319: Chapter 320: The Joy of Pay-to-Win Players is So Simple and Unpretentious

When the supreme order from General Luo Zhenbang was issued to every key department of the Federation under the encrypted code name "Shield of the Federation," the entire upper echelon of the Federation experienced an unprecedented earthquake.

Federal Ministry of Finance, Minister's Office.

The Minister of Finance, who had always been known as the "Iron Abacus" and was said to want to split a single copper coin in half, clutched his chest and swallowed a whole bottle of fast-acting heart-saving pills on the spot after seeing the Materials procurement application from the D-3 Region, signed by Zhang Wei and personally endorsed by General Luo Zhenbang with the note "unlimited, unconditional payment."

"They're crazy! They've all gone mad!"

"Are they planning to throw a hundred years of the Federation's fiscal revenue into that D-3 Region?!"

"Three hundred tons of Guixu Stone?! Why doesn't he just buy the entire seabed?!"

Federal Strategic Material Reserve Bureau, Director's Office.

The white-haired old Director watched the line on the list that read "Three 'Kuafu-class' fusion reactors," and with a "clack," the purple clay teapot in his hand fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.

"Spares? Those are the damn spares for the 'Tiangong' Space Station! They are the most vital among the nation's treasures!"

"If we give them to him, what happens if something goes wrong with 'Tiangong'? Are the people up there supposed to generate power with love?!"

"No! Absolutely not! Even if I die, even if I jump from right here, I will never approve this slip!"

Federal Academy of Sciences, Dean's Office.

After listening to the "artistically processed" report brought back by Zhao Shouzhen, the Dean of the Academy remained silent for a long time before finally saying only one sentence.

"I suggest that we immediately establish a 'Specialized Research Task Force for D-3 Region Supernatural Phenomena and New Law Systems,' and I will personally serve as the team leader."

"Also, please inform Mr. Lin Qi that our Academy... is still missing a 'Lifelong Honorary Dean.' I wonder if he would be interested?"

...

For a time, the entire upper crust of the Federation was thrown into absolute chaos, filled with a chorus of wails and complaints because of Lin Qi's list.

Voices of opposition, questioning, gloating, and those wanting a piece of the pie... all sorts of sounds were heard incessantly.

But under the iron fist of General Luo Zhenbang, all opposition turned into ineffective noise.

"I don't care what method you use!"

"Within one week, 70% of the Materials on the list must be delivered to the D-Z Region!"

"Whichever department has a problem, its head can pack their bags and get out to guard the gates at the Eastern Rift Zone!"

These were Marshal Luo's original words at the Supreme Military Council.

Thus, the entire Federation, this massive and precise national machine, began to operate frantically for the needs of Lin Qi alone.

Material transfers that previously required layers of approval and months of processing were now completed within a single day.

Strategic Materials that were once regarded as treasures by major departments and held onto tightly were now being sent to the D-3 Region truckload after truckload, as if they cost nothing.

Those black market bosses and reclusive masters who usually looked down on everyone and only appeared in legends also emerged from their dens one after another upon receiving Zhang Wei's "money is no object" orders.

For a time, the ports and airports of Tianhai City became exceptionally busy.

Countless transport ships and large cargo planes, bearing various mysterious emblems, arrived in an endless stream from all over the world and even from sub-space rifts.

Their destination was only one—the D-3 Region.

As the instigator of it all, Lin Qi appeared exceptionally leisurely.

The first batch of Materials arrived within twenty-four hours after the order was issued.

It consisted of one hundred "Core of Eternal Burnings" sealed in special alloy boxes.

When Zhang Wei directed the engineering team to carefully arrange the one hundred massive alloy boxes neatly in front of Lin Qi, the scene was quite spectacular.

"Brother Qi! The 'firewood' you wanted has arrived!"

Zhang Wei wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke with a look of someone seeking credit.

He now truly understood what it meant to "spend money like water."

Just these hundred boxes in front of him had cost nearly a hundred billion Federation Credits.

And that was only the down payment.

"Mm, good work."

Lin Qi nodded and walked slowly toward an alloy box.

Instructor Su Qing stood to the side, her gaze solemn.

She could feel just how violent the fire-element energy sealed inside that alloy box was.

