Everlasting Immortal Firmament
chapter-004

Zang Yulian’s kick destroyed the entire manor. All the mercenaries died in the fire. Gu Hai merely smiled bitterly, not commenting on it.

Gu Hai and Zang Yulian entered the manor after the explosion. Ninety percent of the manor’s buildings got destroyed. After all, there were many explosives there.

Lord Si had turned into a charred corpse, burning under a gasoline tank.

The entire mercenary force got wiped out.

Gu Hai: “…”

“What is in this rubble? Why are you rummaging through it?” Zang Yulian asked in confusion.

“I found it. A cell phone!” Gu Hai smiled as he found a cell phone.

Zang Yulian watched in confusion as Gu Hai used the phone to call a number. Soon, a voice came from the cell phone. “Who is this?”

“Voice transmission from a distance? You can do that without Spiritual Energy? What enchanted treasure is this?” Zang Yulian marveled.

Gu Hai ignored Zang Yulian. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, “Director Zhang, it’s me, Gu Hai.”

“Oh? Gu Hai? You are still alive?” A shocked voice came from the cell phone.

“I’m currently in my spice garden in Somalia. All the things I gathered previously are with me—Kang Xi’s imperial seal, Wu Daozi’s painting, Su Dongpo’s manuscripts, and others. I won’t go into detail. I want to bring them back immediately; the faster, the better. The best would be a flight today,” Gu Hai said.

[TL Note: The names mentioned here are notable figures in China’s history. Here are their Wikipedia entries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangxi_Emperor, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Daozi, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Shi.]

“Ah! They are all with you? Excellent! Excellent! However, getting a plane to Beijing today might be a little…” Director Zhang seemed put on the spot.

“You can just reassign two military planes; that will work too. I have to return today. It is urgent!” Gu Hai said gravely.

“Military planes? Bro, do you really think that I work at the national security central office?” Director Zhang showed a bitter expression.

“I don’t need to keep the treasures that I collected. I can donate them to the museum,” Gu Hai said indifferently.

“Huh? You don’t want them? Hah! I still don’t have the ability to mobilize military planes. How about this: I’ll inform the embassy in Somalia and do my best to send you a helicopter. At the same time, I can delay the regular flight back to Beijing. That’s all I can do,” Director Zhang said.

“Alright. Hurry up!” Gu Hai nodded.

As Gu Hai spoke, he heard a subordinate reporting at Director Zhang’s side.

“Director, we have locked on to the location. However, it seems like the spice garden has just exploded,” that subordinate said, finding it strange.

Director Zhang fell silent for a while.

Gu Hai took a deep breath and said, “Alright. Stop looking for me. I’m right in the rubble.”

“Ah! That’s not good. There seems to be a military force heading for the manor. Director Zhang, they will arrive at that manor in at most half an hour.”

Director Zhang gaped and was about to say something when Gu Hai said, “It’s Hassan’s people. There’s no need to worry about them. Hurry. Send a helicopter over.”

The startled Director Zhang smiled bitterly. “Alright. Be careful.”

After Director Zhang hung up, he quickly made arrangements. Gu Hai tossed the phone aside and looked at the poppy flowers around them.

“These flowers are so beautiful. Do they really have poison?” Zang Yulian said in shock.

“These things harm people. Just burn them.” Gu Hai shook his head.

In a large hall filled with precision instruments and displays, a man in military uniform stood looking at a particular screen.

Many other people of both genders in military uniform bustled around the hall, working.

“Director, I have already sent word out. The helicopter will arrive at the manor in the scene in four hours,” a uniformed man said respectfully.

The director was the Director Zhang whom Gu Hai spoke to.

“The philanthropic merchant, Gu Hai. Hah! Who was responsible for searching for Gu Hai five years ago? Wasn’t it reported that he died?” Director Zhang asked seriously.

“Huh? I don’t know. Since Gu Hai vanished five years ago, there has not been any news about him,” a subordinate replied bitterly.

“Director, Hassan’s army must have seen the explosion at the manor, so they rushed over. There is also an armored vehicle. Although the picture is not clear, I am certain that there are only two of them. Can they handle it?” another subordinate asked with a frown.

“Little Li, what position were you in when you were thirty?” Director Zhang asked indifferently.

[TL Note: It is normal for superiors to address their subordinates by their family names prefixed with little, especially subordinates in a much lower rank/position.]

“This subordinate had just entered the intelligence bureau.”

“Only you were selected out of so many elites. You entered our bureau when you were thirty. Do you know what Gu Hai was like when he was thirty? Hah! When he was thirty, his business had already spread to thirty countries. He personally built it from nothing. He has a love for Go and collects Go game records from all over the world. To him, business strategy is like playing Go. He would make several trips to the Middle East, Europe, the United States, and Africa. Every time he left, he would miraculously double his business. Hassan? Gu Hai had fought him a few times. It is not that Gu Hai could not kill Hassan but that Gu Hai was using Hassan as a shield against other small factions’ harassment. Hassan sees him as an enemy. However, he only saw Hassan as a watchdog, guarding his spice garden. Do you still think we need to be worried?” Director Zhang asked indifferently.

“Ah? Yes. This subordinate overthought.”

Director Zhang nodded but still continued staring at the screen. Although he had unconditional trust in Gu Hai’s abilities, there were only two people in the scene.

“Director, only two of them are alive. There are no other people,” the man responsible for the satellite image reported respectfully.

“Zoom in!”

“The image can zoom in only this much. The camera of the satellite on that side is not that good.”

“Do we have records of the earlier explosion?” Director Zhang asked.

“We do not. That place is not a recorded zone, so there is no recording.”

