Did he want the people of the Red Moon Temple to die in large numbers in Zion? That was a very brutal idea!
Rona turned her head and glanced at Zhou Di, and found that Zhou Di was also looking at her.
Although neither side said it, it was obvious that they both discovered this suspicious point. Was it intended to start a war
No, given the current environment of the four city-states, as long as the Dark Ages does not end, and the dark monsters and the black tide do not end, there will be no war among the four city-states.
This is the tone and main theme, which cannot be changed by an individual.
Does Wang Xi just want the Red Moon Temple to send more people to intervene and investigate, or does he just want to target someone
While the two were pondering over Wang Xi's words, Gu Beichen also lowered his head with a flickering look in his eyes.
"It's a political struggle, a definite political struggle. Wang Xi just wants Xu Le's backer to die... Luo Na and Zhou Di can see that, right
It's no wonder, they are just commoners, they have never experienced the disputes among the upper class nobles, how can they see as far as I can."
Gu Beichen curled his lips and shook his head.
In fact, what he said was true. Although he looked a little silly sometimes, he was definitely several times more sensitive to things like political struggles than the people around him.
In Dengta, such political struggles are commonplace. He had witnessed the internal struggles between his own father and his second uncle when he was a child.
As for the current situation, Gu Beichen could only say that he saw through it at a glance.
Seeing that no one was talking, Wang Xi seemed to realize that he was indeed a little anxious just now, so he added two more sentences:
"Okay, I was a little anxious. After what happened today, I'm afraid your mood and state of mind will be up and down. So, you should take a rest first, and we can talk about other things in a few days."
Seeing Wang Xi was about to leave, Gu Beichen suddenly said:
"Hey, wait a minute."
Wang Xi saw Gu Beichen stopping him and turned his head slightly puzzled:
"This... Oh, Warlock Gu Beichen, is there anything else?"
"If something really happened, you knew about our previous actions, right?"
"Yeah, I know."
Gu Beichen felt more confident when he saw Wang Xi nod:
"I'm being honest. Warlocks consume a lot of energy. I only used about a hundred grams of moonstone to complete this mission.
In addition, I also used two escape curse scrolls and destroyed an ancient Yinduo relic. This... you will reimburse me, right?"
Will it be reimbursed
Wang Xi wanted to deny it, but when he saw the hopeful looks in Luo Na, Zhou Di and Nuo Yi's eyes, he couldn't say the word of denial.
Now is not the time to have a falling out, and they need to maintain a stable relationship and contact for a long time in the future.
Induction is not so easy to succeed, this is something I have been repeatedly reminded of.
Don't give up on this important plan just for a little money.
"Everyone..."
"I think what Warlock Gu Beichen said is quite pertinent." Zhou Di was the first to express his opinion.
Nonsense, there is no sorcerer who doesn't need money. Training, techniques, and research on taboos all require money.
"Yeah, that hits the nail on the head." Nuoyi also nodded.
"Correct, objective, and reasonable." Rona also nodded repeatedly. She had now confirmed one thing.
Gu Beichen is definitely not as stupid as she initially thought. Is it possible for an average person to think of asking Zion for reimbursement directly
After hearing the three people's answers, Wang Xi's mouth twitched, but he still said:
"So how much do you want to be reimbursed?"
When it comes to numbers, this is where Gu Beichen excels.
"You know the price of moonstone, and I won't cheat you. Since we want to continue our cooperation, just quote me 28,000. It's already discounted, so don't bargain. It'll hurt our feelings."
"I don't need that much, twenty thousand will be enough."
"I'll give you fifteen thousand."
"I... maybe ten thousand." Rona was probably the most useless one because she had never done anything like this before.
The Red Moon Temple doesn't accept reimbursement, but they all think that if it really could be reimbursed, it would be a really cool thing...
No one would be happy to spend tens of thousands of dollars for no reason.
Wang Xi is an airship trader, not an airship philanthropist.
What's more, this is not a small amount of money...
"Okay, I'll have someone send the money over as soon as possible. Everyone, have a good rest."
After Wang Xi left, Nuoyi, who had always been greedy for money, immediately became excited. Originally, she looked down on Gu Beichen, but Gu Beichen made them make a fortune inexplicably, which immediately changed her impression.
"You don't look like much, but I didn't expect you to be good at making money. Not bad!"
Making money? Isn't reimbursement a basic operation in Lighthouse
However, Red Moon Temple had never heard of such an operation. Gu Beichen didn't like flirtatious women like Nuoyi. He liked pure women...
"Who are you? Do we know each other well? What were you doing when I attacked you before?"
Facing Gu Beichen's questioning, Zhou Di and Nuoyi also frowned slightly.
