Chapter 88: Landing on the Island (More to come later, please vote for the monthly ticket~)

readx(); Chen Xiao remained silent. Lao Tian glanced at him: "What, you don't believe me?"

He pointed to the small satellite device mounted at the bow of the yacht. "You think this thing looks too ordinary, not as miraculous as I said?"

"...A bit," Chen Xiao admitted reluctantly. The device looked worn and shabby, no different from the satellite TV receivers you could buy back home for a couple hundred yuan. Besides... it was rusted and weather-beaten, hardly seeming like high-tech equipment.

Lao Tian chuckled but didn’t elaborate further.

Soon, he began slowing the yacht as they approached a vast expanse of mist ahead.

The yacht plunged straight into a thick white fog.

Visibility around them was extremely low, yet Lao Tian steered the yacht with ease, even whistling casually—though he was wearing a detector.

Chen Xiao couldn’t help but ask, "Aren’t you afraid of hitting rocks or something in such thick fog?"

"Use the detector and see," Lao Tian replied.

Obediently, Chen Xiao pulled out his own detector. As soon as he turned it on, a strange vision appeared on the lens over his left eye!

Within the detector's display, the vast white fog was not white at all!

Instead, it was filled with vast areas of faint dark red. Within these dark red zones, there was a faintly visible blank pathway!

He immediately took off the detector, looked again with his naked eye, then put the detector back on.

To the naked eye, it was a sea of white fog. But through the detector, it transformed into a red mist with a clear passage cutting through the middle.

"This is the entrance," Lao Tian smiled faintly.

After sailing through the foggy area for about an hour, the yacht finally emerged, revealing an island before Chen Xiao’s eyes.

It was clearly a volcanic island, with a towering peak at its center and lush southern hemisphere jungle surrounding it. However, signs of human development were evident—large clusters of buildings nestled at the mountain’s base.

To Chen Xiao's disappointment—based on his preconceived notions of the Service Agency’s high-tech "equipment," precision instruments, detectors, and electromagnetic-proof suits, he had imagined their headquarters to resemble a sci-fi movie base.

Yet this island, although large, appeared surprisingly modest. The human-built area looked simple and unremarkable...

Like a small, inconspicuous island town.

On the west side of the island, a few small boats were docked at the pier. Lao Tian maneuvered the yacht toward it. Several sailors in uniform immediately boarded without a word, helping to tie the mooring ropes.

Chen Xiao noticed one of them swiftly took away the satellite device from the bow.

Throughout this, none of them spoke to Lao Tian—just silently worked, then nodded cordially before departing quickly.

"Alright, time to go ashore, kid," Lao Tian said as he was the first to jump onto the dock. "Welcome home—our home!"

Serenity. That was Chen Xiao’s first feeling upon stepping ashore.

Beyond the pier stood a stone monument, inscribed in English, Chinese, and several other languages with the same phrase:

"Every life deserves respect!"

Chen Xiao stood in front of the monument for a while, his expression calm but his eyes subtly shifting. Lao Tian said nothing, simply leading Chen Xiao onward.

Near the shore was a row of wooden cabins. Several shirtless men in beach shorts busied themselves inside, handling tools to repair boat engines. Others pumped oxygen tanks or carefully painted a small boat.

Next door was a place resembling a small bar.

Passing by, Chen Xiao heard country music, lively chatter, clinking beer bottles, and the rich scent of beer wafting out...

It was as if this place was no different from any seaside resort anywhere in the world.

Chen Xiao couldn’t help but pause and glance inside. The bar held about a dozen patrons, men and women alike, dressed casually in beachwear and shorts, indistinguishable from beach tourists anywhere.

Everything inside was wooden—the bar counter, mugs, beer barrels...

The patrons barely noticed the two East Asians at the door; occasional glances quickly turned away, showing no curiosity.

"I still miss this place," Lao Tian breathed deeply. "The beer here is excellent. Want to try some?"

Before Chen Xiao could answer, Lao Tian dragged him inside to the bar.

"Hey, Old Billy, look who's here," Lao Tian called out, slapping the bar.

Soon, a figure leapt swiftly onto the bar counter—not walked, but jumped!

It was a dwarf, about a meter tall, with a long beard trailing to his knees—tied in a bow. His face was wrinkled, his eyes a striking blue.

He looked like a dwarf from a fantasy novel.

"Look, folks! Guess who's back! Our martial arts master has returned home! Hahaha!!" The dwarf’s voice was loud and hearty, and he spoke flawless Chinese. With a slap, he set down a wooden beer mug filled to the brim.

