Chapter 384: Lumpfish
Inside the villa, underground safe house.
The house is airtight and has a large space. It is surrounded by thick steel bars and concrete and stores a large amount of water and food.
In wartime, this room could be used as a doomsday fortress.
It would be no problem for two people to live in there for a few years and then get out.
In addition to food, there are several shelves filled with guns, bombs, swords, daggers, etc., which can probably arm three to five people and are enough to guard the door of the safe house.
Andrew acted very cautiously, obviously considering the possibility of being surrounded in the future.
"Sir, you can rest here." Andrew led Su Xia and said respectfully, "You must be very tired after a long journey and continuous battles. You can rest here for half a day."
"Um."
Su Xia looked calmly at the internal structure of the safe house and took in all the supplies in the house.
Come to think of it, he really hadn't had a rest for a long time.
During this period, I was either fighting, running away or hiding, with almost no time to breathe.
This safe house is not really safe. After all, there are more than a dozen lurkers from the Left Eye Group outside the villa, and the danger is not gone. But at least there is a place to stay and we can take a break for a while.
The injuries from his previous battle with the mechanical race had healed, but the mental fatigue still needed to be relieved.
“Bang!”
Su Xia opened a can of stored water, sat casually next to a shelf, tilted her head back and took several big gulps.
Andrew sat carefully on the other side and got himself some stored water to moisten his throat so that he could continue the conversation.
Neither of them spoke again, and there was a brief silence in the basement.
Su Xia closed his eyes, relaxed his muscles, and adjusted his breathing slowly to ensure that he would be in the best condition when he took action in the middle of the night.
Andrew didn't dare to speak, for fear of angering Su Xia who was resting. He didn't know what to do, so he could only sit aside.
There was no light in the room, and the two of them just sat in the dark.
Time passes quietly.
After more than ten minutes, Su Xia suddenly opened her eyes and let out a breath.
"call……"
A gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he twisted his neck, and his bones made a few slight crackling sounds.
The rest is only temporary, he still has things to do.
Su Xia turned around and asked Andrew: "I came to Conch City not only for you, but also for a more important matter."
Andrew was very tactful: "Your Excellency, please tell me."
“I’m looking for a fish.”
"Sir, what kind of fish is that?" Andrew asked. "The most abundant thing here is various kinds of fish. The common ones are easy to find. There are countless fishing boats going out every day... I have lived here for more than ten years, so I am quite familiar with these."
"Lumpfish." Su Xia said its name.
"Bumpfish?"
Andrew was stunned and repeated these three words.
It’s not that this fish is not famous, but it is too famous.
If it were any other fish, he might have to think twice, but the "lump fish" left a deep impression on him.
"Is it the 'spiny sharp-toothed fish' that can only be caught in the deep sea?" Andrew said the scientific name.
The name of this fish is very strange. It is not found on Earth and is a specialty of this world.
"Yes." Su Xia nodded.
"This fish is a bit troublesome. It may not be easy to catch."
"how?"
"The quantity is too small, and there are too many people who need it." Andrew said truthfully: "This kind of fish is generally reserved as soon as it is caught. The fishing boats will trade directly after landing, and rarely circulate in the market."
"So precious?" Su Xia frowned. She didn't expect this thing to be so difficult to get.
Before coming here, he had heard about this kind of fish, but he only knew that there were few of them and the price was high. He did not expect that it was hardly circulated in the market .
But to make the dream potion, you must have the venom gland of this fish.
Only with the medicine can we save the two little girls, Yi Mo and Shen Yu.
This time he came to the southern city to look for venom glands, and causing such a big fuss in Seahorse City was just an accident.
"My Lord, you don't know that there are very few of these fish. You are lucky to catch one."
Andrew explained: "Normally, when this kind of fish appears, it can be sold for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars each time, and there is no demand for it. If you don't have some skills, you may not be able to buy it."
The reason why the lump fish has this strange name is because it looks so ugly.
The fish in the deep sea look strange and bizarre.
Maybe because they don't see the sunlight, their hair basically grows randomly and each one is so ugly that I don't know how to describe it.
