NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 2 - Personal Protective Shield 1000 Years Later
Chapter 2: Personal Protective Shield 1000 Years Later
“Personal… protective shield?” Fang Jian asked.
“Yes, it also has a small defensive capability. I’ve already disabled the personal mental link, so you can activate it whenever you want,” the middle-aged man replied.
Fang Jian furrowed his brow and asked, “How do I activate it?”
The middle-aged man paused momentarily, thinking to himself, where did this inexperienced person come from?
Nevertheless, he smiled and placed the ring on his forehead, saying, “Just put it here, and you can communicate with it mentally.”
Fang Jian hesitated for a moment.
The middle-aged man laughed and said, “Hey, my friend, I still hope to get more valuable items from you. It won’t harm you, so don’t worry.”
Fang Jian smiled faintly and asked, “So, what would you like in exchange?”
The middle-aged man waved his hand and said, “If you have more stamps or antiques, we can trade.”
Fang Jian thought momentarily and took another set of stamps from his pocket.
The middle-aged man hesitated momentarily, his eyes showing suspicion, but he nodded and agreed to the trade.
Soon, the transaction was completed, and both parties picked up their exchanged items from the floor.
The middle-aged man shone a flashlight-like object on the stamps in his hand, and he exclaimed, “Oh my, these are the ‘Journey to the West (Part 3)’ square-linked stamps!”
Fang Jian smiled, saying, “Mr. W, I’m very satisfied with your items. Until next time.”
The middle-aged man quickly suppressed his excitement and said, “That’s great, Mr. Fang Jian. After I return, I’ll gather relevant information and await your next invitation.”
Both parties nodded politely and closed the doors of their respective space houses. The moment when their space house doors closed, a look of confusion appeared on the middle-aged man’s face.
“Strange, why did the protective shield ring lose its connection?”
“Sigh, knowing this space is mysterious, I shouldn’t have tested it. I wonder if he’ll trade with me again in the future…”
The middle-aged man looked at the stamps in his hand and felt anxious and uncertain.
On the other side, Fang Jian thought momentarily and placed the ring on his forehead. Soon, a cool sensation surged into his mind. Then, Fang Jian understood how to use this device. It was quite simple. On the first use, he needed to mentally connect himself with it.
After that, he could activate and deactivate the ring’s functions at anytime. This device’s functionality was straightforward, with only two main features. The first was to provide a protective shield.
As for how much protection it could offer?
Survival would be unlikely if the wearer were exposed to a volcanic eruption’s molten lava or the epicenter of a nuclear explosion.
However, if it was a standard bomb and not one capable of leveling an entire city in one blast, then survival was possible. The second function was shooting. But how to shoot and the power it possessed could only be experienced after binding.
Fang Jian’s mind stirred, silently saying, “Bind.”
In the next moment, Fang Jian felt a slight tremor in his body, and then he felt like he had an additional limb.
Indeed, after binding, he surprisingly had a feeling of being able to control it effortlessly.
What a remarkable piece of equipment!
With a shift of his thoughts, an invisible protective shield instantly enveloped Fang Jian, covering his entire body. Although it was completely transparent, making it invisible to outsiders, Fang Jian could still sense its presence.
However, Fang Jian could feel it since it was his own. With another thought, a crosshair appeared in Fang Jian’s vision, serving as a targeting device.
He could initiate shooting if he wore the ring and faced someone. As for the shooting results, that was a matter for another time. Looking at the gold beneath his feet, Fang Jian hesitated momentarily, picked up a piece, and exited the space.
Mr. W was the first spatial trader Fang Jian had encountered. During their conversation, Fang Jian felt this information might be genuine.
Mr. W claimed a black box that could produce most raw materials worldwide. Although Fang Jian didn’t know its cost, he guessed it must be incredibly affordable.
Mr. W, on the other hand, showed a deep interest in so-called ancient artifacts. He mentioned that half of the Earth had been destroyed after the Super World War erupted seven hundred years ago, making these ancient artifacts exceedingly valuable.
Fang Jian realized that this person didn’t seem to have his basic information and didn’t know they were communicating from a thousand years ago. So, he sent a tentative invitation. He exchanged one “ancient artifact” stamp for a ton of gold.
Fang Jian felt like he had struck a fantastic deal. But whenever he thought about how Mr. W looked at him, Fang Jian couldn’t help but feel irritated.
He was sure that when Mr. W made the trade, he was silently thinking two words: “What a fool!”
But then again, if someone offered him a ton of cement in exchange for rare antique artifacts from a thousand years ago, which were in limited supply…
How much does cement cost per kilogram, after all?
It’s only a few hundred or maybe a thousand yuan at most.
Wouldn’t he also silently call them a “fool” if he encountered such a person?
Back in his dormitory, Fang Jian put the one-kilogram gold bar into his briefcase. It had no markings, just an ordinary gold bar. He brought the gold bar to the company and handed it to the inspection department, saying, “Hey, help me check this.”
The people in the inspection department were familiar with him and reminded him that the company’s rules prohibited purchasing gold from ordinary residents. Although private individuals could mine gold in this region, the gold in the hands of ordinary residents was often fragmented and impure. Small-scale collectors would need secondary refining after obtaining it.
Additionally, there were tax implications and other issues when transporting it back to the country. Therefore, the cost-effectiveness of such transactions wasn’t high. Furthermore, large-scale gold purchases from private individuals could affect the reputation of the salespeople with major factories in the region. So, purchasing officers from large companies in various countries generally followed similar rules.
Of course, rules are inflexible, but people can be flexible. If it’s not a large-scale collection and just a small amount for personal use or as a gift when returning to the country, most people would turn a blind eye.