Swallowing the Stars: The Wind Sword Master.

Chapter 34 The Materials Inspector Makes an On-Site Visit

Night silently enveloped the entire base city.

Blue-purple arc-shaped streaks of light occasionally flashed in the sky 500 meters away; that was the base city's air defense system.

A full moon leans against the dark rooftop of a distant building. Electricity is a very precious resource, and there are no flashing neon lights here.

On the quiet path, the T-shaped solar streetlights lazily emitted orange light. Under the streetlights, two figures quietly embraced each other, toes touching, mouths pursed, engaging in a romantic farewell that lasted five minutes at a time.

"Hoo hoo~"

Shu Yi, her face flushed, lowered her head and, after catching her breath a few times, said softly, "I'm going back now. Won't you come in and sit for a while?"

Ning Ze smiled slightly, looking refreshed. He gently declined, saying, "Uncle probably doesn't want to see me right now, but he should be in a better mood tomorrow. Tell me then, and the atmosphere will be much better when I talk to him."

Shu Yi nodded in agreement. "Alright, go back and cultivate. I'll let you know as soon as I've confirmed the situation."

"it is good."

Ning Ze turned and left. After turning the corner, he suddenly accelerated and started running. The distance of ten kilometers would take fifteen minutes by car, but he could run home in just one minute!

When Shuyi returned home, she found only her grandfather sitting on the sofa watching TV. She felt a little uncomfortable.

After her second uncle disappeared, her younger brother and aunt stopped coming out. Her younger brother, Shu Jie, was also not in the living room. Her parents were probably still busy with company matters.

"Little Darling is back?" Shu Hongjing looked over with kind eyes.

"Grandpa, what are you looking at?"

Shuyi heard the shouts of battle coming from the TV and turned around to see a very "tragic" battle.

His combat skills were appalling!

Even elementary school students are better than them.

Two grown men brandishing knives at each other, moving as slowly as turtles, yet they acted as if they were doing their best. It was truly an eyesore, and quite intense!

In just a few glances, Shu Yi's hair stood on end, and her distorted little face twitched.

All that's missing is a disgusted "Ew~" to complete the whole look.

Shu Hongjing was overjoyed. "Haha, you're not used to it, are you? This is a TV series filmed before the Great Cataclysm. You might not be used to it, but people our age treasure it."

Shu Yi lowered her head, not daring to look any longer. "Um... I just can't really appreciate it."

"Haha, then I won't watch it. The way it's filmed is indeed very different from real martial arts, even completely distorting reality. In fact, ancient martial arts were very powerful, and many of the current martial arts manuals were created based on them. Unfortunately, there were very few people who actually practiced martial arts back then, and most of them didn't understand anything, which is why their appreciation only focused on the appearance of the movements and was not practical."

Shu Hongjing commented, then said, "Did Ning Ze come over today? I happened to be out then and didn't see him. Come on, let's go upstairs and talk to Grandpa."

"Okay." Shu Yi agreed immediately, as she also had something important to discuss with her grandfather.

I came to that quaint teahouse again.

Sun Hongjing said with a smile, "That kid still cares about you quite a bit. He sent you a message last night, rushed back from the wilderness overnight, and came over early this morning."

Shu Yi smiled happily. Indeed, she had been very surprised that morning as well.

"Grandpa, actually, the defective products that our family returned could have been quickly inspected and tested, but Qihang Company found someone to delay the process. His father went to ask the manager of Dongfang about our family's situation, and if there are no unforeseen circumstances, it should be resolved in the next couple of days."

"Oh?" Sun Hongjing asked in surprise, "Their family knows the manager of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy?"

"Ning Ze is different." Shu Yi looked smug and said proudly, "He's a genius."

Sun Hongjing smiled without saying a word, only looking at his granddaughter with kind eyes. He was relieved by his granddaughter's appearance. She liked someone so much and wore her happiness on her face. She would definitely be very happy in the future.

"We've been discussing getting married," Shuyi said in a low voice, her face flushed with shyness.

Sun Hongjing was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter. He had just given him a piece of advice yesterday, and he didn't expect it to be put into practice today.

Shu Yi blushed and lowered her head. Not only did she urge Ning Ze to get married, but she also seduced her future mother-in-law into forcing her to marry her, acting as the ultimate hunter (the prey). She never thought she would be so bold.

"Grandpa, you're making fun of me!"

"Have you thought it through?" Sun Hongjing asked with a kind and gentle expression.

Shu Yi's face turned serious, and she nodded firmly, saying, "I've thought it through!"

"His father went to see Manager Dong because of his talent. He's now at the warrior level in terms of physical abilities and has even successfully mastered the second level of the 'Wind Slash'..."

