CHAPTER 305: CHAPTER 191: SUDDEN DEVELOPMENT - 192: COLLISION (FOURTH UPDATE COMPLETE)

Chapter 191: Sudden Occurrence (Third Update)

After checking out, Qu Jianlei and Xiao Moshan took a shared cab to the outskirts of Celestial Heart Lake.

Celestial Heart Lake is a naturally-formed lake, a great place for relaxing and unwinding.

Of course, two grown men wouldn’t be there for sightseeing; they were there to... fish!

Celestial Heart Lake has dedicated fishing spots with all necessary equipment and bait available, and for those willing to spend, there’s even a service with beautiful company.

Having just returned from Central City, they decided to take a few days to relax before going fishing... This was entirely reasonable.

Even in business, after sealing a tough deal, wouldn’t the boss agree to a few days off?

And they had come back from Central City, which is not only remote and backward but also risky, and the mission took a long time.

In such a situation, it wouldn’t be surprising to take a half-year break, so what’s a few days of fishing?

Qu Jianlei did not opt for female company—he didn’t have that inclination on Blue Star.

Xiao Moshan, however, generously chose two ladies, spending the night with them.

In his own words, "They can testify that my leg is injured, and to avoid us being noticed, I’ve sacrificed a lot!"

Qu Jianlei didn’t bother with him, simply advising, "We’re living off what we have, consider the cost."

Yet Xiao Moshan shook his head, "A warrior who’s been pent up, how can one night be enough to relieve it all? That would be too fake."

With a resolute face, he said, "For our safety, I must continue to sacrifice myself!"

And indeed, he wasn’t lying—this "sacrifice" lasted for six consecutive days.

Other anglers in the same area found it odd and couldn’t help but quietly ask Qu Jianlei, "How many years has it been since he met a woman?"

Qu Jianlei didn’t want to answer, but eventually said, "He’s still young, just looks a bit old."

"Ah, young, that explains it," the fellow angler nodded in sudden realization, then smiled, "He doesn’t look just a bit old."

An ordinary person speaking this way would’ve probably been shot on the spot in the lower gathering areas.

But in the Gorge, it’s perfectly normal; inundated with a sense of safety, this is just everyday life for the common folk.

It wasn’t until the seventh day that Xiao Moshan gave the two ladies a break, saying he planned to rest for a night and continue the next.

This guy was indeed methodical; that night, he and Qu Jianlei went out on a reconnaissance mission, only returning in the wee hours.

The next day, the two continued fishing as usual but whispered to each other from time to time.

They were planning how to make a move on the insurance vault where the crystals were stored.

However, Qu Jianlei was more interested in the "Attribute Cultivation Research Institute" not far from the vault.

It was said to house many rare books on cultivation, making it extremely tempting for him.

Moreover, there were rumors of non-cultivation-related books hidden in the institute.

This was mainly because the institute’s security was strong, making it a safer place to store valuable materials.

Xiao Moshan didn’t quite agree with his plan; in his view, the research institute was definitely more challenging than the insurance vault.

This vault belonged to the Energy Block Alliance, somewhat akin to where Qu Jianlei used to open treasure chests back in the day.

The Energy Block Alliance was made up of several major forces, with many experts, and it was said that the Gorge’s military was a part of the alliance.

But the vault Xiao Moshan had his eyes on was just a backup for the Energy Block Alliance.

The backup vault’s reserves were much smaller than the main vault’s, and its purpose was to ensure there would be resources in case the main vault encountered problems.

There was more than one backup vault; they were sparsely distributed and very concealed.

Thus, the location of the vault was marked by an unassuming general store.

The general store was quite chaotic, selling a variety of things, but one advantage it had was the ability to sell energy blocks at normal prices.

In the Gorge, energy blocks were exclusively operated; ordinary shops weren’t qualified to sell them.

Even if a merchant managed to buy some energy blocks at a normal price and sell them at that price, such a move would be illegal.

Even if the business intended merely to attract customers without making any profit, a single report would bring the Energy Block Alliance down on them, teaching them a lesson in no time.

It wasn’t about whether they made a profit or not; they simply didn’t have the qualification to sell this stuff, not even at a loss!

But this general store dared to sell openly, and they made money by bundling sales of other goods, earning a modest profit.

This way of making money was somewhat peculiar, almost saying outright that they had plenty of energy blocks.

But oddly enough, this business model did make the store some money; while not highly lucrative, it was enough to make a living.

Because the store had an energy block reserve, it also hired modified warriors for security.

Some were envious and reported them, but to no avail, as the Energy Block Alliance did not react at all.

Eventually, it became known that the general store had connections.

Presumably, the store owner lacked other business skills and relied on these ties to earn a little spending money.

However, Xiao Moshan was certain that the general store was just a facade; it was the backup vault beneath it that was the real focus.

The store’s security of modified warriors was also just a facade.

There were two C-level warriors taking turns for night watches and two B-level ones in a nearby residence who could provide support at any time.

There were indeed no A-level warriors; even in the Gorge, A-levels were not just anywhere.

Yet, within about five hundred meters from the Attribute Cultivation Research Institute, there was an A-level warrior stationed.

This institute was under the jurisdiction of the Gorge Ruling Council, which had close ties with the Energy Block Alliance.

Therefore, if the general store ever had trouble, the institute would surely dispatch help, including but not limited to that A-level warrior.