The sirens, a mysterious race that stood aloof from worldly affairs, had lived peacefully in the depths of the ocean for ten thousand years. They seemed content with the status quo, slowly whittling away their long lives in the deep sea. Changes in the environment and times on land did not affect the siren city at all.
However, they were not a static race. In fact, contrary to their "hermit" image, the sirens were a curious species. They were willing to accept new knowledge from the outside world, and after learning of their origins, they were even more willing to dig into the history of their civilization.
"We're trying to repair Nasaton. Not only do we want to repair the buildings destroyed in the last war, but we also want to repair the base of the ship and the lower isolation cabin. There's a huge hole at the bottom of the city. Sand and scrap metal have blocked all the pipes below. That place has been abandoned for ten thousand years. Only today did we realize that the hole was created when the ship landed on the bottom of the sea. "Katreina's finger subconsciously brushed across the holographic model of Nasaton." We think that repairing the ship is the first step to rebuilding Io's heritage. The process of repairing the ship will also help to recover the lost ancient technology. "
Hao Ren raised his eyebrows. "So you want an ark? As material for repairing the ship? "
"Not just for repairing the ship." Katreina smiled. "It can also be used as a reference for research. Our sisters have lived in the deep sea for ten thousand years. Such a long period of isolation has caused the sirens to lose the concept of the sky and the faraway lands beyond it. Although I often send some observers ashore, we've only dabbled in the 'world of air'. Now that the planet is controlled by humans, the sirens can't live on it. So, if we can get a spaceship from another civilization, it will be very helpful to us. Not only can it be used for research, but it can also be used to educate the next generation of sirens. "
Then, Katreina pointed to the side of the holographic model of the city. As Nasaton was located on a vast white beach, this should be an empty space. "Also, we're planning to build a new settlement next to Nasaton. It's about one-third the size of the current city, or maybe a little bigger. The sirens haven't had much of a population, but after so many years, our city has become too crowded, and we urgently need to expand. If we can get an ark like the one you mentioned, not only can we repair Nasaton, but we can also build another city with the remaining shell and building materials. "
Only then did Hao Ren realize that the Queen of the Sirens had so many plans. It was no wonder she agreed so readily to lend them their home planet. She urgently needed to expand her city and repair her spaceship, and the sudden appearance of the arks was like a soft pillow of sleep to her. Since she and her people could not move back to Io anytime soon, they might as well lend it out. It was the equivalent of exchanging something that she had no use of for a spaceship!
"They want to repair the city and build a new urban area. Well, there's nothing more suitable than the space ark," Hao Ren said, rubbing his chin. "But there's a problem. Their ark is designed for space travel. It's not meant to be soaked in water. Although I think that the 'Eternal Prison' should have good anti-rust properties, can it really be used in Nasaton?"
"The sirens are very good at solving this problem," Katreina said. Suddenly, she pointed at the table in front of Hao Ren. "Do you know how this table came to be?"
Hao Ren looked down. He saw that it was a long table with smooth lines. The material did not look like metal, and it felt mildly warm to the touch. "How did it come to be?"
"It came from one of the side cannons of the Mary Rose, and a third of the material came from the ship's keel. A siren observer retrieved this material from the ship as a souvenir. Then, we remodeled the material on a molecular level, turning it into what it is now." Katreina tapped the table lightly. "We did lose a lot of technology, but we also kept a lot. As long as there's water, we can handle almost anything. And don't you see the strange things on the streets of Nasaton? "
Hao Ren paused, and muttered, "The strangest thing I've seen on my way here are the sirens …"
Katreina coughed dryly. "Ahem, this is a special time … I'm referring to the anchors, keel fragments, and various human-made parts. They were brought back from their travels, and many of them are thousands of years old. We have a way to adapt them to the water environment."
Hao Ren was stunned. He never had the chance to pay attention to the sirens' abilities. Now, he realized that these deep-sea otakus were all Level-18 national master alchemists!
"Since you're confident, then it's settled." Hao Ren stood up. "I can promise the ark on their behalf. But it'll take some trouble to bring it to the surface world. Although it's not a taboo to bring inanimate objects out of The Plane of Dreams, the ark is too big. I'll have to make arrangements. "
Katreina nodded. "Of course. Also, I have a request: I want to meet the representatives of the ark in person. After all, we're renting our home planet to a group of aliens. I need to at least know what kind of people they are. "
This was a reasonable request, and was part of Hao Ren's initial plan. "That's not a problem. I'm just an intermediary. It's better for the representatives to meet in person when the contract is signed. But I have to remind you: the civilization on the ark has been cut off. There's only one human left who knows about the fleet, and only he can understand what we're talking about. That's the representative of the ark. The rest of the inhabitants are living in a primitive society, a bit … "
"Barbaric?" Katreina looked at Hao Ren's hesitation, and immediately guessed what he was going to say. "I can guess what it's like, but it doesn't matter. I've met the most superstitious Dutch pirates and the crudest privateers in the Middle Ages. But after a thousand years, their descendants have learned to wear suits and ties, and eat with knives and forks. Barbarism has never been a problem. Even ignorance is not a problem. Time will teach humans everything. "
After they were done discussing business, Hao Ren stretched. He was not used to this kind of solemn atmosphere, even when the Queen of the Mermaids could transform into torpedoes to scare people. So, he relaxed after the discussion. Vivian, on the other hand, looked at Hao Ren in surprise. "You're fine with that mouth of yours? I wouldn't have followed you if I'd known. "
"Something happened?" The Queen of the Sirens looked at him curiously.
Hao Ren was halfway through his stretch when Vivian retorted. He almost swallowed his kidney. "Ahem, it's nothing, nothing … she's just joking."
"You have such a good relationship," the Queen of the Sirens said with a gentle smile. "It's rare for you to come here. Enjoy the festival of the Sirens. I believe it will be a very fresh experience for you."
"Of course it will be. My whole world changed when you turned into a torpedo." The corner of Hao Ren's mouth twitched. "But I have to find the cat, dog, and fish trio at home first. If I don't keep an eye on them, they might cause some trouble."
Soon, Hao Ren and Vivian returned to the hall. The place was still the same as before. All kinds of strange creatures swam around, and the sirens seemed to have changed their appearances. Who knew how many more creative ideas these cheerful creatures had yet to come up with. Anyway, according to the things that humans had thrown into the sea over the years, these sirens could change their appearance every ten minutes until the next year without any repetition!
Katreina quickly disappeared into the crowd of sirens, while Hao Ren searched for the little bear and the panda in the midst of the chaos. However, before he had time to search, he suddenly heard the scream of a siren not far away, "Ah! Someone bit me ah ah ah! "
Hao Ren's heart skipped a beat. He guessed that it was the trio of cat, dog, fish, and bear. He turned around and sure enough, Shaqira, who was not far away, was shrieking and running towards them. The silhouette of the dumb cat was hanging on the tail of this unfortunate siren!
Hao Ren did not know what was wrong with the dumb cat. It grabbed the fish's tail and bit it, but the siren swung it around in the water and did not let go. The unlucky Shaqira scurried around in the water as if on stimulants. The cat girl, whose brain had been muddled by the smell of the fish, hung on her tail. It was a mess.
Hao Ren's head hurt. He should have thought of this. He should have tied the cat to the door frame!
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