Chapter 109 The True Foundation
The secret chamber, besides providing Henry with a safe environment for traversing between realms, was primarily used for storing items.
The size of the chamber is approximately 1291.6 square feet, filled with rows of bookshelves, although many of them are empty.
Only a couple of bookshelves are full of books. Upon closer inspection, one would find labels such as Aesop's Fables, Arthurian Legends, The Lord of the Rings, Complete Andersen's Fairy Tales, Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales, 800 Classic Chinese Recipes, Second Grade Mathematics, Eighth Grade Physics, Ninth Grade Chemistry, and so on.
In the Earth, common books that Henry sees, whether useful or not, he would always bring some over, as nothing compares to the usefulness of knowledge.
For example, during the day, he performed a surgical operation, which hadn't happened yet. Who would have known that he, a novice, would actually complete a surgery? He saved a life, a soldier who could then devote his life to him.
Although Henry had never read ninety-nine percent of the books on the bookshelf, it didn't prevent him from possessing the knowledge needed for the future. These were his true reserves, also known as the accumulation of knowledge.
Just as the military technology of countries on Earth was already at the forefront, it was uncertain whether what they were unveiling at the moment represented their most advanced technology. It was possible that in the next moment, they would unveil technology that surpassed that of ten or twenty years.
As long as they kept maintaining the technology that led this era, it was enough. There was no need to exceed by too much, allowing people the hopeful effort to catch up.
Then, slowly releasing more powerful technology, they subsequently let people chase after technologies they had already phased out decades ago. In reality, they were already researching interstellar travel.
Henry's recurve bow and military crossbow were designed with this in mind. These two items were already far ahead of their time, but they would inevitably be studied and replicated by others.
So, after others spend over a decade catching up, they suddenly discover that Henry has released even more powerful items.
Henry shook off his distractions. Every time he entered this chamber, he would either daydream or feel a sense of peace.
After all, the industrial foundation of this era was at ground zero, barely able to handle basic steel, yet they aspire to build airplanes and cannons.
This was the reason he established a research department—to accumulate experience and knowledge first, before making significant progress.
"It's almost ten o'clock. I've been daydreaming for quite a while this time." Henry lightly stroked the stubble growing on his chin, chuckled, and disappeared into the secret chamber.
Upon his reappearance, Henry found himself back at his home on Earth, gazing at everything in his bedroom, feeling a bit nostalgic.
"Every time I traverse, it feels like I'm in a dream. Truly magical."
To put it mildly, the bedroom was a mess. It contained items like the printer he bought, and printed materials were scattered on the floor.
Seeing this scene, Henry's OCD tendencies kicked in, making him feel uncomfortable all over. He bent down to gather the scattered materials, stashing them away in his space. Then, he loaded a stack of A4 papers into the printer and started printing in color.
"Okay, let's go!"
Henry changed into a different set of clothes, put on a hat, and realized his hair had grown quite long in the two months since his last haircut.
Feeling too lazy to tidy up the room, Henry hastily left home with a backpack full of money. He was off to buy something, perhaps a birthday gift.
Why carry a backpack full of money? Henry wouldn't tell you it was from selling gold; to avoid exposure, he used cash for high-value gold transactions.
He sold gold in an underground black market in a neighboring city. Henry always wore a mask and hat when he went there. On one occasion, he sold about 11 pounds of gold, making a profit of around a million dollars.
His pocket vibrated, and Henry pulled out his phone, opening a discreet webpage interface to check. His pupils constricted as he quickly found the message he was looking for.
"Looks like I've been discovered. I can't go to the black market to sell gold anymore. There are quite a few greedy individuals out there."
This webpage was from the underground black market, offering a high reward for finding Henry. The photo depicted Henry in a disguised appearance, with a full beard covering his face, only showing his eyes.
Henry thought about his method of inserting iron pieces into gold, and in his heart, he couldn't help but praise himself fiercely. Like testing gold by biting it, or a piece of gold as thick as a tofu block, being able to bite halfway through and make the other party burst into laughter.
Everything was fine in a situation where he was intentionally deceitful, especially in a place like the black market. Before Henry went, he had reported to the police, thinking that the police officers would thank him. In his haste, everything would then be simplified.
With less than 8.8 pounds of gold, Henry exchanged it for a million in cash. Some might say he was daring, but in reality, he had spent a week investigating to discover the outdated gold inspection methods of that black market.
"I hope I can get news of ginseng being real by next spring; otherwise, I might run out of money."
Henry patted his backpack, now containing only about two hundred thousand dollars.
Selling small amounts of gold a few times is manageable, but too many times would attract unwanted attention. If too much gold flooded the market at once, investigations would soon follow.
Henry never underestimated the people on Earth. Greed was the greatest motivator for humans, and those seeking unconventional ways to get rich were likely to have special means.
At ten o'clock in the urban night, the real nightlife began. The streets were bustling with traffic, horns blaring, and people streaming back and forth. Occasionally, a few bicycles zipped by, and the storefronts were adorned with flashing signs. Some ladies were even making advances...
The most crowded place was the street food stalls, where the aroma of hamburgers wafted through the air. Bold female patrons were drinking beer as heartily as the men.
Henry suddenly felt a bit out of place. Those with dyed yellow hair, heavy makeup on their faces, and wearing colored contact lenses. He suddenly thought of the girls in the castle with their natural looks. After the comparison, he couldn't help but sneer. The girls he used to find pretty now look really ugly!
