Chapter 162 - 135: The Dark Forest Version of the Extraordinary World 2

He couldn’t tell what brand it was!

No, the real issue was that you could hardly even call this a phone in the Real World.

The entire phone was transparent... Holding it was like grasping a piece of precious jade; it wasn’t cold, but felt incredibly warm and smooth.

After examining it for a moment, Chu Bamboo lightly swiped his finger across the screen, which projected a holographic display.

’Huh? It can project an image?’

’Holy shit... Wait, why is there no battery icon in the top-right corner? Don’t tell me... this phone has an infinite battery?!!’

Chu Bamboo’s scalp tingled. He glanced at Li Kang, who looked as if this was all perfectly normal, then back at the phone. He opened his mouth to speak several times, but the words were caught in his throat.

’Damn it, now I’m the country bumpkin!’

"I’ve already entered the phone numbers for you. Mine, Linglong’s, Guan Fei’s, Wall Announcements’... Oh, right, I also made a special call to ask Governor Lu, and I’ve entered his number for you too!" Li Kang declared, having arranged everything.

After a brief silence, Chu Bamboo finally regained his composure. "Looks like you and Old Lu have been getting along well lately?" he asked, eyeing Li Kang with amusement.

Li Kang’s expression remained unchanged, and he made no effort to hide it. "It’s all thanks to you! That’s how I made this connection... I was almost transferred to be the captain of the Second District, but Governor Lu’s connections came through for me! But I’m getting old... It doesn’t mean much to me anymore! I just want to quietly protect this land until I retire... and then gradually grow old."

Li Kang paused, a sentimental look appearing in his eyes. "Of course, if... before I die, I encounter something worth sacrificing my life for... like saving people, or fighting off an enemy! And then die a heroic death, that would be perfect... My life’s goal is to not die in a hospital bed!"

Chu Bamboo laughed. He was about to retort, ’You’re a Transcendent, and you’re still afraid of dying from illness?’... but then he remembered Li Kang’s frighteningly high contamination. His expression faltered.

"...Don’t be like that!" Li Kang glanced at the now-silent Chu Bamboo and smiled. "If that really happens, you should be happy for me."

"Perhaps!" Chu Bamboo didn’t dwell on the subject. He rubbed his face, reined in his emotions, and leaned back in his chair, once again propping his feet up on the desk.

Li Kang felt his temples throb as he stared fixedly at Chu Bamboo’s feet.

’You’ve got to be kidding me. I don’t even dare treat my own desk like that. Go easy on it, please!’ Li Kang slapped a hand to his face, unable to watch. This desk was brand new! He had accepted it when Chu Bamboo treated his old desk this way!

’The previous desk was smashed to bits by Guan Fei’s palm just yesterday... If this one breaks, there’s no way I can get it reimbursed...’

"I’ve always been curious about something!" Chu Bamboo said, his tone unreadable. "When you go out looking for those Transcendents, do you arrest them?"

"?" Li Kang blinked, confused. "If they haven’t committed a crime, we just give them a stern warning! Then we register their names! And every once in a while, we visit them to ask about their recent movements and see if they’ve broken any laws... But if they have committed a crime, then of course they’re getting arrested..."

"I don’t recall seeing them locked up in prison?" Chu Bamboo retorted. He had been inside a prison before, when Xue the Third was captured, and he’d found the Extraordinary Prison was empty—the regular prisons, on the other hand, were quite full.

"They all get shipped away! The logistics department handles it." Li Kang shrugged. "It makes sense. It’s called an Extraordinary Prison, but it’s really just for show... It couldn’t contain anyone too powerful! If we were to actually imprison them, we’d have to station a Transcendent at the prison year-round... We just don’t have the resources for that."

Chu Bamboo closed his eyes, his emotions churning. He thought he finally understood the fate of those criminals!

’Alright, the only silver lining is that the logistics department, or rather, Daqian, seems to have some sort of bottom line... They don’t just recklessly grab any Transcendent they find and throw them into a nuclear facility.’

’If they really did that! Heh...’

"Do you know where Fushui and Radiant Stones come from?" Chu Bamboo asked out of the blue.

"? Aren’t they mined?" Li Kang gave Chu Bamboo a strange look. "As I recall, we have a mine here in Jinghai... or maybe a few? That’s what makes us so lucky! Because of that, and because Jinghai City is a financial and industrial hub... we get allocated a lot more resources than regions without mines..."

’As expected, he doesn’t know!’

Chu Bamboo sighed to himself. ’And judging from Zhang Hai’s behavior before, he probably doesn’t know either, does he?’

’Considering this... this must be extremely classified information! It makes sense. If this got out, how many people’s worldviews would it shatter? At the same time, what kind of effect would it have on the atmosphere of the entire Extraordinary World... Wait a minute...’

Suddenly realizing something, Chu Bamboo looked Li Kang dead in the eye. "After Xue the Third was killed, where did his body go?"

Without a doubt, Xue the Third of the All-Powerful Lineage was also a Transcendent. If he were to fight Chu Bamboo for real, even the current Chu Bamboo would most likely be crushed...

"The logistics department took it away! What’s the big deal? The bodies of Transcendents are hard to deal with anyway!" Li Kang said dismissively.

Chu Bamboo: "..."

And so, Chu Bamboo had confirmed another, more terrifying fact.

’It’s highly likely that the blood of Transcendents who *hadn’t* lost control... could also be used to aid in Cultivation. And maybe, just maybe, they have Radiant Stones in their brains, too!’

"Is your blood white?" Chu Bamboo rubbed his temples and asked suddenly.

"What kind of stupid question is that? Of course it’s red! Blood red! It’s right there in the name." Li Kang’s expression shifted. He asked, "Are you still hung up on that stolen item... I feel like your mental state is a little off right now. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself!"

He said earnestly, "Even if the thief is caught, we’re not going to kill him! We’ll just lock him up and re-educate him for a while..."

"It’s nothing," Chu Bamboo said with a smile. But there was no mirth in his heart. After learning this crucial piece of information... the Extraordinary World in his eyes was now completely different from before.

"Never mind you! I have..." Li Kang’s brow suddenly furrowed. An ear-piercing ringtone sounded, and he pulled out his phone, glancing at it. "The alarm’s going off again! I have to go... Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention. Xiaomin is on break from university this weekend, coming back from the Celestial Capital. Want to get a meal together? Just do it for my sake."

"...That’s a surprise!" Chu Bamboo clicked his tongue in amazement. "You used to guard against me like I was a thief!"

"...True." Li Kang nodded, his face blank. He started walking out quickly, not even waiting for Chu Bamboo’s reply. "Come if you want, if not, forget it!"

’It was mainly because he used to think this pig was trying to root up his prize cabbage. That he’d even stolen his cabbage’s heart, what with her talking about him at home all the time...’

’But now, looking at Ning Linglong, at Lu Muxue...’

’Was it possible that this guy had never actually been interested in his prize cabbage? Thinking about it more... was it possible that *he* was the prize cabbage?’

’And...’

’Besides, he hadn’t really been that against it before. He’d just thought Chu Bamboo was too young. They should at least wait until Xiaomin graduated from university before thinking about that stuff, which is why he’d intervened just a little...’

’But now, he was completely at ease—or rather, he’d given up all hope. Pitting Xiaomin against Chu Bamboo? Could she even fight that battle? She couldn’t win. She didn’t have what it took! She couldn’t win even with him helping! It was a guaranteed loss—that Miss Lu has a governor for a father backing her up, and from the looks of it, that’s been no damn help at all...’