Chapter 2706: Chapter 2698: Wishful Thinking
Zhang Caixin didn’t intend to make things difficult for Beauty Lin, but as soon as she heard about this matter, she knew it was more urgent than the "nanorobot theft."
Even if the nanorobots were stolen, decrypting them is exceptionally difficult, but how much trouble could a hard drive password lock be?
Furthermore, last time... by the time it was discovered, it was too late, and there was no way for her to complain to the foreigners, but this time it happened domestically.
So she could only give a five-hour deadline; otherwise, if the hard drive got shipped abroad while the boss was home, it would impact more than just morale—it’s a resounding slap in the face for the Luohua People.
Within these five hours, Beauty Lin managed to gather quite a few clues. A factory technician was found unconscious at home, having been in a coma for twenty hours according to analysis. The person who entered the factory yesterday wasn’t him.
His wife is highly suspicious, but she’s gone missing, and not long after, was found dead in a forest outside the city. It’s presumed she died from poisoning, with the time of death exceeding ten hours, and crucially, there are no cameras in the vicinity.
Soon afterward, the imposter technician’s movements were captured on camera—indeed, he left the factory after the fire. His body was found at an unfinished building, dead from a slit throat, with death occurring at dawn.
Critically, there are no cameras around the unfinished building. Authorities are urgently investigating nearby store surveillance.
After five hours, having unearthed so much, Beauty Lin couldn’t ignore Zhang Caixin’s warning; she had to reach out proactively, confidently claiming to have identified key suspect leads.
However, Zhang Caixin’s response was simply, "Is that it?"
No matter how much Beauty Lin swore, it did no good as the second-in-command of Luohua responded, "Even if I took action now, it might not be enough—we still need the boss... can some effort be spared for us?"
Beauty Lin was discontent but also quite astonished, "You can’t do anything either?"
Zhang Caixin’s reply left her a bit embarrassed, "Of course, there is a way, but what worries me most is timing. By the time I trace the opponent, the hard drive might already be shipped abroad, making the effort worthless. I’d rather let the boss scold me for being incompetent!"
Beauty Lin simply couldn’t delay any longer, yet unwillingly asked, "After discovering the opponent’s whereabouts, can we at least momentarily not alert them and try to fish a bit?"
"No," Feng Jun’s voice rang coldly, "You’ve botched fishing expeditions more than a few times. Luohua has no interest in fishing; we only care about decisively slapping faces."
"Feng, hold on," Beauty Lin tried one last salvage effort, "That time in Area 51, the explosion also ended well, didn’t it?"
Of course, Feng Jun knew that time at Area 51; it was the theft of the Yin Yang Fish from Qingcheng’s overseas base, a gift he gave to Zhang Dongyuan. He pursued to the Mai Nation, causing the explosion, and the second Yin Yang Fish has stayed safe ever since.
Beauty Lin’s intention seemed to encapsulate a solution once and for all, but Feng Jun was disinclined to act that way. The reason was simple: unlocking the hard drive wasn’t difficult, and Eagle Language speaking nations have an unmatched advantage in this field.
Once the hard drive is unlocked, the data could be copied everywhere—he wouldn’t take such a risk.
Actually, he dislikes the "fishing" model; it’s something lazy people enjoy and fosters complacency, not to mention a high mishap probability. Given the chance, he always advocates directly striking back.
After saying this, his figure vanished, while Beauty Lin continued speaking, "Following the trail can reveal much more..."
"The boss has left," Zhang Caixin interrupted her bluntly, "Can your review personnel show some efficiency? What the heck is going on?"
Five minutes later, Feng Jun returned to Luohua, "I’ve located both the item and the person, subdued and tied them up. Let them pick up the person from the location..."
As Zhang Caixin finished listening, her eyes instantly brightened, "The boss has become even more formidable, quicker than ever before."
"You’re the fast one!" Feng Jun glared at her and shook his head, "Inform the others; spare us from procrastination."
This time, his speed was swift, not just because his cultivation improved, but also due to his better understanding of causality, which led him to new thresholds.
Beauty Lin, upon receiving the news, felt somewhat incredulous, "This hasn’t even taken ten minutes... six and a half minutes, how did he accomplish it so swiftly?"
"The boss dislikes others mentioning his speed," Zhang Caixin instinctively initiated a playful drive before realizing, "Why bother explaining? Just quickly process it, lest the opponent escape again."
Beauty Lin spread the word, and within less than ten minutes, feedback confirmed the capture—they were still unconscious, but questions arose about the captor’s whereabouts, any other items taken, or seen contacts made by the captured.
"Your efficiency embarrassed my partner so much they stepped in; my reputation is tarnished, yet you’re shameless enough to inquire further?" Beauty Lin explosively hung up, face full of displeasure.
