"I am the one who posted the task. You can just call me Yu Hong," Yu Hong said with a friendly nod towards Xu Fan.
"What about the task reward?" Xu Fan asked directly.
"I need to check first, then confirm your needs, and finally determine the required materials for the repair. This is the standard process. Is that alright?" Yu Hong replied, showing no concern about whether he could complete the repair; he was more worried about how long it would take.
“That’s fine,” Xu Fan nodded. “However, I can only stay here for half a month. Can you finish it in that time?”
“First, I need to check,” Yu Hong emphasized.
Xu Fan glanced at Li Runshan, who nodded back at him.
Trusting Old Li's reputation, he decided to proceed.
Though Old Li had a dark side, his credibility was unquestioned.
At that moment, Xu Fan took hold of one of his gloves and started to remove his protective suit piece by piece.
Soon, a tall and muscular man, more than two meters tall with a bald head, appeared before them.
He had grease smeared all over his face and a fresh cut on his nose, clearly a recent injury.
“The main parts that need repair are the face of the helmet. If possible, I'd like that reinforced. Also, there's damage on my lower back from a penetrating bullet, and my left knee has a dent from a battle with a particularly troublesome foe,” he explained.
“Was it against the copper statue Chris?” Li Runshan asked casually.
“Yeah, that guy was about my strength, and he had a full set of gear. We fought for over three hours before we could call it a draw,” Xu Fan nodded, showing he was serious.
“I understand. I will need tools to properly assess. I will take this suit back with me, and I should have an answer for you within an hour. Is that alright?” Yu Hong said, gathering the suit pieces together.
“No problem,” Xu Fan nodded, showing no trace of a violent temper.
Perhaps the so-called anger only erupted at specific times.
“You all know where I live. Come back in an hour,” Yu Hong concluded simply.
“Alright,” they replied.
Before long, Yu Hong parted ways with them and carried the equipment back toward the cave's safe house.
As he walked, he began to mentally calculate how long the black mark enhancement would take.
Though the black mark could not repair items not enhanced by itself, Yu Hong could cleverly make a slight enhancement to an item.
This way, he could use the automatic repair feature of the enhanced item to achieve his goal.
In the future, when he needed repairs again, he could directly utilize the black mark for restoration.
This ability was a key support in his plans to establish himself in this world.
With the ability to repair high-grade equipment, he could easily trade for an abundance of various resource information.
What he lacked now, as Li Runshan had mentioned, was the strength to protect himself.
After returning to the cave with the blue whale suit, Yu Hong carefully laid it on the ground.
He then stepped outside and rummaged through a pile of spoils in the yard, looking for a small, arm-length metal cleaver.
Carrying the cleaver back inside, he planned to use its materials to fuse into the blue whale suit as enhancement materials.
He had already tested on the way back that repairing the blue whale suit would take just a bit over an hour if he only chose the slightest form of enhancement.
Now, he would add materials based on Xu Fan's requirements, reinforcing the face mask.
Once again, he pressed his hand on the blue whale suit.
"Enhance the blue whale suit, direction: minimum enhancement for the mask's strength."
Quickly, a black line flickered, and a response echoed out.
“Do you wish to enhance the blue whale suit?”
Yu Hong saw the countdown appearing on the surface of the suit: 2 hours and 12 minutes.
He nodded; that was bearable.
"Though the time is short, I cannot simply let others see it so easily. I need to make it seem like I went through a difficult process and that the outcome is worth more than the effort. Yu Hong was well aware that many people easily overlooked the complexity of the process if it yielded quick results, creating an instinctive distrust and a feeling of being cheated."
Why are you charging me such a hefty fee when it seems so easy for you? Are you trying to scam me?!” This was the worry that gnawed at him concerning what Xu Fan and the others might think.
It was reasonable and logical. This was the focus Yu Hong was pursuing. Before long, an hour passed.
Xu Fan and Anna arrived outside the small stone courtyard in front of the cave's safe house. The large fire in the distance still blazed, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. The two stood outside the courtyard, gazing at the lush, strange grass inside.
“There’s something off about this place,”Anna murmured.
“The red value data seems reminiscent of the brightness in the gemstone caves?”
Her expression reflected uncertainty as she scanned each corner of the courtyard. But no matter how she looked, she couldn't find anything irregular. Aside from the grass being green, there was no other arrangement.
Xu Fan noted the same; when he was exposed to concentrated radiation from the gemstone, his body had developed a special sensitivity to red value fluctuations. Whenever the red value fluctuated significantly in the surrounding environment, it would cause a corresponding skin response.
For example, standing outside the courtyard now, he felt his body’s hairs standing on end, accompanied by a cool sensation.
“There’s likely a gemstone pattern laid out, similar to the structure of the outer wall of Hope City,”he speculated.
“I didn’t see any patterns like that,”Anna shook her head.
“It seems the task employer is quite knowledgeable.
This kind of arrangement can effectively deter nightly disturbances from Spirit Shadows and provide a more stable living environment.”
“Yu Hong.
I’ve never heard that name before.
If he can successfully repair this, we might have to deal with him regularly in the future,”Xu Fan said. After all, such high-grade equipment repairs were not something just anyone could manage.
