Chapter 496 - 326: Visiting Northern and Eastern Europe
Mach 20?
Netizens around the world were debating it, and many expressed their doubts, but several countries confirmed it was true. Thanks to research on hypersonic missiles, some powerful nations now possessed specialized equipment capable of capturing related signals and calculating the speed.
Although Li Xiang wore the Giant Whale Saint Armor, which possessed "Silent Hypersonic Technology," his high-speed sprints still left behind some faint traces. For example, there was the Vibration of the air. While he was silent, the intense pressure he exerted on the atmosphere would certainly create a detectable anomaly. It just wasn’t as much of a public nuisance.
Then there was the way he skimmed across the surface of the ocean, creating ripples that fanned out and waves that rolled to either side, spreading over a massive area. This "phenomenon" was almost unique to him, and even satellites could capture it.
The Mysterious Armored Man had been wreaking havoc all over the globe, coming and going as he pleased, and had long been secretly observed and studied by the major world powers. A speed of Mach 20 was, in fact, a reliable estimate.
Even Li Xiang was extremely impressed, as he had never told a soul that he could reach Mach 20.
What shocked the upper echelons of various countries was that just over a year ago, Li Xiang’s speed seemed to be only around Mach two or three. His rate of growth was simply astounding!
At a speed of Mach 20, how could anyone possibly deal with him?
Even Five Mach was considered virtually impossible to intercept, let alone Mach 20!
By now, the leaders of every nation were wary of China. The intelligence agencies of the major powers had more or less figured out the identity of the Mysterious Armored Man. China, however, consistently refused to admit anything.
With such a powerful individual force on its side, who would dare to provoke China?
During World War II, why did two atomic bombs make Japan surrender? It wasn’t because of the devastating losses, but because the Japanese high command felt the threat of their own demise. Before that, it was mostly soldiers dying and citizens suffering, while the leaders continued to live in luxury and enjoy their privileges. But once the atomic bombs were dropped, the Japanese leadership realized they couldn’t fight anymore and had to surrender immediately.
The Mysterious Armored Man possessed a "decapitation" capability even more potent than an atomic bomb. The deterrent effect this had on the world’s leaders was unimaginable to the average person.
Meanwhile, back in China, the officials who had originally proposed awarding Li Xiang and his companions military honors and promotions were now rising through the ranks and reaching new heights. Befriending Li Xiang instead of pushing him to the opposing side was considered a monumental achievement.
In Hollywood, many directors were beginning to plan superhero movies based on the Mysterious Armored Man, even deciding to incorporate him into the Marvel Universe franchise.
At the same time, Indian Bollywood was also churning out similar films, proclaiming that the Mysterious Armored Man was a Divine Envoy of the Shiva God. They still hadn’t given up on trying to claim a connection.
"Our Divine Envoy comes regularly to collect the tributes we have so carefully prepared. How can anyone deny this fact?"
Well, if you put it that way, it was true that India had not been plundered.
Li Xiang traveled to Northern Europe and Eastern Europe, paying special attention to the Baltic Three Fools. He hadn’t come here before because this bitterly cold land had a low profile and he’d almost forgotten about it. But since the three fools were making such a fuss, he decided not to be polite.
Besides, Northern Europe was quite wealthy.
As Li Xiang plundered the nations of Northern and Eastern Europe, focusing his attention on the Baltic Three Fools, he moved as if through a Land of No One, and his gains were incalculable.
From Norway, for instance, with its rich fishing resources, he effortlessly scooped up several million king salmon from the deep-water farms in the fjords, each weighing 5 to 8 kilograms. He also took nearly 200,000 tons of Arctic cod, rich in Omega-3 and a traditional star export for Norway.
Norway also had abundant oil and gas resources, but Li Xiang left them alone for now. He had a better idea. With his Earth Vein Divine Techniques, he wouldn’t need to come and collect them. In the future, he could directly build Rock Armor transport tunnels underground. Using the principle of "Earth Vein Suction," he could make the world’s oil and gas resources flow wherever he wanted, straight to underground refineries and power plants. If the distance was too great, he would deal with it then.
Skis and snow gear: 12,000 sets of top-brand, custom-made Svalbard models, including carbon-fiber ski poles identical to those used by Winter Olympics athletes.
Polar exploration equipment: 5,000 sets of special cold-proof suits, snowmobiles, and other gear.
These things would all be useful during the Apocalypse. The surface of the earth would be a world of ice and snow, and with this equipment, the various combat teams under his command would have a much easier time carrying out missions.
From Sweden, he took 5,000 barrels of 50-year-aged Absolut Vodka concentrate.
From Finland came 500,000 cubic meters of hundred-year-old spruce logs and over 80,000 tons of reindeer meat products, including cured venison jerky and smoked reindeer chops.
From Lithuania, he acquired 800 tons of raw Baltic amber, including rare "blue amber" and specimens with insect inclusions, as well as 200 18th-century-style amber-inlaid murals that were originally hidden by the Nazis. He also took 30,000 wheels of traditional Džiugas cheese (20 kilograms each), aged for over three years.
From Latvia came 10,000 pieces of hand-carved, Baroque-style ebony furniture from the workshops of Riga’s Old Town.
Linen products: over 500,000 pieces of traditional embroidered tablecloths, clothing, and other items, all of exquisite workmanship. Li Xiang wouldn’t even glance at anything slightly inferior.
As for food, there were 100,000 tons of vacuum-sealed sourdough bread made with a rye fermentation process, and 2,000 barrels of hundred-year-old vintage "Black Medicinal Wine," which was originally a tribute for the Tsar’s Palace.
