Cui Mao saw the canned cola passed by Zhou Yi, his face showing surprise as he hastily raised his hands to block it, "This single-priced Dead Sea Aged is not something a knight's salary can afford."

Zhou Yi said, "I consider you a friend, take it and drink."

Cui Mao scratched his head, "Then... thank you."

He carefully pulled the tab and put it to his mouth, first sniffing with his nose, then showing an intoxicated expression.

Then Cui Mao took a small sip.

His lips slightly smacked as if savoring the taste in his mouth.

"A wonderful and refreshing taste, no city can truly duplicate this kind of aged brew."

Cui Mao held the can in both hands and took another sip.

He relaxed a lot, and his shoulders were not so tensed up, "It's said that the Dead Sea Aged is a sacrificial offering to the gods, and only after fermenting for a long time in the Dead Sea does it acquire its unique flavors, one less bottle with every sip."

"I saw it at a celebration banquet before but wasn't qualified to drink it, I heard it costs five Light Seeds per bottle. I never imagined that I'd taste it here with you, Mr. Zhou, or inside the body of a Dead Sea Alien, which is really incredible."

Zhou Yi also opened a can.

This 24-year-old cola, his biggest worry had been that it might spoil over time. Who knew if it might contain some Death Light virus?

As he was the embodiment of a White Suanni, but ordinary people might not know if they could drink it.

Luckily, the Red Kestrel had extracted data from Recursive City, stating that all ancient foods stored in the Dead Sea were edible. Most of them were even healthier and more sanitary than the food of this era, but they shouldn't be left open too long to avoid spoiling and rotting.

Today, Zhou Yi also shared the food of his era for the first time.

However, Cui Mao's words awakened him.

Right.

The Dead Sea stored a huge quantity of food and drinks, and as long as the Light Film wasn't removed, they could be preserved long-term. So, cola, soda, juice, and alcohol as Dead Sea Aged could completely be sold as commodities.

Recursive City didn't engage in food trade, perhaps because its residents were all electromechanical beings.

But when Qian Su returned next month, he could ask her to start shipping a batch.

Zhou Yi pondered this quietly.

This was a very suitable way for him to make money.

Cui Mao suddenly said, "Ah, the aged brew made me a bit drunk with excitement... let's talk about serious matters."

He spoke earnestly, "Mr. Zhou, there's no need to elaborate on the Heavenly Kingdom. As the only empire in this world, its influence and deterrence reach enough to radiate any community, though the Heavenly Kingdom doesn't expand extensively, its shadow is almost omnipresent."

"Many powers are overtly or covertly a part of the Heavenly Kingdom. Like the Mechanical Knights, they are one of the top equipment manufacturers, headquartered on the lands of the Heavenly Kingdom."

"The Dead Sea Knights also have a close cooperative relationship with the Heavenly Kingdom."

"Most cities yearn to join the Heavenly Kingdom, becoming either its direct or overseas territories."

"Merchants and knights are two types of shadows the Heavenly Kingdom casts over various places, who are known as agents of the Heavenly Kingdom. Of course, these people wouldn't admit it themselves."

Discussing this colossal entity, Cui Mao's tone also became grave, "I returned to Sand Port to report the situation here, after finding out the latest news about Ji Zhang, I rushed here."

"On the way, I encountered Qian Su, who was also hurrying this way. I noticed that the electromechanical life form she was riding had its rear trunk opened, some device deployed, aiming in the direction of Jade City. Such long-range equipment is generally non-lethal, Light Imprint Structure precision notwithstanding... but to be safe, I still forced her to stop."

"She said she was testing the operation of the equipment while in high-speed travel."

"I'm more inclined to think that she was coming to support you, Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Yi noticed that Cui Mao's right hand, the Gun Fist, had recovered as usual, and he gestured with both hands out of habit as he spoke.

"The difficulty of using remote devices while speeding is quite high, and it seemed like she made a decision on the fly rather than having premeditated plans. At that time, you were just under attack by sea pirates."

"Compared to being an Honorary Knight, there are even fewer Heavenly Country Citizens. It's very difficult to obtain a Heavenly Kingdom passport, and even among those living within the territory of the Heavenly Kingdom, many do not possess such an officially recognized identity protected by the Empire."

