126: Chapter 126 Eight Thousand Points Income! How Much Are the Best Servings Worth?

Lu Chen placed the iron box on the metal tabletop in the first-floor material storage area.

He opened the lid.

Eleven metal tubes and two sealed plastic-wrapped pre-civilization paper documents were neatly arranged in the shock-absorbing foam.

The surface of each metal tube was engraved with fine serial numbers and the institutional logos of the pre-civilization.

Lu Chen picked up the first metal tube.

"System, scan."

[Scanning...]

He felt a slight, warm pulse on his right thumb; it was the residual heat from the radiation generated when the system's force field performed a high-dimensional scan on the surface of the metal tube.

Two seconds later.

[Scan complete. Document title: High-Frequency Resonant Welding Process Full-Flow Parameter Manual. Truth logic density assessment: Upper-medium. Estimated degradation yield: 620 Truth Points.]

Six hundred twenty—higher than most of the previous seven blueprints.

"This is the first one," Lu Chen said, putting down the metal tube.

Lin Xiao stood to the side, his arms crossed over his chest.

Behind him, Zhou Yuan took out a small notebook.

"What are you writing down?" Horton glanced at him sideways.

"Recording the yield of each blueprint," Zhou Yuan said in a low voice.

"Why?"

"It'll come in handy."

Lu Chen picked up the second metal tube.

"System, scan."

[Scan complete. Document title: Medium-Caliber Electromagnetic Acceleration Rifling Design Blueprint. Truth logic density assessment: High. Estimated degradation yield: 1180 Truth Points.]

One thousand one hundred eighty.

"How much?" Lin Xiao asked.

"One thousand one hundred eighty."

Zhou Yuan noted the number in his notebook.

Lin Xiao whistled.

"That's higher than the average of the seven you gave me last time combined."

"You kept the good stuff."

"I told you, I kept the best ones back."

"Now, I'm giving them all to you."

The third one.

[Scan complete. Document title: Lv.3 The City-State Level Passive Cooling System Structure Diagram. Truth logic density assessment: High. Estimated degradation yield: 980 Truth Points.]

The fourth one.

[Scan complete. Document title: Composite Ceramic Armor Module Die-Casting Process Manual. Truth logic density assessment: Upper-medium. Estimated degradation yield: 730 Truth Points.]

The fifth one.

[Scan complete. Document title: Isotope Radiation Shielding Material Ratio Table. Truth logic density assessment: Medium. Estimated degradation yield: 440 Truth Points.]

Lin Xiao watched quietly from the side as each blueprint was picked up, scanned, and put down by Lu Chen.

One every two seconds.

The City-State Lord watched as the treasures accumulated by generations of the Black Rock City-State turned into sets of numbers in this young man's hands.

The sixth one.

[Scan complete. Document title: Pre-Civilization Federation-Level Electromagnetic Pulse Protection Standard Specification. Truth logic density assessment: Upper-medium. Estimated degradation yield: 590 Truth Points.]

The seventh one.

[Scan complete. Document title: Sourcefire Engine Secondary Fusion Confinement Magnetic Field Topology Parameters. Truth logic density assessment: Extremely high. Estimated degradation yield: 2870 Truth Points.]

Two thousand eight hundred seventy.

The pen in Zhou Yuan's hand paused.

"How much?" Horton asked.

"Two thousand eight hundred seventy," Zhou Yuan's voice faltered slightly from its steady tone.

"For one?"

"For one."

Lin Xiao's arms tightened across his chest.

"That was dug out of the Federation ruins by my grandfather."

"It's the most valuable item in the Black Rock City-State's one-hundred-thirty-seven-year collection."

"Back then, a caravan offered three hundred tons of select coal crystal for it."

"My grandfather didn't trade it."

"Today, I'm giving it to you."

Lu Chen put down the seventh one and picked up the eighth.

[Scan complete. Document title: Large Mobile City Hydraulic Suspension Optimization Scheme Collection. Truth logic density assessment: Medium. Estimated degradation yield: 510 Truth Points.]

The ninth one.

[Scan complete. Document title: White Paper on Closed-Space Air Circulation Purification Technology in Wasteland Environments. Truth logic density assessment: Upper-medium. Estimated degradation yield: 680 Truth Points.]

The tenth one.

A sealed, plastic-wrapped paper document.

Lu Chen tore open the plastic seal.

Inside was a stack of yellowed pre-civilization printer paper, the pages densely packed with formulas and circuit diagrams.

"System, scan."

[Scan complete. Document title: pre-civilization Military-Grade Superconducting Coil Winding Technology Manual (Complete Version). Truth logic density assessment: Extremely high. Estimated degradation yield: 2240 Truth Points.]

Two thousand two hundred forty.

The eleventh one.

The last metal tube.

The pre-civilization logo on the tube was clearer than the others.

That was because this metal tube was in much better condition than the others.

It was the one Lin Xiao had preserved most carefully.

"System, scan."

[Scan complete. Document title: Sourcefire Engine Third-Stage Confinement Ring Fission Cycle Design Schematic (Partially Incomplete). Truth logic density assessment: Extremely high (15% deduction due to incompleteness). Estimated degradation yield: 1950 Truth Points.]

One thousand nine hundred fifty.

Although it was incomplete, the design principle of the third-stage confinement ring was itself one of the highest-tier power technologies of the pre-civilization; even the incomplete version yielded nearly two thousand.

All eleven items had been scanned.

Lu Chen had the system summarize the results.

[Summary of eleven pre-civilization technical documents scanned:]

[Estimated total degradation yield: 12790 Truth Points.]

[Execute high-dimensional degradation?]

Twelve thousand seven hundred ninety, plus the current balance of eight thousand eight hundred fifty-five, would bring the total balance after degradation to twenty-one thousand six hundred forty-five points.

"How much?" Lin Xiao's voice came from the side.

"Twelve thousand seven hundred ninety."

The surroundings were deathly silent.

Lin Xiao stood right in front of him.

The City-State Lord's mouth opened slightly.

Zhou Yuan's pen finished writing the last number in his notebook, his fingers trembling.

Horton leaned against the wall, not saying a word.

"Twelve thousand seven hundred ninety," Lin Xiao repeated.

"Plus what you already have, that's over twenty thousand in total."

"Correct."

"Twenty thousand Truth Points."

"Correct."

"Enough to unlock several new lv.3 nodes, right?"

"Enough."

Lin Xiao stared at the eleven metal tubes and two plastic-wrapped documents for three seconds.

The indentations in the foam inside the iron box were clearly visible, left behind by countless times of moving and storing over one hundred thirty-seven years.

"It was worth it."

He turned around.

"The lives of thirty thousand people are worth this price."

Lu Chen said nothing more, placing his hand on the edge of the iron box.

"System, execute high-dimensional degradation. All eleven items."

[Executing high-dimensional degradation.]

A blue light shone from inside the box.

The eleven metal tubes and two plastic-wrapped documents vanished into nothingness within the blue light.

The light lasted for four seconds.

Four seconds later, the iron box was empty; even the foam was gone, leaving only an empty iron shell.

[Degradation complete. Truth Points obtained: 12790.]

[Current balance: 21645 points.]

Lin Xiao looked at the empty box, expressionless; he had no more chips in his hand.

The Black Rock City-State's one-hundred-thirty-seven-year accumulation, the collection of three generations, had turned into a string of numbers in four seconds, but these numbers would become a new home for thirty thousand people.

"Brother Lu Chen, please let me see your abilities."

Lu Chen looked up at him.

"Why?"

"Because the things those blueprints turn into will determine the life and death of my thirty thousand people."

"I want to know what they have become."