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墨書 Inktalez
In front of Cui Ming was a box of Poker cards. Upon opening it, he found five Poker cards, all made of glass, with the designs of regular Poker cards printed on them. Cui Ming picked up a card and examined it closely. "Glass? It's so light!"
Mi Big Head said to his classmate, "No need for too much explanation; it's just glass. What do you think?"
"Quite impressive," Cui Ming replied enthusiastically. The cards were thin, and when he touched them, they felt sharp and smooth without any deformation. He turned to Mi Big Head and said, "Let's start with two tons." This was a high-consumption item.
Mi Big Head's classmate was taken aback, realizing they were in a laboratory, not a factory.
Mi Xiaonan had been supervising but, lacking expertise in this area, found little to oversee. Seizing the opportunity to contribute, he stepped forward and said, "We'll offer ten thousand for one set; let's start with a hundred sets."
Unexpectedly, Mi Big Head shook his head. "The material isn't expensive. I know money isn't an issue for you, but this is a laboratory, not a factory. We can't mass-produce here. If needed, I can contact a factory to set up molds and such, but that will take time—at least three months. Moreover, for this type of material, sample production requires specialized lathes and tools, plus we only have one client; the costs will be very high."
Mi Big Head generously added, "Cucumber, no problem. Just call my assistant for any financial needs." He was genuinely wealthy, relying on patents rather than family connections; his wealth was unimaginable.
Thus, it was settled: they would order one thousand sets of Poker cards, and three months later, Cui Ming would go to Twilight City to pick them up. Naturally, Cui Ming expressed his gratitude to Mi Big Head. This wasn't just about money; these brilliant individuals were not particularly interested in wealth—they already had enough to indulge themselves. Their focus lay more on interests, ideals, and pursuits. Without Mi Big Head's support, they wouldn't have received help.
The requirements were quite demanding: smoothness, hardness, and weight. These standards posed certain contradictions, especially between hardness and weight. Cui Ming played with the five glass Poker cards and was very pleased with them. He had a casual relationship with Mi Big Head primarily due to Mi Xiaonan's influence; thus, he made sure to praise Mi Xiaonan.
That day, after seeing off Ding Ze along with Mi Xiaonan and Mi Big Head at the dock, Cui Ming checked into a hotel while waiting for Feng and Beiyue to join him.
Beiyue had official business. Cui Ming understood completely; however, Feng seemed mysterious—this single man claimed to have matters to attend to and suggested meeting in Shen Island City in seven days... Speaking of which, Feng appeared quite interested in Liu Meier's looks; why hadn't he shown up at the charity gala?
In reality, Feng had left for Shen Island City right after the finals concluded. He was currently in Shen Island City.
Shen Island City had some resources due to its island nature but lacked many others—especially meat resources. In the development of global trade, refrigeration technology had made significant strides over time. Submarines transformed from mere vessels into powerful tools largely thanks to advancements in refrigeration technology. In Shen Island City, there was an area dedicated to storing frozen goods as well as research institutes focused on refrigeration technology.
The wind was inside the research institute, where the laboratory could create extreme cold temperatures below zero degrees. Of course, this was not the limit; it was merely a limit relative to the facility. The wind had seen scenes created by the institute at minus one hundred ninety degrees, where even the air turned blue. It was stunningly beautiful. The head of the institute told the wind that many metals undergo incredible changes at certain temperatures. They were the most professional team in the world studying cold.
The wind began its chilling baptism, starting at minus thirty degrees. It was manageable. Upon reaching minus forty degrees, the wind felt unnatural, unable to move freely. It had to spend one to two minutes meditating to operate Force, as using Force at this temperature consumed a significant amount of energy to fend off the cold invasion. Data collected by the laboratory indicated that Antarctica was colder than the Arctic, with measurements taken near Witch Island showing a minimum temperature of minus sixty degrees and an average temperature of minus thirty degrees. The average temperature in the central area of Witch Island fluctuated between minus forty and fifty degrees. The lowest recorded temperature in the Arctic was around minus fifty degrees, where survival was possible, but it was impossible for a person to venture deep into Antarctica.
The temperature the wind challenged was minus fifty degrees, which was very difficult. Survival was not an issue; some daily activities could be performed. However, fighting would be tantamount to suicide. At minus fifty degrees, once cold entered the body, blood vessels and nerves would immediately experience Paralysis. Over time, blood vessels and nerves would freeze to death. Most importantly, it would lower the body's temperature; if body temperature dropped below thirty-five degrees, walking became difficult, and below thirty-three degrees, one would lose rationality.
Fighting was out of the question; one could not expose their body to the air. Beiyue's Force could manage a couple of moves, but neither he nor Cui Ming stood a chance. What about that witch? There was no comparison; she lived here. If the cold reduced her combat power from 100 to 10, she wouldn’t choose to reside here. After all, it was much warmer near the Arctic, and there were no disturbances.
