha seemed to be already asleep.
Jiang Chen drove the car into the garage and head straight to the office.
He leaned against the chair, turned on theptop and checked his email.
The cast is set. Buddy, should we go to the next step?
Jiang Chen carefully read through the attachment. He gave it some thought as his fingers typed furiously on the keyboard.
Suddenly, a cup of hot cocoa was gently ced on the table.
Jiang Chen paused and turned around. Ayesha was standing behind him and was affectionately looking at him.
Itste. Why are you still up? Jiang Chen stopped what he was doing, looked at her fondly and smiled.
Well, I just got out of the training chamber. Ayesha put her hands on his shoulder and began massaging.
Go to sleep first, I still have something to do. Jiang Chen put his hand on top of hers and squeezed her soft, little hands.
Seeing the blushing Ayesha left, Jiang Chen returned to theputer screen.
Should the n be expedited? Jiang Chen murmured as he entered few more words to the text field.
Before that, he needed to head to Apocalypse to acquire some powerful firearms.
Chapter 125 - I Can’t Control Myself!
Chapter 125: I Cant Control Myself!
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Fifth day.
Five days had passed, the morale was very low.
Although the supplies were adequate, there was despondency in everyones face.
Victorythe price they paid for it was too heavy that it cast a gloom on their victory. Four power armors were destroyed, and the boss was nowhere to be found.
The mutants left a total of 41 bodies that were lying on the field.
Fortunately, the harvest was bountiful.
Four shoulderunched recoilless rockets along with three reinforced armored truck were seized. Huizhong Mercenaries bullet production line was a pleasant surprise so Fishbone would able to produce rifle ammunition on their own without the need to import from 6th Street.
At the top of theboratory was four anti-aircraft guns that seemed to have been a modified .50 caliber machine gun. These were excellent in typical survival camps as they were considered to be powerful stationary weapons. If they were equipped with armor piercing bullets and could get the first shot, they could easily suppress an armored vehicle.
Huizhong Mercenaries detained more than 20 captives in the basement. It was quite funny when the survivors were kicked off from the mutants truck. Not only they were not frightened, but rather their face was full of happiness.
It was as though they had been saved.
It was indeed true as they no longer have to worry about being thrown into a pot and being pickled into eunuchs. Many people would rather die than be captured by mutants. If they were taken as a prisoner, there would be at least room for negotiation, wouldnt it? At least they could fight, so they definitely have some value. Although the wastnd was not necessarily short of a poption, they absolutelycked in experts like them.
As to whomever they worked for, they couldnt care less.
Although there were a lot of mors from the survivors to kill off the gangs survivors, Sun Jiao still ordered them to be locked up first. A nutrient supply a day would stave off the hunger and death. As for the nutrient supply, they were naturally raided from their warehouse as Fishbone base didnt have a need for those.
Other than being unptable andcking in nutrition, there were still some benefits to the nutrient supply. The people who ate these concoctions didnt need to defecate for a long time as the metabolic waste would be reduced to its limit. Even if they were imprisoned in the basement, there was no need to worry about the hygiene.
Simply put, the decision to kill or not would have to wait until Jiang Chen came back.
[He will be back]
Sun Jiao still firmly believed that.
As usual, Sun Jiao sat in the doorway of the tent, behind her was the ce where Jiang Chen wasst seen. As early as five days ago, she ordered to use the tent to surround the ce where Jiang Chen had disappeared into. It was his biggest secret and also Fishbone bases biggest secret so there was absolutely no way she would let anyone find out about it.
She was still holding Sirius in her hands. Theser rifle that had apanied her for many years was used to ughter over and over again in these past five days.
And during these five days, she had been thinking about a problem.
If Jiang Chen never came back, what would she do?
You liar, you said you will take me to the other side. Her eyes looked sorrowful.
Lin Lin was standing not far away from Sun Jiao as thetter stared nkly ahead above the tent.
Although she was permitted to get off the truck and walk, she was ordered to stay within the 100m radius. If she exceeded that distance, Sun Jiao calmly expressed that she would shoot.
That girl was so scared she almost peed her pants again.
What on earth are you looking at? Lin Lin looked up helplessly as she murmured disapprovingly.
At the moment her left eye was ck, but her right eye was bloody red.
After five days ofmunication, she finally reached a tacit understanding with the bugor Tingting. The body would be controlled by Lin Lin, but the right eye would belong to the bug.
This was also apromise of sorts. Although Lin Lin was opposed to the idea of a bug living in her head and had racked her brains to think of ways to get rid of it, it had neversted for more than three seconds for her to realize it was an exercise in futility and so she gave up on it. Anyway, there was no harm other than the fact that part of the nutrients would be divided between the two of them every time she ate every day.
Hehe, you are talking about him? That scoundrel is now in trouble, this feels great! He totally deserves it! I dont knowhopefully, hes safe. Although her initial reaction was that of gloating, however, after giving it careful consideration, that guy did not seem so bad.
Lin Lin was conflicted, her head was in turmoil.
She had seen the women in the basement, and she could not believe that the world had fallen into such chaos, nor could she imagine what would have happened if anyone else other than that man had encountered her.
Lin Lin shuddered and wrapped herself around her arms.
Puke, thats too disgusting. With my stunning look, I will be r*ped a hundred times over then will be turned into a sex toy
Well, in addition to narcissism, her delusions and paranoia were also quite problematic.
Slightly moving her sore neck, Lin Lin grumbled, Hello, what are you looking at? Other than radiation dust, what else is there in the sky
The mother bug was still transmitting the same thought.
Stunned, Lin Lin touched her heart as she sensed the gradually increasing beat.
Her digital left eye shrunk slightly as she tried to understand the abnormalities in the surrounding area.
Did she see Jiang Chen? But how could that be? There was nothing in there at all.
Suddenly, Lin Lin appeared to have thought of something, her pupil began to dte and muttered to herself, Thats impossible. Theoretically, thats not possible unless
What are you looking at? Sun Jiao looker over and frowned, her messy hair obscured her eyes with gloom.
Lin Ling was startled by her gaze and said while trembling, No, its not me. Its the bug that wants to look and also that mentioned Jiang Chens name. She was extremely frightened of Sun Jiao.
In her fragile heart, this female demon was more sinister than the male demon. At least she could detect a trace of sympathy andpassion in his eyes on asion, but there was none from this woman.
For this woman, other than the things I like in this world, it was things I dislike.
Sun Jiaos eyes flickered for a second and she seemed to have thought of something.
Ask it, what did it see?
Ugh, I have been asking but it seems to only know those two words. Lin Lin smiled wryly.
Sun Jiao silently shifted her line of sight as if losing interest in Lin Ling.
All of a sudden, the tent cover was lifted up.
Ahem, sorryImte.
The voice Sun Jiao had missed dearly rang by her ear, her pupil began to dte, and her eyes were instantly covered with a fine mist.
Hellowhat are you doing
His chest made in impact with something soft as his back came in contact with the ground with a muffled sound.
Jiang Chen looked at the beauty lying on his chest with a grin.
For these past five days, every morning, he had been trying to start the interdimensional bracelet and finally seeded this morning. Just like what he had suspected, the travel function was not broken, it was merely overloaded.
As soon as he arrived, before even gaining his bnce, he was struck on the ground by this girl.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Those soft fists were pounding hard against his chest, Jiang Chen was stunned while looking at the sobbing Sun Jiao.
From the beginning, she had always given him that little devilish feeling. It was the first time seeing her so weak and vulnerable.
I Jiang Chen opened his mouth and wanted to say something.
Why didnt youe back earlier? Do you how difficult these past few days have been for me
Her grievance halted, her crystal eyes were quivering with mist. Jiang Chen hugged her waist and suddenly kissed her on the lips.
From stunned to obedience, Sun Jiao gently closed her eyes as if the grievance of the past few days didnt matter anymore. She hooked her arms around his neck and responded just as passionately.
Due to the enormous softness pressing against his chest, Jiang Chen felt his mouth became parched.
Unaware of his condition, Sun Jiao worried about Jiang Chens life-and-death condition, did he not miss her too?
He reached out his hand to pull the zipper of her suit.
No, dont. Sun Jiao was suddenly frightened and shrank back as she awkwardly covered her front and looked away. I, I didnt shower.
She had been here for five days; although there no scarcity of water, she was not in the mood to take care of her hygiene.
Jiang Chen paused before a smirk appeared on his face. While Sun Jiaos shrieked softly, he got on top of the charming girl.
I dont mind!
Jiang Chen roughly tore the zipper on the one-piecebat suit and kissed her neck.
No. The faint murmur sounded insignificant in this intimate scene.
Sun Jiao with misty eyes caressed Jiang Chens back, her slender jade legs rubbed unconsciously with one other.
Dont you want to listen to my exnation? Jiang Chen suddenly stopped as he gently bit her earlobe with a smirk.
No, I want
The exnation can be saved forter.
Yes, the day after.
Lin Lin stood awkwardly outside the tent, her pale face was flushed. She could not decide whether to go or not.
Leave? She was afraid that Sun Jiao would really kill her.
Stay? But these shameless peoplethey, they started doing it!
He was indeed a huge pervert!
Although she didnt know what it felt like, just the thought of it was embarrassing.
Suddenly, her heartbeat began to elerate making her stunned. Tingting was trying to seize control of her body.
Youre insane! If we go, that savage girl will kill us!
What? Cant you beat her? Yes, but I dont want to fight!
AHHH! Stop!
Waah, I cant control my strength
Inside of the tent was filled with romance, outside of the tent
A beautiful girl who had a 2.5-dimensional anime appearance was desperately using her right hand to hold onto her uncontroble left hand.
She was mumbling nonsensical words that resembled anime lines.
The scene could not be moreical.
Chapter 126 - Why not?
Chapter 126: Why not?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The basement door opened.
Jiang Chen watched as the 170cm man dashed into the room, smashed the cell door lock open with the gun and hugged his wife crying. The womans top was exposed and her eyes appeared to be lifeless, but she seemed to be moved by the crying sound as her eyes gradually regained its rity and tears of sorrow gushed down.
I really cant bear looking at this, Jiang Chen muttered to himself. His tone was somewhatplicated.
What are you going to do with the captives? Sun Jiao nced at the door imprisoning Zhou Xiaoxia.
Public execution.
There was no need to hesitate.
For authority, for order.
Jing Chen paused for a moment before continuing, But before that, I want to meet our old friend.
Upon hearing this, a mischevious smiled appeared on Sun Jiaos face.
-
Zhou Guoping slumped into prison dejectedly. He was clearly aware of his impending doom but his heart still held a glimmer of hope. He did not care who he was fighting with for he was confident in his intellect. However, when he saw the face from the small window of the cell, his confidence instantly vanished and his face lost all of its blood.
Oh, remember me? Jiang Chen asked with a smile. Although he never saw him before, Zhou Guoping must have known him.
Zhou Guopin swallowed hard and slowly nodded.
Do you remember Hu Lei?
It had been a while, but he was the first person he killed in this world.
Jiang Chen faintly remembered the feeling of astonishment while staring at the skull that burst open by a gunshot.
It was you who killed him, wasnt it? Zhou Guoping smiled, but that smile was uglier than crying.
Thats right, I had no reason to let him go. Jiang Chens tone was very calm.
Then why are you wasting time on me? Zhou Guoping smiled bitterly.
Jiang Chen grinned and settled his hand on the window pane.
You have two options here. First, tell me everything you know. If its useful enough, I might consider sparing you. Of course, Ill ask the same question to other people, so you better tell the truth. Second, well, I dont think I need to exin it.
I choose the first one, he chose without hesitation. He didnt want to die even if he might still do after unraveling everything.
You better start, Jiang Chen said with a smile.
To save his own life, Zhou Guoping spilled everything he knew. Jiang Chen was able to gather a lot of useful information from his revtions.
The first one was the supply.
Other than the four modified machine guns and the bullet production line they had plundered, there was also a zombie electricity generation in the basement of theboratory.
It used the organic material of zombies or mutants such as fat or protein as raw material to produce electricity.
It was a great thing since winter was fast approaching. Since Fishbone Bases electricity was powered by sr, they would definitely experience a decrease in energy production. With this zombie electricity generator, they would not need to worry about energy problem anymore.
It was indeed surprising that these bandits were able to hide such good stuff.
In addition to supplies, Jiang Chen also heard some interesting information.
Those mutated humans came from Jia City and are now stationed at the Seventh Zone. They initially wanted to absorb us but our boss refused it since no one wanted to be a eunuch. The first wave only had five people in them and we sessfully killed all of them, but we didnt expect that a big group would show up. Zhou Guopingughed bitterly. It was a disaster, our boss skull got smashed in half.
He was wondering why he didnt see the leader of the Huizhong Mercenaries; looked like he was killed in a crossfire.
Where is the Seventh Zone? Jiang Chen frowned. The details of the topography in the apocalypse was quite different to that of the modern world.
Zhou Guoping looked strangely at him.
Between the highway of Wanghai City and Jia City is a light industrial area where few people reside. Not a lot of zombies but some powerful mutants.
Jiang Chen scratched his chin thoughtfully.
Do you know what their purpose is ining to Wanghai City?
Another bitter smile appeared on Zhou Guopings face.
No, there was no room for negotiation between mutated humans and humans, and in my opinion, aside from not eating human flesh, they are basically just mutants who can use guns.
The metaphor did sound strange to Jiang Chen, but after thinking about it, that really seemed to be the case. They could eat anything that humans couldnt eat and they could eat things mutants didnt even dare to eat, even the rotten meat on Roshan. They could enter a nuclear pit with just their body, any vine virus would no longer affect them.
Thankfully, these monsters were infertile.
Didnt you catch a captive? Zhou Guoping asked warily.
Jiang Chen nced at him.
No, you already said they are like mutants. Have you tried catching a Death w?
Zhou Guoping forced augh and scratched his nose.
Boss, do you think my information is enough to exchange for my life?
Jiang Chen stared at him with a faint smile on his face which made his heart tremble.
To kill or not to kill?
Although I did cause some minor problem for you, it was only because I was standing from Huizhong Mercenaries side. Now that Huizhong Mercenaries have been destroyed by you, even if you kill me, I would just be an extra body. You definitely could spare my worthless life. Trust me, my ability wont disappoint you. Seeing the look on Jiang Chens face, Zhou Guoping carefully opened his mouth.
Oh? Tell me how are you useful? Jiang Chen watched him whileughing.
I know the Songjiang area very well, I have more or less an understanding of most of the smaller survival camps and gathering ce for the survivors. My eloquence and scouting ability are also quite impressive, it definitely wouldnt be a waste of your nutrient supply. On top of that, Im wearing an electronic cor or very chip, which means you wont even need to worry about my loyalty, Zhou Guoping carefully worded his exnation because it had to do with his life while observing the change in Jiang Chen expression.
It would just be an extra body if he killed him, at the very least he could serve as a cannon fodder. Although the bandits must be eliminated, this person seemed to be useful.
After giving it some thoughts, Jiang Chen made the decision andughed when he saw the apprehension on Zhou Guopings face.
Great, youve managed to convince me, so Ill spare your life. I hope you can persuade the others for me.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Guoping was quite ecstatic and immediately knelt on the ground without a semnce of dignity.
Thank you, glorious leader, for sparing me!
Jiang Chen looked disdainfully at him and lightly coughed.
Call me boss, Im not a bandit.
Yes, Boss!
After settling his affair with Zhou Guoping, Jiang Chen headed to the door that was imprisoning Chu Nan.
He looked at the man who was no longer crying to get out and knocked on the door.
Hearing the knock on the door, Chu Nan raised his head and a bitter smile appeared on his face when he saw that it was Jiang Chen.
Could you let me go now?
Sure, do you want me to open the door now? Jiang Chen took out the key and waived it, and asked, May I ask where youll be heading next?
Chu Nan fell into a short silence.
I dont know but I definitely cant go back to Liuding Town.
Jiang Chen asked in a casual tone, Would you like toe to my base?
Hearing this, Chu Nan lifted his head and looked at Jiang Chen a few times.
Didnt you say you dont need a pilot?
Jiang Chen shrugged, Ive changed my mind. Although I dont have a ne right now but soon, Ill definitely get one.
Chu Nan suspiciously looked at him, some uncertainties still lingered in his heart.
I dont even know what kind of organization you belong
The bread you atest time, three meals a day.
Deal! Chu Nan shouted immediately without the least bit of hesitation.
Arent you going to consider it? Jiang Chen burst outughing.
Hehe, what is there to consider? Chu Nan mocked him.
Funny, food every meal. Although Liuding Town provided B-grade nutrient supply for a pilot like him and even if it was grade A, it didnt taste better than the actual food.
Jiang Chen nodded and remarked, Good, in two days, Ill send you to the Sixth Street to be imnted with the very chip, youll be a member of our Fishbone Base then.
Finished, Jiang Chen turned round to prepare to leave, but
Wait, Chu Nan stopped him suddenly.
Whats the matter? Jiang Chen turned around and looked at him in bemusement.
That Chu Nan hesitated for a moment, What are you going to do with those women?
Those women?
Jiang Chen could not help but ponder on it.
He had almost forgotten about this problem. Thinking about it, these women that had been practically broken by the bandits were extremely tricky to deal with. Take them back? Whats the use of keeping these people? Fishbone Base was not a welfare home.
Leave them here? Let them go? It would be no different than killing them.
In fact, it would be useful to take them back to the base, Chu Nan proposed when he seemed to have seen his hesitation.
Oh? What use? Jiang Chen gave Chu Nan a meaningful then burst outughing, Youre not looking for a woman to get rid of your virginity, are you?
Chu Nan was frozen for a second before he quickly reacted furiously.
Fu*k, my name is Chu Nan, I never said Im a virgin. [Chu Nan is homonym of virgin]
Chu Nan paused for a while before continuing, If you dont have the chip imnt technology, then you guys must be a small new survival base.
Jiang Chen looked at him in surprise, that analysis was reasonable.
Yes, so? Jiang Chen asked nomittally.
In the wastnd, the survivability of male is far stronger than female. So its easy to imagine the ratio. I dont know about Sixth Street, but there are a lot of bachelors in Liuding Town, Chu Nans said seriously.
Like you? Jiang Chenughed.
Thats right, Chu Nan nodded his head without avoiding the question then continued, In Liuding Town, they run an official brothel to help survivors alleviate their stress and meet their physiological needs. It would not only decrease the possibility of crime, but it would also increase camp stability.
Is that right? Everyone in my Fishbone Base is imnted with very chip, do you think I need to worry about stability issues? Jiang Chen asked him.
I have been imnted with that kind of chips before. Even though the name is a bit different, I think the function is pretty much the same. Let me put it this way, although you can monitor the privacy of everyone and control their life and death, you could not dictate their emotion.
So? Jiang Chen processed the information.
Unless you keep everyone in the state of perpetual hunger so that they dont have spare energy to think about anything else than survival, you cant expect a group of bachelors not to have hope for the next day. It might be okay for a while, but there will definitely be problems in the long run. Especially in a wastnd covered by radiation dust, everyones mental state is nowhere good to begin in, Chu Nanid out the facts bluntly.
Mental state? Jiang Chen had not considered this point. He seemed to have only been paying attention to his own mental state.
For example, when he first went back to the modern world from the apocalypse, he immediately went to Sanya to experience avish life.
The ghetto in the Sixth Street, those unemployed survivors were in a constant state of hunger so they would not have any desire to breed? On the contrary, in Fishbone Base, because the hunger and clothing problems had been resolved, they would naturally start thinking of other things?
Perhaps it was precisely like what Chu Nan had said. Unless everyone were perpetually hungry, it would be unrealistic to expect them not to have new desires. Even if Jiang Chen could control their life, he could not control the emotion of everyone. After all, not everyone had the philosophy of a monk.
Although when he bought the refugees (ves), he deliberately selected those who had a family and controlled the gender ratio. But regardless how hard he tried, the male poption far exceed the female poption because of the expansion. Should he let the single guys masturbate with one another? It obviously not going to work
That is, you think I should open a brothel? Jiang Chens expression was a bit peculiar. This was something against his principle.
Of course, there are other means, Chu Nan paused as he had sensed Jiang Chens disdain towards that idea then added, For example, use these people as a reward and award them to bachelors who made contributions to the base.
Reward? I dont approve of this inhumane approach.
Humane? You think this is before the war?
Jiang Chen paused and fell into silence.
If you really have moral codes you have to follow, you can enactws to protect the rights of these people. For example, prohibit intentional harming and reward those who can help these people regain their sanity to join the force. In short, since you are the leader, then you can make these rules, the key is on you decide.
After listening to him talking, Jiang Chen looked at him in astonishment.
I couldnt tell but sounds like you know a lot
Hehe, I just read some books whenever Im bored. Chu Nan scratched his nose.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to leave, he abruptly halted and casually asked, By the way, do you think these Nth handed people would be wanted?
Chu Nan was at a loss and looked at him perplexedly.
Why not?
Jiang Chen was speechless.
Is this the legendary generation gap?
Chapter 127 - Execution and Acceptance
Chapter 127: Execution and eptance
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
This here is a group of pests.
They feed on the flesh and bones of our own kind and make our agony as their nutrients.
Outside of the Fishbone base.
All the zombies had been wiped out and the roof was fraught with the survivors who fought side-by-side with those from Fishbone Base.
The bandits were kneeling on the ground with a ck cloth over their heads, behind them was a group of soldiers armed with guns. ck muzzles were aimed at their head and cold eyes ignored the trembling bodies.
October was approaching and a hint of chilliness was gradually settling in the air. It was at this time that Jiang Chen had put on a windbreaker.
Killing, looting, plundering, terrorizing, molesting.
He gazed at the eyes of survivors in the crowd and raised his clenched right fist as righteous indignation spewed forth from his mouth.
Now that they are kneeling in front of us, praying for our forgiveness, and begging for mercy like cowards, do you think we should spare these scums?
No!
Shouts and whistles rang across the entire street. Even the zombies next street turned around and stared at the direction of the Fishbone base.
Jiang Chen closed his eyes, lifted both of his hands and motioned the crowd to quiet down.
The crowds noise gradually died down and everyones attention was focused on him.
This feeling was extremely surreal.
He faintly remembered the feeling of being stared at by 30 pairs of anxious eyes in the sewer. The sense of apathy born from absolute control, from knowing that they had the power to control life and death.
But now, he was respected, worshipped, anduded by a group of people from the bottom of their hearts. He only felt his blood was boiling that even the cold breeze could not be able to cool down.
Jiang Chen shifted his gaze to the row of bandits about to be executed.
I believe you were well aware that this would happen one day when you pointed your gun at helpless people and abused both children and women.
No! Ahhh
A surprising scene urred when a kneeling bandit suddenly got up from the ground and dashed to the alley on the side.
BANG!
The desperate fleeing bandit hit the ground and left a frightening, bloody hole on his back.
Jiang Chen shoved his gun back into his pocket when the smoke from the gun had dissipated.
The survivors only saw a series of blurry actions. They couldnt even see Jiang Chen pulling out his gun, let alone the act of shooting. The entire action was so smooth that everyones face couldnt help but pale.
They did not expect that Fishbone Bases boss would not only amass a strong force but would also possess an unparalleled individual fighting prowess.
Needless to say, whether it was power or speed of reaction, Jiang Chen injected with the gic vine was far superiorpared to ordinary survivors.
That mans escape just now was arranged beforehand; the rope was not tied down to his legs. It was done only to strengthen his prestige through personal force.
It was only human nature to worship the strong.
Incidentally, this episode was Zhou Guopings original idea.
Fire! The cold words were apanied with white mist and echoed on the cold street.
Gunfire sounded, a group of bodies dropped one-by-one in the pool of blood, officially ending their wicked lives.
Zhao Gang held the rifle in his hand, staring at his enemy who was lying in the pool of blood. Jiang Chen had given him the chance to avenge himself by allowing him to participate in the execution of the bandits. The bandit who was in front of him was the same bastard who led the mercenaries to raid his family, kill his son, and capture and vite his wife.
Seeing that the tumor that disrupted the region for so long was finally eradicated, the survivors cheered and raised their rifle celebrating.
Jiang Chen enjoyed the cheers of the crowd as he continued to order formalin to be sprayed on these bodies to be hung at several major intersections in Qingpu to deter those who dared tomit wicked acts.
Since then, Qingpu bore Fishbone Bases seal on the map. It was called the seal of the order.
-
After dealing with the bandits affairs, Jiang Chen was preparing to go back to the mansion when he saw a man kneeling in front of him.
What are you Jiang Chen paused to ask.
I have nowhere to go. You helped me get my revenge, so my life is yours.
Zhao Gang was on his knees with his head lowered, the rifle was propped up on the ground.
Dont you have a wife? Stand up first.
Thats exactly the case. We have nowhere to go. Please take us in. I am willing to sell my life to you, even if you want me to die, I, Zhao Gang, will not hesitate, he said in a deep voice. The resolute man did get up and remained kneeling on the ground.
[Nowhere to go?]
Jiang Chen had a sudden realization.
Winter wasing. Their home had been raided clean, and even if they returned to that empty hut, they would notst through the winter.
Please! Zhao Gang buried his head even lower.
Jiang Chen eyes narrowed slightly and sighed.
Call me boss from now on.
Finished, he went past Zhao Gang and went to the base.
Zhao Gang was frozen for a moment before an ecstatic expression appeared on his face. He lifted his head and gratefully looked at Jiang Chens back.
In the end, Jiang Chen was still moved withpassion.
He headed toward Cheng Weiguo who was out patrolling with a rifle, patted his shoulder and pointed at Zhao Gangs direction.
Arrange a ce for him to live outside the wall. Tomorrow, take the other two along to the Sixth Street for surgery. The other two were obviously Zhuo Guoping and Chu Nan and surgery referred to a very chip imnt.
Yes! Cheng Weiguo saluted.
Jiang Chen nodded with satisfaction then walked inside the base. There were many things waiting for him to be dealt with.
Cheng Weiguo watched his boss leave, swung the rifle behind his back, and walked towards Zhao Gang.
Get up, buddy. Cheng Weiguo put his right hand to drag him up.
Youll have to stay outside of the wall for the night. Tomorrow there will be someone taking you to the Sixth Street for a chip imnt, then you and your wife will receive afortable room and be part us.
Zhao Gang hesitated for a moment.
Must everyone be imnted with a very chip?
Cheng Weiguo seemed to see through his hesitation. He smiled and then pulled out a cigarette from his pocket.
Want one? This was one of the benefits of the Fishbone base.
He hesitantly took the cigarette. Cheng Weiguo grabbed the lighter and lit one for himself. The two then began to smoke in front of the gate.
I was hesitant like you in the past. I was only a refugee at the time, and when I was forcefully imnted with very chip and got sold to some unknown force in the Sixth Street, my heart was full of fear.
I dont really care about my life, but I dont understand why my wife would need a very chip, Zhao Gang muttered and slowly took a deep inhale.
He could ept his wife being humiliated by bandits because it was his own ipetence that caused it, but he could not ept his wife bing someone elses ve, even if he was willing to sell his life to Fishbone base.
Cheng Weiguo suddenlyughed upon hearing this. He looked confusedly at Cheng Weiguo, not knowing why heughed.
I was like you before, the feeling of my own wife being imnted with very chip sure did not feel good. But you are overthinking, the boss is a good person. He never treated us like ves. My wife is now the cook in the base. He didnt wrong us just because he controlled our lives.
Looks like you truly respect him. he looked at Cheng Weiguo in surprise.
Thats right, I was only a refugee on the verge of death before, and now I am the militia leader of Fishbone Base in charge of the wall defense. He does not only staves off our hunger but also gives us dignity that we never even think of dreaming. He truly deserves respect. Even if I dont have this thing in my head, I will still swear my allegiance to him.
Cheng Weiguo threw away the cigarette butt in his hand, patted him on the shoulder and grinned at him.
Perform well, as long as you prove your worth, our boss will not be cheap with his reward. I can say that in the entire Wanghai City, other than some special survival facilities, you cant find any ce happier than here.
He silently doused the butt of his cigarette and nodded at Cheng Weiguo.
Mhmm.
On the other side, Fishbone Base soldiers started cleaning the execution ground. The survivors had begun to disperse, and the Fishbone Base survivors dragged away more than 20 bodies to the side of the road to be sprayed with Formalin.
One body, however, was quietly dragged into the base and carried into a cabin.
Jiang Chen was sitting in that room. The soldier saluted and stood by the door.
The dead body on the ground twitched and raised slowly.
Ahem, its tiring to fake death. Zhou Guoping pulled the ck bag off his head, heaved a few breaths and exaggeratedly patted his chest.
Oh? Do you want to try real death then? Jiang Chen grinned mischievously.
Hehe, Ill pass on that. Zhou Guoping smiled wryly and obsequiously looked at his new boss.
He had a bulletproof vest on along with a bag of blood under his vest. When Jiang Chen shot him, he fell on the ground faking his own death.
Tomorrow Ill take you to the Sixth Street to undergo surgery. Until then, you cant a take a step out of this room or else Jiang Chen stood up from the chair, walked to his side, patted his shoulder, and walked out of the room.
Watch him. After stopping for a moment at the door, Jiang Chen signaled the soldier on the side.
Yes! The soldier saluted.
Then, Jiang Chen returned to the gate.
There were already two tents erected near the door. There was barbed wire set up to block the zombies. The zombies in the area had already been wiped out and the new zombies would take at least a month before they arrive, so this basic fortification was enough to protect the safety of the three people outside of the wall.
Zhao Gang and his wife were setting up their tent, Chu Nan, the bachelor, was dealing in his own tent.
Jiang Chen still had a few things to ask him, so he directly approached him.
What? Chu Nan tied the wires together, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and turned around to look at Jiang Chen.
Just want to ask you something, I remember you telling me before you are here because your ne crashed. Where was it?
Chu Nan looked at Jiang Chen with an odd look.
If I tell you the location of the wreckage, will that be considered a significant contribution?
Jiang Chen was stupefied thenughed.
Of course, how about a box of canned pure pork?
Chu Nan licked his lips but shook his head.
I want that woman.
Who? If shes in the base, just pursue her yourself. Jiang Chen looked at Chu Nan oddly.
Shes not in the base. Do you remember Zhou Xiaoxia?
Jiang Chen knitted his eyebrows for a while before finally recalling that name, but the way he was looking at Chu Nan was now even odder.
You want her? That RBQ?
Mhmm. Chu Nan replied tersely, no longer looking in Jiang Chens direction.
Do whatever you want, Jiang Chen shrugged. Although he didnt know why Chu Nan would be interested in an RBQ, he had no intention of interfering with his personal hobbies. But with her mental state, you better not let her out.
Mhmm, I understand, Chu Nan nodded, Could you also take her for an imnt tomorrow? She had an excellentbat power before, its better to put some control.
Surprised, Jiang Chen looked at him and nodded.
Give me the map. Chu Nan reached out his hand.
Jiang Chen took out theputer pen from his pocket and opened the holographic map.
Chu Nan skillfully magnified the map, locked it in a certain area, and pressed on the screen.
Its right here, if the reinforcement is strong enough, it should still be on the rooftop helipad. Type-51 helicopter is good stuff, theres not a lot even in Liuding Town.
Because there were only a few survivors near the city center, the helicopter should still be in there.
The one near Songjiang? Ill send out a search team. He looked at the dot on the map and nodded before putting away theputer pen.
Remember to bring steel wires and a truck. Chu Nan gave one more tip before he got back to fiddling with the barbed wires.
Hmmm, Jiang Chen nodded his head.
The three trucks he got from the mutated human could finally be put to good use. If he could somehow fix the helicopter, Fishbone base would finally acquire their first aerial unit. The helicopter was something that even the Sixth Street had always dreamed of. With a machine gun, it could be an offensive helicopter and it could carry missiles as well. In any case, there were not many forces with superior high altitude area defense capability. He could modify the helicopter however he wanted, mobility wouldnt even need to be considered.
In short, he must get his hands on this thing as it was simply a humungous killing device!
After leaving Chu Nan, he immediately found Cheng Weiguo to order him to immediately take 15 people and a truck to get the helicopter back. Bearing in consideration the height of the helicopter, he also looked for a construction team and sent for another 10-person engineering team to apany them.
After dealing with all of these things, he returned to the base once again.
Chapter 128 - Lin Lin’s Lab
Chapter 128: Lin Lins Lab
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
With the return of the expedition, Fishbone Base had resumed its former liveliness.
The construction of the base was back on track, the construction team began moving batches and batches of construction supplies outside of the wall and started to implement the expansion work as originally nned.
The women rescued from Huizhong Mercenaries base were ced in an empty apartment building. Jiang Chen assigned five nurses to take care of them and help them regain their sanity. At the same time, the survivors of the base could now utilize the point system to take the person they like home.
In principle, Fishbone Base encouraged adoption as a means for them to take responsibility and to help their partner to return to normal. Women who could sessfully join their workforce would be rewarded with points.
The trading posts in front of the gate reopened after the zombie waves had ended. It was believed that after this incident, there would be an endless stream of survivors that woulde and trade here, and the rtionship between the Fishbone base and nearby survivor groups would be strengthened further.
The bullet production line and Hummingbird UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) production line were housed in a metal warehouse and the two military production lines could be put into production after a simple maintenance. So Fishbone base weed its first military factory and though the production efficiency was not high, it was undoubtedly a good start.
After ordering Lu Huasheng to construct a building in the newly developed area as the new site for the military factory, Jiang Chen walked to the direction of the mansion.
The UAV terminal could be manufactured from recycled electronic parts and since Yao Yao was the expert in this area,pleting it should not be a problem for her. If she could create a drone system, the base defense and detection capabilities would rise to another level.
But the moment he opened the door, he was astounded.
Do you know who I am? Lin Lin with her arms akimbo and raised her head confidently.
You, you are? Yao Yao swallowed a mouthful, shrunk her tiny head a little and carefully asked.
Me? I am the noble, perfect embodiment of science and technologydigitalized human! Lin Lin smiled arrogantly. She was very pleased with the frightened look on Yao Yaos face.
At the moment, Lin Lins mood was ecstatic that there was only one thought in her mind! The feeling of picking on the weak felt so wonderful. Hahaha!
However, that ted feeling didntst for long because she found Jiang Chen standing in the doorway and was looking at her with a faint smile.
Lin Lins mouth twitched stiffly and her arrogant expression remained frozen on her face.
After discovering Jiang Chen, as though Yao Yao had found her savior, she quickly fled behind his back and pouted her mouth looking like she was wronged.
Digitalized human? So what? Jiang Chen smiled and stared at the beautiful girl with silver and white hair.
I, I Lin Lins mouth started quivering as she recalled the fear for this devil.
Where is Sun Jiao? He turned around and rubbed Yao Yaos head indulgently.
Sister Sun Jiao was taking a shower, Yao Yao said quietly.
Then, she looked at Lin Lins direction and with a tone full of grievance, continued, Sister Sun Jiao asked me to find her a room but as soon as Sister Sun Jiao left, she, she
You bullied my Yao Yao?
This was intolerable! Especially seeing the timid look like that of a little animal on Yao Yaos face, Jiang Chens protective tendencies suddenly burst forth.
What, what are you going to do? Lin Lin was trembling and began to retreat back.
Her silvery hair quivered, her white was filled with fear. Despite her unearthly beauty, her bad character would only arouse humans sadistic desire and not their protective instincts.
Almost unhesitantly, Jiang Chen took out his EP and then pressed a few keys.
A faint static sound emitted from Yao Yaos neck and the electronic cor opened.
Without saying a word, he seized Yao Yaos cor, approached Lin Lin with a leer, ignored her resistance from her iling fists, and put the cor around her neck.
Yao Yao touched her neck with an aggrieved expression. That was the one thing connecting her and Brother Jiang Chen, but it got taken away by this strange woman.
The more she thought about it, the sadder she got.
Her big adorable eyes began to get watery.
No, its too dangerous. I had always wanted to take it off for a long time. How about giving you a new giftter? When Jiang Chen saw her expression and hurriedly appeased her.
Hello! If it is dangerous, why did you put it on me? Lin Lin protested.
Who cares about you? Jiang Chen turned around and gave her a ferocious re making Lin Lin shrank back in fear again.
Yao Yao looked back and forth between the two of them feeling wronged, her tiny mouth pouted again.
She had a bad feeling about this. It felt like there were more and more opponents.
After forcing the unruly Lin Lin to stay put, Jiang Chen took her to the first floor of the study.
If was called a study but there was no book to be found here anymore. The bookshelves were disposed to the backyard as waste, and the room was now filled with experimental apparatus taken from Lin Lins shelter.
Ahhh! How dare you treat my babies this way. Lin Lin tearfully run and touched her precious instruments.
This is your room from now on. Clean it up yourself. Jiang Chen said bluntly with a wicked grin.
He swore he had always been a nice person.
But for some reason, Lin Lin seemed to be born with please bully me BUFF; her favorite was her over-the-top provocation.
Lin Lin fiercely red at him before correctly cing the equipment upside down on the ground.
Oh, so thats how it is. I thought that side was the bottom.
Stupid, Lin Lin cursed inaudibly and was no longer looking at him.
The mutated human and Death w body are in the freezer. Your current mission is to dissect them. I want to know exactly what the x2 virus is and what particr effects it would bring to mutants and also the body stats data of mutated human. That shouldnt be too hard for you, right?
When Lin Lin heard this, she haughtily cocked her head, long silver hair iled neatly to the side, Why would I help you
If you dont need to eat, you dont really need to help me, Jiang Chen interrupted her words with a bright smile.
You, you Lin Lin instantly looked like she was severely wronged, but aside from making Jiang Chen felt pleased, there was not the slightest sense of guilt.
[Who told you to have such a foul temper!]
Your task has already been given to you, so if theres nothing else, I am going to head out now. By the way, you better be nice to Yao Yao because she is in charge of your food. Jiang Chenughed and walked towards the door.
Hold on! Lin Lin hurriedly stopped him.
What? If youre going to protest, then its rejected, Jiang Chen turned to look at her and said rudely.
Where is my bedroom? Just to be clear, I want the best room on the top floor with its own bathroom and facing the south Lin Lin was reserved at first but started to get carried away the more she went on. Her onyx eyes were shing with rays of expectation.
But Jiang Chen was just silently staring at her with an expression that couldnt be more confused.
As though sensing that she was just talking to herself, Lin Lin cautiously looked at Jiang Chen and finally started to ept the reality that she had to yield to him.
Lin Lin thought, [A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him! As a beauty, I will submit for now, just wait until]
Just that she didnt know when would that timee.
Is that okay? she asked tentatively.
Jiang Chen was silent for a long time then suddenly asked a nonsensical question.
Does a digitalized human need to sleep?
Of course! I am not a robot. Lin Lin almost cried in devastation.
After a brief Wiki, Jiang Chen finally understood what kind of existence she was.
To put it in simply, she was just an ordinary person before, but because of congenital disease, 40% of her bodys tissues were forcibly reced with electronics. Her brain was installed with nanoponents that could connect to her nerve endings, which allowed her brain to operate atputer level processing speed. The artificial stomach allowed her to digest food at two times the efficiencypared to ordinary people, and which could also convert some of the energies into electrical energy storage.
And as far as eating and sleeping needs went, there was no obvious difference between her and ordinary people.
So, youre not a robot, Jiang Chen stated while he examined Lin Lin from top to bottom. Because he saw a robot at the Sixth Street before, his previous perception made him think that she was a robot. I assumed you are made out of silicone.
You are made out of silicone! Lin Lin gave him a fierce re, but when she suddenly remembered she still had things to ask of him, her tone immediately softened and used a frail tone, That, the room
Room? Its right here, isnt it? Jiang Chens expression looked odd.
What?! Here? You want me to sleep with a bunch ofb equipment? Lin Lin jumped up and shouted like a squirrel that had its tail stepped on.
Then, why do you think we got you a big room like this? Ill put a bed here in a bit, Jiang Chen rolled his eyes.
Ignoring Lin Lins cry of disappointment, Jiang Chen left the room.
The reason why he was bullying her was partly because he wanted to do it from the bottom of his heart; on the other hand, he needed to discipline this girl.
There was a spare room in the mansion, but her attitude was beyond abominable. If he were a bit nicer, he was afraid that she would be more unreasonable beyond measure.
It would be unwise to spoil her when he must teach her a lesson.
When Jiang Chen entered the kitchen he found Yao Yao who was cooking dinner.
Yao Yao was wearing a pink apron and her right hand was holding a long spoon while intently staring at the pot of stew. The cherry-like mouth was softly humming and the tender face was filled with a happy smile.
[Ahhh, she is just too cute!]
Jiang Chen unconsciously covered his nose despite not getting a nosebleed.
As if hearing the sound in the doorway, Yao Yaos little ears moved adorably as she turned around to look at the door.
Hmm, Has Brother been very busy? Just wait for a little while, the meal is almost done. After seeing it was Jiang Chen, Yao Yaos face turned slightly red, then she turned around and continued to focus on the pot of stew.
Ahem, Im done. Also, sorry to trouble you but can you cook one more portion in the future? Jiang Chen walked to her and rubbed her head like a small pet.
Mhmm! I already cooked one more portion Yao Yao wasfortably enjoying the feeling of the big hand rubbing her head.
Jiang Chen couldnt help but smile.
[Sure enough, Yao Yao is a kindhearted girl.]
Even after Lin Lin had bullied her, she was still considerate enough to include Lin Lins food.
Oh, what kind of gift do you want? Although he didnt know why Yao Yao was so insistent on the dangerous electronic cor, he still put it on Lin Lin who definitely needed it more.
Yao Yaos face felt hot, after a long while, she murmured in a tiny voice, Could I save it forter?
Save it?
Yao Yaos birthday is in November soyou give it to me by then? she buried her head lower and her voice turned even lower.
Birthday?
Mhmm! Jiang Chen nodded and smilingly promised.
Chapter 129 - Individual Missions
Chapter 129: Individual Missions
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The fancy dinner wasprised of four dishes and soup.
There was Sun Jiaos favorite soy-braized short ribs as well as Jiang Chens favorite scrambled eggs. With tomato. Lin Lin was throwing a tantrum by refusing to eat. However, that did not evenst for three seconds as she was drawn by the intoxicating aroma of the food. With a dejected face, she walked over to the table.
Jiang Chen picked up a piece of tender, juicy meat and bit into it. The delicate texture and delicious taste couldnt be better.
It might be a tad difficult to tell from Sun Jiaosck of elegance in eating, but just from looking at Lin Lins stuffed face despite her extremely picky attitude, it showed Yao Yaos superb culinary skills.
Yao Yaos cooking skill is getting better and better. Stunned by the delicacies, Jiang Chen raised his thumb to praise Yao Yao.
Hehe, Yao Yao giggled. She embarrassedly lowered her head and her face turned beet red.
Hey, you should also give me some credit! While you were away, it was me who guided Yao Yao on how to cook the dishes better Sun Jiaos mouth didnt stop for a moment as she shoved more food in her mouth.
Youre only responsible for tasting, right? Jiang Chen ridiculed.
Hmm, Ill give it 80 points, Lin Lin murmured with a voice that only she could hear then swallowed a mouthful of rice.
After dinner, Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao carried their bowls to the kitchen. Lin Lin had wanted to flee right after eating but was unceremoniously caught by Sun Jiao.
Ignoring Lin Lin who was washing the bowls angrily, Jiang Chen stored the washed bowls in the cupboard and then took Sun Jiao, who had also finished with her task, upstairs.
Is there any bank near Qingpu? Jiang Chen asked.
Trading with Kane military and mercenaries as well as sending funds to sensitive areas have a high chance of freezing his Swiss bank ounts. In consideration of the safety of his ount, Jiang Chen decided to use the most reliable and most primitive payment methodgold.
Therefore, he had to find a way to acquire gold from the apocalypse.
Bank? Do you need more gold? Sun Jiao asked curiously.
Yes, Jiang Chen nodded.
Sun Jiao took out theputer pen and skillfully started the holographic map. There is a PAC bank in Songjiang which is not too far away from here.
Take some people with you to run a trip for me tomorrow. I need the gold in this bank vault, Jiang Chen said after pondering for a moment and looking at the location on the map.
Mhmm, Sun Jiao nodded and smiled winsomely.
Then, Ill be counting on you. Jiang Chen smiled and was about to turn around to discuss with Yao Yao about the UAVs.
But then he realized that his clothes were being pulled.
Sun Jiao pouted and whispered near his ear, I took a shower in the afternoon.
Jiang Chen suddenly burst outughing.
What are youughing at? Sun Jiao was displeased and gave him a light punch on the chest.
Nothing, I just thought youre adorable. He reached out and caressed her silky, ck hair.
Cute? I am the queen. Sun Jiao straightened her back and rolled her eyes at him.
Sun Jiao evaded his gaze and was suddenly feeling embarrassed. She then forced herself to remain calm. Do you want to?
Jiang Chen naturally understood what she meant, but then he shook his head.
Sun Jiao was stunned, her hands were on her hips with a displease countenance. Why?
Because we need to be peaceful and loving. When the immortals fight, the mortals suffer, Jiang Chen said helplessly.
I still have something I need to talk to Yao Yao about. Wait for me in the room tonight. Jiang Chen grinned wickedly and gently touched Sun Jiaos face.
Something? Its not what Im thinking of, right? Sun Jiao looked suspiciously at him.
Cough, no, youre overthinking. Its about the drones. Jiang Chen coughed embarrassedly.
-
Sun Jiao pouted and suddenly kissed Jiang Chen on the face, before jumping aside. Well, thats all good. Youre only allowed to eat Yao Yao only after this Miss has been fed.
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes at the naughty girl then turned around to head toward to Yao Yaos room.
-
The door was open, Yao Yao was sitting in front of the table fiddling with the electronic parts.
There was a faint shampoo scent in the room. Yao Yaos hair was wet and appeared as though she had just taken a shower. She wore lovely bear pajamas, and a pair of smooth jade-like legs dangling in the stool was swinging happily.
Standing at the door, Jiang Chen gently knocked on the door.
Ah, Brother Jiang Chen? What can I do for you?
When she turned around and realized it was Jiang Chen, a soft smile immediately blossomed on her face.
Mhmm, I have a favor to ask of you. He stepped forward and rubbed Yao Yaos head indulgently as usual.
Yao Yao looked baffled, her huge eyes were intently staring at him.
He took out the remains of the Hummingbird drone that he brought from the underground shelter.
Do you think you can design a control terminal like this drone?
Yao Yao took out the te-sized drone and carefully examined it on her hand.
Well, it shouldnt be a big deal with a UAV like this. EP can be used as the control terminal as long as the number will not exceed 10. More than that, EPs processor wouldnt be able to handle it.
Well, not a problem, a table-sized processor would do the trick nicely. Yao Yao pped her hands and nodded adorably.
What materials do you need? Ill be going to Sixth Street tomorrow.
Uhm, there are still plenty of electronic parts in the warehouse, but some of the keyponents are still missing. How about this, Ill give Brother a list of things that I need tomorrow morning, is that okay? Yao Yao said earnestly.
Certainly. Jiang Chen rubbed Yao Yaos small head. And one more thing, do you know how to design UAV alert system?
Yao Yao eyes immediately lit up at the mention of drone warning system, she nodded vigorously.
Mhmm! I have been recently reading books in this area. Leave it to me. Yao Yao confidently raised her head.
Then Ill leave it to you.
Does Brother have any specifics for the UAV alert system? Yao Yao grabbed a pen and a piece of paper while earnestly waited for Jiang Chen to open his mouth.
Seeing Yao Yaos serious yet adorable expression, Jiang Chen couldnt help but smile.
My specific requirement is that the 100 UAVs should be able to automatically carry out patrol mission. It should be able to use the terminal to design patrol route. It should be able to avoid obstructions and immediately respond to enemies attacks. Also, it would be best to add face recognition systems as well as heat source analysis system
After passing the details, he then left Yao Yaos room.
Though the moment he stepped out, he always felt there the was some kind of resentment on Yao Yaos face.
Chapter 130 - Thriving
Chapter 130: Thriving
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
The next morning, Jiang Chen personally led a group of five who needed an injection as well as five Fishbone soldiers into Sixth Street.
He chose to go with a team because first, he was curious about any changes Sixth Street had undergone after the crusade and two, for market research purposes.
Now that Sixth Streets purchasing power increased, the goods they traded with them would no longer be limited to food.
Once the initial burst of rapid production settled down, the highly utilized production lines would equip everyone with potent weapons, lowering the demand for firearms because of the market surplus.
An increased hunting ability meant the number of acquired crystals would rise as well. Survivors would even expand the hunting radius and venture into the city center to obtain more crystals.
After foodthe most basic necessitywas fulfilled, people with a pocket full of crystals would begin to look for ways to increase their quality of life.
With demand for other goods, numerous small factories would emerge like bamboo sprouts after the rain. Small workshops would gradually expand based on market demand, and a variety of other products would fill the store shelves. Small talk between friends would change from, Did you get any nutrient supply today? to How many crystals did you get today?
Order would appear once more on this part ofnd. Prosperity would return under freedom. But the catalyst behind these changes was a war thatsted a mere few days.
-
Wee to Sixth Street, my friend. Zhao Chenwu held a cigar in his mouth as he extended his arms to Jiang Chen from a few paces away.
Nice to see you again. Did you get a return on the money you invested on me? Jiang Chenughed.
Of course. Zhao Chenwu handed him a cigar. Delicacy from before the war, ten crystals for one.
He didnt have to think about it; since Jiang Chen stood here, that meant the danger to Fishbone Base was alleviated and the batch of food was transported into Wanghai City.
Jiang Chen took the cigar and lit it up. After being injected with the gic vine, his smoking addiction was now almost gonebut it was hard to refuse the offer.
Seems like youve made some money? Jiang Chenughed.
Thats right, and about to make more. Zhao Chenwu cracked a smile, then warmly ced his hand around Jiang Chens shoulder. Lets go. Its pretty cold outside; well talk in the car.
The five who needed the injections were taken by Zhao Chenwus people to the clinic while the apanying soldiers returned to the base.
He mbered onto Zhao Chenwus vehicle, and they drove towards the inner circle.
So, my friend, what wind blows you here? Zhao Chenwu looked at Jiang Chen with a bright smile.
Orders were normallypleted through transmission, and details that needed to be sorted out could be done through an augmented reality conference.
One, I needed to bring some new people to be injected, and two, to see any progress made and deliver the order. Jiang Chen nced out of the car and gave the graphene card to Zhao Chenwu.
It was the same wide gate, and through it, the daunting cannon remained unchanged, but the malnourished faces were now full of confidence.
Construction materialsy in emptied spots as construction vehicles busied themselves outside Sixth Street working on what seemed to be an expansion project. There were barely any people in the ghetto, making it feel quite empty.
Zhao Chenwu could sense Jiang Chens shock. He smiled while holding the graphene card and pressed the initiate button. He said casually, These buildings are part of the newly expanded industrial area. The wall needs to be expanded out by several hundred meters, and the ghetto no longer sells people ever since the council pushed out a new regtion to start a buyback of the ghetto refugees.
Buyback? Jiang Chen was unfamiliar with this new term.
Anyone registered in Sixth Street can be repurchased for the price of ten crystals. The repurchased refugees are not permitted to leave Sixth Street, but theyll work at the factory of whoever bought them back for three years before obtaining their freedom.
So poption trade is no longer supported? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Officially, yes. Refugees are no longer the burden of Sixth Street, but I do rmend that you go to the free market. There are plenty of merchants from other survival camps with ve dealers specialized in that business. Zhao Chenwu scrolled through the list on the graphene card to confirm Jiang Chens order.
Five hundred Reaper rifles, twenty Ghost snipers, five hundred bulletproof vests, four boxes of regr grenades, generalbat equipment, five 20mm machine guns Thats a lot. Are you nning on creating an army? Zhao Chenwu asked perplexedly.
Shipping out of the province, Jiang Chen replied concisely.
[Its true that its being traded to the modern world.]
Okay, but with quantities like this, lets push the trade date to the tenth. I still need a bit more, so Ill have to make an order to the factory. Zhao Chenwu took out a paper-thin phone from his pocket and pressed a few buttons.
One thousand jackets, one thousand snow boots, twenty tons of C-type steel, ten tons of Carm tree sap? These are easyI can get the bulk price. Zhao Chenwu read through the list.
Carm tree sap was obtained from the mutated Carm tree. It was used as the raw material for multiple types of stics, an industrial materialmon on the wastnd. Although the polluted soil could not produce any edible crops, nts that survived through natural selection remained, and Sixth Street had a few small tree farms specifically dedicated to producing this tree sap.
Together with the sap and C-type steel, as well as the electronic parts obtained through the survivor groups, most of theponents required to manufacture the hummingbird drone would be collected.
Then Ill leave it to you. The trade date is set for the tenth then. This batch should be sufficient for three months, so the next trade should be set for the following January? Jiang Chen smiled.
No problem. Zhao Chenwu nodded in reply.
The car drove to the inner circle and stopped in front of a restaurant called Lihua. Zhao Chenwu exined that it was his restaurant in the inner circle.
Jiang Chen dly epted the invitation for lunch, but when the dishes were brought out, he was shocked.
Curry chicken, potato pork, vinegar cabbage. Three dishes in total, two types of meat and one vegetable.
The problem was not the dishes themselves, but they were all canned food?
Jiang Chen was taken aback at Zhao Chenwus eagerness to eat.
Whenparing the quality of life, the respected council member of Sixth Street ate worse than the modern-day homeless man.
Jiang Chen ate until he was eighty percent full. He sat in a luxuriously renovated restaurant, eating starchy bread and microwaved canned dishes.
It was quite aical feeling.
Especially since the person sitting across from him was devouring the meal.
After the meal, Zhao Chenwu used a napkin to wipe his mouth before leaning back against the chair with a smile at Jiang Chen. I do have to praise Fishbone Bases food. Its delicious.
Thank you. Jiang Chen smiled.
Oh, since youre here, I have something you may be interested in. As if he suddenly remembered something, Zhao Chenwu sat upright in his chair and lowered his voice.
Oh? What is it? Seeing this, Jiang Chen became solemn as well. This man was part of a group of ten council members. The news he was leaking had to be taken seriously.
Zhao Chenwu smiled mysteriously as he dropped a bomb on Jiang Chen. Based on Sixth Streets new proposal, were about to establish a bank. The feasibility of the proposal is still under debate, but it will most likely happen.
A bank? Jiang Chen was stunned.
[Opening a bank in the apocalypse, what is this?]
The average ie is steadily increasing, so its a necessity for Sixth Street, especially since we have the capability to do so. People can store unused crystals in the bank to acquire an interest, and start-up factories can borrow crystals to invest in the nt. The blood is already flowingnow we just need a heart. Zhao Chenwuughed confidently as he shot an energetic gaze at Jiang Chen.
In the future, the introduction of the bank would likely begin a tidal wave of new factories.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. Not a bad idea, but does it have anything to do with me?
Of course. Zhao Chenwu smiled, lowering his voice and continuing, Dont you want to be a shareholder of this bank?
It was an interesting way to phrase the question.
Jiang Chens expression turned strange when he heard Zhao Chenwu. He asked rhetorically, Dont you want to be?
[If there is something good like this, you would be kind enough to ask me?]
Guessing at Jiang Chens thoughts, Zhao Chenwu continued, Of course, but based on the regtion, the council members share limit is set at seven percent, each contributing one hundred thousand crystals. The remaining would be sold to the public at a premium.
So what youre saying is that your cake has already been divided, so you thought about your old friend, me. Jiang Chenughed.
Thats right, are you interested? Zhao Chenwu crossed his fingers as he stared at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen didnt immediately answer, but rather scratched his chin as he thought.
[The ten council members are each limited to 7%. Therefore, their influence is equal to one another. This is to prevent one person from exerting too much influence on the decisions of the group. The reason why Zhao Chenwu leaked the information to me is in the hopes of having me purchase some shares. Because of our alliance, he would obtain more influence in the bank. Since my orientation remains in the headquarters, I shouldnt care about influence but only bank dividend.]
Considering Sixth Streets recent developments, this bank posed significant meanings, or else Zhao Chenwu wouldnt have be so involved in it.
It was the heart that would be the bloodline.
A mischievous smile grew on Jiang Chens face as he had made a decision.
He realized he was bing more skilled at politics.
And the banks investment criteria is? Jiang Chen asked stoically.
Provide the factory, store, developer, mercenaries, and a potential hunting team with loans. Zhao Chenwu replied.
What about the purchase requirement?
Zhao Chenwu immediately smiled upon hearing Jiang Chens question.
He could tell Jiang Chen was tempted.
One percent of the share is twenty thousand crystals. The purchaser is required to have at least two hundred square meters of fixed assets on Sixth Street. Also, they must be a free person without any chip injections.
Jiang Chen burst outughing and extended his right hand. Thank you for the information. Im very interested. If the proposal passes, let me know.
Definitely. We share the same interests, dont we? Zhao Chenwu grasped Jiang Chens hand and shook it forcefully.
Of course.
Chapter 131 - Rocket?
Chapter 131: Rocket?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Coming out of Lihua, Jiang Chen rejected Zhao Chenwus invitation to stay in Paradise Ind Hotel at no expense and walked straight to the Development Bureau.
The inner circle had drastically changed. He remembered a few months ago, when he first came here, the only things that had left an impression on him were the spider tank and the fully-equipped soldiers. Now, however, there were pedestrians in mboyant clothing.
The radiation dust in the air felt depressing as ever, but a touch of liveliness permeated the entire camp.
Prosperity.
Zhao Chenwus high-end car was no longer unique. Fewer armored vehicles patrolled the streets now taken up by personal vehicles. Along the busiest street were building expansions here and there.
After disying his gic ID to the patrolling soldiers, Jiang Chen entered the hall.
Hello, sir. Is there anything I can help you with? a receptionist at the front desk said professionally while twirling a pen.
Id like to buy a few plots ofnd to open a factory, he said casually as he flipped through the promotional materials on the desk.
He was obviously not building a factory. It was fine as long as he built a warehouse; the key was to settle the two hundred square meter criteria.
Sixth Street was about to establish the first bank, and thirty percent of the shares would be soldthe cake was too attractive to pass on.
Imagining the scenario, the total number of factories and small production facilities numbered fewer than twenty, but now that the average wealth increased exponentially, how tremendous would the economy boom be? It was no exaggeration to say that twenty would increase by at least five-fold within a year, and establishing a bank would only speed up this process.
How many people would need a loan then? It was a guaranteed return.
Purchasing assets? Thank you for choosing to invest in Sixth Street. But sir, currently, thend avable for development have been sold out. Maybe you could consider purchasing for existing owners.
Sold out? This fast? Jiang Chen was shocked.
He expectednd development to be attractive, but he didnt expect the plots to be sold out so quickly.
Jiang Chen frowned slightly, thinking a bit before continuing, Are there any assets avable for sale right now? Anywhere works.
The receptionist was at a loss when she heard his words and gave him a strange look.
Perhaps. Why dont you go to the market and ask in the consignment exchange?
. . .
-
Bulk items and fixed assets were normally sold on consignment at the exchange. The seller normally provided the sale information while storing the rted goods or property within the exchange. A buyer with the intent to purchase would then take the information and discuss a price with the seller in a meeting. Once the transaction waspleted, the buyer only needed to bring the crystals to the exchange to walk away with the purchased goods.
Jiang Chen held such a sheet of information in his hands with the words, Store for sale, price negotiable written on it.
Jiang Chen paused in front of a building, examining the storefront.
Perhaps to save on electricity, the words Fake Legs Specialty Store were redundantly written out on the electronic board in ck ink.
There was ayer of dust on the wooden window, and the rusty door made out of scrapped shells looked worn down. He hesitantly raised his hand, and just as he was about to knock, the door was dragged open.
A small square TV abruptly appeared before him, nearly startling Jiang Chen into pulling out his gun. The metal-ted mouth rapidly opened and closed, stuttering in a squeaky electronic voice, Wee, valued customer! The shop provides mechanical legs and mechanical prosthetic instations with outstanding services for wastnder who identally break their limbs!
He stared at the robot. Its head and body were connected by a spring, and he began to understand why there were no customers.
With such reception, it would be astonishing if a customer did show up.
He pushed the junk robot aside and stepped into the store.
The room was dimly lit, the faint odor of machine oil was in the air. The wall disyed an array of unknown electronic parts and equipment. There was. However, nobody manning the front.
Jiang Chen scanned the room, calling out, Ahem, is anyone here?
No reply.
[No one? Or busy with something else?]
He hesitated briefly before going up the stairs at the back of the store.
The topnding was the attic, and from the open door, he heard mutters and asional, unsettling explosions.
Is it a problem with the central processor? No, should be the engine control unit
The door and roof were wide open. The room was filled with an odd assortment of equipment, and in the corner was a small telescope beside a full-sensory sky map. In the middle of the room, there was a two-meter-wide space, a cylinder as tall as two people, a pointed head
Rocket?!
The young man who was working with a screwdriver in hand was interrupted by the surprised voice and looked in the direction of the door.
Thats right! It is a rocket! He threw the screwdriver to the side, rubbed his messy and oily hair, and smiled.
Jiang Chen examined the rocket as tall as two people and burst outughing.
Haha, someone finally understands the beauty of my design. The person clearly misunderstood, his expression excited as he opened his arms towards Jiang Chen.
He smoothly avoided the hug from a man who obviously hadnt showered in a few days. Jiang Chen cleared his throat.
The purpose of my trip is
Investment right? I know.
No, you seemed to have mis
Shh! The man suddenly gestured for silence. With a mysterious expression, he waved at Jiang Chen. Let me take you to see something fun.
The man quickly sauntered to the corner of the room.
Jiang Chen gave the man a strange look but eventually followed after a moments hesitation.
Power system normal, hydraulic bnce normal, fuel normal he muttered abstrusely as he typed rapidly on the silica-gel touch board. His eyes were filled with a passionate light.
Jiang Chen stood behind him and examined the sophisticated monitors.
You are
Ignite! The excited roar startled Jiang Chen and interrupted his question.
The hand pped onto a red button.
Boom!
The fire erupted from the middle of the room, the scorching mes burning against the base made of unknown metal. The floor began to shake violently, and the window panes screeched. Gusts battered at them, and Jiang Chen had to cover his face from the rapid air flow. Between his fingers, his astonished expression could be seen.
What the fu*k, what the ne are you doing? [simr to what the heck you are doing?]
Its a rocket! Space, here Ie! Haha,unch! Against the violent airflow, the man struggled to maintain his bnce. He ced his hand over the trigger and pushed it to the top.
The air pressure increased explosively, pressing the man immediately to the ground. Jiang Chen, with his strong body condition, barely managed to remain on his feet. Just as he was about to fall, he activated the nitrogen armor on his right arm.
The nitrogen armor burst out and expanded from his right arm. The special field created by the nitrogen created a dpression zone that deflected the air flow.
The force was immediately canceled out.
Thanks, buddy. The young man barely managed to hold onto his body as he smiled awkwardly.
Jiang Chen deactivated the nitrogen armor and nced at the shadow already high in the sky. He threw a dirty look at the young man.
Are you stupid? Firing a rocket from the room? What shocked him, even more, was that future technology allowed rockets to beunched from indoors. How advanced were the materials and fuel technology?
The man gave a forcedugh as he rubbed at his messy hair.
Its okay, Sixth Street doesnt prohibit shooting things into the air
. . . Jiang Chen was speechless.
Patting at his mussed clothes, the man cleared his throat and extended his right hand.
Jiang Lin, owner of Sixth Streets Fake Leg Specialty Store.
After a brief pause, Jiang Chen shook hands with him and then looked at him strangely.
Fake leg? Can you tell me how fake legs are connected to rockets?
Jiang Lin smiled, slightly embarrassed. The fake legs store was opened by my dad.
And now? Although he asked, Jiang Chen had already guessed what happened.
The son didnt continue his fathers business, putting it aside to begin working on rockets?
Im not very good at that job. He shrugged, appearing forlorn, but then he waved his hand at Jiang Chen with renewed interest. Let me show you something cool.
Jiang Lin left Jiang Chen again and hastily walked to the other side of the room. At a loss, Jiang Chen let out a defeated sigh before following.
Based on the program settings, my Explorer 8 with the highest speed in the universe entered the orbit. Look!
Jiang Lins fingers pressed a few buttons on the touch board. Vibrant lights from the cylindrical image formation device began to interweave, creating a magnificent visual image.
This, this is our. Jiang Lin spread his arms with a grin and hugged the imaginary visuals. He then turned around to Jiang Chen with proudly raised eyebrows.
Jiang Chens pupils contracted as he shook in disbelief.
Wow, this is fu*king amazing
Blue, and yellow.
It was his first time observing thisnd. Other than the colors, it was no different from the other world.
The colors belonged to the ocean, and the clouds that were supposed to be white was instead mixed in with an unhealthy shadethis was the radiation dust, chemical dust, as well as industrial pollutants. Towards the northwest, the soil was dark green, supposedly belonging to a type of mutated nt. He remembered Sun Jiao mentioning before that there was an alliance to the north. On the south, the daunting, pitch ck belonged to scorched earth. Because the rocket was close to the orbiting path and synchronized with the earths orbit, it could only view the areas in Asia, but the situation was likely no better on the other side of the earth.
From multiple perspectives, this is not suitable for human inhabitants. Despite the dark words, Jiang Lins voice was calm.
He then pressed a few more times on the touch board, causing the screens perspective to suddenly change.
This is? Jiang Chen shook himself out of his astonishment and stared at the belt of debris on the full-sensory map.
Space junk around the orbit that formed a belt close to earth. The Third World War was not only fought on the surface. Jiang Lin smiled, then erged the image from Explorer 8.
Most of the debrises from sky-based weapons, space stations, satellites, as well as orbit attack shops and anti-satellite missiles. Part of the debris is also from the moon facility that was sent near the earths orbit from the force of the explosion.
[Sky-based weapons? Such as Gods Cane.]
He suddenly recalled the diary he had read before.
Observing the chunks of metal debris, his expression held shock.
But not because of the severity of the war.
Chapter 132 - Sorry, I am a Businessman
Chapter 132: Sorry, I am a Businessman
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Not because of the severity of the war.
But
Because of the money!
Any piece of debris out there was hundreds of years ahead of the modern day worlds space technology! If he sold it Actually, it would likely be difficult to sell.
Realizing this, Jiang Chen forced a smile. Just as he was about to give up the idea of digging for gold in space, he changed his mind. He thought, while it would be difficult to sell, what if he used it for himself? Once he acquired the ind, he would be able to use his countrys name to release a satelliteand that would be interesting.
Thats about it. Jiang Lin abruptly sighed, and the full hologram faded away.
After a pause, Jiang Chen couldnt help asking, What happened? Didnt your rocketunch sessfully?
Jiang Lin shrugged and looked at Jiang Chen. It didunch sessfully, but the nearby orbit is filled with maic pulses. You could say that its nearly impossible to defend against EMP. Just bysting this long, Explorer 8 has already reached its limit. Explorer 7sted only ten seconds.
Then whats point of firing this? Increase space debris? Jiang Chen nced back at him.
How could this be pointless? This is valuable data Seeing his research being devalued, Jiang Lin immediately became displeased. He pressed a few more times on the touch board, releasing an image on the full-sensory screen again, but this time, there was data that Jiang Chen couldnt make heads or tails of.
Am I allowed to know what this data will be used for? Jiang Chen looked over the floating green dots with an odd expression.
Preparation for interster travel. Zeal flickered in Jiang Lins eyes.
Jiang Chen was speechless. Interster travel?
Thats right. In 2176, the United Nations sent out six immigration ships into space, the nearest destination being Capr B in Alpha Centauri, thirteen light years away from Earth.
So youre telling me that this firework can fly for thirteen light years? And youre prepared to send this firework to find the authority at Capr B?
What firework? This is called Explorer 8! And of course, Im not going to send this to Capr B But isnt this space exploration? Experiment, collect data, make improvements. Now, after countless trials, Im already here. Jiang Lin confidently pushed another button.
What is this? Jiang Chen asked, confused from the diagram filled with data.
Warp engine concept map. But because of funding problems, its only fifty percentpleted, hehe. Jiang Lin scratched his head, abashed, and looked at Jiang Chen expectantly. What do you think? The warp engine can achieve speed faster than light, and there will be hibernation chambers to help pass the time on the journey. Are you interested?
A short silence.
Id like to understand something. Does this have anything to do with me buying the property?
Jiang Lin was unable to process Jiang Chens meaning as he stared at him nkly. What?
Jiang Chen took out the sheet of information and pointed at it.
Store for sale, price negotiable. I dont think I came in through the wrong door.
Jiang Lins face immediately flushed, and he mumbled to himself, No, they cant do this.
He swiftly seized Jiang Chens hand, as if it was hisst chance. Did you see the sign in front? Interster travel! Are you not interested in it? A world free of radiation, a brand-new civilizationas long as youre willing to invest in my project
[Sorry, I already have that world.]
Im very sorry. Im a businessman. Jiang Chen shrugged. I dont see any potential profits from your project. Im happy living here, and I dont have any ns to fly into space.
But
No buts. Looks like youre not the owner of this building? Or do you rent a ce here? Jiang Chen sighed.
Abrupt footsteps sounded from downstairs that rapidly approached them.
Jiang Lin, how many times have I told you, dont build rockets in my fu*king house! arge man in a suit said viciously as he squeezed through the door, wiping his face.
Ahem, I built aunch base. It wont damage the structure of the building, so your worry is
The man didnt seem interested in arguing with him. He rubbed his temples and said wryly, I dont care. Pay your two months of rent! Then take your junk and get out of my house!
Jiang Lins face immediately paled as he said, You cant
This is my house! The meaty man pointed at his nose, the few remaining hairs on his bald head nearly standing on end from fury.
Calm yourself, Mr. Gu. Well follow the procedure. A man in a ckbat suit, holding an automatic rifle, strolled through the door and looked at Jiang Lin. Hello, Mr. Jiang. I am the enforcer of Sixth Street. Base on the minimum, you must pay a total of sixty-eight crystals to Mr. Gu Hongkai, or else the enforcement agency has the right to take action. Additionally, because the rental contract has been terminated, please move out within three days. Otherwise, the enforcement agency will have to resort to forceful measures.
But but I dont have that much money, Jiang Lin stuttered.
Sorry, this is thew. Over the next three days, youre prohibited from leaving the house unless youre able to repay the debt. The enforcer shrugged and turned to Gu Hongkai. Are you pleased with the proceedings?
Very pleased. Gu Hongkai didnt dare to get angry at the enforcer. He red at the pale Jiang Lin, jabbing a finger at his face viciously. You better get the money ready, or
Jiang Chen, who was standing off to the side, suddenly interrupted him and said with some frustration, Are you the owner of the house?
Pausing, Gu Hongkai raised his eyebrows at Jiang Chen. You are?
Jiang Chen. If this information belongs to you, we can talk about the price now. Jiang Chen retrieved the information sheet and pointed at it.
Gu Hongkais eyes lit up immediately, and he smiled widely with sudden energy.
Mr. Jiang would like to buy the house? Good, good. Lets have a nice chat at the bar.
Since the problem is solved, Ill take my leave now. Gentlemen, I wish you a good day. The enforcer took out a ticket from his pocket and passed it to Jiang Lin before retreating downstairs.
No need to go to the bar, Jiang Chen shook his head and refused. Lets talk here. Give me a price, and if its reasonable, we can finish the deal now.
The rejected Gu Hongkai did not look the slightest displeased; rather, his smile brightened further. He needed money to buy newly developednd to build a factory, hire hunting teams to head to the industrial area outside of the city to obtain production equipment, purchase raw materials, put in crystals to start production Assets in the market? This store was not his only one, and making rent was not nearly as profitable as opening a factory.
He was unaware of Sixth Streets n to open a bank, or else he would not have sold this property so cheaply.
A buyer this straightforward was umon.
After a moments hesitation, Gu Hongkai threw out a reasonable price to test the waters.
Based on Sixth Streets development trajectory, my shop is at the center of the market. Combined with the warehouse in the back and a total area of three hundred square meters, I want a total of six thousand nine hundred crystals.
The rent was thirty-four crystals a month, and with a rent-to-house price ratio hovering around two hundred, it was a reasonable number. After some thought, Jiang Chen nodded. Selling a property in this high-potential area meant that Gu Hongkai needed some quick money.
His eyes shing, Jiang Chen opened his mouth. No problem, Ill pay the six thousand nine hundred crystals in one lump sum. But I have one requirementput his debt under my name.
Gu Hongkai calcted in his mind. Sixty-eight was not a small amount, but since he needed the money, he couldnt be bothered with it anymore.
Gu Hongkai nced at Jiang Lin before smiling and turning to Jiang Chen. Okay, as per Mr. Jiang request, the debt will be transferred to your name.
Jiang Chen nodded, then took the agreement passed over. He carefully scanned a few times before signing his name.
He only needed to go to the exchange to pay the sum in order to obtain the property. Six thousand nine hundred was not a small number, and most ordinary people would be unable to carry around such an amount. With the development of the economy, a bank was almost certainly necessary.
Of course, with his storage dimension, Jiang Chen was an exception.
Seeing Gu Hongkai, his debt owner, leave, Jiang Lin sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Thanks, buddy. If not for you, I dont know how I wouldve taken care of this.
Jiang Chen grabbed the debt ownership in hand and looked at Jiang Lin with a half-smile.
Thank me? Too early for that.
Jiang Lin perplexedly looked at Jiang Chen.
The change in debt ownership doesnt mean the debts been eliminated. Now you owe me sixty-eight crystals.
Jiang Lins face that had just regained signs of life lost color once more.
I I dont have money, he gritted out.
Jiang Chen didnt seem surprised at his response. He shrugged and continued, You have two choices. One, sell all assets in the store for cash. Considering the poprity of the firearm industry, theres a high demand for raw metal materials. These objects could be sold at junk price, no problem.
Hearing that his goodies would be sold as junk, Jiang Lin immediately roared, No way! Dont even think about it! My equipment is worth at least ten thousand! This is the door to the new world! Do you know the value of these things? Since youre a merchant, theres no way that you dont!
Jiang Chen patiently waited for him to finish his spiel before smirking at Jiang Lin, who felt a chill run down his spine. Jiang Chen drawled, Ten thousand? Without recognition from the market, its only wishful thinking. I can say my hair is worth billions, but who would buy it? Without a buyer, theres no value. In my opinion, y our junk is not even worth thirty crystals.
Fly to space? How many crystals have to be invested for that? How many years? With this small scale, it would take you one hundred years before you can fly out of the sr system.
Capr B? Are you sure the ex-authorities are doing well out there? Are you certain youll be weed?
Im sorry, but Im a businessman.
Word-for-word, Jiang Chen repeated his sentence, and they pierced Jiang Lins heart like fine needles.
His lips were bitten until they lost all color.
With his research deemed as worthless, his heart was filled with rage, but he forced himself to suppress it.
Jiang Chens words woke him from his dream.
No one would pay for his dream. Even if this equipment cost him hundreds of crystals, ordered from mercenaries who obtained them from the nationalarium, no one would recognize the value of his work because it was unnecessary.
He began to regret. If he wasnt so stubborn about leaving his fathers business to die, if he didnt spend all of his efforts on space exploration, he would not be in this situation where he couldnt even afford rent.
Jiang Lin breathed in deeply. He said quietly, Can I hear the second option?
Finally hearing signs of maturity in that voice, Jiang Chen smiled.
An immature dream was indeed not worth the investment, but a mature scientist was.
Second option, work for me.
Chapter 133 - Your Eyes Should Grow on Your Own Head
Chapter 133: Your Eyes Should Grow on Your Own Head
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Work for you? Jiang Lin hesitated as he gave Jiang Chen a perplexed look. Work in your factory?
No. Jiang Chen held up a finger and shook it, staring straight into Jiang Lins eyes. Come to my survival camp. Ill invest in your space project, but youll have to follow my requirements.
Jiang Lin looked suspiciously at Jiang Chen.
A survival camp? I havent left Sixth Street that often, but its not like I dont have a clue about the outside world. Who says your camp isnt a gathering of bandits? What if I be a ve going in?
Jiang Chen smiled and walked up to Jiang Lin to pat his shoulder.
ve? Do you know how much it costs to buy a ve from the ghetto?
Jiang Lin gulped. Before the ve trade was halted, including the microchip which costs neen crystals, the price for a ve was as high as fifty crystals.
Then do you think I need to spend sixty-eight crystals to buy someone who has never done hardbor? Jiang Chen smiled. I dont n on negotiating with you. You only have two options.
Sell your dream as scraps, and go work at the factory to pay off the remaining crystals. Or sell your dream to me, and Ill provide you with resources and directions. All you need to do is install a chip on your neck.
Listening to Jiang Chen speak, Jiang Lins inner turmoil could be seen in his eyes, but in the end, he sighed inpromise. Before Jiang Chens pleased gaze, he opened his mouth to say, I choose two.
Since Jiang Lin had already nodded in agreement, the rest was fairly simple. Jiang Chen arranged for him to pack everything and then sent him to the clinic for injection. On the tenth, when they were to conduct the trade with the Zhao Corporation, Zhao Chenwu would send the people and the goods together.
As for the stores new purpose? Jiang Chen had yet to think of a solution, but he went ahead and hired construction workers to seal the open roof. Since winter wasing, a tent that only shielded from rain did not seem reliable at all.
Overall, the criteria of having a 200-square-meter fixed asset were met for him to join Sixth Street Bank.
The next morning, Jiang Chen took Jiang Lin to the hospital.
After paying a hospital fee of neen crystals, Jiang Chen watched as the doctor reached the end of the hallway while he met up with the five people who were just exiting the rehabilitation room.
Due to the chips instation into the neuralwork, interference from the electric parts was inevitable. Therefore, after the injection, they were required to spend a few hours in rehabilitationwhich they had just clearly finishedbefore being released from the hospital.
Chu Nan saw Jiang Chen from afar and greeted him. Zhou Guoping had the same simpering smile, and Zhao Gang held his wife in silence. Zhou Xiaoxias vision seemed tog, as though shed been injected with a tranquilizer?
How are you feeling?
Not bad. Chu Nan shrugged. Try your EP.
A doctor in a white coat walked over and gave a nail-sized memory card to Jiang Chen before beating a hasty retreat to the surgery room.
Holding the memory card in hand, Jiang Chen inserted it into the EP on his wrist. He noticed that while it was loading, Chu Nans eyes stayed on the loading bar.
Missing your freedom? Jiang Chen joked.
Chu Nan smiled, then nced away.
Whats freedom? From the moment I was born, I fought for one power, and now I changed to another one.
The bar finished loading.
Seeing the words hovering on the screen, Jiang Chen grabbed the memory card and crushed it.
Freedom is a good thing. Within certain boundaries, Ill grant you enough of it. Jiang Chen smiled at Chu Nan as he pressed buttons on the EP.
Jiang Chens face surfaced on the screen in a clear image; he was connected to Chu Nans vision.
Chu Nan rubbed his temple. Is this a neural injection? Sixth Streets very chip is quite intriguing.
Liuding Town doesnt have this? Jiang Chen asked casually as he selected the option to end the connection.
No, we have more opportunity to fight long-distance with few chances to battle on foot. We call it the dictator chip. It emphasesmunication and remote sensors, but it doesnt seem to be as stable as this one. Its controlled by the central processor on the ship and will grant control to someones EP only under special permission. Chu Nan moved his limbs and gradually ustomed himself to the feeling.
What about you guys? Jiang Chen asked as he surveyed the remaining four people.
Zhou Guoping, with his shiny, bald head, continued his attempts to tter. Hehe, very good! I pledge allegiance to the boss.
Zhao Gangs wife was a bit frightened and hid behind Zhao Gangs back. As heforted her, he said solemnly, Not bad.
Zhou Xiaoxia, as usual, had the same nk expression.
Some conversations were not meant for a public hearing. After confirming the chips functionality, Jiang Chen took all five of them to the Fake Legs Specialty Store.
Once they all arrived, Jiang Chen closed the door behind him.
Seeing that the boss had something to say, Zhou Guopings eyes rolled cleverly before he moved a chair for Jiang Chen to sit on from behind the counter. Chu Nan nced at him and turned away disdainfully. Their conflict started over a month ago, but now that they worked under the same boss, there was no longer any opportunity to seek revenge.
Zhao Gang held his wifes hand and stood off to the side in silence.
Ive arranged a few things, so listen up and follow. Jiang Chen sat on the chair without caring for appearance.
Zhao Gang, take your wife back to the base and join the civil army while waiting for further orders.
I understand.
Chu Nan, since youre familiar with the helicopter, go purchase whatevers necessary for repairs. Then take her back. Jiang Chen pointed at Zhou Xiaoxia, who had yet to regain consciousness.
No problem, but I dont have a single crystal on me. Chu Nan opened his palms helplessly.
Under Chu Nans shocked gaze, Jiang Chen grabbed two hundred crystals from his pocket and threw it at him before pping his hands.
Okay, get moving.
The four immediately left, leaving Zhou Guoping at a loss.
Seeing Jiang Chen stay silent, Zhou Guoping stayed true to his servile character and proactively asked with a simpering smile, Boss? What about me?
I heard that during your time working for the Huizhong Mercenaries, you were stationed in Sixth Street. You must be pretty familiar with the area? Jiang Chen leaned back, fingers crossed, and smiled decisively at Zhou Guoping.
Hehe, of course. Boss, what would you like to know? Zhou Guoping patted his chest confidently.
Do you know any ve merchants?
Zhou Guoping immediately nodded and said attentively, Yes, yes! There is a ve merchant from Su City in Sixth Street. There are also clones from the 071 survival base, but because of production problems, they must be ordered beforehand. The good thing is that they are all original
What are you thinking about? Whether its original or not, Jiang Chen jokingly cursed, Im not nning on doing that.
Hehe, boss, if you want, you can have some fun in New Ray Hotel. Once you train the newly produced clones a little, theyre exactly like sex dolls Zhou Guoping smiled lewdly.
Okay, Im talking to you about a serious matter, Jiang Chen interrupted with a frown.
Yes, yes!
Contact the ve merchant. The base still needs two hundred people. How much should the price be?
Zhou Guoping thought for a moment. If theyre ordinary ves, ten crystals each would be enough. If youre looking at fallout shelter 071s product, then probably twenty crystals. Considering the market at Sixth Street, the poption price could double.
Thats fine. Go ahead and contact them. Transportation is difficult during the winter, so put the order in first and ship them here next year. Try to lower the price as much as you can. Its time to test your ability.
Zhou Guopingughed and smacked his chest with confidence. Dont worry, Boss! You can count on me.
Once the poption business was taken care of, it was now time to discuss the stores purpose.
What do you think we should open this store for? Jiang Chen asked as he scanned the decoration in the store.
Zhou Guopings eyes rolled a bit, and he scratched his head. Thats up to what the boss wants. If its to make money, then a food store would definitely be the best choice.
Jiang Chen thought for a bit before shaking his head. Not a food store. Zhao Chenwu has already taken care of Sixth Streets food business.
Fishbone Base needed an alliance, and therefore it was necessary to give up part of the profit. From now on, Zhao Chenwu was a genuine partner; maintaining the rtionship would bring more profit than opening a food store.
It was especially pointless to use this store to make money. Fishbone Base had nothing attractive to Sixth Street beside food.
Other than crystals, Jiang Chen needed more intelligence.
From the information on the bank, he realized the importance of gathering intelligence. If Zhao Chenwu didnt leak the information to him, the opportunity to make more than one hundred thousand crystals would have slipped through his fingers. Since he did not have any agents here, he had to rely on Zhao Chenwu for all events at this location. It was unwise to entrust his eyes to someone else.
As Fishbone grew, he needed to consider more factors.
I need you to gather intelligence for me here. Record any information you think valuable. You worked for the Huizhong Mercenaries before, so you should be familiar with this type of work.
Zhou Guoping smiled self-assuredly, responding immediately with, Of course, Boss. Im great at this sort of thing. When I used to work for the Huizhong Mercenaries, I spent all day in bars and official purchasing centers, recording all of the fat prey and sending the information back. We could open our own bar. Theres nothing better in this world than alcohol to make a person spill the truth.
Bar? Jiang Chen paused and looked at him with an odd expression. There are bars in the Sixth Street?
There were no crops to produce the alcohol, so how could there be a bar?
Hehe, it is processed methanol. Just a small quantity is fine.
[Industral alcohol is drinkable?!]
[What the fu*k, the alcoholics in the apocalypse go pretty far.]
But speaking of this, he forgot that selling alcohol was an excellent way to make moneyperhaps even more popr than food.
Ill leave the bar to you. Get someone to renovate this ce, and send me a message when its done. Dont worry about the alcohol, Ill take care of it.
If the alcoholics smelled the scent of beer, wine, and Baijiu, would they barrel down the door of the bar? The more he thought about it, the brighter his smile became.
Although alcohol was scarce in the apocalypse because of theck of crops, that was nothing in the modern world! Any store had an abundance of it.
Seeing his bosss delighted mood, Zhou Guoping was also secretly happy. His future depended on Jiang Chen; if Jiang Chen was satisfied, then he would be better off.
Yes, boss! Zhou Guoping responded and bowed with a flourish.
Chapter 134 - The Bullet Shell Bar
Chapter 134: The Bullet Shell Bar
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Off to the side of a store was a door, and on it hung a rotten t of wood. A few crooked words were carved into it with a daggerThe Bullet Shell Bar.
This was the ce Zhou Guoping had talked about. ording to him, it was an entertainment hub of Sixth Street.
After arranging for Zhou Guoping to handle the renovations, Jiang Chen personally came here to do some market research since he didnt know the tastes of the people. The best way to find out was to personally have a drink or two.
While the renovations werent the best, there was a surprising number of customers.
Strange individuals covered inrge trench coats sat alone at a table near the door, drinking alcohol that stung the nose. A young man with a red headscarf had a cigarette in his mouth and one foot on a chair as he dealt cards. There were lone travelers, bandits, and those of the profession that recently came into poprityhunters. Women in exposed clothing leaned against the bar under the flickering lights and waited for tonights prey to take the bait. And among the shadows, a ck market merchant hid, selling harmless products
The air in the bar was shrouded, and the noise cluttered the already limited room. This was Jiang Chens first impression upon stepping into this space.
It was not an illusion that when he took a step onto the dry wooden floor, at least ten pairs of eyes flicked over at him.
Some were friendly, most were not.
After a seconds pause, Jiang Chen continued to walk and directly approached the bar counter.
Are you not going to buy me a drink? Handsome. A woman in heavy makeup leaned against the counter and disyed a charming smile.
Jiang Chen ignored her with a smile and looked beyond the counter at the bartender who was silently wiping a cup.
White shirt, ck pantsa rtively clean appearance. But the slight beer belly turned what should have been suave movements into ratherical motions.
What do you have here? Jiang Chen sat on the chair and asked casually.
Hearing Jiang Chens words, the bartender stopped and nced at Jiang Chen.
Your first time here?
Mhmm.
Lots of things. Alcohol, Nut Coke, eOrange, Kaka Tea. The chubby bartender resumed wiping the ss cup that had been cleaned countless times.
Also, hamster milk tea and cockroaches smoothie. A young man whistled andughed.
I wont sell those things to neers. The bartender kept his head down.
Looks like I dont have the opportunity to experience those. Jiang Chen shrugged as he joked, then said, Give me one of each.
The bartenders hands stopped. He turned around to open the fridge and ced odd ss bottles on the counter.
2, 1, 2, 3. A total of 8 crystals.
Jiang Chen reached into his pockets and took out eight crystals from the storage dimension. He casually pped it onto the table. His ostentatious moves led to a wave of whistle-blowing and looks of avarice.
The bartender quietly took the crystals and didnt say a word as he continued to work.
He looked over the four bottles of drink. Jiang Chens eyebrows twitched. These things looked as suspicious as they could get.
The alcohol seemed rtively normalshould be like Baijiu? The Nut Coke was the oddest; its fluorescence did not seem potable at all. The eOrange was simr to orange juice, and the Kaka Tea was green like seaweed, its cloudy liquid interspersed with questionable fragments.
These things are drinkable? Jiang Chen couldnt resist asking.
Howls ofughter erupted from behind him. A giant of a man walked up with a smirk on his face before nting his foot on the chair beside him to roughly ask, Yo noob. These drinks are too much for you. Why dont you y with us? If youre lucky, one crystal could be ten.
His tone and expression assumed Jiang Chen was already in the bag, and the y he referred to was obviously gambling.
Jiang Chen nced at him and instead of showing anger, smiled.
Then why dont we y a game as well?
As he said this, Jiang Chen didnt allow the man a chance to say yes or no. He slowly withdrew a crystal worth fifty energy crystals from his pocket and waved it in front of the giant who was showing off.
Two crystals per turn. Guess which hand the crystals in. If youre right, then its yours.
The giant was at a loss at Jiang Chens abrupt actions, but his expression soon became ecstatic. He thought, [This dumbbastards. If I guess ten times, regardless of how you trick me, Im guaranteed to be correct at least once.]
But he wasnt a dunce. If Jiang Chen left after two turns, his crystals would have gone to waste.
Twenty crystals and I guess ten times. The giant smiled viciously and mmed the crystals onto the table.
The people standing around all gave sympathetic looks at Jiang Chen.
Unfortunate that he was targeted by Liu Mang.
Hehe, this noob is really unlucky.
The ones who were gloating were mainly the giantsrades.
[Liu Mang? Thats a good name.] (Liu Mang is homonym for the word thug.)
His lips moved as he muttered in his mind. Jiang Chen didnt seem bothered as he took the twenty crystals on the table.
No problem. Itd be fine even if you wanted to guess one hundred times. Jiang Chen yawned as he threw the energy crystal into the air with nimble hands.
Liu Mangs vision blurred, and the crystal seemed to disappear from his sight. Upon seeing Jiang Chens movements, the gloating expressions of the people suddenly twisted while those who werepassionate rejoiced.
It was going to be a good show.
Cold sweat rolled down Liu Mangs forehead. He wasnt able to see where the crystals went. He estimated that the reflex of this person was at least 25. And though he was also injected with the gic vine, it had been the standard E-grade.
Take a guess. Jiang Chen ced his hands before Liu Mang with a bored expression.
Since he hadnt been able to see it clearly, Liu Mang took a wild guess.
Right hand.
Jiang Chenughed.
Congrattions youre wrong.
There was nothing in his right hand.
Youre a fraud! Liu Mang was immediately unhappy. His eyes bulged, and hispanions inched closer with unfriendly expressions. So what if he had the gic vinewho hadnt? Even if it was a lower-quality version, they had an advantage in numbers.
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes and opened his left hand; on his palm was a bright purple crystal.
There are nine more chances. Are you still going to guess? He did not seem afraid at all.
Liu Mang was surprised. He originally thought that since Jiang Chen hadnt immediately revealed his left hand, the crystal must have been hidden away, but it was actually in the left hand.
Under everyones watch, although he had always acted recklessly, he didnt dare to start a fight. After further thought, there were still nine more chances.
Liu Mang signaled his pawns away and let up on his act. He red at Jiang Chen.
Yes, start.
A hint of mockery appeared in Jiang Chens smile as the crystal was thrown into the air again.
He must be joking. Was he the type to use fraud?
The answer was definitely.
No matter which hand Liu Mang chose, the crystal would always appear in the other hand.
The storage dimension was a frauds holy grail. Jiang Chen imagined that if he went to Macau, all of the legendary gamblers would have to move aside for him.
Last time. You better be careful. Jiang Chenzily waved his hands in front of Liu Mang.
Liu Mangs eyes were pure red as they locked on to the two fists. He tried to spot differences in size, but it was futile.
This was the gamblers mindset; they would not stop until they lost every single crystal.
He had already lost the previous twenty crystals, and he immediately put up thest ten that he had.
He only needed to win once to make all of the money back so close!
But when Jiang Chen opened his hands, he was wrong again.
Thats impossible! A fifty percent probability, how could I not even guess it right once? Youre a fraud! Liu Mang immediately red up as he cursed and kicked the chair away with his feet with a fighting posture.
Seeing Liu Mangs actions, everyone around exposed looks of disdain.
Anyone could see that Jiang Chen was cheating, but if there was no evidence, why was he trying to act like the big man?
But the reckless Liu Mang didnt care. Instead, he ordered his thugs to surround Jiang Chen.
Buddy, you dare to cheat me? You think youre tough. Let me tell you, if you dont return the crystals you cheated me out of with both hands and knees on the ground, Ill make sure you dont leave standing up.
Jiang Chen flicked his eyes over at the furious Liu Mang and opened his mouth calmly.
You lose nine times out of ten in gambling, has no one taught you this before? Also speaking of this, does the civil force care enough toe here?
The young man that whistled at Jiang Chen earlier still sat in his original seat. He sipped at his alcohol andughed without regard to the atmosphere.
Of course, but the cop is alwayste.
Thats perfect then. Jiang Chenughed.
Being ignored, anger shot straight to Liu Mangs head, and he reached for Jiang Chens cor.
Fu*k you, Im speaking to you
Boom!
Without warning, Jiang Chen kicked out. Liu Mang felt like his chest was mmed by a hammer as he flew backward like a kite with its string broken. He slid across a table and directly cannon-balled out the door. The bartender looked at Jiang Chen with shock before cing the ss cup aside and subtly pressing the emergency call button beside the counter. The crowd, seeing the conflict, began to whistle and cheer.
Fu*k hit that bit*h. Seeing their leader kicked away, the thugs all grabbed weapons to swarm Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen calmly avoided a side swipe as fury immediately activated. He pinched the dagger in front of him and used the suddenly explosive power to drag it aside and stab it into a thugs shoulder.
Ahh! The thug screamed in pain and fell backward.
Jiang Chen didnt stop there. He dragged a thug to him with his right hand clenched over his chest and blocked a few bats from falling on him.
Haha, amazing.
Give him the upper chin.
Use the chair, dumbbastards! The crowd did not shy away from trouble. Sometimes they cheered for Jiang Chen, and sometimes they swore at the thugs for being uselessa group of people couldnt even beat one man.
With all of the banging, the thugs didnt manage tond any hits on Jiang Chen. Instead, the bats hit all of their own people.
Fury deactivated.
Cheering, the crowd celebrated the winner. The woman who tried to strike up a conversation with him earlier gently licked her seductive, red lips with bright eyes, but Jiang Chen continued to ignore her.
He pped his hands and nced at the thugs on the floor.
The young man drinking alone beside the counter smiled. I was waiting for you to lose so that I could get a few drinks out of you.
Looks like you wont have the chance. Jiang Chen shrugged as heughed.
Fu*k, you dare to hit me. Ill beat you to Liu Mang limped into the room limping as he cursed. But when he saw the thugs on the ground and the mocking looks on the crowds faces, his mouth froze.
Meeting Jiang Chens mischievous grin, he looked at the thugs on the ground again as if he couldnt ept this reality.
You, do you know who I am? Once he saw that he couldnt win the fight, Liu Mang began to threaten him with a malevolent stare at Jiang Chen.
Oh? You are? Jiang Chen casually picked up the eOrange and took a sip, but the sharine taste nearly made him throw it back up.
[What, people drink this?]
The crowd was also shocked as they thought, [What, people drink this directly?]
Jiang Chen put the drink back with the same mischievous expression.
I-Im close to the Huizhong Mercenaries. Hehe, since youre wandering around in the area, you must know about them. A sneer surfaced on Liu Mangs face as he stared directly into Jiang Chens eyes. He wanted to see a hint of fear in those pupils.
But he would inevitably be disappointed by Jiang Chens reaction.
When he heard the name Huizhong Mercenaries, he resisted the urge tough.
Are you close with them? Jiang Chen looked at him impishly.
Thats right, and if you dont want to lie in a casket the second you step out of Sixth Street, then you better apologize, and
And give you somepensation? Jiang Chenughed as he said uncaringly.
Liu Mang paused, finally realizing that this persons reaction was off.
Thats right. If you know any better, then take out the crystals.
Jiang Chen nced at him and slowly said, Since you know them so well, do you have any idea where they are now?
Theyre in the Songjiang area. Im close to their leader, Liu Mang said cockily.
No, theyre in Qingpu. Jiang Chen shook his finger. Their bodies are sprayed with formalin and hung up on light posts.
Liu Mang was speechless as he looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief. What, what nonsense are you spouting. Are you in your right fu*king mind? You better
Hes not lying. The young man sitting beside the counterughed as he pointed his cup in Jiang Chens direction. Because he took care of all those dumbbastardses.
Chapter 135 - I’m from Jia City
Chapter 135: Im from Jia City
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
The crowd was shocked by these words.
Shock was written all over Liu Mangs face. He did wonder why he hadnt met the Huizhong Mercenaries in so long. Could it be that what he said was
His shock gradually turned into fear.
I did hear that the Huizhong Mecenaries offended the wrong force and was wiped out.
It seemed to be a force from Qingpu.
Oh I remember! An alcoholic from Qingpu did say this.
Lone travelers on the wastnd naturally had heard some news. For example, Songjiang was suddenly stabilized, and the Huizhong Mercenaries raid team had abruptly evaporated into thin air. No one would have guessed that this recognized force had been wiped out by the man standing in front of them.
The woman that continued to piercingly gaze at Jiang Chen was even more shocked. If she was tempted in the beginning, now she didnt care about the price anymore
The greedy gazes from the shadows were now wary. They began to question how they would have fared against the Huizhong Mercenaries.
You, th-thats impossible. Liu Mang stared at Jiang Chen as if looking at a ghost. He shivered, unable to properly articte his words.
Jiang Chen didnt bother with Liu Mang anymore. Instead, he smiled at the young man who was sipping at his drink.
Ive heard that this industrial alcohol is not too good for you.
Its fine. You can have two bottles as well. People with gic vines have a strong digestive system. The man put down his cup andughed casually.
You know who I am?
Of course. I came from Jia City for the sole purpose of finding you. The young man shrugged and extended his right hand. Lin Chaoen, from Jia Citys Defenders. Pleased to meet you.
[Defenders? Why dont you call yourself the Avengers?]
Jiang Chen. With an odd expression, Jiang Chen simrly extended his hand for a handshake, but the caution in his eyes remained.
Dont look at me like that. Im a nice person, Lin Chaoen said innocently in response to the look of distrust in his eyes.
Jiang Chen didnt refute him and looked away. He returned to the seat beside the counter and turned to the frightened Liu Mang.
Youre lucky. At least you can choose which brand of formalin you want to use.
When he heard those words, Liu Mang immediately got on his knees.
Please spare me. I didnt know any better. I
Enough, Ive heard too much of the same thing. If you want to live Jiang Chen said irritably. He pped the counter. These four strange concoctionsyou can get the hell out once you finish them.
Liu Mangs face turned green instantly.
psh, an entire bottle of industrial alcohol. Half of his life would be gone by the time he finishes. What a waste. Why dont you
Before Lin Chaoen could finish, a bottle flew in his direction.
He caught the object thrown at him by Jiang Chen andughed as he poured himself another cup.
The remaining three bottles, go ahead. Jiang Chen slowly said as he stared at Liu Mang.
The three drinks did not look normal at all. He didnt have the intention to drink it himself. But for market research, as well as curiosity, it was not a bad idea to find his own white rat.
Liu Mang thought about Jiang Chen wiping out the Huizhong Mercenaries and lost all courage to fight back. He bit the bullet as he valiantly walked up, picked up the bottle of Nut Coke, and began to guzzle it.
The crowd blew whistles as the lot of them stared at his pants mockingly.
By the time he finished the entire bottle, Jiang Chen was shocked to discover that this guys pants had lit up.
Thats right, lit up.
Nut Coke adds a trace amount of a radioactive strontium isotope that makes the pee fluorescent. Damn, a whole bottle in one sitting. This guys di*k could be a light bulb for an entire day, Lin Chaoen mocked as he took a sip.
Radioactive element? Is it not harmful to the human body? Jiang Chen asked as he gave a weird look at the Nut Coke.
This thing is harmless. They sold it before the war.
Liu Mang picked up the dark green Kaka Tea. His forehead twisted, but he still raised his head with a look of agony and started to chug.
Kaka Tea has an excessive amount of tea polyphenols as well as other radiation-resistant substances. It doesnt look the best and tastes bitter to the point of stinking, but the radiation resistance effect is quite superb. Just as Lin Chaoen finished speaking, Liu Mangs pants lost all illumination.
After finishing the two bottles, Liu Mang held thest eOrange and looked at Jiang Chen with a troubled expression.
Why are you looking at me? Drink! Jiang Chen stared at him.
Yes, yes!
Liu Mang grit his teeth as he began drinking from the bottle. As soon as it reached his stomach, however, he fell unconscious to the ground.
eOrange, concentrated sweetener. The normal way to drink it is to use the cap to pour it into a big bottle of clear water. If he drank this entire bottle, itd be better to send him to the hospital right away, Lin Chaoen exined with a smile.
Jiang Chen nced at him but didnt say much.
A few enforcers in ckbat suits walked in, catching sight of the thugs on the ground as they eyed the bartender questioningly.
They were the one escting the conflict. They were taught a lesson. The bartender neutrally exined the situation. From his calm expression, it didnt seem to be his first time dealing with this sort of situation.
The enforcer smiled at Jiang Chen. We apologized for your infringed rights. The people who started the conflict will receive a fifteen-day imprisonment sentence.
Afterwards, the enforcers walked up with handcuffs and escorted the people from the ground and away.
The enforcers from Sixth Street would always have a courteous attitude, but in times of conflict, they would not hesitate to pull out their gun to shoot.
Seeing the cops take the people away, the crowd began to disperse because there was nothing more to see. The bar returned to its previous busy atmosphere. The gamblers rolled die, and alcoholics nursed their cups.
The woman in heavy makeup was prepared to strike up a conversation with Jiang Chen before she suddenly realized that he was not there anymore.
In the alley beside the bar.
There were deserted junks covered byyers of dust that had umted over time. The area was dimly lit, and mutated moss covered the walls.
It had been a while since anybody had passed by this area, but two figures now stood there.
Speak your mind. Why did you travel so far to find me? Jiang Chen looked at Lin Chaoen with an odd expression.
He didnt recall going to Jia City before. Could reputation spread through the air?
Regardless, Lin Chaoens ability was not to be underestimated. To be able to wander the wastnd freely without arge group to protect him, only those with insane powers could do that. Jiang Chen was also curious to know why he sought him.
Seeing Jiang Chen ask straightforwardly, the grin on Lin Chaoens face began to fade into a more serious expression.
A few days ago, a mutated human began moving towards Wanghai City and destroyed a survivors gathering spot.
It was a bandit nest, Jiang Chen shrugged and added.
Whatever it was, I followed the mutated humans tracks to Songjiang in Wanghai City, but then I only found proof of it being attacked. I came to Sixth Street shortly after and heard rumors about you in the bar. Based on the information, the real oue must be that the mutated human destroyed the Huizhong Mercenaries, and they happened to bump into you, after which you wiped them out.
You could interpret it that way. And?
Ive been trying to find you, but all I heard was that you were in the Qingpu area but not the exact location. Now weve met by coincidence today, boss of Fishbone Base, Jiang Chen. Lin Chaoen stared into Jiang Chens eyes as he spoke in a low undertone.
So why did you want to find me? Jiang Chen reiterated the question.
He didnt want to be involved with a mutated human again. Fighting them was a lost cause.
Lin Chaoen seemed to have expected Jiang Chens reaction. After a pause, he continued, Based on our information, the mutated humans force has been gathering in the western area of Wanghai City.
[Western area? Thats Qingpu and Songjia? Theyre moving in this direction?]
Jiang Chens face suddenly changed color. His Fishbone Base was in the Qingpu area. But then he remembered something and looked suspiciously at Lin Chaoen.
Wait, if youre in Jia City, the mutated humans moving towards Wanghai City would be a good thing for you. Why did youe find me?
You dont know the conflicts between us and the mutated human, so obviously you would suspect my intentions. The Defenders job is to defend against the mutated humans.
Lin Chaoen paused and said, In the past few years, theyve been using Area Seven as their base to capture, raid, and enve people from Jia City. Any resistance was met with death. People of the right age were submerged into vials to receive new lifeand be di*kless like them. Their existence is anti-human to begin with, and so you and I fight against amon enemy.
Jiang Chen quietly gazed at Lin Chaoen, and after a while, said, Why are the mutated humansing to Wanghai City? Since youve found me, you must have some clues about their intentions.
Precisely. Lin Chaoen nodded, then took out theputer and expanded the full-sensory map.
His finger ced on a spot in the city center, he continued, Carmen Pharmaceutical they were researching gic medications and production businesses. It was rumored that they had a partnership with the military.
So? Jiang Chen didnt seem to care.
Under the partnership, their project was based on the scenario that should the world erupt into a full-scale nuclear war, what would allow PAC citizens to gain radiation resistance in a short time, making them be the sole adapters in the new world. The result of this project was precisely the FEV virus.
Jiang Chen was stunned, and he looked at Lin Chaoen in disbelief. He recalled that mutated humans were the product of merging with the FEV virus.
FEV virus? Used on us? Jiang Chen still couldnt fathom the truth.
He always thought that the FEV virus was a biological weapon created in aboratory to be used against citizens on the enemys side. He didnt dare to imagine that the virus had been designed with its own citizens in mind.
Nothing would spread faster than a virus; it was the most efficient means of transmission. But the FEV virus was iplete. The half-finished product was effective only in special nutrients, and it would create misshapen humans who were unable to reproduce. Lets not discuss whether the authorities were humane or not. Whats critical now is that these deformed, di*kless things seem to have obtained some information that led them to believe that within the Carmen Pharmaceutical building, there is an improved version of the FEV virus that could lead them to a state of higher evolution. It would also allow them to gain the reproductive ability that they had always dreamed of.
Jiang Chens facepleted changed when he heard those words.
Why dont you go to the pharmaceuticalpany before them? And destroy the improved version of the FEV virus?
Lin Chaoen immediately rejected the proposal while shaking his head. Impossible. First, thepany is located within a high-radiation area. Unless you have power armor or radiation-resistant suits, the iodine in the EP would not be enough to approach the area. Also, even if we did arrive at Carmen Pharmaceutical, we wouldnt be able to enter the building without the passcode. The security robot would eliminate any unidentified target attempting to break in.
Then blow the entire building up! Jiang Chen said viciously.
Lin Chaoen gave Jiang Chen an odd look. A building that could survive the nuclear missile, what kind of explosives do you think could blow it up?
Jiang Chen waspletely listless.
Fu*k, why dont you go to the Sixth Street officials to talk about this?
Lin Chaoen smiled bitterly. The council wouldnt believe me, and I dont have the confidence to persuade the minimum requirement of five council members. To be fair, its a problem for our Jia City. Even if the mutated human obtained the improved virus, they would return to Jia City to take a bath and devastate the survivors there. Do you think Sixth Street would leave their golden age of development and fight a war of lost causes?
Then why bother finding me?
Because the mutated humans will pass by your front door. They have no reason not to bite into the juicy meat beside their mouths, Lin Chaoen shrugged and said honestly.
Youre saying my Fishbone Base is a piece of juicy meat? Jiang Chen disagreed.
In terms of defense, power armors arent able to utilize their advantage in mobility, especially since you dont have many to begin with, ording to the marks left behind on the battlefield. On the other side, there are more than forty mutated humans.
With narrowed eyes, Jiang Chen locked gazes with Lin Chaoen.
Lin Chaoen fearlessly met Jiang Chens stare, retracted theputer pen, and extended his right hand again.
We can partner up, against themon enemy.
Chapter 136 - For our interest
Chapter 136: For our interest
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Best of luck to us.
Jiang Chen shook Lin Chaoens hand.
Just as Lin Chaoen said, if the mutated humans passed through Qingpu, there was arge probability that a battle would erupt. Hoping that the mutated humans wouldnt discover Fishbone Base was as unreliable as leaving a sheep farm open while praying the wolf pack wouldnt attack.
From the mutated humans perspective, every ancient human was a stubborn coward, while normal people viewed these neo-humans as ugly and di*kless. From the start, the two sides had no chance of negotiating.
The two exchangedmunication channels for both camps, and Lin Chaoen, in a show of sincerity, agreed that if the mutated humans from Area Seven showed signs of movement, the Defenders would notify Fishbone Base immediately. At the same time, they signed a defense pact against the mutated humans. Once the mutated humans started their march towards Wanghai City, both parties would send their forces to intervene.
For amon interest.
Lin Chaoen left right away as soon as they finished business to return to Jia City and report their status. Jiang Chen rested for a bit before a bitter smile appeared on his face.
Mutated humans. Fu*k, why is there trouble after trouble.
He had to speed up his armed force development.
But winter was approaching. Maybe under the harsh conditions, the mutated humans would choose to march to Wanghai City in theing spring?
[Hopefully, the snow is thick enough.]
He shook his head and walked towards the Fake Legs Specialty Store. On the way, he happened to meet Zhou Guoping who was chatting with the construction worker.
Seeing his boss, Zhou Guoping immediately sent the construction worker away and walked up to fawn on Jiang Chen. Boss, need me for anything?
As soon as he and Zhou Guoping entered the room, he closed the door and got straight to the point. If I want to purchase heavy weapons, how do I go about doing this?
Zhou Guoping paused and began to give it serious thought.
If its in Wanghai City, Sixth Street could produce it, but the Group of Ten Council has restrictions in ce to prevent heavy weapons from entering the external market. Other than Sixth Street, the Beer Can Company in the north specializes in heavy weaponry production without any restrictions. Due to the long distance and limited production capability, however, they dont have a representative here epting orders.
What about outside of Wanghai City?
There is a heavy weaponry factory in Su City, but due to high prices, not many can afford them. Its been a while since I saw them, Zhou Guoping said hesitantly.
Expensive? How expensive?
Very. Zhou Guoping forced a smile. They only sell giant weapons. Based on my understanding, the 85mm tank cannon is priced at seven thousand crystals. Also, as long as you can afford it, they even sell tanks.
Tanks? Jiang Chens eyes instantly lit up.
Pay attention. When theyre here, immediately notify me. Ill head back to Fishbone Base after this, so youll take care of the tasks here. Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, Do a good job. I have faith in you.
Ignoring how the ecstatic Zhou Guoping tried to suck up to him, he left a few hundred crystals as an initial fund to start the store before he left. It was already the start of October, and the n for the apocalypse was about to start. He had to go back and make some preparations.
After leaving Sixth Street, Jiang Chen headed for the sewerage entrance guarded by the Zhao Corporation.
Following the surge in trade between Fishbone Base and Zhao Corporation, the sewerage had been upgraded. The mold and dirt on the road were cleaned away, and the confusing intersections were locked off. The wall corners were even installed with light-activated coldmps.
He took the elevator back to the surface where a soldier guarding the elevator saluted. With a nod of acknowledgment, Jiang Chen followed the closed-off concrete walkway to the inside of Fishbone Base.
At the shooting range outside of the wall, Jiang Chen found Zhao Gang.
How do you feel? Jiang Chen smiled.
Not bad. Zhao Gang nodded. After that terrible incident, the audacious man had be reticent.
Ten for ten, damn, how is this not bad? Cheng Weiguo carried the rifle and spoke whileughing.
Jiang Chen looked at Zhao Gang with surprise and nodded appreciatively.
I have a mission for you.
Mhmm. Zhao Gang agreed without asking for the details.
Jiang Chen took out theputer pen and marked Area Seven on the map.
I need you to head for Area Seven and find out as much information as you can about the mutated humans. Their camp spot,bat power, number of people the more specific, the better.
The more he knew about the enemy, the higher the chances of winning against them. The mutated humans were stationed in Area Seven, and Fishbone Base had no information on them at all. Based on the crossfire fromst time, however, mutated humans were not to be underestimated even with armor or firepower.
Jiang Chen also didntpletely trust Lin Chaoens words. It was far more reliable to send his own men.
Understood. When should I leave?
Tomorrow. Take some time to prepare. If you need any equipment, just let Chen Weiguo know and take it directly from the armory.
Ten nutrient supplies, as well as this rifle. Zhao Gang shook his head. In terms of scouting, the probability of engaging inbat is low.
Although the base hadpressed crackers, in terms of convenience, it could not match the nutrient supply that could replenish both energy and water.
Thats fair. Then Ill count on you. Be quick, Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder as he said seriously.
Mhmm. As expected, he nodded without any arguments against the mission.
Returning to the mansion, Jiang Chen happened to bump into Lin Lin who came out of shower humming.
Seeing her so happy, he couldnt resist the temptation to make fun of her.
You dont short circuit?
Lin Lins eyebrows traveled all the way up, but as she was about to give a rebuttal, she thought about how she was under his control and froze in ce.
Jiang Chen was surprised to see her hold her tongue.
Oh, whats the progress on the mission I gave you?
Do you think scientific research is like masturbation? It wille out after rubbing a little? Finally, Lin Lin couldnt resist the temptation to curse.
Jiang Chen looked at her oddly. He couldnt connect the vulgar words with the elf-like looks of this girl.
Although I havent done research before, have you masturbated?
Lin Lins face turned red, and cursed under her breath, Pervert. She ran away with her head buried.
[Its so fun teasing this girl.]
Seeing Lin Lin flee the scene, Jiang Chenughed malevolently.
But first things first.
He shook his head and put Lin Lins matter aside to go up to the second floor and find Sun Jiao.
Youre back? Sun Jiao eyes brightened when she saw him. She dropped the items in her hands and with upturned lips, greeted him delightfully.
Mhmm. Jiang Chen hugged the passionate Sun Jiao and asked, Hows the bank mission doing?
Weve shipped the gold back. Its around fifteen tons. The marks have been sanded off, and right now, its piled up in the pool, she said intimately. Sun Jiao looked deeply into Jiang Chens eyes.
Thank you. He touched her soft hair and returned her gaze.
Of course. Im so tired. She stretched and was pleased to hear the light gulping nose. Smirking, she continued, How are you nning on rewarding me?
Ahem, lets talk about this tonight. Jiang Chen touched his nose, looking away shyly.
He caught sight of something strange beside the bed.
[That is a towel?]
Eh? What is this? Jiang Chen craned his neck to look curiously at the strange item.
Sun Jiaos face immediately turned red. She dashed to the bedside and hid the unknown item under the nkets.
What? What are you talking about? Her eyes began to wander. It was rare for her to y dumb.
Curious!
Jiang Chen was unable to control his interest and began to ask energetically, The thing you just hid
No! What did I just hide? Sun Jiaos eyebrows rose as she said fiercely.
No, no, no, I saw it with my own eyes.
Illusion! It must be an illusion! Vehemently denying it, Sun Jiao blushed and pushed at Jiang Chen who tried to leap over to see. She then mmed the door shut.
Phew
Sun Jiao sat on the bed and exhaled.
Her heart was beating so fast.
Ahhhhh, this is too embarrassing. Its not like me!
Sun Jiaos hands patted her burning-red face as she dove into the bed. She reached for the nket and covered herself like an ostrich.
The treasure hidden under the nket was exposed; it was an old magazine. Based on the publication date, it was printed before the war.
How to capture your boyfriends heart - weave a scarf for him in the cold winter
Attached: Simple weaving technique
Sun Jiao, who had been born in a survival base and lived wandering the wastnd, didnt know what love was. It was something she had never learned before. She picked up this magazine from the bank, unaware of what scarves were, but she was intrigued by the printed words on the front page.
Could a scarf be this magical? Sun Jiao didnt really understand.
But if Jiang Chen came from before the war, then it had to be useful for him.
She firmly believed this.
Standing by the poolside, Jiang Chen observed the lustrous gold. In the apocalypse, this gold was worth less than dirt.
He took a deep breath and submerged his conscious into the storage dimension.
Compared to before, the storage dimension seemed to have expanded by a lotfrom one cubic meter to five cubic meters now. But Jiang Chen was still clueless on how the interdimensional bracelet evolved. Charging it repeatedly seemed to be useful, but otherwise, it was not obvious.
The overload fromst time seemed to have increased the size of the storage dimensional by quite a lot, but Jiang Chen didnt dare to do anything so dangerous again. Instead of overloading it, it could potentially fry the bracelet.
Putting the gold into the storage dimension, Jiang Chen was prepared to return to the modern world, but he suddenly remembered the promise he made with Sun Jiao. A smirk appeared on his face.
[Ill go back tomorrow morning.]
Chapter 137 - Close the door!
Chapter 137: Close the door!
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
When he left Sun Jiaos room, it was already noon.
A smile rose unbidden to his face when he recalled the intimacy fromst night.
She seemed to sense that hed be gone for a while because shed been extra passionate.
By the time the two fell asleep in each others embrace, it was alreadyte into the night.
He stretched his stiff body and walked to the bathroom.
With a light press on the touchscreen, hot water filled the sink. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the sink and submerged his head into the water.
After holding his breath
Huuuu!
He resurfaced from the water and briskly shook his head feeling refreshed. Jiang Chen looked at his reflection in the mirror and let the water droplets roll down his face.
Its been three months.
He touched his chin, lost in his memories of three months ago, back in July. It was the middle of summer, and as soon as he came here, he encountered a girl on the verge of starvation.
Jiang Chenughed.
He wasnt sure why he wanted tough. Maybe because the experiences in these past three months had been too exciting? Or because of his own transformation? Or perhaps because itd been too fulfilling. He vigorously shook the water from his head and picked up the electric razor.
There are many things in this world that are quite convenient. He stered a thinyer of stic wrap around his mouth, and with a click of a button, he could shave his beard away in a second.
This was a treasure to the world.
In the washroom itself, there was a digitalized shower, a smart toilet, multi-functional bathtub with a sauna function, and even the toilet paper was more advanced than the modern worlds.
Life is a magical journey. Jiang Chen looked outside the window.
The view faced the newly expanded wall. On top of the metal scaffolding were workers and engineers order the construction
He remembered that in the beginning, his only thought was to obtain gold and be a carefree, wealthy man. And as soon as he got his wish, the first thing he did was spend itvishly, blowing it all away and experiencing the life he had envied before.
But he fulfilled those wishes a long time ago.
Now is it power? Jiang Chen stared at his right hand. The water droplets on the back of his hand reflected his matured face.
Once he had the five hundred million USD in his hands, a sprout called ambition grew in his heart. From that point onward, troubles began to hound him.
Sometimes, he imagined what would have happened if he came to this world for the first time and didnt walk into this mansion. What if he didnt encounter the naughty and cute girl, didnt meet so many unforgettable people?
Sneak some gold and sell it discreetly in the modern world, bing a rich man in the shadows. If he met malicious forces, he would switch cities, or even citizenship, instead of using his power to push them away. If he met mutated bacteria he was unable to resist, he would leave the area. This ce was an ATM for him anyway. There was no reason to risk his life to eliminate the bacteria source.
But it would be a different kind of life.
In the modern world, he would enjoy avish lifestyle, and in the apocalypse, he would discreetly explore. No attachment, no concerns, perhaps that was the safer choice? Perhaps it was the best way to survive in this world filled with danger?
But it wouldck the excitement of a vibrant life? Jiang Chen shook his headughing and walked out the door.
Without a myriad of beautiful encounters, what was the purpose of living?
Since on productivity alone, man could not beat machine.
At the door, he met Yao Yao on her way to the washroom.
She walked half-asleep and rubbed her drowsy eyes with her small hand. The pouted mouth looked like a cherry freshly picked off with the morning dew. Because she was anemic, she couldnt handle mornings very well.
Although she seemed to be overly-conscious about her small w, Jiang Chen didnt care. A dizzy loli was too cute to be true, especially when she was asleep and subconsciously sought to hug anything warm.
Ahem, dont ask how he knew.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to say hello, Yao Yaos drowsy face turned beet red, and her body temperature spiked.
Ahh G-good morning!
Good morning. Uhh, are you okay? Jiang Chen asked carefully as he gave a confused look at Yao Yao who had her head buried low.
N-nothing.
Her adorable eyes avoided his, and her hands fiddled with each other behind her back.
[She doesnt seem to be in a good mood?]
Just as Jiang Chen was at a loss, Lin Lin also appeared walking towards the bathroom. When she saw him standing by the door, Lin Lins pale face blushed, but she didnt act shyly. Instead, she threw a dirty re at Jiang Chen who had put her in an awkward position.
Pervert!
What, what did I do? Completely lost, he didnt bother arguing back. Question marks floated over his head as he looked back and forth between Yao Yao and Lin Lin.
But the two of them didnt have the slightest intention to open their mouths. Yao Yao seemed to want to say something, but her trembling lips suggested that she was too embarrassed to say it.
The odd atmosphere lingered.
Finally, the kind Yao Yao broke the silence.
Umm. Yao Yao still didnt meet Jiang Chens gaze, her cherry-like mouth pouting in displeasure. She murmured, It is understandable that a ripe apple tastes good. Yao Yao is not angry. But it is better to be quieter because a small animal can only drool and watch and be envious.
Her voice became fainter the more she felt wronged.
[Whats going on?]
Dumbfounded, Jiang Chen stared at Yao Yao. Her frail and unhappy attitude was cute, but what was this strange way of guilt-tripping?
Pervert. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight Lin Lin mocking him.
Thinking of this perverts terrible attitude towards her, she felt particrly jubnt seeing his awkward attitude.
[Finally taking revenge!]
She wanted to burst into song to celebrate.
But Lin Lin clearly overestimated her importance. Just as she finished saying that, a chilling stare was directed at her.
I think a digitalized human doesnt need to eat. Or are you prepared to tell me what happened? Jiang Chen red at her as he threatened without considering her feelings.
It was only when Jiang Chen bullied Lin Lin that he didnt feel any guilt at all.
Oh no, not even guilt, the sensation was through the roof.
Lin Lins expression took a turn for the worse.
As usual, her confident look became sorrowful.
You, you dare to threaten me Ahhhhh! Enough, youre a pervert! Remember to keep it down when you do that thing at night! And, and! Close the door! Lin Lin ran away sadly.
Uh?
Shut the door? Keep it down?
Jiang Chen was lost until he recalled Sun Jiaos voice He immediately looked at Yao Yao with difficulty. She was still throwing a bit of a tantrum.
Her pouting lips were about to touch the tip of her nose.
Yao Yao is already working so hard And doesnt taste bad The one with the loud voice must be happy.
[It doesnt have to do with taste.]
He finallyforted Yao Yao while feeling as though the mansion had be a little awkward.
Chapter 138 - Improving the Helicopter
Chapter 138: Improving the Helicopter
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
The base was bustling.
Excluding the women in the care center, the bases poption approached 150, and they were the backbone of the future Fishbone Base. Once the newly expanded wall waspleted, two more apartment buildings would be added, and then they could consider epting foreign poptions.
Lu Huasheng was still in charge of the construction. Needless to say, the ex-chief developer of Huajian Real Estate certainly had his strengths. Jiang Chen gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his ability, and he proved himself by designing the bases structure.
An honest and hardworking man like him was best suited for jobs that required basic nning with no room for mistakes. With his foresight, Jiang Chen was able to choose the right people, and Lu Huasheng didnt disappoint him. He personally stood with the construction team every day on the front lines to expand the wall with 120% efficiency.
For someone like Cheng Weiguo, who had loyalty and a strong passion, Jiang Chen assigned him a role in the army as the leader of the civil force responsible for guarding the base and training the soldiers.
As for Zhou Guoping, he was the type to be smooth and ttering, so Jiang Chen naturally stationed him in the Sixth Street. This was partially because he had prior experience in intelligence collection and also because he had a bad history with Chu Nan. Although it was not directly Zhou Guopings fault, he did vite Chu Nans goddess.
In front of him, multiple times.
For the sake of keeping the harmony in the base, it was not a terrible decision to separate them.
On his way to a warehouse, Jiang Chen passed by themunity center, which was a temporary hangar to store the Type-51 Transport Helicopter.
Entering the hangar, Jiang Chen found Chu Nan hard at work repairing the helicopter.
Virtual reality training chambers inside the base were installed with general weaponry training, and they could also copy general technical skills from the city library. But for a military transportation vehicle like the Helicopter-51, which was considered top secret before the war, it was excluded from the civil force training courses.
Therefore, the only person able to repair and operate this helicopter was Chu Nan.
Hows the situation? Jiang Chen asked as he approached.
Terrible. Chu Nan didnt turn around. His only response was to wipe his sweat with his arm and continue arranging the messy wiring.
Can it be repaired? He nced at the helicopter that seemed toe straight from science-fiction and touched the circr side wings. He didnt see a rotor on the helicopter, but based on the appearance, the suspension force most likely came from this circr structure. The design of the body was aerodynamic with a hatch door open in the back. The words Transport Helicopter along with the PAC symbol had all but faded, and the metal frame in the front was caved in from the impact. Even the bulletproof ss waspletely shattered. The appearance wasnt so terrible, but Jiang Chen did question whether it would ever fly again.
Should be fixable. The damage to the exterior is fine since it can be easily reced with metal parts, but the problem is the electronic parts inside. Dammit, the entire engine control is burned. Can you believe it? Inside the city center, I met a monster that can fire an EMP from its mouth. Chu Nan cursed as he retracted a palm-sized box from the helicopters side and connected the exposed wiring to theputer on the side to input some data.
Jiang Chens expression turned strange when he heard Chu Nans words. He himself had encountered a monster that could emit EMP before.
Isnt it hard to see mutants that can fire EMP?
Chu Nan turned around with a look of surprise.
Actually, itsmon to see mutants that can fire EMP?
Jiang Chen paused.
Now that he thought about it, he knew Chu Nan ended up in that area because he failed a mission, but he never asked about the specifics.
The mission was to eliminate a mutant creature and collect the crystal. We sent out two helicopters as well as a force of twelve soldiers equipped with power armors. When we arrived at the target location, I suspended the helicopter above the yellowish-green particles. Then our captain requested missile support.
The missile would expose the body, the soldiers parachute, kill, and collect the crystal. That was the routine, and it wasnt my first time out on such a mission.
It was a beautiful hit. The electromaic cannon fired from Liuding Town directly hit the building and the concrete tumbled down like an avnche. Just when we thought all we needed to do was go down and collect the crystals, Chu Nan paused with a mysterious smile, a red meat cannon as tall as half the building fired a red beam into the sky. It hit nothing, but the two helicopters immediately stalled.
The monster seemed to have exploded, so the parachuted soldiers must have been sessful. But who knows? Chu Nan shrugged as he inserted a processor into the helicopter body.
Did no one from Liuding Towne to save you?
Thats impossible. Chu Nans mouth twitched. For Liuding Town, pilots can be mass produced. The only thing of value was this metal scrap right here, but the point of the crash was too far from the port. I almost flew half a city.
Jiang Chen fell into silence.
He suddenly recalled his time in the underground fallout shelter. The artificial intelligence had described the bug that infiltrated the fallout shelter.
[Hehe, even if it missed, your metal pieces will be a metal casket.]
Klein Particles? Jiang Chen muttered to himself.
Whats that? Chu Nan asked confusedly.
Nothing. He would ask Lin Lin about Klein Particlester. For now, Jiang Chen avoided the topic. Oh, once you finish repairing the helicopter, could you make some modifications to it?
Modifications?
Mhmm. Such as installing a 50mm machine gun on the side and welding a fire cannon on the top.
Different than Liuding Town, Fishbone Bases focus was onnd; hence, there was no need for long-distancebat, and it would better suit Fishbone Basesbat needs if the Type-51 was converted into an air cannon vehicle.
Do you think the helicopter is a truck? That you could weld anything on top? Chu Nan couldnt help but ridicule him.
Whats the problem? Stumped, Jiang Chen frowned.
Theres a big problem. Chu Nan shook his head as he dragged the wiring from theputer. He picked up the screwdriver again to adjust parts inside the helicopter. Bnce is a big issue. Even casual modifications could cause the helicopter to be unable to suspend itself or fly a certain distance before it flips over.
Then lets not do a casual modification. Jiang Chenughed as he patted Chu Nan on the shoulder. Ill leave the trouble to you, the expert. I need you to add some weapons on this thingthe stronger the firepower, the better.
Hearing such an unprofessional request made Chu Nan rub his face with his palms. He let out a helpless sigh.
Ill try my best. Ill install a machine gun on the side and design a new fire-control system. As for the fire cannon, Ill install it near the back hatch. It should be okay if its manually controlled. But if we modify it like this, the transport helicopter will be abat helicopter.
Jiang Chen smiled at Chu Nans doubts.
Exactly what I want.
Chapter 139 - Harmonious
Chapter 139: Harmonious
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
After parting from Chu Nan, Jiang Chen took a stroll around the base.
Now that everything was on the right track, there werent many things that he needed to do as the boss. As long as he set the overarching direction, there were others to take care of the rest. For now, all he needed to do was transport food over from the modern world?
For now, the tasks rted to the Crusades aftermath were finally resolved.
The trouble with the mutated humans could be left for next spring. This chapter of the apocalypse could finally be turned, and now he had to head back to the modern world to take care of the mercenaries. Before leaving, Jiang Chen headed to the warehouse and found Wang Qin verifying the supplies.
The freckled girl was more maturepared to when she first arrived, developing an air of professionalism. He remembered that shed been like a startled squirrel. With her constantly anxious attitude and top-notch ounting grades, he assigned her to take care of the warehouse.
Honestly, Jiang Chen felt happy watching the growth of his employees.
Once she heard out Jiang Chens intention, she took out a tablet terminal and reported the status of supplies within the base.
Weve organized the supplies that are ready to trade with Sixth Street. There arent many food supplies left, and with the current consumption speed, it canst for at most ten days, she said with concern.
The supplies were carefully recorded in a list, so precise that each bag of rice was listed with its warehouse location and by weight. Theprehensive software had also been designed by Yao Yao while the game was passed on to Du Yongkong for an update. Since he used to be a game developer, it matched his skill set.
Yao Yao, other than the warehouse management software, also installed some more interesting gadgets for the base.
For example, she set up the worker management system used by Lu Huasheng during construction, the control system for the cameras around the base, as well as the drone patrol system.
You dont have to worry. Ill take care of it. What about the firearms? It was easy for him to take care of it once he returned to the modern world.
Seeing the boss confident look, Wang Qin smiled and nodded. She pressed a few more buttons on the tablet and pulled up another list.
He roughly scanned the items on the list before Jiang Chen asked her to take him to the weaponry.
He took around ten Reaper rifles as well as one Ghost sniper, a box of ammunition, and ten grenades before returning to the base.
He put the supplies away in the storage dimension and approached the poolside in the backyard. With a deep breath, hemenced traveling.
When he opened his eyes, he was lying on a soft bed.
He sat up and shook his head. Taking out the phone, he called Roberts hidden number.
The phone rang three times before it went through.
Hi, buddy, how have you been?
Not bad. How goes the business? Jiang Chen didnt bother with small talk and cut straight to the point.
Dont worry, the Irish guy loves acting. Delightedughter could be heard from a distance on the other side. Ive already arranged the things on Kanes side. When do you n on leaving?
I booked the ticket for tomorrow. Get Nick to leave, well meet in Veit.
Okay, but hes already there, so contact him once you arrive. Ive sent the itinerary to your email, Mr. President, Robert joked.
After exchanging some light banter, Jiang Chen hung up, and after thinking for a bit called the food store owner he was partnered with.
It would still be sent to the same storage, and the shipment would arrive in the afternoon. It was most likely hisst order with them. Once Xinlong Food Processing nt got on track, he would opt to use that channel instead. Stuffing the phone back into his pocket, Jiang Chen got up and left the bedroom.
A mansion this spacious with only two people living inside did feel empty. He stepped on the expensive hardwood floor. Looking at the delicate decorations, Jiang Chen suddenly felt emotional. Hed bought this mansion a while back, but he never took the time to enjoy it since hed been so busy handling tasks in the modern and apocalypse world. It seemed as though he was living life with too rough of pace?
Maybe sometimeter, he would take a vacation.
As he ruminated, Jiang Chen strolled into the kitchen.
He gently pushed the ss door to the kitchen and saw Ayesha with an apron, concentrated on chopping vegetables.
A smirk appeared on his face as he sneaked closer and embraced Ayesha from behind.
The serene figure stiffened but loosened up as soon as she realized who it was.
Youre back.
Ayesha gently smiled and intimately tilted her head to rub it against Jiang Chens face.
Mhmm, did you prepare the meal for me? This girls Han was getting better and better. The technology of the future was truly remarkable.
Not yet, but I am now. Ayesha smiled and softly squeezed Jiang Chens hand. She led him to the side and opened the fridge. What do you want to eat? My cooking has improved a lot.
I want to eat you. Jiang Chen grinned and blew into her ear.
Her perfect face colored by a tinge of pink, she looked away from embarrassment. She faintly asked, Could we wait until after the meal?
After the meal? Dont you want to do it here?
H-here? A hint of anxiousness appeared in her eyes.
Seeing her adorable look, Jiang Chen was satisfied and didnt tease her anymore, so he finished his sentence with the same smirk. I want to eat your cooked dishes.
Ayesha froze, then angrily threw a few soft punches at Jiang Chens chest before leaving his hug.
Well eat fried fish today.
It was one of the few times he felt like the head of the family.
He didnt interrupt Ayesha from cooking anymore since he didnt want to eat overcooked dishes.
He sank into the living room sofa and rxed while watching a Hollywood film in his home theater that cost ten thousand RMB. It wasnt as sophisticated as the one in Sixth Streets Paradise Ind Hotel, but it was a different experience.
It was the perk of being rich. Most people used theirptops to watch a film on 720p, and some would spend money to see it in IMAX or 3D. But the real luxury was to enjoy a theater-level film experience in thefort of your own home without the annoying kids.
It would be even better with some popcorn.
The movie finished exactly at noon. Ayesha virtuously set the table before calling Jiang Chen over to eat.
A full-course lunch.
In the center was a fried fish dish seasoned with red soup and green onion. It was Ayesha who thought tobine Han and Middle Eastern dishes. Without a doubt, the aesthetics were superb, and the taste was ephemeral.
Mhmm, wow, your cooking is getting better and better, Jiang Chen raised his thumb and eximed.
Ayesha softly smiled. As long as you like it.
How have you been?
Pretty good. The environment here is peaceful, Ayesha eximed. She lowered her head to look at the utensils in front of her as she quietly said, Just like heaven.
Slightly lost, Jiang Chen watched Ayeshas face, but the words he was about to say was stuck in his throat.
Hmm? Sensing Jiang Chens hesitation, Ayesha was confused and tilted her head slightly to look at him.
Mhmm, Im just uncertain now. Jiang Chen sighed, saying with a troubled smile, I nned on taking you to Ukraine tomorrow, but since you just escaped from war, you would probably hate going back to it.
Ayesha quietly stood up and walked to his side. She surrounded him with her arms and gently pressed her face against his.
I am yours. Im willing to be your sword, to fight for you. If you need me, theres no need to hesitate, just use me.
I never thought of you as a tool, Jiang Chen lightly said, cing his hands over hers, and Ive never used anyone. If you feel repulsive towards weapons, theres no need to force yourself
The rest was blocked.
The silencested for a brief moment before Ayesha removed her finger.
If I felt weapons were repulsive, I never wouldve used them in the virtual reality. That thing doesnt belong here, right?
Jiang Chen wasnt surprised, but his smile was still a bit forced.
You knew?
Although the mutated human that appeared out of thin air should have exposed something already, Ayesha never asked, so he never had the opportunity to exin.
Mhmm. Ayesha nodded.
That training. Once you pass it, itll unlock new weapons and new training materials that include more powerful rifles and even rifle without bullets.
[No bullets? Is it a Gauss rifle?]
Du Yongkong had misinterpreted Jiang Chens words. He wanted him to add a limit on the virtual reality system to include only weapons that existed between the years 2000 and 2020, but Du Yongkong instead designed a game mode that gradually unlocked tiers as the training continued.
[Whatever. If its Ayesha who knows, theres nothing to worry about.]
Sensing the trust in his body temperature, Ayesha gently closed her eyes.
Tomorrow, well go to Ukraine.
Since Ayesha didnt feel repulsed, it would be pretentious to act uncertain about this question.
Mhmm. Ayesha nodded.
Do you know how to use a sniper? The Ghost Sniper.
Yes. She trained in wielding that gun in the virtual reality training system.
Once we arrive in Kane, I need you to protect me in trades. Because were in a sensitive area and the business partner is no ordinary target, you might have to engage inbat with some civil force snipers.
Ayesha smiled and pressed her soft finger against Jiang Chens lips.
Youre over-protective. Im not small anymore.
Hearing this, Jiang Chen thought for a moment before a relieved smile appeared on his face.
Youre right.
Enjoying the tranquil moment, Jiang Chen suddenly thought of something and leaned closer to Ayeshas ear.
Speaking of which, its after the meal.
She remembered her promise to Jiang Chen in the kitchen, and she blushed again, lowering her head shyly.
Mhmm, lets go back to the room.
No.
Eh?
Back to the kitchen.
It was an evilugh.
Thats right, incredibly evil.
Chapter 140 - Arriving at Veit
Chapter 140: Arriving at Veit
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Boris Boer International Airport.
A young man in a ck sweater, casual pants, and a duff bag looked around the empty airport.
What is your purpose ofing to Kane? A middle-aged man in uniform looked up and nced at him a few more times than usual while fidgeting with the passport in hand.
Asian face, two years ago, it would not be rare. But Veit now, any foreign face was worth the extra nce.
Travel. The man smiled and exposed his white teeth.
The middle-aged officer was clearly shocked as he looked at him oddly again.
I hope you enjoy your trip.
The passport was fine. The officer didnt say anything as he mechanically stamped it and let him go.
Phew.
Walking out of the airport, Jiang Chen rxingly stretched and scanned the unfamiliar street.
Veits sky was clear.
Bright sunshine, clear blue sky, clean street, as well as the towering trees.
Baroque and Byzantine Style of architecture could be seen everywhere. The colorful brick walls resembled a small town in the middle ages. Other than the modern looking streetmp and signs, the vibrancy of rich culture was everywhere in the city.
He heard that Oesk and Lugansk were currently fighting, but the mes of war obviously didnt spread to here yet.
Even then, the streets looked empty.
Jiang Chen was disappointed to not be able to witness the Beauty infested Kane as rumors said.
Of course, the purpose of the trip was not to see beauties.
Not long, a personal vehicle stopped in front of him. The window rolled down, and a head with a red nose peeked out.
Do you need a taxi? Jiang Chen barely understood the Englishced with a Russian ent.
Of course, take me to Purimir Hotel.
Hearing this, the driver also nced at him a few more times.
Although Jiang Chens Han-ented English was hard to understand, as a local, he easily made out the words Primir Hotel.
Only the wealthy could afford those five-star hotels.
Jiang Chen opened the door, sat on the front passenger seat, and strapped on the seat belt. The sturdy looking Kanian driver started the car and drove out smoothly.
He heard that to ride in Kane, the first thing was to set the price. Or he would be scammed. A ride that only cost 30 may end up costing 150 once they arrive at the destination. But Jiang Chen didnt really mind as it was pocket change for him.
Tell me about Veit, whats fun here, Jiang Chen started to chat with the driver by his side.
Central Street and Independent Square are all not bad ces. its great for shopping and sight seeing. The driver was also talkative, he held the steering wheel and began telling Jiang Chen about the sightseeing ces in Veit.
If you are interested in the history and culture of the ce, you could check out Golden Gate, a lot of tourists like to take pictures there. As well as the memorial museum in the right bank of the Dnieper River. When they started to talk about the historical sights, the rigid face worn by time had a proud expression.
Oh? Could you tell me about the memorial museum? Jiang Chen was quite interested.
Although his destination for this trip was Oesk in the East and he probably wont have time to explore this beautiful city, it would be cool to listen to the perspective of a local.
But for some reason, when Jiang Chen asked about the specifics of the memorial museum. A gloom seemed to cover the drivers face.
To remember the victory of defending the country. Darn, I remember when I was young, it was beautiful.
What about now? I think this ce is not bad. Jiang Chen looked out the window.
The weather was lovely, the sunshine was bright, a great ce to explore.
Its absolutely terrible, The driver said emotionlessly, People with guns divided into two sides, and the innocent people are stuck in the middle. Back when Soviets ruled, this ce was not like this.
Jiang Chen looked at him but didnt continue with the topic.
For the locals, it seemed to be a remorseful topic. The textbook he learned seemed to provide a simple ck and white picture. That was the only perspective he saw about the entire event. He faintly recalled that when the Lenin Statue was pushed down, the citizens from Kane celebrated.
It was truly shocking when Veit weed democracy, the faces of the people were cheering.
Who actually represented them?
The silence only ensued for a brief moment before the driver spoke again, Is this your first time in Kane?
Thats right. Jiang Chen smiled.
After hesitating for a moment, the kind-hearted driver continued, Veits security is actually terrible, far worse than what Poroshenko described. Every day, there are countless foreigners like you being robbed, and of course, locals included too.
I will be careful. Jiang Chen nomittally smiled.
Robbery? He didnt think anyone in this world would be able to beat him.
Seeing Jiang Chens unbothered expression, the driver didnt say anything. He already did his part in alerting him.
Also, some police may give you trouble due to your passport. In these situations, the easiest way is to pay him 100 USD, or just insist you havent heard about thisw, and demand that you contact your embassy before paying the fine.
Mhmm, Ill be careful. For the kind-hearted alert of the driver, Jiang Chen happily epted.
The car arrived at its destination.
When he got off the car, Jiang Chen left 100 USD on the seat and signaled there was no need for change.
The driver didnt refuse, but he looked grateful by the gesture.
The days were getting harder and harder, 100 USD for Jiang Chen may be nothing, but for him, it was a sizable amount of money.
Jiang Chen hauled his duffel bag into the hotel, and Jiang Chen showed the reception at the front desk his confirmation before he took the key.
The Primir Hotel was luxuriously decorated. The square and upright giant structure demonstrated the philosophy of Russian architecture and the European decor and lighting had a vibe of beauty originating from its detailing.
His hotel room was on the top floor, the most expensive presidential suite. But it was much cheaperpared to the Sheraton in Sanya as a night only cost him 2200 RMB.
The hotel had aplete set of amenities with a casino, bar, sauna, outdoor pool, gym, indoor pool, and spa. But because the purpose of the trip was not a vacation, he would not have the time to enjoy those things.
He carried the bag into the elevator, went to the top floor, and walked to the room that belonged to him.
Needless to say, Jiang Chen looked out of ce standing there. Most of the people living here were all men in suits. His casual wear on the top floor filled with presidential suites did look odd.
But who cared? Being able to live here proved his financial ability.
The moment Jiang Chen took out a key, a blonde, blue-eyed, gorgeous figured beauty walked up with a cheerful smile.
Do you need service?
Surprisingly, although she stuttered a little, she spoke Han.
But after giving it a thought, Jiang Chen cursed in his mind.
How many fellow citizens did she service to be able to speak Han this well.
No, thank you, Jiang Chen smiled courteously and rejected the offer.
If he were on vacation, Jiang Chen without standards wouldnt mind having some intimate affairs with the foreign beauty. But since he had business to take care of, he must resist the temptation.
She looked at Jiang Chen in surprise. In her memory, rarely would millionairesing from Han refuse to have an intimate affair with her. But she didnt say much more. She smiled and left in elegant steps.
Jiang Chen touched his slightly hot nose as he pushed open the door.
He turned on the lights. Jiang Chen threw the bag on the bed and walked straight to the window as he cautiously closed the blinds.
He took out a clock-sized device from his bag and ced it on the nightstand.
He thought that it was too dumb to use an EMP every time he needed to counter monitor, so Jiang Chen discussed with Yao Yao, and she used recycled electronic parts to create an anti-monitor device.
Once opened, any cameras within a radius of 20m would be affected. The screen would be locked to a picture of the instant the machine started. Includingmunication, anymunication attempted outside the whitelist would be blocked.
Although it may be redundant, it was better to be safe.
He took out his phone. Jiang Chen called Ayesha who left first.
Hows your side doing?
Arrived at Oesk rural area.
Under the n, the two head to Kane separately. Not only do they take different flights, but Ayesha will also arrive a day ahead in Oesk rural area controlled by the government force.
Although Jiang Chen was still worried, Ayesha reassured him. Within the virtual reality training system, she received an A on sniper training.
With the help of the gic vine and sophisticated weapons that far exceeded the current era, there was no need to worry.
Perhaps just like what Ayesha said, sometimes Jiang Chen could be a little overprotective.
Mhmm. I will meet Nick tomorrow and then head to Oesk. Ill send you my itinerary. Be safe. Then, Jiang Chen hung up the phone.
He peeked at the small bright sky. Jiang Chen stretched, and then took out theptop from his bag. Connected it to the wifi, and opened up his email.
Information: Markanov, male, 36. Government force official, ranked Colonel, brigadier of the 92nd mechanized infantry.
Note: Confidant of the current president. Corrupt.
He stared at the word Corrupt, as a dubious smile appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Chapter 141 - Flame of Chaos
Chapter 141: me of Chaos
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Kane, located in Eastern Europe, was thergest country byndmass in Europe besides Russia. Formed when the Soviet dissolved in 1991.
Because of the fertile soil, Kane was the thirdrgest grain exporting country in the world, renowned as the granary of Europe. At the same time, Veit took the crown for the top ten City of the beauties, selected by the world popr
Food and beauty.
It was a beautiful ce.
But the smokes of the war cast a gloom in this poorly trained ce.
The root of the disaster had been buried during the hasty revolution in 1991.
January 9, 2014, a conflict under the name civil uprise led the country into political unrest.
The night of March 29, 2014, Crimea forwarded their clocks by two hours, officially using Moscow time.
Like a g, cities in the East soon followed,
Oesk and Lugansk dered independence which officially erupted the civil war.
Precisely speaking, I am a Belorussian, but I spent my childhood in Kane. My father was a Soviet soldier and met my mom in Veit. Nick had a cigarette in his mouth while holding the steering wheel.
This morning, Jiang Chen left the Primir Hotel and took a taxi to the agreed upon location to meet Nick. The pickup truck was bought from the local second-hand store, they were driving on the highway to Oesk.
So, you were part of the government force? Jiang Chen casually asked.
You could say that before. Nick twitched his mouth. But the formation is already gone, so you could say I am a deserter.
The government force is weak?
Really weak. Nick blew out a smoke ring, and he looked perplexedly at the truck that just passed by. It was filled with wounded soldiers from the front line.
The soldiersbat abilities are all over the ce, and the officials are corrupted to the bone. Whats more important is that no one wants to fight for this country.
Kane East was the previous border between Soviet and NATO, and within the armory, there were hundreds of tons of bombs, mines, bullets and other firearms left by the previous Soviet military regions. As of now, the Kane army was still using the free firearms. And because of this, the Kane national defense industry has regressed to a frightening point. Kane militarys Phonex National defense Batallion, even dragged the 122mm Howitzer used as a salvo for years in Veit on to the front line. The armored cash truck was currently being used as an armored vehicle.
At the same time, theck of military funding also decreased the soldiers will to fight. Apanymanders sry is simr to Kazakhstans soldiers sry which is equivalent to 1500 RMB, not evenparable to a waitress in a Han restaurant.
The sry was not enough to sustain a living. The soldiers were poorly trained. Selling the weapons in storage illegally to make money became a trend within the army. It was satirical that a lot of weapons were being destroyed in the front line, and without the ability to replenish the equipment, an ordinary citizen could still buy an armored vehicle for ten thousand USD.
It was the current status quo of the Kane army.
The civil force, however, was well equipped and had high morale. They possessed potent firepower and armored force. The warsted for almost a year, and the civil force did not once experience ammo shortages. Therge-scale bombing consistently left the Kane army scrambling. Based on reports, the thirty-six thousand civil forces possessed 8000 advanced Russian heavy weapons, also based on US satellite, troops stationed in the Russian Kane border assisted the civil force at all time.
If everyone fought for the country, I wont be here. Jiang Chen shrugged. At least for those people with ability, let them fight for the force they could swear their allegiance for.
If weapons could be bought, then humans shouldnt be difficult at all. Although in principle, an active soldier of a country could not be sold to someone as mercenaries, but that was only in principle. If tank could be sold, what else couldnt be?
Another thing to note was that the reason why Jiang Chen didnt buy a tank partially because the future tanks did not consume oil. Rather, it used arge fuel rod simr to the power armor, while levitating tanks used batteries.
Another reason being that the modern age armor was way too thin. The material used was not even remotelyparable. Without exaggeration, the armored vehicle in the Fishbone base wasparable in armor strength with Frankberg primary tank 2A6. Of course, the discussion doesnt include the effect of impact angle on armor pration.
Swear allegiance? Its not about being worthy or not, no one is willing to fight. But themission you are willing to pay is attractive, and the ten-year limit is not too harsh. At least if they fight for you, they could retire in Europe with the money. Nick smiled.
One million USD, enough to enjoy the rest of their life infort.
The pickup truck drove rtively steadily on the highway, ck smoke could be faintly seen from afar. This ce was fairly close to the front line, but this region was still considered safe.
But then, the car in front stopped.
Traffic jam.
Nick frowned and stopped the car as well. He put the cigarette butt in the ashtray as he got off and walked to the car in front.
What happened in front?
I dont know, the car in the front stopped, so I had to stop as well. A vic man stepped out of the car with a clueless expression on his face.
The cars in the back mmed on their horns as they were trying to release their anger. The clueless people all got out of their cars and tip-toed to see what was happening up front.
Okay, friends, dont be anxious, please get back to your vehicle. The special force is taking care of a small problem, please remain calm. A soldier in camouge walked front the front as he patted the car roof of each car, signaling people to stay calm.
I want to know, what happened in front? A chubby driver yelled out of his window.
A bomb made a hole in the middle of the road, but it didnt detonate. To ensure that it will not blow you up when you drive by, we are trying to defuse it. The soldier shrugged as he leaned against the car.
To be honest, his rxed look certainly made people feel calm.
He iszy, sticking around in the safe area after reporting. I did that a few times, Nick half-joked, and half-cursed. Seeing the young face, he felt like he saw the young him.
Jiang Chen looked at him in surprise. He thought Nick was the type to be meticulous at all times.
[Because it was not worth fighting for?]
He thought about it, but he instantly understood.
Is itmon to see these bombs? Jiang Chen looked at the soldier cking off as he asked Nick.
Verymon. Nick who sat back in the car lit another cigarette to waste time. Both sides are wasting Soviet firearms, but these things are well past their expiration date. Take the Dot-U tactical missile with only ten years of service life, for example, once it leaves theunch pad, you dont even know where it will fly to.
The soldier leaning against the car chatted with the driver with a smile on his face. He also took the cigarette passed to him.
Jiang Chens eyebrows twitched. He was worried about the ability of the Kane army. If it were these types of fools, he wouldnt want them even if they were free.
Sensing Jiang Chens concern, Nick smiled and spoke.
Probably a new recruit. He could be an electrician yesterday, and today he was given a rifle to patrol the front line. Adjusting is hard. In this ce, anything is possible.
What about recruit training? Jiang Chen asked, dumbfounded.
No money and no one wanted to do it. The guy we are going to find, Markanov, is a good guy. He will not use unqualified people to substitute good people. There are plenty of fighters in the kane army. Take the army I was in for example. Although six out of ten were recruits, the remaining four were great people. Especially the guy from Cossack, his shooting was insane.
Jiang Chen fell into a short silence as he thought about another problem.
Right now, is he willing to bring the fighters in the army out?
Why not? Nick shrugged. The war is not going to be swayed by one or two soldiers. Especially since you are paying enough money.
To the Markanov guy, Jiang Chens bribe was also one million USD, payable in gold. The only thing he needed to do was to pick the right people, sign a few spots, and provide a few missing reports.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted from a distance.
Thick smoke rose, and people watched the chaos from afar as they began to frighteningly curse. Some people took out their phones and started recording.
The soldier was clearly stunned by the explosion as he looked nkly at the highway in front.
After a long time, the soldier looked at the Kane driver that he just chatted with.
Perhaps ourrades sessfully detonated the bomb?
The cars in the front began to move gradually.
The danger was already alleviated. Regardless, a bomb could not blow up twice.
Seeing this, Nick also started the car. The good thing was that there were not a lot of cars on the road, to begin with. So, it didnt cause a massive blockage.
When they passed the frightening bomb hole, Jiang Chen saw traces of bloody remains.
Looks like the special forces method of detonation is quite unique.
Hearing that, Nick cracked a smile, his words had a satirical tone, Special force? The only force worthy of this name already defected to Russia.
As the two chatted back and forth to kill time, a white van followed behind them.
The tinted window blocked the scene within the vehicle. If Jiang Chen saw the person sitting in the passenger seat, he would have been shocked.
The blonde, blue-eyed, gorgeously figured beauty, the same woman that chatted with him yesterday afternoon. The only difference was, the seductive exposed dress changed into a ck trench coat, easier forbat.
This is Silver Fox. Target entered Oesk.
Roger, this is Vulture. Continue with n B.
Understood.
The vibrant red lips carved a mischevious, demon-like smile.
Chapter 142 - Of course not
Chapter 142: Of course not
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When they entered Oesks rural area, the road suddenly became rugged. Shamblespleted the scenes along the street, at a glimpse, Jiang Chen even had the feeling he was in the apocalypse.
Under the shambles, there were signs of life. The people without homes built temporary tent under the wreckages that were their homes and looked with vicious eyes at the Kane soldiers.
They continued forward as road conditions got even worse.
Nick had to park beside a civilian building to give Markanov a call.
It wasnt long until a soldier with a rifle found them.
Borris, second lieutenant. The short hair guy saw Jiang Chen and immediately saluted. General Markanov sent me to greet you.
Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen told him his name and shook his hand.
The hand was filled with calluses, which told the story that he was an experienced soldier.
He retracted the hand and Borris nodded.
Please follow me.
He took a ck suitcase out of the car and motioned for Jiang Chen and Nick to follow him.
But what they didnt know was that approximately 400 meters away from where they parked, there was a body.
The uniform and equipment were stripped, and the pupil dted with a daunting blood hole on the forehead.
Armored vehicles and tank wreckages were on the side of the road. It was a crossfire zone.
On the deste street, a silent girl walked by.
She was covered in ck. Her thin lips exposed from under her hood. There was a guitar case behind her back, like a musician strolling across the ruins.
She lifted the sleeve of her right hand, and a watch-likeputer shed faint lights.
That was the EP.
On the screen was a map of the area. Using waves to create tactical maps was one of the unbelievable function of the EP.
Yesterday at this time, she had already walked through the entire area. The blue dot on the map was the location of the sensor Jiang Chen carried.
Am I here? Ayesha mumbled while she walked to the half-torn residential apartment.
Its really dangerous there. It got struck by a bomb only a few days ago, and it could fall any second. A refugee crawling on the side tried to warn the girl, but the girl only nced at him before she took out a pistol.
The refugee raised his hand in horror and moved back.
Leave.
Perhaps he understood Ayeshas English, for the person moved back a few steps. Then, seeing that she had no intention to shoot, he fled right away.
Seeing the irrelevant people leave. She retracted her pistol and carried the guitar box upstairs.
Ayesha agilely moved around the broken stairs as she effortlessly came to the top floor.
Just like what she learned in the virtual reality training system.
She opened the guitar box, took out the sniper rifle parts and assembled the sniper skillfully.
After some adjustments, Ayesha took out a city camouge and put it on her back. She lied on the dusty floor and set up the futuristic looking Ghost sniper rifle.
Ayesha ready, as if she was talking to herself, Ayesha muttered on the ground.
Mhmm. Wait for my order.
Jiang Chen reached out to touch his ear and moved his wrist closer to his lips to whisper.
Borris walked in front to lead the way. Nick followed and examined the surrounding without words. Jiang Chen looked rather rxed as if he did not understand that he was in the front line.
The rough, muddy road had wooden boards lined up, two meters tall, along the side of the road, creating a temporary fence. In the forefront, this thing is used to obstruct the snipers view or unexpected shots.
How long? Jiang Chen scanned the tank stalled on the road as he casually asked Borris up front.
Soon, its in front, Borris gave a vague answer.
Oh. Could I ask you a personal question? Jiang Chen walked up to him and smiled.
Of course, as long as it doesnt involve sensitive information.
Your position in the 92nd Mechanized Infantry is? From the calluses on his hands, this guy must be a great soldier.
Currently Markanov Generals personal guard. Borris English was fluent. He could understand Jiang Chens Han-ented English, which barely passes level six of the proficiency test.
Oh? Then you must be a good shooter. Jiang Chen looked at him quite surprised.
Not bad. Borris didnt seem to want to continue on the topic, but he paused, and then added, I am his nephew.
The three continued for a bit longer, but at this time, Nick began scanning down the road, raised his eyebrows, and then stopped.
The quiet him abruptly interrupted, The 92nd mechanized infantry already pushed up this far?
Of course not. Borris shrugged and said something the two didnt understand.
Nick had the fastest reaction as he instantly reached for his waist. But Borris, clearly prepared, was one step ahead and pointed his rifle at him.
I suggest you dont move. Not including the gun in my hand, there is one pointing at you hundreds of meters away, Borris said lightheartedly, but he was looking at Jiang Chen. Very sorry, Mr. Jiang, someone wants to talk with you.
Who? Jiang Chen smiled, with the same lighthearted tone.
Obviously, this Borris was fake. Markanov probably did send someone here but got killed, and then substituted for this Borris?
Although he was prepared for trouble, Jiang Chen didnt expect the trouble to note from Markanov, but from a force he hasnt met before.
The radio signal must have been intercepted. They are obviously not weak. But even knowing this, Jiang Chens face remained emotionless as he looked at Borris with a bright smile.
Borris didnt answer Jiang Chens question as he looked at him slightly shocked. Mr. Jiang is not worried about your own safety?
Safety? Why would I be worried about it? Jiang Chen pretended to be confused and shrugged. Since you want to kidnap me, wouldnt you guarantee my safety?
Borris cracked a smile as he seemed to be intrigued by Jiang Chens logic. Then he raised his left hand and made a gesture.
A few people walked out from the shadows. Their skillful moves along with their professional positioning indicated that these people must be of the special forces.
He looked at the unanimous Russian faces and recalled Nick saying Kane didnt have a special force. Jiang Chen had a sense of the identities of these people.
Nick was tied up, but they were courteous enough not to do the same thing to Jiang Chen. Maybe from appearance, Jiang Chen didnt look like a dangerous figure.
KGB? Jiang Chen tried to probe the question as he stared into Borris eyes.
No wonder he was a professional, his pupils didnt waiver at all. Borris only smiled and didnt respond.
Who we are is not important, handsome from the east.
With a flirtatious tone, Jiang Chen heard a familiar voice behind him.
The broken Han.
Chapter 143 - The Three Musketeers
Chapter 143: The Three Musketeers
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Its you? Jiang Chen looked at the beauty walking towards him in astonishment. The tall figure, blonde, and blue-eyed was the same woman that chatted with him at the hotel.
But the woman didnt respond to his shock as she simply muttered to herself.
Jiang Chen, male, 25. President of Future Technology, 99% shareholder of thepany. Force unknown, suspected of high technology and research capabilities. Initial capital originated from gold, used the UA middleman Robert to offload 11.240 tons of gold, therge quantity caused a selloff in the UA gold exchange which amounted to a consecutive three-days drop up to 2%.
Hearing the description by this beauty, Jiang Chen was startled.
[Wow, basically they dug up my entire background overseas.]
Looks like you guys did a great job investigating me. Jiang Chen pped and stared at her. And then? What do you n to get out of me? I am not a scientist, nor a spy, only a businessman. I dont have anything to give you. It would be odd if you are just here for the one million USD worth of gold. You dont look like youck funding.
Exactly because you are a businessman. The Kaneian beauty smiled, the eyes in her deep eye sockets gazed at him, Dont you think your appearance is unfitting for your identity? Mr. Jiang Chen.
Thats a great point. Jiang Chen nodded while he acted as if he was thinking.
At least, Jobs or Bill Gates would note to this ce.
Then, could you answer my confusion? She walked beside Jiang Chen and got slightly closer, half-smiling, she continued, The reason why you are here.
Of course, but before that, could I know your name, Jiang Chen cooperatively raised his hands, just like passing through security, he let the graceful looking hands search through his body as he said casually.
Natasha. She smiled as she didnt find any weapons. She then grabbed his chin, as if teasing him, Teeth looks clean. I thought Han agents hide poison in their tooth.
Have you watched too many dramas? Jiang Chen rolled his eyes, not feeling tense at all. Also, I am not an agent.
[Natasha? Seems like a popr name.]
Nonchntly shrugging, Natasha stared into his eyes mischievously. Thats hard to say. Now, whats your reason foring here? Are you representing yourself, your country? Or, the force behind you?
Jiang Chen looked strangely at Natasha as he said helplessly, Why do you agents always ask this question? I remember an UA citizen asking me this before.
Dont change the subject, Natasha said coldly.
I choose C.
Natasha paused for a moment as she was surprised by how direct Jiang Chens response was.
And then? Even if I say I work for a force, what are you nning to do? I didnt threaten your national security. He made up a story without his heart skipping a beat.
Life is a like a show; its mainly dependant on ones acting.
Oh yeah? Then well take you to a ce. Once we are there, there will be experts discussing this problem with you. Natasha slightly moved away from Jiang Chen as she pressed the wireless headphone onto her ear. Package is retracted, requesting lift.
Roger, this is Vulture, M-171 deployed and on its way.
Once themunication ended, she didnt say anything else but looked at Jiang Chen with a smile. What she didnt know was that the conversation between the guy with the code name Vulture was intercepted by the micromunication chip in his ear, it was even tranted into Han.
Jiang Chen looked emotionlessly at Natasha, but his mind was spinning quickly.
[Five Russian special forces, or agents. Only Ayesha herself, Nick is being controlled, and it would be impractical to take care of five experts altogether.]
He was waiting for an opportunity.
Like how she practiced in the virtual reality training system, Ayesha quietly aimed through the scope.
The center of the cross was Borris face.
Something unexpected happened as the three of them stopped. Four figures dashed out from the shadows while Jiang Chenspanion was taken as hostage.
Ayesha slightly moved the gun as she aimed at the woman getting closer to Jiang Chen.
When the Kaneian beauty approached Jiang Chen and touched him all over. Ayeshas eyebrows uncontrobly twitched, her delicate finger repeatedly rubbed against the trigger.
The ghost sniper rifle was advanced at every levelpared to the technology in this age.
Seeing Jiang Chen was in danger, Ayesha was out of sort. She took a deep breath as she calmly decreased the magnification on the scope, and pressed a button on the side of the rifle.
A line of blue letters appeared on top of the sight.
Immediately, the blue waves scanned across the field in the scope, and a few red dots were marked. The function was rather useless as most survivors, who had the ability to, would use a life signal jammer to prevent their location from being detected. But in the modern world, without such technology, the function was like cheating.
Two snipers? Ayesha raised her eyebrows confused.
300 meters away, there was a sniper in camouge on top of an apartment building. 1500 meters away, another sniper lied on top of a roof in the factory. Both locked onto the seven people standing on the rural road.
Same force? Didnt look like it.
The two snipers didnt wear anything that revealed their identity.
Ayesha only hesitated for a second before she made the decision.
She put her finger to her ear and said calmly, Two snipers. Do friendly forces exist?
Within the sight, she saw Jiang Chen slightly shake his head.
Then, Ayesha asked, Requesting permission to kill.
Within the cross, Jiang Chen was speaking with Natasha as he nodded.
Understood.
Ayesha closed the microphone, put her right hand on the rifle again, and positioned her finger on the trigger.
The cross sight moved, and she first locked onto the sniper 300 meters away. The person did not have the slightest sense that he was someone elses prey. He had his eyes locked on the scope.
Typically speaking, snipers would be absolutely safe before they expose themselves by firing. Of course, that was under normal circumstances.
Bang!
The gunshot was faint under the influence of the silencer. The bullet urately prated through the head of the sniper as his skull cracked like a watermelon.
She didnt stop her sight on his body as she quickly aimed at the target 1500 meters out.
Because the distance was rtively far, she opened the wind speed calction device and adjusted the magnification on the scope.
Wind speed 4 km/hr, distance 1500 meters, Ayesha murmured as she pulled the trigger again.
Chapter 144 - Chaos
Chapter 144: Chaos
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Target down.
A smile emerged on Jiang Chens face.
For some reason, Natasha felt unsettled by the Asian mans smile.
At the same time, in an underground military facility a thousand meters away.
Dagger 01 lost connection.
Are they Russian snipers? Call Guard 01, initiate n B.
Guard 01 received. As you wish,mander.
The M-171 helicopter appeared in the air. The camouge green had a frightening vibe to it.
I remembered that you said in the news that Russian soldiers havent passed the border. Jiang Chen used a questioning tone.
NATO said that too. Also, I never said I was Russian. Natasha shrugged. Take a trip with me. Trust me, if you can prove that you are only a merchant, well let you go.
What makes you think I believe you? Jiang Chen shrugged and looked into the sky. Crossing the border just for me, you are not going to let me go easily.
But you dont have any other choice, Borris interruptedughing.
[Dont I?]
Jiang Chen maintained his gaze at 75, looking at the sky, the violent turbulence forced his eyes to narrow. Then, hiding under the noise of the approaching helicopters rotor de, at an angle Natasha couldnt see, he pretended to scratch his ear and opened his mouth.
Shoot the fuel tank.
Roger. Ayeshas calm andforting answer transmitted into his ear.
Bang!
The bullet hit the fuel tank.
But at the same time, a trail of fire erupted into the air and struck at the helicopter from a building nearby. It simultaneously hit the helicopters engine.
Jiang Chen was truly lost seeing what just happened.
[The ghost sniper has a barrel this big?]
RPG!
Dammit!
Like a mosquito pped out of the air, the helicopter began to nt and dive unexpectedly to the ground. Natashas first reaction was Jiang Chens men as she quickly aimed at Jiang Chen. But at the same time, gunfire suddenly burst out of the wooden shack across the road.
Bullets left a trail of dust and debris on the concrete floor and wooden board.
Jiang Chen dove for cover on the side. The unsuspecting KGB agent under fire also tried to find cover while firing back. But the other side was obviously prepared. They had the advantage in both firepower and number of people.
Natasha gritted her teeth, hooked her arm around Jiang Chens neck, and hid behind the cover while pulling out the pistol with her other hand.
Is it your people?
No. If it is, why the fu*k am I hiding? Jiang Chen was also in an awkward position. When the bullet fired over, his also had a daunting feel.
But the feeling he felt on his back did feel good. Umm, the advantage of vic people?
Then shut up. Natasha maintained this flirtatious position while firing back a few shots to test the waters. But immediately, a wave of bullets met her and forced her to take cover.
[What the fu*k, you have been asking the questions!]
Do you need me to shoot her? Ayeshas voice transmitted into his ear, her tone sounded subtle.
Jiang Chen immediately shook his head. He hasnt figured out the situation here, if Natasha is down, it would only furtherplicate the situation. The first thing was to wait for them to finish fighting before taking action.
But with the head shake, the back of his head scratched on something he shouldnt have scratched, Natashas grim eyes immediately looked over.
What are you doing?
Umm. My neck is feeling weird. Jiang Chen forced an awkwardugh as he nced at the arm hooked around his neck.
To his surprise, Natasha didnt continue to be angry. Instead, she smiled dubiously.
Yesterday afternoon, I gave you the opportunity to take advantage of me, now you are interested? Or are you a masochist?
Yesterday afternoon? Umm, I am curious, if I agreed, what would you do?
Nothing, Natashas voice was light. Ill give you a needle when you try to use your needle.
Jiang Chen forced a smile when he heard her words.
[Phew, almost agreed to it.]
He leaned against the softness. While still nervous, he didnt think the feeling was too terrible. Jiang Chen asked Natasha who continually peeked out to fire back, You seem suppressed by their firepower, are you not worried?
Worried? Natasha looked at him oddly and then scoffed.
The artillery support at the border was not there for decoration.
Just as the voice died, a screeching sound broke across the sky.
Boom!
The explosion lifted the already torn wooden shack into the sky. The opponents firepower immediately weakened. Then, a few trails of white smoke flew in the sky. The explosions covered the entire area.
He looked at the chaos as his mouth twitched.
[Damn, not only the border, they even fired over the border.
No wonder they are the Russians.]
Direct hit, beautiful, say thanks for me to the gunner. Borris held the headphones and moved out of cover.
Danger alleviated. Get up, handsome. Natasha dubiously smiled, then dragged Jiang Chen by the cor.
Okay, Yuri, take the Brussian with us. Well head to B point to evacuate
Bang!
His voice was interrupted, as Borriss cocky expression froze on his face. A daunting blood hole appeared on his chest.
Sniper! Dammit!
Natasha pushed Jiang Chen to the ground. The others got into the same position.
Its not me who shot, Ayeshas voice emerged, the sniper is directly in front of me, and exceeds my range Can I shoot the female thug on top of you? This is a good opportunity.
Jiang Chen shook his head with a forced smile, but his nose and mouth were being firmly held by the softness, shaking his head was not the most convenient move.
This is the second time. He heard a cold voice. Clearly, Natasha was in a terrible mood.
The second time you pushed me over? I only want to breathe Lets not talk about this, what should we do? Miss Kidnapper?
He got away from the softness, neglected the angry face, and said innocently.
Strawman, strawman please return Dammit! Strawman died. The Russian man named Yuri cursed angrily.
[Strawman? One of the snipers killed by Ayesha? In that case, two forces arepeting.
Godd*mn, why am I so popr?] Jiang Chen cursed in this mind.
Yuri, do you see his position? Natasha ignored Jiang Chen as she yelled at the cover behind her.
Being suppressed by a sniper was far more frightening than being suppressed by a machine gun. At least you could see the machine gun bullets, but you dont even know where sniper bulletse from.
Let me try. Yuri gritted he teeth. He signaled hisrade to keep an eye on Nick, who was still tied down and then took out the binocrs, carefully peeking out of the cover.
As long as they marked the snipers position, an artier would send him to air!
Bang!
Red mixed with white, spilled everywhere, without warning.
Chapter 145 - Have you seen Mission Impossible 5?
Chapter 145: Have you seen Mission Impossible 5?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Nicks eyes narrowed, and he used his shoulder to wipe off the blood sshed onto his face. Although his expression remained the same, he was internally shocked. To be able to lock onto a target and fire in two seconds, the snipers shooting could not get any better.
Yuri!
Before the voice faded, another shot was fired.
The bullet urately prated the head that peeked out from the other side of the cover.
Morris wanted to use the opportunity garnered by themanders life to lock onto the position of the sniper. But the opposing snipers reaction was unfathomable, as they immediately switched target after the shot, firing without a glimpse of dy.
Natashas was furious. Within one minute, her team suffered three casualties.
Dammit, Yuri, Morris down! Captain, we should request assistance! The other Russian agent beside Nick firmly leaned against the cover and yelled in Natashas direction.
We sent out all the help we could. Command center, target x13-y15, requesting smoke bombunch.
This ismand center, permission granted, smoke bombunched.
The explosion rang once again as thick gray smoke covered the area. The smoke bomb with thermal reaction meant that even if the enemy was equipped with heat detection scope, it could block their vision.
Natasha let out a breath of air as she carried her rifle and dragged Jiang Chen by the cor, about to get up.
But now, sensing the opportunity was here, Jiang Chens eyes moved, and he mped both of her hands. Before Natasha could react, Jiang Chen grabbed both of her hands. In the not most elegant position, she was pushed to the ground.
Seeing the situation, the Russian beside Nick quickly aimed at Jiang Chen.
Break up the hand. The grim words came out, and Ayesha simultaneous pressed the trigger. The bullet ripped apart the right wrist of the Russian as the horrifying bone was exposed in the air. Before the man could scream out in pain, Nick, who sensed the opportunity, dashed up and mmed him to the ground. With his knees pressed on the arm, Nick used the rope between his hand against the Russians neck and choked him unconscious.
Seeing as the Russian didnt move anymore, Jiang Chen signaled Nick to treat him and tie him up, before he looked at Natasha again.
The Ukrainian girl riding him had a face full of humiliation as she desperately tried to fight back. Her face was steamy red, but regardless of how much force she used, both of her hands could not escape from Jiang Chens iron w.
She couldnt imagine this guy, who identifies as a merchant, could use one hand too tightly clench onto both of her hands. Despite how hard she tried, she could not move the slightest bit.
Stop, dont waste your energy, Jiang Chen said casually as he looked at the balls, distorted against the concrete floor, with a grin. He then mocked, mimicking her tone, Third time?
Seeing as struggling was futile, Natasha decided to stop moving. She turned her face as she used the corner of her eye to angrily stare at Jiang Chen, who was sitting on her waist.
Did you lock onto the snipers position? With one hand clenching Natasha, Jiang Chen used the other hand to touch his ear. He looked like he was speaking to himself.
Locked on, the target is moving. Although it was outside of her range, that rats life signal was already marked on the map.
Follow him, try to capture him alive.
Roger, Ayeshas responded concisely.
Jiang Chen ended theirmunication and nced in Nicks direction.
The Russian with a broken hand was tied up and thrown against the wall. Nick overlooked him with a rifle in hand. The man seemed to have gone unconscious because of the lost blood, but that was okay, as long as he didnt die. If it was not needed, Jiang Chen didnt want to be an enemy to the intelligence department of the Five Thugs. Then, Jiang Chen looked backed at Natasha, looking at her dubiously.
Now, its time for me to interrogate you?
Natasha smiled contemptuously. You wont get a single word out of my mouth.
Thats not a guarantee. Jiang Chen shrugged as he suddenly smiled mischievously. Since my people already took care of the sniper, we have plenty of time. Why dont we do something fun.
I promise it wont be fun. Natasha sneered, her green eyes filled with defiance.
That depends. Maybe, in the end, you cant even control yourself. Jiang Chensugh was pure evil.
Funny, he realized after being injected with the gic vine, not only did his physique improve, the width and hardness did as well. With the help of fury, even Ayesha, who was slightly M, would go insane.
But he obviously was just joking. He was not at the point where he would do it here.
With you?
Natashas contemptuous voice ignited a me in Jiang Chens heart.
[I cant take this.]
Jiang Chen was immediately unhappy.
Do you want to test it out?
On a block 500 meters away.
A slim figure, carrying a sniper rifle, was moving quickly through the street in shambles.
This area was the frontline between the government force and civil militant. The ss along the street was shattered, and busted tanks and armored vehicles were everywhere on the road. Gunshots could be faintly heard from afar to what seemed like a fairlyrge scale attack.
She ducked down and maintained her running position. She then looked at her right arm.
The dangling right arm illuminated with light. The radio life detection system synced with the gathered data on the EP map. Right now, the red dot on the map already stopped moving, that sniper must have arrived at the backup sniping point. If she just wanted to kill him, one shot would be enough from such a distance. A sniper with exposed coordinates was as good as died. But to capture him, naturally, she had to get close.
Ayesha was getting closer and closer to the target, her rapid steeps started to turn more cautious.
Quickly, her distance with the target was only one street. Ayesha leaned against the wall as she examined from across the street.
It was an abandoned office building. The revolving ss door was cracked with wrecked armored vehicles mmed into the door. Ayesha retrieved the sniper rifle from her back. She looked into the scope and scanned the building.
After confirming the exact location of the target, Ayesha hoisted the pistol by her waist, slowly took a deep breath, and then dashed into the street.
She carefully docked across the shattered door, with light steps, and cautiously sneaked upstairs.
Usually, once sniper is in position, their awareness to their surrounding decreased to null. For snipers that worked alone, mines and traps were pretty much a must.
She carefully followed the safety tunnel to the fifth floor. At the corner of the hallway, she stopped.
She stopped, let out a sigh, grabbed an EMP grenade from her pocket, and slid it out after detonation.
Static noise.
Ayesha held the pistol, turned around, and continued to the fifth-floor door. At the door, a mine sat there. But the infrared emitter on top was destroyed by the EMP. She stepped over the no longer functioning mine, with agile steps, and sneaked to the end of the tunnel.
Vasily quietlyid on the ground with eyes locked on the scope. Based on the image from the drone, the four people didnt leave. Instead, under cover of the smoke, they went into a shack not too far away.
The plots progression surprised him. Themand center explicitly stated to capture, took down the KGB agent in one move. The intelligence department said he was just an ordinary person?
An average person that could take down an agent with one move?
Regardless, he was still there. As long as he maintained his position on the sniper, he only needs to wait for reinforcement, and take them as hostages.
But for some reason, his felt unsettled.
Suddenly, someone kicked him in the butt.
He immediately flinched. The moment he turned around, he also reached for his pistol. But before he could, a ck shadow covered his entire vision.
The headphones dropped to the side. Ayesha emotionlessly looked at the bloodstain on the gun barrel, and then at the Russian with his nose smashed.
Dagger 02, Dagger 02, report your status
Ayesha crushed the headphone as she took out handcuffs and cuffed the unlucky guy.
She opened the mic.
Target retracted.
Beautiful, drag him over here. A smile emerged on Jiang Chens face, but that smile in the eyes of Natasha was eviler than the devil himself.
The sniper was captured. Interrogation should get out some useful information from him. But Jiang Chen was still curious as to how he drew the interest of the KGB.
He looked at the Natasha, tied up on the ground, as he gave her a friendly smile.
But the friendly expression did not receive the same recognition from her.
Natasha used the same grim look and stared back at him.
Dont look at me like that. Jiang Chen shrugged as he tried to defend his action. I said I am just a businessman, but you stick to me like flies. Did I bother you or trouble you?
Fly? What do flies like to stick to? Natasha sneered.
Jiang Chen first stopped, thenughed.
Are you trying to enrage me? Is there any benefit to you for doing so?
Natasha bit her lip, not responding. The blond hair on her forehead was a bit messy. In her deep eye socket was a pair of piercing eyes. The vibe was certainly there. The look of, regardless of anything you do, I wont say anything.
This made Jiang Chen troubled. To be honest, he personally didnt enjoy use force on beauty.
He sighed and said, In my opinion, you should just cooperate. Tell me who you represent? Why do you need me? For what? And then Ill let you go. Such simple concepts. Although I am not an agent, I have seen entire Hollywood blockbusters and war dramas. Even if I havent seen an interrogation before, at least I could try to use a thing or two. If I identally dont control my force, then you
Do you think I am scared of death? Still the contemptuous tone.
Mission outside of the border without the grant of the United Nations. For the glory of the country, even if she dies, she would not admit her identity.
Jiang Chen stopped again, gave it some thought, and nodded while scratching his chin.
Not a bad point.
He cant kill her. Jiang Chen didnt n to make enemies with the KGB.
But how would he get the information out of her?
Suddenly, Jiang Chen pped his hands as if he thought of something. Then, he smiled at Natasha with a not so friendly smile.
What are you smiling at? Natasha felt ufortable.
Nothing. But speaking of which, have you seen ?
Chapter 146 - The Secret
Chapter 146: The Secret
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Within a dark room.
Natashas pupils dted as she sat awkwardly on the chair. Her limbs were tied firmly onto the armrests and chair legs.
Jiang Chen nced at her and sneered a few times.
Dont be mistaken. Although he did say he wanted her to try, Jiang Chen didnt actually do anything to her. Instead, he asked Ayesha toe and guard the door. He then walked into an inner room and went back to the apocalypse.
He sent a message to Zhou Guoping, stationed in the Sixth Street, and asked him to find out if there was any truth-telling liquid. To be honest, Jiang Chen wasnt too confident about medicine from sci-fi movies existing in the future. But when he heard his boss question, Zhuo Guoping stated that it did exist and promised that he would send it over after he purchased it.
Jiang Chen sat in themunity center for a bit as he took the truth-telling liquid from the meticulous Zhou Guoping. After sending him back, Jiang Chen returned to the modern world.
The trip back and forth took four hours. The sky was already darkening.
Nick still stood outside, guarding withoutint, while Ayesha also stood her ground at the door, coldly exchanging eye contact with Natasha.
What happened after was simple.
Natashas contempt was better than Lin Lins. Her resilience was also hundreds of times stronger, keeping her mouth shut.
But Jiang Chen didnt waste time with her. In front of her, he slowly took out a needle from his pocket.
Have you heard about the truth-telling liquid? The one in .
Natashas face immediately changed as she desperately twisted her back to resist. Without any other solutions, Jiang Chen had to forcefully tie her onto the chair to sit her down. Then, he looked at her frightened expression pleasingly.
[Scared? What happened to the earlier you?]
He personally loved to put things in beautys bodies.
To be fair, the truth-telling liquid was pretty useless in the apocalypse.
Based on what Zhou Guoping said, the principle of this was to force the targets brain into hypnosis, while only being able to perform simple information receiving and answering. But in the apocalypse, even the survivors injected with the cheap E-grade gic vine would not be hypnotized by this kind of medicine.
But in the modern world, using this thing was just unfair.
After being injected, Natasha was much more honest. Jiang Chen would ask a question, and she would reply with an answer drowsily. Then, the sniper also had an injection, and afterbining the responses of both people, Jiang Chen finally understood the story from beginning to end.
But the truth felt heavy.
Willie Society, a mysterious organization established before the Second World War, was created by the German politician Schr Karl Haus Haufer. Its members included Herman, Himmler and even Hitler himself. Based on rumors, a lot of the obscure technology came from there. At the same, the organizationmitted a lot of sinful activities during the war. After the war, it disappeared into thin air, as if it didnt exist at all.
But that was not the key point. The key point was that the organization still existed even today? And within Kane? The new president Poroshenko was also a member? NATO allowed for its existence?
It was a hefty piece of news, but he tied what he saw in the news before, Azerbiri soldiers of the Mariupuer force had the Nazi symbol painted on their helmets, as well as the Kane soldier with the Nazi symbol attached to their arms, and began to think.
The information was from Natasha.
KGBs spy activity in Kane was mostly spent on the mysterious organization called Willie Society. It differed from what Jiang Chen had suspected. He thought the Russian agents wereing for him because of the artificial intelligence, but it was an obscure reason. The only reason Natasha found him was because of a phone call.
Half a month ago, when KGB was tapping Poroshenkos confidant - General Markanov, they by chance got an interesting message.
A man named Robert called him.
Three keywords, Jiang Chen, Gold, Mercenaries.
By coincidence, around one year ago, when Robert didnt touch the Iran oil and simply yed the middleman role diligently, he was in charge of selling firearms to the Kane government on behalf of the White House. At that time, he was sessfully put onto the cklist of KGB, and KGB did initiate a civil militant-led attack targeting him. If it were not for the vic man who could fight, he would have been done for.
Then, after Robert left Kane, his name naturally came off of the cklist. But Natasha didnt expect to see that name again. After some investigation, Jiang Chens resume was put into her hands. But his history was too clean. Clean to the point that it was unbelievable.
Therefore, the moment Jiang Chen got off the ne, he was monitored.
Markanov is a member of the Willie society. KGB wants to know the intention behind Jiang Chens contact with him.
The original n was for Natasha to try and hit on Jiang Chen, inject anesthetics when they entered the room, then transport him out of the hotel through special means, and interrogate at the safe house.
But what she didnt expect was that Jiang Chen was not as perverted as the information said, as he rejected her proposition. So she had to ask for permission to start n B, which was, once Jiang Chen left Veit, intercept him once they reached Oesk.
The further they drove east, the more advantageous the situation was for them.
But unfortunately, KGB was not the only ones interested in Jiang Chen. Willie Society was also confused by the man from the east attempting to contact Markanov. It was okay when it was Robert since he represented the UA, but they questioned Jiang Chens identity.
Also, he belonged to a mysterious organization?
They couldnt find a single piece of information rted to the force behind him. They could deduce from current information that Jiang Chen belonged to an organization with unknown motive, unknown location, but strong research and development capabilities and substantial funding.
As to Jiang Chen himself, just like KGB, they only managed to find a resume as good as scrap paper.
It looked fake no matter how they interpreted it.
Uhh, although Jiang Chen wanted to state that the piece of paper was real.
The intelligence always over thought. So hell leave them to their imagination.
They also started to monitor Jiang Chen when he got off the ne. But during monitoring, they found an interesting person - Natasha, KGB agent.
The Willie agent was immediately unsettled when they saw the contact between Jiang Chen and KGB, but they didnt alert them. Because it was a great opportunity! Not including Jiang Chen himself, if they operated correctly, they could even take out all the Russian agents behind Natasha!
So, they also patiently waited for Jiang Chen to arrive at Oesk, and waited for the Russians to make the first move.
To put it in simple terms, he was targeted by the two troubling groups, Willie Society and KGB. As long as he was in Kane, he would not be able to get rid of these troubles.
Are you okay? Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen caringly.
Yeah, keep an eye on her for me. Jiang Chen rubbed his temple wearily as he headed outside.
Outside the shack, Nick was patrolling with his rifle. Seeing Jiang Chen walk towards him, he waved to say hi.
Hows the situation?
Everything is normal. The Russain special force seemed to have headed to our previous location. They rescued the pilot.
Not a big deal. Do you have a satellite phone? I need to discuss with that dumb*ss Robert. Their location was far away from the crash. They wouldnt be able to find them here.
Nick smiled, took out the satellite phone, and threw it into Jiang Chens hand.
Right now, Robert was in a distantnd across the Antic ocean. Lying rxingly in his Los Santos mansion, enjoying thevish life. Beside him lied a girl lost in life, ready to discuss her Hollywood dream with him the entire night.
But in this critical moment, the phone on the nightstand suddenly rang.
Although he was unwilling, he saw the caller was Jiang Chen. He immediately picked up.
Hello? Did you meet my old friend?
Meet your mom! Jiang Chen was instantly frustrated when he heard Roberts cheerful voice, and cursed, Who the hell is your old friend? The moment I got off the ne, I got monitored by two agent organizations.
Robert held the phone, momentarily lost for words. He asked with confusion in his voice, What?
Jiang Chen adjusted his emotion as he let out a sigh. Then he slowly said, KGB, Willie Society.
Roberts face immediately changed. He ignored the Hollywood girl beside him, got out of the bed, and walked to the living room covering his phone.
How did you mess with the KGB? And, what is Willie society? Robert said anxiously.
Robert didnt even know? Jiang Chen was surprised.
Have you not heard about them when you were in Kane? It seems to be an organization with roots starting in the Second World War, with the Nazis Dammit! What is this bullsheet? Your old friend, Markanov, appears to be a Willie Society member.
Then, Jiang Chen stated the information he got with truth-telling liquid again.
Hearing Jiang Chens description, Roberts expression turned serious.
I always thought it was a rumor But I cant believe they actually exist.
Yes, they do, but what the fu*k does it have to do with me? I just want to know, how am I going to leave Kane? If I got back to , I would be captured. The same will happen if I head to the east towards Russia. Do I need to swim across the ck Sea? This is bullsheet, Jiang Chen swore.
Wait, let me think. Robert closed his eyes, and then suddenly opened them, Did you kill them?
He referred to the Russian agents.
No, I tied them up, Jiang Chen took a deep breath and said slowly.
Good. There are still ways to resolve this How about selling the two Russian agents to the CIB? I know someone working in Kane.
F*ck you, Jiang Chen burst out, Your friend again?
Robert was quite helpless too and revealed a bitter face. Umm There is nothing I can do. Who knew Markanov has an identity like this? Dammit, when I sold him firearms before, I didnt care who he was. For real, buddy, sell the people to CIB. They will send helicopters to pick you up and send you to their aircraft carrier.
And?
They should let you off at Greece, and then arrange for your tickets home.
Thats fine. Ill think of other ways. Jiang Chen hung up the phone.
Nick took the phone from Jiang Chen and asked, Did Robert think of something?
He is dumber than before, Jiang Chen cursed and returned to the shack.
[You must be kidding me, getting involved with the CIB again? There is not enough trouble already?]
Willie Society is okay since they should only be operating in Kane. KGB is fine too since this is not a Soviet era.
But if CIB were interested in you, they would take UA citizens taxpayer money to chase your butt around the world.
He pushed open the door, and Jiang Chen saw Ayesha working on the scope of the rifle.
Jiang Chen adjusted his emotion as he tried to force a rxed look. Then, he said with a smile, What are you doing?
Seeing Jiang Chen was back, Ayesha smiled gently at him.
Doing maintenance on the gun. Exporting video footage.
[Video footage?]
He hesitated for a moment before his eyes lit up.
[I have a solution now!]
Chapter 147 - The Perfect Solution
Chapter 147: The Perfect Solution
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When Natasha woke up drowsily from passing out, she struggled to open her sore eyes.
When she realized her current circumstance, a fierce look was targeted towards Jiang Chen, who was sitting directly across from her.
What did you do to me? Obviously, she didnt have any memories after being injected with the truth-telling liquid.
Her clothes were distorted with hands tied to the armrest, and feet locked to the chair legs. A male and a female in a room together. There was a lot of room for the imagination.
Nothing. Jiang Chen shrugged with a smile on his face. I am an innocent person.
Psh!
Natasha cursed in her mind as she looked at Jiang Chen without saying a word.
KGB.
Jiang Chen spoke, but Natashas expression did not change at all. As long as she doesnt admit it, what could he do to her?
Seeing Natashas look of defiance, Jiang Chen smiled, put a smartphone on the table, and pressed y.
I am from the KGB
The purpose of your trip in Kane?
To conduct intelligence, gather and provide intelligence for civil militants
Questions and answers. The males voice was obviously Jiang Chens; the female was Natashas.
Natashas face turned pale as she violently twisted her body to free herself and grab the phone. Seeing the girls action, Jiang Chen only shrugged and pressed the screen a few more times.
Before you calm down, Ill to show you something even more interesting.
He ignored Natashas deathly stare as Jiang Chen picked the phone up and yed the video.
The videos quality was high. The perspective was from a scope. In the video, there was an M-171 Russian Helicopter. Then, the screen shook, Ayesha fired. At the same time, an RPG hit the helicopter.
The helicopter went out of bnce and crashed. Then, what looked like Kanes special forces began to fire at the group. Of course, it was a joke that Kane has a special force.
Right after, Borris in the front called for artillery support, and a few shells covered the entire area, sending the group of soldiers flying.
Then it was Borris being shot in the chest. Then the Yuri guy being shot in the head, followed by Morris. Then, it was Ayesha that broke another Russian agents hand, but that part was cut.
Natashas expression was pale as she stopped struggling.
I trust that you know what would happen if this video appeared on YouTube or other sites. Unauthorized military action in foreign countries. Artillery stationed in the borderunching strikes against foreign targets. The videos resolution is much better than the UAs satellite. I remember that the White House didnt even capture images of you guys firing. Would this in my hand be considered big news? Just so you know, I also intercepted themunication requesting for artillery. Jiang Chen smiled delightfully.
There was not a single trace of redness on Natashas face. She knew exactly what kind of severe consequence would result if the video was uploaded.
Give me the video.
No. Jiang Chen smiled.
Youll be hunted by KGB agents, Natasha threatened.
If something happens to me, the video will automatically be sent out. You will get nothing out of it, Jiang Chens fingers crossed as he said this, not caring.
Natasha was silent. Then she changed into a flirtatious expression.
If you are willing to give it to me, I will give you some unexpecting services.
Ayesha standing by the door nced at her, the emotionless face looked rather daunting.
Are you not going to ask your little soldier to leave? I will make you reallyfortable. Natasha was a different person, the eyes in her deep eye sockets were charming.
To be honest, Jiang Chen was feeling a little hard.
Ill pass. Who knows how many people have you done. I would rather pay, Jiang Chen closed his eyes to avoid showing any fluctuations in his emotions, hiding his awkwardness. He then continued, Also, she is not a soldier, she is my wife.
Hearing that, Ayeshas eyes opened wide. Mist flickered in her eyes. Natasha nced at the touched girl and continued to look at Jiang Chen with a smile.
That might not be true. I am still pure.
Who would believe it? Stop with this nonsense, lets make a deal, Jiang Chen, annoyed, spoke. He was afraid that he wouldnt be able to resist the temptation after being firm on his stance for so long.
Deal? You think you are worthy enough to make a deal with the country? Natashas eyes cooled down as she narrowed them.
Country? Nah, Im only making a deal with your intelligence minister, Jiang Chen ignored Natashas contemptuous expression and said straightforwardly. If the video appears on the Inte, the political career of your minister is over. Someone must take the me for this.
Then?
As long as we pretend it doesnt exist. Jiang Chen shrugged and looked at Natasha. Ill let you and the sucker with the broken hand go. We both kidnapped each other so we can say we are even. If you dare to retake action on me, Ill release the video. If you want the video not to exist, then just dont bother.
Do you think well leave a piece of evidence like this in someone elses hands? Natasha burst outughing.
Think about it. Jiang Chen alsoughed, You guys know that I have a mysterious organization behind me. I already said I am willing to resolve this peacefully, why are you giving me trouble? You want to cause a whole bunch of trouble and lose your job, or remain silent and pretend I dont exist. The choice is in your hands. I can give you back yourmunication device now. Why dont you have a chat with your superior?
Natasha eyes slightly shook, finally letting out a sigh.
Okay.
What happened next was what Jiang Chen had expected. The KGB head named Bart epted this deal without hesitation.
First, the two parties conflict was resolved. KGB will no longer take action, and he will leave Kane in three days, keeping the video content a secret. If the video is leaked, KGB will be sent out agents to assassinate him.
As to KGBs threat, Jiang Chen only shrugged and didnt overthink it.
Also, Jiang Chen provided a USB to Natasha with the interrogation results of the sniper.
Natasha would take his achievement back to her country, receive a promotion, and then sit within the office. Since her identity was already exposed, it would no longer be suitable for foreign missions. Jiang Chens USB gave Bart the reason to promote her and also gave her a price to shut her mouth.
The mission will be recorded as Natasha and her team engaged in heavybat with Willie Societys controlled force, with the team suffering heavy casualties but obtained critical intelligence.
As to Jiang Chens existence, it will be hidden.
Although Bart, the old cunning fox, suggested to Jiang Chen to transfer the sniper to the Russian side, Jiang Chen refused.
He had other uses for this sniper.
Jiang Chen didnt insist since the interrogation report was alreadyprehensive with everything they needed. But in the voice recording, the sniper often answered right away, without hesitation, which was quite obscure. The frail voice of the guy probably meant that he suffered some gruesome torture.
When themunication ended, Jiang Chen untied Natasha.
She moved her sore body as she gave Jiang Chen an ambiguous look. You are brilliant. From what I know, you are the first foreigner to havee to an agreement with Bart.
Jiang Chen shrugged. It did match the interest of both parties. This ending is not bad for you or me, right?
To be honest, where he got the idea was from the dumbass Robert. Exceptpared to him, Jiang Chen was attempting something bigger.
Fair. Although, you are ying with fire. Where is Jager? Natasha spoke as she extended her hand.
The guy with a broken hand? In the other room. Jiang Chen passed the USB to her.
Before she left, Natasha still looked cautiously at the smartphone on the table.
Inside contained videos that could affect Russias image. It could even be used as an excuse to start a new wave of economic sanctions.
As long as she destroyed it
But she also noticed that the quiet girl had her eyes locked onto her. She had the feeling that if she dared to make a move, the girl would instantly pull the trigger.
Not leaving? Going to miss me? Jiang Chen smirked.
Natasha smiled charmingly, Are you really not going to reconsider my proposal? To be honest, I figured that you dont look as weak as I thought. It doesnt seem to be too bad to use you as my first.
Ayesha didnt say anything but maintained the same emotionless expression. Though her vibe was bing more and more dangerous?
The negotiation is already over. If it is a personal invitation, maybe Ill say yes at a different time? Jiang Chen rejected smoothly.
Natasha giggled and didnt respond. She then headed straight to the door.
When you have the chance toe to Moscow, dont forget to tell me. You suffered through a lot. Ill have to buy you a drink.
Of course, Jiang Chenughed as he said to her shadow lightheartedly.
Natasha left with Jager. Then, Jiang Chens group took the unconscious sniper to a different location.
Under the disguise of the darkness, they traversed through the battlefield to an istedmunity.
After going inside an abandoned apartment building, making sure they were not being followed, Jiang Chen woke the tied up sniper.
Vasily?
Vasily didnt say anything. He quietly looked at Jiang Chen. He didnt know under the influence of the truth-telling liquid, he has already exposed all of his secrets.
I heard that snipers usually have great patience, right? Jiang Chen said lightheartedly.
Then you should know, interrogation means nothing to me, The vic looking man stared at Jiang Chen, answering coldly.
Nick stood on the side and tranted it into English. Then he looked at Jiang Chen.
Seeing as Vasily didnt say anything, Jiang Chen continued, I dont n on interrogating you, I only want to ask you for some contact information Umm, how should I say this? I want to do a deal with the organization behind you.
Chapter 148 - Mercenary
Chapter 148: Mercenary
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Honestly speaking, Jiang Chen did not care about the godd*mn ce known as Kane. He only wanted to buy some experienced soldiers and train a mercenary force loyal to him toplete his ind capture n. But at the moment, he was tricked by the dumbass Roberts information, Markanovs hidden identity made the situation much moreplicated.
Because of the KGB agents, as well as the Willie Society agents going head to head, he was forced into this hidden conflict.
The fortunate part was, all these problems were resolved.
Whatever conspiracy the Willie society had, KGB can worry about it.
He walked with Markanov along the 92nd mechanized infantry base as the two chatted together.
Nick followed behind them because Markanovs English was not too bad, so he didnt even need to trante. He just continued to walk along in his usual silence. As to Ayesha, Jiang Chen stationed her in the distance, just in case.
Although they were not in the most dangerous area, it was considered the frontline. The conditions here were quite harsh. The soldiers would usually sleep by the dug trench, the wooden boxes used to store ammo were used as tables, they sat around eating cold canned food, chewing ck bread.
Seeing the soldiers living condition, it was not evenparable to the survivors in the Fishbone base. Jiang Chen had the illusion that he was too generous.
Theres plenty of great guys here at the 92nd mechanized infantry. If you see anyone you like, let me know. Ill chat with them. Of course, as long as he is not too dumb, he wont reject the offer. Markanovughed.
Seeing the general finallying to the front line to check them, a lot of the listless soldiers regained their focus and saluted when he walked by.
Seeing the soldiers, Jiang Chen was skeptical if they could actually defend against the civil forces attack. But his face remained expressionless.
Oh? If I take the aces from your force, are you not going to get a heartache? Jiang Chen half-jokingly said.
The man has a pointed nose and sharp sight, with a faint scar the side of his face. He looked like he had a fit physique. At a nce, Jiang Chen couldnt rte him to a corrupt official that sold national assets.
He was also the confidant of the new president.
Whats there to have a heartache about? Markanov shrugged andughed. What if you give me 100 aces, would they beat the volunteers from Russia? The oue of the war never swayed towards us from the beginning. Lets not talk about that. Lets speak of something more practical. My own sry has been held back for a few months already. If I dont sell equipment, how would I pay the people under me?
He didnt say anything. The gold worth one million USD was enough for him to spend the rest of his lifefortably in any country. So what if he is a confidant of Poroshenko? He had too many confidants. This guy didnt care about being alive or dead. Once he has the money, he doesnt care about what this god forbidden ce would turn into.
Jiang Chen didnt respond.
Before he came, he already came to an agreement with Willie society.
He would leave Kane within three days. The purpose of the trip was to hire some mercenaries as bodyguards. The deal was personal. Although he did have an undisclosed organization behind him, they had no intention of stepping into Kanes mess.
The sniper he captured would be returned after he safely leaves the country. If something unexpected happened to him in the next three days, the snipers location would automatically be sent to Russia. The hostage would be transferred to the Russian side.
Vasily didnt know he was injected with truth-telling liquid. Willie society, therefore, wouldnt know part of their information was already leaked to the Russian side. Therefore, there would still be value in the sniper.
Hence, to prevent anything unexpected from happening to Jiang Chen in the next three days, Willie society even sent a few agents to protect him, in case the KGB secretly want to cause interference. But clearly, they oveplicated the situation as Jiang Chen already reached an agreement with KGB. Even if there were still agents following him from afar, they would not make a move.
Other than soldiers, do you need a tank? AT-64. Ill sell it to you for one million USD.
Tank? Where would I even put that? Jiang Chen jokingly cursed.
[You must be joking. You think I dont know that thats the historic remains from the Soviet? 400 T-64s lie in the tank graveyard at Kharkov with who knows how thick of dust covering them. It would be a miracle to find one that is still moving. Those things were scraps that even the steel factory wouldnt want.]
He followed the trench to the empty ground. Markanov and a second inmand looking person exchanged a few words in whispers. Then, he grabbed two chairs and sat with Jiang Chen, smiling.
The 92nd mechanized infantry soldiers were interviewed in groups, with Nick the veteran making the call. Jiang Chen only sat on the side, doing some simple verification. To prevent agents from other organizations, he would only need to use some truth-telling liquid to ask them a few questionster.
After around two hours, they finally finished the troublesome process.
Kane had no special forces, but there were still a few experienced soldiers with skillsparable to special forces mixed in. Mostlyprised of Khanstanese, they were natural warriors with superior individualbat ability.
Their equipment was taken off, and Jiang Chen took the group of soldiers already removed from the force to an abandoned warehouse two kilometers away. Jiang Chen signaled Nick to trante.
I know you must have a lot of questions in mind, such as being forced to join the army and then somehow removed from the force, Jiang Chen stood on top of a broken shipping container and yelled at the lost soldiers.
You already shed enough blood for your home country. Regardless if it is still worthy of your allegiance, you all did an excellent job. Now, we should talk about something practical.
A ten-year work contract, and a sry of one hundred thousand USD a year. Fight for me, not the Poroshenko who cant even pay you, Jiang Chen said firmly as he scanned the eyes, filled with differing thoughts.
Like a rock thrown into the middle of a tranquilke, the soldiers all began to discuss. Jiang Chen patiently waited for them toe up with a result. No matter who, the decision that would change their lives would make people unsettled and lost.
How do we know you are telling the truth? People in Veit tricked us to the front line, and we had a pity 1500 hryvniast month. We didnt even get paid anything this month.
So whats your n? Jiang Chen spoke calmly.
Leave here, to Pnd, since my name is already removed. Thank god, the soldier said without hesitation.
If you see these things, do you still have the same n? Jiang Chen shrugged and signaled Nick to take out the suitcase.
The suitcase opened.
Filled with stacks of USD bills. Instantly, everyone held their breath.
This is private work. You fight for me, and Ill pay your sry. Pnd? You be a refugee without dignity in another country. Utilize your only strength with me. Work for ten years, take your saving and enjoy the rest of your life in any country. The opportunity is right in front you, and the door is behind you. To stay or to leave, you guys can decide. After saying this, Jiang Chen patiently looked at them and stopped saying anything.
Ten years! One million?!
Not even one million, they havent even you seen ten thousand Franklins stacked together.
The soldiers erupted, but no one wanted to leave. They were still skeptical of Jiang Chens generous offer.
Can I ask a question? Finally, a middle-aged man with a rigid face stepped out and tried to ask a question.
Of course, Jiang Chen examined the person and said nonchntly.
My name is Ivan, Ivan courteously stated his name, then said with a firm tone, Before epting your offer, can we know where we will be serving?
Africa, training mercenaries for me, Jiang Chen answered straightforwardly.
When they heard that they were not being dragged to an unstable area as cannon fodder, they looked more relieved.
Even with a lot of money, they had to be alive to spend it.
Another question. How are you nning to pay our sry? A lot of us have family here
Jiang Chen interrupted him as he waved his hand in dominating fashion, Cash, transfer, whatever you want. Paid every half a year. I only have one requirement. Your contribution must be worthy of your sry. The conditions I gave must be met.
He paused, Jiang Chen scanned these people, and then continued, I know a lot of you have a family. You can choose to move them to the family area at the base, or you can opt to leave them here, or whatever. Ill prepay ten thousand in sry. I want all of you to show up at Boris Boer International Airport three dayster. If someone runs away with this ten thousand USD
Said in a cheerful voice, Then wouldnt that be embarrassing for me? The remaining nine hundred thousand USD will be the bounty for your head.
When Nick exined Jiang Chensst words, everyone gasped.
Not because of the threat, but rather the Eastern boss was willing first to pay them ten thousand for their families?
He could not be morepassionate!
With such a genuine offer, who would leave? If someone did, they definitely had their head kicked before.
Seeing no one posed any objections, Jiang Chen indicated to Nick to take out the contract. Once they signed, they could receive ten thousand USD in cash as money for family amodation.
After everything was taken care of, Jiang Chen immediately dismissed them.
You are quite generous. Nick smiled, as he gave the suitcase with nine hundred thousand USD back to Jiang Chen.
Haha. Are you interested in working for me? Ill give you one million in sry. Jiang Chenughed.
Nick shook his head.
Jiang Chen expected his response, that was a joke.
Although Roberts head is pretty abnormal, he has his ways of looking after people, Jiang Chen passed him a cigarette and jokingly cursed.
Nick grabbed the cigarette as he lit it up.
Are you not smoking? He raised his eyebrows and blew a ring.
Here and there, but rarely now. Jiang Chen shook his head, touched his ear, and alerted Ayesha, Missionplete,e back.
Okay.
After being injected with the gic vine, he was no longer addicted to smoking. The powerful metabolic process meant that the toxins built up in his body would be eliminated through his digestive system. Precisely speaking, even if he constantly smoked, it would not affect his health.
He could smoke freely now, but there was no reason anymore, so naturally, he stopped.
Before it was a way to alleviate stress, but now, life seemed to be good?
Just a bit busy.
Whats next? What are you nning to do for the next three days? Nick asked casually.
Heughed, as Jiang Chen took out a stash of bills and stuffed them into his hands.
This is your bonus. Finally came out of the country, how could I not enjoy myself?
Nick cracked a smile as he didnt reject the money. Then he looked at the slim figure walking through the door.
ck cape, while holding a sniper rifle. It lookedical against her size.
Spend time with your girl? Nick mocked him.
Mhmm. A rare softness appeared on Jiang Chens face as he looked at Ayesha in the distance. Time to make it up to her.
Chapter 149 - Vacation in Veit
Chapter 149: Vacation in Veit
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Bright sun, blue sky.
This is Veit, not Oesk hundreds of kilometers away. Chaos has yet to taint the clear sky. With industrial regression, it created a country with air quality far superior to Hua, whether that was considered lucky or not.
Crowds passed through the Veit Independent Square, but it was not noisy. Last year, there were a few protests at the beautiful square, and quite a few people died. Maybe that had enough of an impact that individuals who were walking around the square were silent as their condolences. With only the asional shouting here and there, slowly driving away the haze that was left behind.
There were a lot of beauties on the street. It was the first time Jiang Chen experienced the words beauty infested.
Because of the unique geographical location, excluding Southwest of Crimea, which was along the ck sea bank that possessed subtropical climate, most of the area had a mild continental climate. The winter was long, and summer was short. Along with lower than average daylight exposure, the people here naturally had paler skin. With the fact that it was located at the border of Europe and Asia, the multi-ethnicity allowed them to have quite a significant advantage in the gene pool.
Of course, Jiang Chens eyes didnt stay on the gorgeous looking Kane girls because he was in the middle of a date.
Independent Square, below the Central Memorium Post, a girl with a slightly stiff expression looked at the camera.
Rx, smile Hey! Dont be so shy. As Jiang Chen said that, his eyebrows twitched unnaturally. He felt like a weird uncle trying to lure a small loli.
This dress is so light. It feels weird. Ayesha unnaturally pulled at her skirt, her pale face covered by a red re. She vision escaped from the lens, as she coyly looked at her feet.
No, no, no, its cute, rx Look at the camera. Jiang Chen used all his words to convince Ayesha to not be so shy as he finally caught a glimpse of a beautiful scene. Just as Ayesha shyly looked up, he pressed the shutter.
Snap!
Phew, finally done. Jiang Chen wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he let out a relieved sigh.
Seeing that they finished taking photos, Ayesha immediately ran to Jiang Chens side. Although she still felt embarrassed by posing in front of a camera, by her eagerness, she naturally looked interested in how the photo turned out.
Seeing Ayeshas look of expectation, Jiang Chen smiled.
Dont worry, its beautiful, He called out the picture he just took.
She stared at herself in the photo as her eyes began to light up.
This, this really is me? Her voice was filled with disbelief as her finger lightly touched the screen.
The slim and graceful figure, the delicate and pale face, and the softly curled brown hair didntck liveliness. The slight, shy expression along with the gem-like eyes was apromise of both innocence and mystery.
The ck dress hanged to the knee with a ck bow tie ced at the waist, and a pair of thin stripe sandals to match. The elegant ck rose blossomed a mysterious but adorable vibe.
The background wasnt relevant anymore.
Of course, its my Ayesha. Jiang Chen put the camera down as he rubbed her long hair with a smile.
Although still slightly embarrassed, Ayesha buried her head down. She was still not used to disying affection in public. But if it were in their home, she wouldnt be embarrassed even in a bikini.
But suddenly, a piercing grim look shed across her eyes.
Something is following us, Ayesha lowered her voice as she walked towards the crowd.
Dont overreact. Of course, I know. Jiang Chen tugged on Ayeshas hand and stopped her from going to the crowd.
She tilted her head as she was confused by Jiang Chens reaction.
Ahem, arent we on a date?
When she heard the word date, Ayesha suddenly noticed her hand was being held, and the pale face suddenly turned to a shade of dark red as if blood was about to drip out any second.
Do we really need to care about them? Her finger twisted around the tip of her dress as she quickly whispered.
No. Jiang Chen smiled brightly, as he openly turned around and scanned the crowd. Just let these dumb*sses work over time, well enjoy our vacation.
Without the need to think, at least two parties were following him. But so what? He only wanted to take Ayesha around for the next two days, temporarily forgetting the bothersome troubles, and enjoy his vacation.
A reward for himself, andpensation to Ayesha.
Watching the side of Ayeshas face, Jiang Chen always felt guilty. In her best years, she was supposed to enjoy her youth, but she had to carry a weapon for him. Although from a different but equivalent perspective, he saved her. Therefore, he shouldnt feel guilty about her doing this.
But he always thought that if he did think that way, that was not man-like.
Sensing Jiang Chens gaze, Ayesha turned around, innocently but gently smiled.
Where are we going to go next?
Holding his hand, Ayesha gently shook it. She started to enjoy this feeling, walking with the love of her life, and the happiness of the warmth surrounding her hand.
Ill take you to buy some clothes. Jiang Chen gently squeezed her hand and smiled.
Clothes? But I already have plenty Ayesha whispered. In her eyes, it was enough to have a few to change into. The key to attracting her husband was her figure.
Although the idea would make him feel excited, something seemed to be wrong.
Its okay! We are rich!
He scanned the crowded street as heughed.
To be frank, it was Jiang Chens first time shopping with a girl.
When he was at university, he didnt have the finances. After graduation, he worked at a clothing store. Ignoring all the subjective reasons, the most important one was that he didnt have a girlfriend!
In his imagination, taking a cute girl and seeing her change into all kinds of pretty clothes must be the happiest thing in life. Therefore, when he held Ayeshas hand, the first thing he thought of was to take her shopping.
Umm, he quickly realized his mistake.
In the beginning, Ayesha was still shy and was dazzled by so many selections, not knowing where to start. But when the energetic saleswoman noticed the hesitating Ayesha, her eyes lit up, and she walked over.
Jiang Chen was too familiar with that look because he worked at a clothing store before. He personally witnessed how his colleagues convince, with ttering words, a girl who initially wanted to save money for her boyfriend, buy a set of clothes worth over ten thousand.
But he didnt really care. Just like he what he said before.
Hes rich, who cares.
The Kane saleswoman spoke excellent English. Her energetic work attitude also garnered the trust of Ayesha, who was usually afraid of strangers. Therefore, Jiang Chen only saw Ayesha move between clothing racks and change room. The clothes she wore were constantly changing.
Gothic skirt, refreshing long dress, sassy leather jacket
At the start, Jiang Chens eyes had a treat. Ayesha fitted all styles of clothing, which Jiang Chen signaled to buy buy buy without blinking an eye.
Ayesha was first reserved, but when she found out in surprise that every time she changed, Jiang Chens eyes would light up, she was more and more interested. In the end, she couldnt even stop.
The clothes on the counter started to pile up. The saleswoman was so happy she couldnt even close her mouth. It was the first time seeing such an affluent customer.
But this troubled Jiang Chen.
Although Ayesha did look good in all different styles of clothing, they almost stayed at this store for two hours!
On this street, there were still hundreds more!
But since he already agreed, he must follow through even with tears in his eyes.
She finally finished trying on thest piece, Ayesha wore a white floral dressing out of the fitting room. She looked shyly at Jiang Chen, ran a few quick steps, buried her head, and tipped her toes to peek between Jiang Chens lips.
Thank you I feel really happy. The usually cold face was filled with emotion.
In that instant, all of Jiang Chens weariness faded.
Worth it!
Looking at the saleswomans almost climaxing expression, Jiang Chen swiped his card.
The owner of the clothing store personally sent him out the door, providing a 30% discount gold card in the act of appreciation, and then watched Jiang Chen carry a giant bag, walking away holding Ayeshas hand.
Around 100 pieces of clothes because almost everything looked good on her. Jiang Chen practically raided everything that was her size from the store. Money was not the problem. Only a few thousand USD. But how would they vacation with so much clothing?
Jiang Chen let out a sigh as he stopped at an ice cream shop. He ordered a vani ice cream for Ayesha and told her to wait a bit before carrying the giant bag into the crowd.
The people he passed by all turned around and gave him an odd look. Jiang Chen ignored everyone, walking straight into a pipe shop. Then he stopped in front of middle-aged men with his hands in his pocket, examining the pipe in the window.
Following people is an art, do you guysck funding this much? At least practice a little more. Jiang Chen sighed.
The mans face turned red, and he tried to argue, but Jiang Chen continued before he could open his mouth.
Thats enough. The secret police of Kane? You dont look like you are from Willie Society. KGB is much more professional than you. At least I didnt find their location. Jiang Chen threw the bag onto the ground and grabbed the camera around his neck.
Sir, did you mistake
Do you see? You are in these photos. Jiang Chen poked at the screen and looked at him mockingly.
Seeing that he was exposed, the man had a bitter smile on his face. Why did you point it out? Youll make me lose my job.
Lose your job? Poroshenko could still afford to pay peoples sries? Jiang Chenughed about his boss in front of him and pointed at the bag on the ground. Send this to the Primir Hotel reception. Youll receive 1000 USD inpensation.
By the dumbfounded look of the person, Jiang Chen walked up and patted him on the shoulder with some force. He smiled. Think for yourself more. The individuals in the frontline are looking for ways out. Its not bad taking some side jobs to feed yourself.
After finishing, Jiang Chen waved his head and left a still dumbfounded rookie agent.
Chapter 150 - For the Same Reason
Chapter 150: For the Same Reason
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
When Jiang Chen stepped into the ice cream parlor again, he saw an entertaining scene that his face could not help but reveal a thoughtful expression.
Ayesha in a ck dress was sitting at the table. Her original impassive face was nowyered with frost.
Across from her, an East vic young man was talking to her rather enthusiastically.
Hey, gorgeous, may I know your name? The young man with aquiline nose gazed at Ayeshas eyes in what he obviously deemed as romantic.
Ignored.
Ahem, I seemed to have seen you somewhere before.
No response.
Oleg stared at Ayesha in embarrassment. From a gentlemans perspective, if the other party had clearly expressed no interest, then pestering would only be regarded as cumbersome. But how could he endure it? Towards someone who was remarkably handsome, romantic, and suave like him, would there be someone who would thoroughly ignore him?
He took a deep breath and decided to deliver his ultimate cool move.
In one grand romantic gesture, he stood up, genuflected, and stared into Ayeshas eyes affectionately.
From the first time I saw you, I couldnt help but fell irrevocably in love with you, my goddess.
Most customers in the ice cream shop began to look in their direction. Some young girls covered their mouth in surprise, and some even started to whistle. Proposals (like of marriage) would always be popr, no matter which country you were.
Oleg was indeed attractive andbined with his fit physique, looked every bit of a dashing man from Kane.
However, Ayesha had merely cast a nce at the clock on the wall indifferently.
She had always been indifferent towards strangers especially men. If it wasnt for Jiang Chen opposition, she would have worn the ck cape she usually wore when sniping on their date.
Olegs passionate expression was frozen on his face as he was left to stew in awkwardness. If he left, it would look like he was acting in a one-man show; on the other hand, Ayesha was clearly broadcasting an Im-toozy-to-bother-with-you expression.
Smiling slightly, Jiang Chen walked forward.
Im sorry to have kept you waiting for so long.
Ayeshas eyes lit up instantly when she spotted him. She quickly got up and walked to his side and hugged his arm as though no one was around.
He was pestering me, but I didnt pay him Ayesha exined in a faint voice as she was worried that Jiang Chen might misinterpret the situation.
I know, Jiang Chen interrupted her exnation with a smile and rubbed her hair dotingly, I trust you.
Hmm. Ayesha turned slightly red and lowered her head, fingers unconsciously toying with Jiang Chens cuffs.
Oleg was still frozen in the same awkward position, his mouth was twitching uncontrobly. The crowds gaze gradually turned from encouraging to that of mockery and sympathy. Regardless of how thick his skin was for flirting with so many girls, his face still betrayed an embarrassed expression.
Disconcerted, he got up from the ground, fixed his cor and walked in front of Jiang Chen.
Yellow skin? My goddess, how could you like someone After seeing Jiang Chens face, his contemptuous expression immediately cooled down.
Why dont you keep up your gentlemanly pretense until the end? You look like a kid whose candy got stolen, Jiang Chen sneered.
I dare you to say that again. Oleg extended his hand with a vicious smile as though Jiang Chens provocation gave him a reason to start a fight. In his eyes, this yellow monkey would not be able to put up a fight.
Ayeshas eyes shed a hint of iciness and just as she was about to make a move, Jiang Chen gently squeezed her hand, signaling that there was no need for her to lend a hand.
There was no way that he would let a girl protect him during a date, on the other hand, he was also toozy to use force. His eyes then scanned his surroundings.
Ahem, I have enough reason to conclude that this dumbass is sent by Willie society to give me trouble, he muttered under his breath.
Oleg hadnt even touched Jiang Chen yet when a middle-aged man sitting on next table vaulted and pushed him against the table in one incredibly swift motion.
Fu*k, who the fu*k are you? Oleg, not understanding the situation, struggled to fight back, but he was bound tightly by a middle-aged man behind him.
Im the police! Dont you fu*king move! The middle-aged man fumbled with the handcuffs and cuffed his hands. Oleg, right? You are under arrest on ount of being a threat to national safety. I hope you can cooperate with our investigation.
What! Oleg shouted incredulously, I was just trying to pick up a girl. Everyone here can testify.
Another middle-aged man drinking coffee on the other side let out a sigh and walked in front of Jiang Chen.
We apologize for giving you a fright. Do you need me to help you with contacting the embassy and arrange for your immediate return? The middle-aged man in a gray vest looked at Jiang Chen and seemed anxious to depart.
Thank you very much, but that wont be necessary. I still have two days left in my vacation. This small mishap would not affect our friendship, wouldnt it? Jiang Chen extended his right hand with a smile.
The middle-aged man watched him for half a day before grasping his right hand silently.
[Since you guys had already followed for so long, wouldnt be a shame to not to use this free bodyguard?]
I hope you have a great vacation. You know, there are still a lot of people working overtime. The middle-aged man was staring directly at Jiang Chen.
Of course, I hope you have a pleasant overtime. Jiang Chens smile was especially radiant.
After leaving the ice cream parlor, Jiang Chen didnt take Ayesha to the clothing stores and instead brought her to the movie theater. Although his mansion had a home theaterparable to a movie house, watching here amplified the experience.
Especially when on a date.
The screen was showing . Although Jiang Chen had already seen it once, when he asked what movie Ayesha was interested in, she left out all the romance movies and only showed interest in action films.
Anyway, his real purpose was to make it up to her, so he dly agreed with her choice. Moreover, it would be a total loss if one actually paid any attention to the movie while in thepany of a girl.
Holding Ayeshas little hand, feeling her asional bout of tenseness and the softness of her hand when she rxed, he felt his mind was on cloud nine. The movie ying on the screen had no hope of entering his mind.
[I can hold this hand forever!]
After leaving the movie theater, Jiang Chen stretched himself. Seeing Ayeshas furrowed brows, he gently smiled and asked, Whats the matter?
Umm. Ayesha stroked her chin and nodded thoughtfully. Im just thinking, why do the bullets never hit anyone? Clearly, the viin boss has so many underlings so why does he need to personally fight in the end? His marksmanship was not even that good.
Jiang Chen was speechless. It appeared that this girl did pay attention to the movie the entire time.
Ahem, if they got hit with one shot, it wouldnt be called an action movie anymore. If the antagonist boss doesnt die in the end, it would then be a series. Overall, its nice, isnt it?
Hearing this, Ayesha was confused at first, then nodded her head, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Mhmm.
In the evening, they took a stroll along Dnieper River, feeling the gentle breeze blowing on their face.
Jiang Chen took a peek at Ayesha who was holding on his arm.
The gorgeous face under thentern light looked serene, her brown hair fluttered in the breeze, and a smile lingered on her lips.
It was such a guileless smile, and it was Jiang Chen first time seeing it on her face.
Did you have fun today? he asked, smiling faintly.
Hearing this, Ayeshas pale face turned slightly pink.
Slightly adjusting her position, Ayesha stuffed her hand into his.
Hmm, she whispered but seemed to feel it was not conveying enough of her feelings, so she added, Very, very happy.
Thats good. Jiang Chen smiled then turned to look at the river. The reflection of the moonlight decorated the Dnieper Rivers surface and suffused it with light.
Ayesha gazed at Jiang Chens side contour, the eyes that were not good at expressing emotions shed vulnerability and bewilderment.
Why? Ayesha murmured to herself like someone caught in a dream.
Why? Jiang Chen looked at her somewhat puzzled.
I am only someone you picked up from the desertObviously, Im already very happy.
Recalling the image of her parents in the pool of blood, the drowsiness while inside the truck and being transported to the refugee camp, recalling her past self who had pretty much given up on life, Ayesha suddenly felt herself tearing up.
Just being able to live in a stable country was already a happiness in itself.
Whats wrong? Jiang Chen smiled gently and squeezed her soft, little hands a little harder.
Butthats why I owe you even more, she murmured. She put her sandals on the gravel road and looked at her own reflection on the river.
Did you follow me just because you wanted to pay me back? Jiang Chen asked with a smile.
A sh of confusion appeared in her eyes, but shortly after she shook her head vigorously.
No.
Then why is it?
After a moment of silence, Ayeshas cheek was gradually suffused with heat, the delicate, red lips were conflicted for a good while before finally saying the words that had been brewing for a long time but never got the courage to express, Because I like you. She paused and stared into his eyes.
The look of vulnerability gradually disappeared from her eyes.
Hearing this, a warm smile emerged on Jiang Chens face.
An answer he naturally expected, but no matter how many times she said it, it would never fail to make his heart raced.
At first, I felt I owe you a lot and thats why I asked for this date, Jiang Chen murmured as he held Ayeshas hand.
Owe? Ayesha asked confusedly. She couldnt understand Jiang Chens choice of words. It was obviously her who owed him a lot.
Thats right. In my opinion, youre at your most exciting age, but I have kept you in the mansion and then had been busy with my own affairs and now that I need you, I immediately gave you a gun.
I dont mind being used by you. Ayesha tenderly squeezed Jiang Chens hand.
People are more or less hypocritical, but thats not what I am talking about. Jiang Chen smiled and responded to her affection. He paused before continuing again, Just now, I suddenly realized that perhaps the real reason was not due to the feeling of I owe you.
Rather, it is the same reason as yours.
Because you like me.
So I also like you, too.
The two fell into tacit understanding.
In the tranquil and romantic Dnieper River, two figures were locked in an embrace, their lips interlocking with one other.
Chapter 151 - The End of the Journey
Chapter 151: The End of the Journey
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The next morning, Jiang Chen sat up on the bed while rubbing his still sleepy eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his face while looking at Ayesha, who was still curled up in nkets, sleeping like an adorable cat.
Needless to say, there were no words for what happenedst night.
Maybe it was just his imagination; however, it seemed that from that night on, Ayesha had started bing clingier. Although she remained expressionless in public when it was just the two of themahem, theres no need to say the rest.
Yesterday he took Ayesha around all the major tourist attractions, along with hundreds of photos carrying their beautiful memories, it could be considered as the perfect culmination of their Kane trip.
He leaned against the headboard, brooding for a short while, and then taking care not to disturb the still sleeping Ayesha, he sneaked out of bed.
He went to the bathroom, took a shower, and then took out his phone to call Robert.
Ahem, buddy, I heard youve solved your problem. Uh, sorry, I As soon as the phone connected, Roberts apologetic voice immediately came through.
Ok, I didnte here to listen to you apologize, Jiang Chen yawned and wandered to the balcony of the room. Niger,st stop, how are things over there?
Dont worry, everything will be smooth sailing from here on. I already personally made the trip to ensure everything is ready. Robert touched his nose with embarrassment and hisugh echoed through the phone
You personally made the trip? When did you be so diligent? Jiang Chen asked, looking baffled. Your old friend is not monitoring you?
Jiang Chen smiled and leaned leisurely against the carved metal fence.
Has the infrastructure construction beenpleted yet? Ive already solved the training problem.
Of course, I know a Portuguese builder whos an expert in this area. He previously assisted the French army to build a military outpost in Mali. In short, this guy was good at building military infrastructures. Asking price is not expensive$15million. I went and inspected it yesterday. Its already finished and the quality was also excellent.
[Hmm, not bad.]
Jiang Chen nodded with satisfaction and changed the topic.
What about the refugees?
Done.
Great. Wait for me in Niger. Jiang Chen then hung up the phone.
All of a sudden, he felt a piece of clothing gently draping over his back. Upon turning around, he was greeted by Ayeshas tender but fiery eyes.
Youre up. Jiang Chen smiled and gently held the small hand on his shoulder.
Mhmm, its a bit cold here, especially in the morning. Are you hungry? Ill make you breakfast, Ayesha said softly.
Jiang Chens eyes bore into Ayeshas eyes.
Being stared like that by Jiang Chen, Ayeshas cheeks turned scarlet and whispered, What?
Nothing, Ive just realized youre bing more and more beautiful. Jiang Chen grinned wickedly while staring into her eyes.
Gently clutching her panicking hands, he pulled Ayesha back into the house.
Come on, were getting that breakfast.
Breakfast at Primir Hotel was exquisite though somewhat bit expensive.
After eating breakfast, Jiang Chen checked out at the front desk, and then while holding Ayeshas hand, boarded the taxi and headed to Boris Boer International Airport.
What luggage? Just store them directly in the storage dimension.
After getting off the vehicle, Ayesha returned to her usual cold expression and followed Jiang Chen half a step behind.
At the airport gate, Jiang Chen met Nick along with ten Kane men who were hauling their suitcases.
He greeted Nick and turned to look at the ten soldiers of the former 92nd Mechanized Infantry.
Its such a great honor. Youve made the right choice, Jiang Chen smiled and extended his arms in a weing gesture.
Not like we have much of choice, the man named Ivan shrugged. His stiff face contorted slightly before continuing, But the opportunities you provided are sure very attractive.
Laughing, Jiang Chen expression was very cordial. Of course, Ive always been very good with my people.
At least the old guy Anderson doesnt need to worry about housing anymore, said a huge bald man with a smile as he pounded the back of hisrade standing next to him.
House?
Thats right. Ivan rolled his eyes and shrugged. I served the army for 25 years when the former Soviet Union still existed. Unfortunately, I have been enlisted in the Kaneian army. I was on the list for housing in 1987, but with how things are looking, it would take 100 more years before it would be my turn.
Thats nothing, said the bald guy, patting the guy who continued to remain quiet. Its even more unfortunate for Anderson. It was already his turn when his name was reced by someone else.
Dont keep using me as an example. Whoever wants to fight for those swindlers can go right ahead. This country has nothing to do with me anymore, Anderson softly rebuked with an unhappy expression.
Ok, guys, why dont we chat in the waiting area.
A group of people standing in front of the airport looked out of ce however you look at it. Jiang Chen noticed that the police in the front door was deliberately looking in their direction.
It was a critical period after all, so any group of people gathering around would cause suspicion.
There was still an hour before the ne took off and Jiang Chen was fooling around with Nick in the waiting area. Ayesha was sitting impassively beside Jiang Chen and was holding a fashion magazine provided by the airport. It seemed like, after the shopping spree, some kind of strange interest was awakened in her.
Where have you been to these past few days?
Went back home and then traveled for a bit, Nick responded sinctly and grinned.
Speaking of which, you didnt bring your family to Los Santos? Jiang Chen asked, somewhat surprised.
They cant. Nicks face revealed a rare mncholic expression.
Jiang Chen didnt know what to say. He seemed to have realized something as a wry smile appeared on his face.
Looking at the flight information over his head, he appeared nostalgic and said, Do you remember the wooden cabin in Oesk? Thats my home.
Sorry for making you remember something bad, Jiang Chen said softly.
Its okay, its all in the past.
Previously, Jiang Chen only heard Robert mentioning about Nicks hometown being in Kane. However, he didnt think that it would be in Oesk and his house would be that cabin.
Due of the heavy atmosphere, the conversation was halted.
After looking at the time, Jiang Chen got up and walked towards the restroom. Before boarding the ne, he decided to take it easy first.
But just as he was about to leave the restroom, he unexpectedly ran into someone, who hes expecting to be there.
The same gray vest, aquiline nose, Willie Agent he met the day before yesterday in the ice cream shop.
You finally came looking for me. Speaking of which, I still dont know your name. Jiang Chen extended his hand with a smile.
My job means that its inconvenient for me to reveal my name, but you may call me Merlin. Merlin shook his hand, but his eyes were locked on Jiang Chen.
Merlin? Magician? Your overtime is over?
Thats right. Thanks to you. Although he said thank you, there was not a trace of gratitude on his face.
Where is the sniper? Merlin cut straight to the point.
In a house in Oesk. I heard the endurance of snipers is not bad, so before I left I feed him well. Should be enough to sustain him for three days without a problem. Jiang Chen smiled.
The expression on Merlins face had not changed and his hawk-like re was still piercing.
His exact location. ording to the agreement, you said youll give us his coordinate before leaving the country.
Its on this USB. Jiang Chen casually took out a thumb-sized USB and handed it to Merlin.
Merlin silently reached out to hold the USB only to find out that Jiang Chen wasnt letting go. He cast a suspicious look at Jiang Chen.
I havent boarded yet, Jiang Chen stated with a smile.
Well keep our end of the bargain. Merlins exerted a bit more strength.
But I dont trust that. Jiang Chens grip on the USB remained firm.
Why? Merlins facial muscle was all wound up due to the pressure.
There is still half an hour before we board the ne. To ensure that Ill safely get on the ne andnd safely at my destination, I just want to remind you one thing before giving this to you, Jiang Chen paused, smiled when he saw the tension on Merlins face, before continuing, I have encrypted the contents inside this USB. After inserting it in theputer for one and half hour, it would automatically unlock the encrypted information inside. If anything happens to me during this trip, Im sorry, but KGB might get their hands on the snipers coordinate location first.
One hour was enough for the ne tond in Nigeria.
After saying his piece, Jiang Chen let his hand loose without warning. Merlin clutched the USB awkwardly and bumped into the washroom door, stumbling a few steps backward.
Staring intently at Jiang Chen, Merlin suddenly burst outughing.
I didnt expect you to be a programmer.
His original n was to wait until they acquire the snipers location and then immediately arrest Jiang Chen. There are far too many reasons for Willie Society to do this. As for the organization behind Jiang Chenridiculous, why would they be afraid?
Jiang Chen shrugged, No, but I am the boss, I have a lot ofpetent employees.
Naturally, the codes in the USB were Yao Yaos masterpiece
Good, I hope you never set foot in Kane again, Merlin took the USB, left words dripping with threats and walked away.
I hope youll be able to receive your sry sooner before your boss goes bankrupt, He shouted at his leaving figure before returning to the boarding area with a smile.
He sat next to Ayesha, who was still holding the same fashion magazine.
Those people left. Ayesha lowered her voice.
The secret agents who had been sitting nearby had already left, and the waiting room seemed deserted for a moment.
Yes, I had a talk with their boss. Which dress do you like? Jiang Chen skillfully changed the topic.
Ayesha blushed as her fingers rubbed against the page.
This oneah! No, I already have enough clothes
Hmm, this one should fit you nicely. Alright, lets buy it! Copy the website, and Ill show you how to shop online
Nick nced at the two people and cracked a smile on their disy of affection. He then looked at the clock on the wall again.
It was almost time to board.
[Farewell, my hometown. I wish you peace.]
Chapter 152 - The Last Stop
Chapter 152: The Last Stop
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Niger, Niamey International Airport.
Buddy, haha, we meet again. Robert passionately greeted and embraced Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen awkwardly shoved him away. Ahem, I think its better if we just shake hands.
No, no, no, this is to sincerely express my remorse. He pounded Jiang Chens back quite vigorously. Then he walked in front of a Hummer and exaggeratedly opened the door with a teasing smile. Please get in the car, Your Honorable Dictatorship.
I still have a long way to go, Jiang Chen retorted with a smile.
He took Ayesha to sit at the back of the car, while Nick naturally took the passenger seat in front.
Now that you think about it, I do believe fate has brought us together in the desert. Robert stepped on the gas, held the stirring wheel and started the ignition. He remarked while smiling, Last time, it was in the desert in Iraq too.
Last time, I was there to wipe your ass for you. Hopefully, you wont get into trouble this time, Jiang Chen couldnt resist the temptation to mock him.
Ahem, arent you missing the point here? Theres a guy from UA who runs an errand all over the world for you, a vic who went to the frontline with you, and a beauty sitting beside you, Robert jested and looked at him through the rearview mirror of the car.
Hearing this, although there was no visible change in Ayeshas expression, her face turned into a crimson shade.
Just focus on your driving. Stop talking nonsense anymore, Jiang Chenughingly reprimanded him and then paused before asking, Wheres the location of the base?
Sahara desert, Niger. Its an undeveloped area in Agadez Region. Better prepare yourself mentally as it could be quite dested out there, Robert reminded.
The outside of the airport was in Loess Hill, and there were hardly any buildings in sight. Aside from the road, there were dust and yellow sands everywhere. A gust of wind would asionally sweep ayer of dust.
Moreover, it was probably the only airport Jiang Chen had seen without a taxine, a bus stop, let alone a subway.
Damn, how could this ce be so poor! he swore while he stared out of the window into the endless sand dunes that went as far as the eyes could see.
How can you say that this is the capital? At the very least, it shouldnt be this undeveloped.
Downtown is much better. Its like the suburbs of Los Santos. Robertughed. 10 kilometers more to go. Were not that far. Speaking of poverty, Nigers Minister of Commerce Armani would like to meet you and invite you to dinner.
To attract foreign investment? Jiang Chen asked dispassionately. He leaned back on the chair and yawned. Why dont you go on my behalf? I already bought 20 acres of wastnd. Im temporarily not interested in investing in any other projects.
Ahem, no, theres actually more to it. Basic necessities such as water, power supply, food, ammunition that will be used in training, and so on, Robert reminded him.
Those indeed posed as a concern. Jiang Chen pondered on it while pinching his chin.
Military supplies, that I can solve. As for the otherswhat do you suggest? Jiang Chen looked at Robert.
For the power supply, my advice is to buy a few sets of fuel generators or a batch of sr cells. The sun is pretty intense here, so I think sr power would be our best choice. As for the water, it seems to be illegal to drill well in here. And I also dont suggest engaging in squabbles with the local tribes. I heard that even the Niger government couldnt control them, so its best if we outsource them. Food and basic necessities can be purchased locally. The cost of living here can be quite cheap, especially the food.
Then lets do that, Jiang Chen nodded.
If thats the case, you definitely need to meet Armani. But before that, Ill send you to the hotel where youll be staying. Robert shrugged and smiled.
The car finally drove into the downtown area.
Niger River ran through the city. The river was lush verdant, just like an oasis in the desert.
In fact, it was not as bad as what Robert made it out to be. At the very least, Nieamay, the capital of the country, didnt seem that bad. Although he hadnt seen the suburbs of Los Santos, when they reached the downtown area, the surrounding buildings looked rather sophisticated.
He only stayed at the hotel for a short while before he changed into a suit Robert had prepared for him and got into the car.
This time, instead of Roberts Hummer, it was Niger Department of Commerce for receiving VIP guests.
They got off at a restaurant where they apparently received foreign guests. A ck man in a suit walked toward him and greeted him with a smile
Wee, Mr. Jiang Chen. You must be the oriental billionaire Robert was talking about. The elderly ck minister warmly held Jiang Chens right hand and shook it firmly.
Much to Jiang Chens surprise, Armani could actually speak in Han.
Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Armani, he responded to his enthusiastic greetings.
I knew a lot of Hanrades as outstanding as you. We have a lot ofrades here in Nigering from Hua, so you can think of this ce as your second home. Niger wees you, Armani said warmly, speaking in a rather fluent Han.
Haha, of course.
Pleasantriespleted, Jiang Chen and Armani walked into the restaurant with an entourage of bodyguards and other personnel in tow. This wee ceremony was quitevish.
Seeing this, a sudden strange idea popped up into Jiang Chens mind.
He was wondering when he returns home for New Year, would his major bring a congregation of people to wee him in a grand fashion such as this? He was, after all, the man who appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The government newspaper alsouded him for his achievement in the technology sector. Even in the entire province, not a lot of people could outshine him.
Sheesh, it would be so cool to go home and be weed in such a grand fashion.
Despite being in overseas, distance did not interfere with his wish-fulfillment fantasies.
Armani invited him to sit with him. The side-by-side seating arrangement spoke volumes about how highly the Minister of Commerce regarded him.
Naturally, looking from this angle, one could also see how poor Niger was.
Perhaps because of the presence of numerous Han investors in Niger, Armani chose to discuss business during dinner. He clearly knew the intricacies of their culture as he perfunctorily drank two sses before deciding to stop.
Obviously, he was drinking while talking business ording toHan custom.
After another exchange of greetings, Armani naturally led the topic into the right track.
Thank you very much, Mr. Jiang, for investing in Niger. Is there anything we can assist you with to make this process easier? The basic economic condition is excellent and were now in the stage of rapid development. There are a lot of business opportunities to invest in
Listening to Armanis passionate speech or drivel, Jiang Chen couldnt help but ridicule him in his mind. [You dont even have cab at your airport, yet you have the audacity to say that your economic situation is good!]
But even if the heart said so, the words could not be said out loud.
Of course, I am very optimistic about the domestic development of your country. And thats exactly the reason why Im establishing a securitypany and building a training facility here. Listening to this ck uncle speaking for a long time, Jiang Chen still maintained hisposure.
The meaning behind these words was: I have no interest in investing now.
However, Armani was apparently not ready to give up that easily as he continued to enthusiastically discuss some other projects in great details. His meaning was obvious: give me some money right now.
How about this, I have a proposalto facilitate seamless transportation of goods, I intend to invest in road construction from the provincial capital of Agadez province to the undeveloped area. In fact, this idea was brewing in his mind for a while now, and it was an excellent opportunity to bring it up.
As soon as Armani heard about the road construction, his eyes instantly brightened. If they could build roads, not only it would drastically improve the livelihood of people in the undeveloped areas, it would also strengthen the governments control over the rebellious tribes.
Haha, Niger citizens will surely be very grateful for your generosity and friendship, Mr. Jiang.
Dont mention it. It is up to you to study the specific nning of the road, and then we will discuss it further based on your proposal, Jiang Chen responded with a smile while looking at the eagle-eyed Armani.
Finally the dinner concluded in a harmonious mood. The minister ofmerce personally sent him back to the hotel where he was staying.
How is it, my friend? Robert asked while grinning at him. He was standing at the entrance of the hotel.
Annoying. Do ministers always talk this much? Theyre so damned desperate for an investment.
That Armani was a rather interesting character, a politician with a ir for public speaking. There was nothing wrong with soliciting investment, but when Armani sensed hisck of interest, he became more assertive and went on forever. For a while there, although he knew that Armani was speaking Han, he had no idea what he was talking about.
Hahaha! Robert started tough hysterically and patted him on the shoulder.
My friend, now you understand my pain? The first day I was here, he basically serenades to me for the entire day. But I cleverly brought your name up and said that I was only working for you, and the real person with money is a guy named Jiang Chen.
Thats not funny. Jiang Chen red at him and entered the hotel.
Robert caught up to him and started getting down to a more serious topic.
Simply put, it could be quite annoying to talk business with ck people, but we cant just give them some candies and send them away. Tomorrow well head over to Agadez province to inspect your military base.
Ahem, its a training facility for a securitypany.
It doesnt matter since everyone already knows, Robertmented carelessly.
Stopping in front of the elevator, Robert nudged him with his elbow and quipped, Well depart early morning tomorrow so dont go crazy tonight.
Without waiting for his reaction, Robert dashed into the elevator thats about to close.
This pervert, Jiang Chen said with amusement and shook his head.
But at that moment, an image of Ayesha dressed in a white floral dressst night appeared in his mind.
[Uh, okay,] Jiang Chen decided.
[Ill sleep a bitter tonight and apany her to try on a few clothes.]
Chapter 153 - The Tuareg Tribe
Chapter 153: The Tuareg Tribe
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
In the morning, the tranquil Sahara desert weed a group of strange guests.
Three Hummers galloped the vast endless expanse of sand, leaving three trails of dust behind the undisturbed desert.
How much longer? Jiang Chen asked in boredom while sitting in the back with his arms crossed.
Ayesha, who was sitting beside him, had the same emotionless expression, but from the dark, deep circles under her eyes, it was evident she didnt get enough sleep.
Its just right ahead of us! But first, we need to greet the chiefs of the nearby tribes, Robert yelled enthusiastically while driving.
Why do I feel that you get really excited when youre in the desert? Jiang Chen nced at him.
This feeling of freedom is something that youll never understand!
This guy is crazy.
Jiang Chen mulled things over while looking outside the window.
The other two Hummers sat ten veterans recruited as instructors;pared to the energy here, theirs was much quieter.
Soon the vehicle drove into small sand dunes with a harder surface.
When Jiang Chens vision suddenly cleared, he saw rows and rows of small huts.
Primitive, ignorance, poverty.
These three words summed up his first impression.
Yellowish gray house and courtyard piled up from gravel. Withered branches were tied together and used as the gate of the courtyard, and the windows were covered with dyed cloths like an ancient Arabic town in the 12th century. Every household kept a camel. It was said that here a mans social status was measured by how many camels he possessed.
Im a bit confused. Perhaps you can exin to me our purpose ofing here? Jiang Chen asked helplessly.
Of course. Er, it might be a tad difficult to understand based from the modern perspective. Afterall, we already paid the money and purchased thend from the government of Niger. A portion of that money was also used topensate them for taking up their ranch. As far as the contract is concerned, the 20 hectares ofnd not far from here are ours, but ording to the local customs, our identity is still that of a guest. So following their tradition, we must obtain their recognition first before we can settle here, Robert exined.
That troublesome? Jiang Chens mouth twitched.
In fact, its only a formality since they are more or less secrized, Robert shrugged and slowed down the speed of the car, Still, there are some benefits from respecting their local tradition. At the very least, we can harmoniously co-exist without worrying about them giving us trouble, and they may even stand by our side during critical moments.
I dont quite understand what youre saying. So who is the owner of this piece ofnd? Is it Niger? The Tuareg tribe?
Hmm, you can think of it as Niger as the king of the middle age, and Tuareg tribe as the lord of this piece ofnd. Robertsrolled his eyes as he gave an unlikely metaphor.
If we get into a conflict with them, which side would the Niger government be on? Jiang Chen asked a dangerous question after listening to Roberts exnation.
A troubled smile appeared on Roberts face upon hearing Jiang Chens question.
The Niger government will be delighted if we could wipe them out, but thats kind of impossible. Tuareg men are scattered throughout the desert. And rumor says that they have some unusual rtionship with extremist organizations like Al-Qaeda. The Tuareg guerris also fought alongside Al-Qaeda during a riot in Mali.
Robert paused when he noticed Jiang Chens unresponsiveness. For fear that Jiang Chen might do something harsh, he immediately added, Uh, I suggest we better not sh with them. The people here are quite tough, and despite being poor, every household has an AK lying around.
Dont be nervous, I was just asking, Jiang Chen quipped.
When the car drove into the tribe, all natives cast the vehicles with a curious look. Due to the poor road condition, Robert rolled down the window and signaled the two vehicles behind to stay outside of the tribe.
It was not a big deal, following the local tradition shouldnt take long toplete.
Thats the food market over there, but I dont rmend you trying out the things they sell there.
What a coincidence, Im also not interested. Jiang Chen looked outside the window. A kid on a camel gave him a curious look, and his father, who was wearing a veil, led the camel out of the tribe.
Ayesha subtly nced at the window and muttered one phrase: Heresy.
The car stopped, following the direction of a ck woman, Jiang Chen and Robert walked into the building of the central tribe.
Tuareg tribe, a nomadic ethnic confederation mainly distributed in the suburbs of the Sahara Desert in Africa, and a branch of the Berber n spread throughout the vast region of North Africa. Renowned for their writing,nguage, and unique nomadic life, which were substantially different from those of their surrounding neighbors. Instead of a matriarchal social organization, Tuareg was a matrilineal society. Although they believe in Im, women were not required to wear a veil. On the contrary, men 25 and above must wear a veil in the Tuareg n society.
What was more striking was its open marital values wherein women could have multiple marriage partners, and in case of divorce, all assets would belong to them.
Apart from these strange customs, they were naturally born warriors. There was a notable local motto: The desert holds no secret to Tuareg people. In this desert, they knew how to fight better than anyone else. During the Mali civil war, Tuareg guerris delivered consecutive losses to the government forces.
Moreover, because of its strongbat ability, there were a lot of Mediterranean dictators and warlords who were interested in their fighting prowess. The most famous one was Gaddafi, who particrly favored Tuareg mercenaries. After the outbreak of the civil war in Libya, Gaddafi even offered the Tuareg tribe a lucrative remuneration of $1000 USD a day to help him quell an anti-government militant. Of course, no one knew if the money had actually been honored or true in the first ce.
Robert had, in fact, rmend to Jiang Chen that since they chose Niger as the location for the base, recruiting Tuareg people might not be such a bad idea. However, after some consideration, Jiang Chen still rejected his proposal.
The main reason was Jiang Chensck of trust in their culture and religion and also to avoid potential issues that could arise in the future. At least those refugees who fled their hometown would not suddenly mor to go home. In any case, the refugees were more reliable.
In the rtively spacious house, Jiang Chen saw the legendary tribal chief.
Distant visitors, may your wealth be endless like the sands of the Sahara. The dark-skinned Female chief nodded slightly, her hands sped together.
Perhaps because she often dealt with French people, her French was rather fluent. But regardless of how fluent she was, Jiang Chen who only knew English could not understand a thing, so he simply stood there and kept mum while waiting for Roberts next move.
Thank you for your generosity in sharing yournd. May your tribe flourish and your camels grow in flocks, Robert responded in fluent French. Even now, Jiang Chen could not figure out just how manynguages this guy knew.
Upon hearing this, the elderly female chief cracked a smile, her wrinkles scrunching up together.
The following ceremony was quite simple. A man, whose head was wrapped in a frighteningly thick turban, carried two bowls of camel milk and ced them in front of them. ording to the locals custom, the thicker the turban and veil were, the more respect they were showing to their guests.
It was said that in the past whenever a male guest visited here, he was also required to wear a headscarf, or at least his mouth must be covered. But now it appeared that they have made some concessions to foreign cultures in the process of adapting to modern times.
It was unknown whether the female chief was chanting a mantra or praying, but she spoke for a long time before she gestured to the two people with a smile.
Looking at that bowl of cloudy camel milk in front of him, Jiang Chen could not help but wonder if it was just freshly squeezed out. When he looked at Robert, the noticed that this mans eyebrows were furrowed as well.
Is this really potable? Jiang Chen whispered in English.
Yes, but trust me, you wont drink it again after you have your first. Although Robert expression was somewhat bitter as he attempted a herculean feat of downing the camel milk with his eyes closed.
From the looks of it, this was his second time drinking this awful stuff.
Jiang Chen was secretly speechless.
Seeing Roberts swift action, the smile on the female chiefs face became more brilliant. The faster the guest drank, the more it reflected their respect for the host.
When she looked at Jiang Chen, however, her eyes grew even brighter.
Robert had not even put the bowl down, Jiang Chen had already put the empty bowl on the table.
It took Robert a while before he finally finished and ced the bowl on the table with a quivering hand. Thus when he saw Jiang Chens empty bowl, his eyes almost popped out from its sockets.
Aftering out from the tribal chiefs house, the two men received a warm farewell.
Back in the car, Robert hummed as he wiped his mouth.
Sheet, I feel like Ive got ayer of grease in my stomach, Robertined as he looked at Jiang Chen oddly, You okay with that strange smell?
What strange smell? It was okay. Jiang Chenughed loftily as he leaned back and then put his arms behind his head.
Other than the grease that barely touched his mouth, he didnt drink a single drop and all of it was sent to the storage dimension.
He was getting more adept at using this ability.
After their friendly interaction with the neighbors, the three Hummers returned to the road once again.
Finally, Jiang Chen saw a castle in the middle of the desert - Future Security.
Chapter 154 - Future Security
Chapter 154: Future Security
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Barbed wire fences, concrete watchtowers, and buildingsthese structures greatly resembled a small military base.
What do you think? Robert turned around and smiled proudly.
Not bad. There was also a satisfied expression on Jiang Chens face.
Very neat.
The three Hummers stopped at the checkpoint at the entrance. The patrolling soldiers wearing dark sunsses approached the car, and after verifying Roberts information, they performed a simple military salute and then released the checkpoint post.
The soldiers patrolling here were mercenaries hired from a securitypany in South Africa. With Jiang Chens arrival, 20 people in a camougebat uniform wielding M-series automatic rifles quickly assembled in a neat formation in the center of the base.
These people only knew how to follow money and would not ask any questions. Their price was entirely based on the degree of danger of the mission, and Robert was able to negotiate with them for the price of $70,000 USD.
As the situation in the region escted, Jiang Chen made some adjustments to the refugees recruitment n after deliberating it with Robert. The original n was to hijack refugee ships, and then forcibly transfer them to the military base here. It waster changed to heading directly to the Syria border and masquerading as UA troops responsible for escorting the refugees, and tricking them to getting on the vehicle that would originally lead them to Europe.
As for tricking them, the answer was quite simple.
A flyer and a poster.
Seeing that not only you could bring your spouse and there was also a guaranteed work to boot, and not to mention these people were equipped with UA weapons, the registration turned out to be popr.
After those who managed to qualify got into the vehicle, it didnt take long for them to realize that something was amiss.
Upon confirming that they were heading in the wrong direction, the refugees began panicking and frantically scampered to get off the truck, but the mercenaries, who were merely doing their responsibility toplete their mission, remained unperturbed, and they forcefully dragged all the refugees back inside.
Afterpleting their escort duty, their mission was changed into guarding the refugees and preventing any attacks from extremist organizations or any other unforeseen situations.
ording to the contract, as soon as Jiang Chens group arrived, they would immediately hand over the control of the base and depart. For them, this was probably the easiest task they ever had, even though the pay wasnt much.
Seeing the retreating figures of the mercenaries, Jiang Chen gestured for the ten Kane veterans to line up behind him and signaled Robert to turn on the speaker and gather the refugees to the square.
The refugees were already converging in that direction.
After witnessing the mercenaries, who had turned over the control of the base to Jiang Chen, drove away, they felt an amalgam ofplex and confusing emotions.
They previously thought those people were UA soldiers, who would take them to a safe location or at least a refugee camp near the border of a European country, but they didnt expect to be taken to apletely opposite direction and deep into the desert.
At first, they thought it was the base of an extremist group, but it did not look quite like it in all respects. Other than preventing them from leaving, they didnt make many forceful demands. The soldiers put a number on them and even arranged rooms for them that were much more spacious than those from a refugee camp.
And even if no one stopped them from leaving, there was nowhere they could go.
This ce was in the middle of the Sahara desert. Without any means of transportation and sufficient supply, how far would their feet be able to take them? They would surely die if they met a sandstorm or if they got lost in the desert.
After going through the initial phase of restlessness, they chose to wait and observe. At least these people didnt torture them, and there were not many restrictions on food and water. One could even say that life here was better than any refugee camps.
Perhaps this ce was the new refugee camp nned by the United Nations. After all, Europeans didnt want them to migrate to their country, so they funded the construction of facilities in the depths of the desertthere were a number of people with this kind of naive thinking.
However, they were doomed to be gravely disappointed by Jiang Chen.
Any gain had a price to it.
Looking at the refugees standing all over the ce, Jiang Chen tilted his head slightly and asked Ivan, who was standing on the side, What do you think about these people? Do you have the confidence in training them?
Upon hearing this, a glimpse of pride shed on Ivans face.
There was a time when he thought that he would only serve under a president, who was not worthy of his allegiance, and serve as a cannon fodder for the sake of ideals that were not worth sacrificing for. However, as he stood there looking at the advanced training facility, and receiving the promised high sry, and when the boss asked him: Are you confident
The answer was a no-brainer.
That would depend on what the boss wants, Ivan raised his head and replied firmly, as though he had just regained his pride as a soldier.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows, his chin pointed toward the doorway, Simr to the group of people that had just left.
Yes, boss! Ivan shouted vehemently, But, boss, I have a problem!
Oh? Say it, Jiang Chen nodded, pleased with his determination.
I might go overboard, The soldiers eyes were burning with a fierce fighting spirit.
Hearing that, Jiang Chen paused and then unexpectedlyughed.
If you go above and beyond, Ill be sure to give you a bonus.
Jiang Chen patted his shoulder quite vigorously and stood on the podium while smiling in front of the refugees.
Sensing that an authoritative figure had stood up, the refugees mustered their courage to voice their doubts.
Who in the world are you?
Why did you take us here? We want to go to Europe!
I heard Frankberg provided refugee camp. Why didnt you send us there?
Jiang Chen ignored these questions, and continued fiddling with the microphone and turned on its switch.
Buzz!
The deafening static red through the four corners of the square, and aside from Jiang Chen and the ten instructors, almost everyone covered their ears while ducking down.
Ahem, seems like the mic is now working. You all can understand English, right? Then Ill start.
He ignored the pairs of frightened, angry, confused, and helpless eyes. He paused while renewing the feeling from the wastnd.
You might think that youve been deceived. Why didnt you disembark in Greece but had been taken to Central Africa instead? ncing around the crowd, Jiang Chenughed and continued, Thats right, I did trick you.
The crowd instantly erupted.
This is uwful!
Are you not afraid of being prosecuted by International Court of Justice? This is is against thew
Send us back
Send you back? Sorry, Im not obliged to do so. But if any of you wants to leave, you can go right ahead, the door is open, Jiang Chen said with a smile as he spread out his hands.
Nobody spoke. Everyone knew that it would be stupid to cross the desert without any means of transportation.
Warm shelter, delicious food, and clean water, you cant deny that your life here is much better than your refugee camps on the Syria border.
But at least we would still have our freedom, someone muttered in the crowd.
Ah, freedom. Youre so poor, you only have your freedom and thats why you got on the truck, right? If you have money, you definitely could afford the ticket, isnt that right? Jiang Chen smiled as he stared at the young man who interrupted him.
The young man didnt expect to be stared at by the person on the podium, he swallowed and shrank back a little.
But Jiang Chen did not seem to be looking at him and instead raised his hand and continued, If you go to Europe, what then? Youll hole up in a government-provided shelter while spectating someone elses happiness? Quit your delusions. That ce doesnt belong to you. You are but a refugee to them. Oh, you might say that youll work hard, but when their natives are still unemployed, what kind ofpetitive edge do you think youll have?
Hearing this, a lot of people lowered their head. They had given this problem some thought, but they never dared to think that far ahead. If one dwelled too much on misery, the courage to continue to move forward would be even slimmer, and not to mention the possibility of finding happiness in the future.
Receiving donation, eating relief food and bing the type of person, who people would find suspicious wherever you go. Ill take the responsibility of telling you that indeed, youll be able to survive, but youll also stay in the shelter for the rest of your life. One day when your child wants to go to an amusement park, but because you have no money, you can only rack your brains on how to persuade your child that its not a fun ce. I dont know how would you then feel about it.
Do you still want to go to Europe so bad after hearing all that?Jiang Chen looked at the audience whose eyes had lost their vigor due to his momentum. Seeing this, he could not help the touch of smug smile slipped through his face.
Where else can we go if we dont go to Europe? A young man could not help but voice it out.
Even if I did trick you, its not exactly a lie. Jiang Chen ignored his question and opened his arms and said while smiling, Work, Ive already arranged it for you. If you work for me, Ill provide you a stable living environment and a sry of $200 USD a month. Your sry will increase gradually depending on your performance.
The contract period is 3 years, and after 3 years, you can then decide whether to leave and take your savings to any other country in the world or stay. But trust me, in less a year, you wont be thinking about that dumb thought.
If you dont tell us the nature of work, how are we supposed to believe you? There was another jarring question from the crowd again.
Nature of work? Isnt that obvious?
Jiang Chen acted like he was surprised and made a show of looking around for a moment before continuing, This is a military base, other than soldiers, what else would it need?
Chapter 155 - Once upon a time, there was an emperor
Chapter 155: Once upon a time, there was an emperor
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Another uproar.
Naturally, the crowd red up again.
They thought that they would only be mining at an obscure ce or engage in a hardbor, and the military facility was only there to supervise them, but what they did not expect was Jiang Chen wanted them to be mercenaries!
Was this a joke? They left their home for the very reason of avoiding the war. If they were to participate in the battlefield again, wouldnt that defeat the purpose of fleeing?
Someone asked this question out loud and denounced Jiang Chen that no one had the right to force civilians to wield weapons and set foot on the battlefield.
Hearing this, all Kane veterans guffawed.
Youre asking me whats the point? Youll understand that in the future. Im toozy to talk nonsensical things. Youre asking what right do I have? Of course none, but like Ive said, if you want to leave, go right ahead and leave. You have half an hour to decide, and if you still remain in the base after half an hour, then I would consider that you acquiesce by default.
After delivering his speech, no matter how these people protested, Jiang Chen directly did an about-face and left the podium.
There obviously wont be an apuse for him, and he certainly didnt need one.
Just like the Fishbone Base at the beginning, when they found themselves unable to resist and living, in fact, afortable life, they would gradually ept sooner orter.
Moreover, Ivan would naturally train them to be absolutely loyal to the organization and shaped them into bing a soldier.
Jiang Chen went next to Ivan and patted him on the shoulder. Ill leave them in your care.
Yes, boss! the East vic soldier bellowed as he saluted and maintained his military posture.
He nodded his head with satisfaction. He then waved at Ayesha, who was standing quietly in the shadow, and then walked together towards the headquarters.
While walking, Jiang Chen looked at Ayesha and suddenly asked, Say, Ayesha, your hometown is in Syria, right?
Mhmm.
After a moment of hesitation, he continued, Umm, would my actions make you feel ufortable?After all, its your hometown
No, I will always stand by your side, Ayesha shook her head, her cold face suddenly revealed a gentle smile, And you are a very gentle person.
Jiang Chen almost choked on his own saliva.
[Are you kidding me? What do you mean by gentle?]
Ahem, although the first one moved me, I beg to differ on thetter part. He had never hesitated when killing except for the time when he made his first kill.
Just then, a small hand reached out to sp his hand.
It seemed that after the night by the river, she fell in love with the feeling of holding hands, and she would always inadvertently reach out to his hand.
Do you remember the time when you were in the truck? Ayesha asked quietly.
Although it was not clear why she mentioned the past, he still smiled and squeezed her hand nheless.
Of course I remember. How could I forget?
It was quite interesting to think that back then, he didnt even notice that Ayesha was a girl.
Even to a stranger like me, you still lent a helping hand when you saw my hungry eyes.
Jiang Chen smiled, Do you mean those biscuits? Those were cheap.
Ayesha shook her head and clenched Jiang Chens hand. Her mouth was slightly curved in a smile.
But you still chose to share rather than to sit on the sidelines and watch. Being alone on her quest for freedom, she was already numb to apathy.
Jiang Chen slightly lowered his head and fell into deep thought.
[Shared? Have I really? Is this how people look at me?]
Ayesha took a peek at Jiang Chen and smiled tenderly.
There was once an emperor who was generous, kind, and brave. His territory stretched from west of Thrace, east of Indian River in, north of Amu Darya to the south of Persian Gulf.
He acted as a conqueror in Damascus but gained the respect of the people he conquered. The Egyptians built a city in the desert to honor his meritorious deed, she muttered to herself as though shes recounting a legend.
Hearing this, Jiang Chen suddenly burst outughing.
But the empire was only short-lived. Was she referring to Alexander?
Towards to this remark, she merely smiled and did not disprove.
Obviously, he could have just used bullets to suppress them, used their loved ones to threaten them, used force to make them surrender, made them live in tents, and made them live by his rules.
But he didnt. The living condition here was much betterpared to the refugee camp. He even provided them with a sry and hope.
Feeling the warmth from his hand, Ayesha closed her eyes, her lips curved into a smile.
[What kind of joke is this? Trek across the desert?]
The refugees were abuzz with protest.
However, their objection fell on deaf ears as Ivan and the other instructors ignored the faces filled with righteous indignation and stood there like statues. The public outcry escted but was cordoned off violent encounters.
Force would always the best deterrence.
All the trainers wore a pitch back automatic rifle at their waist, the dark muzzle warned anyone who dared to incite violence.
Half an hour passed quickly.
Ivan cracked a smile and signaled his ninepatriots to surround the refugees.
In themand post, Jiang Chen and Robert stood side by side in front of the window while watching the situation in the field in good humor.
Sheet, didnt think that youd have the gift of the gab, said Robert, his cigarette dangling in his mouth and his arms were resting on the windowsill.
I have a lot of talent. Jiang Chen grinned, he was also leaning against the windowsill.
Rather than talent, it was more of unceasing practice. Three months ago, if he were to talk in front of more than 100 people, he doubted if he would be able a single word. And now, the did not even need to prepare a speech.
Do you know what I was thinking when you were giving that speech?
What? Jiang Chen casually asked, his eyes were still on the field.
Amotion started to break out in the field. Someone tried to grab Ivans rifle but was easily suppressed with a single move.
Hitler. Robert made an amusing version of Fhrer andughingly remarked, But you didnt learn his way of provocation. You should have given them a loaf of bread and tell them: You can eat it as long as you swear your allegiance to me.''
There was no need. Jiang Chen chuckled and got up from the window. Ive already given them enough incentives.
With that, he left themand center.
Staring at Jiang Chen retreating figure, Robert shrugged his shoulders and once again resumed observing the square.
There the riot was already over.
Perhaps due to the experience they gained in Kane which trained them to be an expert in suppressing uprisings, Ivan was able to lead his ninerades to sessfully control the situation.
Although the refugees wore a scowl on their face, they still obediently divided into ten columns, each led by a respective trainer. Their spouse and children were taken back to their assigned housing.
The training started immediately. The first mission was to run twops around the 20 hectares of the base.
They would only be able to eat once they finished.
Dont want to cooperate? Then starve together with your wife and children.
If they only have themselves to think about, some of them would perhaps attempt to resist; however, hearing that it was not just them who would starve but also their family
Everyone chose topromise.
Under the scorching sun, figures could be seen running around the base, leaving trails of dust behind them.
When they dragged their exhausted body after finally finishing twops, they all dropped to the ground. Not only did the ruthless instructors show not an iota of mercy, the devils also announced that the run would be part of their routine.
Although they wanted toin, they couldnt muster enough energy to do so.
Fortunately, evening came which meant that the training for today was official over.
When they dragged their beaten body to the cafeteria with their family and received their share of a hot meal, they suddenly felt that it didnt seem to be so bad.
Roasted golden turkey, stewed mutton soup, bright green sd
As far as food is concerned, it was day and nightpared to those of refugee camps.
Maybe it was because of exhaustion after the exercise which stimted their hunger, the dinner was especially delicious.
A lot of people even had extra portions, and Jiang Chen didnt skimp on food.
Hassan sat down beside his wife, Mary, carrying a bowl of mutton soup, and then grabbed a bun, dipped it into the soup, and took a big bite.
Looking at her exhausted husband, Mary anxiously reached out to him and wiped the dust off his face.
What did they make you do?
Other than running, not much, but who knows what theyll doter? Dammit, those trainers are simply inhumane, Hassan cursed as he devoured the food in front of him. Because he expended quite a significant amount of energy, his appetite was huge enough to devour a camel.
It was not clear whether it was intentional, but everyone there appeared to be a modern Christian, so there was no sign of veils and headscarves in the cafeteria.
Hassan was munching his chicken and bread, while he pondered about on the future.
He was 20 years old, his wife 19. They were nning to have a babyst year, but the conflict suddenly escted overnight, as the shadow of IS enveloped half of Syria. Because he was considered a heretic, he naturally did not dare to stay in his hometown, so he took his wife away and came to the refugee camp on the border.
Not knowing whether he should consider himself lucky or unfortunate for being taken here.
Bing a mercenary? He never considered this position.
But now it seemed that there were not many options left for him.
Will you go to the front line? Mary reluctantly asked.
If I be a mercenary, probably, he grimaced and grunted as he stuffed his mouth with bread. He nced at the trainers who were also having dinner in the cafeteria.
He was very confused about what would happen in the future.
But that 3-year contract gave him some hope.
After 3 years, lets have a baby. I will work hard to give you and the children a stable environment, Hassan promised.
Mary stared at him, her eyes were covered with mists, and then she lowered her head shyly.
Ok.
In any case, since his family was already here, he would just need to do his best for them.
He would just wait and see whatever happened in the future.
Hassans thought reflected the thought of other recruits in the base.
At least for this meal alone, theres nothing toin about.
Chapter 156 - Finally going home
Chapter 156: Finally going home
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Early next morning, a team of ten men was running outside the base wall.
They were led by their respective trainers and would have stamina training 10 kilometers away from their location.
Jiang Chens requirement for Ivan was he only had half a year regardless of what method he utilized. Six monthster, he wanted to see disciplined and fast-moving troops. Moreover, this unit should be loyal to him alone.
It was easy to ensure the loyalty of the soldiers: first was money, and second was electronic cor.
Other than the job contract, Jiang Chen also signed a 10-year confidentiality agreement with the ten Kane instructors. Under the terms of the agreement, they must wear the electronic cor with information detection ability to protect themselves from information leaks in the entire duration of the term.
In this regard, the ten Kane trainers did not put up any resistance because it was only 10 years, and they did not have any intention of disclosing anything.
Six months time was very short, it would be impossible to train a special force capable of a mixture ofbat requirement, other new recruits would have to stay in camp for 7 months. Although relying on the virtual reality system for efficient training would only require 1-2 months toplete the new recruit training regimen; however, in the absence of a basic foundation, carelessly bringing these high-tech products out in the open would be highly unwise, more so because he did not have 100 training equipment in the first ce.
But of course, Jiang Chen also made it clear to Ivan that he didnt need a special force, but apetent and modern infantry capable of siege warfare. They didnt need to be able to execute special missions, merely being capable of fighting would suffice.
As for theirbat ability, there were a lot of ways to make up for it.
Not enough stamina? Then give an injection.
An E-grade gic vine was really cheap andmon in the Sixth Street. Although it was not as powerful as Jiang Chens C-grade injection, it was enough to improve their constitution to that of special force level. The only reason he did not inject them yet was he wanted them to train their perseverance and endurance. They would be given an injection over the course of training.
Although Ivan and the trainers were skeptical about the drug that could improve their physical shape, upon seeing the certainty in their boss, they finally believed it was real. In spite of their misgivings, after being injected, they were surprised to discover that their strength and reflex improved by leaps and bounds, only then their skepticism finally disappeared. They were now more confident with the 6-month deadline training mission.
Of course, Jiang Chen didnt tell them it was a gic medicine. He only told them it was a mysterious Han medicine.
Mhmm, thats right, its a traditional Han medicine.
To begin with, from a foreigners perspective, Han medicine in itself was a very mysterious thing. And precisely because of its mysterious nature that he was not pressed to exin himself.
It was also worth mentioning that gic vine functioned by fine-tuning the gic sequence of somatic cells and stem cells without affecting genes in certain cells. In other words, there was no need to worry about gic issues.
Bad marksmanship? Then make the technology shoot for you.
AK47? M4A1? Obviously, they wont be using these junks.
100 years in the future, these seemingly decent rifles would be extremely weak. Just like how Thompson submachine gun could still be used now, almost all new rifles could definitely outmatch its performance.
The 150 Reapers Assault Rifles that Jiang Chen brought from the Fishbone Base, whether its stability, pration, and uracy, it outshined all modern firearms. After all, there was a fundamental difference between the structure of warfare in the future and the present.
Even light infantries wore nanobat suist as well as kic skeletons. Not to mention the heavy infantries that were fully equipped with power armors. If the rifle pration was low, it would be difficult to even prate the enemys armor. Since this was a NATO standard Reaper assault rifle, its pration capability was naturally unequivocal. Although it was normal in the future with highly advanced science, it was ridiculous in the modern world where it could easily prate through steel or concrete.
Logically speaking, the higher the explosive power, the more recoil the solider would receive, but because of the special design of firearms, the recoil was significantly reduced.
Furthermore, because of itspact internal design, needless to say, the uracy was superb.
The only problem was the ammunition. Because they couldnt use a modern ammunition without a secure base, Jiang Chen did not dare to move the bullet production line, so he could only carry the ammunition himself.
Fortunately, the trade between the Fishbone Base and the Sixth Street had just been finalized, and the additional batch of ammunition he purchased had arrived just in time. He shipped six months worth of training ammunition to the armory which temporarily solved the problem.
Other than rifles, with the development in the apocalypse side, Jiang Chen would continuously transport even more ridiculously incredible equipment to this world.
Such as kic skeletons, heat sensor grenade
Jiang Chen entrusted all responsibility of training to Ivan. The veteran was well-respected among his peers, and so he was more at ease in leaving him with the day-to-day operation of the base.
As for logistics, it was also easy to solve.
ording to Roberts suggestion, he set up an office for the Future Security in Niamey and hired local experts to handle the problem. The only thing he needed to worry about was to provide the operating cash flow to thepanys ount, and the daily expenses, sry, and logistics, and other aspects of affairs would be coordinated by the office.
At the end of each month, there would be a detailed bill sent to his email.
After spending two days traveling between the base and Niamey, Jiang Chen finally settled everything on this side.
The manager of Future Security was a man called Barkley whom he found in the talent market in Niger. Despite being only 35 years old, he already had 15 years of relevant work experience. He looked stable and trustworthy.
Thebor cost in Niger was very meager, $400 USD monthly sry was already considered high in the local market. Towards such generous paycheck, the ck guy was ecstatic as he promised to take care of everything with perfection.
Jiang Chen was pleased with his eagerness because it meant he could worry less about it.
With the base starting to operate on the right track, it was finally time to go home.
When they headed to the airport, they took Niger Ministry of Commerce vehicle. As a good host, the Minister of Commerce Amani personally sent them to the airport.
We hope youe back soon, Mr. Jiang. You will always be Nigers friend. Armani shook hands with him enthusiastically with a bright smile on his face.
$2 million worth of investment to build a road from the national highway to the undeveloped area. He had gained a lot from this friend of his from the East, and so he was naturally very enthusiastic.
Of course, I wish our friendship willst through eternity. Thank you for your warm hospitality. Farewell. Jiang Chen released his hand and then led Robert, Nick, and Ayesha into the airport.
After passing through security, Robert heaved a sigh of relief and rolled his eyes.
I can finally leave this godd*mn ce. Heck, when I get back, the first thing Ill do is to take a nice, long shower and then go to the hospital to get a gastric suction.
Then spread your seeds to some Hollywood chicks? Jiang Chen teased.
Ahem, of course, nightlife is necessary to relieve some stress at work, you know. The next time youe to Los Santos, Ill take you to experience it. Robert chuckled. What about you? What are you nning to do when you get back?
Shower, sleep and then rest for a few days. Jiang Chen shrugged and sat on the chair in the waiting room. Ayesha sat right beside him, eyes looking everywhere. However, much to her disappointment, unlike the airport in Veit, there was no magazine to pass her time on.
Dont be so boring, you have to learn to enjoy life properly. Robert sat on the opposite side of Jiang Chen, crossed his legs, and leanedfortably against the seat. Then whats the use of making so much money?
Nick scanned the lobby of the waiting room and then headed for the coffee machine.
Haha, how do you know I didnt enjoy myself? Let me tell you, when I made my first money, the first thing I did was to spend itvishly, Jiang Chen said proudly, not in the least bit ashamed.
Oh? I didnt expect thisHaha! By the way, buddy, Ive got a fun idea. Why dont we share what we did with our first money? Robert was suddenly interested and sat up straight.
Meanwhile, Nick came over with a coffee and sat down next to Robert.
Well get Nick to go first. Robert patted Nick on the shoulder whileughing.
Nick took a sip and looked at Robert with confusion. After hearing the exnation, the taciturn vic man gave the most ordinary statement.
Bought a house in Los Santos and then got a dog. As far as UA citizens lifestyle was concerned, his couldnt be any more average.
Okay, I take back what I said, Nick is the most boring person. He ignored Nicks confused look and then coughed and continued, My turnI remember it was five years ago, I was still helping a Mexican smuggled illegal firearms. On the day of payout, he gave me $50 thousand, and the first thing I did was
At this point, Roberts face went red out of nowhere, scratched his nose, as he was too embarrassed to continue.
Ahem. Uh, I found two 16 years old high school students at the bar In short, I got rid of myvirginity. Robert hadpletely abandoned his sense of shame. He then looked at Jiang Chen, Ok, buddy, your turn.
[This old pervert.] Jiang Chenughingly thought in his mind.
The first sum of money He wanted to say what happened in Sanya but suddenly halted as he awkwardly looked at Ayesha.
Uh, he seemed to be somewhat simr to Robert, the old pervert. After making money, the first thing he did was go to Sanya and got himself a lover.
Sensing Jiang Chens gaze, Ayesha looked back at him puzzled.
However, her pure expression made it even harder for Jiang Chen to open his mouth.
Robert smirked and then whispered, I understand, were all men here.
No, wait, my situation is a little different from yours.[In any case, saying its his first]
No, no, no, no need to exin, I understand.
[Fu*k, what do you know!]
Chapter 157 - I’ll teach you fitness?
Chapter 157: Ill teach you fitness?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
This past couple of days, Jiang Chen was very idle.
The first step of the ind capture project had beenpleted, and Sixth Street had also been stabilized.
Out of nowhere, he suddenly found himself free.
He walked out from the bedroom, yawning. After a brief wash, he went to the kitchen and sat across Ayesha while stretching.
Did you stay upte again? Ayesha asked with concern.
Uh, yed a bit tootest night. Jiang Chen reached out and grabbed a slice of toast.
Coffee, toast, and omelet for breakfast, Ayeshas cooking was getting betterWhile munching, he reached out and turned on the TV.
Dont sleep toote, Ayesha reminded softly.
Mhmm. He took a sip of coffee, and the bitterness made his brain sober.
The widescreen TV was ying the news.
Yesterday noon, a crossfire urred in the northern suburbs of Oesk, Kane, thergest one since the turn of the year. The civilian forces used cannons, self-propelled artillery, and other heavy weapons against the government-controlled area. Currently, Minsk Agreement is in name only. On the other hand, UA used Russia of deploying artillery on the border
Watching nkly at the artillery bombardment on the news screen, Jiang Chen took a bite of the toast,
Did they start fighting again?
Truth be told, seeing the cannon homing on the screen could not bepared to the astonishment of seeing it in the frontline.
Ayesha appeared to be indifferent towards these things and was concentrating on her breakfast.
Im going rusty these days, Jiang Chenined out of boredom.
Ayesha put the omelet on the toast, blew a few times, before taking a huge bite.
After hearing how Jiang Chen felt, she hesitated a little before suggesting, How about I teach you a good workout?
Workout?
Jiang Chen was stupefied.
Eh? Ive taken the injection, so even without exercise, I can still maintain my body in tiptop condition.
He simply had to praise the beauty of science and technology.
Um, in addition to physical fitness, there are still other benefits to exercise such as maintaining your figure and keeping your body flexible, Ayesha muttered.
Figure Umm, speaking of this, I still havent touched the fitness equipment that we bought. Its always you who have been using it. Jiang Chen scratched his chin thoughtfully and suddenly pped. Then its decided,ter you can teach me to exercise.
Mhmm! Ayesha smiled tenderly and nodded.
Shortly after breakfast.
The two stood face-to-face on the yoga mat. Ayesha had already changed into a workout outfit of a small ck top, her brown color was tied into a ponytail.
Looking lively and enticing.
Curves outlined by tight clothes, bumps faintly visible
Uh, guess it would be troublesome if he continued to stare.
Jiang Chen subtly moved his line of sight.
A dazzling selection of fitness equipmentparable to those of outside gyms was located on the third floor of the home gym. At the corner, a virtual reality training chamber could be seen, and before entering the password, it looked like an oddly-shaped, covered bathtub.
Fitness is divided into two kinds, one is aerobic exercise such as treadmills and bicycles. The other is non-aerobic exercise such as sit-ups and weightlifting. Without noticing the strange look from Jiang Chen, Ayesha went to the next exercise equipment and started exining earnestly.
When it came to exercise, she was naturally quite experienced. After all, she spent almost all her days in the gym. If it was notpleting her daily homework in the virtual reality, it was using this equipment to exercise her body.
After listening to Ayesha exined the key concepts, the next step, of course, was the practical application.
Jiang Chen twisted his neck, as he eagerly stepped on the treadmill and started it under Ayeshas guidance.
[Um, I dont seem to be feeling anything.]
ording to the value on the EP, his muscle strength was already at 30, his reflex was nearing 29, and thus this type of exercise was indeed too simple for him.
Impatiently, he pressed the plus sign button making the speed increased until it finally stopped at the limit of 30.
His feet were practically dancing, but he still didnt feel an iota of pressure.
Theres no point in running so fast, Ayesha smiled wryly.
Why do I feel that this treadmill is pretty much useless to me? Jiang Chen had a simr wry smile and pressed the minus button until the treadmill came to a slow stop.
After Jiang Chen got off from the treadmill, Ayesha took over. She took a deep breath and pressed the start button.
Although the injection of that weird medicine improved a lot of aspects of your body quite significantly, daily exercising to maintain your health is still important. Not so fast, jogging should suffice. This helps tone the body and keeps the body flexible
While jogging in constant speed, Ayesha was exining it to Jiang Chen simultaneously.
Flexibility? Body coordination? Jiang Chen nodded thoughtfully.
But when he thought about body shapes
For some reason, the first thing that came into his head was the sexy vest line of her waist.
And looking at her shoulders and arms moving rhythmically along with the jiggling of her firm and small breasts
Not good! Nosebleed.
Jiang Chen embarrassedly covered his nose and quickly looked away.
A good thing that nothing came out of his nose.
Ayesha gave him a puzzled look. Done with her demonstration, she turned off the treadmill and jumped off.
Now for the non-aerobic exercise. Um, where should we beginAh! Lets start with that. Looking around, her eyes lit up when she spotted the elliptical trainer near the door.
An odd-looking equipment connected to all four sides, which Jiang Chen had seen before in the university gym. Put simply, by sitting there, you can perform pull-ups, core exercise, parallel bars and other series ofplex exercise.
I rarely use this because it will easily build up muscles, but its suitable for guys. Ayesha sat on top of it and smiled softly at Jiang Chen. Im going to demonstrate for you.
She adjusted the weight to 20 kg, took a deep breath, and extended both of her arms up high while holding the bar.
Too much power.
A weight of this level was naturally very easy for someone like her with a gic vine, but even so
Due to the tension made from the exertion of her arms, the round softness on her chest looked like it was about to pop out.
Jiang Chen unconsciously swallowed his saliva.
Although he knew it was bad to gawk at certain parts of a girl, still he was unable to move his gaze away.
However, this wasnt the most troublesome thing.
Having finished with the stretching exercises of her upper and lower muscles, Ayesha, who remained oblivious to his gaze, put her arms against the pad of the butterfly clips and then both of her arms snapped towards her chest.
Because of the pressure, the soft protrusion was squeezed under the force of her arms.
Worse still, because of the aerobic exercise, Ayeshas forehead was sweating profusely. The small top was bing more transparent as it got stuck on her skin.
Whats the problem? Ayesha looked perplexedly at Jiang Chen who was covering his nose.
Uh, nothing, my nose is just a little bit itchy. Ha ha ha. Jiang Chenughed dryly.
He did not want to admit that he was thinking of naughty things while she was teaching so earnestly.
While still confused, Ayesha didnt pursue the subject. She pressed her legs against the pad, ready to demonstrate the next set of moves.
However, at this time, she identally saw something she shouldnt have seen.
Because Jiang Chen was also wearing workout clothes, the design of the sports pants was rather loose.
That tent-shaped bulge
Ayeshas cold face turned crimson, she ducked her head down shyly, fingers rubbing absentmindedly against the training equipment.
Do, do you want to? she uttered in a quivering voice.
Hearing this, it was Jiang Chens turn to blush.
His conscience told him that he should refuse this time to show his integrity and solve this misunderstanding.
Yes, He nodded without thinking.
Although his thought was very praiseworthy, his mouth and body, on the other hand, were both very honest.
Umm, then lets go to
Here is good!
Eh?
Its already lunchtime when they left the gym.
Seeing the time on the EP, Jiang Chen could not help but smile wryly.
Now with Ayesha feeling disoriented, she definitely would not be able to cook anymore.
What a blunder.
He shook his head and went into the kitchen.
He turned on the rice cooker, poured half a cup of rice into it, and mixed it with water.
Putting on the apron, he took a spat and cooked the scrambled eggs with tomato, which he hadnt cooked for a long time, and then he made a cucumber soup.
This was the limit of his cooking, as he certainly didnt know how to cookmb and beef.
But this should be alright for today.
He brought the dishes on the table while humming. He then returned to the kitchen and removed the dough from the fridge.
Ayesha was still not used to eating rice. It was usually Jiang Chen who ate rice, and she with her bread.
He stuck the dough into the microwave, patted his hand, and pressed the start button.
Watching the golden bread spinning in the microwave, he narcissistically touched his chin while nodding.
[Why am I so talented? Capable of doing business and capable of cookingwait! This shouldnt be how a man is described!]
Just then, he suddenly felt a soft touch behind him. A small hand came around him from behind and embraced him.
Hmm? Ahem, sorry, Ive been too rough. Are you feeling better? Jiang Chen said as he turned around and scratched his head awkwardly.
Mhmmthank you.
Thank you? Eh? Wait, what are you crying for?
Ayeshas face was tightly pressed against his warm back, she didnt respond and only rubbed the corner of her eyes against his clothes.
Just ten minutes ago, she slowly recovered from her woozy state.
When she realized it was already lunchtime, as a petent wife, which shed always strictly told herself to be, she immediately got up, leaned on the wall for support, and dragged her body to the kitchen.
When she saw the dishes on the table, for some reason, she felt her eyes tearing up.
She gently moved to the kitchen door and saw the hot bread that Jiang Chen made for her.
She stepped forward and embraced him, her face pressing tightly against the warm and strong back, and her delicate eyshes closing.
Uh, sorry for hurting you, in the future
No, this is good. Ayesha murmured happily.
Chapter 158 - A Popular Game
Chapter 158: A Popr Game
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
After lunch, Ayesha returned to the gym saying she was going to clean the ce. After all, she had been injected with a gic vine, and thus she was almostpletely recovered at the moment.
Jiang Chen was sitting on the sofa while watching TV to pass the time. Yawning, he was about to get up and go back for a nap when his mobile phone suddenly rang.
He took out his mobile phone and read: Xia Shiyu.
He pressed the answer button andzily put the phone to his ear.
Hello? Whats up?
Mhm, I have something to tell you. Its about a game, Xia Shiyus excited voice came through which made Jiang Chen extremely surprised.
I guess its a good news. Jiang Chenughed.
Thats right, Xia Shiyu leaned backed against the office chair with a rare proud smile appearing on her face. After a period of marketing and beta testing, ourpanys first mobile game New Era is now officially live! ording to the recent daily statistics that had just been released, its first day of downloads exceeded 15-million mark, setting a record for highest downloads for mobile games!
After practicing in front of the mirror numerous times, when Xia Shiyu finally shared the good news with the boss, her voice still went off-key due to extreme excitement.
What the fu*k! The news practically made Jiang Chen jumped up from the sofa.
Ahem, no cursing please, Xia Shiyu admonished lightly before continuing, ording to the servers data, the highest number of concurrent users broke through 5 millionits better for you toe to thepany this afternoon, so I can show you the back end stats directly.
Ill be there right away. After saying that, Jiang Chen hung up the phone and was immediately out the door.
Wanghai University, mens dormitory.
A guy with a pair of sses was staring at the screen of his mobile phone, his fingers moving swiftly on the touchscreen. His spectacles reflected the fighting scene of a roleying game character.
Four eyes, what are you ying? Or are you watching porn? Tian Zhongjie, his bunkmate, moved his chair closer and stretched his neck to take a peek at his screen.
Tian Zhongjie had just finished ying League of Legends and had almost smashed his keyboards because of those noobs. He was so angry that he didnt want to y anymore. After 20 losses, he closed the game directly, and then opened the file, and uninstalled the game.
This was his tenth time of uninstalling this game.
Most online games were either filled with RMB yers (1) or filled with cheats. Although a lot of noobs yed LOL, the quality of the game itself was still quite good. At least, the RMB skins wouldnt increase the users attack damage. Thus, after his anger had abated, he would find himself unable to stop from downloading the game again. Despite that, every time he finished uninstalling, he would swear that he would chop his hand off if he ever installed it again.
Chen Hong cast his friend a sidelong nce before returning his gaze back to the screen and then controlled his character to the direction of the main city.
What are you being so mysterious about? Tian Zhongjie had just AFKed, so he had nothing better to do. He then got up and stood behind him.
Chen Hong ignored him and continued to stare intently at the screen.
Just then, the dormitory door opened and Gao Fei, who had just finished ying basketball, walked in.
Yo, four eyes, didnt you say that only dumbass y mobile game? Then why are you ying it? Gao Fei quipped. He curiously stood behind Chen Long trying to see what he was ying.
What, no way! Is this truly a mobile game?
As a result, Gao Fei was also unable to peel his eyes off the screen either.
The texture of the image, the detailed character design, as well as the spectacr gamey, those 3D mobile games are nothingpared to this! No, not just mobile games, even Skyrim on his desktop couldntpare to this game!
Thats right, this is not a mobile game, and thats why Im ying it, Chen Hongteng pushed his eyesses up and scowled at thepletely stunned Tian Hongjie.
Gao Fei gulped and jeered, The graphics is so good, the game content must be meh.
Chen Hong nced at him before continuing, Open world and 2:1 continental-scale map. Itbined the adventure element of an RPG and the management element of an SLG. yer can choose to roley as an adventurer or be a lord managing a piece ofnd. You can also open a business and be a merchant to fight pirates in the sea. Whether its the graphics or the content, even if itspared to PC games, its a 3A godly masterpiece Chen Hong said with absolute certainty. Although he had always been extremely critical when it came to games, he had yet to find any ws in New Era.
Could your crappy phone even handle a map with a size of two continents? Tian Zhongjies jaw was about to drop to the ground, he felt like his LOL addiction was still not beyond redemption!
The game is only 300 MB.
300 MB, youre pulling my leg! Gao Fei uttered inplete disbelief.
Thepany stated that they used the newest datapression technology as well as cloudputing technologyAnyway, I dont understand any of that stuff, I only can care about ying. O For a day, I consumed 10 MB of data, so its not very high.
Chen Hong killed another monster and deftly picked up the loot of silver coins and equipment and then locked onto the next one.
I can see that you have been killing monsters for a while now, dont you find that boring? Tian Zhongjie noticed that he had only been killing monsters after watching him y for a long time. Sure, the fighting scene and graphics were great, but wouldnt it be too boring to be hacking monsters constantly?
Would you still feel bored if theres money involved? Chen Hong responded to him as though he was talking to an idiot.
Money?
RMB, you know that, dont you? he added, sighing.
What the fu*k, the in-game currency can be exchanged for RMB? Gao Fei asked in disbelief, his eyes almost popping out.
The game operator doesnt exchange gold coins, but they offer a tform simr to Diablo 3s auction house. yers are free to price and sell gold coins on a consignment basis. This system is somewhat simr to the stock price, where the lower price is given preference. The game operator will only collect 5%mission fee, and they only take 10%mission for the equipment auction.
While speaking, Chen Hongs eyes were burning with passion like crazy.
During beta testing, Future 1.0 distributed a high amount of activation code to VIP members. Theres quite a number of wealthy yers ying this game ording to the official data collected during the beta phase.
Thats to say, there is a high probability that RMB yers would beat your sorry ass. Gao Fei said in derision.
Thats how an average person would think. Chen Hong cast him a haughty look. New Era didnt create an item mall. The purchased points can only be used to expand the warehouse or purchase skins that dont affect the bnce of the game.
In other words, its s simr to LOLs store? Tian Zhongjies eyes lit up, and he suddenly felt an urge to download and y the game.
Chen Hong ignored his friends question and muttered, Do you remember what I said before? There are many ways to y this game. You can be an adventurer, a lord and so on.
Does it has anything to do with those RMB yers? Gao Fei asked, frowning.
Of course! Chen Hongs eyes were practically indistinguishable from gold coins. He licked his cracked lips before continuing, The condition to be a lord is one has to buy a city lease for 100,000 gold coins and then get the city qualification. Imagine if you were a rich yer, would you rather hunt monsters like what Im doing, or would you rather be the lord of a city with countless followers?
Thats nonsense! Gao Fei scoffed, but he seemed to have suddenly thought of something as his eyes widened, Wait, if the city lease costs 100,000 gold, the auction house
Thats right, if you y the game normally, it would be impossible to obtain 100,000 gold coins in such a short amount time. Killing a single boar would only drop 2 silver coins and killing 50 would barely give you 1 gold coin. So to be a lord, the only way to acquire gold coins is through the auction house!
But would there be that many people willing to buy a city lease? Tian Zhongjie asked.
Let me give you a straightforward data. At present, the price of a single gold coin in the auction house is set to 5 RMB. So for every 10 boars I kill, I would make 1 RMB. The more Chen Hong talked, the more motivated he became.
What the fu*k, and lease will cost half a million RMB? That is insane! Gao Fei uttered in disbelief.
You noob, there are rich people who are not afraid to squander 1 million while ying nts vs. Zombies. Dont you know building a territory is simr to farming? Moreover, through taxation, production of materials and other ways to earn money, would you still be worried about not making a return?
Ill tell you a rumor that I heard from one of my friends. Have you heard about Blood Sea guild of Sword 4? Because of the poprity of New Era, they are nning to switch to this game. They are also currently raising funds in preparation for something big. Not only wealthy people, a lot of game workshops are also eyeing this city lease, so you can just imagine the future of this game.
Isnt Sword 4 a PC game? Tian Zhongjie could not help but ask out loud.
If the mobile game is more fun than PC game, would you rather y a PC or a mobile game? The future belongs to the mobile tform! Chen Hong himself was bing passionate about the future.
Not only that, it can also be said that city building is the biggest feature of the game. The sandbox-like settings would allow the yers to design their city based on their own preference. The city can be built anywhere from a certain distance from another city. And depending on the terrain and the map itself, the established city will receive a corresponding reward that would allow recruitment of special NPCs to attract other solo yers.
Do you know what this means? This means the earlier the city is established, the higher your advantage will be! You can get mines that produce iron ore, coastal areas fit for ships to dock, as well as unique NPCs roaming on the mapAll major guilds are buying gold coins in order to seize those good spots!
My n right now is to kill monsters to gain gold coins and then sell the gold for money. Once I leveled up, I will explore the deeper parts of the continents. Itll be great if I can trigger some hidden mission. That would be really crazy! An ambitious expression appeared on Chen Hongs face.
But wouldnt the value of gold depreciate after a while if everyone purchased the city lease? Gao Fei asked anxiously.
The reason why he was asking was because he suddenly had the idea of making money from the game. Just killing ten monsters would earn him 1 RMB. This was something really enticing for someone who doesnt have much pocket money.
Youre overthinking it. Wouldnt you need to build establishments after building a city? Wall, city hall, residential buildings, farm, ect., all of which cost money. In addition to city lords, there are sea explorers! Although putting up a shop would not cost 100,000 gold, a small shop would at least be 500. As for the mega vessel, it costs 1,000 gold and above.
The auction house wouldnt interfere with game content, and the difference between the demand for gold and RMB would prompt frequent trading between the yers. As long as the operator continued to push new game contents which would prevent the value of gold from depreciating, the game would continue to survive.
Considering the impable game quality, the number of users, as well as the continued growth of Future 1.0
Gao Feis eyes turned brighter and brighter the more he thought about it.
Four eyes, I have an idea. Why dont we, of dorm 101, start a game workshop
(1) RMB yers: the equivalent of pay to win yers.
Chapter 159 - The Trap
Chapter 159: The Trap
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Whenever Lingyu Technologys name cropped up, most mobile games fanatics would automatically think of games with unique designs and outstanding gamey, such as I am ATM and Dota History.
Inside the Lingyu Technology building in Wanghai City, Ling Zhongtian was sitting in front of the office table with a dark face as he silently looked at the information on his table. The manager responsible for mobile game development, Qian Haiming, had his head lowered while sweating profusely and waiting for the boss reprimand.
After a long while, Ling Zhongtian finally spoke.
In one month, Dota Historys ACU dropped by 10% and KPI indices decreased by 17%This is the goose thatys a golden egg youre telling me about? And what about I am ATM? Whats your team doing for the past month? His voice was trembling due to rage.
ACU referred to the average concurrent users, while KPI referred to key performance indicators. The first was rted to the sustainability of the game, while thetter was rted to the games profitability. At this moment, however, in front of him was a report that showed the stats of their two most profitable mobile games were in great decline.
[It was still fu*king okayst month!]
BANG! Ling Zhongtian threw the document in his hands on the table with great force, his lungs were on the verge of exploding due to anger.
The scolded Qian Haiming had a face of being greatly wronged. It was really not his fault.
Swallowing, he tried to organize his sentence in his head before exining quietly to his boss, Boss, this really cannot be med on us.
Taking a deep breath, Ling Zhongtian picked up the cup on the table to take a sip of tea, and gradually calmed the anger in his chest.
Its that New Era, right?
Mhmm. Qian Haiming felt secretly relieved that the boss understood the situation, but the atmosphere remained tense as ever.
These two games of thepany were very profitable, and Dota History had a record of a staggering cash flow of 200 million per month. Although the result was somewhat watered down, it was not far off from the truth.
The issue had to do with Dota History, despite running for over a year, had nothing new to offer. Unlike PC games, mobile games real-time interactive capability was already very limited; thus, it was destined to severely limit the yers likelihood to stick to the game through social interaction. It could be said that when mobile game yers quit the game, the reluctance to part with the game would be mainly due to the equipment and diamonds and not because of their good friends in the game.
Afterst years sess, the active users of Dota History had been gradually decreasing. However, Qian Haiming had still a bit of skill, as he led the entire project team to devise numerous unique events which allow the KPI to barely hit the mark.
But who would have thought that a highlypetitive game would take the market by storm and took a huge piece of the pie away?
Ling Zhongtian fell into a deep contemtion while looking at the report on the table.
As the president of a corporation, he obviously would not be clueless about the existence of the most promising mobile game in the market.
The games massive content made it difficult for yers to get bored due to repetitive gamey.
It also offered real-time interactionparable to that of PC games which meant that when yers y the game, it really felt like an online game rather than ying just with a single list of friends.
And more importantly, howe it didnt consume a lot of data?
Ling Zhongtian was so jealous that he wanted to spew forth profanity, or perhaps he had already cursed in his mind.
The three points above were the major limitations of todays mobile game development. All major game developers that wanted their share of the market were racking their brains toe up with the best possible solutions to ovee these three major hurdles.
Too much game content? If users saw a game with a few gigabytes, they would be toozy to download it. High hardware specs? This would causeg and make the phone hot. High data usage? This might make telpanies happy, but this would definitely enrage the users; thus, the game would naturally be unable to survive.
How to use software packers to include more game contents that most of the mobile phones would be able to run, and would not consume too much data. This has always been a great source of concern in the industry.
Fortunately, came a software which realized the inspiration of many programmers.
It was Future 1.0.
By simplifying the algorithm, the performance of mobile phones was increased by three times, and energy consumption was reduced twice as much. This would undoubtedly enable them to recapture the ideas that had been cut off before.
Ling Zhongtian was indeed a man with foresight. When he saw the download record of Future 1.0 continually being refreshed, he immediately issued instructions to Qian Haiming to gather people from project development team to develop high specs rge-scale mobile game.
The idea was undoubtedly insane.
At present, there was not a single mobile game that could meet the standard of the so-called rge-scale mobile game in the market despite every developers bluff and bluster. To deploy arge amount of technical resource to venture into an entirely unknown market was unquestionably a huge gamble.
The reason for making such decision was because he was able to foresee the change in the future of the development of mobile games.
Given how Future 1.0 had turned out, the future would have high-quality games with high resolution and rich, diverse game contents that couldpete with PC games to fill the gaps in the current market. PC and console games would continually be pushed out of the market, and the mobile game industry would only going to get bigger. The only thing he needed to consider was how to gain the upper hand and acquire a bigger slice of this pie.
However, his ambition was already deted before it was realized.
Turned out that Future 1.0 had a far greater ambition.
Before they gained a foothold in the market, they quicklyunched an independent game and ventured into the mobile game market.
New Era?
In the beginning, Ling Zhongtian had not given their promotion of: open game world, sandbox game map, the strongest freedom in history much thought yet
Who didnt know how to brag? Which developers did not vaunt their own game? Not just the yers, even their own marketing staff didnt believe in the marketing.
But when the game went online, Ling Zhongtians expression instantly turned green with envy.
He heard a lot of empty promises before, but it was his first time seeing all the promises got fulfilled.
Its unbelievable game quality set a whole new record in terms of gamey. With the support of the Future 1.0s user base, New Era took the market by storm with no less than the impact that Future 1.0 produced and once again be a hot topic of the media. Future 1.0 made headlines again.
Without a doubt, New Era had seized the initiative and took the lead in this market, which he had such high hopes for.
How are things going on your end? Ling Zhongtian no longer reprimanded Qian Haiming, and instead asked about the rge-scale mobile game that was currently under development.
Hearing this, Qian Haiming looked inconceivably bitter.
It is almost developed and currently in alpha phase, butpared to New Era
As the project manager, no one knew better than him the product his own team was developing.
If the quality was almostparable, he would at least try to boost his own project by a bit to let the boss see they really tried and achieved some results, however, after personally ying New Era for a few hours
Mhmm, he went on ying for a while, and it was undoubtedly fun that he couldnt help but expand the warehouse.
They hadpletely lost.
INo hard, just do everything you can to utilize your ability and creativity. Try a bit harder in the operations, Ling Zhongtian advised exhaustedly as he rubbed his temples.
Yes, boss. Qian Haiming nodded and quickly left the office.
Elbows on the table, Ling Zhongtian stared at the report nkly.
Hes already 50 years old, and regardless how tough his body was, his temple already had a white streak on it. After being in business for so many years and starting with only a handful people in a 10-sqm studio to gradually bing the industry leader in the mobile game development, it was his first time experiencing such troublesome issue.
What made it troublesome was not the game itself, rather the chain reactions that came with it.
The mobile game industry was huge, too big to imagine, so no matter how voracious the appetite of the Future Technology was, it would be impossible topletely dominate the industry. In most users phone, it would be impossible not to have more than one game. Thus, even if they lost the rge-scale game market, Lingyu Technology still maintained a strong market share within the industry.
However, with the emergence of thisrge-scale mobile game, users spending habits would undoubtedly have a huge impact. Lingyu Technologys continuous profit decline during this period was a clear indicator of this problem.
Simr to the analogy that if you have an excellent game on your phone, would you still pay for a game like Tetris? Even if you did, it probably wouldnt be much.
The mobile industry had been divided for the longest time where everyone had simr gamesparable to one other, and not onepany had been able to monopolize the market.
However, that was before that game wasunched.
New Era quickly gathered all yers who were already bored with monotonous mobile games in the market. It revolutionized the perspective of users about the mobile games having monotonous content and poor real-time interactive capability.
[Since the inception of this game, their days began to be difficult. and from the looks of it, its not only Lingyu Technologys that got the short end of the stick] while Ling Zhongtian mulled this over, he lightly tapping on the table with his finger.
[Perhaps its high time to give this rookie a lecture?]
While thinking of this, Ling Zhongtian grimaced. He picked up the phone and called his old rival.
Hello, Wang Zong. Haha, how have you been?
Ok, enough chitchat. Its been a tough day for everyone. Dont you think we should do something
Shifting the public opinion, providing funds for development of hacks, exploiting New Eras vulnerabilities, hiring hackers to attack the server
There were still many things they could do to preserve their interests.
Just be careful not to get caught in the act.
Ling Zhongtian hung up the phone, his mouth curved in a sneer.
[Regardless how powerful Future Technology is, how would they be able to ward off attacks from all sides?]
Chapter 160 - What’s a National Husband?
Chapter 160: Whats a National Husband?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
Driving to Guanglu Building, Jiang Chen closed the door and narcissistically looked in the car mirror before striding towards the front door.
He was slightly embarrassedas the president, he was fairly certain that he came to thepany not more than ten times.
Most of thepanies that chose Guanglu as their office space dealt with information technology, simr to Future Technology. Themonality between them all was that their lunch breaks were really short. It was only 1:30, but there was nobody to be seen in the lobby. Just as he was about to take the elevator up, he heard his name.
Its Jiang Chen?
Mhmm, seems like it is him
Hearing the gossipy discussions, Jiang Chen dumbfoundedly looked over at the lobby reception.
Two female receptionists whispered to each other as they giggled. When they noticed Jiang Chen looking over at them, they didnt stop but rather waved at him.
Hey, Yingying, he looked over.
Wait, let me send a Weibo!
Weird.
Jiang Chen muttered to himself as he got on the elevator.
When the elevator stopped on the twelfth floor, a proud smile surfaced on his face as the words came into view.
Three months ago, Future Technology existed only in Xia Shiyus word document, but now it had already grown to this scale.
He made a beeline towards Xia Shiyus office.
Sitting behind the front desk was a beautiful girl. Jiang Chen didnt recognize her; she was most likely one of the new hires. As for the previous two receptionists, they must have been transferred to other departments.
Compared to when thepany just started, the number of employees had already doubled. Considering thepanys new project team, Xia Shiyu went ahead and rented the thirteenth floor to be used by the team.
When the beauty sitting at the front desk saw Jiang Chen, her eyes immediately lit up as she greeted him with a cheerful smile.
Hello, President! Wee!
What wee, Jiang Chen casually said as heughed and greeted her. Afterwards, he asked, puzzled, Youre new here, right? How did you know that Im the president?
On the left of her chest was a name tag that read Su Mengqi.
President, dont you know that youre extremely popr right now? With both elbows on the table, Su Mengqi smiled.
Her voice had a unique tone that made others feel peaceful. Xia Shiyu indeed had an eye for choosing people. With a talent like this, after some training, shed be great in the sales department.
Popr? Jiang Chen looked lost for a moment. While he knew he was considered a public figure, he didnt think he was popr.
When he came out of the airport a few days ago, he didnt see any cameras pointed at him.
Haha, when is thest time President went online? Oh, I remember you have a Weibo ount, unless that one is fake? Su Mengqi asked curiously.
Uh, I do have Weibo, but how did you know? Jiang Chen took out his phone and logged into his long-forgotten ount.
He recalled that the only person he followed was Liu Yao. After that, he didnt bother sending out a single Weibo. But when his eyesnded on the numbers, he jumped.
Hehe, I am also your follower. Su Mengqi shook her phone as coyly blinked her eyes. Everyone calls you National Husband.
Huh? Jiang Chen nced over the rows of at symbols, dumbfounded.
He randomly opened a few. It was either I want to make babies with you, or Please notice me, I can warm the bed. Many passionate females added a selfie in the message, but most belonged to the type that had no photoshop at all.
Jiang Chen was secretly shocked at his poprity.
But he would pass on the babies part.
It made sense, howeverFuture Technology was now valued at over five billion USD by Wall Street analysts, and this was the number given to the press a month ago. After the introduction and sess of their revenue model, as well as the era-defining game New Era, Future Technologys value could easily have doubled.
Without exaggerating, Jiang Chens worth was easily over ten billion USD.
Moreover, he was quite good-looking, and someone revealed that he was only twenty-three years old.
New to the business, young and rich, and also single
Immediately, all spotlights were focused on him.
Even without sending out a single Weibo, social media officials acted on their own and verified the ount, making the number of followers explode.
Uh, he was very curious. How did the Weibo officials know about his Weibo ount?
What do you think? Its not bad to be popr, right? Su Mengqi smiled happily at Jiang Chen.
Not bad. He scratched his nose whileughing shyly.
His sudden public stature felt surreal.
Hehe, oh yeah. President, you still dont have a girlfriend, right? Im also single. Do you think I can pursue you? Su Mengqi coyly said in a half-joking tone of voice.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to reject her, a light cough transmitted from the end of the hall.
Xia Shiyu was standing there.
Her silky, ck hair was pulled up, and her ck suit was paired with a white dress shirt, ck stockings, and a ck pencil skirt. She demonstrated the officedy vibe to perfection.
Still stunning.
Su Mengqi yfully popped her tongue out and immediately put her phone away. It was evident that Xia Shiyu was well-respected in thepany.
Dont use your phone at work. Remember this next time. After giving Su Mengqi a brief lecture, Xia Shiyu nced at Jiang Chen. She paused before saying, Havent seen you in a long time. Her tone somehow seemed to carry a hidden bitterness.
Jiang Chen said apologetically, Uh, I was about to go find you.
Then follow me. Xia Shiyu nodded, then she turned around to lead the way to the office.
After the two left, Su Mengqi patted her chest with relief.
Her best friend walked over with a briefcase and gently tapped her.
Qiqi, do you have a death wish? You dared to hit on the president in front of the CEO?
Hmm? What! Could they Su Mengqis eyes suddenly popped out as she realized the rtionship between the two.
Her best friend Li Fengying whispered mysteriously, Let me tell you since youre new and dont know. The reason why the CEO still hasnt found a boyfriend yet is because of President Jiang
W-what do I do then? Will CEO Xia make trouble for me over this? Su Mengqi began to feel anxious. She didnt actually n to pursue Jiang Chen; it was only a joke. If she got in her boss bad books, it would not be good.
Future Technologys sry and benefits were extremelypetitive.
Her best friend suddenly burst outughing.
You dare tough. Give me back my Haagen Dazs. Su Mengqi said with mock anger.
No, haha, dont worry, CEO Xia is not that type of person. She usually looks serious, but shes not the narrow-minded type to give you trouble.
If Jiang Chen heard this word, he would have a shocked expression.
Xia Shiyu did exactly that to fire him.
So people do improve?
Chapter 161 - Hacker Attack
Chapter 161: Hacker Attack
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
This is our backend data. Xia Shiyu leaned down to press a few buttons on theptop, then she turned the screen towards Jiang Chen with a rare prideful look disyed on her face.
It was the server management system designed by Yao Yao from which server activities were monitored.
25.27 million registered users.
The number wasnt overly high, considering Future 1.0 was a one-person-one-ount registration system. Therefore, was linked to Little White, which didnt allow fake ounts.
This made it so that the number reflected the number of people actually ying the game, unless they had multiple phones.
The reason behind eliminating smurfs was simpleto avoid having people open multiple ounts with the intent to disturb the economy within the game and use up server resources. operated on one server in the entire country and used cloudputing to transfer calction data from the client to the server. Even with Yao Yaos magically modified server, there was an inordinate amount of stress ced on it.
The peak concurrent users have hit 15.03 million and the average concurrent user number is 8.14 million. Its nothing short of a miracle. Xia Shiyu couldnt seem to stop talking.
What about the profit? Jiang Chen immediately asked.
He was concerned about their new revenue model. Would such an innovation fit the market? He knew the game was online for just two days which was too early to tell, but he still couldnt help but ask.
Xia Shiyu smiled and clicked the screen.
This is the current total auction amount, already exceeding 14 million. With a five percentmission fee, revenue has reached 700 thousand within the first twenty-four hours of operation.
So much? Jiang Chen was shocked.
He wasnt surprised by the revenue within thest twenty-four hours but rather by the auction amount of 14 million. It reflected the peoples interest in game-spending.
And itll only increase. Xia Shiyus voice was emotional, her voice trembling. The yers current method of obtaining gold in the game is still slow, making a huge gap in demand. The current ratio of gold to RMB has even risen to a high price of 1 to 5.6.
Jiang Chens initial reaction to Xia Shiyus words was to pause. He didnt allow joy to overwhelm his thoughts; rather, he became more cautious.
Do you think someone is manipting the auction house price? Just like with stocksprop it up high, get yers to umte gold, and then massively over-flood the market?
Hearing Jiang Chen raise his concern, Xia Shiyus eyebrows also tensed.
Ive already considered this possibility, but for now, the operations department has yet toe up with a workable n. Some suggested that we follow the rules from the Han stock market and establish a circuit breaker in gold exchange prices to prevent market maniption. Some proposed establishing a bank organization within the game internally so that once the gold rises above a tolerable range, they would sell or purchase back the gold. But both of these solutions have their own pros and cons and are still under debate.
Hearing this, Jiang Chen almost burst outughing.
Are you nning on changing the epic magical genre into a financial one?
Xia Shiyu seemed lost.
Ahem, just joking around. Lets get to the main point. We can look at the broader economic bnce in the game. Since the auction house is simr to securities, how could a bunch of game operatorse up with a solution? We can follow what Valve did with DOTA 2hire someone studying finance to monitor the auction house.
Hearing his suggestion, Xia Shiyus eyes lit up. The problem that hounded her was solved with a simple sentence, making her consider him a few more times.
Why are you looking at me? Feeling slightly shy from her gaze, Jiang Chen scratched his nose.
I just realized that youre actually quite smart. She smiled, and it was like a beautiful flower blossoming on her gorgeous face.
Dazzled by this brief glimpse, Jiang Chen jokingly replied, I also just realized that youre quite beautiful when you smile.
Xia Shiyu blushed and coughed before hastily changing the topic.
Mhmm On the other hand, based on the current skins avable in the store, there has only been 150 thousand in revenue, but this number is expected to steadily increase. Also, after the one-time warehouse expansion, just on the first day of operation alone, it managed to rake in an impressive 4.21 million. However, this number is expected to drop as the number of new users decreases. These are the operational results from the past two days.
As she spoke, Xia Shiyu opened another window to show to Jiang Chen.
The revenue from the first two days was 10.41 million. Seeing this number, Jiang Chen couldnt help but gasp. From this result, easily destroyed the majority of mobile games that made that much in a month. If they maintained this upward trend in profit and user base, it wouldnt be a stretch to say would break a monthly revenue of 200 million.
Subtracting costs and tax expenses, this revenuebined with Future 1.0s made Future Technology a mega-corporation with a 50 million monthly profit.
Jiang Chen was so ecstatic when he heard the news that he immediately dered a bonus of ten thousand to everyone in the operating team.
With a boss like you who gives out bonuses so frequently, the project team can just depend on those bonuses. Xia Shiyu smiled at Jiang Chens ecstatic expression.
Jiang Chenughed. Then the employees would want me to check up on them every day.
Just as Xia Shiyu was about to mock him by saying, Then why dont youe by every day, theptop on the table shed a red alert symbol.
Jiang Chen was confused, but Xia Shiyu sighed as if it wasnt a big deal.
This already the twelfth time today. They were heavily grouped around the morning hours, but then here we go again.
Network being infiltrated? Jiang Chen frowned.
Thats right. It was more frequent yesterday. Xia Shiyu continued, In the beginning, our programmers were highly focused on dealing with the attacks, but when we found that they couldnt even break past the server firewall, we began to ignore it. Speaking of which, how can we get rid of this alert? It always forcefully increases the volume and stays in the middle of the screen.
[It would be funny if they managed to infiltrate the firewall], Jiang Chen muttered in his mind.
Ahem, Ill get the overseas team to make some adjustments. He only had to have Yao Yao tweak it, very simple.
As Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu ignored the hacking alert on theptop, in an apartment 100 kilometers away was a man in a ck tracksuit. He resembled a zombie with his deep eye sockets as he typed furiously on the keyboard.
The veins on his arms were abnormally prominent, and his bloodshot eyes seemed as though they would pop out at any time. A pallid face showed from beneath his hoodie and with his small figure, he looked underage from all perspectives. The typing speed he demonstrated, however, would embarrass any professional writer.
Of course, he was not a professional writer but rather a hacker.
How can this be possible, how can this be possible!
Lines of codeor at least, lines of error codeswere reflected on his pupils.
The typing stopped when the screen shed multiple red crosses.
No matter how many times he tried, it was the same result. They had to have a security team of at least ten professionals.
As soon as his hands left the keyboard, the room quieted down, and all that could be heard was the humming of theputer fans.
Ahhh, cant beat it. Xie Lei raised his head, and he sank into the chair feeling defeated. He stared nkly at the ceiling as he mumbled, Its only fair. If they could do something as insane as artificial intelligence, theres no way their security would be terrible.
Bored, he took out his phone and poked Little Whites stomach. Seeing him giggle adorably, Xie Lei genuinelyughed.
Honestly, he didnt hold any animosity towards Future Technology.
[To be able to develop such a fun software]
At that moment, the phone suddenly rang. When he saw who the caller was, his smile cooled considerably.
Hello? Xie Lei said grimly upon picking up.
Hows the job youre working on? ck Dragonughed.
ck Dragon was obviously not his name, but if a hacker exposed his identity, it would be the same as stripping naked and running out onto the street. Which of them didnt do anything illegal before? Exposure meant death.
. . .
With the knowledge that they controlled evidence, Xie Leis face twisted for a moment before he took a deep breath. Future Technologys security is too strong. No matter how hard I try, I cant go around the firewall. Youre also in the business. You should know how difficult
Cant do it? ck Dragon interrupted. My suggestion is for you to take it more seriously. This is for an important person. Based on our longstanding rtionship, Ill give you twenty thousand allowances after this is finished, he said slowly.
Twenty thousand? Since when are you so generous? Xie Lei mocked.
ck Dragon, who was usually too cheap to give a few thousand, was now offering twenty thousand? The client this time must have offered more than a million.
Dont bullsheet me. If you dont want it, fine, I was only pitying you and you mock me? Let me tell you, Green Bird, or Xie Lei, if you dont do a good job, just wait for the cops to show up at your door.
After finishing, ck Dragon hung up.
Taking a deep breath, Xie Lei flung the phone to the side and buried his head between his knees. Green Bird was a renowned name among hackers, but it was useless. The Xie Lei in front of theputer screen was only an ordinary teenager.
Dammit!
His smashed his fist onto the table.
On the phone screen, Little White curled back anxiously. He couldnt see Xie Leis expression since the camera was covered, but he could detect agony from the sound waves.
Just as Xie Lei was despairing, a tiny hand patted his head.
Brother? a young girl stood behind him and whispered.
Her face was simrly pallid, but it looked graceful in a way that healed when seen. The only unfortunate part was that she had no color in her pupils.
She couldnt see.
Xie Lin, his sister.
Xie Lei ced his hand on hers and tightly held onto it with a forced smile.
Dont worry, Brother is here.
Even though he knew she couldnt see, he struggled to smile.
The girl continued to smile gently.
Dont tire yourself out.
Seeing the bright smile on his sisters face, there was only remorse in his heart.
Listen to Brother. I got another deal. The boss is generous and offered twenty thousand inpensation.
Woah, Brother is so impressive. Her hands sped together in front of her chest as she slightly opened her mouth in surprise.
Mhmm, your brother is really impressive Therefore, I will heal your eyes. Xie Lei desperately kept his tone normal while his fingers tightly clenched onto the armrests.
He was not afraid of going to jail. He was done with ck Dragons maniption.
But what stopped him from going was his sister Xie Lin. If he went to jail, his only source of ie would disappear. Not only would he be unable to treat her eyes, it would also be difficult to live
He took a deep breath, his mind already made.
Although the hope was slim, he had to take a gamble.
Chapter 162 - Company Gathering
Chapter 162: Company Gathering
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Lis_
When Jiang Chen announced a bonus of ten thousand for everyone, the employees all began to cheer in joy.
Xia Shiyu who stood beside him rubbed her face. She whispered, Didnt you say a bonus only to the New Era project members? How did it be everyone?
Hearing that, Jiang Chen paused before immediatelyughing it away. Thats fine! Everyone contributed, so everyone should be rewarded. There are a lot of employees in Future Technology, but no one is an extra!
Boss. Chen Lulu in the legal department put her palms together as if she was praying to Jiang Chen.
What? Jiang Chen smiled.
You look like youre glowing.
At the edge of the circle, Su Mengqi stopped pping along with her colleagues.
As she watched Jiang Chen, who was surrounded, there was a different light shing in her eyes, like a magpie that had just discovered shining jewelry.
Girl, are you thinking about someone? her friend said with a smirk. She stood beside Su Mengqi and poked her friend in the arm.
Fengying, Su Mengqi murmured, as if she hadnt heard her friends words.
Seeing the lost face on her friends face, Li Fengying looked at her confusedly.
What?
Who do you think is prettier? Me and CEO Xia? Su Mengqi said with a pout, her eyes drawn to the person in the center.
Psh! Wait? You
I have decided! She suddenly pped her hands, a fighting light burning in her eyes. Ive changed my mind.
Future Technology had a total of 34 employees. With a bonus of ten thousand per person, that came out to only 340 thousandthis was a drop of water in the vast sea of Future Technologys future profits. Following the growth of thepany, their monthly sry would eventually be far greater than that number.
But what Jiang Chen didnt know was that the employees were touched not by the ten thousand bonus but rather by what he said at the end.
There are a lot of employees in Future Technology, but no one is an extra!
Nothing else instilled such a sense of belonging as having ones own value recognized. They spent days and nights drafting ns, discussing marketing strategy, and handling the details of the operationother than working for the sry, did they not want to be recognized for their values?
No one felt this as strongly as Jiang Chen did ever since he was fired at will. He was a small employee working in the sales department of a clothing store. He knew in his heart the powerless feeling that no matter how hard he worked, he would never receive any recognition.
Sometimes, people were more easily touched than expected.
These words wereter printed in Future Technologys employee manual as thepanys culture used to encourage new employees.
But this is an afterthought.
With everyones moods at an all-time high, Jiang Chen immediately announced a gathering at Xinrong Restaurant, with all expenses paid for by thepany.
A boss this generous naturally received the praise of the employees. Most people disliked business gatherings, but upon hearing that they would have the opportunity to have a meal with the mysterious but legendary boss, they began to look forward to it.
After getting off from work, the group of thirty plus people arrived at Xinrong Restaurant.
Befitting its five-star reputation, Xinrong Restaurant was magnificently built.
Xia Shiyu had already reserved a room, so when the restaurant manager saw the crowd of thirty people, he put on his brightest smile and personally ushered them to the private room. He also courteously gave Jiang Chen a VIP card that gave 20% off the tab.
The dinner table was a bustling scene.
Jiang Chen happily epted his employees toasts, but considering that he had to drive, he took care not to drink too much and ced the remainder in the storage dimension.
Sitting beside him was the second-inmand, Xia Shiyu. Jiang Chen was surprised to find that she was quite popr in thepany as she received many proposed toasts as well.
Xia Shiyu epted them all without refusing a single one, but because of her tolerance, she used a small cup. Regardless, her face turned red after a few shots, which couldnt look more attractive on her.
The mood became heightened as Jiang Chen didnt act like a boss at all, boasting instead with the employees about anything and everything.
The topic soon turned to personal questions about the inte famous presidents personal life. Everyone was quite curious.
President, let me propose a toast. I wish for your greater sess! At this time, Su Mengqi stood and raised her cup with a smile.
Based on the alcohol culture in China, it was disrespectful to propose a toast to the boss before the direct manager did so. Because of theck of employees, however, Future Technology did not yet have an established Human Resources department, and so Xia Shiyu was in charge of everything; therefore, Su Mengqis direct manager should have been Xia Shiyu.
But CEO Xia, either from shyness or other concerns, didnt propose a toast to Jiang Chen from the start of the dinner until now, despite sitting beside him. Despite that, Su Mengqi toasting Jiang Chen did not befit the culture.
Of course, there was also an unwritten rule that beauties were the exception.
Ill ept your kind words. Jiang Chen stood and also raised his cup before throwing back the drink. Su Mengqi simultaneously finished the drink in her cup, and two red clouds appeared on her cheeks. Her watery eyes shimmered. Under the influence of alcohol, she gazed into Jiang Chens eyes and asked, President, can I ask you a question?
Ask away, as long as its not for my bank password, Jiang Chenughed as he joked.
Then my question is, does President have anyone he likes?
It was a bold question, drawing a wave of chattering, and the mood at the dinner table was suddenly pushed to a climax. Su Mengqis face with light makeup began to blush even more under the cheers of her colleagues, but her watery eyes didnt move away.
Many people spected that CEO Xia had feelings for the president, but when she remained unperturbed by the question, people began to question their suspicions.
Everyone was already an adult; there was no way she was this reserved.
Yes, President. If you dont tell us because were men, then shouldnt you reveal some information to the beautifuldy?
Yes, yes, our Miss Su is already giving you hints, so you should say something.
Recalling that the president was still single, the crowd began to root for the two.
Su Mengqi was indeed a gorgeous girl, and she seemed interested in the president. Many times, it worked out like thisalthough they didnt hold strong feelings for each other, under everyones influence, they would somehow develop feelings for each other.
It was a top priority to help the president stay away from the single life. If it ended up working out, their fussing now would be an assistanceter! Not only were there benefits, but in the future, it would be a favor. If they ended up getting married, with Jiang Chens generosity, a hefty red envelope woulde their way.
And even if it didnt end up working out, it was a light jest at the dinner table, so not many thought too deeply on it. For some reason, Xia Shiyu buried her head and poked at her fish, feeling wronged. She had the urge the stand up and do something, but she didnt know exactly what, so she couldnt find a reason to get up.
Jiang Chen gave a troubled smile. This was a difficult question to answer.
Sun Jiao and Yao Yao were from the other world. Ayeshas identity and age were unique, so it wasnt good to expose them. Liu Yao was a celebrity and would not be good to expose as a mistress. F*ck, he thought he had so many girls, but not a single one could be brought home for New Years.
Uhh, yes? After careful deliberation, Jiang Chen gave an incredibly vague answer.
Even after hearing the response, Su Mengqi didnt give up. Just as she was about to ask, What do you like about her, Future 1.0s Project Manager Nin Huajian suddenly stood and proposed a toast with a smile.
President Jiang is young but achieved! I have worked in the IT industry for five years and have seen a number of industry prodigies. But the only person whom I respect from the bottom of my heart is President Jiang. Ill finish the drink.
Nin Huajian chugged the alcohol in his cup and flipped it to show his respect, making the crowd cheer.
Jiang Chen understood that Nin Huajian was helping him get out of an awkward situation, so he dly raised his cup.
After Jiang Chen finished his drink, the three sat down.
Su Mengqi also realized that she was rushing it. Thankfully, Nin Huajian saved her from persisting, or else she would havemitted the taboo of putting her boss in a difficult situation.
Besides Su Mengqis anxious emotions, Xia Shiyus heart was also turbulent.
She recalled the scene during thest press conference.
At that time, Jiang Chen seemed to have indicated that he didnt like anyone.
But there now there was someone.
Who could it be?
He barely showed up at thepany this month and barely saw her. Could it be someone he met overseas on a business trip?
Eh? Why do I care about his personal life?
Just as Xia Shiyu was in a mental quandary, the topic at the table switched directions.
CEO Xia, thank you for your support and guidance. Let me propose a toast to you.
Jiang Chen gently poked Xia Shiyu with his elbow.
Ah! Okay As if waking from a dream, Xia Shiyu hastily stood and raised her cup.
Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu, perplexed. It was rare to see such a frantic expression on her face.
In this rtively harmonious atmosphere, the dinner came to an end.
Chapter 163 - Please close your eyes at night
Chapter 163: Please close your eyes at night
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After the closing remarks of the boss, the dinner officially concluded. People began to leave and started to head home.
The total spending was 70 thousand. Jiang Chen swiped his card without a blink of an eye.
But just as he was about to leave, he realized that someone was still there.
Xia Shiyu was leaning on the table. Her blood, red blush could be faintly seen on her half exposed face, she looked like she drank too much.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen helplessly let out a sigh and walked towards her.
For some strange reason, the girl somehow started to drink shot after shot and got herself drunk. She didnt cause a scene after bing drunk as she just quietly lied on the table till now.
No one forced you to drink, did you think you were drinking water?
Huu
Jiang Chen put her arms around his neck and used a slight amount of force to lift her up onto his back.
Feeling the softness on his back, Jiang Chens face turned red. Although they were not big, they were surprisingly soft.
He quickly coughed to hide his awkwardness as he cleared his mind. Avoiding the dubious look of the waitress, he quickly secured her on his back and left through the door.
I, I am not drunk, taxi
Yes, yes, thats what all drunk people say.
The warm breath on his neck made his mind go elsewhere, especially coupled with the softness on his back; it was making him lose his mind.
.
He suppressed the wild thoughts in his mind as he strenuously stuffed Xia Shiyu into the front passenger seat and put the seatbelt on her. When his finger unintentionally slid across her silky waist, he gulped, urged back any more unintentional moves, and closed the door.
He started the car and drove his Maybach to Xinxuanmunity.
The smell of alcohol began to rise in the car, Jiang Chen nced at thepletely passed out girl as he sighed and murmured.
You know you are very attractive right now?
Xia Shiyu ambiguously muttered something, but it was probably just her sleep talking.
Because he was afraid that she would get cold from the wind, Jiang Chen let the alcohol smell build up in the car and didnt open the window.
Finally bringing this girl to her front door, Jiang Chen couldnt care more as he used his free hand to search her body, before finding the key and opening the door.
He dragged Xia Shiyu, who was drunk like a pile of mud, into her ce before he finally got a chance to breathe. But just as he was about to leave, he froze in ce.
Her white neck was a soft shade of red, her slightly messy hair partially covered her gorgeous celebrity-like face, her bright red lips were parted, breathing a warm but intoxicating smell, her delicate eyebrows furrowed due to difort
Seeing Xia Shiyus letting her guardpletely down, Jiang Chen gulped and took a subtle step forward.
If he did something now, she probably wouldnt know.
But just as the devil-like thought emerged in his mind, he refocused, scared by his own thought. He quickly took two deep breaths and forcefully shook his head.
Jiang Chen helped her take off her suit and then to make her morefortable, he unbuttoned the first button on her button down shirt.
After doing all this, he put the sheet on her before sneaking out from the room.
He poured himself a cup of water in the kitchen, the cold sensation of water passing through his stomach calmed his heart.
After standing for a moment, he looked at the clock on the wall.
<10:32>
Its already thiste? Jiang Chen yawned as the feeling of confliction rose.
Xinxuanmunity was in theplete opposite direction of Mingxingmunity. If he drove back now, it would be 12 before he arrived at home. Besides, he was already so tired that he really didnt want to drive an hour back.
Stay here for the night?
Jiang Chen gulped as it was an enticing thought.
[I did carry her back. It would be okay if I stayed without her permission for one night right?]
Thinking, Jiang Chen took out his phone and texted a message to Ayesha.
Jiang Chen let out a long breath of air. He then stretched and scanned the two-story apartment.
There was a bedroom on the second floor, but probably never cleaned out since only Xia Shiyu lived here.
Looks like I am sleeping on the sofa tonight Ill take a shower first.
Jiang Chen muttered as he walked to the bathroom.
Within the mansion, Ayesha had her leg ced on the bar as she gently leaned her body forward, her chin slightly touching her knees. The elegant posture was not only difficult but also aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Only such exercises could stretch the tendons in the leg to increase the flexibility of the body. This was something gic vine did not provide. Flexibility was one of the mostmon things that benefited her in all areas, such as fighting, such as doing other certain things
But suddenly, the lightbulb went out.
Power outage?
Ayeshas movement stopped. With her body still pressed against her leg, she quietly listened.
She didnt rush to check the circuit as she smelled something odd.
Her cat-like pupils slightly narrowed in the darkness, giving off a dangerous vibe.
As if she had found her prey.
Since he couldnt break through the firewall, he could only capture the program developer and figure out the code the hard way.
Xin Leis blood-shot eyes reflected the light on the screen. His lips rose slightly under his hoodie as he spoke in a screeching voice into the Bluetooth headphone.
The security system is hacked, your personal information is whitelisted.
For a hacker that is ranked third in Hua, and had been gged on the front page of some unscrupulous organizations, this type of security was too easy for him.
Though he hasnt done these types of things without pay for a long time.
Confirmed. A female voice came from under the hood of a purple tracksuit.
Yan Xiaoyan, the childhood honey of Xie Lei. She has a ck belt in taekwondo, even though she is only 17. Her swift moves could easily beat 5-6 adults. Due to her affection towards Xie Lei, she agreed to this dangerous n without much hesitation.
Its taken care of, lets go. She waved at the two people behind her, and Yan Xiaoyan led the way to the high-endmunity.
Lu Dahu, known as the chubby tiger is a good friend of Xie Lei. He was three years older, spent a few years in the military, and is currently unemployed.
Zhang Chao, also Xie Leis good friend. They met a long time ago on the inte. He was around the same age as Xie Lei. Although hecked knowledge aboutputers, he was a huge of fan of the military. He was not tall but was skillful with almost all military gadgets.
After Xie Lei confessed his trouble, they agreed without hesitation.
The n was simple: sneak into the mansion, control Jiang Chen, drive his car and take him out of themunity to the agreed on spot.
They only had one and half hour. Once the clock hit 12, the server would reset, and the ess control gained by Xie Lei would be lost.
His eyes locked onto the screen as Xie Lei already infiltrated the camera within themunity. Seeing his three friends sessfully pass identification at the front door and walk inside of the mansion, he took a deep breath and pressed a few more button.
The memory of the camera connected to the server was erased, the write function disabled. The camera tonight would not record anything. Once they left, they only needed to delete their personal information from the server.
As if they were never there.
Xie Lei knew that he and his friends were ying with fire. If they were identally caught, all of them would go to jail.
People here are all veteran soldiers, Lu Dahu lowered his hat as he mumbled.
Arent you a veteran as well? Zhao Chan with a backpack mocked.
Its different. Lu Dahu forced a smile, as his square looking face looked rather helpless. Based on the vibe Im getting, they were at least special forces from the army.
Be quiet. Yan Xiaoyan, half a step in front of them, whispered.
Xie Lins fingers typed on the keyboard. He constantly changed between cameras while drawing with his right hand and marking the route of the patrol team.
Turn right in the front, avoid patrol team A, walk straight into the intersection before turning left. Try to avoid contact with anyone, your guys look odd.
Understood. Yan Xiaoyan lowered her voice as she held onto the Bluetooth earphone. She then signaled the two people behind her to quickly move to the street on the right.
Although they already passed the check at the front door, wandering around thiste would easily cause suspension. They were not prepared to be questioned because the backpack Zhang Chao carried had all the tools for crime.
Three sticks, handcuffs, ropes, three night vision goggles, and one signal jammer.
Zhang Chao bought everything from an exclusive channel. They were all authentic product from UA ATN corporation which shocked Lu Dahu, the veteran soldier. Of course, Xie Lei paid for it.
The three of them sneaked into the mansion at the deepest part of themunity.
The European style high wall, the cut green grass, and the straight brick trail. The buildings structure shone with elegance.
Dammit, people here must be ridiculously wealthy. Do you think there are bodyguards inside? Zhang Chao mustered as he took off his backpack.
If there are any, Ill take care of it. The girl in the purple suit said confidently. She pressed the earphone again. We are in position.
Ok. Xie Lei took a deep breath and clicked his tongue.
Sparks suddenly came out of the generator on the north side. In an instant, the entiremunity fell into darkness.
With fingers on the keyboard, he simultaneously locked the electrical rooms password so that even if they started the backup generator, it would take awhile.
He had to thank the highly digitalized design of themunity. If it were a mechanical lock, there would be nothing that he could do.
Without wasting a second, Yan Xiaoyan took out a card from her pocket and swiped it on the metal gate. Xie Lei who already acquired the password information from the database and had copied the key onto the ck card. The card in her hand was equivalent to the actual key and easily opened the door.
Quick! Put this on.
Zhang Chao excitedly threw the night vision goggles and sticks into their hands and put one on his hand skillfully as well.
The night vision goggle not only allowed them to obtain vision in the dark, but it also hid their faces.
They quickly sneaked into the mansion and approached the door.
Pressing against the door, Zhang Chao took out a lock pick and opened the door with a few clicks. Then he signaled the twopanions to enter.
The mansion looked rather empty; there was no one on the first floor.
Based on the lights they saw from the outside, there should be people on the third floor.
The three quietly waited against the wall.
The electric valve was outside. If someone came down to check, they must pass by where they stood.
Why is there no noise at all? Typically shouldnt they all check the valve? Lu Dahus eyebrows tightened as he said with his voice lowered.
Yan Xiaoyan also raised her eyebrows.
Not only were there no footsteps heard upstairs, but there was also no lights from a phone or candle.
Could it be that Jiang Chen was already asleep, and just forgot to turn off the lights.
Lets go to the bedroom. Yan Xiaoyan suppressed her voice as she led the way, sneaking upstairs.
It would be up to them once they enter the mansion. The camera in themunity could not monitor inside the mansion as it was for the consideration of residents privacy.
The mansion was in a frightening darkness.
But the darker it was, the more advantageous it was for them since they had night vision goggles
The camera in themunity was installed with internal batteries so that even though the power went out, it could stillst for a few more hours.
Seeing his friends have already entered the mansion, Xie Lei let out a sigh and leaned against the chair.
Now just need to catch Jiang Chen, get the firewall security code from his mouth, hack into server, and delete the user information and gate data clean Pity, the game is not bad. He shook his head, stared at the open gate, and mustered arrogantly.
Please close your eyes at night.
Chapter 164 - Is there a need to have a reason?
Chapter 164: Is there a need to have a reason?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Water poured down.
Jiang Chen closed the knob before he shook off the droplets of water on his head, he then walked out of the shower as he grabbed a towel beside him and wiped himself.
It felt much better after the shower as if the all the alcohol and weariness was washed away.
But the faint fragrance in the room put him in an awkward spot physiologically. He thought while he wiped his hair with the towel.
But as he wiped, his hand froze in the air.
[This is Xia Shiyus towel?]
Thinking that towel once covered a pure blossoming flower, and countlessly wiped the mists off of the leaves
He stared at the towel in his hand as Jiang Chens expression on his face suddenly turned awkward.
But at this time, a blurry, but shaky figure suddenly appeared on the opaque ss in the washroom. Jiang Chen, who realized what happened, was about to stop her before the bathroom door was pushed open first.
Ka.
Seeing the haggard Xia Shiyu arduously holding on the door frame. Just as she was about toe in, she was stunned at the doorstep.
The cynical thing that appeared in her field of vision made her briefly lost her ability to think.
It was hard to describe the expression on her face, should it be wry? Shocked? Or humiliated.
The air of silence filled the air between the two.
Hi. Jiang Chen first broke the silence rigidly. He moved the towel to cover the inexplicable part while keeping a straight face.
Perhaps maybe she was drunk, or perhaps the image was too shocking, Xia Shiyu didnt scream, but rather she calmed down and silently closed the door.
Looking at the closed the door, a bitter smile appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Uh Maybe I should have screamed?
Since he already used, and also was seen, might as well finish drying himself.
Jiang Chen shameless dried his entire body, then washed her towel before putting his clothes back on. He then left the bathroom.
He turned to the living room as Xia Shiyu was already sitting on the sofa. When Jiang Chen came out, her vision immediately gazed onto him.
Just as Jiang Chen was mentally prepared for the pervert sick-minded, the expected anger didnt arrive.
Uh, are you going to ask me something? He felt a bit frightened by Xia Shiyus silence, Jiang Chen careful sat across from her as he said apologetically.
Xia Shiyu still didnt say anything, with the aid of the moonlight, it was visible that on the usually cold face, the bright red lips were slightly trembling.
[Because she is so angry she couldnt express it?]
Jiang Chen drilled deep into his mind and still couldnt figure out the current mood of this girl. The prideful ice beauty realized after waking up that she was lying on the bed, with clothes slovenly, the first button of the dress shirt unbuttoned, and also a man (pervert) using her washroom to take a shower, using the towel that she had always used
From any perspective, she must not be in the best mood.
Ummm, you were drunk. Jiang Chen awkwardly tried to exin.
With the direct stare, Jiang Chen didnt know if she was thinking or mooning out.
You were sleeping on the table, so I carried you back on my back. Your car is still there, remember to drive it back tomorrow. Seeing Xia Shiyu did not react, Jiang Chen continued.
Why? Seemed like she reacted to this sentence, Xia Shiyu murmured as if she was whispering in her dream.
Why? Is that even a question. Jiang Chen had a bitter smile, I cant leave you there by yourself. You live alone, and you drank yourself like that, be more cautious next time. If a human trafficker is pretending to be someone to be close to you, you dont even know if you were sold to some deste mountain areas.
Hearing this, Xia Shiyu looked over and made eye contact with Jiang Chen.
After a long silence, even to her disbelief, she asked, Then would youe to save me?
He was shocked by the sudden question, Jiang Chen thought for a glimpse.
Yes.
Why? It was still the dreamy mutter.
Expectation? Or perhaps just confusion?
Does there need to be a reason? Jiang Chen sighed as he asked rhetorically.
Humans were never a pure logical animal, whats the point of excessive need for reasons?
Xia Shiyu was not pleased with Jiang Chens response. The graceful top lip bit on the bottom one, the rather nk expression seemed like she still hasnt gained a clear mind.
Seeing that she hadnt said anything, Jiang Chen coughed and gently said.
You are drunk. Dont drink this much in the future, now go get some rest.
Although he didnt know what she was so fixated about, based on this response, she was not angry?
She stood up wobbling, just as Jiang Chen let a sigh thinking she was going back to the room to sleep, she moved across and stood in front of him.
You, who do you like? The voice carried some intoxication, but the tone certainly carried CEO Xias authority.
The random questions threw Jiang Chen off.
He forced a smile and didnt answer. He didnt know how to answer.
After thest press conference, he already had a sense for Xia Shiyus feelings towards him.
Although she always put on a cold expression that kept people a thousand miles away, her heart was still that of a child.
As to why he said that, it was because only a child would believe coldness meant maturity.
If it were someone without boundary, it wouldnt whatever, but Xia Shiyu
She definitely would not ept him being with other women. Or should we say any normal women would not. Jiang Chen asked himself. He certainly had feelings for her, but his feelings were just beginning to develop. As to giving up something for her, he could not do it.
I, Jiang Chen hesitantly opened his mouth, but the words were stuck in his throat.
I dont want to hear it. She shook her head, as her slightly messy but luscious hair waved.
Suddenly, she made a move thatpletely left Jiang Chen dumbfounded.
A delicate hand reached out as two fingers audaciously squeezed his chin. Jiang Chen stared at the pair of crystal clear eyes. Her mouth opened slightly, and she moved in closer.
His conscience told him, she was drunk, you should wake her up.
But seeing the approaching, blushing, attractive face, he could not say a single word.
The devil-like thought spun in his head as Jiang Chen gulped.
[She is the one being proactive. If I pretend I dont know]
But suddenly, an untimely ringtone disrupted this tranquil moment. Xia Shiyus action stopped abruptly. The misty eyes regained a hint of rity as she looked at Jiang Chen ever so close to her.
I, Ill take a phone call. Jiang Chen got up and escaped.
Xia Shiyu froze nkly there. Her face began to turn red. Even under the not so bright moonlight, it was apparent.
[What did I do?]
Fine droplets of sweat began to surface on her heated body. The alcohol evaporated with the sweat as she began to sober up.
Without thinking, she dashed into the bedroom without turning around.
Bam!
The door mming sound transmitted behind him as Xia Shiyu fleed into the bedroom.
Jiang Chen forced a smile as he looked at the phone.
It was Ayesha.
Jiang Chen put his hand against the wall as he picked up the phone.
Hello?
He sensed some strangeness to Ayesha calling him now.
With a stick in her hand, Yan Xiaoyan gently pushed open the door.
No one was there.
She shook her head at the teammate behind her, signaling Lu Dahu to walk to the adjacent bedroom.
Even if she carefully controlled her footsteps, the contact between her runners and the expensive wooden floor made a faint sound.
Because they didnt know which bedroom Jiang Chen slept in, they had to use the dumbest method, which was to search the rooms one by one.
Zhang Chao stayed on the first floor to prevent Jiang Chen from escaping. At the same time, he opened the signal jammer to prevent the target from calling the police.
In the spacious living room, Zhang Chao scanned his surroundings.
The bright green vision in the night vision goggles made the darkness not so frightening.
Seeing the home theatre on the wall, he was shocked.
85 inches 4K smart TV, as well as the TV screen. This at least cost upwards of half a million, he mustered in his mind as he felt anxious.
It was his first time kidnapping, and they were just not kidnapping an ordinary person. They were kidnapping the wealthy and influential president of Future Technology.
He could only pray that Yan Xiaoyan was clean with her moves and their faces wont be revealed to Jiang Chen. Or else, Jiang Chen had hundreds of ways to make sure they never live in Wanghai City again.
Just as he was still debating in his mind, something forcefully struck the back of his neck.
Before he could react, he lost his conscious and fell to the ground.
On the other side
Yan Xiaoyan was already on the third floor.
To increase efficiency, she and Lu Dahu decided to advance separately.
Just as she got to the gym, the room that previously had the lights on, she felt suddenly alerted. Without thinking, she immediately swept the stick behind her.
The sound of air breaking echoed as the hit obviously missed. Easily dodging the strike, Ayesha, with a grim look, moved.
When she thought the situation couldnt get any worse, Yan Xiaoyan immediately kicked up her leg and blocked the lightning-fast roundhouse kick.
Ouch!
Sharp pain transmitted from her legs.
Cold sweat began to drop from Yan Xiaoyans forehead as fear began to overwhelm her.
They were not on the same level. She was part of the nationalpetition before, but even in the championship match, she never felt such powerful force.
Yan Xiaoyan quickly moved back, but she was already backed up against the window.
The pristine moonlight shed into the room as she felt her vision increase drastically.
She pulled off the annoying night vision goggles, only leaving the mask on her face. Yan Xiaoyan stared at the girl approaching her.
The girl was not tall; she could even be described as tiny. Her wavy hair was tied into a ponytail. She had an exotic, gorgeous face, but all these factors were not critical. What made Yan Xiaoyan frantic was the grim looking eyes. They were looking at her as if she was a dead body.
The desire to kill was immense!
Chapter 165 - A Farce
Chapter 165: A Farce
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Hearing noiseing from the gym, Lu Dahu quickly rushed over. When he saw Yan Xiaoyan confronting Ayesha, he held his breath and sneaked up behind her in an attempt to choke her from behind.
Yan Xiaoyan also held her breath when she saw Lu Dahu approach Ayesha from the back. Her heart was about to jump out. When she thought the n was about to work, she saw a sneer from the corner of Ayeshas mouth.
She moved like a leopard.
The girl turned around and performed a roundhouse kick. The swift action directlynded on Lu Dahus unguarded chest. The power, disproportionate to her size, kicked the almost two hundred pounds, well-built man, away.
Yan Xiaoyan looked at the scene in disbelief as the hand carrying the stick shook uncontrobly.
Although she held a weapon in hand, it did not bring her the slightest sense of safety.
However, she didnt back down.
Ayesha looked at her in silence. Then, grabbing the box-shaped signal jammer from her back, she turned off the power.
Static, Xiaoyan, hows the progress going. Seeing themunication channel was restored, Xie Lei desperately asked.
Lei. I might Yan Xiaoyan said with bitterness in her voice.
But before she finished her sentence, themunication channel ceased again.
Ayesha restarted the signal jammer, tossed the device away, and opened the EP on her wrist.
The wireless tracker in her pocket already sent themunication information to the EP. It marked two rted red dots on the EP map.
Utilizing the brief window when themunication channel was restored, she located the manders coordinates.
The magic of future technology was something these primitives would never understand.
Yan Xiaoyan was shaking when she saw Ayeshas series of moves. She didnt know what she was doing. The calmness before hadpletely vanished. The confidence she built based on her fighting ability was quickly shattered by the clean moves of the girl in front of her.
But, for him
Yan Xiaoyans eyes were reignited with courage when she thought of Xie Lei. She gritted her teeth and dashed at Ayesha, kicking with lightning speed.
Since she was at a disadvantage in terms of defense, she must attack.
This kick was aimed directly at Ayeshas head.
But the girl remained calm. Unlike what Yan Xiaoyan had imagined, she easily dodged her kick. Then, with cat-like agility, Ayesha was behind her.
As Yan Xiaoyan had guessed, they were not on the same level.
Before she was able to react, a sharp pain came from the back of her neck, making her lose consciousness. She immediately fell to the ground.
Someone attacked the mansion, Ayesha concisely reported.
Jiang Chens expression changed immediately, Are you okay?
Im okay. The attackers had some creative ideas, but the techniques they used were that of an amateurs. Based on the skill levels of those people, they must have someone strong assisting them to avoid the patrol team. Based on initial spection, that person should be a hacker proficient in cyber warfare, Ayesha said softly as she looked grimly at the three people lying in the basement with their hands and feet tied up.
Hearing Ayesha was safe, Jiang Chen was relieved. But then he quickly realized that his worry was a bit unwarranted.
After deliberating for a moment, Jiang Chen asked in an undertone, Do you know who sent them there.
Not clear yet. But I already have the coordinates of the hacker. Ill send it to you by phone.
Mhmm, Ill take care of it. Jiang Chen hung up the phone.
Shortly after, Little White shook as a picture of the coordinates were sent to Jiang Chens phone.
Two dots were connected. One dot was located in his mansion, while the other one was located in the rural area of Wanghai City.
He looked in the direction of Xia Shiyus bedroom and hesitated.
But in the end, he sighed. He decided not to go up and knock on the door. Instead, he put on his shoes and left the apartment.
With her back against the cold wooden door, Xia Shiyu hugged her knees as she buried her head in her arms. However, through her arms, the red hue on her gorgeous face could still be seen.
[Wooo, I want to die What did I just do.]
A soft whimper escaped her mouth as her ostrich-like head buried deeper between her legs.
Her thoughts were a mess. The furious pounding in her left chest was too distracting.
[What if he knocks on the door?
Should I open it? But I almost just did that kind of thing.
Ahhhhh! I want to die. This is so embarrassing.
But I should open the door. It would be rude just to leave him hanging in the living room. If I exined, it would get rid of the -]
Bang!
The sound of the door closing transmitted through from the outside.
Xia Shiyu paused for a moment as she slowly lifted her head up.
Seemed to be the front door.
He left?
He just left?
While she let out a sigh of relief, for some reason, she felt disappointed.
But as to why she felt disappointed, she couldnt give a reason.
Driving furiously on the road, Jiang Chen nced at the red dot on the GPS before he fixated his gaze back onto the road.
He let out a sigh as he held onto the wheel.
It would be better to find a chance and talk to her, He mumbled. Jiang Chen turned the steering wheel before parking the car near the targetsmunity.
Since it was a hacker proficient in cyber warfare, themunitys cameras should be under their control?
Definitely a possibility.
Jiang Chen locked the door and walked towards the back door of themunity.
It was almost 12. Only a few windows in themunity still had their lights on.
He avoided a few obvious cameras as he approached the electric substation of the targets building. He opened the box and put his right hand inside.
Charging the interdimensional bracelet.
The energy of the bracelet was suddenly full. The brute intake of electric current instantly exceeded the threshold value of the substation. Without a doubt, the entire building lost power.
A mocking smile appeared on Jiang Chens face. He closed the box, put his hands in his pocket, and walked into the shadow.
It was 12 at night.
People who were still awake, and desperately wanting to restore the power rather than going to sleep, would probably be the only ones providing assistance.
Regardless who it was, he only needed for the fish to take the bait.
Xie Leis eyes locked onto the screen as he nervously waited for hispanions response.
Themunication signal was interrupted. Did they get caught? Cant be. If they did, they would use the phone tomunicate with me, the perpetrator.
Dammit! Xie Leis fist mmed onto the table.
He did not consider a backup n. He never thought about the changing variables within the n. He started to regret the tracksuits. Even if he was out of solutions, he never should havee up with kidnapping. The evidence ck Tiger controlled would at max get him ten years, but kidnapping
His face turned pale as he prayed.
Xiaoyan, Chubby Tiger, Xiaochao Please be safe, please!
But then, the entire building suddenly lost power. This made the already tense Xie Lei jump.
The fuse short-circuited? Cant be a power outage. There was no notice posted, He mustered as Xie Lei left his seat.
In the assumption that someone was caught, the opposing force must have obtained my location through interrogation. Then, I should have been caught already. The door definitely wont be able to block anyone. However, since no one is here, that means they should not have been caught but entered into a stalemate with the target.
Without electricity, there was nothing he could do.
Regardless, he must quickly restore power. Once it passes 12, the server would reset. If he wanted to provide support, he must hack into the server again.
Xie Lei left the room.
Squeak-.
He carefully opened the door, cautiously looking into the pitch ck hallway. When he didnt see anyone, Xie Lei let out an uneasy breath.
Am I being too anxious
It made sense. If they already knew my location, whats the whole point of using the trick of cutting the power?
But what he didnt know was that in the near distant future, there would be a device that could locatemunication signals. A device used by future snipers. Though of course, there will be signal jammers in the future, but right now it was as easy as breathing for Ayesha to location the coordinates of themunicator.
The nights breeze was quite chilly.
The pale hand of the teen tightened the zipper of his tracksuit. His entire face was hidden under the shadow of the hoodie.
It was already autumn. Maybe it was time to buy Xie Lin some thicker clothes?
When he thought about his sister, a gentle smile appeared on his face.
Although the first reaction of most people was gloom when they first see him, she was the only one that didnt think so.
Just like an angel.
[Yes, thats right, I will protect my sister!]
He screamed in his mind as the sudden adrenaline pushed away some of his fear. He went downstairs and headed straight to the electric substation that he was so familiar with.
He opened the box but was stunned.
Not right.
He knew what a short fuse looked like, but he didnt see the entire meter being burnt out.
You are the perpetrator behind the scenes, a sluggish voice said from behind him.
Xie Lei turned his head and saw a young man standing there with his hands in his pocket. He was observing him with interest in his eyes.
Your left foot moved half a step back. I guess you want to run, but I suggest you dont do that. Jiang Chen sighed.
Seeing his thoughts exposed, Xie Lei became calm as he locked his eyes right onto Jiang Chen.
Xiaoyan you caught all my friends?
You can say that. My bodyguardsment about you guys was, it was well thought out, but clumsily executed. Jiang Chenughed before continuing, First time doing this?
Xie Lei didnt answer. His mind spun furiously as he desperately tried to think of a way to escape.
What was the intention of entering my mansion? If you dont answer, I will just default it to murder. Trust me, I have enough money to convince the judges.
Kidnap. To obtain the key to the server, Xie Lei squeezed out a few words in vain.
Threatening worked.
His face was extremely pale. It looked like that of someone who hadnt been outside for a long time. Around 1.60m tall, he had a slim built and looked like a teen. Jiang Chen couldntprehend why this teen he has never met before wanted to kidnap him.
For money? Or for other reasons? I dont want to use the truth-telling liquid on teens, it will have an uncontroble effect on the developing brain, Jiang Chen mocked, but his tone held a hint of truth.
You are Jiang Chen? Xie Lei abruptly asked.
Jiang Chen shrugged. Did you just realize? I rmend you answer my question before I use force.
Xie Lei let out a sigh as he confessed, ck Tiger made me do this.
Jiang Chens eyebrows raised as he didnt immediately believe his words.
Who is ck Tiger?
Xie Leiughed in agony. I dont know. If I knew, I would not be manipted by him.
Chapter 166 - I can give you a chance
Chapter 166: I can give you a chance
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
For your friends safety, I have no choice but to invite you to take a walk with me. It was useless to object as Jiang Chen said this with an unrefusable tone.
Xie Leis eyes strained for a moment before his shoulders finally loosened.
I can go with you, could you give me 10 minutes?
.
That depends on what you are going to do with this 10 minutes.
He took a deep breath as Xie Lei said, Dont worry, just leaving a note.
He thought for a moment, as Jiang Chen didnt refuse his request, he got a go-ahead gesture.
Seeing Jiang Chen agreed, the teen was relieved and turned around to go upstairs.
Jiang Chens hands were in his pocket when he followed the teen up, holding onto a pistol. But the teen didnt y any tricks with him. He took out the key, opened the old looking door, and walked inside into the room closest to the door.
Xie Lei took out the phone and turned on the shlight which lit up the small room immediately.
Four desktops, two screens, wires tangled together and connected to unknown electronic equipment.
Your work? Jiang Chen was slightly shocked.
Mhmm. Xie Lei didnt seem to want to say anything else about the question as he answered concisely.
He saw that the teen searched on the table for a while before picking up an MP3. It was umon to see such an out-of-date device.
He seemed to have opened the voice recording function as he put the MP3 close to his mouth and said.
Linlin, I am sorry. Brother has to go somewhere really far. Although it is a bit shameless to say this please forgive your unresponsible brother, I
Are you saying your will? Jiang Chenughed.
Xie Lei ignored Jiang Chen as he took a deep breath and continued to say a few more things, such as take care of yourself and the bank password is.
Done? Jiang Chen asked.
Although Jiang Chen felt sympathetic, he didnt n on letting him off.
Since he alreadymitted to the act, he must have been mentally prepared for the n to fail.
Xie Lei nodded as he looked seriously at Jiang Chen, Im done. My sister is blind, I hope you dont hurt her.
Dont worry, I dont hurt the innocent.
Without saying anything else, Xie Lei obediently followed Jiang Chen to the car and then to the mansion.
The power outage in themunity caused quite amotion. Especially since they found out it was caused by human intervention.
After the security confirmed the safety of every resident, they were surprised to find out there was no thief.
Regardless, it was a good thing that nothing was lost. Since people who lived here were either influential or wealthy. If something did happen, then Wanhua Real Estates reputation would suffer major damages.
Therefore, after confirming each household, they categorized this power outage as an ident and did not inform the police.
The power was restored.
At the same time, in the basement of the mansion.
Ayesha crossed her arms in front of her chest as she looked expressionlessly at the three people with their hands tied behind their backs. Looking at her cold gaze, Yan Xiaoyan felt her body shake uncontrobly. She had never been so frightened before. The fighting ability she had been so proud of, could notst two moves in front of this girl.
At the time, footsteps came from upstairs.
The iciness in Ayeshas eyes suddenly melted.
Yan Xiaoyan gulped as she looked with disbelief at the eyes that turned gentle instantly.
You are back. Ayesha stood up.
Mhmm. Jiang Chen rubbed her head, and then looked at the three people in the basement.
Lei, how did you Yan Xiaoyan couldnt control her voice. No one revealed his location. How did he get caught?
I got caught. Xie Lei revealed a bitter smile as he conscientiously extended both of his hands to Jiang Chen. Tie me up.
Jiang Chen nced at him as he signaled Ayesha to put handcuffs on him. Then he looked at all four of them. Good. Since all the rats are caught, lets solve this problem once and for all.
Then, Jiang Chen took out the truth-telling liquid from his pocket, passed it to Ayesha, and stared at Xie Lei.
I ask, you answer. If I feel you are lying, then Ill use the truth-telling liquid.
The interrogation began. Xie Lei, without resistance, confessed to everything Jiang Chen asked.
First, it was the identities of the four.
Veteran, unemployed military fanatic, female sports university student, and Xie Lei, the high school dropout hacker.
Xie Lei was quite impressive in his ability. Known as Green Bird, he ced third ce within the Han Hacker Alliance. The most impressive achievement was hacking into an unscrupulous organizations server for two years consecutively and raising the g on its homepage.
Usually, he lived off ofmission bypleting missions for hire.
Because of one mistake, a hacker called ck Tiger obtained his identity which directly ended his brief career. Then he became the money making tool of ck Tiger. The missions he epted began to leave the boundary of thew.
He was not afraid of going to jail, but what worried him most was his blind sister.
If ck Tiger revealed his information, he would definitely be in there for quite a long time. He could not imagine, without him, how his sister would survive.
After feeling conflicted for a long time, he decided to take this risk along with his three good friends. He decided to n and execute a kidnap.
Unfortunately, it failed.
You guys are great friends. He asked you guys to kidnap, and you guys agree? Would you guys murder people if he asked you to? Jiang Chen looked mischievously at the three as heughed.
Zhao Chang retracted his neck, frightened by Jiang Chens look, but Lu Dahu seemed m.
Then, Jiang Chen looked at the university student named Yan Xiaoyan.
You? Seeing that your boyfriend is in trouble, you could risk going to jail for him?
Yan Xiaoyan blushed. Just as she was about to argue they were only childhood sweetheart, Xie Lei interrupted.
I already told you everything I needed to tell you. I am willing to take full responsibility as long as you let my friends go. After he finished, Xie Lei slowly lowered his head and kneeled on the ground.
Everyone held their breath.
Hearing that, Yan Xiaoyan wanted to defend for him, but she quickly realized that she had no excuse to do so.
Including herself, they were all criminals.
Jiang Chen expressionlessly overlooked Xie Lei.
Do you think you have the right to discuss terms with me?
No. Xie Lei lowered his head.
After a brief silence, Jiang Chen suddenly beganughing.
Although thisical gong show did not cause me any material losses, that doesnt mean I am openminded enough to let you go consequence free. But considering you were under the threat of someone else, I can give you a chance.
I am willing to ept as long as you let my friends go.
Lei Yan Xiaoyan looked at Xie Lei with tears in her eyes.
Oh? Are you not going to ask what it is before epting?
I will ept anything This is my own fault. I dont want to trouble my friends anymore, Xie Lei took a deep breathe as he said calmly.
Hearing that, Jiang Chen nodded, looking rather pleased.
Since you have agreed, then your request is easy. After everything is done, your friends can leave.
Jiang Chen paused as he asked lightheartedly.
How do you usuallymunicate with ck Tiger. By phone?
Chapter 167 - Following the vine
Chapter 167: Following the vine
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
ck Tiger; real name, Zhang Hao. A premium member of the Han Hacker Alliance but his skill was rather ordinary. However, by coincidence, he managed to enter the personalputer of the renowned Green Bird and collected some critical evidence.
When Xie Lei found out, it was toote. Zhang Hao already saved the information and pulled the cord.
It was the most shameless way, but that was the most effective way. Regardless of how insane onesputer skill was, there was nothing one can do if the other person doesnt connect to the web.
After that, he had reached the peak of his life. He controlled the personal information of the third-ranked hacker in the Han Hacker Alliance. He used this to ckmail him intopleting challenging missions and then collecting the lucrativemission for himself.
Not long ago he received a deal.
5 million RMBmission. The mission was to hack into s server, delete all user information, and delete the game data inside the games server.
5 million! It was enough to live half of his life infort.
ck Tigers eyes immediately turned red as he epted the mission without hesitation, and then flung it to the hands of Xie Lei and threatened him toplete it. As to if Xie Lei had the ability to finish this mission, ck Tiger never questioned it for a single second.
In his eyes, if he could hack into the server of an organization with a notorious reputation, there was no way he couldnt take care of a server of a private enterprise.
But unfortunately, Xie Lei waspletely out of sorts.
When he was forced into the corner, Xie Lei had to take the riskiest route.
And because of this, Xie Lei managed to get himself into serious trouble.
In the morning, what woke ck Tiger from his sweet dream was his ringtone.
He drowsily picked up the phone.
Hello?
Doooo-.
The phone hung up?
ck Tiger was lost for a moment as he looked confusingly at the phone. However, he didnt bother finding out who it was as he fell asleep again.
What he didnt know was, the second he picked up the phone, his coordinates were marked on a map.
The person named ck Tiger was also in Wanghai City. This saved Jiang Chen quite a bit of trouble.
He drove the car onto the highway as he looked at the dot on the GPS. A mocking smile appeared on his face. Ayesha was sitting in the front passenger seat, her long eyshes swept together and eyes closed as she rested.
Xie Lei sat in the back seat. The teen took off his hood and revealed a sickly pale face with anxiousness written all over it. As well, on his neck, he wore an electronic cor.
Now that you are on your way to see your enemy, how do you feel? Jiang Chen casually asked.
If possible, I want to punch him, Xie Lei mustered in a small voice.
Haha, youll have the chance. Jiang Chen smiled.
Yan Xiaoyan and the gang were still locked in the mansions basement. Before the whole event is resolved, they werent allowed to leave.
As to Xie Lei, he already reached an agreement with Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen wont go after his friends, and in exchange, hell work for Jiang Chen for the next ten years.
Jiang Chen needed a talent capable of cyber warfare. Although Yao Yaosputer skill was impable, he couldnt bring it over to the modern world.
Three dayster, Xie Lei will be flying to Niger. There, someone will pick him up. To maximize his ability, hell receive military training for half a year, and learn more advancedputer knowledge.
The source of the advancedputer knowledge naturally came from the digital library in the apocalypse. As to how advanced, around ten years more advanced than the modern world. Although Jiang Chen was clueless, Yao Yao would organize the information for him.
As to his sister Xie Lin, Jiang Chen will pay to send her to Frankberg to receive the most advanced eye treatment.
Speaking of this, I think you are quite simr to the typical protagonist in a novel, Jiang Chen nced at Xie Lei in the mirror as he joked.
Mhmm? Xie Lei looked confusedly at Jiang Chen.
Both parents are busy. You have a sister and an apartment.
Both of my parents are not busy. They passed away a long time ago. This joke is not funny. A gloom fell over the teens face.
Ahem, sorry. Lets try another one? Let me think King of special forces, possess a unique ability, returned to city after ten years
I think you are more simr to a protagonist, Xie Lei abruptly interrupted Jiang Chen.
Do I? Jiang Chen subconsciously asked rhetorically but was astonished.
Eh? Pretty f*cking simr.
The target was not too far from the Mingxing Area. Another hour drive before the three arrived at their destination.
The six-story high apartments lined up in rows. The dull and unruly grass looked like it hasnt been taken care of for a long time. From any angle, themunity was average.
Because they went during work hours, there was not a lot of people in themunity. Therefore, there was no one standing on the balcony looking curiously at the three people.
However, they only knew ck Tigers coordinates; they could not precisely locate his room.
But Jiang Chen had other ways to determine the precise location.
He stood under the apartment as he signaled Ayesha, who already went upstairs, and called ck Tigers number again.
Hello? A male voice yawning transmitted from the other side of the phone.
Ayesha held the signal jammer as she gradually moved up floor by floor.
Hello. Do you make fake IDs? Can I get 10? Are you trustworthy? Jiang Chen threw a bunch of questions in his face.
What? ck Tiger was dumbfounded as he held the phonepletely clueless.
I thought you made fake IDs! Your number is written on the wall. And thats why I called Jiang Chen used a serious tone as he continued to make up borate lies. Xie Lei, standing beside him, raised his eyebrows as he could not bear to watch any more of this.
You are f*cking ret*rded
The voice ceased. Though, at the same time, Ayesha was holding the signal jammer, standing in front of Apt 402.
Jiang Chen hung up the phone, waved at Xie Lei, and went upstairs.
Go knock. Jiang Chen patted Xie Leis shoulder.
Xie Lei hesitated for a moment before walking up and knocking on the door.
Who is it? Following the voice, footsteps could be heard gradually approaching. Then, the door quickly popped open.
A man in his 30s peaked his messy-haired head out. The unshaven face looked sloppy, the sleepy eyes indicated that he had yet to wake up, and his right hand was holding onto a phone.
When he saw Xie Leis face, his expression instantly changed.
Looks like it is him. Jiang Chen shrugged.
He didnt expect someone with a pseudo name as cool as ck Tiger to be someone this wretched.
ck Tiger immediately tried to m the door shut. But, one of Xie Leis foot was already wedged inside, and he simultaneously lifted his right hand to prevent the door from closing.
His fist then forcefully smashed into ck Tigers nose, making him fall backward with a Bam as he hit the shoe rack.
You, what are you doing? Wait, how did you find me here? ck Tiger looked in horror at the enraged teen sitting on top of him.
F*ck you! Blowing the anger off of his chest, Xie Lei threw another punch right at the disgusting face.
ck Tiger desperately tried to fend him off, but Xie Lei already acquired the geographical advantage. His punches, from up to down, made it impossible for ck Tiger to fight back as his face had the take every single punch.
Xie Lei breathed heavily as he gritted his teeth and raised his hand once again.
But this time, Jiang Chen held onto it.
Enough. If you keep hitting him, he will die.
Hearing that, Xie Lei stared at the faintly breathing ck Tiger as he finally stopped.
Jiang Chen looked speechlessly at the bruised up ck Tiger as he let out a troubled sigh.
Whatever. Its hard to interrogate you now in this condition. Just put on some medicine.
ck Tiger didnt see Jiang Chens face which saved him a lot of trouble. Although truth-telling liquid would make him lose part of his memory, Jiang Chen didnt want to risk it.
Ayesha, who came inst, closed the door. She helped Jiang Chen drag ck Tiger into the living room, tied him to the chair and took out the truth-telling liquid.
In around a minutes time, the man in his 30s rolled his eyes and stared nkly at the wall in front of him. It looked like the drug was effective.
Seeing the look on ck Tigers face, Xie Lei gulped. He thought about how the drug was almost used on him as he felt a shivering chill down his spine.
Name?
Zhang Hao. A zombie-like response.
Age?
32.
32.
Who sent you the mission?
I dont know. I registered on an intermediary website. After epting the mission, the details were sent to my email.
Whats your email and password?
ck Tiger, without resistance, recited out his email and password.
Then, Jiang Chen ignored ck Tiger as he turned to look at Xie Lei with a smile.
You first mission is here. Now that you have the email and password, as well as the device that epted the mission, I want you to find out who the client was.
Xie Lei shook his head with a troubled smile.
Thats impossible. Since contact with the client was made through the intermediary website, then the email must be sent on behalf of the website.
Then you should hack into the server of the middleman, through the backend, and dig the client out.
Xie Lei was shocked. Though looking at the stern expression on Jiang Chens face, he took a deep breath.
This is crazy! Hacking into the server of the intermediary website for hackers Let me try.
Be bold. There is someone here thats the scapegoat. Jiang Chen nced at ck Tiger on the chair andughed delightfully.
When Xie Lei passed ck Tiger, he stopped and asked him.
Where is the evidence used to threaten Green Bird?
On theputer, and on the USB drive that is on the second level of the bookshelf
When he got the answer he needed, Xie Lei walked quickly into ck Tigers room and managed to find the USB.
He mmed the USB on the ground and smashed the nightmare that had threatened him for so long into pieces.
He then found ck Tigers personalputer. Although the unfamiliar device did not feel smooth, it was not a big deal for a hacker his level.
He opened theputer and began to furiously type on the keyboard.
Jiang Chen imagined her bitter expression and smiled, as his fingers began to type on the screen.
Buzz, the response speed of this girl was still shocking.
<*Rub head* Busy. Do you need me to reward you? ^_^>
Seeing the cute emoji, the tip of Jiang Chens mouth curved up.
Adorable, can warm the bed, understanding, knows her limits. Although not the best girl to marry, a perfect mistress nheless. Aftering back from Wanghai University, Jiang Chen paid for her breach of contract so she could gain her freedom, and also be unemployed.
Although he did be her sugar daddy, he still never delivered the movie promise
Jiang Chen felt exasperated. Though, just as he was about to reply, Xie Lei came out of the room.
I found it. This is the phone number and email of the client, based on all signs The client is Lingyu Technology.
Lingyu Technology?
A sneer appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Excellent. Time to take care of this problem.
Chapter 168 - The Malignant event and Aftermath
Chapter 168: The Malignant event and Aftermath
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
October 16, 2015.
It was not an ordinary day for Lingyu Technology.
What is going on? Tell me what is going on! Ling Zhongtian clung on to Qian Haimings cor as he roared out with bloodshot eyes.
Qian Haimings mouth twitched, but he couldnt say a word.
Boss, please, please calm down. Our programmers are fixing the server. I have also called the police, the deputy assured me that he would quickly
Quickly my *ss!
Ling Zhongtian pushed Qian Haiming away as he breathed heavily. He used one hand to hold onto the table, while the other trembling hand pulled out a drawer and he grabbed his cardiac medication.
His shaking fingers took several tries before twisting open the cap.
Finally pouring a few capsules into his hand, Ling Zhongtian stuffed the medication in his mouth and chugged down some water with it.
He closed his eyes to regather his breath before finally opening them again. His emotions seemed to have calmed down.
Seeing that the boss was no longer angry, Qian Haiming who stood on the side afraid to talk, finally let out a breath of air.
But when he raised his head, he was shocked to find that the respectable boss was no longer there.
The person who reced him was a pale looking old man that lost his ability to speak.
Morning.
yers from I am ATM, Dota history logged onto the game as per their usual routine to finish their daily quest. But when they logged in, they were enraged to find out that their ount returned to level 0? The diamond they obtained from gold, equipment, and real money
Were all f*cking gone?
There was only a brief exnation posted on the official site regarding this incident.
Deep regret my *ss!
The enraged yers almost blew up Lingyu Technologys customer service. The customer service representatives would receive another call immediately after hanging up.
However, there was nothing they can do to resolve theints of the yers since they were not responsible for the operation. They could only follow the procedure of exining the current situation to the yers and asking them to remain calm. As well as assure them that the programmers were currently working to resolve the problem, and for them to please be patient
But it was futile. For the millions of angry yers, the one hundred customer service representative team was a drop of water in the vast ocean.
When the angry yers saw that the problem was not resolved and that the helpline was constantly busy, they directly dialed 315 to file a vition of rights against Lingyu Technology.
They have purchased the diamonds, spent their time leveling up, and now it was all gone?
However, theseints were meaningless against Lingyu Technology as at the time of registration, there was a use added at the bottom to offset such incidents. The final interpretation of this agreement was up to the discretion of the Operator. Also, Hanws were ambiguous when it came to intellectual property protection, rarely would there be a case where yers have won awsuit against a game operator.
But the negative reputation caused by the lost user data was hard to erase. Official forums had an influx ofining yers. The moderators had to increase the requirement for posting and began muting and banning people. Not only did this not control the status quo, but the yers without a ce to express their rage also began to flood into other forums.
Major BBS (1) forums were all pulled into the midst of this event, as the few justice seeking posts were instantly upvoted to the top.
Every post under the influence of the inte army unified their statement, and in the name of holiness, began a crusade on the evil operator.
Protecting their rights!
Everyone selectively chose to forget that Lingyu Technology was also a victim; the real person that made them suffer losses was the hacker that attacked the server.
As to how it escted to this point, the inte army had their fair share of contribution. Once they swayed the opinion during the first outburst of anger, there was not much suspense in the remaining battle.
Lingyu Technology not only lost in skill but also public opinion.
The yers part of the inte crusade realized that the operator did notpensate for their loss. The promised 1000 crystals for every yer could notpensate the loss of the yers that paid for 2000.
The project departments ck of action and the customer services perfunctory were interpreted as arrogance.
In the midst of disappointment and anger among the yers, seeing that their votes by hands were useless, they began to vote with their feet.
The crusade ended, because they had already given up on the game. Instead, they chose a better mobile game.
There were better games on the market. The only reason they stood their ground on an almost out of date game was because of the emotional attachment, as well as the time and money sunk into it. But emotional attachment was certainly a fragile thing as the attitude and response of the operator indeed broke the heart of the yers that stood their ground.
Seeing the ount that they spent countless hours on being erased was more painful than seeing the game being shut downpletely.
Based on market analysis, the server operated by Lingyu Technology lost 89% of their users due to this data postage. While the servers operated by otherpanies did not receive a malicious attack, the after effect of the event resulted in a significant amount of users being lost.
As if in one night, the Lingyu Technology that forged miracles copsed.
At the same time, the new Future Technology was using its era-defining - to rise to dominance.
The stars seemed to have aligned.
New Era was foretelling the end of the old era.
Within the international airport at Wanghai City.
Come back early Yan Xiaoyans eyes were brimming with tears. She gently bit her lip as she gazed into the teens eyes.
Mhmm. I will. Xie Lei felt his face burn from her stare.
Zhang Chao hooked onto his neck with a smirk, Nice buddy. When did you get together with Xiaoyan. She is so violent
A deathly stare shot over as Zhang Chao backed away, causing a forced augh.
Sorry
Xie Lin frightenedly stood behind Xie Lei and held onto her brothers hand.
It was her first time being on a ne. Though she has also never seen ne before.
Xie Lei seemed to have sensed his sisters anxiousness as he gently squeezed her hand. The pale face thatcked sunlight disyed an unfitting tenderness.
With her head lowered and face blushing, Xie Lin had a lot of things to tell her brother, but she could only faintly squeeze out one word.
Mhmm.
Xie Lei had a relieved smile as he rubbed his sisters head.
He didnt know when Lu Dahu walked up to him put felt him pat his shoulder.
Take care.
Mhmm. Xie Lei nodded firmly.
Jiang Chen looked at the group of four from afar as he eximed arrogantly, acting on his seniority, Its good to be young.
Ayesha who stood beside him tilted her head. Her cold face disyed a confused expression.
The goodbye was over.
Xie Lei took his sisters hand, took a deep breath, and walked in Jiang Chens direction.
Ready? Jiang Chen smiled amiably.
Although this teen did orchestrate a n against him, surprisingly he did not hold any grudges.
Perhaps because he didnt suffer any material damage? Or perhaps because he thought this person wasnt inherently bad. Regardless, the actual people that should be punished was already punished.
Mhmm. Xie Lei nodded and then bowed while looking at him genuinely. Thank you.
No problem. You can think of it as an exchange. Jiang Chen pointed at the electronic cor around his neck.
Although it was an electronic cor, it was not thick. It was only a thinyer of silica gel, which didnt make it ufortable to wear. It would also easily pass through security screening, a convenient tool.
Xie Lin looked curiously in her brothers direction and then in Jiang Chens direction. Then, the adorable young face disyed a tender smile. She cutely bowed too as she said in a still childish voice.
Thank you~
Jiang Chen noticed that the color of her pupils was faint, as if it was covered by a thickyer of film.
Even though she couldnt see, she could blossom a smile this powerful?
No problem, Jiang Chen kneeled down and said with a smile.
Jiang Chen noticed Xie Lei staring right at him. He paused for a second before he began tough.
Are you really a Meiko (Japanese culture, someone who likes their own sister). He stood up, patted the slim shoulder of the teen and said with a smirk.
The teen didnt answer, but rather looked away with a flushed face.
Xie Lin tilted her head as she confusedly pulled on Xie Leis hand. She was still not at the age where she understood the meaning of Meiko.
Haha, be assured. Train while you are there. Get more tanned, and you will look more lively. Jiang Chen used force when he patted the teens back. When you get to Niger, there will be someone waiting for you at the airport. You can call him Uncle Ivan, hell be responsible for training you like a man.
What do you mean like
Jiang Chen ignored Xie Leis protest as he interrupted him, You and your sister will stay for a day in Niger, then your sister will head to Charlotte Hospital in Frankberg under the supervision of advanced caregivers. Thats enough. Stop standing around and go, now.
Thank you.
Dont waste time, go board now.
Seeing the departing silhouette of the brother and sister, Jiang Chens eyes narrowed, and the corner of his mouth curled up.
What Ayesha, do you have any questions? Jiang Chen noticed her rubbing her hair and the confusion in her eyes.
Face slightly red, Ayesha asked hesitantly, They are your enemy. Why did you let them go, and on top of that help them
Not every enemy is a real enemy. Eyes narrowed, Jiang Chen watched the brother and sister board and left Ayesha a confusing answer.
Ayesha tilted her head, she didnt quite understand the meaning behind it.
Jiang Chen took out his phone and called Xia Shiyu.
Get the legal documents prepared. We are going to change our headquarters. When he said that, a bright smile appeared on his face.
For the real enemy, he will show no mercy.
(1) Bulletin Board System, simr to a forum.
(2) Vote with their feet, if they cant bring change, they can choose to leave.
Chapter 169 - You should thank me
Chapter 169: You should thank me
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
The earthquake has yet to settle 15 days after the Lingyu Technology data hostage incident that shocked the countrys mobile game industry,
The perpetrators intention was extreme malicious and didnt leave any ground for recovery.
Despite how hard the Lingyu Technology programmer tried, he couldnt manage to recover the lost user information. Based on industry experts estimations, Lingyu Technologys direct loss was as high as 1.4 billion RMB, the magnitude of the indirect damage was even harder to quantify given the scale.
Regardless, the well-praised brand built through time has been tarnished. Even if Lingyu Technology tried to separate gamer operation from its business focus and shift to primarily game development, it would still be futile.
No matter how good the game was, yers refused to buy into it for no reasons other than the fact that the game came from Lingyu Technology. Without yers, no operator would dare to carry the game.
The game data was lost out of nowhere. Even if Lingyu Technology was a victim, why were their servers the only ones down while the others were fine? Couldnt they spend more money increasing the security of the servers?
All in all, once the reputation had spread out, it was impossible to erase. Even the long-term partner of Lingyu Technology, 361 Corporation, maintained a cautious attitude with the newly developed game.
This malicious inte crime not only shook the industry, the ripple even spread to other aspects.
The angry yers clearly escted the incident, once the industry news became a society topic, bureaus had to respond to the situation.
Inte security was once again put on the table.
published a headline that condemned the usage of criminal attack using hacking technology. It also indicated that the bureaus are currently in discussion for improving thew
At the same time, the investigation is currently ongoing. A team of inte security experts was quickly formed.
The attackers IP was quickly locked. Even afteryers of masking, it still didnt escape the tracking of experts. Regardless of how skillful the hackers are, as long as they are here, they must leave some sort of clue.
Zhang Hao, the ck Tiger, was quickly arrested. Although he cluelessly indicated that he was not involved, he still couldnt prove his innocence.
Theputer conducting the crime was found in his room.
The frightened Zhang Hao frantically confessed the deal with Ling Zhongtian and Xie Lei. He insisted that he was framed and that it must have been Xie Lei. He was the third-ranked Green Bird on the hacker alliance. Only he had the ability to hack into Lingyu Technologys servers.
But it was useless, he couldnt provide evidence.
When he found out that the USB on his shelf disappeared, and the evidence stored in hisputer vanished, Zhang Chao waspletely dumbfounded.
Because Xie Lei already left the country with the reason of taking his sister to Germany for medical treatments, there was not enough evidence to prove his intent despite the suspicious source of funding. Xie Leis personal ount did not change, only a securitized foreign ount paid for the ne tickets and the medical expense. Although the action was mysterious in nature, mysteriousness could not be used as evidence.
After spending a long time gathering evidence, the investigating team couldnt find any connection between the event and Xie Lei. However, they did find something interesting.
A few days ago, there was an illegal deal between Zhang Hao and Ling Zhongtian. A deal to attack Future Technologys servers
However, the mission was canceled from Zhang Haos side, the reason being themission was too low. Of course, he had no recollection of this. The exnation behind this is simple - because Xie Lei used hisputer, logged on his ount, and canceled the quest.
The case was closed.
The perpetrator, Zhang Hao, terminated the contract because of themission conflict with Lingyu Technologys president, Ling Zhongtian. Therefore, he infiltrated Lingyu Technologys server, and permanently deleted the user data which caused an insurmountable amount of economic loss to Lingyu Technology. Based on the extreme negative influence caused by society and the high value associated with the case, the supreme courts verdict was a life sentence.
Zhang Hao appealed, but the supreme court directly rejected the plead for appeal and maintained the verdict.
As for Ling Zhongtian, although he conducted illegal activity, it was merely an unsessful attempt, and thus it was hard to define the nature of the crime. He was not sentenced under thew for this reason.
But it was yet to be over. Ling Zhongtians hiring of a hacker to attack Future Technology was quickly exposed online by conscientious people and Ling Zhongtians identity instantly changed from the victim to the viin.
Those who previously felt sympathy for him immediately turned against him and joined the new round of inte crusade against Lingyu Technology.
Of course, a small amount of voices suggested that it could be the conspiracy of Future Technology. After all, the copse of the long-time industry leader Lingyu Technology, would benefit them the most. Of course, those voices were quicklybeled as conspirators and they vanished in the waves of public debate.
With Future Technologys ability, why would they need to have a conspiracy against thepetition? Lingyu Technologys sheet*ty games areparable to ?
The quite interest thing was that the people defending Future Technology were the hardcore fans of Dota history and I am ATM. Because they cared so much, they hated it even more. When they were so disappointed at Lingyu Technology and decided to give Future Technologys out of boredom, they instantly realized that the game they defended for was a pile of sheet. Therefore, Future Technology easily took the influx of Lingyu Technology yers and the number of registration broke through 50 million with an estimated revenue breaking through 400 million RMB, shattering two records in the mobile game industry consecutively.
Its dominance could not be challenged.
The victory was already decided on the main battlefield, but the crossfire had yet to cease.
Following the series of negative press and the direct result of downward pressure on revenue, Lingyu Technologys stock price triggered 10 consecutive circuit breaks and led the index in stock depreciation as the poorest performancepany after the June stock market copse.
The total market cap was shed off by 70% and broke through 1.5 billion. To avoid triggering loan uses, Lingyu Technology had to increase coteral assets and pledged the about to bepleted Lingyu building at the value of 530 million to the bank before it finally stopped the plunge.
Deep in red and excessive loan, Lingyu Technology was pushed into the corner without any solution.
But at the time, Future Technology began making its moves.
First, Future Technology published a statement on its official site to directly respond to the public opinion and condemn the majority shareholders Ling Zhongtians illegal action against Future Technology, and officially sent thewyer letter to Ling Zhongtian.
Was Future Technology prepared to sue Lingyu Technology? Regardless of the result of thewsuit, investors were hopeless with Lingyu Technologys future.
The next day, Lingyu Technology once again triggered the circuit breaker. Four dayster, Lingyu Technology ended the week with 980 million market cap. Within four short days, Lingyu Technology lost the value of a building. To avoid triggering the use, Ling Zhongtian had to increase the pledged asset, this time it was 33% of his share.
He had no other choice, if he didnt pledge in more asset, thepany would be forced to go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. When that happens, not only will he lose everything, he will also have to carry a debt of 300 million.
The about to bepleted Lingyu building costed 870 million and it was built with debt. The new game development and promotion had eaten away most of the profit, from the current status quo, the investments were unrecoverable.
Thewyer letter was like dering war. It only ignited the prelude to the battle.
When Lingyu Technology broke the record for the highest monthly decrease, Future Technologys president began to increase Lingyu Technologys share on the secondary market and became the biggest shareholder at 37%. Because it was not disclosed, Jiang Chen was fined 600 thousand by the securitymission for an illegal transaction.
Butparable to the profit he gained by shorting Lingyu Technology, the punishment was pocket change to Jiang Chen.
Lingyu Technology ultimately changed hand.
Lingyu Technology building had yet to finish the renovation, but under the demand of the new president, they organized a conference room with a row of table and chairs.
Also based on the demand of the new president, a special shareholder meeting was announced.
As to the identity of the new president, it was obviously Jiang Chen.
Every shareholders face was gloom No, to be more precise, other than the people sitting at the end of the table, everyones face was gloom.
Jiang Chen leaned against the chair as he scanned all the shareholders present. Other than the Ling Zhongtian with white hair, he was surprised to find someone he knew.
Sensing Jiang Chens sight, Zhang Jianfeng smiled friendly at him.
[Why is he here?]
Jiang Chen still had some impression with Zhang Jianfeng. He represented 361 Corporation before during the negotiation with Future Technology. Although nothing came to fruition, in the end, Jiang Chen had high praises regarding this talent.
361 Corporation want to be involved in this?
Jiang Chen muttered in his mind, but his expression didnt change in the slightest. He still maintained the bright smile and started speaking.
Everyone, I think you should all thank me.
[Thank your mom!]
All the shareholders cursed in their mind, but no one dared to speak out loud. As to why-
If it wasnt for me to increase the holding of yourpanys share which halted the plunge of Lingyu Technologys share price, the share in your hands would be scrap paper. Jiang Chen shrugged.
Ling Zhongtian slowly looked over, the aged face no longer resembled this once proud prodigy. He once made his goal to be the Steve Jobs of mobile games, but in those blurred eyes, there was only a deep weariness left.
To be the meat on someones chopping board is to be at someones mercy. The cracked lips opened and squeezed a sentence full of hatred.
If you knew today would happen, why did you do it. Jiang Chen directly responded.
Ling Zhongtian was out of words and didnt say anything else, he just stared at the document on the table and nked out.
Ahem, based on the current performance of thepany, as the President, I think I should do something, he paused, Jiang Chen looked at the crowd holding their breath, a faint smile shed across his face. But then the following sentence he said made every shareholders mood plunge into the abyss.
Thats right. We are nning to initiate asset restructure So first, I n to sell the building
Who to sell it to? Is that even a question?
Left hand to right hand, Future Technology needed a headquarter fitting for its name.
Chapter 170 - Split the Market
Chapter 170: Split the Market
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
This is impossible! You cant do this!
Mr. Jiang Chen, please dont bring your personal grudges into the shareholder meeting. I understand differences exist between you and ex-president Ling Zhongtian
This is called asset restructuring? This is robbery! Your motion will not be passed. Even if you are the biggest shareholder, Lingyu Technology will not permit you to do whatever you wish!
Jiang Chen sipped from his tea on the table. Then, he sank into the chair rxingly with his eyes narrowed, looking at the outraged shareholders. His gaze stopped on Ling Zhongtian for a brief moment, but the old man didnt look at him. He was still gravely staring at the documents on the table.
He had already lost hope.
Jiang Chen shook his head as he looked at the only person calmly sitting there - Zhang Jianfeng.
361 Corporation held 5% of Lingyu Technology. Although the ownership percentage was not high, it must have been purchased at a premium. This time Lingyu Technologys share plummet definite had an impact on 361 Corporation.
On the other hand, as the third-party tform, 361 Corporation operated the servers for Dota under the consent of Lingyu Technology. Although 361 Corporations server didnt suffer the same fate as the permanent loss of Lingyu Technologys user data, it certainly was negatively affected.
As the representative sent by 361 Corporation, Jiang Chen didnt quite understand the motive behind Zhang Jianfengs smiling face.
What is 361 Corporation thinking?
But regardless of what they had in mind, Jiang Chen was going to put the final nail in the coffin for Lingyu Technology.
Before the vote, I want everyone to consider this. Lingyu Technology has fallen from cloud nine and has be an unprofitable corporation. Without exaggeration, it is facing the risk of being delisted. However, I am still here. If I leave, do you know what that means? After the shareholders meeting, the stock will resume trading this afternoon. Whether it is going up or going down, would be based on the decision of everyone here.
Jiang Chens words turned everyone, but Zhang Jianfeng, pale.
Because of the shareholders meeting, the temporary suspension of the stock garnered a chance for Lingyu Technology to breathe. Furthermore, Jiang Chens recent increase in his holdings definitely added a shot of adrenaline to the investors. If it became a signal for using Lingyu Technology as a shellpany to list, after Lingyu Technology consecutive circuit breaks, it would be unrealistic for the stock to skyrocket.
But if the restructuring n failed, and Jiang Chen decreases his holding of Lingyu Technology, then it would be adding salt to Lingyu Technologys already massive wound. Once the stock resumed trading this afternoon, Lingyu Technology would not be able to escape the fate of its continuous freefall.
Therefore, whether or not the stock in all the shareholders hands be a piece of scrap paper would be at the discretion of Jiang Chen.
At this time, someone stood up and threatened, 361 Corporation is also one of the shareholders, even if you forfeit your shares, they will start
Ahem, 361 Corporation maintains the same stance as the new president. If President Jiang chooses to decrease his holding, for 361 Corporation, yourpany will lose its investment value. Zhang Jianfeng shattered that persons fantasy.
Seeing the person sit down at aplete loss, Jiang Chen looked at Zhang Jianfeng in surprise, but he didnt say anything.
If there are no other opinions, lets start the voting process, Jiang Chen announced as he scanned everyone in the room.
After the death like announcement, all the shareholders cast their dispirited vote.
The proposal passed without a doubt. Only Ling Zhongtian voted against it.
The restructuring n was as follows:
First, Lingyu Technology is renamed Chenfeng Entertainment.
Lingyu Technology will sell the about-to-bepleted Lingyu Technology building at a price of 600 million, and also bear the obligation for debt repayment.
Because of a major error caused by his decision, ex-president Ling Zhongtian will be removed as a shareholder followingpany protocol, a vote where greater than two-thirds of shareholders agree, and his held shares will be forcefully transferred to other shareholders at market price.
Based on the distribution n negotiated, Jiang Chens shares will increase to 40%, 361 Corporations holding changes to 21%, bing the secondrgest shareholder.
Everyone knew Ling Zhongtian would lose a lot once the restructuring isplete. It would not be impossible to recover the market cap, but no one wanted to speak to him.
Ling Zhongtian epted the result in silence. He shakenly stood up from his spot and left the office.
Everything here had nothing to do with him anymore.
He started to feel regret, but what could regret do now?
Business is like a battlefield. Any mercy could be fatal.
After the partnership with Future Technology and 361 Corporation, Lingyu Corporations future would be bright.
But why would that matter? It had nothing to do with him anymore.
He received the same fate as the Steve Jobs he idolizes, leaving thepany he started. The only difference was, he could nevere back.
Seeing the trembling figure leave, Jiang Chen fell deep in thought.
When the meeting ended, the shareholders began to leave, but Zhang Jianfeng stayed behind.
As if Jiang Chen expected him to stay, he also remained seated and looked at him with a smile.
We meet again, President Jiang. Zhang Jianfeng walked toward Jiang Chen and extended his right hand.
In less than two months time, Future Technology has already developed to the point where they could sit equally on the same table.
Thats right. What do you think of the hand I had just yed? Jiang Chen shook Zhang Jianfengs hand as he smiled mischievously.
Ruthless, Zhang Jianfeng only gave a one-word response.
Jiang Chenughed as he leaned on the chair, not responding.
If Ling Zhongtian sessfully destroyed Future Technologys server data, he would definitely do the same thing.
But unfortunately, that was the reality of things.
With a thunderous stance, a critical hit was given to his opponent, worthy of the name dictator, was the headline of BBC.
Mr. Zhang is overrating me. The odd time Jiang Chen was humble.
But President Jiang doesnt think this decisionck consideration? Zhang Jianfeng pulled up a chair and sat beside Jiang Chen as he began to talk in a casual tone.
Oh? Jiang Chen responded in a disagreeing tone.
Are you involved with Lingyu Technologys server?
No. Jiang Chen smiled.
The security system was customized by 361 Corporation.
Thats unfortunate. Ling Zhongtian only bought insurance for the server but didnt buy it for the games data. Would you pay the penalty for this?
For the loss of data, our programmers have already provided support to the police, Zhang Jianfeng casually said.
Isnt the hacker already caught? Jiang Chen also responded in a nonchnt tone.
There is a hacker called Xie Lei. He has been in contact with ck Tiger before. Zhang Jianfeng locked his eyes onto Jiang Chens.
You are still bloating like usual, but you know it is useless on me. Jiang Chen picked up the teacup on the table as he smiled at him.
Funny. Would the contact person be enough to confirm a crime? If so, it would be a pity for those people.
Without evidence, everything was bullsheet.
The silence ensued for half a minute.
President Jiang doesnt seem to care about the interest of Lingyu Technology? Zhang Jianfengs topic suddenly changed as he looked in the direction of the door.
Do you think needs the resources of Lingyu Technology? We already controlled the high grounds of the market, Jiang Chen said nonchntly as he put down the cup in his hand.
[The best part is about toe.]
Would you not consider a partnership? If it utilized 361 Phone Helpers tform, s user base would climb to new heights.
currently will not consider opening third-party servers, Jiang Chen rejected expressionlessly.
[Funny. Not only would it involve cloudputing, but even if I gave the game to you, without the modified server, maintenance cost alone would make you go deep into the red.]
Since President Jiang is confident that you can control the premium game market, whats your opinion on casual games?
Even with the existing high-quality premium games, casual games have not lost their market.
Jiang Chen obviously considered pushing out a few casual games like Angry Birds, and Temple Run, but the n was never fulfilled.
The reason was simply that those games depended on creativity, not software. Although the apocalypses technology was impable, it was pointless for casual games. Future Technology didnt possess any talents in game development. Therefore, the n had to be rejected.
But Zhang Jianfeng brought it up again.
You mean? Jiang Chen was quite interested.
We can work together. Zhang Jianfeng crossed his finger and genuinely looked at Jiang Chen. Lingyu Technology, no, Chenfeng Entertainment. Right now, it is apany we control together right? We can definitely coborate together with our talent base, and start a new project with the main focus being on the downstream market. Using 361 Phone Helper and Future 1.0, we could use both channels to promote it.
With the power of the twopanies, we can easily split the entire mobile game market! In the end, Zhang Jianfeng was almost annunciating word by word.
Jiang Chen paused for a second before he startedughing.
Did you selectively choose to ignore Baidu and Tencent?
On the mobile tform, our ability is no less than any of them. Maybe President Jiang should be more confident with our alliance. Zhang Jianfeng smiled.
I dont n on giving this building up. Jiang Chen stared at the ceiling.
Of course, as a trophy. The fact that it belongs to you now wont change.
The building with a cost of 870 million was sold at a discount of 600 million. They were at least the second-biggest shareholder of Chenfeng Entertainment, 361 Corporation was certainly willing to cut the lost.
What about the previous Chenfeng employees? Jiang Chen asked softly.
He originally nned to cut thempletely, but now it seemed like it would be a waste to not use them.
Work at the previous location? Or lease a floor in this building? It would be your decision. Zhang Jianfeng had a bright smile on because he knew Jiang Chen was tempted.
No one would reject a cake that was put right in front of their mouth.
If you brought up the partnership, in the beginning, we could have worked together a long time ago. Jiang Chen suddenlyughed.
But it is still not toote right? Zhang Jianfeng got up, extending his right hand once again.
Thats right. Because I think we should split this market.
Also standing up, Jiang Chen held onto the extended hand with a triumphant smile on his face.
Chapter 171 - The Preparation before returning to the Apocalypse
Chapter 171: The Preparation before returning to the Apocalypse
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The same afternoon, Lingyu Technology announced a statement. The shareholders passed the restructuring proposal. Ling Zhongtian was removed from the board, thepany was officially renamed Chenfeng Entertainment, and thepanys stock would remain suspended until thepletion of its asset restructuring.
The news spread to all the shareholders like a long due storm finally passing a draught-driednd, and they began cheering. The people that cut their loss were depressed by their decision of not having confidence in thepany
All in all, these people thought of Jiang Chen as Jesus Christ.
Future Technology and 361 Corporation both possessed shares. One has been valued at over a billion by Wall Street Analysts at its inception, while one was already listed on Nasdaq with a market cap of over ten billion.
It left too many people too much room for the imagination.
Graciously, Jiang Chen made headline again.
The young billionaire once again enters peoples vision. The charming smile, the calm attitude, attracting the heart of countless girls
Ok, they really dont care about Jiang Chens looks.
Being famous didnt seem to create too much of a hassle in his life. Different from celebrities in the entertainment industry, most of his fans were very rationale.
The people that want to marry into wealthy would not p towards him like bees. It would be too unssy. They would often pretend to be a frail and innocent girl, encountering him under his building, and identally starting a rich CEO fell in love with me drama
But unfortunately, Jiang Chen was known to not go to work and themunity he lived in was also somewhere random people could not enter. Their n ultimately would fail.
The irrational fans used the security team in themunity to sent him love letters and attached a duck face selfie inside.
Jiang Chen at first was looking forward to reading the letters to see how the beauties have been conquered by his charm, and how they have fallen under his jeans. Dont question, Jiang Chen never said he didnt like to hear ttering words.
But he was quickly bored.
All the love letters had the same content, revolving around I want to give you a baby, and lets hook up?
The directness even made Jiang Chen, who was proud of hisck of boundaries, shy.
He gave the rest of letters to Ayesha and told the security to throw all letters of this kind into the garbage. After telling them not to bother him with it, he left this in the back of his mind.
Han was indeed a deep and profoundnguage. What Jiang Chen meant by taking care of them was to throw them out, but Ayesha interpreted as examination.
Obviously misunderstanding Jiang Chens intention, she had the thought of picking another wife for her husband as she patiently read through a few love letters.
As a qualified wife, she will not be jealous towards husbands other partners, she will obediently share with her and take care of him
Take back what she said, she also gave up.
As a qualified wife, instincts told her that these women have impure motives.
These love letter finally didnt escape the fate of the paper shredder.
It was already November, and based on Miss Sun Jiaos description, the apocalypse must be covered in thick snow.
But Wanghai City was still sunny and mild. Even deep into the fall, it still didnt feel cold at all.
To be honest, Jiang Chen not only once had the thought of not going back to the other side.
Since he already was a winner in his life here.
Luxurious mansion, top-end car, and beautiful girls. Everything he ever dreamt of was achieved.
But on the other side, there was only danger.
At this moment, he rxingly lied beside his private pool on top of Ayeshas legs and was getting his ears cleaned out for him.
The side of his face felt the softness of her legs. Her fragrance lingered around his nose. The tip of her hair asionally brushed across his face and tingled with his heart. The soft and gentle breathing beside his ear
Mhmm! Its done now. A delighted smile appeared on Ayeshas face as she gently blew on Jiang Chens ear and put away the ear pick.
Eh, done already? A bit more. Because it was sofortable, it was the odd time Jiang Chen was demanding.
But, its already clean. It would hurt you if I do more, Ayesha said faintly with a blushed face.
No problem! Please continue.
Facing her husbands unreasonable demand, Ayesha face burned as she began debating. Although it was the duty of a qualified wife to satisfy the husbands demand, if she continued, it would damage her husbands ear.
In this case, she must think of apromising n
Umm, could I lick it? She suppressed the shyness in her heart as she whispered into Jiang Chens ear.
?!
Jiang Chen, in the sluggish mood, clearly was drawn into it.
Seeing her husband was interested, Ayeshas face became a deeper shade of red. She looked at the cleaned out ear as she stuck her tongue out and buried her head in it.
The soft tongue, along with the warm breathe, approached slowly
But an untimely phone call interrupted this intimate atmosphere.
Ayesha looked away with a blushed face, licking someones ear was too embarrassing for her.
Jiang Chen couldnt pretend to bezy anymore as he got up to pick up the phone.
Hello? Jiang Chen picked up with an unpleased tone.
Hmm? Voice sounds angry Did I annoy you? Liu Yao said coyly.
You ruined my good time, Jiang Chen said fiercely. Ayesha, standing on the side, heard it as her red face turned brighter. She lowered her head, as her mind went elsewhere.
Do you need me topensate you? Liu Yao said energetically.
Ahem, what do you mean.
Oh no, he was hard.
Jiang Chen turned, so his back was facing Ayesha.
But what he didnt expect was that the blushed Ayesha got closer and stood in front of him.
A shy but tender smile surfaced on her face as she slowly kneeled down. A pair of smooth hands self-assertedly reached for his clothes.
Oooh!
Why are you making a weird sound? Liu Yao asked curiously.
Ahem, nothing. Umm, if you have something to tell me, be quick.
Jiang Chen was not in the most ideal state.
