Three minutes later, the barricades were hauled away, the gates swung open, and the passage cleared.
Under many astonished gazes, that beaten-up truck rolled into Xinquan and onto the main thoroughfare. For a moment, neither the driver, the bearded man, nor any of their companions could disguise their utter bewilderment.
They had the sudden illusion that they had taken a wrong turn and driven into a proper city.
The night market, still humming with noise and activity, was ordinary enough—at most a large open bazaar.
Yet everything besides that...
The asphalt roads had already been fully paved during the first phase of expansion. Even the narrow alleys featured compacted earth topped with gravel.
The streetlights were rough and rudimentary, but lanes were actually painted on the road.
Moreover, the streets bore none of the filthy chaos typical of wilderness settlements. While one could hardly call them spotless, there was no excrement or foul refuse dumped out in the open.
The bluestone slabs lining either side of the street had deliberate gaps between them, through which the runoff from the recent shower could be seen trickling away out of sight. In other words, this place had sewers.
And not just sewers. Battered trash cans sat along the roadside at regular intervals, not even filled to the brim. There were even sanitation workers.
As for the blazing streetlamps and the crisscrossing yet orderly electrical cables, every detail flaunted a brand of "luxury" distinct from other settlements.
A settlement leader possessing a golden palace was by no means uncommon. The extravagance in some of those places was more absurd than in the cities—underground boxing rings, casinos, and all manner of decadent dens. In the wilderness beyond the reach of Tianyuan, indulgence and luxury could be taken to even greater extremes. Otherwise, why would the wealthy city folk flock there in droves?
Yet here, wealth and assets had been laid out in the most mundane manner imaginable, spread right before everyone's eyes.
What was more, it was easy to foresee that there would be zero return...
If market management and stall fees counted as a return, the meager yield was practically enough to earn a nomination for Federation's Most Touching Charity, a laughably poor investment.
With that same capital, whether poured into running casinos or pleasure houses, Xinquan's current popularity and prime location could have made it a gold mine yielding tenfold profits with zero effort.
Compared to the remote distances, desolate terrain, and scarce resources of the Thousand Islands, this settlement sat atop the most convenient advantages in all of Haizhou. It was a veritable mountain of gold!
Yet someone had chosen to dump a layer of soil over it and busied themselves tilling the ground to grow vegetables.
And seemed thoroughly delighted by the work.
It could hardly even be called foolishness.
For someone with the surname Ji to rise from a penniless student to where he stood today in just over a year—becoming a heavyweight in Yacheng and even across Haizhou—nobody would ever mistake him for an idiot.
That left very few possibilities.
Either his ambitions were terrifyingly vast, concealing unspeakable secrets—for instance, this entire investment was merely a front to lure more and more people here, only to slaughter them all in a massive sacrifice overnight!
After all, he was a craftsman; from a stereotypic standpoint, such a scheme made complete sense.
Or else, he simply...
Didn't care?
The moment that thought surfaced, the bearded man almost laughed at himself. But as he looked at the scene before him, the smile vanished from his face before it could even form.
His heart sank slightly.
His expression grew grim.
This job wasn't going to be easy...
"Keep your eyes to yourselves. When we see the man later, be polite. Got it?"
The bearded man glanced back at his companions, his face expressionless. "If you botch the general's business, you know the consequences..."
"Rest easy, Fourth Master,"
the burly man with a mouth full of gold teeth said with a grin. "Our lips are sealed tight. Won't cause a lick of trouble... A'ming, A'ming, speak up!"
He jabbed an elbow into his companion. The pale, corpselike youth chewed his gum with an irritated scowl. Just as he was about to speak, he caught sight of the eyes glaring at him in the rearview mirror. Freezing, he nodded slowly.
An understanding was reached.
The battered vehicle rolled smoothly into Haian's factory grounds. Reaching the office building, the group headed straight upstairs.
Passing the finance office window, everyone paused in their tracks. Their gazes were drawn to the scene behind the iron grate, where overtime work was still underway.
Mounds of placer gold dust, gold bars cast from crucibles and instruments—stacked like small hills on handcarts—were being wheeled into an open vault.
That dazzling golden gleam just past the corner...
Behind Tu Sihai, the gold-toothed man unconsciously licked his lips and drew in a deep sniff. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, he caught Tu Sihai's sharp glare and obediently shut up.
They followed closely behind.
Until the door swung open.
At the far end of the cubicles stood a plain general manager's office, utterly devoid of embellishment aside from a desk, chairs, and cabinets.
"Pardon me. Things have been busy lately, and I'm running short on sleep. I start dozing off the moment night falls."
The absurdly young man lowered his head, holding a freshly boiled electric kettle. He gave a mild, genial smile. "We don't usually get visitors, so I only have some old tea on hand. Please forgive the poor hospitality."
"No, no, no! You have a thousand affairs to manage, Mr. Ji. If anything, we're the ones intruding!"
