69novels Page 145
Page 145
However, this is not a big deal. Who says that having a clue means you have to dig up the dragon? There are plenty of unsolved cases and cases that start strong but end weak.
"Hmm." The system nodded. "We are currently researching information about dragons and hybrids in that area, but we don't have any leads yet."
"It's just a small fragment of bronze, with very few inscriptions. It would be strange if it could give us any clues..." Xia Mi pondered, "Was this bronze fragment buried in the ground or in water? Or was it placed in a tomb and then stolen and broken? I remember that the location makes a difference, and burying it in fresh water or seawater is also different."
"Yes, there is a difference. At least we can rule out the possibility of it being buried in seawater or by the sea. As for whether it was buried in water or soil, we haven't figured that out yet. This bronze fragment was dug up by a farmer while he was plowing his field, and it's the only one of its kind." The system shrugged.
Xia Mi was speechless, because what the system had said earlier was nonsense: "It's so sturdy, how could it be seawater? Besides, the things found in the mountain city are located deep inland..."
People who live by the sea can't possibly be unaware of how severely seawater and sea breeze corrode metal.
Needless to say, the high salinity of seawater, even the wind and rainwater at the beach are extremely rich in chloride ions. This substance is a killer of metals, easily causing "powder rust," which makes metals swell up like a fluffy cake and crumble easily when squeezed.
This characteristic is far too obvious.
Although the bronze fragments in her hands are broken and covered in rust, they do not exhibit the characteristics of powdery rust, thus ruling out the possibility of them being from the sea.
[...Without luck, and without adding extra manpower, it is estimated that it will take three to six months to screen the entire area...]
The time span is quite large, almost double, but that's just how it is without enough accurate information.
Information is a very valuable thing in this world; sometimes, the price you pay for it far exceeds the benefits you can gain from acquiring it. However, what is precious to you may be something that someone with connections can simply ask a few questions about.
Since tracing the bronze fragments would take a considerable amount of time, the system stopped paying too much attention to the matter and instead immersed itself in the laboratory, working with Old Tang to research the alchemy matrix.
The initial experimental phase has been completed, and the two are now working on further human trials.
Chu Zihang was naturally very concerned about things in the laboratory, but he didn't know much about alchemy and didn't have the talent for it. He could only care but couldn't help much. He could only immerse himself in the regional history books that the system had collected to investigate the bronze fragments and the King of Bronze and Fire.
When it comes to past history, there are countless books to consult, and the locations are not even accurate, covering a vast range. Local gazetteers and folk legends all need to be checked, and there's no guarantee that the actual historical fragments won't be mixed in with other events and ethereal myths. It's an extremely demanding task. If it weren't for having subordinates, the system and Lu Mingfei themselves would have been overwhelmed by all those books.
"The late Eastern Han Dynasty..." Xia Mi yawned, then continued flipping through the book casually.
She couldn't interfere with other matters, and the system wasn't the kind of system that was merciful; it assigned people who had nothing better to do to flip through books.
However, when it comes to this kind of thing... Xia Mi can only say that even dragons don't have a good way to confirm the authenticity of something in history books and myths, unless they did it themselves. Otherwise, who can tell the difference between a story that is a mix of truth and falsehood?
Moreover, the dragon didn't even utter a phrase in the authentic European accent of the Zhenghe Banner to prove that it was indeed a human disguised as a dragon.
Along with Xia Mi, there was the rustling sound of pages turning. Panpan was much more serious than Xia Mi. She would investigate anything that seemed suspicious in detail and then eliminate any suspects.
When Lu Mingfei returned from Lao Tang's lab, he saw the two of them, one big and one small, flipping through books in the living room. He asked Xia Mi, "Have you read any history about the late Western Han Dynasty?"
“Of course I’ve seen it,” Xia Mi said. “Wang Mang? Or Liu Xiu? The legend of Liu Xiu’s great meteorite summoning technique is probably fake. His life story is officially recorded, and he probably wasn’t a dragon king in disguise. I’m more inclined to believe that he was a super hybrid who mastered super incantations. Whether it’s the explosion during the collapse of the black sun or the fire elemental statements of people like Zhulong, they all have this effect, only differing in power.”