The surface of the lumpfish is covered with strange bumps, and its skin is gray-brown, which looks even creepier than the skin of a toad. Moreover, there is a poisonous thorn in each bump, which makes it ugly and dangerous.
This fish likes to lie on the seabed. If you don't pay attention, it's easy to mistake it for a rock on the seabed.
"Sir, although this fish is extremely poisonous and ugly, its meat is very delicious." Andrew had eaten it twice before and had a very high opinion of it.
He said to Su Xia: "Decades ago, before the war started, countless gourmets came to the seaside and waited for several months just to taste this kind of fish."
Su Xia frowned: "Wait for several months? Is it really that delicious?"
"Sir, a person like you certainly doesn't care about the desire for food."
Andrew smiled and said, "But, for most people, it is worth waiting for a few months to eat this kind of fish. It is worth spending more time and money."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, after all, everyone has different ideals in life." Andrew explained: "Your ideals are higher, but most people's ideals are just like that. As long as they can eat delicious food, have fun, and be safe and happy, that's enough."
"Well, that makes sense."
Su Xia did not refute, but just asked: "How delicious is it?"
Andrew thought for a moment and replied, "That taste... how should I put it? Once you eat it, you will never forget it... even if you know you might get poisoned, you still can't help but keep eating it."
Su Xia really couldn't understand this state.
For him, the most delicious thing is probably all kinds of barbecue. He can be satisfied for several days with a buffet that costs only a few dozen dollars.
He doesn't like eating fish very much because he was choked by fish bones several times when he was a child. One time, he even bled and was rushed to the hospital for treatment, which left him with a psychological trauma.
Andrew said: "Sir, the reason why this fish can be sold at such a high price, or even out of stock, is not only because of its delicious meat, but also because of its unique venom glands."
"oh?"
Su Xia's heart moved. He came here specifically for the venom gland.
The information circulating on the market only says that this fish is delicious, but does not specifically mention the function of the venom gland.
"This fish is extremely poisonous. It ranks among the top ten poisonous fish in the sea," said Andrew. "If you are stung by its stinger, you will fall to the ground and die in a short time."
"I know that." Su Xia nodded.
It can be said that the whole body of the lumpfish is poisonous. Its liver, kidneys, and even eyes, skin, blood, etc. are all poisonous. The toxicity is so strong that it is terrifying.
Its toxin is one of the most toxic non-protein poisons discovered in nature, more than a thousand times more potent than sodium cyanide.
In the past years, many unlucky fishermen died because they accidentally scratched their palms with the poisonous stingers on the surface of the skin, and there was no time to save them.
There are also unlucky chefs who accidentally cut their fingers while handling this fish and died on the spot.
This thing has also been rated as one of the most dangerous foods in the world.
But even so, there are still people who keep trying its deliciousness. In the past, even a great gourmet commented: "It's worth dying for just one bite!"
"Sir, the poison of this fish is quite dangerous to ordinary people, but to others, it is a priceless treasure," said Andrew.
"Research institute?" Su Xia thought of this.
"No, they are some wealthy people who pursue spiritual enjoyment."
"What's the meaning?"
"Sir, the poison in the venom gland of this fish, after being extracted and specially processed, will become a top-level hallucinogen."
Andrew explained earnestly: "Its hallucinogenic effect is so strong that it is rare in the world. Just a small drop can make people indulge in hallucinations for several hours."
Simply put, the poison glands of this thing can be used to extract top-grade drugs.
For those rich people, physical enjoyment is enough. They have experienced almost any enjoyment that ordinary people can think of, so they will gradually pursue spiritual enjoyment.
"So powerful?" Su Xia was surprised.
"Yes," Andrew replied.
“Have you used it?”
"I used it once."
Andrew has experienced this firsthand, so he knows it very well. He said, "A few years ago, a businessman gave me a small bottle of the hallucinogen extracted from fish venom gland when he ordered 'anti-aging products' from me. I used it when I got home that night, and the effect was..."
He paused, and a strange look appeared in his eyes, very complicated, as if he was missing someone, but also seemed a little scared.
Su Xia asked, "Compared to ordinary hallucinogens?"
“What a world of difference!”
Andrew said affirmatively: "That feeling is like entering another world, like becoming an immortal, floating lightly, floating around in a strange and bizarre world. It is really hard to describe. I have never had such a feeling in my life."
