Chapter Thirty: Changes in the Mortal World

Sui'nan City—a prosperous metropolis on the coast of the Rhine Federation. Here stands one of the busiest ports in the world, yet the city itself offers no picturesque landscapes; only towering skyscrapers and throngs of people lost in perpetual motion.

At this moment, in the upper floors of a building near the harbor, a middle-aged man, frail and somewhat sickly in appearance, stands gazing out at the distant line where sea meets sky through panes of glass.

A knock echoes at the door.

“Come in.”

Zhang Yao turns, moving slowly back to his desk, fixing his gaze on the man approaching.

“Mr. Zhang, we’ve completed the investigation you requested.”

“Excellent.” At last, a smile flickers across Zhang Yao's face—a rare visitor these days.

“Let’s hear it. The details.”

“Of course.” The man seats himself unbidden, facing Zhang Yao as he retrieves several photographs from his briefcase and hands them over.

“These were taken by colleagues from our firm over two days in the Amelia National Park. Please, take a look.”

Zhang Yao nods, and begins to leaf through the photographs one by one.

The subject is unmistakable: an oak tree, towering nearly fifty meters tall, unremarkable at first glance. Yet a closer look reveals striking differences between this oak and its neighbors. The leaves, for one, shine with a vivid, almost silky green—a color that draws the eye irresistibly.

The collection includes images from the ground, from above, and from every conceivable angle. Most captivating are the oak blossoms, abundant and in full bloom. Their petals are tinged with pink over white, delicate and radiant beneath the sunlight.

Zhang Yao’s expression remains unchanged as he studies the photographs. He sets them aside and speaks again.

“You know I’m after more than these. If there’s anything else, bring it out. Money is of little consequence to me now.”

Hearing this, the man smiles, then produces a USB drive from his briefcase.

“Mr. Zhang, everything you wish to know is here. But for this, the price must be ten times higher.”

“Ten times?” Zhang Yao frowns.

But seeing the man's composure and the USB drive in his hand, Zhang Yao ultimately nods.

“Very well. But I expect what you provide to be worth the price.”

“Of course. Surely you know the reputation and strength of Oceanic United Information Services?”

The man’s confidence is palpable. Yet he continues, “However, we do require something from you in return. This information is not simply a matter of money.”

“A condition?” Zhang Yao fixes him with a deep gaze. “Speak. What do you need?”

Sensing Zhang Yao’s misunderstanding, the man quickly clarifies with a smile.

“Mr. Zhang, your concerns are misplaced. Our company prizes integrity above all. Our pricing is always fair and based on the actual value of the market. Our request is simple: after reviewing the data, we ask that you delete all of it in my presence and destroy the USB drive here and now. And, a personal word of advice for your safety—do not reveal the contents of this data to anyone else.”

The intrigue in the man’s words catches Zhang Yao’s attention.

“Interesting. It seems this information won’t disappoint. Very well, I accept your terms.”

With that, Zhang Yao takes the USB drive and inserts it into his computer.

Almost immediately, a video file appears on the screen. The footage is nearly two hours long.

It opens with the lush expanse of a tropical rainforest. The familiarity of the scene reminds Zhang Yao of recent clips released by Western Alliance media—yet those amounted to no more than three minutes, while this video stretches to two full hours.

The level of secrecy is clear.

What the general public knows is limited: rumors of a “Black Domain” caused by the oak, its astonishing height, and the so-called divine artifact bestowed upon Lady Vanni Campbell of the Druidic Order. The true nature of this artifact, the incident of the Purple Moon contamination, and the debate over the crocodilian enigma—these details have all been omitted.

The reason Zhang Yao paid so dearly for this investigation is simple. In the Rhine Federation, mainstream media commentary has uniformly dismissed the mysterious oak incident as yet another Western Alliance conspiracy, or perhaps as a staged spectacle by the obscure Druidic Order to attract followers.

But who was Zhang Yao? Merely a newly minted tycoon whose fortune had just surpassed a billion, lacking official protection or privileged information—yet by no means ignorant.

He understood, perhaps better than most, the realities of media censorship within the Rhine Federation. That’s why he put more faith in the dramatic developments out west.

After all, it was not only Vanni Campbell of the Druidic Order spreading the news, but also nearly twenty other highly influential figures from the twelve nations of the Western Alliance. Within a day of Campbell’s announcement, these individuals publicly and enthusiastically endorsed and propagated the story.

When the news broke and the Western media saturated their channels with it, Zhang Yao paid little attention, sharing the same skepticism as the mainstream press at home. But after scrutinizing the footage, his curiosity was piqued. He began to research the Druidic Order and the various prominent supporters who had suddenly emerged.

The more he dug, the more astonishing his findings.

All these individuals had one thing in common: each held senior positions at medical institutions across various countries—including Vanni Campbell herself.

Medical professors? Conducting research in tropical rainforests? And then discovering this miraculous oak?

What were the odds of such coincidence? Zhang Yao could never believe it was mere chance.

So, with growing suspicion, Zhang Yao delved deeper.

It was then, quite by accident, that he stumbled upon a small news item in an American tabloid from two months prior—a brief report, but startling in content.

The story described the miraculous recovery of a terminally ill congressman from lung cancer at the Amelia National Hospital. The article attributed it all to luck, to miracles. But now, with the discovery of the mysterious rainforest oak, Zhang Yao was thrilled beyond measure.

All because Zhang Yao himself had been battling liver cancer for over two years.