Chapter 461 – Dongmu

“Why did we choose such a godforsaken place for the exchange? There are so many insects here, one bite leaves a big welt. It’s so annoying…”

The thin man with sparse red hair, exuding a shrewd air, slapped his arm with a ‘smack’ and complained to Wolf beside him.

In front of them, seven or eight large construction vehicles were crowded into a slightly narrow clearing in the forest.

Wolf casually tossed the man a cigarette, lit one for himself, and then shook his head, saying, “No choice, people came to the mine; we can’t trade in front of them openly…”

“They sent people again?”

The thin man was just about to light his cigarette when he heard Wolf’s words. His expression changed slightly, and he squinted as he asked, “Are you planning to take action again? How many times has it been? Aren’t you afraid of pushing them too hard?”

“What else can I do if I don’t? Let them investigate freely?”

Wolf slowly exhaled a smoke ring, glanced expressionlessly at the man, and said, “If they find out, none of us, including my men, can escape. We’d spend the rest of our lives scavenging on Planet Exile…

Since I chose to take action back then, this is the only way I can go. But…”

Wolf bit his cigarette, speaking lightly, “After this job, there probably won’t be a next time. In another six months, I’m leaving for good.”

The thin man nodded, “This isn’t sustainable either. You’ve made quite a bit over the years. Hank is about to graduate, right?”

“Next month.”

“Wow…”

The thin man couldn’t help but marvel, “The Empire’s top pilot university graduate, selected directly into the Spirit Court Reservists right after graduation.

Having a younger brother who’s going to be a Spirit Court Guard, I really envy you…

But it hasn’t been easy for you, supporting him all the way to graduation on your own…”

With a cigarette between his fingers, Wolf displayed a faint look of pride and said, “It’s mostly because he’s capable.”

“Both you and your brother are capable; you’re both impressive!”

The thin man gave a thumbs-up, generously offering his words of praise.

The two talked for a while, and the thin man suddenly asked, “What’s your plan this time? Another mining machine incident?”

“Haven’t decided yet.”

Wolf dropped the nearly burnt-out cigarette from his hand and stamped it out on the ground with his foot.

“But we probably won’t take action in the short term. The people who came this time seem to have special status, and those around them are even more troublesome…

Let’s hold off on the transaction for now. Once I’ve sorted it out, I’ll let you know.”

The thin man frowned slightly and said in a low voice, “You need to hurry. A buyer here seems to be losing interest. If they stop purchasing, finding the next buyer could take up to six months…”

Wolf nodded, “I understand.”

As they were talking, there was a slight rustle from a bush directly in front of them, as if something was approaching.

Wolf noticed immediately, his eyes flashing. He rushed forward and shouted coldly, “Who’s there? Come out!”

The thin man’s expression also turned serious.

He raised his hand in a gesture, and everyone on site immediately stopped what they were doing. The previously noisy forest fell silent.

A dozen pairs of eyes focused on the spot where the bush was shaking.

After a few breaths, a well-dressed, handsome young man emerged gracefully from behind the bush.

He was dusting off leaves and looking at everyone with slight surprise.

The somewhat bewildered gaze scanned the crowd and finally settled on Wolf. He raised his hand hesitantly and said, “Good morning, Wo… Wolf, right?”

The young man’s appearance surprised everyone present.

No one spoke, but Wolf quickly composed himself, greeting the young man with respect and enthusiasm: “Good morning, esteemed mine owner. How did you sleep last night? What brings you here?”

“Not well.”

The young man shook his head, “The noise from the mining machines kept me up all night…

After breakfast, I thought I’d wander around a bit.”

“Did you come here alone, mine owner?”

Wolf’s gaze swept around the young boy’s surroundings.

The boy nodded and said, “Yes, Lu Feng went out early this morning…”

As soon as the boy finished speaking, Wolf’s expression changed. His eyes slowly narrowed, with a glint flashing through them rapidly.

“There are many poisonous insects and wild beasts in the forest, it’s quite dangerous. It would be better if you didn’t wander alone, mine owner…”

Wolf’s previously slightly bowed posture gradually straightened as he began to casually move closer to the boy.

The thin man standing behind Wolf seemed to sense what he intended to do. He gave a signal to his men, and a group of miners equipped with mechanical arms also began to slowly approach the boy.

In the silent forest, the atmosphere gradually turned cold.

