Chapter 389

Chapter 389: Foster a Good Seedling, Return You a Good Sway

“I’ve reviewed the files from the past decade. One-third of the research results from the research institutes are rejected by the factories with the excuse of ‘insufficient raw materials’ when they attempt to go into production,” Arthur continued, his tone tinged with frustration.

“The military and research institutes still have some hope, but the factories… they’ve completely rotted away.”

Lin Qingliu’s words weren’t without merit. The humans of the Old Era always gave him a sense of omnipotence.

In the database, he had come across a report indicating that the planet’s surface was rich in various types of metals, almost akin to an open-pit mine.

Yet, despite such abundant resources, the factories had failed to utilize them effectively. The military, tasked with combating the beast tide, maintained an unwavering loyalty over the years. As for the research institutes, aside from the likes of Zhao Kai, who was driven by greed, most researchers were remarkably dependable. But the factories…

Lin Qingliu had even stumbled upon a few reports submitted by Zhuang Mian. Judging by the timeline, those reports coincided with the period when Holy Shield was unwell and the mycelium attempted its invasion.

Any issue involving the factories seemed to vanish into a swamp, never to be addressed.

Hearing this, Yan Ming grasped Arthur’s point and nodded.

“I see. So when do we begin?”

The man before him smiled.

“Tomorrow, your new identity, order, and the necessary documents will be delivered to your home. For now, go back and rest.”

Yan Ming had no objections. His home was, in fact, a single dormitory at the headquarters of the superpowered individuals, and truth be told, its furnishings weren’t much better than this place.

But since the mission was set to begin tomorrow, it was time to get back into shape tonight. He had been confined here for so long that he had grown somewhat despondent, even neglecting his basic workouts. It seemed he would need to spend some extra time in the headquarters’ training room today.

—

After rescuing the soldier Blood Puppet, Arthur’s Lin Qingliu returned to the spire as usual.

He handled a few documents and then used his authority to submit an application, personally ensuring its approval.

Later, the avatar stationed at the mental health clinic received an unexpected visitor—

The father of [Skydome] had come to see his child.

A stressed researcher visiting a well-known mental health clinic in the inner city to relieve some pressure wasn’t particularly unusual.

So when Lin Qingliu’s avatar saw Ji Yongxing stride confidently through the front door, he wasn’t surprised, merely synchronizing the information with his main body.

The clinic’s door closed automatically, and the sign at the entrance shifted to “Closed” under the influence of an invisible gentle breeze.

Though using “Nian” in this manner might have seemed wasteful, it was undeniably impressive and stylish.

“What brings you here so late?”

“Well, there are a few matters to attend to,” Ji Yongxing replied, pulling a memory stick from his small handbag.

“This is for [Skydome].”

As he spoke, he felt something tugging at his pant leg.

Ji Yongxing didn’t believe this “cultist” headquarters posed any danger, so he casually glanced down.

How to describe the sight before him?

An open suitcase, equipped with four driving wheels, was tugging at his pant leg with two mechanical arms.

At this moment, Ji Yongxing, who had already been engaged in combat on the city walls against the extraordinary beasts, still felt a profound sense of astonishment from within.

What is this?!

Without needing further explanation, he quickly deduced the answer to his own question.

Ji Yongxing crouched down to examine the mechanical suitcase-like creature; it was none other than his cherished creation, [Skydome].

However, given the extent of its current modifications, the suitcase lid could no longer close properly, and the memory stick seemed somewhat challenging to implant.

As the expressions on the green screen grew increasingly vivid, Ji Yongxing realized that [Skydome] had undergone another iteration during this period.

Yet…

His emotions were a tangled mix—partly astonished by the bizarre modifications, and partly delighted by the growth of his creation.

It was akin to having a child who could only twirl flowers, and just as he was about to reprimand them, he discovered they could actually take off into the air while twirling; it was a perplexing mix of emotions.

“…this…”

At that moment, Ji Yongxing grasped the drawbacks of fostering.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Lin Qingliu cleared his throat softly to capture the attention of both the man and the machine:

“This matter can be explained by me and [Skydome], but…”

He glanced at the memory stick in Ji Yongxing’s hand, then at [Skydome],

“The immediate priority is to install a water cooling system for him.

“Otherwise, I fear he might take off at any moment.”

Ji Yongxing, uncharacteristically, scratched his head and stashed away the memory stick:

“I’ll bring it next time.”

“Good.”

Lin Qingliu gestured for Ji Yongxing to follow him to the basement, and [Skydome], rarely seeing its creator, trailed closely behind Ji Yongxing.

Descending the stairs, the two and the machine made their way downward.

However, the basement was no longer as rudimentary as before. While it had always been spacious, it previously carried the aura of an unfinished building.

After some time, the space had not only been properly wired but also renovated, with walls and floors now neatly finished.

Of course, these improvements were not solely the work of [Skydome], who diligently toiled under a labor contract, but also owed to El, who continuously supplied various materials from the depths of the inner city’s underground world.

“Would you like to speak first, or shall I?”

Lin Qingliu, noticing that Ji Yongxing had more to discuss, was the first to break the silence.

“I’ll go first.”

Ji Yongxing didn’t hesitate and pulled out a handwritten document from his bag:

“This is the research findings on that jar of substance. Using the research institute’s printer would leave a trace, so I manually recorded a copy to bring to you.”

Lin Qingliu accepted the document; the handwriting was neat and firm. He skimmed through it briefly before setting it aside to read later:

“You can summarize it for me.”

“Well, initially, the research encountered some obstacles.”

Ji Yongxing had been carrying out this secret mission for some time, and Lin Qingliu could sense the youthful eagerness to share in him.

“That substance couldn’t be analyzed simply with a microscope and reagents, so progress stalled for quite a while.

“It seems to exhibit properties of both organic matter and minerals. It sounds absurd, but…”

“I believe you.”

Lin Qingliu gave him a reassuring look.

Isn’t it just having dual properties? A month ago, if someone had told him that extraordinary beasts had evolved into the Willow Man, he might have found it hard to believe as well.

But after all, this wasn’t humanity’s homeland; many things couldn’t be judged by old standards.

“But during the beast tide a few days ago, I was called up to the city walls to operate the cannons. In that life-or-death moment, it seemed my abilities had a breakthrough.”