Calamity of Tomorrow

"After that, I need to find ways to earn more laziness points and speed up the efficiency of my star point's advancement," Ying Hui mused.

"Originally, I wanted to forge a new flying sword, but if greed indeed strengthens Artifact Refining, perhaps I should wait to add a few more star points before considering recasting the flying sword."

"Waste sorting is imperative."

At this thought, Zhou Bai smiled again, "But before I get into waste sorting, let me experiment a bit more with harvesting the power of greed from the first star point."

...

Outside the building, two men and a woman had been waiting at the door for quite a while.

One of them was Yan Shan, who found it amusing to think about his past, when he was always surrounded by followers, and the center of attention in every scene.

It struck him as funny that now, to meet Zhou Bai, he had been waiting outside for three days and nights. He remembered that back in West Mountain City, it had been Zhou Bai who had sought him out to pitch for investments.

Beside Yan Shan stood a young woman who also accompanied them, none other than Meng Ruocun, who had once cultivated in Central City.

Thanks to her previous status at the top of the special enhancement class in Donghua City, she was very familiar with Donghua's ecology, and thus, had been transferred to assist Yan Shan and the others.

At the moment, Meng Ruocun also displayed a hint of impatience, thinking to herself, "What's with this Zhou Bai? We've come all the way from Central City to find him, and yet he's hiding in the training room and refusing to meet us."

She looked at Yan Shan with a trace of reverence.

Although he had caused trouble this time, in Meng Ruocun's view, he was still the favored son of Lord Yan Zhen, and a camel on its last legs was still bigger than a horse. Despite his current misfortune, with a god for a father, his future days were unlikely to be hard.

Standing by Yan Shan's side, Meng Ruocun couldn't help but recall the last time he had emerged from seclusion and had spent a fortune with abandon, further marveling at the extravagance of the celestial beings.

Originally, Meng Ruocun had detested such luxury, but after spending so much time in Central City, she had gradually become accustomed to it.

'The wealth of celestial beings, that is but the resources the upright gods of the heavens fight for themselves; spending it on their own children couldn't be more normal.' Meng Ruocun sighed internally, 'With such riches, how can anyone force them not to use it?'

'If I could gain access to Yan Shan's connections, it would certainly be beneficial for my future development in the heavens.'

She suggested to Yan Shan, "Shall I go in and call someone out? It doesn't solve anything just waiting here."

Yan Shan wanted to agree, as the Zhou Bai he remembered was just a minor figure, not someone who warranted such a long wait.

However, Qiu Xingze shook his head, "We've promised Ying Hui we wouldn't push too hard; it's best not to break the agreement. The people from Dao School in Donghua value Zhou Bai highly, and since we're here to work with them, we should avoid offending them."

"Plus, he might have his concerns," Qiu Xingze continued, "Zhou Bai is also a victim of the Gu Letian incident, and he knew Gu Letian before you did, Yan Shan. There could be important intelligence in what he knows."

Yan Shan pouted, "Ying Hui said that as soon as he returned to Donghua, he went into seclusion and has been there ever since; there's clearly something off. Maybe he's avoiding us."

Qiu Xingze replied, "Since he's a talented individual valued by Dao School in Donghua, it's natural for Dao School to protect him. The human upper echelons here probably also have reservations about our identity from the Plague Department. They may be in contact with Central City now, trying to probe our background."

Yan Shan: "How long must we wait? If he doesn't want to come out to meet us, are we supposed to wait indefinitely?"

Qiu Xingze: "If he truly is a victim of the ancient Gu Letian incident, he might also be troubled by something and will certainly come out to meet us. If not a victim, then perhaps he indeed has some issues. When that time comes, we'll request support from the Plague Department and drag him out."

Yan Shan and Meng Ruocun both nodded without speaking. The incident caused by Gu Letian in West Mountain City and South Mountain City had caused a very adverse impact. The Plague Department had already issued a death command, and under the leadership of Luo Tianjun from the Plague Department, the investigation team must bring that person to light.

They were merely members of the investigation team. If they really discovered that Zhou Bai might have issues...

Qiu Xingze: "Then heavenly forces would descend. No matter who it is at East Hua Dao School, no one should think about shielding Zhou Bai. If there's collusion in the shadows, with the might of the heavenly court, all filth will surely be swept away."

Yan Shan looked up at the surroundings of East Hua Dao School and felt the murky artificial sky above. It seemed as if something was lurking in the darkness, and for some reason, the entire Dao School had an uncomfortable aura about it. This aura, vague and elusive, made him wonder if it was just his imagination.

Just then, Qiu Xingze's gaze subtly shifted: "Is that Zhou Bai?"

Yan Shan looked over and immediately stood up: "It's him."

Zhou Bai approached Yan Shan and Qiu Xingze, nodding and saying, "You are looking for me, aren't you? Yan Shan? You've come to East Hua City?"

As he spoke, his eyes dimmed slightly, and with a sigh, he patted Yan Shan's shoulder and said, "I've heard about what happened. Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," Yan Shan said. "We've come this time to investigate the Gu Letian matter and wanted to ask how you know him."

Zhou Bai: "You've been traveling by boat and carriage; do you need to sleep first, rest a bit?"

Yan Shan, Qiu Xingze, Meng Ruocun: "..."

They didn't understand Zhou Bai's train of thought, wondering who on earth invites people to sleep upon meeting them.

Qiu Xingze waved his hand: "No need, we've rested along the way. Let's just talk directly..."

Zhou Bai: "Then let's talk while we eat..." Seeing that the other party was about to refuse again, Zhou Bai touched his stomach and said, "I'm hungry."

So the group had no choice but to follow Zhou Bai into a private room on the second floor of the cafeteria, watching as dishes were served one after another.

Yan Shan looked at the exotic dishes made from rare beasts—sashimi, fried, braised, steamed meats, and soups and stir-fries mixed with various herbs—unable to stop himself from swallowing his saliva.

In the past, when he was in Central City, he would have turned his nose up at these dishes.

But since his business failure led to bankruptcy and a mountain of debts, he had been living every day pinching pennies and scrimping on food.

Seeing the table filled with delicious food, Yan Shan couldn't help but swallow again and said, "I am very grateful."

Meng Ruocun also looked at the table full of dishes in surprise, thinking to himself: "East Hua Dao School really is going all out. It seems that my decision to leave was correct. If I continued to stay here, the most precious resources for cultivating would probably all go to Zhou Bai. There would be nothing left for me."

As Yan Shan and the others reached for their chopsticks, eager to eat, Zhou Bai quickly said, "Wait, that's not for you. That's my food. Yours hasn't been served yet."

Amidst their surprised and puzzled gazes, Zhou Bai shouted towards the kitchen: "What's taking so long? Bring the steamed buns for the guests!"

While eating the dishes, Zhou Bai explained: "The white steamed buns made here are very particular. They use mountain spring water and handmade bun skins, without a speck of extraordinary animal meat. Green and unpolluted, eat without worry of mutation."