Chapter 30: Relics of Civilization

Due to the relationship between their families, the two had been inseparable since childhood. Song Chi, owing to his mental maturity, naturally became the leader of the pair.

However, Shen Qing often bristled at this, citing the two-year age gap as proof that he was the rightful "big brother." Over time, this led to the nickname "Big Qing."

Knowing that the chat between Song Chao and Shen Wenjie would likely drag on for hours, and with noon approaching, the two young men decided not to sit around waiting. After informing the elders, they slipped out of the office.

Once outside, Shen Qing, who had been restrained and reserved moments ago, instantly transformed. He slung an arm around Song Chi’s shoulder and headed straight for the ground floor.

"Come on, it’s been a while since we hung out. We’re going to have a proper catch-up today."

Song Chi, by contrast, was more pragmatic.

"Isn't this your working hour? Let’s wait until lunch."

Even with Shen Wenjie’s backing, this was a government law enforcement agency; it was better to be cautious.

Shen Qing paused, though he didn't protest. He was currently on the verge of a promotion; while this minor infraction wouldn't ruin him, there was no harm in being careful.

They waited another half-hour until the lunch break before departing the Fire Bureau in Shen Qing’s "Gallop Type II" flying car, heading toward a renowned restaurant nearby.

"Doing well for yourself, aren't you? That car must have cost at least a million. When did you get it?"

The Gallop-brand kinetic flying car was a product of the Morning Star Principality’s Gallop Consortium. Although the Type II was a model from over a century ago, it still cost over a million credits.

While it didn't compare to the Rage Tiger Type I floating-continent mining vehicle with onboard AI that Song Chi had recently purchased, it was hardly a luxury most Rank-0 Fire Captains would consider.

It wasn't a matter of affordability, but rather that most Rank-0 captains rarely spent money on a vehicle limited to flight within a floating continent. A million credits was equivalent to a hundred strands of Rank-0 floating continent origin—the entire profit from a single expedition to a foreign star sector.

The fact that Shen Qing owned one meant he had plenty of spare cash after upgrading his Fire Starship, suggesting he had been doing quite well for himself over the past two years.

Shen Qing smiled smugly, his face beaming.

"It’s alright. A few months ago, during an expedition to a foreign star sector, I stumbled upon the ruins of an alien civilization by sheer luck. I managed to get my hands on some good loot. Aside from one blue-quality and one white-quality item that I kept for myself, I sold the rest. Made over ten thousand strands of Rank-0 floating continent origin."

Song Chi’s eyebrows shot up.

A vulgarity from his past life instinctively escaped his lips.

"Holy shit!"

Alien civilization ruins—such opportunities were rare, arguably once-in-a-lifetime.

The Shattered Star Sea was boundless, birthing countless civilizations over millions of years. Countless cultures had vanished into the river of time, leaving behind traces that, through the erosion of ages, eventually became civilization ruins.

Yet, while these ruins weren't exactly scarce, they were needles in the haystack of the infinite Shattered Star Sea. For an ordinary person to stumble upon one was an immense stroke of luck.

As Song Chi marveled at this, Shen Qing offered a mysterious smile, cutting himself off and deliberately teasing Song Chi’s curiosity.

...

In a private room on the top floor of the Four Seasons Restaurant.

Only after the dishes were served did Shen Qing finally speak, under the weight of Song Chi’s expectant glare.

He lowered his voice to a whisper, audible only to the two of them, as he recounted the story.

"The civilization I encountered was called the 'Bulo Civilization.' The ruins were located on a completely barren, abandoned floating continent. Last time, I only managed to open the first layer, but based on my final survey, there are at least two."

Song Chi’s eyes flickered as his thoughts raced.

At least two layers. Given that the first layer yielded a blue-quality item plus several white ones, it was highly probable that the ruins contained purple-quality artifacts.

"What do you think? Interested in trying it with me? The teleportation beacon I left behind is still active for about three more months. No need to rush; let's spend this time leveling up, and in a couple of months, we'll go test our luck together."

Two months. Upon hearing the timeframe, the initially hesitant Song Chi made up his mind instantly.

"Deal. Let’s go in two and a half months."

His first foreign star sector expedition had been over two weeks ago, and in thirteen days, he would launch his second.

With this schedule, two and a half months gave him enough time for two more expeditions and two more trips to the Ruins Market. He would have ample opportunity to acquire significant resources.

With enough resources, upgrading the *Caelum* to Rank-1 would be easy. Combined with his orange-quality "Dark Matter Energy Shield Generator" component, exploring the "Bulo Civilization ruins" was a viable plan.

Seeing Song Chi agree, Shen Qing’s smile widened. While the ruins weren't excessively dangerous, the repulsion field guarding them was formidable. Even after a thorough round of upgrades to his Fire Starship over the past few months, he still lacked the confidence to tackle it alone.

After some discussion, the two finalized their plans. From start to finish, neither mentioned Song Chao or Shen Wenjie.

Song Chi had considered bringing his father along, as it would significantly increase their safety, but since Shen Qing hadn't suggested it, he wouldn't bring it up himself.

Was it possible that Shen Qing hadn't thought to ask Shen Wenjie for help? Of course not.

His choice to keep it quiet was clearly a calculated decision.

Song Chi could guess the reasons and understood them well. If they reported this to Shen Wenjie, how would the spoils be divided? Who would get a purple-quality artifact if they found one?

A purple-quality Star Sea artifact was something that even Rank-3 Fire Captains—let alone a Rank-2 like Shen Wenjie—would covet.

Shen Wenjie might not outright steal from his junior, but what if they found a purple artifact perfectly suited for his own ship?

Furthermore, this all assumed the existence of such treasures. What if Shen Qing was wrong, and there wasn't even a second layer? Would everyone have wasted their time?

Given these uncertainties, it was natural for Shen Qing to keep the matter to himself.

"Big Qing, you..."

With the main plan settled, Song Chi shifted the conversation to the details of the ruins. Suddenly, Shen Qing pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

"Shh!"

At the same time, wisps of psionic energy converged toward his ears, as if he were straining to catch a faint sound.

Shen Qing had awakened his Fire Seed two years ago. With the exclusive psionic training deck on his Fire Starship, supplemented by the vast resources provided by his father and his second uncle, Shen Wenjie, his cultivation technique had reached Level 7. With the augmentation of his psionic energy, his hearing was incredibly acute.

Song Chi, however, could hear nothing at all.