Poor Relatives from the Countryside? Part One

"Phew, at least I don't have to keep traveling today."

As a brand new day dawned, Cao Fengqi stepped out of his room, his face relaxed.

"Come on, son, come and eat."

Cao Jiancheng saw him and immediately waved.

"Hehe, good, good!"

Cao Fengqi glanced at his father, smiled, and walked over. "Let's go straight there after we finish eating."

"Yes, in the past."

Cao Jiancheng nodded, looking at him hopefully, and pursed his lips, saying, "Son, can I take a few catties of that Carved Flower Fragrant Liquor?"

"Whatever you like, just bring some more to drink with the old man and the others."

Cao Fengqi said nonchalantly.

Although that Carved Flower Fragrant Liquor could be traded for a lot of souls, he didn't plan to sell it. He intended to have it for his family to drink or give as a gift later, as it might come in handy.

Souls can be obtained, but this kind of resource is hard to come by.

"Hehe, okay."

Cao Jiancheng smiled and nodded, "Then let's finish our meal quickly and go together."

Everyone nodded, finished breakfast, and the family walked out of the shelter.

"Let's just take a car. Getting a transportation card will make things more convenient later."

Cao Fengqi said to his parents.

Without the skyscrapers, the Tianbei Base City is a very large city.

Within the Spark Guild area, there are Soul-Powered Buses and Arcane-Driven Buses, which can be used by spending Souls.

If you're traveling across regions, you can take a car, but the fare will naturally be higher, similar to taxis ten years ago.

However, this transportation cost was nothing to Cao Fengqi and his group.

"Well."

Cao Jiancheng and his family naturally had no objections, and soon they got into a Soul Power taxi.

Dabao Xiaobao looked out the window with great curiosity. Not to mention the two little ones, even Cao Fengqi was still curious about this place.

There are very few vehicles in Tianbei Base City. Those who can get a ride are basically superhumans or 'rich people'.

After all, everyone's physical fitness has greatly improved nowadays, and running dozens of kilometers is a breeze.

"Gentlemen, we have arrived."

Less than half an hour later, the driver said respectfully, "That large shelter ahead is the official Transcendent Arsenal. There are guards at the entrance. If you're looking for someone, you can go and ask them."

"Okay, thank you, young man."

Cao Jiancheng thanked him and got out of the car.

"Tsk tsk, as expected of the official authorities, their presence is far more imposing than that of Spark. Such a massive shelter is entirely constructed from level 5 metal; this is the power of a nation."

Cao Fengqi looked ahead, a hint of astonishment on his face. "And, there's that thing..."

A large shelter covering at least several tens of acres, surrounded by watchtowers.

His gaze fell on the extraordinary machine gun mounted on the watchtower, and a look of curiosity appeared on his face.

According to the external scanner, all of these machine guns are level 5 weapons.

"This machine gun's appearance is somewhat similar to the machine guns from ten years ago. Is there an empire or force in the Lost Land that specializes in extraordinary firearms?"

He looked around, lost in thought.

"Let's go ask the guards at the arsenal."

Cao Jiancheng walked straight ahead with a mixture of anticipation and eagerness.

"Halt! Entry is prohibited for non-arms factory personnel."

When they arrived, the guards at the door reached out to stop them.

"Young man, we're here to find our relatives. His name is Cao Jianjun, and he's my older brother."

Cao Jiancheng immediately stepped forward and said, "He is a leader in your arsenal. Could you please inform him that his younger brother, Cao Jiancheng, has come to see him?"

"Cao Jianjun? The deputy director of the research and development institute at the arsenal? Uncle, please wait a moment, let me get in touch with him for you."

Upon hearing this name, the guards became noticeably more polite and enthusiastic, and spoke to him.

"Yes, yes."

Cao Jiancheng nodded quickly and thanked him, saying, "Thank you very much, young man."

"Dad, it seems Uncle is doing quite well."

Seeing the guards' attitude, Cao Fengqi smiled and said...

"Your uncle used to be a leader at a research institute in Tianbei City. Your grandparents passed away early, and your uncle took good care of us."

Cao Jiancheng smiled and said, "Your aunt is a very kind person. Every time we come back, she prepares lots of delicious food for you and your brother. I wonder if you still remember that."

"..."

"He knows nothing, "Cao Fengqi listened from the side, giving a perfunctory smile.

"Xiaocheng, Xiaocheng Cheng, it really is you, Xiaocheng!"

