Chapter 50

One month later...

Hao Qi and Zhang Heng walked out of the VIP train carriage, both of them looking around with curious eyes at the neat buildings, the villas by the beach, the bikini-clad beauties on the sand, the distant sapphire sea, the seagulls in the sky, and the ships on the water...

This was the largest maritime nation in the eastern region of the Blue Sea, a small country in terms of land area but the most economically and technologically advanced in the region. It was also the country with the highest reported happiness among its citizens in the eastern Blue Sea region—Haitian Kingdom!

Hao Qi and Zhang Heng had lingered in the Hundred Herbs Kingdom for some time, supervising the erasure of historical records and the revision of medical texts. In fact, if Hao Qi hadn't been supervising in the capital of the Hundred Herbs Kingdom, they might have dragged their feet even more. Of course, besides these tasks, the wealth equivalent to 50 billion Blue Shadow coins also needed to be gathered by the Hundred Herbs Kingdom.

Don't think that 50 billion is an easy sum for a country to come up with. First, the Hundred Herbs Kingdom was actually a small country. Although it was prosperous due to its pharmaceutical industry, the nature of being a small country remained unchanged.

Secondly, the compensation was to be provided by the state, and the state's wealth is budgeted. Most of the treasury's funds were already allocated for various purposes, such as infrastructure, education, and national trade. To come up with 50 billion in a short time was practically a fantasy.

That's why Hao Qi and Zhang Heng had to stay in the Hundred Herbs Kingdom for so long, and it wasn't until a month later that they finally took the train to the Haitian Kingdom.

They had spent several days on the train, and before that, Hao Qi and Zhang Heng had only stayed in a small village, wandering around the underground of the snow mountain. The moment they stepped off the train, they saw the face of the Haitian Kingdom—blue skies, white clouds, the sea, and the colorful villas and buildings by the beach, all painted in red, yellow, pink, and white. Just a glance made Hao Qi feel refreshed, and the mood that had been stifled for months suddenly soared.

Zhang Heng was also stunned. He had grown up in the Hundred Herbs Kingdom and had never traveled farther than its borders. The most he had seen were grasslands, forests, and snow mountains, and the only city he knew was the capital of the Hundred Herbs Kingdom, which was not very prosperous. Perhaps due to its geographical location, the capital of the Hundred Herbs Kingdom was far less bustling than other countries, let alone the Haitian Kingdom. Compared to the Blue Shadow Republic where Hao Qi had once lived, the Hundred Herbs Kingdom was even less developed. Zhang Heng's visit to the Haitian Kingdom felt like a country bumpkin entering a grand city.

The two stood at the train station entrance, staring at the scene for a long time. Finally, Hao Qi whistled and laughed, patting Zhang Heng on the shoulder. "Isn't it great!? Hahaha, it really is great! The scenery here is much better than in the Hundred Herbs Kingdom!"

Zhang Heng rubbed his shoulder with a bitter smile. "Not exactly. It's just a different kind of scenery. The Hundred Herbs Kingdom is a plain in the mountains, and if you look around, it's still very impressive..."

"That's true," Hao Qi said, stroking his chin. But then he got excited again. "Regardless, seeing such different and magnificent scenery makes this trip worthwhile! Let's go! We'll eat some seafood, go swimming in the afternoon, and stay in a beach villa hotel tonight! We can talk about other things tomorrow, hahaha!"

Without waiting for Zhang Heng's objections, Hao Qi dragged him to the taxi stand. Zhang Heng was already used to Hao Qi's impulsive nature and could only follow along helplessly, heading towards the beach.

The taxi driver, a seasoned veteran, seemed to know a lot about them as soon as they got in. He started talking non-stop about the tourist attractions and key points of the border city, emphasizing the most expensive and luxurious places, such as the best hotels, seafood restaurants, and entertainment venues.

Hao Qi and Zhang Heng didn't mind. The driver spoke with a mix of frankness and humor, though a bit worldly, he wasn't annoying. After listening to his introduction of the Haitian Kingdom and the border city, Hao Qi and Zhang Heng had a better understanding of the place.

The driver dropped them off at the best beach hotel as requested by Hao Qi. After arriving, Hao Qi gave the driver an extra 100 Haitian coins as a tip, and the driver was extremely grateful. Hao Qi and Zhang Heng then entered the hotel with their luggage.