Even through the thick special alloy, that scorching energy still made her, a powerhouse of the Shadow-element, feel bouts of discomfort.

An energy core of this level—just one—was enough to level a small mountain.

A hundred of them...

She simply couldn't imagine it.

What exactly did Brother Qi want to do with so much "firewood"?

Could it be that he wanted to turn the entire D-3 Region into a volcano that never extinguished?

While she was lost in thought, Lin Qi had already reached out and lightly pressed his hand against the alloy box.

He didn't use any tools.

Nor were there any flashy special effects.

He simply applied a slight amount of force with his fingers.

"Crack..."

A soft sound.

That special alloy box, created at great expense by the Federation's top Materials research institute and claimed to be able to withstand a tactical nuclear blast, was like a cheap plastic toy in Lin Qi's hand.

Fine cracks appeared across the surface of the box.

Then, under the dumbfounded gazes of Zhang Wei and Instructor Su Qing, Lin Qi's hand easily pierced through the half-meter-thick alloy shell as if it were plunging into tofu.

From inside, he pulled out a crystal the size of a human head, crimson all over, and looking as if it were still burning.

That was the "Core of Eternal Burning."

The moment it was released from the Seal, the violent fire-element energy tried to erupt outward.

The temperature of the surrounding air rose abruptly, and distorted ripples even appeared.

However, before it could show its power,

Lin Qi simply and gently blew a breath toward it.

Yes, he just blew a breath.

The next second, that violent fire-element energy, capable of burning mountains and boiling seas, instantly wilted like a lapdog scolded by its master.

All the released energy obediently retracted into the interior of the crystal.

The entire Core of Eternal Burning's light became restrained, turning as warm and moist as jade, looking like a beautiful piece of red agate.

Zhang Wei: "..."

Instructor Su Qing: "..."

The two of them were already numb.

This kind of outrageous maneuver of treating a "nuclear bomb" like "prayer beads" to be fiddled with was likely something only Brother Qi could pull off.

Lin Qi weighed the Core of Eternal Burning in his hand, seemingly satisfied with its "feel."

Then, he made a move that nearly caused Zhang Wei and Instructor Su Qing's eyes to pop out.

Holding the Core of Eternal Burning, he walked to the center of the Pangu Formation diagram.

Then, as if throwing an ordinary stone, he casually tossed it into a deep pit that Instructor Su Qing had just directed the engineering team to dig.

"Thud."

A muffled sound.

The Core of Eternal Burning, worth over ten billion Federation Credits, was just... buried like that, treated as foundation material.

"What are you still standing there for?"

Lin Qi clapped his hands and turned to look at the two petrified people.

"One hundred pits, one for every hole. Bury them all for me."

"This... Brother Qi... we're just burying them?" Zhang Wei's voice was trembling.

That was money!

That was money that glowed and exploded!

And it was just being buried?

"Otherwise?" Lin Qi gave him a strange look. "Save it for the New Year?"

Having said that, he ignored these two country bumpkins who hadn't seen the world and walked on his own toward the four black Totem Poles.

"This scrap metal is an eyesore if left here."

He extended a finger and pointed from a distance at one of the Totem Poles.

"Source Matter Reconstruction."

The four cold words escaped his mouth.

In the next second, that Totem Pole, forged from an unknown hardened alloy that even Instructor Su Qing's shadow power couldn't damage in the slightest, began to twist, deform, and decompose amidst an ear-piercing screeching sound...

It seemed to turn into a pool of liquid metal.

Then, under the control of Lin Qi's will, this pool of liquid metal began to recombine and take shape.

Ultimately, it turned into an... ancient-looking... entrenching tool.

Lin Qi made a grasping motion through the air, and the entrenching tool, still radiating the residual heat of the metal, flew into his hand.

He weighed it and seemed satisfied with the weight.

Then, carrying the entrenching tool reconstructed from a top-tier Law weapon, he walked to the hundred deep pits and grinned at the still-dazed Zhang Wei and Instructor Su Qing.

"What are you looking at me for? Let's get to work together."

"The joy of a Pay-to-Win player is just this simple and unadorned."

"Today, we shall personally add bricks and tiles to our own temple."