From what they had observed before, Gu Beichen did take action and had a battle with Ai Li that seemed quite intense.
However, the battle lasted only a short time, and Zhou Di and Nuoyi both thought that Gu Beichen was dead.
I didn't expect him to survive and be alive and well. When asked about what happened before, Noi waved his hand:
"We have no obligation to tell you what we are doing. Given the situation at the time, it would be useless even if we joined the battlefield.
As a warlock, don't be so impulsive in what you say and do. Cultivation and manners are also very important. After all, you represent the Red Moon Temple."
Nuoyi was about to point at Gu Beichen, but Gu Beichen immediately pushed Nuoyi's finger away.
“I don’t have the sorcerer’s recuperation and conversation skills, but I’m good at spitting.
he~tui…”
Gu Beichen spat a mouthful of phlegm on Nuoyi's shoes.
People like Nuoyi and Zhou Di who escaped from the battlefield are extremely despised, even if they are traitors.
He was being polite by not spitting in Noy's face.
"You..." Nuoyi was very angry, but Zhou Di behind her still held her back.
"There's no need for us to have a meaningless quarrel here. After all, we all got something unexpected, didn't we?"
Zhou Di held up an ancient Yinduo card and then put it in the air to start burning it.
Rona took a step forward calmly, flicked her fingers, and extinguished the burning card.
"Gu Beichen and I are just newcomers, and Warlock Zhou Di is a senior member of Xiao. It's not good to embarrass us two newcomers like this, right?"
Zhou Di looked at the cards that had fallen to the ground, his eyes gradually becoming solemn.
"That makes sense. Let's go back and rest first. You two can do as you please."
After Zhou Di took Nuoyi away, Rona waved her hand disdainfully:
"A pair of bastards."
Gu Beichen looked at Rona from behind, with suspicion in his eyes:
"Those two people are afraid of Rona?"
Just as several warlocks went back to rest, Xu Le lowered his hood and turned away in the distance outside Wang Xi's manor.
The attackers and the thieves were from the same group, possibly not from the same department, but they came from the same place.
From this point of view, the other party's purpose is quite pure.
Li Wen!
However, although the sorceress named Ashima did not discover the real core secret, she met Yama, which is also a hidden danger.
"I don't know if Gu Beichen knows Ashima. It would be great if I could influence her."
After briefly sorting out his thoughts, Xu Le left the manor.
…
the next day.
In the Zion Progressive Building, Xu Le and his team escorted the surviving warlock Zhang Pei and handed him over to Secretary Liu.
Xu Le is not good at interrogation, so leave it to Li Wen.
He came here today just to ask for money.
Arriving at Li Wen's office, Xu Le walked straight in, while Ai Li, Wang Shu and the others stopped at the door.
No one spoke along the way. Now that everyone stopped at the door of the office, it became even quieter. There was a different flavor in the silence, like the calm before the storm.
After all, neither Li Wen nor Xu Le could allow such things as the staff of Guangming Soap Factory being attacked or thieves breaking into the factory.
Compared to the grim atmosphere outside the door, the situation in Li Wen's office was much milder.
Li Wen was watering the flowers, and Xu Le was sitting on the sofa eating melon seeds.
"Uncle Li, they are targeting you, aren't you worried?"
"What's the use of being anxious? I only have so much money, there aren't many people, and there's a high probability that I won't have anything else to spend in the future, so why should I be anxious?"
Li Wen seemed to be in a good mood today, at least on the surface. Xu Le felt that he was really not in a hurry.
"They attacked me in the face. Not only did they send people to kill me, they also tried to steal information from the factory. This is a typical slap in the face behavior. Uncle Li, don't you have any dignity?"
Li Wen turned his head and glanced at Xu Le. The way Xu Le spoke was just like a street punk.
Not only can it not solve any practical problems, but it is also very good at adding fuel to the fire.
"Be careful with your words next time, don't act like a little punk."
"Oh!" Xu Le lowered his head obediently.
Seeing Xu Le lowering his head, Li Wen took out a pair of scissors and began to trim his potted plants.
"I particularly like to associate with smart people because I don't have to consider their dignity at all."
"Don't smart people have dignity?"
“No, the dignity of a smart person is not about winning or losing in words. A smart person is more concerned about his or her own growth and gain, and always keeps an open mind.
Not to defend my face, not to try to prove that I am right, and not to argue with stupid people. "
"I think what you said is wrong, Uncle Li."
"you are right."
Xu Le: …
"The point is that we are also at a disadvantage in this matter. Shouldn't we take some measures to fight back?"
Originally Xu Le thought that according to Li Wen's personality and ideas, there would definitely be a counterattack, and then a series of fierce political struggles and games would be carried out, and then the opponent would be killed!
