Three months later, in the Chaotic Territory
Lei Lin led several subordinates around the outskirts, looking for a suitable site for a laboratory, while using Electromagnetic Induction to search for his target.
Suddenly, a hint of delight appeared on Lei Lin's face. He had been searching for several days.
After leading his men on a thorough survey of the surrounding area for another ten-odd miles, he said, "Pass down the word: the area within ten miles of this spot will be the site of my future laboratory."
"Plan for a workshop zone within thirty miles. Draw up the construction plans, and have the Dawson Chamber of Commerce bring all kinds of building materials here as quickly as possible!"
"Also, the laboratory and workshop involve family secrets. I don't trust outsiders, so only craftsmen trained by the family can build them."
A burly man beside him said, "Lei Lin, isn't a laboratory spanning ten miles too large?"
"And are you sure you want to plan such a huge area for the workshops?"
"Patriarch, do you even know how big Nifeng City is?!"
"Besides, although the family has been training all kinds of craftsmen in earnest these past few years, we didn't bring many here this time. We're short on manpower."
"Why not hire local people, as we've always done? The people of Nifeng City have been living in dire conditions. They'll surely cherish the chance to work for our Zi'ao Family."
"That would also help our family take control of the city."
Lei Lin looked at him. "You're right, Big Brother Laite, but this laboratory is very important to me."
"This place is too chaotic. I don't trust outsiders. It has to be our own people!"
"If we don't have enough workers, we can take our time. To start with, let's build a core laboratory here, spanning three hundred meters."
"As for it being too large? Later, I plan to connect the alchemy workshops, laboratories, and other buildings. Even this might not be enough."
"Later, we may need to keep expanding outward from here."
Beneath them lay a Magic Crystal Mine worth hundreds of billions, and at its heart was the priceless Planar Secret Chamber.
If not for his principles, he had even considered having all the craftsmen who built the laboratory killed once it was finished, just to keep it secret.
After all, wealth could tempt anyone, and he was genuinely afraid something might go wrong!
At this point, Lei Lin continued, "Big Brother Laite, we grew up together. I wouldn't trust anyone else with this."
"You'll personally oversee the construction!"
"Once it's done, I'll give you a gift!"
Laite grimaced. "Sigh, fine, fine. You're the patriarch now, after all!"
"But you'd better make sure I'm happy with that gift. Otherwise, I'll spread rumors about you, saying you're especially fond of noble ladies in ghost-face makeup who—"
Lei Lin immediately cut him off. "All right, all right. I'll definitely make you happy."
Afterward, he and Laite discussed the overall plans for Nifeng City and the people's livelihoods.
As for the Planar Secret Chamber, he had no intention of digging through the mine and entering it just yet.
After all, he could claim that he had found the Magic Crystal Mine by "coincidence" while building the laboratory.
But if Beirut was watching him, digging through the mine to find the Planar Secret Chamber would inevitably draw attention.
He couldn't afford to provoke a Main God right now!
Besides, finding it wouldn't help him.
Entering the Planar Secret Chamber without sufficient strength would be suicide.
The entrance was guarded by the power of spatial slicing—even Saint Realm Undying Warrior Barker considered it dangerous. There was no way Lei Lin could withstand it now.
His top priority was to build up his strength and reach the Saint Realm. Everything else was illusory; it was all preparation for the future.
Time flew by, and a year passed in the blink of an eye.
Lei Lin was cultivating in his laboratory in the Chaotic Territory when he looked at the Communication Crystal in his hand and said, "Lin Lei, if I'd gone after Alice back when we were younger, would you have been spared this ordeal of the heart?"
The Communication Crystal had since been upgraded. The two parties no longer needed to activate it at the same time to communicate.
Now, one could send messages and wait for the recipient to check them when he activated his crystal. The number of messages it could store had also increased from three to fifty, making it much more practical.
The messages Lei Lin had received over the past few days were Lin Lei's anguished reflections on his complicated relationship with Alice.
Recently, Lin Lei had felt that Alice was gradually growing distant from him. Whenever he asked her to meet, she always seemed to have "something to do."
Although he respected Alice, he could feel some vague, negative emotions building up inside him.
He couldn't very well discuss this with his roommates, Yale and Reynolds, so Lei Lin, the good big brother living far away in the Chaotic Territory, had become the perfect person to confide in.
Of course, the messages in the crystal weren't exactly a venting of negative emotions. Mostly, they were about the vague tension between him and Alice, along with the things that had happened between them.
Lin Lei had asked Lei Lin if he had any good advice, since Lei Lin had more experience.
From the messages, Lei Lin knew that Kalan, the third party, had definitely made his move. But Lin Lei was completely inexperienced and hadn't taken it seriously; he'd only noticed that Alice seemed a little off.
Lei Lin, on the other hand, had seen far too much of this sort of thing in his previous life. He was practically an expert.
But he had no intention of warning Lin Lei. He left every message on read without replying!
After all, for Lin Lei, this would be the opportunity to gain enlightenment, break through in spiritual power, and become the second... or third... greatest genius in history!
It would be the catalyst for the timeless masterpiece Dream Awakening!
And it would also mark the beginning of his relationship with Delia, the girl who would one day stay by his side for the rest of his life!
"Sigh. If I'd gone after Alice back then, would you have been spared this heart-wrenching ordeal, Lin Lei?"
"But a man has to go through a few things in life."
"I'll keep an eye on your Grandpa Doehring and your father, Hogg, but when it comes to love, your brother here really can't help!"
"After all, if I did help, you might end up with the wrong partner, and that could lead to even more trouble down the road."
"That might not be good for you!"
"Lin Lei, take your time and savor the bitterness of love!"
After putting away the Communication Crystal, Lei Lin left the laboratory.
Nifeng City had changed beyond recognition. Under the Zi'ao Family's control, the city seemed to transform every month.
The people were busy but prosperous, and their spirits burned like a prairie fire. Hope was everywhere.
The economy had shifted from basic agriculture to industry, centered on construction and the production and processing of alchemical materials. Everything was thriving.
As for administrative policy, the Zi'ao Family made active adjustments in step with the city's development, striving to ensure fair and just living conditions for the people.
Well, if policies didn't have to be adapted to the circumstances, Lei Lin would have liked to replicate all the policies from his previous life in one go.
With all these changes, Nifeng City had become a prosperous city renowned throughout the Chaotic Territory!
But there were gains and losses. When a tree grew tall, the wind hit it harder. As soon as Nifeng City began to prosper, the surrounding powers started coveting it.
Countless wars, large and small, broke out. Fortunately, the people here had long since grown accustomed to war.
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