This was the only unexpected incident Feng Jun encountered upon his return; other matters mostly remained under control. His daily practices included cultivation, rain bathing, and yoga, occasionally chatting with the Guardian. Life was indeed delightful.
However, leisurely moments are always short-lived, and by the fourth week on Earth, he felt a bit impulsive.
Soon after, Yu Qingzhu emerged from the bidirectional gate and informed him of a news: the design for the new Energy Conversion Array was completed, and Immortal Yi Jue invited him to Tianqin for the final deduction. If there were no issues, they could proceed with the refinement.
Can we refine it directly? Feng Jun was somewhat puzzled. When I tested Magical Treasures, I also pondered while refining, gradually adjusting. Does the Formation Path pursue a one-step completion?
Although on vacation, encountering such trivial matters and joining in for entertainment is harmless, so he headed to Kunhao with such a mindset.
Upon meeting him, Yi Jue presented the final design and expressed her thoughts: You contributed greatly to this matter, but Elder Dianjing is too arrogant. I insisted on having you oversee the final stages to affirm your contributions.
Feng Jun truly didn’t mind this; he already had numerous halos and didn’t need to fuss over trivial fame. However, since Yi Jue organized it with good intentions, he certainly appreciated it.
After the deduction, discovering no issues indeed, he nodded in acknowledgment. Yi Jue then produced an obsidian piece which contained a contract, indicating they both left a breath which authorized the production by the Formation Path.
Feng Jun chuckled and nodded, "You really made this quite formal."
Yi Jue casually remarked, "Mostly because that guy annoys me."
With these words from her, Feng Jun didn’t rush back. If she was in a bad mood, he could still be a sounding board.
In the following five days, he would visit White Pebble Beach in the morning and return to Luohua in the afternoon as rain approached. Though a bit tedious, he instead found it leisurely.
On the fifth evening, Elder Dianjing finally laid out his most satisfactory result and had Yi Jue summoned, saying, "With our untiring efforts, we’ve finally achieved some success. Without groundbreaking advancements, this formation remains optimal for ten years."
But Yi Jue, without a second thought, retorted, "Besides you and me, there’s Mountain Master Feng... How can you covet another’s work?"
"He merely provided some ideas," Elder Dianjing dismissively replied, not because he wanted to claim Feng Jun’s credit, but simply because he only saw formations and those not versed in formations appeared useless.
Including Yi Jue alongside himself was because Yi Jue was diligently comprehending formations, and Feng Jun, who was avoiding everything, wasn’t worth mentioning.
But since Yi Jue spoke up, he nodded, "Call him over, let’s celebrate our completion together."
"Tomorrow, then," Yi Jue knew that guy had returned, secretly admiring his nonchalance.
"Then let’s not wait for him," in Elder Dianjing’s eyes, Feng Jun was absent, and he clasped his hands, excitedly declaring, "Let’s test with the Energy Stones first... No, use the high-purity Energy Blocks."
"Then you prepare them," Yi Jue replied decisively, "I don’t have any!"
Of course, she had Energy Blocks, but her irritability made her speak so.
Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong silently observed the scene, suddenly Xuanyuan Buqi snorted, "This guy is annoying."
Qian Zhong was silent for a while before softly remarking, "But it’s not appropriate to kill him."
The next morning Feng Jun returned, and the Conversion Array had begun testing Energy Stones of varying purity levels. Yi Jue specially waited in the manor to report yesterday afternoon’s test results to him.
One word: Good! Three words: Very good!
Elder Dianjing planned to continue testing for three days, then invited the Artifact Refining Path people to directly craft the Array Plate in Kunhao.
This Energy Conversion Array is highly innovative, but its grade isn’t high. If you think about it, perfectly converting a ton of Energy Stones nets only twenty Spirit Stones; conversion rate is less than thirty percent, barely yielding six Spirit Stones.
Even if ten tons are simultaneously converted in ten minutes, it amounts to only sixty Spirit Stones, equivalent to one Spirit Stone worth of Spiritual Energy per minute, which can only suffice for a few Golden Core High Stage cultivators to recover Spiritual Energy.
Of course, if the Conversion Array were made larger, or several Conversion Arrays were made, recovering Spiritual Energy for Nascent Soul True Immortals wouldn’t be difficult, but essentially, it’s still akin to Precious Treasure level used by Golden Core Masters, perfectly manageable in Kunhao.
Upon hearing this, Feng Jun was somewhat puzzled, "Since it can be crafted anywhere, why linger in Kunhao?"
"Because during refinement, deduction is also needed," Yi Jue calmly replied, "Their deduction abilities aren’t as good as yours or mine... Staying in Kunhao allows them to consult us at any time."
Upon hearing this, Feng Jun couldn’t help but twitch a bit at the corner of his mouth, "Even though they aren’t impressive, they sure have lofty ideas!"