Seeing the young general’s party about to depart, and realizing that the fateful connection between the so-called “Fogfolk ” and the general was nearing its end, He Yishu’s mind began to race.

This couldn’t end like this.

Yet, how could he steer things to continue as he wished? He needed to find a way, under the watch of this group, to secretly convey that the other party’s danger had not yet fully dissipated.

But if he were to expose it directly, the hidden currents would be brought into the open.

He Yishu cleared his throat lightly, unsure what else to say, yet knowing he had to say something more.

It was truly frustrating. Just how many times would he have to endure this?

“Once again, thank you, the three of you… ” At this moment, Lan Kaosi was on high alert as well.

A Fogfolk actively inquiring about their party’s itinerary? Wasn’t that a blatant attempt to dig up more something from the young general?

The young general, who had just narrowly escaped danger, was hardly the kind of plaything for these damned Fogfolk to toy with.

Thinking of this, Lan Kaosi’s mind raced urgently: what could he do to make these Fogfolk abandon those dreadful thoughts of kicking him back into the Mist Sea?

“Is this really a check for us? I’m utterly surprised. ” Yang Zicang feigned the look of an inexperienced young man as he took the check Haili Koni had signed and handed over.

He tried his best to maintain the initial impression he had just made on the girl before him.

As Lan Kaosi explained to him, Yang Zicang glanced at the words on the check—not a single punctuation mark made sense to him.

Yang Zicang looked at the burly man translating beside him. The man pointed his finger at these foreign characters, still unfamiliar to the recently arrived Fogfolk.

“Excuse me, what do these words represent…? “

In that brief moment, Lan Kaosi suddenly thought of a way to give this kid—who was eagerly looking for an opportunity to talk more with him—a reward.

To them, a truly satisfying reward!

“Forget about these words. ” Lan Kaosi firmly grabbed Yang Zicang’s hand pointing at the check, and said sincerely:

“You’ve just arrived on our continent, right? Well, our world has many dangerous places, and those are exactly where we need people like you, who possess abilities beyond the ordinary, to solve problems. “

As these words left his mouth, Lan Kaosi was pleased to see the three Fogfolk, along with some onlooking Fogfolk nearby, immediately turned their faces with genuine, eager anticipation for him to continue.

This was the most effective weapon against the Fogfolk.

Success!

Blue Kaosi breathed a huge sigh of relief, then saw Haili Koni looking at him curiously.

“What is it? ” the girl tilted her head and asked.

“Uh… well… ” The burly man turned his head with difficulty and addressed the Mistfolk before him.

“Do you want to hear some legendary tale about this island? They say strange things once happened here. “

“Wow. “

“Places were like they’d been taken over by demons, giving rise to countless tragedies. The good thing is, those anomalies usually don’t spread like a plague. They say it’s in a cave beneath a sea cliff. But now that place is sealed off—by the Snow Kun family, ah no, the Ka Yunni family. “

“The Snow Kun family? ” Yang Zicang thought about the name.

If this information was enough, they should be able to shift their curiosity over, right?

“That sure is a curious old legend, ” Li Senrui said. “Just like those contaminated foods. “

“Yeah, could there be a connection between the two? ” He Yishu added. “I was in the restroom earlier… “

“You guys… ” Blue Kaosi was fuming.

“Vice-Adjutant Koni, we can’t waste our time here. I’ll have someone check the plane; you go back to the major general. “

Haili Koni’s gaze flicked to the young man who was looking at her with his mouth slightly agape.

This Mr. Kaosi, even dumber than a Mistfolk… Why would he outright say that to me in the Mistfolk language!

She nodded panickedly for a moment, then turned and hurried toward the banquet hall, her small face flushed crimson.

A feeling she had never experienced before turned into a heat that scorched the roots of her ears.

Behind her, Yang Zicang could only wince. This woman understood what he was saying…!

As the old saying goes: never gossip behind someone’s back—now this is just awkward.

Seeing Lan Kaosi announce he wanted to inspect the plane, He Yishu felt a bit more at ease for now.

“Alright, that’s it for today. I’m not selling anymore, ” Li Senrui began shooing people away.

He himself, as the chairman, was truly remarkable—always able to find the potential that could give birth to a glorious radiance, and he was right in the midst of it. Let everyone else on the other ships envy him!

After the crowd dispersed, Li Senrui took the chance to quietly ask Yang Zicang, “What do we do now? “

If he still couldn’t figure out what might happen by now, then he would be too much of a failure—there was a faint anticipation stirring in his heart.