"Yeah?"
Su Xia frowned, glanced at Andrew, and said, "You are also a psychic creature. Did you have hallucinations when you were injected with psychic potions?"
Andrud replied, "Yes, but the hallucinations caused by psychic potions are really incomparable to those of poison gland hallucinogens."
According to him, after taking the potion, he was immersed in a hazy and unreal hallucination for the entire night.
He didn't wake up in the hospital until noon the next day.
"Hospital?"
"Yes."
Andrew was a little scared and said, "I was using it in this villa at the time. I didn't expect to be found on the side of the road more than ten miles away the next day. When I was found, I was unconscious and convulsing all over."
"Did you run away by yourself?" Su Xia asked.
"Yeah... Later I checked the surveillance and found that I ran out of the villa like a madman at midnight, and then stumbled all the way on the main road for more than ten miles, stumbling here and there, shouting and yelling like a mental patient, and was almost hit by a car several times..."
The medicinal effect of that thing was so strong that he was a little scared when he thought about it now.
Later he found out that the merchant did not explain it clearly to him and he used too much at one time. Normally one or two drops would be enough, but he used a whole tube.
Fortunately, he is a psychic creature and has strong resistance.
If it were an ordinary person, after taking a whole shot, he would probably die in that blurry dream.
Moreover, under normal circumstances, before using it, you should secure yourself with two handcuffs to prevent yourself from running around when you are unconscious.
"After that time, I never used it again. I just didn't dare to do it."
Andrew exhaled and said, "You know, sir, as the liaison of the group's branch here, I must always stay awake and cannot indulge in those enjoyable things, otherwise I will be destroyed as a substandard product."
"Yes, indeed."
"But, that feeling is still intoxicating when I think about it now." Andrew sighed, "It seems real and fake, like a fantasy, just like a dream..."
"dream?"
"Yes, and it was a semi-lucid dream."
This answer reminded Su Xia of the name of the potion he was going to make.
【Dream of Ecstasy】
The most important ingredient in this medicine is the venom gland of the lumpfish.
The task only gives the recipe without mentioning much about its specific effects, but just from the name, you can get some clues.
"Where is the easiest place to get this kind of fish?" Su Xia asked Andrew.
"this……"
Andrew thought about it seriously, and after a moment he replied: "Sir, what you need is not a place, but a way to contact you."
"Where to contact?"
"The three major fishing companies in Conch City cover almost 80% of the fishing projects in the entire Conch City. You need to contact them, explain your requirements, and pay a deposit in advance, so that you have a chance to get this fish."
"Okay, without further ado, I'll check their contact information." Su Xia said.
"And then..."
"What's wrong?"
"Sir, there are so many people who want this kind of fish, and the price is getting higher and higher."
Andrew patted his head and said, "On the last planet, there were four lumpy fish that were sold at auction. The final price was over five million."
"Hmm? Over a million per fish on average?"
Su Xia frowned. This was not like eating fish, it was more like eating gold.
This world is really twisted. Some people will sell their lives to research institutions for tens of thousands of dollars, while others will spend millions just to buy a fish.
Andrew sighed: "Yes, and the last person who bid more than five million hasn't bought it yet."
"Why?"
"Because someone at the scene proposed to exchange something for something else. He gave a very precious treasure in exchange for the four fishes."
"Barter..."
Su Xia lowered her eyes slightly and understood what Andrew meant.
When the price of something cannot be accurately measured in terms of money, it is easy to barter for something else.
For example, the bottles of sixth-grade medicinal wine "Starry Sky Flowing Sound" that he has in his hands cannot be bought with money, and must be exchanged with special treasures from the Zero Point Tavern.
This shows that the value of the lumpfish is almost beyond the concept of money.
“Sir, after the last auction, there must be many people who are unwilling to give up and will continue to wait.”
Andrew reminded Su Xia: "You will face many opponents, and then you may join them... to grab a batch of lumpfish."
"Rob?"
"Yes, the only way to describe it is 'snatching'." Andrew thought about the previous auctions, where people were almost always scrambling to buy.
"Oh... that's no problem. I'm pretty good at stealing things."
