"Hmm... although I also find it unbelievable, when I asked Principal Li about the [Underground Highway], about when it started being built, he just smiled and said, [Safety First]."
Upon hearing Master Fuli's exclamation, Wang Qiqi couldn't help but chuckle lightly, saying, "The most unbelievable thing isn't the tunnels and maglev trains we've seen so far."
"At the intersection of all the roads, there's a very large subterranean museum, and at the key nodes, there are thorium-based molten salt nuclear power stations. If there's an accident and the external power grid is destroyed, the underground grid can quickly provide energy to maintain industrial production."
"The headquarters of the Security Bureau is in [Central City]."
Wang Qiqi, with a cheerful face, detailed the uses of this [Underground Highway].
As Wang Qiqi explained, Ansheng seemed to understand why Li Wenkang invited him to help.
The location of the Security Bureau is underground in the Imperial Capital, at the intersection of the underground highways as Wang Qiqi mentioned.
And transporting the Dragonman's corpse naturally cannot be done openly above ground to prevent any unexpected events.
After all... the top brass of the Security Bureau aren't fools. Master Fuli vaguely sensed something during the [Clay Box] and [Tribe Relic] incidents.
It was that, to eradicate the fungi, the Dragonman Civilization deliberately left a backup plan before its extinction.
When the Second Epoch's black fungi reach a certain number through self-reproduction, it will attract the [Apocalyptic Beast] mentioned by tribal civilizations.
Master Fuli informed Li Wenkang about this and also notified the Security Bureau, advising them to be cautious during their research and to be wary of "ancestral" judgments.
Thus.
After discussions, the Security Bureau decided to transport the Dragonman's corpse via the underground headquarters to minimize risk.
But for the safety of the Security Bureau's headquarters, there must be a high-level expert in the escort team. Presently, in Xia Country, Master Fuli, known to have the highest level of Spiritualization, is the expert the Security Bureau needs, which is why Li Wenkang invited Master Fuli to lend a hand.
Though it's called headquarters, in reality, the Security Bureau's HQ is not mainly for office work but is a preservation depot.
All old antiques related to Spiritual Particles, like the [King of the Universe Egg] captured by Master Fuli, are locked away, isolated, in the particle-free Security Bureau headquarters.
The Security Bureau headquarters is essentially a demon-sealing tower.
Anything else can go wrong, just not the headquarters.
...
Wang Qiqi escorted Master Fuli to the station, giving a brief history of the [Underground Highway]'s usage, and didn't linger further, choosing instead to head outside.
Once the goods are delivered to Chang'an, relevant roads will be sealed off tomorrow night.
The convoy will transport the frozen corpse to the particle-isolated research institute as quickly as possible.
And on this journey lies the stretch most prone to unexpected events. Wang Qiqi walked Master Fuli through this path, informing him of all precautions.
"Don't worry, once I see the goods, they can't possibly come into contact with any Spiritual Particles, let alone spring to life and slap us..."
On the way back to school sitting atop the navigator, Ansheng raised a paw and patted Wang Qiqi.
It was evident that Wang Qiqi was extremely tense now because of tomorrow's mission.
But Ansheng wasn't too worried, for the Dragonman Civilization, even if more advanced than humans.
After all, the Dragonman Civilization's development was based on Spiritual Particles and fungi. Their prerequisite for any schemes would be a sufficient amount of Spiritual Particles, and coincidentally, Master Fuli could visually observe the flow of Spiritual Particles.
Without Spiritual Particles, a corpse remains just a corpse.
"I hope all goes well! The burden feels so heavy, it's terrifying."
Wang Qiqi looked at Master Fuli, whose paw was on the back of her hand, and smiled, "Then... I'll leave you here. Going further in would be too conspicuous."
The navigator stopped by the road in front of the school gate, the shade perfectly covering the black SUV vehicle.
"Watch out on your way, and wake up..." Ansheng bid farewell to Wang Qiqi, turned around, and patted the fat cat sleeping like a log, saying, "Time to head home!"
"Hmm? Is it morning?"