Its nothing special. A lot of entertainmentpanies have sent me invitations to star in movies.
Since Jiang Chen epted Liu Yao as his mistress, Jiang Chen paid the penalty of one million for breach of contract. After that, Liu Yao had been staying at home with nothing to do.
Why did you suddenly got famous?
Because of you, Liu Yao said in a sweet voice.
Me? He gazed at the pair of eyes below him as he experienced mental and physical sensation at the same time. Jiang Chen took a deep breath as he almost didnt manage to hold on.
Yes, yes, you have a Weibo ount right? Other than the default followers, you only followed me, therefore Liu Yaos voice sounded frail as if she was afraid Jiang Chen would get angry. So, she carefully said, Therefore people thought there was something between us Therefore.
Siiiiii Ah? No, thats fine, I dont care about this news, Jiang Chen squeezed out a few words between his teeth as his hand gently rubbed Ayeshas luscious hair.
She felt the gentleness on her hair as her blue eyes narrowed happily.
But then, it was even harder for Jiang Chen to resist.
Thats great! I was worried that you would not like me doing that anymore because of this Liu Yao was delighted.
Nope!
Umm, can I go act in a film then? No problem! No kissing scene Since she was now his mistress, Liu Yao was afraid Jiang Chen would be jealous.
Okay!
And also, the film producer wants to acquire your investment Liu Yao carefully asked.
Granted!
Love you lots, muaaa~ Oh, when are we going to Pannu Ind for vacation. I heard its summer there all year round Hmmm? Are you listening?
Yes! No, Jiang Chen couldnt hold on any longer.
Wait, Liu Yao held the phone as her eyes turned suspicious. She suddenly covered her mouth realizing something. Ah! You must be doing something naughty!
NNo.
Wait, no, this sound would not be wrong! You must She sensed the voice was off.
Mhmm!
Fine. Seeing the gentleness in her eyes, Jiang Chen was too joyful to lie to his body any longer.
If it were not for the people that he couldnt let go of, he probably wouldnt go back.
The next morning, Jiang Chen made a trip to Xinlong Food Processing nt.
Following his instructions, Zheng Hongjie cleaned out a new warehouse to store the surplus goods. The goods inside would also not be registered on anything. Although he didnt know the boss intention, he didnt ask.
But he was not here to acquire food. He already prepared enough food to pass through the winter.
He directly found Zheng Hongjie and ordered him to arrange the export, and then increase production as soon as possible.
The deepwater port at Pannu Inds had already beenpleted, the next step of Ind Conquering mission could begin.
After taking care of the misceneous tasks, Jiang Chen headed back to the mansion and started to time travel.
Chapter 172 - Winter is coming
Chapter 172: Winter ising
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Rather than saying winter wasing, it was more fitting to say winter was here.
His vision was covered by the monochrome silver as the entire pool was filled with snow. A thickyer of snow covered the mansion, and the edges of the roof were decorated with daunting icicles. Like a castle standing in the northern kingdom. Solemn. Proud.
But Jiang Chen was not in the mood to enjoy the atmosphere of his mansion. He only wore a thin t-shirt.
The second he stepped into the apocalypse, he began to shiver uncontrobly.
[This weather is too f*cking cold.]
Even with his body condition strengthed by the gic vine, he couldnt withstand it anymore.
Jiang Chen covered his arms with his hand as he dashed into the mansion from the backyard. Thest time he was here, he started his time travel beside the pool because he waszy, but he sure suffered on his way back.
Different from the extreme conditions outside, the mansion was as warm as spring. The broken wall and window had been long repaired by Sun Jiao, and after a series of modifications and improvements, as long as the window was closed, the mansion would not be bothered by the severe wind chills outside.
But before he even gained his footing in the mansion, Sun Jiao, who also ran toward him, pushed him onto the sofa.
You are finally back. This girls voice certainly had a hidden bitterness to it.
Uh, a lot happened over there. Jiang Chen said apologetically.
Although it was not entirely urate, he did bezy after having to much fun.
Jiang Chen seemed to have sensed something, but she didnt point it out. Her beautiful eyes dreamily gazed into his.
Jiang Chen looked away as he was shy from the passionate gaze, but he discovered Sun Jiao was holding something in her hand.
Eh? What is this?
Ah, this is, umm, this is Out of nowhere, Sun Jiaos face immediately turned red as there was a sense of panic to her voice.
Towel? Jiang Chen asked with uncertainty.
Its a scarf! Fool! After seeing her proud work being ndered as a towel, Miss Sun Jiao was immediately enraged.
The furious Sun Jiao gave a solid punch in Jiang Chens chest, and then she pulled out the scarf, forcefully putting it around his neck out of shame.
Cough cough! Are you trying to strangle me! Although the softness was continually squeezing onto him because of the violent action, the suffocating feeling around his neck canceled the sensation.
Stop, stop moving, just resist a bit longer! Sun Jiao with a blushed face said fiercely.
Wait, why do I have to resist against wearing a scarf
You are so talkative!
After awhile, the scarf was finally put around Jiang Chens neck.
Sun Jiao got up from Jiang Chens body with a blushed face as she looked away.
Looks pretty good. It would be even better if you give it to me normally. Especially because this is not how you wear a scarf Sun Jiao, with a troubled smile, pulled the scarf around his neck. This girl was clearly confused about the difference between a rope and scarf.
The pure ck scarf was without any pattern. With a beginners skill, it would be too difficult to put any patterns on it. But being able to knit the scarf was an aplishment nheless.
Hearing Jiang Chens praise, Sun Jiaos eyes immediately lit up. As to the ridicule of method of tying the scarf, she selectively ignored the sentence.
Really! Haha, this is what I am saying. How could I mess up on a scarf. With a red face, and scratching the back of her head, c*ckiness was written all over her face.
So why did you think about knitting a scarf? After putting on the scarf properly, Jiang Chen asked nonchntly.
Because Sun Jiaos mind drifted again. Her face changed to a bright red hue. In the magazines before the war, it said, girlfriends should knit scarves for their boyfriend. Therefore
It is not a requirement, or the better way to put it, the girl that is willing to knit a scarf for her boyfriend would be a rare species. Jiang Chen let out a sigh as she smiled.
Jiang Chen was quite touched by her.
What do you mean a rare species! Sun Jiao gave Jiang Chen a dirty look.
It means adorable, Jiang Chen rushed to exin.
Adorable?! Her expression suddenly softened, and her bright eyes looked around shyly.
At this time, Jiang Chen suddenly noticed Yao Yao standing on top of the stairs. This small loli pouted her lips as the cute eyes stared straight at the scarf around his neck.
Ooo! Too devious
As if she heard the noise in the living room, Lin Lin walked in from the side door with her pure white hair.
Still not hesitant to bad mouth people.
Psh, its only a dumb devil couple. Why would you guys disy affection in the living room? Go close the door and do what you did-. But before she finished, the words were stuck in her throat. A grim sight instantly locked onto her vision as she was forced to swallow her unfinished sentence.
Ahem. I think as the owner of the mansion, I need to do something now, Jiang Chen mustered to himself.
Thats right. For example, building a wooden shack outside for her. A devil-like smile spread on Sun Jiaos face as she also enjoyed the feeling of bullying Lin Lin.
In the end, she still could not be defiant.
You are all bullying me. With tears, Lin Lin escaped back to her roomb with a sad expression.
This narcissistic and bad-tempered girl, always instantly forgets to stand her ground.
Seeing Lin Lins fleeting figure, a smile appeared on Jiang Chens face.
[I wonder if she finished her task yet. Ill pick a time to take a look.]
There was no firece in the future. Except for the poorest survivors, no one would use fire to generate heat. Jiang Chens mansion obviously didnt have that either. The reason the ce was so warm was due to the heating grids ced within the wall. This device was extremely convenient, and it would provide heat as long as it was connected to electricity.
The heat resistant electric wire would not be burned by EMPs. Therefore, the heating grid became one of the few electronic devices that was not destroyed by the nuclear st.
In the top floor office, Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao stood together and gazed into the distance.
The thick snowkes twirled in the north wind as they raided through every corner of the world. The ice shards that asionally smashed on the window yed a whimpering noise as it crashed into the frozen window.
Even if he was just looking, he could still feel the coldness that could freeze ones soul.
Such heavy snowfall. After a while, Jiang Chen could only produce four words while looking outside.
This is not too bad. Usually, it would start snowing in October. In regards to the snow, Sun Jiaos expression was rather calm. It was rumored that when the war just ended, the entire world was covered by nuclear winter. It was the same cruel scene every day. I wonder how did the people outside of the survival shelters survive.
Outside of their walls, apartments built with concrete were built for residents of Fishbone base. The Fishbone base that didntck money would obviously not mistreat its people. Every family was connected with heat and electricity. The life here was so much better than in the ghetto.
On the empty streets, a pickup truck, modified to be a snow shoveling vehicle, was working hard to push the snow out of the base. The patrol on the wall regrly walked around to watch for any iing danger. The white winter suit made him look like a snowman carrying a rifle.
With a snowstorm this big, the mutated humans shouldnt be able to invade us. Although it certainly was inconvenient to the construction of the base, the thick snowfall gave a hint of tranquility.
Speaking of mutated humans, Zhao Gang, who you sent out scouting, brought back some interesting information.
Oh? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
There are at least three thousand mutated humans in the 7th area. A lot of signs indicate that they are preparing war supplies.
Every mutated human was a natural warrior. If there were actually three thousand of them, even if they sent one thousand people, it would be an unstoppable force that the Fishbone base could not resist with only a poption of two hundred.
No, it would be difficult even for the Sixth Street.
Hopefully this snow will bring them some trouble. Jiang Chen watched the flying snowkes as a worried expression shed on his face.
Mutated humans are known for their cold resistance. This amount of snow will do nothing to them. We can only pray that this storm will kill more of their ves. That is the only way that would make things difficult for them, Sun Jians voice was stern.
ves? Speaking of this, How did the dancers in Jia City survive under the violent force of the mutated human?
Jiang Chen shook his head as he put his thoughts away. Then he asked, Is that all?
Also, based on Zhao Gang, when he returned from the 7th area, he encountered a group of survivors fleeing from Shenxiang Town.
Survivors fleeing? Jiang Chen touched his chin in thought.
Mhmm. They originally belong to the survivor groups in Shenxiang Town, but the survivor group was wiped already. Zhao Gang brought them back. I ordered people to keep them outside of the base for now. Sun Jiao nodded before she took out a tablet to show a map to Jiang Chen.
Shenxiang Town is between Qingpu and 7th area. It is on the Taifu River, a way for the mutated humans to enter Wanghai City. There were around seven hundred survivors there, and because of theck of mutant activity around the area as well as theck of external threat, theycked an organized system. They only established a simple defense outside of the town with a civilian force of 21 people
Therefore they were enved by the mutated humans? Hearing this, Jiang Chen guessed the oue.
Thats right. Sun Jiao nodded, A force of 40 mutated humans were stationed in Shenxiang Town as they established an out post there. Based on this, they are indeed going to take the route through Shenxiang town to Wanghai City.
That meant that they would go through Qingpu, not Songjiang.
It was the worst oue. Deep in Jiang Chens heart, he hoped to avoid direct conflict with mutated humans. Even if they really arrived in Carmen Pharmaceutical and obtained the improved FEV virus, they would only torment Jia City.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath as he asked in a serious tone.
What about the seven hundred survivors?
Based on the survivors who are there, because of the snow blocking the roads, they are temporarily imprisoned in Shenxiang Town and have not moved yet. Hearing this, Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen.
Snow blocking the road? A singled out mutated human out post.
Watching the snow on the window, a smile suddenly surfaced on Jiang Chens face.
This is an opportunity.
You mean?
Take them out! Reinforce Shenxiang towns defense, and intercept the mutated human force there, blocking them out of Qingpu!
Chapter 173 - Kinetic Skeleton
Chapter 173: Kic Skeleton
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Comparing direct firepower, a soldier wearing a T-3 power armor had no inherent difference to a mutated human with a steel te covering the front of its body.
In a one on one scenario, power armor, with its high mobility and adaptability, would quickly take down the almost defenseless back of the mutated human. But if it escted to a full-scale battle, the power armors advantage would be mitigated as the battle would usually turn into cover fire.
During thest crossfire with the mutated human, Jiang Chen already learned his lesson.
The 10 T-3 power armors had no advantage in firepower against the thirty something mutated human. It was even fair to say that they were at a disadvantage the entire time. In the end, they barely won with the advantageous positioning they had, but they lost with the cost of one power armor and multiple backup fuel rods.
If Jiang Chen had a few more cannons, the situation would be drastically different.
At the same time, the ability to produce heavy weaponry was fundamental to the existence of a survival base.
From any perspective, Fishbone Base must develop its own heavy weaponry!
So Jiang Chen already started doing that.
The electric pulse cannon technology he purchased from Zhao Chenwu had beenpletely understood by the scientists at the base. Although the production condition at the base was still limited, after half a month, the Fishbone Base workers still managed to use the limited facility to manufacture six electric pulse cannons.
This vehicle mounted electric pulse cannon was used as the primary weapon on the tank during the war, but right now it was obviously not feasible to acquire a tank. Therefore, Jiang Chen thought of apromise.
Wield the electric pulse cannon onto the improved truck, and use steel reinforcement to strengthen the armor of the truck. Then, ce a soldier on top to fire the cannon.
Therefore, the odd looking electric pulse cannon vehicle was created by Jiang Chens wild imagination.
Also, he gave this thing a name that couldnt be more childish - Tiger.
Low armor, medium mobility, high range, high damage. It was extremely effective in rural areas with scattered structures, but it was a target in the city. Although the design was extreme, they had to work with what they had.
On the other hand, following the production of the hummingbird drone, patrolling outside of the base has been passed on to those palm sized little guys. The hummingbird drone has built up a force of over one hundred units, which was more than enough to create an attack force. Although those little guys carried a limited amount of ammo, once there were enough of them, they were capable of deadly attacks.
The attack on Shenxiang Town was set to be five dayster. The survivors in the base had since been busy.
Although attacking in the winter didnt sound like the smartest decision, since it was the bosss decision, they would relentlessly execute it.
The military production factory worked around the clock, and the workers under Jiang Chens instructions installed the electric pulse cannon on the back of the modified trucks. The training ground then became crowded as the soldiers in winter suits, under themand of Cheng Weiguo, began to train.
Although everyone was preparing relentlessly, Jiang Chen wasnt too concerned about this attack.
It was only a force of 40 mutated humans. Not only did the Fishbone base have the fire support from the Tiger, but they also had helicopters that acted as gunships.
Leaving the mansion wearing a thick winter suit, Jiang Chen headed straight to Jiang Linsb.
For the scientist passionate about aerospace, Jiang Chen had a keen interest in him. Not only did Jiang Chen clean out ab for him, but he also gave him a budget of 1000 crystals a month to purchase rted equipment.
Although aerospace technology was not helpful to the Fishbone base now, if rockets were created, not only can they be shot into the sky, but if theyre shot downwards, they could be used as missiles.
Of course, the purpose of the trip was not to inquire about the missiles, but for something else.
When he pushed opened theb door, Jiang Chen stepped into the room, and quickly closed the door behind him.
He shook off the snow on his body before walking inside the room.
Ahem, what are you working on?
A dazzling amount of electronic parts were randomly stored in the corner of the room. Some of them were needed for theunch of the rockets, and some of them were junk he brought back from Fake Leg Specialty store. Although Jiang Lin didnt n to continue his fathers business, he still moved his stuff here.
Rocket engine Jiang Lin wore protective goggles with a welding tool in his hand as he concentrated on the parts on the table.
Looking at the grease covered hair, Jiang Chen didnt want to guess thest time he showered.
Its great to be passionate about your own business, but
Did youplete the task I gave you? Jiang Chen walked over to a mechanical leg lying on the ground as he stood beside him.
Done. Its on the shelf to your right, and the manual is on the shelf next to it. Jiang Lin said as carefully wielded a single microchip onto the engine, not turning his head.
Just need to wait till the weather clears up Install a smart power control into the engine, and then install signal blockage at the tip of the rocket. I am a genius, Jiang Lin mustered to himself as he looked ecstatic.
Although Jiang Chen didnt know why.
Kic skeleton, model K1. A line of small words was engraved on the metal strip as Jiang Chen read it out loud.
He looked at the mechanical frame in his hand and began to y with it. But after awhile, he still didnt have a single clue how it works. So, he took out the manual and began to read it step by step.
The light stic steel metal attached to the four limbs, and the spine position was covered by scale like metal tes.
To put it simply, this thing was like a metal skeleton. Although it had a metallic feel to it, it didnt feel cumbersome to wear.
Jiang Chen moved his limbs and clenched his fingers, but he still didnt understand how it worked as a confused expression appeared on his face.
Seeing that boss wearing his masterpiece, Jiang Lin dropped what he was working on, cleaned his hand, and walked over.
The start button is on your neck. You can try pressing it.
Following Jiang Lins instruction, Jiang Chen skeptically ced his finger on his neck and quickly found a button. Then he tried pressing it down.
A faint static noise was heard as Jiang Chen felt a temporary numbness on the back of his neck. The next second he waspletely shocked.
It was a surreal feeling. As if the metal strip became a part of his body. What maneuvered his body was no longer his own skeleton, but rather the metal skeleton attached to his body.
Jiang Chen moved his limbs as the shock on his face intensified.
Describing the feeling was difficult. Precisely, it seemed like the metal skeleton was really his own hand, but his real hand was only a tool he was using.
Model K1 kic skeleton. Fake Legs Specialty stores masterpiece. A proud smile appeared on Jiang Lins face, as he took a curved stic steel te from the side and pressed it onto the empty slot in front of Jiang Chens chest.
Removable armor made of supramolecr polyethylene. It is bullet-proof, so it can easily protect you against normal assault rifle bullets. The outside is sprayed with a reflectiveyer, so it has some defense againstser rifles. Of course, I dont rmend you take a few shots to test the strength of the armor.
After he finished, Jiang Lin brought over several curved armors and slotted them onto Jiang Chens stomach, legs, and shoulders.
Almost done. Jiang Lin stood up and pped his hands together. He then took a tablet from the table and connected a wire to Jiang Chens armor.
Jiang Chen looked at him as his fingers typed furiously on the screen. Quickly, the numb electrocuted sensation from the back of his neck disappeared and was reced by an astonishing connection of his nerves to his muscles.
It was not only simply the metal maneuvering his body, but the metal and body were simultaneously controlled by his brain.
Jiang Chen moved his limbs as he became more and more shocked.
Seeing the expression on the bosss face, Jiang Lin smiled and quickly backed away. With a please gesture, he said proudly, Try hitting the sandbag.
Hearing that, Jiang Chen clenched the fist covered by the thinyer of armor as he used his entire strength to punch.
Boom-.
Dust blew everywhere.
The violent force caused the sandbag to cave inward as the metal hanging the sandbag began to squeak in a whimpering noise.
Beautiful! Let me see. 971 kilograms, not bad. Jiang Lin nodded his head as he scratched his chin and began to adjust the data on the tablet.
[Not bad? This is insane!]
Jiang Chen astonishingly stared at his hand as he ridiculed in his mind.
A force of nearly one ton! An ordinary persons punch would be around 100 kilograms; he remembered Tyson could only punch with a force of 400 kilograms.
But the sandbag didnt get punched through. Its quality must be excellent.
While being shocked, Jiang Chen gave a few extra looks at the sandbag.
Try the strength again. Jiang Lin quickly walked to the end of the room.
Jiang Chen moved his leg around to test. When he realized that his coordination was not hindered, he walked over.
There stood a metal box the size of a closet. The exposed part seemed simr to the weight of the sandbag.
A white metal covered signal light shed unknowingly, the monitor on the side produced a faint light.
Put your hand on the bar, and then use your maximum power to lift it. Jiang Lin passed a bar-like thing to him as he smiled.
Following his instruction, Jiang Chen put his hands on the bar and lifted it up with his entire force.
Perfect! Jiang Lin snapped as he said with excitement.
Compared to Jiang Lins excitement, Jiang Chens mood could be described as ecstatic.
With only a few metal frames, it could allow people to acquire strength greater than the gic vine. If every solider wore a set, Fishbone basesbat power would more than double.
Chapter 174 - Out of stock?
Chapter 174: Out of stock?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
If the power armor were the full body armor of the knight, then the kic skeleton would be an infantrys chainmail.
The entire mass was less than ten kgs. The supermolecr polyethylene could guard 7-12 rounds of point-nk shots from a 7.62 mm assault. If it were an assault rifle from the modern world, it would not even make a dent in the armor.
Afer equipping, the maximum weight carried by a single soldier would increase to 300 kilograms.
The power source was two pieces of battery the size of a fist and was ced above the pelvis area. After aplete charge, it would allow the equipped person to run at a speed of 12 km/hour carrying the 300 kilograms for one hour. Or, it could operate in normalbat conditions for 12 hours. The power could be charged through sr cells, or it could instantly be replenished with crystals.
It was fair to say, other than the aerospace technology that has yet to see results, a significant factor that Jiang Chen considered when recruiting Jiang Lin was the kic skeleton technology of the Fake Leg Specialty store. Although he didnt manage to continue the family business, being forced by his father, he still learned the essential skills.
When he personally experienced the power of Model K1 Kic Skeleton, Jiang Chen immediately proposed the feasibility of mass equipping the force.
Equipping the force? Jiang Lin was confused when he heard Jiang Chens question, but then an odd expression appeared on his face. Do you know the time and cost to produce a set of kic skeleton like this?
How much? Jiang Chen asked carelessly.
Based on the official price in the Sixth Street, the current set you are wearing cost around 900 crystals. 900 crystals could purchase more than ten ves if you give them rifles. Regardless of what kind of super soldier, they cant beat ten something rifles. Jiang Lin let out a sigh as he started to calcte the economics for Jiang Chen.
But the Sixth Street no longer sells poption.
Jiang Chen pressed the button on his neck as the faint static noise rose again and he took off the kic skeleton.
The Sixth Street doesnt sell poption, but other ces do. For example Su City. They have the biggest ve market in Suhang province. Theylle to the Sixth Street next spring Jiang Lin tried to convince his boss.
But we cant wait till next spring. Jiang Chen, with a smile, carried the kic skeleton in his hands. When the snow melts next year, the mutated human will invade from 7th area to Qingpu. We are the only force thats capable of putting up a defense. Therefore we will face the most pressure from them.
Hearing that, Jiang Lins face immediately turned white.
He has never heard about this before. If he had heard about it, he would not havee to work here even if they beat him to death. The reason why he tried to convince the boss to give up the idea of mass production of the kic skeleton was the fact that he was worried his own research time for the rocket would be limited.
Do you regreting here? Jiang Chen smiled.
Jiang Lin gulped as he looked away, dishearted. No.
Dont be afraid. Your heart beat already told me you are regretting it. Jiang Chen smiled as he patted him on the shoulder without criticising his fear. It is okay to be afraid. People fear death for a reason. Since you are afraid, then follow what I have said.
I heard that there are a few thousand mutated humans in the Seventh Area, Jiang Lin strugglingly said.
To be exact, there are three thousand. Perhaps a bit more than that, but its not something you need to worry about. Kic skeleton must be mass produced. Regardless how many crystals we spend, you must manufacture 50 sets before next year January, Jiang Chen used an irrefutable voice.
Even with a cost of 900 crystals per set, 50 sets would only be 45,000 crystals. Fishbone base didntck money. It was time to convert the wealth umted in the early phases into power.
Jiang Lin gulped again as he saw the seriousness in the boss eyes as he nodded arduously.
Ill try my best But it cant be done with just me. I need help.
Just tell me how much assistance you need.
Let me think The hand crafted metal skeleton would require ten people, welding the microchips would take 4, drawing the circuit board would need 8, as well as modifying the power system Based on my estimation, I would require 40 workers to be able toplete a streamlined process. In this case, I could probably manage toplete 50 sets of kic skeletons before January. Jiang Lin had a troubled smile.
There was a total of 200 people in the base. Everyone had their own duties and responsibilities, it was impossible to assemble a team of 40.
But Jiang Chens following words shocked him.
Ill give you 80 people. Could you double the production?
Sure, but is there enough people in the base? Jiang Lin had to ask.
You dont have to worry about it. Well have plenty of people soon. Right now, you only need to figure out how to design the production line, how to train your team, and what materials must be purchased. The production force will be ready in 5 days. Jiang Chenughed.
The Fishbone base didnt have the people, but Shenxiang Town had them.
The seven hundred survivors captured by the mutated humans. He just needed to bring them back.
As to whether they would be obedient or not?
On the wastnd, there was no inherent difference between being captured and being saved.
If they wanted to continue to live, they must be obedient.
Aftering out of Jiang Linsb, Jiang Chen headed to themunity center to find the warehouse keeper Wang Qin.
When Jiang Chen came to the office, the girl with freckles was going through her books as usual. When she saw Jiang Chen, her eyes lit up, as she stopped what she was doing, and got up to greet him.
I am just here to check the status of the supplies in the base. Dont be so anxious, Jiang Chen gently smiled as he joked.
Wang Qins face blushed shyly. She pushed her sses up as she took out the tablet terminal and began to disy the data to Jiang Chen.
First, it was crystals.
After the umtion of several trades, the crystals stored in the Fishbone base had reached a frightening number of 790 thousand. Because of the addition of several production lines, the crystals spentst month reached 30 thousand. This included the purchase of raw materials, as well as direct consumption for fuel in industrial production.
Jiang Chen asked Wang Qin to save half a million crystals as liquid assets to purchase shares of the about to be established Sixth Street bank.The rest of the 290 thousand crystals would be used as production spending. Even with the addition of a kic skeleton line, the current amount of stored crystals was more than sufficient.
Then, it would be the firearms storage.
There were two hundred thousand rounds of ammo stored in the base, with sixty percent directly manufactured by the base. After they acquired Huizhong Mercenaries ammo production line, Fishbone base began to work towards producing its own firearms.
Then, it would be the 5kg bombs. This is the standard ammo for the electromaic cannon.
Following thepletion of the Tiger, the military factorys production has been shifting towards bombs. The current stock was two hundred rounds, with fifty being produced each day.
After a period of consumption, as well as therge quantity of replenishment since thest time he returned, the base currently stored 8 tons of rice, 2 tons of potato, and easy to store vegetables like cabbage and carrot totaled 5 tons. Sausage, marinated meat, and other preserved food added up to 2 tons. After Jiang Chen realized it was cheaper to purchase fresh food than canned food, Fishbone Bases cafeteria no longer provided canned food. All cans were only sold, or as an award to survivors that contributed to the base.
With the assumption of one pound of rice per day per person, this food wouldst the group of two hundred two years. But considering the addition of seven hundred survivors soon, the rate of food consumption would undoubtedly increase. Even with an increase in survivors, the current storage of food wouldst at least half a year.
Also, the base is preparing to add a new kic skeleton production line. Jiang Lin will send the list of purchases over in a bit. Send someone to purchase it from the Sixth Street.
Mhmm. Wang Qin nodded and then wrote Jiang Chens words in the tablet. Following the increased quantity of supplies, one warehouse keeper was not enough. After asking for Wang Qins opinion, Jiang Chen added a logistics department to the bases administration, responsible for managing warehouse supplies, daily consumption, and trade rted tasks. Trade was previously the responsibility of Sun Jiao, but she seemed to get a headache with small tasks containing minuscule details, so she threw the duties to the logistics department.
The logistics department was of course led by Wang Qin. The department increased to five people, managing a total of six warehouses.
I said you dont have to be so anxious. Seeing how the girl was taking notes seriously, Jiang Chen couldnt stopughing.
Although she had maturedpared to when she just got to the base, the trait of blushing did not change at all.
Also, whats the status of Zhou Guopings bar in the Sixth Street?
After recollecting her previous calmness, Wang Qin pushed her sses up and said in a focused tone, 4000 cans of beer were consumed in October resulting in a total profit of 40,000 crystals.
Hearing the news, Jiang Chen nodded.
He didnt care about the profitability of the bar. He was more keen on using the traffic generated to bring him intelligence. The beers were only a few bucks in the modern world which was nothing.
But of course, as the saying goes, although mosquitoes were small, meat was still meat, and the ie from the beers was quite good.
Also, there is something else, Wang Qin saw that Jiang Chen was in a good mood, but she hesitated for a moment before she spoke.
Mhmm?
The raw material used to produce the automatic rifles and hummingbird drone, the Carm Tree sap, is out of stock.
Out of stock? Jiang Chen frowned.
It was a big problem.
The threat of mutated human was approaching fast, the Fishbone base was working around the clock to produce firearms, and now Carm tree sap was out of stock?
The ntation that provided us with Carm tree sap terminated the contract, and paid us 1000 crystals as the penalty, Wang Qin said helplessly.
Reason?
Following the increase in production on the Sixth Street, the price of Carm tree sap rose by 20%, which is much higherpared to the price signed on the contract. They also signed arge quantity long term deal with otherpanies. Therefore, they shamelessly terminated our contract. Wang Qin said in anger.
So how much is left in the base? Jiang Chen said in a serious tone.
2 tons left. Enough to maintain production for one more month.
Mhmm, Ill take care of this. Jiang Chen nodded.
[If the Sixth Street cant supply it, the Fishbone base can just produce it on our own.]
Chapter 175 - Produce Ourselves
Chapter 175: Produce Ourselves
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Growing Carm Trees? Sun Jiao thought for a second before a troubled look appeared on her face.
Is there a problem? We could probably buy the sapling on the market. If we cant, Ill get Zhou Guoping to think of other ways. Jiang Chen didnt understand.
No, its not the problem with tree saplings, tree saplings are easy to obtain. Seeing that Jiang Chen seemed to be misinterpreting her meaning, Sun Jiao forced a bitter smile. The problem is growing them.
Growing? I remember these mutated nts were able to survive in the apocalypses soil, is there any problems? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Typical crops could not grow in the nuclear and biological contaminated soil, but mutated nts that survived the war could. Logically, anything that could grow in the Sixth Street, the Fishbone base could grow the same thing.
Hearing Jiang Chens question, Sun Jiao facepalmed as she began patiently exining the fundamentals.
To grow anything on the wastnd, there are two factors to consider. One is radiation level, and two is soil contamination level.
As long as there is material exchange with the outside world, it can not avoid the impact of radiation. There is nothing in the apocalypse that is free of radiation. Not even the drinking water treated by the automatic water purifying equipment. It doesnt negatively affect humans because of the existence of the EP and special medication that reduces the radiation level to below the danger threshold. However, nts are not so lucky.
To ensure the nted apple does not mutate, the radiation level must be controlled to below 1. If the radiation level is above 5, even normal seeds buried into the ground will be abnormal. With the Sixth Streets technology, it is able to control the radiation level to around 3, which certainly reflects how valuable the fruit cans you brought are.
But the mutated nts that survived through natural selection are not that delicate. Their resistance to radiation is quite high. Take Carm trees for example. As long as radiation levels are below 40, it can grow normally. Most of the ces on the wastnd have a threshold value between 10-20. As long as its not in a nuclear crater, the radiation level will not reach 40.
The soil contamination is rtively easier to solve since soilless nting technology is incredibly mature in the apocalypse.
Therefore, the ntations in the apocalypse can be divided into two kinds.
One is the kind that uses soilless technology to grow crops.
There is a distinct advantage to growing crops this way is that it can easily control soil contamination, and the production area would also be greaterpared to soil nts. The disadvantage is also evident. Mainly being the high cost. To use soilless technology to produce industrial raw materials like Carm tree sap would undoubtedly bankrupt the business. It normally would be used to grow luxury goods, such as notpletely mutated fruit.
The signature building in the Sixth Street includes a soilless ntation tower. Of course, because of the appearance of fruit cans, this industry was on the brink of bankruptcy.
The other kind is normal soil ntation.
Simple and straightforward, nting the seeds and watering them would yield nts. Whether it would be done by humanbor with scythe spreading the seeds or mechanical ntation, it would be up to the preference of the owner. It is used to mostly produce non-expensive mutated nts, such as the industrially used Carm tree sap, and different vors of tobo
The advantage of this method is the low cost, but it has a strict requirement for the quality of the soil.
Take Carm trees for example. Only nts with soil contamination less than ten can be used to grow these trees. This type of soil is also extremely rare on the wastnd, so Carm tree sap production is not high even on the Sixth Street. Previously, this raw material had minimal demand, but during this period, demand far exceeded supply.
Couldnt we just purchase soilless equipment? Jiang Chen was refusing to give up.
Using soilless equipment to grow Carm trees, how much crystals would you use to obtain one ton of Carm tree sap. Sun Jiao facepalmed feeling helpless.
[This is problematic now.]
Jiang Chens eyebrows began to twist as he fell into deep thought.
But then, he suddenly remembered Lin Lin.
[Yes! The Garden of Eden Project!
If it is possible to change the local biosphere, there is no reason there is no technology to change the condition of the soil!]
Did you think of something? Sun Jiao looked confusedly as Jiang Chens always changing expression.
Mhmm. The tip of Jiang Chens mouth curled up, Looks like the little ve in our mansion is finally going to be useful.
Sun Jiao instantly understood as a sign of joy also shed across her face.
What? Reduce soil contamination? Why should I help you? With fingers holding onto the test tube, the smooth and silky silver hair hid the disdained expression on Lin Lins face as she said without any consideration.
The one red and one ck pupil were the same as when he left before. It seemed that she became used to having an odd creature living inside her body.
Because you need to eat, Jiang Chen let out a sigh as he said righteously.
He was already bing bored of looking at her humiliated expression, but this girl seemed to think otherwise?
Do you feel great about being bullied now? Seeing the slightly sad Lin Lin drawing on the touch board, Jiang Chen said helplessly.
With such a gorgeous face, she had to have such a terrible expression.
Go die. With her finger finishing thest line, Lin Lin gave Jiang Chen a hard stare and popped out her tongue to give him a scary face.
What is this? Jiang Chen ignored her action as he got closer to the touch board.
Ahem, foolish Lin Lin straightened her back while the tip of her lips curved up.
Ahem.
Ahh! Enough! Fine, Ill say it. Lin Lin pouted her mouth in sadness as she touched the screen. The first step is to neutralize the soil. The second step is to use ion membranes to permeate out the heavy metal ions, the third step is
Hold on, what is an ion membrane? Jiang Chen interrupted her as he waspletely lost.
A thing that can easily filter through the ion particles should be prettymon, Lin Lin said nonchntly.
[What. I have never heard about this before.]
Jiang Chen suddenly recalled that Lin Lin had always stayed in the research facility, for she wouldnt be so clueless about the situation of the apocalypse otherwise. In this case, the mon in her mind probably meantmon in theb.
[Did not think this through]
Let me first ask, how many steps does this process include? Jiang Chen was feeling speechless.
Not that many, only 24 steps. I have taken a sample of the soil here before, and the contamination level is 68. Its hard to believe in and this toxic weeds can grow. When the topic revolved around her field of interest, Lin Lin became keener.
Does yourb not consider costs when you experiment? Jiang Chen ridiculed.
Costs? Of course, Lin Lin disagreed.
Then tell me after 24 steps, what is the cost?
Lin Lin looked at Jiang Chen strangely.
Are you misinterpreting something?
is not a soil purification project. Since it is a subproject of space colonization, then why do we need to understand how to treat the pollution on Earth. Using organics as well as minerals on others, we could produce soil. It is too troublesome to purify it.
Produce soil?
Thats right. It is not difficult to produce soil. At least easier than washing the ground. But since all the finished goods are contaminated here, it would not be easy to find raw ingredients to form clean soil. Lin Lin let out a sigh.
Produce soil? Others?
Jiang Chen suddenly smacked his own head as he cursed in his mind.
[F*ck, why didnt I think of this before. It is not that difficult. I can interdimensional travel! If I can carry back food, how difficult would it be to transport a couple of hundred cubic meters of soil?]
Since the problem was solved, Jiang Chen didnt n to ask further, so he changed the topic.
Okay, lets not talk about this Oh, did you finish the task I gave you?
Chapter 176 - Wormhole
Chapter 176: Wormhole
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Since it has been a while, the Death w and mutated lead skin human research should bepleted?
Of course. Who do you think I am? Lin Lin let out a sigh as a confident expression appeared on her face.
Follow me. She crooked her finger at Jiang Chen as she turned around, swaying her silver white hair, and walked to the giant vial in the back.
A naked monster with its flesh exposed was in the middle of the vial. The dark green liquid asionally had bubbles blowing upwards. It seemed like the work of a science freak in Americanics. But Jiang Chen didnt focus on that. Rather he looked at the bottom part of the monster.
Just like the rumors say, no d*ck.
Lin Lin pointed her delicate finger and pressed the touch screen on the side of the vial. Several orange lights shined into the hologram screen in front of them. The list of data on the screen had Jiang Chenpletely lost.
Lin Lin, standing beside him, looked at him contemptuously in secret. She imprudently made fun of Jang Chens ignorance in her mind before speaking with her head held high.
Muscle strength or body strength 63, bone strength 47, reflex 20, brain cell strength 9. From a human perspective, without overexerting the bodys capabilities, this is the limit of the bodys strength.
Umm Speaking of this, is this guy still considered human? Lin Lin had her finger on her chin as she muttered to herself.
Jiang Chen nced at her. [Is this girl still considered human?]
The cell in the body is modified by the FEV virus. Simrly, the skin is imnted with heavy metal The lead skin could bepared to C-type steel, and it could easily defend against standard bullets. The regeneration of the cell is ridiculously fast. Based on the data of the bodys DNA, even if it lost an arm, it would be able to grow one back in a weeks time. Although I never fought before, if this thing was put in the battlefield, it should be invincible right? The pacifist Lin Lin even started to exim about the battle ability of this thing.
Does it not have any weaknesses? Jiang Chen had a troubled smile.
Of course. Lin Lin nodded, First because of the influence of heavy metal. Their nervous system is extremely weak. The brain cell strength is as low as 9. Also, their life is limited. Based on its DNA and regeneration calction, their life expectancy is only 30 years. Also, if their head or heart is destroyed, they will die instantly.
It was the same as not saying anything. Which creature would still live without a brain or heart?
Jiang Chen let out a sigh.
Looks like there is no shortcut to this. To destroy this dangerous thing we would have to depend on Tiger. Using its pure explosive power of electromaic cannons to blow this thing into pieces.
Also, can I ask a question? Lin Lin abruptly spoke out.
Mhmm? Go ahead.
When I first acquired the body I was utterly astonished. What did you do to destroy every single cell in the mutated humans body? Lin Lin looked oddly at Jiang Chen as she was clueless.
[It was time travel.] But he did not dare to tell her yet.
Jiang Chen subtly looked away as he began toe up with a vague response.
Well, I used a special weapon that instantly ended all cell activity. Speaking of this, what do those cells look like under the microscope?
The cell membrane broke. Based on the way it broke, it appeared to be due to extremely low temperatures that caused the fluid in the cell to freeze? It is peculiar As if without preparation, it traveled through a wormhole with entropy infinitely approaching 0, Lin Lin doubtingly said, as she stared at Jiang Chen.
[Extremely low temperatures? But there was no temperature change during time travel.]
Jiang Chen slightly raised his eyebrows and didnt notice Lin Lins look of doubt.
Seeing Jiang Chen had no reaction, Lin Lin continued.
Passing through an area with entropy infinitely approaching 0 would have no impact on dead things, but for something alive, it would be nearly impossible for them to remain alive. But as the shortcut to intergctic travel, passing through a wormhole is a topic that cant be avoided, as how to travel through wormholes had a lot of interesting hypotheses in the physics world. Among them, Doctor Kleins hypothesis had the most authority.
Klein? Jiang Chen felt that he had heard this name before.
Thats right. To put it in a simple analogy, mass and energy through twopletely parallel tunnels cross the wormhole. As she said this, Lin Lin grabbed a pen to draw a cylinder on the whiteboard. Then she drew two parallel lines, one pass through inside the cylinder, and another pass through outside the cylinder.
As long as you send the energy at the entrance of wormhole through the tunnel into another dimension to the end of the wormhole and meet with the mass that passes through the wormhole there, it would avoid the part where entropy decreases in the wormhole.
Detach the energy? Wouldnt that creature die instantly? Jiang Chen didnt understand.
Therefore, this is the brilliance of Doctor Klein. Lin Lin sighed. She drew t1 and t2 at the ends of the whiteboard and gave then a value to 0.
Time. Based on research, within the wormhole, time, space, and all physic principles are ambiguous. To put it in simple terms, you could spin around a few times before walking to the exit, or you could instantly head for the exit when you enter the wormhole. As long as you find the perfect route, you could decrease the time to pass through the wormhole to 0.
Ill give you an analogy. A door frame is put in front you. You have a ball in your hand that represents your temperature. Based on the rule, when the ball passes through the doorframe, I will take it away from you. So instead, the instant youre about to cross the door frame, you throw the ball up and the ball would fly above the doorframe. Then, once you go through the doorframe, you catch the ball, and sessfully passed through the door with the ball.
I see. Jiang Chen half understandingly nodded his head.
Therefore, how did you pass through the door?
I dont know. I used the bracelet Suddenly, Jiang Chen looked cautiously at Lin Lin and narrowed his eyes.
You are setting me up.
The fool wants to say it himself, the tip of Lin Lins mouth raised in proudness as she said nonchntly.
You are ying with fire.
She seemed to have sensed the grimace in Jiang Chens tone as Lin Lin sacredly moved back. The proud expressionpletely vanished. II am only curious. I have no other intention. AlAlso, you suddenly appeared from the tentst time. I already had an idea After seeing so much food in the base, you must be an alien right?!
An alien?
Jiang Chen paused for a moment before he burst outughing.
What, what are youughing at, Lin Lin worked up her courage and fainted protested.
Ahem, nothing. Since you already guessed most of it, Ill tell you. Jiang Chen smile, I am a time traveler from the past, from the year 2015.
Lin Lin took some time to think before she raised her pair of serene eyebrows.
Time traveler? From the past?
You already said all physics principle doesnt apply in the wormhole since it could avoid the space continuum, time continuum would not be a problem too, right? Jiang Chen shrugged.
Based on the theory yes. Although out of the six colonization ships, three passed through the wormhole. As to the specifics of passing through the wormhole, only they would know. Lin Lin nodded, but then looked at Jiang Chen doubtfully. I didnt know that this stingy devil could tell me this secret.
What if I told you, Jiang Chen with a smile looked at the one ck and one red pupil, I dont n to ever let you go.
Hearing that, Lin Lins face instantly turned red as it was the rare time she didnt bad mouth back, but rather shifted her eyes to the side.
Jiang Chen didnt realize the other meaning in his words as he looked at the girl forced to be obedient pleasingly.
Also, what about that Death w? Is the result out?
When he mentioned the Death w, Lin Lin, rarely tense, turned serious.
I found some odd things on the Death w.
After leaving from Lin Linsb, Jiang Chen fell into deep thought thinking about what she just said.
Everyone knew that the starting point of the x1 virus was to purify radiation, but because it experienced uncontroble mutation under the radiation environment, it turned into the frightening virus.
But x2s design philosophy was rather dubious.
As the improved version of the x1 virus, x2s purification ability was increased. But the food for thought element was that the effect of infiltrating creatures nervous system was not removed, but rather strengthened. It also increased the structure of the cell, making it harder to be eliminated by the immune system.
As if it was designed to eliminate all humans along with the radiation.
The fortunate part was that because the cells DNA structure was too stable, it could not split through binary fission. It could only produce through the mothers body. Therefore, after Jiang Chen cleared out the source in the area, the x2 virus slowly began to vanish.
Could it be born through x1s own mutation? Since there is radiation everywhere
Impossible, Lin Lin shook her head as she rejected Jiang Chens doubt with certainty. The Death w evolved to have armor, simplified its molecr chain to develop ws, and these were all part of natural selection. To survive, creatures would be forced to adapt and evolve certain traits, but not put a lock on its own life. Theplicated breeding mechanism has no practical meaning for survival, and it is impossible that x2 was born through evolution.
She paused, before continuing, The only possibility is that someone created the x2 virus. But what I dont understand is, the x1 virus data should already have been onboard with the colonization ship.
Could it be another scientist that didnt manage to make it onto the ship created it? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
I am not sure, Lin Lin shook her head, But one point is certain, and that is the people who developed the x2 virus definitely have no good intentions.
Someone wanted the humans on the wastnd to be extinct.
But who could it be?
Mutated humans have enough of a reason, but a virus that the Death w couldnt even handle, could they resist it?
But if it was not the mutated human, who had the motives to do this?
Suddenly, a frightening thought popped into Jiang Chens mind.
If wormholes could create time travel, then where did the three space colonization ships go? Did they reallypletely abandon this?
Chapter 177 - Slavery
Chapter 177: very
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Seatbelt check. Ready to depart. Chu Nan closed the hatch.
Dont worry, I checked already. Jiang Chen, wearing the kic skeleton, pointed at his shoulder and smiled.
This is procedure Okay, lift off. Chu Nan opened the engine switch while signally the apprentice in the co-pilot position to keep an eye on the monitors on the right side.
Woohoo!
Outside of the helicopter, high voltage static began to hum. Under the push of the furious vortex flow, the 51 helicopter began to lift off slowly.
Sitting across Jiang Chen was the gunner. The young man wearing orange protective gear felt shy with the base leader sitting across from him.
Dont be anxious. Jiang Chen gave him a friendly smile.
Yes! The young man shouted out, just as he wanted to stand up to salute, he wasically pulled back by the seatbelt.
Jiang Chenughed as he waved his hand signally there was no need. Then he focused his gaze on what was happening outside the window.
It stopped snowing, but the snow had yet to melt.
It was the first time overseeing the entirety of Wanghai City in the sky.
A frozen world. The city at dawn shone brightly. The glittering colors seemed to have fended off the gloom of the radiation dust in the air.
If it was not for the asional zombie, as well as the unhealthy colored smog, he could almost forget that he was in the apocalypse, and was instead in a snowy city in the Northern kingdom.
From this view, the city is quite beautiful, Jiang Chen eximed while looking through the window.
The first time is indeed powerful. But if you fly every day, youll get used to it. Chu Nanughed.
Yeah? Jiang Chen smiled as he didnt disagree.
5 Tigers, one armored vehicle carrying supplies, 30 light infantry carrying Reaper assault rifle, as well as two snipers equipped with ghost sniper rifles.
The destination was Shenxiang Town. This was Fishbone Bases first attack on the mutated humans.
Jiang Chen didnt need toe but considering they needed the seven hundred captured survivors at the base. It would be best for the Fishbone leader to stand out and say something.
Also, to observe the battle from above was something he looked forward to.
About to be in contact with radiation dust. Put on the mask, as he spoke, Chu Nan pulled the mask down over his helmet.
Received.
Jiang Chen pressed a few buttons on the kic skeleton, picked up the helmet on the chair beside him, and connected the extension to the slot.
It snowed, but this level of coldness was as indifferent as the spring breeze to the mutated humans.
Even if they were fully exposed to the external conditions, they could still stand tall in the chilling snowstorm, ignoring the furious wind, and unleash the full firepower of the guns in their hands.
They were natural warriors. Viewing highly of themselves, they were the terminators of the old civilization.
Even if their bodies were unafraid of the cold, long winter journeys were still extremely difficult for them.
Additionally, the stronger the body, the higher the supply consumption. Since west of Zhufeng Road had been entirely blocked by the snow, it meant it was nearly impossible for vehicles to traverse across it and this fact put the already short supply line under more pressure.
There were only two options in front of the mutated humans.
One, send a team to Shenxiang Town across the Taifu river bank to establish an outpost, and then send the primary force to Wanghai City.
Two, wait till next spring to invade Wanghai City.
There was no possibility of the mutated humans and humans to reach a peaceful negotiation. Once they encountered each other, it would be a bloodbath. As for the decision to invade Wanghai City and engage in conflicts with the local human force, the mutated human leader was cautious. Different from the scattered survivors in Jia City, as the hotspot during the war, Wanghai City had multiple survivor camps that inherited frontier military technology before the war.
If they had to engage in conflict with the human force, the mutated human would rather have it happen during the winter.
If they waited for spring, the advantage of the mutated humans being able to fight in harsh climates would be non-existent. At the same time, hungry mutants would wake up from hibernation which would make the trip into city center more problematic.
Because of the above reasons, the mutated humans decided to go with n one for now.
Although the highway between 7th area and Shenxiang Town waspletely blocked by snow, the road condition from Shenxiang Town to Wanghai City was rtively smooth. As long as they establish an outpost to store supplies, the pressure of the supply line would be greatly alleviated. A winter crusade would be possible.
Therefore, the captured survivors in Shengxiang Town were not immediately escorted back, but rather were forced to construct defensive structures by the mutated humans there.
Outside Shenxiang Town, the outline of the reinforced concrete wall was starting to be visible.
The sides of the road were piled with wood chips and were ced as obstacles and barriers to block the major roads outside of the town. But when the mutated humans arrived, the flimsy barrier could not bring even the slightest sense of security to the survivors hiding behind cover. The monster wielding steel carried machine guns and the bullet storm destroyed the mental fortitude of every defender.
In the shack not far away from this ce, the painted concrete wall was cut in half by the coilless cannon. On the shambles were terrifying bullet holes, and the blood stains on the wooden floor in the room were still clearly visible.
The survivors defending behind cover could not cause a single casualty to the attacking mutated humans. But when the first mutated human passed through the wooden barrier, tens of bodies were already on the ground, which forced the survivors to raise the white g and surrender.
The recalcitrants body was pierced by wooden spears, hung in the snow being eroded by the snowstorm, and eaten by the mutated rats. Just like a g, dering the cruelty of the victors.
Wang Pin, with cold eyes, stared at the frail humans as they dragged concrete and steel through the snow with difficulty, building up their outpost.
Move quicker you damn pests. Who said you could stop, mhmm? A horrific looking mutated human held a whip as he cursed at the ves. His whip regrly beat at the weak figures, without any care if they actually made a mistake or not.
The frightened faces instinctively made him feel joyful.
Since he couldnt acquire pleasant sensations physiologically, the body full of male hormones could only be alleviated through primal violence.
Luke, dont identally kill them. Even if they are pests, they still have value in entertaining us. Wang Pin strolled beside the supervisor as he shed his mouth full of fangs. Looking at the boy lying in the snow, he did not hide his eyes full of disgust and disdain.
The mutated human after being reborn would rename themselves, abandoning the ancient ethics along with their name.
Haha! Luke flung the whip in his hand as heughed. Cowards, all eyes on me.
The people carrying bags of concrete all stopped.
Men, women, elderly, and children.
The white snow circled around them, but it could not hide their terrified looks. They could not scream, nor be anger. The chilling cold already caused their facial nerves to lose any sense of feeling. The bloodthirsty mutated humans made them forget the dignity they had.
He looked at the numb faces with satisfaction. Luke lowered his head and looked at the boy trembling in the snow. With a grimace, he lifted his foot and stepped on the youthful face.
AhhThe suppressed scream came from the bottom of his foot, as the frozen fingers tightly grasped onto the ground as he crashed into the freezing snow.
The father of the boy stood on the side with his shoulders trembling. His bloodshot eyes widened at the scene.
The mutated humans on the side carried their rifles as they mockingly looked at the ves being humiliated. Theck of entertainment meant that the thing they loved to do the most was to humiliate the helpless ves.
FEV virus was magical. The magical part was that it would make the modified person forget any previous reluctance and experience the sensation of evolution. They would forget about their hatred towards the mutated humans and willingly join the new party, and in term shift their hatred onto the old species unwilling to ept evolution.
No! A deafening scream broke the silence. A woman with messy hair leaped onto the snow as she tightly held onto the mutated humans foot while desperately trying to save the boy being stepped on.
Mom The boys eyeballs were protruding because of pressure, his mouth weakly moved.
Luke apathetically observed the woman from above. Coldly staring at the plea and despair in her eyes.
Get out. The cold words left his mouth.
Luke lifted the foot stepping on the boys face as he kicked her chest mercilessly and sent the woman flying.
She struggled to stand up from the snow, the edges of her mouth had blood dripping down as she coughed.
But her eyes didnt look at Luke, and instead looked at the boy freed from under his foot.
A tender smile appeared on her face as she crawled to the kid.
For some reason, the expression on the womans face enraged Luke.
Stop, he arrogantly ordered.
The woman ignored him as she shakingly moved her arms in the boys direction. Seeing his mom was getting closer, the boy looked relieved.
But then, a rifle was pointed at her head.
She nkly looked at it as despair appeared on her face.
Could, could it not be here, She used her trembling voice to plead.
The second she leaped out from the crowd, she knew her fate.
The people who dared to defy them all died, no exception.
If possible, she didnt want to die in front of her child.
Lukes face held a disdained grimace. This person wanted to discuss terms with him?
Let her go.
A man stood out, but his legs and shoulders trembled. Luke scorned.
I am willing to die for her. This sentence seemed to have taken all of his courage.
The woman looked at the man with eyes wide open as the sign of life began to vanish from her face.
The cracked mouth opened as a powerless voice whispered out.
Nno
Then go die. Luke immediately fired. The bullet prated his chest, and even hurt the elder behind him.
Ahhh!
The crowd howled. The womans scream was filled with heartbreak, and the boys eyes opened wide as he watched his father fall into the snow.
Seeing the woman on all four scrambling to crawl to her husband, Lukes face revealed a psychotic but satisfied smile.
He lifted his gun again as he was about to execute the woman that dared to dirty his feet.
But just at that moment, Wang Pin, standing on the side, gently put his hand on the lifted rifle.
Chapter 178 - The Unscientific Electromagnetic Cannon
Chapter 178: The Unscientific Electromaic Cannon
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The woman covered her husband as the bodys temperature began to drop. The woman desperately tried to use her own heat to warm him, to save his fading life.
I love you.
No, no, I wont allow you to go. Droplets of tears rolled down the womans cheek, sttering on the blood soaked jacket.
Sorry
I dont want your apology! I dont! The heartbreaking scream could not stop the bodys temperature from dropping.
Luke moved his eyes away from the two as he looked confusedly at hispanion. He didnt understand his intention.
Its too boring to kill them, buddy. You havent learned the essence of torture. Wang Pin patted his shoulder, pretending to sound wise as he cracked a smile.
Oh? Luke raised his eyebrows as he stuffed the gun into hisp. Go ahead then.
Wang Pin took the gun with a grimace on his face. He ignored the woman looking at him with anger and fear, and turned to the other pigs.
Pigs, listen up. Now, anyone who r*pes her will be given freedom.
The crowd became unsettled, but no one came up.
Luke looked as his colleague, not understanding his intention. He didnt know what was the purpose of seeing herds of humans in intercourse.
Thats right, herds. From the mutated humans perspective, humans were only livestock. Due to traces of memory being left from before their transformation, they didnt eat human flesh like cannibals. However, they would not shy away from any cruelty to obtain a sense of joy from the howling humans.
No one? If I remember correctly, this woman, to your standard of beauty, should be quite attractive, Wang Pin continued to hold his rifle and said slowly.
Is there any purpose in this? Luke was still confused.
Of course, buddy, learn from me. Other than killing, there are a lot of other ways to dig out the despair in their hearts.
Wang Pin smiled with a grimace as he licked his dry lips. He then looked at the frightened woman backing away from him.
Lying on top of her husbands yet to be cold body, under the watch of her son, and humiliated by countless people. What kind of despair would be on such a face? The idea is making me excited. Isnt the whole purpose of the existence of civilization to blossom the glimpse of light under the torture of the primal? Hahaha!
The cruelughter was deafening, shaking off the snow on trees that were a few kilometers away.
Luke nkly looked at the psychotic smile on his colleague as an excited expression appeared on his face.
Sheet, you are a genius. Oh, devil! You must be an artist in your previous life.
Who knows? Wang Pin smiled as he used his gun to point at the closest man.
You, go fu*k her.
The man gulped, gritted his teeth, and defiantly said.
I cant do it.
Bang!
Like a piece of paper, he fell onto the ground. The mans face still maintained a defiant expression, with a glimpse of disbelief.
Next. Wang Pin pointed the gun at the next man, a middle-aged man holding his bleeding arm.
Trembling, the middleaged man walked a few steps, before finally kneeling onto the ground.
I
Bang!
Wang Pin didnt give him the opportunity to exin as he immediately blew up his head.
Red and white sttered everywhere and even sshed onto the person behind him.
Wang Pin raised his chin and targeted the next person.
Perhaps terrified by the horrific scene, the third person only hesitated slightly before looking down and running to the woman with trembling steps.
Sorry, please forgive me. The man was afraid to look at the expression on the womans face as he merciless reached for her cor.
NNo. The womans eyes widen in despair.
The man ignored her struggling plea. He ignored all the morals and dignity of the human civilization and pushed her down on the body that was still slowly losing its temperature.
In his mind, he was desperately trying tofort himself. If he didnt do it, he would die. He was doing it, but it was not his intention.
Wang Pin pleasingly looked at the mans action; the joy of ripping the civilization apart was almost making him shake in excitement. Luke, standing on the side, also had his eyes wide open. He was only a mutated human for less than two years, and it was the first time he witnessed such a joyful moment other than from violence.
Wang Pin raised his gun again, pointing at the next person. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the shout of the patrol.
What is that?! The mutated human carrying an assault rifle pointed at the ck dot in the sky.
He raised his eyebrows as Wang Pin looked up, What is
Boom!
Mixed with thick smoke, the snow on the ground blew up like an avnche as it flew over the crowd.
The shockwave flipped people onto the ground as the frightened crowd ditched the concrete and steel bags in their hands. They ran to the nearest barrier or ducked into the field.
The mutated humans didnt stop them because their situation was not any better.
Dammit, what is it!
Wang Pin crawled up from the ground as he looked at the thick smoke ten meters away with horrid.
The bloodthirsty pupils contracted as a rare sense of fear surfaced.
Direct hit.
Beautiful! Jiang Chen smiled as he gave a thumbs up to the gunner.
The furious wind blew through the hatch door as the orange protective suit gusted in the chill. The gunner wearing his mask turned and nodded his head to express his gratitude towards Jiang Chens praise. Then, without stopping, he carried another 10kg bomb and stuffed it into the cartridge as the cannon began to charge.
At this moment, Jiang Chen had a tablet in his hand. The shing picture on the scene was of the entire battlefield. The camera located below the helicopter holistically presented the overview of the battlefield to themander.
The green dot hidden three kilometers away from the town was Fishbone Bases light infantry. The five tigers were scattered behind buildings, only exposing the electromaic cannon. The vehicle was also covered with white cloth, which camouged the vehicle perfectly with the snow. This only left the pitch ck cannon visible.
The red dot signaled were enemy units marked out by the sniper, while the gray dots were civilians.
The thick smoke rising from the ground was the truck destroyed by the helicopter cannon. The anti-air machine gun had yet to unleash its power before being blown up into metal shards.
The mutated humans who lost their air defense began to flee.
Jiang Chen observed the battlefield.
It was like ying a game.
Also worth mentioning, themand system attached to the helicopter was the masterpiece of Yao Yao.
The purpose of civilization is to punish the primal brutality.
As if it was meant to rebuttal the mor, Jiang Chen mustered to himself.
[Since the grim reaper has already arrived on the battlefield, then you bastards must go die.]
He coldly overwatched the fleeing figures on the screen as his finger pointed at the red dot on the screen.
Woosh!
The trident shaped cannon began to sh a faint blue electric light, followed by a screeching homing noise.
The orange arc smashed to the ground. The noise of the bomb breaking the sound barrier almost covered the screaming Northen wind.
Chapter 179 - Smite
Chapter 179: Smite
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The orange arc explosion prated the cloud shaped sound barrier.
Followed by the explosive homing, the cylinder shaped bomb rapidly spun, just like god smiting the sins in the world, it smashed directly into the fleeing mutated humans.
Boom!
Snow knee deep blew up into the air and mixed with shattered soft lead debris as it rained down onto the surrounding area.
Without the need for explosives and just using pure mechanical power, the 10kg bomb blew up in the enemies base.
Soft lead made bombs allowed the bomb to break into thumb sized pieces and scatter under the heavy air pressure. This instantly blew the mutated humans nearby away like paper. The concrete wall nearbypletely copsed. The debris ten meters away even left bowl sized holes on the wall.
F*ck, what is that damn thing! Wang Pin struggled to stand up from the snow. He lifted his blood filled face and frightenedly stared at the ck dot in the sky.
Luke was already dead. He saw the head meters away from the body. The poor guy had his neck blow off by debris as his entire head was severed from his body.
Its a helicopter! Dammit, why would Liuding Towns people be here?! The mutated human hiding behind the barrier raised his binocrs as he said with a trembling voice.
Liuding Town?!
When he heard the word, Wang Pin instant felt a chill overwhelm his body. His limbs felt cold. Without hesitation, he got up and ran for his life to the concrete-made barrier.
Based on rumors, on the wastnd near Wanghai City, only humans on the aircraft carrier inherited flight units before the war.
But why would they show up here while they were located hundreds of kilometers away?
Boom!
The deafening st ended his thought as the snow and debris covered him.
The bomb didnt juste from the sky. It also came from the horizon.
As if it was an agreement, five arcs smashed into the mutated human base like iron fists. The halfpleted reinforced concrete wall was instantly shattered into pieces. As the pieces of concrete flew backward, the mutated humans taking cover behind it all dropped to the ground. The ones yet to be killed crawled into the town.
Although the electromaic cannon used 5kg bombs, it was not inferiorpared to the strike from the dome.
God, please stop! Crawling into the corner of a room and covering his head, a mutated human roared with a whimpering voice. The rifle along with his arrogance were all thrown into the snow.
D*mmit, where is the anti-air cannon! We
Under the far fire range, the mutated humans machine guns were like toys. The only purpose of their shouting was to unleash the fear in their hearts. The asion bomb that flew to Fishbone bases side smashed into the building used as cover without any uracy.
However, on the Fishbone Base side, with the guidance of snipers as well as aerial coverage, the five tiger fired simultaneously and urately, eliminating the mutated humans firepower and shattering their morale.
Someone seems to be using rifles to shoot at us. Jiang Chen looked at the screen and smiled. His finger lightly drew on the screen as he circled a few red dots.
Debris flew up as the red dots were blown up to pieces by the bombs.
Only that anti-air machine gun is a bit threatening. Even if the assault rifle bullets could hit this far, the airflow would make it lose its uracy. Chu Nanughed, initiated automatic hovering, and moved his hands away from the controls.
Oh? Jiang Chen answered absentmindedly, his eyes were focused on the red dots on the screen. He then pressed his finger on the guy covering his head and ducking into the snow.
Although those monstrous humans did not deserve mercy, the apathetic feeling of killing people through a screen still shocked him.
Oh right, correction. They were not human.
Speaking of something else, hows that wife of yours? Jiang Chen dragged his finger on the green dots and pointed on the location of the road. After receiving themand, 20 something light infantries began to move to the target location. He then pointed a few more times on the screen, and the other 20 light infantries crossed the barriers, pushing forward to the target area through the front.
Not bad, Chu Nan answered concisely as he didnt seem to want to continue on the topic.
Oh Even if he epted, his heart must not feel so great.
Jiang Chen didnt ask further.
Over half of the mutated humans stationed in Shenxiang Town were eliminated. The remaining ones were under the heavy fire suppression of the electromaic cannon. The steel te in front of their chests could block bullets, but when the bullets changed to electromaic cannons, it was as good as paper.
While maintaining fire suppression, the two squads of light infantry quickly captured the mutated humans hiding in the barriers. As to the mutated human still reluctant to give up, merciless canons awaited them.
Beep!
A screeching rm began to sound.
Whats that noise? Jiang Chen frowned.
What else could it be. RPG Flying Sword anti-air missile. The mutated humans probably dug it up from a PAC armory, Chu Nan said casually as he simultaneously pressed a button beside the control panel.
Click.
Within the vision of the tablet, a few shing sparks began to fall. The approaching anti-air missile directly hit one of the rubbles and scathed by the helicopter.
Electromaic lure. These things that chase after high-frequency electronic devices are easy to deal with. The anti air machine gun is more reliable. Chu Nanughed contemptuously as he put his hands behind his head and sank further into the chair.
Jiang Chen pointed his finger at the guy reloading the RPG, but Jiang Chen didnt use electromaic cannons this time. Instead, hemanded the infantry to attack him.
He was very interested in the anti-air missile.
If he could seize it, why would he destroy it?
Cheng Weiguo leaned tightly against the cover as he checked the coordinates on the EP. Then he signaled the team on the other side to throw a smoke bomb as they quickly pushed further into the town.
An unfair battle.
With the firepower advantage, the mutated humans muscles and their strength in numbers were not worth mentioning.
They already crossed their defensive structure. At this point, his force still maintained zero casualties.
Pointing the rifle out of cover, Cheng Weiguo aimed at the mutated human, with half of his body exposed carrying the RPG, and pulled the trigger.
Tata!
The bullets instantly forced the mutated human to take cover and shredded more of the already in shambles concrete wall into pieces.
The soldiers on the other wing quickly rushed in, just like how they were trained in exercise.
The gunshots afar began to disappear. The force attacking from the side already controlled the south area of the town. The battle in the east should also be over.
Cheng Weiguo tugged at the thick scarf around his neck. His beard covered with ice shards, he breathed out a few white puffs.
Team A attack the town center and control the warehouse. Team B follow the boundary to clear out the area. Team C take control of the captives. Move!
Yes, Sir! The synched roar echoed within themunication channel.
Cheng Weiguo put the rifle on his arm, looked up at the ck dot in the sky, and he saluted.
But at this time, the snow beside him suddenly moved as he immediately pointed the gun at the pile.
He maintained shooting position as he slowly moved to cover, using his feet to remove the snow.
It was a face.
The boy feebly looked at him with a bruise printed on his face.
Seeing this, Cheng Weiguo quickly kneeled down, used the handle of the gun to sweep the snow off of him, and dragged him out from the snow.
SaSave my mom
Looking at the boys face, the feeling of yet to extinct justice made him feel enraged.
Where is she? He held onto the boys hand and said firmly.
There The boy faintly pointed at the pile of snow on the side.
Cheng Weiguo put him on a concrete bag as he carried the gun and traversed through the snow to the pile.
He dug through the snow and found a man. He was slightly shocked, but soon saw the woman below the man.
The womans body was exposed, her hair messy. Her breathing was faint as if she could lose her life at any second.
The man on top of her already lost his breath. The soft lead debris prated his body. The shattered sses was covered in blood.
At the moment, Cheng Weiguo didnt understand the rtionship between them, especially when he saw that there was another man under her.
Regardless, saving her life was more important.
He dragged the already dead man out of the snow. Cheng Weiguo then helped the sandwiched woman up.
Its all over. Your son is beside you.
But in an instant, the womans eyes became widened as she stared at something behind him.
Suddenly alerted, Cheng Weiguo hugged the woman and rolled onto the ground.
Dong!
A steel beam pierced the location he previous stood in as it deeply prated into the concrete bag.
The blood covered Wang Pin stared at Cheng Weiguo in rage as he leaped towards him roaring.
Without hesitation, he raised his gun, and the rifle unleashed its power on the mutated humans chest as blood began to stter. But the mutated human did not back down as he took the bullets and pushed Cheng Weiguo onto the ground.
Roar! The mutated human clenched onto the reaper assault rifle, attempting to take it from Cheng Weiguos hands.
Cheng Weiguo tightly clenched his teeth, his face entirely red. Obviously, he was no match for the mutated humans strength as the gun began to move in the mutated humans direction.
Seeing he could not outmatch the mutated humans strength, he immediately let go.
Because of the sudden jerk, Wang Pins body immediately tilted up with the rifle, Grasping onto the opportunity, Cheng Weiguo swiftly grabbed the dagger on his leg and swung it at Wang Pins throat.
The dagger shed through as blood began to ssh all over the ground.
Wang Pin dropped the rifle onto the ground as he covered his throat, pouring out blood. His mouth was open, but he couldnt say a word. He could only use the blood and his widened eyes to show his disbelief and bitterness.
Grabbing the rifle on the ground, Cheng Weiguo, without hesitation, pressed the gun to his forehead and pulled the trigger.
There was more blood.
Wang Pins shoulder loosened as he fell backward, deep into the thick snow.
At the same time, the womans shoulder began to loosen up too.
[Alive]
Kneeled on the ground, she leaned her face against the snow pile beside her. She couldnt feel the coldness on her face anymore
Chapter 180 - Colony
Chapter 180: Colony
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The battle ended swiftly,pletely in contrast with the stalemate they were in when they encountered the mutated humansst time.
The 30 infantries, who entered the town, did not suffer any casualties, and only one unlucky guy was shot in the leg by a recalcitrant mutated human. The bullet happened to pass through his artery. Although the blood gushing out was quite frightening, thebat medic was quick to rescue, and the man was no longer in a life-threatening condition.
A total of 35 mutated humans were killed including 29 who died from electromaic pulse cannon and six of which died from of assault rifle and sniper attacks. Five were captured, and although mutated humans would rarely take the humiliation of being captured by a human lying down, under that overwhelming firepower, instinctive fear prevailed over the ridiculous pride.
A total of 721 human captives were rescued. If the bodies outside the town were all dead, the poption of the town should be 779 before the mutated humans came.
There were bullet holes the size of a bowl throughout the exterior buildings outside of the town, and copsed concrete buildings could be seen everywhere. Half of which were destroyed by the mutated humans.
The Fishbone Base infantry maintained the order of the queue as they recorded all the rescued townspeople and then provide them with the nutrient supply that originally belonged to them.
The five Tigers didnt drive into the city but stopped at the bridgehead of Zhufeng highway. A few soldiers were carrying concrete bags to build five crude bunkers.
This move was very intriguing.
All the Shenxiang townspeople had one thought hovering in their mind: do these people want to stay here?
They had a sense of foreboding.
Type-51 helicopternded about a half kilometer away from the town in an open space. Jiang Chen, d in kic skeletons, jumped down from the top. Cheng Weiguo, along with the mayor of the town, greeted Jiang Chen and saluted after seeing him.
Did you finish the census? Jiang Chen cut to the chase.
Its done. Cheng Weiguo handed a tablet to Jiang Chen for him to check.
Jiang Chen swiped the screen while he perused the statistics.
Poption: 721, captive mutated humans: 5.
Seized: 24 machine guns, 72 various models of rifles, 100 thousand rounds of bullets, 1 shoulderunched missile, 5 surface-to-air missiles, 5 recoilless cannons, and 40 rounds of ammunition. And there were 40 sets of C-type steel armors, though most of them were destroyed in the explosion.
Looking at these batches of firearms, Jiang Chen was secretly stunned.
Oh boy, these firearms reserves could catch up with the entire assets of the Fishbone Base!
It could be seen that these mutated humans invested a lot in this outpost, but now all of these belonged to Jiang Chen.
These firearms would remain here, but he ordered the armors to be shipped back. Although these lumps of irons were of little value to humans, nevertheless its still pretty good to reforge them. Fishbone Base could use more C-type steels. With about ten tons of steel, however, modifying them into two armored vehicles wouldnt be a problem.
In addition, there were also hundreds of preserved mutants cadavers which appeared to be the food of mutated humans, since only they could eat something this toxic. However, so as not to waste anything, Jiang Chen still ordered Cheng Weiguo to throw these into the organic extractor to produce some nutrient supplies. With the ratio of one mutant to 100 nutrient supplies, it could easily extract 10,000 nutrient supplies.
Including the 30,000 in the storage, he temporarily did not have to worry about the rations of more than 700 people.
What excited him most was the construction materials that he seized. The mutated humans left a huge amount of cement and steels in the warehouse which were originally used to build an outpost, but right now, they were in his hands.
With these batches of prefabricated construction materials, Jiang Chen could easily stretch out reinforced concrete defensive line along the shore.
He returned the tablet to Cheng Weiguo, said a few words, and thetter received the order at once and left.
Then Jiang Chen finally turned to look at the mayor, who had been standing there and smiled amiably at him.
Seeing that Jiang Chen was looking at him, the mayor quickly bowed, The honorable Fishbone Base leader, Mr. Jiang Chen, on behalf of all the survivors in Shenxiang town, I would like to express our utmost gratitude and sincerity to you.
Dont worry about itDo tell, whats your name?
Deng Bin.
Okay, Mr. Deng Bin, I want to go to the town hall now. Do you have time to take me there?
My pleasure. Deng Bin bowed again.
To be honest, as the mayor, their saviors behavior after eliminating the mutated humans made him very uneasy. At the moment, however, they were wielding guns, and the entire military power of the town was wiped out after the onught of mutated humans. Not possessing confidence nor knowing what to say, he could only meekly follow Jiang Chen on the side.
With hands in his pocket, Jiang Chen looked at the surrounding buildings while walking on the road leading to the town hall.
The reek of blood lingered in the nose and did not fade away even after a long time.
Along the way, he didnt say anything which actually made Deng Bin somewhat uncertain.
After hesitating for a moment, Deng Bin looked at Jiang Chen and asked tentatively, In just three days, they already ughtered more than 60 of us. Truly grateful to youus survivors from Qingpu. If there is anything we can help you with, well do our absolute best.
Ive already said not to worry about it, Jiang Chen, however, didnt directly answer. Instead, he only responded in a brief sentence before no longer speaking.
While Deng Bins heart was still apprehensive, the two had arrived in front of the town hall.
To his surprise, the leader of the mysterious organization didnt seem to have the intention to go in; rather, he just stood in front of the town hall.
Did it deserve to be called a government building? It was aesthetically built, and based on the damage, it could be considered the only intact building in the entire town.
Say, was there a person called Lin Chaoen who came to your ce before?
Deng Bin was a bit stunned for a moment, as he didnt expect Jiang Chen would suddenly ask this irrelevant question.
Frowning, he tried to recall carefully and answered, There seems to be someone like thathe came from Jia City.
Did he not say anything to you? Like how the mutated humans would be here? Jiang Chen asked casually.
Looking nkly at Jiang Chen, Deng Binyao shook his head and said, No, he only stayed in our town for a night before leaving hastily.
Hadnt said anything?
[Thats extremely odd. If they desperately wanted to prevent the mutated humans from invading Wanghai City, there is no reason not to alert the people here, so that they can make early preparations. Or at the very least, build some defensive structures.]
Jiang Chen slightly knitted his brows as he carefully scrutinized Deng Bins eyes.
[It doesnt seem like hes pretending at all.]
How did you remember himwhat I mean is, is there anything special about him that made you take a closer look at him?
Hehe, there was one. Because the people passing through Zhufeng highway were usually lone travelers from Jia Cty, theye here to dig a fewponents or microchips from military equipment. These things would sell well anywhere in the maind. The worst-case scenario is that they would go to Liuding town to buy a few boxes of canned fish to sell when they returned, and then the price could at least double. However, only Lin Chaoen came back empty-handed.
Has he only been here once?
Yes, he seemed to have taken another route when he went to Wanghai City.
Nodding thoughtfully, Jiang Chen became lost in thought.
Deng Bin, standing on the side, was trying to figure out the expression on Jiang Chens face but couldnt manage to read the slightest useful information. He couldnt understand why Jiang Chen would suddenly ask about the lone travelers. Was there any deeper meaning in this?
While he was specting, Jiang Chen spoke again, but this time it was to ask a different question.
Lets talk about something else. What do you do to earn a living?
More than 700 people were not a small number. Its not the city center, so there were not enough zombies to provide organic matter that could be used to extract nutrient supply. Although there were quite a number of mutants here, they were usually powerful. If they ever hunted mutants, they didnt exactly look like a well-equipped group of survivors.
We nted some crops on the farms outside the town to extract nutrient supplies, Deng Bin looked at Jiang Chen in the eyes and said cautiously.
The fruit of the mutant nts could not be eaten, but it could be used as an excellent raw material for the extraction of nutrient supplies. Many survivors in Qingpu would also nt such crops on the roof and go to the Sixth Street to exchange for crystals or nutrient supplies.
Oh? What is the degree of soil contamination here? What about the radiation?
Seeing that Jiang Chen seem to be showing no interest in the nutrient supply in the warehouse, Deng Bin felt slightly relieved and muttered, It seems to be 9and 20.
With regards to this, he didnt have to lie about it. The two numbers were easy to measure. The radiation value could be measured by EP, and the soil contamination would only require to take a sample and then to drop two drops of reagent.
9? Very good! Jiang Chen suddenlyughed and then reached out and patted Deng Bin on the shoulder, From this day onwards, youll be in charge of the farm.
Deng Bin paused while lookingpletely dumbfounded. He couldnt understand the meaning behind his words.
Farm? Me?
Jiang Chen smiled, looked at him and said, Thats right, who else would it be?
Swallowing his saliva, Deng Bin was still bewildered and asked, If you want those mutated fruits, we are willing to pay tribute to you
Those things were not worth money at all, and not to mention the price of organic matter was declining. Even with the price two months ago, one ton of fruit could only extract 100 nutrient supplies which could be exchanged for ten crystals. The reaper rifle alone in their hands was worth 20. Thus, they didnt need to care about this small profit.
Jiang Chen raised his hand to interrupt him.
You misunderstood me, we dont care about those rotten fruits that you nted.
It was the truth, Fishbone Base didnt need nutrient supply.
Then you mean
Am I still not direct enough? Former mayor, I need you to take care of my farm for me. There were two words Jiang Chen emphasized and they were former mayor and my.
Upon hearing this, Deng Bins face instantly paled, his eyes widened, You, you want to upy our homes, you cant do
But we can, the mutated humans are going to cross this river, and I will prevent that from happening, and so were here.
But all of them are dead now Deng Bin had difficulty speaking.
Jiang Chen looked strangely at Deng Bin, he smiled and said: Are we having a misunderstanding here? You think we are here on a special trip to rescue you? I am sorry to tell you, but we are only fighting against the mutated humans. And this ce is only the outpost I captured from them. Moreover, in ordance with the rules of the wastnd, since I saved you, you are all my captives.
Deng Bins lips trembled and couldnt utter a single word. His previous thought was they were saved, but in the end, it was just a change of ownership.
Seeing that he had no reaction, Jiang Chen could also not care any less.
They will be back. Furthermore, there would be more of them, but I will defend here.
Stamping his foot, he pointed towards the ground beneath his foot.
And from now on, this is my colony.
Chapter 181 - As firm as the pyramid
Chapter 181: As firm as the pyramid
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The next morning, Fishbones g was raised at the town hall of Shenxiang Town, proiming that it had officially be part of the territory of Fishbone Base.
Under the supervision of 20 riflemen, more than 200 survivors carrying cement bags and steel bars arrived at Taipu River. They would be under the leadership of 20 engineers that Fishbone dispatched to establish defense facilities on the riverside.
Although they were still being forced to engage in manualbor, Jiang Chens treatment of them was far better than the mutated humans. Not only did he distribute winter clothes bought from the Sixth Street, but he also didnt use whip in order to force them to work harder. As long as they were not cking off, they would not be punished for failing to finish the project on time.
During his encounter with Shenxiang Town, Jiang Chen used apletely different strategypared to winning over the group of survivors in Qingpu area.
As a result of being situated outside of the city where the poption density was extremely low, the zombies in town were obliterated. After more than ten years of hard work, the town was finally cleared of zombies. It can be said that they lived infort these past yearspared to those struggling survivors in the metropolis. Thus, theirbat ability was also much weaker, and the difficulty of enlisting them was also naturally lesser.
For instance, the survivors in Shenxiang town were all hoes-wielding farmers, while the survivors of Qingpu were gun-wielding hunters. For the nomadic hunters, Jiang Chen adopted a strategy of trading, enticing, and then assimting. For these farmers, however, he adopted a straightforward approach in assimting them in his military force.
All the survivors imnted with very microchips were directly promoted to the management position, and the construction of infrastructure was handed over to more than 700 newly joined members. So far, this was how the pyramids governing structure was established. Jiang Chen merely needed to keep a firm grip on the people on the topyer of the pyramid, and there would naturally be people under him who would take charge on his behalf for the matters in the bottomyer.
In order to supervise the construction of the defensive structure, Lu Huasheng personally took along a team to take over the construction.
The 200 survivors were split into 20 team, with each team being led by one engineer dispatched from Fishbone Base as they worked round the clock to construct the defensive structure.
On the other side, on Shenxiang Towns eastern part of the wilderness, more than 200 survivors were struggling to develop the barrennd.
Here, one had to admire Jiang Chens foresight to feed the survivors in his own base with green food. Regardless whether or not it was done out of consideration, it was only now it was showing its merit. If someone consumed this type of thick nutrient supply, one would urinate more frequently, but it would definitely be a long time before one would feel the need to defecate.
The survivors, who were busy clearing out the barrennds, were stunned when they saw a vehicle full of dried manure being pulled into the hill on the side of the farm.
The mutated crops consumed a high amount of nutrients from the soil, and the fertilizer made out of mutants or zombies would increase the contamination of the soil (toxicity). Thus, they would naturally consider human waste as an option. They usually had to purchase industrial fertilizer from Sixth Street to supplement the fertility of the soil.
How valuable was this waste?
At first, Jiang Chen hadnt given it much thought but instead felt the impact of this on health was quite significant. It was not until the survivors of Qingpu offered a contract to clean their base that he began to notice the problem.
In this wastnd, human waste seemed to be extremely valuable too?
Wanghai City was located in the ins, where mineral deposits were extremely scarce in the surrounding area. Although nitrogen could be obtained through artificial nitrogen fixation technology and potassium could also be extracted from seawater, phosphorus scarcity was much harder to resolve. The cost of extracting phosphorus from a mutant organism or nt was not exactly low, and the main cost of producing fertilizer in the Sixth Street was higher than this phosphorus.
Excrement, however, was quite easy to handle. Its nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents were very rich and only needed to be mixed into the soil and then sprinkle the seeds.
Under Jiang Chens direction, the farms plot expanded from hundred acres to thousands of acres. If all of it was used to grow Carm tree, it was estimated that it could provide 100 tons of Carm resin per month. In this case, not only would it meet the industrial needs of Fishbone Base, it could also be exported to the Sixth Street. Based on the prevailing price of 150 crystals per ton, the farm would bring Fishbone Base a revenue of 10,000 crystals per month.
As for the ration of more than 700 people, provided there were 30 days in a month, two nutrient supplies per day, and if one dose of nutrient cost 0.1 crystal, it would only amount to more than 4,000 crystals.
As for those expensive provisions, after taking Sun Jiaos advice into consideration, Jiang Chen decided not supply them to the newly joined survivors for the time being. As for the reason, it was not because he was stingy, but rather it was to reinforce social ss structure.
Unlike those survivors that were already imnted with microchips and sold themselves to Jiang Chen, if these precious rations were given too casually, it wouldnt make these foreigners feel grateful. On the contrary, its likely that they woulde to feel that it was too easy, and this might even give birth to disloyalty.
When all was said and done, this was the first time they assimted more than 700 foreign poption which was practically more than three times the poption of Fishbone Base, and these 700 people also belonged to the same group. If you just want to enve them to do manualbor, one just needed to fetter their hands and feet with fetters and handcuffs. However, if you want to digest them, you must split them apart first.
The specifics of implementation were also quite simple.
700 people, first split them into two; first half would remain here, while the rest would be brought back to the Fishbone Base. Those who were brought back would join the factory to engage in manufacturing or enter the new military camp to receive training.
At the same time, Jiang Chen announced that every one of them was a ve, and only two nutrients mixtures could be obtained every day.
But if someone performed outstandingly in their work, his identity would be upgraded to that of a low-ss citizen, and daily ration would be upgraded to two nutrient mixtures, plus a piece of bread.
If you work harder and got upgraded to a middle-ss citizen, the ration would turn into two nutrient mixtures, in addition to a pack of instant noodles.
If they became a high-ss citizen, they would be able to enjoy unlimited rations just like those people imnted with microchips and would be allowed to participate in the munal feeding in the dining hall. Apart from not being able to join management position, they also enjoyed civil rights that were no different from those who were imnted with chips.
Once a disparity in status appeared in their small social circle, they would automatically split apart. Those who got promoted would protect their own interests and naturally stand on Jiang Chens side in order to strive further for a higher promotion.
If they had the opportunity to climb up, most people would still choose to be content with what they have.
In addition to this, in order to distinguish ranks, all survivors imnted with chips would be conferred with a Knight Emblem as a means to encourage their contribution to the construction of Fishbone Base. Moreover, the very chip was officially renamed to honorary chip. Despite being the same thing and only the name had changed, Jiang Chen could clearly sense the distinctive difference in the posture of those survivors who got promoted to knights after he promulgated his decision.
The sense of honor, if used correctly, would be much more useful than those chips.
Of course, only under the premise that everyone could fill their belly would someone be able to pursue that illusory honor.
Chapter 182 - Birthday
Chapter 182: Birthday
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
As for those emblems, those were copy military goods that Jiang Chen ordered from wholesale online shopping back from the modern world. The gold-ted appearance looked delicate, workmanship was also fine, and other than theck of necessary certificates, it was no different than the real ones.
Regardless whether it was male or female, both could be honored.
On these more than 200 knights, Jiang Chen spent three days of effort toplete the knighting process.
If high-ss citizens wanted to be part of the knight society and enter management, they must have an even more outstanding contribution. For example, meritorious military service or a breakthrough in the technological field, and so on.
After going through a busy schedule, the might of pyramid was at longstpleted.
The production and life in the base returned to the right track, and after the introduction of fresh blood, there was more liveliness in the base.
Ten days had passed and the colony became stable.
Jiang Chen sent Zhao Gang to be in charge of the colonys defense and moved Cheng Weiguo back to handle the training of the new recruits. The five Tigers and 30 riflemen were left there, and -51 served as a gunship and was transported back.
In the same way, Jiang Chen transferred more than 100 newly produced units of hummingbird drones. He also sent some technicians to establish a ry station to control the drones in the local area. These kinds of low-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles have a surprisingly effective scouting and attacking ability. With this batch of drones, it undoubtedly alleviated Fishbone Bases issue of insufficient strength significantly.
The production line of the kic skeleton under the leadership of Jiang Lin was alsopleted. For this, Jiang Chen specifically ordered the construction team to build a factory in the newly developed area that could amodate hundreds of people. Based on Jiang Lins estimate, provided that there were sufficient raw materials to go around, 30 kic skeletons monthly production could reach 30 units.
After handling everything properly, Jiang Chen suddenly found himself free.
You couldnt help but praise the talent of the Fishbone Base, which practicallyprised of almost every trade in the industry. There were some things that he only needed to set the general direction, and his subordinates would already think of the execution n for him.
By the way, is it almost Yao Yaos birthday?
While they were eating, Jiang Chen suddenly asked aloud.
He remembered Yao Yao had told himst time that her birthday was in November. Its already mid-November, and he got so busy in the past that he almost forgot.
Eh? Uh Yao Yao face instantly turned red. She lowered her head, feeling shy, and said coyly, Umm, itsits not a big deal. If big brother is too busy, then its okay if we put it off for a while.
Thats not okay, there is no meaning if the birthday is not on that day! Jiang Chen said without hesitation as he took a huge bite out of the roasted golden chicken leg.
Eh? O-okay. Its on November 16, hehe Yao Yao charmingly smiled while staring nkly at the bowl of egg soup in her bowl, gently poking the soft pudding with her spoon unconsciously.
November 16, so its the day after tomorrow?
What present does Yao Yao want? Jiang Chen rubbed Yao Yaos head as he smiled.
Hearing about the present, Lin Lin, who was sitting across Jiang Chen, perked her ears and immediately shifted her attention away from her bowl of food, and raised her hand to interrupt.
For your information, my birthday is on May 27, and I want a Hadron Collider
In your dreams. Jiang Chen red at her.
Woo Lin Lin puffed her cheeks as though throwing a tantrum, the pale and gorgeous face was bloated to a dark, red color.
But contrary to Jiang Chens expectation, she held her tongue this time.
[She finally remembers how to act when freeloading?] Jiang Chen ridiculed in his mind.
Hmm, you have a birthday, thats wonderful. A rare sight where Sun Jiao, who never spoke during meals, looked up, her mouth was drawn into a grimace while looking outside.
This feminine appearance was not typical of this bold girl that Jiang Chen couldnt help but give her a few more looks.
Eh? Sister Sun Jiao doesnt know your own birthday? Yao Yao looked at Sun Jiao with a hint of sympathy.
From Yao Yaos perspective, your birthday should be the happiest day of the year. Before the war, whenever it was her birthday, mother and father would treat her like a princess, and took her to eat lots of yummy food
Thinking of her parents, Yao Yaos eyes could not help but sh a touch of sadness. But when she saw Big Brother sitting beside her, a gentle and pure love appeared in her eyes, her tiny hand softly covered the hand on top of her head.
Who would remember that kind of thing? Muttering, Sun Jiao pursed his lips and stared at the hand on top of Yao Yaos head with jealousy.
But she didnt say anything. Compared to her initial possessiveness, she was starting to learn how to share.
This decision was not due to her magnanimity but because when thest time that Jiang Chen came back, she faintly read a trace of fatigue from his eyes.
When she tried putting herself in his shoesif she could live in a peaceful environment and be a wealthy girl in a mansion, would she want toe back the world full of chaos?
She had already thought of sharing him with Yao Yao for quite some time, but she had not been able to put the idea into motion.
Perhaps it was time to push this little girl a bit?
With both hands against her chin, she mischievously looked at Lin Lin, who was sitting next to her.
To be fair, this girl was also gorgeous. Though she was but a digitalized human, but as a sex robot
As though seemingly aware of Sun Jiaos gaze, Lin Lin nkly raised her head, but when she made eye contact with her, she involuntarily shuddered.
This female devil must be thinking of something evil!
Lin Lin quickly came to a conclusion, as she subconsciously went into self-protection mode, fiercely ring at Sun Jiao. Her threatening look appeared to be saying: Stop looking at me!
However, using deterrent skills against Miss Sun Jiao was undoubtedly a foolish choice, as Sun Jiao just raised her brows and bluntly stared back.
The arrogant eyes seemed to say: Im looking at you, so what are you going to do?
Like a startled rabbit, Lin Lin quickly lowered her head as she pouted, feeling wronged.
Um, I wont celebrate my birthday either. If its just me, it would feel too devious After listening to Sun Jiao, Yao Yao sensibly spoke in a quiet voice.
Sun Jiao was stunned, a gentle smile appeared on her face, Its okay, you helped this bad guy so much, its time for him to treat you. Dont worry about it. If he dared to bully you, sister will step up for you!
With that, Sun Jiao even threateningly waved her lovely, little fist.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen couldnt help butugh.
What else could make men more excited than a harmonious harem?
Although this harems current size was only one and a half
Any, any request? Yao Yao flushed as she asked faintly.
Mhmm, Jiang Chen nodded earnestly, rubbing her fluffy hair, As long as its something within my means, Ill do it.
Umwoo, Ill keep it a secret for now. Yao Yao said shyly, her head was lowered, feeling conflicted.
[Which person can keep the gift she receives confidential?]
Jiang Chens face showed a dumbfounded expression.
Uh, you should at least give me some time to prepare, it would be toote on the day of your birthday.
Prepareright, Yao Yao gently bite her lip as she looked up courageously. With eyes filled with anticipation, she looked at Jiang Chen, Can, can you lend me a day?
Lend? If there is something you really want, why dont I just give it to you? Jiang Chen asked uncertainly.
Umm, although this is a very tempting proposal, sister Sun Jiao would definitely be unhappy, so Ill just borrow you for a day She stole a nce at Sun Jiao as Yao Yao said softly.
What, am I such a stingy person? Sun Jiao said with dissatisfaction.
No, thats not what it is, its just that Yao Yao anxiously waved her hands, and then lowered her head shyly, I want to borrowum! In short, just apany me for a day, is that okay?
[Is that it?] Jiang Chen couldnt help but facepalm.
Of course. Thats it?
Its an entire day! Youre not busy, right? Yao Yao asked quietly.
An entire day? Does that include the night? Sun Jiao was stunned.
Ahem Lin Lin suddenly choked on her food. She quickly covered her mouth and reached for the bowl of soup.
Yao Yaos face flushed like her blood was about to drip out. Oddly, she didnt rush to offer an exnation, she stared at her knees instead, swinging her pair of smooth and white porcin-like legs.
Jiang Chen was also stunned, he awkwardly scratched his cheek.
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere on the dining table suddenly became tense.
Ahem, I think, considering your age, some things are just too exciting for Yao Yao, so I think the night should be left to me. Sun Jiao carefully shifted her gaze.
I, I am not young anymore. It was rather rare for Yao Yao not to retreat, but she mustered her courage and retorted, Im already three years over 30!
Upon hearing this, Sun Jiao couldnt help but feel shame. She was definitely not backing down just because she exposed her age.
But you spent more than 20 years in the hibernation chamber, right? Lin Lin chipped in. Moreover, if the inhibitor was used before adulthood, you would need another ten more years for you to grow to the maturity 18 years old.
Ten years! Yao Yao was like a squirrel that had been frightened, but she was still not ready to give up, But from any perspective, I am already mature.
But the legs dangling on the chair didnt make for convincing argument at all.
Oh? In what way? Lin Lin persisted, clearly not letting it go.
As though abandoning all her humiliation, Yao Yao with two red cheeks, closed her eyes.
I, I already have my period! she bellowed.
The room turned eerily silent for a moment.
As though the two consecutive verbal sparring had sapped all her energy away, the small loli wobbly sank into her chair.
Uh, we should discuss the cake. Sun Jiao held herughter as she averted her gaze.
Yes, indeed, the cake is more important. Jiang Chen was speechless.
I second that. Lin Lin raised her spoon as an agreement.
Chapter 183 - The Seventh Area
Chapter 183: The Seventh Area
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
The snow was ferocious.
The concrete walls in the ruins were covered by ayer of ice and the dangling steel beams were frozen into crystalline rods.
Below, ragged figures strolled. There was an unhealthy color on their faces, and their expressions were frozen numb. The heavy loads on their backs crushed their spine and knees.
The person standing on the side was evidently the mutated human supervisor.
For ves of mutated human, the only escape was to be picked at around 30 years of age through pure luck. From there, finish the breeding mission, immerse in the growth vial, and to be reborn.
As for the people who were not so lucky, their fate was usually tragic
Since the growth vial and growth solution were limited, not everyone had rights to be a mutated human. Mutated humans also needed to maintain a poption of ves in order toplete the dreadful tasks that none of them wanted to do and at the same time, the mutated humans needed a source of entertainment.
Standing at the door of the encampment, Troy grimly watched the frail figures as he turned around to look at the human beside him.
Thats right. Beside him, a human stood!
Any survivor in Wanghai city who happens to witness this scene would drop their jaws. Based onmon sense, there was no possibility of negotiation between a mutated human and a human, let alone for them to stand side by side.
This person wore a fur coat and the red ring on his finger was quite distinctive. Anyone with the right knowledge would shockingly discover that the white fur on his cor belonged to the mane of the Bloodthirsty Lion.
As the king of dangerous creatures, Bloodthirsty Lions couldbat five Death ws simultaneously. Their sharp teeth were like des that could easily rip through power armors. But they were rare in the Eastern area as they usually inhabit in the far northwestern in. Because of their ferocity, they were rarely hunted. Hence, the unique mane gained poprity among collectors.
As for the red ring, it was even more incredible.
It was a blood crystal.
Usually, mutants would form crystals around the nerve center as a highly efficient energy storage device. But blood crystals were unique on its own. Although they were created with the same elements, blood crystals energy storage was thousands of times greater. A piece the size of a thumb could bepared to the energy generated from one kilogram of fissile material through nuclear fission.
But what was beyondprehension was that the blood crystals existence was stable. Despite peoples attempt, they could not use the energy inside. Not even human - the mutants who generated the blood crystal themselves couldnt utilize the energy inside. Precisely, any mutant who creates these blood crystals would be the failure of the spices.
The extraordinary potential and rarity of blood crystals made them a luxurious collector item, especially favored by the nobles in the Northern Alliance Area.
By this point, the mans identity couldnt be more obvious.
He came from the north, and his status was prestigious.
Mr. Troy, whats the progress for your soldiers? Bo Yu put his hands in his pocket as he asked the mutated human standing beside him.
The outpost is already established, Troy cracked a smile exposing his fearsome red gum, Once thest batch of the armored trucks ispleted, my team can head out.
Oh? Is that right? The man in luxurious clothes seemed to be nonchnt to the answer of the mutated human leader as his reply was short.
Silence ensued between the two.
The mutated human called Troy seemed to be fearful of the powering out of the man from the Northern Alliance, even though this ce was thousands of kilometers away from the Northern Alliance, even though this ce was his home base.
Seeing your own people suffer, do you not have any thoughts in your mind? Troy cracked a smile as he asked disrespectfully.
We are different from monsters, we dont have to possess those extraneous herd mentality. Bo Yuughed, not bothered at all.
Troys eyes narrowed.
The fact that they have always viewed highly of themselves meant that they were particrly sensitive to the fact that humans categorize them as mutated creatures.
Sorry, I have a phone call. Bo Yu shrugged as he walked to the side, then he pressed the phone to his earlobe.
Hello?
Oh This is unfortunate then, okay. Mhmm Keep monitoring their movements. The name is Jiang Chen right? Interesting, I am going to hang up.
Troy stared gravely at his position.
Sorry buddy, your outpost seems to be gone. Bo Yu ignored the unfriendliness as he casually strolled beside him.
Troys throat moved, he didnt overthink it. But the expression on this mans face made him uncertain.
Simultaneous, a mutated human ran from the distance. The frightened look on his face, even from afar in the heavy snow, was clearly visible.
Troys eyebrows twitched as he looked at Bo Yu on the side. The grin on his face triggered him.
But he couldnt be angry right now.
Leader, our force stationed in Shenxiang town
Was eliminated?
The mutated human here to report the news hesitated before he immediately lowered his head and continued his report in a tough tone.
Yes.
Troy took a deep breath while he tried to calm his ready-to-explode emotion.
Which force did it
Liuding town Our people saw their helicopter with binocrs. It was the Type-51 transport helicopter equipped with electromaic pulse cannon. Their symbol was below the helicopter.
How would Liuding towns people appear here? Troy was shocked.
Although he was skeptical towards this information, he couldnt find an argument against it. Since within the entire area, only Liuding Towns people possessed air units.
If Liuding town intervened, his n would be much more difficult to execute.
He thought about this as Troys eyebrows began to tense up.
He heard of Liuding Towns force before. The electromaic pulse cannon on the aircraft carriers had a maximum range of 500 kilometers under atmospheric condition. It could be fired from the exit of Long River and directly strike Luzhou. Needless to say, his seventh area was right beside Wanghai city.
Ahem, I do have to let you know that it was not Liuding Towns people who wiped out your outpost. As if he was very familiar with the force distribution within Wanghai city, Bo Yu interrupted.
Oh? Troy raised his eyebrows.
Liuding Towns people would never install electromaic pulse cannon on their helicopter because their electromaic cannon could strike any target in Wanghai city freely. Even if you built defensive structures, under the impact of a 100kg bomb, how many seconds would youst Bo Yu smirked.
Then, you mean?
Your information is too outdated. A glorious leader was born in Qingpu. Under his call for unity and the temptation for food, the scattered survivors unified and built a base called Fishbone Base on the ruins Also, ording to my research, they have a trade rtionship with the Zhao Corporation on the Sixth Street. The exact reason is food rted, Bo Yu said.
Food? Troy looked at Bo Yu with not the friendliest look, Based on what I know, on the entire wastnd, the only ce that can produce food is the Northern Alliance Area. Can I interpret that you sponsored that force?
The undeveloped area in the northwestern region was barely scratched during the chaos of the war. Although the soil was barren, fertilizer was a much simpler problem to solvepared to contamination and radiation. If you go further north, you would reach the front-line between PAC and CCCP. That ce also lies in shambles like Wanghai city.
Therefore, in the entire Hua area, only northwestern region produced edible crops.
Bo Yu sighed at the information.
The entire wastnd? By entire, do you mean Wanghai city, or within the PAC borders, or the entire world?
Is there a point in discussing world geography? Troy mocked.
Its all about the structure we are in. Bo Yu shrugged, Being unable to farm is only because the technology is not on par. Our radiation treatment technology is well designed. If it is not, then even if you were given clean soil, you can not grow anything it. At the same time, as long as the technology is avable, any corner of the wastnd can easily grow delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. Their food probablyes from an established garden underground. But these are not the key points, only one thing interests me.
Project Garden of Eden? Troy burst outughing, This is quite funny. If that Project Garden of Eden could restore farming, then why do those elites flee into space?
Because hope afar is far more tempting than dealing with chaos here. Bo Yu smiled as he paused, then he continued, On space colonization, I maintain the same stance as the dissolved World Alliance Organization.
But those people didnt let the [email protected] go on the boat. Troy continued to mock.
Why would I need a ticket to go on the boat? As long as I have the technology, I can easily build another colonization ship. Bo Yuughed out loud as he took out his hands from the pockets and pointed to the sky, Give me 20 years and Ill rebuild a high technology park. Give me 50 years and Ill take the descendants into space again. What should be abandoned is not us, but rather the soil below us!
Why dont you learn from us? Evolve then adapt? If you dont try it yourself, you will never know how delicious Death ws meat is.
Bo Yus calm and collected expression shed a rare glimpse of disgust, but it quickly faded.
Therefore, discussing value proposition is something more boring than ideology. Youll get the improved FEV virus and you will take your species to adapt to the wastnd. But, remember our deal.
Bo Yu controlled the security password of the Carman Pharmaceutical, it was him that provided the FEV virus information to the mutated humans.
Of course, Ill lead my people to help you attack that ce within the city center We will find out the location of the Fallout Shelter 005, if it really exists that is.
Dont worry about that anymore. My information has always been reliable. Fallout Shelter 005 is located in Wanghai city, Bo Yu said confidently.
Troy nced at Bo Yu before he looked away towards the direction of the ves.
It used to be an empty plot ofnd but it was now packed with military supplies.
Rifles, machine guns, armors, armored trucks, even cannons and bombs!
Within this shipment, some belonged to the mutated humans, but the majority was from the man called Bo Yu.
With amon interest, even mutated humans and humans could stand side by side.
We must go into the city center Looks like we will need to start our journey in the winter.
Fixated on the snow in the distance, Troy said in an undertone.
Chapter 184 - Who should I bring home for New Year
Chapter 184: Who should I bring home for New Year
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
Although it was Yao Yaos birthday, Sun Jiao and Lin Lin all rushed to list their requirements for the birthday cake.
Chocte.
Mango.
Those were definitely what they wanted to eat.
Instead, the protagonist of the birthday - Yao Yao, feebly expressed that any vored cake was fine, as long as brother Jiang Chen likes it.
[AhhYao Yao is the cutest.]
Jiang Chen shouted in his mind.
Therefore, Jiang Chen specifically made a trip back to the modern world.
You are back. Ayesha happened to pass by just in time to see Jiang Chene out of the door, she tilted her head and asked.
Before, he would stay for a long time before making a trip back, but now it seemed to be much more frequent.
Last time it was five days ago. He came to buy emblems?
I came back to buy something. Oh, do you want to head out with me? Jiang Chen suggested out of the blue.
He knew nothing about cakes. In his memory, he hasnt celebrated a birthday in a long time. It would be better to have a girls opinion.
Mhmm. She didnt ask what he wanted to buy as she gently nodded.
Ayesha changed into a Gothic-style skirt, white stockings, and ck tform shoes. She held onto Jiang Chens hand as they left the house. Because she was usually very shy about being intimate in public, her unwillingness to let go and her blushed face was particrly cute.
They bought this set of clothes in Kanest time.
Jiang Chen opened the garage door as he sat in the front passenger seat. Ayesha sat in the driver position.
Her driving skill was acquired from the virtual reality training system. As to the driver license is anything difficult to obtain if money is involved?
Where are we going?
Shimao Mall. Jiang Chen gave it a thought, but the only ce he could think of that was prosperous was the shopping mall in the city center.
Mhmm. Ayesha softlybed her brown hair to the side of her face, she smiled tenderly while starting the car.
Although it was the same Wanghai city, in the midst of November, the sun here was much more graceful here with only a hint of chillness mixed in the air. It was fair to expect that in the modern world, Wanghai city would have a warm winter.
Jiang Chen watched the scenes on the streets fading away in the window. For some reason, he began to feel mncholic.
Who would have thought, in another dimension, the same ce one hundred yearster, would be a ce filled with zombies?
But all these things were too distant.
Jiang Chen was amazed by the beauty of Ayesha as she drove. He couldnt resist and snapped a photo of her.
Sensing Jiang Chens action, Ayeshas gorgeous eyes lit up.
Does it look good?
She asked, her eyes still maintained focus on the road. But Jiang Chen felt like all her attention was on his phone.
Of course. Jiang Chen smiled.
After receiving a positive response, the tips of Ayeshas mouth curved up joyfully.
But it would be better if it was bigger. Jiang Chen stared at the photo for a while before he suddenly let out a sigh and muttered to himself.
Although he toned down his voice, this sentence still didnt escape Ayeshas ear.
Instantly, the graceful hand clenched tighter onto the steering wheel.
Eh, is, is it my breast? I have been eating papaya and drinking milk, but it still is a process Ayesha said while her eyes looked listless.
No, not that. Seeing the car that just skidded by them, Jiang Chen sweated profusely as he rushed tofort her, Its age, age!
Eh? Surprised by Jiang Chens exnation, Ayesha asked, confused, but her emotional soothed down while the car returned to the normal track.
Umm, how should I exin this? We have a holiday, or tradition, in Hua All in all, I have to take a girlfriend back by February 8th of next year to see my parents. Embarrassed, Jiang Chen exined.
It was hard to imagine that the renowned Future Technology president did not have a girlfriend to bring home for the New Year.
Jiang Chen had kept in contact with the family. Since he was rich, he wished for his parents to live a better life.
To prevent the two elders from not sleeping well, after deliberate consideration, Jiang Chen decided not to reveal that he became the president of a billion dorpany. He only said that he made a decent amount of money doing business and nned to exin the whole situation to them when he returned for New Year.
At the end of every month, he would send half a million to the card that his dad previously used to send his allowance. In the beginning, his dad did not ept it. He stubbornly sent it back until Jiang Chen finally announced that he already bought a house in Wanghai City, and that he was rich enough to not worry about money anymore. The stubborn father finally reluctantly epted the money.
Every parent wishes their children would live a good life. In their eyes, half a million was an astronomical number already. Their entire life saving was only this amount. They were already satisfied that Jiang Chen could support himself in apletely foreign city. They wouldnt spend that much money anyways after they retire, plus they could take their retirement fund to live the rest of their lives without worry. That half a million was saved so their son could get a house. The thought of receiving money from their son never even crossed their mind.
The one thing they did think of, was when they would have grandchildren.
Now that the house is there, what about the wife?
Under his parents persistence, Jiang Chen awkwardly indicated he didnt have anyone yet. Since the generation gap was there, he did not dare to tell his parents that, your son does not have a wife, but has a mistress.
It would be better if Ayesha was a bit older. If that was the case, then taking her home for New Year would not only satisfy his parents thought of having grandchildren, it would also satisfy their vanity. In a small town of Huchen, marring a foreigner was a glorious act.
Nurtured by the nutrient solution, Ayeshas skin was as smooth as a porcin doll. To Jiang Chen, it was a great thing, but the disadvantage was that she looked too young.
Especially with Ayeshas Lolita appearance
No matter which perspective he took, bringing a loli home was a terrible idea.
New Year right? Hearing that her husband did not mind her size, Ayesha was relieved. She gently smiled, If you dont mind, I can be your girlfriend and go home with you.
To Jiang Chens surprise, Ayesha knew Han New Year already. But when he gave a thought, it made sense as she alreadyprehended thenguage Han, and thus, there was no reason not to know the traditions. Just like when he learned English, he learned of Christmas.
Why would I mind? But the problem is not that. Jiang Chen was exasperated, Within Hua, the legal age for marriage is 20. Although it could be worked around with money, my parents are the stubborn type, therefore Therefore it isplicated.
Ayesha tilted her tiny head, she was born in Syria so naturally, she didnt understand thews here. In her hometown, it was not umon for girls 12 or 13 years of age to be married. In her head, she thought she was marryingte.
The topic didnt continue.
The car quickly arrived that the Shimao building. When they finished parking, Jiang Chen held onto Ayeshas hand and walked into the Christine cake store.
In his memory, this should be most famous cake store in the area.
As to the price, he didnt really care.
But just as he pushed open the ss door, Jiang Chen was shocked by what he saw.
Chapter 185 - The Gloom of War
Chapter 185: The Gloom of War
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
Wee Fang Yuanyuan raised her head, but in the middle of the sentence, she froze.
Jiang Chen stiffened as he stood before the door. A peculiar expression appeared on his face.
He didnt expect to meet this woman coincidentally again.
Ayesha tilted her head as she stared at Jiang Chen and then the receptionist.
She seemed to have understood the situation. She gently pulled Jiang Chens hand as she whispered, Should we go to another store?
There is no need. Jiang Chen smiled as he squeezed her hand.
Although he disliked this person, his dislike was not to the point where he would avoid her on purpose.
When Jiang Chen walked towards her direction, Fang Yunyuan lowered her head.
Hello, what would you like?
Her voice was unnatural. Jiang Chen noticed that her fingers were slightly trembling.
[She must be afraid.]
Cake, with chocte, and mango Umm, just give me the menu. He let out a sigh as he didnt want to bully her. Instead, he responded with certainty.
Jiang Chen took over the menu from her hand and they began to pick.
Seeing the girl beside Jiang Chen, Fang Yuanyuan felt teary for some reason.
The door was suddenly pushed open and a man in in clothes walked in with a delicate lunchbox.
Yuanyuan, are you hungry? The mans forehead had a scar, but his smile was bright as he shed his white teeth.
Fang Yuanyuans cheeks turned red as she nodded and quietly took over the lunchbox from his hand.
Mhmm, thanks, but I am still working
Ill leave you to it then, I have to go back to work too, see youter.
Jiang Chen, with the corner of his eye, examined them, intrigued. The mans face had a joyful smile as he energetically stepped out of the room.
This cake should be good.
Ayesha pointed at a chocte cake that was decorated with fruits.
This one it is. Jiang Chen refocused on the menu. He dly epted her rmendation.
These high-ss cake stores usually offer delivery services. Jiang Chen took the receipt from Fang Yuanyuans hand and asked out of curiosity, your boyfriend?
Fang Yuanyuans looked away withplications in her eyes, she nodded.
Mhmm.
Does he know your past? Jiang Chen smiled.
No. Fang Yuanyuan bit her lips as she said quietly.
Do you regret it?
Fang Yuanyuan didnt respond. Instead, she looked at him, pleading with her eyes.
Please dont tell him? I know you hate me, but Little Cong is a good guy, I dont want him
Jiang Chen raised his hand to interrupt her as he smiled.
First, there is no need to talk about hate. Second, I have no interest in creating problems for other people. I am only curious Whatever, I already know the answer.
Seeing the chef hat on Fang Yuanyuans head, as well as the simple makeup, the answer was already clear to him.
When Jiang Chen left with the girls hand in his, the look on Fang Yuanyuans face turned perplexed.
She had a fantasy of marrying rich and live the life of a female protagonist like the ones in TV drama. She almost achieved this dream when she was a real estate salesperson. A boss proposed to her, but she chose to wait, thinking that her beauty could do better than him and gain more of a material enjoyment
Without her realizing it, she slowly turned from a bi*th to a sl*t.
In the end, what is the difference between what she did and prostitution?
When did she realize this?
Perhaps it was that one night, when she was thrown out of Hongyi Private Club like a tool. The mockery sight of ten thousand bills thrown at her woke her up as if cold water was poured onto her head. She felt like she was being shooed away like a homeless person.
It waste into the night and she didnt have her phone. She waited for a while at the side of the road but didnt manage to get a taxi. In the end, she could only drag her wry body and disheveled clothes as she numbly walked back to her rented apartment.
On her way home, she encountered two drunk perverts who mistook her for a prostitute. They tried to vite her and she desperately fought back. However, the more she struggled, the more it excited them.
Just as she was about to lose hope, he appeared.
He was not tall nor did he look that strong, but he still bravely stood in front of her.
She was shocked at the fact that there would be a fool in this world who was willing to stand up for her - for a filthy woman.
But he couldnt beat the two perverts.
He was only able to guard a few moves before the beer bottle exploded on his forehead.
Blood began to pour, the brave fool didnt even flinch before he copsed on the ground.
Perhaps awakened by the bloody scene, the two people immediately turned sober. Because they were afraid of identally killing someone, they fled the scene.
Seeing the man on the ground, as well as the ss shards and blood, Fang Yuanyuan was stunned. Rationality told her the most convenient action was to not say a word and run, pretending nothing happened, and leave the fool here.
But to her own surprise, she didnt trust the rationality that supported her throughout her life. Without thinking much, she knelt down, picked up a ss shard, ripped off a piece of her two thousand dor dress, and bandaged up his head.
The terrifying blood made her tremble uncontrobly.
On the street that was void of life, she shouted, yelled, but the cars passed by all elerated and left.
No one was willing and no one dared to stop the car to help them.
It was already midnight, the rural area was not the safest ce.
A man whose face was full of blood was lying on the ground. If they stopped and gave them a ride, the man might die in their own car.
There might be awsuit and then a payout a settlement. If they were terribly unlucky, they might even have to go to prison.
In this apathetic society, the cost of sympathy was too high.
Especially if there was still work the next day.
Luckily, the world still has kind strangers. A pickup truck eventually stopped. The driver of the truck carried the barely-breathing man onto the car and rushed them to the nearest hospital.
After going into the emergency room for hours, the fool lived.
She didnt know why. The her who has always loved money didnt hesitate when she used the reward from Zhou Zihao to pay the medical bill.
She also stayed with him until he woke up.
His name was Wang Cong. His ordinary name with the white t-shirt that he wore made him look even more dowdy.
He only left university this year, a programmer in an ITpany.
When Fang Yuanyuan asked why he stood up for her, he blushed and looked away.
I didnt think too much, when I saw you walking alone outside being bothered by two obviously rude people. I did what I did with a hot head.
Did you even consider the possible that you could have died?
Wang Cong looked at her nkly as he forced a smile, I probably wouldnt have died. Murder is too big of a crime in todays society.
One of her nerves malfunctioned as Fang Yunayuan asked unreasonably, If you knew you were going to die, would you still have helped me?
He kept his silence for a while.
Wang Cong scratched the back of his head as he smiled humbly.
YeahI cant watch a good girl being ruined.
That night, she wore a white colored dress.
Good girl?
When Fang Yuanyuan heard the word, she teared up for some reason.
She cried and she regretted.
Afterwards, she handed in her resignation at the real estatepany and found the work she has now.
Then, they decided to be together.
He didnt have a house, nor did he have a six-figure savings ount.
That night, Wang Cong proposed to her.
She epted it.
As for money, it was no longer important.
When he left the cake store, Jiang Chen suddenly startedughing.
Ayesha turned to look at him, puzzled.
Did something good happened?
No, I wouldnt say it is good, I just think it is interesting. Jiang Chen put his hand on Ayeshas head as he gently rubbed it.
Interesting?
Mhmm, an old friend of mine received the finale meant for her.
Finale? Ayesha, deep in thought, put up her finger against her bottom lip, What would be considered the finale for someone?
To Ayeshas question, Jiang Chen paused, but then a smiled quickly emerged.
Its hard to say, but from a bystanders perspective, if there is nothing to expect for the rest of the story, then that should be the finale.
Ayesha half-understandingly nodded.
Apocalypse.
On the bank of Taifu river.
The feather-like snow blew in the sky, a thinyer of ice covered the river, the bridge across the river was blown apart, and ayer of whiteness covered the bank across the river. On top of the snow, there were a few indistinguishable ck dots.
What are those mutated humans doing?
Hiding inside the snowed hidden fortress, Zhang Lin held the digital binocr as he focused across the river bank with his eyebrows twisted together.
Zhao Gang, who stood on the side, was silent, but gloom covered his face.
They previously thought that the mutated humans with wiped outposts and lost supplies would be more obedient. They thought that they would have the luxury of waiting until the next spring to n. But it looks like they want to fight.
Based on the information obtained from the drones, there were at least two hundred mutated humans stationed across the river bank.
Large quantities of construction supplies were transported to the emptynd and built into a small supply station. The snow removing vehicle and ves somehow managed to clear out a road on the tens of kilometers of highway covered in snow.
The armored trucks listed in formations as the daunting anti-air machine guns and the menacing cannons lined up to create an iron forest.
What should we do? Zhang Lin looked at Zhao Gang on the side.
Zhao Gang took a deep breath and he said calmly.
Report to the base, if there are 500 more people here, we probably cant defend
The river was the slowest here. Once it entered ice season, the river would be frozen firmly. Even the mutated human with steel armors could easily run on the ice.
Once the mutated humans with number advantage start to charge, Fishbone Base could not defend the river with only five Tigers.
Once they captured the river bank, repair the blown up bridge, their armored force would cross the Taifu River and into Qingpu area.
Gazing upon the snowy hill in the distance, Zhao Gangs eyebrows furrowed together.
A hard battle was imminent.
Chapter 186 - The Declaration of War
Chapter 186: The Deration of War
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Inside Sixth Streets towering walls.
It was the most prosperous ce on the wastnd, a city that never slept built among the ruins.
In the heart of this bustling ce, stood a magnificent dome building. Its structure was simr to Houses of Parliament, symbolizing the unity g fluttering above.
It represented power, the brain of the entire Sixth Street.
Within the council chamber of the building, the Council of Ten members gathered around the round table.
Sixth Street was on doing fairly well for a while now, however, what was surprising was that the dignitaries sitting here had no smile on their faces.
As the president of Zhao Corporation, Zhao Chenwu was obviously among them. Sitting across him was hispetitor, the boss in the giant firearmpany, Feng De. Usually, they would mock each other as part of their routine every time they meet, but this time both of them had gloom all over their face with both keeping their silence.
Sitting on the seat pointing at the door was an old man with rectangr face and white sideburns, he coughed and broke the silent atmosphere at the table.
Although the Council of Ten had an equal status, on the wastnd ruled by the powerful, the right to speak was naturally proportional to the strength.
Cao Jinsong, the president of Crimson Chamber of Commerce, had a force that was not limited to the Sixth Street, and his mercenaries base stretched as far as Su City. He controlled 60% of the gic vine of the pharmaceutical market share in Sixth Street, and although he did not take part of the firearm dealings, his private force was the strongest in the Sixth Street.
Prowler tanks equipped with a particle cannon and outfitted with heavy physical armor and particle shield. The tank possessed attack, defense, and mobility, making it perhaps the strongestnd unit in the wastnd.
And he had five of these tanks.
Everyones time is precious. I suppose we didnt gather here to just stare in the air, isnt that right? Spreading out his hands, Cao Jinsong spoke without preamble.
Thats true. Then shall we start the meeting? Zhao Chenwu crossed his fingers, his elbow resting on the table.
I second that.
Thats right, I still have an engagement after this, so lets get this over with.
Quietly waiting for the sound to subside, Cao Jinsong pressed his hand on the conference table and uttered, Although everyone should have already seen this, I will y it again.
Dark blue particles began to levitate in the center of the table as a holographic image formed in the middle which converged into a half body portrait.
Hello everyone from Wanghai City.
The man d in military uniforms seemed arrogant.
After seeing this image, our people would already be on their way.
We all agreed that youre sitting on the treasures from your predecessors, but you dont think of improving yourself. You sit on a huge amount of treasures, but you settle for status quo and enjoy avish life. We cant wait any longer, I think we need to have a good chat.
Of course, this doesnt mean Im here to negotiate with you.
Thats right, this is a deration of war.
Northern Alliance District, General Wang Beihai. Signing off.
The image disappeared.
There was a frightening silence around the table.
Zhao Chenwu took a deep breath, stretched his hand to gently fix his cor, and looked anxiously at his colleagues around him. Anger, rm, disdain, and timidness.
Sitting across him was his nemesis, Feng De, who used a tissue to wipe the sweat off his forehead while anxiously adjusting his sitting position.
But Cao Jinsongs look was rather calm as there was not much of a change in his expression.
Theyre crazy! They are just a bunch of lunatics. TheseNorthern Alliance District? If I remember correctly, that ce is 1,500 kilometers away from here! Do they think they can fly all the way here? Or are they saying they could ughter their way through half of Huas zombies?
A tall middle-aged man roared with disdain.
Furthermore, its a winter expedition, To procure winter supplies for a 1,500-kilometer trek, dont those people need to eat?
They sure are that confident to win, eh? Do they really think no one is here in Sixth Street?
Cao Jinsong silently looked at the council members around the table as his index finger rhythmically tapped on the table.
Winder expeditionwhy must it be in winter? In our eyes, it is indeed a foolish move, but why do they insist on doing this? Taking a deep breath, Zhao Chenwu stated.
Cao Jinsong gave him a startled look and nodded his head slightly.
Upon hearing someone pointed out this question, the previously vtile council members began to calm down. They got confused by the arrogance of that general, however, now that they had given it some thought, something was definitely amiss.
ording to the information my people had gathered in Luzhou, the Northern Alliance District indeed appeared there. They are currently building an outpost in Luzhou rural area with arge number of people. Cao Jinsong drawled.
Luzhou? Could it be The council members expression sitting next to Cao Jinsong suddenly shifted.
Thats right, they used the underground highway. Cao Jinsong nodded.
That thing was already broken. How could they use that? Someone asked derisively.
Highway, railway, maic levitation, and other transportation infrastructures were all targeted during the war. The underground highway was no exception. NATOs satellite weapons deployed 57 pressure bombs that sted the underground highway into several sections, which was used by PAC to transport military supplies during the war.
Be that as it may, the underground passage between the Northwestern area to Luzhou has been repaired, so this might be the only exnation as to how their people could appear here.
After hearing Cao Jinsongs words, everyone became silent once again.
Seeing no one was talking, Cao Jinsong paused and continued: Since this is a deration of war, then war has be a foregone conclusion. For their arrogance and foolishness, we will naturally respond with guns, this is without a doubt. But there are still a lot of confusing things herearent you a little bit curious? What prompted them to make a reckless decision to dere war during winter from 1,500 kilometers away?
He mentioned about the treasure, but the question is: what treasures is he talking about? Weve been living here for so many years, and we havent found anything yet. How could there be godd*mn treasures here? A man with a beer belly couldnt help but swear.
Winter expedition to avoid mutants, and since theyre using the underground passage, they naturally dont need to concern themselves with the mutants along the way. Then there is only one possibilitytheir destination could only be reached in the winter, Zhao Chenwu said with a firm tone.
Cao Jinsong nodded with approval and looked at all the council members present.
I share the same thought as council member Zhao. If there is any ce we have yet to set our foot on, it should be none other than the downtown.
Chapter 187 - Sword of Damocles
Chapter 187: Sword of Damocles
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
Before the war, Wanghai city was a major metropolitan in the world. It possessed the biggest technology park within PAC as well as a countless research facilities.
Because of this, after the war erupted, Wanghai city immediately became the focal point between PAC and NATO in the east coast battle. It was the obvious destination for nuclear and biological weapon attacks. Damage was especially brutal within the city center where it was blown into a scorched piece ofnd, where only extreme mutants or already dead zombies could survive.
On this piece of wastnd, the city center became the synonym for danger. Even the strongest hunting teams had not stepped into this forbidden territory. The countless number of zombies, the nest of zombie eaters, the unimaginably powerful mutants The risk and reward tradeoff of exploring the zombies dominated area was not justified by any means.
As to when the city center would be rtively safer, it was during winter.
In the winter, most of the mutants would go into hibernation, thus, the only trouble that remained was the zombie.
But despite this
City center? Other than nuclear craters and scrap metals, what else is there? A council member with a square frame sses scorned at the thought.
Perhaps there is a lethal weapon left by the preceding government? Or perhaps a USB containing mysterious codes? Regardless what there is, our neighbor is clearly interested. We have enough evidence to believe that they have strong reasons for putting their nose up our business from thousands of miles away, Cao Jinsong smiled.
If they just want to go into the city center, why dont they negotiate with us? Zhao Chenwu frowned as he said in an undertone, We dont have to fight, we could work together. For example, providing supplies for their army for amission amount
What do you think the Northern Alliance District is? A hunting team stationed at our ce? Provide supplies? They could just raid us. They are not merchants, they are bandits under a military government. A council member mocked.
Disregarding whether if they could beat us or not. Even if they win, would they have enough force left to enter the city center? I agree with Councilmember Zhaos perspective, their action is unusual. Perhaps there is some hidden truth we dont know about. A sophisticated-looking council member added.
Its because of arrogance. Feng De sneered.
But arrogance has nothing to do with intelligence. They choose to start a war knowing cooperation would be the best choice, unless
Unless that treasure is tempting enough, Cao Jinsong opened his mouth, the fingers that were crossed together in front of his face covered his nose. They believe the value of the treasure, and believe that if we know about the treasure, we would fight for it with all our forces. Even the reputation we built for over 10 years cannot guarantee our honesty.
Then what is that treasure? someone asked.
I personally lean towards the possibility of it being a weapon, a mysterious smile shed across Cao Jinsongs face. He then lowered his voice, If there is a super weapon that could instantly suppress a base or even a city
Thats impossible, if a weapon like that really existed, then it must have been a top priority during the war. Someone rebutted.
I agree. Also, how do they know that the city center of Wanghai City really possessed such thing?
As to other council members rebuttal, Cao Jinsong didnt mind as he smiled with collectedness.
He took a momentary pause before he continued.
We are all unfortunate people who didnt manage to get into the fallout shelter. I know that you all are no strangers to that war. I am talking about the sky-based weapon that destroyed the Holy Shield - the Gods Cane.
When they heard the name Gods Cane, everyone held their breath.
That was a long time ago, but even today, after ten something years, they could not forget what happened that day.
The dome that covered the sky evaporated under the blue particles, followed by airdrop soldiers that fell like rain.
Zhao Chenwu looked at Cao Jinsong in disbelief as he spoke disheartenedly, Didnt that thing get sted into pieces? I remember the PAC special force captured it and NATO initiated self-destruction
Based on my superputers data-modeling analysis Cao Jinsong took a graphite chip from his pocket and waved it in between his fingers before he put it on the table.
The hologram image disyed again, the web-like structure simted the earth, as well as the sky-based weapon hovering on top - Gods Cane.
259 kilograms of TNTs self-destruction, the weapon parts would fall in the middle of Wanghai city. The web-weaved Gods Cane turned red as it drew a trajectory and pointed at the location on earth in Wanghai city.
If they acquired the parts of Gods Cane, repaired it, and fired it into space again, it will be the sword of Damocles (1) that hangs above all of us. It will be our eternal nightmare.
Followed by hisst words, the hologram image disappeared, and the atmosphere around the conference table turned cold.
Everyones expression took a turn.
Other than fear and anger, it also carried a hint of greed.
What do they want to doZhao Chenwu squeezed those words out.
Conquer, or enve. Cao Jinsongs finger gently tapped on the table, They want to continue their dictatorship outside of the Northwestern area. Other than this, I cant think of any other reasons.
Resistance is necessary. The freedoms spirit will not bend for dictators, that is without a doubt. There are only two choices in front of us.
First, before theye to Wanghai City, explore the city center by ourselves. If there really is a super weapon, we can use it against them.
Second, protect our treasure and fight our invaders until thest drop of blood.
Then, by tradition, lets vote.
Cao Jinsong smiled mischievously as he pressed the vote button.
The final vote resulted in an absolutendslide victory of 2:8 to the second option - fight against the invaders.
Even during winter, it was risky to explore the city center. They might end up paying a price for this if they do not find the weapon, or if the treasure was not a weapon to begin with. Even if was is a weapon, it could not be used in a short period of time because of the need for repair. This would indubitably increase the variables in the war.
Most of the people chose the safer option. To first eliminate the external threat before exploring the treasure within the ruins.
After the meeting, the council members began to depart.
When Zhao Chenwu walked out of the chamber, Zhao Chenwus eyebrows furrowed. Su Lei, who was waiting at the door, saw her boss leave. She immediately greeted him.
Is there any problem? As the right and left hands of the boss, Su Lei asked.
No problem, I just think something is not right. Zhao Chenwu said in an undertone.
About our business?
No Hopefully it is just my illusion.
Seeing his colleagues leave in brisk steps, for some reason, uneasiness began to sprout in his mind.
(1) The famed sword of Damocles dates back to an ancient moral parable poprized by the Roman philosopher Cicero in his 45 B.C. book Tu Disputations. Ciceros version of the tale centers on Dionysius II, a tyrannical king who once ruled over the Sicilian city of Syracuse during the fourth and fifth centuries B.C. Though rich and powerful, Dionysius was supremely unhappy. His iron-fisted rule had made him many enemies, and he was tormented by fears of assassinationso much so that he slept in a bedchamber surrounded by a moat and only trusted his daughters to shave his beard with a razor. (Courtesy: )
Chapter 188 - A Victory belonged to the Small Animal
Chapter 188: A Victory belonged to the Small Animal
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
Happy birthday to you~
The melody of the birthday song harmonized perfectly with the pping hands as the song echoed throughout the old mansion.
It was already night and there was no light on.
The room was dark. Only 16 candles illuminated and lit up the blushed face.
Bang!
Colorful confetti exploded alongisde three genuine wishes.
Happy birthday!
ThaThank you. Yao Yaos eyes were decorated with mists of excitement. Her tiny hands clenched onto the tip of her dress, and she bowed deeply to express her appreciation.
It has been many years since she was this happy.
But before she could finish, an unharmonious voice interrupted the touching atmosphere.
Oh my! Cake, mango, gulp. Lin Lin chuckled moonly at the cake as her fists clenched on the fork.
You are drooling! Fool. Sun Jiao grabbed her by the cor as she lifted back Lin Lin, who was approaching the cake. At the same time, she gave her a scorned look.
Wooo! Lin Lin retracted her neck as she pouted her mouth feeling wronged, Didnt we agree on eating the cake after singing the birthday song?
We still have to blow out the candle, wait a bit longer. Jiang Chens mood was particrly delightfully today as he gave a rare tender smile to Lin Lin.
If it is only a bit longer. Lin Lin looked away with her face blushed.
Under the dim light, no one noticed the red hue on her face.
Go ahead, Yao Yao, you are the star today. Sun Jiao extended her hand with a smile as she put it around Yao Yaos shoulder.
Remember to make a wish. Jiang Chen said.
Mhmm! The pretty face was red because of excitement. Yao Yaos tiny head nodded fiercely.
She approached the candles with excitement as she took a deep breath.
Woosh
16 candle mes red by her breath. Each candle was filled with a young girls wish.
From now on, Yao Yao has offically entered her sweet sixteeth.
The light turned back on.
With a pure white princess dress, soft hair that dangled to her chest, ad white stocking paired with ck chauffers, she looked like a girl who just walked out of a fairy tale.
Cut the cake. I want the cake! Lin Lin couldnt wait any longer, her silver hair swayed, but her one red and one ck pupil stared at the pieces of mangos on the cake as she continued to gulp.
Sun Jiao lifted the stic knife as she started to portion the cake.
Is it okay to cut the letters? Or should I avoid the letters.
Born in a fallout shelter, it was her first time seeing a cake. She only remembered that she ate something called chocte before. Just a small piece was sweet enough to melt her. But now, the chocte was made into a cake the size of a te.
The white vani cream and the colorful fruits were just like a piece of art. She didnt want to cut it.
Ahhh! Dont hesitate anymore, my mango! Lin Lin reached her hand out desperately as she tried to fight for the stic knife in Sun Jiaos hand.
Rowdy. Sun Jiao obviously would not let Lin Lin seed so she easily took care of her.
Yao Yao, on the other hand, was quieter. Her face blushed as she closely leaned on Jiang Chen. Her cheery-like mouth panted as her chest raised up and down. She looked nervous.
As to why she was nervous that was because of tonight
Are you happy today? Jiang Chen gently squeezed Yao Yaos hand as he smiled.
Seeing the warm smile on his face, Yao Yao shyly stared at the chocte vani cake in front of her and she grinned softly.
I am happy.
Speaking of this, I thought it was your 17th birthday today Do we really need 37 candles? Jiang Chen suddenly added a smirk to his face.
The cute mouth immediately pouted.
Woo Dont be mean to me today. Yao Yao said softly as she gently dragged the tip of his shirt.
Haha, sorry, I cant resist because you are too cute. He caressed Yao Yaos longhair. Seeing the slightly narrowed and loving eyes and the lightly shaking eyshes, a joyful smile appeared on Jiang Chens face.
The feeling of home was probably simr to this.
Speaking of this, what did you wish for?
Hearing this, Yao Yaos face turned red as her eyes quickly nced at him before moving away.
It would not be a wish if I say it out loud, its a secret She said quietly.
She certainly minded.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to tease the small loli more, a light door-knock transmitted from the living room.
Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen to ask for his opinion, Jiang Chen shrugged before he walked to the living room and opened the door.
Wang Qin stood outside. Her nose turned vibrant red because of the chillness. Her freckled face had some ice shards on it.
The night on the wastnd was frigid, particrly in the winter.
Seeing how her frozen face was written with worry, Jiang Chen turned serious.
Come in first.
Wnag Qin nodded sincerely, she ducked under the door and shook the snow off her body.
Do you need a cup of hot water? Seeing how cold she was, Jiang Chen asked caringly.
But she waved her head signaling a no and she took a deep breath of the warm air before she looked at Jiang Chen.The mutated humans, they areing from the Seventh Area and they are setting up camps across from Taifu River. It is rumored thatAwechu!
As she spoke, she suddenly sneezed.
Seeing her disjointed look, Jiang Chen sighed as he headed into the kitchen and poured a cup of hot water for her.
Thank you. Wang Qin sat on the sofa and held onto the steamy cup. Signs of bloodflow finally began to show on her face.
Sit down and say it slowly. There is no need to rush. Dont forget any details. Jiang Chen sat across from Wang Qin and said in a stern tone.
She nodded before she took a deep breath and collected her thoughts.
This afternoon, Zhao Gang sent information from Shenxiang town
Wang Qin described in detail the movements of mutated humans to Jiang Chen, including the force distribution, the number of equipment detected by the drones, as well as the request for backup from Zhao Gang.
Hearing her description, Jiang Chen pondered for a moment.
Whats the production status of Tiger?
We only produced two new units as of now and the workers are already working around the clock. Wang Qin said, troubled.
What about the drones?
47 units.
Mhmm, I see. His finger on his chin, Jiang Chen fell into deep thought.
Mutated humans were nning to fight until death. They chose to invade during winter even with their outpost taken out.The motive certainly surprised him.
Although the Carmen Pharmaceutical Corporation was near the city center, it was not within the vicinity of the city center. From any point of view, it would be a wiser choice to head to the Carmen building when spring came around rather than fighting through the river during the winter.
Was there any reason they must fight in the winter?
Unless their target was not only the Carmen building but the city center as well?
Tell Zhao Gang that the backup will arrive immediately.
Wang Qin nodded, but a troubled look shed across her face.
New recruit training is still underway. There are only 70 soldiers avable to fight in the base. If we send too many people
She didntplete the sentence, but the meaning was obvious.
If the defense of the base is weak, they might not be able to control the ves.
Ill take care of the problem, just reply this way. Jiang Chen smiled.
Perhaps because his smile was confident, Wang Qins concern immediately vanquished.
She nodded with a smile before she left.
Seeing Wang Qin leave, Jiang Chen pondered for a long moment and closed the door.
He readjusted his mood before he went back to the dining room.
Did something happen? Sun Jiao seemed to have sensed something.
Nothing. Jiang Chen smiled, signaling her not to worry.
But this time, he saw Lin Lin twitching on the chair with vani smeared all over her face. His expression changed.
The naughty Sun Jiao seemed to have noticed Jiang Chens stare as her face turned red. She looked at the ceiling, raised her proud chest, and pretended that nothing happened.
Dont bully Lin Lin that much.
Sun Jiao stuck out her tongue and suddenly grabbed him by the arm. She giggled and inched closer to his ear.
I am full, lets go y games?
[I havent even eaten yet.] Jiang Chen facepalmed in his mind.
But the tenderness he felt from his arm made his mind drift elsewhere.
No, not eptable! Yao Yao with her ears on high alert immediately jumped on like a squirrel whose tail just got stepped on. She ran over and dragged onto the other hand of Jiang Chen, and looked at Sun Jiao in remorse, We already agreed that the star today is me
We already agreed? Jiang Chen paused as he looked confusedly between Sun Jiao and Yao Yao.
Ahem, uhh, I changed my mind, Ill give him to you tomorrow. Sun Jiao didnt answer Jiang Chens question. Instead, she looked away awkwardly.
Woo! Yao Yao bloated her cheeks as the adorable eyebrows immediately raised up, but they soon softened down.
You already ate all the good food, you cant even let the small animal drink some soup?
The saddened voice made Sun Jiaos face look somewhat embarrassed. She didnt say anything.
Seeing Sister Sun Jiao had no reaction, Yao Yao didnt give up. She lightly gritted her teeth to give herself the courage as she continued to use the soft voice to persuade her, If you eat meat every day, you will be sick of it.
Sun Jiaos expression was evidently moved. Jiang Chen still looked at the two of them in bewilderment, not understanding why the conversation topic suddenly turned to food.
Seeing the words were effective, Yao Yao secretively posed a sess gesture with her hands as she built on her sess. The asional vegetable would be good for your health. Also, if the small animal doesnt taste good, wouldnt it demonstrate the attractiveness of the big dairy cow
Sun Jiao with a blushed face said, Whatwhats big dairy cow.
Uh, what are you guys talking about? Jiang Chen scratched his face in confusion.
Her conflicted eyes moved between Yao Yao and Jiang Chen as her stance wavered.
Although she already decided[Wooo! This is annoying!]
[But-]
[If you eat meat every day, you will be sick of it.]
Ahhh! I dont care anymore, do whatever you want. Sun Jiao said in defeat as she escaped without looking back.
Jiang Chen stared at the fleeting Sun Jiao nkly before he looked at Yao Yao, who had a red hue on her face. A troubled smile appeared on his face.
Uh, what just happened?
Nothing. Yao Yaos head shook furiously as she put her hands behind her back timidly.
She smiled tenderly, as she posted a sess gesture with her hand behind her back.
The victory belonged to the small animal!
Chapter 189 - The Duet of the Assassination at Night
Chapter 189: The Duet of the Assassination at Night
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
After the shower, Jiang Chen raised his hand to knock on Sun Jiaos door, but there was no reaction in the room.
Whats the matter with this girl today?
With a head full of question marks, Jiang Chen returned to his own room.
Although he could go back and sleep in the modern world, he felt that it would weaken his spirit. Whats more, theres not much of a difference whether he slept here or on the other side. The only difference was the person hes sleeping with
He turned off the light andid in bed.
Jiang Chen closed his eyes and began to think about the mutated humans.
There was a scarcity of soldiers in the base, and the mutated humans didnt y by the book. As for how to resolve the problem, he already had a n formting in his mind, it was just the specifics that required more thinking.
While his mind drifted off, he began to sumb to drowsiness.
But just as he was about to doze off, there was a gentle knock on the door.
The corner of his mouth had a touch of smile as he pretended to not hear anything and closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
[This girl is actually sneaking in at night. Well see how Ill teach you a lesson]
The door was slightly pushed open, and a faint light pervaded in the room before it quickly faded away.
The steps were light as it carried a faint scent of Jasmine, disturbing Jiang Chens heart.
The quilt was pulled out of the corner and someone slipped under the sheets.
Jiang Chen was smirking and pretending to be oblivious while turning his body before putting his arm around the dainty figure.
Wait! Dainty?
Woo, The feeble murmuring had increased. This didnt seem to be Sun Jiao
Yao Yao? Jiang Chen asked awkwardly.
Mhmm Yao Yao quietly replied.
Her wet hair exuded a sweet scent of Jasmine, her gossamer of nightgown covered her delicate figure, and the moonlight from the window suffused her flushed face. Her huge, adorable eyes were trembling with apprehension, but there was no sign of retreating.
A silent atmosphere lingered between the two.
Jiang Chen shifted slightly, wanting to subtly move his hand away, only to realize that Yao Yao was clutching on his cuff.
Yao Yao murmured: I like you.
Mhmm, He opened his mouth to speak, and despite wanting to say a lot of things, he only managed to utter a single word.
Seeing Jiang Chen didnt react, Yao Yao gently lowered her eyelids, but soon quickly plucked up her courage and lifted her head.
Could you apany me for a while to share some secrets?
Secrets?
Yes, precisely because were under the sheets that we can tell each other secrets, Yao Yao whispered and nodded her head earnestly.
You can talk to me about anything, Jiang Chen smiled at her. Instead of removing his hand from her shoulder, he gently smoothened her hair.
Yao Yao guilelessly enjoyed the caress by his big hand as shefortably closed her adorable, huge eyes and snuggled closer to him.
Due to the close proximity to her delicate body, Jiang Chens face was suffused with heat.
That, lets startfirst, what kind of girl does Big Brother like?
Staring into the crystal clear eyes, Jiang Chen held his breath, forgetting to answer the question.
Sensing the mood, a crimson hue crept on Yao Yaos face.
Yao Yao closed her eyes gently.
Her eyshes gently fluttered, drawing her slightly open small mouth nearer to her beloved Big Brothers lips.
Staring at the approaching face, Jiang Chens Adams apple bobbed in his throat.
Reasons told him that if he didnt stop her in this situation, something bad might happen.
[Stop? Why stop?]
Temporarily forgetting to think, Jiang Chen leaned closer to Yao Yaos lovely face.
A long time ago, he made a decision to follow his thoughts from the bottom of his heart and to stay true to his emotions.
Suddenly, a wisp of cold breeze blew past at the back of his neck.
Cold air?
Who is it!
Jiang Chen was instantly alerted and immediately got up to look at the window.
The window was already open, a shadow was hanging upside down in the window.
The long hair swayed in the air, the crystal sandwiched between her two finger reflected an ominous glint under the moonlight.
The corners of her mouth were eerily curved.
Yawn, while walking aimlessly around the base, Sun Jiao yawned, behind her back was an SK10ser rifle.
The snow was not as heavy as before, and thebat suit fended off the cold air, so it wasnt too chilly.
White mist started toe out of her thick hat as she deliberately looked in the direction of the mansion.
It was already the 37th time that she had done it.
Thinking of that big, bad guy, he was definitely embracing the adorable Yao Yao at this time was and putting that thing that mustnt be described in
Sun Jiaos face immediately turned red as she stomped her feet in anger.
Stupid loli lover, Sun Jiao cursed out as she shook her head and continued to wander to other ces.
At that time, she suddenly saw two people.
A man and woman were holding hands while walking on the path leading to front ofmunity center.
Despite the distance, Sun Jiao still recognized the identity of the woman. Thus, aplicated expression appeared on her face.
Zhou Xiaoxia, her former friend.
[But she probably couldnt recognize her anymore] Thinking of this, Sun Jiao let out a sigh.
She had been living in bliss for quite some time to the point of almost forgetting the cruelty of the wastnd.
I hope you can be happy, my friend.
She looked at the two persons from afar, but she didnt get closer. Instead, she turned around and walked to a different direction.
I am so mad at that she-devil, Lin Lin used a towel to dry her silky silver hair while muttering furiously before leaving the bathroom.
Water droplets dripped on the floor as she dragged her feet slowly inside the cotton slippers.
The cream smeared on her face and hair had been finally rinsed off. She made a rxing stretch, preparing for a well-deserved sleep tonight.
[Then bear her, I will help you.]
Tingting seemed to havepletely mastered the humannguage.
Um, its okay. Um, in my opinionyou shouldnt be this violent, since this is my body after all, Lin Lin muttered softly.
[Are you not annoyed by her?]
Hearing this question, Lin Lin pouted and burried her head under the towel.
To be honest, not really.
[Is this the Stockholm Syndrome we are talking about?] Tingting queried curiously.
How is that possible! Lin Lin eximed, infuriated. She punched herself on her left chest, but there was obviously no reaction from Tingting. Rather, it was Lin Lin who got hurt herself.
[Then what is it?]
Lin Lins pale face was beet red as she rubbed her chest, looking away.
Perhaps, it is because we arefriends.
It was her first time having this feeling.
She had never experienced the feeling of having friends while she was locked inside the digital cage. Although Sun Jiao would asionally bully her, she had never disliked her. And that included Jiang Chenno, that person was different.
The more Lin Lin thought about it, the redder her pretty face became.
The man that rescued her from the virtual world was surprisingly gentle
BOOM!
There was a sudden loud noiseing from upstairs which interrupted Lin Lins bewildered musings.
What are they doing? Lin Lin nkly stared at the shaking ceiling as red light began to form in her right eye and migrated to her left eye.
Wait, what are you doing! Lin Lin gradually lost control of her body as she screamed at the guest residing in her body.
Chapter 190 - The Otherworldly Crimson Pupils
Chapter 190: The Otherworldly Crimson Pupils
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
Boom!
Crystal? Explosion?
The bed there had been broken into two pieces.
With no time to think, Jiang Chen instinctinvely shielded Yao Yao from being hit.
One of his hand surrounded tightly around Yao Yaos quivering shoulder while he leaned against the half-destroyed bedboard, his other hand took out the PK2000 from the storage dimension.
Tatatata!
With gritted teeth, Jiang Chen held onto the rifle with his finger on the trigger. Yao Yao covered her ears with her hands as her body shook in his arms.
The bullets shattered the window into pieces, but they only managed to break a few strands of the persons hair. The figure agilely dodged all the bullets and dashed into the room.
Bullets chased the quick shadow and left bowl-sized holes in the wall.
The figure didnt seem to be anxious because of the constant firing. Instead, it dashed to the other corner of the room and dragged down the closet along with the wall.
Ka.
The bullets ran out, Jiang Chen flung the rifle to the ground as he pulled out his pistol.
One hand appeared from the shadow and something was thrown out.
Jiang Chens pupils contracted.
With the help of the moonlight, he saw a crystal emitting a dark green sheen.
There was no time to dodge. He nced at Yao Yao with the corner of his eyes. Jiang Chen bit the bullet and decided not to start interdimensional travelling. Rather, he reached for the crystal with his hand.
The green sheen lit up the entire room as the scorching temperature almost melted off his skin.
Energy withdraw!
The unstable energy quickly stabilized as the dark green crystals energy instantly entered the void and turned into a transparent colorless ss.
Eh? The opponent was surprised. Just as Jiang Chen didnt understand how she could use the crystal as a grenade, she was also confused as to how Jiang Chen could make the crystal energy disappear.
But being surprised was one thing, the movement of the figure did not stop the slightest as her hand raised up again.
Jiang Chens face turned green instantly.
It was not one crystal this time, the dark green crystals appeared in the air like raindrops.
Even if he had 10 hands, he could not be able to grab all the crystals!
The crystals scattered everywhere in the room, in such an enclosed space, there was nowhere to dodge.
If he wanted to avoid them, he must use interdimensional travel.
But Yao Yao
Instantly, thousands of ideas shed through Jiang Chens mind, but none of them contained the thought of abandoning her.
Finally, he gritted his teeth, pushed Yao Yao on the ground as he prepared to take the explosion.
Yao Yaos eyes widened as she looked at her big brothers action in disbelief with her lips quivering. She used her tender hands to forcefully push him, she knew that if big brother was here by himself, he definitely could avoid the explosion.
But Jiang Chens didnt let go, nor did he activate interdimensional travel, he only gritted his teeth.
Although it is quite touching, please go die. A female voice full of mockery came from behind the closet. The crystals with sheen began to fall and the dark green energy violently swarmed the room. It could explode any moment.
Beam!
All the sudden, a blood red beam prated through the door and scattered the darkness of the room. It passed the broken window and into the distance.
Under the interference of the blood red particle beam, all the crystals began to gather around the beam like metal dust encountering a ma, then all the energy was instantly removed as the crystals shattered into clouds of dust.
It was Lin Lin standing at the door!?
But the blood red pupils emitted an unsettling strangeness.
This is impossible!
Shouting appeared from behind the fallen closet.
Nothing is impossible.
Although surprised by the ability disyed by Lin Lin, right now was obviously not the best time to ask the question.
Jiang Chen let Yao Yao go and he quickly leaped toward the side to pick up the rifle.
The person hiding behind the cupboard didnt pause, seeing that the assassination had already failed, she immediately pulled the smoke grenade.
You must be in your dreams if you think you can escape!
The nitrogen shield was instantly activated as the turbid air flow scattered the thick smoke.
Jiang Chen carried the rifle to the fallen closet, but he realized that the person was already gone.
The window?
Eh? What happened? The crimison light vanished from Lin Lins eyes as she looked bewilderedly at the room in shambles.
Lin Lin, look after Yao Yao. Jiang Chen suppressed the anger in his chest as he took a deep breath.
Eh? But I
Jiang Chen quickly took out the kic skeleton and put it on, and then with one hand pressed to the window, he jumped straight down.
Both of his feet stomped on the ground with full force as the shock absorber on his legs erased most of the impact.
Although the assassin avoided the patrol of the drones, when she left she still triggered the rm. The rm began to ring inside the base as the drone fleet quickly chased after the infiltrated target.
Jiang Chen opened his EP as the escaping target had already been locked by the drones, Jiang Chen quickly moved toward the target.
Even with snow up to his knees, with the assistance of kic skeleton, he still didnt feel much resistance as he inched closer and closer to the red dot.
There was a wire tied on the top of the wall, she must have used this rapport to sneak into the base.
With his knees bent, Jiang Chen pushed his feet against the ground as he leaped up and grabbed the edge of the wall with one hand. Jiang Chen somehow managed to jump over the five meters high wall of the base.
The snow-covered street was filled with zombies. When they heard the noise, the nk eyes looked in this direction as their lifeless pupils began to turn red.
Rawr!
With a roar, they dragged their stiff body as the zombies began to surround Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen didnt back down. Instead, he leaped forward. Under the fully mobilized kic skeleton, he smashed toward the zombies like a steam train.
The gun barrel smashed through the broken head before the agitated zombies managed to surround him. Jiang Chen quickly dashed through the waves of zombies as he sprang toward an abandoned building outside of the wall.
With both feet on the ground, he vaulted up.
Hands on the edge of the building, Jiang Chen climbed to the roof, leaving the zombies at the bottom. Without slowing down, he chased after the direction of the assassin.
As he jumped between roofs, he was closer and closer to the pitch ck figures.
The drones had already surrounded her. The shing me in the distance was a signal of the drones firing.
You cant run, surrender now. Jiang Chen pulled the trigger as he shouted.
The two exchanging gunshots attracted the zombies on the entire street. But without the ability to climb up to buildings. they could only blindly follow the source of the sound.
They had exceeded the attack radius of the Hummingbird drone.
Dammit, what a rat. Jiang Chen furiously stared at the figure dodging while he leaped at the front building.
Suddenly, that person stopped, turned around, and a mysterious smile appeared.
Jiang Chen was highly alerted by this, but his body was already in motion and he could not react anymore.
Bye-bye.
Under the pristine moonlight, he saw the slim-figured woman blowing him a kiss.
Fu*k!
Before his feet touched the roof, me emerged from the bottom of the building and the roof copsed under the sound of the explosion.
It was explosives.
Heavy smokes filled the vicinity as the debris quickly surrounded him.
The woman looked at Jiang Chen from a distance. Mockery was all over her face as her silky ck hair blew in the northern wind.
The ckbat suit looked thin, but she did not look chilly at all.
I thought he was an interesting person, but looks like he is just so-so after all.
She yed with the crystal in her hand and threw to the street on the side.
A green sheen shed as the crystal exploded, the zombies surrounding the shambles were attracted by a new sound source as they confusedly moved to that direction.
With the cost of 127 crystals, this ability for sure burns through money. Mission ended, the ck figure started to mutter to herself as she jumped in front of the shambles.
Not everyone was rich like Jiang Chen, 100 crystals were an astronomical number for most people.
She flung her wrist as the aerodynamic lookingser rifle appeared on her graceful hand.
Is he buried inside now? This is bothersome. She let out a sigh. The battery buzzed as theser pistol in her hand was already loaded.
With a kic skeleton, he might not have died, Without confirming the body, this mission could not be consideredplete.
As the leader of the force, you chased all by yourself so far out, should I call you courageous or foolish?
She pressed on her EP as she activated the life detection device.
The signal wave scanned through the map as she tilted her head.
No signal? Died? Or did he carry a blocking device?
She kicked away a piece of rock as her gun pointed at the shadows among the ruins, she carefully stepped on top of the shambles.
It began to snow again.
The northern gust covered the already dim moonlight.
But all the sudden, the yet-to-shut-down life detection device on her right hand suddenly showed a red dot shing on the map. She saw this with the corner of her eyes and she suddenly felt a chillness down to her bones.
She jotted up her head as a ck figure growing bigger and bigger reflected in her contracting pupils.
Boom!
With an abrupt jump backward, she barely dodged the thunderous blow.
Rocks scattered like bullets has hit the surrounding. The arm she used for blocking stung.
The suppressive air flow once again blew away the settled dust, as well as the snow.
One person, one hammer.
The eyes were filled with rage.
If she got any closer, she would have seen the red dot on the pupils.
Fury!
This is impossible! How did you Her eyes were written with disbelief. She obviously didnt know of Jiang Chens ability to travel through dimensions.
Without a reply, Jiang Chen continued to move.
The micro-engines in his knees kicked into overdrive. Like a cannon, he dragged the long hammer and dashed at her.
She had yet to regain her footing as she could not jump back. Under the crucial situation, the female assassin clenched her teeth and activated the particle shield on her right arm.
The faint blue particles dispersed around to form a circr shield with a radius of one meter around her.
Jiang Chen sneers as the narrowed pupils locked onto her eyes.
The power hammer obtained from the mutated human swung up, with four trails of blue light streams at the end of the hammer, it swung toward the shield in front of her arm like a meteor striking earth.
Chapter 191 - The Dark and Windy Night
Chapter 191: The Dark and Windy Night
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
The particle shield made out of faint blue particles shattered. The powerpressed together was instantly released as the female assassin was blown away like a bomb, colliding against a concrete wall 10 meters away.
The sound of fighting drowned the zombies nearby. The frost didnt numb their legs. Compelled by the lust for flesh, they ran toward the two of them.
Under both the kic skeleton as well as furys strength, the power hammer in which the lead mutated human couldnt even lift, was put on Jiang Chens shield and it was instantly charged again.
Without a skip in a beat, like an enraged monster, he swung the hammer.
A few dark green crystals flew towards him, Jiang Chen didnt avoid it. Instead, the nitrogen armor on his right arm blew the green dots away for meters.
This lunaticThe person frantically lifted her pistol and pressed the trigger.
The instant explosive force ofser weapon was perfectly demonstrated in the short distance. The raindrop-like blue beams exploded instantly, outshining the thick snow.
Nitrogen armor could not defend againstser bullets, Jiang Chen put up the hammer to shield his head while the stic armoryered with scattering effect deflected the 10 low-powerser bullets.
Although the attack didnt manage to cause any hindrance to Jiang Chens movement, it still forced him to lose his vision on her for a brief second.
With this opportunity, the female assassin quickly jumped towards the side and avoided the thunderous blow.
Boom!
The concrete wall was smashed into dust as debris flew.
Roar The deep roaring sound filled the air.
The disturbed zombies crowded them as they lept toward them baring their teeth and ws.
The female assassin sensed the dire situation as she swung her left hand with a metal hook. It shot straight to the top of an apartment building.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen immediately gave up on the hammer as he pulled out the PK2000 behind his back. He fired following her figure and noise.
The snow made shooting challenging. However, due to Fury and the desire for blood, the bullets managed to chase up to her as if they had eyes.
There were whimpering sounds in the distance. He could sense that he managed tond at least three shots on her.
He swung his gun to smash down a zombie who was leaping towards him. Calmly, Jiang Chen climbed onto the top of the half-destroyed concrete wall as he jumped to the top of the building.
Perhaps it was because her legs were hit, the figure became more awkward and disorientated.
After leaping through two more buildings, Jiang Chen sessfully forced her into the corner.
With her back against the wall, the female assassin held onto her bleeding right leg as she stared gravely at the approaching Jiang Chen.
Looks like there is an error in the information I collected. You are not just a foolish yboy. In a mocking voice, the female assassin said.
I dont know how you obtained that information. Jiang Chen shrugged.
Fury was deactivated, as his eyes turned clear again.
Thendscape near the mansion was rtively t, there were no tall buildings nor were anything surrounded with high walls. It was nearly impossible to observe the inside of the mansion from outside the base. She could only use the limited amount of information to analyze Jiang Chens whereabouts.
Jiang Chen was cautious in his mind, this person managed to sneak into the heart of the base, looks like it was necessary to upgrade security,
Your name? Jiang Chen stopped five meters away from her with a gun pointed at her head.
The mask covered her face and her nose, Jiang Chen couldnt see her expression clearly.
Compared to my name, shouldnt you by more worried about your own safety? The female assassin mocked as a victorious smile appeared on her face.
Put down your weapon, or you could lose your hand. He had no knowledge that a giant man was standing 10 meters away with a rifle pointed directly at his arm. The killers face carried a malevolent smile.
Although the n was to assassinate, it would be better if they could capture him alive.
[Not working alone?]
Jiang Chen let out a sigh but he didnt put down the weapon. Instead, he nced at the man standing meters away from him.
Watch your back. Jiang Chen said mischievously.
The person was suddenly alerted and immediately pressed the trigger.
But the bullet didnt hit anything, because the target disappeared out of thin air!
He promptly turned the gun towards his back, but there was nothing behind him either.
Be careful! Before he could hear the shout, his consciousness was terminated.
Jiang Chen who reappeared at the same ce pulled the trigger without hesitation and the bullets prated through the back of the assasins head.
Then, he turned his gun towards the female assassin who was not willing to disclose her name.
White de reflected light directed at him, Jiang Chen abruptly reposted with his rifle.
Ding!
The dagger cut through the shell of the rifle as the female assassin used this glimpse of opportunity to leap over.
Jiang Chen immediately pulled the trigger, but she was already a body distance away from him. She grabbed on to the burning gun and a second dagger appearing out of the other hand.
Sparks shed.
Jiang Chen lifted his arm as the kic skeleton metal frame attached to the side of his arm shielded against the hit that was aimed straight to his throat.
Go die! Letting go of the rifle, Jiang Chen removed the dagger shed into the gun as he stabbed fiercely toward the female assassins eyes.
Not so much. The swinging dagger blocked the hit. She threw away the rifle in her hand as another ping-pong ball sized crystal appeared in her hand.
The crystal emitted a dark green light as fierce and determination shed across her face. She squeezed out a few words between her teeth, lets die together.
[Fu*k, what a psychotic woman.]
Cold sweat rolled down his forehead. The continuous use of interdimensional travel consumed almost all the energy there was in the bracelet.
[What do I do?!]
Bang!
The sound of a gunshot interrupted the fight between the two.
The bullet ripped off half of her arm as the hand holding the crystal fell to the ground.
Ahhhh! The agonizing scream almost prated Jiang Chens eardrum as the female assassin that lost her arm tumbled to the back.
Seeing that the assasin had fled, Jiang Chen kicked the dark green crystal away without stopping.
The crystal exploded 10 meters away in mid-air.
Light beamed down from the sky and locked onto the female assassin who was struggling to get up. She held onto her broken left arm with an agonized and frightened expression. Her two athletic but slim legs spread out on the concrete floor. Because of all the blood, such gesture did not look attractive at all.
With heavy breathing, Jiang Chen threw away the dagger in his hand, he wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead, as he narrowed his eyes to look in the sky.
It was the helicopter, Chu Nan.
Chu Nan was piloting the helicopter. After the rm rang, he, who was taking a stroll outside, immediately headed towards the helicopter pad.
Half-kneeling at the hatch door was Zhou Xiaoxia.
She held a sniper rifle in her hands. Her merciless expression waspletely contrary to her usual dumbfoundedness. The cross-sight in her field of vision locked onto the head of the female assassin.
No need to shoot, just maintain suppression.
Seeing that Jiang Chen was okay, Sun Jiao, who was standing on the side, finally let out a breath of relief as she slowly opened her mouth.
When she heard that assassin broke into the mansion and that Jiang Chen and Yao Yao were attacked, her heart almost jumped out of her throat. Especially when she saw the image from the drones that Jiang Chen chased out alone, she almost burst out crying.
Of course, it was only an expression, Sun Jiao would obviously not cry. She carried theser rifle and jumped onto the helicopter.
Zhou Xiaoxia didnt respond, her ck hair was disheveled because of turbulence, but the hands that were holding onto the sniper rifle were steady.
Sun Jiao looked perplexed from the side of her face and she didnt say anything. She only signaled Chu Nan to lower the helicopter height in order to take Jiang Chen home.
Sun Jiao could imagine the difficulty of sniping on the helicopter, especially with the heavy storm.
With only instinct toward the weapon, she achieved this kind of uracy?
Sun Jiao began to reminisce about the past when she was active near Liuding town - the not long period of time when they worked together.
Ahem,mander, maybe you should really teach your husband? He is a leader. After all, this type of risky things should be left for us. Chu Nan left out a sigh as he approached the building.
He maneuvered the helicopter as he said jokingly, How should I say this? He is not a bad boss.
Mhmm. Sun Jiao half-heartedly replied. All of her focus was on Jiang Chen.
The helicopter hovered beside the roof.
Before the helicopter stabilized, Sun Jiao immediately jumped to the roof and hugged Jiang Chen.
He held onto the gorgeous figure as he felt her warmth, just as Jiang Chen wanted to say something, his expression turned peculiar.
He tenderly patted her on the back as he let her teeth bite into his shoulder.
Is your Han Zodiac a dog? Jiang Chen gasped for air in exaggeration.
With her face slightly red, Sun Jiao was embarrassed, but her hands still clenched tightly onto Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen noticed that her eyes were red.
Sorry for making you worry. Jiang Chen caressed the luscious hair. He looked into the reddened eyes and began to me himself.
He didnt think too much in the heat of the moment, he only followed because of pure anger.
His hasty move probably disrupted the entire base.
Feeling the girl in his arms calm down, Jiang Chen turned around holding her hand and looked at the already fainted female assassin.
Lets see the real face of this rat?
Anger shed across Sun Jiaos face as her eyes narrowed.
I agree, for an unweed guest, we must treat her properly.
She already had ns as to how to torture this despicable person.
[Whip, candle No, these punishments are too light.]
[We will use the cruelest tortures to found out the perpetrator behind this.]
Withser rifle in her hand, Sun Jiao walked up as she kicked off the mask on the assassins face without mercy.
How is this possible!
Sun Jiaos pupils immediately contracted as she tumbled back a few steps, her face was full of disbelief.
Chapter 192 - Sisters
Chapter 192: Sisters
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
It has been tuned, but you should be careful when you use it. Since I havent made one in a long time, actions with highplexity could cause a program error. After tuning the numbers on theputer, Jiang Lin removed the cords on the mechanical arm and gave it to Jiang Chen.
The silica gel feeling was no different than the skin. If the port in the back was not made of metal, it would almost be the same as a womans hand.
Jiang Chen yed with the mechanical hand for a moment and asked casually, Whats the cost to produce one of these?
The titanium skeleton is a bit expensive which costs around 31 crystals. The microchip used as processor along with electronic nerve were around 20 crystals in total. To be honest, I rmend purchasing microchips from Liuding town. The chips there are not only cheap, but are also more advancedpared to the Sixth Street. If we use their chips to produce kic skeletons, the stats in every category would improve.
Oh? Ill keep an eye out Also, did you imnt the thing I told you about?
Already done, this is the control terminal. Jiang Lin put a thumb-sized memory drive in Jiang Chens hands.
Jiang Chen picked up the memory drive as he directly inserted it into the end of the EP before the screen began to load.
If the user had any malicious intention, the battery would be locked, and it would instantly release power that executes the user Of course, this power could be adjusted, if you dont want to kill the user right away.
Mhmm, beautiful Speaking of this, do you not need to keep an eye on the kic skeleton production line? Jiang Chen stared at the rocket engine in the middle of the room as he asked with an odd expression.
I have already assigned the responsibilities to everyone and put what they needed to do in a handbook. I am only responsible for quality assurance and tuning, as well as ranking their work performance. Jiang Lin pushed the sses up his nose and he said proudly.
The ranking was geared towards the newly joined survivors who are better known as the ves. For those with outstanding work ethics, they would be promoted to lower citizens.
Since it would not interfere with the production, Jiang Chen was toozy to ridicule him to not stay on task.
Therefore? How long would this thing stay in orbit for? Jiang Chen let out a sigh.
Uhh, this is not an exploration rocket. Jiang Lin scratched his head.
Not an exploration rocket? Jiang Chen was confused.
Mhmm, precisely speaking, its a missile capable of carrying 1000 kilograms ofbat equipment.
Bang
The mechanical arm dropped to the ground.
How many of this can you produce! Jiang Chen had both of his hands on Jiang Lins shoulders as he stared at Jiang Lin passionately.
Jiang Lin felt goosebumps all over his back. He took a step back and forced augh.
This thing cannot be mass produced. Its hard to obtain the materials, I can only say I will do my best
[What the fu*k, 1000 kilograms of load, even if it carried the ancient TNT, it would instantly evaporate half of a street. If it was switched to the concentrated bombmon on wastnd, its power would beparable to the mid-sized tactical nuke.]
Do your absolute best! Jiang Chen said sincerely.
If he possessed this superweapon, it would without a doubt increase his odd in winning the war against the mutated humans.
Jiang Lin took a deep breath and nodded.
Jiang Chen picked up the mechanical arm off the ground and headed towards the direction of the mansion.
When he entered the basement, he saw the female assassin strapped tightly on top of the operating table, as well as Sun Jia who stood on the side with a perplexed expression.
The DNA results are out. Lin Lin stretched her body after busily working on the control panels for a long time.
Whats the result! Sun Jiao tightly clenched onto Lin Lins shoulders.
Because their faces were so close together, Lin Lins face turned slightly red and looked away.
She is indeed your younger sister.
When she heard the confirmation, Sun Jiaos shoulder began to cken. Jiang Chen noticed the perplexed expression on her face, he sighed, walked to her and hugged her around the shoulder.
Ill spare her
No, she almost killed you and Yao Yao. Sun Jiao had determination in her eyes, but it was soon reced with nkness.
On one sideid the only rtive she had in the world. On the other side stood the person she loves.
I dont want to make this difficult for you.
But
Leave it to me. Trust me. Jiang Chen stared at her shaking eyes as he said with an assertive tone.
With a blushed face, Sun Jiao lowered her head.
Then Ill leave it to you As she finished speaking, Sun Jiao pushed opened the door and left the basement.
Although she had thought of the countless of cruel ways to extract information from the assasin, when she realized that the assassin was actually her sister, she was no longer certain.
To find her lost sister, she had covered the entire Wanghai city with her footsteps. It was until she finally met Jiang Chen did she temporarily put a pause to the journey of searching for her family.
If she stayed here, Jiang Chen must feel restrained because he has to consider her feeling.
Sun Jiao, who already knew the meaning of tenderness, didnt want him to feel conflicted.
So she chose to leave.
Seeing Sun Jiaos back, Jiang Chen sighed.
This is problematic.
The assassin was the female boss sister. Could the plot get any more stereotypical than this?
How about you take her as part of your collection as well, since your prey limit is anyone within 10 years both ways. Lin Lin suggested.
The joke was not made at the best time.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes.
Lin Lin frightenedly trembled and lifted her hands to cover her mouth.
How did she make the crystals explode, did you figure it out?
Under a normal circumstance, the energy in the crystal is very stable. Even in a high-temperature and high-pressure environment, it would not explode. The crystals could even be cut into smaller pieces, hence why it could be used as a currency.
Based on DNA analysis, she could freely change her brain wave pattern. It is likely that she changed her brain wave pattern to coincide with a special particle chain within the crystals, which resulted in resonance. Through experimental analysis, once the particle chain is disrupted, the entire crystal structure would copse which would instantly release all the energy. This should be an ability that evolved from gic vine. Also, about the crystal
Lin Lin seemed to have made a new discovery, but Jiang Chen didnt have the mood to be thinking about other things.
Mhmm, I see, go back first, Ill find youter. He interrupted and ordered in an undertone.
Eh? Do you not need my help anymore?
Because the things happening next might not be PG. Jiang Chen shrugged his shoulder.
Lin Lins face turned red as she cursed out whiling walking out in quick steps carrying her tablet.
Pervert
Jiang Chen ignored Lin Lins bad mouthing as he quietly waited for her footsteps to disappear.
He closed and locked the basement door, took a deep breath and walked to the female assassin.
Sun Xiaorou, that was her name.
If one carefully studies at her face, one would discover that her looks did resemble Sun Jiao.
As for the differences, it was mainly that the assasin was shorter in height . She was also not as bustypared to her sister and her face still carried a hint of immaturity. The broken hand was sprayed with medicine mist and bandaged up. Her limbs were locked onto the operating table with all four extended out. Her ckbat suit was changed into loose white shirt and pants. Just by judging her current appearance alone, it was hard to imagine her as an assassin.
He shook his head as he walked beside the operating table. Looking at the buttons with many unknown functions, he paused for a moment before randomly pressing down a button.
Ahhhhh! The scream almost pierced through his eardrums. Jiang Chen had to cover his ears.
Sun Xiaorou violently shook as her eyes turned white and foam was dripping out of her mouth.
A faint pungence appeared, Jiang Chen looked at the light yellow liquid dripping along the operating table and an awkward expression appeared on his face.
He only wanted to startle her and wake her up.
He didnt think that the button was for electrocuting.
[But what are the purposes of the other buttons?]
Chapter 193 - Punishment
Chapter 193: Punishment
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
Sun Xiaorou woke up from her paralyzed state.
She stared fiercely at Jiang Chen, then her eyes began to wander around the basement.
Dont bother, there is not a single crystal in this basement. Jiang Chen smiled.
What did you do to me? Sun Xiaorou quickly scanned her clothes. When she realized her ckbat suit had been changed, anger appeared between her eyebrows, but the smile he had was no different.
Your name is Sun Xiaorou.
Sun Xiaorou paused for a moment. She the looked at Jiang Chen in alert without making a sound. She was confused as to how this man knew her name.
[Looks like she havent seen Sun Jiao yet]
Where are you from? Why are you assassinating me? Jiang Chen grabbed a chair and sat beside the operating table.
A determined and scornfulugh eame out of her mouth and she said mockingly. You really think I am going to tell you?
How would I know without trying? If possible, I would prefer if you dont make me do cruel things to beauties. Jiang Chen shrugged.
Oh? If it is just the electrocuting, you are far away from getting anything. Sun Xiaorou mocked.
She had already been mentally prepared about the consequence of being captured.
Have you been imnted with the chip? Jiang Chen didnt get enraged by her tone. Instead, he asked with the calm voice.
Only foolish people would be happy about those boring dog chains. The voice was contemptuous.
She was not forced by the very chip.
Sun Jiao was her only family, then this eliminated the possibility of her family being taken hostage.
An absolute form of loyalty?
Hard to believe, especially on the wastnd without orders.
Do you have a sister? Jiang Chen asked the question attentively.
Her expression did not change the slightest.
I dont have family.
Jiang Chen wondered if Sun Jiao would be heartbroken after these words, her sister already couldnt remember her.
For the people injected with the gic vine, the truth-telling liquid is ineffective. If he wanted to obtain information, then it must be interrogation with the help of a lie detector. Seeing her defiant stance, Jiang Chen was troubled.
Sun Jiaos sister Based on rtionship, she should be considered his sister-inw.
From any perspective, using torture on an assasin was the best choice to obtain useful information. But Jiang Chen could not do that to his sister-inw.
Then lets make a deal. If you cooperate, I can let you go, and give you ten thousand crystals. Jiang Chen decided to first lure her with money.
To his surprise, her stubbornness matched her sisters.
Crystals? You dont understand what this is about at all. The voice was filled with arrogance and contempt.
Oh? Dont you use crystals as a currency? Jiang Chen tried to make a conversation.
Ignorant.
Still, the tone was filled with mockery.
Jiang Chen was instantly enraged, but his face was expressionless. He only grabbed a long needle injector from the pan beside the operating table.
Do you know what this is? Jiang Chen shook the needle in front of her nose as he said slowly.
What? Sun Xiaorou held her neck up as she scorned.
Nerve catalyst, it would increase your nerve cell activity by one hundred times. In simple words, it could increase your sensitivity one hundred times. Jiang Chen lightly pushed the needle as the colorless liquid emerged from the tip.
You are a devil. Sun Xiaorous expression changed as she tried to move back, but because of her tied down limbs, her struggle was futile.
I dont have time to waste on you. The mutated humans are across the river bank and my people are waiting for my order. You only have two choices right now, be truthful, or be tortured until you tell the truth. Jiang Chen said in menace.
This medicine was purchased by Zhou Guoping at the Sixth Street ck market. Five milliliter of liquid cost one hundred crystals, which signified its rarity.
Then why dont you try! Pew!
Jiang Chen dodged her spit. He was not angry. Instead, heughed as he injected the needle right into her vein.
Looking into her eyes of despair, he pushed all the liquid into her.
Her limbs twitched as if she was having a spasm, then her body began to quiver. It took her a long time before she breathing returned to normal.
You, you filth of a human being
Do you not have the energy to speak? Jiang Chen threw the needle away as a smirk emerged on his face.
Her voice was trembling so much Jiang Chen could not make out what she was cursing about.
If possible, he didnt want to do this, but since it already started, then it must continue.
He pressed his finger onto her right arm.
Wooo!
Are you sensitive to this extreme? Then let me ask you
In, in your dreams
Okay, then imagine what happened today as a bad dream. Next, what should we try? Electrocution? Or high-temperature SPA? Or something else? Jiang Chen pressed a red button.
Ahhhhh!
The agonizing scream revibrated in the entire basement.
Lin Lin, with one ear on the door, shivered and she quickly retracted her head.
[What was this pervert doing!]
Because of curiosity, when Jiang Chen closed the door, she quietly sneaked back.
But just as she put her ear against the door, she heard the agonizing scream.
She remembered the words she spoke that provoked Jiang Chen as she shuddered again before carefully leaving the basement.
Looking at Sun Xiaorou with foams in her mouth, both eyes turning white, and her limps spasming on the operating table, Jiang Chen rubbed his wary temples.
Even after the injection of medicine that increased her sensivity by one hundred times, she stillsted two hours.
Seeing the stains at the edge of the operating table, Jiang Chen held his breath and his expression was somewhat awkward.
[This seems to be over the line?]
But he couldnt think of better ways. In the end, he didnt hurt his body, as to the mental trauma let time work its magic.
Another note worth mentioning, he didnt expect her to be a virgin.
Jiang Chen picked up the notebook and hastily left the basement.
At the door, he met Sun Jiao with a perplexed expression.
Is it over?
Mhmm. Jiang Chen nodded awkwardly.
Sun Jiao didnt say anything and kissed him.
Jiang Chen nkly looked at Sun Jiaos closed eyes before he shut his eyes as well.
Lips apart.
Sorry, I
Dont apologize, she deserves the punishment. Regardless of where it happens, the fate of assassins is public execution I am already thankful that you spared her life. The damage on her body could be healed with time Sun Jiao seemed to have thought this through as there was no more hesitation in her eyes.
No, I didnt hurt her during the process. But she provoked me, I turned hot-headed, and then I As he spoke, Jiang Chens expression turned more and more awkward.
Sun Jiao paused for a moment, then her face turned red and she gently bit her lips.
Pervert. Sun Jiao smashed his shoulder and she quickly walked downstairs.
Seeing Sun Jiaos figure, Jiang Chen put up his hand wanting to exin something, but then he put it down.
There was no use in exining once the girl sees the chaos in the basement.
He will have to wait until the night to exin to her privately.
Perhaps, this was the evilest thing he has done in his entire life.
Chapter 194 - Klein Particles
Chapter 194: Klein Particles
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
The Northern Alliance District.
As one of the rare safe havens inside Pan-Pacific area, the description of this ce was only applicable whenpared to the ruins and shambles.
The survivors left on this wastnd migrated north as they established a survivor camp along the Yellow River South of the Golden City. The poption density of this area was not high before the war. Therefore, the concentration of zombies was naturally low. Without the direct impact of a nuclear weapon, the radiation level was much lowerpared to developed area. The mutant poption was also meager. Other than the mutants that migrated from north of the Golden city, this ce possessed almost no lethal danger.
Stability brought order and prosperity.
Despite the harsh environment and the barrennds, they still manage to plot out thousands of acres of arablend on the wastnd. Despite the low production, it ultimately managed to feed the tens of thousands of survivors who fled here.
Dictatorship, power, stability.
These three words could holistically describe this empire.
Although it was named as the Northern Alliance, the armed force that controlled the security of this ce ofnd controlled the life of all the survivors. In the form of military government, they managed the food production and subsequently dictated the entire area.
It was rumored that they had been plotting against Wanghai city for a long time already.
Of course, Sun Xiaorou didnt belong to the military government, but rather a religious group based on the northern area - the Dusk Church.
They promoted the forting of an apocalypse and fully believed the terror of the apocalypse. But different from the majority of people who lost hope, they also firmly believed that their spiritual leader Bo Yu could lead them to escape the sr system, find a second Sun and establish a new home for the humans.
It was quite a coincidence, the purpose of their trip to Wanghai city was to obtain the
buried in Fallout Shelter 005 and to acquire the technology to establish the biosphere in space.
To be able to enter the nning bureau inside the city and obtain the exact location of Fallout Shelter 005, they were not reluctant to partner up with the mutated humans from the Seventh Area. All the firearms of the mutated human, as well as the security password of the Carmen Pharmaceutical, were provided by them.
But unfortunately, their fate was deteremined and they were to return empty-handed. Other than metal debris, there was nothing left there. After clearing out the mutated creature that infiltrated Fallout Shelter 005, Jiang Chen blew up the server of the article intelligence and cleaned out anything useful inside.
As for the metal box that stored
, after Lin Lin copied all the information to the chip inside her head, Jiang Chen destroyed the original copy.
Jiang Chen wondered what kind of expression would be on Bo Yus face once he went through all the trouble to finally enter to Fallout Shelter 005, and only found junks inside.
But regardless, even if Jiang Chen knew what happened to Fallout Shelter 005, he could not stand in front him and say I already cleared Fallout Shelter 005 and I have taken everything away.
In this case, conflict was inevitable. Jiang Chen could not let the mutated humans inside Qingpu. The leader of The Dusk Church Bo Yu would not give up on entering the city center. When he sent the assassin, he already demonstrated his hostility.
As to how the weapons and supplies would be transported to Wanghai, and how she joined The Dusk, Sun Xiaorou didnt have those memories. Since she joined the cult at a very young age and based on the face that all religions have the same tendencies, brainwashing was an unavoidable step.
After all, it was about the crystals.
In the end, Sun Xiaorou, in herhalf-unconscious state, blurted out random things. After attempting to piece together her broken sentences, Jiang Chen could not summarize the information she said.
But a keyword she continuously emphasized drew his attention.
Klein Particles.
It was the third time he has heard this word.
Ahhhh!
Just as he pushed open Lin Lins door, Jiang Chen heard a sudden whimper.
He looked confusedly at the quivering Lin Lin.
What happened to you?
NoNothing!
The sharp voice seemed to be out of tune.
Was she traumatized somehow?
Due to Lin Lin being regrly irregr, Jiang Chen wasnt bothered by it and he cut straight to the topic.
About what happenedst time, I have a question.
Lin Lin cutely gulped as she nodded her head intensely.
It was rare that she was this cooperative.
Usually, she would start with, Why do I have to help you?.
Jiang Chen obviously didnt know that the disobedient Lin Lin sneaked back when he closed the door and heard some bad things.
Then I am going to ask,st time, it was Tingting that shot out the red light?
Jiang Chens expression was weird when he said the name Tingting.
Although in that virtual world, she entered it in the form of a human and became a couple with him, her original form is a bug.
Mhmm! Lin Lin nodded furiously.
That particle, what exactly is it?
When she heard this, Lin Lins expression turned earnest.
Thats what I wanted to say I found something abnormal on the surface of the crystal.
As she finished saying, Lin Lin ran to the front of the experiment table. She picked up a polished crystal and put it inside the ss sphere of an odd-looking equipment.
This is?
You wont know even if I tell you, it is a really convenient equipment Before I always thought you guys collected them because they were shiny and that because they could also rece hydrocarbon as an energy source. But after doing some experiments, this thing is not as simple as it looks.
Inside the ss sphere, the dark green crystal began to change color.
Thepletebustion of the energy of a crystal could release the energy equivalent to 2.47 kg of coal. After, it would turn into this form.
The crystal lost its shine and changed into a quartz-like appearance.
And then? Jiang Chen looked at the crystal keenly.
Lin Lin didnt answer Jiang Chens question. Instead, she asked rhetorically with mysteriousness on her face, Have you heard of the fourth dimension?
Fourth dimension? The dimension that includes time? Jiang Chen had heard this before as he had been through university after all.
Then let me ask you another question, have you heard about energy that belongs to the fourth dimension?
Jiang Chen was dumbfounded. One because it was too abstract, two because he didnt know why she suddenly brought up the question.
Every matter in this world, including you and me, could be measured by three measurements: length, width and height. These are all measurements of the third dimension. But if time is added to the list, then the Jiang Chen today would bepletely different from the Jiang Chen tomorrow. This would be the fourth dimension. The same as the 1.50 m Lin Lin ispletely different than the 2.00 m Lin Lin in the third dimension.
If we can add a timeline to energy. Imagine this, the crystals energy today have been used, but a few thousand yearster, its energy would be filled up again
Wait, what about the conservation of energy? Jiang Chen had to interrupt.
Of course it is conserved. Because from the start, the Klein particle exists in the forth dimension, but it is limited to a point that we cant see. But at a certain time point, some Klein particles would fall to the third dimension, in our eyes, the most obvious demonstration would be energized.''
Because it was too scientifically fictional, despite Lin Lin being extremely slow and detailed in her description, Jiang Chen still felt lost.
You can try this crystal, use your power to draw its energy. Remember, the energy amount of this crystal before was five. As she spoke, Lin Lin put the colorless crystal in Jiang Chens hand.
It was already empty.
Charging the interdimensional bracelet with it would be impossible?
As he thought this through, Jiang Chen still followed Lin Lins instruction and put the crystal in his hand.
Then, his expression turned to astonishment.
He somehow obtained energy from the empty crystal.
The amount of energy that supplied the bracelet was no less than the crystal with five energy points!
Is there energy remaining? Jiang Chen asked in disbelief.
Lin Lin shook her head.
The energy belonging to the third dimension has beenpletely exhausted. You could bring this crystal to any production equipment and it could not be used as a source of energy. But just as I had suspected, your interdimensional bracelet could directly draw Klein particles from the fourth dimension. Another way to say this is that you exhausted the energy that could appear in the crystal in the future.
Jiang Chens eyes widened as he stared at his right wrist, the tattoo.
No, it could also draw electricity to charge it. It would cost 100 watts of electricity to charge it to full, with crystal, it would only cost 10 energy points. But based on your exnation, one energy crystal, with the energy fallen to the third dimension was equivalent to 2.47 kilograms of coal. 10 energy points of crystal Klein Particles must at least exceed 100 watts of electricity by 10 folds?
Lin Lin sighed.
Think carefully, when you use electricity to charge interdimensional bracelet, did electricity follow your hand to go into the ground?
Jiang Chen tightened his eyebrows as he recollected when he charged before, he shook his head.
No.
Of course not. If that happened, you would be fried. Lin Lin said in frustration.
The electricity absorbed by your bracelet is not the electricity generated through electron flowing from the negative end to positive end, but rather itpletely consumed the electron itself. It isplicated to exin, but you could interpret it as the particle haspleted vanished. Therefore, you wouldnt think that with only 100 watts of electricity, it could manage to travel through space dimensions? In the end, Lin Lin ridiculed.
Therefore, crystal This type of biological formation, is a container for Klein particles?
Thats right. As to how exactly it contained the mysterious Klein particle, I havent figured it out yet. But crystal is not as simple as it appears to be. Including the female assassin detonating the crystal, as well as the red beam shot up by Tingting, they are all phenomenon of Klein particles releasing its energy to the third dimension. Lin Lin exined with an earnest face.
Chapter 195 - The Unpeaceful Sixth Street
Chapter 195: The Unpeaceful Sixth Street
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
The unrest that happened overnight had been settled.
The assassin was caught and captured in the mansions basement. The boss was free of harm and everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Hearing that assassin sneaked into the base, Cheng Weiguo, who was responsible for the security of the base, immediately lectured and cursed the soldiers patrolling on the wall. He pulled the knight emblems off of their chest and ordered them to kneel in the snow naked for an entire day as punishment.
In this type of weather, to kneel in the snow for an entire day, even with the gic vine, they would lose their life.
But Jiang Chen spared them with his words.
It was not their fault.
Being able to avoid the drones equipped with the infrared sensor, the assassin must be skillful. Through hisbat with Sun Xiaorou, Jiang Chen discovered that she was not to be underestimated.
Because of the existence of a powerful enemy, punishing their own just to release anger was no doubt a foolish move. Although Jiang Chen didnt understand the crafts of leading people, he still could think wearing others shoes.
This humiliation will be washed away by your future achievement. If you really feel guilty, then use your loyalty to repay, not your life.
Jiang Chen said to the humiliated naked knights who were kneeling on the ground.
Although he spared the patrolling soldiers, the topic of base security was the conversation around the table again.
How to maximize the resource avable to increase the effectiveness of patrol? Jiang Chen suggested a brutal but straightforward idea.
Bulldoze all the buildings within one hundred meter radius outside of the base to clear out the area.
They would reuse the construction materials as much as possible, if they couldnt, then they would drag one hundred meters out and pile it up.
Without buildings to take cover, it would not be as easy to infiltrate the base under the dual surveince of drones and patrols.
This issue was finally resolved.
The bedroom wall was disfigured by the bullets and required renovation. Therefore, Jiang Chen had to choose a different room to sleep.
But Sun Jiao already made the decision for him as she dragged him into her own bedroom. She was ready to use her own body to interrogate him to see what exactly he did to her sister.
Of course, there was no sense of me.
However, the fact that her man slept with her own sister made the possessive Miss Sun Jiao displeased.
The result of a displeased Sun Jiao was that Jiang Chen had to stay up tonight
The only pitiful person was Yao Yao.
After she recovered from the shock, the small loli worked up the courage to suggest that if he had nowhere to stay, he could stay with Yao Yao. But sister Sun Jiao was one step ahead so Yao Yao could only pout at the closed door in disappointment.
The next morning, Jiang Chen bumped into Yao Yao, who, just like him, also had dark circles.
Feeling guity over the fact that he didnt manage to fulfill his promise, Jiang Chen suggested apensation n - to stay with her for the entire day.
Am I really not heavy? Yao Yao turned around asking worriedly.
Not heavy, Yao Yao, you are really light. Jiang Chen quickly shook his head.
A timid smile appeared on Yao Yaos face and she happily turned to look in the front. She dangled her feet in the air while moving her tiny butt backward to sit in a morefortable position.
But this troubled Jiang Chen.
It was not the weight, but the tender feeling scratching on his legs had touched an indescribable ce.
To simply describe the state between these two people
Inside the bedroom of a girl, Jiang Chen sat on the side of the soft bed, and Yao Yao sat on his legs.
He took a deep breath as he tried his hardest to suppress the part of him from raising up. It would be awkward if it stood up.
But a faint fragrance entered his nostril because of his deep breath.
The tip of his head felt a tingling sensation.
Uh Oh!
Maybe it was because she felt something hard, or sensed Jiang Chens trouble, Yao Yaos face began to turn red.
Big brother, you dont need to endure this
As she said that, Yao Yao buried her tiny head and silently putting her tablet down. Her feet also stopped dangling. The long shaking eyshes seemed to be waiting for something.
[No, its better to endure.]
After an arduous internal conflict, Jiang Chen finally suppressed his desire and he decided not to put his ws on Yao Yao.
Seeing that Jiang Chen made no moves, Yao Yao pouted her mouth but didnt say anything as she continued to research on her tablet.
Jiang Chen let out a relief as he nced at the dazzling amount of information on the tablet. The hiddenly shocked Jiang Chen also picked up his own tablet off the table and began to take care of his own business.
There was arge discrepancy of force at the front line. Based on the information provided by Zhao Gang, it is expected that after 20 days, the mutated human force would be ready to attack. When that happens, the river below the Zhufeng Highway bridge would be frozen. The mutated humans wouldunch their attack at that time.
On the screen was a visual sent back from the Hummingbird drone. Because of the existence of an anti-air machine gun, the task of capturing video footage could not be given to Chu Nan.
The dense red dots umted behind the snow hill on the side of the highway, as well as the anti-air machine guns and cannons covered in white cloths.
[If Jiang Lins missile ispleted, it would only take one hit to achieve what I want] Jiang Chen fantasized in his head but quickly shook his head. He then called Zhou Guoping from the Sixth Street.
The phone was quickly picked up.
Zhou Guopings bald head appeared on the screen.
Hello? Boss. Do you need me to do something? The respectful voice lightened his mood.
I need mercenaries, do you know any you are familiar with at Sixth Street? Jiang Chen cut straight to the topic.
Mercenaries? Zhou Guoping paused for a moment, Do you know already, boss?
Know? Jiang Chens expression was odd, he didnt understand what Zhou Guoping said.
Mhmm, there is a rumor recently on Sixth Street. It said that the wreckages of Gods Cane lie inside somewhere in the city center. Of course, the validity of the information has yet to be confirmed, I am still investigating. If, boss, you are also interested that thing, I can help you investigate carefully. Zhou Guoping said mysteriously.
The Gods Cane? Jiang Chen was lost, just as he was about to ask what it was, he suddenly recalled the he read in the virtual world.
Oh, I almost forgot that you are not from Wanghai City. Zhou Guoping pped his forehead as he quickly exined, Its a sky based weapon, also known as an orbital weapon
Mhmm, I know, but what does that have to do with the Sixth Street? Jiang Chen interrupted Zhou Guopings exnation, he only wanted to listen to critical information.
A mysterious wealthy man sent out quests at major bars and set a reward of one million crystals for the wreckage of Gods Cane.
One million crystals? Fu*k, is that person crazy? Jiang Chen almost jumped up.
Yao Yao looked at Jiang Chen in confusion. She moved her butt as she readjusted the way she sat.
Ahem, the amount has been verified by Sixth Street officials. The quest had been stamped with the metal seal. With Sixth Streets official reputation, this quest shouldnt be fraudulent. Zhou Guoping took a moment he continued, The mercenaries stationed in the Sixth Street have gone insane. There are fewer missions in the winter as all of those people like to spend their days rotting away in the bars. Now someone offered such an astronomical number, even the not-so-strong hunting teams began to make moves.
Jiang Chens eyebrows furrowed.
So you are saying, its hard to hire people now?
I wouldnt say it is hard, but the price is definitely higher.
Thats okay, Ill send you the mission Also, regarding the Gods Cane, keep an eye out for me.
Yes, boss. Zhou Guoping exaggeratedly bowed.
Jiang Chen closed themunication menu and rubbed his nose.
He had an ominous feeling.
The snow this year would be much colderpared to the years before.
Chapter 196 - Mercenaries
Chapter 196: Mercenaries
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
Snow, as thick as a nket, covered the dested street.
Other than the worker removing snow, the only noise on the entire street was the freezing northern wind.
Oh, not quite. There was still one ce that maintained the liveliness of spring.
People shouted, celebrated, unleashed their pressure, and spent away their dreary days.
This ce was the Fake Leg Bar. Although they have only been open for less than one month, the high-quality alcohol garnered the hearts of all the survivors. In front of the bar counter, the muscr mercenary had a foot on the chair as he showed off his scars drunkenly. The barely covereddy walked among the dark corners of the bar to wait for the prey of the night. Gamblers put two tables together as they yed poker and dices.
Just based on these few people, this ce would appear as no different than the Bullet Shell Bar on the next street. The only difference was, the security here was top notch - to the point of unbelievable. But, it was not like this when the bar just opened.
Alcohol was a lucrative industry regardless of the geographic location. The existence of Fake Leg Bar, without a doubt, ended the reign of bars on the entire street. When people tried the beer with the sweet wheat aroma, no one would be interested in the stuff made with industrial alcohol. Even the wealthy in the inner circle would asional drop by to have a drink or two.
The high profitability naturally drew the jealousy ofpetitors. When threatening didnt work, the owner of each bar used all kinds of despicable techniques.
Fights, theft, even ckmail.
But those who used these techniques obviously underestimated Zhou Guopings ability. His profession was a bandit. In terms of despicable techniques, he was the master of all.
Bribery, assassination, and vandalism.
After chopping down six dirty overreaching hands consecutively, the people looking for trouble finally became cautiously. Immediately, he spread out a rumor that the boss of the store had a special connection with the Group of Ten council members. After hearing the news, people were still hesitating if they should take the risk and finally give up the ill- intentions in their mind. They wondered if they should just ept the fact that Fake Leg Bar dominated the market.
Other than great security, the design of the bar was also customer friendly. The second and third floor were renovated into rooms, providing privacy for the males and females that needed their own space and to provide the wary survivors a ce to release their deep level of stress.
Like usual, Zhou Guoping wore a grey suit. He casually sat at a wooden table as he chatted with the mercenaries that wandered the wastnd. The talkative boss garnered the friendliness from the mercenaries. Even his d head became a bright spot for this bar.
Just like the grandpa in KFC.
As to why. It was because if someone talked about something interesting, he would put out a tab that drinks would be on the house.
And at the northern area of city center, guess what I saw? I saw a Mother of Death w! Dammit, I thought it was just a nuclear crater, so I wanted to see if there was anything worthy inside.
Ok, buddy, Mother of Death w would only return to nuclear crater when they give birth. In the winter, they would usually hide in a cave, you are bullshi*ting too much. A middle-aged man smiled, he took the cigar out of this mouth, shook it in the dust tray. His face had a frightening scar that stretched from his left eye to the right tip of his mouth. Because of this scar, his smile looked daunting.
If the one-eyed Lev said that, then it must be.
Thats right, buddy, the scar on this old fellows face was left by the Mother of Death w.
The young man turned red. He took a big gulp of the beer to disguise the embarrassment.
Zhou Guoping looked at the chatting mercenaries with a smile. But he was nning in this mind as to when he should speak, and who he should hire.
The young man should be new to the scene, at least he didnt look like he was in the profession before. As to the vic middle-aged man, he must be a character. It was rumored that he was a fighter jet pilot for CCCP. He didnt get sent back after the war. Instead, he was taken to Wanghai City as the special experiment test subject. When the apocalypse happened, he used his impable skills to escape from theb before he started to wander on the wastnd.
But Zhou Guoping didnt nt to hire him. Regardless of how powerful he was, he was only a lone traveler. The boss instruction was that he needed a lot of people, a team at least the size of 50 people.
It was difficult, especially in the environment where everyone was plotting for the city center.
But the bosss order is absolute, Zhou Guopings eyes continually nced at the door. He was waiting for a person to show up.
The oak door was pushed open as a gust of cold wind mixed with ice shards blew inside.
The man drinking beside the door shivered because of the wind. Just as he was about the curse at the person who opened the door, he saw the persons face clearly and the swear that was about to burst out of him was swallowed down.
Buzzcut, grey winter suit, he looked rather ordinary. When he stepped into the bar, he was not rowdy like most people. Instead, he sat at the counter with a low profile and ordered a beer.
But when Zhuo Guoping saw the person, his eyes immediately lit up and walked over with a smile.
It was Luo Yang, the leader of the ck Blood Mercenaries. Although he had an ordinary face, he possessed an ability that is not to be underestimated by anyone. On top of that, he had the abilities of the 70 warriors who fight for him.
Hows the reward today? Zhou Guoping sat beside him and used a casual tone to chat with him.
Terrible, other than snow, there was blood. The northern part of the city center has beenpletely explored. A zombie nest was even cleared out and there were no signs of the satellite wreckage at all. Luo Yang took a sip of his drink as he warily rubbed his head.
Nothing at all?
Basically, only when you enter the city center would you start to have some respect for the dumb zombies. It was so dense, and you couldnt see the end. Our truck mulled through the crowd and fired fiercely into the herds of zombies. Even then, we were almost stuck there twice.
Have an open mind, buddy. Since that is the world of zombies, even Death w would have to avoid there. Zhuo Guopingforted him as he took out a pack of cigarette and handed one to him.
Luo Yang let out a sigh and lit one for himself.
Has there been any good missions recently?
You give up on the one million reward mission? Zhuo Guoping cracked a smile.
I cant use my brothers life to take the risk. I have a feeling that it would be a pit without a bottom. It cant be filled regardless of how many lives were shed. When he heard one million crystals, greed radiated through Luo Yangs eyes, but it was quickly reced by a grave concern.
Compared to his colleagues that dove into city center like flies, he maintained some rationality.
Lets talk about something happy. I happen to have a mission.
How much money? He took a sip as Luo Yang said quite curiously.
Ten thousand crystals.
What! Luo Yang spat the beer out. He looked at Zhuo Guoping with eyes widened, Ten thousand? Are you sure?
I am certain. Zhou Guoping nodded his head with eyes narrowed.
Whats the mission ? Luo Yang wiped his mouth as he said cautiously.
Have you heard the Fishbone base? Zhuo Guoping said nonchntly.
I have heard a thing or two. An external forces base stationed in Wanghai City with quite a powerful force.
Because the trades with Zhao Corporation were conducted secretly, Zhou Guoping didnt reveal the boss behind this bar. So, to the outside, the Fishbone base was a mystery. Most of the people only knew that there was a base in Qingpu, but even the exact location was unknown.
As to why it was obvious, there were a countless number of survivor camps on the wastnd, but most were unfriendly. For example, the Huizhong Mercenaries were already wiped out.
The hirer is their boss. As for the mission, it is on here.
As he spoke, Zhou Guoping took out a sheet of paper and put it on the counter.
After wavering for a moment, Luo Yang picked up the contract. He scanned the paper and his expression turned more and more stern.
This is impossible! What kind of joke is this? Stopping the mutated humans from Seventh area at Taifu river This is asking my men to die.
Is that the case? If you think that way, then it is okay, although I personally think it is a pity to give it up. Zhou Guoping sighed, pretending to feel pitiful as he took back the contract.
I dont see where the pity ising from. You have to have your life to spend money. Luo Yangughed.
Do you think the Fishbone base will lose ? Zhou Guoping asked with a smile.
Based on what I know, there are three thousand something mutated humans at the Seventh area, although they might not be the smartest, they are natural warriors. Luo Yang said. Even if they only bring half of the people, it would be at least fifteen hundred people. A soldier discrepancy of more than ten times, only a dumbas*s would ept this mission. Mutated humans would squash them like ants.
Luo Yang took a big chug as he shook his head in disappointment.
He obviously was not disappointed at the fate of the Fishbone base, but rather he was sad over the ten thousand crystals that slipped away before his own eyes.
But based on my information, the Fishbone base has quite a powerful force, such as heavy firearms. Zhou Guoping smiled.
Heavy firearms? Haha. Luo Yang scorned, he didnt agree.
He knew a few tactics of mutated humans.
The mutated humans upying the steel factory at the Seventh area used steel almostvishly. With their pure muscle strength, they could carry the thick C-Grade steel armor to take charge, it was a nightmare for all light infantries.
Heavy firearms? Okay, it was effective. But when all the mutated humans spread out and charge over the wide frozen river, how many shots would the cannons manage to fire? Once the mutated humans pass through the line of defense, no firearms would be useful and the subsequent battle will likely be a one-sided ughter.
As for the exact fighting tactics, as the middleman, I am not sure. But in your opinion, if they have an external force, without a certain confidence in victory, would they fight to the death for Qingpu?
Regardless if they have confidence or not, for us, the risk is too high. Luo Yang shook his head.
But risk and reward is proportional, isnt that right? Or you wouldnt be taking your men into the city center.
Luo Yangs expression was rather awkward when he heard those words.
Seeing this, Zhuo Guoping paused and lowered his voice.
I have a piece of information here, are you interested?
Luo Yang saw the mysteriousness of Zhuo Guoping and his expression turned serious, waiting for him to finish.
Other than this ten thousand crystals, there is also another perk. I can release the information to you, but do understand that it is against the rules. For the sake of my business, I hope you can keep this a secret.
Ahem, Mr. Zhou, you know me very well.
Of course, this is why I found you for this mission. 10% of the profit of a trade route between Qingpu and Liuding Town, the type of trade is food.
Chapter 197 - Gathering a force
Chapter 197: Gathering a force
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Zhou Guoping brought a good news from the Sixth Street.
ck Blood Mercenaries epted the mission and mobilized to Taifu river the next day. In addition to the new recruits, a mercenary group of 85 people on the wastnd could be considered a sizable force.
When Zhou Guoping threw a bait of 10% food trade profit, Luo Yang agreed without the slightest hesitation.
The poprity of the food industry in Sixth Street was proven to be a lucrative business. And because of this, Zhao Corporation controlling the entire market had crystals flooding in, and everyone in Sixth Street was well aware of this.
Hearing Zhou Guopings words and considering the rtionship between the Fishbone Base and Zhao Corporation, it finally dawned on Luo Yang. The food in the Sixth Street actually came from the Fishbone Base! Presumably, Zhao Chenwu, that old fox, was controlling the underground sewerage entrance which must be leading to the Fishbone Base.
But Luo Yang didnt spread the shocking piece of news out since the less the number of people knew, the more advantageous it would be for him. If he could manage to get a slice of the pie of the trade route to Liuding Town, he would ept the mission at whatever cost! With ck Blood Mercenaries reputation, there wouldnt be a problem in transporting the goods from Qingpu to Liuding Town situated at the exit of the Yangtze River.
With a stable source of ie, ck Blood Mercenaries equipment and size would expand and improve, and his prestige would consequently heighten. If he could manage to be a council member, he would be able to join the ranks of the inner circle of the powerful!
Despite having epted the mission, there was one point he was confused about.
Since Fishbone Base had a special rtionship with Zhao Corporation, why didnt they request help from them? To protect his own interest, Zhao Chenwu would do anything to help, wouldnt he?
Jiang Chen had obviously considered this problem.
Its just that
How did you get in trouble again? Sitting in the virtual boardroom, Zhao Chenwu smiled wryly.
Trouble finds me, Jiang Chen shrugged.
Sixth Street is not too peaceful these days. I really cant send out some forces to face the mutated humans from the Seventh area. Maybe you should consider relocating? Zhao Chenwu pondered for a moment before proposing.
Relocate? That means all my efforts would have gone to waste. I have spent almost 400 thousands crystals for the construction of the base. At any rate, I wont give up on the base especially since my odds of winning are not low.
Then Ill pray for your victory. The batch of sentinel machine guns, Im finally able to fulfill the contract under the pressure of the council, and I can deliver it to you tomorrow.
Pressure from the higher-ups? When did the council start encouraging a breach of contract? Jiang Chen jested.
It is a critical time.
What kind of trouble did you guys encounter? Seeing the graveness on Zhao Chenwus face, Jiang Chen also became serious.
Although it is considered a secret, if it was like anytime before, the news would spread out regardless. The military government controlling Northern Alliance District has dered war on us, and they are currently on their way.
Its them?
Have you heard already? Seeing the shock on Jiang Chens face, Zhao Chenwu shrugged, In order to obtain the space-based weapon wreckagended somewhere in the metropolis, they came from thousands of miles away to incite trouble.
Zhao Chenwu obviously misinterpreted something. The reason why Jiang Chen got shocked was that the organization that partnered up with the mutated humans was also from the Northern Alliance District. Except it was not the military government but a rather strange organization with an even peculiar namethe Dusk Church.
The Gods Cane? Jiang Chen asked solemnly.
Thats right. To defend against Northern Alliances invasion, the Group of Ten council passed a proposal. To create a defense line at the rural area to defend against the invasion. But if it was just this, it wouldnt be so problematic.
Zhao Chenwus face was cast in gloom, he paused before continuing, Although we agreed to fight off the enemy before hunting for the treasure, almost everyone has already been secretly sending in exploration teams into the metropolis. Especially when the news of 1 million crystals mission has spread out, everyone has gone insane. Those fools, who were previously reserved and heading out secretly, are now tantly sending out their forces and rushing downtown. Just like those gamblers who hadpletely lost their mind on a gambling table.
No one has realized that doing this at this time is foolish? Jiang Chen had no other emotion except for derision.
Not everyone is foolish and that includes me, Zhao Chenwu bleak expression stared at the table, If anyone obtains that thing, it would be a nightmare for everyone else. If could dominate all life and death, just like a scepter from God.
Saying this, the ruthless businessman had a hint of insanity between his brows.
Just imagine this: if there is a sword hanging over everyones head, who else can resist your reign? It only takes one shot from that tungsten rod that cant be intercepted to silent all voice of resistance. And that sword is now somewhere in the city center, behind all of us. Noweveryone wants to be a person wielding the sword.
This damned democracy.
Everyone wanted to be the dictator.
If there was only a single voice from the beginning, it wouldnt be this chaotic.
Asking help from Zhao Chenwu was not possible anymore, but that was to be expected.
He already had enough chips in his hands, without one or two guests, it wouldnt interfere with the fireworks.
Counting in the ck Blood Mercenaries, the total number of soldiers that could fight on the frontline had already reached 200 people. Although there was still a huge discrepancy, he still had hisst resort.
That was none other than the survivors from Qingpu!
After thest expedition, they had been unified under the Fishbone Base banner. After a month of doing business, the rtionship between the two parties was further strengthened.
Since the beginning, Jiang Chen had always include them in the n, and he was just waiting for an opportunity.
The opportunity to unite everyone, the opportunity to disy the might of Fishbone Base.
And now, the opportunity had presented itself.
Outside of the Fishbone Base, in front of the concrete building used for trading goods, a long lineup could be seen.
Long time no see, Zhao Gang. Ma Zhongchen hugged his old friend whom he hadnt seen for a while as he regarded the winter garment on Zhao Gang enviously. The whole set would probably cost 30-40 crystals which would be equivalent to the price of a Reaper rifle.
Despite Zhao Gangs usual taciturn behavior, when he saw his old friend, a smile emerged on his face.
Jiang Chen called Chen Weiguo back yesterday and was once again sent to the frontline.
Zhao Gang pulled Ma Zhongchen to the side. He passed him a cigarette while he also put one in his own mouth and then lit it up.
How are you doing these days?
Same old. Nice smell, what brand is this?
The bases own produce. The boss brought it back as part of the benefits for employees. As for its exact origin, Zhao Gang couldnt be bothered about it.
The winter is so cold and you guys are quite well off, Ma Zhongchen remarked as he enviously eyed therge-caliber machine gun on the wall.
It should be us, shouldnt it?
The two stared at each other and startedughing.
The line in front of the concrete building moved up slowly. Peopleing out of the room had switched into the winter gear as they entered the base under the supervision of the soldiers.
ording to the agreement, all the survivors joining the Fishbone army would receive housing and upper-ss citizen treatment, and their family would receive lower-citizen treatment. Ater contributing in war and being promoted to knight, their family would also enjoy upper-ss citizen treatment.
As of today, more than 20munity-sized survivors have joined Fishbone Base. All the people were incorporated into a newly created foreign army with Zhao Gang as themander. Currently, there were only 81 people in the force, but everyone was a sharpshooter.
With a bit of training, they could be a force to be reckoned with.
So far, the Fishbone Bases soldiers had exceeded the 300 mark.
The day of the decisive battle was gradually approaching.
Chapter 198 - The Sword Wielder
Chapter 198: The Sword Wielder
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The Gods Cane was formerly known as Gods Cane Space-based Kic Energy Weapon System. NATOpleted the deployment of the weapon system in 2030, but now itsbat ability was no longer limited to kic energy attack.
Over the past hundred years, NATO had continuously perfected this weapon system. Although its core attack was still a vertical strike by tungsten rod bombs, in addition to that, NATO had also added high power microwave weapon (HPM), wide-area electromaic pulse (EMP), as well as particle shields aboard the weapon system. NATOpletely transformed it into a hedgehog-like existencea near-Earth orbit weapon tform.
Though Jiang Chen had already experienced the power of this weapon, after listening to Lin Lins exnation, he still got astonished.
Seeing the shock on Jiang Chens face, Lin Lin haughtily raised her head and paused before continuing, That is a really powerful weapon. It is believed that to destroy it, PACunched 27 nuclear missiles to the low Earth orbit, but they were all unfortunately intercepted. Finally, while the Gods Canes HMP was on cooldown after it had just attacked the Holy Shield system, relying on the aerospace special forces attack at ten crystals cost near-Earth orbitnders, they finally managed to capture it.
However, before they even had the opportunity to hold the cane, NATO had initiated the Gods Canes self-destruction program in the hope of destroying it and preventing it from falling into the enemys hands. So the superweapon that was in the service for over 150 years had turned into a space junk.
No one knew this weapon better than Lin Lin. After all, she was a former PAC researcher, so she more or less understood the specifics of the weapon.
Wait, space debris?
Yeah, is there any problem? Lin Lin asked, tilting her head.
Didnt Gods Cane fall onto the Earths surface? Jiang Chen asked with a frown.
Of course not, I can attest to that. The post-war World Alliance Organization had considered recovering the remains at the near-Earth orbit, but the proposal was not implemented because shortly after, the implementation of space colonization n was passed with andslide victory. You know what happened nextsix colony ships were sent to the deep space.
Is that so? Jiang Chen said thoughtfully.
Why the sudden interest? Lin Lin was puzzled.
What if someone used a supeputer to determine that the remains of Gods Cane fell into the downtown of Wanghai City?
Thats impossible. Youve been duped, Lin Lin unceremoniously denied.
[Did I get fooled?]
Jiang Chen fell into deep thought.
Or did everyone get fooled?
This was troublesome.
Inside an ancient room, a tripod incense burner stood on top of a table, smoke floated on top of it. A man with grey sideburns leaned against a recliner, his eyes were closed, and he appeared to be taking a nap. Next to him was a woman dressed in cheongsam, and though her face could not be considered gorgeous, she certainly looked graceful.
The old-fashioned visage obviously didnt match the high-rise buildings outside the window.
To be able to build such arge manor in such a ritzy area of Sixth Street, this person must possess an immense amount of power.
Indeed, the man on the chair was Cao Jinsong, the owner of Crimson Chamber of Commerce and the head of the Group of Ten council.
There was a knock at the door, and the man slighly opened his eyes.
Come in. His voice was slow and gentle but without a trace of his old age.
The door slowly opened, and a woman walked in.
The face was identical to the cheongsam beauty standing beside him.
Almost as if they were cut out from the exact same mold.
Other than being twins, there was only one exnation to this: they were clones.
Nine members of the council have sentrge-scale forces to the metropolis. Among them, the Double-headed Bull Chamber of Commerce was thergest with a total of 207 people, two spider tanks, and five armored vehicles
Hearing his secretarys report, Cao Jinsongs eyes narrowed while nodding.
When she finished, he briefly pondered for a moment before asking, What about that Zhao Chenwu? Did he do anything?
That person was slightly shrewderpared to the other council members, and his sight was not blinded by the dazzling brilliance of the crystals.
He deployed scouts to Luzhou, and also sent a team to the city center, but their teams did not advance and justgged behind our team, the secretary reported as she pushed her eyesses up.
Cao Jinsong suddenlyughed. The wrinkles that had been etched on his face through the passage of time blossomed and transformed him into a kind, old man.
Theughter, however, carried a few strands of menace.
Although everyone wants to be the person wielding that sword, it would be interesting if that sword didnt exist in the first ce.
Conclusive evidence and foreign spying. Just these two points alone seemed to be enough evidence to prove the existence of Gods Cane.
Is it that time already? Cao Jinsong looked at the smoke above the incense burner and smiled.
The expressionless secretary just quietly looked at him, without saying a word.
Bring that thing over.
It has already been prepared. A trace of a smile appeared on the female secretarys face. She took out the holographicputer pen from her pocket and handed it to him.
He took the holographicputer pen, but his forefinger stopped at the start button.
On the metal surface, two faces were reflected: one old and the other young.
The young face belonged to his wife. She was so frail that she couldnt get through the first year. Before she passed away, he promised her that he would bring order to this chaotic wastnd.
Afterwards, he would join her down there.
After the copse of all civilizations, a new civilization would be reborn from the ashes. The new civilization would be powerful as ever and rise from the Phoenix fire. It would learn from the past mistakes of the ruined civilization and abandon any weaknesses from the past civilization.
In this radiation-filled wastnd, not only the mutants ws and humans marksmanship evolved, but also things of a higher level had also evolved.
Thirteen years ago, the walls of Sixth Street were built. The gathering ce built by the survivors of the settlement gave birth to the seed of civilization.
However, this seed had been dormant for far too long.
Even though the expedition brought prosperity to it, it was only a basic level of prosperity.
When it came to ones own interest, the council would engage into endless squabbles.
Without a unified voice, nothing woulde out of it.
He had enough of these endless disputes.
The people from Northern Alliance District would perhapse but definitely not at this time. What they wanted was definitely not the Gods Cane but something entirely different.
Ten years ago, the unification of the Northern Alliance waspleted.
If this continued, Sixth Street would no longer be its match. It would be a mere speck in the history. But everything here was the fruit of his hardbor, and he couldnt bear to end like this.
This piece ofnd needs a dictatorship!
Hero or criminal, only history will tell, muttering to himself, Cao Jinsong closed his eyes.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked at the Secretary in front of him.
Qin Lian, could you lend me some courage?
The woman didnt say anything and merely put her hand on his. The woman in cheongsam standing beside him also came over and held out her hand.
Taking a deep breath, a crazed expression returned to his face.
Then lets begin.
He pressed the button.
A fire started burning and the manor of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce in the Sixth Street waspletely incinerated.
Rumor had it that it was the conspiracy of Zhao Corporation plotting for the treasure.
At the same time, another fire broke out in the center of the city dozens of kilometers away.
It was the fire of civil war.
Chapter 199 - Civil War
Chapter 199: Civil War
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
What do you think is the boss nning? A soldier wielding a rifle and d in carbon nanotube armor walked at the forefront of the troops.
I dont know. Themander next to him was silent. The tactical helmet hid the expression on his face, but the way he was looking around betrayed the anxiousness in his heart.
They were Zhao Corporationss private soldiers.
Two Spider tanks, five armored vehicles, four modified trucks, 20 power armors and 120 soldiers.
80% of their fighting force had been ced on the gambling table.
There were only five kilometers left before they reached the metropolis. The area was filled with nuclear craters, a ce not even the Death ws would dare to enter.
The order that Zhao Chenwu had issued was very vaguefollow the troops of Crimson Chamber of Commerce wait for further orders.
Just simply follow?
The two sentries in the front row werent the only ones who were anxious, but also the squad leader, Chen Wei, sitting in the armored vehicle looked grave.
Staring at the screen of the Wanderer tanks, Chen Wei swallowed.
10-meter long, 3.8-meter wide, and 2.6-meter tall, weighed 112 tons, and could amodate 3-4 passengers. Its main weapon was the 52-type particle cannon and a 2kg-ss electromaic pulse cannon as coaxial guns. Its whole body was covered with 140mm thick A-grade steel armor with a built-in high-density supramolecrpartment that could withstand high-energy neutron radiation caused by a neutron bomb explosion, while the particle shield could effectively resist energy weapons attacks.
It was practically a moving fortress.
A wave of zombies advanced, but under the giants oppression, the only thing the zombies could do was to provide lubrication for its track with its flesh and fat.
The thick primary cannon was covered in snow and had never fired a single shot the moment it left the base. The 2kg-ss electromaic pulse cannon also appeared very dormant and would only asionally fire whenever it encountered a Roshan.
Under the power and influence of this metallic monster, even in the danger-filled metropolis, these two forces couldnt provide much resistance.
They stopped, the sentry from the front row casually said.
Its probably their time to rest.
Because the zombies in the forefront had already been cleared out by the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, they didnt even need to fire, so they could casually chat among themselves.
The expression under the sentrys tactical helmet gradually turned to that of horror.
No, this is oddtheres something wrong with their cannon.
VROOM!
The sound of a cannon firing drowned his astonished voice.
The 2kg bomb easily separated his flesh and ripped through the roof of the armored vehicle.
Were under attack by our allied force! Dammit, what do they think theyre doing!
Take cover! Go take cover in the bunker, quick!
Attention everyone! That is not a friendly force, I repeat, that is not a friendly force, Chen Weis voice began to echo in everyonesmunication channel. The forces in the forefront, who were taking cover, immediately began to fire back.
The aerodynamic Spider tank slid around on the main road. Six sets of weight-bearing wheels were separated in the middle to form into four square-shaped mechanical legs as they quickly began to climb on top of the half-destroyed buildings. The remaining four armored vehicles along with modified trucks also promptly turned around the corner, using the terrain to avoid the barrel of the Wanderers tank. Whereas the infantries in the area searched for shelter while taking out their rifles and rocket-propelled grenadeunchers and begun firing back.
Because Chen Wei sensed something was amiss from the start, he ordered the team to form a long formation. Although it was much easier to defend against zombies in a square formation, if an enemy attack at the front, the long formation would allow the force in the back to quickly disperse and minimize the loss.
Have they found the remains of the satellite yet? Chen Wei struck at the armor shell as he stared at the image transmitted from the soliders tactical helmet.
The reckless movement of the tankpletely ignored the rocketunchers flying towards it.
Even if he had two Spider tanks as backups, he still didnt have the confidence to win.
Four big yellow characters appeared in the center of the screen and a rueful smile appeared on Chen Weis face.
They already started to retaliate.
Although he was counting on the boss to stop the war through diplomacy, it now seemed like they have to fight through it.
BOOM!
Two rounds of shell were fired at a 50 degrees angle from the roof of a half-destroyed building, with an orange me trail, it smashed onto the Wanderer tanks turret before it got deflected into the window of an abandoned shop.
The shell was deflected!
The eerie blue electric arc had enveloped the shell of the tank but didnt even leave a dent.
Dammit! Thats an electromaic reactive armor!
Specially designed against piercing shells, through a unique interaction field, the metal shell could reach superconducting state after breaking through a certain speed threshold. Under the powerful maic field outside the armor, ording to the Meissner effect, shells that had be superconductors would produce an enormous maic field in the opposite direction, thereby attenuating its kic energy and shifting the projectile angle.
This armor had a miraculous use against the conductive material of the electromaic cannon shells. It also had certain effects on the artillery steel core armor-piercing shells.
Change into instion shells.
Roger.
The Wanderer tank quickly retreated, and because of the angle limitation of the cannon, it could only aim at the Spider tank on the roof with an increasing distance.
However, the Spider tanks upying a favorable terrain wouldnt allow its n to seed. So while on the move, they fired at the metal monster on the road.
Zombies, Crimson Chamber of Commerce, and Zhao Corporation.
These three giants engaged with each other.
With the heavy armors leaving the battle, the zombies that werent blocked lunged at the two parties exchanging fire while howling and screaming.
If they were just fighting with the zombies alone, these well-trained soldiers would definitely not let these dumb things get closer. Today, however, everyone was not just facing the threat of zombies, but the enemys bullets as well.
Everything devolved into an utter chaos.
Dammit, their firepower is too suppressive! We need backup! Leaning against the side of the bunker, while shooting at the iing zombies, the soldiers in carbon nanotubebat suits roared at themunication device theyre clutching.
Someones down, medics!
Dammit, its the Death w! Ahhh
Zombies had broken through the line of defense! Requesting armored vehicle support!
Negative. The enemies anti-armor units have yet to be cleared. Unable to enter the battle
Turning off the noisymunication channel, Chen Wei rubbed his forehead. A ferocious glint appeared on his face and his eyes were locked on the several big characters on the screen.
Just now, he finally understood the meaning of the phrase: caution that Zhao Chenwu left before leaving.
From the start, the boss had already suspected that Crimson Chamber of Commerce had gone rogue.
This type of limited superweapons was definitely not used in dealing with the zombies.
If Crimson Chamber of Commerces trump card was the Wanderer tank, then the trump card of Zhao Corporation was this. The bombs sold to Fishbone Base were only old technology, while the more powerful weapons have always been kept under Zhao Chenwus control.
Without any hesitation, Chen Wei pressed the <unch> button.
Without a warning.
On a barren field 100 kilometers away, the t ground was suddenly split open. After the item used to camouge was removed, the metal te hidden under theyer of the soil was gradually separated.
This was the missile well left by PAC. To escape air raids, this improvised one-time use missile silo wasmon on this piece ofnd.
The light blue signal light extended from the top to the bottom of the silo.
Missile silo 72 is about to fire. Workers, please take shelter immediately.
The electronic voice announcing itsunch had scared the mutant mice that were biting the roots of nts away.
In a sh, the smoke burst and instantly covered the whole area.
The 10-meter long missile pierced through the sky filled with radiation dust.
Ten seconds before arriving at the target location. Commander, please set the target.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Weis eyes tightly locked on the rampaging Wanderer tanks. Using his finger, he dragged the crosshair onto the red box.
Attention! Attack A, Attack B, immediately move away from the target area.
Roger.
After receiving themand, the Spider tanks quickly jumped off the building, the six pairs of weight-bearing wheels formed together reverting back to driving mode.
Seeing that the enemy units suddenly retreated, the Wanderer tank realizing that it might have been targeted by long-range weapons immediately fired heat-induced bait bombs and electromaic decoy targets. It then shifted into overdrive and crashed into the side of the building.
The solid concrete wall disintegrated like a piece of paper under the impact, as it attempted to use the 10-meter tall building as cover.
But it was toote.
A trail of grey smoke instantly fell from the sky.
Suddenly, everything dimmed down.
The arc-shaped mes instantly ignited. The shockwave didnt just blow away the concrete blocks and scattered the particles shield away, but also the armor shell as well.
The buildings that survived the aftershock of the nuclear st had copsed due to the direct impact of the cruise missile. The Disaster-32 cruise missile was designed based on a fictitious aircraft carrier, so taking care a tank was definitely no big deal.
Even those from thousands of meters away felt the tremor of the ground.
The mes on the horizon made the thick snow lose its color and deafened the continuous gun firing shots.
The tide of war was instantly reversed.
The Crimson Chamber of Commerce that just lost its strongest armored unit was immediately under heavy fire suppression by the two Spider tanks. Aside from the Wanderer tanks, they didnt bring more armored units, only thirty infantries and dozens of powered armors.
Seeing that his own soldiers had the upper hand, Chen Wei slowly let out a sigh of relief.
Zhao Corporation had already won the battle.
Although the price was expensive.
The Sixth Street Council was probably making a ruckus at this moment, but it was something not for him to worry about.
Gunshots were getting sparse, the soldiers of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce fought valiantly, preparing to fight to the bitter end.
But this still could not change the oue of their defeat.
Enemy units have been cleared. Hearing themunication by his ear, Chen Wei was relieved.
Regroup. Set up a blockade to block the zombies, recuperate, and prepare to head back.
What is that!
God!
Two soldiers opened the trunk of the captured armored vehicle.
Staring at the screen, Chen Weis pupil contracted.
Nuclear bomb!
Staring at the distant mushroom cloud, Cao Jinsongs face shed a touch of mockery.
At the moment, he was standing on a barrennd a few kilometers away from the wilderness, and there was a pickup truck parked next to him.
Sheesh, youve finally used Disaster-32?
He shoved the binocrs in his pocket, shook his head, and returned to the truck.
Whether or not the sword of Damocles exists, the sword hanging above his head had disappeared.
The price of a Wanderer tank in exchange for the trump card that scared the living daylight out of him. A nuclear missile and 72 lives in exchange for 80% of Zhao Chenwus force.
And Wanderer tanks, he still had four of these left.
If it had been a poker game, then the oue of the battle had already been decided?
Chapter 200 - At the same time
Chapter 200: At the same time
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Did you hear the noise? Sun Jiao raised her eyebrows as she asked Jiang Chen.
The snow was thick, as the two were standing on the bank of Taifu river.
I think so, did something explode? Jiang Chen stared towards the east, but the flurry blocked his vision.
There were two explosions; it was hard to tell which one was louder. It seemed to be from somewhere in the far distance.
Lets not be distracted anymore. Sun Jiao sighed, her eyes narrowing while starring across the river. The party is about to start.
You are right. Jiang Chen smiled.
Allbat units have been sent to the front line.
271 soldiers, 8 Tigers, as well as 15 modified pickup trucks.
The ck Blood Mercenaries have already sneaked past the river as they had taken cover on a snow hill a few kilometers away.
Everything was prepared.
He dragged the scarf away from his neck as white mist emerged from Jiang Chens mouth.
Lets start.
Understood! Mymander. Sun Jiao naughtily blinked her eyes before she turned around to step into the T-3 power armor.
The night began to fall as the snowfall slowed.
The searchlight in the center of the camp, as well as the four corners, shook rhythmically and lit up the snow hills around them.
Rows of mutated humans carried rifles as they patrolled their camp. Their steel armor, lined with fur, prevented their skin from being in direct contact with the steel.
There were around fifty trucks parked on the empty lot in front of the camp. The daunting gun and cannon barrels create a metal forest. White sheets covered them as they blended into the snow.
They didnt even consider the enemy across the river an opponent.
In their eyes, only a round of attack would allow them to drag those cowards out of the trenches and shred them into pieces.
Shooting was not their strong suit.
Because of their fat finger, to make it easy to shoot, they had to saw off the trigger ring. This was also why they preferred machine guns as most machine guns were not as small as rifles.
Due to their build, they didnt need to consider therge, heavy firepower and weight of the guns.
Thest group of soldiers had arrived at the base. Once the ice is strong enough to withstand the weight of their armor, they would sound the horn to charge.
But that day will never happen.
Did you hear something? The mutated human at the gate of the base tilted his head and looked at hisrade.
The mutated human raised his eyebrows but didnt seem to find the source of the noise.
Look! What is that!
There were screams, and a mutated human pointed at the dark sky.
Something had fallen from the radiation dust, it carried a visible trail of me and began to elerate.
But they didnt have more time to think about it.
Boom!
The searchlight in the center of the base and the four corners shattered with the noise. The light that shined on the four sides instantly faded.
At that moment, a few trails of orange me rose in the sky and exploded. The blinding white light turned the base into day light.
It was a lighting shell!
Dammit, its an enemy strike! The mutated human standing at the gate roared out before he took out the light machine gun behind his back and began to fire at the snow hill.
The mutated humans didnt expect that the human taking cover behind barriers would attack them during the night.
The mutated humans were not worried by the humans night strike, rather, they felt a sense of excitement.
They are asking for their own death!
But that kind of confidence didntst long.
Under the cover of the lighting shell, a missile with a trail of red me had fallen from the sky.
In the terrified vision of all mutated humans, itnded in the middle of the base.
Boom!
mes instantly erupted.
It engulfed the vehicles covered by white, the mutated humans preparing to enter the vehicle, as well as the supplies hidden under the snow.
The merciless chain explosion started. It yed a symphony inside the mutated humans base.
Running, screaming, desperately trying to remove the scorching steel armor, and falling when out of energy as they waited for the me grim reapers cultivation.
The steel debris and snow were blown into the air as they melted into liquid in the heat wave as if it was a firework celebration.
It was living hell.
No one suspected the rats across the river possessed a cruise missile.
Of course, it was obviously not a cruise missile. It was only a rocket equipped with 1000 kilograms of concentrated explosives. One kilogram was 20 crystals, and along with the cost of the missile, the mega firework cost Jiang Chen thirty thousand crystals.
But so what,pared to the effect it caused, the thirty thousand crystals were well spent.
Gazing at the fire across the river, Jiang Chen pulled out the re gun, and he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Attack!
Roger!
The red re broke through the night sky.
Eight homing voices rose as the 5 kg bombs smashed into the base across the river.
The shock of the missile explosion had blown away the snow piles. There was no cover between the two forces. With the range advantage, the electric pulse canon unloaded its firepower.
The infantry with their rifles stepped out of the trenches, under the leadership of six power armors, they all charged at the opposing river bank.
The ck Blood Mercenaries, whove crossed the river, engaged in crossfire with the mutated humans already. The rain drop like lighting shells lit up the night sky.
Because the explosive was made of Magnesium powder and other oxidants, the mes didnt fade away for a long time.
Under the intense light, the position of the mutated humans was fully exposed. But it was a problem even for the mutated humans with rifles to aim at the target in the dark. They could only respond by firing randomly into darkness.
Seeing the battle visual on his tablet, a smile emerged on Jiang Chens face.
The anti-air power had beenpletely dissolved. The unexpected missile had not only wiped out half of their force, itpletely disrupted theirmand structure which forced them to fight on their own.
The mutated humans wielding armors were strong, but only in the front. On an open field, if they were surrounded with bullets flying in all direction, mutated humans without formation would only be ughtered.
The infantries fired with pace as they pushed forward under the cover of cannons. Within the virtual reality training system, they have practiced this countless amount of times.
Sun Jiao led the six power armors with their high mobility as they roamed among the mutated humans to prevent them from gathering information.
Seeing the swiftness of this girls action, even if she was in a metal box, recalling her shyness under himself, the feeling was indescribable.
With a face slightly red, Jiang Chen coughed as he got rid of all the unhealthy idea in his mind.
The battle was approaching its end.
The soldiers used their gun barrels to smash the half-dead mutated humans as they finished the kill off with a dagger.
There was no need for hostage. Death was the best fate for these monsters.
He retracted the tablet as he got in the armored vehicle.
Cross the river.
Yes,mander.
As the leader of the base, Jiang Chen began to realize he could no longer fight like a soldier on the front line. Since Fishbone base had already passed the initial growth phase where theycked people, he dly epted the perspective Sun Jiao insisted, which was to stay in the back and wait for the battle to end.
The gunshots in the distance began to die down. The armored vehicle drove over the bridge.
The northern wind carried a hint of warmth. Jiang Chen who sat on top of the car looked at the remains of the mutated humans base after the explosion, but his mind had already drifted elsewhere.
This was where the mutated humans stored most of their supplies. Even if there were still two thousand something mutated humans there, this major loss would render them unable to fight another battle.
These supplies were transported from the Northern Alliance District fifteen hundred kilometers away; it must not have been easy. Now that these supplies are destroyed, and the spy Sun Xiaorou was captured by Jiang Chen.
What would the Dusk that suffered defeat do?
Speaking of this, the Defender had no action at all, as even Jiang Chen almost forgot that he had an alliance.
What are they nning?
Chapter 201 - Requesting Help
Chapter 201: Requesting Help
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The battle ended.
Based on estimations, there were 972 mutated human casualties, and 57 modified vehicles, 42 anti-air machineguns, 15 72mm cannons destroyed. Also, countless ammunition exploded.
On the Fishbone side, there were 19 casualties with five people dead. No armored units were damaged. ck Blood Mercenaries suffered 9 fatalities and 21 casualties.
All in all, this result could be considered historically significant.
mes that burnt on the snow had been extinguished. The soldiers were busy moving between ces as they dragged the bodies of the mutated humans outside of the base and burnt them with fuel. If they just let them sit, it could draw out mutants hibernating near by. Although they would not lose, it would be troublesome to deal with.
The 8 Tigers drove across Taifu river into the mutated humans base.
Within the center of the base, the leader of ck Blood Mercenaries and Jiang Chen stood shoulder-to-shoulder as they chatted andughed at the scene.
What the f*ck, that missile was wicked. The explosion left nothing behind. Luo Yang had a cigarette in his mouth and was staring at the metal scraps on the ground, still feeling uneasy.
To be fair, the missile was not considered strong. It had no anti-radaryer, nor did it possess an energy shield to guard against anti-airser weapons. It could only be considered a basic cruise missile where themander sets the target for the missile, and then the control center calctes its trajectory.
The first step was simple as it only required Jiang Chensmand.
But the difficult part was the second step. Because of Jiang Chens words, Jiang Lin had to spend an entire night in front of theputer.
Its okay. The word sounded humble, but Jiang Chensughter was cocky.
[This is okay? Are you kidding me.]
Luo Yang nced at Jiang Chen with a bright smile as he ridiculed in his mind.
But then, there is no need to think about looting anymore. He cracked a smile. Where did you get the cigarette?
Somewhere good, Jiang Chen shrugged as he gave an ambiguous answer. Maybe you can buy this from the Sixth Street very soon.
The modern world was indeed a good ce. Whether it was food, cigarette, or beer, everything was cheap. Of course, only rtive to his worth.
I wish I had Mr. Jiangs prosperity. Envy shed across Luo Yangs eyes as he greeted Jiang Chen.
Prospering together. Arent we? Jiang Chen smiled.
Luo Yang paused for a second before he reacted with a smile.
A fee of ten thousand crystals was added to upgrade his mercenaries equipment to the next level. With the trade route to Liuding Town, the upgrades would begin thising spring. Even if the spending power of Liuding Town was not as high as the Sixth Street, it still was the second biggest survivors force in Wanghai City. There would at least be tens of thousands worth of profits. With 10%, his mercenary group being rewarded thousands of crystals with a single trip.
On this wastnd, no ordinary bandits dared to butt heads with the ck Blood Mercenaries.
The only problem was zombies and mutants. But as long as they avoided the city center, the route to the port was rtively safe.
It was a winning business.
Luo Yang was thinking how much money he could make, but Jiang Chen was thinking something else.
Purchasing the microchips from Liuding Town improved thebat ability of the kic skeletons produced at the Fishbone base. At the same time, Liuding Towns technology would also offer great help to Jiang Chens n in the modern world.
As long as he puts in an order, Liuding Towns chip factory would ept any kind of business, even themunication chips from one hundred years ago. Although it was a deste technology for the apocalypse, it would still be ahead of the modern worlds technology by ten years. This advancement was enough for Future Technology to conquer the phone market.
As they envisioned their bright future, they both fell into silence.
At this time, themunication chip beside Jiang Chens ear vibrated.
It was Zhao Chenwu.
Im going to take a call, Jiang Chen told Luo Yang as he walked to the side.
He picked up the call.
Whats going on? Jiang Chen said with a lighthearted tone.
Did you solve your troubles? Zhao Chenwus voice didnt sound as collected as before.
Yes, is there something wrong?
I have a few small problems, can you help me? Slightly embarrassed, Zhao Chenwu still pleaded.
His embarrassment was due to refusing Jiang Chens help just moments ago.
A mischevious expression appeared on Jiang Chens face, but for the partner that had offered him quite some support, Jiang Chen didnt seem to be troubled.
Is it about the Gods Cane in the city center? Speaking of this, I have received information that the thing didntnd on the earths surface.
It is confirmed that it is fake. Zhao Chenwus voice sounded bitter.
Then?
Somone betrayed the Group of Ten council.
Jiang Chen hung up the phone as his expression was rather stern.
Zhao Chenwu briefly exined the situation.
First, a deration of war was sent to the Sixth Street two years ago, sending the peaceful council into unrest.
The deration of war has been intercepted by the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, the treasure mentioned in the visual had drawn the interest of Cao Jinsong. He had a feeling that the treasure mentioned by the Northern Alliance District could be a superweapon! Based on the simtion of a superputer, he obtained the conclusion that Gods Canended in the city center of Wanghai City.
Because of his greed, he hid the deration of war and obviously hid his discovery of the sky-based weapon.
He secretly sent exploration forces to the city center in an attempt to find the wreckage of the weapon with a n to transport it to the secret base outside the city. If he could repair it, not only the Sixth Street, but the entire Pan-pacific area would be under his control.
But in the end, he didnt find the wreckage. Instead, he wasted a decent size of his force.
Just as he was debating if he should announce this deration of war to allow the Sixth Street to prepare, the spy he nted in the Northern Alliance District had sent back good news.
Civil war!
The military government that controlled the majority of the survival camps had engaged in a gruesome war with anotherrge force, the Dusk. Although the military government won in the end, they suffered significant losses which postponed their n to advance to the east,
Although the invader didnte in the end, their stance of plotting against Wanghai City had alerted him.
Also, the word civil war had given him a new idea.
If the military government could use civil war to obtain absolute control in the Northern Alliance District, why couldnt his Crimson Chamber of Commerce do the same?
Once the seed called ambition has been nted, it would spiral out of control.
Chapter 202 - The Choice
Chapter 202: The Choice
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Dictatorship!
What an attractive thought.
Although they had sworn to coexist in front of the round table, the endless arguments through the years had made him grow wry.
A proposal for the abolition of the ghetto would cause the ten council members to argue for half a month.
It was just over a few thousand bugs and they had to argue for half a month.
He has had enough.
Crimson Chamber of Commerce, the strongest force, logically should control the piece ofnd. But under the hindrances of other nine council members, he could not have free reign. For example, the Disaster-32 cruise missile. One single missile would turn the military base into dust. For example, the Double-headed Bull Chamber of Commerces Landbird armor, or
The people that became part of the Group of Ten council were no simple characters. Even if he possessed five Wanderer tank known as thend cruiser, it would still be difficult to do what he wanted.
Therefore, he had a brilliant n.
When he threw out the bait that lured him to put his nose into the city center onto the conference table.
Indubitably, he pleasedly saw that everyones eyes turned red.
Some due to the anger they had towards the Northern Alliance District. Some and the majority were due to the greed for the treasure.
Sky-based weapon. The wreckage of Gods Cane.
As he had expected, the council passed the proposal to build a collective defense, face the external enemy together, and then explore the city center. However, every council member had their discreet moves as they didnt put much effort into building the defense. Instead, they leveraged the council to attack their political enemy. Criticizing other people for theirck of effort in the construction of the defense, while at the same time secretly sending out arge number of forces to explore the city center.
As usual, everyone had their own ns, but all were within rationality.
Then immediately, a piece of news shattered their rationality.
A mission worth one million crystals.
Because of this mission, the facade on everyones face was ripped off.
It was not only himself that did something behind everyones back; everyone was plotting for that sky-based weapon.
Regardless of their purpose, they could not let theirpetitor acquire the weapon.
The nine council members all put their hands on the betting table.
At the same time, the Crimson Chamber of Commerce unleashed their machete to chop their hands.
At the external area of city center, Crimson Chamber of Commerce first tried the Zhao Corporation which ignored the mes of civil war.
To protect 80% of the force he sent into the city center, Zhao Chenwu permitted the usage of the Disaster-32 cruise missile in agony.
Because of this, Cao Jinsong achieved his n and also ignited the nuclear bomb which wiped out 80% of Zhao Chenwus force. The same force he tried to save with his life.
A Wanderer tank in exchange for a Diaster 32. The remainder four Wanderer tanks along with some infantries reaped the forces of the remaining council members.
At the same time, the mes of war had erupted inside the Sixth Street.
As everyone knew, the force inside the inner circle was created by the private force of the Group of Ten council members in the form of an agreement to provide defense service. Now that the nine council members had sent out the majority of the forces to the city center, the inner circle was extremelycking.
Of course, not including the Crimson Chamber of Commerce.
The steel gate had fallen which segregated the inner and outer circle.
The soldiers of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce engaged in heavy fire with the civil force along with other council members private forces.
With the manor of the Crimson Chamber of Commerces boss being burnt down as the fuse, the mes of the civil war had officially been ignited.
There were three options in front of Jiang Chen.
First. The more conservative approach. Stop now and reinforce along the river.
Second. Capitalize on the victory by heading for the Seventh Area.
Third. ept Zhao Chenwus request for help and send out forces to help the Sixth Street.
To be honest, the second and third options were both tempting.
The mutated humans suffer a significant loss if they march west. Along with the Defenders, it was a great opportunity topletely eliminate the mutated human beings in the Seventh area.
But if they respond to Zhao Chenwus request for help and send out forces to the Sixth Street, it would also bring a considerable amount of gains.
Zhao Chenwus offer was attractive enough. If he helped the Group of Ten council, the weapon export restriction would no longer apply to him. Therefore, he could purchase power armors from the Sixth Street to equip his force.
A tent was set up in the middle of the base.
Within the base, Jiang Chen gathered Sun Jiao, Chu Nan, and Cheng Weiguo for a quick meeting.
There are a lot of choices in front of us. I want to listen to your opinions, Jiang Chen said straightforwardly.
If we could gain contact with the Defender Alliance in Jia City. Capitalizing on our victory is not a bad choice. If we cant, even without an armored vehicle, there are still around two thousand mutated humans stationed in the Seventh area. The safer choice would be to reinforce along the river, Cheng Weiguo gave an unbiased response.
Jiang Chen nodded, he didnt make ament but instead looked at Sun Jiao.
What do you think?
I support your decision, Sun Jiao smiled and said.
But I still want to listen to your opinion.
I personally dont agree with providing assistance.
Oh? Why?
It has happened twice. When we encountered problems, he never sent help to us. Now that he has a problem, maybe we could sell him a few barrels of explosives, Sun Jiao said ruthlessly.
Hearing that, Jiang Chen smiled and didntment.
It was indeed Sun Jiao. Such a simple and direct response was indeed her style.
The few barrels of explosives would pay back the high-energy vacuum bomb Zhao Chenwu sold himst time. As for help, he did offer them some, and he did take some risks to do so.
Although it would be thrilling to take an eye for an eye, it was infeasible for the base.
As the leader of force, he should consider collective interest, not childish actions.
What do you think? Jiang Chen looked at Chu Nan.
I agree with sending out a force. Chu Nan smiled.
Because of power armors?
To Jiang Chens surprise, Chu Nan shook his head.
There is absolutely no need for that.
Chu Nan paused as he looked at Jiang Chen, then continued.
Backstabbing each other, this is the end of the Group of Ten Council. It is not a bad idea for a new wise leader to rule the ce.
Everyone in the tent held their breath.
Jiang Chen stared at Chu Nan dumbfoundedly, his expression was odd.
Just as he was about to say something, Cheng Weiguo already said what he wanted to say.
Do you know how many people are in the Sixth Streets civil force? A total of 560 people!
How many would be left after this civil war? Especially when no one knows the ability of those soldiers. Chu Nanughed nonchntly.
Not only the force, but influence is also a factor. With thebination of the two, they could deter the small military forces around the Sixth Street, but if it was us
Now that everyones strength has been spent on the city center. Mercenaries, hunting team for that one million crystals mission, the Group of Ten council for that sky-based weapon wreckage, the Sixth Street is at its weakest! There is only one opportunity. We could use the name of providing assistance to enter the inner circle and start a coup. As long as we control the inner circle, the Sixth Street would be under our control. Just he said these words, Chu Nans eyes were locked onto Jiang Chens.
This is a gamble. Can I hear the reason for this proposal? Jiang Chen pondered for a moment before he spoke out.
Because I trust you. Only you can bring real order to this wastnd.
Chapter 203 - War Never Changes
Chapter 203: War Never Changes
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
F*ck, their firepower is too suppressive! With his back against the barrier, a civil soldier in a bulletproof vest attempted to shoot out of cover but was quickly subdued back.
We require cover fire! I repeat we need cover fire!
He clenched onto the rifle as the soldier hiding behind the concrete wall roared into themunication device with no reply.
A soldier fearlessly ducked out of the cover and aimed at the anti-armor RPG. As the armored vehicle unleashed its reign of power, he pressed the trigger.
With a trail of red mes, the RPG flew like an iron fist. But when it was ten meters away from the armored vehicle, it was blown away by the activated nitrogen shield, and it smashed into the shop nearby.
The subsequent fires shredded the soldier docked out into pieces.
The battle erupted out of nowhere.
The enemy was not only the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, but it was also some of the civil soldiers. They were bought out by the Crimson Chamber of Commerce. The moment the armored vehicle drove into the inner circle, they responded to the coup.
It was an unfair battle.
Although both sides didnt use heavy firearms, the private force of the council members was much more powerful than the civil soldiers. Not only in training but also in equipment. Although the civil soldiers on the side of the council were 400, they werepletely subdued by the force of 150 people from the Crimson Chamber of Commerce.
Especially since 100 something civil soldiers suddenly turned against them and they only had five armored vehicles equipped with heavy machine guns.
On the side of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, even the ordinary light infantry wore carbon nano armor along with the digitalized helmet that provided shooting assistance. Not to mention the special forces wore kic skeletons, as well as power armors.
Because of everyones selfishness, although they possessed the most advanced fire production line on the wastnd, the council never proposed to upgrade the weapons of the civil force. Because only when the civil forcecked behind in technology, could their own private force be hired. Theirmission was not a small amount. It was paid through taxes and was essentially a gold mine.
But now, they tasted their own medicine.
The only soldiers that could match evenly in terms of equipment were the private soldiers of the other nine council members. But because of the city center exploration project, most of their power was put into the city center. There, they were scouring the reapings by the armored force of Crimson Chamber of Commerce; it was still a question how much would remain.
Zhao Chenwu stood on the top floor of the Zhao Corporation building as he speechlessly watched the gun fires below him in the Inner Circle.
The ring of fire began to contract from the edge of the wall inwards; he knew exactly what that meant.
The Crimson Chamber of Commerce had taken the upper hand. The 400 civil soldiers along with the 50 private soldiers suffered constant losses.
He never imagined that five armored vehicles would push him to the edge.
But that was the reality when both sides didnt possess heavy firearms. Even armored vehicles ruled.
The door was pushed open, Su Lei walked in.
The gorgeous female secretary with a cold expression had already changed into a pitch ckbat suit. She carried the Reaper automatic rifle produced by the Zhao Corporation military factory. Normally, her identity was Zhao Chenwus secretary, mistress as well as the driver. However, at critical times, she would act as the role of his bodyguard.
Boss, the Crimson Chamber of Commerce is approaching our building. Please retreat with me to a safe location, Su Lei said in an undertone.
Retreat? Where can we retreat to? The door has been shut tight. Zhao Chenwu smiled faintly.
He had lostmunication with Chen Wei. He must have died already.
At this height, he obviously could not see that mushroom cloud.
Nuclear bombs.
He almost forgot about it.
Speaking of that, it should be the cheapest thing here.
The underground shelter below Paradise Ind hotel, Su Lei said.
Hearing that, Zhao Chenwu shook his head.
I never nned to use that thing. There is no shelter where you can hide forever. If that old thing won, even if I hide underground for ten years, the result would be the same.
He has spent too much energy here. Even if it meant death, he didnt want to let everything go.
I will fight for you till thest moment. Su Lei gave up on convincing her boss. She let out a sigh, and a rare smile appeared on her cold face.
Zhao Chenwu was at a loss as he feebly smiled. Saying nothing more, he kept looking downstairs.
The rifle loaded, Su Lei walked downstairs.
Still not here? He muttered to himself as he looked at the electronic clock on the table.
Jiang Chen agreed to send help.
It was thest straw.
People of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce was approaching. He could even see through the dark bulletproof ss of the gunshots fired by the armored vehicles. The power armor used their high mobility to surround the building behind cover. The rotating machine gun on the right merciless shredded the soldiers on the ground.
The floor shook violently all the sudden; the bulletproof ss jarred loudly. He already had guessed what has happened, but he still looked at the touchscreen on the table.
He pressed the start button as the image from the hall surfaced.
Outside of the door was soldiers of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce. Wearing kic skeleton, the steel made gate had already been blown open by aluminum heat agent. These soldiers carrying rifles quickly rushed into the building and exchanged fire with the buildings security team.
There was not much suspense in the battle. Although the security team of the Zhao Corporation received military training,pared to those professional soldiers, they obviouslycked in strength. Especially since they only wore bulletproof vests, like the civil soldiers. It was a frail attempt in the face of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce soldiers attack.
The first floor was captured quickly.
Zhao Chenwu saw with his own eyes that a soldier with kic skeleton pulled out a pistol and executed a struggling security wounded on the ground. Then, he turned the gun to the camera and pulled the trigger with a grimace.
The visual was lost.
The elevator was cut. The Crimson Chamber of Commerce fought fiercely with the Zhao Corporations security within the safety tunnel. Boxes and safes were all thrown into the stairs as a blockade, but it was futile to the oue of the battle.
Su Lei was a great soldier. She gathered the remaining 20 security guards together as they exchanged fire on the 12th-floor hallway. She used the wall to take cover as she constantly ducked out to fire back.
But from the blood on her shoulder, she probably wouldnt be able tost much longer.
The security guards used anti-st shields as cover while firing back with a rifle.
The security robot dashed out with a machine gun from the corner; the shots caused casualties to the soldiers that entered the building.
But that was all.
An EMP grenade quickly disabled its weapon system. The particle gun without suspense cut through its metal armor, and it was turned into a pile of metal scraps.
This ce was not the military factory, only the office building of Zhao Corporation.
With the bnce of power, no one expected a war to break out here.
Su Lei firmly held the gun as she maintained her shooting position while moving back. There were only a few security guards left.
[Looks like they cant hold out much longer.]
Zhao Chenwu let out a sigh as he pulled open a cupboard.
There was a revolver inside.
Is this it? He mumbled to himself as he slowly loaded the revolver.
It has been a long time since he fought like a soldier on the front line. Thest time seemed to the moment he became part of the Group of Ten council.
But now, there was not much choice.
The sound of explosion continuously transmitted from below him, but Zhao Chenwu never felt calmer.
[Even if backup arrived, it is probably toote.]
At this time, a blinding white light suddenly lit up the street in front of the building.
The deafening explosion almost made him forget how to think. The bulletproof ss was covered in dense cracks.
The rising mushroom.
F*ck. His mouth twitched, and his eyes shook from the scene. It was the only word that came out of his mouth.
Nuclear bomb!
Someone exploded a nuclear bomb in the inner circle.
It definitely could not be the Crimson Chamber of Commerce. They already had the upper hand. It must not be the civil force either; they wouldnt have such a thing.
It could only be a council member.
They would rather die together than give up the power in their hands.
Zhao Chenwu nkly stared at the mushroom cloud in front of him, but the action in his hands already ceased.
The shockwave flipped the armored vehicles, engulfed the fleeting power armors, and swept through all the soldiers unable to escape. The buildings worth tens of thousands instantly copsed. The citizens without a fighting chance cried at the ruins. The merchants silently watch their shops turn into dust, forgetting even to run
The soldiers attacking his building; he didnt want to see any more.
It was a bloodbath.
Looking at the council building in the distance, the g representing alliance and democracy lowered. A mocking smile appeared at the tip of his lips.
The council building, the Crimson Chamber of Commerce had risen on the roof.
The roundtable was smashed in half. Cao Jinsong stood in front of the window alone as he stared at the mushroom cloud outside, dumbfounded.
Like a bucket of cold water was poured on his head, the excitement of climbing to the top of power was instantly cooled off.
He had considered that other council members possessing some unbelievable trap cards, the coup was a gamble, to begin with.
But he never considered that someone could explode a nuclear bomb here.
Already gone insane? His voice sounded bitter.
It made sense. On the wastnd without order, thinking about limits was foolish, to begin with.
Exploding a nuclear bomb in ones own city; even in the country before the war had the same thing ur.
He seemed to have seen these scene before.
But because it was too distant of a time, that part of his memory was already covered by a thinyer of white mist
War never changes.
Chapter 204 - The Chaotic War
Chapter 204: The Chaotic War
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Nuclear weapons were always the cheapest thing on the wastnd.
Like thendmines that covered entire fields after the Second World War
Without the need for sophisticated missiles, the tactical nukes that could be fired with artillery was an economical and efficient killing tool.
Although the alliance government after the war had collected the nuclear weapon left on the battlefield, there must be some left out there.
Zhao Chenwu didnt want to think about who exploded the nuclear bomb.
There was no purpose in who did it.
As he watched from afar, he saw ck smoke rise from hispetitor Feng Des building. It then immediately copsed.
That fat *ss didntpromise till thest moment as he chose to self-destruct the building and suicide along with the soldiers inside.
Just like that nuclear bomb.
The other council members suffered the same fate. Cao Jinsong seemed to have expected that the entire political power was concentrated in the hands of the few council members. After he broke through the defense line of the civil force, its soldiers immediately attacked the headquarters of the council members.
The nuclear bomb didnt turn the tide of the battle; it was only a death trigger.
As if they had suspected this would ur, the Crimson Chamber of Commerce forces were dispersed, the nuclear bomb didnt even hit one-fourth of their forces.
[Already lost?]
But just then, his phone suddenly rang.
Hello?
Which floor are you on?
Like a heavens melody, the voice he had been hoping to hear for so long rang into his ear.
21st floor, Feeling ecstatic, Zhao Chenwu said quickly.
Ahem, I am not asking what floor you are on, I am asking about the soldiers in your building.
Zhao Chenwu paused for a second as he nced at the visuals on the touchscreen.
Su Lei has already retreated to the 16th floor, the 15th floor waspletely upied by the Crimson Chamber of Commerce.
15th.
Got it.
Just as the voice fade, explosion transmitted below him.
The violent shaking almost sent him to the ground. He nkly stared out the window at the ck dot in the sky.
The building in the distance had a daunting hole created on the structure as it exposed the steel frames.
Direct hit, beautiful shot.
Looking at the visual on his table, Jiang Chen gave a thumbs up at the gunner at the hatch door.
The gunner was excited to hear Jiang Chens praise as he worked extra hard to load the cartridge before he waited for further instructions.
He has been watching the battle for a while. Jiang Chen saw everything, including that nuclear.
He just didnt expect someone to explode a nuclear weapon in the inner circle.
To prevent this ce from turning into shambles, he felt he must join the fray.
Retreating? No Jiang Chen looked at the fleeing dots on the screen, he muttered and pressed his finger on the screen.
He had been using to the buzz of the electricity as well as the noise of breaking the sound barrier as snow was blown over ten meters high on the street within the screen.
The retreating armored vehicle was smashed into pieces by the 10 kg level bomb without suspense.
It was as easy as ying aputer game.
The green dots on the ground began to surround the inner circle, it was Fishbones soldiers.
Jiang Chen left the ck Blood Mercenaries along the Taifu river. He didnt tell Luo Yang about the battle at the Sixth Street. He only said to him as long as he was stationed here for three days, he would receive 100 more crystals.
No one would reject this kind of deal. Everyone knew that mutated humans could no longer invade the east.
To avoid unexpected things from urring, the mercenary force ranked one at the Sixth Street was left somewhere further away.
Once the primary force approached the Sixth Street, Sun Jiao immediately dered their stance, with the identity of the alliance of Zhao Corporation to provide backup. The thirty-something civil soldiers cluelessly allowed them to pass without hesitation and then opened the airspace to Chu Nans helicopter.
They were loyal to the council, although the organization was inplete disarray since the Crimson Chamber of Commerce chose to fire at the council. The Crimson Chamber of Commerce was their enemy.
Hello? Buddy, you dont mind if I make a hole in the inner circle wall right? Jiang Chen opened themunication channel with a grin.
I dont mind.
The Inner Circle wall was firm. It took four 10 kg level bombs to blow a corner apart.
Seeing the wall had copsed, Sun Jiao immediately led the 200 soldiers to approach that breaking point. The 6 power armors were responsible as the primary attack force, along with the 8 modified pickup trucks with machine guns attached and thirty-something soldiers with kic skeletons. Under air support, the scale of the war was leaning towards Jiang Chen.
Zhao Gang, lead your people to take out their anti-air machine gun, as well as the anti-air missile. Jiang Chen continued to order.
Yes.
Another 50 something people entered into the Sixth Street.
The wall had been broken. The remaining civil soldiers all entered the Inner Circle for assistance, and the Outer Circle was leftpletely defenseless. The 50 people quickly took control of the anti-air control center and captured the workers on duty as well as confiscated allmunication equipment.
With this, there was nothing that could threaten this Type-51 helicopter.
With the artillery support of this air gunship, the Sun Jiao led ground forces forced their way into the center of the Inner Circle. The people of Crimson Chamber of Commerce werepletely dumbfounded by the force that suddenly joined the fray. Any points of power gathered together would be shredded into pieces by the 10 kg level shell.
The major street has been captured. Sun Jiao voice was transmitted to him.
Continue to push towards the council building, Jiang Chen ordered firmly.
Understood!
The targets of attack of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce were the headquarters of all the council members. From the looks of it, at least four council members were killed already.
Only five council members desperately tried to hold their ground.
How long until your people get here? My side cant hold any longer. Zhao Chenwus voice rang by his ear, along with the noise of a few gunshots mixed in between.
Very soon Also, I rmend you open the window, and stay obediently inside your office.
After he finished speaking, Jiang Chen closed themunication channel. At the same time, he ordered Chu Nan to fly the helicopter over and lower its elevation.
Its time for a surgery.
Personally, I rmend for Zhao Chenwu to die. By diminishing the old force, our coup is more likely to seed. While operating the helicopter, Chu Nan said some formidable points.
Perhaps. But there might be other uses for himter. Jiang Chen signaled Zhou Xiaoxia, who sat quietly across from him.
She didnt say anything as she stood up and walked to the hatch door.
Chu Nan shrugged as he didnt continue to try and convince his boss. He simply pressed a button below the control rod.
Auto suspension once again opened. The electric pulse cannon was dragged into the cabin.
Zhou Xiaoxia skillfully took off the sniper rifle on her back and aimed at the building.
The zone scanned by the crosshair had only bodies remain.
Search, fire, bolt, next.
A set of swift actions.
Zhao Chenwu leaning behind his office table hugged his wounded secretary and gestured thank you to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen smiled and didnt say anything. He only held onto the tablet and looked towards the ground.
It was already over.
But this Inner Circle no longer had its formal glory. It has been changed into an entirely different scene.
Chapter 205 - Becoming the Owner
Chapter 205: Bing the Owner
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Before dusk had arrived, the war was over.
The soldiers that entered the council building found Cao Jinsongs body in the chamber.
His temple was bleeding, and he held a pistol in his hand. When defeat was inevitable, this old man chose to suicide.
Seeing that their boss died, the soldiers all dropped their weapons in hand and surrendered.
The Crimson Chamber of Commerces g was dragged down by the soldiers who climbed onto the top of the building and was thrown into a pile of me.
Died? He got off easy. Zhao Chenwu cursed while he limped beside Jiang Chen. His leg got shot. Although the wound has already been treated, he was still constricted by it.
At that time, the two of them walked side by side in the hallway of the council building.
There were only five people left out of the ten. A meeting was called.
There was so much needed to be discussed.
Thank you so much. This way, without your people, Cao Jinsong, would have already seeded. Ill do my best to say good things about you on the council. Zhao Chenwu smiled.
Dont worry about it. As to good things I think I can gain it by myself like before?
Zhao Chenwus feet stopped. His smile froze on his face.
Jiang Chenughed, pushed open the door to the chamber, and walked inside.
Because that roundtable had been smashed, Jiang Chen ordered the soldiers to drag a long table from elsewhere.
The five council members sat on either side. However, Jiang Chen shamelessly sat at the head of the table.
Seeing Jiang Chens move, Zhao Chenwu seemed to know what he wanted to do. He let out a sigh and didnt say anything.
But the other four council members didnt take it so well. If it were not for the two soldiers holding rifles and wearing kic skeletons, they probably would have jumped up and expressed their dissatisfaction.
For the tragedy that ur here, I express my condolences.
Hearing Jiang Chens words, the council members all cursed in their minds.
There was not a trace of condolence on his face.
But life must continue. Since everyone here is really busy, lets get things started.
Jiang Chen shrugged and said with a smile.
I agree. The cleaning of the radiation materials in the inner circle, as well as rebuilding, mustmence soon. A tall council member nodded. His name was Kong Zhe, the owner of Double-headed Bull Chamber of Commerce. Although he just receivedmunication from the front line that his trap card - the Landbird Armor was destroyed by the Crimson Chamber of Commerce Wanderer tank, still 30 something soldiers managed to survive as they began to retreat towards the Sixth Street.
I consent.
I agree.
Zhao Chenwu didnt say anything, but from his expression, he looked deste.
In this civil war, he suffered the most loss among all council members. Two spider tanks, 20 power armors, Disaster-32 cruise missile, as well as great soldiers. Now the only remaining force for the Zhao Corporation was the five power armors and 5- soldiers sent to the outskirts of the city to build a defense line.
First, we should hear some good news. Jiang Chen took out a graphene card from his pocket and put it on the table. This is what we found on that old foxs body, the information recorded, the deration of war was from three years ago. Also, because of their internal conflict, their n to invade the east fell through.
All the council members let out a sigh of relief.
After going through the tragic civil war, if the Northern Alliance area attacked, without two to three years to rebuild, they had no odds of winning.
This is great news. In this case, the defense can be put aside for now. A council member with a beer belly wiped the sweat from his forehead. His name was Fan Chen. He operated thergest constructionpany at Sixth Street, the metal shellpanys owner.
Because of his weak force to begin with, in the civil war, his force suffered the smallest lost, but he had the most direct economic loss.
The west side of the Inner Circle was turned into shambles by the nuclear bomb. As the biggest real estate owner of the Sixth Street, his direct loss was as high as two million crystals.
But he certainly didnt look too remorseful, because being able to survive was always the best case scenario.
Thats right. Moving the soldiers back from the frontline would also help to stabilize the situation of the Sixth Street. As to what is happening in the Inner Circle, the mercenaries and bandits who depend on the Sixth Street are starting to be unsettled. We must restore the authority of the Group of Ten council and control the situation, Kong Zhe said sternly.
Dont worry about that, my people have already controlled the situation in the Outer Circle. After sending a 10kg level bomb to a small mercenary force attempting to take advantage of the situation, everyone seemed to have calmed down. Jiang Chen shrugged.
The chamber was suddenly silenced. It was so quiet that if a needle dropped onto the ground, it would be clearly heard.
Speaking of this, could your helicopter be flown away now After moments of silence, Kong Zhe difficulty squeezed those words out.
To stabilize the situation, my helicopter will conduct routine air patrol. Trust me, this is for your own benefit. Jiang Chen smiled.
Our soldiers will be back. As long as we restart the council, the situation will quickly be stabilized Oh, lets talk about yourpensation. The Sixth Street treasury will pay fifty thousand crystals aspensation for your assistance. Fan Chens expression looked rather awkward, but he still squeezed a smile and proposed in a small voice.
Fifty thousand? Are you pitying a hobo? Jiang Chen couldnt help butugh.
Then what does Mr. Jiang think? Kong Zhes expression turned cold.
Nothing, I just want to take away what I deserve. Jiang Chen with a casual expression leaned against the chair, with fingers crossed, For example, this council building. Since I got it back from Cao Jinsong, shouldnt it belong to me?
This is crazy. You cant do that! A council member stood up and furiously stared at Jiang Chen.
No one will listen to your order.
With just two hundred something people, dont you think your appetite is too big?
Jiang Chen patiently waited for these furious council members to express their frustration, then he coughed lightly.
When everyone looked in his direction, Jiang Chen slowly spoke out.
But you dont have a choice, isnt that right?
Everyone was suddenly speechless.
My people are outside, with two at the door now. Jiang Chens chin pointed towards the two soldiers at the door. The two soldiers with rifles immediately saluted him and continued to stand on guard.
But you dont even know how many of your soldiers are alive.
The anti-air control center of the Sixth Street has been upied by us. My helicopter can easily make any disagreeing voice shut up.
I am not negotiating with you; I am only dering the facts.
From now on, this is my territory.
I will use my way to bring stability here.
Chapter 206 - Military Government Regime
Chapter 206: Military Government Regime
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The meeting quickly concluded.
No, it was not a meeting. For Jiang Chen didnt discuss anything with them, but rather he announced the ns from today onwards.
Starting today, the Sixth Street will be under a curfew with a duration of at least ten days until the situation was stabilized.
The Group of Ten council will be expanded to twenty people, separated into upper house and lower house, which will be represented by influential merchants and industry leaders. The upper house would be represented by merchants with registered assets in the top ten, the lower house would be voted in.
Because the civil group lost more than 80% of its force, partially due to internal corruption, they would dissipate immediately after the weapons are collected. The defense of the Sixth Street would bepletely taken over by the Fishbone base.
To avoid simr civil wars from urring again, Jiang Chen announced that a military government would be instated in the Sixth Street and control thew enforcement military authority. It would also have the right to veto any proposal from the council. The councils rights were strictly limited tow proposal and administration.
As to the head of the military government - the role of the General had naturally fallen on Jiang Chens shoulders.
The decision to implement monarchy Constitution was also Chu Nans proposal.
Jiang Chen was surprised to discover that that guy knew quite a lot about politics.
Although the power of the Group of Ten Council has been cut by more than half in the city center due to the civil war, they should still not be underestimated. Whether it be their reputation in the Sixth Street or the soldiers on the front line. If we could not convince all of them, then we will have to dilute the power in their hands so the small forces in the Outer Circle will stand by our side. We only need to control the military. There is not much difference between direct and indirect control.
The establishment of the lower house was great news for the small merchants, mercenaries, and hunting groups in the outer circle. Although there was a lot of them, because of the difference among them, they were always pushed outside of the center of power.
Jiang Chens decision obviously won the support of this minority. Although they wouldnt do anything, it without a doubt stabilized the situation. Along with the deterrence of force, the bigger mercenary forces chose to stay put.
As to the five council members, including Zhao Chenwu, they were forced to ept the glory chip injection and became Fishbone Bases knight.
As to their cooperation, Jiang Chen highly noted the actions to be taken and promised that he would not misappropriate their assets at the Sixth Street. Also, Jiang Chen divided half of the property of the council members that suffered an unfortunate death aspensation to the remaining members. To some degree, itforted their displeased mood.
To these ruthless leaders, he had to use this method to control them.
On the second floor of the council building, an office had been cleared out and transformed into the office of the military government general.
Sitting in front of the table, Sun Jiao held a tablet as she reported their progress in thest few days to Jiang Chen.
52 Crimson Chamber of Commerce soldiers were captured and all injected with very chips. They were reincorporated into the force stationed at the Shenxiang town colony. The rebels in the city center saw the coup has failed, and one Wanderer tank surrendered to us, while the other three retreated to the Crimson Chamber of Commerce base outside of the city.
The surrender of the Wanderer tank was a joyful surprise to Jiang Chen!
The use of Meissner effect of electromaic reaction armor would almost make the vast majority of metal shell kic energy weapons fail. Particle Shields also have a degree of resistance to energy weapons. As the main weapon of the type fifty-two particles, it can turn the vast majority of armored units into scrap.
With the addition of the Wanderer tank, the armor force of the Fishbone base had improved by a level.
Is there any reaction from the Crimson Chamber of Commerce military base outside of the city?
Not yet. They seemed to have some internal turmoil. Followed by Cao Jinsongs death, the very chip injected into his nephew Cao Weis body had automatically failed. On the distribution of power, Cao Wei and Cao Jinsongs son had a disagreement.
Internal disagreement again Jiang Chen muttered to himself.
Human minds are not something that could be controlled by the chip.
Human minds?
Jiang Chen shook his head as he decided not to think about it anymore. He signaled for Sun Jiao to continue.
From the battlefield along with the warehouse of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, we looted ten power armors, 87 kic skeletons, and 210 carbon nano armors. Some of the equipment only require minor repairs before it can be used. A smile emerged on Sun Jiaos face
There is still better news toe. A sense of proudness appeared at the tip of Sun Jiaos tongue, she continued, Acquired assets total a value of 1.5 million crystals, as well as one military factory, two pharmaceutical factories, and an organic material power nt.
Jiang Chen gasped for breath before his face turned ecstatic.
Organic material power nt. One ton of zombie fat would provide one thousand to two thousand watts of electricity. Thirty percent of the Sixth Streets power was generated by this power nt, removing the cost, on average one hundred watts would bring a profit of two crystals. A days profit was between seven hundred to one thousand crystals.
How are you going to reward me? Seeing the excitement on Jiang Chens face, Sun Jiao flirtatiously blew him a kiss and said coyly.
Would a kiss be enough? Jiang Chen smirked.
Sun Jiao gave him a dirty looked as she pouted her mouth, put away the tablet, andined while briefly stretching.
Done reporting. So tiring these few days, when are we going to go home?
In a few more days. If you are tired, I can give you a massage. Jiang Chen peeked at the softness that was about to pop out of her clothes as he joked.
Sun Jiaos face was covered by a thinyer of red, but she had a smirk on her face.
She walked in front of the table, and in a seductive position, she sat down on it. Then, with one hand leaning against the table, the other hands finger gently lifted Jiang Chens chin, she put her face near his.
I want it now, the girl said flirtatiously.
Now? Uh, there is no ce here.
There is a table right here. I can lie on top. With a seductive tone, the delicate finger slowly moved onto the table as there was only tenderness in her eyes.
[This devil]
[In the office?]
Jiang Chen gulped. Just as he was about to sumb to the wild idea and reach his hand uncontrobly for that slightly opened cor-
Knock knock.
The sudden knock came from the door.
Like a cat, Sun Jiao swiftly got off the table and stood still. Jiang Chen also put his hand on the table as if nothing had happened, but his eyebrows twitched.
Ahem,e in, Jiang Chen said.
The door was pushed open. Cheng Weiguos loyal face entered Jiang Chens sight.
Seeing the stern expression on the boss, as well as the displeased look on the female bosss face, he seemed to have realized something as an awkward expression appeared on his face.
Uh, should I leave now.
Jiang Chen noticed his expression, and he too felt awkward, but he tried his best to remainposed.
No need. Important matters first.
Hearing that, Cheng Weiguos face also became serious, and he thought, [Thats the boss, he puts the important issue first!]
So he quickly exined, Liuding town has sent an ambassador who wants to meet you.
Liuding town?
Jiang Chens eyebrows rose.
Chapter 207 - Liuding Town’s Ambassador
Chapter 207: Liuding Towns Ambassador
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
June 16, 2171, the South Sea War erupted. The battlefield was not only limited to the South Sea; it was not even limited to the sea itself.
The mes of war spread across the twelve jurisdictions under PACs control. The Bohai aircraft carrier fleet had a showdown with the Obama aircraft carrier 30 kilometers west of Jizhou Ind, with NATO barely snatching a victory.
The retreating Bohai smashed into Wanghai Citys port because of nuclear strikes and EMP. Due to it losing itsbat power early, it became one of the vessels best preserved after the war.
A satirical ending.
Because of funding problems, the World Alliance Organization leading the order after the war didnt repair the Bohai. Instead, it permitted survivors from migrating. Then, they fired the space colonization ship from Kennedy Space Center, Plesetsk Spaceunch position, Jiuquan Launch Center. The World Alliance Organization was officially dissolved, the subsequent nuclear winter along with a series of critical events urred. The people being deserted went through the initial suspension before finally choosing to unite together
This is the history of Liuding town.
If the pieces of history were described in detail, it would be an epic no less than one million words.
To put it in simple terms, all kinds of interesting people gathered there. There were locals like those who had entered the boat when I was young, NATO soldiers that gave up their nationalities, the suckers that didnt go into fallout shelters, and pre-war people from the fallout shelter that opened early.
He cracked a smile as Chu Nan dragged the control rod and casually chatted with Jiang Chen who sat in the passenger seat.
Whats life there like? Jiang Chen asked, but his gaze was focused on what was outside the window.
So so. Because I was a pilot, my sry was reasonable. If I save the money for alcohol, I can eat a meal of sardines a week. That thing tasted pretty good with a low level of mutation. Also, on the deserted armory in the aircraft carrier, with only ten crystals, you can find a rather attractive girl to sleep with you.
Hearing that, Chu Nan smiled reminiscently.
The third day on routine patrol.
The nuclear crater, like a horrifying scar, pierced thend within the Inner Circle.
Teams of cleaning personnel in orange protective suits carried a wide box with a thin hose in their hands, walked among the shambles while spraying radiation cleaner at things.
For local radiation, this radiation cleaner was quite effective. With only a spray, it would neutralize the radioactive element on the surface.
At the same time, it wasplicated to manufacture with an expensive price tag. The World Alliance government did manufacture a batch, but for the radiation that covered the entire world, it was rather futile.
If it were not for the tightly packed Inner Circle wherend was valuable, Jiang Chen would not have permitted the usage of the expensive radiation cleaner.
Since it was his territory now, he would have to allow the radiation to return to normal before the construction team could restart the rebuilding process.
I am asking about industrial capability, as well as the military force, you know.
The military is primarilyprised of an air force, with artillery assisting. As to industrial? Liuding Town doesnt have any industrial capabilities. It doesnt need any industrial capabilities. Chu Nanughed.
He paused for a moment before he continued, The Beer Cappany is Liuding towns factory. They possess tremendous industrial capabilities and produce all kinds of bombs, shells, and aircraft missiles, as well as heavy machinery. There are some smaller survival camps spread out on the wastnd that transport goods to Liuding town.
Is the only specialty from Liuding Town sardines? Jiang Chen smiled.
Of course not. A fair amount of mutant fish have rather mild changes; the crystal number is also stable. The ie from fishing is not only the fish meat but also the sesame sized crystals on the fishbone. Also, there is the chip production industry, without the need for a significant amount of space, the raw materials were also easy to obtain by the side of the sea, but these are not the important points.
Chu Nan mysteriously smiled as he looked at Jiang Chen dubiously.
The most luxurious casino and brothel on the wastnd are there. There are all kinds of tricks and games you can y, also very magical. A lot of merchants from Su city and Hang city visit because of the name as they hand over their hard earned crystals willingly while having the time of their life.
Then its a great ce, have you tried it before?
No, I am only a cheap pilot, Chu Nan shrugged as he said helplessly.
Other than this?
And artillery agreement.
Artillery agreement? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Thats right, thats also part of Liuding Towns business. The patrol was over. Chu Nan controlled the helicopter while pressing a few buttons as they started to make their return.
Bohais electromaic cannon has a range of 500 kilometers. Therefore it can fire from the outskirts of Long River to Luzhou. Of course, the further the distance, the higher the cost, and the lower the uracy. But it can easily strike targets in Wanghai City.
Therefore?
One 100 kg level bomb costs 2000 crystals. It could be used on any small force, not within the artillery agreement. As to the artillery agreement, there is a fee of 10000 crystals per month.
What, that is like asking for a protection fee, Jiang Chen cursed.
It is a protection fee. So the reason theye to the Sixth Street is evident, Chu Nan said nonchntly.
Did the Sixth Street pay them before?
No, because Disaster-32, that belonged to Zhao Corporation, could send them into the deep sea without the ability to defend at all, and the five Wanderer tank of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce could also cut off their supplies But now, these things seem to be gone. The only remaining Wanderer tank could be counted as a chip on the table, but it doesnt provide deterrence anymore.
The civil war had cost all the trap cards of the Group of Ten council. It also cost the firm stance of the Sixth Street.
The trap cards were not only there to create a bnce of power, but it also deterred the external enemies.
Do you think I should agree to the artillery agreement? Jiang Chen nonchntlyughed.
To be honest, if it was not for the fact that the Fishbone Base hasnt trained an experienced pilot, Jiang Chen really wanted to move Chu Nan into a managing role. A helicopter pilot was too limiting for his ability. Considering their take over of the Sixth Street alone, regardless of the decision of stabilizing the situation, Chu Nan offered him a lot of help.
Of course not, although ten thousand crystals were nothing to the Sixth Street, that doesnt mean we need to lower our heads to them.
Oh? We have other trap cards?
Of course. Chu Nan smiled, Did the boss forget, what did we use to destroy the mutated humans?
That big firework? Jiang Chen burst outughing, that thing might not be enough for aircraft carriers.
The technical content of the ballistic missile was too low. If it were not for the mutated humans being too careless with the construction of their base, a missile would not take out over half of their force.
Anti-missile technology before the war was extremely advanced. Basic ones included radar lock on andser anti-missile. The reason Disaster-32 was strong because it could render the most anti-missile system useless.
If that missile were used to smash Liuding town, before it couldnd, it would be shot down by the anti-airser cannon.
Of course it was for hitting the Liuding town aircraft, we only need to aim at Liuding towns alliance. Chu Nan shook his head, For example the Beer Cappany, they could produce 100 kg level bombs, but it doesnt mean they can equally produce the matching electromaic cannon. Under the protection of Liuding town, they never developed a strong military force.
Without their alliances, Liuding town is only a dead boat.
Hearing that, Jiang Chenughed out loud as he patted Chu Nans shoulder with force.
Not bad. Also, something else, do you have an interest being the governor of the Sixth Street? I am starting to realize that some of your other abilities are much better than controlling a helicopter.
Are you hiddenly telling me that I suck at piloting? Chu Nan made a funny expression as he joked.
Of course not, I am serious.
Mhmm, you are the boss, I will listen to your order. But to be honest, rather than bing the governor of the Sixth Street, I want to be Liuding Towns governor more.
He wasnt joking.
Chapter 208 - A Friendly Signal
Chapter 208: A Friendly Signal
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
As to the Chu Nansst sentence, Jiang Chen gave it a thought but didnt reply.
The Sixth Street located in Jiading officially became part of his territory. Therefore, all the entrances from the northwest direction were under his control. Including the Fishbone base in Qingpu, and Shenxiang town colony in front of the Zhufeng highway. The three areas formed a triangle as the force almost included all the major roads to enter Wanghai city from the west.
It was fair to say, half of Wanghai city was already in his hands.
But, a highly vtile factor still posed a threat to the security of this area.
It was Liuding town.
That electromaic cannon was an immense force, its power far surmounted the cannons on his Tigers.
Although they would not easily strain the rtionship with the ruler of thend Jiang Chen, since they existed, it would still be a threat.
How can one allow a threat to exist?
If he wanted to control the entire Wanghai city area, then he must n against Liuding town.
But with the status quo, for both parties, cooperation was the better choice.
Within the chamber, Jiang Chen met the ambassador from Liuding town.
To his surprise, the ambassador was ady. The bodyguard behind her was a Caucasian male. From his buff body, he must be a great fighter.
As to the female ambassador, Jiang Chens first expression was utter shock, but presumably, he expressed his caution towards her.
Under her high nose, a vibe of power surrounded her.
Blonde hair, a western kind of body but an eastern face; she should be mixed.
Tang Miya, that was her name.
It is a great pleasure to meet you, ambassador from Liuding town, I hope you enjoyed your stayst night. When he saw her enter the door, Jiang Chen had a friendly smile on his face and at the same extended his right hand.
Because she arrived ratherte, Jiang Chen arranged a room for her in the Paradise Ind hotel.
Thank you for hosting me. The vibrant red lips were curled up as Tang Miya extended her hand and shook with Jiang Chen. Your sex robot in the hotel was great.
Jiang Chen paused for a moment as his expression looked peculiar.
[That sex robothas a female version?]
To his surprise, thisdy ambassador was rather wild in her private life.
Ahem, as long as you had fun. Please take a seat. Jiang Chen smiled as he avoided the rather inappropriate topic, he nobly pulled out the chair for her and invited her to sit.
Tang Miya nodded with a smile to express her gratitude as she sat on the chair. The bodyguard stood in front of the door.
What kind of news is Miss Tang Miya bringing to us from Liuding Town? As he sat on the chair, Jiang Chen asked the straightforward question.
Of course friendly news. Tang Miya blinked her eyes before she took out a document, First, it is about the trade. Liuding town had signed a trade agreement with the Group of Ten council at the Sixth Street, now that owner of the Sixth Street has changed, I wanted to ask Mr. Jiang Chen if this agreement is still valid?
She put the document gently on the table.
Before the meeting, Jiang Chen scanned through the agreement. The premise was to ensure that Liuding towns merchants were treated fairly and equally and also share the same free trading rights with other forces.
Of course it is valid. Jiang Chen picked up the agreement as he ceremonially scanned it before he gave out a direct response.
A smile surfaced on Tang Miyas face as she put the contract away; she had all ten fingers crossed.
Also, its about an agreement with the Fishbone base. Is it appropriate to bring it up now?
An obvious attempt to test the water.
On the surface, Jiang Chen was the general of the military government, the council still exercised the decree. At least for other people, the Sixth Street was still open, and democratic.
Deciding for the council was overreaching, to begin with. Now that the private matter of the Fishbone base was brought up in the Sixth Street Council building, it was practically asking: does the Sixth Street belong to you?
The answer was yes.
Its fine, just say it, Jiang Chen said firmly.
Seeing Jiang Chens reaction, Tang Miya smiled and took out another agreement.
Regarding the food by the Fishbone Food Corporation, our party is very interested If you dont mind my rudeness, you are the owner of thatpany right?
Why do you think that? Jiang Chen smiled.
A womans sixth sense, Tang Miya used a half-joking voice.
Maybe your sense is urate, but we are off topic now. Jiang Chen shrugged as he didnt answer the question, but rather, he avoided the topic.
Although Tang Miya was not too satisfied with Jiang Chens response, she only smiled as she didnt persist on the question.
This is our trade list; we need meat cans, vegetable cans, beer, and sugar. On the other side, we can provide crystals, small electronicponents like chips and batteries. We trust that the price we offer will please you.
Jiang Chen carefully scanned through the content on the list as he nodded.
The price offered by the woman was a bit higher than Zhao Chenwu. The total trade amount was around half a million per month. The deal could be executed next spring.
I am pleased with the price you offered, as the chips of your party, our side is also very interested. But the name on the contract is Lucky 32 Casino, not Liuding town, is there something I am not understanding? Jiang Chen smiled as he signed the agreement with his name.
Liuding town is only an aircraft carrier, but Lucky 32 Casino is my property. Miss Tang smiled as she put away the contract.
Jiang Chen thought for a second before rity returned to his face.
Then, in this case, the identity of Miss Tang in Liuding town, is simr to mine in the Sixth Street?
Two kinds of political structures, notparable. Tang Miya said, You can interpret that as I am a sailor with some influence.
[Not aplete dictatorship?]
Although I dontpletely understand, I think it would not interfere with our cooperation. Now, do you have any interesting proposals? Jiang Chenughed.
To Jiang Chens surprise, Tang Miya shook her head.
No.
[No? She didnt bring up the artillery agreement?]
Jiang Chen quickly regathered his thoughts, stood up, and announced the end of the meeting.
After shaking Tang Miyas hand, Jiang Chen personally sent her out the door.
To be honest, I personally enjoy chatting with a dictator like you, Standing at the door, Tang Miya said out of nowhere.
Oh?
Just this piece of paper, if it was for the Group Of Ten council, they could argue endlessly for two days straight. Compared with rowdy men, I think a decisive man like you is more charming. Tang Miya didnt bother to hide her praise in her words as her gorgeous eyes looked at Jiang Chen.
Haha, Miss Tang is oveplimenting me. Jiang Chen humbly smiled, but the curled up mouth clearly exposed his satisfaction.
Tang Miya would obvious not miss this detail as the tip of her mouth also curled up.
No men would have no reaction to a beautiful girls praise, it was a natural instinct of men.
I have a personal proposal, I dont know if Mr. Jiang would be interested?
Mhmm?
With her watery eyes turning, Tang Miya got closer to Jiang Chen with a smile, the tip of her nose stopped at the point where it almost touched his face.
With an incredibly flirtatious tone, apanied by her warm breath, she spoke out.
Tonight, do you want toe by my room?
Chapter 209 - Fact
Chapter 209: Fact
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The next morning.
Jiang Chen and Miss Tang Miya walked out of Paradise Ind hotel together.
They chatted andughed as they walked along. Then, Jiang Chen nobly sent her to the gate of the Sixth Street.
If it were not for the people seeing theming out of the hotel together, no one would have guessed what happened before.
But if people observed carefully, both of the powerful individuals had minor dark circles under their eyes, it seemed like they didnt sleep wellst night.
Of course, what happens at the top of the pyramid, the people below dont need to know.
As to the rumors, it will fade eventually.
Was it enjoyablest night? Jiang Chen grinned as he mocked her.
You are better than the sex robot. The tip of Tang Miyas mouth curved up as she replied in the same mocking tone.
Haha, Ill take that as apliment.
Jiang Chen without many boundaries would not refuse seduction, especially if it were in his own territory.
Therefore,st night he dly epted Tang Miyas invitation as he hooked up with the queen from Liuding town.
The intimacy happenedst night, was no different than the negotiation on the conference table, both parties searching for what they want.
Being able to thrust into the body of a boss level person made Jiang Chen feel the conquering sensation. At the same time, also as a person of importance, she enjoyed the sensation of being conquered as she hadnt experienced it for a long time.
But that enjoyment will onlyst until morning. The two both chose to keep quiet on the details ofst night.
Just like Jiang Chen had his mistresses.
As the boss of force, the owner behind Lucky 32 Casino Miss Tang Miya, also possessed her own lovers.
What a pity, it would be better if you are a nobody. Before she was about to leave, Tang Miya gently used her finger to lift up Jiang Chens chin as her eyes narrowed.
If I am a nobody, is there any benefits to you? Jiang Chen squeezed her hand with a smirk as he moved her finger away.
With her hand held, she did not blush at all. Her shamelessness was no less than Jiang Chens. With a mischevious smile, she said, Then I could make you one of my lovers.
With her invasive speech, Jiang Chen only smiled nomittally.
[Funny, although my boundary is a bit gray, I dont have that kind of fetish.]
Ceremonially they said goodbye as Tang Miya along with her bodyguard disappeared among the ruins.
Looking at her figure disappearing into the horizon while remembering her final words, Jiang Chen uncontrobly shivered.
Although he just imagined it, the idea was a bit disgusting for a man.
After returning to the Inner Circle, Jiang Chen found Chu Nan who was cleaning the helicopter on the helicopter pad.
Was it thrillingst night? Chu Nanughed mischievously as he closed the hose shut.
How did you guess? Jiang Chen shrugged.
The owner of Lucky 32 Casino, Miss Tang Miya. Her unique hobby is no news in Liuding town. Chu Nan threw the mop on the helicopters back wing, pped his hands, and looked at Jiang Chen. Since she already hooked up with you, then the negotiation must be sessful?
You could say that. Also, she didnt mention the artillery agreement, your guess seems to be off. Jiang Chen smiled.
With eyebrows slightly raised, Chu Nan held his chin pondering for a moment.
Is that so? It looks like they chose the more cautious way.
Cautious?
Mhmm. Perhaps because she realized from the interaction between you that your firm stance would mean you would neverpromise, therefore Tang Miya didnt bring up the proposal that obviously would be rejected, but rather she brought up the genuine desire to cooperate.
Thats something she can see through? Jiang Chenughed.
Tang Miya is a smart woman. Or else she wouldnt be managing Lucky 32 to perfection.
Chu Nan paused before he continued to speak.
On the other hand, they might also be cautious about the force behind you.
Fishbone Food Corporation? Jiang Chen pondered.
It was only an borate lie, but since the food he brought out became evidence to support its existence, it made everyone believe its existence.
Other than the most intimate people, no one knew that it is a fictitious creation, not even his own citizens.
Although he didnt need it anymore.
If you could pardon my rudeness, boss, is your identity really just a representative?
Does it matter? Jiang Chen smiled nomittally.
From the bystanders perspective, your identity is more like the boss of the Fishbone Food Corporation. And Fishbone base, rather than a supply station, is more simr to a military outpost.
Hearing that, Jiang Chens eyes slightly moved.
Regardless, since I already settled the fact this military outpost exists, even if people want to touch it, they no longer have the ability to.
Thats right because they are fearful. Chu Nan smiled, Because they dont know the real power of thepany behind you. Did they help to upy the Sixth Street, whats the purpose and intention of entering Wanghai City. Because of theck of information, it forces them to use a cautionary attitude.
Because of this, they should already have considered the mutated people of the Seventh area would somewhat pose a hindrance to our growth. If we epted the artillery agreement, then we would definitely use electromaic cannon against the mutated human. If we easily solved the mutated human problem, it would be against the interest of Liuding town. Rather than the ie of ten thousand crystals, they would much rather see mutated human and our struggle for power and hurting each other.
Thinking about Chu Nans words, Jiang Chen returned to the council building.
Regardless, Liuding Towns attitude was rather friendly, the mutated human at the Seventh area didnt make any moves either.
In this case, his force in the apocalypse had finally entered a rtively peaceful period.
He only needed to choose someone to represent him for the Sixth Street affairs, Fishbone base is his core. After leaving for so long, it was time for him to go back.
Back in the office, he saw the pouting Sun Jiao waiting.
His expression looked rather awkward sincest night
Was it funst night? Sun Jiao smiled with not the friendliest of smiles.
Jiang Chen forced augh as he embarrassedly scratched his head, looking away.
Sun Jiaos mouth pouted unhappily.
There is still a small apple you havent eaten yet, and you are picking fruit on another side.
The small apple referred to Yao Yao.
Sorry.
Jiang Chen knew there was no use saying anything as he chose to admit fault, he also walked up to hug Sun Jiao.
Feeling his body heat, a red hue covered Sun Jiaos face.
With her expression showing a momentary confliction, she finally let out a sigh and gave up persisting this topic.
Lets talk about some important matters. When do we go back? I am worried about her condition.
That her was obviously referring to Sun Xiaorou.
Because it was too dangerous, she was still locked up inside the basement.
Speaking of her own sister, Sun Jiao also gave Jiang Chen a hard and dirty look.
Ahem, the day after tomorrow, Ill do my best to finish taking care of everything.
Jiang Chen, knowing he lost the high ground, chose to shamelessly avoid Sun Jiaos eyes of me as he quickly finished saying everything he needed to before fleeing from the scene.
Chapter 210 - Zhao Chenwu’s Choice
Chapter 210: Zhao Chenwus Choice
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The cleaning of radiation was almostplete.
As to the suddenly erupted and quickly ended civil war, the survivors living in the Sixth Street reacted calmly to the situation; the passersby also didnt cause any trouble.
The new insurgent, with thunderous momentum, stabilized the chaotic situation.
Other than the ten people at the top who changed seats, for most of the people living in the Outer Circle, life didnt really change.
As to death.
People died every day on the wastnd.
I always thought I am great at understanding people, but I guess I was wrong this time. Zhao Chenwu let out a sigh as he sat across from Jiang Chen.
Do you regret anything? Jiang Chen smiled.
Zhao Chenwu was silent.
Seeing that he didnt respond, Jiang Chen didnt mind, but rather he poured a cup of hot water for himself.
Then, he took out a small stic bag from his pocket as he ripped it open, then slowly poured the fine brown powder inside the steamy cup.
Looking at the dark brown mixture, Zhao Chenwus eyes widened as he uncontrobly gulped.
At our ce, this is called coffee.
Of course I know. Zhao Chenwus tone sounded urgent.
Do you still regret it now? Jiang Chenughed.
Zhao Chenwu looked at Jiang Chen not understanding his meaning.
Seeing the expression on Zhao Chenwus face, Jiang Chenughed, and then took out something else.
The white cube, in Zhao Chenwus widened eyes, was dropped into the fragrant coffee.
You have a lot of good things, Zhao Chenwu difficultly squeezed out these words.
Thats right. Jiang Chen shrugged as he said lightheartedly, Some things I was afraid of bringing out, but now I dont have as much to worry about.
Are you really a representative? Zhao Chenwu said with a bitter smile.
You are the second person that has asked me this question But what I want to say is that who I am is not important. The important thing is, as long as you work for me, I can provide you with all of these. Jiang Chen smiled.
Provide me with all of these? Zhao Chenwu was dumbfounded as he looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief.
Thats right. Jiang Chen was straightforward, Food, sugar, coffee, tea, as well as other simr things. I will provide you a batch every month and youll be responsible for selling them for me. The right to sell food is in your hands. I wont interrupt your business and I will only send some people to provide assistance in ounting.
I dont understand, these things would be popr anywhere on the wastnd, why would you give it to me to do? Zhao Chenwu didnt understand.
Because I trust your ability, I want to see my product appear in every corner of the wastnd.
Hearing that, Zhao Chenwus expression turned peculiar as he had an odd smile on his face.
I cant believe that not long ago, we were still partners, now, I am working under you.
Thats up to your interpretation. As long as you maintain your coolness, then Zhao Corporation still belongs to you. The purpose of a chain is to prevent simr things from happening again. Our rtionship can still be interpreted as a partnership, and it is a much closer partnership. Jiang Chen smiled.
Zhao Chenwu paused for a moment before he burst outughing and extended his hand.
Then best of luck to both of us.
Holding his hand, Jiang Chen smiled.
Best of luck to both of us.
The food trade specifics were quickly nailed down. The Fishbone Base was responsible for providing the supplies, Zhao Corporation was responsible for creating trade routes to send the goods to the corners of the wastnd, then bringing back other goods or crystals.
The profit would be divided 30 to 70 with Zhao Corporation taking home 30%. The current trade boundary would be expanded to the nearby Su City and Hang City with trademencing this spring.
With the electronic agreement, Zhao Chenwu left Jiang Chens office feeling jubnt.
Fan Chen waiting at the door let out a sigh of relief when he saw the expression on his colleagues face.
Jiang Chen shouldnt be difficult to talk to or Zhao Chenwu wouldnt be this happy.
As he thought, the fat guy knocked on the office door before walking inside.
Sitting across from Jiang Chen, Fan Chen hesitated for a moment before he asked in a low voice.
What does the general need from me?
Although Jiang Chen didnt put his hands on their assets and even divided some more interests to them, no one felt rxed because of it.
The reason was that they were all injected with that chip.
Now that the situation has stabilized, Jiang Chen didnt make moves at their wallet. But what about in the future? Who could promise that he wouldnt slowly take over the crystals and factories in their hands and then secretly get rid of them?
That thing was originally meant for ves, the people with it cannot defy at all.
These council members at the top never thought that thing would be used on them one day.
Dont be so nervous, have a cup of coffee first? Jiang Chen smiled amiably as he made him a cup of coffee.
Looking at the coffee in front of him, Fan Chens expression was even more vibrant than Zhao Chenwus, the widened eyes were almost about to pop out.
The hand holding onto the cup trembled as he excitedly put his lips to the cup and took a sip.
The taste that has been long gone.
I finally understand why that guy Zhao Chenwu was so emotional when he walked out. Fan Chen let out a sigh as he smiled bitterly.
Thinking about the continuous partnership between Zhao Corporation and Fishbone base, even thinking with his butt, the two-parties must have reached some agreement.
Haha, I believe you will be more emotional by the time you walk out the door. Jiang Chenughed.
Fan Chens face had astonishment written on it as he sat straight up, but then he slumped back, forcing a smile.
It wouldnt be the food business. Two food sellerspeting would offer much less profit than a monopoly.
Jiang Chen smiled as he took a sip of his own coffee.
Although it is not the food business, the profit margin is not any lower.
Hearing this, Fan Chen looked interested.
Oh? What business is it?
The rebuilding of the Sixth Street Inner Circle, I will contract you everything, Jiang Chen softly released this mega bomb.
Fan Chens eyes opened wide as he looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief.
Everything?
What, are you not confident? Jiang Chen smiled.
That would require a lot of money Fan Chen said difficulty.
Dont worry, there will be funds. Jiang Chen put down the cup as his finger crossed, The building destroyed in the civil war will be paid for by the assets of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, totaling one and a half million crystals. Based on the progress of construction, for every 10%pleted, 10% of the fund will be paid out.
Deal!
Fan Chen epted without hesitation, the tense expression he had was as if he was afraid Jiang Chen would take back his decision.
Jiang Chen smiled without saying another word as he took out the electronic agreement.
After carefully confirming the terms of the agreement, Fan Chen pressed his finger on it.
To be honest, I am confused. Putting away the contract, Fan Chen couldnt resist the temptation to ask.
What are you confused about? Throwing the contract in his pocket, Jiang Chen sunk into his chair as he said amiably.
After debating for a moment, Fan Chen still spoke out with his head lowered.
If I were in power, I would confiscate all the other council members asset.
The reason why I want you merchants to have a seat at the table is that it is too difficult for me to rule this piece ofnd, you can just be a good merchant from now on.
Do you not love wealth? Fan Chen forced a smile.
Just as he said those words, in his shocking sight, Jiang Chen suddenly burst outughing.
The entire Sixth Street is mine, is there a difference whether the crystal is for me?
History had proved countless times whether the corporation should be governed by an individual or a collective group.
Rather than hoarding crystals, Jiang Chen would rather hand out the small profits.
It was not only a technique to gain peoples loyalty.
More importantly, under the motivation for profit, these ambitious merchants would naturally expand and conquer for him.
Chapter 211 - The End for now
Chapter 211: The End for now
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The five council members were all called upon separately to Jiang Chens office. When they left, all of them left with a happy expression.
What would have taken two days of arguments around the roundtable, Jiang Chen used a few sentences to solve.
The food trade was controlled by Zhao Corporation. From today on, theyll start to hire workers from the Outer Circle as well as guards. At the same time, theyll order from the mechanical repair factory in the industrial area. The order totaled to twenty modified trucks with crystals as the energy source for the transportation vehicles of the goods. These trucks would be modified at Zhao Chenwus firearm factory with heavy machineguns attached on top, the exterior being wielded with steel armor and parts.
Jiang Chen remembered a sentence Zhao Chenwu told him when he took him on tour: Unless it was a proposal passed by the Sixth Street council would my factory start producing these hard to take care of things.
Now that there was no more trouble; the damn roundtable was smashed in half. The council no longer discussed these annoying problems and Jiang Chens words were thew. When control was in one persons hands, there would be noical proposals to keep him in check.
Ten T-3 power armor orders with a total price of one hundred and ten thousand crystals would bepleted by next March. Jiang Chen paid 20% upfront to Zhao Chenwu, Zhao Chenwu will use this funding to expand the production line and hire more workers.
At the same time, Jiang Chen notified Zhao Chenwu to emphasize Zhao Corporations weapon research to focus on new power armor types. They must develop a more mobile, higher load, and more powerful T-4 power armor.
Not only Zhao Corporation, the other four council members all received their own benefits.
Fan Chens metal shell Chamber of Commerce acquired the project to rebuild the damaged buildings in the Inner Circle as well as repairing the damages to the wall. At the same time, Jiang Chen gave him the project to connect Fishbone Base to the Sixth Streets electric grid.
Lu Yuns Shorelinepany, who previously sold small items before the civil war and traded with Su city and Hang city, had a small portion of the pharmaceutical market. Unfortunately, the nuclear explosion in the Inner Circle almost wiped out half of his stores. Although the rebuild fee would be paid by Crimson Chamber of Commerces assets, the products he lost during the nuclear explosion were not included as part of thepensation scheme.
But just at the brink of bankruptcy, Jiang Chen helped him. He organized all the pieces ofnds together and assigned him arge plot ofnd to aid in his business transformation - building the biggest entertainment city on the wastnd with casinos, hotels, as well as special services.
Hua Weijies star technologypany still maintained its original business focus - to digest and improve the pre-war technology. But Jiang Chen gave him a research direction - Type-51 Transport Helicopter.
The Sixth Street didnt develop their air force, part of the reason being that they never acquired the technology before the war. The other reason being theical bnce of power. Because I dont have the helicopter, therefore you are not allowed to research. Therefore I will group up with the eight other people to sanction you.
Now that the problem didnt exist anymore, Jiang Chen prepaid Hua Weijie twenty thousand crystals as funding for the upgrade of research equipment and hiring teams to explore pre-war facilities to gather information.
Other than the four council members mentioned above, even Kong Zhe, who first stood up to oppose Jiang Chen in the initial meeting, gained something out of this. Jiang Chen, putting aside their history, made this guy who was living anxiously for the past few days graciously express his gratitude. However, Jiang Chen really didnt care about this appreciation as he used a casual voice to tell him that, as long as he is obedient, there will be things to gain out of it.
Now that the Sixth Street was back on track, it was time to go back to the Fishbone base as thats where his core operations lie.
The helicopter was left there. The star technologypanys technologists will use equipment to scan the helicopter and acquire the needed technical data.
Chu Nan, as the pilot, was obviously left behind on the Sixth Street. Considering that the restructure of the council to the upper and lower house would still require coordination, Jiang Chen granted Chu Nan as his representative to perform part of the duties as the general. He also left two hundred soldiers behind to maintain order.
After taking care of these things, Jiang Chen took the remaining soldiers and left the Sixth Street.
Finally get to go home. On the way, Sun Jiaozily stretched.
Thats right, finally going home. Jiang Chen smiled as he looked at the underground entrance.
The underground tunnel modified with the cooperation of Zhao Chenwu now belongedpletely to Jiang Chen; with elite soldiers wielding kic skeletons guarding the entrance.
When they saw Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao approach, the five soldiers on duty saluted and opened the gate to the tunnel.
Speaking of this, a lot happened in this half a year.
Walking on the dry concrete road, Sun Jiao abruptly started talking.
Thats right.
Is that the only thing you can say? Sun Jiao pouted her mouth as she gave a dirty look to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chenughed as he naturally held onto her hand.
Sun Jiaos face turned red but quickly returned to normal.
You are blushing?
No.
We have done it so many times - Ahh, is your zodiac a cat? Jiang Chen painfully shook his right hand as he exaggeratedly blew on his hand.
This girl pinched him.
After spending so long together, he almost forgot that she was a lunatic with a muscle strength of 44. Although the thin arms did not show any signs of muscle.
Sun Jiao stared at him in embarrassment.
Why are you saying this here?
Sun Jiao nced in the front as there were no signs of the team anymore.
Leading in the front was Cheng Weiguo, as to the two people intentionallygging behind, that guy understandingly took the forty-something soldiers and moved at a faster pace, leaving the quiet space to them.
Ahem, they are all gone. Jiang Chen with a grin put his arm around her waist.
She didnt resist against Jiang Chens intimate action as they walked in the not-so-romantic underground tunnel.
Compared to the first time they walked inside, this ce has beenpletely changed.
The wall was covered with luminescent stripes that emitted cold blue lights which lit up the pitch ck underground. The river flowing with dirty water had been blocked already with ayer of Polyethylene alloy separator. The outlets were blocked by polyethylene boards which stopped the possibility of bandits or cannibals from entering.
What is your EP indicators now?
Why are you asking about it?
I just want to see, do I have the ability to forcefully do you, Jiang Chen asked in a half-joking voice.
Hearing that, Sun Jiaos face turned red again, but it was soon changed into a smirk as she disyed the EP on her arm.
[User Name: Sun Jiao
Muscle strength: 49
Bone strength: 67
Reflex: 50
Brain cell strength: 13]
Gasp, wait, I remember you were 44, 61, 40?
Staring at the screen, Jiang Chen said inplete shock.
Chapter 212 - That Smile
Chapter 212: That Smile
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Muscle strength increased by 5 points, bone strength by 6, and reflex by a shocking 10 points!
[
Muscle strength:49
Bone strength:67
Reflex:50
Brain cell strength:13
]
Jiang Chen quietly looked at his own EP; the difference was still quite drastic.
Muscle strength and reflex were okay as he was only behind ten something points, but she almost doubled his bone strength.
I thought I was going to catch up to you. Jiang Chen forced a smile as he closed the EP in disappointment.
While you are improving, I am notgging behind, Sun Jiao flipped her luscious ck hair as she said proudly.
Looks like the difference is only going to get bigger. Jiang Chen sighed.
The EP stat determines, under an ideal setting, a humans maximum ability. For most humans, the maximum stat achievable is 100, while an infants is 0. The stat thus quantifies the users current ability.
Under the circumstance that the DNA is not modified, the limit humans can reach is 100. If the modification causes reproductive istion, then the person wouldnt be referred to human anymore, they would have to be named after another species.
Once the stat passes 50, it is much more difficult to increase it. Although Sun Jiaos stats points speed didnt seem to be as fast as Jiang Chens, which double within a few months, this was due to her initial stats being much higher.
Just like in video games, the difficulty from level 1 to 10 is far easierpared to level 50 to 51.
Seeing Jiang Chen sigh, Sun Jiao though his dignity was hurt as she gentleforted him.
There are lots of different definitions for being powerful. Body condition is only one of them. A lot of people on the wastnd possess a frail body, but with their superb shooting skills, they can still win a fight against people with body conditions multiple times greater. As well as people who have mastered mechanical knowledge, with the help of the assistive device, theyre able to acquire strong powers. Also the hackers, they could infiltrate the mechanical people wandering among shambles to force them to fight
Then what am I strong at? Jiang Chen cockilyughed.
Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen who was showing off. She then bit her lips as she stared into the distant darkness.
Do you know now?
I just want to listen to my womanpliment me, Jiang Chen shamelessly said these words.
He was always someone that liked to show off.
With a slight smirk, Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen, and then with a half-serious half-joking tone.
Your poweres from the fact that you can gain the affection of other people.
[So, the charm stat is maxed out?]
That was a unique way of saying this as Jiang Chen couldnt stop himself fromughing.
For example, you?
Not only me, but Yao Yao, even Lin Lin, as well as everyone in the base.
Why dont you say leadership.
Different from leadership. Think closely, is there even a time where you used the very chip to force someone to listen to you?
People trust that you can bring order, they trust you. Therefore, they follow you to a brighter future, thats why they are willing to listen to you.
To be able to gather so many people willing to fight for you, it is an amazing ability. Sun Jiao yfully winked.
Hearing that, Jiang Chen paused and then smiled, but he then exaggeratedly let out a sigh.
What, are you still not pleased with having this power?
Very pleased, but I still have some regrets.
Regrets?
I cant tie you to a chair and seek revenge for the first time we met. Jiang Chen with a smirk spoke into her ear.
Oh? Dont you think it is thrilling to be tied down. She smiled like a little devil as she also spoke into Jiang Chens ear, and naughtily blew inside.
Uh, I am not a masochist.
[Although he was never against trying new things]
Looking at the side of Jiang Chens face, the tip of Sun Jiaos mouth also rolled up.
Youve changed.
Ahem, I was not a masochist before, Jiang Chen said speechlessly.
Not that, Sun Jiaoughed out, she paused, and then with a ridiculing tone, she jokingly said, You are more maturepared to the first time you were here.
Which one do you like better?
Both Although during that time you were also delicious It is more attractive for you to be more mature, Sun Jiao with a finger on her lips said.
[What do you mean by delicious?]
Jiang Chen had a helpless expression on his face.
But speaking of that, within five short months, he did grow a lot.
He was previously just a young man entering into society with no notable achievements in life. If he didnt acquire that magical interdimensional travel ability, he would probably be inside his apartment, rotting away. Or even going back to his hometown and bing unemployed while still holding a honors university degree.
Not even house, he would probably have to depend on his parents to not starve.
Now looking back from this perspective, he felt mncholic.
Seeing the adorable gesture of Sun Jiao, Jiang Chen also joked back.
Youve also changed.
Oh? How have I changed? Sun Jiao put her hands on her waist as she pretended to be authoritative.
Too many things. Jiang Chenughed as he started to count his finger. More civilized, no longer licking fingers after eating cans, knows how to match clothing, learned to bepassionate, and even knows how to knit a scarf.
Sun Jiaos mouth curved up showing her proudness.
Which change do you like the most?
Boobs are slightly bigger.
Be serious! Sun Jiao gave Jiang Chen a dirty look as she reached to pinch Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen with a grin easily dodged the attack without any force.
From being audacious to more understanding, or more feminine.
Hearing that, Sun Jiaos face immediately turned red, her eyes frantically looked around, as her finger twirled her hair around shyly.
Feminine? What, was I not before?
Jiang Chen smiled but didnt reply.
Chatting was a great way to pass the time, there were res of different light in the distance.
Thedder at the end had long been changed into a spacious elevator.
When they approached at the exit, Jiang Chen pressed the button for the elevator.
Now that you have taken care of things here, will you go back to the other side? Stepping onto the elevator, Sun Jiao said, not wanting to let him go.
Mhmm.Jiang Chen nodded and followed her.
As if Sun Jiao had already expected the answer, she didnt ask him to stay, she only spoke with a small voice.
What is this world to you?
Jiang Chen paused for a moment as he didnt expect Sun Jiao to ask this question.
But the pause onlysted for a second. Jiang Chen gently smiled as he tousled her hair.
It was only a gold mine in the beginning But now, my second home.
With his words, a bright smile emerged on Sun Jiaos face.
That smile was beautiful.
Chapter 213 - The Ballistic Tingting
Chapter 213: The Ballistic Tingting
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When he walked out of the elevator, Jiang Chen was greeted by the thunderous apuse of all the survivors at the Fishbone base.
The snow was thick and cold, but it didnt cool off the peoples energy by the slightest.
A girl even gifted Jiang Chen with flowers.
The first groups of survivors that joined the base were all refugees from the Sixth Street. They suffered from hunger, disease, and were looked down upon as they struggled to survive. It was fair to say that they dont have the slightest positive impression of the Group of Ten council. Although they have nothing to do with the Sixth Street anymore, Jiang Chen bing the new owner of the Sixth Street made them feel proud and avenged.
Jiang Chen waved back at the crowd with a smile before entering themunity center along with Sun Jiao.
When they entered the supply management office, Jiang Chen found manager Wang Qin.
All thepensation to the ck Blood Mercenaries have been paid out, a total of 11000 crystals. Because he was afraid that his base would be affected by the civil war, Luo Yang has already taken his people back to the Sixth Street. As to the trade with Liuding town, he left a representative to delegate with us.
Jiang Chen nodded at Wang Qins report.
The food business for the Sixth Street as well as other areas were all given to Zhao Chenwu. As to Liuding town, because of the trade agreement with Tang Miya, Jiang Chen hired the ck Blood Mercenaries and Luo Yang would be responsible for escorting the food to the aircraft and then transporting back the crystals and chips.
As to the specifics, Jiang Chen left it to Wang Qin to worry about. He trusted that in this field of expertise, her experience was more than enough.
On the other hand, there were around one hundred survivors that joined the Fishbone base with the majority being survivors from Qingpu, and some were even from Songjiang area, near Qingpu.
For the newly joined survivors, Jiang Chen had a weing attitude but was worried by Fishbone Bases housing limitation. The expansion of the Fishbone base has also slowed due to increased construction of the defense line near Taifu river.
But following the decrease of pressure from the mutated humans, Lu Huasheng brought the construction team back to the base. It wont be long until the housing problem is resolved.
Did Luo Yang say anything before he left?
Pondering this for a moment, Wang Qin said in a quiet voice.
He said you are cunning but deceitful.
Jiang Chen immediately burst outughing.
Ill take that as apliment then.
If he heard the news of the civil war, he would do anything to bring his people back to the Sixth Street.
Although 70 something people was not a lot, they were all experienced. With the 70 something mercenaries, he could have easily gotten morepared to the 11000 crystals.
After arranging the rted tasks, Jiang Chen walked out of the office and together with Sun Jiao, who was waiting outside, went to the mansion.
After the interrogation, Sun Xiaorou has been locked in the basement. If it were a stranger, it would be okay, but she was Sun Jiaos younger sister. Considering his rtionship with Sun Jiao, this Sun Xiaorou could be regarded as his sister-inw.
What is your n for my sister? On the way to the basement, Sun Jiao asked in a quiet voice.
To be honest, I dont know.
Sun Jiao gently bit her lips as she wanted to say something, but nothing ended uping out.
Jiang Chen peeked at the side of Sun Jiaos face and didnt stay anything either.
The two walked to the basement in silence as they pushed open the door.
The pervert is finally back?
Lin Lin sat in front of theputer with her eyes focused on the screen while saying it without turning her head.
Before they headed to the frontline, Jiang Chen asked her to investigate why Sun Xiaorou lost her childhood memory, or even why she doesnt remember Sun Jiao as a person. He then rted it to the zeal without reasoning for the religion and suspected she had been brainwashed or experienced hypnosis before.
Jiang Chen ignored Lin Lin badmouthing him as he nced at the Sun Xiaorou floating in the nutrient chamber.
Did you figure anything out?
A proud smile shed across Lin Lins face as she pressed a few buttons.
Of course, who do you think I am.
A brain shaped full sensory visual was projected out, Lin Lin stood up from the chair and walked beside the visual.
Using special equipment to scan, I found a Nano chip in her hippocampus. Its purpose was to block the nervous system from extracting information from the hippocampus which would act as a seal to her childhood memory.
As Lin Lin said this, she clicked on the full sensory visual as she magnified the chip hidden in her brain.
Is there a way to remove this chip? Jiang Chen said gently.
Of course, but it will beplicated Lin Lin let out a sigh.
Seeing that the always cocky digitalized human scientist express her concern, Sun Jiao turned anxious as she grabbed onto Lin Lins shoulder, pleading her.
There are still ways, right? Please, I dont want my sister to be someones puppet. If there is anything I can do to help, tell me and I will do my best
She was slightly ufortable being stared at by Sun Jiaos pleading eyes. Her face turned slightly red as she looked away and interrupted her in a small voice.
The chip has been in her brain since she was young. In the case that the chip can be removed without damaging her brain, even with the pre-war medical conditions, there would be no guarantee, especially here
So what options do we have? Jiang Chen asked calmly.
The easiest way is to find the person who imnted the chip, release the control, and make the chip eternally dormant.
Could it not be taken down by an EMP? Jiang Chen couldnt help but ask.
Hearing that, Lin Lin felt exasperated.
When the size of the device and the sensor is much smaller than the wavelength of the microwave, the microwave frequency cannot be coupled to the device with sufficient energy to cause damage. The electromaic pulse on the nano-level electronicponents is invalid How did you learn your physics, arent you a university student on the other side?
Jiang Chens face turned red as he tried to argue back.
We dont learn those things on that side?
Sun Jiao stared at her sister in the nutrient chamber as she suddenly spoke out.
As long as I catch the person that imnted the chip right?
Even if he was caught, I dont think he would easily give up control. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he was also troubled.
Then I will force him to give it. A grimace shed across Sun Jiaos face as her tightly clenched fists shook with anger.
Looking at the expression on Sun Jiaos face, Jiang Chen let out a sigh.
Seems like a war with the Dusk was inevitable, though there was no possibility of having a peaceful resolution to begin with.
I will help you. Jiang Chen held onto Sun Jiaos fist as he gentlyforted her.
Mhmm. Sun Jiaos face was covered in a red hue as she buried her head.
Lin Lin pouted her lips.
Her heart began to beat faster out of displeasure from seeing the two disy affection whilepletely ignoring her.
Wait, how could a mechanical heart start beating faster.
Lin Lin was shocked. But just when she realized this, her bodys control was already taken over by the guest in her body.
Ahhhh! Quick, help me, I cant control the power in my body!
Chapter 214 - The Fourth Dimensional Messenger
Chapter 214: The Fourth Dimensional Messenger
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Lin Lin was bent over with her arms clutching her stomach as her body began to shake violently.
Just from her posture and tone, she looked like an anime character.
Whats going on? Jiang Chen was alerted, but before he could react, Lin Lin already moved.
Like a jaguar, Lin Lin leapt at Sun Jiao.
With no time to guard herself, Sun Jiao was pushed onto the ground with her back against the floor. Lin Lin sat on top of her waist, her eyes shone with a hollow and ominous red light.
What do you want to do! Sun Jiao blocked Lin Lins arm as she said furiously.
But seeing the redness from her eyes, Sun Jiao suddenly realized.
It was not Lin Lin, but rather the Tingting in her body.
Mine, A hollow voice said.
What are you even saying? Sun Jiaos face was bloated as she locked onto Tingtings hands.
The digitalized humans strength was surprisingly high. With Sun Jiaos power, she couldnt push it away. Seeing Lin Lins usual timid look, it was hard to imagine that the body possessed this massive amount of power. Tingting for some strange reasons was enraged.
Jiang Chen immediately rushed over when he saw Sun Jiao being pushed down to the floor; his hands hugged Lin Lin in an attempt to drag her away from Sun Jiao.
The scene was chaotic.
At the same time, Yao Yao, who has been sending food to Lin Lin suddenly opened the door as she brought the delicious meal in.
Then she saw the two twisting on the ground fighting and the cute loli was immediately shocked as she froze in ce not knowing what to do.
What, what happened?
Jiang Chen with the corner his eye noticed the small rabbit slippers. He then turned his head just enough to look at Yao Yao and through his heavy breathing, asked for help.
Yao Yao, help me, bring that tranquilizer over Oh no, bring that static device over.
Okay! Yao Yao fiercely nodded her head as she put the dishes on the table and then ran to the operating table, frantically searching for the equipment.
I, I dont know which one it is! Yao Yao who couldnt find it was about to cry out of anxiousness.
F*ck, I cant take this anymore! Sun Jiaos face turned a dark red as she began to swear, Can I take her apart?
[Is this considered chaos among the concubines?]
As Jiang Chen, with a mixture of emotions, was trying tofort Sun Jiao while doing everything he can to control the enraged Lin Lin.
But suddenly, Lin Lins actions stopped, but the red light in her eyes was even brighter.
Jiang Chen was alerted.
Dammit, its the Klein particle beam!
Then help me get her away!
Sun Jiao didnt know what the Klein particle beam was, but Jiang Chen had seen the power of it, it was just that he didnt know if it is effective on humans
Jiang Chen gritted his teeth as his eyes were covered with ayer of red dots.
Fury!
His strength exploded by 20 points.
Oooo!
Lin Lins face was suddenly flushed red as the pressure around her chest made all her power go away for a moment. Falling backward, she was dragged away by Jiang Chen.
Under the critical situation, Jiang Chen didnt notice what he had grabbed onto. Seeing that Lin Lin finally got off of Sun Jiaos body, he immediately deactivated fury, but before he could gather a breath, a beam of red light scathed by his forehead and shot at the ceiling.
The highly prative Klein particle didnt leave any traces on the wall, but it instantly destroyed all the electronics in the room as the light immediately turned dark.
Ahhh. The basement suddenly turning dark made Yao Yao drop the static device in her hand.
Sun Jiao stood up breathing heavily, she moved her body around, and fiercely started at the Lin Lin paralyzed in Jiang Chens arms.
Because the circuit was destroyed, the nutrient chamber initiated emergency protocol.
The door slowly opened as the nutrients spilled all over the ground, Sun Xiaorou slowly fell onto the ground.
Seeing that, Jiang Chen silently took out his pistol.
The EP was broken, he could not control the mechanical arm on Sun Xiaorou. If she striked at this time, then he had to shoot her limps.
Sun Jiao also nkly stared at Sun Xiaorou on the ground.
Under her vision, Sun Xiaorous lips moved, and her mouth gradually opened.
The nutrients emitted a luminescent light. With the help of the light in blurring her vision, she looked at Sun Jiao.
SisSister?
Jiang Chen took out the graphene memory card from the previous EP as he reced it with a new one.
The Klein particle seems to have destroyed the chip in Sun Xiaorous head, which was a happy surprise.
Seeing the sisters hug, Jiang Chen had a genuine smile on his face.
But things were never this simple.
After recollecting her memory, Sun Xiaorou seemed to have entered some kind of dismay, her childhood memory suddenly surfacing shocked her current memory.
As if two people were fighting in her head. One represented her memory in the fallout shelter, while the other was the memory instilled in her at the Dusk.
The exact symptom was that her expression was frightening at times while gentle in others. She hid between the arms of Sun Jiao as her body trembled uncontrobly.
But one thing was clear when she saw Jiang Chen, her expression remained in fear
[Umm, maybe he went overboardst time?]
Jiang Chen thought awkwardly.
The damage on the mind would have to be left to time to healOf course, Jiang Chen didnt refer to the interrogation.
For safety purposes, Jiang Chen closed the functionality of her left mechanical arm.
To leave time for the sisters, Jiang Chen held onto Yao Yao and carried Lin Lin out of the basement.
When Lin Lin drowsily woke up from her unconsciousness, the sun had already set.
The red light in her eyes had vanished, seeing Jiang Chen sitting beside the bed, Lin Lins face turned red all of the sudden.
Have you been here the entire time? Lin Lin asked in a feeble voice.
Mhmm Tingting returned to normal? Jiang Chen didnt notice the unnatural tone as he wrily rubbed his temple.
She has been controlled. Controlling my body seems to cost a lot of energy, she is now asleep. Lin Lin gulped as she nodded her head.
Jiang Chen let out a sigh as he stood up.
Rest well.
Leaving those words, Jiang Chen headed for the door.
Wait. Lin Lin stopped him.
Jiang Chen stopped and turned his head.
Hmmm?
Are you going back to the modern world?
Mhmm, probably tomorrow morning.
I want mango pudding! Lin Lin said without humiliation as she licked her lips in excitement, Based on my research of history, the earth in 2015 must have that thing
So troublesome If I remember next time when Ie back. He was just about to reject, but for some reason, Jiang Chen lost the mood to bully her.
[She seemed to be cuter when she smile?]
A remorseful expression was just about to appear. However, when she heard Jiang Chensst sentence, a joyful smile appeared on her face as she sat up on the bed.
You should rest a bit more.
No, pudding is more important.
She wiped the tip of her mouth, ran to the experiment table in slippers, and took off something strange looking. She ran back and put it in front of Jiang Chen as if she was giving him a treasure.
I will remind you!
What is this? Jiang Chen looked confused as he yed with the nail-sized chip in his hand.
The fusion of technology!
Human words please.
To put it in simple terms, it is amunication chip. But it is unique Umm, how should I say this? If you insert it in your EP, you canmunicate through the time dimension.
Chapter 215 - The Friendship Across Dimensions
Chapter 215: The Friendship Across Dimensions
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Fourth dimension messenger was the name Lin Lin gave to that chip.
All in all, the thing was ridiculous.
Because right now, Jiang Chen was standing in his mansion in the modern world while using his EP to video chat with Lin Lin.
With a polished crystal as the core of the chip, it uses a unique method to activate the Klein particle and sends a wave to a different chip in another timeline. Then it uses a unique method to decipher the code. Because only a unique wave is sent out rather than a tangible material with mass, without the help of the interdimensional bracelet, it could not send messages between the two chips.
Point the camera outside the window, I want to look at trees! Lin Lin spoke to Jiang Chen in excitement.
[What there to look at for trees.]
Jiang Chen had no choice but to walk to the balcony as he demonstrated the vegetations nted in his backyard.
Woooo, I want to go to your side.
If you can transform from digitalized human to mechanical human, I can certainly take you here.
Uh, Ill pass on that. Lin Lin squinted her neck.
Abandoning the human flesh and the DNA that defines the existence of humanity, would that still be called human?
Could you go somewhere more open?
Jiang Chen was going to reject because it was too troublesome, but seeing the longing face on Lin Lin, he let out a sigh and walked to the top floor.
Because the mansion was a scenic house, the part of the river with the most vegetation could be seen on the top floor. Jiang Chen leaned against the railing as he pointed his EP at the Huangpu river.
The wind at night was chilly.
It was already December. Wanghai city in the modern world has officially entered winter season for over a month, but Jiang Chen with only a jacket didnt feel too cold. The El Nino was at its peak, so the winter in Wanghai City will be a warm one.
Lights on the passing by boats floated on the river. Along the river bank was a city of lights as the endless amount of traffic decorated the city skyline, painting a scene of prosperity.
Seeing the drunken expression on Lin Lins face, Jiang Chen felt teary for some reason.
For the people living in the apocalypse, this scene was providence.
Woo! I have decided! A firm expression appeared on Lin Lins face.
Oh?
I will research a method that will allow you to carry living thing across the time dimension!
Jiang Chen smiled as he replied.
Then work hard. If you can really do it, it would not be a problem if you want pudding from all over the world.
If he could really travel with humans, he could then fulfill the promise to Sun Jiao.
In the abandoned experimental school, he had promised Sun Jiao he would one day take her to the school he attended and take her to see how people lived before the war, how they interacted.
Lin Lin on the EP screen slurped her own saliva without caring about her image. Her eyes had already turned to pudding as they shed brightly.
Who is she?
Noticing Jiang Chening back, Ayesha came to the roof.
She gently walked beside him as she curiously looked at the gorgeous girl on the screen.
So beautiful.
Silver hair, pale skin, the look of a porcin doll.
She is digitalized human Lin Lin. Jiang Chen put his hand around Ayeshas waist as he introduced.
Woah, you have another woman on the other side! Lin Lin jumped up as if she had discovered a new world as she looked at Jiang Chen without good intention.
But Jiang Chen was not bothered at all because it was not a secret, only Lin Lin didnt know.
Hello, can I know your name? Ayesha gently smiled at her.
She could guess that the girl on the screen was Jiang Chens woman from the future world but she didnt mind. If she could, she wanted to establish a good rtionship with her and live harmoniously together.
Wooo! Ayeshas gentle smile seemed to have stunned Lin Lin, as to the tantrum she had been preparing in her mouth was stuck in her throat. She was too embarrassed to say it out.
It was the first time someone smiled at her this gently, could it be that people were all this gentle before?
My, my name is Lin Lin.
My name is Ayesha, Ayesha put her finger out as lightly touched the screen, nice to meet you.
Me, me too! Lin Lins face turned red as she scratched her head.
Could I be good friends with you?
Mhmm
Lin Lin nodded shyly as her finger yed with the tip of her clothes, it was a rare expression for her.
Seeing the two people bing friends, Jiang Chen also smiled.
It was a unique feeling, a friendship beyond time?
Because of the technical limitations, the chip could not maintainmunication for an extended period of time.
After telling Lin Lin to let Sun Jiao know about the chip so that she could let him know if anything important happened at the base, Jiang Chen hung up the video call.
Is she your woman? Ayesha blinked her blue eyes and asked Jiang Chen.
How is that possible, Jiang Chen answered without thinking.
But I sensed that she really likes you.
Listening to Ayesha words, Jiang Chen paused as his expression turned peculiar.
Perhaps it is because of Stockholm syndrome. He seemed to be treating her better and bettertely as he would always bully her for fun before.
Ayesha only smiled at Jiang Chens response as she didnt continue the topic.
The instinct of a woman is never wrong.
Even across dimensions.
I havent been back for so long, do you miss me? Jiang Chen all the sudden lowered his head to get closer to Ayeshas ear as he said with a smirk.
Ayeshas beautiful face was burning.
Lets eat dinner first, She timidly buried her head and said in a faint voice.
Can we not eat it together?
Eat it together?
Ayeshas face quickly turned into a red apple as her blue pupils began to look frantic.
Without the need to think, it must be some weird game.
After dinner, Ayesha went to shower.
After sticking the tes into the dishwasher, Jiang Chen went to the office and checked his email.
Just like he expected, Robert sent the next step to him.
The email was from three days ago.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment as he began typing on the keyboard.
After pressing the sent button, Jiang Chen leaned against the chair and closed his eyes for a moment.
While thinking, he took out his phone and called Zheng Hongjie, the manager of the food processing nt under his name.
Hello? Boss, what can I do for you?
Hearing his voice, he must be quite well off recently.
Nothing, I just want to see if you acquired the license for export and import?
That is done. The new production line is also set, but because we havent found a ce to sell, it is not in production yet, Zheng Hongjie said in awkwardness.
The food processing industry hasnt been doing so well as ofte. The pork price remained elevated as all the nts decreased their production to pass through the industrys harsh winter. But at this time, the boss somehow wanted to increase production. Although he didnt say anything, in Zheng Hongjies view, it was a terrible decision.
But his concern was extraneous because the stuff he produced was not meant for this world.
Jiang Chen had already registered a shellpany in the Pannu Inds. In essence, the order from his left hand would arrive at his right hand. The shellpany would massively produce the canned foods provided by the Xinlong Food Processing nt, store it in the warehouse, and wait for Jiang Chen to transport it to the apocalypse.
The purchased amount was increasing. To be cautious, Jiang Chen decided toplete the food transport in the small country.
It would be his backyard in no time.
The new production line will start producing tomorrow.
But For the consideration of being responsible for the nt, Zheng Hongjie still wanted to convince his boss, but Jiang Chen continued to speak.
No buts. You will receive an order worth five million tomorrow, keep up the good work. I have already made the deal. Jiang Chenughed, hung up the phone, and sent a text to the representative at the offshorepany.
Zheng Hongjie dumbfoundedly puts down the phone, scratched his nose andughed.
Did something good happen? Kong Jie looked at the expression on her husbands face as she felt happy for him.
Haha, Zheng Hongjie flung away the phone and gave a deep kiss to his wife, We have a ce to sell now!
Kong Jie rolled her eyes as she poked his chest with her finger.
Look how excited you are, it is not your nt.
What do you know. Zheng Hongjie nced at his wife as he said displeasingly, I have built the nt myself. Regardless if the shareholder is me or not, it is my own child!
Looking at her excited husband, Kong Jie had a genuine smile on her face.
Not long ago, the family was facing the crisis of being crushed by debt. He didnt have a trace of a smile left on his face as if the world had fallen.
But luckily, the family has returned to the right track.
For that person has changed their lives.
Now that you are working for someone, you should be careful, dont make any mistakes. He is our familys savior. She urged the happy husband as she fixed his cor.
Of course, you know why I work. Zheng Hongjie said with his head raised.
Jiajia tilted her head as she half knowing half not knowingly looked at her mom and dad.
She still didnt really understand the conversation between adults.
No mean people have been to her house anymore. Dad was happier, mom smiled more, and they even took her to the amusement park yesterday.
It seemed like after the big brother came, everything in the family became better.
Chapter 216 - Recent News
Chapter 216: Recent News
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
Unlike the tense situation in the apocalypse, the development in the modern world had been smooth and steady. For newly emerging technologypanies like Future Technology, the government had been supportive as they have given the green light to Jiang Chen in most areas of development.
Of course, the reason why the local government took a such a stance was obviously due to the hundred million in tax amount Future Technology paid each month.
Who wouldnt mind putting a money printer in their home? It was a political achievement. And Future Technology had only been formed how long ago? If it continues to grow, there will be a possibility that an inte giant, like Penguin, would form during their tenure.
On the other hand, because of the continuous growth of Future 1.0s user base, the domestic users had broken the 200 million mark, and the multinguage international users had broken the 400 million mark.
The rise of Future 1.0 drew in the attention of business elites from all industries who had an acute sense for the smell of cash, and all kinds of proposals for partnership came forth like snowkes. Because of this, Xia Shiyu had been busy all over the ce since the president of thepany would always disappear
Even people outside of the industry knew that in the inte age, traffic is king. This could be seen through ridesharing, take out, or other businesses using the O2O(1) model. Companies were willing to invest heavily in marketing just to draw in traffic.
But there was no need for Future 1.0 to spend that much since it was at the forefront of the artificial intelligence and performance enhancement industries. There were nopetitors right now that couldpete with Future Technology, so there was only one choice.
Because of their monopoly in performance enhancement, after operating for free for two months, Future Technology shamelessly changed the service to a paid subscription model. New users would receive two months of free trial, but on the third month, if they wanted to continue enjoying the service, they must spend 10 RMB to upgrade to VIP1.
To put it in simple terms, if you wanted to enjoy the speed of a 2000 smartphone with a 1000 smartphone, then you better pay the 10 RMB subscription fee.
Would people pay for performance enhancement? The answer was, Certainly.
Think of all the games and apps that are originally unable to run on your phone. Due to the performance enhancement service of the Future 1.0, your phone would no longer be a scorching brick when you y games, and neither would you have to worry about your battery life when you watch a movie. Would you be able to go back to that kind of phone experience?
A fee of 10 RMB per month was much cheaper than getting a new phone.
Of course, when the subscription service was introduced, the forums were filled with negative opinions. The users that hadnt paid for VIP voiced out that it was fraudthey didnt know there would be a fee when they downloaded. Some people even stated that if it changed to a paid service, they will delete Little White.
But that was only a small amount of people trying to shift the publics opinion. Although there were a lot of users expressing their dissatisfaction, those came from a few IPs only. Even if they use their butts to think(2), it was obvious that they must be an inte army hired to shift the publics opinion.
A lot of paid users who upgraded to VIP1 stood on Future Technologys side:
Is 10 RMB a lot? Its not even the price of a meal.
Service is not an obligation, whyin so much? Delete it if you want to, dont drag down the average users intelligence.
The users who havent paid held an indifferent opinion. As long as the service was worth the price, they didnt mind spending the money. If they could afford a phone, why would they care about 10 RMB?
Would the people who were causing a fuss really delete Future 1.0?
The VIP1 domestic users who upgraded that month surpassed the 200 million mark, and the insanely high percentage of paid users destroyed the QQ membership service.
The market had given its answer.
As for the international market, it went rtively smooth. Since they were already used to paying for apps, and because no cracked version existed, most of the users epted the fee of 2 USD a month.
Just one membership service in the app brought billions of revenue to Future Technology.
The insane ability to rake in money stunned Wall Street, leaving the venture capitalists who were unable to get a cut of this piece of pie in despair all this despite Jiang Chen never mentioning that he would take in venture capitalists.
It was an honor. Jiang Chen became the first man to be in the headlines for Wall Street Journal twice in just half a year a man from Hua, nheless.
On the other hand, although the performance of paled inparison to the stunning performance of Future 1.0, it was still able to achieve jaw-dropping results.
First of all, the yer base had reached over 50 million, and the concurrent users almost broke the 10 million mark.
The auction house, cosmetics, warehouse expansion, and a series of other revenue generation method quickly turned intellectual property into cash. The super game design tranted into user retention. Now on any subway, or in any university ssroom, the fine animation of could be seen.
The game editor provided by Yao Yao was immensely powerful. Almost anything that could be imagined could be implemented into the game. The project team had increased to a group of 40 people, with 20 responsible for creating new content and the rest focused on character design, costumes, plot, and missions.
Whether it was about game content or yability, it was all flooded with positive praises and, after a period of marketing, the international version also came online.
Based on Xia Shiyus report, the international users had exceeded the eighty million mark, and it was steadily increasing.
Although the $200 million profit was a bitckluster whenpared to Future 1.0, it still exceeded that of itspetitors by far.
It was, after all, $200 million in profit, not revenue.
Even though a lot of mobile games could break the $100 million mark in revenue, because of the expenses for research and development, in addition to the bad debts and many other factors, it was considered profitable if thirty percent of the revenue turned into actual profit.
A mobile game with $200 million profit was a miracle.
Due to the poprity of the game, a lot of famous ns entered , and smaller game ns also sprouted like bamboo shoots after the rain. The poprity of the game also led to the growth and development of other rted industries.
For example, live streaming professional matches
A lot of third-party tforms hade to Future Technology in the hopes of forming a partnership with them on the game . In regard to this, Future Technology opened its doors and weed all potential partners.
Sohu wants to form a partnership based on Future 1.0 and , with a joint venture for a new kind of streaming tform for .
What do you think about this proposal? Jiang Chen said sluggishly as he lied on the sofa.
Hard to recover the investment in the short term, but it would expand s influence and increase user retention
Thank you so much!
As if she had already expected Jiang Chen to say that, Xia Shiyu, who was sitting in the office, facepalmed.
Okay, also, Dalmer Corporations representative had arrived in Wanghai as they wish to discuss a partnership. Because of the identity of their representative, based on etiquette, you would have to personally meet him.
Dalmer Corporation? Jiang Chen paused as he never heard this name before.
Xia Shiyu on the other side of the phone also paused.
The Maybach S600 you are driving is from Dalmer corporation.
[ Now thats embarrassing! ]
Jiang Chen scratched his face to cover his embarrassment,. He really didnt know much about cars.
Ahem, who ising? He decided to change the topic.
Carmen Rothschild.
1. O2O: Online to offline. Any emerce service that provides services online to aid the user with a better offline shopping experience. The services could be in the form of discounts, information, coupons, etc. For example, the website Groupon is an O2O site: it provides discounts *online* for *offline* things, such as Up to 52% off Nail Services.
2. Even if you use your butt to think is an expression stating how obvious something is.
Chapter 217 - Artificial Intelligence + Cars?
Chapter 217: Artificial Intelligence + Cars?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
Nice to meet you, Mr. Carmen Rothschild. Seeing Carmen entering the conference room, Jiang Chen stood up and greeted him.
Thank you for your warm wee. It is also nice to meet you, Mr. Jiang Chen, the mysterious Oriental man. With the same friendly smile, Carmen shook Jiang Chens hand.
Carmen Rothschild had a high nose, deep eye sockets, and light green pupils. Not only did he look thin, but he was also sharp. From the gracefulness of his gesture, it certainly matched his background.
Haha, do I look mysterious? Jiang Chen joked.
Of course, you possess an endless amount of possibilities, and in our eyes, it could be considered mysterious. Carmen had a deceptive smile on his face.
Hearing that, Jiang Chen paused slightly to think before he smiled and invited Carmen to sit down.
In regard to the Rothschild family, Jiang Chen had heard quite a bit about them; however, this information usually came from unclear sources, with truths mixed with spections. It was hard to discern what was the truth and what was a lie.
Based on the information disclosed, the Rothschild Banking Group had a revenue of less than $10 billion per year with the profit of less than $3 billion; its asset was estimated to be below $30 billion, which is a few digits off of the UA and major European banks.
Could it be that the family was truly on the decline, like how it appeared on to be on the surface, or could it be that the spections were truethat the Rothschild family intentionally left the eyes of the public? No one would truly know. For example, even Jiang Chen didnt know that Dalmer corporation was a part of the Rothschilds asset.
Of course, Jiang Chen had no interest in researching the history of the family, and he just did a brief search on Carmen here for business before inviting him over for a conference.
The two sat across from each other on the conference table, and there were two cups of tea on the table alongside two identical documents.
Our corporation is extremely interested in yourpanys achievement in the artificial intelligence field. I trust that Mr. Jiang has already read over this proposal. Do you have any good suggestions? Without any small talk, right after they sat down, Carmen jumped straight to the topic.
Artificial intelligence will experience a period of growth for the next fifty years; this trend was evident from the wastnd. Although its starting point from the Cold War did diverge from what originally urred in the wastnd, the developmental trajectory of civilization wouldnt.
To cut a piece of this pie for themselves(1), Dalmer corporation followed the trend and found the leadingpany in the artificial intelligence field to discuss the possibility of using artificial intelligence in the automotive industry.
Of course. But before we start, can I ask a question? Jiang Chen asked with a smile.
Please. Carmen smiled back.
Why would yourpany decide to choose us? You know, our leading edge is in the phone software industry. For the automotive industry, without exaggeration, I can say we know nothing, Jiang Chen spoke candidly.
Even with Jiang Chens confession, Carmen didnt give up as he shook his head and continued:
It doesnt matter. The radar sensing equipment, as well as the primary controlputer, had already been designed by us to allow for artificially intelligent driving, or self-driving, and we now only need the software part.
We originally had a partner, but during our partnership, the software development experienced some issues, causing the software and hardware to not be perfectlypatible with one another. Theputer may freeze while the car is driving. You know very well what the consequences would be if that were to happen on a highway; therefore, we terminated the contract.
Then, Carmen looked at Jiang Chen intensely as he said, Our offer is high. The requirements are just as high.
Can I ask what is the offer then? Jiang Chen took a sip of the tea.
1 billion USD, Carmen pointed out one finger as he slowly said.
Hearing Carmens offer, Jiang Chen was secretly shocked.
[ Woah, no wonder they are a family that had existed for centuries. 1 billion USD as the opening for the negotiations, selling software is much more profitable than selling gold. ]
While he was thinking, he chose to selectively forget the fact that he was already the president of a ten billion dorpany, and the one billion USD would only be equivalent to Future Technologys one month of profit.
But who wouldnt mind more money?
However, Jiang Chens silence was, in Carmens eyes, interpreted as being unsatisfied with the offer, so he smiled and asserted, Of course, there is room for negotiation. If Mr. Jiang is not too happy with the offer, you can tell me.
If they could pioneer into the field of artificial intelligence and cars before theirpetitors, Volkswagen and BMW, it would indeed offer them the initiative. And for only 1 billion USD. In 2014 Dalmers pretax ie alone was 10.8 billion Euros, so they certainly had the liquid asset.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment before he slowly opened his mouth.
1 billion USD is okay, but I have a condition.
Carmens eyebrows raised slightly, but a smile quickly returned to his face.
Oh? Please go ahead.
I want to add in Future 1.0s logo on the start up screen.
Add in Future 1.0s logo? Is that all? I do have to remind you that we dont have ns to add the social media tform to the vehicle, Carmen spoke in a humorous tone.
Thats fine, its only adding a logo and disying it for one second. Jiang Chen didnt mind the joke.
Carmen had to think for a moment before he nodded his head, then he extended his hand.
So I think we reached an agreement, right?
Of course. Jiang Chen shook his hand. Pleasure to work with you.
Because it was a minor change, Carmen also brought in a professionalwyer with him and the contract was fixed on the spot.
After the signing, Carmen waved his hand at the secretary behind him as he took a briefcase from her.
After signing the confidentiality agreement, our party will provide the requirements of the software and the chip sample to your party. Your party only needs to create a software that ispatible with the chip. Although the timeline is fairly rigid, I trust your partys ability to bring out astounding results before May.
The software must bepleted by that time to ensure that it would hit the market with the new vehicles; otherwise, the approval process would be dyed and the release of the new vehicle would, unfortunately, be disastrous.
However May? That was severely underestimating Yao Yaos ability.
Of course, another question: is there any reward forpleting it before the deadline? Jiang Chen inquired half-jokingly.
Surprised, Carmen didnt even think Jiang Chen couldplete it before the deadline. The process for developing a professional software wasnt shortit would be a feat toplete it within five months.
If Mr. Jiang canplete it earlier, I can give you a small gift, Carmenughed.
Could you give me a spoiler of the gift? Jiang Chen said casually.
I heard Mr. Jiangs vehicle is ourpanys Maybach S600. Is Mr. Jiang satisfied with our brand? Carmen smiled mysteriously.
Of course, whether itsfort or reliability, it is satisfying.
If Mr. Jiang canplete the software before May, I can gift you a limited edition sports carthe Maybach EX, which is still being designedwith sales limited to just five units globally.
1. Original trantion says something simr to, To get a grasp on the pulse of the era.
Chapter 218 - The Importance of Brand
Chapter 218: The Importance of Brand
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The Maybach EX. With a limited quantity of five units globally, the expected price is 4.2 million Euros or 28.66 million RMB.
Although this amount was nothingpared to the twos assets, as a gift, it was undoubtedly a friendly gesture.
Especially with it being a limited edition, it might be difficult to buy one even with money.
After sending Carmen out of thepany, Jiang Chen looked at his phone.
It was only three in the afternoon, too early to go back. So, he decided to sit for a bit longer in the office.
Since they acquired Lingyu Technology, the Lingyu building went under construction. Under the acquiescence of the secondrgest shareholder, 361 Corporation, was transferred to Future Technology and officially renamed the Future Technology building.
Now that he had his own office building, it certainly felt different.
Leaning against the chair, Jiang Chen sat in the presidents office on the top floor as he sluggishly looked down at the street view outside.
It was a magical feeling.
Just half a year ago, he was only an ordinary person at the lowest level of society and working for a tiny sry. But now, he has obtained the right to be overlooking everything.
On the other hand, just looking at the scene below, he could not fathom that the future on another timeline would be barrennd.
Different from the image of a traditional president that always has a heated face, ready to execute the affairs of thepany, he was young and energetic. His office was clean, referring to theck of documents visible.
His eyeszily stared outside of the window, at the never-ending traffic and the busy looking crowd.
Who knows what is there to look at. Other than being crowded, he couldnt think of a better word to describe everything on the streets below.
Above was Xia Shiyus perspective.
She was standing in Jiang Chens office.
Jiang Chen was quietly looking out the window, and she somehow began to stare at the side of his face. She observed him for a while and forget about the time.
They had been working together for a fair amount of time now, but she always felt that she didnt know him well enough. But he, he seemed to know everything about her.
Ahem, is there something you need? It was Jiang Chen that first broke the peacefulness.
With Jiang Chens observation, the moment she came in he noticed her. What he didnt expect was for her to not say anything, but rather nkly stare at him.
Speaking of this, he didnt have a proper conservation with her after thest gathering.
Ah, yes. Ahem, Realizing the frantess in her voice, Xia Shiyu coughed gently to adjust her mood as she changed into her professional self and spoke again, Its about the agreement with Dalmer Corporation.
Mhmm.
Jiang Chen turned around as he slid the chair back to the office table and sat up straight. Go ahead.
Putting Future 1.0 on vehicles, President, do you n on entering the automotive industry? Xia Shiyu pushed up her sses out of habit.
Not yet, but I dont eliminate this future possibility. Jiang Chen shook his head. Also, Dalmer Corporation wants a customized software, not the implementation of Future 1.0. The software would still be sent to the overseas market to be developed. I will take care of it.
Based on Jiang Chens n, Future Technology would obviously not give up on the attractive automotive industry. As a key selling point, artificial intelligence would definitely be a part of it.
But then, why would he ept Dalmer Corporations request to design the autonomous driving systems software? It was not giving them a cake to bite but was due to another level of consideration.
It is well known that for vehicles, quality is one aspect, but more importantly, brand is extremely crucial which requires years to build up.
With a simple example, East Winds vehicle quality is pretty high, but could they sell it at Mercedes or BMWs price?
To a certain extent, the car driven by the owner reflected the status of the person. Cars were no longer only a method of transportation, but also a reflection of status. Or in derogatory terms, to see who has the bigger d*ck. With a Lambo, it would be much easier to pick up girls than a Volkswagon.
The reason why he proposed including Future 1.0s logo on the cars startup screen was not for advertisement purposes. For Dalmers new car is positioned as a high-end luxury vehicle, therefore sales would be low. Which indicates this form of advertisement would be ineffective.
Jiang Chen saw the brand. If Future 1.0s brand can be hooked to a high-end market, with the luxury vehicle introduced by Dalmer Corporation, it would allow them to prep the market before they independently enter the autonomous vehicle market.
Imagine this, as long as you start the luxury vehicle with the system included, you would see Future 1.0s shy and futuristic looking logo. Naturally, the Future logo would be known in the luxury market as well as the automotive industry.
As to the automotive manufacturer who had taken the initial opportunity
If Jiang Chen introduced a new energy vehicle with better performance, it would be a question of if those manufacturers would continue to exist or not. Simr to the fact that you dont see steam vehicles anymore.
Dalmer Corporation would eventually be the stepping stone of Future Automotive.
Of course, these are stories for ater time, the next strategic focus for Future Technology was not cars, but phones.
Xia Shiyu nodded after the exnation.
Then youll have to be responsible for taking care of this. On the other hand, Linhua Corporation has sent you an invitation to join the Wanghai Economics Forum on the 3rd.
Xia Shiyu took out a gilded golden invite from her brief and ced it on the table.
Linhua Corporation, a renowned real estate giant in Wanghai city. Other than real estate development, they were also a part of entertainment and retail which put them as one of the leadingpanies in Wanghai City.
Wanghai Economics Forum? Jiang Chen picked up the invite as he raised his eyebrows in confusion, he has never heard of the name before.
Mhmm, it is rumored that the participants are the elites of each industry. Assets over one hundred million is only one of the requirements. Ability to participate is also based on influence in the industry. Xia Shiyu nodded.
Rich peoples gathering?
Jiang Chens expression was dubious.
Is there any benefits to going to this gathering?
Hearing Jiang Chen asking the question so directly, Xia Shiyu felt exasperated.
Of course there are benefits. Since it is the gathering of the upper ss in Wanghai City, youll be able to meet and befriend some of the people at the same level with simr interest as you. These connections alone would be a form of asset.
Jiang Chen scratched his chin and considered.
Mhmm, Ill go then. Speaking of this, does this type of gathering require a femalepanion?
Xia Shiyu paused for a second before she replied.
Of course, it is permitted to bring a femalepanion to the gathering.
Perfect, thene with me, Jiang Chen said without thinking.
But what he didnt anticipate was, the moment the words came out of his mouth, Xia Shiyus cold face suddenly turned burning red.
Chapter 219 - The Conspriacy killed in its Cradle
Chapter 219: The Conspriacy killed in its Cradle
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Huh? NNo, only really important people can attend Xia Shiyus expression was obviously shaken as her tone changed into a rare frantess.
Then thats even better. Jiang Chen smiled.
Hearing that, Xia Shiyu buried her head as her silky, ck bangs slightly hid her eyes.
I, I am someone important to you?
Of course, Jiang Chen answered without hesitation.
As the CEO, Xia Shiyu yed a pivotal role in Future Technologys current aplishments. From the operating of thepany to handling crises, Jiang Chen had no experience at all as he left everything to Xia Shiyu.
The technology from the future is indeed powerful, but without the operations of a professional, it would only be a powerful technology.
To Jiang Chen, Xia Shiyu was as crucial as his hands.
But for the word important, the two apparently had two different kinds of interpretation.
When he heard Jiang Chens of course, Xia Shiyus face turned redder.
ButBut we havent even dated, we dont know if we are right for each other, it would be too rushed if we go straight to thest step
With arms across her chest, Xia Shiyu looked away. Her finger anxiously yed with her own hair, even her pale neck was covered by the red hue.
Wait, I do not understand Jiang Chen immediately interrupted Xia Shiyu with a bitter smile.
Xia Shiyu looked at him and put her arms down.
Mhmm?
Uh, the requirement for the femalepanion, could you exin it to me
Of course, the two had a discrepancy in understanding.
It was okay to bring a femalepanion, but it must be a wife or at least a fiance. Even a girlfriend wasnt enough. Although there was no written rule, it became the norm.
If a girlfriend or even a mistress could be brought to the gathering, then things could be chaotic. Most of the people participating in the gathering have more than one mistress, with some changing models or actresses every few days. If anyone can be brought into the circle, it would devalue the forum.
In the end, it was a gathering meant for the elites, to find partners beneficial to their career, it was not a fun kind of party.
Therefore, it was inappropriate to invite Xia Shiyu.
Uh, sorry, I havent thought about that level, Jiang Chen apologized, feeling embarrassed.
Its okay.
Xia Shiyu let out a breath of relief.
Perhaps it was his illusion, but he sensed that she was slightly disappointed.
Umm, now that everything is done, Im going to go back to my office. Xia Shiyu slightly bowed and turned around to leave.
Looking at her leave, Jiang Chen opened his mouth but he didnt end up saying anything.
When Xia Shiyu came of the office, she headed straight for her own. But when she walked through the hallway, the red hue on her face was seen by her colleagues.
Eh, CEO Xia just walked out of the presidents office. Seeing Su Mengqis pouting expression, her good friend Li Fengying poked her arm and joked.
After passing through the probation period, she was moved into the sales department with her good friend. The two were walking to their desk with documents in hand.
I see, Su Mengqi replied without any energy.
Her face is also very red.
Woo.
Why are you so boring, arent you curious about what they did? Li Fengying with a dubious expression whispered into Su Mengqis ear.
I am going to tell CEO Xia and have your sry deducted. Su Mengqi stuck out her finger and fiercely poke her good friends neck as she whispered.
The two fooled around for a moment more as they walked towards their desk.
But Su Mengqis smile was bitter.
If thepetition was CEO Xia, she had no odds of winning at all.
Did you get the information?
Yes.
Inside the presidential suite in Sheraton hotel, Carmen Rothschild sat on a chair, a ck man was standing in front of him. From the muscr appearance, he looked like a soldier, at least one from not too long ago.
Johnson served in the Fran foreign military before. After he has been discharged, he had acquired French nationality and worked in a securitypany. Now, he worked for the Rothschild family. He was the bodyguard for Carmens Han trip, and also his assistance.
Jiang Chen, born in 1992, from Hucheng. Studied at Wanghai University with a major in mechanical engineering. He became a salesperson in a clothing store after graduation Damn, a resume made out of a mold, Looking at the stack of paper, Carmen cursed.
Ten pages. It was all the information they could collect on Jiang Chen.
Since everyone in this country is cut out of the same mold, Johnson cracked a smile as he mocked.
No, you didnt understand my meaning. Carmen flipped through the document once more before putting it aside. Because it is too ordinary, the validity of the information is suspicious. For example, if you throw a graduate from MIT, what would be his first reaction?
Pee his pants?
Exactly. Carmen snapped his finger and pointed at the document. And this person, not only did he not pee his pants, he saved an American from the IS. This American is also an interesting individual. He smuggled firearms in Veit before, transported crude oil in Iran, and was finally under surveince by the FBI. Thats why he is a lot more obedient. But he has been moving around again, he seems to be working for Jiang Chen.
Johnsons contempt soon faded as he put on a serious expression.
True. From this point, this Han called Jiang Chen is not a simple character.
In your opinion, how much training would it take to get to his level? Carmen smiled.
Mentality or shooting?
Of course mentality.
Thinking for a moment, Johnson gave a fair answer based on his own experience. It would take three months in training, three days on the battlefield.
Carmen nodded, he took over a bottle of wine and elegantly poured himself a cup.
I think there may be inuracies in our information. At least this resume is likely fake. The only thing I am curious about now is what does the organization behind him do. They yed us in Ukraine, but only ended up taking a few old soldiers away to be trainers, and then built a military base in Nigeria. Interesting.
Then whats your intention boss? Johnson asked.
Maintain status quo and keep in contact. Also, I am interested in where the USB would be sent to? Carmen with elegance took a sip of the wine as he looked like he was fully in control of the situation.
If everything goes as nned, that briefcase would be sent overseas, with the mysterious technology team taking over.
He left a GPS tracker on the USB which would send the location to hisputer.
As long as they know the location of the mysterious organization, they would no longer be mysterious.
When he heard his bosss words, Johnson took a moment to digest the information before he also started to chuckle.
Carmen proposed a toast to Johnson. Then with a cheerful expression, he pressed a few buttons on theptop.
The map appeared in front of him.
Bang!
The delicate wine ss smashed into pieces after falling on the ground.
Without caring about the wine stain sshed onto his pants, Carmen immediately stood up. With both hands pressed against the table, he stared at the screen.
On his face, his confident expression had vanished.
How is this possible!
What happened? Johnson walked up hastily, but when he saw the screen, his expression also froze.
We got caught. Looks like we still underestimated him. With a bitter smile, Carmen sat back on the chair in defeat as he rubbed his temple.
Chapter 220 - It’s all Weibo’s fault
Chapter 220: Its all Weibos fault
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
Caught? Did Jiang Chen really catch him?
The answer was an obvious no. Jiang Chen was toozy to carry it as he threw the briefcase into the storage dimension. As for GPS signals that could pass through the dimension, thats only a feat that Lin Lin could achieve.
Now that his storage dimension had expanded to 20 cubic meters, there was no need to consider theck of space inside. Five cubic meters was used to store weapons, such as the PK2000 assault rifle and the kic skeleton.
Xia Shiyu had already left. Looking at the empty office, Jiang Chen had nothing else to do.
Work? If he randomly pokes his nose into thepanys business, he may not even be helpful with anythingrather, he would be causing more trouble. Since he had already delegated his responsibilities, he must continue the tradition.
If he didnt work, then he was ying games. As the president, merely sitting in the office is an effective method for increasing the morale of the employees.
Mhmm, thats the case.
As Jiang Chen thought, he sunk into the chair and took out his phone.
Speaking of which, as the developer himself, he hadnt even yed his own game.
But thinking that it was too troublesome to register for a new ount, he recollected that Future Technology had a partnership with Sohu in streaming. Jiang Chen smiled, searched, and opened Sohu TV.
The new tform was still under development stage, but the Sohu TV now opened a column specific for .
Although it was a mobile game, because of the open world, great freedom, superb graphics, and rich contents, a lot of people y it as aputer-based masterpiece.
Seeing its poprity being ranked as number one, Jiang Chen was secretly shocked breathless as he randomly opened a channel.
The screen was big, but the streamers face covered one-fourth of the screen.
Looking at the exposed whiteness while hearing the flirtatious voice, Jiang Chen put on his headphones.
The female streamer was ying a thief. She was in the middle of a mission, but her control certain sucked. To kill a turtle-like boss, she died five times.
But that was not the crucial point. Every time she died, she would moan in a seductive voice.
Is this streamer ying a game or moaning in bed
Jiang Chen ridiculed while facepalming as he continued the market research until the end.
Like this, Jiang Chen sent Friday in.
Jiang Chen chatted with the employees about to go off as he walked to the elevator empty-handed.
Just as the elevator door was about to close, Jiang Chen, afraid of trouble, sped up and dashed into the elevator.
Coincidentally, Xia Shiyu was also in the elevator.
Seeing that Xia Shiyu was looking at him strangely, Jiang Chen realized that his actioncked confidence. He smiled shamelessly and said Hi to her first.
Hows work today?
Its okay, I have been used to being busy. I am taking the rest of the documents home. Xia Shiyu pushed up her sses.
Dont work too hard, your health is the most important. Jiang Chen spoke with care.
Xia Shiyu nodded, but from her expression, she didnt seem to n to listen to Jiang Chen.
You are working so hard, which is making me, as the president, guilty.
Then why dont you help me out a bit? Seeing Jiang Chen being emotional, she couldnt help but mock him.
Ahem, Ill let the professionals take care of it. If I am doing it, I will only cause a mess. But I can treat you to dinner, Jiang Chen joked.
It was only a joke. Based on Jiang Chens previous impression of Xia Shiyu, this girl would probably coldly reject it.
But to his surprise, Xia Shiyu took a moment to think about it, then nodded her head.
Okay, when?
Mhmm? Jiang Chen thought he heard wrong.
Didnt you say you are going to treat me? Xia Shiyu raised her eyebrows while tilting her head.
Uhh, I thought you would reject
Do you want me to reject? Xia Shiyu asked, downcasted, as she looked at the elevator door.
Jiang Chen was stunned.
The voice sounded like murmuring.
In her eyes, Jiang Chen saw a hint of confusion, and there was also an indescribable feeling.
He suddenly remembered that night.
She was drunk that night when he carried her home.
Under the influence of alcohol, they were very close
Who do you like? The confession-like words swirled around his ear.
If it were not for the phone ringing suddenly, Jiang Chen knew that, with his personality and with Xia Shiyu being forward, he would not be able to control himself that night.
A crazy but intimate idea overtook his head.
If something did happen between the two that night, how would it feel like now?
Of course not. Jiang Chen smiled, and with a gentle voice, he asked, How about tonight?
Okay. Xia Shiyu nodded.
When the elevator reached the button, the two walked out of the elevator and into the parking lot.
Where is your car? Jiang Chen asked as he took out the key.
I didnt buy a car yet. I drovepanys carst time at the gathering, I usually take the train to work.
Xia Shiyus response surprised Jiang Chen.
You are an executive at a billion-dorpany. The bank would not offer a loan to you? Jiang Chen was puzzled as he opened the door courteously for her like a gentleman.
I hate loans. Xia Shiyus mood was down.
Jiang Chen paused for a moment as he then recalled that she originally experienced hardship due to a loan.
Sorry, I made you remember unpleasant memories.
Its okay That time, thank you. Xia Shiyu got in the car and lowered her head.
Dont worry, everyone has their ups and downs. Jiang Chen sat in the car, strapped on the seat belt, and started the car.
I am talking about that time when I was drunk. Her face turned red as she said embarrassingly, If I said something weird, I hope you didnt mind.
Because they both remembered the intimacy that happened in the living room, the two fell into silence together.
The ride was smooth.
Once the car hit the highway, Xia Shiyu didnt say anything. Jiang Chen didnt know what to talk about either, and the atmosphere in the car was awkward.
Suddenly, Xia Shiyu broke the silence.
I have read Weibo recently.
Mhmm?
Do you have a girlfriend? It was an abrupt question.
No, why do you ask?
I saw that you are only following one person Her name is Liu Yao? Xia Shiyu asked, looking down.
The words sounded like jealousy to Jiang Chen.
Speaking of this, Liu Yao seemed to have mentioned it before. Because she was the only person he followed, people spread rumors about them, and that girl became popr for a while because of this.
Because of Ayeshas interruptionst time, Jiang Chen forgot all about it. Liu Yao, without receiving permission from Jiang Chen, would not proactively rify the situation, but instead, used a tacticmon among celebritiesanswer ambiguously.
The girlfriend of the nations husband!
Liu Yao wouldnt have thought that her fans would increase exponentially because she registered a Weibo ount for Jiang Chen.
I happen to see her movie, so I just clicked follow. For some reason, Jiang Chen subconscious lied.
His Weibo ount was registered by Liu Yao.
Xia Shiyu opened her mouth as she seemed to have wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
[ He isnt anyone to me. Why do I care so much? ] Xia Shiyu thought out of spite as she looked out of the car window.
Although she had a boyfriend who hasnt even held her hands, when ites to rtionships, she was still as naive as a child.
Realizing that the person she liked had an ambiguous rtionship with a female, she didnt try to pull him back to her, but rather, she became cold to express her jealousy and pushed him away.
Even more so now, since the two of them were not officially together.
At this time, Jiang Chens phone rang.
[ Is it Ayesha? Ill have to tell her I am noting home for dinner ]
He didnt mind. With one hand on the wheel, Jiang Chen connected to the Bluetooth and, with his eyes focused on the road, he epted the call.
Hello?
Do you have time right now? A pure voice with a hint of seduction echoed by his ear. It was obviously not Ayesha.
Jiang Chen paused for a moment, he then looked at the phone screen in his right hand:
Also looking at the phone screen was Xia Shiyu, sitting on the passenger side.
Chapter 221 - The Acheron on the Car
Chapter 221: The Acheron on the Car
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Havent seen you in a long time, dont you miss me?
Jiang Chen could very well imagine her watery eyes looking at him filled with fervor.
Uh, very much. Jiang Chen took a peek at Xia Shiyu.
Xia Shiyu had already taken off her eyes from his phone, but her action looked unnatural no matter how you looked at it.
So cold. Liu Yao instantly sensed that Jiang Chen was distracted and stuck her tongue out.
Im driving How have you been? While holding onto the wheel, Jiang Chen changed the topic.
Ive been filming and have been busy since this morning, so I ate lunch and dinner at the same time. Im exhausted. Although she wasining, Jiang Chen could hear genuine happiness from her voice.
She really loved acting.
If she just liked money, with the allowance Jiang Chen was giving her, she could just do absolutely nothing and enjoy life.
He could faintly hear the other casts in the background, so she must have called despite her extremely busy schedule.
Have you not eaten yet?
I am not eating. Woo, the food here tastes so bad, so I want you to treat me to a meal, Liu Yao said shyly.
We can talk about it once youre no longer busy.
Okay. Also, when are we going to go on a vacation? Im looking forward to it, Liu Yao responded enthusiastically.
Well go this month, but would you be able to leave at this time? Hearing the delighted voice, Jiang Chen couldnt stop smiling.
Haha, dont you remember that youre one of the investors? The director would have to listen to you. Postponing my shooting and filming itter would simply be up to you, she said in an adorable voice.
Jiang Chen pondered on it and realized that it was indeed the case.
The producer did not necessarily choose Liu Yao because of her ability, and it might as well be said that it was due to Jiang Chens ability. But Jiang Chen didnt mind. Having too much money, he immediately invested 100 million RMB to be the biggest investor in film.
Other than those blockbuster film directors, the investor was the bane of existence for any film directors. If they identally got off on the wrong foot, the investors could just withdraw their investment, and the directors would end up crying over their script. Where would you find an investor who would be willing to invest 100 million without putting up any demand?
Ad such, Liu Yao hadnded the role of a supporting actress.
At the same time, all mobile boot interface was reced by Future 1.0s opening animation.
Thats true. Once realization dawned on him, Jiang Chen chuckled.
What are you doing now?
Taking someone to dinner.
Someone beautiful? Liu Yao pouted.
Yes, Jiang Chen answered honestly.
As pretty as me? Liu Yao elegantly ate her meal, her eyes bing cunning.
Both of you are unique, Jiang Chens answer was ambiguous.
Woo, I dont feel satisfied with that answer. What kind of girl is she?
[Shes beside me, how am I supposed to answer that?]
Jiang Chen took a peek at Xia Shiyu while he responded cleverly and creatively.
Simrto the section head in yourst movie.
Oh! Her, the ice beauty thats warm on the inside? I can do it too, Liu Yao paused and put her phone closer to her mouth, covered it with her hand, and lowered her voice, her voice bing cold and strict. Jiang Chen, why didnt you finish your math homework? What? You didnt write it? Thats not okay,e to my office, I will watch you finish it. Your unfinished homework. Give. It, All. To. Your. Teacher.
Jiang Chen could very well fantasize how the vibrant crimson lips enunciated thest sybles.
[Fu*k, this little devil.]
Jiang Chen had almost stepped on the gas by ident.
Fu*k.
Coming! Ah, break time is over, Im going to hang up. Mwah.
As soon as she hung up the phone, Jiang Chen let out a breath and removed the Bluetooth headset.
were you really just concerned about Liu Yao? Xia Shiyu asked dubiously.
Well, I just happened to get her phone number.
[Why do I have to lie] Jiang Chen berated himself in his mind.
Xia Shiyu didnt seem to want to continue with this topic any longer as she didnt ask more question. Instead, she turned her head away, averting her gaze.
Jiang Chen felt relieved and held onto the steering while focusing on the road ahead of him.
The atmosphere felt odd.
[Is shebeing jealous?]
A weird expression flitted across his face.
Because Jiang Chen didnt know where the good food was, he took Xia Shiyu to Shimao.
Wee! Table for two?
Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu walked into a western restaurant called Xiuyu Garden as the server greeted them with a smile.
Mhmm, please pick a quiet spot for us, Jiang Chen said.
Okay, sir. This way, The server said courteously.
Because it was a business day, the ce only had a few customers . Normally, they would have to wait for a long time.
The ambiance of the restaurant was pleasant, and it was also quiet. Most of the people dining there were couples. Seeing this scene, Xia Shiyu turned red and her legs went numb.
[Since were eating here, wouldnt it look like were a couple?]
With that thought, Xia Shiyu discreetly took a peek at Jiang Chen but failed to see the nervousness she expected on his face.
[Maybe he didnt even feel like its a date?]
Xia Shiyu felt slightly frustrated despite not knowing why.
Unaware of what Xia Shiyu was thinking, Jiang Chen was really oblivious to the mood. He just felt the ambiance was nice and quiet. Men were destined to be a simple creature in a sense that they wouldnt think as much as women.
After the server ushered them to their seats, Jiang Chen picked up the menu and passed it to Xia Shiyu like a gentleman.
What do you want to eat?
Because she was distracted by something else, looking at the dazzling variety of selections, Xia Shiyu couldnt think of something to eat.
Seeing the expression on the customers face, the server smiled as she started to recite their menu.
Is it your first time in our restaurant?
Mhmm
Our cheese risotto is delicious, and our steak has also been praised by many. Of course, I personally rmend this set of couple meal, very fitting for a couple of two. We also offer a special desert Heart-to-heart.
Xia Shiyus face immediately reddened.
Especially when she saw the Heart-to-heart ice cream on the menu, the two straws formed a heart shape and intertwined together.
Her brain short-circuited in an instant.
C-couple? N-no, you are mistaken.
Ahem, we are only friends, not a couple. Seeing the frantic Xia Shiyu, Jiang Chen also exined to the waitress.
Although both people denied it, the waitress acutely sensed that the females expression was more of an embarrassed one, and the male didnt look awkward at all. Therefore, their rtionship must be between friends and couple.
With a smile, the server bowed to apologize for pushing the two together unintentionally.
I apologize. I just thought you two really look like a couple. If I misunderstood, I hope you dont mind.
[A, a couple look?]
Xia Shiyu was utterly in panic, Jiang Chen almost touched his nose with a red face.
But then, a harsh voice interrupted the moment.
Waitress, is it not ready yet? Could you hurry up?
Upon hearing the voice, Xia Shiyus expression froze immediately.
Jiang Chen could clearly sense that the usual expressionless face turned even colder.
Chapter 222 - A Dog
Chapter 222: A Dog
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
Please wait, sir, this table
Dont you see that we need to order? Why would a poor bastard evene into a Western restaurant? Hes slow even when ordering, the person cursed.
I apologize, sir, Ill be right there. The waitress gave Jiang Chen an apologetic looked as she stuck out her tongue and ran to the other table.
Is your zodiac a turtle Honey, what do you want to eat? The man sitting close by arrogantly criticized the waitress while his expression changed into an affectionate one as he eagerly attended to the woman sitting across from him.
Jiang Chen looked at the back of this man in shock, and his expression was rather odd.
Poor bastard? Me?
Then, Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu.
Her expression was rather unnatural, her eyes glued to the lemon water on the table. She seemed scary.
Was he someone she knew?
Jiang Chen, who originally wanted to go and make some friends, quickly got the idea out of his head as he looked on contemptuously at the man.
The mans face looked ashen white, his hair styled with gel looking somewhat trendy, and the nicely fitted white suit was, indeed, worth something. All in all, other than being a bit feminine, he certainly looked attractive.
However, it was the arrogant gestures that made it impossible to tolerate him.
As for that woman
Her face was delicate, her hair ck and curly, and her body donning a red cotton dress with a pair of brown boots sluggishly crossing over each other. From just her appearance alone, it was hard to judge what her worth was; however, with the vibe she gave off, Jiang Chen could sense that she was born into wealth.
Looking at her narrowed gorgeous eyes, one can tell that she seemed to be enjoying this ttering feeling.
Sd is okay? an indolent voice asked.
Okay, do you want some desserts? For example, this Heart to Heart
No, its disgusting. Her red lips were curled up.
The mans expression stiffened, but then a heartwarming smile appeared on his face.
Ok, Ill have the fried rice as well as a bottle of wine.
Okay, sir. The waitress endured the arrogant attitude while writing the order before taking the menu away.
It was not the first time she had encountered customers with a bad temperarguing would only hurt her sry.
So slow, the man added a sentence, then watched the woman tenderly.
Xinyan, you are so beautiful, the man said in a corny voice.
The womans expression became delighted as her eyes narrowed pleasingly.
My shoes are dirty.
Mhmm? The man thought he heard wrong.
Shoes.
The woman lifted her boots up.
A glimpse of awkwardness shed across the mans face, but then he gritted his teeth. With one knee on the ground, he lifted her boot up with one hand while the other used a napkin to carefully clean the dust off the top of the boot.
Everyone around them turned their attention towards the duothe female customers eyes lit up as they discussed with their boyfriend while the male customers all appeared contemptuous.
But the man didnt mind these gazes as he caringly wiped her shoes.
This is crazy.
Jiang Chen shook his head. Seeing his dog-like posture, Jiang Chen finally understood. The man was definitely an escort. He was definitely an escort without dignity
Jiang Chen lost his interest.
He really didnt want to bother with someone like this.
But just as he was about to retract his gaze, to his surprise, the woman was looking at him.
The narrowed eyespletely neglected the man who was attentive to her, but rather, she looked at Jiang Chen with quite a curiosity, as if she was waiting for him to do something.
As for the womans stare, Jiang Chen only smiled. He didnt say much and looked away.
Seeing that Jiang Chen didnt have any reaction, the woman yawned and looked away in displeasure.
The waitress walked over again as she expressed her apology to Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu. Jiang Chen didnt embarass her as he ordered with Xia Shiyu.
When the waitress left, Jiang Chen took a sip of the lemon water and he asked softly,Do you know him?
I do.
From the tone, it seemed like the rtionship was not a great one. Was he her enemy?
Seeing that Xia Shiyu was not in the best mood, Jiang Chen didnt pursue the topic any further and, instead, he chatted with her about other things as the smile began toe back.
Are you not curious about my rtionship with him? Xia Shiyu asked abruptly.
Although I am curious, you seem to hate this topic, so I didnt ask, Jiang Chen replied with a shrug.
After a brief two-second pause, Xia Shiyu looked at Jiang Chen and spoke rather apathetically:
He is my ex-boyfriend.
But, Jiang Chen didnt show any reaction. Xia Shiyu felt a bit frustrated although she didnt understand why. Just what kind of reaction from Jiang Chen would make her feel satisfied?
But we didnt even hold hands, she added subconsciously.
When Jiang Chen heard this, he suddenly started chuckling.
She raised her furrowed eyebrows and asked in a low voice,What are youughing at?
I just think you are cute, Jiang Chen joked.
Xia Shiyu immediate blushed, and the coldness on her face now seems forced.
So random, Xia Shiyu murmured to herself as she lowered her head, her cherry-like lips biting the straw on the ice cream and her bangs hiding her shaken eyes.
While eating, Jiang Chen felt the need to use the washroom, so he excused himself to the washroom.
There, he also washed his face, but when he came out, he met the queen-like woman.
Jiang Chen, is that right? the woman asked with a grin.
Do you know me? He put his hands under the hand dryer as he looked rather surprised.
The renowned president of Future Technology, with a worth of ten billion at the age of 22, and the fantasy of countless of girls. With such prominence, how would I not know you? the woman stated.
Ahem, you are overplimenting me. At least the waitress, as well as the people he walked by, didnt recognize him.
Perhaps it had to do with his low profile appearances. Since he spent time in the apocalypse, even if media were waiting outside of hismunity, they still may not see him
For the people who asionally read the news, they may know Jiang Chens name, but as for his appearance, they often have no idea.
What is your name, Miss? Jiang asked nobly.
The red lips turned into a beautiful curvature, her eyes under the curly hair had mischievousness hidden inside.
Wang Xinyan.
Chapter 223 - Three Slaps
Chapter 223: Three ps
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Is it Wang Xinyan? Maybe you should restrain your boyfriend a little? At least make him not stand out as much. Jiang Chen smiled standing in front of her.
Boyfriend? She suddenly started giggling but quickly returned to her elegant self. With a look of rumination, she looked at Jiang Chen. Mr. Jiang is very humorous. Thats not a boyfriend, its more of a puppy.
Stunned, Jiang Chen didnt think she would be so direct. He then ridiculed.
Even if it is a puppy, its better to keep in control of him. Since sometimes, the puppys behavior indirectly reflects the taste of the owner.
For a man to attend to her this much, her identity must not be so simple.
Although he was not afraid of anything, with the attitude of less trouble is better, Jiang Chen cautiously chose to leave her some ground.
He only vaguely made fun of her to express his own displeasure.
As if she has already expected Jiang Chen to say this, Wang Xinyan paused but didnt look angry. Instead, she seemed somewhat interested.
Oh? If Mr. Jiang doesnt like me having a puppy, I can let him go.
What does it have to do with me?
Is that so?
She smiled mysteriously as she left an ambiguous answer. Wang Xinyan then passed him and entered the washroom.
Jiang Chen watched her silhouette disappear, confused. But then he shook his head and walked away.
When he returned to the restaurant, Jiang Chen discovered that his spot seemed to have been taken.
That man in the white suit was sitting in his seat.
Seeing this, he frowned. Though his expression was soon reced by a stunning smile as he walked over.
I cant believe I am meeting you here, how have you been?
Theical expression on his face appeared as if he has aplished something already.
I dont know you, go away, Xia Shiyu said coldly.
You are still icy. The man shook his head.
Are you not afraid the woman you are trying to suck up will see all of this? While she is going to the washroom, you are hitting on another woman. Just like your usual tendency, Xu Youcheng. Xia Shiyus iciness soon changed into contempt.
Hitting on you? You really think you are worth hitting on? Im saying hi to an old friend.
I dont remember having a friend like you.
The usual coldness. Looks like you have found a new boyfriend? So, did he touch your hand yet? Xu Youcheng examined the coldness on her face.
Xia Shiyu inhaled deeply, suppressed the anger in her heart, and said calmly.
I dont have a boyfriend. Not before, not now.
Oh? Then how did you pay back the loan? I remember you lost your job, could it be Xu Youcheng slyly nced at her chest. Did you finally put down your proudness and got a sugar daddy? Damn
Do you think Im like you? Xia Shiyu emotionlessly interrupted his rude words. Raising her chin, she mouthed, a sucker without dignity.
Xu Youchengs face was flushed with anger as he stood up.
You
But before he could say anything else, a hand was on his shoulder.
Xu Youcheng paused, turned around, and was confronted with a smiling face.
I agree with the perspective of thisdy. Also, who allowed you to sit in my seat. Jiang Chen smiled at him.
Seeing Jiang Chen, Xia Shiyu let out a breath as she felt calmer.
Funny, did you open this restaurant? What if I did sit here? Anger soon overwhelmed Xu Youcheng as he argued back.
Right after he finished his words, his mouth was nted to the side.
p!
Jiang Chen without saying anything pped him with his backhand while still holding onto his shoulder with the other.
I dont own the restaurant, and your butt is on your body so wherever you sit is your freedom. But now that I dont like you, my hand is on my arm and how I beat you is also my freedom, Jiang Chen said with narrowed eyes.
Seeing Jiang Chens action, Xia Shiyu was utterly stunned.
She didnt expect, Jiang Chen with such a gentle attitude would strike so fiercely.
[Is it for me]
When she thought about it, a red hue began to cover her face.
The p took the air out of Xu Youcheng as he began to tremble. A strength equal to three times that of an ordinary person, even if Jiang Chen purposely controlled his power, it wasnt someone who only spent a few days in the gym couldpare to.
F*ck you, you f*cking hit me?
Blood rushed to his head, as Xu Youcheng became hot-headed. He grabbed the knife on the table and stabbed toward Jiang Chen.
Be careful! Xia Shiyu screamed as her face lost its color.
But Jiang Chen onlyughed contemptuously, he didnt even bother to dodge as he waited for him to dash over.
Funny, if this level of attack could hurt him, he could suicide by banging his head on the tofu. (1)
The knife reached two inches in front of Jiang Chen. However, Jiang Chen didnt move as he easily clenched onto Xu Youchengs wrist.
Xu Youcheng felt as if his hand was mped by an iron w. His face became bloated, and the vision in front of face changed before he dropped on the ground.
The knife pierced the wooden floor two inches away from him.
Xia Shiyus eyes widened, mouth opened, and her cold expression was changed entirely into shock.
She never thought Jiang Chen had this type of ability.
No
The night when she was blocked at the flower shop by the thugs.
Jiang Chen strolled in front of Xu Youcheng while seeing him whimpering on the ground, contorting his body together to hide.
The customers on the side gulped as they wanted to intervene, but Jiang Chen only nced at them before the idea vanished in their heads.
Someone secretly called 911, but Jiang Chen didnt mind.
While squatting on the ground, he dragged his gelled hair and smiled at him.
Then, Jiang Chen pped him.
p!
This one is for Xia Shiyu. Do you know that because you left your debt to her, she was almost forced into a private club by a bunch of thugs? She was your girlfriend, are you even human?
Hearing Jiang Chens words, the crowd all looked at the sharp looking Xu Youcheng with despise. No one feltpassion for him for getting beaten up. He deserved it!
If he didnt happen to encounter that night.
When Jiang Chen thought about it again, he felt an inexplicable rage.
p!
This one is because I dont like you, you can think of the reason yourself!
After two ps, blood began to drip out of Xu Youchengs nose and mouth. Seeing that there might be a problem if he continued, Jiang Chen took a deep breath and stopped. Jiang Chen threw Xu Youchengs head on the ground and stood up
It was not the apocalypse, after all, he should be careful.
In dizziness, it took him awhile to regain his rity.
On the ground, Xu Youcheng stared at Jiang Chen maliciously.
Just wait, I will make sure you cant stay in Wanghai City anymore.
I am waiting.
Do you know who I am?
Someone selling his butt? Jiang Chen took a napkin to wipe his hand and mocked
I am Linhua Groups
But just then, a female voice diffused from not too far away mercilessly destroying hisst hope.
You are not anymore.
(1) When the action is less likely to hurt him than a piece of tofu
Chapter 224 - I don’t like men
Chapter 224: I dont like men
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
The voice not only contained a hint of sluggishness, but also of contempt.
Xin Xinyan?
Xu Youcheng, lying on the ground, looked absentmindely at the woman not far away as he stammered with disbelief.
Linhua Group will not offend the head of Future Technology just because of you. What do you think? Mr. Jiang Chen?
With graceful steps, she walked beside Jiang Chen as she smiled at him.
When Xu Youcheng heard the words Future Technology and Jiang Chen, the color of his face immediately changed. He initially thought that the man dining with Xia Shiyu was just a small business owner with some money in his pockets, but he didnt know it was the legendary Jiang Chen.
Now that he looked closer, that man did look familiar.
The original nked expression turnedpletely into fear.
The Linhua Group? This fact caught Jiang Chen by surprise. Speaking of which, he did receive Linhua Groups invitation to attend that Wanghai economic forum. However, Jiang Chen didnt answer Wang Xinyans question and, instead, he responded with a question of his own:
Although I dont want to ridicule other peoples hobby, I really dont understand. Whats so good about this despicable man who sold his girlfriend?
Even despicable people have their uses. For example, I could give him the status and power he had always dreamt of, just to see what kind of fool he will turn himself into. Wang Xinyan squinted her eyes, her visage gruesome.
This is crazy.
Looking sympathetically at Xu Youcheng on the ground, Jiang Chen stepped over him and headed towards Xia Shiyu.
The server and security personnel of Shimao began to surround the scene, but seeing that Jiang Chens identity wasnt so simple, no one dared to do anything to him, and they only helped the bruised Xu Youcheng up. They only controlled the situation while waiting for the police to arrive.
Xin, Xinyan, I
You can go fu*k off now, I am getting bored of your looks anyways, Wang Xinyan yawned.
Xu Youcheng broke loose from the security, dropping in front of Wang Xinyans boots as he begged without dignity, I, I really do like you! Please, give me another chance!
Did you really think you could get me to date you? Wang Xinyan scoffed, Sorry, I dont like men.
Xu Youcheng was utterly dumbfounded.
[Dont like men? ]
[ Then what about the effort I spent these past few days? ]
As if he had lost all energy in his body, his bruised face twisted and Xu Youcheng looked as though he lost his soul, and both of his hands slumped on the ground.
Back then, after leaving Xia Shiyu, Xu Youcheng drove the car that was purchased with Xia Shiyus identity to run away with the person he cheated her for. But then, the story after wasnt as smooth as he expected. When he lost his ie, he quickly used up all his money. Since he didnt have any ability and only depended on her, he couldnt find even a proper job. After an argument, he and the girlfriend who he had just met for less a month broke up.
After a series of event, he became a server at a bar. Through one asion, he was introduced to the escort industry; however, this profession was not a long-term solution. The richdies with too much money and nowhere to unleash their energy would not give him a promise. He tried to do onest gig to find a permanent ATM, finally locking his sights on to the daughter of the president of Linhua GroupWang Xinyan.
Fortunately, Wang Xinyan didnt brush him like away like a fly but, instead, gave him the opportunity to tter her.
However, he didnt think that from the beginning to the very end, he was just a joke used for amusement, unable to touch her hand and just there to wipe her shoes
Wang Xinyans contemptuous smile looked down at the wounded Xu Youcheng, and the smile soon turned into a delighted one.
[ This feeling is fantastic .]
Sorry, the one time I invited you to dinner, the mood was ruined by a fly. Ill make it up to you next time? Jiang Chen sat in front of Xia Shiyu as he said apologetically.
Xia Shiyus face blushed, and she whispered, No, its my problem.
Just then, the chubby boss with sses walked over. Looking at the knife marks on the ground, along with the crowd, he had a troubled smile on his face.
It is better to resolve things through peace, why use violence? Both look like people of importance, why fight?
Jiang Chen obviously saw the bosss intention in his eyes, so he took out a credit card from his pocket and threw it in the bosssp.
One million, renovation of the restaurant, on me.
The boss was first shocked, but then his face became ecstatic.
A voice spoke up, There is no need for Mr. Jiang to spend money, Xiuyu Gardens loss will be covered by Shimao. Manager Chen, return the card to Mr. Jiang?
MiMiss? A cold sweat rolled off of Chen Anmins forehead. He just realized that the woman standing in front of the store was President Wangs daughter, Wang Xinyan.
Shimao was a property of Linhua Group. A small business owner like him definitely did not have the courage to say no to the presidents daughter.
Chen Anmin forced augh as he put the card on the table.
Jiang Chen looked at Wang Xinyan speechlessly, and she was blinking at him mischievously.
Her eyes seemed to be saying, You owe me one.
This favor was indeed cheap Jiang Chen mocked at the thought in his mind.
One million was really nothing to him.
Because someone called the police at the beginning of the conflict, the police quickly arrived at the store.
Xu Youcheng, who lost his ATM, in despair, med all the unfortunate events on Jiang Chen. Facing the police, he not understandingly insisted that Jiang Chen beat him to this point as he demanded the police to punish Jiang Chen. He also said he will sue Jiang Chen.
Wang Xinyan could not help but facepalm herself due to his intelligence level, and she then grabbed out her phone in annoyance and called her cousin, after which she gave Jiang Chen an apologetic look.
But Jiang Chen didnt mind as he had a mischievous smile.
In this case, the wisest thing Xu Youcheng could have done would be to say that he bumped on the ground himself and settles with Jiang Chen privately. Perhaps he would have even received arge sum.
But now
Funny, would Jiang Chen be afraid of him suing?
The video showed that it was, indeed, Jiang Chen who struck first. But it was not a problem, especially when Wang Zhiyong personally ran over to the police department.
Because of Xu Youchengs insistent stubbornness, following the procedure, Jiang Chen had to go to the police department to give testimonies, and then ept a negotiation of settlement.
Thats right, negotiation of settlement.
Aftermunicating with their superior, the police selectively ignored the bruise on Xu Youchengs face, and instead, they determined the event to be a civil dispute. They then began to exin to Xu Youcheng his act of aggression through the eyes of thew, saying he provoked Jiang Chen; therefore, who started the fight first would not matter. Furthermore, he had used a knife, which would void any ims of self-defense due to its excessive nature.
After a long spiel, Jiang Chenwho was bored alreadyleft, and the defeated Xu Youcheng was still sitting on the chair, listening to the educating officers as he experienced the unjustness of society.
Apanying Jiang Chen out of the police department, Wang Zhiyong conscientiously sat in the drivers seat of Maybach as he asked with a bitter smile, How did you get involved with that little devil?
[ Little devil? ]
Do you know Wang Xinyan? Jiang Chens expression was also odd.
My cousin. After starting the car, Wang Zhiyong said, Speaking of this, where is your girlfriend?
Ahem, that is not my girlfriend, only female friend I asked her to go back first.
Wang Zhiyong chuckled as he looked dubiously at Jiang Chen while he drove on the road.
I know.
Dont be so sick minded. Jiang Chen was facepalming.
Also, I need to tell you something, Wang Zhiyong suddenly used a more serious tone as he said to Jiang Chen, This is the advice from a friend, be careful of that woman, Wang Xinyan, and dont get too close to her.
Oh? Is there a problem with her? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Problem? She is a psycho, Wang Zhiyong cursed out.
Chapter 225 - Confusion
Chapter 225: Confusion
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Psycho?
Jiang Chens expression was peculiar.
By Wang Zhiyongs tone, he didnt seem to have a good rtionship with his cousin.
But this was not the key point. The key point was, Wang Xinyan is Wang Zhiyongs cousin?
Therefore, one of the toppanies in Wanghai city, the president of Linhua Group Wang Linhua, is the brother of the General Secretary of Wanghai city, Wang Dehai? That was a big discovery.
But when Jiang Chen thought this through, he was at ease.
For business in the real estate industry, all had to have some form of connection with the government. Buyingnd, acquiring projects, passing quality assurance, the government is involved in every step of the way. Without any background, regardless of how profitable the real estate industry is, it would be hard to make money.
But Jiang Chen didnt think that Linhua Groups connections were this strong.
Psycho? Jiang Chen used a casual tone to ask.
Thats right. With a cigarette in his mouth, Wang Zhiyong scorned. A little bit when she was young, then it turned serious when she got older. Who knew what happened to her, but personality-wise she has changed to this.
Naughty? Jiang Chenughed.
Because Wang Zhiyong was her cousin, Jiang Chen used a light tone when describing her.
Naughty? Wang Zhiyong nced at Jiang Chen. You underestimate her. She just purely enjoys the misery of people.
Jiang Chen was shocked, but then a nonchnt smile appeared on his face.
Whatever, they just happen to encounter each other.
Also, Wang Zhiyong abruptly spoke out, Did you receive the invitation?
Invitation?
Wanghai Economic Forum.
Mhmm, Linhua Group did send me an invitation, is there a problem? Jiang Chen felt lost.
Wang Zhiyong hesitated for a moment as if he wanted to say something, but then he shook his head.
Its fine, its nothing. Dont worry about it.
Jiang Chen eyebrows furrowed slightly as he sensed something odd. But seeing that Wang Zhiyong didnt want to say anything more, he didnt ask further.
In the time remaining, they just joked around as they didnt mention business anymore.
He listened to Wang Zhiyong talk about the fun things that happened in the military. Finally, the car drove into amunity and parked in front of a house.
Have dinner with us? Wang Zhiyong invited Jiang Chen while chuckling.
Its okay, I already ate, Jiang Chen opened the driver door as he thanked him for his invitation.
After departing from Wang Zhiyongs ce, Jiang Chen started the car again and drove to his mansion located in Songjiang.
When he returned at home, it was already pitch ck outside. He looked at the time as it was already nine in the evening.
He parked the car inside the garage and rubbed Ayeshas head, who waiting at the door with a smile. Jiang Chen then went to take a shower.
After the shower, he changed into afy robe. He drank some hot milk and rested for a while, before going to the kitchen and throwing two boxes of mango pudding into the storage dimension. Finally, he walked to the bedroom.
In front of the bedroom door, he saw Ayesha in a ck night dress. Her curled brown hair was covered by droplets of water and tied into a ponytail with whitece.
From the white steam on her head, she just took a shower and dressed herself up.
Can we sleep together? Ayeshas face was flushed, her tender eyes filled with love.
Sorry, probably cant tonight. I need to go back to the other side, Jiang Chen said apologetically.
He must go back to the apocalypse tonight to give the sample chip and USB to Yaoyao and then ask Sun Jiao about the movements of Seventh Area to determine the next steps for the base. Sun Jiao would not let him go back thiste
Although slightly disappointed, Ayesha still nodded her head empathetically.
Seeing the slight pout, Jiang Chen smiled lovingly. He rubbed her wet hair and put his forehead against hers.
Tomorrow morning, I will wake you up.
Ayeshas face became hot as she nodded shyly.
Mhmm.
Jiang Chen kissed her pale and soft forehead, before walking out of the bedroom and closing the door.
He inhaled, closed his eyes, and started the interdimensional travel.
When he opened his eyes again, the beautifully decorated wall was reced by a wall with visible cracks.
He breathed out the air from the modern world and immediately headed out of the room.
Before finding Yaoyao, Jiang Chen decided to go to Lin Linsb to bring her the mango pudding she wanted.
Eh? You are back already. Surprised by Jiang Chens presence, Lin Lin put the test tube in her hand on the test rack.
I will head back immediately. Jiang Chen took out the two mango puddings and put it on her table. Your puddings.
Seeing the mango pudding, Lin Lins eyes immediately turned into pudding as she snatched the box and hugged it joyfully.
Seeing her joyful look, Jiang Chen couldnt help but smile.
Dont overeat at night, take care of your stomach.
Dont worry! I am a digitalized human! Lin Lin clenched her fist as she said proudly.
Then do what you want. Freeze the rest in the fridge, it tastes better cold, Jiang Chen turned around as he finished speaking.
Wait.
Lin Lin suddenly jumped down to the ground, ran to the door, and dragged onto Jiang Chens shirt.
Hmm? Jiang Chen turned around looking at Lin Lin.
Hmm, thank you It was rare for this girl expressed her gratitude. She also didnt say her usual foolish words like The offering you have is making me pleased.
Looking at the coy Lin Lin, Jiang Chen was unsure of how to react.
Dont worry about it.
Are you here just to give me the mango pudding? With a blushing face, Lin Lin said shyly.
Her expression seemed to be anticipating a specific answer.
With eyebrows raised, a smirk irrepressibly appeared on his face.
Of course not, I am back to give a USB to Yaoyao.
QQ!
Lin Lins eyebrows twisted in disappointment. She put up her fist and fiercely punched Jiang Chen in the chest, then she stomped on her slippers and ran back to the room, mming her door in a fit.
With the wooden door shut, Jiang Chen still tried to muffle hisughter.
Finally a chance to bully Lin Lin once again. It was surprisingly fun.
Jiang Chen then shook his head and walked upstairs.
Chapter 226 - I only need two hours
Chapter 226: I only need two hours
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen stood outside of Yaoyaos room, and he gently knocked on the door.
Knock knock.
Yaoyao, are you there? Jiang Chen spoke softly.
It was a bit past ten already, he was not sure if Yaoyao had slept already.
Ah, Brother Jiang Chen? Coming! The lolis surprise and joyful voice transmitted from the other side of the door, then immediately followed the sound of cotton slippers on the ground.
The door was pulled open. Yaoyaos head peaked out as she looked at Jiang Chen in excitement.
Are you back already?
Mhmm, although I have to go back tomorrow. Seeing her adorable face, Jiang Chen couldnt help but rub her hair.
With her head raised, her narrowed eyes enjoyed the caress of the firm hand on her head as adorable sounds came out of her throat.
Are you going to sleep soon?
Mhmm! But since Brother Jiang Chen is here, I can sleepter. She timidly yed with her nightgown as she said with a blushed face.
It wont take too long. I only have a favor to ask Yaoyao, is that okay? Jiang Chen smiled.
Seeing that Jiang Chen had a favor to ask, Yaoyaos adorable eyes lit up.
She immediately nodded and raised her head, and patted her chest to assure him. Mhmm! I got it!
Then Ill have to count on you. Regarding the specifics, can Ie in? I need to use theputer.
Jiang Chen entered the room.
The room was filled with a fragrance simr to lilies. Thinking that it might be the natural odor of Yaoyao, Jiang Chens face turned red. But Yaoyao didnt notice the unnatural look on Jiang Chens face as she ran to her table in excitement, sat on the chair, and turned on theputer.
She kicked off her slippers as her legs dangled joyfully.
The unguarded position was somewhat dangerous.
Jiang Chen gulped as he muttered to himself I am not a loli lover. Then he walked beside Yaoyao, put the briefcase down, and took out a USB and a chip from inside.
The requirements of the program are inside the USB. Basically, it is to design an artificial intelligence software that ispatible with the autonomous driving control chip. You dont have to make the program very powerful as long as the chip can operate, can you do that?
Of course, Yaoyaosputer skills are great. Yaoyao inserted the USB into theputer, hummed a song, and her fingers began to type rapidly on the control board.
Lines of code Jiang Chen didnt understand shed in front of his eyes. The outdated data inside the USB was easily converted to anguage that theputer in the apocalypse could understand.
Hmmm, it is not too difficult. Yaoyao carefully read through the requirements line by line, and nodded her head.
How long would you need? Jiang Chen asked.
Around two hours, With a finger on her chin, Yaoyao said after she had given it some thought.
But the response of only needing two hours shocked Jiang Chen.
Ahem, how, how long?
Umm? Two hours is enough. Since sister Sun Jiao already copied the entire database in the city library, this type of outdated technology would usually be stored as a form of an archive in the digital library. As long as the software with the highestpatibility is selected, some modifications can be done before it is good to go. Yaoyao tilted her head as she confusedly looked at the stunned Jiang Chen.
This is insane. Not knowing how to express his astonishment in his mind, the shocked Jiang Chen only managed to say this one statement.
A project that Dalmer Corporation expected to take five months toplete, Yaoyao said she could finish it in two hours. If they knew about this, what kind of interesting expression would appear on their faces?
Hearing Jiang Chen say this, Yaoyao nodded. Then she inserted the chip into the multifunction slot and began to work.
Are you going to start now? Arent you going to sleep? Seeing that Yaoyao began to work, Jiang Chen asked.
Woo? Its only ten, so it is not toote. Since brother will go back tomorrow, I, I want to finish it soon and help brother out. Yaoyaos face began to burn as she timidly lowered her head.
The pure sentence along with Yaoyaos adorable look made Jiang Chen feel his heart warm. Overwhelmed with emotions, he hugged Yaoyaos frail figure from the back.
Wa. The slightly frantic shout echoed beside his ear.
Thank you, you are helping me a lot Yaoyao is working very hard. Sensing the warmness, Jiang Chen sincerely thanked her.
Other than the popr game, the applications inside the base, whether it was production or management were all creations of Yaoyao. But the timid loli never said anything. She only diligently worked and contributed to his sess.
Feeling the warm hug, as well as the praise she had been waiting for, Yaoyaos face was red and her tender mouth curled up in joy.
Hehe No need to thank me. Yaoyao is brothers, so, it is my duty to help you.
Do you want any rewards? I havent been rewarding you properly, Jiang Chen said guiltily.
Any kind of reward? Yaoyao buried her head shyly, she nkly stared at her feet dangling as she murmured.
Mhmm!
When she received the confirmation, the red hue moved from her face to the tip of her ears.
With lips bitten, she exhaled several times before she finally worked up the courage.
Last birthday At night, could you hug me while I sleep? Yaoyao wanted to say the thing that they didnt get to finishst time, but because of her shyness, she changed her words mid-sentence.
Uh?
As if she had sensed Jiang Chens hesitation, Yaoyao carefully added, You said anything is okay Dont worry, Yaoyao has been taking a shower every night, I smell good. Yaoyao is also light and gentle when sleeping, I can be a soft pillow
Her anxious exnation made it seem as if Jiang Chen was going to take back his promise.
Looking at Yaoyaos hopeful expression, Jiang Chen gulped. He could not say no to such a cute expression. Therefore he nodded.
A joyful smiled emerged on Yaoyaos face.
The smile was mixed with happiness, as well as a hint of shyness.
Thank you, Im so happy Mhmm! Yaoyao will begin to work. Brother, you can go sleep, Yaoyao will be done soon.
Do you not need me to apany you? Jiang Chen rubbed her head.
No, No need. That will be really boring Yaoyao said slightly embarrassed.
Jiang Chen didnt insist.
He walked to the bed, looked at the pink sheets as he awkwardly scratched his head.
But when he thought about Yaoyaos hopeful expression, Jiang Chen gulped and with trembling fingers slowly lifted up the sheet and lied down.
He nose was tingled by the faint aroma.
Although he couldnt quite tell what the smell was, it smelt good.
Under the sheets, Jiang Chen could smell her pureness. It was an intoxicating feeling.
But this feeling didnt manage tost long.
Because it was toofortable, Jiang Chens began to lose his consciousness, he yawned before quickly falling asleep.
After typing up thest line of code, Yaoyao stretched her body. Then she timidly looked at the direction of the bed.
Thinking that her love was sleeping in her bed, an indescribable joy and timid feeling rose in her heart.
Yaoyao gulped as she put on her bunny slippers carefully and walked to the door to turn off the light. Then she sneaked to the side of the bed.
Her heart was beating fast as if it was going to jump out of her chest.
Woo, fell asleep? Seeing that Jiang Chen had already drifted to sleep, Yaoyao pouted her mouth in slight disappointment.
But for some reason, she felt relieved and more at ease.
It was aplex feeling.
Already hitting puberty, she desired the mysterious but forbidden kind of feeling. At the same time, she felt unsettled by the idea.
[Could it be that I am still not ready?]
Yaoyao didnt understand her feeling.
With a hand on her chin, under the pristine moonlight, Yaoyao pouted her mouth as she carefully observed Jiang Chens face.
Listening to his rhythmic breathing, a sweet smile appeared on her face.
Wooo, of course, lets maintain our current state. Since brother already felt asleep She hummed to herself in a quiet voice before she sneaked into bed.
She pecked Jiang Chens lips as a soft smile emerged on Yaoyaos face.
With this tiny bit of happiness, Yaoyao moved closer to his warm chest, adjusting herself to be in afortable position before closing her eyes.
Her breathing began to turn rhythmic and gentle.
Yaoyaos crescent-shaped mouth revealed her happiness.
Chapter 227 - The Mist
Chapter 227: The Mist
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The next morning, a streak of faint morning light poured into the room through the window.
Jiang Chen yawned unhurriedly as he opened his sleepy eyes and gaze through the window.
Such a rare scene, the outside was actually sunny. The insted window blocked all the coldness outside, so it was warm like the spring inside the room. If it wasnt for the snow, watching the bright sun, he almost felt like he slept all the way through the start of spring.
A faint, warm breath fluttered on his chest, Jiang Chen looked down and found Yaoyao all curled up on top of his chest.
Like a small rabbit, she slept peacefully. Her breathing rose and fell rhythmically. Her eyshes quivered along with her breath as she cast off the angel-like vibe in the bright sunlight. Even in her sleep, her lips formed in a sweet smile.
Gently sweeping her bangs to the side, Jiang Chen kissed her on top of her smooth forehead, and then he sneaked out of bed.
He picked up the alreadypleted USB and chip from the table, and then he quietly left the room and closed the door.
It was only six oclock in the morning, but based on Jiang Chens understanding of Sun Jiao, she should already be up and about.
