After a brief silence, Zhu Xuanji chuckled lightly, steadying his emotions. "Interesting."
He then asked, "What's the origin of these mechanical monkeys?"
Zheng Shuangjun immediately furrowed his brows, almost incredulous. "Are you suggesting, Lord Zhu, that the Shadow Demon Cultivator used these mechanical monkeys to bomb the Immortal Palace?"
"I know about this," Chi Dun spoke up in a low tone.
He was indeed well-informed.
After all, back when Fei Si presented this item to the City Lord, he was present to witness it.
Chi Dun then gave a brief explanation to Zhu Xuanji.
Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly and said directly, "Take me to the Flying Disc Workshop."
At the Flying Disc Workshop
Chen Cha was handing a large sum of spirit stones to Ning Zhuo.
"Brother Ning, these are your recent dividends."
Several storage pouches lay before Ning Zhuo, seven or eight of them, each filled with spirit stones.
When Chen Cha and Ning Zhuo initially agreed to their partnership, Chen Cha only took a 30% cut, leaving the remaining 70% to Ning Zhuo, who didn't even need to supply any raw materials.
The business surrounding the mechanical fire explosive monkeys had grown immensely, with all the city's mechanical workshops operating at full capacity around the clock.
Even so, there was still a shortage.
This wasn't the first time Ning Zhuo was receiving dividends.
Since the last time when Chen Cha privately asked Ning Zhuo to let him take credit for inventing the mechanical fire explosive monkeys, Chen Cha had felt deeply guilty and ashamed to face Ning Zhuo.
Thus, although he knew that Ning Zhuo had impressive mechanical skills, he had never invited him to participate in the workshop's production.
Their meetings were merely to hand over dividends.
But this time, Ning Zhuo came with a different purpose.
"Old Chen, I’m here on other business as well."
Chen Cha was startled momentarily but quickly replied, "Just call me Old Chen. Brother Ning, feel free to speak. I will do my utmost to assist."
Ning Zhuo then took out a mechanical monkey and placed it in front of Chen Cha.
A familiar sight caused Chen Cha to pause.
"Old Chen, take a look at this."
"I've been diligently practicing the Five Elements Qi Regulation Technique recently, and I heard there's still a long way to go before the demand for mechanical monkeys can be met. So, I devised a way to increase production."
Chen Cha sighed, "This year is indeed unusual."
"Typically, during the Fire Persimmon Festival, only a portion of the Fire Persimmons are harvested, and the Monkey Head Gang could handle the task as the primary force."
"But this year, a Golden Core Shadow Demon Cultivator infiltrated, forcing the City Lord’s Mansion to proceed with caution."
"Only by harvesting all the Fire Persimmons before going after the Shadow Demon Cultivator can losses be minimized."
At this point, Chen Cha began inspecting the mechanical monkey.
Ning Zhuo introduced, "I adjusted the material ratios, focusing primarily on the musculature…"
Listening to the explanation and inspecting the monkey himself, Chen Cha's expression darkened.
He looked up, giving Ning Zhuo a long, complex look.
Had he not felt guilty, he would have stormed off or even reprimanded Ning Zhuo on the spot.
Chen Cha took a deep breath, his face reflecting a mix of emotions, and advised, "Brother Ning, this is just cutting corners."
"According to your latest design, you've indeed reduced the production workload significantly by simplifying the process. But the manufactured monkeys are far inferior to the previous ones."
"Not only are they prone to failure, but even a bit of heat causes their bodies to melt."
"I remember you visited specifically to discuss ways to solve the melting issue in heated environments."
Ning Zhuo simply smiled. "Old Chen, this is precisely the core of my improvement!"
"Think about it—how many years can we keep selling these mechanical monkeys?"
"After this year, there will be an abundance of mechanical fire explosive monkeys on the market. How many will we sell next year?"
"Doing business is about long-term profit."
"These new fire explosive monkeys will break down quickly, ensuring demand for replacements."
Chen Cha’s face grew even darker.
"You and I think differently. Mechanical constructs cannot be made like this. Quality is the key, as it builds reputation and repeat customers."
"You need to realize that we’re not the only ones making mechanical fire explosive monkeys. If we compromise on quality, others will quickly take over the market."
Ning Zhuo gave a casual smile. "Old Chen, with your relationship with Lord Fei Si, what competition do we need to fear?"
Just as he was about to continue persuading, a voice suddenly rang out, "Oh? Chen Cha, what’s your relationship with Fei Si?"
"Who’s there?!" Chen Cha sprang up at once.
Ning Zhuo's expression changed as well.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with Chen Cha, he was fully on guard.
The next moment, Zhu Xuanji entered the room, with Chi Dun and Zheng Shuangjun following closely behind.
Chen Cha and Ning Zhuo were both stunned, hurriedly bowing in greeting.
Both recognized Chi Dun and Zheng Shuangjun, though Zhu Xuanji was a stranger to them.
Zhu Xuanji took out his badge and introduced himself, "I am Zhu Xuanji, a member of the Divine Constable Division, representing the Southern Bean Kingdom’s royal family."
"I am here to investigate the emergence of the Lava Immortal Palace."
"Tell me, did you cause the emergence of the Immortal Palace?"
Zhu Xuanji fixed his gaze on Chen Cha, his eyes flashing with a golden light.
Chen Cha was dumbfounded by the question!
After two breaths, he managed to respond with a wry smile.
"How could someone like me be capable of affecting the emergence of the Immortal Palace?"
Zhu Xuanji frowned slightly; he sensed that Chen Cha was not lying.
He then asked, "How did you come up with the design for the mechanical fire explosive monkeys? How did you produce and sell them? Explain everything in detail."
"Well…" Chen Cha hesitated but finally mustered the courage to start talking.
He was only partway through when Zhu Xuanji interrupted him. "You’re lying!"
In the next moment, golden light erupted from Zhu Xuanji's eyes, and the aura of a Golden Core stage cultivator burst forth, pressing down on Chen Cha, forcing him to kneel.
"Audacious Chen Cha! In front of a Divine Constable, you dare conceal the truth?" Zheng Shuangjun scolded sternly.
Chi Dun's expression was like iron. "Speak the whole truth, or you will be branded an accomplice of the Shadow Demon Cultivator!"
Terrified, Chen Cha turned pale, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"Please, sirs, hold on! I dare to speak up because there is more to this situation, and I know the details." Ning Zhuo interjected.
"Oh?" In an instant, the gazes of the three Golden Core cultivators landed on him.
Zhu Xuanji spoke with hidden meaning, "Once I finish questioning Chen Cha, I’ll interrogate you as well. But since you wish to speak, perhaps this could be a chance to redeem yourself."
In his special vision, both Chen Cha and Ning Zhuo were radiating dark red light.
Ning Zhuo, in fact, appeared even darker than Chen Cha.
Feeling immense pressure, Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth.
"Both Old Chen and I are bound by a contract. Saying too much could result in backlash!"
"Lord Fei Si is aware of this."
As soon as he said this, Ning Zhuo's face went pale, with blood trickling from his nose—a clear sign of the backlash he had just mentioned.
Hearing Fei Si's name, Zhu Xuanji raised an eyebrow and looked at Chi Dun. "Interesting."
Chi Dun immediately replied, "I’ll go request instructions from the City Lord."
"No need, I’m already here," Fei Si’s voice came from outside.