Translator: AnubisTL
Without hesitation, he immediately activated the crimson light pillar!
His turret now had a range of over 20,000 meters, but the crimson light pillar could double that distance, creating a massive laser beam nearly 40,000 meters long and ten meters thick!
The moment the crimson light pillar activated, the barrel, still cooling from its previous firing, began to glow intensely with red patterns, flashing violently like the taillights of an Audi R8.
In the next instant—
A colossal laser beam, ten meters in diameter, shot across the wilderness at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, piercing the landscape like a surgical laser slicing into a patient's heart.
Boom!!!
The intense heat instantly melted plants, soil, and everything in its path into crystalline particles.
But the beam didn't stop there.
This 40,000-meter-long laser pillar, like a merciless god sweeping away humanity, plunged deep into the wilderness and began to sweep across the landscape.
Unfortunately, due to the limitations of the teleportation gate, the barrel's angle was restricted. It couldn't sweep a full 360 degrees around the wilderness, only clearing a roughly 45-degree arc in front of it.
The reason he needed a 12-meter-wide teleportation gate was to achieve the necessary angle for sweeping and projectile attacks.
The results were remarkable!
The wilderness on this subhuman star was like a man who hadn't bathed in a decade finally meeting a skilled northeastern bathhouse attendant with a bone-scraping back scrub and powerful hands.
Directly ahead, within a 40,000-meter radius, the intense, high-temperature laser pillar swept the area repeatedly.
Twenty seconds later, the laser pillar ceased firing.
With only seven or eight seconds remaining until the teleportation gate activated, the turret was now unable to fire. The "Giant Super Annihilation Bomb" and "Crimson Light Pillar" were both unavailable.
Chen Jiang decided not to waste these precious seconds.
Without hesitation, he activated the turret's fourth set effect: "Prosperous Fireworks!"
In the next moment—
Countless fireworks erupted across the sky, engulfing the entire wilderness!
Myriad vibrant, multicolored fireworks bloomed in layered formations high above, nearly obscuring the heavens with their dazzling display.
The sky filled with fireworks seemed jarringly out of place alongside the earlier bombardment, yet somehow, they created an inexplicable harmony.
It was like an artist signing their name after completing a masterpiece, or like drinking a sip of ice-cold sour plum soup after a fiery hotpot, or like sitting back with a post-coital cigarette after the act.
Two completely unrelated events, yet when combined, they created such perfect harmony!
At that moment, anyone in the wilderness who looked up could witness a breathtaking sight, one rarely seen in a lifetime.
Of course, that assumed anyone in the wilderness was still capable of lifting their head.
And just then—
The time for the Remote Space Transmission portal had arrived.
Chen Jiang retracted his cannon barrel, removed his goggles, and gazed at the elder on the screen with satisfaction. "Elder, you should be about finished, right?"
He believed that no matter how advanced this planet's technological civilization might be—with its miraculous gadgets, special abilities, and powerful items—his three decisive strikes should have brought things to a close.
If even this couldn't resolve the situation, he was truly out of options. He could only conclude that the Black Europe Company was destined for this calamity, and he was powerless to prevent it.
"Hmm, almost," the elder murmured, his expression distant and troubled. "My wife should be enjoying her afternoon tea in paradise by now."
After that relentless bombardment, he had no confidence his energy shield could withstand it.
Though he had spared no expense in purchasing the shield to protect his wife, even the most expensive energy shield couldn't withstand such an onslaught!
It was like someone boasting about their strength, saying, "Don't worry, I can handle anything!" Then the other person pulls out a ten-meter-thick mace and says, "Alright, here I come!"
What the hell? Even the strongest person couldn't withstand something like that!
Trembling, the elder finally video-called his wife. He suddenly felt lost, unsure of what to do next.
If he remembered correctly, the reason he had contacted Jiang Cheng Company was to have them help him defeat the Shark Company's field army and rescue his wife, right?
But now... if the Shark Company's field army hadn't been resurrected by the Heavenly Emperor himself, there wouldn't even be any remains left to find.
The problem was, after such a bombardment, he feared his wife was likely in the same state.
"Uh..." Chen Jiang began awkwardly, "You were the one who said your energy shield was fine, claiming it could withstand even the most intense firepower for ten minutes. My firepower isn't even that strong, so it should hold for half an hour, right?"
"Heh."
The elder's lips twitched slightly, too stunned to even grieve. This is what you call "not that strong"?
If Satan had possessed something like this during his war with God for territory, things would have been very different.
To his surprise, his wife answered the video call almost immediately!
"Honey, you're alive!" the elder exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion as he gazed at the old woman on the screen. Overwhelmed with joy, he grabbed a bottle of champagne from the wine cabinet behind him and smashed it against his forehead.
As the fragrant champagne cascaded down his head, the elder gradually calmed down, grinning like a child as he stammered, "Honey, I'm so glad you're alive. Otherwise, who would I spend my money on?"
On the screen, the old woman lay dazed on a soft, oversized bed. After a long moment of confusion, she turned her head to look at the elder. "Yes, I can hardly believe I survived either."
"Stop fighting the Shark Company. Give up. We can't win against them. Their firepower is overwhelming."
"Just now, a massive crimson light pillar shot from the distance, completely shattering the energy shield and piercing straight toward the castle."
"It's unimaginable that the Shark Company would deploy such devastating force just for an old woman like me."
"It's all right, it's all right," the elder murmured, his relief palpable.
The elder, his voice trembling with excitement, stammered, "It's alright! That's not the Shark Company's firepower—it's from a friend of mine! A friend came to help me?"
"Your friend?"
The old woman, lying in bed, regained a faint trace of color in her cheeks and sighed softly. "So you actually have a friend willing to help you. When you got into trouble this time, none of your other so-called friends lifted a finger."
