Big Data Cultivation
Chapter 1148: What Is Distraction

Chapter 1148: Chapter 1148: What Is Distraction

"Huh?" Feng Jun was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. "What did you say?"

He had actually heard the question clearly, but the topic... it was a bit too wild, wasn’t it? You’re asking me to steal an aircraft carrier?

From his experience, stealing an aircraft carrier was technically feasible—the only difference lay in how many energy points would be required.

But if he really stole an aircraft carrier, the military of Mai Nation would absolutely explode. A frigate might not be that big of a deal, but something on this scale? The ramifications would be enormous.

Moreover, Feng Jun didn’t believe that the gap between Zhongmai could be bridged by a mere one or even ten aircraft carriers.

At the end of the day, if a nation wants to rise, it still has to rely on its own efforts. You have to forge your iron strong on your own—it’s a principle that applies universally. Just like a cultivator pursuing the cultivation path, if you incessantly chase shortcuts, eventually your inner balance will collapse.

Elder Yu genuinely thought Feng Jun hadn’t heard him clearly and raised his voice a bit, "What I meant was... can you deal with an aircraft carrier this way?"

Feng Jun’s expression turned solemn as he responded earnestly, "For me, maybe I could pull it off. But I think it’s better to focus on steady development. If it weren’t for certain reasons, I wouldn’t even have interfered with the frigate."

Seeing Elder Yu’s mouth twitching as if to retort, Feng Jun raised his hand to silence him and spoke decisively, "Listen to me first! Borrowing something like the Zeus Shield system—I’d fully support that. But messing directly with an aircraft carrier—have you even considered the consequences?"

Elder Yu rolled his eyes at him, clearly irritated. "Do you really think you’re the only perceptive man in Huaxia? You managed to grasp the significance of corpses, and we can devise relevant contingency plans too. I’m just asking if it’s possible, not asking you to do it. I only have the power to suggest!"

The last six words, he practically shouted, as if deeply frustrated by the limitations of his "suggestion rights."

"Well, I’ve answered you already." Feng Jun spread his hands wide. "My answer is: It’s possible."

Elder Yu’s eyes shifted as an ambiguous smile formed on his face. "Should I interpret that as: you can definitely do it, but the real question is whether you want to or not?"

Feng Jun didn’t want to answer this question, so he countered, "Isn’t it too early to discuss this? Talking about it now is like strategizing on paper—why are you in such a hurry?"

Elder Yu replied nonchalantly, "This could work as an emergency contingency plan. I just need to know if you have the capacity, not that you should execute it immediately. What I’m really here to persuade you about is this: don’t randomly pull stunts like this in the future; it’ll only draw unwanted attention."

"Although I only have suggestion rights, I must remind you: a genuine trump card can’t be played recklessly."

Trump card? Feng Jun found this notion somewhat amusing, but the idea of being a "nation’s trump card" did seem a little thrilling.

But in the next instant, his brows furrowed again. "Let’s set the whole ’trump card’ talk aside—I just want to know, how widely have you shared this idea with others?"

"I haven’t told anyone else," Elder Yu spread his hands apart, then let out an awkward chuckle. "Actually, this idea isn’t mine. Someone else suggested that if this method can be repeated, it should be reserved for critical situations as a surprise tactic."

Indeed, this was Little Du’s proposal, though Elder Yu wanted to know if it could be applied to aircraft carriers.

Elder Yu thought it ought to be applicable, but he felt that this kind of major decision couldn’t be left to guesswork—he needed reassurance straight from the source.

Feng Jun found this approach reasonable and nodded in agreement, though he sighed inwardly: Great, another responsibility added to my plate.

Elder Yu wasn’t someone to overlook subtle reactions; he had immediately noticed Feng Jun’s discontent and thought, "After all the effort spent to smooth things over with this guy, I can’t let him form a negative impression of me." He then commented lightly, "Regardless, what you did was remarkable—well beyond my expectations."

Of course, the problems arising from it were also well beyond his expectations, but naturally, he wasn’t about to bring that up now.

Feng Jun forced a smile. "Not bad, I guess."

Elder Yu coughed twice and shifted gears, "Because you managed to capture relevant weaponry, which is an unexpected gain, I encourage you to put forth fitting terms—it’s your reward... well, more like reciprocation."

Every word with Elder Yu had to be carefully chosen—even "reward" sounded too transactional. "Reciprocation" was softer, implying mutual exchange.

Feng Jun felt slightly lighter hearing this. "Not bad, the old man knows how to show some decency after all—I haven’t hustled for nothing."

But when it came to terms, he honestly had nothing particular in mind. "Truly, with my current capabilities, there are very few things that truly inconvenience me."

He pondered for a moment. "How about... you guys dissolve the Overseas Youzi Association for me?"

Elder Yu almost jumped out of his skin upon hearing this. "That’s a grassroots organization—how do you expect us to dismantle it? You don’t mean wiping out all its members, right?"

"Would that be difficult?" Feng Jun asked, puzzled, staring at him. "If it weren’t for the lack of intelligence, I could handle this alone. A nation’s resources... surely they must surpass mine as an individual?"