He was supposed to find herst night, but Yaoyaos expectant eyes made him stay the night.
While heading towards the third floor of the mansion, Jiang Chen heard the gunshotsing from the training room from a distance.
Youre up so early as usual. Pushing the door open, Jiang Chen spotted Sun Jiao inbat gears shooting at targets.
Mhmm? Youre back? Turning around, Sun Jiao wore a surprised smile.
Throwing the pistol in the case, Sun Jiao excitedly jumped in front of Jiang Chen.
Have you finished everything on the other side?
Not yet but Im worried about this side, so I came back to check things out.
Youre worrying now that we have themunication chip? If theres anything urgent, I will inform you.
Lin Lin shared the video that she and Jiang Chen had recorded with Sun Jiao and Yaoyao. Yaoyaos reaction was somewhat s since she did live in a more prosperous pre-war life for 12 years. Seeing the ancient era, other than envy, she also felt mncholic.
But Sun Jiao, who hadnt seen a civilized society before, almost had her face stered on the screen.
For her, the other side was the embodiment of a fairy tale
It would be toote if something really happens. Has the Seventh area taken any action yet?
Sun Jiaos posture turned rigid upon hearing Jiang Chens question.
The mutated humans have yet to make a move. The defense on the east of Zhufeng highway has been established, with the 10 Tigers and 200 soldiers being stationed there.
Nodding, Jiang Chen pondered on it for a moment before continuing, What about the Defender in Jia City?
Hearing that, a troubled smile flitted across Sun Jiaos face.
Not even a reaction. Not a single news at all.
Jiang Chen had exchanged amunication channel with Lin Chaoen at the Bullet Shell tavern at the Sixth Streetst time. The first few times, Jiang Chen could still reach the general of the Defender Alliance in Jia City, but as soon as winter came, they seemed to have disappeared all the sudden. Allmunication with the Fishbone Base hade to a halt.
Did they get wiped out? Or was it another type of ident?
Frowning, Jiang Chen had a vague feeling that something was off but could not pinpoint what exactly it was.
Sun Xiaorou was captured, but there was no reaction from Dusk at all.
The mutated humans front posts were destroyed twice, but their reaction was also somewhat abnormal.
Could it be since their ns were foiled, they were at a loss on what to do?
But rather than optimistically thinking that the threats had been eliminated, Jiang Chen was more inclined to believe in another possibilitythat they were nning a massive conspiracy. The silence now was to endure through this period of time.
Speaking of which, did Sun Xiaorous condition getbetter? Jiang Chen asked, somewhat awkwardly.
Shes better now. Sun Jiaos expression looked despondent at the mention of her sister.
She would spend most of her time everyday with her sister and attempt to wake up the personality in Sun Xiaorous body, and make the devout believer of an ult slumber for eternity.
However, it was extremely difficult.
In the face of psychological issues, she really had no way of dealing with it.
Itll get better. Seeing the despair on Sun Jiaos face, Jiang Chen embraced andforted her.
Mhmm.
Sun Jiao nodded and leaned her head on Jiang Chens shoulder.
Just like this, silence perpetuated for a while and was broken when Sun Jiao suddenly asked, How are you doing on the other side?
Me? Jiang Chen paused for a moment.
Mhmm, I havent asked you about the other side, so can you talk to me about it? Whenever the other world was mentioned, Sun Jiaos eyes lit up with anticipation.
Theres nothing special aboutits probably the exact opposite of this ce. A mouse is only the size of a fist, and a cockroach is just as big as your thumb. There are no mutants, the street is littered with all kinds of people, and there is an endless number of stores that are filled with fun and delicious thingsIts hard to exin with just words, so I will just have to take you there when theres an opportunity. Jiang Chen scratched his face.
Woo, Im envious of you for being born in heaven. Sun Jiao pouted.
Its not as good as you think. Compared to here, yes, but its not exactly a heaven. There are people who are extremely rich, and some people are so poor they dont have a ce that belongs to themselves, and they would have to depend on others goodwill to be able to rent a ce.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen became the former from thetter.
Rent? Sun Jiao raised her eyebrows.
She could not wrap her head around what Jiang Chen had just told her. The things that the wastnd didntck were concrete and steel buildings, so she couldnt imagine why it would be so valuable.
If she got tired, she could find any building and could just ce a trip mine on the stairs to sleep.
Before the war, a house is considered a luxury. Just like the mansion where we currently reside at, if it was before the war, it would cost millions You can think of it as millions of crystals.
Woah, so expensive. Sun Jiao was astonished.
So dont think that the other side is perfect, lest youll end up being disappointed. Jiang Chen tousled Sun Jiaos silky hair.
Just then, Sun Jiao suddenly asked, Which side do you like better?
Looking at the serious expression on Sun Jiaos face, Jiang Chen took a moment to think.
He then gave an answer that even shocked himself.
Probablythis side, or at least for now.
In the modern world, he was just a billionaire. Even as the president of a multibillion-dorpany, he was just a wealthy person.
With the growth of Future Technology, he gradually be embroiled in the vested interest of other people.
Precisely because of the secrets he had to protect, Jiang Chens development had to be carefully measured, and he had to control the speed of his improvement. Despite possessing copious amounts of astonishing innovations, he could not easily bring it out in the open.
Innovation like virtual reality MMORPG, Du Yongkong had already developed it. The headset version virtual reality gear could be produced in the Sixth Street, however, bringing it out in the modern world would be no different tomitting suicide.
In the apocalypse, however, he was themander of a force. After bing the general of the Sixth Street, there was no organization in the entire Wanghai City that could force him to hide his growth.
Perhaps the development in the modern world should be hastened?
Chapter 228 - The Dinner of the Elites
Chapter 228: The Dinner of the Elites
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
After bidding Sun Jiao goodbye, Jiang Chen returned to the modern world.
It was around eight in the morning, thinking of the promise he made with Ayeshast night, Jiang Chens face broke into a smile.
After preparing breakfast and putting it into the microwave, Jiang Chen took a shower before he entered Ayeshas room, smirking all the while.
When the two came out of the room, it was already ten oclock.
I shouldnt have prepared breakfast had I known itd be lunchtime soon, Jiang Chen uttered in disappointment as he removed the bread and poached egg from the microwave.
Its okay. Just put it in the fridge, and well eat it tomorrow, face still blushing furiously, Ayesha muttered and took the te out of Jiang Chens hand.
After putting the te in the refrigerator, Ayesha started preparing lunch while wearing an apron.
Looking at Ayeshas profile, Jiang Chen was enamored by the scene.
The loose brown curls reflected a golden streak in the sun. Beneath it was a gentle and serene face, and with the elegant apron, she resembled a newly married wife.
Mhmm? Ayesha seemed to have sensed Jiang Chens gaze because she slightly tilted her head and looked up.
Uh, nothing, just thinking how beautiful you are. Jiang Chen scratched his cheek.
Face blushing, Ayesha lowered her head shyly and started cutting the meat.
Lunch was roasted beef and borsch with steamed rice, abination of western and oriental cuisine.
When the two finished their lunch, it was already twelve oclock. After cleaning up the dishes, Ayesha, as part of her usual routine, she headed to the gym toplete todays virtual reality training content. Jiang Chen rested a bit more on the sofa, and then went out of the door and drove to the metropolis.
Tonight he was going to attend the Wanghai Business Forum. Jiang Chen, who had not always been confident in his own style, wisely decided to leave the task to the professionals to deal with. Although whats inside was more important, it was also necessary for the look to reflect that.
Jiang Chen allowed the cold but gentle hands to fiddle with his face and hair for a while beforeing out of the high-end style studio feeling refreshed. Although his hair was still short hair, he felt sleeker.
Then he headed to the mall to buy a few sets of formal suits. Although he didnt know which attire would be most appropriate for the event tonight, the best choice would be to buy the most expensive one!
After throwing the tens of thousands worth of formal suits on the counter, Jiang Chen, in front of the cashier whose eyes had already turned into glittering stars, swiped his card without blinking.
It was already three oclock when he was done with everything.
Seeing that there was still some time to spare, Jiang Chen went to a Starbucks and ordered a cup coffee before he started fiddling with his phone.
When it was about five oclock, Jiang Chen drove to the venue where the party would be held, Linhua Hotel.
One could see the elegance of the beautifully designed building just by looking at its appearance. Marble and red brick were the main materials used, which gave a touch modern simplicitybined with the elegance of ssic beauty.
Linhua Hotelan embellished sign with huge neon letters.
The parking lot was almost like a luxury car dealership. He actually saw no less than two or three of Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, etc. So that his car Maybach S600 being parked there looked inconspicuous.
When he parked the car, following the direction of the valet, he was ushered to the front of the hotel. After shing his invitation, he then entered the hotel along with those well-dressed elites.
Although it was a fancy banquet, in the end, it was still hosted by locals. Jiang Chen didnt get to see some famous people and could not recognize most attendees.
But he didnt look down on the party because of it. While they may not appear in the media, it did not mean they could not do so. Sometimes the more low-key the people were, the more powerful they truly were.
When he entered the hotel, he distinctly noticed a lot of people staring at him.
In this regard, Jiang Chen did not appear to be the least bit anxious, After all, it was not the first time he would be participating in a gathering this level. When he was in Sanya, he attended a birthday dinner hosted by the hospitable prince of Arabia for his princess. Although the birthday party was more private and informal than the business forum, the process was, in fact, roughly simr.
After the host delivered all kinds of ceremonial speech, the business elites naturally formed themselves into a small clique and exchanged ideas with those they were interested in.
Because he was not good at this kind of things, Jiang Chen deliberately picked a secluded spot in the corner of the hall and started enjoying the delicious food.
While he did consider using this opportunity to get acquainted with some business associates, but he was somewhat unable to get started after arriving here. Most of the active participants here were not a first-timer in this kind of event. As such, a number of people in the circle were familiar with each other. It was undoubtedly difficult for some neers like Jiang Chen to mingle with this clique.
But he had clearly underestimated his presence in the technology sector because who would actually cast a delicious morsel of cake aside?
The profitability of Future Technology did make people green with envy, but for those who could take part in the event of this caliber, how many were actually short-sighted? Ignoring Jiang Chen because of jealousy, only a philistine would do that.
He hadnt sat for long before a middle-aged man sat beside him with a smile.
Mr. Jiang is young and promising but doesnt show off in public. Its really rare at this age. Ah, I cant help but grow admiration for you even I were to be in 70s.
Nah, despite feeling proud inside, Jiang Chen still humbly acknowledged thepliment, and then asked, and you are?
Though the person looked familiar, Jiang Chen was still unable to remember where he had seen him.
Im Zhou Hongwei. Zhou Hongwei smiled.
Isnt that the president of 361 Corporation, Zhou Hongwei? It made Jiang Chen somewhat shocked.
So its Mr. Zhou, I apologize for not realizing it sooner. Not even recognizing his own strategic partner was a bit embarrassing.
With the advent of a social media tform, Future Technology and othermunication technologies like Penguin naturally stood on the opposite side. In particr, the impact of Future 1.0 on Wechat, which caused a drastic decrease in their users, had naturally earned Penguins displeasure. Because of this, Future Technology was removed from all channels by Penguin, but it did little to Future Technology as they had already upied the user group.
Thepetitors adversary would naturally band together. Most especially after the Lingyu Technologys incident, towards 361 Corporations gesture of goodwill to Jiang Chen, Future Technology would naturally take the same initiative as the 361 Corporation. Both parties used Chenfeng Entertainment as a joint venture tform to form a tight rtionship in the mobile gaming sector, focusing on low and mid-end games with short development cycles. 361 Corporation being the main developer while Future Technology was responsible for the channel. It can be said that this was the honeymoon period of cooperation between the two sides.
Its okay, Im already over 40 years old with an average-looking face, so even if I went on CTV, no one would remember me. Zhou Hongwei quipped good-naturedly, which cleverly resolved the awkwardness, then he began chatting with Jiang Chen.
When two Inte giants sat together, it would naturally attract a lot of people in the same circle to join their conversation. Without him knowing, Jiang Chen was equally surprised to realize that the quiet spot he had chosen for himself had somehow be the center of the forum.
In fact, Jiang Chen had somehow underestimated intricacies this business forum. If he had given it more thoughts, there were just few hundredpanies with over 10 billion market value in the entire China. Now this Wanghai Business Forum, though the requirement was high, it was not as extreme as he initially thought.
It could be even be said that in this entire venue, he and Zhou Hongwei could be considered to stand at the top of the pyramid. On the other hand, Zhou Hongwei only possessed 14% share in 361 Corporation, but Jiang Chen had an unbelievable 99% share in Future Technology. From this perspective, while bothpanies had a market value of 10 billion, Jiang Chens worth had overwhelmed Zhou Hongwei.
Other than the inte giants, the rest were mid-sizedpanies with good profitability and future prospects. While they probably have billions in assets, there was still a noticeable gappared to Jiang Chens assets.
As such, there were quite a number of people who used all sort of methods in an attempt to establish a connection with him. Especially considering he was still a bachelor, the big bosses with daughters, regardless whether their daughter had a boyfriend or not, began to talk marriage with Jiang Chen.
Haha, Mr. Jiang is 22 this year, my princess is 21. Would Jiang Chen be interested in meeting her?
No wonder Mr. Jiang Chen is capable of gracing the headline twice on Wall Street Journal, Mr. Jiang is indeed a talented person and gives face to his own country!
Is Mr. Jiang interested in a partnership? Ourpany had recently developed an O2O takeout software, considering Future 1.0 traffic, we can definitely
Networking, fawning, and partnership.
To be honest, his vanity was satisfied while looking at a group of rich people formed a circle around him as the center. Jiang Chen naturally responded to everyones friendliness and listened to their business proposals.
As for those seeking to arrange marriage, Jiang Chen chose to politely ignore them.
In this rxed atmosphere, halfway through the party, a familiar voice floated through Jiang Chens ears just as he was about to start eating.
Hello Mr. Jiang, we meet again.
Chapter 229 - Peep
Chapter 229: Peep
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
To host this gathering, Linhua Group had certainly made an all-out effort. Not only was the food impable, the guests had also been given meticulous attention.
When the party was halfway through, a sound of music began to y in the venue. In the center of the circr hall, the Chinese music circle goddess, Zhang Hui, was singing, the melodious and soft music revibrating in the hall. pping sound erupted as the music faded.
To be able to invite a celebrity of this caliber to be part of this gathering showed the influence of Wang Linhua.
Seeing that the atmosphere of the party hase to a peak, the host of the gathering took out the microphone. He first expressed his gratitude to Zhang Hui for her performance and to all the guests foring to the event before announcing the next part of the celebration.
The servers pushing the food carts entered the hall as they began to serve exquisite meals. Musical performance started ying from the center of the hall. The guests, exhausted from chatting, started enjoying their dinner.
Hello Mr. Jiang, we meet again. Wang Xinyan approached Jiang Chen with a ss of wine in her hand.
Still d in a vibrant red, but instead of a cotton dress, this time was an elegant cocktail dress.
Its a pleasure meeting you again, Miss Wang. Jiang Chen raised his ss and smiled.
Is it? But why do I sense that you feel the opposite? With a graceful stride, Wang Xinyan proposed a toast to Jiang Chen and then took a sip of her wine.
Thats just your imagination. While saying this, Jiang Chen muttered another sentence to himself.
[But your imagination is too urate.]
Womans instinct is very urate. Towards Jiang Chens denial, Wang Xinyan just smiled mysteriously and did not give a direct response.
Ahem, lets cut to the chase. Come on, what do you need from me? Jiang Chen coughed lightly as he put down the wine.
Cant I even look for you without having an ulterior motive? Wang Xinyan gracefully sat across him.
Of course, but youre obviously not.
Seeing the guarded look on Jiang Chens face, Wang Xinyan let out a sigh.
A man who doesnt understand a woman. Then, excuse me for being blunt My father wants to see you.
[Wang Linhua? Why would a real estate developer want to see me?]
Frowning, Jiang Chen couldnt think of any potential business ventures between Linhua Group and Future Technology.
Right now?
Of course, after the event ends. Her red lips curved upwards slyly.
[When the partys over?]
Jiang Chen still couldnt figure out the intention of Wang Linhua.
Seeing Jiang Chens slightly frowning expression, Wang Xinyan giggled.Why are you so cautious? Dont you think itd be probably be something good?
Because I noticed you used the word probably, Jiang Chen said dully.
That depends on you and how you interpret it. Wang Xinyan left a smile and a meaningful sentence behind, and then gracefully got up and exited in grand fashion.
[Depends on my interpretation?]
A profound smile broke on Jiang Chens face.
Thereupon, the door to the hall became unsettled.
Is that Carmen Rothschild? My god, when did Linhua Group be this influential?
Did Carmen specificallye here for this, or is he on a business trip for Rothschild family? Maybe Linhua was informed about it, and thats why he sent an invitation? But for the Rothschild family to attend this gathering, Linhua Group is surely powerful.
Haha, if they want to get a slice of the cake of the 1.3 billion people market, then they will need to establish a good rtionship with the top dog.
That makes sense. I wonder which lucky person will have the opportunity to have dealings with these Europeans tyrants
The ongoing spections had made Jiang Chens expression turn slightly strange.
The lucky person they were referring to was him.
Once the news about the deal had been publicized, what kind of interesting expression would be on their faces?
Speaking of this, the control chip and artificial intelligence system had already beenpleted.
As long as Jiang Chen willed it, the chip could just be transported from the storage dimension to his pocket.
But to avoid drawing too much attention to himself, Jiang Chen cautiously decided to temporarily put it aside as he was nning to introduce it in April.
Picking up his chopstick, he began to enjoy the food on the table. But then, much to his surprise, Carmen began to look around and headed his way.
Seeing this scene, everyones eyes widened.
So its Future Technology? When did the Rothschild family get involved in the high-tech industry?
Wait, I heard that Carmen is here representing the Dalmer Corporation. Could it be that Future Technology will be venturing into automotive industry?
Artifical intelligence on top of automotive?
This was one piece of a hot news. What was the media doing, and howe there was no information at all?
Disregarding the reaction of the crowd, Carmen sat across from Jiang Chen where Wang Xinyan had previously sitten.
Chinese food, I like it a lot, Carmen nobly said with a smile, but he picked up a knife and fork.
Nice to see you again, old buddy, said Jiang Chen and exchanged greetings with him.
Whether if it was because of thenguage barrier or something else entirely, listening to Jiang Chens words, Carmens expression became somewhat awkward.
I apologize, my friend. I didnt deliberately provoke you Based on his understanding, the disappearance of GPS signal was because Jiang Chen had discovered it already. In view of their current rtionship, Carmen chose to apologize sincerely.
Its okay, Im a very easy person. Jiang Chen smiled.
Carmen had nked out for a moment before a grateful smile appeared on his face.
[Being able to let go of the past is amazing. This kind of mental fortitude is truly admirable] Carmen eximed in his head.
Although it was not a big deal to be inept in using chopsticks andpared to 1 billion USD How does one eat Chinese food with a knife and fork? Jiang Chens expression looked strange as he stared at the knife and fork in Carmens hand.
The conversation between the two could be described as disjointed, but because of coincidence, it somehow connected together. Carmen thought that Jiang Chen had discovered the problem with the USB, but in reality, Jiang Chen didnt notice the mishap at all.
One had to say that this disconnect in the information, which caused this misunderstanding, was really funny
Jiang Chens taciturn behavior was seen as generosity in Carmens eyes, so his words could not help but have guilt woven into them. While chatting with him, Jiang Chen became perplexed by his odd tone.
Was this a difference innguage expression?
In short, the flow of conversation between the two was very harmonious.
But this harmony, in the eyes of a certain person, was far from being pleasant.
So Rothschild is interested in Future Technology as well? With wine in hand, the corner of his eyes peeked at the two as Wang Linhua muttered to himself.
The wine swirling in the ss reflected the aged face immersed in deep thought.
Chapter 230 - Greed
Chapter 230: Greed
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The gathering ended. After saying goodbye to Carmen Rothschild, Jiang Chen went to the back of the hall and met Wang Linhua waiting there.
The elder mans body looked healthy, and he had a head full of ck hair. While wrinkles were visible on his face, it only added to his authoritative look. From this point alone, Wang Dehai should be his older brother and quite a few years older.
When he saw Jiang Chene in, he had an amiable smile on his face as he warmly weed Jiang Chen to take a seat.
Haha, I have been listening to my brothers praises of you, now that I see you, it certainly is true. Wang Linhua nodded his head.
Uncle Wang is oveplimenting me, Jiang Chen said humbly.
Since you call me uncle, could I call you little Jiang?
Of course, its my honor.
When he heard Jiang Chens words, Wang Linhua smiled as he took a drink of tea to soothe his throat.
The reason why I asked you to stay today is that I wanted to chat with you. I hope little Jiang doesnt mind.
Not a problem. Jiang Chen smiled, but he was analyzing his intention.
Did you see my daughter yet? Wang Linhua asked nonchntly.
[Wang Xinyan?]
As to why Wang Linhua all the sudden mentioned this, Jiang Chen was rather lost.
Yes, Jiang Chen nodded as he answered cautiously.
What do you think about her?
Unique. Jiang Chen carefully chose his word.
I heard you dont have a girlfriend yet, you young people should spend more time together. As the elder, I dont need to say more.
Hearing this, Jiang Chens expression became odd.
[What is this? Arranged marriage? Encouraging me to chase after you daughter?]
Why did uncle Wang mention this all of the sudden? Without replying directly, Jiang Chen smiled.
Nothing really, only casually mentioning it, dont worry too much. Wang Linhuaughed as he waved his hands.
Jiang Chen didnt continue this conversation as he alsoughed along with him. He didnt understand what kind of show this old guy was putting on for him, so he decided to be careful with his words.
As to the hint, there was no way he would agree to it.
Seeing that Jiang Chen didnt continue the conversation, Wang Linhua only smiled. He reached for the teapot and filled his cup with more tea.
Weske Longjing, my friend gave it to me as a gift.
Jiang Chen raised his cup to take a sip, although he didnt know the intricacy of tea, he still pretended to know as he nodded.
Great tea.
Haha, not bad right? It is limited quantity. Better than the ones avable on the market. Wang Linhuaughed, as he also took a sip of the tea.
However, simply through observing his action, he was more natural than Jiang Chen.
Speaking of this, during one of my outings with the old friend who gifted me the tea, he spoke about an interesting problem. Could little Jiang solve my elderly mans confusion? Wang Linhua said with a gentle voice as he smiled at Jiang Chen.
My knowledge is limited, but I will do my best, Jiang Chen answered cautiously.
I hope little Jiang dont mind, my old friend works in intelligence service. I am only curious because based on what he said, he couldnt find anything on the technology team behind Future Technology. That team, does it really exist?
A piercing and sharp look shot out of Wang Linhuas eyes.
That fox-like sight, locked tightly onto Jiang Chens pupils as if he wanted to look through Jiang Chen.
But Jiang Chen was not a rookie anymore, he was at least a general of the Sixth Street. Although it was in another world, it didnt interfere with his new-found calmness as a leader.
Of course, its just that you guys havent been able to find them yet, Jiang Chen replied to Wang Linhuas suspiciousness with calmness.
Oh? Really?
Of course. We only developed a partnership with them. Based on the agreement, they provide technology to us, and we focus on the operations. We also promise them confidentiality to all information about them. It was the second time Jiang Chen said something like this.
The first was to the media.
As to Jiang Chens response, Wang Linhua was obviously unsatisfied, but he didnt show anything on his face, he only smiled, as he continued.
We are leaning towards another possibility.
Such as?
That team is fictitious, everything is your work.
A very imaginative assumption. Disregarding the fact that I have studied mechanical engineering, whats my reason to do this? Jiang Chen shrugged.
There are many reasons. For example, avoiding the trouble, or blurring the development cost. Wang Linhua smiled mysteriously.
You think I am avoiding tax? Lets disregard if the problem exists or not in the first ce. I dont think Linhua Group is a tax agency right? Even if your brother is powerful, it doesnt mean I have to ept your interrogation. When did Linhua Group start doing the work of the government agency?
Although Wang Linhua had clearly heard the displeasure in Jiang Chens tone, for some odd reason, he didnt stop the topic there.
Of course not, I am only listing out a possibility. But those two points are key. The key is, this could be your motive because you dont trust the government.
Dont trust the government? This is a serious usation, I cannot ept this. And dont you think this kind of assumption is irresponsible? Where is your evidence? Jiang Chen said calmly.
Rather thanck of trust, Jiang Chen would rather refer to it as being cautious for his life. Since his right hand held the portal to another world!
Dont be nervous, I am only stating a possibility. Granted, our government system does have some ws and unjust, but all in all, it is still a good system. For the people with talent, we always provide support.
Therefore? Jiang Chenughed.
Did little Jiang ever consider an equity infusion by state, Wang Linhua said with a smile.
Jiang Chen let out a sigh in his mind, [It is finally here.]
A monthly revenue over a billion, 99% of absolute share control, this juicy piece of meat finally made people feel unsettled?
Future Technologys operating condition is doing well, the cash flow is steady, there is no consideration of equity infusion.
It was the point that made all venture capitalists grind their teeth. Theck of problem with cash flow meant that there was no possibility for them to cut a piece of pie from Future 1.0. Disregarding venture capitalists, Future Technology doesnt even need a bank loan. With its monthly profit alone, it could meet its growth needs. Thepanys incredible money generating ability did indeed make peoples eyes glisten with greed.
This would include private capitals, foreign capitals, and of course, state capitals.
And Linhua Group is a renowned state enterprise. Wang Linhuas question was dubious in its nature.
It doesnt have to be operating poorly to infuse state capital. With liquid asset, you could develop freely and expand your operation. Wang Linhua took a sip of tea in an in control attitude.
That gesture hinted at ayer of meaning worth thinking over.
If you dont mind me using a derogatory term, if you take too big of a stride, you might pull your nuts.
Therefore, little Jiang is going to refuse? Wang Linhua narrowed his eyes, but the smile on his face didnt fade away.
As to convincing, he had a mysterious sense of confidence. Jiang Chen didnt know what his trump card is, but he would not give any ground on this point.
It has to do with the future of thepany, I must be cautious with my decision. Jiang Chen didnt back down.
Do you think infusing state capital would hinder the growth of Future Technology? Wang Linhuaughed, he waved his hands, Lets talk about policy, but you should have been paying attention already.
After taking a pause, Wang Linhua continued.
Based on the states newly discussed strategy, for the second type of corporation, the keystone corporation is an important industry, as well as its supporting industry, the high-tech industry. For these industries, the state wants an ownership control of 51%. Of course, this is only a rmended percentage, the actual percentage may differ.
I heard that it is not an enforced policy, only a method of supporting thepany. There is now that states I must ept an equity infusion by state, Jiang Chen answered emotionlessly.
For Jiang Chens answer, Wang Linhua shook his head with a smile.
Do you think, the government would let this type of high-end technology sit in the hands of an individual? With strong capital, the piece of gold would create more value.
Or it would be worth nothing. Jiang Chen shrugged.
Oh? Wang Linhua pretended to act curious.
The infusion of external capital would mean that thepany might disy the specifics of the operation to the new shareholder. My partner obviously has no intention to reveal itself to any country. Therefore they may terminate my partnership to seek other partners. Dont you think by that point, the move bes pointless? Jiang Chen said nonchntly.
Thats okay. Wang Linhua smiled at Jiang Chen Perhaps they would give up on Future Technology, but no reason to give up a 1.3 billion people market. If they truly exist, well treat their new partner better.
At this point, Jiang Chen truly understood everything.
The old guy was gambling, the type of gambling where he would not lose.
Whether the foreign technology team is real or fake, it would only take a test to find out. If they actually existed, they would change to a different name, there was no need to worry about them leaving.
As to if Future Technology would be abandoned or not, Wang Linhua didnt care at all.
Unfortunately, Wang Zhiyong not speaking his mind that day reflected Wang Dehais attitude.
At least he permitted the situation. Since Wang Linhua belonged to the Wang family, if Future Technology became Wang familys asset, Wang family acquired another cash cow.
So you are arranging this marriage for state capital?
No, only arranging the marriage for the Wang family. Wang Linhua smiled.
Of course.
Oh? Jiang Chen sneered.
Ill marry my daughter to you, then you will be the son inw of the Wang family. The dowry is five billion, the bride price obviously is 50% of the Future Technology share.
It was a great n, disregarding the logic of standing at the high grounds for the country, and forcefully selling and buying. Is the dowry supposed to be an asset after marriage? Based on the ten billion market cap two months ago, to acquire the Future Technology with monthly revenues of a billion, are they shameless? Or shameless?
What is this? Political marriage? Jiang Chen mocked.
You could interpret it that way.
Therefore, Linhua Group can represent the government? Jiang Chen ridiculed.
Although we cant represent, the Wang family has a certain amount of power. Also, Linhua Group is a state-owned enterprise. Therefore it means the same thing as state capital infusing into Future Technology, Wang Linhua said with a smile.
What a shameless things to say.
Could I interpret it that your action reflects the attitude of the Wang family?
Pondering on Jiang Chens question, Wang Linhua took another sip of the tea.
You could interpret it that way. Since, rather than giving this juicy meat away to other people, it is better to put it in my own stomach.
[It is a straightforward analogy, you view my Future Technology as a piece of juicy meat already?]
Seeing Wang Linhuas confident expression, the tip of Jiang Chens mouth curved up as he said emotionlessly.
If you think you are so great, are you not afraid I will be a foreignpany?
Chapter 231 - Vote with my feet
Chapter 231: Vote with my feet
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chens words made Wang Linhua pause for a moment, his cunning eyes narrowed into a line. His eyes reflected those of a hunter observing its preys sharp w.
Jiang Chen responded to the invasive sight by smiling fearlessly, he took a sip out of the teacup.
His calmness made Wang Linhua uncertain.
If Jiang Chen proactively gave out the shares, it would be the best case scenario. Five billion along with bing the son-inw of the Wang family in exchange for 50% of Future Technologys share, in Wang Linhuas eyes, was not too harsh.
Wang Linhua could not think through the reason for Jiang Chens reaction. Without exaggerating, Future Technology was a piece of juicy meat. Not only the Wang family has spotted the meat, Zhou and Liu families, who had no less of a political influence, were also unsettled.
But because the juicy meat lies in Wanghai City, and it was in the Wang familys territory, thats why they urged themselves. But followed by the increase in profitability of Future Technology, they could no longer sit around.
Just like what he has said, rather than other people eating it, it was better to put it in his own stomach.
Foreign corporation? Wang Linhuaughed, Do you think foreign capital is as cute as it looks. As an elder, I have to caution you, their manner is even worse. Especially since the primary business of Future Technology is still in the country. A bite by us, we can give you somepensation. A bite by foreign capitals, you may have to eat the leftovers with them.
Although he was saying this confidently, Jiang Chen could still hear the hint of the fear in his voice.
Hua connecting to the world meant that it is no longer excluded from the world thats led by UA capital as they carefully maintained the image of their international state capital. Using the policy to forcefully buy and sell could ur between state and private capital, but it could never ur between state capital and foreign capital.
These major shareholders are able to hide from the publics eyes as they only exist in the financial information of each corporation. But in actuality, the QQ we use every day, thergest intepany in Hua with a market cap of 250 billion - Tencent, the major shareholder is not Ma Huateng, but South Africa MIH.
As to the famous Alibaba, their major shareholder was not Jack Ma, but Softbank.
Regardless of the status of foreign affairs, foreign capitals are all thriving domestically without suffering any unfair treatment. For example, if the Rothschild family became a shareholder of Future Technology, even without bing the top shareholder, Wang Linhua would definitely be afraid to make any moves.
It was the reason why Wang Linhua felt nervous when he saw Carmen and Jiang Chen being so close.
It was okayying hands on private capital, it was like a father beating his son as it was the family business. But if a guest came, what kind of etiquette would be used to pull things from the guests pocket? Although it was a situation that could not be helped, it was the sad truth.
If Future Technology did get pushed away by him, not only would Wang Dehai not be too happy, Wang Linhua himself would get nothing out of it. The power within the structure is good against your own people, but not so effective against other people.
I am only exining a possibility, Jiang Chen said expressionlessly.
Are you threatening me? Wang Linhua voice began to turn cold.
No, I am only responding to your threat.
Threat? Wang Linhuaughed, Linhua Groups equity infusion would be absolutely beneficial for Future Technology, you are too ignorant of the situation.
Just like Wang Linhua said, it was not bad for state capital to infuse into Future Technology. A lot ofpanies at the brink of bankruptcy do everything they can to infuse state capital.
With state capital, although it meant some profit would be lost, thepany would receive preferential treatment in all kinds of areas. Such as loans. No possibility of a loan not being approved. The bank would nod their head even at the risk of bad debt. Another example, policies. As long as they have the correct political stance, they would not receive repressions from the political side.
But there was no way Jiang Chen could do this.
Once state capital is infused, that means that he must reveal the specifics of thepanys operations to the new major shareholder. For example, the team that developed Future 1.0, the point of contact, as well as the cost breakdown of software development. How could this be revealed to other people?
Jiang Chen doesnt have enough knowledge on political regtions to give his right hand to the government.
Its not because of ignorance, its just you are too greedy. With only five billion, you want 50% share of Future Technology with billions of monthly profit, why dont you go rob instead? Jiang Chen sneered as he stared straight into Wang Linhuas eyes.
Rob? Without the Wang family looking after you, do you think Future Technology could grow smoothly to this point? Wang Linhua paused as he looked at Jiang Chen with more than oneyer of meaning.
Rothschild family is wealthy, I know you formed a partnership with them. But they are outsiders after all, even with money, their influence in Hua is limited. If you think they can help you out, then you will be disappointed. If you think selling your share would avoid trouble, I rmend you get rid of the idea. Future Technology can escape from trouble, but you definitely wont be able to.
The threatening intent was serious.
Jiang Chen eyes narrowed.
I dont know if you have considered this question before, but Future Technology is an intepany with only a few servers. I can start thepany anywhere. In the country, or outside of the country.
Then you mean? Wang Linhuas eyes narrowed.
I retain my option to vote with my feet.
With those words, the atmosphere in the room froze.
After a while, Wang Linhua leaned against his chair, and slowly opened his mouth to break the silence.
Young, impulsive, unwilling topromise, I can understand. But, I rmend you to think carefully before you make a decision. Linhua Groups control of Future Technology is not only the Wang familys decision, but the people at the top also nodded their heads. Vote with your feet? You have to be able to leave.
Jiang Chenughed without saying anything.
[Funny, if I want to leave, who could stop me?]
Seeing that Jiang Chen didnt answer, Wang Linhua thought he was considering, he smiled, and didnt push him too hard.
It is prettyte, lets call it a day. I hope you can choose a happy ending. After the Han New Year, Linhua group will have its shareholder meeting, the official acquisition proposal will be handed to you by April. I trust that in four months time, you can think this through.
What if I reject?
Future Technologys Han operation may experience some unpleasant surprises.
[Looks like Wang Linhua is firm on grabbing Future Technology in his hands.]
Oh? It looks like I have to consider this carefully then.
Sneering in his mind, Jiang Chen stood up.
He walked towards the door but suddenly stopped. Turning back around, he smiled.
I hope you dont regret your decision today.
Wang Linhua took a moment before he burst outughing.
Regret? Buddy, you have a big mouth. To make me regret, you are still too young.
Is that so?
Jiang Chen left Wang Linhua with a smile that held a deeper meaning, he didnt stay any longer as he pushed open the door.
Chapter 232 - The Necessary Deterrence
Chapter 232: The Necessary Deterrence
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: _Tat_
How did it go? Is it good news or bad news? Standing outside of the room, Wang Xinyan looked at Jiang Chen, who just came out of the door, with a smile.
What do you think? Jiang Chen stopped and looked at her, half-smiling.
I think it didnt go too well. Wang Xinyan crossed her arms as she stood beside Jiang Chen, I dont understand, whats there to reject? Am I that despicable?
Whats there to reject? Jiang Chenughed dubiously, You tell me, whats there to agree?
Jiang Chen didnt respond to her n of testing the water and left immediately.
Looking at Jiang Chen walking away, Wang Xinyans shed an unusual light as a mischievous smile appeared on her face.
Interesting.
Aftering out of the hotel, Jiang Chen walked to the garage. Just as he was about to go into his car, a stranger approached him.
Seeing that Jiang Chen was walking over, a man in a brown trench coat waved at him and walked towards his direction.
You are? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Just a salesman. The man shrugged and smiled friendly.
I am not in the mood to buy anything.
No, trust me, you will be interested in my offer. The man coughed, and extended his right hand, Zhang Youjie, Im an employee of the UA Conste.
Jiang Chens eyes moved slightly as he shook his hand out of etiquette, then with ayer of meaning, he said, Conste worker? What do you have for an ordinary merchant like me?
A Han name, should be a UA Han?
Ahem, Mr. Jiang is too humble. A normal merchant would not go save someone in Iraq, nor would he go step in the muddy water in Kane, he especially wouldnt train mercenaries in Niger. Zhang Youjie said in a low voice then he coughed.
What a detailed investigation.
Then your intention is? Jiang Chen asked emotionlessly.
Please dont be mistaken, I am here with good intentions. Although you are unnaturally active internationally, your current actions arent threatening the security of my country. Seeing the caution in Jiang Chens eyes, Zhang Youjie rushed to exin.
Can I hear about this good intention of yours? Jiang Chen smiled.
Have you considered switching to a different nationality? The Wall Street is a broad stage. For a talent like you, it is too pitiful if you waste your time on those greedy politicians.
Wall Street? I currently have no interest in Wall Street. Jiang Chen said nonchntly.
Dont reject it yet. Zhang Youjie stopped Jiang Chens words, he slipped a business card into his hand with a smile, It is never bad to have a few extra options right? The door to freedom is always open for people with talent, especially for a genius like you.
Zhang Youjie bowed nobly before he turned around and left.
Staring at Zhang Youjies shadow, Jiang Chen yed with the business card in his hand for as a dubious smile appeared on his face.
Wall Street? Would the etiquette of the Wall Street capitalists be better? As long as they are politicians, they are the same everywhere.
He stuffed the business card into his pocket as Jiang Chen sat into his Maybach.
If Wang Linhua thought he could use the power within the system to force him to agree, then he is fated for disappointment.
Future Technology will never be a subsidiary of the Wang family, Jiang Chen never had the intention topromise.
After he got into the car, Jiang Chen didnt head home. Instead, he went to the rural area and parked in front of the Hongyi private club.
Jiang Chen closed the door, entered the club, passed through the hall and walked straight to the reception desk.
Hello sir, what kind of service The receptionist smiled professionally as she greeted Jiang Chen.
Thoseing at this hour, needless to say, was here to spend the night.
But Jiang Chens first sentence caught her by surprise.
Call your managerZhou Zihao here. Jiang Chen said in a straightforward manner.
The receptionist paused for a moment and looked at Jiang Chen in confusion.
Sir?
Just say that someone called Jiang Chen is here.
She looked skeptically at Jiang Chen, but she still picked up the phone and called the manager.
Hello? Manager Zhou? Someone named Jiang Chen wants to see you , Oh, okay
When she hung up the phone, the way she looked at him changed from skepticism to respect.
If the mention of this persons name in that one phone can get her manager toe down, this person is obvious not ordinary. In her impression, the only person that could do this was called Wang Zhiyong.
Without waiting for long, Jiang Chen saw the squint eyeing down.
Haha, we meet again, brother Jiang. Zhou Zihao walked up to Jiang Chen with a smile, How have you been?
The warmness made it seem like the unhappy ending that happened herest time didnt exist.
Not very good, so I came here to find you. Jiang Chen also smiled.
Find me? Uncle Wang wants you to be his son inw, does brother Jiang want me to be the best man?
You already know? Jiang Chen was slightly surprised.
I do have some connections here. Zhou Zihao shrugged.
Okay lets not y riddles then. Partnership, are you interested? Jiang Chen was direct.
After a brief moment, an interested expression appeared on Zhou Zihaos face.
Partnership? Is Future Technology not satisfied with great influence that is the Wang family?
Nothing to do with Future Technology. Jiang Chen said emotionlessly, A partnership between you and me.
You want me to go against uncle Wang, even though I dont have the reason
Military artificial intelligence project.
Zhou Zihaos eyes immediately narrowed, although his eyes were not big to begin with.
Jiang Chen clearly sensed that he was tempted.
This is not the ce to talk. Zhou Zihao said in a low voice as he signaled to Jiang Chen to follow him into the second-floor room.
Immediately after they sat down, Zhou Zihao couldnt wait and asked.
Can Future Technology really do it? The military artificial intelligence program?
Smart drone control system.
Jiang Chen sensed clearly that he was tempted by the offer, but he didnt immediately agree as a hint of caution came out of his eyes.
How do you want me to help you?
I heard you have a hobby of shooting adult videos, how many have you filmed? Jiang Chens sight was dubious.
Zhou Zihaos eyes slightly moved, he obviously knew what Jiang Chen referred to.
You want those videos?
Exactly.
Are you crazy, you think you could use those 147 political sex scandal video to take down Wang family?
147 of them? That is more than what I expected I wasnt thinking about taking down the Wang family, what I need is necessary deterrence. Jiang Chen stared at Zhou Zihaos squinted eyes, Zhou family is in Shangjing, and you are in Wanghai City, I suppose you dont really favor your own family. Smart drone control systems if you give me the videos, the systems are yours.
Chapter 233 - The Skin of a Military Tech Company
Chapter 233: The Skin of a Military Tech Company
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Future Technology had to go, and this was Jiang Chen had decided a long time ago. But even if its gone, there would still be a process involved. Moreover, even if its gone, that didnt mean he would abandon the domestic market. Its just that selecting a small country was easier to control as a headquarter to facilitate the future development of Future Technologyter on.
However, he didnt expect that Wang family would no longer be able to sit still so quick.
In order to control the artificial intelligence technology and to rope state-owned assets in, the organizations authority was employed topel Jiang Chen to surrender his shares of Future Technology. Using the state-owned assets and Wang family joint ownership of Linhua Group to own a controlling number of shares in Future Technology, Wang Linhuas formted a sound n.
When all was said and done, Jiang Chens connection could not be considered extensive. Future Technologys profits made people envious. Although the Wang family had kept him away from trouble, what if the Wang family became greedy too? Obviously, in the face of family interest, Wang Dehai naturally chose his own family and allowed Wang Linhuas behaviors.
However, in regard to Wang Linhuas not so excessive conditions, Wang Dehai still gave it a thought. Although Jiang Chen had to give up his shares, they didnt make it too difficult for him. 5 billion RMB along with the identity of son-inw, Wang Dehai thought it was enoughpensation.
But Jiang Chen was not satisfied with this.
So he went to look for Zhou Zihao.
Dont be mistaken, Jiang Chen never thought those videos would work, or that those videos would make Wang familypromise with him and stop their scheming against Future Technology. If he did release the scandal videos, it would force the two parties onpletely opposite sides without any room for negotiation.
Taking a thousand steps back, even if the Wang family stopped, would it stop other greedy people from making move against him? A head-on conflict with the Wang family would mean that he would lose the protection of the top dogs, which would make it more difficult for Future Technology. Wang Linhua was convinced about this point. Thus, he directly confronted Jiang Chen and overtly plotted. I want your shares. Are you going to give it to me or not?
After getting the videos from Zhou Zihao, Jiang Chen carelessly threw it into the storage dimension.
The trump card he was relying on was the UAV Smart Control System 1.0, which Zhou Zihao had happily taken home and taken credit for.
Although Zhou Zihao submitted the project under his name, would the bigwigs be dumb enough to think that it was Zhou Zihao who really developed it?
With just a simple investigation, it was easy to deduce thest person Zhou Zihao made contact with beforeing back to Shangjing.
The people eyeing his interest was not the government, rather it was the Wang family. Would the government really care about such minuscule profit? The government was only interested in the artificial intelligence project in his possession and nothing more. Wang Linhua could persuade thergest shareholder of Linhua Group, SASAC (State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission), to acquire Future Technology. Without a doubt, he appealed to this type of reason: be the first shareholder that could transform Future Technology into a military techpany and use artificial intelligence in the military.
Since the civil-level artificial intelligence could not whet the appetite of the higher-ups, then the military grade should do the trick.
As long as the top dogs were satisfied with the contribution of Future Technology on the national defense and were persuaded that it would make more contributions in the hands of Jiang Chen, then the states reason to control Future Technology would no longer exist. At the same time, the state could also provide certain policy protection to Future Technology.
As for the Wang family? As long as Jiang Chen would be able to persuade the top dogs that Future Technology could only maximize its value in his hands, would he need to worry about the Wang family? Even if the Wang family was influential locally, their local sphere of influence was limited, so how could they oppose the will of the central authority?
As for seeking connection with the Zhou family, it was only to avoid encroaching on the other partys vested interest. The video was nothing more than to divert Zhou Zihaos attention, so that he would think that Jiang Chen was only interested in his videos. As such, he was impatient to return and present the treasure.
It has been a week since Jiang Chen made a deal with Zhou Zihao. Just like what Jiang Chen had expected, an unusual guest appeared in his mansion.
It was a middle-aged man with a shaved head, lean, and sharp-looking figure. Despite possessing an ordinary face and a fading white sideburns, the shrewd aura emanating from him made Jiang Chen unable to ignore his presence.
Standing behind him should be his bodyguard. His slightly burly figure made him look like a person with excellentbat ability, but Jiang Chen had seen too many of them, so he didnt give it much attention.
Ye Guolong, Colonel. Ye Guolong sharply extended his hand and shook hands with Jiang Chen. He only stated his rank without going into the details of his exact position.
[Its actually a colonel. Its at least an officer rank, even at a deputy division level.] While Jiang Chen was secretly astonished, he did not reveal too much emotion on his face.
Jiang Chen, just an ordinary businessman. Come inside, if you please. Jiang Chen smiled and invited Ye Guolong into the living area.
Sitting on the sofa, Ye Guolong looked around the living room and spoke, Has Mr. Jiang been expecting my arrival?
Oh? Why do you think so? Sitting across from him, Jiang Chen asked while smiling.
You even have the tea already prepared. Ye Guolong smiled and took a sip of tea. Its still hot.
When an important guest is visiting, I cant be too shabby, can I?
After some casual small talk, Ye Guolong put on a severe face as he headed to the critical topic.
Mr. Jiang, Ill be straightforward with youdid you create the UAV Smart Control System 1.0?
Seeing Ye Guolongs seriousness, Jiang Chen turned solemn as well and put down his tea.
Thats right.
Since he already asked, it was apparent that already know everything through an investigation, so it would be not sincere to run around in circles.
When did you start developing this system? Other than Zhou Zihao, how many people have seen the source code?
Is Colonel Ye interrogating me? Jiang Chen didnt answer and retorted.
Hearing that, Ye Guolong paused for a brief moment before he slightly frowned.
This is a state secret, so please cooperate, Mr. Jiang.
Someone seems to have submitted my work as military technology, so my work became a state secret? Could I interpret it this way, Colonel Ye?
With that, Ye Guolong could not help but feel embarrassed.
This software was indeed submitted by the Zhou family, but ording to their investigation, the software was developed by Jiang Chen. It was precisely the reason why they went to look for Jiang Chen. It was so they could ensure the safety of the software. Even with the software, they were hesitant in using it. Since it pertained to national security, there was no room for error.
Uh, for Mr. Jiangs contribution, well offer a fair amount ofpensation. I hope Jiang Chen can consider whats important for the bigger picture, with that, Ye Guolong could no longer maintain a stern face and stated awkwardly.
Seeing Ye Guolongs expression, Jiang Chen smile and stopped giving him a harder time.
The software started its development phase around three months ago before Zhou Zihao acquired the software from me, so only the development team overseas and I had seen the code. But I have to warn you, version 1.0 is only halfpleted.
Halfpleted? Ye Guolong furrowed his brows.
Exactly, though it looks fine now, there are a lot of security risks in the system. These problems could have been solved in the subsequent updates, but unfortunately, Future Technology encountered some small problems. To tell you the truth, I gave the software to Zhou Zihao because of the threat I received from a not-to-be-underestimated person. This led us to rush out to release this semi-finished product in exchange for Zhous policy protection, Jiang Chen responded.
Do you know the consequences of messing with us with a halfpleted product? Ignoring hisst statement, Ye Guolong asked dubiously.
Was the software created by Future Technology? Jiang Chen feigned astonishment.
Ye Guolong was speechless again.
In fact, the software was not submitted under Future Technologys name. Even if something did ur, it was the Zhou familys problem, it had nothing to do with Future Technology.
Ye Guolong couldnt resist the urge to curse at the dumbass Zhou in his mind, who didnt realize that the software was halfpleted.
But the Zhou family was not to be med. Though the system was halfpleted, it was definitely still usable. Only through a series of experiments would the w be exposed. One could say that they were too impatient.
After a brief moment of silence, he slowly opened his mouth, How long will it take toplete it?
A month would do.
Hearing Ye Guolong asked this question, he knew the incident was about to be resolved.
What kind of small problems did you encounter? Ye Guolong asked impassively.
This is the recorded message between the president of Linhua Group, Wang Linhua, and me. Jiang Chen put a USB on the table.
Frowning, Ye Guolong picked up the USB.
I will report the problem for you to the higher-ups Technicians should better stay away from politics.
I do too, but someone always wants to use politics against me, Jiang Chen shrugged and stated in a helpless voice.
After thinking for a moment, Ye Guolong said, the UAV Smart Control System 1.0s maintenance will be contracted by Zhongxin High Tech to Future Technology.
Zhongxin High Tech was the Zhou familys corporation responsible for the design of drones, a leading corporation participating in the military artificial intelligence project. It would be impossible to obtain the patent rights of the UAV Smart Control System 1.0 since he already gave the software to the Zhou family. Thus, it belonged to them now.
But Jiang Chen didnt mind becausepared to the profit of Future 1.0, the profit from this military artificial intelligence project was negligible. He viewed the skin of military techpany with utmost importance. With this, it was tantamount to the protection from the central authority. Wang Linhua must weigh it carefully before using the power of the system. A careless mistake could be regarded as treason.
Afterall, plotting against a military tech corporation was different than an ordinarypany.
So wouldnt Future Technology be considered as a military tech corporation? Jiang Chen smiled.
Thats right. Ye Guolong nodded, stood up, and extended his right hand again. As for the specifics of the agreement, Zhongxin High Techs representative will be here tomorrow to discuss it with you. I hope you will have great, outstanding contributions to the national security.
Of course. Jiang Chen shook Ye Guolongs hands, smiling.
Chapter 234 - Each Parties’ Response
Chapter 234: Each Parties Response
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Little Zhang, you drive.
Okay. The young man who stood behind Ye Guolong sat in the driver seat without a word and started the car.
Ye Guolong sat in the car, he yed with the USB in his hands, cracked a smile and stuffed it in his pocket.
The old guys at the Zhou and Wang family are embarrassing. F*ck, dont let the technical people be in politics. This is bullsheet, Ye Guolong cursed before he lit a cigarette for himself.
To be honest, he felt sympathy for people like Jiang Chen.
When he was young, he also experienced something simr. It was his hard work, but people pointed things out on the side. In the end, when the results came out, his name had to go behind theirs.
The good thing was that his technicals were strong. People without ability could no longer climb above a certain point, but he ended up prevailing to the top.
He was at the subdivision level, with colonel rank. In a few years, it wont be difficult to be enter the division level.
Because of his experiences in the past, the people he despised the most were people that wanted to steal the work of others. In his perspective, the technical people should stay away from politics and diligently focus on the technicals. Or how else could the strategy of the country to promote technology be achieved?
But it was only wishful thinking. With technology bing more and more political, even he had to y by the rules of the game.
He had seen Future 1.0. The humanputer interaction achieved to such a high level ofplexity. He still remembered how amazed he was at the intricate design of the system. What shocked him more was that an expert like him could not figure the fundamental principle of the software out. This made him amazed at the ingenious of the younger generation.
Seeing today, the rumored chief engineer, Jiang Chen, was a ster young man.
But unfortunately, even a ster individual like him still must face the treacherous acts of people with ill thoughts.
Although the smart drone control system 1.0 could no longer be categorized under Future Technologys name, even Future Technology has to be contracted to update and develop theter phase of the smart drone control system. Ye Guolong already made up his mind. Within the permissible boundary, he would fight for Jiang Chens interest as part of thepensation.
You are right Colonel Ye. Zhang Wei drove the car andughed.
Because of his identity, he could notment more on the topic.
Ye Guolong, knowing that, didnt discuss the topic further with him.
Go back to the hotel. We will go back to Shangjing; we have a lot of things to work on once we go back, Ye Guolong said nonchntly, as he opened the car window to dust his cigarette.
Okay.
Ye Guolong let the cold air inside the car as he abruptly said.
Speaking of this, Little Zhang.
Hmm? Zhang Wei smiled.
As someone of your age, what do you think of Jiang Chen as a person?
Zhang Wei hesitated for a moment.
In what area?
Anything, we are only chatting. Ye Guolong cracked a smile.
Very rich. Zhang Wei chuckled.
No sheet, I dont need you to say that.
I dont know if it is my illusion or not, but I think he has greatbat ability. Zhang Wei had a stern expression.
Greatbat ability? Compared to you? Ye Guolong asked curiously.
Of course I am a bit better since I did spend so many years at the border, Zhang Wei touched his nose and said.
Ye Guolongughed as he didnt say more. A soldiersbat abilitypared with a technical persons? It was not embarrassing at all.
But what Ye Guolong didnt know was, Zhang Wei was notpletely truthful.
Since it was his superior, how could he say he was weakpared to someone else? They were only chatting and would not actually fight.
But he had suspected that his illusion was wrong.
The instinct from the battlefield actually told him, if he met the person on the battlefield, he had no odds of winning at all.
Wanghai city UA Conste.
Smith sat at his table, with his legs crossed. He was drinking his afternoon tea while killing time reading the newspaper.
As the person responsible for the conste, if there were no foreign affair duties or a citizen causing trouble, he spent most of the time rxing. He enjoyed the feeling of no reporters checking in to see if he had wasted taxpayers money or not. He could rxingly enjoy the afternoon during work.
If the air were a bit better here, it would be perfect. But of course, he knew not everything could be perfect.
Then, the sound of the door being pushed open signaled the end to his rxing afternoon.
Mr. Smith. I think this is the second time I have seen you drinking tea in the afternoon, A yellow-skinned young man said in a ridiculing tone as he walked in with speedy steps, grabbed a chair without care and sat in front of Smiths table.
If Jiang Chen were here, he would be shocked to find out that the Han young man was precisely Zhang Youjie. The one that described himself as a conste worker and tried to lure him to immigrate.
Ahem, is CIB that bored that you are doing the job of the inspectors? Althoughining, Smith still stuffed the newspaper in his hands into the drawer and folded his hand together. Speak your mind, what kind of trouble did you cause.
Zhang Youjie was not a conste worker at all. Although his name is on the list, he is actually a CIB agent. This secret, only Smith as the Consul General knows about.
No trouble. I just got an interesting piece of information from our insider. Zhang Youjie took out his phone and slid it across the table.
Smith nced at the tightly shut door before he looked at the picture on the screen.
Jiang Chen? I heard of this person before. The president of Future Technology. Wall Street seems to think highly of this person, stating he is the second Steve Jobs
Everyone knows him, especially the Consul General who spends time reading the newspaper during work. Zhang Youjie had no considerations for Smith as he nced at the guy displeasingly. Smith sniffed his nose and ignored his ridicule.
Therefore? Is there a problem with this guy?
Our intel had always suggested that Future Technologys artificial intelligences value was not as high as we had imagined. Since Future 1.0s basic principle was logical answering, as opposed to say they are advanced in software design, it would be fairer to say they have a strong understanding of human psychology. Although the encryption on the database is shocking, it is not advanced to the point worth our effort.
Therefore? Smith didnt look like he was too interested.
The situation has changed.
Future Technology has demonstrated value worth your effort now, am I right?
Thats right. Zhang Youjie smiled mysteriously and lowered his voice. Based on insider information, the smart drone control system designed by Zhongxin High Tech is actually from the president and chief developer of Future Technology - Jiang Chen.
This is surprising information, Smith turned more serious, he leaned against the chair and muttered to himself.
Based on the sources analysis, this smart control system will be used on Dragon II High altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, it could be used to guide the DF-21D Anti-ship ballistic missile. Because of the barrier in design, the Dragon IIs control system has been dyed and expected to bepleted by May of next year. But because of this godd*mn Future Technology, our little friends in the South Hua Sea are too nervous to sleep now, Zhang Youjie cursed out.
Its only software, is it worth being so dramatic about?
Zhang Youjie nced at Smith.
Based on the information as well as the analysis conducted by the Pentagon, this artificial intelligence could allow Dragon IIs hardware utilization efficiency to increase by 10% more than expected. Do you know what this means?
I dont know, but I feel CIB doesnt seem to dislike Future Technology. Smith shrugged.
Of course, because the possibility of a partnership remains.
Oh? Smith looked curiously at Zhang Youjie, Partnership?
Thats right, based on my research, Future Technology had a conflict with Linhua Technology, but Linhua Technology has connections to the political scene. Therefore, Future Technology received a hindrance to its growth. To alleviate the pressure from the connection, he had to submit this software to Zhongxin High Tech to gain protection. Zhang Youjie had a dubious smile on his face. We can use this point to convince him. The ticket to the free world, the support from the capitals, there is no way he would not be tempted.
These godd*mn connections. God, this word is hard to pronounce, but I like it. Smith began to chuckle.
So I need your help. Zhang Youjie leaned against the chair, fingers crossed.
Of course, at your service. But what if he is not interested anymore?
Make idents happen to him, and also give a warning to the team behind him.
After sending Ye Guolong away, Jiang Chen returned to his mansion.
Because she didnt like strangers, when guests came, Ayesha went to her bedroom. When she saw that the guests had left, she came downstairs.
Seeing Jiang Chens delighted smile, Ayesha also felt happy for him and tilted her head.
Did something good happen?
Somewhat, but there is definitely going to be more troubles than before. Jiang Chen smiled as he rubbed Ayeshas head.
Is it troubles I could help with? Ayesha put her hand over his as she asked softly.
Mhmm, I need to give you a gun, not a sniper Could the Type 11 tactical pistol work?
Anything is fine, I have practiced hundreds of times in the virtual reality chamber.
Inside her blue pupils radiated warmth.
Jiang Chen rubbed Ayeshas head again, got up, and narrowed his eyes while looking at the bright sunshine outside. He muttered to himself.
This is troublesome. Do I have to be careful even when Im just on the streets?
Chapter 235 - Sunbathe in the Apocalypse
Chapter 235: Sunbathe in the Apocalypse
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Then? You brought out a more advanced technology and submitted it to the superior of the person that threatened you? Sun Jiao lied on the beach chair. Her red lips bit the straw, and she said sluggishly.
Although your understanding is a bit weird, it is not wrong. Jiang Chen shrugged.
Ancient people are so troublesome, if there is a problem, solve it with nukes. Lin Lin bit on the stic spoon and said without consideration.
She spoke before the words processed through her brain, so Jiang Chen selectively ignored it.
Nukes. It is better not to use it. Since The scenery on that side is so beautiful. On top of the chair, dangling her pale and thin legs, Yao Yao tilted her head.
Right now, the four were rxingly sunbathing.
Wait, how could they be sunbathing in the apocalypse? Especially in the winter time when the average temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius.
They had to thank Lin Lin.
After Lin Lin heard about the magic known as sunbathing, she longed for the ancient culture and immediately began to work in the backyard of the mansion.
She first took over the private pool used to store gold, then begged Sun Jiao to order the bases construction team to use polyethylene insted wall to tightly surround the pool and add air filter vent. Then, she covered the swimming pool with sand.
Immediately, she then used multiple artificial UV light devices to replicate natural light. She installed it on the ceiling and simted the suns position based on the time and angle of the light.
Finally, shevishly used hologram projection devices and wlessly replicated a beach environment. Other than not being able to sleep in the water and no saline sea wind, there wasnt any big differences to the real thing.
Although Jiang Chen mocked her for all her effort as it would be simpler to use virtual reality to experience the joy. But Lin Lin argued, the virtual world and real world are twopletely unconnected things! This is the necessary experiment to research traveling through dimensions! to negate his mockery.
All in all, after her work, the sunbathing experience waspleted.
The room temperature was adjusted to 30 Celcius, even in the cold wastnd winter, they could enjoy the warmth of the summer beach.
Woo, I do agree with Lin Lins proposal. Sun Jiao sipped on the cold coke as she pouted.
Seeing that someone agreed with her perspective, Lin Lin immediately proudly raised her head.
The civil society has civil societys rules, how could one just pull out nukes randomly. Jiang Chen facepalmed.
Civilized people are so problematic, Sun Jiao muttered.
Therefore, things on the other side are not easy, Jiang Chen said helplessly while grabbing a beer from the ice-filled box and taking a big gulp.
The cold beer sliding down his throat was a thrilling feel.
He burped and lied rxingly on the chair, enjoying the rare moment of peace.
The reason why he appeared here was purely because he had a little bit of free time in his busy schedule. Then he was dragged here by Sun Jiao and Yao Yao to sunbath.
At first, he was not really interested, because this artificial sunbathing experience didnt look too fun.
But he quickly changed his mind.
Of course, the bikini is core to the beach.
The bikini formed with delicate whiteces and transparent clothes covered most of the skin but had an intricate and cute vibe to it. Without guessing, it obviously belonged to Yao Yao.
With ckce as the main structure, the bikini that only barely covered the essential parts with seduction and sexiness naturally belonged to Miss Sun Jiao.
As to Lin Lin, her almost blinding white skin made people particrly jealous. The digitalized metabolic function meant that she didnt even need sunscreen to carelessly enjoy the sun.
Because it was too boring just to lie there quietly, Jiang Chen began to tell them about the things that happened on the other side.
But this type of outdated technology, is it really okay? Yao Yao quietly said.
Although it was Jiang Chens special request, for her to create the wed smart drone control system, it still made the benevolent Yao Yao feel guilty.
It is already really advanced. If it is more advanced, then there would be new problems. Jiang Chen rubbed Yao Yaos head and smiled.
Technology from 2020. It would be considered extremely outdated to todays standard. Even the programmingnguage was the most primal, but it was advanced to the modern world.
If you cant use nukes, what about power armors? Lin Lin continued to propose bad ideas as if the world is not chaotic enough. A technology discrepancy of 150 years, a power armor alone would destroy that Linhua Group right? And there wouldnt be any nuclear radiation.
Jiang Chen facepalmed, why ismunication so difficult.
Although he would definitely bring out the power armor, absolutely not now.
But wouldnt be too long until that happens.
Linhua group is not a military organization, how should I say this All in all, they are just a normalpany. You have spent too long in virtual reality, how would you not know what apany is?
Umm, I didnt leave the hospital in virtual reality, Lin Lin murmured in a small voice.
Is there no military? Sun Jiao bit the straw as she said with authority. Thats even easier, I can wipe them all out by myself.
Then, she picked up another can of coke. She was on her fifth one.
Sun Jiao seemed to be particrly fond of coke.
[Why are they so violent Yao Yao is more gentle.]
But hearing their words, Jiang Chens heart felt warm.
Although they had no understanding of the other world, they still warmheartedly gave him ideas, caring for him.
Hows your research going? Lin Lin? Jiang Chen asked nonchntly.
He referred to carrying live beings through the interdimensional space.
Lin Lin pouted her mouth in remorse and shook her head.
Are you stuck Dont worry, take it slow, Jiang Chenforted her.
With research, there is no use in rushing, although he wants to see results earlier too.
Then what do you n to do? Although I dont know civilized peoples way of doing things, if you bring out the technology today, maybe tomorrow they will discuss with you the possibility of other technology, Sun Jiao said.
There is no need, I only need some time, Jiang Chen shook his head, Ill leave by March at thetest. Once Spring starts, the required food for the Sixth Street trade will be gathered overseas. The software will be my departing gift since that ce is my home country.
Military tech is not military purchase, there was no room to coborate with an external force. Since the research team is supposed to be overseas. Jiang Chen only stated he was only the representative for that research team in Hua. Once theplete version has been passed on to Zhongxin High Tech, the subsequent update would not easily be given to Future Technology. Once they have the source code, Zhongxin High Tech would likely improve on thepleted version then create a final version. The subsequent update would bepleted by them without much trouble.
Within this month, his ability to leave the country would likely be restricted, but it would not be so problematic once he passed on the software.
Since Jiang Chen was not the developer, he was only a representative.
If the research team is not in the country, it would be futile even if they controlled him.
In the next month, he would only have to prove he is a representative. For example, travel around? Or head home. As long he pretended to be not writing the code, the assumption of the research team being factitious would no longer stand.
Controlling a representative would not bring any material benefits. It would be simr to the control of an embassy not being able to force the other country to give grounds in foreign affairs.
By that time, even if he really wanted to go, there wouldnt be any difficulties.
Perhaps someone would try to convince him to stay, but it would be impossible to force him to stay.
At least there wouldnt be a fool like Wang Linhua, gambling on if Jiang Chen was the only developer.
What are you going to do with Linhua Group? Sun Jiao asked.
I said I will make him regret. Jiang Chens smile was evil.
Looking at Jiang Chens expression, Sun Jiao smiled and didnt say more.
At this time, the tablet on the table began to sh.
Your phone. Lin Lin used the stic spoon for the pudding to point at the tablet on the table.
Jiang Chen grabbed the tablet as he pressed the pick up button.
The image was first blurry before it quickly stabilized.
Ayesha appeared on the other side of the screen. When Jiang Chen left, he gave his EP to her and told her to contact him if anything happened.
Did anything happen?
Your phone just rang, it was Wang Dehai.
Mhmm, I see, Ill head back immediately.
Then, he hung up.
Umm? Is that your woman on the other side? Sun Jiao was thinking about something as her gaze became mischievous. Your taste is quite good.
Are you jealous? Jiang Chen joked.
How is that possible. Sun Jiao looked at him with charm, Are her boobs bigger than mine?
Bigger doesnt always mean better. Even if it is a bit smaller, it can still be delicious Yao Yao used a small voice to argue.
I agree. Lin Lin raised her hands, but then she smirked at Yao Yao without any good intention, But for Yao Yao, there is nothing at all.
QQ!
Chapter 236 - Meeting Wang Dehai Again
Chapter 236: Meeting Wang Dehai Again
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When he returned to the modern world, Jiang Chen returned the call.
During the conversation, Wang Dehai didnt mention what happened in the past few weeks at all and ceremonially praised Future Technologys outstanding achievement. Of course, he didnt mention the specific contribution, since name wise, the smart drone control system was the Zhou familys work. Then he briefly asked Jiang Chen toe to the municipal government when he has time before he hung up.
He took the EP back from Ayesha.
Are you going to go out? Seeing that Jiang Chen changed, Ayesha said gently.
Mhmm. Jiang Chen nodded, then smiled. I need to go to the municipal government. The old fox Wang Dehai wants to see me, so its better for me to go soon.
Do you need me to apany you?
Drive for me. Jiang Chen rubbed Ayeshas head.
Mhmm. Ayesha obediently nodded. Let me go change.
Then, she turned around to go back to her room.
She changed into a ck trenchcoat and tied her brown hair back into a ponytail. On top her high nose bridge was a pair of shades. She certainly did look like a cold and merciless bodyguard.
Although she always acted like a newlywed wife.
The two went into the garage and got into the car.
Ayesha started the car, and Jiang Chen put on the seatbelt. When the car drove out of themunity, Jiang Chen scanned out the tainted window.
Is there something wrong?
Nothing, maybe just my illusion. Jiang Chen muttered before he leaned back in the chair.
For a moment, he felt someone was watching him.
When they arrived at the municipal government building, Jiang Chen got out of the car, and Ayesha stayed behind.
A smart looking, middle-aged man stood at the door waiting. When he saw Jiang Chen, he walked straight towards him.
Hello, Mr. Jiang.
Hello. And you are?
Wu Bo, Secretary Wangs assistant. Wu Bo extended his hand and shook with Jiang Chen. Then with a courteous gesture, he said, Please follow me.
The two didnt speak along the way. When he took Jiang Chen to Wang Dehais office, Wu Bo left.
Pushing the door open, Jiang Chen once again saw the aged but still dogmatic-looking face.
Please take a seat. Seeing Jiang Chen, Wang Dehai smiled and gestured for him to sit.
Jiang Chen nodded and sat on the sofa before he too looked at Wang Dehai with a smile.
Its been a while, is Uncle Wangs health doing well?
Very well. With the pen thrown into the pen holder, Wang Dehai looked deeply at Jiang Chen, then he said, Little Jiang, you have been hiding quite well.
Jiang Chen obviously knew what he referred to. Wang Dehai wouldnt know that the smart drone control system 1.0 actually was created by Yao Yao not long after the meeting with Zhou Zihao.
It only took two days to exchange the video with Zhou Zihao. It didnt take three months of development time.
Not hid well, just preparing for the worst, Jiang Chen said humbly.
But this humble attitude didnt please Wang Dehai.
Wang Dehai sniffed,ughed, and looked at Jiang Chen with eyes full of another meaning.
I remember that you told me two months ago, Future Technologys artificial intelligence has no value in the military.
Future 1.0 dont possess any military value, but the smart drone control system does, Jiang Chen replied expressionlessly.
The smart drone control system 1.0 was created by Future Technology, everyone knew this secret.
After a pause, Wang Dehai slowly said, Linhua Groups shareholder meeting is canceled.
What this sentence means was Linhua Groups equity infusion of Future Technology has died in its infancy. Disregarding the promise given by Ye Guolong, SASAC would not vote in favor of this proposition. When the people on the top specifically said to take care of Future Technology, how could Wang Dehai use the power of policy to help Wang Linhua?
Without Wang Dehais support, the wlessly operated Future Technology was left with weaknesses for Wang Linhua to take advantage of.
A wise decision because Future Technology never had the intention to sell shares. Jiang Chen smiled.
Why are you not satisfied with Linhua Groups proposal? Wang Dehai asked emotionlessly.
The hundred millions of monthly tax revenue for the local government is too little? Your life is not worth it? Jiang Chenughed and asked rhetorically.
Even with more tax, it was still the governments money, it would only be Wang Dehais political achievement, but Wang Dehai already has that in his book. If he could cut a piece of the cake from Future Technology, it would fit the Wang familys interest more. But since Jiang Chen did save his life, and practically helped the Wang family, it was not right for him to do this.
Especially due to thest sentence, Wang Dehai was ashamed. The other person saved his life, but when Wang Linhua proposed to use Linhua Group to acquire Future Technology, he didnt stop him, but rather he permitted by acquiescence.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Wang Dehais face turned red and shifted his gaze away from Jiang Chen.
Wang Linhua was at fault in this event. I have talked to him already. But since the unpleasant event didnt happen, could Mr. Jiang let this go? Wang Dehai asked slowly.
[Let it go? You are trying to get out of this. There is plenty of opportunities in the future to teach you a lesson.]
Wang Dehai nodded as he picked up a document from the table. He lightly coughed before he started reading.
For Future Technologys outstanding contribution to national security in the high tech industry, on behalf of the Wanghai city government, I am honored to praise
Jiang Chen quietly waited for him to read through the bullsheet before he epted the certificate.
So thats all for today?
Thats right. Wang Dehai nodded.
Then Ill go back. Jiang Chen smiled and picked the pile of documents before leaving for the door.
Wait. Wang Dehai abruptly stopped Jiang Chen.
Hmm? Jiang Chen stopped and turned around.
The thing you got from Zhou Zihao Is it that? Wang Dehai asked in an undertone.
I dont know what you are talking about. Jiang Chen shrugged as he smiled at Wang Dehai.
The two silently gazed at each other.
How do you n to use that thing.
Dont worry, I will never use that thing. Pausing, Jiang Chen then continued, Of course, on the basis that the Wang family remains restraint.
Then, Jiang Chen disregarded the gloom on Wang Dehais face and left his office.
But what Wang Dehai didnt see was, the instant he turned around, a contemptuous smile appeared Jiang Chens face before it vanished.
[Linhua Group?]
[The sentence I hope you dont regret this is not merely a joke.]
Chapter 237 - Will you kindly step into the jar?
Chapter 237: Will you kindly step into the jar?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Inside Linhua Building.
Wang Linhua sat in front of the office table with a gloomy look on his face.
The meat that was almost in his hands somehow slipped away and he couldnt do anything about it. His mood was obviously not too pleasant because Jiang Chen suddenly introduced the smart drone control system 1.0 whichpletely disrupted his ns.
The domestic real estate on the market was contracting due to the high price, but no market became apparent by the day. Linhua Group during 2008 was indeed very profitable, but it was going downhill. With the poption aging and the growth of excessive housing, the downhill trend to the real estate market was almost irreversible.
Even with the introduction of policies such as decreased interest rate, the second child, it was still too difficult to reserve the inevitable trend of the downfall to the real estate market.
Just like the previous glorious, but now doomed coal industry, the real estate market will have to ept its inevitable fate. This point could be demonstrated by the shaky results on the financial report of Linhua group. While still in the positive, but their margin was getting narrower.
Wang Linhua, who could foresee the end to this industry, obviously was not going to wait for his own death.
There were only two choices in front of Linhua Group.
One to expand to the international market, two to shift into a different industry.
It was challenging to expand into the international market, for simple reasons. Due to the identity of thergest shareholder of Linhua group. While this skin worked well domestically, it didnt fair too well internationally. The current status quo is, to slice a share of the cake in the international market, then they would have to use the money to do so. Although Linhua Group had money, they were not like CNPC who could not care about losses and depend on government for subsidization. This route could work but at too high of a cost.
Especially because the international market was not within the territory of the Wang family, this increased too many variables for investment. The people back home didnt dare to trick you, but it would a different case outside. Once on the international stage, they may not withstand the test of capital.
As a careful consideration, Wang Linhua didnt use the first option.
On the second hand, it was easier to shift to a different industry. Just like the mine owners that sold the unprofitable mines, some invested in sports, some in movies, even some entered the real estate market to eat the leftovers.
While Linhua Group was prepared to enter the entertainment industry. But at this time, Future Technologys rapid growth gave Wang Linhua a tempting idea.
One software, a few servers, thirty-something programmers and sales would do. Once the software received recognition by the market, cash would be flying in.
Although Wang Linhua was lusting for Future Technologys profit, he consciously knew that tech was an industry where risk and reward both existed. Even Buffet didnt dare to invest in it, which meant that the risk and reward were not proportional.
Therefore, he had some scandalous ideas.
High risk, it only referred to the techpany that hasnt managed to secure a stable source of revenue generation. For Future Technology that already has done so, there was no risk. As long as he controlled Future Technology, and use this as the point to enter the tech industry, Linhua Group would smoothlyplete its transition!
Future Technologys operating condition was smooth, had stable cash flow, the capitalists at Wall Street with bundles of cash could not exchange away Jiang Chens share. But for Wang Linhua it was not a big deal. In this country, having money meant nothing, or there wouldnt be so many people with money leaving.
But Jiang Chen didnt manage to leave yet. Future Technologys primary operation was in the country. Before it could even enter the world stage, it was the perfect opportunity to make his move!
As long as he controlled Future Technology, he could enjoy the current profits and lead Future Technology to expand into the military tech field. Military artificial intelligence happened to be the strategic focus of the national defense now. It would not only increase the Wang familys stake politically, but it could also allow the core asset of the Wang family smoothly transition through the downward trend in the real estate market.
Two birds with one stone.
Because of this, Wang Dehai would permit his action.
But unfortunately, his n fell through.
Wang Linhua rubbed his sore temple and picked up a document on the table. He forced himself to focus on the work at hand and not think about those bothersome things.
But then, there was a knock at the door.
With a frown, Wang Linhua cleared his throat.
Pleasee in.
His secretary walked in with a pile of documents in his hands.
What good thing just happened? You are so happy, Seeing the smile on the secretarys face, Wang Linhuas eyebrows jumped as he said emotionlessly.
President Wang, thepany just received a big project. Calming his excitement, his secretary Zheng Kai spoke with a trembling voice.
How big of a project? Wang Linhua nted his mouth as he leaned against the chair.
Big project? The number of buildings yet to be sold are almost rotting in Linhua Groups hands. Knowing that it was hard to sell houses and that the stock market seemed to be rising again, who would save the housing market now?
Its a project overseas. With initial estimates totaling over ten billion USD!
Hearing this, Wang Linhuas eyes widened as he immediately sat up.
What did you say? An overseas project? How much?
Ten billion USD
He stood up from his chair, circled the table, and ripped the documents from the secretarys hand as he looked emotionally at the documents in hand.
Pannu Inds 680 square kilometers tourism,mercial as well as basic infrastructure agreement Johnny International? Wang Linhua was more and more excited as he read through the document, but when he saw thepany name, he paused for a moment.
He never saw this name before.
They have passed through the credit check for the first phase of construction fee. It is rumored that the party behind them is a South African Goldpany, they have two mines that could be used as coteral for the loan, so it should be fairly trustworthy. Zheng Kai saw the skepticism on Wang Linhuas face as he rushed to exin.
He had heard about Pannu Inds before; a small country with rtively rich tourism resources butcked infrastructure development. The foreign rtion of Pannu and Hua was just stable, although they have a conste in Wanghai city, they still rented an apartment in Shangjing as an embassy.
Because they didnt have the money to build the basic infrastructure, they naturally could not attract investments. But if capitals were willing to heavily invest in the ind country on the Pacific, everything would be different.
Based on this proposals content, the project would be divided into four phases. After thepletion of the first phase, Johnny International would pay the first phase of two billion USD in agreement, then the remaining eight billion would be paid at the end of the construction. As to the guarantee fee of two billion, it would be paid using thend near the construction zone of 110 square kilometers, a 70 square kilometers adjacent ind as well as cash.
Paying withnd pleased Wang Linhua perfectly.
Without exaggeration, once the ten billion USD infrastructure ispleted, thend sold to him at a discount would more than double in price! As to whether thend would be developed by themselves, or sold to other people, it would be profit regardless.
Wang Linhuas hands trembled.
Even if he had seen the ups and downs in life, a ten billion dor contract was a first.
This contract, for the Linhua Group in the stagnant domestic market, was an opportunity.
He didnt get overblown by the amazing deal. Inhaling a few times to calm his breath, Wang Linhua told his secretary in an undertone.
Pannu Inds political environment, Johnny Internationals background, I need you to give me a detailed report in two days. Do your job and your bonus doubles.
There was too much unknown in the international market. Without a detailed investigation, a wrong investment could send thepany crashing. Even if the proposal was attractive, Wang Linhua didnt let his guard down because of this.
But when he saw the two gold mines as coteral in the appendix of the proposal, as well as the asset verification from the UA side, he began to feel floaty.
Yes! Hearing his bonus could double, Zheng Kai was ecstatic and immediately left the office.
Seeing that Zheng Kai closed the door, Wang Linhua threw the folded documents on the table, the gloom on his face vanished.
[This is god helping me! How did that saying goMisfortune may actually be a blessing.]
Wang Linhua almost wanted to shout to the sky to unleash his thrilled emotion.
Although he lost the opportunity to control Future Technology, there was a major breakthrough in the international market.
After taking a few more deep breaths, Wang Linhua grabbed his phone and called the person responsible for managing the Wang family asset.
Once the ten billion USD deal is revealed, Linhua Groups market capitalization would without a doubt double! Because of his pessimism towards the real estate market, he used the bull market before to decrease Linhua Groups holding. But now, he must increase his holding again through the secondary market. He must do this before the details are revealed so that he can increase the holding of the Wang family in Linhua Group and maximize their gains!
Wang Linhua excitedly licked his lips before he sat back in his chair. He picked up the phone, called the manager of each department as he nned for a brief meeting.
They must win this contract!
But not even in his dreams could he imagine Jiang Chen had dug a giant hole for him, waiting for him - the Wang family to jump inside.
(1) Will you kindly step into the jar? - Try what you have devised against others.
Chapter 238 - The Bodyguard from the General Staff Department
Chapter 238: The Bodyguard from the General Staff Department
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
I already called that Irish guy, that bastard must have started already. Hehe, you are such a bad person. Linhua Group would cry in a few months. Robert cussed in jest.
I just want the greedy people to pay for their sin, Jiang Chen shrugged and said nonchntly.
The Wang n would never imagine that Johnny International was just a puppet established by Jiang Chen through Robert. Once he subverted the current government of Pannu Inds, that Johnny International would dere bankruptcy, and the contract between Wang Linhua and Johnny International would be nothing but a piece of paper.
This 10 billion USD project would leave the Wang family in ruins.
So when do you n to leave? Robert asked.
I may have to dy until January. Im afraid I can only stay in the country this month, Jiang Chen uttered helplessly.
Restraining order? I understand, Robert smirked.
When he came back to the UA from Iraq, he was put on a restraining order by FBA until he was able to close the shellpany in Saudi and dispose of the tanker that was used to transport crude oil. It was only then that his name was finally removed from the cklists off major airlinepanies.
Only a month. It would get better after this month. Hows training at the base? Jiang Chen asked, yawning.
Already done. ording to Ivans report, these rookies are now resembling a real soldier.
Jiang Chen nodded. Once the training waspleted, they could proceed to the next n.
What about that Irish guy?
Superb acting. He yed the antagonist role to the extreme, Robert reported passionately. Other than the politicians he bribed, not one person on the Pannu Inds doesnt hate that guy.
Then ording to the script, the savior should be there soon. The corner of Jiang Chens lips curved.
Thats right, so you have to be faster.
Jiang Chen hung up the phone, stretched, put the satellite phone in his pocket, and leaned against the chair.
This month would be rxing, however, starting tomorrow, he would no longer be able to stay home.
Only by wandering outside and allowing those skeptics to see for themselves that the program was truly not his creation would he could be considered safe.
This was very easy as long as those people testified that he hadnt touched theputer at this period of time, and he wouldnt have the time tomit the crime. Then he would suddenlye up with a finished product a monthter, those skeptics would naturally be discredited.
Just as Jiang Chen thought if he should call Liu Yao to tell her the dy in their vacation to Pannu Inds, there was suddenly a gentle knock on the door.
Is there anything you need me for? Jiang Chen turned around and saw Ayesha standing at the door.
Someone wants to see you, Ayesha said softly.
[Hes here already?]
Mhmm, I see, leave it up to me. Smiling, Jiang Chen got up from the chair.
A ck Santana parked outside the courtyard of the mansion, a man standing like a statue stood outside the steel gate.
1.8m high, slightly dark skin, with a sharp buzz cut, facial feature could only be described as ordinary. The vintage grey jacket made him even more ordinary. But if one underestimated his ability, without a doubt, they would pay the price for thatespecially those spies from the hostile force.
Sauntering to the gate, Jiang Chen gave him a friendly smile and opened the door for him.
General Staff Department, Dagger, the man meticulously said and extended his right hand.
The man called Dagger was the bodyguard that the bigwigs had sent to protect Jiang Chens safety. One part was to protect him, the other to keep an eye on him. But Jiang Chen didnt mind since it was only for a month.
Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen he said in a casual tone and shook his hand.
The moment they hand shook, Daggers appeared astonished as he stared at Jiang Chen is disbelief.
In response to Daggers faces bewilderment, Jiang Chen merely smiled and let go.
Had Mr. Jiang worked with guns before? Dagger asked in an undertone.
I yed with them overseas. I dont think this breaks anyw. Jiang Chenughed.
Dagger did not respond and nodded, and then he took out a document from his inner pocket and handed it to Jiang Chen.
From today onwards, your safety will be my responsibility until the program is developed and transferred to Zhongxin High Tech. If you have any concerns or if youre displeased with my performance, you can call the number provided in the document to report to my superior. I will do my best to do my work to the best of my ability without affecting your daily life, but I hope Mr. Jiang can also cooperate with me. In the next 30 days, please avoid traveling in crowded ces as much as possible, so as to reduce the difficulty of my work.
Will I encounter any danger? Jiang Chen frowned slightly.
We dont rule out the possibility of encountering external forces agents, Dagger responded tersely.
Jiang Chen nodded.
He had already expected this situation to ur until thepletion of the program. If anyone wanted to prevent Hua from getting their hands on UAVs Smart Control System 1.0, targeting him would be the easiest choice.
But after this month, the situation should be a lot safer.
No problem, do I need to provide you with a room?
The man called Dagger shook his head.
No need, I will maintain a certain distance with you, Mr. Jiang can pretend I dont exist.
Then where will you stay? Jiang Chen chuckled.
Dagger pointed at the ck Santana behind him.
Ill be okay in the car. Call me if you encounter any special situation.
No problem. Jiang Chen shrugged. Just as he was about to say that was all, he suddenly remembered and asked, What about my family?
Rest assured, our people are already secretly protecting them, Dagger answered positively.
In fact, Jiang Chen himself was not too scared of the threat of the external force. As for individualbat power, no one in this world could match him, even the agent from General Staff Department named Dagger. The only thing he was anxious about was his family in the far Hucheng.
Although Dagger had already stated that they were protecting them, Jiang Chen was still worried.
The original n was to go home in New Year to give the two elders a surprise, as well as carefully exin his current situation. Since some words were better off said in person rather than on phone.
But now, it seemed to be necessary to head back earlier.
Jiang Chen briefly exined his recent itinerary to Dagger before he returned to the mansion.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Jiang Chen stored the virtual reality training chamber in the storage dimension. With nothing to do after Ayeshapleted her two-hour training program, she started watching TV.
Seeing that Jiang Chen came back, she lowered the TV volume and asked, Is it done?
Mhmm. What do you think about the ability of that person? Jiang Chen was naturally referring to Dagger.
Weaker than me. Only after a moments thought, Ayesha came to this conclusion, and then she went on without hesitation, At least when I was observing him, he didnt notice my gaze at all.
If Dagger heard thisment, he would probably have the urge tomit suicide by smashing his head onto a block of tofu.
My Ayesha is already this strong? Jiang Chen praised her and couldnt resist rubbing the brown hair.
Her gorgeous face blushing, Ayesha timidly lowered her head.
After all, I have alreadypleted at least 500 times of training sessions in the system Is that level of bodyguard necessary? I alone should be enough to protect you.
Even for a veteran soldier, it would be impossible toplete 500 missions in peacetime. Considering realism of the virtual reality system and the increase in physical ability due to the gic vine, the experienced agent Dagger would naturally lose to Ayesha.
Somethings may not be what they appear on the surface. Rather than saying that the bodyguard Dagger is here to protect me, it is more fitting to say he is keeping an eye on me. Jiang Chen shrugged.
A prating light shed across Ayeshas eyes while she softly uttered lethal words, Do you want me to get rid of him?
Ahem, that would cause more trouble, so just ignore him for now. Itll be difficult this month, but after this month, we can then move.
Move? This ce is not good? Ayesha asked as she tilted her head.
Its not about good or badthere are too many things to consider here, Jiang Chen exined in simple terms as he didnt want to do too much exnation about this issue.
Ayesha half-knowingly nodded.
In regard to the trouble that Jiang Chen was facing, she didnt really understand. But she was clear on one point: regardless of he faced, as long as he needed her, she was willing to raise her gun for him.
Just like what happened in Veit.
With her hands encircling Jiang Chens neck, her blue eyes gazed softly at the ck pupils.
Wherever you will go, Ill always be with you.
Jiang Chen felt his heart being filled with warmth. Heart throbbing, Jiang Chen bit the lovely, red lips.
The quiet atmospherested for a long while before the two parted.
I n to go back to Hucheng tomorrow.
Hucheng? Your hometown? She vaguely recalled Jiang Chen mentioning it before.
Mhmm, I will stay there for a month. Take some change of clothes with you.
Hearing this, Ayeshas face all the sudden turned red as a rare hint of coyness crept into her voice.
Couldcould I meet your parents?
Jiang Chen paused before a troubled look appeared on his face.
[Its okay, but it feels]
Forget it if its troublesome, Ayesha softly said, albeit slightly disappointed.
She didnt want him to feel troubled.
No, not troublesome at allbut you have to promise me one thing. Jiang Chen opened his mouth looking somewhat awkward.
Mhmm! The blue pupils began to show an excited look.
When my parents ask you about your age, say that youre over 18
Chapter 239 - The Glorious Return
Chapter 239: The Glorious Return
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Hucheng, a tranquil and beautiful small town that sat on the east side of Fanyang Lake.
Compared to a major metropolitan like Wanghai City, the pace of life here was slow. There were no towering skyscrapers, crowded streets, nor an endless stream of traffic on the streets. The buildings along the streets were only four or five stories high with first floor shops. This type of scenery was hard to see in Wanghai city.
After being used to the propensity of the big city, asionally breathing the air of a small town indeed was a unique experience.
Watching the familiar but strange scenes outside the window, Jiang Chen somehow felt mncholic abouting home.
Since he entered Wanghai university five years ago, he rarely came back. After his graduation, he didnt even go home. He calcted, since thest time he came, it has been more than two years.
With the dream of building his own career in the big city, as well as being a proud university student, he swore when he graduated that without bing sessful, he will nevere back. Now that he thought about it, when he graduated, he didnt live the best life.
But life is always filled with countless coincidences. The life full of hardships onlysted for a year before his life became a fantastic journey that was almost impossible to imagine. Not only did he drive a luxury car apanied by a beauty, a Senata from the General Staff Department followed him.
Not even the governor of the province could receive this type of treatment.
When the car passed through the high school he attended, the familiar gate as well as the aged face in the security room shed by. Looking at the rusty school emblem, Jiang Chen felt even more mncholic.
Should we stop here for a bit? Ayesha noticed the change in Jiang Chens expression as she caringly asked.
No need, I want to go home earlier. Taking a deep breath, Jiang Chen shook his head.
The people he longed for the most was without a doubt his parents.
Finallying home
Looking at the familiar street, a genuine smile appeared on his face.
Mhmm. Ayesha scanned the GPS and elerated.
The ck Senata following them also picked up the speed as it followed Jiang Chens Maybach without missing a beat.
It was a young man sitting in the driver seat. He looked sharp, but also unsettled. He looked like he was new to the job. The man called Dagger sat in the passenger seat. With eyes narrowed, he looked like he was taking a nap. But the people who know him all knew, if you thought he was asleep, you would be absolutely wrong.
Business people are so damn rich, Miao Jun holding the steering wheel stared at the Maybach and said enviously.
Living in a mansion, driving a luxury car.
But envy was envy. With his meager sry, there was no hope of buying a car like that.
Dagger opened his eyes to nce at his partner before continuing to close his eyes. His voice sounded reminiscent.
Experience life more when you are young. When the time is right, someone will ask you if you will leave or get promoted. If you decide to leave, once you take off your uniform, you can go work as a bodyguard for rich people. The money you earn is enough to buy one.
The people wealthy enough to hire ex-agents as bodyguards would not cheap out on the money. Since the bodyguards loyalty is connected to their life. Therades that he worked with within the General Staff Department that chose to leave all made enough money not only for a car but a lovely house. But him, with all forms of injuries, only the shiny badges brought somefort.
But he didnt regret anything. Because he is a soldier, the moment he enlisted, he decided to continue down this route.
Miao Jun looked at Dagger in shock andughed in embarrassment.
Well see. Leaving the army is still too far away.
Dagger cracked a smile, and the wrinkles on his face were squished together.
Although his partner named Miao Jun didnt say anything, he knew the young man would decide to leave the army. It was a different time now. Nothing wrong to consider more for yourself. There were only foolish men like him who would contribute his entire life to the greater good.
Not early, make up your mind earlier. Once this mission ispleted, your profile will be promoted. If you perform well, it wont be long before someone asks you the question.
Haha, Commander Dagger, what do you think about my ability. Miao Junughed with a sense of pride in his voice.
He had the pride of the young generation. Since he was a top student from military school, regardless if it was digital warfare, fighting, or shooting, he obtained A+ in every category. He did have the right to be prideful.
But Dagger justughed and said.
Enough to be a bodyguard for a small boss, but still too naive for people who fear death.
He didnt hear the praise he expected to hear. Miao Yun paused for a moment as he made an awkward face.
People who fear death?
Dagger didnt respond to Miao Juns question as he closed his eyes and continued to rest.
Miao Jun nced at the oldmander, displeased.
[As the neer of the new generation, what kind of qualifications do you have as an old man who didnt even go to university to berate me like this?]
Under this mixture of emotion, he couldnt hide his temper and spoke with an attitude.
This is a B level mission, could you take it more seriously?
Dagger opened his eyes as he looked dubiously at Miao Yun, he only left a sentence with deeper meanings before he closed his eyes again.
The person sitting in the car in front is a person that fears death.
Miao Jun was confused.
This means he has a powerful bodyguard?
[But other than the foreign girl driving, who else is in the car?]
[Could someone be hiding in the trunk?]
Dagger peeked at his confused expression and shook his head secretively.
While this rookie has the abilities to be sessful, his observation skill is too weak. As an agent, weak ability doesnt matter. But a w in observation is the most critical weakness of all.
On the car in front, not only was Dagger unable to see the boundary of the VIP being protected, but he also sensed the foreign girl driving the car with a cold expression has abilities that should not be underestimated.
Although the mission was B, there was no difficulty at all.
Whatever the two people behind them thought, Jiang Chen had no interest at all. Just like what Dagger suggested, he and Ayesha pretended that those two didnt exist.
It was around half an hour more before the car drove into an old looking neighborhood.
He parked the car, held onto Ayeshas hand, and stepped onto the familiar concrete stairs.
When he climbed to the fourth stairs, looking at the old door, he had a bitter smile on his face.
In three months time, he had sent over one million home. But by the looks of it, mom and dad didnt even touch the money.
Jiang Chen inhaled deeply, raised his hand, and gently knocked on the door.
Ayesha who stood beside him had a rare frantic expression on her face. Although the frantess was carefully hidden behind her cold mask, when she met Jiang Chens eyes, her coldness melted away, and her nervousness of meeting the parents was exposed.
Jiang Chen squeezed her hand as he gave aforting smile.
Dont be nervous, my parents are nice people.
But even though he was the person saying that he began to feel nervous himself.
Half a month ago he just told his mom he has no girlfriend, but now he brought a foreign girl back. Would mom and dad be happy or
The footsteps behind the door began to approach.
The door opened.
Staring at the emotional figure behind the door, Jiang Chen felt his eyes tearing up.
Mom!
Chapter 240 - Mother
Chapter 240: Mother
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Hardship had left its mark of time on that face, seeing the dyed white hair on her temples, Jiang Chen could not help but be teary-eyed.
Mom! Jiang Chen hugged his mom.
Little Chen, youre finally back. Embracing her beloved son, Li Xuemeis voice was choked with emotion.
Mhmm, Im back. Your son has grown up, the rim of Jiang Chens eyes were full emotions as he took a deep breath and said with a tremulous voice.
Aplished or not, youre always my son! Old man, your son is back. Come out and take a look! Lin Xuemei shouted behind her.
But there was no response in the room.
She pped her forehead and chuckled when it dawned on her. Look at this memoryI think your dad is probably ying chess in that stone pavilion in the district. You quickly go look for him, since its almost time to eat. That old man must be showing off with his chess friends, unting the house that his dear son had purchased in Wanghai City.
Due to her old age, her memory was not as good. Jiang Chen was heartbroken while staring at his mother.
Whats there to boast about me?
Although his words sounded humble, a proud smile unconsciously crept into his face.
Ok, stop bragging, go get your dad to help me. My little Chen is finally back, so your mom will show off some skills Eh? This is? As she spoke, Li Xuemeis eyes suddenly lit up as though she had discovered a treasure while she stared at Ayesha, who was hiding behind Jiang Chen.
A different face, to someone who never left the country, was always an exciting news.
Im Jiang Chens assistant. Because of trepidation, Ayesha almost bit her tongue.
Assistant?
Jiang Chen took a moment to process it. It was different from what they had agreed upon. He gazed at the flushed face and facepalmed. It finally dawned on him why would Ayesha change her mind.
He didnt expect that at thest moment, this girl would be frightened silly
But this could also work. It saved him from being interrogated by his parents.
Assistant? Li Xuemei looked at her son, baffled.
Why bring the assistant back? She thought it was a daughter-inw that her son had brought back. Even if it was a foreigner, she would not mind. Rather, she would be proud of her son.
Since she grew up in the Reform and Opening period, to the people in their era, being married to a foreigner was something to be proud of.
Assistant in my work. Because its quite hectic in thepany and due to some business needs, she has toe back with me. This is Ayesha from UA, Jiang Chen hurriedly exined.
Strictly speaking. Ayesha is a Syrian, but considering the copious negative news in that area, Jiang Chen didnt want his parents to think too much, so he didnt say her real hometown. The green card was processed by an acquaintance of Roberts, so it would be urate to say she was a UA citizen.
Listening to Jiang Chens exnation, Li Xuemei thought for a brief moment before she smiled at Ayesha, and then she warmly held her hand. Come in. I havent cleaned the house for a while. Please dont take offense.
Its, Its okay, Ayesha responded, face reddening.
Our little Chen has always been like this. Hes pretty slow with the girls
Ahem! Mom, why are you revealing your sons dark past? Jiang Chen grumbled and coughed loudly to interrupt his mom from continuing.
Jiang Chen looked embarrassed, but Ayesha wore an interested expression on her face.
What dark past! Li Xuemei rebuked Jiang Chen before once again smiled at Ayesha, saying, Shasha, let aunt tell you, little Chen has always been courteous since he was young. Its the first time he brought a girl home.
Shasha? Eh, isnt the spelling of a foreign nameJiang Chen forced a smile as he wanted to correct his moms mistake, but Ayesha didnt seem to mind.
In regard to the name Shasha, she appeared to take a liking to it.
His first time? Ayesha had a timid expression.
Mhmm! Li Xuemei nodded. She obviously could tell the meaning behind Ayeshas expression. Thinking of her would-be grandchildren, she affectionately took Ayeshas hands and continued cheerfully, Let me tell you when he was young
Seeing the mom and daughter-inw walking into the room, smiling andughing, a genuine smile broke on Jiang Chens face.
Although he was afraid of his mom revealing his dark past, but when he thought about the happiness on her face, it did not matter anymore.
As long as she felt happy.
Ayesha began helping Li Xuemei to prepare dinner in the kitchen.
Speaking of food, it was worth mentioning a small episode that happened between Ayesha and Jiang Chen.
In the beginning, Jiang Chen was concerned about Ayeshas religion. Therefore, he specifically instructed not to deliver pork to the organic foodpany that delivered vegetable and meat to his mansion.
Until one day, when Ayesha and Jiang Chen grabbed a takeout ham pizza, did the pork taboo was finally resolved.
ording to Ayeshas argument, when she became Jiang Chens woman, in fact, she had already vited the doctrine, and automatically abandoned her religious identity, therefore her diet taboo would naturally no longer exist. But when ites to pork, she still preferred beef andmb, and this was purely because of eating habits, rather than taboo.
Witnessing the death of her parents at the hands of religious zealots, she had long begun to question her religion. Thus, towards her husband bing an atheist, she didnt feel any repulsion at all. Particrly, after living in this highly secr state for some time, she began to get ustomed to living just for one person.
In fact, Ayeshas change was noticeable, except Jiang Chen never really paid attention to it. For example, if Ayesha was really religious, she would be seen praying several times in a day, but Ayesha never prayed at home.
Seeing that Ayesha and his mom had such a good rtionship already, Jiang Chen left the time to the two as he went downstairs alone.
Downstairs, he met Dagger and Miao Yun leaning against the Santana chewing on takeout food.
Do you want toe up for a meal? Seeing the poor guys, Jiang Chen invited with a smile.
Miao Jun wanted to ept, but Dagger shook his head.
There are strict rules within the organization, so just pretend we dont exist.
Jiang Chen shrugged and no longer insisted.
Suit yourself, but I dont understand how you guys are so obvious downstairs Is this really okay?
Hearing this, Dagger cracked a smile.
What do you think? Should agents go hide in the bushes? Those are assassins, not bodyguards.
Jiang Chenughed, he shook his head and walked to the stone pavilion.
Dagger continued digging into his stic container of fish-vored minced pork with rice.
Do we not need to follow? Finished, Miao Jun threw the container into the garbage and dusted his hands.
Dagger chewed slowly. After swallowing the food in his mouth, he nonchntly said, No need. This neighborhood is safe.
Miao Jun immediately realized after taking a moment to think, he awkwardlyughed. People on the top didnt even tell us
Because theres no need, Dagger interrupted his partners words, throwing the squeaky clean lunch box into the trash, Thats why I said, there is a lot more you need to learn.
VIP was already under protection, how could his rtives security be overlooked?
If anyone dared to make moves here, it was no different than running straight into a gun.
Chapter 241 - Jiang Jianguo Eager For Grand Children
Chapter 241: Jiang Jianguo Eager For Grand Children
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The district was not big, but the square was extremely lively, and it was probably due to the fact that the residents were mostlyprised of the elderly and children. After all, there were less and less young people interested in outdoor activities these days.
Those who lived in themunity were mostly employees of the nearby well-known state-owned steel factory. Years passed, the generation that had devoted their youth to the industrial foundation of the republic had be old, and this led to themunity bing a gigantic retirement home.
Huchengs young generation would often choose to live somewhere closer to the metropolis, near Hucheng or even further and more prominent city to search for opportunities, and they would leave their children to their parents. As such, leaving behind children and the elderly became amon scenario in this generation.
Of course, these were off-topic.
Those who were aplished outside were rare. Therefore, when Jiang Chens parents heard that their son managed to build his own business and was even able to buy a house, it was no wonder his parents were extremely gratified.
The only thing that left Jiang Chens parents worried was the matter of grandchildren.
Although Jiang Chen not in a hurry to get married this early, his parents were obviously not satisfied with the idea. His ssmates in junior high, their kids had long been able to walk. And this included the prom queen of his junior high, though she no longer possessed her previous allure
In the center of the square, a few old women were getting ready to dance.
While passing through, Jiang Chen walked to the Stone Pavilion where his mom told him to go.
Check! Haha, Jiang Jianguoughed out and pped the chess piece in his hand on the board in high spirits.
The chess mate sitting across him had his eyebrows furrowed, but then soon looked relieved and eximed, What a nice move, I thought my rook would be able to regain lost ground, but I didnt expect this bishop to take my rook out.
Tough Victory, tough victory. Its s gettingte, and if I dont go back now, Im afraid my wife wille here and made me go home to eat, Jiang Jianguo said humbly and waved his hands.
Ah, Old Jiang, youre lucky. Your son is aplished now, your chess skill has improved, and your body is healthier than before. If my son is half as aplished as yours, Illugh in my dream. Zhang Xinye sighed.
His son went to Hongcheng to work, but his monthly sry could barely cover his expenses after the mortgage. Although they were close to Hucheng, they only had time to visit in New Year time. The only thing he was satisfied with was his three years old grandson. Although a bit naughty, he was born healthy.
Old Zhang dont sigh. Your grandson can already recite poems,pared to my grandson who still ys with building blocks all day long despite being four years old already. Although it sounded like Yan Zhengwen wasining, from the big smile on his face, his affection towards his naughty grandson was quite evident.
Speaking of which, Old Jiang, when will you get your son to give you a grandson? Old Zhang jested.
In the topic of grandson, Jiang Jianguos had nothing to say
Dont even talk about grandson, that kid doesnt even have a wife yet.
Tha couldnt be Logically speaking, now that little Jianghas a house and opened his ownpany, matchmakers in Hucheng should be forming a long line. What do the city girls think? Old Yan touched his mustache, looking baffled.
Since the elderly were not using the Inte, they were obviously not aware that the little Jiang they were referring to was not only affectionately called as the national husband by the female fans on Weibo, he also had an ambiguous rtionship with a female celebrity
Without exaggeration, if Jiang Chen would really post his intention to seek marriage in Weibo, those who wanted to warm his bed (1) would form a long line.
Old Liu, who works at a facility service, has a daughter who isnt married yet. Shes also a university student who has just graduated this year. Why dont I help you talk to him about her? Old Zhang asked tentatively.
Theres also the daughter of Old Xia. She just graduated this year. I heard she is also in Wanghai City working at a bigpany. I think it will definitely work to match these two together! Chen Weidong, who had just lost a chess game, also made his idea known to his friend.
Sigh. Its too early to say that, Old Jiang let out a sigh.
Hows it too early? Its almost New Year, Your son will be back this year, right? Old Zhang asked.
Yes, right now there are more men than women. Didnt you listen to the news? By 2020, there will be 20 million more men than women that it will be harder to get married by then. Old Yan, who was wearing a pair of spectacles, was a technician in a steel factory and enjoyed reading news.
Only 20 million, yet our poption is over a billion, Old Zhang scoffed.
Fool, only less than 200 million need to get married. This 20 million makes up 10 percent of
Listening to his old friends banter, Jiang Jianguo looked worried. What if his son really couldnt find a wife? Now that the house is built, but without a grandson, what kind of sad story is this?
Jiang Jianguo made up his mind and quickly pulled Old Jiang.
How is Old Lius daughter?
I have seen her beforeextremely beautiful, Old Zhang said cheerily.
Then you have to help me out. I cant just wait for that kid to make his move, Jiang Jianguo urgently said.
Haha, Old Jiang cant sit around any longer. Okay! I will help you out on this one!
And Xia Donghuas daughter as well
Ill go talk with old Xia. He is part of our technical department, so its easy for me to talk to him about this. Haha, Old Jiang, if this works out, you have to treat me to a bottle of wine, Old Ye chuckled.
No problem, its just a wine. If my kid really likes the girl, Ill treat you guys to ten bottles! Old Jiang promised enthusiastically.
Then Im lucky, I didnt help at all, and I get to drink alcohol, Old Chen said gleefully.
Eh? Is that Little Jiang? the sharp-eyed Old Zhang craned his neck to take a look.
Pausing for a second, Jiang Jianguo wanted to say he should get a pair of sses like old Yan, but when he turned around, he was bbergasted.
Dad! Im back! Looking at the familiar figure, Jiang Chens eyes became moist, his voice was also shaking.
Son, this kid! You finally remembered toe back? Looking at his son, Jiang Jianguos eyes became teary. Although his words were harsh, he hugged Jiang Chens shoulder and patted him vigorously nheless.
Not bad, stronger, good, good After saying several good words, his voice sounded choked.
Being deeply aware of their old friends tendency to save face, if someone he knew saw this emotional scene, he would be too embarrassed to y chess within a fortnight. Thus, the three friends bade goodbye.
Old Jiang, my wife is here, Ill be going ahead now.
Same for me, haha, I still havent bought the egg my wife asked me to buy. Ill take my leave Ill leave the chess to you.
Haha, Ill go too. I will not disturb you two.
Uncle Wang, Uncle Liu, Uncle Yan, I will go visit you another day, Jiang Chen promised sincerely.
All of them worked at the steel factory, Jiang Chen remembered when he was young, Jiang Jianguo often took him to visit them.
Haha, little Jiang is aplished now, yet he can still remember us
After they said their greetings, the three elderly left.
Though he had a lot to say to his son, his throat moved for a while, but no words came out.
Thousands of words would not equate to seeing his own son.
Dad, mom asked me to tell you to go home to eat.
When he heard dad, Jiang Jianguo suddenly felt somewhere in his heart was constricting.
Ecstatic, Jiang Jianguo patted his sons shoulder. He was so emotional that he words became incoherent.
Okay, okay! Lets go home and eat!
(1) Warm his bed is an inte way of saying wanting to sleep with him.
Chapter 242 - Just tens of millions
Chapter 242: Just tens of millions
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Dinner was very sumptuous.
They were Jiang Chens favoritepotatoes, roast pork, beef with green pepper, and fresh and tender steamed carp.
Having been able to savor the familiar taste again, Jiang Chen devoured the food as though he would swallow his tongue along with it. He ate three bowls of rice before he was satiated.
Sitting on the side, Ayesha secretly memorized Jiang Chens favorite dishes and made up her mind to learn from Aunt Mei so she can cook for him every day.
Speaking of Ayesha, she almost reced Jiang Chens position as the center of attention on the dinner table.
When his parents realized that the foreign girl with brown hair and blue eyes spoke perfect Han and had a gentle personality to boot, they warmly weed her. Especially Li Xuemei, she constantly winked at Jiang Chen, who was busy eating his food. She wanted him to treat her more affectionately.
As a woman herself, she was acutely aware that the rtionship between the two was very unusual. At the very least, the foreign girl has affection towards Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chens worry was nevertheless excessive. Li Xuemei, who hadnt met a foreigner before, could not discern Ayeshas age at all. She only felt the girls skin was fair and pale and possessed a rtively slender figure, and concluded that all foreigners probably look this way.
Simply put, she was pleased with Ayesha who could potentially be her daughter-inw.
But Jiang Jianguo didnt think too highly of a foreign wife. He wanted to get a grandson soon to unt in front of his chess buddies. If his son took a foreign wife, what if his daughter-inws side of the family took his grandson away? It would be difficult to see his grandson across the Pacific Ocean.
Having never left the country and surfed the web much, he naturally didnt know that people overseas didnt have a habit of taking care of their grandchildren.
After dinner, Li Xuemei had practically revealed all the embarrassing childhood stories of Jiang Chen to Ayesha before walking to the kitchen. Ayesha who had read through the etiquette in Han, timidly followed behind her and washed the dishes with her.
This action naturally scored high points in the two elderlys eyes. Jiang Jianguo, who was slightly unwilling before, couldnt help but feel more pleased.
While the two women stayed in the kitchen, the two men sat on the living room sofa, watching TV while bragging.
After saying a few words, Jiang Jianguo suddenly put on a stern face and stared at Jiang Chen.
Little Chen, be honest, when do you n to get married?
Married? Its still early Jiang Chen stated casually.
Not early at all! Your uncle Wang, who always put you on his back, had a grandson who already knows how to recite poems! Jiang Jianguo said desperately, his eyes widening upon hearing that his son had no intention to get married yet,
Dad, dont rush things. Dont you want to enjoy life for a few more years? Jiang Chen asked, slightly embarrassed.
Towards bing a father, he was not mentally prepared at all. How to bear the responsibilities of bing a father? How to educate the child? He had never given these questions a thought before.
And he was not really anxious about the issue of having children.
With the advent of technology in the apocalypse, modifying the somatic DNA to increase life expectancy was no longer impossible. Though it could not achieve eternal life, it was bound to extend life expectancy to one or two hundred years, and it would be enough time to wait for the possibility of eternal life. Once the civilization in the apocalypse has been rebuilt, it would no longer be a dream.
Since there was no need to consider aging, the necessity to pass on the genes didnt seem too imminent now.
Jiang Chen even considered that after moving his parents overseas, he would bring some supplements from the apocalypse for his parents. Although those who were in advance in years were not suitable to use a gic vine, some anti-aging medicines could work wonders on them.
What enjoying life! I only want a grandson. Jiang Jianguo was furious.
This was a bit difficult now.
As for his fathers willful demand, Jiang Chen found himself troubled. At the moment, he really couldnt think of a way to convince the elderly who was eager for a son.
Ummm, marriage shouldnt be forced. After all, this isnt the old age. Theres a famous saying Right! It is better to be single than to get married to the wrong person.
What marrying? Youre naturally going to get married!
Isnt that all the same? Jiang Chen asked, dumbfounded.
Seeing that his son refused topromise, Jiang Jianguo pondered for a moment as he didnt want to push him too hard. If his son thought he was being too pushy, what if he doesnte home anymore?
After a moment, Jiang Jianguo said gently, Okay, you can decide this on your own, but you have to keep marriage in your mind. The purpose of life is to have a career and family. Since youre aplished now, use the opportunity to find a good wife to avoid problems in the future
Yes, yes, yes, youre right. Jiang Chen nodded fiercely.
In short, whatever the elderly said, it would be better to just listen. As for how he would execute it, he had his own n.
That girl
Ayesha.
Mhmm, that Ayesha is not bad, but her family is too far. So if there are conflicts over the grandchildren, it will be ugly. So think about it carefully. Old Lius daughter is not bad
Dad, do you want me to go on matchmaking dates now? Jiang Chen smiled bitterly.
What? You look down on these dates? Jiang Jianguos eyes widened. Your dad married your mom through the dates set up by matchmakers.
No, I dont look down on them. Jiang Chen immediately waved his hands to pacify his father.
[Sigh, what year is it already?]
Take some time in the next few days to see them. I already arranged it for you.
Okay. Jiang Chen nodded.
He would just treat it as making his parents happy. He would go, but he would find a random alibi as an excuse.
If his date knew, he wondered if she would be angry or not. Without meeting first, the man already thought of ways to get rid of her.
In the end, Jiang Chen didnt argue so that this subject would be over soon.
But then, he thought of something.
Right, dad. Didnt I send some money home? Why do I feel you havent used it yet? Jiang Chen looked around the familiar furniture in the living room and asked.
We did use it. In fact, we bought a new Simmons mattress a few days ago, Jiang Jianguo responded dismissively. He didnt seem to want to stay on this topic further.
Ahem, dont save money for your son. Bragging aside, I have too much money that I cant possibly spend it anymore, Jiang Chen could not help but say.
Cant spend it anymore? Even if you have money, you have to be frugal. You have to be prepared in case of an emergency, Jiang Jianguo lectured and gave Jiang Chen a hard stare.
Yes Jiang Chen drawled in a feeble voice.
Let me ask you, tell me the truth, hows yourpany doing? Jiang Chen picked up a cup of tea, drank the tea leaves that he had distributed from his units a few days ago. He was nning to teach his son about some business practices so that he wouldnt offend people or suffered a loss.
Jiang Chens eyes turned, wondering if he said a billion dor market value, his dad would not believe it. And even if he did, he would probably be scared silly.
Therefore, after a careful consideration, Jiang Chen gave a really conservative number instead.
There are probably several tens of millions.
nk!
The cup fell to the ground and broke.
It was the third time Jiang Jianguo widened his eyes. He ignored the broken pieces on the ground and stood up.
How much?
Around tens of millions Thepany is still growing, its hard to stay the number, Jiang Chen said in a small voice, gulping.
[Good thing he didnt say billions or else my dad will get a heart attack]
Chapter 243 - Detectaphone
Chapter 243: Detectaphone
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Jiang Jianguo couldnt process that fact that there was now a millionaire in the family.
He originally thought that his son only made a few million to solve the housing problem. After all, it was already impressive to go from nothing to a millionaire. He would never imagine that even calling him a billionaire was an understatement.
After washing the dishes, Li Xuemei picked a guest room for Ayesha, and then took Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Chen into the living room, and seriously watched him.
Little Chen, tell me honestly, did you do anything illegal?
Li Xuemei was afraid that her son was doing something shady, which enabled him to be a millionaire in just a few months time. She couldnt think of anything but a bank robbery.
How is that possible? Do I look like that type of person? Jiang Chen gave a wry smile.
He did rob banks beforebut it was the apocalypse, so it was more appropriate to use the term pick up.
Then how did you be a millionaire overnight? Jiang Jianguo could not help but ask.
Develop softwarebut mostly by offshore operations for an overseas softwarepany. Thinking that there might be other people listening to their conversation, Jiang Chen changed his words halfway through the sentence.
Software? Is that the stuff inside theputer? Is it reliable? Jiang Jianguo widened his eyes, flummoxed.
He could not understand how those things would make money.
Its mainly on the smartphone Hmm, how should I exin this? Dad, dont worry about how I make money. You should think more about how to spend the money. Jiang Chen tried to exin, but when he remembered that his dad couldnt even figure the smartphone out, he gave up on this idea.
As long as you didnt do any illegal Mom is just worried that you met the wrong kind of people. You have to remember: dont do anything against your conscience. Even if you make less, your conscience will be at ease, Li Xuemei told him as she rubbed Jiang Chens hair.
Okay mom, I know. Im more than 20 years old and no longer a child, Jiang Chen uttered helplessly.
In our eyes, youll always be a child.
Jiang Chen was frozen for a moment, feeling teary.
After the family meeting had ended, Jiang Chen went into the study.
Because Ayesha was a guest, she slept in Jiang Chens old bedroom.
The two elderlies first insisted that they would take the study and leave their bedroom for Jiang Chen, but thetter would not allow his parents to sleep on the sofa. Threatening his parent that he would stay in a hotel, he was finally able to persuade his stubborn father and mother, who always doted on him.
Afterbining the two sofas together and covering it with thick bedding, it didnt feel worse than a bed.
In fact, if from the very beginning Ayesha had revealed her rtionship with Jiang Chen, he would not be in this predicament. Jiang Chen felt pity at the idea that he was unable to hold the attractive body in his sleep.
At about 10 oclock in the middle of the night, the two elderlies gradually fell asleep.
Jiang Chen estimated it was about time. Thereupon, he sat up, walked to the window, and closed the blinds.
After getting a fourth-dimensional messenger, he would call Sun Jiao from time to time. Now that he was back to his hometown, ording to his agreement with Sun Jiao, he was ready to show them his hometown.
But just as he was about to take his EP out, the door sounded with a soft knock.
Come in, I havent slept yet. Smiling, he didnt need to think to know it was Ayesha.
Just like what he expected, when the door was pushed open, a gorgeous face peeked inside.
Ayesha, dressed in pajamas, cautiously entered the room without any noise and closed the door behind her.
Did you miss me? Jiang Chen walked beside her and encircled her slender waist with his hands.
Her gorgeous face flushed, and her pristine blue eyes shed with gentleness, but she quickly shook her head and changed into a serious expression.
I found this inside the room. Ayesha opened her hand and passed the content to Jiang Chen.
Stunned, Jiang Chen picked up the three thumbnail-sized ck buttons from her hands.
And these are?
Bugs.
Expression turning grim, Jiang Chens eyes narrowed.
There was no doubt that someone had put the bugs in his house, and this made him utterly furious.
Has the location been tracked to determine the location fo the listener? Jiang Chen asked in an undertone.
Its confirmed. Ayesha nodded and continued in a quiet voice, Do you need me to go check?
Jiang Chen yed with the three buttons in his hand and thought for a moment.
No need. If we discover those who we shouldnt discover, it would be awkward.
Hearing this, Ayesha nodded before she turned around to return to her room.
Though she felt that it would be better to get rid of those stalkers, since Jiang Chen said it was not necessary, so be it.
Wait, Jiang Chen called out to her just when her hand was at the threshold.
Mhmm? Ayesha turned her head.
Check me out as well, Jiang Chen requested with a wicked smile.
Although she didnt know why Jiang Chen was smirking, Ayesha still nodded. She quietly left the room and she came back while carrying a ck pen-like device.
This anti-surveince detection device is one of the special equipment Jiang Chen had prepared for her. Jiang Chen had purchased it for around 100 crystals at the Sixth Streets market, which was the basic equipment of PAC agents.
In the future where information channel was not limited to the electromaic waves, and anti-reconnaissance measures were emerging endlessly, this device may not be able to 100%, remove the surveince devices. However, 150 years into the modern world, there would be no surveince device that could escape from the scan of this apparatus.
Just like he had suspected, even the room, where people normally didnt stay, had also been bugged.
Only one?
Mhmm, under the table, Ayesha muttered, then she put away the device and walked to the desk.
As she bent down and fumbled on the inside of the desk to take a look, Jiang Chen unconsciously swallowed.
The white nightgown, which previously covered the upper part of her thigh, because of bending, the hem of the clothes was now moving up and down so that the slender and long legs were all but exposed.
The pale skin was smooth and seductive in the brightness of the moon.
Along with that view, her underwear was also slightly exposed.
In front of Jiang Chen, Ayesha had always been unguarded. While she was focusing on searching under the desk, she had no idea how exposed she truly was.
Soon, she found a button-like device in the inner part the desk between apartment.
I found it. Woo Just as she was about to turn her head, her excitement as a result of discovering her target morphed into a fiery blush.
Caught unaware, Jiang Chen went behind her and embraced her gently.
Dont, dont do this. Your parents are just next door Ayesha groaned adorably. Nibbling on her lower lips her, eyes became misty in the moonlight.
But Jiang Chen refused to let her go. Smirking, his hands wander around as he whispered into her ear, Thats why you better keep your mouth shut and dont make any sound
Like a timid rabbit, Ayesha nodded, wearing a fierce blush on her face
A touch of cloud drifted by, veiling the moonlight ever so slightly.
Even the moon in the night sky could not bear to take a look.
A repressed piece of musicalposition started ying inadvertently.
Not until the clock ticked quietly for two hours did the night return to its former tranquility.
Chapter 244 - If people don’t showoff, what’s difference compared to a salted fish?
Chapter 244: If people dont showoff, whats differencepared to a salted fish?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
These days, Jiang Chen had been very free.
Despite finding those surveince devices in his room, he didnt bother to care who did these vile things. Everyday he just chatted with his parents, took Ayesha to the ces where he spent his childhood, took several photos with his mobile phone and sent it to the three people in the apocalypse to satisfy their curiosity.
This is my high school, Jiang Chen exined to Ayesha. Standing in front of the gate, Jiang Chen stared at the building with a sense of nostalgia.
It was where he spent his youth with sweat and tear.
Reminiscing his past, he used to be a youngster who would blush and had his heart beat faster just by merely touching his seatmates hand identally. Back then, he used to be so na?ve and innocent.
Did you attend high school? Jiang Chen casually asked.
Didnt get to finish it. The school was destroyed, Ayesha responded nkly.
What an utterly tragic memory.
Im sorry for reminding of your unhappy memories, Jiang Chen murmured.
The cold face gave him a gentle smile, and then she shook her head.
No need to apologize. Theres nothing we can do about it.
Towards her tragic past, Ayesha had never felt any regret for it. Even to the tragedy that happened to her own family, she just epted this fact in silence. When Jiang Chen asked her before if she wanted to seek revenge against the people who killed her family. As long as she desired it, he would be willing to help her, but still she shook her head.
Jiang Chen didnt ask her why, but he could somehow guess the reason.
It was a distressing reality. The residents of her hometown probably resembled the people of the apocalypse the most.
Only those people who were ustomed to death would be so apathetic towards death.
It was precisely because of this that she could only be intimate to the only person that made her feel warm, the only person that made her open her heart.
Rubbing her little head, Jiang Chen smiled, took her hand and went to the school gate.
ss is still ongoing at the moment. Uninvited guests cant enter the school premises, the old man, sitting in the security room and d in a military jacket, solemnly said.
Although Jiang Chen could still recognize him; on the other hand, he would obviously not remember everyone who went out from here.
Jiang Chen was stunned as he could not imagine that he would be blocked by a security guard. However, seeing the alertness on the guards face, Jiang Chen immediately understood why.
There was nothing wrong with the guard obstructing anyone from entering the school. Jiang Chen remembered when he was still studying here, there would be young thugs who were fond of hanging out in the vicinity of the school. Even though they were nothing, they would pretend to be a boss in front of these teens to show off their grandiose tale, and then they would gang up on inexperienced delinquent girls and ask them for money and the like.
The brown curly hair of Ayesha was obviously misunderstood by the old guard as dyed. After all, the guard was getting old and could not see her facial feature clearly.
As though reading the guards mind, Jiang Chen smiled and walked over and started a conversation with the old man.
Is the principal still Mr. Wu?
Yes, are you looking for him?
Mhmm Call him and tell him someone wants to donate a school building.
The guard was gobsmacked.
What?
Ordinary people may not recognize Jiang Chen, but as the school leader of the Hucheng High School II, how could he not recognize his outstanding alumnus? To start with, in a small ce like Hucheng, it was rare to have someone so aplished. And now, that this ce had produced a president of a 10 billionpany, someone who had been praised by the Wall Street Journal to be equal to Bill Gate and Steve Jobs; and recognized as the third technology revolution leader.
Wu Zechen had been working in Hucheng High II for more than ten years and could be considered as a veteran of the school. Although he didnt have much impression of Jiang Chen, who graduated five years ago, it didnt stop him from feeling proud. It was not at the point where he would mention Jiang Chens name every sentence, but at the end of every principals speech, he would use Jiang Chens story to motivate the young students to study harder to get into a good university.
This was despite the fact that Jiang Chens current achievement had nothing to do with the university he attended at all
Less than half a minuteter, Jiang Chen saw Principal Wu led a group of school officials walking out in hasty steps. From afar, he waved at Jiang Chen and greeted him with a bright smile.
Haha, Mr. Jiang came to visit us. We werent prepared. You should have given me a call, Wu Zechen said passionately, shaking Jiang Chens hands vigorously.
You dont have to bother. I just want to check the ce out again. Jiang Chen smiled.
Thats not okay! Mr. Jianging back to Hucheng High School II is an important event, we need a wee ceremony
Theres no need. Lets not disturb the students. Jiang Chen waved his hand.
Towards the old principals excessive enthusiasm, Jiang Chen couldnt help but feel embarrassed. After shaking hands with the vice principal, directors, and other school officials, he finally entered the school gate.
Of course, the reason why the old principal gave Jiang Chen such a warm wee was because of his introductory words of donating a school building. After receiving confirmation from Jiang Chen, his aging face bloomed like a flower and personally yed the role of a guide by showing Ayesha and Jiang Chen around.
He previously thought he would have to retire being a headmaster, but Jiang Chen somehow came back and contributed to his hometowns school.
Once the new school building project had been finalized, it would not take him two years to transfer to Education Bureau. With this qualification, he would be promoted at least half a level, perhaps even a full level. After gaining so many benefits, it was no wonder why he would be so passionate.
Originally, the principals enthusiasm gave Jiang Chen a headache. After all, he initially intended to wander about the familiar campus while holding Ayeshas hand to reminisce the past in silence, and also made a bit of contribution for his hometown, but he didnt expect that he would have a group school leaders following him.
But soon after, he quickly began to enjoy this experience.
The reason being was because
Quickly look, isnt that Jiang Chen? Passing through the ssroom where he spent his three years, a sharp-eyed girl immediately recognized Jiang Chen and dragged her seatmate excitedly.
Among the youngsters using smartphones, Jiang Chen was especially famous since Future 1.0 had at least 300 million domestic users. The majority of people enjoying watching shows and ying games would choose to install Little White to save battery and increase speed.
Eh? Its true! OMG, how did Old Wu manage to invite the nations husband to the school? A pretty looking girl with long hair widened her eyes and stopped scrolling through Weibo.
Put your phone away, if the director sees you
Wait, let me take a photo first. The girl raised her phone to take a picture.
Not only among girls, Jiang Chen was also popr among guys.
A lot of smart students view this man as their role model and wished to be like him one day, to be able to strut back to their school and hold their heads high, and let those arrogant school leaders trail behind them and enjoy their fawning words.
More than a billion of worth, a foreign gorgeous female assistant: the epitome of lifes winner.
Though Jiang Chen really wanted to tell them that his present achievements had nothing to do with studying despite getting a high score when he was admitted to Wanghai university.
In short, it was incredibly exhrating to be envied and praised by a crowd of energetic young people.
Thats right! Jiang Chen utterly enjoyed the feeling of vainglory.
What do you think of this, Mr. Jiang? Are you satisfied with the culture at our school? Wu Zechen asked in great spirit when he saw Jiang Chens mouth curved up.
Whether Im satisfied or not, Im not qualified to say it. But seeing that our students are so energetic, as an alumnus, Im extremely pleased, Jiang Chen casually said and grinned.
Haha, how could that be? We have a lot of students that view Mr. Jiang as an alumnus, a female secretary in her 30s said while giggling.
Towards thispliment, Jiang Chen cracked a smile.
Speaking of, where is teacher Cai? That was his homeroom teacher. After walking around the campus, he failed to see him.
Mr. Cai is already old and retired. I heard that his son is doing well in the south, so he retired there.
Already retired?
Jiang Chen could not help but feel some regret, thereupon he felt relieved.
He had already spent more than half of his life teaching, so it was time to enjoy life.
5-million school building, a set of 1 million state-of-the-art teaching equipment, and a marble statue. Principal Wu insisted that a ceremonious donation ceremony should be made, or else it would be hard to express the gratitude of the students and staff of the school.
But Jiang Chen rejected it. Afraid of trouble, he used the most straightforward method and donated it under Future Technologys name. Thepanys legal department would send people to coordinate with this matter, so he didnt need to worry anymore.
After taking care of everything, Jiang Chen called Xia Shiyu to let her know.
Hello? Jiang Chen drawled on the phone.
Ah, hmm? Do you need something? Xia Shiyu sounded slightly absent-minded.
Puzzled, Jiang Chen frowned and said in a voice filled with concern, Theres something I feel like you dont sound right. Are youing down with a cold?
No, nothing, just a bit personal stuff, Xia Shiyu perfunctorily said.
Her parents wanted her to go on an arranged date by a matchmaker saying it would be hard for older girls to get married. The males side also worked in Wanghai City and owned apany. Apparently, he was quite well off What era was this?
For the past few days, Xia Shiyu has been troubled by this.
She was unable to talk her insistent parents out of it and finally agreed to take a vacation and return home
It just to make her parents happy.
As for the date, she had unceremoniously sentenced him to death in her heart already.
For some reason, even though it didnt have anything to do with Jiang Chen, she still didnt want Jiang Chen to know about this. The more embarrassing thing was, when she thought about marriage, what happened that night would somehow surface in her head.
That night, their lips were only a few centimeters apart.
If they kissed on that day
After listening to Jiang Chens donation distractedly, Xia Shiyu hung up the phone.
After a long sigh, she held her phone in front of her chest.
That bright, red thin lips pouted, it was a rare scene.
She cluelessly murmured to herself, Fool
(1) Salted fish is an Inte ng for saying useless person.
Chapter 245 - The Perfect Coincedence
Chapter 245: The Perfect Coincedence
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Hucheng was a small ce.
In such a small ce, good news and bad news spread equally as fast.
The news of a famous entrepreneur, Jiang Chen, visiting his rtives and donating a five million school building to his alma mater instantly circted in this small ce.
There were plenty of people who made money in recent years, but there were not many who thought about their hometown. For a time, various titles such as conscientious businessman was named after Jiang Chen. As such, even the city officials also specially came to visit him.
They didnt receive any news of Jiang Chen returning to Hucheng to visit his rtives. After all, the General Staff Department kept his itinerary an absolute secret. Not only the city officials, but even the media also didnt receive a single bit of information. Not until the cheap Wu Zechen, who benefited the most from this, held a school ceremony and made a conference did the reporters receive the news.
For a time, the previously quiet Jinsha Steel nt residential area was instantly in an uproar.
The city officials visiting him sent him a que of two meters in length in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of his hometown. In response, Jiang Chen was naturally gratified.
As for the mayor wearing a huge smile, he immediately proposed potential partnerships and stated he was willing to provide additional generous policies for the staff of Future Technology.
Jiang Chen only smiled at the offer proposed by the mayor and didnt outright agreed. He just politely expressed his gratitude towards the governments enthusiastic reception, but because the development strategy of thepany must be discussed with thepany executives, he could notmit just yet.
But what Jiang Chen didnt expect was that after the city officials left, the district leaders also came for a visit. This made Jiang Chen at a loss on how to react as he didnt expect that just by donating a school building on a whim would make his home feel like a tea shop with people constantly visiting him. The steel nt leaders, the directors of the board of education, and the rtives he hadnt met before all visited him.
Simply put, these past few days was annoying the heck out of him. He was nning to donate a road before he left, but given the present state of affairs, it would need to wait until he left.
But seeing how happy his parents were, he did not say anything.
His home had been quite uneventful these recent years as the two elderlies lived a rather secluded life. Because they were just average workers, the rtives from their hometown didnt really visit as they would only chat with their neighbors while they were shopping. When did they ever experience something of this scale?
Not only those rtives who came from different ces came and stopped, but even those fulltime top officials came running to their door to ask about their well-being. Astonished by the treatment that their son was receiving, they finally had an idea on how sessful their son was.
But even then, there was no escaping the matchmaking
You made such a bold move, and this increased the difficulty of our work. Leaning against the Santana, Dagger grinned with a cigarette in his mouth.
Theres nothing I can do about it. Should l pay you overtime? Jiang Chen jived and took out his electronic key and opened the car door.
Mr. Jiang, its against the protocol to bribe civil servants. Miao Jun coughed.
Dagger didnt pursue the topic any longer. He flicked the cigarette and asked nonchntly, Is the software done?
Youre gonna have to ask the overseas team. Standing in the doorway, Jiang Chen s shrugged.
Good luck. Dagger nodded and gave a cursory nce at the passenger seat. Where is your assistant?
Im going to matchmaking today. Jiang Chens expression looked somewhat helpless.
Miao Jun burst outughing, his arm on the steering wheel.
What era are we currently in?
Jiang Chen did not bother about him, put up the car window, and started the car.
Dagger extinguished the cigarette butt and got into the car as well. He patted Miao Jun on the shoulder and said dismissively, Follow him.
The location of the matchmaking was in the downtown of Hucheng, roughly 20 kilometers away from the small area where Jiang Chen came from.
In the entire Hucheng, only the Jialinmercial area was still considered flourishing. Although he wasnt nning on agreeing, he would still give the other her due respect. He wouldnt just find a random KFC to purposely anger her away.
Near Lake Restaurant.
It was Jiang Chens first time here, but because of the positive reviews on the inte, he called to reserve a private room. The ce had beautiful scenery, Jiang Chen heard that it was possible to view the panoramic beauty of the East Like in the private suite on the top floor.
After parking his car in the parking space, Jiang Chen readily locked the door and headed to the suite under the direction of the server.
Dagger and Miao Jun did not follow him upstairs, and just picked a seat on the first floor, and then ordered a few dishes. They had been eating takeout food for the past few days, even the not picky Dagger was starting to get sick of it.
Upstairs, Jiang Chen ordered a table full of dishes and then began to y with his phone while waiting for the arrival of his date.
To be honest, he had never attended any matchmaking session before, so he somehow felt nervous.
Not long after, Jiang Chen heard approaching footsteps near the door.
The door opened, Jiang Chen put away his phone, but the instant he looked at the door, his expression froze.
He was not the only one who was frozen.
Standing in the doorway with one foot in, the gorgeous but expressionless face also appeared bewildered.
Its you?
The two people simultaneously eximed in astonishment and both fell into an awkward silence.
ck wool sweater matching with a pair of ck stockingsthe not-so-colorful outfit didnt seem to be suitable when on a date, but on her, it perfectlyplimented her serene yet stunning aura, which was normally hidden behind her expressionless face.
Jiang Chen didnt expect that it was hispanys CEO who would show up. He had never heard Xia Shiyu mentioned her hometown before, but coincidentally they were from the ce and even lived in the same circle.
What a coincidence.
Xia Shiyu also didnt think that the person to show would be him. Compared to the shocking reality, an unknown anxiety was welling up inside her.
Her lips quivered slightly and felt her face was burning. The rejection spiels brewing inside her head after an entire night jumbled inside her head. The usually calm Xia Shiyu was now frozen at the door.
[If it was him, should I reject?] Xia Shiyu was utterly lost.
Looking at Xia Shiyus messy expression, for some reason despite feeling awkward, he wanted tough as well.
Uh, have a sit first.
Mhmm.
Head buried in silence, Xia Shiyu hastily at across Jiang Chen, and then remained silent.
Jiang Chen noticed that her pale neck went beet red all the way to her cheeks.
Silence ensued for a long time.
What a coincidence, I didnt think it would be you. Jiang Chen unnaturallyughed and broke the silence.
Mhmm, Xia Shiyu assented again, her head still lowered, but there was nothing more.
He had no experience on what to say during a matchmaking session.
The set of words he prepared beforeing here werepletely useless.
He was aware of Xia Shiyus affection for him that night. Or more precisely, right after that news conference, he had already been vaguely aware of it for a long time.
Different from Liu Yao as a mistress, and Ayesha with a different cultural background, Xia Shiyu would never ept him with another woman.
But because of the faint selfishness in his heart, he couldnt do or say anything that would make her give up on him despite knowing that the ambiguity of his action towards her would hurt her more in the end.
Reject? Or ept?
Chapter 246 - What’s your consideration?
Chapter 246: Whats your consideration?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The two didnt speak with each other until the server brought the dishes.
Delicacies filled the table, the scenery outside was still scenic and picturesque, but Jiang Chen thought the food tasted nd.
The red lips were chewing reservedly, so it was a tad unfortunate that not a single word came out. Although Xia Shiyus blush had receded, her gaze remained glue on the food on the table. The somewhat stiff expression appearing as though she was avoiding his sight.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to say something to break the silence, Xia Shiyu suddenly spoke.
Am I really boring? With her head bowed, she asked in a barely distinguishable voice.
How could that be?
Jiang Chen was used to Xia Shiyus aloofness, so he did not mind her being cold. If she suddenly became talkative one day, Jiang Chen would feel surprised.
Really? she said in what seemed to be in disbelief.
Why do you ask? Jiang Chen could not help but ask.
If theres a gathering, everytime I speak, it would result in a silenced crowd, Xia Shiyu uttered in total bewilderment.
While he didnt know why she would bring this up such situation, Jiang Chen trod carefully when he phrased his words, Perhapsit was because of your temperament?
Temperament? Xia Shiyu lifted her head looking confused, staring at Jiang Chens eyes.
Just like a pristine flower in the snowy mountain, gorgeous but can only be appreciated from afar. Because it was extremely hard to approach, so some chose to stay away.
Are you saying that in theperspective of the opposite gender? Xia Shiyu murmured.
Thats right.
What about the same gender?
Its probably due to jealousy.
Jiang Chens response made Xia Shiyus calm heart sped up again.
Then what about you? overwhelmed by indescribable emotions, she haphazardly asked this blunt question.
Thats hard to answer. Say, arent we supposed to be on a blind date? Why do you have to talk about such a serious topic? Jiang Chen quipped.
Thendo you want to marry me?
Jiang Chen was utterly astonished.
[Does this count as a confession?]
Towards this unexpected confession, he was not mentally prepared at all.
He originally thought with Xia Shiyu reserved attitude, this issue would drag on for a long time before it actually came out in the open.
Moreover, he didnt think her confession would be so straightforward.
Dont one discuss marriage after dating? Jiang Chen gave a wry smile.
Xia Shiyus face turned red and with her head buried, she admitted, No one has taught me this.
The coyness in her expression was a rare sight to see.
Didnt you date before? Jiang Chen sighed, feeling helpless.
That doesnt count, Xia Shiyu promptly rejected the idea.
Then what does it count for?
Perhaps just a failed attempt. Because she was curious about how dating felt like, knowing that she could not stay single for the rest of her life, and due to myriad other reasons, she epted someone she didnt like but who pursued her for the longest time.
And even she was aware that that strained rtionship was not a sign of love.
The only thing she didnt expect was that he eventually betrayed her merely because she didnt want to be intimate with him. Did he only pursue her is just so he could do that kind of thing with her?
Just like Jiang Chen had thought, her emotional maturity was not directly proportional to her sess in her career. Rather than calling it pure, it was more na?ve.
When two people became a couple, do they have to kiss? Xia Shiyu asked, her eyes bing somewhat dazed.
Uh, its not a strict requirement. Thats to say, if you really do like the other person, then you wont mind kissing.
What about the opposite?
The opposite? Jiang Chen put down his chopsticks, staring at her perplexedly.
If Im willing to kiss, would you date me?
It appeared as though she had exhausted all the courage in her body.
Inside the washroom.
Using both of his hands, he scooped a cold water and sshed it on his face.
Feeling his agitated stated calmed down, Jiang Chen then flung the water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror.
The f*ck I almost be a scum, Jiang Chen mocked himself before he let out a relieved sigh, he then shook his head and headed for the door.
He didnt reject Xia Shiyus confession. Although conscience told him that perhaps rejecting her was the wiser choice. He didnt dislike Xia Shiyu or rather, towards the girl who had been working diligently for his business, he appreciated her and also a very good impression of her.
From the initial hatred to relief, and then because of her inadvertent disclosure of her love for him, this made him have a special spot for her in his own heart. Jiang Chen could not help but suddenly have a feeling of falling into her trap.
However, although he did not reject, he did not entirely agree.
Simply put, the two were now in a rtionship between friendship and lover.
The parents were finally satisfied. The two agreed to tell their parents that they were dating. With this, there would no longer be trouble with matchmaking sessions, To this result, Xia Shiyu was pleased too. After all, she was not mentally prepared for this at all.
Take one step at a time.
Just as Jiang Chen was prepared to leave the washroom, a familiar looking man stepped in front of him.
Hello, Mr. Jiang, we meet again, Zhang Youjie greeted him amiably and extended his hand, exposing his white set of teeth.
Slightly frowning, Jiang Chens eyebrows soon were unfolded as he also extended his hand with a smile.
Why is Mr. Zhang here?
Im a salesman, so I always appear in front of people in need. Zhang Youjie shrugged and smiled. Have you given it a thought? Whats your decision?
Decision about what?
To be a citizen of UA.
Jiang Chen looked dubiously at him. Do you know that there are two agents behind my butt at all time? Let me guess, youre going to be caught and deported?
They have no right to do that to a foreign diplomat. Doesnt your country have right to even speak freely? Zhang Youjie shook his head and mocked.
Thats hard to say. Jiang Chen didnt refute it.
Ahem, seeing you is not really easy, so Ill keep it simple. If Mr. Jiang is interested in our immigration policy, the embassy will provide you withprehensive legal assistance. A countrys government has no right to prevent a talented individual from choosing their nationality and being restricted to go abroad would be contrary to your countrysw. We will put pressure on the International Court of Justice to send you abroad through special channels and force it through public opinion
Free choice of nationality? Jiang Chen scoffed. Why must it be the UA?
Zhang Youjie paused and thenughed carelessly. Is this Mr. Jiangs message, or the message from the organization behind you?
Thetter, of course.
Thats unfortunate then. We could have avoided a conflict. Zhang Youjie shook his head, and then smiled, Anyway, have a great vacation.
Thereupon he turned around and disappeared at the corner of the hallway.
Looking at the direction of his departure, Jiang Chens eyes narrowed.
Although Jiang Chen didnt think UA citizens could cause some trouble in Hua, especially under General Staff Departments watch, he still felt a sense of foreboding.
He had a premonition that it would not be this simple.
Chapter 247 - Undercurrent
Chapter 247: Undercurrent
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
At the crowded Wanghai City airport.
In such an international metropolis, it wasmon to see foreign faces. Especially with Christmas approaching, the number of foreigners visiting Hua increased due to the holiday.
The announcement of flight departing echoed inside the terminal apanied by the constant chattering and the cry of children. The terminal was a bit noisy.
A foreigner sat on a chair with his eyes closed, resting. The gray overcoat made him look very ordinary, and under the brimmed hat was a brown face with stubble. Dont be mistaken, he was a Caucasian, and the skin color was due to staying in the desert for a long time.
It was hard to imagine that someone would be able to sleep in such environment.
Uncle, toy car, a soft voice rang beside his ear. A little boy stood in front of him and pointed timidly to his shoes.
The person opened one of his eyes and smiled genially, thereupon the wrinkles on his face twisted like knife scars.
He looked like a kind middle-aged man.
Except for the dark green pupil, which destroyed his amiable impression. Inside the cluster of dark green hues was a lethal gleam like that of a dangerous wolf.
The little boy retreated with a frightened expression on his face. He didnt dare to get the toy car as he scampered away.
Seeing the boy ran away, the man shook his head, stood up, and headed out of the terminal.
As expected of Mr. Griss. The infamous name of Wolf that could scare little kids in the east thousands of kilometers away, an oriental manughingly said as he naturally came to his side, and took the suitcase in his hand.
I dont want to cause trouble the moment I get off the ne, so, you better call me G, Griss cautioned bluntly.
Okay, Mr. G. The man who weed him grinned. How do you feel on this new environment? How does itpare to Iraq?
The smell in the desert is terrible. Griss grinned and continued, Butpared to the noise here, I very much prefer the tranquility of the desert.
What made the bloodthirsty wolf turn into Dickinson? said the man in an exaggerated manner and rolled his eyes.
Its probably the blood. Griss shrugged. Someone told me before that a poet and a killer are two very simr professions.
One praises death, while the other executes death? the other person scoffed.
By the way, Mr. Li, you seemed to bete? Griss said dismissively, ncing at the digital clock in the hall.
Ive run into a bit of trouble Li Zhongping pulled out the car key from his pocket andughed.
What trouble?
Mhmm, we originally thought we could form a partnership with them, but now it looks like Zhang Youjie made an error in judgment. Give the change in the situation, we have to start the n B. If everything goes as nned, we might fight with the Han agents. Li Zhongping sighed helplessly. Although the helpless expression looked exaggerated at best.
Griss shrugged and drawled, For me, theres no such thing as a surprise.
He didnt care about the Han agents at all. Just like a battle-hardened wolf that fought through hundreds of battles wont care about the hissing of a shepherd. Although he couldnt do the proper walk in the military parade, he knew hundreds of tracking and killing method. He lost track of the number of terrorists who had died on his hands and those who had jeopardized the interests of the country.
There was no possibility of losing.
A Han called Dagger is responsible for the targets safety.
Griss eyes narrowed, a grim smile appearing on his lips.
Dagger?
Youve been gone for a while.
I met someone I know, and we chatted for a moment. Jiang Chen sat back across Xia Shiyu and smiled.
Looking at the smile on Jiang Chens face, Xia Shiyus face turned red obscurely. She lowered her head while her finger yed with the hem of her sweater.
So are we a couple now?
With the way Xia Shiyu looked, Jiang Chens face also turned red. He looked away and scratched his face.
Uh, I would say so.
[But notpletely.]
Do we need to do something?
Nojust go with the flow. Jiang Chen swallowed his saliva, staring at the flushed cheeks.
Although he wanted to say, Lets start with a kiss, he managed to curb his evil urges.
It was because their current rtionship was only due to the insistence of their parents.
He could feel Xia Shiyus affection for him. Likewise, he harbored affection for her as well.
However, given Xia Shiyus personality, there was no way she could ept the existence of Ayesha and Liu Yao.
Just go with the flow.
Once we get to know each other more, then well head to the next step. It was the agreement Jiang Chen made with her.
After lunch, Jiang Chen drove Xia Shiyu home.
Jiang Chen courteously greeted the warm uncle and aunt, gave them the present he prepared, and left after some small talk.
Mom Xia embraced her daughter by the shoulder and smiled while watching Jiang Chens car left.
What do you think? Mom didnt lie to you, right? The little Jiang certainly is of great character, so you have to be nice to him. In this day and age, its hard to find someone with such great qualities.
Okay, mom Xia Shiyu muttered, her head buried and her face flushed.
Work hard and get married as soon as possible. Your mom and dad are waiting for grandchildren.
Grandchildren? Uh, I The cold face instantly turned beet red. Xia Shiyus mouth opened and her mind was in chaos.
[Children]
[If I have to give birth to children, I have to do that]
Like a startled deer, Xia Shiyu dashed into her room without turning back and mmed the door shut, leaving the astonished parents in the living room.
Old man, what nonsense are you saying? Mom Xia scoffed at the old man.
With face red, Dad Xia rebutted, What are you getting at? Dont you want grandchildren soon?
Xia Shiyu rushed into the room, closed the door, and leaned against the door.
Her body leaning against the door gradually slid down, making her sit on the floor.
Panting, she pressed her hand against her chest.
Blush extended from her pale neck all the way to her ears, her heart was beating fast.
[That kind of thing]
A fuzzy image unconsciously surfaced in her head.
In a suit, Jiang Chen walked beside her with a bright, attractive smile. Blushing, she approached him and hooked her arm around his.
Wearing an immacte white wedding dress and a pair of high-heeled wedding shoes, and along with the wishes of her friends and family, the two walked along the red carpet, exchanging a kiss of vow in front of everyone.
The scene turned and then showed their wedding room.
Jiang Chen carried her around the waist, kissed her on the neck, and then he gently ced her on the matrimonial bed and reached
Suddenly, a faint noise came from outside the door. She didnt know if it was an illusion, but she heard them speak English.
Xia Shiyu stopped and then stood up from the floor.
For some reason, the arguing voice of her parents instantly vanished.
She suddenly felt a kind of inexplicable panic.
A frightening silence ensued outside.
Gulping, she reached for the doorknob and twisted it open.
A smiling face weed her outside the room.
However, it didnt belong to Jiang Chen but to a woman. A woman with blue eyes, blond hair, and wearing a headset.
Xia Shiyu was stunned. It was an unfamiliar face.
Youre
You dont have to worry about it, just Miss Kidnapper, Caitlin jeered before she smoothly stabbed the defibritor to her stomach.
Numbness immediately made Xia Shiyu fall unconscious, as she fell onto Caitlin.
The package has been retrieved, Caitlin reported leisurely on her earpiece.
The two elderlies in the living room were both unconscious.
Perfect. Return to warehouse for further instruction. Inside a coffee shop, Zhang Youjie wore a triumphant smile.
Understood.
Zhang Youjie closed theptopputer and headed out of the coffee shop.
A trace of mockery disappeared from his lips.
What an absolute amateur.
Chapter 248 - The Greeting from Afar
Chapter 248: The Greeting from Afar
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
Speeding off along the highway, Jiang Chens hands were on the steering wheel, but what happened during noon lingered in his head.
Thats really regrettable. We could have avoided a conflict
[Does this sentence mean theyre plotting something?]
Jiang Chen knitted his eyebrows. He really didnt really understand why would the UA embassy would be so interested in him.
Could it be the UA intelligence officers heard that Future Technology was responsible for the actual research and development of the Dragon II program?
This thought suddenly sent a chill down his spine.
In the wastnds timeline, a simr program would be developed in 2020. Despite the huge deviation of the history of wastnd from this world, and given how the speed and focus of technology and research differed greatly, the general development trajectory was not much different. Just like how the third scientific and technological revolution was led byputers.
The next 50 years would be the 50 years led by artificial intelligence. The inception of basic AI database, which would ignite the fourth scientific and technological revolution, and then the introduction of intermediate AI Restriction Act, which would mark the end of the premature change in science and technology. Then it would be the fifth scientific and technological revolution led by the breakthrough in space technology, but that would be in the distant futurehad it not been for the existence of Jiang Chen, who was a traveler between two worlds.
If everything went smoothly, Zhongxin High Tech would be capable ofpletely developing this technology themselves. ording to the history, the cutting-edge high-altitude UAV simr to Dragon II didnt have a long development cycle.
Now that he thought about it, the dy in development was unlikely due to the barrier in technology. If someone could leak the information, there was no reason they wouldnt obstruct the progress in some way
At the thought of this, Jiang Chen furrowed his brows.
He had never given this issue a thought.
In that timeline, PAC, Soviet Union (CCP), and NATO could be said the tripartite that divided the world. However, in this timeline, PAC and CCCP simply did not exist at all.
The series of drastic changes in Eastern Europe had ruined thest trace of Soviet. The copse of the Berlin Wallpletely pushed the alliance into the abyss and dered the copse of the Yalta system. In 1991, the painstaking pir of CCCP finally disintegrated and was divided into 15 independent sovereign states.
The fate of PAC was even more interesting since it never existed in the first ce. Moreover, judging from the territorial disputes and the geopolitical pattern among Asian countries at the moment, it should not be possible for the organization to be established in the next 50 years or so. An alliance would have to be formed from a political mutual trust; regrettably, this trust did not exist from the very beginning.
On the contrary, NATO was the only one that stood out amongst the three. In spite of the constant portrayal of the media that NATO counties led by the UA were unable to extricate themselves from the quagmire of the Middle East disputes, all countries in Europe had been caught in dire straits by the Greek debt crisis and the influx of refugees. Needless to say, NATO was terrifying in both economic output and the military strength.
When did it start?
Rather, when did history start to diverge?
Just as Jiang Chen thought of what seemed to be an irrelevant question, his cell phone suddenly began to ring.
Putting on his Bluetooth headset, he pressed the call button.
Hello?
Do you still remember me, handsome oriental man? Despite her jesting tone, Jiang Chen could detect that this sentence was almost squeezed out from her teeth.
Han with a Russian ent. Although the other had not reported her name, her identity could easily be identified.
Of course, I remember the beautiful Ms. Natasha. How can I help you? he replied casually and chuckled.
[KGB? Other than tricking them in Veit, Jiang Chen couldnt think of any other connection with them.]
Why dont you take a ne to Moscow? I still owe you a shot of Vodka. We can have a long chat in the bar, Natasha said in a provocative way.
Its a tempting suggestion. Unfortunately, I cant make the trip since I cant even buy a ne ticket at the moment, said Jiang Chen, face not showing the slightest contrite.
If you really want toe, we can provide you with a free and secure method of entering the border.
Is KGB taking an interest in me? What an honor. Jiang Chen quipped and didnt ept her proposal.
Its Kremlin thats interested in you. After a brief pause, Natasha changed into a seductive voice and continued, Are you really not going to consider? Han men are popr among the Russian women.
Artificial intelligence would be the development trend for the next few decades, even potentially leading the fourth scientific and technological revolution, which was almost a foreseeable future. The value of artificial intelligence in military applications was even more invaluable. Since the advent of Future 1.0, it had garnered enough attention from Russia; not until they discovered its military value was extremely limited did they move their sight elsewhere.
But who would have thought that Future Technology could really leave its mark in the military field?
Even Jiang Chen himself did not expect that he would have wanted to make a contribution to his mothend before leaving the country. As a result, the information was surrendered and was leaked in the Han market before the development of the program was evenpleted. It was as if he just became a delicious morsel of meat.
Of course, manypanies possessed highly advanced technologypanies such as Google and IBM in the world, and Future Technology was just one of them. The technology giants were not desperate to a point where they had to make a move, but Future Technology already possessed enough value to make these giants want to form a rtionship with them.
For example, you? Jiang Chen casually quipped.
If you can convince your team serving behind you to settle in Russia, I dont mind bing your woman. Natasha wasnt kidding.
Jiang Chen suddenly burst outughing.
I dont think its funny, Natasha raged.
If I really wanted to do something to you, I would have tried all kinds of positions with you in Veit.
Jiang Chens mockery made Natasha extremely furious. She gnashed her teeth, wanting to drag Jiang Chen from the other side of the phone and roughed him up. Of course, it was only wishful thinking.
Taking a deep breath, she worked hard to suppress the anger in her heart before continuing, I believe weve already shown enough sincerity. If youre willing to cooperate with us, we can offer you the most generous conditions
Before our location is exposed, when were finally safe, and we dont need to be in any cage in exchange for security. The only person who would be exposed to the troubles would be me, Jiang Chen shrugged and uttered in a nonchnt voice.
It seems that Mr. Jiang agent is not afraid? Natasha scoffed.
Theres no reason to be afraid.
Towards Jiang Chen words, Natasha chuckled and didnt refute his words. Looks like you are not yet fully aware of your situation. Because of your program, Dragon II will be deployed to the South Hua Sea ahead of schedule, and the strategic bnce would be broken. The CIB is doing everything to prevent this from bing a reality.
Hearing this, Jiang Chen he let out a discreet sigh.
[Sure enough, its the work of a spy? I was wondering why there are so many mishaps in the program, which made the development of Dragon II stuck in its final stage.]
So?
Wasting resources on a harmless development team indeed seems unlikely, however, if an organization hinders the national interest of the UA, the White House will have a reason to the teach you a lesson. If I dont guess wrong, the UA embassy should have already made contact with you, Natasha snickered.
I rejected him, Jiang Chen said carelessly.
Then you might be in trouble. In the foreseeable future, at least before the program is transferred over, your photo will be on the CIB mission brief.
Jiang Chen was stunned for a moment, and then he chuckled nonchntly and said, Why dont you directly tell that to the General Staff Department of Hua? Im only a businessman, I dont have the right to take actions.
KGB and The General Staff Department have no policy to exchange intelligence. As to why Im telling you, cant you see it is an act of friendship? Natasha mocked.
Then, as an agent, what would they do next? Jiang Chen casually asked.
First priority is to force you to hand over the source code and then kidnap you to an aircraft carrier. The second priority is to shoot you as a warning to the organization behind you not to interfere in the game among the big powers, and at the same time, to cut off the only means for cooperation between you and Hua.
Since all partnerships were done through a representative, it was enough to just kill the representative.
Even if Future Technology indeed possessed value, it was not the extent where they could negotiate with the Rainbow Mansion.
Then what do you think I should do? Jiang Chen chortled.
Stop at once and withdraw from the project.
And then join force with you?
If you do not want to fall into the hands of the UA and if you dont want to get stuck to where you are, were your only choice. Natashas face shed a smile. In her perspective, Jiang Chen had no reason to reject her.
Under the surveince of the General Staff Department, just by himself, he had no opportunity to leave the border at all. However, it would be different with the help of KGB. As long as he was willing to cooperate, the existence of the so-called restriction was not a problem at all.
Do you think Im scared of CIB? Jiang Chen asked softly.
Few people whom they are targeting are not scared.
Then Ill have to disappoint you, I happen to be one of them. What could the CIB agent even do? Not to mention that this was Han territory, with Ayeshas counter-reconnaissance ability, Jiang Chen had nothing to worry about.
From abat ability perspective, he could deal with them by himself.
The Wolf. Towards Jiang Chens confidence, Natasha merely provided a short name.
Mhmm?
Griss OSullivan, senior CIB agent, who was previously active in Iraq war. There were more than 47 Iran officials who died either directly or indirectly in his hands. He waster transferred to the CIB Anti-terrorism team in Iraq. Have you heard of Laden? Although the SEAL shot him, he was the person that dug him out. Based on the intelligence, he already arrived at Wanghai City and forged his identity.
Is that so? Thats a big fish.
Its a shark. Natashaughed intriguingly. Dont die. Ill be waiting for you toe to Moscow.
Chapter 249 - Sorry, I’m not your subordinate
Chapter 249: Sorry, Im not your subordinate
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Yukira_
The call ended.
Laughing and shaking his head, Jiang Chen took off the Bluetooth headset and put it back into his pocket.
Griss, isnt it? It looks like this problem is bing serious, Jiang Chen muttered to himself.
From the standpoint of Russia, Dragon II beingpleted in time and being deployed in the South Hua Sea ahead of schedule was the best scenario. Considering Huas growth in power, it would indeed hinder the UAs n to return to Asia-Pacific. In this case, the pressure faced by Russia in East Europe and the Mediterranean would be significantly reduced.
Natasha disclosing the CIBs action was partly a show of goodwill, and partly wishing for Jiang Chen to be prepared.
He just did not know if Dagger of General Staff Department received the news or not.
[Maybe I should send Ayesha to protect Xia Shiyu?]
Driving back to the staff quarters, Jiang Chen parked the car and was about to head upstairs when Dagger came over.
Hows the result of the matchmaking? Dagger snickered.
I guess its a sess. ncing at the empty seat on the Santana, Jiang Chen asked casually, Wheres Miao Jun who was driving you?
Protecting your little girlfriend. Dagger sighed. Say, could you be a little bit less busy this month?
Before the General Staff Department sent help, he could only get his deputy to help out. Even though Miao Jun was somewhat impetuous, his ability was quite good. He should be able to deal with the short transition period before their backup arrived.
Whether if there was anyone was plotting against Jiang Chen, Dagger didnt receive any news from his superior that indicated that an external force was making a move on Jiang Chen. All of the security measures here were just for preventative measures.
Looking at Daggers wry expression, Jiang Chen smiled and patted the veteran soldier on the shoulder.
I can only say Ill do my best. Anyway, thank you.
[Im paying hundreds of millions of tax each month, so it isnt too outrageous for you guys to work a little harder.]
Of course, this is my job. Dagger took out his phone and was preparing to make a phone call to Miao Jun to ask how was the situation.
Just as he was about to call, his phone suddenly rang.
Upon seeing the name, Dagger paused for a moment. His expression turned grim and hurriedly put the cellphone to his ear.
In the next second, his face changed dramatically
Sitting in the tea shop downstairs of the apartment, Miao Jun ordered a cup of mocha. Crossing his legs, his eyes narrowed while examining every person that walked in and out of the neighborhood.
Dagger had already gone back with Jiang Chen; on the other hand, he stayed here.
Fu*k, the life of the rich is indeed different. Hes picking up girls while I have to keep an eye out for him, Miao Junined in his mind.
Whileining, he was meticulously doing the task that he needed to. It took abilities to be part of the General Staff Apartment.
It was almost dusk when he lifted his hand to check the time. There was still an hour left before the person who would take over his spot would arrive.
Just then, his pupils contracted and locked onto a man wearing a down jacket.
Although on the surface, the mans behavior was very normal and reasonable to the point where he did not stand out from the crowd. However, Miao Jun noticed something unnatural from his actions.
Whether it was the way he took out his cigarette or the angle he looked at this phone, he was able to cleverly avoided the camera in the neighborhood from capturing his face. It may be a coincidence if it happened once or twice, but if it happened all the time, there was only one possibilitythe opponent was an anti-surveince expert!
Thinking of this, Miao Jun could not help but get a little excited and lick the corners of his lips.
Although it was not his first mission, it was his first encounter with a foreign agent. If he captured a spy from an overseas force, it would undoubtedly be a great achievement!
Of course, it was only a spection. In the absence of conclusive evidence, any arbitrary arrests would not only cause unnecessary trouble, it would just unnecessarily alert the enemy.
Putting his hand into his pocket, Miao Jun quietly moved towards the man in a down jacket.
His hand, which was inserted in his pocket, was gripping a Beretta 92, his finger was gently pushing the safety.
The man seemed to be oblivious to Miao Juns gaze as he headed to themunal restroom.
What an amateur. Mouth raised a touch of ridicule, Miao Jun trailed after him quietly.
However, when he stepped into mens restroom, the expression on his face suddenly froze.
Theres no one here?
All the stalls were open and the side of the urinal was empty.
Could it be that the person went to the female restroom on the right?
His face turning spective, Miao Jun prepared to leave.
But then, he heard a casual voice behind his back.
Hello. Looking for me?
He did not know when it started, but the man he was following, was now standing behind him!
Hackles up, a sudden chill went down his spine.
Knowing he was in a dire situation, Miao Jun immediately turned and pulled out his gun.
The man lunged at him, narrowing their gap. The man lifted his hand, easily twisting his wrist, and positioned his finger behind the trigger.
Miao Jun was deeply astonished by how fluid the opponent took his gun. This man was obviously an expert.
Since he was able to confirm his opponents capability, there was no need to be reserved. Without ceasing the movement of his one hand, his other hand reached to snap the neck of the person, resorting to a killing move.
But the other person just contemptuously scoffed and was seemingly able to read his thought, he once again easily parried his move.
Rookie.
Upon hearing the others ridicule, a powerful knee strike struck his chest like a hammer.
All the air in his chest was forcefully squeezed out of his chest.
Because of breathing difficulties, Miao Juns eyes widened and looked like it was about to pop out.
Theck of oxygen made all the tense muscles in his body loosen, while the gun in his hand was easily taken out.
Thereupon, his forehead made an intimate contact with the barrel of the gun.
Sumbing to unconsciousness, Miao Jun fell head first to the ground.
Not pausing for a second, the man pinched the button of themunications device on his cor.
Problem solved.
Roger.
Turnin off her earpiece, woere her cap, Caitlin put on her baseball cap and carried Xia Shiyu who was lying on the floor and started to retreat.
A van stopped by the apartment before it left the neighborhood.
The entire operation took less than five minutes from start to finish.
Xia Shiyu was abducted.
Hearing this news, Jiang Chen felt his head buzz and fury instantly engulfed his whole body.
Although he had considered the possibility of the enemy plotting against Xia Shiyu, he never thought that they would make a move right after after their date.
Given how fast they were, he didnt even have the opportunity to send Ayesha to protect her.
Calm down first, our people are already investigating what happened. Hucheng Police Department will assist us in our operation and put all roads under surveince. The kidnapper must still be in the city. Dagger tired to cate Jiang Chens emotion, despite feeling panic himself.
He lost contact with Miao Jun and was presumably also caught in dire straits. Yet it was not clear which force made the abduction.
Kidnapping Xia Shiyu must have been orchestrated to threaten Jiang Chen. What Dagger could only do at the moment was to ensure that Jiang Chen remained calm to prevent him from doing anything impulsive.
Your people? How long would that take? Jiang Chen took a deep breath, his voice trembling due to wrath.
Within three days, I will definitely give you an update, Dagger said in a calm voice.
Three days? Jiang Chenughed derisively and filled with rage.
Dagger wanted to say something, but this phone rang again.
Dagger put the phone close to his ear, as he heard the voice from the other side of the phone, his expression looked helpless as he handed the phone to Jiang Chen.
Hello, Mr. Jiang Chen.
You are?
Liu Guangqi, Daggers superior. You may call me General Liu.
My girlfriend was kidnapped, Jiang Chen said coldly.
We already received the news. Please be patient and wait for an update regarding this matter. We will definitely give you an ount of the situation. Before that, we hope Mr. Jiang could consider the bigger picture and lessen unnecessary travel.
What do you mean?
It doesnt mean anything. Were just worried that the enemy will use Ms. Xia as a bargaining chip, which may force you to make a regrettable decision.
You mean, you want to put me under house arrest? Jiang Chen asked, his voice sounded intrigued.
This is for your own safety. Also, if the other could not reach you, then they wont be able to threaten you.
What if they contact you? Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes.
Taking Ms. Xia as a bargaining chip is be enough to coerce us into making concessions in light of national interest. Im asking Mr. Chen to believe in the capabilities of the General Staff Department. We will give you a satisfactory answer within three days, said General Liu lightly.
Hearing this, Jiang Chen calmed down, his heart also started to turn cold.
With these words, the message behind Liu Guangqis words was very clear.
The General Staff Department would absolutely notpromise with the agent even with the life of a citizen at stake. If the group that kidnapped Xia Shiyu could not reach Jiang Chen and could only get in touch with the General Staff Department, then the hostages on their hands would lose their value.
At the same time, to maintain the status quo, the General Staff Department would immediatelyunch an investigation of this incident, and n for the arrest of the enemy that designed and orchestrated the abduction.
Thus, even if the kidnappers were to kill the hostage, they had nothing to gain from it.
In the face of the national interests, all the sacrifices of an individual were worthwhile.
Thats to say youre giving up on Xia Shiyu? Jiang Chen asked softly.
Weve never given up on anyone.
Whichw allows one to restrict the freedom of the victim?
Its not aw, its an order, Liu Guangqi stated using an indisputable tone.
Stunned for a moment, Jiang Chen chuckled.
Sorry, Im not one of your subordinates, so your order is invalid.
Jiang Chen ended the call.
Chapter 250 - Betrayal
Chapter 250: Betrayal
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
Jiang Chen stuffed the phone into his pocket.
Please cooperate with my work, Mr. Jiang. Dagger forced out a smile as Jiang Chen was clearly not willing to follow the order.
Daylight during the winter was short, and although it was still moments before six in the afternoon, it was already turning dark.
Despite not being able to see the emotion hidden in Jiang Chens eyes, Dagger could clearly sense that Jiang Chen was in a terrible mood.
Seeing Jiang Chen had no reaction, Dagger let out a sigh, extended his hand, and pleaded, Please dont make this difficult for me Give me the phone first.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes, and saidone word at a timeIve never made it difficult for you. Its you that has always made it difficult for me, and now, I had enough.
Dagger paused. He didnt think the always-cooperating Jiang Chen would say this.
Although his words certainly had rationale to it, from the perspective of a soldier, Dagger could not back off.
With his head lowered, Dagger made thest request pleadingly, Please consider the bigger picture.
I dont understand the bigger picture, I will find my own way to save my girlfriend.
It wasnt until this moment did Jiang Chen finally realize the thought hidden in the deepest part of his heart.
If they were only girlfriend and boyfriend in name, and if he didnt like her, he would never be so livid.
Since he was already sure, there was no need to be hesitant.
Jiang Chen turned to head to his Maybach.
Sorry, I would have to force you to make the right decision, Dagger said as he took out a pistol.
Youre pointing your gun at me? Jiang Chen inquired interestingly.
Sorry.
You dare to shoot me? Jiang Chenughed.
If he died, the program would definitely not be delivered to Zhongxin High Tech. The only winner would be the people unwilling to see Dragon II deployed ahead of schedule. For the General Staff Department, it was not an ending they wanted to see.
Dagger didnt respond as he only stood there in silence, but the gun was moving down and pointed at Jiang Chens leg.
The intensity in his eyes seems to reflect his attitudeIf you dare to leave, I will shoot your leg.
Jiang Chens eyes began to turn cold.
The two stood still without moving.
Because of how deste the ce was, no one walked nearby. Dagger didnt need to disguise the way he held the gun.
The only noise that interrupted this silence was the white birch tree swaying in the wind.
They stared at each other.
The calmness disyed by Jiang Chen confirmed Daggers suspicions: he was not just a businessman. If he were an ordinary person, he wouldve wet his pants upon seeing a real gun.
This was the real reason why he pulled out the gun.
Instincts told him that in hand-to-handbat, he had no confidence in restraining Jiang Chen.
As the second and hour hands on the watch crossed at the six oclock position, the streetmp suddenly lit up.
The abrupt piercing light caused Dagger to squint his eyes.
At that exact moment, Jiang Chen moved.
Dagger was shocked by Jiang Chens sudden movement in closing the distance. This ability that Jiang Chen demonstrated left him with no choice but to go all out.
He lifted his left arm up, attempting to use his elbow to strike Jiang Chens ribcage. If that movended, Jiang Chen would have at least three rib bones broken.
But his n fell through.
Despite how experienced he was at fighting, this level of attack was futile against a body strengthened by the gic vine. With a bone strength of 29, it was two times that of an ordinary person; the resilience of Jiang Chens rib bone was no less than his humerus.
Jiang Chen easily took the hit and ignored the stunned expression on Daggers face. He took a swing with his right hand andnded a hit on Daggers jaw, knocking Dagger right out.
He quietly picked up the pistol on the ground and ced it in his pocket. Taking out his phone, he called Ayesha.
Find me at where I parked, lets get going.
In a warehouse in Huchengs rural area
Miao Jun sat nted on a chair. His limbs were tied on the chair, his dangled face was bruised in red and blue, with blood dripping from his mouth.
I wont say anything.
I dont n on letting you say anything. Zhang Youjie shrugged as he pulled a chair and sat across from him. A smile appeared on his face.
We only need your cooperation.
Cooperation? Miao Jun sneered and stared provocatively at Zhang Youjie in the eyes, Why dont you just kill me.
Zhang Youjies eyebrows raised as he stared back with an ambiguous expression.
A cold sweat rolled down from Miao Juns forehead. He suddenly felt that he was under the watch of a cobra examining its prey; there were no secrets in front of him.
Miao Jun, 25, graduated in Shangjin National Defense University with an outstanding performance. After graduation, received training in the province of Lu for new recruitment training. Later incorporated into the Ji Divisions special force for special force training, and eventually became a part of the General Staff Department in 2014 to conduct anti-spy work domestically. With how fast you are rising up thedder, you have connections, right? Zhang Youjie crossed his eyes and said with a grin.
Miao Jun was utterly dumbfounded and looked at the man in front of him in disbelief.
His background was considered a top secret
With a grin, Zhang Youjie chirped, Sorry, we also have connections.
Traitor, He squeezed out a word in his mouth and stared gravely at Zhang Youjies eyes.
You seemed to have mistaken something. Although Im Asian, I grew up in UA. How should I say this in regrnguage Im an UA-born Han? Zhang Youjie said with a smile.
Seeing Miao Jun not saying anything else, Zhang Youjies body leaned forward and examined him with maniptive eyes.
Although we have different nationalities, to me, I think you and I have a lot of simrities.
Oh? I dont think so.
I graduated from Northpoint Academy, and you also graduated from the top military academy in Hua. Are you really willing to die like this? Your life only just began.
Miao Jun raised his head and enunciated, It is my honor to sacrifice myself for the country.
Is that so? But what you did is contradictory, Zhang Youjie leaned on the chair, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and used an I understand you tone, Based on the attitude you disyed during work, as well as your stance during the conversation with other people, you dont seem to n on dedicating your entire life to this job?
Miao Juns eyes widened, he didnt understand how could they have such a detailed investigation with him just being a typical agent while still in the process of being evaluated.
What he didnt know was that the enemy didnt have a detailed report on himbluffing was a conventional technique used during negotiation. Obtaining vast amount of information through a limited amount of information, although it may not be effective against seasoned agents, was incredibly effective against new recruits.
Seeing the expression on Miao Juns face, Zhang Youjie disyed a triumphant smile.
He opened his arm, stared Miao Jun in the eyes and spoke with the same understanding tone, Whats the difference? Obtaining some credentials and then retire to start a career that has nothing to do with protecting the country. With your background of being a former General Staff Department, youll just be a bodyguard for the rich? Join us, we can make you a wealthy person right away.
Miao Jun held his breath as his eyes began to waver.
The ideology that had been engraved in him told him that he should reject; but with how Zhang Youjie described it, it seemed to be the case.
He nned to leave the army anyways.
Just look at Dagger, that was the reward for loyalty.
Zhang Youjie acutely noticed the change on Miao Juns face as he threw out another tempting offer.
One million USD, a green card, a ticket to the free world, you could easily start a new life. And what you only needed to do is to cooperate with us for one thing in the next two days.
Then, Zhang Youjie no longer said anything as he silently listened to the breathing that was periodically tense, and then calm while he waited for the response.
Typically, if the target was silent, it was half sessful.
The silencested for fifteen minutes.
What do you need me to do? Miao Jun lowered his head.
A victorious smile appeared on Zhang Youjies face.
Its something simple, you only need to
Chapter 251 - A Glean Hope
Chapter 251: A Glean Hope
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It seemed like a long dream. In drowsiness, Xia Shiyu woke up from unconsciousness.
Do you know how to speak English?
With her thought returning to her, she sensed that she was in a mobile environment.
On a car?
Yes.
Perfect, my Han is terrible. Caitlin chewed on her bubblegum and grinned.
She tried to focus her vision, but her iris seemed to be covered by a thinyer of a veil which made her unable to see anything clearly.
In haziness, she saw a figure.
Where is this? What, what did you do to me?
Xia Shiyu suddenly woke up from her drowsy state, and her body jerked in anger.
The chair began to squeak, but her motions were ineffective. When she discovered her hands and legs were tightly tied to the chair, her face began to lose any sign of life as her vibrant red lips quivered.
She remembered the instant before she lost her consciousness; she despairingly realized the severity of the situation.
She was kidnapped.
We didnt do anything to you, at least for now. You better pray that your boyfriend makes the right decision, Caitlin smiled, but her voice was cold.
How, how much money do you want?
Unfortunately, we dont need money. Caitlin shrugged.
Xia Shiyu desperately attempted to force his pupils to gaze onto the kidnappers face, but it was futile.
She seemed to be surrounded by a thick fog, unable to render anything clearly.
To prevent you from seeing things you shouldnt be seeing, we used medicine to obstruct your vision. Trust us, it is for your benefit, Caitlin seemed to have read Xia Shiyus mind as she said casually.
Kaching-
It was the sound of a gun being loaded.
She wriggled backward with fear written all over her face.
Michael, it is not funny to scare the hostage, The ck man ying with the radio device worked on the equipment while he spoke.
Is that so? Perhaps it is because I spent too much time in Iraq. Michael shook the M9 in his hand as the Caucasian man grinned, I heard Griss is here, I wonder where that guy is.
Team A, responsible for providing support. If we encounter the PLA, he might be up, Caitlin said emotionlessly, then looked at the driver in the front. Adam, how much longer?
Half an hour more.
Before the police could set up blockades, they left Hucheng already. Since they were no ordinary kidnappers, if the local police could capture them, then they shouldnt be agents anymore.
Based on Zhang Youjies n, Team B would be responsible for making thest attempt in convincing Jiang Chen. Team C would bring the hostage to location while waiting for Team Bs news to see if they should leave Jiangxi and head to Fujian on the coast. Once there, they would use a special channel to pass through the strait before leaving the border through Yizhou.
If negotiation fails, Team B will execute Jiang Chen, Team C will also kill the hostage. If negotiation is sessful, Team C would continue ording to the n and take Xia Shiyu out of the country. Team B will immediately follow and transfer Jiang Chen overseas.
As to Team A, they were responsible for any of the agents or soldiers that would appear and cover for Team Bs retreat.
Caitlin already memorized the mission brief in her mind, she just didnt expect it to be so smooth.
With eyes narrowed, she examined the frightened Xia Shiyu with a grin as she leaned the SCAR assault rifle on its side.
He is not my boyfriend Xia Shiyu said with a trembling voice in an attempt to convince the kidnappers to let her go.
She had never seen anything like this living in the peaceful world.
Is that so? Then well have to find out. But you better pray that he loves you, or we might kill you. Caitlinughed andpletely disregarded her words.
Xia Shiyu felt her hands turn cold as a grave despair started to engulf her.
Her lips trembled, her throat felt as if it was stuffed by a marshmallow, she couldnt say anything.
[Please, who could save me]
She closed her eyes in hopelessness.
Jiang Chen drove while Ayesha sat in the passenger seat. The two already left Hucheng on a small route. When they passed by the temporary inspection station, the police didnt detain them. By the looks of it, Dagger was still not awake and didnt report Jiang Chen missing to his superior.
Jiang Chens phone rung and he scanned the caller.
A sneer surfaced on the corner of his lips.
[Of course, it is him.]
It was not a coincidence that he appeared at the Near Lake Restaurant.
Prepare the equipment and prepare to track his location, Jiang Chen without any emotion.
Ayesha nodded and took out the wireless tracking device and opened the map on the EP around her wrist.
With the car parked on the side of the road, Jiang Chen pressed the pickup button.
Hello?
Hello, Mr. Jiang, whats your decision? Zhang Youjie said in a cheerful voice.
Where is Xia Shiyu? Jiang Chen said distantly.
Who is Xia Shiyu? Sorry, I dont understand what youre saying, Im only a conste worker, Zhang Youjie spoke with a smile.
A conste worker? Then why are you not in Wanghai City and here in Hucheng? Jiang Chen scorned.
Of course here to deal with diplomatic affairs. Does your country have aw restricting conste workers mobility? Zhang Youjie pretended to be surprised.
Ayesha disyed the EP on her wrist, the red dot stopped at the Wanghai City conste.
[When he left the restaurant, he returned to Wanghai City right away?]
I will ask again, where is Xia Shiyu?
Sensing Jiang Chens rage, Ayesha worriedly held his hand caringly.
The cold touch on his hand calmed Jiang Chen slightly as he looked at Ayesha gratefully before taking a deep breath and recollecting his thoughts.
In a moment like this, the more he panicked, the more likely a mistake would ur. He must have a clear mind to think of a solution.
Just like when he was in Veit.
Seeing Jiang Chen calm down, Ayesha gently smiled and let his hand go.
I dont understand what youre saying. But if you are looking for someone, why dont you provide me with your email? I have a particr location that might be of help?
If he said anything he shouldnt have said on the phone, it could be recorded as evidence, and he would face prosecution for espionage. He would never do something to dig his own grave.
Jiang Chen read out his email. Quickly, the phone beside his ear buzzed. The email; was already sent to his phone.
If anything happens to Xia Shiyu, trust me, I will make you regret it, Jiang Chen said calmly.
Thatd be really scary then. Also, you better go alone. If I find out that the General Staff Department follows you, something bad may happen
The phone went dead.
Zhang Youjie paused before he threw his phone on the desk and smiled.
Interesting.
Chapter 252 - Who said I will go with you?
Chapter 252: Who said I will go with you?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
Outside of the Yangjiapin Textile nt
A car was parked two hundred meters away from the gate on a small road.
The car was not his Maybach S600, but it was, instead, a secondhand Sonata that he spent one hundred thousand acquiring. He didnt want his ride to be ruined during the fire fight.
Jiang Chen got out of the car and scanned the surroundings before walking to the long-deserted textile nt.
That was the destination they agreed on, 12 kilometers from Hucheng.
Other than the weeds growing around the nt, it was barren farnd in the area with no one in sight.
But just outside of the dested nt, Jiang Chen saw four out-of-ced vans.
There were two men with baseball caps standing by the door. Their jackets were stuffed with something hidden underneath, and their hands were in their pockets, as if they were holding onto something.
The corners of Jiang Chens lip raised with interested as he walked up without fear.
Seeing Jiang Chen walking over, the two exchanged eye contact before one of them walked up.
Nice to meet you, Mr. Jiang. Did you follow the agreement? The man raised his right hand and smiled.
He was referring to the agreement ofing alone.
Cant you see with your own eyes?
Jiang Chen ignored his extended hand and walked into the nt.
An awkward expression surfaced on the persons face while his hand remained extended. He nced at hisrade on duty who was trying not tough as he shrugged and stuffed his hand back into his pocket.
Ayesha didnt follow along, Jiang Chen gave her another mission.
Just like Zhang Youjie demanded, he came alone.
Inside the nt, there were a few lights in the middle, with few figures visible from the window.
He pushed opened the door to the nt and scanned around the numerous people inside before a smile surfaced.
The camouged bulletproof vests, the metallic ck assault rifles to be able to transport these inside the country, they must have spent quite a lot of effort.
The fifteen CIB agents were stationed around the corners of the warehouse, and five people were waiting for Jiang Chen at the door.
The person in the front was giving off a dangerous vibe. Although Jiang Chen was unable to confirm his ability, just from instincts alone, this person was stronger than Roberts bodyguard, Nick.
He must be Grisswho Natasha referred toalso known as Wolf.
Perfect, they are all here.
Youre Jiang Chen? Seeing Jiang Chen walk in, a man in the middle stepped on a cigarette and took out a photo from his pocket with a grin.
The wrinkles on his face twisted together, the green eyes were filled with a deadly eerie light as he examined Jiang Chen.
Thats right, Jiang Chen said distantly.
Since youre here, you must have already made your decision, said Griss with a shrug.
Of course, Jiang Chen said calmly as he stared into Grisss eyes, But before that, I need to call Xia Shiyu.
Dont worry, you Asian monkey, the hostage is safe. Were the CIB after all, not IS, the man scoffed.
Oh? I never really distinguished the two organizations.
You
Upon hearing the mocking words from Jiang Chen, the man was immediately provoked and he stepped up.
Griss nced at his teammate and said indifferently, Grim, shut up.
Yes The giant man immediately lowered his head and obediently backed down.
In the face of this oppressive captain, he had no courage to rebuke.
It was already against protocol to reveal the name of their organization, but seeing that the mission was about to bepleted, Griss didnt say anything.
He tilted his head and spoke to the person beside him.
Give him the radio.
Okay, Captain. A soldier with a baseball hat took out a radio from his tactical vest, walked to Jiang Chen, and handed it to him.
With an unidentifiable smile on his lip, Jiang Chen took the radio. The other hand in his pocket opened the wireless tracking device.
He would have to leave that task to Ayesha.
Hello? Xia Shiyu?!
Jiang Chen Where are you?
With how feeble her voice sounded, Jiang Chen suppressed the anger in his mind. Taking a deep breath, he used the calmest voice he could muster:
How are you? Did they do anything to you?
Not yet. Who who are they? Her voice was filled with despair and helplessness, but it didnt sound stiff, so she didnt receive any cruel treatment.
After confirming Xia Shiyus safety, Jiang Chen felt a little calmer.
Just as he wanted to gain more time for Ayesha, themunication was cut off from the other side.
You had ten seconds to confirm the safety of the hostage, Griss grinned, taking out a lighter and lighting another cigarette for himself. Now, your choice will determine the life or death of you and your girlfriend. You dont have a lot of choices.
Jiang Chen slowly dropped down the radio and looked at Griss in the eyes.
Oh?
[ I dont think so .]
He added a sentence in his mind. The hand in Jiang Chens pocket threw the wireless tracking device into the storage dimension, then he took out a paper-thin remote and pressed the switch.
The broad-range signal jammer in the trunk of the Sonata parked outside of the warehouse instantly opened and blocked any signal within five kilometers radius.
Grim, check his equipment. Without concern for Jiang Chen, Griss turned his head and spoke to therade on the side.
Okay, Boss.
Twisting his neck while making a loud crackling sound, Grim walked to Jiang Chen with a wicked smile. He already made up his mind to teach the arrogant guy a lesson.
For example, identally breaking one of his nuts during the search
Before we leave here, we need to check your equipment to prevent you from wearing any tracking device. Of course, if you resist, there might be some unfortunate things that may happen.
Looking at Grim walking towards him, Jiang Chen suddenly startedughing.
Leave here? Who said I will go with you?
When they heard this, all five people surrounding Jiang Chen were shocked.
Without giving them the opportunity to react, Jiang Chen immediately detonated the smoke grenade and EMP grenade in his pocket.
Buzz!
The static buzzing noise echoed in the nt as the light bulb instantly blew out, leaving the entire nt into darkness. At the same time, smoke began to spread out from where Jiang Chen stood and hid his figure.
Kill him!
Griss roared out and instantly ordered themand to kill. At the same time, he raised his rifle and began to fire.
Tatatata!
Fires sttered as the weaving bullets ripped through the smoke that hid Jiang Chens figure. The empty nt was filled with the sound of bullet explosion and the crispness of bullet shells hitting the ground.
Because of the eyes inability to adjust to the sudden change in light, everyones vision was shrouded in darkness. However, the people here were all seasoned soldiers and, even with their eyes closed, they could work together to prevent the target from escaping with the web of bullets they wove.
Stop!
The shooting stopped, and the smoke began to fade.
The nt returned to silence.
The thick smoke dispersed at a steady pace and gradually began to meld with the smoke risen from the rifles.
The five CIB agents in the middle of the nt still maintained their shooting position and locked on to the smoke.
Although the smoke had yet to dispersepletely, no one questioned the ill fate of the Oriental man who didnt recognize the situation.
It would be absurd to have escaped from the rapid shooting.
It was only protocol to maintain firing position.
Boss, he must have died, Grim said as he moved his joints.
Griss stared into the middle of the smoke.
The target must have died, but an unsettling feeling was growing in his mind.
The smoke was like the egg of the devil, something was about to walk out from it.
Was it an illusion?
But then, his eerie green pupils suddenly contracted, the calmness that belonged to an elite soldier instantly faded!
God With hopelessness in his voice, Grim, who previously wanted to break Jiang Chens nuts, moved back shaking violently.
The surface of the steel armor reflected five frightened faces.
With the T3 power armor covering him, the revolving machine guns rotated rapidly as Jiang Chen unlocked the safety to the weapon module.
Lets y a game.
Chapter 253 - The Slaughter Armor
Chapter 253: The ughter Armor
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
The slick steel surface looked like a futuristic warrior just walked out from a sci-fi film. The rapidly revolving machine gun cast out a fearsome vibe under the pristine moonlight.
Take cover!
Griss roared as he rolled to the wall on the side.
The instant his back made contact with the concrete wall, the storm of bullets sted by.
Grim, who was closest to Jiang Chen, had no opportunity to dodge. He maintained his frightened expression while being shredded to pieces by the bullets. The three CIB agents nearby also experienced a horrific death by the fierce bulletstorm.
The sparks from the bullets lit up the surface of the power armor as the CIB agents, who were hidden around the nt, retreated while firing. However, the scattered bullets hitting on the T-3 C-type steel were as weak as scratches and only left a series of nking soundthey couldnt even leave a single dent on the surface of the armor.
That was the difference in technology.
Unless it was a heavy anti-armor sniper rifle or a machine gun, it could not pose any threat to the airdrop-type T-3 power armor that represented the highest level of technology before the war. If it was thend-type power armor, only the cannon on the M1 tank could pose a threat.
Right when he threw down the EMP and smoke grenade, Jiang Chen traveled back to the apocalypse. Before going back, he first went to the armory in the apocalypse right beside the power armor, suited up, and he traveled back before returning to the modern world.
The CIB could not see any of his actions under the cover of the smoke. In their eyes, the power armor seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. If not for that, they wouldnt look like they just saw a ghost.
Jiang Chen in a power armor was like a devil stepping out of the abyss,pletely destroying any of shred of their willpower with his firepower.
Im hit! Medic!
Tom is down! Dammit!
What is this thing?! God, make him stop! The voice sounded like he was about to cry.
Concrete shattered as Griss leaned tightly against the wall, the thunderous machine gun noise causing him to almost lose his sense of hearing.
Smoke grenade!
With a roar, he pulled out a smoke grenade from his waist, jumped out from under cover while moving to his teams zone of control, and squatted back down.
Change to thermal vision!
Roger.
The nine CIB agents all reced the scope on their assault rifle and peeked out from their cover while aiming right into the heart of the smoke.
But then, they werepletely stunned.
There was only a white fume inside the haziness and they couldnt see anything.
Jiang Chen, in the middle of the smoke, grinned as a series of red dots appeared on his iris.
Fury!
The revolving machine gun was deactivated and he pulled out the tactical rifle from his waist.
The agents who nned on firing back had no time to react before the bullets cracked open two peoples skull.
With the loss of two lives, the CIB agents had to retreat back into cover while firing in a scattered formation.
Dammit, dropping the ball at the most critical situation, Ill stuff your head into the toilet when I head back.
Griss cursed at Zhang Youjie who was responsible for the logistics as Griss ripped off the thermal imaging scope with his teeth gritted.
Fear permeated throughout his entire body as the muscle on Grisss face twisted violently.
He had not experienced this feeling for a long time, the sense of adrenaline overwhelming him.
He ripped off the radio from the tactical vest and screamed inside, The enemys firepower is too strong, Team A and B are under attack, mission failed! I repeat, mission failed!
But there was no response from the other side.
Griss was stunned.
Not just the thermal imaging, but even the radio were also not working. It was if an unknown power had destroyed all the electronic equipment.
Therades fired back while ducking out of cover, but he gradually couldnt hear the bullets anymore.
The concrete debris cut through his face while he took out the digitalized scope.
There was no red dot on the screen, it also stopped working.
An unknown fear suddenly overwhelmed him, his eyes popped out, blood-shotten.
A one-sided ughter.
The imprable armor, the mysterious weapon that instantly destroyed all electronic equipment who are they? They are definitely not the PLA! Hua would not have this type of military technology!
From Afghanistan to Iraq, Wolf Griss was used to savoring the fear on the enemys face. Marking down coordinates while enjoying the sight of garbage fleeing under the rampage of the AC-130, Griss had scoffed at the scums who didnt know what thermal vision was as they ran desperately to the bushes, trying to escape from the Grim Reapers feast
But he never thought that hed one day be the prey.
No, it was no longer a battle, it was a massacre!
At that moment, warm blood sttered all over his face and interrupted his pondering.
He looked up. Therade who shot back a second ago lost his head already.
In two short minutes, the twenty CIB agents from Iraq were down to five.
Retreat! Retreat! Griss, realizing the situation he is in, roared out as he attached the grenadeuncher onto his assault rifle and fired it into the smoke.
There was a loud explosion, but he didnt care if it hit the target or not. He rushed to the back door of the nt with his head covered.
The grenade exploded on the arm of the power armor as the fragmented shrapnel screeched against it. However, Jiang Chen only tumbled a little without being too affected.
Allowing the bloodlust to overtake him, Jiang Chen fired with the tactical rifle while moving forward to CIBs zone of control. His pupils contracted as he locked instantly on to a red dot. Just as the person peeked out, Jiang Chen pulled the trigger and killed him without any hesitation.
Because they didnt think that they would encounter any armored forces, along with the secretive nature of this mission, the CIB agents didnt bring any anti-tank rocketunchers with them this time.
With just grenades that were meant to be used against infantries, it was incapable of dealing any damage to the power armor!
You want to run? Jiang Chen grinned and scoffed at the four CIB agents retreating. He deactivated Fury and moved to the door slowly.
From the moment the shots were fired inside the nt, the two people patrolling by the door realized the oddity of the situation as they took out their assault rifles hidden underneath their jacket and remained on high alert.
With the loss ofmunication, they werepletely oblivious to what was happening inside the nt.
Upon seeing Griss run awkwardly in their direction, Brian, who was at the door, immediately went up to find out what was going on.
Sheet, captain, what happened inside?
Dumb*ss, get in the car!
Griss immediately pulled on the fool that ran toward him and shoved him into the van.
It was the first time Brian saw Griss being so desperate like this. Realizing the severity of the situation, Brian didnt dare to speak any more and took the drivers seat.
A few other agents also quickly got into the van.
The status of themunication system on the car? Griss asked while breathing heavily.
All function Sheet! No signal! The agent on the backseat smashed the car door.
F*ck! Griss cursed as he nced at the situation outside of the car. Seeing that the metal giant didnt follow them out, he felt somewhat relieved.
[ Maybe that metal giant has weaknesses too like low mobility? ]
With the car already started, he couldnt care about anything else other than leaving the area and sending the shocking information back to the CIB headquarter.
Compared to the source code of the drone and the metal giant, the mysterious weapon that could instantly paralyze a team electronic device was more shocking! If they were all from the organization behind Jiang Chen, then the CIB must reevaluate their strategy against the mysterious organization.
Just as his strained nerves started to loosen up, the scream of the driver rang beside his ear.
What the f*ck! What is that!
Four flying discs shed in front of the car window. Under each disc, a ck machine gun hung there.
With a cold sweat rolling down his forehead, the driver pressed on the gas, knowing full well that it was toote.
Fire emerged as the Hummingbird drones began to unleash its power.
Without any time to react, the CIB agents in the car were reaped of their lives by the merciless bullets.
Low mobility? That was Grisss wishful thinking.
The reason why he didnt want to wear the power armor out of the warehouse was purely due to the concern for privacy. It was an unwise move to expose such arge target in public. Although it was just a barren farnd without anyone there, it was better to be safe.
Jiang Chen returned to the apocalypse and left the power armor in the armory before he traveled back to the modern world.
He scanned outside of the nt with the broad range life detection device and saw one red dot lit up. Jiang Chen grinned, took out the PK2000 from the storage dimension and strolled to the shattered van.
Blood dripped out of the door and pooled to the ground. Red and white contents mixed together and were stuck everywhere.
At the sight of the horrific scene inside the van, Jiang Chen was shocked; however, he didnt feel any sympathy.
He recalled the Hummingbird drones and then dragged Griss, who was shot multiple times and on the verge of dying, out of the van and onto the ground. He then took out the hemostasis spray and applied it to Grisss wounds.
Griss was covered in blood, the calmness and ferociousness had already faded.
Rather than Wolf, it was more appropriate to describe him as a dead dog.
Jiang Chen looked at him from the top, kicked his arm, and said with interest, Cant say anything anymore?
Griss stared into Jiang Chens eyes, with blood in his mouth, and said while stuttering, I wont tell you where the hostage is. Just wait to recover the body of your little girlfriend.
Might not be the case, said Jiang Chen as he took out a voice recorder and threw it on Grisss body.
Just as Griss was confused by his action, Jiang Chen grinned.
I ask, you answer.
In his hand was a truth-telling serum.
Chapter 254 - Sniping
Chapter 254: Sniping
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
We lost Team B, negotiation failed. Execute n II. I repeat, negotiation failed
The message, mixed with static noises, came from the radio on the floor.
Xia Shiyu horrifically nced around, but she couldnt see anything.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of a window shattering, followed by something heavy dropping onto the ground. Then, the room returned to silence.
The room was dark without any light. This left the already visually-impaired Xia Shiyu in darkness with just moonlight from the window scattering in.
[ Negotiation failed does this mean they are going to kill me? ]
When she thought about it, the hopelessness inside her grew deeper. Her originally clean jeans were now covered in dust as she feebly jerked on the ground.
The rope was like a python that restrained her tightly to the corner of the wall. No matter how hard she tried to break free, she could not move a single inch.
Jiang Chen A weak whimpering came out from her tape-covered mouth as Xia Shiyu closed her eyes.
Would he just appear like that night and rescue her from her despair?
Save me
Although there was a slim chance of it happeningand perhaps she may have her throat slit the next second and fall on the cold floorshe was still hoping for it to happen.
Target executed.
An indifferent voice, mixed along with a mist of breath, came out of Ayeshas lips.
Under the crosshair was a female body. The blonde hair was scattered on the ground with blood. The 12.76 mm bullet had pierced through her skull and the CIB agent had died under her sniping.
Did I make it?
Her chest pumped furiously. The moment she received the coordinate from Jiang Chen, she floored the gas pedal and raced here. When she got off the car, using the fastest speed possible, she rushed to the highest point of a yet-to-bepleted building before lying on her current sniping position.
It was a race with the Grim Reaper.
If nothing else happened, the moment that the coordinate was sent over from Jiang Chen, the battle over there would have already started. Although he would definitely use a signal jammer to interfere with the enemysmunication, without any contact for an extensive period of time, the enemymander would be suspicious.
Fortunately, the location where they kept the hostage was not too far from the abandoned clothing factory. She made it there before the enemy found out what was truly happening.
Ayesha moved the crosshair and observed Xia Shiyus status.
The hostage appeared to be in a stable state Without any reaction to gunshots, she must have her vision obstructed. It was better this way, for if the hostage were to scream because of the scene, it would make the situation worse.
[ Is she the other wife of my husband? She looks pretty. ]
While Ayesha was thinking this, she opened the life detection device beside her scope.
The blue waves scanned across the field before a few red dots were quickly marked on the scope.
She moved the crosshair of the Ghost sniper rifle and locked onto a patrol at the gate warming his hands.
The second one, she murmured as she pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet shattered the persons skull with blood and brain matter sshed all over the ground. With the patrol being shot, the enemy finally realized they were under sniper fire, and the two red dots behind the structure quickly moved into the building.
Without any hints of being perturbed, to her, killing was as easy as breathing.
All for Jiang Chen.
Target exposed. Next should be to control the hostage, Ayesha muttered to herself as she moved the crosshair back to the room where Xia Shiyu was, aiming the crosshair at the door.
Indeed, the red dot moved onto the third floor beside the door.
The enemy didnt just rush inside. Even if they were to think with their butt, they would know that inside the room was under the killing range of the sniper.
Smoke grenade? Too bad its useless on me. Ayesha ignored the door being slightly opened as she aimed at the concrete wall and pulled the trigger.
Dammit, its PLAs sniper, someone betrayed us! said Mike with a short breath as he tightly clenched onto the loaded pistol.
We might be surrounded, control the hostage first. The ck man with an assault rifle was calmer as he took out a smoke grenade from his waist.
There was only one ce where one can find a sniper in Hua, and it was in the military. Snipers were like rats traversing under the foot of an elephant. If their trails were exposed, their only fate was to be stomped.
Unfortunately, this ce wasnt Iraq. There was no aircraft carrier to provide covering fire while they retreated.
Just as the ck man was about to throw a smoke grenade inside the room, the concrete wall he was leaning against instantly shattered. A bullet prated through the ten-centimeter wall and ripped his head into pieces.
Fu*k!
Mike immediately rushed for the stairs. He couldnt care about the hostage anymore. The enemys bullets seemed to have eyes growing on them. He only wanted to leave this god-forbidden ce!
Mike flipped out of the window and rolled to the back of the abandoned building. With his back against a thick wall, he regained a sense of security: It was normal for a bullet to prate through a wall, but it was impossible for it to pass through an entire building.
He nced at the empty ground twenty meters in the distance and debated for a few moment, but he had no courage to run across.
Sheet! What is the dumbbastards Miller doing! he cursed out, but he had no other solutions.
Miller was the sniper responsible for supporting this mission, but there was no movement from him at all. Because he was operating alone, Miller was not in themunication channel with Team C. Only Captain Caitlin could reach him, but she was already dead.
Hidden?
Ayesha muttered as she put away the sniper rifle and headed downstairs.
Due to the threat of the sniper, the enemy would not return to retrieve the hostage.
She moved along the bunker at high speed as she closed the distance with the target building. Jumping over a wall, she took out the pistol around her waist and moved to the CIB agent hidden behind the building. Her steps were quietlike a catnot making any noise.
A terrifying feeling suddenly overwhelmed Mike. The instant he turned his head, his eyes were met with the muzzle of Ayeshas pistol.
Bang!
Ignoring the body crumpled on the ground, Ayesha moved to where Xia Shiyu was kept.
Chapter 255 - That Bullet
Chapter 255: That Bullet
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
It was easy to kill, but hard to take care of the aftermath.
A total of 22 lives, all consisted of CIB elites. If the CIB knew Jiang Chen was the perpetrator behind this massacre, they would jump up like a cat with its tail being stepped on andunch a series of counterattacks.
He could not take the responsibility for this incident.
Jiang Chen had used the truth-telling serum and obtained all the mission details from Grisss mouth. Team A and B had died in his hand, without any idents, and Team C should be finished by Ayesha already.
Zhang Youjie had, additionally, requested a sniper to assist with the mission in case there were any potential problems, but with Ayeshas ability and equipment, it shouldnt be a big deal to take out the sniper.
All counteractive measures were prepared for against the General Staff Department. Never in his wildest dream would Zhang Youjie believe that it only took two people to wipe out the entire CIB force.
With a casualty of almost thirty people, this was the most significant loss suffered by the CIB.
During the interrogation, Jiang Chen used the voice changing app on his phone to alter his voice so there was no need to worry about drawing any connections with him.
He picked up the voice recorder from Grisss clothes and stared at the ck face without a word. Taking out a pistol, he aimed at Grisss head and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The pupils dted and began to lose its color.
Griss stopped breathing and his bloodstained life came to an end.
Unlike thest time in Veitbecause they saw his power armorhe couldnt leave anyone alive.
Jiang Chen sighed, put away his pistol, and started to deal with the aftermath.
Including Griss, Jiang Chen dragged the six people inside the van into the abandoned nt and lined them up together with the other bodies. It was a bit problematic dealing with Grim since he was shredded to pieces already.
Jiang Chen had the rare sensation of his stomach feeling upset.
The meat chunks were still warm
After he removed any of the sensitive document andmunication devices, all the bodies were transported back to the apocalypse to be burned outside of the Fishbone base. Upon returning back to the modern world, Jiang Chen used the blood dissolver to clean up any remaining blood.
Just like this, their existence in the modern world was wiped out.
There were still signs of a battle, but the bodies were nowhere to be found.
What Jiang Chen needed to do was to make the CIB believe that the agents on this mission were not dead, butinsteadall captured and imprisoned in a secret prison.
Only the government was capable of imprisoning nearly thirty agents inside Hua; a person would not have the ability to do so.
After all, imprisoning was iparable to killing. Killing would only require a single bullet, but to capture people, it would require at least a prison as well as guards numbering no fewer than the prisoners. If there were any fewer, they may not be able to contain the elite agents.
Without the agents bodies, the CIB would be unable to confirm their deaths and would suspect that it was the General Staff Department who captured them.
In regard to prisoners, the UAs typical response would be to save them. But Hua, who had never captured anyone, would not admit that they had imprisoned the agents. If Hua didnt take the initiative to denounce UA for their espionage activities, UAs president could not step up to acknowledge the CIBs operation in Hua. If they did, they would lose all their face as a country.
With Hua not making the first move to denounce the UA, the UA would have no grounds to plead on behalf of the agents.
Since it could not be solved diplomatically, they were only left with conducting secret missions.
Therefore, the center of CIBs activities in Hua must be focused on the captured agents within the next year and, hence, ignore the smaller character, Jiang Chen. Even if they could not find any results, they could only conclude that the missing agents were secretly executed by the General Staff Department, and they would likely not associate the death of their agents with Jiang Chen.
As for to how to deal with the General Staff Department, that would the next step.
Now all Jiang Chen needed to do was to make the recorded message appear at the appropriate location.
As he was thinking, Jiang Chen took out the satellite phone from his storage dimension.
Hello, Robert? I need your help
The ropes around her wrists and her legs were cut open. Xia Shiyu watched the girl fluidly inserting the dagger back around her wrist. She gulped and then spoke with a trembling voice, Who, who are you?
Since her vision had yet topletely recover, she couldnt clearly make out the girls face. She could only determine from the graceful outline that the girl must be stunning.
Ayesha, Jiang Chens bodyguard.
Since Ayesha thought they would be working together in the future, there was nothing to hide So Ayesha only hesitated for half a second before giving her name out.
Xia Shiyu would undoubtedly have a bewildered expression if she knew Ayeshas thought.
Bodyguard? Xia Shiyu never knew Jiang Chen had a bodyguard before, so she could not help but to feel puzzled.
Mhmm. We met in Iraq, Ayesha answered concisely.
Iraq?
Xia Shiyu had some memory of Jiang Chens visit there. She was still perplexed to this day why he went there.
[ Who are these kidnappers? They seemed to have kidnapped me with Jiang Chen as their intention ]
What was surprising was that even if she experienced such a horrific event purely because of Jiang Chen, in her heart, she didnt me him at all.
[ In other peoples eyes, Im already someone important to him ] Xia Shiyus heart began to beat faster.
The only thing that made her slightly disappointed was that Jiang Chen wasnt the one who showed up.
But it made sense as she could not imagine Jiang Chening to her rescue with a gun.
The people who kidnapped her were not ordinary thugs, but fully equipped soldiers. In her memory, Jiang Chen might be a good fighter, but he was nowhere strong enough to contend against elite agents.
[ Why would foreign agents be interested in Jiang Chen anyways? Because of Future Technology? But Future Technology is only a private enterprise, why would the foreign agents be interested? ]
Xia Shiyu had no knowledge of Jiang Chens involvement in Dragon II, so she thought it was reasonable. Although Zhongxin High Tech had negotiated with Future Technology, she didnt know the specifics of the agreement since it was Jiang Chen who was responsible for the negotiation.
However, she had a feeling it might have something to do with that project.
I will take you out of this ce first, lets talk in the car. Ayeshas voice interrupted her thought.
Jiang Chen would be here to clean up the scene in a bit, so it was better to take Xia Shiyu out of the ce first.
Mhmm. Xia Shiyu gulped and nodded.
With how anxious she looked, Ayeshas expressionless face turned into a smile. Sheforted her gently:
Dont panic, they are all dead.
[ Eh, she is panicking more? ]
Ayesha tilted her head, perplexed, while she looked at the shaking Xia Shiyu.
[ Whatever, lets get out of this ce first. ]
Shaking her head, Ayesha extended her hand to Xia Shiyu on the ground with care.
If you cant see, you can hold my hand.
Although Xia Shiyu was still terrified, she took a deep breath as she did her best to control the fear in her mind. She extended her hand while shaking and held onto the small hand.
But all of the sudden, Ayesha was rmed and, almost instinctively, she shoved Xia Shiyu away.
Bang!
At that moment, a bullet prated through the window and struck her on the chest.
Chapter 256 - Coldblooded
Chapter 256: Coldblooded
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
Blood gushed out of Ayeshas mouth as the impact felt like a truck had mmed into her head on. Her tiny body was thrown into the air and smashed against the concrete wall. If it wasnt for the kic skeleton, she wouldve been dead already.
Blood dripped down through the corner of her lips. While enduring the sharp pain in her chest, Ayesha didnt dare to hesitate and rolled away from the window.
Almost instantly, another bullet arrived and struck where she was previously. The shattered concrete debris scratched her face, and the 12.76 mm bullet left a giant crater on the ground.
After escaping from the area directly observable through the window, she then let out a sigh of relief and ripped off her jacket with teeth clenched.
Even with the gic vine, bullets still treated everyone equally.
While the assault rifle of the modern world was inferiorpared to those from the apocalypse, the power of a sniper rifle was not to be underestimated. From the damage done to the ground alone, the enemy must be using an anti-armor sniper riflethe Barrett M82!
Though the bullet was deflected, it still caved in the polyethylene bullet-proof vest. The massive kic energy from the shot had knocked the wind out of her.
Xia Shiyu,pletely oblivious to what had just happened, remained terrified and lied there without moving.
Ayesha
Dont move, stay down! Seeing Xia Shiyu wanting toe help, Ayesha immediately stopped her.
The caved-in part happened to be pressing against her ribcage, substantially interfering with her ability to breath.
She swallowed the blood back down, gritted her teeth, and removed the polyethylene te in front of her chest.
Since it was one-time protection anyways, there was no point in leaving it in front of her chest after being shattered.
Taking a deep breath, she calmly took out a smoke grenade and threw it near the window.
Fearing that Xia Shiyu would stand up, Ayesha said, Stay put. Try to stick to the floor if you have difficulty breathing.
Mhmm.
Xia Shiyu tightly pressed against the ground with the smoke hiding her terrifiedbut gorgeousface.
Forcing her body to move, Ayesha picked up the assault rifle and helmet belonging to Caitlin and returned to the window.
Using a lighter, she heated up the helmet and then used the assault rifle to raise the helmet, slowly moving it to the window opening.
Bang!
With the head barely exposed, the helmet was blown away.
[ Thermal vision? ]
Ayeshas eyebrows twisted together and looked at the door.
The enemy must have headed to the sniping location she was previously at; therefore, the door must also be in the range of the sniper. Without the ability to move, they werepletely suppressed inside this room.
It was her first time encountering a situation like this in real life.
[ What to do ]
Inhaling deeply, Ayesha clenched tightly onto the Ghost sniper rifle in her hands.
She started to feel hazy from the acute chest pain. It was only through sheer willpower that she hadnt fallen unconscious yet.
Her body temperature began to lower, and her consciousness also slowed.
Suddenly, a faint light shed on the EP.
Ayesha, noticing the abnormality on the EP, hesitated for a moment before opening it up.
[ Hidden gic code? Eliminate body heat? ]
[ Could it really do that? ]
[ Whatever, I have to take the gamble. ]
She took another deep breath as she felt her body heat decreasing to the extreme and her heart speed slowing down tremendously. Ayesha, with the sniper rifle, knelt at the window.
Seeing that a bullet didnt arrive, she had a smile on her face.
Inside the smoke, without the help of thermal vision, the enemy couldnt see her.
She activated the thermal vision on the scope and locked on to the bright spot a thousand yards away.
Goodbye.
Ayesha pressed the trigger, and blood sttered in the scope.
Finished she muttered to herself.
At the same time, her tightly tensed consciousness reached its limit.
As the smoke began to fade, the sniper rifle rolled out of her hands, and she dropped to the ground.
Ayesha!
She faintly heard someone calling her name, but she couldnt hear anything after.
[ Tired .]
[ I really want to sleep ]
Dagger struggled to get up from the ground after waking up from unconsciousness.
Fu*k, this guy didnt go easy on me.
He touched his pocket; the pistol and phone were all there.
Its going to be really problematic now.
Dagger rubbed his bruised face as he sat down on the bench nearby. It waspletely dark already. After lying on the concrete ground for so long, Jiang Chen must have been long gone.
He took out the phone and dialed Jiang Chen.
The number you are calling is either out of service or has been shut down
Should I say it is expected? Dagger let out a sigh as he hung up the phone.
At the same time, his phone rang.
Hello?
Its me, Miao Jun, replied a feeble voice from the other side of the phone.
Little Jun?! Where are you now?! Dagger was shocked.
Although the tone sounded confounded, it was indeed Miao Juns voice. Dagger originally didnt have any hope, but Miao Jun did manage to escape from the CIB! If he saw the face of that agent, it would definitely be a turning point in this stalemate!
On the other hand, while he didnt say anything, he was indeed worried about the safety of this immature student.
Im in the rural area
Wait there! Tell me the address, Ill be right there.
After confirming the location, Dagger rushed into the car and raced to the rural area.
While en route, Dagger reported to headquarter about losing Jiang Chen and of Miao Jun escaping.
To the news of Jiang Chen defying the order, his superior, General Liu, was only silent and not angry. He then ordered Dagger to immediately rescue Miao Jun, who had escaped from the CIB. As for Jiang Chen, he had already sent other people to handle it.
When themunication ended, he reached to where Miao Jun described.
With the car parked on the road, Dagger took his pistol and rushed into the alley.
Not long after, he saw Miao Jun covering his stomach while leaning against a wall.
Miao Jun was covered in blood, with bruises all over his face.
Seeing this scene, Dagger instantly became furious and he quickly rushed to the side of Miao Jun, putting an arm around his shoulders.
Dagger started cursing when he saw that his student was tortured by the CIB.
Fu*k, dont let me catch them
But he couldnt finish the sentence, his voice froze halfway.
Slowly, he looked down.
Why
No reason.
The blood on Miao Jun was fake, and the feeble voice was also feigned.
However, the blood flowing out of Dagger was real.
Because of money?
Dagger stared at the de in his stomach, bitterness was the only impression left on his face.
The pistol slid down from his hand, and Miao Jun kicked it away.
Perhaps Miao Jun was embarrassed to answer such a question; he didnt say anything as he made another stab at Daggers stomach.
If you wanted to be rich, why did you be a soldier
More blood flowed out, interrupting Daggers harsh words.
In the unknown alley, the seasoned veteran stopped breathing.
After killing the master he had spent half a month with, Miao Jun took a deep breath and suppressed the guilt in his mind. He took the phone and car key from Daggers body and walked to the Sonata.
One million USD, he could not make that much in his life.
Just like what Zhang Youjie had said: since he was already nning on retiring, what difference does timing make?
Chapter 257 - CPR
Chapter 257: CPR
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
Her eyshes trembled.
While feeling drowsy, Ayesha felt something wet touch her lips.
The pressure on the left of her chest caused an anguished moan to escape from her lips.
This feeling was very weird, making her ufortable.
Subconsciously wanting to escape, Ayeshas figure twitched.
In response, the weird feeling seemed to be more excited. Thepression on her left chest became harder and faster; the aggressive feeling on her lips was increasing
Gradually, Ayeshas consciousness returned. She opened her eyes slowly, but was met with a pair of crystal pupils.
She was stunned.
Xia Shiyu was also stunnedthe panic on her face quickly turned into embarrassment.
The reason for the awkwardness was naturally because of her intimate position.
Because she had never done CPR before, half of her body was resting on Ayeshas body. With one hand on her left chest and the other hand pressed against the ground, she had kissed Ayeshas lips in an awkward position.
The two fell silent.
Ayesha! At the same time, the door was mmed open, with Jiang Chen rushing in.
Xia Shiyu had called him a moment ago exining that Ayesha was in critical condition, so he had rushed over in a panic.
But before he could take a few steps through the door, he froze in ce.
Uhh, how should he say this? Although Jiang Chen was pleased to see the two having a good rtionship, he was not mentally prepared to see this
Uh, when did you start Jiang Chen scratched his face and awkwardly looked away.
No, its not what you think! Xia Shiyus face turned red and instantly jumped away from Ayeshas body as she desperately tried to exin to Jiang Chen.
Compared to Ayesha, her face was a lot thinner.
This is CPR? Ayesha, still on the ground, tilted her head.
While she was also embarrassed, she quickly collected herself together and realized that Xia Shiyu was performing CPR on her.
Its just that the position was too awkward; generally, when performing CPR, it was not necessary to lean on the persons body.
Mhmm! Xia Shiyu gently bit on her lips, blushing.
Although she was terrified, when she saw Ayesha fall unconscious, she had gritted her teeth and dragged Ayesha away from the window.
After doing all this, she had immediately called Jiang Chen and exined Ayeshas condition. Right before she was about to call the police, Jiang Chen had stopped her and asked her to wait there before he hung up.
[ Dont call the police? ]
Although Xia Shiyu didnt understand why Jiang Chen would make this judgment, with a headless corpse beside her, shewho was already terrifiedbegan to realize that the incident may not be normal. After an internal struggle, she had finally chose to trust Jiang Chens judgment and not call the police.
She had tried hard to not look at the gruesome corpse and focused all her attention on the girl in front of her.
The girl was beautiful.
Her eyshes were long, her facial structure was also delicate, and her fair skin was especiallyparable to a porcin doll, arousing jealousy from anyone looking at her.
When Xia Shiyu thought about this, she felt jealous.
She had never known that Jiang Chen had such a beautiful bodyguard beside him. And with those looks, she may not even be 18 yet
But then, a hint of guilt appeared in her mind. Ayesha had just saved her, and she was now specting about Ayeshas rtionship with Jiang Chen it was insulting. With Jiang Chen attitude and personality, he shouldnt have done anything that would cross the line
Needless to say, she didnt really understand Jiang Chen after all.
Just as her mind drifted elsewhere, she had suddenly noticed that the girls chest was not moving.
This had caused Xia Shiyu to start panicking, and she immediately put her finger on Ayeshas upper lip. There was no breathing!
Without hesitation, although she had never done a CPR before, Xia Shiyu still stepped up, resulting in the intimate scene that had just urred.
Thank you. Ayesha smiled at Xia Shiyu.
No need to thank me Or rather, I should thank you. Xia Shiyu took a deep breath and sincerely bowed down.
Ayesha didnt say anything and epted Xia Shiyus gesture.
You made me scared What happened? Jiang Chen was relieved as he walked beside Ayesha to help her up.
Sniper, I overlooked it, Ayesha said apologetically.
Because she was too anxious to save the hostage, she only scanned for life signal at the target building and forgot to scan her surroundings, which resulted in the enemy gaining the upper hand.
When Jiang Chen heard this, he immediately started to check her body and rushed to question:
Are you injured?!
No, the polyethylene te blocked the bullet. With the concerned expression on Jiang Chens face, Ayesha only felt warmness in her heart.
Jiang Chen was relieved after everything was okay. When Jiang Lin designed the K1 kic skeleton, he told Jiang Chen that the supra-molecr polyethylene bast te could only block some rifle bullets, but he didnt know if it could block sniper bullets.
However, when he gave a thought, it made sense.
The assault rifle Jiang Lin had referred to was the PK2000 and the Reaper that wasmon in the apocalypse. Although the light armor could not defend against the sniper rifle in the apocalypse, the M82, known as the cannon in the modern world, could only shatter the te.
So the injury sustained by Ayesha was only due to the kic energy from the bullet.
But the problem was if it was just the kic energy, why was she knocked out? Although the power of the anti-armor weapon was fierce, it was not strong enough to the point where it could knock Ayeshawho was injected with a gic vineunconscious.
Ahem. Xia Shiyu looked at the way Jiang Chen explored Ayeshas body and turned aside. With a hint of jealousy in her voice, she said, Although Ayesha is your bodyguard, she is a girl after all Just be careful.
Ah. Sorry. Jiang Chen instinctively retracted his hand.
Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu. She seemed to have understood something as a smile surfaced.
[ That kind of rtionship? ]
Head to the car first with Ayesha, I will be right there. With the questions Xia Shiyu seemed to have, Jiang Chen paused and then added, Once were on the car, I will exin to you everything.
With the serious expression on Jiang Chens face, Xia Shiyu just nodded and Ayesha took her to the Maybach.
After cleaning the battlefield, Jiang Chen returned to the car.
The Sonata Jiang Chen bought was parked in amunity nearby, abandoned.
It was one in the morning and there was only one car on the empty road; it looked deste.
Jiang Chen sat in the front seat as Xia Shiyu, in the back, seemed to be ufortable. Jiang Chen asked with care in his voice, Do you feel ufortable?
N No.
Xia Shiyu yawned, leaned against the car door, and muttered, My first kiss was given to a girl.
Ayesha who was about to start the car paused before she began to giggle.
What are youughing at? With redness covering her face, Xia Shiyu pretended to be serious, but her voice wasnt confident at all.
Jiang Chen also resisted the temptation tough as he said out loud, CPR doesnt count as the first kiss.
That makes sense Xia Shiyu looked away with a relieved expression.
Is there anyone you want to give your first kiss to? A rare, cunning look appeared on Ayeshas expressionless face.
Of course, someone I like.
Do you like Jiang Chen? Ayesha was persistent.
Why, why do you suddenly ask this? Xia Shiyus face immediately blushed as she spoke incoherently.
Jiang Chen also awkwardly scratched his face as he said, feeling embarrassed, Ahem, dont But his sentence was cut short.
Ayesha suddenly kissed him.
Xia Shiyu just felt something shattered as shepletely froze.
Your first kiss is now his.
Ayesha turned around and smiled gently at thepletely dumbfounded Xia Shiyu.
The pristine blue eyes were filled with mischief.
Miao Jun parked the Sonata on the side of the road and walked to the agreed location with a perplexed feeling.
It was one and a half hour past midnight, the road was empty. Leaning against the roadmp, he gazed into the distance and silently waited.
Based on the agreement he made with Zhang Youjie, as long as he took care of Dagger and brought his phone to the agreed location, the task would bepleted.
If you want to be rich then why did you be a soldier
The words left by Dagger lingered around his ears like a nightmare.
You think I really wanted to be a soldier? Miao Jun swore out loud and stuffed his cold hands into his pocket.
Betraying his country.
He never thought this day woulde.
That thought alone gave him goosebumps.
A car light eventually approached from the distance. When Miao Jun saw this, he clenched the pistol in his pocket. Right when he saw the face in the car, his tensed expression started to loosen.
The car came and parked in front of him. A middle-aged man got out of the car and smiled at Miao Jun.
Mr. Miao, I trust that you must havepleted the deal we made.
Chapter 258 - Eternal Loyalty
Chapter 258: Eternal Loyalty
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Nou
Team A and Team B lostmunication. Team C and Sergeant Miller confirmed dead.
Inside the conste office with the reporting in from the phone, Zhang Youjies finger trembled.
Five lives, 20 something people captured. The supposedly-wless mission ended in an overwhelming defeat.
Not to mention, it was the most severe loss suffered by the CIB.
The other side of the phone fell silent. Li Zhongping, who was still in Hucheng, waited for an order.
Is it the work of the General Staff Department?
Should be, Li Zhongping responded in a low voice.
With a deep breath, Zhang Youjie deliberated before he ordered, Mission aborted, retreat.
Although it was unfortunate, the mission did fail already. Without surprise, the UA embassy in Shangjing would receive a letter from the Han Congress, then the UA will be denounced by Hua in a news conference.
The muscles on Zhang Youjie face twitched uncontrobly, his heart dripped blood.
What about the pawn left there? asked Li Zhongping, referring to Miao Jun who had defected.
His previous n was if Hua put Jiang Chen under house arrest, they would use Miao Jun to take out Dagger and bring the imprisoned Jiang Chen out.
But the n never seemed to be in their control. Hua seemed to have used Jiang Chen as bait to take out Team A and B by using the PLA army stationed nearby. Right afterward, Team C that kidnapped the hostage was ambushed by a sniper.
Was the mission leaked?
The CIB, fooled by the General Staff Department.
Zhang Youjie inhaled deeply, trying hard to calm himself down.
Since losing was inevitable, minimizing loss was what he needed to consider.
Take him out, he saw my face. Also, before taking him out, get him to take out Dagger.
Yes.
Zhang Youjie hung up the phone and rubbed his sore nose before he left the office.
Miao Jun had never thought that he would join the military. He had never thought that after graduation, hed be a secret agent in the intelligence department and be a part of the General Staff Department.
As for his dream, he wanted to be a businessman like his uncle. Or more simply, he wanted to be rich.
But things didnt go as nned.
His original n was to attend the business department at Wanghai University, and then start his ownpany after graduation.
He worked hard and indeed achieved ster results.
He could vaguely recall the joy on his parents face when they were checking his score.
However, when it came time to apply for schools, his parents were against it.
Hed never imagined that his parents would plead with him, asking him to give up on his dream and to, instead, attend the Shangjing National Defense University.
There was no reason other than a parents concern for their sons future.
Your grandpas oldrade is now a General. With this connection, if you attended the National Defense University, you will have a glorious future in the army!
Business? Do you know how difficult it was for your uncle? He couldnt even afford to eat at times! Business is not as easy as you think?
This is for you
Finally, Miao Jun decided to be a soldier.
Whats ironic was that with this route, the only way he could achieve his dream was to be a bodyguard for the rich after leaving the army.
It was not impossible to be rich by staying in the army. There were plenty of money to be found in the logistics department, and a nonbat position in the recruiting office also had some opportunities; however, as a personnel from the intelligence department it would be dangerous if he became wealthy.
His parents consideration made him step onto a path that he didnt even like in the first ce. He tried to make himself enjoy it, but he realized that despite how hard he tried or how many achievements he earned, everyone would attribute his sess to his connection and would automatically ignore his hard work.
Indeed, with the help of his connection, he was promoted quickly and managed to be part of the General Staff Department at the age of 24. But on the dinner table, his parents would only exim that his grandpasrade was someone who changed his life, and they ignored the fact that he had almost died at the special training camp!
Having a rough time? Everything you do will be rough! That is a given.
If Miao Jun wanted toin, his father would definitely fort him like this.
No one mind having a rough time if it was a career that they were passionate about.
However, he only felt dread.
Reality has shown that no amount of forced love can substitute real love. The same is true for a career and country. Even though he had memorized to heart the idealogy of the army, even without truly epting it, he still did not hesitate to speak the words he did not care about when he swore with everyone.
One million USD? The money was attractive, but that was not what attracted him the most.
A green card, a ticket to the free world He was tempted.
Freedom.
Needless to say, the concept of it held a fatal attraction. Even if he would curse it because he couldnt obtain it, he would stillfort himself that he had lived a fine life without it.
Even after dinner, he would always curse with hisrades about the despicable UA soldiers.
Mr. Miao, I trust that you havepleted our agreement. Li Zhongping smiled.
Miao Jun looked at the weed on the side of the road as his throat moved. Dagger is dead.
Is that so? Then congrattions. Li Zhongping was relieved and drew out a pistol from his pocket.
Because it was too sudden, Miao Jun didnt manage to react.
He gulped and utter out with difficulty, Why?
God will bring you eternal freedom. Okay, Mr. Miao, goodbye
Bang!
A bullet prated Li Zhongpings head, his blood sttering onto the car.
Fu*k! The CIB agents driving immediately pulled out his gun.
What are you waiting for! A thunderous roar came from the distance.
Miao Jun, surprised, unconsciously drew out his pistol.
Bang!
Before the driver could do anything, Miao Jun shot him.
Breathing heavily, within the short few seconds, his entire back was drenched in cold sweat.
At the end of the alley, a figure staggered forward.
When Miao Jun saw the wrinkled face, he smiled wryly. He threw away his pistol and didnt run. Instead, he raised both of his hands.
It was Dagger.
For some reason, seeing him still alive, Miao Jun felt relieved despite knowing that this meant that hell be spending the rest of his life in prison.
Sorry, I plotted against you. Due to his guilt, Miao Jun didnt dare to look at his master in the face.
You really think you could plot against me? Dagger scorned while he covered his bleeding wound and sat on the engine cover.
He paused before the dried lips spoke trembling.
I took the two daggers on purpose. If you really could escape, you wouldnt have been caught in the first ce. If you truly did escape, there was really one possibility The old face shed with a cunning look fitting for his age as he gazed at the rookie for a long time.
I defected, Miao Jun said with a bitter expression.
Learn. Dagger smile with his left hand still covering his wound, the right hand pressed against the engine cover.
No need, there is no opportunity to use it even if I learn. Miao Jun sighed and took out Daggers phone to call General Liu.
He was nning to confess.
But suddenly, Dagger, with keen eyes, snatched the phone and hung up the phone yet to be dialed.
With a perplexed expression on Miao Juns face, Dagger grinned and threw the phone away.
Dying due to arades defecting even if you dont think it is embarrassing, I still think it is. Dagger suffered an honorable death. Im more willing to have thest line written like this.
[ Death?! ]
Miao Jun was stunned as his eyes widened, How is that possible, didnt you purposely
Although it is on purpose, they still hit the sweet spots, Daggerughed, but he started to cough whileughing.
Blood stained Miao Juns clothes.
Let me call an ambnce for you
There is no needDagger stopped Miao JunI know my body.
I Miao Juns finger trembled and froze there not knowing what to do.
The apology was stuck in between in throat, it could not be squeezed out.
He knew that even if he apologized, it was useless.
He had killed him.
Disregarding Miao Juns expression, Dagger muttered to himself:
Im old and cant even beat the young guys. Five years, the organization brought me back to the country. I was supposed to retire that night. But Old Liu found me and wanted me to use my experience abroad to provide some guidance on anti-espionage activities and train a few more neers for the state I agreed.
Five years, there were a total of 27 young men that trained under me. You should be thest one. Dagger looked at Miao Jun pleasingly and nodded, You are the most talented I have seenfor a new recruit.
Sorry
Dont apologize. Dagger shook his head.
27 people, only six stayed. My old superior wanted me to convince those talented to stay, but I never did that. The melon forcefully grown isnt sweet.
His voice was filled with mncholy.
If you want to be rich, dont be a soldier. If you are reluctant, problems will arise, sooner orter.
Miao Jun lowered his head, his face covered in embarrassment.
The voice turned more feeble and Dagger continued to mutter to himself:
I know that my country might not be the best You guys can go on the inte, the things you see, I know too.
But even like this, I still firmly believe that it will be better.
Before that, please protect it for me, until that day is here.
But dont force yourself.
Could could I know your name? Miao Jun asked while sobbing.
My name? Haha. Dagger grinned as if he had regained his life back, and his voice was again filled with energy.
He took out the pistol that he had used for many years and threw it in Miao Juns hand while shaking.
Once you have enough authority, you can just flip through my document. If you retire, there is no need to know anymore.
Return this to Old Liu for me, I have fought for him for half of my life. Return this gun to its rightful owner.
Then, Dagger slowly closed his dried eyelids.
This time, he really stopped breathing.
Just like an aging shepherd finally weing its eternal peace.
AHHHHHHH!
Under the streetlight, on the empty road, a man kneeled on the ground howling in tears.
Chapter 259 - The Reaction across the Pacific
Chapter 259: The Reaction across the Pacific
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
A lot happened that night.
The error in judgment of Jiang Chens ability made the CIB pay a heavy price.
The error in judgment to Jiang Chens reaction caused the General Staff Department to lose Jiang Chens whereabouts.
Who would have thought an ordinary person would suddenly be a fully equipped Ironman like a superhero in the Hollywood movie? Who would have thought the obedient individual would suddenly express anger, Sorry, Im not your subordinate?
From Gods perspective, the focal point of the clues revolved around the man called Jiang Chen. But because of the blind spots of each partys intelligence, as well as the context that the two sides would never sit around a table to exchange information, the CIB and the General Staff Department were both tricked in this one incident.
Regardless of how anxious the General Staff Department was about Jiang Chens disappearance, a person across the Pacific was also in a state of anxiety.
It was still midnight in Hua, daylight on the other side of the earth.
It was the Rainbow Mansion of UA.
Right now, John Brennan stood awkwardly in front of the Presidents table, but his previous aggressive stance was long gone. Normally, he would not put aside his pride and just stand here in front of the president of the UA because CIB was independent of the intelligence system. Even the Congress had no rights to ask for specific details. From this point alone, he lived a much better life than the current president who constantly receives pressure from the Congress.
Beside John, James Komi was gloating. Compared to the bald old man, the only 35 years old middle-aged man looked sharper. Nothing made him more delighted than his opposition suffering.
Thats right, while they served the same government, the two organizations didnt have the best rtionship.
Therefore, the past UA presidents had a love and hate rtionship to the two hands that always fought each other.
Right now, the president wanted to throw his shoe at Johns face.
Ahem, before we start the meeting, lets first listen to a voice message. James coughed and signaled the two to look in his direction. Then he raised his eyebrows at the old opposition John before he put the smartphone on the presidents desk.
It was a recorded interrogation.
The voice of the interrogator was low and slightly stiff. It was hard to make out the voice, but the person being interrogated was clear to distinguish.
Griss, CIBs elite agent. The president had personally awarded him an honorary emblem.
But the super warrior that survived through the chaos in Iraq had no life in his voice. Rather than wry, it was more urate to describe aspletely hollow.
What kind of torture did the General Staff Department use to force the tough man to confess the entire mission details in two short hours? Just be listening to the voice without any life in it, the three in the president office felt a horrific chill.
The recording ended.
John took a deep breath and loosened his tie in difort. The presidents face looked gloomy.
Even though his legs remained on the desk, he did not say a single word.
Seeing the two didnt say anything, James smiled and spoke out.
Kidnapping and threaten awful businessman is despicable and unconstitutional. Disregarding the fact that your people took the constitution seriously, with the severity of this mission, could I consider this as the biggest mistake that urred in your history?
Please mind your words, Mr. James, Im considering the interest of the nation, John argued back out of habit, but there was no confidence in his voice at all.
Is that so? But what about now? There are more odds in our diplomatic rtionship with Han and they caught us with our pants down. We could have used a mild method to drag the Han businessman over to our side. Where do you think the CIB agent is conducting the mission, Syria? Iraq? God, that is Hua.
John looked awkward, so he diverted the topic.
James, I dont think it is appropriate for you to demonstrate your cheerful attitude in this setting.
No, who said Im cheerful, Im furious. James resisted the urge tough as he rubbed his upper lip.
No, you areughing.
It is your illusion, Mr. John.
Both of you, shut up, The president suddenly spoke out.
Like two chickens fighting, John looked at James aggressively, but James at an advantage only shrugged and looked at the president with a pleasant smile.
Now, lets discuss how we are going to fix this thing, The president deeply inhaled and said gloomily.
First, we should think of a n to rescue the twenty-something agents back. Since Griss was interrogated, then at least it meant that they didnt die because of crossfire, but were rather captured, John tried his best to calm down and slowly exined the situation.
But till this moment, Hua didntment on this incident. Should I call over and admit our mistake? And beg them to release the prisoner? The President was instantly furious.
Johns expression suddenly turned awkward again as he shrugged with thick skin.
Then write twenty-five copies of the honorary letters and send it to the family of the missing warriors.
The president rubbed his weary forehead before he sat up from the chair.
James, where is the recording from?
The email appeared two hours ago in one of my subordinates mailbox. Realizing the severity of the situation, he immediately sent the file to me, James said delightfully.
Whats the validity of the file?
We conducted voice analysis with Griss voice, it matched perfectly.
Mhmm. The President only nodded.
Lets think how to take care of the aftermath. Since the conflict already urred, John rubbed his nose and said ufortably.
With the way John looked, the president almost wanted to curse at him.
[Fu*k, you dont tell me before you execute the mission, and now I have to wipe your butt when there is a problem.]
But he only said it in his mind and not out loud.
He deliberated for a while before the president spoke out.
Immediately stop the interference with Dragon II; the mission failed.
John nodded. James who was primarily responsible for domestic intelligence shrugged as it didnt concern him.
If Hua denounces us on this well send the delegation team. If Hua doesntment on this we likely wont get them out. If we can, just send some more agents. Remember, dont get caught again, The President said while massaging his forehead.
John was grateful for the fact that the Presidents promised to visit Hua. He nodded again.
A visit to Hua meant pleading. As long as they could save the twenty-something people, John would face significantly less pressure.
As to the Han businessman, the President already forgot about him.
Compared to just a businessman, it was more important to wipe the butt of the CIB.
And it was just a Dragon II drone system, the talented UA didnt need it at all.
Chapter 260 - Escaping the Cage
Chapter 260: Escaping the Cage
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Xiangjiang, the Penins.
In the elegantly designed grand hall, a young man sat at the corner with a foreign girl. They appreciated the gracefulness of the sunshine while quietly enjoying the afternoon.
The musicians yed a melodious, but slow ssical music. The server in British-style uniform courteously walked beside the two and put the three-story silver tray filled with desserts on the table, and then poured ck tea for them.
To be honest, the British dessert didnt taste great. The taste of the chocte ball and the cream puff didnt differ much with the ones sold at the bakery. The only thing unique about the afternoon tea here was the exquisite atmosphere and rich history.
The hotel started construction in 1922 beforepleted in 1926 and opened in 1928. It is one of the most renowned and luxurious hotels in Xiangjiang and the world.
Of course, Jiang Chen couldnt taste the atmosphere and the history. The only reason he was here was due to curiosity. Ayesha also was uninterested in those things as she was intrigued by the soft pudding on her te.
Her slightly curled brown hair gently rested on her right shoulder. Her cute mouth and smooth skin bloomed into a beautiful image under the mild sunshine.
Jiang Chen could clearly sense that a lot of men were looking enviously at him. But he didnt mind at all as he just sluggishly looked onto the street outside of the window while enjoying the tranquil and warm rays.
As to why he would appear 800 kilometers away, it started two days ago.
Jiang Chen who wiped out an entire force of CIB and engaged in a small conflict with the General Staff Department didnt return to Hucheng. Instead, he drove all the way to Fujian.
On the car, Jiang Chen told Xia Shiyu about the incident from start to finish, including the meeting with Wang Linhua that night and then the specifics of the agreement with Zhongxin High Tech.
In the morning, he called his parents and told them that he had to return to Wanghai City because of a temporary business emergency and not to worry before he turned off his phone.
With Roberts connection and Mr. Chens help, Jiang Chen boarded a luxury cruise as a tourist between Xiangjiang and Egret Ind before walking off on Xiangjiang.
Xia Shiyu stayed on Egret Ind for one day before she boarded a flight from there to Wanghai City.
When she got on the ne, the General Staff Department naturally contacted Xia Shiyu inquiring about Jiang Chens current location.
As part of Jiang Chens n, Xia Shiyu transferred over the USB loaded with smart drone system 1.0, at the same time restating Jiang Chens original words. Jiang Chens wording was reserved, but if it were expressed in monotone, it would definitely sound harsh.
Im extremely displeased with what urred in Hucheng. Im not your subordinate, I did my obligation by paying my tax, and even if I obliged to my duty, you asked to me think of the bigger picture. This is funny, so I left.
Even if I have left, this doesnt mean that I abandoned the Han market, and it doesnt mean that my overseas team abandoned the Han market. Except that because of the deterioration in the investment environment, we are forced to reevaluate the focus of our business. Future Technology will be a subsidiary and controlled by the newly formed Future International.
Of course, regarding the agreement on the smart drone system 1.0, our party has alreadypleted its development. I sincerely hope that your party can honor the agreement and provide the advantageous policy to Future Technology.
Yes, Future Technology has nearly three hundred million domestic users. But dont forget, we also have over four hundred million international users, as well as one billion in the undeveloped market.
We dont just have one choice
General Liu was silent for a long time when he heard Jiang Chens response, he didnt say anything at the other end and just sent people to protect Xia Shiyu before he reported Jiang Chens response to the top.
As to how to treat Future Technology, the top discussed and weighed the pros and cons before making the decision to maintain friendly rtionships and canceling Jiang Chens restriction to leave the country although he left the border already.
A technical team capable of producing military technology meant that it indeed possessed the value to establish a friendly rtionship. Jiang Chen really didnt develop the software during this time, and from the time it would take toplete the development, the actual developer was indeed not Jiang Chen. The stiption of Jiang Chen being the developer was indeed false.
From that perspective, it was pointless if they controlled Jiang Chen.
There was another story that happened as a result of that. As the perpetrator that forced Future Technology away, the Wang family were heavily criticized by their political oppositions. The formation of Future International meant that the separation of the domestic and international market would cause the Wanghai City local government to give away five hundred million in foreign tax ie.
While other forces were eager to take a bite of the juicy meat, the Wang family was the first to make a move. Therefore, they were heavily scrutinized by the central authority.
Of course, these were all after facts.
Since Jiang Chen left, at least he wont be back for awhile.
The Xiangjiang businessman that took him on board was someone he met before. When Jiang Chen colluded with Robert to sell gold, it was him that transported the gold to international waters before Roberts ship took it to South Africa.
When he saw Jiang Chen, he meticulously arranged everything for him. Not only did he send people to pick Jiang Chen up at the port, he even booked a room at the famous Penins.
To his friendly gesture, Jiang Chen dly epted and checked into the luxury sea view suite on the top floor with Ayesha.
Precisely speaking, it was considered smuggling. But when Jiang Chen got off the cruise, Robert prepared the necessary documents for him, so he was able to check in. As to Ayesha, because she possessed a green card, she could stay in Xiangjiang for a short period of time without any documents.
The program was transferred over, the General Staff Department no longer bothered him, and the CIB also had other issues to deal with.
Now that Jiang Chen was alone, he was free.
Speaking of which, why did you suddenly kiss me, He asked nonchntly while savoring the tea.
Ayesha buried her head upon hearing Jiang Chens question and stopped fondling with the pudding in her hand. Then she whispered quite embarrassedly.
Because I want to share with her, and not keep it hidden from her.
When Jiang Chen heard the na?ve words, he really wanted to scoff that If it is Xia Shiyu, she definitely cant stand the existence of another woman, but it didnte out of his mouth in the end.
She was too greedy, even if Ayesha wont be jealous.
Ayesha seemed to have seen through Jiang Chens thought and just smiled.
Being gazed upon by the gentle blue pupils, not a word coulde out of Jiang Chen.
She gently put down the silvery fork in her hand and said.
If she really left you because of this, that means she only has affection for you, and not love. If she really loved you, she would never leave because of this. At least, she will attempt to fight for you toe back.
[Fight for me? Not something that the thin-skinned Xia Shiyu would do.]
Uh, it feelsplicated now. Jiang Chen sighed while scratching the back of his head.
[Whatever, just follow the flow.]
It was already January. The food supplies to the wastnd would need to be solved. Hence, the next step was to take care of Pannu Inds.
Chapter 261 - The Interference from an Unknown Channel
Chapter 261: The Interference from an Unknown Channel
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After the afternoon high tea, Jiang Chen took Ayesha to the renowned Disnend in Xiangjiang. Although her childhood had no Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, it didnt interfere with being touched by the happy atmosphere.
The mouth carved into a crescent moon was filled with joy and happiness.
She didnt have a lively childhood. The moment she was born, her country was in the midst of unrest. From the joy on her face, Jiang Chen felt as if his weariness was healed.
Although the loving smile was also beautiful, Jiang Chen hoped she could smile more for herself. It was the reason why whenever he has the opportunity, he will take her everywhere.
To make up for her.
Taking photos, going on rides.
By eight at night, the two stood in front of the castle of the sleeping beauty with their hands held and enjoying the colorful fireworks blossoming in the sky.
The light reflected on her happy face was so charming. Jiang Chen was lost in the scene.
The happiness gradually turned into shyness under his direct sight.
She gently kissed his lips.
Fireworks lit up the sky and scattered.
Lips apart.
Ayesha slightly lowered her head, her face only shed an attractive vibrancy.
Thank you.
The lips murmured a timid gratitude.
Jiang Chen didnt say anything, but she could clearly sense the reason why Jiang Chen choose toe here. It was mostly for her.
He didnt reply and only smiled. Then he rubbed her soft hair.
Do you feel happy?
With a hand gently on top of Jiang Chens, Ayesha closed her eyes and softly said.
Mhmm.
It was already nine before they left Disnend, but they didnt immediately return to the hotel. Instead, they went to Taigu Square.
After theirst date in Veit, Ayesha became fascinated by all kinds of clothes. Within a short period, the two would not be able to return to Wanghai city, so the clothes in the mansion would have to stay there.
Thus, only when they carried a handful of bags back to the Penins did their days itinerary finally end.
Jiang Chen locked the door behind him. Just when he had a smirk of a big bad wolf on and waiting for the little sheep to change clothes, the doorbell rang.
Surprising Jiang Chen, he wondered who would be visiting thiste?
Although he was disappointed, Jiang Chen still tidied up his rumpled clothes, watched Ayesha go into the bedroom before he opened the door.
A heroic but beautiful face appeared in front of Jiang Chen.
Hello, handsome. Natasha with one hand on the door looked at Jiang Chen half-smilingly.
Jiang Chen let out a sigh as he was nning to close the door.
Natashas eyebrows raised as she stepped one foot inside and dragged Jiang Chen by the cor and pressed him against the wall.
What are you nning to do? Jiang Chen shrugged as he nced at her arm, If I remember correctly when we were in Veit, you tried my ability before.
Natashas expression froze for a moment as she suddenly recollected herself, remembering she was no match for him. The harmless looking man had an unbelievable amount of strength, one move and she would be on the ground.
But even then, she had no signs of backing down either.
She teasingly moved closer to Jiang Chens ear as she blew flirtatiously in his ear.
Did Mr. Jiang forget what you did to me that day in the darkroom?
I only injected you with something Jiang Chen shrugged, but his expression looked awkward, Speaking of this, you seemed to be opposed to the idea of sleeping with me that day?
That was before, do you not have any naughty thoughts about me? Natasha said seductively, her 36E breasts had drawn in Jiang Chens attention.
But just as she finished, a cold solid item was pressed against the back of her head.
She didnt know when Ayesha appeared behind her.
The particrly cold expression had a vibe to kill.
The yful smile froze on her face, the corner of Natashas lips twitched as she let go of Jiang Chens cor and raised both of her hands to surrender.
Your little beauty is still not friendly, Natasha ridiculed as she maintained her position with her hands held high. Could you get her to put the gun down?
Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen.
After seeing Jiang Chen nod did she obediently put the gun away, but the cautious look on her face did not fade away.
I have other intentions for finding you. Natasha put on a stern face.
Of course, I wouldnt think you would be here to hook up with me, Jiang Chen didnt take her stern expression seriously as he said nonchntly.
Since you have left Hua, why dont youe to Russia?
Regarding this, I believe we have already discussed it.
As if Natasha had guessed what he would say, she was not surprised and only let out a sigh.
Although I have expected this Looks like I will go back empty handed.
Thats right. Jiang Chen nodded.
Okay, I thought making a trip personally would move you enough. Natasha shrugged as she walked to the door. If you ever change your mind one day, Russias door will always be open for you.
Thank you very much. Jiang Chen sent Natasha out the door.
After closing the door, seeing that Ayesha was looking at him, Jiang Chen rubbed her hair smiling.
What are you thinking about?
Ayesha looked away in shyness as she murmured.
Are we going to continue?
As she finished saying this, her face became red.
Although they were interrupted, seeing Ayeshas timid look, Jiang Chen felt his thirst return.
Of course. He softly spoke into her ear, Do you want to shower first, or should I go?
Ill go.
Then, with a blushed face, Ayesha dashed into the washroom.
Not long, the ss blurred and water began to drip.
Sitting on the sofa in the living room while waiting for the beauty toe out, Jiang Chen began to y with his EP.
Due to boredom, Jiang Chen suddenly remembered Ayesha coldblooded ability. Using it for an extended period of time could cause her to go into aa which is a serious consequence.
When he first obtain his fury ability, he could only use medicine to control the activation and deactivation. With the help of medication, he could have been in an awkward position where he could activate but was unable to deactivate the ability.
Although Lin Lin definitely would have fallen asleep by now, Jiang Chen didnt feel guilty about waking her up.
Indeed, Lin Lin with sleepy eyes appeared on the other side of the screen.
Pervert, why are you not asleep thiste, what do you need me for?
Mhmm, I have something to ask you Jiang Chen exined Ayesha situation to Lin Lin.
Medicine for hidden gic code? Although the coldblooded ability is umon, it probably could be purchased at the Sixth Street. Okay, I will tell Sun Jiao. Is that all? Lin Lin yawned.
Mhmm, sleep early. Seeing the drowsy Lin Lin in pajama, Jiang Chen couldnt help but smile.
I slept already
But then, the screen froze all the sudden.
Gradually, the middle of the screen turned into whiteness.
Jiang Chen was confused, he thought the EP or that chip was malfunctioning, so he knocked on the EP.
No reaction at all.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to restart the EP, the screen suddenly turned ck.
Immediately, in the middle of the pitch ck screen, a word appeared abruptly.
What surfaced after was a person with only an outline showing.
He had a hollow smile on and waved at him rhythmically.
Chapter 262 - A Temporary Return
Chapter 262: A Temporary Return
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The next morning, while lying in bed, Jiang Chen hugged the cat-like Ayesha curled up in front of him and turned on the TV.
< Recently, the authority had cracked a major case of foreign espionage activity. Two suspects were shot died during the arrest phase when they fired back, based on the evidence collected at the scene, the investigation has arrested 11 suspects, which include seven Zhongxin High Tech researchers as well four government officials. They will face espionage, treason, as well as seven counts of other charges.
Based on reliable information, the CIB may have been involved with this mission, suspect Zhang is currently hiding inside the UA conste in Wanghai City and refusing to ept the trial byw. Right now, the investigation team has sent in a request to the UA embassy, hoping the UA conste in Wanghai City can assist in the investigation. As to the specifics progress of the event, well pass it on to our reporter in Wanghai City>
[Suspect Zhang? Is that Zhang Youjie?] Jiang Chen yawned as he disinterestedly turned off the TV.
Hell leave the trouble for professionals to solve. To the CIB and General Staff Department, it was definitely not the end. But to him, he can turn to the next page.
Even if everything started because of him.
Dagger is good. Zhang Youjie shouldnt have left anything behind, but Dagger still found evidence? After putting the remote on the nightstand, Jiang Chen touched Ayeshas nose as he fell into deep thought.
Three teams and one sniper. All the evidence was taken away by him into the apocalypse. In this case, the General Staff Department should have no reason nor evidence to determine the CIB nned this mission.
[Two agents shot, did a battle ur somewhere he didnt know about?
Whatever, there is no difference in conclusion.]
Jiang Chen shook his head as he decided not to be troubled by this anymore.
Compared to these things, what kept him up at night was the video he saw no his EP yesterday.
After restarting it, the EP returned to normal. If it were not that everymunication would be automatically written in the memory, Jiang Chen would have thought it was his illusion.
Hello?
Was it saying hello to me?
Jiang Chen pondered for a moment as he scratched his chin, but he still didnt reach any conclusions.
Whatever, Ill go back to the apocalypse and gave the video to Lin Lin. He muttered to himself as he put it aside for now.
After waking up, Jiang Chen called the front desk.
Not long after, the server pushed a cart full of breakfast to the door.
After paying plus tips, Jiang Chen put the tray with a sandwich and mocha on the counter. Seeing Ayesha curled up with her hands in front of her chest, he couldnt help but smile as he leaned down to kiss her smooth forehead. As if she had sensed the warmness, her eyshes shivered, and a subconscious smile appeared on her face. She seemed to be having a sweet dream.
Because they slept reallytest night, he didnt want to disturb her peaceful sleep. So Jiang Chen left a message on the nightstand only the two of them would understand before initiating travel.
When he opened his eyes, he was in the apocalypse.
He didnt stay in the room for too long as he headed straight to the gym on the third floor.
After quietly opening the door, Sun Jiao sensing the sound behind her and immediately turned around. When she saw it was Jiang Chen, surprised quickly spread across her face.
You are back? Putting the pistol away, Sun Jiao walked to him.
Could you reaction be slower and let me give you a surprise? Jiang Chen put his hand away from her waist as he said helplessly.
Then why dont you try again? Ill pretend I didnt see you. Her beautiful pupils were filled with mischievousness.
Ahem, Ill pass. I have some important things to take care of this time.
Seeing that Jiang Chen had important tasks, Sun Jiao swiped away her naughty expression and waited for Jiang Chen to exin.
Hows the production of the kic skeleton?
Two months ago, Jiang Chen gave Jiang Lin the production goal ofpleting 50 kic skeletons a month, he was wondering what the progress was on this.
We exceeded the goal, Sun Jiao had a proud smile on her face, We have 110 kic skeletons in the armory, based on your order, we have not equipped the forces yet.
110 sets?! Jiang Chen shockingly looked at Sun Jiao.
Seeing the shocked Jiang Chen, Sun Jiao smiled as she began exining.
Did you forget that the Sixth Street is our territory now? Based on the rmendation of your acting general Chu Nan, after taking consideration of Jiang Lin opinion, a portion of our parts requirement was outsourced to the Sixth Street toplete. We establish the standards, they are responsible for the production and improvement of the parts. In this case, not only could we decrease production cost, the production speed is also improved. Right now, the Fishbone base can produce up to 80 sets of kic skeletons a month which doubled our previous production!
Great!
Jiang Chen was ecstatic as he hugged Sun Jiao and gave her a passionate kiss.
No.
Although her mouth said no, her body was honest.
After escaping Jiang Chens hug, Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at him, organized her slightly messy hair, and returned to her previous seriousness.
Realizing the inappropriate timing of his action, Jiang Chen coughed and got back on track.
Set aside 100 kic skeletons, I have other uses. The rest will be prioritized to the force stationed at Zhufeng Highway, I have a sense this is not the end of the mutated humans.
Sun Jiao also looked concerned as she cautiously said.
I hold the same opinion. The mutated humans have not reacted which is abnormal. Once Marches, their advantage of cold resistance would no longer exist. Also, the Dusk Church has no reason to give up on
And, Sun Xiaorou is still in our hands. When Sun Jiao mentioned her sister, she seemed to have deted slightly.
Sun Jiaos depressed mood made Jiang Chen feel a strong sense of guilt.
No, you dont need to apologize, you didnt make any mistakes. Or rather, the fact that you can forgive her being an assassin is already a way of repaying. After pecking on Jiang Chens lips, Sun Jiao said sternly while staring into his eyes.
[Is this the logic of the apocalypse?] When Jiang Chenmitted the action while enraged, he was unable to forgive himself.
Since Sun Xiaorou was his sister-inw.
He didnt know if the apocalypse had this type of ethical concept or not.
I will destroy the Dusk for you, Jiang Chen promised.
Thank you. Sun Jiao smiled sincerely.
Chapter 263 - Sixth Street Nuclear Nonproliferation
Chapter 263: Sixth Street Nuclear Nonproliferation
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
For the past few months, the development of the apocalypse was stable and consistent.
The streets of the Sixth Street no longer showed signs of the civil war. The radiation level in the Inner Circle also returned to normal. To prevent simr events from urring, Chu Nan ordered the Sixth Streets soldiers to confiscate all tactical nukes at the Sixth Street.
Most of the tactical nukes were dug out from the ruins. Even with the possession of advanced technology, in an ever-changing battlefield, the normally never dysfunctional technology may not be entirely reliable.
While the World Alliance Organization did some recycling of these dangerous goods, a lot of nukes were still dispersed in the hands of ordinary survivors. Followed by the disbanding of the World Alliance Organization, this recycling n waspletely shut down.
The dysfunctional nukes only required some small modifications to take out the nuclear material before it can be made into a simple nuclear bomb.
Even in the ruins of the civilization caused by nukes, nuclear weapon remains an effective killing method.
Needless to say, Chu Nan has his ways in politics. After the nuclear non-proliferation was enacted, the force with detector did a carpet search of the entire Sixth Street. It only took three days to confiscate all tactical nukes.
For the people that handed in the weapon themselves, the Sixth Street military governmentpensated at them with a price equivalent to market value. For the people who went against the act, they were deported permanently.
Not that there was no resistance, but since only a few held nuclear weapons, the military government that stabilized the situation put out a strong attitude from the beginning to maintain the suppressive regime. Those resisting voices didnt manage to form into anything meaningful before they all vanished.
In the option of dying together versuspromise, almost none chose the former one.
On the other side, under the order of Jiang Chen, Fishbone base formed an aerospace department with Jiang Lin taking charge of development and enhancement of space technology. This gesture was toplete the promise Jiang Chen gave to Jiang Lin about investing in his space dream.
Of course, a dream must consider reality. For now, the aerospace departments primary task was not to design the who-knew-when-it-will-bepleted engine, but rather a missile capable of equipping nuclear material as a deterrence to the electromaic cannon of Liuding.
ording to what Sun Jiao said, Fishbone base has currently set up five missileunchers in Qingpu and also deployed five W-1 ballistic missiles with nuclear material. The nuclear material was confiscated, and Jiang Linpleted the design of the W-1 ballistic missile.
The missiles power parts used the booster of small civil rockets while the surface of the missile was covered with an antiser painting.
From a technical perspective,pared to the Disaster-32 missile that represented the technology peak of the pre-war military industry, the W-1 designed and manufactured by the Fishbone base had quite a significant discrepancy in not only anti-interception and uracy, but it was enough to deter Liuding town.
After listening to Sun Jiaos report, Jiang Chen went to themunity center in the base and found Wang Qin, he took out 100 sets of kic skeletons and four hundred rounds of reaper rifles using 7.62 bullets, as well hundreds of heat sensor grenades. He moved everything to the warehouse behind the mansions garden.
These firearms will be transported back to the modern world where it will be used in the near future.
Other than these firearms, Jiang Chen also assigned Wang Qin the task to ce an order to the Sixth Street military factory to manufacture 20 anti-tank RPGs as well as 500 more heat sensor grenades.
With these military supplies, he was a mobile armory.
Afterbining this with the 100 people mercenary base in Niger, without exaggeration, Jiang Chen was capable of starting a small scale modern warfare.
After the war preparation waspleted, Jiang Chen went to Lin Linsb.
He had a lot of questions about the weird video.
Oh, the pervert is back? The door opened, and Lin Lin simply spoke out of habit.
Silver hair, red and ck pupil, and the odd fashion sense of white shirt with the whiteb coat. The adorable face was always ruined by the unrestrainedments.
Being used to her bad mouth, Jiang Chen ignored her greeting as she put the mango pudding on the table.
Seeing her favorite pudding, Lin Lin subconsciously began to slurp her saliva as her eyes shone with excitement.
Jiang Chen couldnt help but smile at Lin Lin who was easily satisfied by a few puddings.
Eat itter, I have something to ask you.
After rubbing the pudding box on her chest, she wiped the drool from her mouth, and reluctantly put the pudding aside.
Speak your mind.
When we video chatted yesterday, did you see something weird?
Something weird? Lin Lin titled her head as she looked at Jiang Chen, puzzled, I remember you hung up midway, then I went to sleep.
Is that so.
Jiang Chen pressed the side of the EP as the memory chip popped out.
I didnt hang up How should I exin this? It was as if the television program had some weird news being yed in the middle of it.
Lin Lin was lost, she took the chip from Jiang Chens hand.
Thats impossible? The fourth dimension messenger is based on the resonance of the Klein particles as the central design philosophy. Based on the theory, this type of special wave crossing the fourth dimension can only be passed along from the chip made out of the same crystal
Lin Lin mumbled some strange theory as she inserted the chip into the full sensoryputer.
Light blue particles floated up as they instantly created a two-dimensional picture.
The video is two dimensional, the picture quality is three dimensional, and the size is only 52 kilobytes Did it getpressed? After pressing a few times on the hologram screen, Lin Lin reyed the video Jiang Chen sawst night.
The hologram screen began to shake, and after a period of blurry whiteness, the strange figure appeared again.
For some reason, after seeing this person with only an outline, Jiang Chen felt an unnatural difort.
Suddenly, he realized where this feeling wasing from.
Uncanny valley effect. Seeing the hand waving rhythmically, Jiang Chen mustered to himself.
Originated from the fear of death, humans would instinctively fear repulsive things simr to the human, but not the human.
Uncanny valley effect? 100% humans are a bothersome creature. Lin Lins digitalized eyes slightly contracted as she began to analyze the details of the video.
But as she analyzed, her expression became more and more stern.
Seeing Lin Lin repetitively ying the video, Jiang Chen was just about to ask why she was doing so, when Lin Lin closed the video.
She let out a long sigh, wiped off the sweat from her forehead and looked at Jiang Chen with a very rare and serious expression.
I have finished analyzing the video Before telling you the result, can I ask a question?
Go ahead.
When did your worlds history start to be weird?
Chapter 264 - Communication with the Past
Chapter 264: Communication with the Past
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It was an odd question to ask.
From Jiang Chens perspective, the history of this world was strange no matter how long he looked at it.
Hua reached an agreement with the surrounding countries to form the Pan-Pacific Alliance that included 60% of the worlds poption. The resulting alliance wouldpete head-to-head with NATO and CCCP.
For someone like Jiang Chen who would asionally read the news and keep an eye on current political events, it was a usible scenario.
Perhaps it was the Soviets copse? Jiang Chen thought for a moment, I remember it was in 1991. In our world, the Soviet was only less than 70 years old.
Because of the short-lived two extreme opposites, it didnt trigger the tension which caused the resulting Third World War. Jiang Chen was not a historian, it was his best guess of the situation.
The Soviet copsed? Thats hard to imagine Lin Lin pressed her chin as she frowned.
Speaking of this, did we go off topic? Jiang Chen coughed and said gently.
No, Lin Lin shook her head, Do you know how the crystal is formed?
The biological crystallization that formed in mutants and some zombies? Jiang Chen didnt know why her thought jumped to thismon knowledge.
Thats right; the crystal is a form of biological crystallization, Lin Lin nodded, Based on the theory proposed by Doctor Klein in 2132 through his experiment, every conscious, carbon-based creature possess Klein particles in their body. But normally speaking, the energy level is usually stable and in meager quantity.
When Jiang Chen heard that every living creature possessed Klein particle, he subconsciously touched the back of his head.
Dont worry, not every creature would grow those kinds of tumors. Unless it was an uncontrolled mutation which forces the area that stores the Klein particles to change, then crystals will not form. The stable energy must be agitated to be unstable. Under normal circumstance, creatures with crystals would more easily survive through natural selection. Therefore the mutants that walked out of the nuclear craters would normally possess crystals, Lin Lin looked at Jiang Chens action and mocked.
Based on dissection experiments, Klein particles would normally be stored in the brain.
When she talked about this point, Lin Lin stopped and took a deep breath.
Hypothetically I am saying hypothetically if there is a person, the Klein particle concentration in the back of its head would be much higher than normal people. Although crystals had yet to form, the Klein particle concentration was infinitely approaching the threshold value that would create the crystal. Although the probability of this type of gic mutation is extremely low, with the poption base of billions, it could theoretically exist.
Through a kind of induction effect, just like mas could maize metal, this would allow his brain to receive a signal from other timelines. He would be like an old antenna. Although he didnt possess the ability to send out signals, he could passively receive signals from other broadcasting waves. Normally speaking, this signal could onlye from the future!
Jiang Chens expression also became sterner, but then he quickly discovered something that didnt add up.
Antenna? Thats not right The brain is not a decoder after all. Even if there is an antenna in the brain, the brain could not decode the electromaic wave into a video message.
Lin Lin shook her head.
Theoretically it is possible. The area where the Klein particles are stored is part of the brain after all. If the person receiving the signal happened to be sleeping, this would allow the special wave of Klein particles to be tranted into a dream which would allow the person receiving the signal to see.
The broadcasting of high energy special waves to the past in the fourth dimension was something that was done in the past, but because it was impossible to pinpoint the fourth-dimensional coordinates, the broadcasting was meaninglessThere was no point in sending the signal billions of years back. In the end, with the consideration of the butterfly effect that could cause an uncontroble effect on the present the experiment was halted. The more advanced the technology, the more likely human y themselves to death.
When she spoke of this point, Lin Lin looked at Jiang Chen who was speechlessness.
But by the looks now, the concern was extraneous.
The ancient Jiang Chen was standing in front her. The interfered past would not cause any effect on the present now, it was just from the time point where history interfered that a parallel timeline to the present evolved.
Time travel, excluding you as an exception I cant exin, without the help of wormhole, even with the entire effort of a civilization, it would still not be possible to send a single particle of sand from the present to the past.
Lin Lin took out the memory chip from the full sensoryputer.
The cost of sending tangible mass to another point on the timeline is too expensive. Also, what if intangible material without mass was being sent? The signal with only 52kb of information could have been done with the technology from before the war. Plus, theres also the trouble of pinpointing where the signal will be sent
As she spoke, Lin Lin put the EP chip back into Jiang Chens hand. She looked at him with a serious expression.
What if, someone received the information from the future, what would he do with it?
What would someone do if they received the signal from the future?
When Jiang Chen left Lin Lins room, he had been thinking about this question.
But as to what someone would do, it would depend on the information sent from the future?
If it were the winning lottery number for the next day, then that person would obviously buy the lottery. But the people from the future would not be bored enough to remember the winning lottery of the particr date to send the information back with such a tremendous cost.
Change the future? Jiang Chen mustered to himself as he went to his bedroom and lied down on the bed.
If CCCP and PAC didnt exist, could they have avoided the Third World War that urred in 2171?
But from the looks of it now, the person that sent the signal back was doing futile work.
This world didnt change.
What changed was a parallel universe.
As Jiang Chen thought about this, he initiated interdimensional travel.
The scenery in front of his eyes changed. The sunshine outside of the window instantly became graceful.
It was noon already, Ayesha had already got up at this time.
Jiang Chen pushed open the bedroom door and walked into the living room.
Seeing Jiang Chen walk over, Ayesha who was flipping through fashion magazines on the sofa got up and greeted him.
Someone came to find you.
Someone came to find me? Who?
Jiang Chen said while he stretched his body.
He referred to himself as Mr. Chen. He called our room from the front desk.
Mr. Chen?
Seemed to be Roberts business partner at Los Santos with some influence in Xiangjiang. On the way to Xiangjiang, Mr. Chen had helped him a lot.
Jiang Chen certainly had great impressions of him.
What about now? Where is he?
I told him you were still sleeping. He asked to notify you after you woke up that he is waiting for you at the first-floor restaurant, Ayesha said gently.
Chapter 265 - Mr. Chen
Chapter 265: Mr. Chen
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen had temporarily put aside the questions regarding the mysterious video. Regardless if the external circumstances, caused the history of his world to diverge from the wastnds, the fact is, it already happened and had nothing to do with him.
Or rather, from his perspective, the history of the wastnd was more peculiar.
He walked out of the room alone and headed downstairs.
It was already noon. Most of the customers at the hotel were enjoying lunch at the Felix restaurant on the 28th floor. Before the three oclock afternoon tea began, the first-floor hall was empty.
When he came to the grand hall, he immediately saw Mr. Chen, who was sitting at the restaurant.
Chen Wei, a renowned businessman of Xiangjiang, had a focus on the entertainment and real estate market. He was the majority shareholder of Nanfeng Real Estate and Nanfeng Entertainmentpanies, with a personal worth of over ten billion.
In a ck suit with a kind face, he had a slight dogmatic vibe, simr to that of a ruthless leader. Although he was well into his midlife, his dark hair had no signs of balding.
Just from his appearance, Mr. Chen looked like a decent businessman. But Jiang Chen knew too well that anyone who did business with Robert was nowhere in being decent.
Standing behind him was a bodyguard also in a suit with a pair of shades over his eyes.
When he saw Jiang Chen walking over, Mr. Chen stood up courteously and greeted him with a smile.
I have long heard Mr. Jiangs name. Now that I finally have the chance to meet you, Mr. Jiang is indeed a ster individual.
Mr. Chen is ttering me. Regarding the boat, I have to thank you for that, Jiang Chen humbly replied.
Haha, that is nothing at all. Please sit down
After some brief small talk, Jiang Chen sat down with Chen Weis warm wee.
Why did Mr. Chen want to see me? Jiang Chen smiled at Mr. Chen as hefortably sat on the chair.
Haha, Mr. Jiang is certainly a businessman. Decisive and clear in your actions. Chen Wei leaned against his chair andughed. Then I will be straightforward as well. I heard that Mr. Jiangs Future Technology had some small conflicts with Wanghai Citys local government?
When he asked this question, Jiang Chen clearly sensed that Chen Wei was testing him.
Future Technology is only a normal techpany, how would we have conflicts with the local government, Jiang Chen replied without much emotion.
If word spreads on the streets, it certainly would negatively impact its reputations.
Haha, I sometimes dont think before I speak, Chen Wei realized that he was too direct and apologized whileughing.
No problem.
I heard rumors that Future Technology ns to relocate its headquarter. Did Mr. Jiang ever considered Xiangjiang as a destination? Chen Wei asked.
Relocate to Xiangjiang?
Jiang Chen was somewhat skeptical. He looked at Chen Wei.
Although he certainly considered establishing Future Technologys Greater Hua headquarter in Xiangjiang before, he didnt understand why Chen Wei would bring this up.
As if he had understood the confusion apparent on Jiang Chens face, Chen Wei smiled and waved his hand at his bodyguard/assistant. He took a piece of a document from his hands.
Because of my rtionship with the director of economic development bureau, Su Changyin, the reason for my disturbance this time is at the request of my old friend.
As Chen Wei spoke, he handed the document to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen briefly scanned the document as an interested expression surfaced on his face.
One year tax-free, three years tax of only half taxable. The generous offer was countless times better than the policy given by Wanghai Citys local government. With the current profitability of Future Technology, the policy of one-year tax-free would save Jiang Chen four billion RMB in tax.
Also, with the consideration of the headquarter relocation, some of the employees would also need to be relocated. Xiangjiang government also provided a generous employee immigration policy to Future Technology. They provided one hundred allocations of maind residency to convert to Xiangjiang residency to ease Future Technologys employees relocation.
Seeing the interest on Jiang Chens face, Chen Wei also had a smile on his face.
Is the policy given by my old friend enough to please Mr. Jiang?
Extremely pleased. I just dont know if the Xiangjiang government would maintain fair and just in policymaking? Jiang Chen asked nonchntly as he flipped through the document in his hands.
Chen Wei first paused for a moment as he heard the words before he started tough.
Mr. Jiang, you are worrying too much. I cant promise anything else. But on the point of being fair and just, that I can guarantee. Xiangjiang is not asplicated as Wanghai City. Everything must follow thew here.
Fair and just? Thew?
Although Jiang Chens expression did not change, he had a differing opinion.
The world knew about Xiangjiangs renowned gang presence. Chen Wei himself was probably not aw-abiding citizen. How many decent businessmen could open an entertainmentpany in Xiangjiang.
But even so, Jiang Chen was extremely pleased with Xiangjiang governments attitude.
Is that so? Thats perfect then. Jiang Chen grinned as he put the document on the table, Regarding this investment n, I am pleased. If all the terms in the n can be followed through, I can say with confidence that Future Technologys Greater Hua headquarters will be located in Xiangjiang.
A trace of joy shed across Chen Weis face as he congratted, Haha, then on behalf of my old friend, I here wee Mr. Jiangs presence in Xiangjiang.
To Chen Weis words, Jiang Chen epted with humility.
Speaking of this, to relocate to Xiangjiang, does Mr. Jiang have any ns regarding the location of the new headquarter of Future Technology?
When he recalled Chen Weis identity, Jiang Chen finally understood the intention behind his visit.
Currently no, does Mr. Chen have any good rmendations? Jiang Chen smiled.
Haha, then I will be straightforward. Chen Wei didnt hide his intention as he had seen from Jiang Chens expression that he already guessed the reason for his visit. He took another document from his bodyguards hands.
Nanfeng Real Estate has a recently developed office building. It is located in Kowloon near the metro station and aprehensive set of amenities are included. Is Mr. Jiang interested? Chen Wei smiled.
He took over the document from Chen Weis hand as he flipped through the specifications.
All in all, he was pleased. Compared to the building in Wanghai, Nanfeng Real Estates building was better in both appearance and amenities.
Whats the price?
Two billion HKD, or equivalent to 1.65 billion RMB, Chen Wei said.
Jiang Chen gave it a thought before nodding.
This is a reasonable price and I am pleased with the building. As to the acquisition process, I will leave it to the professionals in thepany to take care of.
Seeing Jiang Chen nod, Chen Wei felt relieved as he had a trace of gratitude in his expression.
Thank you very much.
Chapter 266 - Future International
Chapter 266: Future International
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The Xiangjiang real estate market was not too hot right now. Although the price remained elevated, the number of sales was gradually decreasing and has recently hit a new low of 17 per month. What made it even worse was that Li Jiacheng, who had single-handedly pushed the Xiangjiang real estate market to its peak, had begun to sell his real estate assets for cash.
The perpetrator of this has already smelled a dangerous signal. How would the other real estate developers not sense it?
Once the interest rate returns to normal, the Xiangjiang real estate market would face immense pressure, the possibility of the freefall in 1997 was not out of the realm of possibility.
The bubble created by the insane construction of buildings put the cash flow of all real estate developers in an extremely tight situation, Nanfeng real estate was no exception.
The office building located in Kowloon had a cost of 1.2 billion HKD, typically speaking, a fair price would be three billion. But for Chen Wei who needed the money to alleviate the pressure on cash flow, he could not wait any longer.
Granted, he was not a decent businessman, but with the legal system and its implementation bing perfected by the day, most of his businesses have been transformed into legal ones.
Jiang Chen buying this building definitely gave him some breathing room.
With the deal being sessful, Chen Wei was naturally ecstatic as he warmly invited Jiang Chen for lunch.
Jiang Chen didnt reject the proposal as they went along to the Felix restaurant on the 28th floor.
On the dinner table, the two chatted and joked about their encounters around the world.
How is Robert doing? As they chatted, the conversation turned to Robert.
The same old. He has transitioned his business already. The way he described it was ying with Hollywood girls. Did he not tell you? Jiang Chenughed.
I left the industry earlier than him and became legal five years ago. I didnt imagine that the lunatic that dared to sell anything also left the game, Chen Wei eximed.
Lunatic? Haha, a fitting name for that guy. Five months ago, he was caught by the IS in Iraq and almost had his head chopped off.
Iraq. He certainly has the guts. Speaking of this, how did you two meet? Chen Wei asked curiously.
Regardless of which perspective, Jiang Chen was aw-abiding businessman, he shouldnt have the opportunity to meet the smuggling middlemen.
We met in Iraq, I saved his life. Because there was nothing to hide, Jiang Chen shrugged.
Chen Wei was confused at first before he startedughing and raised his wine ss.
How disrespectable of me. I thought Mr. Jiang was aw-abiding businessman, but Mr. Jiang has a secretive side too. Cheers.
To be able to save someone from the hands of the IS, he must have had some connections with the hidden international mercenary groups. The securitypanies on the surface would usually not take any tasks that would endanger their own lives.
When he thought about this, Chen Wei couldnt help but exim in his mind, he underestimated this guy.
But he still underestimated Jiang Chen. He couldnt fathom that it was not the mercenaries that saved Robert, but Jiang Chen alone.
You are overplimenting me, Jiang Chen said humbly.
Did he stop because of the IS?
Not exactly. Mostly because the FBA had an eye on him. He was rather unlucky because it was the FBAs ploy that led to him being captured by the IS.
FBA True, if the government decided to intervene, then he must exit the industry, Chen Wei eximed.
Is Mr. Chens transition also the result of the government? Jiang Chen smiled.
Thats right. But it was not the FBA. It was because of the mainds General Staff Department. Chen Wei grinned.
General Staff Department? Jiang Chens expression was rather odd.
Could the General Staff Department extend its influence here? Jiang Chen asked.
No, as long as you are not too overzealous. However, I was in Guangzhou at that time. Chen Wei paused and looked at Jiang Chen. Speaking of this, you had some conflicts with the Wang family in Wanghai City?
It is not wrong to say that. Jiang Chen shrugged.
When Chen Wei heard this, he nodded.
It is fine to get into conflict with the Wang family as most of their influence remains in Wanghai City. But definitely dont offend anyone above them, unless you n topletely abandon your assets in Hua. In thest sentence, Chen Weis tone began to sound mncholic.
Perhaps it was something he personally experienced, or experienced by his friends who didnt have the cleanest history.
To his words of advice, Jiang Chen only nodded and didnt say anything else.
The two days of rxing were over. Even Jiang Chen, who hasnt been involved with thepany for awhile, began dealing with tasks rted to thepany.
Although with the help of Xia Shiyu, his workload was lighter. But there were quite a few things that he still must personally do.
First, Future International incorporated in New Zend with Jiang Chen as the sole shareholder.
The advantage of an offshorepany in New Zend was that as long as the profit is not generated locally, the only fee that must be paid per year was the annual fee. It was legal to submit zero tax without the need for an audit, and the subsequent steps were much more manageable. The only downside being the registration fee was a bit higherpared to registering in Xiangjiang, but the annual fee was simr for both areas.
As the parentpany, Future International quickly gained control of 99% of the shares of Future Technology. From now on, Future Technology became a subsidiary of Future International with CEO Xia Shiyu leading thepany.
At the same time, with Xia Shiyus rmendation, Future Technology divided its market geographically to Greater Hua, Southeast Asia, Russia, European Union, Arabic, North UA and South UA. A subsidiary was formed in each of the geographical areas to operate in each business market.
Of course, this business transition created a massive workload that caused a shortage of talent at Future Technology.
Jiang Chens solution was simple, it was to buy with money.
High sry, great benefits, and hiring headhunters to search for talent all over the world and create apany of talent with money. With Future Technologys low cost and high profits, the investment was negligible to thepany.
To the technical talents, working at Future Technology was an attractive option to begin with. The talent acquisition waspleted without much hindrance.
After this waspleted, Future Technologys Greater Hua headquarters was relocated to Xiangjiang under the direction of Xia Shiyu.
From this point on, Future Technologys tax revenue of no less than two billion per year would say goodbye to Wanghai Citys local government.
Although Wang Dehai had personally called Jiang Chen to reservedly but sincerely express his apology in the hopes of him staying, Jiang Chens attitude didnt change at all.
The proverb goes, you only realize whats valuable when its gone.
The moment that the Wang family no longer viewed Future Technology as a partner but rather a piece of juicy meat, he should have considered that this day woulde.
Chapter 267 - The Angry Wang Dehai
Chapter 267: The Angry Wang Dehai
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
In Wanghai City hundreds of kilometers away, Wang Dehai sat behind the office table with a grave expression on his face.
There were two English newspapers on the table. One was a , the other was the .
The two newspapers were both flipped to the business section. Although the two newspapers werepletely different, the headlines printed almost identical information.
Future International Incorporated, the secret that led to its departure from Wanghai City.
Although Jiang Chen had purposely avoided the reporters who swarmed him like flies with their cameras raised high during his time in Xiangjiang, nothing is kept hidden forever as major presses dug out leads from different channels to find the secret behind Future Technologys relocation.
Linhua Group attempted to use the local governments rtionship, with the stake of suppressing its business in Hua, to forcefully acquire a controlling stake in Future Technology. Future Technology earned the central governments support because of an undisclosed reason, but Jiang Chen who was already divided from the Wang family chose to leave because of theck of trust in the Wanghai City local government.
The domestic presses were okay as their mouths were naturally shut due to thepanys influence. Although the policy of official rtives not permitted to be in business was only limited to spouse and children, it would still reveal a negative image if the news were to be published.
While the domestic media could be controlled, Wang Dehai couldnt do anything to the international press.
Fortunately, it was hard to listen to the buzz outside anyways.
Since it has almost be politically correct for western media to criticize the countrys policy on certain issues, to the fact that Future Technologys investment value had always drawn the craving of the Wall Street capitals, all the major international press conducted an extensive investigation on this event.
Particrly , the satire between the lines was especially evident. The lines of English almost gave the enraged Wang Dehai a heart attack.
Wang Linhua stood in front of his office, the old foxs expression looked awkward.
A month ago, Wang Linhua had promised his brother Wang Dehai that as long as he pressured Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen without any background would immediately recognize the situation and obediently give up Future Technologys share, allowing the Wang familys assets to sessfully leave the real estate market.
But by the looks of it now, the promise fell through.
How many times did I tell you, dont corner him to the wall. Now that he has left, what did you get out of it? Wang Dehais finger pressed forcefully on the newspapers as his lips trembled in anger.
Seeing that his brother was so furious, Wang Linhuas expression remained awkward.
Ahem, Dehai, it was not me that pressured him too hard, that guy did not recognize the situation at all. He didnt understand that a shared interest would create a better business. To be honest, a market cap of ten billion, five billion for 50% of the shares was a generous offer. How many techpanies would kill to acquire venture capitals and equity infusions
Bullsheet!
Perhaps because Wang Dehai had received pressured from the central government on this incident, Wang Dehai had lost his cool and he cursed at his younger brother.
Market cap of ten billion? Future Technologys profit is above ten billion, with a P/E ratio of 20 times, calcte the market cap for me? Do you know what the old guy from the Liu family told me? I will gift these words to you, those embarrassing actions will be the end of us!
It indeed didnt sound eloquent at all. Wang Dehais emotion was also enraged when he said it as it made his chest pump violently.
I am being considerate of the Wang familys assets. Especially since the techpanys market cap cant be calcted this way. Future Technology is highly profitable now, but they only managed to do so because they formed a monopoly. With the rapid pace of technological transformations, once a simr artificial intelligence system exists, or phone enhancement programs are introduced, it would be impossible to maintain their current profitability levels, Wang Linhua argued for his own perspective.
Wang Linhuas perspective was certainly not without reason. People were willing to spend 10 RMB a month to upgrade to VIP1, which was for the phone enhancement function as well as a battery saver. Once a free recement is introduced, even if the functionality was weakerpared to Future 1.0, it was not hard to believe some users would choose the free app.
With the rapidly changingndscape of technology, in his view, it was entirely possible.
But what he didnt know as an outsider to the industry was that all the major techpanies had lost countless brain cells trying to crack the encryption technology of Future 1.0 and could not break a single function of Future 1.0.
Because of this, the investors were very interested in Future Technology.
To Wang Linhuas exnation, Wang Dehai was clearly not pleased. But since he already yelled at him, he let out some of his anger. And based on the consideration that Wang Linhua was not wholly to be med as he was the person who agreed to this, Wang Dehai took a deep breath and put that aside for now.
Seeing that Wang Dehais expression became more rxed, Wang Linhua also felt relieved.
Wang Dehai picked up the teacup from the table as he soothed his throat. Lets not talk about this, for now. You mentioned the transitioning of Linhua Group, how is that going?
Since the conflict had already urred, it was pointless to be angry about it. Compared to Future Technology, Wang Dehai was more worried about the Wang familys assets. As the general secretary of Wanghai City, he certainly knew the dire circumstance Linhua Group was in.
It was fair to say, the reason that Linhua Group could acquire bank loans was partially attributable to Wang Dehais reputation.
When he heard Wang Dehai ask about Linhua Group, a proud expression appeared.
Haha, I was about to bring some good news. We recently received a ten billion USD construction contract.
Ten billion?! Even to Wang Dehai who had seen the ups and downs of life, he still eximed out of shock.
Thats right, and it is a contract from overseas! With an ecstatic expression, Wang Linhua continued, The contract has been signed with an expected direct profit of over five billion! The 110 square kilometers ofnd on the main ind as well as the 70 square kilometers on a nearby ind used as payment for part of the contract, could double in value in five years based on the potential of Pannu Inds! Without exaggeration, once we finish the deal, Linhua Groups value could break one hundred billion RMB!
Wang Dehai finally nodded his head, pleased.
Misfortune may be an actual blessing.
Although the ten billion market cap of Future Technology had left Wanghai City, it created a Linhua Group with a one hundred billion market cup.
The expansion into the international market had solved the dire situation the Wang familys assets had faced.
Wang Dehais mood became a lot lighter.
The only issue was if he could stillugh so brightly in a few months time.
Chapter 268 - New Zealand Trip
Chapter 268: New Zend Trip
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Beach, waves, bright sunshine, palm trees.
And of course, the most important one, bikinis.
Lying on the recliner with a pair of shades over his eyes, Jiang Chen gazed at the lively figures along the sea coast from afar with a smile on his face.
When the saline wind breezed by, he felt all his weariness get blown away.
Just as he rxingly gazed into the horizon, his face felt a cold sensation.
He turned his head as he saw a pair of crystal-like eyes staring at him cheerfully. Liu Yao stood beside him as she leaned forward and naughtily shook the cold orange juice in her hands.
Are you checking out hot girls again? Liu Yao passed the chilled orange juice to Jiang Chen as she coyly pouted her lips.
I am checking one out right now. Jiang Chenughed as he looked at Liu Yao.
In a light yellow bikini, her pale skin was decorated with droplets of water as it shined in the sunlight.
Blushing, the corners of her lips curled up as she said joyfully.
Thats better.
Even if she knew they were ttering words, which woman actually dislikedpliments?
She put her own orange juice on the table andbed the hair in front of her forehead that was previously disturbed by the sea wind. Then in graceful steps, she lied on the recliner beside Jiang Chen. Consciously and subconsciously, she showed off her body, at which Jiang Chen couldnt help butugh.
However, speaking of this, Jiang Chen liked her for this very point.
Jealous but never drilled on one thing. It wouldnt make people feel annoyed, but rather fulfill the vanity of men. There are a lot of intelligent women in the modern world, but Jiang Chen had never met anyone else like her, someone intelligent but knew her own boundaries.
Jiang Chen picked up the orange juice and took a sip with the straw.
The cold sensation in his throat instantly made the scorching heat fade away.
As to why it was summer?
The reason was simple. It was because they were in New Zend in the southern hemisphere. New Zends winter was between July and August, and right now it was the middle of January, the hottest time in New Zend.
The reason why he was here? Because one, he needed to register the offshorepany, and two, the tasks at Pannu Inds.
Because Xia Shiyu had already arrived in Xiangjiang, the General Staff Department was obviously no longer responsible for her safety. Therefore, Jiang Chen had sent Ayesha to act as her bodyguard. Although no one should be plotting against him now, it was better to be safe.
Because Ayesha couldnt be with him, it was too lonely to travel abroad by himself. Therefore, Jiang Chen suddenly remembered that he still owed Liu Yao a vacation to Pannu Inds.
As to why he brought Liu Yao, it was to fulfill the promise of taking her on a vacation.
Hows the movie going? Simultaneously enjoying the cold and delicious juice and her graceful figure, he asked nonchntly.
Its going well, the filming will be done by March this year. Then it will be in production before it is sent in for review. If without exception, you can see me in theatres by August this year. Liu Yao turned her head as sheughed yfully.
Like the movie she stared in before, in this , she again yed the role of the prom queen and the supporting actress. However, because Jiang Chen was the principal investor of the newest movie, the director forced the screenwriter to change the script to give her more screen time as the supporting actress but at the condition that it will not interfere with the movies plot.
She didnt say anything about this, but she was grateful for what Jiang Chen had done for her. He could clearly feel it from the intimate and passionate re-encounterst night at the hotel.
With a celebrity as a mistress, it was a dreame true.
Is that so? Didnt you y spoiler with mest night? With Liu Yao impish look, Jiang Chen smirked.
Last time during their intimate moment, Liu Yao perfected her role of prom queen. While with just words she denounced Jiang Chens invasion, and whispered her lines from the movie into Jiang Chens ear.
All in all, the conquering feeling of a pure and innocent prom queen under him boosted his ego.
Liu Yao blushed at Jiang Chens tease while she rolled her eyes at him.
It is a movie you invested in after all, are you not concerned about the box office?
Jiang Chen began tough as he put the orange juice aside and lied down sluggishly.
It is only one hundred million, I pay more than that a month in tax.
An investment of one hundred million. Even with one billion at the box office, after paying for the 5% specialty movie fund, 3.3% in tax, and 5% cut to other channels, and splitting the rest between the investors and the movie theatres, Jiang Chen would only be left with three hundred to four hundred million.
On top of that, it was rare for a domestic film to reach one billion at the box office.
Compared to the profitability of Future Technology, that profit was nothing at all. Jiang Chen considered this investment as one purely for his enjoyment.
Even if she knew Jiang Chens worth, Liu Yao still couldnt help but be shocked as she stuck out her tongue.
What do you think the box office is going to be? Jiang Chenughed.
I think at least two hundred million or above? Since Chen Yanxi is the lead actress in the film, she has quite a number of followers. Liu Yao put her finger on her chin as she gave a conservative response.
To one hundred million of investment, two hundred million of box office return was an eptable result. Although Liu Yao had put her heart into shooting the film, and she certainly went through a lot of hardships to achieve her dream, the market doesnt believe in sweat and tears.
Are you not confident?
What, two hundred million is a great result. Liu Yao pouted.
I am not talking about the box office, Jiang Chen shook his head, smiled, and continued, I am saying that are you not confident that you will overshadow the lead actress?
With Jiang Chens words, Liu Yaos face turned red. She picked up the orange juice on the table and took a sip with her red lips as she mumbled while biting her straw.
It is hard. With movies, fans have a lot to do with it.
Although for someone like Jiang Chen who didnt have an idea who yed in the movies until the end credits, he had to admit withedy films, the fans certainly have a significant impact on the box office.
Thats only part of the reason. Promotions also can achieve the same result. Jiang Chen shook his finger.
With Future Technologys user base, a simple promotion would instantly make her famous. As long as channels exist, fame was not a big problem at all.
Liu Yaos eyes instantly lit up.
She turned around on her belly, with her hand pressed against her chin, and coyly looked at Jiang Chen with watery eyes.
Her deep cleavage and beautiful curves, even if a battle had urredst night, made Jiang Chens stomach feel heated.
Of course, it is a film I invested in after all, Jiang Chen looked away as he spoke.
He was in swimming trunk, it would be awkward if he went hard.
Jiang Chens reaction didnt manage to escape Liu Yaos sight. The little devils lips proudly curled up as she maintained her position in the recliner and seductively untied her bikini from the back. Then with a sweet voice, Honey~ I want to bathe under the sun, help me put on sunscreen.
This little devil!
As he cursed in his mind, Jiang Chen walked over with his body reacting honestly.
Chapter 269 - Meeting the Oppositions
Chapter 269: Meeting the Oppositions
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Xiangjiang. Shangyuan apartment building No. 5, on the 12th floor. This was Xia Shiyus new home.
Because Future Technologys headquarters was relocated to Xiangjiang, after she had taken care of the relocation, she naturally followed as the CEO. For someone that always rented, it was convenient for her to move.
It was eight at night.
Just like her usual routine, Xia Shiyu sat on the sofa watching TV, but her expression looked ufortable. Usually, she didnt like to wear a whole lot when she was home alone.
But now, she was swearing as she had to wear her dress shirt and bothersome jeans.
As to the reason, it was because she was not home alone.
For Xia Shiyus safety, Jiang Chen had sent Ayesha to be her bodyguard.
Xia Shiyu had mixed emotions about Ayesha.
That night, when Ayesha suddenly kissed Jiang Chen, Xia Shiyu felt her mind turn nk.
Angry? Hard to say so because he was not her boyfriend. There was no reason for her to be angry. Frightened? Perhaps some. Jealous? Perhaps all the above.
She knew he was outstanding, outstanding men nevercked pursuers. As someone who was slow with rtionships, she had consistently tried to avoid the problem and continuously ignored the emotion she felt in her heart and left it for another day to deal with.
But to the enemy Ayesha, she couldnt hate her.
Since she did save her and also suffered an injury as the result of it.
Because of all the factors above, to the person that was living with her, she felt very conflicted.
But on the contrary, Ayesha was somewhat more rxed.
Because the air conditioner was on, she wore a thin white shirt and her nicely shaped legs jogged on the treadmill.
[My presence She doesnt mind it at all?]
The picture on the TV began to blur as Xia Shiyus mind began to drift elsewhere.
[To her, I should be consideredpetition. If she didnte to save me or had purposely beente for a few minutes]
While she maintained her expressionless face, Xia Shiyu unnaturally shivered.
Do you feel cold? Ayesha looked over.
No, no, The sudden conversation had made Xia Shiyu jump as she hastily replied.
Ayesha nodded before she looked away.
There was no more exchange of words between the two.
Perhaps this is what it felt like when two people without a lot to say lived together. Ayesha would only speak more when she was alone with Jiang Chen, and Xia Shiyu would onlymunicate when it was necessary due to work.
[I wonder how Jiang Chen is doing on that side] As her eyes nkly stared at the TV, Xia Shiyu muttered in her mind.
With a beautiful girl apanying him, Jiang Chen had a rxing two days.
Although Liu Yao was not the best choice as a wife, she was impable as a mistress.
Of course, although they were having fun, he didnt forget the task he needed toplete. While he toured New Zend with Liu Yao, he was also waiting for someone.
Without incidence, that person should have already arrived in New Zend and would contact him very soon.
After they returned to hotel from the beach, Jiang Chen, who was teased for the entire day by Liu Yao couldnt wait to lock the door behind him. Liu Yao immediately leaned her body against his and kissed him
The actionsted from nine at night till midnight before Jiang Chen finally spared the pleading Liu Yao who fell asleep with her body in his arms.
The next morning, Jiang Chen woke up from a dream,
In the Old John coffee shop at the corner of a street in Ad.
The old wooden interior filled the ce with a historic vibe. However, the decor evidently did not bring about good business. Compared to the Starbucks on the next street, this ce was dested.
But because of the quietness, Jiang Chen chose here as the meeting ce.
The waitress at the front desk looked like an international student from the nearby university. Her looks were average, but her voice was sweet. When she saw her fellow countrymen Jiang Chen, she didnt seem too surprised. There was a lot of Han citizens in Ad, especially immigrants or tourists.
Jiang Chen ordered two mochas from her before he went to the deep corner of the coffee shop and began to y with his phone to kill time.
Not long after, a man wearing a simple T-shirt sat in front of him.
Sorry for making you wait so long, the man who sat across him said with an apologetic tone.
Its okay, it is not easy for you. Jiang Chen put away his phone as he looked up at the man in front of him. He examined him from head to toe, Han?
Mhmm. Zhang Yapin. I am meeting you as a representative of the Pannu Freedom Party. Zhang Yapin nodded and extended his right hand.
Pannu Inds native only ounted for a small percentage of its poption. The rest was made up by the initial European immigrants and the subsequent Asian immigrants. There was certainly some Han among the mix. With the consideration for Jiang Chens identity, after an internal discussion, they sent Zhang Yapin. A person with Han heritage to discuss business with Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen. Although you already know my name. Jiang Chen shook his hand and smiled.
The Liberal party was the most significant opposing party of the Pannu Inds. Although they were considered the most significant opposing party, their actual situation was not too great, the primary reason was due to theirck of funding.
Pannu Inds was an impoverished nation. There was no oil in the surrounding central area. The economy was isted with an outdated infrastructure, and the high cost of development meant that the small country, without a vote in the United Nations, was forgotten in the international society.
No one had any interest in it. Even if the Liberal partys political ideology was more pro-western than the Syrian opposition party, the UA clearly does not pay enough attention to the poor little guy.
Only when the country meets UAs national interest would they intervene in other peoples politics. This point alone was demonstrated through the double standard with its policy in Syria and Veit.
Zhang Yapin nodded as he looked earnestly at Jiang Chen.
Mr. Jiang is supportive of our cause right?
Thats right. In my perspective, any form of dictatorship is disdained. Whether it is a presidential dictatorship or corporate dictatorship, or abination of the two, Jiang Chen simply improvised.
He was a person with the least credentials to say such things. He was the biggest dictator at the Sixth Street.
Zhang Yapin was ecstatic when he heard Jiang Chens attitude.
With the help of a businessman, it was much easier for the cause they support toe to fruition.
Is Mr. Jiang willing to support our cause then?
Support? Jiang Chen dubiously took a sip of the coffee.
Of course, this is not without benefits. After our cause is sessful, well provide you with enough benefits, Zhang Yapin rushed to add.
Chapter 270 - Military Resistance
Chapter 270: Military Resistance
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
There was no reason to wake up early unless there were benefits involved.
Zhang Yapin knew that without enough benefits, even if Jiang Chen recognized their cause, it would be more of a verbal support rather than financial aid.
Compared with the idealists within the organization, Zhang Yapin was a firm believer in the concept of there is no free lunch in the world.
Only with enough potential gain could they tie the businessman onto their ship.
Only if he knew that Johnny International was funded by Jiang Chen and a puppet created by Robert.
Benefits? For example? Jiang Chen pretended to be interested. He put the coffee down and waited for Zhang Yapin to continue.
I heard that Mr. Jiang has 7000 square meters of warehouses on Pannu Inds, as well as an exportpany right? Zhang Yapin took a deep breath as his fingers crossed. He spoke quite calmly and collectedly.
Thats right, it is not a secret. Jiang Chen smiled.
After he had acquired Xinlong Food Processing nt, he urged Zheng Hongjie to acquire the rights for export and import. Then Jiang Chen created a shellpany with only five employees at Pannu Inds and purchased warehouses totaling 7000 square meters to store goods.
By moving goods from his left hand to his right hand, thepany massively purchased canned food from Xinlong. At the same time ordering dairy and grain products from the farms in New Zend and Australia. Parts of these goods were sold locally while other items were stored waiting for Jiang Chen to transport them back to the apocalypse.
In Pannu Inds, Jiang Chen owned around one million USD in assets.
Since Mr. Jiang has invested in Pannu Inds, then it must mean you have confidence in Pannu Inds future, am I right? Zhang Yapin gradually advanced his narrative.
Thats right. Perhaps you can get to your point, Jiang Chen leaned on his chair and said.
Zhang Yapin scanned the coffee shop. When he saw that other than the two of them, there was only the waitress at the front desk ying with her phone, he proceeded with a mysterious tone.
We need around one million USD in support. This amount of money will be returned in the form ofnd to you after we sessfully fulfill our political cause.
How big is thend? Jiang Chen smiled.
One square kilometer ofnd located on the Coro main ind, Zhang Yapin said in pain.
One square kilometer ofnd with a cost of one million? It was the equivalent of one dor per square meter. It was beyond cheap. Almost to the point of being a form of reparation payment.
But to this suggestion, Jiang Chen was still not pleased.
Unfortunately, although I feel sympathetic to the Pannu peoples situation, I am not interested in your proposal. Jiang Chen shook his head.
What! One dor per square kilometer, this price is not Zhang Yapin stood up with his eyes widened.
Jiang Chen raised his hand and quietly pointed to the front desk.
The waitress at the front desk already stopped ying with her phone as she looked in their direction curiously.
Realizing he was too emotional, Zhang Yapin immediately closed his mouth, took a deep breath and sat back down in his chair.
Although they were in New Zend, and not Pannu, it was better to keep sensitive political movements quiet.
Seeing that Zhang Yapin had calmed down, Jiang Chen nodded, rather pleased.
While the Liberal party was probably an organization formed by a few university students fighting passionately for the citizens, it was considered an amateur group both in size and professionalism. However, it indeed possessed investment value.
Being young was okay. The founding father of Hua, Sun Zhongshan, was also young and he still managed to aplish greater deeds before it benefited Yuan Shikai.
What is Mr. Jiang not pleased about? We can discuss, Zhang Yapin said sincerely.
The waitress not far away saw that there was no more drama to watch, so she looked back down at the table and began to y with her phone again out of boredom.
First, my total investment value in Pannu Inds is only one million USD, and I am only prepared to invest this amount. Jiang Chen leaned in his chair as he smiled. If Johnny Internationalpletes the development of Pannu Inds, the value ofnd would exponentially raise. Therefore, I dont mind the profitability of my assets. I dont know if you have noticed or not, but all my assets in Pannu Inds are operating at a loss.
The average ie of Pannu Inds was low. Therefore, buying power was limited. While they have a wealth of tourism, it would be an endless pit to develop all those resources.
That UA citizen is a scumbag. He is the bloodsucker riding on top of the Pannu people, Zhang Yapin cursed in a low voice.
Thats right, but regardless if he is a scumbag or not, he is indeed rich, and spending for Pannu Inds. Jiang Chen smiled at Zhang Yapin and then paused before he continued, Have you considered one problem?
What problem?
If Johnny International didnt spend money investing in basic infrastructure and developing tourist resources, do you think the 7000 square meters ofnd has any upsides? Jiang Chen said expressionlessly.
Zhang Yapin was shocked as his face began to sour.
If Jiang Chen was waiting for hisnd to appreciate, there was no reason for him to fund them to get rid of that UA citizen.
From the start, Jiang Chen only said that he waspassionate of their cause, but he never suggested he would fund them for their cause.
There was a difference between ideology and reality. Jiang Chen was only an outsider, he had no reason to pay the bills for Pannus suffering.
Then we dont have anything we can talk about. Zhang Yapin struggled to say. The smile on his face was bitter.
The trip to New Zend was futile.
But just as he felt disappointed with the uncertain future, Jiang Chen lit up anothermp named hope in front of his eyes.
It is theplete opposite. Jiang Chen shook his head and smiled. I think we have a lot more we can talk about.
Zhang Yapins eyes widened as he looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief.
But didnt you say
Jiang Chen took a sip of the already cooled coffee and said.
I am only saying your n is not enough to attract me, but I never rejected the possibility of a partnership between us. For example, you can tell me, if you had one million in support, what would you do with it?
When he heard Jiang Chen ask about the specific n of the Freedom party, Zhang Yapin realized that there may still be a turning point for this as he immediately raised his chest and spoke with confidence.
We will use this one million to develop members in the Pannu army. At the same time, we will organize citizens unjustly treated as well as farmers with theirnds taken away from them tounch a strike and protest to force the current regime topromise, punish the corrupted officials, and drive away the reckless Johnny International To thest bit, Zhang Yapin awkwardly stopped.
If they drove away Johnny International, it didnt seem to fit Jiang Chens interest.
If you get rid of Johnny International, then what? Jiang Chenughed. Continue to live the poor life? Wait to find a new investor?
Zhang Yapin shifted his gaze before he promised, We can transfer Johnny Internationals interest to you.
When he heard the na?ve response, Jiang Chenughed and shook his head.
Who do you think you are? The current regime? One million USD? Johnny International probably bribed the president more than just that amount! And you are thinking of buying the army? Stop dreaming. Your promise is only an empty promise, it can never be fulfilled.
Jiang Chen was cut throat.
Zhang Yapin held his breath.
He lowered his head as he slowly said.
Then in your opinion, what kind of partnership would you be satisfied with?
A smile appeared on Jiang Chens face. He was waiting for this sentence.
Strike? Protest? Those things wont solve any problems, only the elected government would be fearful of public opinion. I can say with confidence that if the Freedom party still holds the unrealistic thought of solving problems politically, then only cruel suppression awaits you!
Our president is elected, Zhang Yapin tried to rebuke.
But he has been corrupted! Jiang Chen stared into his eyes as he used a maniptive tone.
He is not the president you elected from before.
If he, the scum called Edward, is in an election now, would you vote for him?
Or, do you think he is willing to give up the interest in his hand now and participate in an election?
Presidential republic? Face reality, it is a dictatorship right now!
Vote, protest, those wont save you. The only thing that will save you are bullets!
Jiang Chens words were like hammers as it swung directly into Zhang Yapins heart and shattered any remaining hope for the current regime. Before he joined the Liberal party, he was a top student who graduated from New Zends Ad University, the few that were educated on the Pannu Inds.
When he saw that the current regime hadpromised with the foreign capital and worked together to suppress his fellow countrymen, he was furious.
With passion, a few young people with different education backgrounds but the same ideology formed together to create the Pannu Liberal party. The goal was to protect the rights and interests of the citizen and eliminate the current situation where the government and the foreign capital worked together.
It was difficult to fight for their cause, but a lot of Pannu people stood by their side. Because of this, he saw the hope of resolving the problem peacefully.
But as Jiang Chen said, this route was unsessful to begin with.
Military uprising? Zhang Yapin mustered to himself as another kind of me lit up in his eyes.
Thats right, the only solution to change the current circumstance is military resistance. From the opposing party to the anti-government force, Jiang Chen continued to spread this dangerous thought to the young man.
But, this is unconstitutional
Your president is unconstitutional, dont tell me epting bribes is within the constitution of Pannu.
But, people will die in a civil war, Zhang Yapin gulped as he said with difficulty.
There is no revolution without bleeding; there is no peace without sacrifice, Jiang Chen stared straight into his eyes as he said decisively.
But
There is not but, Jiang Chen interrupted him.
You only have one choice. Blood in exchange for freedom, or bleed dry inpromise.
Chapter 271 - The Millionaire in the Slum
Chapter 271: The Millionaire in the Slum
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It was impossible to say he didnt feel guilty.
The reckless UA citizen named Johnny in Pannu Inds was a puppet ced by Jiang Chen at the cost of two hundred million USD.
But Jiang Chen didnt regret anything.
The secrets in his hands meant that he could not cooperate with any country or organization. If he wants to expand and grow freely, controlling a small state as his base was the only option.
As to the people that may lose their lives because of this, Jiang Chen could regrettably say that he will treat their decedents nicely. He is confident under his reign, Pannu Inds would be much wealthier than now.
To acquire Pannu inds as a base, Jiang Chen had bet everything.
Since Pannu is a country part of the United Nations, it was not as simple as sending one hundred well-equipped infantries to wipe out the military force on the ind. If Jiang Chen used this simple yet brute force to take over Pannu Inds, it wont be long before the United Nation Peacekeeping forcends on Pannu Inds and then search the entire world for him for his crime against humanity.
The 21st century was not like the Victorian era. Sovereignty was not a joke. The regime established through illegally upying a country could not be considered a country. They were pirates or terrorists. Only when the shift of power waspleted under the boundary of internationalw could the regime be considered legal.
When outsiders with guns enter ones yard, its invasion, but when people inside raise their weapons in protest, it is only considered a civil war! Based on the consideration that the Liberals ideology is simr to the UAs, the UA wouldnt intervene in their civil war.
Since the Liberal party raised the g of democracy to end the evil reign of the corrupted presidential dictatorship, it was almost a replica of what happened in Syria. If the UA doesnt recognize the legality of the Pannu Liberal party, they would be contradicting themselves.
Zhang Yapin didnt give a direct response, but he said he would immediately return to Pannu Inds and exchange opinions with other Freedom party members before he provides Jiang Chen with a clear answer.
For this, Jiang Chen expressed his understanding. But he only gave them a weeks time to consider. An indecisive government was not worthy of an investment.
Before he left, Zhang Yapin asked Jiang Chen a question.
If we end up in charge, we will still prosecute Johnny for the crimes hemitted in Pannu and get rid of the evil bloodsucker, Johnny International. With such a result, do you still have anything to gain from it?
To be able to ask this question, Zhang Yapin was certainly thinking.
But for Jiang Chen who came prepared from the beginning, he was still too na?ve.
Pannus current regime is too corrupt and therefore the cost of investment is too low. But if a rather calm government is in ce, I think Pannu Inds has a higher investment value. Although he had prepared this reason beforehand, Jiang Chen didnt lie.
If Pannu Inds became his backyard, he would naturally spend money to take care of it.
Jiang Chens response made Zhang Yapin ecstatic.
He suppressed the joy on his face and bowed to Jiang Chen before hastily leaving.
He was previously worried about the severe effect on the economy once Johnny International left. But with Jiang Chens promise, he felt more assured.
Jiang Chen, feeling pleased, smiled, and left the coffee shop.
Now that the stage was set, it was time for the actors to debut.
On Coro Ind, a few hundred kilometers away from New Zend, the sun was also bright.
Coro City was here. The capital of Pannu Republic.
Although it was the capital, other than the beautifully constructed mansion, there was not a single luxury building in the vicinity.
The European style architecture, the green vegetation, the swimming pool the size of fifteen hundred square meters. Everything stood out of the ce in the not-so-prosperous city center Just like a millionaire in the slum.
Johnny lied on the recliner on the balcony of the mansion as he enjoyed the subtropical climate and the beauty who was giving him a massage. A few fishing boats drifted in the sea not far away. Although one sentence from him could get rid of those poor suckers from his private territory, he decided not to.
He enjoyed this kind of feeling. The feeling of being on top, the feeling of looking at the poor people below him.
A few months ago, he was only a poor guy in the Los Santos ghetto. He and a few Irish guys wandered in dark bars and sold weed they bought from the Mexicans. Because of turf disputes, they would shoot the thugs from the Crips gang, and then die one day in a dark alley If without this surprising opportunity, his life was supposed to end like that.
But life is always filled with surprises.
He still remembers the day his life changed.
That day, he was arrested for armed robbery. Just as he was prepared to rot in jail, a man named Robert bailed him out and genuinely invited him to be in a Hollywood movie.
In the underworld of Los Santos, Robert was quite renowned, or else he wouldnt have made the FBA list. Although he had exited the industry and became a director, Johnny still heard about his reputation.
Johnny remembered he was confused at the time as he didnt even know he had the talent to act. But since there was a fool willing to pay for his terrible life, he epted Roberts arrangement.
Now that he thought about, he was d he made the decision.
The life of a millionaire, the life here was like heaven. However, he was still confused about the purpose behind everything Robert has done as he didnt see a single camera for the movie.
Instinct told him that the old fox Robert didnt just n a movie.
The iPad on the table suddenly shed and interrupted his thoughts.
Boss, someone is looking for you. A full-bearded face wearing a pair of shades appeared on the screen.
Aubrey, previously part of the Australian special forces, now the head of security for Johnny.
Since he has a lot more assets now, Johnny had to consider his own safety. The natives always looked at him with eyes of hatred. If it were not for the fully equipped bodyguards, it would be hard for him to sleep at night.
Who is it?
Wang Tianfeng, Han.
Wang Tianfeng. Eyes narrowed, Johnny thought for a moment before he remembered the name.
Seemed to the representative sent by Linhua Group that Robert had contacted.
To be honest, Johnny no longer listened to Robertsmands anymore. He was the president of Johnny International, the sole shareholder with two hundred million USD in hand. There was no need to listen to Robert.
He was the king of Pannu Inds, a noble at least. President Edward had recently passed a policy to permit him to maintain a private force of fewer than fifteen people to protect his safety. Any trespassers could be shot without repercussion.
It was a ridiculous order, but in front of money, any ridiculousness would be within the boundary ofw.
Ten billion USD construction project, Johnny International didnt have the money at all. But Robert told him not to worry about it, he said that two gold mines in South Africa could be used as coteral, there was no need to worry about the money.
Since he didnt need to worry about the money, Johnny didnt ask any more questions.
He didnt spend money following Roberts orders anymore, although Robert rarely ordered him as he gave him free reign to do anything. Since someone was willing to improve the basic infrastructure of Pannu, why would he reject?
If this ce bes prosperous, his assets would be more valuable. By that time, he could be independent financially and utterly break free from Roberts maniption.
Let him in. As Johnny said this, he signaled the bikini beauty to go back into the room.
Yes. Aubrey nodded and opened the metal gates to the mansion.
Chapter 272 - The Prepartion to the Ocean Venture
Chapter 272: The Prepartion to the Ocean Venture
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After ending the meeting with Zhang Yapin, Jiang Chen didnt stay any longer. He left the coffee shop and returned to the Sheraton Hotel in Ad.
When he returned to the hotel, it was almost noon.
Liu Yao had woken up already as she swung her smooth legs and lied rxingly on the bed scrolling through her Weibo.
When she saw Jiang Chen return, Liu Yao smiled and said coyly.
You are finally back! I am so hungry.
Just call the front desk to order room service. As Jiang Chen sat rxingly beside the bed, he smiled at the sluggish Liu Yao.
Her slightly blushed face still had a hint of the intimate battle that happenedst night.
Shebed her slightly messy hair as she sat up and seductively stretched out her body.
Did something good happen?
Thats right, how did you know? Jiang Chen was rather surprised.
Haha, it is written all over your face. She yfully winked as she jumped off the bed.
Her feet stepped onto the cold wooden floor as she grabbed the white shirt on the hanger and covered her attractive figure.
She knew how she attracted people, and she was great at disying her charm, a mix of purity and flirtation.
Oh? Then guess. What good thing happened? Jiang Chen said.
Do I get a reward if I am right? Liu Yao pouted.
Of course.
Ummm With a finger on her bottom lip, Liu Yaos eyes turned before she nodded affirmatively, You must have signed a big deal?
Haha, thats right! How did you guess that?
He walked beside Liu Yao as he put his hands around her slim waist.
Last time in Sanya, when you were with me, you also made a deal. Liu Yao giggled.
So you really are my lucky star, Jiang Chen, pretending to be serious, said.
How are you nning to reward me? Liu Yao said sweetly.
Is a kiss enough? Jiang Chen with a smirk grabbed her waist.
Screw you!
Because it was lunchtime already, the two got dressed up before heading to the restaurant inside the hotel.
The portions were not big, but it was surprisingly delicious.
There were oysters produced locally and Boston lobsters air-shipped and covered in ice. Other than specialty seafood on the menu, there was also spicedmb and Australian steak.
The thing that left the deepest impression on Jiang Chen was the traditional Maoi stone barbeque.
Jiang Chen had never seen such a unique way of eating. The chef would first heat up the thin stone before wrapping it in food. Then, it would be put in a heated hole in the ground before it is smoked ready. With the way it was cooked, it was simr to the hobo chicken in Hua. But one is covered in aluminum foil and stone while the other is covered with lotus leaves and mud.
Jiang Chen almost bit his own tongue as this was the first time he ate such delicacies.
Liu Yao was more delicate when she ate. She only tried all the dishes before stopping. Now that she was a somewhat famous celebrity, without the gic vine to maintain her figure, she would need to control her diet.
But Jiang Chen need not be bothered. Other than the delicacies, he ate two steaks before he was full.
The waitress looked at the empty tes on the table in shock. She then caringly left a box of stomach medicine.
With how Liu Yao giggled, Jiang Chen rubbed his head out of awkwardness.
Needless to say, five-star hotels indeed offered exceptional service as they took care of everything for you. But sometimes, it can be too much that it causes some minor awkwardness. Jiang Chen stuffed the stomach medicine in his pocket as he asked for the bill.
Are you not afraid of bing fat. Liu Yao mocked as she looked at the pile of stacked tes.
Not afraid at all. It is not bad for a man to have a belly, Jiang Chen joked.
Although thats what he said, he was still far away from being fat.
Liu Yao nced at Jiang Chens t stomach and eximed in bewilderment.
How do you do it?
Do you want to know? Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously.
Liu Yao nodded, as her eyes filled with excitement.
To be able to maintain his figure without the need to diet. To the women that always debated if they should eat cake or not, the temptation was lethal. With how excited Liu Yao looked, Jiang Chen daydreamed in his mind. If Lin Lin managed to create a weight control pill, the wallet of the 3.5 billion women around the world would open for him.
He almost wanted to return to the apocalypse immediately.
I will tell youter. Jiang Chenughed.
The waitress with blonde hair and blue eyes passed the bill and machine to him, smiled, and courteously looked away.
The tipping culture in New Zend was not as popr as in the UA, but it certainly exists. However, what differs is that the waitress would not directly ask you for tips and would look away when customer typed in the tip amount as to make it less awkward for the customers unwilling to pay the tip and press that zero button.
Because he was in a great mood, Jiang Chen didnt let the beautiful waitress expectation down as he typed in 100% in the tip option and then swiped his card.
When the receipt was printed, the waitress opened her mouth in shock as he looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief.
It was her first time seeing such a generous customer. If it were not for the stunning beauty who sat across him, she would have suspected that the young eastern man was interested in her.
Including tips, the meal cost 500 USD. It was almost half the price for a day in their presidential suite.
Liu Yao pouted her mouth as she watched the waitress leave. She stared at the table as she moped in jealousy.
Are you interested in her?
Of course not. Jiang Chenughed.
He was not a human hookup machine, he didnt think of doing things every day.
Haha, good. Liu Yao smiled as she said happily, Where should we go next?
Women who are always jealousy would push men away, but women who are not jealous at all wouldnt make men aware of their presence. Jealous but never persistent on one issue. Against this type of intelligence, Xia Shiyu and Ayesha added together were nopetition for Liu Yao.
And because of this, Jiang Chen wanted Liu Yao to be his mistress.
She knew this point and she didnt demand more. Because even as a mistress, Jiang Chen gave her, her respect.
A title is only a title after all.
I heard scuba diving is quite fun here, do you want to go check it out? Jiang Chen smiled.
Yes! Also, I want to head out into the sea! Liu Yao said energetically.
No problem.
Jiang Chen stretched, held onto her hand, and strolled out of the hotel.
Chapter 273 - The Renting Fiascal
Chapter 273: The Renting Fiascal
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Ad is thergest city in New Zend. It isprised of over fifty varying-sized inds. Half of the city was built onnd and half was built on the sea. It was like a garden on an ocean.
Other than the beautiful scenery, the other unique trait of Ad was the ease of transportation.
Within half an hour, you could arrive anywhere. Whether it was taking a boat to the inds, or a hike through the rainforest, or having a pic by the volcano, or surfing in the ocean.
Momentster, Jiang Chen and Liu Yao got off at the port.
The port called fishermans wharf was a ce he saw on their local website. The owner was a British man named John with a friendly attitude towards tourists. Because of this, the ce was extremely popr with a lot of peopleing to this port and renting a boat to head out to the sea.
Based on other peoplesments, he served in the Australian army before and was a master in diving.
There was a full line of amenities at the port and the cost to rent was not high.
Holding onto Liu Yaos hand, Jiang Chen walked to the office of the port and began to ask about renting a boat and diving.
The British guy with a red nose was delighted that Jiang Chen asked about diving as he started to introduce all the scuba diving gear he has collected and carefully exined the cautionary notes in diving.
It is critical to be aware of the depth. For beginners, I rmend a depth no more than six meters.
Six meters, whats the fun in that? Jiang Chen had to ask.
Within shallow sea, six meters would allow you to see beautiful scenery under the sea. If you n to scuba dive, I dont rmend you rent a boat that goes too far away. When you enter deep water, you might not see anything even after twenty meters, there is also the danger of encountering sharks. Although John was talking about dangerous things, there was a hint of humor in his tone.
ShSharks? Liu Yao shivered as she looked at Jiang Chen, frightened. Lets not dive anymore.
Although her English was mediocre at best, Liu Yao still made out the word shark.
When he saw the tourist shiver in fear, John smiled assuringly and began to exin using his hands.
There is no need to worry too much. Most of the sharks dont attack people. More people are being killed by coconutsnding on their heads than being attacked by sharks. Only Great White Sharks or Tiger Sharks would attack people. In some ces, they organize scuba divers to feed the sharks.
Jiang Chen was not that afraid of sharks.
Since he fought head to head with the fearsome Death w, there was no way he would be afraid of something that only used its teeth.
This is the first time I met a merchant that tells its customers not to buy its service. With how serious John looked, Jiang Chen shrugged with an expression he couldnt be helped.
I have to be responsible for the safety of the tourists. John shrugged, Only when safely protected could one enjoy the beauty of the sea.
Looks like you have your own perspective on the beauty of the sea. Jiang Chenughed.
I love scuba diving. John grinned as a set of white teeth appeared from his thick beard.
But I still want to the rent a boat, as well as a set of diving gear. I will worry about my own safety. Jiang Chen shook his head.
John still wanted to persuade Jiang Chen, but an unharmonious voice came from behind them.
Could the people in the front hurry up? If you cant afford it stop wasting time. A man in sunssesined out of annoyance, and a girl in light clothes stood beside him as she intimately wrapped her hands around his arm.
To be honest, Dai Zhengming was absolutely annoyed by his fellow countrymen who traveled to New Zend. Every December, New Zends fresh and free atmosphere would be mixed with gloom. The garbage on the streets would also increase. The situation would only be alleviated byte January because, by that time, his fellow countrymen would head home for New Year.
No need to suspect. Although he has yellow skin, he had a heart that shined with whiteness. After working at Microsoft for a few years, with his excellent track record, he finally gained an opportunity to immigrate. Although he personally preferred Australia more, New Zend was not a bad choice.
Just like a monkey who leaped onto a tree branch, he thirstily breathed the air of the free world as he looked at the envious people watching him. Arrogance often sprouted from other peoples adoration, and bias is infinitely magnified by arrogance.
He had perfectly settled into his role of a local as he disdained foreigners more than the actual locals.
As if all of the actions of his fellow countrymencked courtesy and manner.
Because he spoke Han, John didnt understand what he said. As he thought that Jiang Chen met his fellow countrymen, he shrugged and left them alone.
[I cant afford it?]
Jiang Chens expression was peculiar as he didnt know what to say. Liu Yao covered her mouth, she tried hard to notugh and turned her face to scan the man in sunsses.
When he saw Liu Yaos face, Dai Zhengming held his breath.
[Damn, what a hottie.]
Although he had seen a lot of beautiful girls before, it was his first time seeing one this stunning. Especially when she turned her head and smiled, it almost made his heart pause.
Of course, perhaps it was because of the shades, he didnt manage to read the mockery in Liu Yaos eyes.
Zhengming, they might not know English, why dont you go help them. The girl holding onto his arm blinked her bright eyes as she coyly shook his arm.
She looked above average. Based on her looks, she should be in university, most likely an international student in Ad? The man was in his mid-thirties, although not old, but definitely not as young as Jiang Chen.
You are right. Dai Zhengming let out a sigh and walked towards Jiang Chen.
Although he looked down on him, he must maintain his gentlemen appearance in front of the beauty.
I am Dai Zhengming.
I am Jiang Jianguo. He was going to say his own name, but from the way Dai Zhengming looked, he seemed to have something to say and therefore Jiang Chen gave his dads name in thest second instead.
Liu Yao tried hard not tough as she charmingly rolled her eyes at the naughty Jiang Chen.
In New Zend, it is extremely uncourteous to upy public resources for a long time. I dont know if people taught you this in Hua, but overseas, it is better to save some face for your own country.
Rather than upying public resources, I like to refer to my actions as asking about the services avable, especially since it has been less than three minutes With how serious he looked, Jiang Chen argued and couldnt help butugh.
Dai Zhengming courteously interrupted Jiang Chens words and spoke to him with an educating tone.
And people are lining up behind you, right? Let me give you a simple example. An event that left a deep impression on me living in New Zend all these years. I saw a Han grandma and her grandson ordering at the St. Heliers coffee shop. They spent so long at the register before ordering a mocha with a sandwich and a kids meal.
[Uhh, is he implying something?]
Jiang Chen purposely looked behind him, other than them, there was no one waiting in line.
Is that a problem? Jiang Chen was lost.
Its courtesy. Dai Zhengming looked seriously at Jiang Chens eyes as he said with a straight face.
So you are saying that grandma and grandson wasted time of all the people waiting in line? Jiang Chen had a peculiar expression on his face.
[Wow, you remember such a minuscule event, and it left a deep impression on you? Youre quite a special snowke.]
Thats right. If you want to order, please think about what you want to order before lining up, or dont upy the space at the register, that would bring trouble to the people waiting to order.
Okay I agree it is rude to upy the stall and not take a sheet. Jiang Chen shrugged.
And you are doing exactly this right now, Dai Zhengming said sternly. And watch yournguage. It represents the image of the country behind you, please dont use the word sheet. if this is the UA, you may facewsuits for using offensivenguage to strangers.
Jiang Chens expression couldnt be more peculiar.
Unfortunately, he knew a UA citizen who used the word sheet every day. (Robert in the far away Los Santos sneezed and woke up the Hollywood girl that slept beside him.)
When he saw Jiang Chen didnt say anything, he thought Jiang Chen was so embarrassed that he was speechless, so he continued.
Even if you have some money, please dont bring your uncourteous habits out of the country.
Let me rify, I dont have some money, Jiang Chen corrected him feeling rather awkward.
Then you have to be more aware of your manners, or people will consider you as both uncourteous and poor. His eyes were shing with a trace of contempt as he educated.
As he finished, he nobly turned to Liu Yao as he took out a business card from his pocket.
Beautifuldy, this is my business card. I currently have a house in Ad and I am working in the Microsoft division here as the chief engineer. I am pretty familiar with the area. So if you are interested, you can find me at the address on the business card, I am happy to take you around to enjoy the beauty of New Zend.
Then, Dai Zhengming ignored Liu Yaos reaction and left with a smile he considered charming and a cool retreating silhouette.
He walked around Jiang Chen, used a British ent more standard than British people, and spoke with Johnny before he swiped his card.
Then, he triumphantly walked towards the boats with the girl that held onto his arm with her face full of idolization. Jiang Chen was dumbfounded.
Honey, youre being looked down upon, Liu Yao walked beside Jiang Chen with a grin, held onto his arm, and said coyly.
Seems like thats the case, Jiang Chen said helplessly.
Do you need me to help you to seek revenge? Liu Yaos eyes shed as her red lips curled up.
Its okay, he already said lets not lose face in front of foreigners, Jiang Chen mocked,
Liu Yao burst outughing as she closed her mouth.
I didnt know you liked cold humor. She threw the business card into the garbage can.
No, I am serious. Although that was what he said, Jiang Chen didnt look serious at all.
When Jiang Chen thought about it, that guy seemed to have cut him in line. But Jiang Chen wasnt interested in being bothered by him. He could give up a few minutes of his life.
What were you talking about? John didnt mind that Jiang Chen just left him hanging and asked curiously.
Not much Just talked about some hometown stuff.
Great then, to meet a fellow countryman overseas, it is important to chat for a moment. But in Ad, you will have plenty of opportunities to see them, John said with a smile.
Is that so Speaking of this, what do you think about the Han in Ad? After he swiped his card, Jiang Chen signed the receipt and asked nonchntly.
They make delicious cuisine. I really enjoy Han food, just that its a bit expensive. Johnughed.
Anything else?
Thats all. John shrugged.
Because of Jiang Chens insistence, John didnt try to talk him out of it as he just urged him to be extra safe and that he must dive with the captain apanying him.
It was not cheap to rent a boat, the cheapest one cost two thousand NZD a day, which was equivalent to eight thousand RMB. Therefore, it was more economical to rent by the hour, but other than the small boats, the boats that you could live on were not avable for hourly rental.
Because it was a rare opportunity, it was not thrilling enough to just rent a small boat. Jiang Chen rented a ten something meter long medium-sized luxury boat with a spacious living space and dly paid eight thousand NZD per day for it.
Also, do New Zenders just straight up pay for their boat when they rent here? After he signed the agreement, Jiang Chen asked.
John paused for a moment as he didnt know why Jiang Chen would ask such a question. He shook his head and said, Other than the customers who oftene, the new customers without knowledge of the price and the type of boat would have to ask.
You are right. Jiang Chen smiled.
Su Wen stood on the dock beside the boat and asked Dai Zhengming curiously.
What did you say to that girl? I saw you give her something.
Nothing, it is only a business card. In the outside world, it is a habit to hand out a business card as it represents courtesy. Dai Zhengming made up a lie out of embarrassment.
At the same time, Jiang Chen and Liu Yao walked in their direction.
When he saw the beauty was still sweetly holding onto Jiang Chens hand, Dai Zhengmings eyebrows jumped but he didnt react any further.
When he passed by Dai Zhengming, Jiang Chen seemed to have suddenly remembered something and stopped.
Oh, I heard that there is a custom of returning business cards, then I will give you a business card as well. Jiang Chen took out his business card and purposely hesitated for a moment before he passed it to his femalepanion. I dont travel abroad a lot and havent learned as much about the western culture as you, so I will learn from you.
When saw Jiang Chen hand his girlfriend, Su Wen, his business card, he frowned unnaturally. But then he realized that Jiang Chen seemed to have ignored him and passed the business card to the beauty beside him, he swallowed the criticism.
Wenwen, ept it for me.
Oh.
Jiang Chen stuffed the business card into the girls hands as heughed like he just pulled off a prank and continued to walk without turning his head.
It is ready. Should we depart now?
The captain working in the small boat raised his head and smiled at Dai Zhengming.
Mhmm, lets leave now. Wenwen, let go Wenwen? When Dai Zhengming saw that Su Wen didnt react, he slightly frowned and turned his head.
Su Wen, holding onto the gold gilded business card, had her eyes wide open and was utterly astonished.
Whats going on? Dai Zhengming asked confusedly.
Su Wen seemed to have recollected her thoughts as she looked at her boyfriend in excitement.
Its Its Jiang Chen!
Jiang Chen? Which Jiang Suddenly, Dai Zhengming stopped.
Jiang Chen? President of Future Technology? But isnt his name Jiang Jianguo?
He grabbed the card from his girlfriends hand as he widened his eyes in disbelief. Then he looked up into the not so far distance.
The man stating he didnt have some money was on top of a luxury boat and smiling at him.
But the bright smile, in Dai Zhengmings eyes, looked piercing.
Mockery.
When he remembered that he lectured him, the humiliation immediately overwhelmed him. His bloated face turned red as he wanted to dig a hole for himself.
Especially when he saw his girlfriend looking enviously at the luxury boat, his expression looked like he just ate a fly.
Are you guys going on the boat or not? Can I start timing?
The captain on the boat saw that the two had no reaction and yawned as heined.
When he heard the captainin, Dai Zhengming immediately recollected his thought as he apologized to the captain. Then he dragged the still envious girlfriend onto the boat.
On the top deck of the boat, Jiang Chen looked at the dock disappearing with a grin.
You are not a nice person. But that person is hideous, it makes me feel good to see him suffer like this. Liu Yao held onto his arm as she giggled.
I only smiled at him, but he would think I am mocking him. Saves me my own expression, Jiang Chen shrugged and mocked.
After they left the small incident behind, Jiang Chen looked into the distance.
He gazed at the waves at the point where the sky and the ocean met. As he experienced the ocean wind breeze by his face, he felt all his annoyances quietly settle down.
Just as he was zoning out, the EP on his arm undetectably shed.
As if it foretold something unexpected was about to ur.
Chapter 274 - The Signal from under the Ocean
Chapter 274: The Signal from under the Ocean
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The captain of the boat was Johns daughter. Her name was Bernie.
Just like her father, she was also someone that loved the sea. Because of this, while she had blonde hair unique to Caucasian people, her skin was tanned.
The boat was moving quickly, at 50 knots, in the Hauraki Bay towards the Great Barrier Ind.
When Jiang Chen looked back, the outline of the port had already disappeared from the sea, only a few ck dots soaring on the horizon could be seen.
Woah!
Intoxicated by the fresh air, Liu Yao excitedly took off her white shirt as she stood on the edge of the deck and shouted into the distance.
Of course, she changed into a bikini when she was at the hotel.
Careful dont fall off. Jiang Chen looked at her liveliness and smiled.
If I fall off, will you save me? Liu Yao asked yfully.
Of course, Jiang Chen had a smirk on his face, But I heard there are sharks in this area, how much I can save would be questionable.
Liu Yao shivered exaggeratedly as she jumped from the edge of the deck and rolled her eyes.
There are typically no sharks in the Hauraki Bay, but there are actually quite a few dolphins here. If we are lucky we might be able to see whales. If we head north of the Lesser Barrier Ind, that will change, Bernie who sat in the captains room heard their conversation and exined.
Surprisingly, this foreigner, Bernie, spoke Han. Although not fluently, it was enough to maintain a conversation.
As if Bernie had read the question in Jiang Chens eyes, she exined with a smile, My boyfriend is Han, he taught me thenguage. There are a lot of Han tourists here. Usually, if Han tourists head out to the sea, I will be their captain and guide.
Where are we now? Liu Yao extended her neck. With one hand covering the sunlight, she watched the distance in excitement.
We have arrived Northwest of the Jackson port already, around 16 nautical miles from the Great Barrier Ind. It is a good ce to view the undersea corals.
How much longer? Liu Yao couldnt wait any longer.
With our current speed, around 20 minutes. Bernie smiled.
I am really looking forward to it, Liu Yao looked afar before grabbing onto Jiang Chens arm, she said coyly, Could you take photos for me? I want pictures with the clownfish.
Of course. He felt the softness of her 36D andughed.
Honey you are the best, muaa. Liu Yao naughtily winked.
Jiang Chen was just about to tease her when he felt the arm of his other hand vibrate.
The vibration came from his EP.
Communication? Did something urgent happen in the apocalypse?
What is this? Liu Yao looked curiously at Jiang Chens arm.
A special kind of electronic watch I need to go to the washroom, Jiang Chen gave a brief exnation before he walked inside.
Although still confused, Liu Yao didnt ask more as she stayed outside.
After going inside, Jiang Chen immediately opened the EP and started themunication channel.
Strange, Looking at the static white screen, Jiang Chen muttered to himself.
It was not from the apocalypse.
The fourth-dimensional messenger received Klein particle waves, but the wave could not be decoded into a video message.
Could it be because of the poor signal?
The signal began to fade.
Looking at the blurry whiteness that began to fade, Jiang Chen suddenly realized something as he rushed out the door.
Bernie, stop the boat, quickly, Jiang Chen pushed open the control room as he hastily said.
What happened? His rushed voice made Bernie sitting in the control room jump as she slowed the boat down out of instinct.
What happened? Seeing Jiang Chen panic, Liu Yao who stood outside also stared at Jiang Chen in confusion.
Jiang Chen didnt exin anything, he looked at the screen with the GPS tracker and nced at the route they passed through.
First, go back around one nautical mile.
Go back? Bernie puzzledly looked at Jiang Chen, But there is nothing there.
Jiang Chen immediately calmed down when he heard her question.
He was certain that something was hidden inside the sea. Although he didnt know what it was, it had to do with Klein particles.
Crystals? But how would this world have that?
Regardless of what was hidden, he could not let anyone know.
When he thought about this, Jiang Chen nced at the screen with the GPS coordinates again as he memorized the approximate location. Then, he changed into a casual voice.
Nothing, I just saw a dolphin, but he must have swum away already by now.
A dolphin? When Bernie heard Jiang Chens words, she paused for a moment before she let out a breath of relief. Once we reach the Great Barrier Ind, youll see a lot of cute little ones in the area.
When she saw Jiang Chen rush into the control room, she thought there was a problem with the boat.
But it was only a dolphin.
Is that so? I am looking forward to it then. Jiang Chen also smiled as he left the control room.
Seeing Jiang Chene out, Liu Yao walked towards him worriedly and caringly asked.
What happened? I, I saw you were really rushed
Nothing, I only saw a few dolphins.
Although she acutely sensed that Jiang Chen wasnt telling the truth, she didnt persist on the topic any further.
If Jiang Chen were willing to tell her, then he would do so. If he was unwilling, then persisting would only make him feel annoyed.
Is that so? Then thats disappointing, I wanted to take a photo with the dolphins. After hugging onto Jiang Chen right arm, Liu Yao yfully pouted her mouth.
The 16 nautical miles quickly came to an end.
The waves sshed white, at the apex where the sea and sky connected, a beautiful outline gradually appeared.
When she saw the thick green vegetation, as well as the soaring seagulls, Liu Yao cheered again in excitement.
The two spent the entire afternoon diving in the water near the Great Barrier Ind and taking pictures with the cute dolphins, fishing for fishes, teasing the clownfish hidden amongst the sea anemone, and chasing each other between the beautiful corals.
Time flew by quickly as if it had instantly turned to dusk.
After watching the sunset on the deck, Jiang Chen told Bernie to return to port.
Although he still wanted to stay a bit longer by the sea, because of his unsettled mind, he didnt choose to stay longer but rather asked Bernie to send them back to the hotel.
With the help of the hotel workers, Bernie docked the boat.
Are you not going to stay a bit longer? You rented the boat for a day. It is a great experience to stay on the boat overnight, Looking at the two people saying goodbye, Bernie asked them.
Its okay, I remembered I have something to take care of, Jiang Chen declined her proposal as Jiang Chen held Liu Yaos hand and they went back to the hotel.
He desperately wanted to know, when they passed by the water northwest of Jackson port, what was actually hidden there.
He had a premonition that that thing might have something to do with the video.
Chapter 275 - K1 Kinetic Skeleton Amphibious
Chapter 275: K1 Kic Skeleton Amphibious
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After returning to his room, Jiang Chen closed the door.
Graceful hands circled his waist.
When he felt the coolness, Jiang Chen smiled and gently squeezed Liu Yaos hand.
Dont want to do it?
Can you withstand it? Looking at her bright eyes, Jiang Chen smirked.
When she recollected her desperate pleadingst night, Liu Yaos face turned red, but she acted calmly.
I can withstand
But rather than withstanding it, I enjoy it more when you are also enjoying it.
A glimpse of emotion appeared and quickly faded on her face. She lowered her head and pouted her mouth.
Thank you.
Rest early tonight, it has been a long day. Jiang Chenbed the hair in front of Liu Yaos forehead with a smile.
Mhmm. Her eyes turned teary for a second and she nodded.
Half because of his money, half because of his character. Regardless, she loved him. Although she knew Jiang Chen would only treat her as a mistress, she didnt mind.
She knew, him epting her perhaps had nothing to do with love, or maybe even as a reminiscence to what didnt happen in the past, a recollection of his time. By theke at Wanghai University, when she wore that white dress and appeared in front of him like a student. His lost eyes made her read the meaning behind them.
But none of those things mattered. Even if she was just a mistress, she could still feel his gentleness.
The only thing that made her afraid was, at the bottom of her heart, she wondered if she was just a tool to unleash his desire.
But fortunately, he is not like that
After a shower, the two slept.
It was around midnight when Jiang Chen opened his eyes.
The breathing beside his ear was rhythmic. Due to spending too much energy during the day, Liu Yao was sleeping deeply.
After sneaking out of bed, Jiang Chen put on his shirt, went into the washroom, and locked the door beforemencing interdimensional travel.
It was quiet in the mansion. Sun Jiao should already be sleeping.
Jiang Chen didnt go wake them up as he took a thick winter suit and covered himself up. He stood beside the living room, getting used to the drastic change in temperature. Then he opened the door of the mansion and walked into the snowy night.
Although it was alreadyte into the night, the base still remained bright and noisy.
The heavy snow could not cover the orange me shining from the factory window. The roaring sound inside the building diffused around the base. With the outdated production equipment, they could only make up theck of speed throughbor. Theck of sophisticated equipment meant that they had to operate through an around the clock shift schedule to reach the necessary volume.
But no oneined because this ce was the wastnd. Being full and warm with the opportunity to work was almost a luxury.
The unmanned highly sophisticated factories from before the war had almost all turned into shambles during the nuclear explosions. Although Jiang Chen had thought about sending people to the ruins to dig through some garbage, given that it was around ten something years into the apocalypse, he gave up on the thought.
Anything good was probably raided.
The snow removing vehicle modified out of a truck would asionally drive by. The fully equipped soldiers patrolled the base.
When they saw Jiang Chen, the leading patrol immediately stood straight and saluted to the general.
Dont mind me, you guys continue to patrol. Looking at the young man with a red nose, Jiang Chen smile.
Yes, sir! The young man raised his head with rosy cheeks and saluted again before telling the soldiers behind him to walk forward.
At the young mans chest, Jiang Chen saw a golden emblem.
He just remembered that he seemed to have canonized two hundred something knights at the base. These knights were absolutely loyal to him and were the first batch of ves he bought from the Sixth Street. They were the pioneers that dug the first shovel among the ruins. Now, these pioneers all have been promoted as the central force of the base, acting as management or mid to high-level military leaders.
The person following the young knight was an upper citizen. Although he was not imnted with the very chip, Jiang Chen still saw deep respect and worship from his eyes.
The size of the base is beginning to grow? Standing in the snow, Jiang Chen scanned the territory he ruled and a smile emerged on his face.
With the Fishbone base gradually growing in size, with the base as the core foundation, it began to expand into its fourth newly plotted area. New residential area meant that they could intake new immigrants. Combined with the survivors from Shenxiang town, Fishbone base had over 1000 in poption.
But the growth on this side was stagnating. The materials gathered by the scavenger team could not satisfy the appetite of this industrial monster. Only if he managed to obtain his ownnd in the modern world could he move tons of aluminum, steel, or even rare earth metals to the apocalypse.
After staying a bit longer, Jiang Chen began to walk to the aerospaceboratory at the corner of the base.
He pressed the doorbell as he put his face closer to the camera and said concisely.
Its me.
Shortly after, the lock made a ng sound.
Pushing open the door, he carried with him the chilly wind and snowkes. But the snowkes on the carpet were soon melted into droplets of water by the heat inside.
He closed the door behind him and put his winter suit on the hook by the door before he walked inside.
Sote. I almost thought the kic skeleton production line had an ident. Jiang Lin in pajamas yawned as he came to the door with messy hair.
Parts were thrown everywhere, making the first-floor living room challenging to find a ce to ce ones feet. But the still sleepy guy managed to quickly walk through the pile of spare parts and didnt step on a single bolt.
By this alone, this guy spent too much time inside.
This is? Jiang Chen pointed at the parts and diagrams on the ground feeling puzzled.
Jiang Lin grabbed a chair for Jiang Chen and then sat on the other one before he replied, You asked to research the K1-b type kic skeleton For real, is this thing really necessary?
K1-b kic skeleton is the amphibious version of the K1 model. Maintaining the current defense ability, it adds a resistantyer against water pressure, while modifying the back to allow for water booster and an air storage cylinder.
Of course, this model would not be used in the apocalypse, but Jiang Chen didnt want to exin to him as he started to ask about the research progress.
Is this thing functional?
Probably not. Considering that most waters possess a radiation level exceeding normal levels. I still need to add ayer of heavy organic metal within the pressure resistantyer Jiang Lin was prepared to exin to Jiang Chen the technicals, but Jiang Chen who didnt understand at all interrupted him mercilessly.
Lets put the radiation problem aside for now. Other than that, what else is needed? Is this thing done? The water in the modern world has no radiation, it would be useless to add anti-radiation material.
The design isplete. Sample parts have been created, it only needs to be assembled together before it can be used. After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Lin nodded.
Then assemble a sample for me, that shouldnt be a problem right?
There is no problem, but the performance data has yet to be collected, it may not be good to use it right away
Battle is the best way to test the equipment. Jiang Chen smiled.
Okay. Jiang Lin didnt try to convince Jiang Chen. He shrugged before he walked towards the workbench.
The K1-b type kic skeleton was much heavierpared to the original K1 model. Considering that the amphibious equipment would mostly be used underwater, the removable polyethylene board was sealed shut to avoid water leakage.
Other than that, Jiang Lin also designed a full helmet for this kic skeleton.
Just from the appearance alone, this kic skeleton covered every single part of the body with the pressure resistant material. Other than the fact that it didnt have a turbine engine, steel armor, nerve connectedputer, as well as other high tech equipment, this set of armor was simr to the power armor. On the other hand, it could be ssified as something between light infantry armor to heavy knight armor. The cost was three times more than the original K1 model.
The booster equipment is in the back. The air storage can be charged by allowing the opening toe into contact with air. It takes around an hour to charge to full and can be used up to three hours. Jiang Lin pushed up his sses as he began to exin to Jiang Chen the equipment he designed.
[Automatically replenishing oxygen, what, how insane is that?]
As he listened to Jiang Lin, Jiang Chen was shocked.
When engaging in a crossfire, avoid getting the breathing apparatus in the back of the neck damaged Of course, that would not be much different than if you were shot in the head.
The helmet is not bulletproof? Jiang Chen knocked on the helmet as he felt the special organic material.
It is underwater equipment. I have to control the overall density, the majority of the bulletproof ability is focused on the front chest and stomach area. Of course, the helmet can defend against one or two bullets, but I dont rmend you try it. With the kic power of the reaper assault rifle, even if the helmet could deflect a shot, most peoples neck would not be able to withstand that kind of force. This is not the power armor after all. Jiang Lin shrugged.
What about this? Pistol? Jiang Chen picked up an odd-looking weapon.
Thats alright. But it cant be used in water.
Is the Type-11 pistol not good? I remember the power of that thing is pretty high. Jiang Chen held onto the gun as he yed with it, the feeling couldnt be more strange.
Jiang Lin paused for a second as he looked at Jiang Chen strangely.
The bullet with a higher initial velocity would travel a shorter distance in the water. Even if the bullet in the base has a steel core, while it would not be crushed by the water pressure, it will begin to roll in a few meters.
The higher the velocity, the shorter the distance? How is that possible?!
But I saw in movies Jiang Chen said dumbfoundedly.
In his memory, the images of machines guns weaving a made by bullets weremon in war movies.
It is a movie after all. Jiang Linughed as he put a box of elongated bullets into Jiang Chens hand, If you use Type-11, you are better off using aser weapon. Although the optical density ofser beams also degrade quickly in water, it will still shoot further than conventional weapons.
Chapter 276 - Below the Ocean
Chapter 276: Below the Ocean
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After taking the equipment from Jiang Lin, Jiang Chen returned to the mansion. He snuck into his own bedroom before traveling back.
When he looked at the timeing out of the washroom, it was already two in the morning.
After quietly getting into bed again, Jiang Chen looked at the tranquil face and rhythmically pumping chest before lying down beside her and closing his eyes.
The next morning.
Although he slepttest night, when the first ray of sunshine cast into the room, He was the first one up.
As he got out of bed, he didnt wake Liu Yao up as he only left a message on the table before putting on a shirt and leaving.
After taking a taxi to the rural area east of Ad, Jiang Chen walked along the coast before he found the fishing farm on the map.
He dragged the owner of the fish farm out and without wasting a single word he directly pointed at the boat parked on the dock and asked for the price.
Although the New Zender first insisted that he was not willing to sell, when he heard Jiang Chen raise the price to ten thousand NZD and pretended to leave, the brown-skinned old fisherman dragged onto him signaling it was a deal.
Ten thousand NZD was enough for two boats, especially since his boat has already been used for over a year.
Afterpleting the transaction, that guy gave all the documents and keys to Jiang Chen.
As to if Jiang Chen had the proper license, he didnt ask. He only taught Jiang Chen for 30 minutes on how to drive.
It was simple to maneuver the boat. Under the directions of the old fisherman, they took a ride into the nearby sea as Jiang Chen learned how to drive.
However, when the old fisherman got out, his eyes were full of concern. But Jiang Chen was unbothered. He opened the GPS, pushed the speed of the boat to its maximum and headed for the waters northwest of Jackson Port.
The Hauraki Bay today was still pleasant.
Because he didnt encounter any big waves, with Jiang Chens brute way of pressing on the gas, he managed to arrive without flipping the boat.
When the boat passed through the same area as yesterday, without any surprise, the EP with the fourth-dimensional messenger received the same mysterious signal.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen immediately slowed down. With one hand firmly on the wheel, he stared at the changing signal intensity on the EP.
After wandering nearby for a while, Jiang Chen finally chose three points with the same signal and drew it on the map.
What happened next was much more straightforward.
Through triangtion, Jiang Chen quickly confirmed the approximate coordinates of the signals source.
Done!
Jiang Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead, threw the pencil to the side as he memorized the coordinates.
H? Jiang Chen stared at the EP screen as he barely made out a blurred out word.
But because it was too blurred out, he could only recognize the initial letter.
Is it that hello?
As he muttered to himself, Jiang Chen shut off the gas.
He took out the K1-b kic skeleton from the storage dimension and put it on.
He nced at the panel on his right arm. After confirming all stats were normal, he walked to the edge of the boat.
I hope there is no wind.
He took a deep breath and dove into the water.
Pooch.
Followed by the rising air bubbles, Jiang Chen gradually descended to the deep sea.
It was the first time he attempted diving away from the shore. When they were scuba diving near the Great Barrier Ind, they saw the corals on the seabed two to three meters down. But now, the only thing below him was vast darkness.
The light and sound surrounding him began to fade. The deepness and silence, only unique to below the sea, gradually spread around him.
So fu*king deep. Jiang Chen looked at the panel and cursed.
To push away the ustrophobic sense swirling around him, he tapped the screen on his right arm as he opened the detection light on his helmet and feet.
The sudden appearance of light made the little things peacefully swimming by him flee away.
Only after two minutes of descending did Jiang Chen finally approach the sea floor.
The colorful coral reefs and fishes, as well as the water nts swaying with the flow of the sea, were magnificent under the ray of light.
But because he had already observed the beautiful feast underneath the sea, Jiang Chen didnt stop and observe the stunning scenery. He pressed the screen on his arm some more as he initiated the data transfer between the EP and kic skeletonputer.
The static whiteness appeared again, but the hidden letters were much more clearpared to what he saw on the surface of the sea.
HHelp? Is the signal asking for help? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he scanned around.
Since there were no irregr items, clearly there was an error in triangtion. That was to be expected. Jiang Chen didnt have a measurement device, it was a crude calction with pencil and paper.
Jiang Chen waved the ps under his feet as he tilted his body downward. He circled around the area before he followed the direction in which the signal was gradually increasing.
The bottom of the sea was not smooth. Twenty meters into his journey, a pitch ck valley appeared in front of Jiang Chen.
He shined the light in but couldnt see the bottom.
Jiang Chen looked at the deep abyss as he nced at the screen on his arm.
210m
243m
332m
It could not detect the bottom anymore? Or could the bottom be moltenva which would scatter theser causing the information not to be ryed back?
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. Whatever it may be, it was not a good thing.
Based on what Jiang Lin had said, the K1-b was designed for amphibious battle, not for deep sea diving. So a safe depth to go was only 150 meters.
Jiang Chen hesitated for a moment. Then he took a deep breath of air as he swam into the trench with an unknown depth.
Just like he expected, with his continuous descend, the signal from the EP was getting stronger and stronger.
210m.
243m.
332m, the world record for scuba diving has been broken by Jiang Chen.
As he felt the immense pressure from all sides, Jiang Chen clenched his teeth as he struggled to breathe in the air being pressured to the limit.
The good thing was that thepressed air in the cylinder was helium-oxygen. If it were nitrogen oxygen, once the nitrogen dissolved into his body, it would render him unconscious.
420m!
Finally, the signal began to decrease.
A delightedness shed across Jiang Chens eyes as he swam up two to three meters, and then began to search along the dark rock surface.
If it were not for his gic vine, an ordinary person would begin to bleed due to the water pressure.
Finally, beside a jagged rock pir, Jiang Chen saw something peculiar protruding out.
He suppressed the excitement in his head and sped up the paddling of his feet as he moved towards that pir.
As his finger touched the cold pir, he slightly used some force against it. With the momentum, Jiang Chen drifted behind the pir.
Light shed onto the ck metal that hasnt seen sunlight for ages.
Sea nts swayed as if the light had disturbed its peace.
My God
Jiang Chen dumbfoundedly looked at the scenery in front of his eyes as he almost forgot the breath.
Just like a breeze of wind carrying Klein particles, it swept by the hidden history.
The truth gradually revealed itself.
The buried secret will once again see the light of day.
Chapter 277 - U-235
Chapter 277: U-235
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
U-235?
It was a submarine.
Around 90 meters long, he couldnt tell how much it weighed, but it must be above a thousand tons.
Just like a needle, it pierced right into the jagged rocky cliff.
The majority of its surface was covered by unknown algae. The remaining cracks were filled by the remains of mollusks. Rust stained the entire metal surface, but it didnt fade away the white paint that revealed its identity.
Jiang Chen extended his hand and touched the cold metal surface with his glove.
He gently swayed along with the soft and silky seaweed and muttered the grave symbols.
U-235?
If he remembered correctly, a submarine with U as the initial letter, there was only one type in the entire world - the German U boat.
Jiang Chen was not a military fanatic as his understanding of this came entirely from a British World War Two documentary as well as a few Hollywood movies.
They were like ghosts below the sea surface, lingering around the allies minds like nightmares. They disturbed themercial fleets and transportation boats across the Antic Ocean. They ripped the supply line from the free world to the British Isles and cornered the allies military power.
It was not until 1945, when the Germans surrendered, did these submarines sunk.
The heritage of the Third Reich? Is the signal from inside here?
Jiang Chen pushed on the surface of the submarine as he used the opposing force to gain a bit of distance. With the light on his head, he examined the full view of the intact submarine.
Since it has been in the water for so many years, the rust on the surface of the submarine was severe. But fortunately, the main structure of the submarine remained intact as it didnt look like it would disassemble during internal exploration.
When it crashed into the trenches, the submarine must have experienced strong impact. Just from the surface, a few dents and cracks were visible.
Jiang Chen followed along the outskirts of the submarine as he swam onto the deck.
The 88mm cannon was twisted and bent from impact. Inside the cannon resided creatures simr to shrimps.
Jiang Chen didnt disturb those small things as he circled around the rusted cannon and headed into the exit.
Unfortunately, the iron door was welded shut.
Jiang Chen without any welding equipment had to give up on the door and search for another entrance.
Lady luck once again was on his side. Five meters away from the torpedouncher, Jiang Chen managed to find a crack fitting of a person.
He looked at the pitch ck interior and gulped. He threw a luminescent water bomb from his waistband inside.
The orange light brightened the interior of the submarine. After confirming there was no dangerous creature inside, Jiang Chen finally swam in.
What are these things? Jiang Chen looked at the pitch ck containers while speaking to himself.
Instinct told him that there must be something unusual inside.
Other than the containers with unknown content, Jiang Chen also saw a few skeletons in the Nazi uniform. These skeletons lied quietly at the corner of the ship cabin. Their body had withered away and the hollowness of the skeletons was filled with seaweed. It looked gross.
Due to safety consideration, Jiang Chen didnt immediately open the containers, but instead searched for the signal and explored further into the cabin
Fortunately, when the submarine sunk, the cabin doors were not shut. If they rusted, it would be difficult to open them again.
Its in the front?
The image on his screen was clear. Jiang Chen locked his sight on the signal strength indicator and used the small signal differences to ensure that he was moving towards the source of the signal.
What is this submarine exactly used for? For transportation? Jiang Chen scanned the containers ced along the way as he asked himself.
Just then, his left arm began to shake; it was from the EP underneath the kic skeleton.
Jiang Chen pressed on the screen outside of the kic skeleton as the interface shifted to the EP.
Radiation? Where did the radiatione from?
Jiang Chen brows furrowed, but he wasnt too bothered by it. Even if this kic skeleton did not have anti-radiation material, the iodine stored in the EP was more than enough to withstand this level of radiation. Especiallypared to the radiation level of the apocalypse, this type of low radiation could be categorized as almost nothing.
But what confused him was, why would he detect radiation on the German U boat.
He passed through one more open cabin door as this must be the room where the signal was from.
Jiang Chen took another luminescent bomb out and threw in the middle of the room. The entire room turned to an orange-red color.
There were two wooden boxes in the room. The surface of the boxes had withered away already, and one of them was even wide open.
Jiang Chen decreased the light on his helmet as he approached it.
Inside the wooden box lied five-cylinders made out of unknown materials. They were alsobeled with Japanese Army. Behind the wooden box, there were transparent eggs attached to it. They looked like octopus eggs, but something looked odd from its shape and size. Though it must have been affected by the minor radiation.
Enriched uranium? No German in history didnt manage to create the nuclear bomb. In this case, it should just be uranium? Or maybe uranium yet to reach the purity of weapon-grade? Jiang Chen floated beside the cylinder and muttered.
Jiang Chen gave a bit more thought before he threw the cylinders into his storage dimension.
With rough estimation, these nuclear materials weighed at least five hundred kilograms. Since it possessed radiation, then it must have been enriched to a certain extent already. Although he didnt know the market price of these things, on the ck market, it would not be too far-fetched to sell for a few hundred million USD.
Of course, Jiang Chen would not sell these things.
After destroying the mutated octopus eggs, Jiang Chen continued to search the room.
At the corner, he finally found the source of the signal.
But suddenly, a ck shadow appeared on the wall in front of Jiang Chen.
As he was suddenly alerted, Jiang Chen immediately activated the booster device on his back.
The high-pressure gas instantly burst out, with a strong thrust produced by tiny bubbles, he dashed into the other corner of the room.
Boom!
Like a hammer, a tentacle fiercely mmed into the cabin wall as it left a daunting dent on the metal surface.
It was a giant octopus!
Its massive body squeezed into the door as it blocked the exit.
Jiang Chen finally realized why this creature was so furious. He remembered he destroyed those octopus eggs.
The mutated octopus must be the mother of those weird eggs.
Fu*k.
Jiang Chen cursed and immediately pulled out the underwater pistol.
But before he could shoot, four tentacles swam to him like pythons and locked in his limbs.
Jiang Chens face was bloated red as he used his muscles to try and escape, but the thick tentacles didnt budge one bit. While being strangled by a living creature, he was afraid to take the risk of interdimensional travel. As the size of the octopus was much bigger than the lead mutated human. It would take an immense amount of energy to destroy all its cells. He didnt want to take the risk of the interdimensional bracelet overheating again by using such a risky move.
The poisonous ink sshed out, but it did nothing to Jiang Chen who didnt breath through his fins.
Fury!
Menacing light shed out of Jiang Chens eyes; his body was tightened to the limit.
Jiang Chen clenched the gun as he managed to outpower the tentacles. Just as the octopus was about to put its razor-sharp mouth on him, he pressed the trigger.
Bang!
Following the dampened gunshot was a series of small air bubbles.
The special bullets pierced through the head of the octopus.
Blue blood began to flow out. Under the orange light, it turned a shade of purple.
Jiang Chen wasnt in the most pleasant mood while viewing this scene. He pressed the trigger to express the desire to kill in his heart.
The tentacles tightly mped onto his limbs slowly began to lose its grasp.
It took almost an entire clip of bullets before the fearsome creature finally stopped moving.
Chapter 278 - The Secret of World War Two
Chapter 278: The Secret of World War Two
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Uranium? Where did you get it from?
Lin Lin scanned the barrel thrown to the corner by Jiang Chen with disdain. It looked as if she had seen something gross.
When he was arm wrestling with that mutated octopus, the kic system of the kic skeleton received minor damage when Jiang Chen activated fury. To avoid the possibility of the entire skeleton breaking down during his return to the surface, after taking care of the mutated octopus, he brought the briefcase back to the apocalypse.
After throwing the equipment for Jiang Lin to fix, Jiang Chen went to find Lin Lin.
Although the technology on our side is outdated, we still have things like the atomic bomb.
Is that so? Your technologys progression is surprisingly quick, already in the atomic era. Lin Lin swayed her silver-white hair and sat on the chair. And then? Why did you bring this thing to myb?
I want to ask, with five hundred kilograms of Uranium, how many nuclear bombs can you create?
When Lin Lin heard Jiang Chens words, she paused for a moment, touched her chin, and replied after contemting.
Nuclear bombs? It will depend on the type. If it is Uranium 235, it can only be used to create the most primal fissure bomb. Also, it has to depend on the enrichment level of the Uranium 235. If hypothetically this batch can extract one hundred kilograms of enriched Uranium. Then with the technology level before the war, twelve nuclear bombs with ten thousand ton TNT can be created. If youre using technology from the early atomic era, out of 50 kilograms of enriched uranium, about 1 kilogram canplete the chain reaction, so approximately two bombs can be made.
I see. Jiang Chen nodded his head as he continued to think.
Do you want me to create nuclear bombs for you?
I have such a n. Can you do it?
The tactical nukes confiscated from the Sixth Street had been deployed to the corners of Qingpu on the W-1 ballistic missile. On the wastnd where resources were scarce, every time a nuclear weapon was used, it means there will be less and less of them on the apocalypse.
One hundred lemon vored puddings! Lin Lin said without any hesitation.
Deal, Jiang Chen said delightedly.
[Thats cheap.]
Surprisingly, when Lin Lin heard Jiang Chens promise, she didnt have her usual cheerful expression, but instead, she stared at Jiang Chen for a long time.
I have to say something, this thing is poisonous.
Jiang Chen paused and then was silent.
After a brief moment, he said.
I will be cautious with this.
Mhmm, thats good. Lin Lin nodded. The porcin doll-like face disyed a smile. If possible, I want to keep eating the pudding you bring.
The unnatural light passing through the window for some reason made her gorgeous face carry a hint of poignancy.
This world was destroyed by nuclear weapons.
Jiang Chen looked away. He took out the ck briefcase from the storage dimension and changed topics.
Could you look at this for me?
This is? Lin Lin looked at the briefcase on the table as she had a curious expression on her face.
I found it on the German U boat During the Second World War, the submarine from the axis countries, a unique piece of artifact.
Oh? The Second World War? Thats far back in history. Lin Lin took over the briefcase, her digitalized eyes slightly contracted as it scanned and examined the surface. She then asked, Whats unique about it?
It can send out Klein particle waves.
Thats impossible, Lin Lin immediately negated him as she opened the fourth-dimensional messenger on the table, People in the atomic era cant even observe that dimension, how would they realize the existence of Klein particle
But before she could finish, her voice stopped.
No voice, just four letters.
[Help]
This, this is impossible Wait, it is a half-finished product. No, even if it is a half-finished product, it is impossible for the technological level in the atomic era to achieve this, Lin Lins eyes widened as she said in disbelief.
Looking at the shocked Lin Lin, Jiang Chen looked puzzled.
Half-finished product? Could you exin it to me?
When she heard Jiang Chens question, Lin Lin nced at him.
Think carefully, when you use the fourth-dimensional messenger tomunicate with me, would the strength of the signal change with location?
I dont think so.
This is the problem. Lin Lin pointed at the briefcase, The Klein particle transmitting in the fourth dimension would not have its signal changed because of the shift in three-dimensional coordinates. Or rather, it doesnt possess the physics properties such as energy or speed. It is only a hypothetical wave. It would receive a certain signal at a certain time, it is that simple.
Could it be received in any corner of the universe? Jiang Chen was stunned.
It can. So it is also referred to asmunication particle in the intergctic era. Since with electromaic wave, there is a dy of one second from earth to the moon, it would take over half a year to get to the Oort cloud at the edge of the sr system. Without the restriction of the third dimension, as long as it is broadcasted to the same time coordinate, the signal can be received in any corner of the universe. And even before the war, it was a project at the frontier of science. However, even for me now, I could only do this with two crystals with the same origin andmunicate in the form of resonance, Lin Lin said.
Because it was too magical. Compared to the Klein particles, the electromaic wave was more simr to sending a message on a pigeon.
Then why would the signal from this thing decrease with increasing distance? Jiang Chen asked, confused.
This is why it is a half-finished product. Or rather, the person producing it never understood the principle behind it. The person probably only followed a diagram to create something simr.
Lin Lin sighed, paused, and provided a rather simple analogy.
For example, I have a phone, and I passed the phone back to the stone age and told him he can use this to call me. He never saw this before as they always used messenger pigeons tomunicate and have no concept ofmunicating with a phone. So he used a dumb method, that is carving the letters onto the phone, and then rying the message to me by tieing the phone to the messenger pigeon.
Jiang Chen had a funny expression on his face, but he suddenly realized something.
Could it be the message from the future sent the diagram to create the fourth-dimensional messenger back. Someone used the diagram to create themunication device but didnt how to call, so the person used electromaic waves to send it and broadcasted Klein particle waves into the third dimension.
Thats a possibility. Lin Lin didnt disagree with Jiang Chens perspective. Lets hypothetically say the video you showed mest time was a mature phase of the Klein particlemunication technology. The friendly hello was the greeting from the people in the future or the primal. At the same time of the greeting, it also brought you advanced technology. Along with the message would include the manufacturing method to create a Klein particlemunication device.
Those incredible technologies?
Jiang Chen recollected the incredible technology the Third Reich brought out during the Second World war as Jiang Chen had a strange expression on his face.
Thats right. Lin Lin nodded. Do you remember what I told youst night? Some people can interpret these signals in the form of dream with this special wave effect. But, these special brains could only passively receive information. Just like a deaf person on the phone, you would not know if the other side is listening to you speak. To be able to confirm if the people in the past received the information or not, what you need to do is simple, it is to send the method ofmunication as well as coordinate along with it.
Then did this help ever get heard by the people in the future?
Obviously not. Lin Lin sighed, she closed the fourth-dimensional messenger. That person clearly overestimated the primitive ability to understand. Even the strongest pigeon would not fly through the distance of time.
Until its copse, the Third Reich didnt manage tomunicate with the voice in the future.
Jiang Chen didnt say anything as he quietly looked at the briefcase thinking about something else.
Can I open this briefcase? Lin Lin pointed at it.
Of course, but I didnt manage to find the key to open it, so I am not sure if there is a trap mine inside. Jiang Chen shrugged.
That is simple. Lin Lin had a prideful smile emerge on her face as she put the briefcase on her experiment table. I am not that dumb to be tricked by the primals trap.
There was no mine inside, it was easily opened.
A ck metallic ball slightly bigger than a baseball along with a notebook was inside.
This is Jiang Chen picked up the ck ball and carefully observed its surface.
There was no opening on it as it didnt look like it could be opened. Jiang Chen managed to find a neat line of small letters on it.
German?
Jiang Chen was troubled as he knew only one foreignnguage.
Use this. Lin Lin threw a translucent carbon graphene card into Jiang Chens hand, As long as the writing is not too messy, this thing can easily trante it into anymonnguage.
Woah, this is amazing! Jiang Chen was stunned.
Looking at Jiang Chens shocked expression, a glimpse of proudness appeared on the tip of Lin Lins lips.
She enjoyed viewing his primal reaction. It made her feel like a God, any offering would gain the worship of her believers.
However, she didnt make it as it was the scavenger team who managed to pick it up. She only fixed it up.
Usually, things like this would be thrown into the extraction tank and recycled for useful material, since the apocalypse didnt require trantion. But the reason why she fixed it was due to Yao Yaos request since as a digitalized human, Lin Lin herself didnt need it.
The Golden Apple? After attaching the trantion card to the line of small writing, Jiang Chen read out loud.
It was a pure ck metallic ball, why would it be called the Golden Apple?
Let me look at it, you can go read that notebook. Lin Lin took the golden apple from Jiang Chens hand as she couldnt wait to work on an experimental apparatus.
Jiang Chen understood why she couldnt wait another second.
This feeling was as if a cell phone was found in a grave dated back to the Han dynasty.
Jiang Chen picked up the notebook and opened the cover.
A diary.
Perhaps the secret is hidden inside his diary.
Chapter 279 - The Golden Apple
Chapter 279: The Golden Apple
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
April 13, 1945, rain.
It was raining in Berlin.
The expression on everyones face was gloomy, just like the clouds above the Berlin sky.
There was tragic news from afar. After a few days of intense battle on the streets, Vienna had finally fallen to the hands of the Soviets. At the same time, Koenigsberg had also fallen, those pr bears have finally achieved the dream they didnt manage to aplish for a few centuries - im the capital of East Prussia.
There has been no good news from the east line for a long time. The same was happening to the west line.
Anyone knew it was the end of the Reich.
As a soldier, excuse me for making too manyments on the fate of the Reich, but from a husband, a father perspective, I would rather the UA citizens arrive in Berlin first.
God, what am I even saying?
-
April 14, fog.
It was foggy. Perhaps it is going to turn sunny soon.
There was good news. Whether the east line or the west line, they didnt send back any worse news.
There was no better news than this. But everyone knew, this was the quietness before the storm.
In the morning, I received an order for a position change.
Should I say the moment finally came? Even though I took on an office role, this is the moment I have to carry a rifle and shed myst blood for the Reich?
Things didnt go as I had nned, you would never guess who I saw.
In the Berlin presidential buildings basement, I saw the glorious leader!
I could not describe the excitement in my heart. I havent heard his inspiring speech for a long time. A lot of people said that he ran away with his mistress, but at that moment, all the rumors were wrong. He was still in Berlin! He still stood with us.
Although his face looked wrierpared to thest time he appeared in public, his voice still remained inspiring.
He chatted with me for half an hour and asked me a lot of things. It was hard to believe a nobody like me deserved a meeting with him. I sat face to face with the magnificent him and talked about the history of Berlin.
When the topic came to an end, he asked me about my loyalty.
I said, If you need me, I can carry my gun to fight for you to the death now. Whether it is the east side or the west side.
He said, Rather than death, I have a more important mission to give you.
Hard to believe, the great leader personally granted me the iron cross emblem.
I was anxious. I didnt achieve anything in the army, and I am not even a soldier in the frontline. What do I have in me to receive such an honor?
But his words eliminated all of my concerns.
If you canplete the mission I am about to give you, your contribution to the Third Reich will be deserving of this emblem.
I took the locked briefcase he gave to me.
Then, I was taken out of the basement.
I didnt even get to see my wife and daughter for thest time. I got on the Me262B booster jet and flew to Norway.
To be honest, I didnt want to see them for thest time. Because I already have the feeling that this might be a one-way trip.
April 15, sunny.
Perhaps, this will be myst time recording the weather in this diary, at least in the uing few months.
We headed out from the depth of the sea along with the U-234 in different directions while aiming for the same destination - far east, Japan.
The moment when I boarded the submarine, I realized the critical nature of the circumstance.
There were 14 people including me. All of them were important people, with the lowest level being a Sargent. If it was not for the iron cross emblem, I dont even know if they would even look at me as a person. But funny enough, no one paid attention to the emblem in front of me, but instead seemed to be more interested in the briefcase in my hand.
Based on etiquette, everyone introduced themselves. Air forcemander,nd force colonel, vessel cannon specialist I was just amunication soldier.
God, they are the elites of the Reich, why would they be here? Sitting with a nobody like me, taking the U boat to execute a mission to send a message?
April 20.
Based on what the captain said, we are navigating in the north Antic ocean heading to the south Antic ocean.
Because we were in the sea, someone finally stood up to describe the mission details.
This submarine contained the peek of the Third Reich military technology, such as the diagrams and parts of the V2 rockets, Junke jet engine, Tiger tank drawings, Me-262 fighters all parts and design prints.
These military technologies and weapon samples will be taken to Tokyo.
As to the ten barrels, the captain didnt really know either. He just categorized them as a raw material used for some kind of weapon.
The atmosphere in the submarine was silent. People whispered amongst each other, or rather spend the time sleeping to decrease the time awake. The only person willing to speak to me was a nuclear physicist named Fabian. Although I didnt understand what nuclear physics exactly is, it didnt interfere with our friendship.
He said, in this environment, only when people chat with people could they maintain a healthy mind. I agree with his perspective. When I am not writing in the diary, we will talk about other things.
April 22.
Today we talked about nuclear physics, although I have absolutely no idea what it is.
U-235. Based on what Fabian said, it is an ominous set of letter and numbers. It was the code for this U boat, as well as the shortened form of Uranium 235.
I didnt know what Uranium 235 stood for, and I only heard him say it. This thing can be used to create a powerful bomb. He told me mysteriously if we could bring this ten barrels of uranium to Japan, we can change history.
I scoffed at thement, even without going on the battlefield, I knew that a few bombs would not change the victor of the battle. If it could, we already would have done it. We sent at least ten thousand rounds of shells to London.
But this bomb is differentpared to the other ones.
Is that so? What about the V2 rocket?
Fabianughed contemptuously.
It isparable to thebined total of all V1, and V2 rocketsunched to London.
Okay, I think he is a little insane now.
May 4.
The situation is bing worse.
The Goliath signal station responsible for providing direction for us suddenly lostmunication. Immediately, the main navy signal station in Berlin Nahn had also lost contact.
With the intermittent reception of telegrams, the most worrisome thing we feared still happened.
Germany already announced its surrendering, the Reichs navymander Dunnitz had ordered all U boats to immediately surface, put out the white g and surrender to the Ally force.
Everyone was silent.
Someone suggested this may be a conspiracy set up by the allies intelligence department. But someone pointed out, it may be the cause, since the moment when they boarded the submarine, Berlin was already in a dire situation.
The co-captain suggested opening radio silence to confirm the validity of the information. But the captain didnt ept his proposal as he ordered to continue.
U-235 is not part of the force as it directly listened to the order of the leader, there was no need to listen to Dunnitz. The destination is Tokyo.
Regardless, the submarine continued to cruise. But I could clearly sense, not everyone was pleased with the order, including the captain himself.
May 10.
We just sailed by Argentina as we entered the Pacific ocean from the most southern tip of South UA.
By now, we should finally escape the allies fleet chasing us.
But no one feels happy about this good news.
Germany already surrendered, but we are the soldiers of Germany, is there a point for us to continue fighting?
Perhaps we should surrender to the nearby ally force, as long as we are careful not to meet the British, the UA citizens should let us go home. Since we didntmit any crimes, the U boat since its departure didnt even fire a single torpedo.
May 11.
Another unfortunate thing happened, but it was not from outside the submarine, it was from inside the submarine.
Someone died. It was Lieutenant Colonel Bertrand. He overdosed on sleeping pills. It was a suicide.
May 14.
When I was writing this diary, Fabian had gone insane. He was muttering something repeatedly
I didnt understand his insane words. This is not physics. We made a mistake since the start. It is not a particle, no, it is not even tangible. It is not that the current technology cant detect it, it doesnt exist in the first ce.
He found me and confessed to me that he is the owner of the key, he pleaded me to take out that briefcase.
I rejected him, the leaders mission for me is to take it to Tokyo, before that, no one can open this briefcase.
Seeing my firm attitude, he didnt insist.
June 1.
We should have arrived in Okinawa ten days ago, and then on route to Tokyo in safe territory
But an ident urred.
When we arrived in South Pacific ocean, we opened radio silence, but what wee us was not the Japanese navy, but rather the fault of the UA citizens.
The side of the submarine was hit, but fortunately, we escaped.
It looks like Japan lost to the UA in the Pacific war. Pessistimicly, Okinawa may have shifted hands already.
June 2.
The captain found Fabian.
If we can send this 520 kilograms of Uranium to Tokyo, would it change the oue of the war?
Fabian didnt answer directly.
Even if the UA lost New York in a month, would that change the oue of the war?
The captain was silent. Anyone knew that by this point in the war, the conclusion could not be changed by a city.
What about that briefcase?
Fabian shook his head.
It is toote.
June 4.
To avoid the search of anti-submarine reconnaissance aircrafts, we had to change course to New Zend.
Someone said there are ample amount of supplies on the boat. Perhaps we should find a small ind to spend the rest of our lives.
But someone rebutted that point. Not everyonemitted war crimes, a lot of people still have family desperately wanting to know about their safety.
Finally, the Allied forces made a decision for us.
At the Small Barrier Ind, we were surrounded by three vessels.
Should we surrender or fight to the death?
Surprisingly, the captain asked for my opinion, he didnt talk to me since I boarded the submarine.
To be honest, I have a beautiful wife and an adorable daughter. I dont want to die, I felt ashamed to the iron cross emblem in front of me, but I chose to surrender.
When he heard my thoughts, the captain let out a breath of relief.
As if the heavy weight on his shoulders had finally been lifted, he even said thank you to me.
June 5.
An unsuspected rebellion.
The captain died, due to a gunshot.
Fabian died, he killed himself.
Only seven people remained on the boat. Other than me, all of them are war criminals. Someone suggested to execute me because I betrayed the will of the leader. But someone suggested, no need to execute me, I only needed to be locked up.
The people against the surrendering suggested driving the submarine into the Hauraki Bay, going the opposite way to escape the search.
Fortunately, we found a trench near the Jackson port. As long as we hide there, no one will find us.
The supplies are enough to hide until the end of the year, once the period of time has passed, wellnd in Australia and spend the rest our life in anonymous.
That was the end of the diary.
On thest page, there was a sketch of the iron cross emblem drawn in pencil, the final note on the diary was neatly written in cursive, which was primarily used at the time. With the help of the trantor, Jiang Chen read the final line of the journey.
The U-235 that contained the lost hope of the Third Reich ended up sinking in the trench for eternity, the diary didnt record the reason why the submarine sank. But what Jiang Chen knew was, the person named Elias definitely opened the briefcase.
Or else this diary wouldnt have appeared in this briefcase.
Based on the content of the diary, Jiang Chen could have guessed that perhaps he knew it was the end of him. Hitler put all the hope to the uncooperative ally in the far east. He threw the peak of German military technologies into the submarine and even the briefcase that could municate with aliens.
But this U-235 didnt manage to turn the wheel of history.
Two monthster, the UA ended the war with two nuclear bombs.
Do you know what this ball is? Lin Lin let out a long breath as she finished analyzing the metallic ball inside the briefcase.
What is it? Jiang Chen could sense that this thing probably has something to do with the incredible technology the German has introduced.
And that help, probably was the plead for help to the people from the future.
A Klein particle messenger. Lin Lin pointed at the small words engraved on the ball, Although it was crudely made, it could send out Klein particle waves, but it is doing futile work by broadcasting it into space.
Whats special about it?
Did you remember what I told you before? Every carbon-based creature possesses trace amount of Klein particle and it is usually stored in the back of its head.
Therefore? Jiang Chen seemed to have realized something as his body began to feel cold.
Lin Lin inhaled
An entire metallic ball worth of brain extract, this is an artificially created crystal using ten thousand peoples brains.
Ten thousand people
To only send out the help that will never be heard.
This is insane.
And what shocked me the most is not the ten thousand lives. Lin Lin paused. The destination coordinate for the message is from the void.
What is the void?
To put it simply, it is a ce behind the wormhole, where space, time, and all physic principles are non-existent.
Therefore?
Do you remember the story I told you about the six space colonization ships? Three of them headed into the wormhole.
Chapter 280 - Whoever begs is a puppy
Chapter 280: Whoever begs is a puppy
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Behind the wormhole is the void, and the void has no concept of time. Regardless how long the three space colonization ships have been lost for, as long as they can finally escape, then to the outside world, from the moment they entered to their escape was only a glimpse.
But what was sent to Jiang Chens world was only a message, not three space colonization ships from the future.
Based on that fact, Lin Lin only had one hypothesis.
The three space colonization ships have been trapped in the void for eternity, they have be rtive to the wormhole outside the universe, the quantum state of the general existence - not alive, nor died.
As to the messages sent, it would be easy to understand sending the technology from the future back.
The purpose was to change the history after World War Two to avoid the Third World War from happening.
Based on what Lin Lin has said, in the history of the apocalypse, they entered the atomic era after the Second World War. The UA citizens ended the war, not because of the two nuclear bombs, but rather executing Mission Olympics theynded on Japans southernmost ind of Kyushu, and then pushed to the main ind.
It was an amphibiousnding that was evenrger than the Normandy Landing. With 15 Army divisions and 63 Air Force brigades from the European theater, in addition to the Pacific theater forces. With the air and ocean advantage, the Allied force indeed bulldozed through Japan.
However, in Japans crazy local decisive battle strategy, the Western countries paid a heavy price. Itid the foundation for the Soviet Unions vitality and the rise of the Pan-Asian Cooperation (PAC).
But in Jiang Chens world history, that battle never urred.
Regardless, that message did change history.
Unfortunately, this world didnt change the slightest. The effort of the three space colonization ships has all been based on the premise of MWi theory (parallel cosmic theory) which is not valid.
But unfortunately, Jiang Chens existence happened to provide evidence for the validity of the MWi theory.
The three space colonization ships exiled to the wormhole only changed the history of another parallel timeline.
The two worlds were two never intercepting parallels.
If Jiang Chen didnt appear here, the people in this world (Lin Lin) wouldnt even have known someone attempted to change history.
The golden apple was temporarily kept by Lin Lin.
Although it was a crude form of work, it was the technology from the void. Although the primitive could not understand the intricacy of the technology, Lin Lin could.
This Golden Apple was like an advanced blueprint engraved on a stone wall. If Lin Lin could absorb the technology here, she would make great progress in the field of Klein particle.
Jiang Chen followed Lin Linsmand to bring the uranium to the basement of the mansion. The uranium will be used to create nuclear bombs, manufactured into ballistic missiles by Jiang Lin, then taken by Jiang Chen to the modern world and deployed in Pannu Inds.
After taking care of the uranium, Jiang Chen went back to Jiang Linsb as he picked up the fixed kic skeleton.
Putting on the suit, Jiang Chen lied on the bed and started to travel.
The immense pressure of the deep sea returned.
After he resisted the initial difort, he gradually got used to the feeling.
He pushed away the giant octopus body floating in water, he passed through the cabin door and swam towards the direction of the exit. The containers along the way must be the parts of the booster jet and V2 rocket. In the Second World War era, the technologies were deserving of the recognition as incredible. But now, they could only be considered artifacts.
And artifacts that could bring trouble.
Based on thisyer of consideration, Jiang Chen didnt bring these artifacts. He had a feeling there were a lot of people still searching for the lost Golden Apple. Only the Third Reich received the information from the future.
It was better for these things to stay here eternally.
At the crack of the submarine, Jiang Chen saw the skeleton again.
In front of the uniform hanged an iron cross emblem.
He must be the Elias, the Third Reichmunication soldier given thest mission.
After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Chen took off the already rusted emblem.
Rest in peace.
He muttered to himself before he turned around.
After swimming out of the submarine, Jiang Chen adjusted his body position, pressed the button on his right arm, and activated the booster on his back.
Arge quantity of small but dense bubbles burst out. With the high-pressure thrust, Jiang Chens elevation quickly increased as he headed for the surface.
The pressure surrounding him began to decrease before finally disappearing.
Phew!
After returning to the sea surface, Jiang Chen opened his helmet as he breathed the fresh air with his mouth wide open.
It was already approaching dusk.
Without noticing, he spent almost an entire day under the sea.
After looking around, Jiang Chen had a bitter smile on his face.
The boat he just bought this morning was nowhere to be seen.
It was not a wise decision to head to the sea by himself. Without anyone watching the boat, the boat would be pushed away by the waves in no time.
But fortunately, he was not too far away from the Jackson port.
He maintained a depth of two meters and opened the booster before he swimming to the nearestnd.
Before it was dark, Jiang Chennded on a quiet beach.
After putting the kic skeleton into the storage dimension and changing into dry clothes, Jiang Chen took out his phone to confirm his location. Then he walked to the direction of Jackson bay.
He took a ferry back to Ad.
When Jiang Chen arrived at the Sheraton hotel, it was already seven at night.
Why are you back sote? I had spent the entire day in the hotel, so boring, Seeing Jiang Chen return, Liu Yao on the bed pouted her mouth and said coyly.
I was dealing with something, but I am done. You cant have spent the entire day staying inside the hotel scrolling through Weibo right? Jiang Chen sat down by the bed as he pped her curvy butt.
No, I also yed some . Liu Yao shook the phone screen while giggling. I only just wanted to try, but it is actually entertaining. How did you think of such a fun game?
The intelligence of a team, Jiang Chenughed and answered ambiguously.
Liu Yaoughed and covered her mouth, but she pouted again.
She sluggishly adjusted to a different position. Her luscious ck hair had spread out on the bed from her shoulder. Then she put her face beside Jiang Chens.
So annoying, I have to go back tomorrow. I want to spend more time with you.
Oh? Then stay here. Jiang Chenughed nonchntly.
What about the movie? Liu Yao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen cutely.
Skip it.
With a blushing face, Liu Yao was tempted for one moment before she shook her head.
Nah, Ill go back. If I stay, I feel like I might dy your important tasks.
Jiang Chen paused, he looked at the moonlight in her crystal clear eyes.
Thank you.
Jiang Chen said softly into Liu Yaos ear.
No need to thank me. Liu Yao naughtily bit Jiang Chens ear, Compensate me.
The warm air that breezed by his ear lit up an intimate fire.
A smirk appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Compensate? Can your body handle it? While he said that, his hand slipped down to her waist.
What would you know without trying? Liu Yao nced at Jiang Chen seductively as she pouted.
If you beg, you are a puppy, Jiang Chen said with a smirk.
Fine Liu Yao said in defense.
Two hourster.
The bark bark sound mixed with embarrassment and intimacy diffused through the bedroom. The melodious and sweet voice lingered.
Chapter 281 - Fuse
Chapter 281: Fuse
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The next morning, Jiang Chen sent Liu Yao on the ne.
Along the way, other than when they were in the taxi, Liu Yao held onto Jiang Chens arm with her body almost dangling onto his.
Their intimate stance made all those passing by, nce at them.
The reason why Liu Yao was this clingy was not due to some impure reason, but because Jiang Chen made her too tiredst night.
Till now, her legs were still quivering.
Didnt we agree that if I barked, I surrender? Liu Yao almost tripped as she pinched Jiang Chens waist out of embarrassment.
Whenever she remembered she had to pretend to be a puppy and bark, she felt flustered and ashamed.
Haha, sorry, that voice was too attractive. Jiang Chen let the hand pinch freely around his waist as he smirked, Also, did I say even if you surrender, I will let you go?
Pervert. Liu Yao rolled her eyes at the grinning Jiang Chen as she stopped in front of the boarding gate.
Shebed her hair to the side, used all the power in her body to stand up straight, tipped her toe, and pecked on Jiang Chens lips.
Remember to miss me.
Mhmm.
It was not a long goodbye; there was no need for words.
Liu Yao picked up her small luggage. She left, but her heart remained.
Jiang Chen looked at the flight depart; he smiled at the clouds in the distance before the smile gradually returned to calmness.
Now that the vacation is over, time to work.
Jiang Chen shook his head as he left the airport.
He didnt return to the hotel but took a taxi to the rural area.
In a park, Jiang Chen spotted Zhang Yapin in a ck tee, looking around on the bench.
Why did you choose to meet in the park? I rather sit in a coffee shop and chat slowly with a cup of coffee. Sitting on the other side of the bench, Jiang Chen sat nonchntly.
Because of privacy, Zhang Yapins expression looked tense, but his voice was calm.
You are overthinking things. This is New Zend, not Pannu. Looking at his anxiousness, Jiang Chen sighed.
He originally thought the Pannu opposing party would take a week to give him a response, but from the looks of it, they couldnt wait anymore.
It is always better to be careful.
Jiang Chen shrugged without denying. Then he dove right into the topic.
Since you are here, then your response must be yes. Am I correct?
Yes, we dont have any other choices, Zhang Yapin nodded as he squeezed those words out with difficulty.
Before we discuss the support agreement. Can I know what caused you to decide so quickly? Jiang Chen smiled.
When he heard Jiang Chens words, Zhang Yapin fell into silence.
It is blood.
He slowly told Jiang Chen the story.
Two days ago, just when he returned to the Pannu Ind, the political situation began to deteriorate.
Everything was because of a Hans arrival.
Wang Tianfeng, Linhua Group. The business representative stationed on Pannu Inds. This Han businessman seemed to have a great conversation with Johnny as they appeared in multiple important asions standing side by side while investigating the investment environment, and finally signed an agreement known as the fuse.
President Edward sold the area along the sea of Coro Ind as well as the majority of the ind on the second biggest ind Edgar Ind at a price of 5 USD per square meter to Johnny International. Linhua Group will be responsible for building the tourism area and necessary infrastructure. The one hundred million USD innd sales, only half of it flowed into the treasury, while the other fifty million USD flowed into Edwards ount in New Zend.
The confiscation ofnd caused arge number of farmers and fishers to lose their homes. Thepensation of 2 USD per square meter was not enough to cover their loss.
The dissatisfaction caused unrest, and the war hawk of the Liberal party saw this as an opportunity as they stood up in such a dangerous moment. They called for the farmers and fishers who lost theirnd to protest in front of the presidential pce.
But would Edward care? In the position where there was no hope. His status being lower than a city official in New Zend, he still managed to gain almost one hundred million. It was worth it for him.
God, the GDP of Pannu Ind was barely one hundred million USD a year; the tax ie was less than one hundred million.
With the amount of money he has received, he could easily go to any corner of the world and be a wealthy man after the end of his term. He wanted to go to Britain. Although he had an English heritage, he has never been there before.
Just as he pretended to persuade the public to remain calm, an unlucky young man threw a soggy banana at his face.
Edward was enraged.
Especially when listening to those natives'' outrageousughter while they worshipped the young man like a warrior.
The next second that young man was lying in a pool of blood.
Seeing the smokeing from the muzzle of the soldier beside the president, everyone was shocked.
No one expected a peaceful protest would turn into violence.
The t-headed chief military tank was a gift given by Britain to the Pannu Ind government, the only heavy military equipment on the ind. During the eighties, Britain finally remembered the fallen behind little brother as they engaged in negotiations for them to join the British Commonwealth. The talk happened to ur when the British army was recing its arms. Thus the challenger I reced the chief from the sixties, so the scrapped tank was given as a gift to the Pannu Ind government.
Although the talk to join the British Commonwealth ultimately failed.
The Pannu Ind people didnt think that the enraged Edward would use violence against the protestors.
Blood stained the street.
Guns and cannons drove the protestors away.
15 died, 57 were injured. As the leader of the protest Pannu Liberal Party also experienced bloody suppression and arrest.
As to the promisedpensation, Edward didnt pay a single cent.
He is a devil. Zhang Yapin was shaking from anger.
Jiang Chen paused for a moment as he thought with his eyes closed.
Whats your n?
We need five million USD to buy rifles, anti-tank weapons, and ammunition. Zhang Yapin took a deep breath as the words slowly came out of his mouth.
No problem. Do you have the channels to purchase the weapons? Jiang Chen asked in a low voice.
We contacted a UA citizen; his name is Robert
No no no. It is better for you not to disclose these names, including mine. I dont want to see you telling everyone that Jiang Chen funded us, the president of Future Technology, Jiang Chen immediately interrupted Zhang Yapins words.
After pausing for a moment, he nodded in realization as he said apologetically.
Sorry, I didnt consider things properly. I hope you
I will keep this a secret, when do you n to start? Jiang Chen asked.
Everything was within his control.
Once the fund is in ce, Zhang Yapin said in an undertone.
Do you have a n? Jiang Chen asked in a light voice.
We organized 400 civil soldiers. Once we are equipped with weapons, we will attack the military camp on Coro Ind. Once we capture the armory, we will use the equipment in the armory to equip more citizens. That bastard Edward must face the anger of the Pannu people! Zhang Yapin said gritting his teeth.
It was obvious it was the first time for him to rebel. Who would so easily disclose their n?
Even with the investor.
After listening to his n, Jiang Chen nodded. Then he took out his phone.
The money has arrived, you can start.
Zhang Yapin was shocked, he didnt think Jiang Chen would be so decisive.
Is there no need to sign a contract
No. Jiang Chen shook his head. You can discuss things with me after you win. I believe you will keep your promise. For the freedom of humanity, go, young man.
Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder.
Zhang Yapin looked graciously at Jiang Chen as he nodded sincerely.
I will keep my promise. Pannus new government will not forget the people that helped them.
Thats enough, go on. Jiang Chen waved his hand.
Agreement? To a government still in its infancy, it was no different than a verbal agreement. Especially since Jiang Chen didnt care for the benefits the new Pannu government would bring him, but rather the benefits he would gain from the civil war.
Once Zhang Yapins taxi was far enough, Jiang Chen stood up from the bench.
He didnt put the phone way. Instead, he called Robert.
Chapter 282 - We are an Army
Chapter 282: We are an Army
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After calling Robert and notifying him to begin the next steps, Jiang Chen called the mercenary base in Niger and asked Ivan to take a few of hisrades to meet him in Pannu Inds.
After finishing the two calls, Jiang Chen returned to the hotel and booked a ne ticket to Pannu Inds.
Before the Liberal Partys official uprise, he still had some preparations to do.
The Pannu Inds airport was still as empty as usual. Although a deepwater port had recently been built, which brought some noise to the ind far away from international affairs, the outdated infrastructure, as well as the small poption, made it hard to see unfamiliar faces on the ind.
Especially since the political situation had deteriorated as ofte, the investment prospect for this ce had significantly decreased.
Although the ten billion USD development n drew the attention of many capitalists, the project had just begun. Additionally, if the political unrest resulting from the confiscation ofnd could be solved through peaceful measures was still unknown.
If they followed the investment, once the protest escted to military conflict, not only would the project go down the drain, the agreement they signed with the old political regime would also be scrap paper.
Before the situation clears up, the cunning international capitals would not make a rushed decision. Only when the opposing party or current regime was at an advantageous position would it be the best opportunity to bet.
Despite all the negative influences, there were still a few people in the airport.
They were mostly reporters from the Free World. Although they have never heard of this secluded ind, it didnt stop them frommenting on the human rights and corruption problem on the ind.
But something was odd inside the airport today.
Approximately fifteen strange faces with luggage walked through the empty airport terminal. They stood up among the rest of the people.
Their muscr bodies, sharp steps, grimacing vibe, from these points alone, their identity were not ordinary.
Future Security was their identity. The person leading was the chief trainer Ivan, the other fourteen were outstanding employees.
To the not-so-friendly looking group, the staff at the airport began to focus their attention on them. However, none of them went up to question the group. After checking their documents procedurally, the staff let them pass through customs.
The only two security guards at the airport were given pistols to keep peace on the streets. Regardless of the intentions of these people, the countrys situation couldnt get worse.
In front of the airport parked five Senators.
Pannu Inds transportation was terrible. No metro, no public transit, there werent even taxis. To exaggerate, it was hard to see a single car on the road.
After seeing the oriental face leaning against the car, Ivans aged face smiled.
Buddy, we meet again. Jiang Chen extended his right hand andughed.
Long time no see, boss. Haha. The vic soldier shook Jiang Chens hand furiously as he grinned.
In only four months, he was a shade darker. His entire body smelled of sand.
As well as chaos.
Lets talk on the car. Jiang Chen waved his hand and signaled the soldiers behind him to head to the cars.
Precisely speaking, they were all guards from Future Security.
Because of the deterioration of the Pannu Inds current regime, Jiang Chen used this excuse and submitted a request to hire foreign securities to the Pannu government to prevent damage to his asset. The reason was not relevant. They used the usual routine of stuffing a bag full of money before the visa was approved in the same afternoon.
16 people; five cars. Although it was a bit tight, everyone still managed to fit.
Behind Jiang Chens car, the others cars lined up together and headed towards Jiang Chens import and exportpany in Coro Ind.
How was your stay in Niger? Jiang Chen held on the steering wheel as he asked Ivan, the head trainer.
Not bad. Those little guys finally had their ws sharpened. I remember when they first came, they couldnt even hold their gun steady. But now, they have learned how to kill people. With proudness on his face, Ivan lowered the car window as he lit up a cigarette.
Did they head onto the battlefield? Jiang Chen asked in surprise.
Mhmm, we engaged in battle with the guerris. Ivan blew out the smoke ring as he grinned, Do you still remember the Tuareg n?
Of course, Robert and I had a friendly visit with them. Jiang Chen shrugged.
AK, camels, and the disgusting camel milk. It was the only impressions Jiang Chen had to that poor and outdated n.
But they are not friendly. Ivan dusted the cigarette outside the window as he continued, A month ago, they were asking us for money, fresh water, and bullets, but I rejected them. That night, the guerris pretended to be Al Queda raiding us.
And then? Jiang Chen smiled.
They left twenty bodies. Jiang Chen cracked a smile. I have to say, boss, the rifle you provided is great. Even if it was in a sandstorm, it didnt malfunction once, and the pration power was insane.
Of course, it is a customized weapon. Jiang Chen said. He also added in his mind, it is the rifle from the future after all.
Ivan shrugged as he didnt continue the conversation about the weapon. He knew his boss has a mysterious background, so he didnt ask more.
What about the Niger side? Did they express anything?
Nothing. Their soldiers are a bunch of cowards and are afraid to bother the uneducated citizens in the deserts. The Barkary guy you hired reported to the minister ofmerce about this, but the Niger government suggested that they restrain their military force within their jurisdiction. They ended up not taking a side as they sent a representative in an attempt to negotiate peace. Offending us would be saying no to the dor, offending that uncivilized tribe would be going against the security of the country. Ivan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the subtropical sceneary outside the window.
In the end? Did the Tuareg nativespromise?
Obviously not. Ivan burst outughing, But they were smarter. They knew they couldnt win alone, so they dragged the terrorists in with an extremely ambiguous rtionship. RPG, Toyota pickup truck, machine guns But their attempts were useless. In firepower, we wouldnt lose to them.
Were there casualties?
Of course. As Ivan said this, he eyes remained squinted into the distance.
Jiang Chen didnt expect casualties to ur.
Jiang Chen nced at him but didnt me this on him.
Although people died, a group of warriors who have been through the mes of war came out of it, it was the fortunate situation out of the unfortunate event.
What about the family of the casualties? Jiang Chen asked lightly.
In the base. Since they just lost their husband, if we force them away Hearing Jiang Chen ask about the families, Ivan was afraid that Jiang Chen would be displeased with his treatment as he rushed to exin.
No, you did a great job, Jiang Chen interrupted his words.
Ivan let out a breath of relief when he heard Jiang Chen say that.
Although he looked down on the refugees that alwaysined about everything they did, after months of training, it would be unfair to say he didnt develop a rtionship with them. Especially when they were attacked by the guerris, they fought together.
To be honest, I was worried that you would kick them out from the base. Since from apanys point of view, they are extraneous. Ivan smiled bitterly.
Dont be mistaken, Ivan. I never said Future Security is apany. Jiang Chen smiled, he looked at Ivan and said seriously, We are an army.
Chapter 283 - Celestial Trade
Chapter 283: Celestial Trade
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Coro Ind was the main ind located on the southernmost tip of the Pannu Inds. Northwest of the ind was Country F, and southwest of it was Australia and New Guinea. Finally, to the direct south was New Zend.
The only airport in the country was situated on Coro Ind. On the southernmost tip of this ind was also the only deep water harbor of the country- built by Johnny International at the cost of over a million USD.
Typically speaking, these massive deepwater harbors would have a ring of factories surrounding it. But with the pir industries of Pannu Inds being fishery and farming, themonality didnt seem to apply.
Beside the deepwater harbor was only three warehouses.
A brown-skinned local was chewing on a sugarcane as he sat outside the outermost warehouse, guarding the door.
His name is Cassan, a native of the Pannu Inds. He wasnt well educated, but he could do the job of a security guard very well. His daily task was to sit in front of the warehouse, guard the phone, help when goods need to be offloaded, and chew on sugarcane when there was nothing to do.
When the five Senatas stopped in front of the gate, the young man nced enviously at the cars a few times before throwing away the sugarcane in his mouth and walking towards them.
Celestial Trade, this is mypany here, Jiang Chen introduced to Ivan as they got off the car.
Though it was only a shellpany with a security guard. All the business was outsourced to elsewhere.
Celestial? Thats a weird name, Looking at the letters on the giant warehouse, Ivan eximed.
As they chit-chatted, the security guard Cassan walked in front of them and smiled at Jiang Chen.
Boss, why are you here?
Jiang Chen arrived in the Pannu Inds two days ago but he had been busy with other things, so it was his first time here. Seeing the boss here personally, Cassan was very surprised.
Nothing, just open the door for me.
Which one?
Warehouse three.
Okay, okay! Cassan nodded as he immediately took out the key and ran to open the metal gate.
After sending Cassan outside, Jiang Chen signaled Ivan and the crew to walk into the warehouse and stand in front of a container.
After dragging the container open, there was a row of automatic rifles inside.
It was not the reaper rifles he brought back from the apocalypse, they were the standard M series assault riflesmon on the ck market, and also the civilian type.
Mission? Ivan immediately put on a serious expression.
The 14 people behind him also lined up waiting for Jiang Chens order.
Dont be anxious, there is still some time before the show really starts. This mission is only a warm-up. Jiang Chen signaled them not to be too tense.
Jiang Chen cleared his throat and pointed at the weapons in the container.
Considering the deterioration of the Pannu Inds political situation, for the time being, the security of these warehouses will depend on you. There are 15 gun licenses in the container. I requested it through a special channel from the current regime. You can use them once you write your name on the licenses. To people attempting to break into the warehouses, first time fire a warning shot, second time shooting is permitted.
Yes! Ivan answered affirmatively.
As to Jiang Chens mission, he had no other questions, as was the same for the soldiers behind him.
Jiang Chen nodded. He was delighted by the veterans attitude.
There are materials here to construct a temporary camp. All in all, the security here will be up to you.
Leave it to us. Ivan smiled.
He then cleanly turned around, looked at hisrades, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
Did you understand the mission!
Understood! 14 uniform responses roared thunderously.
Get moving!
Yes! Sir!
After seeing Jiang Chene out, Cassan strolled over in fearful steps.
Boss, who are they?
He heard all the noise inside the warehouse.
The securitypany I hired. You dont need to mind them, just do your usual routine. Dont peek at things you shouldnt peek at and dont say things you shouldnt say. Just remember these two points and you are good to go.
Cassan gulped and fiercely nodded. Then he replied with unease.
Mhmm.
He only wanted to find afortable job; he didnt want any trouble. He could receive a wage of 10 USD per day by being bored and chewing on sugarcane while sitting in front of the warehouses door, it was like a dreame true.
Knowing that the young man wouldnt find trouble for himself, Jiang Chen didnt say too much about confidentiality.
Give me the spare key to the warehouse.
Cassan immediately took off a set of keys from his waist and handed them to Jiang Chen.
You can go home early today. Jiang Chen took the key as he patted him on the shoulder.
Yes. Cassan nodded as he was smart enough to not ask about anything more. He picked up the sugarcane he didnt finish before heading home.
Seeing Cassan walk away, Jiang Chen walked to warehouse one.
Jiang Chen dragged open the metal door and looked at the goods inside. A smile surfaced on his face.
Five hundred square meters of space was stuffed by all kinds of containers.
There were dairy products from Australia, airtight-sealed meat, and canned food manufactured by Xinlong Food Processing nt. Pork,mb, and other kinds of fresh meat were stuffed in ten giant freezers. The bags of rice piled into a small mountain.
Woah, with the average height being two meters, this is at least over one thousand tons of food. Jiang Chen looked at the mountain-high pile of food and was shocked.
Estimating one pound of food a day, one thousand tons of food couldst half a million people for one month. Compared to the poption on Sixth Street of less than fifty thousand, Fishbone base could barely break the one thousand mark even with the increase in poption.
Not only would the daily consumption for over half a year be solved, but this quantity would also be enough to supply their trading needs.
The good thing was Jiang Chen is overseas. If this batch of food disappeared in Hua, there would definitely be some problems.
Jiang Chen didnt immediately start transporting. Instead, he went out and opened warehouse two.
Warehouse two stored the equally scarce salt on the wastnd.
The salt need for Wanghai City mostly depended on the survival camps such as Liuding Town near the coast, but the production quantity was low. Because of the limitation in production, the quality of salt was also not high. It was against thew to store salt on arge scale, but on the vtile Pannu Inds, it was not a big deal.
Other than containers full of salt, there were beers, fruits, and fish produced locally.
These products were custom made. There was no package on them at all.
These products would be hard to pass through customs in other countries, but it was not an issue in Pannu. Jiang Chen just stuffed a few hundred dor bills to solve the problem that was not even a problem.
