"Where is it trying to take us?"
Momo glanced at the mushroom on the passenger seat and then at her phone navigation, feeling a bit puzzled as she spoke.
The mushroom, temporarily named "Treasure-Seeking Mushroom", had a highly absurd route guidance, stubbornly pointing north all the way.
Even if there's a mountain, a big river, or a reservoir ahead, its arrow remains unchanged, only showing the shortest path. Whether or not the car can actually pass through the road is none of its concern.
The Treasure-Seeking Mushroom is even more unscrupulous than a misleading map.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex Pickup has climbed over hills and crossed valleys, only lacking Master Fuli to get out and carry it over the reservoir.
"Damn thing!"
Ansheng looked at the navigation map, raised a fox paw to unleash a cat punch combo, hitting the mushroom hard several times.
After driving for an hour and a half, they had left the jurisdiction of Chang'an City, almost reaching another province, burning nearly eight hundred bucks on gas without knowing the actual destination.
It's a good thing that they knew the Treasure-Seeking Mushroom lacked self-awareness.
Otherwise, Ansheng would have beaten it to the point of crying, digging out its ID number through the wish list.
But now that they've driven out, they have no choice but to continue heading north.
After another two hundred kilometers, the Treasure-Seeking Mushroom's pointer suddenly changed direction.
From pointing north, it switched to pointing east.
Momo's spirits lifted, she turned the steering wheel vigorously, joyfully accelerating, thinking they were close to the destination.
However.
They drove from one o'clock to six, exhausted from taking turns driving, until even Ansheng had to get behind the wheel, driving all the way to a location near Shijiazhuang in the Taiyue Mountain Range of a neighboring province.
The Treasure-Seeking Mushroom's pointer began to tremble, as if predicting they were about to reach their destination.
But around them were barren hills, and along the road they witnessed a rather peculiar sight.
Right in the middle of this wilderness, there were several brand-new concrete batching plants, continuously transporting materials.
Cement mixers were heading deep into the mountains.
Moreover, the mixer drivers gave Ansheng a very familiar feeling, like... Old Lu!
The mixer trucks' route was consistent with the direction pointed by the Treasure-Seeking Mushroom.
"...Isn't that the Monkey King?"
Faced with steel spike barricades, among the stationed warrior legion, Ansheng spotted the Monkey King and the neighboring province's Security Bureau's White Wolf Husky.
With a stiff neck, Ansheng turned to look at the Treasure-Seeking Mushroom on the passenger seat.
"Master Fuli, why are you here?"
The Monkey King, ready to block the car, wiped the dust off the driver's side window and asked with amazement.
"Where is this?"
Frowning, Ansheng rolled down the window, glanced at the sleeping friends in the back seat, took a deep breath, and looked outside at the Monkey King to inquire.
"Uh... It's the construction site of the secret building 'Dragon Nest', your captured treasure's home." The Monkey King whispered to Master Fuli.
This place, named "Dragon Nest," is a special building for housing the Dragon People during their vacation and slumber.
To bring back the Dragon People and vacationers from the African continent would take at least three months at the fastest estimation.
The "Dragon Nest" construction is fully overseen by the Old Lu Legion warriors in a three-shift rotation, with assistance from the Security Bureau.
"Is this the destination?"
Momo yawned, rubbed her eyes, and asked the driving little fox.
"We've arrived, but it's home....."
Ansheng, looking frustrated, grabbed the Treasure-Seeking Mushroom on the passenger seat and followed the pointer to the iron-clad dormitory at the construction site.
Momo woke up Ah Qing and the others, following Master Fuli to the construction dormitory.
"Open the door, Master Fuli is here to bring warmth." Ansheng knocked on the door ahead, speaking feebly.
Though the door remained closed, Ansheng already smelled Professor Wu's scent through the not-so-sealed door and window gaps; the resident was indeed Professor Wu.
"Master Fuli... Why are you here?" Professor Wu, dressed in home pajamas, opened the door with a face full of surprise, looking at Master Fuli and Ah Qing.
"It's been a while, come in and have a seat."
"Okay"
Ansheng responded, looking again at the Treasure-Seeking Mushroom she was holding.
The mushroom cap pointer was pointing directly at the briefcase in Professor Wu's hand.
The seamless black briefcase, apparently made from a single piece of Spiritual Particle Metal, had a pair of shackles connected to Professor Wu's wrist, tightly locked.
Ansheng had seen similar boxes a few times, which contained items dubbed "Candle Jiuyin," a super biological weapon reproduced by the Security Bureau.
Master Fuli jokingly referred to it as "Second Epoch Garbage Dump Fungal Zone."
"Master Fuli, do you want this?" Professor Wu noticed Master Fuli's gaze and hesitated for a moment, looking at the black briefcase she had been carrying.
"Indeed, but before that, can you tell me the phone number for reporting fraud? I've been scammed..."
Ansheng complained with a face full of amused frustration.
"Candle Jiuyin" is indeed a valuable item, but why is the Treasure-Seeking Mushroom silent!
If it could report the coordinates, the Security Bureau could have informed them of anything locally in advance, eliminating the need for everyone to drive here.
"Anyone dares to deceive you? Your Roswell Fox name is well-known in Rakshasa Country and Europe." Professor Wu laughed, handing out bottled water to everyone.
"Roswell Fox?"
"Is that Xiaolan's foreign name?" Ah Qing took the bottled water, thanked Professor Wu, and asked with eyes sparkling.
"Not exactly..."
Sitting on the bed, Professor Wu smiled as he explained to Ah Qing and the others: "It's a long story, related to several foreign friends, or rather, they operate under Master Fuli's name."
"You know President Roosevelt, right? The one who managed to tax up to ninety-five percent."
After briefly introducing Roosevelt, Professor Wu smiled and said:
"In those friends' eyes, Master Fuli's actions are not much different from President Roosevelt."
"In business, Master Fuli is rumored to favor a nineteen-to-one profit-sharing ratio."
"You earn a hundred, but have to give me nine hundred, that's the 'nineteen-to-one sharing rule' of Master Fuli."
"???"
Ah Qing popped up with a question mark above her head, staring wide-eyed at Momo, everyone exchanging looks of confusion.
Nineteen-to-one sharing... Is that really sharing?
If it weren't said outright, they would probably think it's robbery!
"When did I gain such a reputation? Don't slander me as a sneaky fox." Ansheng protested, denying Professor Wu's "nineteen-to-one sharing rule."
The rumor about Rakshasa Country and Europe probably started when Miyel gifted him the Polar Industrial Group.
"Whether or not you have done it matters not, they all believe it now."
"They haven't locked their accounts yet; various Rakshasa Country and European landlords voluntarily applied for taxation, even giving up local tax exemptions. Their only plea is to reject the 'Roswell Fox's Golden Ratio Rule.'"
Professor Wu happily said:
"When landlords hear about the golden ratio, they cry."
Ansheng: "....."
So, it's character assassination? Tarnishing my reputation.