Chapter 229: A Men's Goods Shop

Qin Feng's wild idea about "channeling geological energy" was like a depth charge dropped inside the Science Council. After the initial shock, the relevant experts led by Professor Smith and Evans immediately threw themselves into frenzied research and verification.

The interdisciplinary work involved was extremely complex, requiring top experts in astrophysics, space weather, geomechanics, electromagnetics, and even materials science to collaborate. A top-secret research project codenamed "Crowbar" was swiftly approved and quietly launched under the highest clearance.

However, this grand, near-miraculous plan needed time for theoretical refinement and simulated deduction. And in the city-state of "New Era," running at full speed, daily life and worldly warmth still flowed quietly along their own tracks.

That afternoon, Qin Feng, who rarely had a moment of leisure, accompanied by Su Wenqian, inspected several newly opened shops on the core commercial street of the residential district that served residents' daily needs. Most of these shops were run by internal employees of "New Era" or their families, selling all kinds of goods from fresh produce, handicrafts, to books and electronic products, aiming to create a more self-sufficient, vibrant community environment.

When he reached a shop with a simple, rugged storefront design, its window displaying some high-end razors, leather goods, men's cologne, and refined outdoor gear, Qin Feng paused.

The shop's sign read in both Chinese and English — "Ark Equipment."

Su Wenqian introduced softly from the side: "Sir, this shop is run by Chen Feng from the Security Department and his wife. Chen Feng used to serve in the special forces and knows a lot about men's goods and outdoor gear; his wife handles design and operations. Many of the leather goods and knives in the shop are handmade by them, and they have quite a good reputation among the residents."

Qin Feng nodded and strolled inside.

The shop's interior wasn't very large, but it was neatly arranged, full of texture and a masculine air. A faint scent of leather and cedar hung in the air. On the shelves, all kinds of goods were lined up in perfect order — from vintage-style lighters and multi-tool pliers, to uniquely designed wristwatches and high-quality fountain pens, to lightweight, reliable emergency survival gear — everything was there.

The owner, Chen Feng, was clearly not in; only his wife, a young woman who looked gentle and capable, was arranging goods behind the counter. Seeing Qin Feng come in, she froze for a moment, then recognized the visitor's identity. A look of nervousness and excitement instantly crossed her face, and she hurriedly came out from behind the counter.

"M-Mr. Qin! Assistant Su! Hello!" she greeted them, a little at a loss.

"No need to be nervous, we're just browsing." Qin Feng's tone was even, his gaze sweeping slowly over the shelves.

His gaze passed over the finely crafted leather jackets, over the wristwatches gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, and finally settled on a standalone glass display case.

The case was lined with black velvet, holding only a handful of items. Among them, one immediately caught Qin Feng's eye.

It was a metal flask of extremely simple design. The body seemed to be made of some special titanium alloy, presenting a matte dark gray, with no superfluous decoration on the surface — only a few powerful, clean-cut lines outlining a rugged silhouette. The joint between the cap and the body fit seamlessly, the craftsmanship exquisite. It lay there quietly, less like a piece of merchandise than a keepsake steeped in story, refined after being tempered by the fires of war.

Qin Feng's gaze lingered on the flask for several seconds.

Su Wenqian keenly noticed this. She walked to the counter and asked the still-nervous shopkeeper's wife gently: "Is that flask for sale?"

"Ah? Oh! Yes!" the shopkeeper's wife nodded hurriedly, taking out a key to open the display case while explaining, "Chen Feng and a friend of his designed and made this themselves, using a high-strength Titanium-Tantalum Alloy from the leftover scraps of building the Deep Space Mothership. They said the material is especially stable, corrosion-resistant, and high in strength, but it's really tough to work with. They only made three in total; this one is the sample, put here for display."

She carefully took out the flask and handed it to Su Wenqian.

Su Wenqian took it; it was slightly heavy in hand, the cool touch conveying a sense of solidity. She passed it to Qin Feng.

Qin Feng held the flask, his fingertips tracing the cold metal surface, feeling the power contained within those simple lines. This didn't feel like a luxurious ornament, but more like a… tool, a reliable companion to see one through certain difficult moments.

He unscrewed the cap; it was empty inside, but the machining precision was extremely high, the threads smooth, the seal surely excellent.

"Not bad." Qin Feng commented lightly, screwed the cap back on, kept the flask in his hand, and showed no intention of putting it back.

Su Wenqian immediately understood, and said to the shopkeeper's wife: "We'll take this. Please wrap it up."

"G-good! Right away!" the shopkeeper's wife was so excited her face turned red, and she hurried off to find a gift box. Mr. Qin had actually taken a fancy to their little handmade thing! This was an immense honor!

Just then, the shop door was pushed open, and a man in security uniform, compact and powerfully built, with a fierce air between his brows, walked in — it was the owner, Chen Feng. He had clearly just come off shift.

The moment he entered, he saw Qin Feng and Su Wenqian standing in the shop, and his wife's excited, flustered state, and he too froze.

"Sir! Assistant Su!" Chen Feng immediately straightened up and saluted crisply.

Qin Feng nodded at him and raised the flask in his hand: "You made this?"

Chen Feng saw the flask in Qin Feng's hand, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes, then answered: "Yes! Reporting, Sir, I figured it out together with Lao Liu from the machining workshop. We used leftover scraps from the Mother Ship's structural materials — felt it was a waste to throw them away, so we made a few little things."

"Good thinking." Qin Feng affirmed, then asked casually, as if in passing: "What's this shop of yours called?"

Chen Feng answered immediately: "Reporting, Sir, it's called 'Ark Equipment'! Mainly sells men's stuff — tools, leather goods, outdoor gear, that sort of thing."

Hearing this, the corner of Qin Feng's mouth seemed to twitch slightly. His gaze swept once more over the shop's goods, full of pragmatism and a rugged aesthetic, before settling back on the metal flask in his hand.

He nodded, his tone still flat:

"Mm. A men's goods shop."

Saying that, he turned and walked out, the flask still unwrapped in his hand.

Su Wenqian gave Chen Feng and his wife a warm smile, then followed.

Chen Feng and his wife stood in place, watching Qin Feng's departing back, then looking at the empty display case, unable to recover for a long while.

"H-hubby… Mr. Qin, he… he seemed to really like that flask?" the wife murmured.

Chen Feng nodded heavily, looking toward the door, his eyes full of excitement and honor.

To him, Mr. Qin's one "not bad" and one "men's goods shop" were more precious than any reward.

And Qin Feng, walking out the door, casually tucked the cold metal flask into the inner pocket of his coat.

Perhaps, in certain moments when one must face the starry sky and the abyss alone, a solid, silent "companion" like this could bring a different kind of feeling.

This trivial little episode, like a rest in a grand movement, was brief, yet carried its own quiet meaning.