General Kaiser stood at the center of the meeting room, holding a report detailing the events that had transpired in Willow Village. The room buzzed with chatter among military personnel as they awaited the start of the meeting.
After a few minutes, another general arrived, and General Kaiser wasted no time commencing the meeting. Gripping the microphone, he addressed the room.
"Comrades, this is a sample of an infected beast we encountered recently. This creature massacred smugglers and injured personnel at the City A police station. They are strong and agile, claws sharp enough to cut through steel. I suggest we prepare for the worst, as I believe there is more to this situation."
He gestured for his secretary to distribute the report files to each military member. "Here are the compiled reports for further details."
A lively debate ensued in the room.
"What caused this mutation? Any reports?" one general inquired.
A representative from the scientific department quickly responded, "The sample we received contains black sticky saliva, which has a different DNA structure and could potentially infect other animals. We haven't yet conducted tests to see if this can infect humans."
"Given the danger posed by these mutated beasts, especially to animals, we must eradicate them. I propose we send special forces equipped with our best artillery, aerial support for surveillance, and ground teams for containment. We should also establish a perimeter around the area to prevent the creatures from moving into the village," another general suggested.
General Kaiser nodded. "I believe there is more to this. What is happening now may be a precursor to impending chaos, so we must start preparing."
General Wang, who had been in a foul mood due to the sanctions placed on the letter he signed for the mercenaries' new recruitment area in Willow Village, interjected sharply. "General Kaiser, is it too early to make such claims? What chaos are you referring to? We shouldn't incite panic. I suggest we investigate this thoroughly first. Perhaps the beast you encountered is a rare anomaly. No reports have emerged from other regions, so this may be a case of a poisoned animal acting strangely."
Murmurs rippled through the meeting room as everyone weighed the situation, considering the military has a lot of cases to handle.
General Kaiser regarded them with a nonchalant expression.
I have done my part; whether they believe my claims is up to them.
"Believe it or not, what I witnessed proves that the world is changing, and we must adapt and prepare. I suggest we hoard food and water, just in case."
Eyebrows were raised at this unusual suggestion, and General Wang couldn't help but smirk. "General, your way of thinking is a bit bizarre. What would the rest of the military think of us hoarding supplies and using taxpayers' money for that?"
"It's up to you, Comrade. As long as you've heard my suggestion, that's enough for me," General Kaiser replied casually. "What puzzles me is that you awarded the Heather family a military project to construct a certain mysterious building, despite them lacking any construction firm. Care to explain?"
General Wang shifted into defensive mode. "Confidential."
General Kaiser smiled. "And that is a waste of our taxpayers' money."
***
While the military was engaged in a heated discussion, Elena and Ethan finally arrived in Emerald City. The flight had taken six hours, and they had rested well on the plane. Upon landing, they immediately contacted the jade dealer Ethan had made arrangements with and headed to the warehouse where the raw jade was stored.
As they surveyed the stockpile of stones, Elena signaled Ethan to distract the jade dealer so she could call upon her Golden Tablet to verify the contents of this raw.
"Besides this warehouse, do you have any other raw jade available?" Ethan asked, trying to gauge whether the jade dealer could provide them with more.
The jade dealer looked taken aback. This customer had already purchased a pile of raw jade worth ten warehouses and was now asking for more.
"I do have a trustworthy colleague whose raw jade is for sale. Are you still interested?" the jade dealer asked, seeking confirmation.
Ethan immediately agreed, knowing they needed to acquire a substantial amount of jade. "Sure! Contact them and arrange a meeting. We plan to stay here for a week to gather raw jade for our new jewelry business. If the quality is good, we'll definitely consider buying again."
Even though the Golden Tablet could verify the jade content, Ethan wanted to ensure they were dealing with a trustworthy source to avoid wasting time.
The jade dealer excused himself to call his friend and prepare the raw jade.
Meanwhile, Elena had already checked the raw jade and returned to Ethan's side. "The raw materials are good. There's a lot of jade in these piles. Let's go check the other warehouses."
Ethan nodded, sharing the news. "I've arranged to buy more raw jades. I requested additional supplies, and he agreed. He's calling his friend, so let's wait for him momentarily."
Elena nodded in agreement.
After a few minutes, the jade dealer returned with good news. "My friend has decided to sell his raw jade to you. He also asked if you'd be interested in purchasing processed jade. As long as the price is right, he's willing to sell."
"To be honest, we really need jade. As long as the price is a bit lower, we're willing to buy as much as you can provide," Ethan replied.
The jade dealer was astonished; he had never encountered a customer willing to spend money so freely.
"Are you sure about this? I can contact some of my friends who are struggling to sell their jade," he said.
Ethan was eager to buy everything and replied, "Go ahead; we'll take everything. We're staying at the Blackshear Hotel so that you can contact me anytime."
"Okay, let's finish checking the raw jade in the other warehouses. Since I'll be busy later, contacting my friends," the jade dealer requested.
"Sure, let's go," Ethan agreed.
Over the next week, Elena and Ethan continued to hoard jade and sought genuine antiques on the market. They visited an antique shop and purchased items as long as the Golden Tablet deemed them authentic.
"Wife, once the natural disaster descends, let's visit the antique museum and some jade stores in City A for zero-budget hoarding," Ethan suggested.
"That's definitely a must," Elena replied enthusiastically.
After two weeks in Emerald City, they completed their business and returned to Grandfather's mansion to finalize their hoarding of materials.