Chapter 41 Professional Equipment
Flames erupted from the smelting furnaces, the noise of loading and unloading continued, and a large chimney at the back of the workshop belched white smoke. The smoke spread out majestically, like a gentleman in black donning his gray hat. Steam filled the air, the sound of hammering shook the walls, and the young men swinging their hammers sweated profusely, but their expressions were as joyful as if it were a festival.
The green-skinned proprietress stood on a high platform and shouted, "Pay attention to the time, the next batch of raw materials will arrive in two minutes! Guys in Group A, please work safely and do not remove your protective masks!"
Chu Hengkong stood at the door and turned back to look at the doorplate: "...Is this Mrs. Ansa's workshop?"
"Of course it's the workshop." Ji Huaisu said happily, "It can finally start working again!"
At this moment, another batch of carts arrived. Salvagers unloaded the cargo and loaded the remains into a transport tube resembling a water park slide. Water flowed through the tube like a small river, automatically transporting the remains to the warehouse at the rear. Meanwhile, new materials were unloaded from the warehouse and transported to the top of the gourd-shaped smelting furnace via colored pipes.
Chu Hengkong thought this process was incredibly extravagant, because those materials were all relics, but they were classified according to a certain pattern and put into the furnace in different orders.
"Release, release, release...Okay! Take turns to rest, keep monitoring, and continue in thirty minutes!"
The furnace's flames dimmed, and the temperature dropped noticeably. The salvage workers cheered and rested according to their shifts. Mrs. Ansa walked over to the two men and patted Chu Hengkong's arm vigorously, the scales on her face opening and closing.
"It's the first time we've been open for business in ten years! Now it can really be called a 'workshop', hahahaha!"
The proprietress smiled generously, and Chu Hengkong had a guess: "Is your workshop the same as the Healing Temple?"
"Of course, these are all city components designed by Lord Huilong himself. Construction can only begin after order is established." Mrs. Ansa beamed with joy, looking like a happy giant lizard. "This is of great significance. Once the first domino is pushed down, everything that follows will be better! With jobs, the young men won't starve. By consuming the relics in the water curtain, Lord Huilong will have more energy to create the Flowing Pearls. With more Flowing Pearls and more energy, we can build bigger and more wonderful things... Come quickly, you're sure to like our goodies."
She led the two of them into the warehouse and took out a bunch of keys to open the door of a small room deep inside the warehouse. Chu Hengkong had no expectations; he was still worried about the relics that were sent to the fire.
Several lights flickered on, illuminating the human figure in the center of the room. A suit of light black armor stood in the light, like a jet-black hawk with its wings folded, ready to take flight at the right moment. Chu Hengkong's gaze was riveted. The light armor resembled a lightweight combat uniform, but the left arm was bare, with only a spherical shoulder guard on the shoulder, leaving ample room for movement.
"This is a combat uniform custom-made for you." Ji Huaisu picked up the helmet that resembled an eagle's head. "Try it on?"
He couldn't wait to put on his full set of gear. The combat uniform was incredibly light, and the moment he was fully armed, he felt an indescribable sense of "vitality" seep into his body, like a layer of warm sunlight on his skin, making him feel a hundred times more energetic. Chu Hengkong took out the Silver Eye Book and pressed the page against his combat uniform. The identification text emerged as he had expected:
[Resurrection Force Combat Uniform (Inspector Custom Edition)]
【Rating: Level 1 (numbers are bolded)】
[Origin: Senluo Secret Realm, Huilong City]
[Effect: The cutting-edge embodiment of Huilong City's fashionable craftsmanship, designed by Huilong Youyou himself. The wearer must have a Sephiroth rank of one or above.
Can slowly restore physical strength and heal injuries; can defend against weak elemental attacks; can defend against weak mental attacks; has weak resistance to external erosion.
[Missing: I tell you, this kid doesn’t care about his life in a fight. If he doesn’t show some resistance, I’m afraid he will die at his doorstep... What are you laughing at? Can that secretary really record what I say?
—The swirling dragon is swimming leisurely.
Mrs. Ansa poked her head out curiously, but because she wasn't tall enough, she couldn't see the text. She only saw Ji Huaisu and Chu Hengkong covering their mouths, trying hard to stifle laughter. The latter cleared his throat and said seriously, "I'll wear this to bed from now on."
"Promising!" Ji Huaisu curled his lips, "Let me make it clear in advance, it's not that I don't want to give you something better..."
"I understand. The current workshop can only produce level one relics at most, right? This thing is already full within the framework."
One of the four abilities is the incredibly useful Outer Path Corrosion Resistance. No one would believe it's even considered a Level 1 ability. This resistance literally means you won't be instantly killed by the Gnawing Power of the Glowing Corpse. It's truly life-saving!
"It's totally worth it." Chu Hengkong couldn't help but sigh, "It's worth a hundred inferior relics."
"No business can afford to lose money," the proprietress said with regret. "It's a pity that our current production line is only capable of producing armor, so we can't provide you with better weapons."
"That's more than enough." Chu Hengkong said.
After bidding farewell to Mrs. Ansah, the two men left the workshop. A new batch of white armor had already begun to be forged. It was undoubtedly mass-produced relic armament prepared for the resurrection troops. Youyou's decision was absolutely correct. In a battle at Sephiroth One, even the sharpest weapon could not defeat the stubbornness of life.
Chu Hengkong looked at his gauntlet with joy, feeling refreshed. "After more than two months of employment, I'm finally enjoying the public welfare benefits!"
"Don't talk like you've been working illegally all this time, okay?" Ji Huaisu tossed over a notebook filled with rows of completed and pending tasks. "Remember to fill out the handover roster. What's your work plan for this week?"
