The next day, Zhong Yun carried all his luggage onto the flight back home. Tian Hai and Chen Wen were excitedly discussing the gains from their recent trip.
Once on board, the students methodically found their assigned seats.
Zhong Yun and the other two took their usual spots at the very back. After stowing their bags, Zhong Yun settled into the window seat beside the aisle. Chen Wen and Tian Hai sat across from him.
“I’m going to sleep now; don't disturb me.”
Zhong Yun announced, and with a soft press beside his seat, two plush ear covers enveloped his ears. The backrest subtly reclined a little further, making lying down more comfortable.
Zhong Yun closed his eyes, and within two minutes, a faint snore could be heard.
After a five-hour flight, the plane arrived at Mingzhou Airport.
The flight attendant’s sweet voice resonated through the cabin, “We have arrived at Mingzhou Airport. Please prepare for disembarkation…”
Just as Tian Hai was about to gently wake the still-sleeping Zhong Yun, Zhong Yun’s hand suddenly lifted, removing the ear covers. He sat up, stretching luxuriously, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “We’re here?”
People were already starting to file out. Zhong Yun and his companions retrieved their bags, waiting until most passengers had left before rising to move.
At the airport exit, they watched Liu Yunqi enter a high-end shuttle car. A driver-like figure closed the door for her, returned to the driver’s seat, and the vehicle lifted into the air, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
“That car is certainly nice,” Tian Hai leaned over, frowning in confusion. “But it doesn’t seem worthy of her status.”
“That just shows how poor your taste is. Do you think that was an ordinary car?” Chen Wen seized the chance to look down on him. “Fei Yingming’s Xun Chi isn’t even worth one wheel of this thing.”
“Seriously?” Tian Hai was unconvinced. “The model looks so plain.”
“It’s about keeping a low profile. This shuttle is rumored to be capable of withstanding a particle cannon blast of ten thousand units of energy.”
“Damn.” Tian Hai was speechless. The heavily armored mechs, known for their near-indestructible 'turtle shell' defense, could only resist particle cannon fire up to fifteen thousand units of energy intensity.
In other words, this vehicle’s defensive capabilities surpassed those of most mechs. What kind of vehicle was this?
“Even the President’s car isn’t much better,” Tian Hai sighed, shaking his head.
“That’s right.” To Tian Hai’s surprise, Chen Wen nodded. “The Giant Machinery Group manufactured only ten of these vehicles in total. Three were given to the military, and two were sent to the Presidential Palace.”
“Let’s go,” Zhong Yun walked to the roadside and flagged down a passing taxi.
In the car, seeing Zhong Yun pursed-lipped and sullen, saying nothing, Tian Hai and Chen Wen exchanged a glance and wisely remained silent.
“He seems depressed.” “Probably in a bad mood.” “Let’s not provoke him then.” “Agreed.” The two communicated through subtle glances.
Zhong Yun sat distracted, oblivious to their silent exchange, and didn't utter a single word until they reached his doorstep.
Seeing him storm inside without even greeting them, Tian Hai couldn't help but worry. “I hope he isn’t thinking of doing something drastic.”
“Don’t joke. Zhong Yun’s background is certainly not as simple as it appears. Even if it’s not quite on the level of the Yang family, it won't be far off. He’s probably bothered by something else,” Chen Wen stated with certainty.
Back home, Zhong Yun didn't even set down his belongings. He charged angrily toward his bedroom.
As he threw the door open, he roared, “ZER, get out here!” He was so furious he hadn't even connected to the network yet; how could ZER hear him?
As if proving a point, ZER materialized in the room as a black silhouette the moment Zhong Yun finished shouting. This was supposed to be full holographic projection technology, yet Zhong Yun’s room wasn't equipped for it.
“You summoned me?”
Seeing ZER appear, Zhong Yun lunged forward through gritted teeth. His hand passed harmlessly through ZER’s form, grasping only air. Enraged, he shrieked, “Where is my money?”
ZER remained entirely unaffected by his action, its mechanical voice devoid of any emotional inflection. “It has been spent.”
“Spent?” Zhong Yun repeated, his voice climbing an octave. “That was five hundred million! Did you think it was five dollars? You just blew it all?”
“Five hundred million, and you still complain? You even drained my personal savings. You are too ruthless!”
As he spoke, his emotions flared. “My mansion, my maids, my supreme shuttle—gone, all gone.” Zhong Yun collapsed onto the floor, truly beyond tears.
ZER stared back with its pitch-black eyes. “As far as I know, this five hundred million was acquired in exchange for one pot of low-grade flora.”
Zhong Yun’s eyes locked onto ZER. He stared blankly for a moment, then smacked his forehead and cursed loudly, “Damn it!”
It was true. While five hundred million was a massive sum, it was only the price he got for one flower. If he chose to, he could cultivate a hundred such plants, or even superior ones.
The only issue was figuring out how to do it without arousing suspicion. He had already sold one 'Seven Fairies,' and the news had likely spread throughout the floral community. If he suddenly produced another masterpiece, only a fool would believe it wasn't suspicious.
However, this wasn't a major obstacle; with some planning, he could surely sell it.
Realizing this, Zhong Yun felt a surge of shame. Losing control over five hundred million—he was acting too much like a provincial bumpkin.
He chastised himself briefly, then quickly reassured himself: Calm down, be calm. I am a major figure, after all. Five hundred million is nothing. As long as I have ZER as my treasure vault, ten thousand times five hundred million isn't an issue.
“Uh, well, it’s just that I haven’t seen that much money before, so I got a little overexcited. My apologies,” Zhong Yun said with a sheepish grin, then curiously asked, “What exactly did you buy?”
ZER ignored his attempt to change the subject. “I purchased a small spaceship on Freedom Star.”
“Freedom Star? What is that place?” Zhong Yun searched his memory; there was no planet named Freedom Star in Davo.
“An intermediate Class Omega Freedom Star, approximately twenty thousand light-years from here. It serves as the trading hub for all intermediate civilizations in the Omi Stellar System. According to the laws of the Great Cosmic Federation, direct contact, exchange, and trade between civilizations are strictly forbidden. Transactions may only occur in designated zones.”
“An intermediate Freedom Star is carved out based on the stellar system to facilitate exchange between intermediate civilizations.”
Zhong Yun couldn't grasp the logic. “But why the regulation? Wouldn't communication between two different civilizations benefit their development? Is the so-called Great Cosmic Federation trying to restrict the development of intermediate civilizations?”
A stream of erratic numbers flickered in ZER’s eyes. “Data missing; this question cannot be answered.”
“Most likely so.”
Zhong Yun promptly dismissed the matter, deciding it was beyond his jurisdiction. “Are there a lot of good things on that Freedom Star?”
“Freedom Star is where Raw Stones can be acquired, which is what we urgently need. However, we lack funds—a massive amount of funds.”
It circled back to money again, giving Zhong Yun a headache. “I’ll figure out the money problem.”
P: A new week has begun; please vote.