Chapter Thirty-Six: The Ambush in the Darkness

"You want to build a new factory so soon?" Kalotus looked at Su Ziye, who stood before him, with a look of helpless resignation.

"Yes, you can never really have enough supporting factories," Su Ziye nodded. "And capital is hardly a major issue."

Capital was indeed not a problem. For instance, with the previous instant noodle factory, the largest expense was simply the two hundred Gold Leaf Grass required to purchase the land. Aside from that, the construction crew was recruited from the academy, materials were sourced locally, and the factory machinery was manually crafted by the Lathe Immortals. The primary expenditures were essentially just the land and the workers' wages.

Moreover, drawing from the previous experience, if they were to open this new factory near the instant noodle plant, even the land acquisition process could be significantly streamlined.

As for the construction, the Lathe Immortals would have to put in some labor for the new machinery, but if it were for new, innovative equipment, they might be willing to go the extra mile.

"Actually, you don't need to report this to me," Kalotus said with a smile. "Qingyi is the one handling that side of things."

Indeed, Qingyi was currently reviewing the accounts, measuring expenses, and tracking profits for all projects. This was partly due to their wager, but also because all of Su Ziye's actions were under Kalotus's watchful eye; there was no need for him to run back and report in person.

"Furthermore, you haven't attended many proper classes since you arrived at the academy, have you?" Kalotus continued.

"I have attended some," Su Ziye replied with a smile, "though it is true that most of them are unnecessary for me."

Su Ziye was telling the truth.

He loved the truth.

At his current level, the curriculum at Yeye Academy held little meaning for him.

"Then go do whatever it is you need to do and stop bothering me," Kalotus waved him off.

Su Ziye did not take the opportunity to leave. Instead, he stood his ground and looked at Kalotus. "I still need to report this to you."

Kalotus looked at him and sighed. "Still feeling uneasy?"

"The shores of Shattered Star Lake are, after all, not within Yeye City," Su Ziye said concisely.

Su Ziye’s status was special. The former Emperor of Ster was dead, and his uncle had ascended the throne. That uncle had already executed nearly all of Su Ziye's siblings and had been relentlessly hunting this most promising heir to the throne.

Su Ziye had come to Yeye Academy primarily seeking the institution's protection, a goal that was largely achieved once he was formally enrolled.

Of course, that protection was strictly limited to the confines of Yeye City.

If Su Ziye wanted to build a factory, he certainly could not build it inside Yeye City.

He truly could not afford the land within the city walls.

The only other option was the Ster Imperial family's Binshan Villa, but the issue was that it did not belong to him.

Therefore, the only solution was to build outside the city. The shores of Shattered Star Lake were a perfect location—situated on the plains, backed by a water source, and close to raw material origins. Such a geographical position was uniquely advantageous for a food processing plant.

Correspondingly, this also carried inherent dangers.

Especially once the Ster Empire uncovered his identity and the ownership of these factories, attacks would inevitably follow.

At such a time, the only person capable of helping him—and with both the motive and the means to do so—was Senior Kalotus.

"Your schemes are always the loudest," Kalotus sighed.

"I will help you," he said simply.

"Thank you very much," Su Ziye said with genuine gratitude, then added, "Then I shall go find Engineer Xie."

"Whether you can persuade her this time depends on your own merits; I have already exhausted my favor with her," Kalotus noted.

"No problem," Su Ziye smiled.

...

...

Persuading Engineer Xie was actually very simple.

Su Ziye always had a way of moving others, and besides, Engineer Xie was quite easy to talk to.

Few people had witnessed the construction of the previous factory, as it had taken only seven days; by the time you noticed it, it was already finished.

Now, the area around the instant noodle factory had become a popular destination. Pilgrims arrived in an endless stream every day, asking about the price and availability of instant noodles. The site Su Ziye chose this time was adjacent to the instant noodle factory; after all, as a supporting facility, it would be improper to be located too far away.

Under the distant gaze of many, the performance began as usual.

The land purchased this time spanned a mere one hundred mu, and that included both factory zones. As mentioned before, as a supporting facility with limited capacity, there was no need to build it too large. Aside from the sales, the acquisition of raw materials could easily trap one in an endless loop of dependencies.

It wouldn't do for Su Ziye to end up having to mine his own coal and iron ore from scratch.

Although Su Ziye did have such thoughts, it was clear that now was not the time.

Golden flames swept across the lakeshore, withering and consuming all vegetation in their path. After a brief cooling process by water mages, construction commenced.

It was the same old routine.

Soil was turned into bricks, trees were felled for timber. After a month, Su Ziye was inevitably the backbone of this construction effort. Fortunately, the youth was not picky. Working day and night, he made it difficult for onlookers to get close. They could only observe from afar as, like building blocks, factory after factory rose from the ground in a matter of days, as if by a miracle.

However, on a sweltering night, an uninvited guest arrived at the lakeshore.

"Can you confirm it?" someone asked in the darkness.

"There is no mistake. Some have seen those golden flames here; there is no doubt they belong to Prince Xiche," another voice replied from the shadows.

"Mind your words. He is no longer a prince," the first man said, his voice calm and cold.

"Yes, the traitor Xiche," the other corrected himself.

"But this is academy territory. Is it wise for us to act? Even if we do, given the traitor’s current skills and cultivation, it will be difficult to kill him."

"A distant strike will suffice," the man in the darkness said calmly. "Since we know these factories are linked to the traitor Xiche, we need only destroy them. Simply reporting this to His Majesty will earn us a handsome reward."

"But the academy..." the second man hesitated.

"Our Empire does not necessarily fear the academy," the man in the darkness chuckled coldly. "Besides, they may not be able to trace it back to us."

As he spoke, he reached out, and a dim, lusterless flame gathered in his palm.

Rather than emitting light, this flame seemed to absorb the light around it.

At that very moment, the flame in his hand was snuffed out.

He froze, then realized a figure had appeared before him.

The man had red hair.