Under One Person, Engage in Black Technology

Chapter 177 Say hello
Zhuge Qing and Ma Xianhong's conversation lasted for about an entire night, during which they also helped a villager who had wandered into the inner world and lost his mind to regain his composure.

The result of their conversation was that Zhuge Qing, from the perspective of a sorcerer, gave Village Chief Ma a "spark," enabling him to apply the sorcerer's esoteric arts and inner vision power to the cultivation furnace in a modular way.

Village Chief Ma was indeed a genius in weapon crafting and mechanical engineering. Inspired by this, he finalized the plan to modify the furnace in just one night.

The next day, someone was sent to deliver the first draft to Liu Ke. The person who delivered the draft was Zhuge Qing.

……

Since the Na Du Tong group had entered the village, and Liu Ke wanted to remain 'hidden', his actual residence for the past few days had been moved from the semi-open-air camp to a relatively quiet room in the village.

But he couldn't stand being cooped up in the house all the time, so during the day he would project some miniature devices, use the stealth system of the Phantom Tank to go outside, find a small river far from the village, and set up a fishing spot.

When Zhuge Qing arrived, Liu Ke was lying on an old man's recliner, with a long wooden pole hanging in front of his legs, from which a line was suspended, and at the bottom of the line was a rough little hook.

"Why don't you just make a brand-name fishing rod? I remember... your natural ability is very convenient, you should be able to do it."

After meeting Liu Ke, Zhuge Qing sat down on the rock next to him and asked questions while watching the river flow.

Upon hearing this question, Liu Ke snapped out of his 'self-study' state with his eyes closed. After opening his eyes, he first waved to Zhuge Qing as a greeting, then picked up the water jug ​​from the ground and took a large gulp.

He then said, "I was just posing, you know? Like turning on the TV and turning on the Spring Festival Gala during Chinese New Year, as background music or white noise."

Then he added, "Besides, there are hardly any fish in this little stream in Biyou Village, and they're all skinny. Even if you manage to catch one, it's not very interesting."

"I'm not fishing for fish, I'm fishing for the atmosphere."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qing couldn't help but sigh and said, "Huh? That makes sense, that makes sense..."

After saying that, Zhuge Qing took out the design blueprint of the 'new body-cultivating furnace' that Ma Xianhong had made overnight from his pouch and said, "Master Ma asked me to send this to you."

Upon seeing this, Liu Ke extended a hand and took the design drawings.

After opening it, Liu Ke glanced at it briefly for a few minutes, and then showed a slightly surprised expression.

After reviewing the entire document, he said to Zhuge Qing, "No problem, Old Ma really figured it out..."

"Although it may not seem very efficient, with the magical enhancement of the [Inner Vision], it may indeed have the effect of correcting memories."

Afterwards, Liu Ke adjusted the incline of his chair, changing from a slightly tilted angle to sitting upright, and casually asked, "By the way, let me say a few words on a different topic. I'd like to 'interview' you. What makes you think about staying? I see that Master Wang's choice is the opposite of yours."

After a moment of stunned silence, Zhuge Qing countered, "Although we lost the 'first move,' but..."

"Can you tell me first why you came to Biyou Village and why you chose to stay?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ke raised an eyebrow, but the answers to these two questions were hardly a secret, so he said directly, "Village Chief Ma, he sent someone to find me and showed me his Devouring Pouch, and then demonstrated his mastery of [Divine Mechanism] and [Weapon Refining]."

"In other words, he showed me the [Divine Craftsmanship], and I was naturally drawn to it."

It was visibly that Zhuge Qing stiffened up after hearing the words "Divine Strategist Refinement".

But Liu Ke's focus wasn't on him, but on his own rudimentary fishing rod.

While keeping an eye on the fishing rod, he continued, "This place is indeed quite nice. If it weren't for the supernatural beings and the [Divine Refinement], I could really consider this a perfect resort."

"But then again, who can truly ignore other things?"

“There is a big carp in the stream in Biyou Village. The big carp can also give birth to little carp. With so many fish, the water becomes murky.”

"The company doesn't like murky water, so naturally they'll come and catch fish, big and small, all in one pot as usual."

