Chapter 84

"Is Mithril something from The Lord of the Rings movies?" Zhao Zhu asked.

Zhao Zhu remembered that in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series, Mithril was a valuable material. It was often mixed into powerful weapons and tools, as if a hero would feel embarrassed to wield a weapon without a bit of Mithril in it.

"Um, pretty much. My metallurgy manual has records about this material. In fact, even a fingernail-sized piece of Mithril is very precious. The piece in your hand is about the size of three or four fingernails. When crafting runes and tools, adding even a tiny bit of Mithril can significantly enhance their effects, often improving the quality of the crafted item by a level! Of course, if Mithril is used as a catalyst in potions, the effects of the potion can greatly increase, and even unexpected changes in the potion's properties can occur. Anyway, it's a treasure, a great treasure."

Fan Pian looked at the Mithril in Zhao Zhu's hand, his eyes almost glowing with excitement, like a drug addict seeing a truckload of ice in front of him, ready to pounce.

"Tell me, do you have the ability to use this as raw material to make something now?" Zhao Zhu was afraid that Fan Pian would waste the material.

"Um... actually, my technical skills are already quite good. Making something shouldn't be a big problem. Mithril only enhances the crafted item unilaterally and doesn't affect the manufacturing process," Fan Pian said seriously. "You now have a set of cards. I can vaporize the Mithril and engrave it onto the cards. The power of the cards you control will increase several times, and the mental and willpower you need to control the cards will be further reduced. Your combat ability will be doubled as a result!"

"Sounds good. We originally agreed on a 60-40 split, but let's make it 50-50. The 10% difference can be considered as your labor fee."

"No problem. I'll go to my lab tonight to do this work. It will take no more than 24 hours, and your cards will be ready." Fan Pian was really eager.

While Zhao Zhu and Fan Pian were talking, on the field, Guangzhou Evergrande scored first in the away game. The Brazilian foreign player Gao Lai passed from the wing, and the local player Zheng Long scored in the middle, leading the away team.

"Zhao Zhu, let's go back." Fan Pian urged, seeing that Zhao Zhu was still watching the game. Although he was from Hangzhou, he had no particular interest or loyalty to football or the Hangzhou Greentown team.

"It's not that urgent. Let's finish the game before we leave. Come, sit here. We'll watch the rest of the game for him. Without the spirits who die but still support their team, we wouldn't have found this Mithril." Zhao Zhu sat down to watch the game again.

Fan Pian had no choice but to sit down as well.

The final result of the game was Guangzhou Evergrande 1-0, a predictable outcome given the significant difference in strength between the two teams.

After the game, Zhao Zhu and Fan Pian left the Huanglong Stadium. Fan Pian drove back to his teahouse, and Zhao Zhu gave him the Mithril. Fan Pian didn't even have time to eat dinner and immediately went into his lab.

Zhao Zhu sat on the terrace outside the teahouse. The sky had already darkened, but the breeze from West Lake was still gentle. Zhao Zhu sat there alone, drinking tea and eating tea snacks. Zhu Wanqi was still watching the "Songcheng Ancient City" performance and hadn't returned. The teahouse staff, following the boss's instructions, didn't disturb Zhao Zhu, making him feel unusually relaxed.

He spread his hand, and a handful of West Lake water fell into his palm, changing in various ways. Thanks to the massage from the woman in the jade hairpin last night, Zhao Zhu's willpower and mental strength had become more solid, and he could use them more skillfully.

He clenched his hand, and the water fell back into the lake. Zhao Zhu picked up a tea snack, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly.

He suddenly felt that this place was actually quite nice. Although the current West Lake couldn't compare to its former natural beauty, it still retained some charm worth remembering. Sitting here, drinking tea, looking at the lake, and taking a walk was a different kind of enjoyment, and it might even benefit his mental strength.

With this thought, Zhao Zhu took out his phone. He had only sent a text message to Xiong Zhiqi and Zhu Jianping but hadn't really talked to them. He called back, and the call was quickly answered.

"Hey, Brother Zhao, are you still out?"

"Yeah, I'm in Hangzhou."

"Wow, that's a great place. A thousand years to wait, ah~ to wait~..."