This is getting off-topic. Lu Mingfei said, "emmm... I wasn't talking about that. I was trying to say that in the area of the Yangtze River basin in Chongqing, near that small county town, there are actually some very impressive and amazing landscapes."
"The Yangtze River basin in that region?" Xia Mi pondered for a moment before saying, "Kuimen?"
Many Chinese people have probably seen the Kuimen Gate, since it's printed on the 10-yuan banknote. Of course, the scenery on the banknote is hard to resonate with, but you have to go there to understand the ingenious craftsmanship of the banknote.
Of course, this place is also an important node in the Yangtze River basin and a strategic location, controlling the passage from Sichuan to the Central Plains and the passage from Sichuan to the Central Plains. Therefore, countless battles have taken place here throughout history.
But Lu Mingfei specifically mentioned the late Western Han Dynasty...
Xia Mi frowned and said, "Kuimen in the Han Dynasty was the gateway to Yizhou, located on the border between Jing and Yi. At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, it was the territory of Gongsun Shu, a separatist force in Yizhou. After Wang Mang usurped the Han throne, he was appointed governor of Shu Commandery, and then at the end of Wang Mang's reign, he became the governor of Yizhou. After that, he seized control of Yizhou and declared himself emperor, becoming the first separatist regime in history to do so. This was even earlier than Yuan Shu, who obtained the Imperial Seal and became emperor in the Three Kingdoms period, after all, he was born two hundred years earlier. His imperial title was 'White Emperor.' After that, Gongsun Shu's separatist forces fought against Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu, for twelve years before being destroyed..."
Huh? Baidi?
Baidi City, besides its majestic name, also has many historical allusions, such as Liu Bei entrusting his son to Zhuge Liang at Baidi City.
Interesting… Xia Mi’s mind raced, piecing together some relevant information.
It's not accurate to say that white and bronze have no connection to the metal represented by the King of Fire. In the traditional Chinese Five Elements theory, white is the representative color of the metal element.
Because Wang Mang's Xin Dynasty claimed to be of the Earth element, and the Jin Dynasty replaced Earth, does that mean Gongsun Shu was the "King of Bronze and Fire"? But that doesn't make sense; it doesn't quite fit.
Gongsun Shu declared himself emperor in the first year of Liu Xiu's Jianwu reign... I can't quite remember, I haven't read this part! Xia Mi asked, "So, boss, what are you trying to say?"
"The people below found out from the records that when Gongsun Shu proclaimed himself emperor, he called himself the Dragon Emerging from the Palace, and only then did he declare himself emperor. Moreover, he called himself the White Emperor, because in the Five Elements, the metal element is associated with the color white." Lu Mingfei said, "Given your quick thinking and clever ideas, the organization now has an important task for you."
The unusual nature of the title "White Emperor" was discovered by the Japanese. The Onmyoji in Japan originated from Taoism. Although they have localized some aspects, they still use the concept of the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth) and have a certain understanding of the related knowledge.
When I came across the page about Baidi City, an ancient city with a history of thousands of years, located next to the Qutang Gorge, I immediately suspected it was related to this place.
"I understand. Should I take the day off tomorrow and go?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Mi understood that Gongsun Shu's family was actually quite far from Kuimen, so the scope of the investigation was relatively large, requiring more manpower to be sent there, and thus more things to be dealt with. Remote handling was clearly not feasible, as remote command had information lag. There had to be a task leader of a high enough level who could make decisions, right?
Let's go, just treat it as a vacation...
She didn't have high hopes for this work trip; otherwise, expecting Norton to mess things up on its own? What a joke!
“Mm.” Lu Mingfei nodded.
"Is Chu Zihang busy?" Xia Mi asked casually.
Now, Chu Zihang is showing a loyal and diligent demeanor so that the Human Alchemy Matrix can be safely placed on him and he can also have a share. He's been hooked so much that he's practically begging for a piece of the pie.