After verifying the goods, all there was left to do was making round trips to move the supplies.
As Jiang Chen looked the piles of supplies, he had a troubled smile on his face.
How long would moving these take
Chapter 284 - New Year
Chapter 284: New Year
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It was night time already when Jiang Chen finished moving the two warehouses of stuff.
The good thing was the size of the storage dimension had been expanded to twenty-something cubic meters. If the storage dimension remained one cubic meter big, he would die of exhaustion before transporting the thousand tons of supplies.
My god, did you rob the granary? After seeing the supplies piled mountain high in the backyard, Sun Jiao was utterly shocked.
Although the base nevercked food, it was the first time she saw so much food.
Do I need to rob such a little amount of food? On our side, this whole pile only costs seven hundred thousand USD. Looking at Sun Jiaos expression, a smile emerged on Jiang Chens face as he used a slightly proud tone.
Out of the seven hundred thousand USD, a decent portion was spent on transportation. Pannu Inds were surrounded by agricultural powerhouses, it was cheap to export from Australia and New Zend.
But this is too much Looking at the small mountain, Sun Jiaos mouth remained wide open as she said nkly.
Watching the rare expression on Sun Jiaos face, Jiang Chen smiled joyfully as he patted on her waist.
Okay, stop staring at it so nkly. Get people to move it to the warehouse.
With a red face, Sun Jiao seemed to have realized her gaffe. She gave him a dirty look before running to themunity center to find Wang Qin.
Jiang Chen watched Sun Jiao ran out before he turned to gaze into the dark night sky.
It was already February. After this month passes, the snow will stop.
On the wastnd, spring was hunting season.
Whether it was the mutants who just finished hibernating or the bandits that stayed dormant for an entire winter, they were all hungrily waiting for the snow to melt, waiting for the two legged or four legged preys toe from under the shambles.
A lot of things happened this winter. Jiang Chen shook his head, tightened his coat, and walked inside the mansion.
1302 tons of supplies. Counting and recording of each item didnt finish until noon of the next day. Additionally, everything had to be stored properly.
300 tons of food was left in the base as supplies and for daily consumption. The other 1002 tons were transported to the Sixth Street warehouses using the underground sewerage. Half of them would be sold locally while the other half would be transported to the nearby Su City and Hang City with the transport fleet formed by the Zhao Corporation in exchange for crystals and other limited supplies.
Although they didnt know how the food was transported to the base, it didnt prevent the survivors in the base from smiling at the filled warehouse. Although not everyone could eat in the cafeteria, as long as they continued to work hard, one day they will be an upper citizen and enjoy the unlimited amount of food.
It was New Year.
Because of Jiang Chens sudden thought, the survivors put up a row of tents on the square in front of themunity center for the New Year Dinner.
Just this one night, regardless of status or position, as long as one is interested, anyone could request for a tent to cook their favorite food and share their food with other people.
The food in the warehouse would not be limited, the bases administration would provide food and fuel for all tents.
The only strict rule that must be followed was no waste! Any waste of food would be strictly punished.
But the facts soon proved Jiang Chen was worrying too much.
These people who never saw this much food would never waste food! They all ate till their stomachs were about the blow-up. They only regretted they were not born with two mouths.
Considering the base had no stomach medicine, after some thought, Jiang Chen had to add in an additional rule - No vomiting in the next 24 hours or you have to eat everything you puke out!
This rule was to ensure people were more rationale when it came to enjoying the food.
Of course, food was not the only thing. The survivors started a bonfire in the middle of the square as people began to perform.
They might not sing great sounding songs and the dances might not be the most elegant, but it was cheerful indeed.
People held their steamy bowls and circled around the square. They drank soup while eating barbequed meat. It was a great time.
Although the radiation dust in the sky was still depressing, and the ashen white snowke was still cold, but the mes above the bonfire burned away the gloom in peoples heart.
Standing on the top of themunity center with Sun Jiao by his side was Jiang Chen smiling as he watched the joyful and happy faces.
Are you happy? Sun Jiao looked at the side of Jiang Chens face.
Of course.
Half a year ago, this ce was a mansion area half in shambles. While there were no people here, zombies visited this ce.
Who would have thought that just in half a year, this ce would be transformed into such prosperity?
Looking at the smile on Jiang Chens face, Sun Jiao blushed as she also smiled.
Not because of the bases growth, but because of the person she loves growth.
Half a year ago, she wouldnt have thought that he who couldnt even beat a chicken would grow to achieve many feats.
How much food would we consume today? Although sheined, she didnt show any signs of bitterness on her face. It was a loving banter between couples.
Now that we have met their basic needs, it is also important to meet their spiritual needs. Spending energy on outdoor activity is better than drinking and doing drugs. Jiang Chenughed.
Thats true. Starring at the cheerful atmosphere on the square, Sun Jiao had a reminiscent expression on her face.
What are you thinking about?
Something far away.
Sun Jiao used a reminiscent tone. During my days in the fallout shelter, although I wouldnt feel the temperature difference in the weather, during this special asion every year, people would gather together to celebrate. I still faintly remember the day my father would tell us stories about what happened on the ground above. He said it would snow up there and people had firecrackers, enjoying the delicious New Year dinner Although when the fallout shelter opened did I realize everything was false, everything was just a fairytale.
During the period of lockdown in the fallout shelter, it was like a secluded ind. While it isted the radiation, it also isted any electromaic waves. No external messages coulde in.
But people still firmly believed that the moment the metal gates opened, everything would be beautiful. Since the image left in these peoples eyes were the sh before the nuclear explosion and not the cruelty of the shockwave sweeping through the crowd.
Do you think your father lied to you? Jiang Chen asked gently.
I thought that way before, but then I grew to understand. Sun Jiao shook her head. A perplexed expression appeared on her face as she gazed at the bonfire in the distance. Human is a fragile creature, without hope, we will not survive.
Chapter 285 - An Unexpected Guest
Chapter 285: An Unexpected Guest
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Even if they knew that the moment the doors opened, only shambles awaited them, if they didnt optimistically believe in the 1% possibility, then they may not even have the courage to wait till the doors opened.
Its New Year, lets not talk about something so depressing, Jiang Chen hugged her around the waist and said gently.
Mhmm. Sun Jiao buried her head embarrassedly to cover her blushed face as the sternness in her eyes were washed away.
Speaking of this, what would you do during New Year on your side? To get rid of the somber atmosphere, she forcibly changed the topic.
I would usually spend it with my parents. When Jiang Chen said that, he felt mncholic.
Unfortunately, he didnt know what kind of identity he would use when he heads home now. At least this New Year, he probably wouldnt have the opportunity to visit them.
Do you miss home? Sun Jiao detected the strangeness in Jiang Chens eyes as she asked caringly.
I went back just not long ago. I wouldnt say I miss it too much. My parents health is good and they are living a happy life. As long as they are happy, I dont have much to worry about.
I see Your family are all there, thats good, Sun Jiao murmured to herself.
What about your sister? Jiang Chen felt awkward when he talked about Sun Xiaorou, but he still pushed the words out of his mouth.
Herbody is not doing too well.
What happened? Jiang Chen hastily asked.
Lin Lin Although Tingting destroyed the chip that blocked her memory in the hippocampus, it still affected the nerve in her lower body. Now, she can only sit in a wheelchair. Sun Jiao was feeling down.
Jiang Chen felt perplexed. A part of him was d that he wasnt the one that made Sun Xiaorou sit in the wheelchair, the other part was feeling sympathetic for her sister.
A rare opportunity. You should take her around.
Eh? But Sun Jiao looked shockingly at Jiang Chen.
Although the base knew that an assassin attempted to assassinate me, they dont know who the assassin was, and no one saw her face. It is better to spend New Year with the family if you still have a family.
Jiang Chen paused. He had aforting smile on his face as he continued, Maybe if you take her around this cheerful atmosphere, the trauma in her mind will be healed. Go now.
Mhmm Sun Jiao hid her reddened face before heading downstairs.
Watching Sun Jiao leave, Jiang Chen looked back at the square again.
People shouted, chatted.
A young man was strumming a guitar made out of wood as he yed an unknown but peaceful melody.
Family, Jiang Chen muttered to himself as he suddenly thought of a cute girl.
She doesnt have a family anymore.
Without surprise, Yao Yao still stayed in her room.
She didnt y with herputer or other electronic devices as usual. Right now, she was sitting in front of the table while dangling her feet, unable to touch the ground. Her hands were ced against her chin as she zoned out.
In the years before, people would y electronic fireworks to celebrate New Years Eve. But after she woke up, everything changed, if she didnt meet her big brother
Yao Yao was too afraid to think what would have happened.
She really liked this ce. No need to face the cold winter; no need to face the repressing radiation dust.
Just, a bit too lonely.
What are you thinking about? Jiang Chen put his hand on her shoulder.
Wa The voice from behind her scared her a little.
After Yao Yao realized it was Jiang Chen, she let out a sigh of relief. She pouted her mouth as she threw a small tantrum.
It is not fun bullying a small animal.
Then whats fun? Jiang Chen rubbed her soft hair as he smiled.
Wo, just like this. Yao Yao enjoyably raised her head as she had an expression simr to a cat being petted.
Do you not need me to take you out? Jiang Chen said gently as he felt the temperature mixed with the sweet scent of the girl.
Take me out? Yao Yao tilted her head as she responded, slightly confused.
Mhmm, they are celebrating New Year outside. People are performing and cooking. Do you not want to see? You will feel too stuffy staying in your room for too long.
ButBut Do you not need to stay with sister Sun Jiao?
Eh? Jiang Chen was confused as he didnt know Yao Yao would suddenly ask this.
Everytime brother Jiang Chenes back, you will always go y with sister Sun Jiao. She blew her cheeks up as she looked away throwing a tantrum. Although boys like bigger boobs, but, but I
She mumbled, but because it was too embarrassing, Yao Yao couldnt finish the next sentence.
But just as she was about to throw away her humiliation and force all her thoughts out, her tiny lips were blocked.
Her eyes trembled, then opened wide before closing peacefully.
Those lips were soft as marshmallows, sweet as honey.
Long after, Jiang Chen moved his lips away with longing and guilt.
The silver wire made the pure but misty kiss carry a hint of seduction.
Yao Yao
She seemed to have sensed Jiang Chens emotion as a soft smile blossomed on her face.
You can.
The legs covered in white stockings stopped shaking as it anxiously closed and rubbed against itself.
Feeling the intimate moment, Yao Yao closed her adorable,rge eyes again, waiting for the moment she has been longing for.
Jiang Chen couldnt control himself anymore.
Just as he was about to throw away all sense of guilt and be an animal again, his EP began to ring at an untimely moment again.
The intimate atmosphere instantly faded.
Yao Yaos face changed to a dark red as she was so flustered that she wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide inside
At the door of the base, Cheng Weiguo was in a jacket standing with an odd person wearing a blue onesie.
Seeing Jiang Chen walk over, his eyes light up as he immediately went up to greet him.
Boss, you are finally here. But when he saw the unfriendly expression on Jiang Chens face, he was confused.
Uh, did I do something wrong
No, you did a great job, Jiang Chen said with a straight face.
If it was not for the call, he might have been doing some animalistic acts.
Even Liu Yao couldnt withstand it, let alone Yao Yao who has never been injected with the gic vine. The growth of her body was suppressed.
Therefore, Cheng Weiguos phone was too timely.
But for some reason, Jiang Chen still didnt feel too hot!
But you
Dont worry, lets talk about the important things.
Okay. Cheng Weiguo nodded his head and then led Jiang Chen to the weird person in a blue onesie.
He seemed to be wearing the uniform from a fallout shelter.
This is the fallout shelter Cheng Weiguo cleared his throat as he introduced.
Hello, leader of the Fishbone base. Nice to meet you. The person cleared his throat and extended his right hand. My name is Shi Yongtian. For your outstanding contribution in rebuilding the apocalypse, the PAC government would like to recognize you for your outstanding work.
Chapter 286 - We need your help
Chapter 286: We need your help
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
[Recognize? Did you get kicked in the head by a donkey?]
Who is he? Jiang Chen ignored the Shi Yongtian guy, but rather nced at Cheng Weiguo.
From his description, he is from Fallout Shelter 027, he seems to be an officer from before the war. Cheng Weiguo let out a sigh as a hint of mockery appeared on his face. Every once in a while, there will be fallout shelters that open and then a bunch people who have no clue what is going on would return to the surface. They are quite fortunate it is winter right now.
During the winter, the bandits and raiders were mostly dormant. If the fallout shelter opened in the spring, there would be a higher probability that either fully equipped bandits or ve merchants were waiting for them.
Did you say anything to him?
No. Cheng Weiguo shook his head and used a voice the middle-aged Shi Yongtian couldnt hear, You havent given out any directions regarding survivors from fallout shelters, so I immediately reported this to you.
After he listened to Cheng Weiguos exnation, Jiang Chen nodded.
Good, you did a great job.
When he heard the leaders praise, Cheng Weiguo humbly smiled.
Also, what was the Sixth Streets policy on survivors from fallout shelters? Jiang Chen asked.
Nothing too different People that received nutrient supplies would be sent to the ghetto. People with a clearer head would find a job in mercenaries or hunting teams, usually live a nice life.
At the same time, Cheng Weiguos expression was slightly awkward. It made him think of the time he was in a fallout shelter. He happened to be one of the slower ones and ended up dragging his wife into receiving nutrient supplies and hence lost their freedom forever.
Jiang Chen nodded, showing he understood. Then he turned around to look at the Shi Yongtian he neglected.
Jiang Chens neglect made Shi Yongtian furious, but it onlysted for a moment before he remembered that he had favors to ask. Therefore, he waited patiently for the two peasants to finish talking.
I am Jiang Chen, the leader of Fishbone base, the general of the Sixth Street military government, and the governor of the Shenxiang town colony.
When he heard Jiang Chens words, Shi Yongtian raised his eyebrows.
Excuse me for my straightforwardness, but there is and will only be one government on thisnd, and it is the great and glorious Pan-Asia Corporation.
But they were sent into the sky already, Cheng Weiguo interrupted with a mocking voice, but Shi Yongtian ignored him as he just looked at Jiang Chen.
Therefore? Jiang Chen said emotionlessly.
This kind of private enclosure simr to a kings practice is stupid and illegal, Shi Yongtian said with a righteous tone.
Jiang Chens eyebrows raised, but before he said anything more, Cheng Weiguo had his gun pointed at the fools head and spoke in a deadly tone.
Apologize, or perhaps I should make a hole in your head first.
The sudden turn of events made Shi Yongtian unable to react.
His lips shivered. Perhaps due to anger or because of fear. Regardless, he couldnt say a word.
I said apologize, blue skin.
A soldier standing on the side wearing the knight emblem sneered as he smashed the gun barrel and shot the guy in the back of his leg, causing him to drop to the ground.
Humiliating the leader in front of him, it was like asking for his own death.
Jiang Chen didnt stop this soldiers action nor did he say anything, he only dubiously looked at Shi Yongtians frightened eyes.
At the same time, a voice was heard through the speakers not too far away from the base.
Mob, immediately stop your illegal activity, or we will shoot.
Wearing a blue uniform with PAC printed on the chest of a standard body armor, covered by a carbon nano-explosion-proof helmet, and carrying a PK2000 rifle. About twenty people were crouched in the bunker, their guns pointed at the gate of the base.
Enemy attack!
Follow by the siren ringing, all the soldiers on patrol returned to battle position.
The heavy machine guns on the concrete high wall turned simultaneously, followed by two remote sentient cannons.
Soldiers in kic skeletons with reaper rifles leaned against the wall with their guns ready. The power armors stepped out of cover as they directly faced their enemy. Their revolving machines gun was spinning.
What was more frightening was the swarm of hummingbird drones. Hundreds of machineguns hovered in the air, the sight alone sent shivers down peoples spines.
Absolute power.
The twenty soldiers in light weapon was instantly overpowered by the intense firepower of the Fishbone base.
The PAC leading the charge had a drop of cold sweat roll across his forehead. Although he had considered the interference of illegal personnel, he never thought they would have strong firepower.
Standing behind the power armor, Jiang Chen looked at the 20 PAC soldiers behind the bunch expressionlessly, he already guessed that people were waiting outside.
From looks alone, he knew Shi Yongtian was a useless pile of meat that only knew how to talk. Although winter was rtively safe, it was not safe to the point where a persuasive speaker can safely walk through the wastnd. At least the zombies would not be frozen to death, when they see living creatures at night, they would still leap at them while howling.
Therefore, there was only one possibility. He was being protected.
He just didnt know what kind of arrogance he had to knock on the door alone.
You are talking about legality to me? Jiang Chen looked at the Shi Yongtian kneeling on the ground as he slowly opened his mouth.
Shi Yongtian shut his mouth, he was too afraid to speak.
He originally wanted to threaten Jiang Chen with this ce is surrounded by twenty fully equipped PAC security forces, so you better put down your weapons and receive a lighter punishment.
But when he saw the fearsome power armors with loaded machineguns step out of the door, he didnt have that attitude anymore.
Here, I am thew. Jiang Chen signaled Cheng Weiguo to let Shi Yongtian go. He then took out his pistol from his pocket. Unfortunately, your words dont really work here.
Jiang Chen pointed the gun against his forehead.
Dont, dont kill me! I, I apologize, With pupils contracted, Shi Yongtian shivered as he said listlessly.
Jiang Chen didnt look at him anymore, but rather at the soldiers in the far away bunker.
Silence ensued at the entrance of the base for a few seconds. The leading PAC soldier finally dropped his weapon and put his hands above his heads and walked to the base.
He knew they were no match for the mob. To save the captured officer, the team captain had topromise.
We have no intention to start a conflict, please let Officier Shi go.
We also have no intention to start a conflict, it is just your people were being disrespectful. Jiang Chen shrugged as he put away his pistol, and concurrently signaled Cheng Weiguo to put their weapons down.
Seeing Jiang Chens action, the captain with his hands above his head let out a breath of relief. He signaled the soldiers behind him to put their weapons down as well.
The tense situation was resolved after each party took a step back.
After being searched, the captain walked in front of Jiang Chen.
Looking at the anxious Shi Yongtian on the ground, that captain let out a sigh and extended his hand.
I am Tian Feng, a PAC army captain.
Jiang Chen. He gave out his name again. Jiang Chen held that persons hand before letting go quickly.
We are from Fallout Shelter 027. Officer Shi should have discussed the details with you. We dont mean harm, we just arrived on the surface and are unfamiliar with the ce, Tian Feng used a calm voice to speak with Jiang Chen.
Now you should have seen, PAC no longer exists, neither does CCCP or NATO.
Is that so? Tian Feng let out a sigh as he epted Jiang Chens words.
But Shi Yongtian on the ground had a pale white, face. He seemed to be unable to ept the cruel reality.
The PAC no longer existing meant that his title of an officer had no meaning.
He couldnt ept the status difference.
Although it is hard to believe but your weapons are convincing. Tian Feng said in an undertone.
If PAC still existed, they would not like a force with such a strong military presence remain in their jurisdiction.
Before they returned to the surface, they have guessed countless possibilities. Such as NATO or CCCP have captured the entire PAC region, or PAC came out of the war as the eventual victor, or nuclear weapons had rendered the surface as a no mansnd
The current situation, it was not that they didnt consider it, they just didnt believe it was actually true.
I am d you recognize the reality. Jiang Chen shrugged. You should feel lucky that you met us, and not a raider group, or the not so clean mercenaries. Whats next? What do you n to do?
We need your help, Tian Feng said sincerely.
Chapter 287 - Nuclear Fusion Core
Chapter 287: Nuclear Fusion Core
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Help? We are not a welfare society. If youre interested in a trade, that can be discussed. Looking at the sincere Tian Feng, Jiang Chen smiled.
To the survivors that just peeked their heads out of the fallout shelter, they had no clue about the rules of the wastnd, but they possessed arge number of pre-war supplies.
Needless to say help, it would be considered sympathetic if one could resist the urge to rob these rookies.
Tian Feng was stunned for a moment, he didn expect Jiang Chen to be so direct.
After a brief paused, the captain spoke.
Our resources are also limited or else the fallout shelter wouldnt be unlocked. Although we cant give you anything in return right now, I promise, if you support our case, when we rebuild order on the shambles, we definitely wont forget the help you provided us.
What cause? Jiang Chen was lost.
Of course rebuilding the great PAC, and shine the glorious light of the Pan-Asia Corporation again. As if he had regained his youth, Shi Yongtian on the ground climbed up and said passionately.
Thats exactly it. After ncing at officer Shi, Tian Feng nodded at Jiang Chen. Before the fallout shelter door was locked shut, thest mission we received was once the fallout shelter opens, rebuild the civilization on the ruins. If PAC didnt exist anymore, then well reform its former glory!
These blue skins would typically say such things when they climb out of the ground. Cheng Weiguo shrugged.
Blue skins? Tian Feng frowned.
Nothing, only a name, another soldier mocked.
A nickname was given by the experienced to the rookies.
They didnt stay further on the topic as Tian Feng continued to look at Jiang Chen.
What do you think? Our interest should be the same. Once we rebuild order, you can go back to the harmonious and stable life.
Jiang Chen had a dubious expression on his face.
So your rmendation is?
We previous thought you could just support us with some extra nuclear fusion core, but seeing your excellent ability, I have changed my mind. I sincerely wee you to join our cause, Tian Feng said seriously.
Jiang Chenughed.
So you are saying, we should create a new owner who will sit on top of us?
How could you say it like that, Shi Yongtian worked up his courage and rebutted, a hundred years ago, when we stood up from the suppression of NATO and CCCP, joined the forces, and walked to the great corporation. Do you remember the former prosperity? Do you long to stay in these shambles filled with chaos? Only we can lead the greater Asia to prosperity
Listening to the nonsense of this guy, the soldiers holding their rifles began tough. Cheng Weiguo touched his nose and didntugh since he came out from a fallout shelter. But from the curled up the tip of his mouth, he couldnt hold out for much longer.
Shi Yongtians face was bloated. The sights of untrust and mockery made him furious. If this were before the war, he promised he would use his power in hand to teach these peasants a lesson. But unfortunately, the pain from the bruise on his leg reminded him that he must restrain himself.
Tian Feng was silent, but he still remained hopeful as he stared at Jiang Chen. Although the majority are ignorant, as the leader of this group of people, he trusted that Jiang Chen must have enough foresight.
Jiang Chen slowly said, House, weapon, wall Weid every single brick here. With or without you, we can do great things.
But under our leadership, you can do better
Bullsheet.
Looking at the stern-faced Tian Feng, Jiang Chen said bluntly.
Once you adjust your attitude and bring enough sincerity, then talk about trading with us. Or, you can try your luck with other survival bases?
Tian Feng took a deep breath as he scanned the pitch ck power armors.
I will bring back your response.
Dont pretend you are a big deal, blue skin, Ma Zhongchen who was patrolling mocked.
Tian Feng nced at him, didnt say anything else, and dragged Shi Yongtian away.
rm deactivated. The fuss at the gate didnt stop the celebration inside the base from continuing.
Only during shift change did the soldiers with empty stomachs tell theirrades with a belly about to burst the funny things that happened at the front gate before rushing to the busy square.
Boss, why do you need to waste your words on them. We can easily wipe them out and take over the good things in the fallout shelter.
Cheng Weiguo followed Jiang Chen to the office in themunity center and while standing in front of the table, he asked Jiang Chen puzzledly.
Oh? So you support me in upying Fallout Shelter 027? Jiang Chen asked.
Even if it were awful mercenary, they wouldnt let this opportunity slip away, Cheng Weiguo answered.
Jiang Chen nodded as he didnt say anything and looked at the map on the table.
The paper map was taken from a survival guide from before the war. Although it didnt list out the 00x series as well as special fallout shelters not open to the public, all the normal fallout shelters were listed on the map.
Fallout Shelter 027, located in the Songjiang area. It is not far from our base. With the capacity of 1000 people. The set lockdown period is 50 years, but it seemed to have been opened earlier than that, Jiang Chen found the symbol on the map as he muttered to himself.
From their words, they seemed to be reallycking nuclear fusion core. What is that? Jiang Chen asked.
Cheng Weiguo didnt know why Jiang Chen would ask that and looked at his boss, confused.
it is a type of nuclear reaction battery. 100mm in diameter, it is stable and safe. A lot of industrial machines used it as the power source, including power armors. I remember the Sixth Street used it for a period of time, but like the food on the supermarket shelves, it quickly depleted, and not a lot was recycled. All in all, after consuming the nuclear fusion core batteries, the Sixth Street power armors were modified to use crystals as its power source.
Compared to the difficult to obtain nuclear fusion core, crystals were much easier to obtain.
I see Normally speaking, what goods are inside the fallout shelters? Jiang Chen continued to ask.
Good things manufactured before the war, obedientbor, technicians, and scientists. Cheng Weiguo knocked on the EP on his arm. For example, these EPs were mostly distributed out from the fallout shelters. Also some limited medicine, or even manufacturing equipment.
Jiang Chen nodded.
Last time, from Fallout Shelter 005, he obtained a batch of experiment apparatus, a quantumputer that can be used as the server for virtual reality games, as well as a production line for the Hummingbird drone.
Needless to say, for the survivors that wandered on the wastnd picking up garbage for survival, these fallout shelters unaffected by radiation were like treasures.
Other than those, there is also food, after a brief pause, Cheng Weiguo added.
Food? Jiang Chen was slightly shocked.
Thats right. Cheng Weiguo nodded. Other than those frozen fallout shelters, quite a lot of fallout shelter with living humans would be equipped with breeding and nting facilities. Since all food has an expiry date, even if it were stored in ultra-low temperature in a vacuum, it would still be difficult to preserve for over 50 years.
Without being affected by nuclear and biological weapons, the technology was also more advanced. The fallout shelters were the best ce to grow food on thisnd.
The multiple ntation towers, soilless cultivation nts (both bankrupted) at the Sixth Streets could produce a small amount of produce, but the quantity, as well as survivability, were both limited. Since the filter equipment, the survivors who used recycled garbage as the base material could not bepared to the sophisticated equipment created before the war.
Wait, Jiang Chen frowned, Logically speaking, after so many years, there are quite a few of fallout shelters that opened in Wanghai City. But until half a year ago, the Sixth Street market still hasnt seen a trace of food.
Cheng Weiguo had a bitter smile on his face.
Mostly had to do with the raiders. Most fallout shelters would not escape the fate of being raided by raiders. But those bandits only know how to rob and kill,cking the concept of foresight. While theypletely raided the food, most of the people inside the fallout shelters were killed. Without knowing how to operate the equipment, it was usually sold as scrap. Theck of filtration device meant that the environment in the fallout shelter would be simr to the external world not long after.
How many people would it take to attack the fallout shelter? Jiang Chen asked in an undertone.
Cheng Weiguo thought for a moment and replied, It will depend on the security force inside the fallout shelter. Normally speaking, only thirty-something soldiers would be enough topletely block the people in the fallout shelters.
Block?
Thats right, even nuclear weapons cant do anything to the fallout shelter. In theory, as long as the fallout shelter door is locked, the people on the outside have no way of going in. Cheng Weiguo said feeling rather helpless, There is only one reason the fallout shelter would open before the locked date expired. That is, all the energy or resources have been depleted. As long as we block them in, they will be the first ones to give up.
Just like a turtle.
Jiang Chen nodded as he had a brief understanding of the fallout shelters on the wastnd.
I see, now go do your own things.
Yes ! Cheng Weiguo saluted before he left the office.
Seated in front of the table, Jiang Chen leaned against the chair and fell into deep thought with his eyes closed.
Fallout Shelter 027?
Food? Jiang Chen was not interested. The only thing he didntck was food.
The thing that interested him the most were the scientists and technicians inside the fallout shelter.
He faced two choices.
Raid? Or trade?
Chapter 288 - Cannibals and Blue Skins
Chapter 288: Cannibals and Blue Skins
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The New Year celebration continued till three in the morning. People who couldnt keep their eyes open finally returned to their beds and fell asleep with a joyful smile.
It was the first time, in many years, there was so much happiness on the wastnd.
The bonfire was extinguished and the smell of the barbeque lingered on the square.
With the help of the participants, the logistics department collected and put the utensils and cooking equipment back into the kitchen and transported any uneaten food back into the storage space and recorded the amount of food consumed that night.
As the proposer of the celebration, Jiang Chen, unfortunately, didnt get to join in on the celebration.
As when he finished talking to Cheng Weiguo, he returned straight to the mansion.
It was still three hours before the celebration ended.
When he went back the mansion, Yao Yao was still not asleep.
The adorable girl sat in front of the window, counting down on New Year and thinking about her own things with her hands against her chin.
Counting down on New Year. Only a few people remembered this tradition.
Being with family was a luxury on the wastnd.
Everything was so sudden. From the light of the nuclear bomb to the airdrop soldiers from the sky. People were still working; students were still in ss. But the Holy Shield only left ten minutes for people to prepare.
After rushing to the nearest fallout shelter, squeezing into temporary nuclear bunkers, or being wiped out by the shockwaves.
The hibernation chamber was like a wormhole.
For the people that hid inside, when the door closed to when it opened again, everything felt like it happened instantaneously. But outside of the chamber, twenty years have passed by.
A tear rolled down her face and as her tender fingers gently moved towards it, a warm hand wiped off the droplet at the corner of her eyes before she did.
Do you miss home?
Mhmm.
Yao Yao mmed her head into Jiang Chens chest as her small head tightly pressed against his shoulder, she quietly sobbed.
I, I am strong. Her voice was muffled by her repressed sobbing, but Jiang Chen could still hear the frail strength in her voice.
Mhmm, Yao Yao is strong.
I, I am not crying.
Mhmm
Jiang Chen lightly patted her soft back as he scanned the clock on the wall.
The hands of the clock happened to pass 12 oclock.
At at the same time, the breathing on his shoulder became more rhythmic.
The entire night, he stayed with Yao Yao.
Although he didnt do anything.
The transport elevator slowly descended into the fallout shelter below the earths surface.
Around twenty-something soldiers in PAC security force uniform stood on top, everyones expression was down and flustered.
A lot of people carried gun wounds; the bulletproof vests were covered with spiderweb-like cracks which signified the intensity of the battle.
Fortunately, they didnt lose anyone.
Shi Yongtian curled up in the corner of the elevator; his sight was unfocused as if something had provoked him, he seemed like he lost his spirit.
The captain of the team, Tian Feng, was nkly staring at the lead cylinder in his hand covered in blood - nuclear fusion core.
As to where this came from, the story began three hours ago.
After being rejected by Jiang Chen, Tian Feng didnt give up, but instead, he decided to try his luck elsewhere.
The snow on the surface was thick and cold; it froze the remaining liquid inside the withered bodies of the zombies. They were fortunate, if it were not for the snow, those furious zombies would rip all of them into pieces.
Even the Death w would be scared of the zombies at night.
Factory, shop, hospital.
With the group of twenty as well as an officer responsible for forting the affected, Tian Feng almost searched every possible ce the nuclear fusion core would exist.
But unfortunately, he didnt manage to find any.
Within the twenty years, the survivors have cleanly scavenged anything useful. This would obviously include the nuclear fusion cores used in generators. Before crystals were reced as the energy alternative, nuclear fusion cores were the primary source of energy the survivors used.
But in the end, Tian Feng obtained one.
In a half-copsed building, he found the light of a me. Twenty-something survivors covered in winter suits and unknown fur circled around a bonfire. They had poorly made rifles on their backs as they were cutting meat for a strange creature.
In terms of firepower, this group was much weaker than the previous survivors.
Out of safe consideration, Tian Feng didnt hastily approach them, but rather he used the loudspeaker.
Because of their caution, they saved themselves.
The loudspeaker was used for less than a minute before the bullets began to rain down. A lot of PAC soldiers, who werent sure of the situation, were left entirely dumbfounded. They had to take cover nearby.
They didnt know why these refugees would fire at them. They didnt know if they should fire back.
Currently, in their minds, they were still the soldiers of the country, these were refugees that lost their rationality.
Fortunately, Tian Feng as the captain had a quick reaction. Recognizing the situation, he immediately ordered to fire back and fired the first shot.
Those survivors pieces of equipment werent as outdated as they looked. The moment they started firing, two light machineguns appeared out of the window.
Although they were part of the security force, none of them went onto the battlefield before. However, since they did receive professional training, whether it was shooting or knowledge, Tian Feng and the group were more superior that this mob.
Shooters quickly eliminated the firing points, and the soldiers with rifles taking cover behind the concrete fired back alternatively. Although theycked in firepower, their effective strategy easily took care of the mob.
The mob with weapons were consecutively killed. Tian Feng led his troops to push forward and force them to surrender.
But to their surprise, until they were down to thest person, the group had no intention of surrendering.
But when Tian Feng led his troops into the base of the mob, he saw a disgusting scene.
Blood, meat chunks.
It was not the carcass of an animal No, precisely speaking, the human is also an animal.
They were not mobs, they were devils! The devils that chewed on human meat like there was nothing wrong.
This is insane.
After seeing this scaring scene, Shi Yongtians mouth twitched and he continuously repeated that same sentence.
Tian Feng didnt say anything, but his resolute eyes began to shake. It was not hard to see the shock he felt in his heart.
No one threw up.
Because of the scarce resources in the fallout shelter, they drank nutrient supplies before they left. They had nothing in their stomach to throw up.
If it was a lone traveler that saw this scene or merchants that often traveled by, they would say without being bothered, Oh, its the cannibals before they start collecting loots.
Watching the fellow with his limbs chopped off, but couldnt die because of the hemostatic agent, Tian Feng didnt say anything. He quietly raised his gun and ended his misery.
Under the body, he found a nuclear fusion core covered in blood.
The nuclear fusion core was adhered to an aluminum heat agent. It looked like this group of people made it into a simple nuclear grenade. But before they could use it, the person had to have his head blown off.
Regardless, they finally acquired the nuclear fusion core; their mission wasplete. The shortage of power in the fallout shelter has been solved and was something worth celebrating.
But currently, no one had a hint of happiness.
Tian Feng gazed at the blood stains on the nuclear fusion core without saying a word.
Chapter 289 - Burden of Survival
Chapter 289: Burden of Survival
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
One thousand meters under the surface, a cave the size of two basketball courts was buried deep inside.
With the elevator descending, the light along the corner of the cave opened consecutively as it illuminated the underground space.
Around the area was soil packed tightly and rocky surfaces. Facing the elevator was the door to Fallout Shelter 027.
It is an inconquerable base.
The only entrance was blocked by a gear-shaped door 10 meters thick. The 8m thickpressive alloy steel and the 2m thick lead sandwich was enough to withstand a million tons TNT equivalent nuclear strike!
Tian Feng walked to the door of the fallout shelter, inputted his fingerprint, and opened the steel cover attached to the door. He then took a cable covered in soft lead material and attached it to his EP.
The door, even imprable by Gamma radiation, naturally would not let any electromaic waves pass through. The information exchanged between the fallout shelter and the outside world was purely done through this cable.
The EP screen shed as a womans face quickly surfaced.
Although she looked young, the three stars on her shoulder made it impossible to underestimate her ability.
Han Junhua, age 24, PAC colonel. Unfrozen three years ago and has taken over the leadership position as the previous head of Fallout Shelter 027 passed away.
Whats the situation?
Tian Feng saluted as he responded in a firm tone.
Missionpleted.
Mhmm,e inside. Han Junhua nodded and signaled the staff to open the fallout shelter door.
The gear shaped door gradually opened and exposed the narrow tunnel inside. A metal bridge suspended there, with the guidance of the mechanical arm, it formed a road inside the fallout shelter.
After they passed through the bridge, the twenty soldiers put their rifles and ammo on the weapon rack and walked into the sanitization room. The staff standing on the side pushed the weapon rack into the sanitation room to be sanitized.
Tian Feng didnt immediately go inside the sanitization room, he walked in front of Han Junhua and handed her the nuclear fusion core.
Blood?
Its blood.
Han Junhua had a serious expression when she saw the bullet marks on his bulletproof vest.
The war is still not over?
She subconsciously thought that he was attacked by NATO soldiers.
When he heard her words, the resolute face had a forced smile.
It is over, but you will never believe what I saw outside.
Han Junhua scanned the blood on the nuclear fusion core as she seemed to have understood something.
Half an hourter,e to the conference room.
Yes.
Tian Feng saluted the girl twenty years younger than him as he watched her leave.
The light in the conference room was on, but the mood felt repressive.
After pushing open the door, four pairs of eyesnded on him. Tian Feng gulped as he walked to the conference table and sat in a chair.
Fallout shelter leader Han Junhua, citizen representative Wu Yaguo, PAC Federal Research Institute Academician Qin Xuehai, Fallout Shelter Technology senior engineer Feng Hui, and the still trembling Shi Yongtian.
On top of the conference table was the nuclear fusion core stained with blood.
Briefly exin what you saw outside, or we cant continue on the topic, Academician Qin with white hair gently smiled as he said to Tian Feng.
Tian Feng looked at Han Junhua and after seeing her nod, he began.
This is what happened
At the request of Academician Qin, Tian Feng outlined everything that he had been seen since leaving the fallout shelter. Including the nuclear winter on the surface, the zombies, the Fishbone bases powerful firepower and apathy to the PAC regime, including the exchange of fire with those cannibals.
When Tian Feng finished exining his encounters, the meeting table once again became silent.
After a long time, as the leader, Han Junhua broke the silence.
Feng Hui, how long can this nuclear fusion corest?
To maintain the existing power usage, it is enough to support us for six months. Feng Hui gave a conservative estimate.
The acquired power canst us for half a year? That is simply impossible! Wu Yaguo immediately protested.
All the equipment of the fallout shelter relied on electricity, whether it was food production or the operation of the water purification device. To maintain their existing power usage, it means that each person can only be allocated 600ml of drinking water every day, 1 hour of ultraviolet radiation, and three meals of nutrient supply in reserve.
This means they couldnt take a bath, couldnt be full,ck energy, and survive a full six months in the sub-health state.
During extreme times, there is nothing that is impossible, Han Junhua briefly said, and then look to Feng Hui, Maintain existing power usage. You can go now.
Yes.
Hesitating for a moment, Feng Hui got up. While holding the nuclear fusion core, he left the conference room.
You can not ignore the public opinion. Wu Yaguo stared at Han Junhua. I do not know what the damn procedure is, but the old leader had everything taken care everything until you woke up. Now everything has changed!
For Wu Yaguos usations, Han Junhua was indifferent.
You can not me Xiaohua, she has done very well, Academician Qin with a gentle tone tried to persuade in an attempt to keep Wu Yaguo calm.
Very well? Wu Yaguo scorned, It has only been three years, and since you have seeded, everything has changed. First, the farming output has been reduced, the nutrient supply is mixed with organic food, then the cut in water supply, and finally the cut in existing power? All of this is pure nonsense!
I am just making the most realistic choice with the current supply status. Han Junhuas voice was cold, without the slightest feelings.
The most realistic choice? I am only aware that this fallout shelter is designed for 50 years! It is 50 years calcted from the supeputer! However, how many years have passed now? Less than 20 years, the fallout shelter is forced to open. I do not know what you have done in the past three years as the leader, Wu Yaguo said in anger.
Quietly waiting for Wu Yaguo to vent his anger, Han Junhua slowly opened her mouth.
1000 people, for 50 years.You tell me how many people are in the shelter now?
Wu Yaguo was speechless, his angry expression froze on his face.
Ill tell you, a total of 1743 people.
Seeing Wu Yaguos silence, Han Junhua continued.
The first thing I did when I woke up from the hibernation chamber was look at the work log from the previous leader, but guess what I read?
What?
The first line, in 2171, I cant refuse a mothers request, I took her baby from her hands.
Whats wrong with that? Wu Yaguo did not think it was a big deal.
That baby was the 1001 resident of the shelter.
Is it because of this baby, Fallout Shelter 027 will be opened nearly 30 years in advance? Wu Yaguoughed. Or is it that you really can not find an excuse and have to use an innocent baby to hide your own ipetence?
Thats just the beginning, Han Junhua said expressionlessly. I hosted a wedding for a couple in 2172. I knew it was not right, but I still blessed them with happiness.
There is nothing wrong with that! Dont you think that in this environment filled with despair, a wedding is inspiring.
So, in this 16 years, you held more than 400 weddings? Han Junhuas sight swept across the four people at the meeting.
Tian Feng who couldnt interrupt stared at his EP in a daze. Shi Yongtian was still shaking while sitting at the table. Han Junhuas exnation didnt satisfy Wu Yaguo as he still remained indifferent. Academician Qin let out a sigh and lowered his head.
There is no energy-saving n, no family nning. The supeputer can calcte the energy consumption as urate as ten points after the decimal, it can calcte the near-perfect poption structure and growth curve, but it still cant calcte your IQ!
In the end, her calm voice finally was inflicted with a trace of anger. The volume was not high, but it stung the eardrums of all that was present.
Academician Qin opened his mouth. He wanted to say something to ease the tense atmosphere on the conference table, but ultimately he didnt say anything and just quietly watched Han Junhua. Wu Yaguos face turned red from anger, but he couldnt find any reasons to refute.
Including me waking up earlier, I was shocked, Han Junhua said. With the n, I was supposed to be dormant for 25 years before taking over the leadership position. But what did the old man do? Hemitted suicide in fear of the crime hemitted!
Old Zhang died of myocardial infarction. Wu Yaguo trying to retort, but his tonecked decisiveness
Myocardial infarction? With the medical capability of the fallout shelter, do you think a myocardial infarction could kill someone? He concealed the condition and gave up on treatment, that is suicide! Looking directly at Wu Yaguos eyes, Han Junhua said firmly.
Wu Yaguo lips moved, but he couldnt say a word.
If it is you, what would you do? Academician Qin abruptly asked.
In 2171, I would refuse to ept the baby. Before 2180, there will be no newborns. After 2180, following the supeputer analysis of the poption growth curve, strictly control the number of newborns, Han Junhua said without hesitation.
But do you know? Leader Zhang didnt just face a baby, but also human nature, Qin academician whispered, I witnessed the day at the door when the tragedy happened. People outside the door begged, hoping that little Zhang would leave one side of the open (to give the wrongdoer a way out). ording to the discipline, the fallout shelter can only amodate a thousand people, little Zhang also abided by that discipline.
He did not. Han Junhua said.
Listening to the words of the little girl, Academician Qin just kindly smiled and recalled.
People kneeled down, someone insulted him, and people even tried to force themselves back into the shelter. I remember little Zhang shot the gun. You cant imagine the scene. A husband attempted to take his son to the door to meet his wife It was little Zhang that shot.
Wu Yaguo closed his eyes, he seemed to recall a distant event. Tian Feng was still staring at his shoces, but he clearly remembered that day it was him at the door on duty.
However, Han Junhua was still unmoved, she said emotionlessly,
Why could he refuse a group, but not a child?
Perhaps, that is because of human nature. Academician Qin sighed.
Therefore, foolish things weremitted from the beginning. Han Junhua said.
Without experiencing it, what happened that the day is just a passage to you. The ideas you have are indeed not wrong, for her indifference, Academician Qin just sighed and saidpassionately.
You, do you still have a hint of human nature left? Wu Yaguo said in disbelief.
Han Junhua didnt look at Wu Yaguo as she said with an apathetic tone.
Human nature? It is just a burden of survival.
Chapter 290 - The Choice
Chapter 290: The Choice
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The argument continued until morning.
But that didnt matter as there was no concept of day and night in the fallout shelter.
The topic of discussion evolved from the fault of the fallout shelter leader to what to do next. It was a great step forward.
Energy. Without energy, they cant survive. The water purifier will stop working, the organic farm will be shut down, the UVmp will go out, and even the air filter of the venttors will stop functioning. From theplete power outage to the copse of the fallout shelter, it would only take 10 minutes!
Perhaps irritated by the quarrels at the meeting today, Shi Yongtian who had curled up on in his seat shivering, suddenly stood up and smashed the table angrily.
War, only war can solve all the problems! We should dere war on the natives on the surface! Dont they have the nuclear fusion cores? We can just rob it from their hands. They not only illegally upied territories but are also illegally armed. We should teach them a lesson and teach them the etiquette and reserve of a civilized man! The glory of PAC is immortal!
The angry roar overshadowed all the voices on the conference table.
The interrupted Wu Yaguo looked over, shocked. The expressionless Han Junhua just nced at him, and Tian Feng, who was staring at the ground, also raised his head and looked at him strangely.
Shi Yongtians lips moved, and his hand on the table jittered like he had epilepsy.
After a moment, he sat back down stiffly.
Ahem. Wu Yaguo gently coughed, Shi Yongtian, why dont you go back and rest.
Shi Yongtian looked at him gratefully, got up stiffly, and limped out of the conference room.
Seeing the door close, Wu Yaguo slowly opened his mouth, this time his tone was calmer without an intention to fight in his tone.
This angry inhabitant, though it was only an emotional expression, it provided an idea for our future development right? We can wager war against the external world to solve the energy crisis.
There is no way we will win. Tian Feng suddenly raised his head. As he had personally witnessed the strength of that group of people, he felt the need to remind the decision-makers, Heavy machine guns, drones, sentry guns, and even power armors. The security force is made up of policemen, not the front force facing NATO. We are not equipped with heavy weaponry at all.
Hell, you used the taxpayers money to train, and you cant even suppress a group of mobs? Wu Yaguo could not help but curse.
However, the group of mobs is not just simply mobs. Moreover, training cannot fill the gap of equipment, Tian Feng said helplessly.
What about the group of beasts that ate a human? Didnt you guys win? Wu Yaguo questioned.
Tian Feng smiled, but that smile was somewhat bitter.
For a warrior, the most painful thing was to exin the war to those who have not participated in the war.
The size of the surface armed force differs. Some are as strong as the Fishbone base while some are stragglers, they are fighting for themselves.
Then pick the group that you can beat! Wu Yaguo impatiently said.
It is not legal to plunder from the victims or the survivors.
Legal? Ha! All those are guilty vitors, they havemitted murder, robbery, insulting corpses! Are you not a security force? Do you think they should not die?
Tian Feng did not speak. His mind was aplete mess.
He certainly thought those devils should be condemned; they should be punished with the most severe punishment. But they are only wartime policemen, not judges; they have no right to make decisions on the property owners of the offender. When he picked up the nuclear fusion core from the body and then used it for the fallout shelter, it was already a severe vition of discipline.
The robber robbing a robber. In jurisprudence, he was also a robber.
But he did not refute Wu Yaguos point of view.
If the PAC has ceased to exist, what is the meaning of holding to PACsw? Including the rank of his cor, what is the point?
What do you think of it? As the leader of the fallout shelter, are you not going to do anything? Wu Yaguo looked to Han Junhua
She nced at Wu Yaguo as Han Junhua slowly opened his mouth.
Foolish.
Wu Yaguos face turned livid, with teeth clenched, he was so angry that he started tough Foolish? Is not doing anything stupid to you, or as a resident representative, putting myself in the shoes of the entire fallout shelter foolish of me?
Of course it is you.
You ! Wu Yaguo pressed on the table as he stood up in rage.
However, Han Junhua was not done humiliating him.
I dont know what the old leader was thinking, making a foolish decision to elect a resident representative from the inhabitants. Listening to the public opinion? This is a fallout shelter, not a resort.
Thats enough, Little Hua. Calm down. Since there are ideas, why not borate? Academician Qin sighed.
Because there is no need for that, the eyes of the masses are shortsighted.
Han Junhua heard the argument. Qin Academician smile and turn to see Wu Yaguo.
Can I tell you a story?
Go ahead. Although anger filled his heart, to the old man, he still very much respected him.
A poor man lived with a wealthy man. Because there was a policeman that kept things in order, the two men live in peace. One day, the order that has always existed suddenly disappeared overnight.
What will happen next?
Wu Yaguo gulped. He began to realize the seriousness of the problem.
Now we should consider who should we rob the nuclear fusion core from, but how to ensure that the survivors on the surface will not plunder us. There is not only one problem facing the fallout shelter. Academician Qin sighed.
This information spreading among the ordinary residents would only add unnecessary panic. Han Junhua nced at Academician Qin.
But if you do not say anything, the residents will also panic. Academician Qin kindly smiled.
Han Junhua no longer said anything as she fell into silence.
Eyes shaking, Wu Yaguo said with difficulty, Then take advantage of the fact that they havent made a move yet. Raid enough nuclear fusion cores and then close the door of the fallout shelter. As long as we do not open the door
We cant hide here forever.
He paused, Academician Qin continued to speak.
There is no fundamental difference between the closure of 20 years to the closure of 50 years. It will only make the gap between the survivors of the surface and us greater.
What do you say we should do? Wu Yaguo shouted as he was having a mental breakdown.
Since the fallout shelter has opened in advance, the environment on the surface is not bad to the extent that we cant survive. We should return to the surface, establish contact with the surface survivors, and rebuild our home
Surface? What is there? There is only a group of primitive people who want to drink blood. Even if they know how to use gunpowder, possess advanced technology, they are still primitive people! Dirty environment, suffocating radiation dust, disgusting mutated creatures, I dont agree we should leave the fallout shelter! There are warm beds, clean water, fresh food here, we dont need to leave, Wu Yaguo retorted.
Ignoring Wu Yaguo, Han Junhua looked at Academician Qin.
The Fishbone base knows about our energy shortage. If there is no surprise, they should be discussing how to plot against us. Any good ideas?
It was the first time she used an asking tone, seeking advice.
Then establishmunication with them or trade.
Trades are only possible if both sides are equal. They already knew our weakness, if they can easily force us to surrender, they have no reason to choose to trade, Han Junhua said in an undertone.
Just let the weaknesses no longer exist. Academician Qin lowered his head.
Is that so Han Junhua also fell into the same thought.
What are you talking about? Looking at the two people guessing the same riddle, Wu Yaguo asked.
But no one responded.
Because some things spreading would only add unnecessary panic
Silence ensued for a long time, then Han Junhua abruptly dered, The conference is over.
Relieved, Tian Feng who couldnt sit any longer was the first to leave the conference room. Wu Yaguos mouth twitched. He wanted to say something, but eventually, nothing came out, so he turned away.
Standing up shakenly, when Academician Qin passed by Han Junhua, he stopped. Sighing, he said.
Have you made your decision?
Mhmm.
When he heard the affirmative answer, Academician Qin nodded his head and left the conference room.
In a glimpse, the original noisy conference room suddenly quieted down, leaving only Han Junhua there.
Human nature?
She slowly repeated those unknown words.
As she repeatedly chewed on the words, Han Junhua shook her head, got up, and walked out the door.
Chapter 291 - The History of Fallout Shelter 071
Chapter 291: The History of Fallout Shelter 071
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The next morning.
The sun shining through the window, sprinkling light on her soft and smooth cheeks, made her look adorable.
Jiang Chen looked at the quietly sleeping Yao Yao for a while before he looked out the window.
The snow had stopped.
Speaking of this, there have been more sunny days.
After staying in bed for a bit longer, Jiang Chen slowly got up.
As if she felt Jiang Chen get up, Yao Yao tightened the hand around his neck, her whole body pressing against his.
Although the house temperature was warm, due to anemia, Yao Yaos morning body temperature was still very low. For the heat source next to her, her body naturally hugged it.
It took a while for Jiang Chen to finally move the arm that was wrapped around him without waking her up. Then he snuck out of bed.
He tucked the little girl in, leaned over her smooth forehead, and gave her a kiss. Then he turned away.
Last night, Sun Jiao pushed the wheelchair and took Sun Xiaorou around the square.
Perhaps moved by the lively and joyful atmosphere on the square, it made her remember her time in fallout shelter 071 when her sister and parents lived together.
A long-awaited word Sun Jiao was waiting to hear appeared in a light whisper - Sister.
The memory of the past began to shback.
Crying with Sun Xiaorou in her arms, tears burst out from Sun Jiaos eyes.
That sister made the suffering of more than a decade all worth it.
The sisters hugged together as Sun Jiao finally slept in for once.
What woke her up in the morning was the sound of knocking.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she got up from her bed yawning and went to open the door.
Good morning.
Good Seeing Sun Jiaos exposed pajamas, Jiang Chen felt his nose began to feel hot as he looked away, I didnt see you work out this morning.
I am beingzy. Sun Jiao sluggishly stretched her waist, the thin as veil shirt was being pulled to its fullness.
Satisfied to hear his gulping, Sun Jiao proudly carved up the tip of her mouth.
Sun Jiao didnt tease Jiang Chen longer, but she put on an emotional expression.
Thank you for yesterday.
I didnt do anything, did she get better?
Yesterday, she called me sister. At night, we talked about a lot of things that happened when we were young Thank you, I really am grateful. Because of her excitement, Sun Jiao was bing incoherent with her words.
Sisters that finally recognize each other, Jiang Chen sincerely felt happy for her.
The seque left behind by the memory blockage has been resolved. The next step was to solve her lower body paralysis.
Although the Fishbones base and the Sixth Streets medical condition was yet enough toplete brain tissue repair surgery, Jiang Chen believed that within the buried ruins, the technology will gradually be uncovered. Sun Xiaorou one day will leave her wheelchair.
Do not thank me, it is her that woke up the memory in her heart
Before he could finish, his lips were blocked by a soft redness.
Lips apart.
Crystals hung in her eyes and her pupils were covered by a fine mist. Sun Jiao smiled and jumped back into her bedroom with a hand on the doorframe.
Ill go and get changed, lets eat breakfast together.
In the end, Jiang Chen didnt have breakfast with Sun Jiao.
On the table, he left a go to themunity center office to find me before he hurriedly left the mansion and went to the cafeteria.
He ordered a bowl of millet rice porridge and two meat buns. Jiang Chen sat with the survivors as they chatted about yesterday evenings celebration while working on his breakfast.
While he was happy that Sun Xiaoruo finally found her real personality, he did not know how to face her yet, or what kind of expression should he use to meet her.
After all, in the basement, he did that kind of thing to her.
After putting the dishes away, Jiang Chen came straight to his office in themunity center. Sun Jiao had been waiting.
Why didnt you eat with me? I wanted to formally introduce you to my sister. Sun Jiaobed her long hair behind her ear as he covered her mouth,ughing.
I, I dont know how to face her, Jiang Chen said feeling embarrassed.
Do you n to hide from her all your life? She is my sister. One hand on her hip, Sun Jiao closed the distance between her and Jiang Chen as she said audaciously.
Dont be like this. I lets talk about the important task at hand. Jiang Chen coughed as he looked to the side.
With a perplexed look, Sun Jiao nibbled on her lower lips as she wanted to say something, but eventually sighed and did not say another word.
Seeing Sun Jiao didnt continue to persist on the issue, Jiang Chen felt relieved. Sorting out his thoughts, he spoke about the incident that happened at the base gate yesterday.
After listening to Jiang Chens words, Sun Jiao paused for a moment as she fell into silence.
What do you n to do? After a long moment, Sun Jiao abruptly asked.
If the fallout shelter fell into the hands of raiders or uwful mercenaries, it would be a waste of a god-sent gift, at the same time he spoke, Jiang Chen looked to Sun Jiao.
Seeing Jiang Chen look at her, she knew that he was concerned about her own feeling. Sun Jiao put on a thoughtful smile as she said softly.
You dont have to exin it to me. Indeed, the reason why I separated from my family was that the fallout shelter suffered a culprit attack. But after being on the wastnd for so many years, I have long understood that raiding is normal behavior.
It was based on this idea that in the first meeting with Jiang Chen, she made a move to tie him on the chair. Even in the Wanghai area, she has been considered one of the more decent lone travelers.
He paused, the audacious face surfaced a hint of gentleness.
Moreover, I believe in you. If it is you, even if you upied the fallout shelter, you would definitely make a different choice than those bandits.
Hearing Sun Jiaos words of trust, Jiang Chen had a rare embarrassed look and he looked away.
Yesterday, I talked with Cheng Weiguo. It was impossible to get into the fallout shelter by forcing our way inside. I would like to hear your opinion.
The time cost of the siege was too expensive. If it were only around ten days to a half months, it would be okay. But if it was over a year, needless to say, Jiang Chen wouldnt have the patience to wait as the unclear situation west of Zhufeng Highway meant that the Fishbone base could not use the force in the Songjiang area to surround fallout shelter 027.
Generally speaking, surrounding it would be the best choice. Since the fallout shelter opened ahead of schedule, it means that they are facing a problem due tock of supplies. They would be the first ones to forfeit in such a situation, Sun Jiao said without hesitation.
But it is too time-consuming that way. Is there a possibility of opening the door from the outside? Jiang Chen asked in an undertone.
Sun Jiao shook her head.
I see Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows, troubled.
Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something as he looked towards Sun Jiao. He considered for a while before he said.
The fallout shelter you lived in before is called Fallout Shelter 071 right?
Yes, whats the problem? Sun Jiao asked.
If you would excuse me, do you remember how the fallout shelter fell to the raiders?
Sun Jiao paused.
Sorry, if I made you remember bad things, just forget about it.
No, its okay. Seeing Jiang Chens deep concern, Sun Jiao smiled and waved her hand. Because at the time I was less than 10 years old, my memory is somewhat blurred. Ill try to remember.
Please. Jiang Chen solemnly nodded.
Sun Jiao took a deep breath and looked out the window as if she was immersed in her memory.
Fallout Shelter 071
Chapter 292 - Determination
Chapter 292: Determination
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Steel feet crushed the snow. The steel surface of two T-3 power armors reflected the piercing sunlight.
Immediately following the power armors were twenty knights in kic skeletons, as well as one hundred citizens in carbon nano bulletproof vests. Everyone held a Reaper rifle and marched in a scattered square formation.
At the end of the line was a Tiger. The fearsome electromaic pulse cannon attached to the back of the pickup truck cast a menacing vibe under the cold winter light.
He gazed into the distance. The streets along the highway were dead silent. There were no signs of mutants at all.
The dumb zombies had their feet trapped in snow as they lingered in front of the destroyed stores. The drooling out of their mouths were frozen into icicles. There would be asional zombies walking into the middle of the road, but a gunshot from a soldier would easily put them down.
Winter was safe in Wanghai City, although winter was about to pass.
Jiang Chen wore a power armor and led the march. As he walked, he recollected the conversation he had with Sun Jiao.
Its deception.
Deception? Jiang Chen was puzzled.
When the fallout shelter opened, the leader organized us to establish temporary tents on the surface and ordered the technicians to sample for air quality, soil quality, as well as sent out a scout team to examine the area surrounding the fallout shelter. If the surface were suitable for living, we would end the asylum n ahead of schedule and start rebuilding on the ruins. If the situation were terrible, once we collected enough nuclear fusion cores, we would return to the fallout shelter and wait for the situation to be better.
It was the third day since the fallout shelter opened. A hobo, poorly covered, came to the camp on the surface. I remembered everyone was happy because there were still survivors on the surface.
From him, we learned a lot of useful information. For example, the World Alliance Organization was dissolved, the space colonization ships were sent into space Although the news was depressing, it didnt make people despair.
Gradually, he gained our trust. One day, he suddenly said to us, the nuclear fusion core we were collecting could be exchanged for food at the survival camps nearby.
It was happy news for the fallout shelter. Since the fallout shelter could easily produce food as long as there was enough energy.
The leader gave him five bags of rice and ordered two PAC soldiers to follow him.
But no one expected that when he returned, a group of bandits with rifles followed him. The two PAC soldiers were gone, but the blue security force uniforms were worn by two bandits.
The entire camp was in dismay, and no one was prepared. The leader led the security force and hastily fire back, but whether it was the number of people or firepower, we were at a disadvantage. A fire began to spread in the camp. It seemed to be caused by the ignition bottles thrown by the bandits.
At that time, my family and I lost each other. I ran far away, ran out of the camp, ran out of that street
Sun Jiao didnt continue.
She already told him the story before. She was afraid to go home as she mindlessly wandered among the shambles until she met a female warrior who said she was part of PLA, and then she wandered alone
Deception?
But he thought the real reason why the fallout shelter copsed was due to the modesty of human nature by the people who never experienced hardship.
As Jiang Chen continued to recall, he could slowly make out the outline of the square.
The electric barriers had scattered across the street. Fallout shelter 027 was written on the concrete ground. The menacing human bones along with the concrete debris were piled on the road as it was barely visible under the snow.
In the middle of the square was a transport elevator connected to the underground space. On top of the elevator, a figure stood.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes as he stopped moving. He lifted his hand to signal for the rest of the team to stop.
PAC uniform, ponytail swaying along with the wind. From afar, Jiang Chen could only see these things.
The person seemed to have noticed Jiang Chen and began to walk in his direction in firm strides.
Cheng Weiguo who stood beside Jiang Chen was also equipped with a power armor. Seeing the person walk over, he lifted the gun in his hand.
The persons footstep paused for a second, but didnt stop moving forward.
Jiang Chen put his hand on Cheng Weiguos gun as he shook his head.
Cheng Weiguo understood as he put down his weapon.
It was a woman. But her bold face held a hint of masculinity. Her ponytail swayed in the wind. As she closed her apathetic looking eyes, she exuded a vibe simr to Xia Shiyu.
The only difference was, from her, Jiang Chen couldnt see any emotion of fear.
Jiang Chen dubiously grinned. He didnt know where she found the confidence toe alone.
Unless she was like officer Shi Yongtian and had no idea about the condition on the surface?
At about two meters away from Jiang Chen, the woman stopped.
Colonel, Han Junhua.
Jiang Chen, although you probably know already. His voice diffused from the metallic armor as a damped sounding echo lingered.
It was a basic friendly gesture to open the helmet of the power armor when in conversation, but Jiang Chen didnt as he was not there to make friends.
Yes.
You are standing here waiting for me?
Yes.
Then you must know my intention ofing here. Jiang Chen nced at Han Junhua below him as heughed.
Yes.
Do you only know how to say yes? Jiang Chen couldnt help butment.
Is that the Type 50 electromaic pulse cannon? Scanning the truck behind Jiang Chen, Han Junhua abruptly asked an irrelevant question.
Although Jiang Chen didnt know why she would ask that, it was nothing worth hiding, so he nodded his head honestly.
Thats right.
A three-axle truck with a load of 40 tons to carry the 50 type electromaic cannon, sacrificing armor to increase firepower.
Thats right, what do you think? Do you think you can win? Jiang Chen asked nonchntly.
Han Junhua shook her head.
Even if she knew her odds of winning, she still did not look fearful. Her calm expression made Jiang Chen unable to see through her.
Your technological capability is all over the ce. While you inherited some of the pre-war technology in some fields, you dont have a research system at all, am I right? Han Junhua directly pointed out the weakness of the Fishbone base.
Is that a problem? Jiang Chen said lightly.
We possess advanced technology and aprehensive research system, the things you are currentlycking, Han Junhua said.
So we are here, Jiang Chen didnt retort Han Junhuas words as he said harshly.
We can do a trade, Han Junhua said.
Trade is built on the two parties being equal in force. Jiang Chenughed.
No, precisely speaking, it is built in the case where both parties have concerns. Han Junhua shook her head.
Do you think I have concerns? Jiang Chen asked.
Han Junhua didnt say anything, she only reached into her pocket and took out a pistol.
The pistol alone would not pose any threat to Jiang Chen in the power armor, but the soldiers behind him still raised their weapons and pointed their rifles at her. If she dared to point the gun at their leader, they would press the trigger and shred her to pieces.
Jiang Chen didnt say anything, nor did he stop the soldiers action. He only narrowed his eyes and gazed into her eyes.
In her eyes, he didnt see any wavering.
She raised the gun and pointed it at her own head.
Everyone was stunned, including Jiang Chen.
Before I left the fallout shelter, as the leader of the fallout shelter, I used my authority to execute a final order to the fallout shelter terminal.
After 24 hours, if the fallout shelter cannot detect my life signal, the doors will be locked shut and will be locked for another 50 years.
At the same time, the door between the residents area and the functional area will be temporarily locked. The main control system will use the venttion system to inject excessive gas to execute 925 residents.
Jiang Chens pupils contracted as he stared at the crazy woman in disbelief.
Han Junhua didnt react to Jiang Chens disbelief as she continued speaking. As if she was just reading a passage from a prayer, her calm tone had no emotional fluctuations at all.
The bodies of 925 residents will enter the organic converter to be converted into organics, water, and energy.
With the most minimum requirement to maintain life activity, the fallout shelter will take the remaining 828 people to fifty yearster. If you are willing to wait, see you in fifty years.
You are mad.
Jiang Chen locked his sight on Han Junhuas eyes, and he attempted to see any fear of death from her pupils.
But other than the apathy to life, he didnt see anything else.
This is the worst choice. Han Junhua opened the safety.
Even if you surrender to me, I wont do anything to you. You will live a great life. You dont have to make this choice!
He was telling the truth, he didnt torture anyone. Even the ves in the Fishbone base lived with dignity.
But no one can ensure this point. One minuteter, I will press the trigger. Han Junhua closed her eyes.
The atmosphere between them was frozen.
The silencested for half a minute.
In thest few seconds, his helmet finally opened.
Jiang Chen let out a sigh and looked at Han Junhua.
Okay, lets talk about the trade.
Chapter 293 - Safe Distance
Chapter 293: Safe Distance
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
On the spacious transport elevator stood ten figures.
What is this? Han Junhua squeezed the tiny green crystal as she asked.
A crystal. Combined with the special energy extraction device, it can rece the nuclear fusion core. Jiang Chen stared at the wall rapidly descending outside the elevator and answered nonchntly.
It is hard to believe how much energy can store in this tiny piece, Han Junhua gazed at the reflection on the green crystal as she muttered to herself.
Jiang Chen nced at her and didnt respond.
Behind him were eight soldiers in kic skeletons. They were all on alert for any possible dangers.
In contrast, Jiang Chen looked rather rxed.
Ten minutes ago, he and Han Junhua reached an agreement.
He previous thought a girl thatpletelycked human nature would demand a lot of benefits, but the after fact proved him wrong.
Although she had proposed this agreement, it was much more beneficial to the Fishbone base.
The agreement was as follows:
The door of the fallout shelter will remain permanently open. By name, they surrender to the Fishbone base. Fallout shelter 027 only maintains their existing security force and will no longer expand its military size. Fishbone base will stop invading and maintain a safe distance with fallout shelter 027.
The two parties will engage in trade. The Fishbone base will be responsible for providing energy as well as other supplies necessary for the fallout shelter to function while the fallout shelter will be a research facility, providing technical support to the Fishbone base.
At the same time, the Fishbone base will build a camp above the fallout shelter, used to amodate the excess residents in the fallout shelter. The fallout shelter will maintain its high degree of autonomy to the camp. The Fishbone Base will be responsible for the camps security.
Also, Jiang Chen will send a representative and several workers to be stationed in fallout shelter 027. They will be responsible formunication and recording necessary supplies.
Fallout shelter 027 will also send a representative to Fishbone base and conduct a long-term assessment of the human rights rules in Fishbone base. After enough trust is built, fallout shelter 027 will gradually be part of Fishbone base.
Although the formality of the situation was no longer important, since an agreement has been reached, fallout shelter 027 became a subsidiary of the Fishbone base.
A subsidary that maintained a safe distance away.
A slight feeling of falling came from under his feet as the elevator reached the ground.
I dont understand. This agreement seems to be disadvantageous for you? Jiang Chen looked at the light gradually appearing as he asked.
It practically meant they became part of the Fishbone base.
The only difference other than being upied was, Fishbone bases soldiers were not permitted to enter the fallout shelter. But since they controlled everything, there was no difference between going inside or not.
The purpose of establishing the fallout shelter is to maintain and preserve the me of civilization. Once conditions turn back to normal, re-establish the colony on top of the ruins. The purpose was not to return to the surface and establish dominance on the victims.
If the Fishbone base could rece fallout shelter 027 and execute its mission, and they do have more ability toplete the mission, there is nothing wrong with fallout shelter 027 bing part of the Fishbone base.
Of course, it is on the premises that they can maintain their promise and ensure the freedom and safety of all residents in the fallout shelter.
But this trust could only be established with time.
Your exnation is rather unique. Thats not what Shi Yongtian told me. Jiang Chen smiled.
It was my mistake to send him to the surface, Han Junhua admitted honestly.
If the PAC image has already copsed in the hearts of the survivors, it wasical to send a PAC officer to persuade the survivors. But she was not to be med. Who would have guessed this was how the war ended?
Once elevator became stationary, Jiang Chen signaled the soldiers to stay there as Han Junhua and him walked to the gear-shaped door.
Han Junhua pulled off a cable from the door and connected it to her EP.
How was the negotiation? Tian Feng asked anxiously.
Sessful, open the door.
When he heard Han Junhuas instruction, Tian Feng felt relieved as he signaled the worker in the control room to open the fallout shelter door.
Dust flew as the gear-shaped door gradually rolled open, exposing the tunnel behind it.
The suspended bridge with the guidance of the mechanical arm formed a road, connecting the entrance to its interior space.
It is hard to believe that 1000 meters under the surface is a space like this.
Do you want toe inside? Han Junhua asked nonchntly.
Although he was interested in a tour, Jiang Chen shook his head.
Thats okay, just here is fine.
Funny. If I went in, how would I know if you would take me hostage or not?
Your concern is exactly our concern.
Oh? Exin? Jiang Chen looked at Han Junhua, quite interested in her thought.
You are afraid ofing in, just like we are afraid of letting you in. Isnt that correct? Han Junhua said emotionlessly.
Jiang Chen paused for a second before he startedughing.
The soldiers behind him were lost as they didnt know why their leader was suddenlyughing.
The PAC soldiers felt highly alerted in the fallout shelter and were also confused as they cautiously looked at Jiang Chen standing beside Han Junhua.
You are an interesting person. Jiang Chen shrugged and grinned.
Thats surprising. Even I consider myself a boring person. She forced her the muscles around her mouth to move and left this one sentence before walking inside the fallout shelter.
Jiang Chen didnt wait long at the door.
Han Junhua took out the drafted agreement.
Jiang Chen only scanned it before signing on both agreements. Both parties each hold a copy. The agreement was effective immediately.
Jiang Chen noticed when signing this surrender agreement, a middle-aged man stood behind Han Junhua as he looked at him with suspicion and hatred.
But Jiang Chen didnt express anything as he smiled indifferently. Then he put away the agreement that belonged to him.
Before entering the elevator back to the surface, Jiang Chen turned around to look at the Han Junhua, who was sending him to the elevator.
The Fishbone base representative will arrive tomorrow. The first batch of supplies will be here by the day after tomorrow. I hope you wont close the door after taking the crystals, or I might be angry and blow the cave up. Jiang Chen used a joking tone.
We will fulfill our promise. Please dont use threatening jokes to test our already weak trust, Han Junhua said.
Haha, dont think about it too much, it is only a joke. Of course, I trust that you will fulfill your promise. While Jiang Chenughed, he got on the elevator and pressed the start button.
See youter.
See you.
She watched the elevator ascend before going back into the fallout shelter.
On the way back to her office, she could feel eyes filled with suspicion and mistrust looking at her.
There was nothing wrong with there gazes. Since a few minutes ago, she sold the fallout shelter to someone called Jiang Chen.
She sat on the chair as she looked at the lonely room and suddenly let out a sigh.
From today on, all the residents in the fallout shelter could return to the surface and enjoy an unlimited amount of ultraviolet radiation and breath in the free air.
Except for her.
She chose to use herself as the deterrence, therefore giving up the opportunity to return to the surface.
At least before enough trust is established.
She suddenly felt really tired.
Han Junhua slowly put her head down on the table as she took a rare nap.
Chapter 294 - Camp 027
Chapter 294: Camp 027
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The tag of Fallout Shelter 027 had been taken away and was reced by a camp 27 road sign.
The people in blue fallout shelter uniforms returned to the surface through the elevator.
When they saw the thin rays of sunshine, they cheered, cried, ran on the street, and kissed the ground.
And the Fishbone soldiers stood in small circles as they chitchatted to kill time whileically examining those lunatics.
Are these guys crazy? Jiang Chen shockingly raised his eyebrows as he looked the blues skins cheering.
They waited for too long. Cheng Weiguo had a cigarette in his mouth as he grinned.
After the initial excitement, the residents quickly calmed down.
Under the instructions of the manager sent by Fallout Shelter 027, the one hundred residents gathered in the middle of the square and began to unload their construction material.
It was a metallic board. That thing was magical as it seemed to be a memory metal.
A blue skin drove a small construction car with the fifty square meter board. He then dropped the metal board onto the ground and waited for the blue skin on the side to rip off the stic on the outside. After being in contact with the air for a moment, Jiang Chen saw a few cracks appear in the middle of the fifty square meter metal board. It began to move like a transformer as it automatically assembled into a metal house with doors and windows.
It almost made Jiang Chens eyes pop out.
It was magical!
Seeing theck of shock on Cheng Weiguos face, he thought it must not be a rarity before the war. But even if they were not shocked, they were definitely envious.
No wonder the raiders favored these blue skins, they have too many good things.
Although it was not at the point where they would rob them, Jiang Chen still dragged the manager in charge of camp construction and asked him how many of this things were left in the fallout shelter. The manager understood Jiang Chens intention as he had a helpless expression on his face.
There is not a lot of this in the fallout shelter, only one hundred set.
Only one hundred set? Jiang Chen was unwilling to give up, What about production technique? You must have the blueprints?
There was nothing to hide, the manager nodded. We do have it, but it is troublesome to produce. Without exaggeration, to produce a mobile home like this before the war, the cost was enough to build four houses with far better conditions. The only advantage of this is theck of space it upies. If it was not for cing inside the fallout shelter, there was no need to manufacture these things.
Since the cost of building a fallout shelter was at a daunting one million per square meter, in the space-constrained fallout shelter, it would cost more to store construction materials.
When he heard about this, Jiang Chen didnt bother with it anymore.
But he still remembered it in the back of his mind.
Although it might not be useful now, who knows if it will be useful in the future? For example in aerospace, this thing should have a wide range of applications.
In less than half an hour of work, the two small construction vehicles made a few trips along the square before one hundred small mobile homes were neatly ced in the square. The fallout shelter residents carried their belongings and entered the metal homes in order.
Eighty of them had fallout shelter residents living inside, while the other twenty were given to the Fishbone force stationed there for them to distribute.
Not long after, under the protection of a little over ten soldiers, three trucks rolled into the square.
The trucks were filled with construction materials and workers from the Fishbone base.
It was not enough to just have a ce stay, to protect the safety of the camp, walls were also necessary.
The workers from the Fishbone base were mostly residents from Shenxiang town. After three months of work, they were promoted from ves to lower citizens and some outstanding contributors were even promoted to intermediate citizen.
After parking on the empty ground, the workers jumped off the truck. After offloading the supplies, they skillfully set up the necessary construction equipment. Then following the engineers directions, they began to dig the foundation of the wall.
Based on the agreement, Fishbone base will build a wall on the outskirt of the square with a total distance of four thousand meters. The half-copsed stores were bulldozed over, while the moreplete buildings were circled inside the wall to be utilized.
The workers on the campsite were busily working as the nking and hammering sound from their equipment persisted till midnight. A lot of frozen zombies were attracted by their scent as they dragged their limping bodies near the camp.
But the Fishbone soldiers were well prepared. The soldiers stationed on the street raised their rifles as a few shots took down the scattered zombies. Maybe it was because this area was not concentrated with zombies, or because the low temperature suppressed the reproduction of the zombies in the city center until summer, but it was hard to see a sizeable group of zombies in the Wanghai rural area.
The construction of the camp was well underway, butpared to the liveliness on the surface, it was a lot more deserted in the fallout shelter.
Han Junhua sat in front of the table as she looked apathetically at the enraged Wu Yaguo.
What did you do. Asking him to help us build our camp, I dont disagree with, but whats the point of stationing their forces here? Do you want us to be their ves?
From my perspective, this is the best ending. Han Junhua said emotionlessly.
Both take what they need as they feared the same unbearable consequence. Both parties remain restrained.
Are you dumb or what? Since they are need of us, we can use the technology in our hand to demand more benefits!
When she heard Wu Yaguos usation, Han Junhua just found it funny.
But for some reason, she couldntugh out loud.
Do you know what they brought when they came?
What? Wu Yaguo said uncaringly, A huge army? So what? Even if we cant win, as long as we close the door, they cante in. Unless they dont want our technology, or he wouldnt have sat down with us and talked it out.
Han Junhua shook her head.
They already know the news of our energy shortage. Or rather, it is not a secret at all. Threatening wouldnt work.
Then we will threaten them with our death. Wu Yaguo said fiercely. If the door never opens, they will get nothing.
Have you ever heard of gambling? Han Junhua asked.
Wu Yaguos eyebrows raised as he didnt understand.
Seeing as he didnt speak, Han Junhua continued.
Two gamblers sat in front of the gambling table, both are eyeing the chips in the other persons hand. The rule of the game is simple. Each person holds a gun, but they are pointed at the same person. A uses the gun to force B to give up their chips, B uses the gun to point at himself to threaten A. The game revolves around the life of B. If B dies, A would get nothing.
This rule is not fair to begin with. Wu Yaguoughed.
Rules are always unfair to the weak, Han Junhua said emotionlessly. A few hours ago, Jiang Chen and I both held a gun. Except before the game started, I pointed the gun at my own head.
That kind of apathy made Wu Yaguo hold his breath.
Chapter 295 - The not Addictive Jet
Chapter 295: The not Addictive Jet
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
As to who the representative stationed at fallout shelter 027 should be, Jiang Chen gave the task to the person in charge of the logistics department - Wang Qin.
The representatives primary task was to the record the needs of the fallout shelter, andmunicate the research direction to Jiang Chen. It was mostly a supporting job. Other than this basic task, Jiang Chen also gave the representative another mission, which was to verify their energy usage to prevent the fallout shelter from hoarding energy.
The next morning, the representative followed the truck transporting construction material to camp 27.
A 25 years old female name Xu Lu took on the role of the representative as she was part of the knight ss. She acted as a salesperson in an insurancepany before the war. Then she entered the hibernation chamber during the war and ended up at the Sixth Street ghetto after waking up. She was part of the first group of survivors the Fishbone base bought. Because she looked adorable, articted well, was attention oriented, and possessed the right amount of experience, she was perfect for the representative role.
The other five staff members were upper citizens of the base. They will be on a rotating shift to enter the fallout shelter to support Xu Lus work.
Pay attention when you stay in the fallout shelter. Walk around, and be on good terms with the residents in the fallout shelter. You are representing the image of the Fishbone base. Jiang Chen patted her shoulder.
Dont worry boss, you can count on me. Xu Lu yfully saluted as she giggled.
Jiang Chen nodded as he watched her go down the elevator.
Followed by the shing signal light, the six people disappeared from the surface down to the cave a thousand meter below.
At the same time, a young looking woman in the blue fallout shelter uniform walked up to Jiang Chen.
Hello, Mr. Jiang, my name is Zhang Yuzhu, I will be the ambassador representing fallout shelter 027 to be stationed in the Fishbone base. A young looking girls voice was pleasing to the ears. She was also very fluent. The only blemish was the slight nervousness in her tone.
Coincidentally, the representative sent by both parties were female.
Based on the consideration of alleviating the tension in diplomacy? Since the wastnd had no professional diplomats.
An interesting coincidence.
Jiang Chen shook his head as he got rid of the weird thought in his mind.
Jiang Chen examined the ambassador from head to toe as he smiled. How old are you?
Eh? Twenty years old. Zhang Yuzhu paused as she didnt know why Jiang Chen would ask that question, but she still answered honestly.
Twenty? How long did the fallout shelter close for? Jiang Chen asked.
It will be twenty years by July of this year, Zhang Yuzhu said.
Twenty years, twenty years old. Were you born in the first year of the fallout shelter? Jiang Chen smiled.
No, my father told me, I was born outside of the fallout shelter, but only a few months old when I entered the ce. Zhang Yuzhu timidly smiled.
I see Speaking of this, working somewhere so far away from home, is your father not worried?
Zhang Yuzhu shook her head.
He has passed away already.
I am sorry.
Its okay, he left peacefully. Everyone the fallout shelter said he was a great guy. But he always said he was sorry about everything. Although I dont understand why my father would say that, but if I can rece him to help other people, then it would make him watching over me from above feel better.
When she finished speaking, a timid but bright smile surfaced on Zhang Yuzhus face.
Mhmm, you will. Watching the smiling face, Jiang Chen also smiled as he encouraged this little girl.
It was a heartwarming story, even in the fallout shelter, without seeing any daylight, it could breed such a beautiful soul?
After sending the little girl to the truck returning to the base, Jiang Chen was about the return to where the Fishbone soldiers were stationed, but he happened to see a group of people forming a circle at the other gate of the camp.
Seeing themotion, Jiang Chen walked over.
Listen, everyone. With only a small piece, everyone can be a sharpshooter! This is the good stuff I transported from Liuding Town, 100% pure! Dont you want to try? I promise, the feeling is remarkable!
A suspiciously dressed merchant was passionately speaking as he was selling suspicious substance to the Fishbone soldiers guarding the door.
He had a double-headed cow behind him and on its back was bags full of odd products.
Whats the purpose of this? He walked behind the crowd as Jiang Chen looked at the crowd quite curiously.
When they heard Jiang Chens voice, the soldiers cking off were almost scared to death.
No one listened to the merchants bullsheet as the soldiers scattered and returned to their post.
Seeing all of his customers run away, the merchant mingly looked at Jiang Chen as he stuffed the small vials into the bag on the double-headed cows back and dragged its leash as he prepared to leave.
Instincts told him that for this person to be able to scare the people carrying guns, this persons status must not be low. Although Jiang Chen ruined his business, he didnt dare toin. Since a merchant like him was putting his life on the line, if he identally offended someone and got shot, it would be a tragedy.
What is this thing? You havent answered me yet. Seeing as he wanted to leave, Jiang Chen asked again.
Jet, a magical thing that will increase the human sense. The exact effect is that after eating it, the world will appear to slow down. Seeing Jiang Chens interest in wanting to buy it, the merchant stopped and began to give his pitch.
Just like bullet time effect? Then it must be a good thing.
Jiang Chen touched his chin quite interested.
What do you think? A piece is only 10 crystals. The merchant rushed to him as he saw Jiang Chens expression.
That thing only sells for 4 crystals a piece at the Sixth Street, Ive seen it before. A soldier not too far away from Jiang Chen alerted, afraid the boss would be tricked.
The merchants eyes opened wide.
Could the thing from the Sixth Street beparable to mine? My Jet is not addictive. Do you dare to eat the things they sell?
You must be lying. Is there non-addictive Jet? Another soldier mocked.
When he heard this thing would be addictive, Jiang Chen instantly lost his interest.
But seeing the merchant argue with the soldier, Jiang Chen had another idea.
Ahem, you are saying that your Jet is an improved version, stronger than the ones sold at the Sixth Street pharmacy? Non-addictive? Jiang Chen cleared his throat as he interrupted the twos bantering.
Thats right, the merchant proudly fixed his cor as he looked at Jiang Chen. I can promise with my life that regardless how my Jet is used, it is non-addictive.
Okay, good. Jiang Chen nodded, How many do you have on you?
I only made I mean I only brought 53 pieces, the merchant said.
What is your name? Jiang Chen asked.
Meng Qian.
Okay Meng Qian, this is 530 crystals. Jiang Chen put his hand in his pocket and took out a few sizable crystals from the storage dimension and threw it to him.
Thanks, boss. Meng Qian nodded and bowed as he joyfully handed the small vials of drug.
But Jiang Chens next sentence made Meng Qians heart freeze.
You are wee. Jiang Chen casually threw the drug into the hands of the soldier beside him and pointed at the merchant packing up the crystals.
Capture him and feed him the drug. Report back to me if there are no problems.
No matter how that person begged, Jiang Chen turned around and went back to camp.
Chapter 296 - Like Mall
Chapter 296: Like Mall
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
And seeing the result, that guy was a liar.
That drug was not Jet at all, but something odd
After taking two pills, the person fell to the ground, unconscious.
It was apparent it wasnt Jet, Jet wouldnt make a person unconscious after two pills. When he remembered this evil merchant was selling this to them, the soldiers were furious. They confiscated all the crystals from the guys body before throwing him outside of the camps gate.
The small crystals were distributed among the soldiers. However, with the 530 crystals Jiang Chen paid, they were too scared to take it. Thus as the captain, after deliberating for a while, he personally sent the crystals to Jiang Chen and reported the incident to him.
From the moment he saw him, Jiang Chen knew that guy was up to no good, so he was not surprised at all by the report. Jiang Chen paid for that drug purely because he wanted to waste some time and tease the liar.
As for the 530 crystals, Jiang Chen didnt take it back as he asked the captain to distribute it amongst the soldiers. The wall has yet to be built. Therefore it was tiring to stand outside in the harsh winter. With 530 crystals, everyone would at least be given five. To the soldiers without money, and prioritized being fed well and kept warm, this was a sizable amount of wealth.
Seeing the grateful captain run out of the door in excitement, Jiang Chen smiled, locked the camp door, and prepared to go to bed.
He thought the incident would be over, but it was not
The next morning.
At the bus stop outside of the square, a shivering figure stood in the icy wind. The person would constantly look at the end of the street, and ssically roll up his sleeves to look at the time. His two eyebrows were tightly locked together as if he was anxiously waiting for something.
It was like this for a while.
On the dested street, his action was peculiar.
The soldiers patrolling at the gate watched the weird guy afar as they judged him.
Not long after, Jiang Chen, along with two soldiers in kic skeletons, slowly strolled over.
When he approached, he found out it was Meng Qian, the one who sold the drugs to him. Jiang Chen surprisingly raised his eyebrows as he walked towards him.
What are you doing?
Do you even need to ask? Im waiting for the bus, Meng Qian nced at Jiang Chen who stood beside him as he said nonchntly.
Bus? Jiang Chen examined him quite curiously.
Thats right, it seems to bete. Meng Qian frustratedly cursed a few times, but the man let out a sigh, tightened his cor, and prepared to leave.
Wait, where is your cow? Seeing he was about to leave, Jiang Chen stopped him.
Cow? What are you even talking about? Meng Qian turned around and looked at Jiang Chen as if he was crazy. Then he frowned as he asked back.
His eyes looked as if he was looking at a psycho.
Pretending to be dumb or really dumb? Jiang Chens expression turned peculiar.
Instinct told him, the reaction of this guy must have something to do the with the drug from yesterday.
Where are you nning to go? Jiang Chen asked.
Going to work, the person said, irritated.
Going to work? Jiang Chen was confused as he looked at him as a psycho as well.
Thats right, is there a problem? Fu*k, its sote already After ncing at his rolled up sleeve, Meng Qian cursed as he ignored Jiang Chen and walked to the other end of the street in quick steps.
Just as the soldiers behind Jiang Chen raised their guns and prepared to stop him, Jiang Chen stopped them.
Jiang Chen thoughtfully looked at Meng Qian moving in the distance as he ordered the two soldiers.
You two follow him first, I will be right there.
Yes. The two soldiers saluted as they began to jog after him.
After he returned the base, Jiang Chen notified Cheng Weiguo before he equipped himself with the T-3 power armor and chased after Meng Qian.
The two soldiers following Meng Qian were both knights of the Fishbone base; they were injected with the honorary chip it just had a different name. Therefore, their two-dimensional coordinates will appear on the EP map as green dots.
After inputting the maps information into the full sensory screen in the power armor helmet, Jiang Chen moved at full speed to catch up with the two green dots.
The snow was thick on the highway. Jiang Chen was nning to initiate gliding mode to chase them, but because the wheels were losing grip on the ground, he had to run.
After wasting some time on the road, Jiang Chen finally arrived at the destination. However, the two soldiers were already waiting there for him.
Where did he go? Jiang Chen slowed his speed in front of the two as he asked.
He went in. We were worried that we may alert them, so we didnt follow. The soldier pointed across the street.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes and looked over.
It was a small mall three floors high. There was a sign that read Like Store dangling from the roof. From the car wreckages in front of the entrance, this ce was popr before the war. A lot of the malls windows were sealed shut with wooden boards or other materials. The rest of them were covered by curtains.
Only the ss door of the mall was wide open.
It blocked all possibility of peeking in from the outside. At the same time, there was to blockade at the front door.
The building looking suspicious!
Jiang Chen stared at the dark entrance as he frowned. He opened the life detection device on the power armor. The waves scanned the hologram map, but when it passed through the building, there was not a single signal on the device.
From this point, there seemed to be no human activity in the mall.
Jiang Chen didnt feel too surprised by the result, he was more confident that there was something strange inside.
Although this device is effective in the modern world, which has a lower technology level, it is not so useful in the apocalypse. A lot of survivor groups, mercenaries, or raiders with a clever mind would install life detection device shields in their home to prevent their coordinates from being detected by people with ill-intention.
The guy called Meng Qian just went inside, how could there be no one inside?
How long did he go in for? Jiang Chen said in an undertone.
The older soldier looked at his EP. 10 minutes.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment.
[The strange hallucination drug. The merchant appeared at the camp gate out of nowhere. Is this a coincidence? But it is too much of a coincidence.]
Camp 27 has been built for only two days; the wall was not even half constructed yet. And there just happened to be a merchant that was passing by. One who was not even sure about the kind of people the group consisted of and walked over to the gate to sell products to the patrols who were holding guns? It didnt make sense.
If the soldiers had bought his drug, they would also experience hallucinations and walk into here?
When Jiang Chen thought about this, his expression turned stern but then loosened.
If they were targeting the Fishbone base, no reason not to recognize him as the general. But from the actions of the merchant, he didnt seem to recognize him. From this point alone, he shouldnt be targeting the base.
Then they must being for Fallout Shelter 027!
Jiang Chens eyes began to light up as the clues in his head became more evident.
The opponent seems to have acquired the knowledge that fallout shelter 027 has opened. Then for some reason, they tried to lure the residents here. But the merchant didnt know the specifics of the n as he was just ordered to sell the drug. So, he didnt care if they were blue skins or not.
It would make sense this way.
As to their intention, he would only know if he enters the building.
Jiang Chen stared at the pitch ck door, as well as the window only covered in cloth and instantly had an idea.
Chapter 297 - How could it be this guy?
Chapter 297: How could it be this guy?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It was unwise to enter through the front door, but Jiang Chen didnt n to do that in the first ce.
The drone can take care of the reconnaissance.
He ordered the older soldier to notify Cheng Weiguo and ask him to bring some soldiers for backup. At the same time, he ordered the younger soldier to stay by the back door of the mall to prevent people from escaping.
After doing all this, Jiang Chen took out a hummingbird drone from the storage dimension. This type of hummingbird drone was not attached to a machine gun, but rather a set of light multifunctionality reconnaissance device. It wouldplete any reconnaissance mission and was a convenient tool.
But Jiang Chen was notpletely satisfied. After deliberating for a moment, he also attached two fist-sized sticky explosives on top of the drone as he utilized the remaining load.
After connecting the drone to theputer in his power armor, he slowly approached the mall. Then in front of the KFC, close to the front door, he threw out the disc in his hand as he controlled the drone and flew it to the third-floor window.
Without making a sound, the disc sized drone approached the cloth-sealed window as the pin camera pierced into the cloth.
Other than an office table and a row of filing cabs, there was nothing else suspicious in the room.
After slicing a small opening in the cloth, the drone flew into the room. Underneath the window, Jiang Chen saw a round shapedndmine.
Jiang Chen felt his scalp tingling.
Good thing he didnt just flip inside, it was filled with traps.
Not only at the window but below the open door, an infrared trip mine was also hidden.
But those things were useless against a drone.
Jiang Chen skillfully controlled the drone as it flew into the deserted tunnel as he searched room by room.
Most of the rooms were empty or rather stuffed with pre-war office supplies.
But in a room at the end of the hallway, Jiang Chen saw something that looked different.
Four fridge-sized metal equipment were lined up and ced at the entrance of the door. Along with the equipment, a faint fan noise could be heard. There wereputer towers? But it didnt look like that was possible.
In the middle of the room was a surgery table filled with blood. The light squeezing through the cracks of the wooden boards happened to scatter on the blood stains. A few surgical knifes were ced a rusty tray nearby. From the yet to turn ck bloodstains, a surgery seemed to have urred not too long ago.
What was more daunting was the paint in the paint can.
The content of the can was obviously not painted, but blood mixed with meat chunks and broken limbs.
Fu*k. Jiang Chen outside of the mall cursed as his stomach turned.
These were obviously not things that belonged to a mall.
Just as Jiang Chen was controlling the drone to hover around the room, looking for other evidence, a sound came from the floor below.
Jiang Chen immediately controlled the drone to hover out of the room and fly down along the stairs.
After directly flying through a row of offices, the disc stopped at the door of an office.
The door was closed, but it couldnt stop the genius Yao Yao.
This girl was not only talented in programming, but she was also experienced in electronic device modification. Jiang Chen carefully controlled the hummingbird drone towards the doorknob, aimed it at the mechanical lock, and pierced the pin camera inside.
The needle followed the lock pattern inside. After making a few turns, it sessfully came out on the other side.
It was dark inside the room, but there was enough light to see clearly.
There were four people inside the room, three stood up, one was on the ground.
Meng Qian was the one who was lying on the ground. The person closest to him was a bearded man. He couldnt see the face of a tall but thin man, but instinct told Jiang Chen that he was dangerous. As to the man with his back against the door, he didnt look important and must be a pawn only.
Hell, why did this dumb*ss eat the drug himself, didnt I tell him not to eat it himself! What is this dumb*ss brain made out of. The bearded man cursed as he kicked the unconscious Meng Qian.
The kick seemed to hurt Meng Qian as he woke up from unconsciousness.
When he realized that he was tied up, his eyes began to quiver in fear.
What do we do next? The tall and thin man carrying a fluid-shaped rifle coldly looked at the twitching Meng Qian as he said without any emotion.
Hmm Should we observe him for a bit longer? The man at the door suggested.
That seems to be the only option, at least wait till he bes conscious again. The bearded man sighed, sat on the chair, and lit up a cigarette.
Who are you? Why did you tie me up! God, are you crazy? Hongbo, little Du,e help me! These psychos Meng Qian screamed at the empty office table as he listlessly yellowed out random names.
From the reactions on their faces, the names didnt belong to anyone there.
Who can keep this guy quiet? The bearded man blew out a smoke ring as he said in annoyance.
Bang!
A faint smoke rose from the rifle the slim man was holding.
Meng Qianpletely quieted down. In the widens eyes, his pupils began to dte.
Blood began to flow from the back of his head as it matched the daunting blood hole on his forehead.
The room was gravely silent.
Smoke slowly rose from the cigarette between his fingers. It froze there without moving. Then momentster a length of soot fell down.
You killed him?
Thats right. The slim man said casually.
Mouth twitched, the bearded man was clearly unsatisfied with what the guy did, but for some reason, he was afraid to be angry at the slim man.
Okay, thats good. Now we have to start over again. The bearded man pped his thigh, threw away the cigarette in his hand, andined while looking at his knee.
There was no value in that garbage, The slim man said nonchntly.
At least we could have learned about the circumstances of that camp. Now, we wont even know if he had contact with those blue skins or not, The man standing at the door said feeling rather helpless.
Perhaps he realized theck of consideration or extreme arrogance, but the slim man didnt resolve hispanionsints.
After deliberating for a moment, he used an authoritative tone.
Use mutated fly. Inject that drug into their poison bags, and then put them around the fallout shelter I will take care of the surgery. You go find two mutated flies.
Those flies were the size of human skulls. By using barbed maggots as their attacking mechanism, they were one of the most disgusting creatures on the wastnd. Although it didnt attack that often, it carried all kinds of bacteria, which made it problematic once one was infected.
You want it alive? The bearded man raised his eyebrows.
Mhmm. The person nodded.
Are you kidding me? Capturing two mutated flies alive? Do you think they are rabbits? Perhaps his ordering tone made the bearded man unable to withstand it any longer but he roared at the slim man.
If you are infected with mutated bacteria, I can take care of it for you, still the same apathetic tone, the slim man responded.
The bearded man scorned, I wont let you touch my organs. Let me tell you, our Crimson Chamber of Commerce is only a partnership with you, not your servant.
Is this your bosss intention?
We help you get into the fallout shelter, and you give us the ingredients to that drug
Shh. The slim man suddenly raised his finger and put it beside his lips.
The room instantly quieted down.
Jiang Chen gulped as he began to maneuver the drone to move back.
But then, an unfortunate thing happened.
Because the lock has not been oiled for a long time, when the pin camera was retracting from the lock, it made a faint sound.
Who is there! A loud shout came from behind the door as the man closest to the door quickly turned the doorknob and opened the door.
Knowing that he has been discovered, Jiang Chen pushed the drones engine power to its max. Following the buzzing sound, the drone dashed into the room.
The slim man raised his gun. However, the instant Jiang Chen saw his face, he was shocked.
Lin Chaoen? How could it be this guy?
Lin Chaoen pressed the trigger. At the same time, Jiang Chen pressed the detonation for the sticky explosive.
The signal to the drone was lost. Jiang Chen raised his head to look at the second floor.
After half a second.
Boom!
Following the homing explosion, red mes scattered as it blew the wooden boards sealing the windows tens of meters away.
Jiang Chen looked at the thick snowing out of the window and was dumbfounded.
He was lost. What show was this?
Chapter 298 - Atomic Grenade
Chapter 298: Atomic Grenade
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The vibration from the explosion could be clearly felt ten meters away from the Like Mall. The two sticky explosives TNT equivalency was two kilograms. Although it didnt have any metal shards inside, the shock of the explosion could easily have shattered the organs of the three people in the room.
Since the construction of the building used technology from one and a half-century after his time, the mall that survived through the nuclear explosion didnt copse because of the explosives.
Watching the thick smoke, Jiang Chen estimated that the people inside all died, so he took out his tactical rifle and was about to enter the mall.
But suddenly, a noisy shouting voice came from the mall.
There were more than three people inside. The explosion alerted the other people inside the building. The pawns in rifles quickly rushed to the first floor as they bumped into Jiang Chen who was about to enter the mall.
Jiang Chen was a step faster.
The tactical rifle in his hands spit out mes as he swept down three or four people during the first encounter.
However, those mercenaries dressed soldiers were not to be underestimated. When they saw they were facing a power armor, they buried their heads along the rows of hangers and passed through the me before hiding under the nearest cover.
The rifles in their hands were not the toys the CIB had in their factories. To the power armor produced from the same era, it certainly posed a threat. Although the bullets were deflected off of Jiang Chens armor and didnt prate through it, the high kic energy from the shots brought Jiang Chen agony and he was forced to retreat behind cover.
The T-3 type, after all, is an airdrop type power armor. If it was thend warfare type, with over one ton in weight, the bullets would feel more like a tickle.
Fu*k, when I have the opportunity Ill get and type to try. The debris that fell from the edge of the building made a loud sound when it scratched the surface of his power armor.
With his back against the wall, Jiang Chen cursed, and then took a deep breath to calm himself down. He took out five heat sensor grenades from the storage dimension and threw them towards the door.
The heat sensor grenades followed a parab curve andnded by the cover of the mercenaries.
The grenade sudden stopped mid-air as the booster from its side adjusted its direction and flew to the heat source - a few luring bombs hidden in the corner.
Boom!
The explosion made Jiang Chen feel relieved. He stuck his head out of the bunker, but the small explosion forced him back.
Fu*k.
Jiang Chen cursed as he scanned the damage assessment of the power armor.
Fortunately, the bullets left only a few dents on his helmet without causing more significant damage.
Obviously, the five heat sensor grenades didnt y their role.
After all, on the wastnd, high-tech products were not rarities.
Laughter came out of the mall as a few mercenaries, at the top of their lungs, began to shout profanity at Jiang Chen.
You only can do this? Your mom definitely pushed hard enough when you were born!
Hahaha! You are wearing a fu*king power armor, a chicken would be more resistant than you.
Longtao, I didnt know you were this humourous before, haha
Suppressing the anger in his heart, Jiang Chen took a deep breath, as a grimacing smile appeared on his face.
The storage dimension opened, and this time, he took out a metal tube the size of a pen.
Hide this time!
After running out of cover, Jiang Chen threw the pen on the ground before quickly running in the opposite direction.
Seeing Jiang Chen escape, those mercenaries was suddenly anxious as they chased with their anti-armor weapons.
Fu*k you, dont run
However, this insult didnt have time toe out before they were engulfed in an arc of explosions.
The blinding lightning shed; the high-energy particles flowed, instantly blurring the full sensory screen in Jiang Chens helmet. The shockwave without suspense pushed down the wall by the door, the cement blocks were blown tens of meters away from to the corner of the street.
It was not a pen, but an atomic grenade!
This stuff was made out of the 500 kilograms of uranium Jiang Chen left to Lin Lin. Outside was ayer of lead shell, while the inside was ayer of explosives used to initiate the explosion. The ink was also 1g of uranium oxide pulled into fmentous.
Just 1g of uranium oxide! With only 60% involved in the chain reaction. But even so, it had a terrifying 12 tons TNT equivalent of explosive power! Two sides of the wall on the first floor were gone, leaving two structural walls and some steel frames.
Talk sheet again. Jiang Chen opened the helmet as he angrily spat out on the ground. Then he put the helmet on again and started the air filtration system inside the power armor.
Even the radiation dust caused by 1g of uranium explosion still could not be underestimated. Especially in this airtight space, he must be careful the radiation doesnt surpass the threshold value.
Jiang Chen walked up and looked at the horrors of the mall. Jiang Chen couldnt help but feel speechless.
Because the actual effect was uncertain, and the uranium oxide treatment was not easy, Lin Lin only made one grenade. Surprised at its power, Jiang Chen made up his mind to convince Lin Lin to manufacture some more.
When he stepped inside the mall, he couldnt find aplete body of the moring mercenaries. It was hard to say from their body instantly reached boiling point or was shattered by the shockwave.
After walking over a pile of ck clothes, Jiang Chen didnt even pull out his gun as he walked to the stairs.
No one can survive after this level of explosion.
However, at this time, he suddenly felt alerted. He instinctively jumped back and ignited the two pairs of turbine engines behind his back.
A faint blue light flickered, as he rapidly retreated to the door. Almost at the same time, a figure quickly jumped down from the hole in the ceiling as it mercilessly hit where he was standing.
Boom!
Among the debris, he saw a dark blueser sword. Along with it, was a face with half of his head shaved. Under the burned skin, mechanical parts filled his insides.
What is this thing? A digitized human?!
Jiang Chen was shocked. While he retreated rapidly he pulled out the tactical rifle from his side. That person didnt hesitate either as he dashed towards him.
What the fu*k are you! Jiang Chen roared as he pressed the trigger.
This person was obviously not human!
The bullets fired instantly weaved a of fire.
The person didnt answer, the light sword in hand changed.
Like a stretched umbre, light particles from the de stripped forward, melting the bullets.
Looking at this scene, Jiang Chen was so scared his hair stood up.
Being able to melt steel core ammunition, the C-type steel armor would be hard to resist! Although the power armor surface was coated with a scattering coating, which would offer some resistance toser bullets, he could not bet on theser sword that had continuous damage.
Ka
The clip was empty!
The man did not give Jiang Chen the time to change clip, the light particles formed into a sword, as it stabbed straight at Jiang Chen.
In the moment of the sh, Jiang Chen clenched his teeth and his pupil contracted.
Invictus!
The ability above fury, he didnt use it since hisst fight with the lead mutated human.
It felt like his entire body was submerged in cold water, all of his emotions were thrown out from his body.
Jiang Chen felt his brain was never so clear!
Nitrogen shield.
He muttered to himself as he developed the circle on his left arm.
The violent air burst out instantly, the high-pressure nitrogen circted, blowing away the high temperature of the light particles, and cut off the light sword touching his front chest.
Pupil reflected the parameters, Jiang Chen suddenly stepped on the broken face of the man, while extinguishing the turbine engine and used the reactionary force to stand on the ground.
The man saw the light sword lose its purpose and simply threw it aside. He then took out a dagger and dashed again.
Seeing that there was no time to change the clip, Jiang Chen threw the rifle aside and also took out his dagger by the power armor.
However, when the two daggers met, that persons de in hand cut through Jiang Chens like butter
Although surprised by the sharpness of the dagger, Jiang Chen did not panic as he stepped sideways to dodge the blow.
Particle vibrating dagger?
While murmuring to himself, Jiang Chen backed up to avoid the mans second hit.
The sound of the buzz didnt escape his ear. He heard Sun Jiao mention this thing before, but it was the first time seeing it.
It was said that this stuff could cut C-type steel like tofu.
His back was against the wall.
See Jiang Chen had no way to escape, the man with only half of his mouth smiled and swung the dagger down at him.
At the same time, Jiang Chen, seemingly out of moves, raised his left arm.
Chapter 299 - A Digitalized Human? A Robot?
Chapter 299: A Digitalized Human? A Robot?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Screech!
The cringing screeching sound went out of tune as the broken mechanical face looked shocked.
But before he could use his electronic parts to demonstrate his surprise, Jiang Chens right hand already pped onto his face as he grabbed his neck to spin him around before pressing him against the wall.
Followed by the mechanical shattering sound, the digitalized humans jaw moved. He attempted to break loose but seeing he couldnt, he soon gave up as his eyes nced at the dagger pierced into his left arm.
WhWhy? He pierced through the armor with that dagger but couldnt move it out a single inch.
Jiang Chen deactivated Invictus and stared at the digitalized human with a grimace on his face.
Obviously, it is stuck.
The instant the dagger cut through Jiang Chens left arm armor, Jiang Chen went into overdrive and burned the entire electronic circuit on his left arm. The high temperature caused the armor to expand which resulted in the point of pration to contrast, therefore mping down the vibrating de.
The particle dagger that has stopped vibrating was worse than a standard de.
With a normal humans reaction speed, this seems impossible, the digitalized human said.
The power armor read the data of the daggers movement and calcted the distance between the de and the armor. Then you just have to count and burn the circuit. Jiang Chen sneered.
To maximize his existingbat ability was the incredibleness of this Invictus ability.
Abandoning the entire left arm armor? Thats brave. The digitalized humanughed as he scanned the dagger beginning to smoke.
The dagger forcefully mped down was sent into overcapacity which meant this vibrating particle de was also destroyed.
Now can you be truthful? What are you? The hand around his neck tightened as Jiang Chen threatened.
Lin Chaoen, we met at the Sixth Street. With sparksing from his neck, he stuttered.
Lin Chaoen paused for a moment as he narrowed his eyes.
You are a digitalized human?
Thats right, Lin Chaoen said honestly as he gave Jiang Chen a hollow smile, The fusion of technology.
I dont have time to listen to your bullsheet, you have two choices now. Tell me what you know, such as the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, the Defenders honestly. Or, be disassembled by me, Jiang Chen threatened coldly.
Jiang Chen already considered Fallout Shelter 027 as part of his territory, he would not sit around when someone is plotting against his jurisdiction. On the other side, the Crimson Chamber of Commerce was his old rival, Cao Jinsong died in his hands.
But what was unsettling to Jiang Chen was the Defender, Lin Chaoen said that they were the survivors of Jia City and had the goal of an uprising against the mutated humans reign. But as of now, the Fishbone bases information was still nk about them.
Not knowing what the opponent thought was more fearsome than knowing what the enemy was plotting.
I chose thetter.
What? Jiang Chens eyes contracted as he locked his sight on the mechanical pupils.
I choose to be dissembled into parts
With a bang, Jiang Chen crashed his right leg with one kick as the bent titanium skeleton came out.
I am not joking, Jiang Chen said grimly as he increased the strength on his right hand.
I am also not joking, Lin Chaoen said nonchntly, he even emotionlessly shrugged. Do you think theres any purpose in threatening a digitalized human? The cost is one hundred ten thousand crystals, if you break it Ill just make another one
As he said this, smoke suddenly came out of the back of his head and he stopped moving.
Jiang Chen was stunned as he immediately ripped apart his neck, took out another tactical dagger, and cut open his metal skull.
The internal circuit had been burnt already, he chose to self-destruct.
Dammit. Jiang Chen removed the ck control chip, cursed, and then threw the chip into the storage dimension.
A digitalized human made by 100% mechanical parts?
Jiang Chen suddenly remembered Lin Lin. She is also a digitalized human, but only partially modified by electronics.
But this guy had not a single living cell, he would be more of a robot.
The Defender? Why would they be connected with the Crimson Chamber of Commerce?
He couldnt find a reason. Jiang Chen shook his head as he threw the mechanical body inside the storage dimension. Hell get the people in the fallout shelter to research it to see if they could reverse engineer the technology behind it.
But he could not fathom the thought that the mercenary he drank with was a robot.
As he thought about it, a weird chill crept into his body; he shivered.
He walked to the side and picked up theser sword that was flung to the ground.
It looked like a shlight with three modes to select. The handle had three words engraved on it, sword, shield, andnce. Jiang Chen didnt get to see the third mod yet as the robot probably didnt have the opportunity to do so.
After pressing the switch, Jiang Chen pointed theser sword forward and changed it tonce mode.
The faint blue light shed, but then there were no other differences.
He gently shook the swords body as the faint blue spectrum followed his movement.
Seeing the soft sword body, Jiang Chen was inspired. He looked at the wall not far away as he swung the sword,
The sword broke from the middle. The broken part formed a light de and flew to the wall.
Without making a sound, the light de disappeared through the concrete wall.
The far range mode of theser sword?
Jiang Chen muttered to himself and walked to the wall.
The light de burnt a mark on the wall. He poked with his finger as he easily pierced the wall. Although he couldnt feel the temperature with the power armor, from how soft the concrete was, it was not hard to imagine the intensity of the sword.
Jiang Chen looked at the energy status on the side of the sword.
Damn, with only one swing, twenty percent of the energy was gone. No wonder that guy didnt use this mode.
After ying with it for a bit longer, Jiang Chen threw it into the storage dimension.
Laser swords were not too useful to Jiang Chen who favored firearms. But perhaps it was a better choice to give it to other people to use, although he couldnt think of the ideal candidate yet.
The vibrating dagger was destroyed. Jiang Chen didnt bother with it as he walked upstairs.
When he came to the second floor, Jiang Chen walked into the half-destroyed room.
He scanned the horrific scene in the room as he couldnt even help but feel shocked.
The wall was burnt to a crisp ck color. The table and drawer were all blown to the wall by the shockwave. The three bodies were disfigured, it was impossible to tell who was who just from their appearance. Jiang Chen didnt question that if he opened his helmet, he definitely would smell burnt meat.
From the location where their bodies were, Jiang Chen made out the bearded man.
Jiang Chen squatted beside him as he suppressed his nauseous stomach and removed the burned EP.
Although the EP was broken, the chip inside was preserved.
Encrypted?
Jiang Chen looked at the password dialogue on the screen. Jiang Chen was not frustrated but somewhat happy.
Since there was a password, that must mean some dark secrets were stored inside! He was afraid that the clue would be broken at this point, as to password, Yao Yao should be able to take care of that.
After he had searched the area for a bit longer to ensure he didnt miss anything, he walked down.
But just as he went down one flight of stairs, he heard a monstrous roar from the back of the mall as well as a terrified scream.
Jiang Chens face immediately changed.
That sound-
Chapter 300 - The Mother of Death Claw
Chapter 300: The Mother of Death w
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It was a Death w!
He will never forget the deadly fight above Fallout Shelter 005.
Immediately, scattered gunshots followed. Then the shooting stopped and the scream also ceased.
The scream was the knight he sent to guard the back door.
Jiang Chens face was white, he opened the map, and the green dot at the back of the mall disappeared!
Fu*k!
Jiang Chen cursed as he had no time to go through the front door. Stepping on the shattered-ss window, he jumped out of the ten something meter high floor.
The turbine engines turbulence blew away the snow as the power armors feet smashed into the ground, leaving two spiderweb-like crack craters.
Roar!
The beastly roar copsed the snow on top of the roof. Even the steel armor on his power armor was vibrating because of the boom.
Following the trembling of the ground, something was running in his direction.
Fu*k, this is definitely not a normal Death w.
But then suddenly, a name that even Sun Jiao feared appeared in his head.
Mother of Death w.
Jiang Chens expression grew paler. Not even thinking about his entire left arm that has malfunctioned, even if it didnt malfunction, going head to head against a Death w in this terrain would be unwise. Especially if it was the Mother of Death w.
Without hesitation, Jiang Chen gritted his teeth and immediately opened the wheels under his feet.
The best strategy was always to leave! If I cant beat it, I can run faster than you.
But before he could move two meters, the empty spin sound came from the bottom of his feet.
Fu*k!
Boom!
Followed by his curse, a ck shadow pierced the window beside him as it smashed half the wall down.
Jiang Chen used the corner of his eye to catch a glimpse of the shadow, it was the kic skeleton of the Fishbone base! But the flesh inside had been eaten clean by the Death w.
At the same time, the nearly two-story tall Death w fiercely entered the street. Being woken up from its hibernation, the desire for flesh filled every single cell in its body.
The bell-shaped eyes locked onto the pile of metal while it was still roaring - it spotted Jiang Chen in his power armor.
This thing A cold sweat broke out and rolled down from Jiang Chens forehead.
He thought he was like a one-armed fighter in the Roman Coliseum, and on the other side was a grizzly bear thats been starving for an entire winter.
He didnt choose to run. Without the wheels, he could not outrun the strong Death w with only two legs. With his back against this type of monster, he would only die faster.
Jiang Chen repeated recollected those words as he locked his eyes on the giant Death w and search for an opportunity.
The Mother of Death w also locked its sight on Jiang Chen, in the amber colored pupils shed a bloodthirsty light.
To be honest, it didnt like the prey covered in metal, the sharp edges of the metal may cut its mouth. But it was too hungry, hungry enough to eat an entire Roshan. The previous human was not even enough to be an appetizer!
Jiang Chens left foot moved back half a step.
The amber pupils immediately contracted, the fear of the prey stimted the beast.
Roar!
With giant strides, the Mother of Death w dashed at Jiang Chen. It was hard to believe its enormous body could be so agile.
But the monsters dont know, if a human wanted to run, they would step back with their right foot first.
Jiang Chen put his strength in his right knee, under both mechanical and muscle strength, his feet cracked the concrete ground! He leaped at the monster!
With the turbine engine on maximum, Jiang Chen locked its actions as he adjusted the direction of the power armor.
The five sharp ws left a shadow in the air as it flipped off two pieces of armor on the left arm.
Jiang Chens body shook as he stabilized the bnce of the power armor.
The opportunity exchanged by the malfunctioned left arm armor, was used to go behind the Death w.
In this intense moment, he took out his remaining sticky explosives from the storage dimension and threw it on the back of the Mother of Death w.
Because it was so massive, the Mother of Death w could not stop as it smashed forward.
Go die! Jiang Chen grimacingly pressed the activation button.
The scorching me immediately blew the back of the Mother of Death w. The giant shockwave blew its massive body to the ground as it rolled a few times before smashing into the shop window.
Looking at the thick smoke, Jiang Chen didnt let his guard down as he raised his right arm without stopping, the revolving trident machineguns focused in on the center of the smoke.
Roar!
The thunderous roar blew open the smoke. The scattered dust created a shockwave.
It smashed its chest but in the amber pupils, the tyrannical violence was only increasing.
It was enraged.
Fu*k! Still not fu*king died, Jiang Chen pressed the trigger cursing.
Tatata!
The bullets shredded the smoke, but it didnt manage to destroy the chest of the Death w.
That solid horn armor could withstand the revolving machinegun
The Mother of Death w covered its eyes with one w while the other one swung in his direction.
Jiang Chen gritted his teeth to the point they were about to shatter. He maintained fire suppression while opening the turbine engine to move back.
Spine cant be broken, bullets cant prate it, is this even a creature! Jiang Chen cursed with his eyes shing.
In the open area, he was afraid to use his interdimensional travel. It was hard to ensure that an atomic grenade wouldnt draw the attention of the nearby survivors. If he were seen, it would be a problem
But now, was there time to care that much?
Just as Jiang Chen made up his mind to do it and avoid this thing, a deepmunication voice entered his channel.
Tiger 02 has arrived at the battlefield. General, please maintain current movement speed
Jiang Chen didnt have time to react when an orange light flew by his arm and prated the chest of the Mother of Death w.
It was backup sent by Cheng Weiguo.
Jiang Chen was ecstatic.
That guy brought the Tiger parked in the camp!
The four meter high Mother of Death w got blown away like a piece of paper as it smashed on the ground. At the same time, the sound of breaking the sound barrier slowly diffused from Jiang Chens back.
5 kg bomb. It smashed a wheel sized blood hole on its chest. At the same time, it removed all the flesh and exposed its jagged spine.
Is it over?
Looking at the thick smoke, Jiang Chen mustered to himself as he felt relieved and stopped the revolving machinegun.
But suddenly, his pupils contracted.
The Mother of Death w twitched its limbs. Jiang Chen thought it was itsst effort before death, but he shockingly found the body parts were healing.
Tiger 02, shoot the head of the Death w! Jiang Chen shouted.
Okay General Reloadingplete Fire.
Boom!
Debris mixed with snow blew ten meters up into the air.
He let the concrete debris scratch his armor as Jiang Chen stared at the Mother of Death w.
It lost its head. The Mother of Death w stopped moving and made no more noise.
Jiang Chen let out a breath of relief. If it was not for the steel armor holding Jiang Chen up, he would likely be sitting on the ground by now.
Kill confirmed, Mr. General. But please dont do something so dangerous next time. Fighting on the frontline is the duty of the knights. Although the driver was joking, the respect in his tone was not hard to identify.
With just a power armor to be able to go head to head against the Mother of Death w. Although Jiang Chen didnt realize it, in the bystanders eyes, he was inhumanly powerful.
Okay, you will have plenty of chances Before that, get Cheng Weiguo here to help me, I feel like this power armor ispletely busted
Chapter 301 - Happy Times
Chapter 301: Happy Times
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Boss, I beg you, please dont y like this in the future. After moving the busted power armor, Cheng Weiguo looked at the torn left arm and said with a bitter smile.
I am okay right? Haha. Jiang Chen forced out a fewughs.
Although he knew he was being too reckless, he would never admit it to his subordinates.
A truck drove back and picked up the body of the Mother of Death w.
A few soldiers who worked in a hunger team before skillfully dug out the crystals in the back of the monsters head.
After scanning the almost ck, green crystals with the special device, they concluded there were a total of 290 crystals. In terms of energy, the Mother of Death w was at the top of the food chain, among the dangerous mutants. If it was above 300 crystals, then it must be categorized in the extreme mutant creatures category.
To normal survivors, 290 crystals were a sizable amount of wealth. But to Jiang Chen, these crystals were not enough. The half-scraped power armor cost more than 10000 crystals.
As for the body of the Mother of Death w, it will be taken back to the Fishbone base, submerged in Formalin for an entire month before being plugged up, and injected with concrete. The body will be a statue and will forever bow its head in the square in front of themunity center. With its head being stepped under the foot of Jiang Chen in his power armor, it will be used to worship the bravery of the Fishbone leader.
Even the most dangerous species, the Mother of Death w, was defeated by our leader. What other hardships would hinder our march forward?
Jiang Chen had always put an emphasis on the spiritual civilization of the base. While very chip could control the life and death of people, it could not control their thoughts
Fine, he didnt have such lofty thoughts, he only wanted to show off.
The body of the shredded soldier could no longer be found. The strong acid in the Death ws stomach would dissolve the prey, including its bones, in less than an hour. A few soldiers gritted their teeth and dragged some clothes out of it, as well as a glided knight emblem; the only two things that remained.
The torn uniform and emblem will be ced in a wooden box and buried in the Fishbone cemetery, the final destination of all knights. As to his rtives, they will be recognized as martyrs, the Fishbone base will provide for them until his children be adults.
It was morning when he left and already past noon when he returned.
He returned to camp 27 with the force. Jiang Chen didnt bother with anything as he ran to the cafeteria to ask the chef to cook something simple.
Although he asked for something simple, the chef definitely didnt make it simple. He used the giant pot to cook three dishes and personally put it on Jiang Chens table.
When he smelled the aroma of food, Jiang Chen stomach became hungrier. After three consecutive battles, it certainly tired him out as he immediately started to devour the food.
When he was halfway through his meal, Jiang Chen saw Cheng Weiguo walk over so he waved at him.
Did you eat yet?
Not yet, I am seeing if there are any leftovers. Cheng Weiguo forced a smile.
He dropped his chopsticks while eating as he came to Jiang Chens rescue on an empty stomach.
Come, lets eat together. Jiang Chen smiled.
Cheng Weiguo was ttered and didnt reject as he carried a bowl and sat across from Jiang Chen.
The two chitchatted for a moment before they returned to more serious topics.
Did you search near the Like Mall? Jiang Chen asked.
We did, but we only managed to find two small sized survivor groups No nest of the Death w. As he said this, Cheng Weiguo was also puzzled.
Needless to say, it should still be in hibernation. Additionally, the Mother of Death w doesnt normally leave its nest. Although it was powerful, it didnt really hunt prey on its own. Due to its massive body, a few swings would cost it a lot of energy. The basic pattern of this species was to take the preys that were gifted by countless of pursuers in exchange for mating rights. Although gic analysis showed that the Death w may be some kind of mutated lizard caused by the radiation, its ethnic structure was more simr to ants.
However, near the Like Mall, no Death w nest existed. The Mother of Death w seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
Needless to say, this was abnormal.
What did the survivors say?
Most of them lived in the area for over ten years, they said they never saw the Death w before. Cheng Weiguo said.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he didnt think it was as simple as it looked.
He spected that the Mother of Death w must have been lured by someone. Though he might not have be the target since it was just a coincidence he appeared there. In that case, the Death w must be targeting Lin Chaoen or people from the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, but he just happened to kill them first and bumped into the Death w.
But there was not enough information. Nothing woulde to fruition just by thinking. At least he had to wait to crack the password on the EP chip before he can gain some more clue.
The only thing he was certain about now was that the two parties were fighting over something.
The Crimson Chamber of Commerce, Digitalized human, Defender, mutated humanand the Dusk, and possibly the Northern Alliance area.
Wanghai City was a ce of trouble, what was hiding here?
Jiang Chen shook his head. Lets put this aside for now, is the result of that drug out?
When he left in the morning, when Jiang Chen told Cheng Weiguo he was heading out, he also left the drug for it to be taken to the fallout shelter for analysis.
He was curious what the drug actually was.
When he heard Jiang Chen ask about the drug, Cheng Weiguos face also turned stern.
The analysis results are out, it is a hallucinating agent, a banned substance before the war .
Banned substance? Jiang Chen frowned.
Mhmm, it is said that it posed a huge threat to society. This is the report. Cheng Weiguo took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Jiang Chen. Something pretty weird.
Jiang Chen began to scan the paper.
Happy Times. Just like the name of the drug, the person taking the drug will receive a days length of Happy Times. The symptom was to develop hallucinations,pleting taking on a role at a certain time and enjoying a happy life that didnt belong to them.
The drug gained poprity in 2151 among the low to medium ie poption, following the economic recession. Because the drug was not addictive in nature, it didnt draw the attention of the government agency. Until one incident, where a depressed middle-aged man was standing in the middle of the street collecting garbage cans and blocking off traffic, did it finally draw the attention of the government. Mentally addictive substances were first added into controlled substance rule
No wonder Meng Qian was waiting for the bus, he really was rushing to work.
After he read to the end, Jiang Chen threw the report on the table.
I have seen it before. Cheng Weiguo shook his head.
Arrest them if you see people selling it. Let them know Whatever, I will do it myself. Come back with me to the Fishbone base tomorrow. After eating, Jiang Chen cleaned up the bowls.
Boss
What?
Are you just going to let Fallout Shelter 027 sit around? Seeing there was no one around them, Cheng Weiguo hesitated for a moment before he made up his mind and asked the question.
Oh? Do you have better ideas? Jiang Chen smiled.
The energy rod is already transported to the camp, but I havent handed them over yet We can definitely use the opportunity during the handover, rece the staff with soldiers, destroy the motor in the door and capture the fallout shelter. Cheng Weiguo lowered his voice as he whispered to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen beganughing when he heard his words.
Cheng Weiguo looked at Jiang Chen feeling lost as he didnt know what was the w in his n.
Jiang Chen stopped right away as he looked at Cheng Weiguo.
Whats the probability of sess?
50%. After hesitating for a moment, Cheng Weiguo gave a conservative estimate.
Jiang Chen shook his head as he patted him on the shoulder.
Give them the energy rod, and we will leave this ce. In less than a month, this fallout shelter will be mine.
Cheng Weiguo was stunned, he didnt know where his boss found the confidence.
But from his expression, he didnt look like he was joking
Chapter 302 - Duty
Chapter 302: Duty
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen provided the fallout shelter with ten crystal energy rods.
This type of energy rod followed a simr design to the 100mm nuclear fusion core, except that the contents are not 1 gram of tritium used for nuclear fusion reactions, but rather 1000 crystal shards. This was also the enhanced version of the energy rod used in the power armor. The output was simr to the nuclear fusion core, but the energy input was only one-tenth of it.
These ten crystal energy rod could maintain a month of energy consumption for the fallout shelter, Jiang Chen personally sent it to the ground.
I wont give you the hope to store energy to pass the winter. Also, if your research speed slows down, I will decrease the energy supplies.
While handing over the ten crystal energy rods, Jiang Chen also gave them his research expectations.
Design a light armor, high mobility, and strong firepower of the self-propelled artillery, as an improved version of the Tiger. With the truck pulling the cannon, it was rather outdated. Since they have the opportunity now to upgrade to a better armor, Jiang Chen naturally would not let this opportunity go.
Without rules restraining us, this is the most logical choice. To Jiang Chens threat, Han Junhua only nodded indifferently.
Are you not going to fight for more benefits? Jiang Chen smiled.
There is no need. Han Junhua shook her head. Threats can make people remain alert.
Especially since she knew that even if she demanded more, Jiang Chen would not give ground on this point.
Haha, smart choice. But seriously, this is my first time meeting such an interesting opponent. Jiang Chenughed before turning around and going to the elevator.
Han Junhua didnt oppose the word opponent. She looked at Jiang Chen and calmly blinked her eyes.
Am I really interesting?
Of course, not everyone can escape the shackles known as human nature and use rationality to think. I have to say, you have a talent. Are PACs colonels all at this level? Jiang Chen let out a sigh.
If that was the case, then PAC was too scary.
Does it have to do with ranking? Han Junhua retorted.
Jiang Chen paused for a moment before he smiled. Of course not. In other ces, I have seen colonel ranked officers, and their brains are not at all this smart. Some drawn to technicals, some arrogant I am only curious.
Where? Han Junhua asked a different question.
In my backyard. Jiang Chenughed as he said a truth that was easily misinterpreted.
Then your backyard definitely would not need to worry about survival, Han Junhua said as she automatically interpreted the backyard as the Fishbone base, and the colonel is only a rank that he freely gave out.
You are not wrong. Although there are concerns, they are not serious. Jiang Chen nodded, but he was referring to the events in the other world.
He didnt experience the irreconcble economic crisis caused by the energy crisis in 2150, nor was he a social scientist that had to imagine when the two countries would be under high tension and what the situation would evolve into.
It certainly makes people envious, Han Junhua said emotionlessly.
Can I ask you another question?
Go ahead, Han Junhua said concisely.
What is motivating you to go against me? The honor of a soldier? Or loyalty? But without human nature, would you need these boring things? Especially now that PAC no longer exists? Jiang Chen smiled.
Han Junhua didnt answer directly.
Do you understand the word responsibility?
I see, makes sense.
Jiang Chen smiled as he didnt say goodbye. He then went up the elevator.
Han Junhua watched the elevator ascend as she discretely frowned.
After returning to the surface, Jiang Chen left the defense of the base to Cheng Weiguos support, Wang Zhaowu. He urged him to constantly maintain an eye on the fallout shelter, includingmunicating with the representative every other day to ensure Xu Lu and other staffs were safe.
Wang Zhaowu was first puzzled by Jiang Chens order, because as of now, the troops stationed here lived rather harminously with the blue skins. But Jiang Chen didnt exin the situation as he repeatedly cautioned him.
If the elevator malfunctions or anything unusual happens that prevents the surface from contacting the underground, contact me directly
Yes, general! While still puzzled, Wang Zhaowu didnt ask any questions.
Jiang Chen nodded as he was pleased with his attitude.
Keep an eye personally, dont let other people know.
After thosest words, Jiang Chen left themand center of the troops stationed at the camp and walked to the empty ground.
One-fourth of the walls construction had been finished and an estimate of one week before the main structure could bepleted. The Fishbone base soldiers had searched the entire Songjiang terrain in the past few days and didnt find any strong raider groups.
Although there were three unknown military forces with sizes simr to the Huizhong Mercenaries they wiped out, the current force of the Fishbone base no longer needed to worry about those small fishes. Based on the consideration of decreasing possible things from going wrong, before the wall ispleted, Jiang Chen had already notified Wang Zhaowu not to bother with them.
After he ordered the soldiers already lined up in the middle of the camp, Jiang Chen and Cheng Weiguo walked to the gate.
Old Cheng, lets make a bet?
After Jiang Chen got in the car, he abruptly said as he looked at the camp 27s gate.
Haha, boss, you are funny. Other than the few packs of cigarettes, I have nothing to bet with you. Cheng Weiguoughed.
Food, everyone knew Jiang Chen didntck food.
When he heard his subordinates words, Jiang Chen paused before he started tough along.
Ahem, speaking of this, I have been considering a problem recently.
Cheng Weiguo immediately put on a serious face when he heard his leader discuss serious matters.
You dont need to be so serious, I am only asking you for your opinion. Jiang Chen shook his head as he took out two cigarettes from his pocket and passed one to Cheng Weiguo while he lit one for himself. What do you think about the living conditions of the survivors in the Fishbone base?
He had been considering, now that the Fishbone base has been growing in size, if he should open a market? For example, providing sry and use the sry to purchase food from the base.
But Cheng Weiguo didnt think that far. He just thought the boss was so considerate of the subordinates and replied gratefully.
Everyone is warm and full, they are living a great life.
Jiang Chen smiled as he realized the question from his perspective would yield the same answer from anyone, so he didnt ask anymore.
Boss, what is the bet that you wanted to make? Cheng Weiguo asked.
Jiang Chenughed, stuck the cigarette out the window, and dusted the ash off in the direction of camp 27s gate.
Within one month, without firing a single bullet, this fallout shelter will belong to me.
After finally sending away the gue god, she returned to the fallout shelter. Han Junhua felt relieved.
She didnt know if it was her illusion, but she felt that the way he looked at her was different.
Weird, it didnt feel like hostility.
But rather, mockery?
Han Junhua shook her head as she passed through the arch door and walked to her office.
Without surprise, a discontent middle-aged man stood at the door.
Since we already acquired the power, why dont we immediately restore the supply levels back to normal?
The supply levels will be restored to normal gradually, but it will favor the researchers, Han Junhua said emotionlessly.
Why? Wu Yaguo questioned.
Because we are working for other people. Han Junhua didnt stop as she walked around Wu Yaguo and opened the office door.
When the fallout shelter was closed, everyones work was rxed. A lot of people didnt even need to work. The production system was highly automated, as long as there was energy, there would be food and water. In an enclosed society there was nopetition. The sluggish work habit has be rooted in everyone in the past twenty years. Although a lot of people were highly intelligent, it would be hard for the knowledgeable butzy people to meet the research speed required by the base.
Since the energy stored in and the amount consumed by the fallout shelter was clear, the Fishbone bases energy source was not without a price. With their previous egalitarian ways, it would allow everyone to die in theirzy ways.
Who made all this! Han Junhuas indifferent attitude triggered Wu Yaguo. He angrily reached out his hand to grab her shoulder.
But before his hand could touch her should, a sharp pain came from his leg as his vision blurred. He was mmed to the ground.
A gun was pointed at his head as Han Junhua casually let go of the hand holding onto his arm.
From now on, the fallout shelter assembly is dissolved. I use the power of the leader to retract any of the permissions given to the residents by the former leader.
Okay, Miss Han Junhua.
A robotic voice came from the speaker above. The control terminal of fallout shelter 027 granted her decision.
You, you cant do that. Wu Yaguos face turned pale.
But I can. After putting away her pistol, Han Junhua walked into the office and closed the door.
The energy crisis was solved, and the residents mood returned to normal. It was time to clean up the mess.
Han Junhua saw Academician Qin standing in front of her desk.
Is there something you need? She said concisely as she sat back in her chair.
Mhmm, I heard You sent leader Zhangs daughter as the ambassador to be stationed at the Fishbone base, Academician Qin hesitated for a moment and said slowly.
Zhang Yuzhu, that seemed to be her name. The baby that the former fallout shelter leader made an exception for.
Mhmm, she is righteous, and her personality is bright. Since she was born in the fallout shelter, she has no impractical thoughts, and is fitted for this job. It was enough to make a mistake just once, she already made the mistake of sending Shi Yongtian to the surface as themunicator.
The people that experienced the prosperity from before the war, when they see the survivors suffering among the ruins, it was hard to ensure they wont sprout the mentality of feeling superior. But for the people that were born in the fallout shelter, they truly longed for everything on the surface, they wont mind if it was all in ruins or not.
If they could gain the friendship of the Fishbone base and peacefully integrate fallout shelter 027 while maintaining a certain status, it would be the best scenario Han Junhua could think of.
Seeing that Academician Qin didnt leave, Han Junhua stopped working and raised her head.
What else?
Mhmm, here is a letter My old friend asked me to give it to you. Academician Qin gave her the slightly crumped letter.
Han Junhua nced at the name as she took it.
Why do you give it to me now? As she opened it, she said nonchntly.
Because I think it is more appropriate now
The hands holding the letter trembled. Han Junhua took a deep breath as she hid the grief behind a mask.
The grief to duty.
Chapter 303 - It’s only an illusion
Chapter 303: Its only an illusion
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
In a ce three thousand meters below Wanghai city, an odd-shaped fallout shelter was buried.
The reason why it was odd was that there was no living area, nor venttion equipment. Only the mechanical parts that sparkled asionally and the light that came on and off.
And because of this, in the surrounding five hundred square meters, it was filled with ozone.
Along the outskirts of the room was a ring of hibernation chamber devices. However, a closer examination would indicate that it was not a traditional hibernation chamber because there was no sign of ice shards on the ss surface. Inside the chamber was not ultra-low temperature, but inert gas. It was obviously not preserving humans, but robots.
A centralputer stood in the middle of the room. Under the ck screen was a cylindrically shaped culture tank and a human brain was floating inside of it. The bottom of the centralputer was connected to various wires of different sizes, which led to each facility inside the fallout chamber.
The brain was like a spider in the middle of the spider web, controlling everything attached to it.
The fallout shelter was not the property of the PAC because it was not included in the serial code. Precisely speaking, it didnt belong to any government organization, it was apletely privately funded personal fallout shelter.
Lin fallout shelter was its name.
Before the war, the rich building a fallout shelter for themselves was nothing surprising. Although this fallout shelter was strange.
Suddenly, the light below a hibernation device lit up andminated the dormant enclosure.
No. 04 lost activate backup parts.
Pshhh
The sound of gas leaking diffused from the edges of the hibernation chamber, and the door slowly opened.
A man slowly opened his eyes, waking up from hibernation.
The dim light reflected on his face.
That man was Lin Chaoen, the one that got his head pulled off.
At the same time, the screen of the centralputer also lit up.
A white-haired, kind but authoritative face appeared in the middle of the screen. He looked at Lin Chaoen as the elder man in the screen slowly said, Do you know what to do now?
Of course, Lin Chaoens one knee was on the ground as he said respectfully, Father.
The elder man nodded.
Then go.
Lin Chaoen got up. Father, a group known as the Dusk entered Jia city. With their disturbance, the coalition of rebels we built suffered heavy losses, should we do anything about this?
No need to bother about the escapist, they are just grasshoppers, the elderly man said.
No matter how high they jump, they are still only grasshoppers. Although they have some foresightpared to ordinary survivors, thats all.
Even if those fools hindered his n, to a cold machine, it had no concept of revenge. The ironw of the machine was to choose the method with the highest efficiency.
Lin Chaoen nodded.
What about that Jiang Chen?
When he heard the name, the old man had a rare silence.
Keep an eye on him.
Yes. Lin Chaoen nodded before he left.
The tightened supply policy finally ended as all the residents of fallout shelter 027 felt relieved.
It was an insufferable time that no one should ever experience. They couldnt take a shower, couldnt eat till they were full and were only able to receive one hour of light a day. There was good news, but also certainly bad news.
First, a research team was formed.
All the talents specializing in military technology and mechanics were gathered together. They said they were going to select a group of researchers to design a tank called Tiger II.
No one was willing to do it. Research cost a lot of energy. Their work schedule before was only an hour a day, but once they participate in the research, they would have to work more than eight hours. It was torture! Only fools would do it.
But soon after, they were all fighting for a spot.
Because the newly enacted supply policy started to favor researchers. Only the people on the research team could enjoy organic food. Not only that, the soilless farm in the fallout shelter would start producing coffee, tea, and other luxuries, but these luxuries will only be avable to researchers.
There was a finite amount of supplies.
Therefore, the supplies given to people with no work were starting to be limited.
At the same time, current positions in the fallout shelter will start to execute a cruel performance elimination system.
The researchers were immediately motivated to work. There were a lot of talents in the fallout shelter, no one wanted to lose such a nice job.
But on the contrary, negative public opinion became apparent.
Since there were limited work positions, before the fallout shelter can earn more research projects, only a few people can enjoy the benefits. The majority of the people at the shelter can only conductbor-intensive work or no work at all.
No one wanted to drink in nutrient supplies every meal, such food made their stomachs upset after having too many. Of course, suchvish thoughts would only exist in fallout shelters.
The residents were extremely discontent, but immediately Han Junhua did another horrifying thing.
She removed the resident representative and dissolved the resident assembly!
It was no different than announcing a dictatorship.
That bit*h had no rights to that! Performance elimination? God, the person that should be eliminated, is her! Look what she did after she took over! A rather muscr resident wiped off the sweat from his forehead, opened up, andined to the resident who was also wiping the floor.
He selectively ignored the fact that as the leader, she could only distribute the existing supplies, not create supplies out of thin air.
Shh. Dont let the security team hear this. The resident eyed him as he lowered his voice.
It would be impossible to say they dont miss the old leader. At least the old leader didnt make them wipe the floor four times a day. Whats the purpose of this? She was not a clean freak before.
Who cares? That bit*h always has a bit*hy face. Do you think she would care how the skunks like us at the bottom view her? The person cursed.
At this time, a girl in a white dress walked over.
Are you thirsty?
Xu Lu smiled at the two as she leaned down shaking the bottle in her hand.
The two men were lost for a moment before an awkward expression appeared on their faces.
They were supposed to disy their noble gesture in front of thisdy, but they were cursing bit*h constantly.
Xu Lu saw through the awkwardness, smiled, and magically took out two cups and poured some water for them.
Here, drink some water.
Ah, ththank you. The two thanked her with embarrassed faces as they took the cups quickly.
After chugging all the water in the cup, the muscr man was stunned as he had a shocked expression on his face. The other person drinking coughed as he almost choked.
This, this is honey water?
Thats right, does it taste good? Xu Lu grinned.
Yeyes. The thinner man wiped his mouth with his sleeve and graciously looked at Xu Lu.
There is more. Drink slowly, theres no need to rush You arebor workers and spend a lot of energy working, it is good for the body to drink something sweet, she said softly as she poured more honey water.
Just like an angel.
The way the two looked at her was filled with admiration.
Thank you, this is troubling you too much. The muscr man couldnt stop thanking her.
Speaking of this, I have seen you at the embassy office. The thinner resident straightened his back and looked at Xu Lu, puzzled, I remember that supplies on the surface were not ample
Yang Lin, what do you mean? The muscr resident stared at the thin man.
Brother Hao, I dont mean anything, I am just curious. Yang Lin forced a smile as heforted Zhao Haos attitude.
This guy was drawn to her at first sight.
Compared to the more straightforward friend, while Yang Lin was grateful, he was a bit more rational.
These are all misconceptions, Xu Lu lowered her head as she said with pity. This is the purpose of me being here. I hope through my work, it can resolve the misconception between us.
It seemed to be the case since no one actually went to the surface before and were all listening to the borate stories told by Han Junhua.
Who knows if she is just using the outside being dangerous as an excuse to create ss conflicts in order to solidify her dictatorship?
As Yang Lin thought about this, he began to question himself.
He previous maintained a neutral attitude towards Han Junhua. However, now he began to lean towards the opposite side.
Did the Fishbone people reallye with the purpose of war? Did the energy in the base fall to the point where they had to limit supplies? The leader never exined any to the people.
As to the details of the negotiation, they only knew the result.
Different from the perplexed mind of Yang Lin, Zhao Hao was simply cursing the dictator in his mind.
Compared to this angel, she was bad to the bone
Sorry to take so much time for you, my free time is now over. Xu Lu put away the bottle, smiled, and waved at them.
No, no bother at all, Zhao Hao rushed to say.
But before his voice died down, the door at the corner opened.
People inside, what are you doing!
The security force walked in, in quick steps. They stood in front of Xu Lu as they scanned the three of them.
What did she ask you? The security force looked at Yang Lin.
Before Yang Lin opened his mouth, Zhao Hao began to ridicule coldly.
She asked if our work is difficult or not. She did the job of what your boss is supposed to do.
The security force stared at him, didnt say a word, and then looked at Xu Lu.
Please make your surveying along with us, please cooperate with our work.
Of course.
Xu Lu smiled. Then she let the soldier follow behind her as she walked to the other end of the hall.
Are you crazy? If you get on the wrong terms with the security force, are you not afraid you may lose your job? Yang Lin dragged his friend closer as he lectured in a low voice.
But Zhao Hao didnt say a word as he nkly watched Xu Lu leave.
Yang Lin, do you believe in angels?
What?
She is my angel.
Is your brain not working? Yang Lin ridiculed him.
Although he said that, Yang Lin couldnt deny the beauty of the ambassador.
Her beauty came from not only the surface but also the soul.
Especially in contrast with a particr person, her beauty was blinding.
But what the two didnt know was.
It was only a fa?ade
Chapter 304 - The Snow of Dusk
Chapter 304: The Snow of Dusk
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When the fleet returned to the base, it was already dusk.
Jiang Chen didnt go with Cheng Weiguo to eat in themunity center cafeteria. Instead, he returned straight to the mansion.
Right after he put his winter suit on the clothing rack, Sun Jiao walked up to him withint written on her face.
Why do you have a straight face, dont you miss me? Jiang Chen with a smirk on his face put his arms around Sun Jiaos waist and his lips near her ear.
Sun Jiaos face turned red, but then she quickly raised her eyebrows as she gently bit Jiang Chens ear in revenge.
What did you do outside?
Ahem, I promise to god I didnt do anything bad in the past three days, Jiang Chen said exasperatedly.
He was bing more and more courteous.
When she heard Jiang Chens words, Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at him.
I am not talking about that, as she said this, worry returned to her face, Cant you be more careful You are the leader of a force. This is not the stone age, no general led the charge.
She was talking about that.
Jiang Chen face looked rather embarrassed as he looked away scratching his nose.
Uh, I will be careful.
The battle with the Mother of Death w was in a dire situation. If he knew it was a hos nest, he would not find trouble himself.
You said thatst time to me. A fight with the Mother of Death w, are you crazy? If you die Sun Jiao bit her bottom lip as tears began to swell up.
Jiang Chen sensed her deep care as he felt warm on the inside. He hugged Sun Jiao apologetically as heforted her.
Dont say something so ominous, I am fine arent I?
Sun Jiao let Jiang Chen hug her as she pouted her mouth and put her chin on his shoulder. Then she spoke into his ear.
Then absolutely be careful next time.
Mhmm. Jiang Chen said sincerely as he hugged the warm figure.
Also As she spoke, her face suddenly turned a burning red as she disyed a rare coyness.
Also?
It is nothing, but you always do such dangerous things Sun Jiao buried her head.
How about The red lips trembled because of her shyness. Her faint voice yed a seductive mumble, How about, next time when we do that, lets not use the contraceptive needle
Sun Jiao clearly didnt know the impact those words would have on a man as Jiang Chens stomach immediately felt heated.
Honey, I
Dont say anything.
With a finger on his lips, Sun Jiao opened her mouth and drew out the silent but seductive words, Kiss me.
Jiang Chen couldnt hold back any longer. One hand held onto the long and athletic leg, while the other hand wrapped around her waist as he pinned her against the sofa in the living room.
But then, Jiang Chen was stunned as an awkward expression crept onto his face.
On the second floor, Sun Xiaorou, sitting in her wheelchair, grinned at the loving couple.
Haha, dont mind me. The devil-like smile was too simr to Sun Jiaos.
How would he not mind?
With her sister seeing the embarrassing scene, Sun Jiao couldnt stand it any longer as she instantly jumped out and escaped from Jiang Chens hug.
Sorry for making you rece my sister in apanying me. Sun Xiaorou sitting in the wheelchair, turned her head, and naughtily blinked her eyes.
The dusk light stretched out their shadows.
Jiang Chen pushed Sun Xiaorou along the small road in the back garden of the mansion.
After Sun Jiao ran away, he was about to run away too because he didnt know how to face her. The her now was obviously different from the her before, and he did take her first time away from her It may be confusing to exin it this way, but the emotions in his mind perhaps were more confusing than this.
But Sun Xiaorou stopped him as she asked him to help her down the stairs.
Because he could not say no to the cute and impossible to refuse eyes, the soft-hearted Jiang Chen came back and brought her downstairs.
Then we got to this point where Jiang Chen has reced Sun Jiao, who ran away, and was taking her for a walk in the backyard.
Although Sun Xiaorou herself could walk with this voice-controlled wheelchair, in aplex environment, it was more convenient to have someone beside her. Especially since it was not easy to exin the direction she wanted to go in the first ce.
Jiang Chen gently breathed out a cloud of mist. After hesitating for a moment, he said, Its okay I have always wanted to apologize to you.
Why do you need to apologize to me? Sun Xiaorou blinked her eyes. I almost killed you and the person you love. Then because of your anger, you took revenge as I didnt want to confess. Or rather I should thank you for not killing me.
Jiang Chen paused for a second and after a while, he smiled.
Thank you.
Whether or not she really meant it, when he heard she didnt hate him, it made Jiang Chen feel better.
Sun Xiaorou gently blinked her eyes as she didnt continue on with the conversation, but quietly stared at the snow along the tiny path.
Are you better now? Jiang Chen stared at the peacefulness shown on the side of her face as he gently asked.
Sun Xiaorous mouth curved up. What area? If it is the body, I cant move below the shoulder.
Based on what Lin Lin has said, with her current condition, the brain damage was more problematic than nerve damage. The nerve on her back did not suffer any damage nor was there any abnormalities in her body condition; she just couldnt move her body parts below the shoulder. It felt as if she has forgotten how to use her arms and legs.
It was a problematic condition. Whether it was in the Fishbone base or the Sixth Street, there was no medical equipment could conduct brain repair surgery. But Jiang Chen already used the Fake Legs Bar to put up a reward. Whoever obtains aplete set of surgical equipment would receive 5000 crystals.
With such a high reward, eventually, this problem will be solved.
Uh, spiritually.
It was a weird way to ask this question. As to why he asked the question, Jiang Chen was also not quite sure.
Her ck hair fell to her side as Sun Xiaorou titled her head, Why would you ask that?
Because your memory returned right? Ah, it is too intrusive to ask this in such a way, just pretend I didnt ask the question. Jiang Chen forced a smile.
Hearing this, Sun Xiaorou only smiled.
How do you think I should be?
Jiang Chen was about to say Remove the brainwashed part and be the sister of Sun Jiao, but that sentence was stuck in his throat.
Sun Xiaorou watched the sunset in the distance as she continued.
There have been two figures fighting in my mind to take control of my body. One being the religious me, the other being the sister me. Its weird to say it this way right? Sun Xiaorou turned around to look at Jiang Chen as she timidly smiled.
No Not weird. Jiang Chen shook his head and stared into her eyes while waiting for her to continue.
To be honest I have been thinking a lot in the past few days. Regardless which me it is, they are all me.
But that you was brainwashed Jiang Chen couldnt help but state.
What exactly is being brainwashed?
Jiang Chen couldnt interpret the meaning behind those words. He didnt answer as he just looked at her, puzzled.
For humans to live in this world, they are constantly receiving an external signal. A ray of sunshine, a breeze of wind, the asional snowstorm, words of advice How do you determine what is brainwashed?
Then you are
Perhaps the two personalities meshed together. Maybe that is easier to understand.
Sun Xiaorou blinked as she said yfully.
It was hard to imagine, as the victim, she could have such a bright smile.
Do you hate those people? Since they were the ones that used the chip to lock your memory, Jiang Chen asked.
Sun Xiaorou shook her head and once again looked at the sunset in the distance.
The deep red was no longer blinding, it looked like a torch about to extinguish.
Whats after dusk?
Jiang Chen followed the direction Sun Xiaorou was looking as he gazed at the orange color. He thought for a moment as he gently said.
Its night.
Sun Xiaorou nodded and said while gazing at the setting sun.
Thats right They are just a bunch of petty people.
The religious firmly believed in the doomsday of the earths civilization. The promise to stay away from the fallen sun, the effort of spending their entire life creating the ark that will carry the new civilization away from the wastnd, into the endless night.
Even if the mission they had given their all to was sessful, would the future waiting for them be the dawn?
Pitiful people. Why hate the pitiful people.
Chapter 305 - Are you not going to feed me?
Chapter 305: Are you not going to feed me?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After pushing Sun Xiaorou back into the mansion, the sun had already gone down.
The adorable Yao Yao finished cooking the dishes, and she and Lin Lin brought the delicious dishes to the table. Sun Jiao, on the other hand, carried the heavy burden of searching for people.
But she was not as sessful as she had thought. Sun Jiao searched through the mansion without finding the missing Sun Xiaorou and Jiang Chen. She even went into the basement. Perhaps because the withered leaves blocked her vision, but, through the window, she didnt see the two people in the backyard taking a walk.
Seeing the two people harmoniously show up in the living room, suspicion shed across Sun Jiaos face as her eyes moved between the two.
What happened between you two?
Ahem, can you not ask this so weirdly? Jiang Chen facepalmed.
Uhh, I just feel the air between you two is a bit odd, with a hand on her chin, Sun Jiao said.
Then it must be your illusion, Jiang Chen ridiculed.
We only took a walk in the backyard, chatted for a while, and there is nothing more to the story, Sun Xiaorou blinked and told her sister.
Although still suspicious, to her own sister, Sun Jiao hadplete trust.
Since she chose to believe her sister, Sun Jiao nodded and spoke to Jiang Chen.
Okay Lets not talk about this, for now. Go eat. Ill send Sun Xiaorou upstairs and feed her the nutrient supply, and then Ille down.
Sun Jiao walked to Sun Xiaorou as she was about to take over.
Sister, are we going to sleep together tonight? Sun Jiao blinked her eyes as she asked her sister with a pure face.
Sun Jiao thought about Jiang Chen and how she was going to have unprotected sex. She was about to say no when she realized the joking smile on her sisters face.
Sun Jiaos face immediately turned red as she gave her a dirty look.
You are making fun of your sister. I am not going to feed you.
Wooo, sister, Im sorry. Spare me, Sun Xiaorou batted her eyes as she jokingly acted coy.
Beg your brother-inw.
Sun Jiao made a fierce face before she returned to the kitchen.
Watching Sun Jiao leave, Jiang Chen had a joyful smile.
From that night on, she was a lot more cheerful.
Ahhh I identally made sister mad, so Ill have you trouble you in bringing me to the second floor. Looking at Jiang Chen, Sun Xiaorou naughtily stuck out her tongue.
No problem. Jiang Chen shook his head with a smile. He held onto the wheels as he easily lifted the wheelchair and Sun Xiaorou on top.
Speaking of which, you sisters have a really good rtionship, Jiang Chen said after putting the wheelchair down on the second floor.
A red hue appeared on Sun Xiaorous face as she lightly closed her eye.
Mhmm! Thats because we are the only family left. Therefore
Then, she opened her eyes as she naughtily looked at Jiang Chen. Therefore, please make my sister happy.
Of course.
As Jiang Chenughed, he rolled her back to her room.
Sun Jiao was the first person he met in this world and the first woman of his life. Regardless, he will make her happy.
After going into Sun Xiaorous room, under her direction, Jiang Chen took out a box from the top drawer.
Compared to the E-level nutrient supply that most survivors drink, the A-level nutrient supply made with fruit, vegetable and animal proteins didnt taste too terrible. But to use fresh food to create nutrient supply, only Jiang Chen could be thisvish.
Are you really not going to eat with us? Yao Yaos cooking is great, Jiang Chen said.
Although she couldnt use her hand, if someone fed her, she could still eat.
Sun Xiaorou smiled, If I eat, it is going to be really troublesome. I would need a urine straw when I need to go to the washroom if I want to do number two it would be really inconvenient.
Towards the end of her sentence, Sun Xiaorous face was burning.
Jiang Chen also looked embarrassed as he looked away.
He seemed to have asked an inappropriate question
After taking out the tubr nutrient supply, Jiang Chen opened the cap, but then, his hand froze in midair.
Sun Xiaorou gently closed her eyes with her slightly opened red lips raised. The red vibrancy could be faintly seen through her lips.
Are you not going to feed me, brother-inw? Seeing that Jiang Chen hasnt moved, Sun Xiaorou opened one eye and yfully giggled.
Jiang Chen gulped as he put the test tube beside Sun Xiaorous mouth.
Maybe because Jiang Chen had no experience in taking care of people, or he ignored the thickness of the nutrient supply.
The speed he poured the nutrient supply was faster than the speed Sun Xiaorou could drink. Her eyebrows were slightly raised as her frail throat made a feeble gulping sound.
Cough, cough
Are you okay?
Jiang Chen immediately stopped.
But then he noticed the thick liquid dripping from Sun Xiaorous mouth, her throat gulping, and the pure expression
This is too evil! Jiang Chen felt embarrassed for his sick minded thoughts.
Its okay. Brother-inws action was bit aggressive Finally gulping down the thickness in her mouth, Sun Xiaorou smiled.
Uh, Ill go get your sister to feed you. To hide himself from being hard, Jiang Chen closed his legs discreetly as he awkwardly smiled.
No. The pouted mouth immediately turned up. Sun Xiaorou used her coy eyes to look at Jiang Chen. Brother-inw, I am hungry.
This devil
Jiang Chen suppressed himself as he fed the remaining nutrient supply to her. With a conflicted but turned on mood, Jiang Chen was about to leave.
Looking at Jiang Chens back, Sun Xiaorou gently said, Can I tell you a secret?
Mhmm? Of course Jiang Chen stopped and turned his head.
Sun Xiaorou motioned for him toe closer. [Was it necessary? There is no one here.]
Even if he thought that, Jiang Chen still followed her wish and put his ear beside her mouth.
Feeling the gentle breath beside his ear, he felt a tingling sensation.
Sun Xiaorous face was burning, she took a deep breath as a smirk appeared on her face, If sister bes pregnant, I can help you. Although I cant move my body
When she was in the living room, she heard the conversation between Jiang Chen and her sister. Whatever was going on in her mind, she said these words naughtily.
Like she had expected, Jiang Chens expression immediately froze as he was in dismay.
Girl, what are you thinking. Jiang Chen didnt know what to say as he pinched her nose before escaping in panic.
Watching the door close, the corner of Sun Xiaorous mouth curved up as she softly closed her eyes.
She savored the sweetness in her mouth as her face flushed red.
Such a gentle person
Although she knew it was not right to tease the person her sister liked.
But such a good character made people
The urine straw below the wheelchair had one centimeter of transparent liquide out.
From its color, it was definitely not urine.
Chapter 306 - Almost The Wrong One
Chapter 306: Almost The Wrong One
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When Jiang Chen came downstairs to the dining room, Sun Jiao and the rest had already started to eat.
Just from the dishes on the table, he did not feel the atmosphere of the apocalypse at all. Especially the dark red pig trotters, just from the looks of it made Jiang Chen eager to eat as he walked to the table.
Perhaps she had been used to Yao Yaos delicious cooking, Sun Jiaos etiquette was more delicatepared to when she first met Jiang Chen. Looking at her eating calmly in small portions, Jiang Chen could not see the old bold girl that would not even leave behind the soup in the can.
But Lin Lin, on the other hand, was devouring through the dishes without any signs of decency. Shepletely ignored thete Jiang Chen. The way she ate was as if she wanted to make up for all the food she missed over thest twenty years.
When she saw Jiang Chen walk over, the nice Yao Yao filled Jiang Chens bowl full of rice and poured him a bowl of steamy lotus roots and pork ribs soup.
Jiang Chen rubbed Yao Yaos hair as he smiled. I can do it myself.
With Jiang Chens big hand rubbing her head, a soft smile appeared on Yao Yaos adorable face.
The lotus roots soup is great. Also, if you drink it in the winter, your stomach will feel warm.
Mhmm! Yao Yaos cooking is great, Jiang Chen praised her.
The small loli timidly smiled as she buried her blushed face down.
Loli lover, Lin Lin and Sun Jiao focusing on their food both murmured in a quiet voice.
These two ridicules obviously didnt escape the suspects ear.
Jiang Chen helplessly looked at Sun Jiao and Lin Lin as he defended innocently in his mind.
[Am I that much of an animal]
After dinner, Jiang Chen went to Yao Yaos room as he gave the task of cracking the EP memory chip to the little girl.
When she heard she could help big brother out again, Yao Yao energetically took over the memory chip in Jiang Chens hand, raised her not so full chest, and promised Jiang Chen she wouldplete the task.
Jiang Chen was pleased when she saw the enthusiasm from Yao Yao.
Compared to the Lin Lin, who constantly demand pudding, the willing Yao Yao was almost like an angel.
The night was dark. Sun Jiao sneaked out of bed.
Sun Jiao looked at her sisters peaceful face as a proud smile appeared on her face.
She wore thin as veil pajamas. Sun Jiao quietly walked to the door, sneaked out of the bedroom. and gently closed the door.
But not long after, the door opened again.
A figure clearly not Sun Jiao sneaked inside.
With the creek of the door waking Sun Xiaorou up, she opened her eyes and watched the man walk beside the bed.
Where is your sister? With excitement, Jiang Chen lowered his voice and asked.
She is sleeping in her own room, with lips unnoticeably curved up, Sun Xiaorou mimicked Sun Jiaos voice.
It has to be mentioned that the sisters looked really simr. The slight difference was faded by the blurry night. What was more troubling was that they were not only simr in appearance, but also in voice.
As long as she lowered her voice and added a hint of maturity to the light and soft tone, they didnt sound very different.
When Jiang Chen heard Sun Xiaorou was not there to disturb them, Jiang Chen was naturally ecstatic.
With a smirk, he approached her ear and gently breathed in while using an intimate tone.
Tonight, I will c*m in you until you are pregnant.
With face burning, Sun Xiaorous lips trembled as she couldnt say a word.
The sheet was lifted as she felt something sneak inside. At the same time, she felt something press her chest tightly.
She lightly moaned as she felt the warmness on her chest. However, Sun Xiaorou slightly frowned.
When he usually did it with her sister, was he always so direct?
For some reason, she impulsively wanted to y with fire.
If she didnt remind Jiang Chen and continued to pretend like this, when would he figure out that she was not her sister?
The thing that happened in the basement, followed by the fusion of her memories made it fade out of her mind. She just faintly remembers that with rough force, he took away her first time.
The intimate thought circled her mind as it lured her. Since my first time was taken away by him, a second time would be okay
But just as she closed her eyes, preparing to let the story develop further, the warmness surrounding her chest retracted.
You are not Sun Jiao? He pulled his hands away as he asked awkwardly.
Although it was impossible to tell with the lights off.
But the chest was clearly not right!
Sun Jiao was at least a 36D, but those seemed to be only a bit bigger than a B.
Seeing she could no longer pretend, Sun Xiaorou giggled. Thats right, brother-inw.
Someone knocked on the door.
With bear pajamas, Yao Yao rubbed her blurred eyes and walked to the door in her rabbit slippers.
Woo? Itste, is there something wrong?
Sun Jiao suspiciously scanned Yao Yaos neat clothes a few times.
Is Jiang Chen not here?
I wish he was here. Yao Yao pouted her mouth as she threw a small tantrum.
To Sun Jiao upying big brother, the small loli was never too happy about it. They had discussed before that they must feed the big bad guy to make sure he stays on this side. But now, the delicious ribs were all eaten by sister Sun Jiao. As the small animal, she couldnt even drink the soup.
Sun Jiao didnt realize Yao Yaos tantrum as she tilted her head in confusion.
Where did he go? Could it be Lin Lin? Eh? Where are you going? Looking at the small loli suddenly going downstairs, Sun Jiao was puzzled.
Yao Yao turned around and nodded seriously. Just in case, lets go check Lin Lins room.
Sun Jiao didnt know why Yao Yao all the sudden was more keen on this than herself as they went downstairs.
Not long after, the furious roar of Lin Lin being woken up came from downstairs.
Sun Jiao pushed open the door, yawned, and returned to her bedroom.
In the end, the three people that searched the entire mansion concluded that Jiang Chen may have returned to sleep in the modern world. Therefore, concluding the unrest caused by Sun Jiao sneaking out of her bed.
As she quietly climbed into bed, Sun Jiao confirmed the peacefulness on her sisters face as a gentle smile appeared on her face. She lightlybed the hair strands in front of her forehead and kissed her on the forehead.
Sister, you are still not asleep? Sun Xiaorou opened her eyes as she blinked her bright eyes at her sister.
Eh? Are you awake? Seeing her sister suddenly wake up, Sun Jiao slid back, embarrassed.
Mhmm, just woke up.
Uhh, sorry, did I wake you up?
When she heard her sisters words, Sun Xiaorou shook her head and giggled. No, I just had a dream.
Sun Jiao caringly held on to her sisters hand, Dream? Did you have a bad dream?
But Sun Xiaorou shook her head again, No, it was a sweet dream.
Then, a red hue appeared on her cheeks.
He is a really gentle person.
Chapter 307 - Conflict
Chapter 307: Conflict
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Ten days have passed by since Jiang Chen withdrew most of the soldiers.
The atmosphere at Camp 27 was like any other day, but inside Fallout Shelter 027, the atmosphere was peculiar.
There was not a single person inside the four resident areas. The hallways connecting each area was also empty, no one was wiping the almost shining walls and floors anymore.
Where did everyone go?
Contrary to the deserted residential areas, the industrial area was jam-packed with people. Standing on the stairs looking down, there was a sea of people. With a rough estimate, excluding the one hundred residents that moved up to the surface already, the remaining sixteen hundred residents in the fallout shelter were all here.
Because of the high density of the people, the environment was terrible here.
There were children crying and enraged conversations. There were people sitting in the corner with their luggage, and someone people even made a bed on the ground with the intention fo staying long term.
The twenty people security force stood on the high ground as they were on high alert with their weapons ready.
They never faced a situation like this. Nor did they know how to deal with it. The saving grace was, the residents emotions remain restrained as they didnt show any aggressive gestures.
At that time, the door opened.
With two soldiers beside him, Tian Feng walked in.
Because of his work in obtaining the nuclear fusion core, he was appointed by Han Junhua as the chiefmander of the security force and reced the previousmander assigned by the old leader. He was responsible for the security and defense tasks in the fallout shelter. When he heard the gathering happening in the industrial area, he immediately rushed over.
Seeing theirmander walk in, the twenty soldiers stood up straight and gave him a standard PAC salute.
Tian Feng returned one as he passed the row of soldiers and walked beside the barrier on the stairs. He began to frown looking down at the enraged crowd.
What do they want to do? Tian Feng asked the soldiers beside him.
They are protesting, the young soldier heard themanders question as he replied truthfully.
Protest? Tian Feng frowned. As he was just about to ask what they were protesting about, he heard a roar from the crowd.
We demand an exnation!
Yes! Get Han Junhua toe out.
Tian Feng looked at the angry faces. Although he was puzzled, he immediately realized the situation was odd.
What are they protesting about? With voice lowered, he asked the young soldier.
The young man had a glimpse of hesitation, but he gritted his teeth and spoke.
Someone said The leader established a program in her EP and connect the lock permission of the fallout shelter door with her life signal.
Is that it? Tian Feng was confused.
Also Since he already started, the young man was not afraid themander may be angry as he spilled out everything he knew. Including Han Junhua used the leaders permission to take all the residents life as a hostage, the resident assembly being dissolved, and the residents demanding an exnation for all her actions.
When he heard the entire story, Tian Feng gasped for air.
One, because he was shocked by the amount of information revealed behind the rumors, and two, because there was a conspiracy hidden behind the spread of these rumors.
Seeing the silentmander, the young man hesitated for a moment and said, Commander.
What is it?
What they are saying Is It true?
From his eyes, Tian Feng saw a hint of confusion.
That confusion made him feel an inexplicable fear.
Dont trust the rumors. Control the situation here. Ill report to the leader.
He hastily assigned the task to the soldiers as he was about to turn around to go to Han Junhuas office.
But then, Wu Yaguo came out of the crowd and stood in front of him.
Tian Feng noticed there was a bruise on his face.
The residents demand an exnation, Wu Yaguo fearlessly stared into Tian Fengs eyes as he said loudly.
The leader of the fallout shelter had no need to justify her actions, but I trust that leader Han will give you a satisfactory response. Because he was still lost about the situation, Tian Feng gave a procedural response.
But obviously, no one was pleased with his response.
Yeah? I hope so, Wu Yaguo sneered.
Could you guys go back first? Tian Feng knew that Wu Yaguo was reputable among the residents, so he lowered his voiced as he tried to persuade him.
Wu Yaguo locked his eyes on Tian Feng. After knowing the truth behind this event, do you think thats a possibility?
Tian Feng couldnt say a word. His throat moved before he turned around walking away.
As he watched Tian Feng leave, the rage in Wu Yaguos eyes was tinted with a hint of hatred.
Someone leaked the news and revealed all the details of the negotiation.
The entire fallout shelter was a mess. No one dared to sleep in their bedrooms anymore. No one was willing to be the sacrifice, the betting chip for someone elses survival. Therefore, everyone gathered in the industrial area and slept together on the ground.
But Han Junhua quickly controlled the situation as she ordered the security forces to forcefully remove the protestors and have everyone return to their duty within an hour.
But during the process, someone shouted.
She is a dictator! She is trying to use everyones life to maintain her evil reign!
Immediately, everyone responded to that voice.
Thats right! The future of Fallout Shelter 027, should be determined by all the residents!
He is right!
The people from the Fishbone base is not as despicable as she described! She is a liar!
Shouting and screaming echoed between the cold steel walls as it unleashed the anger and suspicion in everyones hearts.
When a situation has evolved to this point, a simple exnation will certainly not resolve it.
The situation could no longer be controlled.
Han Junhua was decisive with her n. She ordered soldiers to use smoke bombs to forcefully evict the residents in the industrial area. To the people defying her order, Han Junhua used the leaders permission to release sleeping mask to the industrial area and thrown all the unconscious people into detention for ten days.
At the same time, she ordered to temporarily limit the freedom of Xu Lu as well as the five staffs as she tried to hide the internal turmoil inside the fallout shelter deep in the ground. Then, she sent out the security force to investigate the people who spread rumors, at the same time establishing a curfew. Any residents outside of the residential area after the lights were out will be thrown into detention for no less than five days.
But not long after, the prison was full
Five hourster after the incident.
The information from Camp 27 was sitting on Jiang Chens desk.
Cheng Weiguo was standing there as he looked at Jiang Chen in admiration.
Boss, you are too How did that proverb go? Yes! Think like a god!
To the subordinates praise, Jiang Chenughed without being humble at all.
What thinking like a god? I made people spread the news.
Before she left, he orders Xu Lu to maintain a good rtionship with the residents inside the fallout shelter. She must establish an image opposite of what Han Junhua was portraying. Therefore, the residents inside the fallout shelter will be suspicious of Han Junhua.
Immediately, he used the mouth of a soldier at camp 27 to unintentionally leak the information of the negotiation.
Once a third person knew about the secret, it was no longer a secret.
Very quickly, the news spread from the surface to under the earth and spread like a virus inside the fallout shelter. At the same time, with rumors being exchanged, many different versions took form.
The most widespread one -
The leader of the fallout shelter, Han Juahua, used the permission granted by the fallout shelter terminal to take all the residents life as the hostage to force the peace-loving Jiang Chen to stay away from the fallout shelter. Or, she will execute the residents by batches until only herself is left in order to force the kind Jiang Chen to give up ground.
Han Junhua, of course, rified this and used the announcement system to notify all residents in the fallout shelter.
But once trust has copsed, it would be hard to establish. To Han Junhuas rification, with Wu Yaguo leading as the ex-residents representative, he demanded Han Junhua disy the terminal use history but was rejected. Because she did something simr to the rumors, it would be impossible to rify her actions.
Therefore, Fallout Shelter 027 was aplete mess.
But what Jiang Chen didnt expect was for this moment toe so rapidly.
It only took ten days before the rtionship between Han Junhua and the residents got to the freezing point.
How deep was this grudge
Boss, do we need to send troops now to support the resident assembly, help them uprise against Han Junhua, and then use this opportunity Cheng Weiguo passionately suggested.
Jiang Chen smiled as he signaled not to rush things.
No need to rush. It is because we have left that they dare to be in the process of transitioning. If we return, they would no longer be a mess.
But those residents without any weapons, would they have the ability to overthrown Han Junhuas regime? Cheng Weiguo was puzzled.
The fallout shelter leader possessed all permission to the fallout shelter, including the ability to release sleeping gas, control sentry guns, control any of the doors, and most importantly the rights to control the security force. Cheng Weiguo who had stayed in a fallout shelter before knew this point clearly.
In this case, without external help, the residents stood no chance at all.
Old Cheng, how many years did Fallout Shelter 027 exist for? Jiang Chen smiled.
Twenty years, Cheng Weiguo answered without hesitation.
Yes, twenty years. So the people that were twenty at the time would be forty now right?
Cheng Weiguo looked at Jiang Chen, unsure of what he was alluding to.
Jiang Chen continued in a lighthearted voice.
The security force inside the fallout shelter, it is no longer the security force formed by PAC soldiers. At least, the new recruit would make up more than half right?
Whats the problem with that?
Would the new recruits point their guns at their parents for Han Junhua? Jiang Chen grinned.
Chapter 308 - Decoding the Password
Chapter 308: Decoding the Password
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When Jiang Chen came out of themunity center, the sun had already set.
The past few days, he has spent the day in themunity center and with the help from Wang Qin, became familiarized with the specifics of the base. Following the expansion of the base, the weaknesses in the existing foundation of the base were starting to show.
In the beginning, the major infrastructures of the Fishbone base were two warehouses. Thus, a warehouse manager was more than enough to control the supplies of the base. The cafeteria was looked over by Zhou Jiexi, and a big pot of porridge along with some leaves was enough to feed everyone. The bases thirty survivors primary duties were building things. Lu Huasheng was responsible for the construction of the base and also took on the responsibility of managing the survivors.
The simple management system was effective in the small-scale base, but once the poption increased, ws were exposed.
Although Jiang Chen certainly made some changes, such as the pyramid-shaped citizen structure and the establishment of a standalone logistics department to manage the supplies of the base, following the two poption explosions, (Shenxiang town colony and Qingpu survivors), the existing organizational structure was chaotic and unsustainable.
The base had encountered a lot of things either no one knew who should be responsible for it or there were not enough people to take care of it. During these times, Jiang Chen also happened not to be around, and so Sun Jiao made most of the decisions. As the Duchess of the leader and formal well-known lone traveler, her ability and reputation could certainly handle the small problems. But once the base grew bigger, the casual decision-making process would obviously not work.
Therefore, two imperative tasks were ced in front of Jiang Chen.
Establishw or change the structure.
Law is the basis of rules. The reason why the Fishbone base had no security problems as of now was mostly because of Jiang Chens personal influence as well as the honorary chips absolute constraint on the knight ss. These constraints would weaken with time and as the poption continues to grow, therefore creatingws was imperative.
It was also simple to understand a change in structure. Itprised of creating a concise and effective organizational structure that managed all survivors in the Fishbone base as well as its jurisdictions.
The sooner these tasks werepleted, the better it was for the Fishbone. Therefore he had been working until sunset every day before returning to the mansion.
Just like before, when he returned to the mansion, Yao Yao had already put the steamy dishes on the table. Sun Jiao and Lin Lin also sat around the dinner table, waiting for Jiang Chen before they started to eat.
After dinner, Yao Yao excitedly dragged Jiang Chen to her bedroom.
The ten days of hard work finally paid off. The small loli finally cracked the password and copied all the information from the EP memory chip to a graphene chip.
Thank you. Jiang Chen took over the chip as he rubbed Yao Yaos head lovingly.
Eh, hehe. She timidly smiled as she buried her head. While enjoying Jiang Chenspliment, her hands yed with her dress.
Jiang Chen took the cards. Due to his eagerness of wanting to read the information inside, he was about to leave. However, as he turned around, he felt a weak force tug at his shirt.
Hmm? Is there something wrong? Jiang Chen looked at Yao Yao who was holding onto him and was quite puzzled.
Hmm Can Can I demand an unreasonable request? Her cheery like mouth opened, and her adorable face blushed as if blood was about to drip out.
While looking at Yao Yao shy expression, Jiang Chen already knew what was on her mind.
With a smirk on his face, Jiang Chen held the cute face in his hands as he kissed her lips.
Wooo! Wo
Just like a startled rabbit, Yao Yaos body tensed up. She feebly moved a bit before her entire body was paralyzed in a warm hug and she obediently closed her eyes.
As if all her strength followed the sweet liquid and was extracted by her loving big brother
Jiang Chen who possessed all control sniffed the fragrance wafting from her hair as he freely conquered her softness and drawn in the savory juice.
Lips parted.
Jiang Chen drew a transparent silk from the petite tongue.
Yao Yao who escaped from Jiang Chens hug feebly gathered her breath. From the lighting of the room, there was a hint of silvery liquid on the tip of her soft lips. Her face revealed her embarrassment.
Are you satisfied?
Yao Yaos face became redder.
Mhmm? Jiang Chen put his ear beside Yao Yaos mouth.
I just wanted a hug.
After returning to his bedroom, Jiang Chen inserted the graphene memory chip into the full sensoryputer and waited to read the encrypted files.
The folder was surprisingly empty. It didnt contain arge number of secret files as he had first imagined.
An EP ability report, an electronic map, a mission brief, as well as a note.
Jiang Chen only scanned the ability report with a medium to high ability rating. After he confirmed that the bearded man was called He Wenhu, he closed the document.
Then, Jiang Chen pressed on the full sensory screen and selected the electronic map.
Just from the appearance, this map didnt look too differentpared to a normal survivors map. However, after some close examination, he found some odd signs on the map. On the outskirt of the city center, near Songjiang area, there was a red question mark.
Question mark? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Normally, survivors would not run to a city center. It was just a nuclear crater there. Not only were the zombies and mutants dangerous, but the radiation level was also shockingly high.
If people really ventured there, then there was only one possibility. Something must be there!
Because of the limited intel, Jiang Chen couldnt think of a logical exnation, so he turned his attention to the mission brief and note.
From this point alone, the people from Crimson Chamber of Commerce and Lin Chaoen seem to have their own agendas. But regardless of their plot, Jiang Chen will not give away fallout shelter 027.
Jiang Chen closed the mission brief and opened the note.
The note seemed to only be jot notes of information. However, within them, he found some useful information.
<01. Whenever he drank nutrient supplies he would always hide from us. Is this something that needs to be kept a secret?>
<02. He still wont say what is actually inside Fallout Shelter 027.>
<03. This is terrifying. I saw with my own eyes that he used the surgery table to dissect a living human into bones, and then rece it with machine parts. Is that a digitalized human? I feel there is a differencepared to the descriptions from before the war.>
<04. Sometimes he is extremely abnormal. Of course, instincts are telling me what he is trying to do has no conflict with our business But just in case, I still tracked the coordinates of his signal.>
<05. He seems to look down on me? Not only me regardless, it is hard to feel positive towards him with the contempt in his eyes.>
<06. I have a feeling I am being serious, he gives me a weird feeling. Sometime I would constantly think about the problem, this guy is he really human?>
Chapter 309 - The Doomsday of the Defenders
Chapter 309: The Doomsday of the Defenders
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When he saw thest line, Jiang Chens face looked rather odd.
The bearded man had certainly guessed right, Lin Chaoen was not a human at all, but a machine.
Different from the digitalized human, Lin Lin, he had no traces of cells in his body. Jiang Chen confirmed multiple times. Even the meat on the mechanical skeleton was made by silica gels replicating the feeling of skin.
Jiang Chen opened that map again to confirm the red question market located on the outskirt of the city center.
Is there something here?
After deliberating for a moment, Jiang Chen also marked the location on his EP.
After putting away the full sensoryputer, he immediately left the mansion.
Returning to his office in themunity center, Jiang Chen called Cheng Weiguo who just finished eating.
Not long after, Cheng Weiguo appeared in front of Jiang Chens office desk.
Is there something wrong?
Jiang Chen turned on his EP map and showed Cheng Weiguo the marked area.
I want to send people to explore this area, do you have any good rmendations?
The city center? Cheng Weiguo stared at the location as he rubbed his chin with his eyebrows raised. That ce is not Qingpu, the mutants and zombies are more dangerous there. Oh, is it okay if we just get an aerial view?
Jiang Chen was dumbfounded before he came to a sudden realization.
Right, the Fishbone base has a helicopter. Although it had been modified to a helicopter gunship, it was still capable of performing a reconnaissance mission.
Hows pilot training?
Chu Nan was acting as his representative at the Sixth Street, the mission of operating the helicopter would naturally fall to other people.
We have two fully trained people who were personally taught by Chu Nan. They just flew the helicopter from the Sixth Street a few days ago. Based on his description, while the two pilots are still a bitcking in experience, their knowledge base is there. Cheng Weiguo smiled.
Ok, keep an eye on this. Report to me immediately if there are any results.
Yes. Cheng Weiguo saluted.
But then, the phone on the table began to ring.
Cheng Weiguo stopped.
Jiang Chen, as if he had been expecting something, had a glimpse of joy on his face. He grabbed the phone and put it by his ear.
Hello?
General! The elevator, the elevator stopped! Wang Zhaowus alerted voice came from the other side.
In Jia city, thirty kilometers away.
The Dusk along with the mutated humans at the Seventh Area conducted a coordinated attack on the Defenders in Jia city.
The mutated humans like ogres walked out of a sci-fi movie walked through the shambles. They were equipped with steel armors, heavy machineguns, as well as the magazines around their waste, disying a daunting light as they moved steadily towards the Defenders area of control.
Behind the troops, a mutated human, as well as a human, stood side by side on a hill piled up by broken concrete pieces as they gazed at the fires not so far away.
The mutated human, Troy, was the leader of Seventh Area. The man, Bo Yu, was the leader of Dusk.
I have never imagined that a mutated human and a human could walk together in unity. Troy cracked a smile on his hideous face towards the human in a fur coat.
With his hands behind his back, the Blood Lions mane swayed in the winter breeze as the corner of Bo Yus mouth also carved into a smile.
Based onmon sense, it is hard to understand. But as long as a small perspective is changed, we can all live together.
Just like the smart dog and human.
Coincidentally, both sides shared the same thought.
The mutated human needed the supplies and firearms provided by Dusk, and Dusk required the fearless warriors of the mutated humans.
The victor in the distant battle had already been decided. Although the remaining human survivors used the bunker to fire back at the mutated humans, the defiants fire was quickly extinguished by the hoard of mutated humans.
Speaking of which, what is that on your finger? While looking at the bloody red gem on Bo Yus finger, Troy asked casually.
Guess. Bo Yu smiled.
It is definitely not diamond. It is simr to a crystal, but I have never seen a red crystal before, Troy said.
It is a nuke. Bo Yu used a joking voice to state the not so funny reality.
Troy cracked a smile as he obviously didnt think what he had said was real.
At the same time, an unexpected st from ten meters away sent concrete debris into the air.
Go die! Traitor!
Followed by a thunderous roar, a survivor with blood all over his face leaped out of the shambles. His expression was grim and the wound that stopped bleeding burst again due to his angry outburst.
But in his hands was just an outdated assault rifle!
Troy just nced at the person expressionlessly as he put out his hand to guard Bo Yu behind him. But the hand was surprisingly pushed away by Bo Yu.
Troy did not have time to be shocked before bullets began to be fired at Bo Yu.
The reality soon proved that he had time to be shocked.
The dark green veil formed a beside him. The orange bullets, like mosquitos, were trapped within the spider web.
The expression on the persons face froze.
Unable to react, he saw a crystal fly across his vision.
The green light suddenly contracted before expanding as it blew into a field of green particles.
This is an odd ability. Troy looked at the mist of blood that has sshed everywhere and smiled grimly at Bo Yu.
We just walked further along on this path, Bo Yu said nonchntly as he put his hands back into his pocket.
The Klein particle was connected to the warp drive.
As a firm escapist, Dusk was further on the path of warp drives.
On another note, I remember you initially didnt n to attack Wanghai city to find Fallout Shelter 005 at Qingpu? Why did you suddenly change your mind and decided to help us solve our trouble in Jia city. Troy asked.
Because a problematic force is blocking Qingpu, Bo Yu said.
He was naturally referring to Fishbone base. Troy also knew this.
Troy remembered the heavy casualties he suffered in front of Zhufeng Highway as he also was angered.
They didnt lose on force, but rather on underestimating the enemy.
But he still didnt recognize the essence of the problem. They didnt lose just on underestimating the enemy, but rather on intelligence. If they built the camp more scattered, they would not be in the situation where one bomb would send half of the camp up into the sky.
When would we push back? A grim smile appeared on Troys face.
That smile was filled with the desire for revenge.
Once you use the survivors of Jia city to create a two thousand mutated human force. The supplies from the north would also arrive around that time, Bo Yu said emotionlessly.
Just like Troy, the name also annoyed him, but he was used to not disying his emotion on his face.
Not only did two hundred thousand crystals go down the drain, now he had to invest in more supplies to help the mutated humans in Jia city to replenish their poption.
But what pained him the most was Sun Xiaorou.
Ten something years ago, the organization used all of its efforts to obtain a sample from Fallout Shelter 071, and they just lost one.
Thest few fires died down on the battlefield, just like the life of the Defenders.
When the battle ended, Bo Yu looked in the direction of Wanghai City.
Jiang Chen? Murmuring to himself, he narrowed his eyes.
Inside the dark pupils, a dangerous light shone.
Chapter 310 - The Darkness buried deep
Chapter 310: The Darkness buried deep
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The riot urred at night.
Although the fallout shelter without sunshine had no concept of night.
It was only five hours after the security force forcefully removed the residents from the industrial area before the detention room inside the fallout shelter was stuffed full of protestors.
No one could bear that while they slept, a sharp sword could fall down anytime and hang above their heads. The venttion that no one had paid attention to for twenty-something years has now be a gun pointed at them.
A gun sprouted in peoples hearts.
Reality had proven that when everyone could not stand the same question, people be more courageous than they imagined.
The security force wasprised of less than one hundred people and was limited in power. Additionally, most of the soldiers were born in the fallout shelter. They didnt feel the obligation of the PAC. Compared to the emotionless and distant Han Junhua, they missed the kind and warm old leader. To the residents that protested, they not only feltpassion, but they were also supportive of their cause.
Compassion in breaching the rules would never ur in a PAC force, but they were not a force to begin with.
The resident assembly was re-establish again. Although they didnt receive permission from the fallout shelter terminal, they received support from all the residents. Under the leadership of ex-representative Wu Yaguo, in the name of justice, a mission detail was spread among the residents.
An hour to overthrow the dictatorship! An hour to renegotiate!
When the rumor of the mission started to spread, a few people already started to plot. But to the events urring among the residents, Han Junhua was not clueless.
The external threat was already there.
This would be one move to eliminate the internal threat.
First, it was to shatter the sword.
The power system was temporarily out, which triggered the emergency protocol to use the backup battery. Although the power outage during this transition onlysted for a short ten minutes, the short ten minutes was enough for a lot of things to happen.
The entire fallout shelter was in sudden darkness.
The elevator was stuck underground which prevented any interaction between the underground and the surface. The mechanical engine of the fallout shelter door was also destroyed by maintenance workers which eliminated the possibility of Han Junhua closing the door. Due to part of the security force joining the rebellion, all the residents joined forces in the grand hall of the fallout shelter. Therefore, even if the power had returned after ten minutes, Han Junhua releasing the sleep gas to the entire fallout shelter would be futile.
The sword that hung above everyones head waspleted eliminated.
Then, there will be discipline!
80% of the security force chose to join the temporary assembly. 20% of the previous PAC security force swore to protect. Both parties engaged in intense gunfire along the major hallways as they pushed towards the fallout shelter leaders office.
The residents first upied the armory and opened the detention room. Just like the conquering Bastille, the united residents released the imprisoned warriors. The warriors cheered as they armed themselves with the weapons.
Two hundred residents in gas masks and automatic rifles joined in the battle as the scale tipped towards the fallout residents side.
Tian Feng led thest remaining ten soldiers in the valiant fight. They were the first group of soldiers that entered the fallout base. Twenty years ago they were just young men who recently joined the army, now they were at the age where they should have retired. They had nned for the worst, such as encountering NATO soldiers that would break into the fallout shelter.
But what they didnt expect was, during theirst call, they had to face the residents they protected.
It was a suffocating feeling.
Tian Feng fiercely fired back as he tried not to remember the names that belonged to the faces in front of him.
But he couldnt.
Within the crosshairs, he saw the child from his neighbor. He still remembered the teen had said he wanted to be a botanist when the day the fallout shelter opened. He wanted to look at the grass grow. Wanted to see how resilient the radiation-contaminated grass was.
But he had already died, he had fallen in the pool of blood yet to be cool.
And him, and him, and even her
Ahhh!
Finally, someone couldnt resist the mental torture. A soldier ran out of cover and frantically fired with his rifle.
Dammit! Come back! But Tian Feng didnt manage to stop him as he watched a few blood holes appear on his ownrades body with his own eyes.
He died, but there was no agony on his face.
Tian Feng smashed into the wall and ducked into cover. His chest pumped violently up and down while he tried to regather his breath.
Dammit! Cough, cough! Spit mixed with blood sshed on the wall.
He didnt know who to curse, or who should be cursed.
The noise of bullets was all that could be heard.
At that moment, everyone was mute.
Within the leaders office, through the bulletproof ss, Han Junhua silently watched the battle inches away from her.
Too weak.
Not even considered a small regional conflict.
Pre-war, she hadmanded a battalion of mechanical paratroopers to suppress a riot nned by NATO on the PAC border. The gore she had seen, a hell far bloodier than this, she had seen them too many times.
But for some reason, she felt her heart ache.
Academician Qin stood beside her as he silently gazed out the window.
The shaking figure along with the young figure created a vivid contrast.
Just like father and daughter.
Long after, Han Junhua spoke, Are you not going to stand on the side of the residents?
Academician Qin shook his head. I stand by the truth.
is that so? Han Junhua looked surprisingly at the elderly man in his final remaining years.
Because the truth is always the most difficult to ept, the people searching for the truth is always the most lonely.
Thats really disappointing. Han Junhua looked out the window emotionlessly.
The sparks from the bullets jumped between the cold steel walls, reflected among the angry pupils. The soldiers still loyal to her constantly suffered defeat, they had no more backup.
Human nature is the burden of survival, but without this burden, civilization would not be born.
Do you want to say, I am wrong? Han Junhua was straightforward.
You are not wrong, but not correct.
Not wrong, but not correct? Han Juahua repeatedly chewed on those words in her mind, even though she knew there wasnt any purpose in thinking about it.
After moments of silence, Han Junhua asked, You know in the beginning that this would be the result right?
He was always more silentpared to anyone else, but he always knew the situation better.
She began to be suspicious.
Academician Qin didnt deny it, but his smile was bitter.
Mhmm, I dont deny it.
Why? Han Junhua didnt look at him as she still used an emotionless voice to ask.
I thought you had realized a long time ago. Academician Qin sighed.
Han Junhua was waiting for the elderly man to continue, but he didnt speak anymore.
Even in thest moment, you cant tell me the reason? Han Juahua asked.
Academician Qin only used silence to answer her.
I have been thinking about a question for a long time. The candidate for the leaders of the fallout shelter, is it based on careful consideration?
You can think of it that way, Academician Qin said in a quiet voice.
I used the supeputer at the fallout shelter before to recreate the mathematical model of the poption growth curve and the energy consumption speed, but the result I received surprised me From the start, the energy of the fallout shelter was not enough. Right?
Academician Qin did not answer.
But in a situation like this, silence was admitting by default.
Looking at the expression on Han Junhua, he knew that she had already guessed it.
Academician Qin let out a sigh as he gently said.
Could you not serve your duty until the final moment?
The voice carried a hint of pleading.
Okay, Han Juahua said emotionlessly.
Academician Qin asked in surprise.
Are you not afraid?
Han Junhua shook her head.
Its only death.
Outside the window, Tian Feng had already fallen.
With one hand against the wall, blood dripped from his arms.
He struggled as he raised the pistol to aim with his blood covered left eye.
Perhaps the clip was empty, no bullets came from the dark muzzle.
In that instant, a rioter dashed in front of him, he swung the fire axe and chopped off his head. Blood dripped along the axe as the hero enjoyed the crowds cheers and hugs.
He swung the axe dripping with blood up with his strong arm. It was like the torch of the statue of liberty.
Throwing the bulletproof vest away, Han Junhua silently watched thest scene.
She noticed the person with the axe smiling insolently at her.
As if it was the smile of the statue of liberty.
Human nature is the burden of survival, but if it were not for this burden, civilization would not exist. But once civilization is born, it must be apanied by the gruesome brutality.
She seemed to have understood something, but in the attempt to prolong a civilization, an individuals realization would not change anything.
At the end of the mission, can I ask you a final question? Han Junhua gazed at him as she said expressionlessly.
Academician Qin was silent.
I will just assume you have agreed by default, Han Junhua continued.
She walked to the window as she put her hand gently on the bulletproof window. The axe smashed onto the window where she had ced her finger in an aggressive act.
She felt the light tremble from the tip of her finger as she slowly said.
Is the window specification of this room built to thebs standard?
Yes.
Although it was only a single word, it made Han Junhuas cold heart feel a trace offort.
The rioters outside the window saw that they could not open the office door, so they brought the welding gun. From the crowd, she saw Wu Yaguos face and the bruise on his face.
If you release the explosive gas, you have a chance at killing the people outside the door, Academician Qin abruptly said.
Is this part of the experiment? Han Junhua asked.
He didnt speak anymore as he gave the final choice to her.
Like a pale experimental report was ced in front of her.
Hypothesis: The rationale dictator in the final moment before she is overthrown. Would she choose the lunatic choice to die with everyone?
Han Junhua closed her eyes as she carefully considered for a moment.
I will not do that.
Experimental result: False.
Mhmm. Academician Qin nodded as a smile with a trace offort appeared on his face.
At the end of the smile.
The door copsed.
Chapter 311 - Naive
Chapter 311: Naive
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The rioters broke into the room.
The gun barrel smashed onto Han Junhuas face as the single blow was enough to knock her unconscious. Then someone kicked her in the stomach and made her drop to the ground.
Han Junhua didnt feel surprised, she didnt even feel frightened because she knew, the pain she was about to receive would far surmount these.
Then, the hero ran up.
He raised the ax, with a grim smile, and was about to cut off her limbs.
But then, Wu Yaguo walked up and stopped the reckless hero.
Wait, everyone. Calm down and listen to me!
When they heard Wu Yaguos shout, everyone stopped what they were doing.
Han Junhua was on the ground with her face covered in bruises and blood, just in one minute, she was almost beaten to death by the angry rioters.
She silently looked at Wu Yaguo as she knew he was not there to defend her. If that was the case, he should havee in first.
We are victorious, we are finally victorious!
Wu Yaguo raised his arms as he used a passionate voice to shout.
The celebration began to echo in the fallout shelter, people watched him as if he was the reason why they were victorious.
We used our hands to overthrow the despicable dictators reign. We will use our hands to create a brighter future. Yes, we will!
He desperately searched for the best phrases in his head as he tried to paint a bright future for the people. People watched him as if they were worshiping God. The hero also dropped his ax as he looked at him religiously.
But before we can paint the picture, we need to put this criminal on trial.
Wu Yaguo looked at her.
Everyone looked at her.
Kill her.
With fire.
No, her body should be hung.
Wu Yaguo silently listened to the voices by his ears as he looked at Han Junhua. He wanted to read fear from her eyes.
But he was disappointed, he only saw calmness.
The glimpse of anger quickly hid the mask of mercy.
Quiet everyone. Everyone calm down for a moment.
He raised his hand as he signaled the crowd to quiet down.
He pointed his finger at Han Junhua on the ground as he said in a loud voice.
I hate her. I want to kill with the cruelest way possible to express the anger in my heart
The bruise on his face made the words that much more convincing.
The hero on the side ripped off a piece of his broken shirt as he tied it on his bloody left arm, he then weighed the ax in his hand and smiled grimly at Han Junhua.
He was only waiting for an order. An order to chop her head off.
But Han Junhua didnt look at him from the beginning, she was just waiting quietly for something.
But I choose to forgive her.
People looked at him in confusion.
We are the just, we are using the name of justice to uprise. We will punish her for her crime, but everything must be done throughw, and not our emotions. I forgive her, but thew will punish her for her crime
Listening to Wu Yaguos charismatic speech, Han Junhua smiled. Although her smile was undetectable under all the blood.
The ability she couldnt master - manipting people.
Without the need for technology, all can be done with a mouth.
The bruise became a symbol of his, demonstrating his kindness and forgiveness. People trust that under his leadership, fallout shelter 027 would be a brighter tomorrow and put him on the throne.
As to Han Junhua, her permission was taken away.
A few rioters with weapons walked off and forcefully dragged her up. Using her EP, they deactivated the order she had set and granted the permission of leader to Wu Yaguo. And Wu Yaguo put the handcuff on her and pushed the wounded her out the door.
People stared at her in anger, people spat at her, and people attempted to throw garbage on her face.
But the merciful new leader stopped all of this.
She will be punished but before that, we must make her live to the day when she will be punished.
On the side, Academician Qin silently watched everything. No one troubled the respected elder as they courteously asked him to go back to his home. But before that, they demanded he sends his congrattory words to the new regime. He did and the people supervising him left.
Just like the wheels of history, inside the dark underground shelter, a familiar scene repeated itself.
Within the integration room.
Han Junhua sat on the cold bench and stared at the ceiling nkly.
Half a day has passed since the coup.
No one interrogated her, no one treated her wounds, and no one fed her.
But that was fine. Humans can survive for a few days without eating. As long as she still has a breath left, they were already being kind to her. Not to mention they were letting her spend thest remaining hours of her life in peace.
But then the door opened.
Han Junhua lifted her weary eyelids and she murmured in her mind: Finally here?
But she was disappointed, it was someone she was familiar with.
Feng Hui, the chief engineer of fallout shelter technology, responsible for the power infrastructure of the fallout shelter.
Feng Hui was afraid to look Han Junhua in the eyes, and so he lowered his head.
It was me I removed the energy rod by one centimeter.
Half of the sess of this coup was attributable to him.
Mhmm.
Sorry
Why do you need to apologize to me? Han Junhua asked calmly.
I just feel, how should I say it, we should have a different leader Maybe everyones life will be good? Feng Hui scratched his head as he tried to coordinate the scattered words in his head.
Just a feeling?
Han Junhua ignored him as she continued to nk out.
Feng Hui took out a nutrient supply from his pocket and started to gulp it down before he hesitantly looked behind him. He then walked in front of Han Junhua, frightened
Can you drink this.
Is the trial over? Han Junhua asked.
No
This is not worth it. Han Junhua didnt take his nutrient supply and closed her eyes.
At the moment of victory to feel sympathetic to the dictator on trial. If it was not for the speech that Wu Yaguo had prepared beforehand, the anger of the residents may be passed onto him.
But Feng Hui had a pleading expression.
I beg you, please drink this At least, this will make me feel better.
He may be sympathetic towards peoples uprising, but when he saw how miserable Han Junhua was being beaten by the crowd that had lost its rationality, his heart felt the torture of guilt.
I cant.
Just as Feng Hui wanted to try again to convince her, footsteps suddenly came from outside of the door.
As he hurriedly put away the nutrient supply in his hand, two people walked into the dark detention room.
It was the new leader Wu Yaguo, and the ambassador Xu Lu.
Feng Hui? What are you doing here? Wu Yaguo looked at Feng Hui beside Han Junhua as he slightly frowned.
Xu Lu looked at Han Junhua with a smile on her face, she said, pleased.
Not bad, she is still alive.
Of course, we follow thew, and are not as reckless as this woman, Wu Yaguo said proudly.
Is that so? Thats perfect then. Xu Lu smiled.
Wu Yaguo was happy, and Feng Hui also felt relieved.
It was indeed a friendly signal, at least the Fishbone base maintained a supportive attitude to the new regime they had been established. This would make the negotiation more favorable for them. At least it yielded a positive result. This slightlyforted Feng Hui.
Only Han Junhua was indifferent.
The instant she saw the woman, she knew everything was over.
Xu Lu walked in front of Han Junhua. Then using two fingers to hold up her chin, she gently turned her head to face her.
Han Junhua didnt resist, but her eyes were peaceful.
Jiang Chen wants to see you.
When he heard Xu Lus words, Wu Yaguo had to warn her.
But, she is waiting to be put on trial
This is the pretense to maintain our friendship. Xu Lu straightened her body and looked at Wu Yaguo. She threatened my leader before and used his mercy as the excuse for her dictatorship. She should be punished.
When Wu Yaguo heard it was the pretense of their friendship, he was immediately conflicted.
After half a minute of silence.
Will you punish her?
Of course. Xu Lu smiled.
Wu Yaguo nced at Feng Hui, Leave.
Feng Hui felt relieved. Although he still felt guilty, he was happy he managed to dodge the bullet. He immediately escaped the ce in quick steps.
Wu Yaguos action was no different than when Feng Hui came in. He turned around to scan the door of the detention room. After ensuring that no one was listening, he lowered his voice to speak to Xu Lu.
It will be hard to exin to the residents
You will earn an additional 30 energy rods for your residents in the uing negotiation, I believe that these energy rods will be enough for you to live prosperously for the next year. You know, our leader hates her. If he has the opportunity to personally punish her, we dont care about this small price. Xu Lu smiled at Wu Yaguo as she painted a bright future for him.
When he heard her words, Wu Yaguos eyes shone with an obvious ecstasy but he quickly calmed down.
Ahem. If it was 40, I believe the residents will understand Mr. Jiang Chens anger and they will make the necessary exception to thew. Since it is shameful to deceive
35 rods. This is the furthest we will go. Xu Lu had a trace of frustration in her eyes.
Of course, it was necessary to haggle. If they were too casual, it might cause him to be suspicious.
35 energy rods per month. It was more than three times what Han Junhua has earned and it was more than enough to demonstrate his wisdom.
After hesitating for a moment, Wu Yaguo nodded in pain.
Just like selling pork with a price on the shelf, what will be the final fate of the wise queen?
Han Junhua quietly watched the two discuss. She was still expressionless.
Before he left, Wu Yaguo looked at her for the final time with mockery.
The eyes seemed to say. Unfortunately, I cant enjoy the pain on your face.
But Han Junhuas expression was indifferent.
You dont seem to be scared? Xu Lu smiled.
When will we head out? Han Junhua asked calmly.
Xu Lu paused for a moment before the saint smile returned to her face.
Now would be good.
Then, she turned around and headed for the door.
Chapter 312 - This place has always been mine
Chapter 312: This ce has always been mine
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It was only an hour drive between the Fishbone base and camp 27. However, because it was already the end of February, the snow on the ground was beginning to melt. Because of this, the zombies and mutants on the street began to feel unsettled.
They encountered two Roshans on the streets which slowed the fleet down momentarily. Jiang Chen spent double the time to arrive at the camp.
Standing on the outskirt of the concrete wall and looking up, Jiang Chen was impressed. Within less than fifteen days of construction, the camp had been developed to this point.
When they saw it was Fishbone bases fleet, the soldiers on the wall immediately opened the door and allowed the vehicles to pass.
When they were inside the camp, Jiang Chen jumped out of the car as Xu Lu had been waiting for him.
We had some dys along the way. You didnt wait for too long did you? Jiang Chen stood in front of her as he smiled.
Not at all, it is my pleasure to wait for you. Xu Lu shook her head as she naughtily nodded.
Haha, dont be so uptight, briefly exin to me the situation Lets walk as we talk.
Okay, boss.
The two of them walked to the center of the camp. Along the way, Xu Lu began to tell him the sudden changes underground.
From the initial protest to controlling the embassy to the uprising
How did boss know that the residents of the fallout shelter would be a mess on their own? As she walked beside Jiang Chen, Xu Lu smiled joyfully at him, her eyes were filled with traces of worship.
It was an enjoyable thing to be worshipped by such a beauty. Especially since Jiang Chen knew that with how clever Xu Lu was, she already knew the answer.
Instinct.
When she heard Jiang Chens brief response, Xu Lu paused for a moment before her mouth carved up. You are veryical.
In the middle of the camp, there was only a two-meter high concrete building. It was themand post for the Fishbone base at Camp 27.
When they saw Jiang Chen walk inside, the two soldiers on patrol immediately saluted and opened the door for him.
Just as the door opened, a wave of heat brushed across his face.
It is quite warm inside, there is no need to wear so manyyers. Xu Lu smiled as she took off her winter suit.
Jiang Chen hung his winter suit on the wall as he scanned the window while speaking in shock.
This is?
The distributed but gentle temperature didnt feel like it was a furnace, but rather the controble heated walled in the mansion.
But what was off was that along the supplies transported from the base, it didnt include heating devices. Even in the Fishbone base, only Jiang Chens mansion was installed with this luxury device, the normal survivors only used an electric furnace.
An electromaic nitrogen heating device. The residents of the fallout shelter gave it to us to express their gratitude for providing them with safety. Xu Lu walked beside a round metal ball as she began to exin to Jiang Chen
The nitrogenposition of the base was approximate 78%. The device can use the special electromaic interaction to heat the nitrogen in order to achieve the uniformed heating results.
Jiang Chen looked at the round heating device as he walked up to touch it.
It was hard to believe that the device used to heat the entire building was only warm.
What about electricity consumption? Jiang Chen asked.
Only two third of the traditional electric furnace.
Looks like there are a lot of good things inside the fallout shelter. Jiang Chen nodded pleasingly.
Although winter was about to end, it would be nice to equip the Fishbone base with a set.
It would immediately belong to you, right? Xu Lu naughtily blinked her eyes.
It always belonged to me. The corner of Jiang Chens mouth carved up.
Looking at the confident, frivolous smile on Jiang Chens face, Xu Lu grinned covering her mouth.
Jiang Chen shifted his frivolous expression as his face became serious. He cleared his throat and said.
Lets talk about the matter at hand. Wu Yaguo has already proposed to renegotiate with us right?
Yes. Following your instructions, I painted a bright future for them. Xu Lu nodded.
Did the embassy staff retreat?
Under the disguise of transporting Han Junhua, they all returned to the surface.
Hearing that Han Junhua had already returned to the surface, Jiang Chen had a dubious smile on his face.
Good, they lost all the stakes on the table. Make them surrender.
Roger.
With a charming smile on her face, Xu Lu bowed and departed with her mission.
Happiness and joy filled every corner of the fallout shelter. People celebrated their victory, intoxicated in formted alcohol, feasting on molecr delicacies as if they were in the middle of a festival.
The bloodstains on the walls had been removed by cleaners; the bullets mark was filled in by dissolvers.
On the table of the leaders office, the conference table was filled with all kinds of molecr food. It became the celebratory table of the resident assembly.
To celebrate our victory, cheers! Wu Yaguo stood up as he proposed a toast to all the assembly members. Then he began to drink the alcohol in his hand.
The technology in the fallout shelter was highly advanced. With such an ample amount of supplies, they could almost live in the happy times no different from before the war. Just make the ugly and disgusting scavengers on the surface pick up their garbage for them. Then, at the right opportunity, spare the scavengers some of the technology they dreamed off, and enjoy the worship expression on their faces. Finally, they will enjoy the energy rods in their hands.
35 energy rods a month, it was more than enough for them to live in festivity every day.
Haha! Cheers!
For freedom! For victory!?
Between sses, the feeling of intoxication began to spread on everyones faces, as if it was a dream that they would never be wakened up from.
Speaking of this, where did that b*tch go? In this happy moment, how can we miss her? A drunk representative said.
Dissolving the resident assembly, they made the politician who usually doesnt work go mop the floors as no one sitting there had a positive opinion about her.
Gulp, before we punish her, why dont we do something fun with her? Someone suggested in drunkenness.
Thats right, for example Make that old virgin strip dance for us, haha!
I am really curious to see the ashamed expression on that bit*hs face that had been ruling us for three years.
Wu Yaguo listened to the derogatory words of the representative out of drunkenness as his expression was rather embarrassed.
It was not because he was embarrassed by those peoples thoughts, he didnt mind torturing that woman to make this more entertaining, but Han Junhua had already been brought to the surface by Xu Lu
Ahem, friends, that bit*h have already been brought to the surface, as a gift for peace. Wu Yaguo coughed as he decided it was better to exin this sooner rather thanter.
The voice began to die down as pairs of intoxicated pupils looked over.
A cold sweat rolled across his forehead as Wu Yaguo instantly sobered up. His head spun at rapid speed to formte a not so disappointing excuse.
You know, because she threatened our partner, that man called Jiang Chen wanted to personally punish her. Think about it, the once ruthless queen perhaps is under a bunch of angry hobos I think, for that bit*h, that is the best punishment!
The representatives thought about it as they all agreed.
That makes sense. There is no more humiliating punishment than that, those lucky scavengers. Shi Yongtian sitting in the corner burped while he snapped his finger.
Thats right, burp, why dont we guess how that bit*h is being tortured.
Hahaha!
Whats going on? Why so rushed.
SurSurface. The man couldnt form a sentence while stuttering.
Surface? Wu Yaguo raised his eyebrows as he confirmed.
The man gritted his teeth and scanned all the representatives around the table. Then, he got closer to Wu Yaguos ear and whispered.
The wine ss in his hand sttered onto the ground.
Just like the morning bell that has awakened the dream, the vibrant red alcohol flowed on the floor.
Wu Yaguo widened his eyes as his pupils shook in fear.
How, how is that possible
Chapter 313 - You have two choices
Chapter 313: You have two choices
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When Wang Zhaowu, who was responsible for the camp, knew Jiang Chen would be staying for a few days, he personally cleaned out afortable office and bedroom for him. He also told Jiang Chen to let him know if he had any concerns.
But Jiang Chen didnt bother the camp staff nor did he interrupt the normal operation of the camp. When he was bored, he sat in front of the table and began writing.
Your message has been sent to the underground. Xu Lu walked into themand office as she smiled looking at Jiang Chen writing at the table.
Jiang Chen dropped the pen in his hand as he stretched and stood up from his chair.
Wu Yaguos response?
They rejected it and expressed their shock to our decision.
Jiang Chen didnt look surprised at all. Thats expected, whats their answer?
It was expected. Whether it was their rejection, or shock.
They locked the elevator and closed the door of the fallout shelter. They want you to examine the friendship between the two parties calmly. Xu Lu smiled.
Hearing that, Jiang Chen burst outughing and shook his head.
Too na?ve.
Boss, what if they follow Han Junhuas strategy? Xu Lu asked in a quiet voice.
Lock the door? Haha, thats impossible.
Looking at the confident expression on Jiang Chens fae, Xu Lu was slightly puzzled. With her intelligence, she could think through the strategy to make the residents of the fallout shelter start a coup, but she was unsure why Jiang Chen was so confident with them not locking the door.
A hint of confusion naturally didnt escape Jiang Chens eyes, but he only smiled and didnt exin.
Speaking of this, whats the maximum capacity of the elevator?
Based on its design, 20 tons, Xu Lu was more confused as she answered. She did not understand why Jiang Chen asked such a question.
20 tons? Okay. From today on, every noon, send people to dump two tons of sand down to the ground.
Xu Lu thought for a moment before a sudden realization smile appeared on her face.
As you wish, boss. Any other things you need?
Jiang Chen scanned the regtion still yet to bepleted on the table as he felt slightly wary. He then thought for a moment before responding.
Mhmm Where is Han Junhua?
In the basement of the camp.
A dubious smile spread on the surface his face.
I am tired now, take me to see her.
Han Junhuas current condition would disappoint the representatives and Wu Yaguo.
After Xu Lu had taken her to the surface, the torture and humiliation she imagined didnte. In fact, she didnt receive any inhumane treatment.
Or rather, the Fishbone base was treating her too nicely.
She was surprised, but when she asked Xu Lu, she only received a mysterious smile.
The medical professional treated the wounds and bruises on her face and connected her broken ribs. With their current medical condition, it was easy to treat these types of injuries. However, what surprised her was that the survivors on the wastnd possessed such technology.
Immediately, she was taken to the basement.
The bed was soft, and there were a table and chair. Although thick chains hung on the wall, no one cuffed her.
Once it was time for food, a young female soldier would bring in steamy dishes for her. If she wanted to go to the bathroom, the same female soldier would put her in handcuffs, point at her with a taser, and send her to the washroom.
This confused her. Did he only want to lock her up?
Just like this, two days passed.
The metal door to the basement opened, a male and a female walked in.
When she saw Jiang Chens half-smiling face, Han Junhua was surprisingly calm.
Just like the day she stood in front of the type 50 electromaic pulse cannon and faced Jiang Chen with a pistol to her head while she counted with her emotionless voice.
Jiang Chen pulled up a chair in front of the former fallout shelter leader. Xu Lu stood beside him and smilingly looked Han Junhua in the eyes without saying a word.
What are your thoughts? Jiang Chen looked at the calm Han Junhua as he said with a grin.
Her luscious ck hair dropped to her shoulder, under the two delicate eyebrows were a pair of peaceful eyes. The bruises could still be seen, but after treatment will disappear in no time. Her uniform was changed into regr fallout shelter clothes. The tight-fitting clothes drew out her lithe figure.
He heard that she was beaten in the fallout shelter, but she looked alright now.
Are you here to mock me?
Of course not. But you dont seem to be afraid? You have nothing to threaten me with now. Jiang Chenughed.
Han Junhua didnt say a word as she just quietly looked at him, just like during their initial meeting.
Seeing that she didnt speak, Jiang Chen continued, How does it feel to be betrayed by the citizens you protected? Despair? Hatred? Disbelief
Unfortunately, none. Han Junhua shook her head, What is your n for me?
None?
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. What do you think my n is with you?
Vein injection.
What is that?
A humane way of dying. Of course, if you find it troublesome, a bullet is enough too.
No, I think you are mistaken. It would be a waste of god sent if I execute you. Jiang Chenughed.
Although she had ws in her personality which made her unfit for a management role, after some tweaking, she would be great for a role in the military.
Till the current stage, the Fishbone base didntck talent in any other areas except formander talent.
When they fought, it was just raindrop-like bombs, then an infantry charge. This type of battle strategy would be enough for small-scale battles but followed by the growth of the Fishbone base, he couldnt expect his enemies to continue to be weak.
From their initial countering, Jiang Chen had ns to recruit her. The colonel of PAC, although he didnt know why she became the leader of the fallout shelter, to be able to control a divisional level of battle was nothing to scorn about.
My loyalty only belongs to the PAC, this girl was clearly not cooperative as she said emotionlessly.
But that doesnt exist anymore.
Do you really think so? Han Junhua asked.
Jiang Chen paused for a moment as he thought she has yet to learn the reality of the surface.
Therefore, he contemted before speaking.
PAC? Go find them lightyears away. You have two choices in front of you, join me, or
Jiang Chen took out a pistol from his pack, with a ng sound he loaded the gun. Before smashing the pistol on the table in front of Han Junhua, he provocatively looked her in the eyes.
Xu Lu worriedly looked at the pistol on the table, and then at the expressionless Han Junhua. She gently dragged Jiang Chens arm, Boss
She was worried that Han Junhua would do something that endangers Jiang Chen.
Dont worry, go for now. Jiang Chen waved his hand as he signaled to her not to worry.
Although she was worried, Jiang Chens order for every knight was absolute. Xu Lu gave a look of warning to Han Junhua before she closed the door behind her.
Han Junhua nced at the gun on the table and looked at Jiang Chen questioningly.
But Jiang Chen only responded with three concise words.
Live, or die.
Han Junhua was silent, and then she picked up the gun.
Jiang Chen calmly looked at her.
Then, she pointed the pistol at her temple, just like when they first met that morning.
You Why bother? Jiang Chen used a helpless voice.
My mission has already beenpleted. To die as a soldier is my glory.
Is every PAC official so stubborn?
Its hard to understand. Jiang Chen looked at her as if she was a monster.
You didnt belong to that era, you wouldnt understand.
As she said this, she pressed the trigger.
Jiang Chen shook his head and closed his eyes.
The sound of the striker being hammered diffused into his ear-
Chapter 314 - The End of the Mission
Chapter 314: The End of the Mission
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Ding-
The sound of the striker echoed through the room, but the sound of the exploding didnt.
There were no bullets in the clip.
Han Junhuas eyebrows jumped.
A momentter, she slowly opened her eyes as she put the pistol on the table.
Are you teasing me?
Not at all. Jiang Chen let out a sigh and put away the pistol on the table.
He had many hypotheses.
She could grab the pistol and attempt to threaten him by forcing him to go inside the fallout shelter and save the people that abandoned her. If she really did that, it would mean that she still pedantically cared about those peoples lives. Therefore, it would be easy to force her to conform as Jiang Chen would just use their lives to threaten her.
If she couldnt pull the trigger, that meant that she didnt want to die in such a meaningless fashion. Therefore, a very chip was enough to control her.
But Jiang Chen didnt think that she would make, what Jiang Chen saw as the worst decision.
To the people unafraid of death and without attachment, he couldnt think of a way to control her.
very chip? It was just a more elegant and more straightforward way of threatening peoplepared to gun against the head. Although it could monitor heart rate levels and hormone activity, it could not control peoples thoughts.
I sincerely hope you can join me in my cause. Jiang Chen used hisst ditch effort.
Cause? You call this a cause? Han Junhuas mouth carved up into what looked like a contemptuous curvature, it was the first expression she gave Jiang Chen on her expressionless face. I am a PAC soldier, I hope I can still be one when I die.
A trace of enragement shed across Jiang Chens face, Jiang Chen deeply inhaled as he tried to calm his mood.
Looks like negotiation has failed. He dubiously smiled and stood up.
Han Junhua used an obviously look to respond to him.
Great.
Jiang Chen only left that one word before leaving.
Gone?
Han Junhua watched Jiang Chen leave as she felt relieved.
But to her surprise, the door opened again.
It was Xu Lu who walked in. The woman with a smile so pure that it made her extremelyfortable.
I dont understand, why do you have to reject our leader. Xu Lu looked at her with a smile.
Are you willing to die for him? Han Junhua asked emotionlessly.
Of course. An unhealthy red flush appeared on Xu Lus face before it faded away. Then her face returned to the same smiling expression.
Then you should understand me. The ideology of PAC is my life.
When ideology bes spiritual, it is not fundamentally different from a religion. The only difference is, religion is god while ideology is philosophy.
Xu Lu neglected her description as she responded, You are a lucky woman.
Is that so?
Of course, because leader said, he will personally train you, until you conform.
Han Junhua thought she heard wrong.
Is that considered lucky?
She could only say that there are all kinds of people in this world Han Junhua muttered to herself in her mind.
Xu Lus smile began to turn cold as she overlooked Han Junhua in her white dress and used a cold voice.
Until you wake up and realize your ce, your three meals a day will be two meals of nutrient supply.
Thats fine. Han Junhuas response was only two short words.
Xu Lu looked dubiously at her, the eyes seemed to say: I will see how long you canst.
A few female soldiers walked inside and took away the bed and all the other furniture.
Enjoy your time in the darkroom.
After leaving those words, Xu Lu left the room.
It was lucrative to hope that everything would go ording to n. Han Junhuasted until the end without conforming. But the more she acted this way, the more Jiang Chen became interested.
One sentence to describe the situation, she needed more lessons!
Coincidentally, he had plenty of time to give lessons.
Jiang Chen temporarily left Han Junhuas task aside as the development of Fallout Shelter 027 was rather smooth.
Based on Jiang Chens order, every noon at 12, the Fishbone base would drive an excavation truck and slowly pour around two tons of sand down to the horizontal elevator tunnel.
The sand was poured slowly, but falling from a thousand meter height, the sound of sand smashing against the elevator was still deafening.
The half an hour of deafening sound was like a curse that twirled around every resident of the fallout shelter as it tortured their mental defense.
Right now, the fallout shelter no longer held a celebratory atmosphere.
Fear, suspicion, and confusion hung on every residents face.
The ground piled with garbage, the empty space in the industrial area was filled with the smell of vomit-inducing alcohol. People gathered there while they waited for Wu Yaguos exnation.
Whats going on? Wu Yaguo, you said you have negotiated with them already! A resident who stood in the front angrily pointed at his nose.
Three days ago, he had just put him on the throne.
You, you cant me me for this, its those primal people that dont have any credibility, In the midst of the crowds skepticism, Wu Yaguo exined with cold sweat rolling down his face.
He saw from those peoples eyes, the color he had seen before.
This made him fearful. He didnt want to be the second Han Junhua.
Stay calm, friends. If we are listless, that will make their ne true, Wu Yaguo gulped as he desperately tried to calm the mood of the crowd.
Calm? How are we supposed to remain calm? Let them bury us alive? Someone screamed.
They wouldnt do that, they still need our technology. Including the unfinished Tiger II blueprint, they still need us, they are only pretending, a representative tried to suggest.
The elevators maximum capacity is only twenty tons, after this limit, we can never go back up.
They are pouring sand, if we move the sand, the elevator would still be usable
Whats the purpose? Go up and surrender?
Dammit, these primal people without credibility!
Wu Yaguo gulped as sweat continuously rolled down his forehead. He wanted to say something.
But at this time, Feng Hui walked up on the stairs as he started talking without permission.
Everyone I dont know if I should be the one saying this, but with the current consumption speed, the fallout shelters energy can onlyst for five more days.
Five days!
Compared to the sand, they had more critical things to worry about.
Once the energy is consumed, this would be a city of death in ten minutes.
Wu Yaguo furiously stared at Feng Hui, thetter shrunk his neck, but had no regret at all.
Feng Hui thought if he brought this question up now, if they could do something, the fallout shelter could still be saved Although his feelings have never been right before.
The energy shortage was like a spell that lingered in every residents mind.
The celebration in the past few days had spent the already short energy to almost nothing.
If it was Han Junhua
Someone started the sentence but then realized his words as he immediately closed his mouth before finishing.
When everyone hated on one person, it was dangerous to defend that person.
But he obviously didnt know because his perspective surprisingly did not get rebuked.
Yes, if it was her
Maybe, pay attention to my dictation, Im just saying maybe, we went over the line?
It is funny to say, but the collective is always forgetful.
Until now, they finally remembered everything that person did for them. When they carefully thought about it, all of her actions were for them. As a dictator, she didnt use her power for personal gains.
The criticism began to shift topassion for Han Junhua.
As Wu Yaguo heard the chatter, he knew he couldnt wait any longer.
If he continued to hesitate, he would be the criminal of the entire fallout shelter!
How would the crowd generate confidence? How would he freely escape his responsibility?
He did an expected, but foolish action.
Everyone! Listen to me, listen to me! Now, we are facing the most critical challenge that Fallout Shelter 027 has ever faced since its inception!
With his shouting, people stopped discussing again, they looked at him while waiting for the next step.
I admit, my vision is short-sighted, my knowledge is limited, and I express my deepest apology to myck of ability. Wu Yaguo lowered his head as he gave the most profound bow to the residents.
Chatting began to sprout, but Wu Yaguo didnt bother with it. He raised his head, lifted up his arms and shouted.
But I believe, the crowds intelligence is glorious, the vision is with foresight!
As he faced the pairs of skeptical eyes, Wu Yaguo opened his EP and entered a few lines of code.
Everyones EP shook, people shockingly looked at the message on the EP.
Now! I grant the power of the fallout shelter leader to all the residents! Everyone, technology allowed for absolute democracy to exist. Anyone could start a proposal, anyone could cast their sacred vote to any proposals, the absolute, just terminal will recognize everything. History will remember this moment, we just created history. Thank you for the continuous support, thank you
After he finished, Wu Yaguo fled from the stairs.
The decision making power was distributed to everyones hands. The fallout shelter no longer needed a leader, everyone was a leader.
The instant he had escaped down the stairs, he used the corner of his eyes to see that the skepticism among the pupils was reced with the excitement of power.
Shortly after, the first proposal was introduced regarding if a power cut was necessary
Academician Qin stood in the corner of the empty ground and let out a sigh.
The same sigh was heard a few days ago.
But unfortunately, no one listened.
At the same time, thest wave of Klein particles was sent lightyears away as it carried an experiment report stained with blood.
As of now, the purpose of Fallout Shelter 027 was fulfilled.
Chapter 315 - Taking Over the Fallout Shelter
Chapter 315: Taking Over the Fallout Shelter
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen didnt know what kinds of interesting proposals the fallout shelter residents, immersed in their fantasies, had proposed. However, he knew what thest proposal was.
On the fifth day, the fallout shelter door opened.
They chose to surrender with all votes supporting the notion.
After the proposal had passed, everyone felt relieved. Because a lot of people among them had not eaten for thest twenty-four hours.
The elevator locked underground began operating again as it moved the sand and a trembling fallout shelter resident onto the surface. Under the guidance of the Fishbone base soldier, he saw Jiang Chen and expressed anxiously the will to surrender.
Jiang Chen dly epted their surrender, and the man felt relieved.
The man was Wu Yaguo.
Under the supervision of one hundred Fishbone base soldier, the one thousand five hundred residents underground initiated a new proposal to pass the leader permission to Jiang Chen. At gunpoint, just like the day they forced Han Junhua to surrender her leader permission, everyone voted in agree under humiliation.
Unanimously passed, Jiang Chen was the new leader of the fallout shelter.
Therefore, the door of the fallout shelter was non-existent to the Fishbone base. The permission to open the door or not was now controlled by Jiang Chen.
Immediately, the one thousand five hundred residents were forcefully moved to the surface as they were packed into the crowded temporary shelter, waiting for Jiang Chens order. The residents were like shaken hamsters. Even when they faced Han Junhua, they stood up valiantly. But in the face of the ruthless Jiang Chen with military power, they had no courage to resist at all.
Human nature was a delicate phenomenon.
However, Jiang Chen gave them disheartening news as he quickly nned their future.
The entire fallout shelter 027, including the residents that moved to the surface in the beginning, nine hundred out of the one thousand and seven hundred people were elites from different industries. Of the remaining eight hundred people, four hundred were twelve or below, and the rest were all useless garbage.
The four hundred useless individuals were dragged to Shenxiang Town colony where they will be nting the Carm tree and processing the mutated fruits necessary to produce nutrient supplies.
Of the remaining thirteen hundred people, they were divided by family. Part of the group will be living on the surface of camp 27, while the remainder will return to fallout shelter 027 to enjoy their happy life.
Needless to say, even with so many shorings, the fallout shelter was still the happiest ce on the wastnd. There were only two hundred individuals granted a return to the fallout shelter, and the number of people will change based on Fishbones project. The two hundred research individuals will be divided into five projects as they continue to enjoy their life. They were permitted to bring a spouse along with children less than 18 years old to enjoy the same life.
Of course, there were plenty of talents in the fallout shelter. If their efficiency is too low, they would be kicked out. People would dly take their spot and bring their family to enjoy the heaven-like life.
As to the families forced to stay on the surface, Jiang Chen didnt give them any trouble. Instead, he treated them as a talent reserve. For the people influential in virtual reality development, Jiang Chen moved their family to the Fishbone base and gave them to Du Yongkong to develop the virtual reality MMORPG.
Speaking of Du Yongkong, he certainly felt left out. After he had developed Future 1.0, Jiang Chen had almost forgotten about him.
A lot of people that had joined the Fishbone base around the same time were all tasked with important duties, while he was stuck with a bunch of machines, writing codes. If he had nothing to do he would just try to waste the day away. But now that he had people, he finally had an opportunity to disy his skill.
However, he was still confused about why he was developing Future 1.0. He didnt understand the purpose of developing an outdated virtual reality that required a helmet. It was the kind of feeling where people already had consoles, but they still wanted to y the original Gameboy.
But he didnt voice his thoughts.
Standing at the gate of the camp, Jiang Chen looked at the row of trucks leaving the camp.
Five hours ago, the eight trucks hauled a total of 120 tons of concrete. This C-grade concrete produced from the concrete nt in Shenxiang would be used to build the new homes for the fallout shelter residents.
Now, the trucks transported away 421 fallout shelter residents. During the ability assessment, they were determined to not possess any research ability. They were incorporated into the Fishbone base with a citizen level of ve. While working in the ntation to feed themselves, they will also be working towards bing a lower citizen one day.
Jiang Chen didnt know since when Xu Lu stood beside him, but he suddenly heard her exim in a light voice.
It is hard to believe that the hard to chew on fallout shelter defeated themselves like this.
This is normal. Jiang Chen gazed at the shadows disappearing at the end of the highway as he grinned.
You are always so wise. Xu Lu watched Jiang Chens back with a smile.
Jiang Chen paused for a moment as he didnt imagine people would describe him as wise as he beganughing out loud.
It is not wise, not at all Only some experience with society.
Xu Lu didnt continue on this topic.
How are the resident assembly representatives going to be treated?
I have already arranged for them to go on the truck.
Including Wu Yaguo and Shi Yongtian. The Fishbone needed all forms of talents, but it didnt need politicians who only knew how to speak and point fingers. It would require months if not years ofbor for them to interrogate into the new life on the wastnd.
Hearing that Jiang Chen had already made the arrangement, Xu Lu smiled and nodded before she started to discuss her next step.
Now that this side of things is over, do you need me to return to the logistics department immediately?
No need, we need management talent here. Wang Zhaowu is not bad atmanding an army, but it would be disastrous if the same techniques used to manage an army were used politically. You are exceptional in this field, youll be in charge of the affairs at Camp 27.
Okay, boss. Xu Lu bowed.
Wang Qin will organize the research projects before transitioning them over to you. Your primary responsibility will be ensuring that the research needed is being done. Other than that, the rest will be up to you. You can do it!
As he said this, Jiang Chen patted her shoulder, trying to motivate her before leaving.
Also, one more thing. Xu Lu seemed to have remembered something as she stopped Jiang Chen.
Mhmm?
An elder man wants to see you. He said he is an academician from the Pan-Asian Corporation Academy of Social Sciences, his name is Qin Xuehai
Chapter 316 - Light Years Away
Chapter 316: Light Years Away
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Tents of various sizes were built around the outskirt of the camp. Although they were simple and crude, they were enough to weather the harsh external conditions. These tents were all hauled from the Fishbone base and will be used before Camp 27 apartments are built. Therefore, the residents forcefully moved to the surface must settle for them.
The tents formed a distinct contrast with the one hundred homes in the center of the camp as if it was the ghetto versus the rich.
The situation was ratherical. They had previously mocked the two groups of residents that first moved up to the surface stating that they would rather live in the harsh conditions of the surface than thefort in the fallout shelter. But now the situation seemed to be reversed as the people they mocked now became someone they envied.
After passing through a few tents, Jiang Chen walked to a tent at the corner of the camp. He saw an elder with white hair who seemed to be waiting for him.
You are Academician Qin?
The elder kindly smiled at Jiang Chen who stood in front of him as he got up.
Yes, and you must be Jiang Chen?
Jiang Chen nodded.
Your body condition doesnt seem to be too well.
The elder waved his hand as he said something that surprised Jiang Chen.
Dont worry, I am a digitalized human.
Digitalized human? Digitalized humans can also age?
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes but quickly returned back to normal.
I heard you have something important to tell me, is it just this?
Of course not. Academician Qin shook his head. There is one thing I want to give you.
As he said, he picked a baseball-sized ck sphere out of his pocket.
Jiang Chen looked at the sphere as he frowned. It felt like he had seen this somewhere before.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted.
The Golden Apple? Jiang Chen whispered.
Academician Qin paused a moment before shaking his head. Is that how you refer to this thing? But youll be disappointed. It is only amunication device based on Dr. Kleins research on Klein particles, it is referred to as gctic cellphone. Of course, the energy for this has beenpletely consumed, it can only provide you with a coordinate.
Jiang Chen took over the ck sphere as he carefully examined it in his hands. The appearance was no different than the one he obtained in U-235, but this was clearly lighter.
Also, this must be the real Golden Apple, not the counterfeit Golden Apple the Third Reich mimicked. This thing was not meant to broadcast to other time dimensions, but rather to conductmunication across time.
Can this thing Speak to the past?
Academician Qin smiled when he heard Jiang Chens question, In theory, yes. However, just like the Shronginders cat, even if you spoke to the past, you cant verify if someone heard it, and you cant verify if they understood or not.
Is that so? I heard that this thing is made with brain extract Jiang Chen mustered to himself as he was deep in thought.
That is false. Academician Qin smiled. Thats right, the brain extract can detect Klein particle activities, but how is it possible to use the brain to create this?
In a parallel world, someone certainly did that Jiang Chen said in his mind.
After a momentary pause, Academician Qin put on a stern face as he continued, To be honest, this thing had lost its purpose already. The reason why I am telling you this is only because Im trying to exin a fact to you.
What fact? Jiang Chen observed the metallic ball in his hand.
This is an experiment.
Jiang Chens action stopped as he looked at Academician Qin.
Experiment?
Thats right, the experiment is to research under the circumstance of extremely limited resources, how would the human society evolve, Academician Qin calmly told a shocking truth.
Jiang Chen was in shock, or in disbelief.
But he quickly realized something was odd.
It was too much of a coincidence. The PAC government was that useless? The fallout shelter was a civil defense structure and built based on the international political situation deteriorating. Would it really be problematic to store more nuclear fusion cores? It was set for 50 years, but it had to open in 20 years. And that Han Junhua, she was clearly not meant to be a politician.
But he didnt manage to think that the entire fallout shelter was just an experiment, every single person inside was a white rat.
From the beginning, there was not enough energy. Even the choice of leaders, the kind Zhang Qiming as the first leader and the cold Han Junhua as the second leader, they were both not ideal choices for leadership, but can be researched as ssic personalities.
The experiments result is sent to the Zhenghe Space Colonization Ship lightyears away using this device.
The elimination of sources of error, and investigate into key subjects were typical of an experiment.
It was just that, the experiment to be conducted on a group of people was too cruel.
Although it is just a small fallout shelter, dont you think this is the reflection of society?
Why are you telling me this? Jiang Chen stuffed the metallic ball into his pocket as he retorted.
He was not part of the PAC, nor did he have anything to do with the dissolved World Alliance Organization. He was not bored enough to think of the people lightyears away.
I am only providing you with a thought process. If you happen to encounter such a choice, I believe you will learn something from it.
[Thought process? That choice?]
Thought process? Jiang Chen didnt understand.
Thats right, as a researcher who lived in the fallout shelter for 20 years, other than being responsible for the experiment, I have been thinking about another question.
What question?
You should have heard of reproductive separation.
It was not aplicated subject, even in the biology textbook from the 21st century it was mentioned. Jiang Chen only recalled briefly before he nodded.
Because of geographical istion and other factors, different groups of the same species reproduce in different habitats. Due to the inability to carry out gene exchange, to withstand the natural selection of different environments, it would eventually lead to the formation of twopletely different species.
Academician Qin nodded in praise as he looked at Jiang Chen.
Although there are still some ws with the theory, thats mostly the case. With geographical separation, after thousands of years of evolvement, the same species would evolve into twopletely different species. Geographical separation is the pretense for reproductive separation. But have you considered another possibility? If for some reason humans were forced to create geographic separation, what kind of possibility would that create?
Reproductive separation? Jiang Chen paused for a moment.
No, its ideological separation. Academician Qin shook his head as he threw out a concept that Jiang Chen never heard of before.
How you noticed, in only 20 years, the people living underground and the people on the surface have been separated into two kinds of people. What would happen if 50 years passed? Or even longer time.
Jiang Chen began to ponder on the idea as he waited for him to exin.
Under different environment, the civilization making an adjustment to the environment is known as evolvement from a social science point of view. Just like how although reproductive separation didnt exist between the ancient and modern people, there exists a huge gap between them ideology wise.
If we look at the deep space light years away, is there a gap created between the space colonization ship and us?
The instant when the space colonization ships elerated to escape the sr system, they were no longer humans from earth. Or rather, the ship who have gathered the elites of the human civilization had already evolved into something higher.
So what? Whatever they evolve into, they are no longer on earth, Jiang Chen said nonchntly.
When he heard Jiang Chens words, Academician Qin onlyughed.
In the 16th century, what did the Europeans bring to UA?
ughter?
No, civilization.
Was there a difference? Jiang Chen just wanted to ask, but he all of the sudden stopped.
Thats right because there was no difference
The rebirth of the civilization must be apanied by bloody brutality, Academician Qin said gently.
You mean They will be back?
Regardless if they will be back or not, they will do something. And to us as the natives the process must be apanied by pain. Blood? Sacrifice? But what is truly terrifying is that these actions will be justified through their perspective.
Chapter 317 - Supreme, Harmony, Purity
Chapter 317: Supreme, Harmony, Purity
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Supreme, Harmony, and Purity.
Supreme, the fusion between human and technology. It was simple to understand. The digitalized human would be considered part of the supreme philosophy.
Harmony, thebination of human and nature. It was using gic engineering to modify humans to adapt to harsh conditions. The example would be the mutated humans who could feast on the mutants meat. They were definitely the group who enjoyed the wastnd the most Although no one would ssify them as human.
As to purity.
Purity is nothing will change.
Nothing will change? Is that considered evolution? Jiang Chen was puzzled.
It is considered evolution. Academician Qin nodded. The activity of civilization expanded from earth to space, it is a great chance to make no change to the form of existence. They dont abandon any parts of being human and use foreign objects to strengthen themselves, protecting the body itself. This requires no fewer sacrifices than the first two. The only thing we can guess now is that the new human who chooses this path is the most likely to be friendly to us, and at least better than those who chose supreme or harmony.
After listening to Academician Qins exnation, Jiang Chen remained silent.
He let out a sigh after a long while.
Regardless, these are all too distant.
It is indeed too distant. The formation of a new civilization would take tens, hundreds, and even thousands of years. But regardless the length of time, civilization would have to make the decision on how it chooses to continue its existence. As an elder man who is about to step into the coffin, the only thing I can do is tell you what I know. If you can learn something from it, and make the right choices, it will be the pleasure of civilization.
The pleasure of civilization? That is a daunting recognition. But unfortunately, Jiang Chen didnt have any interest in bing the next savior, nor did he have the capability to be one. But if he thought about carefully, if he had to cast a vote in terms of the direction of the entire civilization, he would lean more towards the route of purity.
As to why? Naturally, asides from purity, would the humansing from the two other routes still be considered human?
Under a bold assumption, the end to harmony would be humans fusing with mutants, and the end of supreme would most likely be advanced artificial intelligence and internal hard discs. Regardless of which one, the pleasure of being human would be abandoned.
After leaving Academician Qins tent, Jiang Chen threw the authentic golden apple into the storage dimension and walked to the gate of the camp.
An armored vehicle was parked in front of the gate, and from the cigarette butts on the ground, the vehicle had been waiting for a long time.
When he saw Jiang Chen walk over, the driver who was killing time smoking a cigarette immediately threw it away and saluted to him with a straight back.
Jiang Chen nodded to the driver as he sat in the passenger seat.
Lets go back to the base.
Yes!
It only took a moment of zoning out before the vehicle arrived at the mansion in the base.
When Jiang Chen walked inside, he hung his winter suit on the wall and bumped into Sun Jiao who wasing down the stairs.
Are you okay? Sun Jiao asked caringly when she saw Jiang Chens face.
Mhmm? Jiang Chen looked at Sun Jiao, dumbfounded. He scratched his face. Is there something on my face?
Looking at Jiang Chens action, Sun Jiao covered her mouth as she began to giggle.
Yes, there are two bugs on your forehead almost twisting together.
Bugs?
Jiang Chen touched his forehead, but he felt his eyebrows.
When he saw the mocking expression on Sun Jiaos face, he immediately realized that the girl was teasing him.
You dare to tease your husband? Jiang Chen pretended to be angry as he leaped toward her, but Sun Jiao dodged with a smirk.
Regarding body conditions, Jiang Chen would never be able to catch up to Sun Jiao without special abilities. But Sun Jiao obviously didnt try too hard as they fooled for a minute before she was tackled onto the sofa by Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen, breathing heavily, looked at Sun Jiao who he finally managed to catch and grinned.
With a slightly flushed face, her full breasts bounced up and down. Her crystal eyes covered by ayer of mist, staring straight into Jiang Chens eyes.
Jiang Chen who was about to bully her stopped.
Whats going on? Honey.
Jiang Chen used his finger to gently lift up the rumpled hair on her forehead and said gently.
He could feel her hesitation. She had her own thoughts.
The audacious face rarely disyed a trace of fragility. Sun Jiao hesitantly looked at Jiang Chen as she whispered.
How about this. Why dont you go take a break on the other side?
When he heard Sun Jiaos words, Jiang Chen was surprised. Sun Jiao always wanted to keep him on this side, but this time she brought this up on her own.
Sun Jiao read the surprise on Jiang Chens face. Then with a blushing face, she continued.
Didnt you say Compared to the other side, this side is more depressing? Im scared
She bit her lips before quickly letting go.
All in all, I cant allow you to dislike this side.
Although the voice sounded capricious, Jiang Chen could still clearly feel the love.
Mhmm, I promise. Jiang Chen looked into Sun Jiaos eyes as he sincerely promised.
After gazing with Jiang Chen for a while, Sun Jiao suddenly burst outughing.
What are youughing at. Jiang Chen pretended to be angry as he pped her butt.
Sun Jiao cried out in slight pain as she rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen.
Nothing, I cant think my husband is adorable?
I think you should think your husband is strong. Jiang Chen with a smirk as his hands began to move around.
Sun Jiao felt the coldness that moved around her waist as her face began to burn. She rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen and joked.
In the living room again. Weve never sessfully done it in the living room
It was Jiang Chen who blushed this time.
He remembered the first time when Sun Jiao was like an untamed cat that jumped onto him. However, before they could do anything, Yao Yao who came downstairs saw himpleted exposed.
Ahem, why dont we continue in the bedroom? Jiang Chen subconsciously nced at the empty stairs as he awkwardly retreated his hands.
Sun Jiao seductively rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen as she swiftly escaped from Jiang Chens hug and sat on the sofa.
With two fingers, she demandingly lifted Jiang Chens chin.
Come to my room tonight.
The red lips naughtily breathed a breath of warm fragrance.
Chapter 318 - Transferring the Military Factory
Chapter 318: Transferring the Military Factory
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The next morning, Jiang Chen with ck circles under his eyes, walked out of Sun Jiaos bedroom yawning.
As he reminisced the intimacy that happenedst time, he couldnt help but smile. Perhaps because they havent done it for so long,st night Sun Jiao was particrly demanding as she only let him sleep after midnight while she drifted to sleep as well like a well-fed cat.
As Jiang Chen thought about this, he stretched his back with a delightful smile-
Ka.
The pleasant smile froze on his face as a drop of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
[Fu*k, my back! Ouch, ouch, ouch]
At the same time, the still sleepy Yao Yao walked into the hallway.
She looked at Jiang Chen who froze in ce as she tilted her head in confusion.
Hmm?
Ahem, Yao, Yao Yao,e help me Jiang Chen with his thick skin finally squeezed out these words.
He felt humiliated
The nice Yao Yao immediately walked up to help him.
Jiang Chen looked at the innocent eyes as he didnt know how to exin what caused his stiff back.
It was already early March; snow was barely visible in Wanghai City now. Followed by the stabilization of the situation on the wastnd, it was time to return to the modern world as events have also been progressing along there.
Of course, before he returned, Jiang Chen still had to take care of some urgent matters.
After eating lunch at themunity center, Jiang Chen rode the helicopter to the Sixth Street as he headed immediately to the Zhao Corporation Headquarter within the Inner Circle.
After months of repair, the traces of the civil war were no longer visible in the Inner Circle. Including Zhao Corporations building almost prated by the electromaic cannon, from the outside, it was impossible to tell that a bloody civil war erupted here.
Just as he stared into the Zhao Corporation building, Jiang Chen felt countless eyes focus on him before fleeing away.
He smiled as he didnt bother with their looks and he headed straight to the elevator.
The new security guard in the front saw Jiang Chens back and was prepared to stop him because he didnt notify the reception desk.
The old security guard with sharp eyes immediately dragged the new colleague back by the cor.
The new security guard tilted his neck and looked at the old security in shock. When he saw that the elevator doors had already closed, heined in frustration, What are you doing? Didnt the boss say that without going through the front desk, all visitors should be kicked out.
Bullsheet, did you not see who he was? If you dared to stop him, your boss would stuff your head into the toilet.
The old security guard spat all over his face as he remainedpletely dumbfounded.
Who, Who is he
Seeing how stupid his new colleague was, the old security let out a sigh.
Sigh, you just came from Hang City so you might not know, the Sixth Street now is not what it was before. Did you see the newly built casino in the Inner Circle? A few months ago a nuke blew up there.
Nuke?! The new securitys eyes widened.
Tactical nuke. Although it was not a big one, it did wipe out half of the Inner Circle.
Is that the person
No, but things changed here. The Group of Ten council copsed after the civil war. And that man, the only victor out of the war, is the general of the Sixth Street. The old security let out a sigh as he said mncholily.
It would be impossible to say he didnt miss the old times, back then the status of being a security guard of Zhao Corporation was envied by many.
The new security guards eyes were about to pop out as cold sweat began to roll down, he felt scared.
He was thankful that the old guy dragged him. It would be less of a deal if he lost his job, but if he offended someone of power, it would a question of if he could walk out of the door or not.
Other people would need an appointment to see Zhao Chenwu, for Jiang Chen, the process was not so problematic.
When Jiang Chen walked into his office, the previous ruthless leader was already waiting in front of the desk.
A rare visitor, what brings you here? When Jiang Chen walked in, Zhao Chenwu stopped the work in his hands as he stood up smiling.
Jiang Chen noticed that his mood seemed to be a lot better. He didnt have the same expression of despair that was present when he passed on his power.
How have you been?
Haha, great, thanks to Mr. Jiang. Lets go talk in the room next door.
With the food business blooming, although he lost part of his power, he had significant gains in other areas. Under the direction of Jiang Chen he created the trade fleets, not only did he extend the business up to Luzhou, he even opened the market for tea and coffee. The green crystals flooded to him. In less than a month. He had already recovered nearly a third of his losses from the civil war.
While they caught up, the two walked to the guest room next door as they sat around a table. Not long after, his assistant Su Lei walked inside as she poured hot tea for both of them before leaving.
Jiang Chen noticed her right hand was switched into mechanical prosthetics. It must be because of the civil war.
After some small talk, Jiang Chen began to discuss the issues at hand. When he asked about the status of the ten T-3 power armors he has ordered. It was already March; it was around the time the order should bepleted.
It is already done! I went to examine it in the military factory, the technicians havepleted thest stage of program testing, do you need me to take you there for a visual?
Jiang Chen waved his hand. There is no rush, I will send people to transport it back tomorrow. The 88000 crystals can be deducted from the food business ie. Also, hows your production capacity for your military factory?
When heard Jiang Chen ask about the military factory, he gave a brief thought before he gave a conservative estimate.
With the newly added production line, the production capacity increased by sixty percent.
Sixty percent? Let me try a different question, how many power armor can the factory produce in a month?
At most three.
Thats too little. Jiang Chen shook his head.
Seeing that Jiang Chen was unhappy with his work, Zhao Chenwu had a helpless expression on his face. It is not little at all. Power armors are not bullets, and the process cant be streamlined. It takes half a month with ten technicians around a skeleton with blueprints to make them. Also, these are all skilled workers.
Why cant the production be streamlined? Is the power armor before the war manufactured one by one?
When he heard Jiang Chen ask this, Zhao Chenwu forced a smile. It is not that simple, there are thousands of parts inside. Without aplete industrial process, it is impossible to streamline the process for a massive thing like this. The power armor is one of the better products. If it is the spider tank, at best it would be one unit per half a year.
Zhao Chenwu paused for a moment before he continued.
I am serious, with the increasing number of factories, the cost of steel, bronze, and aluminum have all increased. The profit margin of the firearms is no way near as high as the food business
Jiang Chen finally understood when he heard Zhao Chenwu say that.
The key point was, he had no interest in developing the military factory. The profit of the food business would bring in millions of crystals, and the power armor had a cost of nine thousand crystals, to begin with. With a sale price of eleven thousand, it would only be a profit of two thousand. The work an entire winter would only twenty thousand which would be equivalent to a trip down to the neighboring city.
He developed the military factory before to equip his private force. Now that Jiang Chen had put a restriction on the private force, and even injected them with the honorary chip, he didnt have the motivation to develop the military factory.
But since the military factory was not his, Jiang Chen couldnt demand him to continue to expand if Zhao Chenwu was unwilling, so he spoke after thinking for a moment.
How about this, sell the military factory to me, including those workers, give me a price.
Zhao Chenwu was ecstatic when he heard Jiang Chen was willing to take over the not so profitable military factory.
No problem. The military factories used to produce spider tanks, and power armors cost a total of eight hundred seventy thousand crystals. I will sell it to you at cost.
Chapter 319 - Purchasing Firearms
Chapter 319: Purchasing Firearms
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
In the end, the transfer price of the military factories was lowered to six hundred thousand crystals before they agreed on the deal.
[Eight hundred and seventy thousand? You think your military factories have a stable source of ie? Ordinary people would be unable to afford this,bined with the already limited distribution channel. Especially with the formation of the Sixth Street Bank, the wealth generated from thest two crusadespletedly ignited the industrial fire of the Sixth Street. Workshops and factories appeared like bamboo sprouts. With the lucrative food business in ce, it would be insane to use the money to expand the military factories.]
Zhao Chenwu debated with Jiang Chen for a while before he settled on a price. He was satisfied with a price of six hundred thousand crystals. With these crystals as liquid assets, he could further expand the trade fleets and expand the business further beyond the horizon.
But for Jiang Chen,pared to crystals, as the general of the military government, needed to consider the military aspect.
Also, how is the development of the T-4 power armor?
Regarding development, Zhao Chenwus expression was rather awkward.
Part of the technical problems are yet to be resolved; it is primarily rted to the engine. The request I sent out to the two mercenaries groups to retrieve technical support has yet to progress
Transfer me the research team as well then, Jiang Chen said straightforwardly.
Since he recently incorporated fallout shelter 027, to the problem Zhao Chenwu couldnt solve, maybe it would not be a problem at all for the scientists that inherited the technology before the war.
Zhao Chenwu nodded. Okay, the research team is already part of the military factory. But to be honest, research is a bottomless pit. Other than the armor being a bit weaker, the T-3 power armor is superb in mobility as well as firepower, there would not be a lot of room for improvement
Is it not weaker, but too weak. Jiang Chen shook his head. Other than the armor in front of the chest, the other parts would be busted by a few scratches of the Death w.
Zhao Chenwu forced a smiled, You cantpare this thing to a Death w, the defense is not the strong suit of the airdrop type of power armor. If the Death w is in close range, even thend type power armor would not be able to hold out.
Land type power armor? Speaking of this, is there a military factory that produces thend type at the Sixth Street?
Zhao Chenwu shook his head, No, or rather no need.
No need? Jiang Chen was slightly surprised.
Compared to the cumbersomend type power armor, the airdrop type with high mobility and short range flight capability obviously are more fitted to explore the wastnd. For example, if a group of zombies surrounded the power armor, the airdrop type would be able to use the turbine engine to fly out, thend type would be stuck there being squeezed to death, Zhao Chenwu patiently exined to Jiang Chen.
While zombies w and teeth could not break the power armor steel, it could use its size to squish the power armor t.
[I see, so ites down to practicality after all]
The tea on the table was already cold.
Looking at Jiang Chen deep in thought, Zhao Chenwu took a sip of the tea and signaled Su Lei to add more hot tea.
No need for the trouble, it is prettyte. Jiang Chen nced at the clock on the wall as he stood up smiling.
Zhao Chenwu also stood up andughed.
Are you nning to leave? I will send you down.
Oh, also, something else I need another batch of firearms. Do you have any firearms dealer you can rmend to me?
Zhao Chenwu paused for a second, What type of firearms?
Anti-armor weapon, heat sensor grenade, and sniper rifle, the more, the better.
Haha, you found the right person! Zhao Chenwu was ecstatic. One of my old friends happened to visit me from Su City and asked me if I was interested in absorbing a batch of firearms. But I am not even in that business anymore, so he was troubled by how to get rid of his batch. If you are interested, I will help you contact him right now.
Then what are we waiting for? Jiang Chenughed, Just take me to him, I want to get this done as soon as possible.
Zhao Chenwu noted a few things for Su Lei and asked her to contact the merchant from Su city.
Then he and Jiang Chen came downstairs and headed to the industrial area at the Sixth Street.
Not long after, the car was parked in front of a warehouse.
A middle-aged man with wrinkles all over his face stood in front of the warehouse. From the half burnt cigarette, he only arrived momentarily as well. When he saw Zhao Chenwus car, his eyes immediately lit up as he stubbed out the cigarette and stuffed it back into his pocket. Then, he walked to the two people that just got off the car.
Mr. Zhao, I heard you are interested in my firearms? With the wrinkles on his face squeezed together, the man smiled while exposing his yellow teeth.
It is not me thats interested, its this important individual. Zhao Chenwu looked at Jiang Chen as he began to introduce, The Sixth Street Military Government General, Jiang Chen.
It is General Jiang? My pleasure. The mans face was obviously shocked as he immediately extended his hand to shake Jiang Chens. At the same time, he introduced himself, I am Hu Youde, a merchant from Su city. Its a great pleasure to finally meet Mr. Jiang.
Hu Youde? (Homoyom for bullsheet) thats a great name.
You know me? Jiang Chen let go of his hand as he was quite surprised.
Mr. Jiang is a humorous person. Which merchant in this region doesnt know you? Hu Youde scratched his slightly dirty nose as heughed.
Since you know him, then you should know what kind of people shouldnt be bullsheeting. Zhao Chenwu told Hu Youde with a half-smiling look.
Ahem, of course. Even if I have one hundred guts, I wont dare to bullsheet Mr. Jiang. But with Mr. Jiangs reputation, you wont do anything like not paying right? Hu Youdes muddy eyes shifted as he tried to test the water.
Now that the Sixth Street was no longer controlled by the Group of Ten Council, the merchants without force dealing with dictators were worried. If Jiang Chen didnt pay, he would have nowhere to seek justice.
Jiang Chen began tough.
Dont worry. I wont do anything like not paying, just take me to the firearms.
When he received the promise from Jiang Chen, Hu Youde immediately started to smile as he bowed, exaggeratedly.
Then I have to thank General Jiang, I will take you right now.
Hu Youde turned around as he walked to the warehouse first.
Do you need me to go along? Zhao Chenwu asked.
No need, I will go by myself.
Okay, I will head back then Also, this guy is mischievous, dont be tricked by him. Do everything you can to lower the price. The batch of firearms has already been here for half a month, he would have to sell even if he had to sell at a loss.
Jiang Chen was puzzled by Zhao Chenwus words.
Is it hard to sell firearms here?
Zhao Chenwu shook his head.
The market is already saturated with a small poption. Now with countless factories and workshops emerging, this market saturation would be the norm. Needless to say the merchants from Su city, even the local factories, are starting to be troubled by their sales channel Three months ago, this was hard to imagine.
During that time, people with crystals were all wealthy. The increase in quality of life reignited the survivors desire to hunt. Therefore, the mercenary groups and lone travelers eager to switch equipment even lined up at the door of the military factories. The firearms dealer without the worry to sell obviously did everything to increase productivity.
But people only have two hands, weapons were not easy to break either. After the period of equipment switching was over, the excessively produced firearms obviously were stored in the warehouses unable to be sold.
Excess production was a severe problem.
Without proper measures, after a short period of prosperity, the newly opened factories and workshops may be on the brink of bankruptcy again. Not only in the firearms industry, with the gradual increase in general productivity, other industries will also experience a simr problem.
Jiang Chen looked at the ragged back as he became thinking about this issue.
Chapter 320 - The Mine Pit and Slaves
Chapter 320: The Mine Pit and ves
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The metal gate opened as the smell of desant dirt blew in his face.
Hu Youde searched for the button on the wall as he turned on the lights to the warehouse.
The dark space instantly lit up. The thick wooden boxes almost stuffed the entire area to its max capacity.
Inside the open boxes were baseball shaped heat sensor grenades, and bowl sized rockets. On the wall directly facing the door were rows of ghost sniper rifles, and by crude estimation, at least another hundred in the boxes on the side with changeable scopes. As to the barrels along the other side of the wall, without a doubt, must beunchers to the rockets.
Ghost sniper rifle, heat sensor grenade, Python anti-tank rocket, reaper rifle, along with some other reliable gadgets. I trust you will definitely be interested. While Hu Youdeughed, he signaled a satisfied gesture to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen walked up and picked up a Python and tried to scope.
Is this thing good.
One round would bust a power armor, Hu Youde immediately added, Thend type too.
Is the quality reliable?
I can guarantee it with my head. Hu Youde promised while pounding his chest.
Jiang Chen nodded, pleased. As he put down the rocketuncher in his hand, he strolled around the warehouse to try out a few things to ensure the quality of the other weapons.
If you dont mind me asking, is Mr. Jiang nning something big?
Oh? Why do you think so? Jiang Chen yed with the ghost sniper rifle in his hands as he said nonchntly.
The small cunning eyes spun as Hu Youde cracked a smile. Everyone knows that it is almost impossible to sell firearms at the Sixth Street now. Mr. Jiang is in the food business so obviously not interested in the small profit. This batch of firearms, it is going to be used to equip an army?
Jiang Chen nced at him as the tense Hu Youde immediately rushed to exin, Ahem, dont be mistaken, I have no intention in collecting information.
Then your intention is? Jiang Chen asked him dubiously.
I just want to know if Mr. Jiang is interested in people, Hu Youde said with a ttering look.
People?
To put it simply, ves. Ones who are already trained with the electronic cor around their necks so you only need to push them forward during the war.
Jiang Chen was bbergasted. You are not only in the firearm business, but you also do ve trade?
When Hu Youde heard that Jiang Chen seemed to be interested, he immediately became more energetic as he started to exin to Jiang Chen, ve is a specialty to Su City. The mine pit at Su City has over seventy thousand ves registered for sale. Although I dont have stock on hand, if Mr. Jiang is interested, I will immediately go back and haul you a batch.
Jiang Chen was astonished. Seventy thousand? What kind of damn ce is the mine pit.
Seventy thousand? Including the shadow poption and nearby survivors, the Sixth Street only has fifty thousand people. ves registered for sale alone were over seventy thousand, that was insane!
Although Hu Youde was a bit confused when he heard Jiang Chen didnt know what the mine pit was, he thought that it might be because Jiang Chen had never left Wanghai City and without second guessing it, he began to exin the origin of the mine pit.
The reason why it was called the mine pit was not necessarily because it was actually a mine pit, but because there was a crystal mine pit worth one hundred thousand crystals or above there! Jiang Chen had heard about crystal mines from Sun Jiao a long time, but he had never seen one. Based on Hu Youdes description, it was a biological mine bed attached to the rock surface and it was in diced meat shape with simr behavior to moss. Although it looked disgusting, crystals could be produced from those diced meat.
The ves at the mine pit had to wear protective suits to walk into the mine and pick up the sand-sized crystals from the disgusting and corrosive diced meat.
Because the owner possessed a huge gold mine, he hired a bunch of raiders specializing in ve capture as he formed a force of four thousand to be a strong survivor force in Su city. Because they had a special rtionship with the raiders nearby, other than outputting crystals, the mine pit also conducted very trade.
The dead parts of the diced meat could be cut and used as a prime ingredient for nutrient supply. Therefore the cost to feed ves was not high. Hence the ves poption naturally increased.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment. How many can you haul?
That depends on the type Mr. Jiang wants. Hu Youde smiled. Right now it is the tail of the winter, it is not too dangerous on the road. The cheapest kind of ve, I can haul you more than one thousand, but that kind can only be used to boost the number without much use. The type with good body conditions, I can also haul you around one hundred. Then it would be the more expensive kind, because of the limited supplies, Ill have to go back before I can give you an urate response.
The expensive kind? What expensive kind? Jiang Chen asked curiously.
For example, powerful lone travelers, special talents. Of course, the most expensive is the ice coffin. Hu Youde mysteriously smiled.
The smile looked perverted.
What on earth is an ice coffin?
It is a great thing. Mr. Jiang has heard of hibernation chambers before right?
I have. Jiang Chen nodded.
The ultra-low temperature technology allowed humans to pass through an extended period of time with the bodys functionality reduced to a minimum. For the people who are using it, fifty years would be the difference of a blink of an eye. Some fallout shelters were even made entirely of hibernation chambers, for example, Yao Yao came out of this type of fallout shelter.
Imagine this, to have been a top celebrity, or princess before the war, youll get to enjoy them crying, screaming, and shouting for security and begging for mercy while you tell them the world is hopeless, and then watch their whimpering face turn into despair
Thats enough, Jiang Chen interrupted his psychotic words.
It was a waste of talent for him to not write erotics with such vivid description.
Seeing Jiang Chen didnt look pleased, Hu Youde immediately shut his mouth.
After a brief pause, Jiang Chen spoke again, The type of ve with a healthy body, how much would they cost.
Twenty crystals for one.
Okay, I need one thousand, can you do that?
When Jiang Chen stated he needed that much, Hu Youde was overjoyed as he immediately agreed.
Of course, of course, I can do it, just leave this to me!
The ve trade was a lucrative industry. By simply making 10 crystals per ve, it was much more profitable than the firearms business. He didnt even negotiate the price of the firearms as he sold it to Jiang Chen at the eighty thousand crystals cost.
After finally getting rid of the firearms burden, he couldnt wait as he headed back to Su city immediately. He wanted to transport the ves before the hibernation of the mutants ended as it would save a lot of costs. March was prime time for trade and it onlyes once a year!
But before he left, he mysteriously stuffed a small wooden box in Jiang Chens hands, saying it was a gift to the general from the merchant.
When Jiang Chen asked what it was, he grinned and lowered his voice, Do you know the secret behind how the mine pit trains female ves?
Chapter 321 - Slavery Chip Enhanced
Chapter 321: very Chip Enhanced
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It was already the third day. The woman named Xu Lu didnt do anything to her.
If she had topare between the past three days and a few days ago, it would just be that the three meals a day were changed to two nutrient supplies per day. If she wanted to go to the washroom, no one would let her out. Instead, a cup would be stuffed under the door.
As long as she withstood the initial embarrassment, it was not inconvenient at all.
To the fallout residents who lived a prosperous life, nutrient supply may be unbearable pig food. But to Han Junhua who was a soldier, nutrient supply was a convenient military food. Needless to say, she drank that in the fallout shelter every day. She didnt even have a few hot meals since the war started. Jiang Chen thought a few nutrient supplies would make her surrender? That was too na?ve.
As to being lonely
She was used to being lonely for a long time.
Han Junhua stared at the ck wall as he continued to zone out like her usual routine. She had spent her time this way for the past few days as time passed by under such circumstances. She just didnt why that face would asionally surface in her head.
Under normal circumstances, it was irregr to have this type of feeling towards the enemy, but she still couldnt resist being curious.
She was curious about the man who used the weakness of human nature to conquer fallout shelter 027. What kind of method would he use to force her to conform?
Of course, she thought regardless, it would be impossible.
Then, the door opened. A ray of light shone into the dark room.
She narrowed her eyes and looked at the light source. She saw Xu Lu.
What day is today She took a tube from Xu Lus hand as Han Junhua casually asked.
Why do you ask? Xu Lu didnt answer, but instead, she asked back smiling.
For you would personally send this to me.
Xu Lu only smiled at her.
Do you want to watch me drink this?
There was no response. Han Junhua didnt speak anymore.
She twisted open the cap as she chugged down the thick liquid expressionlessly.
Frp, the corner of her eyes, the smile on Xu Lus face was more and more visible. For some reason, her smile made Han Junhua feel slightly ufortable.
Although she couldnt tell what the reason was, it made her ufortable.
Suddenly, her head became clouded as her vision began to blur.
Anesthetic?
As she quietly thought, her consciousness fell into the abyss.
Chapter 322 - Camp Explosion
Chapter 322: Camp Explosion
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After putting on his pants, Jiang Chen looked at the Han Junhua who had fallen on the ground as an evil smile appeared.
Although he didnt take her first time from the front, from the back, however
All in all, Han Junhua mindlessly sat on the ground. She looked as if her spirit had escaped her.
The training has just begun, you have tost through the whole thing.
When she heard Jiang Chens words, Han Junhuas body visibly twitched, her cold face reflexively disyed a trace of despair.
The metal door was mmed shut.
Until the light gradually turned dim before disappearing, what was left to the female PAC colonel was the endless darkness and the joy of climaxing.
When she saw Jiang Chen walk out, Xu Lu waiting at the door to greet him.
Is it over?
Mhmm Umm, I may have gone over the line. Until after the fact did Jiang Chen start to realize how wicked he was.
Xu Lu was a girl after all. When she heard Jiang Chen say that, her face uncontrobly turned red before quickly recovering.
Maintain the status quo?
Maintain the status quo; I will drop by from time to time to persuade her.
Xu Lu nodded with a smile.
Okay
But at the same time, a boom explosion sounded outside of themand center!
The window ss began to buzz due to the vibration as it scared Xu Lu enough to duck onto the ground with her hands over her head.
Fires erupted as Camp 27 was in disarray. The survivors all ran towards the elevator while the soldiers ran to the tent area where the explosion had urred.
When he heard the explosion, Jiang Chen immediately ran out of themand center; he happened to meet Wang Zhaowu, who was responsible for camp defense.
General, I After bumping into Jiang Chen, cold sweat began to roll down.
He was responsible for the defense of the camp. Now that something like this has happened under Jiang Chens eyes, he was drenched in cold sweat.
Dont say anything. Go to the explosion scene and figure out what has happened!
Jiang Chen knew it was not the time to determine who was responsible. The most critical thing was to investigate the reason behind the explosion!
Yes! Wang Zhaowu clenched his teeth as he shouted at the top of his lungs before he ran off to the explosion area.
The ground was burnt ck as the high temperature melted through the concrete brick on the square.
The fortunate thing was that the explosion urred at the corner of the camp. Although the erupted me was daunting, it didnt cause massive casualties.
After the soldiers created a zone of separation around the explosion, two soldiers in protective suits ran inside as they quickly searched the explosion area. After confirming that there were no radiation or remaining explosives, they signaled other people toe up.
General, just leave this to us. This ce has just blown up and is unsafe. Seeing that Jiang Chen was about to walk up, Wang Zhaowu stopped him.
Our soldiers already searched the area; there should be no explosives left on site. It is better to have an extra pair of eyes, so we dont miss any details. As Jiang Chen said this, he brushed away Wang Zhaowus hand, and he walked to the tent area that was now in shambles.
Seeing that Jiang Chen could not be convinced, Wang Zhaowu didnt know what to do as he decided to follow along.
The tent in the middle of the explosion had already been blown up to dust. Jiang Chen kicked away the fried clothes as he saw a broken face.
It was Academician Qin.
When he was beside Jiang Chen, Wang Zhaowu looked at Academician Qin on the ground and said Poor elder.
Jiang Chen stared at the aged face as he gave it a moment of thought before he squatted down.
Wang Zhaowu looked at Jiang Chen dig through the rocks as he took out a fist-sized mechanical heart from Academician Qins chest. His eyes were wide open, Digitalized human?!
Thats right, digitalized human.
Jiang Chen didnt say anything as he stuffed the mechanical heart into Wang Zhaowus hand.
Investigate the cause of the explosion; I will be waiting in the office.
Then, Jiang Chen silently left the scene.
Instincts told him that it was murder, and the target was Academician Qin Xuehai.
But why?
Kill confirmed. Lin Chaoen muttered as he put away the controller in his hand and walked away from Camp 27.
Any experimenter of the fallout shelter must die. It is fathers direction to wipe these experimenters out.
If they were close, he would personally do it. If they were far, then he would hire raiders or mercenaries.
The results were the same; the experimenters must be eliminated!
As to why he didnt know.
As an intermediate artificial intelligence, he possessed the ability to think, but he didnt understand the behavior.
It was not logically thought through, but more like a belief?
It wasical to make a machine think from the perspective of a human. Just like it wasical to make a human think from a rocks perspective.
After passing through a street, he suddenly stopped.
Bell-shaped eyes were locked upon him, and the shadow of ten ws swayed. Its shaking tail seemed to be telling him that it was ready to make a move.
There was no Death w nest in this area. If a Death w appeared, there was only one reason.
It was targeting him.
Death w? To finish me, at least send a Mother of Death w. Lin Chaoen expressionlessly took out his light sword as he swung it a few times in the air.
What he didnt know was, Jiang Chen already killed the Mother of Death w.
Roar!
The deafening roar created a shockwave, the Death w charged at him.
At the same time, Lin Chaoen moved.
A trial of data shed across his pupils as every movement of the Death ws muscles were captured by the digitalized eyes before being sent to the central processor. Itpleted the reaction analysis in 0.0001 seconds.
He kneeled down with the sword retracted. The fierce wind from the sharp w cut by his head.
The light sword brightened and was followed by the scream of the monster in pain. Lin Chaoens sword blinded the Death ws eyes before he lowered his body, appearing behind its body.
With its eyes damaged, the Death w stumbled and crashed into the shops on the side of the street.
It listlessly swung its ws and tail. Concrete pieces scattered everywhere.
Lin Chaoen put away the light sword. He took out the particle vibration dagger and strolled to the blinded Death w.
He kicked the right leg of the Death w and stepped to the other side of the Death w.
The Death w immediately turned around as it swung to where Lin Chaoen had stood, smashing the concrete ground into pieces, but its entire back was exposed.
With dagger over his head, he effortlessly prated its weak spine.
Roar As it made itsst sobbing sound, the Death w straightened its back as if it was electrocuted.
Lin Chaoen didnt stop as he swung the dagger down again, cutting its spine in half like he was cutting tofu.
Blood and organs spilled everywhere, the Death w crashed onto the ground.
Drawing out the dagger, the blood on the de began to fade. The high vibration frequency had vibrated the dark blood into a fine mist. A path of light bloomed under the sea with the Dindal effect.
An evolutionary road paved with blood.
No improvement at all? He put away the dagger and walked across the Death ws body as one foot stepped out of the half-destroyed shop.
But then, his footstep stopped.
Zombies had already surrounded the shop. Pairs of hollow eye sockets locked onto him. In stumbling footsteps, the zombies moved in his direction.
Win by numbers? So problematic.
Lin Chaoen spoke to himself as the light sword reappeared again.
Typically speaking, zombies would not attack the mechanical him, but these zombies were apparently not typical. The zombies howled and leaped at him.
The light sword drew a few circles before disappearing into the sea of zombies
Chapter 323 - A Murder?
Chapter 323: A Murder?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The explosion in the tent area had caused the camp to panic. A lot of people were yelling that they wanted to return to the fallout shelter and there were even signs that it would evolve into conflict with the patrolling soldiers.
But Wang Zhaowu was rather decisive as he led the camp soldiers to defend the elevator entrance. He fired machineguns into the air to suppressive the signs of unrest and controlled the situation with his forceful action.
As the director of the camp, Xu Lu didnt sit around. She used her charisma and positive image among the fallout shelter residents to gradually stabilize the residents emotion.
At the same time, the investigation for the cause of the explosion was rapidly in progress.
Not long after, a report was ced on Jiang Chens table.
21 wounded, five died, 17 tents destroyed.
The center of the explosion was close to Academician Qin; only two to three meters away. Further away, the soldiers managed to find the wreckage of a drone. Based on the pieces of evidence, it could be concluded that someone controlled a drone with a bomb towards Academician Qins tent before remotely detonating it.
It was a tant murder, and the murder came from outside the tent.
But why?
Jiang Chens eyes were closed shut as he went into deep thought.
He couldnt understand what would make an elder, who was already half a step inside his coffin, so hateful. Especially an elder that just came out of the fallout shelter.
Suddenly, he seemed to have caught onto something as he took out the ck metallic sphere Academician Qin gave to him.
Is it because of this?
With a bomb, the person obviously didnt want this thing. Someone wanted to destroy themunication coordinate with Zhenghe Ship? Of course, that was only a possibility. Another possibility was based on the consideration of Academician Qins identity. Someone wanted to eliminate the experimenter at Fallout Shelter 027
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Someone knocked gently on the office door.
After throwing the golden apple into the storage dimension, Jiang Chen said, Come in.
Xu Lu pushed open the door and walked inside.
The residents emotions have all been stabilized. New tents and supplies were provided to the residents that suffered losses. To the residents that suffered more severe wounds, they are transported to the fallout shelter for medical aid.
Great, you did well. Jiang Chen nodded, validating her work.
Xu Lu humbly smiled as she waited for further instruction from Jiang Chen.
Where is Wang Zhaowu?
He is personally patrolling with the team. Do you need me to find him?
Jiang Chen shook his head, No need. Tell him there is no need to be so anxious. I wont me him on this since no one would have thought of using a drone to detonate a bomb. However, I hope the same thing wont happen a second time.
Okay. Xu Lu nodded and left the office, gently closing the door behind her.
Jiang Chen leaned on his chair again as he tilted his head to face the ceiling. Slowly closing his eyes, he tried to sort through the listless evidence inside his head.
To be honest, if it were just a few irrelevant fallout shelter residents who had died, he wouldnt be bothered by it at all. What made Jiang Chen unsettled was the feeling of being in a bigger conspiracy.
Someone killed people in his territory and used an unexpected method. However, he had no clue about the motive behind the killing.
There were two possibilities. One was to destroy the golden apple, and another was to kill Academician Qin
Wait!
Jiang Chen suddenly opened his eyes as he realized he entered into a logical error.
Regardless who the killer was, he must be sure of one thing, and that is the fallout shelter is already open, and Academician Qin has moved to the surface. It was not hard to know about this point as camp 27 was only recently constructed, and the camp was not well fortified like the Fishbone base. A drone hovered in the air would thoroughly detect everything in the base.
Who would have plotted against fallout shelter 027 from the start, and, as if he had the foresight, know that it has opened recently? The answer was obvious.
Lin Chaoen, and the people from the Crimson Chamber of Commerce.
Based on the mission details obtained in the EP, Jiang Chen could deduce that Crimson Chamber of Commerce could only be considered an aplice. They were helping Lin Chaoen with the form of happy times.
Therefore, it must be Lin Chaoen that plotted this explosion!
But what are his motives?
A word popped into his head.
Evolution!
Jiang Chen still remembered the words that Academician Qin had told him about the three directions of evolution for civilization, as well as the inevitability of ideology output from the new civilization to the old one. Jiang Chen didnt think it was a big deal, but now something like this has happened.
Could it be that these two things are connected?
Robots, digitalized human representing Supreme? Jiang Chen mustered.
Then, the signal light at the corner of the table began to sh.
Seeing that there was a phone call, Jiang Chen pressed on the corner. Before him, a holographic projection appeared and projected Cheng Weiguos portrait.
Boss, we have already investigated the location you have requested. When he saw Jiang Chen, Cheng Weiguo reported in an undertone.
Oh? Did you find something.
We found a survivor gathering spot but we are not certain. This is the aerial view. As he said this, Cheng Weiguo transmitted a video in front of Jiang Chen.
It was a recording from one thousand meters above.
The target location was an office building. Because it was close to the city center, the building received higher impact from the high temperature of the shockwave. Just from the burnt surface, there was nothing to be made out. But from the sentry guns at the top of the building, it was not a no mannd.
Immediately, the helicopter descended. The pilot wanted to move closer to observe if there were survivor activities but was quickly fired at by the anti-air machine guns hidden underneath. The picture shook violently and was immediately followed by the helicopter backing away.
Because he didnt receive any attack instructions, the gunner didnt fire back with the Type-50 electromaic pulse cannon.
Is there someone there? Jiang Chen asked with a frown.
It is unclear. Cheng Weiguos expression was helpless, Any survivor gathering spot with some capability would be equipped with life signal detection absorber. From the outside, it was impossible to tell if there were people inside. But with the number of sentry guns, someone should be there.
Send a few drones to keep an eye on it, if there is anything immediately report to me. Also, send a few more men to camp 27 If there is nothing else, thats it.
Yes! Cheng Weiguo saluted and ended themunication.
Jiang Chen turned off the screen as he let out a sigh against the chair.
Fu*k, why are there so many things to take care of.
He cursed as he got up and left the office.
The next morning, Jiang Chen spoke with Wang Zhaowu and urged him to prioritize drone defense. Establishing a radar within the camp and an EMP trap were necessary.
After these things were finished, Jiang Chen returned to the Fishbone base.
It was almost mid-March. If there were no surprises, the events in the modern world should be progressing smoothly.
He has already left for a month. It would be better to solve the Pannu Inds problem as early as possible. Now that the modern worlds development was at a bottleneck, he could only bring out those insane technologies after he manages to secure a reliable location.
After telling Sun Jiao that he was leaving for a few days, Jiang Chen took a batch of firearms from the Sixth Street and traveled back to the modern world.
Chapter 324 - The Gunshots in Coro
Chapter 324: The Gunshots in Coro
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
To the Pannu Inds near the equator, the difference between winter and summer was negligible.
The sea breeze from the South Pacific Ocean carried the salty taste unique to the ocean; it swayed the green palm trees as well as the deste smokes.
War.
No one had expected that the shadow of war would cover this isted and small country.
As to who shot first, no one remembered.
The Liberal Party, with the support of unknown forces funding as well as the firearms purchased from UA arms dealer, quickly equipped an anti-government force of five hundred.
Their original n was to start the uprising at the end of March. With the force separated into two, one force attacking Johnnys mansion while the other capture the presidential pce. They wanted to end president Edwards corrupt reign and support the new regime.
But the truth stated that they were still too na?ve.
The uprising experienced hardships from the beginning. While the Liberal party, with an ample amount of funding and the extreme disappointment of the people towards Pannus current regime, could quickly gather a force willing to fight. But because of the abundance of people as well as the dismay in management, Pannus current government seemed to have received information beforehand. The moment the uprising started, the military reacted.
The riot first started in Pannu Inds capital Coro. The anti-government soldiers, wearing masks printed with the new state and the citys camouge were equipped with M4A1s. They were quickly tossed into an intense fire with state forces who held the same equipment.
Then they were forced to retreat multiple times.
The resultpletely surprised the Liberal Party.
They originally thought that the moment the first shot was fired, the government military would join forces with them under the banner of justice.
But their n failed.
The government military immediately started firing, and the soldiers wearing the new g was quickly gunned down on the street. Then the armored vehicles headed onto the road as the 50 caliber heavy machine guns began to unleash its power on the rioters, concrete debris as well as broken limbs scattered everywhere.
Although the government force was made up of only100 people, they were all professional soldiers. Even if they used the same UA equipment, thebat ability of both sides was not on the same level. Especially since the government forces had armored vehicles and a tank on top of everything!
It was ughter.
The new g symbol didnt bring courage to the coup but instead became the identification symbol for the government force to identify the enemy. The strategy of a direct fire was wrong. Although the Liberal Partys cause was deeply instilled in every Pannu citizens heart, they still vastly overestimated their own influence and power. In modern warfare, numbers are not the decisive factor in winning a battle.
Blood flowed from the front of the presidential pce to the north bank of Coro Ind. The rioters attacking the pce had to continuously retreat. Those who were intelligent ripped off their masks and fled, pretending to be citizens. However, the slow reacting rioters were pushed out of the rural area and forced to jump off the cliff at the north end of Coro ind.
The vibrant blood made the passionate young men calm down. Although ideology was necessary, so was life. To the enemy they could not beat, they had no desire to fight for their life.
On the other side of the battle, the same group of people attacking Johnnys mansion also suffered heavy defeat
Sparks jumped everywhere as the bullet shells dropped onto the ground.
A white man in a bulletproof vest leaned against the wall as he maintained a professional stature. The SCAR assault rifle urately eliminated the rioters across the street.
Headshot, the fifth one. The corner of Ouburns mouth, holding the cigarette, curled. He adjusted his gun before pressing the trigger one more time, Now it is the sixth one You have lost.
Sheet. The ck young man leaning in front of the other window cursed as he felt the pain of losing the 200 USD bet.
The rioters with M series assult rifles were no different than monkeys with sticks. Without receiving professional military training, they couldnt even use their cover to create crossfire coverage.
How is the situation outside? Johnny walked behind them as he carefully peeked out of the window.
He had thought that he was courageous. One time for a pound of weed, he even whipped out a pistol to exchange fire with people from another gang. But that courage didnt seem to be too useful on the battlefield. He looked at the concrete debris scattering everywhere as it was the first time he felt so fearful.
Ouborn spat out the cigarette butt in his mouth andughed. Boss, dont worry. Even if 100 more came, they will only be targets.
As he said this, the heavy machinegun on the roof unleashed fire and pinned ten something rioters, who were attempting to climb into the mansion, dead on the ground.
Just like this, Ouborn gave a thumbs up to the window on the other side as he said casually to Johnny.
They were mercenaries from Australia and part of the Australian special force before leaving the army. Now, they receive a high sry of 5000 USD a month to protect this UA rich man.
Johnny felt relieved. He sat on the sofa before standing up again.
On the table was wine produced from Australia. Although the cap was removed, the anxious him didnt take a single sip out of it.
Boss, perhaps you need to rx. The ck man with rifleforted him as his smiled exposed his white teeth.
It was too easy to take care of these rioters.
Sheet, of course, I know. He sat back on the sofa again as Johnny grabbed the wine bottle before pouring a cup for himself.
But because his arms were trembling, the red liquid spilled onto his hand
What a waste. The ck man longingly moved his sight away from the wine as he shifted his attention back to the scope of the assault rifle.
Pay attention. Make sure you secure your position.
Okay, boss.
The mercenaries didnt know why their boss was so frightened. The rioters had no deterrence at all. Although they conducted a massive scale attack, that soon was stopped by the heavy machine gun on the roof.
Just a little longer, the military force will arrive. Johnny was the star businessman on Pannu Inds, as Edward has easily taken more than ten million USD from Johnnys hands.
But only Johnny knew himself that the money didnt belong to himself, and instead, a man called Robert gave it to him.
He previously didnt feel ufortable at all as he freely used the bundles of cash to do business, bribe, and cause havoc under Roberts directions. But with Johnny International starting to expand, he almost possessed a monopoly over the entire Pannu Inds economy.
Until this point, he started to listen less and less to Roberts direction, at least he thought so. They didnt have a debt rtionship. Without Roberts help, Johnny International could operate smoothly now.
And once the area Linhua Group was developing isplete, the tourism on Pannu Inds would exponentially grow, and his Johnny International would reap the benefits.
That was true until a phone call two days ago woke him up from his sweet dream.
Two dayster, the Liberal Party will face an upheaval. That day, Robert told him on the phone.
Thats impossible, they are only an underground party without power or money, Johnny remembered as he rebuked immediately without hesitation.
Is that so? I am only reminding you. Its up to you if you want to listen or not.
After this sentence, Robert hung up the phone.
Johnny didnt think it was a big deal, but he felt uneasy as he spoke with Edward about it. He said that he had heard from an employee about the Liberal Party nning an uprising
But the uprising actually happened.
The rioters were weak, weak to the point where his bodyguards didnt suffer any injuries to block all of them out of his mansion. As to the bullet holes in the walls, it would only take a few thousand dors to repair, his only loss
But what frightened Johnny was not this, but everything had been under Roberts control.
How did he know the riot would ur? Isnt that guy in Los Santos? Dammit.
Confusion and fear tangled in his heart, he couldnt bother with the wine on his pants as he took a big gulp from the cup.
The red colored alcohol rolled down the corner of his mouth, along his neck, and passed beneath his cor.
Ha!
He swung his hand as he smashed the ss into the wall.
Sheet! Sheet! Johnny swore out loud as he stood up from the leather sofa. He walked to the stairs and headed down.
Whats happening with boss? The ck guy nced at the stairs and cursed.
War anxiety? I think all the new recruits suffer from this during their first, a bodyguard who hadnt spoken said in a low voice.
Ouborn didnt say anything as he vision remain locked 500 meters away, the scopes crosshairs behind a rioter running away.
He had already dropped his weapon, but Ouborn didnt n to spare him.
Thirteenth, Ouborn pressed the trigger as he muttered out grimly.
Johnny arrived at the basement downstairs.
Four women were locked here barely covered in clothes. Their skin colors differed with varying identities. Three were locals while a blonde was a news reporter for New Zend who has been locked here for less than a week.
They wore eye masks, face masks and locked in cages. When they heard the door opening, their feeble figures began to move, followed by a pleading whimper and the sound of shaking chain.
Breathing heavily, Johnny loosened the belt on his pants as he only wanted to unleash his anxiety through hormones.
Sheet, bit*hes
The phone suddenly rang as it made the aroused Johnny jump.
He took out his phone, wanting to smash into the wall. However, he saw the caller.
His fingers began to tremble as he instinctively wanted to hang up the phone.
But after debating for a moment, he gulped as he picked up.
Hello?
You picked up? I thought you would hang up on me, Robert mocked.
Sheet, tell me what the fu*k you want. Johnny no longer respected him like when he first came to Pannu Inds as he shouted back angrily.
You drank?
No wonder you are an Irish that lives inside booze. Robert grinned. He cleared his throat and then continued, Lets talk about something serious. If you want to live, follow what I say right now. There is a boat on the North shore of Coro Ind, take it. It will take you east to Australia, and you can spend the rest of your life there in peace and wealth.
There was no response.
Robert paused for a moment as he moved the phone away.
He didnt know when the phone disconnected.
This dumbbastards.
Robert shook his head whileughing. He didnt bother with Johnny anymore as he called Jiang Chen.
Chapter 325 - Insurgents’ Ending
Chapter 325: Insurgents Ending
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
He rejected, Robert said.
Mhmm. Lying on top of a chair while enjoying the peaceful horizon, Jiang Chen sluggishly held his phone.
Although unfortunate, it was something he expected. Since Johnny just experienced life where he was above everything, a single phone call would not be enough to make him ditch everything there and spend the rest of his life in a corner. It was unpractical.
Especially since he felt that he had now gained the confidence to break away from the chains on him, it certainly made sense.
Sheet, I dont understand. Just shoot this garbage, why make it so problematic. If he really epted the route of retiring in Australia, would you really let him live? Robertined.
Johnny knew too much, it would be a threat to let him walk.
There was a high probability of him rejecting the offer. But since he did contribute to my cause, I thought it would be a nice gesture to give him an option. Of course, to making the wrong choice, I feel sincerely sorry.
Although when Jiang Chen said that, he didnt look sorry at all.
Ok. Lets not talk about that dumbbastards anymore. The Freedom Party people got beat up badly this time. Roberts tone carried a trace of mockery.
This guy, they bought the firearms from you, whoughs at their customer this way? Jiang Chenughed.
I remember teaching the dumbbastards that bought the firearms from me how to use the AT4 RPG, but I heard they didnt even bust a single armored vehicle. Robert cursed out, but he sounded like he wasughing.
Because the harder they fall, the more advantageous it was for Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen smiled as he didnt respond to his words.
Without busting a single armored vehicle was something unexpected for them. Based on what Jiang Chen and Robert had imagined, even if the uprising failed, they should at least be able to break two or three armored vehicles, perhaps they could even cause some trouble to that tank. The fewer heavy armors on the ind, the more advantageous it would be for the next step.
The tropical climate made it really easy for people to feel sluggish. Although the phone was still by Jiang Chens ear, he began to feel sleepy.
Hello? Are you still listening? When he heard there was no response for a while, Robert asked.
Ahh, yes Mhmm, just leave the rest to me.
Eight armored vehicles, one tank, and two helicopters, you sure thats okay? Robert was skeptical.
Although he participated in the creation of Future Security, because he was not part of the training, he was unsure about their capability. Even though they had trained for half a year already, their opponent was the actual military.
Of course. Jiang Chen yawned.
Okay, looks like I am worrying too much. I will not disturb your nap. Robert joked and then hung up.
Not a problem? Rather, it was simple.
Jiang Chen put the phone on the table as he sluggishly stretched out his body.
His thoughts drifted to the distant horizon, and he gave up the control of his muscles to gravity. It felt like his entire body was loose.
He had enough of the oppressive feeling at the wastnd, enough of the yellowish green radiation particles. The pristine blue and pure white made him unusually rxed.
It would be great if someone could live here forever. Jiang Chen muttered to himself and closed his eyes.
After spending too long in the apocalypse, he was tainted with a trace of hostility. However, following the sound of the crashing waves in the Southern Kingdom, his hostility was being washed away.
A trace of fragrance entered his nose.
Soft skin gently touched his head.
With a smile on his face, Jiang Chen opened his eyes. Like what he had expected, it was the exotic face.
It was Ayesha.
When Jiang Chen came back to the modern world, he asked her toe back.
The sea wind swayed the lightly curly hair. The white veil outlined the lithe but athletic figure. The vest line on her abs stretched to the tip of her bikini; her pale skin was that bright under the tropical sunshine.
You are here, Jiang Chen said.
Ivan said you were here, so I came. Within her green pupils, there was love as gentle as water. Ayesha smiled timidly as she hugged Jiang Chens head from behind.
As he saw the softness on her face, Jiang Chen smiled, satisfied.
Are you used to the climate here?
Ayesha nodded, but the words that floated out of her mouth were somethingpletely different.
I miss you.
Regardless how many time he listened to it, it made his heart beat a little faster.
Mhmm, me too.
He gently squeezed the hand caressing his face as he kissed the back of her soft hand.
With fingers trembling, Ayesha became misty-eyed.
She leaned forward and pecked on Jiang Chens lips.
Jiang Chen only smiled. He quietly held onto her hand and watched the line connecting the ocean and the sky.
In the sea waves of the Southern Kingdom, the two stayed until the sun set.
This was the southernmost tip of Pannu Inds. The tragedy at the north end, Coro ind, didnt disturb the peace here.
The deep water harbor was deserted as the two docks were empty, only a few seagulls unpleasantly left some droppings. The small deep-water harbor that had cost at least five million USD perhaps was a failed investment to begin with. The asional vessel that docked here was mostly here to unload to the Celestial Tradepany storage.
The situation on the ind was highly vtile as the government agencies were aplete mess. The government force searched house by house for the anti-government forces which put the entire ind into panic mode. The uprising failed in less than 12 hours, everyone knew it was the end of the Freedom Party as they drew the line between them.
Although the rioters didnt hurt president Edward, an AT4 rocket happened tond in his backyard and torn his nicely decorated garden into pieces. The enraged Edward immediately ordered all rioters to be hung and ordered that all residents must cooperate with the military forces search. Any non-cooperation would be viewed as the aplice of the rioters.
Hello, Mr. Jiang. Did you happen to see rioters with weapons? A Pannu soldier in city camouge stood in front of the warehouse and asked Jiang Chen.
Other than my security, no locals approached this ce today. Jiang Chen smiled at the solider.
Is that so? The soldier extended his neck to peek inside the warehouse, but he didnt go in.
Edward specifically urged them to not offend the foreign investors.
Pannu Inds were in the stage of development, and they needed investments (bribes). If this riot changed these capitalists investment rating for Pannu, it would be problematic.
Although they have received information that a few Freedom party members escaped to the Southern end of Coro Ind, there was no evidence pointed to them fleeing here.
The soldier looked at Jiang Chen for a few more times before he signaled hisrades to leave.
Jiang Chen watched the Jeep drive away as he smiled unnoticeably. He then went back into the warehouse.
Thank you.
From the shadow of the warehouse, Zhang Yapins lifeless face appeared as he walked in front of Jiang Chen and bowed deeply.
Chapter 326 - Commissioning the War
Chapter 326: Commissioning the War
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Thank you.
No problem.
Jiang Chen looked at the Zhang Yapin who seemed to have aged overnight. He gave him aforting smile.
Zhang Yapins face was full of bitterness. His mouth twitched for a while before he finally squeezed out a sentence.
We failed Sorry.
Five hundred people, five times the force!
They never thought they would fail; even if two people died for every government force, they wouldnt have lost. But they overestimated the determination of the people that joined the force. They had the will of iron before the war, but as soon as the war started, they swore at their parents for not giving an extra pair of legs when they fleed the battle. Only a few died in the crossfire, but countless died escaping.
Regarding equipment, the anti-government had excellent equipment. Although they didnt have any armored units, they had plenty of anti-armor AT4 rockets. Not to say the countless light machine guns, grenades, and smoke grenades Unfortunately, they didnt use them before escaping, leaving the equipment to the government force.
Without a doubt, a total loss.
The uprising had failed, the Liberal Party under the suppression of the current regime could not even take care of themselves, Jiang Chens five million USD investment naturally went down the drain.
To the foreign businessman that helped him when he was in need, Zhang Yapin felt guilty. However, he couldnt do anything about it.
Do you know the reason behind why you failed? Jiang Chen asked lightly.
Zhang Yapin bitterly smiled as he leaned on the wall of the warehouse.
Theck of organization? Theck of training?
Your uprising was too hasty. Jiang Chen then muttered to himself in his mind, [Sorry, Robert leaked the information.]
Regardless There is no use to saying any of this.
Have you given up? Jiang Chen smiled.
The civil war ended in 12 hours, Edwards government had already demonstrated the power of the Pannu military. At least in the next 10 years, no one would dare oppose his ruling.
Of course I know this, I dont need you to tell me. I only want to ask, have you given up?
Zhang Yapin stared at Jiang Chen nkly. Finally, Zhang Yapin with a bitter smile shook his head.
How can I give up But, I will learn to ept this reality. We originally thought that with 500 people and advanced equipment, we could easily execute Edward, but
There is no could in history, and no if.
I know, but I Sorry, but I have failed your investment.
Jiang Chenughed. Five million USD is only a small number to me, I am willing to take the bet. Business is a lot like gambling. The truth is I lost the first round. Now I just want to know, are you still worth my next bet.
Zhang Yapin was shocked.
You mean
I can fund five million more.
That is wasting money. Not only did president Edward ouw forming any parties, even if the Liberal party rose again, no one would respond under our banner.
Jiang Chenughed.
He needed that effect. A weak, and easy to control government in power. Therefore, even if they reced president Edward, their reputation among the citizens would not be high because the previous regime was not overthrown by them, but only under external influence. It will be a replica of what happened in Iraq, aplete puppet regime.
Zhang Yapin looked at Jiang Chens pleasant smile in confusion, he didnt know what was funny.
I remember you studied in New Zend before.
Thats right. Zhang Yapin nodded. He even considered that if the uprising was to fail, he could flee to New Zend or Australia.
Then have you heard the word mercenary before?
The riot ended.
The gunshots in Coro city hadpleted stopped, reced by the siren of ambnces. Not only were the rioters injured, so were innocent citizens. The riot happened all of a sudden without any time to react. After the failed uprising, the cowardly rioters escaped into the crowd which caused a lot of ordinary citizens to be wounded, and there were even casualties.
Tonight would not be quiet.
Outside of the presidential pce.
In the pce simr to the Whitehouse, Edward was facing cameras as he rified the situation to the foreign reporters eager for news.
Mr. President, whats your opinion on this riot?
They are only a bunch rioters, and my military suppressed them! Let me repeat, they are all rioters! Other than that, I have no opinion, Edward shouted at the British reporter.
He didnt remember how many times he had to rify this. Are the heads of the Western reporters made out of glue? Or are they just deaf?
Is that so? But they are all citizens of Pannu Inds, without using the police and directly sending the military, did this not vite the constitution of the country?
I repeat, no! If I have, I will go change it now.
Is your countrys constitution written on toilet paper? A UA reporter mocked.
The crowdughed.
Edward was so angry his face turned white, but he couldnt do anything to them.
The firm stance of the Pannu regime was only domestic. The UA aircraft carrier was parked at Guam Ind one thousand kilometers away. They would be able to initiate military action to rescue their citizens within moments.
The only thing that angered him was that he had ordered for all flights into the country to be suspended two days ago, but these reporters seemed to have appeared out of thin air onto his territory.
After dealing with the reporters, the weary Edward returned to the presidential pce and sat on his chair.
But before he could get a moment of peace, a Han walked in.
Wang Tianfeng, the representative from Linhua Group. He was from a rtively powerful family from Hua and was also the son of Linhua Groups president Wang Linhua.
Is there something wrong? Edward used a calm tone as he looked at the man standing in front of his table.
Regarding the progress on construction, with fluid English, Wang Tianfeng was straightforward, the riot in your country effected the progress of our construction
If its in regards to business, you can talk with Johnny. Edward didnt want to listen to this question anymore.
But I havent been able to find him recently, Wang Tianfeng said helplessly.
To be honest, he didnt want toe to this god forbidden ce. Even if he had to deal with foreigners, he would rather go to Europe or North America. But Linhua Groups business expansion internationally was the decision of his father and the board. As the sessor of Linhua Group, he had to familiarize himself with international business.
Based on what his father said, it was an excellent opportunity to build a reputation for theirpany. On the peaceful Pacific Ind,pared to the politically unstable Africa, it was much easier to develop business here
Yes, two months ago, it was peaceful here. But now, the riot had almost entirely halted construction.
To be honest, rather than staying in the real estate business, he favored the future of IT much more. But Linhua Groups failure to acquire Future Technology. Additionally, this massive project from overseas has made the board change their decision.
As he thought about this, Wang Tianfeng cursed at the person called Jiang Chen.
He was a dog raised by the Wang family. He feels this bloated just by being on the Wall Street Journal twice.
While he thought about this, he selectively ignored the ability Future Technology had demonstrated and put all the achievement of Future Technology domestically as the sess of his uncle. But he was not to be med for thinking this way as Linhua Group rose because of political support.
You cant find him? Edward raised his eyebrows in shock.
I went to his mansion, but his security blocked me out. From the looks of it, the security level there is pretty high?
What is that guy doing?
There was a limit to fearing death. The civil war has already ended and he is still hiding in his mansion?
Chapter 327 - Pannu Landing
Chapter 327: Pannu Landing
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The night began to fall.
Despite the intense change that happened during the day, most of the Pannu people have drifted to sleep already.
Johnny was still in his mansion; curled up in his basement. Sitting on top of the cold wooden chair, he was chugging his collection.
Lafette from 1982, Margaux from 1986 Half a year ago, these were things he wouldnt even dare to dream about. The weed in Los Santos was expensive, butpared to the blood of the upper ss, it was still night and day.
The basement was humid, but he was trembling.
Not because of the cold, but because of the fear he felt from the bottom of his heart.
He ordered the mercenaries to station themselves around the mansion and not let a single fly in.
He could read through their eyes. He knew the people he has paid to do things thought he was crazy. But he didnt care, he had enough money, he only wanted to live
To be honest, he didnt know why he was afraid of the guy who was in faraway Los Santos or why he was scared of the person behind Robert. Although this mansion and the saving in his bank ount all belonged to him, he didnt have any sense of security.
He felt like a hand was controlling everything.
Like being the reckless billionaire he is, the increasingly cocky dictator president, the officials corrupted by USD
And the hundreds of bodies outside the mansion.
He chugged the red wine like there was no tomorrow.
The sour-sweet taste in his throat was like the ink of the bill, the color was like virgin blood.
Beside him were four naked bodies, but he didnt have enough energy to y with them anymore. Even his finger became sore eventually.
Sheet! He cursed as he flung away the ss in his hand.
Smash-
The ss shattered.
He stared at the pool of redness on the ground as he decadently burped.
Dammit.
He said this in Han. It sounded weird. He learned it from Wang Tianfeng.
Wang Tianfeng just came to find him, the bodyguard told him.
Robert introduced Linhua Group. Wang Tianfeng was the representative from Linhua Group, and he didnt trust them.
He was shaking. His instincts told him, someone wants to kill him, someone wants him died.
He didnt want to die. He wanted to continue to y the role of a billionaire. He could act recklessly and at his will. Whether it was the wife or the daughter of the neighbor, as long as he was interested and he had the USD, Edward would solve the problem for him.
But thest call from Robert woke him uppletely.
Yes, he was just a thug from the ghetto, an Irish without any talent. The only reason he possessed everything was that someone needed him to stir the muddy water.
Leave? Retire in West Australia? Go to hell, how could he agree!
He hung up on Robert and ripped apart the sim card.
With a grim look in his eyes, he stared at the basement door.
Come, I want to see, how will you take my fu*king life away!
The next evening, at the southern tip of Coro Ind.
An old transport vessel quietly sailed into the empty port.
The port was deserted without a soul. Due to what had happened yesterday, most of the residents on Coro ind were immersed in fear and sorrow. Most people chose to ask for a day of leave so that they wouldnt need to go outside.
The vessel docked.
Fifty muscr figures walked down from the vessel in an orderly fashion.
The vessel came from West Africa. It sailed across half the globe.
Ivan stood along with Jiang Chen on the high ground near the port. Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes as he overlooked his loyal soldiers on the dock.
These are fifty of the most talented soldiers. They have fought with Tuareg tribes guerris before during their training in Niger. But for real, is there no need to bring any equipment along? Ivan asked Jiang Chen.
No need. Our firearms have been transported into the warehouse already, Jiang Chen answered concisely.
Ivan looked at Jiang Chen in astonishment.
The firearms had already arrived, and he didnt sense it the slightest. His came to gain a new understanding of the boss ability once again.
When should we start the operation? Ivan asked concisely.
When you are prepared.
A slightly cruel smile appeared on Ivans mouth.
Then now is a good time.
Jiang Chen smiled and threw warehouse No.3s key into Ivans hand.
Mhmm, I will leave it up to you.
After he finished, Jiang Chen left.
Ivan watched Jiang Chen leave as he stood firm and saluted.
Including the fifty people that arrived earlier, the total number of mercenaries from Future Security had reached 65 people. It was equivalent to half of the force of Future Security.
No armored vehicles, no tank.
But Jiang Chen prepared something much more advanced, kic skeletons and drones.
Before he returned to the modern world, Jiang Chen almost cleaned out all the kic skeletons stored in the warehouse of the Fishbone base, even the ones that just came off the production line. Wang Qin was quite confused as to why Jiang Chen moved these things into the mansion.
But Jiang Chen obviously wouldnt exin it to her.
When he opened the containers inside warehouse No.3, Ivan ordered the captain of each team to hand a kic skeleton to each of the soldiers. At the training base in Niger, Jiang Chen left two sets of kic skeletons. Therefore, all the soldiers here have practiced with them, so they had no problems equipping them.
Wearing the kic skeleton with polyethylene bulletproof boards and wielding the fluid looking Reaper assault rifle, the team of futuristic looking soldiers walked out of the warehouse.
The 64 people were divided into eight teams under themand of Ivan toplete the mission. All instructions would be given by the terminal in Ivans hand and sent in real time to the tactical helmet of each captain.
The eight modified vans were the only method of transportation used. Both to store ammunition and as a drone control terminal.
Other than the eight infantry teams, fifty hummingbird drone would also be involved. In a small-scale conflict without EMP, the disc-sized drone was without a natural predator.
It was meant to be an unfair war, just like how the military steam-rolled the anti-government force.
From equipping to dispatching, it only took ten minutes.
Standing in front of the warehouse, Zhang Yapin silently watched the trials of dust left by the eight vans, speechless.
When he watched Ivan, Jiang Chens bodyguard, begin tomand these mercenaries, he already guessed the identity of these mercenaries.
Jiang Chen walked beside Zhang Yapin with a smile. I am d you made the correct choice.
Is that so? Perhaps it is the worst choice. Zhang Yapin sounded like he was speaking to himself.
It would have to depend on how you view the problem.
Oh?
Imagine this. Until today, you were all just underground party members that the government searched for. From today on, I will raise you to the throne. Jiang Chen exaggeratedly opened his arms.
But this throne is only your puppet, am I right? Zhang Yapin smiled bitterly.
Seeing that he understood the situation well, Jiang Chenughed joyfully.
He thoughtfully looked into the eyes of the future president.
Thats right. But without me, you are not even a puppet.
Chapter 328 - Operation Sword Shattering
Chapter 328: Operation Sword Shattering
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Deep into the night in Pannu barracks.
Soldier A: Stop sleeping, the superior said to take extra caution, we have to keep an eye out.
Soldier B rubbed his eyes and adjusted his hat, Mhmm, I will be up soon
The battle yesterdaysted until midnight. Until now, they havent had the opportunity to close their eyes.
Solider A lit up a cigarette as he nced at the small TV in the corner, The TV is ying president Edwards speech
Soldier B sighed. War This godd*mn war. Once the curfew is over, what do you n to do?
Soldier A: Take my kids on vacation in Australia. Little Jim has been wanting to go for a long time. He wants to the see the Great Barrier Reefs What about you?
Within the military, president Edward had high prestige. Some of the personal checks he received were distributed among the soldiers as a bonus. And because of this, while he didnt gain respect among the citizens, he received support from the military.
Soldier B: I think I need to take care of my family. She said in the letters that she wished Ide back early.
Soldier A: I wish this whole fiasco can be over soon
Soldier B: Shhhh I just heard something
That voice was light, like the vibration of a cicadas wings.
The hummingbird with a 2mm caliber machinegun hovered in the air as it silently stopped in front of the window. The thumb-sized wide field camera reflected two alerted but clueless faces.
Tatata
An abrupt sound.
Followed by the ss shattering and sshes of blood, the Grim Reaper silently arrived.
The army is the foundation of a stable regime.
To overthrow a regime, destroying its military was enough.
The mission with the codename Shattering sword promised to shatter the sword of the unwise ruler with me and steel.
Three signal res ignited and broke the quietness of the cold, silent night.
Tatata!
Bullets began to fly into the barrack; the orange tail lightminated the entire camp.
Future Securitys mercenariesunched an unexpected attack.
Pannu Inds government was still immersed in their victory from yesterday. Although they remained alert, they were still caught off guard.
The barrack is being attacked, I repeat, the barrack is being attacked. The general roared into the radio as he leaned against the thick concrete post, ordering the soldiers patrolling in the city to return and defend.
An armored vehicle dashed out from the garage as the machinegun on the top spit out intense fire. It unleashed its power in the darkness outside of the camp.
Dammit! Who are these people? They are definitely not the rioters! A soldier leaned behind the armored vehicle as he anxiously clipped on his helmet and fired into the darkness.
Tatata.
A few bullets scathed by his head as he immediately ducked down.
Its drones! Dammit we have to shoot those down! A government soldier holding a light machinegun fired at the shadows hovering above.
Too small, cant hit them!
Dumbbastards, just cover fire!
The dense bullets hindered the attack from the drones as it forced the drones to retreat temporarily, but just as they thought they were at an advantage, the Future Security ground force began to attack.
Three oclock direction.
Roger.
The eight-person team almost covered every functionality. There were markers, snipers, infantry who took care of the cover fire, and support soldiers who maintained fire suppression. The team currently had no use for medics even if a stray bullet identally hit them, the outdated bullet would not be able to pierce through the polyethylene board on the kic skeleton.
With the piercing power of the Reaper assault rifle, the concrete barrack was like tofu, non-existent. The bullets could even leave a row of dents on the steel door of the armored vehicle.
The only trouble that the government force could cause to these mercenaries were the heavy machinegun on the armored vehicle. But against the armored vehicle, the mercenaries were more collected than the rioters.
A few Python rockets flew over as it instantly blew away three armored vehicles.
Another armored vehicle realized the dire situation; it released a smoke grenade as it immediately backed away. But a rocket flew in its direction as if it had an eye and prated its armor without any doubt.
mes erupted, and smoke filled the air as the armored vehicle scattered everywhere and hit a few government soldiers who were taking cover.
The general watched the mes as his eyes began to pop out. He tightly clenched onto the radio as he forgot how to speak.
A soldier ducked behind cover fired back with a heavy machinegun while he shouted.
Dammit, their firepower is too strong.
At the same time, a deafening explosion covered the sound of the bullets.
An explosion erupted among the field controlled by the attackers.
As the general saw this, he turned ecstatic as he roared at the almost fallen friendly position.
Its a tank! Our tank! Everyone hold their damn position! The victory will belong to us!
Tank, and helicopters. To demonstrate the negligible military power of Pannu Inds, president Edward put all these heavy armors onto the street to patrol.
In front of the armored force, any infantry was minuscule!
Only one round of attacks
He stared in the direction of the support force with a fierce expression.
Contrary to the excitement of the general, against the tank, Future Securitys mercenaries were calm and collected.
The HE shell exploded. In fact, it wounded a few mercenaries, but that was it.
The medics quickly dragged away the wounded soldiers.
At the same time, a mercenary with a Python on his shoulder, in cover among the shadows, opened theser guide and locked it onto the tank.
Before the tank could reload the second shell, he pressed the trigger.
Smoke erupted, The arm thick anti-armor rocket that wasunched left behind a trail of orange light as it flew towards the front armor of the tank.
In front of the thick armor, the trail of mes seemed frail.
But the next scenepleted shocked the government force.
The undefeatable god in their heart - Chief tank was blown open by the seemly negligible rocket as if its armor was made out of paper.
The me went up to the sky as it illuminated their faces of despair.
The helicopters with rotating machine guns flew towards them, but it soon crashed elegantly, along with it was thest remaining hope of the government force.
The ten something hummingbird drones swarmed forward at the thin propeller of the helicopter, it was a simple way of attacking, but surprisingly effective.
Their hope was extinguished entirely, the government force without any morale left finally lifted the white g as they ditched their weapon and walked out of cover.
Now, the regime of president Edward has finally ended.
Chapter 329 - Farewell
Chapter 329: Farewell
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The night was bitter.
A daunting human shaped-armor walked along the empty street. The moonlight scattered onto the merciless steel as it shined on the white symbols, T-3.
His steps were slow as he scanned around. It was as if he was taking a stroll.
Broken houses.
The closer he approached the mansion the more tragic the scene looked. From the bullet marks on the wall and its density, it seemed to be from the cover fire of the machine guns. From the signs of explosions amongst the street, It looked like it was from grenadeunchers.
In the shambles, Jiang Chen saw a pair of eyes.
Like a startled animal, the eyes escaped him when he turned around slightly.
His throat moved before looking away.
I can do the cleaning. Ayeshas voice came into his ears.
No I think I should go personally.
Although he couldnt see Ayeshas face, Jiang Chen could still imagine her gentle gaze.
In the civilian building not far away, the bullets almost prated the entire wooden back wall. A hand appeared in front of him, shaking, before quietly shutting the wooden window.
Jiang Chen could feel that they feared him.
Are you feeling okay? Ayesha gently asked.
Of course. I have seen plenty of things more horrifying than bodies, Jiang Chen looked away from the civilian buildings in ruins as he said casually.
Ayesha knew he was talking about the other world.
But I feel you are not really okay.
Why do you say that? Jiang Chen sighed.
He was getting closer and closer to Johnnys mansion. He pulled out the tactical rifle from his waist.
Although it certainly felt like killing a chicken with a machete, he still wanted to personally say goodbye to Johnny. As to the reason he couldnt exin.
Instincts. The cold voice carried a trace of tenderness.
Instincts?
Jiang Chen smiled, he didntment on Ayeshas exnation.
Ka-
The crisp sound of the magazine being clipped on.
Ayesha.
Mhmm.
Do you think I am in the wrong here?
It was supposed to be quiet here, everything started because of him. If it was not for his out-of-the-blue idea of asking Robert to send Johnny here, and then supporting an opposition to start a civil war, the people living here may never have had to experience war in their lifetime.
It was a question he recently started to realize. The change in dimension may only take half a second, but the change in ones thinking process would take a long time. Sometimes he questioned himself if he had used the logic of the apocalypse in the modern world.
This way indeed matched his interest, but was it correct?
In my heart, you are always correct.
Jiang Chen paused.
A momentter, an open-mindedugh echoed inside the steel armor.
Thank you.
After he hung up themunication channel, fury instantly activated as a series of dense red dots appeared in his field of vision.
All the trouble and hindrance of human nature were thrown into the back of his head, Jiang Chen felt his head was never so clear.
The rity was known as ughter.
Ding!
The armor vibrated faintly as a bullet hit the stic steel, it didnt leave a single trace. Jiang Chen looked forward with a grim smile, it was a ck man aiming with his automatic rifle in hand. It should be the mercenaries that Johnny hired.
The ck guy saw his shot was ineffective. While he was shocked, his actions didnt stop as heunched a grenade.
With the cool steel in front of him, he instinctively felt fear.
The turbine engine in the back spit out mes as Jiang Chen casually separated himself from the grenade.
The machine gun on the roof was pointed in Jiang Chens direction. However, after he fired a few shots in that direction, the people along with the gun was shredded into pieces. Then Jiang Chen turned his gun and aimed at the red dots hidden behind the wall and pressed the trigger.
The bullet ripped apart the weak wall and shredded the hearts hidden behind it.
Jiang Chen kicked opened the steel door of the mansion as he immersed himself in the rain of bullets without avoiding anything, Jiang Chen walked forward in big steps and started to fire back with the rifle.
The mercenaries hired by Johnny fell down one by one. Seeing that they could not harm the monster in any way, the remaining mercenaries all began to feel fear.
Then, an RPG with a trial of me flew towards Jiang Chen.
Without thinking, Jiang Chen pped the RPG with his left hand.
Explosion, me.
The shattered shell made screeching noises on the stic steel, but it didnt damage it at the slightest.
Explosive shell? Try the armor piercing next time, suckers. Jiang Chen grimly smiled as he shot the person with theuncher onto the ground.
The mercenaries were terrified.
The truth had proved that in front of an undefeatable enemy, the professionalism people held was just bullsheet. The remaining red dots began to retreat. They abandoned the person that hired them and fleed in three directions.
Jiang Chen ignored the mercenaries that lost the will to fight as he smashed open the door to the mansion and walked inside with the rifle on his shoulder.
The trip mine at the door flew up.
Jiang Chen in Furyughed contemptuously as he didnt even bother to dodge. He passed through the exploding smoke and walked towards the basement.
There were five red dots inside, instincts told him Johnny was there.
Fury deactivated.
He took out theser sword and melted the lock, Jiang Chen kicked open the door.
A pungent alcohol smell blew in his face. With eyebrows furrowed, Jiang Chen started the air filtration system and walked downstairs.
The light was on.
The dark red room was filled with a cage, pole, wooden horse as well as all kinds of sick-minded devices. Jiang Chen didnt look at the four naked bodies and stared at the man on the wooden chair.
Wine You certainly know how to enjoy life.
Pale eyes looked at Jiang Chen as Johnnys throat moved.
Are you here to kill me?
Thats right.
Where did the mercenaries upstairs go? His voice had a hint of pleading, but he was unwilling to ept reality.
Either dead, or they ran away.
Johnnys eyes popped as he grabbed the pistol on the table and aimed it at Jiang Chen.
His hand trembled. Especially when he saw that Jiang Chen didnt react to his action, his trembling became more noticeable.
I beg you, please give me a chance
I did, but you didnt value it.
Johnny first paused, before he startedughing hysterically.
Hahaha, if I listened to Robert and gave up everything, would you let me arrive in Australia alive? Bullsheet! As heughed, Johnny waved the pistol in his hand and pointed at Jiang Chen who was inside the steel armor.
Just like a child waving a toothpick at an adult.
No If I answer it like this, it will make you feel better when you die.
Johnny temporarily held a pleading look on his face before it changed into hysteria.
Then lets die together!
Johnny shouted, pressing the trigger in his hand.
It was not a pistol, but a detonator in the shape of a gun used to control the 15 kilograms of explosives underneath the basement.
Sparks shed, but nothing happened.
His face began to show his despair.
WhWhy.
Even if I exin to you what an EMP is, you probably wouldnt understand Whatever, farewell.
Jiang Chen pointed the gun at his head and pressed the trigger.
Chapter 330 - New World
Chapter 330: New World
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The past three days were incredibly abnormal for the people living on Pannu Inds.
They previously thought the government force would be overthrown by an anti-government force, but the anti-government force suffered unimaginable losses. Just as they were about to give up hope on the anti-government force, the mercenaries they hired made the government force surrender with a white g.
The dramatic turn of events made people unable toprehend what just happened.
But regardless, the revolution was finally sessful.
After the barrack was captured, people finally recollected their confidence for victory. The insurgents yet to die in the civil war reunited under the new g and retrieved the equipment from the armory and captured the presidential pce.
They dragged president Edward that had yet to wake up from his bed and shoved him into prison. An insurgent climbed onto the top of the presidential pce and axed down the original g and reced with the new g; nine star and two palm leaves.
The nine stars represented the nine inds of Pannu Inds, palm leaves represented victory.
At the same time, with the march of the insurgents, Zhang Yapin elected as the head of the Liberal Party became the new leader in the presidential pce. He read the new deration in front of the foreign reporters.
The old regime was banished. The Pannu Inds regime was changed from a presidential dictatorship to a presidential republic. At the same time, the country changed to federalism. The countrys new name was New United Pannu, or in short, Xin.
The first president was Zhang Yapin with a term of five years. A general election will be held five yearster. The parliament waspromised off nine members elected from each of the nine inds own jurisdiction.
Other than some small amendment in the constitution to the presidents power, allws were seeded by the previous political regime.
A federal body consisting of only nine Inds wereical in the eyes of media. A lot of the western media were debating if this news should be ced in international news or entertainment.
Immediately, the BBC reporter asked if the country was named in Han. Zhang Yapin exined that people with Han heritageprised of 36% of the inds poption, Han was listed as an officialnguage along with English and Dutch. It was a decision based on culture, so there was no need to interpret it further.
Another reporter asked a really sharp question. President Edward used the military to establish a dictatorship, what would prevent you from going on the same path as him.
As to that question, although Zhang Yapin felt bitter, his expression didnt reveal anything. He calmly announced a term that astonished all the reporters - Defensive contract.
Pannu Inds national defense will be solely contracted to Celestial Trade Corporation. Celestial has the right to hire mercenaries within or outside of the border of Pannu as its defensive force. Pannu Inds will be directly responsible for the constitution with no need to follow the order of the president. The contract fee would be paid in the form of customs tax andnd rental cost.
When they heard Zhang Yapins exnation, the same thought shed across all of the reporters minds.
This is insane.
In this case, it practically meant the military of the country was handed over to private ownership, the military would operate simrly to a corporation.
Would this military have anybat ability? Would this military be able to protect national security? Would this kind ofpany be safe in the first ce?
But after they thought it through, this kind of thing was not without precedence.
The current UA force was an army that was most reliant on private corporations. Over 60% of the defense budget was paid to defense contractors. The current UA soldiers wouldplete the most basic duties as a soldier while the rest were contracted out. From weapon development, manufacturing, to the logistics behind supplies, private contractors existed everywhere.
The force would be government-owned while private corporations contracted for the work. Not only would it save a significant amount in terms of cost, but it would also throw the burden of any casualties to thepany.
Since there was a precedence, this measure could certainly be applicable.
But it was the first time these reporters had heard of contracting the entire national defense to a private corporation.
They had to say, regarding beingzy, the sesame sized small country was at the frontier of the world.
Because of this, the small country with less than twenty thousand people made to the front page of international news several times. At the same time, Celestial Trade also got on the pages of a reputable news agency.
To thepany that the public never heard of, all kinds of irresponsible ims began to appear.
Someone said that oil may be underneath Pannu Inds and the Celestial Trade Corporation was a subsidiary of an oil giant, so the capital may be from the UA. Someone also guessed it may be the work of HUA as they n to intervene in international affairs
Of course, no one imagined the connection between Celestial and Future International since the two werepletely unrted. Before the boat left from West Africa, Jiang Chen closed Future Security in Niger and moved the equipment and the remaining individuals onto two vessels. As to the basic infrastructure, it was sold to the Niger government at cost.
The two vessels would set sail through Cape of Good Hope and take the far route to Pannu Inds.
On the other side, after the insurgents had shoved president Edward along with his family into the prison, they furiously marched towards Johnnys mansion.
They were much more careful this time after they learned from the tragic experience of attacking Johnnys mansion previously. They brought the only armored vehicle that remained from the civil war. With the cover of the armored vehicle, they were much more confident.
But when they arrived at the mansion, they found out someone already visited.
The metal gate outside looked like a car smashed into it as it lied on the grass field a few meters away. The wall looked as ifrge caliber bullets sprayed through it as a few parts were broken into sections. Especially the machine gun position hidden behind sandbags, the sand from the bags had all spilled out. A lot of walls were shattered into pieces. They didnt know what weapon was so powerful.
The bodies in the mansion were yet to be cleaned, all the fatalities had their heart pierced by a bullet. The killers shooting was frighteningly urate, even for the mercenaries that hid behind the wall, the bullet prated through the wall before it hit their heart.
In the end, the insurgents found Johnnys body in the basement along with four females he locked up.
Three of the females were locals, one of them was a wife, and one was in junior high. They were all registered died due to vehicle idents, but they were actually locked up in the viins basement.
The other woman was a reporter from New Zend and captured when she sneaked into Johnnys mansion undercover for a report. When the news was exposed it cause a huge uproar in New Zend. However, because Johnny had already died, there was no purpose seeking justice on a corpse, especially since the old regime was already overthrown. The incident was heated for a period before it cooled down.
In the end, the four victims all received a generous sum ofpensation from the Xin government. It was rumored that the money was donated by an anonymous wealthy man as a smallpensation to the unfortunate people.
Of course, these were all after stories.
Chapter 331 - Neutrality
Chapter 331: Neutrality
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The next day.
The nine-star g waved above the Pannu Inds and the citizens celebrating the new regime walked onto the streets as if they were celebrating New Year or Christmas. The cheered on the new birth of the country.
Noontime.
In the cafeteria of the presidential pce, Jiang Chen and Zhang Yapin sat on the two sides of the table.
Lunch was currymb with rice along with an odd coconut smell. It certainly tasted like south Asia. In front of Zhang Yapin was a piece of steak along with coconut juice. With the shift in the regime, only the chef was the most indifferent in the entire presidential pce.
UA extended their wee to us wishing us to join forces with them. They indicated that if we continue to extend the pro-UA policy like the previous regime and announce deration that favors their political view internationally, they would increase their funding to support us, Zhang Yapin spoke about the countrys affairs while working hard to cut the steak.
Jiang Chen didnt even raise his head as he said without hesitation. Reject.
But That is ten million USD, Zhang Yapin seemed to be unwilling to give up the money as he said with difficulty.
It was ten million USD. If it were split among the citizens, it would be 500 each. They only needed to speak a few sentences in front of the media, and no one listened to them anyways. This ce was just a tiny country, the entire indsbined together was not even bigger than a province in Australia.
Jiang Chen raised his head as he rolled his eyes at Zhang Yapin. Someone hires you to curse at your mother, why would you agree?
There was no need to think. They wanted to drag a bunch of Southeast Asia countries to curse about the Han threat theory. Pannu Inds was located on the southeast side of Country F, they could be stretched to a surrounding country of hua.
Zhang Yapin fiercely shook his head, but he added one sentence in his mind, [That depends on how much]
Its only ten million USD, my Future International has an ie of two hundred to three hundred million USD per month, Ill loan you the money if you need it, Jiang Chen put a spoonful of the rice in his mouth while saying this slowly.
Just pay me back with thend.
Ahem, could I interpret this as showing off? Zhang Yapin smiled bitterly.
Pannu Inds just recently introduced a tax cut measure to stimte economic recovery, but there were still significant holes in funding. The mess created by Edward now had to be cleaned up by the sessor.
I am only giving you some confidence. I chose Pannu Inds because I believe in its future prospects, Jiang Chen said.
Johnny Group dered bankruptcy. The ten billion dor project is now down the drain. What prospect is there? Zhang Yapins expression was bitter.
He initiated the uprising because of the passion in his blood, but now that he has be the president, he began to feel the difficulties of managing a country.
No, I am going to take over that project.
Zhang Yapin looked at Jiang Chen in shock.
Ten billion USD, do you have that kind of money?
I believe a lot of banks are willing to lend to Future International, Jiang Chen said confidently.
That was true. Even when they were in Hua, a lot of banks went to Xia Shiyu, begging her to take a loan from them. The current liquid cash of Future International is 1.5 billion which was the earning of five months. Although ten billion was rather daunting, with Future Internationals equity as coteral, it would be easy to obtain.
Especially since he didnt even need to borrow the full ten billion.
You are really willing to borrow ten billion for a small ind country? Zhang Yapin looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief.
Of course, I believe this will generate more than one hundred billion in return.
Zhang Yapin held his breath.
He could not imagine how the country with less than one hundred million USD GDP and a poption of fewer than twenty thousand people would generate more than one hundred billion in value.
Excuse me for being honest, but it is hard for me to imagine Although the Pannu Inds have a vast sea territory, it doesnt have oil. Could you point it out to me? Even if it is just painting a picture for me. Zhang Yapin smiled bitterly.
How should I say this? Hmm Okay. First, Pannu Inds is near the equator.
Near the equator? Zhang Yapins eyes widened, Do you mean tourism? Even with tourism, it is still hard to generate ten billion return in ten years right?
It is hard to exin to you. All in all, just remember what I said. Jiang Chen put down the fork in his hand as he slowly got up.
There were plenty of advantages of being near the equator, it was not as simple as tourism. With space elevator for example, to non-equator countries, it was something they couldnt even think about. To the technology that appeared in 2150, Jiang Chen had the confidence of bringing them into the modern world.
Are you nning to go? Zhang Yapin also put down his fork as he looked at Jiang Chen leaving the table.
I have something to take care of and I am also full.
Also, if other countries
Jiang Chen stopped, turned back, and smiled. Maintain neutrality and friendliness. You know what I mean.
Zhang Yapin helplessly let out a sigh. I know.
Do a good job and maintain your current diligent image. Once your term ends, I will give you a retirement fund.
I dont need your retirement fund, I just want you to keep your promise and lead this country to prosperity.
When he heard this, Jiang Chen looked at Zhang Yapin in surprise.
There was not a lot of people that could refuse money in this era.
After a moment of pause, Jiang Chen said lightly, Of course, I promise.
If everything proceeds smoothly, in less than five years, this would be an ind that the world desired to be.
Under the shade of the trees outside the presidential pce, a blue Lamborghini was waiting and Ayesha was sitting in the drivers seat. A grey sports bra drew out her beautiful curvatures and a pair of shades was clipped on the cor. The view was certainly a beauty with a nice car as it made the passersby turn their heads.
This Lamborghini was previously Johnnys, but now it belonged to Jiang Chen.
Although he died, he could not escape this crime. The court prosecuted Johnny with 17 charges and confiscated all personal assets to the countrys treasury. The cars he had on Pannu Inds, the mansion, as well as two boats were all auctioned off in Australia. There, Jiang Chen took it all over as his own possession, needing only to bid twice.
Since it belonged to the deceased, there may be some misfortunes attached to the things of the people who died of an unnatural cause. On top of that, the rich mostly feared death, but Jiang Chen didnt mind as he was an absolute materialist.
Jiang Chen pulled open the door as he sat in the passenger seat.
Ayesha put the shades over her eyes and put her hands on the steering wheel while turning to look at Jiang Chen.
Where are we going?
Linhua Groups construction site.
Ayesha nodded as she started the car.
Leaning on thefortable chair, Jiang Chen looked at the scenery flying by as he tried his best to snap the beauty in his mind.
It was an indiscernible feeling. Before he had to work for his next meal but now he has be the hidden owner of a series of inds. This was his kingdom. No deceit or trickery would work against him here. No one would be able to plot against hispany.
Perhaps he was bored, but he turned and looked back into the car at Ayesha concentrating on driving.
The shades and sports bra was a beautiful set. Any style of clothing seemed to look great on her.
Ayesha sensed Jiang Chens gaze as she began blushing with her lips carved up.
She enjoyed his gaze.
Although they were yet to be married, she considered herself the wife of her husband. As a traditional wife, in her perspective, the husband was everything
Chapter 332 - The Disastrous Loss of Linhua Group
Chapter 332: The Disastrous Loss of Linhua Group
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Xin was formed.
As to who suffered the most economically, it would be the Linhua Group working on the construction site.
The copse of the old regime and the bankruptcy of Johnny International made Linhua Groups ten billion USD contract turn into a piece of scrap paper.
As to the two gold mines used by Johnny International as coteral, it was the typical trick, the old fox, Robert used. He first managed to find two abandoned mines and then hired geologists to reevaluate the gold reserve of the mines and fake a report. Then he took the gold Jiang Chen provided to create a production report in South Africa,pleted the tax procedure, and produced a beautiful four quarters production report.
Immediately after, under Roberts directions of readjusting the business focus, the two goldmines stopped operating. By using maniption and forgery, the two goldmines were valued at 10.3 billion USD andpleted the asset coteral verification.
Asset coteral verification was easy to fake since it was not an asset sale process. Therefore, the auditing team would usually not conduct an onsite audit. Robert even told Jiang Chen that even without the gold, he could still borrow gold from other mines toplete the asset verification process. A lot of mines were willing to do this because it meant that someone was willing to take on part of the tax burden for them.
Compared to the international capitals who fought through fierce marketpetition, Linhua Group, growing out of policies, was just a na?ve baby still learning how to talk; they were no match against Robert who even dared to trick the FBA. Linhua Groups project team did carefully examine the fifty paged asset verification report, but they didnt think that the asset behind the iron seal of the South African government was fake.
Now that Johnny International was bankrupt, the two goldmines were given to Linhua Group as coteral. But when Wang Linhua wanted to sell it off for cash, he realized that the two mines were all abandoned mines.
Johnny International forged the gold reserve. The asset audit report was inurate.
As if a rumble of thunder had struck his head, Wang Linhua immediately became unconscious after he acquired the news and was sent to the emergency room by ambnce.
Insurmountable loss.
These were the only words that could describe the loss suffered by Linhua Group, or the Wang family. On the ten billion overseas project, Linhua Group had currently invested 2.5 billion USD. However, Johnny International had gone bankrupt the day before the first phase of the project contract was due for payment.
A loss of 2.5 billion USD in the first quarter, this financial report would blind the Linhua board.
And not long ago, Wang Linhua increased his holding of Linhua Group through the secondary market.
On the west coast of Coro Ind was the most beautiful scenery of all the inds.
The deep blue shallow waters reflected a stunning light under the bright sunshine, just like the goddess of the seas veil. The coral reefs hid among the sea waves as it divided the magnificent undersea world into an array of pictures.
The inds covered in vegetation scattered between Coro Ind and Garlin Ind, connected by deep or shallow sand beaches and formed a natural but sophisticated maze.
A car drove on the highway along the east coast. Jiang Chen rolled down the window as he gazed at the beautiful scenery from afar. He eximed,
This is too beautiful.
Do you want me to slow down? Ayesha asked gently.
No need, we should go faster, Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes as he stared at the seagulls at the end of the sky, I need to get rid of the annoying people from my ind.
With a grin on her face, Ayesha changed gears, Sit tight.
The engine roared.
The car elerated to a speed of 160 kilometers per hour as it turned into a blue shadow racing to its destination.
The speed may have been dangerous for ordinary people, but for Ayesha with the gic vine, it was not a problem at all.
Momentster, they arrived at Linhua Groups camp.
With the car parked on the road, Jiang Chen saw from afar a group of people surrounding Linhua Groups door. Natives with hoes, scythes, and even sugarcanes surrounded Linhua Groups door. Everyone was emotional as they were preparing to enter forcefully.
Soldiers with rifles maintained the situation. They were all insurgents who participated in the uprising. They were not dissolved after the war as some of them joined the police force.
He signaled Ayesha to wait for him in the car and walked straight to the gate.
Whats going on here? Jiang Chen asked nonchntly, stopping beside a policeman.
The bearded policeman frowned as he was going to tell Jiang Chen to stand aside, but when he saw a pass personally signed by Zhang Yapin in Jiang Chens hand, he immediately stopped looking annoyed.
It has to do withndpensation.
Jiang Chen immediately understood.
The negotiatedpensation for two USD per square meters between Johnny International and Linhua Group was too cruel. Now that Johnny International was bankrupted and the old Pannu regime has copsed, the citizens would not allow such an unfair agreement to exist.
Wang Tianfeng immediately called the police when he realized the situation was going south. Although the police force was also unhappy with Linhua Group, they still must uphold thew as they sent out a team to stabilize the situation. But the citizens still surrounded the police while they wait for an exnation.
Let me go in to check it out.
The policeman hesitated before he moved and allowed Jiang Chen to go in.
Inside the camp was an array of trailers. The expensive equipment was all locked inside the warehouse by the workers to prevent the rioters from robbing or destroying it. As to the workers, they wore their hardhead and wielded sticks, preparing to fight.
If there were a conflict between the natives, the outsiders would always be at a disadvantage. Although they had armed themselves, everyone prayed that a conflict would not ur. In a riot, if they were killed by the rioter, it might even be difficult to seek justice.
When they saw someone walk over, they first felt tense, but when they saw it was a fellow countryman, they felt relieved.
Although there were quite some Han on the ind, for them who traveled often, it was easy to distinguish who was home-born and who was not.
A tanned worker greeted Jiang Chen and asked, How is the situation outside?
Jiang Chen looked at the anxious expression on his face as heforted him, Dont worry, the Xin president is already working to resolve the problem.
The worker felt relieved as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled at Jiang Chen, exposing his teeth. Are you from the embassy?
Pannu Inds were too small to have an embassy.
No, but I am here to arrange your travel home.
When he heard he could go home, a look of joy appeared on the workers face.
Great, haha. Buddy, we all want to go home. The construction keeps getting dyed without any progress. The situation outside is bing more and more dangerous. A month ago we could still go buy some fruits on the street, now we are afraid to even leave the camp.
Sigh, its been tough for you.
Although Jiang Chen disdained the Wang familys greediness, he didnt mind the regr workers. Or rather, it was a pleasant feeling to see his fellow countrymen in a different part of the world.
It was his fellow countrymen after all. Jiang Chen wouldnt sit around if his people encountered danger.
Its okay. The tanned worker shook his hand. Are you here to see Manager Wang? Do you need me to take you there?
No need, just tell me the location.
The worker didnt insist as he pointed at the concrete building at the back of the construction site.
His office is on the second floor at the end of the hall.
After he said goodbye, Jiang Chen walked toward Wang Tianfengs office.
Chapter 333 - I enjoy the fact you don’t like me, but you can’t do anything about it
Chapter 333: I enjoy the fact you dont like me, but you cant do anything about it
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The door was knocked.
Wang Tianfeng, who was sitting at the table while on the phone, frowned. After he spoke a few more sentences to his sister regarding taking care of his father, he cleared his throat.
Come in.
The door was pushed open. The person who came in almost made Wang Tianfengs eyes pop out.
Jiang, Jiang Chen?!
Thats right. You recognize me? Jiang Chen casually sat on the sofa in the office as he smiled at Wang Tianfeng.
He heard Wang Tianfeng was Wang Linhuas son; they indeed resembled each other.
Arrogance was apparent in his eyes.
He didnt understand why Jiang Chen would appear in this ce. Future Technology had business here? The natives barely even used smartphones here.
Of course, Im asking you guys to leave the ce. Jiang Chen looked at Wang Tianfeng with a grin.
Wang Tianfeng thought he heard wrong.
What?
Asking you guys to leave this ce, Jiang Chen repeated. At the same time, he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and folded it into a paper airne before he flew it onto Wang Tianfengs table.
He was displeased with Jiang Chens attitude. Wang Tianfengs eyes scanned between Jiang Chen and the paper airne before he, while suppressing his anger, opened the paper. As he studied the ck letters on the white sheet, his chest pumped full of rage and his breath quickened.
Thats impossible! We already invested 2.5 billion on this project; the Xin government is bullsheeting! They cant just get rid of us like that! Im going to find President Zhang right now.
Although the notice was written in a reserved fashion, the decision was firm: All actions of Johnny International on Pannu Inds were illegal, and the previousnd transfer agreement signed with the previous government wasnt recognized.
As he spoke, Wang Tianfeng got up from his chair and headed for the door, but he froze mid-step.
He suddenly remembered that the camp was surrounded by natives.
Jiang Chen crossed his legs as he reminded him casually, I rmend you dont go outside now; the people in front of the gate want you dead.
A cold sweat rolled down his forehead as Wang Tianfeng thought of Johnny who suffered a tragic death in the basement. He remembered the partnership between Johnny International and Linhua Group. The rioters may potentially view him as an aplice to Johnny even if he didnt do anything illegal.
He walked stiffly back to the desk as he looked at Jiang Chen again.
Why would you appear here?
Wang Tianfengs eyes shed; he seemed to sense that this had something to do with Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen didnt hide anything as he said straightforwardly, Because Future International is the sessor of the project and the Xin government is pleased with ourpensation n.
Sessor?
Wang Tianfeng was stunned.
How is that possible!? When did you get into real estate as a techpany?
Web + Tourism? You could interpret it this way. Who said we would build houses by ourselves? We can contract the work. You dont have to look at me like that; theres no way Id contract it to you. You better get out of my sight as soon as possible so I can get on with my work term, Jiang Chen said pleasantly.
You!
Wang Tianfeng looked at Jiang Chens grin as his face turned pale white from anger. His finger pointing at Jiang Chen trembled uncontrobly.
Everyone knew the first phase was the most difficult to execute, and it was also the phase with the highest cost. Linhua Group invested 2.5 billion in the first phase as they gathered the most advanced equipment and most professional workers to ensure that a solid foundation was established for the future. It wasnt just any poorly-built project theyd normally do domestically - it was Linhua Groups first international client. It would act as a business card and a case Linhua Group could use to discuss potential partnerships with other international clients.
Once they received the project from overseas, their sales team could proudly point at the Pannu Inds on the map and bring out diagrams of thepleted construction to demonstrate their abilities and achievements to clients. The ten billion deal wasnt only significant in the amount of profit it would bring, but it was also a stepping stone to enter globalpetition.
Linhua Group couldnt afford to lose this project.
Therefore, a pleading look surfaced on his face.
We have worked on this project for over two months and invested over 2.5 billion USD on the project. You cant just make us leave; no one is more familiar with the project than us. We can forfeit the fee for the first phase, so at least give the next three phases to us?
The humiliation made Wang Tianfeng want to kill himself.
As the heir of a ten billion dor real estatepany, he was forced to lower his head to a dog the Wang family supported before. His arrogance was tested to the point where it was about to shatter.
Needless to say, even up until now, he still didnt recognize the reality of the situation.
I reject. Jiang Chen smiled. On another note, you have reparations to pay on the basis that you illegally upied thend. Therefore, you have to pay a fine. Of course, its not arge fine - only ten million USD. I trust that with yourpanys financial capabilities, this amount is nothing to you.
Illegally upying thend? Thats impossible! We have an agreement Wang Tianfengs eyes were bloodshot.
Any agreement with the previous regime is now void.
Wang Tianfengs body trembled as he stared at Jiang Chen with a pale face.
You knew about the coup from the start, right?
Of course. I happen to have some connection with the boss of the Celestial Tradepany. While the fact that he owned Celestial Trade Company was yet to be disclosed, even if people found out, it would only be a small number of people. This tradingpany had a total of three warehouses as its assets as of three months ago and it was registered in Pannu inds, but its operations were outsourced to New Zend since it operatedpletely as an offshorepany.
Why didnt you tell us! Did you forget the favors the Wang family gave you? Wang Tianfeng already lost all rationality as he roared.
Why do I have to tell you? How did you help me? Jiang Chen shrugged as he put on an innocent face.
Wang Tianfeng froze.
Since you are the sessor of Linhua Group, you must know what your dad told me that night. Jiang Chenughed.
When he heard that, Wang Tianfengs throat moved. He wanted to argue, but nothing came out.
I didnt n to leave. But since I brought out Future 1.0, you couldnt sit around any longer and wanted to pick the fruit? How shameless. Please allow me to use this word to describe your father and your uncle.
When he heard this, the enraged Wang Tianfeng calmed down.
The expression on his face turned menacing.
Arent you afraid that something unfortunate could happen to your family? I know your family is still in the country. Wang Tianfeng stared straight at Jiang Chen as he threatened him.
Of course not. Theyre currently traveling in Xiangjiang and will immigrate to Pannu Inds in a few days. Despite how powerful the Wang family is, could you capture foreign citizens in a different jurisdiction? Jiang Chenughed.
You! Wang Tianfeng had his eyes wide open.
Thats right. They became Xin citizens and automatically forfeited their ol.d citizenship. Jiang Chen sighed.
It wasnt the best choice, but it was the safest option, and he didnt want these problematic things to bother him anymore.
Although the government wouldnt do something as despicable as taking someone hostage, some despicable people may think otherwise.
It took a bit of effort to convince his parents to immigrate, but he was finally sessful. The two elders did long to see the outside world. Since they spent half their lives at the small factory and didnt even leave the province that many times, and now that their son was aplished, they were more than happy to venture out to see the outside world.
Since they were getting old, they had more concerns. Therefore, they were a bit hesitant about leaving the country, partly because they didnt want to cause trouble for their son and partly because they didnt want to leave their old house. But Jiang Chen promised them that if they missed home, they could go back anytime.
Wang Tianfengs lips shivered as he couldnt think of any way to threaten Jiang Chen. Just as Jiang Chen said, while the Wang family was powerful domestically, they didnt have the same reach overseas.
Seeing as Wang Tianfeng had nothing else to say, Jiang Chenughed and stood up.
You better leave the ind in three days or the security force may forcefully remove you from the ind. By the way, everything is within the boundaries of thew.
You
Wang Tianfengs fists clenched as he wanted to beat him up. But he managed to restrain himself since he wasnt home and if he caused trouble, his uncle wasnt here to solve things for him.
He should be d he managed to restrain himself because if he did swing his fist at Jiang Chen, the oue would be quite different than he imagined.
I enjoy the fact that you dont like me but cant do anything to me. Seeing that he didnt take a swing, Jiang Chen grinned.
Jiang Chen fixed his cor before opening the office door and walking outside.
Seeing that you allowed me to vent my frustrations, Ill arrange vehicles to transport you safely to the airport along with your workers. Also, some words for your father: It is never toote to seek revenge, although it has only been a few months.
Then he turned around as he left Wang Tianfeng, who looked like he just ate sheet, there without turning his head.
When Jiang Chen left Linhua Groups camp, the citizens at the gate had yet to disperse. On the contrary, more people had gathered there.
The angry natives swung the sugarcane in their hand; it was quite aical scene.
Jiang Chen looked at the workers inside the camp. He thought for a moment before he shouted to the citizens.
Quiet! Everyone, quiet down!
When they heard Jiang Chen shout, the citizens all looked in his direction.
First, I am not from the LInhua Group. When he saw the unfriendly gazes, Jiang Chen cleared his throat to rify.
When they heard that Jiang Chen wasnt a part of Linhua Group, the citizens all lost interest but before the crowd turned rowdy again, Jiang Chen continued shouting.
But, I have already reached an agreement with Linhua Group. This construction site will be taken over by Future International. You may have never heard this name before, but dont worry. We will negotiate a price with the new president that you can all ept topensate for your lostnd. If you trust your president, please leave now.
The citizens stared at each other. A muscr, brown-skinned man walked to Jiang Chen and used Han mixed with English to ask Jiang Chen.
Is what you said true?
Of course. Jiang Chen nodded.
The person turned around as he debated with the citizens.
Finally, they seemed to have reached an agreement as the man stood in front of Jiang Chen.
We trust our new president. But The man pointed in Linhua Groups direction, Before thepensation is finalized, they cant leave.
No problem.
Seeing the crowd beginning to disperse, the police on duty felt relieved and walked beside Jiang Chen.
Thank you, my friend. If it wasnt for you, itd be hard for us to take care of this.
Dont worry, its all part of my responsibilities. Especially since some are innocent.
Chapter 334 - New Moon Island
Chapter 334: New Moon Ind
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
President Edwards trial was set for the fifth day after the coup had ended.
On this day, almost all Pannu people stayed home and gathered around the TV to watch the live trial.
In the end, the supreme court of Pannu Inds sentenced the former president Edward to seventeen crimes including treason. All his assets would be confiscated and he would be executed by the end of the month.
The result received support from all Xin citizens - the people who suffered under his reign wanted to rip off his skin and tear his tendons out. Of course, Xin was a civilized country so they evidently wouldnt sentence him to a violent death; death by injection was his final fate.
As to the soldiers that surrendered, considering that they fought as part of their duty, the court didnt punish them for their actions during the coup. In the end, they were only sentenced to 10 years in prison for epting bribes.
At the same time, the previous government force was dissolved.
Once the political situation stabilized, the small country began to lose attention from international media and returned to a tranquil state isted from the rest of the world.
But this was only rtive - the small country remained in sight of many capitalists.
This was because of a ten billion USD project.
The infrastructure improvement project with its first phaseplete restarted the bidding process for all constructionpanies in the world. The project was estimated to be in the seven billion range.
The most difficult first phase waspleted by Linhua Group free of charge, so there were no other difficulties anticipated inpleting the remaining three phases. Of course, considering the stability of the current regime and what happened to Linhua Group, the other constructionpanies all tightened their auditing process.
But when they heard Future International was the owner of the project, all concerns faded.
With a techpany with the profitability of over three hundred million USD a month, there was no need to question its ability to pay. Or rather, all constructionpanies hoped Future International would be unable to pay its debt. They could then use the equity in coteral and force thepany to go public on Nasdaq. With a P/E ratio of 20 times, the amount of return would be unimaginable.
Of course, Jiang Chen didntck money to repay the debt.
All capitals focused their sights on the ind isted from the world. Even if they couldnt win the ten billion USD project, it wasnt a bad choice to share a piece of the pie along with the mega capitals for the development of the ind.
The boats engine hummed as Jiang Chen let the sea breeze mess his hair as he gazed at the horizon in front of the boat.
He bought the boat from the auctioning of Johnnys assets. The captain of the boat was an older fisher named Carter; the warehouse security man, Cassan, rmend him to Jiang Chen.
The brown-skinned native spoke equally fluent Han and English. He went to Yangchen in Hua before for business. When his business closed down, he returned home to fish and fished for twenty-something years.
How much longer?
Soon. The old fisherman piloting the boat cracked a smile as he elerated the boat.
They were cruising the sea at 50 knots; a single wave could send the boat soaring into the air. But the fisherman was undoubtedly a master of his trade - regardless how the waves changed, the boat cut through the waves smoothly and steadily.
Ayesha anxiously held onto Jiang Chens hand while the other hand tightly grasped onto the iron railing. Jiang Chen was more courageous as he didnt look afraid at all. He stood there facing the wind as he breathed in the fresh air.
Not long after, an ind surfaced in the close horizon.
Do you see it? the old fisherman shouted as heughed.
Haha, I see it. Jiang Chen couldnt wait to take his binocrs out as he looked at his ind.
Thats right, it was his ind.
As the biggest winner of the coup, Celestial Trade Company not only won the contract for national security in which they acquired the rights to form a military on behalf of the Xin government, they also gained the permission to build a military outpost, one hundred square meters big, on the nine inds. On top of all this, the New Moon Ind 150 kilometers west of Coro Ind was leased to Celestial Trade Company with an indefinite term by the Xin government for the establishment of a military base.
Just like its name, the ind was shaped like a crescent.
The ind was covered in thick, tropical vegetation. The middle part of the ind was higher with the two edges tter. The gulf of the ind was somewhat shallow with a bench forming when the tide fell. An aerial view taken at that moment would show the ind was shaped like a full moon. When the tide rose, it was more simr to a crescent. Hence the ind was also known as Tide Ind.
Because of the small area as well as ack of fresh water sources, it was uninhabited and not part of the nine Pannu inds. Although it would ruin the beautiful scenery on the ind, building a military base here was an excellent choice.
Once the boat approached the ind, Jiang Chen saw the two vessels anchored on the side of the ind.
Because there was no deepwater port, the two vessels could not dock - they could only anchor far away from the ind and transport the people and supplies through boats.
These people were all from the Niger military base. They were mostly Christians from Syria and were incorporated as mercenaries during their escape. Although they were half forced, when they realized that Jiang Chen wouldnt torture them and settled things appropriately with their family, they were gracious for everything Jiang Chen had done. After months of military training, they all settled into their new roles.
After a period of time, Jiang Chen would recruit new soldiers from Pannu. Based on his n, in the first phase, the military base would maintain a force of five hundred people. While they prioritized the development of the air force, they would purchase old naval vessels and modernize them.
Of course, the n must be executed one step at a time. Because they were in a peaceful time and Xins foreign rtions with neighboring countries was rather normal, they didnt have the need to expand militarily.
Should we head for the shore or head to the vessel? With the sea wind in his mouth, the old fisherman roared.
To the vessel, Jiang Chenmanded.
Okay.
The old fisherman dashed to the vessel.
The kilometers in the distance disappeared instantly.
After he secured the boat with chains, the people on the vessel lowered thedder. Jiang Chen and Ayesha were the first to climb up.
When her feet came in contact with the t deck, Ayesha felt disoriented and almost fell down. If it werent for Jiang Chen catching her, she mightve fallen into the sea.
Are you seasick? With how drowsy Ayesha looked, the corners of Jiang Chens lips curled up.
Considering how disoriented she looked, it was the first time he saw her like this.
A little bit. Ayesha shook her head as she touched her forehead.
Why didnt you tell me earlier? Jiang Chen said, concerned.
Because You looked really happy while we were out there. A red hue surfaced on her cold face as Ayesha murmured gently. She kept her head buried.
With how cute she looked, Jiang Chens heart skipped a beat and he gulped.
But then, a light cough came from not far away.
Ivans defined face looked at Jiang Chen full of mockery.
Boss, Im not trying to be a third wheel, but Everyone is looking. As he spoke, Ivan jokingly pointed.
The soldiers on the deck blew whistles and cheered at Jiang Chen, and the teasing in their eyes was evident.
Ayesha hid her blushing face behind Jiang Chens back. Although she was open and proactive when they were alone, she still wasnt used to acting intimately in front of other people.
Jiang Chen facepalmed.
These people dared tough at the boss.
Get back to work! If I see you all wandering around on the deck, you dont get to join the BBQ party at night! Jiang Chen shouted at the top of his lungs.
When they heard there was a BBQ party that night, the soldiers all dispersed and got back to their jobs. The people with nothing to do all pretended to be busy since no one would say no to barbeque.
Jiang Chen grinned at Ivan with a grimace.
Ahem, boss, Im just preventing you from embarrassing yourself in front of your subordinates. Ivan forced augh. He felt eerie being stared down by Jiang Chen.
That was enough joking around. Jiang Chen put on a stern face.
Thats enough joking around; wait for me in the captain room. Bring Barkary along with you.
Yes! Ivan saluted and left with the order.
Chapter 335 - Military Base
Chapter 335: Military Base
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
After arranging for Ayesha to rest in an empty room, Jiang Chen headed to the captains room.
When he arrived, Ivan and Barkary were already waiting there.
Barkary was the man who worked as the manager to Future Security. He was in charge of the logistics. After Future Security shut down, Ivan asked if he was willing to relocate to work on the other side of the and Barkary epted without hesitation. His only request was to bring his wife and children along. It was his dream to leave the impoverished West African region.
Are you used to the deepwater here?
Barkary smiled humbly, showing his white teeth. He spoke with his broken English, Yes, just a bit wet.
Thats normal since this is the sea. Ivanughed and patted him on the shoulder.
Now, lets get down to business. Ivan mustve already told you. Jiang Chen looked at Ivan and stared into Barkarys eyes.
Of course. Barkary nodded.
Currently, the rtionship between Celestial Trade and Future International wasnt disclosed to the public. Before Barkary arrived, he signed a non-disclosure agreement after which he would wear an electronic cor for ten years. The advantage was that his sry would increase from four hundred USD a month to one hundred thousand USD a year, the same amount as Ivan.
Then your response is?
I have no reason to reject, Barkary said light-heartedly.
Jiang Chen nodded as took out the silica gel for the electronic cor and passed it to Barkary. The young ck man didnt hesitate as he put the cor on in front of Jiang Chen.
Dont worry too much, this is just for cautionary measures.
I understand, but it feels weird to wear this, Barkary said as he touched his neck.
Youll get used to it. Ivan patted him on the shoulder. Buddy, now youre a part of us.
Jiang Chenughed and looked at Barkary. Just like before, Ill leave you the logistics of the military base to you, including fresh water, food, and living necessities. As to the firearms and ammo, I have my channel to take care of this. You only need to transport supplies from Coro Inds warehouses to here.
Count on me, Barkary said confidently.
Jiang Chen nodded as he looked at Ivan. You mustve heard that Xins national defense will be taken care of by Celestial. I n to build a military base, not for training purposes. Do you have any rmendations?
Ivan served in Kane before and was an old Soviet veteran. Even if he wasnt an expert, he must have some perspectives to share.
A deepwater port would be a good idea. The area near the ind is too shallow, so vessels with a higher discement cant approach it. Without a deepwater port, both supplies and military mobility would be greatly limited.
The deepwater port will definitely be built. What about other areas? Jiang Chen said.
Bunker, training field, radar station, hanger, runway Mostly these. Ivan smiled. The size of this ind is pretty good and quite simr to UAs Wake Ind. It might even be a bit bigger.
Mhmm, Ill start the building process for the military base; keep an eye on this for me.
No problem.
Then thats all.
Moving took an entire afternoon.
It was indeed troublesome to move supplies between the ind and vessels. Jiang Chen already made up his mind - he would contact people to build the deepwater port once he headed back the next day.
Although it was tiring to move supplies and build houses, Jiang Chen discovered that everyones face was filled with joy and happiness.
To avoid the mes of war caused by extremists, they had to flee with their families from their homes. Now, they were finally able to settle down on the other side of the world, on a beautiful ind, to restart their life.
Although it was just an inhabited ind now, everyone believed great things were toe.
The passion for building their new home made everyone energetic. It wasnt long before an array of tents were set up in the middle of the ind.
At night, people gathered in the middle of the ind and started bonfires around the ind. They took out food from the vessel and began the BBQ party.
Children chased each other in the camp, couples cuddled together, people who enjoyedrge crowds sat in the circle. People joked, drank, and ate.
The aroma of the barbeque spread across the camp - it was just like a pic.
Jiang Chen soon joined them. A young man from Turkey warmly asked Jiang Chen to try his roasted turkey.
It was crispy on one side but tender on the other; Jiang Chen almost ate his tongue.
With the saline and warm wind blowing while they drank cold beer, it was a superb feeling.
The BBQ partysted till midnight, after which people cleaned up the garbage on the ground. Although it had only been half a day, they felt an indescribable sense of belonging on the ind already.
How could he exin?
Compared with Demarcus engulfed in the mes of war, the life here was too pleasant.
The next morning, people didnt oversleep due to the celebration the night before, after months of military training made it a routine for them to wake up early.
Men lined up on the empty ground as they began the days training with their trainers.
The children and women also woke up early, because they wanted to see the sunrise.
Since there was no extra tent on the ind, Jiang Chen and Ayesha spent the night on the vessel. It was rather embarrassing in the morning becausepared to the hardworking soldiers, it wasnt until noon before Jiang Chen left Ayeshas body in bed.
After washing up, the two didnt return to the ind and remained on the boat.
Because he still needed to take care of the military base, he needed to return to Coro Ind before taking a flight to Australia.
The older fisherman had woken up long ago. There was a bucket of fresh sea fish on the boat. When he saw Jiang Chen, the older fisherman named Carter was somewhat embarrassed. When he woke up in the morning, seeing that Jiang Chen had yet to get up, he took the boat out and fished.
But Jiang Chen onlyughed as he didnt mind him using a small amount of diesel. He also jokingly asked for a few fish and asked how to cook the fish.
The old fisherman felt relieved when Jiang Chen didnt seem to mind him using his boat for other purposes. He controlled the boat expertly with the steering wheel while he began to exin the delicacies of eating the fish.
Jiang Chen wasnt payingplete attention, but Ayesha listened diligently while she recorded things secretively on her EP. The girl thought Jiang Chen suddenly became interested in eating fish, so she made up her mind to master this cuisine.
Once this conversation about fish started, the fisherman began to talk about his stories from when he fished. This time, Ayesha was rather disinterested while Jiang Chen waspletely drawn in.
It was hard to imagine that in a life of fishing so many outsiders considered dull, the old fisherman had all kinds of interesting stories to tell.
In the light and happy atmosphere, 150 kilometers soared by.
Chapter 336 - Australia Trip
Chapter 336: Australia Trip
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
After he got off the boat at Coro Ind, Jiang Chen didnt stop for a moment.
He told Carter to drive the boat back to his mansion before he took a ne to Melbourne, Australia.
It was already two in the afternoon when he checked in at the hotel near the airport.
Without any food in his body yet, he managed to find a Han restaurant to take care of his lunch before he started his schedule for the day.
Based on the directions given by his phone map, he quickly arrived at the building of a militarypany called Mammoth.
Robert rmended thispany to Jiang Chen since they were one of the internationally-renowned military base constructionpanies. They built military outposts in Iraq for the UN peacekeeping force before, and they also did business with Robert in the arms deal.
After he exined his intentions to the gorgeous receptiondy at the front desk, the boss of thepany personally came down to greet Jiang Chen.
The boss of thepany was an Australian man with a big beard named Thomas; he had served in the Australian special forces.
Robert alreadymunicated with him beforehand, so after briefly asking about Jiang Chens requirements for the military base, he eagerly brought out ten-something construction ns. The decrease in international conflicts resulted in hispany not receiving any projects of this size for a long time. It was apparent why he was so eager.
After two days of negotiation, the two parties finally settled on a construction n.
The total contract was worth four hundred million USD. The construction would include four deepwater docks, a radar station, weather observation equipment, a runway, an artillery base and missile silo; it would be constructed simrly to theyout on Wake Ind.
Of course, because of the restrictions in arms sales, the construction didnt include a missileunch device or high caliber artillery. Without the permission of the Australian government, Thomas wouldnt have the guts to sell those.
But Jiang Chen didnt want those things either.
Regardless of how reliable the missiles were in the 21st century, they wouldnt be stronger than the Disaster-32 Cruise Missile. Regardless of how powerful the artillery was, would it be more decimating than a Type-50 electromaic pulse cannon? Although he had yet to control the technology for the previous weapon and thetter was only limited to vehicle type, Jiang Chen firmly believeD that with his continual exploration in the apocalypse, these unbelievable technologies would be his one day.
Thomas also sold Jiang Chen four UH-60 ck Eagle helicopters with a unit price of four million USD. Included in the price tag was the training for eight helicopter pilots.
With the four ck Eagles, the mobility of the military base on New Moon Ind would increase substantially. With the transportation ability of the four helicopters, the soldiers of the Celestial Trade Company could quickly parachute onto any of the nine inds to respond to unexpected situations.
Before he upgraded the technology, ck Eagle would be the ideal transition flight vehicle.
By his third day in Australia, the military base contract had been settled. Mammoth sent professionals to survey New Moon Ind. Based on what Thomas said, if all projects were executed smoothly, the base would bepleted by July.
After he finished this task, Jiang Chen didnt return right away.
The next morning, Jiang Chen woke up early and headed to the rural area north of Melbourne.
The Victoria province located at the Southeastern end of Australia was renowned as the province of the garden. Because it was by the ocean, the climate was warm and wet, so the province possessed the best vegetation and the most fertile grasnd in all of Australia. Victoria, therefore, was the biggest producer of dairy products and farm products in the country.
As the car left the city center, the air became a lot fresher.
Jiang Chen stopped in front of a farm just before he managed to catch the farm owner who just got off his truck.
You are?
Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen introduced himself.
The farmer owner with a rather big beer belly wiped the sweat off his face with a towel.
Jiang Chen? Han ? Why do I feel like I heard this name before? Mhmm, you can call me Luke. Im the owner of the farm. Are you here to buy fresh milk?
Fresh milk? Jiang Chen was puzzled.
Mhmm? Are you not? The farm owner looked at Jiang Chen in surprise as he wrapped the towel around his thick neck. Are you not a purchaser 1 ? With your age, you must be an international student from Melbourne.
Luke used Han when he used the word purchaser.
Jiang Chen facepalmed. Future International was now a Fortune 500pany. As the president, it would be impossible for him to be a purchaser.
Ahem, you made a mistake. Im here to discuss a big deal.
Luke looked at him skeptically.
Just as they spoke, a van stopped in front of the farm.
A girl in a cap got out of the car. When Luke saw who it was, he seemed to know the reason why she came as he retreated to the farm right away.
Hello, The girl was rather lively as she warmly greeted Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen smiled and asked her casually, Are you an international student in Melbourne?
The girl was rather talkative as she said brightly, Mhmm, Im studying business administration - Im in my third year now. What about you?
Im not a student; I finished studying two years ago.
Are you not an international student? Are you an immigrant then? the girl asked as she blinked her eyes.
Although it wasnt wrong for her to say this, Jiang Chen wasnt an Australian immigrant but a Xin immigrant.
Mhmm.
Eh? Where are you from then?
Hucheng.
I see. Im from Shangjing. Are you in the powder milk purchaser business?
Why would you think Im a purchaser? Jiang Chen said with a speechless expression.
The girl looked at Jiang Chen, confused. Then she seemed to understand something as she kindly rmended something to Jiang Chen.
If you are taking some for your family, its better to purchase it from the superstore. Although the products from the farm are drinkable, the packaging is inconvenient and not hygienic.
What about you? Jiang Chen looked at her, puzzled.
Im not buying for my family. The girl rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen. Im a purchaser and I mostly sell on Wechat and Taobao Also, I recently opened a purchaser store on Little White; I can pay my tuition now.
As she said this, a proud smile appeared on the girls face. Compared with poor students studying abroad who made their parents sell their houses or studentsing from rich families, there werent a lot of international students who could be as independent as her. She didnt have a sugar daddy nor did she burden her family.
But she couldnt imagine that the designer of Little White was standing in front of her and casually having a conversation with her.
Purchaser store Uh, do the purchaser stores not purchase from the supermarket? Jiang Chen faintly recollected the ads in his memory were written that way.
Are you a fool or what? The girl rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen. Have you never purchased powdered milk from Walmart before? Han customers are only permitted to purchase two at a time and theyre also more expensive. The online store I own with a friend sells at least twenty-something a day -how could we purchase that from the supermarket? We buy directly from the farm and purchase the expensive empty containers from the recycling nt
Then she seemed to have realized something and immediately stopped talking.
Coincidentally, Luke walked over to them while carrying a big bag. The girls eyes lit up and she immediately walked up to him.
The Australian helped the girl load the powdered milk onto the van and epted her stack of bills.
See you. The girl smiled sweetly at Jiang Chen before she waved goodbye.
Jiang Chen waved back and said goodbye to the girl he didnt know.
A courteous girl.
But he felt the sweet smile was fake.
Okay, buddy, whats your big deal? Luke wiped off his sweat as he asked Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen didnt respond as he asked an irrelevant question, Is that powdered milk safe?
Luke waspletely lost. He looked at Jiang Chen with a puzzled face before he nodded.
Of course its safe; my farm passed all health inspections from the very start. Although that batch was offbel supplies that I asked my friends powdered milk factory to produce, the quality is undoubtedly safe.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Chen sighed with a tone of defeat.
As long as its safe. Of course, Im not here to buy powdered milk, Im just a bit curious Whatever, lets talk business
Chapter 337 - Public Opinion
Chapter 337: Public Opinion
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Celestial Trade Companys food was all previously imported from New Zend. The specifics of its operation were all contracted to professionals to manage. But with the increase in demand, this operational model was no longer suitable.
This is what Jiang Chen was nning:
He would import goods from Australian farms and transport them to Coro Ind through the port in Melbourne. Part of the goods would be sold by Celestial Trade Company in Pannu Inds and part of them would be kept as raw ingredients for further food production and transported to the apocalypse.
At the same time, the Xinlong Food Processing nt located in Wanghai City would be moved to Pannu Inds. All the staff willing to relocate overseas would be kept on, while local cheapbor would be hired to perform the assembly process. Theyd produce cheap raw ingredients from Australia into canned foods and preserved products.
This processed food would be partially be sold locally and moved to the apocalypse.
Therefore, he wouldnt only save on tariffs, but he would also save on thebor cost as well as easing transportation of the goods to the apocalypse. It was like hitting three birds with one stone.
Of course, with such a massive and long-term deal, it couldnt be hastily decided upon.
Jiang Chen only initiated the conversation because he happened to be in Australia. Therefore, he made a personal trip. As to the specifics of the deal, he left it to Zheng Hongjie to take care of and left Luke his number.
After that, Luke cheerfully sent Jiang Chen off in a taxi to head back to Melbourne.
He booked tickets for the next day. Although there was still some time before it turned dark, he didnt know what to do by himself when he looked at the busy street. He started to regret not bringing Ayesha along.
The girl seemed to really enjoy pretty clothes. He still vividly remembered the date with her in Veit. That day, they almost cleaned out an entire clothing store with some intimacy that happened that same night.
When he returned to the hotel he was staying at, Jiang Chen felt lonely on the massive king bed, so he took out his phone.
He happened to see Liu Yaos message on Little White, so he replied.
Without any surprise, Jiang Chen still replied instantly. He sometimes even suspected whether the girl created a special alert just for him.
With a smile on his face, Jiang Chen naughtily prepared to tease her.
Jiang Chen continued to type on the screen with a smirk on his face.
*Buzz*
Liu Yao sent a selfie over.
Scissor hands at a 45 degrees angle - yful but at the same time demonstrating her impressive 36D cleavage.
She also added:
Jiang Chen couldnt stop himself fromughing as he replied.
Although that was what she said, she didnt feel annoyed at all as another buzzing sound came through. This selfie was even more flirtatious. Although nothing was exposed, it teased Jiang Chen even more.
Fine, Jiang Chen was hard.
Needless to say, time flies when you talk with a beauty. Liu Yao was also a great conversation starter as she didnt make Jiang Chen feel bored at all as the night flew by.
Just as Jiang Chen prepared to say goodbye, Liu Yao sent another message over.
Jiang Chen paused.
He did register a Weibo before and Sina decided by themselves to verify him as an Orange V. He had millions of followers already. But since he was flooded with messages such as and was constantly tagged with pointless things, Jiang Chen hadnt logged on for a while.
After he said goodnight to Liu Yao, Jiang Chen didnt immediately sleep but instead opened Baidu and searched for his name.
After he searched himself, thousands of posts popped up about him.
Some were negative, some were positive.
Jiang Chen could guess the content just by scanning the name.
Disregarding the fact that it mightve been an inte army hired by Linhua Group to change public opinion, Jiang Chen wasnt bored enough to read this type of foolish article. It was written without any proof or understanding of the circumstances and emphasized partial facts rather than theplete picture.
While he was in the country, Linhua didnt act like a victim when they were plotting against him. They had the attitude of when they negotiated. They totally deserved what they got now.
Of course, there was certainly a lot of positive news. Generally speaking, public opinion stood on Jiang Chens side, since Future Internationals rise to the top meant that Huas artificial intelligent stood at the frontier of the world. Although Future International had relocated to Xin, Hanizens still considered it as a nationalpany. Even though Alibabas IPO made a Japanese person named Su Zhengyi the wealthiest man, people rarely considered Alibaba a Japanesepany.
Other than the posts with prized opinions, Jiang Chen saw a post with an interesting point of view.
The original poster of this post listedrge quantities of half-fake, half-genuine evidence and perfectly demonstrated their imagination as the OP connected the twopletely contrarypanies together. He dered that the organization controlling the twopanies was an overseas Han organization. Counting the coup in Pannu Inds, it was their work that sparked everything. The formation of the Han-speaking country, Xin, was a link in their master n.
And this organization may have received secret support from the Han government!
The renowned, born-in-the-nies billionaire Jiang Chen was only a pawn of the organization.
Because of this sophisticated thought process, clear exnation, and excellent storytelling ability, the post caused a lot of people to reply. The number of likes easily broke a million. But the replies were also funny, such as:
Thements certainly entertained Jiang Chen, but if he were toment on the post, the only word he could think of was:
Bullsheet.
A lot of conspiracy theories had no proof to back them up. Logically, any natural urring events could be described as prenned after the fact.
Of course, thesements were like smoke screens for Jiang Chen - the more, the better for him.
When his eyes began to feel drowsy, Jiang Chen flung the phone away. Just as he was about to sleep, the EP on his left hand buzzed.
When he opened it, it was Lin Lins message.
Although Jiang Chen was puzzled why Lin Lin didnt just open the video message, he still got up from the bed.
He closed the curtain by the window before he started interdimensional travel on the bed.
Chapter 338 - Interdimensional Material Transporter
Chapter 338: Interdimensional Material Transporter
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Due to the difference in time zones, Melbourne was three hours ahead of Wanghai. When Jiang Chen returned to the mansion in the apocalypse, the light was still on in the mansion. Sun Jiao and them were not asleep yet.
After he said hi to Sun Jiao, Jiang Chen headed directly to Lin Linsb.
Instincts told him that Lin Lin had a surprise for him.
When he pushed open theb door, Jiang Chen saw Lin Lin in a whiteb coat. The girls fashion sense was particrly weird; she liked to wear fashionable clothing from before the war underneath a giant whiteb coat.
Wow, youre fast. When she saw Jiang Chen, Lin Lin put aside the item in her hand and walked to the door with a grin.
Jiang Chen instantly knew what her expression meant and took out the pudding from the storage dimension and put it in her hand.
Did you call me back because you wanted pudding? Jiang Chen facepalmed as he looked at her joyful expression of opening the pudding.
Of course not. Lin Lin proudly raised her eyebrows. Using her stic spoon, she pointed at the helmet on theb bench with high spirit. Dang dang dang dang!
It was a circr te. Inside the circr te was a fist-sized metal sphere.
Is that a Golden Apple? Jiang Chen looked in the direction of the spoon, puzzled.
No, no, no! She proudly raised her tiny chest as she arrogantly shook her finger. Although part of the inspiration came from that Golden Apple, the technology is not on the same level at all.
Oh? Then what is special about yours? Jiang Chenughed.
That Golden apple is amunication device and sends out a resonance signal. But mine, I can send mass! Lin Lin smiled.
Jiang Chen was moved as he rushed to say, You mean, you can transfer the mass from the modern world to here?
Lin Lin shook her head. It is impossible to send mass from another dimension to this dimension. Any physical quantity is useless between dimensions. Even with the most advanced technology in the 22nd century, it could not create a miracle that extends beyond the boundary of physics.
Then why did you shock me and say it could send mass? Jiang Chen said helplessly.
As she spoke, Lin Lin smiled mysteriously and handed the sphere ball to Jiang Chen from the circr te.
Try to put that metallic sphere into your storage dimension.
Jiang Chen looked at her skeptically. He took the sphere and threw it in the storage dimension.
Then put this on. As she said, Lin Lin ced a soft stic bracelet into Jiang Chens hand.
He followed Lin Lins direction and put it on.
It was light, and it didnt feel like there was anything at all around his wrist. Inside the bracelet, a grain-sized crystal was in the middle and it cast a dark green light.
Take out anything from the storage dimension. Lin Lin curled up the tips of her mouth proudly.
Anything?
Jiang Chen muttered to himself and followed Lin Lins instruction. He connected his conscious to the interdimensional bracelet and selected the Type-11 pistol floating in the sub-dimension.
But what happened stunned him.
The pistol didnt appear in his hand, but rather, appeared on the circr te that contained the Golden Apple.
What happened? Jiang Chen was bbergasted.
Just as I have expected. Lin Lin rubbed her chin as she nodded in confidence. Then, she handed the pistol back to Jiang Chen.
Stop ying riddles with me, what exactly is this? Jiang Chen threw the pistol back into the storage dimension. He nced at the circr te, this time the pistol didnt appear there.
To put it in simple terms, it is the interdimensional mass transporter or a transport array! Lin Lin walked in front of the whiteboard in theb and drew two lines.
The two lines represent two parallel worlds. As she exined, Lin Lin also drew a circle between the two lines, And this circle represents a small universe.
Small universe? Super Saiyan?
Jiang Chen had a strange expression on his face.
Professor Lin Lin ignored the fact that Jiang Chens attention slipped away for a moment as she moved her nose and pped the circle.
You refer to this as the storage dimension, but is it just a convenient backpack?
Then what is it? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
I already said, She stared into Jiang Chens eyes with excitement, It is a small universe or a sub-dimension. It stands outside of the macro universe, parallel to all timelines, but it would be infinitely closed to all timelines. Theoretically, it is not possible to transport mass to the small universe, but you could. Although the current theories cant exin your ability, we can take advantage of this!
Take advantage of this? Jiang Chen muttered to himself while immersed in thought. Then, he took out another box of mango pudding from the storage dimension.
Thats right; the bracelet can continuously emit Klein particle waves of special frequency to interfere with your interdimensional bracelets recognition of the fourth-dimensional coordinate. It is simr to adding a backdoor program in theputer software. By changing the fourth dimensional coordinate, the objects being taken out would appear on this circr te, rather than in front of the person wearing the bracelet - Ahh! Pudding~
Green lights red into the circr te as the Klein particles in the dimension vibrated rhythmically.
Just like the previous pistol, the mango pudding didnt appear in his hand but appear on the te. Jiang Chen tried to put the mango pudding away, but there was no reaction at all.
The transport array seemed to be one-directional, it could only send items here and not the other way around.
Lin Lins eyes lit up as she snatched the pudding on the circr te with a smile on the face. She joyfully rubbed it against her face.
As long as I wear this bracelet, the stuff I take out from the storage dimension would appear on this circte te? Even if I was in the modern world?
Jiang Chen was excited by the idea. If that was the case, then he didnt need to tirelessly run back and forth. He would only need to wear the bracelet and stand at the warehouse in the modern world, throw all the supplies into the storage dimension before taking it out.
Thats right! Lin Lin put her hands on her waist as sheughed proudly.
Haha! This is amazing! Lin Lin, you have helped me so much!
The thrilled Jiang Chen grabbed Lin Lins shoulders, hugged her, and spun her around.
Wahhhh! What, what are you doing!
Lin Lins face instantly turned red. Steam began to emerge from her head, and her limbs moved listlessly in the air. Jiang Chen also realized that his action was a bit over the line as he immediately put her down.
Ah, sorry, ahem I was too excited. Jiang Chen forced augh as he embarrassedly scratched his head while looking at Lin Lin with a face as red as a ripe apple.
Lin Lin hissed a few times, especially unlike her, but didnt say anything. Instead, she grabbed the two boxes of pudding she obtained from Jiang Chen and ran out the door with her head buried.
When she passed by Jiang Chen, he noticed that the red hue has extended from her ear to her neck.
Jiang Chen paused for a moment.
[Digitalized human can blush too?]
Chapter 339 - Return to Xiangjiang
Chapter 339: Return to Xiangjiang
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Lin Lin stuffed boxes of pudding into the kitchen fridge before walking back to the room. The expression on her face seemed to suggest that she still hasntpletely forgiven Jiang Chen for his action. When she came in, she didnt say anything as she just pushed Jiang Chen out of the room with her two slim arms and shut the door.
Jiang Chen stared at the closed shut door, knowing he was in the wrong. However, all he did was awkwardly scratch his nose as he didnt know what to say to apologize.
Jiang Chen admitted that despite not processing his action through his head, the act hemitted was over the line for a girl. But he didnt expect her to react so dramatically.
After deliberating for a while, Jiang Chen let out a sigh and gave up on the idea of exining himself. Instead, he walked to his own bedroom.
Worst case he would just have to bring her a few more boxes of pudding next time Mango vored.
Jiang Chen lied on his bed and muttered to himself before he closed his eyes andmenced interdimensional travel.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in the modern world.
He raised his hand and pressed the grain-sized crystal on the bracelet as the dark green light immediately dimmed down. He threw the bracelet into the storage dimension, and then checked his phone for the time.
It was gettingte, already midnight.
He rubbed his weary eyes, dragged up the sheets, and slept till morning.
The next morning, Jiang Chen checked out from the hotel before arriving at the close by airport, empty-handed. He boarded a ne from Melbourne to Xiangjiang.
The ticket was book three days ago.
Because there was still the bidding on the construction site and the loan to take care of, Jiang Chen had to head to Xiangjiang before returning to Xin. It was already April, and the contract with Dalmer corporation was almost up. Although the smart driving system waspleted by Yao Yao in two hours, to avoid anymotion, Jiang Chen hasnt given the USB and the chip to Carmen Rothschild. On this trip to Xiangjiang, Jiang Chen nned to provide Carmen with the program.
One billion in two hours, needless to say, Yao Yao was the biggest goldmine of the wastnd.
After hours of flying, with the flight attendants gentle announcement, Jiang Chen woke up from his nap and got off the ne.
At the gate of the airport, Jiang Chen saw the stunning figure from a distance.
It was Xia Shiyu.
Before he returned to Xiangjiang, Jiang Chen had sent a message to Xia Shiyu, asking her to pick him up if convenient.
With a smile on his face, Jiang Chen walked directly towards her.
You are finally back.
Although her face was rather expressionless, Jiang Chen could still read the sense of me within her eyes. He had known her affection from the start and thus obviously understood the meaning behind her words. However, just like before, he onlyughed and avoided the question.
I havent seen you in two months You have lost weight.
Xia Shiyu rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen, didnt respond, and instead opened the Maybach door.
The car was previously Jiang Chens ride, but he left the key to Ayesha who was protecting Xia Shiyu at the time in Xiangjiang before he left the country. After she had confirmed that Xia Shiyu was safe, Ayesha left the car key to Xia Shiyu ording to Jiang Chens instructions. Now, the car became Xia Shiyus mode of transportation.
In the passenger seat, Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu who wasbing her hair to the side as she started the car.
Do you like it? Jiang Chen asked abruptly.
Xia Shiyus eyes instantly turned red. She stepped on the gas as the car dashed forward along the barrier. The series of actions almost scared Jiang Chen to death.
What, what are you even saying? She hastily gained control of her steering, but the red hue climbed from the bottom of her neck to the tip of her ears. Xia Shiyus voice was also listless, and her tone was even off.
Ahem, I I am asking if you like the car.
Her pumping chest began to return to normal. The calmed Xia Shiyu turned her head and gave Jiang Chen a dirty look before she returned to her expressionless state.
It seemed like She was angry?
Uh, I am serious. If you like it, Ill give it to you as a gift, Jiang Chen said in a tiny voice.
No need, I can afford it myself. Xia Shiyu clenched her teeth as it made a crisp sound.
She didnt know why she was so angry. But there was one thing she was certain about and that was this guy definitely was not as courteous as she had thought. No, he was a pervert!
As to how she knew about this, she learned that by living with Ayesha. Because of her delicate figure, although her face looked young, she had always thought Ayesha was over 18. Until one time they talked about age, and she finally knew Ayeshas real age.
But that was not the point. When she asked that if Jiang Chen had done anything to her. Ayesha looked at her innocently and said in a casual voice: We had sex.
Had sex?
Xia Shiyu didnt manage to react at first, but then it hit her like lightning.
She just remembered that she waspletely stunned.
She had thought Jiang Chen was a type where he would always be respectable to girls but never had the skill to interact with them. However, he was actually a pervert that did it with his own bodyguard - a girl that was less than 18 years old.
But Xia Shiyus reaction was typical as Ayesha told Xia Shiyu with a straight face. It was normal for people to be married at the age of 13. Especially during a conflict-filled era, the age might be even younger. Also, she had expressed to Xia Shiyu that she could sense her affection towards Jiang Chen as well and she wouldnt mind sharing his gentleness with her.
Perhaps it was ordinary in Ayeshas eyes. Since in her home country, polygamy wasmon. Even if Syria was at the frontier of modernization among the middle eastern countries, this point did not change at all.
But to Xia Shiyu, who lived in the modern world, it was an uneptable practice!
When she heard that Ayesha and Jiang Chen had done it before, she was shocked.
Then remorse, even despair, before it gradually turned into hate.
All men would turn to the bed once they have money.
She felt as if she had just gone through a break-up, although her feelings and the rtionship could only be considered a crush.
But regardless, it was her first time feeling so heartbroken.
But with Ayeshas pure and innocent eyes, she couldnt impose the hate on her, especially since she had risked her life to save hers. And what made her feel the most powerless was
She still loved him.
If she didnt love him, she wouldnt even be sad about this. She would not be jealous of the fact that another woman was before her, she would only need to leave.
If she didnt love him, she wouldnt be here to pick him up.
The car stopped at a modern apartment as Xia Shiyu skillfully parked the car in the garage.
This ce is?
My home, Xia Shiyu answered concisely and got out of the car.
Jiang Chen followed her as they walked to the elevator of the apartment, he had to ask.
Do you not n to send me to a hotel?
Thats too problematic, just live here. Xia Shiyu swayed her hair as she didnt realize how explosive her words were and pressed the elevator button.
Jiang Chen was shocked.
Uh?
What, do you dislike me? The corners of Xia Shiyus mouth formed a beautiful curvature while she looked at Jiang Chen.
Stunned by the glimpse of her beauty, Jiang Chen didnt manage to react in time.
No, No.
Xia Shiyu was satisfied with Jiang Chens expression as a smile appeared on her lips, and she said, Then thats that. This time you are back for business, it is easier for us to exchange opinion if we live together No other intentions.
Jiang Chen thought thest sentence was trying to cover something up.
As they spoke, the elevator arrived.
While the door opened, she only stepped one foot into the elevator.
Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu with eyes saying What are you waiting for as he stepped into the elevator feeling puzzled.
She had already made up her mind, she must act proactively.
What if he had another woman? Still not married yet! Before he gets married, its all fair game. Therefore, she will win him over.
Ayeshas presence made her feel threatened. She had no feelings to be bothered by the childish question of Who confessed to who first. Xia Shiyu made up her mind to drag Jiang Chen onto the right track and save the good person that mistakenly went on the wrong road.
No need to be mistaken, it was just for her to repay the favor of him saving her multiple times.
Xia Shiyuforted herself.
In the Pannu Inds thousands of kilometers away, two transport vessels and two construction vessels slowly headed to New Moon Ind.
To best protect the local environment, Jiang Chen didnt choose to blow up the reef to build the port, but instead, he decided to build a sea tform two kilometers away from the ind. There, he would construct a dock that would connect the tform to thend. As to the sea tform, it will be built with a three kilometers long arch water dam.
Two cars could travel at the same time on the dam. On the far end of the dam, they will construct a tidal wave electricity generator. Although the depth near the ind was somewhat shallow, the continuous waves made up for it. Not only did it solve the problem of connecting thend to the sea tform, but it also addressed New Moon Inds electricity.
The sea tform cost more than one billion USD and even surpassed the military base by two folds, but Jiang Chen still considered the investment to be well worth it. The sea tform and dam construction were contracted to apany called Wilson while Thomas Mammoth was only responsible for connecting the dam.
Since these professional sea construction projects already exceeded the capabilities of a military constructionpany. Thomas had brought up the idea of working with otherpanies on this project. The boss of both corporations were all confused as to why Celestial would spend so much money to build a sea tform.
Usually, this thing was built far away from the shore; it was kind of pointless to build it near the ind. Especially since the request was to build it asrge as possible, they wondered what the true intention was behind the project.
Chapter 340 - Blackmail
Chapter 340: ckmail
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Due to the construction project being a sensitive topic, the constructionpany didnt ask more about the usage of the sea tform. After they received the upfront payment, they sent the vessels to start building.
The sea tform was the size of two football fields, shaped triangrly. If it were far away from the shore, the difficulty of constructing it would be unimaginable. If it were standard steel, the tide of the ocean would dismember this giant. But if titanium were used, the cost of the construction would be an astronomical number.
However, because it was in a shallow sea with a depth of ten meters, the construction process was a lot simpler. A reinforced steel base could be inserted into the rock bottom of the ocean, making it equivalent to a man-made floating ind.
The four vessels were anchored near New Moon Ind as they sent out boats to explore the surroundings.
At the same time, Celestial Trade Companys vessel also lowered a boat and approached the construction vessels. After they boarded the Mammoths ship, Ivan and Barkary had met Thomas. After they confirmed the details of the construction project, the three began to joke around on the deck.
A Ukranian, a Nigerian, and an Australian, it was as if they were in a United Nations meeting. Ivan was the oldest among the three and had the most to say. He joined the army in the Soviets, so he talked about the dramatic changes in East Europe and the civil war in Ukraine.
Just as they were having a great conversation, three medium-sized boats appeared from the horizon along with a few sharp air horn sounds.
Whats that? Ivan frowned and took out the binocrs from his pocket, but he couldnt recognize the red-blue g.
Barkary didnt recognize it either as he narrowed his eyes and took a few hard looks. Thomas had more knowledge as he immediately recognized it.
Its Country Fs g. It should be their fishing boats. Thomas raised his eyebrows as he felt a trace of ominous feeling and walked to the tip of the vessel.
The three fishing boats stopped beside the vessel. Immediately, a southeastern Asian with yellow skin and his shirt unbuttoned walked out onto the deck of their ship and shouted a few gibberish words at Thomas.
Although Thomas recognized the g, he didnt know the Fnguage as he had to drag the trantor on the boat out to exin to him.
What is this guy saying? Ivan walked beside Thomas with a frown.
The F citizen saw that another foreigner came out from the boat and gave Ivan a hard stare. But Ivan, born in Russia, had seen more bullet holes than people was not afraid as he stared back at him.
The F citizen was someone that preyed on the weak. Seeing that Ivan didnt back down, he subconsciously wanted to go back. But when he saw the two other fishing boatse by, he regained his courage and stared back and began shouting towards the ship.
He is saying that this is the territory they fish in. Our construction boats have scared away the fish, and they are seekingpensation from us. These shameless bastards, the construction gets dyed every time theyre here, Thomas cursed.
F countrys fishing boats? But isnt this Xins territory? Ivan frowned.
New Moon Ind was twelve hundred kilometers away from the southernmost ind MLL Ind of Country F. Therefore, there should be no territorial disputes in this area.
Speaking from thew, yes. But these bastards never follow thew. Even if they took a sheet here before, it would be their fishing territory even if it was in your backyard. It is the result of the moronic president, Thomas cursed.
Since he was in the military construction business, despite being a veteran, he still had fury in his attitude. It was just the years in business that had rounded out his eyes. He knew that there was no use in being angry. If he angered the natives, there was no way the construction could continue.
He took a few deep breaths and calmed his emotions down. Then, speaking with the interpreter, he began to negotiate with the fishermen.
But Ivan standing on the side had a different reaction.
These monkeys were here to scam them. His eyebrows jumped, and he signaled Barkary.
Barkary understood. Smiling, he jumped onto the boat and headed to Celestial Trade Companys vessel.
Now we would have to ask the Xin government. This is their territory; they should send their coastal guards here and capture these monkeys asking for bananas. Then transfer them back to their home country. But even then, they would almost be immediately released by their government, Thomas said in rage.
Xin government? Why do we need to ask them? Ivans eyes narrowed as he looked at the monkey from F.
Thomas paused for a moment as he looked at Ivan, puzzled.
Ivan took out his phone. He didnt call Zhang Yapin but called another number.
The interior was fashionably decorated. The warm colored wallpaper certainly gave a peaceful feeling. The range of appliancespleted the room withfort and beauty. Just by looks, the owner of the apartment knew how to enjoy life.
After he took off his shoes at the door, Jiang Chen scanned the decorations and asked Xia Shiyu nonchntly,
Are you still renting?
Mhmm.
Why dont you buy a house? Thepany just paid out dividendsst month, there is no way that you dont have the money right? Jiang Chen was confused.
Future Technology had its shareholders meeting in March, (Although there are only two shareholders), and paid out 4 billion USD in dividends. Xia Shiyu owned 1% of Future International. Because she was taxed in Xin, she barely paid any personal ie tax. She had at least forty million in her savings ount.
I feel like you wont live here too long. She took off her shoes, and her feet covered in ck stockings stepped into slippers. Jiang Chen, watching on the side, reflexively gulped and missed the deeper meaning behind Xia Shiyus words.
Feel free to sit, I will pour you a cup of water Also, where is your luggage? Xia Shiyu looked at Jiang Chens empty hands as she asked in confusion.
Facepalm! He should have brought the luggage from the storage dimension in the airport bathroom.
Of course, Jiang Chen had luggage, but he couldnt tell Xia Shiyu it was in his storage dimension.
Uh, I prefer to buy local. Jiang Chen had to make up a story.
Xiao Shiyus delicate eyebrows raised.
Thats such a waste Its okay, I will bring you to Causeway Bay tonight. At least buy a few sets of clothing and formal clothing for professional gatherings. Those are necessary for a business professional.
Okay, as you wish.
Sigh, he should have insisted on staying in a hotel. Of course, he brought everything with him, it was just inconvenient to bring it out in front of Xia Shiyu. Due to the devil controlling his mind for just a moment, he had agreed to live at Xia Shiyus ce, leading him to have to rebuy everything.
It was not that he cared about the money, it was because he hated the trouble.
Jiang Chen watched Xia Shiyu go into the kitchen. He felt relieved and sank into the sofa.
A light scent twirled around the tip of his nose, it was Xia Shiyus odor.
It was a faint scent, and it carried a hint of lily. It made Jiang Chen feel thirsty. It had to be the work of hormones getting him into trouble.
Not long after, Xia Shiyu brought a cup of water from the kitchen and handed the warm water to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen immediately chugged the entire ss clean to suppress the weird feelings in his mind.
Are you that thirsty? Do you want another cup?
Ahem, no need.
Xia Shiyu nodded, sat beside Jiang Chen, and grabbed a stack of documents that were on the table.
These are the information about the bidders
But at the same time, Jiang Chens phone began to ring.
Sorry, let me get a call. As Jiang Chen spoke, he walked to the window and took out his phone.
[Ivan?
Did something happen at the New Moon Ind military base?]
He looked at the name and picked up.
Hello?
Boss, citizens from country F are causing trouble in the ocean territory near New Moon Ind. They said our construction has interfered with their fishing.
Country F fishers?
When Jiang Chen heard Ivans exnation, he first paused for a moment. He was so angry that he began tough.
[Fu*k, Im already unhappy with them. Now they want to take advantage of me? I have to pay up even to build in my backyard?]
You are asking for my permission on this? Pirates have invaded our territory. You tell me what the coastal guard should do. Dont see me if you cant take care of it properly.
After he received confirmation from his boss, a wicked smile surfaced on Ivans face.
The grimace was mixed with thrill as he was waiting for the boss to say this.
Yes! Commander.
Chapter 341 - Fishermen? They are pirates!
Chapter 341: Fishermen? They are pirates!
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After Ivan hung up the phone, he took out the pistol strapped to his waist and loaded the gun.
His action made Thomas jump as he immediately blocked the Russian.
Are you crazy! If your action gets filmed, they will definitely take the opportunity to scam you!
Thomas who frequently conducted construction with Hanpanies knew that even if these fishermen looked dumb, they were extremely cunning. If they filmed Ivan pulling out the gun, they would return and make a few holes in their own boat. He knew that without paying money, the construction would be unable to continue.
Whats even worse was that the actions of these fishermen received the support of the F government. Their government would also first pay for their damage and then help them with the internationalwsuit.
Scam? Ivan scorned contemptuously and aimed at the monkeys chest.
The country F citizen was first scared, but then he turned ecstatic as he ran inside to take out his camera. When he saw this, Thomas in defeat put down the hand holding onto Ivans arm as he smashed his hand onto the railing of the deck.
Dammit Now thats that. Im going to request your boss extend the construction period. We cant conduct any work with their interference.
Ivan ignored Thomasint and looked at the trantor on the side.
Tell them to leave Xin territory within a minute. This ce doesnt wee pirates.
Pirates? They are fishermen The trantor paused for a moment as he attempted to correct Ivan.
The boss said they are pirates, so they are pirates, Ivan raised the pistol and said emotionlessly.
Seeing that Ivan began the countdown, the trantor clenched his teeth and tranted his message to the fishermen on the fishing boat.
The fishermen were immediately enraged.
[Fu*k you. You threaten us with a gun, you think we are scared?]
They banked on the fact that the neighboring countries cared about their own feathers and wouldnt shoot. Who are you trying to scare pointing at people instead of the boat?
As to being pirates, thats more bullsheet! Without a single gun, who would believe that?
The country F citizen didnt back down as he acted even more recklessly. He was not only mocking Ivan, but he also coastal peed in their direction.
Half a minute passed; five boats emerged from the distance. On top of the boats were fully equipped soldiers. Although they didnt wear kic skeletons, the rifles they had belonged to the 22nd century.
Sixty. Thest Russian word came out of his chapped lips.
Time was up.
Thomas thought he would awkwardly put the gun down, or shoot at the water or the boat, but the Russian pressed the trigger aimed at the monkeys chest.
Thats right, it was the chest! Not the hands or legs!
Bang!
Blood began to stter as it instantly stained the clothes of the monkey. He tumbled and fell down on the deck. He had his eyes widened as he looked at his chest in disbelief.
He wanted to scream, but only blood coughed out.
Run! They are killing people!
Run! Run!
The gibberish mixed with screams diffused over the sea. A fisherman quickly dashed out from inside the boat and dragged the woundedpanion inside. The three fishing boats elerated at max speed as they fled in country Fs direction.
Thomas stared nkly at Ivan.
You killed him?
I killed a pirate, Ivan added as he fired a few more rounds at the fishing boats turning around. Although he didnt hit anyone, it made the fishermen scream in fear. Although he didnt understand, he could hear the fright in their voices.
There was no return once he fired the first shot, if any escaped, they would be a witness in court. Since he killed a person, he would have to leave all of them here, down into the deep abyss.
Perhaps Jiang Chen didnt have that kind of awareness, but Ivan had. At the front line in Oesk, he fought head to head with the Russian army, why would he be afraid of the country F?
Thomass lips twitched, but then he sighed in defeat as he shrugged.
Fine That was beautiful, I fu*cking wanted to do that for a long time.
Territorial issues are without negotiations, only war. Ivan scorned and used a famous quote.
Thats right, but sometimes for business, we have to learn topromise to avoid a bigger loss.
But my boss told me, we are not businessmen. Ivan smiled.
But an army.
Thomas was shocked, but then he sighed.
Then you have an interesting boss I will retrain my crew. They didnt see anything today.
Thank you, Ivan looked him in the eyes and said sincerely.
To the scums who caused trouble. Only blood would teach them humiliation and awe! If you take one step back, then they would take your mercy as weakness and take ten steps forward!
Ivan got on the fast boat as he personallymanded the pirate hunt.
Attention all boats, attention all boats! Three pirate boats are fleeing in the northwestern direction. They carry weapons on board. Fire at will. I repeat. Fire at will!
Roger!
The coastal guard in fast boats immediately moved towards the three fishing boats direction and fired with their rifles. It left a series of bullet holes in the body of the boat. The fishermen finally knew that they messed with the wrong group of people as they were only begging to grow a pair of wings and escape for their lives to their border.
The fast boats didnt ask them to surrender at all as they were treating them like pirates. In terms of speed, the fishing boat was nowhere as fast as the fast boat. The fast boats fired at the engine of the fishing boats simultaneously, and it didnt take long before their engines blew out.
In the nket of fire, the country F fishers hid inside their boat. They cursed at the foreigners with their dialect about how they dont follow the rules while they screamed inside the radio requesting for their coastal guards assistance. Since they were deep into Xin water, even if their coastal guard trespass the border, it would still take some time.
Suddenly, the firing stopped.
Just as these monkeys thought that their people had arrived, a few nking sound transmitted from outside the boat.
The Xin boats approached them and threw a few things inside.
The captained adjusted his hat and carefully peeked out and looked at the deck through the window. When he saw a few M-series assault rifles on deck, he first paused for a moment before his expression suddenly changed drastically.
The two fast boats throwing weapons on the fishing boats quickly moved away while the other three stopped thirty meters out.
The soldiers in bulletproof vests lied on the deck, and one soldier held an AT4 rocketuncher on his arm.
#$%$$!
The captain ran for his life to the outside of the boat and kneeled on the ground in fear. With tear-filled eyes, he begged for mercy.
But unfortunately, no one understood him, they didnt n to spare the invaders.
The soldier aimed at the fishing boat and pressed the trigger.
Three RPGs fired from three different directions at the three fishing boats. The explosion lit up the sky to a vibrant red. The coastal guards of country F were on their way just in the distance. The soldiers on the fast boats followed Ivans instruction and fired a few rounds at their own boat to create a few bullet holes.
The soldiers threw away the one-time usage AT4 rocketuncher and took out the more advanced Python rocketuncher on the side. Everyone reloaded their clips and prepared to engage in battle.
Under Ivansmand, the five fast boats approached the country F coastal guard ships.
Chapter 342 - How did I forget about that?
Chapter 342: How did I forget about that?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen stuffed the phone back into his pocket and returned to the living room.
Who just called?
Uh, a friend, Jiang Chen nonchntly replied and sat back down beside her.
Seeing that Jiang Chen wasnt nning to exin, Xia Shiyu only red at him suspiciously before she stopped persisting on the question and picked up the documents on the table.
She cleared her throat and put on a stern face before she began to exin the documents to Jiang Chen.
The paper documents contain information on the bidders, mostly about the specifications and bidding price. As to the design project and project visualization, they are all on myputer, and we can take a lookter. But before we start, can I ask you a question?
Of course. Jiang Chenughed.
If it a question he could answer, he would facepalm answer. If It were not appropriate for her to know now, he would remain silent.
Future Technology currently has good profitability. We just managed to gain our footsteps in the web space, why did we all the sudden expand into the tourism real estate market? Xia Shiyu pushed up the sses on her nose and asked with an undertone.
From an investors perspective, Future Technology has a bright future. Its return would be far higher than building infrastructure in a small country on the Pacifics to revitalize the tourism industry there.
Because I believe in the future of Pannu Inds tourism, as well as Xins growth prospect, Xins n to pay partially withnd and sea developments also fits my interest.
For construction such as the expansion of airports, roads, hospitals, because these projects were none not-for-profit, Xins government wont make Jiang Chen work for free. Because the Xin government didnt have the money and was unable to ess loans from international banks, they could only repay Jiang Chen in the form ofnd and ocean development rights. Based on the consideration that once the infrastructure was built, thend price would appreciate substantially. From a businesss point of view, there was a lot to gain, only that
But is it worth it to take on billions in debt for these of high-risk projects that could not generate profit in a short period? Right now Future Technology is currently working hard to expand its global market. It is in a rapid growth phase. The establishment of subsidiaries, talent acquisition, all these need money. If the cash flow is broken, its consequence would be severe.
She looked at Jiang Chen with a stern face and gave him a hard question to answer.
It was a problem.
It was rather embarrassing because Xia Shiyu was the one who took care of thepany for him. Not including the current operation of the business, he didnt even manage to meet all the board members as the president. Although they had drunk together before, after such a long time, he has almost forgotten all of their names.
Of course, Jiang Chen was not to me for his short memory, he was a man that lived in two worlds after all.
As he heard the question, he scratched his chin and began to deliberate.
How much does Future Technology need to expand its operation?
Currently it is in the process of establishing subsidiaries in Australia, North America, Europe, Russia and Southeast Asia. This includes the construction of the subsidiary headquarter and hiring and training employees with an estimated cost of eight hundred million USD.
Eight hundred million USD? Thats not a lot. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Seeing that thepanys president had no sense of money, Xia Shiyu was exasperated and began to educate Jiang Chen about the fundamentals.
We are a techpany and the majority of our ie is attributable to Future 1.0 and . Although we have formed an absolute advantage in terms of technical capability, with the rapid shift in technology, no one can guarantee we can maintain the technological edge. Imagine this, if a recement product for Future 1.0 was introduced on the market. Even if it could only do one out of the functions we currently offer, such as elerated hardware, battery saving, or smart control and even if it was inferiorpared to Future 1.0 if it was free, would people still be willing to pay for our VIP service?
By that time, we would have to decrease our VIP charge, or even change the paid service into free service. If we lose Future 1.0 as a revenue channel, without exaggeration, Future Technology may turn from being profitable to losing money.
Xia Shiyu warned Jiang Chen with sternness.
The reason why she said so much was so that Jiang Chen wouldnt be blinded by Future Technologys current high profitability and sign a multi-billion deal without processing things in his head.
Without a doubt, from thepanys expansion perspective, Xia Shiyu had the right foresight. But Jiang Chen saw furtherpared to her since his perspective was not limited to the small Future Technology.
Revenue channel? I will take care of that, you can just take care of the operation Jiang Chen held his chin as he vaguely replied.
Although it was not that virtual reality didnt exist, it still remained in the body sensing motion and visual replication stage. For example, a camera would capture users action before it is fed back to the game. The VR sses would then disy it as a three-dimensional image in front of the user. It was iparable to the virtual reality of the 22nd century, which directly connected the game to the nerve at the back of the persons neck. As long as you lie in the metal box, the entire head and body muscles would be sleeping, but the persons conscious would appear in the virtual world.
Without the need for mechanical functions such as vibrations to mimic real feelings, the senses were directly simted in the brain. There was no need to have a screen because it would be extraneous to form an image on the cornea. The virtual reality equipment from the 22nd century would connect directly to the nerve. By that time, it would no longer be a dream to close your eyes and y the game.
Except the technology differential was too drastic. Jiang Chen himself was uncertain if he should bring the space elevator out or the virtual reality helmet out.
Okay, then I wont ask anymore regarding this. But as the president, you should be aware of thepanys operations.
Haha, dont worry. Jiang Chenughed confidently.
Funny, there were so many wonderful things in the apocalypse, there was no need to worry about money. But he should think carefully about the next money making product. Perhaps he should ask Yao Yao or Du Yongkang to create a new software? But he didnt have any ideas yet.
There was artificial intelligence, battery saver, mobile game, what else did smartphonesck?
Just as he was zoning out, he saw a red box under the table.
What is that?
Jiang Chen curiously reached for the cookie-sized box, but Xia Shiyu jumped up as if she had her tail stepped on.
She snatched the box away from Jiang Chens hand, with a steaming face, she hid the box behind her back.
But the more she tried to hide it, the more curious Jiang Chen became. What thing made the ice mountain standoffish beauty embarrassed like that?
Could it be
When Jiang Chen thought about it, the way he looked at Xia Shiyu turnedscivious. He narrowed his eyes. He was the only one to me for being too perverted as he could rte anything to the sensual things in life.
Needless to say, women are sensitive creatures. When she saw Jiang Chens abnormal smile, Xia Shiyu first paused for a moment before she realized.
Get your mind out of the gutter! Its weightloss tea! Weightloss tea!
Xia Shiyu in embarrassment threw the box in Jiang Chensp. The red hue made her entire neck turn red and her teeth clenched in anger.
[This bastard, what is he even thinking! Dammit!]
Weightloss tea? But you are not fat at all. Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu, confused.
Her waist and legs were both skinny, weightloss, she should gain some weight
Wait, weightloss tea
Jiang Chen seemed to have caught onto something. He closed his eyes and repeatedly chewed on the words.
But Xia Shiyu didnt notice the odd look on Jiang Chens face. Her cold face waspletely warmed by her blushing expression. She buried her head, not speaking.
[He said that Im not fat?]
[That means He is pleased with my body?]
The imagination of a girl in love was certainly wild. Even for a girl like Xia Shiyu with negative EQ could not escape the fate.
Butt My butt got a bit bigger.
