Chapter 419

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Chapter 419: Phone, Hot Springs, Bitterness

At this time, Xue Hanlei was soaking in an outdoor hot spring at a resort near Mount Fuji.

This place was developed by the Dragon Clan itself, an investment by the Dragon Clan from the Eastern Sea. It was usually open to high-ranking officials and the rich. It was also a special vacation spot for the Dragon Clan. There were similar places in the Ming Country, more than a dozen of them, all industries of the Eastern Sea. After all, for the Dragon Clan, making money was a joyful thing, and they preferred to earn money from the wealthy.

During the offseason, this place became a blank area, with most rooms empty.

So, Xue Hanlei came here to soak and take care of her skin. She was becoming less like a dragon and more like a human.

Most of her body was submerged in the light-colored hot spring water. The water was opaque and even had a faint greenish color. The hot spring water contained a large amount of minerals. Pure hot spring water actually emitted a strong sulfur smell, so it needed processing. Floating above a large hot spring pool were six or seven wooden trays with a variety of snacks and sweets, such as red bean daifuku, Yuzi cake, and wagashi.

A long telephone cord was pulled to the edge of the pool. She held the receiver in one hand and a glass of plum-flavored sake recently brewed in Shikoku in the other. After taking a sip, she didn’t feel any grandeur of a big capitalist. Instead, she frowned and felt that it wasn’t as satisfying as drinking cheap liquor.

She pressed the button and dialed a phone call to Hokkaido.

The phone was answered.

Xue Hanlei rolled her eyes and said, "Thank goodness you finally answered the phone. I called more than ten times before and it was always busy or no one answered."

"The signal is not good, so please speak quickly." Bai Wei was using the landline phone at Guan Ling’s house, and the signal here was indeed weak, sometimes cutting in and out.

"The shipping will need to pause for a while."

Xue Hanlei got straight to the point.

Bai Wei asked, "What kind of shipping?"

"The shipping of goods."

Xue Hanlei took a bite of a red bean daifuku, licked the remaining red bean filling off her lips, sat up straight, and lifted her shoulders out of the water, allowing the hot spring water in her collarbone to flow back into the pool along the curve of her chest.

The dragon maiden said, "Some of the cargo ships from the East Sea were intercepted by the South Sea, including a part of the logistics under my control."

Bai Wei didn’t understand and asked, "Why?"

Xue Hanlei explained, "The response given was that there is a need for safety monitoring. The ships encountered some problems, and recently, the stability of Dragon River hasn’t been good. It could be because the ocean currents from the Endless Sea are affecting the stability of Dragon River. It would be risky to continue sailing through Dragon River."

Dragon River is an underwater high-speed channel, like a hidden current beneath the sea. Dragon ships use Dragon River to achieve high-speed movement for transporting goods. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible for them to be faster than moving on the surface of the sea.

However, if Dragon River becomes unstable, it could become a deadly danger.

Beneath the surface of the sea, there are countless hidden currents. By understanding basic physics, we know that due to factors like light, water pressure, gravity, and temperature, the density of the water differs between different layers. Sometimes, there can be a significant difference in density between layers, just like water and oil. The flow direction of the two substances is completely different. If something were to navigate through these density flows, the opposing currents would instantly tear, crush, and break it apart.

Some submarines have mysteriously disappeared in history due to this.

The effects of the ash tide not only impact the surface of the sea but have also extended beneath the sea. The dragon tribe’s shipping has been temporarily interrupted, and some parts of Dragon River are currently not in use. Dragon ships are being repaired in the South Sea Dragon Palace.

Bai Wei asked, "So, Chao Lu is also in the South Sea?"

Xue Hanlei shook her head and said, "The dragon ship she was on passed a few days ago and was not affected."

Bai Wei asked Xue Hanlei for help in delivering something to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom.

"Is it a four-phase puppet?"

"Yes," Xue Hanlei replied lazily, swallowing another piece of pastry and lifting her legs from under the water. The hot spring water sparkled on the surface as she said, "For now, the four-phase puppet cannot reach the port of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom. I’m not sure how much the delay will be."

Bai Wei, "…"

"I’m just letting you know in case you say I wasted your shipping cost later on," Xue Hanlei leaned against the edge of the pool, cunningly smiling. "How about this, as compensation, you come here to Mount Fuji. The hot springs here are nice, and I’ll host you for a week for free."

Bai Wei thought for a moment and quickly declined the rich woman’s invitation.

"I’m too busy."

"Just say you don’t want to come," Xue Hanlei pouted. "You have high emotional intelligence."

"I’ve never tried the hot springs in Yingzhou, but I really don’t have time," said Bai Wei, feeling stressed and leaning against the wall. He thought for a moment and asked, "Even if we can’t go through Longchuan, there must be another way, right?"

"Yes, there is a way, but without Longchuan, we can only reach the nearby seaport of Nanhai," Xue Hanlei complained. "Don’t expect me to do any favors for the dragon tribe in Nanhai. As a dragon from the East Sea, my words don’t count there. Of course, if you’re willing to sacrifice yourself and submit your information to the matchmaking email of the Nanhai Dragon Palace, they might be willing to give you a green light."