However, the wind did not give up. Since he had promised to go, he would definitely go; he would not leave his fate in others' hands. He began using wind to combat the cold; while moving his body, he always maintained either a front or back position with the wind, utilizing it to form an outer shield of Force. Theoretically, this could effectively protect against cold invasions. Unfortunately, time was too short; regardless of anything else, the wind learned one truth: do not fight on Witch Island.
...
Days later, Beiyue and the wind found Cui Ming at his hotel. Cui Ming had already rented a boat. After staying for one night, the three boarded and set sail towards Antarctica.
Since Antarctica was much colder than the Arctic, it did not have any actual small islands; it was a world of ice and snow where green and yellow earth were invisible—there weren’t even any visible rocks.
The ship headed southwest into the edge of Pirate King's territory before continuing southward. After ten days of life at sea, they finally reached near the glaciers of Antarctica. The ship could go no further unless it had an icebreaker; even icebreakers couldn’t advance too far. Cui Ming had agreed with the captain on a ten-day deadline—if they didn’t return within ten days, the captain could do as he pleased.
This route had been traversed by humans before—ordinary people from scientific research teams. This area belonged to the outskirts of Antarctica, where not all seawater had frozen into floating ice; specialized vessels could still advance several dozen kilometers further. Cui Ming and his companions no longer needed a boat; they used their legs powered by Force to travel efficiently.
Now in a state of polar night in Antarctica, there was no sun visible—it wasn’t time for scientific research—and temperatures were much lower than during polar day. On their first night, they set up tents and studied maps provided by their alliance. Wandering, who had visited Witch Island, described that they were only over a hundred kilometers away from it; if all went well, they could reach it in two days.
What surprised Cui Ming most was that the wind and Beiyue were completely at odds—not just like enemies in a soap opera but genuinely incompatible. A few days earlier, when the wind helped out, Beiyue tolerated his neurotic behavior. However, when the wind jumped into the sea and shot fish with urine among a school of them before boasting about it upon returning ashore, Beiyue finally couldn’t hold back and asked: “Don’t you have any more ambitious forms of entertainment? I don’t understand why you’d bring this up during our lunch.”
Cui Ming tried to ease tensions: “We’ve discussed worse things during lunch—like how disgusting it is to eat rats in the desert.”
For men, their critical point is like a minefield—if they don’t step on a mine, everything is fine. For women, their critical point is like a pressure cooker—building pressure until it eventually explodes. Beiyue retorted: “But when most crew members are resting on deck while you’re singing…”
“Because inspiration struck suddenly,” replied the wind. “I knew they hadn’t slept well, so I ordered them to rest for half a day before setting sail again.”
"Yes, we wasted half a day and now we're wasting another day because when we passed through the territory of Lank, you dressed up as a pirate and provoked the Navy."
"I just wanted to know the speed difference between the two ships," Feng Dao replied. "Beiyue, the journey is boring; let's find some fun and not be so rigid."
Beiyue asked, "Did you consider that while you were telling dirty jokes during meals with the crew, there was a lady present? And she is the only woman on board."
"I know you're unhappy, so I won't say anything more," Feng added. "I thought you were a tough girl."
Similarly, Feng had his own grievances with Beiyue. Beiyue was very particular about time; in Beiyue's plan, everything was scheduled—what to do today and where to go tomorrow. But Feng liked to indulge his curiosity. When he spotted a small island in the distance, he insisted on stopping the ship to explore it, which naturally delayed their journey. Feng thought it was rare to come this way; Witch Island wasn't going anywhere, and they had plenty of food and water, so there was no rush. Meanwhile, Beiyue felt as if they were racing against time.
Additionally, Feng enjoyed boasting. On calm days, while the sailors rested and ate, he would sit in the captain's cabin with a megaphone telling stories—some true, some exaggerated. What angered Beiyue most was Feng's way of speaking. For instance, when looking for Cui Ming, he would ask Beiyue, "Where's your guy?"
At first, Beiyue corrected him seriously: "Cui Ming and I are good friends, but we have no personal relationship."
Feng shrugged it off and turned to Cui Ming, asking, "What about your girl?"
Cui Ming didn't take it too seriously; knowing Feng was teasing Beiyue, he simply went along with it.
Beiyue didn't mind Feng's teasing about Cui Ming's identity too much; what bothered her most was the term "girl." This word had historical connotations linked to ancient night pots and was used to refer to prostitutes or disreputable women. Over time, it became a derogatory term implying that women were merely objects for male gratification. In early films featuring gangsters, one might hear: "This is my girl." It reflected ignorance and a disrespectful view of women as mere possessions.
Cui Ming understood that Feng meant no harm; however, Beiyue perceived malice in his words. Even though Cui Ming was Beiyue's partner, she felt that calling her a "girl" was crossing a line—it carried an implication of belittlement, suggesting that women were subordinate to men. Because of this, Cui Ming spoke up briefly to Feng about his choice of words. Feng did indeed refrain from using that term afterward but couldn't help but feel that Cui Ming was overly controlled by Beiyue. Occasionally, he would throw in a sarcastic remark or two for good measure. Cui Ming would smile it off while Beiyue overheard and grew increasingly dissatisfied. (To be continued.)
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