Super Gene Optimization Fluid

The streets of Red Rock Base resembled the audience stands in a sports stadium as there were different layers that circled the base. Sarah and Xia Fei left the warehouse and followed the rings of streets to try and exchange some currency.

As star coins were not accepted here, Xia Fei had to resort to bartering. The most valuable items Xia Fei possessed were White Dews and Snake Eye Berries. These fruits were incredibly useful for fighters as they could be used to replenish energy in battle. Xia Fei would always carry a box filled to the brim of these fruits.

“There are three well-known shops in the base with reasonable prices and nice owners. I’ll take you there,” said Sarah.

It seemed that Xia Fei’s strategy of buttering her up had worked wonders, and Sarah was already thinking with Xia Fei in mind. Less sophisticated women were usually more careful, but it was a whole different world once one got through them and into their comfort zones.

Xia Fei paused for a few moments to think. “I’ll divide the fruits into three portions and sell them to these three shops separately. This way, we will avoid possible suspicion had we sold such a large quantity of them all in one place.”

Sarah hastily nodded. “Of course. You have to be careful around here. You’re thinking more and more like a local now.”

Heart of Spirit was incredibly pricey in Alliance-occupied areas, and it was not much lower here, either. One Snake Eye Berry could be exchanged for ten dollars worth of Heart of Spirit, while White Dew could be exchanged for four.

Xia Fei leaned on a corner, pointing at the pale teen. “And who’s that?”

“Ning Dian. The Ning family’s old man has three sons, but Ning Dian is the only male child of his generation, so he’s incredibly full of himself. Everyone at Red Rock Base tries to avoid him,” explained Sarah with a slight quiver in her voice, suggesting the hatred she harbored against the youth.

……

Dawn, the day after tomorrow, Xia Fei returned to Andy’s workshop as promised.

“How come Sarah’s not with you?” asked Andy.

“She’s been busy helping deliver slaves. She should be done by afternoon,” replied Xia Fei.

Andy nodded, handing back Xia Fei’s checklist from his desk.

There were detailed descriptions on each of the parts, going over if they existed in the region, where they were, when they would arrive, and how much they cost. It was comprehensive; evidently, Andy had spent a lot of time on this.

However, thirty or so parts from the first four pages were missing. Those parts were crucial to Lunar Eclipse, and without them, there was no way it could leave this star region.

“Thanks,” Xia Fei said with a smile. It was not Andy’s fault that there were missing parts, and he did not blame him, for he saw how much effort the latter had put into this.

“What do you plan to do today?” asked Andy.

“I want to try my luck at the ancient battlefields. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just buy an industrial ship and drag my ship to an Alliance-occupied area and fix it there,” said Xia Fei.

Andy shook his head. “Setting aside scavenging at the ancient battlefields, for now, dragging it to an Alliance-occupied area is a no go.”

“Oh, what’s wrong with that?” Xia Fei asked curiously.

“Industrial ships are slow by nature. It’ll take at least two hours for one to readjust after every warp, and the longer the distance, the longer the charging time. Plus, the industrial ship has a bigger signature, so it’s easier to be discovered.

“The environment in the Wild Star Region is terrible. Metaliminal electrical storms and proton explosions occur everywhere. How could a clumsy and fragile industrial ship avoid all those imminent dangers?”

A significant number of pirates populated the Wild Star Region. Many usually worked a job, and once they were done with the said job, they would change into another set of clothes and go around robbing others in space. In the eyes of the many residing in this star region, robbing and working were the same; both were just jobs.

“Do you know why Sarah only goes out in the mornings?” asked Andy.

Xia Fei shook his head. He had never asked Sarah about her job, nor had she mentioned it to him.

“That’s because Sarah is only responsible for moving the cargo to the nearest safe spot. It’s up to the buyer how to get it out of this region. In the Wild Star Region, industrial ships are only used to transport cargo between safe spots. It’s never used to travel long distances.

“If you wanted to transport cargo over a long distance, you should probably use a more agile frigate. You’ll also warp less than one hundred lightyears every time as it keeps the charging time to a minimum while avoiding detection from radars.”

Xia Fei furrowed his brows. He knew that a large amount of energy was released every time the warp engine created a temporary wormhole. The smaller the warp distance, the smaller the energy released, and the harder it was for radars to pick up.

“Isn’t it a waste of time to warp such short distances?” asked Xia Fei.

Andy let out a hearty laugh. “Well, there’s not much you can do about it. Nobody dares to make large warps in the surrounding areas. Even when they are being careful, only three out of ten ships make it past the Wild Star Region. That’s why everything is so expensive here.”

Xia Fei lowered his head, thinking, before laughing to himself. “I guess I’ll just have to try my luck at the ancient battlefields.”