Chapter 111: The Military's Position

The scene was engulfed in silence, broken only by the sound of Bai Kou’s footsteps echoing softly. She approached the already cold body of Liu Changfeng, reached into his arms, and pulled out a small vial. She uncorked it and sniffed briefly, her brow furrowing slightly before tossing the vial to Xiao Kaitian. “It’s still good. This is a Zengyuan Pill, used to enhance cultivation at the Earth realm. I don’t have much use for it, so I’m giving it to you.”

Xiao Kaitian nodded, amused by the resemblance to his own style of looting—truly kindred spirits, or rather, comrades in the same trade. He pocketed the pill and waved at Xue Rong, whose face was pale as a sheet from a distance. “Next time, try pulling off something more advanced. This level is hardly impressive. Tell Xiao Zhenglü to be ready for me.”

Xue Rong’s lips twitched involuntarily, a surge of panic and tension rising within. Another failure. This time it was an elder from the Qimen Sect—who would have guessed they were so tough? And that woman—what was her story? A grandmaster, yet she casually acted as Xiao Kaitian’s enforcer. When did grandmasters in Han-Tang become so cheap?

Adding it all up, this latest fiasco cost them over a hundred million yuan, yielding nothing. Aside from Xiao Zhenglü’s inevitable reprimand, where would he find any face? After all, it was his money on the line. Watching Xiao Kaitian and his group stride away, Xue Rong felt as if he might spit blood. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out his phone. “...Old Du, I really need your help this time... Yes...”

For Xiao Kaitian and his companions, this was but a minor incident—like stopping for a bowl of porridge in the morning. At least they gained a Zengyuan Pill, a small token of recompense.

“Do you think the Qimen Sect will come looking for trouble?” Xiao Kaitian asked with concern as Bai Kou and the others settled into the car. After all, they had killed one of the sect’s elders.

Bai Kou’s strike had been even more ruthless than his—a clean erasure. “I don’t know,” she said, brushing her long hair back. “Dead is dead. We signed a life-and-death pact in the contest. I suppose I still haven’t mastered controlling my power fully,” she lamented. “Give me some more time, and I’ll be able to wield it at will. Oh, by the way, this power is different from strength or energy; what was it called again?”

“Divine Source,” Xiao Kaitian answered, pressing the accelerator. He still had to visit Qingtang Tianxia today. He had just received a message from Guo Lei that Huang Ming from the National New Technology Exploration Department had arrived.

“Divine Source?” Bai Kou paused, closing her eyes to rest against the backseat.

Since the relationship between Qixi Media Consulting and Qingtang Tianxia had been exposed, Xiao Kaitian had no reason to hide anymore. With the Qingtang Tianxia projects about to commence, he merged the offices.

The first seaside location was mostly idle without meetings, a slight waste of resources, but Xiao Kaitian didn’t mind. Qixi Media Consulting had already served well as a strategic bridgehead.

Though Qingtang Tianxia was located on the outskirts, its facilities were well developed. Xiao Kaitian had allocated a high-density residential building as staff dormitories. The employees now included not only those from Qixi Media Consulting but also Chen Jingming’s film department and personnel from the Jamison High-Tech Industrial Park, as well as workers—a considerable number overall.

Their residence brought life to Qingtang Tianxia. Relatives of some employees saw opportunity and leased ground-floor shops, opening convenience stores, snack bars, fruit shops, and the like, catering exclusively to the group’s internal needs.

Lin Xiang invested heavily in hiring a team of cleaners to improve the company’s environment. The group finally began to take shape.

When Xiao Kaitian entered the company lobby, the receptionist greeted him respectfully, “President Xiao.”

He nodded in return and was immediately approached by Guo Lei, who hurriedly quickstepped toward him. “President Xiao, Director Huang has arrived, accompanied by a military officer. They’ve been waiting in your office for some time.”

“Alright,” Xiao Kaitian replied calmly. The bait was set, and the fish were biting. Now it was a test of patience—the foremost rule in business negotiations. With Xiao Kaitian’s ruthless nature, he would never hand himself over so easily. “Take Xiao Qi and Bai Kou and have them wait near my office.”

“Understood.” Guo Lei glanced at the two and felt a flicker of surprise, but after seeing Zhao Qixi’s skills at the last meeting, she said nothing.

Xiao Kaitian proceeded straight to his office. The automatic electronic doors slid open to reveal a reception area where two men were seated. One was Huang Ming, the director of the National New Technology Exploration Department—short, a bit stout, with greasy hair and a scruffy beard. The other was a young military officer, stern-featured, dark-skinned, in uniform, sitting upright with his gaze fixed intently on the ebony tea pot on the table.

“Apologies for the delay,” Xiao Kaitian said as he took the main seat. He pressed the water dispenser to prepare tea. “Thank you both for waiting.”

“It’s fine,” Huang Ming replied cheerfully. “We arrived a bit late ourselves. This is Major Yu Zhengyan from the Northern Military District, who also serves at the Han-Tang Military Academy.”

“No need for formalities,” Huang Ming, a straightforward man who was already acquainted with Xiao Kaitian, said. “The purpose of our visit is to explore the technologies you exhibited at the science fair and to ask for a detailed explanation.”

Xiao Kaitian smiled, opening a packet of Da Hong Pao tea and tossing it into a cup. He understood immediately—Huang Ming must have reported back, and Major Yu’s presence represented the military’s stance. “Director Huang has a general understanding of the products from last time, correct?”

“Those were just props for show—mostly to support your films,” Huang Ming chuckled. “But President Xiao, I’m sure you didn’t invest all that effort solely for cinematic purposes.”

Xiao Kaitian poured hot water into the cup, releasing a rich, rocky aroma that drifted with the steam. He grinned. “Director Huang has good insight. Indeed, that’s true.”

“The primary focus is the medical market for human organ transplantation, though ethical concerns mean the Han-Tang medical community may not readily accept it. So it remains in the market research phase.”

“I suppose there’s no other value?” Xiao Kaitian poured tea into a fairness cup and filled theirs.

“Let’s be frank,” Huang Ming sipped. “I’ve seen your technologies—they incorporate the latest energy tech like hydrogen capsules, not to mention your robots. The intelligent market is poised for breakthrough; it’s only a matter of time.”

“But we’re not concerned with civilian tech—that’s your commercial domain,” Huang Ming set down his cup slowly. “I want to ask directly: can you manufacture mechas?”

His gaze locked onto Xiao Kaitian’s expression with unwavering intensity.