Chapter 1365
Chapter 1365 - 1351: God’s Relic
1,410 words
•
8 min read
"Working overtime is tough, I’ll get you guys some coffee..." As he looked at the newly-formed "Purchase Group," Lu Ping’an quietly closed the door and turned to leave.
Their work was tedious and complex, and it was better for an outsider like Lu not to add to the chaos... Delegating the work might just be Lu Ping’an’s most important task.
As the team leader and one of the major shareholders of Mercury 42, Lu Ping’an indeed had too many things to keep him busy... Of course, his tendency to slack off and dump work on others was also a reality.
After Lu Ping’an’s promise, Catherine came out of retirement to start "project procurement" as Lu Ping’an’s proxy.
She made a list and, after careful consideration, prioritized "agricultural tools," "war instruments," "biological pharmaceuticals," and "cultural entertainment" as key imported projects.
As for how it would be done, Lu Ping’an did not intervene, but now being in Wanjing, there was nothing you couldn’t buy in the market, of course, some things could only be found in gray or black areas... Lu Ping’an would step in again when special channels were needed.
"... Everyone, we’re tight on time, overtime is needed." Following the busy start of the "Purchase Group Managers", the other members of Lu Ping’an’s team also began to work, with many tasks needing to be wrapped up.
Work had progressed to this point, with negotiations already leading to contracts and alliances for reinforcements signed by the dozen, not to mention snagging the big fish, the Moon God—logically, it should have been time to leave.
And it wasn’t just Lu Ping’an and the officials who were pleased with this outcome.
Lu Ping’an took some time to communicate with Ancient City... From the looks of it, they were very satisfied and would join the Mercury 42 development as the first batch of investing dealers.
To be precise, each had their own focus. The Eastern Country’s official investment included a "shell project" (given a nominal reason), with the main investment being a "University Town"... This was part of cultural efforts, which would send professionals to track the project’s progress.
If managed well, subsequent staff and special funds would surely follow... As political work, it might even benefit the local population of Ancient City.
On Ancient City’s part, Ancient City University would send some teachers and students to settle in the University Town for development and also contacted some lecturers from middle and high schools to undertake local education work and deep cultural "resonance."
Ancient City officials aimed primarily at dumping goods for trade... They would surround the University Town with a series of industrial investments, and precise projects would only be determined after physical inspection. But as Lu Ping’an’s "in-laws," they would receive a series of policy incentives including minimal tax rates and specialty goods management. If they still couldn’t compete with the locals, then there was truly nothing left to say.
It could be said that, with Lu Ping’an at its core, the entire Ancient City was tied to this project... This was also why Lu Ping’an could no longer randomly abandon this planet, as he was unknowingly under quite significant pressure.
Throwing out work and responsibilities didn’t mean that Lu Ping’an offloaded all the stress... In all respects, Lu Ping’an’s "pressure" was always the greatest.
𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
He had to seek a development opportunity for the team, and he had to enhance his own power to the fullest... In this era, the personal power of the team leader is always the most crucial element.
"Some things, you just can’t avoid..."
Looking at the dark sentries gathered again outside the research lab, Lu Ping’an seemed contemplative.
The legend of the Cat Tamer had spread, but what was more exasperating was that the tale of the "Kitten" had also become known throughout the kingdom... Who knows how many enemies Big Cat had in the past, but likely more than a few would be happy to see Big Cat’s thorough demise.
Although they were not sure if they could completely exterminate the Balance Disaster Beast, it didn’t hurt to try.
"This bounty is a bit outrageous..."
In the great marketplace, the bounty on "a certain cat" was extravagantly high, including a Quasi-God level (ninth-order) Taboo weapon, a continent’s development rights, a Floating Island, an Outer Domain Kingdom... Lu Ping’an suspected that wasn’t something one person or a Quasi-God could offer, perhaps it was a joint bounty played by Big Cat’s mortal enemies.
Though the Official intervention had it removed after a few hours, everyone knew the bounty still existed through gray channels, with undoubtedly many bounty hunters targeting Lu Ping’an.
For the first time, Lu Ping’an saw just how much trouble "Chris" could attract...
"What’s this all about, my bounty back in the day... Ha, now it doesn’t even compare to pocket change."
Chris, however, seemed utterly indifferent; with her "net worth," this was nothing.
"It sounds like you’re as strong as you used to be..."
Lu Ping’an sighed. In his current state, being one-third cat, his strength had a considerable cap.
Lu Ping’an knew very well that if he just stayed in this city, in the safety of the research institute continuing his studies, the bounty outside wasn’t much of an issue... Aside from the brain-dead and those with a death wish, no one would be foolish enough to commit a major crime in the capital of the Eastern Country, let alone attack the research institute of Wanjing University in such an idiotic manner.
If they didn’t dare to come in, he could very well travel to Mercury 42 from here. If they had the guts, they could follow him; otherwise, the next time he returned, it was likely that everything would be a different story in several respects.
However, he indeed did not want to miss an "opportunity" that might require him to venture out once.
"The coordinates have been decrypted already?"
"Almost, to our north, not far, in the icy tundra of Siberia."
"...It seems we must go through with it."
There were some things Lu Ping’an couldn’t avoid, after all, they were part of his road to heaven.
"Shard of God..."
It was a "gift" from the Moon God, or rather, her "Divine Relic".
This unfortunate deity had already "disconnected" twice, inflicting long-term harm to her core essence—something no deity would choose unless absolutely necessary.
And the second time, it was during her recent "defection" that she had voluntarily disconnected...
"There should be Exploration Teams that have gone, right?"
"Not necessarily, everyone’s eyes are on ’meteorites’ all the time, who can pinpoint the fall location so quickly..."
When a deity disconnects from the world, the fragments of themselves—the part that breaks off—often leave some relics behind in this world.
Naturally, part of it would fall to the Mortal World.
These are "Divine Relics," parts of a deity that are directly connected to the world’s origin, often containing the most primal power of the deity, and possibly even the local "Divine Right".
If these fragments fall to the Mortal World and are not sought out and absorbed in time, they will be swallowed back up by the world... When the Moon God departed, not only did she intentionally divert the fragments away from the homeland of the Red Star Republic to a more southern location, but she also sent the predicted "coordinates" to Lu Ping’an.
It was a favor carried by the wind; she couldn’t reclaim that part of the fragment, and she was unwilling to leave it for the Red Star people who had betrayed her, so she passed the information to Lu Ping’an, hoping he would recover it first.
Lu Ping’an was trying to "advance" on the Path of the Moon, to obtain that Divine Relic, even possibly to connect with the Moon God’s primal power... With such a huge temptation, how could he possibly refuse?
"Should we give up?"
Seeing the hunters outside, someone advised Lu Ping’an to be sensible.
He shook his head, knowing that some things were unavoidable.
"...Let them follow, the cold winds of Siberia are indeed a premium burial ground."
— End of Chapter 1365 —