"Routine patrol, checking on Tina and the dog, investigating the illegal workshop and club..." Chu Hengkong's eyes focused on the newly checked line. "Have you checked Adari's account books? Any new discoveries?"
Ji Huaisu shook his head with a strange look on his face.
"It's not quite right to call it a new discovery. Remember the assassination attempt on you a while ago?"
"Which time?" Chu Hengkong asked back.
"The Hundred Palms incident."
He paused for a moment before remembering the "skillful hands" with many palms, who was suspected to be a moon worshiper. The mission to find gold in the swamp was too urgent and too long, so Chu Hengkong had long forgotten this trivial matter, but Ji Huaisu still cared about something.
"That time, based on the confessions, we concluded it was the Swamplanders who did it. But after investigating Adari's recent spending, I didn't find any significant shortfalls. Instead, I discovered that some key members were missing," Ji Huaisu said. "I don't know what he sent those people to do, but now it seems... the assassination didn't seem to be ordered by Adari."
Who else could it be if not the Great Wizard? Who in the city could easily spend a million Flowing Pearls just for the life of a newcomer?
Coincidentally, they all thought of the man in white with a top hat and the green fire in his hand.
·
"It wasn't me," said the man in the bowler hat. "You know my habits. I only use my own people."
Bethan, who was driving, glanced at him. "But everyone thought it was you. You know, a return gift from Hugos."
"Don't tell anyone else. That guy deserved it. I asked him to come down to open up trade routes, but he acted so ostentatiously."
"You did it on purpose, Kanin. You sent him here just to find out about the City Lord's Mansion."
"Yes, I did it on purpose," the man in the bowler hat—Kanin—admitted happily. "Now that you know it wasn't me, who could have hired the killer?"
Benson didn't reply. Answering such a free question seriously felt like an insult to his intelligence. He stepped on the accelerator. The main road in front of the main gate was completely blocked. A streamlining array of bright silver sports cars, dark black limousines, and convertibles favored by the dandies... like a group of elegant coffins awaiting mass burial. The freight truck they were riding in blended in among the luxury cars, like a cleaner who had stumbled upon a funeral.
The streets are lined with bars, cafes, and upscale restaurants, their bright neon signs illuminating the night. The lanes in this area are curved like tree rings, and illegal construction and illegal roadblocks force visitors to drive in circles to reach the center.
Deeper into the rings of the tree, one can see a cluster of pawnshops behind the building. People with red eyes constantly enter, carrying relics or jewelry, and trading them for flowing pearls at low prices. Their destination, like the luxury cars on the road, is the building at the center of the rings, a den of money-losing surrounded by walls and pawnshops.
Bethan and Kanin were stuck in traffic for nearly half an hour before they found the right opportunity to enter the lane. After turning a few corners, they arrived at the loading dock. This area faced several large garbage cans, stinking but empty. Seeing them approach, the roller shutter door rose, and the red spray-painted words on the door disappeared from view:
Upscale elegance, extraordinary enjoyment, always welcome - Maivia Club
"That's stupid," said Bethan.
Kanin chuckled a few times, then returned to his gentlemanly demeanor. He put on his hat and got out of the car. The lights in the garage were already on. A young man in brown clothes and gold-rimmed glasses walked quickly towards him, and the two shook hands warmly.
"You look well, Visav."
"You are most sincerely welcome, Mr. Kanin!" said Visav, the young man in brown. His tone was brisk but his voice was dragging, like sticky bubbles rising from a mud puddle.
"According to your old custom. No invitations, no reception, no roll call, everything is kept simple."
"You're so accommodating to my quirks, and you always want me to thank you again and again." Kanin looked around. "Are you the only one here? Last time you said you found a nice guy with several hands. I thought there would be a new face this time."
"There was a small accident. He didn't pass the 'interview.'" Visafu said lightly. "You know, recruiting new people always requires caution..."
“That’s true of everything.”
Benson stayed in the car while Kanin, accompanied by Visafu, entered the elevator. As the elevator ascended, there was no sound, only the faint melody of jazz and the soothing voice of a singer. As the elevator doors opened, the music and voices erupted, a blanket of gold and crimson filling the view.
Crystal chandeliers, a carpet as vivid as blood red. In the ballroom, women swayed to the music, their skirts fluttering like open umbrellas. In the upper stands, elegantly dressed gentlemen chatted and drank, their food piled high on the tables. Not far away was an emerald green card table. A seductively dressed female dealer flipped the cards in an almost provocative gesture, while the enthusiastic crowd piled their chips onto the table, only to let out a wail or a cheer a moment later.
The clink of dice, the sweet laughter of women, the snap of matches lighting cigarettes—countless extravagant sounds merged into a thrilling ensemble. This was the Maivia Club, a little paradise built of money and bodies.
"How's your luck, Mr. Clu? ... You look younger, Mrs. Anderson... It's been a while, Mole boy, give him a beer!"
Visafu walked into the crowd and exchanged greetings, skillfully changing his attitude according to the status of the guests. People cooperated and raised their glasses to thank him for his hospitality. As the second son of Maivia, he had hosted countless banquets and was very good at it.
Kanin leaned against the railing with a glass of red wine, watching the women dancing downstairs. He spotted the eldest daughter, Carmel, with brown hair as smooth as chocolate, but he didn't find the eldest son, White Eyebrow. Usually, this scoundrel would change his appearance, mingle with the gamblers, bet and cheer, and whistle at the new girls.
An interesting sign, this means Baimei has been sent out to work, but Maivia usually doesn't work during banquets... unless tonight's banquet was held very hastily and the original plan couldn't be changed in time...
Kanin's train of thought was interrupted when he felt an itchy sensation on his back. He turned around and saw a gray cat's tail swaying before him.
(End of this chapter)
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