"When I interrogated her, she also asked me to come help you, believing that your location was under attack by sea pirates... Of course, she was well aware that the Dead Sea Knight's warships were certainly no mere raiders."

After talking a lot, Cui Mao grabbed a Coke and wet his throat again.

Zhou Yi asked him, "Is it easy to become an Honorary Knight of the Dead Sea Knights? Like Qian Su and Ji Zhang, belonging to different national camps, can they enjoy the same special treatment within the same Knight Order?"

"That... If you know how, it's not difficult; if you don't, it is difficult. Dead Sea Knights are also willing to absorb people who come with their own resources, as the Knights provide facilities, and these people must also contribute corresponding resources in return. It is essentially a trade."

Cui Mao clenched his soda can and continued, "Although the Dead Sea Knights have cooperative relationships with various parties, they also face pressure from powerful groups like the Heavenly Kingdom, but they maintain their independence. This is supported by their high mobility in the Dead Sea and their beneficial interactions with various entities..."

"About Ji Zhang, there were some confidential internal news items that I was not at liberty to share earlier. After this report, I received authorization from the captain, and I can share it with you to expedite the search for evidence of Ji Zhang's crimes."

Cui Mao paused and then said, "Ji Zhang was born in Chicken Head Town. At the age of 10, he became a servant to a craftsman and left the village with the craftsman. When he reappeared it was 18 years later, and he had become extremely wealthy. No one knows what happened during those missing years."

"We used some connections to find the craftsman's son, who informed us that the craftsman had taken Ji Zhang to a snowy mountain. After returning, the craftsman adopted Ji Zhang as his son and seemed to share a secret with him."

"The craftsman gradually spent almost all of his wealth to create something, and he was busy in his underground workshop every day. He not only forbade his family from asking questions but also physically punished his wife with a whip if she attempted to inquire. This caused his son to harbour deep resentment."

"Later, the craftsman and Ji Zhang once more went far to that snowy mountain, and they never returned."

"The craftsman's son entered the underground workshop and restored some traces on the wall that had been rubbed away using stone powder. Those traces included some fuzzy component blueprints, some numbers, but most importantly, there was a symbol."

Cui Mao flipped to a page in the notebook he was carrying.

"This is it."

It displayed an eye in a circle, with two long wings spread on the sides.

Zhou Yi didn't know what the heck it was, so he pretended to be thinking.

Cui Mao said, "The craftsman's son didn't know, but our people recognized it immediately—it's the insignia of Star Axis."

"The most powerful nation in the world is undoubtedly the Heavenly Kingdom ruled by the Black Emperor. However, the territory of Star Axis is beyond this world, and no one can clearly say who is stronger."

"Frictions and conflict between the two have always existed, as both try to gather as much support and following as possible from various cities, Skywalkers, and sea lords."

"The controversy over Star Axis lies in its 'Eye of the World' that constantly watches everyone in the Star Axis camp, recording everyone's movements. Some people see this as fairness and security, but many more feel it's a torment and terror."

"While the Heavenly Kingdom acts dominantly, it is very restrained in terms of aggrandizement, preserving the living space for various cities and territories. However, Star Axis truly intends to watch every individual, and most don't want this otherworldly power coming into being."

"They are fiercely competing in various fields, but whether this will escalate into full-scale war, no one can say for sure."

Cui Mao clenched his fists.

Zhou Yi was left puzzled.

The Heavenly Kingdom is invincible on land.

Star Axis is the enemy from the skies, right?

It seems like the environment in the Wasteland Era involves the clash of these two superpowers.

"Ji Zhang somehow made contact with Star Axis and became a member of their camp; he goes around cities making deals and represents the will of Star Axis."

Cui Mao brought the conversation back, "So, Ji Zhang instigated the Dead Sea Knights to attack here, and Qian Su from the Heavenly Kingdom camp would try to disrupt his actions. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I believe that's the real reason she came here to help you."

Zhou Yi thought for a moment.

Now that he had clashed with Ji Zhang, the opportunity was rare, so he should take full advantage of Qian Su to gain more benefits.