“Indeed,”Anna nodded.
After they waited a few more minutes, the wooden door of the cave opened. A robust figure slowly walked out, still wearing that heavy set of gear. However, the minor dents and bullet marks on the suit had vanished.
Noticing this detail, Xu Fan felt reassured and increasingly believed that this person could indeed repair the blue whale suit well. Soon enough, the three met outside the courtyard. The red values inside had now exceeded a hundred, with gemstones and radiant grass everywhere, making it unsuitable for conversation.
“Thank you for waiting.
I have roughly estimated the repair time.
It's about a week.
I have some materials here, though they are not the original materials.
However, the repair results shouldn't differ much.
The question is whether you can accept that?” Yu Hong said earnestly.
“A week!?”
Xu Fan was taken aback, glancing at Anna, who was equally shocked.
“Really, just a week?”he repeated incredulously.
“Of course.
I guarantee the repair will be completed within a week!” Yu Hong asserted confidently.
“If you can repair it, and the results are good enough, I have no problem!”
Xu Fan decisively replied, though he still had doubts. He had inquired at many armories, and outside of Aurora City and Silver Tower needing two weeks, the rest typically required at least three months. Had it not been for the mask's damage severely impacting combat effectiveness, he would often have settled for making do.
“The short time is because I don't have to deal with unnecessary procedures and paperwork.
I can focus entirely on repairing your gear, which is why it's speedy,”Yu Hong quickly added when he saw their reactions. “That makes sense,”Anna interjected,“Well then, we will come back in a week, just in time as the task will conclude.
It’ll give us a few days off.”
“Sounds good,”Yu Hong nodded.
“By the way, have you thought about finding a place to settle down?”
He sensed the two had high combat power, providing a feeling of safety, so he decided to test the waters. According to Li Runshan, these two were currently mercenaries who moved around frequently, staying at various places for short periods.
“It has crossed my mind, but in these times, although more people may seem safer temporarily, it also attracts Shadows of Blood.
It's too troublesome,”Anna replied helplessly, sizing up Yu Hong with a sudden smile. “Just a suggestion, if you want to hire long-term bodyguards, you’d best ensure a stable water and food supply as well as a resting environment.
Once these basic conditions are assured, people will naturally be available for you to choose from.” Clearly, she had perceived Yu Hong's intentions.
“Good advice,”Yu Hong nodded, readily acknowledging her suggestion.
It was indeed true; he could not even provide a stable water source now. Why would strong individuals abandon the bountiful Hope City to come live beside him? Living in the city meant having food, safety, and a comfortable night’s sleep.
They could enjoy drinks and special services, far more enjoyable than living in a desolate area where even bathing was a challenge. Quickly, both parties settled on a time and place.
Yu Hong handed over a leaf of radiant grass as a token to the other party, stating that if he couldn’t come personally, they could use this to claim the items. Radiant grass could no longer be found elsewhere; once uprooted, it quickly lost its vitality and whatever radiance it had, making it uniquely Yu Hong’s token.
Xu Fan and Anna quickly departed. Yu Hong then went to meet Li Runshan again.
“Thank you for assisting this time,”they sat together on a new wooden bench in the courtyard.
“Taking money for services, of course.
If this kind of thing happens more often, I wouldn’t mind,”Li Runshan still wore that same cheerful expression.
“Well then, here’s the reward I brought,”Yu Hong handed over a portion of silver coins he had scraped together from the spoils, along with a handful of talismans he had made.
Though he was merely a middleman, showing gratitude was essential to ensure there would be a second cooperation. Yu Hong placed great significance on Li Runshan's connections to employment channels and supply deliveries.
“You’re too polite, really too polite,”Li Runshan quickly took the items and stowed them away in a room.
He emerged again, his expression now even softer. “The task is complete.
However, to avoid any similar incidents in the future, I am indeed considering hiring someone long-term for protection,”Yu Hong stated simply. “But you know, Old Li, the objective conditions here are limiting, so we need to resolve the issues of water, electricity, and food before we can attract people to stay.
Otherwise, they will surely choose much better conditions in Hope City.
Wouldn’t you agree?”
“That makes sense,”Li Runshan nodded.
He could see that Yu Hong, who had initially known nothing, was slowly starting to get the hang of things.
“So, I’d like to ask, is there a way to ensure a water supply from the post office? I had thought about digging a well, but when I went down, I found it filled with black worms,”Yu Hong sighed.
“Underground water won’t work,”Li Runshan chuckled, shaking his head and stretching his hand back.
A small hand quickly handed him a cigarette, helping him light it. He then withdrew his hand and took a satisfying drag. “Most in Hope City rely on rivers and oceans.
Your only option is to relocate to a place closer to a river for easier access to water.
But you must also keep in mind that streams and rivers are not always safe places.
Blood Flood black worms exist on land, and something equally dangerous could lurk in the waters.”
Yu Hong nodded silently.
Rainwater was toxic and required multiple rounds of filtering and boiling before being safe to drink; it was simply not stable enough.
From the looks of it, rivers and streams were the only glimmer of hope.
However, he was very reluctant to give up the cave's safe house after investing so many enhancements.
(End of Chapter)