“Chu Zihang doesn’t know as much or as diverse a range of knowledge as you. If I had asked him that question earlier, his answer definitely wouldn’t have been as detailed as yours,” Lu Mingfei said. “Your plane ticket has already been booked. By the way, you’re in charge of advancing the business plans for the companies in Shancheng and Tianfu. This shows the organization values you. Keep it up!”
Xia Mi: ...MMP!
What if you get demoted by your boss to a lower-level position because you know too much?
In her view, this was exile. Given her resume and background, she had absolutely no need to go to a branch office to "gild her resume." This job was predictably long and tedious; the boss only had a limited number of people assigned, and the manpower was indeed limited due to the nature of the situation. Ordinary employees wouldn't be of much help; only mixed-race individuals could handle it. And besides, this work was destined to be a futile effort…
Most importantly, what if the boss goes off to do something else during this time? How can I run away with the money without the boss by my side?
Having only been in the industry for half a year, he rushed to see Bai Wang and quickly gathered people to build his power structure. This whirlwind behavior must mean that he will make a big move in the near future, otherwise why would he be in such a hurry?
Wait a minute, what the hell? Could Lu Mingfei be suspicious of me? That can't be right.
Xia Mi was startled, but she couldn't figure out what was going on in Lu Mingfei's expression.
Unable to discern anything amiss, she could only go back to pack her luggage and prepare to depart.
Xia Mi went back to pack her luggage and prepare to leave, while Lu Mingfei still felt a little guilty.
He wasn't so much influenced by the system that he was completely integrated into its ruthless rhythm. He simply put Xia Mi in charge of the company plans in Tianfu and Shancheng as soon as he saw how knowledgeable she was, giving her multiple roles.
The main reason is that Xia Mi easily puts pressure on other girls at Shilan Middle School. After Xia Mi came to their classroom once, the girls were afraid to come and chat with him anymore.
Lu Mingfei, who was having a great time among them, immediately stopped being happy. It's fine to put pressure on other girls, but don't be so impulsive as to grab my hand directly. They'll misunderstand.
Since this matter just happened, and Xia Mi knew enough to handle it better, the system suggested sending Xia Mi away for a while, which was the optimal solution.
……
The next day at Shilan Middle School, Xia Mi's absence did not cause any ripples. After all, isn't it normal for students to take leave? It's not like she'll die if she doesn't go to school, and Xia Mi isn't the kind of person who will fall behind if she misses a few days of school. She's a genius, that's how it is.
On the third day, she still didn't come to class, but that was still within the normal range. After all, everyone has their own problems. Although Xia Mi was so amazing that everyone at school knew she was an orphan.
On the fourth day, it still hadn't come, which was rather strange...
"Xia Mi hasn't come to school these past two days? Is she sick?" Su Xiaoqiang asked Lu Mingfei.
Because Xia Mi occasionally came to see Lu Mingfei, Su Xiaoqiang and Xia Mi, this academic genius junior, had some nodding acquaintance. When the two chatted idly, she casually mentioned it.
The person who played with Lu Mingfei the most in the class was Su Xiaoqiang. Unlike the other two extremes in the class, Chen Wenwen and Liu Miaomiao, she was more lively, active, and bold.
Lu Mingfei said, "She felt that attending classes at school would affect her self-study progress, so she asked for leave to study at home."
???
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqiang paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.
These are indeed words that Xia Mi would say, as Xia Mi is much more lively, active, bold, and outspoken than her.
When Lu Mingfei learned the reason why Xia Mi had been taking so many days off from her teacher, he was quite surprised. She still had the same wild imagination as always...
Su Xiaoqiang asked him, "It seems like you could also take leave from school and study at home like her?"
Lu Mingfei said, "Studying at home is not as relaxing and enjoyable as chatting with classmates at school."