Tu Sihai broke into a loud laugh and stepped forward, extending a hand with overflowing warmth. After shaking Ji Jue's hand, he presented a business card with both hands in utmost humility. "Just a humble business, nothing grand. We'd be grateful for your kind patronage."
[Longdao Chamber of Commerce: Tu Sihai]
Ji Jue took the card and looked at the smiling, bearded man. His grin radiated warmth and sincerity, exuding an astonishing, trustworthy vigor.
He looked just like a traveling salesman carrying a bag of miracles, eager to solve every minor problem in a customer's life.
Whether it was a clogged drain or mildew on the washbasin, he always had just the thing.
"The Longdao Chamber of Commerce?"
After offering him a seat, Ji Jue asked with curiosity, "I don't believe we've collaborated before, have we? We've never crossed paths."
"Strangers the first time, friends the second!"
Tu Sihai picked up his teacup with a smile, showing no distaste for the stale tea, full of loyalty and frankness. "Of course, compared to massive outfits like the Balance Chamber of Commerce or the Ring of Taiyi, a small regional maritime chamber like ours is merely dabbling in small change.
"Still, small has its own advantages, Mr. Ji."
Tu Sihai offered a meaningful smile. "A small boat is nimble and light. With a shallow draft, it turns easily, carries a 'broad' variety of goods, and provides far more attentive service to its clients."
The Thousand Islands scattered across the Endless Sea had a few blessed sanctuaries rich in supplies, but far more were godforsaken wastelands. They couldn't compare to continents like the Federation or the Empire, yet they were slightly better off than meat grinders and cesspools like the Mid-Continent.
Serving as a bridge connecting every faction, unorthodox trade had never ceased there.
Things the Ring of Taiyi banned from being sold, things the Balance Chamber of Commerce wouldn't help you find, things that couldn't be acquired in broad daylight or brought out into the open...
Why not ask small chambers of commerce like them?
As long as the money was right, they had it all: spiteful ashes, artificial wraiths, fresh organs, embryo specimens, fresh bone marrow, remnants of Calamities, and even corrupted abominations!
"Is that so?"
Ji Jue raised a brow in apparent understanding, offering sincere praise. "Impressive indeed!"
With that, he held out an open hand.
Tu Sihai froze on the spot, momentarily confused. Subconsciously glancing behind him, he waved his hand. The gold-toothed man immediately stepped forward, lifting up a case.
"A humble gift, please don't—"
Just as Tu Sihai spoke, he was cut off. Ji Jue shook his head in exasperation and waved his hand, signaling the gold-toothed man to back off. He let out a sigh.
"The manifest."
"..." Tu Sihai faltered.
At once, Ji Jue's brow furrowed in displeasure. "Aren't you a chamber of commerce? After talking up such a big game, you didn't even bring a manifest? Or are you expecting me to order off the cuff?
"Fine by me."
He got straight to the point. "You should be able to see the procurement lists from the Balance Chamber of Commerce, the recruitment notices from the Wild Gathering, and the orders from the Ring of Taiyi, right? Embracing Simplicity or Dragon Gallop, Leopard Transformation—if you can produce even one of those two blessings, the price is wide open. And from now on, Xinquan will only do more business with you."
"..."
Tu Sihai's face grew even more stunned, though he didn't let the room go cold. Recovering his smile, he replied frankly, "To be honest, those blessings are far too rare. In all my years, I've never handled either of them... As for the manifest, we do have one, but my visit today was at the behest of another party to act as a middleman. In the rush, I overlooked bringing it along."
"A small chamber of commerce after all."
Ji Jue sighed, making no effort to hide his disappointment and regret. He hadn't placed much hope in them from the start. But before Tu Sihai could speak again, he suddenly asked, "Let me guess... the one who commissioned you is from out at sea, aren't they?"
Tu Sihai fell silent for a brief moment, then nodded decisively.
Ji Jue's smile turned mocking. "Let me guess again. It wouldn't happen to be the Blood Cleansing Fleet from the northern Endless Sea, would it?"
In the brief silence that followed, Tu Sihai's expression remained steady, giving nothing away. It was as if he had anticipated this all along, his demeanor growing increasingly earnest and open.
"As expected of Mr. Ji. Sharp-tongued, perceptive, and utterly impossible to fool."
He placed a hand on the case atop the table and sighed wistfully. "Since it's come to this, I won't beat around the bush. Those friends who make their living on the sea aren't great at socializing, so outsiders have many misunderstandings about them.
"In truth, everyone roaming the four seas relies on hot-blooded brotherhood and loyalty. They genuinely want to make friends with an exceptional talent like you, Mr. Ji.
"That is why they sent me to bring you their personal greetings..."
Right before Ji Jue's eyes, he clicked open the case.
Nestled within the black velvet padding lay small vials, each one exquisitely crafted as though lavishly decorated with tireless care by a master artisan.
A translucent crimson fluid swirled within them like a living thing, radiating a dreamlike, shimmering glow.
Sixteen vials of nearly one-hundred-percent pure "liquefied life"!
Chapter 405