Galaxy of Giant Ships: Starting with Data-Driven Warships

Chapter 24 [Energy Absorption Cultivation Chamber]

Chen Tianhua quickly closed the office door, then strode over, pulled Gu Ping into his arms, and then patted Chen Yao's shoulder heavily with his other hand.

"Good lad, you've grown quite a bit taller again."

Chen Yao grinned, realizing that the force of that palm strike was considerable; he had clearly forgotten to restrain himself in his excitement.

"Dad, be gentle..."

Chen Tianhua laughed heartily, then released his grip and looked his son up and down, lingering for a long time, especially on the ancestral aperture in the center of his forehead, his eyes full of satisfaction.

"You've successfully absorbed the orange-tier upgrade fire source your grandfather gave you?"

Upon receiving Chen Yao's definite reply, his laughter grew even louder.

The family of three sat down on the sofa in the office. Chen Tianhua, unusually, put aside all official duties and his usual sternness, and kept asking questions incessantly.

"Was the journey smooth? Did the crew encounter anything...?"

"How's Tianlan doing lately...?"

……

Gu Ping wasn't annoyed and answered each question with a smile, while Chen Yao occasionally chimed in with a word or two, creating a warm atmosphere.

However, this atmosphere didn't last long before the scene in Chen Yao's eyes suddenly changed.

Taking advantage of an angle where his mother couldn't see, Chen Tianhua suddenly winked at Chen Yao. His eyes conveyed three parts indication, three parts hint, and four parts of the self-righteousness that "you should know what I mean."

Chen Yao understood instantly.

He tactfully stood up and stretched:

"Dad, Mom, I'm going out for a walk to see what Iron Crocodile City looks like."

Go ahead, be careful.

Chen Tianhua's reply carried a hint of urgency, but his mother was already laughing so hard that she would definitely have sensed something fishy.

Chen Yao suppressed a laugh, turned around, and walked out of the conference room.

After walking a dozen or so steps, he finally couldn't help but chuckle softly.

The old married couple hadn't seen each other for more than half a year, and like dry wood meeting a raging fire, tsk tsk... those who know, know.

……

"Xiao Yao".

Not long after I came out, Uncle Tai's familiar voice came from around the corner of the corridor.

As his father's childhood best friend and personal guard commander, Chen Tai had visited his home many times in the past. In addition, since Chen Tai had already advanced to the Golden Core stage thirty years ago, Chen Yao still respected him very much.

"Uncle Tai".

Chen Tai looked him up and down again, his eyes filled with the loving gaze of an elder towards a younger generation:

"I heard you successfully awakened the purple flame. Not bad, better than your father."

Chen Yao smiled but did not take the initiative to explain that the purple flame had been upgraded to an orange flame.

"Uncle Tai, I can go out for a stroll by myself, so please don't bother."

Chen Tai pondered for a moment, then nodded.

He could make his own arrangements inside the garrison headquarters, but if they went to stroll around the city, it would be too conspicuous for a garrison commander like himself to accompany them.

However, he would never allow Chen Yao to go out alone.

"Huang Ping".

"Disciple is here."

A young man who looked quite young walked briskly out from the other side of the corridor. He was dressed in gray casual clothes and seemed normal.

If Chen Yao hadn't had some impression of him and known that he was a proper Foundation Establishment cultivator and the second disciple that Uncle Tai had taken in more than twenty years ago, he might have thought he was just an ordinary person.

Huang Ping, with dual spiritual roots of metal and fire, is a commoner from the Longfeng River system and a seventh-level Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Take Xiao Yao for a walk around the city."

"Yes, Master."

……

Iron Crocodile City is not large, and it cannot be compared with a city like Tianlan City with a population of tens of millions. With a permanent population of only 500,000, it naturally does not have the high-rise buildings that can be seen everywhere.

However, one thing is quite special: although the city's population is not large, the proportion of low-level captains, cultivators, and wizards is surprisingly high. Walking on the street, you can encounter a first-level cultivator every three steps, and every five steps you can hear people talking about what mineral vein has been discovered in a certain star field.

As Chen Yao walked and looked around, his eyes gradually brightened.

His judgment was correct.

Although Iron Crocodile City is small, it is a natural mineral distribution center. Most of those who venture to search for resources on the front lines of the battlefield or in the nearby star fields are unwilling to take the risk of being robbed by the Crocodile Ghost Clan during transportation. They prefer to sell on the spot, even if the price is several times lower than the market price.

Family caravans, as the largest buyers, mostly purchase large quantities of high-value goods, while the smaller, scattered mineral deposits often end up in the hands of a few small shops in the city.

"Brother Ping."

Chen Yao stopped and turned to look at Huang Ping beside him, getting straight to the point.

"I'm thinking of opening a shop in the city that buys and sells all kinds of mineral materials. Do you have any connections?"

Huang Ping was slightly taken aback, then began to think seriously.

After a moment, he nodded:

"That's easy. The shops in Iron Crocodile City are managed by the Commerce Department of the Garrison Command. If you're sure you want it, Brother Yao, I'll just give them a heads-up tomorrow. It shouldn't be a problem."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yao narrowed his eyes and thought to himself, "As expected." With his father's title as the guardian of this planet, he had a great deal of room to maneuver on Iron Crocodile Star.

Of course, minor, legal and compliant activities are acceptable, but when it comes to my father's future ambitions to become a core member of the clan, things like bullying others, forced buying and selling, and smuggling military supplies are absolutely unacceptable.

Beside him, Huang Ping noticed that Chen Yao didn't seem to have acted suddenly, but rather seemed to have come prepared. After thinking for a moment, he quickly added:

"Brother Yao, are you planning to do this long-term or short-term?"

"Long-term!" Chen Yao said without hesitation.

Huang Ping nodded thoughtfully, and then said:

Are there any requirements regarding the size and location of the shop?

"The location doesn't need to be too good, but it can't be too remote either. It's best to be close to the area where explorers gather and trade."

"Besides that, the shop doesn't need to be too big, but the backyard storage space needs to be sufficient."

Having considered the matter carefully, Chen Yao precisely expressed all his demands.

Huang Ping noted them down one by one and nodded, saying:

"No problem, leave this to me. I'll give you a satisfactory answer tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you, Brother Ping!"

As the two chatted, Chen Yao's gaze drifted towards the streets and alleys of Iron Crocodile City in the distance, and he began to plan his next move.

This shop will become his channel for monetizing his gains in the alien world and earning extra resources for a long time to come. Although he doesn't expect it to earn him tens or even hundreds of thousands of planetary origin crystals, it is still his first business outside, so he naturally cares about it.

Next, at Chen Yao's suggestion, the two went to several well-known chain stores selling unusual items in the city.

Since his return, Chen Yao's obsession with "cooling reduction" components has not diminished in the slightest. In addition, he also has a considerable demand for "enslavement" components.

Compared to puppet soldiers, the allure of enslaved war beasts is far greater.

Time-based cooling reduction components are just wishful thinking. Let alone Iron Crocodile Star, which is already on the edge of the battle line, even on Dragon Cauldron Star, which gathers the Starry Sky Chen family and a large number of civilian fleets from the universe, it would be difficult to find even one.

However, it wasn't entirely without surprises. In a chain store called "Hunter's House," Chen Yao unexpectedly spotted a component resembling a shipboard training room.

White [Energy Absorption and Training Container]