Chapter Eleven: Fees and Donations

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“Answering the host: transporting the cultural artifacts back to your country will take approximately three days.”

“Three days? I thought you could use the system’s abilities to send them straight back,” Lin Yang muttered.

“Answering the host: initiating a spatial wormhole for instantaneous transmission requires a large amount of National Treasure Value. The host’s current National Treasure Value is insufficient to meet the conditions for opening a wormhole.”

“What? You can actually perform spatial jumps?” Lin Yang was momentarily dazed.

He had only tossed out the remark casually. He had not expected the system to possess such astonishing capabilities.

“Yes, host. As long as you possess sufficient National Treasure Value, this system can satisfy nearly ninety-nine percent of your needs.”

“Ninety-nine percent? Nearly? Not one hundred percent? Aren’t you omnipotent?” Lin Yang widened his eyes in surprise.

“Answering the host: this question cannot currently be answered.”

“…Fine. Then how much National Treasure Value is needed for a single wormhole jump?” Lin Yang asked curiously.

“Answering the host: the cost of a wormhole jump varies according to the distance and the host’s achievements. This system cannot currently provide the exact price for every jump. If the host requires a specific price, please state the point of departure.”

Lin Yang’s eyes flickered. “I can understand that the charge varies with distance. But what do you mean by saying it also depends on achievements?”

“Answering the host: the more Achievement Points the host possesses, the lower the fees for system services will be.”

“Oh… So the more Achievement Points I have, the more of a discount I receive when you provide services?” Lin Yang asked directly.

“Yes, host. That is a correct understanding.”

“Then I have another question. Is the discount calculated according to my current Achievement Points or my historical total? For example, if I accumulate a lot of Achievement Points in the future but then spend them, how will the fees be calculated?” Lin Yang asked.

“Answering the host: discounts on system services are calculated according to the host’s historical total of Achievement Points. Therefore, the host may spend Achievement Points without concern.”

Lin Yang breathed a sigh of relief. That was reassuring enough. Then, unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked, “So, system, how much National Treasure Value would it currently cost to open a wormhole from Little Eagle Sauce and jump back to Shangxia?”

“Answering the host: based on the point of departure provided by the host and your current achievements, completing this jump would cost one thousand units of National Treasure Value.”

“How much? One thousand? Why is it so expensive?” Lin Yang’s eyes widened.

For such a short distance, it would actually cost a thousand units of National Treasure Value?!

Was there some mistake?

“Answering the host: wormhole jumping is a relatively advanced technological method. The energy consumed to open a wormhole is nearly constant. Therefore, even if the two cities involved are only separated by a thousand miles, the charge will still be comparatively high. This system does not recommend that the host use this service frequently.”

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Lin Yang was instantly rendered speechless. The system made it sound as though he had enough National Treasure Value to squander freely.

Still, the system’s answer gave him a little more insight into the pricing of wormhole jumps.

“So the charge is basically like a starting fee, right? Even if the distance is short, as long as the wormhole is opened, the minimum charge remains high.”

“That is a correct understanding, host. In addition, the charge is related to the level of technological civilization in the host’s country. If Shangxia’s technological civilization advances, the fee for this service will decrease accordingly.”

“What… does that mean?” Lin Yang’s pupils contracted.

“Answering the host: as long as the level of technological civilization in the host’s country rises, the fees for certain advanced technological services provided by this system will decrease accordingly. Therefore, please work diligently to advance the technological civilization of your country.”

“Country? Not planet?” Lin Yang asked sharply.

“Yes, host. At present, you only need to help the country in which you reside improve its technological civilization.”

“Oh…” Lin Yang nodded slightly.

Helping Shangxia advance was manageable enough. But if he were required to help other countries advance as well, that would truly be difficult.

For one thing, he could never bring himself to help Little Cherry Blossom!

At the thought of Little Cherry Blossom, Lin Yang’s eyes suddenly lit up. “System, are there any missions related to Little Cherry Blossom?”

If he could use the system to cause a little trouble in Little Cherry Blossom, it would be incredibly satisfying.

“Please wait until the cultural artifacts have returned to their homeland and Shangxia has successfully manufactured a lithography machine.”

The system was still repeating what it had said before: he had to wait until those two matters were completed before it would unlock the next stage of mission guidance.

Lin Yang was not disappointed, because the system had not said that there were no missions related to Little Cherry Blossom.

Besides, even if the system had no such missions, once he accumulated enough National Treasure Value for himself, he could still go to Little Cherry Blossom and cause a little trouble.

At that thought, Lin Yang suddenly began to look forward to it.

Three days. In just three more days, the artifacts would be transported back home.

During those three days, Lin Yang planned to visit other regions of Little Eagle Sauce and see whether he could complete a few more missions involving the return of cultural artifacts, thereby earning some Achievement Points and National Treasure Value.

…

Time flowed like water, rushing onward without ever turning back.

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The three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During that time, the theft from the Little Eagle Sauce museum had driven everyone back home into a frenzy of discussion.

If people ran into acquaintances outside and did not exchange a few words about it, they almost felt embarrassed to greet them.

After all, three full days had passed, and Little Eagle Sauce still had not found the slightest clue regarding the theft from its museum. The incident had nearly become an international joke.

Three days earlier, officials in Little Eagle Sauce had vowed confidently that they would recover the stolen artifacts within two days and bring the thieves to justice.

But now three days had passed, and the authorities in Little Eagle Sauce still had nothing to show for their efforts. It was impossible not to make the entire world question their ability to solve crimes.

Moreover, judging by the time elapsed, three days had been more than enough for the artifacts to be moved overseas through various unofficial channels.

Having missed the crucial seventy-two-hour golden window, Little Eagle Sauce had virtually no hope of recovering the artifacts.

It had been reduced to an international laughingstock.

Yet compared with merely watching the spectacle, people back home were far more concerned about the whereabouts of the artifacts.

These were treasures handed down by their ancestors. Losing even one would be heartbreaking, let alone having more than ten thousand vanish without a trace.

Every day, countless internet users flooded the authorities’ official accounts, asking whether the government would take action to help recover the collection.

After all, these were their own national treasures. Though they had been lost in Little Eagle Sauce, they could not be allowed to remain missing.

The authorities, however, had never issued a clear response, leaving many people deeply troubled.

Everyone understood that the government was not in a position to respond openly to the matter, but that did little to ease their frustration.

Then, just as everyone believed the matter would fade away with the passing of the golden period and become an unsolved mystery of the new century, a sudden piece of news erupted across the entire internet!

“Shangxia’s Cultural Heritage Bureau announces that it has received an anonymous overseas donation of cultural artifacts, comprising a total of twelve thousand and sixty-eight ancient Shangxia artifacts!”

For one brief moment, everyone was completely stunned.

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