“The company has always done this kind of thing, but this time it’s different…”

After listening, Zhuge Qing pondered for a moment and then asked, "Why is it different? Is it because of that big fish?"

After hearing this, Liu Ke shook his head and replied, "That's part of the reason, but more importantly... it's because of the aquatic plants that the fish gather there."

"Without that big carp, all the water plants will die."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qing quickly understood after a few glances. When he looked at Liu Ke again, he seemed to relax and, without any intention of hiding anything, said directly, "My reason can be described as wanting to see the magic..."

After saying that, Liu Ke let out a breath and asked, "Old Ma, he's already given you a copy of 'Divine Strategist's Hundred Refinements,' right?"

Seeing the other person nod, he then asked, "Have you learned it?"

This time, Zhuge Qing did not nod, but remained silent.

Seeing this, Liu Ke shook his head helplessly and said, "If you learn it and master it, I hope you can let me know."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qing raised an eyebrow and asked noncommittally, "Yes... what will happen if I learn [Divine Craftsmanship]?"

Liu Ke scratched his head and replied with an awkward laugh, "Just think of it as... you'll be very 'enlightened' after learning it."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qing thought to himself, 'Could it be that this "Divine Strategist's Hundred Refinements" technique contains a method for sudden enlightenment and awakening of wisdom?'

After a long internal struggle, he finally asked again, "So, have you learned it?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ke nodded immediately and said, "Old Ma is so generous, I'll learn it if he gives it to me. After learning it, I found it's actually quite interesting..."

"But... personally, I feel that this method is a little off-topic."

Seeing Zhuge Qing's inquisitive gaze, he said directly, "Well... personally, I feel that this cultivation method is divided into two types: internal and external. The internal method uses the body as a furnace to temper the five internal organs, while the external method uses divine mechanisms to refine weapons. The two methods can be practiced simultaneously."

"But I think that if you don't have enough energy, it might not be suitable to cultivate both inner and outer beauty."

"If it were you, you might be more suited to the methods related to cultivating divine mechanisms and refining objects. After all, your family's methods are not bad, and it's worth the effort."

After hearing this, Zhuge Qing replied expressionlessly, "It's not bad... Thank you."

……

As the saying goes, blessings never come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone.

There's a saying that when you find a cockroach, it means that cockroaches in the shadows have already become rampant.

When someone starts bothering you, it means trouble is on its way. The day after Zhuge Qing delivered the blueprints, Zhang Chulan, the only non-temporary member of the 'temporary worker' team, came to find Liu Ke.

Of course, under normal circumstances, Liu Ke's hut was well hidden, and he used [Illusion] to cover his body when he went out, so he would definitely not be found.

But Zhang Chulan used a different method to find him. He found a piece of Xuan paper somewhere and wrote a few words in a crooked, messy hand: "Where are you?"

Next to the characters, his hammer, which he always carried, was also drawn.

He swaggered around the village for a while before being spotted by the "Black Wall," which was using drones to 'automatically patrol' the village. The situation was then reported to Liu Ke.

The worst thing about playing dumb is when people dig deeper. And since Zhang Chulan knows Liu Ke's situation and is eager to see him, how could Liu Ke possibly keep up the act?
So he casually sent a projector drone to lead Zhang Chulan to his fishing spot.

……

"Yo! Chu Lan!"

"Hey my foot! Hey? Do people still greet each other like that nowadays?"

When Liu Ke heard Zhang Chulan's complaint, he just laughed it off and casually projected a stool onto the screen.

"Have a seat. How about... I get you a fishing rod too?"

Zhang Chulan scratched his head, sat down on the stool, and said, "You really came here for a vacation? Fishing? How leisurely..."

Seeing that he did not refuse, Liu Ke snapped his fingers and projected the fishing rod onto the screen.

It's worth mentioning that, compared to his simple appearance when he met Zhuge Qing yesterday, Liu Ke's fishing rod today had more antique patterns, carrying a mysterious meaning. Despite being made of very simple materials, it kept attracting fish to bite the hook.

Clearly, the fishing rod that Liu Ke casually projected has become a genuine magical artifact.