With her finger twirling the tip of her hair, she used the decibel that only she could hear herself.
But as she spoke, she was stunned, why did she tell him such embarrassing thing!
With the bright redness of her face that was about to drip down, Xia Shiyu kept her head down, afraid to look at Jiang Chen.
However, Jiang Chen didnt even notice how awkward she was nor did he hear her murmur.
For an officedy, who worked long hours sitting in a chair, it was normal for her butt to grow some meat. But Xia Shiyu was okay since she was the type that could be blown away by the wind. Though it was still a womans tendency to want to be beautiful, especially in front of someone she adored.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen pped his hands and stood up. This scared Xia Shiyu whos imagination was running wild.
Hahahaha! I remember now! Fu*k, how did I forget about that!
Because of theck of technical knowledge in this, he never treated it seriously. Now that he has given it some thought, that thing could generate more money than any software, and it would produce a stable stream of revenue.
Xia Shiyu looked at Jiang Chen in bewilderment as heughed hysterically. She waspletely dumbfounded.
She didnt know what just happened to him.
Chapter 343 - The Creative Use of Nutrient Supply
Chapter 343: The Creative Use of Nutrient Supply
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
After he left with the words I wont be back tonight, Jiang Chen eagerly ran out the door and left Xia Shiyu inplete shock.
[Wont be back tonight? Where are you going to sleep?]
[Also, didnt we say were going shopping tonight?]
With a bunch of questions in her head, Xia Shiyu realized it was toote to stop Jiang Chen as he was about to m the door closed.
She sighed and rested her forehead on her hand.
When she sensed the coldness in her hand, she paused.
She realized she waspletely red.
Disregarding whether Xia Shiyu had any reservations about his quick departure, Jiang Chen ran to a nearby hotel. He ignored the concierges strange look and ran to the elevator with his key.
After he locked the door, he lied down on the bed before he returned to the apocalypse and found Sun Jiao as he began to exin his intentions.
Nutrient supply? Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen with short breaths. She was puzzled. Dont you guys have plenty of food on the other side? Why would you need that?
Anyone with options wouldnt choose to drink the terrible-tasting nutrient supply on the wastnd. The meals at the mansion had fresh vegetables and frozen meat every day. In all of Fishbone base, only ves and lower citizens would drink that.
Help people lose weight! Oh, no, its to make a profit! Jiang Chen said in excitement.
Lose weight? Sun Jiao was full of doubt.
There were hardly any fat people in the apocalypse - it was fortunate to have a full stomach in the first ce, let alone having an excess of food, so losing weight was an interesting concept to Sun Jiao.
Uh, its hard to exin Theres an organic converter at the base, right? Can you take me so I can have a look?
Although she was skeptical about the benefits of the terrible tasting liquid, considering how eager Jiang Chen looked, she had no choice but to bring him to the Fishbone base warehouse.
Based on Sun Jiaos words, the organic converter wasnt stored with the food but instead, it was stored with the steel and concrete. They passed by the Death w statue and arrived at the warehouse not far from themunity center.
They pushed open the warehouse, and the pungent smell of water desant blew into their faces. A gas cylinder boiler stood at the corner of the warehouse along with a bunch of green fruits. There were some wires connected to the organic converter, resembling a magnified version of a squeezer.
The reason why poor people were so skinny in the apocalypse was mostly because of the ironically unnutritious nutrient supply boiler. Mutant meat and fruits are all dumped inside the device. When turned on, the particle membrane separated out protein, sugar, fat, and vitamins that could be absorbed by the human body. They were produced into liquid food that could be absorbed by humans.
Jiang Chen sniffed as a weird smell entered his nostrils. He looked with a frown at the boiler. Is this the organic converter?
Thats right. Sun Jiao nodded then tilted her head and asked, You sure people would be interested in it if you brought this thing to the other side?
Definitely not this, something smells weird Is the nutrient supply created by this really drinkable?
Thats the way the organic converter is. The weird smell is because of the filtered out contents like the toxic substances. So this area cant store food otherwise the entire rooms contents would be contaminated, Sun Jiao said in defeat.
Jiang Chen nodded to signal his understanding then he looked at the fruits on the side, This fruit is?
This is mutated fruit - the double-headed cow really likes to eat it. Because of the high oxalic acid content, humans cant consume it directly, but its not a bad ingredient to have in the nutrient supply. Combined with a small quantity of mutant meat, it can produce C-grade nutrient supply, Sun Jiao said.
Jiang Chen tried the C-grade nutrient supply once - the sour taste was nowhere close to being good. As a product, taste was certainly important. If it ended up tasting like Han medicine, not a lot of people would buy it.
After he thought for a moment, Jiang Chen asked, If we use fresh meat or grain, would the produced nutrient supply reach level A?
Use fresh food to produce nutrient supply? Are you crazy? Sun Jiao said in shock.
With fresh food who would eat this? Is this something an average person would do?
Ahem, Im not crazy! Dont you facepalm - tell me the answer.
Sun Jiao face-palmed and sighed in defeat.
To be honest, although I never tried before, its probably possible. To produce nutrient supply above B-grade, not only does it require strict ingredients, there is also a high requirement for the production equipment. I heard that Liuding Town has the equipment needd to produce nutrient supply above B-grade, but I never purchased that before. Aside from the better taste, I cant tell the difference between C-grade and E-grade. It may be more nutritious? Who knows. Even if it is S-grade nutrient supply, it doesnt taste as good as real food.
Theres S-grade nutrient supply? Jiang Chen in shock.
Of course. S-grade nutrient supply was the nutrient supply produced before the war. I heard it was a military necessity. But in peaceful times, no one would eat that, Sun Jiao said.
Where do you find the production equipment for the S-grade nutrient supply? Jiang Chen desperately wanted to know the answer.
I dont know But the scientists at the fallout shelter should know.
Jiang Chen smacked his head.
How could he forget the survivors from fallout shelter No.27? With so many scientists, there must be a few who would know. There was no need to create S-grade nutrient supply - he could just create his own custom version.
At this thought, Jiang Chen immediately headed to the warehouse door. He wanted to fly to camp 27 right now to take care of it.
When she saw Jiang Chen head for the door, Sun Jiao paused and tried to convince him to stay, Eh? You want to go now? Its almost dark Why dont you wait until tomorrow?
As she said that, her face felt a burning sensation.
Jiang Chen stopped and saw the red cloud on Sun Jiaos beautiful face. She obviously knew the meaning of her words as her face met his smirk.
He hugged Sun Jiaos waist and blew gently into her ear.
Then Ill go tomorrow.
The next morning, with two dark circles, Jiang Chen took the helicopter to camp 27. When he got off, he looked for Xu Lu who was working in themand center.
Because all survivors abilities were registered and recorded, when she heard thent purpose of Jiang Chens trip, Xu Lu quickly managed to select a few people and called them to the office.
When they heard they were being asked to see Jiang Chen, the survivors were ecstatic.
Why?
There was no need to ask! It must be because their abilities were going to be used for something - likely a project team. Although it wasnt bad to live on the surface, it couldntpare to living in the fallout shelter. Who didnt want to live a happy life with their family?
Even if Jiang Chens requirements were strict, they would still ept without hesitation.
Chapter 344 - Sorry
Chapter 344: Sorry
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
In order to lose a lot of weight, a lot of young girls with great family backgrounds only ate one meal a day, with some going to the extent of only eating an apple for their single meal. Jiang Chen wondered: wouldnt they starve to death?
Losing weight by dieting wasnt only harmful to the body, it was also hard to maintain. This was conveyed by the joke, When fat people are losing weight, the more they try, the more fat they get.
Imagine this, if a weight loss medicine appeared on the market - no, it would be called low-calorie food! Two test tubes a day would ensure you were full without any damage to your body. If you drank it continuously for half a year, it would guarantee you would be as thin as the refugees in the ghetto Of course, no one would want to be as thin as that. Normal people would stop drinking it after a month.
The nutrient supply from the apocalypse wasnt fit for marketing to the modern world. Since it was a product, the taste was definitely a significant consideration. Also with concern for food safety, the ingredients and nutrient value would have to be redesigned.
For the improved version of the nutrient supply, Jiang Chen made a few requests to the five researchers.
The first was that it had to taste good, then it had to be healthy. Third, the calories had to be low enough and fourth, the ingredients had to be easy to gather and suitable forrge-scale farming. Finally, the recipe had to be finished within a month. For each day they were ahead of schedule, the researchers could spend a month longer in the fallout shelter.
Faced with Jiang Chens demands, the five researchers all raised their chests in confidence and promised to finish the recipe within the allocated time.
When the five people left themand center, they all had cheerful smiles on their faces as they couldnt wait to return to the fallout shelter to start the experiment.
Once they have results, immediately report back to the base. Before Jiang Chen left, he urged Xu Lu.
Yes, Boss! Xu Lu responded with a smile.
Then thats all Also, did Han Junhua give up?
Xu Lu shook her head with embarrassment.
Not yet.
I see
[What a stubborn person; why cant she just listen? PAC already flew lightyears away - whats there to be stubborn about?]
Do you want to go see her? Xu Lu asked.
Mhmm Might as well. Jiang Chen said casually.
He wanted to personally ask if she changed her mind and disy his genuineness. Then, depending on the circumstances, he would see if she needed a more intensive lesson before he left Jiang Chen thought he was a wicked person.
A smile surfaced on Xu Lus face and she nodded gently.
Okay, please follow me.
Jiang Chen followed Xu Lu into the cold basement. The patrol at the door saluted to him and opened the door for them before closing it.
Han Junhua sat quietly on the bed and looked at Jiang Chen.
He could sense that the instant she saw him, a hint of fright shed across her pupils. Although it quickly vanished, it left a deep impression on his mind.
With the calm and collected look she put up, he felt a sense of guilt for some reason.
Maybe because he still had the conscience of someone from the modern world?
You can leave for now, Jiang Chen said lightly.
Yes. Xu Lu nodded before she left the basement.
When the steel door closed shut, the basement returned to silence.
To Jiang Chens surprise, it was Han Junhua who first broke the silence.
What perverted thing do you n to do to me today?
Her voice was distant and cold - it sounded like it could freeze a person without any hint of emotion.
I Jiang Chen opened his mouth, but he chose to close it.
He came in with a script in mind, but with that face as calm as still water, he didnt know what to say.
Jiang Chen sighed and threw out the words he prepared beforehand as he gently said, Sorry.
Surprise shed through Han Junhuas eyes. There was also a trace of confusion, but it vanished instantly.
Although Im not seeking your forgiveness, I still want to apologize for what I did.
Jiang Chen admitted he did all those despicable things because he thought with his lower body and put his wicked thoughts into action. He didnt even think it was wrong afterwards. She was his captive - it was his choice to determine how he treated her.
If a person stayed too long in a society without rule and boundaries, the person would subconsciously be withered by the environment. Jiang Chen realized a long time ago that the longer he stayed in the apocalypse, the more he thought as a person from the apocalypse.
If it was the old him, although hecked some boundaries, he would never r*pe or force people.
After a long silence, she said calmly with a peaceful tone.
Who apologizes to their captive?
Perhaps. Jiang Chen smiled bitterly. He shook his head and left the basement.
Han Junhua stared at Jiang Chens back. She didnt speak.
But inside her dark pupils, she lookedpletely.
He returned to the hotel and checked out before he headed to Xia Shiyus apartment.
But when he knocked on the door, he realized there was no response inside. He called Xia Shiyu before he realized it was 10. She went to work a long time ago.
On the phone, Xia Shiyu didnt ask where Jiang Chen went the night before; she just briefly exined how to get Future Internationals building and hung up the phone.
Her meaning was obvious. She wanted the missing-in-action president to take some time toe to thepany. Regarding the construction bidding, they only managed to discuss it halfway before Jiang Chen ran out - it was the perfect opportunity to finish thest bit.
To save time, Jiang Chen took a taxi and headed on his way. He yed with his phone.
But then, a number called.
When he saw the name, Jiang Chen was silent for a moment, but he still picked up.
Hello?
Its me. Wang Zhiyongs voice was bitter.
If youre calling on behalf of your uncle, you dont need to say anything, Jiang Chen said lightly.
I know you would say this. Wang Zhiyong sighed.
After a two second pause, Wang Zhiyong used a pleading voice.
Could you not just let this one go?
He never asked for favors from his friends - he didnt want to go to the trouble. But this time it was for his family, not for himself. Although he was reckless at times, he always stood with his family.
You can ask Wang Linhua - did you consider letting this one go when he plotted against me that night? Jiang Chenughed.
Wang Zhiyong fell into silence.
After a lengthy pause, he let out a long sigh.
I see Sorry, this one is my fault.
The day when he came out of the police station, he didnt notify Jiang Chen that the Wang family was plotting against his Future Technology, even though he knew a few details of their n at the time. When hepared his family to his friends, there was no doubt which one was more important.
No problem. Its not your fault.
With a sigh, Jiang Chen hung up.
He didnt have a lot of friends, and now there was one less
Just as he was about to put away his phone, his phone began to ring again.
It was an international call.
Chapter 345 - A surprising reward
Chapter 345: A surprising reward
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The moment the phone call went through, Zhang Yapin lowered his voice and roared at him.
God, what did you do!
Jiang Chen first paused then asked in surprise, Oh, youre a Christian?
Zhang Yapin took a moment to think before he roared in anger again.
Is this the time to discuss this right now? New Moon Ind, country F fishers, pirates? Are you crazy?!
After Zhang Yapin finished venting, he took short, panting breaths before finally regaining his breath after a long time. Jiang Chen noticed the phone kept ringing on his side, but he didnt pick up.
Are you calm now? Jiang Chenughed.
The calm Zhang Yapin forced augh, leaned back into his chair, and continued.
Almost in despair.
What happened? Jiang Chen said lightheartedly.
Just go read any newspaper from country F! Three fishing boats that identally entered Xin territory were attacked and maliciously sunk by the Xin military. All 11 fishers died Dont tell me you didnt know about this.
[What the fu*k, sunk them?] Jiang Chen was stunned.
To be honest, he didnt think of sinking the three fishing boats. He just ordered Ivan to take care of things and confiscate the fishing boats as pirate boats. He didnt think the v had such a bad temper. He wondered what they did to enrage him.
Jiang Chen wouldnt admit his mistake as he tried to rebuke: Who would buy the newspaper printed by them?
They deserved to be sunk. Is a military base a ce you can just wander around? Dying the building of military infrastructure, in any country, would cost a few artilleries at least.
It wont be long before the world knows. BBCs reporter is outside and being rowdy, saying he wanted to get ahead of his colleagues, Zhang Yapin said wearily as he rubbed his sore eyes.
After a lengthy silence, Jiang Chen asked in a small voice, Did Ivan really kill them all?
All killed.
Where are the sunken ships? Jiang Chen continued.
The diplomat of country F is currently negotiating with me to start the recovery as early as possible
Whos leading this? Jiang Chens eyebrows raised.
They want them to lead the investigation of the incident. Their coastal guard ships already crossed the border, but your people forced them back Thats your own troops, do you really have no idea? Zhang Yapin asked with skepticism.
Jiang Chen looked at his phone and red at it; there were two missed calls.
He was at the apocalypse yesterday, how could he pick up the phone?!
Ahem, I didnt have signal yesterday.
Zhang Yapin rubbed his temples wearily. What should we do?
Other than recovering the sunken ships, what else did they ask?
They demanded us to arrest the murderers and prosecute them under thew, or else they reserved all options for the situation to escte.
Murderers?
When he heard this word, Jiang Chen was instantly unhappy. He didnt notice Zhang Yapinsst word as he cursed.
Fu*k, if they sunk, they sunk! They were in Xin territory; did they have any excuse to trespass illegally?
Removing illegally trespassing fishers would only require a water gun. More severe cases would warrant bumping their boat, but using rockets is unprecedented! Zhang Yapin said bitterly in a helpless voice.
In military zones, unique circumstances should be treated with caution; who knows if they were spies or not?
With a frown, Jiang Chen deliberated for a moment. He nced at the driver beside him as he lowered his voice.
I cant really talk right now But all in all, just make sure you remain firm that the boats were all pirate boats. Pointing at the deer and saying its a horse, do you understand? If you dont, Baidu it. I know youve never been to Hua, but dont forget things passed on by the ancestors. Remain calm throughout the recovery process. Just drag it on until Ie back to take care of it. Okay?
Okay
Zhang Yapins response was without energy.
He just became the president. The domestic situation had yet to be stabilized before a foreign affairs problem arose. The country F president spoke with him yesterday on the phone with a strong stance, seeming somewhat arrogant. Country F had a poption of 100 million, while Pannu only had twenty thousand. The 500 times differential didnt give him a lot of courage to carry a strong attitude. With a current enlisted force of 120 thousand, it was six times Xins entire poption. If there was a military conflict, Xin would be the one losing - although Jiang Chen thought otherwise.
Then thats all, bye.
Jiang Chen hung up the phone.
Half an hour of drivingter, the car arrived in Kowloon. After they turned a street, among the skyscrapers, Jiang Chen instantly saw the name Future International.
He threw down two bills, got out of the car, and took out the phone to call Ivan.
As Ivan picked up, Jiang Chen rushed to ask him:
Did you kill them all?
All killed Im willing to ept the punishment. Ivan was straightforward.
You didnt do anything wrong. The border must be protected! But this incident might be a bit problematic so remain calm and wait for me to return, Jiang Chen said in an undertone.
Yes! Ivan said.
Xins national defense contractor, Celestial Trade Company, sank three fishing boats and forcefully removed country Fs coastal guards with force.
Contrary to the shock and anger in country F, the Xin citizens were all ecstatic as if they had all taken drugs. Even for the people who had reserved opinions about Celestial all began to turn to their favor.
To sum it up in one sentence, it was fu*king amazing.
The conflicts between the two societies had existed a long time before.
When president Edward ruled Pannu Inds, he only lived thevish life with Johnny - he didnt care about the lives of the fishermen at all. How much tax did the fishermen pay? Was it enough to pay for one of his meals?
There were no steel guard ships in Pannu Inds - only a few fishing boats served as a recement. The low military budget was all allocated to thend force to suppress dissident voices within the country.
Therefore, although Pannu Inds possessed a significant amount of sea territory, their control over the sea was practically zero. Not to say that F country fishers or even New Guinea citizens could enter their territory to steal fish, but New Guinea was much less ruthlesspared to country F. Not only did they steal their fish, but they also bullied the local fishermen.
The Pannu fishermen all hated those F citizens deep in their bones. Because of economic limitations, Pannu fishermens fishing boats were inferiorpared to those of the F country fishermen. If they bumped into each other, the Pannu ships would be the one to sink. Therefore, when they actually fought for fish, they had to avoid them, even if it was in their own territory.
Therefore, that was why even with the vast fishing resources near New Moon Ind, there wasnt a single Xin fishing boat.
It was certainly not the most thrilling feeling.
But Celestials actions were like a p on the thugs faces.
The attitudes of the Xin citizens to Celestial Trade Company instantly changed from outside interfering force to the protector of people. Before, there wasnt a lot of response to Celestials recruitment, but after this event, the recruitment site had a long line up.
The sharp domestic problem immediately turned to face the rest of the world. The issues ofndpensation, whether the development of the tourism sector would continue, and the restructuring of the government were all shifted to the back of everyones mind because currently, all Xin people faced amon enemy.
It was country F.
The result was surprising. Jiang Chen didnt even consider it at the time.
Chapter 346 - Evaluation of Bid
Chapter 346: Evaluation of Bid
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Future Internationals office in Asia was in Xiangjiang with the headquarters nned for construction at Pannu Inds. Of course, the current headquarters was only a shell. All the other offices in different continents were all in the process of development.
As the president of Future International, Jiang Chen left everything to Xia Shiyu to take care of.
Xia Shiyu had an excellent background; she was a top graduate from a renowned program at Wanghai University. Her knowledge and abilities were far superiorpared to ordinary people. Although the jump from being the store manager of a clothing store to the CEO of a global techpany was rather massive, she still used her shrill shoulders to lift everything. She studied how to manage apany while she applied this knowledge through the daily operations of Future Internationl.
Till now, even if she encountered some difficulties along the way, there had been no major problems in Future Technologys operations. Her abilities had to bemended as Jiang Chen knew he wouldnt be able to manage such a massivepany himself.
It had been a while since Jiang Chen showed up. When everyone saw the missing-in-action president appear at the office, all the employees were shocked as if the Sun had risen from the west.
There were familiar faces and new faces among the employees. Not everyone chose to relocate to Xiangjiang, but Jiang Chen rewarded the employees who followed him. All of them were either promoted based on their abilities or given a raise.
After he took a tour of thepany, Jiang Chen was surprised to see he could still put a name to the majority of the people, such as the Future 1.0 project manager Ning Huajian or the bold girl Su Mengqi from thepany dinner.
Jiang Chen didnt interfere with their work after he greeted the people he knew. He then headed to Xia Shiyus office.
She was dressed in a set of professional attire with her ck hair curled up at the back of her head. A piece of hair dropped down from the side, reflecting the gentleness of the sun. When Jiang Chen came in, Xia Shiyu was reading documents. She sat straight up with her eyes focused; she had a tranquil but dignified vibe when she worked.
She noticed Jiang Chene in as she put down the pen in her hand and looked up.
Youre here. Feel free to sit.
Mhmm.
He sat on the sofa across from Xia Shiyus desk. Jiang Chen scanned the thick pile of documents on the table as an embarrassed expression appeared on his face. A lot of these things shouldve been the responsibility of the president, but everything was piled onto her.
Thank you for working so hard.
Its okay.
Xia Shiyu tucked some of her hair behind her ear. She got up, picked up theptop, and sat down beside Jiang Chen.
These are all construction visualizations. The spreadsheet on the side contains cost estimates I organized. Although I understand your intention to be a free owner, as the president, you should be involved in the bidding process. Look at this one first
As she exined, she scrolled through the screen and led Jiang Chen through all the documents.
To gain the ten billion contract, all the major international constructionpanies spent their effort creating the most brilliant visualization. Not only did they use 3D modeling to demonstrate every detail of the construction, they even built the 3D aerial view of the four constructed inds.
After spending an entire afternoon on his selection, Jiang Chen finally chose a Dutch constructionpany named BMA. Thepany was previously involved in the development of Maldives tourism project. Their experience on ind construction was extensive. This was demonstrated especially well with their 3D visualization that could be described as art. The second Jiang Chen saw it; he was captured by the design philosophy.
The harmonious fusion of technology and nature was demonstrated wlessly in BMAs design philosophy. While they retained the natural beauty of Pannu inds, their bold technology design provided the best experience for tourists.
Most noticeable was the transparent bubble hotel that was just like a balloon attached to a post. With the attachment of an air pipeline, tourists could move the bubbles anywhere between the sea level and the hundred-meter-deep ocean based on their desires. They could also choose to fix the room or allow the room to freely flow along with the waves, dance with the colorful tropical fish and sleep listening to gentle grace of the sea. With the help of technology, this allowed tourists topletely immerse themselves in the beauty of nature. Jiang Chen was instantly hooked by this design.
The cost of 8.7 billion USD wasnt low by any means, but if BMA could really transform his backyard - Pannu Inds - into the jewel on the visualization, Jiang Chen didnt mind spending the money.
Although Xia Shiyu rmended Jiang Chen to consider his options for a few more days, he still went through with the decision. There was no point reconsidering it no matter how long he looked. Instead, he just left it to his instincts. Since thepanies invited to bid were world-ss, BMA was among the best, without a doubt.
Another reason he was so hasty was because he had to return to Xin immediately.
After they finished the bidding review, it was already six in the evening.
By that time, aside from employees working overtime, there werent a lot of people in the building. After they left the building, Xia Shiyu sped up while Jiang Chen followed her as they walked to thepanys garage.
With the door open, Xia Shiyu subconsciously looked around before she sat inside. Jiang Chen gave her a strange look before he took a seat.
With his seat belt on, Jiang Chen asked nonchntly, Do you have anything to do tonight?
Xia Shiyu raised her eyebrows, puzzled by the question, No.
Then why did you walk so fast? It looked like you had something to do.
As she heard this, Xia Shiyus eyes widened.
Ahem, its not good for the employees to see us being so close together. Since were both single If rumors spread, it would decrease work efficiency All in all, that situation wouldnt be ideal.
She hastily shifted her gears as she attempted to start the car.
[Its not that bad to enter a car together, it could just be a woman giving her coworker a ride] Jiang Chen ridiculed her in his mind.
Although he couldnt see her face from the back, with the light outside, Jiang Chen noticed her neck turning red.
You forgot to press the clutch. Considering how listless Xia Shiyu was, Jiang Chen reminded her in a small voice.
I I know!
Xia Shiyu turned around and gave Jiang Chen a hard stare as her feet forcefully stepped on the gas
It was indeed a thrilling journey.
He didnt know what Xia Shiyu was thinking as she kept driving like a madwoman. A few times, she almost scratched the car in front of her. Jiang Chen stared at the steering wheel in her hands on high alert as he prepared to take the wheel in any unexpected situation.
But what Jiang Chen didnt know was that if he hadnt stared at her like that, Xia Shiyu might not have been so nervous
Chapter 347 - I don’t dislike her
Chapter 347: I dont dislike her
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
After a hectic journey, the two finally made it back to the apartment safely.
When they got off the car, both of them simultaneously felt relieved.
Xia Shiyu went to the door and took out her key, pretending to be calm, but before she could open the door, she dropped it on the ground.
Why dont I just go sleep outside? With how nervous Xia Shiyu looked, Jiang Chen made this proposal in a quiet voice.
[Im just crashing at your ce; were not doing anything naughty. Why are you so nervous?! Youre making me nervous too.]
No, no need. Its too much trouble.
[No, no, its probably more convenient] Jiang Chen said in his mind.
As she finally lined the key up with the lock, Xia Shiyu seemed to be battling with something internally. She finally pushed the door open with one foot and stiffly stepped into the house.
[Everything was fine during the day] Jiang Chen ridiculed her in his mind as he stared at Xia Shiyus back.
Jiang Chen followed her inside as he was dragged to the spare bedroom.
Theyout of the bedroom was feminine. It looked like where Ayesha stayed when she was protecting Xia Shiyu before. The sheets had the smell of sunshine; they were clearly hung out to dry outside not long ago.
Xia Shiyu, with a rigid look, threw Jiang Chen a set of spare keys before she hastily left the bedroom. She didnt have the fluidity she had when she first invited Jiang Chen to crash at her ce.
Jiang Chen shook his head and sat on the bed. He took out his phone and called his parents and Ayesha separately.
His parents were enjoying their time on Coro Ind. Not only did they live in a mansion, Jiang Chen also hired two caretakers to care of them.
Jiang Jianguo enjoyed fishing before, but since the river near their old ce was too popted to fish and Fanyang Lake was too far away from home, he wasnt able to engage in his hobby. Now that he lived near the sea, it was possible to fish only a couple steps away, so he picked his hobby back up. He spent all day fishing with Carter from morning to night.
In their conversation, Jiang Jianguo kept bragging to his son about how big the fish he caught were. Although they tasted salty, when they were mixed with ginger and garlic sauce, they tasted surprisingly good.
As to his mom, Li Xuemei, other than asionally heading out to the sea with Jiang Jianguo, she spent the majority of time homemaking and gardening. Ayesha visited her sometimes to learn the secrets to Han cuisine.
Regarding the beautiful foreign daughter-inw, Li Xuemei absolutely adored her. Not only was she courteous, but she was also virtuous; it was hard to find someone as good as she was. Especially with Ayeshas earnestness when she asked what Jiang Chen liked to eat, Li Xuemei was even more delighted as she kept telling her husband how lucky Jiang Chen was.
Although they werent married yet, the two elders all treated her like she was part of the family.
The first phone callsted for an entire hour before his dad hung up in fear an exorbitantly high phone bill.
The second phone call was rather short since Ayesha never spoke too much. But from her concise words, Jiang Chen still felt her deep affection as well as longing from hundreds of miles away.
Remember to take care of yourself, Ill be back in a few days.
Mhmm, Ayesha responded gently.
Thats all, Im going to hang up.
Wait, Ayesha abruptly said.
Mhmm? Is there something else? Jiang Chen said in surprise.
Did you figure out Xia Shiyu yet?
Jiang Chen almost choked on his own spit when he heard these words from the other side of the phone.
Ahem? What figure her out? Where did you learn this from?
Ayesha tilted her head as she continued, I didnt use this phrase properly? I saw it in a drama.
She previously enjoyed UA drama before, but to understand the mysterious mother and daughter-inw rtionship, she specifically watched a few Han shows. Although she didnt quite understand, it dramatically helped with her vocabry.
Watch less of that drama Jiang Chen facepalmed.
Okay, Ill stop watching, Ayesha responded mildly.
Also, did you say something to Xia Shiyu? I think she has been acting a bit strange. Jiang Chen recalled when he first saw Xia Shiyu off the ne; he could onlye to one conclusion. It must be Ayesha who told Xia Shiyu something.
In the two months when Jiang Chen was overseas, Ayesha stayed with Xia Shiyu. Jiang Chen didnt know what the two spoke about, but based on the fact that Ayesha saved Xia Shiyus life and even lost her own, there shouldnt have been any conflicts between them. But because of Xia Shiyus affection to him, as well as the damage of that kiss
She said she wont admit defeat. It was a rare asion when Ayesha didnt answer Jiang Chen directly.
She wont admit defeat? Wait, what exactly did you say to her? Jiang Chen said, sensing a slight headacheing on.
Ummm, Ayesha was hesitant, but she finally opened her mouth, I admitted our rtionship to her.
[No wonder] Jiang Chen facepalmed.
No wonder Xia Shiyu looked at him oddly when he first got off the ne and invited him to live at her ce; that was unlike the Xia Shiyu who always put on a cold face in front of anyone.
Sorry. Like a kitty that identally broke a cup, Ayesha lowered her head as she said with a fast tone and small voice, I only thought since she really liked you, theres no need to restrain herself. I dont mind sharing with her and I dont n to oppose her
To be honest, that kiss in the car and admitting the truth to Xia Shiyu were all intended to push her. But things turned out opposite to her intentions - Xia Shiyus first and second reaction were both surprising to Ayesha. Xia Shiyu seemed to have interpreted her actions as acts of aggression.
Jiang Chen immediately interrupted her, No, no, no, you dont need to apologize; our rtionship isnt something that needs to be hidden.
But She seemed to have misinterpreted something. Ayeshas voice still had a hint of guilt.
Its not that she misinterpreted something. How should I say this? The Han culture is a bit different from your own; she wont agree to it.
Then do you like her? Ayesha asked seriously.
When he heard her sudden question, Jiang Chen stopped.
After he thought seriously for half a minute, he slowly said, I dont dislike her.
Jiang Chen admited he was a greedy person, and also a selfish person.
But he didnt n to exin himself.
I will help you, Ayesha said earnestly.
Theres no need to help me Just go with the flow. To be honest, I dont even know myself how Ill treat her. Dont sleep toote; good night.
Mhmm, good night. When she sensed that Jiang Chen didnt want to continue talking, Ayesha ended the topic.
Jiang Chen hung up the phone and lied on the bed.
Woosh
He let out a long sigh. Jiang Chen turned and stared at himself in the mirror.
He grinned. When he looked at his smile in the mirror, Jiang Chen restrained the desire to smile bitterly.
[Whatever, Ill just sleep early. Theres still a meeting with Dalmer Corporation tomorrow.]
While battling his thoughts, Jiang Chen didnt even take off his clothes before he drifted to sleep.
Chapter 348 - One billion Deal
Chapter 348: One billion Deal
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The next morning, he moved his slightly sore neck as he sat up on the bed.
It was Xia Shiyu who knocked on his door to wake him up.
She was ustomed to the nine to five routine. So every day, she wakes up early to cook breakfast. She ced the scrambled egg, toast, and milk on the dinner table. When they were eating breakfast, Jiang Chens heart pumped a little faster while he watched her in an apron.
He didnt know she had such a virtuous side.
He remembered back in university that one of his friends who always bragged about how many girlfriends he had always said that a single girls life is not always the tidiest. It was normal for them to clean up in a few months. But from Xia Shiyu, Jiang Chen didnt see any carelessness.
Their conversation during the day was normal, not the slightest bit of awkwardness existed from yesterday.
After breakfast, the two headed to the office together. She looked okay, but from the thick makeup covering her eye bags, Jiang Chen could see that she didnt have the best night of sleep.
The meeting with Daimler corporation took ce in Future International. The representative they sent was from Europe and had arrivedst night. The representative was rumored to be a person of importance. Before the representative arrived, Jiang Chen was guessing who it could be, but he ended up seeing a familiar face.
Haha! Hello, Mr. Jiang, we meet again.
With fluent Chinese, Carmen Rothschild opened his arm with a warm smile and walked in front of Jiang Chen.
Mr. Carmen? This is a surprise, you personally came to China.
Jiang Chen looked at the man in front of him with surprise before he quickly regathered himself and opened his arm.
Although it was weird to hug a man, out of respect, Jiang Chen gave him a manly hug.
Of course, Daimler corporation values the partnership with yourpany, the same goes for the Rothschild family, Carmen said earnestly.
[He shouldnt have figured out the GPS tracker ] Carmen thought in his mind.
[What is this guys intention?] Jiang Chen was puzzled too.
The USB Carmen gave Jiang Chenst night had a GPS tracker inside. Yao Yao, who only specialized in programming, although she had some abilities in electronic device modification, didnt receive any anti-surveince training, so naturally, she didnt notice it. If it were Ayesha, the GPS tracker would not escape her eyes. It was all about specialties.
My honor, you are also an important partner for Future International. Jiang Chen smiled.
The two sat down around the conference table. The bodyguard following Carmen stayed outside the room. The two technical experts in suits and an assistant followed inside. Xia Shiyu took out the contract and ced it in front of Jiang Chen, then stood beside him.
Just as the meeting started, Carmen couldnt wait and immediately said, Lets get straight to the point shall we
As you wish.
Jiang Chen smiled and signaled the employee to ce the brief containing the USB and the chip in front of Carmen.
On this trip, Carmen brought the technical experts from thepany. The contract stated that the product must be delivered by May. To be honest, when Daimlers programmers heard that Future Technology not only tackled the technical barriers in the smart driving system, they also managed toplete it within a month before the deadline. They were so shocked that their eyes almost popped out.
Everyone had the same thought, Is Future Technology tricking them?
The Germans rigorous technical skills were renowned worldwide. They could not let a single mistake exist during the quality assurance process. Because of their skepticism to Future Technologys ability, the board sent the two technical experts responsible for the primary control system over to audit the smart driving program.
If the innovative technology had any problems, Daimler corporations loss was not as simple aspensation, the reputation theyve built over the years would also suffer greatly as a result. On the other side, if this triggered peoples fear for the autonomous driving vehicle, it would indeed cast a gloom over the future of smart cars. Because of their persistence to safety, it resulted in aborting the contract with the previouspany.
The two technical experts walked up. A man with a stern expression open the briefcase, and the other took out aptopputer. They inserted the USB into theptop and began to work.
The conference room was quiet, there was only the sound of keys clicking andputer fan spinning.
Carmens arms were ced on the table with his eyes half-closed, but Jiang Chen noticed that he had his full attention on thatputer screen. Xia Shiyu was still expressionless, but from her continuously moving eyes, Jiang Chen could clearly sense her unease.
Jiang Chen was the most rxed. He leaned back in his chair while waiting for the results toe out.
At the same time, Jiang Chen noticed that the assistant behind Carmen was observing him. Jiang Chen gave him a friendly smile, but he looked away.
The two technical experts expression was turning more and more grave as they began to exchange opinions in a small voice.
Xia Shiyu held her breath as her heart was pumping rapidly.
It was a one billion dor deal! Whether it was a sess or failure, it would all depend on the words that came out of the two peoples mouths.
Finally, the two technical experts stood up. From their actions, the review waspleted.
The result?
Carmen was more eager than Jiang Chen.
The older looking technical expert nodded, then turned to Jiang Chen and said in English.
Mr. Jiang, yourpanys achievement in artificial intelligence is at the point worth praising and envying. Please allow me to apologize for my skepticism of yourpanys ability.
While he said this, the technical expert bowed deeply to Jiang Chen.
Dont worry. As a technical expert, it is a virtue to dare to question, Jiang Chen replied with a calm tone.
Ahem. Carmen coughed.
The technical expert realized his mishap and stopped talking.
They were not in theb, but the conference table.
Since our chief technical engineer has already verified the excellent performance of the software, then my trip is certainly worthwhile. Carmen stood up and smiled.
Xia Shiyu felt relieved. She only noticed now that her palms were drenched in sweat.
She looked at Jiang Chen as her eyes stopped on the smileced with confidence.
Her face felt hot as she looked away subtly.
Seeing Carmen stand up, Jiang Chen also stood up with a smile and extended his hand.
Its great working with you.
Haha, Its great to work with you too. Carmen also extended his right hand and shook with Jiang Chen.
One billion dors. Although it was smallpared to the eight billion USD gap, it would certainly alleviate some of their financial pressures.
But then, the corner of Jiang Chens eyes caught the ring on his hand.
His pupils suddenly contracted.
That is
Chapter 349 - A Massive Loan
Chapter 349: A Massive Loan
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
That shape, its the Golden Apple!?
How is that possible!
Jiang Chens first reaction was that he made a mistake. He wanted to confirm the shape of the ring, but Carmen already let his hand go. Because of the angle, he couldnt see the front of the ring.
After we finish the next round of auditing, the one billion will be transferred to yourpanys ount. Of course, I trust that there are no other problems. To celebrate the sess of our partnership, can I invite you to eat lunch with me? Carmen smiled.
My honor. Jiang Chen humblyughed as he hid his shock behind hisughter.
The Golden Apple? Why?
Could it be the Rothschild family and the Golden Apple have some hidden secrets? No But that Golden Apple was inside the U-235 submarine, from the diary of the officer from the Third Reich. The Golden Apple was protected as the st trump card for the Third Reich. As a Jewish family, how could they havee into contact with this?
Could it be that it was Hitler who robbed the Golden Apple away from them? No, that didnt make sense.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen felt strange.
He suddenly realized that there was no point in being bothered by this.
Regardless of whatever the empire had plotted, that part of the history has already gone by for 70 years. From the diary, he already confirmed that the possessor of the Golden Apple didnt know how to use it even at thest moment. Although the country may have received some technologies in the future, it still faded in the passage of time.
Carmen didnt notice the irregrity on Jiang Chens face as he warmly weed Jiang Chen to sit with him on his vehicle. The ck bodyguard sat down in the driver seat, and his assistant sat in the passenger seat.
Although the bodyguard didnt say anything for the entire trip, Jiang Chen still sensed a hint of danger from him.
The guy was dangerous, at least on the same danger level as Nick. But contrary to Nicks silent and reserved state, this person didnt attempt to restrain his murderous vibe. He seemed like a war machine.
The bodyguard of the Rothschild family was not a simple character.
Jiang Chen sat with Carmen in the back as they chatted and joked. Carmen spoke excellent Chinese, it was even better than Robert, and he was also very talkative.
It didnt take long before the car arrived at its destination - Catn restaurant.
The ce has quite a reputation in the upper-ss society in Xiangjiang. From the delicate interior to the elegance of the waitress, it was easy to see how remarkable the restaurant was. From the respectful expressions the two waitresses at the door gave to Carmen, Jiang Chen suspected that the restaurant was an asset that belonged to the Rothschild family.
They entered a private room and ordered. It didnt take long before the servers brought up exquisite dishes. The two chatted while they ate.
Oh right, I remembered the bet we made. I still owe you a Maybach EX, Carmen said as he elegantly dissected the red shrimp from the Mediterranean.
When they first signed the contract, Carmen and Jiang Chen made a bet. If Jiang Chen could deliver the product before May, he would gift Jiang Chen a Maybach EX - one of the only five vehicles worldwide.
Jiang Chen was shocked.
He almost forgot about it.
Is Mr. Jiang free in October? Carmen smiled.
Hard to say, is there something going on? Jiang Chen asked.
The Mun Auto Exhibition is in October. Daimler corporation will be participating in the auto exhibition as a sponsor. The five Maybach EX will be disyed during the exhibition, and one of them will belong to you. If Mr. Jiang has the time, I would like to extend an invitation.
Even if I dont have time, I will make time to attend. Jiang Chenughed.
Carmen also smiled. To Jiang Chen epting the invitation, he was pleased.
As lunch was approaching the end, Carmen put down his utensils and wiped his mouth with the cloth.
Speaking of something else, does Mr. Jiang mind talking about business during lunchtime?
Of course not, it is a tradition to talk about business over a meal.
Then I will be straightforward. Although the Rothschild family is in an expansive industry, our foundation still lies within the banking sector. I heard that Future International recently epted a bid to the ten billion mega-project, would you guys need a little help? Carmen smiled.
Oh? What kind of help? Jiang Chen pretended to be intrigued and asked.
A loan of eight billion USD. A five-year term and an annual interest rate of 4.15%. Is Mr. Jiang interested in this loan?
4.15% of annual interest was lowerpared to the annual interest of 4.28% offered by the other banks Jiang Chen contacted. Although it was just a 0.13% discrepancy, for a multi-billion dor loan, even 0.1% of interest differential was a difference of more than ten million.
Eight billion USD? Jiang Chen fell into deep thought.
If Mr. Jiang has other opinions on the amount, we can discuss and adjust ordingly, seeing that Jiang Chen didnt give him a response, Carmen added.
Eight billion was nowhere enough, but not a lot of banks were willing to lend Future Technology over ten billion USD. Even if a few banks agreed, they would also include additional terms such as listing out the exact purpose of the loan or an IPO on Nasdaq.
Carmen came at just the right time to solve his problem, he deliberated for a few moment before he had an idea.
Eight billion would not be enough, is Mr. Carmen interested in a bigger deal? Jiang Chen looked at Carmen with a smile.
Of course I am interested, Mr. Jiangs suggestion is?
Thirty billion USD on a three-year term with 99% of Future Technologys share as coteral. Jiang Chen calmly unleashed a mega bomb.
Carmens eyes contracted as he held his breath, but he quickly regained his courteous expression.
Jiang Chen was pleased with how his facial expression changed.
He knew Carmen was tempted.
After a moment of silence, Carmen slowly said.
Okay, we are interested in artificial intelligence, and we are also optimistic about the future of yourpany in this field. But thirty billion is certainly not a small number. I am interested in how you would pay me back in three years? Future 1.0s current market pration is already reaching its peak. With the current speed of technology shift, it will not be easy for yourpany to continue to increase its profitability.
Jiang Chen was surprised; he didnt think Carmen would agree on this concisely. Just like he said, thirty billion was not a small number. Although the Rothschild family has built a massive business empire, money doesnt just simply grew on trees.
That would be my problem. But I have a feeling that it wont take me three years to repay the debt. Jiang Chen with a smile didnt directly respond to Carmens question.
It would still take fifty years before the first basic artificial intelligence is introduced to the world. Even with the diverse political background in the mix and the technology research speed of the modern world is fasterpared to the apocalypse, the technological gap would still not be surpassed in the next ten years. Additionally, it will be hard because basic artificial intelligence was not merely an advancement in the IT field, it alsoprised of sociology, psychology, biology and other areas ofbined achievements.
Before Jiang Chen can make the artificial intelligence database public, just in terms of the artificial intelligence field, Future 1.0 could not be surpassed. So Carmens concern was excessive, at least in the short run.
But just with Future Technologys current profitability, it would still be impossible to repay the loan in only three years. But did Jiang Chenck methods to make money? He didnt have any concerns about repaying the loan.
Seeing that Jiang Chen wasnt nning to disclose any information, Carmen didnt persist.
Then what about 4.5%? This the best offer I can give. Although the rate should be lower at a higher amount, it is at a condition where the party would have an equivalent amount of assets as coteral. To put it straightforwardly, yourpany currently does not have the assets for a thirty billion dor coteral, Carmen said with caution.
It was a risk he would take to lend the money to Jiang Chen.
No problem, deal, Jiang Chen said without hesitation.
Future International needed money, and a lot of it. He had already acquired the base as Pannu Inds. Thus all the growth must be elerated. The technology from the wastnd would continue to fuel Future Internationals growth in the world.
Although thirty billion was enough to purchase ten aircraft carriers, it was still a bit far away frompleting the technological empire in his mind.
The only thing that made Jiang Chen puzzled was, why Carmen Or instead, the Rothschild family had so much confidence in him and was willing to lend him the money without wavering.
It was thirty billion! Not the Zimbabwean currency, but the dor!
What made Jiang Chen feel strange was, from Carmens dignified and courteous smile, he didnt see a slight trace of hesitation.
Jiang Chens confidence rose from his belief in the wastnds technology, but what did Carmen count on? Even if it was the Rothschild family, how many billions did they have?
Although he was thankful for Carmens help, he felt something was off.
Chapter 350 - Balv’s Manor
Chapter 350: Balvs Manor
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Obtaining the loan went surprisingly smooth, more smooth than Jiang Chen had imagined.
Carmen was highly efficient as a contract in English and Chinese was sent to him the next day.
After Jiang Chen had signed, the thirty billion USD loan was transferred from the British Rothschild bank to Future Technologys Swiss bank ount. Carmen then flew back to Europe after the process wasplete.
Before he left, he handed Jiang Chen an invitation to the Mun Auto Exhibition and warmly exchanged departing words with him.
Moments after Jiang Chen sent the wealthy European man away, he and Xia Shiyu left the airport.
When they got on the car, Xia Shiyu couldnt wait another second before she asked him.
You really borrowed thirty billion USD?
Of course, do you think I was joking? Jiang Chen smiled.
She looked into Jiang Chens eyes earnestly as she let out a sigh of defeat, Sigh Okay, could you tell me your n? How do you n to be wasteful this time?
Wasteful? You dont have to describe me like that, Jiang Chen said helplessly.
But the way Xia Shiyu looked at him clearly expressed one message - If this is not waste what is it?
4.5% in annual interest, do you know how much money you would need to pay back in five years? 37.385 billion! In USD! Xia Shiyu eximed emotionally.
Forty billion USD was enough to purchase half of Baidu.
Dont worry, I used my personal shares as coteral, not thepanys asset. Even if I cant afford it at that time, it wont affect you, Jiang Chenforted her with a smile.
She seemed displeased with Jiang Chens exnation as she said coldly, Who do you think Im concerned for?
Jiang Chen was slightly shocked as the smile on his face turned dubious, he teased her with a smirk, Oh? So you are saying that you are worried about me?
As she heard his words, Xia Shiyus aggressive stance quickly came to a halt as her face began to turn red.
She looked away, started the vehicle, and stopped looking in his direction.
I, I just dont want a new boss. I am pleased with the current work environment. Altho Although the current president would make people frustrated at times, being able to relinquish control to people with ability is indeed worthy of being praised. If there is a new boss that pretends to know everything, it would be terrible.
Her luscious ck bangs happened to cover the side of her face. The faint yet rapid exnation took a lot of effort for Jiang Chen to understand.
Seeing the usually cold Xia Shiyu worried about him greatly, Jiang Chen felt warmth swell up inside his body as he tried tofort her.
Dont worry, its only thirty-something billion. The current market cap of Future Technology is ten billion, and I will double it in two years.
To Jiang Chens unreasonable ttering, Xia Shiyu chose to remain silent.
With Xia Shiyus distinctly unconfident look, Jiang Chen grinned and said, Since you dont believe me, why dont we make a bet.
Make a bet? Okay. Once youre bankrupt, be an assistant of mine and let me order you around for a few years, Xia Shiyu joked.
No problem. Jiang Chenughed, But what if I win?
Up to you. Shebed her hair to the side as the tips of her mouth curved up.
Although it was a bet, it was more like banter between friends as she didnt quite put this on her mind. Subconsciously, Xia Shiyu still believed that Jiang Chen would have a way to solve this problem. As to why she trusted him so dearly, she couldnt exin it either.
Jiang Chen mischievously smiled as he used a joking tone. Up to me? Really?
She noticed Jiang Chens smile and paused before her pale face was once again covered in a red hue.
But she didnt say anything this time as she hid her expression behind her bang.
Upon the first ray of the morning sun, a ne appeared on top of Ber. With the help of the guide, the personal nended smoothly.
A ck Mercedes-Benz sedan stopped beside the airne. A butler-looking old man walked out from inside and silently waited beside the car.
The gangway car drove beside the ne as the hatch door quickly opened, a European first stepped out of the car.
The old butler courteously bowed to Carmen, then he used German to greet him, Wee home, master Carmen.
Its been a while, Mr.Cides. Is my father doing well? Carmen said pleasantly.
Very well. Old master has been drawn into sailing, the old butler said as he opened the door gracefully for him.
Sailing? Let me guess, he is in Florence now?
Florence is a coastal city in the Mediterranean. Carmen could vaguely recall they have family assets there.
No, he is in Germany, at the manor located in Balv. The butler shook his head.
Balv?
[Is that ce near the sea?] Carmen slightly raised his eyebrows.
The old master wants you to take some time to visit home.
Of course, I want to see him as well. Carmen sat in the back of the car with a smile.
Johnson walked forward and sat beside Carmen.
The butler only nced at the bodyguard. He didnt say anything as he sat in the driver seat and served the duty of a driver.
Did you take out the tracker from the USB? Carmen whispered.
Yes Its hard to believe what technology that Han possesses, Johnson said in disbelief.
Probably an advanced wireless blockage technology, who knows Good thing they didnt find anything, Carmen said.
Carmen did not suspect this point at all. He could determine from their eyes whether the words were real or fake. Without the proper training in fabricating lies, it would definitely not escape his eyes.
The car arrived at the manor not soon after. The servers in the manor took Johnson to the guest room, and the old butler led Carmen to the backyard.
They followed the stone path through the grass field. Then in a small wooden hut beside the man-madeke, Carmen saw his own father.
Jocano Rothschild.
The giant the ruled the financial world and the person that led the Rothschild out of the gloom of the Second World War and reached the peak after the cold war. He wore a in shirt and sat beside theke sawing a piece of wood.
When his small son Carmen was born, he stepped down as the head of the family with his own brother taking over and began living his life in seclusion. Although he stopped asking about family affairs, no one in the family questioned his influence. Since the family that was hanging on the edge was dragged back from the abyss by him.
And because of this, to his fathers request, Carmen would treat the family business seriously. After getting off the ne, he headed straight to the manor without wasting a single second.
But when he saw his father sawing wood, he was dumbfounded.
Chapter 351 - Because I don’t want to
Chapter 351: Because I dont want to
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Carmen looked at his old father sawing wood in front of the wooden hut. Then he walked up and looked at the stack of wood in confusion.
My dear father, you are doing what?
Building a vessel A miniature version. Jacono wiped the sweat from his forehead as he stared at the yet to be assembled keel beside theke.
Building a vessel? Whats the purpose of that? Carmen looked at his father, puzzled.
If the work that had conquered the Antic ocean has no purpose, Jacono said bluntly, Then including us, including everything, all would be without purpose.
He said something with an ambiguous meaning. But Carmen seemed to be ustomed to his father saying things people didnt understand, so he didnt express his attitude as he only sighed in reply.
Okay, but do you know how to build a vessel?
I dont know. Jaconoughed delightfully; he pointed his saw at the keel starting to take shape. Dont underestimate it because its just a ship, there are a lot of tricks to be learned. Including how to treat the wood and how to connect the wood. To construct this keel, it took me an entire year. Although I failed many times, the process was surprisingly fun.
Carmen looked at his father in surprise, then he looked earnestly at the keel.
Hard to imagine Did no one help you?
Cides wanted to find me a boatman, but I rejected the proposal. I wanted to explore by myself on how the vessel worked. He flung the saw in his hand to the side as Jacono picked up the bottle of water on the tree trunk and took a few big gulps.
Carmen looked at his father immersed in the activity; he was silent for two seconds before he said,
I heard you needed to see me
Give up on that prophecy. Jacono didnt look at him, but rather at the keel.
Carmen was shocked because of his fathers abrupt words.
After a moment, he said with difficulty,
Why?
Jaconos sight returned as he looked at his sons eyes keenly.
The infant would have to leave the parents one day and learn how to walk by himself. They told us a lot, but they cant tell us more. If we continue to follow this path, the future we face might be more upsetting than the situation they had gained.
But if we listen to the wise words of the intellect, wouldnt it save us the trouble of going through detours?
Who said detours are wrong? Jacono asked back.
Carmen fell into silence.
Seeing that his son didnt speak, Jacono continued to speak about things with deeper meaning, Humans should build on the intelligence of its ancestor and not depend on the future to further the future.
Although history has changed, the trend will not change. The next twenty years belong to artificial intelligence; then a technological explosion led by breakthroughs in material science, and then unable to agree with his fathers perspective, Carmen said softly.
That might not be the case. Jacono scorned before he picked up the saw on the ground. Did you see this keel? If I told you how to build a vessel, how to build a steam vessel, if I died one day, would you be able to build an aircraft carrier?
Thats the scientists job, Carmen said with an indifferent voice.
Science and capital were tied together from the very beginning. Technology determines the space human live in, and capital expands the space. That is the nature of the science and capital. Did you give back all your economic knowledge to your Harvard professor? I suggest you reread the Schumpeter function chapter.
The old father returned to working in front of the tree truck and ignored his son.
He stood beside theke for a long time. It was not until the sky in the distance began to turn yellow did he finally turn around and leave the wooden hut of his father.
The next morning, Jiang Chen took a flight to Australia. Because of thebination of airport size and traffic, the airport located in Coro Ind only had flights to nearby Australia and New Zend. Therefore, to travel from Han to Xin, he would have to the first fly to Australia.
After a rather lengthy journey, Jiang Chen finally got out of the ne at Coro Ind. It was midnight.
When he walked out of the airport, Ayesha was already waiting for him.
Head to the presidential pce, Jiang Chen said directly after getting on the car.
Ayesha nodded and started the car.
Do you not need to go home and rest? As she drove, she nonchntly asked.
There is no need. If they dont see me, someone might lose sleep because of it, Jiang Chen mocked before leaning back in the seat with his eyes closed.
Ayesha grinned as she didnt speak for the remainder of the trip.
When they arrived at the presidential pce, he exined his identity, and the guard immediately let him pass through. With an attendants reception, Jiang Chen arrived in Zhang Yapins office.
After a few days apart, the guy was more haggard. It was clear that the troubles had gotten the better of him. When he saw Jiang Chen, he looked relived as he couldnt wait to greet him.
Youre finally back. Zhang Yapin smiled bitterly when he looked at Jiang Chen
Dont ask me what to do yet, exin to me the situation first, Jiang Chen said concisely.
Zhang Yapin nodded and began to exin to Jiang Chen what has happened in thest few days.
First, after Ivan ordered to take out the fishing boats obstructing the construction of the military facility and led the force in a standoff with the country F coastal guards. The F coastal guards were first extremely aggressive and hostile, they didnt think the three Xin fast boats werepetition.
Just as they were about to enter the Xin territory to demand people, Ivan took out the weapons without wavering.
They were dumbfounded. They didnt think Xin would have the courage to do this as they were without a n. Although the coastal guards were equipped with light weapons, the coastal guards didnt dare make a decision that could cause a severe repercussion in their diplomatic rtionship. Since once the first shot is fired, it would be a regional conflict. So they could only remain in a standoff, at the same time, reporting the message to their superior.
Finally, the F president Aquino came in contact with Zhang Yapin. But Zhang Yapin didnt realize what had happened at New Moon Ind since the national defense was the responsibility of Celestial Trade Company.
Zhang Yapin realized something was off immediately and got in touch with Ivan before he learned about the event.
Okay, he had to admit that when Ivan sunk the reckless fishing boats looking for trouble - Oh no, pirate boats - he too did curse in his mind. This feels fu*king great. Although the rtionship between the Pannu Inds and country F was not a generational feud, the grudge has been building among the public for a while.
But he was the Xin president, after all, he had to consider national interest above his personal emotions. After he calmed down, a drop of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
Just the day before, Aquino notified him that if the recovery work could not bemenced within the next three days, country F retain the option of solving this through military means to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of their citizen abroad are maintained.
But when Zhang Yapin said thest sentence, Jiang Chen was immediately unhappy.
Fu*k the legitimate rights and interests, Jiang Chen cursed out, Military means? Funny, I will teach them a lesson.
He hasnt cursed like this for a long time.
Country F has an enlisted military of one hundred and twenty thousand people We might not even beat a battalion of theirs, Zhang Yapin said in a small voice.
Jiang Chen red at him andughed.
Who said we would fight them.
But they are already threatening us like this, Zhang Yapin said with a bitter face.
Country F always maintained an image of being a victim in sea territory disputes to garner thepassion of the international society. They would never send out their military force to start a war with us.
But
Zhang Yapin was still not convinced, but Jiang Chen interrupted him.
Also, the key is still Han and UA. Do you remember what I told you? Maintain neutrality and dont sway to either superpower. If country F decide to take military actions against us, it will force us to join Han as an ally, and Han would definitely not let go of an opportunity to break the first and second inds chains and proactively provide us with assistance. The UA would be reluctant to see the Han gaining a military base in the western Pacific Ocean, so they must restrain its ally from being too reckless.
Culturally, Xin was more simr to Han, but ideologically, it was more aligned with UA. This situation resulted in both superpowers think the country would join forces with them.
Because we havent chosen a side yet, we are safe, Jiang Chen patted president Zhang on the shoulder as he said with sincere words.
Although Jiang Chen had his reasons, Zhang Yapin still thought it was a bit forced.
But why dont we stand by the UA and continue the diplomatic strategy of the previous regime? he asked in a low voice.
Jiang Chens eyebrows raised.
Because I dont fu*king want to.
Chapter 352 - Refuse to Apologize
Chapter 352: Refuse to Apologize
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The private military contractor was the legal term for mercenary, it was also a term that gave all the head of the states a headache, but they were unable to part away from it.
They act ruthlessly and treat war like a business. Toplete the mission, they could ignore internationalws, disregard civilian casualties, toss aside any moral concerns, andplete the most challenging task using the lowest costing method. They have a despicable name, but their hirer would not need to burden their terrible reputation. They were more effective than an army.
Talking about the mercenary, the UA must be mentioned here. There is no other country that has a better understanding of mercenaries than them. Simr to how only thugs could understand gangsters.
From the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan, the reason why the ck blood flowing among the steel parts could sessfully move from Third World countries to the First World was that half the effort could be attributed to thewless mercenaries.
Not only on a battlefield, but in any area with politically unstable conditions, the UAs mercenary could be seen. As long as there was a need, the private military contractpany would appear in ce of the Pentagon. When it was not appropriate or inconvenient for them to appear, the contractor would carry out the military and foreign diplomat missions for the UA military. Even if it failed, they could deny any connections with the government. It was indeed more convenientpared to the marines because sending out ground force to another country would be a war activity, but not when it was a mercenary force.
And the privatization of the military would bring serious implications to the world. It was an unrealistic hope to demand private mercenaries from following internationalw.
In 2006, the UA shooting Iraq civilians brought massivemotion to the inte. But it was proved that the perpetrators were two military contractors from Clover Jungle. As to the reasons formitting the crime, it was absurd to the point where it was daunting. A colleague of the perpetrator confirmed that he said he was going to kill someone because he didnt hit anyone in Iraq.
But regardless, the UA military dodged litigation with human rights group, because the killers were not enlisted soldiers.
Although for the UA military had a despicable reputation to begin with, it was not a big deal.
Right now, the international problem between Xin and F was the same.
Disregarding the fishing boats that trespassed into the military zone, disregarding Ivans one-minute warning, which fit the standards of effective warning, it was still undetermined internationally if the military actions of mercenaries should be considered an act of war.
Then the problem arose. Xin hired private mercenaries for its national defense, and the private mercenary group executed ording to thew and sunk the F country fishing boats disregarding the warning, is Xin really at wrong for this incident?
Any country has the right to shoot trespassers of its military facility, but only a few countries would execute this right. The most humanitarian way was to remove the trespassers, or capture and deport them to avoid international conflict.
Is there any country that executed this right? Of course, on July 11th of 2008, a South Korean tourist identally entered a military zone of North Korea and was shot on site by North Korean soldiers. Although North Korea was not wrong, unfortunately, the South Korean government immediately announced a restriction of all South Koreans from visiting North Korea.
But what Xin faced was much less severe, because it was the private military contractor that sunk the fishing boats, not the Xin army.
Zhang Yapins newly formed cab must be praised for their work in handling emergency public rtionship issues.
Jiang Chen only had an order, it was to Neverpromise on territorial issues, never give in to the question of sovereignty, and never apologize for theck of mistakes. However, the politicians ended up being the defenders of the policy internationally.
Although Xins defense minister had no troops to work with, he still offered constructivements. For example, shifting the me to solve the problem. Insisting that it was the Celestial Trade Company that sunk the ships and not the order of the department of national defense.
Therefore, the responsibilities were med continuously on the other party.
The situation dragged on for over half a month before Jiang Chen permitted the wreckage recovery process to begin.
Although they didnt permit country F boats from entering the territory to assistant with the recovery process, Xin still invited some international media stations to participate to ensure the process was just.
But what shocked everyone was that there were assault rifles found on the F countrys fish boats.
As to why there were assault rifles on the fishing boats, the media teams all had varying opinions ranging from the fishermen being framed to they actually possessed those weapons. In the end, no consensus was formed.
At the same time, the reckless acts of F fishermen near New Moon Ind were organized and published, including several acts of intentionally sinking Xin fishing boats. The 50-minute documentary included a dictation from the son of the victim and documented records. It was published on a social media tform before Future 1.0s news tform transmitted the video to the world and attached to it a visible headline.
The video was only published for a day before it surpassed ten million views. Other media stations all began to transmit the video as it caused massive controversy internationally. Almost all the opinionspassionate to country F turned into criticisms of country Fs crimes.
The F government immediately jumped out and med Future International for theck of truth and exaggeration in the video, as well as theck of neutrality a media should possess. They should not have a bias just because they have a construction contract with Xin.
At the same time, the F country spokesperson demanded Future International immediately delete all associatedments and issue an apology.
Would country F apologize to a bunch of monkeys? The answer was of course not.
Future International issued a statement stating that the video did not represent the views of thepany. Future 1.0 is only a tform and not the publisher of the video. Future International will not bear any responsibility. At the same time, Future International, with the justification of freedom of speech, refuse to delete the video and refuse to apologize.
Although the action caused strong discontent from country F, it certainly gained the support of other parties.
Because of this, Future International didnt suffer any losses but instead benefited from this dispute.
You pigs! Aquino cursed at the foreign minister of country F, How many times do I have to say this, remain strong on the stance! Pressure their government! We have an army of one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers, thats more than six times their poption!
But president we are already aggressive in our statements, some of the statements could even be viewed as an act of aggression, but they dont seem to be afraid of us, the foreign affair minister said with a bitter smile.
Aquino paused for a moment.
Looks like it is time to teach them a lesson. These monkeys in the Pacific dont know any better, the defense minister said wickedly.
But the UA wants us to remain restrained on this issue. Excessive pressure may cause the neutral nation to lean towards Han, the foreign affair minister reminded.
But if we dont do anything, our citizens will be unhappy, the defense minister argued back.
Aquino fell into deep thought as he debated the cab members arguments.
Suddenly, a grimace look shed through his eyes.
Mercenaries Mercenaries, right, excellent.
He already had an idea in his mind.
Chapter 353 - Seaweed That Could Generate Electricity
Chapter 353: Seaweed That Could Generate Electricity
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
In this month, Xin was indeed in a turbulence of problems. Because of too many headlines originating from there, a lot of the press decided to send a reporter to the station to acquire first-hand information.
Other than that, there were more tourists interested in exploring this not-yet-developed ind out of curiosity. The streets of Coro Ind were filled with tourists in backpacks.
A country with only nine inds and a government that didnt control its armies - some of the far-thinking organizations even expressed that this was a jewel of a true democracy The expression on the puppet presidents face would certainly be interesting when he heard these words.
The news was a form of advertisement -there werent a lot of chances for the country to make headlines in the international section.
Before that, no one had ever heard of Pannu Inds in the Pacific Ocean but following the recent series of events as well as Future Internationals role in purposely stirring up the conversation, a lot more people began to have an impression of the small Pacific country.
Regardless if the impression was positive or not, it certainly paved the way for future marketing. Once the basic and tourism infrastructurepleted development and the political situation stabilized, there certainly would be a crowd willing toe to the mystical ind, enjoy the beauty of the west Pacific, and experience the unique culture.
With the current rate of construction, the soonest they could be ready was within half a year, slowest within a year.
The day wasnt far away.
While Zhang Yapin had a headache to deal with, the perpetrator of everything, Jiang Chen, was enjoying his life. Although he promised he would take care of this, he only left Zhang Yapin with one clear instruction of never apologizing before he abandoned the issue.
Then Jiang Chen headed to New Moon Ind for a few days and who knows what he did on the ind.
Regarding country Fs potential impending revenge, he didnt seem to be concerned as the major shareholder. Zhang Yapin was unsure whether he was confident or just in arrogant.
From the perspective of the Xin president, he obviously wanted him to be the former.
In the next few days, Jiang Chen spent his time on a boat around the inds. Of course, it wasnt for fun but rather, for business.
Because of the ten billion dor project, he became thergest real estate owner of Pannu with 110 square kilometers on the main ind, 70 square kilometers on the other ind in addition to the sea territory near the equator bing part of his assets. Whether he would develop his territory personally or sell it to other people would all be based on his discretion.
Of course, with this muchnd, he alone certainly wouldnt be able to develop it all. If left to its own devices, thend would only umte weeds. He toured all thend he owned in the past few days and decided how he should develop thend.
Afterpleting all this, there was also good news from the apocalypse.
After half a month of research and experimentation, the improved recipe of nutrient supply was sessfully developed. When he heard the news from Lin Lin, he immediately returned to the apocalypse and took a helicopter to camp 27.
When he arrived underground, he found the director of the research team in the empty fallout shelter.
I heard you finished it? When Jiang Chen saw the slim middle-aged man, he hastily jumped to the topic.
Wang Fangpin looked at Jiang Chen in excitement as he quickly nodded his head.
We finished it - yesterday, wepleted the trial process. Its hard to believe we did it; we previously thought we were just improving on the recipe, but we somehow made a technological breakthrough in the live cell preparation field.
Technological breakthrough? Jiang Chen took a moment to digest this before his face turned to shock.
In the apocalypse covered in ruins, it was a feat to replicate the technology from before the war, let alone make any technological breakthroughs. But now, Wang Fangpin told him that the research team managed to do just that.
Thats right. Wang Fangpin nodded in excitement. Following your requirements, topress the production cost and improve the nutrient supply, we chose to use seaweed that has the most yield and shortest growth cycle. But when we were in the process of induced differentiation of the seaweed cells, surprisingly, we created a new type of seaweed.
What is it? Jiang Chen was drawn into it.
A type of seaweed that can generate electricity! Wang Fangpin said, ecstatic.
Jiang Chen was truly stunned.
Energy was always a critical priority in development, whether it was in the wastnd or the modern world. At the end of the 21st century of this world, biological power generation was the research priority of the three countries before there was a miraculous breakthrough in nuclear fusion power generation and before the first space elevator was built. It was only then that Hydrogen-3 was continually transported back to the earth to create the rtively cheap nuclear fusion battery. It cooled down the investment in biological power generation.
One gram of hydrogen fusion generation created an equivalent power equal to thepletebustion of 11.2 tons of standard coal along with preserving the environment. Such a massive amount of energy was leagues ahead of other types of power generation techniques. Because of this, although other power generation methods all possessed the theoretical potential to develop further, no one conducted more research.
But whether it was in the wastnd or in the modern world, renewable clean energy dominated therge market! Just like in Pannu Inds, since the area was designated as a tourist area, the coal-fired generation nt with rtively high pollution would not be built on the ind. The ind could only use the high cost and low-efficiency tidal power generationbined with sr power to meet the energy needs of the inds.
But if this existed, the Pannu Inds massive sea would provide Xin with an endless amount of energy! Xin would no longer need to worry about power.
It was certainly a pleasant surprise to make a breakthrough in biotechnology during the nutrient supply recipe development process. Jiang Chen was astonished.
The seaweed cells during photosynthesis cause a special photographic effect, creating a trace amount of electricity within the content of the cell. Although the electricity of a single cell is negligible, it is substantial for an entire seaweed nt. Wang Fangpin began to exin the theory behind this type of seaweed. Although he exined it in simple terms, Jiang Chen was only interested in thest sentence.
Whats the power generation amount per area? Jiang Chen couldnt help but ask.
The current power generational efficiency is rtively low; it can only achieve 0.1 kilowatts per square meter. Most of the power is converted into heat, diffusing and increasing the temperature of the nearby water region, and there are also concerns about electricity diffusion under water. But with the prediction of the mathematical model, if all these problems are fixed, it would generate up to 1 kilowatt per square meter.
1 kilowatt per square meter! Jiang Chen was again stunned.
If it were sr generation, 10 kilowatts of energy would require 40 panels with an area approximately equivalent to 64 square meters. Therefore, the energy generation would equate to 0.15 kilowatt per square meter! The biological generator used sr energy, but its electricity generation was 6.6 times better than traditional sr panels!
With the stunned look on Jiang Chens face, Wang Fangpin was relieved.
When they learned that there werent a lot of nuclear fusion batteries on the surface and that the base primarily used sr panels for power generation, he immediately thought of the stagnated power generational technology at the end of the 21st century. He happened to be a scientist in biotechnology as his first idea was biological power generation.
While the technology was yet to bepleted, it wasnt a hard task to create it standing on top of the giant. Just like a math problem that couldnt be done by an elementary student could easily be solved in high school.
Because of the disconnect between moon and earth, the outdated power generation technology again had its purpose.
To be honest, their research team hadpleted the nutrient supply recipe five days ago. The reason why they chose to report their findings five dayster was to research about seaweed power generation. It wasnt a coincidence that they discovered the cell, but rather the result of gic modification. He was afraid of telling Jiang Chen because he feared this dictator would penalize them for using up excessive research resources and intentionally dying the reporting of the research findings.
Now that Jiang Chen was pleased with their research, he felt relieved.
With this, because this topic gained the traction, there was hope to continue their research; they would no longer need to live back on the surface and suffer.
But their concern was excessive, Jiang Chen didnt mind them doing personal work, since their research all belonged to him in the end anyway.
You guys did a great job! Excellent, what rewards do you want? Jiang Chenughed as he patted Wang Fangpin on the shoulder.
No need for rewards. Wang Fangpin shook his hands and smiled. Just let us stay in the fallout shelter to continue our research. We have some achievements in the biological field.
I must reward you for your contribution to the base. Jiang Chen thought for a moment before he had an idea.
I have an idea. To reward you for your outstanding contribution to the bases energy problem, I will reward you five with the honor of outstanding schrs, and a knight emblem. From now on, you will be the knight ss of the Fishbone base. Dont underestimate the outstanding schr name; it would mean that youre permitted to freely enter and leave the fallout shelter without the permission of the camp leader. Even without working on this research project, you can live inside.
Wang Fangpin was ecstatic.
Thank you, General!
He had no interest in bing part of the knight ss. He never visited the Fishbone base before nor did he want to. His only wish was to stay in the safe andfortable fallout shelter.
No need to thank me now, I will only grant you the honor after youplete the project. Jiang Chen smiled.
Count on us, well definitelyplete this project! Wang Fangpin promised.
Then I will wait for your good news. Lets not talk about this anymore. Take me to see the improved nutrient supply.
Seeing the nutrient supply was the priority of Jiang Chens trip. The faster it was produced, the sooner he could make money. He didnt forget that he had thirty billion in debt.
Chapter 354 - Nutrient Supply Plant
Chapter 354: Nutrient Supply nt
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Ange Ind, located at the southern tip of Pannu Ind near New Guinea, was the thirdrgest ind of Xin.
The ind was shaped like a pear and the mountain sat at the east end of the ind while south of the mountain was the cliffs. The ind was covered in dense vegetation with only the ins on the north side settled with people. The poption of the ind was 5372 in the municipality Ange City, the secondrgest city of Pannu Inds.
Although it was the secondrgest city after Coro Ind, the economy of the ind was stillprised of mostly fisheries along with sugar cane, banana and coconut ntations as the secondary industry. Regarding the crops and meat, the ind relied on shipments from Australias Darwin port. The ind didnt possess a deep water harbor, but it had a harbor capable of docking vessels with a smaller discement.
For the residents of Ange Ind, today marked the start of a new chapter.
Why? Because after a month of construction, Future Internationals subsidiary, Future Biology,pleted construction of their pharmaceutical and seaweed growth nt. But for the people of Ange Ind, they were focused on the n to hire locals.
To Ange Ind that had a history of a high unemployment rate, it was certainly great news.
<50 people with high school diplomas get a monthly sry of 1000 USD per month. 20 people with university degrees get a monthly sry of 1500 USD per month. The contract is signed for twenty years minimum. During this time, the employees must sign a confidentiality agreement and are not permitted to leave the job or the country. At the same time, employees will enjoy the luxury apartment provided by thepany, along with a free medical insurance and pension n>
When the hiring information was posted, the entire ind erupted in cheers.
To the poor locals, the benefits of the job could be described as insane. They only made a max of 500 USD per month fishing, and the job was also tiring. Even if they didnt know what the job was like, it must be less tiringpared to fishing from morning to night.
Not permitted to leave the job or the country? A lot of people didnt even leave the ind for their entire life, let alone the country. They wanted the job to be longer, maybe for their whole life.
Because of the high number of applicants, Future Biology added some additional requirements. For example, high school diploma holders had to know how to dive, drive a boat, be familiar with the sea product farming process, must be a local, and have a family. The first two requirements were a given since almost all the residents on the ind lived alongside the sea for their entire life. Although thest two conditions were strange, they were certainly not uneptable.
After a rigorous selection process, Future Biology quickly hired 70 employees. With Jiang Chens organization, everyone arrived at New Moon Ind for training. The training was just an instructional video recorded at camp 27 with an examination afterwards.
While the workers diligently studied the growing process they never learned before, Jiang Chen stood on the dock on the port at Ange Ind as he waited for the boat in the distance to approach.
To the person who came down from the boat, Jiang Chen greeted him with a smile and extended his right hand.
Hello, Doctor Zhan.
Zhan Shujie, 31 years old, Medical student at Tsinghua University life science department majoring in molecr cell biology. He published five papers in the SCI and also published in the famous academic journal Nature in the scientificmunity.
Of course, Jiang Chen never minded an extensive amount of talents. To the top student graduating from Hua s top university, Jiang Chen generously offered a sry of half a million USD per year.
The young man wasnt tall and he wore a frameless sses. Although he had a high academic profile as a doctor, he didnt have the Confucius arrogance typical of a lot of top students. He looked like someone easy to get along with.
Hello, Mr. Jiang. Zhan Shujie smiled and warmly held onto Jiang Chens hand.
Regarding the legendary individual who achieved a asset of over ten billion by just the age of 23, Zhan Shujie had heard tales of him before. Previously, he thought this boss would be somewhat prideful, but he was actually easy to talk to which made him quite impressed.
Haha, lets cut the ttering words. Do you need me to take to where youll be living? Jiang Chen smiled.
No need, I want to first take a tour of the pharmaceutical nt, is that okay?
When he talked about the pharmaceutical nt, his eyes were shed with fervor.
Of course, as you wish. This car will belong to you from now on, and this is the driver. Jiang Chen sat back into the car.
Celestial Trades bodyguard was the driver and he was injected with E-grade gic vine. Whether in armedbat or just close bodybat, he met the standards of the special force. As the driver of doctor Zhan Shujie, his job was to protect his safety and monitor him.
Since what Zhan Shujie would present to the world would shock the entire world, he already signed a confidentiality agreement, but just in case, it was better to be safe.
The car soon arrived at Future Biologys pharmaceutical nt. At the top of the structure inside the wall, Zhan Shujie saw the name of the nt.
[Nutrient supply? Thats an interesting name] Zhan Shujie muttered to himself despite reading about thepany before he came.
The two security guards on duty at the pharmaceutical nt were also from Celestial Trade. They wore carbon nano-injected bulletproof vests with Reaper Assault Rifles and tactical helmets.
Is it not safe here? Zhan Shujie anxiously looked at the two soldiers as he said, worried.
Dont worry, its extremely safe here. But just in case, I hired two security personnel to protect the safety of the employees and to also protect the security of the high tech equipment inside.
When they got off the car and walked into the nt, the soldiers at the door subconsciously wanted to salute to Jiang Chen, but Jiang Chen stopped them with a look.
They walked to the empty ground of the nt as Jiang Chen first pointed at the direction near the coast.
The nt is a seaweed farm, used to breed ourpany-developed DH-type seaweed. This seaweed is derived from the induction of the differentiation of Sargassum, which can produce and umte a variety of animal proteins in seaweed cells
Thats impossible! Zhan Shujie was stunned as he looked at Jiang Chen skeptically. As far as I know, in the field of the preparation of nts for animal protein, Hokkaido University in Japan is currently at the forefront of the field. But they are only able to do it with the production of a nt to produce interfering hepatitis virus protein animal protein and theyre only in the experimental stage. Also, Ive never heard that someone could use a nt to produce a variety of animal protein! Also, seaweed cells arent embryonic liver cells, so how could the orientation-induced technique work? In theory, this wouldnt work!
Zhan Shujie sted at Jiang Chen, while Jiang Chen tilted his head and shook his finger to show off.
Nothing is impossible, especially in mypany. If you dont believe me, just take a sample yourself.
Zhan Shujie looked at Jiang Chen still with skepticism and took a deep breath.
Okay, Ill believe it once I see it. But I have another question: growing the new species with the open environment - would that affect the biological sphere of the nearby sea?
No. Jiang Chen shook his head. Since its induced differentiation, the genes of this DH seaweed still belong to Sargassum, so the spores produced by the progeny are also Sargassum. The telomeres of this DH-type seaweed are precisely targeted like cancer cells, which are theoretically infinite. The task of workers is to feed nutrients every day, then trim the leaves.
This was what the researchers at the fallout shelter told him, and he didnt have the knowledge to exin much further, so Jiang Chen changed the topic and pointed at the structure the size of three basketball fields.
The key equipment is inside. Your work is to coordinate the entire pharmaceutical nts production, take samples to examine if the DH seaweed is thriving, and take samples to ensure the quality of the nutrient supply Of course, all of the details are in the work manual. I will give you a USB and the videos on it will teach you how to control the equipment inside the nt. If there are any problems you cant solve, please contact me.
As Jiang Chen spoke, he took Zhan Shujie inside the pharmaceutical nt and pointed at the machine in the center.
This is it - the production line of nutrient supply, the core of the entire nt.
On the left was the organic converter with the shape of a cylinder; it could extract nutrients from the specially produced seaweed to process into the nutrient supply. On the right hand was an assembly for bottling as it would ce the extract into coin-shaped stic tubes before they were sealed.
Regarding this set of equipment, Zhan Shujie didnt seem to be too interested, but regarding the organic converter, itpletely drew all his attention.
The molecr filter from the legend is inside this machine?
Ahem, not from the legend. Ourpanys molecr orientation screening technology is mature. The molecr filter is only one of the parts of the organic converter - there are also other devices inside. Jiang Chen came up with an borate story.
What else? The fervent passion once again appeared on Zhan Shujies face.
It was the zeal a scientist possessed when he wanted to learn about a technology he didnt know about.
Trade secret, Jiang Chen said straightforwardly.
Zhan Shujie paused for a moment as he realized that he was overzealous, so he apologized, Sorry, I got too excited.
Its okay, I understand how you feel, Jiang Chen said gently.
Zhan Shujie walked in front of the organic converter as he put his hand on the cold steel. He eximed.
Hard to believe that this breakthrough technology will first be used in the civil field to produce a drink. This this is a waste of God-given technology.
To be honest, two reasons drew him here. The half a million sry and the technology Future Biology said they possessed.
nt cell orientation induced differentiation could produce a variety of animal protein algae. High-precision molecr screening technology - any of technology here - could contend for the Nobel prize.
But this guy wanted to use these to produce a drink?
Chapter 355 - Trade Secret
Chapter 355: Trade Secret
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Ahem, let me rify. This isnt a drink - its a type of healthy food that can allow you to lose weight, Jiang Chen reminded Zhan Shujie.
It was disrespectful to call the era-breaking liquid food a drink. This was the standard military food in the 22nd century. Not only was it used in the military, the liquid food was also used extensively in the aerospace field. To bring as much food as possible within the allocated space, the nutrient supply was undoubtedly the first choice for all astronauts
Of course, Jiang Chen didnt deny the ridicule of Zhan Shujie stating it was a waste of God-given technology. Regardless, right now, he only nned to sell this as weight loss medicine.
Is there a difference? Zhan Youjie stared at Jiang Chen emotionally. His persona as a non-talkative researcher faded as he almost spoke to Jiang Chen with a lecturing tone, Lets disregard everything else. Just the seaweed cell directed differentiation technology - do you know how it would shake up the scientific field? Without any exaggeration, it would cause an earthquake in the biology academic world!
Zhan Shujie let out a sigh. And that molecr filter. While Im not studying organic chemistry, I cant say much but I can be certain of one point - if our universityb had this, our ability to research in the chemistry field would increase substantially!
So? Jiang Chen said emotionlessly.
Zhan Shujie was dumbfounded before he realized.
Even though he said that much, so what?
It belonged to him, and if the Xin government permitted the technology to exist in a private establishments hands, everyone could take the technology away from him.
Im only a businessman, and you are my employee. You just need to remember this point. Since this technology belongs to me, I have the rights to decide where I should use it, Jiang Chen said nonchntly.
If the technology became public, it would undoubtedly cause unnecessary trouble. Therefore, in terms of production, Jiang Chen nned to keep the technology low-key. From the outside, the nt was only growing a type of Sargassum, and the pharmaceutical nt would process the Sargassum.
Yes, Zhan Shujie said helplessly.
Considering how disappointed Zhan Shujie looked, Jiang Chen walked up and patted him on the shoulder.
Dont be disappointed; if you work diligently, maybe I will permit you to learn more about the top technology.
Hopefully, one day that will happen If I want to study the structure of the DH seaweed cell, would you mind? Zhan Shujie looked at Jiang Chen keenly.
Of course not. Ill even sponsor you to build ab here. Of course, this is on the condition that you follow the rules of thepany and not take a single cell out of that door. Although he used a joking tone to say these words, he didnt look like he was joking at all.
The two soldiers at the door were there to prevent thieves, both inside and outside.
Dont worry, Im only curious about how nt cells produce animal proteins. I can guarantee with my morale that I wont disclose what I see to any third parties, Zhan Shujie said.
I trust you.
Jiang Chen had no qualms about allowing Zhan Shujie to study it since it was impossible to reproduce it with current technological capabilities. Just like how no matter how much you observed the cells inside you, you could not produce them at will.
Thank you. If I cant understand how it works, I might even lose sleep at night. Zhan Shujie looked at Jiang Chen graciously.
Dont worry, I hope you can sleep well at night Also, dont research during work hours.
I will do it outside of work.
Jiang Chen nodded, pleased. He hired people to work for him, not research the technology he possessed. Of course, if Doctor Zhan could achieve some inspiration from the research, it would still be beneficial to Jiang Chen. Since he signed the confidentiality agreement, Jiang Chen would not let him walk.
After he took Zhan Shujie to the seaside mansion he would be living in, Jiang Chen spoke a few more words before he left.
Currently, Future Biology was only an empty shell. Although the pharmaceutical nt waspleted, the team responsible for marketing, strategy, and management had yet to be established. All this had to be finished. Although he could contract the work out to headhunters, he wanted to hire the individuals personally.
Of course, if he left the work to Xia Shiyu, he knew she would take it. But it wasnt nice, especially since she had a lot on her te already with Future Technology. If he gave her something entirely unrted to a techpany, he was afraid that she might be overworked.
He took his private boat back to Coro ind and returned to the mansion that previously belonged to Johnny.
When he purchased the mansion from the auction, the blood on the wall was already cleaned. The furniture was also reced and the daunting bullet holes were filled in. Just from the appearance alone, the signs of a violent battle previously fought there were non-existent.
Since it was a haunted house with people dead inside, out of filial respect, Jiang Chen would not make his parents live inside. But as a non-spiritual believer, Jiang Chen didnt mind making this mansion his own. At least until the mansion on New Moon Ind was finished, he would live here.
Then after the mansion on New Moon Ind waspleted It wasnt a terrible decision to make this ce into the Xin Revolution Museum and fool some tourists.
When Jiang Chen walked into the kitchen, Ayesha was cooking fish with an apron wrapped around her.
A smile appeared on Ayeshas usually expressionless face when she heard the footsteps from the door. Without turning her head, she said, Youre back.
With the delicious smell of the dishes, all his worries were swept away as he approached the pot, drooling.
Looks like today is going to be a great meal.
Itll be done soon. Ayesha stirred the vorful, thick soup with a spoon. The tip of her mouth curved up as she said tenderly, I learned this from aunt Li. She said you really like to drink fish soup, so I wanted to try to make it.
I miss the taste. Jiang Chen looked at the white fog rising as he eximed.
He remembered when he was young, his father asionally went fishing with his coworkers and his family would drink fish soup for two days. Now that he had money, he ate a lot of extravagant food, but this nostalgic feeling was hard toe by these days.
Jiang Chen stared at the pot of soup as his mind drifted off.
If you like it, I can cook it for you every day, Ayesha said in a quiet voice.
Ayesha
Touched by her gentleness, Jiang Chen hugged her from behind.
Mhmm.
Ayesha closed her eyes as she felt the warmness on her back.
To be honest, Jiang Chen first just wanted to hug her, but he started to feel aroused as soon he touched her body.
Ayeshas face began to heat up as she felt the naughty hands wandering around her body. She turned around and rolled her eyes before she put down the spoon and set the heat to low.
Although she acted timidly on the outside, when it was just the two of them, her passion was no less than Sun Jiaos.
Just as Jiang Chen was prepared to investigate her body, the phone rang.
The intimate atmosphere suddenly cooled off.
Jiang Chen awkwardly took out his phone and prepared to pick up.
But Ayesha snatched the phone, threw it in the fruit basket then kissed Jiang Chen and pressed him against the fridge.
Just like a naughty sheep falling into the arms of the big bad wolf.
The temperature began to rise again.
The phone rang and rang
Chapter 356 - Unknown Militants
Chapter 356: Unknown Militants
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Right now, inside the New Moon Indmand center, the light on the screen shed while ten workers busily worked in front of theputer. On the big screen of themand center was a vessel with 400 tons of discement. It had no gs and just a few people were on deck.
It was the image captured by the hummingbird drone.
Based on the analysis, the destination of the vessel was Xins New Moon Ind.
A month ago, Jiang Chen set up a Wide Range Life Signal Detector on the ind to monitor the life signals within a 500 kilometer radius. The device was certainly useful in a sea territory. If it were set to the life signals of the fish, no fish would escape this device. The same would go for any human if it was set to detect humans.
Since the technology was already mature on the wastnd, it wasnt hard for the Fishbone workers to assemble an enhanced version. It was easy to censor ones signal as a chip inside the EP could do the job. However, in the modern world, no one would escape the eyes of this device.
Therefore, the technology widely used in the 22nd century for search and rescue became radar technology for Jiang Chen. As long as it wasnt drones, no living creature would escape its eyes.
Ten minutes ago, the radar station detected the information of this vessel. It was a transportation vessel, but they caught the signal of one hundred people onboard.
During this sensitive period of time, any of the vessels near their territory would be monitored.
When the vessel was still 50 kilometers away from the border, after confirming that the vessel wasnt traveling through a standard international route, the soldiers at themand center first determined that the vessel may be smuggling goods, so they immediately contacted the patrol boat in the nearby territory and approached the ship.
Ten minutester, the vessel entered Xins border. Then it adjusted its course and headed straight to New Moon Ind under the cover of darkness.
The patrol boat approached the vessel four kilometers away and attempted to enter the radio channel of the vessel. However, the vessel entered radio silence and ignored allmunication attempts. The patrol boat, realizing the oddity of the situation, did not take the risk of approaching the boat but instead, released hummingbird drones.
Under the nights veil, the drones flew across the ocean surface, approached the vessel suspected of smuggling, and entered the vessel.
The image transmitted back shocked the entiremand center!
The boat didnt contain smugglers, but instead, fully equipped soldiers! The disguised sailors on deck were all equipped with pistols and wore bulletproof vests.
There were a total of 100 unknown militants.
The vessel was also equipped withnding boats and other military equipment. Other than theck of country identification, it was a force no inferior to an actual army.
Realizing the oddity of the situation, Ivan immediately ordered New Moon Ind to enterbat ready state. All soldiers were fully equipped and gathered at the airway, waiting for the order.
Barkary put down the phone and looked anxiously at Ivan.
Boss isnt picking up.
He couldnt reach Jiang Chen. With Jiang Chens C-grade gic vine improved body, it would take at least one hour before he finished.
Ivan silently looked at the screen in themand center. The vessel was approaching New Moon Ind at high speeds. There was only two hundred kilometers of distance between the enemy and the ind. It only took a moment before they were 80 kilometers inside the border.
Judging by the situation at hand, they came with not the friendliest intentions.
The boss is purposely not picking up. Ivan seemed to have understood something as he told Barkary in an undertone.
Purposely not picking up? Why? The ck young man was puzzled.
Boss provided us with the most advanced equipment and told us how to handle the situation. If we cannot even handle this small problem and have to call him every time, then I am not fit for the job of amander. Ivan adjusted his hat as his stare on the vessel in the screen became more determined.
The rumbling sound of helicopters breaking through the sea waves roared. Four ck shadows forming into an arrow formation headed to the vessel trespassing illegally.
Four lights shined from afar and lit up the deck of the vessel. When they realized they were discovered, the crew on deck all hid behind containers.
With their reaction speed, their opponents were no ordinary men.
No.0371 vessel. No.0371 vessel. We are the coastal guard of Celestial Trade. We suspect your vessel contains illegal goods. Please immediately stop and cooperate with the search. I repeat. Please immediately stop and cooperate with the search.
The four helicopters all opened the channel and broadcasted to the vessel.
But the vessel seemed like it didnt hear anything as they continued to maintain their course.
At the same time, inside the captains room of the vessel:
How is that possible? We closed all radio devices on board - how could they discover us 200 kilometers away?! Captain Santos smashed the table.
Sitting across him was country F Lieutenant, Kluse. He remained silent.
Half a month ago, they retired from their previous positions with the direction of the defense minister to enter the disguised mercenary force. Their mission was to execute a secret military mission named Revenge to punish the criminals who sunk the fishing boats.
The political purpose of the mission was to demonstrate country Fs firm stance to the public. They pretended to be mercenaries to avoid the possible foreign affair problem that could arise by sending the actual army of country F.
In theory, the mission should not be difficult. The opponent was only a privately held securitypany. There was no way theirbat abilities could surpass the elite soldiers who participated in joint military exercises. Based on the satellite image, although artillery bases were built on the ind, no advanced artilleries were installed.
Approach the ind, stop the vessel, drop thending boats, attack, retreat
With their n, before the sun rose, they would escape at the port of MLL Ind and receive the recognition and praise from the defense minister.
Someone leaked the mission details? Kluse remained calm as he looked at the four bright dots with eyes narrowed.
200 kilometers distance.
Even if the UA Aegis aircraft carrier used its array radar, it could only detect within a radius of 40 km without any blind spots. It wasnt a technical limitation, but due to the curvature of the earth, it was as difficult to detect a boat in the sea 200 kilometers away as pinpointing a piece of gold from the desert.
Early warning aircraft? Thats even more impossible. No country would sell it, especially to a private securitypany.
What do we do? The captain remained cool.
Leave it up to me.
Kluse picked up the assault rifle leaning on the table. With a wicked smile, he moved his neck and stretched his body before he headed out.
Chapter 357 - Battle on the Vessel
Chapter 357: Battle on the Vessel
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
As the captain of this interception mission, Wilson stared at the disobedient vessel as gloom shadowed his face.
No response, The deputymand said concisely and closed the broadcast outside of the helicopter.
Prepare to drop the seal team.
Roger Wait, what is that?
A few sailor-looking people ran in front of a container, pushed down the metal te of the container, dragged out an anti-air machine gun with a belt on the bottom.
Its an anti-air machine gun! The soldier sitting at the hatch of the ck Eagle yelled. At the same time, he raised the Reaper Assault Rifle and began to shoot at the deck. But because of the sea wind and far distance, it didnt hit anything.
Stop! Disperse formation! Immediately! Wilson roared into the radio.
Roger.
The four ck Eagle helicopters immediately ascended up to stop the forward motion and dispersed their formation.
The two anti-air machine guns were set up and began to unleash its furious firepower at the four ck Eagles surrounding the vessel.
But because of Wilson preemptively adjusted distance, the furious firepower didnt cause any injury to Celestial Trade. The bullets flew over a thousand meters, losing its destructive power as it only left a trail of tiny dents on the ck Eagles. Its only purpose was to push the four helicopters three kilometers out.
Weak!
The country F soldiers cursed, dragged up the cartridge, and inserted a new belt of bullets inside.
[Only a bunch of monkeys on the Pacific, and you dare to challenge us? Even Hua would have to respect us; you dont know your limit at all!]
The soldier spat on the deck as he looked at the four bright spots in the distance before he aimed the machine guns again.
Although they retreated, the target of the helicopters remained locked on the vessel. Immediately 12 figures from the four helicopters jumped into the ocean. Soldiers wearing the K1-b type kic skeleton dived into the sea, opened their thrust, and transformed into twelve arrays of white bubbles.
At the same time.
Under the veil of nightfall, no one noticed.
Did they run away? A country F soldier holding an assault rifle leaned against the container and grinned at hisrade.
Haha, what would they do if they dont run? Be a target for us? Give me a cigarette While he said this, another soldier took out a pack of cigarette and handed him one.
Feels wet. He cursed and lit up one for himself and one for hisrade.
At the same time, an unusual buzzing sound began to ring around the two.
What is it
Tatata!
The bullets left a trail of holes on the twos body.
The rifles dropped as four drones weaved through in the night. While they maintained their high speed, the machine gun underneath spat out bullets and unleashed its fury to the militants on deck.
Area secured!
Board the vessel.
Roger.
Hooks hooked onto the edge of the vessel. With the cover fire of the hummingbird drones, twelve soldiers in amphibious kic armor immediately boarded the vessel and quickly ran to the back of the containers to secure a corner of the vessel. They began exchanging fire with the militants on the other side.
Its the seal team of Xin! Take them down! A country F soldier disguised as a mercenary crawled behind cover. He shouted while firing back with his rifle.
Fu*k! What is that- ahhh!
The drones freely weaved on the deck as it blended into the night sky. It would dash out from any angle and reap the lives on deck.
Dam*it, what are these things! Kluse fired with his rifle; he gritted his teeth.
The light from the firing shined onto his distorted face. He didnt have the confidence he had before, only intense fear remained.
The te-sized drones not only flew at the speed of a fly; it could also fire?! He had seen a lot of advanced technology from the joint military exercises, but he had never seen such terrifying drones. He swore, not even the UA possessed this.
It only took a while before ten something F soldiers fell down in pools of blood, but only two or three drones were shot down. They had never encountered such a lopsided battle.
Push the machineguns onto the deck! Use heavy weapons! Afraid of more seals boarding, Kluse yelled into the earpiece as the battle entered turmoil.
Roger! A soldier roared while he lowered his body and ran to the back.
Soon after, the anti-air machine guns were pushed onto the deck. The metal te in the front blocked the iing bullets. The machine gunner with a menacingugh began firing at Xin soldiers in the distance.
The bullets shredded the metal containers and suppressed the Xin soldiers from moving forward. Their sess was short-lived as a rocket flew up. Like an iron fist, it sent the anti-air machine gun into the sky. Along with it, was the unlucky machine gunner.
Kluse stared at the sky engulfed in me, his eyes widened in disbelief.
These seals brought rocketunchers!
Kluse regained his attention from the shock and shouted into the radio Quick, move the machine guns back!
But it was toote, another rocket blew the other machine gun into pieces.
Their anti-air power was destroyed. The four ck Eagles began to push forward.
The pitch ck muzzles extended from the side of the helicopter. The arm-thick bullets fired from the side. The firepower from the sky revealed the militants hidden behind the containers as the F soldiers all dropped dead.
With cover fire, the twelve soldiers first boarded stood up behind cover while they maintained their shooting position and pushed forward. They would make sure the remaining militants were finished off. As to the bullets, most were blocked by the polyethylene board.
With the assistance of the drones, the militants had no fighting chance.
Ahhh! Fu*k, my hand! Kluse rolled inside the boat. He covered his broken right hand with his left hand. He tumbled and retreated to the bottom of the vessel.
After confirming all enemy units were cleared on the deck, the soldiers entered the control room to stop the vessel. At the same time, the ck Eagles hovered above the deck as the ground force descended.
Thirty two Celestial soldiers quickly entered the vessel. Wilson entered the control room and used the broadcasting system to speak to the resisting militants.
Surrender or die.
The one-sided battle made all the F soldiers lose their courage to fight. When they reached 50% casualties, they finally copsed and dropped the rifles in their hands and chose to surrender.
Everyone was tied up and sent back to the deck. They waited with guns pointed at them.
The vessel continued its journey to New Moon Ind.
But this time, the F soldiers disguised as mercenaries no longer had their original arrogance, the only emotions left were fear and despair.
Chapter 358 - Reparations
Chapter 358: Reparations
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
No secret cant be uncovered using a single truth-telling serum. If there was, then two truth-telling serums would suffice.
The F soldiers were also certainly not soft, especially Kluse who has lost one of his hand. He kept his mouth shut about this throughout, but with the truth-telling serum, mental fortitude was useless.
Celebrate the glory of technology.
41 F soldiers were captured, and 59 soldiers died in the crossfire. Ivan treated the execution of this mission carefully. Not only did he leave radiomunication records, but he also recorded the entire duration of the second warning. Then the subsequent resist to cooperate, and the firing of anti-air machine guns was recorded by the cameras on the helicopters.
Jiang Chen was extremely pleased with the way Ivan handled the situation. He needed amander that would make the correct judgment in critical moments like this, rather than a follower that required his direction with any small problems. Sinking the boat that ignored their warnings was themand Jiang Chen had ordered when the Life Signal Radar was established.
All in all, all the evidence were there.
Xin had theplete upper hand in the publics opinion.
There was media coverage on F soldiers pretending to be fishermen, but it was the first time they pretended to be mercenaries to conduct military action against other countries. What made it worse was that they were foolish enough to get caught.
The internationalmunity spurred drastic reactions, including Hua. Multiple governments all denounced country F for their unruly actions and the vition of internationalw. They stated that they would continue to follow the event closely.
In the beginning, President Aquino and the defense minister continued to state that they were being framed by Xin. But following the release of 41 pleading guilty videos, along with the protest of the families from the 41 soldiers who had survived, the F governmentpletely went mute.
The evidence was all out there, it was futile to defend themselves.
Followed by the tradition of the country, they just would not admit to their actions. But Xin had said that if country F does not give a satisfactory response, Xin will sentence all soldiers who had trespassed or made uwful entrances into the country to over thirty years in prison.
This forced Aquino into a corner.
Continuing to not admit to being guilty, their soldiers definitely would not be able to return home which meant that their families would be unhappy. But to apologize and plead to the Xin government to release the soldiers, Aquino didnt want to lose his face.
The diplomatic rtionship between the two countries entered a turmoil.
But regardless who looked at it, in this round of exchanges, Xin had theplete upper hand.
In the mansion on Coro Ind, Zhang Yapin stood across from Jiang Chen on the sofa. Ayesha poured them water before leaving the living room.
Perhaps he was thirsty, Zhang Yapin took a sip of the water before he put the cup down.
I have to thank you for making me so famous internationally.
No worries. The oblivious Jiang Chen didnt grasp his sarcasm.
No, no, no, I should worry about it. You killed 59 people this time. If they were not on the wrong side this time, I would be summoned to international court already.
Haha, I realize youve be much more humorous. Jiang Chenughed.
Making the best out of a worse situation. Zhang Yapin revealed a helpless expression.
Okay, dont pretend to be so overdramatic. This event is great for you, Jiang Chen said.
In what way? Zhang Yapinughed.
At least you dont have to worry about elections anymore. Jiang Chen crossed his legs as he sunk into the sofa. Then he yawned. I dont understand much about politics, but after reading so many news articles, I have learned one rule.
Whats the rule? Zhang Yapin ridiculed.
To increase support, strong foreign policy is much better than economic growth.
Isnt that obvious. Zhang Yapin grinned. He initially thought Jiang Chen had a differing perspective, but what he said wasmon sense.
Oh? Looks like I identally discovered a principle in international rtions? Jiang Chenughed proudly.
It was a bit tough on him to learn about managing a country as a mechanical engineer. To be honest, Jiang Chen has thought about bing the president. But after careful consideration, he gave up on the idea.
If he was really to be the president, he had a feeling he would turn the modern world into another apocalypse.
The hidden figure was more suitable for him.
Its still too early to say election, who knows what will happen in five years.
Dont worry, even if you dont have enough votes by that time, I will help you to be re-elected, Jiang Chen took a sip of his tea and said nonchntly.
Zhang Yapin raised his eyebrows but didnt say anything. Although he personally despised these uwful actions, they were beneficial for him after all. After feeling conflicted, he remained silent.
Jiang Chen nced at the clock in the living room. When he saw it was gettingte, he said, Are you here toin to me about this?
Of course not, Zhang Yapin took out a piece of folded paper from his pocket, I am here to talk aboutpensation. A total of 976 families were effected totaling 2115 people. Among them, a fair number of people lost their only home. They are currently residing in their friends or rtives ce.
Objectively speaking, president Zhang was unquestionably a great president. Even in a puppet regime, he still worked for the betterment of the citizens.
10% of the people are affected? Thats a big problem. Let me think Jiang Chen scratched his chin.
Zhang Yapin quietly looked at Jiang Chen. He gulped and waited for his response.
How about this. Provide me with detailed information about the people registered to receivepensation. To the people that lost their home, every family will bepensated with an apartment the size of 120 square meters and thend will bepensated at 50 USD per square meter. For the people who lost their farmingnd, they will bepensated at 10 USD per square meter and be prioritized in the hiring process. What do you think about thispensation?
Zhang Yapins eyes widened, but he had to remind Jiang Chen.
Every family will bepensated with an apartment 120 square meters? What if someone lived in a 90 square meters apartment?
Then they will thank me. Jiang Chen smiled.
Zhang Yapin was amazed by Jiang Chens words.
He took a deep breath and expressed his gratitude sincerely.
Okay, allow me on behalf of Xins citizens to thank you for your generosity.
No need.
The reason why he was generous was not that he was a phnthropist, but he had other ns.
The distribution of the Pannu poption was extremely uneven on the nine inds. Most of the people were concentrated in the rtively developed Coro and Ange City. The remaining seven inds had arge habitable area, but the poption was extremely scarce. Ten square kilometers ofnd had less than one hundred people inhibiting it. A store couldnt even thrive, let alone boosting the economy. This move was to reallocate the poption density. These new apartments will not be built on Coro and Ange Ind.
As to the cost, it was not high to begin with.
With an eight-floor high apartment building and eight units per floor, there would be 64 units in the entire building. Even with 1000 families, only16 buildings would need to be built. With thend price and tax being negligible, the average cost of each building would be one hundred thousand USD. It was nothingpared to Jiang Chens assets.
Also, he would gain a good reputation because of it, so why not?
Speaking of prioritizing the hiring process, does yourpany have any positions avable? Zhang Yapin continued.
After the tourism facility isplete, it is expected to bring eighty thousand jobs here. Let aloneck of positions, I dont think the poption here will be enough. Mhmm Speaking of this, study the possibility of immigration and decide when to open the doors for that.
Xin is currently politically unstable. No one would want toe here, Zhang Yapin said bitterly.
Jiang Chen only smiled.
That might not be true. Trust me, in less than five years. This ce will be a destination the world longs for. A newnd directed by Xin.
I have to remind you, this ce is only a series of inds.
Only for now.
Jiang Chen emphasized the word now.
Chapter 359 - Purchasing Ores
Chapter 359: Purchasing Ores
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
- Daily Post
- Washington Post
- Renren Newspaper
- Economic News
There were at least ten newspapers on Jiang Chens table, each disying an interesting perspective. Especially the Economic News, they did a close up of Zhang Yapins distorted face. Jiang Chen wondered what he would think when he saw the image.
As to the narratives Some remain neutral, some turned the topic domestic, some favored a certain country while others disagreed. Of course, all the opinions were within Jiang Chens expectation. Since something like this happened, country F would be more cautious. As to how this foreign rtionship problem should be handled, and how they would use the international court tform as well as the 41 captives to scam country F, it was president Zhangs worry.
The door was knocked on gently.
Come in, Jiang Chen said as he threw the newspapers into the corner.
Ayesha in a maid uniform walked in and put coffee in front of Jiang Chens table. The whitece skirt, as well as the absolute territory hidden underneath the skirt, made Jiang Chen feel a bit thirsty.
The reason why she wore this was not because it was Jiang Chens fetish, but purely because Ayesha wanted to.
Thats right, it was her hobby.
Since they returned from Kane, Ayesha developed a keen passion for pretty clothes. But because of her traditional perspective, she was unwilling to wear revealing clothes in front of other people. So the five full closets became her pajamas and when there was no one home, Ayeshas choice of clothing became odd.
The maid uniform was okay, but sometimes she would wear a bikini to do chores, and wear only an apron to cook
Thank you. Jiang Chen took the coffee.
Ayesha smiled back. Walking behind Jiang Chen, she gently massaged his shoulders.
Youre working every day, take a break once in a while.
Once everything is on track, I will be free. Jiang Chen put the cup down after taking a sip of his coffee, closed his eyes, and enjoyed Ayeshas massage.
Mhmm Only if I could help you, Ayesha said with slight disappointment.
In her mind, she always thought women like Xia Shiyu was more ideal for Jiang Chen. Not only could she help him with his business, but her looks were also more suited to Asias beauty standard. But her, other than the ability to kill as well as the apathy towards life, she had no other abilities.
This was the reason why she wanted to drag Xia Shiyu to Jiang Chens pillow side
What are you saying? You have helped me a lot, Jiang Chen denied her statement without hesitation.
Ayesha didnt respond, but from her gentle smile, it looked like she wasforted.
I am nning to head to Australia at noon, do you want toe along?
When she heard that Jiang Chen nned on taking her with him during this trip, Ayesha happily curled up her lips.
Of course. Let me go change.
She then turned around and left.
Steel is the foundation of the industrial industry, even in the highly advanced 22nd century.
To develop industrial capability, raw materials were necessary. But the limitation of the wastnds industrial capability was precisely the scarcity of raw materials. Although they could obtain aluminum, copper, iron, as well as other rare metals through recycling, the highly processed nature of the raw materials was not only cumbersome but was also costly. It was for this reason that the power armors had such a high cost. The special stic steel covering the T-3 power armor was not cheap.
When he was back in the country, it was unrealistic to purchaserge quantities of metal as it was much riskier than purchasing food. But now there were fewer concerns. He could buy whatever amount he desired, and no one would investigate him.
The iron production of the world was controlled by three megapanies. The first being Brazils Vale S.A with 39% of total production, ranking second was Rio Tinto and third being BHP, who ounted for 38% of total production. The first one was too far away in South America; the twotter ones were all in Australia with only New Guinea in between. Based on the consideration of cost, Jiang Chen chose BHP as his partner.
There was only one flight to Melbourne. While there was an increase in the number of tourists, tickets remained plentiful as Ayesha easily purchased them.
When they arrived, they checked in at the same hotel.
Nice to meet you, Mr. Jiang. When he saw Jiang Chen, the Australian with a hooked nose extended his hand.
Nice to meet you too. Jiang Chen gave him a warm handshake.
Oliver, one of the presidents of BHP. He was the acting executive director of the West Australia division.
Compared with the megapany with a 210 billion market cap, Future International was just a small ant. Of course, no one would question the potential of the little ant, just like Microsoft in its early days.
After a brief introduction, they were quick to head into the main topic.
One hundred thousand tons of iron, two hundred thousand tons of aluminum, one thousand tons of 45% purity molybdenum per month Oliver scanned through the contract Jiang Chen handed over repeatedly as his eyebrows began to raise.
The iron and aluminum are okay. But the molybdenum is a rare metal and production remains low. All of its production per year has been reserved. Oliver showed an apologetic expression.
I see. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Molybdenum has a low reserve on earth ounting for only 0.001% of the mass of the crust, but it had a wide range of applications. Such as micrputers, microprocessors, offshore oil and gas pipelines, and even fertilizers.
But a significant use of this was yet to be discovered. Mainly the neural connection of the virtual reality equipment to the human body must use this. Although they could acquire some through recycling in the apocalypse, to mass produce it, they would have to obtain it in the modern world.
With molybdenum, I rmend you try your luck in Hua. Hua is the biggest producer of molybdenum right now. Iron and aluminum, ourpany can provide.
Ill see. Lets put the molybdenum aside for now and discuss the price of iron and aluminum, Jiang Chen said reluctantly.
The Wang family would not let him purchase molybdenum easily. It was too easy to prevent him from buying the metal. From extraction to transportation, and customization. With the Wang familys power, a connection in any part of the system would easily stop him from doing business.
Where could molybdenum be easily acquired from? Potentially ces like Antarctica and the Moon.
International treaty prohibited one of them, while the other one was unreachable by current technology.
He would have to search for other means Jiang Chen deliberated.
Chapter 360 - Sunny Melbourne
Chapter 360: Sunny Melbourne
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After an hour of negotiating contract prices and details, they finally reached an agreement.
Iron ore: 52.20 USD per ton, one hundred thousand tons per month with a total cost of 5.22 million USD.
Aluminum ore: 80 USD per ton, two hundred thousand tons per month with a total cost of 16 million USD.
The total contract amount was 21.22 billion USD. The shipment would arrive from Port Darwin to Port Ange at the beginning of every month for five years.
Although Ange Ind currently has no deepwater port, Jiang Chen had already invested in its construction as two docks would be built by next month. The poption base of Ange Ind was rtively high and rtively far away from the other eight inds. Therefore, it was ideal to be built into an industrial ind with manufacturing as the dominating industry. Hence, a deepwater port was necessary.
Oliver was ecstatic as he signed a multi-million dor deal in one afternoon for thepany. After signing the contract, Jiang Chen didnt immediately leave but instead started to chat with him about the mining industry.
To Jiang Chens questions, Oliver did his best to answer. He told Jiang Chen the trend of the low volume of iron ore traded in 2016 and the decrease in price for rare metals. All the information could be found online, so it was not a secret.
If you dont mind me asking this question, based on my knowledge, yourpanys primary business is in the tech industry, why would you need to purchaserge quantities of iron ore? Oliver asked.
Yourpany has implications on what the buyer uses the ore for? Jiang Chen nonchntly asked.
Just a question I was personally curious about. Of course, if it is inconvenient to disclose, then it that is okay. This question doesnt affect our partnership. Oliver saw that Jiang Chen didnt n to answer as he smiled to apologize for his rather tant question.
I do apologize, this is a trade secret, and I cant answer you To express my apology, allow me to treat you to dinner, Jiang Chen said.
Haha, its my honor. I know a pretty good restaurant in Melbourne, take my car Oliver dly epted Jiang Chens invitation.
It was time to get off work, they left thepany and headed to a Brazilian Barbeque restaurant near Melbourne.
From the restaurants aesthetics, it was no different than the street food stalls found in Han. The half-open system design with a distinctly-not-Brazilian owner roasting the golden slices of meat on the fire drew the passersby with its delicious aroma.
They sat at the bar, and it didnt take long before the tes arrived in front of them.
Two cold beers and four tes of meatter, Jiang Chen was thrilled by the food.
Is the future of the mining industry not looking so good?
Not terrible, but it will get worse. When they spoke about work, Oliver let out a sigh.
Because of the economic conditions?
It could be categorized as an economic issue, but ultimately it goes back to demand. Oliver took a big gulp of beer in satisfaction, the beer washed away the frustration that umted in his chest.
Could you be more specific? With the skewer in his hand, Jiang Chen asked.
He had an interest in mining.
For example, if you want to build a 5000 square meter building, it would require 30 tons of steel. But once the building isplete, the potential market of the steel would decrease by that 30 tons. Not only in infrastructure, but from vehicles to screws, they are all the same. Then, the steel nt would decrease production, the mining output would also decrease, and thats how the economy goes down the drain. Oliverughed.
Jiang Chen didnt know what was funny.
Is it okay to tell me this?
No problem. Im off work, Oliver said with confidence, Also, even if there areyoffs, I wont be cut.
Therefore, the overall trend of iron is going down?
Thats right. In 2008, per ton had a price of 2.1 USD. Now, it would be lucky to get 0.95 USD.
With what you are saying, there is no hope in the mining industry? Jiang Chen grinned.
Not necessarily true. There is potential if there is a technological breakthrough. Oliver shook his beer ss half filled with beer.
Technological breakthrough? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrow.
Thats right. Unless there is a major technological breakthrough, such as everyone throwing away their current vehicle, like how everyone gave up on the hand-operated machines or like how everyone abandoned the steam engine If we were to stretch the example. Sigh, I am pretty envious of you.
There are a lot of people envious of me.
I am not talking about your money, but your industry. Dont you think that tech is the field that technological breakthroughs are most likely to ur in? Oliver stuffed a skewer into his mouth and then smiled.
It is also the industry most likely to go bankrupted, Jiang Chen mocked.
Oliver took a moment to process this before he started tough hysterically. Maybeughing was contagious for Jiang Chen also began tough along.
The two hysterical people made the rest of the restaurant turn their heads.
When Jiang Chen returned to the hotel somewhat drunk, it was already ten at night. That guy was surprisingly talkative and was very humorous as well. Jiang Chen and him talked about the culture of Australia, the barbequed fish, and even his hometown Hucheng. They got along so well that while that ate and drank, it was already deep into the night.
Before they left, Jiang Chen exchanged business cards with Oliver.
When Jiang Chen still drenched in the smell of alcohol, appeared in front of the door, Ayesha quickly helped him to the bathroom, took off his shirt, and wiped his body with a hot towel.
Why did you drink so much? Ayesha muttered to Jiang Chen in a small voice.
I met an interesting person. Jiang Chen burped andughed, then he leaned on Ayeshas chest.
Ayeshas pale skin instantly turned red. Just as she was about to help Jiang Chen stand up, snoring sounds resonating from the bathroom
It felt terrible to be hung over, but with Jiang Chens metabolic speed, he only felt awful for a short period the next day before he fully recovered.
Because the contract negotiation went surprisingly smooth, he had a lot of free time the next day.
Since everything was done, based on Jiang Chens promise to Ayesha, he took her to explore Melbourne.
Photos in front ofndmarks, shopping in major malls
It was tiring to shop with a woman. But with Ayeshas joyous expression in front of him, Jiang Chen felt all of his weariness wash away.
Thest destination of the trip was St. Patricks Cathedral. Although it was odd to view an religious building as someone of a different religion, Ayeshas amazement surveying the magnificent cross astonished Jiang Chen.
Not all religious people are stubborn.
And not all stubbornness cannot be forgiven.
At the peak of the modern day secrization, even an atheist can hold the hands of a believer and praise the glory of the art of the pagan church.
Seven hundred years ago, the Crusaders fought for the ownership of holynd through a bloodbath. Seventy years ago, the US and Soviet let the iron curtain drop due to differences in ideology.
Now looking back, nothing seems unforgivable nor uneptable by thew of nature.
Just like the uncanny workmanship of the Suzhou Gardens and the vibrancy of the stained ss at the Notre Dame de Paris, the shape and color the world should possess were far more than what people would think.
If one day, the footstep of humans expanded to the edge of the gxy, if they look back on the territory conflicts of today, and the ideology differences, would they mock themselves for their past actions?
But by that time, what would civilization be bothered by
The path to evolution? Or other things?
Just as Jiang Chen thought about this, Ayesha gently pulled on his arm.
He recollected his thought and looked at her. Hmm?
I want to go in Is that okay?
Of course.
He threw his thoughts into the back of his head and nobly held onto Ayeshas tiny hand.
They both headed inside the St. Patrick Cathedral.
Chapter 361 - Meeting an old friend
Chapter 361: Meeting an old friend
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Rather than a church, it was more like a museum.
The church had religious text that could be read, but it had no souvenirs. Perhaps indicating it was a sacred ce rather than a tourist attraction. But because today was not worship day, there was no one praying in the church.
Inscriptions on shrines told the vicissitudes history of the Catholic Church. Jiang Chen held Ayeshas hand while he briefly nced around.
Is this a gothic style building? Ayesha with one finger on her lips looked up at the magnificent dome.
Should be, I dont really know. Why? Jiang Chen asked.
Because I often see gothic style clothing in the magazines, With the tip of her lips forming a curvature. I think its cute.
Haha, but this building doesnt resemble cuteness. Jiang Chen forced augh and scanned his surrounding.
A priest stood under the altar with a couple standing in front of him. The white-haired priest drew a cross in front of his chest and blessed the two. Ayesha noticed that the couples had a joyous smile on their faces when they left.
What are they doing?
Receiving the blessing of the holy light? The couple should be praying or marrying or something. Jiang Chen made something up.
The priest seemed to have noticed the two looking at him. He kindly smiled and walked to them.
Do you need help with something?
Considering Ayeshas religion, Jiang Chen wanted to refuse, but the girl blinked her eyes and looked at the elderly father with white hair.
Even as a pagan, is the blessing effective?
The question was tant, but the priest only paused for a moment before he spoke with an earnest expression.
Of course. It all depends if you love him or not.
Ayeshas cold expression bloomed into a joyful smile.
Mhmm. I love him dearly.
Jiang Chen felt teary.
Ayeshas honest but innocent confession made him feel a different emotion.
He never admitted that he was a good man. Not because he was greedy, he just never had a strong mental fortitude.
The priest looked at Jiang Chen, his eyes seemed to possess the ability to observe everything.
Then, do you love her?
I love her, Jiang Chen said affirmatively.
Ayeshas eyes welled up with tears. She hugged Jiang Chens arm and rubbed her face against it.
If he had one positive trait, it would be that he never lied about his emotions. Although there was the suspicion of being a quibble, Jiang Chen didnt n to exin anything.
A smile appeared on the priests face.
May the Lord bless you, and you will be happy.
He drew the cross and blessed them.
When they came out of the church, Ayesha dangled her entire body weight on Jiang Chens arm, and her expression was exuberant.
Among the trees, white roses blossomed along the path, but in front of her perfect smile, it paled inparison.
It was rare for her to disy such intimacy in public.
With how happy she looked, Jiang Chen couldnt resist kissing her tender face.
The face gradually turned red as he a spoiled smile surfaced on his face.
When night began to fall, Jiang Chen prepared to take Ayesha back to the hotel.
They still needed to catch tomorrows ne, so they should sleep early.
Thats right, sleep early.
But at the same moment, Jiang Chen heard a familiar voice in surprise.
Feifei, marry me? A man with roses kneeled in front of a gorgeous looking girl as he said with deep affection.
But the proposal in front of the church didnt seem to move the girl.
Didnt we agree that once you settle, well then talk about marriage?
Yang Yuan?
Jiang Chen followed the voice as he looked at the man beside the bench.
He didnt expect to encounter his university roommate here?!
After graduation, the four roommates all chose different paths. While they contacted each other initially for the few months, with the formtion of their new circles, the four rarely contacted each other. Even if Jiang Chen had made a name for himself, the three people still didnt contact him.
As to why, Jiang Chen made sense of it quickly; most likely because they didnt want to lose face.
Not speaking with people when they are down, and ttering them once they are sessful, it didnt sound good. Especially since their rtionship was not deep, to begin with, in addition to theck of contact two years after graduation. Since the three all valued their face, they didnt contact Jiang Chen.
Without contact, at least they could brag to their friends and coworkers That guy, we lived in the same dorm. I was tight with him.
Jiang Chen still remembered Yang Yuan. Although they were not in the same major, they had a surprisingly good rtionship. He was the study god of their dorm and had a good family background. Jiang Chen faintly recalled that after graduated he headed to a renowned university in Australia for a master program. Before he left, he told Jiang Chen to find him if he ever visited Australia and that he would treat him.
Of course, Jiang Chen knew it was just out of courtesy.
Now thinking back, two years passed by and his master should bepleted. Since they didnt contact each other after he left, their rtionship obviously began to fade. While it was not the first time Jiang Chen was in Australia, he didnt remember to go find him.
But todays encounter, the feeling of meeting an old friend in a different part of the world, was indescribable.
Jiang Chen just wasnt sure if it would be appropriate to say hi.
Give me some more time, I will definitely find a job Yang Yuan was a bit anxious as he didnt know what to do.
Did you consider my feelings? You said you were already settled here, so I quit my job in China to find you, but what now? The girl said usingly with her eyes turning red.
When he saw his old friend was in a tough situation, Jiang Chen let out a sigh and walked toward him in an attempt to make the situation less awkward.
Yang Yuan?
When he heard someone call his name, Yang Yuan first paused for a moment. When he saw who it was, he shouted in surprise.
Brother Chen! Havent seen you in a while.
Due to astonishment, his voice cracked.
Havent seen you for a while. Jiang Chen smiled.
This is your significant other? Yang Yuan looked at Ayesha.
Mhmm.
Ayesha, she briefly introduced herself.
You you still recognize me. The smile on Yang Yuan was a mixture of bitterness, excitement, and joy.
The person they didnt believe in now became a big boss and the person everyone thought highly upon now couldnt even find a job. The discrepancy made him feel a bit bitter, but the joyful news was, his old friend still recognized him.
Chapter 362 - Future Mining
Chapter 362: Future Mining
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Of course, I still remember I owe you two cup noodles, Jiang Chen recalled their past.
Dont mention it. Yang Yuan rubbed his nose out of embarrassment, I always said that I will treat you to lobster. Now that you are so well off, Im so embarrassed to say it.
You, you are Jiang Chen?
Jiang Chen noticed that the girl beside Yang Yuan looked at him in excitement, stars were shining in her eyes.
Jiang Chen felt that he had seen her before, is it an illusion? Whatever.
Thats right. Jiang Chenughed and turned to Yang Yuan, Is this your significant other?
Because Jiang Chens generation is defined by the single child policy, during university, they casually referred to each other as brothers, while their girlfriend as brothers significant other.
I am Su Fei, a fan of Little White, Su Fei said while blinking her eyes.
Mhmm. Yang Yuans expression was somewhat awkward.
Jiang Chen sensed that he didnt want to speak too much on this as he diverted the topic.
Its rare to see you, how about Ill treat you to dinner.
No, no, I said I would treat you.
Its okay! Im just repaying for the two cup noodles, Jiang Chen interrupted Yang Yuan.
He could see that Yang Yuans economic situation was not too great. He only wanted to find a way for them to catch up, if he burdened his old friend, it would be against his original intention.
Oh Okay. Yang Yuan saw Jiang Chens intention and nodded.
They arrived at a restaurant by the sea. From the exterior design, it was easy to see the luxury of this restaurant as well as the extravagance of the price. Yang Yuans expression was unnatural when he looked at the servers in suits. But with how happy his girlfriend was, he didnt have the heart to tell Jiang Chen to change a ce.
When he saw Jiang Chen didnt look pained or dissatisfied, he finally felt relieved.
He was worried that Jiang Chen would have the idea that I havent seen you for a long time and you want me to pay for a big meal, but the worry seemed extraneous. He also had a headache due to the wayward and extravagance of his girlfriend, but he couldnt bring out the courage to restrain her.
Yang Yuan was obviously facepalming. Jiang Chen was not stingy to the point where he wouldnt pay for a meal.
On the dinner table, other than Ayesha not speaking too much, the other three had a great conversation. Su Fei continually proposed a toast to Jiang Chen to demonstrate her energetic side, but at the same time subconsciously or consciously began asking about his private life. However, Jiang Chen managed to divert the questions smoothly.
Jiang Chen has seen too many simr situations.
Although he didnt know why his old friend would like a woman like this, he still had his own boundaries. Therefore, he maintained his distance with Su Fei. Seeing that her attempt to get close was unsessful, Su Fei put her attention on Ayesha and tried to befriend her. But to her warmness, Ayeshas was unmoved.
Yang Yuan seemed to be slow in this area as he didnt sense anything. After downing a few beers, he began chatting about what happened after graduation.
Because he was drunk, Yang Yuan dragged him to the balcony of the restaurant. With the refreshing sea breeze sweeping across their face, they continued to chat.
It didnt take long before the conversation changed to the start of thepany. Jiang Chen selectively skipped the sensitive topics and summarized the process of creating Future 1.0 and only spoke about the details of when thepany started to be sessful.
Damn! The prom queen of the business school, Xia Shiyu, you managed to date her! Wow, this Brother Chen title is certainly deserving. Yang Yuan eximed in a loud voiceced with drunkenness.
What do you mean? Jiang Chen joked, She is the CEO of mypany. But our rtionship might be a bit different.
There werent as many concerns when men spoke to each other.
But isnt that your S.O?
Jiang Chen was a bit awkward, Uh, she is too.
So corrupted. Yang Yuan took a long time to process his words before he punched Jiang Chen on the shoulder.
Ahem, we like each other, it is not being corrupt. Lets not talk about this Speaking of you, whats going on with Su Fei.
Yang Yuan let out a sigh.
Nothings going on. Just like this.
I feel like I have seen her before.
She is also a graduate of Wanghai University, two years younger than me. I only asked her toe abroad at the end ofst year, you probably have seen her in school. Yang Yuan said nonchntly.
I see Could be.
I originally thought that I got a metal bowl (Referring to a stable job), but I didnt even take a scoop out of it before I lost the bowl. I should have just signed when PetroChina interviewed me. There was regret in Yang Yuans words.
Although state-owned enterprises sry was lowerpared to foreignpanies, the stability was undoubtedly a plus. Even if it were operating at a loss and heavily subsidized, the government would not allow the workers who worked diligently to contribute to the country to lose their job. Just from this point again, it was more virtuous than working for the capitalists.
A metal bowl (1)?
Yes, in the first year of my masters in Australia, I already signed with Rio Tinto. But this year, the mining industry was not looking pleasant,bined with the oil price plunging, Rio Tinto immediately beganying off people. So I, unfortunately, became a casualty.
[Certainly unlucky ] Jiang Chen said in his mind.
Does PetroChina not want you anymore?
Of course they do, why not? I am a master student who studied abroad majoring in resource exploration. With my family connection, I will be promoted in just two years. Yang Yuan was still confident with his own ability.
Then why dont you go back? Jiang Chen nced at him.
A bitter smile surfaced at Yang Yuans face.
I want to go back, but As he spoke, Yang Yuan turned to look at Su Fei in the restaurant.
That girl was dissecting the lobster in excitement while chatting with Ayesha.
Jiang Chen instantly understood his bitterness.
She didnt want me to go back. From her perspective, now that I finally acquired immigration status, it would be a waste if I let that go. Whenever I talk about going back, she would cry and threaten to break up with me
Is it good like this? Jiang Chen asked.
To be honest, Jiang Chen didnt like Su Feis personality. He didnt know what was attractive about this type of girl. But since Yang Yuan likes her, he couldnt say anything.
What could I do? Yang Yuans bitterness deepened.
Do you love her?
Mhmm.
He didnt know that the engineer was such a devoted person. Back then, Jiang Chen just thought he was unexpressive, he didnt think he had this quality.
Then try to satisfy her, though it might be an endless pit.
Yang Yuan let out a sigh, I know. I just want to wait until tomorrow, if the market picks up again, there will be demand for employment.
Jiang Chen fell into deep thought as he listened to Yang Yuans words.
To be honest, he happened to be worried about molybdenum. Other than molybdenum, niobium ore, tungsten ore and even rare metals all have a big gap in the wastnd. But based on what Oliver said, those ores would be hard to obtain in any country, so Jiang Chen had the idea to extract them himself.
Pannu Inds ocean resources were extremely vast and rich. While no oil and gas existed in its territory, the mining deposits underneath the sea were yet to be explored. It would be hard to believe if there were not a single bit of deposits in the vast ocean territory. Since iron and aluminum had a low cost, Jiang Chen didnt mind paying. But for rarer metals, if he were to buy, it would certainly pain him.
As to how to extract the ores from the seafloor, Jiang Chen already had an idea in mind, though it still remained in the research phase
Could the deposit distribution of the apocalypse be the same as the modern world?
Jiang Chen never thought about this before. Because the history of the two worlds waspletely different, he selectively ignored the possibility of using the information from the future to his advantage.
Lottery? The amount and number might even be different. Suck up to future leaders? Pac never existed. Music? Thats more absurd. Would Indias pop music be popr in China? If not, then the music from PAC would be the same.
But mining resources were different! It would not change because of human activity. Therefore, the mining beds dug clean before the war may not have even been drilled or explored yet.
The more Jiang Chen thought about it, the more he wanted to hit himself for not thinking about this earlier. Selling ores and oil location would be much more profitablepared to gold! Just that it would be hard to exin the source
Speaking of this, I happen to have a job, are you interested?
Yang Yuan shook his head.
I dont know tech at all. Thank you, but I will not bother you.
Yang Yuan was an honest person, he knew he didnt have any ability in that area.
Who said I wanted you to go to Future Technology? Asking an exploration major to do tech, it would be asking for trouble. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. I am talking about Future Mining, are you interested?
Future Mining? Yang Yuan was shocked.
Thats right, Jiang Chen said affirmatively.
Although he could just hire a headhunter to do it for him, he trusted the people he knew more. As to technology, the one thing he nevercked was technology.
Are you being serious? Yang Yuan put on a stern expression.
Of course. But do you know anything about sea exploration?
When he talked about his major, Yang Yuan immediately turned ecstatic.
Yes, my professor at the university is researching sea exploration, whether it is space mining deposits or space oil deposits, I have studied both.
Then lets do this, I will go back to Xin and register Future Mining Mhmm, I will also register one in Australia. Jiang Chen nodded.
What, you havent registered thatpany yet? Yang Yuan facepalmed.
(1) Metal Bowl - A stable job from a state-owned enterprise.
Chapter 363 - Return
Chapter 363: Return
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Yang Yuans contract was negotiated immediately after.
Although he was skeptical with Future International entering the mining sector, he didnt question the truth of Jiang Chens words. It must be true - would a billionaire trick a poor guy just for fun? Yang Yuan epted the job without a second thought.
He would get a monthly sry of ten thousand AUD with a bonus based on sales. Although Yang Yuan expressed that he didnt need that much, Jiang Chen still insisted on giving him a high sry. One reason being that he wanted to help his old friend, the other reason was to reinforce their rtionship.
It was always the better deed to help someone in need rather than add on to their sess. For example, it was far more meaningful to drag him up when his career and rtionship were at their worst rather than giving him a raise when he had a sry of over one hundred thousand.
In the beginning, when Su Fei heard that Yang Yuan would work for Future International, she was naturally very excited. But when she heard the work was in a ce called Pannu Inds beside New Guinea, her face immediately turned sour.
Then she heard she could live in a mansion by the beach with a sry of ten thousand AUD with flights back to Australia for vacation covered by thepany. She became happy again, her mood changing as fast as a summer storm.
Jiang Chen didnt know what to say.
Since Yang Yuan liked her, he couldnt do anything about it.
The dinner cost 1000 AUD, which Jiang Chen paid before taking off. Yang Yuan would report to him at Coro Ind five dayster, so it was his job to register thepany in Australia in the next five days.
Future Technology, Future Biology, Future Mining - the three subsidiaries meant that Future International finally had the umbra of an international conglomerate. In the future, Jiang Chen nned to establish Future Heavy Industrial, Future Communication and allow Future International to expand in all areas of human economic activity. Of course, he had to take it one step at a time.
Did you have fun today? On their way back, Jiang Chen tousled Ayeshas hair and asked.
Very fun.
Whenever she recalled the blessing in the church and his I love her, a curvature known as happiness would surface on Ayeshas lips.
Well head back tomorrow. Is there anything you want to do or any ce you want to go? Theres still some time before it getspletely dark.
No need. With a blushing face, Ayesha moved her eyes into the distance. Lets go back now.
[Is she tired?]
Jiang Chen initially didnt understand the meaning behind Ayeshas words. It was only when the door of the hotel room closed that he personally experienced the passion hidden underneath her coldness.
Only the soaked sheets told the intimacy of the night.
The next day, they boarded their returning flight to Xin and got off the ne on Coro Ind.
After he settled down the weary Ayesha, Jiang Chen left the mansion and headed to the nutrient supply nt located on Ange Ind.
It was the hottest time of the day, and the workers at the nt were all on break, but Zhan Shujie still stayed in theb and carefully examined DH seaweed cells under the microscope. He didnt even notice Jiang Chen standing behind him.
Did you discover something meaningful? Jiang Chen sighed with a helpless expression.
No. Zhang Shujie shook his head in honesty.
He researched this for over half a month, yet he was still without any clue. He didnt know how the mechanism worked.
Its normal for you to not make sense of it. If you could understand it in this short period of time, the technology would be worthless.
The RNA transcribed from the single-stranded DNA doesnt match the DNA. A protein found in an animal cell divided in a nt cell. How does this work? Zhan Shujies eyes shined with fric mes as he asked Jiang Chen.
Dont look at me like that; Im only a merchant, it wasnt me who researched this technology. Jiang Chen shivered at the thought of a man watching him like that.
Could I meet him?
No. Jiang Chen rejected it without any room forpromise.
To Jiang Chens surprise, he thought Zhan Shujie would insist on meeting the scientist, but after being rejected, he only sighed.
Okay I thought I reached the boundaries of science, but it looks like I dont know anything after all. Such astonishing technology exists in this world. Did you know this is like an art? Zhan Shujie took off the ss under the microscope as he praised its magnificence.
Art? Its that valuable? Considering what he said, Jiang Chen was afraid now.
[Nutrient supply is going to be sold to the masses. If people start examining it with microscopes]
But thinking about it more deeply, he rejected the possibility. Cells could not pass through the molecr filter, and that thing filtered at the particle level.
Valuable? Zhan Shujie shook his head. Its not just valuable - do you know what it means to be able to produce animal protein from nt cells?
What does it mean?
It means that beef could grow from the ground.
Jiang Chenughed. Even in the 22nd century, it was pure fiction to grow beef from the ground.
Lets not talk about these irrelevant things, Im just here to grab some samples, Jiang Chen interrupted him.
Although Zhan Shujie was displeased with Jiang Chens choice of words, he knew his ce - he was still his boss - so he went to the bench and picked up a nutrient supply pack containing ten tubes.
This is it. It tastes weird - would people even want to drink this? Zhan Shujie ridiculed.
Jiang Chen beganughing.
You dont understand. Youre underestimating womens determination to pursue beauty. They could starve themselves for a few days if necessary, so this is nothing, especially since this doesnt taste that bad.
After he left Zhan Shujie, Jiang Chen took a boat back to Coro Ind.
He got off at the port as he headed straight to the Celestial Trade Corporations warehouses near the port.
He calcted that he was away from the wastnd for two months already. While he did asionally travel back to meet with Sun Jiao, visit Yao Yao, and tease Lin Lin, he never stayed for too long.
He wanted to test the sample at the fallout shelter to see if there were any errors on the production side, but on the other hand, he needed to grow his force on the wastnd. Provided with the resources of the modern world, limitations on the apocalypses industrial capabilities would be removed entirely.
He closed the door of the warehouse and put on the bracelet Lin Lin gave him. Jiang Chen took a deep breath, staring at the small mountain of food.
Storage dimension activated.
Chapter 364 - Return to the Apocalypse
Chapter 364: Return to the Apocalypse
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Storing all the food, he didnt need to move an inch but the supply of food in the warehouse slowly depleted. With the interdimensional mass teleportation device, it was much easier to transport goods to the apocalypse. When he had to constantly travel back and forth, not only was it inefficient but it made him feel dizzy and it wasted more crystals too.
Now, it was a much easier process. After ten minutes past and 1000 crystals used, Jiang Chen emptied two warehouses full of supplies.
The capacity of the storage dimension seemed to have hit some bottleneck and stagnated at 30 cubic meters. Regardless of how many crystals Jiang Chen used now, he couldnt expand it by even a cubic millimeter.
Jiang Chen didnt mind since 30 cubic meters of space was plenty for him. Perhaps the bottleneck could be broken by a future opportunity, so he didnt worry.
He left the warehouse and called Ayesha.
Soon after, Ayesha drove to the warehouse with the Lamborghini. From the exhaustion on her face, she evidently had yet to recover fromst night.
Are you feeling bad? Jiang Chen asked caringly as he sat in the car.
Mhmm Are you nning to head to that side? Ayesha acutely saw through Jiang Chens thoughts.
Im nning to take care of something on that side Lets go back to the mansion.
Be safe.
Jiang Chen paused before a smile emerged.
Mhmm.
When he returned to the mansion, Jiang Chen changed his clothes. Just like his usual routine, heid on the bed, closed his eyes, andmenced travel.
Behind his back was still the soft bed, but the oppressive radiation dust outside the window told him explicitly that he wasnt in the peaceful modern world anymore.
He stood up and before he managed to gain his bnce, ferocious footsteps came from behind the door.
Sun Jiao pushed open the door, dove into Jiang Chens chest and pushed him back onto the bed.
I missed you! She rubbed her face against Jiang Chens shoulder.
Honey, its not like I havent been back before.
Jiang Chen stroke her silky hair and hugged her.
Just like a cat, she escaped Jiang Chens hug agilely. Sun Jiao sat on the chair and looked at Jiang Chen.
How long do you n to stay?
Probably for a while. Also, how did you know I wasing back?
A proud smile appeared on Sun Jiaos face, I heard soundsing from the warehouse in the backyard and they continued for a while. When I checked it out, I saw a bunch of stuff appear, so I thought you must be preparing toe back.
How have you been?
Very well, or rather, too well. With her chin against the back of the chair, Sun Jiao eximed.
To be able to live such afortable life was unimaginable before. It was two months until an entire year passed after meeting Jiang Chen. This year was the happiest shed been since she left the fallout shelter. Although a lot of things happened during the process, they managed to make it through intact.
Just like a miracle, the soil tainted by war weed order again.
After he said hi to Yao Yao, Lin Lin, and Sun Xiaorou, Jiang Chen headed to the warehouse in the backyard.
This ce was previously the bases warehouse, and now it was modified into a building simr to a transport array. Two old warehouses were bulldozed and built into a metal shed around 500 square meters big. Inside contained the magnified version of the interdimensional mass transportation device Lin Lin designed.
Right now, the warehouse was filled with containers of canned food, fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat. Jiang Chen sent Wang Qin a message on the EP, directing 15 workers from the logistics department to transport the food.
Last quarter, we produced 2000 Reaper Assault Rifles, 400 Hummingbird Drones, 20 Type-50 Electromaic Pulse Cannons, 10 T-3 Power Armors, and 1 Sample T-4 Power Armor. Wang Qin pushed up her sses as she reported to Jiang Chen the recent production figures.
The T-4 Power Armor is finished? Jiang Chen was surprised.
The defense ability of the T-3s armor was something Jiang Chen always criticized. While the front armor was enough to defend against light weapons, it was nowhere enough in a battle against the Death w. Jiang Chen demanded that the new model had to rece the stic armor with the more durable C-type steel without sacrificing mobility.
Just like he expected, the problem that couldnt be solved by researchers at Sixth Street was no trouble for the scientists at the fallout shelter.
The difficulties with the engine were solved by researchers at the fallout shelter; the improved crystal fuel rod increases energy efficiency by 20% and engine output by 15%. This solves the problem ofck of mobility. The weight of the armor was increased to 700 kilograms to reach the threshold fornd-type power armor specs. The total defense increased by 50% while ammunition decreased by 10%.
What about the attached weapon models?
It still has the revolving machine gun on the left arm as the primary weapon, but based on this, the researchers at the fallout shelter also added a five-round grenadeuncher on the same side. The grenade is capable of heat-seeking.
It was a moving fortress.
[Insane, but I like it!] Jiang Chen thought to himself.
What are the weaknessespared to T-3?
While the front armor is reinforced more strongly, the armor in the back has been decreased. Also due to the weight of the armor, the eleration provided by the engine is weakerpared to before - it cant perform the high mobility dodging maneuvers T-3 could. It may feel unresponsive when dodging anti-armor weapons, so our research added reactive nitrogen armor on four different sections of the T-4 power armor.
Improving its defense meant sacrificing its mobility, but it was a worthwhile sacrifice. Since not all people could perform the dodging action in less than 0.1 seconds, most of the soldiers in power armor would require the armor to take damage directly and act as a moving shield for the light infantry. It was the role power armor yed inbat.
Whats the cost of producing a T-4?
Wang Qins finger pressed on the screen and a number appeared in the center.
27130 crystals.
Thats so expensive. Jiang Chen was shocked by the figure.
It was almost three times the amountpared to T-3 armor.
But Wang Qin couldnt do anything about that fact.
The price of iron and rare metal continues to climb at the Sixth Street to the point where theres a shortage. Based on the information provided by Chu Nan, although theres been an economic boom as well as other factors, theres also been an increase in the number of scavengers, so theres still a significant gap to meet industrial demands.
Chapter 365 - Virtual Reality Online
Chapter 365: Virtual Reality Online
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Fishbone Bases metal resources primarily depended on imports from the Sixth Street. With the influence of the economic boomst fall as well as the formation of the bank at the years end, countless factories emerged. The garbage dumps left unmanaged for many years were swept clean by all the major factories. After the hunters that hunted for crystals and mercenaries that protected trade routes, professional scavengers became the hottest profession at the Sixth Street.
This was unfathomable before because no one imagined that so many factories would emerge at the Sixth Street practically overnight.
The current production capacity of the base is restricted by theck of raw materials. A lot of scavenging teams already signed a contract with the factories. Although I suggested Chu Nan to forcefully purchase the resources that Fishbone Base requires at a premium, he rejected the proposal. He said that unless you made the decision, he wouldnt interfere with the contract between privatepanies and scavengers. Wang Qin sighed.
What he did was right, Jiang Chen said.
Chu Nan was undoubtedly an interesting individual - although he was just a pilot, it was surprising that they shared a simr thought process. One trait that most survivors shared on the wastnd was that the moment they saw something nice, they would steal it. This was the reason why most people spent their life picking through garbage.
Of course, looking at the question from another perspective, the actions of the survivors were reasonable. Due to the scarcity of survival resources, they might not even be able to survive without robbing others.
Wang Qin looked at Jiang Chen, not understanding. From her perspective, they were already nice enough to purchase the supplies at a premium - at least they werent trying to rob them. Fishbone base was the controller of the Sixth Street, didnt they have the authority to do whatever they wanted?
Only freedom and goodwill can inject the longsting energy needed for the Sixth Streets economic growth. We would only lose credibility if we attempted to interfere with the economy and its supporting industry. And to a regime like ours, thetter is obviously more important than the former.
She didnt understand what the boss said, but she thought it was deep That was what Wang Qins expression showed.
Credibility whats the purpose of that?
Too useful. Jiang Chenughed. Lets not talk about this. How much iron and aluminum are we missing? Just give me a list. These two resources will no longer be imported from the Sixth Street - I will solve the problem myself.
You-you can obtain iron? Wang Qins eyes widened in disbelief as she couldnt hide her surprise.
But she was quick to realize her rudeness as she covered her mouth with her hands to express her remorse.
Jiang Chen didnt mind and answered with a casual voice.
Thats right, I can transport it starting next month. I cant solve the problem with the rare metals though, so see if you have any solutions.
She pushed up her sses as the surface reflected a cunning spark.
Let the scavengers of the base take care of it. We should give up on recycling iron and aluminum and shift our focus to electronic equipment and high precision devices - these things contain a higher amount of rare metal.
Mhmm, Ill leave it up to you. Jiang Chen nodded.
Transportation of goods into the warehouse was almostplete, so Wang Qin saluted before she left.
As it was gettingte, Jiang Chen took a big stretch before returning to the mansion.
He needed to bring the nutrient supply to the fallout shelter the next day and ask Han Junhuas opinion. Then he would visit the Sixth Street to examine Chu Nans current work progress.
He pushed open the door to the living room to see Yao Yao and Lin Lin sitting at the table. The two small heads were both deep in thought as they engaged in a discussion about a blueprint.
What are you looking at it? Jiang Chen came closer out of curiosity.
Ahh, big brother is back. Are you done for the day? Yao Yao smiled gently at Jiang Chen as she turned her head.
Lin Lin proudly straightened her back and kept her chin high.
Were currently researching a magnificent technology but since it requires someputer knowledge, I have to ask Yao Jiayu
Jiang Chen expected Lin Lin to boast, so he chose to ignore her and directed his gaze at the cute Yao Yao.
Hello! Stop ignoring me! Lin Lin protested.
Its about a database converting brain waves to electronic signals, its nothing special, Yao Yao timidly said.
Database? Jiang Chen was puzzled.
Sorry for troubling you guys so much.
Sun Xiaorou walked out of the hallway dressed in a light purple floral dress. She lowered her eyes apologetically.
Not at all, its not troublesome. Lin Lin felt awkward by Sun Xiaorous sincerity as she scratched her face.
Although it was Tingting in her body who destroyed the chip causing Sun Xiaorou to be like this, she still bore some responsibility for not controlling the bug. Even if Sun Xiaorou never med her, she always felt guilty.
While Lin Lin had a big mouth and was somewhat arrogant, she was still a kind person deep inside.
No problem at all, Yao Yao also hopes that sister can start walking soon. Yao Yao nodded her head earnestly.
Thank you, everyone, Sun Xiaorou said emotionally.
Jiang Chen sensed they had a good rtionship with each other -was it because they lived together for so long?
Thank you too.
Eh? Me? Jiang Chen looked in surprise at Sun Xiaorou smiling at him.
Mhmm. It was only because of you that I reunited with my sister and meet so many lovely friends and alsoa cute brother-inw.
Her eyes turned into two crescents. The smile was sweet, but Jiang Chen felt the smile gave a vibe simr to her sister.
The devil-like smile.
Jiang Chen gulped as he shivered uncontrobly.
[Fu*k, does that count as teasing me?]
After dinner, Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao went to the third-floor gym. Inside were two virtual reality training chambers.
Jiang Chen was told that the virtual reality MMORPG was finished. Of course, he couldnt wait to experience it as he dragged Sun Jiao along.
was a name created by Du Yongkong. He didnt create the content himself because a lot of the data and models were already avable. All he needed to do was replicate the famous virtual reality MMORPG on the new engine.
Although it sounded easy, it was arge amount of work. Toplete the project, Du Yongkong requested ten something people who previously worked in game design to assist him.
On the other hand, Jiang Chen also increased the difficulty of his work.
To better fit the culture of the modern world and peoples spiritual needs, Jiang Chen downloaded a library of Xuanhuan web novels and made Du Yongkong read through them. He asked him to try his best to recreate the passion when he designed the game.
This troubled Du Yongkong greatly. While Jiang Chen enjoyed the novels, Yongkong didnt understand the fun of them at all since he was forced to read millions of words just toplete his assigned task.
Regardless, after half a year of work, the beta version of the game was finally finished. Whether it was fun or not, Jiang Chen was determined to figure that out himself.
Chapter 366 - The Game Rating becoming weird
Chapter 366: The Game Rating bing weird
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Although it was an MMORPG, aside from the NPC that possessed basic artificial intelligence, there were only two yers. The two virtual reality chambers connected directly to the server which acted as a private server.
The game content was easy to understand and follow.
It involved twondmasses, four empires, the cultural infusion between the east and west, and a distinct otherworldlynd that introduced the background of the world. The opening animation was exquisitely designed, but Jiang Chen didnt want to waste time and decided to skip it and went straight into the character creation interface.
There was a variety of sses and races that could be selected including most of the usual ones covered in MMORPG-type novels. Because it was a Game Master ount, Jiang Chen could directly select the hidden race and ss that would normally only open after thousands of special conditions were met.
Jiang Chen didnt want to spend too much time selecting his character, so he chose the most bnced human as well as the warrior profession with a bnce of attack and defense abilities.
A few words flew in front of his eyes.
Chapter One: Medieval Era
The game would be permanently influenced by the actions of users in the game, pushing ahead of the current progression of the gaming world.
For example, if a yer conquered thousands of hurdles toplete a hidden quest to reveal the magic steam engine, the NPC would form the progressive party, and the conservative party would take the yers who chose sides in an epic battle to determine whether the world would progress to Chapter Two: Steam Era or remain in Chapter One: Medieval Era.
When an overly-curious yer triggered a demigod or destructor to be summoned into the world and caused the Endless hell spell to be cast on the entire server, if they chose to sacrifice their soul to Lucifer, then the game would return to Chapter One: Medieval Era.
The progression of the world meant that new sses and even new races would be born. Whether the steam era or the magical era appeared was based on the actions of the yers in the world. The amount of freedom was almost identical to the real world as endless possibilities existed.
This level of detail was an impossible task for modern supeputers because the number of variables and changes would be an astronomical number. But with the technology of the apocalypse, this level of detail was no problem at all.
No one would choose to miss the opportunity of experiencing a second life.
Jiang Chen could already imagine the craze people would have when they purchased the virtual reality helmet.
White light illuminated the space and Jiang Chen appeared in the starting vige, naked.
Another white light shed and Sun Jiao also showed up naked beside Jiang Chen.
Ahh! How-howe I dont have any clothes?! Sun Jiao cried as she looked down to cover her private areas while she trembled with a red face.
Eh? Do you like elves?
Jiang Chen scratched his chin as he examined the character Sun Jiao created.
Other than her voice, it waspletely differentpared to the real her.
The chin was too sharp to be considered humanly possible, and slim and elegant ears passed through the green strands of hair. It had a slender waist as well as a chest the size of ser balls - it had the face of an angel but the figure of a devil.
As Jiang Chen looked, he nodded, pleased.
Mhmm, the face creation system must be nerfed since she doesnt look too different from her actual appearance. The idea of an ugly girl with a pretty face speaking sweetly to him gave him goosebumps.
Also, the gender has to be restricted! He discovered that during character creation, he could choose to create a female ount. Is Du Yongkong dumb?
When he thought about a man with a female ount interacting with him, a shiver went down his spine. At least create a separate server just for people like that
Is this the time to say that?! Clothes! Give me clothes! Sun Jiao cried out in embarrassment.
It was rare to see Sun Jiao in such a panic.
Of course, appearing naked on the street would make anyone panic.
Its okay, were all NPC. Jiang Chen extended his finger and pressed into the air. Also, with the existence of the control center, you can create clothes yourself.
A long dress dropped on the ground.
Sun Jiao, with a speed of lightning, snatched the clothes on the ground and covered her private areas. Then the benevolent elf smiled gruesomely at the shocked crowd and unleashed thunderous strikes.
Her finger moved.
Thousands of me trails dropped from the ground. The level 100 mages forbidden spell Endless Hell burned the entire starting vige to dust.
Typically speaking, it wasnt possible to kill people in the starting vige, but Sun Jiao ruthlessly abused the infinite abilities of the NPC.
That was how GM yed the game.
You dont have to wipe everyone out, there were a few dwarf lolis there. The mes dropping on Jiang Chen disyed a bunch of 0s - the spell was useless on him.
Theyre programs after all! Sun Jiao gave Jiang Chen a dirty look as she bared her teeth to disy her prowess.
She was indeed right since all these people were NPC. While they appeared shocked, embarrassed and even had sexual desires when they saw a naked body, behind the characters were just lines of code. All the personality programs were based on DnDs matrix and were determined based on random variables.
Okay, youre right.
Jiang Chen scanned the scorched earth and copsed buildings. The smell of burnt meat even drifted into his nose.
Mhmm It wasnt good to be too realistic. If blood began to pour out with a single sword cut and a mere me ball spell burned people, the game wouldnt operate for too long before the Radio and Television Ministry shut this down. Create a less violent version? Maybe they could automatically identify the age and nationality of the user and limit the graphic effects based on localws of the user.
Whats fun about this game? Sun Jiao scrolled with her finger as she worked on her equipment.
Jiang Chen didnt need to ask as he knew she mustve put the ten stars god weapon into her inventory.
A green light was cast out as godly equipment, the Armor of the Elf Queen, was donned by Sun Jiao.
This equipment perfectly demonstrated the idea of saving clothes for the country. Only a few metal tes covered the private area and most of her skin was exposed under a thin veil.
Seeing that there was no one around, Sun Jiao didnt consider whether the equipment that resembled lingerie was embarrassing or not, but she teased Jiang Chen with her 36Gs.
Looking at the naughty Sun Jiao, Jiang Chen scanned the tightly wrapped clothes in front of her chest.
Did you drag the chest size up to the max?
Sun Jiao, who had her secret exposed, didnt even blush as she rolled her eyes.
I dont believe you didnt drag your thing to the max.
To be honest, Jiang Chen hadnt even thought about it. He allowed the system to replicate his look when he created his character.
Sun Jiao reminded him that in the virtual world, he could be a bit bigger.
His finger drew in the air as the indescribable part began to bulk at an unbelievable speed. Jiang Chen had a smirk on his face.
Why dont you test it out?
Chapter 367 - Recently at the Camp
Chapter 367: Recently at the Camp
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The area inside the camp walls more than doubled and extended from outside the square to the bus stop. The four corners of the camp had patrol towers ten meters high. Each of the towers was equipped with four 20mm cannons. Therge caliber stationary machinegun could not only easily rip Death ws armor, but it could even do damage to Roshans high-density fat. Of course, the machinegun was primarily targeted towards the Roshan, since the Death w was limited in number and hard to hit, while the Roshan could bite with eyes closed.
Compared to when Jiang Chen left, the changes inside the base were also astonishing.
The tent area was messy as the ghetto was removed and reced by rows of concrete apartment buildings. Because of the improvements in living conditions, the mood of the fallout shelter residents was more pleasant - at least few people had despair on their faces while walking on the streets.
Based on the directions Jiang Chen gave before he left, Xu Lu built anotherb on the surface. However, due tock of experimental equipment, theb on the surface couldnt be put into service and most of the experiments were still conducted underground.
Jiang Chen didnt have to wait too long before Wang Zhaowu and Xu Lu came to greet him.
After some catching up, Jiang Chen began to ask about the status of the camp.
The number of stationed troops increased from 80 to 200. To adjust for theck of personnel, a new drone control terminal was established in the camp with an attack fleet of 400 drones being deployed. Wang Zhaowu reported the defense status of the base.
Have there been any security concerns? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
The activity of the zombies from Wanghai is increasing. Also, mutants are bing more active. Last month, there was an incident where a Death w attack caused 14 casualties Wang Zhaowu lowered his head in guilt.
An incident like this urring waspletely his fault. The Songjiang area didnt have any Death w nests, so no Death w shouldve been active in the area - this was almostmon sense to the Wanghai survivors. It was enough of a coincidence that Jiang Chen encountered a Mother of Death wst time, but no one expected that another Death w would be active in the area.
Raise your head, Death w attacks werent your fault. Your responsibility is to react and handle this type of emergency situation. But from what I see, you are doing very well. Jiang Chen scanned the walls surrounding the base.
Wang Zhaowu raised his head and looked sincerely at Jiang Chen.
Also, do you have any more intel from thest explosion at the camp?
Jiang Chen had a sense that the death of the elder man and the Golden Apple might be connected somehow.
Not for the time being, but we found a digitalized human body on the adjacent block. While there was no direct evidence linking him and the explosion, based on the time of destruction, the body was destroyed on the day of the explosion, Wang Zhaowu said.
[Digitalized human?]
A frown appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Do you have pictures?
Wang Zhaowu nodded, brought out an image from his EP and passed it to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chens pupils gazed at the distinct figure.
[Lin Chaoen.]
Although the face was barely recognizable, from the remaining few facial traits, Jiang Chen could still recognize his identity.
We also found aser sword and a dagger nearby.
Mhmm, I see. Jiang Chen nodded.
Regarding the mysterious digitalized human with ill-intentions, he currently had no solutions. Even with his body destroyed, he could very possibly revive at some unknown location. The bearded mercenary EP provided some clues, but because of their high firepower, the helicopter couldnt get any closer. While Cheng Weiguo did try to investigate the issue through drones, they were still intercepted.
Lets put both issues aside. For now, focus on the defense of the camp and ensure the safety of the fallout shelter residents. They are highly-valued experts in different fields. That is all.
Yes, Sir! Wang Zhaowu saluted and left.
Then Jiang Chen looked at Xu Lu, What about the internal affair?
She smiled with confidence and said, The research project team has increased from 10 to 17 members. The research results include four sub-projects rted to T-4 power armor, 20mm transportable cannon, Tiger II, and improved nutrient supply.
Tiger II ispleted? Jiang Chen was shocked.
Mhmm. Since it was limited by theck of raw materials, the test model could not be produced. But the researchers built a mathematical model to verify thebat ability of this Tiger model.
Perfect! Wheres the lead for this project? Jiang Chen was jubnt.
Inside the fallout shelter. Do you want me to call him up? Xu Lu said.
No need, I have to go down anyways. Jiang Chen waved his hand.
Anything else I can help you with? Xu Lu said.
N Hmm, take me to the basement.
Roger, Xu Lu said respectfully.
It was already approaching June, but the basement was still cold and damp.
The guard opened the metal gate for Jiang Chen and he waited outside with Xu Lu.
Jiang Chen wavered in front of the door, but he still walked in.
Han Junhua raised her head and looked peacefully at Jiang Chen.
Are you going to surrender?
No response.
With eyes asposed as still water, she made Jiang Chen frustrated.
How could one person be stubborn to this extent?
An evil thought shed through his head, but he took a deep breath and restrained his desires. The longer he stayed in the apocalypse, the more blurry his boundaries became. Since he had juste back, however, rationality won this battle.
I hope you seriously reconsider.
Jiang Chen gave her a long, meaningful look and left the basement.
With the closing of the metal door, Han Junhua felt relieved.
Although she didnt know why he didnt do anything this time, to her, it was a relief.
Chapter 368 - Tiger II
Chapter 368: Tiger II
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Jiang Chen took the elevator down to the fallout shelter. Just as he was about to send the nutrient supply sample to Wang Fangpin and look at the results of the Tiger II project team, he happened to encounter the two people he was looking for in front of theb.
They seemed to be arguing over something.
Bring in X1 bacteria inside the fallout shelter?! Are you crazy??! Tiger IIs project lead Fang Wei shouted at Wang Fangpin.
X1 bacteria controlled the zombies.
This is for experimentation, for science! And its not like you havent been injected with vines - why are you so scared?! With spit droplets all over his face, Wang Fangpin roared.
The two were arguing furiously with each other. If it wasnt for someone bumping into them and the guard standing by, the two educated people might erupt into a brawl.
And then? Create an X3 or X4 immune to the vine? Fang Wei said mockingly.
Any experiments are designed safely; I only need a small strand of DNA. This is the distrust and bias of life science!
X1 bacteria was detected on the touch screen of the quantumputer in theb - do you think its safe? Fang Wei was enraged.
Due to the limited experimentation equipment inside the fallout shelter, there was only one quantumputer capable of handling experiment simtion. Theputer was pivotal to research in the 22nd century as a lot ofplicated calction and data modeling could only bepleted by it. Although Fishbone base offered a reward of fifty thousand crystals at Sixth Street for anyone who could find an experiment-level quantumputer, unfortunately to this day, no news was heard. Therefore, all 17 research projects had to use the single quantumputer in the fallout shelter.
Oh my god, which dumb*ss didnt wash their hands before they touched the screen? I will investigate this, but, ahh, boss. Just as he was about to erupt into another debate with his colleague, Wang Fangpin noticed Jiang Chen standing beside them and immediately shut his mouth.
The people in the hallway dispersed when they saw Jiang Chen.
Whats going on?
Wang Fangpin cut in front of Fang Wei to exin: This is what happened. Because the seaweed project has stagnated due to a bottleneck, I asked the guards to collect some cells from the zombies neck to obtain X1 bacteria.
X1 bacteria? What does that have to do with the power-generating seaweed? Jiang Chen was puzzled.
Because X1 bacteria have high photosynthesis efficiency. To increase the conversion of sunlight in the seaweed, one of my researchers proposed a possibility that from the X1 bacterias nucleus, the DNA of the chlorost could be imnted into the seaweed.
What if the seaweed ends up disying simr characteristics of X1 bacteria? Fang Wei interrupted with a sneer.
[Fu*k, thats a big problem!]
Fang Weis words made Jiang Chen jump. He first thought that what Wang Fangpin did was right - research must be done at all costs. But when he remembered that this must be grown in the modern world, he instantly became worried.
He didnt want Resident Evil urring in the modern world.
Thats impossible, you dont understand gic engineering. Wang Fangpins face was red and steamy.
But I understand the risk to technology. Fang Wei immediately countered Wang Fangpins perspective.
Enough, stop arguing. Jiang Chen stopped their argument out of annoyance.
The two of them both shut their mouths. But from the way they stared at each other, they were clearly still heated.
After a pause, Jiang Chen looked at Wang Fangpin. Transnting DNA strands from X1 bacteria must be stopped now. Just like what Fang Wei said, research must be carefully designed and executed within safe boundaries. Any DNA samples injected with X1 bacteria must be destroyed.
Yes, Wang Fangpin said reluctantly.
Seeing as he got the upper hand, the tips of Fang Weis mouth curved up proudly.
Jiang Chen patted Wang Fangpins shoulder and used an encouraging tone tofort him: Its great to take bold, innovative leaps, but the amount of risk cant be ignored. Also, here is a sample of the mass-produced improved nutrient supply. Take a look to see if it meets quality standards.
Since his research was discarded, it would be natural for him to feel defeated, but Wang Fangpin wasnt narrow-minded. After taking a deep breath, he bounced back from his negative emotions.
Okay.
He took the nutrient supply from Jiang Chen and left.
Then Jiang Chen turned to Fang Wei.
Report this type of incident to the camp and in the future, dont try to solve incidents like this privately. Youre not a barbarian - what can arguments solve?
Yes, Fang Wei replied, abashed.
Internal conflicts could only be solved by remaining neutral. Jiang Chen didnt know any other methods to resolve strained rtionships between researchers.
Lets not talk about this anymore. I heard the Tiger IIs design ispleted, so Im here to take a look. Could you show me the model?
Of course! Please follow me. When he heard Jiang Chen ask about the research project, Fang Wei immediately became energetic and hastily walked to theputer room.
Jiang Chen followed him and saw the quantumputer.
The quantumputer was simr to the gamingputer he picked up at Fallout Shelter 005, but itsputation power was clearly a level above the mixed algorithms supeputer. The machine was the size of a van and connected by all kinds of wires and cords.
Just from its appearance, the quantumputer looked in from the outside. But considering how carefully Fang Wei worked on it, it was easy to see how valuable this thing was.
Quickly, a blue light surfaced from the hologram device and formed a miniature model of Tiger II.
Different from the previous Tiger, the Tiger II was designed with a firing cannon. It had a length of 10.7 meters, a width of 4.1 meters, and the vehicle was rectangr in shape. The turret was located at the back of the vehicle with the barrel parallel to the front armor. It had a weight of 63 tons with the armorposed of A-type steel.
The Tiger II battlefield positioning is a tank destroyer while also supporting the artillery. Its defense is mainly concentrated in the front and turret armor. In addition to the main cannon, on the top of the turret is a 10mm machine gun to attack targets in close proximity. Of course, words cant reflect its actualbat ability - let me show you.
After a brief exnation about the specifications of Tiger II, Fang Wei pressed another button on the control screen.
The hologram graphics began to change as a dessert appeared underneath the Tiger II. Seven sets of weight-bearing wheels under the steel armor began to rotate as the Tiger moved at full speed in the desert. The environment then changed from desert to city, city to forest.
This is the model we created based on simting real physical environments - it realistically replicates thebat ability of the tank. Ill demonstrate the actualbat effectiveness of Tiger II.
With a stunned expression on Jiang Chens face, Fang Wei proudly pressed a button on the screen.
Giant letters surfaced on the hologram.
[Battle Simtion]
The environment changed again as the Tiger II model reappeared in an empty desert. At the same time, four soldiers with Python anti-tank rocketunchers appeared in four different directions.
Four rocketsunched simultaneously before theynded on the front, side, back, and turret of Tiger II. mes engulfed the Tiger II, but when the smoke dispersed, only the back armor of the Tiger II received any kind of damage.
Jiang Chen had witnessed the destructive power of the Python before. The chief tank destroyed in the civil war had a massive hole blown in its front armor. Though he never personally experienced the war, he saw the image captured by drones from the rocket striking the target.
Whether fighting against anti-tank weapons or weapons of other tanks, Tiger II is designed with survivability in mind. Of course, its not meant to be a tank, so I dont rmend sending it to the front line to fight against the other tanks.
Then Fang Wei demonstrated Tiger IIs survivability against other pre-war tanks, and the results were impressive. Other than being unable to defend against the Wanderers particle cannon, most of the tanks blows could be absorbed by the front armor of the Tiger II.
As for the power of the type-50 electromaic cannon, Jiang Chen saw it many times already so Fang Wei didnt need to demonstrate it. Compared to the previous Tiger with its cannon on the truck, only the Tiger IIs armor was improved -the cannon itself didnt change.
What do you think? Are you pleased with the Tiger II? Fang Wei already knew the answer from Jiang Chens expression, but he still asked proudly.
Compared to Wang Fangpins personality, Fang Wei was more extroverted. He had the pride of a scientist when he handled people and things. Although he restrained some of his personality in front of Jiang Chen, the dictator, his personality still subconsciously seeped through.
But Jiang Chen didnt mind. As long as people viewed these traits as a weakness, he could ept it.
Haha, Im very pleased. Whats the cost? Jiang Chen smiled in satisfaction.
Everything is on this list. Fang Wei handed Jiang Chen a graphene card.
<101 tons of iron, 10 tons of aluminum, 2.1 tons of molybdenum>
The first few were okay, but the long list of rare metals gave Jiang Chen a headache. Theck of supply of the rare metals must be solved. It was still too difficult to fill industrials need by simply recycling.
Chapter 369 - The Rare Quantum Computer
Chapter 369: The Rare Quantum Computer
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When Jiang Chen returned to the surface, he immediately found Xu Lu and exined to her his idea of deepwater mining.
Deepwater mining?
Xu Lu looked at Jiang Chen, puzzled. All detectable mines on earth have been mined clean. Even if the mantle beneath the deep sea a few kilometers below still has undeveloped deposits, because of the high cost of mining and the severe damage to the geological environment, the operation would be impossible to conduct.
Also, the existence of space elevators significantly reduced the cost of space. 22nd centurys mining operations were all focused on space mining. It was fair to say that deepwater mining was as outdated as coal power generation.
Thats right, deepwater mining technology, preferably an automated system. Is that possible? Jiang Chen asked.
It is certainly possible since it is an outdated technology But are there mining deposits along the coast of Wanghai?
You dont have to worry about that, as to where to mine, I have my ns. Jiang Chenughed.
Since Jiang Chen has already spoken, Xu Lu nodded and agreed.
Okay, I will establish another research team to focus on the replication of the deepwater mining technology. However, currently there is only one quantumputer, if there is an increase in the projects progression, it will slow down the research speed of other projects.
Jiang Chen was lost for a moment as he didnt know what research was currently being conducted and the reliance of the research on quantumputers in the 22nd century. A lot of people born after the war didnt understand either, but since Xu Lu came from before the war, she knew some elements of it.
Acutely, she read the confusion on Jiang Chen face as she concisely exined the reasoning.
Quantumputers power calction ability is precise enough to simte the physical environment at quark level which would allow a lot of experiments to be simted in a pure math state. It was not only easy to eliminate the possible interference in the experiment, but it could also simte a chemical reaction that usually takes a few days toplete in less than a second. Of course, thats only one of its functions.
When Xu Lu exined this, Jiang Chen finally understood why all the countries in the modern world dumped endless amount of money in the bottomless pit known as the quantumputer. Oncepleted, without any exaggeration, the countrys research speed would exponentially increase.
While a lot of organizations and countries all bragged aboutpleting the initial stage of the quantumputer, with IBM and Google as the frontrunners, they were still far from the actual quantumputer. Also, although they are using quantum algorithm, theputersputation speed cant even surpass traditionalputers.
Before material science had its monumental breakthrough, any bragging of the development of the quantumputer was merely gloating. Just like without the invention of reinforced concrete, it was impossible for skyscrapers to be built.
Whats the ideal ratio of one quantumputer to project teams? Jiang Chen gave it some thought and said in an undertone.
From experience, the ideal ratio would be ten project teams to 1 quantumputer But right now it is not feasible.
There was only one in the fallout shelter with 17 projects all using it. With an additional project in deepwater mining, crowding would be an understatement.
Is there production technology for the quantumputer? Jiang Chen asked.
Yes, but we dont have the production capability, Xu Lu said with resignation.
It made sense.
Jiang Chen also revealed a smile with deep resignation.
Okay, since another research team cannot be added, the people on the surface shouldnt do nothing. Although it is hard toplete research without the quantumputer, they can still easily handle wastnd technology retrieving and information gathering.
Okay. Xu Lu nodded.
Rural area, north of Wanghai.
A man walked along the cracked concrete road.
A grey hood covered his face. However, from his torn clothes, he seemed to have experienced an intense battle not long ago.
Because of the war, infrastructure such as bridges was mostly destroyed by the sts, the Binjiang Bridge that stretched across Long River was broken into several segments, but it didnt bother him.
While throwing a w out of his right hand, he leaped over unimaginably and agilely swung across.
Both feet stomped onto the ground.
He gathered his bnce and let out a breath. After he crossed the river, it would no longer be a part of Wanghai territory.
The screeching howl of Death w came from the distance not far behind his back, but it quickly faded.
He attached the w back on his belt and took off his hood.
Phew, of course, it wont chase.
The face, it was Lin Chaoen.
A hologram map appeared two inches in front of his eyes, the mechanical eyes slightly turned as he directed his vision to the west.
Wanghai rural areas zombie concentration was extremely scattered, but the density of mutants was rtively high. However, the mutants seemed to be different from the ones inside Wanghai; they didnt seem to demonstrate aggressiveness, at least not to the digitalized human.
A Death w was wandering among the shambles, hunting for food. When it passed by Lin Chaoen, it only sniffed its nose before he gave up on the prey made out of metal and silica gel.
A few survivors, hiding in the dark, fearfully looked at the Death w pass by Lin Chaoen. They were baffled at the fact that the Death w didnt attack this man.
His electronic eyes scanned the survivors, but he chose to ignore them and headed to his destination.
Aside from the two groups of bandits who wasted a few minutes of his time, he had a smooth journey.
He headed west for two hours before he stopped in front of a warehouse.
A man with a cigarette in his mouth walked out of the shadows. Along with him were a few soldiers holding rifles. From the symbol on their uniform, they were from the Crimson Chamber of Commerce.
You arete. The man with the cigarette blew out a ring of smoke.
Got caught up along the way, Lin Chaoen apologized.
The man nced at the blood yet to dry on his face. He didnt ask for the reason as he took out his cigarette from his mouth.
Then lets start.
Lin Chaoen didnt answer him. He walked around him to the door of the warehouse.
He put his finger on the circle on the warehouse panel.
Fingerprint identification? The cigarette man asked.
Electric signal identification. Lin Chaoen corrected him concisely and backed away a few steps.
The door opened, exposing the items stored in the warehouse.
The mans pupils contracted.
A full warehouse stuffed with B-grade steel. By crude estimation, there were at least 1000 tons.
Its hard to imagine how rich you are. Greed shed across the mans eyes.
At the Sixth Street, the price of one ton of B-grade steel was already 100 crystals. 1000 tons would sell for one hundred thousand crystals!
But he thought about what his boss told him as the greed in his mind began to cool down.
Its the wealth of my father, purchased before the war. He looked at the cigarette man as Lin Chaoen didnt seem to mind the expression change on his face. Then he said emotionally, Like our agreement, half of the steels usage will be determined by you. The other half, I need you to follow my demand and produce the parts I need.
After a pause, a noble smile appeared on Lin Chaoens face.
Of course, if I dont see what I want to see a monthter, some unfortunate events may ur.
That smile was cruel.
Chapter 370 - The Second Crusade
Chapter 370: The Second Crusade
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen currently had no better ideas in regards to the quantumputer. He could only do his best to collect more information.
Before he left, he said a few words to Xu Lu. He especially emphasized the research of military technology, the technology of the recovery of man-made inds, space elevator, and synchronous space station.
Jiang Chen headed to the Sixth Street by helicopter.
After about ten minutes of flying, the helicopter arrived above the Sixth Street.
With an aerial view, the Sixth Street was indeed differentpared to before.
After Chu Nan became the acting general, he immediately tightened the control of the army and established strict rules. He also extended the free trade policy used by the Group of Ten. Even with a military dictatorship, the government didnt use any authority uwfully. Compared to before, the military government led by him was fairer and more just.
The benefits of his action was evident.
Not only did the survivors from Wanghai city begin to migrate toward the Sixth Street, but even survivors in nearby cities also followed suit. While they increased thebor force, they also brought the technology necessary for the Sixth Street.
The skyscrapers in the Inner Circle and the buildings in the Outer Circle began to look more prosperous. Jiang Chen noticed while being in the air that the underground sewerage entrance was now a part of the newly built wall of the Outer Circle.
Other than that, small camps were surrounding the Sixth Street and scattered across the ruins. The camps were mostly built by businessmen stationed at the Sixth Street. Due to the price ofnd gradually increasing in the Outer Circle, they built their factories and camps outside of the wall. They paid taxes to the military government, follow the Sixth Streetsws, and epted protection from the patrolling team.
The small city was like a seed, spreading on to the barrennd and bringing forth the birth of a new sprout known as civilization.
The guide on the ground waved his signal sticks, notifying the helicopter it was safe tond.
Aftering to aplete stop, Jiang Chen jumped out of the helicopter and saw Chu Nan already waiting at the door.
When the helicopter first appeared on the radar, Chu Nan immediately rushed over.
I havent seen you in a while How long has it been? Jiang Chen eximed to his old friend.
Half a year already. Do you want to check my ce out? Chu Nanughed.
Compared to everyone else, he went through the most significant change. Jiang Chen recalled that when he first freed him from the basement, he still had na?veness on his face. But now, he was calm and reserved.
Of course, it is convenient, Jiang Chen dly epted his invitation.
An ordinary looking car stopped in front of them. The driver saluted and opened the door for them.
It was a ten-minute drive before the car arrived at the council building. At the top of the council building was the offices of the military government, and two of the rooms were Chu Nans home.
Chu Nan warmly invited Jiang Chen inside, and they sat on the sofa. Zhou Xiaoxia in casual clothes walked out to pour water for them. Just by looking at her, the former lone travelers mental state seemed to have recovered drastically. Although he didnt know if she has regained her memory, at least she didnt live in the misery of the Huizhong Mercenaries anymore.
The two chatted and began to discuss the development of the Sixth Street.
Because of the influence of economic growth, the total poption of the Sixth Street grew from 53,021st quarter to 82,102 this quarter. The number of factories increased from 37 to 239; the number of registered merchants went up from 301 to 2000, and there are 29 new mercenaries, 105 hunting teams, and 421 scavenger groups.
These are explosive numbers. Jiang Chen couldnt do anything but praise him.
Chu Nan nodded. Economic growth primarily benefited from the crusadest fall. The poption growth was attributable to economic growth and political stabilization.
And your wise decisions, Jiang Chen mocked.
Haha, it is your wise promotion, Chu Nan said humbly.
Haha, dont give me that, your achievement is your achievement.
Chu Nan didnt reply, but the smile on his face indeed showed proudness.
Chu Nan cleared his throat as he continued, After the good news, there is the bad news.
Oh? Whats the bad news?
The survivors that escaped from Jia city to the Sixth Street brought information from the west. This spring, the mutated humans attacked the Defenders from the Seventh Area. With the funding of the Dusk Church, they captured Jia city. Because of this, the number of trade routes decreased by 60% from Hang city, and the routes entering Wanghai from the southwest were practically blocked.
After he listened to Chu Nans report, he raised his eyebrows.
Jia city lied in between Wanghai and Hang city. If the mutated humans captured this area, the merchants between Wanghai and Hang must be affected. Compared to the bandits without an organization, the organized mutated humans were obviously more concerning.
And your opinion is?
Organize the second crusade with the goal of freeing Jia, Chu Nan said sinctly.
A rather aggressive proposal.
The second crusade? Whats there to take away from the mutated humans? Jiang Chen was somewhat surprised by the proposal.
Do you still remember their equipment? Chu Nan with a smile looked at Jiang Chen.
Equipment?
Other than heavy machineguns, and the armor on their body
D-grade steel!
Jiang Chen suddenly realized.
There are ample amount of steel reserves in the mutated humans head. There was enough to turn them into armors and treat them as moving fortresses. Thest crusade for the source of bacteria brought crystals here and ignited the fire of industrialization. And this crusade will bring the steel that will be necessary to fuel the me of industrialization.
Needless to say, it was an attractive proposal.
Although Jiang Chen could solve the problem of iron ores, C-grade steel required more than just iron; there was a high requirement for rare metals. The mutated humans C-grade steel was there and avable; it was undoubtedly a good choice.
When are you nning to act? Jiang Chen asked in an undertone.
Departing in the fall, finishing by winter, He answered quickly.
This guy clearly has been nning this as he even had a strategy in ce. Departing in the fall and finishing by winter, it would leave an ample amount of time to prepare while finishing the battle before the mutated humans gain the advantage during winter. It was also the perfect timing to eliminate the obstacles before the next spring for the trade routes.
Even excluding economic reasons, the mutated humans were a big concern. Even if the Sixth Street didnt send out a force in the fall, there was no guarantee that they would not invade during the winter.
But it was approaching June, was there enough time to prepare the crusade?
Jiang Chen began to deliberate this in his mind.
Chapter 371 - Shell Grains
Chapter 371: Shell Grains
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
If we do fight, whats our probability of winning?
Jiang Chen thought Chu Nan would give him an urate response, but he shook his head.
Hard to say.
Why? Jiang Chen asked.
From the currentmand structure, even if we mobilize more troops, it would still be hard to win. Chu Nan was straightforward.
Changing themand structure Do you have any rmendations?
Before he headed backst time, Jiang Chen had been thinking about this problem, but he didnt really have an idea. He has established the administrative structure, but the militarily one To be honest, other than knowing how to y a few strategy games, he waspletely illiterate in military knowledge.
I dont know too much about militarymand. Didnt you capture a Colonel? She probably knows more than all of us, Chu Nan said.
A glimpse of awkwardness shed across Jiang Chens face as his eyes drifted to the side.
Ahem, she still hasnt given up her loyalty to the organization.
With a slight frown, Chu Nan pondered, That shouldnt be possible, is there something wrong with the chip Do you need me to help you?
No need, I can take care of it, Jiang Chen quickly rejected the proposal.
Chu Nan took a moment to process before he looked at Jiang Chen dubiously.
Allow me to be honest, it is not wise to havepassion for the captive. Her knowledge is extremely critical to your cause, I hope general can consider seriously.
I will. Jiang Chen gave a vague answer, I will do my best to reform themand structure. Do you have a preparatory n for the crusade?
Seeing that Jiang Chen didnt want to continue on the topic, Chu Nan knew it was best to talk about something else, Of course. First, is military resources. We can use the bank to distribute war bonds in order to fund the war. The payment will be the supplies obtained from the mutated humans. Then we will use the gathered funding to purchase from the major military factories for weapon and ammo, this will inject some life into the stagnate military industry. At the same time, the funding will be used to hire mercenaries and hunting teams, as well as pay for the sry of the soldiers reporting to duty.
Not a bad n. Jiang Chen praised.
A war that wouldnt cost a single cent, but would instead make money. Using the citizens money to pay for the military bill of the Fishbone base, and using the orders to promote economic growth. It was a brilliant move.
What about the soldiers? How many soldiers can we mobilize? Jiang Chen continued to ask.
Approximately 1000 soldiers.
A sufficient number, Jiang Chen nodded, pleased. Including the 1000 ves Jiang Chen purchased, he will have 2000 soldiers. Once training ispleted, the Fishbone bases military personnel will more than double.
Then the preparation for the crusade will be up to you, if there is nothing else, I will head out now.
Jiang Chen stood up.
Seeing that Jiang Chen was about to leave, Chu Nan also stood up and walked him to the door.
Although he still needed to take care of some things, Jiang Chen was not in a rush. It has been more than a year; he wanted to see how developed the small city has be.
After exchanging departing words with Chu Nan, Jiang Chen strolled through the Inner Circle before he headed to the Outer Circle.
Compared tost year, this ce did indeed be more prosperous.
The buildings along the side of the streets were all renovated, a lot of them were bulldozed down and rebuilt into three or four story high buildings. Just by standing here, ignoring the yellowish green radiation dust, it didnt feel like the wastnd at all.
Busy crowds; a variety of items. The lone travelers with rifles on their backs negotiated prices with the store owners while soldiers in carbon-nanobat suit maintained the order of the market. Other than the everyday clothes worn by the Wanghai survivors, there asionally would be someone with drastically different looking clothes. Some were from Luzhou 400 kilometers away, some were from the Wu city, some were even from the North Alliance Area.
While they brought crystals and goods, they also brought missing technology. For example, a useful smart mechanical dog that could carry up to 100 kilograms of supplies in all terrains eased the scavengers from carrying all the garbage. Another example was the silk from a species of mutated spiders. The silk could be produced into the chemical adhesive and used as a recement to themonly used adhesive. A lot of private factories already absorbed such technologies and started to manufacture these new goods.
The former ghetto was already bulldozed down with apartment buildings being built. Most were private properties with a small portion owned by the military government as shelters. There were no more malnourished prostitutes. What reced them were legally operated entertainment centers and sex workers dressed appropriately. There were no more refugees on the street waiting for their death. As long as the person was able-bodied, they could find a job in the Sixth Street.
The difference herepared to one year ago was the idea of civilization.
Dont miss the opportunity! Fresh shell grains! Take a look!
A merchants shouting drew Jiang Chens attention.
A not-so-spacious store was crowded with people. Two mercenary-looking workers were packaging the grains on the scale. The merchant in animal fur shouted while epting payment from the customer and handing them the bags of shell grain.
Shell grain? Jiang Chen looked at the bags of grains in surprise.
He got closer and asked the merchant.
How much is this?
One kilogram for three crystals, no haggling. The merchant didnt recognize Jiang Chens face, so he must be an outsider.
[It is simr to the price of a bag of instant noodles; slightly cheaper than rice.] Jiang Chen thought.
Where are these things being transported from? Jiang Chen asked.
The merchant looked at Jiang Chen cautiously and didnt respond right away. He only said, Are you going to buy it or not? If you are not, then move.
Jiang Chen didnt mind his rudeness as he took out three grain-sized crystals and threw it in the merchants hand.
Give me one kilogram.
When the merchant saw the crystals, a smile quickly appeared on his face as he handed him a bag of shell grains with both of his hands.
With the bag of shell grains in his hand, Jiang Chen stood there for a while before he walked to the warehouse area.
When he arrived, Zhao Chenwu had been waiting at the door for a while. Beside him was another person, Hu Youde from the giant pit.
Hu Youdes eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Chen and quickly went up to greet him.
Mr. Jiang, we meet again. I brought the ves you wanted.
Where are they? Jiang Chen looked around. There was no one else in sight.
Ahem, of course, it is not here. ve business is usually done at the shelter outside of the wall. It is a rule set by you, Zhao Chenwu walked up and exined to Jiang Chen.
Could be a rule established by Chu Nan. Jiang Chen didnt know.
Chapter 372 - Mining Resources Deposition Map
Chapter 372: Mining Resources Deposition Map
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The three came to the ve trade area at the Outer Circle. After Jiang Chen paid the twenty thousand crystals, the one thousand ves were transferred under his name. Escorted by Fishbone soldiers, the ves in shredded clothes walked in the direction of the underground tunnel.
They will be brought to the Fishbone base and receive three months of military training. If they sessfully pass, they will be promoted to lower citizen. For the people that cant pass, they will be transported to the colonies for production work.
Hu Youde gave an borative bow after he received the crystals from Jiang Chen and then left with his back hunched.
I bought something from a store at the Sixth Street Do you know where these came from? After he dragged Zhao Chenwu to the side, Jiang Chen took out the bag of shell grains.
Shell grains? I know about this. It was not until my trade fleet left the province of Suhang did I realize the wastnd was far bigger than we have imagined. In Jinchund 600 kilometers away, the survivors there all grow these types of crops. Only recently did these crops arrive here. Zhao Chenwu stared at the bullet shell sized grains as he forced a smile.
Hows the production quantity of these? Jiang Chen asked in an undertone.
The production quantity is substantial, but there is a strict requirement for soil quality. Only soil with both radiation and contamination below 20 could be used. Thus no soil in Wanghai fits this condition. Even in Jinchu, there is not a lot ofnd that can produce this crop. Although the ntation tower can grow this, the cost would be high.
Zhao Chenwu paused and grabbed a few grains out of the bag.
The starch of this type of shell grain possess a few types of special nt proteins because of itspact structure. If it were cooked into rice, usually the outside would be overcooked, but the inside would still be undercooked. Therefore, this type of shell grain would usually be used to make flour and then mixed with a special type of butter produced by mutant meat to make bread or cookie, or even alcohol. My trade fleet saw those in Wu city. Of course, when I saw that they could produce food To be honest, I was surprised. I originally thought that only the Northern Area Alliance and some of the fallout shelters could produce food, but somehow people managed to discover an edible mutated crop.
Radiation brought too many surprises to thisnd. Simr to no one knowing what monsters would walk out from the nuclear pit, no one knows what treasures are hidden inside. When the nts from the old world could no longer grow on this piece of soil, new nts of the new world reced them and prospered.
Would this type of mutated nt not umte toxins? Jiang Chen was confused.
In his impression, the reason why most of the nts on the wastndnd could not be used was due to the toxins in the soil umting in the nt itself. It was the reason why mutated fruits were not edible and could only be used as ingredients for nutrient supplies.
The shell grain is unique. The toxins are umted in the shell of the grain so it can be edible without throwing it into the organic converter. Zhao Chenwu let out a sigh.
This was not good news. With the crop flowing into Wanghai, it would impact the monopoly that the Fishbone base and Zhao corporation have in the food business. Although the taste was nowhereparable to rice, for the poor that could not afford rice, it was a good substitute.
Seeing that Jiang Chen was silent, Zhao Chenwu proposed.
I rmended Chu Nan increase the tax on shell grains.
Oh? His response was? Jiang Chen asked.
Free trade. Zhao Chenwu shrugged helplessly.
He has the same idea as me.
Okay, since this is your business. Zhao Chenwu saw that Jiang Chen was not moved, sighed, and didnt insist.
Protectionism was meaningless other than making the poor unable to afford the top grain, even if they didnt eat this, it was unlikely they would purchase the food they couldnt afford anyway.
Subjectively speaking, the shell grains existing in the Sixth Street would be helpful in boosting the poption. Only with enough food could it feed more people. From a long-term perspective, its entry is more beneficial.
After he departed with Zhao Chenwu, it was gettingte. Therefore, Jiang Chen decided to stay the night at Paradise Ind hotel.
The next morning, Jiang Chen took the helicopter back to the Fishbone base.
One thousand ves stood at the square in front of themunity center, under the statue of the Mother of Death w. The ves clothes were all reced with Fishbones uniform. Although they were not at ease with what was happening, they didnt have room to resist with a rifle pointed towards them.
Cheng Weiguo was on top of the temporarily installed podium and was lecturing the new recruits. He then announced the rules of the Fishbone base as well as the training n for the next three months.
Jiang Chen avoided the square and returned to the mansion before he went to Yao Yaos room.
The bedroom door was open when he walked in. The loli was working on a mechanical helmet.
Ahh, big brother is back, is there something you need me for? Yao Yaos eyes immediately lit up with stars when she noticed Jiang Chen. She took off her welding mask and turned around in joy.
Her thin legs dangled on the side of the chair as they matched perfectly with her pink dress.
Mhmm, there is something. What is this? Jiang Chen rubbed her head.
A brainwave signal converter device. If sister Xiaorou could put it on, she could walk without a wheelchair, Yao Yaosrge eyes as she said in happiness.
Really? Then thank you Yao Yao.
With a shy blush on her face, Yao Yao smiled. It is all Lin Lins work, I only worked on the database and chip processing.
Lin Lin? He didnt think she would care so much for other people. Jiang Chen was delighted by the thought.
Big brother has something that Yao Yao can help with? Yao Yao blinked her crystal-like eyes as she scanned Jiang Chens face.
Mhmm. Sun Jiao copied the librarys database to your ce right? Could you search for me if there are mining resources deposition maps in there.
Mining resources deposition maps? Let me look for them.
The white stocking covered feet was just long enough to reach the slippers on the floor. Yao Yao slid her chair to the otherputer table as she rapidly typed on the screen. A blue loading bar appeared in the middle.
Half a minuteter, 37 search results popped up.
Jiang Chen stood behind her as he confirmed map by map, but he didnt see anything he wanted.
Why are these all production output data No specific deposition information? Jiang Chen forced a smile.
Sorry, I didnt manage to help you. Yao Yao lowered her head in disappointment.
No, it is not Yao Yaos fault. Perhaps this geological information is too sensitive and not recorded in the city librarys database, Jiang Chenforted her.
It made sense. How would these key information appear in a library open to all everyone?
if it is not in the library, would it be at the Wanghai Geology Ministry? Yao Yao suggested. She didnt want to just give up.
Ministry of? Thats a good idea.
Could yourputer search for the location of it?
The map on the EP was only an aerial map. It could only recognize stations, airports, hospital or other prominentndmarks.
No problem, leave it up to Yao Yao! The librarys database has city maps from before the war Here it is. As she said this, Yao Yao already dragged out the map and presented it in front of Jiang Chen.
On the outskirt of the city center?
Jiang Chen with a frown stared at the red dot on the map.
Chapter 373 - Airborne
Chapter 373: Airborne
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The helicopter engine roared.
Sitting in the cabin, Jiang Chen conducted a final check of the equipment on him. He was wearing the new sample model of the T-4 power armor.
Pitch ck painting and thick front armor. The armor renowned for its defense looked a lot more reliable than the T-3.
Weapon system, functional, power system, functional
Lights shed as Jiang Chen scanned each of the modules of the power armor. Although there were some differences to the operating systempared to the T-3, the look remained mostly the same.
The cursor in his field vision moved with the focal point of his pupils. After he confirmed that all systems were operational, Jiang Chen grinned at the T-3 across from him.
Of course, throw the metal box, he knew she couldnt see him.
Are you a kid? Sun Jiao mocked.
Eh?
Remember to close yourmunication channel next time you chuckle like that, Sun Jiao, without any consideration of his dignity, continued to mock him.
Yao Yao beside Jiang Chen giggled discreetly while covering her mouth. She was not in a power armor but had an earphone attached to her mouth; she could obviously hear their conversation.
Zhao Gang in a carbon nano suit had a Ghost Sniper Rifle in his hand. He sat there without saying a word. From the not-so-expressive face, Jiang Chen couldnt determine if he had no reaction or was trying hard not tough.
As to the two other soldiers in power armor, Jiang Chen guessed they didnt dare tough.
Yao Yao put on the protective suit, Sun Jiao reminded her.
They were about to enter the high radiation zone.
Mhmm. Yao Yao obediently took out the full grey body protective suit and stepped inside.
The mission was simple, airdrop at the Ministry of Geology and retreat by helicopter.
Combat units: four power armors, one sniper, and one hacker.
To conduct a mission in the zombie concentrated city center, there was no use in having an advantage in numbers. Unless an army was sent, there was no way you could outnumber the zombies. Of course, there was no point to do that just for a resource deposition map.
Because the helicopter was equipped with the Type-50 electromaic cannon, not including the pilots, it could only transport a maximum of six power armors. Because the T-4s weighed nearly double the T-3s, they barely managed to squeeze in four people.
With the consideration that they could encounter a Death w or other problematic mutants, the people executing the mission must have strongbat ability.
However, while the Fishbone base had a lot of soldiers, most of them were ves before. They did receive training, but their training was mostly just normalbat. Qingpus survivors were all experienced hunters capable of hunting mutants, but Jiang Chen never allowed them to learn how to operate a power armor.
Based on the information security level of the Ministry of Geology, Yao Yao must follow them. She was young, but her gift in programming was not bad to begin with. After a year of extensive studying, no one had better skills than her in the entire base.
Sun Jiao disagreed with Jiang Chening along as she stated that she would protect Yao Yao, just like when they robbed the vault together. Nheless, Jiang Chen was still worried as it was near the city center. The danger level was nowhereparable with the banks at Qingpu, so he insisted on going with them.
Arriving at the target location, The pilots voice sounded in the public channel.
I am the first post.
Zhao Gang stood up, grabbed the descending jetpack on his back, and walked to the hatch.
The hatch opened as turbulence flooded in.
Yao Yao tightly held onto Jiang Chens hand and narrowed her adorable eyes.
Zhang Gang bumped fist with the gunner inside the hatch and then jumped down without hesitation.
Hended on a skyscraper a thousand meter away from the Ministry of Geology to provide sniping support while guiding the cannon.
The hatch door didnt close; the helicopter moved forward another one thousand meters before it hovered over their destination.
Prepare to depart, Jiang Chen spoke in the public channel, then squeezed Yao Yaos hand, and walked to the hatch.
First time parachuting? Sun Jiao spoke into the private channel.
I have tried countless times in the virtual reality training chamber.
Jiang Chen grinned, and then followed the person in front of him, jumping from a thousand meters above ground.
The chilling wind swept across the surface of the armor, the turbulence screeched beside his ears.
Different from the training inside the virtual reality chamber, there was no loading here, there was no opportunity to redo once failed.
Height 900 meters. Sun Jiaos calm voice transmitted from the public channel.
700 meters
500 meters.
Open the descending device.
At the same time, Jiang Chen activated the turbine engines behind him.
The eerie blue me burst out as the drag force quickly halted the rapid downfall of the power armor. The scenery on the ground gradually increased in size. Through the helmet, Jiang Chen already saw the street tightly packed with zombies.
The airport was nearby, and before the war, it was a high traffic area. The dead bodies not cleaned up were the culture of X1 bacteria.
The engine output was at its maximum. Jiang Chen adjusted hisnding position with both feet directed at the ground.
Boom!
Concrete dust scattered everywhere as two giant pits appeared on the concrete ground.
The zombies nk stares moved in their direction as their eyes began to turn a bloodthirsty red. The daytime was not its home field, but this didnt mean they will let the living creature beside their mouths escape.
Without stopping, Jiang Chen immediately raised his left leg and swept away the zombies leaping at him like a hammer.
The trident revolving machine guns rotated as bullets sshed out like raindrops. It took down a giant area of zombies.
At the same time, the other power armors allnded.
Enter the Ministry of Geology, as soon as she gained footing, Sun Jiao immediately ordered.
Understood.
Three replies echoed as the four quickly moved towards the building.
Because it was located at the outskirt of the city center, they were uncertain about the stability of the building. The power armorsnding location, therefore, couldnt be chosen on the roof of the building. The threat of a thrower and an acid bug that possessed long-range threat meant that the helicopters couldnt be too close to the ground, so the four could only drop onto the street.
They dashed into the door. Jiang Chen who was responsible for the securing the backend kicked a few zombies dashing at him to the other side of the street. Then he fired his machine gun at the waves of zombies.
At the same time, a thousand meter away.
Zhao Gang crawled onto the roof with the crosshairs at the zombies flooding towards the Ministry of Geology.
In the scope, a three meters high thrower waved its feeble legs, and giant stomach stumbled towards the door before it threw the infant zombie in its hand.
The infant sized zombie was aimed directly at Jiang Chen, but it was dissected into several parts by a bullet.
Distance 1100 meters.
Zhao Gang took a deep breath and pressed the trigger.
Bang!
Over 1100 meters in the distance, the sniper rifle bullet prated the neck of the thrower without any doubt.
The ck blood sttered everywhere, and the thrower immediately died. At the same time, its stomach blew up as a bunch of zombie infants crawled out and let out terrifying screams.
It was the monster that was the most difficult to deal with in the city center. The infant zombies would expand rapidly when it approached its target. Then, it would blow up and emit highly concentrated zombie bacteria. Although these type of attacks were ineffective against the power armor that defended against nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, it was the most difficult to deal with to the rather slow infantries.
Not far away in the distance, a few more throwers were moving towards the Ministry of Geology. Even two Roshans were slowly moving in their direction.
Should be ready?
When he saw Jiang Chens hand signal, Zhao Gang understood. He aimed the crosshair at the waves of zombies as he flipped open theser mark switch.
10 kilograms mass bomb loaded.
Fire
Followed by the rumble that broke through the sound barrier, one bombnded from the sky and smashed into the middle of the zombies.
Boom!
The shells scattered as itpletely swept the area.
When the dust faded, Jiang Chen and the team already retreated into the building.
The zombies who had lost the target roared for a moment longer before they returned to their slowness.
Direct hit, nice shot. Zhao Gang grinned and closed theser marker.
Just like the n, this mission was not difficult.
Chapter 374 - Underground Data Center
Chapter 374: Underground Data Center
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Using the stairs, Jiang Chen headed up to the roof and ced the airdrop marker on a rtively t piece of ground.
After about fifteen minutes, Yao Yao drifted down from the air with the descending jetpack in a trial of blue mes.
It was her first time parachuting. When the girlnded, her body was still tensed up. Not until Jiang Chen took off her jetpack did her pale face gain back some life.
Sun Jiao observed the zombies returning to peace on the street. Ok, all is ready, prepare for action, she ordered in the public channel as she took out her tactical rifle.
Roger.
Including Jiang Chen, the three all took out their weapons, locked and loaded.
Dont be afraid, follow me. Jiang Chenforted the girl in the private channel.
Mhmm!
Yao Yaos face turned slightly red as she followed behind Jiang Chen.
The excessive protection and the happiness it brought almost made her dizzy. Although it was not the first time she was out executing a mission, it was her first time with Jiang Chen.
The space inside the Ministry of Geology was spacious, and the transparent rotating stairs headed deep into the ground. From the design of the stairs alone, Jiang Chen felt the deep ill intention of the designer. It was a statement against people who feared height. But what he didnt know was that these stairs were made mostly for decoration purposes. In the highly digitalized 22nd century, rarely did people choose such an outdated method to move.
The building design extending down was standard in the 22nd century. To stuff in the ten billion people in PAC while retaining arablend, it was a must choice for history to expand downwards. The wealthy people lived in the skyscrapers, and the poor lived at the base of it. This was the culture before the war.
Yao Yao withoutbat ability stayed in the middle with Jiang Chen while a T-4 soldier in front scouted for any dangers in the dark building.
Why are there no zombies inside this type of building? Jiang Chen asked Sun Jiao in the private channel.
Since they were in the office area, there should be a lot of bodies here.
Two possibilities. The people here before the war evacuated on time, or it may be a mutant nest. Sun Jiao scanned the dark zone with her tactical shlight.
Which possibility do you lean towards?
Nobody, should be the first? Jiang Chen was unsure.
Why a questioning tone?
Because there is no absolute in the wastnd. After being peaceful for so long I feel like my instinct is a bit dull. Sun Jiao sighed.
Jiang Chen didnt respond as he was even more alert than before. The mechanical crosshair moved to every corner where danger could arise.
For some reason, the underground without a bottom made him feel unsettled.
15th floor underground.
When they stepped down thest stair, the five finally came to the bottom. Jiang Chen opened the map to confirm the location of the data center before he walked to the hallway near the wall.
Dam*it, what is this? A soldier poked the egg on the wall with his muzzle as he cursed in a small voice.
Dont touch anything!
Sun Jiao shouted in the public channel as the soldier immediately moved back.
What is that? Directing a shlight towards it, Jiang Chen stopped as he looked at the watermelon-sized eggs along the wall.
Sun Jiao went up and examined it carefully.
I dont know I have never seen this before. The database in the EP doesnt show anything yet. Should we collect some for sampling?
Jiang Chen scanned the disgusting eggs that gave him goosebumps.
Do it when we leave. If the eggs are connected to the mother somehow, damaging it would create unnecessary uncertainties.
Yao Yao looked around anxiously. For some reason, she had an ominous feeling.
Feeling Yao Yaos unease, Jiang Chenforted her in a soft voice.
Dont be afraid, I will protect you.
Mhmm I heard a weird voice.
Voice?
Jiang Chen frowned, he didnt hear anything.
Yao Yao said in a low voice, Its a weird kind of noise. Perhaps its just my illusion, dont worry.
Illusion?
Jiang Chen hesitantly looked down the hall. Since they were already there, it was not his style to return empty-handed.
The five people continued to move, with Jiang Chen leading. After the discovery of the eggs of an unknown creature, no one let their guard down anymore as they used 200% of their focus and cautiously looked out for any potential threats.
Yao Yao still tightly followed behind Jiang Chen.
Although the cold armor didnt feel like his warm temperature, the close distance made her feel more at ease.
Fu*k, the eggs are everywhere. A soldier cursed out as his rifle pointed at the ss down the hall. The shlight light up the entire room as the eggs filled the space.
Try not to alert them, finish as soon as we can, Jiang Chen ordered.
Yes!
After they passed through thest door, they finally reached the data center.
Inside the circr room was four screens that pointed in each direction. On the outskirt of the room wereputers that stopped functioning. Along the arc-shaped dome, light filtered through. Paper documents and broken touchscreen were scattered everywhere on the floor. Together with the dust. it made a crunching sound when stepped on.
Yao Yao walked into the room as she gently put her hand on her left chest.
The sound was getting closer.
For some reason, the faint static noise made her feelfortable.
She wanted to say something, but she clenched her teeth and resisted the temptation. Although she enjoyed Jiang Chens care for her, subconsciously she didnt want him to treat her as a child that must be protected.
Two soldiers guarded the door, Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao brought Yao Yao forward.
Sun Jiao took out the backup crystal fuel rod and inserted it into the backup power slot of the server. The faint sound of electricity flowing appeared. After many years, the servers finally shed the light green indicator light.
Start. Jiang Chen encouragingly looked at Yao Yao.
Yao Yao nodded and walked to theputer.
But at that time, the screens lit up.
A familiar face appeared in the middle of the screens.
Thats surprising, we meet again.
Looking at thepletely shocked Jiang Chen, Lin Chaoen sneered.
Chapter 375 - We meet again
Chapter 375: We meet again
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Yao Yao nkly stared at the person on the screen.
Jiang Chen subtly raised his muzzle, but Lin Chaoen raised his hands, surrendering.
Dont overreact, are you not going to wait for me to finish?
Instinct tells me that it is not words I want to hear. Maintaining his shooting position, Jiang Chen locked right onto him.
Lin Chaoen?
Why would this guy appear here?
Who is he? Sun Jiao looked at Lin Chaoen with a frown.
A robot that always causes trouble for me. Whether it is intentional or not, Jiang Chen said.
No, no, no, you may have mistaken. Lin Chaoen waved his hands and smiled, I dont have any intention to cause anyone trouble, or rather, I am your only destination.
Destination? Jiang Chen had a dubious smile.
Thats right, nothing is more adaptable than a metallic body in this miserable world. Join us, well grant you the perfect body. A body that will never age, and never die. His smile was noble, but it shined the same way as a demons.
Just like you? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows andughed.
Stronger than me. Lin Chaoens smile was bright.
[Looks like it didnt take much to convince him. Therefore, the Sixth Street will be part of supremes territory.]
In your dreams. Jiang Chenughed.
The smile froze on Lin Chaoens face.
Then thats disappointing. Lin Chaoen sighed.
As an intermediate artificial intelligence, he didnt have anger as an emotion. Or rather, even his smile was fake.
As his words died down, a sharp screech came out of the datacenter. Immediately followed by the sound of bubbles bursting.
What happened! Sun Jiaos became alerted as she aimed for the door.
The two soldiers raised the revolving machinegun on their left arm and anxiously aimed at the empty hallway.
Poison teeth spider, an interesting bug.
The door to the side of the hallway opened.
The dense sound of the floor being scratched diffused through. Under the light of the shlight, spiders the size of a shepherd moved its furry legs and flooded the room to the data center at the end of the hallway.
Fire! Sun Jiao shouted and first pressed the trigger.
Tatata!
The sparks from the bullets wavered in the hall and shredded the spiders into pieces. Flesh could not stand the test of machineguns, but machineguns could not sever the flow of the water. The endless amount of spiders like turbulent floods flowed forward, crushing the dead bodies before them.
Dam*mit! Too many!
Sun Jiao gritted her teeth; her finger locked on the trigger.
At the same time, a grenade wasunched, and fire exploded inside the hallway.
Dark green blood and severed corpses sttered onto the two soldiers faces.
Four more grenades wereunched as me filled up the enclosed space.
After the me dispersed, the burning smell of flesh filled up the entire hallway. Traces of unextinguished mes still remained on the ground, but not a simple,plete Poison Teeth Spider could be found.
Burning grenade, the terminator of all carbon-based creatures.
When did robots learn how to breed bugs? Jiang Chen put down the gun and looked at Lin Chaoen in disgust.
Although he knew that with the mask of the power armor, Lin Chaoen could not see his disgust.
I only closed the subwoofer suppresser that prevented these little things from breaking their egg. If you have time, why dont you give the disgusting but cute pets a new name? Since as intermediate artificial intelligence, I dont have any creativity, Lin Chaoen said courteously.
Voice disappeared. Yao Yao released her hand pressed to her chest and stared at the person on the screen.
Because she spent a lot of time on electronic devices, she was sensitive to this type of noise.
Thats right, disappeared. Lin Chaoen gently smiled, Therefore, it shoulde out too.
The ground began to tremble as a series of sharp ss shattering noises came from the room across the hallway, but then quickly faded.
What is it? Jiang Chen was concerned.
Shining a light in that direction resulted in emptiness.
Are you really not going to consider surrendering? If you are willing to receive the salvation of the supreme, I may consider sparing you. Lin Chaoen smiled.
Im willing. Jiang Chens face never blushed when he lied.
There is a special medicine on the table at the corner. Although it is not prepared for you, drink it
In your dreams. Jiang Chen lifted the rifle and unleashed the bullets.
The screens shattered.
Yao Yao, extract the data. Jiang Chen ordered calmly.
Ah, ah! Okay. Yao Yao recovered from the shock as she returned to the screen and her fingers rapidly moved between the keys.
Sun Jiao, deploy the drones.
Okay!
The hummingbird drones were released from the back storage into the hallway.
After it stabilized its position in the air, the drone flew to the hallway across dein them as it shared the image from its camera to the team.
But the instant the drone crossed the door, Jiang Chen saw an angry face.
The deathly silk covered every inch of the ceiling as the giant body filled up the entire room. Its terrifying teeth were like manes as they densely filled the mouth.
A giant spider.
The thick hair and teeth gave Jiang Chen a daunting chill down his spine.
Although he didnt know how to read the expression of a spider, it must be furious right now since he probably just saw them kill all of its children. He then recollected the subwoofer suppressor that Lin Chaoen mentioned as he tried to figure out the rtionship between Lin Chaoen and the spider.
For some reason, Lin Chaoen breeded these spider eggs and then used the subwoofer suppressor to suppress the mother spider at a specific location. While Jiang Chen didnt know why he bred these spiders, it must not be for a friendly purpose.
The drone suddenly stopped.
Like a mosquito stuck in a spider web, it was glued tight.
Then a ck shadow cut through before the picture turned into a static white.
What are we going to do? Sun Jiao asked on the private channel.
[With this type of monster, the power armor is probably not enough.]
Jiang Chen looked at Yao Yao.
The girl waspletely calm. Her fingers rapidly moved between the screens, hacking the security software.
The data is extracted! It was a young but affirmative voice.
Could the subwoofer suppressor be activated? Jiang Chen asked.
No, its already deleted. Yao Yao desperately tried to recover the deleted the program, but the opponentpletely removed any traces of it.
Take the USB and get ready to leave, Jiang Chen reloaded and ordered.
But the outside Sun Jiao reminded him.
Helicopter, fire at the Ministry of Geology! He connected himself to the pilot channel and immediately ordered.
Chapter 376 - Retreat
Chapter 376: Retreat
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Fire at the Ministry of Geology?
But arent they inside?
The helicopter crew only hesitated for two seconds before they executed the mission.
As knights of the Fishbone base, the leaders order is absolute.
Target locked.
Fire.
The gunner pressed the trigger.
Buzz!
The 10 kilograms bomb prated through the three-floor high dome. The shattered concrete crumbled like an avnche and dropped to the lower underground level. The explosion exposed the deep underground structure underneath.
Rocks and debris rained down and prated the web and hit the giant spider on the back. Unfortunately, the slightly off-target bomb got stuck on the wall of the B12 level and didnt directly hit the giant spider, the copsed concrete debris still destroyed the spider web and pinned the massive beast to the bottom floor.
Siiiiiiii!
The pained screech came from across the hall. The hurt spider moved its fearsome legs in an attempt to stand up.
Are you crazy, if this building copses, we might Sun Jiao shouted.
Jiang Chen continued to order, Continue to fire.
Boom!
The dust caused by the explosion covered the entire hallway. Jiang Chen covered Yao Yao with his arms. At the same time, the rumbling dust swept through the hallway and inside the data center. The falling rocks made a series of nking sound on the power armor of the two soldiers.
There was no more noise from the other side; the spider died.
Sun Jiao dusted off the rifle and gave Jiang Chen a hard stare.
You almost buried us.
I didnt, did I? Jiang Chen shrugged innocently.
Yao Yao hidden behind Jiang Chen peeked her head out, quivering.
Its okay now, Jiang Chen rubbed Yao Yaos head as he said lightly.
Woooo But the loli docked down covering her head.
Fool, your hands are full of dust, Sun Jiao mocked in the private channel.
Jiang Chen had to retract his hand awkwardly.
[This girl is getting more naughty, Ill teach her a lesson when we go back.]
Jiang Chen stared back at Sun Jiao.
Though with the mask in between, they couldnt see each others expression.
He ordered the soldiers to take samples of the giant spider as well as the remaining spider eggs, then Jiang Chen ordered the retreat.
Although the majority of the structure of the surface had copsed, fortunately, the copsed concrete blocks didntpletely drop underground to bury the team alive.
The rotating stair was destroyed, Sun Jiao hugged Yao Yao, and the four power armors started to ascend with the blue trail of mes.
It incident didnt alert the zombies, but the four giant metal suits attracted the attention of the throwers. This type of mutated zombie has an acute vision and a natural anti-air unit. It dragged their infant zombies and threw it at Sun Jiao near the shambles.
Jiang Chen saw this and took out his tactical rifle instantly. With his right hand holding the barrel, he swung the rifle like a baseball bat at the infant zombie.
Follow by a stuffed sound; the barrel hit the zombie infant back into the air.
It exploded back to where the zombies were.
Wow, this things explosive damage is high. Jiang Chen was caught off guard.
Thanks. Sun Jiao held the quivering Yao Yao as she yfully gave him a flirty look that he couldnt see.
Thank me when we go back. Jiang Chen was aiming at the frightening thrower.
Bang!
A sniper bullet flew by and crushed its neck and managed to secure the kill before Jiang Chen could.
Then a few more shots flew from the distance and broke the neck of the throwers that were threatening the team of five.
Realizing what just happened, Jiang Chen gave a thumbs up to the far distance.
The four power armors cut straight through the ruins. After ascending for 300 meters, they boarded the helicopter before taking off to the skyscraper one thousand meters away.
After Zhao Gang boarded, the pilot closed the hatch and returned.
Jiang Chen opened his helmet when they flew out of the high radiation zone and let out a breath.
Did you bring the USB?
Mhmm. Yao Yao nodded.
Could you transfer the information to my EP?
Of course.
The power armor opened from the back as Jiang Chen squeezed out. He attached the nylon hook to the armor, extended his right arm, and put the EP in front of her.
The loli took out the hologramputer and transferred the USB information inside before attaching the cord to Jiang Chens EP.
Jiang Chen then realized he performed an unnecessary action. If he knew that Yao Yao brought the hologramputer, it would be more convenient to view the data with that. To strive for stability, the screen of the EP was not only small but also without the hologram function. Looking at the world map was inconvenient.
As the major economic city of PAC, the Ministry of Geology at Wanghai had aprehensive set of information. Not only did it include the global mining deposition map, it even included the discovered deposition on the moon and Mars.
Jiang Chen called out the stats with the hologramputer as he found the location of Pannu Inds in this world.
He filtered the earthquake information and other stats he didnt understand as he selected the mining deposition option.
When he saw the series of dense red dots, Jiang Chens expression instantly turned joyful.
Like what he expected, there had to be mining depositions under the vast ocean territory of Pannu Inds.
East of Ange Ind, the area near New Guinea, happened to be a rich deposition. Specifically in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Extending northeast, about two hundred thousand square kilometers deep of ocean territory contained 17 rich, rare earth depositions. The expected rare metal reserve was 9.8 million tons, which was 1.5 times the amount discovered by Japan in South Bird Ind.
Other than rare metals, iron, aluminum, molybdenum, copper, and gold also had an insane amount of depositions.
It could not be described merely as a treasure; it was money raining from the sky.
Jiang Chen wanted to go back now to make Yang Yuan start the preparation of mining to solve the rare metal problem that has been giving him headaches.
Underwater mining was a difficult task with technology level of the 21st century, but it was not a big deal for Jiang Chen. He trusted that the scientists of the 22nd century at the fallout shelter could solve a small problem like this.
Of course, he obviously could not return now.
If he did travel back while being one thousand meters in the sky, he would have to experience freefall the next time he returned.
Arrived at the Fishbone base, Jiang Chen calmed down from the excitement.
The underwater mining technology was yet to be finished, so there was no use going back now.
He parked the T-4 power armor in the armory and went to find Wang Qin.
He handed the giant spider and spider egg sample to her as he asked her to send it to camp 27 as soon as possible for testing.
Then, Jiang Chen stopped in front of themunity center for a while as a wicked smile appeared on his face.
[Lin Chaoen, ying with me? You really think I cant teach you a lesson?]
Chapter 377 - Bombardment
Chapter 377: Bombardment
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Inside Liudings radar station, twenty workers in old PAC marine uniforms stared at the screen anxiously.
The middle-aged man with a cap on gravely watched the red dot on the radar as a trace of the same anxious expression appeared between his eyebrows.
Did itunch?
Launch confirmed. A drop of cold sweat rolled down his forehead as the worker closest to the general typed on the screen with shaking fingers as it confirmed the reliability of the signal.
[What did that bit*h Tang Miya do, didnt she say she reached an agreement with that lunatic dictator?] With eyes locked on the red dot ascending, the general cursed the person countless times already.
The missile is approaching the Troposphere.
The general cursed and took out the phone from his waist.
Attention Cannon one crew, raise the electromaic cannon.
Roger.
Since the failed missionst year, the heavy electromaic pulse cannon were not used for a long time. However, because of the Fishbone bases dangerous act, the cannon was reactivated.
But everyone knew that if a war were to erupt, Liuding would be the eventual loser. Once the Fishbone tank bulldozed the feeble allies and approached the Bohai aircraft carrier, it would only be a matter of time before they sink Liuding.
The missile reached the stratosphere and had started to turn.
Landing spot confirmed, the target is Songjiang near the outskirt of the city center.
rm deactivated.
In two short seconds, there was aical turn of events.
rm deactivated? Not target towards Liuding?
The general was shocked.
He thought that the dictator at the west of Wanghai finally couldnt sit around any longer as it was prepared to sh its evil fangs at Liuding. But he didnt expect that the ballistic missiles target was not Liuding or Liudings allies, instead of an unknown force located in the city center?
The general processed this for a minute before he ordered.
Attention air division, send a helicopter to investigate the target area.
Roger.
Dongfeng-76 (Mimic) ballistic missile was developed and constructed by Jiang Lin from the aerospace department. It first disyed its massive destructibility in the war between humans and the mutated humans. With the help of the fallout shelter, Jiang Lin made further improvements to its design, such as recing the engine, fuel, and modules, to finallyplete the Dongfeng-76 (Mimic) ballistic missile.
The Fishbone base manufactured a total of five and deployed them at low grounds near the rural area to rece the not-so-reliable giant firecracker. Using them to deter the threat of Liudings massive electromaic cannon.
Right now, in front of theunch pad at the Shenxiang colony, southwest of Wanghai, a few missile maintenance workers were conducting thestunching check.
The number fiveunch pad deployed at Shenxiang received the order from the base leader Jiang Chen and immediately initiated theunch program.
The green indicator light turned on as the target coordinate was inputted into the central control program of the rocket.
Target coordinate locked.
Engine ignited.
Launchpad separated.
Launch!
The thick white smoke blew across the street. The six meters high ballistic missile separated with theunch pad and flew towards the sky filled with radiation dust.
The all grey ballistic missile pierced the cloud like a sharp sword.
Then, like a thunderous fireball, it smashed into the ground.
It was the coordinate Jiang Chen obtained from the bearded mercenary, because of their high defense power, Jiang Chen never confirmed if this ce had a connection with Lin Chaoen.
But it didnt matter anymore, Lin Chaoenpletely and utterly pissed of Jiang Chen.
[Robot? Digitalized human? Whatever your hidden secrets are, go to hell! I will use your base to test my weapon!]
The radar on the apartment detected the ballistic missile, but before the sentry gun could point at the sky, the missile smashed down like a meteor right through the roof and blew in the middle of the apartment building.
The high temperature even melted the concrete. The heat wave mixed with the scattered metal shards and concrete debris exploded the apartment into pieces.
The shockwave of the explosion destroyed the structure of the apartment building.
Five minutester, two nearby apartment buildings also copsed.
Standing inside the camp 27mand center, Jiang Chen watched the ruins on the screen.
The shockwave of the explosion even made the drone five kilometers away shake.
Send a ground force to search the area.
Yes! Wang Zhaowu saluted and left the office.
Just as Wang Zhaowu left, Xu Lu walked in.
With a smile on her face, Xu Lu opened the tablet in her hand and reported to Jiang Chen, The sample results are back. The toxin inside the spider egg has a hallucination agent which could cause people to disy symptoms such as madness and foaming at the mouth.
Hallucination agent? Jiang Chen said with a frown.
Xu Lu nodded and continued.
Also, based on pharmacological analysis, the toxins organicponents have many simrities to the drug sold by the merchant with an unknown identity Based on initial deductions, the spider eggs are the primary ingredient to produce
Happy time
[The robot wouldnt need this type of medicine so it would be used for humans. Selling drugs to obtain crystals? Doesnt feel right Lin Chaoen didnt seem like a merchant.]
And the Dark Red Chamber of Commerce, they seemed to have a special rtionship with Lin Chaoen.
Supreme?
Jiang Chen leaned against the chair and fell into deep thought with his eyes closed.
If possible, he didnt want to start a war against forces with no conflict of interest. In the apocalypse, people have a lot of ideas. Including the Dusk practicing the escapist ideology, the PLA attempting to restore the 20th-century power, and the supposedly descendent of PAC - The Northern Alliance Area, as well as the force behind Lin Chaoen that represent supreme From a pure interest perspective, Fishbone had no direct conflict with them.
For some reason, he suddenly recalled the conversation with Academician Qin.
The rebirth of civilization must be apanied by bloody brutality. Jiang Chen muttered his words.
Xu Lu, standing not so far away from the desk, silently awaited his instructions.
At the same time, the phone on the table rang and interrupted Jiang Chens thoughts.
He picked up as a soldiers face surfaced onto the screen. He saluted to Jiang Chen and reported.
Liuding helicopter entered the target area.
Liuding? Jiang Chen scratched his chin.
One of the reasons forunching the missile was revenge. The other reason being a deterrence for Liuding. Since the Dongfeng-76 was not cheap, using it simply for revenge against the force behind Lin Chaoen was too wasteful.
Dont mind them, continue to search the target area, Jiang Chen ordered.
Yes! The soldier saluted again and ended themunication.
Chapter 378 - Mental Commissar
Chapter 378: Mental Commissar
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The search result came out soon after and Wang Zhaowu was summarizing and reporting the result to Jiang Chen.
The search teamprised of 30 soldiers along with an armored vehicle and two modified trucks mobilized to the destroyed apartment building at the outskirt of the city center. After two hours of thorough investigation, the search team managed to obtain some valuable information.
From the shambles of the explosion, they found the remains of 20 sentry guns and two radars. The actual number would be much higher, but only those could be confirmed.
Other than that, there was some special production equipment that seemed to be for the production of a particr type of parts. But due to the severity of the damage, the search team could not identify the purpose of the parts. From the mutated fruits used to produce nutrient supply, there were human activities there.
There was another surprise that came out of the investigation. In a copsed corner, they managed to found a half-damaged quantumputer. From the specification, the quantumputer appeared to be the experiment model. Although they didnt know if they would be able to fix it or not, they still hauled it onto the truck.
The helicopter for Liuding didnt interfere with Fishbones search, it only hovered from afar and didnt even send anyone down.
The only thing that interfered with the research was the group of zombies that gathered because of the noise as well as a Roshan that happened to wander by.
But just as they were about to retreat, the fleet was attacked by a group of militants with an unknown identity.
The militants mostly usedser weapons andunched a sudden attack on the fleet when they were retreating. But the captain of the search team reacted quickly as he ordered the troops to take cover and fire back.
The crossfirested for five minutes. Under the high caliber machine guns unleashed fire, the search teams firepower was clearly at an advantage. After the militants lost ten something bodies, they quickly dispersed and fleed away.
When Jiang Chen heard that the search team managed to find a quantumputer among the ruins, Jiang Chen immediately meet with the teams captain Zhu Zheng. He personally granted him the knight emblem to honor his contribution to the base.
After sending the clearly astonished new knight away, Jiang Chen then looked for Xu Lu and used her to find the experts in quantumputers at the base to conduct an assessment of the destroyed quantumputer.
Luckily, based on what the expert said, while the hard drive of the quantumputer received severe damage, the most critical processor damage was still within the limit of being fixable. Even with the current technology in the fallout shelter, they could fix the quantumputer.
When he heard the good news, Jiang Chen immediately ordered Xu Lu to gather all resources and prioritize the repair of the quantumputer. For the research teams of the fallout shelter, it had more significant value to them.
Especially the experiment level quantumputer, it was a God-sent gift on the wastnd.
He didnt know Lin Chaoens base would have this, but regardless, the treasure now belonged to him.
After he delegated the work, Xu Lu took the elder quantumputer expert and left.
Jiang Chen sunk into his chair again and faced the empty office. He took a deep breath and took out the restructure order he had halfpleted.
Ahhh This is more troublesome than I thought.
He threw the document on the table as he rubbed his head out of frustration.
Withw experts at the Fishbone base rmending suggestionsbined with the political sense he developed during university while being part of controversial forums, he had already organized the rules andws. It took him three months of work to develop a set of rules that was not too difficult and fitted the society in the apocalypse.
The only tricky thing was a reorganization of themand structure.
Jiang Chen swept the pile of documents to the side and picked up the tablet at the corner.
His finger slid on the tablet before a list of data showed up in front of him.
1517 soldiers, 1000 recruits, 323 knights Eh? I already knighted this many person? Jiang Chen muttered to himself as his finger continued to scroll.
The logistic department leader Wang Qin recorded all the arms information on this list.
He had no clue at all.
He sighed, got up, and left the office.
Jiang Chen pushed open the basement door as he met the defeated female Colonel.
Han Junhuas face was free of expression. Just like a marble sculpture, he could read the defined edge, but he couldnt read any emotional colors.
With the emotionless face in front of him, Jiang Chen lost the ability to speak. What made him feel powerless was not theck of conversational starters, but theck of hatred on her face.
Thats right, hatred.
Without the ability to hate, there would be no fear. If fear didnt exist, then there would be nopromise.
Jiang Chen began to regret the pointless actions hemitted.
In the bright and silent basement, time quietly ticked by.
Are you just here to see me? Han Junhua was the first to break the silence.
I I just dont know what to say. Jiang Chen used an uncertain voice.
Han Junhua didnt respond, she looked away and seemingly lost interest.
If she had any interest.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen seemed to have understood something.
I can somewhat feel what you feel.
Normal people cant. Han Junhuas response was fast.
The normal state cant. Jiang Chen paused. Have you heard of gic vines? You must have, people who are injected with it have a chance of developing a special kind of mutation.
The strand of DNA usually unexpressed?
Thats right! Hidden gic code. Jiang Chen finally remembered the name.
So? Han Junhua quietly looked at Jiang Chen.
Without emotion, it feels hard right? Jiang Chen asked with a gentle voice.
After he activated his abilities, it was the emptiness ofpletely removing his emotion from the body. He only experienced it twice, but the feeling would make him feel chilled every time he recalled it.
Han Junhua looked at Jiang Chen in the eyes. Rather than hard, empty is probably the better word.
Because PAC doesnt exist anymore, right?
Not because of her loyalty to PAC, not because of her responsibility, those things vanished the moment she was no longer the leader of the fallout shelter, those things faded away with her duty.
But because that was the entirety of her life.
Not until now did Jiang Chen finally realize this point.
Han Junhua didnt respond directly, but she asked back, Have you heard of the Mental Commissar
project?
Jiang Chen shook his head.
Engrave ideology with electricity, and write the doctrine into the soul, Han Junhua continued.
No. The Mental Commissar project is targeted at humans, it is known asmander mass production project in the army. To put it in simple terms, it is writing the ideology into the brain like a program. Themander that passed through this project had the absolute right ideology and would not make an error in judgment because of personal emotions in any situation; it would also not bear the burden of responsibility because of the oue. Normally, we would be used to execute some of the mission that cant be revealed to the world. For example, suppressing separatist, taking out protestors, Han Junhua said in a quiet voice.
Jiang Chen was stunned. He held his breath.
He saw people who wanted to convertputers into human brains, now he has witnessed making the human brain into aputer.
This is He didnt know what word he could use to describe this.
Evil?
No, there is nothing eviler than the nuclear weapon. The instant war erupted, all morale and boundary becameplete jokes. In the digitalized weapon, history may not be written by the victor, but only the victor had the right to judge history.
He was born in a peaceful era, he couldnt experience the need for decisiveness people faced.
There is no need to have sympathy for me, all the people participating in the Mental Commissar project were self-voluntary.
There was no regret on her face, only her eyes began to be covered in loneliness.
Just, after Ipleted thest mission, I dont know what to do anymore.
Jiang Chen was silent, looking at the emotionless Colonel.
He had made a mistake about her persistence.
Lets make a deal.
Han Junhua looked at Jiang Chen with questions in her eyes.
Emotions, although I am not a scientist, I trust that science will solve this problem. Help me achieve my ambition, and I will help you find what you have lost. How about that? Jiang Chen looked at her eyes earnestly.
A new Mental Commissar in the brain? I dont think I want that.
No, its regaining the emotion of a normal person. Jiang Chen shook his head.
Han Junhua fell into a brief silence.
How can I trust you?
Even if you dont trust, there are no better choices right?
I want to ask, how can I trust that you can do it.
Is it hard to do?
When I epted the surgery, mymander told me clearly that I will be a being more closer to a machine than a digitalized human. Even if we win the war after everyone weed a happy ending, I still couldnt eptfort other than honor.
Even with the most advanced technology before the war, it cannot deactivate the Mental Commissar?
Han Junhua shook her head.
Then you have more reasons to choose me. Jiang Chen snapped his fingers with a grin.
Han Junhua looked at him.
I will return order to this piece ofnd. The technological research structure will be restored. Even if the 22nd century cannot solve your problem, I believe that in the distant 23rd, 24th, or even 25th century, your problem will be solved. Once everything ispleted, I will arrange for you to enter the hibernation chamber in the future, Jiang Chen stared into her eyes and said with seriousness.
She closed her eyes and gave it a long thought.
After a long silence, she opened her eyes.
You convinced me.
Chapter 379 - New Asia Corporation
Chapter 379: New Asia Corporation
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After a week of preparation, the internal reorganization of the military government began.
In the morning, under the statue of the Mother of Death w, Jiang Chen read the reorganization n to all the survivors of the Fishbone base.
First was the political structure.
The reorganization n clearly defined the Fishbone base as a military organization. The sole military government will control all jurisdiction and divide the territories into two administrative zones.
One is the economic zone, open to all survivors. It will be stationed with a military government force, established at election policy with a parliament. The parliament possesses a degree of rights to createws, but the military government has the right to veto anyws based on national interest. At the same time, the military government would send out directors to oversee the economic zone. Just like the current structure of the Sixth Street.
The other is the military zone, closed to non-military personnel, following a militarized management system, and execute the ve to knight citizen structure. Everyone must swear their allegiance to the supreme leader and absolutely obey hismand. Other than ves, all citizens and knights will receive vacations of varying length, and they have the option to live at the economic zone during this time. But within the military zone, there is only order and obedience. The military zones were the Fishbone base, Shenxiang colony, and Camp 27.
This model divided the hoe and sword but kept them dependant on each other. The tax revenue and source of soldiers would provide the necessity for the military zones, in turn, the factories at the military zones would form an independentpany to export the excessive production capacity to the economic zones market. Therefore, while it maintained the economics at the Sixth Street, it also retained thebat ability of the military zone.
Also, to ensure this model operated with stability, while Jiang Chen announced this decision, he also provided another benefit policy to the survivors at the military zone which was a sry model. Other than the ve ss, all other sses will receive a sry per month. The citizens would receive 10-20, the knights 50, and based on the functionality of the roles, the number would increase.
Before the Fishbone base only provided food and not sry, but following the economic growth of the neighboring Sixth Street, continuing their tradition would cause the soldiers at the bottom to have other thoughts. So Jiang Chen used this opportunity to introduce this policy. Although it meant that the military government would have a sry expense of hundred thousands of crystals per month, butpared to the food business and the tax from the Sixth Street, Jiang Chen could afford to pay this.
To the people loyal to him, he didnt mind that they lived a great life.
Then, it was the arrangement in management.
The highest position in the military government was general, and Jiang Chen would be taking the role. The highest administration unit position was the office of the general with Jiang Chen personally nominating people to form it. The office of the generals primary duties was to oversee the operation of other departments as well as the adjustment, promotion, and termination of all governors of each zone.
The cumbersome departments were all rearranged with the newly reestablished administration department to manage all administrative and construction tasks in the base, while the logistics department was responsible for the production and distribution of all supplies. The administration department was appointed to the previous construction leader Lu Huasheng, and Wang Qin remained as the leader in the logistics department. The two leaders directly report to the general.
Then it was the reorganization of themand structure.
To avoid confusion in militarymand, Jiang Chen formed three corps as well as the rtively independent hunter corp and the soldiers in the base.
The first corpmander was Cheng Weiguo, the second corpmander was Wang Zhiwu, and the third corp anymander was Zhao Gang. The number of soldiers per corp was set to 1000 for now and was formed with soldiers and armor units.
The hunter corpmander was Ma Zhongchen, and he will be leading 200 soldiers. The units were primarilyprised of scouts and snipers. They were primarily assigned to special missions as well as supporting the other threepanys operations duringbat time. The soldiers were mostly lone travelers or Qingpu survivors from before. Their ability to survive alone was higherpared to regr soldiers. Working alone would maximize their value, and hence a separate corp was formed.
As to Tiger, power armor, as well as other heavy armories, they were distributed to the threepanies based on needs. The helicopter was assigned to the hunter corp to increase its mobility.
Out of the 323 knights, the ones with a military position were distributed to each as lower levelmanders. They were all injected with honorary chips.
As to the specifics of the corps construction, Han Junhua meticulouslypleted it for him as she created amand structure from top to bottom. Jiang Chen left everything for her toplete by trusting her ability, and she did not disappoint.
Therefore, the soldiers would never be in a situation of not knowing whatmand to listen to.
At the same time, as to the name of the military government, the reorganization n also rified further.
Since it resembled a country being formed, Jiang Chen could no longer use a canned food name as the name of the military government. Therefore, based on the opinion of senior officials and Han Junhua, he chose the name New Asia Corporation as the name of the military government, or in short, NAC.
From the name alone it was enough to demonstrate a corner of Jiang Chens ambition.
These were all contents of the reorganization n.
In the era where civilization existed, the aggressive and invasive political body would obviously not form. But on the wastnd without any human rights and morale, there were no problems.
Everyone was thirsty for a strong voice to createws that must be followed on the wastnd. Even if it was wed, at least it could bring the stability people desired.
But needless to say, the majority of survivors were unwilling to be restrained. They long for stability, but they may not be willing to give up freedom because of it.
As to how to bnce freedom and order between the survivors, only time will tell.
Since themand structure is refined, I can start preparing for recruitment, Chu Nan standing in front of Jiang Chens office said.
Because of the significance of this reorganization, as the acting general of the Sixth Street, he would have to personally make a trip back. Of course, his position now was the governor of the Sixth Street, but other than the name, his duties didnt change.
How many people do you think we can recruit? Jiang Chen asked.
It would have to depend on the price we are willing to pay and the number of people, Chu Nan said.
n to recruit 3000 people with five-year contracts. All recruits would automatically receive lower citizen status and enjoy a sry of ten crystals per month. After the six months of training, all recruits that pass the test will officially receive the status of NAC soldier and be promoted into an upper citizen with a sry increase to 20 crystals. Try toplete this before mid-June. Is it doable? Standing beside Jiang Chen, Han Junhua said concisely.
It was the sry level of the regr soldiers at the threepanies. Although the sry could not attract people with the ability to join, it would be attractive enough for people with low ie to join. Especially once promoted to the upper citizen, there would be no restriction on supplies, even people with medium level ie would be tempted.
Chu Nan deliberated in his mind before he nodded.
Its possible.
Also, to the lone travelers, mercenaries, or hunters with outstanding abilities, if they are willing to join the hunter corp, NAC will offer them a sry of no less than 50 crystals. The contract will be for five years as well. Are there any questions?
Chu Nan shook his head. Not regarding recruitment, but I do about the defense at the Sixth Street.
The defense of the Sixth Street will be the responsibility of the third corp.
What about the other twopanies?
The first corp will be stationed in Shenxiang town, responsible for border defense. At the same, Cheng Weiguo will be responsible for training the new recruits.
Chu Nan agreed. Cheng Weiguo has trained new soldiers before. It would be best for him to continue.
The second corp is responsible for the defense of camp 27 and Fishbone base; hunter corp will await orders at the Fishbone base.
Also, I have another proposal. Han Junhua looked at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen nodded as she had discussed this with him a few days prior, it was not a bad time to bring it out.
When she received the acknowledgment from Jiang Chen, Han Junhua continued.
The current militia at the Sixth Street is uncontrolled by the military government, I think they should be controlled.
Thats impossible. Chu Nan forced a smile. Mercenaries, hunters, and scavengers have already be an inseparable part of the Sixth Streets economy. Not even ounting for that, we dont have the ability to incorporate them.
Not incorporating, Han Junhua crossed her arms and said emotionlessly, Just better management. For example, use the military governments name to establish the mercenary association, record the information of all mercenaries, hunters, and scavengers on file, and rank them based on their credibility and missionpletion record. For these mercenaries, they would have easier ess to the missions and no longer need to worry about the dy in payments. For businesspeople, they would also no longer need to be concerned with questionable helpers. For us, we would obtain the sense of them belonging to the entire Sixth Street civil force.
Therefore, to retain their credibility, the mercenaries with questionable backgrounds would act less reckless. The capitalists that bully and trick the scavengers would be more prudent with the existence of the mercenary association.
Without considering the security aspect, just from a purely economic aspect, the proposal had many positive implications.
Also, if it was necessary, he could charge amission for all missions. Jiang Chen added that in his mind.
Chu Nan was silent for a long time.
He then looked at Jiang Chen, eximed and congratted him.
Looks like you found a great advisor.
Jiang Chen revealed a bright smile.
I think so too.
Chapter 380 - The Mercenary Association
Chapter 380: The Mercenary Association
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It was deep into the night. Most of the people were already asleep.
But the Fake Leg Bar located on the business street was crowded.
The mercenaries and the hunters sat together and drank the three crystals beer made with shell grains. They yed poker, and they gloated about their rewards. The scavengers scattered at the corners chatted about the good looting spots they found. The females in revealing clothes leaned sluggishly against the bar counter while they waited for their prey.
Zhou Guoping as the bartender stood at the counter and wiped the ss cups. He would asionally chat with the familiar females. This boss/bartender was renowned among the people that lived on the knifes edge. To the people that caused trouble in the bar, none of them had a happy ending.
Everyone tried to guess his identity. Some people even gave him a street name The Bald Bartender.
Of course, no one would have guessed that his real identity was a spy nted by the actual controller of the Sixth Street.
Old Li, you just returned from Liuding, did you have fun there? A mercenary in mutant fur asked his old friend while burping.
Same old. It was so boring that it made people want to sleep. The mercenary with a buzz cut took a gulp of his beer and waved his hand.
Compared with the prosperity of the Sixth Street, Liudings glory gradually began to fade.
Is that so? Haha, what about your goddess at the Screw Bar? I remember she was your crush. The mercenary on the side patted Old Li on the shoulder andughed.
I havent seen her. Probably not around the Wanghai area anymore, the mercenary known as Old Li said with frustration.
Hopefully she has not been captured by some bandits and is being used as a sex toy. Someone blew a whistle.
If you dont want to have a drink of toilet water, I rmend you close your d*mn mouth. Old Li stood up with a gloomy expression.
The other mercenary didnt back down, but rather he blew a whistle to provoke him.
F*ck. Old Li, he is only joking, just let him go like a fart. The mercenary on the side immediately dragged him down and discreetly pointed at Zhou Guoping who had stopped cleaning the sses.
While the Old Li still looked pissed, he sat down. He followed his friends finger. The mercenary with a foul mouth also retracted his neck and sat back down.
Anyone that fight here probably doesnt want to live anymore.
Zhou Guoping red at them as they settled down. He then continued to wipe the ss in his hand but mocked them in his mind
[Dumb*ss, your goddess probably has been yed in so many different positions by a rich and powerful.]
It was certainly a dramatic story. Chu Nan had already worked his way up to be a governor of the Sixth Street, and he still was the boss of the bar. He didnt even ept the notification to attend the reorganization n.
Although among the small characters, the name The Bald Bartender was renowned among the circle. But only he knew the exacts, as evenpared with Zhao Chenwu, who surrendered to Jiang Chen, he was one ss lower.
To be honest, he was afraid of encountering Chu Nan. Since he did touch Zhou Xiaoxia when he was a bandit in the Huizhong Mercenaries. While Chu Nan didnt seem to mind, Zhou Guoping knew well that he was probably worth less than a tenth of what Chu Nan is worth in the bosss heart, it would be easy for Chu Nan to take him out.
Once the Fishbone base controlled the Sixth Street, the presence of the bar meant to collect intelligence became less and less important.
Just as he was zoning out, the messenger he put below the bar buzzed.
Like the usual, Zhou Guoping put the towel and ss aside and nced at the messenger. When he saw the words on the screen, he took a moment to process it before an ecstatic expression appeared on his face.
Half a yearter, the boss finally remembered him.
Zhuo Guoping left the job to the other workers as he put on a coat and left the bar without wasting a second.
To be honest, to the people with blemished morals, Jiang Chen didnt want to give them important duties. But after careful deliberation, the only subordinate that has worked with the mercenaries on a regr basis was Zhuo Guoping.
So the position of the mercenary association leader was best fitted for him.
Currently, Zhuo Guoping stood in front of Jiang Chens table as he waited for instructions with his head lowered.
You are pretty fast. Jiang Chenughed.
Of course, I cant make you wait, I came immediately after I received the message, Zhou Guoping said while trying to tter Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen took out a document and put it on the table.
Dont be nervous, it is something good. Take a look at this document.
Zhuo Guopingughed obsequiously as he took over the document. He scanned through a few lines before he stopped.
Mercenary association?
Thats right. The leader of the mercenary association, I want you to take the position. With hands cupped together on the table, Jiang Chen smiled.
Thank you bo, Thank you, General! Zhuo Guoping was so ecstatic that he almost called out the wrong name as the ttering action was only missing him kneeling down.
Okay, save the obsequiousness forter. This is your job. I already assigned the building of the association, it will be built across from the Sixth Street bank. Your job will be to establish it. I want to see results in a weeks time.
I willplete the task! Zhuo Guoping promised while pumping his chest.
Then go.
Zhuo Guoping bowed and turned around. But when he reached the door, he stopped as if he had remembered something.
Also, that Fake Leg Bar
I will find someone to take your position. Your primary responsibility will be the mercenary association.
Yes.
Zhuo Guoping exited the door courteously.
Half a minuteter, Jiang Chen leaned in his chair and smiled at Han Junhua who was observing everything.
What do you think about giving his position to someone like this?
She only used two seconds to think.
Just by ability, he is the best candidate.
Reputation among the mercenaries has more appealpared to an unknown character. If it were Cheng Weiguo or Zhang Gang that acted as the leader, it would be hard to even form the association.
What other aspects?
If I could read peoples mind, I wouldnt have lost to you, Han Junhua answered honestly.
Jiang Chen didnt disagree.
Thendy luck is on my side.
Chapter 381 - Are you being serious?
Chapter 381: Are you being serious?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Han Junhuas home was in a separate apartment building.
Jiang Chen satisfied her demands and ced her living quarters as far away from crowds as possible.
When he asked the reason behind her request, her response was simple.
Because I prefer a ce thats quiet.
Is that so? Thats a unique preference, Jiang Chen said nonchntly.
When they finished the work, Han Junhua and Jiang Chen walked out of themunity center together. It was thest task in the reorganization n, so work the next day would be much easier.
I always wanted to ask - is this Death w? Han Junhua stopped in front of the Mother of Death w statue and examined the monster.
The Mother of Death w. Normal Death w is not so big and not so difficult to deal with.
When he recalled the intense fight at the Like mall, Jiang Chen had mixed feelings. Although the actual killer of the Mother of Death w was the type-50 electromaic cannon, considering how quickly news spread, it quickly became his trophy.
Did you kill it?
Jiang Chen looked at her with a perplexed expression, but he still answered with a casual conversational tone, To be precise, we were even. The actual killer was the type-50 electromaic cannon.
Is this the strongest mutant in the wastnd? Han Junhua continued to ask.
Probably.
Perhaps stronger mutants existed, but Jiang Chen hadnt seen any.
Han Junhua didnt say anything else as she crossed her arms and fell silent.
They didnt speak anymore along the way. Jiang Chen walked with her for a bit longer before leaving and returning to the mansion.
Along the quiet trail, Jiang Chen pushed open the mansion door and hung his coat on the hanger by the door.
Youre back? Sun Xiaorou, in a long dress, stood at the door and smiled at him.
Mhmm Eh? Your wheelchair
Neural bridge. By utilizing a bridge, it circled the damaged brain area and allowed information exchange between the spine and the brain on a circuit board. She turned around and gently lifted her hair covering her neck and exposed a device simr to the neck cover in addition to the whiteness of her skin.
She was wearing a dress with her back exposed.
He didnt know where to put his eyes, so he looked away and said:
Technology is a magnificent thing.
Itspassion thats magnificent. I have to thank Yao Yao and Lin Lin; if it wasnt for them, I wouldnt have the opportunity to leave the wheelchair.
Sun Xiaorou approached Jiang Chen as she put her hand out and adjusted his cor.
Jiang Chen subconsciously wanted to move back, but because of the space limitations, her hand managed to reach his cor.
Such an intimate motion made him feel slightly awkward. Faced with the eyes that contained the universe, he didnt know what to say.
Wheres your sister? Jiang Chen scanned the stairs to the second floor reflexively.
In the virtual reality gaming chamber in the gym. Sun Xiaorou adjusted his slightly untidy cor, but her hands didnt leave Jiang Chens shoulder. She just dangled them there and watched his eyes cheerfully.
Is that so? She said it wasnt fun, but shes actually enjoying it? Jiang Chen changed the topic awkwardly.
Thats right. Arent we all like this? With her arms moving slightly, Sun Xiaorou closed the distance between her and Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen leaned back on the door.
Watching her eyes full of passion, Jiang Chen inhaled deeply.
Are you being serious?
We made a promise when we were young that we would marry the same person. Sun Xiaorou stared at Jiang Chens eyes as she smiled like a little devil and teasingly leaned her body closer.
Is that so? But if your sister found out that the first thing you remembered was this promise, she might not be so happy. Jiang Chen raised his hands, wanting to stop her, but his hands hovered in the air not knowing where to ce them before he had to lower them again.
No, she wont mind because shes my sister.
With her arms around Jiang Chens neck, the tip of Sun Xiaorous mouth curled up slightly as her lips got closer.
The distance was so close that he could even feel her warm breath on his lips.
Time froze in an instant. Jiang Chen held his breath.
But to his surprise, Sun Xiaorou didnt kiss him.
She turned her head slightly and kissed Jiang Chens cheek.
You didnt push me away.
In an instant, the soft figure agilely escaped away from Jiang Chen.
Time to shave, brother-inw.
She winked at him yfully and breezed away like the wind.
[This girl.]
Watching her skipping away, Jiang Chen touched the wetness on his face and the non-existent beard.
He slowly let out a breath.
It took a while before his restless head cooled down.
Was it fun? Jiang Chenughed.
Mhmm So so. Speak your mind, what do you need me for? Sun Jiao sat up from the gaming chamber and tidied her hair. Even in the way they flipped their hair, the two sisters were extremely simr.
Its time to eat - what did you think? Jiang Chen facepalmed.
[It wasnt just so-so by her look.] But he was certainly pleased with how addictive was. With even half of the 3.2 billionizens ying this game, hed be the richest man in the world.
Eh? Its already 6? Sun Jiao checked the time on her EP as her face turned red.
She was exploring the forbidden territory of the City of Elves. When Jiang Chen called her, she was fighting a boss. Although she was by herself, the NPCs intelligence was high enough that it was still surprisingly fun to y in single-yer story mode.
When Jiang Chen heard that the naughty function was unavable, he immediately lost interest in the game, so it was Sun Jiao alone who explored the secrets of this MMORPG.
Thats right, addicted girl, time to eat, Jiang Chen mocked.
What addicted girl? Im testing the game for you, thank me! Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen, displeased.
She stretched her body.
The curvature of her body, exaggerated by the stretch, was even more seductive.
Jiang Chen put his hand around her waist, smirking.
What are the test results?
Sun Jiao, leaning on Jiang Chens body, asked sluggishly.
Not bad Eh? Theres a familiar smell on your body.
Smell? Jiang Chen paused.
He didnt even get a chance to react before Sun Jiao opened her eyes and turned around to sniff Jiang Chens chest.
Xiaorou? Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen with suspicion.
Jiang Chens expression immediately turned awkward.
[How should I exin?]
Chapter 382 - Aerospace Technology Research Insitute
Chapter 382: Aerospace Technology Research Insitute
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
To be honest, he didnt know how to deal with Sun Xiaorous provocations.
But if he acted like he didnt know anything, it would only worsen the situation. Under Sun Jiaos questioning eyes, Jiang Chen took a deep breath and confessed what happened that day.
Was Sun Xiaorou the provocative one? You sure you didnt threaten her? Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen skeptically.
Am I that type of person?! Jiang Chen didnt know whether he shouldugh or cry.
But as soon as the words came out, he realized it wasnt convincing at all. He took away Sun Xiaorous first time, although he didnt know at the time that it was her first time.
Then how are you going to treat Xiaorou? Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen with a grin.
I I dont know. Jiang Chen said, embarrassed.
Sun Jiao seemed to have expected Jiang Chens reply as she let out a sigh.
If you want me to reject her, I can
No, youre misunderstanding me. Sun Jiao shook her head unexpectedly.
Mhmm? Jiang Chen stared at her with a perplexed expression.
If she Sun Jiao bit her lips with words stuck in her throat.
If? Because he couldnt make out her voice, Jiang Chen pulled his ear closer.
Whatever, ahhh! This is definitely too weird! Sun Jiao covered her suddenly burning face and hastily left thepletely confused Jiang Chen there.
At the dinner table, Lin Lin was as noisy as always while she chewed her food with her mouth full while bantering with Sun Jiao. Sun Xiaorous seat was right across from Jiang Chen. It was her first time tasting such delicious food, so she praised Yao Yaos excellent cooking skills. Yao Yao timidly smiled like always at being praised, her feet dangling under the table joyfully.
Jiang Chen was worried that the kiss at the door would cause some awkwardness between him and Sun Xiaorou, but it seemed like he worried too much.
Except, the moment their eyes met, Jiang Chen perceived a long and dubious message from her eyes.
After dinner, Jiang Chen went to Jiang Linsb.
He knocked at the door, and seeing as it was open, Jiang Chen waited for a moment before he took out the EP.
At the rocket testing site? He looked at the red dot on the map as Jiang Chen muttered to himself.
Because of the locating function of the chip, he possessed the exact coordinate of every knight. Of course, out of respect for personal privacy, he rarely used this function unless it was necessary.
He turned around and headed to the location.
Rocket testing site.
While the name sounded sophisticated, it was just an empty plot ofnd circled by concrete walls. There were two tables there with one covered in electronic parts while the other had chemical solutions. Aside from the two tables, there was also mechanical equipment he brought back from the Fake Leg Specialty Store as well as the old parts Jiang Chen funded.
Jiang Chen promised Jiang Lin that as long as he finished the work assigned to him, he would fund his dream to develop a warp drive engine for him. Now that the K1 kic skeleton production line was optimized and the mimicked version of the Dongfeng-76 ballistic missile waspleted, he obviously had the time to work on his own dream.
This is the warp drive engine? Jiang Chen mocked him as he looked at therge turbine engine Jiang Lin was working on.
Without turning his head, Jiang Lin flipped a wrench in his hand, wiped off the sweat from his head and grinned.
Not even close. This is only a simple propulsion engine - nowhere close to a warp drive. Its not even remotely close to the RF resonant cavity thruster.
I thought you created it already, Jiang Chen said.
I thought I almost created it. Jiang Lin sighed.
When Jiang Chen first captured Fallout Shelter no.27, Jiang Lin proposed a research project to Wang Qin. No, precisely, it wasnt a research project - he only provided the theoretical design of the warp drive to an aerospace expert to confirm the validity of his proposal.
But the answer he received was depressing - the expert criticized his design using all fields of knowledge and theory. Jiang Lin didnt give up; he even personally went to Camp 27 to debate with that expert.
The result was the same. The aerospace expert saw that Jiang Lin didnt believe him, so he personally simted the design with the quantumputer,ically showing the errors he made in the wrap drive design.
It was analogous to a junior high student thinking he discovered the truth behind the perpetual motion machine who used his knowledge to draw a blueprint he thought was wless and presented it in front of a physics teacher with a university degree.
Needless to say, the spirit of daring to try was worth praising. But in the name of science, only the truth stood.
After he heard Jiang Lins story, Jiang Chen was silent for a moment before heforted him in a soft voice.
At least you proved that method doesnt work.
But it wasnt me who disproved it - back in 2091, someone showed the error in my design philosophy. And in the next 80 years, people showed hundreds of incorrect design principles, but I wasnt aware of this at all. Heughed contemptuously at himself, threw the wrench in the toolbox, and took out a welding gun.
Do you feel sad? With sparks shing, Jiang Chen asked.
No, otherwise I wouldnt be working on this. Jiang Lin grinned as he stood up and patted the thing he had been working for a week.
Jiang Chen walked beside him and examined the metal, three-person tall object.
This is?
RM-320 rocket engine mimicked plus miniature version. Jiang Lin had a proud expression looking at the art he created himself. Although its technology from the end of the 21st century, dont you think its like a piece of art?
Technology from the 21st century?
Thats right. Based on the exnation of the aerospace expert, the propulsion rocket technology had been abandoned by the end of the 21st century. Space elevators could conveniently send spaceships into orbit from the ground. Spaceship arriving in orbit would then use the RF resonant cavity thruster to boost itself to the moon, or Mars, or somece even further. Jiang Lin grinned.
Are you nning to start from the fundamentals?
But this was certainly useful for Jiang Chen. Propulsion or not, it was technology lightyears ahead of the modern world. Or it could still be a great booster for the ballistic missile in the apocalypse.
Whats the cost of this rocket engine? Jiang Chen asked.
Plus the cost of solid fuel, twenty thousand crystals.
Damn, this rocket booster would eat the sry of 1000 people, Jiang Chen cursed.
Seeing that Jiang Chen didnt look pained, Jiang Lin smiled along and didnt respond.
After a moment, Jiang Chen examined the rocket engine again and abruptly said:
I n to establish the Aerospace Technology Research Institute with you acting as the director. Do you have any suggestions?
Chapter 383 - Start with collecting garbage
Chapter 383: Start with collecting garbage
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Aerospace Technology Research Institute? Jiang Lin was stunned.
From the shape of his lips, Jiang Chen could tell that he was asking in shock: Why me?
Because I believe in you. Jiang Chen was direct.
But
Jiang Lin wanted to say thatpared to scientists before the war, his abilities paled inparison, but Jiang Chen interrupted him.
I know what you want to say, but I want a response now.
Jiang Lin held his breath.
Okay.
Excellent, your response is what I wanted to hear. Jiang Chen smiled.
Seeing as his expression was still perplexed, Jiang Chen paused to exin to him.
The director of the research institute doesnt have to be the one who has the best research skills - even if your knowledge level is nowhere close to the old experts, I still believe that you will be the one who leads a group of people with the ability to achieve important results. Such as the miniature rocket I saw at your storest time - I still have a vivid impression of it.
Not just a vivid expression - it was stunning.
In Jiang Chens understanding, a rocket would have to be massive like a chimney, but Jiang Lins observation satellitepletely altered his understanding of near-orbital rockets.
If you wanted that small thing, you didnt need to start a research institute. Jiang Lin showed a troubled smile.
Youre misunderstanding me. Jiang Chen shook his head. Its the imagination that counts.
Imagination? Jiang Lin raised his eyebrows.
Thats right. Jiang Chen took out a piece of crystal from his pocket. Look at this, do you know what it is?
A crystal?
Correct. Jiang Chen smiled and threw this crystal in Jiang Lins hand. But before I told the blue skins, they didnt know what it was.
Jiang Lin looked at the green crystal in his hand as thoughts began to emerge in his head.
The entire Wanghai City, or the entire wastnd The world is no longer the world we were used to. Past ways of thinking wouldnt be adaptable on this wastnd, whether survival or research. I need you to use your creative imagination, your extraordinary vision to develop aerospace technology suitable for this wastnd.
Jiang Chen stared into Jiang Lins eyes as he spoke with seriousness.
It was far more challenging to build a space elevator on the wastndpared to the modern world. Just in terms of the dangers of the ocean, there was a vast difference between the two. Although hed never been to the coast before, Jiang Chen heard some stories from Chu Nan.
Liuding Town was on the better side because it was close tond, so sea mutants were umon. But once in the deep ocean, the dangerous level of mutants would rise exponentially. Regarding the battle on earth, only a small portion of the totalunched nuclear, biological and chemical weapons actually struck thend. Where did the rest go? It didnt disappear but was intercepted by the ocean.
With the influence of bacteria, viruses, and radiation, the mutation of the sea creatures was far more unpredictable than thend creatures. But the foundation of the space elevator had to be built on the ocean surface near the equator.
Other than that, the space garbage around the near earth orbit and synchronous orbit almost formed a smallary ring. These factors had undoubtedly increased the difficulty of aerospace exploration.
Extraordinary vision? You gave me a hard problem. Jiang Lin smiled, troubled again.
If it wasnt hard, why would I need you? Jiang Chen red at him.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Lin inhaled deeply.
Could you give me a general direction? The NAC or space technology you require is leaning toward which area?
Jiang Chen thought momentarily.
Start with collecting the garbage.
What? Jiang Lin looked at Jiang Chen dumbfounded; he didnt know the meaning of this sentence.
Jiang Chen pointed up in the sky.
Design a rocket that can be sent to the near earth orbit or the synchronous orbit Whatever you do, I need you to bring the stuff in space down, fix it, and send it up again.
This is rather an unscrupulous thought. Jiang Lin showed his third troubled smile that day.
It is possible from a technology point of view, right?
Yes. But no one would want to bring the satellite down to the surface; theyd rather fix it in the space station or justunch a new one
I said, dont look at the present problem with the past ways of thinking. Jiang Chen waved his hand in disagreement. Do we have a space station?
He patted Jiang Lin on the shoulder.
I believe you can do it. But first, I need you to create something small for me. Should be really easy for you - just a dumb small missile that can beunched. I need you to create four for me to sendmunication satellites up Space junk? No, you dont need to consider that, just design it based on the most ideal conditions
Just as Jiang Chen and Jiang Lin were discussing the Aerospace Technology Research Institute, there was also a negotiation in the mansion.
It was a discussion about life.
Xiaorou, can I ask you a question? Sun Jiao squeezed the body wash in her hand and evenly rubbed it over her sisters back.
When her sister was paralyzed, she was responsible for bathing her. Although Sun Xiaorou could wash now, she was still worried. What if that thing malfunctioned or came off, wouldnt that be terrible? Imagining her sister being stuck lying in the water - Sun Jiao only gave it a quick thought before her hands turned cold at the idea.
She finally found the only family she had in this world; she didnt want to lose her again.
The cold but soft sensation on her back made Xiaorou narrow her eyes infort.
Mhmm?
Sun Jiao gently bit her own lip, but she still asked.
Do Do you like Jiang Chen?
Xiaorou took a second to process it then she turned around with a smile.
Of course, hes a great brother-inw.
No, Im talking about from a rtionship point of view. Looking at the smile on her sisters face, Sun Jiao asked with seriousness.
The smile was gradually reced with a hint of mncholy. Finally, Sun Xiaorou let out a sigh.
Did brother-inw tell you?
Sun Jiao knew what her sister referred to - what happened a few days ago at the door.
Sun Xiaorou thought Sun Jiao was asking about what happened that day in her bedroom.
The two coincidentally misunderstood each other.
Mhmm. Sun Jiao nodded.
Are you nning to me me? Like a kid that did something wrong, Sun Xiaorou buried her head.
The bubbles in the bathtub reflected her sad face as well as her gorgeous figure.
No, I just wanted to know your opinion. Sun Jiao hugged her sister from behind, closed her eyes, and whispered.
Felling the warm hug of her sister, Sun Xiaorou suddenly felt like she was selfish. She couldnt tell if she actually liked Jiang Chen or if she just liked the person her sister liked. Her heartbeat pumped insanely because of the gray moral territory that made her do things she shouldnt have done
But just as she thought, a sour feeling emerged from the bottom of her heart.
[It was him that took my first time, why do I have to bear the guilt?]
Perhaps driven by some kind of emotion, she spoke out without processing the emotions in her head.
Even if theyre rather fickle?
Mhmm. Sun Jiao put her chin on her sisters shoulder and whispered into her ear.
Sun Xiaorou leaned forward, turned around, and faced her sister.
She lowered her bead while she gently bit her lip.
Suddenly, she got closer to her sisters ear and spilled the emotions in her heart
Chapter 384 - War Bond Issuance
Chapter 384: War Bond Issuance
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
In the morning, a bustling crowd gathered in front of the bank.
Merchants, mercenaries, hunters, even scavengers - everyone surrounded the bank. Peoples emotions were heightened with excitement evident on their faces. Under the ushering of the security forces in first division uniforms, people formed a long line as they waited for the Sixth Street bank to open at eight.
The reason why people were so excited was because of an inspiring speech yesterday.
Everyone, in the past 21 years, we used our hands to prove our prosperity. Zhao Chenwu stood at the podium in front of the council building as he used a passionate voice to speak to the crowd gathered.
From being abandoned by the PAC to facing the mutant waves alone, to the bacteria that swept across the city, to the despairing betrayal He gradually lowered his tone.
But we won against all odds! He tightly clenched his fists and raised his voice again as he used apelling voice, We used the new order we established to give the middle finger to the old authorities. We used our high walls and cannons to fend off zombies and mutants. We used our tanks to eradicate the bacteria source that affected our entire city. And we used thews of the council to punish the traitors!
And we weed radiance. He slowed down again as he looked at the crowd with a stern but proud gaze.
The listeners all held their breaths.
But just as we were about to celebrate our prosperity, an unfortunate and remorseful event urred.
As most of you already heard, our friends in Jia city, the warriors who fought against the mutant humans invasion, have fallen.
And right now, the barbarians in the west are swinging their clubs and challenging us: look, we caught your little neighbor and cut off his di*k. Are you afraid? Haha, well be doing the same thing to you soon! Right now, tell me, could you all ept this kind of humiliation! Could you?
There was no response below the podium, but Zhao Chenwu discerned from the faces of the crowd that they couldnt.
He took a deep breath as he spoke again.
Its smallpared to the size of the entire wastnd; it couldnt even be considered a grain. But we must protect its growth and care for it so it can radiate its brightness to ces even farther. Thats right, it is the radiance we see, a radiance known as order! And the first step to reach this great cause is to lubricate the road of our tank with the organs of those bastards! Then, we will free our friends! His voice changed from deep and somber to high and enthusiastic,pletely igniting passion in all the bystanders.
Long live the Sixth Street! people shouted and roared.
Long live the NAC!
Kill those di*kless bastards!
He raised his hand to signal the crowd to settle down as he flipped his script to the next page.ing
Right now, Im announcing the decision on the councils behalf. The Sixth Street will dere war on the mutated humans in the Seventh Area.
While he said that he looked at Chu Nan by the side. As the governor, Chu Nan represented the military government.
ording to the constitution of the Sixth Street, the military government had a veto right for motions passed by the council. Of course, it was just ceremonial since the impassioned speech was arranged by the military government.
Chu Nan stood up and looked solemnly at the crowd below the podium.
Granted.
Thunderous apuse erupted.
With unified public opinion, Zhao Chenwu took the opportunity to announce the war bond and recruitment motions.
This show went far more smoothly than he imagined.
The crowd outside the window formed a long line from the bank to the council building.
The bank was located beside the building.
Chu Nan and Zhao Chenwu sat at the table. There were color printed newspapers on the table and on the cover page was the impassioned speech.
The newspaper only became popr recently. People loved to gossip, and in an era without the inte, the newspaper could meet the needs of the people. Other than asional announcements of Sixth Street council decisions, the newspaper published stories of survivors, experiences of hunting mutants, job postings or advertisements.
Five minutes before the bank opens. Zhao Chenwu narrowed his eyes to look at the clock on the wall before he nced out the window again.
He didnt need to line up with ordinary people. As a big capitalist on Sixth Street, before bonds were publicly sold, he already purchased the portion that belonged to him.
Looks like people are passionate about the war that will happen four months from now. Chu Nan smiled.
It was eight oclock. The employees of the council building brought a te of steamy buns and two cups of freshly made soy milk.
No one is interested in the war, but people will never say no to shining crystals. Mmm, delicious breakfast. Zhao Chenwu grabbed a bun and took a hard bite.
He spent 20 years living there already; he knew exactly why people cheered yesterday. It wasnt to free their friends but they cheered for the mercenary contracts, military contracts, and employment opportunities brought by the uing war
Thats right. Chu Nan nodded as he reached for the te as well.
Breakfast at the council building was provided by the military government for free. The food there was always the best in all of Sixth Street. The fresh meat buns and hot soy milk were delicacies of the wastnd.
How did you think to use the steel of the mutated humans to create war bonds? Zhao Chenwu swallowed the food in his mouth. He looked at the crowd flooding into the bank and asked curiously.
I got inspired by the crusade dividend model then made some small changes in the process. For example, using the steel that the Sixth Streets currentlycking as coteral. Chu Nan slowly chewed on the food as he casually responded.
The crystals from thest crusade ignited the boiler for production, now this crusade would bring the raw resources needed for production.
How much steel do the mutant humans have?
Based on the information provided by the intelligence team, they have an estimated reserve of more than two hundred thousand tons of C-type steel.
What the fu*k, are they living on top of a mine? Zhao Chenwu couldnt help but curse.
It waspleted C-type steel, not iron ore that still needed to be produced.
Not a mine; based on reliable information, its an underground resources warehouse. PACs strategic storage somehownded in the hands of the monsters. But whatever, by fall of this year, the steel will belong to us.
Outside the window, the line was slowly moving. The bank opened its doors. People, with their personal identity cards, all charged at the bank employees.
He looked at Chu Nan again.
Whys he not making the crystals himself? Dont tell me hescking money right now.
Zhao Chenwu referred to Jiang Chen.
The food trade brought in over a million crystals of profit per month. As the biggest shareholder of the food business, Zhao Chenwu would rather think that the bank would go bankrupt than Jiang Chencked crystals.
Hes not reallycking money, but council member Zhao must know the saying that in order to collect the grain, the grain must be nted first? Chu Nanughed.
Zhao Chenwu took a moment to process that before he startedughing too.
A general with this foresight, its my honor to be in your presence.
My honor too. Chu Nan held up the soy milk cup in a toast.
Chapter 385 - Fixed Wing Aircraft
Chapter 385: Fixed Wing Aircraft
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Inside the hologram conference room, Chu Nans projected hologram stood at the end of the long table and reported to Jiang Chen on the first-day sale numbers of war bonds.
Including the presale portion, war bonds worth two million crystals were sold on the first day. Also, the recruitment work is 30%pleted; its expected to bepleted within a week.
Its almost like picking up money from the ground! Jiang Chen was amazed.
Our credibility worked - all the citizens wanted a bond.
No, no, no, credibility only rtes to the fact that people believe we will pay. But what made people buy the war bonds wasnt credibility but its because they supported the war. Sinking into the chair, Jiang Chen smiled.
Because there are things to be gained? Chu Nan said mockingly.
Partially.
Chu Nan didnt bother asking about the other reason; he merely smiled and flipped through the documents in his hand.
Was this the only thing you needed to report to me?
No, theres another piece of good news, Chu Nan said.
Oh?
Do you remember that Hua Weijie? The order you sent him - hepleted it.
When he first upied the Sixth Street, Jiang Chen promised various benefits to the five council members that surrendered. Zhao Chenwus food business, Lu Yuns Horizon Corporations Inner Circle rebuilt project, Hua Weijies Gctic Technology Companys pre-war technology collection and the development of the Type-51 Transportation Helicopter project.
Completed already? Jiang Chen looked at Chu Nan, surprised by the speed.
On his expected timeline, the research shouldve taken at least one year, but theypleted the project already.
Yes, theypleted it. Chu Nan nodded.
Direct their technicians to transfer the production process to our factory until the helicopter is sessfully built, and send the remaining one hundred and twenty thousand crystals to them, Jiang Chen immediately said with an uncontainable smile on his face.
The development of the Type-51 Transportation Helicopter meant that the NAC would possess the ability to manufacture helicopters andpletely disrupt Liuding Towns domination of the air force. With NACs production abilities, it wouldnt take long before they exceeded Liuding just on one tform.
Okay. Hua Weijie also asked me if there were any new projects for him. Chu Nan nodded.
Of course, ask him if hes interested in a joint research project. If he is, talk to him about the development of fighter jets.
Chu Nan paused for a moment then repeated to confirm.
Fight jets?
Yes. Fixed-wing aircraft, the type that could drop a 200-kilogram bomb on the enemys heads.
Let me be honest, the research for fixed-wing aircraft is far moreplex than helicopters. And regardingbat effectiveness on the wastnd, fighter jets are no stronger than helicopters. Chu Nan tried to convince Jiang Chen, erring on the side of caution.
Since the helicopter research was justpleted, the production line hadnt even started, so when would research on fighter jets begin? Chu Nan thought it was better to continue building on the helicopter research with the current model as the prototype while continually improving on its design.
Fighter jets? The maximumbat radius of NAC was at most fifty kilometers - were fighter jets even necessary?
But what Chu Nan didnt know was that Jiang Chen nned to bring fighter jets to the modern world.
Look further, the enemies in front of us arent just the mutated humans. The Northern Alliance Area has always been plotting against Wanghai City. Lets look even further at all of Pan-Asia, even the continent on the other side of the Antic; no one knows whats there, no one knows what they think over there. Well have to face them eventually. I dont want to bepletely unprepared at that time. Now, do you think its unnecessary to research fixed-wing aircraft?
Youre right, general, Chu Nan immediately responded.
Regardless if he was right or not, it was foolish to argue.
Jiang Chen nodded. Perfect, then thats that.
He ended themunication session with Chu Nan and stretched on his chair.
Ah This is tiring. Miss Advisor, could you massage my shoulders for me?
Let me be frank, thats an assistants work. Han Junhua, standing in the corner of the room, crossed her arms coldly.
Isnt the advisor also the assistant to the general? Jiang Chen said with a joking voice.
Your perspective is quite interesting, but allow me to disagree.
Thats disappointing then.
Jiang Chen exaggeratedly made a disappointed face, stood up, and walked out of the conference room in a good mood.
If you want to equip the army with fighter jets, I rmend you build an air force independent of thend units, Han Junhua said in a calm voice.
Its still too early - the scientists didnt even create the toy model for me yet.
Jiang Chenughed with his voice echoing down the hallway.
As the general, he didnt need to wait in the office for information. He only needed to appear in front of people when it was necessary. As for troublesome tasks, they were perfect for the advisor to take care of This was what Jiang Chen told himself about his job requirements instead of dealing with hisziness.
He sat in the office with nothing to do for half an hour before Jiang Chen instructed Han Junhua let me know if anythinges up.
It was already early June.
Estimating that he could return in a few days, Jiang Chen wanted to spend more time with the people he cared for now.
Jiang Chen passed by the square in front of themunity center. The training grounds were two hundred meters north of it. There was a row of parked trucks at the door as well as the Tiger, still active in service. The women waited for their husbands here because they would be heading to the front lines soon.
When Jiang Chen passed by the door, he saw the training grounds packed with people.
The First Division was about to depart, so Cheng Weiguo was making hisst speech to the soldiers. Once that was done, they would board the trucks and head for the front lines.
Just yesterday, the general office approved the request for war from the Sixth Street council. The entire NAC entered a state of war. Although the mutant humans undoubtedly didnt receive the information, there was nothing wrong with deploying their soldiers to the front lines.
In the crowd, Jiang Chen saw a familiar face.
It was Zhou Jiexi, the wife of Cheng Weiguo. She was the chef of the cafeteria before, but after the cafeteria was reorganized under the logistics department, she began working in that department. Jiang Chen had a faint memory of her - in the beginning, she cooked for the original thirty-something people at the base.
Now, he noticed a difference from how she looked before - it was her stomach
Zhou Jiexi noticed Jiang Chen and smiled.
Mr. General.
Long time no see. Jiang Chen smiled back as he looked surprised at her bulging abdomen. How many months?
Already three. Her face was filled with happiness when she talked about her child.
Three months already That guy, he didnt even tell me hes about to be a father, Jiang Chen said.
Youre the general - how could we disturb you with that? Zhou Jiexi said humbly.
Jiang Chen took a second to process it but managed to recollect his thoughts quickly and smiled at her.
[True]
After a pause, Jiang Chen said, Take care of yourself, also say hi to Old Cheng for me.
Mhmm, I will.
To a leader, it was indeed valuable to gain the respect and awe of his subordinates. But some distance created by awe was inevitable since the people he promoted, other than Zhou Guoping, werent naturally servile people.
[So I need someone who can tter me?]
With that sudden thought in his mind, Jiang Chenughed. Things would be boring with that type of person around.
[Am I missing a friend? Or a good brother?]
Jiang Chen was silent.
The troops began to move as the soldiers started to board the trucks and wave goodbye to the soldiers at the door.
At the same time, cradled inside a womans arm, Jiang Chen saw an infant.
The ignorant sleepy face and the smile on the mothers face formed a memorable picture in Jiang Chens eyes.
And it was because of that smile that Jiang Chen felt somefort.
Jiang Chen turned around and left.
Chapter 386 - The Night
Chapter 386: The Night
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
It waste in the night.
Jiang Chen leaned in front of the window with a wine ss in his hand. He stared nkly at the swaying tree branches out the window. The orange liquid swirled in his cup and reflected an unclear face as well as a murky moon.
What are you looking at it?
He didnt know how long Sun Jiao had been there behind him.
I dont know maybe its our backyard. Jiang Chen didnt turn around but he just gazed at the buds that would never sprout on the tree branches.
In the backyard was a trail formed among the short woods; further back was a pool he used to store gold. Of course, the pool was covered by an egg-shaped dome,pliments of Lin Lins work. He still remembered that he once enjoyed a sun-tanning session there simted by high tech.
Are you tired?
Her rare caring side peeked through as Sun Jiao gently hugged Jiang Chen from behind and leaned her face on his broad shoulder.
Feeling the softness behind his back, Jiang Chen smiled wearily and drunk all the remaining alcohol in his ss.
Sometimes. Jiang Chen poured himself another cup as he gave an answer that didnt seem to match her question.
But Sun Jiao seemed to understand his answer as she whispered to him:
Running back and forth between two worlds must be tiring.
A bit.
The wine ss was filled again and Jiang Chen swirled the transparent liquid. Through the orange color, he gazed at the beautiful face as he muttered to himself.
Different environment, different people, different ways of thinking, different values I feel like Im living two lives. Although this ability brought me an endless amount of wealth and dragged me out of a pit in my life I have no right toin, but I dont know whether this was a stroke of good fortune or not. Until a few hours ago, I suddenly realized that I dont have any friends here.
In the beginning, before he established a rtionship with Sun Jiao, he didnt think of bringing order to this ce. Regardless of how chaotic this ce was, he could live a wealthy life on this side No, he could even be living a more pleasant life.
He was slightly intoxicated as a cold breeze swept by and roused him from his thoughts.
Aside from you, Jiang Chen added.
Im not your friend, Im your wife. Sun Jiao bit Jiang Chens ear, displeased.
Ahem, sorry, Im a bit tipsy. He put the wine ss down. With one hand on the window, he used the other to wipe his face.
Yao Yao is also not.
I I know.
Then why dont you eat her? Sun Jiaos teeth let go of Jiang Chens ears as she mocked him.
Although he had so many opportunities when he almost ate that cute rabbit, he didnt end up doing it. Perhaps because she looked too young? It wasnt the primary reason though. Sun Jiao was his first woman, so he cared how she felt.
Jiang Chen didnt respond as he simply put his right hand on the hand around his waist.
Because of me?
Mhmm, Jiang Chen responded lightly.
I already said I dont mind. Also, its not like you havent been eating out secretively. Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chens expression turned awkward.
Uh, you knew?
Han Junhua right? Sun Jiao pouted.
Mhmm? Why did you think it was her? Jiang Chen was puzzled.
He originally thought she was referring to the diplomat from Liuding Town. He swore that Han Junhua was still a virgin. He didnt discuss any deeper problems with her. Although it wasnt something to brag about,pared to other people in a simr position, the number of people he had sex with could easily be counted.
Because one time, I happened to see how she gazed at your back. My instincts told me it wasnt as simple as a subordinate looking at her superior.
Jiang Chenughed and let out a sigh. Youre thinking too much; she has no emotions. Its hard to exin - shes something called a mind secretary.
Just like when your second ability got activated? Sun Jiao remembered that Jiang Chen mentioned the ability he gained after he opened the second level of hidden gic code.
Thats right, its simr to that. Jiang Chen nodded.
Then when you open your second ability, do you have feelings for me? Sun Jiao asked.
Jiang Chen paused.
He carefully recalled the first time he had Invictus activated in the battle with the lead mutated human. If he really had no emotions, wouldnt the best choice have been to ditch Sun Jiao and retreat? With the speed of the mutant humans, there was no way they could catch up to the T-3 power armor.
Perhaps, Jiang Chen answered with uncertainty, but he quicklyughed and tried to change the topic: Ahem, why are we talking about
Sun Jiao closed her eyes and spoke into Jiang Chens ear, For me, the only fortunate thing that happened in my entire life was meeting you here that day.
Jiang Chen was slightly astonished.
She then continued, Sometimes Im terrified, afraid that one day youll feel tired and wont return to this side.
I Sorry for worrying you.
Sun Jiaos finger gently covered Jiang Chens lips as she smiled. No need to apologize.
Jiang Chen grabbed her tender hand and fell into silence.
He stood there for a long time before he turned around and wrapped his arms around her.
Do you still remember when we first met?
Were you referring to me tying you up on the chair, or how we fu*ked from the kitchen to the bedroom? Sun Jiao put her arms around Jiang Chens neck seductively.
Im talking about when you licked the cans, Jiang Chen jokingly said.
Pshhh!
Sun Jiao burst outughing and rolled her eyes.
Its getting cold, Jiang Chen whispered.
Although it was June, on thend covered by radiation dust, the temperature fluctuated wildly.
With a blush spreading across her face, Sun Jiao read Jiang Chens hint.
Mhmm, lets go.
The door was notpletely closed.
Behind the door, a small figure hid.
A coat was tightly held by the figures hands, covering their chest as they watched through the window. Yao Yaos eyes looked a bit lost as her mouth pouted.
Are you a fool or what?
Lin Lin, who appeared behind her, let out a sigh.
Her voice made Yao Yao jump before she looked at Lin Lin, displeased.
If you dont act now, youll have more and morepetition, Lin Lin said with a smirk.
like you? Yao Yao buried her head.
Eh? Why-why are you bringing me into this? I-Im talking about Sun Xiaorou. Last time, didnt she, kiss at the door Lin Lins face instantly turned red as she rambled on listlessly.
But the more she exined, the fainter her voice became.
Yao Yao walked forward with her head still buried and stopped beside Lin Lin.
Sorry. I shouldnt I shouldnt have said that to you.
Its okay Its me who should apologize. Maybe youre right, but I dont even know what Im thinking, Lin Lin mumbled in a low voice and hugged Yao Yao.
She admitted that her intentions to encourage her friend were rather despicable.
The silver-white hair and the ck hair mixed together as the two small figures hugged each other.
Sun Xiaorou let out a sigh looking at the two girls in the corner.
But not long after, a joyful curvature appeared on her mouth as she turned around and walked to the bathroom.
Chapter 387 - Sisters
Chapter 387: Sisters
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The next morning, a ray of sunshine shone through the ledge of the roof and scattered on Jiang Chens nose.
Jiang Chens eyebrows jumped as he opened his drowsy eyes. Almost at the same time, a sour feeling flooded into the back of his head.
[Hungover again]
After showeringst night, Sun Jiao drank some more with him. As to what she did to him after he was drunk? Hehe, there was no need to guess.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath of fresh morning air as he wanted to drowsily rub his sore facial muscles, but his right hand seemed to be trapped by something. He took a moment to process that before he tried to move his left, but it was also trapped.
Even though Jiang Chen reacted slowly, he realized that the situation was a bit odd.
He shook himself free of his drowsiness, turned his head and immediately understood the situation.
Up so early. The sluggish voice rang in his ear as thepletely naked Sun Jiao didnt let go of Jiang Chens arm, but rather, she adjusted her body like a cat being fed.
The messy bed and the marks on the sheets as well as the pillows thrown on the ground gave a glimpse of the intimacy that happened the night before.
This wasnt the problem.
The problem was that there was more than one cat.
Jiang Chen slowly turned his stiff neck and looked at the figure to his left.
Morning, brother-inw, Sun Xiaorou greeted him with a grin.
This must be a dream.
Jiang Chen muttered to himself and closed his eyes again.
But it proved to not be a dream.
Because of the alcohol, his memory ofst night seemed scattered in Jiang Chens head. But after having a good sleep, all the way until noon, he began to recall what happened. First, he held hands with Sun Jiao, but somehow a third person joined in.
With the sheets around her chest, Sun Jiao confessed to Jiang Chen what happenedst night. Sun Xiaorou kneeled by the bed and confessed her affection for him from the bottom of her heart.
A few days ago when Sun Jiao was washing Sun Xiaorou, Xiaorou poured out her feelings for Jiang Chen. When Sun Jiao heard this, although she was hesitant at first, she still expressed understanding of her sisters feelings.
At the same time, a question that had been bothering Sun Jiao came back to her. Jiang Chen never ate Yao Yao, so she was afraid that she couldnt keep him in her world just by herself. Having seen the other world through the fourth dimension messenger, she knew that even as the emperor of the wastnd, not to mention the general of NAC, his life here was notparable to being an ordinary citizen in the other world.
She then remembered her sister and the feelings she confessed to her that day.
Although what she did was somewhat despicable, she hoped that he could stay on this side, or at least prevent him from randomly disappearing one day.
Therefore, she wanted to give him more reasons to stay.
That was Xiaorous thought too, right? Sheforted herself like that before she decided to drag Xiaorou into thingsst night.
On the bed, Xiaorou stared into Jiang Chens eyes as she said remorsefully:
Do you dislike me?
No, but Jiang Chen smiled bitterly.
As long as you dont dislike me. Like the weather in May, a bright smile instantly bloomed on Xiaorous face.
Drawn by her bright smile, Jiang Chen stared at her nkly when the sheet dropped from her body.
At the same time, Sun Jiao hugged Jiang Chen from behind as she said with slight jealousy:
You have to thank me. Also, Im the main course.
Ah, I
Because this was all too exciting, Jiang Chens brain was a mess since words couldnte out of his mouth.
Thats right, sister is the main course.
Xiaorou smiled and pecked him on the lips.
Jiang Chen felt something shattering in his chest.
Mhmm, something called boundaries.
The intimate night was too short since it was already morning, but the emperor decided to skip the morning ceremony (1). Although this saying described Consort Yang, Jiang Chen felt that it applied to him too.
The weariness of the past dayspletely faded as Jiang Chen walked into themunity center feelingpletely energized. Han Junhua, standing beside the office window, saw that Jiang Chen had arrived, so she walked over with her arms crossed.
She didnt ask why Jiang Chen didnt show up in the morning as she took out two document packages and put them in the middle of the table.
The administration department lead, Lu Huasheng, delivered three construction designs of the generals office.
Jiang Chen opened the document Han Junhua pointed at and took it out along with three graphene chips. The graphene cards stored the 3D models. The three designs each had unique aspects; he couldnt tell which one was better.
What do you think? After putting the three chips on the table, Jiang Chen asked Han Junhua for her input.
I dont have any opinion on the exterior appearance, but the office should be reinforced as much as possible. In any circumstance, themanders office would be the primary target of the enemy, Han Junhua said.
Jiang Chen scanned through the document and wrote Han Junhuas rmendations in the box for suggestions.
Okay, then this one. He picked the card that looked the most pleasing to the eye and stuffed the documents back into the package. With the two cards that didnt get picked, he threw them into the garbage.
Then Jiang Chen reached for the other package.
There was a stack of documents inside.
The logistics head, Wang Qin, came in the morning to submit a colonization expansion proposal. The specifics included requesting Shenxiang Colony to expand in the direction of Dianshan Lake with an estimated 15,000 acreage ofnd to be used for the nting of Carm trees and mutated fruits. She wanted me to let you know that if we initiated this proposal, wed be the biggest supplier of Carm Treesap and mutated fruits at Sixth Street, Han Junhua described.
15,000 acreage? Let me see it would hit Dianshan Lake directly. We have a battle with the mutated humans in the fall; are there any problems with expanding at the front lines? Jiang Chen took out a map and looked at thend circled in red with a frown.
From a war strategy perspective, theres no problem at all. Were on the offensive side with the battle centered in Jia City. Without any surprises, the mutated humans wouldnt be able to reach Shenxiang at all. In terms of the economics, its not my specialty, so I wont give an opinion on it, Han Junhua said concisely.
Its also not my specialty either, but if theres nothing wrong with it strategically, then I trust my talented staff. Jiang Chenughed and signed the proposal.
Carm tree was the primary raw ingredient for the production of stic on the wastnd. Kic skeletons and rifles all needed it.
Han Junhua quietly watched Jiang Chen stuff the signed document into the package.
Are you nning to leave? Seeing Jiang Chen was about to go, Han Junhua asked.
I need to go find Du Yongkong. If Lu Huasheng and Wang Qin are here, just give the packages to them, Jiang Chen instructed her as he stopped at the door.
Okay. Han Junhua crossed her arms and nodded.
Thank you.
Han Junhua paused then shook her head.
No problem.
Chapter 388 - Virtual Reality Helmet Prototype
Chapter 388: Virtual Reality Helmet Prototype
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
At the end of the hallway in themunity center was arge office modified from a conference room. The discussion behind the half-closed doors didnt seem to stop; it looked quite busy inside.
Although the reorganization that happened a while ago affected most departments, this was the only department that hadnt changed.
A board carved with words hung on the wall crookedly:
Right now, the makeshift office was jam-packed.
The mission brief ispleted. Old Zhang, are you done with the text?
Done. Wait one moment, Ill send it to you.
Models Code C10087 to C10129 NPC have beenpleted. The rest would be here, and a total of 17 AI must be inputted manually, take a look
The conference room was separated into individual offices with boards. Fifty programmers with dark eyebags worked in front of the hologramputers and continued to refine the virtual reality MMORPG.
In front of a hologramputer, Du Yongkong scanned through the lines of code. As the director of the game, he didnt need to personally type the code like the programmers - he only needed to audit the work of each team and direct game development.
The work sounded simple, but it wasnt easy at all. The work of fifty people was audited by only him. It was easy to see the impact his workload had on him from the deep eyebags on his face.
But he didnt mind the tiring work, or rather, he enjoyed it. He was just a chief engineer before the war and never acted as a game director. But life pulled a big prank on him as he finally got his dream position after the war.
He hadnt shut his eyes for 24 hours already. After he audited thest line of code, he was nning to nap for a bit on the table, but he happened to see a surprising person.
With Jiang Chen at the door, Du Yongkongs eyes lit up as he immediately got up to greet him.
After catching up for a bit, Jiang Chen finally got to business.
Dont be so nervous, Im just here to take a look. Also, did you finish the server?
Already done. Du Yongkong nodded. The humble programmer didnt know how to tter people, so he just kept smiling and smiling.
Although he looked a bitical, Jiang Chen really liked simple people like this.
Let me see.
No problem! Please follow me. Du Yongkong bowed respectfully and led Jiang Chen to the adjacent junk room.
The condition of the junk room was typical of a programmer as there were unorganized paper boxes stacked together. Considering the tidiness of the room, Du Yongkongs expression looked awkward as he scratched his head.
Its okay, I dont mind. Just let me see the prototype of the helmet.
Ah, okay, heh. Du Yongkangughed, rather embarrassed, as he began to dig through the boxes. He moved away a few boxes filled with papers before he managed to drag out the box that contained five virtual reality helmets.
Looking at the helmets in the box, Jiang Chen felt an inexplicable excitement.
If vessels and cannons were a source of romance for men, then virtual reality helmets were the source of romance allizens longed for. Jiang Chen could say with confidence that for anyone who read web novels or yed MMORPGs or single yer games, there wasnt a single person who didnt dream of the ability to use a virtual reality helmet to write their own story in the world created by 0s and 1s.
General?
Youre not a soldier, just call me boss.
Okay boss. Du Yongkongughed timidly as he scratched the back of his head. Is this what you wanted?
Jiang Chen took a helmet from the box as he carefully observed it in his hands.
It had a tainted crystal surface along with a bluish-ck polyethylene shell, resembling an aerodynamic motorcycle helmet. At the back of the helmet was a small tail covered in scales, the length was close to neck length, and it could connect ones neuralwork through microcircuits, interfering with the brain field.
It weighed around 1-2 kilograms, slightly heavier than a motorcycle helmet. But it didnt matter since the helmet was activated when the user was in REM sleep mode. Therefore, not a lot of people would choose to y this game while standing up.
How much molybdenum does one virtual reality helmet require? Jiang Chen asked.
Without ounting for improper production material waste, around 300 grams, Du Yongkang said affirmatively.
300 grams? Jiang Chen fell into deep thought as he stroked his chin.
Therefore, one ton of molybdenum could produce at least 3000 virtual reality helmets. Once he solved the molybdenum mine problem, this could be produced on arge scale. Of course, there was no rush since before this could beunched officially, Jiang Chen nned to conduct an internal test with some volunteers in the modern world to optimize the game.
Since it was an MMORPG from a different era, the degree of cultural eptance from the 21st century would differ from the 22nd century; he didnt want to decrease the quality of the game because ofck of attention to cultural appropriateness.
To produce 100 prototypes, the logistics department took apart a chamber to gather enough molybdenum. Why would we not use the chamber as the tform in the game? Compared to this outdated technology, the more advanced chamber would be better in both performance andfort.
[What? Took apart a chamber?]
[Thats a big loss] Jiang Chen cursed in his mind, but he didnt show any of it on his face.
Performance? Would ying the game with the helmet make the gameg?
It wontg. Lag wont be disyed in the game with rather simple physics, Du Yongkong said.
Then it would be okay. This type of fantasy game doesnt need to have a realistic physics model. Dont take apart any more chambers though; I only need the one hundred helmets for now, Jiang Chen said.
Du Yongkong nodded. Seeing that Jiang Chen wasnt going to change his mind, he didnt speak any more. He was only making a rmendation for his boss; there was no reason to argue with the boss over it.
Then thats all. Ill get people to transport the server and the helmets in a bit. Also, I almost forgot, did you add security measures to the helmets? Jiang Chen patted his own head and asked hastily.
I did - the molybdenum gold dense lead barrier can prevent any scanning. Also, if anyone attempted to open the helmet, the internal security circuit would forcefully overload and destroy all the graphene circuits and chips inside the helmet. It would be a piece of junk
But would anyone really want this outdated technology? Du Yongkong muttered in his mind with skepticism.
Jiang Chen happily patted him on the shoulder. Haha, good job. Go find Wang Qin in a bit. All the game developers will receive 50 crystals. This is the reward for your hard work!
Thank you Boss! Du Yongkong was ecstatic.
50 crystals were equivalent to a NAC knights basic sry for a month.
He didnt have any more doubts about the boss decision.
Who cares? As long as the boss was happy.
Chapter 389 - Hang City Merchant Alliance
Chapter 389: Hang City Merchant Alliance
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
It was either a nuclear crater or a circrke.
Theke reflected a light green luminescence in the night just like a sea of fireflies - beautiful but ominous.
Theke was clear but thick like a gel; the asional wind wouldnt cause any disturbance to its stillness.
In the middle of theke, a small mountain floated in the middle.
It was a small mountain formed by dark red chunks of meat. The blood vessels on its surface wriggled as they sent nutrients to the others parts of its body. The massive body rested on dense tentacles like an octopus or an enormous tree with deep roots in the middle of theke.
A tree formed by flesh.
There was a hair-like structure ten meters long, about as thick as an arm, growing on top. At the tip of it was a meat bubble that could light up. It was like a brightmp hanging on an antenna. A faint light flickered as it listened to something or called for something.
No one had visited this ce for twenty years since no one could ess this ce - it was the forbidden territory of life.
But still, a few mutants could approach the area.
The Death w was one of them.
Perhaps guided by the faint light, a Death w slowly moved toward the nuclear crater.
It moved while it swung its spike-covered tails as its sharp ws mped on a feeble survivor.
The survivors face was disgustingly ugly - his festered skin had mutated spores growing on top, the high radiation levels mutated every single cell in his body. His bloated mouth moved slowly and murmured undistinguishable words. Following the movements of his facial muscles, skin began to fall off his face.
His face was miserable, but he was also solemn.
Just like it was practicing a mysterious ceremony, the Death w lifted him up.
Following the frightened howl of the prey, it threw him into theke.
The thick waves spread and quickly engulfed the person.
Just like usual, after the Death w made a tribute, it left.
But suddenly, something unexpected urred!
The thick liquid became turbulent as giant bubbles emerged under the surface just like boiling water. The survivor who sank into theke was thest match that ignited the entireke.
The Death w suddenly turned its head as its bell-sized eyes narrowed into a line and its gaze shifted in shock between the rising radiance and the restless chunks of meat.
At the same time, in a mansion far away, the asleep Lin Lin suddenly opened her eyes.
Her breathing was still rhythmic as if she was still in a deep sleep.
But the crimson red in her pupils was particrly visible in the darkness.
It was mid-June already, so Jiang Chen wanted to return to the modern world soon. Since everything on the wastnd had been taken care of and thest group of recruits headed to the front lines yesterday, there was no point in him going to the office. As the wife of the general, Sun Jiao would take care of small tasks for him. If there wererger tasks, Lin Lin would message him with the fourth dimension messenger.
But he still had to go to the office today as a representative from Hang city wanted to see him.
Ha Yawning, Lin Lin rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked out of her room.
Did you stay upte? Jiang Chen, who was above to leave, asked with a smile.
No, I dont know why Im so tired Hungry too. Lin Lin rubbed her t stomach and walked to the kitchen drowsily.
Jiang Chen didnt know why but Lin Lin had been tired for the past while. Jiang Chen initially thought she was tired the way regr humans got tired, but Lin Lin told him that digitalized humans didnt get sick.
Jiang Chen stared at her back, puzzled, but he didnt say anything as he left.
The sky was exceptionally clear today; perhaps the seasonal wind from the Pacific blew away some radiation dust that covered the wastnd. When he arrived at his office, a man in a suit was already waiting for him.
When he saw Jiang Chen, his eyes lit up as he extended his right hand.
Jiang Chen shook his hand with friendliness.
Kong Jie, the president of the Hang Merchant Alliance Commerce Chamber. The man shook Jiang Chens hand for a long time as he introduced himself.
Judging by the calluses on his hand, this guy didnt seem like a merchant at all.
Although hed never been to Hang before, Jiang Chen heard of the Merchant Alliance before.
There were quite a number of merchants at the Sixth Street who came from Hang. The electronics, tobo, and adhesives from Hang were all top sellers here. And the majority of the merchants from Hang all belonged to the Hang Merchant Alliance. Having this many merchants as members was indicative of the power of this organization.
But between Hang and Wanghai City was Jia City, and 150 kilometers to travel was considered far on the wastnd.
Jiang Chen, NAC general. Why dont we sit down before we talk? Jiang Chen smiled.
Haha, of course
After some small talk, the two sat down on the sofa.
Jiang Chen signaled Han Junhua to leave for now. He interlocked his fingers and rested them on his knee as he asked directly:
Its so chaotic outside, so why is the president making a personal visit here?
Jiang Chen didnt forget that Jia City was still in the hands of the mutated humans.
Im here to bring friendliness and bring crystals. And a personal reason: I wanted to see the rumored King of Wanghai City, Kong Jie said.
[The King of Wanghai? ttering words, but I like it.]
Haha, is this how people in Hang refer to me? Jiang Chenughed.
Of course, the merchants that returned from the Sixth Street all praised you. A dictator who recognized the importance of merchants and who could follow the rules of the game he established. To be honest, when we heard that the Group of Ten Council was reced by a dictator, we assumed the worst and thought we lost the brightest market, but you proved us wrong, Kong Jie said with humor.
Seeing that Kong Jie was still not getting to the point, Jiang Chens eyebrows raised as he continued:
Its an honor to receive such praise from your merchants; the Hang merchants will always be our friends. But I think before we tter each other, we should get to the point.
Kong Jieughed.
To be honest, before I came, I had a great proposal.
And now? Jiang Chen asked.
I changed my mind.
Could I hear the proposal you abandoned? Jiang Chen leaned on the sofa as he stared at the president with a shrewd face.
My proposal was for both parties to send out a force to take out the nail thats blocking our trade route.
What about now? Jiang Chenughed.
Now I realized that you dont seem to need us - you can take out the nail yourself.
As he said that, Jiang Chen sensed a trace of concern hidden deep in his eyes.
Chapter 390 - The Calm before the Storm
Chapter 390: The Calm before the Storm
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Thats right, Jiang Chen said with straightforwardness.
He didnt hide the power of NAC because there was no need. Once the NAC g flew above Jia City, the survivors, merchants, and mercenaries would naturally circte the unknown but powerful name to the entire wastnd.
Jiang Chen was observing Kong Jie while Kong Jie was doing the same thing.
I sense danger from you.
Could I interpret that as apliment? Jiang Chen crossed his legs as he said in a joking voice.
Of course. Our merchants are spread all over the wastnd; there arent a lot of forces that would scare us. The Northern Alliance Area is one of them, as are you.
Because of my weapons?
Because of your ambition. Kong Jie stared right into Jiang Chens eyes.
This act was extremely disrespectful in a friendly meeting, but he still did it. He wanted to see if Jiang Chens eyes could reveal anything that could prove his assumption. In actuality, he did it because Jiang Chen didnt bother to disguise his ambition.
How so? Jiang Chenughed.
From the configuration of the base. Kong Jie shifted in his seat as he scanned the room decorations. As well as this office. For the people who prefer order, they have a high standard of living for themselves and their neighbors. Of course, the best way to demonstrate that is the name NAC. New Asia Corporation? Good name.
Do you feel unsettled? To Kong Jiesments, Jiang Chen only answered dubiously.
Thats right, Kong Jie said directly. Our merchants are all considering one question: if you take out the nail between us, who could promise that you wouldnt step foot into Hang from Jia City?
So your rmendation is? Jiang Chen asked.
Let Jia City be the buffer zone between us. Without and route, our merchants can develop routes in the shallow sea or Tai Lake. But without this nail, we wont sleep well at night. Kong Jie stared into Jiang Chens eyes, making his proposal with seriousness.
Thats impossible. Jiang Chen rejected it right away. Even if we dont attack them, the mutated humans willunch an attack on us. By that time, they would have a natural advantage; no one could guarantee that the war wont spread across the Taifu river. I wont prioritize short-term peace to risk losing an inevitable war.
We could fund you to build up your defenses along the river. Kong Jie raised his finger. Half a million crystals, on the condition that you wont send your forces west.
Jiang Chen was not moved at all with this proposal.
Then thats unfortunate; we already raised two million crystals through the distribution of war bonds.
The negotiation was at a stalemate.
Kong Jie and Jiang Chen stared at each other and fell into silence.
Momentster, Kong Jie suddenly spoke with a smile.
Do you know how the mutated humans obtained so many weapons?
Why? Jiang Chen didnt seem too interested.
Based on the data we gathered, an organization named The Dusk that migrated from the Northern Alliance Area is providing support for them, Kong Jie said with an ambiguous smile.
This information was outdated - thest time The Dusk sent out Sun Xiaorou to assassinate Jiang Chen, he already obtained that information through his unique methods. Regarding the operations of The Dusk, he knew a man called Bo Yu provided help to the mutated humans.
It wasnt hard to deduce this as the mutated humans were weak industrially, yet they had heavy machines or even cannons. Jiang Chen would never believe they didnt have support from a third party.
But from Kong Jies ambiguous expression, Jiang Chen read something else.
Are you threatening me? Jiang Chen said dubiously as he looked into his eyes.
I didnt say anything. But as merchants, we retain the right to invest in any projects that can offer a return. Kong Jie shrugged.
Jiang Chen sneered.
Since it was already so obvious, why was he still afraid to admit the truth?
Youre ying with fire.
I am looking for an opportunity to work together, Kong Jie corrected him without backing down.
Jiang Chen suddenly stood up.
A trace of anxiety shed across Kong Jies eyes, but he quickly calmed down.
If you think you can fund the mutated humans to prevent us from removing them from Jia City, you can go ahead. Jiang Chen walked in front of him. He stopped and stared into Kong Jies eyes from above as he said, But I can tell you now that if you support the mutated humans
Unable to breathe because of the oppressive atmosphere, Kong Jie held his breath and waited for the next sentence from the dictator.
Jiang Chen grinned and spoke the words Kong Jie didnt want to hear the most.
Then there would be war.
The atmosphere in the office froze, but it quickly faded by the next sentence from Jiang Chen.
Of course, I trust that your partys foresight, you wouldnt make such an ill-advised decision.
With his eyes wavering for a while, Kong Jie finally nodded in hesitation.
Excellent. Wee back to the negotiation table then. Jiang Chen smiled and sat back down.
With the tension alleviated, Kong Jie finally breathed fresh air again.
Suddenly, he realized his entire back was drenched in cold sweat.
The negotiations ended peacefully.
Jiang Chen didnt n to discuss the details of military operations in the fall but rather, he began talking about how to share trade routes after Jia City was captured. Although the war hadnt started yet, Jiang Chen already considered the city his.
Kong Jie still expressed concern with the fact that if Jia City was captured by Jiang Chen, Hang would be surrounded by him. But with Jiang Chens firm position, he couldnt do anything about it.
After they reached an agreement with the trade routes, supply stations, and patrol stations, Kong Jie hastily left.
Seeing that Kong Jie had left, Han Junhua walked in.
Why dont you just detain him?
Because that would serve no purpose. Jiang Chen yawned and waved his hand. This is the annoying part about negotiating with such a loose organization - even if you killed its leader, it would just select a new one. Or rather, the leader itself is basically like a mascot. When I shook hands with him, I knew he wasnt a professional merchant.
A professional merchant would not have calluses from holding guns. Instead of being a true leader, he was a representative pushed forward by a bunch of merchants.
You dont seem to be worried about the reaction from Hang? Han Junhua asked.
They need a market, and we have the biggest market in Suhang province. Safety or crystals - they must choose between them, and I firmly believe they will choose thetter. Especially since my attitude towards the Sixth Street merchants seemed to ease his mind. Even if they were taken over by the NAC, their assets wouldnt bepromised Most merchants would think this way. Jiang Chen walked over to the desk.
There was someone knocking on the door.
Come in.
It was Wang Qin. She had a grave expression.
General, informationing from the Sixth Street stated that mutant activities have been on the rise as ofte. Mutants including mutated cockroaches and mutated rats are all exhibiting strong, aggressive behaviors. Typically, these mutants wouldnt attack survivors The information reported that Wanghai City is preparing for the second flood of mutants.
Flood of mutants? Jiang Chen frowned.
He had never experienced a mutant flood before; he just heard rumors about the terror of it. In the past when the World Alliance Organization had yet tounch the space colonization ships, a mutant flood erupted in Wanghai City. The ex-military army stationed near the citys research institute was driven out by the ferocious mutants.
The shock also impacted the Sixth Street, but with the equipment left by the World Alliance Organization, they managed to fend off the attack. At that time, the Sixth Street confirmed its rule under the Group of Ten Council.
But this time
Wang Qin nodded.
Alert Wang Zhaowu to be on the precautionary side; hes closer to the city center. I will give him permission to open the fallout shelter door and lead the citizens on the surface to retreat into the fallout shelter. At the same time, increase the fallout shelter energy reserve to 100 fuel rods. You will be responsible for that, Jiang Chen said.
Understood. Wang Qin nodded.
The time between each fallout shelter opening varied; no one knew when the other fallout shelters in Wanghai City would open. If he lost fallout shelter no.27, that would mean that the research abilities of the NAC would decrease substantially. Jiang Chen would not permit such a thing from happening, so if a mutant flood were to erupt, he had to protect the safety of the scientists.
Whether or not a mutant flood would actually ur, there was nothing wrong with being prepared.
Also, establish a temporary emergency shelter underground. Prepare necessary barricades, beds, nutrient supplies, and heaters. Although we know these things probably wont be used, prepare these things just in case.
Okay. Seeing that Jiang Chen had no further instructions, Wang Qin quickly left.
After a brief pause, Jiang Chen looked at Han Junhua again.
For the next few days Mhmm, perhaps for half a month, I have something to take care of elsewhere. Just discuss things with Sun Jiao for now since she takes on my responsibilities when Im away. If the mutated flood does erupt, Ille back immediately.
Jiang Chen thought Han Junhua would ask where he was going, but surprisingly, she only nodded.
Okay. But my rmendation is that if the mutant flood was to erupt, as the general, you shouldnt return to the areas with high danger.
I will return because there are people who are important to me here, Jiang Chen said with seriousness.
I will protect them for you, Han Junhua promised calmly.
Thank you. But dont be too worried, they may just be rumors.
Jiang Chen patted her on the shoulder and left the office.
The door closed.
Long after watching the door close, Han Junhua squeezed her own face.
Then she put her hand down.
Weird.
She muttered to herself with an emotionless voice then looked outside.
It was bright and clear outside; not a single cloud was in the sky.
But the brightness gave her a surreal feeling.
This feeling was just like the calm before the storm.
Chapter 391 - Economic Sanction?
Chapter 391: Economic Sanction?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
To Jiang Chens surprise, the skies were clear at the wastnd, but when he returned to the modern world, it was pouring rain.
The grain-sized rain droplets sshed on the windows and made harsh sounds along with the violent wind. The leaves on the palm trees outside were all blowing to one side and the waves in the sea were rolling thunderously without any sign of humanity.
Perhaps Ayesha heard a noise in the bedroom, so she slinked into Jiang Chens room like a quiet cat.
Her clothes right now were particrly eye-catching, or rather, whenever she was home, her clothes were always eye-catching. She had just a loose white shirt on with two smooth and perfectly shaped legs swinging out underneath. From a psychological perspective, this style not only drew the curiosity of the husband wondering whether she was only wearing a shirt, but it would also tease the husband as he watched the legs swinging.
Combined with a cold expression and passionate sight
Okay, Jiang Chen admitted, if it werent for the fact that his clip waspletely empty, he wouldve leaped onto her and did her on the spot.
Jiang Chen stood up,ughed and helped her button up one button.
Come out with me for a bit. Uhh, do you need to change first?
Theres a typhoon outside. Ayesha kissed Jiang Chen as she said gently.
From her voice, Jiang Chen could sense a hint.
Typhoon? Is it serious?
Around three hundred kilometers away from Coro Ind and the wind magnitude is level 13 The news rmended reducing travel.
[It shouldnt be too serious then.]
Seeing as Jiang Chen didnt respond, Ayesha said in a faint voice, Its been almost a month.
Jiang Chen, of course, knew what she was referring to, so he touched her forehead with his and smiled.
Tonight?
With her face blushing, a curve appeared on Ayeshas mouth as she buried her face in Jiang Chens hug timidly.
Jiang Chen changed into somewhat formal clothes before he came into the garage and opened the ck Sonatas door. In this hideous weather, he obviously didnt want to drive his Lamborghini.
Seeing as Jiang Chen got into the car, Ayesha, already sitting in the drivers seat, started the car and drove into the pouring storm.
Because of the storm, they drove slowly. It took them half an hour before they arrived at the presidential pce and entered the underground garage. After examining their identities, the security courteously allowed them to pass.
When Jiang Chen arrived at the presidents office, Zhang Yapin was in a heated debate with his lead advisor and vice president. Zhang Yapin stopped for a second when he saw Jiang Chen at the door and came up to greet him.
Wee Mr. Jiang, what brought you here?
The vice president and lead advisor werent too displeased when their conversation with the president was interrupted; they merely examined Jiang Chen with a few curious looks.
Jiang Chen shook hands with Zhang Yapin before he asked:
Are you busy now?
Diplomatic problem. Haha, gentlemen, its already lunchtime. Why dont we wait until 2 before we start our discussion again?
The lead advisor and the vice president exchanged nces before they nodded.
No problem. I agree.
The two left, leaving only Zhang Yapin and Jiang Chen in the office. Zhang Yapin walked up to the coffee pot and poured two cups of coffee before he sat down on the sofa and gestured Jiang Chen to give the coffee a try.
Blue Mountain Coffee.
Thank you. Jiang Chen took a drink and leaned back on the sofa.
Okay, I guess youre not here just for me to make you coffee. Perhaps hed been busy for the past few days, but Zhang Yapins voice was fast.
After a few months of experience, the young president finally gave off the vibe of a politician. Although Zhang Yapin didnt say anything yet, he knew Jiang Chen must be here for something.
Seeing as Zhang Yapin was so direct, Jiang Chen didnt bother making small talk anymore. Ocean resources development license and mining license - help me take care of these.
Youre nning to mine? I remember that theres only a low-reserve cooper mine in Pannu Inds, Zhang Yapin said with a frown.
Jiang Chen shook his head. Not above the sea surface, I want to mine under the ocean.
Underwater mining?
Thats right. The location is south of Ange Ind; it wont affect the local ecosystem there.
Okay, Ill take care of this for you. Although he was skeptical whether Jiang Chen could mine, Zhang Yapin still nodded. Anything else?
I have nothing else. Jiang Chen shook his head. But you seem to have something.
Zhang Yapin had a bitter smile and took a sip of his coffee.
The attempts by country F to use the excuses of disrupting area stability and illegally detaining hostages to impose economic sanctions on Xin along with Mysia, Brunei, Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia and other neighboring countries. For example, increasing export taxes to Xin would greatly increase the cost of living for ordinary citizens. Also
Whats the reaction of each country? Because he didnt understand the situation, Jiang Chen interrupted him as he cut straight to the point.
[Illegally detaining hostages? Fu*k? How thick is your skin to dare to say this?] Jiang Chen cursed in his mind.
Because of the stance of Hua, the south sea countries all stand with country F while New Guinea expressed neutrality on this issue, but it wasnt a big deal - we didnt have significant trade with those countries.
The problem is Australia?
Thats right. Zhang Yapin nodded.
Australia was the major trade partner of Xin; 80% of the products sold in Xin supermarkets came from the ports of Australia. If Australia favored country F, it would be detrimental to Xins economy.
Based on the new arms deal between Australia and country F, F would purchase an out-of-service warship with a discement of 3600 tons. While Australia didnt express their stance yet, based on the fact that F could use this deal as leverage, Australia has a high chance of favoring country F.
Jiang Chen crossed his legs and deliberated.
Zhang Yapins expression looked rather helpless since a small country like Xin had no voice internationally. If Australia favored country F, Xin couldnt do anything about it.
Cancel the trial in mid-July and release the 41 soldiers without conditions? But thats impossible since we already announced the trial date to the international and local media. The international media also all submitted coverage requests to our supreme court already, Zhang Yapin said while rubbing his weary eyes.
The fact that things had developed to this point meant that there was no possibility of turning back. Once the 41 soldiers were convicted of their crimes, country F would lose all face internationally, and the strong stance employed by Aquino would be aplete joke.
If a small country could p you in the face, how well does your strong stance work? It was already embarrassing for the invasion to ur, but without remedying the problem, Aquino would have to face the wrath of the soldiers families as well as skepticism from his own citizens.
But country Fs actions still made Jiang Chen surprised; the incident with the mercenaries still hadnt taught them a lesson.
The ruling party of Australia is? Jiang Chen asked in an undertone.
Liberal party.
What about the opposition party?
Labor party Is there any problem?
Good, just leave this to me. A smile suddenly emerged on Jiang Chens face as he stood on the sofa.
Leave this to you? Zhang Yapin was puzzled.
A problem that cant be solved through foreign diplomacy can be solved politically. Dont forget - Im a businessman and there are no boundaries for businessmen.
After Jiang Chen finished the coffee on the table, he left thepletely confused Zhang Yapin and walked out the door withrge strides.
Chapter 392 - Arms Sale Agreement
Chapter 392: Arms Sale Agreement
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
In terms of diplomatic rtionships, in contrast with its allies that were keen on flexing their muscles on the international stage, Australias performance had been mediocre at best. It was partially because of its unfavorable geographic location, but also because its citizens never paid too much attention to international affairs.
As a joke, while the Australia government was attempting to win a seat on the UN security council, the opposition partyughed at the president for spending too much time on international politics, thus neglecting the crisis surrounding climate change.
Compared to Britain, France and UA that liked to y international political games during election years, Australia was calmer. But behind the calmness was a strong naval presence.
The Royal Australian Navy currently possessed six Collins ss submarines, three Adide ss warships, eight Anzac ss warships, six mine hunters and other vessels; they could be considered the strongest naval force in the Pacific region.
Not only that, but currently the Royal Australian Navy was pushing the SEA1400 and SEA1000 projects with projected costs of 7.5 billion and 37 billion USD respectively. The projects would construct three Hobart ss Aegis destroyers and 12 Collins ss submarines, with the goal of recing the existing fleet by 2020 and ultimately changing the existing naval force by 2030 to push for navy modernization
But all this required money.
Considering its rather calm diplomatic policies and tight budget, its determination to modernize its navy was incredibly ambitious.
Because of this, the disposal of old navy vessels had been a problem that troubled Canberra for the past while. If country F was willing to purchase some old ships, the Australian government had no reason to object.
As for the extra condition requiring them to change their stance in the west Pacific, the Australians didnt mind since Xin was only a small country with a poption of twenty thousand.
Jiang Chen would target this sale to ruin country Fs n.
In Australias capital, Canberra.
Outside of a Burger King, a taxi stopped.
The door opened and a middle-aged man with a grey trenchcoat walked out. After he examined the interior of the restaurant, he cautiously looked behind him.
After he confirmed that there were no reporters following him, he opened the door and walked in. He didnt order anything as he sat down at a seat in the innermost part of the restaurant and looked at the ck man that sat across him.
Barkary, a manager at Celestial Trade Company.
Barkary? The middle-aged man scanned his phone before he looked at Barkary and asked in a low voice.
Thats right, and you must be Brody. Barkary extended his right hand.
Brody, a member of the liberal party, had a reputation within the party second only to the party head, Malcolm.
Hesitating for a second, Brody shook his hand and spoke while staring into his eyes.
The manager of Celestial Trade Company? Australia doesnt need a securitypany; I probably cant help you.
Barkaryughed and put his arms on the table.
But we can definitely help you out.
Brody raised his eyebrows and signaled him to continue.
Barkary smiled and exposed his white teeth. I heard you have an inactive MEKO-200 warship
Impossible. We already decided to sell that to country F, so theres no way we can sell it to you. If youre here for that, youre out of luck. Brody immediately knew what he was going to say as he rejected him outright.
200 employment positions in your riding, Barkary said.
Brody wanted to get up, but his interest was piqued, so he sat down again.
For a parliament member, there was nothing he cared about more than his riding. Although he was scornful at Barkarys suggestion, he still sat down and waited for him to continue.
You havent figured out the situation, Mr. Barkary. I cant convince the parliament to sell a navy vessel to a country were unfamiliar with, even if its just an inactive navy vessel, Brody said.
I never said it would be sold to a country. Barkary shook his head.
Not possible for private individuals either.
Brody wanted to get up, but Barkary pulled him back down and signaled Brody to give him ten minutes.
The parliament member sat down again as Barkary spoke with a smile.
Our boss is nning to purchase a bankrupted amusement park located in New South Wales for five million USD. The vessel will be purchased under the name of the amusement park and converted into a military museum. This is not against the arms sales regtion because its an Australian corporation that will purchase the vessel, and its for non-military purposes.
And this point, Barkary stopped talking and watched Brodys eyes gradually lighting up. He knew that this parliament member was tempted by the proposal.
After a moment of deliberation, Brody said in an undertone:
How much are you nning to pay?
11 million USD.
Brody shook his head. I can only tell you that country Fs offer is not below 15 million USD - I cant convince the president with this offer.
Is this as simple as 11 million USD? Barkary asked with a smile.
What do you mean? Brody raised his eyebrows.
This year is the election year. Do you think voters are more inclined to see a president who is keen to sell a navy vessel to a country that disrupts regional security, or a president who is working hard to improve employment and maintain regional stability? Think about it - the president isnt a businessman; the voters wont care how much you sell the vessel for as long as the number isnt too absurd.
Because of its amount of time in service, the second-hand navy vessel wasnt worth a lot of money to begin with. The Hamilton ss patrol ship purchased by country F from the UA was 10 million. While this Australian vessel had served forparatively less time, it was definitely not worth 15 million USD. The reason why country F was willing to pay a premium was because Australia agreed to sell the weapons and radar along with the vessel.
Australia also took a diplomatic risk when selling this vessel, because the sale could be viewed as an act of aggression. Therefore, this proposal had a divergent opinion in the presidents office.
As a politician, Brody obviously considered that aspect. The reason he didnt reveal the controversy about the deal with country F was because he wanted to gain more out of the negotiations. Due to the price drop in iron and aluminum ores, Australias economy had ackluster performance in 2015. In this type of economic environment, the deal that would gain the support of voters was a no-brainer.
Seeing that Barkary put all the facts on the table, Brodys gaze drifted away and his fingers knocked on the table continuously while he debated the pros and cons.
The arms sale is led by the UA - we cantpletely disregard the position of our ally. Brody lowered his voice.
Barkaryughed and shifted his chair back.
Mr. Brody, do you think the UA is more important or the uing election in 2016? If you dont win, your efforts in diplomatic rtions are only going to help pave the road for the Labor party. If you think my proposal isnt attractive enough, we can also go talk to the Labor party. I trust they will definitely take this opportunity.
Barkary then stood up.
But this time, Brody grabbed him.
Looking at the expression on the parliament members face, a victorious smile appeared on Barkarys face.
He knew he had sessfully convinced him.
The rain outside the window was still pouring. In the distance, a few strikes of lightning asionally appeared.
Jiang Chen was already naked on the soft bed. A sheet covered his stomach while he had a phone in his hand. He looked rxed.
Its done. A member of parliament, Brody, agreed to discuss our deal with the party leader.
Excellent, 16 million USD has been transferred to your ount. You can now go purchase the bankrupted amusement park and the inactive navy vessel. Lying on the bed, Jiang Chen sent these instructions to Barkary in Australia.
Once country F found out their navy vessel would be turned into an amusement park, what would they think? It wasnt important for the amusement park to make a profit, but it was meant to solve the awkward diplomatic situation Xin was currently in. He had to drag wavering Australia off of country Fs boat.
Only 16 million? Jiang Chen could afford that.
Also, what do you think of Brody as a person? Jiang Chen asked.
Devious. Barkary used one word to describe him.
Influence within the party?
Only second to the party leader, Malcolm. He helped Malcolm win the election in 2013.
Maintain a good rtionship with Brody; we could use him in the future. Also, you can hint at him to see if hes interested in bing the party leader. We can provide some election funds. Jiang Chen had a dubious smile on his face.
Okay, Barkary answered concisely.
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Chen let out a long breath.
Without Australias involvement, the economic sanctions would only be words on paper.
Then the sheets covering his lower half moved and slowly lifted.
A gorgeous face appeared under it. A pair of crystal blue eyes stared at him followed by a rhythmic up and down motion.
Jiang Chen smiled and caressed Ayeshas dark brown hair.
I still need to make a phone call
But just as his fingertips brushed her hair, a tingling sensation began to diffuse in his body as Jiang Chen tightened his back muscles like he was electrocuted.
Violent vibrations and a few gulping sounds.
Tempted by the pair of eyes mixing frost and passion, Jiang Chen took a deep breath and tossed his phone to the side.
What happened next could not be spoken.
Chapter 393 - Transporting Ores
Chapter 393: Transporting Ores
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
You ipetent fool! What are you doing! You negotiated for half a month, and this is the result you give me?
Since half an hour ago, the roaring sound in the F presidents office didnt stop.
Aquino threw the stack of documents on the minister of foreign affairs face furiously; his chest pumped up and down violently.
Fs naval units were most dependent on imports. The only two Hamilton ss patrol ships were all the scrap junks of UA. It was quite funny that every time in an arms sale, the F minister of defense would beg for the UA to retain the equipment on the ship, but it would always be rejected.
Now that the Australian government finally agree and indicated that they were willing to retain some of the equipment and weapons, the navy vessel that was about to be theirs is now gone? Aquino wanted to use this boat as his stake in the negation in the south sea!
The minister of foreign affair also felt horrible. The Australian president already agreed, but today when they were preparing to discuss the details of the agreement, they unexpectedly began to toughen up on some of the key problems.
Overnight, they suddenly changed their stance, this caught F representatives there to negotiatepletely off guard.
The lead advisor looked at the upset minister of foreign affair and took a deep breath.
Mr. President, we should phone the Capital
The door was suddenly pushed open as a member of parliament walked in, in quick steps.
The Octopus typhoon passed by the coast near OSL city, multiple buildings including a hospital suddenly copsed when the typhoon passed through. Currently, there are 31 confirmed casualties
Fu*k! Aquino shouted in frustration as he walked to the door in quick steps.
With the series of problemsing at him and the media just criticized him for his weak diplomatic ability, he didnt want them to say he put in ack of effort on the rescue.
The Capital
Get the minister of foreign affairs to negotiate, I need to be at the area in five hours
It was a disaster when the typhoon passed through, but the weather had cleared up.
The thunderstorm washed about the dust in the air as the air was fulfilled with a fresh fragrance. The dew on the palm trees outside the window reflected a bright crystal color and reflected the redness rising from the east.
In the morning, Jiang Chen sat in front of the table while reading the morning news. Based on the meteorologist, the typhoon named Octopus was moving westward along the Pacific ring of fire, it scraped by the east side of F and headed towards the south along the coast.
After putting toast, eggs, and coffee on the table for Jiang Chen, Ayesha leaned forward and kiss him on the cheek and then sat beside him.
Jiang Chen smiled at her before he focused on the TV screen again. When he saw the number of cities affected, his eyebrows raised.
Ayesha seemed to have read Jiang Chens thought as she gently asked, Xia Shiyu is in Xiangjiang, is she okay?
Ill give her a call in a bit.
Ayesha nodded, picked up the utensils, and began to work on her own breakfast.
It was already mid-June, deepwater started at the beginning of the month. BHP followed the agreement signed with Jiang Chen and shipped one hundred thousand tons of iron ore and twenty hundred thousand tons of aluminum ore to the deepwater port at Coro Ind.
This batch of ores would be used to support industrial production on the wastnd, so the earlier, the better. After breakfast, Ayesha drove Jiang Chen to the port at the south end of Coro Ind.
Typically speaking, imported goods such as ores would be shipped in 20 feet containers. Because of the maximum weight permitted per container, a container could only transport 20 tons of iron ore. Jiang Chen first had no exact concept to the thirty hundred tons of containers, but when he arrived at the port, he was bbergasted.
The ten thousand something containers stuffed the not so spacious port fully. The bored port manager and his team had to work overtime because of this batch of goods. Therefore, when they saw Jiang Chen, they were certainly not in a good mood.
But Jiang Chen didnt speak much with them as he called Zhang Yapin and told him to give them all a vacation. After confirming that they all left, Jiang Chen told Ayesha to guard the entrance of the port before he started the lengthy transport process.
To prevent the warehouse from blowing up, Jiang Chen had to go back and notify Sun Jiao. Then they drove to the steel nt located in Shenxiang. After getting rid of the workers there, they ced the transport marker on the emptynd used to store raw materials at the back of the steel nt.
It was not until noon did Jiang Chen finish the entire process.
Im so fu*cking tired
Jiang Chen pped his hand and walked out of the now spacious port.
He already made up his mind to establish a steel nt at Ange Ind, at least to process the raw materials a little, or bring steel processing from the apocalypse to the modern world, it was too inefficient to transport ores.
Also, the Fishbone base must build a bigger warehouse to ept arge quantity of resources.
When he got in the car, Ayesha asked.
Where are we going now?
The ferry terminal, I have to go Ange Ind in a bit. As he said, Jiang Chen took out his phone.
She nodded and started the car.
Xiangjiang.
Because of the orange storm alert, Future Technology was on break today. Xia Shiyu stayed in the apartment and didnt even step her foot out of the door. Watching the grain sized raindrops, her sight moved back to the TV.
Behind me is a public hospital in Fs OSL city. From the outside, it is clear that the surrounding area is in shambles. F has already deployed military efforts to conduct rescues in the area On the screen, a reporter in a raincoat looked frantic.
Country F? Pretty close to Pannu Inds.
Xia Shiyus geography was not the best, she only remembered the approximate location of Pannu Inds.
[I wonder how he Eh? Why do I have to think of him?]
Xia Shiyu covered her somewhat burning face, at the same time, she grabbed the remote on the table and switched the channel.
She didnt like to watch the news.
In her memory, she only paid attention to the news two times. Once when Jiang Chen went to Iraq, the second time now.
Suddenly, the phone began to ring.
Xia Shiyu walked to the bedroom and picked up the phone charging on the nightstand. When she saw the iing callers name, her heart beat a little faster. Coincidentally, just as she wanted to confirm he was safe, he called first.
Hello?
How is it over there?
When she heard Jiang Chens caring voice, she felt warm inside.
Its raining pretty hard here, how about you?
It has been raining for the past few days, but it cleared up in the morning. The typhoon is now heading in your direction, be safe, and stay inside. Mhmm, you didnt go to work today right? Jiang Chen asked her.
No.
Thats good. Jiang Chenughed.
[What do you mean thats good? Which boss urges their employees to take vacations] Xia Shiyu muttered in her mind.
Also, after you finish the tasks on hand, take some time to go to Xin.
To Xin? Can I ask if it is some weird project? Xia Shiyu sighed.
Rather than weird, I would say it is astonishing.
Astonishing? What exactly is it?
Virtual reality MMORPG, have you heard it?
Chapter 394 - Molybdenum Mining Project
Chapter 394: Molybdenum Mining Project
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Just like what Jiang Chen had expected, after hearing his words, Xia Shiyu was utterly dumbfounded.
Recovering from being dumbfounded, she repeatedly asked Jiang Chen the difference between the virtual reality MMORPG and the existing VR games. When she heard neural connection, second life and other key vocabries, she immediately stated that she will make a trip after the typhoon clears up.
To the marketing n of this era-defining MMORPG, she couldnt wait to start working on it.
Because most of the mines were located in the southern sea region, the headquarter of Future Mining was established on Ange Ind. After they met thest time, Yang Yuan have been working on this. With half a month of work, the structure of thepany was finally established.
When hended on the ind, the Celestial Trade Companys vehicle was already waiting on the side of the road. He got in the car as Jiang Chen briefly told him about the destination before the driver started driving.
The security business of Celestial Trade was divided into military and civilian. The military employees were all located on New Moon Ind whereas the civilian workers acted as the bodyguard of key government officials. Jiang Chens temporary driver was a bodyguard.
Jiang Chen rolled down the window, put his arm outside, and started to view the backyard that belonged to him.
Since thest time he visited Ange Ind, it has only been a month, but in this one month time, the small ind has experienced groundbreaking shifts. The new apartments, houses, and the business street under renovation were all part of the change. Compared to the fishing vige before, Ange city finally had some vors of being a city.
Because of the infrastructure development n and the tourism resources construction led by Future International, a lot of foreign merchants smelled the opportunity for business as they attempt to hop on the fast-moving train and enjoy the considerable dividend to be paid in investing in Xin.
When he passed by the city center, Jiang Chen was shocked to find a Coles store under construction. He faintly recalled that it seemed to be a chain in Australia with domestic operations. Clearly, theck of department stores in Xin had drawn the attention of Coles group, so they bravely took the first step and selected Ange Ind as their first stop to international expansion.
Because of the international businessmens massive appetite fornd, the Ange governments finance increased substantially. They immediately used the money for infrastructure development, such as expanding roads and building schools.
The infrastructure not only improved the quality of life of the people, but it also provided arge number of employment opportunities. The high unemployment rate was greatly improved, and theck ofbor even attracted immigrants. The previously city with an empty feeling now was injected by a healthy boost of adrenaline and disyed the liveliness it should possess.
The employment dorm Jiang Chen provided to Yang Yuan was a mansion by the sea located at the edge of Ange city, there was only a road along with a few rows of giant palm trees, and there was nothing else.
The car was parked on the side as Jiang Chen told the driver to wait for him. Jiang Chen then walked to the mansion and pressed the bell on the wooden door.
There were the sound of footsteps before the door was opened shortly after.
When he saw his old friend Jiang Chen, Yang Yuan warmly weed him inside.
What do you think? Hows the life here. Jiang Chen scanned the decoration inside the living room as he sat on the sofa.
Perfect beyond my belief, I almost couldnt afford my rent in Australia. Yang Yuan let out a sigh before he looked at Jiang Chen earnestly, Although it is a bit dramatic, I still have to say, thank you.
Were old friends, Its nothing.
It was not for the industrys unexpected turn of events, with Yang Yuans resume, his life would be no worse in Australia. Since on this ind, other than housing being cheap, nothing else was convenient.
Have you eaten yet? Want to have lunch here?
Im here for that. Will it be troublesome? Jiang Chen said jokingly.
Haha, its only adding an extra pair of chopsticks, no trouble at all. Yang Yuanughed.
Here are the champagnes. Su Fei took out two bottles of champagne, ced the bottles in front of them, and popped open the cap.
Perhaps because she knew she had no chance, Su Fei didnt give Jiang Chen the frivolous vibe anymore which made Jiang Chen feel relieved.
Thank you. Jiang Chen took the ss and smiled friendly at her.
No problem. Su Fei smiled and poured for her boyfriend, You guys chat, I will go cook.
With how virtuous his girlfriend was, Yang Yuan had a happy expression.
Did you lose your soul? Jiang Chen mocked.
Haha. Yang Yuan timidly touched his nose, raised the cup, Lets drink.
I didnt know your S.O knew how to cook. This did surprise Jiang Chen; Su Fei didnt look like someone capable of that.
Your S.O is really virtuous. I just bought tuna from the fisher in town, youll love it, Yang Yuan said as he took a drink.
Tuna soup?
What soup, Sashimi! Yang Yuanughed.
To the deeplymitted roommate, Jiang Chen wholeheartedly wished that he could be together with the person he loves. Although the Su Fei gave him a feeling that she is not a good girl, he would never offer an opinion on other peoples rtionship.
They chatted from life to work.
No wonder he was a talent signed by Rio Tinto in the first year of his masters program, Yang Yuans ability was indeed strong. When he talked about work, his work ethic was almostparable to the workaholic Xia Shiyu.
The education level of Xin is extremely low, so I hired a lot of technicians from Australia. Because of the massiveyoff by Rio Tinto, I met a lot of strong seniors when I was studying for my masters who are currently living off of employment insurance. I asked them for their opinions and the sry they demanded was not high, but they wanted to sign the employment contract ording to Australias standard, and thepany provides housing.
Vacation and housing are not a problem. I just care about their ability, Jiang Chen said.
Yang Yuan smiled confidently and said with certainty, Their ability are all strong, they were mostly all employed by Rio Tinto before with a wealth of work experience.
How many people?
Considering that thepany has yet to have a mining project, I only hired ten people as management.
Thats not enough, I have a deepwater mining project on hand. Jiang Chen shook his head.
Yang Yuan looked at Jiang Chen in surprise.
This fast?
I have some personal rtionships with the president, Jiang Chen implicitly said.
Yang Yuan immediately gave Jiang Chen the I understand look andughed. No wonder the license is approved already. In a lot of countries, it would take more than half a year. Tell me the type of deposition and Ill prepare first if there is a project now. Ten people is definitely not enough.
Molybdenum,
Molybdenum? Have you confirmed the location? Yang Yuan raised his eyebrows.
Jiang Chen nodded and took out a paper map folded in his pocket. Although he didnt understand it, he still marked a molybdenum deposition on the map closest to Ange Ind.
Looking at the red circle on the map, Yang Yuans frown, looking more and more serious.
Do you know that the average depth of the bed is 7500 meters? Yang Yuan looked at Jiang Chen weirdly.
Yeah? Is there a problem? Jiang Chen was puzzled.
The deep-sea environment meant that molybdenum being attached to organic matter is wrapped in a manganese-containing colloid, the final formation would sink into the sea and out of the biosphere cycle. This type of marine molybdenum deposition is undoubtedly more likely than the continental deposition of molybdenum deposits, but this deposit generally appears in the deep sea 5000 meters below with deeper deposits being more frequently. In this environment, the extraction will beplicated.
Although in the early 1970s, manganese nodule mining technology has made some progress, today is still under detailed investigation, assessment, and trial mining stage. At present, theoretically, the deepest mining depth was probably the fluid mining experimental system developed by Japan with a working depth of up to 5250 meters at ideal conditions. But this technology clearly hasnt made a breakthrough. Otherwise, the country thatcked resources would have started building sea tforms a long time ago.
So you are saying, the current technology cant extract it? To this point, Jiang Chen expected already.
Might be possible in ab, and only possible. Yang Yuan had a bitter smile, Your president friend is not ying with your right?
Indeed, in bystanders eyes, selling a deposition that could not be extracted had no other exnation than fooling you. A lot of majorpanies that spent billions in technology didnt make a ssh, let alone a small miningpany with no history; it would even be difficult to extract in the shallow sea.
When he thought about this, Yang Yuan became a bit nervous. If the mine could really not be extracted, would that be the end of his job then? But to the rigorous standard and uprightness, he held himself to, he couldnt hide such a significant problem.
But Jiang Chen didnt seem to exhibit any signs of disappointment or even anger like he thought, he only had a weird expression.
[Zhang Yapin dare to fool me? Dont kid me.]
Jiang Chen thought for a moment and said, I can take care of the underwater mining.
But thats 7500 meters. Yang Yuan had to remind him.
Only 7500 meters. Jiang Chen smiled with confidence and in an indisputable tone.
Yang Yuan paused. Although he really wanted to use his industry experience to tell Jiang Chen it was unrealistic, the confidence on his face made him waver.
Ill take care of the underwater mining technology, your current job is to build a tform located right above for resources transfer, and purchase a transportation vessel, then establish a molybdenum processing nt on Ange Ind Mhmm, and also a steel nt and aluminum nt used to process the ores shipped by BHP, Jiang Chen said.
It was not worth it to extract iron and aluminum underwater; it was cheaper to import.
It would cost a lot of money, Yang Yuan cautioned him.
I have enough money.
He borrowed thirty billion USD. Jiang Chen had enough money right now.
Okay. Yang Yuan picked up the ss and took a drink, If you insist, I will follow your instructions.
As they were talking, Su Feis voice came out of the kitchen.
Time to eat. Clean off the table, there are a lot of dishes today.
Haha, I already smell it. Yang Yuan stood up and walked to the kitchen to help his girlfriend to bring out the dishes.
Jiang Chen wanted to help too, but Su Fei who brought the sashimi stopped him.
You are the guest; just let me and Yuan do it. Su Fei smiled and went back to the kitchen.
Chapter 395 - Politely Refusing
Chapter 395: Politely Refusing
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The seafood buffet was put on the table. Sitting on the sofa, drinking champagne, the three began to enjoy the delicious meal.
During the meal, Jiang Chen had a great conversation with his old friend. Alcohol was a great way to get someone to talk. Since they got along before, right now, they chatted about everything.
Also, when do you n to get married? Jiang Chen asked nonchntly.
Get married? It will depend on how Feifei feels, Im willing to anytime, Yang Yuan looked a bit drunk as he held Su Feis hand and said affectionately.
Su Feis face was covered in a red hue.
Wait a bit longer, were not in a rush.
Haha, thats true, no need to rush. Yang Yuan waved his hand.
Although he was a master graduate, Su Fei just finished her undergrad and was about 22 years old in age. There was no rush to get married at her age.
Dont forget to invite me when you get married, Im waiting to drink the celebratory wine. Jiang Chenughed.
Chu Nan didnt invite him when he got married which, to this day, bothered him.
Of course, Yang Yuan said with the scent of alcoholing through his nose, At that time, well host a banquet on the beach and invite Old Huang and Old He along.
Thats a must, Ill take care of the ne tickets.
No need, I can still afford that
The champagnes alcohol concentration was not high, and because of the fruity taste, it was lighter evenpared to beer. But after several bottles, Jiang Chen felt intoxicated. Looking at Yang Yuan, who normally couldnt drink, he still finished a few bottles to the point where he fell asleep and began snoring.
Intentional or unintentional, Su Fei changed to a different sitting position beside her boyfriend with her legs crossed. The position was fine, but it was not appropriate for someone sitting across.
And with how smooth she looked, Jiang Chen didnt believe it was unintentional.
Jiang Chen let out a hidden sigh, he only felt sorry for his old friend, but he wouldnt say anything. Just like how the three roommates all knew what kind of person Fang Yuanyuan was, they didnt tell him either.
Sometimes, it didnt have to do with right or wrong, but once you point it out, you would be in the wrong.
Brother Chens alcohol tolerance is great, let me propose a toast on behalf of Yuan. Su Fei raised her ss at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chenughed and toasted with her.
Its gettingte, old Yuan is already drunk, Ill leave now.
Not going to stay a bit longer? Seeing Jiang Chen get up, Su Fei tried to convince him to stay.
Yang Yuan was already lying on the sofa and began snoring. Seeing the smile on Su Feis face that was asking him to stay, Jiang Chen, of course, understood her intention.
No need. I still have some business to take care of this afternoon, I wont disturb you any longer, Jiang Chen thanked her and rejected the offer.
Su Fei was not pretty to begin with. Even if she was, Jiang Chen would NTR his friend.
Seeing Jiang Chen already say that, Su Fei didnt insist.
Okay, let me walk you to the door.
She warmly sent Jiang Chen to the door as she watched Jiang Chen walk onto the road. When she saw the bodyguard respectfully got off the car and opened the door for him, envy shed across her face. She was not envious of the car, but the respect on the bodyguards face.
Thats the feeling of being in upper-ss society.
She then remembered the foreign girl called Ayesha.
She was jealous of that girl. Why is her boyfriend so rich and powerful
Turning around to look at her drunk boyfriend, she let out a sigh and closed the door.
Sitting in the car with the mild sea wind blowing across his face, Jiang Chen gazed at the horizon in the distance.
Sir, where are we going to next? The bodyguard driving asked.
The pharmaceutical nt, Jiang Chen answered concisely.
Because he was drunk, he didnt want to say anything, he just wanted to quietly let the sea wind blow on him so he cleared his mind.
But not long after, the bodyguard spoke again.
Sir, do you need me to turn on air conditioning?
No.
Seeing Jiang Chen was a bit annoyed, but out of safety consideration, the bodyguard carefully asked.
Sir, your seatbelt
Jiang Chen put on the seatbelt in annoyance.
Cant you be like Ayesha
The bodyguard was perplexed, Sir?
Nothing, sorry, Im drunk. Jiang Chen blew out a breath mixed with the scent of alcohol and waved his hand.
With just one look and sometimes without even needing one, Ayesha could acutely read what he needed. And because of this gentle caring, the understanding without words, it made him fall in love with her.
Of course, it was too much asking a man to know him like that. Just regarding service, the bodyguard of Celestial Trade was impable.
Sir, you dont have to apologize to me, the bodyguard said in a quiet voice.
After a half an hour drive, the car stopped at the gate of the nutrient supply manufacturing nt.
On the way, Jiang Chen had mostly sobered up. Just as he pushed open the door and was about to step out, he paused.
Is there something wrong?
Mhmm That old friend of mine, arrange him a bodyguard, the type with a car.
[Buddy, this is the most I can do for you.]
Okay, sir, The bodyguard said.
Jiang Chen nodded and headed to the gate.
Although security at the door recognized Jiang Chens face, the rule set by Jiang Chen himself was pupil recognition only must be adhered to, so the security went up to confirm his identity.
After looking into the camera for 1 second, the verification process wasplete.
The two soldiers saluted and backed away.
He entered theb of the nt and found Zhan Shoujie, taking samples of the produced product.
How much nutrient supply did the nt produce?
30000 boxes, stored in the warehouse.
A box contained 100 tubes of nutrient supply, the first month, therefore, had a production rate of three million tubes of nutrient supply which was quite impressive. With a profit of 5 USD per tube, this months profit alone was 15 million USD.
Although it didnt look like much, this was just the start. Once the market expands, Jiang Chen would ask Zhan Shoujie to ramp up production. The 2.1 billion fat people on the were all his potential customers.
Could we sell these? Seeing the proud expression on Jiang Chens face, Zhan Shujie had to interrupt and ask.
Dont worry, people will be desperate to buy it. Dont worry about sales, I will be hiring professionals to take care of it for me.
Thats perfect. Zhan Shoujie nodded.
He was a technician, so he could easily ensure the quality of the products, but he was not an expert in sales.
The nutrient supply in the warehouse, package 15 sets of 20 tubes for me. These 300 tubes will be used as sample products during our negotiation. The quality must be good and itll be best it was recently produced.
No problem. Do you want it now? Zhan Shujie asked.
Before you get off work, there will be people picking it up tomorrow.
Chapter 396 - Selling Nutrient Supply
Chapter 396: Selling Nutrient Supply
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
In Bentonville, Arkansas, the office of Walmart.
Sitting behind the desk, Florance, the purchasing manager, looked at his assistant who had just walked in and asked in a deep voice.
Is the analysis result out?
The assistant nodded and put the document on the boss table.
Its out; our research found several interesting nt protein in this thing called nutrient supply. Although we dont know the source of it, the safety of the food is absolutely fine.
With FDA standard? Florence confirmed again.
Yes. The assistant nodded with certainty.
After the scandal in 2015, Walmart became more cautious toward supplement suppliers.
The Ginkgo biloba leaf pills sold by Walmart stated that it could increase memory, but after examination, it only contained carrot powder and wheat powder, while on the ingredients list, it didnt list wheat powder.
The event caused a huge uproar at Walmart, and four otherrge department store chains were all put under the scrutiny of the media and public. Even one year after the event where the memory was gradually fading away from the public, Walmarts supplier selection in supplement and food were still two times more rigorous than before.
Three days ago, he received a package from Future Biology. Inside the package contained the sample along with an invitation.
To be frank, if it was not for Future Groups reputation, Florence might not even look at it before he passed on the product withbels like liquid food weight loss without dieting.
When Florence scanned through the results, the more he read, the more he eyes turned stern. Especially when he read the two sections, clinical response and effect estimation, his eyes were almost glued to the paper.
Bam! He smashed the document on the table as he immediately ordered his assistant.
Send sales to Xin immediately; we have to get this deal No, get Jim to go personally go, Florence said briskly.
But boss, Jim has a negotiation with a representative from Pirus Biology
Get his assistant to do it, Florence ordered, Put this report in front of him, he will know how important it is to us. I dont care how he does it; I want to see an agreement on my table in three days.
The assistant nodded and left.
Sinking into his chair, Florence took a deep breath before an ecstatic expression appeared on his face.
The obese people of America, oh no, the brand of Walmart supplements can be saved!
The same reaction appeared in different ces as the major retailers began to investigate Future biology. No one knew why would Future International suddenly enter the supplement and food market, but who cares? When they discovered the magical nature of the nutrient supply, almost all the retailers extended their olive branch to the newly formedpany.
We sent out 15 invitations, 13 retailers responded to us extending their willingness to cooperate with us on this product. In the conference room, a man was reporting to the sole shareholder Jiang Chen.
Tao Ming, New Zend Han, male, 31, previous Prius Supplement manager. He possesses a wealth of product development and marketing experience, currently the director of Future Biology. A talent Jiang Chen obtained through an international headhunterpany with a high sry of twenty thousand USD per month.
If there were not enough talent, he would get it with money, since Jiang Chen, with a research and development cost of almost zero, didnt need to consider breaking even at all.
Also, the online stores we are preparing tounch on, Amazon, Taobao and other emerce tforms, are in theirst phase. The shipment will be sent from Ange Ind to Darwin port in Australia as that will be the tform for international distribution.
Although it was somewhat specific, he used terms that Jiang Chen could easily understand. Tao Ming was smart enough to know that Jiang Chen wouldnt understand industry jargon.
Perfect, how much of the product do we need per month? Jiang Chen nodded.
The retailers would need one hundred thousand boxes per month. The variation on the backup tform differs, based on the marketing budget, it could range from ten thousand to one million boxes.
A box had a profit of 500 USD, a million box would be 500 million, the profit was shocking.
Seeing Tao Ming had stopped talking and was looking at him with words in his mouth, Jiang Chenughed.
Just tell me what you want to say.
If we could use Future 1.0 as an advertising tform for nutrient supply, it would help to push the brand. Tao Ming proposed.
No problem, I will make the arrangement. Also, do we not need to sponsor a celebrity or something? Jiang Chen asked.
Tao Ming nodded,
That would be best. Based on the discussion results from the marketing department, I rmend sponsoring Emma Watson or other Hollywood celebrities to pave the way to establish the international brand
Wait, why does the name Emma Watson sound so familiar? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he tried to recall where he heard this name.
With the puzzled expression on the boss face, Tao Ming smiled lightheartedly.
Have you heard of Harry Potter?
The books?
The movies, Emma yed Hermione.
Oh! I remember now. But rather than her I think it is better to sponsor Harry, look how fat he became in theter movies. Jiang Chen nced at him and said unscrupulously
Boss, it is better to drop the movie plot when we discuss the product. Tao Ming coughed and attempted to correct Jiang Chen in awkwardness.
Haha, sorry, off track. Mhmm So you rmend which celebrity? Jiang Chen asked.
The first choice is Emma Watson. Of course, there are a lot of other backup options.
Whats the estimated sponsorship fee? Jiang Chen asked.
Approximately one million to one and a half million USD, it would differ based on the conditions and requirements set, Yao Ming answered.
It was not too expensive. Robert was a film director in Los Angeles; he would be a good connection.
Okay, then Ill leave this to you, Jiang Chen said.
Yao Ming nodded.
I have a meeting with a Walmart representative this afternoon; well be talking about supplying this product. If all goes smoothly, Ill be singing a contract with a monthly supply of fifty thousand boxes. Could we meet the demand for production?
No problem. Ill take care of ramping up production; you take care of sales and marketing for me, Jiang Chen said.
Worst case, he would only need to return to the apocalypse and obtain some inducers to expand the growth area of the DH seaweed and bring back more organic converters to produce juice. If done sessfully, the nutrient supply business would bring him 100 - 200 million USD in profits. Based on the stability and consistent demand of the market, the future of Future Biology would be no-less bright than Future Technology.
The door was knocked on gently.
Tao Ming looked over, it was his assistant.
The Walmart representative is here.
Already here? Thats fast. Yao Ming was a bit caught off guard. Get him to wait for a bit, Im in a board meeting
No need, you can go. Jiang Chen stood up. I know everything I needed to know. I need to pick up someone from the airport, thats all from me.
But I havent shown you the marketing n yet. It is a major decision to thepanys development; it is better for the president to view it to make a decision, Tao Ming said hesitantly.
No need, I trust your ability. Jiang Chen walked beside Yao Ming, patted him on the shoulder, and encouraged him, I trust you, I will give you enough freedom to prove your ability.
Yao Ming looked sincerely at Jiang Chen.
To be honest, the reason why he jumped ship toe here was only partly due to the high sry offered by Future Biology, but what attracted him more was Jiang Chens promise of autonomy. When he was working at Prius, a lot of excellent proposals didnt pass because of the differing opinions among the board members or theck of funding, and they would have the bear the consequence during the yearly performance review.
The soldier was willing to die for someone that understood him, just with this trust, he swore that he would not disappoint Jiang Chen.
Chapter 397 - Entry Blacklist
Chapter 397: Entry cklist
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Coro Ind airport.
A girl in a casual outfit and a pair of shades dragged her luggage and walked into the empty airport alone.
The tourists that she passed by all stopped and turned to look at her, but because of the shades, they couldnt see her face clearly. But just by her graceful figure and the gorgeous outline, it was not hard to predict that the girl was trouble.
Perhaps a celebrity that was alone on vacation.
The tourists passed by her debated whether they should ask for an autograph, perhaps it may be the start of a beautiful encounter.
But they would be disappointed.
First, Xia Shiyu was not a celebrity.
Second, the beauty already has her heart set on someone else.
It was in the middle of June; the bright sun was like a ball of fire in the sky. Xia Shiyu who just came out of the airport immediately felt the heat unique to the tropical region.
When she left the airport, she headed straight to the road outside and stood under the palm tree.
To the taxi drivers beeping of the horn, she shook her head, signaling that she was waiting for someone before she checked the time on her phone.
<10:00>
The flight arrived thirty minutes ahead of schedule, there was still thirty minutes before the agreed on pickup time.
Her thumb hovered on the phone icon for two seconds but moved to the camera.
She selected the front camera.
She stared at her serene face on the screen silently for a while.
[ Is my bang a bit off center?]
She tried to adjustment the freshly permed bangs she got a few days ago in an attempt to make it look more normal.
On the ne, she put on ayer of light makeup. As to why she didnt even know herself. Perhaps she wanted to capture the glimpse of being stunned in someones eyes, or perhaps she wanted to outshine herpetitor
The two shared a simr starting point.
Just as she was looking at herself on the screen, she heard someone speak broken Han.
Beautifuldy, is it your first time in Pannu Inds?
[Is he talking to me?]
Xia Shiyu took a moment to process this. She turned around and looked at the tall European with a hooked nose and deep eye sockets.
After a brief silence, she used her throat to make a sound.
Mhmm.
Based on her experience, the people attempting to pick her up would awkwardly walk away when they hear the cold response.
But she clearly thought too much, being reserved is a unique elegance only to Asians. To Xia Shiyus cold response, the hooked nose was even more interested as he walked closer and attempted to get to know her.
What a coincidence, me too! I felt a bit anxious when I was on the ne. If the ce is as chaotic as the news said it to be, I would have made the trip for nothing. But just as I got off the ne, I realized my mistake.
Oh?
Because I met you. The hooked nose used an expression he thought was touching and gazed into her eyes.
Xia Shiyu was just a bit shocked.
[Does this count as a confession? Its the first time we met]
Seeing that the beauty did not react, the hooked nose only smiled and didnt give up. He took out a business card from his pocket.
Gavin Adams, a professional traveler from the United States and the editor of Traveler magazine. This is my business card; you can call me Gavin. Do I have the opportunity of inviting you to a tour of the beautiful kingdom of the southern inds?
To the person that revolved around her like a fly, especially the undisguised look of desire, it annoyed her instinctively.
Just as she was troubled by how she could get rid of him, a familiar voice rang beside her ear.
Hello, Mr. Adams, I think it is better to refer to you by yourst name. He snatched the business card in his hand and ignored his frozen expression. Jiang Chen took out his business card and handed it to him with a smile. Oh, I almost forgot, this is my business card.
When she saw Jiang Chen, she felt relieved.
Speaking of this, he always seemed there to solve her problem When she thought about it, Xia Shiyu felt safe and secure.
But this international friend was not friendly.
Gavin examined Jiang Chen from head to toe as a hint of anger appeared on his face, he didnt ept Jiang Chens business card.
I didnt say Im going to exchange business card with you, sir. Or should I say, are the people from your country always this rude in front of ady? As he spoke, Gavin raised his hooked nose and looked at Jiang Chen with disgust.
Jiang Chens eyebrows raised. He wasnt angry as he put his card away.
Rude? Our courtesy is not to cause trouble for other people. I dont know what your definition of courtesy is. Causing trouble for other people?
Gavins face bloated into redness as he could not argue against Jiang Chens words.
Seeing that he didnt make a sound, Jiang Chen dubiously smiled and ignored him.
He turned around to face Xia Shiyu as he said apologetically.
Sorry, Im a bitte.
No, I was early, Xia Shiyu said feeling slightly weird.
[Is he jealous?]
As her mind debated this question, Xia Shiyu felt her heart beat a little faster.
Jiang Chen didnt notice Xia Shiyus mental battle as he said.
Lets get in the car first.
Then, he took the luggage from her hand.
Wait. Seeing Xia Shiyu was about to leave, Gavin couldnt stand around any longer, and he wanted to stop the two, but he hit a brick wall.
A man in a police uniform stood firmly in front of him and watched him apathetically.
What are you doing, you are blocking the way? Gavin said in frustration.
Seeing that the goddess he encountered get into the car of someone else, he felt enraged and let it out all on the man blocking his way.
Sir, I suspect there is a problem with your passport.
My passport? Thats impossible. Gavin took out his passport, shoved it in his chest, Open your eyes and see!
The police scanned the passport and nodded, Thats right, there is indeed a problem with your passport. Your ID is registered on the cklist; please contact your countrys embassy to obtain proof of no criminal conviction before you enter the border.
The cklist? Thats impossible! Gavin roared in rage. His footsteps spanned across 34 nations; it was the first time he was stopped because he was on the cklist. He swore that he never did anything illegal.
But the police ignored his roar and only shrugged.
Im only following the procedure.
Seeing there was no need to argue, Gavin calmed down slightly.
Okay, I will contact my embassy, where is the embassy in Coro city?
Sorry, sir. There is no embassy of your country at Pannu Inds, to obtain help from your embassy, please head to the Australia embassy for support. The police didnt lie to him. Only recently did more tourists travel to Xin, so only Hua, France, UK, Russia, Australia, and New Zend have been established. Among them, four of the countrys employees were still on their way there.
What the f*ck?! You are saying I took a two hour flight here, and now I have to go back to Australia?! Gavinpletely erupted in rage.
Thats right, sir, we can assist you with the booking process. For now, please step back into the terminal, the policeman tried his hardest not tough as he said with seriousness.
me it on the fact that you offended someone you shouldnt have. He has been a policeman through two political regimes, it was the first time he heard Xin had a cklist.
But since that person said there was one, then there must be one.
Chapter 398 - Spy?
Chapter 398: Spy?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
What happened at the airport was only a small interruption.
When Jiang Chen got into the driver seat, he immediately forgot about the unlucky guy. He put the key in and started the engine.
Jiang Chen rolled down the window and turned on the air conditioning, allowing the cold breeze to blow away the heat in the car.
Thanks. Xia Shiyu put on her seatbelt.
No problem, it was on my way anyway.
No Im talking about what happened at the airport.
When she thought about Jiang Chens expression when he stood in front of her, her heart somehow pumped a little faster.
Oh, that - no worries. Remember to call me whenever you have any problems, Jiang Chen said nonchntly as he maneuvered the steering wheel.
Xins security wasnt the best, and since she was in a ce she wasnt familiar with, he was worried about Xia Shiyus safety.
[Maybe I should hire a bodyguard for her?] Jiang Chen deliberated in his mind.
When she heard Jiang Chens words, her normally expressionless face turned red. Combined with the small droplets of sweat on her pale face and the pink foundation she used, she looked like a peach covered in the morning dew.
Because her mind wentpletely nk, Xia Shiyu didnt respond.
The atmosphere in the car went from silent to intimate. Jiang Chen didnt realize this until he peeked at Xia Shiyu because she was so quiet and he finally saw the conflicted emotions and redness on her face.
Because the windows were rolled up, the fresh scent of jasmine drifted into his nose. Because of the atmosphere, Jiang Chens heart also started racing.
Did you perm your hair? Jiang Chen chose a random topic to break the silence.
But this unintentional question hit the mark. With women, you could have a differing opinion about changes in their looks, but you couldnt simply ignore the change in her hairstyle or clothing, even if it was just a new hair clip or keychain. In the event that you didntment on the change, women could keep a debate going for an entire night, just to get your attention.
By coincidence, Jiang Chen made just the right move in winning her heart. He didnt know it himself because he was in the middle of a turn and was focused on the road ahead.
Xia Shiyus body visibly shook as she said reservedly:
Does it look good?
She immediately regretted the question.
[Did that sound too superficial? Should I have waited for him topliment me himself for it to be more natural?] Xia Shiyu turned her head and looked out the window as she was bombarded by her own thoughts.
Facepalmed men would not overthink.
Jiang Chen praised her: Looks really good, really fresh, but why did you suddenly think of perming your hair?
Xia Shiyu had always given him the impression of being authentic, serene, yet distant. But the perm gave her a fresh vibe that was normally found in students.
My coworker Mhmm, a friend told me that Im too formal with how I dress, so she suggested I change things up. [I was also probably too unfashionable] Xia Shiyu added in her mind.
I see, but I still think your hair from before looked better.
Then Ill change it back, Xia Shiyu immediately said.
Eh? No, Im only stating my opinion; frequent perms are damaging to the hair. Jiang Chen face-palmed.
Okay. Xia Shiyu nodded as she looked at her reflection in the window and secretively examined her hair.
Oh, which friend was it? Jiang Chen was surprised that Xia Shiyu had any friends.
He always thought her social circle was limited to her coworkers.
Su Mengqi The manager of the human resources department who moved with us from Wanghai to Xiangjiang, Xia Shiyu replied.
They chatted for a while until they arrived at the mansion located at the north end of Coro Ind.
When he parked the car in the garage, Ayesha was already waiting for him.
Because she knew a guest wasing, her outfit was rtively traditional. A light T-shirt paired with short shorts - stunning and lively.
After opening the door, Ayesha took Xia Shiyus luggage. Because she hadnt seen her for a few months, Xia Shiyu had mixed feelings towards the foreign girl.
Partially a feeling ofpetitiveness, but partially gratitude for a person who saved her life.
In response to Ayeshas directness, she felt somewhat ufortable. Although she wanted to stay at Jiang Chens ce, when she was actually in front of the door, she changed her mind.
Just as Jiang Chen led her to her room, she was secretively observing Ayeshas eyes.
But unfortunately, she didnt see any jealousy inside.
This made her a bit frustrated. [Do I not look likepetition? I even put on some makeup on the ne]
Two red swirls suddenly appeared on her face.
She realized just how childish her thoughts were.
Wheres the virtual reality helmet? After putting down her luggage, Xia Shiyu asked right away in an attempt to use work to alleviate the awkwardness in her heart.
Theres no rush, you can take a look after lunch. Why dont you take a shower to rx? The bathroom is at the end of the second-floor hallway. Jiang Chen smiled.
Xia Shiyu hesitated then nodded.
Because there was no direct flight, she had been in transit sincest night. She was indeed a little tired.
Just then, Jiang Chens phone suddenly rang.
Im going to take a call. If you need anything, just let Ayesha know.
As he spoke, Jiang Chen took out his phone and walked to the sofa.
When he picked up, Ivans grave voice came through.
Boss, we found a spy in thepany.
A spy? Jiang Chen frowned. Did you confirm their identity?
It was hard for a spy to exist at the management level due to the electronic cors - they wouldnt escape if they were found, so no one was foolish enough to betray him. But at lower levels, it was hard to say - aside from the first 100 refugees who joined Celestial Trade, the loyalty of the newly recruited soldiers was uncertain.
Its currently unclear, but a backdoor was installed on theputer at Coro division yesterday. It sent 7 megabytes of data to an IP in d, Ivan said in a deep voice.
d was probably only a jumping board; no one knew exactly where the data went.
I see, dont alert anyone yet, Jiang Chen ordered.
Understood.
After he hung up, Jiang Chen fell into deep thought while holding his phone.
Too many people were interested in Celestial. Country F was the most suspicious, but UA, who always intervened everywhere, was also on the list. Even their potential ally, Hua, could potentially send spies.
Two arms tenderly hugged Jiang Chen from behind. Ayesha sensed that something was bothering him as she whispered.
What happened?
There is a spy in Celestial, Jiang Chen said in an undertone.
A hint of sharpness shed in her eyes as she whispered in his ear.
Do you need my help?
Do you know anything aboutputers? Jiang Chen said helplessly.
Ayesha shook her head. Her sapphire eyes shed brightly.
[But I could kill.]
Jiang Chen understood the message in her eyes as he sighed.
Its not a problem that can be solved by killing. The key is to find the people responsible.
[But how?]
[Ask Yao Yao? Thats not feasible. Not that Yao Yao didnt have the skills, but she might be unfamiliar with the structure of the inte and programs in the 21st century. For example, people good at League of Legends might not be the best Nintendo yer.
Yao Yaos security measures could destroy any of the hackers in this world. Just like New Era, Future 1.0s code still remained uncracked to this day since the code she wrote couldnt be understood by anyone in this world, making it impossible for anyone to install a backdoor in the program.
Because Celestial Trade didnt possess any critical secrets, they used the Windows 7 operating system and programs in this world.
Although nothing critical was lost, the feeling of being monitored didnt feel good at all!
Jiang Chen began to think hard with a frown on his face.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
[Yes! I have a little hacker I forgot about.]
He pped his forehead as immediately remembered the guy with a younger sisterplex as he dialed the number.
Chapter 399 - The Shocked Xia Shiyu
Chapter 399: The Shocked Xia Shiyu
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
His finger pressed the screen a few times, selected an international number, and put his phone back to his ear.
The call went through shortly.
Where are you now?
Frankberg, Xie Lei used a voice that implied: Where else could I be?
Orthopedics? Jiang Chen joked.
Xie Lei paused as he didnt know how to respond.
He clearly didnt know the joke behind the orthopedics in Frankberg. (Note 1)
No, I am at Munich hospital to take care of my sister. She just received treatment three days ago.
Regarding the brother and sister, Jiang Chen kept an eye on them since he paid for all their expenses. The blind sister was receiving treatment in Munich while the brother, Xie Lei, didnt just sit around. After three months of military training in Niger, Ivan sent him to Frankberg. While he studiedputer science at the University of Ber, he took care of his sister.
Is your sister getting better?
Much better. The doctor said her condition is a miracle and shell regain her vision in two months Thank you, Xie Lie spoke with sincerity.
No problem, its great for the soul to do some good deeds once in a while. Especially if I gained the loyalty of a hacker, Jiang Chen joked.
Thats right, my life belongs to you now, Xie Lei said calmly.
Thats enough joking around, you get to keep your life. Although I need you to help me with something.
What is it? Xie Lei asked.
Mhmm, this is what happened. A backdoor program was installed on Celestials server. Although I could easily take it out, I want to know which rat installed it. The only reliable information we have is that the data was leaked to an IP in d, but even I know that d is only a jumping board to somece else. I need you to determine where the data was actually sent and it would be best if you could find out who the spy is. Could you do that? Jiang Chen said.
No problem. Frivolous confidence, the trademark of a teen, appeared on Xie Leis face.
He was the third-best expert in the Hua Hacker Alliance. After a long period of extensive studies, he was confident that his abilities were even better than before.
Okay, you can be cocky after youplete the task. Do you need an airne ticket? Jiang Chen asked.
No, I can work anywhere as long as theres inte. Give me ess to the server and dont alert the spy yet. Xie Lei shook his head.
Okay, then Ill leave it to you.
Jiang Chen hung up.
A dubious smile appeared on his face as Jiang Chen texted Ivan to grant server ess to Xie Lei.
And now, the cat-catching-mouse game had begun.
Ayesha made lunch. With Jiang Chens moms careful guidance, her cooking skills became drastically more refined. Xia Shiyu, who hadnt eaten her dishes for a few months, enjoyed a feast.
When Jiang Chen looked at her, shuddering, Xia Shiyu took a moment to realize how she was feasting on the food. Her face turned red as her actions became more reserved.
Ayesha stared at the two of them and smiled but didnt say anything. Her sapphire pupils cast an intrigued light.
After lunch, Ayesha took the tes to the kitchen. At Xia Shiyus request, Jiang Chen took her to the gym on the first floor.
A server rested in the corner of the gym. Aside from the server were two motorcycle helmet-sized virtual reality helmets in the room. When she saw them, Xia Shiyu briskly walked up and ced a helmet on her head.
Her hands explored the helmet for a while but she couldnt figure out how to use it.
Jiang Chen couldnt help but smile at the scene and walked over to her.
How do you open this thing? Xia Shiyu asked rather helplessly as she held the helmet with both hands.
Dont rush to open it yet; I think its better for you to find somewherefortable to sit or lie down.
Xia Shiyu was hesitant after she heard Jiang Chens words. Does virtual reality affect the physical body?
I wouldnt say affect - your real body will be in deep REM mode. If you stand up while youre using it, you might fall down.
[I see.]
Xia Shiyu nodded with understanding and noticed a recliner by the side.
When she lied down, Jiang Chen gave her further instructions.
The helmet is activated by voice, just say start.
Xia Shiyu took a deep breath as she repressed the excitement in her heart.
Ready to witness history, she used a clear voice.
Start.
The dark screen instantly lit up.
Countless 3D light particles rushed to her eyes. Xia Shiyu was tempted to move back, but she quickly realized it was just a picture on the screen.
I thought it was the type that didnt require a screen When she saw the interface, Xia Shiyu was evidently disappointed.
But she was relieved almost immediately. The almost-otherworldly neural connection virtual technology couldnt have been mastered so easily; to be able to achieve even this much wasnt bad
This is only the starting screen, the exciting part is yet toe. Jiang Chens words made her look forward to what was next.
She was highly skeptical but decided to trust him. Xia Shiyu wanted to speak, but on the screen in front of her, a series of popup boxes appeared along with a clear system message in her ears.
Pupil verification system initiated
Registered as a user.
Registering
Gic code is registered, please set the username.
Staring at the text in the middle, Xia Shiyu inhaled deeply.
Shiyu.
User registrationplete. Wee, Ms. Shiyu. Your ID will be locked to your pupil information - it cannot be deactivated or registered again in principle. Your privacy will be absolutely safe in the virtual world. I wish you the best virtual experience.
She looked at the Activate logo in front of her as she tried to calm her pumping heart. Xia Shiyu said:
Activate.
After receiving hermand, the image on the screen began to fade gradually. It was followed by mild music and suddenly, Xia Shiyu felt a tingling sensation in her neck as her consciousness began to leave her body.
It felt like diving - her sensations were covered by a thin veil, but her sensations still felt so clear.
This is
Xia Shiyu stared at her hands nkly and scanned her surroundings.
Because of her astonishment, she forgot how to speak.
Yes, she didnt know how to express her astonishment.
The white cubic world she was in was empty, but she felt so fulfilled. 0s and 1s shed on the wall and added a sci-fi dimension to this world.
She stood in the middle of the cube and stared at the interface that gradually surfaced in front of her.
She reached a finger out and touched the half-transparent interface.
She felt a cold sensation.
Ripples spread out from her fingertips and rushed to the walls of the room.
The wall shattered. Just like a window being opened, a vivid picture was presented in front of her.
There were endless rice fields, towering mountains that extended beyond the clouds, great sails that broke through wind and waves, and magnificent walls that stood like a giant cliff
And she was standing on top of a hill.
Chapter 400 - Tonight, I will let you have him
Chapter 400: Tonight, I will let you have him
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
After a while, Xia Shiyu took off her helmet and stood up from the chair.
She reflected on the feeling of being in virtual reality before she let out a sigh, still immersed in that world.
If it wasnt for the game menu that could pop up at any time, I wouldve thought I traveled to another dimension.
Its normal to experience this feeling the first time you y with virtual reality - it wont happen after you get used to it. Jiang Chen smiled.
There was a process to get ustomed to new things. Jiang Chen remembered that the first time heid in the virtual reality training chamber, he felt anxious too. But since he used it so many times since then, it didnt feel special anymore.
With the helmet in herp, Xia Shiyu gently stroked the fluid surface of the helmet and murmured:
Although traditional VR equipment can achieve immersive virtual reality, its physically limited. For example, the helmet can mimic visuals and audio with a sensory device attached to the hands But its the first time Ive seen your type that allows the body to enter deep REM sleep and allows the consciousness topletely integrate with the virtual world. The visuals and audio no longer need to pass through the eyes and ears - all senses are transmitted through the brain, thus people are, in effect, ying the game while sleeping This is too magical.
Is that so? Then guess how many yers this would have? Jiang Chen said proudly.
Xia Shiyu shook her head. I cant estimate how many, but I know one thing for certain. As long as this helmet isnt too expensive, the number of registered users and concurrent users would have no problem breaking the Genesis World Record.
Thats what I think too.
Xia Shiyu then looked at Jiang Chen.
Do you think virtual reality could only be applied to games?
When he heard Xia Shiyus words, Jiang Chen asked with curiosity.
What do you mean?
PCs, smartphones, and tablets - these electronic devices ease social interaction between people. With just a messaging app, two people thousands of miles away can feel like theyre standing side by side. Xia Shiyu put the helmet aside and looked at Jiang Chen. She said with seriousness, But with this virtual helmet, it can allow two people thousands of miles away to forget the distance and truly stand side by side. Ignoring the game itself, the helmet alone is an era-defining product.
Jiang Chen took a moment to think it over as no one had mentioned this to him before since in terms of virtual reality technology, people in the apocalypse were much more indifferent.
So youre saying this could rece smartphones? Jiang Chenughed. I dont think thats possible since phones can easily be used anywhere, but this can only be used at home. Also, if I remember correctly, VR equipment already existed two years ago.
Virtual reality wasnt something new to the modern world. It had a rtively low usage rate domestically, but outside the wall, this thing wasnt as high-tech as people imagined it to be.
A simple example: the virtual reality game under the CCP banner had a selling point known as Space VR, but this game started its internal test on January 18th, 2016. Any yers who purchased the Oculus Rift DK2 would be able to participate just by registering.
Virtual reality games werent asplex as imagined ten years ago. A lot of PC and console games were all attempting to integrate with VR.
And the news 2016 will be thendmark year for virtual reality wasnt wrong at all.
Its different. Xia Shiyu shook her head. The difference is analogous to how flip phones didnt change thendscape of PC, but smartphones did.
She paused, looked into Jiang Chens eyes, and said with seriousness:
And the virtual reality helmet you introduced is like the smartphone of VR. Its impractical as a recement for smartphones, but it could certainly pose a significant threat to the virtual reality market.
While he was mentally prepared to be the person who wrote the next chapter in history, when Xia Shiyu spoke those words herself, Jiang Chen couldnt contain his excitement.
This virtual reality helmet is just like a key that takes the sleep time of humans to another dimension. Keeping lifespans constant, people will live for eight hours longer each day. Aside from games, we can also use virtual reality equipment to createmunities, emerce tforms, virtual real estate, and even things we never imagined before
Xia Shiyu took a deep breath as her eyes flickered with excitement.
Now do you know why Im this excited?
When he heard Xia Shiyus description, Jiang Chen was shocked himself. When he was first introduced to the helmet, he only thought of ying games and didnt think that far ahead at all. But now that Xia Shiyu mentioned its potential other uses, he suddenly felt enlightened.
Yes, it had other uses aside from gaming. Social interaction and even other necessities could be based on the virtual reality helmet tform - anything was possible! Virtual reality was just like an undeveloped goldmine that only Future Technology could reach.
Well create history, Jiang Chen said.
Thats right! Xia Shiyu held Jiang Chens hands in excitement.
Time paused for five seconds.
She slowly let go of his hands, put her hand to her mouth and coughed while she averted her gaze.
Sorry, I got too excited
She pretended to be calm, but the blush on her face clearly showed the anxiety she was feeling.
Jiang Chen waspletely shocked as he stared at her nkly.
[Is this really Xia Shiyu?]
[How should I react?]
Just as they stood in awkward silence, a gentle knock came from the door.
You have a visitor. Ayesha looked at the two of them with a smile as she leaned on the door frame.
[Perfect save!] Jiang Chen thanked Ayesha in his mind.
Let me see whos at the door. You can y with the helmet for a bit. Jiang Chen smiled at Xia Shiyu before he slipped out of the gym.
Xia Shiyu watched Jiang Chen leave before her eyes stopped at Ayesha at the door.
She hadnt spoken to her since she came in.
Xia Shiyu squeezed out a forced smile as she said, Hi
She didnt want her expression to reveal her true feelings to this girl.
Or her sense ofpetition.
Ayesha responded with a friendly smile as she said gently, I organized your room for you. If you need anything, just let me know.
Looking at Ayeshas smile free of any hostility, Xia Shiyu felt a hint of embarrassment at her own hostility.
You you dont dislike me?
When she heard Xia Shiyus words, Ayesha tilted her head. Why would I dislike you?
Because Because of jealousy. Xia Shiyu looked away.
She couldnt look straight into Ayeshas sapphire pupils.
But Ayesha only shook her head.
Youre not afraid Ill take him away from you? Xia Shiyu finally couldnt hold it in anymore.
You finally admitted to your own emotions? Ayesha asked back.
Xia Shiyu stopped. A red hue climbed from her neck to her ears.
But this time, she didnt back down; she didnt want to demonstrate her softness in the rtionship in front of her petition.
Seeing she didnt disagree, a smile appeared on Ayshas face.
She walked beside her, tiptoed and whispered into her ear.
Tonight, Ill let you have him.
Xia Shiyu took a moment to process this.
When she realized what Ayesha meant, her brainpletely shut down
Chapter 401 - Land Reclamation?
Chapter 401: Land Remation?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
A middle-aged woman in a blue suit stood at the door of the mansion. Her sharp business outfit looked professional. From thebel on her briefcase, Jiang Chen could tell she was from Nethends BMA Construction. They were currently responsible for the infrastructure development and tourist resource development projects on Pannu Ind.
The purpose of her trip, Jiang Chen could guess, was to ask for money.
This situation was rather embarrassing. Based on the contract, at thepletion of every phase, the tender should be transferred to the constructionpany. But since Jiang Chen hadnt been in the modern world for a while, the payments couldnt be signed off, hence payment was dyed until now.
When they finally found out Jiang Chen had returned, BMA sent someone out in hopes of resolving the matter of the dyed payment. Since Future Technology was the guarantor, they werent afraid that Jiang Chen would scam them, butte payments seriously challenged their cash flow.
Jiang Chen didnt make her wait long as he opened the switch to the metal gate and greeted her outside personally.
When she saw Jiang Chen, thedy did a light bow and introduced herself.
Hello, Mr. Jiang Chen. Im Hanna Cavillian, manager of BMAs European division.
Pleasee in. Jiang Chen smiled and weed her inside.
Hanna nodded and came inside.
Following Jiang Chen to the mansions door, she asionally checked her surroundings. Dense subtropical nts bloomed neatly along the sides of thewn while wide-leaved trees were like mini huts making the entire mansion resemble a castle guarded by trees.
This was a beautiful mansion, but she felt something was odd.
What are you looking for? Jiang Chen smiled.
Mhmm Hanna gave it a thought and suddenly realized the problem. Why are there no gardeners working at your mansion?
Due to business reasons, she visited the Middle East multiple times. She saw many simr castles there and all had gardeners who tended to the nts throughout the day. Judging by the well-keptwn, this ce certainly looked like it was well-taken care of, but she didnt see any gardeners here.
Jiang Chen smiled. Meticulous observation, but my mansion doesnt need gardeners.
As he said this, he waved his hand towards a bush on the side.
A disc-shaped drone flew out of the bush and hovered beside his hand. From a single nce, the drone itself wasnt a shocking piece of technology, so Jiang Chen didnt bother hiding anything.
But Hanna widened her eyes in disbelief. Words only came out after a long pause as she eximed, Drone gardening? What a stunning piece of technology. Although we have been following the progress in this field, its the first time Ive seen an actual product Could I ask whichpany its from?
Jiang Chen waved his hand to send the drone back as he joked, Bill Gates loves to modify his own mansion. Why are you certain apany made this?
Hannaughed.
You are a funny person.
After inviting her inside the mansion, they sat on the sofa as Ayesha poured a cold beverage for both of them.
In this kind of weather, cold orange juice was the most wonderful refreshment.
Shelving the small talk, Hanna took out some documents from her briefcase and ced them in front of Jiang Chen.
I am here about the Pannu Ind tourism area and basic infrastructure development projects. The projects are 50%pleted and are expected to bepleted by December of this year. Here are the details of the work. Based on our contract, we have alreadypleted two phases - could your party please process the payment for these two phases?
Jiang Chen only scanned the document briefly before he said nonchntly:
Of course, please give me the documents.
Hanna nodded and took out two other documents from her briefcase.
The two phases totaled 4 billion USD. After he confirmed that the number wasnt amiss or had an extra zero, Jiang Chen signed the paperwork.
When she saw Jiang Chens signature, Hannas anxious heart finally settled down as she felt relieved.
To be honest, she was afraid that Future International would dy payment even further. Although under their agreement they agreed to pay by phase, an auditing process still existed. If the tendering side didnt recognize that theypleted the projects or dragged out the auditing phase for some time, that couldplicate things. It was a gamble to do business internationally. Hanna prepared over one hundred ways of convincing him to pay before she arrived.
But this scene surprised her as Jiang Chen agreed on the payment without any mishaps as if he didnt just sign over 4 billion USD but merely the cost of a restaurant bill.
Both parties each retained one copy of the paperwork. Hanna put away her copy into the briefcase in front of her, feeling reassured.
I have to admit: before I came, we thought you were avoiding us because you didnt want to pay. I apologize for our rude assumptions.
Hanna then stood up and bowed to Jiang Chen.
No problem. Jiang Chenughed it off and made a funnyment, If someone owed me 4 billion, you bet I would be afraid that he would disappear.
Perhaps it was the joke that made herugh or perhaps it was Jiang Chens broken English, but Hanna chuckled.
Also, can I ask something?
Since she sessfully secured payment for thepany, Hannas mood was obviously pleasant. Of course.
Does BMA have expertise in building artificial inds?
A famous quote goes: God created sea, the Dutch creatednd. From the 13th century, this country began its massive journey innd remation. Over 20% of the Nethendsnd was created artificially by filling in the sea. The hills were all dug out and the entire Frind province was created through remation.
Although Pannu Inds had an expansive sea territory, itsnd area had always been limited. While it looked like it had a low poption density, this was because the total poption was twenty thousand. Once immigration policies opened up without affecting tourism resources, Jiang Chen estimated that a maximum of one hundred thousand people could fit in the country. Yet in Hua, any town alone had more than half a million people - one hundred thousand people was clearly not enough.
Jiang Chen always thought that the Nethends had highly advancednd remation technology. Since BMA was a renowned Dutchpany, Jiang Chen thought it would be good to ask.
Chapter 402 - Another Usage of Jumping Ropes
Chapter 402: Another Usage of Jumping Ropes
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Of course, ourpanys businesses includend remation and shallow artificial ind construction. Hanna smiled.
If I want to build an artificial ind south of Ange Ind near the equator, could you estimate the cost? Jiang Chen asked keenly.
South of Ange Ind? Hanna clearly paused for a second as Jiang Chens question surprised her.
Is there a problem? Noticing Hannas reaction, Jiang Chen frowned.
If I remember correctly, the sea territory south of Ange Ind should be deep water. Normally, artificial inds are mostly created in shallow water or on natural reefs. The amount of sand and soil to create a deep-water artificial ind would be astronomical, Hanna exined.
Would it be possible to build a floating ind? Just like a giant aircraft carrier. Jiang Chen wasnt ready to give up on the idea yet.
Floating? Hanna chuckled and shook her head. Then wouldnt it float away with the tide?
Then connect the floating ind with chains, just like an anchor.
Hanna shook her head again. Thats not possible. If it is a small ind, no chains would be able to withstand the immense force of the sea. Also, even if the material existed, the material to create the ind itself would be a problem. Its just like putting a one-square-kilometer steel board on the water - it wouldnt take a year for it to get torn away by the tide. Unless you create this ind with titanium I cant think of any better material.
Titanium was 42% lighter than steel, but its mechanical strength was two times that of pure iron. From an objective point of view, titanium would be the best choice, but the cost
Jiang Chen debated for a moment longer before he let out a sigh.
Okay, looks like I still need to think a bit more.
Im sorry Im unable to help you on this, Hanna said apologetically.
Although BMA stated they had no solutions, Jiang Chen didnt give up just yet. If it wasnt possible in the modern world, it might not be as difficult in the apocalypse.
After seeing Hanna out the door, Jiang Chen returned to the gym. His discussion with Xia Shiyu about virtual reality helmets was interrupted halfway; now they could continue.
But when he went inside, he saw Xia Shiyu lying on the recliner with the helmet on.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Chen didnt wake her up. Instead, he closed the door gently.
Why dont you use this opportunity to do something?
Ayesha came from behind and hugged him.
Im not a pervert. Jiang Chen facepalmed.
All five senses were blocked when the virtual reality helmet was active. Unless the users environment exhibited high temperatures or other obvious changes, the safety protocol wouldnt be triggered. This was the reason why the helmet had to be worn in a private space - it was easy to be assaulted wearing the helmet in public.
Thats not what I told Xia Shiyu. A faint smile appeared on Ayeshas face.
Jiang Chens heart paused a beat then he turned his head. He picked Ayesha up and slung her over his shoulder as Ayesha gave a light shout.
Oh? Youre bing more naughty you dare to trick me? Jiang Chen fiercely pped her butt as it made a loud sound.
Awh~
She began to kick her legs in the air. While rubbing against his firm shoulder, Ayesha let out a faint moan. She turned around and looked at Jiang Chen innocently. I I only wanted to help the both of you.
Because of her movements on his shoulder, a cool sensation constantly brushed on the side of Jiang Chens face which tickled his mind as well.
Oh? How were you going to help? Jiang Chen said with a smirk.
I told her that Tonight, Ill leave you to her, Ayesha said, frightened, as her eyes drifted to the gym back and forth, afraid that Xia Shiyu would wake up and see her in a difficult position.
Although it wasnt like she couldnt escape Jiang Chens hold, she never imagined resisting him
When he heard Ayeshas words, Jiang Chen facepalmed.
[You werent helping - you only made the situation worse.]
Could you put me down? You can do this when no one is around Ayesha pleaded in a small voice.
No, I n to punish you.
Jiang Chen had a wickedness to him and ignored her pleas as he carried Ayesha to the gym.
Since people must learn by example, he would punish the student in front of other people. At least for the next while, Xia Shiyu shouldnt wake up.
This was exhrating.
Where did the skipping rope go? He never used it before and now he had to go find it.
The world seemed to be alive
Perhaps because of Xia Yus personality, she chose to be a magician known for her preciseness. But after registering the ount, she didnt immediately start a mission or explore the wild, but rather, she began to tour the city as a visitor.
Other than the NPC who seemed to be alive, what impressed Xia Shiyu the most was that, in this world, she could see the world clearly without sses.
It made sense since the images didnt need to pass through her cornea.
Therefore, even for the disabled, they could live in the virtual world like normal people Staring at the leaves and branches swaying in the air and breathing in the fragrance of the flowers, Xia Shiyu sighed.
Seeing as it was gettingte, she moved her finger in the air and chose the exit button.
Xia Shiyu took off her helmet as she sluggishly stretched her body and sat up. She felt refreshed and energized like she just took a great nap.
But then she sniffed her nose and raised her eyebrows slightly.
There was an odd smell in the air, but she couldnt distinguish what it was. It just made her heart beat faster.
Illusion? She muttered as she put the helmet away and walked outside.
In the hallway, she happened to bump into Ayesha with an air freshener in her hand.
The girls face suddenly turned red and she hid the air freshener behind her back. Ayesha didnt say a single word as she briskly walked by with her head buried.
[Strange.]
Xia Shiyu turned her head slightly but immediately shook her head and pushed her confusion to the back of her head.
[Its fine, I still have things to discuss with Jiang Chen]
Chapter 403 - Safety Concern
Chapter 403: Safety Concern
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The mansion was spacious. It took Xia Shiyu a while before she found Jiang Chen reading books in the office at the end of the second-floor hallway.
He was reading which surprised Xia Shiyu. You read books now?
No other choice. At this position, even if I dont want to, I have to learn, Jiang Chen said, unfazed.
To Jiang Chens hardworking attitude, Xia Shiyu nodded in praise. Although he didnt expect him to contribute greatly to thepanys operation, it was never bad for the president to know more about the economy.
Jiang Chen put aside the book that he had yet to flip through the first page as he asked nonchntly.
Whats up?
Xia Shiyu nodded, pulled up a chair from the side, and sat down across from Jiang Chen.
Its about the virtual reality helmet.
Technical aspect?
No, about the operation, somewhat rted to the technical. Xia Shiyu paused, arranged her thoughts, and continued, With Future 1.0s channel, it is easy for users to learn about our product. But I have to confirm two points. First, how likely is it for someone to make a knockoff?
Zero percent chance, at least not possible within the next ten years. Jiang Chen shook his head.
Any attempt to disassemble the helmet would trigger the circuit to self-destruct, the internal structure of the helmet was a ck box to the owner. Even without the protection mechanism, it was still challenging to mimic. The chip and circuit board in the helmet were produced by graphene material, and the graphene materials research in the modern world was only in the initial stage.
Ten years was a conservative estimate. Once Future Technology dominates the market, the markets desire to research the technology would cooldown. Needless to say, the major VR equipment manufacturers would all go bankrupt. To be able to develop the virtual reality technology, the modern world would only take more timepared to the apocalypse.
Xia Shiyu was pleased with the number ten. She nodded.
Two, the servers ability to handle the load. With the quality of the game, if I have guessed correctly, it would take an astronomical amount ofputation power. With the servers ability, how many concurrent users could we handle online?
You dont have to worry about this. Our server resources are more than sufficient. Jiang Chenughed.
While it was a civilian model, it was a quantumputer. Nheless, it was more than sufficient enough to run a fantasy MMORPG without the need to replicate physics. Let alone 3.2 billionizens, it could easily support the entire worlds poption.
Xia Shiyu was skeptical with what Jiang Chen said, but she still nodded.
After confirming the above two points, I can start writing up the marketing n. Mhmm, also, have you considered another point.
What?
Security concerns, Xia Shiyu said with seriousness.
Needless to say, the introduction of new technology would draw the attention of all parties. There was a lot ofpanies that bet big on virtual reality technology, Google, Microsoft, and even a social media tform like Facebook invested 2 billion in purchasing Oculus.
With the bets on the table, the sudden emergence of Future Technology would suddenly sweep the table. Just like with Xbox, who yed the SUBOR?
Therefore, in the foreseeable future, thepanies that were among the heavy favorites a few years ago would experience a series of rapid downturns. The hot spot would be forced to switch from virtual reality equipment to virtual reality applications.
Therefore, the frontrunner that led the technological shift would receive the hostility from the potential beneficiaries.
Jiang Chen clearly understood what Xia Shiyu meant, but to the potential danger, he onlyughed.
Now, do you think it is necessary for me to invest on this ind?
Xia Shiyu took a moment to process.
Could it be
Thats right, this ind is my backyard. Here, my army will protect my interests and rights.
Xia Shiyu was obviously thrown off again.
After a moment of silence, she spoke again, So the shareholder behind Celestial Trade is actually you?
Yes. The tip of Jiang Chens lips curled up.
Xia Shibu rubbed her forehead as she said bewilderedly, So, the overseas organization you said is factitious right?
Not exactly, but it works for me, not I work for it.
She finally digested the massive amount of information in her head, she sighed.
Okay. In this case, security is not a big concern then.
Although she still had a lot of questions, Xia Shiyu chose to bury them in her head for now. She trusted that Jiang Chen would tell her one day, just like what he told her today.
At night, Xia Shiyu would obvious not go to Jiang Chens room. But she used the excuse of the room is too big and moved to Ayeshas room. To Xia Shiyus request, Ayesha didnt reject because she wanted to improve her rtionship with her future sister.
But it made it hard on Jiang Chen. Before Xia Shiyu leaves, he could only eat discreetly
Over the next few days, Xia Shiyu spent her time in the mansion and worked remotely on herptop. She was creating a marketing n for based on Jiang Chens rmendation while controlling the day-to-day operations of Future Technology.
Although Jiang Chen was impressed by her ability to multitask, he was afraid that she couldnt handle the workload.
While Xia Shiyu was busy between things, Jiang Chen didnt sit around. He spent the days on boats between New Moon, Coro, and Ange Ind.
The construction of the New Moon Ind military base was basicallyplete with five hundred soldiers serving. Most of them were soldiers recruited locally at Pannu with some soldiers from Niger.
To alleviate the problem of ack of soldiers, the manager Barkary posted a hiring post on a social media site for Celestials security position. A monthly sry of 4000 USD a month plus a 150 square meters house after retirement. The academic requirement was only a high school diploma. With such favorable benefits, Celestial received a high number of applicants from developing countries. After the selection process, Barkary chose 1000 people out of the over ten thousand applicants.
A lot of them were retired soldiers with Han making up the majority. After they arrived on the ne, Ivan didnt immediately station them in New Moon but ced them at the military base on Coro Ind for three months of training.
Once their ability and loyalty were confirmed, they will be joining New Moon Ind as an official member of Celestial.
Chapter 404 - Buy, Buy, Buy
Chapter 404: Buy, Buy, Buy
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
What did Jiang Chen do in the past few days?
To summarize it in two words, spend money.
With a unit of billions.
The military base on New Moon Ind has a 2300 meters long double runway airport, a radar station as well as a tform connected via a dam the size of two football fields. After he paid for the construction, Jiang Chen lost another 1.4 billion on his ount. Including the 4 billion he spent a few days ago, he used 5.4 billion in three short days.
And that was not all.
To prepare for the extraction of molybdenum, Jiang Chen infused 1 billion to Future Mining, through a tender, he nned to build two semi-submersible offshore tforms south of Ange Ind.
The semi-submersible offshore tform will mostly be used in the deep sea with its primary application in oil and gas extraction. Its principle was simr to a submarine with the tform built on a giant floating device. The device would submerge below the water and connect to the seabed through tubes. A bncing device simr to the weight on a fishing rod will be installed below the floatation device which would allow the tform to maintain its bnce through the tides and storms.
The benefit of the offshore tform was that it was moveable. Once the mining deposition on the seabed has beenpletely exhausted, it could be transported away by a transport vessel. Jiang Chen nned to station two soldiers and three workers on the offshore tform and control the underwater mining device through electronicponents. A boat would visit every week to bring the necessities and haul away the molybdenum ore rich with manganese nodules.
Although the mining robot technology was still under development, Jiang Chen believes that it wont take long before resultse from camp 27. Before that, it was not a bad choice to first build the offshore tform.
These mined manganese nodules will be pulled to Ange Ind because, in addition to the rich molybdenum oxide, more than 50% of the structure wasposed of iron oxide and manganese oxide. To treat these manganese nodules, Jiang Chen had injected two hundred million more USD in Future Mining and built a manganese nodule treatment nt, a molybdenum ore refinery, as well as a steel nt and an aluminum nt.
The manganese nodule treatment nt would first crush the ore,plete the initial sorting and output the manganese and rich molybdenum g. The g will be sent to the molybdenum refinery for secondary processing and the manufacturing of the molybdenum ore required for the virtual reality helmet.
The steel nt and aluminum nt were used to process the iron and aluminum ores purchased from BHP while also treating the residues of the manganese nodules.
Theplete production line was expected to bepleted in three months. By that time, the first step of Ange Inds industrial transformation would beplete. The rich mining resources would not only satisfy the demand on the ind, but it could also be exported for profit!
Once he finished taking care of Future Mining, Jiang Chen began to work on the headquarter of Future Technology.
Coro Ind was chosen as the location of the headquarter to ensure the safety of the quantumputer. Jiang Chen spent one hundred million USD to build the headquarter with no consideration of its cost to ensure that the building was strong enough.
Also, Jiang Chen decided to ce the virtual reality helmet in the modern world. Since billions of virtual reality helmets would need to be produced, he would never be able to transport all of them back. Especially if he had to transport food, steel, and firearms back to the modern world.
Since he made the decision to produce in the modern world, then he must be cautious with security and the privacy of the production of these virtual reality helmets.
But to this point, Jiang Chen had already nned ahead. The tform he built near New Moon Ind was perfect for producing the virtual reality helmet!
No ce was more secure than right beside the military base. Under the surveince of the wide range life signal detector, no agents would be able to escape the eyes of the workers in the radar station. Once they discovered any unregistered personnel, the drones would either capture or evict them. To the people resisting arrest, the drone would initiate its attack program to eliminate the threat.
Jiang Chen decided that the production of the virtual reality helmet should be done automatically. Other than the input of raw resources and the export of finished products requiring some human involvement, the production process that must be kept a secret has to be done in a ck box. Although the cost to the autonomous production line would be high, it was necessary for privacy purposes.
The design of the nt was based on Lu Huashengs blueprint and built by modern world constructionpanies. There were a total of three buildings, and each upied a corner of the triangle shaped tform. The cost totaled two million, which was negligiblepared to the mega projects.
After a buying spree, Jiang Chen used 6.7 billion of the 30 billion loan. But he didnt feel pained at all because he knew that he would make the money back in no time.
Putting spending money aside, Jiang Chen certainly made a lot of money too.
Tao Ming didnt disappoint him as he signed a total of four hundred thousand boxes from Future Biology. With an estimated profit of 500 USD per box, the total profit was 200 million USD.
On the other hand, the agent of Emma Watson quickly agreed to the sponsorship agreement and immediately arranged Emma to head to Coro Ind for the filming of amercial and advertisement design. The reason why they agreed without hesitation was partially due to the one million USD sponsorship and partially because of the opportunity to distribute advertisement through Future 1.0.
The insane number of users for Future 1.0 meant that not a lot of people would reject the opportunity to put their face on there.
Since the sales were sessful, production could not stagger behind.
To increase the production of nutrient supply, Jiang Chen made a few trips to the apocalypse and brought back five newly built organic converters, as well as 10 tons of inducers to expand the ntation area of DH seaweed.
Therefore, the nutrient supply nt workers began a nightmare of overtime schedules. To finish the production task, the technicians responsible for inducing the DH seaweed even slept on the ground of theb. The ntation boat on the sea worked rotating shifts. The workers from the three shifts poured the DH seaweed down, fertilizing the sea farm, and cutting the newly grown seaweed
Of course, Jiang Chen was generous with the overtime bonuses. Compared to the 200 million, overtime bonuses were nothing.
To prevent the workers from working excessively, Jiang Chen ordered Zhan Shujie to hire 60 additional workers to fill the void inbor. To Zhan Shujie and Tao Mings outstanding contributions to Future Biology, Jiang Chen gave them a generous bonus.
A dividend of 1% per person as their annual bonus. While they were both ecstatic, they worked even harder.
Everyone could see the future of Future Biology. Even a dividend of 1%, with the current growth trend, they could at least take in more than ten million USD at the end of the year.
In his half month, Jiang Chen finally felt what it was like to be busy. He wanted to split himself in half so that one half could be on Ange Ind, while the other stationed between New Moon and Coro.
But after a busy half month, everything was finally on the right track.
Just as Jiang Chen thought he could take some time off, a new problem quickly emerged.
Without including the independent Celestial, Future Internationals employee number in Xin reached 400. While it was a small number on paper, Xin had a total of 20,000, to begin with; the working poption barely reached 10,000.
Fishing boats could rarely be spotted on Xins sea territory, people were demanded everywhere. Basic infrastructure development boosted the local employment rate. What used to be an ind with the highest unemployment rate, Ange Ind, nowcked a workforce.
Especially once the tourism resources werepleted, there would be a more significant gap in thebor force. Jiang Chen estimated that once the projects arepleted, his employees would at least increase by 2000, and at least create an additional 5000 positions in supporting industries!
Xin didnt have that many people looking for work.
Therefore, Jiang Chen set his eyes on a superpower currently experiencing an immigration wave.
But he was not looking at the rich who did everything they could to leave, but thebor force with an academic background higher than high school.
Chapter 405 - Immigration Wave
Chapter 405: Immigration Wave
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
No.1 Wanghai High School.
A young-looking math teacher with sses was packing away his stuff in the office. Three days ago, he handed in his resignation letter. Today, the principal finally agreed.
Guangpin, youre really not going to work here anymore? The director stood beside him as he said reluctantly.
Li Guangpin was a teacher they hired three years ago. Although he was just an undergraduate student at that time, he demonstrated excellent teaching ability. With the philosophy that math can be fun, he employed a humorous but rigorous teaching style. Not only did he manage to increase a ss with mediocre math scores to the best ss today, but he also gained the respect and love of all the students in the ss.
This type of teacher, not a single person would be willing to let him go. And because of that, the principal dragged out his resignation for three days before seeing that he had made up his mind and finally signed the letter without any other choice.
Director Wang, you dont need to try and convince me anymore. Li Guangpin smiled and stuffed a pen a student gifted him into his bag.
Director Wang let out a sigh. Okay, Ill stop trying to convince you.
Perhaps upset by the fact that a school executive personally tried to persuade him, a teacher correcting homework in a low voice said bitterly.
Private high schools have better benefits, how could the small No.1 High School hold your glorious presence.
The voice was not too high, but not too low.
Director Wangs expression didnt look good, but he didnt say anything as he just pretended he didnt hear anything. Private schools acquiring talents from public schools had been giving the school executives headaches, but they could do nothing about it. Since People walked up, water flowed down, talent could not just be retained by culture. Private schools sry and bonus structure are much better than public schools. It may be more tiring but was undoubtedly more attractive to young teachers with ambition and ability.
When he heard his coworkers words, Li Guangpin paused for a second, but he didnt mind and only smiled.
Although Wu Jiefeng had some conflicts with him in terms of awards, since they were no longer people from the same world, he didnt let it bother him.
Im not going to a private school, Im going to teach overseas.
Overseas? Director Wang was shocked.
Mhmm, a few high schools in Xin posted positions, and I happened to pass the interview. They wanted me toe as soon as possible. Although he used a casual voice, from the smile on his face, however, he was proud.
When they heard Li Guangpins words, the teachers who were working on their own things began to chat amongst themselves.
I saw the posting too. It is through a video conference with a sry of 4000 USD a month! A male teacher whispered.
Really? A female teacher said, shocked.
4000 USD was 24000 RMB in sry, and it was just a starting level sry! To the average teacher at a public school, it was an astronomical number!
It shouldnt be fake, Xin government is doing the hiring. They wanted to solve theck of talent in their schools and hospitals, so they are offering apetitive package to oversea teachers and doctors. The news even went on Future 1.0s headline.
Xin is this rich? Werent they in a war before? A Han teacher was skeptical.
That was half a year ago. With the new government, they introduced a series of stimting economic measures. They want to build Pannu Inds into the Hawaii of the west Pacific! A slim male teacher said very vocally.
He was the type that enjoyed reading the news. Seeing how uninformed his coworkers were, he began to sell what he knew.
Also, Xin introduced abor immigration policy. Anyone with a work visa could apply for Xin nationality once they have worked two full years in Xin.
Old Li, once you get the green card, when we go visit you, you cant pretend not to know us. A teacher that had a good rtionship with Li Guangpin joked.
Of course. Haha, once I settle down, I will invite you all over.
Li Guangpin said goodbye to his colleagues.
Only one person in the entire office was gloomy; head ufortably buried, and eyes filled with jealousy. Wu Jiefeng would not tell other people that he saw the job and applied. But unfortunately, he was eliminated in the first round.
Simr scenes happened all over Xin.
It all originated from an immigration promotion video on Youtube. The entire video had three central ideas. The ce was stunning, filled with work opportunities, and just waiting for you to go!
Then, the video was reposted by Future 1.0 news channel and hence spread across the country. This began a frenzied amount of reposting andments. Compared with theck of response in UA and Europe, the citizens of Hua had a favorable impression of Xin.
As to why?
It was because of the cultural simrity.
The only other country in the world that used Han as its officialnguage. The Han society obviously felt close to Xin. People may fear the culture difference from immigrating to the UA or Europe, but it would not happen in Xin.
Especially when the ce was filled with job opportunities, beautiful sceneries, a loose political structure, the desire to immigrant was even stronger. Another important thing was, the cost to immigrate to Xin was low.
Without the need for a lot of money, people could immigrate without money!
Two types of immigration policy were open; investing immigration orbor immigration.
Investing immigration had a policy of possessing property over one million or providing at least ten work positions in Xin. They would only need to submit proof to the Bureau of Immigration before they could directly obtain Xin nationality.
Thebor immigration was even more essible. Xin needed a tremendous workforce with an education background greater than high school. Any of the foreigners with a proof of work could immediately obtain a work visa. As long as they work over two years in Xin, they would obtain permanent resident status while enjoying the same social benefits as citizens. Work for five years, and they could obtain Xin nationality.
Forpanies looking to hire enough people, Xin even pushed a special policy. Any of thepanies requiringbor could post its hiring needs on Xins minister of foreign affair website to ease the process.
In the country where everything was in its infancy, anyone could find a position that belonged to them. Hans curiosity and longing for Xin were just like Europeans longing for America in the 18th century.
The day the immigration policy was made avable, Xins embassies received a total of 4410 immigration applicants with two-thirdsing from Hua. It wouldnt take long before theck of abor force thats disturbing the growth of Xin would be solved by the gradually heated immigration wave!
Chapter 406 - The Relaxing Time on the Beach
Chapter 406: The Rxing Time on the Beach
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It has been over half a month since Xia Shiyu arrived at Coro Ind. She had spent a rxing time there, but it made life tough on Jiang Chen. Because the two girls slept together, Jiang Chen basically had no intimate time with Ayesha.
The only thing that made it worthwhile was that Ayesha and Xian Shiyus rtionship got a lot closer. Perhaps because they slept on the same bed, the faint hostility Xia Shiyu had toward Ayesha faded after a half month of meshing together.
All in all, the three people lived harmoniously together. Xia Shiyu spent the day working at home, Jiang Chen stayed out among inds, and Ayesha would sometimes drive for Jiang Chen, asionally visit Jiang Chens parents and do the chores in the mansion from time to time.
The busiest half month passed by. Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu both had free time. To treat himself for his hard work, Jiang Chen proposed a vacation on his private ind.
