Chapter 16

The undulating peaks and lush trees stretched out as far as the eye could see, a vast expanse of verdant green, making one feel as if they were floating on a sea of green.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp..." The cicadas in the trees seemed to know that summer was coming to an end, and that their time was running out. They were now calling with all their might.

In the distance, a construction site was bustling with activity. The workers, dressed in green camouflage, were sweating profusely, as if racing against time to complete the construction.

Not far from where they had battled the blue wolf pack, the researchers from the Spirit Energy Research Institute discovered a rich deposit of spirit energy ore.

On the day the spirit energy ore was discovered, the Abnormal Ability Management Bureau immediately sent a 3rd-rank初级异能者 to support the Ninth Bureau in mining. Although this 3rd-rank异能者 was not as strong as Xie Yurong, his awakened ability was perception, allowing him to detect energy fluctuations from a distance. He could sense the movements of any spirit beasts approaching the ore deposit, greatly reducing the alert pressure on the Ninth Bureau.

"Yang Jian, how much longer until we can fully mine the spirit energy ore?" Xie Yurong asked.

"Xie Yurong, it's been so long since we last met, and you're still the same! You're always in a hurry. It will be ready in two more days," Yang Jian replied.

"Right now, every second counts. Time waits for no one. Has the ore deposit been fully surveyed?"

"It has been surveyed. There are about 8 tons of spirit energy ore. One standard spirit stone weighs 15 grams, so this ore deposit can produce at least 500,000 spirit stones. According to the regulations of the Abnormal Ability Management Bureau, after the ore is mined and a portion is submitted to the bureau, the local management office where the ore is located can retain 20% of the total mined ore as a distribution quota. That's at least 100,000 spirit stones! This time, your Ninth Bureau in Rongcheng will be very wealthy.

The official market price is 45,000 yuan per spirit stone, but this price is mostly for buying, not selling. In the black market, they are being sold for 60,000 yuan each.

The situation will become more severe in the future, and I think the price will break 70,000 yuan soon. By that calculation, your Ninth Bureau will make at least 6 billion yuan this time," Yang Jian said enviously.

"I didn't expect the ore deposit to produce so much! This time, our Ninth Bureau can significantly enhance our capabilities to deal with future changes." Xie Yurong's face lit up with a bright smile as she heard Yang Jian's calculations.

However, at that moment, a figure appeared in her mind—a man in a black training suit with an ice mask on his face.

"Should I ask for some rewards for him from the higher-ups? If it weren't for his help back then, I and the others would have been in grave danger," Xie Yurong thought.

"By the way, have you found any leads on the masked man you reported to the higher-ups, codenamed 'Moonlit Night'?" Yang Jian asked casually.

"No, this person seems to have appeared out of nowhere. I've reviewed the records from the past few years, and there's no information about him," Xie Yurong replied, snapping back to reality.

"Ice, fire, and healing—three powerful abilities. Based on the combat data you provided, the Spirit Energy Research Institute analyzed that his strength is almost reaching 4th-rank, or he might already be at 4th-rank," Yang Jian said.

"Right, he's definitely at peak 3rd-rank," Xie Yurong agreed.

"As the saying goes, chaos breeds monsters.

We rarely see such people in normal times, but now that the world is becoming unstable, all sorts of demons and monsters are emerging," Yang Jian sighed.

"Based on the two encounters we've had, he seems to have stumbled upon us by chance. During the blue wolf incident, he even expressed goodwill towards us. I don't think he poses a significant threat," Xie Yurong analyzed.

"Let's hope so! In a few days, the central government will announce the establishment of a cultivation school, recruiting individuals under 23 years old with 1st-rank spirit energy for a three-year training program. After graduation, they will join the various Abnormal Ability Bureaus to deal with future changes," Yang Jian said.

"This should have been done a long time ago. In the past few years, we were severely understaffed, and we had to work twice as hard. Once the cultivation school's students graduate, the strength and efficiency of our Abnormal Ability Bureau will greatly improve," Xie Yurong said.

"Everyone knows this, but you know the situation in the past few years. Spirit energy resources were too scarce, and we could only train a few investigators. If it weren't for the spirit energy outbreak last year, with the discovery of spirit energy ore and various materials in different regions, the central government wouldn't have dared to think about establishing a school!" Yang Jian sighed.

"Yang Jian, I understand the situation. I was just nagging you. I know the central government couldn't do it otherwise," Xie Yurong said.

A loud boom drew Xie Yurong and Yang Jian's attention.

"The second mine shaft is ready," Yang Jian said with a smile. "Xie Yurong, I've come a long way to support your Ninth Bureau. After the spirit energy ore is mined, you have to give me a big red envelope!"

"If you want a red envelope, go ask the bureau. I'm short on spirit stones. Don't think that 100,000 spirit stones are a lot; after distribution, there won't be much left. We need to keep some in reserve for emergencies," Xie Yurong said.

"You're so stingy!"

Xie Yurong ignored Yang Jian. Spirit stones were so scarce that she couldn't give them away carelessly.

Days passed, and with the workers working day and night, the mining facilities were rapidly completed, and the mine was soon in full operation.

Xie Yurong shifted her focus to the mine, personally helping Yang Jian with the defense.

Although many people already knew about the discovery of the new spirit energy ore, which was more valuable than gold, no one dared to challenge the authority. If anyone did, they would be inviting death!

The mine was heavily guarded, with numerous soldiers on duty and investigators patrolling the area. Each investigator was on high alert, scrutinizing every detail, determined to prevent even a single fly from entering the mining area.

"Twenty percent of the ore belongs to our Ninth Bureau, which is estimated to be 100,000 spirit stones. If any of you are negligent and cause any problems, not only will you be punished, but you won't get any of the distribution quota," the bureau chief warned them.

The details of the punishment were not clear, but the promise of spirit stones after the ore was mined made everyone enthusiastic. To ensure they received their share, the investigators were putting in all their effort to guard the mine.

Every day, as truckloads of spirit energy ore were mined and transported to the temporary warehouse, Xie Yurong and Yang Jian would smile, knowing how valuable this resource was.

Every evening, Xie Yurong would personally escort the transport vehicles until the ore was delivered to the Spirit Energy Research Institute in Rongcheng, only then would the escort mission be considered complete.

Although the workload for the investigators in the Ninth Bureau had increased due to the mining, everyone's face was filled with smiles, as the day of receiving spirit stones was drawing near.