Chapter 47: 47. Cyber City
Returning to prison cell 18, Lu Guangyi approached and asked, “Boss, did Qing Yan say anything?”
“No,” Qing Chen shook his head. “Continue with my plan.”
The so-called ousting by other forces of the Qing Clan or the struggle within the Shadows currently mattered little to Qing Chen.
Today, he had also not countered any of Qing Yan’s aggressive remarks because only when one is powerful does the response carry any value.
The Breathing Technique had brought him a surprise that was not merely about unlocking the door to becoming a Transcendent.
Last night, he had been so tired that he could barely walk, but when he woke up this morning not only was he brimming with spirit, but his body moved freely without any trace of fatigue.
This feeling was magical, something he had never experienced, seen, or heard of in the Outer World.
Lu Guangyi asked in a low voice, “Did you really have a falling out with Uncle Li Dong?”
Qing Chen glanced at him, “Yes, we had a falling out, but we were never intending to rely on external forces to carry out our mission, were we?”
“Exactly,” Lu Guangyi said, “Boss, you still have me.”
At night, the countdown read 5:59:59.
Jiang Xue was slowly walking through the city as its lights began to shine, a place that seemed to her like a gigantic maze.
When she looked up at the sky, she saw not smog, blue skies, or white clouds, but a towering Steel Forest, and a dizzying array of colorful Holographic Neon.
The holographic sign of a barbecue restaurant rotated in the air, and from a distance, pedestrians could see giant synthetic meat skewers and even smell the cumin drifting from the store.
Suddenly, a Mechanical Dolphin appeared in the sky as if it had burst forth from the ocean depths.
As it gently glided over the buildings, its tail flicked and holographic blue waves splashed up.
Those waves would fall toward the ground, and anyone seeing it for the first time would instinctively cover their head to avoid the splash.
However, after falling more than ten meters, the waves turned into dazzling fireworks and dispersed.
Only then did the sky reveal the illusionary and dazzling advertisement: “Pomelo Phones, for the best Holographic Communication Experience.”
Between the buildings, countless bridges connected them.
From the ground, these bridges seemed like ropes tying all the buildings together.
As Jiang Xue walked, she passed by numerous people from the Inner World, all of whom would unconsciously clear a path upon seeing the propitious cloud emblem on her chest.
That was the symbol of Li’s Family.
She entered an elevator in a building and pressed for the 32nd floor.
The transparent elevator climbed swiftly; she turned and looked down as building after building appeared and then hid from view, with the occasional Hover Cars roaring past the elevator in the air, their destinations unknown.
The silver Hover Cars had sleek lines with four turbines instead of wheels, emitting blue fire.
With a ding, she arrived at the 32nd floor. Jiang Xue stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the ground floor of the Cloud Mist Building where her clinic was located.
But before she could enter the building, someone stopped her at the door: “Hello, Ms. Jiang Xue.”
The person was dressed in a precise, impeccably tailored suit, with a distinguished gold tie clip adorned with the auspicious cloud emblem.
Moreover, behind him stood two individuals each carrying a black sealed box.
Jiang Xue paused for a moment; this was Zhang Zongyu, a peripheral member of Li’s Financial Group who had previously invested in her clinic.
“Hello, is there something you need?” Jiang Xue asked tentatively.
“It’s ,” Zhang Zongyu spoke elegantly, “the company is pleased with your smooth cooperation and to show our appreciation, I’ve been instructed to deliver the latest model of Mechanical Arm from Li’s Financial Group. Not only that, but we have also arranged for an expert in mechanical limb installation to provide you with special training…”
Jiang Xue felt more and more uneasy as she listened.
Time Travelers from the Outer World often talked about how terrifying the corporation was, yet she found the company to be incredibly benevolent; they not only invested money but were also offering a mechanical limb for free and even providing her with the best expert for training as if they knew she lacked experience in installing mechanical limbs.
She was starting to have doubts.
Suddenly, Zhang Zongyu said, “I see you’re a bit skeptical, so let me explain; two years ago, you inadvertently helped a middle-aged lady who is a member of our Li’s Financial Group. She searched for you for two years and only recently found your information. All this is her way of showing gratitude.”
Jiang Xue nodded vaguely, “Oh, I see…”
As for whether she had helped someone two years ago, how could she know?
This very point exploited the memory blind spots of the Time Travelers by Li Tongyun, knowing that Jiang Xue was clueless about her own past.
Moreover, she was very aware that her mother, even if confused, wouldn’t dare to ask too many questions, effectively clearing her from any involvement.
At this moment, Jiang Xue no longer had any doubts and joyfully accepted Li’s Financial Group’s gifts, “These two mechanical arms…”
Zhang Zongyu explained, “These are the highest-end products on the market now, not only embedded with high-energy weapons but also possessing a long battery life, with a neuron connection synchronization rate that can reach 97%.”
“Thank you, thank you so much!” Jiang Xue was even more delighted.
Only half an hour left.
In the gym, Ye Wan was guiding Qing Chen through sit-ups and combining them with six sets of training moves to enhance his core explosive strength.
After the core strength training, there was targeted training for cardiorespiratory function.
The night was long, and the training was harsh.
According to Ye Wan’s estimated timeline, with just another half-month of training, Qing Chen should be ready to begin weight-bearing training; that would be the real test.
However, time seemed to be tearing him apart; he was still undergoing Ye Wan’s training, but in half an hour, he would have to return to the Outer World.
Then, after how many days, he would return in the middle of the night to continue training…
At that moment, Uncle Li Dong suddenly appeared in the gym. He looked at Qing Chen and asked, “Are you returning to the Outer World in a moment?”
“Yes,” Qing Chen nodded, “What is it, teacher? Is there something you need?”
Uncle Li Dong said, “I want to see this miraculous spectacle of world crossing with my own eyes; who knows, I might discover some secrets.”
“Okay,” Qing Chen, soaked with sweat, thanked Ye Wan as he handed him a nutritional supplement and beef for sustenance during his training.
It must be said, while the Breathing Technique was useful when combined with training, it consumed a tremendous amount of bodily energy.
If he didn’t eat something shortly, Qing Chen felt terribly hungry.
He ate and trained like a ravenous beast, furiously consuming and exercising.
At that moment, Qing Chen suddenly noticed a hint of hesitation in Uncle Li Dong’s expression.
Out of curiosity, he asked, “What’s wrong, teacher? Is there something else?”
“That… well,” Uncle Li Dong paused, then said, “Could you bring me back more chess endgame books?”
Qing Chen was stunned for two seconds, then laughed and said, “No problem.”
At this moment, he realized that Uncle Li Dong’s usual commanding presence had faded slightly, replaced by something more human.
Under the watchful eyes of Ye Wan and Uncle Li Dong, Qing Chen placed the USB drive in his mouth.
Then, with a thought, he pulled out a gold bar from his pocket, which had been crumpled into a ball.
Ye Wan exclaimed, “So that’s where Lu Guangyi’s gold bar went.”
Instantly, the Fire Rune on Qing Chen’s cheeks spread towards his ears, and the energy that had once roamed inside him wrapped around the gold bar under his willful control.
A look of astonishment appeared on Uncle Li Dong’s face.
The world turned to darkness.