Chapter 1123
Chapter 1123 - 1109: Mixing Public with Private
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8 min read
"No worries, my job is quite safe, this time I didn’t even encounter any battles that required desperate fighting..."
As always, when the Rebirth Club entered its vacation and adjustment period, it also marked the beginning of the preparation period for the next journey.
Before that, it was time for everyone to "go home."
Lu Ping’an also took a trip "home," had a meal with his family, and chatted.
He wasn’t lying, although it was still a fight to the death this time, compared to the life-or-death struggles in the Foreign Domain, that feeling of helplessness always present in the Exotic Realm made the conflicts on Earth seem truly "safe and comfortable."
In the journey through the Exotic Realm, the most distressing thing wasn’t encountering strong enemies but that you never knew what you would face, whether you might run into a Quasi-God the next day and be sent packing... Reality isn’t a game, or rather, it’s logical for a "Magic King" to uproot seedlings in a newbie village. Often, no matter how well-prepared you are, once you encounter it, you can wait for death.
In such an environment, choice is greater than effort, and luck is greater than choice. Most Explorers harbor a "fear" and "helplessness" about tomorrow, and many teams disintegrate before they even meet with the misfortune of being wiped out... Having made it this far, Lu Ping’an’s big heart was indeed indispensable.
Of course, what’s more important is still the Courtyard’s absolute advantage in security and logistics.
Its supplies far surpassed the limits of other professionals, and when necessary, Lu Ping’an’s Zero (Escape) plan gave everyone the final confidence needed, offering the security necessary to carry out various regular duties.
Not everyone has "might drop dead tomorrow" yet still consistently goes to work today with nerves of steel.
Lu Ping’an’s "Courtyard" allowed most team members to experience far less stress on average than other organizations, which is one of the reasons why no core members have left the team thus far.
"... this house, it’s quite expensive, right?"
"No, it’s provided by the unit."
When Lu Ping’an was there, his family could safely reside in the house equipped with the city government’s comprehensive security facilities.
It’s just that the facilities were so good, they made the old couple somewhat uncomfortable.
"Ah, is it that good?"
"Old man, you don’t know, our son has become quite accomplished now..."
Unlike the typically quiet father, Lu Ping’an’s mother delighted in spotting her son on the news and TV. Even the odd mention was enough to keep her chatting with the neighbor’s aunties all day long.
"Now the benefits have improved as well, the rural medical insurance has been converted to city medical insurance, and a pension for social security was added..."
Hearing this, Lu Ping’an smiled. He couldn’t care less about whether this was by the rules, but as long as it made his parents happy and at ease, he was naturally satisfied.
"... this way, we won’t be a burden on you..."
An elderly person’s heart always lies with their children.
At least Lu Ping’an had the good luck of having a pair of good parents.
Given Lu Ping’an’s current assets, such worries should be unfounded, but he would neither argue nor point it out.
After mulling it over, Lu Ping’an then said,
"This time, ah, I met a few lovely girls..."
Kind intent, just accept it.
Lu Ping’an described his experiences in the tone of someone talking about "children," showing off a bit, stirring up some excitement.
But reality is often more legendary than stories.
As for whether mentioning girls would lead to any additional troubles, such as being pushed to marry, pushed to marry, or more pushing to marry... Lu Ping’an was only 17 now, and getting married would be illegal immediately, though in the end, probably nobody would care.
Yet, when high school or college students mention their female classmates when going home, it can still attract the attention and interest of the parents.
"Then what about Captain Xia who takes such good care of you?"
"Yes, she’s a good girl..."
Well, Lu Ping’an once again shot himself in the foot.
Xia Qing had not only met his parents multiple times, but whenever Lu Ping’an couldn’t make it himself, she would look after them.
"...Captain Xia, uh, I..."
A Contractor who couldn’t lie, coupled with not wanting to speak like "a child," at that moment, Lu Ping’an found himself completely at a loss for words for the first time.
In the end, after a series of muggles, he could only helplessly promise to invite Captain Xia over for a meal next time to thank her for her care.
"Damn, truly dumbfounding. They won’t misunderstand, will they... or rather, there’s no misunderstanding; they just want something like this to happen..."
There were some things Lu Ping’an also felt helpless and conflicted about.
But shaking his head, he still had too many other things to worry about.
At this time, in the yard of Lu Ping’an’s "home," a Land Boat, disassembled down to its parts, lay before him.
As the "person in charge," Lu Ping’an could be on vacation every day, but if he really had to "take responsibility," there probably wouldn’t be any real vacation at all.
"This is interesting, rune lightweighting, and Sealing Skill... Sealing air? Nitrogen..."
A Land Boat and vehicles like cars are, frankly speaking, quite straightforward in principle; the focus is always on craftsmanship and materials.
A high-level Craftsman could turn screws by hand to build a Battleship, and touching up a car with bare hands is not difficult, but for market competition, you need the "industrial strength" to mass-produce them to join in on this big piece of the pie.
Lu Ping’an had seen many people driving these Land Boats, and their stability and safety were still trustworthy. What struck Lu Ping’an as peculiar was that many "foreigners" were driving these boats for transport... With industrial development and the popularization of private cars, some things were bound to happen sooner or later.
And the surge in newcomers and the significant decrease in the average price of vehicles all contributed to this "era" arriving even earlier.
The impact wasn’t limited to that, the Single Wooden Boat series, similar to motorcycles, sold extremely well and became the favorite of Delivery Guys... Although in this era, deliveries were not only scarce but also ridiculously expensive.
"Let me try... uh, seems like I can’t restore it."
Looking at the scattered parts on the ground, Lu Ping’an sighed in resignation.
He actually possessed the profession of a Craftsman, now making a push for third-tier (using other people’s materials), but his Mastery was in "Forging" and "Enchantment Demon," which didn’t quite match with the current technological methods... He lacked a foundation in the supernatural system of liberal arts, without the necessary Craftsman’s knowledge in "Creation" and "Steam technology."
To put it bluntly, he was a Blacksmith, not an Engineer.
He was merely using his abilities and knowledge to analyze and guess the functions and characteristics of these parts.
"Theoretically, it is possible to transform it into a ship, but the results may not be great..."
Lu Ping’an wasn’t just dismantling vehicles for no good reason. Since he had decided to become a "salesman," he at least needed to understand the practical aspects of the Goods.
He had all the data, but some things only become clear when you dismantle and ponder over them, allowing you to thoroughly grasp the principles and explore their potential and limitations.
"This is interesting; it might actually be useful..."
Having confirmed the principle of the Land Boat, Lu Ping’an suddenly had a bold idea.
Having your Land Boat transformed into a ship might sound implausible, and the clients might remain skeptical.
Theoretical data is one thing; seeing is believing. And right now, it seemed like he had an excellent "advertisement spot" at his disposal.
"Director Wang... Director Wang, I have a plan that could perhaps aid with the sales pitches, but it would require full support from your factory, a super-sized transformation project."
"Brother Guan, I’ve found a sucker... *cough cough*, I mean a sponsor who’s willing to provide technology, manpower resources to help us refurbish and transform our Mobile base. You ask why they’d do it? Well, perhaps it’s love."
— End of Chapter 1123 —