Xiong Zhiqi started singing. Zhao Zhu moved the phone slightly away from his ear and said, "I have a friend here, also in the group, who just got something good. I can't use it all myself. You and Jingchong come to Hangzhou."

"Ah... to Hangzhou, that's great. I'll book the flight right away."

"Okay, I'll wait for you here."

"Alright, Brother Zhao."

After hanging up, Zhao Zhu got up from the chair and walked to the riverside, looking at the lake and stretching. At that moment, he saw something in the corner of his eye, as if a pair of eyes was watching him from the riverbank.

Zhao Zhu trusted his senses, which were much more sensitive than those of ordinary people. If someone was watching him in the dark, he would be even more sensitive than those with strong anti-detection abilities.

"Rustle."

The sound of water came.

In the water?

Zhao Zhu involuntarily took a few steps back but kept his eyes on that spot.

A moment later, a white light slowly rose from the surface of West Lake. When the light faded, Zhao Zhu saw a... white snake!

The white snake and West Lake have always been inseparable. For thousands of years, the legends of the white snake have been passed down along the lake, spreading across the country. Tourists from all over the country come to visit the Leifeng Pagoda, now made of steel and concrete with elevators, and imagine the stories and legends. This is part of the charm of Hangzhou.

But, legends are just legends. Zhao Zhu never thought he would encounter this... "Madam White" on the banks of West Lake?

"Hisss."

The white snake swam out of the water, climbed onto the shore, and moved naturally and smoothly without any hesitation. It then crawled to Zhao Zhu's side, slowly raising its body. The white snake wasn't very long, but it was long enough for its head to be level with Zhao Zhu's, their eyes meeting.

Zhao Zhu didn't move, and the snake remained still. They stared at each other, the wind around them still gentle and moist, making the air cool and refreshing.

...

Outside Fushun Airport in Liaoning, a middle-aged man in a dark blue robe was squatting and smoking a pipe. He had already bought a ticket to Hangzhou. What was he going to do in Hangzhou? Find someone.

At night, the light from his pipe flickered.

At that moment, a figure slowly appeared in the darkness behind him. It was a man, whose face was unclear, but the immense pressure emanating from him was palpable.

"Zhao Hejing, where are you going?" The voice from the shadow was cold and indifferent, as if nothing mattered, yet it seemed to have a strong desire for control.

"Angel, can't I even decide where to go for a walk now?" Zhao Hejing asked in return.

Angel, whose real name was Li Ning, had the group ID "Curtain Angel" and was an administrator in the group, mainly active in Northeast China, serving as the enforcer and arbitrator of the group's power in the region.

"You should be aware of your status. You're no longer a new member of the group. You can't just seek revenge or take revenge on someone without considering the consequences. You should know that your actions, if careless, could trigger a disaster," Li Ning said.

"Ha, the stronger the power, the less freedom one has. It's really laughable. You should know that the bastard dismembered one of my subordinates and sent the pieces to me, and in SZ, he even intercepted my blood jade insect. Tell me, can I not go find him and have a chat?" Zhao Hejing's voice carried a deep anger.

"You should know that even if I don't stop you, the administrators in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai will take action against you."

"Ha, I'd like to see how powerful they are." Zhao Hejing had the confidence to say this. His qualifications and abilities were on par with the group's administrators, lacking only the title recognized by the group leader.

"Then what? If you really overstep the line and draw the group leader's attention, what will happen?" Curtain Angel's words carried a hint of mockery.

At the mention of the "group leader," Zhao Hejing took a deep drag on his pipe, a look of fear appearing on his face. New members might think the group leader was just a "good person" who could exchange things, but in reality, the more powerful one was, the more they could feel the group leader's terrifying presence.

"Already, no freedom."

"Yes, no freedom."

"I still can't let this go."

"I know."

"I will ask other members of the group, those who haven't reached the critical point, to help me."

"Doing so will still involve you in the consequences, as the group leader is supreme and omniscient. Your actions will still have consequences."

"I'm willing to bear the cost."

"It's not worth it. At this point, even a small punishment or damage could lead to your downfall."

"As long as I think it's worth it, that's enough."

"Alright, as long as you don't leave Liaoning to do other things, I won't stop you."

"Thank you."

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