This Spiritual Energy is Lethal!-Chapter 168 - Spiritual Energy Control

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Spiritual Energy Control

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Spiritual Energy Control

Li Bo’s noodle shop was closed, a “For Rent” sign hanging within the door.

Chen Ke peered through the glass display window. The tables inside had been dismantled, and the plastic chairs were stacked up in the corner. It seemed that after the toad incident, Li Bo’s noodle shop had not turned its luck around.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

There is no longer any prospect to speak of in the Gun Tie District of Opportunity City, the poorest and most desolate part of the city.

After the decline of the world’s automobile factories, many Spiritual Businesses moved in, occupying the prime locations on Raffi Road and buying up the wastelands in other districts to leave them vacant as Spirit Explosion Spaces.

Such practices squeezed out the growth of other industries, and these Spiritual Businesses did not provide job opportunities for the laid-off auto workers. They were like a swarm of bloodsuckers, leeching the life out of Opportunity City.

“Brother, interested in buying a storefront?” A familiar voice sounded from behind. Chen Ke turned around and it was actually Li Bo.

Seeing Chen Ke, a flash of disappointment passed Li Bo’s face, but he quickly smiled, seemingly quite eager to offload the storefront.

“Eh! It’s you! Sigh, haven’t seen you in a week. Have you been out on a demon hunter commission?” Li Bo asked with a smile.

“Ah… no, it’s been fairly quiet today. So, your shop… still hasn’t reopened?” Chen Ke replied.

“Sigh! Don’t even mention it!” Li Bo let out a long sigh.

He wanted to offer Chen Ke a cigarette, remembered he didn’t smoke, and put it in his own mouth instead. Lighting it, he slowly recounted his own hard times these past two weeks.

After Chen Ke dealt with the mutated toads in the sewers, Li Bo’s noodle shop was no longer troubled by mutated homeless people. However, because their mutation process was interrupted by Chen Ke, these people developed various strange diseases.

The Administration Bureau and the hospitals took over the care of these people. No one has seen the patients since, but no one was concerned either, and the incident died down.

But the remaining normal homeless people still had nowhere to turn.

Li Bo tried to return the noodle shop to its former business state of a few years ago, but he also tried to support the poor in a way he could afford.

He hired the homeless on rotation, paying them a third of a regular employee’s wages, and provided the remaining noodles for free to the poor every night. By lowering staff costs, he employed more people and dealt with a lot of nearly expired food.

However, customer traffic in the Gun Tie District was really too low. Most residents of Gun Tie would rather look for work on Raffi Road, dine there all day, or leave Opportunity City entirely to seek opportunities in other cities.

“This city seems beyond redemption now, only Spiritual Businesses are making money, even the famous Arthur Sword Hall of the United Federation has closed its Gun Tie branch…” commented Chen Ke.

“Yeah, they buy land and don’t develop it, eventually turning it into a monster box, and then leave the Administration Bureau to clean up the mess. The higher-ups don’t even care to manage it,” Li Bo angrily said.

“To the rulers, the population is just a resource. Now, the significance of the Spiritual Power Industry speaks for itself. The Administration Bureau is happy to clean up, and spiritual energy is happy to hoard land, so don’t expect any change in the status quo,” Chen Ke said, spreading his hands.

“Yeah, to hell with capitalism… Once I’ve sold this storefront, I’m going back home to develop,” Li Bo said helplessly.

“The Fei Huang Republic, huh… what’s it like over there?” Chen Ke probed.

If he had the chance, he’d like to visit there, too.

“Well, how should I put it… It’s also complicated. Why else would I have come here to the United Federation in the first place?” Li Bo sighed.

“What’s the situation?” Chen Ke asked.

“Firstly, it’s not as developed as here, that’s for sure. Though there are all kinds of industries, none are mature, and just messing about is the way to make money. Decent work instead invites trouble. But over here in the United Federation, if you do decent work and you’re Asian, you’ll also face trouble. Damnit, it’s all troubling,” Li Bo cursed vehemently.

Chen Ke remained silent, exhaling a sigh.

“But at least, once I return there, I won’t be discriminated against, and they manage monsters better than here; no black boxes, no investigators, it’s safer,” Li Bo said.

“No black boxes and no investigators? Then how do they handle…” Chen Ke was surprised.

“You can tell you’re a native-born Asian, not from the Fei Huang Republic. For starters, it’s impossible to buy guns there, and it’s illegal for civilians and private enterprises to be involved with the Transcendent, it’s strictly controlled, so it’s safe,” Li Bo said with a smile.

Chen Ke’s face showed a subtly nuanced expression.

It sounded like the Fei Huang Republic strictly regulated Spiritual Power, unlike the open environment of the United Federation that had formed an entire industry.

“However, compared to here, they don’t have a Spiritual Power Industry. Spiritual Power products are only something state enterprises are qualified to handle, an ordinary person can’t get involved. I’m not in that business, so I don’t care, but if you want to go to the Fei Huang Republic, you’ll have to discharge the spiritual energy from your body first, else you’ll have trouble getting a visa,” Li Bo said with a smile.

“Oh, that strict, huh… If I ever go there, I really will have to first study up on the situation,” Chen Ke nodded.

“I heard that in Star Port there, you can have spiritual energy. Star Port’s different, but you can only stay for 3 days. After 3 days, you’ll need to reapply for a visa. I think the visa over there is called a ‘Temporary Permit for Spiritual Personnel’…” Li Bo reminded.

“Star Port… Got it, didn’t realize it was so complicated,” Chen Ke muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

“No help for it, the systems are different. After all, it’s not capitalism over there, there’s a lot you have to adapt to, good and bad, but overall, it’s still stronger than here,” Li Bo said with a smile.

“Oh, then you’re busy, I was just passing by and thought to check in…” Chen Ke said.

“It’s fine, I’ll wait a few more days, if it really doesn’t work out, I’ll leave it to an agent. At least when I get back, I won’t have to fear being bothered by monsters,” Li Bo said with a smile.

Saying goodbye to Li Bo, Chen Ke seriously contemplated his future visit to the Fei Huang Republic.

Nowadays, the Fei Huang Republic’s stance on spiritual energy was of complete control. Although the way he used spiritual energy now wouldn’t be detected in various medical exams, he wouldn’t be able to bring in the Holy Relics.

For civilians to carry Holy Relics in the Fei Huang Republic might be akin to illegal possession of firearms, a criminal act. In such a place, one should not expect to reach for the Transcendent and seek clues.

Unless all was lost, and returning only meant buying a mansion to enjoy life, there was no point in returning to the Fei Huang Republic given the current situation.

But then again… when wealthy, wasn’t enjoying life the same no matter where? There was no real need to go back…

Chen Ke sighed. Perhaps to many rich people, the concept of a nation was quite thin?

The opportunities to make money, the nation’s attitude toward industry, the overall environment, the market maturity, the purchasing power of residents, the ruling class’s intervention in the market… These were all that mattered to the wealthy.

After all, capital knows no nationality.