Director Zhang showed a strange expression.

Half an hour passed.

“Director, look! Hassan’s people have arrived. They seemed infuriated by the surrounding fire. However, Gu Hai is not hiding?” the earlier subordinate said in shock.

“Also, the burning of the poppy flowers, isn’t the fire overly intense? Isn’t it abnormal for them to burn so quickly?” another subordinate said in curiosity.

“What are they doing?”

“Ah?”

Everyone in the hall stopped what they were doing. They goggled incredulously at the satellite image.

“That woman picked up the armored vehicle? An armored vehicle? She picked it up?!” The eyes of a soldier were on the verge of popping out.

“Oh? She threw it!”

Nearly everyone in the hall rubbed their eyes. That throw was not for just a few meters, but at least one kilometer. Is she a monster?

“Huh? All of Hassan’s men died? Why did they all suddenly die?” someone exclaimed.

“Zoom in! Zoom in further! I want to see Gu Hai clearly!” Director Zhang said anxiously.

“Director, this is already the maximum. We really cannot get a clear image of him. Everyone is dead, and it seems like Gu Hai is speaking with that woman,” one of the subordinates said bitterly.

The scene slowly calmed down. However, no one in the hall could speak for a long time.

The earlier scene simply did not seem human.

“Replay the earlier scene!” Director Zhang said.

“Yes!”

“Little Li, you are the psychology expert here. Analyze the attitudes and stances of Gu Hai and that woman earlier.” Director Zhang scratched his head, frowning very heavily.

“Yes!” Little Li nodded.

After some thought, Little Li said, “Since the image is not very clear, I couldn’t see the expressions of Gu Hai and that woman. However, judging from their posture, they were extremely relaxed, disdainful of Hassan’s army. Hassan seemed to have said something from the armored vehicle, angering that woman. In her anger, she picked up the armored vehicle and tossed it. Gu Hai extended his hand, wanting to stop the woman. However, it was already too late. Ah! Look! Gu Hai picked up a stone and tossed it out. Then, all of the armed men died. He must have crushed that stone and…”

After Little Li finished his analysis, everyone fell silent.

“This matter is classified. No one is to speak of what you just saw. It will be classified as top-secret. I will report this upwards,” Director Zhang said.

“Yes!” everyone answered, still in shock.

“Continue recording this!” Director Zhang said.

“Yes!”

Two hours passed.

Soon, two helicopters came to pick up Gu Hai and Zang Yulian.

Gu Hai handed the antiques over to the person in charge on one of the aircraft while he boarded the other one with Zang Yulian.

When the helicopters flew into the sky, Zang Yulian felt very curious. However, Gu Hai looked down at the manor.

Given the destruction of Hassan’s army, Little Si’s mercenary army, and Tom’s death, someone would soon come and investigate. However, Gu Hai did not care. He would not remain on Earth for long. He intended to return after bringing Long Zhanguo and the Supreme Wa back to life and chatting with Laozi.

The helicopters traveled very fast, but Zang Yulian frowned and said, “This is a helicopter? It is too noisy and too slow. Only a few people can sit in it. Indeed, it is nothing good. It is not as good as an immortal crane carriage.”

“Just make do for now. If you are bored, listen to some music? That…the one in front, do you have any music?” Gu Hai asked.

“Music? The music Dao?” Zang Yulian’s expression changed.

The copilot in front suddenly called out, “I do, I do. I have music with me.”

As the copilot spoke, he quickly took out his cell phone and a pair of earphones for Zang Yulian.

“Do you have classical music?” Gu Hai asked.

“Huh? Classical? I haven’t downloaded any. I only have some rock in my cell phone,” the copilot said in confusion.

“Rock?” Zang Yulian felt slightly startled.

“She might not be able to take the stimulation of rock. Do you have anything else?” Gu Hai said strangely.

“Who said I can’t take it? There is nothing of the music Dao that I cannot accept! Let me listen!” Zang Yulian called out.

The copilot immediately helped her play the rock music.

After Zang Yulian learned how to put on the earphones, she started listening.

As Zang Yulian listened, her expression stiffened.

“What do you think?” the copilot asked with a smile.

The copilot, a military man, had received orders to observe and probe Gu Hai and Zang Yulian. However, he initially did not dare to say anything because, before the helicopter’s door closed, the rotor blades had kicked up strong winds. However, Zang Yulian’s and Gu Hai’s hair had not stirred when the wind blew at them, apparently extremely heavy.

It looks like the music that I secretly downloaded is quite useful. Earlier, when the director called and asked for me by name, I nearly wet my pants. Had I not been sure that the caller ID was correct, I would have tossed my phone away and called him a liar.

The mission the director gave me was to receive these two properly. However, I haven’t managed to do anything. Now, I finally have music as an icebreaker.

“What is this nonsense they are singing?” Zang Yulian frowned.

Crack! Zang Yulian crushed the cell phone.

“My rugged smartphone!” The copilot showed despair on his face.

Before the copilot recovered from the loss of his phone, Gu Hai put something glittery in the copilot’s hand. “This is to compensate you for breaking your phone.”

“Ah!”

The glittery, golden item was very heavy; the copilot nearly dropped it. However, he managed to react quickly and grasped it, his hand almost cramping in the process.

Then, he lowered his head and looked. Is this a gold brick? It’s that heavy? It’s so big? Is it real?

The pilot at the side glanced over and goggled. “Go-gold?”

Holding the gold brick, the copilot bit it.

“It’s real! It’s real?!” The confused copilot was immersed in bliss.

“That…I have a cell phone too. Would you like to crush it?” the pilot said with an envious expression.