Chapter 344: Area 4

Zhang Wenda was a little surprised after hearing the other person’s explanation. He looked the person up and down; they seemed to be about six-foot-two, and he couldn’t tell their gender.

“Forty doses? You need that many?” Although the Solid Joy wasn’t that rare, it still required the Little Black Cats to brew a batch, which took a lot of effort.

‘As for whether it would have any other effects on him, that was a problem for later.’

“You’ll definitely need them. For you, this trade is an absolute bargain.” After speaking, the garbage-bag-clad figure pointed to everyone nearby.

“Everyone around here is one of your people. If this intel isn’t valuable enough, you can back out at any time. But I believe that with your determination to build the Federation, you won’t do that.”

“This isn’t about backing out or not. I’m just curious. Why do you need forty doses of joy for pain relief? Did you… run into some kind of trouble?” Zhang Wenda asked, even as he instructed the Little Black Cats to get to work.

“If you’ve run into trouble, you can tell me about it. I’m also good at treating ordinary injuries. Maybe I can help you.” ‘In truth, Zhang Wenda was more interested in recruiting this person into the Federation. That way, he’d not only get the intel but also a new member.’

However, the figure firmly shook their head at Zhang Wenda’s kind offer. “You can’t help me. All I need right now are enough painkillers.”

Seeing how resolute they were, Zhang Wenda didn’t press the matter. “Fine. I won’t insist. The painkillers are being made. You can tell me the intel now.”

“It’s about a new entrance to the Threshold Realm.”

“Hold on. You don’t seem to understand the going rate for intel around here. Normally, information of this level is only worth one dose of painkiller.”

Zhang Wenda couldn’t help but add, “Even if you’re not one of us and the price is a little higher, it’s definitely not worth forty doses.”

“But what if there’s someone you care about in this new area? A little girl with Mind Reading, for example?” The moment the figure finished speaking, all of Zhang Wenda’s Inner World creatures turned to look in their direction.

Zhang Wenda knew that since he’d taken control of Area 2, someone was bound to have seen Hu Maomao if she passed through. He just hadn’t expected news to travel this fast.

Feeling an intense pressure suddenly bear down, the figure quickly raised their hands to chest level to show they meant no harm. “I didn’t investigate you. I just curiously asked the one-eyed man where he got the can of braised pork, and he told me you were looking for her.”

Zhang Wenda’s brow was tightly furrowed. At some point, Calico had appeared and taken a position behind him. “Continue. When and where.”

The figure pointed at the large map of Area 2 on the wall. “There. The second to last grid square. There’s a loose section on the ceiling. It’s a hidden door. You can get to the plains through there.”

“I discovered it by chance. I took a quick look around and found the environment wasn’t great. There isn’t even any fresh water—it’s worse than here. So I didn’t move there.”

“But two days ago, I happened to be thinking about it when the little girl passed by. It was like she knew what was on my mind. She came right up and asked me for more details about the place. She seemed really excited. She most likely headed that way.”

Zhang Wenda pulled two packs of instant noodles and an apple from a fissure in the air and pushed them into the figure’s arms.

“This isn’t what we agreed on! The payment I want is painkillers, not food!” the figure said, suddenly anxious.

“This isn’t payment for the intel. It’s payment for your memory. I’m buying it.” After he spoke, Zhang Wenda extended a finger, made a soft swiping motion toward the figure, and stepped right through.

Through the scenes in the memory, Zhang Wenda quickly confirmed that the figure hadn’t lied or tried to pull any tricks.

The Hu Maomao in the memory was no longer drenched like before. Her face showed a trace of excitement and impatience.

‘Just looking at the excited expression on Hu Maomao’s face in the memory, he was truly curious what could possibly be in that area to draw her there.’

But simply confirming it was Hu Maomao was enough. Zhang Wenda immediately began to prepare for his departure.

Fighting alone was too difficult now. He needed help—more trustworthy allies. Besides, he was genuinely worried about Hu Maomao and feared she was in danger.

After packing up and leaving some clowns and blue rabbits to watch over Area 2, he gave the figure the promised payment. Then, Zhang Wenda set out, unable to wait a moment longer.

With the large map, navigating the maze-like Area 2 became much simpler. And with the help of the Youth Palace, Zhang Wenda arrived at his destination in just thirty minutes.

He found the hidden door without any trouble, but there was a problem: the door was too small. The Youth Palace couldn’t possibly fit through.

“Here, come over here.” Zhang Wenda first drew open a massive gate to his Inner World, letting the Youth Palace go in first.

With a materialized Inner World, Zhang Wenda now possessed what was essentially a massive pocket dimension, capable of easily storing both objects and living beings.

Once he saw the tail end of the Youth Palace disappear into the closing rift, Zhang Wenda looked up again at the hidden door above him.

He stepped onto solidified thought-clouds, walking up step-by-step, and placed his hand on the hidden door. “Maomao, don’t you dare run too far this time. I’m about to find you!”

As the hidden door flipped over, the pristine white ceramic instantly became a rough concrete wall. But aside from that, nothing changed. There was no door, no passageway—nothing.

Just as Zhang Wenda was wondering what was going on, he realized his surroundings had, at some unknown point, completely changed.

The desolate white porcelain basin had completely vanished. A gray, hazy plain stretched out before Zhang Wenda. This area transition was beyond his expectations. He had arrived in Area 4.

On the plain stood a few isolated, frighteningly large concrete buildings, and one of them was right in front of Zhang Wenda.

These structures followed none of the conventional rules of architecture. They were top-heavy, lopsided, and asymmetrical in every way imaginable.

And yet, these buildings possessed a certain rough, brutalist beauty. They were like works of art molded from concrete by giants and casually placed upon the land.

As Zhang Wenda tilted his head back, his gaze traveling up the concrete door before him, he realized that this hidden door was perched atop a giant, forked concrete pillar that pierced the clouds.

And that giant concrete pillar was a support for an overpass. As his perspective widened, he saw an elevated highway, so massive it nearly blotted out the sky, standing silently in place. The mere sight of it was enough to give him goosebumps.