If the temptation of a source energy block to a dead-iron straight man like Han Qingyu was like a stunning beauty to an ordinary man, then the temptation of a metal block was probably equivalent to booking an entire Victoria's Secret fashion show to do with as one pleased.
Now, Shen Fengting was saying there were four of them out there.
So what if members of the Cleansing Faction infiltrated the place? He was already worried sick about not being able to track them down in the first place.
As for the Self-Preservation Faction... what on earth were they?
Han Qingyu had heard the term before, but he had never paid it much mind because it sounded relatively harmless.
"The deep sea, the Earth's core, deep space voyaging," Shen Fengting listed several major branches of the Self-Preservation Faction, almost every one of which was self-explanatory by name alone.
Beside them, Liu Shiheng nodded. "Understood. Fugitives running for their lives."
"Kind of like a doomsday ark, right?" Wen Jifei chimed in after a moment's thought. "So I'm guessing it's the kind of thing only the rich and powerful would ever dream up."
Shen Fengting looked at him. "Indeed, there is an Ark Project aiming to head into space in search of a new habitat—or even just to cling to life temporarily aboard an ark while waiting to see how things turn out."
Among the people who knew humanity faced the threat of the Great Spikes, some had chosen "self-preservation," whether out of sheer pessimism—believing resistance was futile—or driven by differing personal values.
A portion of them had originally come from Azure, but far more were heads of various national governments who had partnered with Azure in the early days. They knew of the existence of the Great Spikes and Azure, and behind them stood immense families or corporate syndicates.
They were preparing too, lacking neither money nor manpower nor elites. The only problem...
"The only problem is that this world's native technology is nowhere near sufficient to achieve the self-preservation they envision. That's why they are also fighting for source energy and researching related technologies."
In Shen Fengting's account, the relationship between the Self-Preservation Faction and Azure was rather delicate.
At times, they collaborated on scientific research with Azure or made trade deals. At other times, they chose to attack Azure, seizing source energy and technology.
Furthermore, before their own preparations were complete, they even lent a hand in resisting the Great Spikes.
"Frenemies?" Shen Yixiu pondered for a moment, asking in confusion, "Looking at it that way, isn't Azure giving that Alphonse a bit too much autonomy, Grandpa?"
Shen Fengting nodded. "Yes. Voices saying just that are far from rare within Azure. Some even believe the Alphonse family's current stance already straddles the line between Azure and the Self-Preservation Faction, essentially keeping a foot in both camps... It's just that the Council has never been able to reach a consensus on taking harsh measures against the first recipient of the Starlight Medal in Azure history."
"Maybe they're waiting for him to die... only the damn bastard refuses to kick the bucket. Over a hundred and twenty years old! That's one tough geezer."
What He Tangtang said might very well be the truth.
"Honestly, if I were in his shoes, I'd probably do the same thing. That's an entire family's interests at stake," Liu Shiheng admitted frankly.
"..."
The group went on analyzing and studying the situation.
Han Qingyu couldn't be bothered to participate at all. Analyze what? He was just going there to get metal blocks. Factions and the grand geopolitical landscape had nothing to do with him.
"Commander Shen," he called out, having no choice but to interrupt their discussion.
Shen Fengting snapped back to reality. "Yes?"
"Should I go call Shao Xuan over?"
Shen Fengting shook his head. "The requirement is youths under twenty years old."
"Oh, even better. Can we just head straight there?"
"You need an invitation."
"Do you have one?"
"I don't," Shen Fengting said. "However, a foreign comrade-in-arms of mine from back when he briefly served in Huaxia has one. He returned home later on, married a Huaxian servicewoman, and now serves in the Swiss Frontline. Switzerland is too small and lacks young prodigies, so over the past two years, he's written to me several times asking if I had any suitable candidates to accompany his granddaughter in the trial. I told him no every time before, because with only Xiuxiu alone, I couldn't put my mind at ease... Now, with you added to the picture, I feel it's worth a shot."
"Yeah, it's definitely worth a shot," Han Qingyu agreed. Then he paused and asked, "Wait, you mean we have to follow someone else in?"