The dozing fat cat, in a daze, glanced around the surroundings, then suddenly widened its eyes in disbelief and looked at the Golden Leopard:
"Sister Leopard... you're having a discussion, so have your discussion. With a cat as well-behaved as me, if you told me to get off the car, would I shamelessly stay? Why did you hit me?"
"Don't talk. I'll transfer five thousand to you via WeChat." The Golden Leopard rolled her eyes and operated her phone.
Of course, the fat cat was one of their own, but it was purely a big mouth, promising initially to keep mum.
Yet, every time the Golden Leopard failed a matchmaking, the news would reach the Security Bureau of the neighboring province the next day.
The fat cat could get things done, but regarding anything truly top-secret, the Golden Leopard wouldn't dare tell the fat cat.
Worried that idiot might talk in his sleep at night.
"Master Fuli, want to grab some midnight snacks? I just earned a tax-free five thousand here."
Watching the navigator leave, the fat cat laughed, looking at Master Fuli, and said.
"Let's save the midnight snacks for after tomorrow's mission. Tonight, I've plans with Ah Qing and the others for roast chicken." Ansheng shook his head.
"Alright!"
The fat cat carried Master Fuli, sprinting on all fours, into the security office, grabbing the electric car keys from the table with the security staff watching, riding the security patrol electric vehicle into the school.
The security stared with lines on their forehead, watching Master Fuli and the fat cat driving into the campus.
"Xiaolan! Over here!"
While heading back to the dormitory, Ah Qing's voice called from the direction of the testing field.
"Coming..."
Ansheng patted the fat cat, signaling it to brake. Ansheng leaped from the fat cat's shoulder to the flower bed, leisurely running toward Ah Qing waving at him:
"It's only nine o'clock; why is everyone out here?"
Ansheng climbed up Ah Qing's pant leg, rubbing against her cheek from his shoulder.
"We're grilling sweet potatoes, want to try some?"
Ah Qing chuckled as she and Huhu brought Xiaolan to the small group's barbecue camp.
Her study group alongside Ah Qing had dug a large pit outside the irrigation ditch of the testing field. More than ten people sat around the bonfire, chatting or scrolling on their phones, while food wrapped in foil could be faintly seen in the pit.
Sweet potatoes, corn, eggplants, and green peppers stuffed with shrimp paste and winter wheat were all roasting in the fire.
Ansheng vaguely detected the aroma of tea, but when he identified the source of the tea aroma, his expression froze.
"Ah Qing, your tea-smoked chicken..."
"Couldn't be the black tea I helped Momo choose, could it? That's authentic Wuyi ancient tree black tea, the purchasing price alone is eight to nine thousand a pound at best, and you're using it to flavor the chicken?"
"That stuff is rarely seen in scattered sales..." Ansheng lamented with a pained look.
Ancient tree black isn't rare, but such good tea leaves rarely circulate in the market, purchased outright upon production. Those available on the market fetch thousands over cost, with a high markup.
"It is black tea, given by Momo..." Ah Qing, contemplating, glanced towards Momo, "Momo, the little fox is asking if the recent black tea is that ancient tree red, the one it haggled for you?"
"Huh? Yes... it's the one the little fox bargained for." Momo, slightly bewildered, only shifted her gaze from the fire pit to respond slowly to Ah Qing.
And in that fire pit.
A wisp of Spiritual Particles mist was drifting from the foil-wrapped roast chicken's body upwards toward the sky.
But before fully ascending, under Ansheng's watchful eyes, that mist of Spiritual Particles settled onto Momo.
"........"
Ansheng glanced at the fire pit, then at Momo, passively absorbing Spiritual Particles. He leaped forward, sat on a camping chair, and gazed at the roasted chicken in the fire pit:
"Ah Qing, is the chicken done? A tea-smoked beggar's chicken made with ancient tree red tea, something I've never envisioned..."
With a gentle hum, Ansheng internally pondered:
"Seems like after tomorrow's outing, I should bring back a dose of the Spirit Particle Potion to poke Momo's rear; she should have accumulated plenty of Spiritual Particles internally, and needs them drawn out."