Man on the ark, forced to become king

"Stronger than Uncle Wei? Does Uncle Wei know you're his teacher?"

Swire's brows furrowed even deeper. Someone even stronger than Wei Yanwu... who could that be? This makes it seem even more suspicious!

"I know, it was him who made it happen."

Chen's answer was without hesitation, which relieved Swire somewhat.

Since it was Wei Yanwu's arrangement, he couldn't be a liar. Thankfully, this silly dragon wasn't fooled.

"What were his conditions?"

"Find a channel to purchase building materials for mobile cities."

"Hi~"

Even though she was mentally prepared and knew that a request that could discourage someone from making a decision was probably outrageous and difficult to fulfill, Swire still couldn't help but gasp when the answer came from Chen's mouth.

This is clearly a deliberate attempt to prevent Chen from going!

Then she remembered that Chen had come looking for her for help, and an absurd thought suddenly popped into her head.

The girl with the film raised her finger and pointed at herself, asking softly, "You don't actually think I can do it, do you?"

"I just want to ask, what is the cost of making this happen..."

Chen was a little embarrassed and lowered his head awkwardly, not daring to look up.

“My dear Miss Chen, is it about money? It’s about—never mind, you wouldn’t understand anyway.”

Swire slapped her head in exasperation, now wondering if this blockhead knew absolutely nothing about business or politics.

The materials for building mobile cities are classified as military supplies; they're not something that can be solved with money alone.

"I was just asking, I didn't mean for you to do it. It's okay if you can't go."

Chen didn't need a definite answer; she could tell from her expression that Chen truly couldn't afford the price, which was within Chen's expectations. The reason she came to find her was simply because she was unwilling to accept it. If she really couldn't do it, she wouldn't have been so obsessively demanding.

"You... I really don't know what to say to you. Forget about it, unless you go to Uncle Wei, this is indeed no small matter."

Swire sighed. Chen's disappointed look made her feel very uncomfortable. To exchange a wide-ranging and invaluable military supplies procurement channel for an opportunity that wasn't even necessary was a huge loss.

But... who can blame her for being Chen Huijie?

"It's so late, you shouldn't go back. Just sleep here tonight. You're all sticky, go take a shower first, the bathroom is over there."

After settling Chen in, watching her walk into the bathroom, Swire shook her head with a wry smile and called the housekeeper over.

"Go and get ready to connect Grandpa's intercity communication."

Anyone looking at this deal would conclude that it was a huge loss; the expenditures and returns were completely disproportionate.

but……

Hopefully this will make you more comfortable.

Chapter Nine: Amiya the Little Rabbit

Is this the Golden Tree?

The doctor stepped out of the car carrying a simple, all-black travel bag bearing the white Babel emblem. His first sight was of enormous trees standing tall on the plain, their golden canopies spreading out, almost replacing the sky and dominating the entire world.

Can this tree still be considered a tree?

How big is it?

The dense foliage blocked the view, preventing the doctor from obtaining accurate data, but a conservative estimate would be around one hundred meters.

If they hadn't come from a different direction, they would have been able to see it from a great distance. As a tree, it was so dazzling that it was impossible to ignore, and one could feel its presence even with eyes closed.

Soft golden light spilled from every leaf, illuminating the earth without being dazzling; it felt warm and comfortable on the skin.

The tree's radiance covered the land for thousands of meters around, abruptly stopping at a certain critical point, dividing the area inside and outside the boundary into two distinct regions.

Beyond that golden boundary lies a scorching sun, swirling sandstorms, a cracked and broken earth, and scattered, withered plants and trees—a desolate and ruined landscape.

Within the golden expanse, separated only by a thin line, even an ordinary person with no magical talent could feel the overwhelming vitality emanating from within.

The land here is still barren, but not lifeless.

Stepping into this place, the doctor could feel every cell in his body cheering and jumping for joy, as if he had stepped from a dry desert into a beautiful landscape in an instant. Even the air seemed incredibly fresh, making him feel intoxicated.

However, compared to the golden tree, which is like a mythical creation, the building below it looks rather shabby.

From this side, a row of two-story buildings sits under the golden tree, and both the craftsmanship and materials are very rough.

It's habitable, but that's all. From the doctor's perspective, it's like building a doghouse under a statue—utterly incongruous.