To Jiang Chens proposal, Xia Shiyu only hesitated for a moment before she agreed. After such high-stress work, the rare trip to the beautiful southern ind would be a waste if not enjoyed now. Since she lived most of her life among the noise of the city, the proposal was indeed attractive to her.
As to Ayesha, she never had any opinions on Jiang Chens proposals. She was timider than a smallmb.
Therefore, the two days vacation had been agreed on.
Other than the nine inds, hundreds of deserted inds also spanned across Pannu Inds. Some of them looked only as big as a house with a single wave capable of flooding the entire ind. Some of them were as big as New Moon Ind, only uninhibited due to theck of ess to fresh water.
This inhibited ind was 170 nautical miles to the east of Coro Ind, one of the inds was sold to Jiang Chen from Xin government. The ind was one square kilometer big with dense vegetation in the middle of the ind and was surrounded by beaches on all sides. Other than the wooden cabin on the beach, there was no other facility on the ind.
Jiang Chen intended to retain the original scenery of the ind.
You certainly know how to enjoy life, Xia Shiyu eximed.
She lied soothingly on the recliner. Staring at the waves mixed with white bubbles and feeling the saline sea wind that swayed her hairs, she sucked on the cold orange juice. It was like living in heaven.
Xia Shiyu felt all her weariness leave her body. Her mood couldnt have been better.
Ill take that as apliment. But to be honest, this is my first time on the ind too, leaning on the chair with his arms under his head, Jiang Chen said sluggishly.
Oh really? Xia Shiyu turned her head.
The sea blue two-piece swimsuit fitted perfectly on her figure of perfection. Although she didnt intentionally show off her body, her gorgeous face was revealed without anything obstructing it. The water droplets left on her body after ying among the waves sparkled on her smooth leg, just like a lotus after the morning dew.
What are you looking at. Sensing Jiang Chens gaze, Xia Shiyu felt her face burn. She put on a straight face and said with some harshness to hide the panic in her heart.
Under the sunlight that made peoplezy, Jiang Chen answered without processing it in his head.
A hot girl.
Xia Shiyu bit her lower lip and turned around to hide her burning red face.
Looking at the door, Ayesha had a smile on her face.
Their progress was far better than she had expected
The sun began to slide down the east coast. Under the ray of the dusk, Jiang Chen began to set up the BBQ on the beach, took out the ingredients and beer that was chilled on the boat, and began to prepare for a bonfire party.
As he chugged the cold beer while biting on the crispy and golden skewers, Jiang Chen was thrilled by the experience. On the contrary, Xia Shiyu was more reserved as she ate the skewers bite by bite, enjoying the delicacy.
As to Ayesha,pared to eating, she seemed to enjoy being eaten Mhmm, that sounded weird. Correction, she enjoyed watching the happiness that flowed out of Jiang Chen and his praises when he ate her work.
After a nice dinner, they cleaned up the garbage, and the three fooled around on the beach for a while before they lied back down.
Peace returned to the beach.
As Jiang Chen stared at the sun slowly descending, Jiang Chen abruptly asked.
Are you leaving the day after tomorrow?
Xia Shiyu was silent and then nodded.
Mhmm, I have been away for a while, I have to be there for a lot of things.
Its been hard on you. Jiang Chen sighed.
Not at all. Xia Shiyu shook her head and watched the same dusk. Although tiring, not hard.
To be able to prove her worth was something she dreamed of doing, why would she think it is hard? Or rather, it was an exhrating experience to be able to witness the growth of an inte empire in her own hands.
The dusk glided a golden edge on her face. The faint smile on her face made Jiang Chen hold his breath.
It was not her stunning beauty, but something even brighter.
But then, Ayesha suddenly stood in front of Jiang Chen and put him behind her.
Whats going on? Jiang Chen asked.
Helicopter. Ayeshas eyes narrowed as she gazed at the sky. Her eyes became alert and flickered with cautiousness.
Following Ayeshas sight, he also discovered the ck dot that surfaced in the distance.
Not long after, the edges of the helicopter be more and more clear.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows at the miniature helicopter. He didnt remember buying this model. He became more alert and prepared to take out his weapons from the storage dimension.
But when he saw the person at the side hatch, his loosened up, sighed, and sat back down.
By the looks of it, the higher being doesnt want me to have a good vacation.
As he muttered, he drank thest drops of his orange juice.
Frankberg, the library of the University of Ber.
The dusk had long been gone, but the library was still bright from inside out.
A teen with a rtively attractive face sat at the corner of the library and concentrated on theptop in front of him with his fingers typing furiously on the keyboard. Other than theptopputer, a couple of Germanputer textbooksid on his table along with a cup of ck coffee.
When he pressed thest button, Xie Lei let out some of the air in his chest and sunk into the chair.
It has been half a month. The opponent hid carefully, and their skills were impressive, but they finally exposed some information. After breaking through a series of firewalls, Xie Lei finally managed to capture the real IP masked behindyers of fake IPs.
The IP was located in Pnd.
After Xie Lei captured the real IP, he didnt alert the opponent. Instead, he used the opportunity when the opponent ryed information back to send the Trojan program to theirputer. The Trojan program would not do any harm to theputer, it would only package some of the documents in theputer discreetly and discreetly transfer the information back to hisputer.
Watching the progress bar on the screen, an egotistical look appeared on his face.
Let me see who you are.
As Xie Lei muttered, he reached for the coffee on the table.
But when his finger touched the cup, a couldnt be helped expression surfaced.
The coffee was cold.
He looked up at the clock on the wall, he mumbled.
Already 8?
Hell just do the rest at home
He was a bit hungry. Seeing that the progress bar wasplete, he stood up, put theptop on his back, and headed out.
But just when Xie Lei went downstairs, he caught a glimpse of two ck vehicles parked outside.
Four men in ck suits and shades walked out and headed to the front door of the library.
Did the library do some donation program again? But its already sote. Xie Lei mumbled to himself and didnt mind these people.
When he passed by the men in ck, however, he felt a chill run down his spine.
It was as if a venomous snake was staring at him.
Fortunately, the feeling faded away in a glimpse.
Perhaps because he looked too young, the sight of the men in ck stopped for a second before they left as they began to scan in the library.
But just in that one glimpse, Xie Lei felt his entire back was drenched in cold sweat.
[Dammit, what kind of people did that guy mess with?]
Xie Lei left the library and cursed in his mind. Instincts told him that the men in ck were definitely not friendly individuals. They were probably looking for him!
IP location was reversibly trackable, and he didnt have a clue! With how fast they responded, they had been monitoring him for a while.
If he stayed in the library, the consequence would be unimaginable.
Also, he was lucky that he used the librarys wifi
Chapter 407 - You are being Monitored
Chapter 407: You are being Monitored
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The helicopter with a name he didnt know hovered above the beach. A rope was thrown down. A hot blondedy in a white tank top and short shorts agilely hopped down.
Without any equipment, only Russians could do such risky things.
Natasha.
Since thest time Jiang Chen saw her at the hotel in Xiangjiang, he hasnt seen her for half a year.
When both of her feet touched the ground, she signaled the helicopter pilot before walking to Jiang Chen.
The helicopter turned around and Jiang Chen focused on the Russian girl walking in his direction.
Natasha stood in front of Jiang Chen and ignored Ayeshas cold expression as she raised her chin.
You still owe me a shot of Vodka.
When did the audacious Russian get so pesky? Jiang Chen said as he sat up from the recliner.
Sniff, I smell BBQ and beer. Unfortunately, looks like Imte to the party Dont look at me like that; Im not hostile. With Ayeshas cautious look, Natasha put up both of her hands, but her tone was flirtatious.
Who is she? Xia Shiyu frowned and whispered to Jiang Chen.
A KGB agent, or should I call them the Russian Federation Security Bureau? Anyways, both are not wrong, Jiang Chen said nonchntly.
When Xia Shiyu heard the word agent, she instinctively felt fear since she was captured by the CIB before. She could still not let go of the fearful memory. But when she saw Ayesha, her tense heart became calm again.
To the anxiousness on the beautiful Han girls face, Natasha only scanned it before moving away.
Then, she stared straight at Jiang Chen and smiled.
We havent seen each other for a while, why such a cold expression, are Han men this heartless?
Jiang Chen red at her, Your Han is improving, but I have to say, your choice of words could be better.
The tip of Natashas mouth curled up as he walked up to him. But Ayesha didnt have any intention of moving away as she just stood there.
Although the small B was not convincing enough for the massiveness, the emotionless expression added another vibe no less than Natashas.
Hello, Im a security personnel responsible for the safety of the embassy, are you trying to start a diplomatic conflict?
Ayeshas expression didnt make Natasha unhappy at all. She pointed at her gun multiple times, now that she finally was without a gun. The Russian girl grinned and looked down at her with aggressiveness.
Ayesha. Jiang Chen coughed.
When Ayesha heard Jiang Chens reminder, although she still didnt want to back down, she stood silently to the side.
With a pause, Jiang Chen asked Natasha, The security personnel of the embassy? Could you exin?
Xin and Russia officially established a diplomatic rtionship. Im here along with the Russian ambassador. I got off the ne at noon. When I heard you were here, I immediately came with the helicopter. Natasha walked beside the recliner and sat beside Jiang Chens leg.
Xia Shiyus eyebrows jumped at the scene as she had a bad feeling. Ayesha only silently stared at the back of her head. Although she didnt mind how many women her husband had, to the woman who clearly had other intentions, she didnt want them to get close at all.
Does KGB know that Im the shareholder of Celestial Trade? Jiang Chen asked while he discreetly moved his leg away to avoid the flirtatious curve.
[Sending out a KGB agent as the bodyguard for diplomats, the Russians are quite interesting.]
Is this a secret? You didnt intentionally hide it. Natasha grinned.
Then your intention is? Jiang Chenughed.
Would you believe Im here just to visit you? Natashas said while raising the massiveness that would even make Liu Yao envious.
[36D, 36E? It looks like I underestimated her before.] Jiang Chen said shockingly in his mind.
It was not that the massiveness did not tempt him, but he knew better than to touch the rose with thorns. Perhaps after they hooked up, she would have sold him already.
Our diplomat discussed an arms sale with president Zhang, but he told us to discuss it with you. Natasha leaned on the side of the chair as her body moved towards Jiang Chen.
The deep trenches
Arms? If it is AK or something like that, then its okay, Jiang Chen gulped while he said courteously.
Tank, fighter jet, artillery, we sell everything. Natasha nced at Jiang Chens beach shorts as she the tip of her mouth dubiously curved up.
The eyes seemed to be saying, [You are saying no, but your body is more honest.]
Jiang Chen ignored the teasing look as he rebuked, You sell everything? Do you sell people?
Natasha was clearly not agitated by Jiang Chens words. Instead, she flirted back, If you want, we can have a deep discussion about it.
Ahem. Xia Shiyu coughed loudly.
Natasha turned around as she seemed to have understood something, she looked dubiously at Jiang Chen.
You certainly have the joy than most men desire.
Dont say random stuff. Jiang Chen was out of sorts.
Natasha then abruptly said, Also, just a reminder, you are being monitored.
Monitored? By who? Jiang Chen paused, suddenly alerted.
Natasha stood up.
Are you not going to wee me to your party?
Jiang Chen didnt know what Natasha had nned, but he agreed to her staying in the wooden beach cabin. While the cabin looked primal from the outside, all the necessary amenities were avable.
Guest room, bathroom, even a spa; a range of equipment only avable in five-star hotels.
But the most fun thing on the ind was the hot spring. As long as a hole was dug on the beach, once a wave passed through, a hot spring mixed with sand would form. It looked muddy, but it was filled with unpolluted natural minerals. Great for the skin.
The hot spring on the beach was across from the cabin and because Xia Shiyu wanted to try it, Ayesha apanied her. Not confident with leaving Natasha with Jiang Chen, the two girls kidnapped her along. Jiang Chen wanted to go too, but they had to be naked. With how stern Xia Shiyus face was, Jiang Chen stayed in the cabin.
Just as Jiang Chen was in the spa ready to drift off to sleep, the phone on the table began to ring.
He picked up the phone. It was an international number.
Caller: Xie Lei.
Hello?
I confirmed the opponents identity, Xie Lei said in short breaths.
Are you okay? Jiang Chen frowned.
Im fine, but they almost saw my face. Xie Lei looked back on the street, still feeling anxious.
He was in a public phone booth and cautiously scanning the street.
Keep it simple, Jiang Chen said.
Xie Lei took a deep breath as he said briskly, I obtained a filed named V from their database, but the file inside was encrypted, and the encryption method was the most outdated one, I could not crack it without the password. Also, the opponent detected my presence and almost just blocked me in the library.
Where is the file?
Xie Lei adjusted his breathing, I sent it to a safe email at the caf, and Ill tell you the ount and password now.
Go ahead.
Jiang Chen pressed a few buttons on the phone and opened the notepad function.
Once Xie Lei finished thest letter, Jiang Chen saved the information.
Be safe.
Mhmm. Xie Lei nodded.
If it is not safe, just stop. Your sister is there after all.
He knew how restrained it felt when his family was being threatened.
Thank you! Xie Lei said sincerely.
His sister was his concern. He at least received three months of military training in Nigeria and could easily run when discovered, but it would be a different scenario if he had to bring his hospitalized sister along.
The game of cat and mouse should end soon.
Chapter 408 - Arms Sale and Conditions
Chapter 408: Arms Sale and Conditions
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
When the threedies returned, it was almost nine oclock.
The pursuit of beauty was a natural tendency for women. When they found out that the hot springs could slim down their figures in addition to whitening and contracting their pores, they all agreed unanimously to stay there a bit longer, so it waste when they got back.
After they dragged their weary bodies back to the beach cabin, all three dived into the bathroom to wash off the sand and seawater from their bodies and change into new clothes. Then Natasha, still unsatisfied, proposed another BBQ on the beach.
Xia Shiyu and Ayesha rejected the idea at first because it was easy to gain weight from eating at night, but Natasha didnt care for their opinions. Seeing as no one was going to apany her, she set up everything by herself in front of the hut and took out food from the fridge as if it was her house.
Inparison to Ayesha and Xia Shiyu who were both full, she didnt eaten dinner yet.
Because Xia Shiyu couldnt resist the temptation of BBQ meat, she forced herself to sleep. On the other hand, Ayesha had mental fortitude and ignored the smells carried by the wind. But Jiang Chens resistance was much weaker as his eyes lit up when he smelled the meat.
Because he didnt need to worry about his weight with his body superior to that of Supermans, it wouldnt be a problem even if he ate a cow.
Sigh, its so nice to be rich; being an agent means you have to worry about being shot every day. Natasha chewed on the BBQ while chugging down a cold beer as she swung around her wet blonde hair.
You make it sound like its so easy to be one. Jiang Chen made a skewer disappear as he grinned.
Russian BBQ was like Turkeys roast meat, but it was his first time seeing the meat mixed with orange juice and red wine. Mixed with garlic, even if the meat was rtively big, it was delicious nheless.
I just have to marry rich. Natasha lips raised as she put her bottle to the side.
Jiang Chen nced at her t but athletic abs; he didnt know where all the food she ate went.
Then that wealthy mans life would be miserable; his wife is a KGB agent, so he must prevent himself from doing anything naughty outside.
Is that so? To men with ability, I dont mind how many women he has. Natasha nced at Jiang Chens beach shorts and said aggressively, But without ability, its better not to bring trouble on oneself.
[Fu*k, why dont you try to see if I have the ability or not, Ill make you Mhmm, I cant fall for her tricks.]
Jiang Chens arousal was quickly suppressed.
He paused for a moment before changing the topic.
Earlier, you said Im being monitored.
Thats right, being monitored by me. Natashas chuckled.
Be serious. He red at her.
Lets first talk about the arms sale. Natasha also diverted the topic.
Is this an added condition? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Not exactly, but since you want us to share our intelligence with you, at least convince us that were standing on the same frontier together. Natasha leaned on a wooden post while she stretched her legs out sluggishly.
Cant I stay neutral? Jiang Chen ignored her seductive position and smiled.
Natasha tossed her hair behind her back as she audaciously burped, then she looked mockingly at Jiang Chen. Neutrality is the dumbest choice, especially when you have NATO allies surrounding you.
You do make a good point. Heughed. Then should I ept the friendly gestures from the UA or stand with you? You guys have been dragged into a mud pit in Eastern Europe and arent in the best state due to the problems in Syria.
The meaning was obvious: [You guys cant even hold your own - what makes you attractive enough for me to stand with you?]
You wont join the UA as long as youre not dumb. Natasha shook her head.
Oh? Exin.
Country F is an ally of UA, but in establishing a strategic bnce in the Asia-Pacific, did F manage to gain a lot out of it? Natasha said with a grin.
So, we choose not to stand with anyone, Jiang Chen said dubiously.
Youre like a beautiful girl with an ambiguous attitude towards your pursuers. But have you considered that since youre a needle stuck in the second ind chain to block China, the UA will keeppromising with you? There are two methods to conquer a woman; one is to use ttering words, the other is to use force. Natasha gave a derogatory but easy-to-understand analogy.
Is that so? Jiang Chen scoffed.
[Funny, I havent even taken out your nuclear weapons yet! If it wasnt for Xin being in a state of economic development to avoid unnecessary international problems, Xin could be a part of the nuclear club right now. Its a bit too early, but once I establish a few nuclear silos in the Pacific, even the five thugs will have to be afraid.]
Natasha noticed that Jiang Chen was silent. Thinking that he didnt believe her, sheughed, Dont forget what happened in Kane.
What happened?
If the UA is willing, they only need one billion USD to form a civilian force equipped with tanks and artillery in Xin. Natasha wolfed down another skewer.
To Natashas words, Jiang Chen onlyughed.
I will consider your arms sale, but our stance to maintain neutrality internationally will not change. Arms sales in Hua have a much lower barrierpared to you guys. If you insist on adding conditions then I hope we can form a partnership in other areas instead.
[Whatever, its not like youre the only store. Only Iran and India are willing to do arms business with Russia. Whos more eager to expand into the international arms market? Natural gas and crude oil from Eastern Europe are no longer highly sought after. Without arms sales, what do you have to feed the almost bankrupt arms nts?]
Natashas eyebrows raised as she said expressionlessly.
If you purchase Han firearms, the UA will be tense.
This was indeed true -pared to Russia who had nothing to do with South Asian affairs, an arms sale from Hua would have a higher chance of crossing UA boundaries. But Natasha clearly ignored a key point:
We are a privatepany; we dont represent the country of Xin.
This was a shameless excuse.
The mercenary Xin hired had nothing to do with the Xin government. Although everyone knew that Celestial was Xins unofficial army, the army was not controlled by the government after all.
After a long silence, Natasha spoke with her eyes narrowed. You are devious.
Thank you for yourpliment. If you are interested in doing business without conditions, can you first tell me how you are monitoring me?
Natasha spoke a name which made Jiang Chen surprised.
Willie society.
Willie society? With shock in Jiang Chens eyes, he frowned. Arent they only active in Eastern Europe?
Who told you theyre only active in Eastern Europe? Natasha continued, Their eyes are all over Europe. We call them Neo-Nazis; NATO refers to them as reformed good friends. Whats important is not how they made history but the role they y now.
What role do they y now?
The disruptor of Eastern Europe, Natasha said emotionlessly. NATO provides them with funding, intelligence support, and even weapons, attempting to use these Nazis to prevent us from unifying our people
But what does it have to do with me? Jiang Chen frowned.
South Asia and Eastern Europe were twopletely distinct ces.
Thats what were curious about too. Natasha turned to look at Jiang Chen. What does it have to do with you?
Jiang Chen paused then asked:
Do you not know either? I thought you could give me answers.
KGBs influence is nowhere near as strong as before. Natasha sighed. Willie society surfaced in the Gorbachev era. During that time, we could no longer even look after ourselves; there was too much bloodshed in our domestic conflicts For so many years, our agents only managed to obtain one keyword.
What keyword? Watching the waves, Jiang Chen asked nonchntly.
The Golden Apple.
Jiang Chens pupils instantly contracted.
Chapter 409 - It was not a Secret after all
Chapter 409: It was not a Secret after all.
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
[The Golden Apple? The fu*king Golden Apple again.]
Two clues intermingled in his head.
Based on the Golden Apple symbol on Carmens ring, Rothschild may have some connection to the Golden Apple.
Based on Natashas words, Willie society was also connected to the Golden Apple.
Then Rothschild must be connected to the Willie society somehow!
[Allies?]
Jiang Chen frowned but immediately rejected the thought.
The Rothschild family was Jewish and even supported the founding of Israel. Considering what Natasha said, the Willie society consisted of Neo-Nazis. Therefore, the two groups had to be in an eternal rivalry.
[So, are theypetitors then?]
Jiang Chen closed his eyes; his deductive skills were only mediocre at best. Without any more clues, this was the only conclusion he arrived at.
Natasha definitely didnt provide him with all the information. Jiang Chen wasnt even sure how much they know about the Golden Apple.
Have you heard of the Golden Apple? Natasha asked.
The apple that Eve and Adam ate? Jiang Chen disguised the shock in his mind and spoke with a smile.
He wouldnt tell Natasha what the Golden Apple actually was, just like how she mustve held back some information from him. It was better to y the fool now; his instincts told him that a lot of people were searching for the Apple.
It was obvious as to why everyone wanted to control the mystery behind the Nazis technology.
Natashas question may have been a test to begin with.
Although Jiang Chen really wanted to exin to her that the knock-off Golden Apple was at best a one-way radio that received certain information based on a specific time frame but didnt possess the ability tomunicate with the future No one would ept his exnation anyways.
You need to catch up on your history; the Golden Apple originated from Greek Mythology, not the . Natasha red at him and took a sip of beer.
Is that so? I will remember your words. Its gettingte, time to sleep. Jiang Chen got up and headed inside.
Hello? About the arms - are you going to buy them or not? Natasha turned her head and shouted at him with her mouth reeking of alcohol.
Submarines and vessels - Ill only buy these two, nothing else.
Jiang Chen closed the door.
[Submarines and vessels, those are going to be hard to secure] Natasha frowned.
Although they were included as part of the arms sales project, they were usually only sold to their allies.
[It was better to contact the ministry of national defense]
Natasha took out her satellite phone.
What she didnt know was that Ayesha, in the next room, was monitoring her calls under Jiang Chens instructions.
Jiang Chen had a great sleep that night.
What woke him up from his dream was the sound of the tide shuffling and the tickling of his ear.
He opened his eyes and saw a pair of sapphire-like pupils.
It was Ayesha.
She was kneeling beside the bed, watching him quietly.
Are you a cat? Jiang Chen caressed her face with a smile.
It was rumored that cats would observe their owners while they slept. Although he didnt know if the urban legend was true or not, Jiang Chen thought Ayesha gazing at him was cute.
Ayesha closed her eyes as she leaned her head against Jiang Chens warm head and gently asked:
Should we go see the sunrise first or eat breakfast?
Lets see the sunrise first, Jiang Chen said then sat up on the bed.
After a few routine stretching exercises, he walked outside with Ayesha.
When he was outside, he was surprised to find that Natasha was already up. And by the looks of it, she already took a morning jog.
Im really curious - considering how sluggish your routine is, could you still beat me now? Looking at Jiang Chen with eyes still half-closed, Natasha joked.
[Funny, do I need to exercise to beat you?]
Jiang Chen ignored Natasha and walked out on the beat, took a breath of fresh air, faced the turbulent waves and shouted.
Ahhh!
This loud roar felt so delightful. With Natasha rolling her eyes, Jiang Chenughed presumptuously then took Ayesha to go wake Xia Shiyu up.
The four of them then headed to the east beach to watch the sunrise and returned to the cabin for breakfast.
Right now, the satellite TV in the living room was ying CNNs morning news.
The news was reporting on the open trial records of the supreme court of Xin regarding the captured country F soldiers. 41 F soldiers who disguised as pirates and trespassed on another countrys territory shocked the world; it made the world understand how shameless a country could be. The 59 casualties were unfortunate but deserved. Xins government was willing to return the soldiers bodies back; they would mockingly ce country Fs g on the 59 caskets.
The Han media had the biggest reaction and the most unified response. They stood firmly with Xin and criticized Fs hideous actions, and they also stated that Fs actions in the south sea were unreasonable.
Because CNN had an ideology in line with the Liberal party, while they questioned some of the actions of Xin, they mostly mocked Fs uwful government-organized pirates.
Aquino called for two press conferences that day - one international while the other would target the domestic poption in an attempt to change Fs image, but it was futile.
I cant believe your security is actually pretty good. I remember F used to conduct joint military exercises with the UA before. Natasha stuffed some buttered toast into her mouth while she chatted casually.
So what? My soldiers are superior to them, Jiang Chen said nonchntly.
[Its because of technology.]
M4A1s bullets couldnt prate the polyethylene st board of the kic skeleton, but the Reaper assault rifle could prate most of the walls they used as cover.
No wonder you just need submarines and vessels. Natasha grinned before she gobbled down thest piece of toast.
So? Whats your verdict? Jiang Chen asked.
Im not the one calling the shots. I can only ry information, so I passed your request to the Kremlin. Natasha crossed her arms and leaned into her chair.
[Is that so?]
The tips of Jiang Chens mouth imperceptibly curled up.
He listened to her phone call with the Kremlinst night. Her superiors orders for her were to try to persuade him, even if she had to sacrifice her body to better understand his connection with the Golden Apple.
Therefore, the Russians obviously understood the use of the Golden Apple.
Since Willie society was investigating him, the KGB became interested in him as well - this was the only exnation.
Also, Jiang Chen heard from yesterdays conversation that the Kremlin already agreed on the arms sale because they really needed money. And Jiang Chen was a person with money who wasnt picky and willing to pay for their inactive vessels.
They were right - Jiang Chen really didnt care about the outdated technology their vessels and submarines contained since he could make modifications. For example, he could rece the engine, missiles, anti-radar equipment, and add life-detection devices.
Im really curious if Xin knows that the head of security for Russian diplomats is a KGB agent. What kind of expression would president Zhang have? Jiang Chen said with a joking voice.
It would depend on what expression you want him to have, right? Natasha red at Jiang Chen as she grinned back.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes.
It wasnt a secret after all.
Chapter 410 - Do you sell Nuclear Submarines?
Chapter 410: Do you sell Nuclear Submarines?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Just like yesterday, the second day of their vacation was still spent on leisure. But because of the arrival of the unexpected visitor Natasha, the four of them could now do some fun activities.
Such as beach volleyball which could make peoples face turn red and heart pump faster.
Ayesha and Xia Shiyu were okay - one of them hadntpletely matured yet while the other possessed the slim figure unique to Asians. Aside from her beauty, there was nothing that could make him nosebleed.
But Natasha was different.
Jiang Chen felt his nose bing warm because of the two balls jiggling from her jumps.
The only person who couldpare to her would probably be Liu Yao. Speaking of her, he hadnt seen her for a while. Although they had been in contact through WeChat, Jiang Chen still missed her.
In the evening, they still enjoyed delicious BBQ. Natashas Russian style BBQ and Ayeshas Chinese style BBQ all had their bright spots. The two seemed to be in a silentpetition in the field of BBQ.
It was a fantastic experience for Jiang Chen because he was the judge, so his stomach was treated well.
After going through a long day, the gang all felt tired, and even the resilient Ayesha was tired as well. But since they were leaving tomorrow, the girls still dragged their weary bodies and spent two more hours in the beach hot spring.
Jiang Chen sensed that the three seemed to be getting along better. Even Ayesha showed less hostility when she looked at Natasha
As long as Natasha maintained a safe distance with Jiang Chen.
The morning of the third day.
Jiang Chen did some simple cleaning before he took the three women onto a boat. The garbage left on the ind would be cleaned up by servants; they didnt need to worry about it.
The boat docked at a private port on the south coast of Coro Ind because Xia Shiyu needed to catch a flight at 3 in the afternoon. The three of them still needed to return to the mansion to pack up, so Natasha said goodbye to them. Before she left, she thanked Jiang Chen for hosting her and said she would visit often.
After blowing a kiss to Jiang Chen under two pairs of eyes filled with hostility, she turned around before quickly disappearing at the end of the street.
After spending half a month together, Jiang Chen and Ayesha were ustomed to Xia Shiyus presence. The idea of returning to a private life with Ayesha made Jiang Chen feel joyful and mncholic at the same time.
Was this what it meant to: Eat the food in the bowl while looking at the food in the pot? Sometimes Jiang Chen felt he was a terrible person Mm, that might be too harsh; maybe he was just honest about his own desires?
All in all, when he helped Xia Shiyu pack her things, he felt dismayed.
At the airport terminal.
Ayesha and Jiang Chen both sent her off at the airport.
When I head back, Ill start the selection process of internal test users as soon as possible and initiate the marketing campaign preparing for the release of the game. Ill have to count on you for establishing the server and preparing amodations for the internal test users. Before she boarded, Xia Shiyu reminded Jiang Chen of this multiple times.
Because of issues with privacy, before the game helmet could be released officially, internal tests had to be conducted on Pannu Ind. It was all part of their n which could be immediately executed once Xia Shiyu returned to Xiangjiang.
Dont worry, leave it to me. Jiang Chen smiled confidently.
Mhm.
Xia Shiyu suddenly lowered her head.
Just as Jiang Chen was puzzled by this sudden change, Xia Shiyu dropped her luggage, walked up two steps and pecked him on the cheek.
Thank you.
Just as Jiang Chen was still processing what happened, Xia Shiyu stiffly turned around, took her luggage, and walked away briskly.
He touched his cheek. A wetness still lingered on that spot.
You got kissed. Ayesha, standing beside Jiang Chen, had a smile on her face as she spoke in a low voice.
Mhm, I got kissed.
Jiang Chen watched Xia Shiyus back and shook his head as he watched the ne take off.
When they left the gate, they walked to their car at the airport entrance.
Ayesha helped Jiang Chen open the car door then sat in the driver seat.
Lets head home?
Mhm. Sinking into his soft seat, Jiang Chen closed his eyes.
With his free time, he wanted to set a n to prioritize the next steps.
But then a call came through.
Jiang Chen took out his phone and when he saw the name, heughed and picked up.
Hello? Jiang Chen said with a grin.
He already knew who it was.
Its me, the Kremlin agreed, Natasha said concisely.
[Nice acting, they already agreedst night.] Jiang Chen mocked her in his mind.
Do you sell nuclear submarines? Jiang Chen said jokingly.
Dont even think about it. She rejected it without hesitation.
[Fu*k, youre so heartless in your rejection. I didnt even want it.]
Jiang Chen thought in his mind.
[Once I rece the engine with a nuclear fusion engine, who would want your nuclear fission engine?]
[Weak!]
Jiang Chen had a rough idea of what arms he wanted to buy already. He didnt care about the weapons and equipment on board since they would all have to be modified and reced anyway, so he chose a type that was rtively agile and easily hidden.
Guardian ss frigate, Type-636 Kilo ss submarine, Jiang Chen requested.
Kilo ss was a submarine with the highest discement that Russia exported. It was renowned for its strong firepower and quietness. Type-636 was its improved modern version, known as the Song of Warsaw. It was considered the leader in diesel power submarines, one of the quietest diesel submarines in the world.
And the Guardian ss frigate was one of the best multipurpose frigates Russia possessed. It was equipped with a helicopter pad. Itspact weapon configuration and agile mobility was the reason why Jiang Chen choose it. The 100 mm A-190 cannon in the front could easily be reced with a Type-50 electromaic pulse cannon.
After a brief silence, the noise of paper flipping was heard through the phone.
Guardian ss frigate, 130 million USD. Type 636 Kilo ss submarine, 250 million USD, Natasha replied.
[So expensive.]
Could you give me a discount? Jiang Chen tried to bargain.
Although he didntck money, a single submarine close to 300 million still made him feel pained.
If you can buy eight at once, I can sell them to you for 200 million.
[Eight]
If Jiang Chen remembered correctly, a single submarine required a crew of 50-60 sailors. Even if he wanted to buy eight to build a massive nuclear fleet, he didnt have enough crew to man them.
Two Guardian ss frigates, two Type 636 Kilo ss submarines - 650 million USD. Jiang Chen made a counter-offer.
700 million USD with ammunition, training, and two K-27 Snail anti-submarine helicopters.
Do they include a warranty? Jiang Chen proposed without shame.
No, Natasha answered with eyes narrowed.
Okay, deal, Jiang Chen said, sensing that he had no option but to ept.
To be honest, he was never good at bargaining.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen became alert.
Ayesha sensed something too as she cautiously narrowed her eyes.
At the same time, the small truck in front of them suddenly decelerated and the trunk jerked open.
Staring inside the container, Jiang Chens pupils suddenly contracted.
Chapter 411 - The Clash on the Expressway
Chapter 411: The sh on the Expressway
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The back popped open, and a soldier in a ck, special forces uniform raised the rifle in his hand as the muzzle pointed directly at Ayesha in the driver seat.
The instant Ayesha saw the rifle, she released her foot on the gas and mmed the brakes while her hands turned the steering wheel rapidly.
The screeching tires left ck skid marks on the ground; their car skidded to a small road beside the highway. At the same time, the rifles began to fire.
Tatatata!
The rifles unleashed a barrage of bullets. With the jumping sparks and bullets, Jiang Chen saw with the illumination of the bullets that two shooters were inside.
The windshield shattered and ss scattered all over their bodies. The bullets also left a trail of bullet holes on the car roof. People on the street let out deafening screams as they ran for their lives and put distance between themselves and the scene unfolding in front of them. The cars on the street were also in a panic as they desperately tried to maintain control; some even mmed onto the sidewalk.
Ughhhh!
Ayesha shouted in pain as blood sttered on her shoulder and began to spread on her white shirt.
Ayesha!
Witnessing the blood sttering, Jiang Chens pupils violently contracted as rage filled his body. He almost uncontrobly entered Fury.
Im okay.
With gritted teeth, Ayeshas hands stayed on the steering wheel as she drove the car back onto the highway.
Using a nitrogen shield in this enclosed space would cause suffocation, so Jiang Chen could only duck with Ayesha to avoid the bullets whizzing above their heads.
Drive to the port. Jiang Chen took out the PK2000 from the storage dimension while suppressing his internal rage.
Understood!
Beyond the rubber posts beside the road was the sea. With one simple mistake, they could end up in the ocean, but Ayesha wouldnt allow that to happen. Even if the pain in her left arm was about to make her lose consciousness, she still grasped the steering wheel tightly.
Fortunately, not a lot of people took this route to the deep-water harbor; it was just their two cars in the middle of a Hollywood-esque pursuit.
The car stabilized as Jiang Chen smashed his car window open with the barrel of his gun before he took aim at the shooter.
But before he could fire, the opponent was quick to react. The shooter who climbed on top of the truck fired at Jiang Chens hands outside his window.
The bullets barely whizzed by Jiang Chens hands, forcing him to retract them. These people obviously received specialized training with more urate shootingpared to average soldiers. Even Jiang Chen, who had experienced battles before, felt a sense of danger from these men.
Fu*k you, Jiang Chen cursed as he took a heat sensor grenade from the storage dimension and tossed it out the window.
Trailed by mes, the heat-seeking grenade made a noticeable pause in the air before it redirected its course and flew to the small truck.
With mes and arge explosion, the top was blown off the truck. But these shooters were obviously prepared - not only was the truck reinforced, but even the windows were bulletproof. The truck rammed through the smoke of the explosion, remaining hot in pursuit.
Due to loss of blood, Ayeshas eyesight was beginning to blur, but she still held the wheel tightly and locked her gaze onto the curved road ahead. Jiang Chen noticed that a fine mist of sweat covered her forehead.
Jiang Chen noticed her seat was stained red; his heart was bleeding.
He took a deep breath as he lowered his head.
Stop the car.
I can still do it. Ayeshas lower lip was about to bleed, but her foot didnt release the gas.
I said stop the car, Im going to kill them. Jiang Chens pupils turned into a crimson red.
The daunting crimson red reflected his bloodthirsty fury.
Not far in the distance, a ck helicopter appeared in the air as it maintained the same speed as the car. Jiang Chen noticed there was a sniper at the hatch door, aiming into the distance.
The sniper didnt shoot, perhaps afraid of hitting Jiang Chen.
They intended to kidnap, not assassinate.
No Your secret will be revealed. Were almost at the port - theres no one there. The rare asion when Ayesha went against Jiang Chens wishes, she stuttered.
Fu*k! Is your life more important or is the fu*king secret more important?!
Roaring, Jiang Chen kicked open his car door.
When she heard these words, Ayeshas face instantly turned red.
But before she could relish this warm feeling, her eyes widened in shock.
No
Jiang Chen ignored her words as he ripped off his seatbelt.
A grim smile surfaced on his face as he jumped out of the car and dropped to the sea, ten something meters below.
If there are fu*king reefs down there, Ill be done.
With his eyes locked onto the sea, Jiang Chen gritted his teeth.
Ssh!
Staring at the ssh created on the sea surface, everyone was shocked.
They didnt expect Jiang Chen to jump.
This type of courage wasnt typical of a rich person. In their heads, Jiang Chen would get out of the car and beg on the ground for their mercy, just like the influential people they kidnapped before.
The truck came to a sudden stop. The ck helicopter also hovered above the area where Jiang Chen jumped. No one bothered with the car Ayesha was in.
They only had one mission: to capture Jiang Chen and use him as a hostage to force a swap. The moment the helicopter lifted off the fishing boat, it appeared on New Moon Inds radar. The force stationed on New Moon Ind was on its way; if these kidnappers couldnt secure the target quickly, they would be surrounded.
Fu*k, is that guy crazy? A bearded man with brown skin cursed as he jumped out from the back of the truck.
Their uniforms had a small arrow representing their identity.
Arrow Military Company.
Registered in South Africa, they were stationed on the ind of Madagascar across the Mozambican Strait. They were one of the most despicable private militarypanies in the world. Most of their members were retired NATO soldiers who participated in the Iraq war. For a generous sum, they were willing to turn on the force they served without any consideration, or they could help the CIB capture drug lords in Africa.
They were hired by the country F government.
They had to capture the primary shareholder of Celestial Trade and threaten him to pressure the Xin government to release the 41 captured F soldiers.
F finally learned its lesson. When they realized their special force was no match, they decisively threw out ten million USD and hired international experts to conduct this operation.
Change of n. Team C, move to coordinate (301,212). Another soldier in a helmet got out of the car and scanned the sea surface before he immediately spoke into the microphone attached to his ear.
Roger.
Therge fishing boat docked 10 kilometers away suddenly moved to where the helicopter was hovering.
Team A, follow me to build a line of defense. Team B, help me retrieve the package.
Affirmative.
The truck stopped in the middle of the road. A soldier brought out machine guns and rocketunchers from the back of the truck while the other three made an L shaped barrier and set it around the truck.
The engine of the helicopter roared as it slowly made its descent.
Waves began to form on the surface of the sea because of the turbulence created by the helicopter. A soldier in diving gear with a rope attached to his back signaled hisrade before he dived inside.
Did you find him?
Fortunately, there were no reefs under the water - the target should still be alive.
Wait
He turned on his searchlights. The diver moved underwater while searching for the target.
The water wasnt deep, but the jagged reefs and corals obstructed some of his vision. When the light scanned the area, the Clownfish swam away to hide in seaweed, but a crab just stayed there blowing bubbles.
Sheet, where is that guy hiding? The diver cursed.
The soldiers in the helicopter watched the police force appearing at the entrance of the road, preparing their rifles.
Liam, stop ying, quickly.
I know sheet! What is that!? Ahhh!
Liam! What happened! Liam!
Watching the blood gradually bubble up to the surface, the soldier in the helicopter widened his eyes. When he saw the object appearing on the surface of the water, dumbfounded, a single word came out of his mouth.
God
Chapter 412 - Tearing it Up
Chapter 412: Tearing it Up
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Ssh!
Because of Jiang Chens body position when he dived in, the sea surface contacted his chest. Even considering his strength, the collision was still able to force some water into his mouth.
Bubbles rose to the surface.
He maintained his downward momentum and tried his hardest to hold his breath while swimming forward.
When his hand reached ten meters under the surface of the water and he confirmed that the people above couldnt see to this distance, Jiang Chen immediately started interdimensional travel.
The force of the water squeezing his body instantly disappeared as he appeared on the bed in the mansion in the apocalypse,pletely wet.
Without stopping, Jiang Chen took out the backup T-3 power armor he kept in the storage dimension and squeezed inside.
The four turbine engines behind the armor contracted inward and closed the engine outlet. The vents around the armor were all closed and the oxygen storage system inside the armor opened. The entire power armor was closed off from the external environment, preventing any material exchange with the outside world.
In theory, neither the airdrop type or thend type power armor could be used to dive under water because the massive amount of metal in the armors caused it to sink. There was also no air inside the water, so the turbine engines in the power armor using air as force would naturally lose their function.
But while the power armor had no diving functions, it could act as a simple waterproof suit!
After confirming the equipment was operational, a grim smile surfaced on Jiang Chens face.
See how I will torture you all.
Interdimensional travel, activated!
Just as he left, Sun Jiao pushed open the door.
Seeing the empty room and the wet sheets, she pouted her mouth in disappointment.
I thought you were back for good.
But seeing as he came back only temporarily, he mustve met some trouble on the other side.
When Sun Jiao realized this, she began to worry.
If only you could take me there.
She sighed.
She grabbed the wet sheets before she walked out.
The water in his surroundings was emitting an even amount of pressure. Just as Jiang Chen appeared on this side, his eyes fell upon a diving mask. Although he couldnt see the expression of the person behind it, judging by the persons stopped movements, he was shocked.
The shock onlysted for a second before he immediately raised his underwater pistol.
With a trail of white bubbles, the bullet hit Jiang Chens armor and deflected without any damage done.
Jiang Chen immediately stepped on the seabed and without pulling out his gun, he grabbed the persons face.
Ahhhh, glooglooo!
With his face stuck, the diver desperately fought for his life.
The persons sounds of agony rang out, but Jiang Chen didnt care as he grabbed his head with a grim smile and freely unleashed his anger. He smashed the persons head on the reefs by the side.
Go die!
His head exploded like a watermelon. The nearby group of fish scattered because of the blood that began to diffuse through the water.
Jiang Chen tossed aside his corpse. He took out a knife, cut the rope on his back, grabbed the rope and looped it a few times around his own hand.
Another grim smile appeared on his face again as Jiang Chen ascended to the surface along with the diffused blood.
Just as he was about to reach the surface, Jiang Chens left arm violently pulled the rope and leaped out of the water.
Liam is down.
Cut the rope!
No, ascend, well seek revenge for Liam! The soldier took out his machine gun, attached a hook to the helicopter door and set the machine gun on the side of the helicopter with blood-red eyes.
Turn the head, quick!
Roger. The pilot pulled up the helicopter.
The rotor des instantly began to elerate as the helicopter quickly climbed in elevation; the three-hundred-kilogram mass that was Jiang Chen was nothing for the mid-sized helicopter. At the same time, the pilot dashed forward while rotating the head. Using the momentum of the helicopter, the power armor at the tip of the rope began swinging in the air.
The crosshairs locked onto Jiang Chen at the tip of the rope. The soldier maintained his aim while trying to keep still from the momentum of the helicopter. He pressed fire with a ferocious expression.
Go die, monster!
The bullets hit the surface of the armor. The 12.7 mm caliber machine gun bullets were deflected by the power armor and just left a trail of barely visible dents on the surface of the ck paint.
Sparks flew everywhere. The light was blinding to the eye, but it didnt do any damage to Jiang Chen.
At the same time, a battle on the highway was already underway. Xin police cars lined up in the middle of the road while exchanging fire with the three mercenaries stationed around the truck. But in terms of firepower and experience, the Xin police force was clearly weaker than the experienced mercenaries. With their light machine guns set up behind barriers, the mercenaries quickly managed to gain the upper hand in the exchange.
Jiang Chen wanted to use the minigun on his right arm to finish the group of mercenaries, but his eyes caught the people screaming on the street in the distance as well as a few people, unafraid of death, raising their phones to record the whole ordeal. He quickly changed his mind as he put his arms above his head, pretending to bepletely helpless.
Dammit! I cant prate this thing! The cold air cut his lips as the soldier roared out while he took out another clip.
Dont bother with that thing! Bob! Cut the rope and get rid of him! Use your machine gun to take down the ground units!
Affirmative Fu*k! A few bullets flew by Bobs forehead, causing him to be immediately drenched in a cold sweat.
A pickup truck in police camouge drove to the road not far away, and behind the pickup truck was a Type 67-2 heavy machine gun. It was the type of machine gun removed from the Pannu forces armory because Celestial didnt need such an old weapon, so it was left with the police department. It now had a use.
Fu*k, are they the police or terrorists?!
Bob ducked down in fear.
At the same time, the sound of bullets hitting the helicopter surface echoed inside.
The pilot immediately moved the helicopter up while dragging the annoying power armor away from Coro Ind.
The enemy has anti-air units! Team A, youre on your own! He shouted into the microphone.
Affirmative, head to the retreating point and meet with team C.
Okay! Bob, whys that metal thing still hanging on there?! The pilot turned his head and asked hisrade in the back.
Wait, Ill cut it off now.
Hold on! Find a deserted ind; we need to get revenge for Liam! the mercenary beside Bob said with fierce eyes.
Heh, great point. Bob sneered as he retracted his knife.
When he saw the helicopter leaving Coro Ind, Jiang Chens eyes began to turn cold as a curvature appeared on his lips.
[Wait until I cant see Coro Ind, it will be your death sentence!]
The mercenaries clearly didnt realize what they were dragging along; they thought it was just a dragon scale full-body bulletproof suit. Aside from the armors sci-fi looking appearance, it didnt look dangerous at all at a surface level.
But soon they would feel deep regret for this mistake.
One of these wiped out an entire elite CIB agent force!
They flew around Coro Ind for ten minutes before the pilot finally found an appropriate ind. With jagged cliffs at the bottom, a sneer appeared on his face as he hovered the helicopter 2000 meters above the ind.
Falling down from this height, the armor would definitely be shattered into pieces, even if it was made out of titanium.
Bob, do it!
Affirmative. Bob put his machine gun to the side as he took out his dagger. He smiled grimly at Jiang Chen without knowing any better. Goodbye, buddy
But his expression quickly froze.
Jiang Chen took out the tactical rifle on his waist, aiming it at him.
Tatata!
After unleashing the bullets, Jiang Chen also pressed the trigger with the same grim smile.
A bullet prated the soldiers head. The knife slipped out from his hand and fell into the ocean along with him.
Dammit! Bob is down too!
When the pilot saw the rifle in Jiang Chens hand that appeared out of nowhere, he felt a fear he never felt before, but since he was an experienced soldier, he immediately made a decisive choice.
Jim! Cut the rope
As he said the first word, the mercenary called Jim was already doing exactly that.
But it was toote.
The helicopter tilted.
Jiang Chen jerked on the rope with his left arm while the turbine engines behind his back burst out and quickly shortened the distance between himself and the helicopter.
Jim cut the rope, but it was toote. A momentter, he met Jiang Chen at the hatch.
Jims expression was as if he had seen a ghost!
Heres your rope.
Jiang Chen smiled maliciously. He lifted up his left arm, still wrapped by the rope, and punched.
The sound of steel crashing through bone faded quickly. Blood sshed onto the power armor.
Die, Devil! Another soldier screamed, dove onto the helicopter floor, raised his rifle and fired it as fast as he could.
Bullets bounced within the narrow space. Jiang Chen nced at his frightened expression for a moment then instantly popped his head.
Fu*k! Fu*k! Fu*k!
The pilot tried to tilt the helicopter in an attempt to force this demigod out of the open hatch door. But instead, he merely dropped out the two corpses.
Sensing his intentions, Jiang Chenughed contemptuously.
You really dont wee me.
Jiang Chen abided by the pilots wishes. He shook his head and jumped out of the helicopter.
But before he jumped out, he left a small gift.
A pulled EMP grenade.
Sheet! Finally got rid of him. The pilot quickly checked the condition of the rotor des.
The assistant pilot was curled in his seat, still traumatized.
What is that monster?
Who knows! Fu*k! Those guys never said he was like this Wait, wait, whats going on?!
A static noise entered his ears.
The space immediately turned white. The pilot desperately shook the joystick in desperation, but it was futile.
Fu*k! What are you doing!?
I, I dont know! Dammit! AHHHHHH!
With a trail of blue mes behind his back, Jiang Chen descended slowly in the air.
As he watched the helicopter fall 2000 meters in the sky, he sneered.
But just as he was watching the helicopter crashing to the earth, he swore and pped himself on the forehead.
[Fu*k, forgot to leave one alive!]
He shook his head with a wry smile. Jiang Chen looked back at Coro Ind, which was so far away that it looked like a dot.
[Whatever, theres three more.]
[Ill just change into the amphibious K1 kic skeleton and head back. Hopefully, they havent escaped.]
As he thought, Jiang Chen lowered the engine output while directing the power armor tond.
[How is Ayesha doing? Did she get taken to the hospital?]
There was a giant ssh in the sea.
After a short silence, a trail of white bubbles came up from underneath and headed towards the Coro Ind harbor.
Chapter 413 - Bumping Shoulders with the Slim Reaper
Chapter 413: Bumping Shoulders with the Slim Reaper
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Fu*k! What is team B doing!
The bearded man held up the rifle and shot back while retreating back to the deep water harbor in panic.
Mission failed, retreat, I repeat, mission failed Blood dripped down from the scratch on his forehead, Srell in a ckbat suit shouted into the microphone ordering team C to immediately retreat.
An unprecedented defeat. A helicopter crashed. An entire team of elites fell without any survivors. The opponentsbat ability far exceeded what they had imagined. The metal thing that popped out from under the water instantly suppressed team B. They didnt expect this at all.
Sheet, is that Ironman? A soldier with a rifle cursed while panting.
Bullsheet! Someone else swore.
Then what the fu*ck
Shut up! Retreat to the boat and remain alert! Srell in short breaths slowed down, threw a C4 on the ground and caught up with the team again.
The siren in the distance was bing more visible.
When he estimated the location was about right, he pressed the detonation button.
mes blew five meters high and engulfed the police vehicle rushing to their location. He scorned and threw away the detonator.
[Garbage even weaker than the Mexican police.]
The fishing boat they prepared beforehand was parked in the deep water harbor; they purchased this from the local fishers. Xinsbor demand helped them tremendously. Without much convincing needed, they bought the fishing boat from a fisher now working in a factory. They reced the engine with a much more powerful one.
As long as they board the boat, no one could stop them on the vast sea.
But just as the beard dashed into the cabin, his eyes were met with a ck muzzle.
Before he could react, his consciousness stopped in front of a shing light.
Bang!
Type 11 pistol spit out its me, blood and brain matter sshed beside an indifferent face. Without stopping, Ayesha ducked into the shadow of the cabin, readjustment, and pressed the trigger again. Bang! another headshot.
In a glimpse, two out of three died.
Just as she was about to take care of thest person, a sharp wind blew by and kicked away the pistol in her hand.
Slightly shocked, Ayesha didnt bother with the pistol that dropped on the ground. She lowered her body and smoothly wielded the dagger around her waist and stabbed in the persons direction.
Sharp metal sounded. The two des collided.
While she had a small figure, she was injected with the gic vine. Ayesha still had the upper hand.
Her hand was in pain because of the intense collision. The opponent was also shocked as he kicked out without holding back.
Ayesha agilely dodged the fearsome kick as she swung the dagger toward his standing left leg. If the dagger hit, his left leg would be done.
But that person was not to be underestimated. He used the recoil force from kicking the wall and fell back. Ayeshas sh only barely cut open his muscle and unfortunately missed his vital point.
Srell rolled to the wall of the cabin and picked up the rifle on the ground. Though before he could press the trigger, a knife pinned his arm.
Ahh!
With a scream, the girl had already dashed in front of him. He lifted his hand and threw the barrel in her direction.
Ayeshas movement was uninterrupted as she moved aside to avoid the hit. At the same time, her left hand reached for his wrist, and her right pulled out the second dagger, searching for his throat.
But then, a mishap happened.
Because her left arm muscles were tightened, the crudely bandaged wound on her left shoulder suddenly exploded. The sharp pain made her left hand lose its strength.
The force restraining his wrist loosened. Srell, who caught the opportunity, was ecstatic as he used his brute force and swung the barrel.
Ooooh
With a deep sound of pain, the barrel smashed right onto Ayeshas eyebrows and forced her to tumble. Blood dripped along her face; the dagger didnt manage to prate his throat. It only managed to cut his cor.
With droplets of sweat on her face, she kicked her legs without hesitation. While she was ducking down, he extended his left leg, mped onto her throat, and pinned her against the wall.
Gurr
Ayesha desperately tried to fight him off in pain with both legs kicking at his hands, but she couldnt use any power because of theck of blood.
Go die.
He stared gravely at her.
Her feet left the ground as her movements became weaker and weaker.
For some reason, looking at the girl in front of him, he suddenly remembered the time he served in Afghanistan. He remembered the hell that he wasnt even willing to remember.
[Oh no, almost to the limit.]
Ayeshas consciousness began to blur.
[Sorry I cant anymore]
She suddenly felt a bit sad.
How ironic.
The same day, when she was fleeing, she could use a nonchnt tone and ask him could you give me a bullet? She was prepared to die for him from the beginning, but now she began to fear.
[I dont want to die]
[I I finally got it.]
[]
White foam and blood began to drip out of her mouth. She began to fight back with a rush of energy. She attempted to w away from the hand locked on her throat and despairingly kicked his legs with all her force, but the feeble limbs made everything feel powerless.
Gurr
Go die with myrades! B*tch.
With anger in his eyes, Srell stared at the girl.
He suddenly remembered the Taliban that shredded hisrade to pieces with the roadside bomb. When he caught the bastard, the murderer looked contemptuously at him, as if he had justpleted a virtuous mission, and already put aside his life.
Still, he remembered what he did. He chopped off his hands, pinned both his arms to the wall, shot his legs, and waited until his eyes began to turn into despair before finally dripping out hisst drop of blood.
Although he was brought to the military court, he had no regrets. The sensation of unleashing his anger made him addicted to the feeling. He spent two decadent years in Los Santos before he joined Arrow. He had stored that memory in the back of his head, but now everything flooded back.
There was nothing more enjoyable than watching the enemy die struggling.
Hahahahaha, go die!
Heughed hysterically. He increased the power in his hand as he watched the despair of the weak.
But suddenly, he felt a pull on the back of his neck.
Before he could react, he was thrown out by an explosive force.
He smashed onto the door as his spine made intimate contact with the barriers outside of the cabin.
A sharp and crisp sound, his back bent back in an unimaginable 90 degrees as his spine was broken in half by the force.
His eyes almost popped out from his eye sockets. The broken spine prated his intestine but didnt kill him immediately. He slid down from the barrier and copsed onto the ground.
[Is this what it feels like to suffocate]
His lungs were mped by his ribcage, he coughed blood, but he couldnt breathe in a single molecule of air.
At the end of agony, consciousness drifted into darkness.
At the same time, Jiang Chen who threw the mercenary back hugged the girl sliding down from the wall. He hugged her tightly in his arms as if he was holding onto a fragile porcin doll.
Jiang Chens eyes were covered in a crimson red, the calmed emotion almost exploded into fury again.
Ayesha. Ayesha!
Because of the loss of blood, she couldnt respond anymore.
Holding onto her, Jiang Chen ran out of the cabin, hopped onto the harbor, and ran to the road. When the police and ambnce saw that there was someone in his arms, they all stopped, and the doctors dashed over with stretchers.
[Saved]
Looking at the side of the furious face, Ayesha felt the relief of surviving through a disaster.
She should be happy, but she suddenly wanted to cry.
Although she never cried before. She was never fragile.
Tears rolled down her eyes and sshed onto his firm shoulder.
Blue and red light. A stretcher. The shaking blood bag, and the panicking face
[Once I wake up, he will be really mad I made the decision myself to do something so dangerous.]
[Whatever, Ill think about it once I wake up.]
Ayesha closed herrge eyes.
Chapter 414 - Rage
Chapter 414: Rage
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Outside the emergency room.
Jiang Chen sat silently in the chair with a gloomy expression on his face.
No one dared to approach him other than the soldiers in kic skeletons. The fluid-looking armor covered their chest, and the sleek helmet shielded their head. The soldiers with rifles on full alert protected him in the middle. They examined anyone approaching with sharp eyes If anyone dared to approach in the first ce.
An assassination in public.
With an ident like this in broad daylight, Ivan didnt say anything and handed in his emblem himself, but Jiang Chen tossed it back at him.
Ivan was not to me. New Moon Ind was hundreds of kilometers away from Coro Ind. From start to finish, the whole incident took ce in ten minutes. The mercenaries entered the border disguised as tourists, and the weapons and equipment they used were all smuggled into Xin with fishing boat marked with Xins g.
Although Jiang Chen was furious, he didnt me anyone. Unleashing his anger on his people was the most foolish and useless choice.
The doctors and nurses in the hospital passed him anxiously, fearing to anger the demigod that is clearly fuming.
Then, a soldier with a rifle turned from the corner and stopped in front of Jiang Chen. He leaned forward and whispered.
Four pedestrians wounded; one person pronounced died in the hospital. Eight police wounded; two pronounced died in the hospital; four police died because of C4 explosion
The cold casualty numbers didnt stir any emotion in Jiang Chens heart. After the soldier finished, he only said emotionlessly.
Whos the perpetrator?
Reliable evidence indicated that the perpetrator is Arrow Military Company. Xins Ministry of Foreign Affairs already protested against the Madagascar government to punish the perpetrator
But everyone knew that these protests were useless. It was not that Madagascar didnt want to take care of these problems, but because their military force would not even win against the battle-trained soldiers.
Because of this, the emerging nations maintained the stance of keeping an eye open and an eye closed to the illegal militants misdeeds internationally. As long as they didnt cause trouble domestically, they would not question their legality.
Im talking about the actual perpetrator.
Sorry, we didnt manage to capture anyone alive. But the boat fled in the direction of country Fs territory, and our boats were blocked by Fs coastal guards at the border. The soldier lowered his head.
The fishing boat that released the helicopter immediately fled to Xins border. Although New Moon Ind sent out fast boats to chase them, when they escaped into country Fs borders, Celestial had to stop pursuing.
Country Fs coastal guard freely allowed the militants to enter. It was almost certain that country F was the perpetrator behind this kidnap mission. The only problem was theck of evidence, and it was virtually impossible to find proof hiring mercenaries to do the dirty deeds.
Jiang Chen closed his eyes.
He was reflecting on his mistake.
The army stationed at New Moon Ind could protect Xin like a steel fortress, but he ignored the work in intelligence. Willie societys spy already reminded him, but he didnt think too much of it. Only till now did he realize the severity of the problem. Xins national security was as prable as a piece of paper. And the immigration policy would continue to deteriorate the security of the country. He somehow overlooked this problem before.
He must establish an intelligence department fast before the national security worsens.
Ayesha
The corner of his eye red at the closed doors. Jiang Chen felt twisting pain in his heart.
[Fool, why were you trying to prove yourself with wounds so what if a few rats ran away?]
At the corner, Zhang Yapin with flowers walked over.
He looked at Jiang Chen face full of gloom and let out a sigh.
Tulips. Help me give these to the wounded. Sorry
Ill form a national security department as soon as possible, Jiang Chen said expressionlessly.
Zhang Yapin paused, sighed.
That would be best.
Zhang Yapin patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder as he didnt know how tofort him. He left the flowers on the chair before turning around.
Execute, Jiang Chen said apathetically.
Zhang Yapin stopped, turned around, and looked at him in disbelief.
Died of fire, 41 captives all died.
Are you insane!
The circuit board is outdated, the fire equipmentcked maintenance, and there were security disturbances at Xin that day. Just release the statement and send your condolences.
Thats impossible! Its too much of a coincidence! I know you are sad, but we dont have evidence to prove that country F did this. Even if they if they did, we cant seek revenge by executing the prisoners of war. We are a civil society! The international image we finally managed to create
You do it. Jiang Chen tilted his head and ordered a soldier.
Yes. The soldier nodded and left.
Zhang Yapin nkly stared at the soldier leaving, he opened his mouth wanting to say something, but he knew the soldier would not listen to him.
[This lunatic, what would killing a few prisoners of war do? The international society would all stand with country F. 41 lives! Captives without any weapons! The despicable crimes against humanity! Even if they started a war, people would think it would be with a cause.]
Or rather, if Xin did execute the prisoners, it would be the exact response country F was looking.
Wait, Jiang Chen said.
The soldier stopped and turned around.
Commander?
After deliberating for a moment, Jiang Chen slowly closed his eyes, Just wait a bit.
Yes,mander.
Zhang Yapin let out a sigh of relief. He felt as if he was about to copse.
Thank god, you finally regained your rationality.
Jiang Chen red at him and didnt say anything.
[Is that so?]
He suddenly felt that it was not only too low to execute the prisoners of war, but it was also too easy of a punishment for them.
A curvature appeared on his lips, and his eyes shed with coldness and apathy.
Zhang Yapin watched the silent Jiang Chen as he felt a chill down his spine.
A video filmed by tourists appeared on Youtube.
The video shook violently, but a helicopter dragging Ironman could still be barely made out. People on the helicopter fired at the Ironman with the machine guns, but it didnt manage to do any damage.
The video stopped after the helicopter dragged the armor away from Coro Ind. It didnt manage to capture the iron armor from being pulled out of the water nor where the helicopter headed. People were specting about the identity of the Ironman, the cause, and the ending.
No one knew the ending, but the cause could be traced.
People connected it to the gunfights at the city of Coro that day. A lot of the media believed the two were connected.
But because of the gunfight, the government of Xin tightly controlled the information. They only revealed it was two groups of criminals attempting to rob a bank to divert the public opinion from the truth. Although there were a lot of skeptical information, people had to ept this as the truth and build off of the facts by using their imagination.
Because the fight between the iron armor and the machine gunner was very Hollywood-esque, the truth behind the story waspletely hidden and mysterious. Also, the governmentsck of disclosure to the event caused the view of the video on Youtube to be extremely high, and it became a hot topic on the web. Even the actor of Ironman, Robert Downy Jr. wrote a joking status on Facebook.
Burp, I was drunkst time, who saw my armor?
Chapter 415 - Smart Medical Chamber
Chapter 415: Smart Medical Chamber
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The buns on the table were a bit cold, and the back of the egg was somewhat dry. It has been a while since he faced an empty dinner table. The person that always brought him delicious breakfast was in the hospital. The doctor said that she was no longer in critical condition, but it would still be a lengthy recovery process.
The gun wound triggered acute inmmation, the blood loss pushed her body to the limit as she had constant fevers.
Two days passed by and she still didnt show any signs of waking up.
Whenever he thought about the frail face, a sharp pain would prate his chest.
He took a bite of the egg stuffed inside the bun and frowned.
He put down the bun back onto the te and brought the te back into the kitchen, he stuffed the food as terrible as his mood into the trash. Then took out the frozen pizza from the fridge and put it in the microwave.
He brought the steamy pizza back to the dinner table and expressionlessly turned on the TV. Then he picked up the pizza with a fork and stuffed it in his mouth.
He didnt feel like eating, so he tried to put his anxious attention on the TV.
The morning news was on.
It happened to y the gunfight that urred three days ago and had a glimpse of the iron armor being dragged away.
A UA military expert who wished to remain anonymousmented that the single soldier armors usage in actual warfare is limited. The increased defense as the cost of hiddenness perhaps could block normal bullets, but it would be futile against anti-armor snipers or cannons. Thebination of tanks with infantries is enough to make up for theck of defense of infantry force, there is no reason to spend high cost to develop the useless single soldier armor
Some experts also questioned the authenticity of the video, especially the fact that the crew on board the helicopter were reluctant to cut the rope.
As to the effectiveness of anti-armor sniper to power armor, Jiang Chen never tried it before, but it shouldnt be possible. Since the power armor in the apocalypse could withstand a few shots of the sniper.
The TV is a great thing to waste time on. As he watched TV, he mechanically stuffed pizza into his mouth before he finished feeding himself.
He put the te into the dishwasher and nced at the time, he wanted to take a nap.
But then, the phone rang.
It was Xia Shiyu.
I saw the news are you okay there? Xia Shiyu was worried.
She didnt know that the protagonist in the news was Jiang Chen.
Im okay. Jiang Chen stiffly forced a smile and tried to use the least suspicious voice he could muster.
Your voice is making me worried, are you sick? Xia Shiyu raised her eyebrows.
No. Oh you should have arrived in Xiangjiang yesterday. I had something to do and didnt get to call you, sorry.
No, its okay. I dont mind. Xia Shiyus face turned red as she could only use her cough to hide the panic in her heart.
Jiang Chens words made her remember the kiss at the airport.
She didnt know what kind of courage she had to make that move. When she got off the airne at Melbourne, her heart was still pounding furiously.
The selection of the internal test users have beenpleted. They will arrive early July, so youll have to take care of them. Xia Shiyu jumped to another topic.
Mhmm, leave it to me. Jiang Chen didnt sense Xia Shiyus mental state and nodded.
What about Ayesha, is she doing okay?
She, she is sleeping. Jiang Chen made up a not fake lie.
Xia Shiyu paused as she was slightly bitter and jealous, but she couldnt do anything about it. She knew that once she left, the two would definitely start living their intimate and shameless life again.
She just didnt want to torture herself by thinking about the problem.
Okay. You Mhmm, dont overdo it.
Jiang Chen took a moment to process as he sensed the jealousy that drifted all the way from the other side of the ocean. He couldnt help but smile
Dont overdo what?
Dont overdo, that.
Whats that? Jiang Chen pretended not to know.
Its, its that Xia Shiyus face waspletely red, her lips trembled, and only a word squeezed out of her mouth, PERVERT!
She hung up the phone.
Jiang Chen shook his head with a smile.
It was only a while before his mood became better and he cheered up again.
Ill go visit Ayesha in a bit Mhmm, its almost the end of the month, Ill go to the warehouse first and send food Jiang Chen suddenly stopped.
The apocalypse.
Right, the apocalypse! He almost forgot about that side!
He pped his forehead and walked out in quick steps.
Grains, wheat, flour were piled into a small mountain, as well as fresh meat, preserved meat and all kinds of canned food, and added to that were dairy products and salt. This batch of food had the cost of over half a million USD. Part of the food was produced at Xinlong Food Processing nt relocated to Pannu Ind, while some were from Australian farms.
Followed by the increased amount needed to be transported, Jiang Chen hired a professional in Australia to assist Cassan who chewed on sugarcanes at the door. This ensured that food would stuff the warehouse to its fullest on the secondst day of the month.
After spending ten minutes moving the warehouse full of food to the apocalypse. Jiang Chen returned to the mansion in the apocalypse. He directly looked for Lin Lin and exined to her his intention.
Ayesha? Is that the girl I sawst time? With a finger pressed against her bottom lip, Lin Lin asked.
Mhmm. She is wounded and still unconscious now, is there some all-purpose medicine or something? Jiang Chen asked.
There is no all-purpose medicine. Lin Lin rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen and said with an attitude, Its hard if I dont know where she is injured or if her brain is damaged
Its not the brain. Jiang Chen shook his head, Its a gun wound, but because of the loss of blood and the wound rupturing there is a bacterial infection and hypoxia.
When Lin Lin heard Jiang Chens words, it made her jump up. [How severe was the wound?]
But it was all good.
Since there were all external injuries, without any damage to the brain region, it shouldnt be too hard to heal.
Smart Medical Chamber, I remember themunity center at the base has around seven or eight of them. That thing is extremely effective in repairing normal damage to human tissue. Based on the severity of the injury, float in there for a while, and she should be okay. How behind is your medical condition over there? Lin Lin ridiculed.
Why dont you just look through the history textbook.
While Jiang Chen said that, his tensed heart calmed down.
He didnt even know the base had something amazing like this which was his mistake. He always heard that people were injured at the base, but didnt see anyone recovering on a bed. No wonder this was the case with such advanced technology.
Be aware, before lying inside the Smart Medical Chamber, the special nutrient liquid must be poured. That should be in the bases warehouse. Remember not to forget.
Thanks.
No worries, just bring me some mango pudding back
Suddenly, Lin Lin covered her mouth and began to gag.
Jiang Chen was startled by her abrupt action, and he immediately asked her, Are you okay?
Nothing. Just some small problems in the past few days might be better after a while. Lin Lin dodged Jiang Chens eyes as she replied ambiguously.
What exactly is the problem? Exin. Jiang Chen grabbed Lin Lins shoulder and stared into the differing color pupils with seriousness.
Lin Lin blushed at the fervent sight. She twisted her body and turned her burning face away.
Its getting hotter, fool.
Hotter?
Jiang Chen asked in confusion, but he didnt receive the appropriate response.
She buried her blushing face and pushed him out of the door without exining anything.
Chapter 416 - The Punishment for being naughty
Chapter 416: The Punishment for being naughty
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Because of the chaos that happened, the hospital hall was empty without anyone to be seen. Being frightened by the four soldiers, the people who usually came to the hospital instead headed to local clinics. The doctors and nurses all enjoyed their free time. (Xin has a universal health care system.)
After six hours in the emergency room, Ayeshas condition was stabilized. It would be a matter of time before she woke up.
When Jiang Chen was told this, the director of the hospital felt relieved.
If something happened to that girl, he was afraid that man would tear this ce apart.
Leon hadnt closed his eyes for 24 hours. He put the diagnostic report on the side of the table as he wearily put his head on the table to take a nap.
But before he could fall asleep, someone knocked on the door and interrupted him
Leon got up from the table, rubbed his heavy eye bags, and said tiredly.
Pleasee in.
It was the head nurse that came in.
Director, Mr. Jiang Chen handed in the discharge application for Miss Ayesha.
Oh What? Discharge? Leon who just processed the information almost fell off his chair. He immediately pressed himself against the chair and stood up.
Yes, he wanted you to immediately arrange an ambnce and send Miss Ayesha to his home, The head nurse said in wry.
How is that possible! She just left critical condition and hadnt even woken up yet. She doesnt meet the discharge standard. This is putting the patients life on the line! If she is discharged now and her condition suddenly deteriorates to that she bes permanently unconscious, who would bear the responsibility? Leon said emotionally.
But director this is his order, the head nurse said with a wry smile.
Leon felt conflicted before finally let out a sigh.
Grant the discharge application Also get him to sign a disimer.
He already signed the disimer. The head nurse took out the paper from the brief.
Then he can do whatever he wants. The director snatched the disimer from her hand and walked outside wearily.
Not long after, the ambnce arrived at Jiang Chens mansion. A few doctors and nurses helped unload the stretcher whilepanied by two soldiers. Then they anxiously sent people inside the mansion.
The two nurses put Ayesha on the bed and injected her with the infusion again.
If there are any symptoms, please immediately contact us.
Because of her sense of responsibility, before she left, the head nurse still made notes to Jiang Chen.
Mhmm. Jiang Chen nodded with a smile.
Seeing that the important person wasnt as difficult tomunicate with as she had expected, the head nurse discreetly felt relieved before she left.
The mansion door closed and the mansion returned to its tranquil state.
Jiang Chen went back into the bedroom and sat beside Ayesha.
Hebed the hairs in front of her forehead and caressed the haggard face. Jiang Chens throat moved a little before only one word came out.
Fool
Jiang Chen stood up and took out the Smart Medical Chamber from the storage dimension.
The fluid design, the pristine white color. From its appearance, this device was quite simr to the hibernation chamber; the only difference was its size being slightly bigger and the top of the chamber not having a processor used to run the virtual reality program.
Jiang Chen carefully removed the needle on Ayeshas arm and then removed her clothes.
He looked the flower buds, then followed her abs to her soft and athletic waist till he finally reached the holynd.
Jiang Chen gulped.
But then he knew that this was not the time to be distracted. He focused again.
Medical Chamber activated, patient please lie t inside.
The gentle voice yed. Based on its description, Jiang Chen carefully picked up Ayesha as he controlled his aroused mind and put her in.
Please inject 300 L of nutrient liquid.
The storage dimension opened as Jiang Chen took out five fist-sized ck balls. Those were the concentrated forms of the nutrient liquid, its density was the same as steel. The cost of a single ball after the war was as high as ten crystals. So most survivors who had ess to the Smart Medical Chamber would only choose to put one bag inside. Although the time would be longer, there was no difference in terms of effect. Since a cost of 50 crystals per treatment was not something typical survivors could afford.
But Jiang Chen didnt care.
If it was not for the fact that only a maximum of five could be dissolved, Jiang Chen wanted to stuff more in so she could wake up faster.
He injected 300 L of distilled water and dropped the five concentrate inside and put on the cover.
The indicator shed green as the drum device gently buzzed. From the transparent ss, the 300 L liquid already turned an emerald green color with a thick, gel-like consistency.
Treatment program activated.
The breathing device was automatically attached to her and the cover of the medical chamber slowly closed to cover Ayeshas body. From the transparent part on the surface, the liquid was starting to submerge Ayesha until itpletely surrounded her.
A blueser scanned her entire body and drew out her hologram picture at the top of the chamber, revealing areas that were damaged.
Estimated treatment time is 21 hours, please wait patiently.
The soft announcement dragged Jiang Chen back from his astonishment towards the technology.
If every single family had one of this, clinics and hospital can all close.
Jiang Chen eximed in amazement as he put his hand on the surface of the medical chamber.
[Please wake up]
21 hours passed by, Jiang Chen waited quietly beside the medical chamber.
Ding-.
A noise and the liquid level in the hibernation chamber slowly dropped.
At the same time, the door opened.
The gorgeous face with more life in it reappeared in front of Jiang Chen.
Slowly, Ayesha opened her eyes.
Her eyes met with his. Sparkling teardrops swelled in her pupils. It was the first time Jiang Chen saw such a fragile expression on her face. A lot of criticism and ming words were stuck in his throat and swallowed down.
My sleeping beauty, you are finally awake. With a smile, Jiang Chen extended his trembling hand and caressed her face.
He almost lost her.
He carried Ayesha out of the medical chamber and put a towel around her. Although she said she could do it herself with a blushed face, Jiang Chen demandingly carried her in his arms and then sat her down beside the bed to wipe off the droplets from her hair.
Dont do dangerous things ever again. Jiang Chen felt the softness he almost lost while he said with a tone of criticism.
Ayesha buried her head.
I cant promise you that.
Why?
Because, protecting you is the meaning of my existence, I am willing to- AHHH!
While Ayesha screamed, Jiang Chen threw her on the bed and pped her firm butt.
Pa!
Nooo
A whimpering noise slipped out of her throat as her face instantly turned bright red, Ayesha gritted her teeth.
With the burning sensation on her butt, she said with defiance.
Why?
Why? You dare to ask me why? Do you know how worried I was?! Jiang Chen said fiercely and raised his hand simultaneously.
Pa!
Nooo!
Another whimpering noise, Ayesha twisted her body, a wronged mist covered her defiant eyes.
I, I was thinking for you
If you really are thinking for me, then while you take care of me, take care of yourself! Do you really think you dying would make me happy?! I would rather those bastards cause a mayhem here and escape than you bing like this!
It was the first time Jiang Chen was angry at his woman.
Pa!
Noooo!
The intense burning sensation made Ayesha struggle. Her eyes were filled with sparkling mist.
In heavy breaths, Jiang Chen looked at the vivid five fingers mountain as he couldnt even endure the sight. His emotional state gradually stabilized.
He stopped and used a more gentle tone.
Do you know why you are wrong?
I know.
Why are you wrong?
I I shouldnt have tried to be brave. I was injured, I should have gone Ayeshas voice was mixed with a whimpering tone as she said while stuttering. The expression was just like a girl that made a mistake with her hand being pped by the teachers bamboo stick.
Gone where?
The hospital, Ayesha said in a quiet voice.
Mhm, Jiang Chen said calmly.
He was afraid. He was afraid that she would do something stupid for him. He didnt think Ayeshas thought process was a bit dangerous until three days ago when he realized his mistake.
Even if it is Superman, how muchbat power would be left if he lost blood?
Ayesha.
Mhmm, Ayesha replied faintly.
Do you think the purpose of your existence is to protect me? Jiang Chen used a calm voice.
Mhmm Nooo! Just as she replied with her head buried, her head raised again as she cried in pain.
A pping sound.
Her butt had another five finger mountain added to it. It looked painful.
Jiang Chen couldnt bear the sight anymore. But he knew that he had to do it. If he doesnt change her perspective, she would kill herself one day.
You said, you were willing to be my bride.
Mhmm. Ayesha nodded with force.
But her eyes were filled with grievances.
Then keep your safety in your mind, okay? Just for me, Jiang Chen looked into her eyes and said earnestly.
Okay.
She whimpered in a quiet voice with her head buried. She hid her face behind her dark brown hair. Her legs kneeling on the ground trembled for some reason.
With how mistreated she looked, Jiang Chen let out a sigh and didnt say anything else.
But then, an odd expression appeared on his face.
The silvery silk, the water stain on the sheets
[This girl, she-]
Jiang Chen was dumbfounded.
He almost forgot that Ayesha was an M.
Chapter 417 - I need a list
Chapter 417: I need a list
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Because of some reason, the lecture that was supposed to end was extended for another two hours. If it were not for a visitor, Ayeshas grievance wouldst for two more hours.
Natasha was standing outside. If it was for Jiang Chens instruction, Ayesha wanted to lock the girl outside.
Oh, recovered alreadyWhat happened to you?
When Natasha walked into the mansion and noticed Ayeshas limping motion, she raised her eyebrows in confusion, but then she startedughing as she realized something.
Ayesha looked at her coldly and stood beside Jiang Chen again.
Natasha sniffed the air and looked dubiously at Jiang Chen on the sofa.
Do you not wee me?
Very wee. Jiang Chen exaggeratedly opened his arms and showed a weing gesture. Then he pointed at the vodka on the table with please, The vodka you wanted.
Natasha grinned and sat across Jiang Chen as she leisurely crossed her legs.
You owe me vodka from Moscow, not vodka from Coro. Drinking hard liquid in the tropics is not a fitting scene.
Ayesha, lower the air condition temperature to Moscow temperatures.
No need, Im not here for a party, Natasha rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen as she uncrossed her legs. Country Fs vice minister of national defense hired Arrow Military Company. The decision maker is Fs presidential pce. They nned to kidnap you, and use your influence on the Xin government to force them to release the 41 prisoners.
Jiang Chen looked at Natasha, surprised.
KGB is on my side?
KGB is on Russias national interest side. Natasha smiled.
What do you want to obtain from me? Jiang Chen said emotionlessly.
Its only a friendly gesture, Kremlin thinks we have the opportunity to work closely together. Natasha shook her head. If there is a condition, I wouldnt have disclosed everything to you from the start.
Jiang Chen watched Natasha without any change in expression; he didnt know what her n was.
As he was looking at her, she was also observing him with a grin.
The eye contactsted for half a minute before she said abruptly.
You are a man the KGB doesnt understand.
Its my honor then.
Do you not want to know why? Natasha chuckled.
If you are willing to tell me, Jiang Chen said nonchntly.
You can always bring out something amazing. Natasha looked at Ayesha, For example, an injury that would need a month of recovery time was healed in 24 hours.
Precisely, it was 21 hours.
Ayesha looked apathetically at Natasha and was unmoved by her smile.
How many rats did you put on my ind. Jiang Chen sighed.
Only me.
Do you think I will believe that? Jiang Chen red at her.
Up to you. A smiling curvature appeared. The green pupils gazing into his eyes seemed to prate his soul.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment and then said.
Can I ask you a question?
Go ahead.
By telling me this information, is your intention making us disrupt thendscape in southeast Asia thus elerating UAs strategy of returning to the Asia Pacific, therefore bncing your disadvantage in Veit and Syria? Jiang Chen didnt dodge Natashas eyes.
Surprise shed across the green pupils as Natasha looked quite interested in Jiang Chen.
I want you to take the word disadvantage out. At least change it to equal.
Therefore, not rejecting the first part?
Jiang Chenughed.
I dont like being used.
You are not being used, it just happens that we share the same interest, Natasha swayed the hair on her shoulder and leaned on the sofa with her arms across her chest, If I donte find you, are you nning just to let go of your disobedient little neighbor?
Then your purpose today?
Natashas lips curved up, Kremlin is willing to provide you with some support.
A pillow just when you need it.
Although without Russia, he also had the confidence that he could do it. However, with their support, it would indeed save him some costs.
Oh? Thats perfect then.
First, let me be clear. We are not going help you on boring and useless things like assassinating the ministry of national defense or the president. Although KGB has some agents in country F, it doesnt mean we are willing to take the risk for you. The most we can do is to selectively provide you with some intelligence support. Natasha reminded him.
Thats enough. Jiang Chen looked at Natasha with a smile, I only need you to provide a list, the type with contacts.
List?
Natasha raised her eyebrows as she didnt know what Jiang Chen was nning.
But when she heard the list that Jiang Chen was looking for, her eyes lit up immediately.
You are such a bad person. With a grin, Natasha smiled.
Thank you for yourpliment. Jiang Chen epted thepliment without any shame at all.
She stood up and walked to Jiang Chen in cat steps. Then she caressed Jiang Chens chin flirtatiously.
Wait for my good news.
Ignoring Ayeshas cold stare, Natasha stood in front of her and raised her head.
Youve been standing for a long time, why dont you sit for a bit.
A hint of embarrassment shed through her cold pupils, but Ayesha quickly controlled her emotion.
Natasha scanned her butt with other intentions before she left in quick steps.
The door closed.
Once she left, Jiang Chen asked Ayesha in a quiet voice.
Did you leave any voice recorders?
Ayesha shook her head.
No.
Jiang Chen nodded, to Ayeshas anti-reconnaissance ability, he was confident.
Jiang Chen took out his phone and opened the monitoring function, the screen quickly switched to the camera in the garden.
Natasha walked innocently to the gate of the mansion and didnt touch the flowers and nts along the way. But when she walked to the door, she stopped and blew a kiss to the camera.
This girl
Jiang Chen couldnt help but shake his head.
Ayesha gently dragged on Jiang Chens sleeve.
She is a dangerous woman.
I know, Thats why I didnt do anything to her that day. Jiang Chen referred to when he was in Dsk.
But Jiang Chen was surprised too because it was the first time Ayesha was jealous.
She seemed to have read Jiang Chens mind as her face turned red and she rushed to exin.
Not because of jealousy Im just afraid youll be tricked by her.
Haha, am I the type that cant control my lower body? Jiang Chenughed.
[Mhmm]
[Perhaps a little bit?]
Chapter 418 - Xin National Security Bureau
Chapter 418: Xin National Security Bureau
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Arge number of tourists and immigrants flooding into Xin led to many unfamiliar faces filling the streets. Not only did foreigners bring their bills, but they also brought crime, drugs and even terrorism.
The warm tropical climate made it easy for people to becent. Xin had a police force of 50 before, but the stable Xin didnt experience a lot of crime. Now, with their door opened to internationals, the Xin government had to introduce three changes.
The police force increased to 200 people, added five police helicopters and twenty police vehicles from Australia, in addition to delegating Celestial Trade to form a national security bureau.
The first two changes were meant to target typical criminals, but thest one was to fill the void in the national security protection of Xin.
Xin must have its own intelligence department.
And Jiang Chen clearly wanted to have a part in forming it himself.
The newly formed intelligence department was named the National Security Bureau of Xin. It would remain independent of Celestials management structure and directly report to Jiang Chen. As for the director position, after careful deliberation, Jiang Chen chose Ayesha.
When it came to her abilities or loyalty, Jiang Chen had no doubt.
The director of national security?
At the dinner table, when Jiang Chen proposed this, Ayesha looked at him, perplexed.
Mhm. Xin must form its own national security department, and I want you to be the director, Jiang Chen said with seriousness.
Ayesha was hesitant.
But I want to stay with you.
Being a director doesnt mean you have to be far away from me.
Although Jiang Chen said this, Ayesha still had some concerns. She liked the life she had now without the need to appear in public frequently. She only needed to cook for her husband, drive for him when needed, and asionally visit his parents
But I cant manage people, Ayesha said in a small voice.
That is a concern
It was just like how a great athlete may not be a great coach, and the best coach may not be the best athlete. Ayeshas individualbat, reconnaissance, and anti-reconnaissance abilities were all strong, but she might not be able to manage an agent force equally well. Especially since she wasnt good atmunicating with people, that would prove to be a significant obstacle to her being a leader.
Jiang Chen began to reconsider while scratching his chin.
Ayesha looked disappointed because she couldnt help Jiang Chen, but Jiang Chen quickly came up with a good solution.
How about this - could you help me train a group of agents?
Ayesha deliberated for a moment before nodding.
If its just training, I can do that.
Okay then. Jiang Chen snapped his fingers. I will post the hiring information on Celestials website. After the deadline, help me pick 100 applicants with potential and train them to be qualified agents. Once training ends, you can choose a talented individual to be the director. Can you do that?
Ayesha agreed. It wasnt that hard.
That afternoon, Jiang Chen sought out the logistics manager, Barkary, and exined the hiring information to him. But to Jiang Chens proposal for posting it online, Barkary brought up one concern.
It might not be secure to post it online - there may be other agents hiding among the agents we end up hiring. Unless we can investigate the background of every applicant, its hard to prevent something like this from happening. I propose that we do the hiring process by approaching people in person.
Take MI6 for example - their hiring process at top university campuses was done by patting people on the shoulder. Usually, university professors working for the intelligence service would scout candidates then ask students toe in for a talk. If students were interested, they could join MI6 or they could choose to reject.
Although this selection method was highly secure, the efficiency wasckluster. Jiang Chen refused to spend two to three years to select 50 agents.
Dont worry, I have my own method of investigating their background.
[Funny, what secret cannot be revealed by truth-telling serum? Even senior KGB agents wont be able to withstand interrogation that way.]
Seeing Jiang Chens exnation, Barkary didnt try to convince him further. He knew his boss had a lot of secrets unknown to him or methods he had yet to disclose to uncover peoples backgrounds. He didnt need to be curious; he only needed to do his part of the job.
Just like that, an interesting, or rather, a suspicious hiring post appeared on Facebook and Twitter.
Under these tempting words was a line of distinct red words, as well as a picture of the beautiful tropical ind.
The description of the position was as follows:
You must be acute in your observations and remember every detail you encounter.
You will frequently drive day and night, and you must be able to calmly maneuver any kind of road conditions.
You must be able to use only a tourist map to freely traverse between two points in a foreign country.
This job is prone to unexpected changes. Therefore, you must be able to make the best choice in the shortest time.
Because of job demands, you may not be able to contact your family for a prolonged period of time. Before you ept this job, please carefully consider this.
If you have thought everything through, please join us.
Perhaps you will be the next 007!
The posting also exined the number of people required.
The number of positions was 100-150.
The applicants had to be adults withplete civil capabilities. Males must not exceed a height of 185 cm while females must not exceed a height of 177 cm because taller people would be more conspicuous in a crowd, thus harder to disguise.
No alcohol or drug addictions.
Applicants with IT knowledge were preferred.
After the applicants finished inputting their information, there was an additional test.
The test wasprised of three games: finding a difference, audio, and reaction speed.
Finding the difference tested for observational skills - applicants must find the discrepancies between two almost identical pictures in one minute.
The audio test looked not atnguage ability, but rather the filtering of information. For example, one question was: Eight people got on the bus, five people got off at the first stop, then nine people got on two stopster Once the problem was done, the question asked how many times the bus stopped and how many people got on the second time. If the applicants only focused on how many people were left on the bus, then unfortunately, they were cut.
The reaction speed test was pretty straightforward - it required ying against a fighting team to determine how high the applicants could score in reaction speed.
After the three games werepleted, the applicants information and test result would be sent to Celestial Trade. Applicants would only need to wait for one week before they received a response.
If they were hired, the applicants would receive a corresponding email with a ticket to Coro Ind.
Then came the benefits.
Agents in training would receive a sry of ten thousand USD per month. After 80 days of highly intensive training, the sry would increase to fifteen thousand USD without the need to pay ie tax. Even in developed countries, this was a generous sry.
An exciting and wild experience and apetitive sry.
Just like Jiang Chen expected, the posting was only open for two days on social media before Celestial Trade received over one thousand applications. And this number grew exponentially in the next few days.
Chapter 419 - The new Ghost Agent Recruits
Chapter 419: The new Ghost Agent Recruits
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Something worth mentioning was that the teens and young adults were easy to trick.
A society with great social benefits allowed people to be fed without needing to work, but it could also kill a persons drive. Why would so many foolish people run to IS to be sex ves and soldiers? People in most developing countries thought it was iprehensible foolishness. But from a different perspective, most were searching for excitement to appease the adventurist spirit hidden in their genes.
Of course, Jiang Chen was recruiting agents, not terrorists.
In seven days, Celestial Trade received a total of 437,401 applicants from all over the world. Just like what Jiang Chen expected, most of the applicants were from western Europe, some were from Russia and even South America. Because of the influence of tradition, applicants from Asia and the Middle East made up only a small percentage. Due to theck of inte infrastructure in Africa, the number of applicants from there was nearly zero.
Jiang Chen was pleased with this result. It would be against his intentions if he tricked his own people.
After seven days of deliberation, Ayesha chose 117 qualified applicants from the four hundred thousand applicants and forwarded them to Celestial Trade. Immediately after, Barkary responded to the applicants and arranged ne tickets along with necessary documents.
These people boarded different flights and finally arrived in Melbourne before taking a chartered flight to Coro Ind.
The third day.
Under the bright sunshine, around one hundred lively figures walked out of the Coro airport. They had colorful luggage, wore beach clothes and slippers, and looked like a nned field trip group from a high school.
They had varying skin colors, but most of them were white.
The high number of foreigners simultaneously showing up at the airport made locals turn their heads. Even with the increasing number of tourists, this was not amon urrence.
On the street not far away, Jiang Chen asked Ayesha while facepalming:
Why did you just choose girls?
Ayesha tilted her head and used a defensive tone:
Didnt you tell me to do as I wanted?
Although Jiang Chen didnt mind, in Ayeshas traditional culture, a qualified wife could not have excessive contact with men other than her husband, let alone lead training where contact wasmon. Therefore, even if 80% of the applicants were male, she stubbornly chose a hundred females out of the remaining 20%.
Because Jiang Chen trusted Ayesha so much, he didnt even ask for information about the selected applicants beforehand.
Jiang Chen was speechless as he let out a sigh, his head throbbing.
Okay. Thats fine, just train them well All in all, Ill have to count on you for this since I have to return to the other side soon.
He was prepared to make a speech to the new recruits, but upon seeing all the chatty girls, Jiang Chen lost interest. He left Ayesha in charge and took off by himself.
Staring at Jiang Chens back, Ayesha nodded with seriousness.
Her serious expression meant that the new recruits would suffer.
Jiang Chen didnt realize that the Ghost Agents who could make people tremble in fear were surprisingly born on this ordinary morning.
When the girls got off the ne, they waited at the spot instructed by the email.
For a lot of them, it was their first time leaving the country. Everything here seemed so refreshing to them. They exchanged names on the ne already, but now, they gathered in small groups taking photos and discussing how to spend their 80-day vacation.
Celestial Trade didnt make them wait for long - three buses appeared in front of them soon after their arrival.
Six female soldiers in kic skeletons and an indifferent looking girl walked up to them. Ayesha called their names off her list. She crossed off the seven people who hadnt arrived, divided the remaining people into three groups, and assigned seating ns.
While cheering, the girls loaded their luggage and boarded the bus as if this was a field trip. Then Ayesha and the six female soldiers all boarded their bus and signaled the first bus to start moving.
Ayesha sat at the front of the bus in silence as she nced at the talkative girls. Although the girls had yet to understand the situation, when they arrived on the ind, she would make them understand that this was no joke.
An Asian girl who was sitting beside a window quietly gazed at the scenery outside. In contrast with the rowdy crowd, she looked quiet and a bit left out of the group. The ck hair falling over her shoulders looked silky. With her sses, she really looked like a dedicated student.
My name is Penny. Im from California, what about you?
Beside her was a blonde white girl who was chewing on bubble gum. She looked at her with a grin. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to have recently graduated from university.
Zhu Yu, Michigan, Zhu Yu said softly.
Pennys eyes lit up.
Michigan? My grandma from my moms side is from there too. I spent three years there You dont like to talk?
Zhu Yu smiled peacefully.
Not exactly. I just dont know what to say right now.
You could say a lot of things For example, why did you choose to be an agent? Penny attempted to make small talk.
Zhu Yu titled her head as she thought. Because I want to live a life without studying What about you?
Me? Pennyughed. I want to live a life that doesnt involve having an endless amount of parties to attend. Of course, theres also the fifteen thousand sry.
Zhu Yu smiled but didnt speak.
Compared to her introvert personality, Penny was an extrovert.
Also, what were your test scores?
Penny was proud of her test scores as all three subjects were above 80. For her, a fresh university graduate, it was an unimaginable achievement.
91,98,100, Zhu Yu answered honestly.
Penny looked at the high-school-looking girl with an expression like she just saw a ghost.
God, do you Asians know all the answers from the moment youre born?
Zhu Yu only smiled and didnt respond.
She received too manypliments like this in school. The reason why she chose to leave home for this ce was to escape her nned-out life.
Although she was an adult now, she had to use a lot of courage to make the decision to leave the life nned out for her by her parents. But she believed that this decision would pay off.
What she didnt know was that, within two short hours, she would start to regret her decision.
Before signing the contracts, Celestial Trade repeatedly reminded the applicants that the job wasnt a joke.
Chapter 420 - Spartan’s Training
Chapter 420: Spartans Training
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The three buses arrived at a hospital, and the girls were injected with an anti-virus vine there. After they were injected, however, they lost consciousness. Faintly, they heard people ask them if they worked for any intelligence service before, and they all responded truthfully.
When they woke up, they realized they were on a boat.
Ahhh!
Penny screamed as she checked her clothes. After realizing she hadnt been vited, she seemed to calm down. The other girls on the boat all had the same reaction; any girls woken up from unconsciousness would first check their clothes.
What happened? Zhu Yu had a frown.
Although she was an introvert, in this unclear abnormal situation, she still felt a sense of panic.
Then someone started to have a mental breakdown.
I knew it. This is too weird! They said they were hiring men and women, but only women were selected. I knew there was something fishy about that! I want to go home, dad A blonde girl kneeled on the ground crying while grasping her own head in agony.
People started to stare at her.
Needless to say, fear was contagious, especially in an enclosed space.
One girl started crying, another was pounding on the window screaming, someone else tried to turn on their phone but the signal was clearly jammed.
The door is locked.
Zhu Yu came back to sit beside Penny.
Whyre you so calm? Maybe we will be sold as sex ves to Africa. Pennys voice carried a hint of trembling fear.
Even if they were sold, it wouldnt be to Africa.
Because theres no use in panicking. Zhu Yu shook her head and sat down.
She was also afraid, but when she realized that being afraid wouldnt solve anything, she quickly calmed down.
What the girls in the cabin didnt know was that their actions were all being recorded by the camera and viewed by Ayesha in the control room.
Other than the camera, the EP on Ayesha left wrist also disyed everyones heartbeat.
When they were injected with the truth-telling serum, an electronic cor was put on them. Until the private doctor Jiang Chen hired was familiar with spine neural injection technology, their electronic cor would be reced with very chips.
Ayesha was recording every persons reaction in this crisis situation while focusing on each persons development. This training knowledge was all obtained from her studies in the virtual reality training chamber.
Because of the limited number of training chambers, the new recruits primary training method would be physical trainingbined with the effects of the gic vine; the virtual reality helmets would be the secondary method.
After five hours of travel, the vessel docked at an ind.
The uninhabited ind was five square kilometers in size, located at the easternmost edge of Pannu Inds. The ind was covered in dense vegetation and had a hill in the middle. There was a hotel on the ind which was now converted into a military camp.
Six fully armed female soldiers opened the cabin door. Directly in their fearful eyes, they pointed their guns at the girls, forcing them to board the boats heading to the ind. After ten trips, all 110 people finally reached the ind.
When they arrived on the ind, Ayesha, in a captain uniform, appeared in front of the recruits. When they saw it was a girl in charge, everyone felt relieved, but their emotions also exploded.
Wheres our luggage? A blonde European walked up and questioned Ayesha in front of her face.
Judging by her shirt exposing her belly and her pair of sunsses, she seemed to be here on vacation.
Youll get it back after 80 days of training, Ayesha said expressionlessly.
80 days? You dare to confiscate our luggage?! You cant do that! I want to go home. Im quitting now! The blonde girl, who was half a head taller than Ayesha, spoke aggressively.
The terms were clearly stated in your contract - the moment you became an agent, you gave up your previous nationality and joined our group. Youll obey the order of the group, even if it means making personal sacrifices.
The beautys face instantly turned white; her lips trembled in fear.
No one read the contract word by word, and even if they did, they merely thought those were typical uses in a normal contract. Just like new soldier recruits, although their contracts stated that they might die, they wouldnt necessarily be sent to their deaths.
Th-that contract. Thats illegal! You dont have the right
This is Xin; its legal under Xinsw, Ayesha said apathetically.
You! Let me go!
The beauty dashed up and wanted to strangle Ayeshas neck.
But Ayesha merely red at her before she used one hand to mp on the beautys hand decorated with nail polish then swept her legs out from under her.
It was a fluid motion.
Before the beauty could react, she felt her world spinning around her then she was mmed to the ground. At the same time, a pistol was pointed at the back of her head.
Witnessing this scene, a deafening scream erupted from the crowd as they moved away in fear. But behind them was the sea; they had nowhere to go. The boat that delivered them had already left, and the entire ind was cut off from the rest of the world.
The beautys teeth shook, unaware that sand had slipped into her mouth.
No, no, dont kill me, Im sorry!
The captain has the right to execute any deserters. This is a warning. Ayesha pressed the trigger.
Bang!
The beauty, curled up on the ground, quivered at the bullet hole two inches away from her face.
Pungent smoke was stilling out of the bullet hole.
Ahh!
An even louder scream came from the girls on the beach, but Ayesha watched everything expressionlessly.
The mission Jiang Chen gave her was to train a group of agents capable ofpleting any mission; she would do anything to aplish this.
Tie her to the tree. Let her go after 24 hours. Ayesha used a volume everyone could hear as she ordered the female soldier beside her.
Yes, Maam!
The female soldier walked up in front of everyone and dragged the beauty, struggling to escape, to the coconut tree on the beach.
Ayesha closed her eyes.
She wasnt a cruel person, but when the asion called for it, she wouldnt have any excessive mercy either.
Even if Jiang Chen ordered her to kill everyone here, she would do it without any hesitation.
This deserted ind is 200 nautical miles away from Coro Ind. If you think you can swim there, Ill remind you that you may encounter sharks along the way. I believe you have all noticed an electronic cor around your neck by now - it will record your location information and heartbeat. To the person who is trying to cut it off with a nail clipper, you can stop now. Any attempt to destroy the cor will trigger the self-destruction mechanism, just like this.
As she spoke, Ayesha tossed a cor on the ground and threw a dagger at it.
The sharp dagger cut through the cor and it blew up in everyones face.
Although the amount of explosive is small, it is more than enough to take a persons head off. Any betrayal will trigger the self-destruction mechanism, so please follow the terms of the contract you signed about yourmitment to loyalty.
You will receive 80 days of training on the ind. During this period, you have no freedom or rights; your superiors orders are absolute.
80 dayster, you will obtain your new identity and officially be a member of the National Security Bureau of Xin. Youll transition into different roles based on your performance. Fifteen thousand USD per month will allow you to have endless Martinis just like Bond. To live that life, it is a given that you have to suffer now
Zhu Yu listened to Ayeshas orders and let out a sigh. It sounded like she was reading off a script.
Like she expected, these people were serious.
They followed the six female soldiers acting as the assistant trainers to the hotel on the hill then picked up the keys to their rooms. The girls were excited when they saw the luxury hotel - based on the design, it was probably a five-star hotel.
But by the second day, all their excitement vanished.
They crawled in mud and over uneven rocks and reefs with their hands tied behind their backs, did push-ups beside the beach, and did sit-ups on the burning sand. If someone couldnt withstand the training, the punishment was tenps around the beach. The electronic cor would record their location information, so any shortcuts or slowing down would be faced with severe punishment.
Although the training was torturing, Ayesha knew clearly that without this training to hone their endurance and will, they would kill themselves during their missions. Although she didnt experience this training herself in the real world, the training in the virtual reality training chamber was no less taxing on her mind.
The training chamber could not be revealed to the public, and the virtual reality helmet wouldnt familiarize people with pain urately enough, so they had to train physically.
At night, when they dragged their weary bodies back to the hotel, they were forced to put on the helmet and use it to learn all kinds of theories and practice working with weapons.
When they first saw the famed virtual reality helmet, everyone widened their eyes in astonishment. Especially when they realized the helmets technological superiority to modern-day VR equipment, their amazement was inexplicable.
But Ayesha didnt give them the leisure to appreciate the helmet after they put it on; the virtual reality training started immediately.
Weapon usage,bat simtion, theory training.
The things learned during sleep would save a lot of time and ammunition.
Other than their cruel training, the girls had to endure disgusting food. It wasnt that the chefs cooking skills were terrible, but rather, there was no chef on the ind.
Every meal was something called Grade-A nutrient supply. Different from the nutrient supply sold on the market for weight loss, it was the imported stuff brought by Jiang Chen. Although it didnt taste like anything, it was enough to provide the calories and vitamins needed.
But the fun of eating was no longer there.
The only thing thatforted the girls was their one-hour routine bath before they slept.
The bath water had some kind of odd stuff that looked green. Although the color looked suspicious, it was surprisingly rxing to bathe inside. The tingling sensation produced felt so good that they wanted to moan.
After their bath, everyone discovered in surprise that their sunburned and cut skin was repaired to be smooth again. The ck pigment and toxins in their body seemed to have dissolved in the bathwater since the bathwater turned a dark green by the end.
Other than that, their sore bones became refreshed again as if they received a new skeleton entirely. This kind of rxation was ten times better than sleeping.
As to what was inside the bathtub, it was the nutrient liquid normally used inside the training chamber. It was also the most expensive kind at 40 crystals per kilogram.
These grain-sized particles weremonly used in the training chamber. Not only would they increase body coordination and reflex, but they could also allow the abilities learned in virtual reality to sync with their real bodies. But even if the nutrient liquid was used alone, it was a great product to alleviate soreness, remove toxins, and strengthen the body.
Jiang Chen invested heavily in these agents.
He knew that the investment would absolutely pay off.
Chapter 421 - Exchanging Intelligence
Chapter 421: Exchanging Intelligence
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Xins agent training was all being conducted on the deserted ind. Other than boats hauling over necessary supplies every week, the ind was separated from the rest of the world. Because of this, in the next 80 days, Jiang Chen didnt have the opportunity to see his adorable Ayesha at all.
But while Ayesha was busy training the female agents, Jiang Chen didnt sit around.
A force of agents alone couldnt make up the entire intelligence department.
Logistics, organizational structure, phone monitoring, customs monitoring All these would require employees. Of course, while Barkary did most of the work in the formation of these functions, Jiang Chen was also involved in the process.
And the formation of these departments would require the cooperation of intepanies, customs, police and other government agencies, in addition to Jiang Chens abilities to encourage cooperation between these agencies.
Also, Jiang Chen logged into the email provided by Xie Lei. After he downloaded the file, he brought it to Yao Yao in the apocalypse.
Although there was no password book, due to theputational power of the supeputer as well as the techniques known by artificial intelligence, Yao Yao only spent two days toplete the deciphering of the file, or rather, archeology.
Based on what Yao Yao said, it would take a long time, but it wasnt tiring.
After he read through the deciphered document, Jiang Chen had a frown on his face.
Willie society was indeed monitoring him and started doing so approximately three months ago. As to the reason, it wasnt exined in the document. It only vaguely stated that the purpose was to record the sea activity of Celestial Trade as well as the supply consumption of New Moon Ind.
Because the leak was only present for a short period of time without even reaching New Moon Ind, the information leaked was all non-sensitive information.
On the other hand, Willie society as an organization had a weak presence in East Asia. Since the organization started off as a NATO puppet used to cause trouble for the Soviets, its major area of operation was mostly in Kane nowadays. If they wanted to prate Xin, that would be a wild dream.
After they confirmed the identity of the spy, Jiang Chen transferred the information of the spy to Ivan and captured the mole inside Celestial. But Ivan, unfortunately, told him that the person quit a month ago. Based on the information at customs, the person left the country soon after he resigned.
One month ago happened to be when Xie Lei obtained the information. Perhaps realizing his identity was exposed, the spy immediately fled when he received news that the information leak was uncovered. When Xie Lei sent the information about the email, the spy had escaped already.
There was nothing they could do other than urging Ivan to investigate all the employees carefully. Jiang Chen granted the usage of a small amount of truth-telling serum at critical times to prevent the infiltration of spies again.
It would be a lost cause, but necessary nheless.
After these incidents were dealt with, it was nearing the end of July already. Based on the information from Xia Shiyu, the virtual realitys internal test spots were nearing the end of the distribution. The first group of internal test yers would arrive in Xin by the end of July at thetest. With thatpleted, Jiang Chen was prepared to go back to the apocalypse.
But before he left, he nned to teach F a lesson.
He had been waiting for the list Natasha promised him.
Now, there was finally some progress.
At the door of the mansion.
Wheres your little beauty?
Shes busy. Jiang Chen weed Natasha inside and smiled.
For example, training agents at a secret base? The tip of Natashas lips curled up as she said this dubiously.
Who knows? Jiang Chen neither denied nor agreed.
We suspect that three Russian citizens went abroad for a special position, Natasha said with narrowed eyes.
Possible. Although Celestial Trade hired a group of agents, all applicants are adults who maintain their civil abilities, Jiang Chen said, without revealing any information.
It was up to him in Xin to say who was legal or not. Based on Xinsws, other than thew stating 18 was the legal age, the court could use a source of stable ie as a criterion for granting legal status or not. When they arrived in Xin, the future agents would automatically be Xin nationals.
Thats fine; Im not here to look for people, Natasha said as she stuck two fingers out and took out a list in front of her chest then handed it to Jiang Chen with a grin. The list you wanted.
Jiang Chen reached for it, but Natasha moved her hand.
With eyebrows raised, Jiang Chen looked at her questioningly.
Are you not going to express something? Natasha teased.
That look seemed to be hinting at something.
Unless his brain was shut down, Jiang Chen wouldnt choose to engage in a deep conversation with a KGB woman.
He curved his lips up. Jiang Chen didnt do as Natasha wished. Instead, he took out his phone.
Give me your email address.
Natasha looked skeptically at him and told him her email. Soon after, an email was sent to her phone.
This When she opened the email, her eyes were instantly astonished.
A Willie society agent with identity confirmed escaped from Xin to France a month ago. The rank in the organization is currently unknown, but I think the KGB might be interested. Also, this password book is rted to some documents from Veit. You mentioned we can cooperate in intelligence. Jiang Chen just sent the picture and information of the Willie agent as well as the password book Yao Yao created by deciphering Natashas email.
Although Xin didnt have the ability yet to capture the mole that escaped, a cat that could stretch its paws there would be more than enough.
Jiang Chen found the pr bear also interested in Willie society.
Of course Im interested, our agent will warmly wee him for a shot of vodka in the ck Dolphin Prison. Also, thanks for your password book, this is a great help. Natasha smiled and then walked briskly to the door.
ck Dolphin Prison, the infamous prison. Jiang Chen mourned for the poor guy for half a second.
Although he didnt get to read more about KGBs influence in Western Europe, from Natashas reaction, the KGB seemed to be confident with capturing the agent whose identity was exposed.
Natasha was walking to the door but stopped in her tracks as if she suddenly remembered something. She turned around and added:
Also, the ships and submarines you purchased will arrive in December. You can now organize the crew to receive training in Moscow. You have to take care of your own amodations and food.
They will be there in seven days.
Also, to create trouble for your neighbor, do you need Russian weapons?
No, we already solved the weapon problem. A smile surfaced on Jiang Chens face.
Since it would cause a problem for the UA ally, it was more fun to use UA weapons.
Chapter 422 - The Reunion with Robert
Chapter 422: The Reunion with Robert
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
MLL Ind was the fourteenth biggest ind in the world and the secondrgest ind in country F. It was also the ind with the most frequent terrorism, hence the name the home of terrorism.
There were two anti-government militant groups in country F currently, one being Moro Liberation Front (MLF) and the other being Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Thetter was previously the strongest anti-government militant group, but because of internal conflicts and a decrease in foreign support, it broke into three separate divisions with two of the divisions supporting the establishment of autonomy in the MLL area while the other division promoted the separation of MLL from country F to form an independent country. The former group, the MLF, was currently thergest anti-government military force in F with ten thousand people, originating from the MNLF division that supported independence.
Due to the pressure from regional conflicts, the F government signed an initial agreement with the MLF in 2012 and promised to form the Federation of Moro on MLL ind to the south of country F. What was worth noting was that it wouldnt be an independent country but rather an autonomous area under F with more self-governance.
Then the question was: although country F satisfied MLFs political demands, itpletely ignored MNLPs demands. At the same time, even in MLF, there was a loud faction demanding the formation of an independent country, refusing to maintain the sub-country status quo.
Thus, after the Aquino government prepared to sign the peace agreement, MLF separated from MNLF. The founder of MNLF, Sauli, immediately expressed his opposition to the signing of the peace agreement and threatened to start another military conflict.
He obviously wasnt lying as a tragedy urred in 2013 - 300 MNLF militants attacked a city located in the west of MLL ind and engaged in heavy fire with the local forces.
Until 2016, the MLL anti-government militants refused to cease fire.
From Google maps, all of country F was like a shredded puzzle - any force could rip it apart. To unite the divided nation, Aquino had to maintain a strong stance internationally and blow national security issues out of proportion.
Promoting patriotic beliefs in the country to strengthen the cohesion of the nation had been a useful tactic since the age of colonization.
However, it was only useful at best.
In the first step to destroy country F, Jiang Chen nned to start with MLL Ind. As the secondrgest ind in country F, not only did the ind possess rich mining resources, but it had the most violent ethnic and religious conflicts. He didnt even need to add fuel to the fire himself - he just needed to give the people eager to light up a pile of wood the lighter they ever so desired, and they would frantically rush to light up the bonfire known as a coup.
Before Jiang Chen headed to country F, he first flew to South Africa and met his old friend Robert.
Compared to when they met in Iraq, this guy was a lot paler; at least people wouldnt mistake him for an Indian anymore.
His life in Hollywood was sensational. The moment he saw Jiang Chen, he gloated to him about having Hollywood girls keeping his bed warm every day. He then put his hand on Jiang Chens shoulder and invited him to visit Los Santos someday.
It was easy to be a producer in Hollywood. With money, anyone could hang their name on the credits of a movie. After he helped Jiang Chen with Pannu Inds, he received his film sry of one hundred million USD. A few parties in Los Santoster, he became the star of the Hollywood upper ss, and his girlfriend count increased from one to multiple.
After they did some catching up, Robert hailed a taxi and took Jiang Chen to the warehouse located in the rural area of Abington.
It contained 12000 assault rifles and 90 tons of ammo, 1700 RPG-7 rockets and 150unchers, boxes of M2 grenades, bulletproof vests, night-vision goggles and other equipment.
Also in the corner of the warehouse were twenty-something mortars and thousands of mortar rounds.
Firearms totaling 60 million USD were piled into a mountain in the giant warehouse.
Jiang Chen was shocked by the number of firearms.
It was hard to imagine that Robert managed to hoard this quantity of arms in South Africa; the equipment was enough to equip a fu*king battalion. Did the South African government really have no clue?
Of course, Jiang Chen was inclined to believe that Robert pre-cleared the way to customs.
This is thest batch of my supplies. Robert closed the warehouse door and handed the key to Jiang Chen then lit a cigarette. Ive stayed away from the firearms business since Iraq. I was nning to sell it at a discount to the dictator in West Africa, but since you need it, its yours.
Not much difference - theyll end up in the hands of a dictator either way. Jiang Chen took the key and joked.
Robert grinned. Lets have a drink?
My n too. Jiang Chen dly epted his invitation.
They found a restaurant in the rural area of Abington city then ordered a table full of South African dishes and a few bottles of beer. They began to chat.
Robert had many interesting experiences to share partly because he was humorous, but mostly because of his wealth of experience.
This guy started the firearms business with Mexican gangs when he was 17. One day, by chance, he managed to connect with the national security force. He went from being in the firearms business in Veit to selling crude oil in Iraq, from being the kingpin of the industry to being cklisted by the FBA. Because he met Jiang Chen in Sanya who was eager to get rid of the gold, he, fortunately, survived the FBAs master plot to kill him through other hands. That was what made him choose to leave the industry and be a producer.
As they chatted, Jiang Chen eximed that this guys experience could bepiled into a book.
Once Im 50, Ill film an autobiography. I have the name already: lets call it The Merchant of Death, burp Robert said with high spirits.
With how fast you spend money, youll have to pick up your old gig by 40.
Robert grinned then he shook the cup in his hand. Eh? Not at all. If you manage to be a big deal in Hollywood, the future is not less bright than trading in firearms. Have you heard that the that will be in theatres by December? Remember to look for my name in the credits.
[Will normal people see that? Without post-credit scenes, most people leave by the start of the credits.]
Jiang Chen didnt want to discourage his old friends passion for the film industry, so he diverted the topic and asked nonchntly:
Wheres Nick? Why didnt hee along?
Hes in the acting industry now. Robert chuckled.
Acting? Jiang Chen thought he heard wrong.
Thats right, hes been with me for so many years. Now that Im not in the business anymore, I couldnt let him starve. His fighting ability is great, a natural for action movies. I rmended him to a director that I know pretty well. After a few years of training, maybe he will be a top Hollywood star one day. Anyway, its a lot better than being a bodyguard. Robertughed while he burped.
Acting in films? Not a bad exit option.
Jiang Chen raised his cup with a smile and toasted Robert.
After the dinner, it was seven in the evening already. Because there was still a party to attend in the afternoon, Robert booked a flight back to Los Santos at ten at night, so the two said goodbye.
Jiang Chen watched the taxi Robert was in to leave then headed to the warehouse.
He confirmed that there were no suspicious figures following him before he shut the door.
With the warehouse full of firearms, he took a deep breath, put on the bracelet Lin Lin gave him, then opened the storage dimension.
He left the warehouse after he transferred everything to the other side.
With the door locked, he broke the key into two pieces and threw it in the trash. Then he left the dark alley without turning his head.
His flight was that night too.
The next stop, country F.
Chapter 423 - Dismember Country F
Chapter 423: Dismember Country F
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Country F, in a remote town on an ind.
In a small restaurant, three F citizens in grey sweaters sat around a table.
What time is it? The man with darker skin nced at the door and asked hispanions in a low voice.
The person being asked looked at his watch. Its already 1.
The chubby man that didnt speak inhaled deeply and anxiously pulled on his cor.
Santos, do you think that person wille?
I dont know, I dont trust the Han, Santos said emotionlessly.
The chubby guy moved his fat lips, didntment on Santos words and just leaned on the chair. As to why they would appear here, it had to do with a phone call they receivedst night.
The people who sat here were all top officials of MNLF. Although most of the force of MNLF was stationed on MLL Ind, their headquarter was on a small ind next to MLL Ind.
Santos was just about to doze off when an unknown number reached his phone. After careful deliberation, he cautiously picked up the phone. But when it went through, the person on the other side didnt introduce themselves and directly said he wanted to provide weapons for MNLF.
From the ent, the person on the phone should be Han.
To the olive branch extended by the Han, Santos was somewhat cautious. In Country F, 1% of the Han controlled over 60% of the economy. No one liked to be around their wealthy neighbors.
But that persons offer was too hard to reject.
It was enough weapons to equip an army.
What shocked him, even more, was that the person said the weapons were transferred into the country already.
With the weapons, MNLFs shortage of arms would be significantly alleviated. He could quickly build a force of 7000 from his supporters and increase the strength of the guerris substantially.
But what made Santos cautious was that it was a Han that made the offer, and the Han knew all the details about him, he even stated the hotel room he stayed in.
Of course, to prevent his phone number from being tracked, Jiang Chen didnt state which hotel in which city.
Cold sweat rolled off his forehead. Due to the heated internal conflict, Santos finally agreed to his request to meet. The police didnte to his door; it at least exined that the person on the phone didnt have any hostility.
Therefore, this scene happening now urred.
After he secretively deployed soldiers around the restaurant, Santos and his two close officials sat in the restaurant. They sat in the private room the person arranged, ordered two dishes, and carefully waited for the other person toe.
But it was already the time they had arranged.
He fooled us, the chubby guy said.
Santos closed his eyes and deliberated for a moment. Wait ten more minutes. If no onees, well leave.
But just as he finished his sentence, someone knocked on the door.
The person with the watch instinctively moved to his waist, seeing Santos shack his head, he put his hands back on the table again.
Pleasee in, Santos spoke to the door.
The door opened, but it was a ten-year-old boy that came in.
Seeing the people in the room all look at him in surprise, the boy timidly brought out the tablet.
Someone asked me to bring this here.
Where is that person? Santos gazed with deadliness into the boys eyes.
With a frightened expression on the boys face, the boy shook his head fiercely. His hands holding the tablet trembled uncontrobly with words rapidly spitting out. I dont know, he had a mask on. He gave me 10 USD and asked me to bring this here.
Then the boy carefully ced the tablet on the sofa beside the door and he quickly ran out.
Without regard to the boy, Santos signaled the chubby guy to bring the tablet over.
And then, the phone rang again.
Seeing the caller, Santos picked up and said with a low but menacing voice, What tricks are you ying with me?
Without wasting a word, Jiang Chen directly said.
There is a map on the tablet, the password is 1234, you can try to open it.
Though frowning, Santos still followed the instruction and opened the map.
And then?
There are eight armories in total. They are hidden in the rural area at the southern area of the country, Jiang Chen said with eyes narrowed.
Where are the armories? Santos asked briskly.
You notice the checkboxes beside the map? For every mission youplete, Ill provide you with a password, every time you input a password, you can unlock the location of the treasure.''
[What the fu*k does that mean?]
Santos took a moment to process this while he cursed in his mind. Whats the purpose of you doing this?
Im providing you with firearms and cash to support your cause, not as a chip in negotiation with the government force. I want to see you separate MLL ind from the countrys territory. Do you understand what I mean?
With his eyes lighting up, Santos attempted to convince him.
I promise I will bring Moro people to independence, you can absolutely trust me!
Haha, the most worthless thing in the world is trust, especially to two strangers. Jiang Chen smiled.
Then why should we trust you? Santos said with gloom in his voice.
So I decided to pay first. Jiang Chen shrugged. The first password, ad2ge#[email protected] After you input the password, you will unlock the location of an armory, and also a mission brief. Complete it. After I confirm it on the news, I will tell you the next password.
Thats all I have to say, good luck.
Wait! Seeing that the person was about to hang up, Santos who just inputted the password wanted to stop him, but only silence followed.
After stuffing his phone into his pocket, Santos looked on the tablet with gloominess on his face.
Boss, what do we do? The chubby guy asked in a low voice.
Santos looked speechlessly at the red dot located in Ludink town. He was silent. Then he said.
Kard, take people to the location on the map.
Yes. The man with the watch stood up and memorized the location on the map in his head.
Santos closed his eyes and sunk into the chair.
He didnt like the feeling of being manipted. But the generous offer was irresistible. If Jiang Chen provided all the arms to him at once, he would indeed choose the safer option. For example, first, form a force, and prepare for a year before heunched an attack.
Not long after, his phone rang.
He picked up with Kards tense voice.
Boss, we found it.
How much stuff is inside, Santos said in an urgent tone.
Kards throat felt dry, There are bulletproof vests, night vision goggles, and even C4s. We also found 2000 rifles, 40 boxes of rifle ammo, 10 RPG 7 with 100 rounds and five mortars, also with 100 rounds. As well as five million USD in cash.
Firearms! Five million USD!
Santos sat up abruptly. The hand holding the phone shook violently. Immediately arrange people to transport it to our gathering spot.
Understood! Kard nodded.
Kard was his confidant, he trusted his loyalty.
He hung up the phone and ignored the question on the chubby guys face. He scanned the mission brief on the tablet.
Santos licked his dry lips. He felt his heart beat faster.
If he followed it, it would be the biggest attack nned by MNLF since 2013. And with the firearms and cash support, MNLF could easily conduct this attack.
But then, there would be no backing out.
A trace of hesitation crossed his eyes, but it was quickly reced by fervent. He made up his mind.
It was time for a major headline.
Chapter 424 - Smoke and Dust
Chapter 424: Smoke and Dust
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Yesterday, the anti-government militantunched a surprise attack on the city of Gadian, west of MLL Ind. The attack destroyed four police stations, two bus terminals, two government buildings and two power stations in the city. This caused a massive outage in the city center.
The two sides exchanged heavy fires in the north side of the city which caused 311 casualties with 101 dead. Five hours after the attack, the MNLF was dered responsible for the attack and stated theirmitment to the liberation of MLL Ind.
Based on our sources, a total of 1000 militants participated in the attack. The anti-government militants were equipped with M4A1 assault rifles, night vision goggles as well as other UA weapons. They also possessedrge quantities of RPG-7 anti-armor weapons as well as mortars and other heavy weapons. The attack could be the biggest attack in 30 years. The sophistication of the weapons even surpassed the local government force. While the source of the MNLFs weapons remains a mystery.
12 hours after the attack, the Aquino government denounced the attack and condemned the organization that provided the anti-government force with the weapons. Theyll consider the possibility of sending an armored force to clear out the local gueris at MLL Ind and search for the perpetrator behind the attack at all cost.
Experts stated that this attack marked the copse of the peace agreement reached between the F government and MLF in 2012. The Aquino government sending a force to MLL Ind may receive the opposition of the MLF under the peace agreement. But without increasing the military presence, the local stability may continue to deteriorate which will put the Aquino government in a tough spot.
Military analysts suggested that the F armor force could not utilize its full strength in the rough terrains of MLL Ind. Even with the armored force, the opposition is equipped with anti-tank weapons which would drastically reduce the effect of the deployment. The Aquino governments primary concern is to understand the source of the anti-government militants weapon. They must strengthen their border control to prevent the situation from further deteriorating.
The UA spokesperson stated that UA will continue to follow the development of this attack and is willing to assist in the investigation of the weapon source. When the reporter questioned if UA is willing to send out ground forces to assist country F in its military actions against the MLNF, UA stated that they would not consider intervening with country Fs domestic affair. However, they dont rule out the possibility of sending out reconnaissance drones to support country Fs military actions.
From 7 oclock today, the Ministry of Tourism issued a red alert on traveling to country F and rmend travelers with a n to travel change or cancel their ns, or avoid tension areas where guerris may be active.
Yang Yong reporting at the scene.
The TV showed the footage of government forces firing behind covers. Although they didnt manage to capture footage of the attackers, from the grenades flying, the debris left by the bullets, as well as the unclear screams in the background, it was more than enough to know the gruesomeness of the attack.
There were constant explosions and smoke rising in the distance. It was nearly impossible to avoid civilian casualties by using a killing tool like mortar in the city center. The government force must be cognizant of the consequences of identally wounding civilians, but the anti-government militants didnt need to have the same concern.
A few stretchers moved by the street and ran to the temporary medical clinic set up beside the armored vehicle. The windows to the shops on the road were all shattered, people taking advantage of the situation swarmed into the store and grabbed whatever they could.
A lot of people will die.
But Jiang Chen will not seek forgiveness.
He was not coldblooded, but instead, country F was asking for it. They selected the reckless government and promoted reckless behaviors among the civilians, and then the attack on Coro Ind.
Everything was just the price they must pay.
Jiang Chen leaned on the sofa and turned off the TV.
It looks like Santos made the right choice, saving Jiang Chen a lot of trouble. The MNFLs guerris have been in a state of conflict with the F government for 44 years, and it was the first time they received military assistance of this scale. They finally left their mark in history.
Of course, Jiang Chen had no positive feelings toward the MNLF or F. He only needed this pawn to separate the annoying neighbor. Once Moro was entirely independent, he will pocket the rich Iron, Copper, and Gold reserves on MLL Inds
Jiang Chen took out the phone he bought at a random store on the street, texted a message, and sent the next password to Santos.
Since he already fulfilled his promise, hell not be stingy on the reward. With the second batch of equipment, the MNLF will upgrade to the next level.
Just like Jiang Chen expected, he only needed to throw the lighter into their hands before they lit the zoo on fire.
At the same time, the satellite phone on the table began to ring.
Without thinking, he knew it must be Robert. The satellite phone was Roberts special line for special services and was absolutely secure in theory.
When he picked up, the old friends voice came through.
My friend at FBI asked me for a chat.
What did you talk about?
Just random things, for example, what I did when I went to South Africa? Who did I see? Robert said with a wry smile.
Oh? What did you tell him?
What could I say? I said I went to take care of the shellpany there Buddy, Im not joking, but you went pretty far this time. Robert took a deep breath and lowered his voice. Terrorism has always been the bottom line for the Rainbow House, especially in their allies territory. Although they havent agreed on sending in the ground force, the CIB agents are already investigating.
Jiang Chen contemptuously scorned.
The definition of terrorism has always been a double standard. The anti-government militants in UAs allies border are terrorists and separatists, and the anti-government militants in UAs enemy territory are freedom fighters, nationalists.
The CIB agents? Santos doesnt even know who he traded with. Especially since Jiang Chen pointed out his whereabouts were exposed, as long as he is not dumb, he will hide carefully. The CIB wont be able to catch him.
Robert sensed the contemptuousness from Jiang Chens scorn and sighed.
Okay, Im not calling to ask you to stop, I just want to remind you to be careful. I wasnt the only one being asked to have a chat, a few other arms dealers still in the scene were also there. Transporting arms from South Africa to Southeast Asia would have to go through multiple countries airspace, and thus it is impossible to do it without leaving a trace. There wont be enough time to do it by freight, so Im not too suspicious Although I dont know how you transported it to country F, instinct tells me that it has something to do with you.
But I will never admit. Jiang Chenughed.
Never admit. Robert said sternly, Never let the Capitol know that it was you that did it, or we are both dead. Dammit, if I knew you were going to do this, I would have sold it to the dictator in West Africa. Now, there are a few more thousand people that would die indirectly because of me.
In the end, Roberts voice was dumbfounded.
Dont worry, I did this discreetly. Didnt you say you wanted to shoot a biography called The Merchant of Death? Now I added another event to it, Jiang Chenforted him in a casual voice.
After hanging up, Jiang Chen stretched, threw the phone to the side, and got up.
It was already to the end of July. Hell have to return to the apocalypse by early August at thetest. He missed Sun Jiao and them quite dearly after being away for so long.
But before his returns, he still had a few things to do.
He took his private boat to New Moon Ind and found Ivan who was training new recruits. He did a brief audit of the soldiers ability before he told him to recruit 300 sea crews as soon as possible.
Before he left, Jiang Chen gave the phone that he used tomunicate with Santos to Ivan and told him to read the news in the morning and then provide the password based on the mission status Santos was able toplete.
Since he would be in the apocalypse for a while, he should give the task of causing a stir to someone he trusted.
After all this, Jiang Chen headed to Coro Ind and transported the iron and aluminum produced in July to the apocalypse. It was too inefficient to transport the ores, it was much better to transport the processed product.
With this batch of steel, there was no need to worry about the supplies for the factories in the apocalypse. There were plenty of iron and aluminum to forge the C-type steel, and the extra could be sold to the factories in the Sixth Street.
Then, he also made a visit to headquarter of Future Biology to understand the sales of nutrient supply.
All in all, this months financial result was ster.
A profit of one hundred million USD for the month!
The 200,000 boxes of nutrient supply produced around the clock were delivered in two batches; the remaining 200,000 would bepleted by month end. With Future 1.0 and massive retail chains like Walmarts promotion, nutrient supply easily entered peoples sight.
Pure natural green degreasing liquid food, lose 30 pounds in 30 days. With Emmas advertisement, based on the feedback from the retailers, the sales of the nutrient supply were extremely pleasing. All the retailers increased their order and the bigger chains even offer to obtain exclusive sales right to the nutrient supply at a high price, but Tao Ming rejected the offer.
The reason was simple, there was no reason to abandon an entire forest for a single tree. Selling the exclusive sales right meant that they would have to give up on the emerce tform and other retailers. It was not a good trade.
After Tao Ming reported the sales number, he urged Jiang Chen to increase capacity on the production line. Orders flew to Future Biology like snowkes as all the workers in the nutrient supply factory were pushed to their limit, but still unable to meet the increase in demand.
Based on Zhan Shujies estimate, to meet the production demand, the production equipment and seaweed farm must at least double.
Jiang Chen nodded. The organic converters were hard for him to obtain.
When he moved the production equipment and ten tons of inducers to the warehouse on Ange Ind, Jiang Chen left for Coro Ind. The rest of the hiring and other tasks will be taken care of by Zhan Shoujie.
But on his way home, Xia Shiyu called.
When Jiang Chen heard her voice, he was extremely delighted
The internal test n was finallypleted!
Chapter 425 - Godly Land Internal Testing
Chapter 425: Godly Land Internal Testing
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Wei Wendong, known as Shadow King, was an honorary member of the Kings Esports Club as part of the League of Legends team runner-up in the S4 series. After the S4 he chose to retire from the scene and became a streamer, but surprisingly had ackluster performance in the streaming world.
But because he grasped on the historical opportunity of ing online, he boldly chose to be a mobile game streamer that didnt seem to have a future. He finally used s influence, stunning game content, and first mover advantage to be the leader in New Era streaming.
Right now, New Eras market pration had already far surpassed Heartstone, and even edging out the PC tform League of Legends, his influencing in the streaming world obviously increased because of that as his follower on Weibo wasparable to his old captain.
Therefore, half of his achievement today was because of Future Technology. So to the name that changed the lives of many, he had a strong connection to thepany.
Just sometimes ago, Future 1.0 suddenly had a pushup notification which perked his interest.
is in internal testing phase! To support the users continuous support, Future Technology decided to draw 2000 internal testing yers to the tourist destination Pannu Inds, tour the beautiful Pacific and experience the astonishment of the era-defining MMORPG.>
The internal testing phase will be two months. In this period, the yer can obtain 2000 USD in monthly sry with flight and amodations covered by Future Technology. After the internal test, participants will receive a collector game helmet. The helmet will be sent to participants on the first day of the official release.
At the same time, the name used in the internal test will be retained in the official release.
Virtual reality MMORPG? Free international travel?
Disregarding the international aspect first.
With the release of this news, it erupted among domestic forums as theizens all expressed Future Technologys lunatic move.
The 2000 USD monthly sry, no one really cared about. People who were not dumb all knew that by being the first in obtaining information about the game, guilds would kill for you to join them. Even if you didnt join a guild, with the experience through the internal test, it was easy to make a living through the game.
The profit by that time would far exceed 4000 USD! Even the most foolish person would know.
Just take New Era, for example, professional yers could make ten thousand easily through taking yers to level up and selling gold. If they obtained legendary equipment, rich yers would often pay millions just to get their hands on it.
Almost no one questioned the fact that the Godly Land had a future without a ceiling.
On a forum:
Virtual reality MMORPG? I cant believe I can see this in my lifetime? Let me go calm down first.
Are the officials of Future Technology stupid? ying games with this kind of technology? If this is used to train soldiers, our soldiersbat ability will increase by ten levels! The military budget for training would be reduced by 50%! But you use it to make games, what a disgrace!
What a dumbbastards!
The secondment poster just connected to the Inte? Virtual reality technology is already mature overseas. Plexteks virtual reality equipment is already used in training by the British forces, but it has yet to rece the whole training process. I dont know where you got the ten levels of 50% data from. Also, Eves VR equipment could already simte intergctic travel, if VR is as insane as you have described, why dont you go up in space?
I just want to know where the public beta is! Im not selected. QQ.
Asking for internal testing spot for one million RMB, message if interested.
The internal spot is connected with your ID, you really cant buy IQ with money.
The posts on the games official website already exceeded twenty thousand on the first day. It was evident that the yers were all eager for the virtual reality MMORPG.
As to the game itself, Future Technology left enough mystery to it and only released a one minute CG as well as a portal for the draw. Before the draw, the yers must confirm that they can head to Pannu Inds. If the yer cannot attend, they will be banned for ten years once the game is online.
With anxiousness, Wei Wendong pressed the button.
With the number of participants in the draw continuously increasing, he didnt have too much hope. But happiness suddenly came around the corner when he managed to obtain a spot!
When he saw the notification
, he pressed yes without hesitation, then uploaded the screenshot to Weibo which instantly caused an explosive reaction among his fans.
ship!
Everyone knew that the big trend on inte development was virtual reality. PC games were on a downward trend, and Future Technology was the leader in domestic artificial intelligence technology. With the release of this Godly Land, it wasbing theirpetitive edges together. The throne of Tencents empire might not be so secure after all.
But unfortunately, none of Kings member obtained an internal test spot.
Although Future Technology provided some spots for the major guilds in New Era, the spots were mostly targeted towards guilds with major influence. What made Wang Tao frustrated was that the Kings Guild had no influence in New Era at all.
He threw in some money a few months ago, but it only managed to bring the guild to above average. Compared to the top five in the server, there was still a noticeable difference.
Fortunately, Wei Wendongs Weibo post made him see hope.
Professional yer plus internal test participant! It was easy to foresee that this guys future in the Godly Land was bright. Therefore, Wang Tao immediately called him and extended an offer to the ex-member.
Wang Tao coughed, used a serious tone, and spoke to Wei Wendong with sincerity.
The Kings Esports Club sincerely wishes for your return and bring Kings our formal glory. Also, youll be the guild leader of Godly Kings, are you interested?
The guild leader of the Kings guild.
Wei Wendongs eyes widened. He didnt think the always cautious formal boss would bet on such a risky move.
-With Kings resources as well as his own professional ability, and the experience as an internal yer
He took a deep breath as he felt his heart pumped furiously.
The feeling of one step to heaven was just like this.
Yes. Im very interested!
Wee home, my Shadow King. Wang Taoughed out loud.
Chapter 426 - The Open Ceremony on the Cruise
Chapter 426: The Open Ceremony on the Cruise
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
From Wanghai to Melbourne, then boarding a luxury cruise from the port of Melbourne to Xin.
The luxurious cruise contained a self-serving restaurant, bar, pool, gym, cafe, store, medical center, club, and a luxurious grand hall big enough to serve 2500 guests. With twelve levels and exquisite interior design, the ce was not just a six-star hotel, but also a giant amusement park.
Inside the grand hall of the cruise, every single one of the 2000 yers attended. Everyone here was a diehard fan of Future Technology.
When selecting yers, although it was stated to be equal in opportunity, Future Technology did include some indicators for guidance. For example, yers with longer y time in New Era were more likely to be chosen; the same was for yers with higher VIP.
Other than the 2000 yers, the remaining people were staff members on the cruise and the employees of Future Technology. Because it was not a news conference and only a ceremony for internal testing, Xia Shiyu rejected the medias request and just arranged three Future 1.0 news reporters to record the ceremony and conduct some interviews with the yers.
Full tables of champagne, courteous servers.
In the grand hall, the luxurious atmosphere made Wei Wendong gasp for air. Although his ie was close to tier one celebrities, people who y games typically stayed at home without spending too much time outside. Before he came, he prepared a rather expensive suit, he felt it didnt match the environment.
But when he saw the yers around himpletely stunned, he quickly got used to the feeling.
Compared to the other poor suckers, he was an elite among them. A lot of people wore just a T-shirt in the middle of the grand hall; they were the definition of not understanding the atmosphere.
Among the yers, he surprisingly saw a lot of familiar faces.
For example, a pro yer from the Conquerors guild, and a streamer on the same tform as him
Since only 1500 spots were open globally, the remaining 500 spots were all gifted by Future Technology to guilds with influence or to streamers with high influence.
Just as he was about to chat with the people he knew, the lights suddenly dimmed.
People began to whisper to each other while waiting for the official start of the ceremony.
Then, on the previously dimmed podium, a spotlight suddenly appeared. Jiang Chen in a suit walked in confident strides from the back of the stage to the podium. The light followed his footsteps and presented him in front of the crowd.
Jiang Chen came emptyhanded to the stage. But behind the podium was a giant 1050 inch screen and in the middle of the screen was Future Technologys logo.
When Wei Wendong saw him, he widened his eyes.
Jiang Chen!
Jiang Chen was known as the Bill Gates from the east, the president of Future Technology.
Wow, look, look, its Jiang Chen! A streamer with big boobs gently covered her mouth as she dragged on to the new friend she just met and eximed with excitement.
So young. A female pro gamer blushed.
The president of Future Group is personally here, a yer said in shock.
.,
The yers below the stage all took out their phone in excitement and snapped photos of Jiang Chen.
To the excitement of the yers, Jiang Chen smiled along and said in a joking voice, You can take photos, just remember to turn off sh, or else once the internal testing is over, I wont give you a signature.
Because Jiang Chen spoke in Han, a lot of international yers were confused, but those who understoodughed.
The female yer with sh on turned off the sh with her facepletely red.
Seeing the atmosphere was appropriate, Jiang Chen signaled everyone to quiet down.
It was not the first time he came up without a script.
Perhaps he was used to people being in awe, with the 2000 something people in front of him, he didnt feel any emotional fluctuations.
He calmly adjusted the earpiece in his ear and smiled at the yers. To all the yers attending this ceremony from all over the world, wee!
Just as he finished his sentence, the triangr logo on the screen exploded, the explosion formed into millions of dust particles and turned into words.
Those were trantions in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Korean, and Arabic!
The international yers were allining in their mind that they didnt understand Han. But when the words were disyed, they finally felt relived.
Then, their eyes widened.
Real-time voice trantion!
It had been a technical challenge to be able to conduct real-time voice trantion through aputer. Although Microsoftunched a software called Touch-Talk, the software was weak for long and fast sentences. But the technology disyed by Future Technology was obviously not on the same level as Touch-talk.
It not only could urately trante in a noisy environment, it could automatically trante to reflect the tone of the message!
Where is the apuse? Jiang Chen smiled.
The stunned yers were dragged back into reality and all gave Jiang Chen a thunderous apuse.
When they thought about it, they were no longer shocked. Since it was a techpany that created an artificial intelligence like Little White, it would not be too tough for the artificial intelligence to do this.
Jiang Chen stood on the stage and waited for the apuse to stop with a smile. He then continued, Today, Future Technology will bring everyone an era-defining technology. Let us witness this historical moment together
Jiang Chen raised his right hand. Light particles emerged and became concentrated in his opened palm and formed a motorcycle helmet. The people below the stage all had their eyes wide open and shockingly witnessed this moment.
Hologram technology!
Okay, it was not a fascinating technology. But it was indeed a stunning performance by Future Technology, the helmet hovering in Jiang Chens hand seemed to really be there.
Virtual reality. Future Technology has always been striving for innovation, whether in software or hardware. I know all of you shouldnt be unfamiliar with virtual reality games, even when you are dreaming, you still fantasize about having a pair of wings to take you anywhere, to be able to be part of an exciting adventure on a continent filled with swords and magic.
He stared at the faces with expectation and enthusiasm and smiled pleasingly.
Now, I am pleased to announce to everyone, this is no longer a fantasy, it is a now a reality!
Everyone held their breath with excitement and hope emerged from their eyes.
Now, let us first see a video, and get to know the virtual reality helmet named Phantom. Jiang Chen walked down from the stage and sat on the open seat reserved for him.
The trantion on the giant screen faded, just like waves on ake returning to peace.
Immediately, a man with a figure simr to Jiang Chen appeared in the middle of the screen, he put on the helmet and lied on the bed.
The scene shed, in the blink of an eye, it changed from Gods view to Jiang Chens first-person perspective and was observing the inside of the helmet.
Activated.
The pitch ck internal helmet screen suddenly lit up. Countless particles shed forward in a three-dimensional manner. Everything had rity as if it really existed.
Iris verification program activated
Registered as a new user.
Registering
Gic code registered, please set the name.
Till this point, the yers emotions were rather stable without anyone being shocked. Right now, Future Technology had yet to demonstrate the difference between this VR equipment and the rest of the VR equipment on the market.
But by the next second, everyone was stunned.
The light on the screen began to turn dark, it was if people closed their eyes and fell asleep.
Suddenly, the scene cleared up. An epic symphony yed, butterflies flew and stopped on the finger of an elegant elf. She looked towards the world outside of the forest; it was a human state.
The sharp de edge was apanied by a soul-stirring war hammer chant. Soldiers roaring leaped at the Ogres defense line but then was shattered by the wolf knights iron hoofs.
In the distant mountain, dragons roared. A dragon knight flew down from the peek. The scorching fire unleashed its fury and tore down the defense of the Ogres.
Everything seemed so real.
What shocked everyone was not the vividness of the pictures, but the feeling of being in the game.
Could it be
The virtual reality helmet in novels! It is not the garbage VR equipment on the market. You could fly!
God, this is too unbelievable! This astonishing technology is born in the hands of a Hanpany.
Nani? Isnt this the NERVGear in Sword Arts Online? And Future Technology created it!
Jiang Chen patiently waited for the yers to unleash their astonishment and exhration, waiting until the crowd began to die down. Then he raised his hand and signaled the crowd to look at him.
The video included how to use the Phantom virtual reality helmet, as well as theplete version of the cinematic trailer. As to the exact content of the game, please wait until you arrive at Pannu Inds and use your own eyes to experience the beauty of this virtual reality MMORPG.
Now, I announce the official start of the two-month internal test!
Please enjoy your time on the cruise, the food and alcohol areplimentary. This is Future Technologys way of saying thanks to all participants from all over the world.
Thank you.
As thest syble finished, an explosive apuse abruptly bellowed towards the stage as Jiang Chen left the stage.
The grand hall was lit up again, and elegant music began to y as people were finally dragged back to reality.
So handsome A girl in a long dress holding her phone said while staring at the podium.
The blush on her cheeks could either be from the makeup she used, or the fantasy in her mind.
Wei Wendong not far away mocked in his mind.
The light is already on, but people are still in their dreams.
Chapter 427 - Investment Euthanism
Chapter 427: Investment Euthanism
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Young, rich, single, easy going, Jiang Chen naturally became the center of the ceremony.
With a bunch of girls surrounding him, a lot of female streamers with excellent balls chatted with him which made the male yers all envious of the scene.
It made sense since if they could manage to dig a wealthy man like this, it was not working how many years less, it was working how many lives less.
But at Jiang Chens level, the typical girls didnt interest him anymore. He nobly epted the toasts of the beauty, but to the obvious hint, he didnt suggest anything.
Because he only knew one foreignnguage, he didnt chat much with the international yers. Instead, he spoke with some of the renowned domestic yers.
A yer called Wei Wendong suggested to him important events such as annual or monthly tournaments. Once the MMORPG has apetitive element, yers desire to practice skills and the subsequent user stickiness would drastically increase.
Jiang Chen took the suggestion to heart and indicated he would consider adding it in the public beta.
A lot of times, experienced yers may know more than the developers about the pros and cons of a game. Even if they havent started ying it yet, at least they know what they want to y.
A British yer also asked Jiang Chen about the price of the helmet and the pay model of the game. Jiang Chen didnt answer it as he only stated that before the games officialunch, Future Technology would reveal the information during a press conference.
After spending half an hour in the grand hall, seeing that there were more and more people gathering around him, Jiang Chen had no choice but to leave.
He felt that if he stayed any longer, it would be a press conference instead.
But there was one question he didnt answer.
It was whether the game was made with VR equipment such as sensor vest and gloves, or the immersive virtual reality described in anime, novels, and movies.
Jiang Chen only had one response.
You will understand everything the moment you put on the helmet.
The cruise was not heading straight to Coro Ind. The trip was to go slowly from Melbourne toward the coral sea, dock in the Solomon Inds, and then go through New Guinea waters, before heading to Coro Ind.
The three days cruise trip cost Jiang Chen seven million USD. It was partially to create news to hype up the games release, partially to provide advertisements for tourism at Coro Ind.
When he returned to his room, he immediately lied down, stretched out on the bed, and began to burp. Then he loosened the tie around his neck.
[What does it feel like to be drunk off of champagne?]
He didnt know whether he was burping because of the alcohol, or because of being too full.
His phone rang. He took out the phone.
It was Xia Shiyu.
Hello?
Youre drunk?
A bit, whats up? Jiang Chen unbuttoned two buttons in the front of his chest as he tried to cool himself down by waving his hand.
Mhmm, I want to ask you how is it going over there, Xia Shiyu said in a considerate tone.
Absolutely perfect. Jiang Chen cockily chuckled.
Okay, looks like youre really drunk. Xia Shiyu facepalmed. I have something serious to talk about, are you free right now?
Of course.
Xia Shiyu cleared her throat and began to report.
This is what happened.
InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton International Hotel Group, Jumeirah, St. Regis, Four Seasons and other five-star hotels operating internationally renowned enterprises have also sent a letter of intent to Future International, hoping to cooperate in this development project.
For example, they wanted to cut a slice of the pie in the tourism hotel infrastructure.
Jiang Chen was more than weing because he couldnt make all the money himself. But what confused him was that based on the current situation, Standard, and Poor, Moody and Fitch Ratings all downgraded Xins Sovereign credit rating, why was there still so many corporations in favor of investing in Pannu Inds?
When Xia Shiyu heard Jiang Chens question, she gave a professional exnation.
Just like the stocks trade volume is opposite of thepanys quarterly report and the credit agencies rating. The risk is always propositional to reward. Country F is amidst a civil war without any energy to focus on the prisoner situation. The terrorist attack in Xin had caused the investors desire to cooldown, but Celestial Trades emergency announcement of 200 million USD in the establishment of the national security department reignited investors interest with its decisive and robust policy.
The investment was a bet on expectations. And the liveliness demonstrated by Xin was indeed worth their investment.
On the other hand, based on Xins strong stance toward country F as well as the tension escting in the South Sea, the hostility between Hua and country F would continue to escte. Since the enemys enemy is a friend. Hua was most likely to favor Xin. The diplomatic rtionship between societies would most likely be reflected economically, it was especially more prominent in patriotic Asia.
Therefore, once the 8.7 billion USD infrastructure and tourism resources development projects werepleted, it would trigger an in flood of Han dominated tourists. With consideration to the mild weather, fantastic scenery, wealthy Han tourists, and high-paced economic growth, it was easy to foresee that as long as the new regime remains stable. This ce would be the Maldives of the Pacific!
Also, Xia Shiyu.
Mhmm?
Are you interested in bing the CEO of Future Group, Jiang Chen said with a smile.
Do you really mean it or are you just drunk?
I really mean it, He forced the burp down and said earnestly.
With a flushed face, Xia Shiyu put her hand on her elbow and changed the hand she was holding the phone one.
Could I know the reason?
She wanted to hear I want you to stay by my side.
Because I trust your ability, Jiang Chen said with seriousness.
The other side of the phone was silent for half a minute. Just as Jiang Chen was confused why she didnt say anything, Xia Shiyu let out a wry sigh.
Once the virtual reality project is on the right track. Im the most familiar with its n, and I dont trust other people enough to handle it.
Of course. Jiang Chen smiled.
After he hung up the phone, he flung his phone onto the pillow.
[It feels lonely without Ayesha beside him. Maybe he should go find Sun Jiao Mhmm, it is not the best idea to attempt interdimensional travel on a cruise ship. There is no guarantee I wont end up in the sea by the time I return.]
[Maybe I should take a shower to sober up]
As he thought this, he sat up and walked to the bathroom.
But then, the doorbell rang.
Chapter 428 - Probe
Chapter 428: Probe
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
With his eyebrows raised, Jiang Chen walked to the door and turned on the small TV screen installed into the wall.
The view from the camera outside the door turned on - it was a woman in servers clothes. She had a European face. Under the cap was curly brown hair and outside the purple vest was a silver name tag. She held a tray with cups and champagne and she looked into the camera with a smile.
Jiang Chen noticed that the white shirt underneath the vest had the first two buttons undone. There were also two crystal cups on the tray.
She seemed to be hinting at something.
I didnt remember ordering champagne. I want to puke at the sight of it, Jiang Chen joked.
Sir, youll need it, the female server said with a grin.
Surprisingly, her Han was fluent.
Staring at the deep trench, Jiang Chen felt thirsty.
Are you not going to wee me in? She used a flirtatious tone.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. With a slightly intoxicated mind, he opened the door.
The female server walked in with cat-like steps and a trace of what seemed to be pheromones. She walked by Jiang Chen with the tray.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes as he tried to guess what game she was ying.
I dont think youre a server.
She put the tray on the nightstand. The beauty poured the liquid into the two crystal sses as she spoke seductively.
If I didnt pretend to be a server, your bodyguards wouldnt let me approach this room.
Then who are you? Jiang Chen said with doubt as he walked behind her.
Your female fan.
I dont fu*k my fans.
The beauty rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen. She turned around and made contact with his chest while elegantly holding onto a ss. She ced her right hand on his shoulder.
Are Han men always this uncourteous?
Jiang Chen gently squeezed her left hand.
Then I should courteously ask you to leave?
Its not courteous to reject ady; you should courteously carry me into the washroom. She leaned closer to Jiang Chens ear as she let out a warm breath.
With a tingling sensation in his lower body, little Jiang Chen raised his head.
Sensing Jiang Chens change in demeanor, the tips of the girls lips raised up.
[Who is this girl?]
I dont even know your name. Jiang Chens eyes shed as he yed with and squeezed her small hand as she spoke into his ear.
Isnt that exciting? You just need to know that Im one of the 2000 yers you invited. The beauty bit Jiang Chens ear as she whispered.
[One of the 2000 yers?]
I dont remember seeing you at the ceremony? Jiang Chen carefully recalled the ceremony in his head but he had no memory of her at all.
You cant remember all 2000 yers. After tonight, youll only remember me.
The beauty raised the ss and took a small sip of the champagne as she kissed Jiang Chen.
The liquid was exchanged through their long French kiss. Jiang Chen used this opportunity to grab her by the waist.
Their lips parted.
Jiang Chen grinned while breathing heavily.
I need to check to see if you have any illegal items on your body.
Sir, Im d to assist you. The beauty unbuttoned her shirt.
Her purple vest and white shirt dropped to the ground. With a smirk, Jiang Chen carried her into the bathroom.
The sounds of water dripping on the ground apanied by what seemed like hand-pping echoed in the room.
It was an intense battle.
The beautyid on Jiang Chens body with redness all over her face. She breathed rhythmically while her finger drew circles on his muscr chest.
Are you thirsty?
A little bit. Jiang Chen caught his breath and grinned.
I told you that you were going to need it. The beauty covered his mouth and grabbed the champagne on the nightstand.
Jiang Chen smiled and reached for it, but she dodged him.
Let me feed you.
Jiang Chen shrugged and justid down. The beauty held the liquid in her mouth and approached him.
He didnt know if it was his imagination, but the concentration of alcohol in the champagne seemed a bit high. He had sobered up after their exercise, but after a few gulps of the champagne, Jiang Chen felt a bit drunk again.
Do you feel sleepy?
A bit.
Whats the color of my underwear? The beauty teasingly said while lying next to Jiang Chen.
Purple. Jiang Chen yawned wearily.
He still could remember this detail.
Then, what about the Golden Apple? The beauty asked with a smile.
[ck Wait!] Jiang Chen immediately realized that he needed to maintain his intoxicated appearance.
Of course its golden. Jiang Chen chuckled and pped her firm butt.
The Golden Apple was, of course, ck, but if he revealed its true color, the situation wouldve taken a drastic turn.
Just like he suspected, the girls identity wasnt simple.
KGB? No, Russia and Xin were in a honeymoon phase.
Willie Society? Possibly. Rothschild family? Possible too, but unlikely, since Carmen just loaned him 30 billion, he wouldnt do something that would naturally strain their rtionship
What other organizations? CIB? MI6? Since the KGB knew about the Golden Apple, there was no reason why the NATO intelligence department that controlled Willie Society wouldnt know either.
A distinct disappointment shed across the beautys eyes, but it was quickly hidden by a smile on her red lips.
The technology possessed by Future Technology was enough evidence to suspect that Jiang Chen could have the Golden Apple and consequently the technology from the future. She slipped drugs with a sleeping effect into the champagne, so if Jiang Chen was unsuspecting and under the influence of alcohol, he couldnt possibly lie.
But Jiang Chen didnt give the right response, and his expression didnt change either
Could it be that the technology he possessed really was the work of his team?
The beauty was a bit lost.
Just then, she received her superiorsmand from the earpiece hidden inside her ear ordering her to end the mission and prepare to retreat.
Her superior also believed that the Golden Apple wasnt in Jiang Chens possession.
Are you a Christian? Jiang Chen asked with a smile.
[Fu*k, if my body wasnt injected with a gic vine, I definitely wouldve said something I shouldnt have.]
Perhaps you should relearn your world history - the name Golden Apple came from Greek Mythology and signaled the holy and pristine, such as love, the beautiful spy said gently as she caressed Jiang Chens face.
[Is that an actual exnation? Im a bit illiterate, dont trick me] Jiang Chen mocked her in his mind.
Let me guess - youre an Italian? Jiang Chen used this opportunity to change the topic as he continued to y dumb.
Im from Pnd. She didnt look like she was lying.
Could I know your name? Jiang Chen wrapped his hand around her waist more forcefully while he whispered in her ear seductively.
Of course not, the beautiful spy said while putting her arms around Jiang Chens neck. But considering how good you are, we can do it one more time before we say goodbye.
She didnt want to leave like this; she was still relishing the sensation from the two hours of battle they had. But since he was no longer a suspect, the objective behind her seduction no longer existed.
Jiang Chen pushed her onto the bed with a smirk
Chapter 429 - Pretending not to know
Chapter 429: Pretending not to know
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Jiang Chen had two choices.
One - capture her then use truth-telling serum to obtain some intel from the beautiful spys mouth and discover her identity. But then the opponent would know that he did, in fact, know about the Golden Apple. Jiang Chen believed that she definitely had some technology hidden somewhere; it didnt take advanced technology to hide a tel device in her ear canal.
Two - pretend to know nothing and just let her go. Even if he didnt find out her identity, he would no longer be a suspect.
Reveal his card and dere war or keep his card hidden?
Jiang Chen only wavered for two seconds before he chose thetter option.
Because if he chose the former, he couldnt do anything to them without a proper intelligence group, even if he knew the opponents identity.
The battlested for two more hours as Jiang Chen almost made the beautiful spys bones copse before he finally spared her from her pleading and agony.
After taking a shower, she didnt stay in Jiang Chens room overnight but said goodbye instead.
Jiang Chen half-heartedly tried to convince her to stay before he saw her to the door.
After closing the door, Jiang Chen noticed that it was already deep into the night, so he headed to bed.
The next morning, Jiang Chen pretended to want to see the spy again. He ordered the bodyguards to bring the staff list to him. When he didnt see her name on the list, Jiang Chen went to see the captain of the cruise ship and asked about the spy, going by the name on her name tag.
Jiang Chen couldnt believe she had no aplices on the ship, so he had to y dumb throughout the whole process.
After confirming that a woman of this name wasnt on the ship, Jiang Chen ordered the bodyguards and servers to search the cruise ship.
Although they didnt find the woman, they managed to find a server uniform folded neatly at the back of the cruise ship. The name tag was exactly the same as the one Jiang Chen saw the night before.
After the bodyguard brought the clothes to Jiang Chens room, Jiang Chen managed to find some tangled underwear along with a neatly written note.
Hello, I already left. Now that you know Im already gone, are you surprised?
Beforeing, I poisoned my bodily fluids, so any person who slept with me would be poisoned. I originally nned to use the antidote to force you toe to Pnd with me as my hostage. But after carefully thinking it through, it would be too unromantic if I just kept you with me.
If you find these clothes, it means you looked hard for me. The antidote is in the underwear. However, if you forgot about me after you slept with me, why dont you go die?
So bye bye~ See you, handsome Asian man.
The note didnt reveal her identity as a spy, but instead, she made up an excuse to cover her actions.
Jiang Chenid on his bed, sighed and muttered to himself, Dont you know that for someone with immunity above 20, even AIDS would be ineffective?
Jiang Chen put on his EP and saw the line in his stats and scoffed.
Just like he expected, there was no irregrity in his status.
However, he hadnt expected the beautiful spy to poison her pu*sy. He also hadnt expected her to leave the antidote behind and even create a story to cover her intentions.
[Was it because of my face? Or because of my di*k?]
Jiang Chen stroked his chin as he thought to himself narcissistically.
The three-day cruise trip was tranquil; the ship avoided all the dense clouds and the journey was absolutely gorgeous.
Wei Wendong spent the day wandering the ships artificial beach to enjoy the sunshine and the bikinis of all the beauties. At night, he returned to his room and streamed New Era.
After some careful deliberation, he decided he would put aside New Era after Godly Land was officially released and he would concentrate all his effort on the virtual reality MMORPG. He had a feeling that once the mature virtual reality MMORPG was introduced, it wouldpletely change the gamingndscape.
Once people became used to immersive gaming, would they be interested in games on the screen anymore? Maybe, since mobile games could fill peoples spare time. A lot of people were also passionate about these games, but people had limited energy and Wei Wendong knew how much energy it consumed to y two MMORPGs at the same time.
With virtual reality games bing moremon, peoples selection of mobile games would shift toward fast-paced, simple, and casual games. Not to mention other mobile game MMORPGs, but even the New Era game by Future Technology would most likely be impacted by Godly Land.
Although Future Technology hadnt admitted that Phantom was immersive virtual reality equipment, Wei Wendong, ustomed to the surprises crafted by Future Technology, believed that they would shock the yers around the world once they revealed the truth.
Otherwise, what was the point of their extensive marketing?
Regardless, it was a massive gamble for him since he was at the top in New Era.
But he didnt feel like this gamble was overly risky since the Kings already signed him for five years. He also had the confidence in his strong skills, game sense, and internal test experience to make his mark in the game.
Three dayster, 2000 yers got off the cruise ship at Coro Ind. With the beckoning of Future Technology employees, the yers arrived at a business hotel. The hotel had been booked out by Future Technology for two months to serve as the test location. The ballroom, big enough to host 2000 people, was renovated to form the official testing grounds.
There were 2000 custom-made recliner chairs and 2000 Phantom helmets.
Based on the description, everyones identity was tied to their helmet number. The helmets could not leave the testing grounds.
Also, no photos or videos were allowed on the testing grounds. If vited, participation would be revoked and the yer would be sent off the ind at their own expense.
The test would run between eight in the morning to six at night. During this time, the yers had to y the game for at least six hours. The testing grounds would be open on weekends and the yers could choose to continue to y the game or wander the ind freely.
After reading the terms and conditions, Wei Wendong picked up helmet number 0008 which belonged to him.
When he discovered there was no sensor vest and gloves, an inexplicable joy erupted in his mind.
[Indeed!]
[Immersive virtual reality!]
He immediatelyid down on the chair that belonged to him and he quickly put on the helmet. He followed the systemmands and registered his ID as Shadow King. With an exhrated heartbeat, he entered the game.
His pounding heart was stripped away from his body.
When he opened his eyes again, he faced a grey and white cubical dimension.
He stood in the middle of a cube. He was tempted to kneel down and kiss the cold ground.
A menu popped out, just as the host described. He chose the game Godly Land and registered the user Shadow King then chose mage as his ss. His figure was randomized based on 80% simrity.
He couldnt wait to make a fireball and experience the feeling of controlling magic.
Light illuminated the room when he opened his eyes again; now he was at an ancient-looking street, the starting vige of humans.
Chattering voices filled the street as pedestrians in adventure-type clothes strolled by. A musician hummed songs along the street while the surrounding crowds offered up a coin or two. Everything seemed surreal; all the NPCs seemed alive.
[Right! Artificial intelligence! Future Technology mustve used artificial intelligence simr to Little White!] Although he knew how massive a project it mustve been to install artificial intelligence on all the NPCs, he didnt have time to ponder this further as he waspletely immersed in the astonishment of living a second life.
With a long, wooden rod in his hand, he took in the one-hundred-something new yers standing dumbfounded on the square in the beginner vige.
In order to fully appreciate the virtual world he was in, he didnt move a single step while he scanned his surroundings enthusiastically.
Suddenly, his expression froze.
[What the fu*k! 90-something mages?]
The 90-something mages didnt do anything else as they waved their fingers in the air in excitement; they were probably all trying to figure out how to form fireballs.
Wei Wendong nked out.
[What a big ss disparity just in internal testing.]
He had an ominous feeling - this ss would definitely be nerfed
Chapter 430 - Decisions
Chapter 430: Decisions
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Inside the office building of Tencent was a busy scene. The asional employee walking in the hallway didnt have the most optimistic expression. Withpany performance continuing to slide, employees sensed the risk of uingyoffs.
Yes, the lifespan of QQ wasnt the longest these days.
Once Future 1.0s messenger function came online, the number of active users on QQ trended negatively. The QQ project lead was so stressed that his hair almost turnedpletely white, but he was still unable toe up with a solution to reim the messaging throne.
What? User stickiness? Thats right - when your friends, family, and friends on the inte all use QQ, it might be difficult to change users messenger tool of choice. But when all your friends, family and friends on the inte already installed Future 1.0 and Future 1.0 happened toe out with a messenger function, was QQ really irreceable?
Especially since Future Technology used a shady technique - friend synchronization technology!
WeChat and QQ could synchronize a phones contact list, and Future 1.0s overpowering function could synchronize WeChat and QQ friend lists. So any user with Future 1.0, QQ, and WeChat installed, Future 1.0 would be able to sync all a users friends with the click of a button and separate the friends based on the filter.
This move made the project lead of QQ curse Future 1.0s mother, but he couldnt do anything about it. Future Technology hadnt vited anyws - it synced friend lists with the users permission and didnt pose any threat to QQs functionality, nor did it trigger anyws regarding viciouspetition.
At least for messaging software on mobile tforms, Future Technology already snatched more than half of all users. It was fortunate that QQ was stillpetitive because of its PC tform, but WeChat, which normally always had a stunning performance, suffered greatly.
The foundation that formed the skyscraper of Penguin Empire was QQ - all other products were based on this foundation.
And now, Future 1.0 was attacking the foundation itself.
Boss, Future Technology has made a new move. An assistant with square sses walked in and slid a document gently in front of Ma Huateng.
He sat in front of his table with gloom all over his face. His eyes didnt leave theptop screen at all.
It was an article reposted by News Net.
Future Technology had been promoting virtual reality technologytely. Ma Huateng was skeptical if they could make their money back with the massive campaign theyunched.
He had some understanding of virtual reality technology. While the country had made some technology in the field domestically,pared to Google and Microsoft, there was still a sizeable disparity.
[Virtual reality MMORPG overseas is still in its infancy, yet you wanted to get ahead of the game - whats the point? Once they eat the meat, they will just take the leftovers and fry it, and it will still be delicious. Whats the need for innovation? In a 1.3 billion market, copyright is nonexistent.]
[Foolish, how foolish.]
Ma Huateng shook his head.
If virtual reality MMORPG in internal testing was really as magical as they made it sound, it would be an unprecedented shockwave to the traditional MMORPGs on PC and mobile tforms.
What made it difficult was that the testing location of Godly Land was in Pannu Inds; there was no media coverage and no leaked photos. Penguin possessed only minimal information.
Was it the traditional sensory VR equipment or the rumored immersive virtual reality technology? There was great debate about this on the inte. Some people iming to be internal testers said it was, in fact, the traditional equipment. But other internal testers stated that Future Technology had developed the legendary immersive technology.
Because there were no leaked photos, the Godly Land seemed mysterious.
Boss? the assistant spoke out.
Is there any renowned virtual realitypany domestically? Ma Huateng let out a sigh.
Wanghai Lexiang Technology Company. They just introduced the Deepoon virtual reality equipment which uses Samsung AMOLED 1080 high definition screen with 75Hz rate and 120-degree wide angle screen. It performed superbly during the CES exhibition.
Send people to discuss the acquisition, Ma Huateng ordered.
Yes. The assistant nodded and left with quick steps.
It shouldnt be difficult to acquire thepany - the virtual reality industry was never hot domestically, and the mild state meant there was ack of capital in pursuit. If someone was willing to pay for their creativity, they were probably more willing to exchange their technology for cash.
Ma Huateng stood up and walked to the giant window.
He nced down at Shens streets as well as his reflection in the window. His eyes narrowed.
[Okay, since Future Technology has entered the virtual reality era, let me y with you then!]
The so-called Icarus paradox referred to an enterprise with a monopoly in the market and a fear of change; thepany would be reluctant to conduct management, technology, and business model updates. This would make it difficult to adapt to the ever-changing environment and thepany would lose its advantage with the arrival of newpetition.
What was the Icarus effect? It referred to an enterprise already with a monopoly in the market using all its resources to prevent change from urring. Examples could be seen by energy giants divesting from new energy resources or hostile takeovers of new energypanies.
But because of Future Technologys unbreakable share structure and excellent operating conditions, it gave the tech giants no vulnerabilities to target.
At the Microsoft headquarters in Seattle:
The chief executive officer, Satia Nadra, sat in front of his desk while staring at his coffee. He zoned out while listening to his assistants report.
HoloLens sales in July increased by 27%.
When he heard this, he recollected his thoughts.
HoloLens was virtual reality equipment based on the Windows 10 design by Microsoft. It received a positive market reaction since it was introduced to the market in 2016, but the significant fluctuation in sales was a rare sight.
Till the market closed, Nasdaqs virtual reality sector all ended in the green. Due to virtual reality division, ourpanys stock also rose by 3%.
A 3% rise for a mega-corporation like Microsoft was substantial.
Satia closed his eyes.
Establish a subsidiary to operate the HoleLens project and immediately release the announcement for HoloLens2.
The assistants eyes widened and he stared at Satia in disbelief.
But HoloLens was just introduced Could it be
Satia nced at his assistant without saying a word.
He knew what the assistant wanted to say. Establish a shell, make an announcement, create a subsidiary first then an IPO and find the next buyer.
But virtual reality had a bright future, so why would he do that?
The board wont agree, the assistant carefully cautioned him.
Dont overthink. Im preparing just in case. Satia stood up. Ill go exin to the board. I have to also ask Gates opinion.
Then Satia left the office and the shocked assistant.
With the document in his hand, the assistant stood still for a long time.
He didnt understand - with Microsofts power, why would they need to prepare just in case?
In the office building of 361 Corporation:
Godly Land? Virtual reality MMORPG? Interesting.
Zhou Hongwei scanned the webpage on the screen, feeling intrigued.
Boss you dont seem to be worried? Zhang Jiefeng, beside his desk, said with a wry smile.
Whats there to worry about? Zhou Hongwei red at him and sank into his chair. Is this something to be worried about? Futures about to update to Future 2.0, yet theres nothing from the team assigned to crack the software. What a bunch of useless tools.
Zhou Hongwei felt angry when he thought about it.
Although 361 and Future Technology had project partnerships, Zhou Hongwei never stopped the process to crack Future 1.0.
But just some time ago, he ultimately gave up on the cracking of Future 1.0 and dissolved the project team. He knew he wasnt the onlypany that made that choice. Future 1.0 encryption was as hard as a turtles shell and left him nowhere to take a bite.
He remembered that at the beginning of the year, he went to his friend at the Bureau of Patents, wishing to obtain some information from Future Technologys patent. But his old friend helplessly stated that the people from the Bureau of Patents spent countless time to convince Future Technology to submit specific technicalities and the benefits of patents, but Future Technologys CEO was firm.
No need.
It certainly looked down on the countless programmers who spent their time cracking Future 1.0.
But then, Future Technology threw out a smokescreen on virtual reality. Zhou Hongwei couldnt help but a curse: [cant you fu*king slow down on releasing the technology? We havent even cracked the first one and now you throw out another one. With steps so big, arent you afraid of pulling your balls?]
Boss? Zhang Jianfeng looked at the color changing on the bosss face as he questioned.
Zhou Hongwei took a deep breath and snapped back to the present.
I want to hear your thoughts.
Zhang Jianfeng nodded. He was clearly prepared as he immediately began to exin.
There are two routes in front of us - one is to purchase virtual reality technologypanies and see if we can cut a slice of the pie from the virtual reality hype created by Future Technology. Two is to give up on this opportunity since theres still plenty of room for growth in the PC and mobile market. If everyone decides to pursue virtual reality, thats the perfect opportunity for us to expand our market share in PC and mobile devices.
Zhou Hongwei closed his eyes and thought for a long time.
After a while, he sighed.
I prefer the second choice.
Zhang Jiefeng felt relived too.
I also think so too.
Future Technologys massive advertisement campaign was meant to hype up the virtual reality MMORPG and see if they could stretch their balls, but if 361 followed the same massive steps, they would definitely stretch their balls.
It was better to y it safe.
Even if virtual reality was as magical as it was advertised to be, it could not rece the phone. Compared to the BAT giants (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent), 361 had quite a discrepancy in terms of resources. Even if Zhou Hongwei wanted topete with them, their chance of winning was not high. Cash was one thing, technology was another, and 361 had no advantage in either.
What they should do now was to not follow blindly but instead, use this opportunity and consolidate the mobile market while all the capital flooded to virtual reality. 361 search was already shaking the market pration of Baidu search. If they spent more effort on it and let the big thugs battle with Future Technology, they would definitely win on this battlefield.
Due to Lingyu Technologys incident, 361 and Future Technology were still in a honeymoon phase.
Zhou Hongwei let out a sigh.
To be honest, he wasnt willing to make this choice, but he had no other options.
What he didnt know was, just after a few months, he would feel d about the decision he made.
Chapter 431 - The Mutants Flood
Chapter 431: The Mutants Flood
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Xia Shiyu gave Jiang Chen an update of the industry.
For example, Tencent acquired 51% of Wanghai Lexiang shares at a premium from the hands of Xunlei and Kaiying Web for 60 million USD to be the majority shareholder. They also indicated on the day when the deal closed that QQ would officially enter the virtual reality field, then they disyed a mysterious looking CG animation, indicating that virtual reality MMORPG development was in progress.
Baidu instead went international and established a strategic partnership with Sony which signaled their battle horn to the virtual reality market.
Microsoft, Google
When Jiang Chen heard this information, he wasnt worried at all.
His situation now was like a tank charging forward while his opponents were still busy shining the tips of their arrows.
A battle between the indigenous and civilized - although it was in the same ring, it was not on the same level.
After two months, internal testing would end and the worlds media would finally receive some information. The helmets would go on sale a monthter and the officialunch of the game was set for the uing month. The world would be shocked by Future Technologys virtual reality technology.
Future Technology would lead the first intimate contact between consciousness and circuit boards.
Also, I received several emails from Huas Arms Industrial Company, Britains Plextek Company, UAs Thunder God Company and other three arms industrialpanies interested in our technology. They said if we provided a technical description of our technology, they were willing to cooperate with us in the military training field, Xia Shiyu continued her report.
Military armspanies interested in a partnership with a techpany? It was a rare urrence.
But from the way the emails were worded, they seemed to be cautious of the partnership since it would involve a lot of technical parameters of confident military tech. In principle, military techpanies should not cooperate with foreignpanies. Even if a partnership were to exist, it would mostly be under the table.
At least for now, the server parameters of virtual reality,putation ability, and maximum user threshold were all unknown to the external world. But with the introduction of virtual reality to the world next year, his nuclear silo would be built already.
He would use nuclear weapons to deter the five thugs and connect the world with the virtual web. When the world could no longer leave the second world built by Future Technology, no one would be foolish enough to go against Future Technology.
The game was only the tip of the iceberg for virtual reality.
By that time, it would be time to reach space.
Jiang Chens thoughts drifted far away as he fantasized about the blueprint he had in his mind.
Jiang Chen? Seeing as he didnt respond, Xia Shiyu tried to rouse him from his dazed state.
He recollected his thoughts and only deliberated for two seconds before he made a decision.
Reject the offers.
Okay Also, the Bureau of Patents is making frequent visits. Xia Shiyu scoffed.
Let theme. When we have the absolute technological advantage, we dont need any patents to protect us. If we made our technology public for other peoples reference, we would be kicked out of thepetition.
Any country would be reluctant for new technology to leave their borders. As long as Future Technology was irreceable, even if the Wang family wanted to eat him, they couldnt do anything to him. When they forced Jiang Chen to be an internationalpany, the Wang family received a lot of criticism and pressure from the higher-ups.
At the same time, he wouldnt register for any patents in any country because it was unnecessary for him; he didnt n to permit other people to use his technology. To crack his Future 1.0, people needed a textbook on D++ first.
After he hung up the phone, Jiang Chen stretched sluggishly and sat up on the sofa.
He finally had the time for leisure activitiestely, but with his mansionpletely empty, it did feel boring. He asionally visited his family, apanied his father on fishing trips, and chatted with his mother. Being with his family was always a great and rxing time.
He just missed Ayesha and wondered about her training progress on the ind.
He didnt need to focus on the virtual reality internal testing anymore - Barkary sent out 20 security personnel and 30 employees to oversee the internal testing process. All the game data would be sent to the fourth-dimensional messenger chip Lin Lin created on herputer before she sent the information off to the game development department at Fishbone base.
It was August 7th already. Jiang Chen was nning to dy his return to the 15th, but a message from Lin Lin changed his mind.
When Sun Jiao saw Jiang Chen, her eyes lit up as she stood to greet him. Han Junhua only red at him emotionlessly before she focused on the hologrammand map on the table.
Jiang Chen kissed Sun Jiao before he walked up to themand map.
What happened?
We confirmed that a flood of mutants erupted in Wanghai, Sun Jiao said sternly, a rare asion when she wasnt acting naughty.
A flood of mutants? Jiang Chen was puzzled.
Based on the information from the drones, the activity level of zombies in the city center greatly increased, and the packed zombies in the city center began to disperse towards the rural areas. At the same time, all mutants in the Wanghai area entered into a frenzied state. Even the mutant cockroaches without much hostility turned aggressive, Han Junhua exined with her arms crossed, her eyes never leaving the map.
Cockroaches were scavengers; the mutations didnt change their food habits. Typically, cockroaches were considered safe - they wouldnt attack you unless you provoked them.
The same went for flies and rats - they were often not aggressive. But when the mutant flood erupted, the mild mutants entered a frenzied state too.
There were only two solutions to solve the mutant flood.
One was to migrate, the other was to kill.
Only when the zombie and mutant concentration decreased to a certain level would their expansion to securend stop.
The mutant flood was a battle between mutants and humans for survival space!
Thats right. Sun Jiao nodded at Han Junhuas exnation.
Even with a wall, these creatures could still get inside? Jiang Chen asked in shock.
Hypothetically, if thousands of zombies all leaped at the wall at the same time, the zombies in the front would fall, and the zombies at the back would stomp on top of the fallen zombies. In a massive zombie flood, a wall is not reliable. Also, not only are the zombies a threat, but the mutants will be a great danger. The mutants that previously only lived in wet, high radiation areas will enter the rural areas, Han Junhua said sternly.
For example?
Mutant mosquitos. Their high flying speed along with their slim bodies means they are hard to target. A total of seven soldiers died at the hands of mutant mosquitoes already, along with thirteen injured at camp 27. All the stats were ingrained in Han Junhuas head.
Looks like well have to cancel the expedition, Jiang Chen said with a frown.
We cant, Han Junhua said.
Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao both looked at her.
Even if we terminate the n, the mutated humans would not give up their military action this winter. Not only can we not terminate the n, but we have to take care of the mutated humans before the mutant flood esctes.
Jiang Chen thought for a bit then asked, But there are already signs of a mutant flood. What do you think we should do?
Immediately send out a force and fight on two fronts, Han Junhua said in an undertone.
Thats too risky. You havent experienced a mutant flood before, and you dont know how terrifying it is, Sun Jiao interrupted.
For that exact reason, we have to do what I said. Even if wested through the mutant flood, we might not be able to defend against the bacsh of the mutated humans. The best strategy would be for the east line to focus on defense while the west line gathers the entire armored force to attack. We need to use the shortest time to wipe out the mutated humans then return to defend the Wanghai rural area.
As the Colonel of the PACnd force, it wasnt the first time she had to make a definitive decision like this.
What if the west line enters a stalemate? Jiang Chen asked sternly.
Then prepare to give up the east line and retreat from Wanghai.
[Give up Wanghai? How is that possible?!]
Han Junhua seemed to have read the hesitation on Jiang Chens face as she continued.
A leader should consider the consequences of failure but should not be fearful towards the consequences of the failure.
Jiang Chen closed his eyes.
After a long silence, he abruptly said:
If we choose to fight on both lines, how will the force be distributed?
Gather the power armor to equip the First Division with the support of the Hunter Division tounch a lightning attack to Jia city and Seventh Area. The Third Division will remain stationed in the Sixth Street with local mercenaries hired to reinforce the defense. The Second Division stationed at camp 27 will partially retreat to the Fishbone base and the defensive line willpletely shrink to the outskirts of the rural areas. Han Junhua pointed on the hologram map and quicklypleted the force deployment n.
The power armor didnt have an advantage against a massive amount of zombies, so it was better to be bold and send it all to the east line to be used against the mutated humans. Although the mutants couldnt rip through the armor of the Wanderer tank, a total weight of 112 tons wasnt imprable to the powerful mutants. If they couldnt bite through the tank, surely they could flip it at least?
They couldnt forget about the vomiter vomiting acid - it would also be a threat to the armored units.
Lets follow your n.
Han Junhua nodded and walked out the door.
Chapter 432 - Tightening the Defensive Line
Chapter 432: Tightening the Defensive Line
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
After five days of resistance, themand center ordered camp 027 to retreat strategically.
It was a prudent decision.
The core of camp 27 was the scientists. Even if the buildings on the surface were abandoned, there wasnt much lost since the mutants didnt tend to destroy buildings. They simply could re-capture the baseter.
But if they remained stationed there, once the mutant flood escted, the supply line between camp 27 and Fishbone would be cut off. Without an ammo supply, camp 27, which was closer to the city center, would be the first to collide with the mutants. Even with the protection of the wall, it wasnt the most reliable during a mutant flood.
The zombies packed together could create a zombiedder. The throwers infant zombies could pass over the wall, and the Roshan, which had a bad habit of throwing things, could even push down the wall.
The most horrifying thing was the mutant mosquitos. They were the knights soaring in the sky, their mouths as sharp as spears. One charge could quickly take a persons life away.
To deal with the annoying creatures, the fallout shelter designed a simplified methrower. Soldiers in power armor could wield one and fire at these mosquitos on the front line, which had surprisingly effective results.
But regarding the intensifying mutant flood, the situation was less and less optimistic.
The mutant flood was going on its fifth day and the soldiers stationed at the camp already lost 15 people. If they continued to be stationed here, it was difficult to determine the oue of the situation.
With Wang Zhaowus organization, Xu Lu led the nonbat personnel and some security forces down into the fallout shelter with the doors shut tight. They would return to the surface once the situation stabilized. The fuel rods and supplies stored in the fallout shelter were more than enough to sustain them for two years of consumption, and the mutant flood would onlyst a few months
If nothing unexpected happened.
A total of 500bat units loaded the firearms and stationary weapons onto the trucks then welded the top of the trucks with machine guns.
With the Tiger II leading the way, trucks began to trickle out of camp 27 and smash into the zombies wandering on the street.
The machine guns unleashed their fury onto the street, leaving a trail of copper shells behind.
The flood of zombies swarmed to the fleet, but most were shredded to pieces by the bullets. The asional zombies that managed to survive would die from the bullets of the Reaper Assault Rifle.
In the distance, Roshan tossed themppost in its hands and moved toward the fleet with heavy footsteps. Tiger II, which spotted the target, slowly moved its cannon as the Type-50 electromaic cannon unloaded its bomb and pierced through therd.
Blood and bullet shells paved the way.
Fishbone base.
The engineering soldiers were installing four anti-air machine guns onto the wall in addition to the Type-50 electromaic cannon used againstrge-sized mutants. Soldiers patrolled the walls and fired continuously at the areas with a high concentration of zombies.
Under the waving NAC g, zombies with dangling heads wandered below the wall. Their crimson pupils disyed a thirst for blood.
Typically speaking, zombies werent hostile during the daytime. But because of the mutant flood, the situation changed a little. The zombies seemed to be influenced by some form of power and naturally gathered around areas with humans.
The situation was simr to the x2 bacteria incident; the only difference was that air indicators remained normal during the mutant flood.
The Fishbone base was quite some distance away from the city center, so they hadnt encountered any powerful mutants, but Jiang Chen had a feeling that the good days wereing to an end.
On the patrol tower on the wall, Jiang Chen observed the streets in the distance with a pair of binocrs.
Suddenly, a Tiger II appeared in his field of vision. Meat chunks solidified on its armor, and the belt was colored ck by the fat and blood of the zombies. Immediately following it were the outlines of trucks which became more and more clear. The machine guns fired continuously, piercing any zombies approaching the trucks.
Jiang Chen put down the binocrs and spoke concisely into the radio:
Clear an area in front of the gate.
Roger!
The soldiers stationed underneath the wall all headed up with their rifles. Some rushed to the machine guns while some set up the rifles in the firing spots. Following themands of a knight in a kic skeleton, everyone entered their battle positions quickly.
Fire! The soldiers on the wall pressed their triggers simultaneously.
A glorious scene unfolded.
The orange bullet trails were unleashed onto the zombies like pouring rain and instantly tore down the zombies approaching the wall. Grenade soldiers threw grenades and Molotov cocktails at the swarms of zombies.
Explosions were everywhere. Broken limbs flew across the battlefield. The zombies made of flesh were no threat at the hands of the survivors firearms.
The sess against normal zombies would make people blow up in confidence, Sun Jiao eximed while she worked beside Jiang Chen and stared at the zombies being shredded.
Sun Jiao was wearing a bulletproof vest with the SK10. She hadnt used it in a long time.
Jiang Chen smiled but didnt respond. He took out a cigarette and lit it up.
During the amount of time it took to finish a cigarette, the zombies outside the wall were mostly wiped out.
At the same time, the fleet arrived in front of the main door before the zombies could regroup. The soldiers at the door immediately pressed the button to open the gate as the metal gate slowly opened and allowed the red-stained fleet to enter.
A few medics ran up and carried the wounded on stretchers to the hospital. Then a few soldiers in protective gear with circr bottles sprayed the entire fleet to disinfect it.
The weary soldiers jumped down from the trucks and hugged each other with their families waiting by the side. As for the people stained with blood, they all chose to take a shower first.
When they arrived at the base, their tense nerves could finally be relieved.
Let me go make a visit.
Jiang Chen extinguished the cigarette on the wall as he headed downstairs.
Right now, it was a busy scene in front of the base.
Quick! Quick! Vomiters acid hit him.
Poor guy, treat it first before sending him to the medical chamber. Help me out here
Stretchers continuously passed by him. Due to the limited number of medical chambers, soldiers with less severe injuries had to be transferred to the ward first. Soldiers with serious injuries were treated by doctors on the spot before being sent to the medical chambers for recovery.
Jiang Chen examined the soldier with the bones on his face exposed by the acid. His stomach started doing flips.
[To be able to live like this is definitely his luck]
He paused for a few seconds before he continued to walk forward.
In the front of the fleet, aside from the Tiger II, he saw Wang Zhaowu.
Because he sat in the tank, Wang Zhaowus condition was somewhat positive; at least he hadnt sustained any injuries. But from his dark circles, it was clear he hadnt closed his eyes for a long time.
He passed the rifle in his hand to the soldier beside him and saluted Jiang Chen sharply.
Without engaging in small talk, Jiang Chen passed a cigarette to him. Finely made cigarettes had always been the luxury good in short supply on the wastnd. Although he could purchase them with his sry, not everyone could have the honor of their leader passing them a cigarette.
Wang Zhaowu took the cigarette in astonishment. Jiang Chen smiled and used a casual tone to ask him.
Whats the situation at camp 27?
Extremely terrible. With gloom on his face, Wang Zhaowu slowly blew out a smoke ring. Throwers already appeared there, as well as mutant mosquitos. Along the way, we also saw vomiters moving in this direction. Fortunately, a Tiger II was in front of the fleet
Throwers were most active in the outskirts of the city, and they rarely entered the rural areas. If Throwers already appeared at camp 27, the mutant flood was beginning to intensify.
After a momentary pause, Jiang Chen asked:
Did you bring the thing?
I did. Do you want me to take you there now?
Now, Jiang Chen said.
Wang Zhaowu nodded and took Jiang Chen to the center of the fleet.
When they arrived at the location, a few workers were already operating a crane to unload the equipment.
This is it. The construction robots and deepwater mining equipment. They wont be useful now by the looks of it. Wang Zhaowu stared at the eight massive containers with a wry smile.
With the current situation, it would be hard to reach the sea in the first ce.
Wang Zhaowu might be wrong. Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously without answering.
It wasnt an easy task to transport the deepwater mining equipment from camp 27. All of the equipment weighed 400 tons with each container weighing 50 tons. To transport these containers, Wang Zhaowu arranged four heavy-duty trucks to be positioned in the middle of the fleet. With the risk of slowing down the retreat, he managed to drag the equipment back,
Jiang Chen looked at the eight containers and nodded, pleased.
Deepwater mining could finally be initiated. The production of virtual reality helmets would require a massive amount of molybdenum, and with the current price of molybdenum, importing would significantly increase the cost of the helmet. If Jiang Chen mined the molybdenum himself, he calcted cost savings of at least 50%.
Thank you. Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder.
No problem. Compared to defending camp 27, this is much easier. Wang Zhaowu smiled.
Go rest for a bit. Remember toe to my office for a meeting in two hours.
Yes!
Wang Zhaowu saluted and headed to the living area.
After a long journey, he was indeed tired. He just wanted to take a shower and take a nap before the meeting.
After Wang Zhaowu left, Jiang Chen looked at the soldiers by the side and ordered them to transport the containers to the backyard of the mansion. Then he headed to themunity center.
Chapter 433 - A Risky Choice
Chapter 433: A Risky Choice
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The Sixth Street.
The recent expansions caused the defense line of the Sixth Street to be extremely stretched out. The military government utilized almost all the constructionpanies and reinforced the walls surrounding the Sixth Street and machine guns and cannons were also installed.
Contracts totaling one million crystals.
But not a lot of people were cheerful of the news. The mutants flood about to arrive made everyone feel a deep fear. Some people chose to flee, but most chose to stay.
It was because of a policy enacted by Chu Nan.
Anyone who leaves the Sixth Street during wartime, properties registered under its name will be confiscated and used to pay for the defense budget. The extra amount will be used as a reward for individuals or organizations who provide outstanding contribution during wartime. If the person must leave and is reluctant to give up its property here, then a war tax between 20-40 crystals per square meter must be paid for any properties here. This amount will be used to pay for the mercenaries sry, reinforce defense, and ammunition.
The policy sounded unreasonable on paper, but it was fair.
Why would the Sixth Street soldiers bleed for you to protect your property here and the people with stakes here would escape during this critical time? Either contribute your force, or provide money, or the NAC government would recognize you as surrendering your property by default!
Although a lot of soldiers attempted to use the council to protest, they clearly didnt understand the situation. Out of the ten council members, five were injected with the honorary chip.
The policy was enacted without any opposition and gained the support from the majority of civilians.
The civilians finally managed to own their home in the Sixth Street, who would want to return to the homeless life? As to the people that escaped with the slightest obstacle and wanted people who stayed behind to protect their property, they didnt gain any sympathy.
Therefore, other than the merchants based elsewhere, no one chose to leave at this time.
Whats the purpose of tying down the irrelevant people in the base?
There were a lot of purposes.
The Sixth Street military stationedprised mostly by three forces, the first being the NACs Third Division, the second would be the mercenaries, hunters, and some equipped scavengers, the third being the private force of the merchants!
Although after the nuclear non-proliferation at the Sixth Street was enacted, all of their nuclear material was confiscated. Though the Sixth Street never limited their arms. As to do business on the wastnd, a weak force meant that the merchant would be sheep to the bad wolves out there. Even if they managed to escape the ws of the mutants, they could not avoid the robbery by their same kind.
Most of the merchants stayed, meaning they would retain their private force here. The merchants were usually much richer than the mercenaries demonstrated by the quality of their equipment. Although the merchants didnt have the restricted Type-50 electromaic pulse cannon, they still possessed a few armored vehicles.
The civilians joined the force. The merchants in pain send their private force to the frontline. Once the mutants flood erupts, the gate to the city would be closed shut. Since they chose to stay, then the option of leaving was no longer there. There was no purpose of hiding any force now as it was better to send them to the front line for somemission.
The military factor was operating at full capacity as it produced the iron and aluminum transported from the Fishbone base into firearms.
At this time, the production of the Sixth Street finally came in handy.
When Jiang Chen released part of the technology of the T-3 power armor to the small workshops and contracted parts out to be produced. The military factory he purchased for Zhao Chenwu produced 20 T-3 power armors in one month.
It was ten times their previous production capacity.
Not only the power armors, the Type-99 anti-tank cannon, the Roar mortar Followed by the optimization of the industry, the heavy weaponry with low production before now became streamlined and exited the factory quickly.
With so many heavy weaponry dragged from the factory to the frontline and the boxes of ammo and bombs being transported to the supply station, almost everyone was confident towards this war.
Only if it was just the zombies that came.
Currently, 300 meters to the north gate of the Sixth Street, the soldiers from the First Division built a simplified defense line with a moving barrier and sandbags. They shot the zombies approaching with machineguns. The wall behind them was being reinforced, and their mission was to defend here until the reinforcement isplete.
Constant screams came from behind them. It was the sound of the mortarsunching electromaic shells.
Three shells raised into the air and then smashed into the zombies. The scattered shrapnel instantly shredded the zombies nearby as their intestines, and meat chunks rolled all over the ground.
Then, from the dust of the explosion, a massive creature appeared. It swung a billboard in its hand while marching toward the defense line in giant strides.
Roshan located.
A soldier at the machinegun continued to fire while screaming into his mic.
Roger.
A calm response followed by the explosive sound of the bomb unloading.
The bomb dragged an orange trail of me and blew the skull of the Roshan into pieces.
Nice shot! The soldier roared out while he reloaded the machinegun. Seeing the attack slowed down, the scavenger waiting on the side rushed to the body of Roshan with a knife to retreat the crystals at the back of its neck. When they obtain the crystals, they could retain 40% as theirmission.
On top of the patrol tower, Zhao Gang observed everything with his binocrs.
Different from the optimistic feeling of the crowd, as the leader of the Third Corp, the expression on his face didnt suggest optimism at all.
After days of continuous recruitment, the Third Corp already expanded to 4000 people. However, even including the First and Second Corp, it still didnt manage to bring him optimism at all.
As a previous survivor of Qingpu, he had witnessed the horrifying mutants flood.
The mutants flood back then even broke the line of defense established by the World Alliance Organization soldiers which made the organization surrender to Wanghai. And the survivors at the Sixth Street used a significant amount of PAC weapons left by the organization and barely managed to defend the base.
But after the next civil war, the only equipment left was the Wanderer tank. Right now, the tank was sent to the First Corp, the Sixth Street could only depend on self-produced heavy weaponry.
Report, Director Chu Nan send me to notify you to attend the meeting.
I see. Zhao Gang nodded.
The soldier saluted and stood aside.
He took ast look at the front line before he stuffed the binocrs into his pocket and left.
In the hologram conference room, Zhao Gang nodded to Chu Nan and sat in his spot.
The conference started. General Jiang Chen, advisor Han Junhua, the three corp leaders, the Sixth Street executive Chu Nan, logistics lead Wang Qin, administration lead Lu Huasheng, and all the NAC executives were present.
Around the conference table hovered a hologram map of Wanghai with the forces distribution on the map. From the map, Zhao Gang could guess the purpose of this meeting.
Wang Qin first exined the status of supplies at the base, and then Lu Huasheng reported on the status of the reserve force.
Last, the advisor exined their entire n. Because the n was first discussed with the general, Jiang Chen only needed to nod during the conference.
But when Chu Nan heard the n, he had a slight frown as he stood up and objected.
I object. Wanderer tank, eight Tiger IIs, and 15 armored vehicles are all assigned to the First Division? Even if the Sixth Streets objective is to defend, it doesnt mean this ce doesnt need armored force protection.
Jiang Chen looked at Zhao Gang.
After a moment of deliberation, Zhao Gang nodded sternly.
I agree with Chu Nans perspective. Without any armored force to cover fire, that means that once we lost the control of the gate, we no longer possess the ability to recapture the gate. We could onlypletely abandon the lost defense line. To be safe, we need at least four Tiger IIs stationed here.
Just dont lose control. Han Junhua said emotionlessly.
Of course, I know it is best to have no mistakes, but
Tanks protecting a city are the least efficient choice. All the armored forces equipping the First Corp will allow Jia City to be captured in the shortest period, and then return for defense after. Han Junhua used an indubitable voice.
A risky decision.
If there were any mishaps in the Sixth Street defense line If the First Corp battle with the mutated humans entered a stalemate
The First Corp leader Cheng Weiguo didnt say anything. He only looked at Zhao Gang apologetically. Zhao Gang also didnt speak as he looked at his colleague to signal his understanding.
Chu Nan took a deep breath and stared at Han Junhua before he slowly sat down.
I hope your decision is correct. It has to do with the lives of eighty thousand people.
Han Junhua nodded.
After the end of the conference, the hologram faded.
Wang Qin, Lu Huasheng, and Wang Zhaowu left. When there were only two people in the conference room, Jiang Chen let out a sigh.
You have to learn the art of rejection.
There is only execution to an order, the art of rejection doesnt exist.
Im only concerned about the rtionship between my subordinates, Jiang Chen said wryly.
But Han Junhua didnt seem to mind as she said emotionlessly, Its okay, let me be the bad guy.
Are you an M? With the expressionless face in front of him, Jiang Chen had to ask out of curiosity.
What is an M? Han Junhua raised her eyebrows, Im only making the best choice. Especially as you have told me, once everything ends, I will be heading into the future.
What if we can solve your problem without going to the future? Jiang Chen asked intriguingly.
Then well speak once the timees.
Han Junhua didnt seem to want to discuss this problem further. She took the documents on the table that belonged to her and left the conference room.
Chapter 434 - Lightning Attack against Seventh Area
Chapter 434: Lightning Attack against Seventh Area
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Clouds of dust apanied the roaring noise of the engine.
The metal belt rolled over the barrennd; only the crushing sound of the wheels could be heard.
Like a piercing arrow, the tank formtionprised of all the NACs armored forces, led by the Wanderer tank, was heading from Shenxiang to the Seventh Area between Jia and Wanghai.
It was the mutated humans production facility. Once the ce was captured, the mutated humans would lose all of their ammunition supplies. Once they freed the ves prisoned in the Seventh Area, the First Corp would continue to head west and crush the mutated humans stationed in Jia.
The Wanderer tank led the way, eight Tiger IIs, 15 armored vehicles, 30 supply trucks, 2300 soldiers, and two helicopters. It was half of NACs worth.
Right now, in the armored vehicle modified into amand center, Cheng Weiguo and Ma Zhongcheng sat across from each other. In front of them was a hologram map with a red marker on the map indicating the mutated humans zone of control. The arrow formation created by blue dots were soldiers from the First and Hunter Corp.
Based on the reconnaissance soldiers observation, the mutated humans stationed 9000 soldiers in Jia with 80 anti-tank cannons, 60 anti-air machine guns, and 220 machine guns, Ma Zhongcheng reported to Cheng Weiguo.
A tough opponent, Cheng Weiguo cursed.
Because the mutated humans managed to capture Jia city, their number increased substantially. They could foresee that it will be a fierce battle.
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion from the front.
A shellnded beside a Tiger II in high gear mode. The shrapnel created screeching sounds on the Type-A steel armor, but it didnt manage to do any damage. Then a few more roundsnded but didnt manage to hit its target.
Enemy anti-tank units spotted!
Initiatebat. Cheng Weiguo clicked on his earpiece and ordered.
Roger!
The supply truck that carried the soldiers all slowed down to allow the soldiers in the back to jump down and charge toward the Seventh Area in a scattered formation. The soldiers that sat outside of the armored vehicles also got off as they spread out to advance towards the mutated humans zone of control.
An armor piercing round smashed right onto the front armor of the Wanderers tank and was deflected without a doubt. The electromaic reaction armor that used Meissner effect would render most of the kic weapon with metal shells useless! And even if there was no electromaic reaction armor, 140 mm Type-A steel armor was not something typical shells could prate.
The type-52 main particle cannon emitted an eerie blue light before it exploded like fireworks once it hit the target. Then it instantly vaporized the anti-tank cannon hidden behind the defense line. The secondary 2 kg rapid electromaic cannon continued to emit electric arcs as the shells eight times the speed of sound easily shredded the building into pieces. The mutated humans hiding in the building couldnt even scream before they were crushed by the building.
It was a moving fortress.
Compared to the Wanderer tanks outstanding performance, the locally produced Tiger II hadckluster performance. However, with the mutated humans without any armored force, it was more than enough to take care of the enemies with its thick front armor and powerful electromaic cannon.
The Type-50 constantly unleashed 5 kg bombs on the mutated humans position and instantly destroyed their first line of defense.
Once the line was broken, the armored vehicles, in front, instantly elerated and dashed out from the force, into the Seventh Area Industrial Zone. The machine guns installed on the tops of the tanks spat out its fury as the high caliber bullets reaped the life of the mutated humans hidden behind the walls. The armored vehicles also asionally threw out heat trap grenades and electromaic trap grenades.
The guided rockets being misguided by the trap grenade immediately lost its target and redirected to the location of the heat trap grenade. The none-guided rockets were unable to hit the armored vehicles due to their high speed.
Rockets flew aimlessly inside the industrial zone and didnt manage to hit a single armored vehicle. Instead, they wounded a lot of mutated humans.
The armored vehicles rushed into the industrial zone and in the shortest time, cleared the hidden anti-tank and anti-air weapons. Then, they paved the way for the tank formation. At the same time, the Hunter Division in power armors and kic skeletons broke the first line of defense and began to clear the mutated soldiers that hid among the shambles with the help of the infantry.
Only two armored vehicles were damaged. One because of the anti-tank mine, the other one was unfortunately hit on the side by a non-guided missile.
However,pared to the sess they were able to achieve, the sacrifice was indeed worth it. They destroyed or confiscated 17 anti-tank armors, 31 anti-air machine guns, and killed more than 2000 mutated humans; the remaining enemy all retreated to the second line of defense.
The first line of defense captured!
The captain in the frontlines reported the status to themand center, seeing the blue and red dots tangle together on the hologram map, Cheng Weiguo looked at Ma Zhongcheng.
Deploy the drones.
Okay. Ma Zhongcheng took out the tablet and pressed a few buttons.
The second line of defense was built around theplex buildingyout in the industrial zone where even the armored vehicles could not rapidly advance through. The mutated humans defending the streets were all equipped with a significant amount of non-guided missiles as well as sticky explosives. Although those could not damage the Wanderer, they posed a substantial threat to the Tiger IIs and the armored vehicles.
The Tiger IIs side armor and back were all its weaknesses. An anti-tank rocket in close range would more than likely stall the tank.
Therefore, the task to protect the infantry force advancing would fall to the drones.
After receiving the order, the two helicopters hovered in the far air immediately moved toward the already broken first line of defense. Then it parachuted two containers to the ground.
Blue mes sparked out the descending device fired to reduce its velocity. The five-meter-long container smashed onto the second line of defense. The first containernded on the street while the other onended on the top of the building.
The memory metal on the container instantly deployed with the intense force of thending, it exploded the bee nest like structure and released the drones inside.
The buzzing noise even covered the sound of gunshots. The mutated humans could only use their rifles and machine guns to furiously unleash their bullets against the drone attack formed by the te-sized hummingbirds. However, their effort was negligible.
With the hive used as a terminal and center for the drones, hundreds of agile Hummingbirds roamed the streets to remove the lives of the mutated humans. Even with the thick C-type front armor, they could not defend against the sneak attacks from the back. In a street battle with drones, without any EMP weapon, it was pure ughter.
But obviously, the mutated humans in the Seventh Area didnt prepare much EMP!
When the hivended, the location scanning device inside recorded its detailed coordinates into the server, so the Hummingbirds were even more familiar with the area than the mutated humans themselves.
At the same time, 20 T-3 power armors followed into the second line of defense, with the support of the light infantry, an intense battle along the streets broke out.
The orange bullet trails lit up the entire zone. The mutated humans defending there had to retreat due to First Corps intensive attack.
The infantry forcepletely cleared out the anti-air positions at the second line of defense. The helicopter then moved up and unleashed the nightmare known as death to the mutated humans with its Type-50 electromaic cannon. Any defense could not withstand the powerful smash of the 10 kg bomb. Although the lead mutated humans with power warhammers, and the suicide mutated humans with miniature nuclear grenades managed to cause some casualties to the infantries on the streets, the mutated humans could not change the oue of the battle.
The second line of defense was broken, the tank continued to push forward. The soldiers that confiscated the anti-tank cannons turned the cannon around to the mutated humans third line of defense. Thest line of defense.
The electronics factory at the Seventh Area!
A high tech factory with a size of 1500 acres stood distinctively in the Seventh Area industrial zone. Because of its distinctiveness, the mutated humans chose the ce as its base. The outskirt was built with high walls, and the nt inside was reinforced into a fortress.
In front of mutants and most survivors, the fortress was unbreakable, but that was not the case in front of the NAC.
The castle in the mutated humans eyes will be their own grave!
After capturing the second line of defense, the First Division unleashed a total of 1000 shells into the factory which turned the walls around the factory and its primary structure into shambles.
After the rain of destruction, the armored vehicles equipped with drone terminals moved along with the power armors and the soldiers followed right behind them. They engaged in heavy fire with the mutated humans inside the factory.
A gruesome battle.
To both sides, there was no concept of surrendering.
Humans and mutated humans were not the same species.
With six hours of a full-scale battleing to an end, the First Corp soldiers finally killed thest mutated human. They put up the NAC g on the roof of the half-destroyed nt and signaled their victory in the Seventh Area!
Chapter 435 - Peacekeeper
Chapter 435: Peacekeeper
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Only nine thousand something hostages were being rescued. When the NAC soldiers saved the pitiful people from the ruins and shambles, they were so emotional that they began to burst out in tears.
Rescuing the Defenders was only a side mission they did but not the obligation of the First Division. So during the rain of destruction, Cheng Weiguo was not concerned about them at all.
It was reasonable because Cheng Weiguo would never risk the soldiers lives for strangers. It was a great deed to be able to save them in the first ce.
After they captured the Seventh Area, Cheng Weiguo ordered the soldiers to fortify while the supplying trucks returned to Shenxiang for ammo, each squadron reported their casualty numbers. The confiscated the weapons and ammo recorded on the books. The useful ones were brought along, the not useful ones were ced together as junk with the recovered Type C, B, and A steels while these supplies waited for the trucks to be dragged to Shenxiang Colony.
As to the prisoners rescued, Cheng Weiguo ordered the soldiers to settle them into the temporarily constructed camps and provided them nutrient supply. He also recruited soldiers and engineers willing to join the force.
A lot of them were soldiers from the Jia City Defenders. They only needed a rifle without any training to be a capable soldier. When they heard that Cheng Weiguo nned to attack Jia to seek revenge from the mutated humans and free their home, they joined under the banner of NAC without any hesitation.
The First Corp obtained arsenals of weapons from the mutated humans. Cheng Weiguo then scattered a part of the1400 soldiers among each of the infantry battalions while the other part formed their own infantry battalion. They also brought the 1000 engineering soldiers along which could help with repairs and help build the defense fortifications.
After regrouping, the First Corp force instantly expanded to more than four thousand people.
The next morning, the regrouped First Corp continued to head to Jia City.
As to the remaining prisoners rescued, after Cheng Weiguo sought Jiang Chens opinion, he temporarily settled them in the Seventh Area and promised that once he captured the city, he woulde back for them.
The actual battlefield was in Jia.
And the mutated humans stationed in the Seventh Area were only an appetizer.
Five power armors, 31 kic skeletons, destroyed. 110 fatalities, 132 seriously wounded. 210 thousand rounds of ammo and 2200 shells consumed. Inside the office, Han Junhua reported the battle stats of the First Division to Jiang Chen.
The proverb of as soon as the first shot is fired, million would be spent was indeed true. The first battle cost over 350,000 crystals. Even Jiang Chen who made millions in the food business eximed at the amount of money a war burned through.
Of course, he didnt need to pocket the bill, but rather the war fund from the Sixth Street paid for it.
Whats the situation at the Sixth Street? Jiang Chen stared at the hologram map and asked.
The wall reinforcements are almostplete. At the same time, throwers activity is observed outside of the Sixth Street, Han Junhua said.
With throwers arriving at the Sixth Street, it meant the zombies and mutants on the outskirt of the city center had spread to the rural areas already.
Lightning before the thunderstorm?
Jiang Chen stared at the red dot on the hologram map before he fell into silence.
At the same time, the only thing he could do as a general was to sit in the office and wait for the news from the frontline. Followed by the expansion of the NAC, the number of things he needed to personally do decreased substantially. All the casualties and results were only presented to him as numbers.
He heard someone knock.
Come in. Jiang Chen looked at the door.
The door was pushed open, and the director of the Aerospace Technology Research Institute walked in. He had a delighted expression on his face which was unseen on everybody else in the base.
The thing you needed is now prepared.
Jiang Chen then looked at the clock on the wall and got up.
Could you take me to have a look?
Okay. Jiang Lin nodded and headed for the door.
Jiang Chen looked at Han Junhua.
Ill have to leave this ce to you.
Mhmm.
Her response was always concise.
Jiang Chen arrived at the Aerospace Technology Research Institutesunching field along with Jiang Lin. A few workers were surrounding four-stories-high rockets while busy working on them. The meters high mechanical arm was connected by wires to the tablet as a technician was busy tapping on the screen while controlling the mechanical arm to extend the welding gun to weld the steel boards together.
Other than the useless tools being sent fornd remation, all the scientists in Fallout Shelter No.27, excluding the people from the Research Institute, entered into the fallout shelter. When Jiang Chen ordered Jiang Lin to start the Aerospace Technology Institute, these scientists moved to the Fishbone base with their families.
They were first unwilling but did Jiang Chen really care about their unwillingness? The benefit was great, excluding the possibility of returning to the fallout shelter. Seeing the objection failed, they had to honestly contribute their knowledge and design rockets for Jiang Chen.
Dolphin-10 intercontinental ballistic missile, developed in thete 21st century and used till now, it was the most deployed missile type in PAC territory. Staring at the rocket, Jiang Lin certainly looked proud.
To create this missile, he spent a lot of efforts learning. Although he didnt know why Jiang Chen needed a weapon that could hit the western hemisphere, he still followed Jiang Chens order.
This one missile spent more than one million crystals in supplies. Jiang Lin had repeatedly received rolled eyes from Wang Qin.
Out of all the projects at the base, the Research Institute spent the most crystals because a lot of parts could not be produced, so they must pay expensivemission to explorer teams that headed out of the province.
For example, the propulsion engine of the missile was transported from the shambles of the Taipeiunch base six hundred kilometers away from Wanghai. To transport this propulsion engine, the mercenary groups had to take the risk of being shredded to pieces by mutated sharks, so themission was indeed not low.
But regardless of her rolling her eyes or not, she still had to grant the budget since it was the project personally approved by the general.
Why is it called the dolphin? Thats a strange name. Jiang Chen was intrigued.
Deployed under the ocean, peace ambassador, you know. Jiang Lin used a welding gun to knock on the base on of the missile as he chuckled.
Jiang Chen first took a moment to process his words before understanding the meaning behind it as heughed along.
Peace ambassador. (A y on words. Peace is pronounced the same way as nuclear destruction.)
[People from the future were quite humorous.]
The entire missile is 11 meters long with a diameter of 1.55 meters; theunch weight is 35.1 tons. It could be deployed in nuclear silo 1200 meters deep into the sea with a maximum range of 21,000 kilometers.
Theunch mechanism is a non-separate three-stage propulsion model, that is, the underwater propulsion ring will advance the missile 100 meters underwater after the missile separation. Then the missile engine ignites and pushes the missile to the near-Earth orbit after the engine me stalls. After the missile approaches the target, the engine is reignited and strikes the target area vertically.
The missile shell is coated with an anti-radar material that reduces the radar s reflected signal to the extent of a seagull, and theoretically only the passive coherent positioning system can detect signs of the missileunch.
In terms of its size, the 11 meters long ballistic missile seemed like a miniature toypared to the twenty to thirty meters long ballistic missiles of the modern world. But without a doubt, anyone who dared to question its strength must pay for their mistake.
Chapter 436 - The Construction Robot
Chapter 436: The Construction Robot
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Based on a length of 11 meters and radius of 1.55 meters, the size of the missile was approximately 20.7 cubic meters, with a storage dimension the size of 30 cubic meters, it was not a big problem to haul it to the modern world.
Is the warhead ced inside?
A five hundred ton hydrogen warhead is being welded in right now. Jiang Lin pointed at the mechanical arm.
Whats the meaning behind a five hundred ton hydrogen warhead? Four numbers could be used for reference.
Personnel exposed: 4.1
Personnel in a tank: 1.9
Personnel in a bomb shelter: 0.7
Personnel in a fallout shelter: 0.46
The four numbers refer to the lethal striking radius to personnel by a five hundred ton hydrogen bomb in kilometers, it doesnt include the radiation damage. Of course, it was estimated based on the modern worlds standard.
The power armor and tank in the apocalypse were often designed with a lead fiber instionyer which was highly effective against radiation damage. Because of this, the purpose of a nuclear missile was often to cripple the enemys basic infrastructure and prevent the light infantry from entering the battlefield.
Only two or three deployed under the sea were necessary for the almost impossible to intercept five hundred thousand ton nuclear warhead to create nuclear deterrence. Once Xin announced itself as a nuclear nation with possession of global strike capability, even if the UA wanted to plot against Xin, they would have to weigh in the total worth of New York and Washington.
Deterrence was enough.
If possible, Jiang Chen hoped he would never use it.
Because once the button is pressed, the thing could not be stopped. Even with the technology in the 22nd century, it could not stop the brutal yet straightforward weapon.
How many warheads can be produced with the remaining nuclear material? Jiang Chen asked.
Including the Uranium as well as the nuclear material confiscated from the Sixth Street, probably two more. Jiang Lin estimated and gave a conservative number.
The material required for the production of the dirty-type thermonuclear weapon is mainly tritium and tritium lithium, while uranium 235 is only the initiation device. There is only one way to get tritium on the wastnd and that is to extract one or two grams of tritium from the nuclear materials that have not been used up.
Of course, it was much easier to produce the non-dirty type thermonuclear weapon. Helium-3 would be extracted from amercial-type nuclear fusion battery as raw material. However, because helium-3 and deuterium thermonuclear reaction will only produce non-radioactive protons, the use of helium-3 as nuclear warhead raw materials will not produce radiation so that the deterrence would be much smaller.
Such technology has yet to be developed in the modern world, even if the technical capacity were there, it would be hard to achieve.
Because the total helium three reserve was estimated to be 500 kilograms, the closest helium three mine was located on the moon
Jiang Chen nodded as he was pleased with the result. Great, your next mission is to create two more peace ambassadors.
Are you nning to use these to clear out mutants? Allow me to be frank, nuclear weapons damage to mutants are not ideal, those things crawled out of the nuclear crater in the first ce. And the nuclear crater produced from the explosion may be used as a nest for mutants like Death w. Jiang Lin hesitated for a moment and reminded him.
Of course it will not be used against mutants. If I wanted to blow mutants up, wouldnt it be better for me to get artilleries tounch the warheads? Whats the point of creating an intercontinental ballistic missile? As to the purpose, you dont have to worry about it, just help me move this missile to the backyard of the mansion.
As soon as Jiang Chen finished, he left.
As the general, he didnt need to exin his actions to anyone. And because of that, Jiang Lin only let out a sigh wryly before he began ordering people to transport the Dolphin-10.
Returning to the backyard of the mansion, Jiang Chen began to disassemble the eight containers brought back by Wang Zhaowu from camp 27. The 400 tons of equipment included two construction robots, an underwater floatation device with a maximum capacity of four people, and a construction module; mining module that could be installed on the underwater floatation device.
The construction robot was a great invention. It could use the construction information downloaded on its chip to autoplete construction. Although the automatic construction process was slower than manual operations, it was more precise and convenient.
If Jiang Chen wanted to modify the vessels Russia sold him, he only needed to scan the model of the vessel with a scanner back. Then bring it to the experts familiar with the area in Fallout Shelter No. 27, use the quantumputer to create a modification n, and then download the construction information onto the construction robots chip. He only needed to provide the material, the specific steps would be autopleted by the construction robot.
After that, he returned to the modern world.
Jiang Chen drove by himself to a deserted ind east of Ange Land.
One advantage of Pannu Inds was the number of inds in the territory, Due to the ten billion construction projects, most of the deserted ideas in Xin were under his name. It included this ind called Coconut. Although when Jiang Chennded on the ind, he didnt see a lot of coconut trees; there were mainly short woods typical to rainforests and the barren gravel.
After a trip to the apocalypse, Jiang Chen first brought back the two construction robots and a drone terminal.
The robot was one and a half meters in height with a fluid looking shell. Although it looked a bit dumb, it was meticulous in its work. The crab-like ws were equipped with welding equipment, multiuse wrenches, and other tools. The half belt half walking base could move rapidly on t ground while being able to traverse inplex terrains.
Jiang Chen installed a drone terminal in the dense forest in the middle of the ind and released 20 Hummingbird drones to scan the less than one square kilometers wide ind, and then he registered the hologram map onto the control of the construction robot.
After the data finished uploading, Jiang Chen made several runs and brought theponents of the underwater floatation device, the sr generator, as well as some reinforce steels and concrete over.
Jiang Chen first marked the area where the supplies were stored on the ind and then chose a rtively high point on the 3D map for the location of the sr panels.
The two construction robots immediately turned its belts and moved to theponents of the sr generator. After they transported the parts to the targeted location, the two construction robots skillfully began to assemble to sr generator together.
Jiang Chen only waited 15 minutes before the two robotspleted the work.
This is amazing.
Jiang Chen examined the masterpiece of the two robots as he eximed out loud.
The technology from the 22nd century, the ability toplete constructions automatically, it made building things as simple as RTS games, just build wherever you click. If this technology were introduced to the market, a lot of constructionpanies would kill to get their hands on it.
Of course, Jiang Chen would not introduce it to the world in the next little while.
The really good things must be kept in his own hands. Hell introduce it once he gets bored of it.
With the tablet in his hand, Jiang Chen sent the two robots to be charged on the drone terminal. Then he set a project to construct a two dock harbor and then added the assembly of the underwater floatation device onto the construction list.
With the symbol of on the screen, he verified to ensure he didnt miss anything before closing the tablet.
He only needed to wait for construction to finish.
To ensure the safety and privacy of the ind, Jiang Chen deliberated for a moment before he decided to not station any soldiers of Celestial Trade. It was not that he didnt trust his own soldiers, but he was afraid people who kept an eye on Celestial would notice this ce.
Once the ind is stationed with people, it meant constant supply to the ind which would reduce the hiddenness of the Coconut Ind. At least before the construction robots finish construction, it was better to keep it as hidden as possible.
For now, the best security would be the drones.
Returning to the drone terminal, Jiang Chen changed the drones mission from reconnaissance to alert. Once the drones notice any boats approaching, the fourth-dimensional messenger device located inside would alert his EP.
After all this, Jiang Chen stretched his body and returned to the apocalypse.
But what he didnt expect was that just as he returned, he encountered a severe situation.
Chapter 437 - A Sea of Zombies
Chapter 437: A Sea of Zombies
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Standing on top of the patrol tower, the pack of zombies swarmed together to form a sea of zombies. This scene could only be seen in the city center before, but now they were here in the quiet rural areas. No one knew why the mutant flood erupted; maybe it was because of ack of living space in the city center or possibly because of the desire to hunt in groups. Regardless, they were here.
This despairing scene made any bystanders ufortable.
The twenty-meter-high wall couldnt bring a sense of security to the people, because
Amidst the howling noises, a thrower, with tumbling steps, ran to the Fishbone base wall and tossed the infant zombie in its hands at the soldiers on the wall. The infant-sized zombie screamed with its dry lips and leaped at the soldiers firing on the wall.
Then it suddenly exploded.
Ahh! My eyes! A soldier with acid sttered in his eyes covered his face while he howled and rolled on the ground. He was better off than the others because the two soldiers at the center of explosion instantly lost their ability to breathe.
Fu*k! Its the thrower - get it! Wang Zhaowu roared at the top of his lungs into his earpiece.
Just as his voice faded, a sniper rifle exploded the head of the thrower.
Sun Jiao, with one foot on the wall, reloaded the Ghost sniper rifle with a crisp ng before she continued to target the zombies. She pressed the trigger another time and executed another thrower with its hand just starting toe into view.
Watching this scene, Wang Zhaowu couldnt feel more tense. It wasnt because of Sun Jiaos shooting skills but rather her identity as the missus of the general.
If anything happened to her, Jiang Chen would shred him to pieces. But even though he used up all the excuses he could think of to convince her, Sun Jiao disregarded all hisments and still stood fearlessly on the wall.
Objectively speaking, Sun Jiao was the person with the strongestbat abilities in the entire base. The soldiers standing there had barely gotten training for more than a year while Sun Jiao started roaming the wastnd from a very young age - more than ten years in total.
Seeing that he couldnt persuade her, Wang Zhaowu gave up.
There were only five T-3 power armors stationed at the Fishbone base - the rest had been transported to the Sixth Street to provide it with an extended line of defense. The situation was even more critical there as the swarms of mutant mosquitos had almost broken their line of defense. Fortunately, there were a lot of experienced soldiers at the Sixth Street who were all masters who had wandered the wastnd from the beginning. They took out their ming robots and Molotov cocktails since director Chu Nan announced that the military government wouldpensate any damaged equipment. To save their own lives, no one dared to hide their treasure horde of weapons any longer.
On the Fishbone side, aside from the five T-3s, only two newly developed T-4s had been produced. And now they were stationed on the wall, unleashing their firepower upon the zombies.
The drone attack force roamed outside the base and sniped the zombies heads with their small caliber machine guns.
Then there were the soldiers in heavy bulletproof vests kneeled behind the cover of the wall, their backs carrying a cylinder full of organic fuel. With their methrowers ready, they were cautious of any flying mutants that could appear.
Whether it was the light infantry with Reaper Assault Rifles or gunners firing machine guns, all thebat units on the wall had the same mission:
It was to keep the zombies as far away from the base as possible.
Just as Wang Zhaowu looked at the swarm of zombies with a perplexed look, Jiang Chen stepped into the patrol tower.
General. Wang Zhaowu saluted.
Hows the situation?
He had only been gone for a few hours as the situation deteriorated to this point. As he stared at the endless sea of zombies, he suddenly felt like the base was a small boat in a massive ocean.
Terrible. There are too many zombies, Wang Zhaowu said with a bitter smile.
The zombies wouldnt die unless they were hit in the head. After fighting for so long, even though the wall was packed with fully equipped soldiers and sentry guns firing, the zombies still managed to reach the bottom of the wall.
Below the wall, the zombies raised their heads and screamed ferociously. They extended their arms, attempting to reach the 20-meter-high wall, pass over it, and rip apart the humans on the other side. The zombies in the back swarmed in and used the zombies in front to boost themselves up, creating a slope made of corpses.
This was what Wang Zhaowu was most afraid of.
Twenty meters was only six stories high. It would only take thousands of zombies to create a slope. And how many zombies were radiating out from the city center? It would be an underestimation to say a million.
To prevent the corpsedder strategy, the soldiers on the wall tossed grenades at the tightly-packed zombies. But this was only a band-aid solution as even though grenades could do significant damage to the zombies, their corpses would still remain behind the wall.
Through the bulletproof ss, Jiang Chen gazed at the countless broken faces. asionally, a few infant zombies would smash into the ss of the patrol tower, creating dark green stains.
General. Wang Zhaowu took a deep breath and carefully opened his mouth.
Hmm? Jiang Chen asked.
Your missus is there. Wang Zhaowu pointed at the wall.
Jiang Chen watched Sun Jiao firing her sniper rifle as he spoke helplessly.
Just let her be.
He could understand her intentions of wanting to help. Right now, they were only in the initial stage of the mutant flood, so it wasnt too dangerous for her to be on the frontlines; he might as well just let her be. Especially considering herbat abilities, she would be okay even if everyone else on the wall died.
Whats the status of the Roar mortars at the base? Jiang Chen picked up the binocrs and observed the distribution of zombies in the distance. Inside the sea of zombies, Jiang Chen spotted a few vomiters with their bellies raised.
Prepared and ready tounch, Wang Zhaowu answered.
Since mortar shells werent unlimited, Fishbone base only had a reserve of 2000 rounds. Only when the zombies were inrge enough numbers would bombardment by the mortars be most effective. So up til now, Wang Zhaowu hadnt used the mortars yet.
Then use it now - I see vomiters appearing 6.6 kilometers away, Jiang Chen lowered his binocrs in front of his chest as he spoke gravely.
Wang Zhaowu was shocked as he immediately picked up the binocrs and looked into the distance.
He was too busy having a headache about what was happening that he forgot to check the horizon.
Wang Zhaowu put out the order:
Attention mortars, angle 72 degrees, distance 6.5 kilometers, fire!
Roger.
The sound of shells being unloaded transmitted from the square at the center of the base. The ten mortars formed a formtion with ten soldiers operating them. The shells wereunched into the sky with an electromaic propulsion with a maximum range of 12 kilometers.
The mortars couldunch 20 shells per minute on average. In just a minute, 200 shells were fired.
In their field of vision, the twenty-something vomiters were instantly covered by the shells raining down from the sky.
Thick smoke engulfed the sky. A minuteter, new zombies made their way through the thick smoke. And the vomiters were blown to pieces.
How many shells can the military nt produce? Jiang Chen asked Wang Zhaowu as he gazed at the ck smoke in the distance.
If there are enough supplies, the maximum production is 200 shells.
[200 shells? A days production isnt enough for one minute.]
Jiang Chen was thinking hard.
He was contemting if he should bring something over from the modern world.
Chapter 438 - Incinerating Zombies
Chapter 438: Incinerating Zombies
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The zombies behind the wall were piled two to three meters high already. Seeing as the opportunity was right, the survivors brought the fuel cylinders up to the wall and began to pour it onto the zombies. Then the survivors tossed down torches.
The fuel wasnt gasoline but an organic fuel simr to an alcohol mixture. It is worth mentioning that most of the vehicles in the 22nd century used high-capacity batteries, not fossil fuels. Because of this, all of Wanghai City barely had any fuel stations; what reced them were charging stations.
Controble fusion made electricity extremely cheap in the 22nd century. Power was produced from the fusion power stations located on the moon then transported through wireless technology to rying satellites before reaching the earths surface. Fossil fuels naturally, were reced.
And because of this, ten minutes after the war erupted, the world was vulnerable to a massive ckout. The small number of nuclear power and geothermal stations could only sustain military production rates. A lot of the nuclear fusion batteries used in civilian facilities were all confiscated and sent to the frontlines as fuel for power armor and tanks.
What was worse was that in the next few nuclear winters after the war, the survivors couldnt find any fuel at all. Without power, electric heaters became scrap metal. The one saving grace was that the World Alliance Organization was at least somewhat useful - they left the survivors technology rted to crystals, arge number of unused weapons and functional production equipment. This allowed the survivors, who had to face mutants and harsh winters, to have a chance at survival.
Although these weapons consequentially caused the birth of raiders, they did help the survivors pass through the most challenging period of time. Even if most survivors felt angry and disappointment towards the space colonization ship project, they still recognized that the World Alliance Organization did something good for them.
mes were zing and burning sky-high.
Thick smoke from four different directions engulfed Fishbone base. The soldiers all wore protective masks and the survivors all fled from the wall, covering their noses and mouths.
The fuel itself produced only a small amount of smoke; the burning zombies were the major source of the smoke. The thick smoke surrounding the base was almostparable to a chemical weapon which substantially impaired the vision of the soldiers on the wall.
It wasnt easy to produce the fuel - aside from requiring Carm tree sap as the raw ingredient, the fuel consumed 1.3 times the electricitypared to the heat generated through burning. With twenty cylinders dumped down, it used a total of 15 tons of Carm tree sap and five thousand crystals.
War is the same as burning money; Jiang Chen just witnessed a fine example to this point.
Because of the obstruction due to the smoke, the zombies couldnt rush up the wall for the time being. Aside from retaining the instinct to hunt for people, zombies also retained a fear of mes. Although they wouldnt necessarily flee, zombies wouldnte any closer either.
After the drones confirmed the zombies halted their attack, the soldiers on the wall finally got some breathing room. Soldiers with sore shoulders and necks all sat along the wall while volunteer workers and women headed onto the wall, bringing nutrient supply, water, and towels to the people protecting them.
The messted two hours.
Once the mes stopped, the carcasses piled one-story high turned to dust and left with the wind.
The most difficult period is the night. Wang Zhaowu, with eyebrows furrowed, stared at the outside.
Can the soldiers handle it? Jiang Chen asked.
Rotating five shifts. Every two hours, 400 people go to sleep. The production line for the machine guns and ammo cant stop; they have to handle it. There isnt much fuel at the base, so we have to do this.
The patrol tower, acting as themand tower, had been fitted with an air filtration device. Although there was thick smoke outside, the air in the room was somewhat normal.
Can you use gasoline? Jiang Chen asked abruptly.
Gasoline? Wang Zhaowu processed this for a second before he said with a wry smile, It would work, but where are we going to find that? Wanghai City before the war was an economic center, not an industrial base. Even if there were factories that used fuel before, theyre most likely cleaned out by survivors searching for fuel.
Although fossil-based fuels were abandoned, there were still industrial applications for oil. Aside from burning, oil could be used as an excellent organic solvent as well as the raw material for rubber and stic products.
Wang Zhaowu naturally assumed Jiang Chen was talking about industrial fuel since he didnt know Jiang Chens secret.
With a smile on his face, Jiang Chen said, while scratching his chin: You dont have to worry about it. Ill think of some ways to bring some here.
That would be the best. Wang Zhaowu was out of solutions himself.
Just then, there was a weak knocking sound at the door.
Come in.
The door opened and a figure that surprised Jiang Chen appeared at the door.
The girl wore a giant protective mask and timidly walked into the room. Her white cotton dress was stained with dirty smoke. Jiang Chen noticed there was a delicate lunchbox tightly clenched between her arms.
Yao Yao? Why are you here? Jiang Chen walked over, surprised by her presence.
I-I was afraid you might be hungry, she said timidly. Then she took out a giant mask, smiled at Jiang Chen and handed him the lunchbox between her arms. So I cooked some food for you and brought it over.
Wang Zhaowu knew too well what to do in this situation and turned around to face the wall.
But he muttered in his mind: [Good thing my daughter is only a one-year-old.]
Jiang Chen would have a spectacr expression if he could read his mind.
Did you eat? Jiang Chen kneeled down and tousled Yao Yaos head.
I havent. Yao Yao scratched her face and said in a small voice.
Then lets go eat together. Jiang Chen smiled.
But, is this ce going to be okay? Yao Yao looked warily at the thick smoke outside.
General, dont worry, Im here. Wang Zhaowu turned around just at the right time, speaking at just the right moment.
[Nice, I like you.]
Jiang Chen smiled at him and nodded before he picked up Yao Yaos hand.
Lets go. Lets ask Sun Jiao toe along.
Mhmm! Yao Yao nodded as she held onto his familiar, big hand with a joyful smile.
After he put on his protective mask, Jiang Chen managed to find Sun Jiao with a sniper rifle at the corner of the stairs. With her face pitch-ck, Jiang Chen couldnt hold in hisughter and passed her a protective mask.
This ce is going to choke me to death. Sun Jiao rolled her eyes exaggeratedly as she snatched the protective mask and put it on.
I told you to stay home, but you just had toe out, Jiang Chen chirped.
I wanted to. And I took out 51 throwers today - shouldnt youpliment me? Sun Jiao swished her luscious hair filled with dust as she spoke with her chest raised proudly.
If you dare to get hurt, Ill make sure you learn a lesson or two.
Jiang Chen gave her a hard stare, although no one could see his expression behind his giant mask.
Chapter 439 - The Heartwarming Bubble Bath
Chapter 439: The Heartwarming Bubble Bath
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
When they returned home, Sun Jiao didnt even take off her mask before she ran into the shower. Although she didnt care about her appearance on the frontline, the civilized side of her loved being clean in her everyday life.
She definitely didnt want to expose her ugly side to the people she liked. Although Jiang Chen thought Sun Jiao with a face covered with dust and soot was still cute.
There were two bathtubs in the mansion. Jiang Chen also wanted to take a shower after sneaking out from the smoke of the burning zombies, but when he realized there were only two bathtubs, he met a pair of big, timid eyes filled with hope.
If we bathed together, Yao Yao wouldnt mind.
With apletely red face, Yao Yao buried her head, her fingers twisted together.
After wavering for a moment, she worked up the courage to continue: And-and Yao Yao has great back rubbing skills. If you dont believe me, you can ask Xiaorou.
Without any impure thoughts, and purely because he didnt want to reject the eyes filled with hope, Jiang Chen gulped and led her soft hand into the washroom.
He felt like he was a thief.
Jiang Chen sat in the bathtub filled with bubbles as the girl hummed cheerful tones while she rubbed Jiang Chens back.
Her wet strands of hair, mixed with a refreshing fragrance, constantly stroked Jiang Chens back because of her movements.
The on-and-off coolness somehow made him lose control, especially since the soft hands seemed like they had some magical effects as he felt all his weariness being washed away.
Needless to say, it was a delightful experience having a Loli rubbing his back.
[Yao Yao, grow up sooner]
Jiang Chen muttered in his mind.
When would the inducer effect be alleviated?
Turn around; the front needs to be washed too. Yao Yao didnt notice the change in Jiang Chen as she spoke to him in a cheerful tone.
Jiang Chen felt a warm itching beside his ear and he inhaled deeply. He used some bubbles to cover up his waist while forcing a smile.
Uh, I can do it myself.
Yao Yao turned her head and her cute mouth moved.
Okay.
Just as Jiang Chen felt relieved and thought it was over, the sound of water came from behind him.
Yao Yao stood up, held the side of the bathtub, swiveled her smooth legs, and carefully turned around before she sat back in the water.
After she gained her bnce, Yao Yao nervously shook her legs in the water and said what she had been hoping with a blushed face.
Could you help Yao Yao rub her back?
Jiang Chens instincts told him it was better to say no.
But the cute voice made it impossible to refuse.
When the blushing Yao Yao and Jiang Chen came out of the bathroom, it was already dark outside.
In the dining room, the three girls had already been waiting for a while. The hungry Lin Lin pouted and sat in front of the table with her chopsticks. When the twoters finally appeared in the hallway, she secretly peeked at them before moving her gaze away. Sun Jiao and Sun Xiaorou gazed at Jiang Chen slyly.
One was slightly jealous; the other had other nefarious intentions.
Jiang Chen felt awkward under their gazes. He sat down while scratching his nose while Yao Yao, with her face still red, ran into the kitchen.
When he sat down, he felt three pairs of eyes focused on him.
Did you eat her? Sun Jiao grinned.
No. Jiang Chen shook his head as he had a wry smile. Am I that big of a pervert?
The three girls all nodded simultaneously.
Jiang Chens expression changed as he wanted to rebut, but he didnt know what to say so he stared at Lin Lin instead.
Why are you involved in this? Arent you afraid Ill turn into a pervert?
For some reason, Lin Lin didnt use her loud mouth and only made a funny face at Jiang Chen before she looked away.
[Eh? Something feels odd.]
[Is she sick?]
Jiang Chen wondered.
When he recalled thest time Lin Lin coughed, he felt concerned. Although Lin Lin always argued with Sun Jiao and himself, she was a kind person (digitalized human) inside. But just as he was about to ask about her health, Yao Yao brought some steaming food over.
Time to eat. Were eating hotpot today. Yao Yao happily removed the cover of the pot.
Smells so good! Finally, we can eat. Im starving. Lin Lin stood up excitedly and reached out with her chopsticks first.
No ones trying to fight you for it. Sun Jiao rolled her eyes.
If youre slow, the deliciousmb rolls will be gone. Lin Lin chewed while she smirked.
The question hanging in Jiang Chens mind was quickly taken over by the happy atmosphere.
Considering how energetic Lin Lin looked now, he didnt ask more.
[Perhaps it was just an illusion; maybe shes okay now] Jiang Chen thought in his mind.
After dinner, Sun Jiao left with the sniper rifle again. Jiang Chen rested on the sofa for a while before he headed to the backyard. Since the apocalypsecked fuel, he nned to bring back some gasoline.
Speaking of gasoline, when he saw the swarms of zombies, he suddenly had an idea: what if he brought back weapons from the modern world?
He always had the perception that the weapons from the modern world were all subpar in pration and stabilitypared to the arms of the apocalypse. And since the apocalypse had nevercked weapons before, he never considered this option.
But when he carefully thought it over, weapons from the modern world werent necessarily useless. At least when used against flesh, there wasnt much difference between the Reaper Assault Rifle and AK47. A headshot yielded the same result with the only problems being recoil and uracy. If they werent being used against zombies with higher mutation levels or mutants with stronger defenses, modern weapons could still be useful in the apocalypse.
A lot of the pistols and rifles created by survivors werent necessarily stronger than their modern world counterparts.
Of course, this wasnt to say Jiang Chen nned to bring light weapons back; Fishbone base had a high reserve of ammo and rifles, and the ammo production line was also in steady production. As to what exactly to bring, he needed to think carefully. The most crucial task was to solve the fuel problem.
Do you need my help? Just as Jiang Chen reached the door, Sun Xiaorou stopped him and said with seriousness, With my abilities, I can be helpful inbat.
The ability to explode crystals?
[It will be helpful, but itll burn too much money] Jiang Chen muttered in his head.
Its okay. Your sister is giving me enough of a headache.
Sun Xiaorou gave up the idea.
Be careful when youre out there.
Mhmm. He nodded with a smile.
He put on the protective mask and left again.
Chapter 440 - Purchasing Gasoline
Chapter 440: Purchasing Gasoline
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The scenery changed and the repressive atmosphere instantly vanished.
Interdimensional travel took him to Coconut Ind.
As part of his routine, he confirmed that there were no calls before he headed to the beach.
The two construction robots were still working meticulously on the construction site. After he checked their progress on the tablet, Jiang Chen let them be and boarded his boat. He took out the backup oil canister and filled up the boat before he soared to Coro Ind.
It was deep into the night; only a few scattered lights were visible in the city center.
Jiang Chen didnt immediately return to his mansion when he got off the boat. Instead, he drove to a gas station at the southern end of the ind.
When Jiang Chen parked beside a self-serving pump, he honked a few times.
Immediately after, the employee working the night shift walked out.
The man in uniform rubbed his eyes while walking out sluggishly. He had been taking a nap.
Most of the citizens in Xin were bilingual. Kebal nced at Jiang Chen in the car, yawned, put his hand on the roof, and spoke in annoyance.
How much do you want to add?
As much as possible.
Kebal took a moment to process what he just heard and tugged on his mustache.
How much?
Jiang Chen didnt want to waste words on him as he took out a stack of cash and pped it onto his car hood. 2000 USD. Please prepare a few barrels for me.
Just in case, he usually kept some cash in the storage dimension.
2000 USD?!
Kebal was instantly awake. He didnt move, but he looked suspiciously at Jiang Chen.
2000 USD? Why do you need so much gasoline?
He had to ask because Xin wasntpletely at peace, which made everyone uneasy. If he sold this much gasoline and someone used it for terrorism, he would be the one to me.
Even if selling this much gasoline would get him moremission at the months end, he was afraid to sell this much right now!
Jiang Chen let out a sigh, took out the Presidential Pce document and waved it in front of him.
Its not good for you to ask too many questions, buddy.
Kebal took a look at the document and all his suspicions disappeared. To be able to freely enter the Xin Presidential Pce, this guy was definitely not a terrorist and likely working for the president.
The barrels are in the warehouse, wait a moment. Kebal handed the document back to Jiang Chen before he jogged to the warehouse.
Wait, do you have a truck here? Jiang Chen stuck his head out the window and stopped him.
Kebal shook his head. No, but my pickup truck that I use is there.
Okay, whats your name?
Kebal paused.
Kebal. Why?
Mr. Kebal, do you want to make 1000 USD? Jiang Chen put his hand in his pocket and pulled out another stack of cash with a smile.
Because the Development and Reform Commission (1) didnt exist, the oil prices in Xin reflected the international market. After the global crude market plunged to below 30 USD per barrel, the 91-grade gasoline dropped down to 1.3 USD per gallon, equivalent to 0.34 USD per liter.
By conversion, how much gasoline could 2000 USD buy?
A total of 5882.4 liters!
With a barrel capable of storing 159 liters, 2000 USD could purchase 37 barrels in total! Kebal flipped through the entire warehouse and finally managed to find enough barrels.
With thisrge batch of gasoline, it was enough for the zombies outside Fishbone base to have a great time.
Kebal worked diligently with the thousand dor tip motivating him. He hauled empty barrels onto his pickup truck before he started to pump in gasoline.
[1000 USD to move the barrels to Celestial Trades warehouse. Where can I find more of this work?]
After a few trips, he finally managed to transport all the barrels.
Jiang Chen handed him the tip and told him to keep everything that happened today deep inside your heart. Kebal promised to all the greater beings he could think of, then Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder, told him to prepare a few more barrels for next time before signaling him to leave.
Watching Kebal drive away, Jiang Chen closed the door of the warehouse.
He moved the gasoline into the storage dimension before he traveled back to the apocalypse.
The moment he arrived, he heard gunshots in the distance.
He ced the gasoline into the warehouse in the backyard. He called Wang Qin, ordering her to move the barrels into the storage.
Wang Qin was used to the generals mysterious ability to make supplies appear in the backyard, so she didnt ask more and immediatelymanded the workers from the logistics department to carefully transport the highly explosive substance to a standalone warehouse.
Jiang Chen stepped onto themand tower again as he met Wang Zhaowu with a stern expression.
Whats the situation like now?
We already consumed 40% of the fuel reserve at the base, the production of fuel is far slower than the consumption, and the remaining Carm tree sap will only allow us to produce 30 more barrels. The Sixth Streets fuel is barely enough for them and they cant spare any additional fuel to help us. With our current state, we wont be able to clear the zombie bodies even after three days. Wang Zhaowu provided the bad news.
Looking at Wang Zhaowus expression, Jiang Chen smiled.
I already solved the fuel problem.
Considering that only six hours had passed, there was no way Jiang Chen couldve acquired so much fuel. Therefore, Wang Zhaowu smiled wryly. A few barrels arent enough to solve the problem. There isnt a lot of fat in the zombies bodies; it would take around 300 L of fuel to burn the bodies just surrounding one wall, and the base has four walls.
Is 37 barrels enough?
[37 barrels?]
[37 barrels!]
After he finally finished processing, Wang Zhaowus eyes widened and he stared at Jiang Chen. 37 barrels?! How many liters per barrel?
159 liters. Its in the warehouse now.
159 liters, thats 5883 liters! Hahaha! Thats amazing! While he was thrilled at the news, Wang Zhaowu banged his hand on the table and pressed his earpiece. Attention incinerating team, prepare to transport fuel from the warehouse. Lets burn these motherfu*kers!
Roger.
After finishing hismand, Wang Zhaowu realized his blunder, so he started tough awkwardly.
But Jiang Chen didnt mind. Dont worry about the fuel, Ill bring a few more batches over. You must keep the walls secure - dont skimp on the fuel, understand?
Understand! Wang Zhaowu saluted with confidence.
Jiang Chens 37 barrels of fuel solved the urgent crisis at the base. As to how he obtained it, who cares? As a subordinate, Wang Zhaowu only needed toplete the mission assigned to him!
Chapter 441 - It had just began
Chapter 441: It had just began
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
A battle in the night was extremely disadvantageous to the survivors - not only would the soldiers view be obstructed, but their weariness would also increase. They had some night vision goggles, but nowhere near enough to supply all 2000 soldiers, so the strategy Wang Zhao decided upon was using a physical light source.
After a period of time, the mortars wouldunch a few lightning bombs that would linger in the air and illuminate the battlefield with a bright red luminance. Although they couldnt make the battlefield as bright as day, there would be ample light for shooting.
On the zombies side, the night brought them several advantages.
When the zombies were free from the sunlight, they were suddenly more fierce as if they were all on drugs. The typical zombies werent only faster, but the arm strength of the throwers was also stronger as they tossed their sons into the base. The exploding infant zombies indeed created a lot of problems for the soldiers on the wall as they were taken down, one by one. This scene alone depressed everyones mood.
Pouring down gasoline every six hours was the only opportunity for the soldiers defending the wall to rest. Only massive fire would make the zombies feel fear and stop their march toward the survivor base.
But when the mes vanished, the flood of zombies would continue their attack.
As the leader of the Second Corps, Wang Zhaowu didnt get much shuteye during the night. He only took naps on the sofa when the zombies were being burned.
Jiang Chen took Sun Jiao back to the mansion at 12. Although Sun Jiao wanted to do everything she could to protect the base, Jiang Chen wouldnt allow her to fight in a fatigued state.
But speaking of Sun Jiao, Jiang Chen originally thought that a single person couldnt have arge impact on the battlefield until he discovered that she made a huge difference. Her precise shooting meant that a lot of throwers were unable to attack before their heads were popped off by the sniper rifles.
After six hours, over 200 throwers died by her gun! While the kills boosted the soldiers morale, the pressure the east wall faced was also significantly alleviated because the east side was facing the city center.
For now, the greatest threat posed to the soldiers on the wall was the throwers.
The next morning, the zombie attack slowed down.
Even during the mutant flood, the concentration of zombies wasnt uniform. After the conclusion of one wave, there would be a short or long dormant period. Until the next wave arrived, the base was safe.
Standing on top of the wall, the scene on the outside was glorious.
The wall was burnt to a crisp ck. The coal and bone dust mixed together to form patches of ck and white while a repulsive burned smell drifted through the air. The burning of gasoline created a 7-meter vacuum outside the wall, but further outside the wall was still a pile of corpses.
The remains of zombies began to let out a disgusting smell. The previously unrotten skin tissue maintained by the x1 bacteria began to deteriorate. Mosquitos and flies began to circle the air; the te-sized flies and human leg-long mosquitos sent a chill down everyones spines just by their appearance.
The asional zombie that nkly wandered around the wall was quickly shot.
Is this it? On top of the wall, Jiang Chen asked Sun Jiao beside him.
Its only the beginning. Sun Jiao, with an SK10 in front of her chest, sighed.
[Just the beginning?] Jiang Chen gazed at the mosquitos and flies that were beginning to umte.
Typically speaking, the more mutants in the area, the fewer the zombies; the distribution of the two was inversely proportional. Now that the concentration of zombies decreased
It wasnt a good sign.
How long will this mutant floodst? Jiang Chen asked wryly.
Until Wanghai City can return to a state of bnce. Sun Jiao shrugged.
Any creatures, including the zombies, would have an instinct to create their own space for survival. Once the poption exceeded the threshold, the city center could no longer contain all of them, so they had to expand outward and increase the radius of the city center.
Waiting alone would not end the mutant flood - only killing all the zombies and mutants migrating outward would end this war.
If not, they would have to give up their own territory and migrate further.
On the wastnd, where anyone could be mutated, natural selection remained thew.
A zombie in the distance moved in their direction, so Sun Jiao grabbed theser rifle hanging in front of her chest, extended the barrel, narrowed her eyes, and pressed the trigger.
A needle-thin blue ray shed as a fist-sized hole was instantly burned onto the zombies forehead. ck content began to flow out. It took a few more steps before copsing to the ground.
A few rays shed, and a few zombies dropped dead.
It didnt have the sound effect typically found in science fiction movies; realser rifles were silent killers. Although they had troublesome maintenance, expensive parts, limited range, and weak defense against EMP, making them far less popr than durable explosive rifles, Sun Jiao seemed to be particrly fond of them.
Straight trajectory, no recoil, high power in close range.
Its a pretty high-tech weapon, Jiang Chen said enviously while looking at the weapon in Sun Jiaos hands.
He wanted to purchase a few of theser weapons as part of his collection, but the Sixth Street weapon shop only sold the C-type battery used forser rifles, not theser rifles themselves. Because he never saw one while he was at the Sixth Street, he shoved the memory of it to the back of his head.
Theser rifle was mostly used in space since no one dared to fire a standard rifle in gravity-free environments - firing just one shot might not hit anyone before the person who fired it would drift away.
This is considered high-tech? Sun Jiao rolled her eyes and retracted the rifle. Lets go down, it wont be safe on the wall in a bit.
The mutant mosquitos and the mutant flies?
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes at the ck cloud that began to form in the distance before turning around.
Because of the appearance of flying mutants, Lu Huasheng immediately evacuated the survivors at the base and transferred them to the temporary emergency facility in the underground tunnel.
Jiang Chen didnt want to brag about his foresight, but the temporary emergency facility he ordered to be built was useful. The flying mutants could easily fly over the wall of the base which would be a disaster to the normal survivors at the base.
Hiding in the underground tunnel would protect them.
After half a year of continual reinforcement, the primary transportation route between the Sixth Street and Fishbone base was fortified like an iron barrel. As long as both exits were secured, no mutants could attack them here.
When Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao headed to themunity center, they didnt encounter a lot of people along the way.
After arriving at themand center, they saw the only remaining person in themunity center - Han Junhua.
She had her arms crossed and was looking emotionlessly at the hologram map on the table.
The red and blue dots intermingled together, marking the enemy and friendly forces. Just by the force distribution, the First Corps had gained the upper hand, but the expression on her face didnt indicate that at all.
Whats the situation on the west line? Jiang Chen immediately asked.
A bit problematic.
Despite her an unchanging face, Han Junhuas voice betrayed a tone full of cautiousness.
Chapter 442 - The Struggle on the West Line
Chapter 442: The Struggle on the West Line
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
West line.
The rural area of Jia, six kilometers away from Jia Sports Center, Cheng Weiguo established a temporarymand post there.
He was standing in front of the hologram map with a finger pointed fiercely at the major roadways on the map. Then he dragged out an attack red arrow and ordered his teams to push forward.
Attention Team 8, the mutated humans deployed arge amount of anti-air machine guns in the Sanshui Park. Your mission is to follow this line and prate the mutated humans line of defense, and then take out the machine guns. Do you understand!
Yes, Sir!
Attention Team 5, attack Dammit. Cheng Weiguo looked up at the orange cloud that exploded in the air.
Wide range electromaic interference bomb. It could disrupt any wireless signal in the area for up to an hour.
Cheng Weiguo cursed out as he smashed the radio filled with static noises onto the table and sat down on the chair. The electromaic interference was useful to both parties, withoutmand, the troops in the front line would have to fight following their previous order.
The boring trick could only waste time since both parties would be unable to strategize its force. But the mutated humans didnt need to strategize, as the defender, they only needed to defend.
The mortar sounds in the distance never stopped. It made Cheng Weiguo feel flustered. The dying tactic made him feel unsettled.
The mutated humans surprisingly had some great tools, The Dusk Church was not an easy opponent.
Soon after, amunication soldier ran in front of him.
Cheng Weiguo took a deep breath and spoke to him.
Notify Team 4 to push towards the intersection from Nanxi Road.
Different from the terrain in Wanghai, Jiasplex river environment made it easy to defend and hard to attack. Themand center of the mutated humans located in Jia Sports Center was between multiple rivers.
In order to defend the attack of NACs First Corps, the mutated humans were smarter this time. They destroyed all the bridges and held within the defense line. And these rivers caused a great deal of trouble to the NAC armor units.
On the first day, the armored force of NAC was blocked at the highway entrance to the west of Jia. The bridge that stretched across the river were exploded into several segments. To allow the armored force to pass through, it took Wang Zhaowu some serious efforts.
At first, theyunched a round of artillery attacks at the mutated humans across the river, then the engineering soldiers built a floating bridge. Only after they conquered the bank across the river did the armored force finally pass through.
Once the tanks crossed the river, the situation became a lot more positive. The armored force led the way with the infantries immediately following.
They advanced rapidly for four kilometers as the mutated humans suffered constant defeat.
But the situation quickly became grave again.
After they entered the city center, the number of rivers increased which hindered the armored forces advancement.
The catastrophic defeat in the Seventh Area made the mutated humans realize the power of NACs armored units. Therefore they set up the defense line along the river and persisted on fighting the battle in the streets. The mutated humans stationed in Jia were a much tougher enemy.
Other than the annoying anti-tank cannons and mortars, the mutated humans acquired a tactical nuke somehow. Two hundred infantries without armor protection instantly dropped down, and even a Tiger II stalled.
Fortunately, most of the people who died were new recruits from the Seventh Area, Cheng Weiguos eyebrows only twitched as he didnt feel too pained by the loss.
But regardless, the battle turned into a stalemate. To defend against the possibility of another tactical nuke being dropped, Cheng Weiguo had to extend the battle line and gave up on the strategy of a group attack.
These mutated humans were definitelymanded by humans!
There were around twenty thousand mutated humans stationed in Jia which was five times the First Corps force. Although the First Corps was equipped with a significant amount of heavy weapons and armored units. Due to theplex river system, they were forced into a siege attack.
The lightning war strategy is being obstructed. The First Corps may not be able to conquer Jia in a short period of time. Han Junhua crossed her arms in front of her chest and said while studying the hologram map.
I already said, its too crazy to fight two battles at the same time.
Sun Jiao scoffed and sat on the sofa.
Did you not consider the possibility of the mutated humans blowing up the bridges? Jiang Chen asked Han Junhua.
A total of 217 bridges were destroyed. Based on PACs road quality standard, destroying the supporting structure of a bridge would require at least 600 kilograms of explosives, Han Junhua said emotionlessly.
130.2 tons of explosives. The mutated humans had way too many supplies.
Fu*k, how did these monsters acquire so many explosives, Sun Jiao cursed out in frustration.
130 tons. Even if the entire Sixth Street were turned upside down, there wouldnt be that many explosives. Even if the Dusk Church had strong financial backing, they were a force migrated from the Northern Alliance Area. There was no reason they would possess so many supplies.
Maybe it is not explosives, Jiang Chen abruptlymented.
Han Junhua and Sun Jiao both turned their attention to Jiang Chen. Suddenly, Sun Jiao seemed to have caught onto something.
Crystals!
Thats right. Sun Xairou said that her ability was induced through gic engineering and not simply evolved from the gic vines. Therefore, her ability is not unique within the Dusk, Jiang Chen said gravely.
The ability to explode crystals.
Mutated humans and humans were archenemies, only very and raid existed between the two with no possibility of trading. They acquired food through hunting the mutants, in the past ten something years, they must have umted a significant amount of unused crystals.
Other people might not be able to afford it, but the mutated humans didnt care.
What are you saying? Han Junhua looked at the two, puzzled.
Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao exchanged eye contact before they told the story of Sun Xiaorou to her.
Han Junhua lowered her head and deliberated for a moment.
I have a question I dont understand. Why is the Dusk Church able to establish a partnership with the mutated humans? Did you ask Sun Xiaorou this before?
Sun Jiao shook her head. She wouldnt make her sister recall the memory of her terrible past.
Han Junhua then looked at Jiang Chen.
The mutated humans would require an improved FEV virus to obtain reproduction ability, and the Dusk needs the Garden of Eden technology in Fallout Shelter 005. The two parties have the same goal. The Dusk would leave the earth without leaving a trace behind, so it was not possible for them to have future conflicts, Jiang Chen organized the information he knew and exined.
The Project Garden of Eden? When I was themander in the 71st Mechanical Division, I heard some people mention that a state research institute was responsible for this area of research. It was rumored that once the technology matured, the challenges in space colonization would be solved, Han Junhua put her finger on her chin and muttered to herself.
What if we provide the FEV virus to the mutated humans and let them fight amongst themselves? Sun Jiao suggested.
Thats impossible. If we did that, we wouldnt have a problem in the short term, but it will be extremely problematic in the long term, Jiang Chen said wryly.
Needless to say, the ugly mutated humans were better suited for this piece ofnd. The ability to devour the Death ws meat, more poisonous than rat poison, raw and munch on unprocessed mutated fruits would mean that once these things acquired the ability to reproduce, humans wouldnt have a ce on this anymore.
Suddenly, Han Junhua raised her head and fixed her sight on Jiang Chen.
What if we change to a different perspective? We first find Fallout Shelter 005, then provide the project Garden of Eden to the Dusk Chuch which eliminates their motive to control Wanghai. The mutated humans that lost their external support along with their military production in the Seventy Area will lose inevitably.
Chapter 443 - Destruction does not require Technology
Chapter 443: Destruction does not require Technology
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Release the Garden of Eden Technology to Dusk?
From humanitys point of view, it was a choice with only pros.
But unfortunately, Jiang Chen was a selfish person. He didnt mind that while he lived a great life, he could make other people live a good life. But there was a condition. The generosity must be given by him.
Perhaps one day he would agree to build the Garden of Eden, but it must be a NAC controlled Garden of Eden. As to releasing the project to other people, he would not consider the possibility at all.
If their ultimate n is to leave earth by building a space colonization ship, then they dont have a conflict of interest with us. Han Junhua looked at Jiang Chen.
Thats unfortunate then, they wont be able to leave. Jiang Chen smiled.
Han Junhua sighed and then looked at the hologram map with her arms crossed.
Then war is the only option left. But from the ammo reserve left in Shenxiang, if we are unable to capture Jia in ten days, we will have to give up Seventh Area.
Shenxiang was where the raw materials originated, and the majority of firearm productions were located in the Fishbone base and the Sixth Street. Although they obtained arge number of mutated humans weapons and steel, they didnt manage to discover any firearm production lines.
If they gave up on the Seventh Street and ordered the First Corp to retreat, that would mean that the crusade would be only halfpleted. The mutated humans could recapture the Seventh Area and use the long, harsh winter to regain their strength.
If NAC suffered heavy casualties in the mutants flood, then without a doubt the mutated humans would take advantage of this situation and dere war. If the mutants flood persisted till next year this time
When the first mutants flood erupted, the entire Earth was in a nuclear winter, and it was significantly colder than the past years. Jiang Chen didnt think that the mutants would obediently go back underground during winter so he could not bet on the fact that the mutants flood would end by this year.
Is it because of our ammo reserve? Jiang Chens eyebrows twisted together.
Its mostly the mortar shells and the 5 kg and 10 kg bombs. we have ample in light weapon ammunition, but we cant conquer in exchange for lives. Han Junhua said without any emotional fluctuation.
[So, we are missing heavy weapons.]
Suddenly a smile emerged on Jiang Chens face.
I have a solution, we just need more shells and bombs right?
Han Junhua looked toward Jiang Chen,
Are we going to transport it from the Fishbone base with helicopters? Based on the reserve and production in the base, we dont have the capacity to support the First Division.
The Fishbone unleashed 200 rounds of mortar shells, 300 rounds of 5 kg bombs per day, to sustain its consumption speed, ammunition production was already operating at full capacity.
No need to transport from the base, I can take care of it from elsewhere. Jiang Chen shook his head as an evil smirk appeared on his face.
Han Junhua looked speechlessly at Jiang Chen. Somehow, the smirk reminded her of some unpleasant memories she never wants to recall again.
Due to the limitation of technology, the weapons from the 21st century were for inferiorpared to the 22nd-century weapons. A simple example, who would win between the Wanderer tank from NACs First Corp and UAs mechanical division?
The question was more of how many units would be left in the mechanical division before the Wanderer tank ran out of fuel. How many units could the particle cannon and coaxial electromaic pulse cannon take out.
Unless it was directly struck by a nuclear warhead, the modern day weapon could not pose any threat to the Wanderers armor.
But when the efficiency of killing the zombies are brought into the conversation, the UA mechanical division would be much more effectivepared to the entire NAC First Division. Why? The reason was simple.
Because when technology is not necessary, any technology would be excessive!
For example, killing zombies. For example,unching an artillery rain of destruction.
uracy was irrelevant. Other than the dangerous mutants with insane mobility and defense, how many mutants would survive in the explosion, let alone zombies.
It was the same idea against the mutated humans. Their anti-tank cannon and rocket indeed posed a serious threat to the First Corp armor force. If an M2A1 tank were brought to the frontline, an anti-tank round would easily destroy it without any doubt.
But what if there were thirty-something heavy artilleries or even rockets?
Even if they possessed the rifles from the 22nd century, they were still made out of tissues!
Walking out from themunity center, Jiang Chen held Sun Jiaos hand and headed to the mansion. Bullets unleashed on the wall far away, soldiers in a heavy bulletproof suit with a fuel tank on the back ignited the nozzle they held.
It was nothing technologically advanced, but if the mutant mosquitos dove down, they would be toasted mosquitos.
You are nning to transport weapons from that side? Sun Jiao acutely captured Jiang Chens thought.
Thats right. Jiang Chen squeezed her hand and smiled proudly.
Is stuff from your side reliable? Sun Jiao asked with skepticism.
The skepticism was simr to a guerri hearing an ancient person had time traveled from the Ming Dynasty and said he would support the war with the weapons from his era.
Jiang Chen started tough and didnt exin. He promised, Youll know once you actually see it.
After returning to the mansion, Jiang Chen immediately returned to the modern world.
Due to the influence of UA weapons that appeared in the hands of Country Fs anti-government militants, Robert was in a tight spot. It would be too inconsiderate to ask him for more weapons, especially given that he already retired.
There was only one person Jiang Chen could ask.
It was near dusk already, but still sometime before people got off work.
He drove the Lamborghini out from the garage and headed straight to the newly opened Russian Embassy.
Natasha was patrolling at the gate of the embassy feeling extremely bored. Although she was the head of security, there was only three security personnel in total, so she had to fill in the patrolling slot.
Jiang Chen stopped the car in front of the embassy, rolled down the window, and teased her.
Beautiful miss, could I invite you to dinner?
Natasha looked at Jiang Chen in surprise as a grin appeared. Of course.
She walked to the other side of the car, yelled toward the embassy, Karachev,e out and watch the door. Before she received a response, she sat in the car.
After putting on the seatbelt, Natasha swayed her luscious hair and sunk into thefortable seat.
I heard that a gentleman is supposed to open the door for ady.
Are you not going to change out of your uniform? Jiang Chen ignored her scoff andughed.
No need, Natashas lips curled up while crossing her legs, Uniform roley is pretty fun isnt it?
[Face palm, what happened to her?]
Jiang Chen still remembered in Eastern Europe, when he tied her onto the chair, she suspected that he took her first time and stared at him with a look of death as if he had killed her father.
Jiang Chen coughed and started the car, I wont be able to do business with you like this.
Business? Natashas eyes shed as she put her leg down and sat up straight, For example?
Mypany needs some firearms used for self-defense. What do you want to eat?
Barbeque and beer. I remember there is beach bar not far away from here and their Barbeque is great. Natasha smiled.
She was familiar with the surrounding area already.
Okay, lets talk about the firearms then, I need
Dont you want to chat while eating? Natasha interrupted Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen gave an as you wish look before turning on the GPS.
Sit tight.
Jiang Chen stepped on the gas.
The vehicle transformed into a shadow and raced toward the beach.
Chapter 444 - The Trade in the Distance
Chapter 444: The Trade in the Distance
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The apocalypse, the rural area east of Su City.
The one hundred story skyscraper stood destely among the ruins.
Not far away, a sign engraved with , dangling on the side of the road, was reced with the written in red paint. It hung in the middle of the building. The original owner of the building had the foresight to use arge amount of expensive and durable material in the construction of the building. And the building did, in fact, manage to withstand the nuclear explosion five kilometers away twenty years ago.
Unfortunately, the radiation still burned him into dust. When the nuclear st arrived, he was on the elevator,ing down from the top floor office, escaping to the basement. However, regrettably, he died on the 27th floor.
The building exchanged hands multiple times before being upied by the Dark Red Chamber of Commerce as their base. The hundred story height was a natural observation tower easily capable of scouting tens of kilometers away.
On the roof of the building, Lin Chaoen sat on the edge with his feet hanging in the air without any fear of heights. His eyes narrowed as he looked to Wanghais direction.
He was unafraid of heights because it was an emotion that belonged only to creatures.
Suddenly, he smiled.
Wanghais sky has changed.
Is this something predictable? Two meters behind him, a man in a suit with a distant expression stood up straight with his hands behind his back. He was gazing in Wanghais direction, but in the distance, only the skyline of Wanghai was barely visible. Other than a few faint columns of smoke rising, he didnt see anything out of the ordinary.
Cao Guangkai, the current president of Dark Red.
During the past winter, his father Cao Jinsongunched a coup in the Sixth Street and died after the failed attempt. After receiving the information, he decisively took the soldiers loyal to him and executed his cousin who nned to split Dark Red with him; it was his fathers nephew, Cao Wei. Finally, he controlled all of the assets of Dark Red and prevented the massive empire from falling apart.
It was after that he met Lin Chaoen and initiated a partnership with him.
A few months ago, he listened to Lin Chaoens advice and withdrew Dark Reds merchant fleet from doing business in Wanghai and sold the assets under an anonymous name. He was skeptical of what Lin Chaoen said in the beginning, but the robots words became true.
A mutants flood indeed erupted in Wanghai.
Of course, everything in this world has causations. Lin Chaoen sighed as he said leisurely, For example, the economic crisis in 2150 meant the war would be inevitable. And that economic crisis was because of
Cao Guangkai burst outughing. Im not interested in listening to you talk about our history, Im a businessman, I only care about now and
Shhhh! Lin Chaoen suddenly interrupted him and put his finger in front of his lips.
Then, he put his hand beside his ear and closed his eyes; it looked like he was listening to something.
Listen, they are talking again. Lin Chaoen leaned forward with a smile, The poor bugs.
Cao Guangkai, standing on the side, twitched.
He suddenly had the urge to kick the fool down.
But thinking that there was no point in being angry at a robot, he restrained himself from this dangerous thought.
Pretending to be supernatural.
Cao Guangkai cursed out in a low voice and headed for the elevator.
Are you not curious about what I heard? Lin Chaoen turned his head and said sluggishly.
Im only curious what kind of mental state your designer had to bring you into this world. Cao Guangkai scoffed while taking a hidden shot at him.
Perhaps Mhmm, simr to fathers mental state? He didnt seem to understand the mockery in his words and shrugged. Speaking of which, I have one thing Im curious about. Can you answer it for me?
Oh? Is there something you dont know?
Dont you want to seek revenge on that person? He killed your father. Lin Chaoen smiled.
He was referring to Jiang Chen.
Because of Fishbones sudden intervention, the bnce in favor of them smashed to the ground, and all the stakes were collected by that person. The mantis preying on the cicada while the bird waited to strike at the final moment.
There is no family in business. He failed his investment in Wanghai and lost all his stakes, thats all, Cao Guangkai said emotionlessly.
You have an open mind. Lin Chaoenughed mischievously, turned his head, and continued to gaze into the sky in the distance.
Although the Dark Red originated from the Sixth Street, the base is in Su City with business in Hang City and the even further Luzhou. I never agreed with fathers strategy of intervening with the local situation. Only when we abide by the identity of a merchant can we generate more profit.
Is that so? Lin Chaoen said slowly.
Just like Cao Guangkai was disinterested in what he said, he was not interested in the business he was talking about. In his eyes, the humans stance toward crystals was like monkeys ying with stones.
They didnt understand what kind of powerful weapons he possessed.
Yes. Cao Guangkai nodded.
Without responding, Lin Chaoen silently watched Wanghai in the distance. He seemed to want to say something interesting as a smile emerged from his lips.
Cao Guangkai stood silently behind him.
Just then, hismunication device started to buzz.
He pressed the button on his cor and picked up the phone.
Hello? Mhmm, I see.
He quickly hung up the phone and looked at Lin Chaoen on the edge of the building.
The thing you need is ready.
Oh? Thats great. The smile on Lin Chaoens face grew bigger. He pressed his hands on the floor and propelled himself up.
The move was nothing by itself, but to do it at the edge of a hundred story building
Cao Guangkai thought he had a calm state of mind, but just by watching his action, he felt tense.
The recipe to the drug. Just as Lin Chaoen passed by him, he opened his mouth.
Oh, that. Lin Chaoen seemed to have remembered something as he took out a USB from his pocket with sluggishness. Here you go, its all inside.
It was the recipe of Happy Times.
It was the recipe of the hallucinating drug.
Cao Guangkai held his breath while he took over the USB.
He felt his fingers were trembling.
He was not holding a USB, but a key to a crystal treasure.
Only one tablet was enough to live in the happy times before the war.
Lin Chaoen enjoyed the expression on his face for two seconds before he curled his lips into a smile that held deep meaning.
The camera zoomed out.
In the empty ground north of the Dark Red building stood a six-story-tall rocket.
Chapter 445 - Arms Sale Agreement with Russians
Chapter 445: Arms Sale Agreement with Russians
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Katyusha multiple rocketuncher, nicknamed Hail, also known as Stalins Organ in its early days was equipped by the Soviet as early as 1964 and had been in use ever since. Its presence was seen in Afghanistan war, Iran, and Iraq. Even in the modernized military today, this simple yet powerful weapon didnt leave historys spotlight.
40 122mm caliber rocketunchers mounted on a small military truck, it possessed a rtively simple configurationpared to the different types of rocket.
While the small guy didnt look fierce, its maximum firing capacity can reach an astounding 720 rockets with a total weight of 48 tons; it was more than the sum of all the UA Land Force conventional rockets being fired simultaneously!
It was the nightmare shared by the enemys infantries and the friendly logistics personnel.
Its only weakness was uracy.
The two sat in the beach bar in a remote corner. They enjoyed the Brazilian Barbeque while they discussed the dangerous topic.
When Jiang Chen brought up that he needed a type of weapon with strong deterrence and maximum coverage, the Russian girl with a couple of beers down immediately began to pitch him the Stalins Organ.
If you are only searching for simple yet destructive firepower, no other weapon can fit you better than the BM-21.
With her facepletely red, Jiang Chen mocked her, Why do I think you are not using your talent effectively by being an agent? Why dont you be a salesperson for an armspany?
Burp. She indecently let out a burp as she rolled her eyes and she authoritatively swung her blonde hair to her back. Be a man, are you going to buy or not?
Of course I will buy!
How many? Natashas red lips changed to a pleased curvature.
Eight. Jiang Chen put down the skewer and said nonchntly.
Eight? Are you going to equip twopanies? Natasha with one hand holding onto her chin she tilted her head. Should be okay, I remember the Eighty Division in the Ural Military Theatre is nning to equip new rockets. They are troubled by the fact that the junks have no buyer.
[Face palm! Is it really good to describe your arms like this in front of the buyer?]
[She is definitely drunk.]
Whats the price? Jiang Chen finished a skewer and asked.
Im not sure, but by crude estimation, it shouldnt be too expensive, the most expensive part is the ammunition. Mhmm How many rockets do you need?
Jiang Chen put up four fingers.
Four thousand? Natasha yawned.
Jiang Chen mysteriously smiled and chuckled.
Forty thousand!
The beer cup dropped onto the table, and the beer sshed all over the counter.
But Natashapletely ignored her soaked shirt. Pressing on to the table, she stood up. She fixed her eyes on Jiang Chen with her half-sober pupils and spoke in a trembling voice.
For Forty thousand?
Thats right, can you sell it? Jiang Chen aggressively raised his chin and smirked.
Are you sure? It is not the mortar shell that costs a thousand Rubles. Natasha lost her voice.
Are you sure it is a good idea to be this loud in here? Jiang Chen coughed and reminded her in a small voice.
Natashas face turned red, and she quickly nced her surroundings.
The people in the bar all peeked in their direction. A lot of people in conversation stopped talking and held their cup just in the air. There were plenty of big news on Coro Ind recently. Everyones gossip desire was at its peak. Her words today would be something like there was an arms merchant that sold rockets to a gang at the beach barst night by tomorrow.
It was better to keep the conversation about weapons low key.
Natasha realizing her indecency pretended to be intoxicated and put her finger underJiang Chens chin.
Then what are you waiting for, let me see if youre a mortar shell or arge rocket.
She enunciated the word rge with extra emphasis.
All the male creatures at the bar raised their head out of natural instinct when they heard the dirty wordse out of a hot beauty like her.
Natasha covered her chest and walked out of the bar before disappearing from the eyes of the thirsty males.
Those legs. Leaning against the bar counter, a drunk holding onto a beer said while feeling heated.
The other drunk beside him nced at him contemptuously, Thats an amateur observation. After checking out girls for so many years, that curve is top notch. Burp
His words turned into an undistinguishable burp.
The drunk was embarrassed by his friendsment as he argued back, Stop just saying it! Dont you always brag about your toothpick? Why dont you go then?!
The old friend forced augh and immediately lost his confidence, I cant afford it.
Then, he pointed at the Lamborghini outside the window.
It had nothing to do with mortar shell or rocket, the key was the green Franklin.
Regardless, the conversations in the bar were sessfully changed by Natasha. The shell and rocket were referring to that! The thirsty males all looked at Jiang Chen with eyes filled with jealousy, jealousy, and jealousy.
Uniform roley?
Jiang Chen ignored the unfriendly sights and recollected what she said when she first got on the car. He then shook his head.
The breast that was more massive than Liu Yaos; the perfect curvature of her butt; it made him feel an uncontroble desire too.
But those men were jealous for nothing, even Jiang Chen didnt dare to do it.
Having an engaged conversation with KGB was no different than diving into the web of a female spider. There would need to be some serious mental preparation required if they have an extra friendly rtionship.
Jiang Chen pped a one hundred USD bill on the table and rushed straight out.
He nobly opened the door for Natasha before getting into the car himself.
Is it okay to drink and drive?
Natashas bright red lips filled the car with the smell of alcohol.
Didnt you realize you were the only person drinking? Jiang Chen mocked and started the car, Where do you live?
Natasha grinned at Jiang Chen without saying a word.
Her eyes seemed to be saying Isnt the most gentlemen thing to do now is invite me to your home to take a shower?
Okay, I will send you to the embassy.
No! Natasha immediately stopped him and gave Jiang Chen an angry stare.
If she appeared in the embassy like this, how would she maintain her authority in front of her subordinates?
Your apartment? Jiang Chen said concisely.
She bit her lips and gave the GPS a hard poke as if she was throwing a tantrum.
Put your seatbelt on. Jiang Chen smiled at her clearly displeased look, opened the window, and stepped the gas.
The sea wind blew away the intoxicating smell in the car.
You are scared?
What am I scared about. Jiang Chenughed.
It was true; he was never scared of anything.
The wet shirt made the wind feel especially chilly. She drunkenly closed the window.
The KGB identity, or crossing the line with an agent?
Jiang Chen didnt say anything and turned on the radio.
Natasha rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen and pouted without making any more sound. Jiang Chen peeked at her through the mirror but only saw her drunken state. He didnt know what she was thinking through the half-closed eyes.
They quickly arrived at her ce.
In a heavy breath, Natasha dragged off the seatbelt that made her chest loss its beautiful shape.
Time to get a new car, the ss is bulletproof, but the engine cover and fuel tank are only covered by aluminum alloy.
Jiang Chen paused and thenughed.
You mean, someone wants to kill me?
Do you really have to wait for someone to want to kill you before you are cautious of your own safety? Cant you just be a little more fearful of death? Natasha rolled her eyes at him, then swayed her blonde hair while stepping out of the car.
It made sense.
[Once the mutants flood is over, Ill get a few experts in the Sixth Street to create a sick ride?]
Natasha was already at the door to the house. Jiang Chen suddenly remembered that there were still important matters to be discussed as he shouted out.
I have a headache right now. Just send it to my phone. Ill contact them once I sleep for a few hours. She waved her hand out of annoyance and walked to her door holding her head.
[Is she okay?]
With her tumbling to her door, Jiang Chen was a bit concerned.
Finally, when she made it through the door, Jiang Chen let out a sigh and drove home.
Chapter 446 - Adapt Ancient Forms to serve the Present
Chapter 446: Adapt Ancient Forms to serve the Present
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Around nine oclock, Jiang Chen returned to the apocalypse.
The lighting shells hadminated the entire base to as bright as daylight, but the apartments in the base were pitch ck.
The appearances of mutants like mutant mosquitos and mutant flies meant that the base wall could not protect the safety of the survivors. Onlybat personnel remained on the surface while the rest of the survivors all evacuated into the emergency facility in the underground tunnel.
Jiang Chens mansion also looked dark from the outside, but the glimmer of light shining out from the edges of the curtain signified the people inside havent left.
There was no need.
The mansion was the most secure ce in the entire base. With Sun Jiao and Sun Xiaorou inside, there was no need to worry about mutants posing a threat.
Sun Jiao didnt need to be mentioned as no one in the base hadbat abilities that could match hers. Her sister, Sun Xiaorou, was not weak either. While she usually looked timid, she was very agile. Before she recovered her memory, she sneaked into the base and fought head-to-head with her brother-inw.
Jiang Chen pushed open the mansion door and discovered that Han Junhua was in the living room.
It is better for me to remain on the surface to bettermand the force. Dont worry about my safety. Weapon training is a necessary course for PAC militarymanders.
Sun Jiao, sitting across from Han Junhua, eagerly asked when she saw Jiang Chen.
Did you solve it?
I did, I only need to head to the west line after. Jiang Chen nodded.
Sun Jiao wanted to say something, but she didnt say anything in the end. She knew why Jiang Chen had to make a personal trip; she was just concerned with his safety.
Han Junhua frowned and stated what Sun Jiao wanted to say.
Allow me to be honest, I dont think your presence on the west line would bring much change to the situation, but rather it would increase the variables of the battle. Cheng Weiguo is more than enough to control the force.
Jiang Chen shook his head with a smile.
Im not there to lead the frontline. Im there to request help.
Jiang Chen thought about it for a long time before he managed to found the correct word.
Requesting for help? Han Junhua frown only grew deeper.
She didnt know Jiang Chens ability, and before he was sure of her reaction, Jiang Chen didnt n on telling her.
Even if a special chip was in the back of her head.
Thats right. I solved theck of heavy ammunition on the west line. The only problem is that I must be there personally.
Jiang Chens ambiguous response didnt satisfy Han Junhua.
But seeing Jiang Chens eyes shine with sincerity, she stared into his eyes for half a minute in silence.
If you insist.
Then she stood up and headed for the door.
Are we going to leave now? I still want to sleep, seeing that she was putting on her shoes, Jiang Chen asked.
Of course not now, but all the military movements must be nned. She loaded theser pistol used for self-defense, Youll leave tomorrow at eight with the helicopter. It is best you notify the people at the frontline now in case it interrupts their n. Ill be back after going to themunity center. You dont have to follow me.
NAC only had two helicopters now, and both were deployed to Hunter Corps.
The limited resources meant that even the general must make reservations before making a trip.
The arms sale quickly received a response.
The BM-21 was extremely cheap. The truck along with the rocketunchers only cost 200 thousand USD. Eight of them resulted in 1.6 million.
The real expensive item was the rockets!
Theunchers were old, but the rockets just rolled off the production line. Since ammunition stored for too long may malfunction, it would ruin the brand. To the arms buyer with potential for a deeper rtionship, the Russians were naturally unwilling to supply low-quality stuff. It would be the same as saying no to cash.
The 122mm explosive rocket with twenty kilometers in range cost 2000 USD per round. Jiang Chen threw out 40 million USD and purchased 20 thousand rounds right away.
The rocket with the same range was slightly more expensive with one round costing 2500 USD. Jiang Chen also purchased 20 thousand round of those without blinking an eye.
The rockets were extremely effective against the zombies.
[The mutants flood? I will burn half of the city!]
Although Natasha felt troubled by Jiang Chens request to purchase a sensitive weapon like napalm rockets, she still reported Jiang Chens demand to her superior.
After five minutes of silence on the other side of the phone, they agreed.
It was a lucrative sale totaling close to 100 million USD, and the buyer purchased the easy to produce, non-guided rockets without the need to worry about a technology leak. To Russia thatcked in foreign currency, the arms business was like picking up money from the ground.
Although selling petrol bombs were in the grey area of internationalw, to the five permanent members of the security council, who really cared? The Syrian anti-government force had plenty of UA weapons with some of the restricted items being sold by private military merchants.
Since they agreed already, Russia didnt disappoint Jiang Chen. Meeting this request, they transported the batch of firearms by air.
The next night, an AN-225 transport nended at New Moon Inds runway. The first batch of firearms that arrived was made up of the 8 BM-21 and 2000 rounds of rockets. The remaining 32000 rounds arrived in the following shipments.
Barkary and Ivan all expressed their helpless stance to Jiang Chen purchasing so many rockets. But Jiang Chen didnt n to exin to them as he ordered them to store the equipment in containers and haul them onto the sea tform along the dam into the vessel used to transport supplies for New Moon Ind.
When the vessel headed into the ocean, Jiang Chen ordered the captain to drop the anchor.
The old captain was certainly smart. With his experience, he knew that Jiang Chen was nning to use a small boat to smuggle something prohibited through custom. Although he didnt know why Celestial Trade needed to be so discreet, he didnt ask more as he gathered all the crews inside the cabin for a meeting.
Since they didnt want you to know, it was better to close your eyes yourself.
Quickly, in just half an hour, Jiang Chen knocked on the conference room door to signal the captain that they could continue their journey.
Once the frustrated looking crew left, Jiang Chen dragged the captain to the side and passed him a cigarette.
The captain was astounded by the gesture as he smiled with his white teeth fully exposed.
I understand. I dont know anything.
Jiang Chen nodded pleasingly, took out an envelope, and stuffed it into his pocket.
Other than controlling the boat, dont ask about anything else.
Feeling the hefty weight in his pocket, the old captain revealed a bigger smile.
Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder before he left.
With this, the people responsible for loading the vessel only knew that the arms went on the vessel, but were unaware of its destination. The crews responsible for transportation only knew that the containers went on board, but they didnt know what was inside.
After docking in the harbor, customs followed their procedure and inspected the containers, but discovered they were all empty. When they saw Celestial Trades logo, they didnt persist further on the issue.
The reason why he was so careful was to prevent people with other intentions from keeping an eye on the batch of firearms.
Country F was in apletely chaotic state as the MNLF equipped with arge amount of UA weapons left the government force inplete shamble with its intensive full-scale attack. The MLF that previously gave up on the movement to independence immediately sought an alliance with its old partner in crime after the situation took a drastic turn.
With the current state, it was hard to ensure no other eyes were watching Coro Ind.
Since there were only two countries that had a negative rtionship with Country F, Hua and Xin, if it were not caused by a religious force, the most suspicious perpetrator would be Hua. Following it would be Xin, the one behind the deterioration of Fs current political stability.
There must be other agents on the ind, but Jiang Chen was confident that they would not know where the firearms went no matter how much they investigated.
Even the Russians that sold the firearms themselves wouldnt know.
Chapter 447 - Fire!
Chapter 447: Fire!
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
ck smoke saturated the air.
It was hard to determine if it was the cloud, radiation dust, or smoke from the rockets.
In a remote area east of Jia City, houses were scattered all around.
Under the shadow of the smoke, a few mutant cockroaches swayed their one-meter long antennae while they searched for rotten food.
To the ten-something people who walked by them, they didnt show any interest; only sour aromas could draw their interest. The starving cockroaches asionally attacked the zombies, but they would often be scratched to death.
If a zombie and a mutant cockroach moved together, without a doubt, it must be because of a mutant flood, because only in a mutant flood would the mutants forget their hunger and attack the survivors along with the zombies.
Were there any other cities where a mutant flood was happening? No one knew. People mainly stuck to the ces they knew best. Even merchant fleets that traveled far distances only managed to reach the Northern Alliance Area.
The current mutant flood was limited to Wanghai CIty, so Jiang Chen, currently in the rural area of Jia City, thought the air there was extra fresh.
The battle is currently at a stalemate; we advanced 500 meters to the Jia Sports Center yesterday, but we were quickly fended off by their attack. The mutated humans obtained arge number of electromaic interference grenades and EMP grenades out of nowhere.
The snipers in the Hunter Corps provided great help, but following the battle pushing toward the city, there were more obstructions. The mutated humans mortars and grenades also led to a high number of casualties to the Hunter Corps.
Cheng Weiguo looked as the cockroach on the road dashed into the shadows before he lowered the rifle.
Thats terrible.
Jiang Chen smiled as he led Cheng Weiguo and a group of soldiers in the direction opposite Jia City in a delighted mood.
The general didnt feel frustrated by the stalemate of the battle which made Cheng Weiguo somewhat at ease.
But with the frontline getting further and further away from them, he had a troubled look.
General, can I ask where were going?
They walked ten kilometers already and they would almost be in the next town at this rate, but they still werent at the ce Jiang Chen mentioned.
Were here.
Jiang Chen stopped and smiled at the abandoned factory in front of him.
Two days ago when the helicopter took him here, he randomly chose a spacious warehouse as a storage space for his arms. Because of the mutated humans, there were no survivors in the area. Thus there was no need to worry about their arms being stolen by scavengers; he only needed to ce them further away from the frontlines to avoid being hit by stray shells.
After he chose the location, he returned to the modern world to patiently wait for the Russians to deliver the arms.
The perplexed Cheng Weiguo followed Jiang Chen into the warehouse.
But when he saw the contents, his bewildered expression visibly transformed into shock. His widened eyes looked as if they were about to pop out.
This is
Jiang Chen began tough as he savored Cheng Weiguos shocked expression. He then returned to the door and shouted at the soldiers behind them.
Soldiers, prepare to get on the truck. Well take the mutated humans to see Jesus!
Since fossil fuels had almostpletely been reced before the war, only the wealthy could afford to have a few internalbustion engine vehicles in their homes. Hence, cars that burned fuel were almost considered artifacts.
When Jiang Chen ordered the soldiers onto the car, he was dumbfounded to realize that the soldiers didnt know how to drive. With no other choice, he had to step up and personally demonstrate how to maneuver the vehicles.
With the general as the instructor, the soldiers focused all their attention on learning. While the principles behind internalbustion vehicles were drastically different from the electric vehiclesmon in the apocalypse, the driving style was simr. They spent an hour familiarizing themselves with the clutch before the soldiers finally figured out how to drive.
As to the conversion between the firing distance and angle, it was written on a sheet. The soldier responsible for firing would only need to punch it into the calctor.
The eight BM-21s rolled out of the warehouse one by one and dispersed under Jiang Chensmand. The stents on the side of the truck were released to stabilize the truck to finish the deployment. One hundred survivors from the Seventh Area transported rockets that filled the entire warehouse. Two people worked together to lift a 67 kilogram, 3-meter-long rocket and push it onto theuncher.
Before loading the rockets, Jiang Chen instructed them to only load the white rockets - the red rockets were solid fuel rockets used against the zombies and mutants.
The rockets were loaded in an orderly fashion.
Jiang Chen took Cheng Weiguo to the roof of a building two hundred meters out.
Jiang Chen looked into the binocrs with eyes narrowed at Jia City 13 kilometers away. He grinned.
Take a few more looks; itll be a different ce in a moment.
Cheng Weiguo didnt pick up his binocrs. Instead, he looked at the hive-shaped rockets lined up with concern.
Do we really not need to move out the soldiers in the city?
Regarding the weapon that existed two centuries ago, he was afraid the rockets would drop on his mens heads.
Dont worry, a one-kilometer distance is enough.
Although Russian weapons werent particrly precise, they wouldnt be off by more than one kilometer. Jiang Chen red at Cheng Weiguo.
[You dont understand the intelligence of the ancient.]
General Where did you get those artifacts? Cheng Weiguo picked up the tablet used to control the rockets, asking the question troubling him.
The vehicles are from a military museum. The rockets are manufactured following blueprints. Jiang Chen didnt mind his tant question as he answered nonchntly.
Seeing that Jiang Chen didnt n on borating further, Cheng Weiguo knew better than to probe. He was indeed loyal, but he had curiosity too.
The helicopter arrived above Jia City and hovered just out of the mutated humans air defense range.
With the help of the radiation dust and cloud, it managed to disguise its presence and provided the aerial map for the battlefield. The wide range life signal detector opened and marked the locations of mutated humans on the control tablet.
With the red dots reaching only ten thousand, the mutated humans probably had shielding devices to block their locations, but they must have a limited range and were only capable of disguising important targets.
Based on human observation, they marked the unidentified areas. Cheng Weiguo nodded to Jiang Chen and handed over the tablet.
The general would order the annihtion of the mutated humans!
Jiang Chen looked at theuncher vehicles locked and loaded two hundred meters out. He then took the tablet.
The distance and target were clearly identified on the screen.
Listen to my order! Angle 220, distance 14.1 kilometers. Prepare to fire!
The hive-shaped rocketunchers gradually tilted up and all stopped at the same angle. When the blue gs rose up, one by one, signaling was ready. He took a deep breath and passed the tablet back to Cheng Weiguo.
He pressed his earpiece. Jiang Chen looked in Jia Citys direction and shouted ferociously.
Fire!
Chapter 448 - 166 BMWs Flying in the Air
Chapter 448: 166 BMWs Flying in the Air
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Jiang Chen swore it was the most magnificent fireworks hed ever seen.
If the ones he saw in virtual reality didnt count.
Rolling smoke instantly engulfed the vehicles.
Missiles screeched out of theunchers one by one, firing into the distance like arrows. Within 20 short seconds, 320 rockets wereunched. Jiang Chen gazed at the smoke trails fading into the distance and he eximed:
Too bad I couldnt see the explosion.
Cheng Weiguo handed the tablet back to Jiang Chen. He already executed the orders.
Oh, also, and this thing. Jiang Chen smiled, took over the tablet again, and looked at the screen.
Beside the broken bridge.
The mutated humans taking cover held onto their machine guns; they were on full alert against any possible NAC attacks. NAC attempted to build a floating bridge three times yesterday, but they were thwarted by grenades, machine guns, and recoilless cannons.
The mortars and electromaic cannons caused trouble for the mutated humans, but in the end, those weapons were nothing. The mutated humans didnt suspect a thing; as long as they held their ground, the foolish humans would be the first ones to fall!
They cantst any longer! We have ammo. Were stronger! Once winter is here, itll spell their deaths!
Standing in the back of their area of control, a mutated human captain wore a cape made out of the fur of a Death w. He waved the machine gun in his hand, shouting at his hidingrades and boosting their morale.
In the mutated human society, the clothing one wore represented power and status. Only a warrior who single-handedly defeated a Death w could wear its fur as a trophy.
What is that!?
Just then, a mutated human kneeling behind an anti-tank cannon roared out, pointing at the ck dots in the sky.
Those are probably their small toys. Dont worry - we have anti-air machine guns and EMP.
The captain mumbled as he pulled up the binocrs dangling in front of his chest.
The toys he referred to were NACs Hummingbird drones. Whenever an EMP grenade wasunched, the drones fell to the ground like flies struck by electricity, hence no one was afraid of those small things anymore. Whenever they encountered drones, they would just detonate an EMP grenade. Although the EMP would render the red sight scope on their weapons useless, no one cared.
The mutated humans didnt need to aim; the mutated humans only needed to unleash their firepower!
His ugly`eyebrows were knotted together. The captain readjusted the zoom and set his eyes on the ck dots in the distance.
nk.
He dropped the binocrs onto the ground. Just as the mutated humans looked at him perplexedly, his ugly face began to twist.
Take cover!
He roared. Facing the mutated humans puzzled looks, he dove into the pit nearby.
But it was futile
Boom boom boom!
The pouring rockets unleashed a deathly storm. The mutated humans taking cover and those inside the defense structure witnessed a scene onlyparable to a living hell in horror. They looked at the dismembered limbs of theirrades and themselves.
The explosion covered every inch of the soil as it bulldozed the mutated humans zone of control. It left shattered weapons and burnt limbs all over the ground. The rockets exploded the ammo stored in the trenches and triggered a second round of explosions. The trenches soon turned red and gruesome.
The first round of destruction was over!
But the nightmare for the mutated humans had only started.
With turbine engines igniting, the men in power armor crossed the river first. The engineering soldiers soon followed and ced a floating bridge that allowed the tank to pass. Immediately behind them were soldiers in kic skeletons and the destructive tanks.
With steel armor hanging in front of their chests, a thousand mutated humans with machine guns stood up from the zone of control further away. They furiously raced to the river and fired while pushing forward in an attempt to regain control of the riverbank. Some mutated humans even lifted the mortars and shot like an RPG, and some raced forward with nuclear grenades strapped onto their bodies.
The lead mutated humans with power warhammers were also there. Unless they were faced with the Type-50 electromaic pulse cannon, their armor was invincible. They ignored the bullets and bombs and ran to NACs zone of control in a thunderous roar.
But they discovered in horror that before they could make it halfway, more rockets emerged in the distance
The outline of the thick smoke in the distance decorated the barren ind in shambles. It was like a fine pen drawing out the jagged curvatures.
The rockets rose, came down, and brought destructive rain to the mutated humans in the distance.
The shrapnel couldnt prate the armor of the mutated humans, but the force could explode their organs and brains. Despite the incredible power the mutated humans possessed, they couldnt escape the fact that they were creatures after all.
The mutated humans were more cautious with NACs rockets. They huddled together under cover while spreading out. They attempted to minimize the damage the NAC could cause. Two thoughts motivated them to remain strong.
[We dont have a lot of rockets left!]
[The attack is theirst attempt to win!]
But reality proved that it was only wishful thinking.
Jiang Chen had plenty of rockets to the point where it was unimaginable.
With the mutated humans scattering, Jiang Chen changed the music ying to Stalins Organ. He maintained the 40-rockets-per-minuteunch speed as the BM-21 fired in rotations to cover the mutated humans zone of control. At the same time, the First Corps stopped advancing forward under Jiang Chens order while they enjoyed the symphony.
Fires and explosions shed nonstop on the tablet. The continuous strikes caused a lot of buildings due for repair to copse and buried the mutated humans hiding inside. Thendmark buildings such as Jia Sports Center remained standing, but it looked like it was on the brink of falling at any moment.
The continuous bombingsted for an hour as the entire city center of Jia looked like it was bulldozed over.
Jiang Chen felt tired by the shaking screens. He shoved the tablet back into Cheng Weiguos hand.
Staring at the mes in the video, Cheng Weiguo was astonished.
To be honest, he didnt expect such an ancient weapon could demonstrate such a destructive force.
This is too astonishing. Ten minutester, Cheng Weiguo put down the tablet.
How many did weunch already?
Cheng Weiguo scanned the empty boxes on the side and provided a rough estimate: Around five thousand rounds.
[Only five thousand rounds? Still fifteen thousand left.]
Jiang Chen stared at the smoke rising fourteen kilometers away with his eyes narrowed.
[Wait, five thousand rounds?]
He then did the math - one rocket cost 2000 USD, and 30 rockets were 60 thousand USD, equivalent to a BMW.
Five thousandunched out.
Jiang Chen felt his heart ache.
Although he didntck money but with 166 BMWs flying in the air, he was still pained by the sight!
Inside Jia Sports Center.
Bo Yu sat on a chair in a gloomy mood. The explosions in his ears made him especially flustered.
Troy, the leader of the mutated humans, sat across him with the same gloomy expression.
What do we do?
The Dusk Church helped them blow up the bridges, provided them with arge number of firearms, and brought the information theres a mutant flood in Wanghai City; these people wontst long.
But thest one was clearly false.
He didnt know if the mutant flood actually erupted in Wanghai or not, but the humans here clearly weremitted to fighting the battle.
I said earlier that we should retreat to the west as these people arent easy to deal with. The merchants in Hang City are easier to bully. Bo Yu closed his eyes and spoke lightly.
The mutated humans wont retreat; we wontpromise to inferior humans. We will rip them apart, stuff them into a meat grinder, and make them into sausages, Troy said deviously.
[Is that so? The person sitting in front of you who helped you live for so long is a human? Do you really think by the simple fact that you have a head, it would equate to intelligence?]
Bo Yu scoffed in his mind but didnt say anything out loud.
He knew it was not the time for an internal feud. Especially since hours ago, he predicted that the mutated humans were in favor to win, or he wouldnt be sitting there.
The NAC soldiers were on high alert, and the rockets were constantly striking the city. Retreating was no longer an option. If would be death if they retreated now; even without the rockets, two legs couldnt outrun the tanks. Abandoning their cover would mean that Dusk and the mutated humans were waiting to be ughtered.
[No other ns?]
It wasnt the first time hed experienced this.
When he was surrounded by the military government in the Northern Alliance Area, he was in a simr situation.
The only difference was this time, his back wasntpletely against the wall.
Bo Yu looked at the ring on his finger.
The blood crystal reflected a charming but dangerous eeriness under the light.
When will you send your people out?
His people were dying, but his ally had no response at all.
Looking at the face reflected by the blood crystal, Bo Yu said gently.
Dont panic, very soon.
Chapter 449 - Seige on Sports Center
Chapter 449: Seige on Sports Center
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The mutated humans had a fatal weakness - they couldnt stuff their giant bodies into vehicles. Even if they always arrogantly referred to themselves as moving armor, they were just trying to make the best out of a bad situation.
If it wasnt for the Dusk Church modifying trucks for them, they wouldnt even be able to operate vehicles.
In the early days of warfare with Fishbone base, they learned how to install cannons onto their trucks. But faced with the Tiger II, their crude high mobility anti-tank cannons were a joke.
The mostmon anti-tank cannon used on the wastnd was Type-99, produced by deconstructing the primary cannon used on the Type-99 light tank. The Type-99 shells couldnt prate the thick front armor of the Tiger II, however. At most, it could break the belt and destroy the observer hole, but one round of Tiger IIs 5 kg bombs could break the cannon along with the truck into pieces.
So the mutated humans learned the hard way to avoid sending out an armored force. Instead, they chose to take down the cannon and fire at them behind cover.
Because of this, the First Corps didnt encounter any armored force resistance.
The eight hours of battle ended as 20,000 rounds of rockets were unleashed onto 20,000 mutated humans. Scorching mes continued to burn inside the war zone and melted all the steel in the area, although Jia City hadnt directly been struck by a nuclear weapon. Paint and organic construction materials were all unconsumed, but they burned in the mes and emitted toxic fumes into the city.
High temperatures and toxic gas. The city was in shambles.
A lot of mutated humans didnt die from being buried alive or explosions but from the fires and asphyxiation that ensued.
The soldiers who saw the General personally visiting the battlefield erupted into cheers.
[How is authority built?]
While everyone was wondering whether the fort was indestructible or not, you stood in front of all of us. Because of your presence, the indestructible fort copsed.
You are the hero.
All the glory belongs to you.
Theres no need for words.
Its not logic that brings worship but emotion.
Jiang Chen faced the cheering soldiers as he signaled to them that the war wasnt over yet. He wanted them to stand firm on their positions and wait for the order to change.
Jiang Chen took a tour at the frontlines and met all the soldiers there. He and Cheng Weiguo stood in the middle of their area of control while they enjoyed watching the massive fire.
This wasnt a war.
With absolute firepower, it was more appropriate to describe this as a ughter.
How long do you think the fire will burn for? Jiang Chen asked nonchntly.
If it doesnt rain, itll burn until tomorrow, Cheng Weiguo said while looking up at the gloomy clouds in the air.
Then get the soldiers to rest. They wont be fighting for a while. Jiang Chen made the order then headed to themand vehicle.
Roger! Cheng Weiguo saluted and began to make the order on the tablet.
The mes were beginning to lose control, but the situation soon changed at midnight.
Maybe the wailing of mutated humans received mercy from the heavens since a few raindrops began to fall down. With this change, Cheng Weiguo immediately woke the well-rested soldiers and prepared tounch the order to attack.
Gradually, the rain began to pour down.
The grain-size droplets descended from the sky, smothered the mes, hit the muddy ground
Rose from the burning steel and rolled down from the power armors surface.
Charge!
A thunderous shout came from the radio channel as the First Corps battle line began to move forward.
The electrostatic sound of the mortars began to screech in the air as ten lighting bombs rose into the air and lit up the sky near the Sports Center with their orange mes.
The armored force crossed the river and the power armors steel boots extinguished the faint footprints as they marched forward.
The rain washed away the chaos on the ground and cooled off the burning corpses. The soldiers who walked by had to hold their breath - the pungent smell of burnt meat lingered even in the heavy rain.
It wasnt only mutated humans who died under the rockets - thousands of Jia survivors also died as a result. But in the merciless apocalypse, even the previous Defender soldiers rescued from the Seventh Area didnt drop a single tear for the deceased.
Death was the norm.
3,000 soldiers surrounded the Sports Center that stood tall while they prepared to eliminate theirst remaining enemies.
1,000 engineering soldiers were handed rifles to rescue any human captives remaining among the shambles and kill off any undead mutated humans.
Needless to say, the mutated humans were tenacious.
Even in this living hell, there were still a few who survived.
On top of the Tiger II, wearing kic armor, Jiang Chen heard an angry roar in the distance.
In the pouring rain, a mutated human with pitch-ck skin shook off the debris on top of him, swung the power warhammer in his hand, and hit an engineering soldier into the sky like a golf ball.
A lead mutated human!
The three soldiers all raised their rifles in horror as they began to fire, but the deflected bullets clearly showed that all was futile.
Jiang Chen looked at the figure in silence as the lead mutated human reminded him of an unpleasant memory from the past.
He patted the cannon below him and the Tiger II immediately understood.
The vehicle stopped and the cannon began to rotate.
When Jiang Chen met eyes with the mutated human two hundred meters away, the cannon he was sitting on shook violently.
An eerie blue arc ignited as the electromaic pulse bomb fired.
The 5 kg bomb sted through the raindrops and drew a white trail in the midst of the rain. When the white trail faded, the lead mutated human had already been turned into pieces of meat.
The three soldiers sat up and waved at Jiang Chen to thank him for saving them.
Jiang Chen waved back and signaled the Tiger II to continue.
In the rain, the First Corps soldiers surrounded the Sports Center and engaged in battle on the street 300 meters away. When the Tiger II arrived near the frontlines, he jumped down from the tank.
The power armors 20 meters in front of him were firing with their machine guns.
The battle was at a point where it was one-sided. To be honest, Jiang Chen wanted to put on power armor himself to try the thrilling experience ofbat. But when he saw a few enemy rockets smashing a power armor nearby, he quickly gave up on the idea.
Since this wasnt the modern world, power armor wasnt invincible.
A few soldiers ran out and dragged the power armor and the injured soldier out amongst enemy fire.
When he walked to themand vehicle, Jiang Chen took off his helmet to dump out some water and spoke to Cheng Weiguo.
Whats the situation at the frontlines?
Were just closing out. This feels fu*king great.
Hed never fought a more exhrating battle than this.
Jiang Chen grinned.
[This is all my cash - forty million USD to buy the lives of 20,000 mutated humans. If this isnt exhrating, I dont know what to say.]
Once you capture Jia City, leave 1,000 people to defend it - Hangs Merchant Alliance may send people to scout. But with this scene, I dont think theyll have any other ideas. Rest for the night and help Wanghai City tomorrow
Boom!
The explosion in the distance suddenly interrupted Jiang Chen mid-sentence.
Jiang Chen stopped then immediately ran out while putting on his helmet.
Chapter 450 - Or God
Chapter 450: Or God
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
There was a sudden explosion at the frontlines.
A Tiger II was lifted to the sky by a dark green sh.
20 soldiers hidden in the darkness suddenly snuck out as theyunched a surprise attack on the northwest corner of the circle formed by NAC. They continued to push forward while they fired simultaneously. The raindrops exposed their outlines, but their outlines were still unclear in the darkness.
Suddenly, two fist-sized crystals flew out from the darkness. They cast an eerie light before they exploded at the NAC infantrys backlines.
Jiang Chens pupils contracted as he gazed at the explosions in the distance.
He knew exactly what they were.
The ability to explode crystals.
These people belonged to the Dusk!
The soldiers at the northwest corner immediately responded as they started firing at the unknown force.
Its an optical illusion! Bring out your EMPs! A soldier shouted while ripping off his earpiece. He threw an EMP grenade.
The soldiers nearby all followed as they targeted the area with EMP bombardment. The static noise began to diffuse to the surrounding area and revealed the soldiers in ck standing in a triangr formation.
Their ck kic skeletons looked like full-body jumpers and their fluid rifles had a blue light. Judging by the quietness of their shooting, they were using Gauss rifles powered by electromaic eleration.
Just from the details, their equipment definitely wasnt from wastnd factories made with crude techniques; they were probably manufactured before the war!
And they were the elites of the Dusk Church - the Apostles!
The bullets left waves and ripples on the energy shield. After being exposed, the Apostles didnt panic as they searched for cover and scattered around the destroyed Tiger II while engaging in battle with the First Corps soldiers.
The EMP didnt affect their Gauss rifles as their working principle was based on high power currents elerating metal projectiles; the effect of EMP on the flow of currents was almost negligible. The pration power of the Gauss rifle posed a great threat to the soldiers even though the T-3 power armor was enough to defend against the projectiles of the Gauss rifle
But it was futile.
Faced with the Wanderer Tank, everything was futile.
While the Apostles pushed forward to the Sports Center, putting their lives on the line, the sound of an engine humming appeared from behind them.
The concrete wall copsed under the impact. The Wanderer tank previously leading the charge circled behind them.
The particle cannon fired and a blue ball of light exploded in the middle of the Apostles formation. The scattered high energy particles instantly prated through their energy shield. At the same time, the coaxial electrostatic cannon started to unleash its power.
The 2 kg shells swept through at a rapid speed which caused a series of sts in the rain. The cannon forced the Apostles to remain in their position before they were shredded. Faced with the Wanderer tank, their advantage of stealth was no longer existent.
Their fate was determined. The mutated humans and the Dusk had no more fighting chances.
The mutated soldiers at the Sports Center began to retreat while the NAC soldiers at the periphery of the building rushed in.
But then, a green light sparkled and an explosion filled the battlefield again.
The explosion was at the front of the Sports Center gate. The eight soldiers rushing in were blown a street away.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes to see the clouds of dust drifting apart as a figure walked out.
Red dots locked onto that persons body.
Without a doubt, if he dared to make any moves, he would be a sieve in the next second.
What made Jiang Chen uncertain was the still, calm look on his face.
The rain dampened his clothes, the fur on his cor had been turned into a few muddled strands, and his hands were in his pockets.
I want to see your boss.
It was the first thing he said.
Capture him. That was Cheng Weiguos response.
Two soldiers walked up with rifles in hand and pointed straight at his head while marching forward.
Kneel on the ground and put your hands above your head!
The person sighed.
Is this how you worship a god?
As the voice died, the scene suddenly took a turn.
As if they were being directed by an invisible hand, two steel beams on the ground rose. Before the two soldiers could realize what happened, they were prated by the soaring beams.
Even Jiang Chen was shocked by the scene.
Kill him! Cheng Weiguo shouted.
The shocked soldiers turned angry as they immediately pressed their triggers.
Their bullets flew, but they all stopped in front of the stranger like flies stuck in a spider web. Like a scene from the Matrix, Jiang Chens expression turned solemn.
[What kind of technology is this?]
Seeing as the bullets were useless, Cheng Weiguo waved his hand.
With hismand, the Tiger II rushed in and targeted the Type-50 electromaic cannon at the gate.
The person smiled at the sight and opened his jacket.
The shining gems dangling inside his jacket reflected an eerie dark red.
When Jiang Chen saw this, his pupils instantly shrunk.
Stop!
Jiang Chen ordered.
Cheng Weiguo looked at Jiang Chen in shock as he didnt understand the decision.
The person smiled with pleasure and raised the shing red ring on his hand.
Jiang Chen, I know youre here. Come out! Dont you want to chat with me?
Blood crystal was a substance with the same structure as crystal but possessed a thousand times the energy. Just a thumb-sized piece could create energy equivalent to one kilogram of tritium going through nuclear fusion.
Jiang Chen heard Lin Lin say that Klein particles in the third dimension was only the tip of the iceberg in terms of its actual energy. Because of this, when Sun Xiaorou tried to assassinate him, just a few small crystals managed to create destructive power simr to a bomb.
The ability to explode the crystals worked by releasing all the energy of the Klein particles. Therefore, once he blew up the blood crystal, the energy released would be far greater than the energy released through one kilogram of tritium in nuclear fusion.
Therefore, for each of the blood crystals in hisp, each of them had powerparable to a hydrogen bomb.
Jiang Chen counted. Including the ring on his finger, he had a total of 121 blood crystals.
Cheng Weiguo saw Jiang Chen walking forward and immediately grabbed him.
General! You cant
Jiang Chen shook his head, signaling Cheng Weiguo not to worry. He insisted on moving forward.
Watching Jiang Chen walk to him, the person smiled joyfully.
Of course you know your stuff.
Cheng Weiguo watched Jiang Chen walking to the stranger without any protection. He gulped with uneasiness then signaled the sniper beside him. The sniper understood and raised his sniper rifle cautiously.
Jiang Chen nced at the bodies prated by the beams then looked at the person.
Introduce yourself.
Seeing as Jiang Chen wasnt scared at all, the persons smile became brighter and brighter.
Bo Yu - Yu for space. Or you can call me pope or God.
Chapter 451 - 121 Hydrogen Bombs
Chapter 451: 121 Hydrogen Bombs
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The rain fell rhythmically. The droplets shined under the light bomb, scattering a blood-like texture. The two stood across from each other in the front of the Sports Center, eyes fixed on each other in silence.
[God?]
Jiang Chen scoffed at the thought.
[How childish would you be to consider yourself a God?]
Boo Yu didnt seem to mind Jiang Chens scoff as he smiled.
I have to respect you for the fact that you made me show my trump card. Im really curious as to where you got those rockets. As far as I know, no countries before the war were bored enough to use the boring non-guided missiles.
A task that could bepleted by a single guided missile obvious didnt need a bunch of non-guided missiles toplete. These non-guided missiles left history in the mid-21st century, so it made sense for Boo Yu to bepletely oblivious to the source.
I managed to find creativity in history. Outdated doesnt mean useless. Jiang Chen grinned and gave a vague answer.
Is that so? Boo Yu shrugged.
But you, how did you manage to do it? Jiang Chen nced at the steel beams and bullets on the ground. He was intrigued.
Bo Yu seemed to have heard an interesting question as he suddenly burst outughing.
The arrogantughter echoed inside the Sports Center, clear but strange.
Looks like you know nothing about power.
Jiang Chen didnt respond as he only apathetically looked at the smile on his face. He seemed to have finishedughing as he retracted his arrogance.
Fine, because you answered a question for me, Ill tell you. Have you heard of the hidden gic code?
[Hidden Gic Code?]
I have heard about it, Jiang Chen said emotionlessly.
[He already unlocked the second level.]
Did you try to unlock the third level? Bo Yu said mysteriously.
The third level?
Thats right. The hidden gic code is someone human ancestors possessed, but through the process of evolution, it was eventually lost. The reason why they lost the ability was not of its weakness or extraneousness, but rather because they were too powerful, therefore they were bnced out by nature. Bo Yu stared at Jiang Chens eyes with a smile and raised one of his hand, Just like this.
The bullets began to float from the ground and concentrate in his palm before slowing forming a mini hurricane.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows at the supernatural scene.
Telekinesis?
No, no, no. That is too unprofessional of a way to describe it, with bullets in hand, Bo Yu shook a finger, This is just a different way of using Klein particles. It uses the third-dimensional physics phenomenon to disrupt the coordinate location.
So your ability is to detect Klein particles? Jiang Chen said musingly.
Klein particles disruption to a third-dimensional phenomenon. Speaking of which, he remembered that the Klein particles that Tingting fired could destroy electronic equipment, could that be a method of disruption?
The disruption to electron movement.
Just as Jiang Chen thought about this, he noticed the shing ring in his hand.
[Wait, if his ability is to disrupt Klein particles, then his ability muste from]
Sense, disrupt, and control. Bo Yu smiled. Just like what you saw, I can make kic energy stop at will, and I can create maic fields out of thin air. I be the God of this world by unlocking the third level! And technologys power will allow me to gift my power to my followers.
I originally wanted to use the 121 hydrogen bombs I have on me to force you to help me leave, but now I have changed my mind.
I respect your ability, with your help, my n will be much easier.
What do you think? Do you long for this power? Do you long for leaving the barren wastnd?
Join us. I will give you a ticket, and I will gift you the ability to intervene with nature.
Bo Yu said, his voice maniptive while gazing into Jiang Chens pupils.
[Join him?]
The project to leave for a new world had not the slightest attractiveness to Jiang Chen. He could freely traverse between the modern world and the apocalypse. But Jiang Chen didnt immediately reject him but instead became immersed in thought.
[121 hydrogen bombs.
Even if they explode in Jia City, it could easily wipe off the province of Suhang from the map.]
You have no other choice. I already activated the 121 blood crystals in my body. Once they leave my control, they will explode like grenades. Seeing Jiang Chen was silent, Bo Yu advanced.
Jiang Chen looked up in the sky.
The fifteen light bombs dangling nearby seemed to be reaching their limit.
What are you looking at it? Bo Yu frowned.
Nothing, I agree to work with you. Jiang Chen suddenly smiled and extended his hand.
Bo Yu paused for a moment as Jiang Chens smile gave him an ominous feeling. But feeling the hefty weight on his body, he felt calm again.
[I dont care what kind of tricks you y, I have nukes strapped on me.
Bo Yu opened his hand and let the bullets slide down as he shook Jiang Chens hand.
Wee, myrade.
Haha, wee. Jiang Chen warmly shook his hand as mischievousness suddenly shed across Jiang Chens eyes as he put his finger casually on his sleeve.
The light bombs in the air began to fade as the shadow projected down the wall began to gradually disguise the twos figure.
Suddenly, Bo Yu was alerted.
Before he could react, he felt the weight on his body disappear as his ring and jacket all vanished into thin air.
How, how is that possible?!
Bo Yu backed up feeling wholly shaken while pulling out the pistol around his waist.
He could no longer use his ability after losing the ring, although his mind was inplete chaos after witnessing the supernatural activity, he knew one thing clear. If he wanted to live, he must control the man in front of him.
But before he could even raise his pistol, a soaring light de chopped off his arm
AHHHH!
The deafening scream echoed in the giant stadium, Bo Yu tumbled and fell to the ground. He held onto his severed right arm; his limbs twitched in pain.
Jiang Chen hid away theser sword in his hand while he used his earpiece to order Cheng Weiguo toe in. He then walked toward Bo Yu.
The leader that referred to himself as God had the muscles on his facepletely twisted in pain. White foam fizzed out from his mouth as his calm and collected persona vanished.
Looks like I just slew God. Jiang Chen kicked away the pistol on the ground and looked down on the leader of Dusk.
This counted as revenge for Sun Xiaorou and Sun Jiao.
The high temperature of theser de burned his wound. He didnt lose too much blood. Because of this, Jiang Chen could ask a few more questions.
This is impossible, my blood crystals You hid them. Haha, its okay Without my control, they will blow you all to pieces and die with me. Bo Yu moved back while locking his eyes on Jiang Chen as words came stuttering out.
You could speak already? Unfortunately, they disappeared from this world, Jiang Chen scorned.
Bo Yus eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.
Thats impossible.
Do you want to know why? Jiang Chen smile.
Bo Yu curled up on the ground gulped and nodded.
Then tell me first about Fallout Shelter 071. Or, why would you chose Sun Xiaorou?
It was what puzzled Jiang Chen the most. [If he had granted Sun Xiaorous ability, why would he choose her and imnt a chip to block her memory?]
When Bo Yu heard her name, Bo Yu took a moment to process it before realizing.
Oh, you are talking about the assassin I sent? What a useless- AHHHH!
Dont bullsheet me. Jiang Chen said apathetically as he stabbed theser sword into his toe.
The sharp pain almost made Bo Yu unconscious.
He had never experienced such pain. Sweat began to roll down from his forehead as he said while howling and screaming.
Ill say it, Ill say it!
Jiang Chen stopped and looked at him.
Fallout Shelter 071, there is a live PAC specimen there. Holding onto his severed limb, Bo Yus muscles tightened up as his words came right out.
Specimen? Jiang Chen frowned.
There was hesitation in Bo Yus eyes, but when he saw theser sword dangling in Jiang Chens hand, he decided to reveal the secret.
Among the 500 survivors, there is an eternal life code hidden among them.
[Eternal life!]
Jiang Chen waspletely stunned, but there was no expression on his face as he said nonchntly.
Oh, did you find it?
No people of influence could escape the temptation of eternal life, and Jiang Chen was not an exception.
Bo Yus twisted face squeezed out a smile.
Haha, guess?
Dont waste time. Jiang Chen said emotionlessly with theser sword pointed at his nose, Based on the value of the information you provided, I can consider letting you live.
Hehe, then why dont you just kill me. Bo Yu said with a grim smile, You really think I will fall for your trick? You only have two choices; kill me and loss all the clues or let me live in exchange for a clue.
The truth-telling liquid was useless to anyone injected with the gic vine. If he didnt say anything, Jiang Chen had no better ways of obtaining the information in his head.
[Capture him first before interrogation?]
But just then, drowsiness began to overwhelm him.
He felt a burning sensation from his wrist.
With uh oh in his mind, theser sword pointed at Bo Yu nose slid down from his hand.
Without screaming, theser sword prated Bo Yus head.
Trying his hardest to maintain his fallen consciousness, Jiang Chen pressed on the earpiece and said help me to Cheng Weiguo before dropping to the ground.
The 121 blood crystals finally exploded.
But it was not in this world. It was inside Jiang Chens storage dimension.
Chapter 452 - Collapse
Chapter 452: Copse
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Among the hazy chaos.
The 121 crimson dots began to expand and illuminated the 30 cubic meters sub-dimension.
The light was getting brighter and brighter and gradually swallowed all the items inside the storage dimension and expanded to the edge of the space.
All the energy inside was trapped by the invisible force field inside the tiny space. The entire sub-dimension was like a paper box that quarantined all the energy released from the 121 hydrogen bombs.
The blinding light expanded against the invisible wall in an attempt to break through the boundary and spread further.
The 121 blood crystals were like a dam that was cracking; the violently diffused energy unleashed into the third-dimensional space. Followed by the Klein particles constant decay to the third dimension, inside the 30 cubic meters space, the pressure against the boundary was evenparable to the pressure inside a star.
It was just like a sun squeezed into 30 cubic meters.
The restraint was absolute, despite the massive amount of energy, they could not leak out from the sub-dimension.
Suddenly, the energy filling the space came to a halt as it stopped pressurizing the space boundary.
With the force of gravity, once the photon concentration exceeded the threshold. They could no longer escape, but rather began to copse toward the middle
The light that filled the space shrunk to a single point. That one point was darker than any material in the natural world because no light could escape its constraint nor its gravity field.
Is that a ck hole?
Jiang Chen stared nkly at the changes in the space. He wanted to reach for the ck dot, but he realized he had no hands at all.
After fallen unconscious, his consciousness appeared in the dimension.
Before, even if he could store and sense the items in the subdimension, which he referred to as the storage dimension, he never examined it closely.
And now, he could allow all his consciousness to flow into the dimension and observe everything inside.
This dimension is not cubical nor spherical, but rather Uh, what exactly is it? Jiang Chen frowned as he searched for the right word to describe the ce.
Without any shape, it was purelyprised of an invisible gravitational force used to restrain all matters inside the 30 cubic meters space.
Space was free of shape. The only limitation was the size of the matter inside the space.
Jiang Chen shook his head and gave up on the idea of naming the dimension. He started to observe the ck dot.
The 121 blood crystalspletely vanished, all the Klein particles decayed into energy visible in the third dimension.
Jiang Chen quietly viewed the ck dot while patiently waiting for its change.
But a long time passed, and no change urred.
But even then, Jiang Chen could sense that the ck dots dimension was stillpressing. Only because its shape was beingpressed by its own gravitational force to the shape of the space, it was difficult to physically observe its change.
If there was a physicist here, he may fall into shock or even frenzy, and gaze onto this miracle.
Gravitational copse!
It was gravitational copse!
Any of the small changes that urred there could cause an earthquake in the world of physics.
But Jiang Chen, who stood there, was only an engineer that forgot most of his knowledge. Not only did heck any understanding, but he also did not have any desire to pursue. He only spent the time observing the ck dot because he had nothing else to do
It was not the first time he wasted a valuable opportunity.
But then, an odd urrence appeared in his storage dimension.
The ck dot where not even light could escape began to use its force to twist and shred the dimension.
At the same time, Jiang Chen shockingly discovered that the boundary that restrained the sub-dimension began to loosen.
He was first ecstatic, but his mood took a rollercoaster ride down to the bottom.
The boundary did indeed begin to shake.
But it was not being expanded outward, but being dragged in by the ck dot with infinitelyrge density and infinitely small dimensions.
Jiang Chen didnt know what to feel.
My storage dimension will be pulled to form a singrity? Jiang Chen wanted to stop everything from happening, but he could not interfere with the changes.
Throw the ck dot outside?
Jiang Chen instantly rejected the idea as cold sweat dripped down.
Creating a ck hole on earth, the ce would no longer be an apocalypse, but doomsday.
Just as he was pained by the idea that his storage dimension disappearing, the ck dot exploded.
The big bang urred.
If a physicist were here, he would fall unconscious due to the excitement.
Because at that instant, Jiang Chen witnessed the birth of a universe.
Whenpressed to the limit, the motion of photons turn into an absolute static state. The photon without mass instantly lose all its energy when it stopped moving. The ck dot lost its energy, the infinitelyrge density instantly returned to zero, and the gravity that warped space vanished too.
The big bang caused by the gravitational copse caused a sudden transition from the sub-dimension to a dimension.
Jiang Chen witnessed everything that urred in front of his eyes with astonishment before his consciousness slowly returned to his body
He opened his eyes and realized that he was in a room.
Cheng Weiguo sat beside him.
General! You are finally awake! Seeing Jiang Chen wake up, Cheng Weiguo instantly turned joyous as he immediately got closer.
How long was I unconscious for?
Two days!
Mhm Where is this ce? Jiang Chen scanned his surroundings.
This is Shenxiang Town, I followed your order and left 1000 soldiers to defend Jia before taking the rest of the soldiers and armored forces back to Wanghai. Cheng Weiguo immediately responded.
We won?
We won! Cheng Weiguo nodded in excitement.
[We won but everything feels surreal.]
Jiang Chen reminiscenced about the final showdown and what happened in the storage dimension.
General, please dont do something dangerous like this again. If anything happens to you, your Miss will blow our heads off, Cheng Weiguo said with a bitter expression.
Jiang Chen only smiled.
[If it were not for me, who threw the 121 blood crystals into the storage dimension, the entire Suhang province would have been wiped out from the map, never mind you.]
Of course, he would not exin this to them. Only a few members of the NAC knew that the Dusk could explode crystals. As to his storage dimension ability, only Sun Jiao, Yao Yao, and Lin Lin knew, even Sun Xiaorou didnt know as he hasnt had the opportunity to tell her.
Where did the eight mounted rocketuncher vehicles go? Jiang Chen asked.
The vehicles are deployed to Shenxiang; the remaining solid fuel rockets are still being transported. General, are you hungry, should I bring you some food?
With how caring Cheng Weiguo was, Jiang Chen shook his head.
No need. Leave me alone for now. I just want to lie here for a bit Also, did you report that I was unconscious?
No, I was about to.
No need.
Okay. Cheng Weiguo was relieved too.
When he left, he closed the door for Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen rested for a moment before he picked up his EP and began to check his body stats.
All body functions were normal without any physical damage.
Then, Jiang Chen instantly disappeared from the bed before returning to bed in the next second.
The interdimensional traveling ability was functional.
Feeling relieved, he submerged his consciousness into the storage dimension.
Jiang Chens mouth twitched at the sight.
There was nothing inside.
Including a power armor, some grenades, the PK2000 he used for a while two protective suits, a few instant noodles, and snacks
Everything was destroyed in the big explosion.
Jiang Chen sighed.
He was not pained by the loss of weapons and foods.
But all the debit card, ID, and drivers license must be obtained once again. He would also have to obtain a new set of keys and a new phone
He was used to tossing everything into the storage dimension. Now everything inside had been melted down.
Whatever, it is a good time for new things. I will ask Yao Yao to create a new phone for me, Jiang Chen let a sigh as he muttered to himself while staring nkly at the ceiling.
Other than that, there was an increase in his sense of the storage dimension, as he could not only submerge his consciousness into the pitch ck space, but he could also use his consciousness to interfere with the matter inside.
For example, he could control a pair of nonexistent hands inside the dimension to move the location of the vase he threw inside.
The vase reappeared in his hand.
Jiang Chen opened the life signal detector on the EP and lowered the frequency identification range. Staring into the EP screen, Jiang Chen was silent before he sighed.
[Still could not carry creatures?]
Jiang Chen shook his head and let his consciousness continue to sink into the dimension to feel more of the suspended feeling.
But then, he was shocked by his discovery.
[Eh?]
[When did my storage dimension get so big?]
Chapter 453 - An End to the West Line
Chapter 453: An End to the West Line
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The storage dimension somehow reenacted the Big Bang.
The previous 30 cubic meters dimension expanded ten times, and it was now 300 cubic meters already! The previous sub-dimension only restrained by gravity now turned into a universe! And the universe was expanding outward at a hardly visible speed!
A spherical dimension 300 square meters in volume with a radius of 4.146 meters.
Outside of the spherical was just space.
It was minusculepared to the actual universe, Jiang Chen referred to it as small universe for now.
He knew with time; the small universe will eventually be somethingparable to the actual universe.
Although it may take billions of years
But what fascinated Jiang Chen was not the slowly expanding size.
He had an inexplicable feeling that the transition between emptiness to defined state was the key to him bringing people through interdimensional travel.
Jiang Chen rested until morning. He moved his body around in the room after waking up, seeing that there was no difort, he headed out.
The soldier stationed outside the door saluted when he saw Jiang Chen and took him to the temporarymand post of the First Corps under his request.
When he saw Cheng Weiguo, he started to ask about the status of the First Corps.
First, it began with the loot.
The 300,000 tons of Grade C steel far exceeded the expected 200,000; the Sixth Street investors would cheer at this fact. At the same time, the First Crops obtained 50,000-tons of Grade A steel from the newly built warehouse in Jia, as well asrge amounts of Type-99 anti-tank cannons, mortars as well as other heavy weapons. The looted steels would be used by the factories in Fishbone base to produce Tiger II tanks. The regr weapons were left in Jia and were guarded by the 1000 First Corps soldiers.
On the other hand, the kic skeletons and Gauss rifles remains used by the Apostles were collected by Cheng Weiguo. After the end of the mutants flood, the pieces would be sent to Fallout Shelter 027 for technological recreation.
Optical illusion, Gauss rifle, Jiang Chen had been thirsty for these technologies for a long time but never obtained the design blueprint for them. Although he didnt know where the Dusk managed to obtain such technology, they belonged to him now. The loot from a technological point of view was pleasing too.
Bo Yu died. This marked the end of the Dusk and the big problem was finally solved.
The only regret was that the secret of Fallout Shelter 071 would be carried into the grave along with the death of Bo Yu. If he wanted to know, he would have to search for the remaining members of the Dusk, or personally investigate the abandoned remains of fallout shelter 071.
In the nuclear fallout shelter under the Sports Center, the NAC soldiers killed the leader of the mutated humans, Troy, as well as the remaining mutated humans in the Seventh Area. All the mutated humans in the Seventh Area were eliminated. After capturing the Seventh Area and Jia, Cheng Weiguo ordered all mutated humans vial to be destroyed as well as the FEV form.
Therefore, the problem that bothered Wanghai for so long was finally removed. The business route to the west would be open again.
By next year spring, endless amount of merchants would traverse to the treasurend, Wanghai, with their shining crystals and delicate goods.
On the other hand, only ten thousand Defenders were saved from Jia. They all expressed their interest in joining NAC, even though 50,000 died under the rain of destruction.
It was human nature for the weak to worship the strong.
If they were protected by a powerful force, they wouldnt have needed to experience that kind of hardship in the first ce. So they pleaded Cheng Weiguo to shelter them, even as NAC ves.
Cheng Weiguo didnt immediately agree. He only expressed that he would pass their request on to the general.
Jiang Chen considered it for two seconds before epting them. Then he selected a few people who looked clever to look after the ten thousand people from the First Division and to start rebuilding in Jia.
Jia was the gateway to Wanghai from the west. Jiang Chen was debating if it should be dered a military zone or economic zone.
But after discussing with Chu Nan on the phone, Jiang Chen made the final decision.
He established Jia as an economic zone andpletely abandoned the Seventh Area. This way, the merchants that pass through the area couldplete simple supplying. On the other hand, Jiang Chen requested the temporary director of Jia to investigate the state of the maglev track.
If they could repair the maglev track from Jias rail station and link it with Wanghais rail station, the time between Jia to Wanghai would drastically shorten. The merchants from Hai heading to Su and Changzhou would indeed favor taking Wanghais route and abandon traversing the barrennd to the east of Lake Dingshan.
At the end of the call, Jiang Chen briefly asked about the current status of the Sixth Street. He knew that they were in a precarious state, hanging on by a thread.
Currently,rge numbers of dangerous mutants appeared from east of the Sixth Street, and the long defense line brought immense pressure to the soldiers defending. Just yesterday, the north door was attacked by a group of Death ws.
It was a cmity.
It was not difficult for the Death w to hop onto the wall. But to the survivors, all the anti-tank cannon or rocketunchers could damage the Death w.
If we cannot receive assistance within four days, we will have to abandon the Outer Circle wall and retreat to the Inner Circle. The mutants in the rural area have be more and more powerful. The fuel storage in the Sixth Street is also running short Chu Nan said difficulty.
Dont worry. Latest this afternoon, everything will end. Jiang Chenughed on the phone.
Chu Nan raised his eyebrows, puzzled. He didnt know the massivemotion Jiang Chen caused on the East line. But with how confident Jiang Chen sounded, he still stated that he would do his best to defend while waiting for backup to arrive.
The source of Jiang Chens confidence was simple.
[20 thousand solid fuel rockets to bring on the rain of destruction.]
[Regardless if it is zombies or Death ws, any carbon-based life form must die!]
Jiang Chen hung up the phone and looked toward Cheng Weiguo waiting on the side.
When will the 20 thousand rockets be ready?
It has been ready since an hour ago, waiting for your order.
Jiang Chen nodded pleasingly.
What about the armored force?
Prepared to enter the battle! Cheng Weiguo raised his chest.
It was time to end everything.
Jiang Chen looked at the hologram map hovering on the table and a grin formed on his face.
Tell everyone to get ready. Bring the weapons and lets go home!
Chapter 454 - The Fire
Chapter 454: The Fire
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Outside of the east gate of the Sixth Street, broken limbs were scattered on the ground. The thickened blood and zombie fat mixture formed a hard shell and covered any visible surface.
A soldier on the wall gulped and slightly moved his finger on the trigger. The tragedy and disgust under the wall made his skull feel numb.
The sentry guns on the wall moved at a uniform speed with the red sight scanning outside of the wall, searching for any suspicious target. The higher towers were installed with Type-50 electromaic pulse cannon or Type-99 anti-tank cannon. The soldiers responsible for firing were taking a nap beside the cannon as a lot of them havent closed their eyes for over 24 hours.
They are almost here.
Inside themand tower, Zhao Gang gazed at the red dot on the hologram screen with his eyebrows twisted together. The drones captured the mutants distribution outside of Wanghai. The red boxbeled Bug Vehicle gave him an ominous feeling.
As an ex-Qingpu survivor who survived for over ten years on the wastnd, he knew exactly what the Bug Vehicle was. He hid into the Sixth Street along with his father that year to survive through the first mutants flood.
The First Corps is still not here. Chu Nan also looked tense beside him.
They already left from Shenxiang, but with their current speed, they may not arrive until tomorrow.
This is an absolute disaster, Chu Nan looked at the halted blue dots on the map as he eximed.
When he was a pilot at Liuding, he never met something like the mutants flood. The mutants flood seemed to be only limited tond as the mutants in the ocean didnt exhibit any oddity. Therefore, the Bohai that was stationed beside the harbor would only need to retract the foldable suspension bridge for the zombies and mutants to be stuck onnd.
The asional mutants that could fly onto the dock were killed off by soldiers or power armors holding methrowers without the need for him as a pilot to head to the front line.
This was a disaster to start with. Zhao Gang stared outside the wall.
Another round of mutants attack began!
Its the Bug Vehicle!
Followed by a shout, all the soldiers napping woke up and stared down the wall.
On the soft but powerful bug body was a shell as durable as a rock. The shell as smooth as the mirror surface protected its weak head and fragile body. It crawled at an even speed, leaving a disgusting white trial on the concrete surface. It was just like a giant snail with its head covered, but it was not afraid of salt
It could easily climb over high walls and swallow any of live creatures along its path.
Machine guns fire! Cannons prepare to shoot, fast!
Tatatata!
The soldier kneeling behind cover fired the machinegun and unleashed its fire along with hisrades. The sparks reflected on his face vividly disyed his look of despair.
Bullets sttered and only left thin dents on the surface of the Bug Vehicle. The dense calcium shell was formed from the inteyer of graphene and hexagonal silicon mesh, which was close to the strength of B Grade steel, and the thickness of the shell close to 500mm was like a wall.
The Type-99 anti-tank cannon fired. A bright orange shell soared through the sky. But when it hit the snail shell, it was deflected at a 90 degrees angle.
Fu*k, it bounced off!
With a loud roar, the soldiers reloaded.
At the same time, the Type-50 electromaic pulse cannon unleashed its blue electric arc and the 5 kg bomb instantly vaporized the shell. In front of the Bug Vehicle that rendered all anti-armor bullets useless, only the electromaic cannon posed a threat.
The problem was the limited number of electromaic cannons deployed in the Sixth Street. Only four cannons were distributed to each wall with each cannon responsible for defending a defense line of over a thousand meters. But there were at least hundreds of Bug Vehicles attacking the north wall.
The Bug Vehicle that lost its shell didnt die yet. It crawled on the ground like a snail before quickly dying under the machine guns fire.
A soldier with a rocketuncher kneeled down by the wall and aimed at the Bug Vehicle closest to him.
Target Locked.
He pressed the trigger.
The exhaust burst out as the rocketunched five meters out before readjusting course and sting into the sky. Five secondster, the rocket smashed down like a meteor and prated the shell of the locked on Bug Vehicle. The snail shell suddenly stopped in its track before it was blown three meters into the air and the bug hidden inside was instantly shredded to pieces.
Nice shot!
The soldier beside him gave him a thumbs up. He grinned, removed the one-time useuncher, and took out anotheruncher from the box beside him to install it onto the guidance device.
Red Arrow-42, one of the few weapons that could damage the Bug Vehicle other than the electromaic cannon.
With the assistance of anti-tank weapons, the battle began to turn as the Bug Vehicles close to reaching the wall were being wiped out. But Zhao Gang in themand tower still had his eyebrows knitted in a frown.
A total of 251 red dots were on the screen, but there were only 100 Red Arrow-42 rockets in storage. The weapon costing 4000 crystals was too expensive for the Sixth Street to have in high reserve.
At that time, themunication device connected through.
Hello? Seeing it was Jiang Chen, he immediately picked up.
Get ready to look at the fireworks. Jiang Chenughed.
Zhao Gang was still processing as to what was going on. But half a minuteter, themunication device dropped from his hand onto the ground. Staring out the window, his pupils began to widen. His mouth moved up and down in disbelief as he could not search for a single word that could describe his state.
Beside him, Chu Nans expression was nheless simr
On the wall, a soldier heard the roaring sound from a distance and raised his head.
Look! What is that? A person shouted out and pointed to the southwestern sky.
Dense ck dots with long smoke trails.
The anti-air machine guns pointed in that direction in caution, but when they saw that those were not mutants, everyone widened their eyes in disbelief.
The rockets smashed down like raindrops and covered the area behind the Sixth Street.
Suddenly, the scorching me columns shot into the sky and instantly engulfed the battlefield. It swallowed the two hundred something Bug Vehicles as well as the zombies and mutants flooding toward the Sixth Street.
The shell of the Bug Vehicle could easily deflect the rocket and withstand the st of the explosion, but it could not withstand the thousand degrees high temperature. Their outside remained intact, but the soft body inside was cooked before turning into carbon dust.
The swarming fire and the thick smoke that covered the sun. Under the rain of destruction, no mutants survived.
Feeling the high heat and burnt smell drifted to their nose. The soldiers on the high wall stared at the scene nkly as their rifles rolled out of their hand without knowing.
Momentster, someone spoke the first sentence.
This is insane.
Indeed.
What is that The soldiers voice was trembling.
Hell?
PerhapsIt is our people.
Without a doubt.
Feeling the scorching heat whiff to the tip of his nose, hisrade beside him closed the safety and lowered the rifle in his hand.
If this existed, rifles no longer served a purpose.
A Death w dashed out from the fire. It rolled on the ground in pain, but the mixed fuel that stuck to its body could not be extinguished. Rolling and turning around didnt help but made it burned faster. Slowly, it no longer twitched, it only scratched the concrete with its ws in agony.
No one bothered with the Death w, because everyone knew it could no longer survive.
In the distance, rockets continued to soar through the sky.
In themand tower, Zhao Gang and Chu Nan gazed at the fire in the distance.
The sky in the distance turned red.
But they didnt know if it was the dusk or the fire that illuminated the sky.
Chapter 455 - Watching the Firework together
Chapter 455: Watching the Firework together
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Liuding, the deck of the Bohai Aircraft Carrier.
The limping zombies wandered near the port, and their whitened pupils were nkly fixed on the aircraft carrier in the distance. The deck of the aircraft carrier was filled with survivors, most of them came from the east of Wanghai.
When the mutants flood arrived, the weak survivors often chose to join more powerful settlements, or some just chose to migrate out of the city. Liuding in the ocean was without a doubt their primary choice since zombies and mutants that lived onnd couldnt do anything to the aircraft carrier city in the sea.
For these survivors, Liudings official stance was also weing. The official government designated a living area and provided them with drinking water and nutrient supplies. Of course, these services were not free. Including the ticket to board, all the protection must be exchange with crystals.
A middle-aged man in uniform and a general cap stood up straight with his hands behind his back. He gazed into the sky in the distance.
Rockets?
Yes And it should be napalm rockets, With a rifle in hand, the soldier beside him replied.
The General didnt say a single word and only stared at the mes ascending afar.
After a moment, he cursed out in a low voice.
Fu*k, where did they get so much fuel?
The powerful NAC was indeed a threat to Liuding. If this massive amount of rockets flew toward Liuding, he knew too well that even with the electromaic andser anti-missile systems, they had no possibility of surviving.
With the rockets that absolutely had no technological capability, the cutting-edge countermeasures such as electronic hacking and electromaic were simply invalid. Theser anti-missile systems could also at most destroy three or four rockets. In front of hundreds of missiles, it was a joke.
The soldier beside him didnt speak. He slowly took a deep breath and watched the rockets fiesta in the distance with a stiff expression.
It was already getting darker. The General abruptly asked.
How long did they fire for?
They started from dusk, the soldier who recollected his thought replied.
After a momentary silence, the General turned around and left the deck.
These bastards, they will blow all the radiation dust from the city center to here. Prepare to activate the anti-radiation sail.
Yes! The soldier saluted while watching the General.
At the same time, the survivors not far away were also on the edge of the aircraft carrier, gazing at the mes in the sky.
They whispered to each other and discussed everything that was happening onnd.
Did NAC do all of this?
Should be Thats the Sixth Streets direction.
Men, women, elder, children Almost everyone gazed in the same direction.
Their pupils reflected the bright red fireworks.
It was the me of order.
They saw hope.
At the same time, in the space 36000 kilometers from the surface.
The debris of satellites and space stations quietly rotated along the synchronized orbit and formed into a steelary ring. Just from the sheer sight, it was easy to catch a glimpse of the tragic battle that erupted there.
Among the space junks, a ship cruised among them.
Inside the ship lied a figure.
Oh? Very interesting.
Through theyer of ss, he narrowed his eyes while watching the spark of me on earth. The me from Wanghai was visible even in orbit.
At the same time, the pleasant female electronic voice began to y.
Okay, but I dont think I will need it. Lin Chaoen spoke to the program that could not reply before he clicked on theunch pad.
Lin Chaoen ignored the voice as he inputted the password beside the ss hatch.
The steel opening popped up as the emergencyunch button appeared. He pped the red button.
Following the sound of air dispersing, the hatch door gradually opened.
As a robot madepletely of mechanical parts, he didnt mind the vacuum environment and was obviously unfearful of the radiation source. He pulled the graphene and attached the metal hook around his waist. Lin Chaoen put on the booster and bounced out into space.
He watched the silent space station floating in space as a smile appeared on his face.
It was a cane.
A cane that granted absolute authority.
Besides theunch vehicle, Jiang Chen had a cigarette in his mouth as he watched the flying rockets.
It was already night time, but the sky was still bright.
The BM-21 rockets continued to unleash its power as the solid fuel rockets covered the west rural area all the way to the city center. Millions of zombies and mutants died under Stalins Organ. Just with the body of flesh, he didnt believe that any creature would survive in this hell.
It was quite funny, but he suddenly remembered thest time Sun Jiao, and he yed together in the virtual reality game. She seemed to have used a spell and scorched the entire beginners vige.
The feeling of magic?
Jiang Chen raised the cigarette with his two fingers as he grinned and extended his hand into the night sky filled with rockets.
The Fireball Rain started because of his order. If he interpreted the order as a spell, then he was indeed a magician.
The magician that possessed power.
Cheng Weiguo who stood on the side had his hands behind his back. He pretended not to see the Generals childish moves.
Whats in the city center? Jiang Chen suddenly spoke out.
Cheng Weiguo first took a moment to process before a wry smile appeared.
I dont know, I heard that when the rumor of Gods Cane was in the city center, the furthest the survivors reached was the Changning area which is still five kilometers away from the city center. It was all ruins there with a giant nuclear crater in the middle. Only dangerous mutants or extremely mutated creatures would appear there.
Is no one curious what is there? It shouldnt be that difficult to send a drone to investigate. Jiang Chen killed the cigarette and threw it on the ground.
To be honest, after being injected with the gic vine, he didnt really smoke anymore. But when it was too boring to wait, he would asionally have one or two.
The drones cant enter the area, or I should say no electronic equipment could enter. Cheng Weiguo shook his head.
[EMP?]
[Using EMP through a creatures body? Thats too obscure.]
As Jiang Chen thought about this, he raised his eyebrows in question as he reached for his pack of cigarette only to realize it was empty.
He wanted to look in his storage dimension, but he remembered that there was absolutely nothing inside.
Cheng Weiguo immediately walked up and took out his own.
Jiang Chen smiled and grabbed one for himself.
I will give it back to you.
Haha, General, you gave it to me. Cheng Weiguo smiled.
With the cigarette in his mouth, Jiang Chen didnt light it up. He gazed into the me in the distance, pondering.
[No, the creature couldunch EMP orunch Klein particles.]
Tingting inside Lin Lins body could do that too.
Speaking of which, he never really understood.
[The bug that the artificial intelligence talked about, what exactly was it?]
Chapter 456 - Coming Home
Chapter 456: Coming Home
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
When thest rocket ascended, it was already midnight.
The 20,000 napalm rockets were allunched.
The zing fire covered everything from the rural areas to the city center and vanquished all life in the vicinity.
When the concentration of zombies and mutants dropped below a certain threshold, the mutant flood would stop. The zombies and mutants in the western half of the city would meet this condition.
Will the fire be extinguished by tomorrow? Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes as he looked at the thick smoke and light of the mes.
It should stop, Cheng Weiguo said. Wanghai was struck by nuclear warheads before, so most of the materials shouldve burned already. Once the rocket fuel ispletely consumed along with the zombie fat and lipid, the fire should stop then.
The armored force was mobilized in the morning to clear out the road from Shenxiang to Fishbone base. They shouldve arrived by now. Once Jiang Chen took care of all the necessary things, it would be time to return to the base.
Jiang Chen nodded and threw away the cigarette in his hand.
Mhmm, you can head back now.
Cheng Weiguo saluted and turned around.
Jiang Chen kneeled down as he stared at the dry soil. He seemed to be searching for something.
An ant caught his attention.
It waved its tentacles, searching the ground for something. At the same time, a finger stopped in front of it. Its two tentacles touched it before the ant vanished from this world.
The next second, the ant reappeared again, but it was no longer moving.
It still cant transport any live creatures? Jiang Chen looked at the dead ant on his fingertips, deep in thought.
Jiang Chen shook his head and dusted off his hand before he headed to Shenxiang.
When he returned, Cheng Weiguo came over with a phone, looking helpless.
Jiang Chen took the phone and opened the hologram screen.
Hello?
General, the next time you want to do something dramatic like this, could you let us know first? When themunications came through, Chu Nans wry voice came from the other side.
Haha, I just wanted to give you a surprise. Jiang Chenughed,pletely oblivious.
It was quite a surprise. Chu Nan sighed as he continued to speak with the same wryness: It wouldve been better if we couldve brought the weapon out earlier. We only needed tounch a few into the city without the need to burn half of the city
Because I didnt have it at the time, or I hadnt transported them into Wanghai. Umm, was that it? Jiang Chen changed the topic.
No, it has to do with the crystals. Chu Nan paused for a second before he continued, ording to the rules of the wastnd, the crystals of the mutants belong to whoever killed it. But we clearly dont have the capability to collect crystals from half the city.
Then they will belong to whoever picks them up, Jiang Chen said nonchntly.
When Chu Nan heard Jiang Chens words, he took a moment to process them.
Is there a problem? Jiang Chen spoke since Chu Nan didnt respond.
No, I just feel like General, youre very generous. Chu Nan facepalmed.
Rather than letting outsiders who heard the news pick up the crystals, its better to let the survivors who fought together with us pick them up. All of Sixth Street is mine - do I care whose pockets the crystals are in? How about this: from Sixth Street to the outskirts of the city center, the crystals will belong to whoever picks them up. Jiang Chen was extremely generous.
Okay, but I think its better to tax the crystals a certain percentage since you killed all the mutants yourself. I dont think the survivors would disagree. Without a tax, its not good for arge number of crystals to suddenly appear on the market, Chu Nan suggested.
Then well follow your n. I give you full authority to handle this.
Roger that. Chu Nan nodded.
After hanging up the phone, just as Jiang Chen was going to return the phone to Cheng Weiguo, the phone rang again.
Seeing the Office of the General on the hologram screen, Jiang Chen didnt need to think before he realized it was Han Junhua.
Did you fire the rockets? Just as the call went through, Han Junhua immediately spoke.
Thats right, are you surprised? Jiang Chenughed.
Why didnt you use it earlier
She had the same question as Chu Nan.
Jiang Chen let out a sigh. Thats enough, dont be greedy. I had to leave the base before being able to obtain them. Whats the status at the base?
Your rockets greatly alleviated the pressure. The areas five hundred meters out were all suppressed by the rockets. After the mutants behind the wall were cleared out, the soldiers on the wall watched some fireworks with protective masks on, Han Junhua reported concisely.
Is that so? Jiang Chenughed, delighted.
The feeling of crushing his opponents was too delightful.
At dusk the next day, at the rural area west of Wanghai:
The broken limbs were visible on the wide road and the pungent smell of burnt flesh filled the streets. The broken ruins were stained with daunting darkness; it would take more than several drops of rain to wash it all away. It wasnt until they approached Fishbone base when the scenes from hell began to fade.
Four bulldozers modified from trucks were working outside the wall as they pushed the corpses with crystals already extracted 1000 meters away to be burned.
With the First Corps force appearing at the end of the street, the survivors working outside the wall began to cheer. They whistled and waved at the victors.
On top of the Tiger II cannon, Jiang Chen carefully listened to the cheering from the crowd as he responded by waving back.
The gates opened and allowed the First Division to storm in.
When Jiang Chen arrived, he didnt immediately head to his office. Instead, he chose to go home.
After being gone for so long, Sun Jiao and the others must be worried.
As Jiang Chen thought to himself, he couldnt help but smile.
When he entered the mansion, he opened his arms to wee Sun Jiao, who jumped toward him. After they kissed, he picked up the cute Yao Yao and pecked her adorable face.
Her pale skin was colored red as Yao Yao lowered her head in embarrassment and said in a timid voice:
D-do you want to shower together?
When she reminisced thest time they showered together, her heart began to pump uncontrobly.
But Sun Jiao authoritatively dered possession of Jiang Chen and spoke to Yao Yao with a smirk:
Thats not okay, your Brother Jiang Chen will have to wash with me.
Yao Yao made a face like she was wronged as she replied in a feeble voice:
Wha-what about tomorrow
How about the four of us shower together? Sun Xiaorou hugged Yao Yao. We can also teach Yao Yao the adult stuff
I-Im not a kid anymore! Im older than all of you! Yao Yao protested as her cherry-like mouth pouted with displeasure.
With arms crossed, Lin Lin interrupted on the side.
The time spent in the hibernation chambers does not count toward age. That was the rule in any country before the war.
Yao Yaos face turned red as she looked away.
Only Lin Lin and she were born before the war.
Does Lin Lin want toe too? The five of us together? With a little devils smirk, Sun Xiaorou invited herself.
Lin Lin blushed. Her mouth opened and closed for a while before finally squeezing out half a sentence:
Wh-who wants to do it together
With her facepletely flushed, Lin Lin walked out hastily.
Sun Jiao gave her sister a harsh stare. Xiaorou!
Sun Xiaorou blew out her tongue and innocently hid behind Jiang Chens back while pretending to be sad. Brother-inw, sister is bullying me
As she said this, she hugged Jiang Chens arm and began to shake him in front of her chest.
Although it was a tempting proposal, Jiang Chens conscience told him that if they showered together, something out of his realm of control could potentially ur.
Jiang Chen gulped and acted like nothing happened.
Ahem, why dont you three shower together? Ill go after youre done
Leaving before the girls could react, Jiang Chen slipped out of the living room.
Chapter 457 - Regain Control from the Mutants
Chapter 457: Regain Control from the Mutants
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Although Sun Jiao liked to bully people at times, she was a nice person by nature. Maybe it was because of the warmth of their little family, but it made her recall happy moments before she left the fallout shelter. This was why she was more considerate of family members than anyone else, particrly with considering how everyone felt.
Although she dered possession of Jiang Chen, she told Jiang Chen before bedtime, Yao Yao really misses you - go spend some time with her. She slipped back to her room and locked the door.
While Jiang Chen was touched by how considerate Sun Jiao was, he didnt know how to feel with the door shut in front of him.
Yao Yao was indeed cute, but she was inedible.
And that was not okay.
The somewhat matured little loli would always subconsciously do something that would turn him on and he almost couldnt control himself.
[Whatever, there is something I need to ask Yao Yao.] Jiang Chen turned around and headed to Yao Yaos room.
He knocked on the door before he heard some noise from behind the door.
Ummm? Its already sote, is there anything to do?
With the door pushed open, he saw Yao Yao in loose pajamas. Judging by her wet hair, she mustve just showered as the light scent of lilies blew in his face.
Mhmm, I have something to ask Yao Yao, is that okay?
Mhmm! Of course. With a sweet smile, Yao Yao walked to the door with light steps. Come in.
Jiang Chen tousled her hair and walked in.
Jiang Chen scanned the room. Because there was only one chair inside, Jiang Chen casually sat on the bed. Yao Yao blushed at the scene but still walked up and sat beside Jiang Chen, pretending nothing was amiss, before she secretly moved in Jiang Chens direction.
Could you tell me what it is?
Because of her anxiety, her voice trembled slightly to the point where it was out of tune.
With her nervousness, the little loli was unable to sit still. Jiang Chen wanted tough.
He paused before he spoke.
Its about the phone. Could Yao Yao design a phone for me?
With a few imaginary question marks appearing above her head, the little girl didnt hear the words she wanted to hear. She paused.
Realizing that she misinterpreted the situation, redness extended from her ears all the way to her neck.
It took a while before Yao Yao recovered from her state of awkwardness. She spoke in a quiet voice.
Phone? Is that the thing brother Jiang Chen showed me before?
It was a very distant memory, but Jiang Chen gave her a phone for reference.
Mhmm, its that type. If possible, could Yao Yao design a simr but more powerful phone? Jiang Chen tried to make Yao Yao understand what he wanted as he used his hands to show the shape while exining the functionality of the phone.
Yao Yao listened and nodded attentively.
After Jiang Chen was done, Yao Yao patted her small chest confidently.
Leave it up to me! Are two days okay?
Mhmm! Please! Jiang Chen joyfully rubbed Yao Yaos head.
Yao Yao closed her eyes as she enjoyed his caress while a sweet curvature appeared on her mouth.
Seeing as it waste, Jiang Chen stood up and prepared to leave. But then he discovered a small hand feebly dragging onto his clothes.
Mhmm? Is there something else? Jiang Chen looked at Yao Yao.
Yao Yao looked away while she spoke timidly, Umm, could Yao Yao make an unreasonable request?
Of course.
She retracted her hand while her face turned red again. Her fingers pointed toward each other.
Could-could we sleep together t-tonight?
Considering how adorable she looked, Jiang Chen felt like he was going to melt.
The next morning.
Observing the gracefulness on Yao Yaos face, Jiang Chen was touched by her happiness. He leaned down and gently kissed her soft forehead.
Yao Yao seemed to have noticed that kiss and moved her beautiful mouth before moving herself into a morefortable position. She curled up like a small animal.
Jiang Chen quietly got out of bed and covered Yao Yao with the nket before he sneaked out of the room.
He microwaved two buns in the kitchen then left the mansion.
It was almost the end of August - the tail end of summer.
Due to the radiation dust, mornings in the wastnd were usually cold, but the temperature during the next few days would be irregr. It was two days after the fire, yet there were still sparks that could be made out in the direction of the city center.
The reality was different than what Cheng Weiguo imagined. Although there were no morebustible materials in Wanghai, the fat of the zombies and mutants provided an excellent source of fuel for the fire.
When the thousand-degree fire evaporated all the water content inside, the entire Roshan was like a barrel of fuel burning continuously due to its high density of fat.
Following the conclusion of the mutant flood and the return of the First Division, the quiet base became crowded again. The survivors returned to the surface. They were either reunited with family members who were part of the crusade or epted the urns in mourning.
There were fatalities with every war, an unpleasant point that could not be changed.
And on the wastnd, death was to be expected.
When Jiang Chen arrived at his office, he was surprised to discover that Han Junhua was already in front of the table that belonged to the advisor. She was working on the tablet.
Did you sleep herest night? Jiang Chen sat at his desk while looking at her.
No. Mhmm, precisely speaking, I didnt sleep. There was too much work yesterday, looking at fatality numbers as well as the war consumption figures from the logistics department, thepensation to the families of deceased soldiers, as well as the cleaning of mutant bodies and collection of crystals
Only now did Jiang Chen notice the heavy eye bags on her face.
No wonder she didnt look for him when he returnedst night - she was too busy.
Thank you. Jiang Chen expressed his gratitude.
Its okay. Han Junhua still wore the same expressionless look.
If youre tired, go take a nap first.
Han Junhua half-heartedly agreed before stopping the task at hand and looked at Jiang Chen. How many rockets are left?
Jiang Chen shrugged. All of them are gone, a total of 40 thousand rounds. But now that the mutant flood is over, is there still a need for them?
Although he could certainly buy more, it was hard to prevent other people from noticing that he frequently purchased weapons that vited the Geneva ords. If possible, it would be better to dy repurchasing until ater date.
All gone? Han Junhua fell into deep thought.
The number of rockets should be limited since fuel was umon in the apocalypse before, let alone solid fuel rockets mixed with other chemicals. No one thought of using low-tech weapons to begin with.
But to everyones surprise, low-tech weapons were highly effective against mutants.
After a short silence, she spoke again.
How much fuel can you obtain?
A lot. Hmm? Jiang Chen asked.
The technology required for that napalm rocket should be low. We could easily produce rockets with betterbustion effectiveness and a high range.
Han Junhua paused, looked at him in the eyes, and said sternly:
With fuel, its not impossible for us to regainplete control of Wanghai from the mutants.
Chapter 458 - Even more Powerful Rockets
Chapter 458: Even more Powerful Rockets
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
[Regain control of Wanghai from the mutants?]
Needless to say, it was a tempting proposal, and the current NAC certainly had the capability to do so.
Wanghai from before the war wasnt only the center of PACs economy; it was the industrial base for technology. If NAC could regain control of Wanghai, the speed in which the pre-war technologies could be recovered would be much faster.
But then another problem had to be considered.
The mutants did indeed threaten the lives of the survivors, but the crystals they provided were the foundation to survivor industries. The Sixth Streets power station required crystals, the fuel rod used for everything from vehicles to power stations required crystals. Survivors unable to obtain Helium-4 to produce nuclear fusion batteries had to use crystals to produce fuel rods with the same specification to provide power to pre-war equipment.
Fallout Shelter 027 was currently using this fuel rod.
The economy of the Sixth Street depended on Wanghai City as the hunting grounds. If the mutants inside the steel forest were wiped out, the hunters had to go further to hunt.
Jiang Chen only debated for two minutes before he made a decision.
Regain control of Wanghai.
The reason was simple - going from hunting to farming was a necessary step to go from brute to civilized peoples. And the first step toward civilization was a step NAC must take one day. Jiang Chen wouldnt be able to provide food for this ce forever. The current poption of NAC was five digits, but what if it became six digits? What if it even exceeded the million mark?
As to the farming problem, if he was willing to pay up, there were solutions avable. It wasnt out of the realm of possibility to produce a closed biosphere through the Project Garden of Eden controlled by Lin Lin with NACs resources.
Jiang Chen had a potential alternate source to obtain crystals, but to make it into a reality, he had to discuss it with the biologists in Fallout Shelter 027.
After leaving themunity center, Jiang Chen arrived at the empty plot ofnd belonging to the Aerospace Research Institute and managed to find Jiang Lin who just returned to the surface.
It was quite funny as the guy was standing beside the BM-21 rocket that Jiang Chen bought with a wrench. The picture looked like a 21st-century modern rocket scientist studying the firing crow 1 from the Ming dynasty.
A soldier standing nearby looked nervously at Jiang Lin, afraid he would take this thing apart.
He didnt care if it was for research or not. As theuncher for the rockets, he just knew that this thing destroyed half a city of mutants and zombies, and the powerful explosion was still clear in his memory even after two days.
Did you figure something out? Jiang Chen walked beside him and asked nonchntly.
Jiang Lin nodded and eximed at the same time: A straightforward design - primal, even - in both ignition and targeting system. The rocket has no guiding function, and it wipes out targets just by sheer strength. It damages creatures with the fuel and it proves that nothing is more effective than this against zombies and mutants. But to produce this, it mustve been stressful for the logistics department.
Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously and didnt answer his question.
[Funny, are logistics even a problem for me?]
Theres certainly difficulty surrounding the logistics, but its not unsolvable. I need you to design a rocketuncher that canunch multiple rockets simultaneously without impacting functionality. The only requirement is being able to send thirty kilograms ofbat parts to a distance of thirty kilometers. It must have more power than this while having higher uracy. Can you do that?
Thats easy. All that needs to be done is redesigning the boosting fuel and the contents of the explosive. The problem is the material itself - theres nothing harder to find than oil on the wastnd. If we can secure the materials, its not difficult to produce the weapon you want. Jiang Lin nodded, paused, then asked a question as if he just remembered something: Do we still need to produce the Dolphin-10 Ballistic Missiles?
Of course. I have other uses for the nuclear missile. Jiang Chen smiled.
Jiang Lin scratched the back of his head. Okay, if you insist.
After rocket production was assigned, crystal production was next on the agenda.
Starting from the end of the mutant wave, Wang Zhaowu began to prepare to take the Second Corp back to Fallout Shelter 027. When Jiang Chen came out from the Aerospace Technology Research Institute, the Second Corp fleet was lined up at the front door while waiting for Wang Zhaowus order to mobilize.
General. When Wang Zhaowu saw Jiang Chen, he saluted.
No need. Are you nning to head to Fallout Shelter 027?
Yes, our soldiers are ready to mobilize.
Take me along, Jiang Chen said.
Yes, Sir! Wang Zhaowu nodded and immediately went to arrange a spot for Jiang Chen.
After ten minutes, the Second Corp fleet finally finished loading the supplies. With the gate open and the survivors waving farewell, the fleet gradually started to move.
Burnt corpses were scattered along the road. When the fleet was halfway through the journey, Jiang Chen saw a Roshan kneeled in the middle of the road. Its face looked horrific, and its body was charcoal ck. Its body was blocking the fleet, so the armored vehicle Jiang Chen was on turned its machine gun before a few shots broke the Roshan into charcoal blocks.
Crushing the charcoal dust, the fleet continued to move. The horrific scene along the road agitated Jiang Chens stomach, but to the hardened apocalypse survivors, this was amon scene.
Jiang Chen, inside the car, closed the observer screen before resting with his eyes closed.
It was an hour before the fleet finally arrived at the gate of the fallout shelter. When the rain of destruction was unleashed, the First Corp didnt leave this ce pristine - the entire Camp 27 was stained ck as if a ze had swept through the ce. But most of the supplies were moved underground, and the condition of the remaining concrete didnt matter much.
When the gate opened, it was havoc.
The zombies who smelled the scent of mutants didnt leave this ce just because the Second Corp retreated. The ten-meter-high wall could tolerate a hill of hundreds of zombies.
The corpses blocked the entrance to the elevator. The soldiers jumped off the car, put on protective masks, and worked with their shovels for a while before they finally cleared the charcoal dust piled at the elevator gate.
Damn, the First Corp really is ruthless. Wang Zhaowu got off the car with Jiang Chen as he cursed out whileughing.
They had to be ruthless, otherwise we wouldve had to face a bunch of zombies who could climb over the wall, Jiang Chen joked.
True. But the engineering soldiers in the front certainly will have a lot of fun. Wang Zhaowu scoffed before leaving Jiang Chen and heading to the truck in the back.
He needed to arrange for the redeployment of the fixed weapons. When they retreated, the machine guns and electromaic cannons were all moved into Fishbone base.
At the same time, considering how atrocious the environment was inside the base, a deep cleaning was necessary before anyone could enter.
Without disturbing the Second Corps work, Jiang Chen headed in the direction of the fallout shelter elevator.
Chapter 459 - Mutant Farm Project
Chapter 459: Mutant Farm Project
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
A blue light shed and the elevator quickly descended to the bottom.
A momentter, the red indicator light turned green and the elevator stopped at 1000 meters below the surface. Jiang Chen walked toward the entrance of the fallout shelter, typed in a few passwords, pulled out the cable from inside, and connected his EP.
Jiang Chen disconnected the cable and backed up two steps. Following a deep noise, the circr entrance in front of him began to shift to the side. At the back of the door, the director of Camp 27, Xu Lu, was already waiting there.
When she saw Jiang Chen, she bowed down with a smile and led Jiang Chen into the fallout shelter.
The mutant flood is already over; you can arrange for personnel to return to the surface.
Already? Xu Lu was slightly shocked, but it didnt take long before she returned to her smiling self. Ill go prepare now.
After saying goodbye to Xu Lu, Jiang Chen headed straight to the Robotic Research Facility in Fallout Shelter 027 along with the two soldiers behind him. He managed to find Fang Weixian, who was working on a blueprint.
General? Howe youre here? Fang Weixian pushed aside the tablet used to draw blueprints and greeted Jiang Chen with a smile.
Mhmm, I want to show you something and consult your opinion. Jiang Chen signaled behind him.
The soldier nodded and put the two boxes in his hands on the table before returning to stand behind Jiang Chen.
This is? Fang Weixian raised his eyebrows, walked up to the box, and opened it.
When he saw the contents, he took a moment to process before he was shocked.
Kic skeleton Gauss Rifle?!
Its a kic skeleton with optical illusions, Jiang Chen added.
With interest shing in his eyes, Fang Weixian first searched among the broken pieces of the kic skeleton before ncing at the broken Gauss Rifle.
I want you to recreate the technology - can you do it?
I can give it a shot; it shouldnt be hard. Fang Weixian first moved the two boxes beside a scanner. Scan the partposition and replicate the lost parts then use a quantumputer to simte the design n to finally establish the production process.
Is it possible to produce these on arge scale? Jiang Chen asked.
Its going to be difficult. Fang Weixian shook his head. A lot of things must be recycled. For example, for the Type-50 Electromaic Pulse Cannon at the base, a lot of parts cant be produced. Without recycling the parts, we can only print the parts using a 3D printer.
The 22nd century 3D printing technology was extremely mature without the durability, precision, and limitations in materials faced in the early 21st century. But even then, 3D printing technology was still an expensive technology. For example, a Reaper Assault Rifle manufactured from a military production line would have a price of less than ten thousand USD, but if 3D technology was used to the print the rifle, the cost would be at least six figures, and producing it on a mass scale would not lower the cost.
On the wastnd, with the copse of the industrial process, the survivors printed parts unable to be produced with 3D printing technology. Just like with the T-3 power armor, out of the ten thousand parts, at least six thousand were printed by 3D printing then assembled by hand. It was arge factor leading to the high cost of the power armor.
What would the cost be to equip one Gauss Rifle per power armor? Jiang Chen asked casually.
The majority of the cost would be power consumption and material usage if everything is printed by 3D printing It would be 4000 crystals per rifle. The Miniature High Energy Capacitor and eleration track have high requirements for materials. Fang Weixian provided an estimate.
[Damn, its close to half the cost for T-3 power armor.] Jiang Chen was shocked by the figure.
Jiang Chen deliberated for a moment before he said, Regardless, first recreate the technology. Its fine for it to be a bit expensive.
Other than a potential application in the aerospace field, the Gauss Rifle was particrly effective against power armor. Its pration power and stability could not be matched by traditional rifles.
Jiang Chen examined the status of armored vehicle production inside the Robotic Research Institute before he left, not wishing to disturb the researchers inside any longer.
Leaving the Robotic Research Institute, Jiang Chen then headed to the Biology Research Institute not far away and found the biologists unpopr at the fallout shelter. When Jiang Chen walked inside, he saw a bunch of scientists in whiteb coats all surrounding a vial with daunting excitement on their faces.
As to the reason why it was daunting, it was because they acted like science freaks from cartoons.
The study of life had always been a taboo in the science field as its danger was no less than advanced artificial intelligence. But on the wastnd, researchws were no longer in effect and hence, they had the opportunity to allow their creativity to flow.
Whatre you looking at it? Jiang Chen walked up to Wang Fangping and patted him on the shoulder.
Wang Fangping jumped. It wasnt until he saw Jiang Chen that he smiled. General, wepleted the electricity-producing seaweed project.
Completed? Jiang Chen stopped to think for a second before a joyful expression appeared on his face.
For Xin to develop its tourism, they had to decrease the number of coal-powered power stations. But due to the low efficiency of wind and sr energy, the high cost of tidal energy, and the reluctance to use nuclear energy, Jiang Chen maintained a strong interest in the biological power generation Wang Fangping proposed.
Not only was it environmentally friendly, but it was also cheap, and the one thing a Pacific country didntck was ocean territory.
This is it. Wang Fangping moved aside and pointed at the vial in the middle.
Inside the yellowish-green vial was a piece of floating three-meter-long seaweed with a UV light hanging above the seaweed. The note on the side recorded the ratio between light levels and power generation.
It can be grown 100 meters below the surface with maximum power generation of 1-kilowatt of power per square meter. The tip of the seaweed can be attached to a metal wire and transports the electricity to the transformer on the surface before bing part of the grid. Wang Fangping pointed at the device and exined to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen nodded with pleasure. Great, you did well. All researchers who participated in the project will be awarded 1000 crystals each!
All nine scientists in the facility turned ecstatic.
A NAC knights monthly sry was merely 50 crystals, so 1000 crystals was arge sum of wealth. Jiang Chen would never be stingy on his investment in research.
Thank you, General! Wang Fangping thanked Jiang Chen with sincerity.
No need, Ill generously reward anyone who contributes to the NAC. Also, I still need you to do something: I need you to breed a type of mutant that isnt hostile, easy to breed, and quickly able to produce crystals. Jiang Chen brought up the primary purpose of his visit.
Since he was certain he was going to clean up Wanghai, the source of the crystals would have toe from elsewhere.
He would make all the hunters transform into mercenaries guarding the merchant fleet, then change the source of crystals from the hunting ground to a farm and establish food production at the Garden of Eden.
Jiang Chen already had the blueprint drawn out in his mind, and the first step topleting the n was to find the best-suited mutants as livestock.
Chapter 460 - Droplet No.1
Chapter 460: Droplet No.1
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
To help the Biology Research Institute with researching mutants, Jiang Chen ordered Xu Lu to establish an area to house the mutants outside of Camp 27s walls. The area would support research intended to gically modify the mutants while conducting breeding tests. As for the task of capturing mutants, Jiang Chen assigned the task to the Hunter Corp.
With the support of the helicopter and power armor, aside from the difficulty in capturing Death w, other mutants were rtively easy to catch.
All experiments would be done outside the walls. Any mutants who escaped would be killed by machine guns and electromaic cannons on the wall which prevented uncontroble circumstances from arising.
After all this, Jiang Chen returned to Fishbone base via helicopter.
When he returned, Jiang Chen headed to the warehouse and moved a set of T-3 power armor, kic skeleton, and Reaper Assault Rifle into his storage dimension. After all this, only aser sword would fit inside the three hundred cubic meter dimension. Emptiness in the storage dimension didnt make Jiang Chen feel safe.
Heading to the city center would still require a period of preparation before their mission could be executed - whether it was designing the rocketuncher or producing ammo at the base, it all required time toplete.
The crystals on the ground would especially need people to pick them up.
Therefore, after Jiang Chen and Han Junhua had a discussion, the attack on the city center was set for mid-September.
The reproductive cycle of creatures wasnt short; even a month after the rain of destruction, the number of mutants and zombies didnt increase substantially.
Seeing as he didnt need to assist with anything else, Jiang Chen returned to the modern world.
The 20 days were almost up as he was eager to see the results of the construction robots. He needed to solve the mining problem as soon as possible so Future Mining could officially start its business and virtual reality helmets could then be manufactured.
Leaving his mansion on Coro Ind, he went to a telmunication store along the way. While he reactivated a new SIM card, Jiang Chen purchased a new phone.
Although Yao Yao was designing a phone for him, he still needed a phone in the meantime. In such a digitalized world, being without a phone practically meant being back in the primal age.
After all the troublesome things were dealt with, Jiang Chen took a boat and arrived on Coconut Ind. Just as he approached the ind, he discovered from afar that the dock built along the shore waspleted.
The primary structure was reinforced concrete with the top covered by metal roofing. The interior was a concaved water trench. Compared to the hundred-meter-long dry dock, the small dock could only be described as tiny.
But despite its miniature size, it possessed all the functionality of a dock. And if there was a need in the future, it could be expanded further.
He dragged the boat onto the dock and headed to where the construction materials were stored.
The two construction robots were in standby mode where the materials were stored. After theypleted the construction mission, they automatically entered hibernation.
The reinforced steel, anti-corrosion concrete, and sand were mostly consumed, the explosives used to blow up the shore were all gone, and the six fuel rods used as batteries were depleted. After he ced all the remaining construction materials back into the storage dimension, Jiang Chen walked to the drone terminal among the trees.
The bee nest-shaped drone terminal quietlyid there with most of the drones charging on standby mode; only a small portion hovered near the beach outside the forest.
He connected the cable to his EP and checked the reconnaissance reports of the drones. After he confirmed that no one approached the ind, Jiang Chen removed the cable and headed to the dock.
He opened the dock door before he saw the deepwater submersible floating on the surface.
The length, width, and height were nine meters, three meters, and four meters respectively. The waterdrop-like design had a smooth surface.
The rear end was embedded with a T shaped structure, the inlets on both ends allowed water to be fed into the engine without interruption, while the back-end nozzle jet pressurized water. The tail tilt of the shell produced a water pressure squeeze effect, and the dual effect of the water jet propulsion gave the submersible the speed of victory over all the submarines.
The Droplet had two pairs of mechanical arms installed in the front, capable of conducting deepwater construction as part of the construction module. An eight-meter cylindrical device hung on the bottom as part of the mining module. The construction robots assembled all parts and were operational once charged.
The submersible consumed electric power designed to fit the 100mmm nuclear fusion battery, but due to ack of nuclear material, Droplet used crystal fuel rod.
The submersibles built-in molten salt electrolytic carbon dioxide reduction device meant that in theory, as long as sufficient power was present, it could maintain a normal water supply in the submersible.
Jiang Chen jumped on top of Droplet. While he felt it sway under his feet, Jiang Chen carefully kneeled down and finally found a camera-like device on top.
Jiang Chen moved closer then spoke in an undertone.
Initiate.
Iris verification passed. Wee, captain.
A crack appeared one meter away from Jiang Chen before exposing a way inside the submersible.
Jiang Chen moved closer. After confirming its safety, he jumped inside.
It is transparent? No should just be an optical effect.
When he entered the cabin, Jiang Chen scanned his surroundings in shock.
It was hard to imagine that viewing the outside from the inside was easy - it looked transparent.
[Wide angle imaging?]
By hiding some full-angle cameras on the outside of the submersible, external images were presented on the screen in the cabin. Standing in this submersible felt like being inside a huge transparent bubble.
After eximing at the magnificent image, Jiang Chen passed through a narrow hatch and entered the cockpit.
Most parts of this submersible were printed by 3D printing, costing more than half a million crystals. But when he saw everything inside, he didnt feel it was a high cost at all.
Captain, please name the submersible. The courteous digital voice instructed Jiang Chen.
After deliberating, he said:
Droplet.
Because the exterior looked like a droplet of water, it was Droplet then.
Great, Droplet at your service. Captain, please follow the instruction manual
Withoutplicated operating procedures and with the help of basic artificial intelligence, even a single person could operate the piloting system that normally demanded the cooperation of multiple people. There were controlling rods at the captains seat - one was responsible for controlling the XY axis while the other controlled the Z axis. Beside them was a series of other instruments.
Other than manual control, it could be set in automatic control mode as well. Based on the map stored inside the deepwater submersible, the captain could control through a tablet or voice.
Once Jiang Chen familiarized himself with the controls, he immediately used the terminal to instruct the submersible to submerge.
With the low noise of water breaking, the entire submersible plummeted below the vast ocean surface outside the dock. Needless to say, it was more funpared to being on a boat. With the waves sshing, the waves looked as if they could hit him since the cabin was transparent.
He felt as if he was surfing.
Jiang Chen immediately ordered as he stared at the waves disappearing.
Submerge, 100 meters.
Roger.
The digital voice spoke out before Droplet began to submerge. Just like submerging a persons head into the water, the sound of the waves instantly vanished.
Jiang Chen observed the instruments next to his hand as the symbol signaling depth continuously shed before finally stopping at the 100-meter mark.
He took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement in his mind as Jiang Chen set the coordinates of Future Minings mining tform as well as a depth of 7000 meters.
With excitement in his voice, he said:
Droplet, set sail!
Roger, captain.
Into the deep eerie ocean, Droplet plunged down.
Chapter 461 - Deepwater Construction
Chapter 461: Deepwater Construction
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Due to the shape of Droplet, it had faced no resistance when traversing in the water. It could move through fifty meters in the blink of an eye with the instrumentation showing a speed of
Damn, just from pure speed, it could easily defeat the fastest submarine in the world. With the ocean soaring under his feet, Jiang Chen couldnt help but exim at its magnificence.
He remembered that the fastest submarine in the world is the Russian K ss Ballistic Nuclear Submarine with its highest speed reaching 44.7 knots. And the speed of Droplet could achieve a daunting 75 knots.
He was wondering how the rumored superconducting maic fluid submarine faired against his ride.
The jagged trenches were filled with swaying seaweed. The colorful fishes freely roamed amongst them. The jellyfish and eel danced under the rhythm of the bubble. All the scenes were captured on the walls of the Droplet.
Other than that, Jiang Chen saw a shark.
When the Droplet passed by it, the giant seemed to have ignored the Droplet as it turned its body and instantly disappeared from Jiang Chens field of vision.
Following gradually increasing depth, the light from the surface began to fade, and the ustrophobic feeling from the dark blue eeriness was more and more apparent. Jiang Chen was uncertain if he had deep sea phobia, but he still closed the wide-angle cameras and only left the four visual windows in the four directions open.
Droplet, where are we now?
We are still 100 nautical miles away from our destination.
[100 nautical miles, or around one hour?]
Seeing that there was still some time, Jiang Chen headed to the living quarters.
The living quarters werepacted together with two beds with nylon hooks on each side of the room. If the beds were lifted up, the table and closet underneath would appear. Jiang Chen examined the interior of the submarine before he instructed the submersible to wake up him once they reached their targeted location. Then he stuffed himself into the sleeping bed to take a nap.
One hourter, with gentle music, Jiang Chen opened his eyes.
When he got off the bed and returned to the cockpit, he looked toward the control panel before his eyes widen in disbelief.
7500 meters under the surface?
The dark abyss where life is restricted.
In the entire area, only a light beam shining from the front of the Droplet remained. The ck and shiny rocky surface reflected the faint light under the light beam. The disturbed creatures nesting on the surface scattered before they escaped to the darkness nearby.
Other than the odd-looking deep sea creatures, the cracks on the bottom of the ocean constantly spat out scorching air bubbles. The dark red light was just like a volcano, possessing an incredible amount of energy.
At the same time, a ten meter long, t-shaped fish slowly moved toward Droplet. The disc-shaped head had no visible eyes, and the nail-like teeth looked horrifying. It curiously examined the Droplet and even used its mouth to touch it. But it quickly swam away as if it was electrocuted without turning its head.
The static electricity on the surface of the Droplet would make most of the deep sea creatures lose their interest. The design was put in ce to protect and ensure the safety of the submersible while also there to protect the safety of the creatures.
Without ying further, Jiang Chen manually controlled the Droplet based on the mining deposition marked on the map and moved to the top of the rich molybdenum manganese nodules.
Initiate mining module. After confirming the targeted location, Jiang Chen order.
Roger, Mr. Captain. The artificial intelligence politely answered.
Immediately, the circr tube below the Droplet separated out. A trial of air bubbles dispersed out from behind the circr tube and pushed the torpedo-shaped tube to the targeted deposition.
100 meters.
50 meters.
10 meters.
The light locked onto the circr tube as Jiang Chen stared at the scene without blinking.
The ck rock was embedded into the greyish ck mudstone simr to a road built with pebbles. The circr tube stooped above the ck rock with the engine stalling.
Jiang Chen scanned the map on the screen; the green dot that marked the location of the submersible coincided with the red dot on the mining map.
After a brief paused, Jiang Chen ordered affirmatively, Mining module, deploy!
Roger.
Bubbles appeared from the bottom of the circr tube as a graphene hook shot toward the bottom of the sea. The cable tightened and slowly dragged the circr tube toward the ground and stopped three meters before reaching the surface.
The circr tube gradually deployed with the hatch door on the two sides extended out to release two rocket-like items. The rocket was five meters in length and one meter in diameter, the tail was connected to the inner circr tube with a graphene tunnel.
The two rockets were released from the circr tube, and the head immediately dove down with a series of water bubbles propelling it from behind, pushing the rockets down into the sea.
The rockets head pierced into the rock body.
Then an almost miraculous scene happened.
The tail of the rocket popped out, while it created more air bubbles, just like an umbre opening, it expanded into a circr disc with a radius of ten meters. The disc slowly descended and clipped onto the t sea surface.
From afar, it was just like a circr tube connecting two bowls flipped upside down with graphene tubes.
Mining module deployed, please deploy transportation module.
The courteous digital voice sounded again and brought Jiang Chen back from being shocked by the technology.
The transportation module was four graphene cables and an oval-shaped ascending device. Because of the size of the equipment, Jiang Chen didnt bring it aboard the submersible. Since he had the storage dimension, it was easy to bring things under water.
With Droplet stalling, Jiang Chen returned to the apocalypse and headed to the backyard of the mansion. The ce stored his Dolphin-10, a bunch of graphene cables from the Sixth Street factory.
Under the deep sea environment, 7000 meters under, normal materials could not withstand the water pressure. Therefore, graphene yed a key role.
After putting everything into the storage dimension, Jiang Chen returned to the Droplet.
With a hand pressed against the hatch door, his consciousness submerged into the storage dimension. It didnt take long before the graphene cables were deployed outside of the submersible.
Then, Jiang Chen traveled a few more times between the modern world and the apocalypse and released all the construction material outside of the Droplet.
He ordered the Droplet to restart again, and the smart system began to connect the graphene cables together with the floatation markers, using the blueprint stored in the mining module.
He didnt need to do anything after. With five hours remaining of construction time, Jiang Chen yawned and returned to the living quarters.
The artificial intelligence will take over.
As the captain, he only needed to take a nap. And once construction waspleted, he could return home.
Chapter 462 - Future Mining in Production
Chapter 462: Future Mining in Production
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The 7000 meters track was just like a strand of seaweed that swayed with the ocean current.
The 500 meters long graphene track connected on both ends by Titanium rings; 14 tracks in total formed the 7000 meters deep sea stairs from the abyss to the surface.
The entire track cost 500 million crystals, almost equivalent to the entire food trade revenue of NAC.
Out of all the equipment, the most expensive was the 15 titanium rings. They not only y a role in fixing the graphene tracks, but they could also freely control the depth of water just like submarines. Based on the direction of the ocean current, the titanium ring can also move through the four angles of the de engine to move in the opposite direction. This prevents the huge tidal force from tearing the entire graphene track apart.
When the Droplet ced the six meters long, two meters wide oval elevator at the bottom of the track, the entire deep ocean mining module waspletely deployed.
The two suction discs underwater would shred the rocks on the surface and use the graphene tube to transport the broken pieces into the circr tube. Based on the selection, the circr tube would crash the rocks into finer particles. Mudstones with low hardness would be crashed into particles and released into the ocean through a mesh. The higher hardness molybdenum nodules would pass through the selection and be sent to the elevator to the top.
When the elevator was filled with minerals, the graphene track would be powered up. The entire oval would be sent to the surface like the shell of the electromaic cannon.
Once the minerals reached 100 meters below the surface, the modern equipment would be able to retrieve the minerals.
The workers on the tform would send out retrieving boats based on signals from below the sea. Then scuba divers withs would be able to bring the minerals up.
Once the minerals on the tform umted to a certain point, a boat would transport the minerals to the manganese nodule refiner on Ange Ind. By that time, Xin would no longer need to depend on import for its consumption of iron, molybdenum, and manganese.
After all this, Jiang Chen deployed two 3D printed tidal current power generators at the surface of the sea to provide electricity to the mining equipment.
With the cost of the Droplet included, the equipment totaled more than seven million crystals.
Although it was expensive, Jiang Chen knew the investment was well worth it.
Just from the market price of ten crystals for one kilogram of molybdenum ore in Sixth Street, 700 tons would allow breakeven.
Moreso, the deposition at the surface of the ocean floor had more than one million tons!
The entire mining equipment would support mining operations for ten years without a problem.
When Jiang Chen returned to Coconut Ind, Jiang Chen phoned Yang Yuan and told him about the mining operation.
The problem with deep sea mining is solved? When Yang Yuan heard that he could send people to the tform now, he was shocked.
Thats right. I will provide you with the mining steps through email. A transportation boat, a retrieving boat, two scuba divers, one observer, thats about all. Jiang Chen smiled.
Yang Yuan raised his eyebrows in skepticism.
But how do you retrieve the ore from the deep sea? Dont tell me youre going to tell the scuba divers to chisel it 7500 meters below the surface.
Do you think Im dumb? Jiang Chen scoffed jokingly, Dont worry, I took care of it. I will send it to you by email, and youll know how the entire mining device functions. Its the top technology of Future Group, dont be too shocked.
Yang Yuan nced at his phone.
[Funny, Im a graduate student from West Australia University and a top student that signed with Rio Tinto in my first year as a student. What type of equipment havent I seen?]
It was the first time he heard that something could retrieve ores from 7000 meters below the sea.
Okay, send me the email first.
Mhmm, wait.
Then, Jiang Chen hung up and sent out the email that included visualization of the mining equipment through a digital file.
Yang Yuan held onto the phone for half a minute before he heard a buzz; the email came through.
He opened the email with skepticism and began to scan the document Jiang Chen sent.
He was first questioning the mining equipment as he thought his boss didnt consult with him before purchasing and that he must have been fooled by a fakepany.
But when he was halfway through the document, he shocked state was more and more apparent.
This, this is impossible. What kind of joke is? Are we shooting a sci-fi film? With his finger continually sliding on the screen, Yang Yuan muttered to himself.
Nothing else, just the circr tube mining device, even if it was built with titanium, it was hard to prevent it to be squashed into a ball by the immense water pressure by operating for an extended period in the deep ocean. And that bowl-shaped mining device, it didnt look like it was designed to withstand pressure at all.
And the long graphene track
With the current material, technology level, it was impossible to make this mining equipment a reality.
Yang Yauns finger moved furiously and slid down the document. The operation of the employees on the tform was outlined in detail in the document.
When he saw thest line, he stopped.
Yang Yuan suddenly realized that the mining equipment was the work of Future Group.
How many more secrets does this guy hold? Yang Yuan shook his head.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Yuan deleted the document as required based on the warning on thest line.
He got up and headed for the door.
Yuan, are you leaving? Su Fei, who was in the kitchen preparing dinner, spoke out.
Mhmm, its work rted. Yang Yuan hastily put on his shoes and headed out.
Although he could arrange employees through the phone, he couldnt wait to personally see the mining equipment. It was unbelievable. Without seeing it with his very own eyes, he wouldnt be able to sleep.
Su Fei looked at her boyfriend rushing out the door as well as the shoes messily scattered on the ground, she let out a sigh and put the bowl she was working with on the kitchen counter.
Although she was first excited when she arrived, there was a mansion, a beach, endless amount of champagne and seafood. But after a while, she thought the life far away from the noise of the city was different than the life she envisioned.
She washed her hand and went to the bedroom on the second floor to scroll through her Weibo.
Only when she saw her friends in the countrys envious replies could she satisfy her vanity a bit.
But just as she was scrolling through Weibo, she noticed an unread private message.
Who is it?
She murmured to herself and opened the text bubble.
Chapter 463 - Her body is more honest than her words
Chapter 463: Her body is more honest than her words
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After sending the email to Yang Yuan, Jiang Chen left Coconut Ind on a boat.
As to the Droplet, he left it on the ind. With the Hummingbird drones guarding the ce, he was confident about the security of the ce. Even if an elite special forcended on the ind, the hundred something drones would easily wipe them out.
Without the support of the EMP weapons, the small and agile drones are the nightmare of any creature.
When Jiang Chen arrived on Coro Ind, it was getting dark. He touched his empty stomach while thinking about the empty mansion as a wry smile appeared on his face.
He missed Ayeshas cooking.
It waste. Even if he returned to the apocalypse now, Sun Jiao and the rest must be done with dinner too.
Whatever, I will just grab something to eat.
Since he drove to the city center area, a few restaurants were around him. He parked the car and found a Chinese restaurant.
He ordered a few dishes before he began to y with his phone out of boredom. The phone he just bought had nothing inside. After using the restaurants Wi-Fi to download Future 1.0, he scanned his iris with the camera and logged into his ount.
Just as Jiang Chen was syncing the contacts on Future 1.0 to his new phone, he suddenly noticed a name.
With a smile on his face, seeing there was still sometime before the dishes arrived, he pressed on the name and called.
Hello? You finally remember me? The phone went through, and it was Liu Yaos voice, full of resentment.
Haha, Ive been busy, do you miss me? Jiang Chenughed.
I miss you so much. Liu Yao pouted.
Your movie is finished?
Finished two months ago, the editing was donest month. It has been sent in for review, and the release schedule has been proposed already. Our director also asked me to see if you could give the movie a headline. As Liu Yao said this, she couldnt help but smile.
The achievement she has today was all because of the man behind her. Among the cast, even the leading actresses respected her when they spoke without acting superior to her, and even called her sister.
This was something she couldnt even imagine before.
She was an intelligent woman. Although the intelligence was sometimes not used at the right ce, she knew that he didnt mind as long as they didnt make principle mistakes. And because of this, even if she received her position today, she didnt feel any arrogance. She knew that the people that looked at her in awe were not actually looking at her, but the man behind her.
Even if a lot of actors wanted to pursue her to use the paparazzi to increase their publicity, she rejected without hesitation. A lot of actresses without much fame did everything to get close to her to connect with Jiang Chen, and she smartly deflected all the requests.
She was already holding onto a firm leg. She didnt need to mind what other people thought, she just needed to hold onto the leg tighter.
Headline? No problem.
It was easy for him since he was the biggest investor in the film.
Love you, mua.
Jiang Chens mood felt more cheerful listening to her coyness.
Not only did she have big breasts, Liu Yaos voice and vibe all cast liveliness. She was already 24, but whenever he saw her, she gave Jiang Chen the feeling that she was only 17.
Are you free? Jiang Chen asked nonchntly.
Yes, do you want to take me out traveling? Holding onto the phone, Liu Yao said in excitement.
Im inviting you to visit my ind. Jiang Chen said with a smirk.
Liu Yao seemed to have heard the smirk in Jiang Chens voice as her face turned red, Pervert.
But rather than rejecting, she sounded excited.
Since the experience Jiang Chen brought her was always so addicting.
Do you need me to book a flight for you? Jiang Chen smiled.
No need, I already got paid! Eight million! I will treat you to a nice dinner.
I gave it to you. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes.
Eight million was enough for a superstar. The top actress in Hua was paid eight million per film; her pay was the top ten. Normally speaking, the supporting actresses pay never exceeded the leading actresses pay.
But Liu Yao was an exception, the investors paid her directly.
Dont say it like that. It is my first time receiving so much. Liu Yao pouted coyly.
Ok, ok, ok, up to you, Jiang Chen smiled, Also, do you have a digital version of the film?
Digital version? Yes, but why do you need that? Liu Yao was puzzled.
Get me a copy of it for collection purposes.
Collection? Liu Yao skeptically tilted her head.
There was no way the director would agree to make a digital copy of the film before the film was released. But since Jiang Chen was the only investor in the film and spent one hundred million and the director was not particrly famous, the director would not reject his request.
Okay. But you cant upload it online. If it is leaked, it will impact the box office, Liu Yao pleaded in a small voice.
Dont worry, I spent my money on it, why would I let other people watch for free. Jiang Chen mocked.
Liu Yao was more assured as she began to giggle.
Mhmm! Youre the best! Also, could you tell me what youre going to do with the digital version?
Jiang Chen smiled with mysteriousness.
Of course Ill watch it with you.
Watch it with me? Although she was delighted that Jiang Chen wanted to watch her film, Liu Yao still tilted her head feeling puzzled, Didnt we say we are going to watch it in theaters? The experience of the digital version is not as good as the actual theatre right?
Dont worry, I have a home theatre in my mansion, six million AUD. The experience is no less than a movie theatre. Jiang Chen smirked.
Jiang Chens smirk made Liu Yao slightly unsettled as she frowned .
Watch it in a home theatre I think you are nning something naughty.
Could you not guess it? Jiang Chen pretended to be shocked.
I cant guess it. Liu Yao shook her head.
Then let me give you a hint. When the movie is ying, you sit on me. Jiang Chenughed mischievously.
With his teasing tone, Liu Yaos face instantly turned red and immediately understood what this pervert was thinking.
Youre so perverted!
Eh? Why do I sense you sound excited? Jiang Chen didnt mind the waiter bringing the dishes look at him strangely.
Leave me alone. Im going to book now.
Liu Yao hung up.
[Book now? Her body is more honest than her words.]
Jiang Chen put down his phone in a pleasant mood and began to enjoy the dinner in front of him.
Chapter 464 - For Our Friendship
Chapter 464: For Our Friendship
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Just as Jiang Chen was working on his dinner, a blonde beauty suddenly sat across from him.
Without raising his head, Jiang Chen knew who it was.
How did you know I was eating here?
You definitely didnt notice that the Russian embassy is on the next street, and how eye-catching your Lamborghini is parked on the side of the road. Natasha grinned and asked the waiter to bring her a bowl of rice.
I remember that Russians live off of bread, are you okay with eating rice? Jiang Chen nced at the bowl in front of her.
No worries. Before I came here to work, I learned about the culture. Showing off, Natasha picked up the chopsticks and spun them between her fingers.
[Would ordinary people y with chopsticks before they eat?] Jiang Chen mocked in his mind.
Is there something you need? Jiang Chen was direct.
Nothing in particr, can I not just ask you to treat me? Natasha also asked the waiter to bring two bottles of beer.
Are you not afraid of getting a beer belly? Jiang Chen joked.
Are you caring about my body? Natasha giggled.
Jiang Chen looked away.
[This girl is seducing me again.]
Also, could you let me y with your virtual reality helmet?
Jiang Chen let out a sigh.
Didnt you say you just want me to treat you?
Can we not talk about this topic as friends? Natasha took a gulp of beer.
Of course, once the Phantom is officially released, I will gift you one personally.
Seeing that Jiang Chen wasnt nning to disclose any information, Natasha sighed.
Okay, the Kremlin wants me to learn more about how advanced your virtual reality technology is Dont be mistaken, the only reason I ask this is that we are somewhat disconnected from the world in this area. But even if I ask, you wont tell me right?
Thats right. To Natasha straightforwardness, Jiang Chen was extremely pleased.
Natasha rolled her eyes as she picked up a piece of meat and sent to her red lips. With every movement, it looked seductive. So Jiang Chens choice was to not look at her to avoid being distracted.
What about the nutrient supply? Natasha continued to ask.
Nutrient supply? Kremlin would be interested in nutrient supply? Jiang Chenughed out.
Precisely speaking, the Ministry of Defense and Department of Aerospace are both interested. Because we tried your nutrient supply, although it is not filling, we surprisingly discovered that we wouldnt po
Ahem, we are eating. Jiang Chen coughed to remind her.
Natasha immediately realized and changed her wordings.
Mhmm You dont produce any waste.
Jiang Chen nced at her and continued to work on the delicacies on his te.
So?
We want to work with you to develop a nutrient supply thats convenient to carry, capable of maintaining peoples energy, and wont po, produce waste in critical times. Natasha put down her chopsticks, put an elbow on the table, and smiled at Jiang Chen.
A nutrient supply thats convenient to carry, and would allow the soldiers to obtain enough calories without the need to number two in critical times? Jiang Chen put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
And astronauts. With nutrient supply as food, we could save space and remove the waste disposal unit. Seeing Jiang Chen was done, Natasha directly began to talk business.
To be honest, we already developed this, so we dont need to work with you, Jiang Chen sighed, But I personally have a cautious attitude to the military necessities market. This thing is just like poop, it is hard to wash off after you get it on your hands.
It is only military necessities and not a tool for killing, you dont need to be so sensitive. Natasha sighed, Just like a techpany, Google, they still design robotic dogs for the UA army for transportation.
When he heard Natashas words, he fell into silence.
After a long pause, Jiang Chen asked.
How are you nning to partner up?
Three ns. First, sell your technology to us, and promise that it wont be released to a third party. Well purchase it at one hundred million USD.
Too low, I dont want to sell it.
Other than too low, the organic boiler thats used in manufacturing of the nutrient supply possessed too many advanced technologies. Just with a particle filter inside, it is something that current technology cannot achieve. The recipe for the nutrient supply itself is not expensive; the expensivenesses from the technology used to produce it.
Natasha was not surprised by Jiang Chens response. She put up a second finger.
Second, well give you the policy to build a nt in our country. We have a wealth ofbor resources and a raw materials market.
Im only nning to build the nutrient supply nt on Ange Ind. After so many things have happened, I dont feel very safe. You know, Jiang Chen said emotionlessly.
Natasha gave Jiang Chen a hard stare. She took a deep breath before extending out her third finger.
Three, you produce, we import.
The military type?
Of course. Natasha nodded.
Jiang Chen was silent.
Could I know how much youre ordering?
20 million per month.
20 million per month? If it were not for the fact that the nutrient supply in the modern world pursued low calories, the cost would be much lower. The nutrient supply now must be produced with DH seaweed, but if the wastnd nutrient supply was manufactured, any fruit and vegetable could be used as the ingredient to produce nutrient supply above A grade.
And the cost of fruit and meat was meager for Xin, a near significant farm product exporting country.
What kind of price could you ept? Jiang Chen asked.
3 USD per nutrient supply. Natasha proposed in anxiousness.
The average food cost for a Russian soldier per day is 351 Rubles which is equivalent to 4.6 USD. Based on the consideration that the nutrient supply could rece regr dietary needs, if the nutrient supply is not high in cost, it is no longer a burden for the Russian military to rece food as it could decrease military spending in that area. And due to the ease of storage of nutrient supply, to use military supply as a strategic supply for storage, it could also save a big chunk of the budget.
But based on the nutrient supplys current price of 6.1 USD per nutrient supply, they could not afford it.
So when Natasha proposed the price point, she was very anxious as she feared that Jiang Chen would consider their price point too low and disagree with the proposal outright.
Too low?
Jiang Chen thought it was high.
Jiang Chen calcted in his head. A normal nutrient supply had a cost 1 USD, much lower than the improved nutrient supply. Would the profit of 2 USD per nutrient supply be too greedy?
Especially since it was effortless to increase the production of this nutrient supply; there was no need to expand DH seaweeds farm area. It could also be produced with normal vegetables and even the leftovers from restaurants.
Jiang Chen nced at Natasha, seeing how tense she looked, she was afraid that he would reject.
[Since you dont think it is expensive, I will sell it to you.]
Jiang Chen coughed and pretended to be serious.
Although it is lower than what I expected, based on our friendly rtionship deal.
A charming smile immediately appeared on Natasha face, she clearly looked relieved.
Thank you for your generosity, I wish the best of luck to both of us.
No need. The tip of Jiang Chens mouth carved up.
Natasha slightly raised her eyebrows, puzzled at Jiang Chens expression.
The faint smile on his face made her feel like she was tricked, but she couldnt tell where she got tricked.
Chapter 465 - Virtual Reality Helmet in Production
Chapter 465: Virtual Reality Helmet in Production
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Back into the mansion, it was too lonely to sleep himself. So after rolling in bed for a bit, Jiang Chen headed to the apocalypse and quietly sneaked into Sun Jiaos bedroom.
When he took off the nket, he was shocked to discover two people in bed.
Haha, is brother-inw disappointed? Sun Xiaorou covered herself with the nket and pulled it up by her chin while giggling.
Sun Jiao blushed and rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen.
Fool, I thought you went back to that side to sleep.
Sun Jiao was used to Jiang Chen traveling between the apocalypse and the modern world. The mutants flood was just over as she initially thought Jiang Chen would stay for a bit of time on that side, but he left in the morning before returning at night.
Jiang Chen looked at the giggling Sun Xiaorou. The reaction in his head was as follows.
[Two people?]
[Then two people it is!]
Following two light shouts, Jiang Chen leaped onto the bed with a smirk.
The next day at noon, Jiang Chen had lunch with the girls and got the phone from Yao Yao.
Just by the looks of it, other than the phone being a bit thinner, it didnt look too different from a normal smartphone. However, the functionality was much stronger than normal smartphones. Most of the parts inside used graphene materials andpletely reced the silicone chips.
Also, the camera on the front was installed with hologramponents. Also, the phone could be installed with the drone control program and used as the remote for drones. Thetter functionality was simr to an EP, but Jiang Chen loved the first function.
To be able to project the operating system out in the form of a hologram, he would be the only who could do it in the world.
He then changed the sim card and headed to his office.
For example, even though the city center was showered by the rain of destruction, the life signal in the area didntpletely disappear. The mutants flood did stop, but zombie reproduction continued. A lot of mutants nests werent destroyed either. But since the drones could enter into the area, they brought back the details of the city center to the base.
A lot of mutant nests were not located on the surface, but rather in the underground sewer system, metro stations, or the basement of buildings. The mutants on the surface indeed all died, but the mutants under the surface didntpletely die off. Even if all the oxygen were burned off, a lot of mutants were resilient even in an oxygen-free environment with only a portion of the mutants dying off due to asphyxiation while the rest survived.
To remove the remaining threats, the n of attack on the city center was in the process. The First Corp was responsible as the primary attack force, with the support of the armored force, they will conduct surgery to the infection source in the city center.
At the same time, Jiang Lins improved rocket already achieved great results. The material didnt require fuel but was refined through Carm tree sap and other mutated nts. The new fuels unit volume ofbustion rate was two times the amount of solid-fuel and three times the fuel used in BM-21. At the same time, theponent of the rocket became two times heavier than the BM-21, and the originaluncher was reced with the more powerful rocket booster.
The primal weapon replicated by future technology had no simrities other than the appearance.
The singleunch cost was 1000 crystals, equivalent to 20 rifles sold at the Sixth Street Gun Store. While it was a bit pricey, the power was immense.
The weapon was named Fireball-1 by Jiang Lin. Although the name sounded magical, it was surprisingly fitting. Any mutants sttered by the fuel would turn into a fireball.
When 1000 rounds of Fireball-1 were produced, they could start the military operation on the city center. Jiang Chen ordered to stop the production of the Scream mortar shell and used the remaining production capability on the Fireball-1.
Although the cost of 1000 crystals certainly pained him, he knew it was well worth the price. With one fireball, it could at least decrease one casualty. To Jiang Chen, who didntck food, people were the most valuable resource on the wastnd.
Everything at the base was functioning smoothly. Since there was nothing to do, Jiang Chen returned to the modern world.
Since the problem in the apocalypse was solved, he needed to get the virtual reality helmet production online as soon as possible. There were only four months left before the start of next year. Once the virtual reality helmet hits the market, Future Technology will face apletely new market.
Even if 10% of the global 3.2 billionizens pay for the virtual reality helmet, it was 300 million units! Even if each helmet only made 500 USD, it was a daunting 150 billion USD.
Of course, he would be grateful if 20 million Phantom could be sold when the helmet is officially released. With the gradual ramp up in production, once the game goes online, Future Technology should be able to sell around 100 million in helmets in the most ideal scenario.
He took a boat to New Moon Ind and found Ivan who was training the recruits. He was having a great time on the ind as he was growing a belly. But from how tanned he looked, it was almostparable to Barkary.
When Ivan saw Jiang Chen, Ivan gave him a sharp salute and asked Jiang Chen what the purpose of this visit was.
Future Minings tform is in use. I need you to send and station three soldiers on the ind. In terms of equipment, bring the Python anti-tank rocket and the drone backpack.
The drone backpack was the single-soldier drone carrier. Capable of providing processing support for five Hummingbird drones, ammo supply as well as charging. In the modern world without single-soldier EMP equipment, it was a strong and powerful weapon.
Yes! Ivan stood straight and saluted again.
With how serious he looked, Jiang Chen smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
Make sure you pick people you can trust as Future Groups secret is on the ind. There is no dispute area around the tform area and zoned into a military control zone. Any ships approaching can be shot if they ignore the warning.
Dont worry, with the truth-telling serum, we have already found two traitors in the team. Ivanughed cheerfully.
Although hisugh was cheerful, Jiang Chen felt a hint of cruelty in theugh.
As to the two poor suckers, Jiang Chen was toozy to ask. He knew Ivan would take care of them.
Zero tolerance to betrayal.
Jiang Chen had emphasized this point since day one.
Because the sea tform was located in the shallow sea, it was extremely stable, and it practically felt like standing on the ground.
