"Pilaf, are you an idiot?"
Li Xing looked at Pilaf in exasperation.
"We're trying to grow the Aurora Group and develop all kinds of super technology.
We need raw materials, and we need to sell our products. Naturally, we should set up somewhere convenient, in a big city.
What are we doing in the middle of nowhere?"
"But can't we use Hoi-Poi Capsules?
It's not far from here. A plane would get us there in no time."
Looking at Pilaf's confused, bewildered expression, Li Xing could hardly resist going over and kicking him.
"Don't you want to go to the city and meet a bunch of cute girls?"
Pilaf shook his head.
"No. As long as I have money and food, I'm happy."
Li Xing gasped for breath.
What a bastard.
"Besides, I like doing research now. I just need to focus on that."
Li Xing gritted his teeth.
"Get out of here."
"Sure!"
Pilaf smiled ingratiatingly and was just about to make a smooth exit.
"Wait, sir. Are we still moving?"
Li Xing glared at him.
"Obviously! Of course we're moving."
Pilaf shrank his neck and hurriedly ran off.
Li Xing shook his head with a wry smile.
Five months later.
South City!
On the outskirts of the metropolitan area.
A sprawling complex covering a thousand mu had sprung up from the ground.
It was the newest rising technology group on Earth.
The Aurora Group's headquarters stood here.
The Aurora Group's main businesses currently included computers, flying cars, mobile phones, broadband signals, and more.
Within the complex stood a one-mu estate.
The entire estate belonged to the chairman, Li Xing.
It was completely private. Other than the group's three senior executives, no one else could enter.
Outside the estate was a large training room, built entirely from special metal.
Inside the private estate.
One enormous building covered five hundred square meters, with four stories above ground and five below.
Each floor had six rooms.
Li Xing was in a room on the third basement level.
The room was packed with equipment, with countless cameras and microphones scattered throughout.
A pure black metal watch was strapped to Li Xing's wrist.
"Wisdom!"
A mechanical voice rang out in the room.
"I'm here!"
"Begin deployment. Prepare for testing."
"Computing power is ready, Engineer."
Li Xing said nothing.
He reached out with his right hand and pressed the watch on his left wrist.
"Initial deployment. Beginning genetic sequencing."
Li Xing remained motionless, quietly watching the space in front of him.
A huge screen covered in data flickered continuously before him.
"Please enter your fingerprints!"
Li Xing entered all five fingerprints on his right hand in turn.
"Please record your voice."
Following the preset instructions, Li Xing began at once.
"Please enter your password."
Li Xing patiently followed the prompts.
He began configuring more than a dozen settings one by one.
This watch was the culmination of Li Xing's technological achievements.
Normally, he wouldn't have needed to go through so much trouble.
But he needed to make four of them, three of which would go to Pilaf and the other two.
He had little faith in their intelligence, so he'd set up an extremely complicated password.
Of course, this was only for binding the device. Using it wouldn't be nearly so troublesome.
"Binding successful. Deploy now?"
Li Xing's gaze was calm, with a hint of anticipation.
"Activate."
"First test of Nano Heavy Armor, beginning."
A mass of densely packed black fluid poured out of the pure black watch on Li Xing's left wrist and covered his entire body in an instant.
Before long, his whole body was enveloped in the mysterious liquid.
"Wisdom, begin movement testing!"
After speaking, Li Xing strode toward the room's door.
"Stealth mode."
With every step Li Xing took, his figure grew fainter.
As he left, Li Xing gradually vanished from the room.
Not long afterward, the sea not far from South City grew turbulent.
Three hours later, Li Xing reappeared in the room.
"Wisdom, compile the data and report back."
"Understood, Engineer."
Another hour passed. The testing and research were complete, and Li Xing walked out of the underground lab wearing the black watch.
This is ridiculous. I came to the Dragon Ball World, and somehow ended up on the path of scientific research.
Still, this Dark Armor is pretty good.
With my current strength, even King Piccolo would be nothing but trash.
Wisdom's program still needs upgrading. The secret satellites we launched need upgrades, and the Dark Armor needs adjustments too.
But the Nutrient Solution and Nano Repair Factors stored in the Nano Watch are just right.
And thanks to this world's Hoi-Poi Capsule technology, I can research quantum technology and come up with something like Pym Particles.
Thinking this, Li Xing felt that something was off.
He was in the Dragon Ball World, a universe where personal cultivation could surpass everything.
Why had the whole tone of things shifted so far? All he ever talked about was technology.
Li Xing came up to ground level and returned to the first floor. Just as he was about to head to his small estate, he heard someone call out.
"President Li, there's something I need to discuss."
Seeing that Xiao Wu's expression was genuine, Li Xing motioned for her to follow.
"Go ahead. What is it?"
"Sir, our group made five hundred billion in five months."
Xiao Wu opened with a bombshell.
Li Xing remained indifferent.
As far as he was concerned, of money, power, and strength, strength was the most important.
The other two were just things he could gain by riding the momentum. Strength was the only one he could truly control himself.
Five hundred billion was nothing to him. Even if earning that much in five months was unbelievable.
But this world was just that crazy.
A computer cost around five thousand yuan, and a smartphone around eight thousand.
People in this world enjoyed a good standard of living. Spending that much was no problem for them.
And with the world unified, it wasn't outrageous for one company to make that kind of money.
"That's it?"
"President Li, our production can't keep up. I recommend adding more production lines."
Xiao Wu's eyes shone.
"Then the company could soon make several trillion."
Li Xing walked through the entrance. Wisdom sensed him and opened the huge glass doors.
"Welcome home, Engineer."
Li Xing didn't respond to Wisdom.
"What's Pilaf working on?"
"He's developing more products."
Li Xing said nothing.
Something was wrong.
That included him.
It was fine for Pilaf and the others to be keen on making money. That had always been their goal.
But Li Xing was different.
Over the past five months, most of his goals had somehow shifted toward scientific research.
There was nothing wrong with that, but he'd lost his way.
Strength—strength was what mattered.
King Piccolo was nothing.
If he didn't work hard to cultivate during this relatively safe and easy period, he'd never keep up with the explosive growth in power later on.
After the King Piccolo incident, everyone's battle power was only a little over three hundred. Five years later, it would reach over a thousand, and a year after that, it would hit twenty thousand.
A month later, it would skyrocket to a hundred million.
If Li Xing didn't work hard to get stronger during this relatively safe and easy period, he'd never keep up in the future.
Against enemies with hundreds of millions or even billions of battle power, it wouldn't matter how much money the group made. One casual blast from an enemy, and everything would be over.
"Contact Pilaf and Ashu.
Let's have a meeting together."
Before you continue