“I’m sure the major general isn’t a fool. He definitely won’t just believe this is simple food poisoning. I’ve got a hunch this check they gave me proves it. “

“So you mean… waiting for the major general to come to us? “

“He might not come specifically looking for us, but he’s definitely not just going to leave like that, don’t worry. “

Yang Zicang tucked the check into his coat pocket. “As for these three thousand silver coins, I’ll find a chance to split some among you. “

And just as Yang Zicang had guessed, it wasn’t long before the major general issued a recruitment notice: looking for Fogfolk who could unfold forcefields to fly with him to the Kingdom of Heivenzike.

At the time the recruitment order was announced, Yang Zicang was haggling with the innkeeper over the rent for his single-room dormitory, where he had discovered some oil paints that had been sitting there for who knows how long.

Although Zeng Qingyan had mentioned that the seashells were sufficient, having some paint would always be better.

“Mister from the Mist, there you are. “

-｛Distributor February. Di’an eagerly awaits the continued cultivation of my glorious prelude.｝

Yang Zicang turned at the sound. The young mechanic’s figure appeared in the doorway. He would only learn the man’s identity later; for now, he simply recognized him as someone who had sat at the general’s dinner table, marking him as an individual of no ordinary standing.

“Are you looking for me? “

“I’m Lan. Nuoxin, the mechanic. “

“Mechanic? What’s that? Some kind of alchemist who can swap out your limbs? “

The man chuckled, instantly dissolving much of the formal tension between them.

“My job is mostly watching the instrument panels. If you could take a look at our aircraft’s cockpit, you’d understand just how indispensable this role is. “

Yang Zicang could already picture it, instantly grasping how highly specialized and critical this man’s work was. For those “antique aircraft, ” the dense clusters of gauges on the panels made one’s scalp crawl, and if any one of those needles pointed where it shouldn’t, it was time to start praying.

“Our Major General Ross is looking to hire a reliable Fogfolk as a travel companion. You were his first thought, sir. “

Yang Zicang waved the innkeeper off and prepared to follow the mechanic outside to talk.

Seeing that the Fogfolk, who had been “begging ” him to buy the paint, suddenly did a complete one-eighty in attitude, the seaside innkeeper, who was about fifty years old, immediately picked up a dusty wooden box.

“Alright, just that price. Can you get our money out? Come on, take it! “

“Oh, you intend to buy something? “

The mechanic glanced at the box, pondering why this Fogman would want to buy such a thing.

“I was just asking out of curiosity, that’s all. “

“How much is it? I’ll pay for you. “

“Uh… ” The innkeeper stammered, “Five… “

“Five copper coins? “

“Five… Silver Coins. “

Yang Zicang waved his hand and said, “I was just casually asking, hoping to hear something interesting, really no need to buy. “

The mechanic pulled out a Silver Coin with a mustached old man on it and tossed it onto the table, “I’ll buy this thing. That’s the amount. One Silver Coin. Give me the box. “

“Alright… Ah, ah, ah, it’s yours then. ” The innkeeper quickly pushed over the box, then picked up the Silver Coin, blew on it, and listened for the ring.

The mechanic took the box and stuffed it into Yang Zicang’s arms.

“Now it’s yours. Let’s go outside and chat. “

……

Stepping out under the palm tree, Yang Zicang hesitantly accepted the mechanic’s cigarette.

“Is it okay that you’ve approached me like this? “

“Don’t worry. The major general put out a recruitment call, so my companions are all contacting Fogfolk. It’s perfectly reasonable to reach out to you. “

The man pulled out a lighter. “Tell me honestly, sir. How did you find out the food was tainted? “

“Did you guys find anything wrong with the plane? “

These words made the mechanic’s mouth twitch.

“Yeah, we noticed some anomalies, so the takeoff was postponed. We might need to spend the entire night ruling out any other hidden problems. “

“Has anyone gone missing on your side? “

Hearing the Fogfolk’s query—one that seemed no joke—the mechanic’s heart suddenly went cold.

“No. Why do you ask, sir? “

Yang Zicang glanced around, then very naturally took the silver flint wheel lighter from the man’s hand, struck the flint with a series of clicks, and said, cigarette dangling from his lips, casually:

“A friend of mine saw some fresh bloodstains in the bathroom… We thought, you know. “

“I see, ” the mechanic said, his expression turning serious, without pretense, “but all our people are here. “

“If—and understand, I’m just saying ‘if,’ because I don’t really know what kind of people you are— “

“Please, go ahead, sir. Rest assured. My real name is Lou Yumen, heir to the Order of Honor in Brewenstarke. I would do nothing to disgrace my family name, so please speak freely. “

“What if a comrade of yours, one you don’t know about, has been harmed? “

These words sent a tingling numbness through every inch of the mechanic’s skin.