Sky-cracking Rider

Chen Fei didn't examine the manual carefully and thought the tracking leg ring that Manager Hanna gave to Xiao Jiu came in a pair.

Hanna Gagel also encountered a misunderstanding when she saw the copper-colored "leg ring" on Xiao Jiu's leg, naturally assuming that it was Chen Fei who had put it on, coupled with her own recently purchased shiny silver leg ring. The two leg rings, differing in color but similar in size and thickness, quite matched and formed a distinctive combination when put together.

Taking advantage of the bird's drunken stupor, Hanna Gagel easily slipped it on.

Under normal circumstances, this would inevitably lead to some struggling and pecking.

The little guy was quite disdainful of this one-eyed old lady, of course, except when it came to alcohol.

Apart from Chen Fei, only a few people could gain the affection of the Pure Light Sparrow, and Chef Abel was quite proud of himself for being one of them.

The 13th Reconnaissance Squad stayed at Camp 2 for a full week and soon discovered that all the other reconnaissance squads had gradually returned.

Only a few squads managed to leave the cavern on their own; most were alternately retrieved by Space Series Ability Users and a Space System Mage God.

With a "Biu," returning to the camp was naturally quite smooth.

However, a few people might not adapt well to such a method of spatial movement, inevitably experiencing some dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. There was no need for medication, though; they would recover after a day or two of rest.

On the day the withdrawal was completed, the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee immediately announced the end of the reconnaissance mission, allowing everyone to go back to their respective homes.

Many believed that the 13th Reconnaissance Squad had made significant contributions, assuming they had located the Mutant's lair for the Joint Defense Committee. The gazes towards the six members were filled with envy, but Blake and the others knew all too well. Even the ground support personnel who followed the Thunder Mage God received the news, immediately followed by a gag order.

A highly dangerous cavern battle, fought with two "Dragon Slayer Missiles" from the Combat Unit, did not target the mutants' lair; they hadn't even seen the breeding matriarch.

By the time the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee reorganized manpower and made considerable effort to find the real lair, it had already been abandoned and turned into a barren wasteland.

The remains of the mutants littered the ground; creatures with the bulk of bulls were reduced to just over a foot of ash.

Even the breeding matriarch turned into what looked like a dry sea cucumber, thoroughly charred inside out by high heat, with a pervasive harsh peroxide odor. It seemed that the humans who had hastily retreated had no intention of leaving any valuable genetic fragments for the Global United Defense Committee.

The high heat coupled with peroxide and probably the spraying of targeted biodegradation enzymes were standard measures for destroying genetic fragments; even gods could do nothing about it.

Before leaving, every individual involved in the reconnaissance mission received their respective rewards.

It must be said that with sovereignty backing it, the Global United Defense Committee was quite generous; the basic bonus for reconnaissance personnel was 500,000 Star Yuan, with an additional at least 100,000 Star Yuan for meritorious actions.

Together with the previous free supply quota, each person could almost receive 1,000,000 Star Yuan, partly in supplies. Although a portion was in material form, it was still considerable. The items that the Global United Defense Committee purchased on their behalf were directly from the manufacturers, without any price hikes or fees, and tax-exempt.

The actual price many received was often at a third or even half the market price, enjoying a Sovereign Level discount. It was quite a bargain, since such deals wouldn't come again.

The 13th Reconnaissance Squad was luckier. Having encountered mutants in several encounters and participating in the cavern battle, each member received an additional bonus of 1,000,000 Star Yuan, including Cecilia Danbers who had retreated early to the ground since she worked in technology—pushing her into combat would have been too cruel.

Chen Fei was grateful he had listened to Manager Hanna's advice and hadn't returned to the ground early with the female electronics expert, which allowed him this sizable reward; otherwise, if the combat personnel had retreated, he might have ended up crying in the barracks.
Experience tales at empire

Nevertheless, his free supply quota had not yet been used up. Before leaving the camp, he could still use it for shopping or cashing it out, effectively making the 500,000 Star Yuan quota nearly a gift.

When it came to rewarding contributions, even the Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu received a bounty.

Among the various reconnaissance squads, Chen Fei and Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu weren't the only ones to venture deep underground with animals or magical beasts.

But Xiao Jiu received the highest reward of all the animals.

The little bird had learned a new spell upon returning to the surface, the fleeting vision providing very important clues for Camp 2, hence the reward was not surprising.

According to Chen Fei's own commoner's reasoning, cashing it out was the best option—money in hand caused no worries and he could buy all sorts of treats and fun things for Xiao Jiu.

Though that was his thought, members of the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee certainly wouldn't object and would surely honor Chen Fei's wishes.

But alongside this rookie was an old gun with rich Jianghu experience. In Manager Hanna's view, money was trivial; what mattered more was the opportunity this situation presented.

