14: Chapter 14 First-Order Source Beast Crystal

Xinghuo Scrap Processing Plant, second floor, reception room.

It was called a reception room, but it was really just the place where Shen Hongyuan usually drank tea and read the newspaper.

A tin table, a few folding chairs, and two 50-kilogram super-gold walnuts tossed in the corner.

The decoration style was, to put it mildly, rough.

Lu Beichen walked through the door. His eyebrows twitched, but he quickly returned to that gentle-as-jade smile.

He took the initiative to pull out the sturdiest-looking folding chair and elegantly gestured for Shen Qingci to sit first.

Shen Qingci ignored him, found a chair for herself, stretched her long legs, and sat back.

At the head of the table, Shen Hongyuan had already brewed tea and was slowly skimming the foam with the lid.

When he saw the spirited young man following his daughter, his expression changed instantly.

"Sit," Shen Hongyuan said, holding the teacup, his eyes sweeping over Lu Beichen with indifference. "You are Qingci's teammate?"

"Hello, Uncle Shen."

Lu Beichen bowed slightly, his posture proper.

"My name is Lu Beichen, from the Lu Family of the Imperial Capital, a second-year student at Military University. This time, I am executing the training mission at the Southern Abyss entrance with Qingci."

Qingci.

Shen Hongyuan's grip on the teacup tightened slightly.

Tsk, you sound awfully intimate.

Shen Qingci also frowned.

"The Lu Family of the Imperial Capital?" Shen Hongyuan put down his teacup, his two fingers tapping the table rhythmically. "Which Lu Family?"

"My father is Senior Researcher Lu Zhenbang, a senior researcher at the Federal Research Institute. My brother, Lu Beiyuan, is currently also working at the Academy."

Lu Beichen spoke at a measured pace.

But every word carried a carefully polished weight.

This was the standard way for scions of imperial families to introduce themselves.

I won't say directly how powerful my family is, but every word I say tells you that my family is very powerful.

Shen Hongyuan sneered inwardly.

From the Academy? The technical side. No wonder I haven't heard of them.

"What about your talent?" Shen Hongyuan asked bluntly.

Lu Beichen seemed to be waiting for this question, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"S-Rank, Special Type — [Heart of Magnetism]."

The six words weren't loud, but the restrained pride in his tone was impossible to hide.

S-Rank was the starting point of the pyramid in the entire Federation.

"Currently Silver Tier, I have already developed two talent sequences." Lu Beichen looked at Shen Qingci and smiled.

"Like Qingci, understanding talent sequences is important, but cultivation progress is the real hard work. I am one year older than Qingci, and my tier is only one level higher."

That sounded polite, but the translation was anything but.

So what if you are SS-Rank? I, an S-Rank, can still suppress you.

Shen Qingci crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, not bothering to pick up the thread.

This person...

Her understanding of Lu Beichen was limited to "teammate arranged by the instructor" and "from the Imperial Capital."

He had always been low-key at school. Why was he so talkative now that he was at her house?

Shen Hongyuan nodded, his tone flat. "S-Rank. Not bad."

Lu Beichen waited two seconds, but didn't get the extra awe or questioning he expected. He was slightly surprised.

This retired veteran running a scrap yard actually has decent composure.

"The danger level at the Abyss entrance this time is not low."

Lu Beichen changed the subject, his gaze softening as he looked at Shen Qingci.

"Although the instructor arranged a two-person mission, to be honest, I applied to be in a group with Qingci because I was worried about her safety."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci finally spoke.

"Applied? That's not what the teacher said." Her tone was flat. "Didn't you have a hunting mission for an exotic beast, and you're just coming along on the way?"

Lu Beichen's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

"I do have a mission, but it's just a Tier 4 exotic beast." He smiled. "Besides, how can a mission be more important than your safety?"

Shen Hongyuan set down his teacup with a light clink.

Good kid, quite scheming.

A Tier 4 exotic beast "just"? Fighting a Tier 4 at Silver Tier would require anyone to go all out.

He said it like he was going to the market to buy groceries. Isn't he just trying to show off in front of my daughter?

"No need," Shen Hongyuan interrupted directly.