He also collected over 5,000 Art Nouveau architectural components, such as stained-glass windows and wrought-iron decorations from buildings in Riga’s historic center.
In addition, he plundered a total of about 500 tons of gold and 1,000 tons of silver from the vaults of various national central banks. He also took Javelin missiles, drones, and other weapons from NATO’s Eastern European armories, making sure to grab the maintenance manuals as well.
The nations of Northern and Eastern Europe were dumbfounded. They all condemned the Baltic Three Fools: "Are you tired of living? Why did you have to provoke that entity? Now look, you’ve dragged us all down with you."
Big Fool, Lithuania, wanted to cry but had no tears. It had suffered the most grievous losses. It was already a tiny country, but Li Xiang had practically dug three feet into the ground, taking almost everything that could be taken. In other countries, he only picked the finest goods, but when it came to Big Fool, he basically picked it clean.
In an instant, the three Baltic states, especially Big Fool, were plunged into an economic crisis. They had no choice but to ask other European countries for help. However, those nations had also been plundered, albeit to a lesser extent. Figuring they could recoup some of their losses from Big Fool, they jacked up their prices on the spot. Big Fool was furious, and its citizens took to the streets in protest.
Forced by the circumstances, Big Fool had to dip into its true reserves—an emergency fund originally set aside for times of national crisis.
Then, Li Xiang was surprised. ’What the hell, they still have money to buy expensive things from Western Europe?’ And so, he paid another visit, looting another 100-plus tons of gold from the state treasury that he had missed before.
Big Fool: "..." To make matters worse, America didn’t come to help them either. A refugee crisis soon erupted as citizens fled to other European countries.
Naturally, Li Xiang didn’t spare the vast and resource-rich Mao Bear Country. He took 1.5 million tons of high-quality winter wheat with a protein content of around 14% from the Krasnodar Territory by the Black Sea; 5,000 barrels of vodka concentrate aged in hundred-year-old oak barrels from the Moscow Crown cellar, with each barrel holding 200 liters; 10 tons of wild Caspian Sea beluga sturgeon caviar, packaged in 24-karat gold tins; and 30 tons of uncut Yakut diamond roughs from the Mir Mine, including 5 kilograms of a rare "Polaris" pink diamond rough.
From the shores of Lake Baikal, he took 500,000 cubic meters of hundred-year-old Siberian red pine logs, with a resin content three times that of ordinary pine.
From the Kamchatka Peninsula, he took 20,000 top-grade Arctic silver fox pelts, with fur over 15 centimeters long that shimmered like liquid silver.
Furthermore, he acquired 1,200 tons of strategic gold reserves from a nuclear bunker beneath Moscow. Due to the interference from Li Xiang’s Superpower, metal detectors remained silent the entire time.
As for oil and gas resources, he left them untouched for now, just as he had in other regions. He could take them anytime during the Apocalypse.
Siberia was teeming with all sorts of ferocious beasts, and Li Xiang discovered a few with Extraordinary potential. He killed them, such as a Tier Fifteen Siberian Wolf King, which earned him a reward of 1,500 Achievement Points, three pieces of a Tier Eight Spiritual Medicine called "Cedar Spirit Fruit," and a Tier Thirteen Extraordinary Item, the "Extreme Cold Ice Soul Chain," which could freeze a target within a hundred-meter radius and apply a Slow effect.
He also made a side trip to visit Little Golden Tiger, Little Fenghu, and Tiger Mother. By now, the five tigers had grown extremely strong and were full-fledged adults.
The three Extraordinary tigers were especially massive. Tiger Mother weighed at least 800 kilograms, Little Golden Tiger was around 500 kilograms, and Little Fenghu was slightly lighter but still at least 350 kilograms. As for the two ordinary tigers, they were about 180 kilograms each.
This was mainly because the Extraordinary tigers, being invincible as they roamed Siberia, could secure an ample supply of fresh meat. Moreover, being Extraordinary had broken their genetic chains, allowing them to develop various Superpowers and grow far beyond the size of ordinary tigers.
The tiger pack was overjoyed to see Li Xiang. They came over to rub against him, as docile as kittens. Li Xiang petted the tigers for a while, then mounted the largest of them, Tiger Mother, and went for a long ride across the wilderness. The other tigers followed alongside, and for a moment, it was a scene of Cloud Surge.
He had to admit, riding a tiger as a mount was even more impressive than riding an Elephant.
Riding an Elephant was suitable for a leisurely stroll or sightseeing, but a tiger was far more suited for a battlefield charge.
Tigers are naturally solitary, but since three in this litter were Extraordinary and had gained intelligence, their social behavior had changed.
Heavy snow had already fallen across Siberia, and the cold wave from the north was pushing its way south, plunging China into deep winter as well.
Li Xiang didn’t build a den for this tiger family because they didn’t need one. When they were hungry, they hunted. When they were tired, they simply lay down in the snow. With their Pure Yang Body, they had no fear of the ice and snow.
Li Xiang simply fed them enough Spiritual Medicine to ensure they had abundant resources for their cultivation.
’It’s a pity I can’t take you home yet. For now, you’ll have to stay in this bitter, cold land. When the Apocalypse arrives, you can come to my home and serve as Mountain Guardian Beasts.’ Li Xiang stroked the tigers, unable to bear parting with them. After lingering for several hours, he finally floated away.
His global plundering naturally caused turmoil in the international situation. For example, the Ruble’s exchange rate plummeted by 15%, international wheat futures soared by 25%, and several European countries urgently halted negotiations on energy sanctions against Russia.
But Li Xiang didn’t care. Compared to the Apocalypse, what were these minor squalls? He had already arrived leisurely at Tsinghua Garden to visit his little fiancée, Jiang Cai’Er.