In the first monthly exam of the new semester, Lu Mingfei, just like in the latter part of the previous semester, dominated the entire second year of high school, taking a precipitous lead over Zhao Menghua, who was ranked second. The score difference between the tenth-ranked student and the second-ranked Zhao Menghua was almost as large as the score difference between Lu Mingfei and Zhao Menghua.
Lu Mingfei's exam scores are already very close to perfect, and he is only one step away from getting a perfect score in all subjects.
Lu Mingfei almost passed the math, physics, chemistry, and biology tests with perfect answers, but was only penalized 3 points by the teacher for some minor mistakes.
After deducting points, the teacher had to explain to Lu Mingfei why he was deducted points for such a small mistake. That's how it is during the college entrance examination. They don't easily give full marks to test papers. Even the smallest mistake will be picked out and a point will be deducted.
Previously, the school and teachers were discussing how to arrange the two academic geniuses, Lu Mingfei and Xia Mi.
After all, the college entrance examination is not the only way to get into a good university. As long as you have the ability to find other paths, that's enough.
Excluding the option of studying abroad, only about half of the freshmen admitted to Tsinghua and Peking University's top-tier universities each year are regular college entrance examination candidates, or even slightly less than half. There are many ways to skip the regular college entrance examination or reduce the difficulty of admission, such as national competitions, winter and summer camps, special talent admission, and school admission.
As for their flawless academic talent... well, they could easily choose any domestic university with their eyes closed, and whether they get a guaranteed admission or top score in the entrance exam is just a matter of a single thought.
Students admitted through competitive means are very talented, but they may not necessarily become the top scorers. However, gold medals in national-level competitions are highly prestigious, and Shilan High School could certainly gain more signature honors...
However, both Lu Mingfei and Xia Mi chose the college entrance examination route. The school wanted them to participate in the IMO (International Mathematical Olympiad), but neither Lu Mingfei nor Xia Mi wanted to go. Since the main characters were unwilling to go, even though Shilan Middle School offered a very high prize, the school had no choice but to give up the idea.
Lu Mingfei and the system were not quite clear about Xia Mi's thoughts. The system's thoughts were that those things were a bit far from Shilan Middle School, and there was also the IMO and the national team... It was troublesome, and the direct benefits were not big enough.
Chapter 176 The Dragon Kings' Nightmare
"I know it's not your fault, nor mine. That's just how the world is; there aren't that many whys."
Xia Mi suddenly opened her eyes, the last words she uttered in her dream echoing in her mind.
It seems like she had a nightmare?
Because Lu Mingfei sent her to Tianfu City, thousands of miles away, she could finally relax her tense nerves. Having left Lu Mingfei's side, she was doing another mission that was destined to have no ending. She could just go through the motions and do it casually.
Then, relaxed, she lay down on the bed and actually fell asleep.
And she also had a dream, which seemed to be a nightmare? She only remembered the words that had woken her up, which seemed to carry endless relief, but she was a little unclear about who she had said them to... However, she could trace back to the specific details of the dream.
But after a moment's thought, she gave up on the idea. There was really no need for it. It was just a dream like any other ordinary human being. Just because ordinary people have inexplicable dreams doesn't mean I can't have them.
Xia Mi shook her head, glanced at her phone, then got up and turned on her computer to handle some matters.
Pass, pass, pass... The things that hundreds of people had painstakingly collected were immediately spotted by her discerning eyes as having nothing to do with the dragon race.
Then there's the regional plan... Xia Mi looked at the progress of the plans in Tianfu City and Shancheng, did some calculations, and didn't find anything unusual.
However, she couldn't just look at the written reports; she would definitely go down to the ground to investigate, grasp the real information, and prevent things like people expanding their territory or drawing salaries without working—all of which would hinder the company's progress.
"Wearing a school uniform won't do; I'll look like a little kid, and the people below will look down on me. Wearing this... won't do either; it makes me look like a child wearing my parents' clothes."
Xia Mi frowned and spent a long time picking out clothes, but finally decided to give up. "They're just kids. They look down on people. I'll just find a reason to deal with one or two of them and give them a good beating."
……