"This friend is a true friend. I..."
The elder, about to say something more, suddenly froze, staring at the layout displayed on the screen. "Wait a minute... I remember this room being on the fourth floor, right?" he asked, puzzled. "Why can I see the ground outside the window?"
"Good question," the old woman murmured, her gaze drifting vacantly toward the ceiling. "From now on, this fourth floor is the first floor."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that the moment the energy shield shattered, that massive crimson light pillar swept across the fortress, melting everything below the fourth floor. Then the fourth floor collapsed onto the ground, becoming the first floor."
"Amazing, isn't it? I find it amazing too."
"What a truly unforgettable experience."
"..."
The elder, his face slightly embarrassed, couldn't utter a word. He couldn't blame Chen Jiang, after all, Chen Jiang had come to help him. To nitpick now would be ungrateful, especially since everyone was safe.
As long as everyone was safe, everything else could be resolved.
"Honey, I'll be back to keep you company soon. Wu Lengjing, you go back and keep your mother company for now."
"Wu Lengjing?"
Seeing Wu Lengjing remain silent, the elder frowned and glanced at the screen showing Wu Lengjing's location. But what he saw left him utterly stunned and bewildered.
The wilderness before them... had vanished.
Yes, vanished.
After being swept by the crimson light pillar, it was as if the wilderness had been peeled away, leaving behind a sloping, bare terrain.
The exposed ground was covered in granular crystalline formations.
And at the very center...
Was an unfathomably deep crater!
It looked less like the aftermath of a battle and more like the impact site of a massive meteorite!
Around the crater stood a solitary, slightly tilted bungalow—presumably his castle.
"It's... so clean," the elder finally murmured after a long silence, his eyes wide with disbelief. The word "clean" was the only one that came to mind.
It was indeed too clean, completely devoid of any traces of war!
"Regardless..."
The elder took a deep breath and turned to Chen Jiang, whose image was displayed on a nearby screen. "Thank you for your help. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Black Europe Company should definitely win this bid."
Activating the Remote Space Transmission gate had cost a significant number of star coins, but it had only used less than one-tenth of his personal savings.
Moreover, the field armies had all refused his employment, allowing him to save the star coins he had set aside for hiring them.
This sum was now more than enough to secure the bid for the Ten Thousand Races Arena.
"You not only saved my wife's life but also the fate of the entire Black Europe Company."
"By weathering this crisis, the Black Europe Company will not only be resurrected but will also gain significant growth potential. From now on, fifty percent of all net profits will be shared with Jiang Cheng Company free of charge!"
"No, sixty percent!"
The elder declared firmly. "We can have this notarized at the Galactic Federation Notary Office, and you can arrange for regular audits of the Black Europe Company's financial records."
"That won't be necessary."
Chen Jiang raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Just as you said, we're friends. Isn't it natural for friends to help each other? Besides, I didn't really do much this time."
Indeed, he hadn't exerted himself much. The only cost had been two energy cartridge supply guns.
Each energy cartridge supply gun cost 1,000 human race merit points, meaning he had spent a total of 2,000 merit points. Killing 2,000 mechanical race players would easily recoup that loss.
"But you see, my friend—that is, me—I've been needing some one-star items lately."
"If possible..."
Chen Jiang trailed off with a smile, leaving the rest unsaid.
"Hahaha, I understand perfectly," the elder chuckled, clearly in high spirits. "Rest assured, my friend. Black Europe Company will gather as many one-star items as you want, until you tell us to stop."
"No, I won't want you to stop. I'll only want more."
Having received the answer he wanted, Chen Jiang nodded in satisfaction. "Then I'll await your good news. If possible, please acquire a sufficient quantity of one-star items within the next three months."
"No problem," the elder said, nodding firmly. "Wu Jinshen has never been one to forget kindness. I won't waste words, but rest assured, friend, since you've helped me this time, I, Wu Jinshen, will certainly not disappoint you."
"I'll give you even more than you asked for!"
"The principle of the Wu Family has always been: repay a drop of kindness with a torrent of gratitude."
"I look forward to it," Chen Jiang said with a smile, nodding. "I must say, our principles are quite similar. Mine is: repay a drop of kindness by digging a well."
"Uh..."
A flicker of confusion crossed the elder's eyes as he froze in place, momentarily unsure how to respond.
"Hahaha."
Seeing the elder's bewildered expression, Chen Jiang shook his head with a hint of helplessness. "What I mean is, when you offer water to a stranger, you inevitably reveal that you possess a well. And compared to a single ladle of water, many would prefer the well itself."
"Kindness is precious precisely because it flickers faintly in the darkness."
"If it shines too brightly, it only draws more darkness to it."
"The brighter the light, the deeper the shadows grow."
"Of course, I was just saying. I'll hang up now. You should get back to work; you must have a mountain of things to handle."
With that, Chen Jiang ended the call.
Scar Dog, who had been eavesdropping unnoticed, clicked his tongue in admiration. "If this old man is truly as generous as he claims, we might actually achieve our dream of a three-kilometer caliber weapon soon."
"After all, with enough capital, mass-collecting useless one-star items wouldn't be too difficult."
"Let's just say there's hope," Chen Jiang said, shaking his head slightly. "We're running out of time. After the Ten Thousand Races Arena closes, we need to have some real firepower."
"Otherwise, we'll be at everyone else's mercy."
"Mm." Scar Dog nodded solemnly, then hesitated before asking, "Brother Jiang, do you think we could convince those three father-son pairs to switch careers?"
"Become interstellar pirates."
"Then, when we encounter enemies, we can just blast them to smithereens. Star coins would come faster, and we could buy even more one-star items."
"No." Chen Jiang shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his expression. "Why are you so obsessed with this interstellar pirate thing?"
(End of the Chapter)
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