Chapter 679, Who's Attacking
Wu Heng glanced at the parrot. "Don't swear on someone else's life."
"I swear on my life, I'll just take a walk and come back."
"No, you're not reliable when you speak," Wu Heng said directly.
"Please, I'll just go out for a stroll and promise to come back. I've been a pirate for so many years, honesty and righteousness are my trademarks. Trust me." Philipa acted coyly.
Wu Heng still said, "No, your mouth is completely unreliable."
Philipa's expression froze, then she stood up angrily.
She looked at him for a while before saying, "Hmph! The air here is bad. I'm done talking to you. I'm going to find Minnie."
After speaking, she went into the courtyard to bathe the Skeleton Wyvern with the other maids.
Wu Heng frowned.
"What do you mean the air is bad?"
Then Xiaoxiao's voice sounded in his ear.
"Uncle, she said you farted."
......
The next day, Central District.
News about the sale of bicycles spread from the island once again.
A long line formed at the sales point entrance, while more people gathered around to watch the excitement.
This scene had already occurred twice before.
Moreover, people still lined up every day to buy pens and watches.
One had to marvel at the products sold on Gold-Silver Island.
They were all genuinely hot sellers.
Practically money-making machines.
Of course, the merchant guilds that resold these goods also made profits, as only a few could come to Gold-Silver Island.
"The detailed blueprints of the bicycles have all been taken down. Many guilds are already working on the frames."
"I know about that, but no one has made one yet. Otherwise, people wouldn't be lining up here."
"After bicycles, I wonder if there'll be any new products."
"This island master is really something. One after another, so many guilds revolve around Gold-Silver Island."
"Didn't you read the newspaper? He's not an ordinary person."
......
A residence courtyard.
A Mechanist carefully disassembled each part with tools.
A fully functional bicycle was turned into a pile of parts.
An investigator beside him kept a record.
After all parts were dismantled, the Mechanist slowly stood up and said, "The structure isn't hard."
Several merchant guild representatives nearby looked pleased. "Are the components hard to produce? Can the cost of R&D and manufacturing let us compete with Gold-Silver Island in the market?"
Copying a product also depends on the potential profit.
If it takes a lot of effort to make and isn't cost-effective or has flaws, then it's better to just resell it.
"The outer layer of the wheel is made of a uniquely tough leather. We need to study it carefully. If we can replicate it or find an alternative, we might be able to compete with Gold-Silver Island in the market," the Mechanist said.
The guild representative nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Then proceed freely. Doesn't the sales point offer some sort of air pumping service? Go gather some intel over there."
"Alright, got it."
......
Island Lord's Mansion.
Wu Heng returned from outside and took a plastic bag from his spatial ring.
Inside were two yellowed biological eyeballs.
[Owlhawk Eyeballs], ritual materials for unlocking the [Spirit Vision] ability of a ghost.
Over time, Benny's level had reached level 17.
Compared to Xiaoxiao and Glenda, it was still lower.
But in the entire Professional system, it was already a high level.
And Benny was a ghost forcibly transformed by Wu Heng, with few inherent traits.
This was probably the downside of forcibly transforming a ghost.
He had previously ordered these materials from the materials store, and since they arrived today, he brought them back.
After greeting the maids downstairs, he went straight upstairs.
Just as he entered the study, Xiaoxiao flew over as if discovering a secret and said, "Uncle, bad news! Those people dismantled the bicycle and said they could make one to compete with you."
"They moved that fast? They can make the tires too?" Wu Heng was curious.
Even if they could make the frame, bearings, and chain inside, Wu Heng wouldn't be surprised.
After all, this world had many precise machines.
But making tire rubber and tires?
That would take quite some effort!
"They said they'd use alternative materials for the tires," Xiaoxiao said.
Benny added, "A Mechanist said the bicycle's structure is simple and could be replicated. Whether it'll work that well remains to be seen."
The bicycle's structure was indeed simple, but reaching the standard of modern bicycles wasn't easy.
It would take them quite some time to study.
Even if they managed to make one, Wu Heng had a bicycle factory for mass production.
With a war of quantity and price, he could still crush them.
Not a big issue.
"No worries, everything is within the plan," Wu Heng said with a smile.
"Oh oh!" Xiaoxiao and Benny nodded.
Wu Heng then raised the ritual materials in his hand. "Benny, I bought the ritual materials. Let's go downstairs and prepare the ritual."
"Okay." Benny nodded and dove through the floor.
Xiaoxiao followed, and Wu Heng left the room and went downstairs.
In a vacant room.
Wu Heng drew a magic circle and arranged the necessary materials in place.
"Go in."
Benny flew in.
Wu Heng activated necromantic energy.
All the materials transformed into a torrent of energy, entwining with Benny in midair.
......
Rentam City.
Inside a mansion.
Thump thump~!
The heavy courtyard door was hit violently.
In the next second, the hinge broke, and with a bang, the door crashed inward.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh~!
Countless arrows whistled toward the doorway.
Clang clang clang.
The sound of metal clashing rang out.
A tall Orc skeleton, holding a massive shield, braved the arrow rain and entered through the gate.
After the first wave of arrows.
A dark iron tube extended from behind the shield and sprayed tongues of flame.
Dense bullets raked the courtyard and the buildings inside.
Bricks shattered, doors and windows blew apart.
Everyone inside was instantly riddled with bullets, and the entire courtyard became ruins.
"Charge in," a calm female voice said.
The shield-bearing skeleton moved aside, and human skeletons wielding iron swords poured into the courtyard and house, slaughtering the remaining enemies.
Once the mansion was completely silent—
The city lord's stewardess, wearing leather armor, slowly walked in.
"Collect all the corpses."
The skeletons neatly arranged the corpses in the courtyard.
The stewardess identified them briefly and pointed to one. "Question the corpse."
A skeleton mage stepped forward and cast [Speak with Dead].
The corpse on the ground suddenly sat up and looked this way.
The stewardess asked, "Why did you bribe the city guard?"
The corpse replied, "To open the city gates from inside when the attack on Rentam City begins."
The stewardess's face changed instantly. She continued asking, "Who's attacking the city?"
"The Ekow Kingdom's army."
Damn it!