"This one’s on me. Welcome back, old friend!" The dwarf laughed heartily.

Several patrons raised their glasses, laughing and cheering: "Lao Tian, welcome back!"

"Haha, how long this time?"

"Not here to buy more cell repair serum again, are you?"

"God, I heard last month you cleaned out all the Pete family’s stock of cell repair serum, haha."

"Lao Tian, tell Zhu Rong to ditch that Gong Gong guy. We all care about her. Hahaha..."

Amid the laughter, Lao Tian raised his mug and drained it, then wiped his mouth with satisfaction. "Ah! Old Billy’s beer is the best in all Australia!"

"No, it’s the best on Earth!" Old Billy shouted in mock protest.

Then his green eyes fixed on Chen Xiao behind Lao Tian: "Hey? Lao Tian, who's this young guy behind you? An Oriental kid... your son?"

"My son? Don’t be ridiculous," Lao Tian shook his head. "You forgot? My last son died in World War I."

Chen Xiao was stunned by that.

"Oh, right," Old Billy sighed. "God bless that boy. Alas, my daughter is the poor one..."

Lao Tian glanced at Chen Xiao and quietly explained, "My last son was Old Billy’s adopted daughter’s husband. He died in Myanmar during World War I. So, Old Billy and I are practically family."

Chen Xiao couldn’t help but look at Old Billy again... How old was he?

"Beer, Old Billy! Don’t just glare, get one for this young friend too," Lao Tian smiled.

Soon, Chen Xiao lifted the beer in front of him, hesitating briefly before instinctively reaching for his wallet.

"Don’t," Lao Tian quickly stopped him with a laugh. "On this island, no country’s currency works."

Huh?

"Then... how do you buy things?"

Lao Tian shook his head, said nothing, just smiled faintly at Old Billy: "Put it on my tab."

He then downed his beer in one gulp, patted his belly, and said, "Alright, keep enjoying yourselves. I’ve got things to handle. I’ll come by later tonight when I’m free."

Dragging Chen Xiao, who had barely sipped his beer, Lao Tian left the bar swiftly.

"Just now... everyone inside was..."

"All are psychics," Lao Tian nodded calmly.

"...How many psychics are on this island?"

"The resident population usually stays around six thousand, but in summer it goes over ten thousand," Lao Tian smiled.

Over ten thousand?

Chen Xiao’s eyes widened—imagine over ten thousand nonhumans gathering on one island.

"That’s not surprising. The Service Agency is the largest psychic organization in the world. This island not only houses agency members but also psychics from other organizations and visitors from all around the globe..."

"Visitors?" Chen Xiao frowned. "This place is open for tourism?"

"Why not?" Lao Tian laughed. "It’s closed to ordinary people, but any organization that isn’t hostile to the Service Agency can come here. As long as arrangements are made in advance and permission to land is granted."

"But... why come here?"

"Procurement."

Lao Tian gave an interesting answer.

Procurement?

Luckily, Chen Xiao quickly understood what that meant.

They soon entered the town via a narrow path.

The buildings weren’t as grand as he’d imagined—mostly low-rise, many with colonial-era architecture.

The not-so-wide street was sparsely populated. Shops of odd variety lined both sides.

"Pete Family Trading Post," "Everything-You-Need Herb Shop,"

"At Your Service Agency—Solving All Your Problems,"

"Credit Authentication Center,"

"Century-old Pawnshop"—obviously a Chinese-owned store,

"Secondhand Market."

Chen Xiao strolled along, overwhelmed by the sights. "What kind of place is this exactly?"

"A market," Lao Tian shrugged. "More precisely, a flea market for psychics. Here you can buy equipment from many psychic organizations—anything! From electromagnetic guns, protective suits, to various instruments and detectors... even large-scale devices. Though most are either grey market goods or outdated equipment discarded by legitimate organizations. Truly top-tier gear rarely reaches this market, and if it does, it’s scarce."

Pausing, Lao Tian continued, "You can think of this as the psychic world’s flea market. Every year, many psychics come here to buy essentials—like cell repair serum—or to sell off their own gear."

He then pointed to a large notice board at the street corner.

It was plastered with numerous small announcements:

"80% new detector for sale, model x89, with shielding retention. Interested buyers contact Mr. XX at XX Street, XX Inn."

"Small quantity of cell repair serum for sale, home delivery available, contact XXX."

"Complete set of latest field agent equipment for sale, only three sets, first come first served! Contact XXXXXXX."

"Bulk electromagnetic gun parts for sale, equipped with Psychic Alliance legal certificates! Contact..."

Chen Xiao stared, speechless.