From Hao Qi's perspective, the technological level of the Haitian Kingdom was indeed higher than any other country he had seen, such as the Blue Shadow Republic, Ying Kingdom, and the Hundred Herbs Kingdom. The technology in the Haitian Kingdom was roughly equivalent to the 1960s of Hao Qi's previous life, at least ten to fifteen years, or even twenty years, more advanced than other countries. Although there were no internal combustion engines, Hao Qi saw extensive use of electric lights in the hotel, and there were elevators, decorations, and building heights that were very close to the hotels of his previous life, and even more luxurious due to the high-end nature of this hotel.

Hao Qi directly booked a presidential suite. Since they weren't short of money, he decided to be as comfortable as possible. After settling in, they went to a beachside restaurant, as the driver had recommended. This area was a popular vacation spot for the wealthy, with high prices but excellent service and food, making it worth the cost.

They had a great meal, ordering the specialties of the Haitian Kingdom. The cuisine was sweet and fresh, and the taste was excellent, far better than what Hao Qi had cooked in the wild. Although he had been practicing cooking since leaving the Blue Shadow Republic, his skills were only at an average level, mostly limited to grilling and simple soups. Without the high-quality ingredients and the generally better meat of this world, his food would have barely been enough to fill their stomachs.

During the meal, Hao Qi repeatedly mentioned that it would be great to have a chef in his martial group. Hearing this, Zhang Heng felt a bit uncomfortable but didn't say much.

After the meal, Hao Qi took Zhang Heng to the beach. The clear seawater, with its characteristic saltiness and sea breeze, was free from the pollution of Hao Qi's previous world. The water was so clear that the seabed was almost visible. Swimming in such water under the bright sun, with hotel staff and umbrellas, and various drinks, plus the many tourists, including many women in bikinis, made Hao Qi and Zhang Heng feel truly refreshed and immersed in the experience.

After a day of fun, they returned to the hotel in the evening. Hao Qi, upon asking the hotel staff, learned that the most luxurious restaurant in the city was on a retired Haitian Kingdom warship. They were taken by speedboat to the restaurant, where they had another great meal. The prices were high, but the food was even better than what they had for lunch, costing them over 200,000 Haitian coins. But for the two wealthy men, it was just a drop in the bucket.

After the meal, they returned to the hotel. Around 3 AM, Zhang Heng opened his eyes in his room, sighed at the dark ceiling, and quietly got up to pack his belongings—books, clothes, bags, herbs, and an expensive longbow made from a thousand-year-old wood heart, which he had bought with the compensation from the Hundred Herbs Kingdom.

After packing, Zhang Heng took out a stack of bank drafts, each worth 100 million Hundred Herbs Kingdom coins, which could be exchanged for about 85 million Haitian coins. He put one back in his bag and left the rest on the table, sighed again, and shouldered his luggage, opening the door.

But the scene outside the door made him freeze. Hao Qi was sitting in the living room of the suite, drinking, smoking, and looking out at the sea. When Zhang Heng opened the door, Hao Qi said, "I thought you would leave right after getting off the train, but I didn't expect you to leave in the middle of the night."

Zhang Heng was stunned for a moment before bowing deeply. "I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye... Let's part ways here. I will travel north to the northern Blue Sea to look for rare herbs like caterpillar fungus, and then... I'll just go with the flow. Thank you, Brother Hao, for everything you've done for me! I will never forget this kindness! If I ever have the chance, I will repay you with my life! Farewell, see you again!"

Zhang Heng held back his emotions, said these words loudly, and was about to leave when Hao Qi's voice rang out. "Hey, Zhang Heng, do you want to join my martial group?"

Zhang Heng turned to Hao Qi, stammering, "I, I... can I? I'm not at the Internal Force realm, and I don't know medicine or have any special skills. I just want to see the places where rare herbs grow. I... can I?"

"Of course, aren't we already partners?" Hao Qi stood up and turned to the window. "Meeting like-minded partners and exploring the world together, aren't we already partners? Haven't I already trusted you with my back? Really, do I have to spell it out... So..."

"Zhang Heng, welcome to the group!"