But this time, Li Wen seemed a little thin and depressed.
"We can't do it anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"I have no money left." Li Wen said easily.
"Ah?" Xu Le suddenly felt something was wrong. What is the most important thing in the implementation of the Furnace Plan
Creative ideas are important, talent development is also important, but the most crucial point is money and power.
Money and power = land, manpower, material resources, and resources.
If it weren't for the support of Zion Progressors and Li Wen, how could a small-time figure like Xu Le dare to think of a plan like the Crucible
In the past, he was even so incompetent that he designed a furnace that was only 3 meters by 5 meters, and was laughed at by the researchers.
It is even more impossible that, as is happening today, people would crack down on pornography and illegal publications in the name of Zion progressives and then forcibly seize land to build factories.
Doing these things requires a lot of money and enough power.
It can be said that the foundation of all this is Li Wen.
If Li Wen stopped playing, everything they had done before would be in vain in an instant.
Because Li Wen is the pillar and cornerstone of the melting pot.
"Uncle Li doesn't want to do it anymore?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Bang!
Li Wen smashed the cup on Xu Le's head.
"Didn't you say you had no money? How can you have fun without money?" Xu Le said, rubbing his head with some dissatisfaction.
This time Li Wen did not refute. He just came to sit next to Xu Le with a teacup, crossed his legs, and grabbed a handful of melon seeds in front of Xu Le.
He didn't look like the elder of Zion at all. Instead, he looked more like a bully at the entrance of the village, the kind that Xu Le couldn't compete with.
"I have no money left. I really have no money left."
"Um... Uncle Li, are you okay?" Xu Le asked worriedly.
"It's okay, I just have no money. I'm a little hesitant whether to give up this plan." Li Wen answered truthfully.
"No, Uncle Li. It would be embarrassing to give up at the beginning, but if things have already started, wouldn't it be more embarrassing to give up halfway than to give up at the beginning? After all, you have lost so much money."
Xu Le poked his finger and said embarrassedly.
"You can only use this crooked logic on others, but not on me."
"I'm just afraid that you're going to give up... Why would Uncle Li suddenly want to give up?"
Li Wen leaned his body against the sofa. It was obvious that he was very relaxed at this moment and in an unprecedented state of happiness.
"The pressure is a bit high, and there aren't many people I can communicate with. It's scary not to have anyone's recognition."
"That's a problem. I agree with Uncle Li more. I think you are a very charming old... teacher."
"It's pleasant to hear nice words. If you know how to say them, say more."
Xu Le nodded. He was good at telling stories like chicken soup for the soul.
"I think that since we have tried our best, the ending will always be good. If it is not good, then it is not the end yet."
Hearing Xu Le say this, Li Wen suddenly raised his hand, as if this sentence touched some of his thoughts:
“Does it have to end well?”
"Yes, the ending must be good."
"But now no one in Zion supports me anymore. I overdrew too much money and resources for the Crucible Project. The Zion Progressive Logistics Department was almost emptied by me. I really have no money left."
After hearing Li Wen's explanation, Xu Le was stunned. He imagined the pressure Li Wen was under.
A large amount of resources, money, manpower and material resources have been overdrawn, and a project that has yet to see any hope has been supported.
Even though Li Wen has strong connections and abilities, it is inevitable that he will be questioned.
The greatest pressure should come from the Zion Council.
"Why didn't Uncle Li tell me before?"
"Tell you? Will it help?"
Xu Le wanted to refute it, but after thinking it over, he admitted:
“It doesn’t seem to be of much use, but if Uncle Li tells us that we are under great financial pressure, we can reduce some unnecessary expenses.”
Although cutting corners is not a glorious thing, as a person with past life experience.
This kind of thing actually happens every day, and Xu Le is no longer surprised.
Moreover, cutting corners to a certain extent can indeed save costs, and cutting corners here is not for the purpose of corruption.
However, Li Wen simply waved his hand:
“No, the lack of money cannot be solved by the little money you save. Since we are going to implement the Furnace Project, we must do our best to implement it.
After all, it is called Zion's reform plan. I decided to support the operation of this project, and the funding will naturally be provided by me. "
When Li Wen said this, he seemed to have regained his former dominance.
"Is it because of the pressure from the parliament?"
"I haven't seen the actual product. It's completely confidential, and there hasn't been any product leaked. The next black tide is coming soon. It's almost inevitable that the parliament will be anxious. I need some motivation."
Li Wen lit a cigarette for himself and enveloped himself in the smoke.
Hearing him say this, Xu Le understood what he meant.
Li Wen wants to see some products.
Products of the furnace.
Real energy.
"Uncle Li, do you want some results that can convince the parliament?"
