"Missing?"
"They say missing, but anyone with a brain knows there must be something going on behind the scenes. Most likely some faction planned all this to get his yellow silver star ore, or to force information out of him about the connection between yellow silver ore and yellow silver star ore."
"So what did Zhong Dingming do?"
"This old professor is stubborn as hell. He refused to compromise with forces that use such despicable methods, and insisted he knew nothing at all. In the end, none of the three missing children were found. It's basically confirmed that the kidnappers tore up the tickets."
Qin Siyang asked curiously, "Once is bad luck, twice is coincidence, but three times? Losing one child might be unavoidable, but how did all three go missing? Wouldn't he think of ways to protect the other kids? With his strength and status, he could completely research powerful God-hunting tools for his children to defend themselves, and demand that West Glory University implement full-scale protection."
"Yellow silver star ore. Astronomical profits. Zhong Dingming doesn't trust anyone. Who knows whether his children's disappearances had something to do with those families at West Glory University that control the mining industry."
Qin Siyang agreed, "True. Holding a unique yellow silver star ore in his hands, anyone would drool over it."
Hu Chan shook his head helplessly, "Pity his first wife. Unable to bear losing three children all at once, she suffered a mental breakdown and has already been admitted to West Glory University's psychiatric hospital. Given Zhong Dingming's status, the university assigned dedicated personnel to watch over her."
Qin Siyang frowned, "But I heard Professor Zhong Dingming has a wife and children, don't I?"
"That's his second wife, and the child he just had with her not long ago."
"No wonder… But after three of his children died in succession, he still didn't reveal any information at all. Doesn't that prove he really knows nothing?"
Hu Chan said, "I don't think so. If he keeps his mouth shut, he can continue to enjoy his reputation and status within the safe zone. The moment he reveals anything about how to turn worthless yellow silver ore into yellow silver star ore, his days of peace would be over."
"So it's very likely that for the sake of self-preservation, he's biting down and refusing to say a word."
Qin Siyang sighed, "I remember a thinker once said that you should always assume the worst of human nature. Now it seems you've put that principle into practice very thoroughly."
"What! Does President Qin think I'm wrong? Or do you think I'm too dark on the inside?"
"Observing human nature has never been a matter of right or wrong. But I have to admit, the more maliciously you speculate about others, the lower the chance you'll be hurt by them. As for whether your heart is dark or not, I'm just stating an objective fact."
Hu Chan smiled, "Maybe because President Qin got some heartfelt feedback from Professor Li and Professor Zhang, you have a certain level of tolerance toward researchers, and that makes you view Zhong Dingming's situation with some sympathy. But you should also know that sympathy for strangers can easily make you capsize in a gutter."
Qin Siyang looked surprised.
Hu Chan's words to him were becoming more and more ruthless and blunt, with fewer and fewer reservations.
"You talk like you're chatting with an old friend of many years. We haven't known each other that long. You really trust me that much."
"Even though we've only been together for two months, you've indeed made me feel you're worth trusting. We've escaped death together outside the safe zone more than once."
Qin Siyang lightly tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, his expression calm, "If there's a chance, I'll find a way to pry information out of Zhong Dingming's mouth."
Hu Chan's lips curved upward, "If President Qin says that, then what I just said wasn't wasted."
Qin Siyang silently piloted the drilling pod, thinking about what kind of attitude he should take toward Hu Chan in the future.
Another ten-plus minutes passed. Qin Siyang stopped the drilling pod, halting about fifty kilometers from the safe zone.
"Let's search around here."
"Alright."
Hu Chan left the drilling pod and continued helping Qin Siyang look for traces of the sacrifices.
Qin Siyang, meanwhile, examined the seed of the Nightmare Lantern Tree inside the drilling pod.
He took out the Fangtian Halberd and gently scored the seed, leaving a shallow mark.
"I'm holding a God-hunting tool and not touching it directly, yet the seed still maintains its physical form. The establishment of this kind of contract is really wonderful."
"I don't know what it's useful for, but materials left behind by a major god are definitely good stuff."
Qin Siyang put the seed away again and sighed, "I originally planned to dump all the research on Old Li and the others. Now it looks like I have to put in some effort myself too."
"Grabbing everything inside and out, am I going to die from overwork?"
Before long, Hu Chan returned to the drilling pod, "President Qin, advance four kilometers."
"Okay."
After reaching the location, Hu Chan left again for half an hour, then returned to the drilling pod.
"President Qin, we're in luck. It's a nest of Blood Moon Tarantulas."
Qin Siyang laughed loudly, "As expected, today is good for hunting. The ancestors truly didn't lie to me."
Qin Siyang opened the storage box and counted. There were actually more than two hundred.
But just like before, the disc armors of each point value were evenly distributed, with none particularly abundant.
Now, the disc armors of the same point value from the Blood Moon Tarantulas had all reached more than ninety.
Qin Siyang was in a good mood.
After three or four rounds of risking their lives searching outside the safe zone, the sacrificial Blood Moon Tarantulas finally reached the ready-hand stage.
"Holy Son, I really have to thank you this time!"
Hu Chan waved it off, "As long as President Qin doesn't forget the previous promise, everything is easy to talk about."
"Don't worry. Just like you said, we'll be working together for a long time."
The number of Blood Moon Tarantula disc armors was just a bit short, so Qin Siyang and Hu Chan decided to press on and completely finish the sacrifice while still outside the safe zone.
The two searched for most of the day again, and good news came once more.
This time, they wiped out a nest of over a hundred Abyss Hounds.
The disc armors of the same point value from the Abyss Hounds also all reached more than ninety, likewise entering the ready-hand stage.
Qin Siyang looked at the storage box filled to the brim with disc armors and sighed softly, "Our hunting really spreads the rain evenly."
"Tell me about it," Hu Chan was also a bit helpless. He tossed Qin Siyang's God-hunting dagger aside, fuming and scratching his head, "The sacrifice must be one hundred disc armors of the same point value that carry only your own aura. That means disc armors obtained through your own hunting can only be used by you."
"The Blood Moon Tarantula disc armor point values range from one hundred ninety to one hundred ninety-three, a total of four different point values. The Abyss Hound disc armor point values range from one hundred eighty-eight to one hundred ninety-two, a total of five different point values."
"And now all nine point values from the two gods have more than ninety each, adding up to over eight hundred! That means at least seven or eight hundred disc armors are completely useless!"
"President Qin opening the 'Path of the Believer' really maximizes resource waste!"
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