Chapter 112: 112. The VIP’s Pet
It was said that the northern wilderness was covered in yellow sand.
But in the southern wilderness where Qing Chen and his group were, there was actually a lot of vegetation, which wasn’t much different from the southern mountains and forests of the Outer World.
The sky here was extrely blue, looking utterly refreshing.
After driving on the mountain roads for several miles, the two pick-up trucks finally turned onto the highway.
This was the first ti Qing Chen had seen a highway in the wilderness, as Uncle Li Dong had always taken him through less traveled paths before.
By now, the disappearance of Uncle Li Dong must have slowly started fernting within the Federation.
However, everyone was in the wilderness, and there was no network coverage here.
Before coming out, Qing Chen had asked his ntor if, being such a significant figure, he’d be recognized wherever he went.
Uncle Li Dong had replied that during his lifeti, very little of his image data had been made public. Consortiums might recognize this reclusive man, but ordinary people wouldn’t.
Thus, when the Autumn Hunting Fleet ca before, Uncle Li Dong had pulled up his collar, and once they had left, he took it back down.
Of course, he also explained that pulling up the collar wasn’t because he was afraid of being discovered, but mainly because he was too lazy to silence them.
That must be what an intense life looked like, and Qing Chen had also thought about such a life.
Iron wires fenced both sides of the highway, just like the freeways in the Outer World.
Seeing the curiosity in Qing Chen’s eyes, Qin Yiyi explained, “These wire nets are to prevent wild animals from entering, as so of the beasts are quite large, and if you’re driving too fast, you won’t have enough ti to dodge them. There are underground culverts every few kiloters on the highway, specifically for these animals to cross and migrate. This way, they won’t damage the nets.”
The girl was a bit curious; this boy seed to be in the wilderness for the first ti, but the efficiency with which he worked did not seem like a first-tir; he was very skilled.
Along the roadside, Qing Chen occasionally caught sight of Yun Liu Towers, huge black “mushroom” towers standing beside the road, appearing as a unique landscape.
But these Yun Liu Towers seed to have been abandoned, covered in rust.
It seed that so of Jiang Xue’s prior general knowledge was hearsay; she had never actually been to the wilderness herself.
Just like Uncle Li Dong had ntioned weapons of the Inner World before.
He had said that one reason humans still used firearms was based on a very simple logic: if you want to kill soone, a bullet is enough.
The diesel engine seed to be such an existence.
Qin Yiyi said, “A long, long ti ago, you could still see electric cars on the highway, but later everyone found that diesel engines were more practical in the wilderness, so for long trips, people still choose diesel cars. Gradually, Yun Liu Towers lost their function, and the consortiums no longer bothered to maintain them.”
“How about chanical limbs?” Qing Chen asked.
“Carry a wireless charger on your own vehicle,” Qin Yiyi pointed towards the pick-up behind them: “Next to the iron cage, there’s a black box containing a Morning Star-3 type lead-bismuth alloy reactor. That thing is really expensive, my dad got it from the black market. Apparently, it used to be the power source for a ‘Mountain’ main battle tank.”
Qin Tong glanced at his sister and coughed.
His ssage was clear; even if you like this boy, you shouldn’t reveal everything about your family’s assets.
Qin Yiyi glanced at her brother, “Why are you coughing? Uncle here wouldn’t care for the junk we have.”
Uncle Li Dong cooperatively looked at Qin Tong and said, “Right, I wouldn’t care for it.”
Qin Tong: “…”
He now wished to sit back in the vehicle again, out of sight, out of mind.
Qin Yiyi curiously sized up Uncle Li Dong, “Uncle, I think you’re a pretty good person. Why are you so harsh on him? Even if he’s a servant, you should still treat him like a human. Look, his feet are all bloody.”
The young girl pointed at Qing Chen.
Uncle Li Dong asked with interest, “Are you defending him against ?”
“Not exactly defending,” Qin Yiyi thought for a mont and said, “I just feel sorry for him.”
Girls from the wilderness spoke very straightforwardly.
Qing Chen changed the topic, “What do you hunt for? Do you need the animal hides?”
“Of course not,” Qin Yiyi’s eyes widened, “Hides are barely worth anything. That’s what low-end wilderness hunters do, and they don’t even have to go to ‘that kind of place’!”
Qing Chen knew they were going to Taboo Land. He was surprised that ordinary people were even reluctant to ntion Taboo Land directly.
Qin Yiyi said, “We specialize in capturing live creatures, belonging to the mid-level wilderness hunters!”
“Capture live creatures?” Qing Chen was curious, “For the corporations to do research?”
“Of course not,” Qin Yiyi explained, “The corporations can just use the military to capture whatever they need. What we capture is for the city’s big shots to use as pets. Those big shots are strange, so like lizards, snakes, and so even like spiders the size of a head, but those kinds of spiders are only found in ‘that kind of place’. However, ‘that kind of place’ is not only dangerous because of these visible threats.”
Just then, a roaring sound ca from the north of the highway.
Almost simultaneously, Uncle Li Dong and Qing Chen, both master and apprentice, made the motion of pulling up their collars…
Everyone turned their heads and were shocked to see a convoy rushing up at full speed, then overtaking two pickups and heading south.
Eight black off-road vehicles, all bearing white designs.
Qing Chen recognized it at a glance… It was Mount Fuji.
Honestly, he never expected to see Mount Fuji in the Inner World.
Qing Chen asked in a low voice, “What is this?”
Uncle Li Dong replied softly, “This is the Jindai family’s fleet; your fiancée is probably in one of those vehicles.”
Qing Chen was surprised, “Huh, she said she was going back to her clan.”
Uncle Li Dong smiled, “The Jindai family brought two girls this ti, led by Jindai Yasuhito, each to be allied through marriage with Qing’s Family and Chen Clan. From the direction they’re heading, it looks like they are going to the southern Chen Clan territory, which is their stronghold.”
At that mont, Qing Chen whispered again, “I thought they were also going to the Autumn Hunting Festival.”
“No,” Uncle Li Dong replied, “The Autumn Hunting Festival is a tradition for the young generations of Li Family, Qing’s Family, and Chen Clan; it generally does not extend invitations to the Jindai and Deer Island families.”
Uncle Li Dong continued, “On one hand, it’s because Jindai and Deer Island are in the north, while the hunting festival generally takes place in the south. On the other hand, the hawkish young generations of the Li, Qing, and Chen families believe that Jindai and Deer Island are foreign clans, so they have always advocated for fully annexing or even destroying these two families. Among them, the Li Family holds the first stance.”
Qing Chen thought to himself, no wonder Jindai is seeking marriages with two clans; they must be feeling a sense of crisis.
Suddenly, Qin Yiyi tilted her head curiously and asked, “What are you two whispering about?”
Uncle Li Dong smiled, “Nothing.”
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