Not allowing Chen Fei to decline, Hanna Gagel forcefully made the request on his behalf, hoping to convert both Chen Fei's reward and his unused quota into magic potions produced on Cangqiong Star.

Having decided on a course of action, the plan was go big or go home; naturally, it was about pooling the cash to tackle big projects and spending the money effectively.

Thanks to the sovereign-level conveniences provided by the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee, one could obtain the best items at the lowest prices—an opportunity that was rare and completely unrelated to money. After all, could money compare to sovereignty? Certainly not!

For many people, magic potions were extremely valuable items. Even for the Apocalypse Defense Group, the stock of magic potions was not abundant, and the choices were even more limited.

But for the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee, which had the support of multiple sovereignties, it was a trivial matter. They promptly agreed and quickly produced a list within the bonus limit. They would exchange as many goods as the bonus amount allowed, and naturally, there was no chance to add personal money to take advantage of this.

If it wasn't for the restrictions imposed by the bonus limit, Hanna Gagel's top wish would have been to acquire a Crystal Jet.

If the 911 Aircrew Base could obtain a Crystal Jet, even without a Sky Knight to pilot it, it would still possess a significant deterrent power.

Plant the phoenix tree, and the phoenix will come. With a Crystal Jet, who would worry about not having a Sky Knight?

Having just ended their corporate war, the Merman Brothers Consortium would likely be scared off just like dropping a hot potato, readily divesting themselves of the four aircrew bases surrounding 911.

If the Crystal Jet of the 911 Aircrew Base were to strike, the combined defenses of the four aircrew bases would still be utterly inadequate.

A Sky Knight paired with a Crystal Jet could indeed dominate the field of military contractors.

The Blue Star Global United Defense Committee, who provided the exchange list, could naturally guess that Hanna Gagel was negotiating for the benefit of the clever Pure Light Sparrow, but the magic potions for Light-element Magical Beasts were not plentiful, which also meant the demand was not high.

"It's really too cheap!"

Hanna Gagel perused the four-page list she had received, clicking her tongue in appreciation.

Many of the magic potions were not just for the Light Series; instead, they were designed for general use, suitable for all series, and did not differentiate between spellcasters, War Professionals, and supernatural power users, making them highly sought after on the market.

There were two copies of the list, with the other in Chen Fei's hands, who only glanced at it twice, his heart pounding uncontrollably and breaking out in a cold sweat. He could no longer bear to look at it and gave a starkly different review from Manager Hanna.

"It's really expensive!!!"

The magic potions on the list started at half a million Star Yuan each, with no cheaper options available.

Chen Fei and Xiao Jiu had scraped together their bonus reluctantly, which could not withstand such extravagant spending, estimating they could only buy two or three items before running out.

Hanna Gagel never expected the economically challenged Chen Fei to come up with any substantial ideas. After calculating the list, she bluntly said, "Rookie, Xiao Jiu, I have three plans."

The Pure Light Sparrow cocked its head, unsure if it understood the situation.

Chen Fei, already suffering from emotional pain, clutched his chest and stuttered, "Ha, Manager Hanna, you—you say, say!"

Prior to this, he had thought of using the remaining material quota to acquire a classy sedan, which he intended to give to his brother and sister-in-law to go with their new house, showing that the Chen Family had not mistreated the sister-in-law who insisted on marrying into the family.

A car for the whole family would also make transportation more convenient.

Chen Fei's plans were indeed beautiful, but they were no match for Manager Hanna's extravagant demands. Investing in Xiao Jiu's future required more than just a Third Rank Earth Order Magical Beast Crystal Core.

This struck Chen Fei at his core. For the sake of this little one, since he had already invested a Light Beast Crystal Core worth ten million Star Yuan, throwing in another million or two Star Yuan was like taking a loss on this trip.

Hanna Gagel spoke unhurriedly, "Plan one, a vial of Essence Blood from a Sun-Transforming Skylark of the Light Series, which could guide Xiao Jiu's bloodline enhancement towards the Sun-Transforming Skylark, making future training more targeted and much easier; plan two, two vials of Elemental Affinity Enhancement Potion, which should enhance Xiao Jiu's Light Element Affinity by one star; plan three, a Light Element Magic Power Balancing Potion combined with a Light Beast Crystal Core, which could help Xiao Jiu advance a rank quickly, ensuring a successful advancement to Third Rank Human Order."

In her view, the combined bonus of Chen Fei and Xiao Jiu could only afford limited items.

Just like that! And it was only possible because of the grace lent by the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee. Otherwise, it would be unthinkable to purchase these items with such a small amount of Star Yuan at any other time.

Chen Fei: "..."

So poor!

Millions of Star Yuan were as insignificant as scraps of paper in the face of these magic potions.

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