Chapter 665
Chapter 665 - 645: Lies?
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"In fact, it’s not that they didn’t want to use good chairs. The first batch they used were all custom-made, high-quality safety chairs that were quite valuable."
"The first batch?"
"Yes, you see..."
Under the force of takeoff, those "internet cafe chairs" that didn’t grip the ground firmly enough either twisted and deformed or completely disintegrated. Lu Ping’an immediately understood why the landing cabin was so clean.
These furnishings in "civilian aviation" were probably disposable.
This reminded Lu Ping’an of the treatment of early express deliveries. When it would arrive, whether it could arrive, and whether it would be complete after arrival was all up to fate.
Fortunately, after boarding the actual plane, at least what followed was not the treatment of freight express.
The sky was obscured by sand, and as far as the eye could see, everything except the ground underfoot was desert... but this oasis underfoot was warm and comfortable, with a gentle warmth underfoot.
Not far away were smiling attendants and countless fruit and vegetable stands.
Behind them, in the exotic, colorful tent community, there were bonfires, and in the small oasis town, faint sounds of music and dancing could be heard.
Compared to the last "house arrest-style trip," the gods this time seemed to be a lot friendlier.
He was the King of Yellow Sand, a new god who successfully ascended to power in this crisis, and his divine position included wealth, desert, life, and so on.
He, along with another Scholar series deity, the "Lord of the Lantern," were also the gods behind the Desert Kingdom race that came to Earth, and at the same time, the two newly ascended gods who had been ascended for less than a year.
As time went by and understanding between the two sides deepened, Lu Ping’an became more and more aware of the details of these foreign visitors.
Originally, there were as many as a million people in their fleeing race, but now there were less than three hundred thousand on Earth... At first, Lu Ping’an thought they didn’t want to put all their eggs in one basket. Once familiar, he obtained more internal basic information and caught a whiff of something different.
"They seem to be deliberately erasing the records and marks of the old gods."
The new gods, Lord of the Lantern and King of Yellow Sand, had a combined carrying capacity of only 300,000... That’s because they were both the lucky ones who succeeded in ascending to godhood in this crisis, with strength probably at the weakest level among the deities.
They didn’t follow the three old gods who controlled the Kingdom and more people, after all, they didn’t want to continue to be the servants and subordinates of those three deities.
In short, after a series of games, they accepted the olive branch handed over by the Earth’s forces, broke with the old gods, and came here... while the three old gods did not have time to settle accounts with them.
As long as they changed worlds, everything would start anew, and perhaps the old gods who had already settled in their new homes wouldn’t have the time and energy to settle accounts with the new gods.
When fleeing for refuge, it was also the moment for a family split. This business seemed to be doable... The two new gods discussed it and decided on it.
As for the ordinary mortals who were involved? Matters decided by the gods would not require your mortal gossip.
"It’s a good story, isn’t it?"
Lu Ping’an didn’t fully believe it, nor did he disbelieve it, after all, there was no way to verify it.
If he believed it, then it meant that these two new gods had become enemies of the old gods in some sense; they had completely cut off their ties, had no way out, and were wholeheartedly working with humanity. If it was false... there was no need to fuss since both the Earth and Eastern Countries, those churches and gods with their own little calculations were already known to all.
If one develops well, these unstable factors will be quite stable. If one develops poorly, there are also many unstable factors unaccounted for.
In the political sphere, with this "excuse" in place, the two sides got along better and cooperated better... On the surface, the Desert people here could become more sincere and loyal vassal clans.
Some words are better left unsaid. Everyone knows it’s enough. The current extraordinary reception made Lu Ping’an and the others feel much more comfortable.
Honestly, being watched throughout the entire journey last time was quite uncomfortable... Although it’s certain that they were still being watched by the deities and divine envoys, the different attitudes made people feel much more comfortable.
This time, Four City and the Desert Clans collaborated. Eighty thousand people were absorbed into the ancient city, and the remaining two hundred thousand were divided among the three families... It seemed that they had completed a deep binding, and these two deities became Four City’s "private car."
Of course, nominally this was not allowed. All "Exotic Realm exploration" needed central approval... the central management consisted of the deities, and most of the time the central government issued orders for the peripheral deities to reluctantly transport them.
This time, the deity took the initiative to apply, indicating the departure point and time. The batch of explorers from Four City just "happened" to buy tickets and board the plane.
Of course, since the information was public, some individual investors took advantage of the opportunity to hitch a ride... but it didn’t count for much compared to the local cluster operations; they wouldn’t have any impact on the overall situation.
There are both policies and countermeasures in place, and the response is extremely fast. It’s just working within the big system set by the superiors. Each step seems to be legal and compliant, but in fact, a bit of extra operation wouldn’t be a big issue.
Compared with the normal "boat ticket," the advantage of this "private car" is quite apparent.
Not just in terms of carrying capacity, but also the flexible handling...
"Wow, they even brought the bus along. And motorcycles and jeeps?"
"That’s nothing, look over there: tanks..."
"That’s the good stuff from the military, huh? Oh, isn’t that their special Desert Flying Boat? Can we try it?"
The first time they explored, each person’s carrying capacity was extremely limited. Limited packages were used to pack food and supplies instead of bringing a tank, let alone a bicycle.
Now, they somehow dealt with it and brought them in a "legal and compliant" way.
In fact, every time the Ark carried, the real bulk of the load was always supplies and military replenishments. But this time, the secret cargo hold was also open to civilians.
"Uh, when it’s taken back, it won’t count as personal cargo, right? That’d be a big loss."
"It’s probably not intended to be brought back at all. The shipping cost is more expensive than getting a new one."
These one-time-use arms in front of them didn’t seem to be a waste to anyone.
The importance of transportation in Exotic Realm exploration goes without saying. Lu Ping’an and his party had learned to ride domesticated beasts during their days in the Exotic Realm. Still, honestly, those creatures couldn’t compare to cars. They were not only difficult to serve but also had a strong body odor; the vibration when they moved was also quite uncomfortable.
This time, the "plane trip" was much more comfortable than the last one.
Lu Ping’an and his party enjoyed the hospitality of the locals. Although they still couldn’t leave the designated oasis, the living environment was quite pleasant, and everyone was living a holiday-like life.
Lu Ping’an often met with Wang Xier and others to discuss future plans.
He was surprised to find out that they didn’t have any plans... The great distance and poor connections resulted in a month and a half’s delay in information from there, and no plan changed faster than that.
"Should still be establishing a frontline base."
But happiness is always short-lived. After getting off the plane, the huge contrast would only make people feel more uncomfortable adapting...
"Is this the green planet?"
Just crawling out of the landing pod, the scene that met their eyes was not the lush, ancient forest they had imagined, but a raging forest fire and thick smoke that blocked out the sky.
"... The gap between the advertisement and the real thing seems too wide, doesn’t it?"
— End of Chapter 665 —