Elder Yu suppressed his annoyance, replying with evident restraint, "Yes, national resources exceed individual ones. But dismantling an organization would stir up far more complications—it’s simply impossible."

He paused briefly before pointing out a key issue. "The biggest problem is, nobody else has your ability to kill silently. Once the body count increases, escaping unnoticed becomes improbable... and when word spreads? Huaxia’s global reputation and image—"

At this point, Elder Yu threw Feng Jun a knowing look.

Feng Jun rubbed his chin, conceding this truth. "Then how about giving me comprehensive records of the organization’s personnel? Of course... you can omit those who are on our side."

Elder Yu couldn’t stop his mouth from twitching slightly. "We’re living in peace-time, yet why are you so eager to kill..."

He was about to lecture Feng Jun but then restrained himself and chose a gentler explanation, "Let’s put it this way: even in Huaxia, unless it’s a clearly outlawed entity, no one touches organizations unnecessarily."

"On one hand, it maintains the nation’s image abroad by denying critics openings. On the other hand, muddy waters are easier to fish in. If domestic waters remain calm with only amicable groups, it’s actually harder for us to gather intel."

Feng Jun’s expression turned stony. "So even if I’m operating within Huaxia, I can’t move against the Overseas Youzi Association?"

Though he acknowledged the sense in Elder Yu’s argument... he was a cultivator, after all—life was about pursuing justice and avenging grievances freely.

Elder Yu hesitated, then switched gears to convince him differently. "Merrick Nation is incredibly formidable, isn’t it? The only superpower on Earth. But even within their borders, as long as a group isn’t deemed illegal, the authorities don’t touch it."

"Hehe." Feng Jun let out an exasperated chuckle. "Fine, then. Here’s a compromise: within the Overseas Youzi Association, there must be some individuals hostile to Huaxia and unlikely to operate here. Provide me with their records—I might go abroad someday to ’blow off some steam.’"

Blowing off steam by killing people? Elder Yu truly felt at a loss for words. Still, he nodded in agreement. "Here’s the plan: I’ll sort two lists for you later—targets you absolutely can act on, and those optional ones."

There were indeed a few individuals in the Overseas Youzi Association who were considered irritants to Huaxia. However, there was no urgent need to counter them right now—modern society thrives on peace and progress, and these random nuisances don’t affect the bigger picture.

Additionally, the risks of an assassination backfiring—turning into a public blunder like Saudi Arabia’s incident in Turkey—would be disastrous.

Of course, if Feng Jun felt inclined to act, Elder Yu would readily compile that list for him.

Upon hearing this, Feng Jun couldn’t suppress a chilly snort. "So ultimately, I just become the weapon in your hands?"

"Does it matter whether you’re a weapon or not?" Elder Yu shot him a dismissive glare. He’d been steeped in this kind of work for decades and logic like this was second nature to him. "You weren’t expressly told to go after anyone specific—not when you were considering eliminating every member anyway. Selectively targeting a few doesn’t make much difference, does it?"

Feng Jun was fully aware of the rationale, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling of being "used." "Elder Yu, your ability to work on people’s minds is damn powerful."

"Alright, let’s drop it." Elder Yu actively switched topics. "I thought you’d request domestic grain purchases."

Feng Jun shook his head decisively. "Food security is vital—I don’t want to buy any grains domestically, lest it interferes with your plans."

Elder Yu countered with a surprising suggestion. "Given your contributions this time, domestic grain procurement wouldn’t be an issue. Plus, buying locally would boost Huaxia’s bargaining power in the global grain market."

Feng Jun shook his head again without hesitation. "Forget it—I hate complications. Short-term, my grain supply is fine, and long-term... I’m reaching out to international grain merchants."

Overdoing the confidence game often leads to regretful outcomes, which became apparent as they approached the end of their breakfast. Sister Hong received a phone call and discreetly informed Feng Jun. "Argentina’s prices are going up again. If Lexington remains unaccounted for, this year’s grain prices will stay inflated."

Feng Jun replied with an indifferent smile. "Let them be. I don’t have any immediate needs. If they push me too far, I’ll go to Argentina and stir up a storm—it’s not that far from Huaxia anyway."

No one else could make this statement—Argentina really isn’t close to Huaxia, is it?

Still, he had to admit that the disappearance of Lexington had far-reaching consequences. Even though it was Mai Nation’s military ship that vanished, Huaxia’s media kept reporting on it relentlessly.

Feng Jun vividly remembered how, when Malaysia Airlines planes went missing, Huaxia ran persistent updates, whereas international media largely moved on—except for Malaysia itself.

Even when ten satellites shifted orbit, foreign outlets barely noticed—unless it concerned potential espionage near sensitive zones. Passenger lives mattered far less.

Huaxia’s obsession with Lexington, however, was unparalleled—its news channels ran continuous coverage for days, frequently emphasizing the hundred-plus Mai Nation soldiers onboard and even airing photos of their relatives, meddling in matters far removed from home.

Whenever Feng Jun watched such segments, he always felt a peculiar amusement—as if he were watching comedy sketches during Chinese New Year galas.