However, the boy seemed oblivious to the subtle shift in the atmosphere. His eyes were still curiously darting between the construction vehicles as he asked, “Wolf, what are you guys doing here?”

“Oh, just refining some defective minerals with help to increase their value… We chose this place for the transaction to avoid disturbing your rest, mine owner,” Wolf replied with a smile as he continued to inch toward the boy.

“I see,” the boy nodded, then asked, “Can I take a look around?”

“Better not,” Wolf slowly shook his head. “There’s not much to see here. Since you didn’t rest well last night, mine owner, it’s best for you to return and rest.”

By this time, the miners under Wolf’s and the thin man’s command had almost completely spread out, forming a subtle encirclement around the boy.

Just as a cold gleam flashed in Wolf’s eyes, and he was about to give the order to “move,” a cold snort suddenly echoed through the scene.

Then, the bushes behind the boy parted under an invisible force. A man in black, with a gloomy demeanor and a cold expression, walked out silently like a ghost.

With his emergence, the faces of everyone present changed. The previously tense atmosphere was instantly shattered.

All the miners’ gazes fixated on Wolf.

Wolf’s expression changed several times before he finally put on a broad smile, respectfully and warmly greeting the man in black who had arrived: “Welcome back, Master Lu Feng. It’s an honor to see you again.”

The man in black remained expressionless, his face as cold as if covered in frost. His gaze toward Wolf and his group was as if he were looking at a bunch of lifeless bodies.

At this moment, the boy spoke up, “You’re back?”

Lu Feng nodded slightly, giving a soft acknowledgment.

“Then let’s head back,” the boy suggested.

The boy waved cheerfully at Wolf, “Thanks for your hard work. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Take care, mine owner,” Wolf said politely, bowing low with such humility and respect that no fault could be found.

It wasn’t until the figures of the boy and Lu Feng had completely disappeared into the forest that Wolf slowly straightened up. He stared in the direction they had left, a cold gleam in his eyes, as if lost in thought.

On the way back to their residence, Lu Yuan asked Lu Feng casually, “Why are you back so soon?”

He glanced at the time, noting that only a little over an hour had passed since Lu Feng left. If he had managed to accomplish everything in such a short time, that would be incredibly efficient.

“Before coming here, the master gave me the contact information for the person in charge of a nearby mining site. I met him, and he agreed to connect us with a few bismuth iron ore mining companies. As for the Waste Ore Processing Company…”

Lu Feng paused before continuing, “The person who was handling the waste ore processing for our site died in an accident two years ago. Currently, Wolf is the one managing this work.”

Lu Yuan’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly asked, “Is it still possible to make progress through this channel?”

“There shouldn’t be any issues. The person helping us connect with the bismuth iron ore companies knows a manager at the largest Waste Ore Processing Company on Planet Lirva very well. He should be able to introduce us,” Lu Feng replied.

“That’s good,” Lu Yuan nodded, falling silent after that.

As the two walked through the forest for a while, after a brief silence, Lu Feng suddenly spoke up unexpectedly.

“Wolf and his group have been secretly transporting all the good ore from the mine and exchanging it for low-grade ore and waste ore, pocketing quite a bit over the years. Should we…”

Lu Yuan blinked and couldn’t help but laugh. “Is this the challenge that Lu Lingfeng left specifically for me?”

“Yes,” Lu Feng nodded.

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and replied casually, “Let’s not worry about them for now. These guys aren’t going to run off in a short time. It’d be easy to get rid of them, but it would be a hassle to have no one to do the work for us. Besides, they’ve been skimming off the top for so many years. We can’t let them just pay with their lives so easily…”

Lu Yuan’s tone was light, but there was a chilling undertone to his words. Even Lu Feng, who was walking beside him, couldn’t help but twitch slightly at the corner of his eyes.

The truth was, Lu Feng’s original intention was just to gather evidence and have the involved personnel arrested, letting those who deserved it face prison or exile. But Lu Yuan, with his casual demeanor, was suggesting wiping out dozens of people altogether. It seemed that the foreign consciousness that the boy had integrated with wasn’t a benevolent character in life either.

After returning to their residence and waiting for a while, Lu Feng received positive news from the mining site manager. Two sites were willing to sell their waste ore for one thousand Duoling Coins per ton.

“One thousand Duoling Coins per ton?” Lu Yuan laughed outright upon hearing this. “Why don’t they just go rob a bank? How much does good ore cost per ton? Go back and tell them it’s one hundred per ton. I’ll take as much as they can give, and it has to be as soon as possible. If they keep dragging their feet, I’ll just find someone else.”