"Wait a minute!" Sun Hongjing was immediately shocked. "He's only been a martial artist for two and a half months, his physical attributes have reached the level of a beginner warrior, and he's even successfully mastered the second level of the 'Wind Slash'?"

Shu Yi nodded, her eyes filled with worry. If it weren't for his extraordinary talent, she wouldn't have felt so much pressure to force him into marriage. Ning Ze was too outstanding; she was afraid that he would be snatched away by someone else if she wasn't careful.

But now things are much better. The thought of the two of them getting married soon makes Shuyi feel as refreshed and happy as if the rain has stopped.

"Yes, his father went to inquire about going to the elite training camp for special training. I heard that he can only come back once a year from there, and I won't be able to see him then. What if... I want to get married as soon as possible."

"Elite Training Camp?" Sun Hongjing's face was terribly silent, so shocked that his face became stiff and numb. Elite Training Camp, isn't that the legendary War God Reserve Team!

Everyone who comes out of the elite training camp is a war god, and the people they make there are also war gods, all of them genius war gods. Entering the elite training camp is like a fish leaping over the dragon gate.

As long as he lives, he will not only possess the strength of a war god, but will also remain among the top tier of people on Earth.

If that's really the case, then his granddaughter can only be considered ordinary; the pressure is just too much.

"I heard it's quite difficult to get in there. They're currently conducting trials and aren't accepting students for the time being. It will be two months before we can go." Shu Yi's face was full of worry. Of course, she was happy that her boyfriend was talented, but if his talent was too great, she would feel insecure. Being anxious and fearful is the most agonizing thing.

The father and son remained silent for a long time, deep in thought.

Shu Hongjing thought for a moment and came back to his senses. "Little darling, don't tell your dad about this. Even if the company's problems are resolved, don't tell your dad that Ning Ze's family helped."

"what?"

Why?

Shu Yi looked at her grandfather cautiously. Ever since he kicked her second uncle out, her grandfather had been giving her father the cold shoulder all the time, and he was still angry now.

Why?

Shu Hongjing scoffed and said sarcastically, "I'm afraid that brat will embarrass me! With his character, if he knew about Ning Ze's talent, I don't know how fawning he would be. The thought of a father-in-law following his son-in-law around is disgusting."

"If you get married, he'll definitely be running over there every few days, not only troubling your in-laws but also disrupting your lives. Isn't that just adding to your troubles? As long as you're happy after you marry him, that's all that matters. Your father is too materialistic; it's better not to let him affect your lives."

Shu Hongjing grew angrier as he spoke. He was very disappointed in Shu Heng. He hadn't known his son was such a person until he encountered some trouble.

"I didn't know our family's life was so difficult these days. An ordinary person can only earn a little money. What can he do? He's not even as glorious as an ordinary warrior. It's just that I gave him some money to make, which blinded this kid and made him lose his mind."

During the base city era, money was only useful under stable conditions; it was for internal human use. Could you really use money to beg for mercy from monsters? Money wasn't something to be proud of. The base city had a clear citizen star rating system.

Donating money earns ten times the contribution points of hunting monsters! There's also a limit to the amount you can donate—a maximum of 100 billion!

Too many, and the Extreme Martial Arts Academy won't accept them!

This sum of 100 billion Chinese yuan would only amount to a little over 100 billion yuan for the richest person in China according to the Forbes list. The richest person in the world according to the Forbes list has assets of 120 billion US dollars, which is equivalent to 420 billion Chinese yuan.

A martial artist only needs to spend 100 billion to reach four-star contribution, and most War Gods can achieve four-star. Would China's richest man dare to donate it all?

Shu Hongjing was already disappointed that his son couldn't become a martial artist.

But talent can't be forced, and he's content with that. There's nothing wrong with being an ordinary person.

Now, things have turned out badly. One son is weak, mercenary, and spineless, while the other nephew is completely twisted. Not only is he greedy, jealous, and betrays the family, but he also dares to collude with outsiders to push his granddaughter into a pit of fire. I am utterly disappointed.

"Grandpa, don't be angry, I won't tell him."

Shu Yi obediently comforted the old man and obediently agreed.

She thought to herself that her father was not in danger in the base city, and the family had money to live on without any trouble. It was just a matter of scheming against businessmen, and she was quite happy about it.

"Um."

After Shu Hongjing responded, his anger subsided. He glanced at his granddaughter and found her in a very good mood. This girl has good taste!

A genius martial artist, who will become a powerful figure in the future, will be able to protect the human base city, enjoying boundless glory. This is the real honor, and they will have face wherever they go.

Shu Hongjing asked in a friendly tone, "When will he come over to talk about this? I'll have a chat with the kid then."