"I have already prepared for Qingci. The latest heavy combat robot from the Federal Research Institute. It can handle any threat below Tier 3."

Lu Beichen was stunned.

A robot?

You, a scrap yard owner, what kind of good stuff could you get?

It's probably one of those low-end models for guarding gates on the civilian market, meant to fool your daughter.

"Uncle Shen is thoughtful." Lu Beichen flattered him, but his tone carried a hint of disbelief.

"However, AI brain development has come a long way. While it has made great progress in adaptability and battlefield judgment, it still can't compare to humans. The battlefield changes in an instant, and if there's an emergency..."

"I know what I'm doing regarding the robot."

Shen Hongyuan raised a hand to cut him off, then changed the subject.

"As for you, running all the way from the Imperial Capital, you didn't come empty-handed, did you?"

That question was very practical.

Lu Beichen was happy inside.

Sure enough, people from small places love to take advantage.

He had already inquired.

Shen Qingci got into Military University from Jiangcheng, and her family background was average. Her father was just a retired soldier who got a scrap recycling license through military connections.

In the circle of second-generation heirs in the Imperial Capital, he knew all the truly prominent figures. He had asked around about the name Shen Hongyuan, and no one had heard of him.

As for coming here this time, he was naturally prepared with a stepping stone.

Lu Beichen took out an exquisite alloy box from his nano-storage ring, handed it to the table with both hands, and opened it.

The inside of the box was lined with shock-absorbing velvet.

The moment the box opened, a thick and heavy energy fluctuation surged from within, causing all the teacups in the reception room to hum.

A thumb-sized crystal lay quietly in the center.

It was dark purple all over, and energy seemed to be flowing slowly inside.

"Tier 1 Source Beast Crystal," Lu Beichen said calmly.

He deliberately emphasized the words "Source Beast."

Source Beasts and exotic beasts were worlds apart.

Exotic beasts were products of Blue Star's local animals being mutated by the chaotic energy of the Source Realm, and the energy in their bodies was thin and impure.

Source Beasts, on the other hand, came from the "Source Realm" on the other side of the void fissure; they were wrapped in dark purple currents, bloodthirsty and violent, and the energy concentration in their bodies was far beyond that of exotic beasts.

Even a Tier 1 Source Beast crystal was worth over a million Federal Credits on the market.

"This crystal is of the metal attribute, which is very helpful for the cultivation of [Geng Metal Blade Bone]." Lu Beichen looked at Shen Qingci and smiled gently. "A small token."

Shen Qingci glanced at the crystal, her face calm.

Shen Hongyuan's reaction was bigger.

"Whoa!" The old man leaned over to look as if he had found a great treasure.

"Source Beast crystal? This thing isn't cheap, Little Lu! It must be at least a million, right?"

Although Lu Beichen felt a pinch, seeing the "just right" shock on Shen Hongyuan's face, he felt it was worth it.

He waved his hand modestly.

"Uncle Shen, you flatter me. Compared to Qingci's future, this little thing is not worth mentioning."

Shen Hongyuan found it funny.

A million.

That was enough for an ordinary family in Jiangcheng to live on for ten years. For an average family, it would indeed knock them out.

But the robot he bought for his daughter, the robot, cost eight million.

This kid bringing a million-worth item to show off immediately lost its appeal.

But what was interesting was the kid's eyes.

After discovering his daughter didn't react, the first thing he looked at wasn't his daughter, but himself, the "bumpkin dad."

What did this mean?

It meant this kid's goal was never to please his daughter, but to open up the situation through him, the "bumpkin dad."

Shen Hongyuan had been a player when he was young. When it came to the routine of throwing money to chase women, this kid was too amateurish in front of him.

However, it would be a fool not to take advantage of a bargain.

"Oh my, this... this is too valuable!" Shen Hongyuan stood up with "shock" on his face.

He slammed the box shut, and then with lightning speed, stuffed it into his pocket.

The movement was smooth and continuous.

Lu Beichen: "..."

Shen Hongyuan patted Lu Beichen's shoulder with a look of "gratitude":

"Little Lu, you are very thoughtful! I will accept this on behalf of Qingci!"