He certainly felt that way.

From this angle, one can see the enormous gate embedded in the tree trunk, which resembles a pillar reaching to the sky. An ancient and vast aura washes over you, magnificent and grand.

In comparison, the row of small buildings looks even more out of place.

Is it that they don't need it, or that they don't care?

The doctor didn't know; she only knew that she should go and check on things.

Although strictly speaking, Golden Tree did not play a significant role in the conversation, she still came here intending to see it for herself, simply to satisfy her curiosity as a researcher.

Now that most of Kazdel's affairs have been taken over by Theresis, the subsequent internal pacification, local battles, negotiations among the royal courts, and a series of other complicated matters have little to do with her, and she has no desire to get involved.

As for the Tower of Babel, it is currently undergoing integration and restructuring, and has been handed over to Kal'tsit to manage.

Over the years, she has devoted herself to the Tower of Babel and Theresa, worrying herself sick and heartbroken. Now that she finally has a chance, can't she just enjoy herself?

After that, Kazdel was left to the Sarkaz to worry about, since she was going to retire anyway and might as well raise some rabbits.

The Golden Tree was her first stop on her post-retirement travels, and so far, she seems quite satisfied.

Apart from the somewhat rudimentary infrastructure, everything was perfect.

"how do you feel?"

The bag felt lighter in his hand as someone took it from him. The professor turned his head and found that Lin Lu had been standing next to him at some point, without making a sound, like a ghost.

“Very good, I was referring to this tree.”

The two walked side by side toward the row of small buildings. The professor thought for a moment and asked in confusion, "The Golden Tree shouldn't be short of money right now, so why not renovate this place to make it even better?"

"Of course, but it's pointless. As for housing, enough is enough."

Lin Lu waved her hand dismissively, not surprised by the doctor's doubts.

However, he really didn't care, since he didn't usually live here. Even if he wanted to stay in the Great Blessing, there were rooms inside. The main purpose of the few small buildings outside was to provide a place for Hadley, Ines, W, Nian, and Xi to rest.

Apart from Hadley and Ines, the others don't live here permanently, so there's no need to make it too luxurious.

"makes sense."

The doctor nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

She was just asking casually; she didn't really care.

For her, it didn't matter where she lived; she was happy to live in either a magnificent palace or a humble hut in a dilapidated mine.

Ultimately, it comes down to a sense of belonging.

No matter where she lived, her sense of alienation from the world was indelible. She lived in a completely unfamiliar era, yet remained detached from it. Whether it was a high-rise building or an underground mine, it made no difference.

Of course, if there are better options, she won't refuse them—

Wait, did I forget something?

His steps suddenly stopped, the professor picked up his bag and thought for a while, then suddenly realized.

"Quick! Call that car back right now! Amiya's still in it!"

-------------------------------------

"Just asking, did you forget to bring your brain when you left home?"

The Babel Tower car returned in a hurry and then left again, leaving behind a sleepy little girl named Carter, who cautiously tugged at the doctor's sleeve.

Lin Lu squinted at her, as if she were looking at an extremely irresponsible parent.

If someone takes their child out and then forgets about the other person after getting off the bus, can they really take good care of the child?

"Cough, an accident, an accident."

The doctor removed his helmet and outer coat, letting his white hair fall down. He then gently picked up the timid little rabbit and softly comforted it.

If it weren't for the fact that she didn't have rabbit ears on her head, they would look quite alike, like mother and daughter.

"No, it's not the doctor's fault, I just fell asleep..."

The little rabbit spoke timidly, her soft and weak appearance giving one the urge to hug her and give her a good rub—the doctor was already doing just that.

Having shed her burden, she seemed much more relaxed. Even if the Babel Tower operators were present, probably no one would believe that this woman holding a child with a gentle smile would be their tactical commander.

"You should be more careful in the future."

Lin Lu smiled and placed her palm on the little rabbit's head, ruffling her hair. Her expression immediately changed, and she became serious.

"Shall we talk outside?"

The instant he touched her, he clearly sensed the abnormality in the child's body—she outwardly still looked like Katus, but in reality, she possessed more than two complex powers that were not fully integrated with her own bloodline; they were essentially implanted later in life.