Chapter 83: Return to Deer Summit

In the human base office, Ma Jun held a cup of coffee in one hand while his other hand danced across the system panel.

"Hmm, a basic Universe Ring costs a thousand energy, an intermediate one is three thousand. The advanced version hasn't appeared yet—the store level isn't high enough!" he mused. "Currently, I have 19,000 energy. Let's get an intermediate one!"

Xiaohua's image flickered into view, her expression radiant with joy. "Uncle, are we leaving? Does this mean you can finally get me a body?"

"That's right!" Ma Jun turned to look at Xiaohua, feeling even more delighted in his heart. At last, he had a chance to get rid of her.

"Are you all prepared?"

"Of course!" All the technical data had already been stored with Lao Qian. As long as Ma Jun could leave, he could bring Lao Qian along.

Inside Ma Jun’s Universe Ring were only two large items: a small spacecraft gifted by Harry, just ten meters long and five meters high, taking up a substantial portion of the ring’s ten cubic meters. The other was a humanoid mecha, a present from Just, standing just over three meters tall. These two items filled the ring to capacity.

Lao Qian, on the other hand, only had technical data, which could be stored in a single ultra-microchip computer. Besides that, there were a few miscellaneous things.

The intermediate Universe Ring Ma Jun purchased from the system store had fifty cubic meters of space, perfect for storing superconducting ore—a rare material difficult to find in other worlds.

Although he had successfully conquered the Avatar world and could come and go as he pleased without expending energy, having a larger transport medium meant far less running back and forth, which was far more convenient.

In the Avatar world, Ma Jun had gone to great lengths to acquire many valuable items. The most precious, of course, were the technical documents. If he were to purchase these with energy points from the system store, they would fall woefully short.

Moreover, there was a certain reassurance in acquiring things through one’s own efforts.

Ma Jun was not the sort to sit idly at home waiting for wealth to fall into his lap.

"Lao Qian, find a secluded place and change into the attire from The Deer and the Cauldron. I’ll come to pick you up soon!" After sending this message to Qian Modo, Ma Jun put on both storage rings and headed out.

At present, Ma Jun could freely travel between five worlds, and he needed to choose one in which to launch large-scale development.

The Avatar world could certainly be ruled out first.

Infernal Affairs, The Tuxedo, and Titanic were all modern worlds; trying to seize territory there would inevitably lead to massive conflicts.

Only the world of The Deer and the Cauldron held vast, undeveloped territories—the Americas, Australia, and even Africa were open for expansion. In that era, though European explorers had discovered the Americas and Australia, they had yet to establish colonies. The sprawling lands were home to perhaps less than ten million indigenous people.

Thus, the world of The Deer and the Cauldron was a land of tremendous potential.

As Ma Jun walked through the base, people frequently greeted him. Before long, he reached the area where the superconducting ore was stored. As he had instructed, a portion had already been refined and was neatly stacked, towering as high as a three-story building.

Once he’d filled the intermediate Universe Ring, Ma Jun was thoroughly satisfied. Right there, he changed into ancient attire, used his facial adjustment technique to grow out his hair and beard, and declared, "Let’s go!"

In the next instant, the scene shifted—Ma Jun appeared in the study of the Governor’s Residence in The Deer and the Cauldron world. It was midday. He first instructed Xiaohua to bring Qian Modo over as well, and then the two of them stepped outside together.

"My dear, have you and General Qian already finished your confidential discussions so quickly?" Mu Jianping approached, graceful and demure.

"My lady!" Ma Jun’s face lit up with an exuberant smile. In a single stride, he embraced Mu Jianping. "I’ve missed you so much!"

The servants nearby quickly averted their eyes. Though their master often did such things, it was still not proper to watch openly. Lao Qian, however, was completely unfazed and waited quietly at the back.

"It’s only been the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and you’re already teasing me again!" Mu Jianping’s cheeks flushed, making her look enchantingly lovely.

Not counting the five years spent in cryosleep aboard the spacecraft, it had still been two or three years since Ma Jun had seen Mu Jianping, and she was often on his mind.

Gazing at her familiar face, Ma Jun hesitated. "Perhaps I’ll stay with this little girl for a few days before tending to other matters," he thought.

Originally, he had planned to head straight to the Americas aboard the spaceship, but now he changed his mind. They say the gentle embrace of home is a hero’s grave—there’s truth in that saying.

Ma Jun and his young wife spent more than ten days in blissful seclusion, while he also dealt with various affairs of the base.

One day, as clear skies and warm winds graced the land, far off in a mountain forest, a massive black object suddenly soared into the sky. Some sharp-eyed peasants working in the fields caught sight of it and were so startled, they thought it was a spirit or a demon.

Ma Jun, piloting the spacecraft with Lao Qian, set off for the North American west coast, where there were abundant mineral resources and almost no human inhabitants.

Within half an hour, they reached their destination and landed on a relatively flat stretch of rocky ground. It was early afternoon on the west coast, and the blinding sunlight scorched the earth. Different time zones, he mused—if he didn’t mention it, would anyone complain?

Ma Jun and Lao Qian disembarked from the spacecraft and looked around.

"Let’s establish a small base here first, Lao Qian—take out the supplies!" Ma Jun said expectantly, lighting a cigarette.

Qian Modo nodded. In the blink of an eye, five robust men appeared. "Greetings, boss!"

Ma Jun nodded in satisfaction, then turned to ask, "Lao Qian, are these the simple bio-engineered men you’ve developed? Are you sure they’ll obey orders completely and never rebel?"

"Absolutely," Qian Modo replied confidently, then explained further.

These five men were created using a combination of Avatar world cloning technology and some electronics. Their bodies were identical to normal humans, but their DNA contained some Na’vi genes, making them far stronger than ordinary people.

Each of their brains housed a microchip made from superconducting ore, programmed to follow Ma Jun’s every command without the slightest possibility of rebellion.

Moreover, since their bodies were no different from humans and the chip’s location was ingeniously concealed, even if they entered the primary world, no scan would reveal their secret.

However, their brains were fundamentally unlike those of humans—they were, in essence, low-level robots devoid of intelligence or emotion.

The advantage of this was their high degree of addiction to commands. If they had all-metal bodies with only human skin on the surface, such robots could indeed be made, but their practical use would be limited. In any world with a little technology, they would be detected immediately.

That would only invite trouble.

Since it could be avoided, Ma Jun naturally chose to avoid it. He had no intention of courting unnecessary conflict or playing the hero for show—he was well past such vanity. After his experiences across several worlds, he had become inscrutably calculating.

Under Ma Jun’s direction, everyone worked together. Using the supplies Lao Qian had brought, they quickly constructed a simple house.