A Glittering Array of Wonders

"Ah... the misunderstandings are deepening. I just hope that when the truth comes to light, they won't hate me..."
After ending his communication, Xiao Bai sighed softly, then shook his head and added:
"They probably won't. After all, the data I submitted is genuine and can help them. It was just a matter of necessity that I had to disguise it. They should understand."
"But come to think of it, is the Black Fortress Conglomerate really that ruthless and vicious? They're practically describing it as an organized crime syndicate... This world is even more complex than the original Earth."
"Ah, forget it. What's the point of dwelling on that? I might as well check out the dazzling array of wonders in the Trading Zone."
Xiao Bai had long been eyeing the 'Trading Zone' within the 'Tavern'. It was filled with treasures—
There were equipment, modules, and materials excavated from Paradise ; bizarre creatures captured from the wild; modern technologies and "90% new" second-hand items from the real world; and even luxury items like sports cars and villas...
To encourage more people to risk their lives in Paradise , the Federal Government had loosened regulations significantly. All outputs from Paradise belonged to the investigation teams, allowing them to freely trade them in the Tavern or sell them to official institutions at market rates.
The Trading Zone placed great emphasis on maintaining a fair market environment. It not only provided secure and reliable transaction channels but also updated daily reference prices for various items. The zone strictly prevented speculation, firmly regulated capital conglomerates, and cracked down hard on fraud, transforming the area into a sanctuary for free and fair trade.
As a result, Investigators and elite members of the Defense Force often came here to purchase Mecha equipment and components, then took them to the adjacent Commission Zone to have them assembled and tested, effectively "DIY-ing" their personalized Mecha.
Compared to standar d-issue models, these modified Mecha equipped with Paradise's Black Technology undoubtedly outperformed in terms of performance. However, their cost, stability, and availability were far from guaranteed, making them suitable only for a "small elite" group.
This led to the current ecosystem where a "small elite" handles offensive operations, while "mass-produced" models handle defense—a balance where neither can function without the other.
Xiao Bai first familiarized himself with the trading rules. Trans actions could be processed through official channels, similar to online shopping, with a small transaction fee. Alternatively, private transactions could be conducted like on a second-hand platform, relying solely on the trust between the parties involved.
He then casually browsed a few sale posts.
"Good grief! They're asking 1,000 contributions for a '90% New' item that's this beat up? And it actually sold? Just because it's a Paradise Legacy?"
"There are some real bargains too. This unopened flagship graphics card is only 10 contributions? I'll snap it up as soon as my new identity is approved! A man can't live without a graphics card, you know!"
"Huh... someone's even offering to exchange Contribution Points for real money? Is that tacitly approved by the system? Today's exchange rate is 1
.3... At that rate, those research papers I bought for just a few contributions weren't such a bargain after all. And now that I have a new identity, everything's even more expensive..."
Xiao Bai grimaced at the thought, then quickly tried to console himself:
"Look on the bright side. Earning and spending contributions is just part of the game. Don't keep comparing it to real-world money."
"Besides, now that we have the Letterbox channel, earning contributions isn't hard at all. We can sell off unwanted items—even scrap metal can fetch 1,000 contributions. My brand-new Black Technology should be auctioned off at top prices, right?"
"It's a shame that contributions earned from trades can't be used to advance your Contribution Rank. Only completing commissions counts. Probably to prevent people from artificially inflating their rank, huh?"
Xiao Bai scrolled through several more posts and n oticed that even in the Trading Zone, where one might expect lively chatter, the atmosphere remained unusually serious. There were no casual posts like "Me too! OP first!" or "I'm a student, gimme one for free!"—not even any heated arguments or flame wars.
Despite being called the "Tavern," there was no casual conversation, and even the exchanges were minimal.
Next, Xiao Bai checked the Commission Zone, hoping to find other ways to earn Contribution Points.
He discovered that the majority of requests involved installing and calibrating various equipme nt. To equip a Lost Legacy item onto human mecha required multiple steps: modification, compatibility checks, adjustments, and testing. Unlike Xiao Bai, who could simply pick up an item and "drag the icon" to equip it, others needed a more complex process.
"It's a shame I can't earn this money... First, using the Panel would inevitably expose it. If anyone finds out—even Professor Wang—wouldn't he pounce and dismantle me?"
"Second, there's no way to deliver the items. This 'Letterbox' can only hold a single adult, and I can't fit inside. Others can't send their mecha through either. We can't exactly remove the Main Control Chip and mail it to someone else, can we?"
Xiao Bai had already dismissed the idea, but as he scrolled further, he noticed someone posting gene-related commissions?
The poster was his "old acquaintance," the Future Evolution Society. They were widely collecting various organs and live tissues from Demonic Beasts, pricing them based on hazard level, completeness, and freshness.
If it was a complete and safe high-hazard Demonic Beast, the contribution would start at a million points. Converted to regular currency, that was billions, even tens of billions.
"This is just for laughs, right?" Xiao Bai muttered. "They want high-hazard Demonic Beasts that are both complete and safe? Isn't that contradictory?"
After grumbling, his curiosity got the better of him. He checked their posting history and found several sales records in the Trading Zone.
"They've actually developed several Bio-Construct products? Bio-engines, bio-parts, bio-missiles, bio-combat suits... and even complete biological mechs?"
"Like this research base here, how many more do they have? Are they also doing human experiments?"
Xiao Bai's feelings about the organization were mixed. They were clearly conducting unethical human experiments, and it seemed not all the test subjects were D-Class Personnel...
However, it would be simplistic to label them as mere criminals. They have official connections, and in this era where the apocalypse could arrive at any moment, it's difficult to judge such organizations by ordinary moral standards.
One can only say that the world is a tapestry of colors, far more complex than simple black and white.
Xiao Bai glanced at the mechas on the shelves, but his model wasn't among them.
The ones for sale were all larger in size, with wild designs that blurred the line between demonic beasts and mechas.
Their listed performance specs were astonishing, far surpassing common mass-produced models—almost reaching half the capabilities of his own.
I wonder if they're truly that powerful?
"My mecha may lack flashy looks and could be considered plain, but at least it's more visually appealing than these monstrosities. I wonder how it compares in terms of performance?"
"It's likely not inferior. After all, it performed remarkably well in the hands of that Defense Force powerhouse. It's just a pity it encountered an even more formidable adversary..."

Chapter end