"Correct."
"Then after we go in, can we off—no, ditch—can we ditch her?"
Shen Fengting felt a sudden headache coming on. "What kind of nonsense are you babbling?!"
"Qingzi is just pained by the thought of having to share metal blocks with someone else. Those are meant for Xiuxiu," Wen Jifei explained with a smile. "Besides, tagging along like that means they'll most likely call the shots on how things are split. Who knows whether they'll be stingy or not?"
That struck right at the heart of the matter. If this wasn't made crystal clear beforehand, what if the other side treated them like hired hands to be brushed off? Shen Fengting looked visibly taken aback.
Han Qingyu nodded in agreement with the concern. "What if they burn the bridge after crossing it, and we don't even get to touch the stuff? I haven't even touched one of those things yet."
"Once you set out, I'll contact my comrade-in-arms to discuss the details," Shen Fengting could only say in the end. "Don't worry. With your and Xiuxiu's strength, I have all the leverage I need to negotiate with him."
Nepal, the agreed meeting spot.
Because they heard the rules might change, Han Qingyu brought along virtually their entire small team, crossing the border and arriving through Azure's official channels.
The other party was already waiting.
It was a young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with five or six foreign youths standing behind her.
"Mixed-race?" Wen Jifei muttered the instant he laid eyes on her. "How did that mix turn out like this? She looks more Huaxian than anything else. Does that mean Grandma's genes were really powerful?"
"No, that's not it. It's because my mother also had Huaxian blood, so in the end, I came out more Huaxian." The mixed-race girl answered Plague Chicken herself as she stepped forward to greet them. "Grandmother taught me, but it's not very robust."
What on earth did she mean by robust?
Just how had that grandmother taught her Chinese?!
Han Qingyu nodded and said, "I know. Commander Shen mentioned it. Hello, I'm Han Qingyu."
"Oh, I know. Grandfather said you are very robust."
Robust... Han Qingyu replied, "Well, I'm alright, I suppose."
"Yes, you are the main force." The mixed-race girl turned around and greeted the rest with earnest formality. "Hello, everyone. Welcome, and thank you. I have a Chinese name. You can call me by my Chinese name from now on. I am called Yin Jizu."
Han Qingyu froze for a second. "What?"
"Is something wrong?" The girl tilted her head, thoroughly bewildered.
"Well..." Han Qingyu thought to himself that nothing was wrong per se, but the homophone sounded rather odd—and on a young girl, it felt completely out of place.
"He's surprised because your name isn't actually very auspicious," Wen Jifei said, stepping forward enthusiastically to pick up the conversation.
"Ah? What's wrong with it?"
"That's quite complicated. It involves the I Ching, the Eight Trigrams, and a lot of traditional lore," Wen Jifei continued, closing the distance. "As it happens, my family consists of scientists who research that very field. Come, let me break it down for you."
With that, the "scientist" strolled over.
And Yin Jizu actually followed him.
A moment later, Shen Yixiu, who had been pretending to be a robot all this time, crept up beside Han Qingyu. She looked awkward and helpless, yet seemed to be suppressing a laugh. "Oh man, Plague-Chicken Fei... you should go see for yourself."
"What happened?"
"He... he's scamming Yin Jizu out of her money."
"..."
Just as they were speaking, Wen Jifei returned, shooting them a look with a face full of smug satisfaction.
Han Qingyu felt rather helpless. "What did you do to Yin Jizu?"
Wen Jifei blinked. "Who?"
"Her! That—"
"Oh, you mean Cuihua! I just used the I Ching to help her change her name. From now on, her name is Yin Cuihua."
The crowd: "..."
"Name-change fee: two hundred and fifty dollars." Wen Jifei patted the cash in his hand and whispered with satisfaction, "Not bad at all. She's not stingy, and she's pretty easy to fool."
The mixed-race girl came walking over with an exceptionally bright smile, radiating warmth and cheer as she announced:
"Let me introduce myself again. Hello, everyone! My name is Yin Cuihua!"
Chapter 119