201: Feinting and the "Flowing Silver" Express

The news from the Peddler was like a bucket of cold water, quickly sobering Wen Youyi, who had been immersed in the joy of "industrialization."

The Scavenger's unusual attention to the Falling Star Lake area was undoubtedly a dangerous signal.

That fragile channel connecting the Starry Sky Debris to the outside world was their only lifeline and trade route at the moment; it could not be lost under any circumstances.

"Damn it! Are those metal lumps part dog? Their noses are so sensitive!" Zhao Iron Pillar grew anxious upon hearing this, brandishing the newly forged "Spark" Flying Sword as he prepared to rush out. "Boss, let me take a few men, sneak back through the channel, and give them a taste of our power!"

"Don't be reckless!" Wen Youyi grabbed the hothead and held him back. "What's the difference between going back now and delivering yourself on a platter? Let alone three Scavengers, even one would be more than we could handle!"

"Then what should we do? We can't just sit here and watch them cut off our source of income, right?" Wang Wu was also filled with worry.

Wen Youyi did not answer immediately. He walked to the edge of the industrial zone and looked at the Flowing Silver, which was still working tirelessly, his eyes flickering.

These magical liquid metal lifeforms had brought him surprises time and time again. Mining, Assembly Line... what else could they do?

A bold, perhaps even absurd, plan gradually took shape in his mind.

"Aren't they interested in Falling Star Lake?" A cunning smile curled at the corner of Wen Youyi's mouth. "Then let's give them something else to be 'interested' in."

He turned to Senior Brother Zhang and Senior Brother Li: "Two Senior Brothers, do we have any... 'junk' in our inventory that has a particularly strong energy reaction but no practical use, or is simply unstable and a bit dangerous?"

Senior Brother Zhang adjusted his glasses and pondered for a moment: "Yes! When we were exploring the periphery of the 'Crystal Core' database earlier, we found several damaged energy cores. Their internal structures are extremely unstable, leaking energy fluctuations from time to time, so we've been storing them as hazardous Materials."

"Good! That's exactly what I need!" Wen Youyi clapped his hands, then immediately said to Senior Brother Li, "Senior Brother Li, can you design a simple, delayed-trigger energy release device? It doesn't need to be very powerful, but the commotion must be loud, and the energy fluctuations must be obvious!"

Senior Brother Li was stunned. Although he didn't understand what Wen Youyi wanted to do, he still nodded: "That's simple. It can be done with resonance runes and fragile energy circuits. It can be set to trigger at a specific time or upon receiving a specific impact."

"Perfect!" A classic smile, like a programmer finding a solution to a bug, appeared on Wen Youyi's face. "Let's use a diversion!"

He explained in detail: "We aren't making 'Messenger Puppets' anymore. This time, we're making a few 'Troublemaker Packages'!"

"Pick out a few discarded cores with the strongest energy reactions and install Senior Brother Li's delayed-trigger devices. Then..." He cast his gaze toward the Flowing Silver, "let our 'good neighbors' help deliver these 'packages' to a place in the opposite direction of Falling Star Lake, far away from our channel entrance, the further the better!"

The group was stunned at first, then suddenly realized what he meant!

Zhao Iron Pillar slapped his thigh and laughed: "Brilliant! Boss! Let these metal lumps carry the 'big firecrackers' and go set them off somewhere else! Lead those Scavengers away!"

Wang Wu also laughed: "This idea... only you, Youyi, could come up with it! Using Flowing Silver as a courier to deliver 'bombs'?"

"Not bombs, 'fireworks'." Wen Youyi corrected, his smile mischievous. "Big commotion, sufficient energy, enough to attract the Scavengers' attention. By the time they painstakingly run over to investigate, our trade will have long been completed."

No sooner said than done!

Senior Brother Li immediately led people to rush-produce five simple delayed energy release devices, set to trigger about one hour after deployment. Senior Brother Zhang carefully removed the unstable discarded energy cores and assembled them with the devices.

Wen Youyi took charge personally, once again engaging in "friendly consultation" with the Flowing Silver. He selected five different directions on the outskirts of the base and set up extremely strong energy marker points, as if saying: "There's super delicious stuff here! Hurry up and deliver it!"

Then, he placed the five "Troublemaker Packages" at the starting points of the markers.

The Flowing Silver, already familiar with their role as "porters," felt the strong (and dangerous) energy fluctuations radiating from the "packages," as well as the tempting "dinner is served" signal at the starting point, and immediately became restless. A few bold individuals quickly wiggled forward, their silver liquid wrapping around the "packages," and then... they carried them and quickly "flowed" away in the direction specified by Wen Youyi!

That speed was much faster than when they usually transported waste! Clearly, they were putting extra effort into transporting this kind of "high-energy" cargo.

Watching the five silver "courier" figures, carrying the unstable energy cores, disappear into the depths of the Starry Sky Debris, the people in the base all felt a bit complicated.

"Why do I feel... like we're directing a bunch of naughty kids to set off firecrackers at the neighbor's doorstep?" Wang Wu rubbed his nose, his tone strange.

"Ahem, this is called strategic misdirection." Wen Youyi coughed twice, forcing an explanation. "A necessary means for the organization's safety and development."

About an hour or so later, at the distant locations in the five different directions estimated by the base, five muffled energy fluctuations, which could be vaguely sensed even from a great distance, arrived one after another! Like five dim fireworks blooming in the night sky.

"The package... has been signed for." Wen Youyi sensed the faint fluctuations and nodded with satisfaction.

Over the next few days, the information intermittently transmitted back by the Peddler verified the success of this plan.

[Strange! "Guests" have suddenly mostly withdrawn from the Falling Star Lake area, moving towards the northwest, southeast, and other directions, seemingly searching for something. Surveillance around Falling Star Lake has greatly decreased. The trade has been successfully completed, the "Spark" Flying Sword is very popular, and demand exceeds supply. -- Peddler]

At the end of the message, the Peddler also rarely added a remark: [What on earth... did you all do?]

Looking at the Jade Slip, Wen Youyi couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Zhao Iron Pillar was even more triumphant: "See that? I told you the boss's trick works! Those metal lumps just have one-track minds!"

The crisis was temporarily resolved, the trade channel was secured, and the "Spark" brand Flying Sword had opened up a market in the outside world, receiving the high praise of "demand exceeding supply." This meant they had a stable and high-profit source of foreign exchange (Spirit Stone), which could be exchanged for more urgently needed Materials.

"However, these little tricks shouldn't be used often." Wen Youyi calmed down and analyzed. "The 'Scavengers' aren't truly stupid; if we do it too many times, they will definitely notice something unusual. We still need to improve our own strength as soon as possible."

He looked at the steadily producing "Flowing Silver Assembly Line" and the increasing number of "star iron" ingots in the warehouse, and a larger vision emerged.

"Just selling Flying Swords isn't enough. We need to truly build 'Bedrock Base' into a war fortress that can both attack and defend!"

"Senior Brother Li, Senior Brother Zhang, shouldn't we research how to use these Materials and technology to... 'add some defense' to our base? For example, automatic attack alert turrets or something?"

The dividends of the technological explosion were only just beginning to appear. With resources and initial security guarantees, Wen Youyi's "infrastructure maniac" soul began to burn fiercely.

The "Spark" in the Starry Sky Debris must not only survive but also live better and more safely, until... the day it is enough to illuminate the entire "Ranch."

(End of Chapter)