Lu Feng relayed Lu Yuan’s terms back to them. A few minutes later, the deal was confirmed. In three days, the agreed amount of waste ore would be delivered from the two mining sites.

Lu Yuan was quite satisfied. In fact, even the price of one hundred per ton was quite outrageous. He was buying toxic waste ore, which couldn’t just be buried like regular trash. It needed a specialized waste ore processing company to handle it, which cost money. Now, Lu Yuan was taking it off their hands and even paying them for it. Never mind one hundred per ton-even at ten coins per ton, people would probably jump at the chance to collaborate.

Lu Yuan offered the price of one hundred per ton simply to quickly acquire the waste ore he needed to restore his strength. In reality, if he weren’t in a hurry, he could slowly prepare to open a Waste Ore Recycling and Processing Company. This would not only allow him to gather a large amount of waste ore but also potentially make a profit. However, this approach was far more cumbersome and not as direct and satisfying as purchasing it outright.

Over the next three days, while waiting, Lu Yuan dedicated himself to cultivating his mental power and practicing Star Martial Arts. After reaching level 2 in mental power, he could barely perform a Grandmaster Meditation Battle. Each day, he simulated the battle with Lu Feng in his mind, honing his skills in mecha combat and refining the cold weapon techniques of the Wind Demon Frenzied Axe Style. The days weren’t too dull.

Time flew by, and the agreed-upon day arrived.

In the center of the mining site’s building complex, on the main square, two large airships, each bearing the logos of different mining companies, hovered over the open space. Wolf directed a group of over ten miners equipped with mechanical arms to load the containers, which were being lowered from the airships, onto construction vehicles. These vehicles then transported the containers in batches toward Lu Yuan’s residence.

Lu Yuan stood at the edge of this bustling scene, accompanied by the expressionless Lu Feng, calmly watching the proceedings. His level 2 mental power extended outward, allowing him to clearly hear the conversation between two older men several meters away, who were smoking and gossiping.

“Ten coins per ton for waste ore? Is this guy crazy? What’s he gonna do with it once he takes it back?”

“Who cares what he does with it? It’s less trouble for us, and we can make some extra cash on the side. Hopefully, he keeps buying, the more, the better…”

“True enough. Speaking of which, what do you think about taking a trip to Red Diamond City in a few days? I heard they’ve got a lot of new arrivals-big chests and long legs, as alluring as you can imagine…”

“Really? Which club is that?”

…

Lu Yuan withdrew his mental power, feeling somewhat speechless, and casually asked Lu Feng beside him, “What’s our relationship with the mining site manager who helped us make the connection?”

Lu Feng replied, “He’s a pure-blooded Duoling named Dongmu. Back when Lu Lingfeng bought the mining rights here in Lirva, they met each other. They hit it off immediately, feeling like old friends upon first meeting. You could say they’re quite good friends…”

Three days had passed, and the [seed of misfortune] had modified Lu Feng to an even deeper level. He no longer referred to Lu Lingfeng as “master” in front of Lu Yuan, simply using his name instead.

“‘Good friends’…” Lu Yuan shook his head. What kind of good friend takes a ninety percent cut as a finder’s fee? He offered a price of one hundred per ton, but by the time it reached the seller, it was just ten coins per ton. This so-called old friend of Lu Lingfeng, Dongmu, was taking a direct cut of ninety per ton on waste ore. That’s ruthless.

Did they think he was easy to fool because he was young?

Lu Yuan now suspected that the initial price of one thousand per ton was also set by Dongmu himself. “Never mind,” Lu Yuan decided it wasn’t worth quibbling over this. His gaze briefly swept over Wolf, who was bustling back and forth earnestly nearby, before he asked Lu Feng, “Has there been any news about the manager of the Waste Ore Processing Company that Dongmu promised to connect us with?”

“I was just about to report on that,” Lu Feng leaned in slightly and whispered to Lu Yuan: “Dongmu said the contact has been made. In three days, at his residence in Red Diamond City, he’ll arrange for us to meet the person. He’s planning to host a dinner banquet for us as a welcome, given that… you’re the son of his close friend’s confidant…”

“A banquet…” Lu Yuan’s eyes glimmered slightly, and he muttered to himself, “Now he thinks of giving us a proper welcome? Interesting.”