Jiang Chen nned to put the production line for the Phantom helmet here. In the entire Xin, there was no ce safer than New Moon Ind. When the tform waspleted, Jiang Chen brought the construction map and opened bidding to the international constructionpanies to construct three nts here listed on each of the three corners on the sea tform. Factories would be connected by enclosed streamlines.
nt A would be responsible for the basic production of the helmet, nt B would be responsible for manufacturing the graphene chip and the nerve connection module, and team C would be responsible for putting everything together and installing the security function on the enclosed helmet with the finished product was exported out of nt C.
The entire production facility was highly automated. Only 30 workers were necessary toplete the operation of the production line. The workers only needed to transport the ores to the targeted location, stand on the fixed production line, and follow the manual to control the equipment. As to the principles, they didnt need to know, and Jiang Chen wasnt nning on telling them.
All products that met the quality standard would be passed on with products fallen below the standard sent back to ensure quality was met. Production would increase once the workers familiarized themselves with the production procedures.
All the workers must pass a security screening when they enter and their phones locked away during shifts. The procedure was stricter than college entrance exams to prevent the technology from being leaked.
With Future Groups technology, even a pin-sized needle would be scanned out. Any worker attempting to bring in spy devices would be prosecuted based on Xin Business Secret Act and fired from Future Group.
If the production facility experienced technical difficulties, the entire production line would immediately halt, and the triangr floating ind would be temporarily shut down. The production would only be restarted when Jiang Chen arrived to solve the problem.
But the facility had high stability. Without deliberate human damage, the facility could run several years without error.
Currently, Jiang Chen instructed the scientists in Fallout Shelter 027 to improve this production line and the possibility of drones recing workers to conduct the production. It was best to decrease the number of people directly involved with the production while increasing production volume.
The exterior of the helmet was primarily made out of industrial stic, and lead instion and modern world technology could easily produce this. Therefore, the work without any technical innovation could be contracted topanies with interest.
With the current production facility, half a million helmets could be produced monthly. Followed by the wastnds continuous improvement and building of the production line, the helmet could reach five million per month by year-end.
After sending the soldiers on the tform back to the ind, Jiang Chen went into a nt and returned to the apocalypse and moved the two finished production lines over. He installed and ced the two production lines based on the blueprint provided.
After everything, Jiang Chen dusted off the sand on his hands and looked pleasingly at the equipment in the three nts.
Once the two production linese into production, the entire world will be crazy over Future Technology.
Chapter 466 - Unrest at Night
Chapter 466: Unrest at Night
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Earlier in the month, Jiang Chen contracted out the specification of the Phantom helmet to workshops on Coro Ind with a production cost of 40 USD per helmet. Jiang Chen aimed to sell each helmet for 50 USD, so a single helmet would have a profit margin of 10 USD.
The high rate of return brought a wave of startups in Xin.
There were no more fishermen on Ange Ind. People grasped the opportunity to purchase production equipment and started workshops in their own backyards. They only needed to produce 1000 helmets to gain 10 thousand USD in profit; it was a much better businesspared to fishing.
After they got ustomed to the taste of money, the clever ones would start building bigger nts, expanding production, lowering costs, and making more money
And they would be capitalists dependent on Future Group.
The calctions showed that a helmet cost roughly 500 USD. Jiang Chen nned to set the price at 1500 USD. Based on the tariffs of each country, the price would vary 5 to 15%.
Although the price of 1500 USD was a bit pricey, from another perspective, it would allow users to gain eight more hours when they could have their eyes open. Was that still considered expensive?
It was like giving them a second life!
And Future Technology promised that the Phantom had a warranty of more than five years. Any helmet broken with normal usage within two years could be reced while any helmet malfunctions within five years could be reced at half price - the warranty was impable.
For users who opened the helmet out of curiosity, they had to pay for their curiosity, unfortunately. The agreement and package explicitly stated that any activity exposing the interior of the helmet could cause the interior to oxidize. A helmet damaged in this manner would not enjoy the warranty provided.
On the production side, due to low production rates of the helmet, it meant that only part of the poption could obtain one. Jiang Chen trusted that even at a price of 1500 USD, the Phantom would be out of stock for a long period of time.
Late into the night, inside the virtual reality MMORPG testing room, 2000 yers quietlyid on their recliners and carried out the testing.
In the first 20 days, the internal tests were conducted in the morning. But the employees soon discovered that when Phantom was active, the users brain would be in sleep mode. So when the testing was done in the morning, it shifted the yers biological clocks. It meant that the yers were all energetic even well into the night.
The fact that the helmets affected their biological clocks was undoubtedly a problem, but it also meant the virtual reality helmets had an excellent ability to lure people to sleep. Even for yers with insomnia, they could use the helmet to obtain a great night of sleep.
Although this was just a minor detail, the employees recorded this data to provide better information for when the game would officially be in operation.
It was day 25 of internal testing.
After their initial shock, the yers became ustomed to the otherworldly experience.
At first, a lot of mages loved to throw fireballs in the starting vige only to be killed by guards who came to the rescue, and it wasnt until all the NPCs in the city disyed unfriendly attitudes towards them that their brain-dead behavior stopped.
They couldnt be med as anyone who suddenly possessed magic wouldnt think about saving the world first; they would probably try to frustrate the NPCs and cause extensive damage instead.
However, there was no doubt that even if the Florentine psychology was brought out, this behavior still followed a certain pattern.
And it was because of this that most mages chose their second job as a fire mage or undead mage.
One was powerful. The other was evil.
ording to user preferences, the game designers in the other world could only use the raw data and wave their butcher knives.
The weather is quite nice today.
Lets nerf the mage.
These two sentences weremonly spoken in Du Yongkongs office.
Since they couldnt see the yers, they didnt know why internal testers favored mages or why they were so keen to light up the NPCs building with fireballs. It was something Du Yongkong had never seen in the twenty years of his professional career.
It wasnt until Du Yongkong reported the mage getting nerfed to Jiang Chen that the behavior stopped.
The virtual reality in the apocalypse took a century to mature from its infancy, so the yers in that world didnt feel too astonished by the freedom and magic of the world - they were already ustomed to it.
To put it in simple terms, the internal testers in the modern world disyed behaviors simr to primates in awe of civilization due to the hastened timeline of the avability of virtual reality. Just like an an indigenous person who had a musket thrown into his hand, their first reaction wasnt to be repelled but rather toe closer to the muzzle, wondering how the ck hole could spit out fire.
Nerfing the damage on the spell would decrease the games yability, but without nerfs, no one would y warrior which would impact the overall gaming experience. After careful consideration, Jiang Chen instructed them to nerf the scbility, but not the damage.
For example, C level equipment for a warrior required 100 gold with a drop chance of 10%, while C level equipment for a mage required 1000 gold with a drop chance of 4%. If most noobs couldnt afford to y a mage, they would automatically choose another profession.
And at level 20, yers would gain an opportunity to redistribute their stats and choose their ss again.
Also, for sses like the priest, the game designer on the wastnd made simr adjustments.
25 days after the change, the yability of the game increased quite substantially.
As Wei Wendong yed an archer he just created, walking in the woods, the symbol of suddenly popped up.
Disconnected? Wei Wendong frowned.
The battery should be full. The Phantom connected to Wi-Fi could potentially disconnect in theory, but this is the first time this has happened
He chose to log out, put down his helmet, and look around only to discover it was pitch ck in the hall. He could slightly make out that the yers around him were all experiencing the same situation as they woke up from their games with a nk expression.
Everyone, please remain calm. Theres been a small ident outside.
An employee walked in and spoke to the crowd with a loudspeaker.
Chapter 467 - The Intimate Arrival
Chapter 467: The Intimate Arrival
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Because Wei Wendong was close to the door, he noticed that behind the employee was security in stic armor.
He had been skeptical of the futuristic-looking stic armor that could defend against bullets. The fluid-looking rifles in their hands were more like props from a sci-fi movie.
But if Wei Wendong knew the stic armor could defend against the firing of a 12.7 mm caliber machine gun or the toy could easily flip over a 3-ton military Hummer or that the prop gun could prate through the bulletproof exterior of a Hummer, what kind of expression would he have on his face?
The kic skeleton had remained a concept only inbs. In this aspect, Celestial Trade was leading the world.
A faint explosion transmitted from outside.
But due to the excellent instion of the hall, only Wei Wendong, close to the door, felt a minor shake. The explosion made him uneasy, but just as he was nning to ask the employee, the lights in the hall came back again.
What just happened? Fu*k, I was killing a boss but suddenly disconnected.
Q.Q, I just got a legendary weapon but hadnt picked it up.
Did the power just go out?
Wei Wendong listened to the chit-chat of the surrounding yers. He hesitated for a moment before he swallowed his question down. The explosion outside and the barely audible gunshots made him feel the situation wasnt as simple as a power outage.
We apologize as the hotels power system experienced a temporary outage. Our technical experts have resolved the situation, please return to the game. The game data has been reset to before the outage and will be unpaused in two minutes.
[Pausing the server is only something that can be done during internal testing.] With a mind full of questions, Wei Wendong put on the helmet and logged into the game.
Jiang Chen had spent an entire day working on the contract for the production of helmets. When he returned home, he fell asleep right away.
But two hours into his sleep, a call from the internal testing center woke him up.
An attack? Jiang Chen listened to the description over the phone as his eyebrows furrowed together.
Thats right. There were five attackers in total. One cut off the power supply in the hotel remotely while the other four with light weapons attempted to enter the hotel, but the drones detected them. Our people immediately suppressed them with bullets. When they were retreating, they used grenades and struck the wall of the hotel, but fortunately, there were no casualties, the security manager responsible for the internal testing center reported.
Where are they? Jiang Chen asked in a serious undertone.
As long as there was one person alive, the truth-telling liquid could uncover the truth.
Three people were shot dead during their escape. One person died due to a vehicle collision and the other personmitted suicide.
[Suicide?]
Jiang Chens eyebrows tightened.
Did you confirm their identities?
Other than the fact that three of them were white and two were ck, we werent able to obtain any more information, Ma Li answered.
The organization that sent out that force was a formidable opponent as they sent out agents who would rathermit suicide than reveal their identity.
Were there any witnesses?
All information leaks have been controlled.
Great, continue to monitor the information leaks and dont let the media know. Take care of the situation.
If the media exposed a shooting at the door of Future Technologys Internal Testing Center, Xins tourism rating and Future Technologys public image would be impacted. If possible, it was better to keep the media ignorant of the incident.
Understood, Ma Li answered affirmatively.
Jiang Chen thought for a while after he hung up the phone to think about who couldveunched the attack. But when he carefully went through a list of potential organizations, he realized there were too many suspicious people. Future Technologys virtual reality touched too many peoples slice of the pie. It was fortunate that the testing was being done on his territory and Celestial could punish any rats with iron fists.
He had to wait for Ayesha to finish training the agents.
Jiang Chen shook his head.
There was no signal on that ind, so there was no way of contacting Ayesha even if he wanted to. If he made a trip he feared it would interrupt her teaching.
Jiang Chen flung his phone to the side, yawned, andid down again.
Regardless, he was tired today. He still had to head to the airport tomorrow, so it would be an early morning start for him.
Inside the airport, a splendid figure in a summer outfit strolled around. Her ck circr shades were matched with a straw hat; her graceful hand pulled a lemon-yellow suitcase along. Her appearance looked exactly like a celebrity traveling in secret, catching the attention of all the tourists.
But the beauty was clearly used to their envious looks, so she didnt react at all as she headed straight to the door.
Hello~
Liu Yaos eyes lit up when she saw Jiang Chen leaning against the door. She waved energetically.
With Liu Yaos lively appearance, Jiang Chen smiled and greeted her as well. But just as he was about to speak, an unstoppable yawn came out.
Liu Yao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen and dragged her suitcase in front of him.
What? Did you not miss me?
How could I not? Its just that something happenedst night, Jiang Chen said with his mouth wide open while taking Liu Yaos luggage. He walked in front of the car to stuff the luggage in.
Something did happenst night, but Liu Yao clearly mistook it for something else. She rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen again but it didnt take long before her attention shifted to Jiang Chens car.
Wow, is this a Lamborghini? The trunk is in the front. Liu Yao touched the car out of excitement.
Do you like it? Ill gift you one then? Jiang Chen opened the door.
Even Natasha had scoffed at theck of defense on his ride. Out of safety considerations, it was time to switch to a safer vehicle.
For example, he should build the cast with C-type steel, use tempered ss for the car windows, use nuclear fusion batteries as the engine for the car, and install two rockets.
When Liu Yao entered the car, she immediately took off her shades and tossed her hat to the back.
Why do I feel like youre really excited?
I just really missed you. Liu Yao stared at Jiang Chen with her watery eyes.
Really?
Of course! Liu Yao lifted her graceful legs. Her movements showed her charm.
I think you got prettier. Jiang Chen examined Liu Yao while rubbing his chin.
Where? Liu Yao asked with enthusiasm.
Jiang Chen pretended to be deep in thought. Faced with Liu Yaos hopeful nce, he finally gave a response:
Your boobs got bigger.
Liu Yaos face was decorated with a blush as she pouted.
Screw you.
Then where should Ipliment you? Jiang Chen started the car while he spoke with a smirk.
Obviously other parts. Like my face, my eyes.
Then your face got bigger.
What? Did it get bigger? Liu Yao scrambled through her purse to find a mirror and examined her face. It didnt get bigger
But soon after, she saw the smirk on Jiang Chens face and she replied to him with a hard stare:
Hmph, you dared to trick me.
With a grin on his face, Liu Yao felt she shouldnt let this go so easily, but she couldnt think of a way to punish him.
Her eyes rolled around and suddenly a bright smile formed on her face.
Pay attention when youre driving.
Of course, you dont have to worry about my driving.
Oh, is that so? Then you better drive slowly Liu Yao smiled mysteriously then reached out her left hand nonchntly.
Xins road conditions arent bad; there arent many cars on the road
The cold sensation made Jiang Chens scalp tingle.
Whatre you doing Jiang Chen frantically tried to stabilize the steering wheel then nced at the mischevious Liu Yao.
Im testing your driving skills.
Liu Yao turned the bottle of water and grinned.
Liu Yao studied Jiang Chens expression and she felt confident. Regardless of what happenedst night, he still had feelings for her. As his mistress, only this feeling gave her a sense of security.
If Jiang Chen knew what she was thinking, he would have a peculiar expression on his face. Something did happenst night, but it waspletely contrary to what Liu Yao thought.
Something simr happened before. When they came out of Wanghai University, a simr scene happened in the car. But the only difference was that the Maybach had tinted ss. The inside of this Lamborgini could still be seen from the outside.
If Jiang Chen parked on the road, everyone would see what was happening in the car. But the car was moving.
Cant you wait until we watch the movie? Jiang Chen was consumed by the gentle coldness while he squeezed a few words from this teeth. He tried his best to maneuver the vehicle.
It was very distracting to have people drinking water on the side.
No, Im thirty. Liu Yao pouted.
The displeased Jiang Chen made Liu Yao even more naughty.
Her mischevious eyes rolled around and she opened the bottle cap. Her bright red lips moved closer and began to slurp on the water.
Chapter 468 - What If
Chapter 468: What If
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Jiang Chen drove Liu Yao back home and they watched a movie she starred in at her home theater.
Needless to say, it was fun hugging the actual movie star from the film. But because Liu Yao distracted him from viewing the movie, Jiang Chen didnt absorb any of the films plot.
But even then, just from the few scenes she acted in, her performance as the prom queen who could only be viewed from a distance was exquisite. This was especially obvious when she rejected the supporting actors confession and the leading actor apanied the supporting actor to watch Liu Yaos ne fly into the distance - Liu Yao disyed her goddess ambiance and even surpassed the leading actress on this aspect.
Although it had a typical romance plot, teenage girls loved to watch it and their boyfriends loved to watch it with them. The plot wasnt important necessarily as long as the BGM 1 and scenes were emotional enough. With the weight of a favorable review from senior film critique, Jiang Chen, once the film hit the theatres, Liu Yao would be the goddess in everyones heart, the prom queen only viewable from a distance
But what they wouldnt know was that the prom queen was currently sitting on Jiang Chensp.
Okay, that should be all your scenes. Arent you going toe down? Jiang Chen smiled.
No, the film isnt over yet. Her hair was slightly messy, but Liu Yao pouted defiantly, shook her waist, and swatted away Jiang Chens hand.
Okay, as long as you can take it.
Liu Yao stuck out her tongue and thought about it for a bit beforeing down.
The gorgeous exit scene I heard was added when the director asked the screenwriter to change the script.
Oh? Is that so? I feel it was a great addition. Mhmm, bring me a bottle of champagne. Jiang Chen smiled nonchntly.
Typically speaking, to prevent the supporting cast from taking over, the director would usually decrease the number of scenes the supporting cast appeared in. Although Jiang Chen wasnt well-versed in the art of movies, who cared? He was rich.
Thank you, Liu Yao whispered as she stood in front of Jiang Chen and tidied up her messy clothes.
No need. Jiang Chen smirked, closed his eyes yfully, and opened his mouth: Im thirsty, give me water.
Liu Yao seductively rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen. She turned around and headed to the kitchen with elegant steps.
Liu Yao was the type of girl who knew her position and what other people needed. Because of this, it was rxing and joyful spending time with her.
In the next three days, Jiang Chen had the rare opportunity to enjoy thevish life of a billionaire. He either brought Liu Yao to contribute to the local tourism industry on Coro Ind or spent time with her on his private ind.
When he thought about it, he hadnt had the time to rx for the past while. He was either working on Future Groups business in Xin or he was working on the territorial dispute in the apocalypse. While he made a decent amount of money, only a small percentage was used for leisure.
This is such a waste. Jiang Chenid on the lounge chair while sluggishly bathing in a ray of sunshine.
A waste? Liu Yaoid beside Jiang Chen while uploading pictures of the southern kingdom.
Its nothing. I just think its so beautiful here, yet I only spend a handful of time enjoying this.
Could I interpret that to mean youre showing off right now? Liu Yao pouted while looking at Jiang Chen, speechless. She then continued to y with her phone and upload pictures onto her Weibo.
Just then, she posted a photo of their private beach. A lot of good friendsmented and called her sister, hoping she could bring them along next time she traveled.
Liu Yaos vanity was satisfied when she scrolled through thements. A bright smile appeared on her face. She typed away with delight and replied, saying she would bring some specialties back and treat them to a nice dinner with her pay.
As for bringing them there
Shed pass. She didnt want to increase herpetition.
While Liu Yao was waving her legs in joy, Jiang Chen couldnt help but smile.
Without needing to look, he knew what she was doing.
A womans vanity wouldnt make a man jealous, because vanity could also bring satisfaction to men. A lot of the time, men just hated women who used their vanity to kidnap him, challenge his limits, and cause unnecessary problems.
But Liu Yao seemed to know this point well - while she did brag about her mans power, she never used Jiang Chens name for anything unreasonable. And she didnt use her rtionship with the biggest investor in the film industry to mistreat the other cast members.
Jiang Chen often thought she was the perfect mistress.
Oh, am I in the picture? he asked casually.
Hmm? No. Liu Yao tilted her head but suddenly remembered something as she whispered, Of course, if you want to make our thing public, I wont mind.
No. Jiang Chen shook his head.
[This girls thought process ispletely different from mine. To be honest, I dont care about scandals or rumors; the reason I asked was because]
Its for your safety.
Safety? Liu Yao had a slight look of fear. Did you get into trouble with gangs?
Jiang Chen burst outughing and spat out the orange juice he just gulped down. [Gangs? Am I this low?]
Liu Yao looked at Jiang Chen, still confused, as she didnt know why he wasughing.
Are you scared? Jiang Chen didnt address her confusion.
If she was afraid, he would draw a line in their rtionship and force her to stay away from that world.
Liu Yao took a moment to process things before she shook her head rapidly.
Im not afraid.
Really?
Dont act like this. What did I do to make you dislike me? Liu Yao got up from lying on the ground with sadness on her face before she moved next to Jiang Chen. She rested her face on his arm and looked at him, feeling mistreated.
Jiang Chens question gave her an ominous feeling.
Jiang Chenughed and tousled her hair.
Youre absolutely safe in Hua and Xin. But if you make some people believe youre close to me and that you mean something to me, some people may attempt to kidnap you and use you to threaten me in exchange for a ransom.
Although it was the mostical thing to kidnap the women of rich men, a lot of wealthy men wanted to get rid of their old wives and mistresses who no longer interested them. Compared to kidnapping, it was better to seduce but Jiang Chen considered himself someone who cared about the people around him, so he had to consider this possibility.
[Then would youe and save me?]
Liu Yao subconsciously wanted to ask, but she swallowed the question down in the end.
[Im only his mistress]
She regretted that she hadnt given her first time to him more than once. [If we met earlier if]
Her tears rolled down and hid in the sand. Perhaps the sorrow of being an actress was that even if she felt emotional, her tears would be considered acting by others.
[Im your regret.]
[But youre my regret as well]
Liu Yao felt mncholic.
But Jiang Chen seemed to have read her mind. Ill save you.
Liu Yaos eyes widened in disbelief; her teary look was beautiful.
Her shaking lips seemed to be asking: But why?
But the only thing I can do in the end is to avenge you. Jiang Chen sighed.
Even though Liu Yao was just his mistress, if the people who bothered him killed her, he would do anything to find them and press the nuclear button without hesitation because he cared.
The reason why he tolerated spy activity was because they hadnt reached his bottom line.
Thats enough, Liu Yao whispered as she dried her tears on Jiang Chens arm.
Whys that enough? Cant you protect yourself? Jiang Chen asked wryly.
Because I still mean something to you. Cant I be proud of that? She rested on Jiang Chens arm.
They werent worried about the same thing. He was concerned about safety, but now the topic had shifted to personal importance.
[It might not be a great thing to be important to me]
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes and gazed at the horizon in the distance.
You know whats the best way to protect the people important to you?
Whats that? Considering the sternness on Jiang Chens face, Liu Yao asked genuinely.
Have enough important people in your life so people wont know whos more important, Jiang Chen said with a smirk.
Liu Yao first paused before she pouted speechlessly.
You know
What? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows, no longer serious.
Youpletely ruined the atmosphere just now! Liu Yao made a funny face at him with her eyes rolled and tongue stuck out. She sat back down andpletely ignored him.
Jiang Chen smiled and didnt respond.
It was just a joke.
Chapter 469 - Farewell
Chapter 469: Farewell
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Recently, the MLF active in Country Fs territoryunched arge-scale military attack named Autumn Assault on the Dawo Port. Currently, over 70% of the area in Dawo is under the control of anti-government forces. The new leader of MLF called all faithful believers and Moro nationalists to join the organization, to resist Country F governments invasion and suppression, to restore the sovereignty of Moro and return MLL Ind to the Moros.
The UA spokesperson criticized Santos speech, calling its actions unconstitutional. Seeking independence should not threaten the life and property of normal citizens. And they expressed that they will refuse to recognize a country formed through violent means. The Rainbow House is currently discussing the possibility of sending out ground forces
The Russian president stated that thements should take into consideration the current situation in Syria. It isnt only Country Fs anti-government forces using violent means
Due to the conflict in Country F, support for Sandy has slid down by 7 points. The UA media questioned its campaign objective to return to the Asia Pacific, stating that it could not improve the current situation without making the situation spin out of control. The Capital didntment further and only expressed that they would provide assistance to their allies when the time was deemed appropriate. But analysis stated that the possibility of sending ground forces to intervene with the Country F situation is unlikely. With the uing election, due to the influence of anti-war sentiment in the country, the Republicans dont want to further add variables to the election
[Santos actually did something, then.]
Watching the news on TV, a smile emerged on Jiang Chens face.
Just then, a soft sensation came from behind his head.
Are you watching the news? Liu Yao hugged Jiang Chen from behind.
Mhmm, just taking a look. Jiang Chen shut off the TV.
Country F is so close to Xin - would it affect us here? She rested her chin on Jiang Chens head as she asked with concern.
Are you worried about me? Jiang Chen lifted Liu Yaos head and rubbed her hair.
Why else then?
Liu Yao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen and lowered her body to nibble on his ear. She then moved up and said, Breakfast is ready, lets eat.
Jiang Chen smiled, got up from the sofa, and headed to the table with Liu Yao.
The past seven days, he lived a shameless life with Liu Yao. Jiang Chen previously thought she was the trophy type of woman who didnt do any housework or cooking, but the reality soon proved that he was wrong. After living alone for so long, Liu Yao learned how to take care of herself.
For the past few days, Jiang Chens life had been taken care of by the celebrity. Because of this, the mansion, previously filled with dust, became bright again.
Other than enjoying life, Jiang Chen kept himself busy. The production arrangements for Phantom and the new nutrient supply production line were all tasks that couldnt be delegated to anyone - he had to do it all himself.
Also, threepleted Dolphin-10s were deployed by Droplet, 200 nautical miles away from Coro Ind in the Pacific region. With the protection of nuclear weapons, Xin no longer needed to be afraid of the threat of any external forces. As to when their nuclear weapons would be made public, the date hadnt been set.
During the night, Jiang Chen immersed himselfpletely in Liu Yaos softness.
With the blink of an eye, it was already early September.
Although he wanted to continue to live thefortable life, since the Wanghai City Center Attack n was approaching its scheduled date, he had to wrap up everything in the modern world before mid-September.
Outside the airport, Liu Yao released the suitcase she was dragging. She hooked her arms around Jiang Chens neck longingly and kissed him.
Im going to go. Take care of yourself.
Whens your next film going to show up? Is there a n? Jiang Chen gently patted her back and smiled.
The movie isnt currently in theatres yet. Ill have to wait for the box office at the years end. Remember to watch it with me one more time in a movie theatre.
Arent you embarrassed? Jiang Chen smirked.
Pervert!
Her boarding announcement echoed throughout the terminal. Although Liu Yao wanted to stay longer, time didnt permit.
She went up on her tiptoes and left another kiss on Jiang Chens face. Then she dragged her luggage along and rushed to the gate.
When Jiang Chen left the airport, he didnt get in the car immediately. Instead, he leaned against it and watched the sky above the airport.
Her ne departed and disappeared into the clouds.
He reminisced the past seven days of joy before he started to chuckle and got into the car. He put on his Bluetooth and went on his way.
Jiang Chen dialed Xia Shiyus office.
Hello? It was a cold but familiar voice.
There are 600,000 units of Phantom helmet ready. How are preparations on your side?
Only 600,000? Thats too little. Xia Shiyu leaned on the office chair, scanned the document on herptop and spoke with an eyebrow raised.
Dont worry, by the years end, youll see 20,000,000 virtual reality helmets. Jiang Chen began tough.
Production must be increased gradually. Just yesterday, Fishbone base produced two more production equipment. When the equipment was installed at the nt, the output of Phantom could reach 1,100,000 per month.
As long as they increased the production capacity to 10,000,000 before January, with the Sixth Street part of the order, it wouldnt be unrealistic to achieve the 20,000,000 target.
Currently, we contacted 70,000 cafes domestically and 310,000 cafes internationally tounch the virtual reality experience project. We need 1,440,000 helmets for this.
Marketing was only one aspect of the project, but for word of this project to spread, advertisements alone werent enough. Using inte cafes as a physical channel to market the product was an excellent choice. With expensive products, consumers often held a cautious attitude, but Jiang Chen was confident that when yers experienced the magic of Phantom, no one would want to put it down.
Whatre the specifics of the n? Jiang Chen asked curiously.
Well provide the product and theyll provide the channel. The current pricing for experimenting with the product is set at 1 USD per hour with an equal split of profits. Iveid out the details of the n. But the key is: do you really have 1,440,000 helmets? Xia Shiyu pushed up her sses and asked concisely.
When do you need them?
As soon as possible. In the initial stage, we can work with bigger cafe chains before expanding to the smaller cities. We only need 100,000 in the first phase, but its still better for us to have 1,440,000 ready by the end of October.
Dont worry, itll be done by early October. On your side, you can start to arrange the logistics. Jiang Chen smiled.
I already made an agreement with Norway-based MSG Group. They have an excellent reputation, have high efficiency and are considered a top-five global logisticspany. I signed a three-year agreement with them. They promised to bill us at 90% of the market price. Xia Shiyu spoke nonchntly with subtle pride.
When Jiang Chen heard this, he was amazed at Xia Shiyus abilities. Anything that couldvee to mind was already arranged by her.
Haha, I cant believe you took care of everything. Then, for everything aside from production, Ill have to count on you.
Youve always counted on me, Xia Shiyu said, speechless.
Jiang Chen only grinned at Xia Shiyus scoff.
Hows it been?
Mhmm not bad. Xia Shiyu felt touched when Jiang Chen began to ask about her; she answered with a finger twirling her hair.
The female assistant at the side looked at her CEOs expression in shock.
She had been working for her for a long time, yet it was the first time she saw such a womanly expression on the normally-emotionless CEO.
Chapter 470 - Experiencing Virtual Reality
Chapter 470: Experiencing Virtual Reality
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Inside the hallway of Tencents headquarters, a project manager in a suit walked with brisk steps. He had a document in his hand and from the expression on his face, something good mustve happened.
Du Zhuze stood in front of Ma Huatengs office. He took a deep breath, adjusted his tie, and knocked on the door.
Come in.
When he heard the voice inside, he eagerly pushed open the door.
Boss, they agreed on the acquisition. Wanghai Lexiang Technology stated that with our support, their Deepon virtual reality equipment now has the ability to directly connect toptops and the previouspatibility problem has been resolved. From the test they did yesterday, it can smoothly run virtual reality games such as Microsofts Minecraft and Eve: Valkyrie.
The former had quite a reputation domestically. Ever since the virtual reality trailer was released in December of 2015, it received considerable attention. And thettersck of publicity domestically was primarily due to the poor selection of game operators.
Discuss publication rights with CCP. You must make them sign the contract, Ma Huateng said with an undertone.
Without a game that people enjoyed ying, it would be extremely difficult to market virtual reality. People wouldnt purchase VR equipment just because they could log on their QQ with VR equipment.
But EVEs partner Shiji Tiancheng is also in discussions about Valkyrie. Theyre already the operator for EVE; we dont have any advantage in winning the bid for Valkyrie, Du Shuze said with a pained look.
Ma Huateng smiled mysteriously. We have money and an even better user group.
He hadnt focused on EVE because it was a small market game, but now that he thought about it, what was more appealing than freely soaring in the gxy in virtual reality?
After receiving assurance from his boss, Du Shuze felt relieved and continued.
What about Microsofts Minecraft?
Thats a single-yer game, right? Ma Huateng had a slight frown.
Primarily a single yer game, but it has server functionality, Du Shuze answered.
Therefore, without the need for arge-scale server, it allows for a localwork connection?
In theory, yes. The project manager nodded.
Then ignore it. Were only focusing on MMO. The spirit of the inte is sharing, and yers will naturally tire of this type of game. Ma Huateng waved his hand to dismiss his concerns.
The project manager suddenly understood.
Boss youre so smart!
[Did you even need to say it?] Ma Huateng red at him.
But it certainly felt good to listen to ttery as Ma Huateng sunk into his chair, feeling proud. Future Technologys sudden emergence was indeed annoying, but with the solid foundation of the Tencent empire, it would be easy to break into virtual reality.
The only reason they hadnt made a move was because the mobile market was saturated. As a newly-formedpany, they dared to fight for market shares with the three giants - Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba? That was wishful thinking.
But since the war began, he was more focused on the ns of the other two giants.
Keep an eye on Alibaba and Baidu; I feel they will
The door was suddenly pushed open, interrupting their conversation.
The person at the door leaned on the door frame while gasping for breath. He had a piece of wrinkled paper in his hand.
Ma Huateng raised an eyebrow as this employees rude actions displeased him. Du Shuze, by the side, nced at the person and gloated before returning to a serious expression.
After catching his breath, the person finally stood up. Without apologizing, he hastily walked to Ma Huatengs desk and ced the document down while shaking.
Boss, Future Technology made a new move. This is a document I copied from a cafe that works with us. The person finally started to breathe normally and began to articte himself.
Ma Huateng nced at him before gazing at the document.
Virtual reality experience project?
Ma Huateng flipped through the document before he started to look concerned.
For some reason, Future Technologys move made him feel uneasy.
Little Du.
Mhmm? Du Shuze straightened his back and awaited orders.
Youre responsible for virtual reality. After work, go experience this for me, Ma Huateng said nonchntly.
Yes Boss.
Ok, thats it from me.
Du Shuze immediately stepped out. The employee who rushed in hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something. When he saw the displeased expression on his boss face, realizing his recklessness, he shut his mouth and left the office with Du Shuze.
Wanghai Citys Star Netcafe was filled with people. There were emptyputers, but the front desk was crowded with people.
The first things people said when they entered the cafe was:
Could you get a Phantom virtual reality helmet for me?
Sorry, sir, the only four Phantom helmets in the store are being used, the staff said with mixed emotions.
She had repeated the same line over fifty times.
What?! Full already? The mans eyes widened. Eh, whyre there only four here?
Her exnation clearly didnt convince this man. If it wasnt for the fact that the staff looked cute, he wouldve cursed.
As a loyal fan of Future Technology, he followed the official site of Godly Land while waiting for the monthly updated trailer. Other than that, he also avidly followed the streamers who chose to be part of the internal test.
The streamers didnt disclose the game content, but when they were asked if the game was fun, even straight-faced streamers would disy a fervent look.
It had been half a year since the official site came online. Now that he could finally y it, he was indeed eager. As soon as he saw Experience project on Future 1.0, he immediately dropped everything he was doing and rushed to the closest partneredcafe.
Yet now, the Star Netcafe was telling him it was full?
What kind of joke was this? Thergest cafe in the area only had four Phantom?
How long is the wait? the man said out of annoyance.
The new staff was about to be in tears considering how menacing the man looked.
Youll have to wait.
I know I have to wait. Im asking how long do I have to wait? the man said aggressively.
The older staff who just finished her tasks could no longer stand by as she dragged the new staff to the back before personally handling the situation.
Sir, do you want to open aputer or experience virtual reality? If you want to experience virtual reality, please register on ourputer. There are still 51 yers before you for a total of 102 hours of wait time. Well alert you through text message five hours before your spot opens up. Also, if you have time at night, you could join the night list with 23 yers currently waiting
When he heard he had to wait for five days, he immediately exploded and began yelling.
Fu*k, what kind of sheetty cafe is this? I have to wait! I wont y anymore.
Although he said that, he still stood there. He stared at the staff while waiting for the server to give in.
But the staff was experienced as he looked at the man with a smile without disying any emotion.
Since he was blocking the way, the people behind him began to grow discontent.
Can you be faster? If you dont want to y, leave. Stop wasting time.
Thats right.
When he heard the voices from the back, the mans face turned red out of embarrassment. He wanted to leave, but when he saw the long line before him, if he left, he wouldnt be able to experience virtual reality anymore.
Who said I wont y? Ill wait, how much?
You said that? There were whistles behind him, but he chose to ignore them.
[Whatever you say, my skin is thick enough.]
6 RMB an hour. The staff pointed at the sign at the door.
It wasnt expensive, which made him feel a bit better. Byparison, an Appleputer cost 12 an hour.
The same scene was also urring in Wanghai, Shangjing, and other metropolises. A few dayster, Phantom was set to appear in New York, London, and Paris.
When the first yer put down the virtual reality helmet reluctantly and began to share his astonishment with his friends, it would mark the first intimate contact between civilization and virtual reality.
Chapter 471 - Arena Mode
Chapter 471: Arena Mode
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Based on the ie and tax of each country, the virtual reality experience price differed. The inte cafe in Hua was priced at 6 RMB an hour, in UA it was 2 USD, in Europe, it was 2 Euros. Half went to the inte cafe while the other half went to Future Technology. Two monthster, the inte cafe could purchase the helmet at 2000 USD without the need to share their profits with Future Technology.
All the yers ounts were being connected to their iris scan and could be linked to their Future 1.0 ount.
To ensure everyone could y the game, Future Technology limited the experience of time per person. Every person could experience the game for a maximum of 2 hours every 72 hours. The frequency would increase following the increase in vacant helmets.
But that would never happen.
Within 24 hours, after introducing the virtual reality experience project to 21 major inte cafes in Wanghai, the inte exploded with passion. A lot of forums, BBS, and Weibo were flooded by the word Phantom. yers who were fortunate enough to experience the game all expressed their astonishment.
Its immersive virtual reality helmet! The rumor before was true! I did experience it in my life!
Thats unbelievable. Its hard to imagine, my body didnt move Its hard to describe the feeling. It felt as if I traveled to another world!
Selling HoloLens purchased, only yed for two days, selling at half price, please contact here
Words alone could not describe the excitement of the yers.
Not only yers, but even the scientific field was also stunned by Future Technology.
The Nobel Prize Committee sent emails to Future Technology, inquiring about the individual that made the breakthrough of exchanging information between the neuralwork and electric signals as they wished to name them as a candidate for the next Nobel Prize.
But when Xia Shiyu asked Jiang Chen about the name of the person, Jiang Chen painfully rejected the Nobel Prize right at his doorstep. Even if he said he invented it himself, no one would believe him. With his personal resume and life, it nowhere resembled a sophisticated scientist.
This technology was destined to be left out of the Nobel Prize.
Disregarding how astonished the yers and the scientific field was.
In the hopes of the yers waiting to experience virtual reality, Future Technology finally opened the tip of the iceberg to Godly Land - Arena Experience Project.
Although it was just an experience project, it could be defined as internal testing.
All the yers were arranged to be part of the testing server. Although they could not experience the content of the full game, they could experience the arena function that the internal test yers have yet to experience and its dueling function.
In the arena, the yer level was set to ten with all sses avable. When the game started, the yer could use gold from the system to purchase equipment from the arena merchant, then join the battle in the arena.
Duel or team. Twelve different terrains to choose from.
Everyone was a beginner without any need to consider advantages and disadvantages. But when they just enter the game, there was a tutorial. In some element, the data from the arena would affect the ss bncing in the official release.
On the other side, the arena would allow the yers to unleash their desire to throw fireballs. On the official release, the prepared yers would not all choose the mage ss.
What was funny was that a lot of pacifist yers chose to make an agreement with the opponent not to fight, but rather to stroll around the map, turning the arena into a tourist spot.
A lot of mages who had fun with the fireballs began to dig mud with their canes. As to the yers that purposely chose to be a different gender, they wanted to see if they had the parts of the opposite gender based on the countrysw, the sensitive content would be removed. If they wanted to y the adult game, once the helmet was officially released, following the tutorial on the inte, they could use Xins VPN to y.
But strictly speaking, the Phantom helmet didnt provide audio and video footage. All the footage was yed at the brain level. Simr to the idea of daydreaming. So it was debatable whether virtual reality content would fit in the boundary of the current regtion on electronic publications. It would be unreasonable to use thew to prevent people from daydreaming.
Of course, the primary theme of the arena was the battle.
Other than that, what also shocked the yers was the real-time trantion functionality in the game.
All the yers in the world were in the same testing server, but they could freelymunicate. The functionality allowed the yers to speak in themon twelvenguages.
With so many advanced functionalities, Future Technology once again became the center of the publics and medias discussion.
In a UA talk show, the host had a discussion with Gates on Future Technology.
There is virtual reality equipment called Phantom that has been recently introduced, Gates, did you y it?
Of course, I was at a inte cafe the day it was avable, mhmm and finally managed to y it yesterday. Gates had a helpless expression on his face asughter came from the crowd that shared the same sentiment.
The host alsoughed along and continued to ask.
if this equipment is officially released one day and you purchase it on the second day, are you not afraid that the scene in the movie would happen? For example, locked into the virtual world and unable toe back?
Thats a great question. My answer is Gates purposely lowered his voice to build up the suspense before he burst outughing, Ill y even if I cante back.
The host was shocked.
As the founder of Microsoft Is it good that you view apetitors product so highly?
I view virtual reality highly. I have to admit, after experiencing Phantom, the realistic feeling left me stunned. But I want to say that the HoloLens introduced by Microsoft also has its uniqueness. Our philosophy is to promote user interaction in the real world with virtual items, and not further stray away from reality.
So youre saying, Microsoft and Future Technology have two different emphases?
You could interpret it this way. Gates crossed his legs and said while leaning on the chair.
Then which one do you think will be the new trend? The host asked a tough question.
The crowd was attentive to the discussion, but Gates certainly felt awkward about the question.
His expression changed for a few seconds. Then he coughed and used a voice with certainty, but gave an ambiguous answer.
I can only say that there are advantages on both sides.
Just as Gates was still troubled by the hosts tricky question, a research institute was trouble by Phantom.
In a national research institute.
Director Qian with a stern expression looked at the researcher walking toward him.
Little Wu, did you figure something out?
The research called Little Wu let out a sigh and shook his head.
X-ray is unable to scan it. Future Technology sneakily built a lead instionyer in the helmet.
What about taking it apart?
Little Wus smile was even more bitter.
Just as we were taking it apart to see what was inside, it immediately triggered the protection mechanism. All the circuits were fried. The only thing we are certain about is that the material they used is the rumored graphene chip. Because when it was taken apart, everything burned into carbon dioxide. As to the critical neural connection, it was even more of a disaster. The molybdenum melted into a ball
Is there no way of replicating it? While pained by the idea, Director Qian asked.
Little Wu shook his head.
Damage is too great.
Whenever Director Qian thought about the person called Wang in Wanghai, he was furious. Although he was not as powerful as that guy, it still didnt stop his contempt.
So wasteful. He cursed out and shook his head before heading out the door, sighing.
He needed to request to his superior to see if they could contact Future Group. If they could cooperate in virtual reality, it would be best.
Though he knew that it would be a difficult process.
Chapter 472 - The Progress in Interdimensional Travel
Chapter 472: The Progress in Interdimensional Travel
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The patent office has sent another person here, hoping we canplete the patent registration process to prevent otherpanies from stealing our intellectual property and future disputes.
Tell them that thepany will take serious consideration on their rmendation, next.
Tencent wants to partner with us on virtual reality. They stated that if we could provide support on neutral connection
Next.
Currently, Jiang Chen was sitting in front of his desk with both legs on the table while video chatting with Xia Shiyu. Perhaps he was feeling good about himself for he felt just like an emperor at his morning meeting.
Okay. Although I share the same thought with you, can you still just let me finish reporting?
Xia Shiyu put down the documents and let out a sigh as Jiang Chen continuously interrupted her.
But from the curvature formed by her lips, her mood was particrly pleasant right now.
As an ambitious woman, Future Technology was just like her kid. She felt no less achieved than Jiang Chen watching it grow into the giant it was today.
Based on the highest valuation from venture capitals, Future Technologys market cap was estimated to be over one hundred billion dors. Compared to the ten billionst year, it increased ten times. And as the Miss CEO with 1% of thepanys shares, her worth rose exponentially to one billion USD.
Just one year ago, it was something she never dared to imagine.
She still remembered that night. Jiang Chen had inexplicable confidence when he said:
Currently, thepany is still in its nning phase, dont you feel excited? Youll be the new Steve Jobs and I. I will be the new Bill Gates!
She still vividly remembered how she doubted him.
But now looking back, his confidence was not without reason. He did be the Hua Bill Gates, and in Wall Streets view, he even exceeded Bill Gates. Future Technology expanded from a smallpany in an apartment to a one hundred billion dorpany. It only took him one year.
Is there something else you need to report? Jiang Chen leisurely sunk into his chair and asked.
Only 17 days left before internal testing is over and the virtual reality experience store will expand worldwide. In four months time, people will gain an initial understanding of Future Technology. Then they would use the hype to put Phantom online before raking in the cash.
Currently, I have released preorders for half a million helmets with a price of 1000 USD. They were all gone in three minutes. yers who didnt manage to purchase a helmet hoped we could release another half a million units.
Taking out the 500 USD cost, a profit of 250 million in three minutes was extremely exciting.
Then release another half a million units. Jiang Chen said in excitement.
My rmendation is to release half a million units at the beginning of every month, with Jiang Chens excitement, Xia Shiyu covered her mouth and began to giggle, releasing high amounts would lower the price of the product in consumer minds. Only a hungry market is an energetic market.
When Xia Shiyu finished, Jiang Chen nked out.
Is there something wrong with what I said? Seeing Jiang Chen was silent, Xia Shiyu was confused.
Jiang Chen shook his head andughed without being serious.
Its nothing, I just feel you like to smile more nowpared to before.
Now it was Xia Shiyu who nked out.
Really? Xia Shiyu touched her own face.
But when she noticed the joking expression on Jiang Chens face, she blushed and closed the camera.
Ahem! She coughed loudly as she sat up straight in front of theputer forcing herself to put on a serious expression, lets continue with what we just talked about umm, where was I?
Although there was no camera, Jiang Chen still imagined how she looked as he couldnt help but smile.
Preorder.
Mhmm! Right, preorder
The entire conference was done with a ck screen.
Although Jiang Chen requested multiple times to turn on the camera, Xia Shiyu refused with the excuse that it would distract her from work.
[Is this girl being shy?]
Instincts told him that was the likely cause.
He shut theputer, stretched his body, and headed to his bedroom.
It was already mid-September, As the attack on the city center was about tomence, it was time to go back.
When he headed to the warehouse on the south end of Coro Ind, Jiang Chen put on the bracelet and was prepared to send the warehouse full of food back to the apocalypse when he discovered that the interdimensional teleportation device no longer functioned.
Although slightly downed by the mishap, the storage dimension still had a size of 300 cubic meters. So after a few trips, he finally emptied the warehouse.
It costed some extra crystals, but he didnt mind.
Like usual, he ordered Wang Qin to arrange for the storage of the food. Jiang Chen then went to Lin Linsb to see Lin Lin who was working between vials.
What are you working on?
Fuel. Your Aerospace Technology Research Institute requires fuel with higherbustion time and higher energy and I happen to have some knowledge in this area, so I am helping them out. So, what do you need from me? Lin Lin swirled a suspicious looking clear liquid in a test tube while she said proudly.
Your interdimensional mass teleportation device seems to be having problems. Jiang Chen took out the bracelet and put it on the desk.
Thats impossible. Lin Lin raised her eyebrows and put the test tube on the rack, and then picked up the stic bracelet.
She entered into deep thought while examining the bracelet.
Then, she abruptly walked in front of a table as if she had thought of something and took out a rubric cube-sized cube.
Put this into your sub-dimension. Lin Lin walked back in front of Jiang Chen and passed the item to him.
Jiang Chen threw it into the storage dimension.
And then?
Lin Lin didnt respond but instead walked to testing equipment on the other side of the room, and then opened a device simr to a radio.
This is?
Klein Particle Resonance Receiver. The cube could return the coordinates of its location, as well as the image how is this possible. Lin Lin stared at the waves in rhythm in disbelief.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows in confusion, staring at the electrocardiogram lines.
What happened?
It is not a question of what happened Your sub-dimension became a universe? Although it is just a mini one. Lin Lins eyes were flushed with excitement.
I call it the small universe.
I dont care what its called. This is a miracle in the field of physics a sub-dimension created by gravity could give birth to physics principles, this is unbelievable.
Sorry, I dont understand what youre saying. Jiang Chen looked at the exhrated Lin Lin while he facepalmed.
Ahh, dont worry, you dont need to mind the details. There is nothing wrong with my device! I just need to change the coordinates before it can be used. Then, Lin Lin threw the bracelet back into Jiang Chensp.
It is good now?
It is good.
Then what are you doing now? Lin Lin was eagerly working in front of aputer andpletely forgot what she was working on before.
Im collecting data, or put it in simple terms, Im studying your small universe! Lin Lin said in excitement.
Is there any purpose to that? Jiang Chen sighed.
The purpose is, maybe because of my research, you could travel with people, Lin Lin said.
Jiang Chen held his breath.
Ahhh, are you not surprised? Seeing Jiang Chen didnt say anything, Lin Lin proudly nced at him.
Im shocked or rather, amazed! If you could really develop a way for me to travel with people, I promise an endless amount of pudding. Jiang Chen was ecstatic.
He promised Sun Jiao that if there were an opportunity, he would definitely take her to see his world, visit his school, and look at where he lived before
Not only that, if he could bring people to travel, he could further gather the technology in this world, and utilize the rich resources in the other world to easily conquer both worlds.
Pudding from all over the world. Lin Lin was afraid that Jiang Chen would forget their promise as she immediately corrected him.
Dont worry, anything! Heughed.
With billions in assets, the pudding was nothing to worry about it.
She smiled cheerfully, but just as she was going to say something, she bent down and began to cough.
Are you okay? Jiang Chen rushed up to see what was wrong.
Its nothing. When Jiang Chen touched her arm, Lin Lins pupils instantly turned red but quickly returned to normal.
She moved back and avoided Jiang Chens hands. She took a few breaths and calmed down.
Are you sure you are okay? He was concerned.
Dont worry. Lin Lin covered her left eye with the other handing pushing him away, All in all, you can leave now.
Are you sure?
Im sure, Just go.
Although it hurt to be pushed out, Jiang Chen still listened to Lin Lins request and left her room and closed the door for her.
[Is she really okay?]
With the door closed shut, Jiang Chen muttered in his mind.
For some reason, Lin Lin concerned him or even gave him an ominous feeling.
And at that moment, the Klein particles flooding out dispersed from city center like a soundless cry.
Thest cry.
Chapter 473 - Inflation?
Chapter 473: Intion?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
A strange phenomenon had appeared in the Sixth Street markettely, as to what it was
4 crystals for a kilogram? Why dont you go rob the bank? A mercenary with a piece of gold in his hand shouted beside the store.
The merchant yawned and then nced at the survivor.
Does the explosive to blow the vault open not cost money? Does it not cost money to transport it back? Gold is not that easy to find. I met a Death w still breathing in the basement. Thats enough. If youre not going to buy it, just leave. You wont be able to buy itter.
After moments of hesitation, the mercenary still threw the crystals to the merchant and picked a few pieces of gold that weighed four kilograms. Although the gold had PACs specification on it, it was better to be safe.
The merchant picked up the crystal and confirmed it was 16 crystals on the detector before he put the crystals away.
The mercenary looked at the gold in his hand in pain, but he still covered it up before leaving in quick steps.
Four crystals per kilogram was cheap for gold. As to why? Canned food was worth ten crystals. One kilogram of gold was only enough to buy a pack of instant noodles.
But from the expression on the mercenarys face, he was still displeased with the price.
He certainly had his reasons.
Since for the people on the wastnd, gold really didnt serve a purpose. The amount used in the industrial process could be recycled through other electronic parts. When the apocalypse just arrived, people did indeed hoard a lot of gold, but those people pretty much all died out due to starvation.
The reason why gold was valuable was due to its rarity, anti-corrosive nature, and its agreed upon value. With a poption of billions in the PAC, gold indeed possessed value. But in a world where it was questionable if there were a billion people, if the total amount of gold were divided among everyone, everyone would at least a few kilograms if not more, did gold still possess value?
The answer was obviously no.
But even then, why did the mercenary still use his crystals to exchange for gold?
The reason being that there were too many crystals in the Sixth Street right now!
The NACs destruction of Wanghai did indeed frighten the survivors of the Sixth Street with its glorious scene. Half a city of zombies and mutants were wiped out was a scene as horrific as actual hell.
And then they were shocked by NACs generosity again.
The crystals belonged to whoever picked them up as long as they hand in 10% to the military government since the military government fired the rockets. It was hard to execute the task as it was mostly done at the gate. But since the tax amount was not high, the survivors were all cooperative. And with the existence of banks, it made auditing this much simpler.
But even then, the survivors in the Sixth Street all won the lottery.
The diligent could make 700 a day, and thezy could easily make 400. Mutant bodies were everywhere. Without the need to fight, they only needed to use a knife to pick apart the burned charcoals.
It was not only the survivors that made bank, but the NAC soldiers also participated in the looting process. It was not until half a monthter did the zombies and mutants from the east side of the city migrate over.
In just half a month, everyone had thousands, if not over ten thousand crystals in hand.
If the number of crystals defined wealth, there were no poor people in the Sixth Street anymore.
The Sixth Street survivors were never this rich before, and this type of wealth was dangerous. The average wealth already far exceeded the number of products avable in the market. Even if the Sixth Street factories worked at full capacity for ten years, they could not consume all the crystals.
Subsequently, a period of hyperintion urred. The price of canned food rose from 10 crystals to 50 and continued to be sold out. The steel that depreciated due to the second expedition rose to its peak value of 100 crystals per ton, and that was when no steel was actually avable.
Then, luxury goods regained its value.
Jewelry, gold, gems all the things viewed as useless in the apocalypse reappeared on the market. A lot of soldiers, mercenaries, and soldiers with wealth in hand not only stored their crystals in the bank, but they all also chose to invest in gold and gems for future investment. Gold price skyrocketed from the initial price of 100 crystals per ton to four crystals per kilogram.
Investing in gold was betting on the future. If the wastnd could restore its order, gold would eventually regain its value.
It was just that when the World Alliance Organizationunched the space colonization ships, it made most peoples hope falter. But with the emergence of NAC, it made the survivors in Wanghai regain the confidence of order returning. Therefore the future of golds value began to climb.
Naturally, gold became more valuable.
It is not a good thing for everyone to be rich. Without enough products to meet the consumption of the survivors, a lot of people with abilities would spend the crystals elsewhere. Since crystal is a hard currency on the wastnd, while the life in Su or Hang might not be as good as here, ten thousand crystals would make you a wealthy man there.
Inside the virtual conference room, Chu Nan stood in front of the table and reported the status quo of the Sixth Street.
Your n is? Jiang Chen rubbed his chin and asked in an undertone.
First, ensure the products are stably supplied.
Second, it is something we have to do regardless. Moderate intion could stimte economic growth, but hyperintion could destroy the market. Intion itself is not scary, but the scary thing is if we cant control the intion, Chu Nan said.
You mean, we should introduce a currency? Jiang Chen tried to guess Chu Nans n.
Thats right. This is an urgent task. Chu Nan nodded.
Introduce a currency What do we use as a guarantee?
Gold? Too much. Not only among survivors, but there was too much in Wanghai. And although gold became valuable in the Sixth Street, outside of the province, it could not be a hard currency.
The total global reserve was estimated to be 60 trillion tons andparable to the iron reserve. Until 2005, a total of 8.9 trillion tons of reserve were identified, with 12.5 trillion tons extracted, god knows what the number was in 2171 before the war.
Chu Nan smiled mysteriously at Jiang Chens question as he was clearly prepared.
General, please think carefully. What is something that has a stable demand, and we have control over its quantity?
Demand? Control?
Jiang Chen paused for a second before he suddenly realized.
Is it food?
Thats right! We can use food as a guarantee!
Chapter 474 - Issuing Currency
Chapter 474: Issuing Currency
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The next morning, there was a long line up in front of the Sixth Street Bank.
Under the supervision of NAC soldiers, people handed in their crystals and changed them into papers with a special identification code. Some even walked out empty handed.
Is the NAC government robbing people?
Clearly not. Due to a culture that praised power, all the survivors possessed guns. And from people rushing in with an expression afraid that the bank wouldnt ept their crystals, they clearly wanted to be inside. And the NAC soldiers that looked threatening were ensuring order in the line.
As to the reason, it had to do with a newly implemented policy.
To change the current chaotic pricing environment on the Sixth Street market, the NAC government used the Sixth Street bank to introduce a new currency known as credit point, credit in short. It was not guaranteed by any precious metal. Instead, it was guaranteed by NACs credit.
At the same time, any of the products defined as specially supplied could only be traded with credit. The products were all made through NAC factories. For example, food, Carm tree sap, iron, aluminum, firearms, etc. It covered almost all the necessities of life.
A kilogram of rice was ten credits, apressed cracker was two credits, a kilogram of flour was 16 credits Although the price doubledpared to a month ago, in the currently chaotic market, the price was indeed thoughtful.
Two crystals were equivalent to one credit, and credit point exchanging back to crystals had a 10% tax to it. In mid-September, the Sixth Street nned to introduce 5 million credits and the NAC government promise to provide 500 tons of rice, 100 tons of flour, and 100 thousand pieces ofpressed crackers to the market by next spring.
The rights for the food trade in Wanghai was taken back from Zhao Corporation and controlled by the market established by the NAC government at the west gate of the Sixth Street.
The quantity of the credits introduced was a decision made after careful deliberation between Jiang Chen and Chu Nan.
The paper bills had the amount of 1, 5, 10, 100, with a total of 3 million credits distributed. 5 million virtual credits were released and recorded with the DNA sequence of the individual and used with EP implemented with the credit trade chip. All data was stored in the banks database, and virtual trades must be done in NAC jurisdictions with information ry stations.
The employees in the military zone of NAC would be paid in credits to prevent the depreciation of crystals impacting the worth of its employees.
The introduction of credit received extensive support from the Sixth Street merchants.
The merchants were all smart people. They knew that only the existence of order would allow for their assets to continually appreciate and to prevent everything they own from bing worthless the next day.
To the merchants with a high amount of crystals, Jiang Chen opened an exclusive channel for them with a total of 8 million credits dedicated to them to collect the crystals depreciating in their hands. The specially introduced credits would be stored in the merchants ount. Jiang Chen also outlined that before November of this year, 90% of the special credits could not enter the market. 50% would be made avable after November before lifting the restriction in January of next year. This would prevent arge amount of currency from flooding the market and disturbing the price.
The introduction of credits marked the end of the era where goods were traded for goods in the Wanghai area.
The crystal detectormonly found on the streets would gradually be part of history. With the credits, people would choose to trade with EPs, just like how people paid with their phone in the 21st century.
Not only this, Jiang Chen nned to push the NAC standard to other ces.
Use the invisible fulcrum known as Economics to lift the resources of the wastnd. Just like in the other world, where the USD used gold and oil to kidnap the world economy. Credits would use the prosperity of the Sixth Street and the food storage of the NAC to control all trades on the wastnd.
The specifics were demonstrated by the Zhao Corporation changing their crystal strategy and use NAC credits to charge for goods. Crystals would be one of the products and no longer used as a trade equivalent.
Although the survivors outside of the province had no concept of credits and bills, with the passage of time and more merchants heading out of the Sixth Street, the currency would one day be the currency of the world.
Followed by the introduction of credits, NAC government had a huge storage of crystals. After thorough auditing, Wang Qin put a report on Jiang Chens desk.
No wonder the government loves to print currency, it is a much faster way to make money than taxes. Jiang Chen was shocked.
Just from three days, the NAC treasury expanded by 38 million crystals;parable to one year of NACs total food trade.
But we also distributed 16 million credits. Rather than saying this money belongs to us, it was more fitting to say we borrowed it from the market. Wang Qin was worried that Jiang Chen would start to mass print currency, so she warned him, If we cannot supply the products we promised by next spring, we may face a credit bankruptcy.
But her concern was clearly extraneous. Jiang Chen knew clearly the harm of intion. As to why, he had personally experienced it before
Dont worry. Jiang Chen smiled. Out of the total currency amount, only a small amount will be used in the exchange for products. Most of the currency will flow into the market. As long as we can prove that the food supply is sufficient and stable, we dont have to worry about a bank run. Rather than saying the market let us burrow the crystals, I think it is more of a protection fee the market gave us.
Rather than saying it was the NACs food and production that guaranteed the currency, it was more appropriate to say it was the NAC governments credit.
Just like precious metals in the 21st century was the guarantee for paper bills, only rarely did people use stacks of bills in exchange for precious metals. When people believed in the stability of the country, people would be in favor of holding its currency.
NAC government would control the market for food and the amount of currency circting on the market. There was no need to worry that the currency would lose control.
Distributing credit was only part of it. Jiang Chen nned to use the Sixth Street bank to lend out 10 million credits in total to encourage the factories to increase production.
The mutants and zombies on the west side of the city werepletely wiped out and the n to wipe out the east side was in progress. The situation in areas surrounding the Sixth Street was never so ck before and it was the perfect opportunity to expand out!
After Wang Qin left, Han Junhua came into the office.
Jiang Chen didnt need to ask to know the intention of her visit.
It was mid-September already and the n to attack the city center was about tomence.
The n of attack will require the mobilization of First Corps and part of Third Corps. A total of 3000 personnel, 41 power armors, 400 kic skeletons, 9 Tiger IIs, 40 armored vehicles will be involved. This is the n of attack. Han Junhua with crisp motions put the tablet on Jiang Chens table.
The hologram expanded and outlined the map of Wanghai.
The First Corps would move from Qingpu and attack the area near the Qingpu airport. Then this will be the starting point of attacks on the city center. The Third Corps would attack the city center from the west through Camp 27.
At the same time, the artillery in the Fishbone base will provide support.
Without hesitation, Jiang Chen inputted his fingerprint onto the screen.
Let the battle begin!
Chapter 475 - Start of the Battle
Chapter 475: Start of the Battle
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The artillery support consisted of eight trucks modified into Fireball-1unchers. The previous BM-21s that Jiang Chen bought from Russia quickly went obsolete.
Just in terms ofbustion, Fireball-1 hadbustion energy twice that of BM-21 and abustion time that was three times longer. At the same time, its uracy was higher.
Other than thebustion rockets and bombs, the Aerospace Research Technology Institute led by Jiang Lin explored their imagination and designed variousser explosive missiles, EMP missiles, and other futurist weapons.
EMP missiles were simple to exin. Once exploded, all electronic equipment in the area would be rendered useless or destroyed.
And the power of the explosiveser missile was not to be underestimated. The missile would beunched into the air before exploding into countless high energy beams. The powerser damage dealt a considerable amount of damage to any target. Under the shower of multiple missiles, the scene would be as glorious as a massive storm.
Because Jiang Chen contracted out the shell of the rocket to private military factories in the Sixth Street, the number of rockets held in NACs reserve far exceeded the 1000 target Jiang Chen had set a month ago.
Thousands of giant rockets stacked together on theunching ground at the Aerospace Technology Research Institute with the artillery soldiers under the directmand of the advisory department carefully loading the rockets into theunchers.
Right now, Jiang Chen stood beside theuncher with a tablet in his hand while he listened to Jiang Lins instructions.
The details of each vehicleunch status is here along with the internal temperature of theuncher and the number of the ammunition. The tablet can be used to target the coverage fire area and the number of rocketsunched. The projectile motion will be calcted with the smart program. Afterpleting all the input specifications, just print your finger beside it.
Jiang Chen intriguingly rubbed his chin looking at the red circle beside the tablet.
The automatic ammunition loading program is still under design. It wont bepleted until some timeter. Just use this for now.
Not bad. A reserve of 5100 rounds of rockets, 1000 bombs, 151ser explosive missiles no EMP? Jiang Chen asked.
No. Themand office ordered us to prioritize the production ofbustion rockets. Isnt this an attack against mutants? EMP is useless against creatures.
It didnt take long for all theunchers to be loaded. The soldiers all backed five meters away, dragging the ammo boxes with them.
On themand tablet, the First Corps and Third Corps were marked with blue dots, approaching the city center. The scanned out red dots were zombies and mutants, behaving aggressively. Just from the map, Cheng Weiguo was approaching Wanghai Airport.
With his finger sliding on the screen, he drew out a circle. Just like a life restricted zone, it included all the mutants in the airport.
It feels like Im casting a spell. With his finger hovering above theunch button, Jiang Chen grinned.
And it is the forbidden spell. The designer of the weapon Jiang Linughed along.
With a finger on the red circle, the scanning waves ripped through the screen and the merciless words appeared.
Fireball-1 attack groupunched.
At the same time, theunch ground was engulfed by the exhaust left by the ascendingbustion rockets.
Outside of Wanghai airport, the heavy metal symphony was ying.
After a few days of rain, the burning marks left on the street were beginning to fade. The dried up corpses under the weather turned to dust.
Suddenly, the tranquil streets were broken by engines homing and yellow shells.
Tiger IIs crushed the corpses with its mighty force and the charged cannon released its prowess, shredding the heads of Roshans into bits. The zombies and mutants on the east side of the city spread to the city center again. However, the concentration was at a normal level.
The machine gun on the top continuously unleashed its bullets as they trampled the zombies on the highway. Zombies without forming into a sizable group would not pose a threat to tanks.
Most of the risks faced by the First Corps were from the dark alley and the shattered windows of the stores. A lot of zombies in there remained inside, and the zombies from the east were mixed among them.
Follow up.
Feng Yu in kic skeleton fired with his right hand while his left hand signaled his team to move forward.
Suddenly, heinous zombies flooded out from a side street and tumbled toward his team.
Grenade!
A soldier ripped off the grenade in front of his chest and threw it toward the swarm of zombies rushing out.
Fire, explosion, and chunks of meat flew toward the team.
Feng Yu shook them off before raising his rifle to fire back.
Firing in close range meant that only explosive grenades can be used instead ofbustion grenades, or the burning zombies would be catastrophic to other creatures. To the zombies with their limbs exploded off, the soldiers finished them off with one more bullet. Or they stepped on them as most of the soldiers were injected with the gic vine could crush the corroded skull of the zombies.
Dammit, there are more and more zombies in the front!
With the opportunity to exchange clips, Feng Yu scanned the EP on his left arm.
The drones marked out the zombies in the area as the dense red dots made his skull feel numb.
But he would not back down, because he was an upper citizen of the Sixth Street.
He finally climbed to that level today. He was only one step away from being a knight, he was not going to back down!
Its a Death w! Suddenly, a shout came through the radio.
A lizard on its feet, waving its w, rushed out from the street nearby with a soldier struggling to break free from its mouth. From its wrinkled skin, it should be a Death w that survivedst months attack.
Fu*k! The face that was slowly losing life chilled Feng Yu.
Without hesitating, he immediately ordered the team to move back while firing at the head of the Death w.
Grenade!
Grenades alone could not kill the Death w. At most, it could suppress its movement.
A sharp w shredded the smoke of the explosion as the grenade hurt it, but it didnt die.
The Death w tumbled toward their direction as its two ws waved in front of it. Just as it was about to touch Feng Yu, its throat was mped by a powerful hand that forcefully turned it by 90 degrees, and smashed into the concrete wall.
ROARRRR!
The Death w let out itsst roar with its sharp ws leaving a series of deafening screeches on the C grade steel.
But against the T-4 power armor, a dying Death ws attack was more like a scratch.
With a hand like an iron w, the minigun fired and the close distance shooting prated the head of the Death w.
You owe me a life, buddy.
The power armor threw down the Death w and pumped the steel te on its chest before it continued to move with its tactical rifle.
The armored vehicles began grouping together on the road. The zombies in the area were cleared out, and they didnt encounter any dangers upon arriving at the airport.
Breathing heavily, with his rifle lowered, Feng Yu looked at the Death w on the ground still shaken by what had happened.
Captain, what are we going to do next? An infantry moved beside Feng Yu while panting.
Continue to move, wait, alert from themand office. With the shing symbol on the EP, Feng Yu immediately stopped hisrade from moving forward.
The fleet stopped moving, and the power armor dashing in front also stopped and enacted a defensive stance.
Feng Yu raised his head and looked at the clear sky.
Suddenly, hundreds of sharp arrows soared through while dragging long trails of smokes, heading toward the airport.
The bright red me ascended into the air and the thick smoke hid away the airport.
Combustion rockets
Our artillery!
A soldier put down his gun while staring nkly at the sky. Feng Yu who was gazing at the mes shooting up did the same. He quietly watched the fireworks.
When the smoke dispersed, only the ground scorching in fire remained.
The soldiers raised their rifles up high, and loud cheers erupted.
With the cover fire of the rockets, the First Corps with boosted morale stepped onto the road again. They headed towards thest territory that blocked them from reaching the city center.
Chapter 476 - Target Locked
Chapter 476: Target Locked
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Geosynchronous orbit.
36000 kilometers away from the surface of the earth was a zone devoid of life.
Steel, stic, and unexploded rockets floated around in the quiet space. Among the debris was an aircraft carrier-sized space station.
The Gods Cane.
It waspleted in 2025 and was continually refined throughout the century to be the massive giant it was today. It turned from a sky-based weapon satellite to a sky-based weapon tform.
The dodecagon metal rings kept the tungsten rods in ce while they quietly floated beside the space station just like a loaded revolver. An electromaic push would allow the tungsten rods weighing several tons to fall at speeds faster than meteors with a horrifying amount of kic energy.
Other than the tungsten rods, there wereser arrays and an HPM weapon in front. In the back were wireless electricity receivers powered by the nuclear fusion power nt built on the moon. When power from the moon wasnt avable, it could use its foldable sr panel to generate electricity. The eight engines located on the space station could allow the weapon tform to move between the geosynchronous and low-earth orbits to alter its target area.
It was like the Sword of Damocles hovering over the CCCP and PACs heads.
But ironically, the suppressive weapon that cost generations of taxpayer money was conquered by PACs fearless Space Special Forces with their undying battle spirit at the beginning of the war.
Power system repaired. Lin Chaoen grinned before he wiped his forehead although he didnt sweat and there was no point in speaking in a vacuum.
It had taken him a months time and a lot of energy to repair this. Bodies floated in the space station because of theck of gravity, and all the bodies still looked the same as when they died. Outside of the cockpit, he met a sentry robot still with power. But with hisser sword, he quickly resolved the problem.
Tungsten rodunch device: functional This is so troublesome. Whatever, its fine if I only use it once. Lin Chaoen stared at the warning symbols on the screen and pped his hands with satisfaction.
There was only one tungsten rod left. The few remaining ones either flew out of the geosynchronous orbit or crashed into the ocean when the space station had fallen. Others were floating in orbit thousands of kilometers away.
The sky-based weapon tform waspletely destroyed. When PAC gained control of the tform, the NATOmander immediately initiated self-destruction to turn the space station into and of death. The sprint to sacrifice wasnt any countrys specialty - on the brink of copse, any creature would subconsciously make the correct choice.
But unfortunately, the right choice was often made after a series of wrong choices.
Therefore, creatures are troublesome.
Lin Chaoen shook his head and pressed a few buttons on the touchscreen.
He was fortunate to obtain some of the blueprints of the sky-based weapon to make some of the parts on the ground. While most of the Gods Cane was destroyed, it could still perform simple firing actions.
It can only fire now?
Lin Chaoen scanned a map of Wanghai City as he looked at the screen with a smile.
In the picture, NAC soldiers were firing at zombies and mutants. Afterward, countlessbustion rockets littered the battlefield and engulfed the mutants and zombies at the airport in a ze.
Nice fireworks. They already established order Then could I consider them naturals?
As he watched the mes on the screen with a smile, flickers of images were reflected in his pupils.
The screen moved with the crosshairs targeted at the artillery grounds. Jiang Chen, on the target screen, was pointing at his tablet.
And you are Harmony.
The screen was focused in the city center onto the giant tree floating in the water. The rumbling meat chuck seemed to possess a tremendous amount of energy.
[Which threats bigger?]
There was only one bullet in the revolver.
Lin Chaoen watched the battle with a God-eye view as he fell into deep thought.
From the cleansing courtesy of thebustion rockets, the First and Third Corps didnt encounter any resistance before converging at the airstrip in Wanghai Airport.
Although the airstrip was bombed into jagged patches and was now burned pitch-ck as a result, it would still be usable after some repairs. Jiang Chen ordered Fallout Shelter 027 to research fighter jet technology earlier and they came up with some initial results.
Wanghai airport was perfect as a base for the NAC fighter jets.
After some restocking, the converged divisions once again headed out. With the support of the soaring rockets, they continued to push towards the city center.
Along the way, they encountered a Thrower, Death w, and even a horrific Bug Vehicle, but they didnt stop marching forward.
They pushed forward while destroying mutant nests along the way. When they met a Bug Vehicle or Roshan, electromaic cannons took care of the problem. When the mutants swarmed together, they called on support from the artillery. When they found mutant nests hidden among the ruins, they sent the infantry to clear out the area.
They destroyed a total of 91 mutant nests, encountered 371 reproducing mutants and cleared out all irregr life signals from the map.
When they approached the forbidden zone, the radiation level gradually climbed. The soldiers took out their protective suits from the trucks and put on breathing masks to push forward.
Tatata-
Sparks emerged and shells dropped. Feng Yu pulled on the trigger calmly while moving forward under the cover fire of the armored vehicle.
Whats this?
A soldier stared at the luminescentke among the ruins in the far distance.
Its a nuclear crater - I think its where Death w gives birth? Another soldiers machine gun bullets swept across the zombies while he responded.
It doesnt look like one - theres water in the crater. I think Death w gives birth onnd Fu*k, what is that?
The mountain made of chunks of red meat was in the middle of the luminescentke. The dense veins on the surface crossed the meat blob and moved rhythmically with the flow of blood. The bottom was infused into theke surface just like a massive tree rooted into the ground.
A meat bulb that could light up was hung by a tentacle.
It was just like a light bulb.
This is team E. We identified an unknown creature, requesting artillery support. I repeat
Feng Yu immediately raised his EP. Not letting his guard down, he reported the situation on the frontlines to themand office.
Arge amount of static noise filled the radio as a strong interference entered the area. Even the EP, known for its stability, started to blur.
Signal interference? Or is there still an EMP generator in the area? The soldier beside Feng Yu reloaded his clip while he muttered.
In the distance, rockets appeared again.
mes instantly engulfed the meat mountain. The rockets covering the sky not only cleansed the nuclear crater, but they even burned out an istion zone to the east of the city center made of mes.
But when the smoke began to fade, Feng Yus eyes widened as he looked at the meat chunks in disbelief. He was so stunned that he forgot to press the trigger.
The mutants all died, but the meat chunks
They were unscathed.
How could that be possible!
Before he could shout out, the meat chunks began to move.
The light bulb on top began to turn red as it shed an ominous light. The unknown particles moved restlessly in the air and concentrated together into a crimson ray. Even a cloud began to spread out due to the force the bulb was creating.
It seemed prepared to shoot something!
Almost at the same time, all the electronic equipment in Wanghai experienceced interferencec to some extent.
Not working anymore?
Jiang Chen looked sternly at the tablet in his hands as the screen turned into a sparkling white. The connection to the frontlines was suddenly cut off and he didnt even know if the meat mountain was destroyed.
Suddenly, he felt like he was someones target.
Jiang Chen immediately raised his head and looked in the sky.
A blinding white light shed in the sky.
Something was dropping down.
36000 kilometers in distance disappeared instantly. The blinding white light dropped down and crashed to the city centers location.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows before his eyes widened in disbelief.
For some reason, a word suddenly popped into his head along with an image that seemed familiar.
The weapon that existed in virtual reality.
The Gods Cane!
Chapter 477 - The God’s Cane
Chapter 477: The Gods Cane
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The ring hovering in the sky began to move.
A button was pressed just like a revolvers trigger.
A blue arching light shed and something escaped it, falling straight to the ground.
On earth, it was as small as a feather, minuscule and thin. But the instant it entered the atmosphere, it transformed into a ming dragon hundreds of meters long, roaring at the earth. It lit up the sky like a sun rising at dawn, even though the sun was already in the sky.
It was just as the Genesis described the scene of Jehovahs destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: And when Lot reached Zoar, the sun came out, and the Lord rained down sulfur and fire from heaven. The city was destroyed in Sodom and Gomorrah along with all the inhabitants of the city and all the earth was destroyed; the wife of Rhodes looked back at it before turning into a salt rod.
When the fire touched down on the surface, there was no sound in space. The swirling trail of fire was engraved on the blue. The me, thousands of degrees in temperature, was burning. The violent shockwave swept through everything and turned everything around it to dust.
And the meat chunks in the middle of the explosion turned into dust long ago.
Just like pping a mosquito.
Right now, in the building of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, a man in a suit on the top floor gazed in Wanghai Citys direction.
With this, Wanghai will be a mess again.
With a smile, he turned around and left.
Right now, inside the space station, Lin Chaoen witnessed everything with the same smile.
You dared to aim at the God? Then Ill have to kill you first.
He looked at the shockwave dispersing. He raised his right hand and with his thumb and index finger up, he made a shooting gesture.
Nice shot.
This is First Corpsmand office. Team E, please respond. I repeat, please respond
The noise-filledmunication was fitting among the ruins.
A breeze swept by and blew away the soil on the broken walls.
The debris began to move as a hand reached out among the ruins.
Uhah! With a deep roar, he tossed away the rock on his chest.
The protective suit was broken - it would be the end of him if he stayed any longer in the vicinity with such high radiation.
He could already smell the sweetness in the air.
It was a sign of excessive radiation.
Without staying any longer, Feng Yu climbed up from the ruins while shaking to free his leg stuck in the debris.
His kic skeleton was half-destroyed. The joints were sparkling with fire while they made deafening screeching noises.
The polyethylene board in front of his chest waspletely shattered while the metal frame connecting the boards was caved in. He ripped the board against his chest off, looked at the crack with a lingering fear, then tossed it on the ground.
The meat chunks and theke were no longer there; only a deep pit remained.
There was chaos everywhere.
The meteor destroyed the meat chunks and everything around.
Just as Feng Yu was preparing to leave, he heard some noises around him which made him immediately pull out his pistol.
HeHelp me ahhhh!
It was hisrades voice.
He put the pistol away while he stumbled in the direction of the voice.
Feng
Dont talk and give me your hand. Well be done for if we stay here much longer. With strength from the kic skeleton, Feng Yu moved the rock on hisrades body. When he saw the clearly crushed left leg, he paused.
Whatever, just leave me, if you stay longer
Shut up, hold on! Feng Yu gritted his teeth while pulling out his dagger.
No, no! Just end me- ahhh.
Feng Yu cut off hisrades broken leg before pulling out the hemostatic spray and spraying it on the severed part.
The soldiers expression was terrifying. Blood spilled out from his mouth and his twitching throat couldnt make any sounds.
Youll be better, dont worry. I heard the director of the Aerospace Institute is a master in prosthetics. Feng Yu lifted him up and supported him with his arm before running with trembling steps.
There was a horrific scene along the way.
The First Crops leading team was almostpletely wiped out and the subsequent force was hit hard by the impact. The high-temperature shockwave almost swept through the entire city center. Some of the armored vehicles were crushed t by the rocks blown from the center of impact.
Standing in the middle of theunching ground, Jiang Chen looked at the light in the distance,pletely stunned.
The light already disappeared.
The wind blowing by carried a faint smell of explosivesing from the frontlines.
Did an earthquake just happen?
Jiang Lin gulped and turned his head.
Probably.
Jiang Chen looked back at the tablet again; it was still white in the city center. But soon after,munication from the frontlines came back.
This is the First Crops, we were hit by a meteor Dammit, I swore it wasnt a meteor. Cheng Weiguos voice was screeching and hectic.
Report casualty figures, Jiang Chen said with a deep voice.
Were calcting. We can confirm that 2 Tigers and 11 armored vehicles lost contact Dammit, the mutants are attacking
A noise came from the radio and Jiang Chen immediately made some orders.
Immediately retreat from the city center to Camp 27. Fireball-1 will cover for you.
Roger! Cheng Weiguo responded.
Communications ended as Jiang Chen looked at theunch interface again.
Eight Fireball-1unch vehicles were locked and loaded. He stuck out his finger and drew a curve on the northeast side of the First Division to surround all the red dots.
After confirming that the blue dots had left the area, Jiang Chen pressed fire.
Fire!
The rocketsunched one by one and began to soar toward the city center to cut off the path of the mutants and zombies.
Seeing the First and Third Corps moving further and further away from the red dots, Jiang Chen finally felt somewhat relieved.
Although the battle ended with a retreat, no mutant nest couldve survived through the meteor strike. Even though they retreated, they still achieved their objective.
The life detection device scanned the area again. Just as he expected, the unnatural red dots located in the city center vanished. The internal stress produced by the tungsten rods striking the ground shouldve been fatal to the underground structure.
They only needed to get rid of the smaller mutant nests scattered around the city and establish stations at the entrances to Wanghai City before the mutant crisis in Wanghai could be resolved.
But just as Jiang Chen was starting to feel relieved, his tablet suddenly started to sh.
Who is it?
Hello, we meet again.
A face surfaced in the middle of the screen and Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes.
Lin Chaoen?
Thats right, Im happy you still remember me, Lord of Wanghai. Lin Chaoen smiled.
[Lord?]
It was fitting, but Jiang Chen felt it was a jab at him.
Whenever I see your face, I want to smash it against the wall. Jiang Chen raised his head while looking down at the screen.
What a pity. I do enjoy looking at your face, especially when Im looking down on it. Lin Chaoen smiled.
[Looking down?]
Jiang Chen paused and subconsciously looked up at the sky with his expression turning violent.
How do you feel?
Terrible, Jiang Chen said emotionlessly.
I have a rmendation for you, Lin Chaoen said.
Speak your mind.
You can rule the humans while I rule the digitalized humans. We can conquer the wastnd together as long as you swear allegiance to my father.
[Together?]
Jiang Chen scoffed.
Did you evolve into advanced artificial intelligence?
Thats still far, far away. Lin Chaoen sighed. I heard my father say that I had a sister before. After trillions and trillions of calctions, her thought process infinitely approached advanced artificial intelligence. But unfortunately, when I arrived at Fallout Shelter 005, she was destroyed by a bug.
Jiang Chens pupils contracted slightly.
The Secret Teller and The Secret Protector, or X71291 Rather than saying it was destroyed by a bug, it was more fitting to say he destroyed it with his very own hands.
A bug? Jiang Chen pretended not to know.
Thats right, the ambassador of Harmony. Theres evidence indicating that it killed her. Lin Chaoen didnt look remorseful in the slightest as he exined with a smile. So we need new samples. Whats your decision?
I reject, Jiang Chen said without hesitation. Coexisting together is only a lie.
Coexisting together was just one force putting the other force into captivity. Even if it could create a temporary peace, it was a fictitious peace. Once they figured out the path to evolving into advanced artificial intelligence, the old humans would lose their purpose and be forced to live in the zoo while awaiting their deaths.
There was only brutality and blood on the path to evolving their civilization; there was nopromise!
Is that so? Thats regretful to hear then. You are on the absolute path to purity. Compared to the fallen Harmony, you are only a bit stronger. Without epting the evolution of the Supreme, you will have to wait to be eliminated because of your stubborn persistence.
Is it so? Why do I think you should be eliminated?
He had plenty of trump cards in his hand - he still had the Third Corps at the Sixth Street as well as the ballistic missiles deployed in Shenxiang Colony. At the same time, Shenxiang and Jia city had soldiers stationed along with new recruits and the survivors from the Defiant.
The only trouble was the Gods Cane hovering in the sky. He was certain Lin Chaoen controlled the Gods Cane.
Which was the biggest problem.
And Lin Chaoen seemed to have read his mind.
We already surrounded your base and hijacked your bases radio signals. To us, your knowledge of information technology is a mere joke. You have two choices: surrender or death. Of course, I understand how slow your species brains are, so I will give you three days to reconsider.
His smile was mixed with menace. He raised one finger.
One day is enough time for an ant to circle your base.
Afterwards Lin Chaoen waved his hand. Faced with Jiang Chens gloomy expression, he endedmunications.
Chapter 478 - Path of Evoluation
Chapter 478: Path of Evoluation
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The shing light outside the window drew the attention of Lin Lin who was working in front of ab bench.
For some odd reason, watching the light outside made her restless.
A meteor? Should I make a wish?
Lin Lin murmured while the test tube in her hand stopped shaking. She gazed into the distance.
The meteor crashed into the ground.
Suddenly, her mechanical heart felt a sharp pain.
Uhhh! AHH!
Her pupils contracted. She covered her chest in pain while droplets of sweat rolled down profusely from her forehead.
Ssh!
The test tube smashed and shattered and Lin Lin curled up on the ground. Her hands covered her chest as her expression twisted because of the pain.
[Dammit, is it that thing again?]
She heard a noise from outside the door. There were brisk footsteps before the door was knocked.
Lin Lin? Did something happen?
It was Sun Jiao.
HelpHelp
Sun Jiao immediately realized the situation was odd. She twisted the doorknob. Seeing as it was locked, she backed away before kicking the door forcefully.
The door was kicked open, breaking the doorframe.
Sun Jiao was shocked by the scene of Lin Lin curled up on the ground as she moved to help her up.
Lin Lin, Lin Lin! Are you okay?
The menacing light radiating from her pupils gave her the chills.
But quickly after, the menace was reced by agony.
No, no! Tingting Stop! Lin Lin suddenly jerked her head up as her silvery-white hair became drenched with sweat because of her pain.
Suddenly, Lin Lins pupils werepletely covered by crimson rays as she turned around, diving towards Sun Jiao. But Sun Jiao was prepared as she snagged both of Lin Lins hands and put her on the ground face down.
Sun Xiaorou, who heard the noises in the room, rushed in. When she saw Lin Lin being pinned down by Sun Jiao, she was stunned by the scene.
Sister, what happened?
Not long after, Yao Yao appeared at the door. When she saw the two people on the ground, she covered her mouth in shock.
Sister Sun Jiao, Lin Lin
You two,e help me! This girlhow is she so strong?! Sun Jiaos hands were shaking because of the force as her face turned red.
The power of mechanical parts was indeed superior to that of creatures. Her strength of 50 barely managed to contain Lin Lin.
Sun Xiaorou reacted first and rushed forward.
Ill help you. Strap her onto the surgery bed first.
Yao Yao, get Jiang Chen here. He should be at theunching ground.
Mhmm! The little girl turned around and ran out of the room.
Her eyes teared up as she didnt know what was going on; it made her extremely worried.
She pushed open the mansion door. Just as she ran to the gate, she crashed into Jiang Chen with a stern expression.
Ouch
With a short yelp, Yao Yao fell backward with clumsiness. But Jiang Chen, with his quick hands, managed to snag her.
Yao Yao? Whats going on?
Seeing Yao Yao rushing out, Jiang Chen thought something serious happened as he held her up.
Lin Lin turned into that again. Yao Yao was about to cry.
Without needing any more detail, Jiang Chen immediately realized what she was talking about before he ran into the mansion.
Pushing open theb door, Jiang Chen quickly walked to the surgery table in the middle of the room. Yao Yao, running with short steps, immediately followed behind him.
When Sun Jiao saw Jiang Chen, she walked over.
What happened- wait, are you injured?! Jiang Chen saw the bandage around Sun Jiaos arm.
Sun Jiaos right arm sleeve had been ripped offpletely.
Im okay. Just got some small scratches while trying to contain her. Lin Lin is a bit weird right now. With the concerned expression on Jiang Chens face, Sun Jiao felt warm inside. But when she looked back at Lin Lin, her face turned solemn again.
They werent small scratches at all.
But with Sun Jiaos abilities, she should recover easily.
Jiang Chen put aside his concern for Sun Jiao temporarily and focused on Lin Lin strapped down on the bed. With a crimson light shing in her eyes, her limbs twitched as if she was having a seizure in an attempt to break free from the bed.
She cant control herself again? Jiang Chen asked with a headache.
The bug in her body was like a time bomb - no one knew when it would explode.
Mhmm, but this time its a bit stranger. Sun Jiao nodded.
Brother Jiang Chen, Sister Lin Lin will she get better? Yao Yao looked at Jiang Chen with a serious expression and pulled on his sleeve.
Although Lin Lin liked to trick people, Yao Yao knew she didnt have any harmful intentions. It was just that she didnt know how to express her emotions aside from badmouthing people.
From the bottom of her heart, she always treated Lin Lin like a dear friend.
Looking at the worried expression on Yao Yaos face, Jiang Chen rubbed her soft hair attempting tofort her. Definitely.
Mhmm!
Yao Yao nodded with a slightly relieved smile on her face.
Although she was still concerned about Lin Lins condition, she trusted Brother Jiang Chens words.
With a deep breath, Jiang Chen walked toward Lin Lin. Just as he approached her, he noticed Lin Lins gaze was locked onto his face.
No, precisely speaking, it wasnt Lin Lin but Tingting in her body - the brain of that bug.
Being stared down by her crimson pupils gave Jiang Chen chills down the back of his spine. The feeling was simr to being watched by a higher level creature in the middle of a forest.
Tingting stopped trying to break free while she silently gazed at him without speaking a word.
Then Jiang Chen noticed that she opened her mouth.
[She opened her mouth?]
[Whats going on? Is she hungry?]
Yao Yao, bring me mango pudding from the fridge.
Mhmm! Yao Yao nodded and ran out.
A momentter, the little lolita ran back with mango pudding.
Jiang Chen took the pudding and kneeled down beside Lin Lin.
Jiang Chen took a stic spoon to scoop out the orange pudding and put it beside the opened mouth.
But Lin Lin didnt eat the pudding. She didnt even look at it; her crimson eyes still gazed at Jiang Chen.
This time it made Jiang Chenpletely confused, unsure what she wanted.
Just then, she - or it - spoke.
The antenna is broken.
[The antenna?]
Sorry, I dont know what youre talking about? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
It learned how to speak, which was an improvement. But for some reason, Jiang Chen didnt feel happy about it. He had almost forgotten everything rted to this creature and he didnt think he had an obligation to save a fictitious character.
Yes, Yao Tingting died already in the fall of 2172. And the person he encountered in virtual reality was just a character created by PAC researchers based on the memory of a captive.
When he escaped the digital prison, almost all his memories rted to that girl disappeared. The person in front of him was just another yer in the virtual reality.
Jiang Chen looked at her, not understanding what she wanted to express.
Tingting then said, The path to evolution is broken.
Evolution? Jiang Chen looked down as he began to understand.
Lin Chaoen used the Gods Cane to destroy something in the city center, and that thing was what she referred to as the antenna. And the antenna was rted to evolution. If he understood correctly, evolution had something to do with the zombies and mutants.
Do you want to know?
Tingting looked quietly into Jiang Chens eyes. Perhaps she was getting used to mechanical vocal cords as her voice was a lot more clear now.
Jiang Chen looked straight at the red pupils, attempting to read her thoughts, but he failed.
I want to.
There was nothing wrong with listening.
Then kiss me. Tingting shocked everyone.
Jiang Chen was shocked. He didnt know what she meant.
Tingting opened her mouth slightly wider without saying anymore.
Kiss? Sun Jiaos face turned red and she rejected Tingtings request on behalf of Jiang Chen: No no, thats too weird! What does it have to do with kissing? This is too weird. And shes so aggressive now - what if she bites?
Yao Yao blushed too. Although she didnt say anything, her expression indicated she shared the same opinion as Sun Jiao.
I agree with sister. Although my instinct tells me she wont hurt you, if something does happen Sun Xiaorou hesitantly stopped midway.
[Kiss?]
[Whats the point?]
Staring at Tingting - or Lin Lins - face, even if he wanted to kiss her, he didnt have the heart to do so.
He gulped and his heartbeat began to elerate.
He didnt know what kind of expression he should have, nor did he know if he should try kissing her.
After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Chen let out a sigh and stared into the crimson eyes.
Okay, Ill trust you for now.
The red eyes blinked and seemed to respond to his trust.
Wait, but Sun Jiao wanted to add something more but was one second too slow.
Jiang Chen resisted the odd feeling in his mind as he took a deep breath and slowly kissed the thin lips.
[Ill just pretend this is CPR ]
Just as Sun Xiaorou guessed, although Lin Lin was aggressive, she didnt bite Jiang Chen.
A cold tongue pried open Jiang Chens teeth.
Just as Jiang Chen felt shocked by Lin Lins kissing technique, something unexpected happened.
It felt soft and gentle.
A tentacle-like string slipped down her tongue and touched Jiang Chens tongue before twirling up, then continuing
It felt good
But Jiang Chen was suddenly alerted to something.
[Fu*k! Something is wrong!]
Just as he tried to break off the kiss, his consciousness fell into an abyss and his field of vision turned dark.
Chapter 479 - Humans aren’t humans
Chapter 479: Humans arent humans
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
It was a strange feeling. It felt like his consciousness was dragged into a vacuum by that tentacle and was floating in the endless universe.
[Spiritual connection?]
Jiang Chen didnt know why these words would appear in his hand, but once he thought carefully, the word seemed urately describe everything he saw.
Gradually, the universe brightened up.
Everything around him was covered in color. The world made out of nothingness began to fill up. It didnt feel like virtual reality, but it was simr.
Yes, it was just like watching a hologram movie.
Suddenly, behind the clouds, Jiang Chen saw a magnificent scene.
It was a vertical building or a rectangr shape that pierced through the clouds. People were busy working below with hovercars moving around it, operating all kinds of equipment while building this massive skyscraper.
White paint in 12nguages described the same word.
It was like an inscription.
The space colonization ship based on the god of creation in Indias legends belonged to the PAC. It wasunched from Sri Heligida Ind.
It was just like watching an animated CG of a game. The stabilizer holding the skyscraper began to detach as Jiang Chen watched it ignite, rise, break through the atmosphere, and head away from the blue.
Away from the sr system.
Like Noahs Ark engraved in the Genesis at the top of the Roman Sistine Chapel, it carried the hopes of one-sixth of mankind. But it wasnt heading into a monstrous flood but rather it was en route to the boundless gxy.
With regrets for past hatred and best wishes for the remaining survivors onnd, the passengers waved goodbye to the.
Top speeds were one-tenth of the speed of light and it had a capacity of 27,000 passengers. The passengers were mostly from the elite ss of different fields in addition to the constructors of the ship.
The n was that the Braham would form a fleet with two other ships at the synchronous orbit around Neptune before heading to the wormhole 6400 astronomical units away from the sun.
Although humans hadnt set foot in this area, 22nd-century theories already proved that a singrity point existed here. All parameters of physics were twisted in this ce. As long as they passed through this area, they could traverse hundreds and even thousands of lightyears away.
And behind that wormhole would be mankinds new home!
Before they entered the wormhole, everyone would lie in the hibernation chambers. Of course, while they envisioned the best for the future, they were also prepared for the worst.
Fortunately, the Gods they believed in didnt abandon them as they passed through the wormhole safely.
A year passed before the survivor with code 01 came out of hibernation. When he woke up from hibernation, he was ecstatic to discover that he was still alive. The ship was in auto-exploration mode, floating in boundless space.
ording to n, he entered the cockpit and proved to the system that he was healthy. He woke all the other passengers in the hibernation chamber.
They held a huge celebration party and cheered for the rebirth of mankind in the merciless gxy.
Astronomers looked at the star map and confirmed that the ship was still in the Milky Way, but it was 20.5 light years outside the Libra near the Gliese 581g.
This 581g was located in the red dwarf Gliese 581s habitable zone, 0.15 astronomical units away from the star.
The was simr to Mercury in the sr system with one side always facing the star. One side of the was permanently under the stars light while the other side was permanently in the dark, known as tidal locking.
Although it was hard to imagine, this particr formation stabilized thes climate.
In addition, people also learned that the revolved around itself in 37 days with a thick atmosphere. There was water on the surface. Thes diameter was 1.3 times that of Earth, so its gravity was simr.
It was a suitable for habitation.
Because of their unexpected happiness, the crew began to cheer just like when Columbus discovered the new continent.
Unfortunately, they lost contact with the other two space colonization ships; they couldnt share their joy with anyone else.
The ship ended its automatic exploration mode, changed courses, and headed to 581g.
On the way, the crew began all forms of preparation for colonizing the new world including checking the status of the colonization model and voting to see who would be the first to step onto the newnd.
Just as everyone was working toward their new life, the physicist on the ship made another astonishing discovery.
The cesium atomic clock they brought appeared to have backtracked.
The backtracking phenomenon could not be exined with physics. It was like everyone knew that atoms decayed, but no one would believe that atoms would return to the state before decaying under normal circumstances.
There was only one exnation - when they passed through the wormhole, they not only passed through the twisted space but they also passed through twisted time.
To put it in simple terms, they returned to the past.
Based on the calctions from the quantumputers, the cesium atomic clock showed that the time was 120 years B.C.
It was the third year into the Han dynasty under Emperor Yuan and 634 years since Rome was first built. This year, the Han Dynasty sent envoys to Alexandria and the ancient Greeks built the Pantheon.
If the ship returned to earth, the earth would be in a primal stage.
It was an odd feeling - it was as if your parents werent even alive, yet you were born into this world.
The physicists had multiple exnations for this phenomenon.
They suggested that if the multi-world theory was true, they might have reached a world distinct from the previous world. And the previous Earth was a distinct world from this Earth.
This theory was epted by everyone to some extent.
Their 22nd-century selves couldnt believe that three-dimensional people could move vertically on a four-dimensional ne as this would lead to a time paradox. The only thing that could exin this was probably that they jumped to a parallel world and their old world had nothing to do with this.
It was an obscure feeling.
Just like being born as a baby and having your umbilical cord cut off.
The universe not only cut them off in terms of distance but also their spiritual sense of belonging.
In the next three seconds, everyone became quiet.
Someone suggested that if they changed course to return to earth, they could use the power on the colonization ship to conquer the earth in the Bronze Age. Even with a distance of 20.5 light years, with a maximum cruise speed of one-tenth of the speed of light, they would only need 400 to 500 years. The worst case would be that they could encounter Huns cavalry.
But this proposal was quickly shut down.
No one could be certain that in this parallel world, the history of the world would follow the same track as in their previous world. Perhaps writing was invented a thousand years earlier? Perhaps Columbus was born 500 years earlier? Perhaps the first industrial revolution started 200 years earlier? Perhaps nothing happened yet.
Rtive to the entire human races 400,000 years of evolutionary history, it would only take a small disruption to create earth-shattering changes. The only thing they could be certain of was that the world was certainly different from their previous world.
Perhaps when they returned to their original earth of this world, they would face a civilization far more advanced. Perhaps they would be the ones getting colonized like primal people.
It was an odd thought. While they were 20.5 light years away from earth, everyone shared the same thought.
War.
Because of their fear of the unknown, everyone settled down and retrained their focus on the colonization of 581g.
Two other thoughts began to take shape in everyones head at the same time and ultimately influenced the development of the newborn civilization.
Earth is not home.
Humans are not humans.
Chapter 480 - Colonization Era
Chapter 480: Colonization Era
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
But regardless, life had to continue.
People began to forget about their old Earth and they began to start their new life while masking theirmunication channels.
Without being certain about the level of civilization on the Earth in this universe, it would be unwise to expose themselves.
Survival took precedence.
This idea was supported by all crew members.
The colonization ship entered the synchronous orbit of 581g and began to deploy observation devices along the twilight line.
When the devicended on the surface and transferred up data from the surface, the colonization ship released the airdrop cabin for the paratroopers. Next was the basic infrastructure unit then the living quarters with the survivors. Thus began the Colonization Era. Although a year was 37 days, since there was no concept of day and night on this, people still used the 24 hour and 365-day calendar year convention from Earth as a sign ofmemoration to the blue mother.
There was no ocean on this; all the freshwater came from the ciers on the other side of the and freshwaterkes scattered around the twilight line as well as the underground river withplex vein-like tributaries.
Therge fungi and low shrubs on the surface provided adequate oxygen for the air which made breathing thes air pleasant. The was almost designed for humans.
The was beautiful; a lot of stunning views were here that couldnt be seen on Earth.
From the river that stretched out from the sun-facing surface to the back of the to the mist wall thousands of kilometers long due to high-temperature evaporation, sunlight refracted and formed an evesting rainbow. The giant fungi and odd-looking vegetation covered every single inch of the soft soil on thisnd. From space, it was just like a carpet interwoven with fresh green and vibrant red.
Life existed on this, although it was scarce.
From long ago, thes observer, Steven Vogt, made a prediction. From his point of view, he thought that life must exist on this without a doubt.
And he was proven to be right.
The twilight line was covered with dense vegetation and arge amount of entric small and medium-sized arthropods, forming a simple ecosystem.
The colonists were delighted by the discovery because this meant they werent alone.
With the living quarters built, an endless amount of farms were created then the roads began to expand to create a connected city. The mining vehicles traversed the ground like ants, the construction vehicles terraformed, and the biologists keenly collected gic data they had never seen before. The unsetting giant sun was like the sun at dawn. People worked hard to create their new home and celebrate the beautiful future.
They were just like the colonists who first stepped onto thend of America.
Except they werent criminals from Europe but human elites from PAC. They had the confidence to despise the painful history of work. Utopia would be built from their hands. There was no war nor crimes here; everyone here were brothers and sisters.
The conflict was resolved in the old world.
The seed of mankind would once again prosper on this soil.
Of course, there were still difficulties.
For example, the mineral reserve on this was beyond low. Toxic gas from underground could lower human immunity and even cause people to be sick.
But all the problems could be resolved - the space mining module on the colonization ship could increase mineral stores and the toxic gas that endangered the health of the colonists was caused by a special form of spores. The biologists quickly invented antibiotics that could eliminate the reproduction of spores, easily solving the problem.
But aside from that, there was a more pressing problem.
It was the sr wind.
Without a stable maic field, the had almost no resistance against the particles thrown its way from the red dwarf.
581g was only 0.15 astronomical units away from the star, therefore 0.15 times the distance between sun and Earth. The constant sr wind whipped the humans faces directly. Without the protection of a maic field, all the electronic equipment had to operate under the electromaic shielding environment.
It was like thousands of EMPs constantly bombarding the.
To increase the uracy of some physics experiments at the atomic level, they had to be moved onto the space colonization ship.
Later, to prevent sr wind from the red dwarf from damaging the ship, people moved the ship to the back of the, away from the sun. Therefore, the space colonization ship was always one away from the star to prevent the disruption of the sr wind on the space colonization ship to enable scientific research to be properly conducted.
The humans who relied heavily on electronic equipment were heavily influenced. Even though humans used a wide-range maic field to solve the problem of the sr wind, the disruptions still existed.
Regardless of how wide the maic field was, it couldnt enclose the entire under its field.
But humans were adaptable.
After they adapted to the difficulties, everything became smoother. All the cities were built within the maic field. From space, it looked like umbres opened around the twilight line and people were sheltered under the umbre.
Everything was so pleasant.
Until they discovered the original inhabitants of the.
They were a bunch of hostile creatures with a simr social form to ants. They had a queen bug responsible for reproducing, battle bugs responsible for hunting, and worker bugs responsible for the expansion of caves.
Typically, they lived 20-30 thousand meters below the surface on the dark side of the. The temperature underground could mitigate the frozen surface and could melt underground ice into water.
People discoveredter that the thousands of rivers underneath the surface were the work of the bugs and their species had been in existence for millions of years already or their civilization existed at least for the past hundred thousands of years.
A civilization longer than the total sum of all the human civilizations added together.
Although their civilization wasnt yet civilized.
Their iving spaces were too far apart from each other, with one on the twilight line while the other was in the deep underground of the dark side. Perhaps both thought the other were bugs so humans didnt discover their neighbor until living there for over a hundred years.
This only happened when the living spaces became constrained and humans began to expand to the underground river belonging to the bugs.
It was determined the instant both parties encountered each other that a war was inevitable.
Typical speaking, with bugs made out of flesh, humans with technology would not be at a disadvantage, but the reality soon proved far moreplicated than the humans imagined.
Soldiers with Gauss Rifles steamrolled through the bugs that spread to the surface. The scientists invented a virus that could make the bugs extinct, and the satellite in orbitunched drilling missiles to clear the underground caves of the bugs.
Everything was going smoothly to the point that people thought optimistically that they could easily dere ownership of the underground river the bugs spent thousands of years carving out.
Until a bug flood attacked a border city.
Millions of arthropods flooded the human city without a fear of death. With a thunderous attack, they crashed through the human colonies along the twilight line.
The explosions lt up the sky and still couldnt stop the bug flood from moving forward.
The scene looked like doomsday.
Everyone was stunned. They never thought the bugs they crashed through could became such a strong battle force. Although their missiles and bombs could easily prate through weak bodies, they were still futile against the swarm of bugs.
From biological weapons to gic bombs, humans thought of everything yet were still unable to exterminate the bugs. Instead, they facilitated the evolution of the bugs. Just like humans took hundreds of years to not even eradicate mosquitos and cockroaches, these bugs couldnt be wiped out.
Under highly intensive natural selection, the bugs evolved different functionalities with simr gics. The previous queen bugs, warrior bugs, and worker bugs continued to differentiate into a difficult-to-ignore state.
The Spatters acidic saliva could corrode tanks and the Shredders diamond-strength ws could easily rip through nanocarbon vests. A hundred-meter-long Attacker with a hardened surface could destroy the city by wreaking havoc like worms. Humans had to limit the usage of nuclear and biological weapons to prevent bugs from further evolving.
The civilization that continued for hundreds of thousands of years demonstrated their heritage. The civilization that could not be understood by humans used its own cruelty to dere its sovereignty on this.
It would take 18 years for humans to be born and grow into adults, but it would take the bugs one week at the longest for that to happen. They would feast on the bodies of their own species and use the organic matter to evolve. People were dumbfounded to discover from an economic perspective that mutants could rip through nanocarbon vests with their ws that had less cost than a magazine clip of the Gauss Rifle.
The creatures, not knowing what death stood for, used their numbers to test humans.
With their living space challenged by the bugs, the humans had to retreat to the space station near the orbit. Even with advanced scientific research, without the resources to convert it into power, they had to admit that they were at a disadvantage in the war with the bugs.
Their saving grace was that while some bugs could fly, they could not leave the atmosphere.
Humans created a word to summarize the bugs who evolved through the mutated process - mutants.
With this, the Battle Era that spanned a thousand years unfolded.
The battle between humans and mutants.
Chapter 481 - Harmony Era
Chapter 481: Harmony Era
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The scene changed.
It was still the tidal-locked, but its geographdscape altered drastically.
An orange line divided thes surface with one side always facing the sun.
One side was vibrant green, while the other was crimson red.
That colonization ship was nowhere to be seen.
For some reason, Jiang Chen felt like the was moving.
It felt like the was a living creature rather than dead.
What happened to the Battle Era? Looking down at everything, Jiang Chen was intrigued.
At the same time, a person surfaced beside him.
In the queen uniform, looking elegant, she stood straight with hands behind her back, looking solemnly forward.
The War Era is over, right now it is the Harmony Era.
It is over? Did the humans lose?
No.
Did the mutants lose?
To Jiang Chens surprise, she shook her head again.
No.
Then what happened? Jiang Chen persisted.
Common prosperity.
She only said two words before drifting to the.
At the same time, without control of his own body, Jiang Chen flew along with her.
Humans used hundreds of years and didnt eliminate mosquitos and cockroaches. We are not greater than our ancestor. We spent a thousand year without eliminating our enemy. So there was no victor in this war. Everyonepromised. Or, everyone sacrificed something.
I dont understand. Jiang Chen frowned.
We chose to fuse.
Jiang Chen recollected the words of Academician Qin, and he seemed to have understood something, but he didnt understand why they took this path.
Steel is the foundation of industry, but thiss metal reserve is extremely scarce. The cost of space mining was also too high which made developing industries extremely difficult. On the other hand, due to the influence of the constant sr wind from the Red Dwarf, our electronic equipment had a higher failure rate.
Our industry was going into a dead end and even began to regress. With production, we could no longer equip more armies, and the bnce began to tip to the mutants favor. But just then, a great biologist stood out and proposed a new ideology to the evolutionized civilization - Harmony. With this, the Harmony Era began to unfold.
We used calction cells to rece digital chips. We used the highly efficient biologicalputer to rece quantumputers. Then, we changed our own gics to expand our 23 pairs of chromosomes to 139 pairs. Through the selective expression, we differentiated into scientists, producers,batants, andmanders.
All the problems were solved. We no longer relied on metal. Thiss rich carbon and oxygen supply are at our disposal. Every person is independent but also the cell of the civilization. At the same time, we stopped our attack on mutants. We began tomunicate with them, then marriage, before integrating together.
[Fu*king a bug?]
This is crazy! Jiang Chen had to interrupt this bewildering idea.
For some reason, a bunch of random hentai popped up in his head with octopus and tentacles.
Was it crazy when the ck and white first married? She asked.
Jiang Chen stopped, not being able to say a word.
In the 17th century it is indeed crazy, but not in the 20th century. Without eliminating the other, understanding was the only solution.
Then, she skipped over the irrelevant question and pointed at the green.
It is just like a giant tree. The part facing the sun is the leaf, and the back is the tree trunk. We used an entire century toplete this project. The leaf provides the energy and nutrients for our civilization to form the atmospheric environment on this. Water circtes between the veins and carries the excess energy to the back of the truck. The truck is the area where everyone lives.
Jiang Chen followed her finger. He murmured at the half green, half red.
This tree is too massive.
It is not that big. Compared to the entire universe, it is more like a seed, she said quietly.
What about the humans?
All the neo-humans live under the leaf. Everyone is independent and a collective group.
Then who are you?
Just as he asked this, Jiang Chen saw the shadow turn into a different form. A graceful princess gown reced the empire uniform. The yellow face turned pale white with a hooked nose.
Im the main consciousness of the nest. All the consciousness is born from me, so Im the queen. As to the form, I can be Wu Zetian, I can be Elizabeth or Ekaterina. We no longer possess the concept of Art, so I could only search through historical records to show you the figures that appeared through history.
And why are you showing me this?
The Queen looked at Jiang Chen.
To spread the seed of civilization to further ces.
Jiang Chen held his breath. Although as an embodiment of consciousness, he didnt need to breathe.
The Queen continued.
We used our constructed high-resolution biological telescope to confirm the status of the mother. Although all the records are from 20.5 years away based onparingary stats, we confirmed your civilization level. Based on time, you are at the beginning of the 21st century.
Youre outdatedpared to us.
So we decided to return.
94 years ago, we finally built a colonization ship capable of ensuring our survival. To prevent crossing dimensions, we decide to traverse through the three-dimensional universe.
Well bring your civilization and help you interrogate with nature.
Like a deration of war, the queen dered the cruel reality.
But we dont need your help, Jiang Chen said with uneasiness.
Although he knew that even if he said that, they wouldnt care.
Just like
Just like the Homo Erectus and Neanderthals ultimately losing to the Homo Sapiens. Humans view the Homo Sapiens as their ancestors from which they evolve into the modern human. Blood must apany the evolution of the civilization, and we agree with blood. The Queen spoke out the cruel words emotionlessly.
Wait, didnt you say, you traveled to a parallel world? Jiang Chen realized something.
Yes. The Queen blinked and looked at Jiang Chen without expression.
The sight made him feel extremely uneasy.
Unfortunately, the queens words made his unease turn into a reality.
We are currently located on your home.
[Thats impossible!]
Jiang Chens suddenly flinched.
[How does she know that I can interdimensional travel! How could she confirm my coordinates in that world!]
[Wait, Lin Lin]
Jiang Chens eyes suddenly widened as he realized that. If Tingting had been living in Lin Lin, then what Lin Lin saw must be known by Tingting. And from the current situation, Tingting must be able tomunicate with the Queen of Harmony.
The Klein particle. The Queen raised her hand as a dark red ray formed in her hand, As long as time exists, then this must exist.
So you obtained themunication channel between Lin Lin and me? Jiang Chen said with an undertone.
Fourth dimension messenger. If Lin Lin could know his coordinates on that side, there was no reason Tingting wouldnt know.
No, The Queen said without emotion, We are shocked how you could freely traverse through two worlds. And the world you are born in happens to be the world we arrived in from the wormhole.
[Is this real]
Jiang Chens sight moved between the and the Queen. Although there was a lot he wanted to say, he couldnt speak a single word.
Momentarily after, Jiang Chen spoke in a light voice.
Whats the purpose of you telling me this?
We n to convince you.
[Convince?]
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he couldnt understand the meaning behind her words.
The queen moved her gaze away from Jiang Chen and to the two-colored.
We thought that our world was disconnected from the original world and that the information we obtained through evolution can no longer be shared with the survivors.
But the situation soon took a turn.
The Klein particles we sent were finally received and sessfully guided a believer of us. He used himself and used biological technology to change himself to be an antenna for ourmunication. With our guidance, he sessfully evolved into what we hoped for andmunicated with creatures in an entire area. Most important, he even managed to divide out an egg.
We chose 12 citizens and converted their consciousness into Klein particle waves and sent them to that egg with the messenger. The distance that could not be traversed with the body could be done through a message. Fortunately, we found the way to return to the original world.
But unfortunately, that egg was destroyed by your foolish behavior. But we still luckily, and surprisingly, preserved the individuals.
She was captured by artificial intelligence, put into a fallout shelter, and locked into the virtual world before finally meeting you.
[The egg was destroyed? Could it be the Liudings military mission to destroy some extreme mutants?] He heard Chu Nan talk about this mission before. The biological cannon that couldunch red beams that took out the electronic equipment in the entire area.
It was not a mutant, but the paratroopers the Harmony deployed to the world.
Jiang Chen gulped with difficulty.
And you discovered me through Lin Lin?
Thats right. The queen nodded.
It was a pleasant surprise to discover you. If youre willing to join us, I can promise you that even if Natural Selection arrives in the new world earth, we can still preserve you.
Preserve me? What about the other people
The Queen said tantly.
They will donate their organic matter.
[Be food? Just like the natural selection of mankind in ancient times, the Homo Sapiens, after the destruction of Homo Erectus and the Neanderthals, chose to treat them as food.]
When he thought about this, sweat rolled down his forehead, although he was just an embodiment of consciousness.
Ill have to disappoint you. Since you know that I can freely traverse between two worlds. Then you must know that it is impossible to catch me.
Thats fine. The Queen was emotionless.
The primary task is to conquest the new world. As to the original worlds died earth, it was more of a memory. Even if Jiang Chen was unwilling to surrender, they would express their regret at most without feeling any sympathy at all
Jiang Chen was silent.
And your choice is? The queen said calmly.
I reject. Jiang Chen was at peace.
The Queen was silent for two seconds.
This is a wrong choice. You dont have the capability to stop us.
Is that so?
If I guessed correctly, the world youre currently in now, and Supreme is currently ruling the original world by our definition. They are a tough opponent, although powerless in front of us.
Klein particles could destroy most of the digital equipment.
Ruled? It is too early to say ruled. Only you lost, and I havent lost yet, Jiang Chen said without changes in his expression.
In our perspective, you dont have the ability to defend against them.
In front of sky-based weapons, anynd-based weapon is useless. Andbustion rockets dealt substantial damage to creatures, but to the Supreme that ditched their bodies, the damage is almost negligible.
The only thing they could use was EMP. Though there were plenty of ways to defend against EMP with 22nd-century technology.
[So fu*king unlucky. The ambassador from Harmony is on the way to the modern world while the threat of Supreme erupted in the apocalypse.]
Im really curious. With mechanical parts, how can you travel through interster?
Why do we need mechanical parts? The Queen rebutted.
Jiang Chen was stunned.
[No need for mechanical parts?]
Perhaps because of their arrogance as a higher level civilization, the Queen didnt avoid the question and continued to exin.
Have you heard of the water bear?
What is that?
Tardigrade. Although the smallest tardigrade is only 50 microns in size, they are known as the most resilient creature on earth as they could survive in outer space without any protection measures. Any facts proved that, without external assistance, creatures could still achieve interster travel. 50 microns creature could, then a creature 50 kilometers naturally could too.
The ark of evolution is sailing toward you. Since you already rejected it, then, in the end, I will allow you to meet our force.
As the voice died down, the Queen waved her hand, and the scene changed again.
It was a giant octopus. It slowly swayed its tentacles in the back and quietly traversed the boundless universe.
A Sailing Bug.
Abruptly, this odd name surfaced in Jiang Chens head.
The Sailing Bug was 50 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide. Its shape was simr to a hammer with multiple holes on its side. There were cilia in the back. The middle was grown with umbre-shaped membranes that could contract or expand to a radius of 40 kilometers.
Bright light particles shone behind the meat membranes. Although Jiang Chen couldnt guess the working principles behind it, Jiang Chen felt that the membrane was simr to a giant sr sail using radiation pressure exerted by sunlight.
Just from its structure, it was a non-working propulsion engine. Jiang Chen could not guess its cruising speed, although it must not be very low.
[This is Natural Selection?]
Jiang Chen watched the sail pass by him and watched it head further into the distance.
He wanted to say something more in an attempt to gather more intelligence.
Wait!
Just then, his field of vision turned dark again
Chapter 482 - The Crisis Afar
Chapter 482: The Crisis Afar
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The spiritual connection ended. It felt like a lengthy dream.
Jiang Chen opened his eyes and happened to meet a nk stare.
From her ck pupils, she should also be awakened from her dream soon.
Jiang Chen moved two steps away.
He was hesitating if he should sneak out from the room before Lin Lin had time to realize what had happened.
But as he was contemting, the crystal-like pupils began to be covered in a fineyer of mist. The numbed lips copsed down.
Instantly, two thoughts shed through her head.
[That was my first kiss!]
[This pervert finally made a move on me!]
Her blush extended from her face all the way to her ears before covering her pale neck.
PERVERT!
The cry in agony went out of tune because she was too emotional.
Jiang Chen rubbed his nose in awkwardness as he didnt know how tofort Lin Lin and looked ashamed.
Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen before she walked out to loosen the straps on Lin Lin and started tofort the undoubtedly sad her.
Calm down Lin Lin. Jiang Chen was saving you, uh, how should I exin this
Without finishing her sentence, Sun Jiao also began to feel awkward as she became silent.
Seems to be impossible to exin Sun Xiaorou had a wry smile on her face.
Kissed for so long. Yao Yao pouted as her jealousy was clearly evident.
Just as Jiang Chen was bothered by how to exin this to Lin Lin, crisp knocking sound came from the door.
Jiang Chen turned around and saw Han Junhua in uniform standing at the door without any expression on her face.
Although I dont want to interrupt you, right now
Lets talk outside, Jiang Chen immediately said when Han Junhua was halfway through her sentence.
Han Junhua briefly scanned the girls in theb and nodded to Jiang Chen.
Okay.
She swung her ponytail and left without a hassle.
Did something happen? Sun Jiao looked concerned.
Jiang Chen throated moved, he looked at Sun Jiao and smiled at her.
Dont worry.
That smile made people feel calm, but uneasy at the same time.
Sun Jiao walked to Jiang Chen and held onto his hand.
if there is anything I can do to help, please tell me.
With certainty in his eyes, Jiang Chen squeezed Sun Jiaos hand and promised.
Definitely.
[If you could help.]
With brisk steps walking into themunity center, Han Junhuas ponytail swung back and forth. Beside her was Jiang Chen as he never had a more stern expression on his face.
Themunication signal of the Fishbone base is blocked.
I know that. Is there any other method to contact the people from Camp 27?
There is only onemunication channel. Han Junhua shook her head.
The arrived at themand room. She stopped and opened the door.
When Jiang Chen walked in, she followed.
The two stopped in front of themand table. Han Junhua pressed her finger on the fingerprint detection device and opened the hologram.
Whats the situation like outside?
There are 300 Reptile quadruped robots, 1200 Viper attack drones surrounding us. Han Junhua tapped the map, and the dense red dots appeared around the base.
Two popup windows appeared, recording the pictures and specifications of the Reptile and Viper. Both were standard units from PAC. As the Colonel of the Mechanical Division, Han Junhua knew the specs of the two robots well.
The former was known as an all-terrain battle tform, and thetter was known for its bnced performance and smart artificial intelligence design which earned it the name Battle Assistance by PAC soldiers.
The force in the base?
Only 500 new recruits that recentlypleted training. The 327 people Hunter Division, and eight RPGs. Han Junhua reported.
What about our drones? Jiang Chen asked in an undertone.
I shut them down.
Why? Jiang Chen looked at her.
She seemed to be expecting this question as she pointed to the hologram map, There is a KN30 signal hijacking device here. Its functionality is not only there to hijack themunication channel, but also hijack themunication between the drone terminal and drones. We can be certain that they are at an absolute advantage in information technology. Even if we deployed drones to the battle, there is a high probability that they could hijack them.
This was certainly Han Junhuas style.
Jiang Chen peeked at her. On her face, he didnt see any signs of fear.
But it made sense; she didnt have extraneous things like emotions.
In deep thought, Jiang Chen thought for a while before looking at Han Junhua.
Could we establishmunication with the Sixth Street through the underground system?
The underground system is captured. Whenmunication first ceased, I sent scouts out immediately. Han Junhua pointed at the location between the Fishbone base and the Sixth Street.
While the subsystems in the underground system were blocked by partitions, the partitions were mostly there to prevent the mutants from entering. With a welding tool, it was easy to hijack the underground tunnel.
So the only thing we can rely on in the base is the 500 new recruits and the Hunter Corps? Jiang Chen began to frown.
Because of the close proximity, the rockets were ineffective. The new recruits wouldnt be much use and at most provide assistance in firing. The Hunter Corps was the elite force of the NAC which certainly made people more at ease.
But they were against a mechanical force of over one thousand units. With eight hundred bodies made out of flesh, could they defeat the force from Supreme?
What do you think is our probability of winning? With hands on the table, Jiang Chen looked at Han Junhua.
50%.
Even with yourmand? Jiang Chen was surprised.
Mhmm. Han Junhua nodded as she had a rare sternness on her face.
The base has an ample reserve of EMP grenades, but if it the Reptile and the Viper, the pulse level of the EMP grenade could only cause minor damage to the friendly unit detection system which would cause it to stall temporarily. We dont have a reserve of powerful EMP weapons.
Then dont use EMP. We can use the electromaic cannons, the Pythons, the Red Arrow-42 RPG, rifles. We can use bonfires. Without electro signal, we can use smoke. As long as there is hope, we cant give up, Jiang Chen ordered.
That will have to be. But Im afraid of the sky. Han Junhua looked up, If they really did control the Gods Cane, we dont have any possibility of winning.
The tungsten rod dropping from the sky. The invincible spear unguarded by any shield.
Perhaps only the Holy Shield System could defend its attack.
Is there really a possibility of winning?
Wait
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
He closed his eyes. Then after a long moment, he abruptly opened them.
There should be one tungsten rod.
Han Junhua looked to him.
The probability is low.
No, or rather, there is only one. Jiang Chen gazed at the hologram map as certainty began to appear in his eyes.
Reason?
Jiang Chen recollected what Academician Qin told him and the conversation with the bug queen.
Because were different, and thats enough of a reason.
With his arms crossed, Han Junhua thought for half a minute. She closed her eyes.
I see.
From the beginning, it was a war without a captive.
If they had a second round, there was no need to save it. Only one tungsten rod could destroy the heart of the NAC and the order established in Wanghai would again turn back to chaos. Only when the wastnd turned into chaos could the digitalized humans have the hope of recing humans as the ruler of thend. Jiang Chen recalled everything Lin Chaoen did. Other than killing the experimenter from Fallout Shelter 027, all he did was bring chaos to the wastnd.
Either NAC or Supreme must be eliminated.
Because the oue of this war would go down in history.
The reason why they didnt do anything was that they didnt have the confidence to win either.
As long as the Fishbone canst until assistance from the Sixth Street and Camp 27 arrives, they will not lose.
Chapter 483 - The Last Shackle
Chapter 483: The Last Shackle
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The atmosphere on the wall was depressing.
Soldiers hidden behind cover anxiously rubbed the trigger, aiming at the robots hundred meters away in ruins.
It had a circr body filled with fluid but powerful short legs, if it was not for the daunting machine gun and the grenadeuncher on top, its appearance was cute.
What are these things A recruit moved around his sore arms as he said with unease.
If the reptilees, remember to aim at the observation hole, the four holes on its wall. The soldier beside them also looked unsettled, but because of his experience traversing through the wastnd, he didnt look too fearful.
[How does this thing look like a reptile?]
Okay, okay! The recruit gulped, perhaps he thought the first okay didnt sound confident, so he replied again.
The unknown mechanical force surrounded the base, making all the survivors tense. The engineering soldiers dragged the heavy weapons and ammo along the wall in silence. The weapons included the Python, the Red Arrow-42, and the EMP grenades.
The survivors hauled out the rubber tires from the warehouse, soaked them in gasoline, and waited for Jiang Chens order.
In front of themunity center, Jiang Chen in a T-3 power armor looked at the soldiers in the square with a solemn face.
They were the most elite soldiers of the NAC; the Hunter Corps led by Ma Zhongcheng.
200 kic skeletons and 14 power armors. Everyone had no expression on their face and stared at Jiang Chen standing under the Mother of Death w statue. Theirrades were already on the wall and the NAC they swore allegiance to was facing its toughest challenge.
Like all the survivors, Jiang Chen was also facing this challenge.
If he abandoned everything here and escaped to the modern world, even without the apocalypse, he could still use the technology he has now to establish a force that stood at the peak of the world.
20.5 light years? Therefore, 94 years ago, the Natural Selection that left in 1922 is on route to modern day earth.
Realistically, it should only have a speed of one-tenth of the speed of light, at most one-eighth of the speed of light. With consideration of the eleration and deceleration phase at the two ends of the journey, it would still take at least one hundred years before it arrived on earth. And the one hundred year time was more than enough for him to live a happy life.
If he chose not to change his lifespan.
But he couldnt do that.
The reason? Obviously because of his responsibility.
With his head pointed at by a gun, it was certainly an obscure feeling.
Jiang Chen looked at the reflection of the statue on the ground as he suddenly grinned.
[Fu*k! When am I ever afraid!]
Just then, Lin Chaoen appeared in Jiang Chensmunication channel and said in an intermittent voice.
Could I interpret this as the negotiation failed?
The Gods Cane on the synchronous orbit looked down at everything. Jiang Chen in the power armor in front of the soldiers obviously didnt escape his eyes.
When did you get the illusion that I nned to negotiate with you?
Jiang Chen grinned and gazed at the block option on the hologram screen and closed themunication channel.
Lin Chaoens voice ceased all of a sudden. Jiang Chen raised his head and iron arm to the clear sky, giving it a middle finger.
Fire!
The survivors beside the tires tossed out the lighters in their hands.
With the thick smoking rising, the Fishbone base used the most primal way to send out a help signal.
When the Sixth Street and Camp 27 saw the smoke in Fishbones direction, they immediately responded.
All units wait for orders! Complete preparation in one minute, and rush to the base in half an hour! Quick! Quick!
Under Cheng Weiguos thunderous roar, the soldiers boarded the trucks.
The gate immediately opened, and the First Corps led the charge while the Second Corps followed. The two helicopters also lifted off with electromaic cannons and the power armor paratroops to provide assistance to the base.
The First and Second Corps only had 1000 people left to garrison in Camp 27, with everyone else returning on route to defend the base.
Inside the tank, Cheng Weiguo gazed at the rising smoke with eyebrows locked.
What happened?
At the same time, the Sixth Street also began to mobilize its soldiers. When the patrol soldiers at the gate discovered the smoke from Fishbone base, Zhao Gang immediately led two-thirds of the Third Corps force along with 1000 mercenaries still under contract in Fishbones direction.
Themunication channel has been blocked. I should have known that something was wrong. Chu Nan stared at the Standbymand on the EP with concern.
The enemy not only blocked offmunication, but they also hijacked themunication channel between the Fishbone base and the Sixth Street. To avoid suspicion, to any of the requests sent by Chu Nan, the enemy used the ambiguous Standbymand.
But who could it be? Chu Nan stared at the hologram map and fell into thought.
While the three Corps were being mobilized, the battle outside of the Fishbone wall also started.
Fire!
The mortarsunched a series of electromaic shells before it exploded outside the wall.
The reptile equipped with grenadeunchers continued to fire with explosions happening all over the wall.
Concrete debris flew as a lot of reinforced steels were exposed.
The soldiers behind cover valiantly fought and fired back with rifles in hand. In the conflict against weapons, the nitrogen armor recently equipped to the force became useful.
The soldiers let the shrapnel fly above their heads as they raised the Red Arrow-42 behind cover, they used their roar to disperse away any fear they had.
Fire!
The rocketunched out and flew into the high air before crashing down at rapid speed, directed at the escaping reptile robot.
Nice sh
The explosion sound interrupted his voice. The loud noise transmitted the vibration below everyones feet.
Dammit! The gate is blown open.
In modern warfare, a wall didnt serve many purposes. A high-speed quadruped robot dashed in front of the gate and exploded the C4 on its body and blew the entire steel gate away.
The East gate is lost! I repeat! The East gate is lost!
Shrink the defensive line.
Get the electromaic cannon up! Quick!
Because the radio was blocked, control could only rely on the loudspeaker in the base which made the entire scene chaotic. The reptile that broke into the wall quickly turned its gun and began to unleash its furious firepower on the wall. The soldiers that couldnt dodge in time all dropped to the ground and left a trail of blood sshes on the wall.
EMP!
With a loud roar, a soldier dived to the ground, dodged the bullets above his head, and threw an EMP grenade below the wall.
The static noise temporarily filled the battle scene as the closest reptile immediately shut down, the other ones all stalled.
At the same time, an orange bullet shower came from the apartment side.
The Hunter Corps hidden behind ground covers simultaneously pressed the trigger at the reptile and viper that broke through the wall. The bullets sttered all over the steel surface.
At the same time, the Type-99 anti-tank cannon moved down from the wall, unleashed its power, and left massive craters on the wall and ground.
The soldiers on the wall began to retreat which brought the battle down to the ground. The family of the soldiers all retreated into the mansion andmunity center, males with some strength and even some strong females were handed a rifle to stand on the frontline to defend the people that mattered the most.
Themunity center and Jiang Chens mansion were the top priority of the Supremes attack, and the NAC soldiers would not let their n seed as they didnt give up any ground.
At the office on the top floor of the mansion, Jiang Chen in power armor looked outside.
The battle line was gradually moving toward the mansion, soldiers already moved back to the wall of the mansion backyard. The flying shrapnel even scratched the bulletproof ss and left spider web-like cracks on it.
Only five minutes passed?
He looked at the time on the screen and took a deep breath.
Are you going to go?
Sun Jiao voice came from behind him. She was leaning on the door with a PK2000 hanging in front of her chest.
From the kic skeleton on her body along with the expression on her face, her intention was obvious.
Of course.
Im there to cheat, why are you following me, Jiang Chen said.
If it is a robot, then that method should work! But regardless, it was risky to do.
Cheat?
Sun Jiao didnt understand his words, but it didnt prevent her from showing her determination.
Protecting this home, Sun Jiao said seriously.
Jiang Chen was silent.
Suddenly, a loud explosion came from outside the mansion; it sounded like something exploded against the wall.
Be careful.
You too. Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen and smiled.
Chapter 484 - This is Impossible
Chapter 484: This is Impossible
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Fu*k! Their firepower is too strong!
The machine gunner kneeled behind cover and roared.
EMP! Is there more EMP? An infantry five meters out shouted at him.
All gone! Dammit, I need ammo
His eardrums were almost shattered due to the violent explosions. He gritted his teeth without his finger leaving the trigger. With themunication being blocked and the constant explosions, they could only shout tomunicate.
Suddenly, a mortar shell smashed onto the side of the cover.
A bowl sized dent appeared on the steel surface, the machine gunner kneeling behind it didnt have time to react before being smashed by the caving effect and flew out.
Seeing hisrade die, the soldier on the sides eyes became bloodshot. He got up to the machine gun position. But before he could make two steps, he was shredded to pieces by the bullets that came from the sky.
Smoke dispersed from theuncher. The reptile that just fired stood still and started the reloading program.
The battle waspletely chaotic. Themanding voice was covered by the sound of bullets and fires. Withmunication being suppressed, the Supreme was slowly but surely gaining the upper hand.
Multiple Python drones broke out from the fire suppression and soared in at low altitude. The engine spat at blue air streams and ripped a hole in NACs defensive line.
Then they encountered a giant hand.
The smoke grenade exploded, and Jiang Chen in his power armor suddenly broke out from the wall, and both of his hands reached for the roaming Pythons.
After Jiang Chen passed by them, the two Pythons disappeared out of thin air.
Jiang Chen closed his left eye as a cocky smirk appeared on his lips.
After being sent to the pitch ck small universe, the two drones instantly became flies without heads and smashed against the edge of the small universe. Because there was no oxygen, the engine immediately stalled. The drones without power and information guidance stopped at the edge of the universe.
Just like what I expected with robots, a storage dimension is the trump card.
Jiang Chen smiled and looked at the drones and quadruped robots outside of the smoke screen.
Because they were not living creatures, the energy they consumed to be put into the storage dimension was simr to normal items. With the robot units with sizes no bigger than two cubic meters, the storage dimension was like cheating.
As long as he could reach them.
The quadruped robots trying to break through the wall found the power armor and immediately turned its machine gun and began to focus fire on Jiang Chen.
Nitrogen armor!
The violent air stream blew open and shifted the bullets. The turbine engines on him propelled and dragged him to the wall on the side.
Tatatata-
At least 20 reptiles moved toward the copsed wall with their machine guns on the top unleashing its fury and continuing its destruction on the smoke and wall.
But at the same time, countless steel strings attached with mas stuck to the twenty reptile robots.
[As long as I can touch them!]
With a grimacing smile, Jiang Chen hid behind cover and dragged onto the strings in hand.
Im a fu*king genius!
Storage dimension, activate!
The twenty-something robots connected by the string disappeared from the battleground.
How is that possible!
Standing in the space station, Lin Chaoen very humanly pressed his arms against the table and looked in disbelief at the satellite image.
The twenty robots just disappeared under his eyes. He thought that he made a mistake when he saw the two Pythons disappear, but with that look, the power armor was strange.
Lin Chaoens eyes adjusted as the digitalized eyes locked onto the power armor.
[Jiang Chen?]
He narrowed his eyes while a smile emerged on his face.
His finger slid on the screen and selected 200 drones and 20 Reptiles. Then his finger pressed onto the power armor.
The General is on the battlefield? Its like youre asking for death.
But just then, the corner of his eyes caught a familiar but distant figure.
How is that possible!
Muttering to himself, disbelief was written all over his face.
[Fu*k, there are too many!]
Jiang Chen gritted his teeth and dodged the bulletsing toward him. The nitrogen armor could only blow so much mass away. If the unit was attacked by too many bullets, the nitrogen armor could easily be shredded.
He could, of course, use the interdimensional travel ability to dodge, but with the fact that Lin Chaoen was in the Gods Cane watching him, any of the exposed areas must be under his watch. If possible, he didnt want to reveal this ability.
On the roof of the mansion, Sun Jiao raised the Ghost Sniper Rifle and provided assistance to Jiang Chen. She tried desperately not to let her troubled state distract her focus, but when she saw the waves of bullets directed at Jiang Chen, her heat uncontrobly clenched.
Please dont let anything happen!
She pressed the trigger.
Bang!
The Reptile with its observation hole prated copsed on the ground with sparks emerging from its body.
Just then, she was suddenly alerted and immediately rolled to the side. At the same time, a series of bullets flew to her from the back and smashed the tile she was on into debris.
Pshh!
She spat out and took out theser pistol around her waist. With her index finger scrolling through the power adjustment, she pressed the trigger simultaneously.
The powerfulser beam instantly fired and burned the Reptile as the robot fell down from the roof.
Just then, a cold sweat rolled down from her forehead. In her field of vision, at least ten Reptiles appeared.
The ck muzzles were all locked onto her.
[Dammit, she didnt focus on her surroundings.]
Just as Sun Jiao raised her pistol in despair and fired onto the Reptile closest to her, a red light suddenly broke out through the air and the Reptiles and surrounded Sun Jiao all copsed onto the ground.
Theser rifle in her hand also stalled.
Lin Lin! Sun Jiao looked at Lin Lin in shock.
She was covering her left eye while tumbling to get up onto the roof. She clenched onto a dagger in her hand and pressed it against her heart.
Did we make it Uhhh! Dont move around! You dont want him to be hurt either. Whatever since you cant go back! I promise you, I will lend my body to you sometimes Uh! She seemed to be fighting against something as the muscles on her face twitched while she muttered to herself.
Then, she forcefully moved her eyes to the drones and robots surrounding Jiang Chen. Then with a sharp shout, Now!
A red light began to form in Lin Lins eyes. The solidified light twisted space and something horrific was building up.
Sun Jiao first paused. Before she was aware of what was going on, she stood up and shouted to Jiang Chen.
Quick, use travel!
Jiang Chen didnt hesitate at all when he heard Sun Jiaos shout and instantly disappeared from where he stood.
At the same time, the crimson particles fired through the battlefield and destroyed all the electronics in the area. The high-density Klein particles rapidly decayed to the third dimension. The elerated high energy particles instantly fried all the internal circuits of the robots and drones.
Klein particles ray.
The trump card invented by the Harmony against the Supreme.
This is impossible
Lin Chaoen muttered with his digitalized eyes locked onto Lin Lin, streams of data flowed through his pupils.
The sample in Fallout Shelter 05.
The masterpiece of his father.
The first digitalized human.
His sister.
Number 00.
Lin Lin.
(Lin Lin has the same sound as 00 in Chinese.)
Chapter 485 - Backup
Chapter 485: Backup
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When Jiang Chen returned to the apocalypse again, he waspletely stunned.
All the Reptile robots machine guns stalled and the Pythons drones crashed.
[What the fu*k! What kind of cheat is more powerful than mine?]
Jiang Chen immediately looked in the mansions direction. He saw Lin Lin with a dagger in one hand while she waved at him with the other.
[It was it or her.]
Jiang Chens expression was perplexed.
Tingting was a spy sent by Harmony. Even if the Antenna was no longer there, he didnt have an idea how he should take of it as he has been hesitant. She seemed to like him but his impression of her was far less.
And she just saved him.
[Whatever Ill think about itter.]
Jiang Chen let out a sigh. Just then, his pupils suddenly contracted.
The dagger from Lin Lins hand slid down. The swaying body slowly fell to the ground.
Lin Lin!
Sun Jiao saw that something was odd and immediately jumped to that direction. But because the distance was too far, she was just inches away.
With hands hanging in the air, Sun Jiao watched Lin Lin fall to the ground as she screamed out a cry.
No!
Just then, a shadow broke through the air as Jiang Chen caught Lin Lin falling to the ground head first. He rolled on the ground with her in between his arms and smashed into the wall.
His head was dizzy from the impact, but he shook it off and looked at Lin Lin in his arms anxiously.
The helmet opened as Jiang Chen put his head closer. When he felt the faint breath, he finally felt relieved.
Pervert do you want to kiss me again? Lin Lins eyes opened a line and looked at Jiang Chen as she said feebly.
Could you not say that every time? Jiang Chen wryly replied.
Lin Lin smiled and looked away. A red hue covered her pale face.
[Switch to me.] Tingtings voice surfaced in her head.
[No, let me stay for a bit longer,] since she already controlled the technique to speak with her, Lin Lin said in her head.
You lied to me!
[How could I? I said I would lend you the body, but, but this is a princess hug!] Lin Lins face blushed even more.
Although ayer of steel was between them.
[So switch to me!]
What are you murmuring to yourself about? Jiang Chen had a genuine smile on his face when he saw Lin Lin with continually changing expressions.
No, nothing
Bang
The bullets fired at Jiang Chen and hit his back.
Ouch!
Jiang Chen let out a painful roar and covered Lin Lin in hisp.
The back was the entrance to the power armor and the weakest point of the power armor. It was the most foolish choice to face the enemy with his back, but he was hugging Lin Lin.
Warning: Power module damaged.
[Fu*k! Too careless!]
Jiang Chen didnt dare to hesitate. He swung his hand with a steel hook and fired it into the smoke, sticking to the Reptile Robot. His hand shook and the steel string along with the robot disappeared into thin air.
Just then, Jiang Chens expression changed again.
The power model being damaged meant that the entire power armor had copsed and the 300-kilogram weight was being held on by his pure muscle strength. His entire body felt like it was injected with lead.
Afraid to stay any longer, Jiang Chen stood up with Lin Lin still in his arms. Dragging his heavy body, he jogged to the side of the mansion.
I will cover for you!
Right now, Sun Jiao was already on the top floor with the sniper rifle aimed at the copsed mansion wall. But then, her eyes widened.
Ten Reptile drones and ten Python drones swarmed into the broken wall again.
Regardless of how skillful her shooting was, she could not take out 20 targets in an instant.
Dammit. Jiang Chen raised the machine guns on his right arm and fired at the robotic force.
The bullets sparkled on the mechanical surface, but the enemys firepower was no inferior. To protect Lin Lin, he had to take the shots.
Ahhhh
With finger locked on the trigger, the machine guns revolved rapidly. With one hand holding Lin Lin and covering her on the side, Jiang Chen moved toward the edge of the mansion with difficulty.
As long as he could circle to the other side.
Warning: Armor damage 80%, please exit the power armor as soon as possible.
Thats enough, just put me down. Lin Lin put her hand in front of Jiang Chens chest and gave him a feeble smile.
Enough my bastards! Jiang Chen gritted his teeth as he locked onto the mechanical force rushing in without consideration for loss, I fu*king said that I would take you to try all the puddings in the world.
Although he used derogatory words, Lin Lin felt a stream of warmth flow inside her.
She felt the vibration in the front of her chest and gently closed her eyes.
[What to do?]
[The storage dimension is full.]
With the energy of the nitrogen armor nearly depleted and the increasingly powerful force attacking him, Jiang Chen clenched his teeth and used his spare hand to fire back.
Suddenly, at where his crosshair aimed, dust erupted and interrupted the bulletsing at him.
Jiang Chen paused and raised his head as his expression turned ecstatic.
[It was the Type-51 helicopter! The Second Corps finally made it!]
Direct him.
Reloadingpleted.
Fire!
This is Gunship 1, we have arrived at target airspace. General, are you okay?
The calm voice rang in Jiang Chens ears. The electromaic cannon destroyed themunication hijacking device, and themunication returned to normal.
Im very not good. Thank you all. You finally made it. Jiang Chen sat on the ground, on his butt, and forced a bitter smile.
Finally made it.
Six ck dots dropped down from the sky, and the airborne power armornded in the backyard of the mansion as they spread out, in formation, to protect Jiang Chen. At the same time, the electromaic pulse cannon hovering in the sky unleashed its power against the enemy and smashed the robotic force. The victory was beginning to tip towards NACs side.
Themunication returned to normal and the teams that fought independently united again.
Han Junhua in themunity center immediately executed the battle n through the map. She ordered the remaining force in the base and the paratroopers that entered the battle tounch retaliation attack against the remaining mechanical force.
The oue of the battle was determined.
In the space station, Lin Chaoen looked emotionlessly at the pawns disappearing one by one.
He still didnt understand how Jiang Chen made the robots disappear.
And the ability to suddenly disappear and appear.
Could it be the hidden gic code? No, thats not possible The anti-physics ability is not something that the hidden gic code can achieve. Lin Chaoen slowly closed his eyes.
On his face, there were no more expressions that mimicked a human. All hisputation power was used to analyze the event. But some of the things could not be solved by justputation.
He let out a sigh and opened his eyes.
Father, I need your intelligence.
He muttered and pressed the control interface a few times. The antenna he just fixed was pointed to a location in Wanghai.
The n half failed. Harmony left the battle, but Jiang Chen was still alive. He wanted to know what he should do next. And Lin Lin was still alive. The oue from Fallout Shelter 05 was no longer as disastrous as they had thought.
Just then, Yao Yao who was busy working in front of aputer without much effect finally felt relieved by the fact that themunication returned to a normal state. She suddenly realized an odd wave.
A wave from space.
Directed toward
Without any hesitation, Yao Yao moved her nimble fingers and quickly pressed on the screens to track the target of the signal.
The hologram surfaced as the target appeared as a red dot on the map.
Yao Yao was fixated on the map. Her eyes widened and slowly gulped.
Yao Yao finally achieved something
Chapter 486 - Counterattack
Chapter 486: Counterattack
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The battle left the area in shambles.
Right now, Fishbone base was filled with ss shards, exposed steel, and concrete debris. The apartments near the wall were half-destroyed by grenades and recoilless cannons. Themunity center was also damaged. Even half of a wall at Jiang Chens mansion was blown up by heavy machine gun bullets.
A series of steel scaffolds were set up around the buildings and walls that needed repair with Lu Huasheng leading the survivors to start the restoration project. Wang Qin led the logistics department to start evaluating the loss of supplies and overseeing the military factory to restart production.
70% of the recruits suffered casualties and 50% of the Hunter Corps was either injured or killed. It was a tragic battle.
Jiang Chen personally led the funeral of the deceased warriors and buried their bodies in the cemetery outside the base.
The scale of their loss wasnt an exaggeration.
But it wasnt without some rewards.
Right now, Jiang Chens storage dimension was filled with robots and drones that couldnt move. Withoutmands from the terminal, the robots without intelligence could only move their limbs in the storage dimension while their engines roared and spent their remaining power to search for a non-existent enemy.
Once the robots lost power, Jiang Chen could take them and send to the Fallout Shelter for technology restoration and improvement work.
To coordinate the rebuilding effort, Jiang Chen found Jiang Lin. The guys arm was wounded by a bullet so it was covered by thick bandages and wasnt in the best shape. Although he was sympathetic to his situation, there were still more urgent matters to take care of. Jiang Chen didnt send too many condolences before getting to the main point.
It was confirmed that NACs opposing force controls the Gods Cane. Dyou have any way of shooting it down?
The Gods Cane? Jiang Lin looked troubled. Thats going to be hard - that thing is known as the space fortress. With missiles, they might approach the orbit before being destroyed by theser anti-missile system.
Is that so? Jiang Chen frowned.
The Gods Cane was a sword hanging in the air. Without taking it out, it would be hard to sleep at night. Even if the tungsten rods were all used up, it was hard to prevent Lin Chaoen from acquiring another round from the synchronous orbit and reloading it.
The key is: to what extent did he repair the Gods Cane? Even if theser anti-missile system is repaired, our ability to do high damage is still limited. Jiang Lin didnt seem to have any better solutions.
Jiang Chen said, The Gods Cane shouldnt be fully repaired. If we use the Northwind-76, could it do damage?
In theory, the Northwind-76 could reach the synchronous orbit. But if it carried conventional ballistic missiles and they exploded in a vacuum environment, it would still be difficult for the resulting shockwaves to damage the shell of the Gods Cane, Jiang Lin exined to Jiang Chen.
Since it was the weapon NATO refined for a century, it was too much to ask a forged version of Northwind-76 to take down this space fortress.
What if we carried EMP instead? Jiang Chen proposed.
Its hard for normal EMP to damage the electronicponents of Gods Cane. Otherwise, it wouldnt be so hard to take down. Jiang Lin shook his head.
We dont need to damage the Gods Cane. A smile surfaced on Jiang Lins face. We just need to take out the robot hidden inside the Gods Cane.
Jiang Chen took a moment to think as he stroked his chin.
In theory, its possible. If the outer shell of the Gods Cane is damaged, wide-range EMP weapons should be able to damage the mechanical parts.
Jiang Chen gave Jiang Lin the problem of solving the issue in the sky before heading to themunity center and meeting the leaders of the Three Divisions as well as the leader of the Hunter Division to call for an emergency meeting.
Just half an hour ago, Yao Yao, who was working hard to break through themunication blockage, happened to intercept themunication coordinates between the Gods Cane and a ground facility. The target was inside Wanghai and Jiang Chen wouldnt let this guy escape.
The target was on the edge of the east side of the city center, the right bank of the Huangpu River. Based on the issues with the rtionship to Liuding, multiple rocketunchers didnt have the right bank of the Huangpu River as a target area.
In simple war mobilization, Jiang Chen sent out the order with Han Junhua establishing a battle n.
At the end of the ten-minute meeting, all three corps were prepared and ready to mobilize. With 1000 soldiers left to defend the camp, the three corps departed. At the same time, the eight Fireball-1s on theunching ground were fully locked and loaded to cover the area withbustion missiles to eliminate any mutants in the area.
At the same time, the helicopter transported all the researchers from the Aerospace Technology Research Institute to Shenxiang to change the module of the Northwind-76 deployed frombustible material to a wide-range EMP device.
Once the module was changed, it would beunched into the geosynchronous orbit to eliminate the robot in Gods Cane - Lin Chaoen.
It had been half an hour since the Northwind-76 wasunched into the air.
At the Lin Fallout Shelter, three thousand meters underground:
The centralputer in the middle of the room quietly hummed. Inside the silent space, the only sound was the buzzing of the processors.
The screen above the centralputer shed a faint light. The middle-aged man on the screen had his hand supporting his chin and he fell into silence inside the empty fallout shelter. He nced at the nutrient vial underneath the screen. The life support device contained his brain.
After he abandoned his body twenty years ago, he hadnt looked at it since. But now that he was looking at it, he felt wistful.
Of course, a heart is an abstract concept. He didnt have a heart and aside from his brain, all his organs were reced by mechanical parts. When he found a device that could allow mechanics to rece his brain, he could even ditch thatst hindrance.
A cold light slowly illuminated the fallout shelter. It came from the bottom of a hibernation chamber. Suddenly, the inert gas leaked out and the chamber door opened. Ahandsome man walked out.
The convenience of being a robot was exactly this - even after countless destructions, as long as the backup data was there, they could reincarnate countless times.
Father. Lin Chaoen kneeled on the ground.
Mhmm. He replied and didnt speak more.
This was a rare time when father didnt give any instructions to his son. He only quietly looked at him. Whenever he looked at it, he felt like he was looking at a puppet.
But he understood the feeling. Due to the insufficiency of intermediate artificial intelligence in dealing with emotions, rather than saying they were individuals, they were more like tools without desires and needs.
After a long silence, he abruptly said, What should we do?
Lin Chaoen looked up and smiled.
I was awaiting for your instructions.
Father let out a sigh and shook his head. Although he was infinitely close to a God, ultimately, before he could digitalize his consciousness, he was a human after all. After he lost the Gods Cane, he lost everything. From the satellite image from the Gods Cane, the NAC force was moving in his direction. They not only sent an EMP missile to attack Gods Cane, but they were now usingbustion missiles to wipe out the mutants in the area.
The original n was for the robotic force he controlled to attack Fishbone base. Whether Jiang Chen surrendered or died, NAC would copse. The entire Wanghai region would once again return to chaos, and all the survivors would be believers of the Supreme. He would have the opportunity again to restart the advanced artificial intelligence project and lead all his believers on the path to digitalization.
But reality and his n were different.
Whether it was Lin Lin or Jiang Chens abilities, they were the variables that affected the oue.
Right now, with their coordinates exposed, they had to face the wrath of the NAC.
With theputation power of the quantumputer, we still cant calcte the next move? Father asked.
Lin Chaoen didnt reply as he quietly waited for Fathers instructions.
Theputer itself couldnt think unless humans told them what to think.
[Its so close?]
Father looked at Lin Chaoen kneeling on the ground and entered deep thought.
But just then, Lin Chaoen abruptly interrupted the silence in the fallout shelter.
Speaking of which, in that base, I saw Lin Lin.
The kind father on the screen paused then his pupils began to narrow.
Chapter 487 - A Pleasant Surprise
Chapter 487: A Pleasant Surprise
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
320 rockets ascended and pierced the dome. They nketed the New Age Square along the bank of the Huangpu River.
The rockets prated the concrete without any explosion. Blue sparks jumped outside the missiles and loud static buzzed in the area. The machine guns present became fried as the 320 EMP rockets eliminated any unprotected electronics.
A helicopter hovered above the New Age Square and confirmed the area was secure. The three corps began to pass over the bridge and the force totaling 5000 people were pushed to the square without any resistance.
In an EMP attack of such intensity and density, even if a chip was built with EMP resistance, it still couldnt be protected from being fried.
Without any fighting required, the NAC soldiers captured the area easily. But what made Cheng Weiguo puzzled was why they didnt face any resistance or people; it made him feel like his fist hadntnded anywhere.
After discussing with Zhao Gang and Wang Zhaowu, Cheng Weiguo ordered the corps to station themselves in the square and he sent out reconnaissance units to scout the area.
Near New Age Square, the First Corps reconnaissance units discovered a data tower installed on the surface as well as an automated factory. When they found the ce, Cheng Weiguo immediately sent out soldiers to upy the area and obtained two production lines to the Reptile drone and Python drone.
Compared to the multi-functional Hummingbird drone, the Python was aplete war machine. The hovering fixed machine guns along with its elongated design allowed the unit to be agile while carrying six times the amount of ammo capacitypared to the Hummingbird. It possessed an independent attack module which allowed it to operate in offline mode while still detecting friendly units and analyzing the terrain toplete the mission.
The Reptile drone was just like the Python - it was an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that could still operate in offline mode. It could assist the infantry during battle to act as a mobile supply box and an even more powerful mobile fire tform. The name Battle Assistant didnte out of nowhere.
It was a pleasant surprise to be able to find so many goodies at Lin Chaoens base.
Soon after, the Third Corps found the entrance to the fallout shelter in the metro station near the square. They cleared out the zombies inside the area and secured the location.
But a new problem appeared.
They took the elevator underground and secluded themselves there entirely.
Cheng Weiguo immediately made orders to take apart the elevator tform and sent a knight in power armor. The power armor was tied to a graphene rapport and if anything odd happened, they would immediately drag him up.
Once he reached the bottom, the knight encountered a situation simr to Fallout Shelter 027.
The fallout shelters door was tightly shut. The thick door didnt look like it could be opened with force. The gear-shaped door was engraved with Lin Fallout Shelter. Just from the name, the fallout shelter was probably private and not a numbered fallout shelter constructed by the PAC.
The people inside probably used data towers on the surface to exchange information.
Facing this circumstance, Cheng Weiguo had to contact Jiang Chen for directions.
Although we cant open the door, we can ce explosives underneath. We only need an equivalent of 100 tons of explosives to make the 3000-meter tunnel copse and bury them underground.
If were only burying them, its still a hazard. Jiang Chen shook his head. And Im also curious whats behind the door.
But in theory, the door to the fallout shelter cant be opened from the outside with force. Cheng Weiguo had a wry smile.
It was indeed a difficult problem and Jiang Chen couldnt think of any solutions. It was a turtle shell even a nuke couldnt crack; he didnt have any better solutions.
How about this? Standby there and Ill make a trip down.
Okay. Cheng Weiguo nodded.
Communication ended. Jiang Chen closed his eyes and began to think, leaning on his chair.
But after some deliberation, he still hadnte up with a solution.
Just then came some knocks on the door.
Come in.
The door opened and Sun Jiao, without a kic skeleton, came in.
Lin Lin already recovered, but shes still really weak. Tingting in her body used too much energy by using the Klein particle ray. Whats going on at the frontlines?
Sun Jiao wearily grabbed a chair and sat in front of Jiang Chens desk.
Lin Chaoens base is cleared out and we obtained two production lines. The only problem is, their people hid in the fallout shelter if they have people.
Bury them with nukes, Sun Jiao said menacingly.
Whenever she thought about the bullet holes in the walls and the base in shambles, she felt angry. After living there for so long, this ce was her home. It would be hard to ease her hatred unless she wiped out those despicable people.
Thats a must, but burying them is too easy of an ending for them. Jiang Chen smiled at Sun Jiao gritting her teeth.
Then what do we do? They wonte out of their turtle shells. Sun Jiao put her hand on the table and pouted her mouth.
Jiang Chen paused for a moment and said, Ill make a trip down there.
A trip down there? Sun Jiao looked cautiously at Jiang Chen. Are you going to do something dangerous?
Hows that possible? Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. Im going to see if I can throw the door into the storage dimension.
Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen with skepticism whileying on her arm.
That should be hard. I remember your storage dimension cant cut out items connected to something. In the case of a door, its attached to the wall.
Sun Jiao conducted an experiment with Jiang Chen that tested to see it was possible to throw other peoples guns in their hands into the storage dimension. The answer was no because creatures with life energy above a certain level couldnt enter the storage dimension, and the guns held by people by default were viewed as one. But mas connected with steel could be transported.
Jiang Chen guessed they might have to forcibly move atoms on the surface. He didnt exin why the items on the floor werent viewed as being rtive to the earth.
Even now, there were still many secrets he didnt understand from the storage dimension.
How would you do it without testing? Jiang Chen sighed.
Although he knew it was a lost cause, it was worth trying. That ce contained the top technology of the Supreme. Two production lines would be extremely helpful and who knew what else was inside?
He came to the hanger and the two helicopters returned to the base on standby.
He changed into a new set of T-3 power armor. Just as Jiang Chen was about to board, Lin Lin ran over with small steps.
He stopped in front of the helicopter as he turned around in shock.
Lin Lin? Why are you here?
I She bent over with her hands on her knees to regain her breath. She looked to the side, slightly embarrassed. I heard from sister Sun Jiao that youre going there and Im worried, so I followed along.
Take care of yourself first. Jiang Chen looked speechlessly at her and turned around to board.
Wait, dont leave! I-I can help! If your opponents are machines, I can use my Klein particle ray to wipe them out. Lin Lin raised her chest with pride with a proud curvature formed on her face. I just saved you a few hours ago. Youll be safer with me.
[Its what Tingting wanted.]
Lin Lin added that in her mind.
With your current condition, could you still use that ability? Jiang Chen asked with skepticism.
Of course, yes! Im mostly recovered, so please bring me along! Lin Lin nodded with certainty.
Jiang Chen sighed and had to nod.
Okay, you have to promise you wont cause trouble.
Dont worry! Im very obedient! Lin Lin giggled and said cheerfully.
With how energized she looked, Jiang Chen also felt less worried.
It was indeed an excellent choice to bring Lin Lin along. The Klein particle ray was the nemesis of robots no matter how strong the robots were. And Lin Lin already knew the secret to his storage dimension. Bringing her along meant there were safety concerns and he didnt need to worry about his secret being leaked.
Just like this, Lin Lin boarded the helicopter with Jiang Chen.
With the guides instructions, the helicopter slowly lifted off and transported the duo to the city center.
Chapter 488 - The Not-so-heartwarming Reunion
Chapter 488: The Not-so-heartwarming Reunion
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
1000 meters underground.
The vertical tunnel down was reced by a new elevator supported by a durable graphene beam heading directly into the deep underground.
Jiang Chen, in T-3 power armor, was now on the elevator with his eyes focused on the hologram instructions in the helmet. The decreasing oxygen concentration made Jiang Chen especially wary.
Just like he expected, the fallout shelter underground wasnt designed for humans.
Lin Lin was standing beside him and she waspletely covered by an orange protective suit with arge oxygen tank strapped behind her. Although she was a digitalized human, her brain, and vital organs were still made out of organic matter. Even if a lot of organic parts were reced by mechanical parts, she was still a human.
Open the oxygen supply device. When the oxygen concentration dropped below the threshold, Jiang Chen said calmly.
Mhmm! Lin Lin obediently put her hand on her neck and opened the switch.
When they arrived at the temporary camp established at the New Age Square, it was already nighttime. But a thousand meters underground, there was no fundamental difference between night and day. In the beginning, Cheng Weiguo was firmly against the idea of going on until Jiang Chen made an order as the General.
It made sense that he was worried since this was the enemy home base.
But Jiang Chen didnt worry too much as he still had 100 cubic meters in his storage dimension, so even a few Reptiles wouldnt be too troublesome especially since Lin Lin was with him and the Harmony creature hidden inside her was a robot killer. Almost no electronic units could survive under the Klein particle ray.
When they were close to the bottom, Jiang Chen took out a tactical rifle and turned on the shlight attached to it.
Lin Lin beside him gulped and crouched cowardly with a hint of fear on her face.
[Let me do it.] A contemptuous voice appeared in her heart; it mustve been Tingting. After learning how to speak, she was more and more ruthless.
[Who-who said Im scared?] Lin Lins face turned red as she immediately spoke in her mind.
[Its not me.]
Just follow behind me. Jiang Chen noticed Lin Lins fear and put his hand on her shoulder.
Mhmm?! Mhmm!
Lin Lin, who was distracted, flinched at Jiang Chens actions. It wasnt until she realized what happened that an awkward blush appeared on her face.
Jiang Chen looked at her, puzzled by the sight.
[Is she really okay in her current state?]
The elevator slowly reached the bottom and Jiang Chens rifle locked onto the door of the fallout shelter.
But just as he expected, the door was locked shut.
He took Lin Lin to the door and he put his hand against it.
[Storage dimension, activate!]
There was no reaction
The door and the wall are considered one? Jiang Chen frowned and muttered to himself.
Just as Jiang Chen was deliberating how he should open the door, Lin Lin walked beside Jiang Chen and proposed to him in a small voice:
How about I use the ray to take out all the robots inside then well go back
Take them all out? Mhmm, thatll be ourst resort. If possible, I want to get the stuff inside. Jiang Chen felt his way all along the gear-shaped door in an attempt to find a switch.
Since it was the home base of the Supreme, if they could invent something like Lin Chaoen, then they must be advanced in electronic technology. Compared to Harmonys gic technology, electronic technology was more coherent and applicable to the needs of the NAC.
Lin Lin seemed scared of the darkness as she looked around the ce, feeling unsettled.
[There seems to be something not good about living inside, could I fire one ray at it?] Tingting said.
[Lets not do it. If we destroy the stuff inside, Jiang Chen will be angry.] Lin Lin said in her mind.
[Then we dont have a solution.] Tingting didnt say anything further.
Without any luck finding a switch, there wasnt even amunication cable simr to Fallout Shelter 27. Jiang Chen took out theser sword from the storage dimension and stabbed the thick door.
Ten minutes passed by and the energy of theser sword waspletely drained.
Jiang Chen directed the shlight at only one hol. The size of a nail was burnt out.
What material is this thing made out of? Jiang Chen cursed and kicked the door.
The noise echoed back was very deep. Just judging by the sound; the door was at least seven meters thick. It was more fitting to describe it as a wall.
[Is giving up the only option?]
Jiang Chen sighed.
Just as he wanted to ask Lin Lin to use the Klein particle ray at the door, the door suddenly moved.
Jiang Chen was alerted and pulled out his rifle.
NOOO!
Lin Lin screamed out in fear and hid behind Jiang Chens back.
The gear-shaped wall slowly moved forward and caused rock debris to fall down. Jiang Chen moved back slowly with Lin Lin and established a clear distance from the door. The vibrations continued for half a minute before the door came to a sudden halt and started to roll toward the side.
[8.1 meters thick, mhmm I might not be able to prate this.] Tingting said.
[Is there anything you cant prate?] Lin Lin was curious.
[Of course. Although Klein particles can cause strong electromaic pulses, it doesnt mean they have infinite prative power. You research this area and you should know this?]
Although Tingtings voice didnt show any scorn, Lin Lins face turned uncontrobly red. Just as she wanted to rebut, Jiang Chen stood in front of her and suddenly said:
Lin Lin, be prepared to fight. Try your best to control the power of the output and dont take apart the nobat units.
Oh, okay! Lin Lin nodded.
But from inside the pitch ck hole, a man with hands up to surrender walked up.
When he saw the face, Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes and a red scope was already pointed on his face.
Lin Chaoen.
Thats right. Its me. Lin Chaoen let out a sigh then joked, I cant believe we meet again, in this fashion.
You provoked me multiple times, so you shouldve expected this day woulde. With finger rubbing against the trigger, Jiang Chen spoke emotionlessly.
Lin Chaoen shrugged and looked at Jiang Chen.
Regardless, you won. In the end, Father wants to see you.
Lin Chaoen then looked at Lin Lin who hid behind Jiang Chen with a bright smile on her face.
And you, my dear sister.
Sis sister? Jiang Chen looked at Lin Lin in shock, but she looked puzzled too.
What? Lin Lin looked at Lin Chaoen, puzzled.
You will know once youe in.
Lin Chaoen smiled mysteriously at her, turned around, and headed into the fallout shelter.
Looking at the pitch ck tunnel, Jiang Chen was uncertainty whether it was a trap or if they really did surrender like what Lin Chaoen said.
After debating for a while, Jiang Chen took out a signal stick, pulled the cord, and threw it in.
The bright red light luminated the space. Other than rows of hibernation chambers, the basketball court-sized room didnt have any weapons. With his rifle raised, Jiang Chen took Lin Lin into the fallout shelter.
Lin Lin.
Mhmm? Lin Lin hid behind Jiang Chen looked at his helmet anxiously.
If theyre nning to close the door, shoot that engine at the door. Jiang Chen used a voice that Lin Chaoen could heart.
OhOkay! Because she was too nervous, she almost bit her tongue.
There wasnt too much light in the room other than the signal rod Jiang Chen threw out. The air in the room was filled with concentrated ozone. Because of this, the signal burned brightly.
A tower-shapedputer sat in the middle of the room with the shing signal lights indicating it was running. The middle of theputer, a vial with a brain inside and the bottom, was connected with aplex series of wiring to the different machines in the room.
The room was filled withputers, hibernation chambers and nothing else with a sign of life.
Other than saying it was a fallout shelter, the ce was more of a mechanical city hidden underground. The centralputer was its brain, and its heart and theplex wiring was its vein.
Lin Chaoen walked beneath theputer and stopped.
Father, they are here.
The screen suddenly lit up and a middle-aged face appeared in the center. The hairstyle looked sleek, the two eyebrows were thick but tidy, the nk pupils looked collected but possessed a degree of sharpness, and the sses gave him a more educated vibe.
Lin Lin looked at the man with pupils suddenly contracted as she took two steps forward.
Fa, father
Dont go. Jiang Chen put his hand on her shoulder.
No! Thats my father! Let me go Lin Lin fought in an attempt to break free from Jiang Chen to run.
Jiang Chen was stunned by the situation.
He didnt expect this could happen. His right hand was still holding the rifle with the left hand tightly grasping Lin Lins shoulder.
Lin Lin! Your father already went to, went to the space colonization ship. This is only a video!
He almost said went to heaven but he changed halfway in the sentence.
Father, father! Youre back to pick up your daughter, right? Mist began to cover Lin Lins eyes as she was about to cry,
Jiang Chen stared at the middle-aged man and aimed at the screen.
If you continue to pretend to be Lin Lins father, Ill shoot your brain!
No Lin Lin screamed out.
I didnt pretend to be anyone. The middle-aged man on the screen closed his eyes and pointed down there, Im here. You should be able to see my brain.
The room quieted down.
Lin Lin nkly looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. Brain? Dad, you
Shock also appeared in Jiang Chens eyes as he adjusted the aim to the vial.
Seeing Jiang Chens small adjustment, the middle-aged manughed.
Is this how you treat your father-inw?
[Father-inw?]
Jiang Chen took a moment to process.
Lin Lins face blushed as she waved her hands to cover up. No, no, dad youre mistaken, he is not
It was just that when she said that, she didnt sound like she meant it.
Ahem. The middle-aged man interrupted his daughter and looked seriously at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen stared at him without a word. The rifle in hand still pointed at him - the brain.
If you feel like this will bring you a sense of security, you can point at it. But I have to let you know that the vials ss could withstand the bullets of the anti-armor sniper rifle.
[The Old man who smells like ozone, can I shoot him?] Tingting didnt disguise her disgust to mechanical parts.
Lin Lin restrained Tingting who was eager to move.
Jiang Chen smiled and lowered his rifle.
By letting me in, youre preparing to surrender?
I just want to see my daughter. The middle-aged man had a genuine smile on his face.
Jiang Chens eyes lit up. He didnt think the situation would evolve into the reunion of a father and a daughter.
Dad, where-where are you, the colonization ship
I didnt board the colonization ship, the middle-aged man told Lin Lin.
Lin Lins eyes widened as she didnt realize what he said. She didnt know how she felt - shocked? Happy? Sad? Perhaps simr to no one, but close to all of the emotionsbined.
After a while, she squeezed out a few words.
Why?
Because theres no need to leave. Space is dark and its the same going in any direction. The man slowly said.
He then looked at Jiang Chen.
Im confused. You seem to have a remarkable ability. Instincts tell me its the primary reason why Im lost.
I dont disagree with your perspective, Jiang Chen said.
[No sheet. Without my interdimensional travel and storage dimension, I wouldve died many times already.]
The man gazed into Jiang Chens eyes then he sighed.
Is that so? Although I hoped I wouldve lost because of a deeper reason.
He then looked at Lin Lin, his daughter.
Im not a qualified father. On the path to Supreme, if there is anything I regretted, it would be you.
Lin Lin eyes teared up, No, dad, you gave me life, you gave the opportunity to
The middle-aged man interrupted her.
Do you know why you had muscr dystrophy?
Lin Lin stopped, Is it that because it is congenital
No. The man shook his head. I did it.
Lin Lin became idle with tears freezing on her face then she murmured in a quiet voice, Why?
Its a long story, if you have patience, watch this.
His face looked reminiscent and slowly faded on the screen.
The picture in the screen changed just like the old film tape rolling. It unfolded the history belonging here.
Chapter 489 - The Path of Supreme
Chapter 489: The Path of Supreme
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The fundamental part of life is the journey and not the result.
Birth, survival, fade to ck.
But in the end, how many people can live a life without regret?
Immortality is an alluring concept that bes even stronger when technological advancements reach the forbidden part of life.
For a period of time, billions of dors in investments flooded the industry asbs began to pop up like bamboo after the rain. People were willing to pay and people were willing to experiment. The wealthy wished to enjoy theirvish lives for longer, drawn in by the temptation of immortality since they couldnt bring their paper bills with them to the next life.
But the current resources avable couldnt support continuous poption growth, even if only a small proportion of the poption was immortal.
Once immortality became a reality, it wouldnt bring human prosperity but rather, itd be an apocalypse.
Yes, it would be an apocalypse.
The immortals would have an endless amount of time to umte wealth, reinforce their status, and be toxic to society, the cancer cells of civilization. They would extract nutrients from healthy cells and extract resources from ordinary people
It would be an apocalypse.
The Science Ethics Committee was born. Three countries agreed to follow the ord and promised to prevent any technology that would cause public fear to be created while also strictly preventing others from breaking the first rule. In a world divided into three factions, a tacit understanding was easier to reach than in a world divided into more parts.
Just like the IAEA in the modern world.
But after the economic crisis in 2150, the tacit understand became threatened. Although the Science Ethics Committee still existed, their influence on the government and control of private capital was far inferiorpared to half a century ago.
The summer of 2160.
Doctor Lin Minjie, your research is suspected of viting Science Research Regtions. Please arrive at the court in Wanghai in ten days to face the interrogations of the Science Ethics Committee. A police in ck stood in front of him and presented him with his ID.
Thats impossible! My research is absolutely intended to better mankind! How dare you act on behalf of all of mankind Lin Minjie roared at the expressionless police.
The man in a suit behind the police interrupted his roar as he spoke with contempt in his eyes.
Because we receive one hundred billion in donations a year, because most people agree with our cause.
You only abuse peoples fear of the unknown, you despicable, weak-minded fools. Lin Minjie stared at the man, wishing to strangle his neck, but his malicious intent was weaker than the strength of a policemans hand.
Is that so? Sorry, I also dont agree with your experiments of putting peoples heads into metal boxes. The man in a suit pointed at his own head and smiled at him.
Please remain calm, Doctor Lin Minjie. If you are displeased with the process, please use a civilized process to resolve the problem in the courts. Of course, before that, we have to confiscate your research, the policeman said without emotion.
No, you cant take it away! My research is guilty of no crime! Lin Minjie stared at the policemen flooding into thisb in despair as he watched them taking away his essays and equipment.
One more point - only safe technology is innocent. Before he left, the man in the suit smiled.
After being used of viting the Science Ethics Committee, his reputation waspletely tarnished in the research field. The corporations all drew a clear line between themselves and him to avoid public distrust. Without funding, although he was an information technology and electrical engineering double major, he was unemployed.
Life became very difficult.
His beautiful wife left him, leaving behind the half-year-old Lin Lin. He couldnt afford rent for their 24th-floor apartment and had to move into a damp basement, living off PAC welfare.
He spent six years in agony.
In 2166, the situation finally took a turn.
After the 2150 economic crisis, the global situation was visibly deteriorating. Each country was in conflict over resources, airspace sovereignty, and space exploration. In a matter of ten short years, trust fell to an all-time low. And naturally, the influence of international organizations such as the Science Ethics Committee became weaker and weaker.
The research previously viewed as forbidden now had a resurgence in interest. It included advanced artificial intelligence and digitalized human technology.
Finally, a renowned businessman found him.
Doctor Lin Minjie, although it might be hurtful to say this, but Im taking a significant risk to meet you in person. You know, the media likes to assume things. While he was also in a suit, this mans attitude was so much better than the man who destroyed everything he owned.
I understand, Lin Minjie responded without any light in his eyes.
Then I hope the risk Im taking is worth it. The man smiled.
What do you want? Lin Minjie looked up at the man in a suit.
He signaled his assistant and ced a stack of documents 10-centimeters-thick on the table. Lin Minjie looked at the documents as disbelief appeared in his eyes along with a hint of hatred.
It was because of this that he ended up in his current condition.
Oh how did you get this? Lin Minjie asked in a disinterested tone.
Youre in an age where theres nothing that cant be resolved with money. The man smiled. We need you to continue your research, and well pay for your research.
Okay. Lin Minjie agreed without hesitation. Wheres the contract?
The man shook his head.
You know, your research cant be written on the contract or it would be evidence. Even if the Science Ethics Committee doesnt have as much power as before, the court will still fine us, so
He stopped there and signaled his assistant again.
The assistant walked up and opened a briefcase on the table.
There was a syringe inside.
This is? Lin Minjie frowned and looked at the man in the suit, puzzled.
With just 10ml, this can make anyone get muscr dystrophy without any evidence and they would be at a terminal stage. The man smiled.
Lin Minjie nkly looked at him and his devilish smile.
What what do you mean?
Nothing. Its just that if your only family member, your daughter, suffered from muscr dystrophy, then even the Science Ethics Committee wouldnt make too muchmotion about a father saving his daughter. At the same time, us, East Pacific Heavy Industrial, will make a donation on humanitarian grounds to fund your research. The man lowered his voice. With this, youll be more motivated, right?
Lin Minjie looked at the man in disbelief.
Out of his own surprise, he didnt feel anger or remorse. After experiencing the ups and downs of the past six years, he was thoroughly annoyed at the world and even felt hatred toward it.
People always applied their own standards to other people and attacked people with different beliefs on supposedly ethical grounds. It would only take a few strokes of a pen on the prosecution document to end the results of ten years of research.
Even though a family would copse because of it
What exactly is ethics?
He was lost.
After that, the six-year-old Lin Lin identally suffered from muscr dystrophy after a cold and was diagnosed to be in the terminal stage. East Pacific Heavy Industrial donated 1 billion to support her fathers research on digitalized humans. They also bought the media to use public opinion to support his cause and forced the Science Ethics Committee to withdraw their prosecution against the great father.
He engraved consciousness onto a circuit board and used currents and mechanics to rece blood and bone.
Public opinion about digitalized humans, the technology viewed by the world as forbidden, became surprisingly smooth under the support of East Pacific Heavy Industrial.
The limitations of intermediate artificial intelligence were removed and the development of advanced artificial intelligence along with the body design ran concurrently. Although his feeble daughter stuck in a hospital ward made him feel some guilt, the rapid progress in technology gave him some slightfort.
The picture turned again - it was a hospital. Looking at the ward, Jiang Chen thought it looked familiar before he quickly remembered it was where he met Lin Lin for the first time.
Once Lin Lin can walk, dad will take you to the movie theater, to the amusement park. Anywhere you want to go, I will take you there. With a lily in the vial on the nightstand, Lin Minjie didnt look at his daughters face. Instead, he spoke to the pristine white flower petal.
The uncle who made a donation is a good person. Lin Lin smiled joyfully.
Even though all the muscles in her body were affected by the dystrophy, she still believed he could allow her to run freely under the sunshine again.
Lin Minjies throat twitched. He looked at his daughter.
Looking at his daughters bright smile, he didnt know what to say.
Finally, he forced on a smile and squeezed out a sentence.
Mhmm, he is a good person.
And then, the war erupted.
The 2150 economic crisis foreshadowed the war in 2171. Humans werent machines and they could use logic to solve problems. Small problems could be fixed through meetings, but fundamental problems had to be addressed by war.
East Pacific Heavy Industrial, who funded his research, was acquired by PAC to transform into a military corporation. He then went from being a scientist working for a privatepany to an academician serving the army, helping PAC to develop killing machines rted to artificial intelligence.
He was involved in the development of Reptile and Python.
Because of the war, the block on research waspletely unlocked. War captives were constantly sent into Fallout Shelter 005 to live in a deadly virtual reality experience. The seed of the birth of advanced artificial intelligence was germinating, and the technology of digitalized humans waspleted. Once Fallout Shelter 005s testing enabled the evolution from intermediate to advanced artificial intelligence,bined together, a human made up ofpletely mechanical parts would be born into this world!
At the time, a sudden dangerous, extreme thought was born.
If advanced artificial intelligence could rece humans and give birth to a new mechanical civilization, what was the purpose of humans?
Humans were disgusting, greedy, pedantic, ugly
A crazy thought was born.
He even gave the child that had yet to be born in this world a name.
It would be called Supreme.
The Supreme who was above all.
Chapter 490 - The Dowry
Chapter 490: The Dowry
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
How Tears filled Lin Lins eyes as she stared at the image on the screen and mumbled, No, this must be a lie. Jiang Chen, tell me, dad is lying to me, right?
Jiang Chen took her into his arms without saying a word.
Although the cold armor couldnt bring her any warmth, he hoped she would feel better from his embrace.
Jiang Chen looked at Lin Chaoen who was still smiling along with the old father who reappeared on the screen - Lin Minjie.
Fallout Shelter 005 was a pawn and Lin Lins presence there wasnt an ident but a necessity.
Didnt you find it odd? Why would a fallout shelter used to develop advanced artificial intelligence have a copy of
? And so many people knew it was inside the fallout shelter.
It wasnt there to be the hope of mankind but rather a piece of bait to lure na?ve survivors to run inside and be subjects for the experiment.
If things had gone ording to n, the Dusk organization wouldve sent people inside the fallout shelter to be fresh subjects for our experiment. But unfortunately, our project had ws from the beginning. The bug from the Harmony infiltrated the fallout shelter and then you. If I guessed correctly, you should be the person who destroyed x71291. What a stubborn individual - that product saved thousands of lives. Lin Minjie shook his head and cursed.
Jiang Chen silently listened to Doctor Lin Minjies readme file with a perplexed expression.
When Jiang Chen saved Lin Lin from Fallout Shelter 005 after she realized her father left her to leave the, Jiang Chen said this to her: Perhaps, from another perspective, he left hope on this.
But now, maybe what he said was wrong.
From before the war, everyone was his pawn on the path to reaching the Supreme.
If Jiang Chen hadnt forcefully flipped over the chessboard, perhaps he wouldve already seeded.
Lin Lins whimpering voice interrupted Jiang Chens train of thought. Her eyes were filled with tears and she looked at her father with certainty.
But I will still use my knowledge to bring hope for our people.
Lin Minjie stared at his daughter for a while before he started to smile. Is that so? Im happy you have dreams, my dear daughter I genuinely hope you can achieve your dream.
He paused and looked at Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen, right? I already know your stance of being a human. Regarding your victory, I graciously ept it, but I wont congratte you.
I never had expectations of receiving congrattions from my enemy.
Also, I hope you wont discriminate against my daughter just because shes a digitalized human.
Please be assured that wont happen.
What should be buried wasnt digitalized humans nor artificial intelligence but dangerous thought. While Lin Lin had fundamental differences from real digitalized humans, her brain was still a brain.
Jiang Chen looked down and raised the rifle in his hand.
Lin Lin gently pulled at him.
Do you want to stop me? Jiang Chen said in a quiet voice.
Can you not spare him?
Jiang Chens certainty was his response to her.
This was the only circumstance where he couldnt show mercy.
Then let me do it. I dont want dont want you to be the person who kills my father, Lin Lin spoke with a remorseful smile.
She stood there with her fathers brain in front of her and droplets of tears rolling down her face. She never was a strong person.
At the end of the road, with his daughter in tears, Lin Minjie seemed to have understood something - the definition of emotion, the algorithm he tried to craft for advanced artificial intelligence had been always within his reach.
But he couldnt see.
Because on the path to the Supreme, he had given up too much.
He watched his daughter kneeling on the ground, crying. He suddenly felt that this oue wasnt too bad.
Inside this server, there is a document numbered 7381 with a 103-page essay about warp drives. Lin Minjie stared into Jiang Chens eyes. If you ever face them one day, it might be useful. This is her dowry from father to daughter; I hope you can treat her well because of this gift.
Thank you.
Although without this gift, he would still treat her well.
You dont need to thank me. Because even if you really create the warp drive, your odds of winning only increase from 0% to 1%. Lin Minjie scoffed.
Communication was tuned into Jiang Chensmunication channel; he didnt make Lin Lin hear his final monologue.
Jiang Chen wanted to say something. He took a deep breath to calm himself in a desperate attempt to hide the weakness in his heart.
Why didnt you tell her?
In the end, I wanted to experience what it felt like to be a father. He ended with a sentence that had more meaning than met the eye.
In that instant, Jiang Chen had the impulse to stop everything. He wasnt a coldblooded man and was never indifferent to cruelty. Since Lin Minjie already lost, he didnt need to put the final nail in the coffin. Since he was the father of Lin Lin, even just for for Lin Lin, maybe he could let his brain survive.
Lin Minjie seemed to have read Jiang Chens thoughts as heughed and spoke in themunication channel: It doesnt feel good to live with just a brain. The only reason I could live till now was to wait for the day I could abandon this brain too. Wont you allow that day toe?
Jiang Chen was silent.
The ces I didnt take her to - I hope you can do that for me.
Jiang Chen nodded. I promise.
Lin Minjie smiled at Jiang Chen. A sudden trace of remorse appeared in his eyes, but it was quickly reced by certainty.
Suddenly, he looked at Lin Chaoen who had been smiling the whole time.
My son, Ill give you thest order. No, twost orders
Lin Chaoen nodded.
First, turn off the life-supporting device of my brain.
Lin Chaoens brain was buried low.
Lin Lin raised her face covered in tears as she looked at her father. Her lips trembled and she whimpered no repeatedly.
Lin Minjie looked at his daughter onest time and slowly closed his eyes.
Second, end your life.
Understood, father.
Without hesitation, Lin Chaoen walked to the side of the centralputer.
No Lin Lin screamed out.
The cry echoed in the empty fallout shelter. Jiang Chen tried not to look at Lin Lin.
But Jiang Chen noticed that before he pressed the button, Lin Chaoens hand hovered over the switch for two seconds.
In the end, he still pressed it.
The bubbles in the vial gradually stopped and the green nutrient levels calmed down.
If blood and oxygen supplies are cut off, brain cells will stop functioning within 60 seconds. Within four minutes, brain cells will start to die. In 6-10 minutes, the brain will suffer irreparable damage with arge amount of brain cell death.
Watching that vial, tears rolled down on Lin Lins mask.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath and counted in his mind.
Lin Chaoen turned around and looked thoughtfully at Jiang Chen.
Thats weird. For an instant, I had a thought to reject the order.
Jiang Chen said quietly, Congrattions.
No, you dont have to congratte me since I didnt receive a mission to evolve into advanced artificial intelligence. A sudden smile appeared on Lin Chaoens face. Goodbye.
Chapter 491 - Garden of Eden Initialize
Chapter 491: Garden of Eden Initialize
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The arm is not powerful enough? Switch to a mechanical arm. Giving birth is too slow? Raise it in a nutrient chamber. Reaching consensus is impossible in a meeting? Connect everyones thoughts together. The brain could explode? Use a chip to rece the brain.
When every part of the human could be reced, the only thing that can represent the human was its consciousness. And when consciousness could be replicated and mass produced, only efficiency would remain in the world, and the purpose of efficiency would be survival.
And the purpose of survival is what then?
Lin Chaoen chose to self-destruct along with 71 backup bodies in the hibernation chambers.
Perhaps he realized something in the end. When he made a choice, he was very calm; without any longing for this world.
To his choice, Jiang Chen could only lower his gun and didnt ask him to stay.
Jiang Chen surrounded the crying Lin Lin in his arms. He didnt know how tofort her as he whispered something in her ear before carrying her and leaving the now silent fallout shelter.
Jiang Chen instructed the First Division soldiers to take away the quantumputer and other equipment from the fallout shelter. As to the eighty hibernation chambers and the vial, after asking for Lin Lins opinion, he left them underground.
Because Doctor Lin Minjie passed away, the fallout shelter lost its sole controller, and its functionality came to a halt. The door of the fallout shelter could no longer be closed. To prevent people disturbing his long rest, Jiang Chen gifted thest grace.
Five hundred kilograms of explosives copsed the entire tunnel and buried the fallout shelter 3000 meters underground.
Although the civilization was never born, it was still the grave of a civilization. It deserved thest tribute.
It was supreme but was never meant to be epted by the majority.
He was a great scientist. This was without a doubt.
Inside the Lin Fallout Shelter, the NAC obtained an experimental level quantumputer which made the scientists in Fallout Shelter 027 ecstatic. The crowded quantumputer was finally freed from working over capacity which brought a significant bottleneck to NACs research efficiency.
The research paper on wrap paper was given to Jiang Lin as he had been keen on this area of research. If the one hundred page paper could bring him some inspiration, then it would be a great contribution to the entire NAC no, to the entire earths mankind.
If the Natural Selection will arrive on Earth, then humans with wrap engine would have a fighting chance. If they cant win, they could still escape.
Of course, if possible, Jiang Chen still hoped he could solve the problem.
Regardless, the modern world is his home.
Northwest of Shenxiang, at the intersection of Taifu River and Dianshan Lake.
In a ce one kilometer away from theke, ten trucks parked on the cracked rural roads. ves hauled beams of steel to the barrennd under the direction of the engineer with a blueprint; they inserted the steel beam into the corresponding location.
The steels formed into a circle several kilometers in diameter with excavators working inside the circr area from the middle. They moved the chunks of soil onto the truck to the empty ground two kilometers out.
The middle of the circle was paved with concrete. A concrete circr pole stood in the middle with a diameter of five meters. The pole connected to the steel beams like a wheel bearing extended to the edge. At the same time, the bottom of the pole was installed with water outlets and a drainage pipe with graphite filter membrane. The edge of the bearing connected the water treatment nts pipe.
It was like a giant grinding disc.
The soil moved by truck were all dumped there and mixed with fresh water transported from the automated water treatment nt a few kilometers out.
Just yesterday, the Hunter Division cleared out the Bug Vehicle nest in the water treatment nt and brought the nt under NAC control. Although the nuclear fusion battery stored inside could sustain water treatment for two years, it was still a problem to desert the water treatment nt. The construction of the Garden of Eden required arge amount of fresh water, and the fresh water will be supplied by newly built pipelines.
Soil, water, and treatment liquid will be mixed together under the grinding disc into mud, the continuous water will wash the toxins and radiation residue to the Dianshan river. The washing method to dilute and cleanse soil had a capacity of 1000 cubic meters of soil a day.
Soil cleansing was the first step in constructing the Garden of Eden.
Although he could transport soils from the modern world, it would require an astronomical amount of soil to construct a Garden of Eden with a diameter of five kilometers. With Xins territory, it was not easy to obtain that amount of soil. Even if the soil were imported, it would still be difficult to exin the whereabouts of the soil.
If it could be solved in the apocalypse, it was better to rely on the resources avable in the apocalypse. Since the NAC already had acquired the absolute control of Wanghai, regardless of how reckless they were with the construction, it was achievable with NACs financial capability and influence.
This soil cleansing system was only the first one. Jiang Chen nned to construct ten more beside Dianshan Lake.
Lin Lin looked at the spinning disc as she gently put on her chest and recollected what Jiang Chen told her when she was in despair.
Construct a Garden of Eden for me beside Shenxiang. The soil there is not too bad. By growing mutated fruit and Carm tree sap there, the radiation and pollution in the area decreased by a lot. Although the toxicity level is still high, itll be easier to change there.
He paused.
Perhaps many yearster, that ce will be a ce where flowers bloom, and birds sing.
[Perhaps even more beautiful than before the war.]
Lin Lin had a pleasant smile on her face and added in her mind.
Surprisingly, the remorse in her chest faded.
The war was finally over.
The mutant nests in the city center turned into ash with the strike of the tungsten rod. The smaller nests in the rural areas were in the process of being cleared out. NAC would send out a team of no less than 500 scavengers with methrowers, heavy machineguns, and the support of armored vehicles to clear out the remaining nests in underground sewer systems and buildings.
The entire west city center of Wanghai turned from the most dangerous hunting ce around on wastnd to a haven in the Suhang province.
And this Garden of Eden will be the most beautiful ce in the Suhang province. Even the most beautiful ce on the wastnd in the future.
In three months, the Garden of Eden will finish soil cleansing. At the same time, the foundation near theke will bepleted. A month after that, the atmosphere separation membrane will be deployed, and the first phase of the Garden of Eden will bepleted. Lin Lin looked at Jiang Chen who just walked beside her and had a proud smile on her face.
Four months? Then the cannons, port, and defensive buildings along the river should bepleted too. Jiang Chen stared into the distance and smiled too.
Lin Lin rolled her eyes. Could you not say something that ruins the mood?
To protect the beautiful flower, guns and cannons are necessary. Jiang Chens eyes narrowed.
He then paused and looked toward Lin Lin. But just leave these kinds of unromantic thing to the unromantic me.
Lin Lin blushed and looked away.
Whatever you want to do.
Once the first Garden of Eden isplete, the food production in the apocalypse could be self-sufficient. At least grain, wheat, and some crops could be directly grown there. The cost might be higher, it was a good start.
Then the second one.
The new biosphere will begin to emerge on the wastnd like a series of air bubbles. The space will first be used to produce food, and then residential areas will be developed
With the Sixth Streets increasing poption, they cant constantly depend on Jiang Chen to be the food transporter. Although in theory it was possible, it wont be stable in the long term.
Self-sufficient in food is the first step to Order.
And a must step for Order.
Chapter 492 - The Secret of the Small Universe
Chapter 492: The Secret of the Small Universe
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Lin Lin provided the construction blueprint for the Garden of Eden, and the construction specifics were the responsibilities of the NAC engineers. Jiang Chen formed a special department named Garden of Eden Research Institute. Lin Lin had no experience in management, and she personally had no interest in managing people. The department was different from the independent Aerospace Technology Research Institute with the human resources department responsible for managing.
Lu Huasheng was meticulous with his work which reassured Jiang Chen.
From the start, he was the chief engineer to the construction of the base, so it wouldnt be of worry to let him handle the construction project. Although the technology in the Garden of Eden was somewhat advanced, Lin Lin provided the blueprints for each step of the development. With NAC engineers wealth of experience, it wouldnt be difficult to construct it.
The Sun was disappearing on the horizon.
Afterpleting a tour, Jiang Chen took Lin Lin back to the mansion in the Fishbone base.
As usual, the delicious Yao Yao prepared a dinner equally as delicious as her. The usually adorable Sun Xiaorou studied on the side while helping Yao Yao out. As for Sun Jiao, she was in the kitchen trying the food out.
When he just stepped in, the aroma of the food drifted into his nose. Lin Lin who took off her shoes ran into the kitchen shouting and fighting with Sun Jiao for the position of taste tester. Every time this happened, Sun Xiaorou wouldfort the two, but a little devil smile would appear on her face.
Jiang Chens face would always have a joyful smile looking at the scene in the kitchen.
If would be great if he could bring his family from the modern world back.
In the cheerful atmosphere, Jiang Chen and the girls finished dinner. Jiang Chen watched Lin Lin with a pouted mouth head into the kitchen with the utensils as he rubbed his full belly and returned to his room.
Whether it was the mutants, or Harmony, or Supreme, all of them ceased to exist. Jiang Chen finally had time to research the mutated storage dimension.
Jiang Chen lied on the bed and closed his eyes to immerse his consciousness into the packed small universe.
The universe expanded exceptionally slowly, in a months time, the radius only increased by a tiny amount.
But even then, it was still a decent size. From the 300 cubic meters at the big bang, it stretched into 340 cubic meters. But Jiang Chen didnt understand the mechanism behind the small universes expansion.
Inside the pitch ck space, Reptile drone and Python drones floated. Their power was almost drained and could be brought out from the storage dimension after a few more days.
And right now, most of them were scattered around the boundary of the small universe. Jiang Chen still faintly recalled that when these things were first thrown in the storage dimension. They still maintained motion.
Would the motion be lost when it contacted the boundary of the universe? Jiang Chen pondered with a hand on his chin.
He was not a physicist and couldnt exin the phenomenon. Even Lin Lin with knowledge in Klein particle couldnt exin it. She roughly summarized it to The original eleven-dimensional space decayed into three dimensional under the copse and the big bang.
ording to the superstring theory in M- theory (1), the existence of eleven-dimensional super-gravitational attractions, Jiang Chens previous storage dimension was simr to what was described in the theory, the dimension created through pure gravity.
When Jiang Chen asked about the pros and cons, Lin Lin only gave an ambiguous answer.
It is hard to say if it is good or bad. The objective existence of nature has always been irrelevant of good or bad. You can interpret the previous dimension as ydoh that can be freely squished, but now it became a fixed spherical space. There are points, lines, time and all other eleven dimensions and below concepts. But you only foolishly use it as a handy treasure box. Since then, no matter what it bes, it wouldnt matter to you. Lin Lin rolled her eyes.
But if it could be a bit bigger
Jiang Chen stared at the deep abyss and entered into deep thought.
Inside the small universe, he was the god of the ce. Any of the items inside could be moved with his consciousness. Changing the location of the things inside was as simple as organizing a backpack.
But the ability to give an object motion would consume the energy of the bracelet. Also, any item that came in contact with the boundary would lose its kic energy.
Inside the entire small universe, only the boundary was out of his control.
If the universe was bigger, big enough to put a inside.
Jiang Chen was suddenly shocked by the idea before he shook his head with a wry smile.
With the current expansion speed, even after his 17th life, it would still not be big enough to put a Wanghai inside.
Maybe he should throw a few nukes inside and forcefully expand this space?
Jiang Chen quickly negated the idea.
Disregarding if he could gather so many nuclear bombs or blood crystals, and overlooking if Sun Xiaorou can explode the blood crystals, no one was certain if another copse and big bang could happen in the storage dimension. Would the space dimension fall to the first dimension? If the entire space only stretched vertically, he would have yed himself.
There was also a possibility that the energy of the explosion couldnt meet the energy required for copsing and the detonated blood crystals in the space would form a never attenuated light ball. In some sense, it would be the most painful situation. The instant he removed the light ball, he would be vaporized by the one million degrees of high temperature, but if he did not remove the light ball, the storage space would be useless.
There must be a way to increase the size of the storage dimension
But the way is still unknown? Jiang Chen let out a sigh and moved the robots around a bit.
But then, he suddenly felt a light motion on his body. Although his consciousness sank into the small universe, he could still feel his body in the real world.
When he opened his eyes, a blushed face appeared in sight.
Yao Yao, is there something wrong? Jiang Chen looked at Yao Yao retracting her finger and rubbed her soft head.
Hmm, is Brother Jiang Chen going to go back to that side soon? Yao Yao asked in a quiet voice.
Mhmm, I still have things to take care of on that side. Jiang Chen sensed the softness in his palm and smiled.
Big Brother is working really hard, Yao Yao said in a worried voice.
[Not so much working so hard, or rather, it is more rxing.]
With her concerned attitude, Jiang Chen felt a bit embarrassed.
Hmm, as a way to rx, do you need Yao Yao to give you a massage? Yao Yao lowered her head, smiled timidly, and yed with the corner of her dress.
[Massage?]
Jiang Chen remembered the intimate moment that happened when she massaged him, Jiang Chen uncontrobly gulped.
Instincts told him that he should reject, but his body nodded with honesty.
Sometimes he thought that he was too evil
(1) Superstring theory is an attempt to exin all of the particles and fundamental forces of nature in one theory by modeling them as vibrations of tiny supersymmetric strings.
Superstring theory is a shorthand for supersymmetric string theory because unlike bosonic string theory, it is the version of string theory that ounts for both fermions and bosons and incorporates supersymmetry to model gravity.
Since the second superstring revolution, the five superstring theories are regarded as different limits of a single theory tentatively called M-theory. (Source: Wikipedia)
Chapter 493 - Open the bank to Hang City
Chapter 493: Open the bank to Hang City
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
A small head with wet hair peeked out from the door of the bathroom. The big eyes covered with shyness scanned around. After confirming that no one was in the hall, Yao Yao was relieved. Her hands tightly squeezed onto the towel that covered her body and ran toward her room.
Around five minutester, Jiang Chen walked out from the bathroom feeling refreshed and energized.
He didnt think it was a big deal to walk out together, but Yao Yao insisted leaving separately with a blushed face. When she remembered the look on everyones face when they walked together, she wanted to bury her head into the ground.
This really doesnt hide anything. Jiang Chen dried his hair with the towel around his shoulder while he muttered to himself.
[Ill go sleep now.]
As he thought, Jiang Chen walked toward his own room.
When he passed by Sun Jiaos room, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Sun Jiao with hair already dried only in a dress shirt was smiling at Jiang Chen.
Uh, is there something wrong? Although she looked alluring, Jiang Chen without any bullets left was in Saint Mode. If he epted Sun Jiaos invitation, it wouldnt be good.
Right now, Sun Xiaorou suddenly hugged him from the back.
Brother-inw, why arent you going in? With a devil smirk on her face, Sun Xiaorou whispered yfully beside Jiang Chens ear.
[This little devil]
With the softness behind his back, Jiang Chen was pushed into the room by Sun Xiaorou.
He felt that if this continued, it would be the death of his body.
The next morning.
Is your body okay? Han Junhua looked at Jiang Chen feebly walking into the office as her eyebrows raised.
Its okay. Jiang Chen didnt look her in the face and sat on his throne.
Han Junhua looked at him speechlessly and spoke after a while.
regardless of which perspective, you should be more restrained sometimes.
Jiang Chen who just sipped tea almost spat it out.
If it were before, Jiang Chen who sleptte would choose to sleep till noon and pass on the work for the next day. But the information from Jia City stated that there would be a visitor from Hang City. For his reputation, Jiang Chen had to climb out of bed.
He sat in the office for less than an hour before someone knocked on the door. He fixed his cors and said pleasee in before a man in a blue suit that was somewhat bleached stepped in under a NAC knights guidance.
It was a familiar face. Jiang Chen remembered his name was Kong Qian. He led the first contact with Hangs Merchant Alliance.
Wee, Mr. Director. Jiang Chen smiled.
Hello, Mr. General. Kong Qian smiled back and added, The uncrowned king of Wanghai.
[The uncrowned king?]
Jiang Chen was pleased with the title as the tip of his mouth carved up.
He warmly weed Kong Qian to take a seat and instructed the staff at themunity center to serve tea for them. Jiang Chen noticed the directors eyes stared at the tea floating in the cup and made a noticeable gulping gesture.
Kong Qian took a sip as an intoxicatedplexion appeared on his face.
Great tea. If I guessed correctly, it should be West Lake Longjing.
Director Kong knows tea too? Jiang Chen was quite intrigued.
Jiang Chen never sold luxury goods like Longjing and Tieguanying (1) at the Sixth Street; the high-grade stuff was only avable in themunity center with Blue Mountain coffee and Sri Lanka ck tea to improve the quality of life for his officials. If it was Jiang Chen himself, he drank them like water, and everything tasted pretty much the same.
I drank it before the war and studied tea a little, Kong Qian smiled, but a regretful expression appeared on his face, Unfortunately, the West Lake no longer produces tea.
The harsh natural environment, the ruthless bandits, the bloodthirsty mutants, and zombies. The teas anti-radiation trait meant that it could grow on most soils. While the quality may not beparable to before the war, the difficulty of growing this kind of delicacies was extremely high.
If Director Kong likes it, I can gift you two packs. Jiang Chen smiled.
Jiang Chen was pleased that the Hang Merchant Alliance listened to his warning and didnt cause trouble when NAC was attacking the mutated humans. ording to their agreement, his soldiers stopped at Jia city and didnt push west.
Thank you so much. Kong Qian was ecstatic.
There was nothing else to demonstrate friendship than things that couldnt be bought.
No worries. Jiang Chen in a delighted mood continued, But my guess is that the purpose of your trip is not to catch up with me and drink tea.
Thats right, Kong Qian sat up straight and cautiously suggested, Im here to be certain about our friendship.
There is no need to doubt our friendship. One month ago, you already made the correct choice, one fitting for our friendship.
Kong Qian was relieved.
After a pause, he proposed with a cautious tone.
We are grateful for your partys effort in establishing a clear trade route. To reinforce our friendship, I have a proposal.
Lets hear it. Jiang Chen smiled.
Based on our estimates, there are currently 1121 merchants utilizing the trade route to the Sixth Street. Now that the mutated humans in Jia City and the Seventh Area have been eliminated, the dangerous level of Wanghai decreased significantly. In the foreseeable future, the number will exponentially increase by next year. So we hope we could establish a division of the Merchant Guild at the Sixth Street.
Guild? Jiang Chen looked at Kong Qian feeling intrigued, Could the Sixth Street council not protect your rights?
No, no, no, Mr. General, youre misunderstanding the situation. Kong Qian rushed to exin, This guild is not political, it is only here to provide information support to merchants as well as trade fleet security contracts
The mercenary guild can provide thest item.
Without other solutions, Kong Qian had topromise, We can take out thest item.
I obviously wont reject the proposal to establish the merchant guild, but an organization with a guild nature must be established under the supervision of the local government.
I want to know the definition of supervision. Do they have to wear NAC uniforms during work? Kong Qian asked carefully.
Of course not. Jiang Chen shook his head. Well send out an inspector to be stationed in the guild. We will pay the sry. Other than attending public meetings, he will not interfere with your day-to-day work. Or, as long as you do things that a merchant should do, he wont cause any disturbances to your daily work.
Just that? Kong Qian was skeptical.
Just that. Jiang Chen nodded.
Jiang Chen paused and continued.
Rtively, we want to establish a simr partnership with your party. For example, establish a division of the mercenary guild in your jurisdiction. Dont be anxious, other than providing employees, we wont send any military units to be stationed there as we have full confidence that you can protect their lives and assets. Well provide you with mercenary information, the channels for mercenary hiring as well as credit ratings.
On the other hand, if youre interested, we can open up a branch of the Sixth Street Bank in your area. Crystals are currently depreciating at a rapid speed in the Sixth Street. With the trade route being more open than ever, the depreciation would spread to other areas in no time. The Sixth Street trade has mostly eliminated crystals for its trade which would further elerate the depreciation of crystals. Of course, if you are not confident with the purchasing power of the credit, we wont have to talk about this.
Kong Qian hastened to say, No, we are very interested, its just that we heard the digital channel of the credit could only be done in Wanghai
It is currently only avable in Wanghai. But if we expand our ry station to Hang City, then you will be included in our establishedwork and the area for this payment channel will expand westward by two hundred kilometers. Jiang Chen smiled.
Kong Qian held his breath.
Establishing a mercenary guild division and a branch of the Sixth Street Bank, build a ry station, and join the informationwork of Wanghai. Jiang Chens offer made it impossible for Kong Qian to refuse.
The risk that existed in this was also difficult to neglect.
While NAC promised not to send forces into Hang City, and Jiang Chen did prove his creditability with his action and NACs noninvasive nature. But anyone would feel instinctively uneasy beside such a powerful neighbor.
Once the proposal is agreed upon, NACs influence would without a doubt expand to Hang City. If the influence were setting up for the inevitable invasion, then it would be fearful. But if it only existed to increase trade rtionship, then it would only be beneficial.
Your proposal is enticing, but it also makes people uneasy, Kong Qian sighed and spoke with honesty.
With the current situation of the wastnd, how much people could fit in Wanghai and Jia City? Jiang Chen asked abruptly.
Kong Qian thought for a moment, Around a few million.
Then did your military force pose a threat to us?
Kong Qian had a wry smile on his face.
Their people had witnessed NACs financial power the rockets that covered the sky. Despite theck of technical expertise in that, it was not something that they could do with their production capability.
Then why are you afraid. Jiang Chenughed.
Kong Qian took a moment to process this before he understood Jiang Chens message as a troubled but understanding smile appeared.
The entire Suhang Province had less than one million people, and they didnt need to fight for space to survive. NAC had enough on their te to develop Wanghai alone. From the power perspective, they didnt pose any threat to NAC.
There was no need to invade.
Once credit besmon, Suhang Provinces survivors must depend on NACs economy.
This is a bbergasting reality. The reason we can survive is that we look harmless. Kong Qian stood up. Ill send your message to the Merchant Alliance. Of course, I dont think it will hard to pass.
Then Ill wish the best for our potential partnership. Jiang Chen also stood up and extended his hand.
Pleasure to work with you. Kong Qian shook Jiang Chen hand and nodded.
Chapter 494 - The Everchanging Sixth Street
Chapter 494: The Everchanging Sixth Street
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
How many days has it been? On the roof of the Dark Red Chamber of Commerce building, Cao Guangkai in a suit gazed in Wanghais direction without many words.
The sixth day, The guard beside him said respectfully.
[The sixth day already?]
Dawn colored the thin fog into a golden glow. Even in Su City ten kilometers away, he could still smell the fragrance known as order and freedom. It had been clear in that direction, without any smoke, for the sixth day.
Momentster, Cao Guangkai slowly said.
That man, when did he leave?
The man he referred to was Lin Chaoen.
The man who referred to himself as the apostle of Supreme civilization.
The guard hesitated for a moment and answered with an uncertain voice, Around two months.
Cao Guangkai nodded.
He shouldnt be back then.
Based on their agreement, if he didnte back in two months, that meant their agreement was over.
Even God could not stop their rise to power? Cao Guangkai looked to the direction of the Fishbone and raised his eyebrows.
Not long ago, the Dark Reds division in Hang City brought information that the Merchant Alliance formed a partnership with the NAC in the areas of banking, merchant guild, and mercenary guild. Although NAC soldiers didnt step into Hang City, NAC already exported its influence into Hang.
The core of a merchant is currency. Whats a better way to control merchants than controlling the currency?
Cao Gunagkai lowered his head.
He needed to reconsider the future of Dark Red seriously.
The Sixth Street looked prosperous.
The crystal detectormon among the streets of the Sixth Street suddenly disappeared without a trace and was reced by EP transfer or bill payment. The Sixth Street also injected enough currency into the market in the form of a loan, and the council also signed on the proposal to reduce the tax on credit transactions to promote the use of credit in trades.
At first, people were skeptical about the currency. But with the passage of time, the exchange between credit and crystal began to appreciate. The initial 1:2 rose to what was 1:4 now. If it was not for NACs strict control on credit circting in the market, people were desperate to smash their slowly depreciating crystals onto the counter of the bank.
Because of NACs control of credit cirction, it resulted in the strong purchasing power of the credit. Continually printing currency would only turn the currency into useless papers. Right now, on the ck market, the exchange rate between crystals to credit climbed to an astounding 1:6.
On the other side, the establishment of the merchant guild provided merchant transaction ess to Suhang Province and to even further ces with information security. It also brought orders to the Sixth Street factories from beyond Wanghais territory.
The mercenary guild established a division in Hang City and gave the hunters that lost Wanghai as a hunting ground a new profession. They either became mercenaries or guards of merchant fleets in expanding the trade route from Hang City.
Jiang Chen was walking along the street in the Inner Circle with thepany of Chu Nan and the NAC soldiers, touring the ever-changing city.
There are a total of 174 mutant nests destroyed, and that ounts for 89% of the progress in capturing the west city center. The remaining 21 nests, because of higher risk ratings, no mercenary organization is willing to take on the mission alone.
Then leave it to the NAC soldiers, Jiang Chen was quite intrigued by the prosperous city as he said nonchntly.
On the other hand, the ve owners from Su City expressed their dissatisfaction with us. Because of the depreciation of crystals, it shrunk their assets by four times.
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
And their opinion is?
They want to trade for credit with us at a ratio of 1:2. Chu Nan chuckled.
Reject them. Make him speak with the factories in the Sixth Street, Jiang Chen scoffed and said out of annoyance.
Only Sixth Street factories needed crystals now. Although in principle the bank would provide channels for the factories to purchase crystals with credit, the Sixth Street official promoted purchasing crystals from private owners. And the fact was credit could purchase more crystals at the same price.
They wont ept the exchange ratio of 1:6. Their ambassador should be raging at the council and Zhao Chenwu. Do you need to see them?
No. Our people will conduct a military exercise in the no man zone between Wanghai and Su City, the Fireball-1 will be part of the exercise. Give them a ticket to the VIP seats, Jiang Chen said.
Chu Nan smiled and replied courteously.
I understand.
After they watch thevish fireworks, anyone who was still discontent would reevaluate their abilities.
The street was filled with the delicious smell of food. The entire food street was full of different selections. Even though it was just food being sold, this ce was the ce that made the most money in the Inner Circle other than the casino. Other than typical restaurants, Jiang Chen saw a noodle shop operated by robots and a BBQ shop operated by outsiders. With the steady increase of NACs food supply, the selection of food at the Sixth Street had much more varieties.
It was a scene that never could be seen a year ago.
Soilless farming of pre-war crops, cloning technology to grow non-mutated livestock, even the wealthy could only eat the original luxury goods a few times a year back then. Today, even the ordinary citizens of the Sixth Street, as long as they worked hard, coulde into the Inner Circle for avish experience.
At the end of the street was a colorful street.
But from the arousing signs and intimate colors, it didnt look like a ce of decency.
In the Sixth Street, brothels and casinos could operate legally. Even a council member in the Sixth Street, under the direction of Jiang Chen, ran thergest entertainmentplex in the Inner Circle. Since most of the survivors that lived here were all once violent bandits that lived on the edge, to these people, only exciting things could give them the feeling of being alive.
Of course, forced sex trade was strictly prohibited. The Sixth Street didnt prohibit ve trades, but any ve can enter into the jurisdiction of the Sixth Street, the ve trade was not taxed nor protected by the soldiers.
In the other hand, anyone who stepped into the Sixth Street by default was considered free. Their personal freedom was protected under the constitution.
Do you want to go take a look inside? I will keep this a secret. Chu Nan jokingly smiled and looked at Jiang Chen.
I will pass. Jiang Chen looked away at the girl who was winking at him.
He couldnt even feed the girls back at home, and he didnt have too much interest in these ordinary girls.
When the group passed by the red light district, they ended the days travel n ahead of schedule. Jiang Chen nned to head to the council building and audit the council work for this quarter, and announce the recruitment and military n for the next quarter.
In the end, Jiang Chen met with eight local merchants he invited to discuss partnership opportunities.
After taking a turn, the roadblock on the main street drew Jiang Chens attention. A few construction vehicles passed through the smooth concrete road and used drillers to leave equally spaced holes in the road. The construction workers in the back surrounded the holes to insert ck cylindrical poles.
What is that? Jiang Chen looked at the blocked road.
They are paving maglev track, a Hang merchant invested in the project. In exchange, we provided them with two years of exclusive sales rights to maglev vehicles as well as four years of tax-free sales. Chu Nan exined, Once the maglev track isplete, maglev cars could pass through.
The maglev track buried under the road had low resistance against explosions, so most of the tracks were demaized during the war. Now that the Sixth Street returned to stability with the economy skyrocketing and average personal ie steadily rising, the cunning merchants obviously began searching for opportunities.
[Maglev vehicles?]
[Finally, a feeling of the future.]
With the construction vehicles moving forward, a genuine smile emerged on Jiang Chens face.
The seed of civilization has been nted.
He was delighted to see that it has sprouted.
Chapter 495 - Mutant Pasture
Chapter 495: Mutant Pasture
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The group quickly returned to the council building.
With Chu Nans guidance, Jiang Chen came into the meeting room and sat at the head of the table.
Jiang Chen, Chu Nan, Zhao Gang, the ten council members, and fifteen industry representatives attended the meeting.
The meeting first started off with Chu Nan reporting the current work progress of the Sixth Street, and then Zhao Gang reported on the security of the city and the training progress of the Third Division. Following, Zhao Chenwu as the council representative summarized legitions that were passed in thest quarter and stats on Sixth Streets poption, production, and economy.
Reporting work was only a formality. The content was all handed to NAC logistics with the logistics head Wang Qin organizing the data into visuals and delivering them to Jiang Chen.
Although the dry content made Jiang Chen sleepy, he still pretended to be engaged. Since as the leader of the country, his attitude and authority was associated with the stability of the government system.
After the formal reporting ended, Jiang Chen coughed and picked up the hologramputer pen on the table and propped up the hologram screen. With the eyes in the room focused on him, he read the recruitment and military n for the next quarter.
The focus of next quarter was on building the economy. Now that the internal and external threats were all removed, NAC won a period of a stable growth to consolidate their victory in Wanghai and Jia City.
The 2,000 recruitment target and the security tax remained unchanged.
The council members and industry representatives looked relieved when they heard the two keywords. When the decisions to increase the number of military contracts and the firearm reserves were announced, the military industry representative was delighted by the news. With the situation around Wanghai stabilizing, it may be good news for the other industries, but it was negative news for the military industry.
They were already satisfied that NAC didnt decrease their order, but not only did they retained all existing orders, but they also increased their military spending which provided a positive boost to the military industry at the Sixth Street.
The reason why Jiang Chen introduced this decision was to make sure the militarypanies stayed alive and to adjust the Fishbone bases production.
In the future, the military nt at the Fishbone base would gradually transition to focus on more advanced technology. For example, thebustion rockets used by Fireball-1, other than the key module and boosters, other parts would be outsourced to the Sixth Street military factory to produce. Not only would it increase the production of the rockets, but it could also decrease production cost which mutually benefited both parties.
The meeting took two hours before it was finally over. Everyone left the room with a smile on their face. At this meeting, they all more or less got what they wanted to gain.
Are you not going to rest a bit? Chu Nan looked at Jiang Chen drinking tea and asked.
No need, I prefer to take care of everything all at once.
The quarterly meeting ended, and there was still a meeting with merchants to discuss their partnership with NAC. It was something that could be done by Wang Qin, but since Jiang Chen was at the Sixth Street, he decided to take care of it.
Then Ill arrange it. They are already in the waiting room, Chu Nan said courteously and left the conference room.
Dont make them wait too long.
A momentter, eight merchants followed Chu Nan into the conference room. They were mostly raw material suppliers in Wanghai with farms over 50 acreages in size. They were growing mutated fruits, tea, tobo, and a recently introduced sweet pea that could not be directly ingested, but it could be used to produce sugar like sugar cane.
Before they used to produce Carm tree sap, but because of the mass scale production at Shenxiang and due to the saturation of the Sixth Streets stic and rubber supply, they decreased the production in that area and became the industrial raw suppliers for NAC.
With the NAC food production ramping up, the demand of nutrient supply also took a big hit. With one of its ingredients mutated fruit decreasing in demand, the farm owners all suffered financially.
Right now around the conference table, the eight merchants anxious exchanged eye contact with each other as they were uncertain about what Jiang Chen was going to say.
I believe all of you should know that I n to discuss a partnership opportunity.
What kind of partnership? A merchant stood up and questioned somewhat tensely.
No need to stand up, this is only a casual meeting, just sit. Jiang Chen signaled him to sit down and then tapped his own shoulder gently. A hologram image appeared on the conference table, We are discussing an opportunity in livestock.
This is? Looking at the image on the table, the merchants had a variety of expressions.
Some were shocked, some were intrigued, and some were contempt
Without bothering with the expression on the merchants faces, Jiang Chen looked at the creature on the hologram simr to a wild boar and introduced,
Long Haired Pig, an artificially created mutant designed by my research institute through gic engineering.
Artificially created mutant? The expressions on the merchants faces were interesting.
The fur could be used to produce clothes, and meat is consumable. Most importantly, its brain could form crystals without the consequence of hostility. Jiang Chen smiled.
To Jiang Chens surprise, the merchants didnt look interested at all. Instead, they looked troubled.
Mutant as livestock? We attempted this before, but the higher amount of crystals contained in the mutants, the higher the food they ingested. And right now, crystals are not worth the money. If it is just about producing meat, the doubled-headed cows raised are more than enough.
Whats the meat qualitypared to the mutated cow, a merchant rushed to ask a more critical question.
The Double-headed Cows meat texture was terrible and tasted like chewing on sand. But to the typical people that could not afford fresh meat, the meat of the double-head cow was not a bad choice.
Jiang Chen waited for the merchants to bring up their questions and put up three fingers.
I will summarize your questions with three points.
First, the Long Haired Pig is easy to raise. The feed mostly consists of mutated fruits, as well as an appropriate amount of catalyst.
Second, there is no need to worry about crystal output. A three-month growth cycle with a single pig producing 70-80 crystals.
Third, although the meat quality is notparable to the pre-war livestock raised by NAC,pared to the mutated cow, it is much better.
When Jiang Chen said these four sentences, only fervor was left on the faces of the merchants.
Could be fed with mutated fruits.
To the farm owners on the brink of bankruptcy, the only thing they didntck was mutated fruits!
Chapter 496 - No matter how difficult it is, we have to do it
Chapter 496: No matter how difficult it is, we have to do it
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The construction of the mutant farm would be operated by the merchants themselves; the NAC would only be responsible for providing the piglets. The profit would be a three-seven split with NAC taking 30% in the form of a patent fee.
Some clever merchants wanted to purchase the piglets at a high cost and buy the patent from NAC, but Jiang Chen rejected the proposal with a smile. Turning profits was only part of it with the priority being that NAC had to control the level of crystals produced. And these piglets must only be strictly raised in NAC territories without leaving the city. If any evidence of a leak was been discovered, NAC would terminate the partnership and issue a hefty fine.
After an agreement was reached, the eight merchants left the conference room with excitement. The partnership agreement Jiang Chen proposed without a doubt dragged them from the brinks of bankruptcy, so they had no reason to reject.
And they were even more surprised that Jiang Chen was willing to share such a big piece of the pie with them. Because of NACs power, they easily had the ability to build their own farm.
Jiang Chen made the choice with careful consideration. With NACs financial capabilities, they didnt need to bother with small profits. All in all, NAC printed the currency, so did he need to care about the profit of a few farms?
Compared to being a millionaire in the slums, Jiang Chen would much rather be a king among the rich. Other than the food trade and advanced military market controlled by the NAC military government, he had ns to contract out all non-core profit to privatepanies. This was because regarding expansion to new markets, private individuals had more energypared to officials. As to the reason, history certainly had many lessons.
He finally took care of everything on Sixth Street. Jiang Chen said goodbye to Chu Nan and thanked him for the arrangements at Sixth Street before he boarded a helicopter to return to Fishbone base before Dusk.
It was almostte October already and Ayeshas mission was almost done. On the other hand, the Rothschild family invited him to Europe to attend a car exhibition. Since Jiang Chen had a friendly rtionship with Carmen, he obviously wouldnt decline this opportunity.
The apocalypse was on the right track.
Compared to dealing with threats in the far future, development ns had to shift toward the modern world now.
When the helicopternded, Jiang Chen noticed through the window that Jiang Lin was waiting beside the helicopter pad.
When Jiang Chen came out, he immediately walked up.
What do you need? Jiang Chen looked at him with surprise.
Its about that warp drive paper. Jiang Lin took a deep breath and said briskly.
Is there any progress?
How is that possible? Jiang Lin shook his head with a bitter smile. After reading it through, it gave me and the research institute a lot of inspiration. Can I know who wrote the paper? If possible, please take me to see him.
Thats not possible. The scientist who wrote the paper already boarded the colonization ship.
Still digesting that fact, Jiang Lin let out a sigh. Just as I thought.
Anything else? Jiang Chen asked.
Yes, its about research priorities, Jiang Chen said with seriousness. Although this research paper provided us with a new, clear research path, its still extremely difficult to make the warp engine into a reality. In other words, its almost impossible considering the current conditions
The priority is the same as other research projects - regardless how hard it is and even if it takes ten or twenty years. Jiang Chen stared into Jiang Lins eyes. This has to do with the life of a lot of people.
Dazed by Jiang Chens solemn tone, Jiang Lin held his breath.
Momentster, his voice trembled.
Who?
A lot of people. Jiang Chen didnt tell him who but only gave him this ambiguous answer before leaving.
To be honest, with his current abilities, if the modern world was matched up against the Harmony, he would have no odds of winning at all. With the Sailor Bug that could interster travel as well as the weapons in their possession, he couldnt think of any way they could win.
But if this side could design the theoretically-possible warp drive that could achieve the speed of light, then his odds of winning would increase.
Although the danger could be foreseen, Jiang Chen still had some time left. The distance of 20.5 light years meant it would take Natural Selection a hundred years to reach Earth.
But even then, their time was still limited. Although it was superficial to value a civilizations power with history in time, they were still monsters who traveled thousands of years in time.
And a monster with invasion written in its gic code.
It was strictly impossible to tell the world that aliens were on a path to invasion. Disregarding the possibility of current technology observing Natural Selection light years away, even if he did convince people in the modern world, it would just create unnecessary fear.
How would he get the countries around the world on board? How could he make the Earth civilizations possess the power to fight Natural Selection? There were still many problems that Jiang Chen had to solve.
Development had to be done step by step, but the steps had to be elerated.
When he returned to the mansion, after having dinner with the girls, he went into the bedroom with Sun Jiao.
Jiang Chen had already told them his date of returning to the modern world. After his return from the Sixth Street, he took care of everything he needed to.
Sun Jiao remembered he was leaving, so she was particrly passionate during their night of intimacy as if she wanted to stuff Jiang Chen into her body and fuse their bodies into one
It was a long night.
The next morning, Jiang Chen stood by the bed and stared at the audacious but beautiful face.
Without any parting words, he kissed her on the cheek.
Gently covering her body with the covers, he returned to his own bedroom and disappeared from the mansion.
When he opened his eyes again, the scenery was different and the world was colored with vibrancy.
Staring at the elegant chandelier on the ceiling, Jiang Chenid on the bed for a while before he switched his thought process from the apocalypse to the modern world.
The first thing he did was check his phone. Without Ayesha being amunicator, it was hard for him to receive messages from the modern world. But as soon as he opened his phone, hundreds of missed calls filled his screen.
And the missed calls belonged to the same name.
Jiang Chen pressed his screen a few times and immediately called her back.
The phone only rang for a second before it went through. He couldnt even open his mouth before he heard an anxious voice.
Where are you now? Hello? Are you okay on that side?
Jiang Chen listened to her concerned questions as he was dumbfounded.
I Im okay. Uhh, Im in Xin of course.
After confirming Jiang Chens safety, Xia Shiyu sounded relieved. But when she realized Jiang Chen was okay and she worried over nothing for one week, her voice carried a hint of me.
As the president, its better for you to not suddenly disappear. Youre in Xin. If you disappeared, I wouldnt even know which phone number to tell the police.
Ahem, dont worry, nothing will happen. But because of my job demands, I have to asionally go to an area without signal. A random ind in the ocean. Jiang Chen made up a story.
Xia Shiyu took a deep breath and didntpletely believe Jiang Chens exnation, but she still epted it.
Lets not talk about this and get to business.
Mhmm, Im listening. Jiang Chen held the phone with one hand while he used the other to change into a new pair of pants.
Thepany recently received a lot of invitations. Aside from private functions, there are some official invites.
For example? he asked nonchntly.
The Xiangjiang Government as well as Hans invitation.
[Finally here?]
Jiang Chen smiled.
[With era-defining technology, someone finally felt pained.
Chapter 497 - Two Good News
Chapter 497: Two Good News
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Arrange a time. Try to set the schedule around mid-November. By then, hmm Ill visit Hua with the Xin president as a member of the outstanding businessmen.
As for the Xin president visiting Hua, he just said it nonchntly. If he told Zhang Yapin, he would immediately prepare for a friendly visit. With the currently friendly rtionship between Hua and Xin, the always-nice Hua had no reason to reject, especially if the oue of a visit would be mutually beneficial to both parties.
Does Xin have this arrangement? Xia Shiyu asked with skepticism.
Of course. Because Im an outstanding businessman, I received some information beforehand. Jiang Chen made up a random excuse.
Okay, Ill reply. Xia Shiyu nodded.
Is there anything else?
Of course. I have two pieces of good news. Which one do you want to hear first? Xia Shiyu giggled.
Two pieces of good news? Of course I want to listen to the better newsst. Jiang Chen was intrigued.
Even Xia Shiyu, who didnt like tough, was joking - the good news must be fantastic.
Its about the virtual reality experience store - all 1.44 million virtual reality helmets have entered the market. The yers were highly attracted by the virtual reality experience project and created a profit of 500 million USD. Almost all our partner inte cafs requested additional Phantoms.
With the unit price at 1500 USD and sales of 1.44 million, a profit of 1000 USD was equivalent to 1.44 billion in profit. And the virtual reality experience project created a profit of 500 million in just one months time.
Of course, the reason they could make so much money was because of the magical experience offered by the helmet and peoples curiosity. Even now, a lot of people still waited in line to experience the virtual reality helmet. But after some time, once the Phantom was officially released, the virtual reality experience hype would gradually cool off.
And the majority of Future Technologys revenue wouldnt be from the one-time gain of selling the helmet nor from the virtual reality experience project but the actual operations of virtual reality
Whats the second piece of good news? Jiang Chenughed.
You dont sound shocked?
I can imagine how crazy people can get for immersive virtual reality technology.
Xia Shiyu smiled as she listened to Jiang Chens confidence and continued.
The second good news is that the 2 million Phantom helmets we released for pre-order have all been sold out with a profit of 1 billion USD. All the pre-ordered helmets were sold out within one minute. A lot of users leftments on our forum hoping we could increase the number of units avable for preorder.
Sold out in one minute? It looks like the market is hungry enough. Jiang Chen smiled.
Everything is just waiting for the final push. Hows the production rate of the helmet? Xia Shiyu asked.
20 million units of Phantom helmets shouldve beenpleted; Ill add a few more finished production lines in a bit and the goal to produce 20 million helmets will be exceeded, Jiang Chen said proudly.
Jiang Chen was obviously very assured with Xia Shiyu handling the operations and marketing. He only asked a few things about the operation of thepany before hanging up.
He stuffed his phone into his pocket before leaving his bedroom to go to the garage.
It was October 20th and the 80 days of training werepleted. Based on the agreement between Jiang Chen and Ayesha, he would personally pick her up once training ended.
To be honest, Jiang Chen missed her quite dearly after so long.
The vessel that carried supplies to the ind didnt bring any supplies this time. Its mission was to bring back the trainees on the ind.
Right now, the 110 agents were standing on the beach waiting for theirst examination. Watching the outline of the vessel on the horizon, everyone had genuine excitement on their faces.
The training was finally over and the rookie agents managed to make it out alive. Because of this, theypleted the transformation from a rookie to a qualified agent and warrior.
Ayesha not only taught them how to disguise themselves and collect information, but she also taught them everything she knew aboutbat including sniping, calling airstrikes and even individualbat, which were all part of their daily training requirements. The virtual training and live ammunition training were conducted simultaneously to engrave this information deep down into their bones like instincts.
80 days ago, they were just a bunch of girls, but now, 110 fully trained agents stood there. With the assistance of carbon Nano bulletproof vests, gic vines, Ghost Sniper Rifles, Type-11 Pistols, heat sensor grenades, digitalized contacts and injected chips, thebat abilities of any one of them couldpare to a fully equipped, six-man special force team.
Once Fallout Shelter 027 could produce optical camouge and Gauss Rifles, theirbat abilities could easily steamroll an entire squadron.
When he arrived on the ind, Jiang Chen resisted the urge to kiss Ayesha. He stood in front of the 110 agents in formation. In front of their reserved but determined eyes, he was pleased.
He paused and spoke in a loud voice.
Congrattions, you all passed the test. I see 110 agents and 110 warriors here. Im happy.
In 80 days time, I trust Ayesha already taught you what you need to know and what you should know. Jiang Chen smiled at Ayesha then looked back at the 110 agents. I will only emphasize two words here: loyalty and bravery. I wont waste time on anything else.
Your work in the future will not be easier than your experience the past 80 days. Or rather, the difficult training you went through is nothingpared to what you will face in the future. Your work may be staying in Xin to conduct safe counterintelligence work, or you could be sent all over the world to execute the most dangerous missions and even take on the elites from the CIB or KGB. But I promise you will be able to easily take them on. And as your boss, I will make all of you believe that your effort is well worth it.
Jiang Chen signaled the row of soldiers by the side and they opened the ten briefcases filled with cash.
ncing at the green paper bills, even the strongest-willed agents held their breath. Each briefcase contained at least one million in cash and there were ten of them.
On the entire beach, the only people who were unaffected by the scene was Jiang Chen, who didntck money, and Ayesha, who wasnt interested in money. Even the six female assistant trainers gulped at this sight.
Jiang Chen was pleased to see the expressions on the agents faces.
The money is all yours. You can spend it however you want.
Everyone is rewarded with 100 thousand USD and 10 days of vacation. This is not your pay - it is just a small bonus to you for passing the training.
At the same time, I want you to know that youre serving the richest man on the. So I hope you wont be foolish enough to be bought by some paper bills. You wont be let down materially. But to match that, I want you to feel a sense of purpose and belonging.
Ghost Agents, this is your name.
I want all of you to be proud of this name. Our enemies will fear this name.
Chapter 498 - Examining Ghost Agents
Chapter 498: Examining Ghost Agents
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
With the crisp apuse, the ten-minute examination was over. When Zhu Yu walked toward the briefcases full of cash, Zhu Yu felt like this was all so surreal.
The Celestial Trade employees responsible for distributing the cash gave back the agents luggage so they could store their stacks of cash. Zhu Yu looked at her stuffed backpack then back at the door to the cabin. She felt an inexplicable feeling.
The moment she boarded the ne to the ind, she dreamed of living avish but exciting life like 007, but when she was forced to step onto the vessel to the training base, the reality destroyed her hopes for a perfect life.
But now with a bag full of cash and an opportunity to board the vessel back to civilized society, she felt empty.
Whatre you thinking about? The blonde girl named Penny stopped beside her and put her hand on her friends shoulder.
I dont know. Zhu Yu shook her head as her serene face was filled with confusion. Although at the beginning, I felt pain and despair in my hellish days as I waited for the day I could leave now that the day is finally here, I just feel empty inside.
Congrattions, you graduated, Penny said optimistically.
Zhu Yu looked at her friend, puzzled.
Penny shrugged and replied, When I was in university, our state mandated military training. At the end of the training, thats what our trainer told us.
Is that so? A relieved smile appeared on Zhu Yus face.
Pennyughed and smacked her friends shoulder yfully. Dont think too much. Its not good for a girl to be too shy. You can be mncholic when youre old, but now you should think about how youre going to spend the money.
Penny patted her backpack with a grin.
Youre right. Ill send some money to my family first or Ill just move my family here. Since I didnt say anything when I left, they must be worried, Zhu Yu said.
You eastern people are so problematic - my mom kicked me out when I was 18. Penny looked speechlessly at her friend.
Aside from these two, the agents all chatted with the friends they made during training. They discussed how they would spend the money and where they would go for their ten-day vacation. Theyout of the vessel was different than when they first came - the spacious cabin was filled with delicious food and champagne in a party atmosphere.
Just like a graduation ceremony.
Once all the agents boarded, Jiang Chen smiled at the female trainers standing dumbfounded.
What are you guys waiting for? Theres a share belonging to you too.
As they snapped back to reality, the six trainers walked over in excitement while suppressing their ecstatic moods to ept the 100 thousand that belonged to them.
After everyone boarded, Jiang Chen signaled the vessel to take everyone to New Moon Ind. Once they were on New Moon Ind, the Xin National Security Department wouldplete the paperwork for them, assign equipment, and arrange positions.
The busy 80-day training period had ended and the small ind finally returned to peace.
Jiang Chen gazed at the girl he hadnt seen for a long time and she was gazing at him too. Her dark brown hair reflected an intoxicating brightness under the dusk sunlight. Her camouge shirt outlined her gorgeous figure.
Her blue pupils were the most irresistible; they seemed to be speaking - showing him her passion and gentleness.
Without any words, Jiang Chen walked up to hug her. She gave a light shout when he pushed her onto the training ground sandpit.
Ayesha felt the cold mixture of sand and seawater as well as the pressure on her chest. Ayesha timidly nced at the podium she used to stand on when she conducted training and whispered:
No, not here.
She watched the agents crawl through every day, but she didnt think she would fall here one day.
Dont you think this is exciting? The ce where you trained them with authority. Jiang Chen bit Ayeshas ear with a smirk.
With her face blushing and no one left on the ind, Ayesha began to lose their willpower as she mumbled:
Im not authoritative at all and the vessel left, how are we going to go back?
I arranged a helicopter. Jiang Chen blew into her delicate ear. It will be here tomorrow morning.
But its too dirty here Ayesha anxiously looked at the mud on her shoulder.
Dont worry, Ill wash it off for you. There are bathrooms in the hotel on the ind.
Jiang Chen could no longer resist staring at her shirt damp with seawater along with her messy hair.
Without giving any more opportunities for Ayesha to resist, Jiang Chen kissed her.
The next morning, the helicopter arrived and stopped on the helipad on top of the hotel.
When they boarded the helicopter, Ayesha looked and reminisced about the ind disappearing in the distance. Jiang Chen, who noticed her gaze, gently squeezed her small hand and smiled. Dont want to leave?
Im just feeling nostalgic. A smile appeared on Ayeshas lips. Those children, although they were very resistant in the beginning, they gradually matured after a lot of things happened during training. They are now much more reliablepared to 80 days ago.
[Children? A lot of them are older than you.]
Jiang Chen focused on Ayeshas side profile as he mocked her only in his mind, not wishing to ruin the mood.
Will this ce be deserted in the future?
It will be the training base for future Ghost Agents, but the training will be done by current agents, your students. Jiang Chen rubbed her soft and puffy hair. I dont want you to leave for too long.
A stunning curvature appeared on her cold face as Ayesha rested her head on Jiang Chens shoulder. She began to draw on Jiang Chens leg with her finger.
What are you writing? Jiang Chen hugged her thin shoulder.
A spell, Ayesha whispered.
Can I know what kind of spell? Miss Witch. Jiang Chen joked.
I will gift you my soul so I can stay with you through eternity the spell from my hometown.
At her heartfelt words, Jiang Chen leaned down and pecked her pale forehead.
Thank you, this is the most beautiful gift Ive ever received.
Ayesha timidly buried her face into Jiang Chens shoulder and happily closed her eyes. Her longing for him had been fulfilled bit by bit.
In the rays of the morning sun, the outline of the helicopter disappeared into the horizon.
Chapter 499 - Modified Lamborghini
Chapter 499: Modified Lamborghini
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
With the training of the Ghost Agentspleted, the Xin national security department finally became a functional force. While training, Ayesha carefully documented each agents talent and personality before providing a detailed summary. People with strong organizational abilities were promoted to a management role, people with strong intelligence were sent to counterintelligence or personal security roles and people with strong executive abilities went abroad for intelligence collection
The 110 agents formed a massive that covered every corner of Xin and expanded its tentacle-like reach to the outside world. They were just like 110 pairs of eyes that monitored theings and goings of every corner of Xin.
When they returned to Coro Ind from the training ind, it was almost 11. Ayesha dropped off her luggage in the living room before she ran to the kitchen. Water began to run. By the sound of it, Jiang Chen knew she was cleaning the dusty kitchenware.
Since Ayesha left, Jiang Chen hadnt cooked at home. He either went out to eat or traveled to the apocalypse. Hence the kitchen waspletely deserted.
Momentster, the fan was turned on before he heard the sound of vegetables being chopped. Jiang Chen watched the figure moving back and forth behind the frosted ss before a genuine smile appeared on his face.
[How should I describe the feeling?]
[Absence makes the heart grow fonder?]
Although Ayesha always seemed like a newlywed wife.
After not having Ayeshas cooking for so long, when he ate her delicious food again, Jiang Chen almost ate his tongue.
Ayeshas cooking style waspletely different from Yao Yaos. Due to the cold of the apocalypse, Yao Yao favored stews and hotpots more. But Ayeshas style was a fusion between the east and west. For example, she chopped pepped steak into strips to fry them with peppers. But regardless of her style, there was no doubt her food was delicious!
If it wasnt for the fact that he injected the gic vine with a digestive and had higher metabolism than typical people, he would be afraid hed get a food-baby from eating so much food.
With her arms on the table while gazing at her love feasting on her cooked food, a joyful smile appeared on Ayeshas face.
Arent you hungry? Jiang Chen noticed Ayesha hadnt even touched her chopsticks yet as he asked curiously.
Ayesha blinked her blue eyes.
Mhmm I feel like I havent seen you for a while. I want to look at you more.
After lunch, Jiang Chen helped Ayesha clean up the dishes and stuffed them into the dishwasher. He also put the clothes from yesterday into the washer and they picked up cleaning equipment topletely clean the mansion covered in dust.
Although Ayesha insisted she would do it herself, Jiang Chen still picked up a broom to help. It would be too embarrassing if she cleaned the whole mansion herself while he didnt do any chores.
Especially since there was much inexplicable fun to be had with chores when doing them with the person you loved.
When the housework was done, it would be time to clean the person.
Thus, Jiang Chen picked up Ayesha and carried the blushing woman into the washroom.
The shower ran for two hours straight before it finally stopped.
Jiang Chen rxed the whole day.
The next morning, Jiang Chen nned to visit Zhang Yapin in the presidential pce. Yesterday afternoon, he already made an appointment and President Zhang Yapin specifically rescheduled a few meetings so he could meet him for the entire morning.
Jiang Chen took Ayesha to the garage and handed her the brand new car keys.
Lets get familiarized with our new car.
Ayesha looked at the Lamborghini quite puzzled.
Is it different from the previous one?
Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously.
There are too many differences; youll see once you get in.
Ayesha, with a skeptical look, put her hand on the front engine cover and gently tapped it. Instantly, her expression became surprised.
The exterior of the car waspletely reced with super-stic steel and repainted. The car windows were reced with organic bulletproof ss thats capable of blocking anti-armor sniper rifle.s Aside from the car being slightly heavier by a few kilograms, the defense of this Lamborghini isparable to an armored vehicle. Jiang Chen walked beside Ayesha as he exined the car to her.
Is is this the technology from that side? Ayesha ran her hand along the surface and murmured.
Yes. Aside from all that, theres a button below the steering wheel that canunch heat sensor grenades from the spare exhaust. Targets can be locked onto from the screen.
Although it was the technology from the apocalypse, it didnt require too much expertise. They only built an exterior based on the specifications and added a grenadeuncher. A lot of wealthy people before the war were keen to collect heavily-taxed diesel vehicles. So when Jiang Chen took out the odd-looking Lamborghini from the Sixth Street repair shop, they didnt look surprised at all.
The entire modification process took only 500 credits, which was well worth the money. If it wasnt for the fact that the trunk was in the front, thus creating ack of space, Jang Chen wouldve installed two Python rocketunchers on it.
Just as Natasha reminded him, since he was in a position of power, it was better for him to be cautious about his own safety. Jiang Chen wouldnt permit anything that happened on Coro Ind to happen again.
Ayesha sat in the highly modified Lamborghini and tested the handling with a spin outside the garage then she stopped the car right in front of Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen leaned on the passenger seat, put on his seat belt, and Ayesha started the car again.
From Jiang Chens experience as a passenger, aside from the vehicle being more stablepared to before, there was nothing else too different.
They arrived at the garage of the presidential pce. With the guidance of the employees, Jiang Chen stepped into Zhang Yapins office.
Zhang Yapin stood up when he saw Jiang Chen to greet him.
What do you want to drink?
Thank you, coffee is fine. Jiang Chen smiled and sat across from Zhang Yapin.
The honor of the president personally making coffee for him was something only he could enjoy. But it wasnt without reason since Jiang Chens Future Group and Celestial Trade directly provided 10000 job to Xin and indirectly facilitated at least 40000 employment positions. While therge number of foreigners raised the cost of living in the short term, it also made the locals wealthy.
Just thinking about the prosperous industries at Ange Ind and the tourism growing by the day on the other eight inds, the president just couldnt stop smiling.
How have you been? Jiang Chen took a sip of his coffee.
Busy but it feels pretty good. Because of Moros independence movement, Country F can no longer be self-sustaining. Australia ns to increase trade with us, but we still have a small disagreement regarding the tariffs. Their people and our people have been in nonstop debate for the past few days, but its under friendly terms. With his fingers crossed on his knee, Zhang Yapin said pleasantly, So, the question we are discussing today is?
Jiang Chen put down his coffee and said two words.
Visiting Hua.
Visiting Hua? Zhang Yapin raised his eyebrows. But with the F civil war continuing to escte, being too close to Hua could make UA suspicious.
Then well visit them together.
With December approaching, whether it was for the smoothunch of virtual reality helmets or the full expansion of Xins tourism industry, an official diplomatic visit was necessary. And as a representative of Xins corporations, Jiang Chen would be present.
Chapter 500 - The Meeting in the Presidential Palace
Chapter 500: The Meeting in the Presidential Pce
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Visit at the same time? Whats the order then?
Based on the distance, well visit Hua first then UA. The timing will be at the end of the year. Ill go with you, Jiang Chen said.
The end of December, after the UA election? Zhang Yapin touched his chin.
Thats right. Jiang Chen nodded.
It should be feasible. Once the election ends and the UA governmentpletes its transition, well request a visit. Considering the time it takes to reply lets set the date to December 25th? Zhang Yapin proposed.
Okay. Jiang Chen nodded.
Whats the topic of discussion? Zhang Yapin continued.
Of course its about trade and discussion since maintaining absolute neutrality is one of our fundamental principles. You should be more familiar with the diplomatic rhetoric than me.
Okay Ill request my assistant to set up the schedule as well as the list of apanying personnel. Zhang Yapin nodded.
Thank you.
No problem. With the current economic growth of Xin, we do need to establish a friendly diplomatic rtionship with the superpowers. Our original n was to conduct diplomatic visits earlier next year, so were only ahead of schedule by a month, Zhang Yapin said while taking a drink of his coffee.
The Xin economy was transiting from a primal farming economy to a tourism economy with light support from industry. At the same time, Future Minings deep-water mining technology shippedrge amounts of excessive molybdenum to the global market. The Xin domestic market alone obviously couldnt consume these resources and it would require the president to act as sales to take a bunch of businessmen to search for business opportunities.
And based on the desire to win over support and export influence, the superpowers wouldnt let the small countries leave empty-handed.
Is that all? Zhang Yapin put down his cup and crossed his fingers again.
Theres one other thing. Jiang Chen paused and looked at him. I need tounch satellites.
Launch satellites? Because this was mentioned so spontaneously, Zhang Yapin took a moment to process it.
Thats right. I n to build a space center on an empty ind near the equator for the purpose of research, rocketunches and weather observation, Jiang Chen said with seriousness.
Are you not going to consider renting the rocket? For example, Russia seems to be an expert in that area, and you have a pretty good rtionship with them, Zhang Yapin suggested.
Renting the rocket isnt a long-term solution. I dont want Celestial Trades satellites to be dependent on someone else. And based on the consideration of national security, Xin must possess the ability tounch satellites independently, especially since we are close to the equator with a unique geographical advantage. If we dont utilize like it, were wasting a God-given opportunity.
Butunching satellites isnt as simple as you think. Zhang Yapin let out a sigh and began to exin to Jiang Chen the difficulties involved.
First, following tradition, the n tounch a satellite must be reported to the Internationalmercial Aerospace Organization, the Internal Maritime Organization, and the International Telmunication Union.
Secondly, since Pannu eded to the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, which aremonly referred to as the Outer Space Treaties, Pannu has the obligation to inform the United Nations on spaceunch activities. Although the regime has changed, the new countries inherited the former Pannu regime of the United Nations seats, so we inherited the treaty by principle.
Just reporting? Then get your assistant to write a few documents, Jiang Chen said.
Its not that simple - all kinds of international organizations wille to investigate ourunch status to confirm wereunching a satellite and ICBM. And we can be certain that country F will protest against ourunch n and use all forms of political means to disrupt ourunch n in the name of national security. Zhang Yapin shook his head.
A sneer appeared on Jiang Chens face.
Theres no need to worry. They dont even have the ability to take care of themselves; they wont have the energy to focus on ourunch n. Ill submit thepleteunch n to you in three days. Wereunchingmercial telmunication satellites that are in ordance with internationalw. As for the international tourist groups, they can feel free to visit.
With Jiang Chens mind made up, Zhang Yapin let out a sigh.
Okay, if you insist. But allow me to be tant; does Celestial Trade have the ability tounch satellites? Its not as simple as lighting fireworks.
You dont have to worry about that; Ill take care of it.
[We cant do it today but that doesnt mean we cant do it tomorrow.]
With so many private aerospacepanies on the verge of bankruptcy, he only needed to spend money to buy the equipment and manpower. Hed leave the restricted equipment there and he didnt want the outdated stuff anyways. He only needed a group of experts responsible for theunch and equipment maintenance.
Hed bring the rockets and satellites from the apocalypse and familiarize the experts with the equipment operational menu. The real Aerospace Technology Research Institute wasnt in the modern world; they were only in the apocalypse.
Launch rockets had great strategic and economic significance; space rockets were the prerequisite of the intercontinental missile and so were not worth mentioning. Any country with the ability tounch space rockets had the capability to strike globally. And this ability would be a deterrent to other countries.
As for the economics, from establishing a wireless power grid to the construction of the space elevator to the development of moon resources, all depended on the most fundamental technology of rocketunching.
Jiang Chen hoped the experts in the modern world could gradually digest the space technology from the apocalypse. Since he was not a scientist himself, although he could easily transport materials from the other world, the digestion of the future technology depended on the scientists of the modern world.
[Talent reserve must be started as early as possible - its a long-term investment.]
Jiang Chen finished his coffee before departing.
When Jiang Chen opened the door, the senior advisor in a suit was about to enter. Jiang Chen smiled at the tall man and passed him.
The advisors eyes stopped on Jiang Chens back for a moment as his forced smile disappeared and he stepped into the presidents office.
Mr. President, is this really appropriate?
What are you referring to? My senior advisor. Zhang Yapin put the coffee cups down again and smiled.
Allow me to be honest. From what I see, youre not the person sitting in the presidents seat. That man is. Zhong Wei took a deep breath and said with honesty.
Whats wrong with that? 80% of the tax revenue of Xin is either directly or indirectly rted to his Future Group. This years GDP increase is expected to exceed 100%. This is a first in history, Zhang Yapin said nonchntly.
But an oligopoly is extremely dangerous. In dire times, they could potentially overthrow Zhong Wei spoke with his voice slightly raised.
Mr. Zhong Wei, you know this country was overthrown by them before. Zhang Yapin looked at Zhongwei emotionlessly.
In an instant, the president he was so familiar with gave him a distant feeling.
And its me whos the president, Mr. Zhong Wei. If I continue to work like this, its always going to be me.
And from what you saw,pared to one year ago, did our citizens quality-of-life improve or worsen?
It certainly improved a lot.
Although Zhong Wei disagreed with Jiang Chen ordering the president around like a puppet, he had to admit that it was because of Jiang Chensrge investment that Pannu Inds economy woke up. From building apartments to improving citizens living environments to investing in infrastructure development, Celestial Trade didnt do anything that harmed Xins interests, but their good deeds couldnt be counted with the fingers on both hands.
Then thats enough. Zhang Yapin smiled.
But
Zhong Wei still wanted to say something, but Zhang Yapin interrupted him.
Mr. Zhong Wei. The reason why I hired you as a senior advisor is because of your economic doctoral degree from Harvard as well as your excellent ability in international rtions and trade. I didnt hire you because ofical political awareness and boring ambition. This isnt the Rainbow Mansion, this is the Xin Presidential Pce. Do you understand what I mean?
After a long while, Zhong Wei nodded his head with great difficulty.
I understand.
So some things cant be mentioned again in the future, understand?
I understand.
Chapter 501 - CIB’s Reaction
Chapter 501: CIBs Reaction
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
CIB headquarters.
In the spacious directors office, a Caucasian male sunk into his chair while staring at the document in hand.
An aerospace project? What is Future Group nning? Ohm gazed at the documents and eximed.
Due to the catastrophic error made by the CIB in thest Hua mission, the former CIB director couldnt withstand the criticism from the public and resigned. Ohm finally got the opportunity to step up. Although due to various reasons, the current government adjusted the strategy against Future Group, the name Jiang Chen had been on the list of top priority targets.
From the copse of the former Pannu regime to the fishing boat incident, and now the popr immersive virtual reality technology, as well as the deepwater mining technology that sparked conversations in the mining industry the series of events were all rted to that man. And intelligence indicated that Jiang Chen was behind the civil war in Country F, but without any evidence, the CIB couldnt do anything.
Instincts told Ohm that the guy is dangerous. Not because his existence endangered the national interest of UA, but his ability to create miracles. Because he had too many mysteries surrounding him, it made him remember a restricted document that existed for a long time
This is unclear, but the only thing we can be certain of is that they spent 5 billion purchasing two private aerospace technologypanies on the brink of bankruptcy and restructured the twopanies so that they are part of Celestial Trades aerospace department. They also nned to move their assets to Xin, The agent stood beside Ohm reported calmly.
What about customs? Ohms eyes didnt leave the document.
11 equipment out of the twopanies assets were prohibited from being exported, but they didnt go through customs and sold the equipment at a discount to SpaceX. They dont seem to want the equipment, but the experts.
Ohm burst outughing.
Oh? Do they think that by just getting a bunch of graduates from MIT, they could make a rocket appear from nothing?
Without the production capability, it would be impossible even to produce a screw on the rocket. It was not something that a few scientists could solve, the more advanced the technology, the higher the demand for the industrial foundation.
And to establish the foundation, it would require twenty to thirty years time.
We dont know, just like we dont know where they obtained that deep water mining equipment. The agent shrugged.
Ohm was silent.
Although he was not a technical expert, as someone with a science background, he knew a bit about the difficulty in deep water mining. The first problem was the material strength as materials rarely could withstand water pressure 7000 meters below the surface, let alone withstand that pressure to mine.
Virtual reality, deep water mining, and now they nned to enter aerospace. They seemed to be developing every field at the frontier of innovation without concern for cost. Frontier meant high risk, but it also meant high returns.
The shareholders of Future Group wereplete gamblers, and gamblers unafraid of being all in. This was amon agreement among the investors on Wall Street.
Is there a way to investigate where they obtained their technology? Ohm asked.
I have been arranging for people to do this without much sess. The agent had a wry expression on his face. Currently we could only deduce that they have a hidden research institute, it could be underground, or disguised as another organization in Xin. Needless to say, while their intelligence work is somewhat careless, their confidentiality is wless. Could I request for additional personnel in Xin?
Very difficult. Ohm shook his head, There are too many ces that need people. Future Group is interesting, but it is a private corporation. Although some people from Congress are interested in their technology, the Capitol wants to win over Xin, and they instructed us to be restrained.
Is the President not interested? The agent asked.
Lets say this. The energy giants are the ones providing the president with election funds, not the publicpanies on NASDAQ. Ohm said emotionlessly, Our works focus is still in the Middle East and East Europe. As to the interesting stuff, as long as it is not weapons of mass destruction, it is better to leave it to the businessmen to think for themselves.
Typically speaking, the CIB with an undisclosed budget didnt need to listen to the president too much. Their long rival FBA was the one loyal to the Capitol. But because of being tricked by the General Staff Department in Hua, CIB no longer had confidence in front of the Congress or the Capitol.
The reason why the former director retired early was that he didnt gain support in either Congress or Capitol. The rushed mission almost dragged the government into another diplomatic mud hole. Fortunately, Hua didnt protest on this incident or UA would be in the middle of another massive scandal.
Although Congress had no right to ask for the budget breakdown of the CIB, they did possess the power to cut the budget, and they were doing that already. Even if Ohm didnt want to lean toward the president, he had topromise because of the budget.
Okay, the damned politics But I want to say, Xin currently established the national security department and our work may be influenced. If we cannot receive support, I cant promise that there will be stable intelligence in the future. The agent sighed and shrugged without any other solutions.
Then pretend and keep an eye on theirunch project I dont care about Future Group, but our little white rat seems to be disobedient recently, Ohm said.
The Willie Society? The agent guessed.
Thats right. Intelligence indicated that they received donations from an unknown source and they are no longer satisfied with the small ce they are in as they have begun to reach out to our little friends in Europe. Another intelligence stated that they had contacted Jiang Chen to some extent, Ohm picked up another file and said without emotion.
Youre saying there is a connection between Jiang Chen and the Willie Society.
No, they dont have amon interest, no if you force it, there is something. Ohm frowned as he mumbled while biting his thumb.
A word suddenly surfaced in his head.
[The Golden Apple]
To be honest, until the Soviet copse, collecting intelligence on the Golden Apple had been the job of the CIB. But followed by the conclusion of the cold war, the work was put aside due to theck of information.
[But does that thing really exist? The tool that canmunicate with the future.]
Ohms no longer frowned as he self-mockingly shook his head.
[How could that thing exist, just like the Nazi military base in the Arctic.]
Reality is not a novel after all.
Chapter 502 - Acquiring An Aerospace Company
Chapter 502: Acquiring An Aerospace Company
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The development of the private space industry had context to it. It was the failure of the early space shuttles, and the end of the cold war that caused the conclusion of the space race, The storm led the UA to drop arge number of important projects in the 80s which resulted in aerospace giants never realizing their investment and their enthusiasm for the industry taking a significant hit.
After the cut in the 90s, as well as the integration of the aerospace industry, Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, Lockheed Martins monopoly of the market were notparable to the 60s. They were more sensitive to risk and began to be half-hearted onmercialunches, only favoring the defense business. The price ofunches was not only expensive but the RD-180 engine invested by the UA, due to manufacturers reluctance to build a nt, must depend on Russia for production.
It was this reason Russia could hold their head high against sanctions. They threatened to terminate the cooperation and to cut the food supply of the International Space Station. Cutting the food supply has been staged more than once, and time-tested. Until the rise of private spacepanies in recent years, this kind of insatiable threat started to lose its effectiveness.
Facts proved that the bureaucratic-led industry had no future, it was also reflected most vividly in the aerospace industry.
Take the famous private spacepany SpaceX as an example.
Itsunch price has been low to a near-absurd point at only a fraction of the cost of the market. No country or business in the world couldpete with them. These newpanies inherited arge number of research results from the old era of space giants, but not the debt.
Speaking of SpaceX boss Elon Musk, he was also a legendary figure, but his poprity in Hua was far less than Steve Jobs. But if a few pieces of his astonishing feats were mentioned, his name was vivid in peoples memory. For example, he and his partner founded PayPal online payment mechanism and by far the most sessful way to pay online. After acquisition by eBay, he earned his first pot of gold in life.
Another example is the most recent year, the most popr car brand without a doubt, Te, was designed by him.
Not only that, he invited three well-known entrepreneurs to co-found SpaceX and made a strategic n with space tourism as a starting point. Open the era of privatization of space resources, and the destination to Mars.
And the fact proved that in the field of space technology, they were indeed walking in the forefront of the world.
Falcon rocket appeared out of nowhere, its trust weight ratio (trust to weight ratio) reached an astounding 1: 150! It reced Russias best score of 1: 120 and became the worlds most advanced rocket. What made people more envious was that the rocket not only had a lowunch cost, it actually could be reused! The first stage rocket hovered at the height of two hundred meters and then dropped vertically without damage.
Finally, its engine was 3D printed.
With so many advantages infused together, its marketpetitiveness is unparalleled. At the same time, its rtionship with NASA, the UA Air Force, could almost be described as best friends. The pile of orders came storming in, and Elon Musk made a great fortune.
But it was precisely because of its astoundingpetitiveness that a lot of small private spacepanies were forced to the brink of bankruptcy.
SpaceX almost monopolized the most profitable defense orders, and theunch profits ofmercial satellites werepressed to the limit for various reasons. For this very reason, Jiang Chen managed to use 5 billion USD floor price to buy two spacepanies for restructuring, enrich the Celestial Trade wholly-owned space science and technology center talent team.
Kelvin Burrow, former director and chief technical officer of Mississippi Aerospace Technologies, has a Ph.D. degree at Amber Reid University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and were involved in the early development of the Falcon Rockets. Heter resigned to return home to establish the Mississippi Aerospace Technologies. But it turned out that not all scientists could be great businesspeople like Gates and Jobs. After failing to invest, hispany owed 500 million USD in debt and wandered on the brink of bankruptcy.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen came just in time to help as he was able to keep his lifes efforts without selling at a discount.
Of course, capital is ruthless. The first thing Jiang Chen did after he became chairman was sell most of thepanys assets at a low price. At the same time offered their employees two times the original sry and a work visa to Xin.
Do you know what you did? These assets are worth at least 200 million USD! And you sold it at a 50% discount to my old boss. Oh, God If Im Mr. Musk, I would beughing in my sleep. They left Coro Airport, Kelvin dragged onto Jiang Chen andined passionately.
Mr. Musk wontugh in his sleep, allow me to be honest, SpaceX wont care about your equipment. Coincidentally, I dont care either. Jiang Chen used a leisure tone and opened the car door for him.
What do you mean? The honest Kelvin immediately frowned.
Exactly what you heard, trust me, when you arrive at the destination, youll have the same perspective as me. Jiang Chen sat at the front passenger seat.
Kelvin in the back nced at the expressionless girl driving and then looked at Jiang Chen anxiously.
Does she have a drivers license?
The tip of Ayeshas mouth twitched. Jiang Chen paused andughed.
Dont worry, with my worth, I should be more afraid of dying than you.
Okay, I trust you But I have to remind you, regardless of how rich you are, some things cant be purchased with money. I have 5671 pages of technical drawings, but I can assure you that this ce wont have a nt that can turn my drawings into equipment.
Is that so? Just throw your drawings out then. Jiang Chen didnt seem to care.
Kelvin paused and raised his eyebrows.
Excuse me, what did you say?
Nothing, I still hold the same stance as before. I understand that you may have some anxious emotions to your new work location, but I hope you can remain calm. Youre about to see some stunning things Mhmm, the port is in the front, we have to change to a different transportation vehicle.
Kelvin scoffed as he replied un huh half-heartedly before not saying anything.
Although he was very dissatisfied with how Jiang Chen treated hispany and his attitude toward his technical expertise, he had no reason to be angry with his sry. If there were a choice, he certainly would not sell his lifes efforts. But unfortunately, as the founder, he didnt have a controlling stake of Mississippi Aerospace Technology Company. Instead, it was controlled by profit-oriented capitalists. With the price offered by Jiang Chen, thepanys other shareholders practically didnt hesitate before they provided their shares with both hands.
The car was parked in the garage next to the port. Ayesha slightly turned her head and spoke anguage Kelvin did not understand, He seems to be very dissatisfied with you.
Of course, after all, I sold his hard work of six years, andbeled his research results as worthless. Pushing the door, Jiang Chen smiled.
Jiang Chen turned to look at the impatient Kelvin and said in English, Well, Mr. Kelvin, we can board the yacht.
Kelvin shrugged and walked to the yacht.
Is there no problem hiring him as the chief technology officer? Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen feeling puzzled. You are nning to give him something really important.
Ayesha knew more or less about Jiang Chens secrets, thats why she was so concerned.
The chief technology officer must be the job of a person with a strong technical background, and I really believe in his learning ability. Im more tolerating toward talents. As to his rudeness, it is because of his meticulousness toward technicality and has nothing to do with loyalty. As long as I can bring out technology that will shock him, help him achieve his dream, and provide him with enough material reward, he has no reason to be stingy with his loyalty.
Jiang Chen thought about Jiang Lin when he spoke. He felt that they were the same kind of person.
The confused expression on Ayeshas face said that she didnt seem to understand what Jiang Chen said. But because of her absolute trust, she still nodded.
If you believe him.
Of course. If he betrays me, I will have to count on you. Jiang Chenughed.
Ayesha didnt say a word and only nodded.
The traitor would be handled by the Ghost Agents.
No one could escape their pursuit
Chapter 503 - The Shocked Kelvin
Chapter 503: The Shocked Kelvin
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Only a pile of gravel lied on the bare ind. The golden sand was the primary color of the ind. The alternating green and blue decorated the beautiful ind located at the most southeastern part of Xin, north of the equator line.
The t and widend formation was the only advantage. The nt standing in the middle of the ind was not yet painted as construction waspleted not long ago.
Right now, Jiang Chens private yacht was anchored by a crude fisher shack at the edge of the ind.
The port belonged to a Xin fisherman. The honest fisherman didnt even know there was a change in political regime. It was not until an employee from Celestial Trade showed him thend certificate did he realize he was upying privatend.
But Jiang Chen didnt give him trouble as he purchased the crude shack along with the port for a price of 10,000 USD.
So the shack was the only standing structure other than the nt in the center of the ind.
This is the base of ourpany? Kelvin twitched at the scene of the barren ind.
He felt like he just experienced contract fraud.
[This is not going to work, this is being deported.]
Of course not, but before the building is built, you will temporarily be working at the Celestial Trade Headquarters on Coro Ind. Of course, your most important responsibility is to study the material that I will provide you.
Huh? You will provide us with materials? Kelvin raised his eyebrows as he scoffed at what Jiang Chen said.
Jiang Chen only smiled at Kelvins arrogance without any exnation.
Were here, lets get off the boat.
Because of theck of vegetation, the soil here was under constant exposure to sunshine which made it extremely brittle and scorching. Stepping onto the sand away from the port, Ayesha just in sandals felt difort. But she didnt express her difort and just slightly frowned.
But the acute change didnt escape Jiang Chens eyes.
Why dont you go rest for a bit on the boat? The ind is extremely safe, and you dont have to worry about anything happening to me. Jiang Chen noticed her uneasiness and caringly whispered into her ear.
Ayeshas face turned red.
She deliberated for a moment and didnt insist further. She nodded and epted the proposal
Mhmm.
Jiang Chen watched Ayesha return to the boat and turned around to speak with Kelvin again on route to the nt in the middle of the ind.
Jiang Chen pushed open the door, and waved away the dust in front of his face, and opened the metallic blinds on the side of the nt.
When the sunlight scattered into the building, Kelvin noticed a rocket engine ced on therge square frame.
The cylindrical design and bowl-shaped end were slightly smaller than SpaceXs Falcon engine. It made people suspect if it could really carry the payload.
What is this? Kelvin walked up and tapped on the engine.
The RM-320 rocket engine, the technology I n to show you. Jiang Chen passed the tablet containing specifications and 3D visualization to him.
It was the rocket engine Jiang Lin showed Jiang Chen at the Aerospace Technology Research Institute, and the engine used by the Northwind-76 ballistic missile deployed at Shenxiang.
Every screw and every circuit waspletely manufactured through 3D printing technology with a cost of 30000 credits. Lin Lin manufactured the fuel used by the rocket at 1000 credits per ton. But because raw materials could be transported from the modern world, the actual cost would be a bit lower.
Because of the appearance of the space elevator, the propulsion engines for aerospace purposes were abandoned at the end of the 21st century. The RM-320 was considered the most advanced aerospace engine from the wastnd.
The engine shell built with advanced materials could withstand 10,000 degrees of high temperature. Thebustion chamber could withstand a pressure of up to 500 atmospheres. The most critical was that rockets built with this engines thrust weight value could even reach an astounding 1: 300! It is undoubtedly superiorpared to the SpaceX Falcon rockets ratio of 1: 150!
This is absurd. This kind of engine cannot be achieved with current technology. What about the materials? A normal engine cannot withstand this type of pressure and temperature how is this possible wait, whats with the rocket fuels chemical form.
Kelvins eyes were locked on the screen as hisplexion changed constantly. He sometimes shook his head, sometimes was shocked, sometimes widened his eyes
Finally, his expression fixated on disbelief.
This is absurd, no this is too genius. He muttered to himself as his hands holding onto the tablet kept shaking, This must be possible, no, only theoretically possible But if this can be achieved, Falcon will be a joke. This is too absurd
Suddenly, he looked toward Jiang Chen and grabbed Jiang Chens arm fervently.
Please, could you introduce me to the designer of this rocket engine? He is a genius.
I will pass yourpliments to him, but unfortunately, I cant introduce you to him yet. Jiang Chen shook his head.
Why! Are you afraid Im not going to be confidential? Be assured, I will sign any confidentiality agreement, please! I have a lot of questions I want to ask him, Kelvin said ardently.
The contempt on his face when he first got off the yacht no longer existed.
The design philosophy and innovation truly astounded him and shattered his arrogance in technical expertise.
No, please dont be mistaken, I trust you. It is just that the designer of the rocket is currently in the middle of a project and doesnt want to be disturbed I promise, if there is the opportunity, I will definitely introduce you to him. As to your question, I will provide you with a detailed rocket blueprint. You should be able to find the answer from there. If it still cant solve your confusion, I can pass on the question for you. Jiang Chen made something up on the fly.
[Funny, the designer of the rocket was not born yet, where am I going to find one for you?] Once the interdimensional bracelet could transport people, he would just grab Jiang Lin.
Wait, I have another question, This kind of rocket engine cannot bepleted with Xins industrial foundation Even UAs industrial foundation cant do it, where did you manufacture this
Right here. Jiang Chen smiled.
Just here? Kelvin was shocked.
You should have heard of 3D printing before right? The engine right here is manufactured through an industrial grade 3D printer.
[The 3D printer could print material with high strength? And what is an Industrial grade 3D printer?]
Kelvin waspletely stunned by the new technology as he temporarily lost his ability to speak.
Jiang Chen coughed to interrupt his thoughts.
Okay, since youre done visiting, Mr. Kelvin, our trip for today is over time to go back.
No! Let me stay here! Please! Kelvin gently caressed the surface of the engine. His ardent expression and action looked like he was caressing his lovers skin.
Although Jiang Chen was pleased with the fervent attitude of his scientist, he still thought his actions looked a bit gross
Mr. Kelvin, I have to remind that there is nothing here. Celestial Trades headquarters has air conditioning and an endless amount of coffee. As to theplete blueprint of the engine, even if you are at the office
Kelvin rudely interrupted Jiang Chens words.
Just give me a tent, I will sleep here! And please bring the documents here for me, please!
Jiang Chen tried his hardest to resistughing as he nodded.
If you insist.
Chapter 504 - Heading to Frankberg
Chapter 504: Heading to Frankberg
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Launch rocket preparation was in full swing. Kelvin eagerly studied the rocket blueprints while remotely coordinating thepanys restructuring through the phone. Celestial Trade employees brought him a tent, food and fresh water. While the conditions on the ind were very harsh, the technician by his fanatical feelings toward aerospace overcame all these difficulties.
The 40 employees willing to relocate to work in Xin were ced on Coro Ind. They digested the rocketunch technology Jiang Chen brought back from the apocalypse based on their responsibilities.
Of course, he didnt release the process to manufacture the materials used in the engine. Material science was the critical limiting factor to aerospace technology and the point of advantage of RM-320pared to modern rocket engines.
In other words, even if the RM-320s blueprint were leaked, the people who obtained the blueprint would be unable to replicate one based on the blueprint. Just like it is impossible to build a skyscraper with just bricks, with the most fundamental problem unsolved, regardless of how advanced the technology, it would remain in the theoretical stage.
At the same time, Jiang Chen didnt forget the development of infrastructure.
Jiang Chen brought 20 construction robots manufactured from the Sixth Street. Jiang Lin inputted the construction blueprint of the rocketunch center and a hundred tons of materials to the modern world warehouse. They were then transported by vessel to the barren ind.
Although Kelvin was stunned by the construction robots that Jiang Chen brought out, he didnt ask more. On the one hand, it was because he didnt specialize in that area and would not know the technical difficulties in achieving automated construction robots. On the other hand, it was because he knew that even if he asked, Jiang Chen wouldnt tell him.
Other than constructing the rocketunch center, Celestial Trade constructed a radar station, drone terminal and a twenty person post under Jiang Chensmand; they also included the ind to be part of the patrolled area to ensure the safety of theunch center.
As to the documents required tounch amercial satellite, Jiang Chen assigned specific people to draft the document and submitted it to Zhang Yaping.
Time flew to the end of October.
Based on the agreement with Carmen Rothschild, the invited Jiang Chen would head to Frankberg for the auto exhibition hosted by Daimler Corporation and other auto giants. Based on the consideration of Future Technology and Daimlers partnership in artificial intelligence, attending the event was something mutually beneficial.
The day the news was released, Daimler Corporations stock price rose by 4% after a long period of stagnation. People were specting if Daimler Corporation will partner with Future Technology in artificial intelligence or even in immersive virtual reality.
On the other hand, the media were curious about Jiang Chen who had kept a low profile.
When the flightnded in Berm, and Jiang Chen had just stepped off of the ne, the reporters swarmed around him. The microphonebeled with Reuters, Paris Digest, Washington Post were all shoved in front of him.
With her brown hair tied back, Ayesha wore a ck suit and walked two steps behind Jiang Chen with a briefcase in hand. To the unfamiliar looking female assistant that appeared behind Jiang Chen, the media demonstrated interest toward her no less than Jiang Chen. They sensed paparazzi material from the two.
But contrary to the energized media, Ayeshas response was extremely distant as she pretended the reporters didnt exist at all. She ignored all the shes and cameras.
As for Jiang Chen, he was in a suit and dealt with the media with a smile. But to the harsh or questions with other meanings, hepletely neglected them.
Mr. Jiang, does your attendance of the Berm Auto Exhibition mean Future Groups interest in the auto industry? In other words, is the Future Group sending the signal that artificial intelligence will enter the auto field?
On Future Technologys recent introduction of the immersive virtual reality helmet, how are you ensuring its safety? If someone used it to instill some abnormal content on peoples brain, or illegally steal information from the users brain, and this activity cannot be regted by traditional means, how can you ensure that this behavior will not happen? Please excuse me for my presumptuous spection; after all, the brain is humansst line of privacy.
Would you engage in a partnership with other cooperations interested in virtual reality? Mr. Jiang Chen, the representative from the International Science Council stated that the era-defining technology should be shared with all humans around the world, and not be a method for apany to make money
Mr. Jiang Chen, based on a recent article on Wall Street Journal, yourpany submitted the n tounch amercial satellite to international organizations through the Xin Government, does this mean Future Group n to enter the aerospace industry?
A Stan professor stated that the protection mechanism in Phantom is an illegal patent protection action and is against Consumer Rights Protection Act because consumers who buy the product have the right
Jiang Chen stopped walking and looked at a young reporter with curly hair.
Please pass on my message to that professor to be careful with his choice of words. Phantom helmet has not yet been officially released. Other than the experience stores that signed an exclusive agreement with us, only the official websiteunched a presale of 2.5 million units. Also, I can ountably tell you that whether it is pre-sale or the official saleter this year, we will provide the product with a recement policy if damaged within the warranty limit, and half-price exchange services for products out of warranty. Moreover, on the exchange agreement, we will make sure to add a line that any unauthorized demolition will be regarded as a breach of contract and the warranty will be automatically void. We fully protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers; the only requirement is not to open our helmet. As for our peers who tried to disassemble the helmet, I sincerely advise you to purchase more to open up. But I promise you are doing no merit.
Seeing Jiang Chen to continue to walk forward, the reporter rushed up and extended his microphone out to stop him, but Jiang Chen already was gone.
The four muscr bodyguards surrounded Jiang Chen and Ayesha in the middle. Although they didnt wear kic skeletons this time, the strength amplified by the gic vine was not something the weak reporters could block.
The reporters that surrounded them like flies followed them to the exit of the airport. It was not until when the Rothschild family greeted them and invited them onto their fleet did the reporters finally leave.
Haha, we meet again, my friend. Carmen in the backseat smiled at Jiang Chening into the car.
Nice to see you again, Mr. Carmen, how have you been? Jiang Chen sat in the back and smiled back.
Ive great, thanks to yourpanys artificial intelligence program. It is designed wlessly to fit our chip. The board and our partner have high expectations for the S700 we are introducing in the exhibition. Without a doubt, our product will be the center of attention at the show. Carmen smiled with his white teeth appearing.
Ayesha as the bodyguard and assistant sat in the front passenger seat, and the other four Celestial Trade bodyguards sat separately in the two vehicles in the front and back.
The program was designed specifically for you.
A one billion dor deal. Future Technology logo to be disyed for one second during startup, and a 30 billion USD loan. The Rothschild helped out greatly in Future Groups rapid expansion.
But in their conversation today, Carmen didnt mention the loan at all and didnt even ask about the state of Future Group. They only discussed hobbies and interests.
Are you interested in a private jet? With your current asset, you have the ability to purchase one. It would not only ease your visit, it could also reduce a lot of unnecessary troubles. Carmen jokingly nced back at the reporter vehicle following them.
I will consider buying one, can you give me a rmendation? Jiang Chen smiled.
In the Auto Exhibition two dayster, Gulfstreams Europe division manager Andy Belfort will be attending. I can introduce you to him. I highly rmend their Gulfstream G650. Whether it is functionality or appearance, the G650 is superior to other jets at the same price point.
Then I will thank you in advance. Jiang Chen smiled.
He considered long ago about buying a private jet, but because he was focused on the apocalypse back then, and there was no need for a ne, he put the idea aside. Now that Carmen mentioned it, he used the opportunity to inquire further.
No problem, Mr. Belfort will be happy to meet you too.
Johnson was driving, Carmens bodyguard and driver; former Frans special force.
Every time Carmen traveled, he would apany him. Although the Rothschild family kept a low profile, there were still people that kept an eye on them. Whether those who sought a lucrative ransom, or business opponents, or the Palestinian suicide holy warrior.
Johnson turned the wheel while ncing at Ayesha who sat beside him.
For some reason, the girl that nowhere resembled a warrior gave him a faint dangerous feeling. Not just her, the four bodyguards that Jiang Chen brought made the war-battered him cautious.
Before Ayesha noticed, he drew his sight back
[This is so fu*king weird.]
Johnson cursed in his mind before he focused on the road in front of him.
Chapter 505 - Rothschild’s Manor
Chapter 505: Rothschilds Manor
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
It took an hour before the car fleet arrived at Rothschilds manor located in Bava.
It is not our way of treating our guest to allow them to live in hotels. This manor is our familys asset. There wont be any reporters here to disturb you. I hope you enjoy it, After getting off the car, Carmen exined politely.
They were indeed an old aristocracy from the Napoleonic era, having money was not just enough to purchase such a magnificent manor in Frankberg. From the ssical decoration and the historic stone walls, they were the faint glimpse of the historical heritage of this manor.
It was as if this ce was not a manor, but a century history museum.
A butler named Ccides brought the four bodyguards to another building in the manor where the servants lived. Of course, that was only a traditional way of referring to the building; the actual living conditions were no inferior to a five-star hotel.
Ayesha was supposed to live there, but the old butler acutely saw her rtionship with Jiang Chen was not as simple as what it was on the surface, so he arranged them to stay in the same room in the main building.
Inside, the redwood floor had a mixture of fresh wooden scent. There were a Germanic noble style bed and a decorative firece. The entire bedroom looked elegant butfortable.
They were indeed an old aristocracy; even their lodging was ssy.
When Jiang Chen saw the room, he made up his mind that he will design a simr bedroom in his mansion. As a self-created wealthy person, he never really studied ss and elegance.
The maid in the manor cleaned the room before the two arrived. After letting Jiang Chen know about the amenities in the building, he took the two to the dining room.
Dinner was asvish as he had imagined, but the taste and nutrition were impable. The wine was from Rothschilds Lafitte vineyard. Although he didnt know the year, just from the rich aroma of the wine, it was not hard to smell the hefty price.
Speaking of which, the most impressive things that belonged to the Rothschild family were probably the red wine and the bank. No one knew how rich they are; because they wrote in their family code that they would never disy their wealth, even if it meant that they give up the opportunity to make money through a public offering.
To the world that questioned its decline, they ignored it. To the exaggerated dismissive in the novel Currency War, they turned a deaf ear. Perhaps this was the old aristocratic calmness.
On the dinner table, Carmen and Jiang Chen had a great conversation and didnt talk about business at all. Ayesha was as quiet as usual, focusing on the mutton in her te.
After dinner, it was gettingte. Carmen courteously wished Jiang Chen to enjoy his experience and reminded him not to miss the party tomorrow night before he left. The manor seemed to be a ce where Rothschild hosted their honored guests. As a family member, he didnt live there.
Jiang Chen took a shower in the marble washroom before returning to the bedroom.
Ayesha had returned one step ahead of him as she was ying with a pen-shaped device on the bed. Jiang Chen recognized the device, The anti-surveince detection device, sold at most of the weapon shops at the Sixth Street.
Jiang Chen dried his hair with the towel around his neck and smiled at Ayesha.
Did you find anything?
Ayesha shook her head.
No.
Looks like the Rothschild is treating us with honesty. Jiang Chen was pleased.
What he didnt know was, it was not that Carmen didnt try. When they first partnered up, the USB he gave Jiang Chen contained a mini positioner. But because it was thrown into the storage dimension, that thing didnt have any effects.
When Carmen discovered the positioner mysteriously disappeared, Carmen learned and didnt do any small tricks that wouldnt even escape his eyes.
Jiang Chen sat beside Ayesha, smelt the fragrance of jasmine, and knew she showered already.
With a hand around her frail waist, Jiang Chen whispered into her ear.
Did you bring the schedule?
Her ear felt ticklish from the warm air, and her face carried the redness from just getting out from the shower as Ayesha timidly nodded.
Mhmm, its in the briefcase.
Just as she was about to get up and get the briefcase, the hand around her waist had no intention of letting go.
Ayesha turned her head and met his naughty sight.
We can look at it tomorrow, why dont we rest early today? Jiang Chen had a smirk on him as his right hand began to explore.
It was a long night.
The next morning, because they slept early, Jiang Chen woke up bright and early.
He woke the sleepy Ayesha up, and after washing up, they came to the dining room for breakfast.
Then, Ayesha took the schedule from Jiang Chen.
Day one, arrive in Frankberg, no other n.
Day two, free during the day, then attend a party hosted by Carmen Rothschild at the manor in Bava.
Day three, attend the Auto Exhibition.
Day four, free.
Dave five, return to Xin.
The five-day schedule was notpact. With a rare opportunity to visit, Jiang Chen would obviously not miss the opportunity to explore the unfamiliar but beautiful kingdom. He heard that there is a famous attraction in Bava C the New Swan Fort which was the original model for Disneys Castle. With this opportunity, Jiang Chen nned to take Ayesha there.
No one was certain if the wonders that belonged to humanity could still be seen in the future
But before he left the manor, Jiang Chen nned to take Ayesha to tour the attraction in front of them.
The Rothschild Manor.
Holding onto her soft hand, walking on the marble brick road, sensing the slightly chilly morning breeze, Jiang Chen gazed at the green pint forest. Behind the forest was a vastke.
Not far off from the Lake, Jiang Chen caught a small wooden cabin near the forest as well as a sail that stood in front of the cabin. The sail didnt look finely crafted, but from the matching proportion and the smooth arc, Jiang Chen could still see the meticulous effort.
A man in a parka was carefully sawing a piece of wood.
[Building a boat?]
Due to curiosity, Jiang Chen took a few extra looks.
The old man seemed to have noticed Jiang Chens attention as he waved at the two with a friendly gesture before leaving them alone and focusing on his task at hand.
Jiang Chen put down his waving hand and muttered in a small voice.
The servant of the Rothschild family?
Jiang Chen shook his head and put this encounter in the back of his head. He held Ayeshas hand to continued walking along the marble b road.
What Jiang Chen didnt know was, before he disappeared from the old mans sight, the old mans eyes gazed at his back.
The slightly raised eyebrows seemed to indicate that he was thinking.
Chapter 506 - Dinner
Chapter 506: Dinner
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
When they left the manor, the butler prepared a ck Benz for the two of them. The car exited the manor from the side door quietly without alerting reporters.
Because it was a private outing, Jiang Chen didnt bring the four Celestial Trades bodyguards. The reason was partially because of his confidence in his own abilities and partially because traveling with four muscr men would ruin the mood.
The entire day, Jiang Chen took Ayesha to tour the attractions in Bava. From the New Swan Fort to the Lake of Alpines, their footsteps traversed the entire area. It wasnt until the sun was setting that the two of them, with an entire memory card full of photos, called it a day.
Looking at the weary but excited red glow on the girls face, Jiang Chen was delighted.
Did you have fun today?
Mhmm! Ayesha nodded, pleased.
Her normally expressionless face disyed a rare liveliness fitting for her age.
Jiang Chen smiled. He took the wheel and turned the car onto a rural road.
With just one nce, a golden wheat field entered their sight. The horizon in the distance connected the darkening sky with the jagged mountains. Dusk as a backdrop for the mountains looked magnificent and poetic.
It was already deep into the fall. On the wastnd, it probably started snowing.
Jiang Chen stared at the scene, amazed at the beauty.
Ayesha, by the side, raised her camera and captured a beautiful image.
Seeing as there was still some time, Jiang Chen took a detour and continued along the rural road.
Suddenly, his field of vision expanded.
At the end of the wheat field was a town with scattered lights. Between where the forest connected was a small town segregated by an iron fence. The people in ragged clothes gathered together, looked at the sky, and took care of their malnourished families. In front of the refugee camp, a couple of workers and polices gathered around a few vans as they distributed food and water.
They are
With the camera in her hands, Ayesha gazed at the segregated area in the distance.
People without a home are known as refugees. They left their home because of the war and most of them are from Libya or SyJiang Chen stopped suddenly.
He realized it was her hometown.
It must be a terrible feeling to see people from her hometown who had to flee their home.
Snap.
But she merely raised her camera and captured the scene.
Dont you feel uh bad? Jiang Chen was careful with his words.
Ayesha nodded then shook her head.
Thank you.
Mhmm?
Jiang Chen looked at Ayesha, puzzled.
She lowered her head with a wistful smile. Her frail fingertips subconsciously rubbed the shutter of the camera.
If I hadnt met you I might not even have made it here.
She recollected everything that happened in the past. While she asionally encountered danger, most of the time, she felt the warmth of the family. Jiang Chen didnt treat her with brute force just because of her identity; he had always been gentle.
As for his other aspects, shepletely forgot about the pain.
Stop thinking about weird things. Jiang Chen grinned and used his right hand to rub her hair with force.
I wasnt.
Ayesha shook her head and hugged the camera as a shallow smile appeared on her face.
The golden girl gilded by the dusk was holding onto a priceless treasure.
When they returned to the Rothschild manor, it was around six.
The butler was waiting for them at the gate.
There was still an hour before the party started. Although Jiang Chen thought there was still an ample amount of time, the adamant butler thought otherwise.
Their attire was provided by the Rothschild family. Since Jiang Chen hadnt known about the party before he arrived, he didnt have any formal attire with him. As for Ayesha, she returned to her room to rest as she wasnt ustomed to this type of gathering.
After being worked on by a few meticulous maids for a while, Jiang Chen barely made it to the party venue before it started.
Mhmm, not bad, it fits you well.
Carmen smiled at Jiang Chen at the door.
Thank you. They walked together into the venue.
The circr venue was decorated exquisitely with ss. The diamond chandeliers illuminated the ceiling of the venue. Influential and powerful people from all industries were gathered there; the duchesses and celebrities chatted amongst themselves while waiters with champagne traversed between the circles.
The people invited to the gathering were mostly leaders in finance, industry tycoons or powerful politicians. Because he was outside of the circle, Jiang Chen didnt see anyone he knew.
He didnt know if it was an illusion or not but the instant he walked into the room, at least ten pairs of eyes consciously and subconsciously were focused on him.
The Rothschild family isnt most proud of the assets we possess, but rather, its the connections we have. A few guests here are the major shareholders of one hundred billion publicpanies, and quite a few people here were the president or vice president of a country; we consider all of these people our friends. The business partnerships established at a party is no lesser than any established at an international business summit. This kind of party will be hosted by us every few months. You are all gathered here at just the right time; I can introduce you all to a few interesting people.
Carmen smiled with his white teeth showing. He opened his arms wide and greeted the man with red hair walking towards him.
Long time no see, Carmen, my old friend.
Haha, my friend, long time no see indeed. Let me introduce you C this is Jiang Chen. Carmen introduced him to his friend.
The red-haired man disyed a slightly shocked expression before he immediately smiled and extended his right hand.
d to meet you, Mr. Jiang Chen. Yourpanys Phantom helmet left me with a profound expression. But unfortunately, your colosseum server only opened level 10bat. I look forward to the day when the game is officially released. Im Peter McLean C you can call me Peter.
Jiang Chen shook Peters hand as he replied, Nice to meet you, Peter. I trust that when that dayes, I assure you wont be disappointed.
Peter McLean, the president of UKs Guardian, the secondrgest data backup equipmentpany in Europe. The old rival of IBM. Carmen introduced him casually to Jiang Chen.
Dont make fun of me. Peter made an exaggerated expression. Why dont we have some champagne to lighten up the mood?
Due to the restriction ofnguage and other influences, European techpanies were naturally at a disadvantage. Although the Guardian received contracts from British forces, IBM didnt view this old rival aspetition anymore.
Great idea. Carmenughed. For this party, I brought the most expensive wine from Bava vineyards; please enjoy.
A table was lined up with crystal cups; the waiter courteously poured Jiang Chen a cup of wine.
Just as Jiang Chen wondered if he should find a useful circle of people to mingle with, a man with a beer belly walked up to him with a bright smile.
Beside him was a young blonde girl.
You must be Mr. Jiang Chen, am I correct?
Chapter 507 - Mature Deepwater Mining Technology
Chapter 507: Mature Deepwater Mining Technology
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
He was dressed in a sharp-looking suit and shoes. He had a reflective head, a round face with wrinkles beginning to appear, and a smile that didnt make him feel disgusted.
The girl standing beside him had curly blonde hair,plemented by a ck dress that outlined her beautiful figure. It certainly made a clear contrast with the mans balding head and beer belly.
And you are? Jiang Chen looked at him, confused.
Luke Joyce. Speaking of which, we are business partners. Luke raised his wine ss and toasted Jiang Chen.
[Business partners?]
Jiang Chen didnt recall having a business partner with this name.
Luke acutely recognized the confusion in Jiang Chens eyes as he added:
Looks like Mr. Jiang Chen doesnt seem to like to study the shareholder structure of your business partners. Im a shareholder of BHP.
Earlier, Future Group signed an iron and aluminum ore export agreement with BHP. Although Future Mining was formed at ater date with a major breakthrough in deep water mining technology, the extracted manganese nodules met Future Groups iron demands, so Future Group terminated the iron export agreement. But in terms of aluminum, Future Group still replied on BHPs exports.
Jiang Chen immediately had a realization.
Yes, Mr. Luke, I apologize for my rudeness.
Luke didnt mind at all and continued to introduce his femalepanion.
This is my daughter, Melinda Joyce.
Its nice to meet you, Mr. Jiang Chen. Im a loyal fan of Future Technology. Melinda extended her hand.
Although he was slightly shocked, Jiang Chen didnt reveal any emotions on his face as he politely took her hand and smiled. Hello, Miss Melinda, Im pleased Future Technology satisfies you.
The shock in Jiang Chens mind was no less than someone pointing out an ogre and elf and telling him with a serious expression that they were actually father and daughter.
Haha, my daughter is really curious about your legendary expression. If there is an opportunity, you guys should chat. Luke wiggled his eyebrows at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen obviously understood the hints in Lukes voice. It didnt take too many sentences before it was apparent he was trying to arrange a marriage for his daughter.
But unfortunately, Jiang Chen was not interested in his daughter.
Its not a legendary experience C only good luck, Jiang Chen said humbly.
Although his words were humble, they werent wrong. If it wasnt for his interdimensional travel abilities, he wouldnt be where he was today.
Please dont say that, Mr. Jiang Chen. That would make 7 billion people upset because someone can make it onto the Forbes list just through luck. Melindas red lips formed a smile.
Jiang Chen opened his hands to emphasize that his words were true, but unfortunately, no one believed him. But from Luke and Melindas perspective, his gesture was self-mocking, lightening up the atmosphere.
After some chitchat, perhaps she noticed that Jiang Chen was uninterested in her, so Melinda politely disappeared and left some time for the two of them to talk business in other circles. Luke didnt feel surprised at his daughter leaving as he clearly saw that Jiang Chen wasnt interested, so he didnt force it while he continued the conversation with Jiang Chen.
Luke was very talkative as their conversation spanned from sailing to golf. Jiang Chen, however, did most of the listening because he didnt know too much about either area and it wasnt a good time to pretend he knew.
In the end, the conversation finally steered back to business.
Speaking of which, why is Mr. Jiang Chen keeping such a tight control on your shares? If Future Group bes public on NASDAQ, without a doubt, you will be the wealthiest man in the world, Luke eximed.
Because I believe in the future of Future Group. I believe the wealth it will bring me is no less than what a public offering can bring me, Jiang Chen said lightheartedly.
But if you work with people who share the same ambition, wont you expand faster? Luke smiled.
Does Mr. Luke think my Future Group is expanding slowly? Jiang Chen asked back in a joking tone.
Luke paused and began to chuckle.
Youre right. Since your inception, Mr. Jiangspany hasnt exhibited even one problem with cash flow; its certainly an impressive feat.
Thats an exaggeration. Jiang Chen was humble.
Can I ask a question? Luke passed his empty ss to the waiter and picked up another one.
Of course, if I can answer.
Whether its Future 1.0 or the current Phantom, yourpany always introduces products that are favored by the market. Theres also nutrient supply and deep water mining technology Whats the next product? Luke asked.
Well probably further develop the virtual reality market or perhaps invest in manned space missions because Im personally interested in space Why do you ask? Jiang Chen said casually.
To avoid identally bing yourpetition. Luke wryly shrugged his shoulders and joked to Jiang Chen: Because of your virtual reality project, this sector in the NASDAQ is obliterated as most publicpanies fell from cloud nine to a deep abyss. Almost all investors who experienced the Phantom first-hand became aware that their investments in virtual reality faltered. Especially when a Harvard professor stated that its a technology that cant be achieved in 20 years
Not even 20 years C in the timeline in the apocalypse, the first immersive virtual reality equipment only appeared in 2050.
Then I do have to apologize. Jiang Chen used a tone that he didnt mean at all.
Haha, no need to apologize to me. I didnt ce bets on the frontier of technology. In terms of investment philosophy, I share the same view as Carmen, Luke said.
He took a sip of the champagne and continued:
What does Mr. Jiang think about the resources industry?
Supply over demand.
Thats right. Luke smiled and nodded. Just two days ago, BHP sold two iron mines in the red, but every shareholder, including me, knows that its a futile action. The mining business will only get harder and harder C not just in iron, but all other resources other than precious metals will face a simr downward trend.
Oh, is that so? Jiang Chen said thoughtfully.
Of course, since theres a limit to market demands, take the rebar used in the construction sector. Most people will only have one house in their life, but a houses life can be much longer than its owner. So even if we have been dominating in the resource sector, we have to use some of the money to support industries that may give birth to new things such as the Rothschild familys Dalmer Group that invests in new energy vehicle projects that are bottomless pits. Then, for example, without doing due diligence on investment projects, we can lend 30 billion to a techpany with a bright future.
Its easy to bring ore up to the surface level. Just take my old friend in the Rothschild family. Vale, under their control, is the biggest iron ore supplier in the world with an estimated reserve of 4 billion tons. The mines can produce for up to 400 years and this is just public data. Luke paused for a moment and exchanged a long but meaningful nce with Jiang Chen.
During this pivotal time, if a mining technology could decrease the cost of mining and include depositions previously inessible on the list of current reserves, what kind of influence do you think this would have on the poor mining sector?
When he heard all this, Jiang Chen more or less guessed Lukes goal behind the conversation and why Carmen brought him to meet him.
You mean that some technologies are too advanced?
Thats right. Luke nodded.
For example?
For example, mature deep water mining technology.
Jiang Chens pupils contracted.
Chapter 508 - Mutually Satisfactory Agreement
Chapter 508: Mutually Satisfactory Agreement
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Because of the breakthrough you made in the deepwater mining field, the futures of iron, copper, gold, and molybdenum have elerated their demise. To maintain the stability of the market, the mining giants have spent quite some effort. Of course, the key to solving the problem is on you.
How many deposits were there in the ocean? If Future Mining made a significant breakthrough in the area, investors expectations for deep water mining would, without a doubt, heat up. How many resources were there avable in the sea? Aside from Jiang Chen who already acquired a global mining reserve map, no one knew.
And investors themselves were creatures who loved to imagine.
Luke smiled at Jiang Chen.
If I guessed correctly, Future Minings costs for deepwater mining projects arent high, and the production is sizable.
Lukes expression clearly showed he wasnt clueless. There was no purpose in covering things up, so Jiang Chen didnt try to hide the truth.
You guessed correctly.
Labor costs only included the sry of the employees on the sea tform; the underwater equipment was powered by the tidal generator, making the cost of maintenance almost negligible. The only equipment costs were paid in crystals. Without knowing the ratio between crystals and modern world currency, he couldnt calcte the cost of equipment.
But he was certain about one thing C the costs of deep water mining were extremely low before space mining appeared.
The worlds iron, aluminum, and copper markets are already on the brink of copse. Without any exaggeration, if the price of iron continues its downward trend, by end of the year, 47 miningpanies will face the risk of bankruptcy. In the short term, it may be beneficial to us, but its also dangerous for us in the long term. So I want to solve the problem by taking a step back.
So what do you propose? Jiang Chen was quite intrigued as he looked at the smiling Luke.
If I remember correctly, you can influence the political decisions of the Xin government. We want you to influence the presidential offices decision and increase the mining export tax by 50% to limit domestic exports of mining resources, Luke said in a quiet voice.
To Jiang Chens surprise, he previously thought Luke wanted to purchase Future Minings technology, but he didnt even mention this and only offered a proposal that didnt really affect Future Mining.
Limit Future Minings ess to the international market to cooldown the investors? But what do I gain from this?
We obviously wont make you do this for free. Im willing to provide you contracts for iron, aluminum, copper and other metals effective within five years at 80% of the current market price.
For BHP, it was indeed a big step backward. A discount of 20% meant they were essentially providing the metals at cost and working for free for Future Group for the next five years in exchange for slowing down Future Groups low-cost ores from entering international markets.
Use the power of capital to slow down the introduction of new technologies? Jiang Chens words seemed to carry more meaning than the surface suggested.
You could interpret that as paying enoughpensation in the hope of dying the introduction of technology to the world. In a market where supply exceeds demand, introducing technology isnt beneficial to the market, Luke said with sternness.
Luke was clear with BHPs stance on this.
For an international mining tycoon, Jiang Chen wasnt na?ve enough to think they would use marketpetition to solve the problem. To be able to own so many mining resources in multiple nations around the world, their political investments certainly couldnt be underestimated.
The reason why Luke brought it up was because they wanted to avoid a direct conflict with Future Group. Since Future Group was no longer a small fish in the sea, its core focus was in space tech and not in resource extraction, so both sides could avoid unnecessary conflict.
On the other hand, BHP wasnt the onlypany affected C Rothschild-controlled Vale was thergest miningpany in the world. It would be hard to say this encounter had nothing to do with Carmen.
Jiang Chens head spun rapidly as he weighed the pros and cons of the proposal.
If possible, Jiang Chen wanted to avoid a direct conflict with the mining giants. Future Technologys business expansion required a stable environment. It was unwise to create enemies for himself.
Especially since excessive resources were only rtive to the current situation. Although the theme of the proposal required both parties to take a step back, it would be hard to determine who actually gained and who actually lost
Luke patiently waited for Jiang Chens response.
Without making him wait for long, Jiang Chen spoke after a momentary pause.
Five years? Can I ask the supply amount?
Determined by you. Luke made a generous offer as he elegantly sipped his champagne.
When Jiang Chen heard this, an undetectable smile appeared on his face.
80 million tons.
When Luke heard Jiang Chens number, he almost spat out the champagne in his mouth.
80 million tons? Does Mr. Jiang have an idea of the number you just provided? Im not joking C even if all of Xins steel nts operated continuously for 50 years, there would still be an excess of ores left.
Huas iron ore imports for 2015 was 950 billion tons and Xins total area was less than half of any of Huas provinces. It was a question if they could process the ores in 15 years, let alone five years!
But this was an outsiders perspective.
You dont have to worry about this C Future Group naturally has the resources to process the resources. Also, something worth mentioning is that the 80 million is the sum total of iron, aluminum, copper, nickel C not just iron alone. Of course, iron would make up the majority of the number, at least 75%. Jiang Chen smiled.
With his eyebrows tightly locked together, Luke hesitated for a moment before nodding.
At most 50 million tons, and you must assure me that the ores provided at cost must not enter international markets. This will be written in the contract.
No problem. But I have to mention now that the mines may be processed at neighboring Papua New Guinea before being transported to Xin, Jiang Chen reminded him.
With the shortage ofbor, Jiang Chen nned to move the industries with high poption andbor demands to neighboring countries. As a developing country, Papua New Guinea was a great choice in addition to Moro still in its beginning stages.
Luke deliberated for a bit longer before finally giving him a nod.
No problem.
Also, molybdenum, uranium, and other precious metals are not included in the contract restrictions, Jiang Chen proposed.
No problem. Molybdenum and the precious metals market have been under the control of Hua and nothing to do with us Also, if I may ask, is it feasible to extract uranium from deep water? Luke was curious.
Not now, but it doesnt mean its not feasible in the future. We may have a breakthrough in the next five years; its hard to say, Jiang Chen replied with ambiguity.
Is that so? Thats surprising. If you dont have any other opinions, then Im happy weve reached an agreement. Luke raised his ss with a smile.
I wish only sess for our partnership. Jiang Chen also raised his cup with a mysterious smile shing and fading on his face.
Following the crisp sound of their toast, the agreement worth billions had been settled. The two sides both had satisfied smiles as they received what they needed.
Luke received the promise that Future Mining wouldnt introduce deep water mining technology to the global market. Although they wouldnt make money on 50 million tons of ores, BHP would not take losses on these. With the current market, it was incredible to maintain an ie statement without losses without decreasing production. Although on the surface, it might look like BHP was working for Future Group for free, from another angle, Future Group solved the excessive production capacity issue faced by BHP.
The gains for Jiang Chen were obvious C he obtained 50 tons of ores at the floor price. It was a critical deal for Future Groups nned construction of floating ocean cities, space elevator terminals, and habitable mega space stations.
It wouldnt be five years before Luke would regret the agreement he made tonight.
Excessive production was always rtive to the present.
The only thing that made Jiang Chen puzzled was how Luke was so confident about Future Minings costs and production as well as his calmness about deep water mining technology without any intention of acquiring the technology.
Jiang Chen stared at the ss in his hand and entered deep thought.
Chapter 509 - The Conversation before the Bonfire
Chapter 509: The Conversation before the Bonfire
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
With a pleased smile, Luke excused himself and walked to other social circles. Watching Luke leave, Jiang Chen thought he would escape from the need to socialize, but he clearly underestimated his appeal or Future Groups attraction to investors.
The gazes upon him were either indifferent, jealous, or respectful, but they were all without disregard.
As the neer to the party and the president of Future Group with substantial influence in the tech industry, regardless of their intentions, there were plenty of people eager to say hello to Jiang Chen and exchange business cards. Regardless if a partnership could be reached, it didnt hurt to have more friends, right?
Therefore, for the next two hours, Jiang Chen was socializing tirelessly.
Mr. Jiang Chen, its nice to meet you, this is my business card If you have any needs in acquisition services, please contact our bank, a banker said.
Mr. Jiang, are you interested in equity infusion? Dont rush to reject me yet, haha. If Future Group ever runs into problems with a turnaround orrge investment project, please contact us! A Wall Street investor looked at Jiang Chen as if he was staring at a gold vault.
Is this your first time in Germany? If you have time, Id be very happy to take you to explore this beautiful country. A female with a celebrity face offered, but Jiang Chen couldnt remember her name.
In just two hours time, his suits not-so-wide pockets were stuffed with different kinds of business cards and his gold-gilded business cards were almost all distributed.
While he was responding to the sincere guests, Jiang Chens gaze had been intentionally or unintentionally swinging to the foie gras, Marseille fish soup, and other delicacies. But unfortunately, when the melodious violin was reced by the waltz, guests walked to the circr dance floor while holding hands.
By then, the food on the table was reced by too-sweet desserts.
When he exited the venue, the cold breeze blowing on his face alleviated some of the irritating heat. Perhaps he breathed in too much carbon dioxide, but Jiang Chen felt that the air from the pine forest was especially fresh.
Carmen disappeared after closing remarks and Jiang Chen didnt wait for him as he left along with the other guests exiting the venue. To be precise with their rtionship, they were partners rather than friends.
Because he wanted to stay out for longer, Jiang Chen took a detour and followed a rock path along the pine forest.
His shadow was elongated by the streetlights. He flipped through his stack of business cards and put the useless ones in his left pocket while the potentially-useful ones were ced in his right pocket. Before he threw them into the storage dimension, he wanted to categorize the business cards in some way to avoid confusion when they were actually needed.
But the ones he felt might be useful were only cards.
One belonged to Luke while the other one belonged to Elon Musk.
Jiang Chen didnt think he would meet that guy here. The middle-aged man with brown hair shook Jiang Chens hand with a bright smile. He clearly heard rumors of Jiang Chens intention to enter the aerospace industry by purchasing aerospacepanies, but in the face of strongpetition, he hadnt disyed any opposing attitude. Rather, he hoped to cooperate with Future Group in aerospace to achieve the great-but-distant strategic goal of colonizing Mars.
Although in Jiang Chens eyes, this goal wasnt too far out of reach.
All in all, Jiang Chen kept the business cards. Perhaps he could cooperate with him in the aerospace industry.
Just as he was halfway through the cards, his stomach made a rumbling sound.
Still hungry Whatever, Ill get some food when I go back. Jiang Chen sighed.
But then the aroma of roasted meat swept by and lingered in his nostrils.
He followed the direction of the wind and saw a faint bonfire deep in the pine forest.
The roasted meat smell seemed to being from there, but who, at this time, would roast meat that close to the Rothschild manor?
It obviously wasnt Carmen C he must be busy wrapping up his party.
Could it be a Rothschild servant? Jiang Chen mused to himself.
For some reason, he thought about the elderly man he saw in the morning, the man who was constructing a sail beside the cabin.
With curiousity driving him, Jiang Chen walked in the direction of the fire.
Dried but soft pine needles covered the muddy ground and sounded damp when stepped on. It was cool in the forest. It was quiet too, aplete contrast to the noise at the party.
[After Im done ying around, Ill buy a house in an area like this to live in seclusion.]
For some reason, the idea suddenly popped up in his mind before he quickly shook his head and scratched the idea.
He was still young and without exception, he would continue to be young. If he didnt live life to the fullest for a hundred years, it would be a disgrace to interdimensional travelers.
Roastedmp leg, youre in luck.
The elderly man sensed Jiang Chens arrival. He didnt turn his head and smiled facing the bonfire.
Jiang Chen stood beside the old man and scanned the dried pine needles covering the ground.
Are you not afraid of a forest fire?
It wont spread.
Perhaps because of his confidence in his roasting technique, the dried lips of the old man disyed a trace of confidence.
Could I have a piece? Of course, Ill pay. Staring at the goldenmb leg, Jiang Chens hunger intensified as he asked.
When he heard Jiang Chens words, the old mans cloudy eyes were illuminated brightly like ck pearls under a jumping me. Jiang Chen couldnt exin why, but his gaze was like that of a hunter, but he wasnt staring at a sheep.
If you want to eat it, just sit beside me. Theres no need for money, the elderly man said before turning around.
Jiang Chen stared at the mud mixed with pine needles. He hesitated for a few seconds before crossing his legs and sitting down.
After about five minutes, the smell was just right as the elderly man skillfully sprayed salt and cumin on themb leg on the rack. Then he took out a small knife, took a few swings and handed the knife with themb meat to Jiang Chen.
Try it.
Jiang Chen hesitantly put the knife tip up to his mouth, blew on it, took a bite, and his eyes instantly lit up.
How does it taste? The old man smiled.
Its extraordinary. He handed the knife back to the elder and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He wasnt stingy with his praise.
The old man grinned and didnt respond to Jiang Chens praise. He cut off a bigger piece of themb and handed it to him. Then he took out another knife and a bottle of alcohol.
I already taught you how to cut the meat, now you can try yourself. The old man took a swig.
Jiang Chen, who had a stomach full of champagne, refused the alcohol the man passed over and instead feasted on themb leg. The two just sat in the forest without exchanging much conversation. They quietly enjoyed the delicious meat.
Speaking of which, I think I met you this morning beside theke, Jiang Chen abruptly said.
Oh. I was chopping wood. The elder man smiled.
That boat was built by you? Jiang Chen put some meat into his mouth and swallowed it before he asked in a casual tone.
Built the boat from the keel to sail C everything waspleted by me. A proud smile appeared on the mans face as if he was bragging about something remarkable.
It was remarkable, even from Jiang Chens perspective as an outsider.
The Rothschild family didnt help you? Jiang Chen realized the old mans status in the family must not be ordinary; starting a fire to roast meat was something normal servants would do.
But with the carefree appearance of the old man, it was hard for Jiang Chen to connect him with the Rothschild family. Just from the impression Carmen left him, the family was probably critical of the appearance of courtesy.
I told them not to help me.
Sorry, but you are?
The old man smiled while wiping the oily knife.
Jacquardo Rothschild.
Thats a thunderous name.
He was the former head of the Rothschild family. When Jiang Chen researched this financial family, he came across this name. This man was the legendary figure who led the Rothschild family out of the downfall of the Second World War, but historys description was overly brief.
Even his decision to pass the position of the head to his younger brother in order to live a life in seclusion in the Bava manor was only covered by a small column in the financial news.
Thats right. After retirement, I stopped using that name, Jacquardo said without much emotional fluctuation.
Then what name do you use?
Paris. He dusted the dirt on his chin off as the bonfire lit up the smile on his face.
The name sounded familiar; it belonged to an ancient Greek mythology hero. He was the prince Zeus asked who the Golden Apple should be gifted to. His answer immediately caused the Trojan War.
Jiang Chen wanted to ask why he chose that name but resisted the urge.
If possible, he didnt want to associate himself with the Golden Apple again.
But the elder spoke out first.
If you obtained the Golden Apple, who would you gift it to? Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite?
It was a difficult question to answer.
Jiang Chen let out a sigh with his hand on his chin as he deliberated carefully for a while.
This is a difficult question to answer. I pretty much have all the power and wealth I want. I dont seem tock the intelligence and courage to start a heros path. Perhaps I will gift it to Aphrodite? Since in this day and age, the more powerful and wealthy a person is, the further away they are from pure love. And a warparable to the Trojan War wouldnt be too boring.
Hahahaha. Jacquardo appeared to have heard something funny as he began tough.
His aged voice echoed in the forest.
Momentster, the pine forest returned to its tranquil state with only the sound of pine needles swaying.
An interesting response. Although your choice was superficial, your justification was surprisingly fun.
To Jacquardosment, Jiang Chen only smiled nonchntly then sent the question back in a half-joking tone.
Then which god would you gift to, Mr. Paris?
Jacquardo smiled. The wrinkles on his face squeezed together.
Under the glow of the fire, his smile looked somewhat menacing or barbaric.
Regardless who I gifted it to, it would result in hell. So I would obviously keep it for myself.
Chapter 510 - Auto Exhibition
Chapter 510: Auto Exhibition
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
On his trip back to the main building of the manor, Jiang Chen thought about Jacquardosst sentence. When he asked Jacquardo how a peasant could use the Golden Apple, the man just smiled without replying.
The elders response made Jiang Chen feel secretly relieved. Jacquardos smile without a reply meant he viewed Jiang Chen as an outsider. Hence, he thought Jiang Chen didnt know about the actual Golden Apple.
After finishing the entire roastedmb leg, the elder extinguished the bonfire and buried the now-meatless carcass into the ground before departing. He picked up a backpack losing its color and headed to the wooden cabin beside theke.
Perhaps his thoughts were somewhere else that time flew by as he realized he was now at the main building. When he arrived, Ccides was already waiting for him at the door.
Did you see master? When Jiang Chen stepped in front of him, the aged butler smiled courteously.
How did you know? Jiang Chen was curious.
The pine needles on your shoulder and roastedmb smell. Ccides smiled. Master Carmen and I have been reminding Master Jacquardo to eat less oily food, but he never listens to us. Lets not talk about this. Please take your suit off C it is not the Rothschild way to allow our guests to have mud on their pants.
So, Jiang Chen took a shower. A maid brought him clean clothes and took his dirty ones to be washed.
After Jiang Chen returned to the room, Ayesha immediately came to check on him. Although she didnt speak, he guessed what she was going to say from her blue eyes that could speak.
Dont worry. I just met an interesting person along the way and took a bit longer than expected. Jiang Chen rubbed her luscious hair and told her what happened on his way back.
...
Ayesha adjusted Jiang Chens cor and went up on her tiptoes to peck his lips. She looked him in the eyes andined in a quiet voice, Please dont eat food from strangers. If youre hungry, I can cook for you.
Dont worry; if I was anywhere else, Id be more careful. Jiang Chenughed.
The Rothschilds wouldnt do anything low such as poisoning people. The more they were in a position of influence and power, the more they would be wary about their feathers. Arge reason why the Rothschild family had their connections today was because of their way of treating guests.
Take a thousand steps back C even if someone wanted to poison him, normal poison would be useless on him.
Mhmm, Ayesha replied quietly.
Just today, renowned auto manufacturers from Europe and around the world gathered here. Walking inside the venue of the Ber Auto Exhibition, Carmen energetically told Jiang Chen, This is the Maybach EX ourpany recentlyunched. There are only five units avable, and one of them belongs to you.
Carmen smiled at Jiang Chen.
Maybach EX, with 5 models in production, was expected to sell for 4.2 million euros, equivalent to 28.66 million RMB. Based on their estimates, if he delivered the smart driving system before May, he would be gifted a unit.
The ck exterior cast an obsidian-like shine; the sleek design made the car look ferocious just from the appearance. Especially with a model beside the car, her gorgeous ck dress and elegant appearance entuated the Maybach EXs noble and mysterious temperament to create the most vivid perfection.
The model is not included. But with your wealth, it shouldnt be too difficult to bring her home with you. Perhaps Carmen noticed Jiang Chens gaze, so he used a half-joking voice.
Seeing Carmen and Jiang Chen walking together, the reporters immediately raised their cameras and captured a moment in their friendly conversation. Artifical intelligence always left people imaginative, and their imagination would usually be reflected in the stock price of thepany.
Speaking of which, whats the theme of the exhibition? Jiang Chen asked nonchntly while scanning the unique-looking supercars around the venue.
New energy and the future, Carmen said.
The future? Thats a deep theme. Jiang Chen noticed a car with a design simr to a car wheel. What drew his attention wasnt its design but that fact that it hovered half a meter above the ground.
The same as yourpany? Carmen joked.
Maglev vehicle? Jiang Chen gently touched the surface of the car as he entered deep thought.
This is only a concept vehicle. Dalmer created something simr before, but we dont think the future is too bright for this design due to difficulties in actual implementation. This vehicle could only be used on roads integrated with maglev tracks. And this kind of maglev road is ten thousand Euros per meter.
[Ten thousand Euros]
Jiang Chen made a crude estimate before a wry smile appeared on his face.
Considering theplicated highway system in Europe, it was indeed an astronomical number. But regarding the technical challenges faced by maglev vehicles, Jiang Chen personally didnt feel they were major since the Sixth Street Inner Circle was in the process of tackling those at the moment. With the way the speed of construction was moving, the costs wouldnt be too high.
I have to visit the Dalmer Corporation venue in a bit; just find me there when the time is right. Before meeting with the annoying reporters, I suggest you take a walk around first. Carmen smiled.
Go ahead.
After separating from Carmen, Jiang Chen continued to follow the signs at the venue. Along the way, his eyes were treated well. In order to attract the interest of potential investors, major autopanies dedicated much effort to the exhibition by showing beautiful showgirls as a secondarypetition.
Aside from the major auto manufacturers, a lot of smallerpanies came with their best efforts. If they could attract the interest of major capitals, they could avoid dealing with the gue-like venture capitalists and bankers.
The more isted the venue, the fewer the people, and the gue on the exhibition changed into more unknown manufacturers. Although the auto industry had rtively restricted entry, it didnt prevent smallerpanies without any decent products to participate in the exhibition.
Just then, at the corner of the venue, an ordinary-looking exhibition captured the attention of Jiang Chen. It wasnt because of how attractive the car looked, nor how powerful the vehicle imed to be, but it was because
Jiang Chen walked up and scanned the name.
A brand Jiang Chen never heard about. He was skeptical if Ruhrka even had a car manufacturing nt.
Just as Jiang Chen examined their exhibition, Ruhrka was also looking at him anxiously. Before the exhibition, he did his homework. It was a far stretch to say he knew all the invited guests, but at least he could easily recognize the one-hundred guests emphasized by the media.
Not to mention a famous individual like Jiang Chen.
To be frank, he almost lost all hope with theck of visitors at his exhibition. In the beginning, he convinced himself that it was because visitors didnt want to walk there. But after an hour, he gave up this futile selffort and let his employees go home first.
Since overtime was expensive for him.
But he didnt think hispany would attract Jiang Chens attention!
Due to his own nervousness, the sales pitch he prepared beforehandpletely disappeared from his head.
Just as he was about to introduce his own product, Jiang Chen spoke first.
Your booth doesnt even have a showgirl?
Chapter 511 - Financing Proposal
Chapter 511: Financing Proposal
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Rundi
Min ?Editor: Rundi
Chapter 513: Long time no see
Trantor: ?_Min_?Editor: ?Rundi
Long time no see.
Indeed, long time no see. Do you want a cup of coffee?
No need, I just want to take a look.
University of Bers library environment was elegant. Quite a number of students were studying around the tables, but the library was quiet. Jiang Chen was standing beside a bookshelf and opened an astronomy book with pictures.
Because Xie Lei was still in ss, he waited for a bit.
And at that time, a book caught his attention.
Precisely, a picture caught his attention.
Hows the life in Frankberg? To avoid disturbing other people, Jiang Chen tried to lower his tone.
Were living a great life. Xie Lins eyes have almost recovered; the hospital said they still need to observe for a few more days. I told her when she is discharged from the hospital, I will take her to New Swan Berg Thank you.
Compared to the teen with a pale face and skinny to the point where a gust of wind could blow him away, he was much taller and gained the liveness that belonged to his age.
Whether it was his growth or the genuine gratitude from his eyes, Jiang Chen was extremely pleased.
It meant that his investment was not wasted.
Helping the brother and sister was one of the few phnthropic things he did.
You dont need to thank me, Jiang Chens eyes didnt leave the book while he whispered.
Are you interested in astronomy?
Aerospace is within my investment interest, but I dont have too particr of an interest in astronomy Or rather, Im just interested in a particr. His thumb gently rubbed on the dark red.
It was different from the spherical body with one side green and one red side in his dream. This was dead.
Which one?
Gliese 581, 20.5 lightyears away from the sr system.
Whenever he saw the, Jiang Chen had the powerless feeling where he was doing futile work. Facing the battle-tested Harmony civilization that spent thousands of years in wars, even with the wrap engine paper, he still didnt have strong odds of winning.
If this world was destined for destruction, then Future Group and Celestial Trade would be pointless.
Of course, as long as a sliver of hope remained, he would not spell defeat.
Xie Lei searched for a while in his mind, but he didnt have any impression of the name.
Is this photo captured from a telescope? Jiang Chen asked seemingly withoutmon sense.
How is that possible Although the Hubble Telescope could captures hundreds of lightyears away, it would be impossible to capture the direct image of the. Some of the stars brightness is dim, and the brighter stars directly cover some. Most of the extrasrs are analyzed ording to the spectrum and other information to obtain theary environment, and then theary images are produced.
Is that so?... I didnt think you are so knowledgeable in this field.
[The war is half lost if there is no information about the invader, looks like it is time to find a more advanced telescope.]
My senior sister is part of the astronomy club, Xie Lei said.
Jiang Chen looked at him in surprise.
I noticed from before, but you seem to be very popr.
Xie Lei paused before he scratched his face, feeling shy.
Is it?
Hows your personalwork in the university?
Its okay.
I need some help.
No problem, Xie Lei answered sternly.
Dont be so nervous. It is nothing dangerous this time. Jiang Chen closed the book, stuffed it back onto the shelf, and handed him a piece of paper.
This is? Xie Lei looked at the paper in confusion.
Help me find some talent.
Mechanical, automation, electrical, nanotechnology, information technology there are so many fields. Why dont you just hire on campus?
Because Im not hiring them into a formal position. This is only a talent reserve or an investment in science. I require that the person must be moral and trustworthy, and must be interested in new technology with a strong ability to absorb knowledge Thats about it. You should know what type of people Im looking for, Jiang Chen said to Xie Lei.
Although Xie Lei was not too clear, he still nodded. Leave it up to me.
I know the requirements may be strict, but I also believe that you can ovee difficulties. Participate in events, get on the good side of your ssmates, understand the type of person they are, also it would be best if you be part of the student council. Study how to treat interpersonal rtionships. I sent you to university not only for you to learn aboutputers.
Jiang Chen then patted Xie Lei on the shoulder, I believe in you.
Xie Lei looked at him nkly.
Are there any other questions?
Nothing I just feel that you act like a father Xie Lei scratched his face.
Jiang Chen took a second to process this before he cursed out, What are you even thinking, I didnt
Please keep quiet in the library.
The librarian that appeared out of nowhere stared at Jiang Chen emotionlessly and spoke word by word in Han.
After being kicked out by the somewhat unreasonable librarian, Jiang Chens had a dumbfounded expression on his face. The good thing was there were no reporters hidden nearby, or he would be headline material again.
Fortunately, because there were bookshelves on both sides, no one noticed him when he left the librarys second floor.
Do you want to go to the coffee shop on the floor above? We can chat freely there.
No need, I should head out soon. You can go work on your own things now. Just remember the task I gave you. You have plenty of time toplete this. As to the necessary funding, just give me a number through text.
Its just making friends, does this mission need money? Xie Lei looked at Jiang Chen.
Money can win over people; it can also make people forget themselves.
Jiang Chen left with words with deep meanings. Encouragingly he patted Xie Lei on the shoulder and said goodbye to the teen.
When Jiang Chen left the library from the side door, he noticed quite a few students were looking at him. Although Europeans couldnt distinguish Asians quite well, because of his recent publicity, a number of them recognized him.
A female student even courageous walked up to ask for a selfie to upload onto Twitter.
Jiang Chen couldnt resist her energy and satisfied the wish of the fan and forced a smile at the camera. Just as she was sending the twitter in excitement, Jiang Chen didnt stop long and headed to the garage of the library.
Go back to the manor.
Mhmm. Ayesha nodded and started the car.
Ber was the capital of the state of Bava, but the Rothschild manor was located?in the rural area to the east. When they returned, it was already dark. Ccides ordered the kitchen to prepare food for them.
Perhaps because they knew that Jiang Chen would depart the day after tomorrow, the food the kitchen prepared was extravagant.
With the majority of his day spent outside and a tableful of food, Jiang Chen was prepared to feast.
After dinner, Jiang Chen took a bath and then returned to the bedroom.
After attending the exhibition, the primary purpose of the Frankberg trip was achieved. Based on his n, he will take Ayesha for a tour of Ber; the perfect conclusion to the trip.
Since he was tired and wanted to wake up on time, Jiang Chen went to bed early.
But just as he was about to doze off, his phone began to ring.
He picked up the phone and first nced at the time.
It was already nine at night, who would call him?
Unknown Caller.
Hesitating, Jiang Chen pressed the pickup button.
Chapter 514 - For the Country
Chapter 514: For the Country
Trantor: ?_Min_?Editor: ?Rundi
Bava is one of therger states in Frankberg, the state capitals Bers political and economic status was only second to the capital of Frankberg. Its basic infrastructure and educational resources are among the frontier in Europe. The Ber Industrial University and other top education institutions are among the top destinations for international students.
Among the individual circles among international student, the Hua international students were among the biggest and the most united among the other organizations. With the Hua Student Organization as the biggest among the universities, it even posed an influence onto the Hua circle in Frankberg.
When the Student Organization Leader Chen Yuqiao saw Jiang Chen was invited by Daimler Corporation to participate in the Ber Auto Exhibition on October 31st, she immediately had an idea. It was the perfect opportunity as the organization was nning an university level student event. If they could invite the Oriental Bill Gates to speak a few words, it would be a huge boost to the organization among international students and even to those outside of the sphere of influence.
At the same time, as the leader of the organization, it would be a prominent experience on her resume.
Other than that, she still had other ns. She studied Economics and International Trades at the University of Ber. Her grades were exception enough to work in Frankberg, but due to the economic downturn in Europe, she was not pleased with the sries with thepanies she contacted. As someone heading into fourth year, she needed a n for her future.
Future Technology was expanding its international presence. The investors were not the only ones who were confident with Future Groups future, job seekers with foresight were also confident. If she could demonstrate her organization ability in front of Future Groups president, it would indeed be an option in her future job searching.
But what troubled her was how to contact Jiang Chen.
Until a twitter from her friend caught her attention.
It was a selfie. The background of the selfie was the side door of the university library. The man on the phone was exactly Jiang Chen, and that student happened to take on a role in the student union. Since the student union had a friendly rtionship with the student organization, she followed her twitter.
What a coincidence!
When she saw the twitter, she immediately rushed to the library and asked the librarian if she had seen Jiang Chen. Unfortunately, the fifty years old librarian didnt follow anything else other than the library itself, so she had no impression of the name Jiang Chen. But when she showed the photo on Twitter, the librarian immediately realized.
It was the guy that got kicked up because of excessive noise in the library.
Although Chen Yuqiao was dumbfounded by the fact the librarian kicked Jiang Chen out, she still patiently inquired about the situation from the stubborn elder.
When she heard that a male student met with Jiang Chen, she immediately used her rtionship in the student body to obtain video footage to determine that the male students name was Xie Lei.
Xie Lei seemed to rarely participate in student organization events, so his name didnt appear in the student organizations list. But it was okay; she somehow obtained his contact information from the student union.
Although she knew it may be too intrusive, she gritted her teeth and called the number on the guardian information.
Hello? Jiang Chen picked up the phone.
Hello, are you Mr. Jiang Chen? Chen Yuqiao tried her best not to sound nervous.
Thats right. And you are? A young voice that Jiang Chen had no impression of.
When she received the affirmative answer, she was ecstatic.
My name is Chen Yuqiao, the leader of the Han Student Organization
Chen Yuqiao politely exined that she wished to invite Jiang Chen as a special guest to give a speech at the international student g for a few words on artificial intelligence, virtual reality, or the industrys future.
Although she practiced multiple times in front of the mirror, Chen Yuqiao still felt anxious. On the other side of the phone was the owner of a one hundred billion dor techpany and his investment stretched beyond the border of the inte, from nutrient supply to deep water mining, the footsteps of Future Group spanned through different industries.
But Jiang Chens response exhrated her.
My flight is the day after tomorrow in the afternoon, is tomorrow night okay?
No problem! Well adjust our time ordingly, thank you so much! Chen Yuqiao couldnt stop thanking him over the phone.
Jiang Chen only smiled.
Since he had no specific ns for the entire day tomorrow, there was nothing wrong with participating in the international student g. Especially a speech given by the Future Groups president at a top education institution would increase Future Groups influence among the students. Future Groups future employees will be hidden amongst them.
No need, but dont have your hopes too high. Im just here to say a few words.
It is our honor for you to be here!
After hanging up the phone, Chen Yuqiao was relieved.
He agreed? Although the response on the leaders face already told him the answer, the vice president on the side still asked to confirm.
Mhmm, its done! She restricted the excitement in her mind and blissfully nodded.
Qu Youcheng, contact the sponsors and school media and push forward the date of the g to tomorrow night.
Do we have time? The venue is not prepared yet. Qu Youcheng was troubled.
Then prepare it.
Jiang Chen didnt mind the intrusive invitation and the fact that he took time out of his busy schedule to attend the g was already very nice of him.
Li Wei, youre responsible for contacting the school and changing the lecture hall reservation to the grass field in front of the West Church.
Would the school agree?
They will, Chen Yuqiao said with certainty.
Li Wei nodded and rushed out. She remembered the professor responsible for this location reservation had a ss that night and his research happened to be in artificial intelligence. If they invited Jiang Chen to give a speech at the g, changing the location would not be difficult at all.
Perhaps the professor would attend the lecture himself.
Just as the student organization was busy preparing for the g, a protest erupted in front of the Ber Opera two streets down from the Industrial University of Ber. But in the country where protests weremon, it was an ordinary scene.
People raised the photo of the women that died of r*pe because of the refugees over the past half a year and marched along the road in front of the opera. They chanted to deport the refugees and protested against the wrongful decisions made by the government.
The people willing to help had an epting attitude half a year ago since it was easy for St. Mary to be born from a high benefit society. The people at the start pressed the government to push out policies to ept the poor people into the wall and protested the hanging of pig heads on the neighboring countries border.
Just in half a year of time, they tasted their own medicine.
With the benefits diluted, the crime rate skyrocketing, and the drop in the employment rate, what would a bunch of poor people with nothing to do do together? Especially outside of the wall, it was the prosperous world.
Make them go back to their own country! Frankberg is not the welfare home of the world!
Get out of Frankberg!
They must pay for the people that died.
The protestors gathered steam, but they were rather peaceful. The police in bulletproof vest only stood on the side and watched the protestors from afar. Tomorrow, the Frankberg President would head to the opera with the Austria President. Maximum security was enacted around the opera.
The police didnt disperse the protestors to prevent idents from urring to interfere with the event tomorrow. As long as they didnt approach the opera, as long as the protestors maintained rationality
Among the crowd, two young males stood together.
Is it time?
It is time.
A hooked nose male solemnly stared at the name of the deceased as he pulled up the scarf around his neck.
For Frankberg.
He left the words to his buddy, turned around, and disappeared into the crowd.
His friend gazed at his back.
For Frankberg.
Chapter 515 - Actors are ready
Chapter 515: Actors are ready
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The next morning, after Jiang Chen and Ayesha had breakfast in the dining room, they went to the garage. They had a free day today as Jiang Chen wanted to take the girl for a tour around Ber, and then attend the g at night at the university.
Ayesha had been preparing for this datest night. After waking up, she tried on a few different sets of clothes before finally choosing a ck cotton dress and high bottom boots. She also put on light makeup toplete her ensemble.
Because it was personal time, Jiang Chens style was casual. He put on a grey trench coat outside of his shirt before leaving while holding her hand.
On the way to the garage, they bumped into Carmen in surprise as he was chatting with a man in a brown jacket. The reason why he was surprised because he remembered Carmen didnt live in the manor.
They quickly ended the conversation as the unfamiliar man briskly left. Just before he turned around, he noticed Jiang Chen and Ayesha, but his eyes just stopped on Jiang Chen for a second before he left.
Although it was a nce, Jiang Chen felt something that made him feel ufortable.
He smelled chaos.
When Carmen saw Jiang Chen, his eyes lit up, and he walked up with a smile.
Are you nning to leave?
Mhmm, we are nning to take a tour around the city since were departing tomorrow. Jiang Chen smiled.
Your flight tomorrow is when?
Nine in the morning, is there something wrong?
Of course not. I hope you have fun here. Carmen smiled, paused, and then he added, Donte back toote.
Without too many more words, Carmen stated that he still had things to take care, so they parted ways.
vic, Just then, Ayesha abruptly said.
Mhmm? Jiang Chen was confused.
That man just then is a mercenary Mhmm?
Ayesha didnt finish speaking yet before Jiang Chen put his hand on her head.
With her face turning red, she looked at Jiang Chen, puzzled.
Dont overthink today, its rare for us to go on a tour. Jiang Chen gently rubbed her hair.
Feeling the warmth on her head, Ayesha shyly buried her head.
The Rothschild family was obviously nning something, but it shouldnt be targeted toward him. The more powerful, the warier of their feathers. Disregarding the fact that Jiang Chen reached an agreement with Luke, even if Jiang Chen made up his mind to stand on the opposing side against Vale, BHP, and other metal giants, they wouldnt take any actions in Frankberg.
Since it had nothing to do with him, he didnt need to mind that much.
But Carmens donte back toote was worth pondering.
Would something happen at night?
Compared to the prosperity days earlier, the streets of Ber were particrly quiet today. It was daytime, but there were only a few pedestrians. While all the stores were open, there was rarely a soul inside. It was not until they approached the city center did the situation change.
Jiang Chen parked the car in the parking lot at the entrance of the pedestrian street and took Ayeshas hand before he smelt something odd. But when he thought that he was going to leave tomorrow, he didnt think too much of it.
The solemnness lingering on the street didnt influence the twos date. Ayesha held Jiang Chens arm along the way. From the smile on her face, Jiang Chen could see she was happy. They spent the entire morning walking among the malls in Ber while buying bags and bags of clothes.
As to thenguage barrier, it was nothing to worry about, Jiang Chens phone was installed with a real-time trantion software.
At noon, Jiang Chen took Ayesha to a randomly selected restaurant, sat near the window, and ordered two steaks and drinks. The violin in the restaurant was graceful, perhaps because of the ambiance, Ayesha was particrly timid. The two enjoyed lunch while they chatted about their ns for the afternoon.
Just as they were halfway through their lunch, two men sat down at a table near them. From their appearance, they looked like employees from the nearby office buildings. When Jiang Chen heard their conversation, Jiang Chen finally learned that an anti-refugee protest erupted in front of the Ber Opera.
The days wont be too peaceful.
Yes. A man in buzzcut sighed.
What ended up happening in the protest yesterday?
The mayor said that he would pressure the council to pass the bill to restrict the intake of refugees. He said thisst month, but what was the result?
The damn humanitarianism Why dont these locusts go to other countries? Fu*k
Jiang Chen pressed the phone screen and closed the trantion softwares shing words; then he looked worriedly at Ayesha. Seeing that she didnt look too upset, he was more relieved.
Its okay. Ayesha sensed the care in Jiang Chens eyes and gently smiled.
Is it really okay?
Mhmm. Ayesha nodded and used the fork in her hand to y with a small tomato.
Because its something without a solution.
The dusk started to fade and night began to settle. A goldenyer gilded the dome of the opera. The protestors with signs marched forward. Yesterdays protest was just a warning and today was the main event. If the current regime continued to use their ambiguity, the Bava citizens would use action to tell the federal council about their dissatisfaction with their decision.
Today was the day of the Frankberg president and Austria presidents diplomatic meeting.
Even for the powerful, they still needed to do something to assure the public opinion out of consideration of their political status.
But the protestors clearly wrongfully estimated the situation, not everyone was extreme, or with foresight. The protestors in front of the opera ounted for less than 1% of the Ber citizens. At least for now, the Social Justice Warriors had the upper advantage as more people feltpassionate toward the refugees than the people that disdained them.
Before the fleet of the two presidents arrived, the fully equipped police force used tear bomb to peacefully disperse the protestors, captured the leaders, and the mayhem quickly concluded. To ensure safety, Frankberg even mobilized its military force to maintain order.
Not even a fly could fly inside the opera.
Quickly, ten ck cars stopped in front of the opera. A man with a triangr face and a skinny man walked out simultaneously from two of the cars. With the crowd of reporters, they shook hands and walked into the opera while chatting.
Frankberg President Yosim Gunde and Austria President Haingzi. Behind the two was the Frankberg Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister of Economy and Energy Evelyn, as well as the Austria Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.
Such a high standard of the meeting was the first this year between the two governments. In the afternoon, the two sides have reached a consensus on economic cooperation and the growing refugee problem. And tonight they will watch the opera performances with the audience with the purpose to consolidate the diplomatic results in the afternoon.
At the same time, three streets down in the Empire Hotel, Carmen stood in front of the French window in the presidential suite on the top floor. He gazed at the golden dome of the opera with a ss of wine in hand.
The door behind him opened and Johnson walked up to him.
The actors are ready.
A curvature appeared on Carmens lips.
Perfect.Then let the performance begin.
He raised the hand with wine and gently toasted the reflection of the opera in the window.
Chapter 516 - The Show has Begun
Chapter 516: The Show has Begun
Trantor: ?_Min_?Editor: ?Caron_
The opera house was full of people in addition to the two presidents and government officials; Frankberg citizens and invited business elites were among the people attending the show. Sitting in a VIP booth, Sim Gorde looked at the packed crowd below him. He couldnt help but smile.
Frankberg was a parliamentary system; although the federal President represented Frankberg internally and externally, the real power was in the parliament and appointed Prime Minister. The main duties of the President in the House were only to sign and publish the bills passed by the parliament as well as thews and regtions signed by the Federal Minister, but he had no veto power. The Prime Minister was the head of state, but he was only a representative figure.
Even the President only really tasted power during diplomatic meetings.
The light illuminated the opera house. The baton swayed as harmonious music drifted down from the stage with the audience immersed in the melody. The performance today was from the world famous Mino Orchestra from Vienna.
The deputy Prime Minister, Evelyn Gillwick, was sitting behind Sim. He looked up at the clock on the wall, pulled the tie around his cor, and moved closer to the Presidents ear.
Mr. Sim, I have anothermitment in a bit C is it okay if I leave you here alone?
...
Sims eyebrows furrowed as the act of being excluded from formal functions made him extremely displeased.
Amitment? What kind ofmitment? Howe I dont know about this?
Its a private function. My alma mater is hosting a seminar and I reserved front row seats.
When Sim heard it was a private function, Sims eyebrows were no longer furrowed. He gently coughed and took on the role of a President.
You can go; just leave this ce to me.
Evelyn expressed his apologies to the Austrian President and Deputy Prime Minister then immediately departed. The moment he stepped out of the opera, he felt relieved.
To the University of Ber. Quick, the g will start in ten minutes. Evelyn scanned the security in the area as he instructed his assistant.
Outside the University of Ber church, it was packed with people. Although it was a Han student g, when people heard that the chief designer of Future 1.0 and president of Future Group, Jiang Chen, would attend the g and deliver a speech during the opening ceremony, people other than students showed up.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend this g out of such a sudden request. We didnt think so many people would show up. Inside the small church, Chen Yuqiao kept thanking Jiang Chen.
No worries C it was my honor to receive your invitation. Jiang Chen smiled.
When Chen Yuqiao received Jiang Chens affirmation, a relieved smile appeared on her face.
With arge crowd outside the church, Ayesha looked tensed.
Do we not need to worry about security concerns? What if
No need to worry. Jiang Chen tried tofort the worried Ayesha.
The four Celestial Trades bodyguards were already stationed at the four corners of the venue. Jiang Chen was wearing a carbon Nano bulletproof vest on him and Ayesha was with him as backup; he wasnt worried at all.
The church bell rang and struck six oclock.
The members of the student organization, school officials, and special guest, Jiang Chen, all entered the venue. The MC introduced a few things before immediately handing the microphone to Jiang Chen.
With microphone in hand, Jiang Chen calmly stepped onto the stage.
He faced a simr situation countless times already, so having arger audience wouldnt affect his state of mind.
Im surprised there are so many of you in the audience; I thought I would only have to say a few things in order to meet the demands of your student leader, but now I have to be more serious.
As Jiang Chen spoke, he jokingly made a funny face.
He waited for a moment for the friendlyughter and pping to die down before he continued.
All of your academic qualifications are probably higher than mine, not to mention your professional knowledge. Your professor Graeme knows much more than I do, and many of your ssmates grades are still in his hands.
Hearing Jiang Chen mention his name, Professor Graeme cast a surprised expression then gave Jiang Chen a friendly smile. It was a consensus that Future Technology reced IBM as the leader in artificial intelligence application. For Professor Graeme to be recognized by the chief designer of Future 1.0 was a demonstration of his abilities.
Then well talk about something that concerns all of you- Jiang Chen paused to build up suspense then he waved a phone that didnt resemble any current brand and ced it on the podium. ...technology.
Just as the audience was waiting for Jiang Chen to continue, a shocking scene appeared.
The blue photo particles rose from the phones camera to form two three-dimensional light curtains that looked extremely realistic. The curtain hovered beside Jiang Chen. When Jiang Chen slowly opened both his hands, he elevated the two screens gently.
The audience waspletely stunned to the point of forgetting to p. Whether it was the dean or Professor Graeme, everyones eyes widened at the sci-fi scene. It wasnt that they never witnessed hologram technology before, but it was the first time they saw hologram technology that allowed human interaction.
And that wasnt the most important thing. All functions were achieved through a palm-sized phone!
Gradually, the audience became louder and finally broke out into excited cheers. The reporters outside the venue shouted as they expressed their shock in front of the camera.
Hows technology changing our lives? Jiang Chen looked at the pairs of stunned eyes as he spoke in Han.
The hologram screens on both sides tranted his words in real time to English and Frankish. The audience gasped, but they couldnt further demonstrate their astonishment because the previous scene already shocked them to the fullest.
The same question circled in everyones mind C how did Future Technology do it?!
This is how science is changing our lives.
Jiang Chen knew it was impossible to leave a deep impression on the university students with just a few sentences.
But technology could!
For these young people, advanced technology could leave a deeper impressionpared to money. He knew someone must be taking photos in the audience, so his speech would definitely be uploaded online for more people to watch.
This would be a hiring advertisement for Future Technology!
The phone was Yao Yaos?masterpiece C not only did it include all the functions of a smartphone, but it also implemented modules for hologramputers. Although his demonstration just showed basic functions of a hologramputer, he had no problem stunning the modern people who didnt know anything.
I know everyone has a lot of questions C for example, whats so special about my phone, and how did Future Group create such an astonishing product? Of course, allow me to pass on the question and build suspense. Since this isnt a productunch from Future Technology and the smartphone in my hands is only in a conceptual stage, perhaps it will be introduced in the next two years.
The emergence of an epoch-making technology can bring subversive changes to our daily life. Like the steam engine two centuries ago, the internalbustion engine a century ago, and theputers at the end of thest century, the smartphone in everyones pocket will follow the same path.
I once stressed the importance of science and technology not because Future Groups current investments are all concentrated in these cutting-edge technologies, but because it involves each of our futures...
On the stage, Jiang Chen passionately demonstrated his speech skills andid out the blueprints for the future.
From virtual reality to the connection from the virtual to the real world, from new energy vehicles to the existence of maglev in science fiction, the audience had been shocked by the technology he showed. When they heard Jiang Chens interpretation of the future, the students didnt raise the slightest objection.
The church bells rang indicating it was seven oclock; an hour had gone by without notice, but the crowd present didnt sense the slightest passage of time. In the picture depicting the future described by Jiang Chen, a virtual reality scene subconsciously surfaced in everyones brains.
Perhaps because they had really seen it and because his words seemed especially convincing that the listeners felt he spoke the truth.
At the conclusion of his speech, overwhelming apuse rang out.
In the face of this apuse, Jiang Chens mouth couldnt help but slowly smile.
He knew the intended effect had been achieved. In any case, the name Future Group had been engraved in the hearts of these students. These people would be graduates from top universities and they would also be the source of talent for Future Group. Even if Jiang Chen could bring back advanced technology from the future, these technologies had to be digested and understood by people.
In a short time...is it really possible to achieve it? The audience couldnt hold their thoughts longer.
Jiang Chen didnt care about this abrupt statement as looked at the audience. He smiled and said.
Whether its going to be a short time or long time, I dont know.?But if you join us, the time will certainly shorten by a lot.
The poser of the question sat back down with a?red face. Even nonchnt words were still great encouragement. Of course, how the future would turn out wasnt something Jiang Chen could forecast.
Jiang Chen gave the microphone back to Chen Yuqiao who was waiting by the side. Her expression when she took the microphone suggested she was still in shock. The organizers of the g could see that students were desperate for Jiang Chen to speak longer.
After walking off the stage, Jiang Chen headed toward the back of the church. But this time, a middle-aged man in a suit walked toward him and extended his right hand with a smile. Behind him also followed two seemingly powerful bodyguards and a secretary carrying a briefcase. From the manspanions, it was easy to guess his extraordinary identity.
Amazing speech.
Thank you for the praise. May I ask your name? Jiang Chen shook his hand.
Evelyn Gillwick, Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Frankberg and the Minister of Economy and Energy. Evelyn cleared his throat and spoke with friendliness.
Chapter 517 - The Tragedy
Chapter 517: The Tragedy
Trantor: ?_Min_?Editor: ?Caron_
The clock at the church struck seven oclock.
In the opera house, two streets past the University of Ber, the sound of the melodious symphony echoed. The Kermen Orchestra from Vienna, Austria delivered a spectacr performance. Under the direction of the concertmaster, all musicians bowed to the audience.
Taking advantage of the intermission, Sim and the Austrian president sitting at the top of the opera house happily chatted with each other.
Very good performance; Evelyn will regret his early departure.
Ill pass yourpliments to the band and theyll be honored at praiseing from the President of Frankberg, the Austrian president said. Whats the next show?
Its Opera: Turandot, the masterpiece of the famous Italianposer, Gio Pini, yed by the Ber National Orchestra. You can look forward to the next show. Sim crossed his legs as he rambled on in a lighthearted fashion.
The curtains opened again and a bonfire lit the stage. With a horn-like tune, the actors dressed like nomads filed out from behind the scenes. Beautiful but cold Yuan Dynasty Princess Turandot solemnly ordered her people: if a man could guess her three riddles, she would marry him.
Countless admirers fell at the soldiers knives. With a smoke curtain, a chaotic atmosphere was created vividly.
At this point, a young man wearing ck armor with a covered face carrying a ck towel and violin case unhurriedly stepped onto the stage. Originally immersed in the opera, Sim frowned slightly as he didnt remember such a violinist debuting in Turandot.
On the stage, two soldiers came forward and put swords to his neck, just like the previous martyrs. Looking at the young man, Turandots frozen but elegant face looked surprised; she didnt remember a scene like this in the plot.
The masked young man smiled and opened the violin case...
And then he calmly took out the the MP7 submachine gun hidden in the case!
Before anyone could react, he shot down the soldier in front of him and shouted a chant to the Holy War.
All
At the same time, he pressed the trigger with a menacing smile.
Blood sttered in the air.
The deafening screams suppressed the sound of bullets. Without any shield to protect them, the audience in the front row quickly copsed from the wave of bullets. The music of the opera came to a halt as the actors rushed backstage into the emergency exit tunnel in a panic.
Then they encountered another terrorist who opened the safety with a menacing smile
The opera house was inplete mayhem. Men abandoned their femalepanions, and women dropped their heels. Just as everyone flooded toward the door, a warrior stood up to protect the women and children, but he soon died under the gunfire of the attacker.
Sim, sitting in a VIP seat, ducked under the table. The two bodyguards beside the President immediately took out their pistols and stationed themselves at the door to the room.
Dammit, whats going on? There cant be an anti-terrorist drill in the middle of the opera? The Austrian President hid behind the sofa and spoke with an ashen face.
This isnt a joke. Dont worry, the security force of Frankberg is just outside. While Sims expression didnt look any better, he was calm.
As the President, even if he didnt have too much decision-making power, he still knew how much money the National Defense Department spent each year on anti-terrorism. The soldiers from the security forces were the elites of?the elite. In this world, they could easily deal with a few terrorists!
Just as the two Presidents and the Deputy Prime Minister were waiting to be rescued, the outside was inplete chaos.
The Ber Opera House was attacked by terrorists. There are a total of six gunmen. I repeat
The police and special forces stationed outside the opera house immediately stormed in and engaged in heavy gunfire with the terrorist. The smoke rms rang, guns constantly fired, and the situation was in disarray.
Fortunately, the security force was there; they were the elites of Frankberg.
Unfortunately, the terrorists took the employees and actors as hostages. Even if the security force wasposed of elites, they still had to be wary.
Nelson, what are your people still waiting for?! They only have six people C attack now! Rushing to the scene, Casper grabbed a walkie-talkie and tookmand but he couldnt with his wig that flew away in front of the media as he roared into the walkie-talkie.
Sir, but they took the opera theater crew as hostages- Crouching in the bunker, Nelson calmly reported to hismander.
Fool! Ill give you 2 minutes to fight to get inside!
...
But sir, there are 57 hostages inside.
Yes, but they are terrorists and our President is inside! So is the Austrian President! Attack, now!
Roger.
Nelson took a deep breath then clenched his fists at his troops before swinging his fist down fiercely, signaling amand to attack.
With an order like this, there was no need for concern. Even with all 57 hostages dying, they had to rescue the two Presidents.
Attackmence!
In the grass field in front of the small church at the University of Ber, the g still continued. But followed by the departures of other students, domestic students began to depart as well. When the irrelevant students and reporters all left, the grass field immediately looked a lot emptier.
At the same time, at the side door of the small church:
Jiang Chen let go of Evelyns hand and looked at him with questions in his eyes.
Its nice to meet you, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister. Do you have any questions?
I dont have any questions; Im just stunned by the blueprints to the future in Mr. Jiang Chens speech, so I really wanted to take the opportunity to talk to you. Tonight, Im here as an alumnus to the University of Ber, so please just call me Evelyn. Evelyn gave him a friendly smile.
The Frankberg Deputy Prime Minister was extremely talkative and Jiang Chen was happy to develop a rtionship with key government officials as they began to chat. Regarding VR, AR technology, and Future Groups ns to expand into pure electric vehicles mentioned in Jiang Chens speech, the Deputy Prime Minister graduated from a science background disyed rich interest.
Just as they began to discuss potential investments, the assistant behind him took a phone call before his expression drastically changed. He hung up the phone, walked to Evelyn with hasty steps, and whispered into his ear.
When Evelyn heard these words, his expression shifted immediately before looking apologetically at Jiang Chen.
Regretfully,our conversation must end now C there is a small situation outside.
Its okay. Its important to take care of business. Jiang Chen smiled.
Watching Evelyn and the group leaving, Jiang Chen began to frown. Although he didnt understand Franish, from the whisper to Evelyn, Jiang Chen sensed something was off.
He then recollected Carmen telling him toe home early as an ominous feeling lingered in his mind.
Hello, are you Mr. Jiang Chen?
Just then, he heard broken Han from behind him.
Jiang Chen turned around and looked at the slim and tall man.
The messy hair reflected an oily reflection under the light. The darkness under his eyes was either his deep eye sockets or dark eye bags. Other than the fervor shing in his pupils, he didnt look energetic at all.
I am. You are?
Amos Kimberly, Ph.D., of the University of Ber. The man smiled shyly, exposing a mouth full of white teeth. He held out his hand and grabbed Jiang Chen. Its about what you mentioned in your speech earlier C basic and intermediate, Advanced artificial intelligence grading C can I ask about it more in detail? Why are logical responses, selfpliance, emotions and the artificial intelligence grading standards? Can you borate on this?
Have I mentioned it? Jiang Chen was surprised.
Amos nodded with certainty. He was sure he didnt miss a single word.
[Looks like I was too passionate]
With the ardent expression on Amos face, Jiang Chen was slightly troubled.
Most of todays artificial intelligence programs remain at the logical response level. Whether its IBM or Future Group, the use of artificial intelligence is at this level. Program based on human logic rules to determine a logical response. This is basic artificial intelligence and the safest artificial intelligence.
I cannot agree with you on one point. In the forefront of science and technology, there are already many research results that couldplete the selfplied function and even simte human emotions. Amos raised some objections.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment before he said:
Its normal for you to have disagreements since standards are determined by humans. But here I have to correct your point of view C what I said was that selfpliance is not the kind of selfpliance in the broad sense. How should I describe it? You can interpret it as thinking. Not thinking to provide services for humans or toplete tasks set by humans, but the thinking you and I are doing right now. Are you sure current technology can do that now?
To Jiang Chens question, Amos evidently paused and began to think.
After a moment of silence, he abruptly asked.
Then did you manage to do it?
Jiang Chen let out a sigh.
Sorry, Mr. Amos, these are corporate secrets; I cant tell you more.
Then, with Amos disappointed expression, Jiang Chen paused, smiled and took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to him
If you are interested, you can join us. We cant give you the technical knowledge free of charge, but if youre willing to share your knowledge for our ideals, we wee you to join us.
After he finished, Jiang Chen disregarded Amoss stunned expression, turned and walked toward the small church.
Chapter 518 - National Blockade
Chapter 518: National Blockade
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
When he returned to the church, Jiang Chen refused all media interviews and took Ayesha in the ck Benz with the vehicle of the four bodyguards following close behind in the direction of the university gate. But at the gate, they were gged down by the police.
When Jiang Chen rolled down his window and asked the security, he was informed that there was a curfew on the street and the surrounding area had beenpletely quarantined.
Jiang Chen noticed the polices eyes lingered for a long time on Ayeshas face.
The university gate was surrounded by a sizable crowd. To prevent idents from urring, the police began to assist security in dispersing the traffic. From the armored vehicles roaming outside to the helicopters hovering above, Jiang Chen started to realize the severity of the situation.
Jiang Chen asked Ayesha to drive the car to the parking lot beside the library as he immediately took off his seatbelt.
Ayesha also prepared to leave the car, but Jiang Chen immediately put his hand on her hand.
Wait in the car. Ill be back in a moment.
But
Ill scope out the situation outside. Listen to me. Jiang Chen gently squeezed her hand tofort her before getting out of the car.
Instincts told him that something severe might have happened outside, like a terrorist attack.
Ayeshas identity was quite sensitive to the situation; although she was Jiang Chens assistant and bodyguard, it was hard to ensure that the nationalists who lost all rationality wouldnt do something extreme to her at this critical period of time.
In order to prevent unnecessary trouble, it was better for Ayesha to not expose herself.
Perhaps she read something from Jiang Chens eyes that Ayesha lowered her head in remorse.
Sorry, Im causing you trouble.
You dont need to apologize. Both Jiang Chens hands leaned against the door as he looked at her tenderly. Just leave this to me.
Aforted smile emerged on her face.
Mhmm.
He ordered two bodyguards to stay in the car while he took the other two to rush to the church. But when he arrived at the grass field in front of the church, the g had been suspended.
Beside the wooden table of the church, the student organization leader Chen Yuqiao stared at the empty venue with an urge to cry. She wanted to use the speech delivered by Jiang Chen to host an unprecedented Han student g.
But reality pulled a prank on her.
Not long after Jiang Chens speech ended, the opera house two streets down was attacked by terrorists. The Frankberg government not only sent in their army but a state of emergency was also dered through media and a curfew was established in Ber.
With this status quo, the g was obviously canceled.
What exactly happened outside? Jiang Chen walked up to Chen Yuqiao.
Chen Yuqiao smiled bitterly. Before she spoke, the vice director looked at Jiang Chen and said with an apologetic tone:
Just 15 minutes ago, the Ber Opera House was attacked by terrorists. The streets have been closed down and put under lockdown Social media tforms have been flooded with news of the attack. As she spoke, she showed him her phone screen.
Just then, Jiang Chens phone rang.
Xia Shiyus anxious voice immediately came through. The moment she found out about Frankbergs terrorists attack, she immediately thought of Jiang Chen who was attending the auto exhibition in Frankberg.
How are you doing there? AreAre you okay?
News of the attack was already transmitted to the rest of the globe which made Jiang Chen think back to the Fran attack earlier that year. It was a simr situation since Frans government closed their borders. Based on the situation outside, his flight was probably going to be dyed.
Be calm, Im okay. You know, I dont have such an artistic tendency to watch operas. Jiang Chen did his best to use a casual tone tofort Xia Shiyu before he continued. But the situation outside isnt looking so good, so my return flight is probably going to be dyed.
When Xia Shiyu heard Jiang Chen was safe, her tense heart finally felt relieved.
As long as youre okay. You have to be careful there.
Although Jiang Chen was confident he would be fine, his heart still warmed up when he heard Xia Shiyus caring words.
Dont worry; Im safe on this side.
Jiang Chen hung up the phone and hesitated a while before he called the Xin Embassy in Frankberg to inquire about the status outside. Then he called Carmen Rothschild.
When the phone connected, Carmens voice came through.
Good evening, my friend. Since you called at this time I guess you must be outside.
Im at the University of Ber. Jiang Chen let out a sigh.
The University of Ber? Okay, Ill immediately arrange for people to pick you up In around two hours, since its not safe outside, Carmen said.
Although there were a lot of things Jiang Chen wanted to ask, he resisted the temptation in the end.
While he didnt have any direct evidence, from Carmens reaction in the morning and the calmness in this voice now, the Rothschilds were clearly connected to this attack in some way. But what Jiang Chen didnt understand was: what did they have to gain out of it?
[Could it be]
The cloudiness in his head suddenly had a hint of rity.
Are you listening? Seeing as Jiang Chen had no reaction, Carmen probed him.
Mhmm Please and thank you.
Its nothing, I have a good rtionship with the Deputy, so he will pick you up in a bit. Im truly sorry; your flight tomorrow may be dyed. Carmen used an apologetic tone.
Frankberg will close its borders? Jiang Chen asked.
Five minutes ago, the parliament enacted emergency protocols and the borders will be shut for three days, Carmen said.
His left fist pressed against the wall as Jiang Chen cursed.
What a disaster.
Thats right. Mhmm, the two cars can be parked in the garage of the library. Ill send people to pick them up tomorrow.
Jiang Chen hung up the phone and watched the student organization leader Chen Yuqiao walking in his direction.
Im sorry that such a thing happened; the school is closed. We can provide housing for you if you need. Chen Yuqiao bowed down apologetically.
No need to trouble you guys, someone will pick me up soon. Jiang Chen smiled and signaled it was unnecessary to apologize.
Chen Yuqiao didnt insist further.
But just as Jiang Chen was prepared to leave, she anxiously asked him.
Although she already had Jiang Chens phone number, it was through an improper method and she used the offices phone to call Jiang Chen. If possible, she wanted to use the opportunity to properly exchange phone numbers with Jiang Chen.
To store on her personal phone.
Could-could I please get your number?
Jiang Chen took a moment to process her request before he smiled.
Of course.
Because he still had two hours, Jiang Chen didnt directly return to the library after leaving the church. Instead, he first called Xie Lei. When he was aware of what was going on in the hospital, Jiang Chen felt reassured.
Jiang Chen didnt see him for the entire duration of the trip but he was worried about the little guy. When he knew he was safe, Jiang Chen hung up the phone and headed to the university gates.
Currently, there was still arge crowd outside the gates. Although the police helped disperse most of the crowd, a lot of non-university personnel and students who lived off-campus surrounded the gate, shouting that they wanted to go home.
When Jiang Chen walked to the edge of the crowd, he obtained information about the outside.
Its rumored that the refugeesunched a terrorist attack C I knew those people were bad. Look what they brought from the Middle East! Crime, garbage, and now terrorism People who let them in the borders must be crazy.
I heard Sim and the Austrian President are all inside; I wonder what the situation is now.
Quick! Look at this Twitter, three minutes ago Oh, Dear God, our President, our President died!
Someone blew a whistle. Aha, I bet the boys from the Gulf yed themselves this time.
Someone roared in indignation, Why did they do it? God, were we not kind enough to them?
Someone shook their head. Who knows? You can never understand what religious madmen are thinking. We always tolerate them, but they seem to always want more.
Hearing all this conversation, Jiang Chen obtained a general understanding of the situation and turned back in the direction of the library.
The Ber Opera House was attacked by terrorists.
The German president was killed.
All this was probably rted to the Rothschilds.
[But why?]
[Or rather, whats he nning?]
Right now, the university students either returned to their dorms or gathered around the gate; there wasnt a soul on the discreet path to the library. Aside from faint light from the underground garage, the entire area around the library was dark.
His shadow was dragged along as he walked on the dested path.
Just as he was trying to make sense of everything, a gunshot rang out from afar.
He suddenly raised his head as he stared in the direction of the librarys underground garage.
Chapter 519 - A Necessary Help
Chapter 519: A Necessary Help
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Inside the Empire Hotel, Carmen put the phone on the desk, picked up a wine ss, and walked back to the window. The night had cast its terror on the city. Carmen stared at his reflection in the window as well as the street lit up by police lights. He grinned.
The vivid, bright liquid swirled together and added a hint of menace to his smile.
An armored vehicle full of special forces disappeared at the end of the street and helicopters hovered above the Ber sky.
The door to the presidential suite opened.
Johnson, in a ck suit, walked inside and quietly closed the door behind him.
The actors have left the stage.
Great.
Carmens fingers rhythmically tapped the winess as he seemed to be deep in thought.
Johnson, who stood behind him, held his breath while waiting for an order.
Johnson.
Johnson raised his chest.
Yes!
But to his surprise, his boss didnt give him an order but rather, spoke slowly and meaningfully.
Ber is an interesting ce.
Carmens words made Johnson feel puzzled as he searched for an exnation from his boss.
Perhaps Carmen saw Johnsons confusion through the reflection in the window C he smiled.
Johnson, you were part of Frans expat army, right?
Yes, boss, Johnson replied in a deep voice.
Whats the closest scene that you have seen that resembled hell? Carmen quietly asked.
Johnson carefully recollected a memory before he answered.
In 2008, during a peacekeeping mission in Haiti, we were traveling with the peacekeepers whose task was to maintain local order and our task was to rescue the French diplomats besieged in the embassy. When we left the city, we encountered an attack from the oppositions armed forces... They were an army and thought we were an international food aid organization. In a country where 15 presidents were overthrown in 72 years, there was no reason for rationality and ourmander was decisive. There was nomunication C they fired first and we fought back immediately. They blocked us, so we killed our way through.
How many people died? Carmen said nonchntly.
Johnson shook his head.
That operation wasnt recorded on file; I only remember a lot of people fell that day.
Death didnt seem to bother him. But Carmens face reflected in the wine ss had a greater menace written on it.
Is that the worst hell youve seen? Thats too minor. Carmen grinned.
Johnson shrugged. In modern warfare, not a lot of people die.
Is that so?
Carmen spoke with an underlying meaning. He left the window and ced his wine on an expensive redwood table.
This city is fortunate enough to witness history again. Johnson, remember what I said today. The decision made by the Rothschild family today is to prevent hell from breaking out.
...
As you wish. Johnson nodded.
Also, I need you to do something else for me.
When Johnson heard his boss had a mission for him, he immediately put on a serious expression and stood up straight.
On yourmand.
Theres a fish that escaped the C I need you to take care of it for me.
Who?
Our beloved Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Evelyn.
The gunshots were from the direction of the library with a total of three shots.
Jiang Chen felt something was terribly wrong since he thought Ayesha was still there. He ran to the underground garage while he took out his pistol from the storage dimension and stuffed it in his pocket.
The streetlights continuously elongated his shadow; there wasnt a single student to be seen along the way. Security in foreign countries wasnt as stable as in Hua with so few people outside at night to begin with, not to mention the curfew now in ce.
When he ran into the garage and saw Ayesha and the four bodyguards standing beside the two ck Benz cars, he felt assured.
I heard gunshots from the garage?
No, it was from the library. Ayesha shook her head. Seeing as Jiang Chen safely returned, she looked evidently relieved. Please return to the car, its not safe outside.
As Ayesha spoke, she extended her hand to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen understood the meaning behind her resolute gaze as he reached into his pocket and took out the pistol and silencer. Because she didnt have a gun license, the weapons were all with Jiang Chen.
Ayesha installed modules on the Type-11 Pistol before stuffing it into her suit pocket. Although they might not engage in battle, it was safer to be prepared with gunshots in the vicinity.
Just as Jiang Chen was nning to get into the car, a voice in the distance stopped him.
Please wait, Mr. Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chens hand stopped at the car door. From the elevator in the garage, a middle-aged man in a suit was jogging towards him with heavy breaths. Ayesha put her hand beside herself in preparation and the four bodyguards all stood in front of Jiang Chen with a defensive stance.
From themp in the underground garage, Jiang Chen saw the persons face and signaled the bodyguards to not worry to allow the man to walk in front of him.
It was Evelyn, the Deputy Prime Minister of Frankberg. Jiang Chen just shook hands with him.
Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, could I please ask
Because of his age and the fact he was wearing dress shoes, the one-hundred-meter distance was already overwhelming for him. With his hands on his knees, Evelyn took a moment to steady his arrhythmic breaths before standing up and looked seriously at Jiang Chen.
Ive certainly taken the liberty, but please help me, Mr. Jiang Chen.
Just as he spoke, Jiang Chen noticed the blood stains on the left arm of his suit. And his bodyguards were all gone.
Help you Could you tell me what happened?
Jiang Chen was hesitant when he said this. Since he was about to leave Frankberg, he didnt want to go out of his way to trouble himself. But the one requesting help was the Deputy Prime Minister of Frankberg; it was hard for him to reject him.
We have no time to exin C their people are about to be here. As Evelyn spoke, he anxiously looked in the direction of the elevator. Please, take me out of here.
Jiang Chen only hesitated for one second before four blinding rays of light appeared at the entrance of the underground garage. Seeing this, Evelyn decisively got down on the ground with his hands covering his head. Four gunshots consecutively rang out from the distance.
The sound of bullets blowing by his ear made Jiang Chen jump up. Although he was wearing a carbon Nano bulletproof vest, guns werent something to be messed with. The four bodyguards immediately swarmed Jiang Chen to act as human shields while Ayesha opened the bulletproof car door while firing back with her pistol.
Because she was wearing shades, the car lights didnt interfere with Ayeshas vision. Two bullets prated the other sides car window and struck the drivers head. This van rushing in their direction immediately stalled and smashed into a concrete pir.
Seeing Jiang Chens side firing back, the driver of the other van immediately turned his steering wheel and drifted the van to stop horizontally. The militants in baseball caps and masks swarmed out of the car while firing back behind cover.
There was no time for Jiang Chen to hesitate further. With guns being fired, he had no choice but to help the Deputy Prime Minister of Frankberg.
Open the signal jammer! Dont just stand here; I have a bulletproof vest on. Take cover and prepare to fire back!
Roger!
He dragged open the car door and threw Evelyn, curled up on the ground, into the backseat. He then reached under the car seat and took out a briefcase from the storage dimension with the cover of darkness and tossed it out of the car.
The Celestial Trade bodyguard behind the pir took the briefcase. He smoothly took out the pistols and clips from inside and tossed the weapons to hisrades. The four bodyguards finished equipping themselves in less than three seconds and started to fire back.
Fortunately both sides used pistols, and in terms of the prative power of the bullets and the stability of the pistols, Jiang Chens side was certainly at an advantage.
Just then, the elevator a hundred meters behind Jiang Chen began to open.
The pursuants from the library had made their way down!
Chapter 520 - Evacuate
Chapter 520: Evacuate
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Jiang Chen cursed. He took out his pistol and prepared to fight. When it came tobat abilities, the bodyguards were no matchpared to their boss.
Evelyn saw Jiang Chens intentions and pulled him aside.
They have a lot of people C we cant fight them face-to-face. We have to get out of here immediately!
No need, we can just defend ourselves here. In two hours, the Deputy will be here to pick me up. Fu*k, I almost forgot police are at the university gates. Jiang Chen swore, took out the phone in his pocket, and prepared to call the police.
Dont call the police! Wait, listen to me, they have people in the police system. Evelyn immediately stopped Jiang Chens actions.
Jiang Chen was shocked as his movements froze, but he looked at Evelyn with a frown.
I wont go against a countrys entire police force for someone I just met once. If you want me to save you, then at least show me that youre one of the good guys. Tell me whats going on!
Evelyn understood the warning in Jiang Chens eyes. He was conflicted for a moment before he sighed.
First, allow me to apologize to you for involving you in this But please understand that it was because I didnt have any other options. If youre willing to help me pass through this hardship, youll gain the friendship of all the people of Frankberg.
Bullets flew outside the car and left web-like cracks on the bulletproof window. Evelyn looked a bit scared, but such an expression wasnt seen on Jiang Chens face. When he heard the honest words from the Deputy Prime Minister, he grinned.
Your words seem to be promising too much. All the Frankberg people? Youre only the Deputy Prime Minister.
A Deputy Prime Minister standing at historical crossroads. Evelyn corrected him with a solemn tone.
The militants from the elevator began to converge at Jiang Chens side. The battle circumstances were especially dire, but Jiang Chens side was still at an advantage.
Ayeshas shooting skills were excellent with at least six militants falling victim to her. The Celestial Trade bodyguards who were behind cover also showed strongbat abilities as they were all elites in the military. Although their opponents were no simple characters, they werent injured because of protection from their carbon Nano bulletproof vests; the most serious damage was damage to their suits.
Time ticked on with the oppositions firepower gradually dying down.
Jiang Chen put the pistol back in his pocket as he nonchntly asked while leaning against the seat:
Who wants you dead?
Rothschild.
Jiang Chen visibly took a moment to process that before he scoffed: You know, theyre my business partners.
Theres no such thing as an eternal ally, whether in business or politics. You really think your rtionship is that good? Let me tell you C the people who came to assassinate me is the Willie Society. Youre familiar with the name Willie Society, right?
Jiang Chens pupils narrowed.
Evelyns words were clearly telling him that Willie Society and the Rothschilds were connected somehow. Although he made this connection before, there was no direct evidence to prove this point. And up till now, Carmen was always friendly towards him.
But what made Jiang Chen even more surprised was that Evelyn knew the conflict between him and Willie Society.
How can you prove this?
FNI, Frankberg National Intelligence. Our people have been closely following the Rothschild familys economic activities in Frankberg as well as Willie Societys pration into West Europe. Based on our sources information
How can you prove this? Jiang Chen interrupted him as he repeated the same phrase, word for word.
Evelyn took a deep breath and said, I cant prove this; theres no assassin foolish enough to leave evidence that could suggest their identity. The evidence of Rothschilds connection with Willie Society is also in FNIs document room. But I can swear on Jesus Christ that everything I said is true. The choice to gain the friendship of the Frankberg Parliament or gratitude from the Rothschilds family is in your hands.
The gunshots outside the car stopped. Ayesha shot the two assassins attempting to escape and signaled the death of all 17 assassins.
Ayesha pulled open the driver side door and looked at Jiang Chen for further instructions.
Jiang Chen thought for two seconds before he looked at Evelyn.
Tell me, how do you want me to help you?
Evelyn clearly looked relieved.
Take me to Austria.
Although Jiang Chen didnt know what Rothschild wanted to do, his instincts told him they were nning something extremely dangerous.
He didnt know what kind of influence this attack would have on Frankberg and all of Europe. But if the ultimate beneficiary was the Willie Society, he felt the need to do something to stop the people who were a constant pestilence.
Especially since a friendly gesture to Evelyn now might reap future benefits.
As Jiang Chen made up his mind, he nodded at Evelyn. He agreed to help him and take him to Austria.
He ordered the four bodyguards to drag the bodies into the elevator then Jiang Chen ordered them to use the blood dissolver to dissolve the blood in the garage. When everyone looked away, he took the opportunity to transfer the 17 bodies into the storage dimension.
After using the blood dissolver to wash away the bloodstains, Jiang Chen pressed the elevator button to the top floor and walked out.
It produced an indescribable excitement to go against the most powerful family in Europe. But the situation hadnt deteriorated to the point where they stood in direct opposition to each other and Carmen shouldnt know about the incident that happened in the library. The moment the guns were fired, Jiang Chen ordered the bodyguards to open the signal jammer, so the gunmen who entered the basement shouldnt havemunicated with the outside. The assassins who attempted to escape were executed by Ayesha, so their execution was wless.
Figuring out how to make the rest of the steps go smoothly while removing the suspicion from him was what Jiang Chen needed to do next.
There was only an hour before the Deputy arrived at the library. If Jiang Chen wanted to help Evelyn without Rothschild knowing, he had to create an ident in the next hour
First, he took out his phone and called Xie Lei who was visiting his sister.
Hacking into the Ber Police Network C how confident are you?
Its going to be difficult. With what happened tonight, FNIs people will definitely help the local police to investigate. I only have aptop and its almost impossible to infiltrate theirwork right under their nose
What if you had a superputer?
Xie Lei, who was holding the phone, took a second to process before his expression turned ecstatic.
I can do it! With theputation power of a superputer, even if its the firewall of the National Defense Department, I can take it down for you!
Be careful C dont let them know its you and dont let them know theputers IP address.
Jiang Chen provided the administrative password to Xie Lei, hung up the phone, and took out the phone Yao Yao designed for him.
Future Groups biggest secret wasnt the Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missile deployed under the sea, but it was themercial quantumputer that was about toe online acting as the server for Godly Land! Although its performance wasntparable to the two experimental quantumputers in Fallout Shelter 027, its dauntingputation power wasnt something that could be challenged by modern day superputers.
The quantumputer located in Coro Ind only had a usage of 1.1%, but even the 1.1% was enough to support 2 million beta testers to connect to the game simultaneously. Jiang Chen used his phone to remotely control the quantumputer and assigned 0.1% of spare power to Xie Lei.
With his hacker abilities along with the insaneputational power of the quantumputer, it shouldnt be too difficult to infiltrate the policework.
Even with the intervention of FNI agents!
Jiang Chen immediately took out four cigarette-box-sized high energy bombs and passed them to Ayesha.
To the west wing of the library.
Ayesha nodded. Without any hesitation, she turned around.
Then Jiang Chen nned for a moment and called Chen Yuqiao.
When his call went through, Chen Yuqiao and the executives of the student organization were calling student registration to confirm their safety. Ber was currently under a curfew and the University of Ber was closed, so a lot of students blocked from the university were at risk.
The issue with the refugees meant that not only Frankberg but all of Europes security waspromised. Especially with the ident that just urred, it was hard to ensure people with ill-intentions wouldnt take advantage of the situation.
After Chen Yuqiao hung up the phone to the Han Embassy, she didnt even put her cell phone down before another call came through.
When she saw the caller, her expression turned stiff.
She didnt think Jiang Chen would call her personally.
Hello? Chen Yuqiao picked up the phone while dropping what she was doing. She headed outside.
Are you interested in joining Future Group?
Jiang Chens words made Chen Yuqiao take an extra second to process before a joyful expression appeared on her face. She almost bit her tongue when she spoke.
Future Group was known for itspetitive benefits package and anyone could see the imminent dominance of Future Group. Regarding the olive vine extended by Jiang Chen, the temptation was intense for someone who was about to graduate.
Im very interested!
Good. After three business days, the European division will send you a contract. A smile emerged on Jiang Chens face. But before that, I need you to do something for me
After he hung up the phone, Ayesha, who finished nting the bombs, returned underground.
Evelyn looked nervously at Jiang Chen for the entire duration as his actions made him feel more and more unsettled.
What do you want to do?
Turn the water muddy. Jiang Chen looked at Evelyn and sneered.
Chapter 521 - Create Confusion
Chapter 521: Create Confusion
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Ber Hospital.
Xie Lei brought hisptop to the corner of the restroom while his fingers turned into shadows as he furiously typed on the keyboard. With the lines of code shing in front of his eyes, the teens expression began to turn fervent.
To be able to use a supeputer as the source of attack is something dreamed about by every hacker. A supeputer to a hacker was just like a Godly weapon to a yer. Although Jiang Chen only lent the superputer to him temporarily, it didnt take long for him to feel the power of controlling the world!
With a Godly weapon in hands, he traversed through the world of 0 and 1 like an unstoppable force. A password that must take hours to crack was just a few seconds with the help of the quantumputer.
That was just 0.1% of itsputation power.
Got it! Xie Lei could no longer hide his excitement as he pulled down his hood to cover his face under the shadow to prevent other people from noticing his expression.
With ten minutes, he used the server of a contractor that provided maintenance service to the Ber Police Department as the jumping board and sessfully infiltrated the policework. Because the infiltration time was extremely short, he didnt catch the attention of anyone.
The screen shed; a city mapbeled with red dots appeared on hisputer screen.
The red dots that moved along the streets were the GPS coordinate of the police vehicles patrolling in the city. From the concentrated red dots, the Ber police had sent out all avable forces and set up blockades at key entrances to the city.
Xie Lei clicked on the location of the University of Ber to expand the map of the patrolled area. Xie Leis eyes stopped on the four red dots parked around the university gate as a proud curvature appeared on his face.
I found you.
He pressed the microphone of the Bluetooth earphone, opened the voice change file, cleared his throat, and pressed the phone button.
Do you really need to do this?
Evelyn sat with Jiang Chen in the back of the Benz with a wry smile as he stared at the red button on the phone screen.
The two Benz already left the garage and stopped on the small road five hundred meters away from the library. Four bodyguards sat in one car while Ayesha, Jiang Chen, and the Deputy Prime Minister sat in another together.
Mr. Evelyn, you know, Im taking the risk to upset Rothschild for you. If you dont bring enough genuineness to the table, how would I trust that you wont burn the bridge after? Jiang Chen said expressionlessly.
Jiang Chen couldnt risk letting Rothschild know about this and Evelyns words were the key. It was too obvious for the public figure to wear a cor, and there was no surgery condition to inject the very chip.
The only method to ensure he would keep his mouth shut was to drag him down with him.
You only have half a minute to hesitate.
But what Jiang Chen didnt expect was the moment he said these words, Evelyn pressed the button.
mes erupted from the library five hundred meters out, followed by an explosive bang.
Debris flew and scattered.
The entire west wing slowly copsed under the explosion and crashed the entire garage.
Jesus Christ This is magnificent. Evelyn returned the phone to Jiang Chen while he muttered at the scene outside the window.
You surprised me. You pressed the button without hesitation. Jiang Chen took the phone and signaled for Ayesha to start the car.
I dont have any other choices, Evelyn shrugged, Compared to the future of the country, a library building is nothing. Especially since there shouldnt be anyone in the library.
On his face, Jiang Chen saw repent, but he didnt see any regret.
As a qualified politician, the Deputy Prime Minister possessed all the qualities a politician should have.
Jiang Chenughed and closed the camera on the side.
If other people know I pressed the button, my political career will be over. Evelyn sighed.
Dont worry, as long as you dont sell me out, no one will know who pressed the button.
The sudden explosion sent a shockwave across the entire university. The library with thick smoke rising was reflected in thousands of terrified pupils.
Mayhem ensued.
No one knew why the quiet university would be the target of a terrorist attack, they only knew it happened, it happened inches away from them!
People screamed, attempted to escape the university where terrorists were disguised in. The police and security at the university gate did all they could tofort peoples emotions, prevent people from rushing into the streets, but it was futile against the emotional crowd.
It was a chaotic scene.
The crowd flooding outside blocked the fire trucks and ambnces attempting to enter the university. The police stationed at the gate roared into the radio on their shoulder to report the status at the University of Ber while requesting for additional backup from the headquarter.
But the police didnt know was that they were notmunicating with the headquarter, but they were speaking with Xie Lei who hijacked themunication channel.
Please remain calm, Mr. Bills, backup in on the way, please maintain the order of the scene.
Quick, we cant hold the crowd anymore! There are at least ten thousand people This is insane, Han international students are protesting, you better be quick.
Bills at the scene hung up the phone rudely as a smile emerged on Xie Leis face at the corner of the restroom in the hospital.
[Keep waiting, back up will never arrive.]
Not only that
Following Jiang Chensmand, the teens fingers typed on the keyboard and changed the patrol route of the police vehicles in the city without leaving a trace.
Right now, the Han international students at the university gate were protesting that the Ber police was locking them together with terrorists. The usually timid international students leading a protest was something unexpected by the Ber police.
As the student organizations with thergest member base, their protest received the support of other students. No one wanted to be locked with terrorists inside a cage together. With a flood of over ten thousand people, a police team of 20 people with shields was futile.
It didnt take long for the people in the university to break through the blockade and escaped onto the street.
The situation began to deteriorate, and the police lost control.
Jiang Chen and the group used the chaos at the gate to rush out of the university along with a few other vehicles.
Are you crazy? The student union president with a hooked nose found Chen Yuqiao as he stared at her with an aggressive tone, Why didnt you stop your people. If an ident happened
Why would I stop them? Chen Yuqiao interrupted the student union president and looked at him seriously, We are exercising our legal rights, and we have the right to protest. Also, please be cautious of your tone, you dont have the right to order me, we dont have a subordinate rtionship.
The hooked nose looked at her, dumbfounded. He didnt think Chen Yuqiao who was always easy to talk to would suddenly change to such a firm stance.
His mouth opened and closed as he only managed to squeeze out a few Okays without properly saying aplete sentence.
Tonight, the entire city wont be peaceful.
Chapter 522 - Suspicion
Chapter 522: Suspicion
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Rundi
Trantor: _Min_Editor: Rundi
"On the evening of October 31, arge-scale terrorist attack urred at the Opera House. 121 people including the President have been killed in this attack. 31 people including the Austrian President are seriously injured. Two hours after the attack, an explosion urred at the University library two blocks away. The bodies of the victims were not found on the scene. There is currently no evidence suggesting the two attacks are rted..."
"The police found the bodies of six gunmen at the crime scene, four of whom were Syrian and two men from Somalia and Libya. The police confirmed that six were registered in the refugee camps in the suburbs of Bav. At present, no individual or organization has imed responsibility for the attack. For security reasons, the police temporarily closed the refugee camps in the Bav province."
"Multiple embassies lowered their g to half musk."
"The National Anti-Terrorism Office, Casper, resigned."
"In the early morning, the leader of emerging anti-refugee far-right party New Choice Party'', Crete Petrie, delivered a speech in the Federal Parliament, sternly condemning the Chancellor for being too weak on the refugee issue, and it is those people that brought terrorism. The Crete''s speech was criticized by manywmakers as being extreme and irrational, but it won apuse from the audience."
"Analystsmented that this event might heighten the New Choice Party support rate to a new high. The CDU, led by Merkel, has lost two constituencies. After this incident, Bav and neighboring constituencies will be favoring the New Choice Party..."
As soon as the picture turned, the scene changed to outside parliament. The reporter handed the microphone to a Germanic man with a g on his face. The reporter had not asked the question, and the man screamed out in anger.
"Close all the refugee camps! I have had enough! Help me ask the Chancellor. Do you have to wait for the garbage to ruin everything to do something about it? God, it shouldn''t be our president that died in there, it should be you!"
Jiang Chen turned off the TV.
He leaned on the sofa and gently tapped his finger on the arm of the sofa.
One day passed since they crossed the Austrian border. At this moment, he was sitting in the lounge of Xin''s embassy in Austria.
Because it is a small country, limited by factors such as influence and budget, the embassy here was not as luxurious as the embassies in the UA or Hua. Xin only bought a two-story office with a total of five hundred square meters near the city center and transformed it into the embassy.
By the way, taking a left turn out the door is the Argentina embassy.
After crossing the border and separating from Evelyn, Jiang Chen went to the nearest town and dialed the telephone number of the embassy.
After receiving his call, Bram, the ambassador in Austria, immediately arranged for two cars to go to the border town. They took him back to the embassy office in Vienna and arranged a room for him and Ayesha to rest in. The four Celestial Trade bodyguards following Jiang Chen also stayed at the nearby hotel.
As a public official from Xin, who didn''t know the impact of Celestial Trade on the country''s politics? It is precisely because of this that Bram was attentive and meticulous during the entire duration.
The sky was just beginning to light up, and Ayesha was still asleep. Because he wasn''t sleeping anymore, he got out of bed and watched TV in the living room.
There was no suspense, and the morning news were all covering the attack. Just like the attack that happened in Paris, France and Brussels, Belgium. Everyone was condemning, everyone was angry, and everyone was praying for the victims.
The public opinion of the attacks was not fundamentally different. But from the seriousness of Evelyn, the attack would ignite a long-buried fuse.
"What will be detonated?"
Muttering, Jiang Chen''s gaze swept the map of Europe attached to the wall.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
ncing at the closed bedroom door, Jiang Chen casually said.
"Pleasee in."
The door opened, and Ambassador Bram appeared at the door. After opening the door, he did not enter the house; just stood there with a smile.
"Mr. Jiang Chen, someone outside wants to see you."
"Who?" Jiang Chen asked unexpectedly.
"An old man named Ccides. He ims to be the butler of Rothschild."
A very unexpected visitor. Jiang Chen had thought that Rothschild would send someone to meet him, unravel the "misunderstanding" and repair the cracks in their rtionship, but did not expect that it was actually Ccides making this trip.
"I am extremely grateful that you didn''t close the door on me, Mr. Jiang."
"Haha, there is no way I will not let you in." Jiang Chen smiled at the kind-hearted old butler.
"Before the topic begins, please allow me to apologize for the hospitality of the previous day. I hope that Mr. Jiang can understand."
"Of course, but I need an exnation for the explosion that took ce in the library."
Ccides sighed.
"Master Carmen swears in the name of the Rothschild family that the explosion has nothing to do with us. I promise you, we will find out who actuallyunched the despicable assassination and poured the dirty water on the Rothschild name to cause a rift in our friendship."
Since Ccides had already said this, Jiang Chen didn''t persist on this issue further, so he epted the Rothschild family''s argument that the explosion of the library had nothing to do with them.
It has nothing to do with them. After all, the explosion was Jiang Chen''s self-directed performance.
"No matter who they are, I will definitely let those rats pay the price," regardless Jiang Chen still had to finish acting as he said in a furious voice.
After sending away the butler, Jiang Chen looked up at the clock. It was gettingte, so he was going to wake Ayesha up. Typically, Ayesha woke up him, but because they "slept toote"st night, it was his job now.
However, when he pushed open the door, Ayesha was already dressed and looking out the window.
Jiang Chen hugged the petite body and spoke softly in her ear.
"What are you looking at?"
"The street... has a familiar feeling."
"Familiar feeling?"
"Well... maybe it''s just an illusion." Looking at the bustling Mettern Street, Ayesha whispered.
Born in the mes of war, she has an extraordinary acuteness to the war. But looking at the busy streets, she was skeptical of her own judgment, using the word illusion to summarize her instincts.
In the afternoon, Bram personally drove Jiang Chen and the others to the airport.
After waiting for two hours, everyone boarded the ne safely.
The voice of the flight attendant rang in his ear. He looked at the ground further and further below him, and slowly breathed out, relieved. No matter what the Rothschild family is nning, no matter how many people will bleed, it has nothing to do with him anymore.
Somehow, he suddenly remembered the conversation between the old Rothschild and him in the forest.
Keep it to yourself...?
He closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat.
Chapter 524 - Power Armor Training
Chapter 524: Power Armor Training
Trantor: _Min_
Editor: Rundi
"Yesterday, a shooting incident urred at the refugee''s camp in west Bava which resulted in the death of ten Syrian refugees. The attackers directly threw explosives inside the refugee camp. The organization "Nomadic Teens" imed responsibility for this attack..."
It has been three days since Jiang Chen returned to the mansion in Xin. He has grown into the habit of watching the news in the morning and obviously would not miss the follow-up reports on the attack at the Opera House. He wasn''t bothered by the subsequent event but was rather troubled by the n of the Rothschild family.
Installing a right wing party to lead the country? But to direct a terrorist attack was too much of a cost.
Just like the usual, Ayesha brought the toasts and the hot milk to the table, then in swift steps, she walked to the living room and gently hugged Jiang Chen from behind the sofa.
"Breakfast is ready."
"Mhmm."
Jiang Chen smiled and turned around to kiss the girl tenderly. With her face slowly blushing, Jiang Chen turned off the TV, took her hand, and then walk to the dining room.
With the conclusion of the Germany trip, there were still many things he needed to take care.
After breakfast, Jiang Chen on a boat visited New Moon Ind to find Ivan who was training new recruits at the shooting range.
Followed by the increase in production at the Sixth Street, the monthly production of kic skeletons had reached a total of 500 units, and the continuous stream of kic skeletons flowed into the modern world through Jiang Chen. Currently, the 1500 soldiers in Celestial Trade all possessed a unit which meant the pration rate was even higherpared to the NAC soldiers.
The situation on the wastnd had been stabilized, and the need to expand military arms was not as critical as before, so demand had dropped. Jiang Chen took the opportunity to prioritize the equipment of the force in the modern world to protect the assets there.
Inside the shooting range, soldiers in kic skeletons with Reaper Assault Rifles were shooting at the fast-moving targets. On the other side of the training field, ten soldiers were entering into the arena to simte city attack scenarios with the cooperation of the reconnaissance drones and attack drones.
"Yo," when Jiang Chen came, Ivan smiled, leaned the gun beside the table, and greeted.
"How''s the training going?"
"Absolutely perfect. The virtual reality training system is wonderful. Usually, training a new recruit would take three months, we only need one month to finish now."
Jiang Chen nodded. To increase the training efficiency of Celestial Trade, he assigned 1% of theputation power from themercial quantumputer used to serve the "Phantom" helmet to run the virtual reality system in order to best simte the details of a battlefield.
The 1%putation power was not to be underestimated. Even if the quantumputer had a lower power consumptionpared to a traditional supeputer, Celestial Trade still needed to pay over half a million in electricity a month for that 1%.
And the chambers the soldiers used were all produced from the Sixth Street; the amount of nutrient solution needed per day was not a small number either.
Due to the limited poption, Xin could only seek the path of elite soldiers.
"You''re doing great. I will install new training modules in the control terminal. You can arrange 100 soldiers you trust to use the new training module to conduct training. The requirement is that their height must be above 170 centimeters with a weight between 60 to 75 kilograms." Jiang Chen told Ivan.
Ivan stood up straight and saluted, "Yes, sir!"
"Are you not interested in the training content?" Seeing Ivan didn''t have any questions, Jiang Chen asked.
"If the boss thinks I need to know, then the boss will tell me." Ivan rubbed his forehead and grinned.
Order is everything!
As a soldier, it was enough to execute the order given by the superior. Ivan had been training the soldiers with the strict rules mindset; it was also because he abided by it for many years in the military.
Jiang Chen was impressed by Ivan''s response as he patted him on the shoulder.
"it is nothing secretive, you''ll know very soon. If you''re interested, you can also take the training. Power armor. Have you heard of this before?"
"Power armor?" Ivan paused for a moment before his eyebrows furrowed, searching in his head. "I seem to have heard of it somewhere."
"Movie." Jiang Chen reminded.
"Right! That, Hollywood movie. Could it be..." Ivan seemed to have realized something as he looked at Jiang Chen.
"That''s right. The training module is about training to use the power armor. Do you remember the shooting incident that happened on Coro Ind? A few seconds of video?" Jiang Chen smiled.
Ivan nodded and then looked at Jiang Chen in shock.
"It is capable of providing bullet, shell, grenade and nuclear strike protection. The right arm could be installed with revolving machine guns, anti-armor cannons or a repair module, the airdrop type could be parachuted from thousands of meters up in the air."
Ivan was just about to ask "does single soldier armor really havebat value?" But when he listened to Jiang Chen''s description and swallowed the sentence back.
"This thing... Can the functionality really be achieved?" Ivan felt his voice was shaking when he asked. If power armor could really achieve the functions Jiang Chen described, this new type of battle machine could transform the structure of modern warfare!
With how Ivan was still stunned, Jiang Chen onlyughed.
It was nothing. With the assistance of the airdrop pod, it could be directlyunched down from the synchronous orbit. The power armor was originally designed for nuclear "transformed" city environments, so its ability to withstand nuclear radiation was without a doubt. It could traverse through terrains impassable by vehicles, provide temporarily cover for light infantry in street engagements and provide firepower coverage.
"It is within thest period of the testing phase, but the training module isplete. Once the one hundred soldiers are familiarized with the control of the armor through the virtual reality training system, the first batch of power armors should arrive in New Moon Ind too. What you have to be aware of is, although power armor itself does not need to be kept a secret, its functionality and weapon specifications must be kept confidential. So your task is extremely critical. You must choose soldiers that are trustworthy to participate in training," Jiang Chen said sternly.
"Leave it up to me." Ivan solemnly nodded and promised.
"I trust your ability." Jiang Chen smiled. "Other than the power armor, there is also a training module on fixed wing aircraft. This is a bit moreplicated. Air force andnd force arepletely two separate systems, and even with the assistance of gic vines, aircraft''s requirement for the pilot is extremely strict. I have a physical examination checklist here, and you only need to arrange for people to go through the examination. If there are not enough people in the army, you can recruit from Xin citizens.
"Not enough people?" Ivan had a dumbfounded expression as he looked puzzled, "Do we need a lot of people?"
Jiang Chen shook his hand.
"We only need 20 people."
"Only 20 people? There are 1568 soldiers in Celestial Trade, how can we not find just 20 people." Ivan was not convinced.
Jiang Chen mysteriously smiled and patted the shoulder of the old soldier.
"Therefore, it is extremely strict. As to how strict it is, you''ll see."
Chapter 525 - Aurora-20
Chapter 525: Aurora-20
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Apocalypse.
After half a months efforts, the mutant nests in the west side of Wanghai were cleared out. Other than that, NAC soldiers built eleven inspection stations along Huangpu River to block all bridges that connected the west side of the city to the east side to prevent mutants from spreading to the west.
All the mutant nests on the west side of the city, whether on the surface or underground were all eliminated by NAC soldiers and mercenaries. Although creatures such as mutated cockroaches and rats were hard to removepletely, the more hostile mutants such as zombies, Roshans and even Death ws werepletely extinct from the west side. Due to the force of the NAC, the survivor groups in the area were all incorporated under NACs control.
The mercenary groups and raider groups without the cleanest track records either reformed or left the city. When they witnessed the rain of rockets in the sky, they had no desire to be defiant at all. NAC had used its supreme power to announce its control over Wanghai.
Liuding Town who previously had the same influence as the Sixth Street could no longer stand against the behemoth known as NAC.
When they saw Gods Cane strike onto the city center, they hadpletely epted the fact. They didnt know it was NACs battle against the Supreme as they were only aware of NACs mutant nest cleaning project. Therefore, they mistakenly thought that the tungsten rod wasunched by NAC
Other than asserting a controlling position, NAC also sent engineering soldiers with nuclear protective suits to the city center to clean the radiation source piled up in the area.
The difficult to remove radiation source was collected to lead barrels and thrown into a deep pit created by tungsten rods before being buried under concrete with lead content. And the area with lower levels of radiation was cleaned with radiation cleaning agents; it wouldnt take too long before the gamma level in the city center return to normal levels.
Also, the explorer teams were sent to nuclearpanies, research institutes, and industrial bases to search for prewar technology. All the collected documents would be sent to Camp 027 for control and categorization. The city center protected by radiation was just like an untarnished treasure. A lot of the technical documents hidden underground were well preserved and were of high value. The one thousand scientists in Camp 027 instantly became overwhelmed with work.
The Huangpu River that ran straight across Wanghai was just like the Berlin Wall; the left side was the NAC controlled area with established order while the right side remained as thend of chaos.
Followed by the end of the mutants flood, the survivor groups in the east had returned from therge survival bases such as Liuding to return to their homes and restart their lives. But when they witnessed the difference between the two banks, without the need for more persuasion, the survivors who longed for the safety and stability of the west city brought their families and migrated to the west bank.
The inspection stations that spanned across Huangpu River didnt stop their migration, but the entire poption of survivors moving into NAC territory must surrender their nuclear grenades, mini nukes, and other dangerous goods. The nuclear prohibition policy was beginning to push outward from the Sixth Street and enact in all NAC controlled territory.
Currently, in Wanghai Airport.
Ten construction vehicles were moving along the taxine and repairing the destroyed airport. The repair work was contracted out by NAC to the biggest constructionpany in Sixth Street C Metal Shell Commerce with the Second Division responsible for the safety of the construction site.
Themercial airport prewar had been part of NACs requisition as NACs first military airport managed by the closest camp, Camp 027. Currently, in the hanger of the airport, there was a fluid and dynamic-looking aircraft that resembled a swallow, its name was Aurora-20.
Jiang Chen was in front of the hanger with Fang Weijie touring the newly developed weapon by the fallout shelter.
Aurora-20, fixed-wing fighter, it can take off through both the vertical takeoff and runway modes. The aircraft can be mounted with two rounds of short-range air-to-air missiles and four rounds of long-range air or ground missiles. A 10mm cannon is installed at the head of the aircraft. Based on
Including Tiger II, Transport Helicopter Type-51, the most advanced military techs in the NAC were created from the team led by Fang Weijie.
Jiang Chen nodded in content as he stared at the powerful looking fighter.
What about the stealth capacity and speed?
Stealth capability and speed are the life of a fighter, armor thickness at high altitude offered less significance. No matter how advanced the fighter, it is difficult to withstand the impact of two missiles direct hit.
The aircraft shell is coated with a radar signal attenuation coating that disys only a sparrow-sized area on most radars. The radar signal detection system at the bottom of the aircraft can reverse track the coordinates of the ground radar base station. As for the speed, the maximum cruise speed is up to Mach 4.5. A smug look appeared on Fang Weijies face.
Jiang Chen was extremely impressed with the number.
4.5 Machs highest speed has surpassed the Mig 25 high-altitude high-speed interceptors 3.2 Machs record. The number was approaching the speed limit a fighter jet could reach in the atmosphere.
Of course, in case of nearbat situations, it was infeasible tobat at the highest speed. Disregarding 4.5 Mach, even if the speed was Mach 2, the eleration of the fighter taking a turn would knock the pilot out.
In addition, ording to Fang Weijies introduction, this Aurora-20 fighter has abat radius of up to 3100 kilometers in the case with no tanker support, the number has far exceeded F22s 2177 kilometers record. It was partially because the aircrafts new titanium alloy which made the weight of the aircraftpared to the 21st-century fighter much lighter, it was also because the aircrafts use of the engine and synthetic fuels were better than the technology level of the 21st century.
From the engine to the fire control system, everything is PACs military technology. From the aircraftnding gear to air to air missiles, everything was made using 3D printing technology.
What is the feasibility of industrial production? Jiang Chen asked.
The cost of 3D printing was high and will waste a lot of materials and energy. The cost of producing a fighter through 3D printing was three times the cost of producing a fighter on a production line. Although NAC was rich, if the cutting-edge weapons continued to rely on 3D printing technology, Jiang Chen would still be pained by the money he would have to burn.
It is difficult. The engine heat-resistant material is hard to produce with Sixth Streets industrial capability. Fang Weijie shook his head.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment and said.
Hand the production information of some simple parts of the production process to the Sixth Streets military factory; outsource these parts as much as possible too. Thus, the cost should be much lower than 3D printing, but this will also shorten the production cycle, do you think Is it feasible?
Fang Wei pinched his chin and began to contemte.
Simple parts of the process? Strictly speaking, there is no one part of the production process that is simple
Jiang Chen shook his head and smiled.
What I refer to as simple process is not what we know as easy to produce, but instead technological feasibility. Dont underestimate the innovation of the wastnd people. As long as we offer the right price, technologically feasible, maybe they could develop production processes at a lower cost.
Fang Weijie was not exactly convinced by what Jiang Chen said. Since he came from the fallout shelter and was part of the elite level before the war, he didnt believe the hobo dressed survivors had the capability to solve the production problem of the fighter parts.
But due to the ss difference, he didnt disy his scorn to the survivors on the wastnd.
Seeing Fang Weijie was silent, Jiang Chen could guess what he thought. But he only smiled without further discussing the problem.
Fang Weijie was proud, but the proudness didnte from arrogance, the proudness originates from his meticulousness to technical capability.
Science and technology are twopletely separate topics. The former dictates the growth of thetter; thetter determines the value of the former. To be able to survive on the cruel wastnd to this day, it already proved the innovation of the survivors.
But you cant count on a bunch of refugees to do the work of technicians Okay, if you insist. Let me think screw, wings, seat cover, ejection seat, control panel shell, around 60% of the basic parts are rtively easy to make. Fang Weijie sighed in defeat.
Great. Jiang Chen nodded and pleasingly patted the scientists shoulder, Make a detailed list of the parts and give it to Xu Lu. The rest of the parts will still be produced by 3D printing.
I understand. Fang Weijie nodded.
They were only responsible for the development, building of the first prototype model, and providing blueprints and production specifications. As to the exact details of the production process, it would be the responsibility of the Fishbone Military Factory, not the worry of the scientists.
Regarding the next research project, Jiang Chen paused and looked at Fang Weijie seriously, I hope you can develop an airship with long airtime, armor protection capability, and basic firepower.
Airship? Armor protection capacity? Fang Weijie took a second to process this as his eyebrows furrowed. Built with steel?
Is it difficult to achieve technically? Looking at Fang Weijies troubled look, Jiang Chen asked.
No, technically, it is not difficult to achieve, but I have never heard of an airship before, Fang Weijie said wryly
His experience naturally had to be from before the war. Disregarding before the war, the airship with poor mobility and as arge target was eliminated as early as the beginning of World War II. Although the 22-century technology could create a steel airship without much difficulty, this kind of weapons being cost-effective was something Fang Weijie was deeply skeptical about.
So he euphemistically expressed that he had never heard of such weapons, hoping Jiang Chen would change his mind.
Its okay, if there is none before the war, just create one with the pre-war technology from the beginning. However, Jiang Chen did not change his mind
To build such an air fortress, the amount of steel, titanium, copper, and aluminum required would be an astronomical figure. From a cost-effective point of view, is this really meaningful? Fang Weijie questioned.
Of course it is meaningful, Jiang Chen said with a smile.
He gazed at the sky beyond the airport.
It was clear, but further in the distance, it was covered by dark clouds.
Fang Weijie followed Jiang Chens sight, but he didnt understand Jiang Chens intention.
What is it?
To spread our belief, our order, and our ideology to ces beyond the horizon.
Chapter 526 - The Mission during Peaceful Time
Chapter 526: The Mission during Peaceful Time
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Technology without limitation was dangerous; its danger exceeded the danger posed by zombies and mutants. On the surrounded by radioactive dust, Jiang Chen had all the reason to believe that malformed seeds had sprouted not only in Wanghai.
Mutated humans, cannibals, raiders, zombies, mutants, artificial intelligence without restriction
The root of the problem was that all these monsters were the result of technological exploration without restriction that led to mutated species.
This had to be fixed.
The iron fleet of NAC would eliminate all heresy.
This slogan was printed on the gates of the Sixth Street, observed by all businessmen entering and leaving the street.
At the conclusion ofrge-scale mutant elimination warfare, the Sixth Street became the ce the survivors from the province of Suhang and PAC territory longed most for. Merchants and travelers took NACs story and g to distant ces; this powerful and stable force was attempting toplete the feat the World Alliance Organization never managed toplete C
Restore order.
They cant do it. Its not because they dont have the ability; its just that theyck the will to take responsibility and face reality. If you think about it from another perspective, are you more willing to face a worldpletely blown into chaos or go to a new world and start again? There isnt much difference between the two C its just that thetter is easier for people to ept. In the General office at the Sixth Street council building, Jiang Chen knocked his cigarette against an ashtray and leaned back to chat with Zhao Chenwu who was sitting across from him.
Very unique perspective. Zhao Chenwu shrugged, took a sip of his tea and eximed, Great tea. Speaking of which, did Mr. General invite me here just for a tea party?
Of course not! Jiang Chenughed. Youre the director of the council. I want to use you to send a message to the council.
What signal? Zhao Chenwu put down the teacup and sat up straight.
Wanghais situation is gradually being stabilized. In the next while, NAC will not consider military action so it will be a great opportunity to develop Sixth Street.
So the arms contract from NAC will decrease? Zhao Chenwus reaction wasnt too enthusiastic since he already left the firearms business and sold the military factory to NAC half a year ago.
Of course, but this wasnt what I wanted to say. Jiang Chen paused. I want you to use the influence you built when you conducted business outside of NAC territory to collect pre-war technical files, research equipment, and high precision pieces of apparatus scattered outside of Wanghai. Well acquire the recollected goods at a reasonable price.
For most of the small to medium sized survival groups, technology and equipment were worthless. Even if a vige with thirty-something people acquired the design blueprints for an electromaic pulse cannon, it would be impossible for them to actually produce a single cannon without 3D printing equipment or production tools.
Many ignorant survivors even mixed precious literature and abandoned books together to use as winter fuel. They removed parts such as sensors and graphene circuit boards from the quantumputer and used them on self-controlled sentry guns.
What Jiang Chen needed merchants across the wastnd to do was collect the precious goods mixed in with the garbage. It was best for merchants to do this since their movements wouldnt rm local survivors and they couldmunicate with locals much more easilypared to NAC soldiers with guns.
Of course. Ill inform my colleagues and keep an eye out when doing business outside the province Do I need to inform council members too? A lot of Sixth Streetmerce chambers are doing business outside the province C the merchant fleets from Hang City for example, Zhao Chenwu asked.
No need to inform them; the merchant fleets from Hang are outsiders. As for the smallermerce chambers, there are too many of them to control effectively and that would just disrupt more than help. Jiang Chen shook his head. This task is extremely important. NAC needs this technology to rebuild the ruins, so Im giving you the task.
Thank you for your confidence in us; we wont disappoint you. Zhao Chenwu nodded, raised his head, and smiled. What exactly is this technology? Or, what kind of technology is NAC willing to pay such a high price for?
The focus of merchants was always maximizing profits. The number of credits NAC was willing to pay directly corrted with the energy the merchants had for the technology recollection work. Jiang Chen knew this point too well.
