In the night, Huai Shi was woken twice by distant explosions from Canberra.
He got up, poured a glass of water, and stood in front of the window, where he saw the flames rising in the distance and the vague figures of Sublimators leaping between the skyscrapers.
After watching for a while, he withdrew his gaze uninterestedly and went back to sleep.
He slept until the break of dawn.
After breakfast, a waiter came up and whispered, "An envoy from Lord Sand King has arrived; do you have time to meet?"
"Sure," Huai Shi wiped his mouth, sat down on a chair, and saw the Sublimator with sunglasses at the doorway, who walked in.
It was someone he knew... the same one who had driven Huai Shi yesterday.
The visitor bowed respectfully. "Lord Sand King sends his regards."
"Looks like you had a productive night?" Huai Shi asked.
"It was nothing but some unworthy internal strife, not worth mentioning," the Sand King's subordinate said. "Mr. Sand King has sent me to present a gift to you. It's just a modest aid, nothing extravagant, and I hope you won't refuse."
Huai Shi was stunned for a moment, then saw him open the box in his hand, carefully placing an envelope and a bottle in front of Huai Shi.
The envelope contained a boat ticket to Antarctica.
The contents of the bottle, however, were rather frightening.
It was a few grains of golden dust.
They looked like crystals of amber, so light in quantity that there wasn't even one gram. But the rich, suffocating essence they contained was overpowering.
"This is... Golden Amber?" Huai Shi couldn't believe it.
"They are merely insignificant fragments," the Envoy stepped back, responding respectfully. "This small amount will not affect the ceremony, but Mr. Sand King thought it might be of some help to you."
"..."
Huai Shi was silent for a long time, then shook his head. "I am a guest of the Sand King, who has already hosted me, and I have made promises. I don't think this is something a guest should accept; please take it back."
"Mr. Sand King says it's an investment."
As if expecting such a reply, the Envoy lifted his head and relayed the words from the Coronated, "This is unrelated to the Astronomical Society, and if you could become a friend of Australia in the future, this would be a reward for your kindness."
"You think so highly of me?" Huai Shi was astonished.
"He says, a person like you should achieve something," the Envoy said. "Because you are like him."
"..."
Huai Shi didn't know how to respond.
The same? He didn't know, wasn't even sure what the Sand King meant, and didn't know how to retort.
After a while, he looked at the bottle in front of him and sighed involuntarily.
To be honest, I should have refused. Is the Sand King insulting me?
But the gift was too tempting...
Even if it was like dust compared to the essence of a miracle, the noble nature of this dust was something money couldn't buy.
"Please tell him, I accept."
Huai Shi picked up the small bottle, raised his hand, and directly stuffed it into the hollow in his chest.
Such a precious item is better kept close to the body, after all.
"Very well."
The Envoy nodded and took two steps back. "I'll be waiting downstairs at all times. If you need anything before you leave Canberra, just command."
"I will," Huai Shi nodded.
It was still that Envoy who drove the car. In the morning, Huai Shi replenished his saddlebag inventory in Canberra and selected some local specialties, along with items he no longer needed in his backpack, to send back to Xinhai.
Of course, he didn't forget to send Old Liu an extra portion of Kingly Mask.
Although he didn't have the chance to go to Shambhala, the intention still had to be conveyed.
Just like how Old Liu would share pictures on WeChat with various beautiful older sisters and super-sized robots whenever he had the chance.
The mutually injurious friendship between the two seemed like it could last forever.
Afterward, Huai Shi went to the local Astronomical Society's station for a simple report and registration, verifying that he had been there and had done no harm.
However, when the local authorities heard that Huai Shi had walked here from Darwin, they couldn't help but show a skeptical expression that seemed to say, "Are you kidding me?"
And upon confirming the truth of Huai Shi's words, their expression became even more incredulous.
Why would there be such a young freak?
At noon, he and the local officer took time to have a working meal in the cafeteria. Being the Astronomical Society, the food was delicate, and even the working meals were quite decent.
The local manners were thorough, and there was no suspicion or rejection towards Huai Shi, who was an outsider.
Huai Shi also reconfirmed the Sand King's plan with the local officer.
"It seems that the last obstacle has been removed," said the middle-aged officer, putting down his wine glass and wiping his mouth. "His plan is most likely to succeed. After all, with such a large Correction Value, he should be able to restore the land near Canberra and probably even clean up the radiation in the bay area as well.
"A lasting legacy... Is that how Dongxia puts it?"