Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Face of Song Mingsong

As soon as the term “titanium crystal” was mentioned, Zhu Yaokui’s eyes twitched slightly, and ripples surfaced in his heart, but they soon returned to calm.

He understood his son too well. If that boy had gotten his hands on something valuable, he would certainly hold onto it tightly. The only reason he would speak of it was straightforward.

He hadn’t secured it.

And not only had he failed to secure it, but the other party was not an easy target either.

“Speak, who was it this time? And how many titanium crystals are we talking about?”

Normally, Zhu Yaokui would not concern himself with such matters, but when it came to titanium crystals, a resource they were in dire need of, he paid great attention.

“The person concealed their identity. After I returned, I tried to investigate but didn’t find any useful information.”

Zhu Yaokui frowned, the disappointment in his eyes deepening. It was one thing to lose a battle, but the inability to even clarify the opponent’s identity was not merely an issue of strength; it hinted at a lack of capability.

“Are you certain that the individual is from Jiangyuan City?”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Kang promptly nodded.

“It’s highly probable.” Having said that, perhaps fearing his words did not carry enough conviction, he quickly added:

“After breaking through the energy shield of the Silver Edge, the person did not dare to deal me a deadly blow, clearly fearing subsequent investigation. Someone who conceals their identity and is so wary of your inquiries can most likely be from Jiangyuan City.”

“However, the escort ship they possessed also had components of Purple Quality—it’s very likely there was more than one piece. Their status in Jiangyuan City must be extraordinary, which is why I’ve come to ask for your intervention.”

At this point, Zhu Kang paused.

“As for the exact number of titanium crystals, they mentioned an exhausted mine with no more than 300 pieces remaining, but by my estimation, this figure should at least double. There should be no fewer than 600 titanium crystals.”

After listening to Zhu Kang, Zhu Yaokui maintained his composure, showing no clear sign of emotional change.

Seeing this, Zhu Kang grew anxious.

“Dad, what I’m saying is…”

Before he could finish, the ring of an incoming communication suddenly interrupted.

Zhu Yaokui gestured for Zhu Kang to stop and looked down at his own Chenxing Principality deluxe communication bracelet, which displayed a contact saved under the name “Song Mingsong.”

“Song Mingsong, why would he suddenly contact me? Could it be…”

In the entire White Tower Floating Land with its five major cities and a population of over a hundred million, there weren’t many Torch Ship Captains above Third Rank, and they generally had each other’s contact information.

Looking at the name that appeared on the bracelet, Zhu Yaokui glanced at Zhu Kang again, as if he had guessed something.

Beside him, Zhu Kang also caught this piece of information. He was certainly familiar with the name Song Mingsong—after all, it was listed among the top three names on the Zhu family’s absolute “do not provoke” list specially compiled by Zhu Yaokui for his sons.

“Could he really be contacting me about the titanium crystals?”

His heart sank, but Zhu Kang wasn’t ready to give up, instinctively denying this supposition.

Zhu Yaokui shifted his gaze from his son and tapped to answer the call.

Soon, a figure with a resolute face, wildly dressed, and showing no signs of aging appeared on the projected screen.

With the appearance of that figure, a faint smile emerged on Zhu Yaokui’s otherwise expressionless face.

“What brings the wind today, to have you proactively reaching out to this old bag of bones?”

Opposite, Song Mingsong laughed heartily, and the two began exchanging pleasantries.

After a bout of small talk, Song Mingsong got to the point.

“Old Zhu, actually, I’ve contacted you today because of a matter regarding the younger generation.”

As he spoke, Song Mingsong’s gaze shifted, glancing at Zhu Kang standing behind Zhu Yaokui, and then discreetly moved his eyes away.

“You must have heard that two juniors under me got into a conflict with your boy here. Those two kids didn’t know beforehand that the so-called ‘Black Mountain Meeting’ was backed by your youngster, which led to this mess.”

“Fortunately, both parties knew to hold back and didn’t make a big fuss about it. I think we might as well let bygones be bygones?”

Song Mingsong’s tone was amiable, offering a rather comfortable listening experience, yet the more he spoke this way, the heavier Zhu Yaokui’s heart sank.

Who in White Tower Floating Land didn’t know of Song Mingsong’s explosive temperament? For him to approach with such a demeanor suggested that those involved were far from the simple “two juniors” mentioned.

After pondering for a while, Zhu Yaokui asked:

“Old Song, the juniors you mentioned are specifically…?”

At the mention of this, Song Mingsong’s expression became somewhat strained, hesitating before he finally replied.

“It’s rather embarrassing to say, same as with you, Old Zhu.”

Song Mingsong did not elaborate, but Zhu Yaokui instantly had an epiphany. Zhu Kang was his son, and if their relationship was the same, that meant those who had the conflict with Zhu Kang were Song Mingsong’s sons.

With this understanding, Zhu Yaokui quickly agreed to let the matter rest, with both parties agreeing to not pursue it any further.

Of course, Song Mingsong wasn’t one to be stingy—a continued existence in Jiangyuan City was ultimately necessary for the Song Chao side. Thus, after the agreement, Song Mingsong took out 200 of the 1000 titanium crystals he’d mentioned, which would later be delivered to Zhu Yaokui.

Upon hearing about the 200 titanium crystals, the smile on Zhu Yaokui’s faced grew more genuine. After all, Zhu Kang had come to no harm, and he had received 200 titanium crystals. He had gained in both face and substance, and would naturally not pursue the matter any further, neither overtly nor covertly.

Once the communication ended and Zhu Kang, who had maintained silence behind him, felt somewhat dissatisfied.

“Dad, if they could easily produce 200 titanium crystals, it means they must have gained far more. Are we really going to let it go just like that?”

Zhu Yaokui’s expression turned cold as he scolded:

“Do you think I don’t know that? Do I need you to remind me? When beaten by better skills and someone else gets the jump on you, whom can you blame?”

“I warn you, let’s end this matter here. Old Song Mingsong is not an ordinary man; his demeanor is untamed and lawless. If truly provoked, nobody could stop him except for the one guarding the White Tower.”

Feeling a shock in his heart, Zhu Kang had never before, in his more than one hundred years of life, heard Zhu Yaokui so directly admit anyone was beyond him.

Watching Zhu Kang’s departing figure, Zhu Yaokui’s gaze became uncertain. In truth, there was something he hadn’t said.

Even without considering the power disparity, the other party was significantly younger. As a Third Rank Torch Ship Captain already five hundred years old and entering his twilight years, even if he could hold off Song Mingsong for a moment, what would he do once his time came?

Let alone Zhu Kang— even his strongest son was at the peak of Second Rank, with a less than 10% chance of advancing to the Third Rank. Without him, one word from Song Mingsong could dissipate the Zhu Family like smoke.

This fact was actually the primary reason he was reluctant to provoke Song Mingsong. As far as he knew, Song Mingsong was not even three hundred years old yet, terrifyingly young, and even possessing considerable potential to advance to the Fourth Rank.