Xu Le looked at Li Wen seriously. This time his eyes showed no evasion or concession. It was like a real negotiation confrontation.
And Li Wen also narrowed his eyes:
"Yes, I need some results that can convince the parliament. But if you think that letting the members of the parliament know about this matter is risky and cannot provide results, I will still find a way to support you. What do you think?"
Xu Le nodded at the two-sided answer.
The risks that the parliament knew about... were real, but Xu Le felt that at this time he should step forward to share some of the pressure for Li Wen.
If Li Wen fell, it would not just be a matter of losing a backer.
You may even need to run away.
Having finally made it to where he is now, Xu Le doesn't want to run away again. That's not a good choice.
"Don't worry, Uncle Li. I will give you a result in the next few days. In fact, we are only a little bit away from the result."
Hearing Xu Le say this, Li Wen also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Very good, you have never let me down. What are you missing? Tell me your purpose."
Finally we got to the point. Xu Le originally came here to ask for money.
Who knew that Li Wen would directly say that he had no money, which made Xu Le panic for a while.
"Uncle Li, I need a moonstone as a basic fuel and basic energy source."
When Li Wen heard Xu Le asking for the moonstone, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, it doesn't cost money. Although moonstones are expensive, there are still many Zion Progressors.
"How much do you want?"
"About 200 pounds."
Li Wen nodded, but his movements suddenly froze, and then he turned his head to look at Xu Le. As expected, Xu Le... made that shy move of lowering his head again.
"200... pounds? Huh?"
"Yeah!" Xu Le nodded again.
Li Wen took a deep breath, resisted the urge to smash the teacup on Xu Le's head, and asked:
“Why do you need so many?”
"Because the core of the furnace needs enough energy to start up for the first time and stabilize the core source. After starting up, fuel can be used to replenish energy, but the first start-up and stability both require moonstones."
Xu Le gave a brief explanation. There were some deceptive elements in it, but most of what he said was true.
The main reason why he needed a large piece of moonstone was because he was afraid that the soul tree he separated would die.
That would have a huge impact on him.
There couldn't be any mistakes in this matter, so he asked for a bigger moonstone.
But Xu Le thought, 200 kilograms of moonstones is not a lot, right? A Zion Progressor that big, doesn't even have 200 kilograms of moonstones
"Xu Le, did you find out it was 200 kilograms of moonstone?" Li Wen asked again.
"Yes, it is 200 pounds, I am not mistaken."
Li Wen nodded again, clenched his fists and stared at Xu Le. Xu Le was a little scared by his gaze, but still said stubbornly:
“This is the final step.”
"I understand. I'll ask Secretary Liu to prepare it."
Xu Le was prepared to be hit on the head with a teacup, but he didn't expect Li Wen to agree directly, which surprised him.
"Uncle Li..."
"If you have something to say, just say it. If you have to fart, just fart." It is obvious that Li Wen is not as relaxed as before.
"Um, I have another question. Wang Xi hired Xiao from the Red Moon Temple. How do we handle this?"
Li Wen did not answer this question, but directly ordered him to leave:
"You go back first."
"Ah?" Doesn't Wang Xi's matter need to be dealt with? Those warlocks in the Red Moon Temple are also very troublesome.
"I see. I'll be leaving first then?"
Xu Le pointed to the door and Li Wen nodded.
Just as Xu Le was about to walk out, Li Wen suddenly said:
"Oh, by the way, Xu Le."
"What's the matter, Uncle Li?"
Li Wen hesitated for a while before slowly speaking:
"You said that the furnace can burn things like monsters, so can it burn other creatures?"
Xu Le was slightly surprised. Other creatures, were they referring to humans? Li Wen's idea was...
Then he nodded:
"Yes."
"Okay, go ahead."
"Got it, Uncle Li."
…
After leaving the Zion Progressive, Secretary Liu was ordered to carry a 200-jin moonstone and return to the Guangming Soap Factory with Xu Le and others.
Then, Aerie personally moved the moonstone to the core of the furnace.
Xu Le doesn't trust many people, and Rewi Alley is one of them.
Although she was also curious about what the red fruit in the center of the room was, as a guard, Ai Li felt that it would be better for her not to stay here.
"Xu Le, if everything is ok, I'll leave first."
"good."
Xu Le nodded. What happened next was indeed not suitable for others to know, so he should do it himself.
After Ai Li left, Xu Le closed the door and returned to the moonstone.
He stroked the moonstone. The 200-jin moonstone contained enormous energy.
Yama Luo also appeared at this time.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
Xu Le stood still, and blue spiritual energy began to rise from his body.
The branches of the ancient sound tree gradually extended from Xu Le's spine, becoming longer and longer.
Then Xu Le reached out and grabbed the branch.
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