Bai Wei didn’t understand. He asked, "Matchmaking?"

"The dragon tribe in Nanhai is very good at having children. With your qualifications, many dragon maidens are sure to be interested in you. Many unmarried dragon maidens in Nanhai have already started looking for marriage partners. If you send your information for matchmaking, within two to three days, they will thoroughly investigate your family background for the past eighteen generations, check your birth chart, and finally give their approval. Then, you just wait for the day to meet and choose a dragon maiden you like and get married. As for this small matter of shipping, it’s already taken care of for you."

Xue Hanlei talked on and on, gossiping like an auntie in a village, discussing the problems of a certain family.

It was clear that this Qilong, raised in Huaishui, looked down upon the promiscuous behavior of the dragons in Nanhai. Although they looked down upon them, they had to admit that they had made enough contributions to save the dragon tribe’s birth rate.

It’s a good thing to be able to have children. The dragon tribe in Nanhai is thriving in number, so it’s full of vitality. Compared to the East Sea, it’s like a lush grassland. Let’s not even mention the North Sea and the West Sea. They can’t even gather enough children to form a kindergarten class. It’s not even necessary to buy pacifiers wholesale. How pitiful.

Bai Wei hadn’t sacrificed his lifelong happiness for a single shipping plan yet.

He calmly asked, "Perhaps I can exploit the labor force of the dragon tribe in Nanhai for free."

"It’s only fair for them to take advantage of you." Xue Hanlei said boldly with a taboo word.

"So you’re saying, if I submit this resume, the job is guaranteed?"

"It’s not exactly like that. If you take the initiative, they will be even more proactive. If you don’t take the initiative, they will find a way to make you passive."

"…You’re not talking about the Dragon Palace in the South Sea, but the Royal Faction in the Azure Lane, right?"

"Is this really important? They’re just different ways of writing the same character."

"Wow, you’re brave. If the Dragon Clan in the South Sea hears this, they might just hang you up and beat you. As for the affairs of the Dragon Clan, I don’t want to get involved. I have no intention of becoming a son-in-law of the Dragon Palace. Maybe I can send it to the South Sea Port, but the question is, to which port?"

"What? Are you planning to have someone transport it by land after it reaches the port?"

"Yes," Bai Wei didn’t hide anything.

"But the route to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom has long been cut off. The Ming Country has made it clear that they won’t interfere in other countries’ internal affairs. The Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom won’t open visa applications until the end of their civil war. If you don’t take the official route, it will be too far to detour." Xue Hanlei played with an empty bottle, tossed it aside, and then felt a bit hot, so she leaned half of her body out of the water pool. From the courtyard, you could see her beautiful curved back.

She slowly used her palm to fan herself with hot air, looking lazy and relaxed, "Don’t expect me to find someone to transport for you. There aren’t many people willing to do such things. That’s within the Ming Country, and there are few desperate people who risk their lives for money. If the customs think we are smuggling cultural relics, someday those folks from the embassies will come find me to talk about nationality and tax issues."

Bai Wei remained silent as well.

The four-phase puppet was originally an insurance plan. It would be best to deliver it to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom. If not possible, it can only be sent to the people in the Ming Country, and then figure out a solution.

Unfortunately, the air transportation capability of this era is insufficient. Large transport planes are far from meeting civil standards. Otherwise, it wouldn’t hurt to try an airdrop.

He paused and said, "Let’s deliver it to the port in the South Sea first, and then I will figure out a solution on my own."

Xue Hanlei raised an eyebrow. She couldn’t guess what Bai Wei planned to do, but everyone has their own secrets. She decided not to inquire further, even though she was a bit curious. After agreeing, their conversation came to an end.

There wasn’t much emotional connection between them. Often, in the process of discussing serious matters, they would also exchange trivial and pointless words. Petty matters shouldn’t occupy even a second of conversation time. They both had a "get to the point" kind of personality. As long as they made good decisions, it was considered effective communication. If something went wrong, there was no point in asking for after-sales service.

After hanging up the phone, Xue Hanlei finally heard the movement and footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw a person from the Ming Country fairy family, wrapped in a towel, walking into the courtyard through the mist. Their silver hair and silver eyes were really beautiful.

Apart from that, it’s also a matter of temperament. Some people wearing revealing clothes make people feel better off not wearing anything, while others make people find it pleasing to the eyes. Some people wearing revealing clothes make people think they must be poor, while others make people want to rush up and add a set of little dress and stockings for them.

Yun Wuxin had a magical and enchanting aura that made her look incredibly beautiful, causing others to feel a bit insecure. However, Xue Hanlei admired Yun Wuxin with eyes that were like appreciating a beautiful piece of art…at least, that’s how she felt.

Miss Xue exclaimed immediately, "If I were a man, I would only marry you in this lifetime."

Yun Wuxin said calmly, "If I were a man, I wouldn’t choose you as my mistress."

Xue Hanlei asked curiously, "Why? Am I not pretty enough or not rich enough?"

Yun Wuxin replied, "Not charming enough."