While Cao Jiancheng was rambling on, an elderly man, at least 60 years old and somewhat resembling Cao Jiancheng, rushed over in a flurry.

He looked at Cao Jiancheng and shouted excitedly from afar.

"Big brother."

Upon seeing the figure ahead, Cao Jiancheng's eyes instantly reddened, and he immediately went to meet him.

"Xiaocheng, it really is you! Thank goodness, thank goodness, I'm so glad you're alright."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Cao Jianjun hugged his younger brother tightly, gently patting his back and stammering, "It's alright, it's alright..."

"Your dad has a very good relationship with his siblings."

Liu Xiuxiu looked at them and said something to Cao Fengqi.

Several people watched as the two brothers reunited.

"Is this Xiuxiu? Is this Fengyun or Fengqi? And this..."

Cao Jianjun looked at Cao Fengqi and the others, and asked them one by one.

"It's Fengqi... Fengyun, something happened to him."

Cao Jiancheng began to speak.

Cao Jianjun paused slightly, patted his younger brother's shoulder, and said apologetically, "Xiaocheng, you've suffered. Although I've become a superhuman these past years, but..."

"My brother is alright. Our family is doing very well now."

Cao Jiancheng shook his head.

"That's good, that's good."

Cao Jianjun nodded, then looked at Liu Chunying and Dabao and Xiaobao: "This is Xiaocheng, your daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Not bad, not bad. The last time I saw you, Fengqi, you were just a little kid. I didn't expect you to be married so soon."

"..."

"Um... hello sir, haha, almost the same, sir, this is Dabao and Xiaobao."

Cao Fengqi chuckled upon hearing this and patted Dabao's head, saying, "Call him Grandpa."

"Grandpa," Dabao Xiaobao immediately called out obediently.

"Hehe, good, good, two kids are wonderful."

Cao Jianjun happily replied, "Come on, Grandpa will take you home. Xiaocheng, come on, I'll contact your sister and Xiaowen from Xiaoxue. They'll be so happy, so very happy, to know you're back."

He kept talking, leading Cao Fengqi and the others toward his home.

Hearing Cao Fengqi's words, Liu Chunying smoothed her hair and a happy expression appeared on her face.

She unconsciously leaned closer to him.

Cao Fengqi and the others followed Cao Jianjun for a few minutes and arrived at the front of a shelter.

Calling it a shelter is an understatement; it's more like a large family-run shelter comprised of several units, resembling an old-fashioned courtyard house.

Inside was a spacious courtyard covered with transparent Level 5 spiritual glass, surrounded by more than twenty houses.

Their family's sanctuary was considered one of the better ones among the surrounding area of employees of the Transcendent Arsenal.

"Old woman, look who's here, haha."

As soon as Cao Jianjun entered the house, he laughed and shouted happily. Soon, an old woman came out and was slightly taken aback when she saw them.

"Xiaocheng! Xiuxiu!"

Once again, sounds of surprise rang out, and Cao Fengqi couldn't help but be polite to them again.

Not long after, Dad's second and third younger brothers, and his eldest and second older sisters also arrived. The siblings couldn't help but hug and cry when they met, and finally went into a room together to have a good chat.

Cao Fengqi and his sister-in-law sat there somewhat bored, while Dabao Xiaobao fussed about going to play in the yard after a while.

"Huh?"

Cao Fengqi sat in the room, looking around boredly. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a document on the coffee table to his left.

He looked at the words above with a face full of surprise.

"This is... a weapon forging blueprint? No, wait..."

Cao Fengqi looked at the document and curiously took it.

The document reads "[Transcendent Vulcan Autocannon Project Research]", followed by the large words "[Invalid]".

"The official Transcendent Arsenal is researching level 7 supernatural cannons? Completely researching and creating them themselves without relying on blueprints from the Lost Land?"

Cao Fengqi flipped through the documents with some surprise.

It can't be said to be entirely self-research; it was through deduction using a level 6 Arcane Musket that a level 7 cannon was developed.

The Transcendent Vulcan Autocannon in the research project is a behemoth over two meters tall, similar to the machine guns and naval cannons mounted on armed helicopters and ships before the Great Catastrophe.

The research project failed.

Cao Fengqi looked at the detailed information page by page. The research had stalled after three-quarters of the way through and was ultimately abandoned.

"This research went wrong in the sixth step; they shouldn't have used that gunpowder."

He looked at them one by one and discovered some problems.

The next second, a flash of inspiration struck him.

His gaze hardened.