Unbelievable.
Jiang Yaqing's intelligence had actually returned.
From beginning to end, Chen Yu had never thought that Jiang Yaqing lacked intelligence. The treatment she received in the cave was enough to infer how vast her clan was outside the cave.
Once inside the cave, everything outside would be reshuffled.
Even so, there would still be a group of people loyal to her.
Chen Yu estimated that such clans were not as simple as wealthy merchants.
Living in such a clan, even the least intelligent would be far more useful than others. Her previous actions could only be attributed to her not being clear-headed.
She was definitely not stupid!
He hadn't expected her intelligence to return so suddenly.
With just a few words, although she hadn't identified the problem completely, she had at least deduced the general idea. Such sharp judgment was truly terrifying.
"You, just calm down a bit."
Jiang Yaqing, projected on the wristband, blew warm air onto her small hands.
"Clearly, among all of us, you've developed the best. In terms of resources, wealth, timing, location, and support, everything is with you. Why are you courting death? Do you really think that surviving in the cave is no longer a challenge for you and you want to find other excitement?"
"Do you think I want to?" Chen Yu sighed.
If he could, who wouldn't want to develop steadily and slowly?
He already had a foundation.
As long as he was given enough time, not even too much, just three years, he would guarantee his foothold in the cave.
The problem was—
He didn't even have three years!
"Are the Mythic Item Points causing you trouble?" Jiang Yaqing raised her eyebrows slightly. "This announcement is quite something, not even bothering to conceal anything."
Chen Yu had privately complained about this countless times.
There was no point in saying more.
He didn't dwell on this topic with Jiang Yaqing and, changing the subject, said with a smile.
"You don't seem to be worried about me at all?"
"Don't be ridiculous, why would I worry about you?" Jiang Yaqing pouted speechlessly. "Whether you have an accident or not doesn't affect me. Besides, with your intelligence, since you dared to do that, you must have your own confidence. Why should I bother? Or, do you want to come to my Eternal Ice Plains?"
"That godforsaken place, even dogs wouldn't go."
"You dare to insult it again!"
Jiang Yaqing glared with her almond-shaped eyes, her face full of anger. In the next moment, she chuckled and stretched lazily.
"Honestly, I'm quite envious of you, being able to live such an exciting life in the cave. Look at me, ever since I discovered this mine, I've been mining. You say I'm slacking, but do you think I don't want to leave this place? It's just that those old guys in my clan won't let me go."
Living in a clan meant a lot of involuntary actions.
The clan saw the value of the ice crystal ore. Even though its value had not yet manifested, some things could be judged based on experience.
No one would let Jiang Yaqing give up such mining rights with no competition.
"Don't your clan members care about you?" Jiang Yaqing asked with confusion in her eyes. "Since we met, I haven't felt any constraint on you. You seem to be able to make any decision you want. Are you the legitimate son of the clan, and the sole heir, with the clan unconditionally supporting all your decisions?"
Even now, Jiang Yaqing still believed Chen Yu was a clansman.
The reason was simple:
Chen Yu possessed an excessive amount of food.
The resources he possessed made even Jiang Yaqing gasp in admiration. She had thousands of people under her command exploring the caves to scavenge for resources.
Even so, her development was vastly different from Chen Yu's.
She was unaware of the existence of talent.
Therefore, the only explanation she could think of was that Chen Yu possessed more devoted followers than her, loyal to him from birth, and this loyalty remained unchanged even after entering the cave.
"Perhaps."
Chen Yu did not bother to explain this question, nor was there any need to.
"I'm truly envious of you," Jiang Yaqing's eyes revealed unconcealed envy. "But sometimes, people are just destined differently. No matter how much I envy, I can't achieve it. Besides, now that we are allies, I feel much better thinking about it."
"Then, my dear ally, have you finalized your equipment arrangements?"
"It's almost finalized," Jiang Yaqing narrowed her eyes slightly. "There are still some details I'm investigating. Once the results are out, I'll be able to seal the deal."
"What is it?"
"A while ago, someone in our circle suddenly approached me to order equipment, and in large quantities. The quantity is something you wouldn't dare to imagine."
"Say that again!"
Chen Yu chuckled.
"Among the survivors in the cave, is there anything I wouldn't dare to imagine? How much stock is he preparing to order that would surprise you to this extent?"
Jiang Yaqing, in the projection, remained silent and held up a single finger.
Chen Yu frowned.
"Ten thousand?"
"Hmph, that's all you're capable of," Jiang Yaqing whispered. "He ordered a full one million sets from me, and he also told me that he might place further orders later."
"So many?" Chen Yu was shocked.
A full one million sets, even the lowest-grade Black Iron sets, would require millions of gold coins. Among the survivors, there was still someone who could possess such financial power.
In fact, Chen Yu wasn't under the impression that he was the only one thriving among all the cave survivors.
He believed that there would be people who experienced opportune encounters.
But ordering one million sets, he couldn't possibly have one million soldiers under him, right? If he truly did, it would be too terrifying.
Even his own city-state had not yet reached half a million people.
"Yes, the order was too large," Jiang Yaqing whispered with a solemn tone. "I felt something was fishy, so I didn't agree to it. I used the intelligence network within my clan to investigate, and only then did I find out that the equipment he ordered was not for his own use. This brat wants to be an intermediary."
"Don't tell me the buyer is the Batu Kingdom."
???
Jiang Yaqing in the projection clearly froze for a moment. She stared at Chen Yu, who had calmly uttered the words 'Batu Kingdom,' speechless for quite some time.
How did he know?
Jiang Yaqing had planned to tease Chen Yu with this matter.
"Tsk, with your little intelligence network," Chen Yu said with a smile, curling his lips. "The Batu Kingdom's order has already reached me through offline channels. I knew about this long ago, and the price they offered was outrageously high. They are about to go to war with our Tatou Kingdom, which is why they are ordering equipment in large quantities. No, it should be my kingdom. Your Eternal Ice Plains probably isn't subordinate to the Tatou Kingdom."
"Then do you know who ordered from me? Perhaps you'll be interested."
"Who?"
Jiang Yaqing in the projection smiled slightly.
"Yecheng!"