More advanced 3D printing equipment or rted technical documents,mercial or experimental quantumputers, and any equipment and papers rted to aerospace technology. This is the current focus of our collection. As for the other technologies, well offer a reasonable price based on their practical value. Jiang Chen smiled.
Zhao Chenwu nodded.
I understand. Is that all?
Theres one more thing. I heard that Zhao Corporation imported a batch of production drones from Wu City? Jiang Chen asked.
Thats right. It was the Ant drone. Nothing can escape your eyes, Zhao Chenwu joked. What about them?
Are they useful?
Theyre great. They can be used to harvest crops, collect tree sap, and even rece simple streamline work. All in all, the drones are very interesting little equipment, Zhao Chenwu said.
Followed the increase in average ie at Sixth Street, aside from ves and refugees who were willing to perform farming and nting work, most survivors would rather collect garbage than do low-paying farm work. In order to alleviate thebor shortages, Zhao Chenwu purchased a batch of Ant drones from Wu City to rece humanbor.
Could you provide a few samples for us? Well pay, of course.
No problem. They dont cost a lot to begin with C I can even gift you a few, Zhao Chenwu generously offered. If you sessfully decipher their technology, remember to sell us some units.
Thank you then. Jiang Chen smiled. On the other hand, whats the strength of the survivors in Wu City?
The strength? How should I put it... the survivors south of Yangtze River are mainly farmers and Wu City is also simr. Its located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River ins, so survivor groups are distributed around the fertile suburban soil. Perhaps because they inherited part of the pre-war production technology that in general, their mechanical manufacturing capacity is pretty good.
They are simr to how Wanghai was two years ago C local survivors are under constant disruptions from mutated humans and raiders, so their poption density isnt high. Their economy mostly relies on the exports of Bullet Shell Grain, Carm Tree Sap, and mutated fruit. They asionally pitch their hand-made robots and drones to passing merchants. Is there a problem?
No, I was just asking. Also, I have another task for you. Jiang Chen smiled.
Oh? Zhao Chenwu looked at him.
When youre doing business, remember to keep an eye out for information rted to the local survivors. For example, their poption, economic condition, military power, and force distribution.
Didnt you say that NAC has no military operations on their agenda?
That doesnt mean we only collect information when there is a military operation. Jiang Chen crossed his fingers and sped them on his knee. In times of peace, we can conduct research on where we will have to fight.
Chapter 527 - Optical Illusion
Chapter 527: Optical Illusion
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
There were many tasks to do during times of peace C not only did they need to research where to fight but they also needed to figure out how to develop conquered territories.
The Project Garden of Eden was 50%plete; although the soil reformation n was dyed by the snow, the main construction was still in process. Lin Lin seemed to have forgotten her sorrow and dedicated herselfpletely to the Garden of Eden.
Sun Jiao had been addicted to MMORPGs and unfortunately, she couldnt y only by herself, so Sun Jiao asionally yed with her as well. Even Han Junhua got dragged into the game with the excuse testing software during her downtime. She could no longer be satisfied by the magical journey of Godly Land C she tried the newly-developed shooting game to satisfy her need for variety.
Yao Yao continued to refine herputer knowledge. During her engagement with the Supreme, she learned the extent of her weakness in the IT field. Although Jiang Chen thought finding weaknesses in IT against artificial intelligence was unreasonable, he took one look at Yao Yaos keen eyes and couldnt say anything to dampen her motivation.
If you have time, help me research about intermediate artificial intelligence, Jiang Chen said.
Intermedia artificial intelligence? Yao Yao tilted her head with a finger pressed against her lips. But arent they the enemy of Big Brother?
Jiang Chen rubbed her head.
My enemy isnt artificial intelligence but rather artificial intelligence without restrictions. If you could invent a type of artificial intelligence that was safe and never betrayed humans, Yao Yao wouldve performed a great deed then.
Although it was difficult, Yao Yao still nodded sternly.
Mhmm! Yao Yao will work hard.
Jiang Chen kissed her glowing forehead and rubbed her now-blushing little head before he left the room.
...
Just before Jiang Chen returned to the modern world, good news came from Fallout Shelter 027 again. The optical illusion module and Gauss Rifle confiscated by the Dusk had been sessfully reverse-engineered. Twenty carbon Nano armors installed with the optical illusion module were transported to Fishbone Base. Ten were assigned to the Hunter Division by Jiang Chen, and he nned to take the rest to the modern world to equip his Ghost Agents.
The equipment name was Stealth Armor!
The carbon Nano armors appearance looked like a ck, full-body suit formed by mesh octagon shapes. The materials used were both sturdy and soft, and the critically-important optical illusion function could make the user be an actual ghost.
Other than that, Fallout Shelter 027 used 3D printing to create a prototype of the Gauss Rifle as well as one hundred rounds of electromaic pulse bullets designed for the rifle. The rifle had high prative power with rtively weak recoil, but a downside was that the cost of ammunition was much higher than normal rifle bullets.
The technical difficulties of the Gauss rifle were mostly rted to the electromaic rail material and high energy capacitors. Fallout Shelter 027 had absorbed the technology in the area and now the Institute of Firearms had the capability to design simr electromaic weapons independently.
Such as the Gauss Sniper Rifle.
When Jiang Chen returned to the modern world, he managed to find Ayesha in the kitchen and handed her a carbon Nano armor that fit her body well.
Ayesha looked at the pitch-ck full-body suit and weighed the soft material before a puzzled expression appeared on her face.
Are you sure this ck thing can really be stealthy?
Not only that! Its also bulletproof. Dont just judge it based on the appearance.
Ayesha nodded, unbuttoned her shirt, and began to strip.
Wait, are you nning to change into it now? Jiang Chen quickly stopped her and felt exasperated.
It was weird to change in the kitchen.
Do I not need to try it? With her fingers on her cor buttons, Ayesha turned around.
Mhmm Okay, lets try it on then.
[Fu*k, Ive seen her so many times C why am I feeling so shy?]
Jiang Chen mocked himself and raised his hand to cough to disguise his awkwardness while he began to appreciate the scene before him.
With the slightly shy look on Jiang Chens face, Ayeshas mouth curved into a pleased smile. At the same time, her delicate fingers undid the buttons in front of her chest
Ayeshas actions were quick C it took less than half a minute before she zipped up her cor and put on the entire pitch-ck suit. The soft carbon Nano material fitted her body perfectly and drew out her blossoming curves.
She moved around with a confused expression gradually surfacing on her face.
She hesitated for a second, grabbed a sharp knife from the kitchen counter, and swung at her own left arm.
Not even a cut!
Her confusion changed into shock.
Although carbon Nano has the ability to protect against bullets and des, its best not to use it as a kic skeleton. Since defense isnt its strong suit, multiple bullets could result in the carbon structure being destroyed which would weaken its bulletproof functionality. This thing is hard to repair if damaged, Jiang Chen warned her.
The more advanced the technology, the more sophisticated it was. If the armor took excessive damage, the optical illusion could malfunction.
Ayesha nodded, put the knife back onto the counter, spun around, and examined her clothes.
Does it look good?
Of course it looks good. Uh, is that what you care about? Jiang Chen facepalmed.
No I just think its a bit embarrassing to go outside wearing this, Ayesha said shyly.
Try the button around the cor. Jiang Chen smiled.
Ayesha raised her hand to reach for her cor. As she searched along the edge, she found a grain-sized button.
She hesitantly pressed the button before she shockingly discovered it made blue electric arcs jump and her body began to fade until shepletely became transparent.
She raised both her hands as she looked at her invisible hands in astonishment.
What whats going on?
Jiang Chen was impressed by the fact Ayesha actually disappeared. He nodded in amazement.
Mhmm! Not bad. This is my first time seeing the stealth functionality; looks like this thing really lived up to its name. The battery insert is on the left arm C you should be able to feel a concave button. While the optical illusion is activated, your heat source information will also be disguised. But you have to be careful when you use it. If its hit by a bullet directly, it could cause the optical illusion to temporarily malfunction.
Although it was a stealth suit, it wasntpletely transparent. When Ayesha swung her arms or moved withrge motions, the curves of her body would appear faintly. But when standing still or walking slowly, she couldnt be detected at all with the naked eye.
But in this state, how do you use a weapon? Ayesha pressed the button around her cor again and ended stealth mode. She looked at her hands.
Jiang Chen then took out a rifle cover from the storage dimension, passed it to Ayesha and smiled.
You dont have to worry about the weapon since if theres equipment that allows people to be stealthy, naturally there will be equipment designed specifically for weapons. The rifle cover can connect to the back of the carbon Nano armor. When the optical illusion is active, the weapon, clip and dagger connected to the rifle cover will also turn invisible. Of course, you must be wary when shooting and changing the clip. The parts that leave the rifle cover and the sparks at the muzzle can expose your location.
Because of this, while in the optical illusion state, it was best to use weapons that didnt create sparks when firing like the Gauss Rifle.
Ayesha attached the rifle cover to her body and took the Ghost Sniper Rifle and Type-11 Pistol from Jiang Chen. She connected the weapons to the rifle cover and started the optical illusion again. The weapon and her body disappeared simultaneously.
This is This is too magical. Ayesha ended the optical illusion state and returned the weapons to Jiang Chen as she eximed.
What do you think? Are you pleased with the new clothes now?
Ayesha nodded with her face blushing.
Mhmm.
With this equipment, thebat ability of the Ghost Agents would increase substantially, and she could better protect Jiang Chen.
Chapter 528 - Bullet Time?
Chapter 528: Bullet Time?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Jiang Chen transferred the other nine invisible suits to Ayesha and let her equip nine of the most reliable Ghost Agents on field duty. With this equipment, thebat and survival abilities of the agents would increase by another level.
After having lunch with Ayesha, Jiang Chen once again returned to New Moon Ind and set up six new Phantom Helmet production lines in the factory. After three months of continuous production, the workers were now more skillful. Not only did the product quality rate increase by 50%, but their production speed also doubled.
The basic sry Jiang Chen provided them was 5000 USD. With each team working as a functional unit, after they hit the days production targets, they would receive a bonus for every additional helmet they produced.
With the incentive of money, all the workers worked meticulously during their shifts. There were over 50 million Phantom units currently in storage. With the addition of the six production lines, the monthly production rate of the helmet could reach 20 million units.
The 20 million helmet target set before the official release had been long been met. When the helmet was officially released in thetter half of December, they would easily have a supply of over 70 million units.
The manager in charge of production was called Liu Songrong. While the engineering robots installed the new production lines under the watch of Celestial Trade soldiers, he cheerfully reported to Jiang Chen on his work.
Manager Liu was quite an interesting person as he was one of the rare university graduates in Xin who studied abroad. Five years ago, he studied human resources at the University of Ad and could be considered an alumnus to the current president, Zhang Yapin. After graduation, he inherited his fathers sugarcane field but soon lost thend after the three-party agreement with the Wang family, Johnny, and President Edward; he went from being andlord to a fisherman overnight.
After President Zhang Yapin was sworn in, Celestial Trade entered Xin. Liu Songrong took the opportunity to sell his fishing boat and signed up for the force.
Of course, he clearly wasnt meant to be a soldier and was thus sent to logistical services. Based on his excellent work performance, great rtionship-building skills, adherence to moral codes, ability to keep his mouth shut, and meticulous work, he was able to climb to where he was now as the manager at the Phantom Helmet nt.
When Jiang Chen asked him questions regarding security, Liu Songrongughed and pumped his chest.
Boss, dont worry C there has never been a security incident in my time here. During the change of shifts while entering the nt, everyone must go through security with me personally responsible for it. They wont take even a single screw out of the nt. Any person suspected of sneaking products out will be sent to the security department. Once confirmed, they would be dismissed immediately.
The security department is just a post with Celestial Trades soldiers stationed there. The workers sent to the security department wont receive any inhumane treatment; they will just be injected with the truth-telling liquid by the nurse. Once they are confirmed as business spies, they will be courteously sent out of New Moon Ind. Not only would they end their high paying job, but their employee housing would be confiscated.
Based on the severity of the situation, Celestial Trade reserves the right to sue and prosecute them.
After December, the Danish DHLs vessel will transport the helmets stored here. I need you to produce at least 80 million units by end of the month C can you do it?
I promise Ill finish the work! Liu Rongsong raised his chest and promised.
Considering how energetic manager Liu was, Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder with encouragement.
Keep up the good work; the helmet you produce in excess will your bonus!
Liu Songrong was ecstatic as he immediately expressed his gratitude.
Thanks, boss!
Jiang Chenughed and made him go back to supervising production then he took a ride along the dam to return to New Moon Ind and inquired about the training with Ivan.
The 100 soldiers and 20 pilots operating the power armor were selected.
Ivan previously thought the selection process would be simple, but it took over a week and ended up requiring them to work with the new recruitment site and cooperating hospitals to conduct physical examinations for at least 4000 people before he finally managed to select the 20 pilots.
Vision, height, weight, reaction, perception, disease history, and physical coordination were simple, but thest one was confusing. Candidates who passed all previous tests must get their blood tested then a drop of DNA screening indicator would be mixed with the blood. Only when the indicator turned blue could the candidate be considered to pass thest physical examination item.
The weird physical examination item eliminated 95% of the candidates who otherwise qualified. Ivan previously thought Jiang Chen was making a mistake, but he ended up realizing that wasnt the case C some peoples blood reacted to the indicators.
With Ivan leading the way, Jiang Chen met the 20 lucky people on the training grounds. Ten of them were current Celestial Trade soldiers. From their standing posture, it was easy to see their soldier training. As for the other 10 soldiers, while they were certainly fit, they must be new recruits who only joined a few days ago judging by their awkward posture.
Jiang Chen scanned the 20 pilots in front of him and saw excitement and confusion in the 20 pairs of eyes. They clearly didnt expect the big boss of Celestial Trade would meet them personally.
Jiang Chen cleared his throat.
First, I want to congratte you on passing the pilot candidate selection. You will receive three months of training then be part of Celestial Trades air force. You already possess a sry and benefits enviable by all. I hope in your future military career, you can use your loyalty and courage to repay the generosity of ourpany.
I know you must have a lot of questions in your mind. For example, why are there only runways and not a single ne in sight? What was the weird physical examination item that ended up eliminating over 1000 qualified candidates?
The first question is easy to answer: the nes are on another ind. Once you pass the pilot training in the virtual reality training chamber, youll be the ones who fly the nes back.
Thetter question is a bit harder to exin. In simple terms, after being injected with the E-Grade Gic Vine provided by Celestial Trade, youll receive the ability to have enhanced senses.
Looking at their confusion, Jiang Chen paused for a moment then continued.
In even simpler terms: its bullet time!
When they heard Jiang Chens words, everyone including Ivan all look puzzled. The veteran soldiers were surprised, but their reaction was rather calm. The ten new recruits werepletely dumbfounded.
Jiang Chen wasnt surprised by their reactions at all.
The soldiers of Celestial Trade were all injected with the gic vine, but there wasnt a single person who unlocked their hidden gic code. It was partially because Xin didnt conduct any military operations to external forces and partially due to the advanced nature of the soldiers weapons. With the protection of the kic skeletons and carbon Nano bulletproof suits, the soldiers wont be in any danger.
The main criterion for unlocking the hidden gic code was to be on the brink of death to stimte the true potential of the human body. Gic vines were only a key, and twisting the key required the effort of the individual.
What was worth mentioning was that the process couldnt be achieved through virtual reality or else Ayesha wouldve unlocked cold-blooded a long time ago and Jiang Chen wouldve unlocked the third level hidden gic code.
It was rumored that the third level was thest level. But as a leader, he didnt have any opportunities to sink enemies himself, so it would be hard for him to unlock the third level.
Of course, there were tricks to this. Quite funnily, rides in amusement parks could all achieve it. The high-speed rotation of the Ferris wheel or the rapid fall of a dive C as long as a little transformation urred, it could simte the feeling of wandering on the edge of life and death.
For example, creating a high speed rotating chair that could break through 10G in speed wouldnt only train the pilots ability to withstand pressure, but it could also allow trainees to experience the illusion of near death
An ill-intentioned smile surfaced on Jiang Chens face as he looked at thepletely lost pilots.
They would have fun in the next three months.
Chapter 529 - Tourism Project Completed
Chapter 529: Tourism Project Completed
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
After Jiang Chen met the pilots, he toured the military base at New Moon Ind and met all the officials apanying Ivan. Because the Nethends BMA Construction Companys representative in Xin suddenly called, Jiang Chen returned to Coro Ind.
The ten billion project was nearpletion. Once the messy scaffolds were removed and the anchored construction boats left, the beautiful ind would disy its perfectbination of advanced technology and natural beauty to the world like the concept art disyed.
Just likest time, BMA provided the highest level of greeting to Jiang Chen. They sent the general manager of their Europe Division, Hannah, toplete the project. After thest two phases of the project contracts were paid off, next would be the ceremony. Once Zhang Yapin signed a few policy documents in support of the tourism industry, tourists woulde in, waving their cash.
As early as half a year ago, Future Technology used all its channels to hype up the tourism industry in Pannu Inds. The titles The Maldives on the Pacific, and The South Asian Hawaii set the expectations high for the inds. As long as the inds werent too terrible, Jiang Chen could easily count on cash from the tourism industry.
When he returned to the mansion, Jiang Chen discovered that Hannah was waiting at the door. But what surprised him was that Natasha was there too; the twodies were chatting together.
When Hannah saw Jiang Chen, she ended the conversation with Natasha and shook Jiang Chens hand with a smile.
Hello, Mr. Jiang Chen, Im happy to see you again.
Me too, Ms. Cavillian. Pleasee in. Jiang Chen invited her in as he opened the door with the digital key.
Hannah nodded and went into the gate.
Jiang Chen stood at the gate and looked at Natasha. The tall girl yed with the blonde hair beside her ear and watched him with a grin.
Are you not going to invite me in?
Jiang Chen didnt know what she wanted, but he sighed and also invited her in.
Pleasee in.
When they entered the room, Natasha didnt disturb Jiang Chens talk with BMA. She took out a bottle of champagne from the fridge as if it was her home and disappeared for a while.
Jiang Chen didnt bother with her as the entire mansion was under the surveince of cameras. With Natashas intelligence, she would know this well.
Hannah sat in the living room with Jiang Chen and presented him a n for the constructionpletion ceremony, the exnation of each infrastructure, quality assurance certification, as well as photos of thepleted construction project.
Jiang Chen was extremely pleased with the work BMA delivered. As for the stacks of certification documents, Jiang Chen only scanned through them roughly.
There were supervisors he trusted who continued to monitor the construction, so he wasnt worried about work falling below quality standards. With BMAs reputation, they wouldnt do anything that would tarnish their own name. If there were serious construction quality problems, thewsuit of the 8.7 billion contract would make them bankrupt.
After he signed the transfer of 4.7 billion in remaining fees, Jiang Chen sent Ms. Hannah to the door and warmly expressed that if there were future projects, he would definitely contact them.
After he sent away the representative from BMA, Jiang Chen returned to the mansion and began to search for the Russian girl who disappeared not long after she came in.
Jiang Chen previously thought she went to the third-floor pool or dining room since she brought a bottle of champagne with her. But to Jiang Chens surprise, he didnt manage to find her on the third floor. Instead, she was in the first-floor gym, leaning against the chair and wearing the Phantom on her head.
Champagne was on the wooden floor beside her with the cap still unopened.
She probably discovered the helmet in the gym when she strolled by and changed her mind.
She certainly made herself feel at home.
Jiang Chen scoffed as he looked at the flickering green indicator light on the helmet.
Internal beta tests had already started and Future Technologys immersive virtual reality technology was no longer a secret C it was fine if she yed for a while. The real secrets he had to keep were the smart medical chamber and virtual reality training chamber in the basement.
But speaking of this, Natasha waspletely unguarded.
The massive softness was about to burst out from her T-shirt as the shirt revealed her attractive torso and seductive vest line.
Jiang Chen stopped staring at Natasha for a while. He then subconsciously gulped and went to wake her up. But just as he stepped beside her, the green indicator light changed to red. After a brief flickering, Natasha sat up and took off her helmet.
She tossed her blonde hair and noticed Jiang Chen who was standing next to her as a teasing curvature appeared on her mouth.
Oh, what were you nning to do to me?
nning to wake you up, Jiang Chen said without hesitation.
Is that so?
Natashas long legs stepped down and she stood on the wooden floor in the gym barefooted.
An astonishing experience, I dont understand how youre always the first to invent such amazing technology. As she put on her sandals, Natasha raised her head and checked him out a few times withuriosity
This is my business secret. Jiang Chen smiled and returned the curious nce.
Is it? Natasha said uninterestedly.
It was clear that Jiang Chens response didnt please her.
Thecafe for virtual reality is now in Moscow Of course, there are stores in Xin. I know youre not here just to experience Phantom. Jiang Chen neglected the desire flickering in Natashas eyes and redirected to the topic at hand.
Seeing Jiang Chen turn serious, Natasha also put on a stern expression and cleared her throat.
Thats right. Im here today for two things.
Is there a quality issue with nutrient supply? Jiang Chen joked.
No, the effect of nutrient supply is stunning whether its the preservation period or hunger satisfaction. The National Defense Department wants to increase the number of orders Of course, Im not here to talk to you about this today. Do you still remember Willie Society?
Of course.
When he was in Veit, Ayesha killed one of their snipers. That was his first encounter with the Willie Society. Then their agent made their way into Celestial Trade and sessfully escaped. Then Jiang Chen provided the personal information of the spy and documents cracked by Xie Lei to the KGB. He had been wondering if they caught him yet.
Willie Society was connected to the Nazis and the Golden Apple. Because of geographical and political reasons, they received tolerance and even support from NATO; that was all Jiang Chen knew about them.
Do you remember the information you provided us about that spy?
Of course, what about the spy?
We caught the person two months ago, Natasha said.
So?
Natasha took a deep breath, got closer, and whispered into Jiang Chens ear.
Half a month ago, the terrorist attack in Frankberg had their shadows involved.
When Jiang Chen heard Natashas words, he wasnt surprised at all.
From Frankberg Deputy Prime Minister Evelyn, he already knew this information. Natashas words only confirmed the validity of the information.
Based on the intelligence we gathered, the weapon they obtained in this attack originated from the Balkans, provided by a vic arms dealer. And the arms dealer is connected with the Rothschild family...
Natasha moved away, stared into his eyes, and spoke slowly but deeply.
Chapter 530 - A Traitor
Chapter 530: A Traitor
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
I heard you have a close rtionship with the Rothschild family?
Just in business dealings.
Thats what we thought. Based on the information we acquired, they sent out an agent to approach you. If you have a close rtionship, they wouldnt have thisck of trust. But speaking of that, you allowed that woman to get into your bed? Natashas fingers tapped Jiang Chens shoulder and adjusted his cor.
There seemed to be ayer of meaning mixed between her words; he didnt know if it was jealousy or mockery.
I drank a bit much that day. Also, I acquired information from her mouth. Jiang Chen awkwardly looked away.
Indeed, if he was sober, he never wouldve done something this reckless.
Perhaps
For example? Natasha looked at Jiang Chen, quite intrigued.
For example, the Golden Apple. When Jiang Chen spoke, he carefully observed Natashas pupils. They seemed to be searching for something called the Golden Apple. When we were doing a certain exercise, she asked me the color of the Golden Apple.
What color is it?
Its not gold. Jiang Chen shrugged.
When Natasha heard Jiang Chens words, her eyebrows furrowed and she looked down.
I provided the information to you. In return, I want you to rify for me: what exactly is that thing called the Golden Apple? Jiang Chen zoomed into Natashas eyes and he used a serious tone.
Sorry, based on my level, I only know a bit, Natasha said.
Youre lying. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Im protecting you. You wont gain anything if you know what it is Even the KGB doesnt have a solid understanding if that thing really exists. Natasha sighed.
To be honest, it felt suffocating to lie with his eyes open. (1)
Jiang Chen really wanted to tell her that the thing really existed, but the functionality wasnt as good as you thought C it could only receive information at a certain time from a time point in the future through a specialmunication channel. And right now, he brought the mimickedmunication channel to the apocalypse. It was currently sitting in the corner of Lin Linsb.
But he obviously couldnt do that.
Although he didnt think Russia would be able to do anything, to avoid unnecessary trouble, that secret was better eternally sunken in the bottom of the ocean.
Okay, if you insist on keeping it confidential. Jiang Chen sighed with defeat and ended the topic.
I hope you wont misinterpret anything Natasha looked away, paused, and spoke again: Returning to the topic, the Willie Society orchestrated the terrorist attack and used refugees bodies to fake the identity of the gunmen. Not only in Frankberg, but all of Europe is a mess because of the refugee situation.
When did Russia be the world police? Jiang Chen joked.
This has nothing to do with the world police. Do you know the beneficiary of this terrorist attack? Natasha stared at Jiang Chens eyes.
From Natashas eyes as well as what he saw in Ber, Jiang Chen already had the answer in mind, but he still chose to ask.
Who?
The Rothschilds. Natasha gave the answer Jiang Chen expected. The Frankberg New Party, Austria Rightwing Party, as well as Fran They have been betting on the right-wing parties at the start ofst year when the refugee problem began to escte. They are continuously using the media to bring attention to the refugee situation and ignited the fuse at Ber half a month ago.
What do they want to do? Jiang Chen asked.
Regardless of what they want to do, theyre extremely dangerous. Also, not only us, but CIB is also investigating the dog on their leash as well as the financial monster known as the Rothschilds hidden in the publics eyes. If you dont want to be part of the gamble, its best for you to steer clear, Natasha said with seriousness.
Jiang Chen met Natashas solemn expression, gave it a thought, and spoke quietly when he raised his head.
Ill remember your words.
A pleased curvature appeared on Natashas mouth when she heard Jiang Chens reply.
This was the first order of business. What about the second?
The second order of business: the two Guardian vessels and two Kilo ss submarines are prepared along with the navy marines you sent. If all goes smoothly, they should dock at Coro Inds harbor by the middle of the month If you have the deep water harbor suitable for vessels to dock.
Dont worry, once they enter Xins water, our people will guide the vessels to the harbor. Jiang Chen smiled.
The construction robots he deployed at Coconut Ind had already constructed the military use deep water harbor with six docking spots. Two of them would be used to dock the Guardian vessels and two would be used to dock the Kilo ss submarines. In that harbor, the construction robots wouldplete the transformation of the vessels, for example, change the 100mm A-190 cannon in front to an electromaic pulse cannon.
As for the two Kilo ss submarines, Droplet One wouldplete the improvement work.
Im here today for these two things. After weve finished talking business, are you not going to have a drink with me? Natasha smiled.
No problem C champagne and whiskey are all in the fridge. Of course, because I have a constructionpletion ceremony to attend in the afternoon, I wont be joining you.
Lame. Where did the girl who always follows you go?
Just as Natashas words faded, she heard Ayeshas voice from behind.
Here.
Natasha turned around with shock and looked at the girl who was sitting in the chair Natasha was just sitting in. She didnt notice when the girl moved behind her at all.
And with the clothes on her, her appearance was certainly
Your clothes Natasha checked out her pure ck attire.
Ayesha didnt respond and continued to look at her without any expression.
But Jiang Chen still noticed a curvature appearing on her mouth when she saw the shocked Natasha.
Its just a full body suit with a unique appearance. Jiang Chen smiled.
Even a KGB agent couldnt detect a Ghost Agent with optical illusion activated. Jiang Chen was extremely pleased with the actual ability of the stealth suit.
Of course, it also had to do with Ayeshas superb stealth abilities; optical illusion would only disguise the figure, while the sounds of walking, breathing, and turbulence created by moving wouldnt disappear.
Because of Ayeshas sudden appearance, Natasha lost the mood to tease Jiang Chen. She took two bottles of Whiskey from the fridge in the kitchen before she left.
She still didnt understand how Ayesha managed to do it.
When Natasha left, Ayesha took off the carbon Nano suit and changed into normal clothes.
Did you distribute the stealth suits yet?
Mhmm. Theyre all reliable people. Ayesha nodded.
I trust your judgment. Jiang Chen stood at the window to watch a car leave his garden with a smile.
A heartfelt smile appeared on Ayeshas mouth. To her, there was nothing happier than receiving recognition from Jiang Chen.
Suddenly, she pulled on Jiang Chens sleeve as if she remembered something.
Hmmm? Jiang Chen turned around and looked at her.
The Ghost Agents found a traitor.
Who? Jiang Chens pupils contracted as his eyes narrowed.
Not part of the force Ayesha hesitated for a moment before she spoke again: The significant other of Future Minings Manager. Based on investigations, she provided Future Minings information to foreigners Her name is Su Fei.
(1) Lie with eyes open
Chapter 531 - Betrayal
Chapter 531: Betrayal
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
In a hotel on Coro Ind, there was heavy breathing followed by a high-pitched moan inside a room.
She lied against the muscr chest and reminisced about the great pleasure of life. The lips with bright lipstick respited for a while before she finally recollected her breath.
Am I good? The cute-looking man grinned.
Too good.
Where is the thing?
Su Fei rolled her eyes at the man and unwillingly twisted her hips.
Its in the bag. Why are you rushing? It is not going to fly away.
The man with the perfect smile hugged her around the waist and courteously put Su Fei on the bed, and then he lifted the sheet and sat beside the bed. From the side, his body looked muscr and fit. The handsome face was evenparable to some Korean celebrities.
Of course, the most critical part was the length, unlike most Asians.
It was the part that intoxicated Su Fei the most.
This is for our future life, honey. The man used sweet words to woo her and then walked to the table.
Su Fei used the sheet to cover her body, her face beginning to blush.
Two months ago, they met on Weibo. Li Jinyan said he is a project manager at a food processingpany in UA, because of work requirements, he was sent to Xin to conduct market research. When he saw the photos posted by Su Fei on Weibo and private messaged her asking her to be his guide for this strange country.
Li Jinyans presence reignited the fantasy in Su Feis heart, soothed the dried soil in her heart, and gave her the romance and longing Yang Yuan couldnt give her.
As well as the pleasure.
First Su Fei had a revenge mentality where Yang Yuan didnt satisfy her desire to live in a big city and would constantly set her aside for work as she half-willingly epted Li Jinyans pursue. Then dayster, she hadpletely fallen for his candy-wrapped shell (1) and became his captive.
He promised her that he would take her to UA and gave her the life she wanted.
When Su Fei epted his proposal, he then mentioned that the negotiation with Future Mining is in a stalemate and they were unable to move forward. He hoped Su Fei could help him out and said that if the negotiation could bepleted as soon as possible, they could fly back to UA and get married at the earliest date
Is this Future Minings deepwater mining technology blueprints? Li Jinyan took out a USB from her bag and yed with it intriguingly.
Su Fei got off the bed in only her underwear. She walked toward the man, and hugged him from behind.
Electronic version. Although he deleted the confidential part, he must have never thought deleted documents could be recovered.
Li Jinyan raised his eyebrows and wrapped his arm around her waist like a gentleman.
Oh? I didnt know Miss Su is aputer expert.
Dont be so surprised, at least I learned something in university. Su Fei bit her lips and enjoyed the warmth between his arms.
She studiedputer science at Wanghai University. While she was not aputer expert, she could do basic data recovery. It was just that she didnt know that this would be the opportunity where she could demonstrate her skill.
Is that so? Please excuse me for underestimating you. Since if ady is too beautiful, her beauty will cover her talent. Li Jinyan put the USB next to his phone and affectionately spoke into her ear.
Su Feis beauty could only be described as above average, and Su Fei even knew herself. But no woman would dislike being praised for her beauty, especially by a handsome man.
Screw you.
Do you want more?
Mhmm
She half-willingly half-resistingly fell onto the bed.
Just as there was an intense battle happening in bed, the two people in the room didnt realize the USB was secretively switched
Li Jinyan left the hotel first.
Before he left, he left a stash of cash on the table for her to buy a few more clothes. Although Su Fei didnt choose him because of money, women never disliked men being generous with them.
As long as the method was right.
Su Fei didnt leave immediately. She savored the pleasure on the bed before she finally got off the soft bed. Based on his suggestion, it was best if they left the hotel at separate times.
She took a shower in the bathroom, reapplied her makeup, and sprayed perfume on herself.
After confirming there was no w, she picked up the bag while cautiously leaving the room.
Before she returned home, she had to visit an ATM nearby
Right when the door closed, ripples faded on the chair directly facing the bed with the figure of a ck haired girl gradually appearing.
Zhu Yu, the UA Han from Michigan State. Because of her quiet personality, acute observation, and outstanding training result, Ayesha particrly favored her as she was named the executor of Ghost Agents. She was responsible for anti-agents surveince work in Xin.
A few weeks ago, there was a suspicion that information was leaked from Future Mining with the Ghost Agents intervening to investigate. Just in three days of time, they gathered a list of suspects before determining the person that leaked the information.
Optical illusion had high battery consumption in motion, but in a still state, optical illusion could be maintain for a long time. Zhu Yu raised her left hand to check the hologram screen before she let out a relieved breath at the 10% battery remaining.
For a girl that never experienced sex, the two hours of live porn was too exciting for her. The Ghost Agents primary method to conduct work relied on high technology and not beauty, so they didnt receive any training in that area.
She took off the USB from her tactical vest, then took the card of a hotel worker and inserted into the card slot, and walked to theputer inside the room. She began to read the files on the USB that she had switched.
There was only one file inside. It was the electronic document Jiang Chen sent to the Manager of Future Mining C Yang Yuan.
Zhu Yu removed the USB after she cleaned the read history with professional technology.
She pressed her cor and connected it to her superior and also her trainer Ayesha.
Target confirmed. The person that leaked the document is Su Fei, the girlfriend of Future Minings executive Yang Yuan. The target document has been switched.
Excellent. Maintain surveince; make sure you dont alert them. It is probably only a small rat that surfaced. I want to know the perpetrator.
What shocked Zhu Yu was that Jiang Chen was the one that responded in themunication channel. But there was no inherent difference since the Ghost Agents were a special force directly serving Jiang Chen and Ayesha as the captain was the same as the Director of National Security of Xin.
Roger, Zhu Yu replied.
When themunication ended, she opened the battery slot on her left arm and reced the battery. Then she opened the hologram screen and in the screen marked the map of Xin. The two red dots separating were the coordinates of Su Fei and Li Jinyan, identified as spies.
Li Jinyan would have never thought that the USB contained a micro location marker and was currently sending his coordinates at a frequency of five times a second.
Zhu Yu took out the card of the hotel worker and headed out of the door.
Chapter 532 - The Heart of the Sea
Chapter 532: The Heart of the Sea
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
When themunication ended, Jiang Chens expression was perplexed.
Just moments ago, the Ghost Agent at the hotel used the tactical recorder to send videos of the hotel. He didnt know how to describe the feeling of watching the livestream of his friends girlfriend with another man.
Self-me?
Not necessarily, since he only knew recently about Su Fei cheating. When the two first met each other, Xins intelligence department had yet to form.
Angry?
A little bit.
Ayesha gently squeezed Jiang Chens hand as she seemed to have guessed what was on Jiang Chens mind as she simply looked at Jiang Chen.
Ayesha, do you think I should tell Yang Yuan or should I take care of this without him knowing? Jiang Chen asked in a quiet voice while closing the tablet.
It was easy for him to take care of this without Yang Yuan knowing. He could take out the spy and then create a traffic ident to also get rid of Su Fei.
Ayesha held onto Jiang Chens hand and replied to his question with tenderness and determination in her eyes.
Jiang Chen looked back into the bright pupils and rubbed her head.
Mhmm, I know.
If it was Ayesha, there would only be one answer from her. Even if what he did may not be correct, in her mind, he will always be correct.
After lunch, Jiang Chen arrived at the construction ceremony site of BMA. The manager responsible for this project from Future Group was Wei Yun and previously a professional manager for hire before being headhunted by Jiang Chen. He previously had experience in tourism projects and was certainly a qualified talent.
When Jiang Chen arrived at the destination, he was waiting at the door.
When he saw Jiang Chen, Wei Yun in a suit standing straight immediately came to greet him with a smile and then guided the boss to the location of the ceremony.
The wave-shaped building was half-submerged in the ocean. BMAs architects cleverly used modern building techniques to mesh natural beauty with reinforced concrete. The U-shaped coastal area included a beach for leisure and a port to dock boats. The entire areabined restaurants, hotels, and shopping together with the sole purpose of providing all tourists with the best experience possible.
The name was the Heart of the Sea.
The meaning was the brightest gem in the entire Pacific.
The entire building had a total bill of 600 million USD; the price even exceeded the world-renowned Bird Nest. It was the most expensivendmark building in the entire project and the face of Pannu Inds tourism industry.
Including Sheraton, there is a total of nine world-renowned five stars hotel that signed the lease agreement totaling 8000 square meters in hotel area at the Heart of the Sea; the leased area will be renovated to their hotels brand. The lease is 5000 USD per square meters with a total of 40 million in lease payment due each year.
In the shopping and restaurant areas, we have received 8501 applications with 6510ing from international bidders. Out of the 450 thousand square meters total area, 250 thousand has been leased out. Based on the 3000 USD per square meter of lease payments, earnings are expected to reach 750 million USD.
After the cost of electricity,bor, maintenance, if the projection is urate, the Heart of the Sea will produce at least 200 million USD in profits for us.
Based on the benchmark, using the international markets, the lease was not expensive. The consideration was partially due to Xins tourism industry being in its infancy as thepanies that invest here must also bear a high degree of risk. If the rent were too expensive, it would be unattractive for international food, service, and retailpanies to invest.
If only a few stores exist in the massive the Heart of the Sea, the tourists experience without a doubt will decrease. And the tourists experience and reputation would determine future traffic of the Heart of Sea. And what will dictate the price of the lease of the remaining 200 thousand retail area was precisely the traffic.
Although the annual profit of the Heart of the Sea was only projected at 200 million a year, Wei Yun had full confidence that the number could increase ten times in five years!
As they walked to the location of the ceremony, Wei Yun reported to Jiang Chen Future Tourisms current operations. While Jiang Chen had to respond to his report, he still had to deal with the cameras facing him.
Wei Yun paused and then replied wryly.
Of course, it is it is just that it is hard to see you.
He had been working in Future Tourism for a few months now but the number of times he saw the president could be counted with his one hand.
Normally speaking, it was Future Technology CEO and Future Groups Secretary Xia Shiyu executing the responsibilities of the president with work being coordinated through work conferences.
Although it was odd for the secretary to do the work of CEO, when Wei Yun thought that Future Group is not public and there are only two shareholders in the entire Group, it didnt seem too out of ce.
There was also a story worth mentioning. At the start, Wei Yun looked at Xia Shiyu with judgment as he always thought the CEO climbed to her position with alternative methods. It was not that a female CEO was umon in internationalpanies, but usually, they were middle-aged or even elder women. But Xia Shiyu was not only young and pretty; she looked like she just graduated from university a few years ago.
After a period of working together, he started to stop looking down on her ability. The ability she demonstrated in her work was indeed worth her position. As to her age he could only use the word genius to describe that.
When Jiang Chen walked to the front door of the Heart of the Sea, he saw Hanna who was being interviewed by reporters, as well as the chief designer of BMA Willison.
When Willison saw Jiang Chen, his eyes lit up and immediately shooed away the media around him and weed him with open arms.
Haha, our protagonist is here. Wee! Mr. Jiang Chen.
Mr. Willison, nice to meet you.
Jiang Chen shook Willisons hand with a smile and shook it firmly.
Surrounded by cameras and representing Future Group, Jiang Chen was to deliver a speech celebrating the sess of the construction. Then BMAs Hannah and Willison, as well as Future Tourism Wei Yun, all provided their speech.
In the end, with the guidance from the master of ceremony, Jiang Chen with a gold-gilded scissor cut the ribbon tied to the door. With thunderous apuse, Jiang Chen and Hanna announced thepletion of the Heart of the Sea!
As well as thepletion of the ten billion dor mega-project.
This will be my proudest work. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make it into a reality, At the party after the ceremony, Willison with champagne walked to Jiang Chen and told him sincerely.
To Future Tourism and even Xin, the significance of the Heart of the Sea that will be printed in the tourism advertisement didnt need to be mentioned. To BMA and Willison himself, it was something worth celebrating as they were part of this project.
Haha, it is you that made the masterpiece into a reality. Jiang Chen toasted with him with a smile.
At thetter half of the party, President Zhang who just finished a conference with the neighboring New Guinea arrived and provided congrattory remarks to Future Tourism in front of the media, he then praised Future Groups outstanding contribution to providing 24 thousand jobs in Xin.
Whats the highest level of monopoly?
In the country that will never introduce an anti-monopolyw, Jiang Chen felt like he had achieved the ultimate state. Two-third of the countrysbor force worked directly or indirectly for him. The military, the intelligence services, and even government officials all serve hispany.
While he was having a drink with the smiling Zhang Yapin, Jiang Chen randomly reached this odd conclusion.
The more advanced, the easier it is to achieve dictatorship.
Chapter 533 - Capture
Chapter 533: Capture
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
As the ceremony was underway, a hidden intelligence trade was taking ce in a creamery on Coro Ind.
A Caucasian woman, wearing a pair of sunsses and a straw hat, in a tourist outfit sat at the window of the creamery while constantly checking her watch. When the hour hand struck three, a taxi stopped in front of the creamery. Li Jinyan, who got off the taxi, sat across from her and ordered a strawberry smoothie from the server.
Li Jinyan took the strawberry smoothie and disyed a charming smile to the woman who sat across from him.
Do you know why I ordered a strawberry smoothie?
Why?
Because it reminds me of you.
Where is the thing?
Its in the bag You are as cold as always. Li Jinyan shrugged and pushed the USB inside a ring box in front of her.
Oh? You made love with that girl for two hours, and you still have the energy to think about that? The woman raised her eyebrows and scoffed.
It is not too difficult to get in bed with that girl. I like challenging and difficult work, Li Jinyan said heartlessly.
This first sentence doesnt work on me, but the second sentence is okay. I like men who are direct. If youe back alive, perhaps I will consider rewarding you. The woman bit her seductive red lips.
Haha, then Im looking forward to it. Go back, wash up, and wait for me. Li Jinyan joked.
Dont underestimate the situation. Xin recently formed a national security department, the eyes behind the sunsses scanned her surrounding environment as she said emotionlessly.
Dont worry, Kelly. Even Mexico has that, but who cares? Li Jinyan dismissed this concern.
I heard that the newly formed special intelligence department is called Ghost Agents.
Li Jinyanughed, he bit on the straw and slurped on the strawberry jam in the smoothie.
I know you dont believe it. Im just exining this as a fact. Kelly shrugged, stuffed the ring box in her bag, smiled, and got up, Thank you for your ring. Ill leave now, best of luck.
Kelly headed for the door.
Li Jinyan licked his dry lips while staring at the charismatic figure. Although he had shot his bullets inside the Han girl, just after a short period of time, he felt aroused again.
Because of work, he made love with a lot of people. But to his female superior, he had been drooling over her.
After ten minutes, Li Jinyan finished the smoothie in the cup, got up to leave the creamery, and waved down a taxi.
To the port.
Okay, sir. The driver headed back onto the road.
It was a smooth ride. Li Jinyan sunk into the seat in the back, loosened his cor, and took out his phone.
Just as he was preparing to send a text to Su Fei, he out stared at the screen and waspletely stunned.
No signal?
The feeling of alertness began to arise in his mind. With multiple years of experience as an agent, he immediately realized something was off. But just as he was about to ask the driver to stop the car, the steel-made blinds suddenly dropped down and locked him in the back of the car.
Then, a light fragrance flirted with the tip of his nose. Li Jinyan knew he was in trouble, but consciousness began to drift away from him
When he woke up again, he realized he was in a room without a window. His hands were tied behind the chair. He tried to break the rope but quickly gave up.
Two soldiers with rifles stood at the door of the room. He didnt think he had the ability to escape.
There was a young white female sitting in front of him.
The Ghost Agents?
The word sudden surfaced in Li Jinyans head.
He pretended to look around anxiously in front of the expressionless face. Then he nced at the rifle in the hands of the soldiers at the door while speaking nervously.
What happened? Who are you? Why did you capture me! Im a legal foreign worker, I have a visa! You dont have the rights to
The woman ignored his acting and flipped open her notebook.
Li Jinyan, Male, 27, UA citizen, employed by Kadar Mining
Thats right! I
The woman pped the notebook shut and looked at him expressionlessly,
I dont n to interrogate you, you can stop with what you prepared.
She picked up a miniature syringe on the table inside a tray and walked toward him.
Li Jinyan began feel nervous as he stared at the approaching figure and the liquid dripping from the needle. He had drug training, therefore in theory, the low-level interrogation method should be ineffective against an experienced agent like him.
In theory.
But the truth-telling liquid came from the 22nd century.
Li Jinyun confessed everything. Including the color of his underwear, where did he got his stic surgery, the organization he serves, as well as the hirer that paid themission.
Night began to fall.
Jiang Chen gazed at the confession script in his hand as his finger tapped the table rhythmically.
Leilian Private Investigator Company; there are many simrpanies in UA. But they didnt register for an operating license, and their primary focus was not investigating in cheatings and scandals, but rather a mercenary organization that provided clients withmercial espionages.
That was not the key; the key was that BHP hired them. And just weeks ago, Jiang Chen and Luke signed a 5000 tons low price ore contract. In theory, they should have a partnership rtionship, but with what just happened, their motive was worth scrutinizing.
He finally understood why Luke was so familiar with Future Minings operations. BHP hiredmercial espionage that had long been hidden in Xin.
Ayesha pushed open the door and ced a cup of steamy coffee in front of Jiang Chen, she then leaned down to kiss his forehead.
Dont work toote.
Mhmm, you should go sleep now, I will be done in a bit. Jiang Chen smiled.
Ayesha blinked as her eyes spoke.
When she left, she closed the door behind her.
Jiang Chen watched the white fog ascending, his finger still tapping on the tabletop while he fell into deep thought.
Li Jinyans confession was enough evidence to pursue a criminal charge inmercial espionage. Future Mining had the confidence to sue BHP in any country and win thewsuit. But even if they won, the fine would be nothing for BHP. Since they only stole information rted to undisclosed production capacity and nothing rted to their technology, the most they would have to pay is a million dor penalty.
But if they really separate ways with BHP, it would mean that the 50 million tons contract would go down the drain. Although they could mine themselves, it was a waste to use deep water mining technology to extract iron, aluminum, and other low cost ores. Jiang Chen had big ns for the 50 million tons of ores, where would he find another generous seller?
But if he didnt do anything, it was hard to guarantee they wont be more vicious in the future.
Unless
Kill the chicken to scare the monkey! (1)
Jiang Chens finger stopped on the tabletop. Instantly, the desire to kill appeared in Jiang Chens eyes.
(1) Kill the chicken to scare the monkey: To kill a non-significant thing to scare the enemy.
Chapter 534 - Make an Example
Chapter 534: Make an Example
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
The headquarter of Leilian sat in the rural area of Norway, a coffee shop that was closed all year long. Perhaps because no one took care of the ce, the wooden hat with a strong North European vor was covered by thick snow.
Wearing a thick trench coat and holding a briefcase, Kelly scanned the street. After confirming that no one followed her, she walked to the door of the coffee shop and cautiously knocked on the door.
There was a particr rhythm to her knocking; it seemed like some form of code.
Quickly, a barely audible sound came from behind the door, then the door opened. Without stopping, Kelly immediately pushed the door aside and went inside. She closed the door and hung her trench coat on the hanger at the door. The server that opened the door greeted her and courteously returned to the front desk of the coffee shop.
Under the trench coat was a gorgeous body. Kelly with a turtleneck sweater sat on the sofa beside the firece as she elegantly crossed her legs while looking at the man sitting right across her.
The man under the hood in a ck sweater grinned.
Is that so? I dont feel anything. Where is the thing?
Catch.
Kelly flicked her finger, and in the next second, the USB appeared in the man in cks hand.
The concept map of the deep water mining technology? You finally obtained it.
Where is the money? Kelly asked.
Dont worry, it has already been wired to your ount. The man in ck connected the USB to the tablet he brought along. He scanned the science fiction mining system and transportation track while he exhaled.
Momentster, he put away the tablet, and destroyed the USB.
Kelly expression remained unchanged, but she was shocked as she nced at the USB crushed into pieces. The USB was not made of stic, but rather aluminum. The persons fighting ability must not be underestimated by how easily he crushed that USB.
The man saw the look of caution on Kellys face feeling pleased as he gradually leaned against the sofa.
The next mission, I hope you can obtain the blueprints for the transportation track on the concept map. Of course, it would be better if you could obtain the blueprints for the tidal general or the mining module.
A troubled look surfaced on Kellys face.
Its going to be difficult. Even Future Minings manager has no rights to ess such core technology. Based on the deduction by our people, Future Minings technical department operates independently from its main operation and is directly managed by president Jiang Chen.
Leilian Private Investigator Company had years ofmercial espionage experience, but it was the first time they had seen such an odd operating structure. Modern enterprises promoted the interrogation of technical and operation management, so that technical could fully serve production. But Future Group seemed to have done theplete opposite. Operation management had a high degree of separation where technical could not serve the actual operation?
To the troubled look on Kellys face, the man in ck only smiled and pointed up with a finger.
If you could obtain the technology, money is not a problem. Well pay ten million for this concept diagram, and one hundred million for the blueprints.
Kelly gulped as her heart pumped furiously.
Normally themission for their work was around one million with the highest being five million. But this man started with ten million and offered up to one hundred million.
Was it BHP being a major yer in the global mining industry? Or was it Future Groups technology really worth that much?
Now, do you have a n? The man in ck smiled.
Kelly nodded mechanically.
If Future Minings manager was not enough, then they just need to go higher. For example, Future Groups president - Jiang Chen.
She heard that man seemed to love beauty.
Then she just needs to create a beautiful encounter
When Kelly thought about this, a charming curvature appeared on her red lips.
Looks like you have a n already. I look forward to hearing your good news during our next meeting. The man in ck smiled and stood up. I still have a flight to catch in a moment to Ber. I will head out.
Ber? I heard that Frankberg is not the most peaceful ce now, Kelly said nonchntly.
Precisely speaking, Europe was not peaceful.
To ordinary people.
He left those words as the man in ck headed to the door.
Just as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped. The narrowed eyes locked onto the water stain on the carpet by the door.
Suddenly feeling alerted, he reached for the gun around his waist.
Bang
But he was a beat slow. The Ghost Agent with her crosshair locked on him pressed the trigger first. The man in ck looked at the woman that appeared in thin air in disbelief before silently copsing in the pool of blood.
The pitch ck figure suddenly appeared in the room. The fluid-shaped rifle and ck muzzle cast a vibe of deadliness.
With the unexpected change, Kelly quickly flipped and rolled behind the sofa. She took over the MP7 assault rifle thrown to her by the server at the front desk, loaded the gun, and began firing back along with the coffee house server.
She didnt know how the infiltrator managed to find their headquarter nor how the person appeared in the room out of nowhere. There was only one thought in her mind, kill her!
Her animal instinct thought told her that the person was extremely dangerous.
With the bullets flying, the Ghost Agent wearing a carbon Nanobat suit was calm. Two bullets managed tond on her chest and one hit her in the thigh. But their weapon only shook her body before she fluidly rolled behind a table.
The bullets left a trial of wooden specks of dust around her.
She ignored the enemys firepower and fired back with the Reaper Assault Rifle at Leilian Companys people.
The bullets easily ripped through the structure that the enemy hid behind.
The server docked behind the front desk was shot in the head and smashed back into the counter behind him. Then the server hidden in the hallway had his chest shredded along with the concrete wall as he dropped the rifle in his hand.
With her people dying one by one, Kelly threw out a smoke grenade in fear. She fired back while retreating to the safety tunnel.
Dammit, who is it!
Suddenly, the words popped up in her head.
The Ghost Agents!
Could it be them?!
But thats impossible, regardless, they were just a bunch of newbies. Could it be BHPs enemy? Or people they had rivaled during previous missions?
Kelly used the bullets to bust open the lock, kicked open the steel door with a fierce kick, and ran for her life toward the underground tunnel.
As a contingency against the gathering spot being attacked, they had prepared a boat in the underground tunnel. If only she could escape to there!
Kelly smashed through the steel gate of the underground tunnel, hopped onto the boat frantically, and stuffed the key into the engine.
She looked back at the empty door before she felt relieved and started the boat.
The enemy didnt follow.
But before she could let out a breath, something struck her throat.
When she looked back, she met a ck muzzle.
She didnt know when the person was at the front of the boat.
The cold gunshot echoed inside the underground tunnel.
Without the time to beg for her life, Kelly copsed in the pool of blood.
The Ghost Agent agilely hopped into the boat, pressed on her cor, and replied in an emotionless tone.
A total of 12 individuals killed, including primary target Kelly, BHP representative. Package is retracted, over.
Chapter 535 - Parting
Chapter 535: Parting
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Leilians headquarter was attacked, senior agents including Kelly and other employees, for a total of eleven people, all died under the merciless muzzle. To business spies, the revenge was too malicious by normal standards.
Luke was sitting inside his manor while he nced through the report with gloom on his face.
He didnt mind the losses suffered by Leilian Company, nor was the death of his strong subordinate that always did the dirty work for him, what he minded was if Future Group knew BHP hired them.
Although when he hired Leilian to investigate Future Mining, he didnt disclose any information. With how these private investigators typically functioned, they would usually secretively figure out the information of the hirer just for the sake of protection in case they get sold after theyplete their mission. Their work was not protected byw after all.
If Future Group managed to figure out that BHP was behind all this, it would without a doubt interfere with their cooperation.
Luke rubbed his temples to soothe his headache.
Other than this, there was one point he didnt know. How did Future Group discover Leilians coordinate in such a short period of time and execute the revenge mission on the other side of the globe in a rapid fashion.
Was there still unexposed hidden power in Future Group?
If so, BHP must go back to the table to discuss their strategy on Future Group again.
When thepleted mission summary was ced in front of Jiang Chen, he didnt feel too surprised.
With the assistance of optical illusion, the Ghost Agents first mission outside of the country didnt experience too much of a hup. Leilian Private Investigator Companyckedbat experience despite their wealth ofmercial espionage experiencepared to other intelligence service agents such as CIB.
After this warning, BHP will think again and reevaluate their attitude toward their partnership.
Li Jinyan was sued by Future Group formercial espionage and received a life sentence by the Coro Ind municipal court. Jiang Chen obviously could kill him, but that was letting him go easy. With his pretty face, he must be weed in prison.
As to Su Fei, when she heard the news of Li Jinyan being thrown in prison, she just then realized how foolish and dangerous her actions were. In anxiousness, she spent a few days of peacefulness. Just as she thought that this event had been settled, one day after work, Yang Yuan came back home drunk.
When she saw her boyfriends expression, she realized something was not right.
Without much context, Yang Yuan said.
Lets break up.
WhWhy? Su Fei looked at the boyfriend that always agreed with her in disbelief.
Yang Yuan didnt say anything and threw his phone in front of her. The anonymous email contained videos and pictures with the protagonist being her, and the male being the already in prison Li Jinyan. Su Fei stared at the blinding pictures as her face turned hot, but her hands were so cold as if they were submerged in ice water.
Until the moment Yang Yuan brought up them breaking up, she realized that if she left him, she was nothing. She just realized what he did for her.
I, Su Feis hands were trembling. She looked at Yang Yuan pleading, Sorry, I, I
But Yang Yuan didnt want to hear her exnation. He suppressed his anger that was about to erupt and calmly said.
Get out.
Yang Yuan didnt know why he would so calm. The entire break up was so peaceful as he didnt curse at her at all from the beginning to the end.
When he saw her board the ne, he noticed the regret and longing on her face. But what made him feel incredible was that he didnt have a single thought in his mind of wanting for her to stay.
He watched the ne depart and disappear into the horizon. The past shed in front of his eyes like an old film. Until thest soot fell, he squished the cigarette bud against the garbage can, it felt like he just squished their past.
He threw the bud away and left.
Jiang Chen sent the anonymous email. It was the best method he thought of. Future Group only sued Li Jinyan and spared the aplice Su Fei, it was thest saving grace for Yang Yuan. In Jiang Chen eyes, the peaceful breakup was the most appropriate conclusion.
The night when Su Fei left, Yang Yuan called him to drink. He didnt hesitate much before epting the invitation. But when he drove to Yang Yuans ce, he discovered that he was half drunk already.
Do you feel okay?
Burp, Im okay Sorry, I started drinking first.
Its okay. Jiang Chen took the bottle from Yang Yuans hand and poured himself a cup.
Jiang Chen originally thought his old friend would dump all his sorrows on him, but he didnt even say a word ofint. He just chatted on and on about what happened during university. In the end, he used his drunken eyes to look at Jiang Chen while saying with sternness.
Thank you.
Why are you thanking me, you paid for the alcohol. Jiang Chen grinned and nced at him.
Yang Yaunughed and hid his thanks deep in his heart without saying much more. He was thankful that Jiang Chen spared Su Fei and gave him the choice to end the rtionship on a peaceful note. He was thankful for Jiang Chen not pursuing further in his oversight and thankful that Jiang Chen could drink with him as a friend.
Since in this unfamiliar kingdom, the only person he knew was him.
The two just drank cup by cup until they could no longer drink.
Midnight, Ayesha drove over and carried Jiang Chen on her back to the car.
When they got home, she didnt mind the pungent alcohol smell as she removed his clothes for him, wiped the sweat off of his body, and put him into bed.
Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen in deep sleep as a tender smile surfaced on her lips. She gently kissed his lips, crawled in beside him, and fell asleep as usual.
The next morning, Jiang Chen crawled out of bed, hungover.
He didnt n to drink that muchst night, but he couldnt stop when they started. Based on his schedule, today was the day the vessels would arrive, and he would attend the ceremony for the exchange of ownership. Although no media would be present on site, it would be inappropriate to review the Navy marines that finished their training abroad smelling like alcohol.
Jiang Chen swallowed the sobering pill with water and finished washing up. Just as he finished the breakfast Ayesha made, Natasha came knocking on the door.
As he opened the door, Natasha came sniffling and looked at Jiang Chen with ridicule.
You drunk?
Mhmm, a little bit. No worries, Jiang Chen replied ambiguously.
Do you need some cologne? I can lend it to you.
Jiang Chen stared at Natasha with mockery all over her face and headed straight to the garage. Ayesha who changed into formal clothes locked the door and caught up to Jiang Chen in quick steps. When she passed by Natasha, she cautiously looked at her.
To her cautious, Natasha only smiled and spoke to her back.
Dont look at me like that, I wont eat him.
She shook her head, turned around, and got into her own car.
Chapter 536 - Vessel Docking
Chapter 536: Vessel Docking
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The ceremony of vessel docking was held at New Moon Ind.
The representatives attending the ceremony from the Russian side were Russia Pacific Fleets General as well Russias ambassador at Xin. The representatives attending from the Xin side were Celestial Trades president Jiang Chen as well as the vice president of Xin.
In this friendly atmosphere, Jiang Chen boarded the vessel to shake hands with the Russian General. Toplete the handover agreement, he reviewed the navy marines whopleted their training in Moscow.
The two Guardian ss frigates were arranged in a line formation and fired at the target ship to demonstrate the Celestial Trade vessels excellent firepower. Looking at the sshes of water into the sky as well as the shredded target ship, the Russian General smiled at Jiang Chen in a friendly manner without disguising the pride on his face.
The manly-looking Russian felt proud about the weapons produced by their country.
Jiang Chen didnt look too shocked as he politely smiled and pped with the personnel.
The firepower was indeed powerful, but it was still weakerpared to the apocalypse.
With the improvement of the construction robots, Jiang Chen had the confidence to increase the firepower two-fold. The type-50 J-unit electromaic pulse cannon produced by research from Fallout Shelter 027 was the vessel version of the original type 50 cannon. It couldunch a 50 kilogram bomb with a maximum range of 250 kilometers, which far exceeded the capabilities of normal vessel-equipped cannons. With the help of early warning aircraft or satellite and equipped with the electromaic pulse cannon, the frigate could extend itsbat radius from 70 km to 100 km, far wider than the radiuses of conventional warships.
Compared to the electromaic pulse cannon installed on the Milino joint high-speed ship, Type-50 J-unit electromaic pulse cannon was much more petite. However, its slim figure didnt mean that it was less lethal. Jiang Chen knew in the future that it would disy its fierce firepower and be a rampant surgical scalpel in the Pacific!
Although the problem of overheating had yet to be solved, with development and research, it wouldnt take long before the technical problem would be solved.
The two Type 636 Kilo-ss submarines fired torpedoes at targets under the sea and disyed their firepower to the people on board throughbat videos. Then the two submarines floated to the surface and disyed their gs. The whole crew boarded the deck and saluted to Jiang Chen and the other representatives.
While raising his hand to salute back, Jiang Chen stood side by side with the big-bellied Russian ambassador and whispered:
Unforgettable firepower.
When Valery heard Jiang Chens words, he grinned and used his fluent Han: Our firepower has always been reliable. If Mr. Jiang is interested in adding more security to your backyard, please contact us.
The ambassador with the big belly was inexplicably endearing; maybe it had to do with his funny big red nose or his suit stretched by his beer belly.
Jiang Chen only smiled at the word backyard without refuting the ambassador. To the intelligence departments of the five major powers, it wasnt a secret at all. Considering his rtionship with Russia, his cooperation with them would also direct the attention of the major powers to him.
Of course, when Valery saw that Jiang Chen didnt correct his wording, his smile grew brighter.
There are only a few fishing boats in South Asia. The Kilo-ss submarines are more than enough for you to dominate the area. Your only threat will be fighter jets, so are you not going to consider buying some anti-air artillery? Trust me, our S-400 anti-air system will please you.
Ill consider your suggestions seriously. But at the moment, we dont have ns to expand our forces. Jiang Chen used the excuse of maintaining area stability and rejected Valerys suggestion.
Of course, Jiang Chen wouldnt exin the real reason. It was because Russias new S-500 wouldnt please him - he could easily bringpact anti-air weapons from the apocalypse.
But Valery seemed to have epted his reason. He shrugged and didnt push any further.
The vessel handover agreement soon reached its conclusion.
Based on typical procedures, the Russian representatives would leave first. The Russian General and Valery shook hands with the Vice President of Xin and Jiang Chen.
In my opinion, you are shrewder than most dictators in the world. Standing at the military harbor on New Moon Ind, Valery told Jiang Chen before he boarded the boat back to Coro Ind.
Oh? Why do you say that?
Valery nonchntly looked at the Vice President chatting with the General. Most dictators are eager to disy the supremacy of their power and are eager to let the world know their dangerousness. But youre different - what you did was ingenious. Xin possesses the most democratic policy in the world, whether its the elections or freedom of speech, but the economy and national defense are all under your control. Xin would never introduce an anti-monopolyw, so your actions will always be legal.
Thanks for thepliment. But may I ask? Is this Russias view or Mr. Valerys personal opinion?
When Valery heard this, heughed audaciously.
Please dont think too much - of course this is my personal opinion. But could Mr. Jiang Chen answer a question of mine? Personal question.
Of course.
Youre already really rich - rich enough to buy a country. Based on my years of work experience, a dictatorship and a monopoly are usually zy because they dontpete and maintaining the status quo would be the ideal state. But with traits fitting both titles, you are doing theplete opposite. Even now, Future Group is continuously expanding into new markets while Celestial Trade is continuously upgrading its arms. I am personally curious What are your aspirations? Valery asked.
Mr. Valery, your question is quite odd. Microsoft has a lot of money, and by some definitions, they have achieved a standard (1) monopoly, but they never stopped expanding their market. Future Group is an enterprise, so we must continuously ensure we remainpetitive. Also, I have to correct your perspective: azy dictator is just a shortsighted dictator.
Then as a dictator with foresight, you still havent answered my question. What are your aspirations? Valery joked.
Aspirations? Jiang Chenughed.
This is only a personal question. If its inappropriate, please forget it. Seeing as Jiang Chen didnt answer, Valery courteously offered him an out.
Its not inappropriate. Before, it was purely about making money, but now Jiang Chen paused. I want to see further ces.
Just like Valery said, Jiang Chen already amassed wealth he never imagined one and half years ago.
In the next ten years, even if Future Group didnt introduce any more innovative technology, just with virtual reality alone, it stood at a height insurmountable by any other enterprises in the world. Even if scientific research on multi-prized worlds was faster than research on three-prized worlds, the world here couldnt make immersive virtual reality technology into a reality.
If it wasnt for the ship sent by Harmony named Evolution that was en route to Earth
When Jiang Chen saw the Russian representatives off, he found Ivan and ordered him to move the frigates and submarines to the harbor on Coconut Ind. The construction robots wouldplete modernization improvements to the weapons onboard.
_Min_
(1) Likely referring to Standard Oils monopoly in the oil and gas industry in United States.
Chapter 537 - Fight Jets in Service
Chapter 537: Fight Jets in Service
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Time quickly flew by in December. Pannu Inds felt like summer all year long since it didnt have the slightest bit of winter weather, but Wanghai City in the wastnd was already covered by pristine snow. Compared to previous years, Wanghai no longer felt like an apocalypse anymore.
These days, Jiang Chen asionally returned to the wastnd since he had too many people he couldnt let go. But because the situation had already stabilized, he didnt stay as long as before.
He would have dinner with the girls, municate his affection with Sun Jiao, eat the sisters together, shower with Yao Yao, and bully Lin Lin. If he just stayed in the mansion, it didnt feel like they were in an apocalypse at all.
The entire area on the east side of Huangpu River was covered with NAC-established inspection stations. If one looked up, it was possible to see Type-51 helicopters patrolling the city or Aurora-20 soaring by. NAC had established absolute control in Wanghai.
NACs diplomats were currently in negotiations with Liuding about including the east bank into the protective territory.
Bohai Angry Tide ship-borne electromaic pulse cannon could fire from the Yangtze River estuary to Luzhou. Not only did it possess a fearful 450 km range, but it could alsounch 10-400 kg bombs. The cannon was a superior source of firepower support among the ship-borne based weapons. Whether it was Bohai or cannon technology, Jiang Chen was determined to take possession.
If they could solve the problem through negotiations, then that would be ideal. If they couldnt solve the problem through negotiations, they would have to resort to military power.
This was the standard in the wastnd.
On the other hand, the radioactive material cleanup and crater filling had beenpleted. Although the Gamma value remained elevated, there was no need for personnel entering the area to wear nuclear protective suits. The iodine stored in their EPs and anti-radioactive medicine were more than enough to enable traversing in the city center.
Because of snow and freezing conditions, the Project Garden of Eden beside Dianshan Lake was temporarily stopped.
Jia City asional encountered mutants migrating east, but with the First Division led by Cheng Weiguo stationed there as well as inspection stations along the way, Jiang Chen wasnt worried that the mutants would sneak into the city to build nests.
The winter was peaceful.
Because of NACs presence, there were no more incidents in Wanghai.
On the contrary, in the modern world, the global situation began to escte.
In South Asia, following the independence of Moro, the movement began to escte on war-embroiled MLL Ind with signs of spreading to Masa Ind. At the end of November, the guerri forcesunched a massive military attack on the city of Dawo and sessfully disintegrated a light infantry division and a light armored brigade stationed locally. The Moro leader, Santos, used social media sites to announce the civil war had officially entered the second phase; the city of Dawo would be Moros capital.
Jiang Chen initially funded Santos with the sole intention of causing trouble for country F, but this guy managed tounch a sessful independence movement and even managed to establish his own capital.
The reason they could achieve this sess was partially because of the lowbat abilities of F soldiers as demonstrated by the hostage rescue incident. It was also partially due to UA elections and the inability of their biggest ally to intervene in the civil war. UA only ceremonially conducted some diplomatic work and sold firearms at a lower cost.
With Moros independence now a possibility, Jiang Chen changed his initial ns. When they finished that batch of firearms, he would continue to provide support.
Of course, this support wasnt without a cost; it would be exchanged for ownership rights of the mines in the guerri-controlled area or actual ores. Because of this, Jiang Chen ordered Barkary to register a shellpany in Australia with the sole purpose of facilitating transactions between the ores and firearms. The ores of unknown origin were then transported to the factories in New Guinea to be further processed; a portion would be sold to international markets while the other portion would be sold to Celestial Trade.
The flipping ore trick was the same as Turkey selling the IS crude oil, but Jiang Chens method left no trace at all. With the support of the radar station located on New Moon Ind, the transport vessel containing the ores seemed to have eyes and avoided all the patrol boats and vessels that blocked MLL Ind. Regardless of how frustrated country F was, the supply shipments to the guerris were never tracked down.
What was worth mentioning was that thepany providing firearms to the shellpany was a UA firearmspany. To avoid the transaction from being tracked by the FBA, all orders were conducted with gold.
Then there was Europe.
The refugee problem continued to heat up, forcing all of Europe to a crossroads. Regarding whether a full ban of refugees into Europe should be enacted, the EU countries had divergent opinions. Some of these opinions included Fran, Frankberg, and Bel which suffered the pain of terrorist attacks and Britain which threatened to leave EU as well as Gree which yed the card If you dont buy my bonds, Ill open my door to refugees
It was hard to say whether it was distrust that caused the differences, or that the differences caused distrust. With the meddling of an invisible hand, visible cracks appeared in the previously united EU.
Negotiations between countries didnt result in anything material, but each country started a domestic wave of protests. A lot of extremists finally lost their rationality; people with nefarious intentions aggravated them to start attacking innocent refugees. They swore to seek revenge, to respond to terrorism with cruelty.
In a chaotic state, Frankbergs New Choice Party began its discreet rise to power, but the support of the CDU in power continued to plummet. The extreme right-wing party gained footing in Frankberg politics which made the situation even worse
War is never a good thing, but weapons are a great thing. Ivan, do you know what I mean?
Standing at the fighter hanger on New Moon Ind, Jiang Chen had his eyes narrowed and watched the Aurora-20 that just parked. He was speaking nonchntly to Ivan beside him.
Sorry, I dont really understand. The veteran shook his head honestly.
It is only when both sides think the opponents weapon is strong enough to finish them that both sides will agree to sit down and talk.
Ivan grinned. He had a personal experience mirroring Jiang Chens words when he was a soldier in the Soviet era. But he still didnt understand why his boss suddenly mentioned these things.
But Jiang Chen didnt speak about this further. Instead, he looked at the pilot familiarizing himself with the equipment inside the cockpit.
The first Aurora-20 fighter jet had officially entered service, filling a gap in Celestial Trades air force. Since it was the most advanced technology from the apocalypse, its strength was king among the fifth-generation fighter jets.
The initial flight of Aurora-20 was conducted by the pilot with the highest score on the training modules. The control equipment of Aurora-20 had a high degree of intelligence to it - takeoff,nding, cruise, and even air-to-ground attacks could be done by the program.
Just from this perspective alone, the semi-intelligent control mode allowed it to be ssified among the ranks of quasi-sixth generation fighters.
And because of this reason, one and half months of training was enough for pilots to maneuver the aircraft. Watching the aircraft engine igniting,pleting a vertical takeoff andnding and runaway takeoff andnding, cruising around the border in addition to other missions, Jiang Chen personally awarded the pilot a medal. After the first flight ceremony, Jiang Chen toured the air force base and showed his face to the young men swearing allegiance to him then he returned to Coro Ind.
There was a productunch conference waiting for him in the afternoon.
Before the start of the conference that was destined to make history, he needed some preparation.
Chapter 538 - A Unique Product Lanuch Conference
Chapter 538: A Unique Product Lanuch Conference
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
At twelve midnight, Los Santos, located in South Cal, was covered by the veil of the night. At this time, most of the people in Los Santos had already fallen asleep, but the Future Group UA headquarters was still lit as bright as day.
Inside the circr conference room on the first floor, the room was crowded with people. The reporters inside the venue had set up cameras while waiting for Jiang Chen to appear. The employees were busily running between ces to setup sophisticated-looking equipment.
Danny gave his assistant a few key notes in recording then he took out a notebook reviewing the questions he prepared. There were a lot of reporters from Los Santos Times as everyone wanted this reporting opportunity; it wasnt easy for him to obtain this opportunity. Considering how addicted people were to the Phantom helmet, the attention this conference would get wouldnt be insignificant.
Do you think helle? Maybe he was confident with his questions as the reporter sitting beside Danny stuffed his tablet into his bag as he asked Danny casually.
Danny noticed that the logo beside his microphone belonged to the South Cal Journal. His nametag in front of his chest stated that he was: Charles John
Probably. The media here are all top notch in the UA. Even Microsoft doesnt have the gall to just leave the media hanging, Danny joked.
Charlesughed and lowered his voice.
I have an interesting piece of information.
Oh? Danny adjusted his posture and moved closer.
There was still some time before the conference officially started. It would be beneficial for his news report if he could gather some information previously unknown to him. The information could be used as a source regardless if was fake or real.
Yesterday afternoon, I asked a contact of mine to search through the arrival list for all the airports in Los Santos, but I didnt see his name among them at all.
Maybe they took a private jet, Danny said jokingly, but he mocked this reporter in his mind.
[What kind of information is this? If he really wanted to keep a low profile, theres no way he would let you find him.]
At the same time, the lights inside the venue suddenly shut off. Everyone stopped chatting amongst themselves while they trained theirplete attention to the front.
[Hes here!]
Danny put his notebook away, took a deep breath, and adjusted his tie. But when he saw his peer from South Cal Journals, he almost burst outughing. Although Charles was sitting, his feet were in a position ready to run.
[So fu*king shameless.]
Danny cursed in his mind, but he clenched his microphone tightly and prepared to swarm the person at the front.
Future Technology didnt make the reporters wait for long. The General Manager of UA behind the scenes looked at his watch, nodded to his employees, and signaled them to turn on the equipment.
A beam of light shone on stage. Using the guidance of the light, a young Han man in a suit walked to the front of the stage.
Just as expected, thunderous apuse erupted beneath the stage. Although the UA media present maintained a reserved attitude toward the Hua-based Future Technology, their technology still gained everyones respect. So the reporters werent stingy with their apuse at Jiang Chens entrance.
The screen in the back lit up as English letters surfaced on the screen. The reporters present werent unfamiliar with Future Technologys real-time trantion technology.
Im grateful that everyone could attend ourpanys productunch conference. I also have to apologize to our friends from North America who must work overtime and our reporters in West Europe who must wake up early.
When Jiang Chen said this, Danny, sitting at the front, smiled understandingly but soon, he was stunned along with the other reporters below the stage.
The introduction gave a lot of information to process.
Jiang Chen scanned the reporters below the stage. He smiled and continued with his hands open.
Thats right - this conference is being hosted simultaneously at the 12 region headquarters of Future Group.
Jiang Chens words were like a bomb thrown into the previously silent venue. All the reporters eyes widened and looked at him with disbelief.
Productunch conference being hosted simultaneously at all 12 regional headquarters? Whats going on?!
Although it wasnt the Q&A period, a number of reporters raised their hands including Danny; they needed an exnation from Future Technology.
It looked like Jiang Chen expected this situation as he acted rather calmly. He turned around to scan the reporters at the venue and his sight stopped on Danny in the front seat.
Reporter 304, please ask your question.
Ecstatic that Jiang Chen called him, Danny immediately stood up and extended the microphone in his hand.
You said yourpany is hosting productunch conferences simultaneously around the world. Does this mean that all other conferences are hosted by regional general managers? Why did you choose North America as the conference you attended personally?
Precisely speaking, it was two questions meshed together.
Jiang Chen smiled.
I can hear the misunderstanding from your question. Let me first rify - even if the conference is being held simultaneously at twelve different locations around the world, I can still personally attend all of them.
Danny looked at Jiang Chen dumbfounded; he didnt know what he meant. But since his question time was over, he had to sit down.
After answering the question from the Los Santos Times, Jiang Chen didnt call any other reporters because he knew what they wanted to ask. And what they wanted to ask was what he would now exin.
I know everyone here isnt a stranger to a certain word. Thats right - Im talking about holograms. And its my hologram standing here. Because of this, I must emphasize the importance of the order of questions.
When they heard what Jiang Chen said, there were whispers below the stage as all the reporters looked at Jiang Chen on the stage in astonishment. The reporters obviously couldnt tell it was a hologram. Before Jiang Chen revealed the truth, not a single person knew it.
But this is too realistic.
Charles stared at Jiang Chen while murmuring.
But Dannys reaction was more dramaticpared to Charles. He often visited Silicon Valley and was aware of the technology on the frontier. Hologram technology was extremely advanced and it wasnt difficult to have an ultra-realistic hologram.
But all holograms had to be set in advance. Holographic projection technology was applied to the field of instant messaging, and collecting images to form three-dimensional images wasnt something that NASDAQpanies highly skilled in blowing bubbles could arrogantly im to be able to do.
Yet Future Technology put this technology on the table without a hugemotion.
God, is this just theunch conference of the Phantom Helmet?
A crazy idea emerged in Dannys head. He stared at his notebook full of notes and felt speechless. Future Technologys unconventional movepletely disrupted his train of thought.
[Once the Q&A starts, what am I going to ask?]
Dannys problem was the same for all the reporters present. Jiang Chen stared at the expressions of the reporters below the stage as a smile surfaced on his face.
This was the impression he wanted to leave.
The productunch conference was intended tounch the MMORPG , but the product Phantom Helmet! The virtual reality technology! MMORPG was the tip of the iceberg for virtual reality technology. If he wanted to make users around the world depend on the productunched by Future Technology, he had to make them astonished and fanatical.
Jiang Chen spoke again.
Also worth mentioning is that Im currently in Xin and conducting the conference through the Phantom Helmet.
Chapter 539 - The Door and the Key
Chapter 539: The Door and the Key
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Jiang Chens sentence immediately dragged the off-topic-conference back on topic and at the same time, he advertised the Phantom helmet without a trace.
The media below the stage was in astonishment once again.
He was attending the news conference in real time through the virtual reality helmet.
A word abruptly popped up in Dannys head.
[AR?]
AR stood for Augmented Reality. It was the use of virtual objects to enhance reality. Compared with virtual reality (VR), it had the advantages of a stronger sense of reality and small modeling workload. One representative product was Microsofts HoloLens. After wearing their sses, you could change your home table into a gaming table and transform the wall into a TV screen.
But for the people in a socially interactive environment, the weaknesses of AR technology were obvious. When you wore the reality enhancement sses and waved your arm to make some weird maneuver in the air, what would your roommate think?
Regardless, it would be awkward as hell.
It was one of the challenging aspects of AR application - only people wearing the sses could see enhanced virtual objects. But Future Technology used holograms to fuse virtual reality and actual reality together perfectly, which was why all the reporters were stunned.
The Phantom Helmet. Jiang Chen opened one hand while he faced the silent reporters and smiled. The key to the virtual world.
Particles fused into lines above his palm and weaved themselves into a realistic helmet. The helmet hovered above his palm and slowly rotated in the eyes of the reporters.
I know everyone here has an understanding about the functionality of the helmet, so I wont describe the specifications here. Ill only provide two numbers: 1.44 million and 0.
When Jiang Chen mentioned the number 1.44 million, a lot of reporters realized it was the total number of helmets avable in the virtual reality experience project previously announced.
But what did 0 mean?
All the reporters had the same question in mind, but Jiang Chen, who saw through this, answered their question with his next words.
1.44 million Phantom Helmets. 37% of the units operated nonstop 24 hours for the past three months, but not a single unit malfunctioned.
All the reporters in the twelve conferences around the world were visibly stunned.
How is that possible?
Without malfunction This ratio is too absurd.
Who can prove this? There should be a limit in bluffing; do you think all consumers around the world are fools? At one conference, a short reporter stood up and questioned Jiang Chens im.
Of course I can prove this, Mister. As for the evidence, if you exit, turn right, and walk three hundred meters, there will be a cafe which is part of Future Technologys virtual reality experience project. Why dont you see for yourself if Im bluffing? Also, I noticed that you didnt raise your hand when you spoke, and you signed a guarantee regarding respecting the rules of the conference. I must question your ability to adhere to these rules.
The reporter who asked the question listened to the surrounding partiallypassionate, partially-mocking whispers and sat down with his face looking pale.
He didnt think Jiang Chen, simultaneously facing all twelve conferences, would notice hisment.
With Jiang Chens words of criticism directed to all conferences around the globe, he lost face for his publisher to the media around the world, and that officially marked the end of his professional career.
Now, let us continue on the question regarding the Phantom Helmet. Just like everyone has witnessed, our helmet has a long standby time and exceptional quality. Even running continuously for three months, it does not experience frameg or crashes caused by aging circuits or overheating damage.
And the Phantom Helmet is able to do this because of our unique sealing technology, so our helmet cannot be disassembled and we do not ept any demolition behavior. Any malfunctions due to the disassembly of the helmet by the user will be the responsibility of the user. For any failure due to normal use, we will provide free recements and half-price redemption services.
Jiang Chen purposely downyed the role of the graphene chip, but his exnation didnt satisfy all the media as quite a number of them raised their hands, hoping Jiang Chen would give them an opportunity to ask a question.
Standing on the stage in virtual reality, Jiang Chen estimated the number of hands raised between the twelve conferences. He coughed then spoke.
Based on the number of questions, a lot of reporters obviously still have questions regarding my exnation. My presentation hase to an end, so just like before, for the rest of the time, you can ask and I will answer.
When Jiang Chens words died, all the reporters present raised their hands. Even then, it was in an orderly fashion. With the disgraced reporter set as an example, no reporter stood up without being called or disrupted the conference.
When Charles heard Jiang Chen calling his number, he immediately stood up to ask his question.
The sealing mechanism yourpany utilizes is understandable, but isnt it excessive to demolish the circuit upon opening the helmet? After all, the user should have the right to determine the use of the product after purchasing it. The confidentiality of the technology could be protected by patentw without sacrificing the users interests.
When Danny heard this tricky question, Danny couldnt help but nod in agreement. The South Cal Journals reporter, although he had a silly appearance, sharply pointed to a weakness of Future Technology. Sacrifice the legitimate rights and interests of consumers? In a country keen on the rights of consumers, it would be hard for Future Technology to address this problem.
Allow me to make a correction about the misunderstanding of Future Technology. Jiang Chen was prepared for the question as he smiled at the media. First, we never established any sealing mechanism that harmed users rights.
Regarding Jiang Chens answer, a lot of reporters who wanted to ask the same question were all dumbfounded.
[What kind of answer is that? Its like forcefully insisting that ck is white?]i
You cant ignore the fact that you are infringing on user rights just because you sign a warranty agreement with the user at the time of purchase, Charles argued.
Please be cautious with your words, Mr. Charles. Future Technology has only undergone presales on its official site with the opportunity to request a refund at any time to open up the spot. All the Phantom Helmets on the market are only avable in virtual reality experience stores, and those helmets were never sold. Strictly speaking, they are part of Future Technologys assets.
Im not going to pursue personal or collective legal responsibility for those who open the property without authorization of thepany, but instead, I will fine double the price of the helmet upon discovery of the opening of the helmet. Until three days after the consumer receives a helmet from the courier, we will be the ones infringed upon, do you understand? Jiang Chen looked at Charles in the eye and smiled.
They werent going to pursue legal responsibility because it would be impossible to do so. Some of the unauthorized openings of the helmets were personal actions, but some were with the permission of the government. It was as difficult to pursue legal responsibility as suing Future Group for the monopoly in Xin.
Charles throat bobbed as he felt helpless. Although he thought Jiang Chens words had a w somehow, he didnt know what the problem was.
Danny, who was standing beside him, was discreetly shocked. Jiang Chen managed to use one sentence to change Future Groups position from the infringer to the infringed party.
What Im going to say next is an exnation to the consumers interested in purchasing the Phantom Helmet. Jiang Chen paused. Just as we said, we never established a sealing mechanism. Opening the helmet, causing the circuit to overload, is purely because of a circuit protection mechanism installed in the helmet. Any demolition behavior will cause the circuit to overload and damage the circuit board inside the helmet. I admit this is a w of Future Technology. We will make improvements on this point and hope consumers will understand.
Equating the sealing mechanism to a deficiency in their technology was as shameless as they could get. A lot of people watching the live conference on Future Technologys official site were calling them shameless.
But they couldnt rebut his exnation. Since Future Technology was the onlypany who could manufacture immersive virtual reality equipment, only they had the final interpretation of the technology.
[If I cant do it, you cant forcefully make me do it.]
The reporters who nned on pursuing a line of questioning regarding the excessiveness of the sealing mechanism all gave up on the idea. Since Future Technology already provided an exnation, persisting on this problem would only waste opportunities for valuable questions without gaining any useful information.
When Charles sat down, another reporter who was picked stood up. Judging by the microphone in her hand, she was a reporter from the Wall Street Journal, and her question would focus on the financial aspect rather than the technical side without a doubt.
Mr. Jiang Chen, since yourpany already achieved an absolute leading position in the field of virtual reality, will you use your technical advantage to prevent otherpanies from entering the field?
It was a sensitive topic because it involved a secret that had to do with all major corporations.
Monopoly.
Of course not - were happy to wee otherpanies to develop virtual reality along with us. Just like what youve seen, the Phantom Helmets functionality isnt only games - games are only one of the methods that allow us to push the helmet to the world. The reason why I could simultaneously attend all twelve conferences around the world was because of the functionalities of the Phantom Helmet.
When Jiang Chen said this, all the reporters eyes lit up. Future Technology nned to cooperate with other enterprises in virtual reality! This was an incredible piece of news.
Because of this sentence, all the resulting questions revolved around Future Technologys potential cooperation.
In what form will the cooperation take ce? Will Future Technology make its technology public? To these questions, Jiang Chen answered them one by one.
Immersive virtual reality technology is the core technology of Future Technology and the technology wont be made public. Future Technology currently has no ns to register for patents in the short term, but Future Technology wees cooperation in content generation.
Our cooperation will include all fields of the inte. After a period of time, Future Technology will gradually open to its partners rted technology in program development in virtual reality to allow techpanies to develop softwarepatible to the Phantom Helmet.
Virtual reality was a massive market. All the functionalities possessed by the present day inte could theoretically be achieved through a tform on virtual reality. A singlepanys power alone could not digest the entire market and could potentially lead to anti-monopoly allegations to prevent otherpanies from entering the market.
Future Technology only needed to control the key to the market with the quantumputer acting as the door as well as quantummunication satellites, that wouldunch at ater date, acting as the connection node to the virtual reality web.
And the world behind the door should be developed by allpanies around the world.
The productunch conference not only introduced the Phantom as the key to the virtual world - it also sent out a positive signal to the entire world.
A signal called cooperation.
_Min_
I do apologize for the dy in publishing the chapters. One of my editors was away. We are back on schedule now.
Chapter 540 - Media’s Reaction
Chapter 540: Medias Reaction
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Caron_
In contrast to the Los Santos conference on the other side of the world, the conference taking ce in the afternoon in Hua had people watching the live stream on the official site. Due to the high volume of traffic, Xia Shiyu had to contact their service provider to immediately put the newly purchased servers online and she rented ten additional servers to manage the simultaneous streaming that broke the one hundred million mark.
Once the conference ended, thements section of the video exploded.
The heated debate continued on the inte, and the medias opinions were released soon after the conclusion of the conference. As the renowned news reporter of the , when Danny walked out of the conference, he expressed his incredulity on Twitter.
It was the first time seeing a conference as extraordinary as this. It onlysted two hours, but I spent one hour feeling astonished. You wont understand the shock I felt without being there in person.
The tweet was retweeted thousands of times in one day and even Danny himself was stunned by the reaction. The reason was because it was purely his opinion as well as the opinion carried by all other reporters.
With a simr reaction on the inte, the productunch caused a massive earthquake in the media and the financial world. 2016 was the year virtual reality was born, and the Phantom Helmet introduced at the end of the year added a colorful mark to the exciting year.
More critically, it was about the signal Future Technology sent out!
They nned to cooperate with otherpanies in the field of virtual reality!
Currently, there are no visible benefits to releasing this news, but at least it saved some of the VRpanies stocks. When the Phantom Helmet was released, their stocks plummeted.
In the video conference, Xia Shiyu pushed up her sses, and the curvature of her mouth raised up, perfectly illustrating the pride on her mind.
Jiang Chen hadnt seen her for a long time and she seemed more and more attractive. Her luscious ck hair was curled behind her head to form a circle. Regarding the rectangr sses on her delicate nose, if any other women dressed this way, they wouldve been ridiculed as old-fashioned and boring. But because it was Xia Shiyu, this not-so-fashion-forward appearance cast a lively and elegant vibe.
Sometimes even Jiang Chen wondered: [What if she smiled more?]
Ahem, President?
Ah, nothing. Ahem, please continue. Jiang Chen awkwardly adjusted his positioning as he identally let his mind slip.
Xia Shiyu looked at Jiang Chen with me. Shebed her hair over her ear habitually then she continued.
Because of the news yesterday, a total of six VRpanies as well as 13 techpanies submitted their letter of intent for cooperation in the Hua area.
Only this many? Jiang Chen was surprised.
Its already quite a few. We just concluded our productunch conference and our helmets are still sitting in the warehouse. Even if otherpanies want to cooperate with us, they must consider their own business and market size. Speaking of cooperation, do you still remember Zhongxin High Tech?
That name sounded familiar, but Jiang Chen didnt manage to recall thispany in his head.
Xia Shiyu sensed his confusion and reminded him.
Last year, that military project.
Oh! The Zhou familys industry. Jiang Chen immediately realized and paused. What did they say?
Because of that project, he, unfortunately, gained the interest of CIB. He burned his bridge with the General Staff Department without considering the bigger picture, took out the people from the CIB then escaped to Xiangjiang. Because of that attack, it made him certain about the decision to establish his own area of control.
Although only a year had passed, since so many things happened in the past year, he almost forgot about the forces in the country.
Precisely speaking, the Zhou family was his business partner.
Based on what they said, when the conference was streaming yesterday, they used our official site to follow the progress of the conference. Theyre interested in developing applications for virtual reality that we mentioned and immediately called for a board meeting after the end of the conference. They even sent out business representatives to Xiangjiang this morning and advised us of the potential for cooperation. Xia Shiyu pushed up her sses.
Did they mention which area? Jiang Chen asked.
In the military field. They asked about the possibility of using immersive virtual reality training to rece live ammunition training.
The possibility certainly exists, but it will be hard to implement. Jiang Chen sunk into his chair. And its impossible to rece it. The coordination and reaction of the body can only be trained by actual exercise.
Unless training chambers with nutrients were used.
On the other hand, Jiang Chen didnt want to step into the field of military tech. It had to do with confidentiality.
Would a country allow their training modules to be run on foreign servers? Absolutely not! They had to protect their weapon specifications, which were confidential.
And Jiang Chen wouldnt hand over his quantumputer; he wasnt that selfless.
I didnt give them a precise response, Xia Shiyu said.
Its fine even if you reject them because I personally dont have any interest in bing an arms dealer.
As if she predicted Jiang Chen would say this, Xia Shiyu sighed.
The domestic market is still massive, and virtual reality is a big piece of the pie, so there are a lot of people eager to get their hands on it. Take regtion for example C what should be regted, who should be regted, and how should it be regted all havent been addressed yet. Do you know what I mean?
Of course I do. Because it hasnt been addressed, it dependspletely on what we have to say before its adjusted. Jiang Chenughed nonchntly.
In better terms, it was crossing the river while searching for rocks.
As long as you understand, we cant make the same mistake as Google, Xia Shiyu reminded him discreetly.
Dont worry, we wont replicate Googles failure because we dont have a copy-cat that could be our Baidu.
Once the Phantompletely conquered the high ground of the market, the quantumputer at Coro Ind would act as the server and the global virtual realitywork would be established. By that time, even if virtual reality technology was made public, no one would be able to hinder Future Technologys control on the market.
Just like now, no country could get rid of the inte.
Chapter 541 - Keep an eye on them
Chapter 541: Keep an eye on them
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
After ending the call with Xia Shiyu, Jiang Chen closed hisptop, leaned back into the chair and began to think with his eyes closed.
Based on the news from Zhang Yapin, through arrangements with Han, the time of the visit was set for December 21st. During this visit, he will represent Xin businessmen as the President of Future Group to explore business partnership opportunities with Han enterprises
At least on the surface.
Just like Xia Shiyu said, the country has an unclear attitude toward Future Group. Jiang Chen tricked Linhua Group terribly in the Xin tourism development project, he would never believe that the Wang family would forget the past and settle with him.
Not only the Wang family, the VR industry chain affected multiple fields. There were certainly a group of people that held a hostile opinion toward Future Group who came in as a powerful outsider.
Future Technology needed an ally, an alley with a strong enough voice.
That was the top mission for this visit.
As to the candidate, Jiang Chen had someone in mind. Zhou family was not bad a choice with reasons baring none other than that their family assets were mostly in the military tech field, thereforecked the possibility ofpetition with Future Technology. And also their stance toward Future Technologyst year caused divergence with the Wang family and a strain in their rtionship.
Of course, the most critical part was that they had a powerful voice in Han.
The problematic part was that they became interested in the application of virtual reality technology in the field of military tech. While Jiang Chen didnt mind helping Han in this field, he didnt have the intention to give grounds in core virtual reality technology.
Just as Jiang Chen was debating how to reach a partnership with the force in Han, Ayesha quietly walked beside him with a te containing golden fried rice and some milk and ced it on his table.
Mhmm? Is it done already? You dont have to bring it up, you could have just called me down. Jiang Chen smiled at the considerate girl.
You looked busy so I brought it up. Are you done now? Ayesha asked lightly.
Mhmm. I just asked about the current work situation in Han. There was nothing important, so it didnt take long. Jiang Chen smelled the aroma of the fried rice as he just wanted to devour them.
A beautiful curvature appeared on Ayeshas mouth when she saw Jiang Chens expression, A new recipe I learned from Aunty Li.
Since the two elders moved to Xin, they began to enjoy their quiet and peaceful life. When Jiang Chen was not busy, he would go visit his parents and have dinner. However, most of the time Ayesha was the person that apanied them. The cute Ayesha was particrly adored by Mommy Jiang.
Is it? Jiang Chen rubbed her head, Thank you for spending time with them for me.
Ayesha timidly lowered her head as she sensed the warmth from the hand on her head.
There was no n this morning. After breakfast, Jiang Chen went to the backyard of the mansion. Other than nts tended by drones and a swimming pool, there was also a new shooting range.
Without wearing any protective gear, Jiang Chen casually took out a pistol from his storage dimension, aimed at the target 50 meters out and pressed the trigger.
Bang!
Three consecutive shots left three bean-sized holes on the wooden target. One ten ring and two eight rings, Jiang Chen was pleased with the result. He hasnt practiced for a long time and felt unfamiliar with shooting.
If it were before, there should be no problem getting two ten rings.
He remembered in the beginning when Sun Jiao taught him how to shoot as a reminiscent smile appeared on his face. Only two years passed, but it felt like a long time has passed.
Just then, Jiang Chens ears moved, and suddenly he raised his pistol while slowly moving to the entrance of the shooting range.
Faint ripples appeared in thin air as the blonde Ghost Agent with hands raised walked in front of Jiang Chen.
Sorry, I was just curious Penny scratched her head and said in embarrassment.
Only the most loyal warriors could obtain a stealth suit, and Jiang Chen didnt suspect their loyalty. She was really just curious. Curious if Jiang Chen could really detect their presence without checking the EP map.
Curiosity kills the cat. Jiang Chen didnt get angry because of her intrusion; instead, he jokingly left this sentence and put away his weapon.
Seeing Jiang Chen was not angry, Penny didnt say more and awkwardly looked away.
What about the mission I gave you? He didnt persist further on this question as he reloaded the pistol and asked nonchntly.
When Jiang Chen asked about the mission, Penny put on a stern face.
It has beenpleted.
Then, she took out the tabletputer from a tactical backpack. Her finger continuously pressed a few times on the screen before handing it to Jiang Chen.
Penny was the Ghost Agent sent to Norway to track the spy from Leilian Company. After she finished her work, Jiang Chen didnt call her back immediately, instead sent her to Frankberg to investigate the rtionship between Willie Society and the Rothschild.
The progress of the investigation was not smooth as there was no evidence that directly suggests a connection between the two. It was not until some time ago did she finally make some progress.
This picture is? Jiang Chen took over the tablet and looked at the vic on the screen as he felt the face looked familiar.
Then, he suddenly recalled that he saw this person at Carmens manor. It was thest day of the Frankberg trip, he and Ayesha were walking to the garage when they saw Carmen talking with a vic.
Corso, originally a guerri of the Balkans, became active as an arms dealer in the Mediterranean after the end of the civil war and is now active in the Ukrainian area. He provides weapons and equipment to government forces under the authorization of NATO.
He is rted to the terrorist attack in Ber?
There is no direct evidence suggesting he is rted to the attack, but without a doubt, he has a close rtionship with the Rothschild family. Also, when I followed him to Ukraine, I discovered he was in contact with Willie Society.
The three points connected into a line and the conclusion was certain. Just like what he had suspected, the Rothschild was connected with Willie Society!
The Ghost Agent looked at Jiang Chen in deep thought and waited for his order.
Return to Frankberg, I need you to continue keeping an eye on the Rothschild and Willie Society.
Although he knew curiosity kills the cat, to the ambition disyed by the Rothschild family, Jiang Chen felt concerned.
Yes.
The Ghost Agent nodded and hid herself away.
Jiang Chen couldnt help butugh at Pennys deceptive exit. He then reloaded the pistol and aimed at the target again.
But then, his phone began to ring.
He took out the phone and looked at the number on the screen as a genuinely shocked expression appeared.
[They are here already?]
Chapter 542 - Rocket Launch
Chapter 542: Rocket Launch
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
At the airport of Coro Ind, a slim and tall man in a grey suit stood outside of the airport with a briefcase in his right hand, while his left hand continuously checked his watch. Although his family was not originally from Frankberg, as someone who was born and raised in Mun, he had the habit of the Frankberg people.
Such as, repetitively checking the time and a passion for BBQ.
An adorable little girl around the age of six was with him. She had a blonde ponytail and looked sweet.
A ck Benz stopped at the curb of the road.
Jiang Chen got off the car, Amos eyes lit up, immediately held his daughters hand, and walked up with his briefcase in hand.
Hello, nice to meet you, Doctor Amos. Jiang Chen shook hands with him and then looked at the girl that seemed to be afraid of strangers with a smile. This is?
My daughter, Millian. Amos smiled and looked at his daughter. Greet Uncle.
The little girl hid behind her father pouted her mouth when she heard her dads request and spoke with nonstandard Han.
Hello, Uncle.
Although it was cute, Jiang Chen felt an odd sorrow when the little loli called him uncle.
On the car, Jiang Chen learned that he divorced a long time ago and his daughter was his only family.
Whats the situation like in Ber?
Extremely unsafe Amos sighed, Protests are going on every day. Some people wanted Merk to step down. Some people called the protestors to remain rational. Just a few days ago, a young man threw a Motkov Cocktail inside the refugee camp causing a pregnant woman to die and her husband to suffer severe burns. The furious refugees grabbed anything they could get their hands on and rushed into the street Of course, the parliament already ordered for the refugee camps to be closed and did some preventative measures to control the situation. Perhaps things will get better in a few months But I dont want to wait any longer.
At the end of that g, Jiang Chen left his business card with him. But what he didnt think was that the professor from the University of Ber made his choice already, handed in his letter of resignation, and headed to Xin to join Future Technology.
Because Jiang Chen was surprised, he personally drove to the airport to pick him up.
Amos Kimberley was indeed an outstanding talent. At the age of 42, he obtained double doctorate degrees in information technology and mechanical engineering and became the youngest engineering professor at the University of Ber.
Not only that, he had quite a list of achievements in the field of robots and artificial intelligence. The number of published papers on SCI (1) may be less than some of the people, but every single paper he published regarding robots and artificial intelligence had been referenced by more than 10 SCI papers.
The reason why he brought his family to Xin was partially due to the security in Ber continuing to deteriorate while he saw the possibility of challenging himself at Future Technology.
Of course, the sry offered by Jiang Chen was another reason why he decided to immigrate. The pay the University offered him was 100 thousand Euros, taxed at 25-30%. The benefits Frankberg offered were quite good, but because of the refugee problem, the benefits system was unable to withstand the load of the society and continued to worsen. Jiang Chen however, directly offered him a base sry of 200 thousand USD after tax while providing him with housing and a car; these were tangible benefits.
Globally, these benefits were among the top, but what really motivated him to bring his family here was not because of the benefits, but because of the speech on artificial intelligence.
Jiang Chen previously told him it was a corporate secret.
Therefore, if he became part of thepany, he could ess this knowledge.
With that idea in mind, Amos submitted his resume to the email on Jiang Chens business card.
Jiang Chen already had an idea of where to put the Frankberg Doctor.
Until now, he only brought products back from the apocalypse, but never technology. In the short-term, this was not a problem, but it was not a long-term solution. Just like it was unfeasible for him to transport food to the apocalypse as the apocalypse must regain the ability to farm, the modern world must establish aplete and independent research system.
Or with the colonization ship from Harmony, he couldnt think of any scenario where he would win.
Future Group had enough power to ensure that the technologies wont be leaked. This was the necessary first step.
Including D++nguage, basic artificial intelligence database, and other confidential technology, Jiang Chen will gradually open them up to him. Once this professor mastered the knowledge, Jiang Chen will use him to train a group of reliable technicians. By then, Future Technology will have their own research team.
That was Jiang Chens n.
After helping Doctor Amos settle down, it was close to noon time.
That afternoon was Celestial Trades Aerospace Divisions rocketunch date. As its firstunch mission, Jiang Chen as the president didnt want to miss it.
After having lunch with Ayesha at home, Jiang Chen took a nap on the sofa. When it was close to one, Jiang Chen left for the ind near the equator.
Compared to the barrenness a few months ago, the spacious ind became morepact. Celestial Trades post was located on the east side of the ind on the elevated ground; the more t west side was constructed into theunch facility. With the work of the construction robots, the basic facility used to execute the aerospaceunch mission was mostlypleted.
When Jiang Chen arrived on the ind, he happened to see a few people in United Nations clothes blocked at the harbor by soldiers in kic skeletons. They were the observers sent by the UN to monitor tounch of the rocket to ensure Xin really didunch a rocket rather than an ICBM.
Because Jiang Chen had nothing to hide, he didnt refuse the observers from the UN. But when those people gained permission, they clearly forgot to submit theirnding permission on the ind from Celestial Trade, and hence they were stopped at the harbor.
Mr. Jiang Chen, we need an exnation. A man in sses walked in front of Jiang Chen, infuriated.
Our soldiers are just following procedure. You must request fornding permission from Celestial Trade before you step onto the ind. Im sure the Presidential Pce reminded you of this, Jiang Chen exined while signaling the patrolling soldiers.
The soldier saluted and backed away.
Henrys expression looked rather awkward. As Jiang Chen said, they did receive a reminder but didnt think it was a big deal. Since they received permission from the Presidential Pce, in their eyes, it was the same as receiving permission from Xin.
They clearly didnt understand the status quo in Xin because the person standing in front of them was the actual ruler of the country.
Calvin then walked out from the aerospace center and walked toward Jiang Chens direction.
The scientist didnt feel pressured seeing the boss at all as he directly dragged Jiang Chens arm to rush him.
Hurry, youre finally here. The rocketunch preparation work has beenpleted. Theunch could start at any moment.
With the fervor on Calvins face, Jiang Chen face palmed.
As to the UN observers next Jiang Chen, they were clearly disinterested. They were not concerned with Xin possessing the ability tounch ICBM. They attended thisunch ceremony as observers purely for the purpose offorting the emotions of neighboring countries. Since F country had been continuously stating it was a conspiracy to test ballistic missiles disguised as a rocketunch.
In their eyes, rather than worrying about if it was a ballistic missile, they were more concerned if this thing could reallyunch. What if it ignited but didntunch, or it flew sideways
When Henry thought about this, he shivered.
He didnt feel safe at all standing there.
(1) SCI: Science Citation Index
Chapter 543 - Wait, where is the third stage rocket?
Chapter 543: Wait, where is the third stage rocket?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Celestial-1, the red letters were engraved onto the body of the rocket.
The deredunch project was a meteorological satellite. The use of meteorological satellites as the firstunch was undoubtedly easierpared to otherunch projects. But even so, for a small country without fundamental space technology, the firstunch with satellite would be considered difficult to begin with.
Not only did the United Nations sent observers, but about thirty local or foreign journalists were also invited to theunch site as this exciting moment should be shared by people around the world. They were specifically allowed to enter the barracks, stand on the sentry tower, and film theunch process
For Xin, it was bound to be a historic moment.
An aerospace superpower?
The uneducated inders never thought this would be a reality, but when they saw their new neighbors from all around the world discussing the problem with looks of disbelief, the original settlers of Pannu Inds felt a strong sense of proudness.
How is a country unity formed? It is through witnessing ones own country achieving things that other countries wouldnt believe andpleting the unthinkable feat.
Who would have thought that a small sea ind country that just finished a regime change with a total poption of less than one hundred thousand people could be one of the few countries that possessed the ability tounch satellites independently? It was unbelievable.
But this unbelievable moment was destined to be recorded in history.
Aunch pad 30 meters in height? Are you joking? Mr. Calvin. Henry scanned the rocket outside nervously before looking toward Calvin, who waspleting thest inspection with the workers.
30 meters highunch pad and Henry visualized the height of the rocket which was 32 to 34 meters or so. Celestial Trade would obviously not provide them with the specific design drawings of the rocket, but with his experience in the field of aerospace, he could deduce the specification of the rocket.
The miniatureunch vehicle was not non-existent, but there was no way Henry believed that this tiny could have the capability tounch a miniatureunch vehicle. Taking into ount the rocket fuel push ratio, as well as the size of the rocket engine nozzle, to estimate the rocket thrust, he didnt think the rocket design was scientific at all.
Disregarding if the rocket could elerate to the speed to ovee the Earths gravitational pull or not. Henry was skeptical if the rocket could even fly out of the atmosphere or not.
To respond to the skepticism of the United Nations observer
Do you think Im joking with you? Calvin raised his eyebrows and looked at the observer.
Based on the structure of the rocket, I know this thing wont even lift off. Henry scorned.
That just means youre ignorant. You will never know our rocket engine
Ahem.
When Calvin heard Jiang Chen coughing, he immediately stopped talking. The NDA of Celestial Trade was no joke, and he realized he almost leaked some information.
Jiang Chen then looked at Henry.
Mr. Henry, I remember you are an observer of the United Nations and not the technical consultant hired by Celestial Trade. If you think the firecracker outside the window wont fly up, you can go back on the boat. I promise, when you go, there wont be any soldiers stopping you.
Henrys expression changed indefinitely with a mixture of emotions appearing.
Obviously, he wont run back to the boat now, or the media outside would capture his facial expression and put it on the headlines tomorrow along with the name scaredy cat. If the rocketunch failed, there would be no problems, since it would just mean that he had the foresight. But if theunch really seeded, he would have pped his own face.
Since Jiang Chen dared to stand there, that meant even if theunch were to fail, safety was not of concern. So Henry recollected himself and no longer spoke.
If Jiang Chen knew what he thought, perhaps he would burst outughing.
There were no precautionary safety measures at all. The reason he dared to stand there because he was not concerned with theunch failing.
But some people obviously thought otherwise.
Henry shut his mouth, but the other observers were still whispering amongst themselves exchanging opinions.
I can guarantee that this thing wont reach the stratosphere. The first stageunch vehicle is too short, even with NASAs technology, it would be impossible to do this. I suspect that they may have been off by a decimal during the design phase and no one realized it even after the rocket was built, A slightly chubby man turned his head and whispered to his colleague.
Ah ha, other than the first part of the sentence, we share the same opinion, A female with curly hair spoke in a grave tone.
The first part? You think they could fly it out? The man in disbelief raised his voice by a notch.
At most troposphere, if theunch experiences no technical difficulties. The woman mocked.
Haha
Calvin nced at the United Nations observers with infuriated mes in his eyes. Although he didnt design the rocket, it still took him a lot of effort to understand the technology behind it. As a researcher that seek the truth, he would not permit anyone to humiliate thisunch technology with monumental meaning.
Calvin clenched his fists and was just about to go off at them.
But then, Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder.
Prove to them. Remember you are a scientist, not a boxer.
When Calvin heard Jiang Chens words, he realized he was too emotional. Seeing Jiang Chen nod at him, he took a deep breath, forced the discontent out of his mind, walked to the control panel, and turned on the radio.
Report rocket status.
Roger, currentlypiling information Rocket check work isplete! The rocket is prepared tounch!
This is themand center, attention all personnel, initiateunch sequence! Calvinmanded into the radio and then looked at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen nodded, walked beside theunch location, opened the tempered ss cover, put his hand above theunch button. Calvin turned on the radio again with his eyes locked onto the rocket outside of the window.
Theunch centers atmosphere began to tense up. Henry hid away the arrogance in his eyes, and the United Nations observers stopped whispering as they all focused their attention on theunch pad outside.
Launch countdown initiated! 5!
4!
3!
2!
1!
0! Ignite!
The instant Jiang Chen heard zero, he pressed the redunch button.
Grey smoke instantly covered theunch pad outside of the window. At the same time, a blinding red light broke through the smokescreen. The rocket separated from theunch pad, with the thrust of the ignited booster, the rocket began to elerate and pierced into space.
Jiang Chen then casually stood aside.
Calvins palms were covered in sweat as he anxiously stared at the numbers on the control panel.
Henry nced at Jiang Chenpletely calm and then peeked at the control panel. When he saw the height, speed, and eleration increasing, the contempt in his eyes turned into sternness.
Height 48 km, through the stratosphere!
Height 81 km, arrived in the warmyer, beginning to turn!
219 km! Celestial-1 sessfully turned, first stage rocket beginning to separate!
Separation sessful! Arrived at the first universe speed...
Height of 483 km, sessfully broke through the atmosphere!
Height 1000 km, the rocket is continuing to elerate!
...
Height of 35,000 km, the rocket is approaching the synchronous orbit! Second stage separate!
On the screen, the second stageunch vehicle connected to the cameras secondary rocket slowly stalled, with the rocket head separating. At the same time, the rear end of the rocket head ignited, moving toward the farther orbit with the propulsion of the jet.
At this moment, everyone gazed at the slowly rising height of the control panel.
When it stopped at 35785 km, everyone held their breath!
It stopped!
It stopped! Not the slightest error!
We have arrived at the synchronous orbit! We have seeded!
Followed by the exciting shout, all the workers inside theunch center threw their documents into the air in celebration. Calvin was as excited as a little kid as he threw his fists in the air and hugged his colleague.
Henry stared at the control panel as if he had just seen a ghost without a single wording out of him.
Because of the atmosphere, Jiang Chen proudly smiled and leisurely walked to the United Nations observers that believed there was no way theunch would seed.
The chubby man opened his mouth wide due to the shock. Someone could even fit an egg inside. Jiang Chen walked beside him and the female as he ridiculed.
I am sorry that our rocket didnt experience aunch failure. The rocket not only went through the atmosphere, but it also arrived at the synchronous orbit.
At this point, Henry reacted as his soul finally returned to his body. He stared at Jiang Chen in disbelief.
This, this is impossible ... wait, where is the third stageunch vehicle?
Third stageunch vehicle? As if he had just heard somethingical, Jiang Chen beganughing.
When it seemed like he hadughed enough, he paused, in front of the Henry with a stiff expression and said contemptuously
We dont need that stuff.
Chapter 544 - All that one could wish for
Chapter 544: All that one could wish for
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Sky eye type X1 meteorological observation satellite. As the name implies, it will be used in meteorological observation, disaster warning, and other rted fields. But because the satellite uses arge array of detectors,rge reflective telescope system, adaptive optical imaging technology, and real-time image transmission technology, the two meters diameter camera located at the near-earth side of the satellite allowed for an observation resolution of up to 0.1 m.
Military remote sensing satellites and civilian remote sensing satellites are simr in principle with the main differences reflected in the spectrum and the ground resolution requirements. Military remote sensing satellites mainly form its image in the visible or near infrared spectral with resolution better than 1 meter.
And the sky eye X1 weather observation satellite no doubt had reached the level of military satellites. Normally speaking, the observers from the United Nations would ask to verify whether the satellite was consistent with the deration of the project, but because these people simply didnt believe that Xin couldunch it sessfully, so no mentioned the verification.
Of course, even if they brought it up, Jiang Chen could refuse. But then, F would use this opportunity tounch a controversy around this such as Xinunched a military satellite with indescribable purpose.
Henry stared at the smoke trial gradually fading in the air before he finally closed his mouth.
Did it really seed?
He obviously heard the cheers just then, but he didnt want to ept this unbelievable fact.
[No need for a third stageunch vehicle? Was the satellite sent directly into orbit with a second stageunch vehicle? It was not impossible from a technical perspective, but did they consider the cost? The additional payload would require more fuel Wait, their rocket size was not big either with the total length being 33 meters. This is absolutely unbelievable!]
But no one bothered with him. Jiang Chen headed outside to take interviews from the media while Calvinmanded the workers to open the sr panels, check the working status of the satellite, and collect firsthand weather information.
Xins weather report could bepleted with Xins own meteorological satellite. I would like to express my gratitude to Atrias ES for past weather reports, thank you.
Jiang Chen was used to being surrounded by cameras.
Hello Mr, Jiang Chen, what inspired you to invest in aerospace?
Interest and potential. Jiang Chen pointed up with one finger at the ce the rocket just flew by and smiled in front of the camera, The future of humanity is there.
If a typical person said this, that person would be mocked for showing off. But because the words came from a technology tycoon, it would be remembered as a famous quote.
When Jiang Chen was being interviewed, he was thinking in his head. If one day, Celestial Trade reallypleted the blueprint in his heart where human activity expanded to beyond earth, and then to the synchronous orbit, the moon, and even Mars, and outside of the sr system, would people mark today as the start of everything?
Would the posture of him pointing to the sky and saying humanitys future is there be a statue and collected to be a part of the earth civilization museum.
After the interview and sending away the observers from Nouveau York, Jiang Chen didnt immediately leave the ind, but rather he went to look for Calvin who just finished theunch mission. Just in this short period of time, the scientists opened the prepared champagne and started a party in the cafeteria of the Aerospace Technology Center.
The bubbles of the champagne fizzed everyone, although it was not a holiday, the atmosphere was better than a holiday.
When Calvin saw Jiang Chen, his eyes lit up, and he immediately went to greet Jiang Chen with two bottles of champagne.
Haha, boss, you need to drink a bottle before leaving.
Yes, yes! This is our first rocket! Did you notice that observers expressions? Haha, he looked like he just ate a fly.
This feels so good, hahaha!
Because of the atmosphere, and there was no other nster, Jiang Chen took over the champagne in Calvins hand, opened the screw, and started chugging the bottle.
Seeing the boss starting to chug, everyone began to blow whistles and started to p. The female workers as rare as endangered animals also looked at him. While their actions were reserved, their shouts were no quieter than their male workers. When the boss finished the bottle, Calvin didnt back down. The unshaven scientist didnt look like he could drink, but he showed otherwise.
There was no doing business with alcohol here, just purely a bunch of scientists celebrating their work sessfully sent into the sky. The equipment and parts were purchased by Celestial Trade, but the entire rocket was assembled with their own hands; it was like their baby.
Once everyone had fun, it was starting to gette. Their home was on Ange Ind, and their transportation was taken care of by a ferry at fixed times. Only a few chose to live in the employee housing provided on the ind. For example, Calvin that wanted to sleep in theb, or people that requested for overtime.
After the cafeteria that was in aplete mess was cleaned up, the celebration was officially over. Jiang Chen watched them get on the boat and grabbed Calvin who was returning to his ce.
Theunch work was sessful today.
Thank you for yourpliment. Calvin smiled but then sighed. But the design of the rocket from start to finish had nothing to do with us.
Dont think like that. Jiang Chenughed and patted him on the shoulder, You only have a higher starting point. I have transferred the rted technology to you. Im looking forward to you creating better rockets with them!
In terms of technology, the two worlds were unequal. But in terms of creativity and innovation, the people from both worlds were no different. Aerospace was a frontier field that required imagination. With the same technology, the masterpiece created by Jiang Lin may not be better than the rocket designed by Calvin.
Of course, he must put in more effort.
Mhmm, I promise. Calvin smiled.
There was no need to promise because aerospace is his dream. Jiang Chen provided him with the technology and tform, and Jiang Chen did not doubt that he could make his dream into a reality.
Theunch mission today was extremely sessful, and this is your aplishment. As a reward, I will contact the finance department for a 2 million bonus. Half of it is yours while the other half you can distribute.
You should have said that during the celebration, they will praise you as a generous god. Calvin joked.
He didnt reallyck money since when Jiang Chen purchased hispany at a premium, he received 10 million.
Hahaha, thats unfortunate then. Jiang Chen smiled.
He paused, looked at Calvin, and said sternly.
In the first half of next year, youll have 12unch missions. It will be busy, so I hope you are prepared.
Two rockets per month? Are you making dumplings in the sky (1)? Calvin was stunned.
Launching a rocket was no joke. Although they possessed the technology to retrieve the first stage rocket, Celestial-1sunch cost around 50 million.
Are you afraid? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.
Completely the opposite. Im eager to take on the challenge. Calvin responded directly to Jiang Chens challenge with a visible smile on his face.
The thing the aerospace department worried the most about was the low profit ofmercialunch missions and hence the inability to acquire funding. Jiang Chens words answered the concerns in his mind. With sufficient funding, even if the number of missions doubled, he wouldnt even blink an eye!
(1) Are you making dumplings in the sky: The analogy is putting dumplings in boiling water and its appearance. The boiled dumplings look crowded and stuffed inside the pan. This analogy refers to the crowdedness of a particr ce.
Chapter 545 - Battery Patent
Chapter 545: Battery Patent
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
On the ocean two hundred nautical miles east of Pannu Inds, with the escort of the frigate installed with the Type-50 J-unit electromaic pulse cannon, two construction vessels were deployed on the surface and retrieved the first stage rocket falling with under engine propulsion.
In the distance, there were a few patrol boats without gs. While maintaining a safe distance, they monitored the first stage rocketunch vehicle retrieve work. Because they were in public sea area, thus Celestial Trades frigate didnt bother with the monitoring boats. Also, the boats just aimed its cannon in the distance as a warning.
When the first stageunch vehicle sessfullynded and was transported onto the construction vessel, the patrol boats retreated.
If it was easy to guess who sent the patrol boats. UA didnt care about Xins aerospace technology, Atria didnt care about international affairs, and there were only two countries active in this area. The economic rtionship between New Guinea and Xin was strengthening by the day and obviously would not disy this unfriendly gesture.
Country F had been cautious about the rising Xin. When Xin first dered theunch project, they were the first one to jump out in rejection. It was because of national security concern since they didnt think a small country with a total poption less than theirnd force could pose any security threat to their country. It was purely out of a twisted mentality of a poor neighbour where the small country they looked down upon suddenly possessed aerospace capability unfathomable to them.
Of course, they would feel worse now. Because Celestial Trade not only possessed the ability tounch a satellite independently, they possessed the advanced technology to retrieve the first stageunch vehicle.
Xins rocketunch had heavily damaged their national confidence.
But what Jiang Chen didnt know was, they were already in aplete mess. How are they so good at finding trouble?
.
Future Biologys nutrient supply was well received on the international market. In order to target the dynamic market, the general manager Tao Ming used the recipe provided by Jiang Chen and pushed out four types of nutrient supply. While it increased the raw ingredients usage as well as production, the move also opened up the discount market.
The monthly production of nutrient supply was at an astounding four million boxes. After the cost of goods sold, the average profit was 371.1 USD with a total profit after tax breaking the one billion mark! The profitability was near the level of Future Technology which absolutely surprised Jiang Chen.
Tao Ming was ambitious with Future Biologys development as he promised Jiang Chen while pumping his chest to transform nutrient supply as the healthiest fast food of the 21st century. And the reason behind his passion was due to the stock option n proposed by Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen offered a 3% dividend to him and Zhan Shujie responsible for production. As long as they continued to serve Future Group, they will continuously enjoy this dividend.
On the other hand, the contract from Russias national defense department brought Future Biology a sizable ie. Butpared to the poprity in themercial market, the military contract performed paled inparison. Tao Ming did suggest to Jiang Chen either to raise prices or to stop the contract with Russias defense department in order to maximize their profit per unit. Since Russia with increase woe in its economy didnt seem like a generous buyer.
But Jiang Chen didnt agree with his proposition. Since as the president of Future Group, he not only needed to consider a subsidiarys profit. While Russia might not be the ideal buyer, they were an ally worth the partnership.
While Tao Ming didnt necessarily understand, he still followed the presidents decision. But he seemed to have an odd misunderstanding behind Jiang Chens insistence and euphemistically expressed the message C dont fall for the beauty.
But Jiang Chen waspletely oblivious to what he was trying to tell him.
At least until when Jiang Chen was leaving thepany, passed by the lounge, and nced at a magazine open on the table. Because the person in the magazine looked familiar, he picked it up and took a nce.
When he saw it, his expression suddenly became interesting.
The magazine was a fashion magazine targeted toward females with most of its content either about celebrities or makeup. The content itself wasnt an issue. The issue was when he saw the picture on the page, it was of the day when he sent the drunk Natasha home.
The article itself didntment on the intimate rtionship between Future Groups president Jiang Chen and Russias diplomat, but it used the topic toment on Natashas style and vibe, as well as shamelessly providing tricks to attract males
Jiang Chen closed the magazine and felt extremely awkward.
No wonder Yao Ming was careful with what he said because there was a misunderstanding. The Russian diplomat was a mistress of the boss, and as a manager, it was hard for him toment on their business rtionship with Russia. But he couldnt let the pillow whisper (1) freely affect thepanys profitability. Therefore he said it subtly.
Jiang Chen flipped to the front of the magazine. It was published a month ago by a small publisher on Coro Ind. A contemptuous smile appeared on his face.
Someone dared to report his scandal; does the boss of the magazine feel like he has lived too long?
But he only thought about it before he put down the magazine back on the table.
Some of the things were okay even if revealed to the public. Disguising may cause people to suspect the backdoor rtionship hidden behind it. Xin didnt establish information control purely because it was not necessary to give trouble to the media over this.
But this event reminded Jiang Chen of the importance of controlling public opinion. As to how to execute it, it was not through enacting aw, since he had too much money, he could easily just acquire a controlling share.
On the other hand, Future Industrial was officially established and registered in Xin as a subsidiary to Future Group. The current portfolio consisted of only an electric car battery, and the research force came from the three European automakers Jiang Chen acquired. It was hard for mechanical parts such as a battery to use simr encryption technology as the Phantom. Therefore Jiang Chen didnt n on bringing out the highly advanced nuclear fusion battery but instead selected the decade ahead solid lithium-air battery.
In the international scientificmunity, the study of lithium-air batteries hade to the state of near breakthrough. The shackles preventing itsmercialization was mainly in how to ensure that after repeated charge and discharge, the battery can still maintain its original power level. Cambridge University was currently at the forefront of the world with its establishment of the lithium-air batteryboratory model. The model could be charged and discharged more than 2000 times, the energy efficiency of the theory exceeded 90%.
Optimistically, it will be possible to achieve mass production and application of the solid lithium-air battery by 2020.
Jiang Chen obtained the outdated solid lithium-air battery technology from the library in the apocalypse and ordered the researchers at Fallout Shelter 027 to produce a prototype with 3D printing, prepare the rted technology into documents, and then Jiang Chen could transfer the information to Future Industrials car battery scientist.
Including the electrode material, membraneponents, new electrolytes, and high-performance additives, and other technologies, all through the PCT route, a total of 147 patents were submitted using international patent applications in many countries around the world. The purpose was to strive to form an absolute patent monopoly andpletely blocking others from doing so.
There was no reason not to apply for the patent because four yearster, other people will also apply for a patent.
As to some of the material production process, Jiang Chen didnt rush to apply for the patent because he didnt n to build the factory far away. The nt could be built in the industrial base on Ange Ind or the neighboring New Guinea was not a bad choice either.
Chapter 546 - Phantom Online!
Chapter 546: Phantom Online!
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The news of Xin sessfullyunching a meteorological satellite caused a small earthquake in global news before quickly settling down. The national Olympic project of aerospace was no longer as novel as before C people were just shocked that this small ind country in the Pacific once again made headlines before everyone tucked the news away in the back of their heads.
For some reason, the observers from the United Nations chose to conceal the two-stage rocketunching technology Celestial Trade used, and Celestial Trade didnt publicly disclose it to the media either, so the technology wasnt made aware to the general public.
But Jiang Chen was certain that NASA, also based in Nouveau York along with the United Nations, must know this information and was concerned about how to handle the hearing from the UA Congress. They received arge amount of funding each year, yet a small country in the Pacific managed to surpass them in technological advancements
Compared to the peaceful Xin, neighboring country F was in the midst of troubled times.
The guerris of Moro sessfully upied the city of Dawo weeks ago and established it as the capital of Moro. Country F obviously wouldnt just give in. Aquino first denounced Santos as a terrorist and criminal then sent two additional infantry divisions and a UA-trained modern mechanical brigade tounch arge-scale operation on MLL Ind.
At the same time, the UA hadpleted its governmental transition and assisted F in denouncing Moros independence movement. They also sent out fighter jets to attack themand center of the guerris.
The battle once again entered a stalemate.
On the other hand, the vice president of Xin and minister of economics visited New Guinea and brought along the representative from Future Mining as well as businessmen from Ange Ind in charge of projects exceeding one billion USD.
Yang Yuan seemed to have gotten over Su Fei; he put all his energy into his work in an attempt to forget about her. On the visit to New Guinea, he went as the general manager of Future Mining and managed to secure five steel nts and two aluminum processing nts to move high-pollution production from Ange Ind to the undeveloped neighboring countries.
BHPs ores were subsequently transported to New Guinea for crude treatment before they were transported to Xin for further processing with special equipment to create a unique steel-aluminum alloy. The alloy was extremely light, but the strength and hardness were no inferior to a titanium alloy. Jiang Chen didnt exin the purpose of the alloy to Yang Yuan; he just vaguely exined that these alloys would be used toplete a special project.
While the Vice President was visiting New Guinea, Zhang Yapin signed eleven policies to simplify the tourism visa application process, lowering tourism taxes with the intent of stimting the tourism industry. Following the introduction of these policies, Xin established the foundation for a prosperous tourism policy. 2017 was destined to be the year that marked the start of Xins tourism boom.
Wei Yun, who already received the news from Jiang Chen, had fully prepared for this day. He featured the Heart of the Sea, underwater hotel, hot spring beach, sea maze and other tourism activities on advertisements on two forms of media C web and TV. The ads even made it to billboards at Times Square.
Coro Inds airport opened its newly built runaway to meet the demand of 1700 departing and arriving flights per day. The airport also increased direct flights to major metropolises around the world including Shangjin, Wanghai, Xiangjiang, and Los Santos to save the trouble of having to connect through Autria.
On the first day of increased direct flights, the number of people entering the border with a tourist visa increased from 1347 to 2397 people and continued to rise at a daunting speed. Based on estimations from Xins tourism ministry, visitors from the first quarter of 2017 could break 100 thousand and reach 500 thousand by the second quarter.
Based on the influence of this disclosed data, the three international rating agencies all increased Xins investment rating which facilitated arge sum of international money flowing into Xin.
President Zhang Yapin couldnt stop his mouth from smiling when he heard the news. Xins GDP increased by 100% in 2016 and managed topletely transition from a fishing and ntation-based economy to a country focused on manufacturing and tourism.
Future Groups subsidiaries all had ster performance butpared to Future Technology, all of them added together still paled inparison.
The first 30 million Phantom helmets that entered the market were sold out on the first day and were promptly sold for three times the original price on the ck market. Future Technology had to make an announcement to limit each Future ount to purchase a maximum of two Phantom helmets which somewhat alleviated the situation.
Even then, all subsequent Phantoms released into the global market were sold out on the first day. A lot ofizens unaware of the story started to criticize Future Technology of being too egotistical and using the starved market technique to bully consumers that continuously supported them.
But Future Technology had their own difficulties since millions of helmets distributed across the world meant only a few million units per country. In order to meet market demands, it required time.
Regardless of how much those people cursed, they would immediately order the new batch of helmets once they were made avable. Indeed, Future Technologys product didnt fall short of their expectations.
Once all 80 million helmets were sold, once the costs of transportation, production, tax, and other misceneous costs were ounted for, the average profit per helmet was 791.1 USD and the total profit came to a ridiculous 64.07 billion USD! The daunting profitability scared all of Wall Street.
In the field of virtual reality, Future Technology, with the absolute technological advantage, didnt have anypetition. Regardless of how the patent offices in each country pushed for patent rights, Future Technology didnt budge at all.
With an absolute technological advantage, Future Technology didnt need to make the technology publically avable in exchange for protection.
The moment the 64.07 billion in profits was settled, the first thing Jiang Chen did was pay back his loan with interest to the Rothschild bank.
When they recuperated their loan, the head of the Rothschild bank attentively expressed to Jiang Chen to please contact them if Future Group ever encountered any problems with cash flow in the future. Jiang Chen only smiled at the offer without responding.
Since Future Technologys profitability was more than enough to meet the expansion demands of Future Group, he didnt need to take out loans anymore.
Following the official sales of the Phantom helmet, Future Technology and Godly Lands official site published the official release date of the first immersive virtual reality MMORPG, closed the colosseum mode, and opened character registration.
The initial virtual reality helmet only had a grey cubical room with a simple web-viewing function. Even then, some people were happy to wear the helmet for an entire night. A lot of techpanies constantly jammed Future Technologys phone line with the hopes of resolving thepatibility problems between their software and the helmet. This included Penguin that desperately wanted to expand their social media tform.
Future Technology gave a standard response. Because of technical limitations, the Phantom helmets system could only support Godly Land as well as their internal web browser. With improvements in software, thepatibility problem would gradually be solved.
Before the start of official cooperation, Future Technology still needed to consider which areas could be worked on cooperatively and which areas must be controlled.
Just as the world was in frenzy over immersive virtual reality technology, Jiang Chen apanied the delegation of Xin to board the flight to Shangjin, thus beginning his visit to Hua.
Chapter 547 - Too Many Choices
Chapter 547: Too Many Choices
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Caron_
Sigh ?Its okay. Its not my first time losing. Zhou Antai waved his hand nonchntly.
Although his words were nonchnt, his eyes never left the board.
His hovering ck piece was finally nted on the board.
Zhou Antai gazed at the board. His pupils contracted before he blissfully smiled.
From the start, his old friend had been ying tricks on him. It was only when the piece finallynded on the board did he start to understand.
Chapter 548 - Returning to Homeland
Chapter 548: Returning to Homnd
He hadnt been back in how long?
If he counted, it was close to one year.
Jiang Chen stared at the runway zipping by in the window as he zoned out.
From the glimpse he caught before the nended, the homnd wasnt any differentpared to when he left. The only difference was his state of mind C when he left, he felt rushed, but now he was calm and collected upon his return.
It was the origin of dragon heritage, the heart of the republic. During his time in university, he visited this ce with the intention of expanding his views, but it was only today that he understood the true definition of view.
Views werent observable until one reached a certain level.
The wee ceremony was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Although Xin and Huas political ideologies were different, they shared the same cultural background. Therefore, during Xins presidential visit, Hua demonstrated the highest level of courtesy to highlight the demeanor of the superpower.
The leaders of the two countries warmly shook hands. Apanied by men in suits, they went to the diplomatic regiment. The media stood on both sides of the red carpet in an orderly fashion, with the cameras capturing the friendship between the two countries live.
Jiang Chen left all the problematic issues to Zhang Yapin as he stayed in the business delegation while avoiding the media.
He didnt bring any bodyguards this time. Ayesha acted as his assistant carrying a briefcase and following half a step behind him.
Responsible for greeting them were mainly people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the leaders in charge of economic and trade cooperation. Once they met, the officials in charge warmly greeted Jiang Chen and shook his hands with force.
Jiang Chen could clearly sense that while the officials in suits were meeting the entire delegation, their attention was more or less focused on him. He could visibly sense their attentiveness and the reason behind their attentiveness, without a doubt, was because of the message from the top.
It was indeed a good signal.
The tips of Jiang Chens mouth curled up when he thought about this.
For this Hua trip, it was a positive beginning.
On the first day of the visit was mainly a diplomatic conference, and the business forum was to be held at noon the next day. The only other special event today was the evening banquet. Surrounded by the reception staff, it made him feel grateful to return home.
But among the security personnel, he was surprised to see an acquaintance.
Although the gray coat looked very low-key, among the crowd with all suits, it still looked somewhat conspicuous. Perhaps he was personally aware of this C he had been standing on the outside of security personnel.
[Dagger?]
If it was Dagger, his face was too young, but this figure gave him a familiar feeling.
Just as he thought, Jiang Chen met his gaze.
Without anymunication, he only nodded to Jiang Chen before turning away from his direction. It looked like he knew Jiang Chen, but Jiang Chen didnt know where he saw him before.
When Jiang Chen arrived at the hotel, he asked the reception staff he had been chatting with about that security personnel.
Oh, that person. Hes a bodyguard from the General Staff Department. The top ced great importance on your security, the reception staff exined to Jiang Chen.
I just feel like he looks familiar. Could you tell me his name?
The reception staff only hesitated for a moment, thinking it wasnt confidential, so he told Jiang Chen.
Miao Jun. He was previously assigned a mission in Wanghai, perhaps you saw him then.
When Jiang Chen heard this name, he immediately remembered. Miao Jun was the new agent with Dagger. But because he hadnt seen him for a long time, that guy appeared different. The impulsive young man was no longer there and had been reced by a mature and resolute individual.
Jiang Chen didnt know what happened that transformed this guy into a qualified soldier. He previously thought he wouldnt be staying long in this role, but he now changed his mind.
The hotel was five stars. From the bodyguards patrolling at the entrance to the magnificent interior design, it was a special facility used to amodate honored guests.
At the entrance to the hotel, Jiang Chen saw Xia Shiyu, who had been waiting for a while. He knew from the phone that she would arrive in Shangjin a day before, but he didnt expect that she would also be treated as a foreign delegate.
In a clean, ck female suit, her ck hair was curled at the back of her head. Her gorgeous face that didnt like to smile bloomed like a cold and elegant flower on a mountaintop.
Their rtionship couldnt be described as intimate, but their reunion after so long still made his heart pump a little faster.
And the increase in heart rate originated from her smile, the smile that could melt ice.
Long time no see.
Not too long since we did a video call. Jiang Chen stopped beside Xia Shiyu.
They already arrived at the hotel and they had the rest of the time free. The reception staff beside Jiang Chen certainly knew how to read the mood. The moment he saw Xia Shiyu, he spected that there might be an intimate rtionship between the two of them, so he walked away quietly.
Did you not miss me?
Of course I did. Although his smile wasnt proper, the meaning he wanted to express wasnt fake at all.
With Future Group growing by the day, the only person he could count on was just Xia Shiyu. Perhaps it sounded narcissistic, but he still trusted Xia Shiyu to never betray him, whether it was from her previous deeds or her personal affection.
She stared at Jiang Chens face and her lips gently trembled. She had a lot of things to say to him, but now that she finally saw him, with her difficulty in expressing her feelings, she was unable to turn her thoughts into words.
tomorrows business forum, the three giants BAT will be at the scene. Cooperation between the inte and VR industries will be the first part of the business talks. Xia Shiyu looked away.
From her hesitating lips, she squeezed out the words as a means of escape.
Mhmm, I know. Without noticing the fluctuation in Xia Shiyus emotions, Jiang Chen nodded and replied to her with aforting smile.
With her face beginning to blush, Xia Shiyu didnt look at Jiang Chen in the eyes.
Just then, she noticed Ayesha behind Jiang Chen. Her expression turned perplexed.
It was already nearing lunchtime. The representative of Xins businessmen and Jiang Chen had to arrive early. After exchanging a few more words with Xia Shiyu, he left for his room upstairs.
Sensing Xia Shiyu had words to say to her, Ayesha didnt follow Jiang Chen but looked at the very beautiful firstdy.
I wont give up. After a mary silence, Xia Shiyu stared into the girls eyes and righteously said.
Wee.
Ayesha replied with earnestness as she spoke from the bottom of her heart.
She genuinely wanted Xia Shiyu to face her heart and didnt mind bing sisters with her at all. If it was her, she could help him more, unlike herself who only knew how to fight and kill.
But perhaps because Ayesha wasnt good at expressing herself either, her invitation sounded like a victors taunt to Xia Shiyus ears.
Xia Shiyu bit her lips in a perplexed state as the will to fight ignited in her eyes.
Without speaking any more words, she turned around, leaving Ayesha full of questions.
Ayesha stared at her back and thought with seriousness.
She felt there wouldnt be any positive results if they continued to drag this on
[Perhaps I should help her out?]
In her blue pupils, mischievousness sparked.
Chapter 549 - How much sincerity do you have?
Chapter 549: How much sincerity do you have?
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Caron_
After all, it was a wee luncheon. Naturally, the rules and traditions couldnt be avoided.
The luncheonsted from 11 oclock to 1 in the afternoon, while the real meal time was only an hour. But Jiang Chen didntin in the slightest because the dishes at the state banquet really were impable. Additionally, the concierge really made him feel like this was his home away from home.
Responsible for the reception of Jiang Chen was Liu Haotian. Not too tall with a buzz cut, he looked very sharp. The way he spoke was humorous yet ethereal. During his stay in Hua, he would apany Jiang Chen to his daily activities whether he was heading home to visit rtives or examining investment opportunities outside of the province. His main duty was acting as his driver and at the same time, resolving any problems for guests to maintain Huas international image.
Although he had no ns in the afternoon, Jiang Chen clearly underestimated the cordiality of the Ministry of Economic Development. The Phantom helmet was only on the shelf for two weeks but the analysts of Wall Street revalued Future Groups worth at a daunting 500 billion USD. It was a conservative figure based on the uncertainty of the maintenance costs of the supeputer Future Technology was using as well as the research and development costs of the helmet.
If Future Group went public on NASDAQ and disclosed its operation costs, no one would doubt its market cap could exceed 700 million and rece Apple as the techpany with the highest market cap.
To get a delicious piece of the pie and create ties with apany that originated from Hua, the Ministry of Economic Development obviously wouldnt relinquish this opportunity. All the beneficial policies were presented to Jiang Chen with only one requirement: Future Group had to build nts and invest in Hua.
Ideally, those new nts would produce the Phantom Helmet.
But they had discussions over tea for an entire afternoon without making any progress. Jiang Chen didnt agree to make any investments, especially with regards to building more nts. In fact, he consciously avoided the topic.
While the people from the Ministry of Business Development were eager, they had no other ns. They made all the policies the higher-ups permitted avable to him, but Jiang Chen didnt seem interested at all, which made them bewildered.
Is this guy not here to talk business? When they thought about the mission the higher-ups gave them and looked at Jiang Chen drinking tea, the representative from the Ministry of Business Development had a helpless feeling.
Of course, they were confused.
Jiang Chen was here to talk business, but not with the Ministry of Business Development. They were, at most, the pawns sent from the top to test him. Even if there was no material progress in negotiations, the people at the top wouldnt give them any trouble for it.
Jiang Chen was waiting for a person with decision-making power. If Hua ced enough emphasis on him, that person would arrive very soon.
It was just as he thought.
After the end of the dinner, Jiang Chen sat in the Hongqi L9 waiting in front of the Shangjin Restaurant. Liu Haotian, responsible for his reception, sat in the drivers seat but didnt drive off after starting the car.
Do you have any engagements arranged afterward?
No.
An important person wants to see you.
Jiang Chen looked at Liu Haotian through the rearview mirror.
Who?
An elder. Dont worry, no need to be cautious. It is a good thing. Liu Haotian put on a smile to respond to Jiang Chens gaze. If it is convenient for you now, I can take you there now. Of course, if you have other ns, tomorrow is okay too.
Now is fine. Jiang Chen leaned back in his chair and said casually, There is a business forum I need to attend tomorrow, I might be busy.
Liu Haotian smiled and drove off.
The scenery outside the window shed by and gradually, the sheen of prosperity faded when they turned into an older part of the city. The car didnt drive for long before they stopped at an ancient but magnificent manor. The security personnel standing at the door put his hand on his waist. It wasnt until he saw Liu Haotian getting out of the car that he let his guard down.
Liu Haotian opened the car door for Jiang Chen and courteously invited him out.
Please, Mr. Jiang.
Jiang Chen raised his head to read the words on the gate of the manor before he looked at Liu Haotian with a gaze full of deeper meaning.
I originally thought you were just a driver. My mistake.
Not at all. Im just an ordinary reception staff member, Liu Haotian said humbly.
Jiang Chen smiled without saying anything more. He stepped over the high doorsill and headed directly into the manor.
On the door he just walked through were two giant words written with calligraphy.
Theyout of the manor was in good taste with elegance; the rock gardens wereplementary to each other. Although Jiang Chen wasnt well-versed in traditional culture, he still could see that it was abination of characteristics from a northern climatebined with characteristics of Suzhou gardens.
Although there wasnt anything particrly extravagant inside, Jiang Chen knew well that to own such arge manor in Shangjin, wherend was equivalent to gold, money alone wasnt enough.
With Liu Haotians guidance, Jiang Chen followed the pebbled stone path and arrived at the tea room in the main building. Here, he saw an elder with all white hair. From the courteous expression on Liu Haotians face, the status of the elder was important.
Theyout of the tea room was simple C there was only a table, a chess board, and a cup of tea
It was tea again. Jiang Chens eyebrows twitched. He drank tea all afternoon, so his stomach felt agitated at the scene of tea.
Are you not going to sit? Seeing Jiang Chen wasnt taking any action, the elder pleasantly asked.
Jiang Chen then politely smiled and sat on the sofa across from the elder.
How should I address you?
I am Liu Xiangguo. By age, it is fair for you to call me uncle. The elder poured hot tea for Jiang Chen and himself.
Liu Haotian looked at his father, surprised, but quickly moved his gaze elsewhere.
Uncle Liu, Jiang Chen cleverly addressed him.
Perhaps pleased with the way Jiang Chen addressed him, Uncle Liu smiled and examined Jiang Chen with the eyes of an elder looking at the young. His cloudy but still shrewd eyes hid their sharpness within the rising white cloud.
Although it was disguised, Jiang Chen could still sense the elder prying into his life with his gaze. But even if he sensed this, he didnt react and replied honestly to the obvious inquiring gaze.
Uncle Liu invited me over just to have tea with me?
Unable to see through Jiang Chen, Liu Xiangguo retracted his prying gaze without a change in expression.
No particr n. I have seen you quite a few times on the news. With this opportunity, I wanted to meet you.
Oh? Am I fortunate enough to know Uncle Lius view of me?
Ster individual.
Jiang Chen took a moment to process this before he humbly said:
Youre oveplimenting me.
At Jiang Chens modesty, Liu Xiangguo smiled and took a sip of the tea without making any furtherments.
Just as Jiang Chen wryly thought the old man would act identically to the people from the Ministry of Business Development that afternoon and y riddles with him for half the day, Liu Xiangguo put down his teacup and suddenly said:
From your facial appearance, Mr. Jiang is someone who likes to dive straight into the topic, so I wont y riddles with you. He paused. How sincere are you with regards to the economic and trade cooperation between our two countries or cooperation between Future Group and Hua?
When Jiang Chen heard this, his disinterested expression instantly disappeared with a smile emerging on his face.
Finally.
He had been waiting for this sentence for too long.
Chapter 550 - Allies
Chapter 550: Allies
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Caron_
My sincerity depends on your sincerity. Jiang Chen looked straight into Liu Xiangguos eyes. And before that, I need to know what you want.
Virtual reality technology.
Jiang Chen sighed after hearing this answer and pushed his hands against the armrest.
If that is your sincere wish, our conversation can end right here.
Jiang Chen motioned to stand up.
Liu Haotian, who was standing at the door, looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief as he didnt expect the conversation to head in that direction.
The atmosphere in the room instantly intensified.
Wait. Just like Jiang Chen expected, Liu Xiangguo stopped him.
Shrewdness sparked in the elders eyes as his eagle-like gaze locked onto his face without any disguise.
You were the first one who dared to speak to me like this and also the youngest. Liu Xiangguo took a sip of his tea and spoke emotionlessly.
Here. Jiang Chen added.
Hahahaha, youre right. Here. As if he heard something funny, the elderughed and slowly put the cup down on the table.
The tense atmosphere instantly faded.
Sincerity? You wont acquiesce on demands for virtual reality technology at all? Liu Xiangguos face instantly returned to a kind expression.
Thats right.
What if I make you unable to do business here? Although this was spoken nonchntly, Liu Xiangguo ced emphasis on that word.
Then we will fully retreat.
Fully retreat? Liu Xiangguo paused and looked at Jiang Chen, quite intrigued. You dont feel pained about losing ess to a market of 1.4 billion people at all?
You dont feel pained about letting technology at least twenty years ahead of its time slip away from your own hands? Jiang Chen returned the question.
Our country nevercks people with talent.
Thats if your people with talent are able to develop immersive virtual reality technology.
I dont need the virtual stuff.
Im not here to pitch it to you. That includes all innovative technology from Future Technology in the present and future.
Jiang Chens words made Liu Xiangguo silent.
Before the start of the conversation, the top officials began discussing Future Group. The response from the scientific institute was pessimistic. In the next thirty years, they could not achieve the level of sophistication of the Phantom Helmet.
Unless medical and electronic fields both experienced significant breakthroughs simultaneously.
Liu Xiangguo knew the consequences if the Phantom was blocked here and other countries epted it.
Rejecting new technology at their doorstep would only mean getting left behind by the world.
But Liu Xiangguo scoffed at the idea. Just with his Future Technologypany alone? He had the audacity to say that his technology alone could lead the next era?
But was that impossible?
Liu Xiangguo looked at Jiang Chen with a smile as he began to question him again.
Youre a very interesting opponent. I previously thought I had more choices to make in my next move, but it looks like thats not the case.
Haha, not at all. Im not here to y chess with you. Im here to find a suitable ally worth cooperating with.
Ally You certainly are confident. Liu Xiangguo red at Jiang Chen.
Please dont underestimate the technical abilities of Future Group. Jiang Chen swirled his finger. Theres only technology you cant imagine, and there is no technology we cant make into reality.
Jiang Chen paused, smiled mysteriously, and continued.
And when ites to the actual ruler of Xin, Im sure you can guess who it is.
Perhaps because it verified his prediction of Jiang Chen, Liu Xiangguo scoffed.
Young man, you are quite devious.
You are ttering me.
Although they were humble words, Jiang Chens face didnt show any humility at all.
When Jiang Chen left the manor, it was alreadyte in the night. They discussed the exact details of cooperation for a long time before finally agreeing on terms eptable by all.
Although it was just verbal agreement.
Liu Haotian opened the car door for Jiang Chen and took a seat afterward.
Are you pleased with the result today?
Im extremely pleased. It far exceeded my expectations.
Liu Haotian nced at Jiang Chen through the mirror, but that glimpse wasnt enough to determine if Jiang Chens words were from the bottom of his heart. When the conversation reached the halfway point, his father eyed him to leave the room. Although he wanted to know what the terms of the deal would be between the Liu family or Hua with Future Group, his old man clearly didnt want him to know.
That Uncle Liu is your father, right?
Thats right. How did you know? Liu Haotian was confused at Jiang Chens abruptment.
Isnt it obvious? Yourst name is Liu. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes and answered the dumb question.
[Fair]
Liu Haotian facepalmed in his mind.
Just a question out of curiosity C whats Liu familys position in Hua? Jiang Chen asked nonchntly.
When Liu Haotian heard this question, a proud curvature appeared on his mouth.
The leader of all the families.
When Jiang Chen returned to the hotel, it was already ten at night.
Liu Haotian parked the car without staying much longer. He simply informed Jiang Chen that he would arrive tomorrow morning at eight to drive him around.
Perhaps worried that Jiang Chen wouldnt return, Xia Shiyu stood at the front of the hotel while constantly checking the time. When Jiang Chen stepped out, she immediately came up and berated him.
Where did you go? Why did youe back sote?
Although her tone sounded distant, the caring expression on her face made Jiang Chen feel warm inside as heforted her.
Dont worry, I was discussing terms with an important person. Ill exin once were back in the room.
Who? Whos worried about you Xia Shiyus face turned red and she looked away dishonestly. All in all, itste, so lets go back now.
[Thats textbook coy.]
Jiang Chen watched Xia Shiyu leaving swiftly as he thought to himself.
When Jiang Chen returned to his room, he threw his suit on the side andid on the bed with his limbs spread out.
Ayesha.
The air beside him vibrated and her figure in a suit appeared out of thin air.
The suit consisted of special material because she mentioned to Jiang Chen that the previous ck carbon Nanobat suit was too distinct, so Fallout Shelter 027 created a corresponding n. These clothes made with special material could enter stealth mode with an optical illusion module in order to prevent the suit from being too conspicuous. In principle, the stealth clothes were designed with the same principle as gun covers.
Her blue pupils quietly looked at Jiang Chen as she waited for her masters orders.
Are there any eyes present?
Jiang Chen referred to cameras.
I already checked. Ayesha shook her head.
Reliable as always.
Jiang Chen patted the bed beside him.
Come and sit beside me.
Ayesha obediently nodded and sat down.
Are you thinking about something?
Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen, puzzled, and her expression seemed to be asking: How did you know?
Its written all over your face. Jiang Chen sat up and smiled while tousling her luscious hair. Can you tell me? Maybe I can help out.
Its not about me. The girl shook her head with her mouth slightly pouted. She dangled her legs over the bed while murmuring in a quiet voice, What does Jiang Chen think about Sister Shiyu?
Seeing as Jiang Chen had no response, Ayesha turned her head and looked at him, slightly embarrassed.
My question is weird, right?
No, nothing weird about it. Jiang Chen recollected his thoughts. He smiled and gently squeezed her hand. I just think it would be too selfish of me to say whats on my mind.
Ayesha shook her head rapidly and looked into his pupils tenderly. No, it wouldnt.
Because it is Ayesha, you wont feel like that, but other people might think otherwise.
Master is troubled?
Why did this titlee up again? Sigh. Rather than trouble, it is more not knowing what to do. Even if I can fix Xinsw to make polygamy legal, traditional culture wont change.
And because of this reason, he had been carefully watching his interpersonal rtionships in the modern world. He wasnt certain he could still maintain his rtionship with Xia Shiyu if he crossed that line. Because of this, there were a few times when he was close to crossing the line before he put the brakes on himself.
Since this ce was the modern world after all
Ayesha stared at the side of Jiang Chens face and confirmed her spections. A faint smile surfaced on her face.
[Of course, I need to help him Please allow your most loyal maid to be reckless for once.]
Just then, a hesitant knock came from outside the door.
The moment the door was knocked, before Jiang Chen could react, Ayesha disappeared.
Is he asleep already? Low muttering came from outside as if she was debating if she should leave.
Jiang Chen wryly looked in the direction where Ayesha disappeared and walked to the door.
Wait, Iming.
He opened the door as the scent of shampoo tickled his nose. Judging by the water droplets still visible around her pale neck, she probably just showered.
Xia Shiyu peeked behind Jiang Chen while pretending to be calm. Where did Ayesha go?
Why would you think Ayesha would be in my room? Jiang Chen scratched his nose.
Although he didnt lie, he used a response that could easily be misinterpreted. He didnt know why he did that as he subconsciously hid the fact that Ayesha was there.
Perhaps it was his perception but he felt Xia Shiyus mood bing slightly better.
Was there anything you wanted to talk about?
Didnt you say you had something to tell me?
[Did I?]
Jiang Chen thought to himself before he suddenly realized.
He did tell her when he came back that hed exin in the room.
Chapter 551 - I’m Willing
Chapter 551: Im Willing
Trantor: ?_Min_?Editor: ?Rundi
You cant have forgotten about it already. Xia Shiyu looked at Jiang Chen with skepticism.
No way, Jiang Chen scratched the back of his head and stepped aside, e in.
He poured two cups of water. When he went into the bedroom, he found Xia Shiyu sitting where Ayesha previously sat.
Have some water.
Mhmm, thanks. Xia Shiyu epted the cup in Jiang Chens hand and put her hands around it to gain some warmth.
The December in Shangjin was the middle of the frigid winter. Although there was sufficient heating in the room, she still felt chilly justing in from outside. Jiang Chen looked around. When he saw there was no other ce to sit, he sat beside her.
But just as he sat down, the unnatural feeling crept into his mind. Because he was too close, he could even sense his beating heart.
Jiang Chen inhaled in an attempt to use deep breaths to calm his unsettled heart, but the situation seemed to be evolving in theplete opposite direction as Xia Shiyus scent floated into his nose and his unsettled heart became more anxious.
Xia Shiyu who was also timid locked her fingers around the cup and stared at the texture of the carpet; the white cloud lingering above the water hid away the anxiousness on her face.
The atmosphere in the room came to an stagnation.
Jiang Chen who realized this point scratched his face. In an attempt to break through the awkwardness, he gently coughed and said.
Do you want to hear what happened?
Ah, right. Xia Shiyu blushed and coughed into her fist, pretending to be calm.
It would perfect if she didnt bite her tongue when she spoke.
[Wait, why am I so nervous?!]
Perhaps realizing his action was unlike him, Jiang Chen mocked himself and forcefully drove out the odd throbbing in his heart and began to illustrate the conversation with Liu Xiangguo.
So youre saying, they are willing to provide protection from the policy for our business in Hua? Xia Shiyu put the cup on the nightstand when they began to talk about business. Her reserved state disappeared as her eyes were filled with cunning sharpness.
People say that men when serious looked charming, but Jiang Chen was surprised to discover that Xia Shiyu when serious cast an attractive vibe.
But Jiang Chen knew better than to interrupt as he nodded.
Thats right.
Whats their offer price?
10% of Future Groups profit in Han.
What a big appetite. 10% of our profit. Thats at least one billion USD a year. Liu Xiangguo certainly has the guts to seek bribery this openly, Xia Shiyu crossed her eyes, put her hand on her chin, and said.
Doing business anywhere had an expense in this area whether it was doing business domestically or internationally. The less elegant way to describe it was the transfer of benefits, the more elegant way was business development cost. Although Future Groups primary business was in the web field in Han with the cost lowerpared to traditional interest, it is impossible to not have any expenses.
Thats the appetite of the leader of families, and they have a big family. Jiang Chenughed, If they really could provide enough protection to our business, the 10% profit is not too expensive. He previously wanted 10% of global profits, but I rejected it.
Before, even if Jiang Chen had the courage, he didnt have the confidence to say no. But now the table has turned, Future International already gained its footing in the global market. While the Liu family was influential, Jiang Chen was on the same level as them.
Whether it was for the benefit of the country or for himself, there was no downside to cooperating with Future Group.
Then, whats the method of transferring the benefits? Xia Shiyu asked.
Charity. Ill establish a charity under my name and inject 10% of Future Groups Han profit into the charity and hire designated cooperation to build schools and hospitals in specific areas.
One hand taking clean money while one hand racking up the political remarks. What an efficient method. Xia Shiyu quickly understood the trick hidden inside.
Thats right. Jiang Chen snapped his finger, looks like you figured it out now.
The tip of Xia Shiyus mouth curled up.
Youre underestimating me. At least Im the CEO of Future Technology.
The transfer of benefits method was unique, although as the CEO, she didnt personally conduct the bribery work, she did personally audit through every financial expense. Future Technologys grey area expense globally ounted for a positive 5%.
Although it was not something worth bragging
Its the CEO of Future Group. Jiang Chen corrected her.
Xia Shiyu took a second to process before sheughed.
Right We did make a deal.
Thest time when Xia Shiyu went to Pannu Inds, Jiang Chen invited her to be the CEO of Future Group. But Xia Shiyu didnt immediately ept but agreed with Jiang Chen to ept the promotion after the Phantoms official release.
Do you not want a promotion?
No, Xia Shiyu shook her head, zoned out, and stared at her fingers twirling together, I, I just dont know if I can handle the challenge.
Is it really okay to say this to your boss? Jiang Chenughed.
It was taboo to disy ack of confidence in front of a boss as an employee facing promotion. But what made Xia Shiyu herself feel odd was how easily she exposed her weak side.
Perhaps he never gave her the feeling of being a boss, but more of a friend.
Xia Shiyu tried to convince herself in her mind.
I trust you, Jiang Chen abruptly said.
Eh? Xia Shiyu looked at him, puzzled.
Whether it is your ability or your loyalty.
Thats a weird thing to say. Is this something a boss should tell its employee? Xia Shiyu looked away. Although she sounded calm, Jiang Chen could still hear the tantrum in her voice.
Of course not. Jiang Chen shook his head, If it is a regr employee, that person definitely cant take the position, and I wont tell that person this.
If it was a regr employee, then that employee wont understand his expansion thoughts, and he wouldnt trust the operation of the group to a person without a clear background. But it was different with Xia Shiyu. Disregarding everything else, she wouldnt betray him. It was not because of an irrational, unconditional trust, but a conclusion from her personality and theplex rtionship between the two.
But the words in Xia Shiyus ear were misinterpreted to something else.
[Are you saying I mean different things to you in your heart?]
Xia Shiyus heart was pumping wildly.
She previously thought she would never have any girly emotions, but she was feeling the anxiousness in her mind whichpletely negated the belief she had held.
To be able to interpret trust as something beyond was something that only belonged to a girl in love.
Then, Xia Shiyu, Im going to ask you again. Are you willing to take on the role where youre the only one capable of doing so to help me achieve my dream? Jiang Chen looked into her dark pupils and asked again sternly.
Could you tell me what your dream is?
If youre willing.
Im willing.
There was not the slightest hesitation in her tone.
Jiang Chen opened his mouth, but that sentence didnte out.
Mhmm, thank you
There was a glimpse where he almost told her his secret.
Of course, he still couldnt trust the people of this world.
But why did he tell Ayesha? He had been puzzled by this point for a long time. Perhaps because he knew she wouldnt betray him, perhaps it was something else.
The glimpse of hesitation didnt escape Xia Shiyus eyes. Although she felt frustrated for not gaining his trust in thest moment, when she saw the glimpse of hesitation, she felt relieved and delighted.
At least in that instant, he felt guilty for the unequal trust.
Then Ill go back now. Xia Shiyu didnt force him to tell her.
Mhmm, thats all I needed to tell you for tonight. Rest early.
You too.
Xia Shiyu turned around, walked to the door. But the instant she put her hand on the doorknob, there was a gentle knocking sound outside.
Is it Ayesha? Seeing how close their rtionship was, she felt a hint of jealousy.
But then, Jiang Chen instantly raised his head to the door as a chillness that he hasnt felt in a long time returned to his body.
Dont open C
Click
Chapter 552 - Package Bomb
552 Package Bomb
Trantor:Min ?| Editor: Rundi How did that guy get into our group?
Who knows, I heard the old director personally rmended him.
Whatever! Connections?
What do you think? A nk resume. I heard he did sometime near the borders and conducted B level missions, but he must be there just to obtain his qualifications Look at the way he looks, he can be promoted like this? If it is not for his strong background, he wouldnt even pass the first level, the man lowered his voice and whispered to his colleague.
Miao Jun leaned against the concrete pir in a grey jacket didnt bother with the conversation targeted towards him. The cigarette in his mouth only had a few sparks left. His half-narrowed eyes looked as if he was taking a nap.
Suddenly, the sparks of the cigarette illuminated brighter.
The half-narrowed eyes opened as the grey smoke came out of his nostrils.
The smell of blood
Suddenly, a deafening explosion came from above the hotel, debris and dust scattered, me apanied by thick smoke sprang out of the window.
The instant explosion stunned everyone.
No one would have thought that someone had the guts tomit murder in broad daylight.
Although they were stunned, it was only for a short one second before the agents and police on scene began to move.
This is General Staff Department Second Division Team Four. An explosion took ce in Shangjin Hotel, requesting assistance now.
Confirmed, Brigade C has surrounded the targeted area Buzz
The piercing buzzing noise almost shattered his eardrum as themander covered his ear in agony and immediately disconnected the Bluetooth.
Communication blocked! Fu*k, why are you standing around, go confirm the safety of the guest!
Roger!
Team four was a new action team with part of its membersing from a reconnaissance background, but the team was made up criminal investigation experts who had transferred from the public police system. Many of them were masters of their field, but as elite they were they have a fatal wpared to the long-established groups which were their crisis response ability
Themander stood up straight with gritted teeth. Someone forcefully connected to his Bluetooth earphone. It was not simplemunication blocking anymore, it was the more sophisticatedmunication hijacking.
Just as all the bodyguards were running upstairs, he suddenly noticed a member that didnt seem to fit the team had disappeared.
How long since hes had this feeling?
The omen of death that crept into his mind and Furys danger perception awakened at the same time.
The heavy gust of wind blew apart the thick smoke, behind the Nitrogen Armor was a face covered in gloom.
Jiang Chen scanned his surroundings. The entire room was destroyed, and the only thing left standing was half of the bed he sat on.
Inside the washroom, Xia Shiyu, who was curled up, slowly opened her eyes. After she confirmed the fact that she was still alive, she looked bewilderedly at the person that carried her around the waist.
In a ck suit; that serene figure. The person that carried her into the washroom, was her enemy
Ayesha.
She couldnt think right now as to why Ayesha would suddenly appear in Jiang Chens room, why she would suddenly save her from the center of the explosion. Because what just urred was too traumatizing, she couldnt think straight. But the unpleasant memory of her being kidnapped once again surfaced in her head
She wanted to scream. Her mouth was open, but she couldnt make a sound.
Just a few seconds ago, Jiang Chen attempted to stop her from opening the door, but the person appeared was a man in custodian uniform.
There was a paper box in his hand. The innocent face was hard to connect with danger, but the fervor in his eyes was terrifying.
Without time to alert Xia Shiyu, he ripped off the tape on the paper box between his arms.
Almost instantaneously, Ayesha who realized the oddity of the situation immediately stopped the optical illusion and lifted Xia Shiyu around the waist into the washroom in the hallway around the corner to avoid the me that instantly engulfed the room. Jiang Chen who had the ominous feel took out the Nitrogen Armor to blow away the explosive shockwave.
He threw the Nitrogen Armor back into the storage dimension and sat up from the bed that had been blown in half and patted away the dust on his shoulder. He was relieved seeing the hallway in mayhem but without blood.
Fortunately, Ayesha never left the room from start to finish, or Xia Shiyu would not have survived in the explosion.
When he thought about the explosion almost hurting the person dear to him, Jiang Chen was furious. He swore that regardless who nned this attack, he will make that person pay.
Ayesha.
Yes.
They should not be operating alone. There should be aplices nearby Find them.
Jiang Chen did not believe that a persons effort alone could sneak into the foreign delegate hotel under severalyers of protection.
Yes.
Ayesha gently put Xia Shiyu on the ground and smiled at her who was still recovering from the st. She then opened the optical illusion and disappeared in the room.
Xia Shiyu stared at the unfathomable scene that had just happened in front of her as she murmured nkly.
Disdisappeared
Jiang Chen kneeled down beside Xia Shiyu and looked at her apologetically.
Im sorry that you encountered this The enemy is clearing targeting me. Youve seen that Future Group has a lot of enemies, and among them are people who are willing to use extreme methods. If youre scared
Xia Shiyu who recollected her thought shook her head rapidly and tried to be brave.
Do you think Im a scaredy-cat?
Jiang Chen took a second to process before he startedughing.
Dont force yourself to be brave. Youre so scared.
Jiang Chen reached out to Xia Shiyu who was shaking.
Xia Shiyu rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen and grabbed onto his hand with force before getting up from the ground.
Sirens broadcasted loudly outside of the window before the sound of cluttered footsteps came from outside. Several bodyguards and special forces with pistols entered the room and bumped into Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu walking out from the washroom.
When they saw them, themander Cheng Hu forced his way to the front and looked anxiously at Jiang Chen.
Are you okay?
Just like what you saw, we happened to be in the washroom, so luckily survived.
When Xia Shiyu heard Jiang Chens description, her cold and elegant face was covered by a red hue. The way he said it was easy for other people to misinterpret. For example what reason would make the two coincidentally stay in the washroom together?
But she was clearing overthinking, no one thought that way.
The foreign delegation was the target of a suicidal terrorist attack, it would be a global scandal if released! Everyone here focused on the actual attack.
Cheng Hu took a deep breath, lowered his head, and said.
I apologize for you encountering such a dangerous event. Well do our absolute best to find the perpetrator behind this attack and give you an answer!
That would be great. Jiang Chen nodded expressionlessly.
The manager of the hotel arranged a new room for Jiang Chen and began the follow-up procedures.
When Jiang Chen left the original room, Cheng Hu immediately ordered security and agents to conduct a carpet search in the room while interrogating all hotel workers separately. Just as he swore he would flip the hotel upside down, a ck shadow appeared.
At the same time, two sets of eyes spotted him.
Chapter 553 - Not Died
553 Not Died
Trantor:Min ?| Editor: Rundi Sirens reverberated on the streets as the red and blue lights decorated the night of the city. Within the shadow behind the illumination of prosperity, a ck shadow traversed quickly among the ally as dark as a ck hole. But behind that shadow, the grey jacket flew with the wind and the agent of the General Staff Department tightly pursued.
With pistol tightly clenched in his hand, Miao Juns eyes locked onto that figure while he adjusted his breathing. The enemys speed was too fast to give him the time to report his coordinate. But it was okay, the phone in his pocket was on. As long as he managed to keep up with the person, it will only take time before backup arrives and captures this person.
But the persons endurance was unbelievable which made Miao Jun more shocked the longer he chased. He was considered top quartile in the General Staff Department, but having chased for so long, the person running in the front didnt seem to be losing his pace while he was beginning to lose his breath.
If this continued, he will lose him.
With the criticality of the situation, he could no longer follow the rules and procedures.
Miao Jun used his finger to flip open the safety. When he passed through a 90 degrees turn, he immediately raised his gun and fired.
Three gunshots echoed in the small ally. He clearly felt one of the bullets hit that person on the back.
The ck shadow tumbled when being shot before turning to a dead end on the side.
Miao Jun immediately followed and turned into the dead end. He aimed his muzzle at the wounded person and shouted.
Dont move! Youre under arrest.
Maybe it was because he heard Miao Juns shout, the person with his back hunched had his back exposed to Miao Jun without any movement. But the menacingugh that drifted from underneath the ck coat made Miao Jun feel a daunting chillness.
With cold sweat rolling down from his forehead and swallowing the natural fear he felt along with his saliva, Miao Jun moved closed while holding the pistol up.
But as he was 10 minutes away from the person, he stopped.
Under the pristine moonlight, he didnt notice any blood from the wound on his back.
Oh? Mr. Police, why are you not approaching closer?
The spark of firing shed in the dark alley as the bullet only prated the shadow of the pitch ck figure. The safe distance of ten meters was instantly shortened to an extreme, and the ring white de stabbed toward Miao Jun fiercely.
The crisp sound of metal contacting each other reverberated in the alley as the colliding des even created sparks.
Miao Jun suppressed the sharp pain on his hand while feeling more stunned. The persons closebat ability was without a doubt above his, and the decision to approach him was the wrong choice.
Seeing the agent from the General Staff Department start to riposte less and less, a menacing smile surfaced on the persons face.
Die, before dawn.
While he spoke those words with unclear meaning, another white de shed out from underneath the shadow. With his dagger being guarded down, Miao Juns pupils narrowed and watched the sharp de stab to his shoulder.
Bang!
Blood sttered, a knife slipped out, and the person tumbled back and fell down.
The de aimed at Miao Juns chest only made a cut on his side. Although it caused arge amount of bleeding, it didnt do any critical damage. The bullet from out of nowhere saved his life.
Without a doubt, it was a sniper rifle!
Miao Jun covering his wound fell down beside a garbage can in the ally as he used his trance sight to witness an obscure scene.
The person that was hit by sniper rifle climbed up from the ground with difficulty as blood pooled on the ground.
It was the first time he saw someone being able to stand after being hit by a sniper rifle.
On the roof of a building one thousand meters out, Ayesha, lying on the ground locked, onto the street through the crosshair. Although because of obstructions, she couldnt continue to aim at that person. But from the tumbling figure, that person didnt die.
Target hit kill unconfirmed.
Being able to survive a direct hit to the chest by a Ghost Sniper? When she witnessed this odd scene, she instinctively sensed something obscure about that person.
Currently, Jiang Chen, who was in the washroom, concerned. After the attack, when he finished dealing with the security asking him questions, he made the excuse to go into the washroom.
Unable to kill?
Yes. It is confirmed the bullet directly prated the targets body, but the targets life information didnt disappear Target is on the move.
Capture him before the General Staff Department captures him, Jiang Chen said in a low voice.
Roger. Ayesha took a deep breath and stood up.
Wait, get the Ghost Agent to do it, youe back.
As Jiang Chens assistant, disappearing too long would cause unnecessary suspicion. After the attack urred, Jiang Chen came in contact with the Ghost Agent hidden in Shangjin. Based on the location reported by Ayesha, the Ghost Agent should have arrived at the targets area.
With the tracking of the Hummingbird drones, the aplice of that assassin will not be able to escape from the eyes of the Ghost Agent.
Jiang Chen was more concerned about how he survived after being prated. He also needed to capture the person alive to figure out who nned this attack.
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Chen sat up from the toilet. He already spent long enough in the washroom, and there were still people and things for him to deal with. With such an incident urring in the hotel the delegation stayed in, it was a question if this delegation visit should continue or not.
The custodian was murdered, the security personnel in the hallway was killed, attacked with a bomb by knocking on the door of the business representative from Xin.
He was not the only person that stayed here. Other Xin businessmen also lived here. It was tough to hide such a serious incident. A lot of people were awakened by the loud explosion from their dreams and began to inquire about what happened. Zhang Yapin was negotiating with Han diplomats and urged the local police to punish the attacker
That is if they manage to catch the attacker.
As Jiang Chen expected, the moment he left the washroom, a few officials who clearly just rolled out of bed stood in front of him and began to ask him about the detail of the attack. They then promised him pumping their chest to use the entire citys police force to capture the attacker to give him an answer.
Then, it was Liu Haotian, who didnt leave for a long time, who found Jiang Chen. Although he was only a concierge of the Concierge Department, from other officials respectful look, Liu familys political influence in Hans political scene was indeed powerful.
Did you get injured?
I was quite lucky, I was in the washroom when the explosion happened.
Without seeing the aftershock of just surviving through a horrific incident, Liu Haotian examined him with a perplexed expression.
Im reassured after confirming youre okay. If you need anything, call me.
I dont need anything, I just want you to give me an exnation. Jiang Chen looked straight into Liu Haotians eyes and said directly.
The attack may be nned by foreign forces with an attempt to disrupt the two countries
I dont want to hear the diplomatic stuff. You can say this on the news.
Then youre suggesting? Liu Haotian furrowed his eyebrows as Jiang Chen pressed him further.
Jiang Chen smiled, and then lowered his voice.
Xin can keep this incident confidential.
Liu Haotian was surprised and cautiously looked at him.
Your terms are?
No terms at all. Jiang Chen opened his hands. We all want this visit to run smooth, dont we?
Chapter 554 - A High-profile Business Conference
Chapter 554: A High-profile Business Conference
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Although Jiang Chen didnt bring up any terms, Liu Haotian still expressed that the Liu family owed him a favor and they will repay the favor.
But Jiang Chenpletely didnt let Liu Haotians promise get to his head. The emperors family was the most ruthless; a favor was just a joke when dealing with such powerful families. He already saw this too clearly when he was in Wanghai. Which kind of favor was more than the favor of saving a life? If saving a life was not enough in exchange for protection, what could this small favor do?
It was interests that bind the two parties together, not something that needs to be maintained by favors.
After Liu Haotian left, Jiang Chen spoke with Zhang Yapin who just finished discussing with Hans diplomats and told him to cooperate with Han to cover up this attack and cover up the emotions of the investors.
The light of the explosion could not be covered up as a lot of people nearby captured the thick smoke that sprang out from the windows. But the nature of the incident was ressified from an attack to a leaking natural gas pipeline. The contract worker responsible for maintenance had been let go. The explosion urred in a room without anyone inside, while the delegation was startled, there was no injury. For the friendship of the two countries, Xins President Zhang Yapin epted the apology from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hotel to put a conclusion on the ident.
When the reporters were permitted to enter the scene, the room Jiang Chen lived in was changed into a different room. People who knew the truth were instructed to shut their mouths, and the truth behind the incident had sunk to the bottom of the sea. Even then, whether it was the Ghost Agent or the General Staff Department, they didnt stop pursuing the aplice of the attacker.
Needless to say, that person was an escape artist as he managed to escape from theyers of surrounding security set up by the General Staff Department. It could be clearly seen that they prepared a sophisticated n for this assassination. Not only did they know the city of Shangjin well, but they also prepared transportation vehicles and disguises along the way.
When he sat onto the secondhand pick-up truck, put on makeup to transform into a middle-aged bald man, wore T-shirt and jeans with the colors fading due to too many washes, the tall build killerpletely changed into an old driver responsible for long distance logistics.
As to how Jiang Chen knew everything clearly, it was because he didnt manage to escape being locked on by Sky Eye X1 satellite.
Just as he was about to leave Shangjin through the rural area, the Ghost Agent that followed up began to close the and captured him at a gas station. Then covered with optical illusion clothes, the Ghost Agent kidnapped the attacker onto a vessel to Xin.
By noon of the second day, the agents of the General Staff Department were still working hard to search for the aplice, but Jiang Chen already received the confirmation he was imprisoned at New Moon Ind.
We found something odd on his body.
Currently, in the restaurant of the hotel, Jiang Chen sat with Ayesha together, enjoying lunch while discussing the information sent by the Ghost Agent.
Odd? Jiang Chens chopsticks froze midair and looked at Ayesha with eyes of inquiry.
Thats right, his regeneration ability is especially strong to the point that its unimaginable. Any non-fatal wound could recover in an extremely short period of time. When Zhu Yu captured him, she thought she got the wrong person because there was no gun wound on his chest But during the interrogation on New Moon Ind, we discovered his imusible regeneration ability. With a voice only Jiang Chen could hear, Ayesha spoke.
Increase regeneration ability Wait, interrogation? Jiang Chen looked shockingly at Ayesha.
Ayesha nodded gravely.
Thats right; the truth-telling liquid is ineffective against him.
...
Jiang Chens pupils contracted.
[The truth-telling liquid is ineffective? Thats impossible. Based on what Sun Jiao said, other than people injected with Gic Vine, a serum that increased immunity or with the rare Nano blood could resist against the hallucinating agent, and these absolutely would not exist in the modern world!
Could he be a traveler like me?!]
The idea abruptly popped up in Jiang Chens head, and he quickly negated it himself. If it were really a traveler, the weapon he used would not be explosives with no technical expertise, at least it would be a Nuclear Grenade.
Increase the amount of truth-telling liquid used If he is absolutely immune to that, use physical methods to interrogate him. We have to get the information from his mouth regardless of the method. But dont kill him, I still have uses for him.
Jiang Chen closed his eyes and ordered.
Ayesha nodded and remembered his words in her heart.
Based on the agenda, this afternoon would be one of the primary purposes of this trip C the Han Economic and Trade Cooperation Business Forum. The Inte giants of Han will be gathered with BAT at the scene, Inte and VR industry cooperation will be the emphasis of the business talks between the enterprises of the two countries.
Although on paper it was the business talks between the enterprises of the two countries, everyone knew it was the discussion between Future Technology and the BAT giants. The onlyrge techpany in Xin was Future Technology, and the only techpanies with the ability to capture the VR market were the three massive yers. Although there were quite a few techpanies such as SoMao or 361, they were still far away from dictating the market like the three giants.
The Business Forum took ce in Shangjin Restaurant.
When Jiang Chen arrived at the ce with Liu Haotian, it was exactly 2:30 and ten minutes away from the start of the forum. But with how full the parking lot was, most of the representatives attending the forum have already shown up.
Indeed, when Jiang Chen stepped into the conference room at the end of the hall, all the eyes turned toward him. Other than the president of the three BAT giants, the people sitting here were all leaders of the tech industry as well as renowned reporters who stood beside the wall.
Even then, he still only recognized two of them.
And the embarrassing thing was, he knew them because of the stickers (1)
Jiang Chen quietly sat down at the only open seat and couldnt look to the Ma bosses (2) smiling at him.
Ahem, Seeing everyone arrived, the man who sat at the end of the table stood up. He used an authoritative but gentle gaze to scan around the room, Although there is still 10 minutes before the start of the conference, everyone here is passionate about the cooperation between the two countries. Since everyone is here, lets start then!
A round of apuse rang in the conference room. Jiang Chens eyes stopped at the man standing as he pped with the crowd. From his impression, the person speaking must be the Minister of Economics and Trade Cooperation.
Confirming Jiang Chens spection, the man with a smile raised his hand.
Let me introduce myself. Im Pan Feng, the Minister of Economics and Trade Cooperation. The tech industry is a booming industry and an area the country ces a great deal of emphasis on! Everyone here is leaders of the tech field. As a person who ran a steel nt before. Who know nothing of the industry, I wont interrupt and leave the time to all of you. Talk, discuss,municate, if you can reach an agreement, it would be beneficial for the citizens of both countries! Now, lets introduce the President of Baidu, Li Yanhong to deliver a speech.
With apuse, the man with gelled hair stood up.
Thank you, Minister Pan, for your introduction, I will say a few words then
Li Yanhong was indeed worthy as thepanys President, he had an in-depth understanding of the Intes prospects and an understanding of key points. Although it was a casual speech, it offered many of unique insights which even made Jiang Chen as someone who didnt know too much about it agree.
At the same time, Jiang Chen also noted that many of the Presidents took out a small notebook and carefully wrote down notes.
After all, it was the President of Baidu that spoke. Baidu is the benchmark in the tech industry and any of their moves would cause a small earthquake in the field.
About ten minutes, during a round of apuse, Li Yanhong ended his speech and nodded to the apuding crowd with a smile.
Just as Jiang Chen thought the two Ma Bosses would talk together, Li Yanhong looked to his direction and continued.
The point of view of the future of the Inte is just my own opinion. In this regard, I believe that the Wall Street praised Future Group President, Mr. Jiang Chen, must have a more iconic view on the future of the Inte, I hope Mr. Jiang Chen wont be stingy and deliver his opinion.
Chapter 555 - Who is the Monopoly?
Chapter 555: Who is the Monopoly?
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Inside the conference room, all eyes once again zoomed onto Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen sensed the discontent in Li Yanhongs eyes and immediately understood his intention.
Not only industry leaders and officials were inside the conference room, but the reporters with cameras were also all waiting for him to speak. If he backed down now, it would make Future Technology look inferiorpared to Baidu.
As the President of Future Group, Jiang Chen would not allow such an event to ur. Although he didnt prepare a script about the Future of the Inte, after a short deliberation, he still stood up with a smile.
Because he didnt know the most appropriate introduction, Jiang Chen cleared his throat first and organized his thoughts in his head.
When they heard the two light coughs, the bosses of the techpanies he couldnt distinguish and even the two Ma bosses took out their notebooks.
Jiang Chen saw this scene as he facepalmed in his mind.
[Is this necessary? I just coughed.]
Then, since Mr. Li invited me to talk, I will say a few things.
I will talk only about one point about the future of the Inte, with a pause, Jiang Chen raised one finger, innovation.
The sound of notes shuffling filled the conference room which made Jiang Chen proud but embarrassed at the same time. What made him proud was that the once unreachable tech giants were all listening to his opinion like students. What made him embarrassed was that the point he was going to deliver was made up on the spot.
From P2P to O2O, Inte has prated every field of our lives. On the surface, it is the shift of societal norms, but ultimately, its birth originates from innovation. And whats the motive behind innovation?
Jiang Chen scanned the tech giants around the table with a curvature appearing on his mouth when he saw how they were all concentrating on him. He then raised a second finger.
It is technology.
The birth of any new technology meant the birth of a new market. Such as the technology of Future 1.0 where the increased hardware efficiency enabled the creation of apps with high hardware demand. For example, the virtual reality technology that will open the door to the virtual world. Im not here to brag about Future Technologys technical advancement but simply illustrating a fact. It is undeniable that there are other factors important for apany. But what I want to say is what determined Future Technology and to an extend Future Groups current market position is neither marketing means nor business rtionships, it is technology...
Jiang Chen just wanted to say a few words, but since he started to talk, fifteen minutes passed in a blink of an eye. Jiang Chen didnt exin any difficult concepts but only focused on how Future Technology grew from apany with an initial capital of half a million to a money printing machine valued over hundreds of billions by Wall Street in such a short period of time.
Perhaps Jiang Chens words inspired the audience, or perhaps humans naturallycked immunity to sess stories.
The audience was drawn to and intoxicated by the speech.
When his speech ended, the room was blown away by thunderous apuse!
Jiang Chen sat down and smiled at Li Yanhong. However, what surprised Jiang Chen was he didnt see any disappoint on his face, but rather a grin that resembled his sess?
The apuses gradually stopped, and Li Yanhong stood up again and looked at Jiang Chen with a smile.
Remarkable speech. I personally agree with your perspective, Boss Li paused, and then looked at the media around the conference room and continued to disy his standard smile, Technology is the stairs to human advancement, and because of technology, our future can be better. As the President of an Intepany, I think the spirit of the Inte is sharing. Then Mr. Jiang Chen, are you willing to make open the virtual reality technology to Han enterprises with the belief of sharing and improving together, so your home country can be a major tech power in the world?
The atmosphere in the conference room instantly quieted down.
Minister Pan Feng looked at Li Yanhong, surprised, but the tech leaders and reporters all looked at Jiang Chen, hopeful. Ma Huateng nonchntly peered at Jiang Chen and Li Yanhong without saying a word. He didnt know the motive behind Baidus move.
At the focus of thousands of eyes, Jiang Chen slowly said.
With all respect due, Mr. Lee calls using the generosity of other people as sharing?
Li Yanhong clearly took a moment to process as he didnt expect Jiang Chen would say this, but he soon reacted, Of course not, you must have misinterpreted what I meant. Im talking about you registering your patent. Exchanging protection with making the technology avable, and charging a patent fee topanies that use the technology. Therefore, it not only ensures the interest of yourpany, but it also benefits Han techpanies by allowing them to enter the virtual reality market fairly. Whats stopping you?
The two speeches pped two usations on Jiang Chen. One was generosity, one was patriotism. If refused, that meant he would have to ept the two usations. The two werepletely unrted but connected together by nonexistent logic. It was simr to themon phrases on the web If youre so rich, why dont you go donate?, If you dont agree, youre not Han. The two sentences were extremely simr.
If you have the technology that leads the world, why dont you share with us?
I refuse.
Li Yanhong was stunned, so were the presidents at the conference and the reporters on the side. Although they didnt believe Jiang Chen would give up his technology with just a few words, they didnt expect Jiang Chen to outright reject without using any words to subtly express the idea.
This is a monopoly; unjust usage of market dominance to hinder technical advancement. Are you sure you want to do that? Li Yanhong said.
Jiang Chen suddenly burst outughing.
Monopoly? Unjust usage of market dominance? Are you really the right person to say this? Mr. Li.
Why cant I say this? A hint of infuriation shed across Li Yanhongs eyes but his expression was still normal, Do you not allow people to speak if you did something wrong
The buying and selling for forums, manipting search rankings, publishing fake medial ads, viting publishing rights, censoring searches because a site owner criticized you on Weibo Is this what you refer to as maintaining market order? Haha, I wont say anything else. Please tell me, Mr. Li. The same thing, do you dare to do it in your own country? Mr. Li with a green card, do you dare to answer my question?
Jiang Chen stared straight into Li Yanhongs eyes as he stated word by word.
The scandals were suddenly brought onto the table, Li Yanhong who had control of the situation suddenly looked mortified.
Please watch your usage of words. If there is an inuracy in reporting, you will have to take responsibility!
Then please provide facts to rebuttal me.
There is no need for a rebuttal! All the activities of ourpany are legal. We are currently not in any majorwsuits! Li Yanhong skipped through the green card point. He had been carefully hiding this, although it was not a secret in the industry, it was still bad if it caught the publics attention.
Jiang Chen suddenly startedughing again, but hisughter this time was more cheerful.
What are youughing at! Li Yanhongs face turned red as he said in embarrassment.
This has to do with another joke, but it would be inappropriate to say, so I wont speak more. Jiang Chen nodded at Pan Feng, thetter looked away, and then he gazed at Li Yanhong again, All Future Technologys technologies are independently researched and developed. Our technologies are considered corporate secrets and are within the boundary ofw. The monopoly youre referring to, I want to ask, whats your definition of a monopoly, is Baidu considered a monopoly?
The definition of a monopoly? Mr. Jiang with such a bigpany should learn somew. The definition of a monopoly is dependent on the size of the market. And us, we are definitely not a monopoly. There is more than onepany doing search engine. I can do it, and you definitely can do it. I didnt use my market position to prevent anyone from doing so. We just use our strong user stickiness and use users trust to obtain our current day market position. Mr. Li argued.
Then did I use Future Technologys market position to prevent you from designing, researching, and selling virtual reality products? Jiang Chen asked with curiosity as his fingers crossed over his knee. I know you have been acquiring controlling stakes in VRpanies domestically, preparing to create both hardware and content, and then pushing out entertainment straight out of your brand with your own VR products. I know all of that, but because of your inferior technology, youre are using us of creating a monopoly and disrupting the market. You depend on users stickiness, and we depend on technology and user experience, can you say youre more righteous?
You! Li Hongyans face waspletely bloated as he couldnt think of a rebuttal due to hisck of words.
Monopoly is a concept that all major internationalpanies are associated with. Somepanies achieve monopoly through advanced technology, somepanies achieve monopoly through the operating philosophy that customer is God, some use their unique and irreceable nature. Though regardless, they achieved a monopoly through marketpetition. Lets not talk about me. Lets talk about you. Mr. Li, do you dare to say that you achieved a monopoly through marketpetition with your conscience? Is Baidus monopoly really positive to the market?
Li Hongyans face turned as red as a pig livers due to Jiang Chens words making him speechless without defense. Boss Ma wanted to help him out, but when he scanned the reporters on the side, he swallowed the words that came up to his throat.
Pan Feng who sat at the head of the table could no longer watch this as he awkwardly coughed.
Please sit down, were here to seek cooperation and not search for divergence. Baidu wanting Future Technology to provide virtual reality technology is not wrong from their perspective. Future Technology refusing Baidus proposition is not wrong either. I hope the rest of the discussion can take ce in a friendly atmosphere. Media, please dont dwell on this topic. Pan Feng scanned the reporters in the conference room with a stern look.
The previously lively atmosphere became awkward after being disrupted by their standoff.
Ma Huateng stood up, coughed, and prepared to y the role of the middleman, Then, the forum will continue
I just want to say one thing about virtual reality cooperation. Jiang Chen stood up, interrupted Boss Ma, and looked expressionlessly at the livid Li Yanhong.I wee partners. For unreasonable people, please excuse yourself.
Then, Jiang Chen turned around and left the room with no regard to the shocked tech giants and reporters.
Chapter 556 - A Strong Stance
Chapter 556: A Strong Stance
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
An early exit?
Everyone was shocked; they still hadnt recovered from Jiang Chens speech and his authoritative exit.
It wasnt an internal meeting of a corporation but a business forum that was connected to the economic cooperation of two countries! The Hua-Xin forum wasnt onlyprised of individuals from the tech field, but everyone knew the tech field was the focus of this business forum.
While Li Yanhongs aggressivement seemed to be at fault first, was Jiang Chens reaction too excessive? This immature action in this kind of setting didnt suit his position as the President of a multi-nationalpany. His temper belonged to a reckless man, not a shrewd businessman seeking a partnership opportunity
Was Jiang Chen being immature?
Yesterday, he and Liu Xiangguo discussed this question during their conversation.
During tomorrows business forum, keep an eye on Li Yanhong.
Li Yanhong? If I remember correctly, hes the boss of Baidu. Is there a problem with him?
No problem. Baidu is always a politically correctpany with firm support. Liu Xiangguo sipped on his tea and narrowed his eyes sluggishly. But because of this, he wont be friendly to you.
Could you borate on this?
With your deviousness, you know exactly what I mean. Liu Xiangguo put down his teacup.
Deviousness? If possible, I hope you can use a different descriptive word, Jiang Chen said wryly.
Young man, there arent a lot of people who could be called devious by me. The elder paused, and opened his wrinkled eyelids slightly. To put it simply, the people at the top have divergent opinions about you.
Please exin, Jiang Chen humbly said.
Perhaps it was because they already formed an alliance, but Liu Xiangguo didnt keep anything hidden from him. Some people think Future Groups technology should be owned by the country since artificial intelligence, virtual reality, nutrient supply, and deep water mining are all beneficial to both the country and its people.
Jiang Chen didnt feel too shocked when he heard Liu Xiangguos words. Although Hua didnt express any official opinion on this matter, he doubted they knew nothing about Future Group.
If youre interested in nutrient supply, we can work together but deep water mining is a bit difficult. We already signed a technology non-proliferation agreement with BHP. It would be risky for us to engage in direct conflict with an international mining giant.
Deepwater mining would probably be the most attractive to Hua and its appeal should be even greaterpared to virtual reality technology since this technology could strengthen sovereignty over the ocean while virtual realitys military applications were far less appealingpared tomercial usage.
But Liu Xiangguo didnt seem to be too hooked on this point. He red at Jiang Chen before continuing.
Another group of people thinks this is like killing the chicken for the egg and being over-possessive. If Linhua Group didnt use uwful methods or use the power of SASAC to cut Future Technologys options, perhaps you wouldnt be forced away.
I dont disagree. Jiang Chen nodded.
Just as he said, if it wasnt for the Wang familys hideous intentions, he wouldnt have left. But on the other hand, Future Group started its expansion after it stepped out of restrictive boundaries to grow to its size today.
The Wanghai Wang family you are familiar with belongs in the first group, and the supporter behind Li Yanhong also happens to be in that group. During the business forum, he will use the opportunity to make trouble for you.
What will he do? Jiang Chen asked.
He wont do anything out of the line C hell ask you questions that put you on the spot and test your bottom line at most. What you need to be is authoritative, Liu Xiangguo said without much emotion in his voice.
Authoritative? I understand.
While the Liu family was the leader of families, the politics of the republic wasnt controlled by the red nobles. Although the Liu family was willing to act as the protective umbre of Future Group, Liu Xiangguo couldnt neglect the opinions of his colleagues whose positions were no lower than his.
He needed an opportunity, and this opportunity had to be provided by Jiang Chen by acting with force during the business forum.
The premise was that the people who viewed Future Group as an outsider werent repulsed by Future Groups technology. Future Technology was different from Google. Baidu copied Googles technology, so the departure of the disobedient Google had no influence on Hua, but Future Technology was different C its technology was irreceable.
Because of this, as long as it was within an appropriate range, the more authoritative Jiang Chen acted, the easier it would be for the Liu family to negotiate with their colleagues.
Even without considering virtual reality technology, with the tension in the area continuing to escte, Hua wouldnt want to push too hard on a dictator worth cooperating with. Just on this point alone, the people at the top reached a consensus.
Seeing Jiang Chen reached this understanding, Liu Xiangguo nodded with satisfaction and joking said:
I have a stronger confidence in you now. Why dont I introduce my niece to you?
Umm Ill pass. I already have too much to handle. Jiang Chen touched his nose with a troubled smile.
Seeing Jiang Chens rejection, although Liu Xiangguo didnt look too pleased, he didnt say anymore and just mocked him with a cold face.
Young man, you should take care of your body so you dont regret it when youre older.
Jiang Chen only shrugged at the elders mocking words.
Ill be careful.
As if Liu Haotian had guessed Jiang Chen would leave early, he was already waiting by the stairs when Jiang Chen stepped out.
Done already?
Conversation didnt take off. Lets go. Before we go back to the hotel, I need you to take me somewhere. Jiang Chen left him hanging and walked directly to the parking lot.
Clubs? I know a couple of fun ces, but it isnt dark yet. Is that okay?
Get out! Jiang Chen jokingly cursed.
Jiang Chen didnt expect any specific agreements to be made during the business forum. He already delivered the message he needed to get across, so leaving early made no difference. The trouble was, his actions might be criticized. But the reason he did it could be attributed to the ill-intentions of Baidu.
Just for the sake of billions of USD per year, the Liu family would wipe his butt clean for him, so there was no need for him to worry about this.
I guess when you left, Li Yanhongs expression mustve been hrious. Liu Haotian joked with Jiang Chen after he sat in the car.
Pan Fengs expression was even more hrious, but is it bad if I left a bad impression on him?
Dont worry. Although hes at a ministry level, he doesnt have any real control. In terms of political stance, he belongs in the middle that doesnt cause any trouble. You should be more worried about Baidu C perhaps hell take you down from his search engine, Liu Haotian joked.
Only if hes willing to see all phones installed with Future 1.0, unable to use Baidu to search. Jiang Chen sank in his seat, unafraid.
The car didnt drive for even two kilometers before Jiang Chen received a phone call from Ali that expressed their intentions to cooperate in a virtual reality online retailer.
Just as he expected, even if the business forum didnt end on a good note, Future Technologys apeal was enough for him to not worry about theck of interest. Not only Ali, but Penguin and the proud Baidu from the business forum subsequently called him.
For his potential partners orpetitors, Jiang Chen didnt immediately promise anything. Instead, he suggested that only once Future Technologys newly appointed CEO came into office would he discuss cooperation.
Jiang Chens words stunned the representatives who called.
Theres going to be a new CEO for Future Technology?
This was an incredible piece of news.
Just when everyone was specting who the new CEO would be, inside a coffee shop, Jiang Chen met with the next CEO of Future Technology rmended by Xia Shiyu.
He had already met this person a couple times.
Chapter 557 - New CEO
Chapter 557: New CEO
Trantor: ?_Min_?Editor: ?Caron_
In an old and low residential building in the rural area of Wanghai City, a Caucasian male in a grey jacket leaned against the radiator. His eyes were closed with a pleasant expression.
I like this country. Whether its the wealthy or poor, they can all enjoy warmth equally in the chilly winter.
Giles, are you telling me youve been zoning out? The man sitting by the window looked to this side with a gloomy expression.
The man referred to as Giles smiled. What else? My dear Ladisiv, you should learn to enjoy your current life.
Ladisivs face was still gloomy. He continued to stare at the grinning Giles for a long time before looking away.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
They looked at each other and exchanged eye contact then Ladisiv put his hand on his waist while moving toward the door.
After confirming the identity of the person at the door, Ladisiv was relieved and opened the heavy door.
A man wearing a hat entered the room along with a gust of wind. He closed the door behind him and shook the snow off his body before dragging his feet into the living room.
Whats the situation? Ladisiv asked in an undertone.
Mission failed, the man replied with broken English. He took off his jacket and threw it on the sofa.
Thats unfortunate Wheres our Mr. Warrior? Giles asked.
Hirata was captured and mostly transported out of the country by Future Group.
Professor wont be happy. Ladisivs face grew even more gloomy because that meant he just kissed his bonus goodbye.
In contrast to the fanatic alien hobbyist, he didnt care about the hidden conflict between thepany and Willie Society led by the Rothschild family, nor did he care about Burakkuboto or the Golden Apple. As a mercenary, he only cared about money.
The professor wont be happy or he could feel otherwise.
Oh? Giles looked at the man in surprise.
Because I saw something interesting. The manughed lightly, took off the hat on his head, and put it on the hanger by the wall. Perhaps our enemy isnt only a pawn of Willie Society.
If Xia Shiyu was here, she would be shocked.
Because the face under the hat belonged to the suicide attacker who shouldve been blown to pieces.
He shouldve been dead.
Because of what happenedst night, the higher-ups increased the security level of Jiang Chen by two. Although his driver was still Liu Haotian, Jiang Chen could clearly sense that there wasnt only one car following his Hongqi L9.
The number of police vehicles on the street increased exponentially. The higher-ups were fuming at the explosion that urred at the hotel and held countless people in charge responsible for this incident.
Inside a coffee shop, Jiang Chen met the newly appointed CEO.
It was Ning Huajian, the previous project manager for Future 1.0 and one of the founding employees of Future Technology. He had a technical background and a meticulous personality. He valued directions from his superior more than his own thoughts. Because he previously worked on the core project Future 1.0, his familiarity with Future Technology was only second to Xia Shiyu. With him appointed as the new CEO, he could take over the operations of thepany while lessening the impact of changing the CEO.
Jiang Chen saw some luggage beside his feet. He mustve just arrived in Shangjin without time to head to his hotel.
I believe you have seen the email regarding the job change. Youll be the CEO of Future Technology and the General Manager of the Hua area, responsible for the most important subsidiary of Future Group. Youll have to take the burden now, and I hope you wont disappoint my expectations, Jiang Chen said seriously to Ning Huajian, who carried a hint of weariness from travel.
Please be assured, President, I wont disappoint you. Ning Jianhua raised his chest. Because of excitement, his voice started to tremble.
His efforts towards Future Technology could be described as hard-working and outstanding, but he never thought he would be CEO of thepany since CEO Xiaspetency and ethics were impable, she was one of the founders of thepany, and had an inexplicable rtionship with the President.
But now, the sudden change made everything a reality. With Xia Shiyu appointed as CEO of the Group, her vacant position was going to be taken over by project manager Ning Jianhua.
After he received the email in the morning, he boarded a ne at noon to Shangjin without hesitation and walked out of the airport by the afternoon.
Jiang Chen nodded at Ning Jianhua, who was full of passion, and ced a contract in front of him.
This is your new contract. Although I couldve delivered it through the mail, I hoped to personally give this to you. Sorry for making you run.
No problem at all! This is what I should do.
The specific benefits are written in the contract C take a look at it before you sign. Aside from that, 1% of Future Technologys profits will be your bonus at the end of the year Do you not need to look it over before you make a decision? Jiang Chen asked as he saw Ning Jianhua was already signing his name on the contract.
1% of the profit of Future Technology! Considering Future Technologys current profitability, the number would at least exceed 100 million USD!
No need! I trust the President. Ning Huajian calmed his hastened breaths, smiled, and put the pen aside.
If he was signing with anyone else, Ning Huajian would definitely be cautious. But he was signing with Jiang Chen, the highest ranked Han man on Forbes wealth list, the President of a hundred billionpany, his own boss! He didnt think of any reason why Jiang Chen would trick him into a false contract.
Since Jiang Chen was giving him such an important position, that already demonstrated his trust in him. What Ning Huajian did was to return his trust with his actions.
Jiang Chenughed and took the copy that belonged to him.
Okay, stop trying to tter me. From today on, youll be the new CEO of Future Technology. I wont say much more, but for the role of Future 1.0s project manager, get someone with the ability to rece you. This is one of Future Technologys key projects.
Be assured that Ill get on it once I return!
Jiang Chen then instructed Ning Huajian on a few more things before patting him on the shoulder to give him encouragement. He then took his leave.
Outside the coffee shop, Liu Haotian nced at Ning Huajian who just passed him then took out his car keys. Not long after, Jiang Chen walked out of the coffee shop and walked toward him.
Is that the new CEO of Future Technology?
Thats right. Hell be responsible for contacting you. Of course, this news hasnt been released to the public yet. Before the end of the delegation, I hope you can keep it confidential.
Is he trustworthy? Liu Haotian started the car and grinned.
Since this was rted to the grey exchange between the Liu family and Future Group, if the information was leaked, even if Liu familys power could cover up the news, it would be a problematic scandal regardless.
If he wasnt trustworthy, would I give him control over such a bigpany? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows and asked back.
Liu Haotian seemed to ept Jiang Chens exnation and didnt say anything else.
He started the car and headed to the hotel.
Chapter 558 - Jiang Charity Fund
Chapter 558: Jiang Charity Fund Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_ Chapter 559: Return to Wanghai Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_ Chapter 560: The Reunion Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_ Chapter 563: Perhaps it is a mutated human? Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi Chapter 564: A Promise Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi Chapter 565: Kurofune Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi Chapter 566: Bring your trump card into the grave Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_ Min ?Editor: Rundi
At 10:15 am, an F35 took off from a carrier and headed to MLL Ind for a routine bombing mission.
This is Vulture-1. Vulture-1 has entered the theater, over.
This is themand center, Vulture-1, the targets position is (131, 374), approved to fire, over.
Vulture-1 received, opening safety, over.
The pilot ended themunication, turned off themunication channel, reset the route on the radar, and suddenly diverted its route to City K. Until the F35 escaped the tracking of the friendly radar, the aircraft carrier finally realized something was off.
The station tried to contact the F35 several times that deviated from its route, but it did not receive a response.
After losing contact for three minutes.
Guided by a signal re, the F35unched an air raid on a ground target in the eastern part of City K.
Upon receiving a call from Xin Embassy, Ayeshas dropped her phone.
Whats wrong? Xia Shiyu, who was watching TV, looked at the girl.
Originally, Xia Shiyu thought that it was difficult for her to get along with Ayesha. She was hesitant about Jiang Chens decision. However, after a few days of spending time together, Xia Shiyu realized surprisingly that even after she stated her own attitude, their rtionship did not be strained.
Perhaps because the two people were more simr, when they didnt need to talk, they seldom spoke.
Picking up the phone from the ground, Ayesha hesitated but did not tell the truth to Xia Shiyu.
Its nothing.
Desperately telling herself not to be impulsive, Ayesha took a deep breath, suppressed the worry in her mind, and called a set of numbers that belonged to Jiang Chen.
It was busy
The little hand holding the phone trembled. Although she believed that Jiang Chen would be okay. She still couldnt contain her fear and worry.
She was always brave, always had been like that.
Because there was always a person that treated her with gentleness.
At the same time, it was her only weakness.
At this moment, a hand came out from behind and gently held her hand.
Ayesha felt the warmth, nked out.
What happened, can you tell me?
But
Its about Jiang Chen right?
Biting her lower lip, Ayesha nodded.
Tell me.
But you cant help.
Your statement is infuriating.
Ehh? Ayesha looked at Xia Shiyu and then exined in a panic. No, its not what you think, I mean
If you dont say anything, how do you know that I cant help? Dont forget, I am the CEO of Future Group. If you can help him, I can also do the same!
With Xia Shiyus strong stance, Ayesha stared at her.
She lowered her head, her fingers no longer trembled, and a hint of relief and peace of mind resurfaced.
Mhmm.
When the news of the ne Jiang Chen boarded had crashed reached Liu Haotiao through Wanghai Airport, the news then spread to Xin, it caused an earthquake among the senior officials of the country.
Zhang Yaping, who was visiting the Capital, used diplomatic authority to dial the phone number of the Country F presidential pce. At the same time, Ivan urgently mobilized all the soldiers on New Moon Ind and ordered the Guardian-ss frigates stationed at Coconut Ind to the border of Country F.
Why is MU771 shot down by missiles near the airspace of Country F? Mr. Aquino, I need your exnation.
Please pay attention to your rhetoric, Mr. Zhang Yaping, I am not your subordinate, I do not need to exin anything to you, Although at a disadvantageous situation, Aquino was still displeased with the demanding tone used by the president of a small country. He put out a tough stance. Our people have already started the rescue ording to the procedure. But you know that the ne crashed in City K, and it is very difficult to conduct the rescue mission in the war zone! Our people are already working diligently. Also, I dont know where you heard the rumors, what evidence do you have to prove that the ne was shot down by a missile!
When the ne was struck, the captain of MU771 reported the situation to the Wanghai Airport. The Wanghai Airport has already handed over the recording to our embassy.
Oh, God, its just a recording! Lets not argue about whether Wanghai Airports action follows the appropriate procedure, you can identify the aircraft is hit by a missile with a single recording? Who can guarantee that it was not a seagull? We also have evidence here! At the time of the incident, no warship equipped with air defense equipment was near the water of the incident! Before the ck box is found, any of your rhetoric will be regarded as a provocation against Country F!
Zhang Yaping gritted his teeth and tried to remain calm.
I dont want to discuss with you who is responsible now. Half an hour has passed, where is your rescue team? This ident happened in your city! At least there should be some firefighters! If you really dont want to do anything, then let our people go!
No way! Aquino rejected the offer without hesitation.
Let the troops of the neighboring country enter their own country? The rtionship between Country F and Xin was not that close! Whats more, the virus crisis in City K made Aquino feel an instinctive panic. Tourism was the economic pir of Country F. If the epidemic and panic spread, it would undoubtedly make the already deteriorating economy suffer a severe downturn.
Not only must they prevent foreign rescue teams from entering, but the army must put the entire city under quarantine! No one would be allowed to enter or leave at will. Before the development of a vine, the roads and ports leading to City K must bepletely shut down!
What are you hiding? Zhang Yaping said with a hazy expression.
We arent hiding anything! I have disclosed all the information that can be disclosed. What do you want?! Oh, I have to remind you that you should have seen from the photos taken by the satellite. The ne already turned into pieces, you think there are people still alive?
We have confirmed through the Sky Eye X1 Observation Satellite that Jiang Chen is still alive.
Yes? Then you must be wrong. After all, you said that the satellite is a meteorological observation satellite. Aquino tried to deflect the me.
You are ying with fire. Zhang Yaping warned.
Oh! Aquino sneered at the threat.
The phone was hung up rudely.
Zhang Yaping took a deep breath and then called Ivan.
Negotiation failed.
As if there was no such surprise, Ivan said, No problem, we are ready now.
You have to move fast. Zhang Yaping knew that it is useless to persuade him to keep calm, so he said with a bitter smile.
We have always been fast, and we will never return empty-handed, Ivan said.
Dont fight, if possible. Zhang Yaping made his final request.
Ill try my best.
Soldiers wearing kic skeletons boarded four ck Hawk helicopters, flew to the apron on the frigate, and crossed the Country F border with the destination of MLL Ind.
Although there was no deration of war and the mission briefing only stated rescue, everyone was prepared for war. Especially the boys who hopped on the helicopter, eager to use the rifle in their hands.
At the same time, New Moon Inds airport was illuminated, bright as day.
Pilot: Weapon system, normal. Hydraulic bnce system, normal. Fuel tank, normal. Tail, normal
Inspectionplete. Shooter-1 requests to enter the runway.
Command Tower: Approved.
Pilot: Shooter-1 has entered the runway.
The ground crew raised the g: The runway inspection isplete!
Command Tower: Approved for takeoff. Good luck, Shooter-1. For our next months sry, bring our boss home.
Pilot: Roger By the way, this is easy.
At the end of themunication, the pilot reached out and opened the throttle switch, and activated the artificial intelligence navigation system.
The vortex engine burst out a blue arc, and the fighter already soared through the runway and brought the palm leaves with it from dozens of meters away.
Aurora-20, strike!
Chapter 574
Chapter 574: This night was bound to be unrestful Trantor: Min ?Editor: Rundi
Kurofune.
Its nature was an underground organization, and its members were from all over the world. Although it was funded by the Nippon government and Nipponpanies, they never fully understood the organization. The cooperation between the two sides was more of a paid research rtionship, rather than a dependent rtionship.
Kurofunes philosophy was not based on any superficial folklore or personal values, but on a near-crazy belief, or a stubborn ideology.
They believe that Natural Selection with the same origin as humans would bring eternal harmony to the human civilization, save humanity from its own suffering, and bring human civilization to the unreachable starry night no longer chained by gravity.
This kind of neo-religious group without any affliction to any organization and any secr interest was almost impossible to be discovered by intelligence organizations around the world.
The F35 pilot of Vulture-1 was one of the members of Kurofune. The original n was to find a way to attack Jiang Chens power armor, but there was a small change in the n. Jiang Chen did not use the Power Armor but used the more flexible kic skeleton.
It was precisely because of this that the F35 changed the strategy of bombing and used the 25mm machine guns to shoot. But what Gordon did not expect was that the bullets that could blow tanks into pieces were dodged by Jiang Chen by instinct.
The target is not hit. A report from the ground unit transmitted into his ear.
Roger. I will fire again.
Gordon nced at the thermal imaging disy and found the heat source hanging from the side of the building. He sneers and raises the height to prepare for another dive.
However, at this moment, the infrared lock rm began to beep.
Gordon cursed under his breath and immediately released a re, then began to maneuver.
A close-range air-to-air missile flew right past the fusge and made all of his hairs jump up.
Gordon, who dodged a blow, immediately boosted the engine power to the max, trying to get rid of the lock by the other fighter.
Among all the fourth-generation fighters, the F35 was arguably one of the most expensive fighters in the world. Because of the improvement in ground attack, it gave up some air superiority. So while it possessed a strongbat power, its mobility was not the most outstanding among fighters.
But despite this shoring, the fourth-generation fighters still disyed its prowess that no third-generation fighters couldpare.
Gordon didnt think that the sneak attack was from a fourth-generation fighter. He escaped the friendly radar, and before the UA military could respond, he would have alreadypleted the ground attack mission beforending in a secret military base. Only a few countries possessed fourth-generation fighters, and he didnt think Xin was one of them.
Even Russia with a good rtionship with Xin, wouldnt sell its fourth-generation ne to them.
With a sneer, Gordon, while resisting the blood boiling up in his body, was about to send an AIM-120 at the target chasing him.
But when he raised his speed to the maximum and looked behind him, his sneer froze.
The ne that he couldnt distinguish did not show any signs of being left behind.
How is this possible! Gordon gritted his teeth and nced at the speed dial, which was already approaching the red zone, then he pulled up instantly.
The nose of the F35 raised up, causing an emergency stop in the air that significantly decreased its speed. The blood flowing up almost made him faint, but Gordon had a smug look on his face.
Humans response time would be unable to respond in such a high-speed close air to airbat.
As long as the enemy ne flew in the front, the identity of the prey and the hunter would be reversed!
But at this instant, Gordon saw an incredulous scene through his bloodshot eyes.
Just as he pulled up, the Aurora-20 chasing in the rear unleashed its 27mm machine guns and shredded his fusge and wings.
Just like he expected, the Aurora-20 soared underneath him.
However, what he did not expect was that the other pilot could fire in an instant.
With his hands off the control, Gordon desperately reached out and opened the ejection seat. He floated in the cold night sky while watching his ne disintegrate in the air
At the same time, the Aurora-20 pilot ended the bullet time state and skillfully turned on thermal imaging to enter ground attack mode.
The air target has been cleared, Shooter-1 is waiting for attackmands.
Looking at the sparks in the air, and the silhouette that whizzed past, Jiang Chen was ecstatic.
It was Aurora-20!
He was worried about how to get rid of that fighter, but Ivan helped him solve this urgent issue.
Of course, he wont know that at this critical moment, it was Xia Shiyu that issued the attackmand to Ivan as the CEO of the Future Group. In a strict sense, it was a decision out of her power because Future Group and Celestial Trade operated as separate entities. But in this critical period, it was no longer a consideration.
Xia Shiyu was the most suitable person to make this decision.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Chen left the cover with a rifle and opened the radio life signal detection device mounted on the EP. Six red dots were marked on his EP, and they were elerating toward him.
Jiang Chen sneered and loaded the rifle.
[I am so tired of all of you!]
However, the Aurora-20 apparently did not give him the opportunity to fight. A low-altitude dive soundedbined with dense bullets instantly obliterated three red dots along with the zombies on that street. The dust even drifted two blocks away andnded on Jiang Chens nose.
Three people died instantly. They realized the mission has failed and began to disperse.
But would Celestial Trade let them escape?
Dont forget who trained Moro!
The roar of the engine came from the distance and smashed through the zombies that began to gather. The guerris wearing gas masks jumped down from the military trucks and began to track the three unidentified soldiers who fled. The intensive gunshots echoed in the street. Guerris, zombies, and unidentified soldiers began a chaotic battle.
At the same time, a military Hummer stopped in front of Jiang Chen, and the general with a nted military cap stepped out and saluted to Jiang Chen. He then spoke in English, though full of local characteristics.
Mr. Jiang Chen, we have received a request from your country toe and pick you up. Pleasee with us, and we will take you to the safe area.
Turning off the EP, Jiang Chen looked at the direction of the wreckage of the ne and put the rifle behind his back.
What about those three people?
Our people are tracking them and will definitely bring their heads! the general said immediately.
With the esction of the civil war, Moro was now relying more and more heavily on Celestial Trades supply. Their previous cautious attitude turned into respect today. While it was not certain if they would remain respectful after independence, at least for now, the guerris without a military factory must depend on Jiang Chen to survive.
It was precisely because of this that the generals attitude towards Jiang Chen is exactly as modest as how a subordinate treats a superior.
I dont want their heads, I want at least one to be alive. Suddenly, Jiang Chen pointed to the crashed passenger ne and went on, Also, I need the ck box.
Leave it to us!
After saying this, the general ordered the soldier next to him.
Then, Jiang Chen sat onto the Hummer and evacuated to the camp on the outskirts of City k.
Ladisov and Gilles fought as they retreated but couldnt escape because of the sheer number advantage of the guerris. Gilles and another team member died in recalcitrance, and Ladisov chose to surrender and was taken to outside the city.
Country F mobilized two more divisions and repelled the Moro guerris. At the same time, the three divisions controlling City K deployed checkpoints at all entrances to the city while dering a state of quarantine.
A crash; two nes.
Even for the world, this night was bound to be unrestful.
Chapter 575 - You will definitely be the scapegoat for this!
Chapter 575: You will definitely be the scapegoat for this!
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Although Country F blocked the news for the first time, it was obviously impossible to suppress such a big thing in the information age.
First of all, it was a Resident Evil incident.
The cruel virus turned the city into hell. People were killing each other, suspecting each other and being isted in the desperation of water and electricity. ording to Country Fs Ministry of Health, a total of 111,000 people died in the riot caused by the virus and the remaining poption was less than 70,000, isted by three infantry divisions stationed in City K.
Although the virus only broke out in this modest city, the aftermath was the impact on the world.
The stock market will always be the market benchmark. The global stock market opened, all medicine-rted stocks rose sharply. Some military-rted stocks also appeared to skyrocket because there were rumors rted to virus and terror attacks. Given the dangers of this virus, countries increased the terror crackdown efforts and added a budget on it.
On the other hand, antibiotics and other drugs in many countries and regions and convenience food had be out of stock.
Facing the emptiness of the shelves, Wal-Mart and other major supermarkets were really happy and sad. The joy was that the goods that were just put on shelves were stuffed into the shopping cart by the shoppers immediately. The worry was that salespeople had to face those who were angry as they couldnt buy the necessities. They had to call the suppliers to get shipments urgently.
Because of this incident, the Future Biological Group made a fortune unexpectedly. When people chose to buy food for storage, it seemed that they had a special taste of nutrition, especially the rtively inexpensive high-calorie nutrient supply, which was almost extinct from the shelves.
Promoting the major cooperative supermarket orders looked like floating snowkes. Amazon, Taobao and other virtual stores were also out of stock. The Future Man Biological earned a lot in the pain and joy of promoting orders.
Under the help of people with a conscience, this incident of Resident Evil was obviously over-hyped. Despite the Country F Health Department making several rifications that the virus barely survived in ultraviolet light and showed strong activity only at night. This rational voice from officials was soon subsided in the report which the media made regarding its destructive power.
Just looking at its destructive power and not looking at the pathogenesis and survival conditions, this virus was really frightening.
Because the term zombie was so popr that people had almost used it as synonymous for eschatology. Who was responsible for the panic buying? Perhaps Hollywood directors and those who wrote doomsday novels should take the me.
While this riot was spreading to the rest of the world, the Hua government had performed very well. They arrested the posters on forums that spread false information and made a statement on all television stations and online channels to control the situation with high efficiency. Meanwhile, Ministry of Media and Publication investigated and dealt with a number of non-realistic novels, and arrested those who wrote doomsday novels just for proselytizing the public.
And then there was the F35 crash.
Yesterday evening, an F35 fighter named Vulture-1 took off from an aircraft carrier and conducted an air strike mission on MLL Ind, however, after arriving in the theater, the fighter ne cut offmunication with the aircraft carrier and disappeared from the radar.
Subsequently, the aircraftunched an air strike on City K, killing at least 24 civilians.
After the attack, the F35 fighter disintegrated at high altitude over City K. The wreckage was already controlled by the government forces and has been handed over to the UA military on the aircraft carrier. At present, the UA military did not make further disclosures. A spokesman said the CIB has intervened to investigate the incident.
It was reported that the pilot flying the fighter was Carol Gordon. Hisradesmented he was a great person. Before carrying out the mission, he didnt show any abnormalities. ording to the testimony of the doctor in charge of his medical examination, Gordon was a person with good conduct and without a history of addictive drugs.
At present, the body of the pilot was found. Based on the wreckage of the aircraft, the pilot parachuted out before the ne crashed. Both Country Fs government forces and the Moro guerris denied knowing the pilots presence. The Moro guerris said they would agree if the UA force send limited personnel into Moro to search for the pilot if the UA agreed to stop the air strikes on MLL Ind.
The UA spokesperson did not responded to the Moro proposal, but the aircraft carrier had stopped its routine strikes.
Thest information was about the MU771 flight incident.
As the MU771 flight was considered the cause of the virus, Wanghai International Airport temporary closed for a day. After obtaining the virus samples from Country F, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Security conducted aprehensive joint inspection of Wanghai Airport. Nothing was found regarding any suspect carrying the virus at the airport, and eventually proved to be a false rm.
Country F said that the crash was aplete ident. Any rumor that the airliner was shot down by missiles was irresponsible and stupid. In the targeted sea of the ident, Country F did not conduct any military activity. All the spections were meaningless until the ck box was found!
Aquino was full of confidence to get rid of this me that he did not involve in. Before holding a press conference, he repeatedly talked to his Marshal General and generals so that he could confirm he had sufficient evidences at hand to prove that the nes crash was absolutely unrted to Country Fs troops. As for why the ck box was not avable, it was not because Country Fs government wanted to conceal something, but because the ck box was taken away by the guerris who rushed to the crash site.
What they said was correct!
But some people wanted to let them take responsibility anyway.
Faced with questions from the internationalmunity, Santos did not conceal anything and ced the ck box in front of the camera. He said the guerris immediately carried out research and rescued Jiang Chen, the only survivor. The ck box was handed over to the United Nations observers, and data was examined under the supervision of the internationalmunity.
The media also devoted a great deal of enthusiasm about this lucky survivor. However, Xia Shiyu stood out for Jiang Chen and stopped all the media interviews. She only gave a general statement exining that Jiang Chen had a serious injury but it was not life-threatening, and he did not get infected with the virus.
The entrance of the hospital filled with flowers people offered spontaneously. The flowers were the national flower of Coro, a specialty in Coro Ind. People sent their prayers and respect for him by using the purest way. That the thriving Coro Ind was because of Jiang Chen, supported by all by all of the inders.
The investigation of the ck box progressed swiftly. After the experts retrieved the data, they immediately released the findings to the internationalmunity The reason for the ne crash was a missile struck the left wing engine, which was consistent with the message revealed by the nesstmunication with the ground.
The internationalmunity was in an uproar.
Aquino immediately jumped out and denied the authenticity of the ck box data.
Yet no one believed his argument.
If a hacker wanted to rece the real recorded data with fake data, one change would need a series of data to be reced.
In addition, some of the aircrafts basic data were transmitted to the ground in real time through ACARS (Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System), and the United Nations had confirmed that ACARS transmission was normal. This means any difference in data would be quite obvious.
It is not difficult to tamper with the ck box data; however, it is almost impossible to leave no trace behind. And those international experts repeatedly checked the ck box and even checked to see if anyone tried to open the box by force.
This time Aquino had nothing to say at all.
Various kinds of evidence wereid before him, and he just could not find strong evidence to refute. The ck box data have proven the MU771 was not only shot down by missiles but also shot down by missilesunched from Country F.
Just as the Aquino administration was struggling to be ountable to the media and the families of the victims, spokesperson for Celestial Trade issued a statement.
It is a pity that it is me who stands here reading the resolution of thepany, not our beloved chairman. We cannot disclose more about his injuries, and I can only reveal that he had woken up only once in three days. Today I stand here just to read his directions on thepanys future.
He took a deep breath and clenched his fist and then rested it on the desk gently.
I think you should all know what it means to assassinate a key member of a state.
A shameless conspiracy.
No!
This means war!
Chapter 576 - The Reason for Justice
Chapter 576: The Reason for Justice
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
War?
War!
The sentence was loud and clear.
Almost all the reporters at the scene were wondering if they heard wrong. When they confirmed that they werent being delusional, the crowd erupted.
Xin No, Celestial Trade just dered war against Country F?
The spokesperson in front of the podium appeared extremely calm while facing the audience in disbelief. When he received the script, he was also shocked and in disbelief. But after he read through the entire script, there was only calmness left.
War will always only be responded by war!
As the headquarters of Celestial Trade was blocked by reporters, where did our injured protagonist go?
Currently, in an ocean-side mansion ten kilometers away from the hospital, Jiang Chen lowered his head, rxing on top of Ayeshas cool thighs. He was relishing in the sea wind while enjoying his ears being cleaned.
The strands of hair that asionally swept by his face and the person gazing at his face made him feel fuzzy both psychologically and physiologically.
Jiang Chen was so rxed due to one reason. Since he supposedly was in critical condition and receiving treatment, he couldnt directly appear in front of the media at least for a short period of time.
When Jiang Chen was taken to Port D by Moro gueris, he met with Ivan who personally came to pick him up. Judging by the fully equipped soldiers on the helicopter, they were clearly ready to fight in battle. If the Country F government dared to intercept, they would forcefullynd with the support of cannons and fighters!
From the perspective of Santos and other gueris, Jiang Chen noticed some envy of Celestial Trades advanced equipment.
Jiang Chen suddenly had an idea and a n began to form in his mind.
An extremely dangerous n.
He walked beside Santos and put his arm around his shoulder.
Do you want to end this civil war earlier?
Santos was filled with excitement that was indescribable by words. Although the guerris were growing stronger by the day, in the face of the F army with advantages in both firepower and numbers, the oue of the war was still unclear.
Seeing that Celestial Trade was willing to assist him further, there was no reason for Santos to reject Jiang Chen. Although he didnt show any expression, the muscr man with bullets wrapped around his body immediately held onto Jiang Chens hand. He expressed that the people of MLL Inds would forever remember his generosity and friendship
Of course, Jiang Chen didnt want a deration of friendship.
Celestial Trade would send navy, air, and evennd forces under the guise of mercenaries to participate in the civil war. The fees would still be limited time rights to mines and ores, but Jiang Chen generously offered to only charge at cost.
The only requirement for Moro was to take control of City K.
Even if Jiang Chen hadnt demanded this, they still wouldve done it. The City K was K Rivers outlet into the sea C a strategic location for K Ind.
The only disagreement came from the timing of taking over the city.
Since the city was in the midst of a terrifying infection, the guerris all resisted the idea of entering the city now.
On the other hand, in order to quarantine the city, three Country F divisions were sent there. From a strategic point of view, the best course of action wasnt to attack the heavily defended Kejia but rather to shift focus east and recover the northeast part of MLL Inds.
But Jiang Chen didnt care too much C he merely suggested a contrary opinion.
Mr. Santos, were here to help you end the civil war. Were not here to drag the war on. How do we quickly end this civil war? Its by focusing our fire and beating the opponent down with one punch, and then dragging their necks to the negotiation table.
But we dont have enough force to go against three divisions, Santos said, troubled.
We do. Jiang Chen paused. We have enough firepower.
Modern warfare was never won by sheer manpower. While the number of Celestial Trade soldiers was around two thousand, their impact on the war was unquestionable.
Finally, Santos acquiesced to Jiang Chens proposal. He agreed to send a division of forces to assist Celestial Trades forces in taking control of Kejia. But if the casualties were above 40%, they would retreat.
Jiang Chen confidently expressed there was no way that would ever happen.
As for the excuse of starting a war, he already thought of one.
The public already believed that Country F mistakenly thought themercial flight was Huas reconnaissance ne and thereforeunched and-to-air missile to take it down. Then Jiang Chen didnt mind adding oil to the fire and directing public opinion to even more dangerous territory C when Country F received information that Celestial Trades president, Jiang Chen, was on the flight, theyunched the missile as an act of revenge.
With Country Fs apathy toward the lives of the innocent and their attempt to make excuses for their criminal actions, Celestial Trade would respond with war!
In order to discover the truth behind the spreading virus and to find the vine as early as possible, Jiang Chen was determined to take control of virus-infected City K.
He wouldnt permit anyone from making this ce into a second apocalypse, whether it was because he wanted to maintain the value of his wealth or fight against the colonization ship en route. Although he felt apologetic, he needed Country F to be the scapegoat for the ne crash.
Therefore, Jiang Chen, who agreed with Santos and Ivan, acted out everything in front of the media.
Three days had passed since the crash.
Dont move. Im almost done.
Ayesha took a Q-tip and attentively cleaned out Jiang Chens remaining wax. He was about to fall asleep.
Ten minutes ago, the Country F Foreign Ministry warned that Celestial Trades dangerous words would be viewed as an act of aggression. They already sent their navy forces to the border is that really okay?
Xia Shiyu was sitting on the chaise longue. She pushed up her ck-rimmed sses and made her report while pretending not to see Ayesha.
Not a problem. Country Fs navy is a joke.
What about UA? Xia Shiyu was a beginner in international rtions, so when she told Jiang Chen, she had doubt in her voice.
UA wont do anything, Jiang Chen said affirmatively.
Perhaps they wanted to, but an hourter, they would change their opinion.
Just as she wanted to ask where his confidence came from, the ss door to the balcony of the mansion was opened.
Mr. Patient, do you need any refreshments? Liu Yao, in a nurse uniform, walked in and asked mockingly.
The gazes of three peoplended on her.
Coldness from Xia Shiyu, praise from Ayesha, and shock from Jiang Chen.
The nurse uniform was part of Ayeshas collection and the size was based on Ayeshas petite body shape. Since the uniform was worn by the busty Liu Yao, it clearly looked restrained.
Her firm curves were tightly outlined by the dress and the bustiness of her chest was about to jump out from the thinyer of fabric.
Jiang Chen discovered that the clearly-too-small uniform looked surprisingly nice on Liu Yao.
Perhaps Liu Yao noticed Xia Shiyus stare but she pretended not to notice,ughed, and pointed at her chest.
Seems to be a bit small.
OHH
Xia Shiyu nced at Liu Yaos chest and her lips turned into a firm line in frustration.
Not only Xia Shiyu was affected, but the innocent Ayesha also looked sad.
As to why Liu Yao was there, it was because of yesterday.
When the girl saw Jiang Chen in critical condition after the ne crash, she immediately flew to Xin in distraught. Since she looked too wretched crying in front of the hospital, Ayesha brought her to the mansion.
Seeing as Jiang Chen was perfectly fine, although Liu Yao was frustrated by the fact that she worried about him for nothing, the cunningness in her immediately realized the reasoning. She then suggested that she stay there and take care of the patient unable to appear in front of the media.
At the same time, they kept this a secret from the media.
While Jiang Chen didnt say anything, he was touched by how worried Liu Yao was.
But Xia Shiyu felt extremely displeased by the appearance of another petitor. Liu Yao, on the other hand, didnt seem to mind the faint jealousy from the strong, independent and unexpressive woman, but it made teasing her more fun.
With the soft wind blowing on Jiang Chens face, he watched the quiet ocean and picked up his tablet.
The weather is quite nice today.
Ayesha threw out the Q-tip andbed back a strand of hair.
Is it? But it looks like the weather is going to turn much worse.
Jiang Chen nonchntly said as he turned on the tablet.
The Sky Eye X1 36, thousand kilometers out, directed its lens to the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
On the vast blue ocean, there was a showdown between four and 101.
Chapter 577
Chapter 577: The Power of the Electromaic Pulse Cannon
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
On the vast blue ocean, 101 ships slowly anchored at the Xin-F border. Under themand of the gship, they arranged themelves in formation.
The main naval forces in Country F were mostly dmissioned Western ships such as the UA minesweeper, the British patrol boats, and some of the France and UA tanknding ships from World War II.
Take thergest and most powerful Rajah destroyer of the Country F Navy as an example. The predecessor of this legendary destroyer was the Cannon-ss destroyer built by UA during World War II. In 1955, UA handed it over to Nippons navy. Nippon renamed the ship to Sunrise and it was used until 1975. The ship was handed over to Country F by Nippon in 1978 and first served in Country F in 1980 after being towed to South Korea for overhaul and modernization.
It was a third-hand good; a bone that fed two dogs.
The ship was equipped with three MK22 76 mm open-naval guns which exposed the gunner without any basic armor protection, three 40 mm double-gauge guns, six 20 mm cannons, and four 12.7 mm machine guns. This set up was typical for the UA Navy during World War II.
However, as the main force of the Country F Navy, there were also Hamilton ss cruisers that were eliminated by two UA coast guards. In August 2011, the UA handed a retired Hamilton ss patrol ship to Country F that was renamed Gregory by Country F and considered the most advanced among the F Navy warships.
However, the backwardness of the equipment didnt prevent them from despising Xin in their hearts.
They feared a confrontation against Hua, but beating a small country like Xin was no problem at all!
51 majorbat ships, and more than 50 auxiliary ships for a total of more than one hundred warships lined up near the border in the western Pacific. Naval soldiers raised their heads high, fully armed. They looked quite like the King of the military!
Lieutenant Colonel Millennion, who served as themander-in-chief of operations, was also considered young and promising in Country F politics. During his tenure asmander of the Country F Navy, hemanded a nding attack exercise jointly organized by the Marine Corps and the UA Army and proposed a strategy of front-line first, participated in the 116th anniversary celebration of the founding army, and proposed the construction of a naval base...
Standing in themand tower of the gship Hamilton ss patrol ship, General Millennion adjusted his naval cap. His hands were behind his back while he gazed out at the peaceful ocean.
In this overwhelming war, he was thinking up ways to humiliate his opponent that dared to simultaneously challenge them.
Country F needed a real victory to demonstrate its naval strength to the world in order to deter the young from frequently harassing their borders.
Guardian-ss frigate?
It was indeed very powerful; Russian weapons always dominated. But he heard that the idiot demolished the ships 100-mm A-190 gun and reced it with a cannon that couldnt be recognized at all. The wide, t barrel was like a tuning fork lying down, and Millennion didnt consider it a threat to the Hamilton under his control. Without the most important main cannon, with just two 14.5 mm machine guns, what could the Guardian-ss frigate even do?
Millennion knew that while the Russians sold the ship to Jiang Chen, both its anti-aircraft missiles and anti-ship missiles were dismantled. After all, these equipment were considered military secrets; even as a business partner, Russia didnt have any reason to share all of its knowledge.
Adjutant went to his side and sharply saluted him.
Five FA-50s have arrived and are currently in cruise mode. Harpoon-1 is requesting attackmands.
Millennion smiled and didnt answer. Instead, he asked an irrelevant question.
Rndo, in your opinion, what suit color is the most appropriate for attending a celebration ceremony?
Rnd took a moment to process before smiling pleasantly
I rmend the blue one.
Just as I thought; thats my favorite suit, Millennions said before narrowing his eyes at the distant horizon and reciting in an ancient dialect poem. Our warriors have been eager while the opponent is still on the road ...
However, this general had no poetic abilities. Two sentences in and he was stuck. Next to the general, the first mates were watching, and Millennions expression couldnt be more embarrassed.
Rnd, watching the scene, immediately stepped in to divert people from the embarrassment. They are so slow. Its as if theyre heading to an execution.
Yes! Its like heading to an execution! Millennionughed and patted Rnds shoulder. He was d his subordinates were witty to save him from embarrassment. No more waiting C pass on my orders! All ships push forward with speed six nautical miles. If they donte, well go conquer them! Also regarding our flight formation C theyre approved for attack!
Roger! Rnd straightened his back with his face red in excitement. He roared into the radio: This is the control tower. Harpoon-1, target the enemy ship, attack permission granted Harpoon-1?
There was no response from the radio.
Rnds expression began to change. He had a bad feeling.
Just then, on the deck outside themand tower, someone screamed and pointed at the clear sky.
Whats that?
Among the clouds, a fighter jet soared by before two explosions bloosomed in the air.
The pieces falling had FA engraved on them before smashing into the ocean. Like a tiger in a herd of sheep, Aurora-20s machine guns shredded FA-50s fragile armor while repeating the cycle with its high mobility.
The second they engaged in battle, two FAs were taken down. The other three FA-50s, who realized something was wrong, attempted to escape the lock-on by guided missiles.
But the two Auroras didnt give them the opportunity to escape.
The trails of five ignitions interweaved in the sky. After a moment of battle, three more explosions rang out in the sky.
The F navy, which understood the situation immediately, started to fire into the air, but Aurora-20s dodged swiftly like seagulls.
They dropped two missiles before quickly ascending above the clouds. The heat-luring missiles danced in the air and disrupted the anti-air missiles originally intended for them.
Rajah destroyer has been hit! The ammunition bunker is on fire! Ahhhhh!
... Kemira anti-submarine ship has been hit! The deck is copsing!
Millennion looked pale because too much information was being shouted at him. He couldnt handle it all at the same time. His previous ease had been brutally crushed. He raised his trembling fingers and adjusted his crooked navy cap, but it couldnt be fixed somehow.
Sir ... The captain looked equally as pale as Millennion. His ominous feeling grew stronger.
But he couldnt say the word retreat.
Just then, an unexpected incident happened again!
An orange-red arc pierced through the still waves and broke through the side of the Hamilton-ss cruiser leading the fleet without warning, leaving a staggering hole! The hull was exposed by therge kic force and pushed it down into the ocean. Water flooded in and instantly submerged the ship that was regarded as the pride of Country F.
Millennion looked pale white. The previous conceit on his face could no longer be seen.
His adjutant, Rndo, had forgotten hisnguage abilitiespletely. His pupils nkly zoomed into the calm ocean.
They hadnt even seen the shadow of the enemy ship before they were pierced by shells.
Yes, this was an asymmetrical war.
...
But the asymmetrical advantage didnt belong to them C it belonged to the opposing side.
Run!
His fictitious arrogance was crushed. Millennion used hisst bit of courage to yell the word into the radio.
The Country F Navy began to disperse, turn around, and flee.
But the two Guardian-ss frigates that already arrived at the border wouldnt let them suceed. The raised electromaic pulse cannon repeatedly charged and fired. The orange tails under the influence of the earths gravitational force drew out arge curvature in the sky. Under the observation of the Sky Eye X1, it constantly rained down on the fleeing Country F ships.
The two Kilo-ss submarines shifted around the edge of the battlefield. They used torpedoes to sink any ships attempting to escape, like fishing boats that dispersed fish.
The Country F Navys nightmare had just begun!
Pieces of steel appeared and vanished in the waves as did the cries and prayers hidden among the explosions.
Fires kindled on the surface of the ocean and matched the redness in the horizon.
In that instant, it was hard to distinguish where the actual sunset was.
Chapter 578 - City K under Quarantine
Chapter 578: City K under Quarantine
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
The terror of a quarantined city spread like the gue in peoples minds. Although Country F sent two divisions of forces to control the situation, the gloom of death still lingered in peoples minds.
A city with more than a hundred thousand people only had seventy thousand left.
The entire east side lost control and the majority of the west side was lost as well. The government forces spent a night defeating the attacking gueris then spent an entire day in the south area of the west side of the city to create a safe zone with barbed fences.
The second day after the ne crash, the government forces established a quarantine in the city and limited the zombies inside the City K. At the same time, helicopters hovered around the boundaries of the city while searching for any zombies that might have escaped.
At the same time, the Country F government sent out cargo nes and airdropped humanitarian aid to zombie-upied areas. Along with the aid were small books on how to survive in zombie-upied areas, reminding people to remain hopeful in the face of disaster.
Based on estimates, there were still ten thousand people struggling in upied areas. They could either be uninfected or the few lucky ones immune to the virus. Regardless, they were in an extremely dangerous situation, but the Country F government could no longer divert any more helicopters to rescue them. Even international aid groups werent permitted to enter due to the danger of the virus and the influence of the civil zone.
People in the safe zone also suffered.
Seventy thousand people were stuffed in a separated zone only a few square kilometersrge, unable to really live their lives. The living spaces were crowded. Theck of necessities caused chaos for security. In despair, the ugly side of humans was fully exposed. People fought over boxes of antibiotics and sold their bodies for a piece of bread. The cleaners responsible for health inspection controlled everyones lives. The soldiers responsible for distributing humanitarian aid could freely determine who would be fed. Aside from the soldiers who didnt approach the area, they were the emperors of the safe zone.
No media outlets were permitted to enter the area. No one knew what was happening there, no one knew how long the quarantine wouldst, and no one knew if they still had the zombie virus hidden in their bodies. To all of society, they were dangerous, and at least before a vine was found, they couldnt return to society.
It was a source of despair.
This ce was no different than a concentration camp.
It only took two days for the situation to deteriorate to this point.
On the third day, the situation in City K was under control. The 21st Infantry Division pushed its defense line to the south. At the same time, the 14th Division sent out a mechanized brigade to push from the safe zone to the K River and repair the bridge. But themander clearly underestimated the strength of the zombies. The mechanized brigade didnt even reach the bridge before they experienced heavy casualties.
In theory, the soldiers with hot weapons shouldnt be at a disadvantage against the zombies, but reality dictated otherwise.
While the equipment of Country Fsnd forces wasnt as terrible as the navys, their training level was exceptionally low. This point wasnt demonstrated by their ability to shoot but their ability to adapt in battle.
Firing at unarmed civilians, even with orders from themander, meant the soldiers executing the orders had to bear a great amount of mental pressure. This pressure arose from the sense of morality built since they were born from the restriction of living in a society governed byws. They knew it was wrong, but they had to do it...
A lot of people unable to withstand the pressure unleashed fire onto hoards of zombies while relinquishing their fear through bullets, but they forgot the importance of shooting their heads. Against zombies, this was a critical error.
What made the soldiers even more distraught was that they had to press the trigger against theirrades who had been bitten. No medicine could treat them now. The only way to end their misery was death, at least for now.
Why didnt they push forward with the help of the artillery?
Because of damned humanitarianism.
As long as there was a single civilian left in the city, as long as the outside world remained civilized, the Country F government forces wouldnt permit firing in its own city. Countless eyes were watching them, so politicians wouldnt allow them, and the media wouldnt allow them.
They faced a great deal of pressure already, firing bullets at the heads of patients instead of using tranquilizers.
The city was a mess, and it was a mess they had to take care of. Aquino thought of burning down the entire city more than once C he wanted to just burn the insane and the virus in a great fire But it wasnt possible unless he wanted to face charges of crimes against humanity.
Just as the mechanized brigade returned to the safe area with low morale, Country Fs Ministry of Foreign Affairs received the deration of war from Celestial Trade.
Three hours ago, the Navy fleet at the border waspletely wiped out.
Two and a half hours ago, Country Fs Presidential Pce repeatedly confirmed the uracy of the information with the Country F Navysmand center.
Two hours ago, the information was passed to the Second Army Commander stationed at City K. At the same time, Celestial Trades Marinesnded at the port of Dawo.
At the moment, Lieutenant-General Belli stood in the interimmand headquarters and held a simple meeting.
Just then, an officer entered the barracks, interrupting the meeting in progress.
Whats the matter, Sergeant Cavell?
Sergeant Cavell saluted, stood upright and made his report.
ording to the pictures taken by UA satellites, after the naval blockade was broken through, Celestial Trade Marinesnded at Port D. It is suspected that heavy weapons have alsonded.
What about the UA military? This was the most important issue to Belli.
The aircraft carrier is quiet for the time being. The Capital said it would provide intelligence support for our operations via satellites and provide assistance in resolving the issue through diplomatic mediation... Cavell replied.
These treacherous cowards, Belli scoffed, shing the map with his marker.
At present, Jiang Chen was unconscious. The reason why the UA offered such an appeasement strategy was in fear that the unscrupulous Celestial Trade would overreact; another reason was its uncertainty in itsbat strength.
Guardian-ss frigate electromaic pulse cannons and Aurora-20sbat performance shocked the Stan aircraft carrier monitoring the battle through the global hawk unmanned aerial drone. Therefore, the Capital had to re-evaluate the strength of Xin while discussing the necessity of adjusting its diplomatic strategy toward the country.
Although the Hamilton-ss cruiser was a dmissioned ship from the coastal guards, it was still too strong to be pierced by one shell. In particr, this semi-curved shell wasnt a missile, thus it couldnt be defended against by anti-missile defenses. They werent going to take the risk until they were certain the Stan aircraft carrier could take the hit. After all, the real opponent in the region was Hua. Even if they finished off Xins navy, it would be detrimental for them if the aircraft carrier battle group around the region was damaged.
Yes, they didnt think the two Guardian-ss frigates would be worthy opponents for the aircraft carrier battle group. No matter how powerful they were, they were just two frigates. Compared to the battle group withprehensive battle functions, their abilities couldntpare.
No one suspected that it would hurt if these two ants bit them.
There were still a lot more things to discuss, but before they could reach a conclusion, the Celestial Trade soldiers would likely beat F down already.
That was the essence of a Blitz!
In this region, the 21st Division has already established a line of defense deployed with anti-air cannons and machine guns. I need you to take the 15th Mountain Range Division to traverse through the mountains to the east of K River and deploy the new mid-range anti-air missiles UA provided us at these five points, as well as artillery support to provide coverage for the 21st Division to the west of the river.
Also, mobilize the 101st Mechanized Brigade in the northeast to the rural area of the city. Once the enemy focus on the defensive line is established along the river, push the 101st Mechanized Brigade forward while cooperating with the 19th Paratrooper Division to attack the Port D. We need to push the arrogant Xin soldiers into the sea! Make the foolish navy realize the abilities of ournd forces!
With this setup, the roads from the port to City K werepletely blocked by the firepower of two divisions. Any forces attempting to break through the defense had to pay a heavy price!
Defense How long will this warst? The supply officer turned his pen and looked at Belli.
Perhaps half a year, perhaps only a month.
If theyre foolish enough to dive into our line of defense, maybe itll onlyst ten days. Seeing that the conference wasing to an end, an officer joked around.
A proud curvature appeared on Bellis mouth.
He fully agreed with his subordinatesment, although he didnt think the enemy would be foolish enough to seek their own death.
At the very least, Country Fs military power was ranked 25th in the world C that is, after being dragged down by the useless bastards from the navy.
Although this ranking was nothing to be proud off, they didnt fear Xin as they hadnt even made it onto the rankings.
While Country F was busy establishing its defense line, the two Guardian-ss frigates were already approaching Port D. The electromaic pulse cannon was set up while waiting for its firing orders.
A night of preparation and rest.
One thousand Celestial Trade soldiers in kic skeletons already boarded thending ship to enter the port then took control of the region Moro set out for them. Tenrge cargo helicopters were waiting for orders on the empty ground, waiting for strike orders.
MLL Inds were mostly mountainous and covered in forests, which made it difficult for armed units to engage inbat. This was extremely beneficial for both Moro gueris and Celestial Trade.
Ivan, with his generals cap and shades, took the helicopter and arrived at Port D again. This time, he arrived as themander.
Moros 5th Infantry Division arrived at the airport for their weing and the two powerful hands shook together.
Prepared and ready to go?
Prepared and ready to go.
Ivan took off his shades and stuffed them into his chest pocket.
Then let the battle begin!
Chapter 579 - The Rain of Destruction
Chapter 579: The Rain of Destruction
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Caron_
In the bushes, two soldiers leaned against a tree while cautiously scanning their surroundings.
Behind them were anti-air machine guns. These weapons were usually powerless against fighters, but once they formed a numerical advantage, even fourth generation fighters would be afraid of diving through the dense waves of bullets.
Beside the anti-air machine guns was a box of Spike RPG rockets; it was provided by UA as an addition to Country Fs close-range air defense.
The surroundings were quiet with only the sound of bugs heard, unique to subtropical rainforests.
The humid climate made it extremely easy to feel sleepy. In order to not fall asleep, the two soldiers began to chat.
How long do you think the war willst?
I dont know, maybe two months? Or it could be three months.
Thats so problematic Why cant I be a part of the 14th division? The man with a mustache drove away the butterfly resting on top of his rifle as he muttered in annoyance.
The 14th Division? Is it fun to be with the infected? I remember all the people who went had to sign a voluntary disclosure. Until a vinees out, you cante out after you go in. A young-looking man rested his rifle on his arm andughed.
You dont understand. The man with the mustacheughed, got closer and whispered, The cleaners are the emperors on the inside, but being a cleaner is still a bit dangerous since you have to interact with the infected. The people in logistics have the best jobs C think about all the girls in the safe zone Haha, you can y with them however you want.
What if you cante out?
Then I cante out, the man said decisively.
I have a girlfriend. A breeze of wind blew by and the young man scanned the still bushes with disinterest.
If you go there, youll have a lot of girlfriends, the man with a mustache joked.
While the two chattered, a transparent ghost sneaked by the two of them.
The infrared indicator the size of a button was ced not far behind them. The faint light under the disguise of the bushes was as unnoticeable as adybug among ferns.
When all the markers were ced, the Ghost Agent arrived at the edge of the battlefield and retreated through a small helicopter.
On the helicopter, she opened hermunication device.
All markers have been ced.
At the same time, ten thousand meters in the sky, an Aurora-20 pilot ended cruising mode and opened the infrared radar.
Affirmative.
On the ck and white screen, tons of red square boxes instantly locked onto the white signal source.
The pilot checked the radar, confirmed the attack radius and height, and opened the safety switch before pressing the red button.
This is Shooter-2, MXJ-11 is starting to deploy
The button of the hull opened and a bomb painted with red paint separated from the rack.
Without a bright trail of mes, it was only an unnoticeable ck dot that dropped from the sky.
When its elevation reached 2000 meters, the shell of the bomb instantly separated, exposing the bullets inside.
Like seeds dropped from a seeding ne, they bloomed into flowers in the green forest.
Its name was death.
The explosion came out of nowhere in the targeted forest. Sparks and shrapnel flew in the forest and shredded everything in the vicinity.
It was the rain of death.
MXJ-11, nicknamed smallpox, weighed 1,200 pounds, was divided into high explosive and piercing types, and belonged to PAC end-guided cluster bombs C an imitation version. An MXJ-11 contained 88 sub-bombs with end guidance that, when thrown to a specified height, released all the sub-bombs and eliminated all locked targets in the target area under the screening of the intelligence program.
Seventy-four air defense targets were eliminated in a sh. The airstrike came from ten thousand meters above and the sentinels on guard didnt even have the time to take cover from the explosions
Because the explosions were too dazzling, the pilot turned off the infrared instrument and pressed the radio on the helmet.
This is Shooter-2. Air defense points have been cleared, over.
Shooter-3 and 4, received. Short range attack initiated. Shooter-1 and 5, the enemy little birds are left to you.
Roger then let the hunting begin.
Four fighters broke through the cloud, diving down from the sky.
The series of explosions destroyed all the air defense firepower of Fs 21st division. It also dazed all the soldiers hidden in the forest.
Without a lot of time to react, the honing noise of an airstrike approached them.
Enemy fighters detected! Dammit, theyre shooting at our people! Where are our anti-air cannons?! We need assistance! A reconnaissance soldier curled behind a sandbag while shouting into the radio.
There was no response.
He couldnt see that inside the barracks of themanding soldier, themander was lying in a pool of blood along with his assistant and bodyguard. There was a terrifying bloody hole on his forehead.
The perpetrator of this crime, the Ghost Agent, was long gone.
Soaring air strikes replied to the shouting of the reconnaissance soldier. The infantry, ten meters away from him, turned into dust along with the sandbag he hid behind due to the fire of 27mm machine guns.
Then he saw ten explosions in the sky. The explosions belonged, without a doubt, to the FA-50s of the Country F Air Force.
It was their most proud creation, the fourth generational ne based on the original SK Golden Eagle design. It marked the friendship between Country SK and Country F But it was now turned to pieces.
In the direction of Port D, missilesunched into the air one by one. The Country F soldiers watched the missiles covering their zone of control in despair. But what shocked them was that the missiles didnt cause any casualties, as if they malfunctioned. Only arcs of electricity shed in the area before instantly disappearing.
The hiding reconnaissance soldier wanted to report the information back to themand center, but he was instantly stunned.
The radio was broken.
Not only his radio, but his GPS, watch, electronic scope, and even his shlight all stopped working!
His face looked like he had just seen a ghost.
In modern warfare, losing ess to information meant losing everything. The soldiers who lost theirmand system were like rats locked in a cage; they would await their deaths in darkness and chaos.
The EMP missiles destroyed all the electronic equipment in the area and the entire 21st division had lostmunication.
At the same time, Moros 5th Infantry Divisionunched their attack!
The guerris never fought an easier war than this. Under the stimtion of friendly firepower, they charged forward as if they were on stimnts. The Country F soldiers that lost allmunication fled as if they were flies without heads. Under the attack of thousands of gueris, they had to fight for their own lives.
The soaring Aurora-20s made their rockets and cannons into a nightmare Country F soldiers tried their best to avoid. mes spread in the subtropical rainforest as they were thirsty for sttered blood.
Under attack from the Moro 5th infantry division, Fs 21st division copsed without much of a fight.
At the same time, Celestial Trades Marines boarded the helicopters andnded east of the mountain. 1000 soldiers in kic skeletons under fire coverage from ship cannons, fighters, and drones pursued the 15th Mountain Range Division. Against agile kic skeletons, even if F soldiers were at a numerical advantage, they were disadvantaged in this battle.
It was a one-sided battle.
The battle didntst for too long. The Second Army Command Post didnt have time to react before news of the breakdown of their frontline arrived on Bellis table.
Retreat! Make the 15th Division retreat! And the dumbases from 21st Division! Fu k, useless! Belli pounded his table in anger and his cap even flew off.
The soldier looked nervously at him.
Commander
Why are you not going?! Belli wanted to p this guy.
People were dying every second, and his heart was bleeding.
The 15th Division is surrounded
Belli took a moment to process this before he gulped with unease.
What about the 21st Division?
Were unable to get a hold of the 21st division. Commander? Commander! Where are you going?
The soldier looked at Belli, who rushed out the door in shock. His cap had yet to be picked up from the floor.
He climbed into his car and rudely ordered the driver to take him to the 14th Divisionmand post in City K. The pupils of themander were filled with fear and ferocity.
This wasnt a war! This was a ughter!
Chapter 580 - You don’t have another choice
Chapter 580: You dont have another choice
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Caron_
The 21st Division that lost contact was wiped out by Moro guerris. Including themander, all six thousand soldiers were captured.
The 15th Mountain Range Division under suppressive fire by ship cannons and fighter nes suffered heavy losses in their equipment and they chose to surrender to Celestial Trade. Therefore, the Celestial Trade Marines achieved an outstanding record of 1000 people capturing 7000 soldiers.
In this asymmetrical war, the disadvantaged side had no ability to fight back at all. Country F, who gathered all their forces, faced defeat just like Iraq in the Gulf War. Through satellites in synchronous orbit, the one-sided war was broadcasted to the aircraft carrier battle group hundreds of kilometers out.
The pilots who boarded the fighter jets were ordered to exit the ne, the bombers inspecting weapons and ammunition returned to the hanger, and the fully equipped marines unloaded their rifles and walked out of the helicopters.
At the control tower, Captain Huffman stared at the screen with a troubled look before squeezing out two words.
What a bunch of trash.
Indeed, trash. The second-inmand who stood beside him gulped and repeated his words in the same troubled voice.
Regarding Country F, their ally who couldnt be helped no matter how hard they tried, the UA soldiers stationed in Asia despised them from the bottoms of their hearts. But now, they felt sympathy for the two divisions who were bulldozed through.
Report to the Capital.
What about the battle readiness?
Deactivate it for now.
Captain Huffman left themand room without turning his head, leaving the second-inmand staring at themunicator inside.
At the same time, in Xin, hundreds of kilometers out:
Inside the detention room of the military base on New Moon Ind, a vic-looking man sat on the bench while looking gloomily at Jiang Chen sitting across from him.
He had been locked up there for the past few days, but Celestial Trade didnt torture him. Not only did they give him two nutrient supply packs a day, but they also gave him a copy of the newspaper. They didnt interrogate him at all.
Looks like youre not injured. Ladisiv said with a gloomy expression.
You should thank me for my kindness; at least my people still let you read the news. Jiang Chen crossed his fingers in front of his kneecap. But for your neighbor, were repeatedly testing the limits of his regeneration abilities.
A drop of sweat rolled down from Ladisivs forehead, and his chin quivered. Youre the devil.
You really think so? Jiang Chenughed, leaned into his chair, then pushed a document in front of the vic man.
He received the good news from the frontlines already, and now he had plenty of time to take care of misceneous things.
Ladisiv scanned the document before looking at Jiang Chen with questions in his eyes.
Can you not read? This is the death count for City K. This number is updated every day. A total of 253,000 people died because of the virus C the virus you spread. Who is the devil? Its you, Mr. Ladisiv. Jiang Chen tapped his shadow reflected on the bulletproof ss.
Ladisiv looked at Jiang Chen, unbothered.
As a mercenary, he didnt feel guilty for the actions hemitted. The money he earned was all money stained with blood anyways. If he made a mistake during a mission, he would just be part of that casualty count.
Suddenly, he realized something odd.
How do you know my name?
Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows andughed.
Not only do I know your name, but I know you have two daughters and one son who are at a welfare institution in Thrace, Republic of Macedonia. Your oldest daughter is in high school, and your youngest daughter is in the hospital. I also know your ex-wife is currently an assistant at a broadcasting channel at the Balkans. Shes still single and still interacts with you over the phone
Thats enough!
Ladisiv was breathing heavily while looking at the expressionless Jiang Chen with his pupils glowing red.
He looked like a monster trapped in a cage. His pupils were mixed with warning, threat, and powerless fear.
Upon seeing this, a smile appeared on Jiang Chens lips. Although it wasnt moral to threaten people with their family, he didnt have the luxury to be picky.
Who told you this?! Ladisiv squeezed out these words between his teeth.
There were three people in total. Other than the already deceased Mr. Giles, my friends, the Moro gueris, captured another one of your people. Obviously, not everyone could resist our truth-telling serum. Although he didnt have too much information in his head, it contained some interesting facts surprisingly.
Jiang Chens body leaned slightly forward and he put his crossed fingers onto the table.
Im really curious as to why would someone like you joined the Kurofune. You should know that their actions will destroy the world. Everyone, including your lover and children, wont survive and that also includes you.
Then let it be destroyed since this world is corrupt to the bone especially since the Kurofune will arrive in one hundred years, I wont live to see the apocalypse in my lifetime, Ladisiv sneered.
Insignificant figures wouldnt ever feel worried about the world after their deaths because they never madesting marks on this.
Jiang Chen understood why he thought that way. If it wasnt for his massive assets, he wouldnt bother caring about the colonization ship either.
This is quite an important piece of information. The Kurofune you described will arrive in one hundred years Jiang Chen wrote it down in his notebook then looked at him. And then? I want to know your motive.
Money. Ladisiv, who could be read like a book, no longer disguised any information. He spoke honestly.
Then Ill give you money to buy the information in your head? Jiang Chen pleasantly offered.
To him, any problem that could be solved with money wasnt a problem at all.
But Ladisiv scorned and mocked him.
Do you think I need money for myself?
For your little daughter? Jiang Chen flipped through his information and spected nonchntly.
For my family, Ladisiv said emotionlessly. If I reveal anything, they will kill my family. Trust me, their pration in this world is far more terrifying than you can imagine.
Is that so? Jiang Chen didnt question that. He pressed the tablet a few times and opened a picture then he pushed it in front of Ladisiv. But to me, theyre just a bunch of sewer rats.
Ladisivs body leaned forward and he moved closer to the tablet with his eyebrows raised. This is
The picture was an Italian-style red brick structure with a crowded scene. In front of a clothing shop, a blonde woman held onto the hand of a little girl to shop inside.
Suddenly, he realized the location was his hometown, a small town in Macedonia C Thrace.
The woman was his ex-wife and the girl she was holding onto was his older daughter. They were picking out clothes for the little daughter.
You havent been back for a while, right? Jiang Chen asked.
Your people are following them? Ladisiv lowered his voice.
They are protecting them. You should notice that after you were captured, a few men with unknown origins appeared. If they find out you leak the information, they will
Jiang Chen made a shooting gesture with a smile.
Dont you want to save them?
Ladisivs throat moved. His eyes were torn with hesitation. Jiang Chen acutely noticed this and covered the proud curvature on his mouth while staring straight into his pupils.
You will save them?
Of course.
How can you guarantee that? These continuous questions exposed the uncertainty in Ladisivs mind.
Now, to gain his cooperation, Jiang Chen just needed to be firm
You dont have another choice. Watch them die, or join us and save them. The decision is in your hands, Mr. Ladisiv.
Yes, aside from trusting Jiang Chen, he had no other choice.
Ladisiv zoomed onto the woman in the tablet. His gloomy voice muttered:
If you break your promise, Ill wait for you in hell
Dont worry. I dont think Ill go to hell after I die. Jiang Chen started to spin his pen again with a smile.
Chapter 581 - Soldiers Surrounding the City!
Chapter 581: Soldiers Surrounding the City!
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Rundi
Santos still could not believe it.
Even when the joyous divisionmander of the 5th Division ced the report in front of him, Santos still could not believe that the victory came so easily.
Against the advanced equipment and sophisticated training of Country Fs troops, the guerris seldom won in battles. They only relied on terrain advantages as the armor units couldnt traverse across the mountains and jungles. Therefore, they regained a little advantage in those battles. The guerris constantly tested the bottom line of Country Fs government through the stalemate.
However, with the support of Celestial Trade, his troops defeated two divisions of Country Fs government forces and advanced to the suburbs of City K again three dayster. If it were not for the fact that Country F would not give up City K, Aquino might have brought up negotiations in exchange for the return of thousands of captured prisoners, two divisionmanders, and the Navy Admiral.
The fiasco on MLL Ind was well beyond Country Fs capabilities and beyond the capacity of Aquino authority. UAs reluctance toe to their aid may also be because of hidden reasons.
Originally the Armymander and the Navymander vowed to him that they would surely win. Now, one turned into a turtle with his head shrunk in its shell while the other became a prisoner of war of Celestial Trade. Country F Navy had more than 120 ships in total. Almost all the ships were mobilized to demonstrate its prowess.
The result was that 101 ships were destroyed in the Pacific Ocean and more than 4000 sailors were captured as prisoners of war. Not to mention the grief of Aquino, the pace of Celestial Trades advancement also terrified the Capital on the other side of the Earth.
However, they also didnt have a solution. After learning about the naval battle on the border, the UA president immediately contacted Zhang Yaping, who was currently in the Capital for a diplomatic visit. He expressed the hope that he would restrain Celestial Trades behavior. What he meant was: you already made so much trouble, it is time to stop. However, President Zhang Yaping expressed that there was nothing he could do.
Strictly speaking, Celestial Trade was a private military contractor and was not controlled by the country. It participated as a mercenary in the civil war and did not vite internationalws. And since the UA was thergest military contractor in the world, their mercenaries were notorious overseas. From this perspective, the UA couldnt denounce Celestial Trade.
Of course, the so-called jurisprudent was only excuses and sounded rhetoric. The real fear of the Capital was those weapons showcased in the war. Not to mention that the mysterious sky reaper, Aurora-20, the daunting ship-based electromaic pulse cannon was studied by the Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
It was one of the research projects carried out by DARPA. Yet even the state-of-the-art experimental electromaic pulse cannons equipped on its aircraft carrier now couldnt reach the horrifying destruction they observed from their spy satellites.
One cannon shot that sunk the Hamilton patrol ship was something many UA warships could do. But one cannon shot from one hundred kilometers away that could put a hole through the ship, was a different story Moreover, the precision was something unheard of at that range for conventional artillery. Also, the Aurora-20 demonstrated excellent performance in the dogfight with the FA-50, which also made the Capital cautious.
ording to the assessment report, a conservative estimate of 30% loss to the aircraft carrier battle group was likely to result if UA tried to reestablish the non-flying zone in MLL Ind airspace given the presence of Celestial Trade.
It was a conservative estimate! In peaceful times, a high loss was uneptable to the Capital. The crash of the F35 already left the Capital in a mess with pacifists still surrounding the Capitol with signs and photos of the pilot.
Whats more, the strategic role of the aircraft carrier battle group was to contain Hua. Unwise intervention in the conflict between Country F and Xin would result in the disruption of UAs strategic deployment in the region.
The outbreak of the zombie virus in City K gave the greatest headache to the Capital. Because of Country Fs control of the news, media reports generally suspected that the virus was a biochemical weapon deployed by Country F government in City K. Aquino did not have enough evidence to rify this point, but just used lies and nder against the media.
Any mature politician would be aware of how foolish it was to scold the media. However, even the most mature politician would have a hard time remaining rational during this time. In many cases, it was not wise to publicly support the Country F government at this moment.
Of course, some politicians also proposed that Moro would leak the virus to the terrorists, given Moros current hostility toward the UA.
An appeasement strategy would be no different from a chronic poison. After all, there was currently no vine or antidote to control this virus. Once the virus was spread in a densely popted area, the consequences would be disastrous. Although the Walking Died had a good rating; this did not mean that the people really wanted their country to be a zombiend.
It was precisely because of this that some politicians also immediately proposed that the UA Marine Corps be sent to City K. Or at least peacekeeping troops, and the WHOs medical team should be dispatched to bring the city into the joint control of the internationalmunity. Viruses that threaten human society should be managed by all of humanity
As the Capital discussed which tactics to adopt, the Celestial Trade Marine Corps assembled in the southern mountain ranges of City K, redeploying artilleries using transport helicopters. The 5th Moro Guerri Division, after having confiscated Country Fs UA-made equipment, became the division with the most sophisticated equipment in the country.
After a short reorganization period, all prisoners were taken over by the 6th Division, and the 5th Infantry Division followed the path of Celestial Trade Marine Corps and captured thergest airport in northern MLL Ind, City K International Airport, with the help of the Aurora-20.
With two divisions defeated in a day, Country F Armys morale waspletely destroyed. When they defended the airport, they didnt offer too much resistance before they retreated toward City K. The morale of the 14th Division stationed in City K hit rock bottom.
The constant sound of fighters soaring above them made them hide under cover. The noise previously belonged to their allies, but now it has turned into a nightmare. They could only shiver in the bunker while keeping their heads low. The battles in the city was not as easy as the battles in the jungle, especially with Country Fs defensive stance.
The 14th Division was one of the most elite military units in Country Fs Army. Not only has it participated in the joint military exercises, but the two Motorized Brigades were the only modernized units that were appraised by the UA instructors.
As Aquino was determined to protect City K at all cost, Country F Armymander mobilized another tank brigade from the northern theater to strengthen defenses. In order to make up for deficiencies in their air force, the original dmissioned F-5A Freedom Fighter was also dragged out from the grave and entered service after some simple maintenance.
The F-5A apanied the OV10 Mustang Fighter to fill the nk in their air force. However, Country Fs pilots were fearful toward the Flight of Death. Using F-5A tobat Aurora-20, which was unmatched even by the FA-50 was like using a toothpick to poke an elephant, they simply didnt have the courage to climb into the cockpit.
With the low morale in the military, Aquino in a deep rage couldnt do anything about this fate. He had to visit the army countless times to boost their morale through passionate speeches. But the soldiers reactions were mild; his speeches were received by sparse apuse and more supercilious looks.
In order to not cause the leader to be sad, the observant Country F military officers gave each soldier a pair of sunsses
While Country F was in crisis, Tanaka from Takeda Pharmaceutical was under political inquiry from the Nippon government. The spread of the virus far exceeded the expectations of the Prime Minister.
Not only did Jiang Chen not die, Xin also put the me on Country F and sent troops as a response. Country F was one of the strategic allies of Nippon, and Nippon was not willing to see one of its allies be attacked.
Country F served a key role in containing Hua in the region, especially given the close rtionship between Hua and Xintely
Also, the mutinymitted by the F35 made the Nippon government fearful of Kurofune. The dog that was being raised by them even extended its ws to its master without their knowledge. CIB was now involved in the current investigation.
Nippon politicians knew how sensitive the UA was to conspiracy. In order not to bring trouble, it was necessary to train this disobedient dog
Chapter 582 - The Origin of Kurofune
Chapter 582: The Origin of Kurofune
Trantor: ?_Min_?Editor: ?Rundi
Chapter 583: The City K Battle
Trantor: ?_Min_?Editor: ?Rundi
Min ?Editor: Rundi
The zombies were indeed a problem for the Country F government force, Moro, and Celestial Trade. It was impossible to expect a bunch of poorly organized gueris to learn infection control despite they just took over 21st Divisions UA weapons.
Because it was the modern world, he couldnt use the apocalypses way to resolve problems. What solution was the most direct in resolving the crisis at City K? The most efficient way was tounch thousands of burning bombs and scorch everything inside. And since the opponent was Country F, Jiang Chen wouldnt feel too burdened executing this order.
And what was presented to him, in the end, will be a figure.
But if he really did that, without needing this to process through his head, the world will not spare him as a butcher.
City K was taken over, the oue at MLL Ind had been decided.
Therefore, on the push toward the safe zone, the Moro 5th Division without armor protection did pay a heavy price. While the gueris performed wellpared to the government force in shooting their previous kind, it wasnt much better.
In the end under the assistance of Celestial Trade Marines, the 5th Division under the pressure of the zombies eliminated thest mechanized brigade of the Country F 14th Division. Thest two remaining M113A2 armored vehicles chose to put out the white g and surrender.
The war was over. Other than some government forces still remaining in the northern area, Moro had established full control of the MLL Inds. Just like what Jiang Chen said, Celestial Trade will sessfully knock the opponent out, and then drag their necks and force them to sign on the negotiation table.
Without exaggeration, in modern warfare, the importance of negotiations could exceed all previous efforts.
Thetter only dictated how many people died, the former would determine how many will go die.
Before Celestial Trade soldiers entered City Ks safe zone, the survivors in the area rioted. Having robbed the shotguns and methrowers that belonged to the cleaners, and beating up at least ten cleaners due to their build-up hatred, the survivors that upied the safe zone had a brief standoff against the Moro gueris through the barbed fences. However, when they saw the captured armored vehicles and tanks drove over, everyone dropped their weapons and squatted by the wall with their hands over their head.
When Jiang Chen saw how malnourished the survivors looked on the battle footage, while he feltpassionate, he had another n. He called Ivan who arrived at the safe zone and told him to take care of the survivors.
Then, Jiang Chen instructed the promoted Xia Shiyu to transport 1000 tons of rice, vegetable, crackers, and milk through Future Groups subsidiary by air City K Airport and distribute it to the local survivors.
Celestial Trades phnthropic act instantly gained the praise of the survivors. When Celestial Trades people asked them to assist the media in capturing video footages in order to help Celestial Trade to win international recognition, no one rejected the idea.
Jiang Chen gained another chip in steering the public opinion.
While the ground force entered the city, the navy didnt stop either.
A Guardian-ss frigate with the apany of a Kilo-ss submarine entered into the strait and anchored in the region. The Type-50 J-type electromaic pulse cannon aimed toward the capital of F.
Celestial Trades action almost made Aquino copse down from his chair in fear. Only now did he experience the fear the soldiers on the frontline experienced.
The fear of the cannon at his front door.
The Country F Assembly Committee waspletely in shambles. They previously spent time forging sovereignty documents and attempting to im Pannu Inds as part of Country Fs historical sovereignty. But now, they immediately destroyed the documents while changing the discussion to how to seek an unconditional surrender.
The other frigate and submarine moved east along the Xin-F border while on alert for the Stan aircraft carrier group stationed in the region.
All ten Aurora-20s at the New Moon Base were on 24 hours alert with the 20 pilots rotating inside the ne to respond to a potential esction in the regional conflict.
At the same time, the G013 missile silo deployed at the west Pacific Ocean opened its hatch and slowly allowed the sea water to fill inside the silo topleteunch preparations. The G013 missile silo was deployed with the Dolphin-10 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, the installed module was not a nuclear head but just regr explosives.
If the UA acted impulsively, Celestial Trade would prove its long-range missile strike ability several hours after.
No nuclear weapon and thus no deterrence?
Debatable!
Dont forget who controlled the city of Kejia! If a missile could transport explosives, it could also transport a virus. Would nuclear weapons or biological weapons have more deterrence; UA must carefully evaluate this.
Now, Jiang Chen had pushed all of his chips onto the gambling table.
Whether UA would disregard the potential consequences andunch an Asian version of the Gulf War and punish Celestial Trade like how Iraq that invaded Kuwait was punished, orpromise simr to how Franprised to Frankberg at the fact the Blitz was sessful, give up the not helpful ally in exchange for regional stability.
What is worth noting is that F didnt have the rich oil or gas reserves like Kuwait.
What if the above options all didnt work?
Then the final option was the nuclear button.
Unless he had absolutely no other choices, he didnt want to make thest choice.
Youre ying with fire.
The night Celestial Trade overtook the city of Kejia, Natasha rang the bell to Jiang Chens mansion. Jiang Chen didnt want to open the door, but the girl had the determination that if Jiang Chen didnt open the door, she wouldnt let her finger go.
Losing to Natashas determination, Jiang Chen opened the door
Since he disappeared for so long, it was time to return to the publics eyes.
But what he didnt think was that the first thing Natasha said to him was not youre not injured?, but rather something else.
ying with fire? Our President Zhang seems to have told Aquino this before. Jiang Chen invited her to sit on the sofa. Please sit, I prepared vodka this time.
Im not here to drink. Natasha narrowed her eyes and examined Jiang Chen, the vibrant lips curled up thoughtfully, I knew nothing would have happened to you, you old fox.
Im still young okay? Ms. Pr bear, Jiang Chen jokingly said.
That joke is not gentlemanly at all, Natasha gave him a hard stare, walked passed him, and sat down on the sofa. However, this time, she oddly didnt touch the alcohol.
She crossed her smooth legs and crossed her arms, What are you nning to do next? How are you going to take care of this mess?
Make Country F return to the negotiation table. Jiang Chen sat down across from Natasha with his legs crossed, his fingers on one of his knees.
What if UA doesnt agree. Natasha raised her eyebrows.
Then they should be prepared to be dealt with together.
Jiang Chen wasnt joking at all.
Chapter 585 - Go Back to the Negotiation Table
Chapter 585: Go Back to the Negotiation Table
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Rundi
The aircraft carrier battle group began to mobilize in the west Pacific direction with the fighter jets constantly taking off from the carrier to increase the patrol frequency in public waters. At the same time, a bomber was deployed at the nearby military base.
Two ocean fortresses mped down on Xins water, but it made Jiang Chen feel relieved.
The attack postures meant that they dont nt to actually attack. Or else they would not mobilize their aircraft carrier battle group and the bomber, but their nuclear submarine tounch the cruise missile.
Jiang Chen knew clearly that with just two Guardian-ss frigates and the ultra-speed cruising Aurora-20s were not enough to win against the five thugs, the weapons would at most make them be extra cautious. Technology is always only an element of the war, but not everything that dictates the oue of the war, unless the technology is powerful enough to change the structure of the war.
An Aurora-20 could simultaneously face five FA-50s, 50 Mustangs, but it would be a stretch to go against three fifth general fighters at the same time. Just like the Axis ME262 Turbo Jet against the propeller nes of the Allies, although it caused the Allies some problems, it didnt fundamentally change the oue of the war.
Since both sides didnt want to fight, then whats left was negotiations.
City K, Jiang Chen arrived at MLL Ind by AN-12 cargo ne.
Ivan was there to greet him. He was the acting chiefmander at MLL Ind.
The AN-12 was a Russian product sold at 50 million USD for two. Celestial Trade had been using them as transportation of humanitarian aids and weapons used to maintain humanitarianism. Out of the five thugs, only Russia was willing to sell firearms to Xin.
On the side of the airport, Jiang Chen saw four captured OV-10 Mustang fighters as well as a Boeingmercial ne that had been abandoned for who knows how long. Under the air suppression by the Aurora-20s, the four fighters didnt have the opportunity to take off before they were captured by the Moro gueris.
Santos generously offered Jiang Chen two of them since both parties captured them together, but Jiang Chen thanked and rejected the offer.
The antique and second handed stuff that participated in the Vietnam war, Jiang Chen didnt even have the interest to modify it.
Sitting in the army green Jeep, Jiang Chen began to inquire Ivan about the stats.
The airstrike consumed around 60 thousand rounds of aviation bullets, 37 bombs, 15 midrange air-to-ground missiles, 17 closerange air-to-air missiles
Close to 100 million USD? War certainly burns through money. Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes and watched the dested streets outside the window.
That was just the airstrike part, the cost to this war far exceeded 100 million USD. But as soon as Jiang Chen thought about his Celestial Trade destroying the F air force,nd force, and navy with a military budget of 500 million per year, he was relieved.
Especially Moro who achieved its dream of independence will use MLL Inds rich resources to pay for the bill of the war.
What about the casualty number?
Only 11 fatalities, the soldiers in critical condition are sent to Coro Ind for treatment the smart medical pod is great.
It is a Future product after all. Also, make sure you take care of the family of the deceased soldiers, we cant let down our soldiers, Jiang Chen ordered.
Roger! Ivan nodded.
The Jeep entered the city. The blinding sunlight didnt feel like the apocalypse at all. All major road and highway were controlled by Moro soldiers with protective suits and anti-poison masks provided by Celestial Trade. They were equipped with rifles and cautiously watching the nk faces stained with blood outside of the barbed fences.
The safe zone was currently under the control of Celestial Trade. The kic skeleton soldier checked Ivans identity, saluted before letting the car pass.
The Jeep passed through the safe zone under the warm wee of the survivors. Jiang Chen and Ivan then arrived at the port in City K and met the delegation sent by the Aquino government. The Aquino government could not withstand the anti-war sentiment as well as the protest from the family of the captured soldiers. It was forced to give up their firm stance to discuss the terms of releasing the captives.
Meeting Jiang Chen who clearly didnt look critically injured, the Country F ambassador Tates eyes were covered in gloom, he felt his government, and he was fooled.
Ha, looks like Mr. Jiang is in good shape.
Jiang Chen nonchntly shook his head when he faced Tates unfriendly gaze.
Thank you for caring. Say hello to your President for me; he must not have slept well in thest couple of days. Also, I saw that you guys were nning to host a celebration ceremony sometime before, but by the looks of it now, it wont be needed.
The mockery in Jiang Chens voice made Tates expression look as if he had just eaten a fly. The entire capital didnt sleep well with a cannon directly pointed toward it.
This is? Jiang Chen let go of Tates hand and looked at two other people on the side.
A white man with sideburns was in a suit; the other muscr looking man wore the UA Navy uniform. Jiang Chen noticed the UA soldier was a Colonel.
Eric, United Nations Observer. The man with white sideburns shook hands with Jiang Chen and introduced the person beside him, This is Colonel Reston, a mediator from UA.
Jiang Chens sight stopped on Colonel Reston for a while.
He knew that this was the actual person leading the negotiation.
After some small talk, Jiang Chen and Ivan took the two to the safe zone and met with Santos who just arrived from Port D.
With all parties at the scene, after half a year, the discussion between the Country F government and the gueris restarted again.
Lets put it simply, I hope everyone can put down their weapons and solve the difference on the negotiation table, Eric said straightforwardly, This discussion has been long due. Then first
We wont give grounds on our sovereigntypletely. Tate interrupted Erics words while looking at Santos coldly, but I brought the kindness of Mr. Aquino. Moro will exist as an autonomous territory, as long as you put down your weapons and release all illegally detained F soldiers.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes to gaze directly into Tates eyes. The F citizen didnt bring out the attitude to negotiate in the first ce.
Looks like well have to chat in your capital then. Santos shrugged and opened his hands.
We wont let that happen. Colonel Reston who didnt say a word spoke abruptly. He slightly raised his hooked nose and stared at Santos smug face, The Satan aircraft carrier battle group wont permit. If you dare to step out of MLL Ind, then we must redefine the situation to a point where we must intervene, I promise that our troops wont always stay on the deck of the aircraft carrier.
Reston warned Jiang Chen with his look.
Since Santos was born a bandit, he immediately scoffed, then my guerris will make MLL Inds into a second Vietnam.
The negotiation from the start was on the course to failure. Jiang Chens sight scanned the United Nations observer who was smiling, the gloomy looking Tate, and the poker-faced Reston.
Just as the parties were about to call the negotiation off, Jiang Chen suddenly coughed, took out a thumb-sized bottle from his pocket, and ced it on the table.
The bottle was sealed by a mini cork with transparent and clear liquid inside. The sunshine scattering from outside of the window reflected an oily liquid inside.
Whats this? Tate nced at the bottle, picked it up, and put it close to his nose.
Something to make all of us go back to the negotiation table.
Jiang Chen spoke as he put his cell phone onto the table and then looked at Reston with a smile.
Chapter 586 - Within Strike Range
Chapter 586: Within Strike Range
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Caron_
Reston and Eric didnt know what tricks Jiang Chen was nning. They exchanged nces before looking back at Jiang Chen, waiting for him to continue. The F representative, Tate, narrowed his eyes and repeatedly yed with the bottle in his hands, hoping to find something odd.
Just as he squeezed on the cork and was about to sniff it, Jiang Chen spoke again.
I dont suggest you do that.
Tate stopped mid-action and red at Jiang Chen.
Why not?
Thats the pathogen extract from the zombies; we refer to it as the T virus.
Just as Jiang Chens words dropped, Tate dropped the bottle in his hand, terrified. The thumb-sized bottle smashed onto the table with a ng and the bottle spun two times. Reston and Erics expressions didnt look too great either. They subconsciously moved back.
Mr. Jiang Chen, I need an exnation. Reston looked at Jiang Chen sternly. Your careless actions will be viewed as an act of aggression against the UA. We will
Arent we negotiating today? Jiang Chen interrupted Reston and opened his hands. But from the start of negotiations until now, I havent seen any sincerity. Ive only seen you flexing.
I understand flexing is an important part of negotiations since peace can only be achieved through force. Jiang Chen raised his fingers and gently tapped on the phone screen on the table. Please allow me to demonstrate our power.
When the red button was pressed, the circr missile silo hatch opened hundreds of kilometers below the west Pacific Ocean, exposing the fearsome Dolphin-10 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.
The propulsion ring around the side walls of the missile suddenly created arge number of bubbles, pushing the missile to a depth of 100 meters. Afterward, it split the propulsion ring and separated it from the missile. At the same time, the missiles engine ignited while apanied by thick smoke, leaving the ocean sea far below as it galloped toward the blue sky.
The engine stalled when it reached the near-Earth orbit. The Dolphin-10 followed the Earths own orbit to pass across the Pacific, cross Honduras, and float across the Caribbean. The engine reignited again and the missile began to fall back toward the Earth.
Like a meteor crashing down from the sky, the missile directly hit a dested ind in the north Antic Ocean.
mes instantly erupted. The debris of the explosion, along with rocks, instantly sshed across the sky. The shockwaves of the explosion swept through the sea surface near the ind and even smoothened the violent waves.
A drop of cold sweat rolled down from Restons forehead and dropped onto his sleeve.
Tate waspletely dumbfounded, unable to ept the reality yed out on the phone. Eric was silent as he stared at the ceiling.
It must be a lie. Tate squeezed out this sentence with a trembling voice as he put on a tough act.
Reston and the United Nations observer both looked at Jiang Chen attempting to spot a sign on his face, but they were disappointed to discover that there was only calmness.
I heard that the UA satellites are scattered across the world. If you dont believe me, just see for yourself. Jiang Chen sunk into his chair and said casually while inviting them to find out the truth for themselves. The location of the strike is on the phone.
Our satellites arent broad enough to monitor the North Antic Ocean, Reston said while staring into Jiang Chens eyes.
Then send people to make observations? They should at least find out the explosion impact rating. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes.
Reston didnt say anything. He was waiting for a call from the Stan aircraft carrier.
If a missile soared through the entire Pacific Ocean and Central America, it was impossible to not have been captured by UAs satellites. From the missiles trajectory, the missile shouldve gone through near-Earth orbit. If it climbed to the altitude of the near-Earth orbit, it shouldve been captured by the military base when it entered the stratosphere.
Jiang Chen knew what he was waiting for, so he didnt speak. Instead, he picked up his phone and started ying games.
Tate looked agitated because he thought he and his country were being ignoredpletely. Although Reston was helping him, the conversation revolved around UA and Xin from start to finish. He didnt view him as important at all nor did he ask about Fs opinion. The feeling of being neglected stabled his heart like a dagger.
But Santos, on the contrary, looked calm. The revolutionary leader, born as a bandit, didnt mind his opinion being ignored on the negotiation table. He only cared about one thing C his decades-long political pursuit would finally be a reality in his hands.
Half an hour passed, and Reston couldnt sit around any longer. He nced at the watch, took a deep breath, and stood up.
I need to make a phone call.
No problem. You shouldve called a long time ago. Jiang Chen yed with his phone while responding nonchntly.
Reston nced at Jiang Chen and stepped outside with his satellite phone.
When he called the aircraft carrier, Captain Huffman immediately asked about the result of negotiations. If negotiations were unsessful, they would act ordingly and advance a few more kilometers toward Xins waters.
But Reston was smiling bitterly.
From Huffmans words, he immediately understood that aside from himself, no UA citizens noticed the missile that flew across their backyards. After reporting the situation to Huffman, Reston hung up the phone, leaned on the wall outside the conference room, and lit himself a cigar.
His head was a mess because the lunatic who didnt y by the rules disrupted his n. He just wanted to calm down and recollect his thoughts during a smoke break.
Half an hour passed. This time, it didnte from an aircraft carrier but from the Capital.
A few minutes ago, a fighter jet equipped with cameras took off from a domestic military base and arrived in the airspace above the small ind. From the image taken, the ind looked like it was struck not long ago
Although no one wanted to ept this, the reality was clear to everyone.
Xin No, Celestial Trade, possessed global strike abilities.
Reston silently put his phone back and returned to the conference room.
That took a while. Jiang Chen put down his phone. His fingers were drawing circles on the table, and he smiled at Reston back in his seat.
Do you think one ICBM can threaten us? How many ICBMs do you think UA possesses? Reston said with a menacing expression.
What about this, then? It isnt too difficult to extract this from the zombies. Jiang Chen picked up the bottle dropped by Tate and ced it squarely on the table. Do you want to test the interception abilities of your missile defense system? For your little friend thousands of kilometers away?
Restons pupils drastically constricted. Tates expression also froze.
Its against internationalw to use biological weapons C you sure you want to do that? Restons Adams apple bobbed up and down with unease. He ced his palms on the table.
He thought a lunatic was standing in front of him.
Dont joke around. Do you promise UA wont use nuclear weapons in the face of survival? Were just imitating what you do. If you send out your forces, I will send out an ICBM. Either we are peaceful together, or we die together! Jiang Chen emotionlessly replied to Restons stare and enunciated thest sentence word by word.
Within striking range, no one could safely stay away from this mess.
Chapter 587 - The Saturday War
Chapter 587: The Saturday War
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Caron_
Reston chose topromise.
Precisely speaking, the Capital chose topromise. Reston, the negotiation representative, spoke with the Captial for the second time and sat back down at the negotiation table.
Celestial Trade must withdraw from MLL Inds We can talk about independence.
When these words came out of Restons mouth, Tate jumped up like a cat with his tail stepped on. His neck and face ballooned and reddened, and he cursed at Reston with spit flying.
This is an obvious conspiracy! You betrayed your ally! Do you not feel ashamed?!
Reston looked at Jiang Chen without feeling phased and ignored the furious Tate. Eric, standing by the side, could no longer sit and watch. He yed the role of the middleman and beganforting Tate.
We can withdraw, but we will keep 100 Marines here in City K. We n to establish aid stations here to fulfill our humanitarian duty, Jiang Chen said with self-righteousness.
That sentence almost made Eric choke. It was the first time he saw someone using the cover of humanitarianism to station troops.
You can station 50 people at most, and you cant deploy fighter jets here, Reston said.
100 people. City K is Moros territory, and this is our agreement with another country. Do you have the right to intervene?
Reston looked at Santos.
Santos exposed his white teeth and the deviousness unfitting of his muscr body.
We dont have any issues. We wee Celestial Trade to participate in the rebuilding of Kejia as well as investing in the industry of MLL Ind.
Okay. Reston nodded forcefully.
Then lets talk about Moros sovereignty. Aside from the non-disputable MLL Ind, what about the S Inds
Not a chance. Tate interrupted Jiang Chen.
But Jiang Chen didnt seem to notice him and continued.
S Inds are currently under the control of Moros 11th Brigade.
Control is one thing, sovereignty is another The United Nations observer, Eric, tried to speak before being interrupted by Santos.
These are documents outlining the sovereign rights. Santos ced a stack of documents on the table.
It takes time to review the legality of the documents. Restons tone deepened. Especiallypared to sovereignty, isnt the voice of the S Inds people more important? In our view, human rights are above sovereign rights.
Is that so? Your standards are always changing. Jiang Chen mocked him.
Restons expression looked awkward; he coughed to divert the topic.
Our discussion is about the Suf Inds problem.
I suggest a referendum C thats the fairest, Jiang Chen said.
No! Unless all citizens participate in the referendum, the territory of Country F should be determined by all citizens! Tate stomped the ground and shouted.
The unruly citizens of S Inds wanted to separate for a long time, so they couldnt permit them to vote for themselves.
Just as Tate said. Its like a house C you cant take apart his bedroom just because he wants to leave unless everyone in the house agrees. It was the first time Reston concurred with Tates opinion.
S Inds was the gateway to the sea. Strategically, as long as Moro controlled the area, Celestial Trades ships could freely enter the heart of Country F. Economically, S Inds were on the belt of the Pacific Ring, which contained arge reserve of rare metals. Control by Moro meant control by Celestial Trade, therefore Jiang Chen wouldnt give up on the possession of S Inds.
The first day of negotiations faltered because of the sovereignty dispute.
The two parties each took a step back and reached a ceasefire agreement and agreed to discuss other matters the next day.
The dispute regarding territorial ims wasnt easy to resolve, especially when the Aquino government wouldnt relinquish control by any means. Jiang Chens method was very immoral C during negotiations, he signaled Santos to open a family visit channel to the 34,000 Country F government soldiers in the western MLL inds. Moro permitted family visitors to cross the border, stay for a maximum of two days, and visit their captured family under the supervision of Moro soldiers.
The captured soldiers families could maintain theirposure when they didnt see them. But when they saw their sons, husbands, and boyfriends captured in camp, their tears and despair could no longer be restrained. Although the captured soldiers didnt receive inhumane treatment, they more or less were injured because of the war.
Moro had a strong stance regarding the pleas to release the captured soldiers.
We seek peace, but we will neverpromise with the enemy. If you want to see your family go home, go beg your Aquino C the choice has always been in his hands. As long as he is willing to sign the peace agreement, we can drop our weapons and reunite with our families!
We are also victims! We also seek peace! The viinous hat fit Aquinos head as a matter of course.
What happened next was predictable.
The soldiers families who returned to Country F protested, cried for the end of the war, and blocked the Presidential Pce and Aquinos private home. From the experiences of the soldiers families and wide support from other anti-war personnel and citizens who lost their ie due to the war, the waves of protest grew strong and stronger. The emotion card Jiang Chen yed achieved a superb effect in Country F, which was also burdened by a weak economy.
Only a minority of patriotic citizens refused topromise and fight to the end, but their voices were already too faint. People were always changing C during peaceful times, they would probably support a war because of the pride in their hearts. But during wartime, most of them would change their minds after their quality of life began to fall.
Since the ceasefire agreement was signed, Celestial Trade joined the war for seven days, but Country Fs currency depreciated by 20% while the price of goods skyrocketed by 50%. The people who demanded destroying Xin and making Pannu Inds the colony of Country F instantly calmed down and began to reflect on their lives and values.
Because of domestic pressure, the Aquino governmentsted for half a month before returning to the negotiation table in humiliation.
Country F recognized Moros independence. S Inds, MLL Ind and part of the ocean territory would belong to Moro. Country Fs five divisions would withdraw from the northern part of MLL Ind.
At the same time, Celestial Trades frigates and submarines withdraw from the area. Moros two divisions withdrew from the inds north of MLL Ind and returned the control of the territory to Country F. At the same time, Moro and Country F would unconditionally release all the captured soldiers.
Therefore, Moros pursuit of independence finally seeded and they became the 195th sovereign nation in the world. Country F, who lost their second biggest ind, copsed from this point onward.
And Celestial Trade, who made everything happen, became the Sovereign State of the area and the biggest winner of the war.
Because Celestial Trade intervened in the war on Saturday and the war ended within a week, this war was also referred to as the Saturday War by the internationalmunity.
Chapter 588
Chapter 588: ٰʮ ҽҵ
Trantor: Min Editor: Caron_
At the signing of the peace agreement, Jiang Chen saw Aquinosical face. From the puffy dark undereye circles and white hairs, his face was mixed in with some tragic colors.
Under the shing of the reporters cameras, Aquino walked up and shook the hand of the muscr Santos.
Santos gave him a smile, but he replied with a smile more ugly than upset.
Finally, the cameras hovered on the two pairs of hands holding the peace agreement. They both signed their names on the agreement and dered the conclusion of the civil war to the world.
Outside the view of the cameras, the actual facilitators behind the peaceful negotiation, Jiang Chen and Reston, were witnessing the historic moment from afar.
I hope this is thest time. Reston stared into Jiang Chens eyes. You already reached our bottom line. Do you want to know the percentage in favor of war?
I dont want to know. Jiang Chen shook his head with a smile. But you should know my bottom line as well.
One pistol, regardless how many bullets it contained, was still a gun when held in a babys hands. Or rather, because it was held in a babys hands, it was more dangerous. As long as the baby wasnt too greedy, everyone could still coexist peacefully.
Reston gave Jiang Chen a long and deep look.
Also, CIBs agents will arrive at the MLL Inds to search for the missing fighter pilot, Gordon. I hope your people will cooperate.
You should tell that to Santos C hes the actual owner of the ind. But I think if you dont do anything sneaky, you wont be turned away by them.
...
Jiang Chen had already ordered people to search for that pilot. Moro sent out a team to search through the mountainous forests in MLL Ind too, since a UA pilot would be an important chip on the bargaining table. Unfortunately, neither Celestial Trade nor Moro discovered the whereabouts of the pilot.
Optimistically, the unlucky guy may have been blown into the volcano on the ind.
Reston scoffed. He lit up his own cigar and got into the car that came to pick him up.
Jiang Chen stood at the ceremony for a while, gazing at the olive branch on the flying United Nations g and a contemptuous smile appeared on his face.
Before the apuse started, he turned around and left.
...
The war was over, and Moro owed Celestial Trade a total of 1.25 billion USD. Frankly speaking, if it wasnt for the infectious situation in City K raising his rm, he wouldve wanted to drag the war on for longer. The more money Moro owed to Celestial Trade, the more control Celestial Trade would have over them and the more Moro would depend on Xin.
MLL Ind was previously Country Fs poorest southern area; there was no way they could pay out 1.25 billion dors. The money could only be paid back in rich, undeveloped mining resources and fertile soils. These things were what Jiang Chen wanted the most.
The resources andnd were critical to Xin. Currently, Xin and the apocalypses mining resources and farm products were mostly imported from Australia. Although Xin had a good rtionship with them, it wasnt the best to depend on someone else.
But currently speaking, Australia had noments on the situation at Country F. They didnt want to offend Xin with a great economic outlook for Country F. Australia was in the midst of istionism, no different from UA in the 90s.
Because of the peace agreementing into effect, Celestial Trade withdrew the deployed frigate and the thousand Marines on MLL Ind, leaving only 100 soldiers in City K for the purpose of maintaining local security in tandem with the local forces.
Yes, they were no longer called the gueris. After the peace agreement came into effect, they became a sovereign country recognized by the United Nations. Their forces would naturally be called the government forces.
Three days after the peace agreement.
Currently, there are over 100,000 zombies in the east of the city. Our n is to use the Scorpion Tanks captured from Country F and form a tank battalion to recapture the five bridges that span across the river. Then we will use barbed fences to create a separation zone and gradually recover the area in the east...
Moro 11th brigademander, Chen Zhitian, was standing beside Jiang Chen, discussing the zombie problem in the city.
No need to go to such trouble. Jiang Chen shook his head.
Chen Zhitian looked over at Jiang Chen with questions in his eyes while waiting for him to continue.
T-virus C this is what our scientist named the virus. Based on clinical experiments, the virus ability to withstand UV is extremely low, and the duration of time the virus can survive outside the body is short. As long as we maintain the quarantine in the city, the possibility of the infection spreading is low. As for the zombies... just wait for them to starve to death.
Starve to death? Chen Zhitian looked at Jiang Chen in shock.
Thats right. Jiang Chen nodded.
The zombies in City K were inherently different from the zombies in the apocalypse; the differences were mostly reflected in the infection mechanism. One was a viral infection whereas the other was a bacterial infection. While the former destroyed the human nervous and immune systems, it didnt resolve the zombies energy problem. Thetter was a mutated bacteria used to cleanse radiation. After finding a host, it could use the host for photosynthesis.
Any creature without food intake would die.
Even zombies couldnt escape thew of nature. As long as the zombies didnt eat each other, they wouldst for a month at most before they turned into dried flesh. Jiang Chen would just need to prepare a few more burners to get rid of the dead corpses.
The only problematic thing was that since the zombies had no immune system, their bodies were starting to dpose. Without containment, there was a risk of a gue erupting in the city.
Doctors from international aid organizations had already entered the safe zone and started to examine the survivors there. This included researchers from international pharmaceuticalpanies. Everyone wanted to understand the secret behind the virus in order to create the vine that could protect against it.
Under Jiang Chens rmendations, Santos pushed out a strategypletely different from the Aquino government and didnt prevent international aid organizations from entering the city of Kejia, since Moro was too poor to fully contain the gue.
At the same time, a subsidiary of Future Group, Future Biology, held a news conference suggesting its expansion into the medical field while they sent a research team into the city of Kejia to participate in the research of T virus. The CEO of Future Biology, Tao Ming, also suggested that the researchers of Future Biology would conduct work independently without cooperation with other international medical teams.
Jiang Chen had been nning to enter the medical industry, and the infection Future Biology was working on only sped up his n.
The T virus that shocked the world was the perfect opportunity to enter the market. Future Biology would use peoples fear of the virus to make its mark in the industry. At the same time, to prevent this virus from spreading in their own country, all countries would, without a doubt, pay for the vine.
After the researchers in the modern world scanned the DNA of the virus, Jiang Chen went to the apocalypse and left everything to Lin Lin, who had nothing to do because of the heavy snowfall. Based on what she said, it wasnt a big deal to take care of the virus at all.
Just like that, time quickly passed to the tail end of January.
The previous virtual reality MMORPG nned forunch at the beginning of January was postponed to the end of January because of the presidents air crash. There were around 100 million Phantom users around the world eagerly waiting for theunch of Godly Land.
But just then, a piece of news caught Jiang Chens attention...
Chapter 589 - Keep an eye on them for me
Chapter 589: Keep an eye on them for me
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
At Coro Ind, in the Future Building, was the headquarters of Future Group.
If it wasnt for the fact that tourists werent permitted to enter, this ce absolutely had the potential to be the most icondmark building, second only to The Heart of the Sea on Coro Ind.
Since the name of the corporation included the word Future, the building was designed with a futuristic feeling. It stood at a height of 437 meters, with 110 floors above ground and 20 floors below ground. It was a skyscraper thatbined offices, residences, and dining halls. The top floors offered an aerial view of the ind; the middle floors could be Future Groups employees offices and fulfill living and dining needs; the lower floors could serve as a nuclear bunker with a capacity of ten thousand people Of course, thest function was only designed as a contingency.
Since the skyscraper officially came into service, Future Biology, Mining, Tourism and all other subsidiaries located on Ange Ind as well as Celestial Trades nonbat employees all moved there. Future Headquarters currently held 6000 employees that ounted for 20% of Xins total poption.
Needless to say, it was a terrifying percentage.
Sitting inside the Future Group building, Xia Shiyu was reporting to Jiang Chen on the current performance of the group.
Although Xia Shiyu had only been on the job for a month, she quickly disyed her talent in management, familiarized herself with Future Groups operations in the shortest possible time, and slotted herself into the role of the Groups CEO. Of course, she was able to quickly get into character partially because before she came to be the Groups CEO, Jiang Chen always left her the work he was supposed to do...
Jiang Chen didnt just sit around the past few days.
After taking care of business in Moro, he returned to Coro Ind and lived life traveling between the dimensions. The plus side was that he had great help on both sides to take care of misceneous things. If he didnt have that help, he suspected he would be at risk of schizophrenia.
Takeda Pharmaceutical? When Jiang Chen heard this unfamiliar name, Jiang Chens eyebrows furrowed.
Yes. Xia Shiyu nodded and hugged the tablet in her arms. Yesterday at noon, Takeda Pharmaceutical conducted a press conference at Yoto, announcing a significant breakthrough on the research of T virus. Theyre in thest stage of the clinical trial period before the vine will be released to the market.
Jiang Chen gave it some thought. He tapped on his EP and connected with Lin Linsmunication terminal.
Hello big pervert, what do you need?
Lin Lin, with a baggy white apron, surfaced on the screen. She gently swirled a cylinder containing an unknown liquid while yawning.
Jiang Chens eyebrows twitched and he pretended to not notice Xia Shiyus peculiar look. He coughed.
Hows the progress on the T virus vine?
Of course its done C Im the gorgeous scientist after all.
Why didnt you tell me you were done? Jiang Chen gave her a hard stare.
Lin Lin stuck out her tongue then pouted. You didnt ask me.
She put down the cylinder in her hand, turned around to walk to a machine, took out a USB from the top, returned to themunication terminal, then typed on the control panel with her graceful fingers.
Klein particles carried the information to the modern world.
Jiang Chen saw the signal light on the EP shing, and he knew the data was transported to his EP. The researchers on this side didnt need to do anything other than using Lin Lins research to design the production n.
After heforted Lin Lin, who wanted mango pudding, he endedmunication and finally met Xia Shiyus peculiar gaze.
And she is?
Shes Future Groups Research Departments scientist, Jiang Chen said sternly.
The Research Department, the mysterious department, was always the subject of gossip within the Group. No one knew its whereabouts. All data was transferred from the artificial intelligence Yao Yao designed to acquire information requested by Jiang Chen. Even Xia Shiyu, as the Groups CEO, didnt know too much about the special department.
Isnt she a bit young? Xia Shiyu facepalmed.
Because she was a digitalized human, even after 100 years, Lin Lin would still look like she was 16 years of age. Jiang Chen had been considering if he should let Xia Shiyu know about Future Groups core secret. But from her shocked expression, perhaps this would have to be dyed further
The data rted to the gic vine was transferred from the EP onto the USB. Xia Shiyu took the USB from Jiang Chens hands and reported on preparations for Godly Lands officialunch before she left the office.
Jiang Chen sank into his chair, closed his eyes, and repeatedly chewed on the information Xia Shiyu reported to him.
There was one piece of information he was concerned about the most.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals T virus had entered the clinical trial phase. Jiang Chen sensed something odd about their speed of research.
Takeda Pharmaceutical?
Jiang Chen muttered while staring at the ceiling. He suddenly stood up and pressed on theputer.
Momentarily, the door to the office opened again.
It was Ayesha who came in. Because it was business hours, she was dressed in a suit simr to Xia Shiyu.
Xins National Security Departments non-field employees also worked in Future Groups building, including Ayesha as the captain of the Ghost Agents. But the work of the Ghost Agents was mostly directed and nned by the people of the department. Her responsibility was to approve Ghost Agent missions, so she was usually free without a need toe to the office every day. The reason she came today was because Jiang Chen was there.
Is there anything you need?
Mhmm. I need your people to keep an eye on something for me.
Ayesha nodded and her eyes responded: At your service.
Takeda Pharmaceutical, Kurofune C only these two keywords. I need you to gather as much intelligence as possible through these two keywords.
Ill keep an eye on them.
It was January 24th in the blink of an eye with Han New Years Eve only a few days away.
In order toplete theunch of Godly Land, the entire Future Group was bustling with activities.
But no oneined about the chaos before the New Year.
Since the date for their bonuses was approaching by the day!
The President said at the end-of-year meeting that all Future Group employees would be given a big bonus, so all employees working for thepany would have a great New Year!
As for the bonus amount, it was based on the profitability of the subsidiary, the employees position, and personal performance. But regardless, the average bonus was at least 100 thousand dors. Also, the bonus of?the employees was calcted separately from senior management, therefore the figure wasnt a boosted average. The CEO of the subsidiaries would receive a dividend of at least ten million USD. Xia Shiyu, as the Groups CEO, would receive at least 100 million.
Future Groups profitability this year easily broke through 40 billion USD because of the over 100 million Phantom units sold. The other subsidiaries all provided ster financial reports.
Based on the decision of the boardprised of only two people, Future Group would pay out a dividend of at least 30 billion USD for the fiscal year of 2016. Therefore, Jiang Chens private ount officially broke the 30 billion USD mark.
There was nothing that excited people more than money. Although there was still some time before the New Year, thepany was filled with the holiday spirit.
At the end-of-year ball, Jiang Chen drunk with the employees.
Jiang Chen was naturally delighted by the enthusiastic employees and he didnt reject any of the toasts proposed to him. He only vaguely remembered that his drunk self seemed to have lost a bet, and with the?encouragement of the young employees, he kissed Xia Shiyu on the cheek.
The result was obvious.
Such a flirtatious move made the girl with a thin face ignore him for several days
Chapter 590 - Godly Land Online!
Chapter 590: Godly Land Online!
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Godly Land, anticipated by over 100 million yers around the world, was finallyunched.
In order to allow 100 million users to connect into the game simultaneously, Jiang Chen used his permissions to open up theputation capacity of the quantumputer at Coro Ind underground to 90%! The spike caused Coro Inds total electricity usage to spike by 13.7%, which brought pressure to the tidal and wind power generators on the ind.
To resolve the electricity shortage, Future Biology had to set up ten additional square kilometers of seaweed electricity generating farms on the west Pacific Ocean in order to satisfy Future Groups electricity needs.
The quantumputers astronomical power usage was evident!
What was worth noting was that sincemercial quantumputers had to process multiple instances ofputational tasks, their power consumption was high. Experimental quantumputers were far more powerfulpared tomercial units, which had much lower power consumption and were unable to provide service to millions of users simultaneously.
In order to meet the demands of the growing users in the modern world, Jiang Chen had to continuously rush Zhao Chenwus trade fleet to bring back quantumputers from outside Wanghai; otherwise, VRmunity and VR emerce couldnt be established.
Zhao Chenwu had his own troubles since he had trouble finding the materials. The more advanced the technology, the more precise it was. Even though they didnt suffer destruction from the nuclear explosion, the quantumputers left on the wastnd for over ten years were mostly broken, especially since they offered no value to most survivors since it was neither food nor weapon.
On the entire wastnd, only NAC collected the game servers.
Hua, Wanghai, in a normal apartment building.
A young man with sses was using a mouse to scroll through the pages on hisptop.
His name was Wei Wendong and his IGN was known as the Shadow King. He was previously a professional gamer for League of Legends and an honorary club member of the Kings Esports Club. After retirement, he became a streamer of the mobile game New Era Of course, after he acquired an internal test spot for Godly Land, he was signed for 20 million RMB by Kings Esports Club, thus making him a member of the Kings again.
In the past few days, Wei Wendong had been following Future Technologys news closely.
Godly Lands unexpected dys disrupted his streaming ns. What surprised him was that not only did it not influence his poprity, but it surprisingly attracted more viewers. He received over one hundred private messages each day, asking him when he would start streaming the VR MMORPG.
He could only tell his viewers with a bitter smile that the question was better directed at Jiang Chen C the President of Future Group.
Because the officialunch date was approaching, the official forum of Godly Land was filled with emotions.
Wei Wendong flipped through the lines of unconstructivements and attempted to gather some useful information from theizens.
Internal test secrets, first-hand game information released! Please call me Lei Feng! (1) Dont need to thank me!
OP is a dumba*s C you call this an internal test yer?
Fu*k, is the server going to beunched or not? Im going to sell the helmet and y something else. The Inte is so expansive C there are tons of other fun games out there!
OP, dont run. Ill pay 10,000, sell me the helmet! Contact me at
Get out! I paid 4000 in tax already. I specifically went to the duty-free shop in Xin, but I was still charged tax when I got off the ne.
Hahaha, allow me to use a sad emoji. Also, if OP is willing to sell, Ill offer 11 thousand.
Im a girl, Priest main. Please carry me, :).
There was no differencepared to yesterday C no constructivements at all.
Although it was unfortunate, Wei Wendong felt relieved sitting in front of theputer.
Being an internal test yer was his only advantage. Other than the basic game controls, the location of the regr missions, and the spawn points of monsters, he also discovered a ss mission for a hidden ss! Most of the hidden sses were unique or limited in number. He was most afraid that other internal test yers would also discover the same secret and publish it online.
But by the looks of it now, his worries werepletely extraneous. All the yers wishing to make a mark in this era-defining global MMORPG were selfish; no one was willing to expose their trap card.
Finally, he made it to the date of the serverunch. Wei Wendong adjusted his body into afortable position,id on the bed with the helmet and muttered the startmand.
It was the feeling of his spirit drifting away to another world.
Following the brief interruption of his consciousness, he appeared in the grey cube when he opened his eyes again.
He eagerly called out for the menu and he discovered in surprise that the icon to the Godly Land light up!
It was
!
Just like Future Technologys official exnation, after character creation, he found the icon to record and stream.
Then he hovered over the icon to log out.
Perfect, the logout icon was also lit up.
Before he entered the game, he wondered if the plot in the movie urred, what would he do if he was locked in the game? But by the looks of it now, his worries werepletely excessive.
Although it was an open world, the new yer vige existed in the form of a scenario. This allowed new yers to ess guides andmunicate their learnings to familiarize themselves with the game.
But even then, the new yer vige with the code 00001 was filled with people.
Wei Wendong ignored the long list of team invites, opened the game map, set the target to the middle of the vige and walked there with hasty steps.
Compared to the newbies who were wandering around the vige and touring the world, the internal test yers already passed the phase of excitement upon entering an open virtual world. They went to the vige center immediately, found the mayor and picked up their first newbie quest.
Kill ten demonic toads and gain the newbie title C the Demonic Toad Killer! The reward was three silver coins as well as a soul continuation candle.
But in the middle of the vige, he saw a strange yer. He was standing beside the mayor, but he didnt ask a question nor was he speaking with the mayor. He only muttered with his hand on his chin: Is this house too small? The street is definitely too narrow, The new yer guides skirt isnt short enough and other sentences that sounded odd.
Suddenly, Wei Wendong noticed the mayors annoyed expression and he instantly realized something.
Could it be
A hidden quest!
Now long after, the odd yer chatted with the mayor for a brief moment before leaving.
It looked like he epted a quest!
Wei Wendong made up his mind and walked up, mimicking the other yers posture. He examined the vige for a moment, pretending like he knew things. The mayor had a contemptuous look but wasnt moved at all.
His eyes seemed to be saying: Too young, too simple.
Seeing this, Wei Wendong gritted his teeth and made up his mind. His voice of criticism continued to rise higher and his questions began to be harsher. For example, he said the door wasnt ced properly for the best fortune, the window had poor lighting, the mayors abilities were mediocre at best
The mayors expression began to change. First, he scoffed, then he ignored him by looking away and he finally turned cold.
Just as Wei Wendong was about to give up, the major jumped up in anger while cursing at Wei Wendong.
Im angry!
[He-he can speak English?]
But the mayor didnt give him any hidden quest.
Not only that C what made Wei Wendong dumbfounded was that regardless of how much he begged the mayor to give him the mission, the mayor ignored him. Without that candle, he couldnt continue with the missions! Even NPCs could throw tantrums C this game was way too smart.
He was really angry.
(1) Lei Feng C An individual known for his life of good deeds.
Chapter 591 - Too many Grandchildren!
Chapter 591: Too many Grandchildren! Trantor: ?_Min_?Editor: ?RundiMin ?Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen had a rxing time during the New Year, although he was never busy to begin with.
His parents insisted on going back to their hometown for a visit, so Jiang Chen sent his private ne with them. Although his parents said there was no need to be wasteful, Jiang Chen still insisted on his idea. He also arranged for bodyguards to protect the two elders.
Different frommercial airnes, his private ne was equipped with heat luring missiles, making anti-air missiles mostly ineffective. Although he didnt think people would plot against his parents, it was better to be cautious.
With Celestial Trades bodyguards on the surface and Ghost Agents hidden in the dark, there was no problem ensuring the safe of the two elders at all.
After sending them on the ne, Jiang Chen headed to New Moon Ind and moved 20 newly manufactured T-3 power armors into the armory.
The soldiers who were training in the virtual reality training chamber mostlypleted the training tasks. Xin and UA already experienced tension regarding the issue of MLL Inds. To respond to any potential threat, Celestial Trade could only strength its firearms in order to prevent any unexpected situationp.
Moro 11th brigademander Chen Zhitian sent out a clean-up team to City K after speaking with Ivan on the phone.
With the assistance of the Scorpion tanks and the United Nations heavy trucks, cleaners with protective suits and shot guns headed out from the safe zone and gradually recovered the corpses scattered around the city. The bodies would be sent to the burners at the rural area for incrimination under the supervision of United Nations observers.
257,201 was the total fatality figure in this infection calcted by Moro.
The thick smoke of the incrimination added another hint of despair to the already in shambles city.
Some people captured this despairing scene through paintings. The fragility of life was exquisitely painted through the trail of smokes. But the pain of the living intensified the tragedy of the situation. The painting waster showcased at the International Painting Festival and made all viewers stop and ponder.
On the other hand, the the anti-infection medicine produced by Takeda Pharmaceutical, known as mint-vored candy hit the market. After the medicine was proven effective clinically, the survivors at the safe zone finally weed the day the quarantine ended.
But there were clear ws to the medicine.
The person taking the drug could not be granted with permanent resistance to the T virus. In three years, they must take another dosage of the pill in order to maintain resistance. The most critical fact was that consuming multiple dosages of the medicine would decrease the effective of and hence lower ones immunity against the T virus.
The second the clinical result was published, it caught Jiang Chens attention.
Ladisiv confessed to Jiang Chen that before he was executing the mission, he took a mint-vored pill.
Based on what the dead Kurofune member Giles said, it was the medicine that granted immunity against the infection.
Takeda Pharmaceutical could bring out the antidote to the T virus was suspicious in nature. But Jiang Chen was uncertain if Kurofune controlled Takeda Pharmaceutical or there was an exchange of interest between the two parties.
Regardless, this corporation was ying with fire.
But due to the insufficient amount of evidence, Ladisivs words alone could not prove direct connection between Takeda Pharmaceutical and the infection that broke out in the city of Kejia. Nepon government absolutely would not sanction their star enterprise based on Jiang Chens one-sided warning and usation.
Jiang Chen could only hope that the Ghost Agent sent to Yoto could bring him good news.
After Takeda Pharmaceutical introduced the pill, Future Biology also brought out corresponding research results C injection type T virus vine. The patient taking the vine would be granted with permanent immunity against the T virus that broke out in City K. And there would be no possibility of being infected by that the virus in at least 50 years.
Once the vine hit the market, it received wide recognition from the internationalmunity and directly impacted Takeda Pharmaceuticals sales.
Regardless of costs or clinical results, Future Biologys vine was far superior with the only minor drawback being the production quantity. Takeda Pharmaceutical had to call an urgent press release promising for the development of a more effective anti-virus medicine or vine.
Because the vine problem was solve, the international medical teams in the city began to gradually leave.
Future Biology invested in a new pharmaceutical nt in Kejia and expanded the daily vine production amount to 100 thousand per day. A lot of international and national heal organizations ordered the vine. Based on the estimation provided by Tao Ming, because of the gap of T virus vine on the international market, Future Biologys 2017 earnings could exceed 12 billion USD!
Although it was only the beginning of the year, when he made the estimate, he voice was filled with certainty.
Even then, Future Biologys financial report was nowhereparable to Future Technology.
At the end of February, Godly Land was already on the right track and the media had an overwhelmingly positive reception. Based on the report from Future Technologys new CEO Ning Huajian, Godly Land had 110 million active users.
Sitting on such a massive amount of users, even though game was free, there was no need to worry about profitability.
Future Technology gained arge amount of operating experience from New Era. And these experiences were worth being utilized into Godly Land. For example, the auction system and the costume system. Without interfering with the games yability, they maximized the profitability channels.
But followed theunch of the global server, the small questions missed during the internal testing phase were gradually discovered and fixed with the help of the developers in the apocalypse.
For example, people would be too addicted and spent all day in the virtual world,pletely forgetting day and night. The Phantom will not cause any physiological damage to the users body, but lying on the bed without moving for a long time was damaging to the body itself, and this is without the discussion of eating and drinking water.
To tackle this, Du Yongkang and his programmers added a status panel in the users menu. Based on the bodys response to the brain to confirm the hunger and thirst level of the body, once it was determined to be abnormal, it would remind the yer in the field of vision. If the yer neglect the warning, the helmet will auto log out to act as a protection mechanism.?
On the other hand, to prevent yers from bing too addicted to the virtual world, Future Technology added some limits to gaming time. Based on the time zone of the yer, between 8 at night to 6 in the morning, the yers experience and gold reward was 100%. In the day time, any gaming time over 8 hours will be considered tired status with reward level only at 50%. 24 hours of continuous time online (The gap between each login is less than one hour) will trigger the protection mechanism.
Of course, the protection mechanism only applied to workdays. Holidays and weekends restricted the limit on time online with the consideration of peoples habit of ying all night long.
Future Technology would introduce the virtual reality hibernation chamber in the future.
With the protection of the nutrient liquid, users could remain in sleep state for an extensive amount of time without causing damage to the body. At that time, yers who bought the hibernation chamber which is equivalent to VIP users will be granted the ability to stay online for a continuous period of time until all nutrient liquid is exhausted.
But Jiang Chen thought that for the rich yers that could afford the half a million hibernation chambers, they probably wont have that much time to y the game.
But he also knew that in the near future, the application of virtual reality was not limited to gaming. It will be a tool thatpletely changes everyones life.
Chapter 593
Chapter 593: Quantum Communication Satellites in the Orbit! Trantor: Min ?Editor: Rundi
On the deserted ind south of Ange Ind.
Leaving the thick smoke trail behind, Celestial Trades rocketsunched to the vast blue dome.
Apany the ession of this rocket marked Xin and humanitys first usage of quantummunication satellite. Of course, the public didnt know the true functionality of this rocket and Celestial Trade didnt offer an exnation to the non-traditional information passage quantummunication technology and only vaguely stated that the satellite utilized an innovative technology which would allow thetency of wi-fi connections to be limited to 20 ping and below.
The satellite will provide free wifi service to Xin as part of the citizens benefit. Not only did it improve Xin citizens view of Celestial Trade, it also drastically increased the tourism rating of Pannu Inds.
Also, because of the expansive coverage of the satellite andrge amount of idling capacity avable, Celestial Trades Aerospace Technology Center was in the process of negotiating with thergest telmunication service provider in Atria regarding a partnership opportunity to provide paid wifi service to the eastern area of Atria.
I cant believe Im standing at this god forsaken ce watching you y with rockets.
United Nations International Space Agency observer Henry was standing outside of the rocketunch ground with sunsses on while watching the emptyunch frame in boredom.
It was February, but Coro Inds air was filled with the smell of summer. And the sense of summer was especially apparent on the ind near the equator. Without media around, Henry took off his suit jacket.
24unches in a year. If youre feeling like you are making too much money, why dont you donate to the Red Cross.
Im personally doing phnthropy right now. As to the Red Cross I dont have that much money to do that, Jiang Chen mocked.
The Red Crosss poor reputation in Hua was no secret. Any outside products, whether it was advanced products or a belief, ideology will be mutated for the better or worse. So Henry only made a sound with his nose at Jiang Chens scorn as someone who would take out a portion of his paycheck as a Protestant.
Every time I step on this ind, I have the illusion that Im deported from the civilized society, seeing the rockets rise and the smoke disappear, Henry muttered to himself.
You should feel lucky because this is the start of humanity, the center of the universe in the future.
Here? Henry pointed at the bare sandstone reefs below his feet and ridiculed. Unless humanitys future is bing a dried fish on the beach.
Jiang Chen could understand Henrys frustration. If it wwew not for Xins entire yearunch n, he wouldnt have to be transferred from the prosperous District to here. He also without need to stare at the trail of smoke twice a month.
But the description of dried fish somehow poked on Jiang Chens funny bone.
Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder and grinned.
Then just pretend youre taking a vacation at the east Pacific Hawaii, though the vacation might be a bit longer. You can enjoy five star hotels every day, if I were you, I wouldntin this much.
Henry nced at Jiang Chen before he turned around toward the port.
He already confirmed that theunch had nothing with ICBM therefore half of his work this month was already over, there was no need to stay on the ind anymore. He just wanted to return to the hotel hes staying out, change into clean clothes, and then have some cold beer at the bar.
The United Nations amodation budget only permitted him to stay in the cheaper hotels, but Celestial Trade took extra care of him. Not only did they arrange for him to stay at Future Groups building, they also covered his three meals per day, and even offered a travel subsidy of 50,000 USD per month.
50,000 USD was enough to buy a nice car!
Henry first rejected Jiang Chens clear intention to befriend him, but he then dly eptedter. Since he had to write two reports a month and it was indeed tiring. As to the satellites Celestial Tradeunched, he kept one eye open and one eye closed about it while saving the step of checking the key parts. He just wrote conventionalmercialmunication satellite on the report.
In his perspective, the tiny satellite could not carry any dangerous weapon modules.
And the rockets design had nothing to do ICBM at all.
It was just F that had a hostile opinion toward Xinsunch ns before. After the MLL Ind missile crisis, UA and their allies began toment about Xinsunch ns too.
The first thing after the peace treaty came in effect, UA used the United Nations to pressure Xin to release the number of ICBMs avable and the number of missile silos under the sea.
Jiang Chen could obviously not agree and responded with corresponding conditions. Unless UA released all the coordinates of all ICBM deployment, Celestial Trade will never release any information rted to the underwater missile silo.
[Do you think Im dumb?]
[If I told you everything, how can I y the game?!]
UA then proposed new terms requesting Xin to provide concrete evidence to prove that the country held no mass destructive weapons, for example the T virus.
It was hard to prove, unless the United Nations observers took apart every warhead and examined it.
Xins response was direct. The virus vine was developed by Xins Future Biology C the main contributor for treating the infection against the T virus; Xin will reject any illogical allegation made by UA.
Illogical? It was indeed illogical.
Since the terms of the negotiation was confidential to the outside world, UA could not bring out solid evidence to prove Celestial Trade used the virus as a chip on the table and threatened them on the negotiation table. But even if they had evidence, UA will never admit that they chose topromise and sold on Fs interest.
Even then, UAs defense whitepaper didnt include Xin as a high priority target. A country with just barely 30 thousand people was too slow. Even if it create amotion in the local region, it didnt influence UAs supremacy at all.
UA was most worried about Xin leaning toward Hua.
If that did happen, their inds chain they worked hard to establish would cease to exist. But by the current looks of it, Xin didnt have ns for this. Although they had higher than usual aerospace activity, they didnt have ns to hide theunch which rest assured the UA Defense Department.
But assured was one thing. To a country with ICBM capability, the Rainbow Mansion still maintained the basic degree of caution. CIBs activity on Coro Ind increased by a notch to search for the non-existent weapon of mass destruction.
.
The secondunch mission was sessful without a doubt.
After saying goodbye to Henry, seeing it waste, Jiang Chen got rid of the idea of returning to Future Group.
On the way home, Ayesha reported to Jiang Chen about the status at the National Defense Agency.
Among the UA tourists headed to Coro Ind, two are confirmed to be CIB agents or at least hired by CIB.
Is there any confirmed spy activity?
Currently no. Ayesha shook his head.
Then keep an eye on them for now. Compared with CIBs people, Im more concerned with the situation in Yoto Is there any results from the investigation on Takeda Pharmaceutical?
Currently no Ayesha lowered her head in disappointment, among the employees, we didnt find the name Tanaka.
Is that so? Looks like theyre doing a good job in their privacy work, Jiang Chen stared at the scenes disappearing outside of the window as he said nonchntly.
There were only two possibilities. One was that Takeda Pharmaceutical had nothing to do with Kurofune, but that was impossible. The other possibility was more dangerous. It was that Takeda Pharmaceutical was working with Kurofune with the Nippon governments involvement. Since just from a privacy measure, a private enterprise with such a secure measure was odd especially considering the cost.
I will send more people
No need. Jiang Chen shook his head, if I guessed correctly, they will make another move soon. Your primary mission is to ensure the national security of Xin and prevent Kurofune from infiltrating domestically. Celestial Trades soldiers will assist in your operation.
Understood. Ayesha nodded solemnly.
The Spike missile as well as the virus that sacrificed a city was enough to prove the organizations determination to kill him.
But he didnt feel the slightest fear at all.
Funny, what kind of death didnt he face before? In the apocalypse, not including zombies, there were countless amount of Roshans and mutated humans that died in his hands. He even faced the dangerous Death ws. Was he going to fear a few rats?
Chapter 594 - Free Wi-fi!
Chapter 594: Free Wi-fi!
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Rundi
There were previously two telmunication providers from New Zend that provided Xins cellr service, but followed by Celestial Trades quantummunication satelliteunch that provided free wifi service to all of Xin, the two foreignpetitors businesses there were instantly crashed.
Who would be willing to pay if there is a free equivalent service?
While 20 Mbps speed was not the fastest internationally, it was enough. 20 ping oftency was an impable experience for most users. A value lower than that would be indistinguishable by the naked eye.
A quantummunication satellite has a life of 5-10 years with a cost around 100-200 million USD, Celestial Trade was expected tounch 36 satellites to the geosynchronous orbit. Combined with the cost ofunch, Celestial Trades yearly aerospace budget was around 1.5 billion USD.
Because of the scarce amount of resources in the apocalypse, Jiang Chen didnt want Jiang Lin to waste his time producing this, therefore he transferred the quantummunication satellite production line to the modern world. Considering that the quantummunication technology must be kept confidential, the production line became currently the most automated product line in Future Group with an automation rate of 85%pleted by drones.
Although the design caused the cost to the production line to double, it decreased thebor cost in producing the satellite.
From a long term perspective, the investment was worthwhile!
But regardless, anything project rted to aerospace still burned through money.
Perhaps when the space elevator is built, the situation would be better.
With the foreign telmunication providers exiting the market, Jiang Chen used the principle of not wasting anything and purchased the New Zend Tel subsidiary in Xin with a floor price of 210 million USD and took over all the talents and assets. The business was restructured and merged into Celestial Trades Web project team to provide inte port services to Xin.
Due to the limitation in number, quantummunication satellite functionality only acted as a giant router. Although this router could use the quantum entanglement effect to observe the weak electromaic signals tens of thousands of kilometers away from the Earth in order to achieve the data exchange between satellite and conventional cellphones, but ultimately, the router still must be connected with the signal stations on the ground.
If Xins user wanted to visit a UA website, although they used the satellite, the data still must be transferred from the signal stations through the submarine cable.
The innovation of the quantummunication satellite exist in that it changed the conventional user-cable (or Wi-Fi + cable)-server data transferring method to user-satellite-server And the ability to ept user upload data could be viewed an upgrade to Googles global Wi-Fi n.
When all 36 of Celestial Trades satellites ascend and the Wi-FI signal covered the entire Earth, it would be time when the submarine cable start to exit from history.
Disregarding the technological aspect, while Celestial Trades cheap meteorological service didnt make the Xin citizen feel any convenience, the free Wi-Fi n quickly gathered overwhelmingly positive support. Whether you were home or fishing on the sea, as long as you were within the borders of Xin, you could connect with the Wi-Fi signal.
From the start, when Celestial Trade announced to Xin through the satellite that it will provide free Wi-Fi to the entire region, the international experts were quick to dismiss the idea. But when they discovered Celestial Trade really did it, the experts and professors were dumbfounded. All the university and research institute almost blew up Celestial Trades phone.
Celestial Trades response was suave.
Themunication didnt exceed the speed of light.The exact signal broadcasting method is rted to trade secrets and will not be revealed.
Whats funny was, the era-defining technology did not scare the professors and experts first, but the telmunication providers thousands of kilometers away.
Although the satellite must rely on a group port to provide user with Wi-Fi service, the port didnt have to be located domestically, it could be ced anywhere on Earth.
Therefore, Celestial Trade only need to maintain arge enough port to be able to use the quantummunication satellite to provide Wi-Fi to any region with signal coverage. And the users will be connecting from Xins port and itll have nothing to do with the country the user is located in.
It was terrible news for some people!
Free Wi-Fi? Full coverage? It is rubbish!
CTV and other medias made statements overnight questioning Celestial Trades free Wi-Fi project could perhaps vite thews of neighboring countries. Even if Liu family wanted to help out, they couldnt. The telmunication industry was connected with too many peoples interest, even as the Liu family, they could not stand up against the opposing voice alone.
When the state media made theirment, Liu Xiangguo called Jiang Chen.
What you didcked consideration.
Lacked consideration?
When Jiang Chen picked up the phone, he was a bit confused. He didnt remember starting any projects in Han, could it be Ning Jianhua that did something wrong?
When he finished listening to Liu Xiangguo, he realized it was not that at all. So he began to exin with a dumbfounded emotion. The free Wi-Fi will only be avable in Xin as part of the benefits to Xin citizens; it will not be avable in other countries. We have currently entered in an agreement with Atrias telmunication provider to provide monthly Wi-Fi service at a cost of 15 AUD
15 AUD was approximately 11.6 USD which waspetitive for the Atria citizens with an average cost of data service of 60 AUD. Only a small area could enjoy unlimited, high speed inte service because of the NBN project.
Liu Xiangguo was somewhat relieved when he heard Jiang Chens exnation.
Let me ask another question. In the agreement with Australia, which port are they using?
It could be Xin or it could be Australia, but the Australia telmunication provider did suggest that we can leave the port maintenance work to them, so we did just that. It is not a small cost to maintain the web port. Jiang Chen sunk into his chair.He habitually spun the pen in his right hand while holding the phone with his left hand and exined to Uncle Liu.
He was still confused since Celestial Trade had no active business in Hua. The only two international projects were the civil war between Moro and Country F and the Wi-Fi service in Australia.
So youre saying, if Australia people wanted to use Celestial Trades Wi-Fi, it still must go through the port of Australiatelmunication provider?
It was funny since neither Liu Xiangguo nor Jiang Chen understood the technical knowledge behind this; theirmunication sounded like both were pretending that they knew.
In theory, yes. Jiang Chen forcefully nodded.
While he wanted to add that it was not necessary, he got rid of the idea after giving it some thought.
Liu Xiangguoughed when he received confirmation from Jiang Chen.
I see. Now Im assured. But your Wi-Fi just do it outside if you know what I mean.
Dont you want free inte? Jiang Chen asked with an odd expression.
Do you think the Liu familycks the money to pay for inte?
Jiang Chen took a moment to process and understood what the elder referred to, so he started tough along.
That makes sense.
After catching up with Uncle Liu, he hung up the phone.
With Future Groups billion to support them, the Liu family really didnt need worry about the familys finances. As long as Future Group didnt do anything too over the line, the Liu familys power could easily deflect any criticism. Therefore, they could have the inflow for a long time
A few hundred dors in inte bills? It was like a drop in the vast sea.
Chapter 595 - Extremely Greedy
Chapter 595: Extremely Greedy
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Jiang Chen hung up the phone. Seeing it was around lunchtime, he put the task at hand aside and headed to the elevator.
The Future Building was 110 floors above the ground with five floors being dining space with a variety of gourmet foods. With Future Group funding it, reputable foodpanies were contracted to provide dining service for all 6000 employees in the building.
Future Group had a lot of money, it was not only reflected on the Presidents bank ount, but it was also reflected in the daily work and bank ount of each employee. Jiang Chen will never mistreat his own employees; Future Groups bonus each year was generous to the point of it being shocking.
The low cost of research and unrivaledpetition in the market brought Future Group a high profitability margin. Jiang Chens requirements for all employees were just asking them to have the ability to ept new knowledge, as well as the most critical sense of belonging and loyalty.
Jiang Chens office was located in the uppermost office space and the highest floor of the entire building. If he were eating at thepany, he would usually head to the diner on the 100th floor. His appetite was always excellent when he watched the ind change because of him.
Medium Australia coal-roasted steak, spaghetti, mashed potato, eggs, as well as a bowl of rich and thick chicken mushroom soup.
The seat along the left window was his special spot. Since Jiang Chen always sat here, the employees of thepany left the seat specifically for their president. Respect will cause distance. Although Jiang Chen acted friendly to everyone and even could be said to not to bureaucratic at all, the employees would still leave a safe distance out of habit.
This point was reflected on the fact that all the employees that saw Jiang Chen would greet him warmly and they were happy to chat with him during breaks, but no one would sit across from him when eating. If the diner were not crowded, people usually wouldnt sit near him. Partially because they didnt want to disturb him, and partially because they didnt know if he wanted people to sit with him.
Of course, it could be because of the fear of height, since it was the window seat on the 100th floor.
Jiang Chen described this phenomenon as the emperor vibe, but he didnt mind it personally since he was a person that enjoyed the quietness.
The steak is not bad today, it is a pity that Ayesha is not here. He chewed on a piece of steak and nodded in approval.
Ayesha had a particrly fond rtionship with beef, but because she was at New Moon Ind today taking care of tasks regarding the Ghost Agents, she was not at the Future Building.
While Jiang Chen was untiringly enjoying the scenery outside and feeding delicious gourmet foods into his mouth, the sound of high heels approached him before he noticed a person sat down across from him.
When Jiang Chen saw the gorgeous but cold face, the fork stopped by his mouth for two seconds, but he quickly returned to his normal state and smiled at her.
Are you going to eat here?
I always eat here, okay? Xia Shiyu ced the tray on the table and said nonchntly.
Fruit sd, corn soup, croissant no meat.
Xia Shiyu saw Jiang Chen was staring at his te and she tilted her head, puzzled.
Is there a problem?
No will you be full? Jiang Chen felt a bit shocked.
Mhmm, because Xia Shiyu couldnt tell him that because she sat for too long, therefore her legs got a bit wider. Therefore she opened her mouth, but then swallowed the words down and said, Dont really have the appetite.
Take care of your body, dont catch a cold. Jiang Chen then masticated.
[Youre already so thin, and you still eat this little, Im afraid youll be blown away during a typhoon]
Xia Shiyu didnt know what Jiang Chen was thinking, she bit into the small tomato before she replied in a whisper.
Mhmm.
After the kiss at the end of the year ball, the two didnt have lunch like this for a long time. But after the New Years Eve dinner, although nothing happened, it magically brought them closer together.
After getting to know her, Xia Shiyu who always had a distant expression, surprisingly was easy to get to. Sometimes Jiang Chen thought it would be great to maintain their current rtionship. They could discuss anything work or life-rted.
Although he knew it was impossible.
The conversation then turned into work. Jiang Chen remembered the conversation with Liu Xiangguo and then told her what they discussed on the phone.
We have to put the 1.4 billion people market aside for now.
Jiang Chen sounded casual, but he was very reluctant to do so.
Based on the stats published at the end of 2016, the total number of Hanizens broke through the 700 million mark and more than doubled the poption of the UA. Even if everyizens fee was 10 RMB per month, it was monthly earnings of 7 billion and at least 12.9 billion USD of earning per year. If providing the Wi-Fi service required sevenrge quantummunication satellites, the yearly maintenance cost would be around 700 million USD. After all misceneous expenses, the profit could easily surpass 500 million USD.
Since Celestial Trade didnt require an actual storefront, payment could be done online and acquiring the service would just need the user to have an ount and the APP and the savings inbor and rent were substantial enough. While the current incumbents have a monopoly, their 2015 revenue of 331 billion RMB onlyted a profit of 20 billion RMB.
Im the current CEO of Future Group, are you discussing this with the wrong person? Xia Shiyu joked.
The satellite Wi-Fi n was Celestial Trades project. While Celestial Trades projects were working to serve Future Group without directly pursuing a profit, the management and share structure was independent.
Whats the big deal? Besides, the software maintenance service of the satellite Wi-Fi project is provided by Future Technology. Also, I want to hear your opinion, Jiang Chen said.
The rtionships there are tooplicated. My rmendation is to remain cautious and avoid the interests chain. Xia Shiyu gave it a thought and carefully suggested, To avoid affecting the groups other business sectors.
So youre just letting that 10 billion USD sit there? Jiang Chen let out a sigh before he stuffed a tomato in his mouth.
Of course not, A confident curvature appeared on Xia Shiyus red lips, If Celestial Trades Wi-Fi covers the entire world andpletely outcast the submarine cable service, could they still reject you?
Jiang Chen first took a moment to process before he smiled delightfully.
They could surprisingly be on the same page
Reject? You have to be able to reject first!
After the meal, Xia Shiyu picked up the napkin and elegantly cleaned off the sd sauce from the tip of her mouth. She hesitated for a moment while looking at Jiang Chen still working on the steak before speaking.
Can I Can I ask you a personal question?
Go ahead, Jiang Chen openly said.
Whats your view on Ayesha?
Jiang Chens fork froze, he began to regret saying yes so freely.
Is this a topic rted to work?
This is lunch time.
Jiang Chen closed his eyes and gently said the words Xia Shiyu didnt want to hear.
An important person to me.
With a hint of remorse quickly fading in her eyes, Xia Shiyu looked down.
Then how do you look at me.
Jiang Chen said sternly while looking at her face.
An important person to me.
In the ck pupils, surprise and anger were mixed together.
Without knowing how to reply to the answer, Xia Shiyu bit her lips, stood up, and picked up the tray.
Just as when she passed by Jiang Chen, she stepped on his foot fiercely.
Without caring for Jiang Chens exaggerated scream, she left in quick steps.
Jiang Chen wiped off his shoes with a napkin and looked peculiarly at the elegant figure before letting out a long sigh.
Sometimes he thought he was extremely greedy
Chapter 596 - Global Situation
Chapter 596: Global Situation
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Although Jiang Chen was stomped by Xia Shiyus high heel, his mood was particrly delighted.
Not to be mistaken, it wasnt because he was an M. It was just that he thought it is refreshing to see Xia Shiyu, who normally didnt like to smile, disying such a womanly character.
When he returned to the office, he took the stack of documents organized by the assistant and started the afternoons work.
With Future Groups business expanding globally, as the president who must provide a strategic direction for thepany, it was mandatory for him to follow the news to be aware of the global situation.
February of 2017.
The UA Congress officially passed the defense budget and permanently established the most advanced missile interception system in the eastern Pacific to rece the previous system.
At the same, the UA Congress was holding discussions on whether they should sell the reced missile defense system to Country F and they were wondering if this would cause tensions with Hua.
Jiang Chen wasnt too worried about the new system. It certainly existed in UA before, but it still couldnt manage to capture the Dolphin-10 flying in the near-earth orbit.
The newest defense system was equipped with a state-of-the-art active phased array radar that could be used to track enemy ballistic missiles in the early phase and allow for interception at the end phase.
But it was futile. In order to track Dolphin-10 at theunch stage and intercept it during flight, it would require the most advanced passive phased array radar.
Of course, UA wouldnt admit that the move was a precaution against Celestial Trade. They only exined to the media that the missile system was directed at North Koreas fireworks C wait, no, their ICBM.
On the other hand, the International Energy Summit was held in Wanghai. During the summit, the international leaders discussed the exploration progress of shale gas,bustible ice, and the applications of new energy sources.
The summit was great news for Future Heavy Indutries since it has a focus on the pure electric car battery sector.
A total of 147 patents for electrode materials, membraneponents, new electrolytes and high-energy additives for solid-state lithium-air batteries applied through PCT were approved by patent offices in various countries. For the first time, Future Group was invariably weed by patent offices from countries around the world.
At the same time, Future Groups car battery project scientists managed to process technology from the apocalypse only half a step ahead of the modern world and they designed the first model of the MIX1 pure electric car battery.
The specifications of the MIX would be used as the standard in the next ten years for all pure electric vehicles.
The MIX1 battery was being built in a nt located in New Guinea and they received orders from Jiang Chen to invest in Luer Automotive Company. Thepany pushed out a pure electric vehicle andnded first in Frances automotive market. While they received Frances New Energy Funding subsidy, the price tag of 60,000 Euros received the support from mid-to-low end customers.
At the same time, Luers application for an IPO was approved with a price of 15 Euros for a total of 10 million shares. The 10 million shares ounted for 20% of the total shares outstanding and the IPO price represented a Price of Earning ratio of 11 times.
Jiang Chens share controls hence changed from 80% to 64% as a result of the IPO.
On the day of the offering, Luers share price peaked to 18.3 Euros before stabilizing at around 17 Euros.
Jiang Chen purchased Luer shares for 100 million USD at the Ber Auto Exhibition and the IPO predicted the investment to be worth 760 million USD. But that was just the beginning C once Luer entered Europe and the rest of the world; it was inevitable for thepanys market cap to break 10 billion.
Electric vehicles would be the future, just like how diesel vehicles would be part of the meusems like steam vehicles before. It was inevitable as the wheel of history turned.
Finally, there was news from Europe.
From the Paris Opera at the beginning of 2016 to the Berlin train station and the Frankberg terrorist attack at the end of the year, the mes of terrorism ignited panic among the public and ignited heightened patriotism.
Fear was always the catalyst to hatred. In thest century, people spread hatred due to bankruptcy. Right now, no one felt guilty about refugees.
The first was Frankberg. The more radical New Choice Party came into power with the party leader Peter elected as the new prime minister. He dered that Frankberg was no longer a camp for refugees all over the world. Refugees would no longer enjoy the same treatment as their own nationals. Any illegal immigrants would be sanctioned. If you couldnt find a job there, you must get out!
Reinstate death sentences for terrorists!
Expand the national anti-terrorist force!
All anti-terrorists missions were given the permission to shoot right away.
Cretes list of radical movements received criticism from human rights activists, but it received the support of most Frankberg people.
Next was France, the home base for the Rothschild family. Although they were nowhere near as radical, they were following the movement.
Could this solve the problem? No. It might even make the problem worse.
But satirically, the refugee problem had gued Europe for so long, and the crisis facing a separated Europe was resolved perfectly.
Governments with the same ideology could do their best to understand andpromise for each other. Before, around the roundtable of Europe, people would argue about one problem nonstop to the point where countries were threatening to leave. While there were still ten people, the opinions were no longer divided.
They were a family now.
At least on the refugee crisis, the previously divergent Europe no longer shared any disparities of opinion.
At the back of the radicalization movement, Jiang Chen saw the shadow of the Rothschilds.
Looks like Evelyn lost. Although Jiang Chen helped him escape to Austria, the power of a deputy prime minister wasnt enough to turn the tables against the longstanding Rothschilds, especially since it wasnt just Rothschild power alone behind all of this.
The allies of the old aristocracy werent to be underestimated.
When Jiang Chen put his newspaper down, he suddenly had an odd idea in his head.
The Rothschild family was connected to The Golden Apple, so which side did they represent?
90 years ago, during the darkest era of humanity, the SS Nature Selection set sail from Gliese 581g.
At the same time, Willie Society was formed with the support of the Rothschilds, and the tool tomunicate with heaven, the Golden Apple, was transferred into the Nazis hands. The Nippon Emperor who visited Europe had the idea of using the alien force to conquer the world after witnessing the powerful Europe
This was an entanglement from 20.5 light years away.
Just like a spider that weaved an invisible spider web that was disguised as part of the history.
Jiang Chen had the feeling that he was close to the truth. Maybe he was even standing at the gateway to the truth.
But what could the truth be?
Chapter 597 - Bottleneck of Development
Chapter 597: Bottleneck of Development
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Following the officialunch of Godly Land, Future Biologys entry into the medical industry, and Future Heavy Industries first MIX1 battery rolling down the production line, Jiang Chen could clearly sense that Future Groups expansion was entering a bottleneck.
Any enterprise would more or less face a simr situation during the transformation. The reasons could arise from multiple facets, for example, antitrust investigations, satisfaction with the current status quo, or losing theirpetitive advantage. The former case would be Morgan divided into two (J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley) and the almost broken Microsoft, while thetter case would be Compads acquisition of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC was the secondrgest information systempany only second to IBM).
Fortunately, Future Group didnt have the same two restrictions because Xin will neverunch an antitrust investigation against Future Group. Future Group itself depended on advanced technology to prosper.
But the bottleneck still existed.
The most critical reason that caused the bottleneck was ack of talent!
Future Groups talent acquisition had depended on the international headhunter market as well as hiring from regional offices. But talent from the headhunters had high vtility with uncertainty in safety. Only a small number of individuals could be verified before being given an important role. Jiang Chen was unafraid to use the majority of talented individuals, but without a clear background rmended by headhunters, this caused a shortage of talent in Future Group. Despite new employees being hired every day, it couldnt meet the expansion speed of the multiple subsidiaries.
This was especially true for management talent. Compared to technical talent, the gap in management talent was huge, and there was ack of reserve in the group, which gave Jiang Chen the biggest headache.
There were a lot of people willing to work at Future Group, but there was only a small portion willing to move to Xin and work on Coro Ind.
Xin had a high floating poption. The number could breakthrough 50,000 during tourism peak seasons, but only 30,000 peopleprised the permanent poption. It was hard to imagine a country with such a mediocre education level, shortage ofbor, and inactive market supporting such a giant multinational corporation.
If Future Group chose to expand in Hua, perhaps this problem wouldnt have existed. But conversely, Future Group wouldnt have been able to be the beast it is today, despite having the technology to do so
There were pros and cons to leaving.
...
Although Jiang Chen had been investing in educational resources on Coro Ind and arranging for university students to intern at the Group, these measures were ineffective in the short term.
In order for Future Group to expand faster, he had to increase Xins immigration appeal, especially for talented individuals!
Perhaps his n had to be pulled ahead of schedule.
But just as Jiang Chen was developing a headache over theck of talent, Doctor Amos from the University of Ber sent an email to his personal email address, asking him to visit hisb.
When Doctor Amos was onboard at Future Group, he directly dove into theb Jiang Chen prepared for him and spent his time inside all day learning about D++ programmingnguage as well as the basic artificial intelligence database. Heter even revamped the front desk of theb into a living room and the lounge into a bedroom. He didnt want the seaside mansion Jiang Chen provided him and used theb as his living quarters.
Jiang Chen gave him the fullest extent of trust since he moved to Xin. After Amos signed the confidentiality agreement, Jiang Chen gave the most advanced information technology for him to research.
Now, he seemed to have achieved some results.
Doctor Amossb was located at the first underground level of Future Building. When Jiang Chen knocked on the door, Amos daughter, the blonde loli, Millian, opened the door for him.
The little girl with the golden ponytail courteously asked Jiang Chen to wait in the living room. She then timidly ran into the room and brought her father out.
Long time no see, Doctor Amos. Jiang Chen stood up and walked toward Amos, who was dressed in a id shirt and jeans.
Feel free to sit anywhere C make yourself feel at home. Coke, orange juice or champagne? Which one do you want? Amos opened the fridge in the living room and spoke with a brisk tone.
He seemed to be very busy.
Water is fine. Jiang Chen smiled. Do you have something to discuss with me?
Thats right. Amos poured himself a cup of coke while pouring a cup of water for Jiang Chen, then he walked beside the sofa. Do you remember the task you gave mest year? Ive mostly mastered the programmingnguage. Its absolutely incredible; whoever developed thisnguage is a genius. And that basic artificial intelligence database could I meet the creator?
Jiang Chen had a helpless expression on his face.
Everyones reaction was the same, from the biologist, Zhan Shujie to the rocket scientist, Calvin. The experts from each field always first asked to meet the designer whenever he brought out a new piece of technology
Sorry, due to various reasons, I currently cant introduce you to the designer of the two technologies in a few years at most, you might have the opportunity to meet them.
Amos was very understanding of Jiang Chens exnation and he wasnt as insistent as Zhan Shujie and Kelvin.
Is it the confidentiality agreement? I understand since the two technologies have hugemercial value, especially artificial intelligence. No, not justmercial value C if it could be used in the military field
Its already being used there, Jiang Chen interrupted him with a smile, but I hope you can keep it a secret from the public.
Amos looked at Jiang Chen awkwardly, but he still voiced the concern on his mind: it will be a disaster to the entire human race.
Your perspective is very simr to Hawkins, and I agree with your perspective. Jiang Chen leaned against the sofa and took a sip of the water to soothe his throat. But I have to add that artificial intelligence without restrictions will be a disaster to the human race. Lets not talk about this anymore. You asked me here not to talk about the safety of technology, right?
Amos nodded. Of course. As you know, Im have two PhDs in information technology and mechanical engineering with a primary focus on robots and artificial intelligence.
As the doctor spoke, he waved his hand at Millian, who was timidly hiding behind the doorframe. The loli understood his father. She swept her squirrel-tail-like ponytail and disappeared from behind the door. Then she brought her fathersptop to the living room.
This is the robot I designed as well as the corresponding operating system. Amos put theptop on the table and put the anti-re sses in front of his chest out of habit. He then opened the robot icon program on the desktop before turning theptop to face Jiang Chen.
Housework Robot utilizes the basic artificial intelligence database as well as D++ programingnguage. It has facial recognition, item recognition, movement system, and the central control program which has a size of 12 gigabytes. This is the concept visualization Have you seen Big Hero 6? You could interpret this as Baymax who can do housework.
Chapter 598 - Speaking of Robots and Maids
Chapter 598: Speaking of Robots and Maids
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Of course, Jiang Chen watched Big Hero 6 before and had a deep impression of Baymax, who looked humbled and cute normally. But he was cool when he fought, and acted as a warmhearted maid. Even from amercial point of view, Baymax was one of the more sessful characters Disney created in recent years.
Housework robot? Baymax? Jiang Chen looked curiously at the 3D visualization on theputer screen and adjusted the angle with the turn of the mouse.
Human structure with the outside covered in polyethylene. To avoid causing unwanted physiological effects, the head of the robot was designed to be cylindrical, but the other parts replicated a human body. The legs were designed with both wheels and walking mode to suit both t ground and stairs.
Amos was being too humble. Not only was he knowledgeable in robots and artificial intelligence, but he had quite an understanding of human ergonomics.
Sweeping, washing dishes, simple gourmet skills, even fixing light bulbs, sinks, and simple woodwork
The functionalities are nice, but is there a market for this? Jiang Chen noticed the robots blueprints wrote that the skeleton required a titanium alloy, and the special polyethylene material used to cover the body wasnt cheap, even produced at scale.
The price of the robot might not be the nicest.
Unless people were extremelyzy, they could do housework by themselves.
There is no low end market, but there should be a mid to high tier market. Because of living habits, Asians might not need it, but Americans definitely would love it.
UA had a high cost ofbor, but their living spaces were particrlyrge. Therefore, the housework robot could have a positive market outlook in UA and European countries. As for the Asian market, just with Future Groups brand power alone, the sales wont be too shabby either.
Jiang Chen was bing more pleased with the robot still in its conceptual stage.
Not only the robot, but he was also extremely pleased with Amos.
Precisely speaking, it would be the first Future brand product developed by the modern world. The doctor from Ber didnt disappoint. Not only did he digest the programmingnguage from the apocalypse as a beginner, he also designed an interesting product.
Im extremely pleased with this product, but basic artificial intelligence and D++ programmingnguage
I know. These are all corporate secrets, but this housework robot can be considered part of Future Groups assets. My only request is to include my name as one of the developers of the robot, Amos said immediately.
No, youve mistaken what I meant. Jiang Chen shook his head. The program and robot are designed by you, so of course it will have your name. This robot will be manufactured by Future Heavy Industries, and I hope you can design the production line yourself. Future Group will use the authentication of the database and 200 million USD to invest in this project for 80% control. What do you think?
Amos was processing the information.
He didnt think Jiang Chen would be so generous.
The housework robots research was initiated a long time ago, but due to restraints in technology, he couldnt control the programs usage within the capabilities of the control chip. He had to either reduce the functionality of the robot or design a more powerful control chip.
But D++ programmingnguage solved his problem perfectly. The utilization of the basic artificial intelligence database not only made the robot more user-friendly, but it also made its logical responses more human. He also designed a program simr to Little White in Future 1.0 where it allowed the robot tomunicate with the user.
Without Future Group providing the basic artificial intelligence database and D++ programmingnguage, he absolutely couldnt finish the next generational housework robot.
Especially since hepleted the final design using Future Groupsb. From an intellectual property point of view, the robot belonged to Future Group. Therefore, when Jiang Chen talked about the database authentication problem, he straightforwardly said the robot belonged to Jiang Chen.
He just didnt think Jiang Chen would offer cooperation and give him a percentage of the profits.
Amos wouldnt say no to Jiang Chens generosity because there was absolutely no reason to do so. Out of the spirit of scientific research, he couldnt do something that used other peoples research to profit himself, even if the creator hadnt applied for a patent and only corporate secrets belonged to Future Group. But that didnt mean he disliked money.
Of course, he was thankful for Jiang Chens offer. Since the work was the result of all his efforts, it would be impossible to say he didnt want a cut.
With Future Group providing the funds and authentication while he could garner 20% of the profit without taking any risk, it was undoubtedly generosity to the extreme. As for the designing the production line, it wouldnt be hard for him at all.
Regarding the details of the production line, I want you to reference some rmendations. Before that, could you ask your daughter to give us some space? Jiang Chen smiled at the little girl standing at the door to the living room.
Amos nodded and signaled his daughter to close the door then he looked back at Jiang Chen.
Is it something inappropriate for other people to know? You dont have to worry; my Millian is very thoughtful.
Its true that its inappropriate for other people to know but rather than that being the reason, it is embarrassing to say. Jiang Chen lowered his voice and leaned toward Amos while suppressing the difort in his mind. If were talking about the three keywords: artificial intelligence, robot, and maid, did you not think about adult toys?
How could I have thought about that?
It was weird for you not to think about it!
Therefore, the two almost started an argument.
]Stats suggested that the Han adult toy market demand exceeded over 50 billion in 2015. The annualpounded growth rate of the market from 2006 to 2016 was 30%, ranked highest out of the entire profiteering industry. As for how big the global market was, no reliable data could provide an estimate. But it wouldnt be a small number nheless.
Note, it was the size of the market!
It was too wasteful just to create a housework robot with artificial intelligence and special polyethylene that could mimic the touch of human skin. Why not build a product that could satisfy the needs for all the singles out there from the existing design?
It could do housework, it could cook, it could warm your bed, and it wouldnt throw a tantrum. Where else could you find such a great partner?
It was, of course, necessary to have a housework robot with only housework capabilities for all ages, but it was necessary to also have an R-18 simted housework robot!
But then Amos would have to work harder.
Although he had experience in researching human ergonomics, he had no knowledge in adult toys at all. To incorporate the simtion of facial expressions, the contents from the basic artificial intelligence database rted to personality and emotion, new positions and other new elements must all be included.
In order to reduce his workload, Jiang Chen increased the budget of theb and ordered Amos to establish a project team to specifically design the highly simted robot still in its conceptual stage.
Before he left theb, he repeatedly warned him.
The program in the chip must be encrypted by Future Group encryption software. The basic artificial intelligence database was one of the core technologies that led the world. Even if D++ would be released to the publicter, the artificial intelligence database would absolutely not be released this early.
Unless Future Group gained new advantages.
After taking care of everything, Jiang Chen returned to the apocalypse and went to see Du Yongkong with the software Amos designed.
The development of the program has aputer rating at least C. Du Yongkong reluctantly nodded after he tested the software out.
If it was before the war and this guy went to yourpany, would you hire him? Jiang Chen asked.
Not understanding the Generals meaning, Du Yongkong debated for a while then carefully articted, Ability is only part of the hiring process. The game studio I worked for ced more emphasis on creativity and passion for work. A design level project for university can only prove that he didnt waste his four years in university. My department may want him, or may not want him.
Jiang Chen forced a smile.
If the former university professor Amos heard that the program he diligently worked on only looked like a design project for graduation, would the dual doctor professor, renowned as a genius, fight him?
Could you assign him to my department? Seeing as Jiang Chen was about to leave, Du Yongkong asked.
Didnt you say his abilities are only at a university graduation project level? Jiang Chen rolled his eyes.
Ill be okay even if hes a high school student. Our department is reallycking people! At least he has a C rating! He meets the standard! You promised us that once there are people who fit, youll assign them to our department
Once he saw Du Yongkong starting to beg and plead for people, Jiang Chen dashed out without hesitation before he got on his knees asking for more people
Chapter 599 - I Promise
Chapter 599: I Promise
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
When Jiang Chen left themunity center, he happened to bump into Wang Qin, who wasing from the warehouse. He once again notified her of theck of people in the software development department and inquired about progress on the warp drive researched by the Aerospace Technology Research Institute. When he heard that the development of the warp engine was slow, he debated for a moment.
Put the warp engine research aside for now C tell them to help me replicate technology rted to the space elevator.
The space elevator? That thing can only be built near the equator, and the insane construction requirements are absolutely not sustainable by us. Wang Qin looked at Jiang Chen in shock when she heard his words.
Just the Garden of Eden project demanded an excessive amount ofbor and money. The space elevator was too wild of an idea for the NAC right now.
I just need the technical document. I know survival camps dont have the condition to produce that.
Seeing as Jiang Chen was insisting on the warp drive, Wang Qin stopped voicing her concerns since Jiang Chen was the General of NAC, and she was just the director for the logistics department without any right to question the Generals decision.
When Jiang Chen returned to the mansion, he found Lin Lin spending time in theb and asked the thing that had been bothering him.
Your interdimensional travel ability is blocked? Thats a serious dilemma Lin Lin leaned against the chair with both hands behind her head; a lollipop was hanging in her mouth with the candy constantly hitting her teeth.
Do you have any insight? Jiang Chen asked.
No. Lin Lin was straightforward. Could you clearly describe the situation then?
Jiang Chen described what happened in Kejia with clear detail, including the rtionship between Kurofune and the colonization ship, their conspiracy of attempting to assassinate him, and the sudden eruption of a zombie infection
You can open the storage dimension but cant perform interdimensional travel? Lin Lin wrapped her fingers around the thin stick while muttering to herself, I seem to have an idea but is it theoretically possible?
What is it?
Lin Lin took out the lollipop, let out a sigh, and walked to the whiteboard on the wall before picking up a ck marker.
I remember giving you a lesson one year ago regarding the multi-universe theory. Here are two parallel lines, and youre an ant on one of the lines an ant who can jump between the lines. Because for you, theres a door that exists between the two lines.
A circle was drawn between the two lines. Needless to say, Lin Lins art continued to suck, but it didnt prevent Jiang Chen from understanding her point.
Klein particles use you as a node, which means that each of your hands can grab onto one of the lines. Therefore, you can freely move between the two worlds. Ill call this point a singrity point.
Singrities had different interpretations in astronomy and physics, but they could be summed up as points in the universe where there was an independent and finite existence. Everything that happened here couldnt be exined by conventional science or human knowledge and experience. For example 1 + 1 = 2 was true elsewhere, but at this point, it was 1 + 1 = 3. At this point, ssical physics didnt apply and there was no physical quantity that existed.
And Jiang Chens presence was just a singrity point.
Even with the most advanced physics knowledge of the 22nd century, Lin Lin still couldnt exin how he could open that door.
Jiang Chen also couldnt exin this feeling. Traversing between the two worlds was as easy as drinking water and breathing. It felt like the door was in front of his eyes, and he only needed to extend his feet.
Ordinary people cant see or touch the door, even if they spent their lives doing so. But a small ident happened here. Lin Lin drew another point on the line representing the colonization ship. Now, there is an unfriendly neighbor in the room, and he came from the other side of the door. After a thousand years of research or evolution? Cultivation? All in all, he touched the boundary to the door and finally saw the door he passed through before but had never seen before.
But... Lin Lins words took a turn. She threw away the marker and pointed her lollipop at Jiang Chen. He still cant pass through the door because the key is in your hands. I have to say that youre probably the luckiest man in this universe.
Lucky? Jiang Chen didnt disagree with what she said, but he wasnt happy about it.
He paused for a moment. They can see the door, but what does it have to do with me being unable to travel for a period of time?
They could use special methods to interfere with the movement of Klein particles; you shouldve already discovered this in the apocalypse. The application of Klein particles to create bugs is at a mastery level, including the one in my body. Lin Lin pumped her still-t chest with her fingers. The Klein particle rays can almost make all electronic equipment fail. I dont think its impossible that they could develop other means of using Klein particles.
To put it as an analogy, your neighbor is stronger than you. Although he cant open the door without the key, he can use brute force to pull on the door to prevent you from opening it.
What an annoying neighbor then What about the storage dimension? If they can see the door, why dont they block the storage dimension altogether? Jiang Chen was still puzzled.
If they blocked the storage dimension, they couldve killed him on the ne.
He had to take out the power armor or other items to break the fall, or else he wouldve been smashed to the ground.
Your storage dimension is more like a circle between the two parallel lines, independent from the universe but not part of the multi-universe. Because it isnt in the room, they naturally cant interfere.
Jiang Chen finally felt relieved at Lin Lins exnation.
But even then, he stillcked the confidence in the war spanning over one hundred years.
Are they still evolving? These bugs are unsettling after all Jiang Chen sighed. Lets not talk about that. Hows the situation on this side regarding the Garden of Eden?
It should bepleted in half a year. Hmph, since its my Lin Lin was about to praise herself before being mercilessly interrupted by Jiang Chen.
How much money did I spend on the Garden of Eden? Just the materials alone cost 200 million USD! Jiang Chen said bitterly.
Two hundred million USD in materials. Without considering market saturation, it would be an astronomical number if converted to NACs credit points.
As the designer of?the project, Lin Lin naturally knew how much of the budget she burned through, so she awkwardly looked away.
Hmmm lets not talk about money. This is an era-defining project; you cant just look at economic gains.
Youre right. Since its my backyard after all, maybe Ill have to live inside in the future.
After retorting for thest time, he put some pudding on the table and headed for the door.
Lin Lin seemed to have read something on his face. She hesitated for a moment before she spoke as Jiang Chens handnded on the doorknob.
Dont feel defeated. You control the secret of the door and theyre still afraid of you, meaning you must possess something theyre afraid of.
For example? Jiang Chen didnt turn his head.
Its up to you to discover. Lin Lin paused before a cheerful smile emerged on her face. Her elf-like silver hair reflected a rare hint of warmth under the sunshine. If possible, I want to see a lot of pudding. Mango vor.
Jiang Chen turned around and used his smile to meet her expectations.
I promise.
Chapter 600 - Steelmaking!
Chapter 600: Steelmaking!
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Caron_
Jiang Chen brought back three things in total from the apocalypse: a quasi-experimental quantumputer at 40 square meters in size, an industrial 3D printer, and 100 amphibious construction robots.
The quantumputer would be a small hill ced in the backyard of the mansion. If it wasnt for the fact that Jiang Chens storage dimension changed fundamentally, it would be questionable if he could even bring the quantumputer over.
The quantumputer was manufactured in 2150 with the code L-0008 used as the virtual realitywork sub-framework for the province of Suhang to provide virtual reality porting services for all users in the province. It was quasi-experimental because itsputational abilities didnt meet the requirements for an experimental quantumputer, but its RAM and processing abilities already stood at the peak amongmercial quantumputers.
Theputer was preserved inside a special fallout shelter during the war. The fallout shelter located in Hang City recently opened and Big Mining Pit, who knew NAC was interested in technology products, immediately sent out his forces to take over the fallout shelter.
The boss of the Big Mining Pit didnt dare to make an unreasonable offer, considering how authoritative NAC has been. He sold the scientists and quantumputer from the fallout shelter to Zhao Chenwus trade fleet before the Zhao Corporation sold the packaged products off to the NAC.
Following a week of maintenance work, the antique finally started working again.
Theputation requirements for a virtual reality MMORPG were terrifying. The quantumputer located at the bottommost level of Future Building could barely sustain operation of Godly Land. In order to establish a virtual realitywork, the number of quantumputers Jiang Chen required would be astronomical.
Based on Jiang Chens orders, Fallout Shelter 027 exerted 40% of their research efforts on replicating quantumputer. Aside from the heavy electromaic pulse cannon under intensive research, it was already the research project with the highest priority.
The operation of the quantumputer showed that Future Groups virtual reality services had acquired the hardware capabilities to expand to broader territories.
It also made Coros electrical grid under pressure again.
As for the industrial 3D printer and 100 amphibious construction robots, Jiang Chen had other uses for them.
Since Celestial Trades frigate forced Country F to recognize Moros independence in front of UA, New Guinea started to act more respectful of its powerful little neighbor.
At first, the New Guinea government retained a cautious attitude towards Celestial Trade as a military techpany increasing its influence within the territory. The local governments were supportive of Future Groups investments. They weed Future Groups money but didnt wee Future Groups people
Now they were afraid to appear unweing.
The country they depended on, Atria, couldnt bring them a sense of security anymore. Regarding Xin, who made UApromise, they were wondering what kind of trump card was in their hands.
The President of New Guinea didnt know, so he chose a conservative strategy.
At least they didnt disy any hostile intentions. Their investment in New Guinea did promote its economic development and brought benefits to the locals. As for the pollution from industrial work, anyone else wouldve also polluted the environment in the same way.
They didnt want to anger the dictator until he showed hostile intentions. What if they supported the cannibals living in the New Guinea jungles to be independent?
At noon, Jiang Chen arrived at a port in northern New Guinea by private jet and saw Luke Joyce, chairman of BHP Mining Group.
Ten million tons of iron ore and 20 million tons of aluminum ore. Sh*t, you sure you didnt add an extra zero? The moment Luke saw him, he began to question Jiang Chen.
This is only the first batch. I remember in our agreement that the total was 50 million tons. Jiang Chen smiled at the skepticism in Lukes eyes without providing any exnation.
Something unpleasant happened between the two of them a while ago. BHP sent outmercial spies against Future Group in an attempt to steal their deep water mining technology, but Jiang Chens Ghost Agents took out all the rats they hired.
But standing here now, the two simultaneously agreed not to bring that up.
Even building an aircraft carrier wouldnt need this much iron.
An aircraft carrier? Who said I was going to be building that? Jiang Chen chuckled.
Then what do you want to do? Luke furrowed his brows.
Its a secret, Jiang Chen replied mysteriously.
Jiang Chens mysterious expression made Luke dying to know the answer, but the oriental man clearly didnt n on revealing anything, so he had to settle. Based on the agreement at the Rothschild family dinner, Future Mining would take a step back on deepwater mining technology. BHP would supply 50 million tons of ores to Future Group at 80% the market price.
30 million tons of iron at 20% off was near the cost of ore production for BHP. Although it pained Luke that he wouldnt make any money, he soon relinquished the idea since the iron had been in storage for too long.
A total of 30 million tons of ores were transported to the port by freight and containers before being transported to the steel nt in eastern New Guinea. The boilers at the steel nt ran 24 hours a day nonstop with the nt workers working on a rotating shift. Under the supervision of the senior engineers of Future Group, they molded the steel and aluminum into the appropriate shape.
The steel nts were built as soon as Jiang Chen came back from Frankberg. Since Xins Vice Presidents diplomatic visit to New Guinea thest time, Future Mining built a total of tenrge steel nts in the eastern province, employing a total of 20,000 workers for Future Mining.
It was almost the total poption of Xin.
The steel nts visibly boosted the ports economy.
Future Group offered high overtime pay and the New Guineans who started working in the steel nt first became the richest of all. With money, restaurants, supermarkets, bars, malls and even theaters appeared, which was something the people at the port hadnt imagined before.
The low red brick buildings were demolished and reced by concrete buildings, apartments, and even mansions contracted by Celestial Trade. Thend was sold by the local government to Celestial Trade. The officials who tasted the booming economy almost wanted to sell all the undevelopednd to Celestial Trade.
What was with the cautious attitude of the central government toward Celestial Trade? Were they ufortable with the increasing poption?
Who cared?
Before the New Guinea cities became modernized, they were practically tribes. To this day, the local government still possessed high autonomy. With exponential increases in tax earning, the mayor was already smiling too much to close his mouth and he naturally wouldnt make trouble for Future Group.
A good corporation could raise a city. That sentence was perfectly demonstrated by Future Group.
Containers of industrial goods were hauled on trucks to the port and loaded onto freights to Ange Ind. It was like a blood vessel connecting New Guinea and Xin, which formed a scene familiar to the locals. Some of the containers were transported to the assembling facility on Ange Ind to be manufactured into housework robots and MIX1 batteries.
But most of the containers were hauled into a half-closed warehouse
Chapter 601 - Expand to the Ocean!
Chapter 601: Expand to the Ocean!
Trantor: Min ?Editor: Rundi
A budget of 20 billion dors Are you nning to build an aircraft carrier? Xia Shiyu rubbed her temples and said with a slight headache.
Twenty billion dors was worth 130 billion RMB! Although Future Group had a lot of money, this was not the way to spend it. And based on what Jiang Chen said, this was the price tag just for the first phase of the project.
Why do you rte everything to an aircraft carrier? Even the Nimitz ss cost only 4 billion dors, Jiang Chen sighed and jokingly said.
Xia Shiyus eyebrows jumped. She took a deep breath and calmed her agitated emotions before asking.
A budget of five aircraft carriers, can I ask what you are going to do with it?
Of course, since it is nothing worth keeping a secret about, Jiang Chen paused, I n to build a city.
A city? Xia Shiyu was dumbfounded, unable to respond to what Jiang Chen was saying.
What kind of city would need this much steel, aluminum, and polyethylene
Thats right. Jiang Chen nodded with seriousness.
Xia Shiyu gazed into his eyes before finally letting out a sigh.
Fine, I will go arrange it after and speak with the finance department. Ill have the document ready for you before the end of the day at thetest; you can give it to me after you sign it.
Jiang Chen was shocked how easily she agreed.
Xia Shiyu saw the shock in his eyes. She lips made a small curvature, but the serious expression didnt change at all.
But as the CEO, I still have to remind you. Future Tourism has a great profitability margin right now, but even under the most ideal scenario, it would take five years to recover 10 billion dors in investment.
I know. Jiang Chen nodded, but this project is pure tourism, its purpose is not only reflected on the profitability of the ie statement. It may seem abstract the way Im describing it, but once I hand you the project n and visualization, you should understand my idea.
Youre the boss; you dont need to exin to me. Xia Shiyu pushed up her sses with her finger with a smile. Also, I trust you.
Because you can always create miracles thetter half of the sentence was hidden inside her heart.
Lets not talk about this. I think you should find an assistant soon.
Arent you my assistant? Jiang Chen said with a grin.
Xia Shiyu gave him a hard stare, coughed, and calmed down, lets not make jokes here, be serious.
Jiang Chen sat up straight waiting for her to continue.
With the current expansion speed, my work in decision making will increase, and I will no longer have as much free time as before. Such as document organization, discussing the decisions, and pouring coffee it is better to leave it to the professional.
Xia Shiyu then added.
It is more efficient this way.
Thank you. Jiang Chen said sternly.
The shadows of her bang hid the faint hue on her face, Xia Shiyu stared at the documents around her arm and whispered, Its okay.
[You have a conscience after all.]
After a short silence, Xia Shiyu ced the documents she had been holding on to on Jiang Chens table.
I have a few resumes on the table. These talents have impable education and ability and there are people from Harvard, Imperial College. They are extremely interested in working for you. You can see which one you like, and I can arrange the interview for you.
Okay, thank you very much. Jiang Chen picked up the documents and start flipping through them.
It felt the servant was picking out the concubine for the emperor.
Jiang Chen shook his head, dispersed the inappropriate ideas from his mind, and started to examine each resume carefully.
Chapter 602: A Strand of Hair
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Coro Ind, near Future Building, located on the northeast corner of the ind was a high tech park. The ce represented the origin of the most advanced technology of Xin.
It was also the area on the entire Coro Ind with the highest security. The gates and walls were guarded with soldiers wearing kic skeletons supported by the patrol of Hummingbird drones. The gates were scanned in not by ID cards, but rather retina recognition. The security level there was only second to Jiang Chens mansion located at the north end of thend, slightly higher than the Presidential Pce of Xin.
But even with the high security, you wont feel the suppression of a high-security zone walking inside the high tech park. Other than the patrol teams outside the wall, the Hummingbird drones were usually hidden inside the drone hives waiting for an order. Only when the rm is triggered would they fly to the rm source.
The people who listen wouldy t on the ground, the people who dont listen would be dropped by rubber bullets, the people with weapons
Would be made into sieves.
Inside the high tech park, there was no military zone or restricted zone. But rather some areas, people were unpermitted to enter without the right permission.
For example the Nano materialb 200 meters out of the Future Building. The egg-shaped building was built two months ago and in service justst week. The primary research project was Nano material with graphene as the centralponent.
The permission level there was only second to the CEO office of Future Group subsidiaries. Other than the scientists that worked there, there was only a handful of people in the Future Group permitted to enter.
Theb cost 140 million US dors; theb was currently the one that burned the most money in Future Group.
Although it was burning through cash,pared to the other Nano materialbs around the world, the 140 million US dors was very cost friendly. Some of the equipment cost millions with a ridiculous maintenance fee.
And the reason why Future Groupsb saved money was that of the industrial 3D printer Jiang Chen brought back so that most of the high precision equipment could be manufactured by themselves. As well as the Graphene Composite Cutting Bed he brought from Zhao Chenwu a long time ago along with the resources rted to the applications of Graphene that all provided substantial help to theb.
The scientists here may not beparable with the most leading experts around the world, but the technology they knew of was the most advanced in the 21st century.
They were standing on the shoulders of Jiang Chen.
When Jiang Chen arrived at theb, theb director in a whiteb coat was standing with other employees beside a humongous equipment and nervously conducting an experiment on Nano material. Some people were adjusting the equipment, some were recording data, some were making observations a total of eleven scientists, none were extraneous.
The director of thebs name was Lu Yuan, male, 47, previously an academician at Central Research Institutes physics department. The man had ck hair, and the straightened body looked sharp without any signs of aging, he looked like he was 30 something.
It was not easy to hire him to be the director. The researchers in Hua had mediocre ie, but at the academician level, especially in material science where it is connected to national defense, the benefits are not low at all. Based on what Lu Yuan said, including benefits, it was around 2 million a year
But Jiang Chen offered a sry of 10 million a year.
Facts proved over and over again, as long as the hoe hit the right spot, a wall will always copse (1). But what really attracted the old professor to bring his most outstanding students toe to Xin was Jiang Chens promise of non-bureaucratic and free research environment and most advanced research equipment, as well as the most tempting technical information from Future Group.
Of course, a confidentiality agreement was necessary. Since he was in Xin, Jiang Chen naturally wont let him go easily.
Jiang Chen quietly stood in the hallway outside of theb and looked at the scientists working on the equipment. It was not until the experiment was over did he finally walk inside.
How are the results?
Very ideal. Lu Yuan patted the experiment data in his arm and eximed, I finally understand how fearsome Future Groups research ability is.
Could I interpret this as youreplimenting yourself? Jiang Chen said in a joking tone.
[Arent you a part of Future Groups research ability?]
Lu Yuanughed and passed the data to his assistant, told him to summarize the data, and then looked back at Jiang Chen.
To be honest, I feel pity.
Pity? Jiang Chen asked.
Thats right. Lu Yuan nodded and sighed lightly, Throw away the hypes, we sessfully produced the first 15-inch singleyer graphene in Hua by chemical vapor deposition and sessfully fabricated a 7-inch graphene touchscreen. But a high-strength graphene cable like this, I never thought I could see this in my lifetime With this, the space elevator in novels and movies could be a reality.
Inside the apparatus, inside the middle of theb, a hair-thin graphene strand was connected between two metal poles, and the strand of hair was the subject of the experiment. Just then, they tested the graphenes durability to withstand different gas pressures and gaspositions, the results were extremely pleasing.
Space elevator is our next strategic focus. I can tell you this now. Jiang Chen smiled.
If Central Research Institute has ab like this, even without the resources, give us at most ten years and this strand of hair will be born in Hua. Lu Yuan eximed before he shook his head.
There was no purpose to say this. The price he had to pay to enter thisb was a confidentiality agreement with Future Group, and it did not permit him to leave Xin within ten years.
Jiang Chen only scoffed at Lu Yuans exim.
[Obviously, half of the equipment came from the mid-22nd century, the most critical resources are all technologies from the 22nd century!]
Of course, Jiang Chen could only think in his mind without blurting it out. His exnation for the technical resources was acquired frommercial methods without providing a more specific exnation.
Therefore, whats there to feel pity about? Jiang Chen smiled.
Pity that it is Future Group that conquered this problem, not Central Research Institute. Lu Yuan looked at Jiang Chen while slowing stating it. To be honest, the institute discussed you before. But no one thought that other than artificial intelligence and virtual reality, you would have so much more to offer.
Jiang Chenughed withoutmenting on this question. Then he asked rhetorically, Then do you think without such a broad stage, Future Group would be Future Group?
Lu Yuan heard the question and finally couldnt hold in the question that bothered him for so long, are you not willing to contribute to your home country?
Of course Im willing. Jiang Chen said frankly, but before Lu Yuan was able to continue, his words took a sharp turn and erased the unrealistic thought out of Lu Yuans head, I wont?preach everything I know.
(1)?There is no man you cant headhunt as long as youre willing to pay the price.
Chapter 603 - The Amazing Graphene
Chapter 603: The Amazing Graphene
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
In Jiang Chens Ocean Expansion strategic n and Space Elevator n, the research of Nano material C graphene was fundamental and core.
Most people know that graphite is one of the softest substances in nature. What most people dont know, however, is that its so-called softness is just its macro phenomenon. For example, the hexagonal grids stacked on top of the other, the graphite inteyer structure is maintained by the least reliable van der Waals forces, so that theyers andyers are rtively slippery under the action of external force, thereby giving a soft illusion.
But in the direction perpendicr to the ne, graphite is amazingly durable!
ording to thetest research results, it shows that graphene per 100 nm distance can withstand a maximum pressure that reaches 2.9 micro Newton. In other words, it will take 55 Newton of force to break one meter long graphene! Intuitively, graphene with the same thickness of food stic bag will need to exert a pressure of almost 20,000 Newton before losing its integrity. In other words, if the stic bag is made out of graphene, it will be able to withstand about two tons of weight!
Here only its strength is discussed, its conductivity, light transmission, lightweight and anti-bactericidal nature are all superb. All of this is also precisely why graphene is one of the most important research topics in the world. From space elevators to supeputers, screens of the next-generation photonic sensors to mobile phones of the second generation, this new source of material, which is cumbersome to produce, has garnered worldwide acim since the turn of the century.
Graphene material is the future!
Jiang Chens Future Group was leading the world in this aspect. Although it was not revealed to the public, Future Group has been using graphene material in many of its products. For example, the K1 kic skeleton Celestial Trade is currently using, from the chip to the removable bulletproof guard; graphene could be seen everywhere. The Phantom helmet was also another example along with the electromaic eleration track in the deep water mining facility, they were all made with graphene material.
Application was only one aspect. These products were all designed in the apocalypse and not indicative that Future Group really mastered the technology. To digest the technology from the other dimension and apply the technology to more broad applications, Jiang Chen invested and established the grapheneb and bought the group of scientists with achievement in the research of graphene to digest the superior technology.
Lu Yuan didnt disappoint him either.
Jiang Chen took the strand of hair back to Fallout Shelter 027. After the testing done by the scientists at the shelter, it reached the quality needed to build the space elevator. It meant that in the field of material science, Future Groups technology led the world by at least 20 years.
A stream of cargos sailed from New Guinea to Ange Ind; anyone could have guessed Future Group had big ns. UA was the most sensitive about this since the two parties recently were in an escted tension on the topic of MLL Ind.
But what the CIB Agent on Ange Ind didnt know was, after Xin further refined the crudely refined steel products, they transported them back to the port again and then hauled them to a region 200 kilometers out, then ended up dumping the refined steel products into the ocean.
Dumped into the ocean?
Not only were the CIB agents confused, but even the UA soldiers ying video games on the aircraft carrier were equally as confused. The Capitol immediately ordered them to closely monitor Future Groups move!
Therefore, they sent the unmanned multi-purpose MQ reconnaissance drone stationed on the aircraft.
They were fortunate that they sent an unmanned drone.
The unlucky bird lostmunication not long after it flew into Xins territory. The aircraft carrier thought it was Celestial Trade that shot it down and reported the information to the Rainbow Mansion. The Capitol was furious and immediately called Jiang Chen they finally learned that even Zhang Yaping couldnt give them a response.
But Jiang Chens reaction was innocent and stated that he didnt know any drones that entered Xins airfield, he then retorted the Capitol, when was it okay to be this straightforward about going into someones house without permission?
The Capitol felt awkward but acting shamelessly was key for all politicians around the world. The newly elected President is no less shamelesspared to her predecessor. After she forced some exnation, she requested Celestial Trade to permit the aircraft carrier sending out unarmed recovery boat to recover the drone in the region.
Jiang Chen didnt reject but did agree on a time limit with the Capitol. If the drone could not be recovered within 72 hours, the recovery boat must leave Xins region. After the Capitol epted Jiang Chens proposal, the aircraft carrier immediately sent out a recovery boat. But after 72 hours, the boat recovered nothing and could only leave Xins territory under the supervision of Celestial Trade.
Of course they couldnt find anything.
When the unmanned drone entered Xins territory, Droplet 1 set sail from the port of Coconut Ind. At the same time, Aurora-20 departed from New moon Ind. When it arrived above the drone, itunched an air-to-air EMP missile to the area. The drone was just like a fly that smashed into the spider web, the electronic equipment instantly malfunctioned and dove into the sea.
At the same time, Droplet 1 waiting underneath extended its mechanical arm and dragged the wreckage of the drone into the before returning to Coconut Ind. The Capitol and aircraft carrier didnt think Celestial Trades action would be so swift which made the captain of the aircraft carrier even questioned himself.
Could it have just encountered bad weather?
But what if it was not bad weather, but it was actually taken down by Celestial Trades anti-air missile without any signs
Captain Hoffman shivered at the thought but he quickly shook the unrealistic thought out of his head. It was not difficult to shoot down the drone since it was not advanced technology, but it was impossible to do so without being detected by the aircraft drone.
Within the 100 nautical miles, any anti-air missiles ascending to the drones attitude will be captured by the radar of the aircraft carrier.
But what Hoffman didnt know was that their radars detection ability was a jokepared to Aurora-20s invisibility.
It was not UA that kept an eye on Celestial Trade, the small neighbor Mysia also closely monitored the situation.
Different from UA, Mysia was not focusing on military advancement, but economic changes
Chapter 604 - The Envious Neighbor
Chapter 604: The Envious Neighbor
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Regardless of how many White Papers the UA published alerting people of Celestial Trades danger to regional stability, the countries clearly didnt take this warning seriously.
In the eyes of surrounding countries, Celestial Trade and Future Group were marvelous.
Why? There is a perfect example in New Guineas port!
At the end of 2016, the port was just a poor shanty town. Other than an uneconomical airport and a highway halfway built, the entire citys economy was dead on the ground and supported by tourism and small amounts of lumber and ore export.
Mysias Papua Province and port were only separated by a straight border, upying the west side of Papua. This straight borderline simply separated the entire ind of Papua into two worlds, one on one side and the other on the other side. The city of Jayapura alwaysined that the poor from New Guinea was stealing their jobs, dirtying their cities and drinking their water, yet this condescending sense of superiority gradually vanished by the arrival of Future Group.
The Mysian shockingly discovered that port was growing at a visible speed! In just a period of four short months, the size of the city expanded by a fold. The almost deserted airport had five addition arrivals and departures. The packed port had to expand to seven berths to amodate for the iing cargos.
When the conditions permitted,pared to working in the neighboring country, New Guineans favored working in their country more. With the economy supported by mega steel nts, it dragged up the local economy and brought along a series of other industries.
Also simrly!
In February, the public Luer Automotive Corporation passed a decision from the board to invest 200 million USD to establish an electric vehicle nt in the region to officially enter the Asia market! Future Biology also moved the seaweed farm to the port to provide raw ingredients for the nutrient supply production line on Ange Land. The parts nt for the housework robot was also ced near the port.
Due to the shortage of poption andnd, Future Group started executing the strategy of shifting the highbor-intensive industry to developing countries at the beginning of 2017. And New Guinea with a weak government presence, vulnerable national defense, excessivebor, and resources, fortunately, became Jiang Chens target.
Without restriction from policies, Future Group was a hungry capital beast and took a giant bite off of New Guineas catch. 30% of the residents of port worked for Jiang Chen directly, and 50% of?the poption there either were supported directly or indirectly by Future Group. Whats more shocking, Future Group did everything in four short months.
To the massive conglomerate, even if the New Guinea government retained a cautious attitude, the local government wont easily upset Jiang Chen because of the political order from the central authority. Jiang Chens sentence alone could make 50% of the poption of the city lose their source of ie. Without Future Group and Celestial Trade, how chaotic would the city be?
To some extent, Future Group was like an addictive drug to the local government. The officials with foresight obviously know that it would be detrimental if this continued, but even if they know, they could not break off the drug. Officials in any country must require achievements to be promoted, and Jiang Chen happened to control what they needed the most.
The New Guinea government did consider breaking up Future Groups assets through anti-trust investigation. But just as the parliament started discussing this problem, protestors consisting of the original residents of the port with signs immediately appeared to protest about racism and unfair tax treatment and fought for independence
New Guinea was scared.
They were not afraid of the protestors, but afraid that Papua would be the second MLL Ind. Celestial Trade dared to set an example of another country provoked them.
And they did it in front of UAs face without holding anything back!
No one mentioned the anti-trust investigation anymore. After a period of protesting, the protestors also lost interest and returned back to work at the steel nts.
Of course, it was just a story that happened in between.
Future Group provided hundreds of millions of USD in tax revenue for the local government. Just for the sake of foreign currency, the local government didnt dare to offend Future Group. Or the protestors wont be able to return to the nts and work peacefully; usually, they would have to be at least thrown in a detention center for at least a few days.
It was because of this foreign currency that the neighboring Mysia became jealous.
They were not afraid of Future Group throwing a coup that overthrows their government since their force was notparable to Country Fs third-hand product. Their air force was equipped with Russias MIG-28N and Americas F-18 Ho! Although they were not seeking for war, their air force was onlyparable by Singapore in the region.
Mysias Finance Minister and Energy Minister visited Coro Ind two times to meet with Zhang Yaping and Jiang Chen while providing positive signals to Future Group.
[We have a workforce, resources, and the most important basic infrastructure to support it all! Everything New Guinea has, the Papua Province on Papua Ind has it, and we have more of it than them!]
With how direct his message is, he practically said e invest here!
But Jiang Chen didnt respond directly to the two ministers warm invitation. He only vaguely stated if Celestial Trade and Future Group required expansion in business, they would consider the resource-rich Mysia as a partner.
But after all the polite talk was done, Future Group did not react at all. The tensest was the local government of Papua province, seeing that the poor country beside them was rising. While people in Jayapura hated New Guineas poor for working in their cities when they can all go back to their hometown to work, however, when the restaurants and McDonalds throughout the city could not see a single New Guinean server, the citizens of Jayapura started to feel anxious.
The sudden shortage inbor force caused a visible drop in the quality of life of Jayapura people, and the booming economy started to slow down. With the extrabor force missing, would there be no unemployment rate in the city? It was obviously not the case.
While they lost their extrabor force, Jayapura lost the extra consumers. The drop in store sales?and slowdown inpany performance naturally led to a reduction in workforce. The more prosperous the city, the more it depended on the connections it had with the outside world.
As to the influence of port and the effect on the capital of Papua province Jayapura, it would be an indirectparison to the rise of Shenzhen and the fall of Hong Kong, not to be discussed further here.
Finally, Mysia who couldnt sit around any longer sent delegation again.
Chapter 605 - If possible, cheers to our cooperation
Chapter 605: If possible, cheers to our cooperation
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
With the foreign capitals continuing to flee, if they could attract investment from the neighboring Future Group, it was a tempting choice for Mysia looking to revitalize the economy. With Future Groups speed of expansion, there was no one that even remotely matched them.
In order to hop on the rocket rapidly elerating, Mysia sent out a delegation for the third time.
This time it was a parliament member with a renowned reputation and also was acting as the economic development consultant of Papua Province. While his rank may not be higherpared to the previous times, the visitor possessed a background from both the Mysian government and the local government. That meant, he brought enough chips with him to the table.
Also, his name is Yu Weida, a Han.
Han faces are no umon in Mysia, but definitely as rare as the giant panda in Mysian politics.
Nice to meet you, Mr. Jiang Chen, I have long heard your name.
When they met, Yu Weida in a suit sincerely extended his hand and greeted Jiang Chen. After some small talk, Jiang Chen invited the parliament member to sit down. The concierge staffed poured tea for them.
Following the basic procedure of foreign delegation, he already shook hands at the Presidential ce with the President of Xin, but in front of Jiang Chen, his attitude and actions seemed reserved. Clearly, he did his homework before he came and knew that the person in front of him was the actual owner of Xin.
I trust that Mr. Jiang Chen already knows the purpose of my trip. Thest time, our ministers already expressed our wee to your investment in Mysia. Yu Weida paused and looked at Jiang Chen. Then lowering his eyes, he said sincerely, whats your partys consideration?
To be honest, Im still considering. Jiang Chen took a sip of the water, smiled, and said in an unrushed tone.
Yu Weida was not defeated by the response and started to joke with Jiang Chen, The old saying is that, visiting the straw hut three times show ones sincerity. (A reference to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei) Now that we have already been here three times, Mr. Jiang wont let us leave empty-handed right.
That might not be the case.
Future Groups operation in New Guinea is fine. The local government and the central government both are extra protective of their assets. The port government was recently discussing if they will permit Celestial Trades Marine Corps to establish an employment hiring base. If permitted, Celestial Trade will be able to acquire sufficient soldiers in New Guinea. The desire to immigrate to Xin will motivate a lot of New Guineans to apply. Since this is the only way for the inders without a high education background to immigrate to Coro Ind with a higher and higher barrier to enlist.
Jiang Chen looked at Yu Weida dubiously, Looks like Mr. Yu knows the Hua culture very well.
Of course, my ancestor is a Han merchant and settled in Ku Lumpur during the Republic Era before moving to Papua Province. Yu Weida exined.
Then you should know that Lu Bei promised Zhuge Liang to be the state secretary, Jiang Chen paused, leaned slightly forward, and smiled at him, then, what can you give me?
Mr. Jiang, not everything has to be based on gains. Yu Weida opened his hands, at the very least Im representing a country. We invited you three times, even for Apple, we werent this sincere.
What was the GDP of Mysiast year?
312.7 billion US dors, Yu Weida answered quickly.
Future Groups market cap is 500 billion, and this is a conservative estimate from Wall Street. If Jiang Chen gave an estimate, the number would have to at least double.
This way of saying it is too out Yu Weida adjusted the diction in his mind before he forced a smile, this is without reason.
Its not about having a reason or not, Jiang Chen waved his hand in disagreement, sat up straight, and looked at the Mysia parliament member in front of him. Im a businessman, my decision to invest is based on what you can provide me.
We have the thirdrgestbor market in the world with a strong economic foundation. At present, ASEAN is the third power in Asia, and Mysia is undoubtedly the leader in ASEAN. If you cane to invest here, we are willing to provide you with a series of benefits such as loans,nd, recruitment and so on...
But yourbor cost is higher than them. Jiang Chen smiled, take the steel nt for example, including overtime, the workers at New Guinea only needs to be paid 750 US dors per month, but your basic wage without overtime will be more than 800 uS dors.
It is unfair to purely discuss cost. Our countrys education level is higher than them, Yu Weida exined.
But Jiang Chen was clearly not having any of this.
Do you need higher education to learn how to operate a boiler? You just need to know how to read. Jiang Chen then continued, especially since well be sending technical experts to be stationed in each steel nts. As long as we have good production procedures, even if the workers have a low education level, our group can still ept this.
Yu Weida gritted his teeth. He knew that if he didnt bring out any attractive proposal, this negotiation would be without fruition. Although before he came, the parliament and local government already gave them their bottom lines, but bringing out the chips this early was not helpful in haggling the price.
One year, tax-free!
New Guinea gave us three years.
Then well do three years! Yu Weida thought about the ore agreement with BHP, he continued, Also, limited to just the ports of Papua Province, well exclude the ie tariff on iron, aluminum, nickel, and cooper; as long as the total investment in Mysia exceeds 2 billion US dors.
Jiang Chen was moved.
They eliminated the import tariff! In this case, it would save Future Group at least 200 million USD in expenses! Currently, Future Groups massive expansion projects did put a strain on its cash flow. If he could save this expense, he could distribute the budget to the projects burning more money.
But just the elimination of the ore import tariff was not enough to convince Jiang Chen, unless they could add more benefits
You almost convinced me.
Can I know where Imcking?
Seeing how big Jiang Chens appetite was, Yu Weida was growing more displeased.
He already offered all the benefits he could on the table, if Future Group is still raising the price without agreeing, he didnt n to discuss further.
I admit that your offer is generous and attractive, but, Jiang Chen suddenly took a sharp turn in the conversation, we already invested 1.7 billion US dors in New Guinea with a 5 billion US dors investment projecting up. If we give up 2 billion of initial investment because of a 200 million policy benefit, if you are in my spot, is this clearly a less appealing choice?
[5 billion US dors more!]
Yu Weida held his breath.
He didnt notice the second half of Jiang Chens sentence because all his focus was caught by the number.
What do you want?
Everything before that and one more, a special pass, Jiang Chen raised one finger, all the trucks and employees of Future Group can freely move between Mysias Papua Province border and New Guinea. All documents and tariffs must be
This is impossible! Yu Weida shouted out.
It was impossible! Absolutely impossible! Not only did it pertain to tariffs, but it was also rted to national security! Even if Future Group bears enough weight, the parliament would not?agree to such a ridiculous term.
Jiang Chen didnt care that much; he extended his hand with a smile.
If possible, cheers to our cooperation.
Chapter 606 - A New Special District
Chapter 606: A New Special District
Trantor: _Min_
Editor: Caron_
The truth proved that nothing is impossible.
It was fine to have no taxes, and it was fine to remove tariffs for some goods, but thetter exception made the Mysian government troubled. While both New Guinea and Papua Province were both on Papua Ind and the two countries were connected by a highway, any goods transported through this highway required tariffs to be paid.
Especially when it came to mining resources, Papua was rich in resources throughout the ind. The Papua provincial government didn''t want to see New Guinea''s ores flooding into Mysia to steal their own market share.
But if Future Group was granted a special pass, that meant the border was non-existent to them.
But!
The 5 billion USD investment made it hard for the Mysian government to give up. Mysia received a total investment of 174.9 billion Ringgit in 2016, a drop from 186.7 billion in 2015 by 6%. Although the decrease had slowed downpared to the terrifying 21% cliff dive, overall, the Mysian economic situation was optimistic.
Future Group''s 5 billion USD couldn''t be underestimated. Based on the investment performance of Future Group at the port, one USD of investment attracted at least 1.7 USD in international capital. Evenpared with the wealthy Wall Street across the world, Future Group was considered a generous investor.
A lot of investors even closely monitored Future Group''s activity and invested wherever Future Group invested. The trend of following Future Group was best demonstrated in Xin; Future Group''s 10 billion USD investments there drew in at least 13 billion of follow-up investments. Because of the international capital flooding in, it made Coro Ind a rising pearl in the west Pacific.
Yu Weida brought Jiang Chen''s words back to Mysia.
One weekter, the Mysian government sent Jiang Chen a reply.
There was only a short sentence in the letter.
"Cheers to our cooperation."
The Mysian government executed the document with the cooperation of the local Papua provincial government to designate the 180-square-kilometer area on the northeastern border of Papua Province as the New Mysia Special District. Combined with the 40 square kilometers ofnd negotiated with the New Guinea government, Celestial Trade ownednd on Papua Ind the size of three Xiangjiangs.
Thend was located at the border of the two countries. After the establishment of the special zone, Celestial Trade and Future Group''s employees and vehicles could freely move between the special district and New Guinea. But entering the other area of Papua Province from the special zone would still require custom inspections and tariff charges. It was the equivalent of the Mysian government moving out the inspection station on the border by ten-something kilometers.
Establishing an industrial zone on the border was simr to the UK industrial zone, but differences also existed. In terms of taxes, the two governments'' tax revenue was split 8:2. In terms of management and administration, Mysian officials managed the special district.
Jiang Chen was extremely pleased with theirpromise, and he was also shockingly surprised.
Mysia had high hopes regarding Future Group''s prospects and was willing to establish a special zone to attract Jiang Chen''s investment.
Just as Yu Weida said, the education levels of the indigenous people of New Guinea were too low. The production efficiency of the workers was, in fact, rted to their education levels. It might not be reflected in the boilers of the steel nt, but it could be seen in other nts.
Take, for example, the parts required to construct a housework robot.
To polish a part of the robot, a worker with an elementary education would require one month of training with an average polishing speed of 31 parts per day, but a worker with a high school education would only require 10 days of training with an average polishing speed of 47 parts per day. A lot of Han and Vietnam descendants who entered New Guinea through Papua Province had production efficiencies that were levels above the indigenous people of New Guinea.
After the approval of the special zone document, Future Group negotiated with the special district government and acquired ownership rights of all 15 square kilometers ofnd at a symbolic price of 1 USD per square meters.
Immediately, Jiang Chen spent 1.2 billion USD and hired five constructionpanies to simultaneously start on the construction of roads, residences and other basic infrastructure as well as steel nts, robot part nts and chemical nts for manufacturing MIX1 batteries to connect the nts built at the west end of the port.
Thepletion of the industrial zone would create 117,000 job positions in Papua Province.
The Capitol.
The atmosphere in the conference room was low-spirited. The thinktanks of the Capitol sat around the table and exchanged opinions regarding the document in front of them. Their faces disyed shock, disbelief, and mostly concern.
Hill sat at the end of the table. The aggressive old woman won the race against her opponent, but since her inauguration, she had never been tested by an incident this scale.
A middle-aged man walked into the room.
All the eyes in the conference room were directed at him, including Hill who sat at the end.
Naomi Martin didn''t waste any words and put the document on the table.
"The results of the autopsy report havee out. The result of death was heart failure ... it''s suspected he was killed."
The conference room became rattled.
Gordon, the F35 pilot, was found not on MLL Ind, but in Singapore 2,000 kilometers away. When CIB agents found him through all the clues, he had been dead for half a month.
Why would the F35 fighter pilot suddenly leave thebat zone and strike City K? Why did he not attempt to contact themand center after he parachuted and appeared in Singapore 2,000 kilometers away?
Too many questions were brought into his grave.
But CIB was indeed the hound of UA. When they were conducting a search of the pilot''s apartment, they found a suspicious diary.
30 pages of the 41 pages diary were ripped out. They found arge number of smudges on the 31st page with the only distinguishable thing being a word.
"Kurofune, the ck boat."
"We already discussed this problem."
"Should we contact the Nippon government? Perhaps they know something."
"I''ll bet 10 dors that the ''Kurofune'' probably is a nightclub that our boys like to go."
"Luke, we''re in a conference." Hill used a calm but authoritative voice.
The man named Luke immediately closed his mouth and shrugged at his colleagues.
Then Hill directed her gaze at Naomi, who just entered.
"You''rete, but I guess you have new discoveries, right?"
Naomi took a deep breath and nodded.
"Gordon seemed to be tortured before his death, but based on the statement from his neighbor, no one entered or left his room. From the room, we detected vomit and alcohol... he ingested arge quantity of alcohol before his death."
"Get to the point; I''m not here to listen to your autopsy report."
"I am just about to get to the point." Naomi continued, "based on the analysis of our intelligence personnel, Kurofune should be an organization. And Gordon should''ve contacted the organization before his death. But this wasn''t the most shocking discovery."
"There''s indirect evidence to prove that Kurofune is perhaps rted to that thing we''re researching in Area 51."
When Naomi finished thest sentence, the entire conference room was dead silent.
Chapter 607 - Robot Xiao Lin
Chapter 607: Robot Xiao Lin
Trantor: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
With the housework robot hitting the market, the entire Inte was again excited by the name Future.
Code AI-00, nicknamed Xiao Lin, represented the first model of Future Heavy Industriesbination of artificial intelligence + service robot. Future Heavy Industries ended up rejecting the initial crude and bold design of the robot and designed Xiao Lins appearance with a professional art team.
Its previous cylindrical head was reced by a human head.
The uncanny effect made the art team tremble. The more the robot resembled a human, the more its physiological repulsiveness became apparent. Regardless of how much emotional data they ported to enrich the robots facial expressions, the hollowness inside its pupils and the stiffness in the details would give people a simr feeling to seeing the dead, but the problem couldnt be solved by even Doctor Amos. It was solved by an undergraduate student with an art degree.
If looking like a human makes people feel ufortable, just dont make it look like a human!
Who said human-like features were the only definition of beauty?
The fictional idol, Hatsune Miku, has been popr for years and has tons of followers on the Inte!
The problem was solved just like that.
The art team who suddenly had that realization got rid of the previous face and used 2.5D style as the foundation, bringing a character that only previously existed in fantasies to the real world.
It had six basic expressions and 36 expressions based on emotional data. The amount of emotion it could disy far exceeded theplicated 142-expression design.
Xiao Lins official appearance was set as an 18-year-old girl with long, ck, straight hair. She had a maid uniform as well as a blonde boy in servant clothes. Gender, hair color, pupil color, breast size, personality, and uniform could all be customized based on user preference. Of course, customization would require an additional fee.
Most people were willing to make their girlfriend look different from others.
What? Youre asking me if the word girlfriend is wrong?
But in actuality, a lot of people who took Xiao Lin home treated her as their girlfriend. Future Technologys AI was known for its power and there were still people to this day who treated Little White as their pet, hence, a lot of people fell in love with the goddess who stepped out from their fantasies. The price of 10,000 USD was pricey, but to Doctor Amos surprise, it achieved a sales feat in the Asian market.
The sales of the adult version of Xiao Lin destroyed the sales of the family-friendly version. Although it was just an addition of a special mold as well as a unique emotional sensor to disy R-18 positions and emotions, the price skyrocketed to 20,000 USD on the ck market.
This certainly caught Jiang Chen off guard.
If you could pay 20,000 USD, why didnt you go find a girlfriend?! Picking up a girl wouldnt cost 20,000 USD, right?
It wasnt untilter that he discovered it wasnt just single men without money to get married who bought this, but people with money with special needs were also buying this. Some requested the height to be as short as possible, some demanded that the breast size be G, and some even bought ten and created a harem.
Robots absolutely will not get jealous, unless it was set within the program that they will.
Time magazine once again disyed Jiang Chen on the cover page and usedical English to describe him as:
The header also made Jiang Chen furious.
If it wasnt for the fact that the report was unbiased and offered insight, he wouldve sent out his Ghost Agents to do some work.
There were 200,000 Xiao Lins walking out of the nt on Ange Ind every month with 50,000 units as the home model with the remaining ones being the adult model. Previously, production was scheduled for an equal split between both models, but the sales of the adult model were so great that Future Heavy Industries immediately reduced the production of the home model and distributed the production to the adult version.
Amos didnt stopining to Jiang Chen about this.
Their era-defining masterpiece turned out to be a sex toy! It was humiliating to know.
Heined for less than a month before he stopped yapping and focused on the improved version of Xiao Lin. The 50 million USD in dividends almost scared him to death. Although he was reputable in the international roboticmunity, he had never been this rich.
But inparison to