Zhang Chulan fiddled with the fishing rod Liu Ke handed him for a while, and noticing something unusual, he asked curiously, "Is this your original creation, or...?"

Liu Ke knew what he wanted to ask, so he replied, "Original, but [Divine Craftsmanship], you know what I mean."

"So, how's the idea?"

"My fishing rod is called 'Willing Fish Take the Bait,' which makes fish instinctively approach, increasing fishing efficiency. If I sell it to fishing enthusiasts in China, it'll probably cause a buying frenzy."

"Putting everything else aside, it saves on bait for silver carp and bighead carp."

Zhang Chulan's lips twitched, and he said, "Isn't this... just like fishing with a net? You cast the line once and catch only one fish. Even if the fish reproduces like Arctic shrimp, it still can't withstand a fisherman's hooking!"

After listening, Liu Ke nodded and said, "You're right, fishing with nets is bad, we should be lenient with nets..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chulan's expression froze, his lips trembled, and he replied, "Brother Ke, I know you have a powerful background, but why are you telling me this? What can I decide? I can't even decide for myself, you just..."

At this point, he pointed upwards.

“Tell them that we… these few people who came into the village are all poor folks who had no choice in the matter. Who would have come here specifically to do something bad?”

After listening, Liu Ke shook his head and said, "I've been thinking about this for the past few days. In the end, I've figured out what I should do."

"To be fair, apart from the company's ruthless approach, there was nothing wrong with the decision, and it can be described as treating everyone equally."

"I don't believe in the concept of a 'population red line.' However, just like our gun control policy, the power and spread of supernatural beings... should indeed be limited."

"At the very least... we can't let it become a runaway horse. Otherwise, what will we do when there are [Quanxing] everywhere?"

At this point, Liu Ke paused for a moment, reached out and lifted the fishing rod, and caught a small grass carp about half the size of his palm.

Liu Ke untied the little fish and tossed it back into the ditch.

"So, if Old Ma is just tinkering with his furnace and village, just to mass-produce 'finished' superhumans to build up his power, I won't interfere."

"But in reality, that's not the case."

"Old Ma's stove is a medicine, healing Old Ma, but also saving others. Therefore, it is very important, and we cannot let you lose it."

Zhang Chulan nodded upon hearing this, and after thinking for a moment, said, "If you're worried about those... patients, just tell me, and the company will definitely help. Whether it's financial assistance or paying for their treatment, the company is big and powerful, and can afford it."

After hearing this, Liu Ke patted Zhang Chulan on the shoulder and said, "In Lao Ma's village, there are dozens of leukemia patients, and others have cancer and all sorts of strange and unusual diseases."

"Take...the simplest example here, leukemia. They need one bottle of medicine every month, and one bottle costs 25,000 yuan, so it costs 280,000 to 290,000 yuan a year."

"I believe the company is indeed rich. After I open my mouth, I'll give them face and deduct a few million from headquarters every year to support them."

"And then what? Can you really keep raising them until the very end?"

"Besides, what about those who can't be cured by medication? Cancer patients, are you going to throw money at them too?"

"If this could be cured by paying money, I suggest the company stop delivering packages and switch to healthcare."

At this point, Liu Ke took a deep breath and said, "Now that we've discussed this, even if the company is truly capable of using money to control everyone, what happens afterward? There has to be a limit to the number of people that can be 'sponsored,' right?"

"But if Old Ma's furnace is properly developed and thoroughly understood, it can hold more people than the company can afford to hire. On the bright side, it might even cure them in the future."

"The skills of extraordinary people can be used not only for fighting and killing, but also for healing."

Hearing this, even Zhang Chulan couldn't help but nod.

After about ten breaths, he asked again with doubt, "Then... what did you mean by shaking your head just now? I think if what you said is right, then you should communicate with the company."

"Just say hello, isn't that simple?"

After hearing this, Liu Ke shook his head, lowered his eyes, and said, "No, if I were to 'say hello,' I think it would actually... become a bit troublesome, and the final result might be about the same..."

"Besides..."

At this point, Liu Ke, who was frowning, suddenly said, "Hey, I suddenly feel that the world of supernatural beings, which is all about fighting and killing, is actually quite nice."

"Simple."

(End of this chapter)