SWNOVELXO Chapter 278: 278. Arrive
Outside the house, a deathly silence reigned over the icy, snow-covered landscape, but inside the luxury office with its red pine wood flooring, it was spring all year round.
Alexander poured two glasses of liquor and handed one to Lu Yao.
He downed the glass of strong alcohol in one gulp and, looking out at the countless scrapped tanks through the window, began to speak slowly,
"Lu! I'm 60 years old this year. I started as a fitter apprentice and worked my way up to where I am now.
I've personally witnessed how my country has turned into this hellish mess!
Fractured and struggling, the people living in misery, the unrest unbearable... all negative words could be applied to Yukolun.
And the reason for all this is because we believed the lies of the Star Alliance Country! These shameless deceivers with nothing but lies on their lips!
So, no matter what others think, I will never trust them again, and I'm quite happy to see you causing trouble for the Star Alliance Country."
Having said his piece, Alexander poured another glass of wine and drank it all, then said seriously, "Alright, enough small talk. My dear friend, what can I do for you?"
Lu Yao spoke up, "I need a main battle tank with NBC protection, the kind that's completely isolated from the external environment."
Having seen what happened to Hong Renkun, he knew he needed to take protective measures before visiting that ruin again. The "NBC protection" would enable the tank to effectively defend against nuclear radiation and the harm from biological and chemical weapons.
Alexander nodded, "A T-84 main battle tank equipped with top-grade NBC protection should meet your needs."
Lu Yao continued, "Additionally, I want 100 more rounds of white phosphorus and depleted uranium shells for the tank's ammunition, plus a flamethrower."
Alexander took careful note and said, "That's not difficult, but the price will increase. I will give you a detailed bill."
Lu Yao said nonchalantly, "There's also a little toy, you might as well make it for me while you're at it. Here's the design."
After receiving the email, Alexander put on a pair of reading glasses to take a look and laughed, "Mecha... I used to like sci-fi movies when I was young."
"Install a Fire God Cannon on each toy," Lu Yao added with a smile, "Just a little hobby of mine, a bit embarrassing isn't it?"
The gadget weighed nearly 2 tons and had no power source; Alexander didn't think much of it, simply considering Lu Yao's tastes peculiar.
But he'd seen weirder hobbies from the wealthy, so he didn't take it to heart.
After some thought, he said, "The tank can be ready by tomorrow, but those toys will take longer to produce molds and special parts."
"No problem, just ensure quality is the first priority," Lu Yao instructed. "Oh, and for the toys' production, you can involve Semyon. He contributed to the design of this thing."
Alexander nodded, "No wonder the blueprint looked familiar."
"Then I'll come to pick up the goods tomorrow." With the deal done, Lu Yao got up to leave. He added, hinting at something, "I'm glad you made a wise choice."
~~~~~~~~
After Lu Yao left, Alexander's two trusted bodyguards knocked and came in.
One of them asked, "Boss, are we really not going to do anything?"
Alexander lit a cigar and took a couple of strong puffs; he had been holding back his craving while Lu Yao was there.
"The risk is too high. Not to mention whether those sons of bitches from the Star Alliance Country will pay up, but we can't afford to offend this man from Xia Country!
He's confident he can transport the tank out of the country without a trace! Damn it, with so much power, he must be part of an international crime syndicate!"
Alexander took two more heavy drags of his cigar and made a decision, "'Rash acts are the enemy of life.' Let's just earn our retirement money honestly and not look for trouble!"
~~~~~~~~~
The winter in Yukolun was exceptionally beautiful. The quiet mountains, the cold cedar trees, and the pink sunset were utterly breathtaking.
Lu Yao opened the Dimensional Door in this pine forest and brought back $2 million in cash from the Otherworld.
He then executed a move from "Tathagata Divine Palm: Buddha Shakes Mountains and Rivers," blasting a hole one meter square in the ground.
They now had a place to hide their money, and had also completed today's training, killing two birds with one stone.
He whistled to call Ping An down, and they both returned to the Otherworld.
~~~~~~~~
Two days had passed since then, and the girls had translated the "Scripture of Enlightenment Through Hard Work".
Seeing Lu Yao return, Li Pei handed him the translated text.
Among them, the most valuable was certainly Hong Renkun's Spirit Refinement insights and tricks.
These were recorded separately, and even though they were only a mere thousand words or so, each word was a gem that provoked deep reflection.
And having the girls translate the text also served the purpose of gathering information on ancient ruins, so the effort was not in vain.
At this moment, Li Pei pointed at a map and said, "This is a complete map of an underground palace that only appeared on the last page of the 'Scripture of Enlightenment Through Hard Work'."
"It seems this is the map of the ruins."
Lu Yao examined it and noticed two words written on the map—Lu Sheng.
Just as he was about to inquire, Li Pei explained in time:
"Hong Renkun wrote this. I've checked—'Lu Sheng' was a famous cultivator during the Immortal Qin era.
According to ancient records, The First Emperor of Qin ordered Lu Sheng to search for the elixir of life but for some reason, he fled Xianyang and disappeared without a trace.
The ruins must be related to this cultivator from the Qin era. 'Cultivators' have the power to move mountains and fill seas, which could also explain why Hong Renkun's cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds."
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With no further questions, Lu Yao said at once, "Everything is ready, let's set off immediately!"
~~~~~~~~~
Liao Ya and Liao Qe were called over, and everyone changed into their Wing-Suit Flight Suits, each only carrying a little luggage.
Liao Qe, who was the lightest, placed a DJI drone in the spot where the parachute would normally go.
The drone weighed just 6 kilograms, a negligible burden.
Three Spiritual Sparrowhawks took their owners high into the sky.
With Lu Yao's no-expense-spared support, the Spiritual Sparrowhawks became even more spirited and powerful, lifting people into the sky with increasing ease.
They continuously adjusted their bodies, constantly climbing with the "best rate of climb speed", and it took less than 5 minutes to reach an altitude of ten thousand meters.
Reaching there, the Spiritual Sparrowhawks were also tired, so Lu Yao and his three companions signaled them to let go, and then they themselves spread their wings and began to glide.
The girls were particularly excited, shrieking with delight as they struck various poses, agilely maneuvering through the high-altitude skies.
With a twist of the waist and a tilt of the back, they could change direction in an instant, darting far away, a technique straight from "The Spirit Cat Stance".
The stances Fu Fangsheng gifted them imitated how a cat uses its spine to generate force, leveraging the air and shifting through the void, perfect for wing-suit flying!
When the altitude dropped to three thousand meters, the Spiritual Sparrowhawks would climb with the group again.
At this altitude, with the help of rising air currents, the Spiritual Sparrowhawks drastically reduced their energy consumption, making carrying people feel less tiring.
The group flew with great enjoyment, and towards the end, Liao Qe even daringly kissed Lu Yao passionately in mid-air, with Li Pei not to be outdone, kissing for quite a long while.
The land journey from Yunzhou to Yuezhou would have been 1500 kilometers, a tedious trip that would have taken at least three to five days.
But flying in a straight line through the air, the distance was only 1200 kilometers, and they took a total of only 5 hours while traveling and enjoying themselves.
By the time they reached their destination, they were still left wanting more.