When this topic came up, Shuyi became shy again. She whispered, "He said that once our family's affairs are over, Father's mood will be better, and it will be easier to talk to him."

"Hmph, let him talk? When Ning Ze comes, he can come directly to me. You also tell Ning Ze not to let your father know about Ning Ze's talent."

"it is good."

……

The next day.

A group of special guests arrived at a small company in the Dongfeng Building.

The company's reception area was surrounded by this group of people. They were all tall and straight with serious faces and sharp eyes like knives. Their uniforms also had bright prosecutor badges hanging on their chests.

This lineup startled the young woman at the front desk, making her speech somewhat incoherent.

"Gentlemen, everyone. This is Jiehua Materials Processing Co., Ltd. Who are you looking for?"

A middle-aged man with a resolute face spoke first, loudly: "Looking for your boss! Shu Heng! Is he in the company right now?"

"Yes! Yes! The boss arrived at seven this morning! I'll go call him!" The young receptionist said this and tried to run away, thinking to herself, "Oh no, the boss's in trouble, my poor wages haven't been paid yet..."

"No!"

"We'll go with you!"

The middle-aged man pulled his head, and the group of people followed behind.

The pretty young receptionist was incredibly nervous. Because her pencil skirt was a bit tight, she could only quicken her pace, silently repeating, "Boss, I didn't bring them here. They could find you even without me."

"This is it." The pretty young receptionist led us to the door of the innermost office with a bright, genuine smile. She gestured with her small hand and stood to the side of the door, where we didn't have to show our faces.

The man in the lead nodded seriously, knocked three times rudely, and then pushed the door open and went inside.

"Who is it? Is there any rule...?"

The angry shout abruptly stopped, and the anger on Shu Heng's face vanished instantly. Looking at the brightly lit sign, his heart trembled.

The defective materials had already been sent over, but the staff at the company weren't very friendly at the time, and they certainly wouldn't come to his door to inform him of the review results.

What I fear most now is that it's not the same group of people, and something might go wrong again.

He quickly changed his tune obsequiously, "Whether there are rules or not doesn't matter, it won't affect your work. Is there something wrong?"

The man at the front said loudly, "I am Shao Weixin from the Materials Inspection Department of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy. Take us to the warehouse immediately to inspect all the combat uniform materials and also to examine the batch of products you applied for approval."

"During this period, all contracts of Jiehua Company are temporarily suspended or postponed. All suppliers of Jiehua Company are ordered to come and wait for the inspection results. If anyone dares to disobey the order, we will send relevant personnel to arrest them and treat them as fugitives who have fled to avoid punishment."

As the instructions were given, Shu Heng was overjoyed and said with a fawning expression, "Everyone, this way please. I will notify the material suppliers immediately."

……

"Ring ring ring..."

In the chairman's office of Qihang Group, the phone rang incessantly.

Zhai Yanke glanced at it and said, "Dad, it's a materials buyer we're cooperating with."

"You answer it," Zhai Bifan said without looking up.

Zhai Yanke nodded, pressed the speakerphone button, and replied directly, "Hello, what can I do for you?"

"If you're not Chairman Zhai, who are you? Is General Manager Zhai here? I need to speak to him urgently!" The speaker spoke quickly and in a very anxious voice.

Zhai Yanke frowned and shouted in a panic, which was extremely rude.

"I'm Zhai Yanke. What do you want with my dad?"

"Oh, it's Chairman Zhai. Is your father here? This is Ding Wang. I can't handle the shipment to the Shu family anymore. The materials inspector from the Extreme Martial Arts Academy summoned me and told me to go to Jiehua Company immediately. You'd better make preparations as soon as possible."

The person on the other end of the phone quickly repeated the message, and the middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief; he had indeed given the genuine product.

If the Shu family's company goes bankrupt, he wouldn't mind currying favor with Qihang Group and pulling strings to crush the Shu family.

But now Qihang Group can't hold back anymore, and Jixian Martial Arts School has started investigating. Who can stop them? The genuine products are theirs, but this batch of counterfeit goods isn't from their side, so he certainly won't take the blame.

The only reason I'm calling to remind them now is because of the underground alliance behind Qihang Group; I can't give them a favor, and I can't afford to offend them.

Zhai Yanke's expression changed drastically as he looked up at his forehead. Zhai Bifan also looked up abruptly and snatched the phone away.

Zhai Bifan asked the supplier for more details, then hung up the phone with a grim expression.

But soon, the phone rang again, just as he had put it down.

"Ring ring ring ring..."

Zhai Yanke's face was contorted. The ringing of the telephone felt like a small hammer, hammering his heart to the bottom with each strike.

(End of this chapter)